bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Climate Change on Viticulture and Wine Quality
Authors: van Leeuwen Cornelis , Darriet Philippe
Published: June 2016

Climate change is a major challenge in wine production. Temperatures are increasing worldwide, and most regions are exposed to water deficits more frequently. Higher temperatures trigger advanced phenology. This shifts the ripening phase to warmer periods in the summer, which will affect grape composition, in particular with respect to aroma compounds. Increased water stress reduces yields and modifies fruit composition. The frequency of extreme climatic events (hail, flooding) is likely to increase. Depending on the region and the amount of change, this may have positive or negative implications on wine quality. Adaptation strategies are needed to continue to produce high-quality wines and to preserve their typicity according to their origin in a changing climate. The choice of plant material is a valuable resource to implement these strategies. (JEL Classifications: Q13, Q54)
Vineyards and Vineyard Management Related to Ecosystem Services: Experiences from a Wide Range of Enological Regions in the Context of Global Climate Change
Authors: Bindi Marco , Nunes Paulo A.L.D.
Published: June 2016

This special symposium focuses on the analysis of climate change impacts on the spatial dimension of vineyard land use. This includes the analysis of projections of current vineyard areas that are lost due to climate change, those that are retained despite climate change, and new vineyard areas that are created due to climate change. The analysis explores the use of GIS over regional and global scales. Furthermore, this symposium sheds light on the socioeconomic dimension of climate change impacts on the wine industry and viticulture by exploring the use of an ecosystem service approach. Such an economic sector is responsible for the provision of a wide range of cobenefits in addition to wine products. These include biodiversity protection and cultural services, including landscape values and ecotourism benefits (see Nunes and Loureiro, forthcoming). In this context, this symposium endorses the ecosystem service approach to the management of vineyards as a regional strategic plan to promote sustainable development. This embraces a broad range of issues including (1) the improvement of people's quality of life; (2) the increase of prospects for more jobs in rural areas; and (3) the protection of regional commons, including both biodiversity and cultural heritage–oriented commons.
Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations: New Challenges for the Wine Industry
Authors: Ollat Nathalie , Touzard Jean-Marc , van Leeuwen Cornelis
Published: June 2016

Climate change will have a profound effect on vine growing worldwide. Wine quality will also be affected, which will raise economic issues. Possible adaptations may result from changes in plant material, viticultural techniques, and the wine-making process. Relocation of vineyards to cooler areas and increased irrigation are other options, but they may result in potential conflicts for land and water use. Grapes are currently grown in many regions around the world, and growers have adapted their practices to the wide range of climatic conditions that can be found among or inside these areas. This knowledge is precious for identifying potential adaptations to climate change. Because climate change affects all activities linked to wine production (grape growing, wine making, wine economics, and environmental issues), multidisciplinary research is needed to guide growers to continue to produce high-quality wines in an economical and environmentally sustainable way. An example of such an interdisciplinary study is the French LACCAVE (long-term adaptation to climate change in viticulture and enology) project, in which researchers from 23 institutes work together on all issues related to the impact of climate change on wine production. (JEL Classifications: Q1, Q5)
Cyclotomy and the heptadecagon
Authors: Shiu Peter
Published: June 2016

Cyclotomy is concerned with the division of a circle into a given number of equal segments, amounting to the construction of a regular polygon, say a q-gon, so that we need to deliver the angle α = 2π / q, or the length cos α. The construction is by Euclidean means, which make use of only ruler and compasses. Now, from given lengths, sums and differences of lengths are easy to obtain and, with the compasses, products and quotients of lengths can be obtained from similar triangles using parallel lines; indeed even the length can be obtained by applying the intersecting chord theorem to a circle with diameter 1 + a. However, there is not much else one can do with the compasses, so that the length cos α has to come from the real roots of a sequence of quadratic equations with ‘suitable’ coefficients — the meaning of being suitable will be made clear later.

Gauss made the first significant contribution to the classical theory of cyclotomy in Article 365 of his famous Disquisitiones Arithmeticae [1] in 1801. He showed that the construction is possible if q = p is a Fermat prime, that is a prime of the form 22n + 1; see §7 for a necessary and sufficient condition for q. The only known Fermat primes are p = 3, 5, 17, 257, 65537; the cases p = 3, 5 and 17 correspond to the construction of the equilateral triangle, the regular pentagon, and the regular heptadecagon, the details for which Gauss gave.
‘It’s All Done With Mirrors’: V.S. Ramachandran and the Material Culture of Phantom Limb Research
Authors: Guenther Katja
Published: June 2016

This article examines the material culture of neuroscientist Vilayanur S. Ramachandran’s research into phantom limbs. In the 1990s Ramachandran used a ‘mirror box’ to ‘resurrect’ phantom limbs and thus to treat the pain that often accompanied them. The experimental success of his mirror therapy led Ramachandran to see mirrors as a useful model of brain function, a tendency that explains his attraction to work on ‘mirror neurons’. I argue that Ramachandran’s fascination with and repeated appeal to the mirror can be explained by the way it allowed him to confront a perennial problem in the mind and brain sciences, that of the relationship between a supposedly immaterial mind and a material brain. By producing what Ramachandran called a ‘virtual reality’, relating in varied and complex ways to the material world, the mirror reproduced a form of psycho-physical parallelism and dualistic ontology, while conforming to the materialist norms of neuroscience today.
Larval development of the cat lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in the tropical freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata
Authors: ZOTTLER EVA-MARIA , SCHNYDER MANUELA
Published: June 2016

Aelurostrongylus abstrususis a worldwide occurring lungworm affecting felids. This metastrongyloid nematode has an indirect lifecycle relying on slugs and snails as intermediate hosts. In the present study the development of first-stage (L1) to third-stage larvae (L3) in the tropical freshwater pulmonate snailBiomphalaria glabratawas assessed. A total of 306 snails were individually exposed to 300A. abstrususL1, which were obtained from a naturally infected stray cat. The species was confirmed by biomolecular analysis. Second stage larvae (L2) and L3 were first isolated by artificial digestion of snails in the second and fourth week post exposure (wpe), respectively. From 8 wpe onwards, all larvae had developed into L3. Snails remained infected for up to 26 wpe. Only 0.4% of the L1 had pursued their development into L3, indicating low suitability of this artificial intermediate host for production of infectiveA. abstrususL3.
Media, Protest Diffusion, and Authoritarian Resilience
Authors: Huang Haifeng , Boranbay-Akan Serra , Huang Ling
Published: June 2016

Do authoritarian governments always censor news about protests to prevent unrest from spreading? Existing research on authoritarian politics stresses the danger that information spread within the society poses for a regime. In particular, media and Internet reports of social unrest are deemed to threaten authoritarian rule, as such reports may incite more protests and thus spread instability. We show that such reasoning is incomplete if social protests are targeted at local officials. Allowing media the freedom to report local protests may indeed lead to protest diffusion, but the increased probability of citizen protest also has two potential benefits for the regime: (1) identifying and addressing more social grievances, thus releasing potential revolutionary pressure on the regime; (2) forcing local officials to reduce misbehavior, thus reducing underlying social grievances. For authoritarian governments whose survival is vulnerable to citizen grievances, allowing the media to report social protests aimed at local governments can therefore enhance regime stability and protect its interests under many circumstances. We construct a game-theoretic model to analyze the problem and illustrate the argument with examples from China.
Diversity of a Different Kind: Gentrification and Its Impact on Social Capital and Political Participation in Black Communities
Authors: Newman Benjamin J. , Velez Yamil , Pearson-Merkowitz Shanna
Published: June 2016

The literature examining the effect of residential integration on political behavior primarily focuses on how whites react to the entrance of non-whites into their communities. Over the past few decades however, the process of “white return” to urban centers throughout the nation has created the opportunity to invert the standard approach to studying racial context by exploring how minorities react to the entrance of whites into their communities. We adapt realistic conflict theories to the case of gentrification, and offer a model of the effect of white in-migration on social capital (SC) and political engagement in black communities. We demonstrate that white population growth erodes SC in black neighborhoods only where the larger surrounding community is majority black, and where such growth is accompanied by rising housing costs. Further, we find that residing in a gentrifying context, by eroding social capital, ultimately results in the political demobilization of black citizens.
The effects oftrans-fatty acids on TAG regulation in mice depend on dietary unsaturated fatty acids
Authors: Saín Juliana , González Marcela Aída , Lavandera Jimena Verónica , Scalerandi María Victoria , Bernal Claudio Adrián
Published: June 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects oftrans-fatty acids (TFA) on liver and serum TAG regulation in mice fed diets containing different proportions ofn-3,n-6 andn-9 unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) from olive (O), maize (C) or rapeseed (R) oils partially substituted or not with TFA (Ot, Ct and Rt, respectively). Male CF1 mice were fed (30 d) one of these diets. The effects of the partial substitution (1 %, w/w) of different UFA with TFA on the activity and expression of hepatic enzymes involved in lipogenesis and fatty acids oxidation were evaluated, as well as their transcription factor expressions. Some of the mechanisms involved in the serum TAG regulation, hepatic VLDL rich in TAG (VLDL-TAG) secretion rate and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity were assessed. In liver, TFA induced an increase in TAG content in the Ot and Rt groups, and this effect was associated with an imbalance between lipogenesis andβ-oxidation. In the Ot group, exacerbated lipogenesis may be one of the mechanisms responsible for the liver steatosis induced by TFA, whereas in Rt it has been related to a decreasedβ-oxidation, compared with their respective controls. The enhanced hepatic VLDL-TAG secretion in the Ot and Rt groups was compensated with a differential removal of TAG by LPL enzyme in extrahepatic tissues, leading to unchanged serum TAG levels. In brief, the effects of low levels of TFA on liver and serum TAG regulation in mice depend on the dietary proportions ofn-3,n-6 andn-9 UFA.
A PCR-based diagnostic assay for detecting DNA of the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, in the gut of soil-living arthropods
Authors: Rejili M. , Fernandes T. , Dinis A.M. , Pereira J.A. , Baptista P. , Santos S.A.P. , Lino-Neto T.
Published: June 2016

Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is considered the most devastating pest of the olive tree worldwide. In an effort to develop management and biological control strategies against this pest, new molecular tools are urgently needed. In this study, we present the design of B. oleae-specific primers based on mitochondrial DNA sequences of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Two pairs of B. oleae-specific primers were successfully designed and named as SBo1-F/SBo1-R and SBo2-F/SBo1-R, being able to amplify 108 and 214 bp COI fragments, respectively. The specificity of designed primers was tested by amplifying DNA from phylogenetically related (i.e. Diptera order) and other non-pest insects living in olive groves from the Mediterranean region. When using these primers on a PCR-based diagnostic assay, B. oleae DNA was detected in the gut content of a soil-living insect, Pterostichus globosus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Carabidae). The detection of B. oleae DNA in the guts of arthropods was further optimized by adding bovine serum albumin enhancer to the PCR reaction, in order to get a fast, reproducible and sensitive tool for detecting B. oleae remains in the guts of soil-living arthropods. This molecular tool could be useful for understanding pest–predator relationships and establishing future biological control strategies for this pest.
Earth's oldest jellyfish strandings: a unique taphonomic window or just another day at the beach?
Authors: SAPPENFIELD AARON D. , TARHAN LIDYA G. , DROSER MARY L.
Published: June 2016

Discoidal macrofossils reported herein from the lower Cambrian Zabriskie Quartzite (Great Basin, western United States) record the oldest Phanerozoic medusozoan body fossils, as well as the oldest medusozoan stranding event on record. Moreover, these fossils provide evidence of a significant shift in the taphonomic mode characteristic of preservation of nonmineralized taxa in coarse-grained siliciclastic successions near the onset of the Phanerozoic. Taphonomic and sedimentological evidence recorded by these and younger examples of stranded Cambrian medusae is consistent in suggesting that several of the requirements for preservation of these fossils were holdovers from the Ediacaran Period, including the presence of microbial mats and a lack of carcass disturbance by scavenging and/or bioturbating taxa. To shed further light upon the taphonomic factors necessary for the preservation of Cambrian medusae, we compared the biostratinomy and sedimentology of Cambrian medusa strandings to those of Ediacara Biota assemblages from lithologically similar successions. We find key secular disparities in the taphonomic histories of these two types of fossil assemblage. Inconsistencies between the preservational styles characteristic of fossil assemblages preserved in sandstone lithofacies on each side of the Precambrian–Cambrian boundary are explained by a considerable change in the preferred depositional setting in which these macrofossil assemblages are preserved. Thus, rather than documenting a single taphonomic continuum through the Precambrian–Cambrian transition, the Zabriskie and younger medusozoan body fossil assemblages record the advent of an entirely new, yet still very rarely exploited, taphonomic window exclusive to the Cambrian Period.
THE CESÀRO OPERATOR IN THE FRÉCHET SPACES ℓp+ANDLp−
Authors: ALBANESE ANGELA A. , BONET JOSÉ , RICKER WERNER J.
Published: June 2016

The classical spaces ℓp+, 1 ≤p< ∞, andLp−, 1<p≤ ∞, arecountably normed, reflexive Fréchet spaces in which the Cesàro operatorCacts continuously. A detailed investigation is made of various operator theoretic properties ofC(e.g., spectrum, point spectrum, mean ergodicity) as well as certain aspects concerning the dynamics ofC(e.g., hypercyclic, supercyclic, chaos). This complements the results of [3,4], whereCwas studied in the spaces ℂℕ,Lploc(ℝ+) for 1 <p< ∞ andC(ℝ+), which belong to a very different collection of Fréchet spaces, calledquojections; these are automatically Banach spaces whenever they admit a continuous norm.
Is weekend surgery a risk factor for post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage?
Authors: Patel A , Foden N , Rachmanidou A
Published: June 2016

Background:

Tonsillectomy is a common, low-risk procedure. Post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage remains the most serious complication. Recent nationwide studies in the UK have identified an increased morbidity and mortality for both high-risk and low-risk elective general surgery performed at the weekend.

Methods:

Data for tonsillectomies performed at a district general hospital over a three-year period were retrospectively reviewed. The same group of surgeons performed elective tonsillectomies on both weekends and weekdays. All patients who developed a post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage were identified and the day of original operation was noted.

Results:

Between 2010 and 2013, 2208 (94.00 per cent) elective tonsillectomies were performed on a weekday and 141 (6.00 per cent) were performed on the weekend. Post-tonsillectomy haemorrhages occurred in 104 patients (4.71 per cent) who underwent their procedure on a weekday and in 10 patients (7.09 per cent) who had their surgery at the weekend (p = 0.20).

Conclusion:

There is no difference in the rate of post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage for procedures performed on a weekday or weekend.
Cochlear implantation in elderly patients: stability of outcome over time
Authors: Hilly O , Hwang E , Smith L , Shipp D , Nedzelski J M , Chen J M , Lin V W Y
Published: June 2016

Background:

Cochlear implantation is the standard of care for treating severe to profound hearing loss in all age groups. There is limited data on long-term results in elderly implantees and the effect of ageing on outcomes. This study compared the stability of cochlear implantation outcome in elderly and younger patients.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review of cochlear implant patients with a minimum follow up of five years was conducted.

Results:

The study included 87 patients with a mean follow up of 6.8 years. Of these, 22 patients were older than 70 years at the time of implantation. Hearing in Noise Test scores at one year after implantation were worse in the elderly: 85.3 (aged under 61 years), 80.5 (61–70 years) and 73.6 (aged over 70 years;p= 0.039). The respective scores at the last follow up were 84.8, 85.1 and 76.5 (p= 0.054). Most patients had a stable outcome during follow up. Of the elderly patients, 13.6 per cent improved and none had a reduction in score of more than 20 per cent. Similar to younger patients, elderly patients had improved Short Form 36 Health Survey scores during follow up.

Conclusion:

Cochlear implantation improves both audiometric outcome and quality of life in elderly patients. These benefits are stable over time.
A generalisation of Archimedes' method
Authors: Kirfel Christoph
Published: June 2016

Archimedes developed a method for calculating the area of a segment of a parabola. This result was outstanding in mathematical antiquity. The idea and the method were not developed further until nearly 1800 years later. In our article his method is presented in modem notation using modem concepts. We show that the method generalises to curves of higher order. Many of Archimedes' arguments can be used without any adjustments and thus show the strength of his original approach.

The mathematician from Syracuse, Archimedes (born about 287 BC, died 212 BC), developed a method for the calculation of the area of a segment of the parabola.
ATTENTIONAL PROCESSING OF INPUT IN EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT CONDITIONS
Authors: Indrarathne Bimali , Kormos Judit
Published: June 2016

In this study we examined language learners’ attentional processing of a target syntactic construction in written L2 input in different input conditions, the change in learners’ knowledge of the targeted construction in these conditions, and the relationship between the change in knowledge and attentional processing. One hundred L2 learners of English in Sri Lanka were divided into four experimental groups and control group: input flood, input enhancement, a specific instruction to pay attention to the target grammatical construction in the input, and an explicit metalinguistic explanation of the target construction. Eye tracking was used to collect data on the attentional processing of 45 participants in the sample. The eye-tracking measures of learners who received a specific instruction to pay attention to the target structure and an explicit metalinguistic explanation indicated increased attentional processing. The learners in these groups also improved their knowledge of the target structure significantly. The results suggest that increased attentional processing is needed for development in L2 grammatical knowledge and that explicit instruction to pay attention to the input and metalinguistic explanation are successful in directing learners’ attentional resources toward novel grammatical constructions in the input.
The Collar Revolution: Everyday Clothing in Guangdong as Resistance in the Cultural Revolution
Authors: Sun Peidong
Published: June 2016

Scholars have paid little attention to Maoist forces and legacies, and especially to the influences of Maoism on people's everyday dress habits during the Cultural Revolution. This article proposes that people's everyday clothing during that time – a period that has often been regarded as the climax of homogenization and asceticism – became a means of resistance and expression. This article shows how during the Cultural Revolution people dressed to express resistance, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and to reflect their motivations, social class, gender and region. Drawing on oral histories collected from 65 people who experienced the Cultural Revolution and a large number of photographs taken during that period, the author aims to trace the historical source of fashion from the end of the 1970s to the 1980s in Guangdong province. In so doing, the author responds to theories of socialist state discipline, everyday cultural resistance, individualism and the nature of resistance under Mao's regime.
Micropylar seed coat restraint and embryonic response to heat shock and smoke control seed dormancy in Grevillea juniperina
Authors: Briggs Candida L. , Morris E. Charles , Stone Glenn
Published: June 2016

Seeds of some eastern Australian Grevillea species show the characteristics of non-deep physiological dormancy, which is broken by exposure to heat shock and/or smoke. The current study tested whether the restrictive effect of the seed coat on germination was localized to specific regions, whether the fire cues affected the growth potential of the embryo, the mechanical strength of the seed coat itself, and the anatomy of fracturing of the seed coat. Removal of the micropylar seed coat allowed germination, while retaining it in place restricted germination. The growth potential of the embryo was increased by exposure to heat shock or to smoke, and increased the most if exposed to both cues. Estimation of the minimum force required by embryos to germinate from intact seeds suggested that this force was reduced for seeds treated with fire cues. The fire cues did not affect the resistance of the seed coat to compressive force when tested after 24 h of imbibition. Fracturing of the seed coat occurred between cell walls, except for the palisade layer, where fracturing occurred across palisade and sclerenchyma cells. While the micropylar end of the seed coat imposes dormancy, most likely by mechanical constraint, heat shock and smoke overcome dormancy by increasing the embryo's growth potential and possibly weakening the seed coat, either directly or via the embryo.
Influence of an intervention targeting a reduction in sugary beverage intake on the δ13C sugar intake biomarker in a predominantly obese, health-disparate sample
Authors: Davy Brenda M , Jahren A Hope , Hedrick Valisa E , You Wen , Zoellner Jamie M
Published: June 2016

Objective

Controversy exists surrounding the health effects of added sugar (AS) and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intakes, primarily due to a reliance on self-reported dietary intake. The purpose of the current investigation was to determine if a 6-month intervention targeting reduced SSB intake would impact δ13C AS intake biomarker values.

Design

A randomized controlled intervention trial. At baseline and at 6 months, participants underwent assessments of anthropometrics and dietary intake. Fasting fingerstick blood samples were obtained and analysed for δ13C value using natural abundance stable isotope MS. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, correlational analyses and multilevel mixed-effects linear regression analysis using an intention-to-treat approach.

Setting

Rural Southwest Virginia, USA.

Subjects

Adults aged ≥18 years who consumed ≥200 kcal SSB/d (≥837 kJ/d) were randomly assigned to either the intervention (n 155) or a matched-contact group (n 146). Participants (mean age 42·1 (sd 13·4) years) were primarily female and overweight (21·5 %) or obese (57·0 %).

Results

A significant group by time difference in δ13C value was detected (P<0·001), with mean (sd) δ13C value decreasing in the intervention group (pre: −18·92 (0·65) ‰, post: −18·97 (0·65) ‰) and no change in the comparison group (pre: −18·94 (0·72) ‰, post: −18·92 (0·73) ‰). Significant group differences in weight and BMI change were also detected. Changes in biomarker δ13C values were consistent with changes in self-reported AS and SSB intakes.

Conclusions

The δ13C sugar intake biomarker assessed using fingerstick blood samples shows promise as an objective indicator of AS and SSB intakes which could be feasibly included in community-based research trials.
The Legitimate Regulatory Distinction Test: Incomplete and Inadequate for the Particular Purposes of the TBT Agreement
Authors: HOUSTON-MCMILLAN JASON
Published: June 2016

Prior to 2011, the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade had been somewhat neglected as a dispute-settlement mechanism, due in part to the lack of previous interpretation of the Agreement by WTO DSB Panels. In 2012, the Appellate Body adjudicated on three TBT disputes:US–Clove Cigarettes, US–Tuna II, andUS–COOL, aiming to officially interpret and clarify Articles 2.1 and 2.2 of the Agreement by creating a distinct test for a measure's consistency with these Articles. This paper explores the relevant decisions of both the Panel and Appellate Body in the three disputes which led to the creation of the ‘legitimate regulatory distinction’ test. The substance behind this phrase, placed in context, is dissected along with the associated idea of ‘even-handedness’. The test attempts to simplify future interpretations regarding what will constitute unjustifiable discrimination, but at the cost of the necessary distinction between the GATT and the TBT Agreement being blurred. The result is a test which is incomplete and which fails to take account of the special circumstances surrounding the TBT Agreement.
A Discussion of Sanford Schram’s The Return of Ordinary Capitalism: Neoliberalism, Precarity, Occupy
Authors: Fine Janice
Published: June 2016

Sanford Schram’s The Return of Ordinary Capitalism: Neoliberalism, Precarity, Occupy (Oxford University Press, 2015) is an ambitious effort to link together three important political realities of our time: the rise of new forms of neoliberal governance, the associated rise of new forms of social and economic insecurity, and the recent development of organized forms of political resistance symbolized by the figure of “Occupy.” The argument is relevant to all subfields of political science. And so we have invited a range of experts across the discipline to comment on the book and on the broader question the book poses: Are we confronting a new form of capitalism that engenders new forms of politics, and if so, what does this mean for political science?
A Discussion of Suzanne Mettler’s Degrees of Inequality: How the Politics of Higher Education Sabotaged the American Dream
Authors: Keohane Nannerl O.
Published: June 2016

The discipline of political science in the United States evolved in tandem with the development of democratic education and the modern university system. Since the early years of the twentieth century, political science has been an academic discipline housed in universities and colleges, and most political scientists earn their living as university or college teachers. And yet as individual academics or as a discipline, we rarely stand back from our institutional environment and ask hard questions about what is happening with higher education and what this means for the practice of political science. Suzanne Mettler does precisely this in Degrees of Inequality: How Higher Education Politics Sabotaged the American Dream. And so we have invited a range of political science scholars, many with extensive experience as university leaders, to comment on her book and its implications for the future of political science.
A Discussion of Frank R. Baumgartner and Bryan D. Jones' The Politics of Information: Problem Definition and the Course of Public Policy in America
Authors: Gupta Kuhika
Published: June 2016

In a number of important articles and books—most notably Agendas and Instability in American Politics (1993), The Politics of Attention: How Government Prioritizes Problems (2005)—Frank R. Baumgartner and Bryan D. Jones have pioneered a distinctive approach to the study of agenda setting that has shaped research in both the U.S. politics and comparative politics subfields. The Politics of Information: Problem Definition and the Course of Public Policy in America further expands on the theme of the political determinants, and implications, of “the organization and prioritization of information.” And so we have invited a number of political scientists from a range of subfields to comment on the book and on the research agenda more generally.
A Discussion of Frank R. Baumgartner and Bryan D. Jones' The Politics of Information: Problem Definition and the Course of Public Policy in America
Authors: Knight Kathleen
Published: June 2016

In a number of important articles and books—most notably Agendas and Instability in American Politics (1993), The Politics of Attention: How Government Prioritizes Problems (2005)—Frank R. Baumgartner and Bryan D. Jones have pioneered a distinctive approach to the study of agenda setting that has shaped research in both the U.S. politics and comparative politics subfields. The Politics of Information: Problem Definition and the Course of Public Policy in America further expands on the theme of the political determinants, and implications, of “the organization and prioritization of information.” And so we have invited a number of political scientists from a range of subfields to comment on the book and on the research agenda more generally.
A Discussion of Frank R. Baumgartner and Bryan D. Jones' The Politics of Information: Problem Definition and the Course of Public Policy in America
Authors: Patashnik Eric
Published: June 2016

In a number of important articles and books—most notably Agendas and Instability in American Politics (1993), The Politics of Attention: How Government Prioritizes Problems (2005)—Frank R. Baumgartner and Bryan D. Jones have pioneered a distinctive approach to the study of agenda setting that has shaped research in both the U.S. politics and comparative politics subfields. The Politics of Information: Problem Definition and the Course of Public Policy in America further expands on the theme of the political determinants, and implications, of “the organization and prioritization of information.” And so we have invited a number of political scientists from a range of subfields to comment on the book and on the research agenda more generally.
Behandlung von Eltern-Jugendlichen-Konflikten nach dem Therapieprogramm für Jugendliche mit Selbstwert-, Leistungs- und Beziehungsstörungen (SELBST) – Konzeption und Ergebnisse einer Pilotstudie
Authors: Rademacher Christiane , Hautmann Christopher , Döpfner Manfred
Published: June 2016

Zusammenfassung. Fragestellung: Obwohl intensive Eltern-Jugendlichen-Konflikte zu den häufigeren Vorstellungsanlässen in Therapieeinrichtungen zählen, liegen auch international bisher kaum Studien zur Wirksamkeit behavioraler Interventionen bei dieser Indikation vor. Deshalb wurde in einer explorativen Studie die Durchführung und Akzeptanz von systemisch-behavioralen Interventionsbausteinen zur Verminderung von Eltern-Jugendlichen-Konflikten im Rahmen der Entwicklung des Behandlungsmanuals SELBST-Familienprobleme untersucht. Methodik: In die Studie wurden zehn Jugendliche im Alter zwischen 12 und 18 Jahren (Durchschnittsalter: 14,7 Jahre) mit ihren Eltern eingeschlossen, die zu Behandlungsbeginn vorrangig über stark ausgeprägte Familienkonflikte klagten (klinisches Urteil) und zudem einen Grenzwert auf einem konfliktsensitiven Fragebogen (Conflict Behavior Questionnaire Cologne) im Eltern- und Jugendlichenurteil überschritten. Ergebnisse: Im Eingruppen-Prä-Post-Vergleich gibt es auf verschiedenen Instrumenten Hinweise darauf, dass sich in erster Linie im Elternurteil erwünschte Veränderungen im Sinne einer Verminderung von Konflikten und/oder einer Verbesserung von Konfliktlösekompetenzen einstellen. Während die Einübung von neuen Verhaltensstrategien in der Therapiestunde gut gelang, fiel es vor allem den Eltern schwer, regelmäßig an den Familiensitzungen teilzunehmen und Übungen auch im Familienalltag zuverlässig durchzuführen. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Studie gibt erste Hinweise darauf, dass es sich um einen sinnvollen Interventionsansatz handeln könnte. Um die Effektivität des Programms zusätzlich zu erhöhen, sind die Erkenntnisse aus der Untersuchung bei der Manualentwicklung berücksichtigt worden.
High-throughput automated home-cage mesoscopic functional imaging of mouse cortex
Authors: Murphy Timothy H. , Boyd Jamie D. , Bolaños Federico , Vanni Matthieu P. , Silasi Gergely , Haupt Dirk , LeDue Jeff M.
Published: June 2016

Mouse head-fixed behaviour coupled with functional imaging has become a powerful technique in rodent systems neuroscience. However, training mice can be time consuming and is potentially stressful for animals. Here we report a fully automated, open source, self-initiated head-fixation system for mesoscopic functional imaging in mice. The system supports five mice at a time and requires minimal investigator intervention. Using genetically encoded calcium indicator transgenic mice, we longitudinally monitor cortical functional connectivity up to 24 h per day in >7,000 self-initiated and unsupervised imaging sessions up to 90 days. The procedure provides robust assessment of functional cortical maps on the basis of both spontaneous activity and brief sensory stimuli such as light flashes. The approach is scalable to a number of remotely controlled cages that can be assessed within the controlled conditions of dedicated animal facilities. We anticipate that home-cage brain imaging will permit flexible and chronic assessment of mesoscale cortical function.
Correction: Corrigendum: Alternative futures for Borneo show the value of integrating economic and conservation targets across borders
Authors: Runting Rebecca K. , Meijaard Erik , Abram Nicola K. , Wells Jessie A. , Gaveau David L. A. , Ancrenaz Marc , Possingham Hugh P. , Wich Serge A. , Ardiansyah Fitrian , Gumal Melvin T. , Ambu Laurentius N. , Wilson Kerrie A.
Published: June 2016

Nature Communications 6: Article number:6819 (2015); Published 14 April 2015; Updated 14 June 2016 The original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the author Hugh P. Possingham, which was incorrectly given as Hugh P. Posssingham. This has now been corrected in both the PDFand HTML versions of the Article.
Correction: Corrigendum: Nuclear RNA-seq of single neurons reveals molecular signatures of activation
Authors: Lacar Benjamin , Linker Sara B. , Jaeger Baptiste N. , Krishnaswami Suguna Rani , Barron Jerika J. , Kelder Martijn J. E. , Parylak Sarah L. , Paquola Apuã C. M. , Venepally Pratap , Novotny Mark , O’Connor Carolyn , Fitzpatrick Conor , Erwin Jennifer A. , Hsu Jonathan Y. , Husband David , McConnell Michael J. , Lasken Roger , Gage Fred H.
Published: June 2016

Nature Communications 7: Article number:11022 (2016); Published 19 April 2016; Updated 14 June 2016 In the original version of this Article, the middle names or initials of the authors Suguna Rani Krishnaswami, Jerika J. Barron, Martijn J.E. Kelder, Sarah L. Parylak, Apuã C.M. Paquola and Jennifer A. Erwin were omitted from the author information.
Structural Studies of a Lipid-Binding Peptide from Tunicate Hemocytes with Anti-Biofilm Activity
Authors: Silva Osmar N. , Alves Eliane S. F. , de la Fuente-Núñez César , Ribeiro Suzana M. , Mandal Santi M. , Gaspar Diana , Veiga Ana S. , Castanho Miguel A. R. B. , Andrade Cesar A. S. , Nascimento Jessica M. , Fensterseifer Isabel C. M. , Porto William F. , Correa Jose R. , Hancock Robert. E. W. , Korpole Suresh , Oliveira Aline L. , Liao Luciano M. , Franco Octavio L.
Published: June 2016

Clavanins is a class of peptides (23aa) histidine-rich, free of post-translational modifications. Clavanins have been studied largely for their ability to disrupt bacterial membranes. In the present study, the interaction of clavanin A with membranes was assessed by dynamic light scattering, zeta potential and permeabilization assays. We observed through those assays that clavanin A lysis bacterial cells at concentrations corresponding to its MIC. Further, the structure and function of clavanin A was investigated. To better understand how clavanin interacted with bacteria, its NMR structure was elucidated. The solution state NMR structure of clavanin A in the presence of TFE-d3 indicated an α-helical conformation. Secondary structures, based on circular dichroism measurements in anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and TFE (2,2,2-trifluorethanol), in silico lipid-peptide docking and molecular simulations with lipids DPPC and DOPC revealed that clavanin A can adopt a variety of folds, possibly influencing its different functions. Microcalorimetry assays revealed that clavanin A was capable of discriminating between different lipids. Finally, clavanin A was found to eradicate bacterial biofilms representing a previously unrecognized function.
In Situ Characterization of Bak Clusters Responsible for Cell Death Using Single Molecule Localization Microscopy
Authors: Nasu Yusuke , Benke Alexander , Arakawa Satoko , Yoshida Go J. , Kawamura Genki , Manley Suliana , Shimizu Shigeomi , Ozawa Takeaki
Published: June 2016

Apoptosis plays a pivotal role in development and tissue homeostasis in multicellular organisms. Clustering of Bak proteins on the mitochondrial outer membrane is responsible for the induction of apoptosis by evoking a release of pro-apoptotic proteins from mitochondria into cytosol. However, how the protein cluster permeabilizes the mitochondrial membrane remains unclear because elucidation of the cluster characteristics such as size and protein density has been hampered by the diffraction-limited resolution of light microscopy. Here, we describe an approach to quantitatively characterize Bak clusters in situ based on single molecule localization. We showed that Bak proteins form densely packed clusters at the nanoscale on mitochondria during apoptosis. Quantitative analysis based on the localization of each Bak protein revealed that the density of Bak protein is uniform among clusters although the cluster size is highly heterogeneous. Our approach provides unprecedented information on the size and protein density of Bak clusters possibly critical for the permeabilization and is applicable for the analysis of different cluster formations.
Whole Exome Screening Identifies Novel and Recurrent WISP3 Mutations Causing Progressive Pseudorheumatoid Dysplasia in Jammu and Kashmir-India
Authors: Rai Ekta , Mahajan Ankit , Kumar Parvinder , Angural Arshia , Dhar Manoj K , Razdan Sushil , Thangaraj Kumarasamy , Wise Carol A. , Ikegawa Shiro , Pandita Kamal Kishore , Sharma Swarkar
Published: June 2016

We report identification and genetic characterization of a rare skeletal disorder that remained unidentified for decades in a village of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The population residing in this region is highly consanguineous and a lack of understanding of the disorder has hindered clinical management and genetic counseling for the many affected individuals in the region. We collected familial information and identified two large extended multiplex pedigrees displaying apparent autosomal recessive inheritance of an uncharacterized skeletal dysplasia. Whole exome sequencing (WES) in members of one pedigree revealed a rare mutation in WISP3:c.156C > A (NP_003871.1:p.Cys52Ter), that perfectly segregated with the disease in the family. To our surprise, Sanger sequencing the WISP3 gene in the second family identified a distinct, novel splice site mutation c.643 + 1G > A, that perfectly segregated with the disease. Combining our next generation sequencing data with careful clinical documentation (familial histories, genetic data, clinical and radiological findings), we have diagnosed the families with Progressive Pseudorheumatoid Dysplasia (PPD). Our results underscore the utility of WES in arriving at definitive diagnoses for rare skeletal dysplasias. This genetic characterization will aid in genetic counseling and management, critically required to curb this rare disorder in the families.
Luteolin inhibits GABAA receptors in HEK cells and brain slices
Authors: Shen Mei-Lin , Wang Chen-Hung , Chen Rita Yu-Tzu , Zhou Ning , Kao Shung-Te , Wu Dong Chuan
Published: June 2016

Modulation of the A type γ-aminobutyric acid receptors (GABAAR) is one of the major drug targets for neurological and psychological diseases. The natural flavonoid compound luteolin (2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)- 5,7-dihydroxy-4-chromenone) has been reported to have antidepressant, antinociceptive and anxiolytic-like effects, which possibly involve the mechanisms of modulating GABA signaling. However, as yet detailed studies of the pharmacological effects of luteolin are still lacking, we investigated the effects of luteolin on recombinant and endogenous GABAAR-mediated current responses by electrophysiological approaches. Our results showed that luteolin inhibited GABA-mediated currents and slowed the activation kinetics of recombinant α1β2, α1β2γ2, α5β2 and α5β2γ2 receptors with different degrees of potency and efficacy. The modulatory effect of luteolin was likely dependent on the subunit composition of the receptor complex: the αβ receptors were more sensitive than the αβγ receptors. In hippocampal pyramidal neurons, luteolin significantly reduced the amplitude and slowed the rise time of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs). However, GABAAR-mediated tonic currents were not significantly influenced by luteolin. These data suggested that luteolin has negative modulatory effects on both recombinant and endogenous GABAARs and inhibits phasic rather than tonic inhibition in hippocampus.
AtDOF5.4/OBP4, a DOF Transcription Factor Gene that Negatively Regulates Cell Cycle Progression and Cell Expansion in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Xu Peipei , Chen Haiying , Ying Lu , Cai Weiming
Published: June 2016

In contrast to animals, plant development involves continuous organ formation, which requires strict regulation of cell proliferation. The core cell cycle machinery is conserved across plants and animals, but plants have developed new mechanisms that precisely regulate cell proliferation in response to internal and external stimuli. Here, we report that the DOF transcription factorOBP4negatively regulates cell proliferation and expansion. OBP4 is a nuclear protein. Constitutive and inducible overexpression ofOBP4reduced the cell size and number, resulting in dwarf plants. Inducible overexpression ofOBP4inArabidopsisalso promoted early endocycle onset and inhibited cell expansion, while inducible overexpression ofOBP4fused to the VP16 activation domain inArabidopsisdelayed endocycle onset and promoted plant growth. Furthermore, gene expression analysis showed that cell cycle regulators and cell wall expansion factors were largely down-regulated in theOBP4overexpression lines. Short-term inducible analysis coupled within vivoChIP assays indicated thatOBP4targets theCyclinB1;1,CDKB1;1andXTHgenes. These results strongly suggest thatOBP4is a negative regulator of cell cycle progression and cell growth. These findings increase our understanding of the transcriptional regulation of the cell cycle in plants.
Empathy Modulates the Rewarding Effect of Mimicry
Authors: Neufeld J. , Chakrabarti B.
Published: June 2016

We tend to like those who mimic us. In this study we formally test if mimicry changes the reward value of the mimicker, using gaze bias as a proxy for reward. Previous research has demonstrated that people show gaze bias towards more rewarding targets, suggesting that gaze bias can be considered a proxy for relative reward value. Forty adults participated in a conditioning task, where they were mimicked by one face and ‘anti-mimicked’ by another. Subsequently, they were found to show gaze-bias towards faces that mimicked them compared to those that did not, in a preferential looking task. The strength of this effect correlated positively with individual levels of trait empathy. In a separate, similar task, these participants showed a gaze bias for faces paired with high vs low monetary rewards, thus validating the use of gaze bias as a proxy for learnt reward. Together, these results demonstrate that mimicry changes the reward value of social stimuli and empathy influences the extent of this change. This can potentially inform conditions marked by deficits in forming social bonds, such as Autism.
Cbx7 is epigenetically silenced in glioblastoma and inhibits cell migration by targeting YAP/TAZ-dependent transcription
Authors: Nawaz Zahid , Patil Vikas , Arora Anjali , Hegde Alangar S. , Arivazhagan Arimappamagan , Santosh Vani , Somasundaram Kumaravel
Published: June 2016

Glioblastomas (GBM) are the most malignant form of astrocytomas which are difficult to treat and portend a grave clinical course and poor prognosis. In this study, we identified Chromobox homolog 7 (Cbx7), a member of Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1), as a downregulated gene in GBM owing to its promoter hypermethylation. Bisulphite sequencing and methylation inhibitor treatment established the hypermethylation of Cbx7 in GBM. Exogenous overexpression of Cbx7 induced cell death, inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation and migration/invasion of the glioma cells. GSEA of Cbx7 regulated genes identified Cbx7 as a repressor of transcription co-activators YAP/TAZ, the inhibitory targets of the Hippo signalling pathway. In good correlation, the exogenous expression of Cbx7 repressed the YAP/TAZ-dependent transcription and downregulated CTGF, a bonafide YAP/TAZ target. We also observed reduced levels of phospho-JNK in Cbx7 expressing cells. Additionally, CTGF silencing and pharmacological inhibition of JNK also inhibited glioma cell migration. Further, Cbx7 failed to inhibit cell migration significantly in the presence of exogenously overexpressed CTGF or constitutively active JNK. Thus, our study identifies Cbx7 as an inhibitor of glioma cell migration through its inhibitory effect on YAP/TAZ-CTGF-JNK signalling axis and underscores the importance of epigenetic inactivation of Cbx7 in gliomagenesis.