bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multicomponent Linguistic Awareness Intervention for At-Risk Kindergarteners
Authors: Zoski Jennifer L. , Erickson Karen A.
Published: August 2016

This study investigated the feasibility of multicomponent linguistic awareness intervention on early literacy skills in at-risk kindergarteners. Seventeen students, including native Spanish-speaking English language learners ( n = 10) and native English speakers ( n = 7), participated in a 6-week small-group therapy program, for a total of 12 intervention hours. Students received therapy in one of the following: phonological awareness and letter knowledge; morphological awareness; or a three-pronged intervention that addressed all three areas. Students demonstrated moderate to large gains in word reading ( d = 1.79–2.19), phonological awareness ( d = 0.73–1.59), morphological awareness ( d = 0.57–3.96), and morphological spelling ( d = 0.77–3.0). Analyses revealed no significant differences based on the type of intervention received. These results provide preliminary evidence for the feasibility of three-pronged linguistic awareness instruction for kindergarten students at risk for later reading difficulties, including English language learners, in intensive intervention programs.
Compensation or Retrenchment? The Paradox of Immigration and Public Welfare Spending in the American States
Authors: Xu Ping
Published: August 2016

By using American state-level data from 1999 to 2008, this article explores how the recent immigrant influx has influenced public welfare spending in the American states. By integrating the race/ethnicity and globalization compensation theory, I hypothesize that immigration will increase welfare spending in states with a bleak job market and exclusive state immigrant welfare policy; in contrast, immigration will decrease welfare spending in states with a good job market and inclusive state immigrant welfare policy. Empirical tests show evidence for both hypotheses, suggesting that the applicability of general political science theories depends on a combination of state policy and economic contexts.
Original Research: Adipose-derived stem cells from younger donors, but not aging donors, inspire the host self-healing capability through its secreta
Authors: Ma Ning , Qiao Chenhui , Zhang Weihua , Luo Hong , Zhang Xin , Liu Donghai , Zang Suhua , Zhang Liang , Bai Jingyun
Published: August 2016

Adipose-derived stem cells demonstrate promising effects in promoting cutaneous wound healing, but the mechanisms are still not well defined and contradictory views are still debatable. In the present research, we established a mouse cutaneous wound model and investigated the effects of adipose-derived stem cells in wound healing. Adipocyte, adipose-derived stem cells, and epidermal keratinocyte stem cells were isolated from younger and aged donors according to the standard protocol. The conditioned medium either from adipose-derived stem cells or from adipocytes was used to treat epidermal keratinocyte cells. The results showed that adipocytes or adipose-derived stem cells isolated from younger donors demonstrated mild advantage over those cells isolated from aging donors. Adipose-derived stem cells showed stronger stimuli than adipocytes, and the adipose-derived stem cells or adipocytes from younger donors enabled to support higher growth rate of keratinocyte stem cells. The invasion of vasculature was observed at day 10 after posttransplantation in the mice bearing the keratinocyte stem cells or combination of keratinocyte stem cells with adipose-derived stem cells; however, simply inoculating keratinocyte stem cells from aging donors did not result in vasculature formation. Adipose-derived stem cells isolated from younger donors were able to inspire the host’s self-healing capabilities, and age-associated factors should be taken into consideration when designing a feasible therapeutic treatment for skin regeneration.
Rethinking the Bronx’s “Soundview Slums”
Authors: Schlichting Kara Murphy
Published: August 2016

In the 1910s, the bungalow colony Harding Park developed on marshy Clason Point. Through the 1930s–1950s, Robert Moses sought to modernize this East Bronx waterfront through the Parks Department and the Committee on Slum Clearance. While localism and special legislative treatment enabled Harding Park’s preservation as a co-op in 1981, the abandonment of master planning left neighboring Soundview Park unfinished. The entwined histories of recreation and residency on Clason Point reveal the beneficial and detrimental effects of both urban renewal and community development, while also demonstrating the complicated relationship between localism and large-scale planning in postwar New York City.
Production process parameter optimization with a new model based on a genetic algorithm and ABC classification method
Authors: Eric Milan , Stefanovic Miladin , Djordjevic Aleksandar , Stefanovic Nikola , Misic Milan , Abadic Nebojsa , Popović Pavle
Published: August 2016

The difference between the production cost and selling price of the products may be viewed as a criterion that determines an organization’s competitiveness and market success. In such circumstances, it is necessary to impact these criteria in order to maximize this difference. The selling products’ price, in modern market conditions, is a category which may not be significantly affected. So organizations have one option, which is the production cost reduction. This is the motive for business organizations and the imperative of each organization. The key parameters that influence the costs of production and therefore influence the competitiveness of organizations are the parameters of production machines and processes used to create products. To define optimal parameter values for production machines and processes that will reduce production costs and increase competitiveness of production organizations, the authors have developed a new mathematical model. The model is based on application of the ABC classification method to classify production line processes based on their costs and an application of a genetic algorithm to find the optimal values of production machine parameters used in these processes. It has been applied in three different modern production line processes; the costs obtained by the model application have been compared with the real production costs.
Hydrodynamic performance of concentric arrays of point absorbers
Authors: Sinha Ashank , Karmakar D , Guedes Soares C
Published: August 2016

The behaviour of arrays of 12 heaving point absorbers in concentric arrangements is numerically assessed in a frequency domain model. The floaters are attached to a central cylindrical bottom-mounted structure. Each point absorber is restricted to the heave mode and is assumed to have its own linear power take-off system consisting of an external damping coefficient enabling power extraction and a supplementary mass coefficient tuning the point absorber to the incoming waves. The external damping and supplementary mass coefficients are optimized to maximize the power absorption by each floater in the array, with a restriction on the total control force that can be applied on the floaters. Various concentric arrangements with different radii and number of concentric circles are analysed to determine the most efficient among them. Moreover, the influence of the presence of a central bottom-mounted pillar and the effect of change in its dimension and shape on the power absorption are also studied.
Pruning the news feed: Unfriending and unfollowing political content on social media
Authors: Bode Leticia
Published: August 2016

Social media allow users some degree of control over the content to which they are exposed, through blocking, unfriending, or hiding feeds from other users. This article considers the extent to which they do so for political reasons. Survey data from Pew Research suggests that political unfriending is relatively rare, with fewer than 10% of respondents engaging in the practice. Analysis finds support for the idea that political unfriending is most common among those who talk about politics, those strongest in ideology, those that see the most politics in social media, and those that perceive the greatest political disagreement in their social networks. This suggests that social media are not exacerbating the political information gap as political information on social media is likely still reaching the least politically engaged, whereas the most politically engaged may opt out of political information within social media but still receive it elsewhere.
Everyday Discrimination Among African American Men
Authors: Taylor Robert Joseph , Miller Reuben , Mouzon Dawne , Keith Verna M. , Chatters Linda M.
Published: August 2016

The present study examined the impact of criminal justice contact on experiences of everyday discrimination among a national sample of African American men. African American men have a high likelihood of being the targets of major discrimination as well as experiencing disproportionate contact with the criminal justice system. Few studies, however, examine everyday discrimination (e.g., commonplace social encounters of unfair treatment) among this group. Using data from the National Survey of American Life, we provide a descriptive assessment of different types of everyday discrimination among African American men. Specifically, we examined differences in everyday discrimination among men who have never been arrested, those who have been arrested but not incarcerated, and men who have a previous history of criminal justice intervention categorized by type of incarceration experienced (i.e., reform school, detention, jail, or prison). Study findings indicated overall high levels of reported everyday discrimination, with increased likelihood and a greater number of experiences associated with more serious forms of criminal justice contact. However, in many instances, there were no or few differences in reported everyday discrimination for African American men with and without criminal justice contact, indicating comparable levels of exposure to experiences with unfair treatment.
Toward a Theory of Political Emotion Causation
Authors: Almohammad Asaad H.
Published: August 2016

The present article provides an integrative review of available evidence on dual emotional systems, guided by the distinction between “explicit” and “implicit” emotions. Extrapolating on a wide array of research, the conceptualization of the proposed framework demonstrates two sequential processes at the three levels of analysis, implying that several mechanisms lead to the elicitation of implicit and explicit emotions, and thereby outline the interplay of the dual dimensions. Moreover, in reconciliation with the literature of political judgment and behavior, the current research posits the role of political sophistication and attitudes on the elicitation of implicit and explicit emotions. In addition, it discusses the moderating influence on partisan loyalties on the relationship between implicit and explicit emotions. Furthermore, the current study forwards an operational measure of the two blocks of emotional experience.
Assessment of Pre-Service Teachers’ Global-Mindedness
Authors: Cui Qi
Published: August 2016

This study assessed pre-service teachers’ levels of global-mindedness and explored the predictors of such attitude using the Global-Mindedness Scale (GMS). The study examined whether individual scale factors such as gender, perceived competence in non-native language or culture, frequency of interaction with people of diverse backgrounds, and teaching experience are good predictors of pre-service teachers’ global-mindedness. The survey was conducted through Qualtrics with privacy protection. The SPSS was used, and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and multiple regression tests were utilized to analyze the data. The research results were based on 184 survey responses of undergraduate students who have declared an education major or minor at a Midwest state university in the United States. The results revealed that the independent variables of gender, perceived competence in non-native language or culture, and teaching experience are significant predictors of the pre-service teachers’ levels of global-mindedness.
Processing Beyond Drawing
Authors: Orthel Bryan D. , Day Julia K.
Published: August 2016

Designers’ internal thought processes can be externally expressed and represented through sketching and other forms of communication. Novice designers often struggle to communicate their ideas. This article reports an analysis of student design processes during conceptual and schematic design development with the intention to inform teaching and learning activities. Interior design student teams provided sketches, written journal entries, digital drawings and models, and graphic images to illustrate their collective design processes. The work was analyzed to understand the students’ representation and development of ideas. Analysis revealed that sketching, digital media, and non-graphic process work were all valuable in the students’ design process. Significantly, the strength of the design outcomes aligned more with the overall quality of conceptual process work, rather than the way in which students represented their ideas. Ultimately, student understanding of the design process varied. Teaching and learning activities should develop direct connections with design thinking processes to improve design education.
A Systemic Functional Approach to Analyzing Thai Pronouns
Authors: Uckaradejdumrong Pichai
Published: August 2016

This article attempts to illustrate the relationships between Tenor dimensions and pronominal reference in standard Thai. It argues for additional consideration of Thai pronouns as negotiators of interpersonal relationship. In addition to making deictic reference and being part of the Mood elements in major clauses, these resources can mark interpersonal social differentiation as well as attitudinal or emotional involvement. Based on examples of data collected from 40 contemporary Thai novels, the study has attested that usage of first and second person pronominal forms reflects the interplay among the three Tenor dimensions—“status,” “contact,” and “affect.” The study further suggests a new approach of pronominal categorization in Thai—pseudo T-pronouns with informal forms, pseudo V-pronouns with deferential flavor, and N-pronouns or pronominally used nominal terms. They all are found strategically used in novels to construe Tenor relations. By means of expressive pronominal switching and discriminatory pronominal choice, Thai pronouns can be employed to differentiate between positive and negative affective involvement of interactants in dialogical texts.
Colonic Spirochetosis in a 60-Year-Old Immunocompetent Patient
Authors: Ngwa Taiwo , Peng Jennifer L. , Choi Euna , Tayarachakul Sucharat , Liangpunsakul Suthat
Published: August 2016

Spirochetes, a genetically and morphologically distinct group of bacteria, are thin, spiral-shaped, and highly motile. They are known causes of several human diseases such as syphilis, Lyme disease, relapsing fever, and leptospirosis. We report a case of colonic spirochetosis in a healthy patient presenting for surveillance colonoscopy. The diagnosis of intestinal spirochetosis was made accidentally during the histological examination of colonic polyps, which were removed during colonoscopy. We also performed an extensive review on intestinal spirochetosis with a focus on clinical presentation and outcomes of reported cases from the past two decades.
“In Today’s Society, It’s a Necessity”
Authors: Ovink Sarah M.
Published: August 2016

Latino/a enrollments at U.S. colleges are rapidly increasing. However, Latinos/as remain underrepresented at four-year universities, and college completion rates and household earnings lag other groups’. Yet, little theoretical attention has been paid to the processes that drive these trends, or to what happens when students not traditionally expected to attend college begin to enroll in large numbers. Longitudinal interviews with 50 Latino/a college aspirants in the San Francisco East Bay Area reveal near-universal college enrollment among these mostly low-income youth, despite significant barriers. East Bay Latino/a youth draw on a set of interrelated logics (economic, regional, family/group, college-for-all) supporting their enrollment, because they conclude that higher education is necessary for socioeconomic mobility. In contrast to the predictions of status attainment and rational choice models, these rationally optimistic college aspirants largely ignore known risks, instead focusing on anticipated gains. Given a postrecession environment featuring increasing costs and uncertain employment, this approach led many to enroll in low-cost, less supportive two-year institutions, resulting in long and winding pathways for some. Results suggest that without structural supports, access to college fails to meaningfully redress stratification processes in higher education and the postrecession economy that significantly shape possibilities for mobility.
Factors Influencing Student Gains from Undergraduate Research Experiences at a Hispanic-Serving Institution
Authors: Daniels Heather , Grineski Sara E. , Collins Timothy W. , Morales Danielle X. , Morera Osvaldo , Echegoyen Lourdes
Published: August 2016

Undergraduate research experiences (UREs) confer many benefits to students, including improved self-confidence, better communication skills, and an increased likelihood of pursuing science careers. Additionally, UREs may be particularly important for racial/ethnic minority students who are underrepresented in the science workforce. We examined factors hypothetically relevant to underrepresented minority student gains from UREs at a Hispanic-serving institution, such as mentoring quality, family income, being Latino/a, and caring for dependents. Data came from a 2013 survey of University of Texas at El Paso students engaged in 10 URE programs (n = 227). Using generalized linear models (GzLMs) and adjusting for known covariates, we found that students who reported receiving higher-quality mentorship, spending more hours caring for dependents, and receiving more programmatic resources experienced significantly greater gains from their URE in all three areas we examined (i.e., thinking and working like a scientist, personal gains, and gains in skills). In two of three areas, duration of the URE was positive and significant. Being Latino/a was positive and significant only in the model predicting personal gains. Across the three models, quality of mentorship was the most important correlate of gains. This suggests that providing training to faculty mentors involved in UREs may improve student outcomes and increase program efficacy.
Efforts at Broadening Participation in the Sciences: An Examination of the Mentoring Experiences of Students from Underrepresented Groups
Authors: Prunuske Amy , Wilson Janelle , Walls Melissa , Marrin Hannah , Clarke Benjamin
Published: August 2016

With the primary objective of attracting and retaining students from underrepresented backgrounds in the sciences, evaluation of one institution’s program has been ongoing over the past three years. Interviews with mentors in the program followed by focus groups conducted with mentees reveal key factors that shape undergraduate students’ research experiences. In the present study, attention is given to data gathered from 15 mentees in the program, the majority of whom have enrolled in community colleges, represent low socioeconomic backgrounds, and are nontraditional students. The results from focus groups with the mentees provide information on the benefits of participating in the program, characteristics of good mentors, challenges to the mentoring relationship, and the effects of underrepresented status on pursuit of advanced degrees. Comparisons of mentees’ comments about the mentoring relationship with mentors’ comments reveal similar themes and patterns while also demonstrating interesting differences. The qualitative findings are also juxtaposed with participants’ responses on the Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences. Taken together, the data enhance our understanding of the experiences of underrepresented students in faculty-mentored research programs and highlight challenges and perspectives of students who are transferring to the university from a community college.
The Dissertation House Model: Doctoral Student Experiences Coping and Writing in a Shared Knowledge Community
Authors: Carter-Veale Wendy Y. , Tull Renetta G. , Rutledge Janet C. , Joseph Lenisa N.
Published: August 2016

The problem of PhD attrition, especially at the dissertation-writing stage, is not solely related to mentoring, departments, or disciplines; it is a problem that affects the entire institution. As such, solutions require collaborative efforts for student success. Building on Yeatman’s master–apprentice model, which assumes mastering disciplinary writing in singular advisor–student contexts, and Burnett’s collaborative cohort model, which introduced doctoral dissertation supervision in a collaborative-learning environment with several faculty mentors in a single discipline, the Dissertation House model (DHM) introduces a model of doctoral dissertation supervision that involves multiple mentors across several disciplines. On the basis of more than 200 students’ reflections, we find that challenges in completing the dissertation extend beyond departmental and disciplinary boundaries. The DHM’s multidisciplinary approach preserves the traditional master–apprentice relationship between faculty and students within academic departments while providing an additional support mechanism through interdisciplinary collaborative cohorts. Using Thoits’s coping assistance theory and data from DH students over a 10-year period, the DHM incorporates Hoadley’s concept of knowledge communities to establish a successful dissertation-writing intervention for graduate students across doctoral programs. Using propensity score analysis, we provide in this study an empirical assessment of the benefits and efficacy of the DHM.
Restoration of mutant bestrophin-1 expression, localisation and function in a polarised epithelial cell model
Authors: Uggenti Carolina , Briant Kit , Streit Anne-Kathrin , Thomson Steven , Koay Yee Hui , Baines Richard A. , Swanton Eileithyia , Manson Forbes D.
Published: August 2016

Autosomal recessive bestrophinopathy (ARB) is a retinopathy caused by mutations in the bestrophin-1 protein, which is thought to function as a Ca2+-gated Cl− channel in the basolateral surface of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Using a stably transfected polarised epithelial cell model, we show that four ARB mutant bestrophin-1 proteins were mislocalised and subjected to proteasomal degradation. In contrast to the wild-type bestrophin-1, each of the four mutant proteins also failed to conduct Cl− ions in transiently transfected cells as determined by whole-cell patch clamp. We demonstrate that a combination of two clinically approved drugs, bortezomib and 4-phenylbutyrate (4PBA), successfully restored the expression and localisation of all four ARB mutant bestrophin-1 proteins. Importantly, the Cl− conductance function of each of the mutant bestrophin-1 proteins was fully restored to that of wild-type bestrophin-1 by treatment of cells with 4PBA alone. The functional rescue achieved with 4PBA is significant because it suggests that this drug, which is already approved for long-term use in infants and adults, might represent a promising therapy for the treatment of ARB and other bestrophinopathies resulting from missense mutations in BEST1.
Identification of gene expression patterns critically involved in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and multiple sclerosis
Authors: Herrmann Martin M. , Barth Silvia , Greve Bernhard , Schumann Kathrin M. , Bartels Andrea , Weissert Robert
Published: August 2016

After encounter with central nervous system (CNS)- derived autoantigen, lymphocytes leave the lymph nodes and enter the CNS. This event leads only rarely to subsequent tissue damage. Genes relevant in CNS- infiltrating cells leading to subsequent CNS pathology are largely undefined. Myelin-oligodendrocyte-glycoprotein (MOG)- induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS), resulting in disability. To assess genes which are involved in encephalitogenicity and subsequent tissue damage mediated by CNS infiltrating cells we performed a DNA microarray analysis from cells derived from lymph nodes and eluted from CNS in LEW.1AV1 (RT1av1) rats immunized with MOG 91-108. The data was compared to immunizations with adjuvant alone or naïve rats and to immunizations with the immunogenic but not encephalitogenic MOG 73-90 peptide. Here we show involvement of Cd38, Cxcr4 and Akt and confirm these findings employing CD38 knock-out (B6.129P2-Cd38tm1Lnd/J) mice, S1P-receptor modulation during EAE and quantitative expression analysis in patients with MS. The hereby defined underlying pathways indicate cellular activation and migration pathways mediated by G-protein coupled receptors as critical events in CNS tissue damage. These pathways can be further explored for novel therapeutic interventions.
Drosophila Kette coordinates myoblast junction dissolution and the ratio of Scar-to-WASp during myoblast fusion
Authors: Hamp Julia , Löwer Andreas , Dottermusch-Heidel Christine , Beck Lothar , Moussian Bernard , Flötenmeyer Matthias , Önel Susanne-Filiz
Published: August 2016

The fusion of founder cells and fusion-competent myoblasts (FCMs) is crucial for muscle formation in Drosophila. Characteristic events of myoblast fusion include the recognition and adhesion of myoblasts, and the formation of branched F-actin by the Arp2/3 complex at the site of cell–cell contact. At the ultrastructural level, these events are reflected by the appearance of finger-like protrusions and electron-dense plaques that appear prior to fusion. Severe defects in myoblast fusion are caused by the loss of Kette (a homolog of Nap1 and Hem-2, also known as NCKAP1 and NCKAP1L, respectively), a member of the regulatory complex formed by Scar or WAVE proteins (represented by the single protein, Scar, in flies). kette mutants form finger-like protrusions, but the electron-dense plaques are extended. Here, we show that the electron-dense plaques in wild-type and kette mutant myoblasts resemble other electron-dense structures that are known to function as cellular junctions. Furthermore, analysis of double mutants and attempts to rescue the kette mutant phenotype with N-cadherin, wasp and genes of members of the regulatory Scar complex revealed that Kette has two functions during myoblast fusion. First, Kette controls the dissolution of electron-dense plaques. Second, Kette controls the ratio of the Arp2/3 activators Scar and WASp in FCMs.
A wide reprogramming of histone H3 modifications during male meiosis I in rice is dependent on the Argonaute protein MEL1
Authors: Liu Hua , Nonomura Ken-Ichi
Published: August 2016

The roles of epigenetic mechanisms, including small-RNA-mediated silencing, in plant meiosis largely remain unclear, despite their importance in plant reproduction. This study unveiled that rice chromosomes are reprogrammed during the premeiosis-to-meiosis transition in pollen mother cells (PMCs). This large-scale meiotic chromosome reprogramming (LMR) continued throughout meiosis I, during which time H3K9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) was increased, and H3K9 acetylation and H3S10 phosphorylation were broadly decreased, with an accompanying immunostaining pattern shift of RNA polymerase II. LMR was dependent on the rice Argonaute protein, MEIOSIS ARRESTED AT LEPTOTENE1 (MEL1), which is specifically expressed in germ cells prior to meiosis, because LMR was severely diminished in mel1 mutant anthers. Pivotal meiotic events, such as pre-synaptic centromere association, DNA double-strand break initiation and synapsis of homologous chromosomes, were also disrupted in this mutant. Interestingly, and as opposed to the LMR loss in most chromosomal regions, aberrant meiotic protein loading and hypermethylation of H3K9 emerged on the nucleolar organizing region in the mel1 PMCs. These results suggest that MEL1 plays important roles in epigenetic LMR to promote faithful homologous recombination and synapsis during rice meiosis.
The RNF146 and tankyrase pathway maintains the junctional Crumbs complex through regulation of angiomotin
Authors: Campbell Craig I. , Samavarchi-Tehrani Payman , Barrios-Rodiles Miriam , Datti Alessandro , Gingras Anne-Claude , Wrana Jeffrey L.
Published: August 2016

The Crumbs complex is an important determinant of epithelial apical-basal polarity that functions in regulation of tight junctions, resistance to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions and as a tumour suppressor. Although the functional role of the Crumbs complex is being elucidated, its regulation is poorly understood. Here, we show that suppression of RNF146, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that recognizes ADP-ribosylated substrates, and tankyrase, a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, disrupts the junctional Crumbs complex and disturbs the function of tight junctions. We show that RNF146 binds a number of polarity-associated proteins, in particular members of the angiomotin (AMOT) family. Accordingly, AMOT proteins are ADP-ribosylated by TNKS2, which drives ubiquitylation by RNF146 and subsequent degradation. Ablation of RNF146 or tankyrase, as well as overexpression of AMOT, led to the relocation of PALS1 (a Crumbs complex component) from the apical membrane to internal puncta, a phenotype that is rescued by AMOTL2 knockdown. We thus reveal a new function of RNF146 and tankyrase in stabilizing the Crumbs complex through downregulation of AMOT proteins at the apical membrane.
The oxidative debt of fasting: evidence for short to medium-term costs of advanced fasting in adult king penguins
Authors: Schull Quentin , Viblanc Vincent A. , Stier Antoine , Saadaoui Hédi , Lefol Emilie , Criscuolo François , Bize Pierre , Robin Jean-Patrice
Published: August 2016

In response to prolonged periods of fasting, animals have evolved metabolic adaptations helping to mobilize body reserves and/or reducing metabolic rate, to ensure a longer usage of reserves. Those metabolic changes can however be associated with higher exposure to oxidative stress, raising the question how species that naturally fast during their life cycle avoid an accumulation of oxidative damage over time. King penguins repeatedly cope with fasting periods up to several weeks. Here we investigated how adult male penguins deal with oxidative stress after an experimentally induced moderate fasting period (PII) or an advanced fasting period (PIII). After fasting in captivity, birds were released to forage at sea. We measured plasmatic oxidative stress on the same individuals at the start and end of the fasting period and when they returned from foraging at sea. We found an increase in activity of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase along with fasting. However, PIII individuals showed higher oxidative damage at the end of the fast compared to PII individuals. When they returned from re-feeding at sea, all birds had recovered their initial body mass and exhibited low levels of oxidative damage. Notably, levels of oxidative damage after the foraging trip were correlated to the rate of mass gain at sea in PIII individuals but not in PII individuals. Altogether, our results suggest that fasting induces a transitory exposure to oxidative stress and that effort to recover in body mass after an advanced fasting period may be a neglected carry-over cost of fasting.
Decreased Myofilament Calcium Sensitivity Plays a Significant Role in Muscle Fatigue
Authors: Debold Edward P.
Published: August 2016

Muscle fatigue can result from either the accumulation of metabolic by-products (e.g., Pi and H+) or a decrease in myoplasmic Ca++; however, individually, neither change can explain quantitatively the decrease in force capacity. Therefore, the emerging view is that, by decreasing the sensitivity of myofilaments to calcium, Pi and H+ act synergistically with decreased Ca++ levels to contribute to fatigue.
Arginine methylation enhances the RNA chaperone activity of the West Nile virus host factor AUF1 p45
Authors: Friedrich Susann , Schmidt Tobias , Schierhorn Angelika , Lilie Hauke , Szczepankiewicz Grit , Bergs Sandra , Liebert Uwe G. , Golbik Ralph P. , Behrens Sven-Erik
Published: August 2016

A prerequisite for the intracellular replication process of the Flavivirus West Nile virus (WNV) is the cyclization of the viral RNA genome, which enables the viral replicase to initiate RNA synthesis. Our earlier studies indicated that the p45 isoform of the cellular AU-rich element binding protein 1 (AUF1) has an RNA chaperone activity, which supports RNA cyclization and viral RNA synthesis by destabilizing a stem structure at the WNV RNA's 3′-end. Here we show that in mammalian cells, AUF1 p45 is consistently modified by arginine methylation of its C terminus. By a combination of different experimental approaches, we can demonstrate that the methyltransferase PRMT1 is necessary and sufficient for AUF1 p45 methylation and that PRMT1 is required for efficient WNV replication. Interestingly, in comparison to the nonmethylated AUF1 p45, the methylated AUF1 p45aDMA exhibits a significantly increased affinity to the WNV RNA termini. Further data also revealed that the RNA chaperone activity of AUF1 p45aDMA is improved and the methylated protein stimulates viral RNA synthesis considerably more efficiently than the nonmethylated AUF1 p45. In addition to its destabilizing RNA chaperone activity, we identified an RNA annealing activity of AUF1 p45, which is not affected by methylation. Arginine methylation of AUF1 p45 thus represents a specific determinant of its RNA chaperone activity while functioning as a WNV host factor. Our data suggest that the methylation modifies the conformation of AUF1 p45 and in this way affects its RNA binding and restructuring activities.
Neck keloids: evaluation of risk factors and recommendation for keloid staging system
Authors: Tirgan Michael H.
Published: August 2016

Importance: Health care providers have long struggled with recurrent and hard to treat keloids. Advancing our understanding of natural history and risk factors for development of large, very large and massive neck keloids can lead to improved treatment outcomes.

Clinical staging system for the categorization of keloid lesions, as well as grouping of keloid patients according to the extent of skin involvement is both fundamental for design and delivery of proper plan of care and an absolute necessity for methodical trial design and interpretation of the results thereof.

Objective: To review clinical presentation and natural history of neck keloids; to explore risk factors for development of large, very large and massive neck keloids; and to propose a clinical staging system that allows for categorization of keloid lesions by their size and grouping of keloid patients by the extent of their skin involvement. 

Setting: This is a retrospective analysis of 82 consecutive patients with neck keloids who were seen by the author in his keloid specialty medical practice.   

Intervention: Non-surgical treatment was offered to all patients. 

Results: Neck-area keloids were found to have several unique characteristics. All 65 African Americans in this study had keloidal lesions elsewhere on their skin. Very large and massive neck keloids appear to be race-specific and almost exclusively seen among African Americans. Submandibular and submental skin was the most commonly involved area of the neck. Keloid removal surgery was found to be the main risk factor for development of very large and massive neck keloids. 

Conclusions and relevance: Surgical removal of neck keloids results in wounding of the skin and triggering a pathological wound-healing response that often leads to formation of a much larger keloid.  Given the potential for greater harm from surgery, the author proposes non-surgical approach for treatment of all primary neck keloids.

Author’s attempts to properly categorize keloid lesions and to group the study subjects was hampered by the lack of a previously defined methodology. A clinical staging system is proposed to address the deficiency in grouping of keloid patients according to the size and extent of skin involvement with keloid lesions.
Correlation between chest x-ray findings and outcomes of patients with mechanical ventilation
Authors: Nurhayati Indah , Supriatna Muhammad , Raharjani Kamilah Budhi , Sudijanto Eddy
Published: August 2016

Background Most infants and children admitted to the pediatricintensive care unit (PICU) have respiratory distress and pulmonarydisease as underlying conditions. Mechanical ventilation may beused to limit morbidity and mortality in children with respiratoryfailure.Objective To assess a correlation between chest x-ray findingsand outcomes of patients with mechanical ventilation.Methods This retrospective study was held in Dr. KariadiHospital, Semarang, Indonesia. Data was collected from themedical records of children admitted to the PICU from Januaryto December 2010, who suffered from respiratory distress andused mechanical ventilation. We compared chest x-ray findings tothe outcomes of patients. Radiological expertise was provided byradiologists on duty at the time. Chi-square and logistic regressiontests were used for statistical analysis.Results There were 63 subjects in our study, consisting of 28 malesand 35 females. Patient outcomes were defined as survived or died,43 subjects ( 68%) and 20 subjects (3 2%), respectively. Chest x-rayfindings revealed the following conditions: bronchopneumonia48% (P=0.298; 95%CI 0.22 to 1.88), pleural effusion 43%(P=0.280; 95%CI 0.539 to 4.837) , pulmonary edema 6%(P=0.622; 95%CI 0.14 to 14.62) and atelectasis 3% (P=0.538;95%CI 0.03 to 7 .62). None of the chest x-ray findings significantlycorrelated to patient outcomes.Conclusion Chest x-ray findings do not correlate to patientoutcomes in pediatric subjects with mechanical ventilation inthe PICU of Dr. Kariadi Hospital, Semarang, Indonesia.
Public expenditures and the production of education
Authors: Neely Stephen R. , Diebold Jeffrey
Published: August 2016

The relationship between public education expenditures and student outcomes remains an important concern for policy analysts, educational administrators, and the public at large. While previous studies have failed to identify a consistent relationship between public investments in education and positive student outcomes, most analyses have not accounted for the different educational goals associated with various instructional expenditure categories. This study builds on prior research by using Pennsylvania’s public school districts to test proposed improvements in model specification for the traditional education production function. Using longitudinal, fixed-effects models, a detailed disaggregation of instructional expenditures is undertaken in order to account for the likelihood that different instructional subcategories (i.e. regular programming, special education, and vocational instruction) influence student outcomes in varying ways. The results suggest that the impact of expenditures may be understated in previous studies based on a failure to account for these distinctions, particularly in the case of Mathematics education.
Penyisipan Media Teks dan Citra Menggunakan Teknik Steganografi pada Media Pembawa Citra Digital
Authors: Muadzani Alim , Nurhayati Oky Dwi , Windasari Ike Pertiwi
Published: August 2016

Information has now become an  important comodity in human life, with the rapid development of communications technology has enable people to communicate and exchange information more easily. Internet is very popular and used by billions users worldwide, the information passing through the internet is very large, and some certain people trying to get this information for profit. The information need to be secured to prevent the others to get the information that send through the internet, steganography can be used to  hide the information before sending it and the receiver can recover the hidden data. Digital steganography using computer can use a variety of digital file, digital image file is one of them. With the infomation being hidden inside the image-carrier, the others will not aware about the hidden information. Application created using C# programming leanguage and the steganoraphy method using Least Significant Bit Insertion (LSBI). Microsoft Visual Studio used as Integrated Development Environtment (IDE) to code and design the user interface. Software develpment model using Extreme Programming, and the testing using black box method. Application designed to hide text or image inside an image-carrier and the hidden text or image can be recovered. The result of this research are an application that can hide text or image into  image-carrier, and the hidden text or image can be recovered. Based on the testing application can run as expected and fulfill all the requirements.
Libby amphibole‐induced mesothelial cell autoantibodies bind to surface plasminogen and alter collagen matrix remodeling
Authors: Hanson Robert , Evilia Caryn , Gilmer John , Woods Linda , Black Brad , Flores Raja , Pfau Jean C.
Published: August 2016

Lamellar pleural thickening (LPT) is a fibrotic disease induced by exposure to Libby amphibole (LA) asbestos that causes widespread scarring around the lung, resulting in deterioration of pulmonary function. Investigating the effects of autoantibodies to mesothelial cells (MCAA) present in the study populations has been a major part of the effort to understand the mechanism of pathogenesis. It has been shown in vitro that human mesothelial cells (Met5a) exposed to MCAA increase collagen deposition into the extracellular matrix (ECM). In this study, we sought to further elucidate how MCAA drive increased collagen deposition by identifying the protein targets bound by MCAA on the cellular surface using biotinylation to label and isolate surface proteins. Isolated surface protein fractions were identified as containing MCAA targets using ELISA. The fractions that demonstrated binding by MCAA were then analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and MASCOT analysis. The most promising result from the MASCOT analysis, plasminogen (PLG), was tested for MCAA binding using purified human PLG in an ELISA. We report that serum containing MCAA bound at an optical density (OD) 3 times greater than that of controls, and LA‐exposed subjects had a high frequency of positive tests for anti‐PLG autoantibodies. This work implicates the involvement of the plasminogen/plasmin system in the mechanism of excess collagen deposition in Met5a cells exposed to MCAA. Elucidating this mechanism could contribute to the understanding of LPT.
Investigating the in-plane mechanical behavior of single-ply quasi-unidirectional glass fiber/polypropylene composites
Authors: Zhai Zhanyu , Gröschel Christian , Drummer Dietmar
Published: August 2016

The objective of this study was to determine the engineering constants and off-axis tensile stress-strain relation of single-ply quasi-unidirectional (UD) glass fiber (GF)/polypropylene (PP) composites using the new approach. A series of off-axis tensile tests of quasi-UD composites were carried out. In this study, Puck’s interfiber fracture criterion was expanded for the first time to estimate the off-axis tensile stresses of UD composites. With the experimental values, the shear properties were obtained through the curve-fitting methods. Damage mechanisms were demonstrated to evolve with the loading angle. By comparison to experimental data, the Hahn-Tsai equation, together with the transformation equation, was found to be adequate to describe the off-axis tensile stress-strain relation of single-ply quasi-UD GF/PP composites.
Anreize für optimierte Essensentscheidungen in der Schulcafeteria
Authors: Kersting Mathilde
Published: August 2016

Mit zunehmendem Alter verzichten Schüler auf die Teilnahme am warmen Mensaessen. Sie bevorzugen stattdessen die meist ungesünderen Angebote von Schulcafeteria oder Kiosk. Hier könnte das Konzept des Food Nudging greifen, mit dem durch unmerkliche Anstöße aus dem Umfeld, beispielsweise der Platzierung der Speisen im Cafeteria-Regal, Essensentscheidungen positiv beeinflusst werden sollen. Es bedarf aber noch des Nachweises längerfristiger Wirkungen, vor allem im Setting Schule.
Universelle Prävention von Essstörungen an Schulen: Das POPS Programm
Authors: Warschburger Petra
Published: August 2016

Gestörtes Essverhalten ist unter Jugendlichen weit verbreitet und birgt u.a. die Gefahr der Entwicklung einer manifesten Essstörung. Wirksame Präventionsansätze sind daher dringend erforderlich. Vorgestellt wird das universelle, schulbasierte und koedukative POPS-Programm („Potsdamer Prävention an Schulen“), das in neun interaktiven Sitzungseinheiten zentrale Risikofaktoren wie Körperbild oder Mediendruck thematisiert. Der Ein-Jahres-Follow-up konnte positive Effekte zeigen.
Orthorexia nervosa – Lebensstil oder gesellschaftlich relevantes Krankheitsbild?
Authors: Pietrowsky Reinhard , Barthels Friederike
Published: August 2016

Orthorexia nervosa bezeichnet ein Essverhalten, das durch eine extreme Fokussierung auf gesunde Ernährung gekennzeichnet ist und zu körperlichen Schäden und psychischen Beeinträchtigungen führen kann. Es spiegelt einen aktuellen Lebensstil wider, der über Ernährungsgewohnheiten Werthaltungen vermittelt und Identität stiftet. Orthorexie als extreme Ausprägung ist allerdings mehr als nur Ausdruck dieses Lebensstils, sondern kann als Form einer Essstörung angesehen werden.
Semiotics and education, semioethic perspectives
Authors: Petrilli Susan
Published: August 2016

“Semioethics” is a neologism coined in the early 1980s to highlight the relation between signs and values, identity and otherness. It keeps account of Victoria Welby’s concept of “significs” and of Sebeok’s “global semiotics” with its critique of glottocentric and anthropocentric tendencies. Together both sources, significs and global semiotics, provide the context for contributions from semioethics to education. Semioethics recovers the ancient vocation of semiotics, originally “semeiotics,” for life and its wellbeing. It elicits the importance of applying an interdisciplinary approach and a “detotalizing method” in education by contrast to the totalizing approaches of grand narratives. The human being is endowed with a “primary modeling device,” also called “language,” and with it “syntactics.” Semioethics considers the role of these special characteristics that specify the human being as a human being, a “semiotic animal,” and addresses the human propensity for creativity, critique, and responsibility for health over the globe, both in terms of physical-organic materiality, the body, and of semiotic materiality, signs and values. These characteristics can be developed and enhanced through a specifically “linguistic education” with a particular emphasis on otherness, dialogue, and listening. Practicing semioethics becomes more pressing in the face of the relational dynamics between the historical-social and biological spheres, between culture and nature, between semiosphere and biosphere, and between semiotics, biosemiotics, and education.
Impact of Entropy Generation on Stagnation-Point Flow of Sutterby Nanofluid: A Numerical Analysis
Authors: Azhar Ehtsham , Iqbal Z. , Maraj E.N.
Published: August 2016

The present article dicusses the computational analysis of entropy generation for the stagnation-point flow of Sutterby nanofluid over a linear stretching plate. The Sutterby fluid is chosen to study the effect for three major classes of non-Newtonian fluids, i.e. pseudoplastic, Newtonian, and dilatant. The effects of pertinent physical parameters are examined under the approximation of boundary layer. The system of coupled nonlinear partial differential equations is simplified by incorporating suitable similarity transformation into a system of non-linear-coupled ordinary differential equations. Entropy generation analysis is conducted numerically, and the results are displayed through graphs and tables. Significant findings are listed in the closing remarks.