bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Laparoscopic Partial Sleeve Gastrectomy with Fundoplication for Gastroesophageal Reflux and Delayed Gastric Emptying
Authors: Le Page Philip A. , Martin David
Published: February 2015

Background

A difficult management problem for the upper gastrointestinal surgeon exists when a patient presents with symptomatic and refractory severe delayed gastric emptying. Surgical treatment is further complicated by coexisting gastro‐oesophageal reflux. No universal surgical strategy exists for this problem.

Methods

A novel surgical strategy combines partial sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and hiatus hernia (HH) repair with fundoplication. A review of treating four such patients is described with objective outcome data.

Results

Overall, solid gastric emptying improved in all, from median 350 (163–488) min pre‐operatively to 108 (84–135) at 10 months (3–24) post‐operatively, corresponding to 67 % improvement. Primary symptoms resolved in all; however, one patient had recurrent symptoms. GERD‐HRQL also improved in all, from median 23 (3–25) to 4 (0–8) at 21 months (6–30, 83 % improvement). Gas bloat improved in three. All had post‐operative gastroscopies showing intact repair and absent oesophagitis, with no patient requiring post‐operative PPI. Patient weight reduced by median 11 % (7–20) post‐operatively. There was no significant peri‐operative morbidity.

Conclusions

With careful patient selection and work‐up, SG and HH repair with fundoplication may improve quality of life by coupling adequate reflux control with improved gastric emptying.
Preoperative Sarcopenia Negatively Impacts Postoperative Outcomes Following Major Hepatectomy with Extrahepatic Bile Duct Resection
Authors: Otsuji Hidehiko , Yokoyama Yukihiro , Ebata Tomoki , Igami Tsuyoshi , Sugawara Gen , Mizuno Takashi , Nagino Masato
Published: February 2015

Background

Major hepatectomy with extrahepatic bile duct resection for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma remains a highly morbid procedure. The association between preoperative sarcopenia and postoperative morbidity/mortality has been reported for various types of surgeries. The objective was to analyze the relationship between preoperative sarcopenia and postoperative morbidity/mortality in patients who underwent major hepatectomy with extrahepatic bile duct resection.

Methods

This study included 256 patients who underwent major hepatectomy with extrahepatic bile duct resection from 2008 to 2014. Preoperative sarcopenia was assessed by a measurement of the total psoas muscle area (TPA). The measured TPA was normalized by height. Preoperative sarcopenia was defined as the presence of a normalized TPA in the lowest sex‐specific tertile.

Results

A total of 54 males and 31 females were determined to have preoperative sarcopenia. The length of the postoperative hospital stay for patients with sarcopenia was significantly longer than for those without sarcopenia (39 vs 30 days, p < 0.001). Patients with sarcopenia experienced a significantly higher rate of liver failure (ISGLS grade ≥ B) (33 vs 16 %), major complications with Clavien grade ≥ 3 (54 vs 37 %), and intra‐abdominal abscess (29 vs 18 %) than those without sarcopenia (all p < 0.05). After a multivariate analysis, low normalized TPA (male <567 mm2/m2; female <395 mm2/m2) was identified as an independent risk factor for the development of liver failure (odds ratio 2.46).

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that preoperative sarcopenia increased the morbidity rate including the rate of liver failure, in patients who underwent major hepatectomy with extrahepatic bile duct resection.
Hypervalinemia and hyperleucine‐isoleucinemia caused by mutations in the branched‐chain‐amino‐acid aminotransferase gene
Authors: Wang X. L. , Li C. J. , Xing Y. , Yang Y. H. , Jia J. P.
Published: February 2015

Valine, leucine, and isoleucine are essential branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). When BCAA metabolism is genetically impaired in human, serum levels of BCAA and/or their metabolites rise considerably, causing severe neurological dysfunction. The first step in BCAA catabolism is catalyzed by branched chain aminotransferase (BCAT). Hypervalinemia and hyperleucine‐isoleucinemia caused by BCAT gene mutation in human have not been reported previously. A 25‐year‐old man presented with headache complaints and mild memory impairment for about six years. Brain MRI showed symmetric white matter abnormal signals. Metabolic studies revealed remarkably elevated plasma valine and leucine concentrations. Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) diagnosis was not supported since all genes for the branched‐chain α‐keto acid dehydrogenase complex (BCKD) gene were normal. Interestingly, two heterogeneous BCAT2 gene mutations were found in the patient, including c.509G > A (p.Arg170Gln) and c.790G > A (p.Glu264Lys). In addition, c.509G > A (p.Arg170Gln) and c.790G > A (p.Glu264Lys) were found in his father and mother, respectively, suggesting an autosomal recessive disorder. BCAT2 functional studies demonstrated that the two BCAT2 gene mutations resulted in decreased BCAT2 enzyme activity. After treatment with vitamin B6, the levels of BCAA, especially valine were remarkably decreased and brain MRI lesions were improved. These findings suggest a new type of branched chain amino acid metabolism disorder. This rare case provides great insight into the further understanding of BCAA metabolism and its defect in human. BCAT2 gene mutations can cause hypervalinemia and hyperleucine‐isoleucinemia, which are associated with brain white matter lesions.
The SH3 regulatory domain of the hematopoietic cell kinase Hck binds ELMO via its polyproline motif
Authors: Awad Rida , Sévajol Marion , Ayala Isabel , Chouquet Anne , Frachet Philippe , Gans Pierre , Reiser Jean-Baptiste , Kleman Jean-Philippe
Published: February 2015

Eukaryotic EnguLfment and cell MOtility (ELMO) proteins form an evolutionary conserved family of regulators involved in small GTPase dependent actin remodeling processes that regulates the guanine exchange factor activity of some of the Downstream Of CrK (DOCK) family members. Gathered data strongly suggest that DOCK activation by ELMO and the subsequent signaling result from a subtle balance in the binding of partners to ELMO. Among its putative upward modulators, the Hematopoietic cell kinase (Hck), a member of the Src kinase superfamily, has been identified as a binding partner and a specific tyrosine kinase for ELMO1. Indeed, Hck is implicated in distinct molecular signaling pathways governing phagocytosis, cell adhesion, and migration of hematopoietic cells. Although ELMO1 has been shown to interact with the regulatory Src Homology 3 (SH3) domain of Hck, no direct evidence indicating the mode of interaction between Hck and ELMO1 have been provided in the literature. In the present study, we report convergent pieces of evidence that demonstrate the specific interaction between the SH3 domain of Hck and the polyproline motif of ELMO1. Our results also suggest that the tyrosine‐phosphorylation state of ELMO1 tail might act as a putative modulator of Hck kinase activity towards ELMO1 that in turn participates in DOCK180 activation and further triggers subsequent signaling towards actin remodeling.
Behavior-Based Interventions to Improve Hand Hygiene Adherence Among Intensive Care Unit Healthcare Workers in Thailand
Authors: Apisarnthanarak Anucha , Eiamsitrakoon Thanee , Mundy Linda M.
Published: February 2015

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate behavioral-based interventions to improve hand hygiene (HH) among healthcare workers (HCWs) at a Thai tertiary care center.

METHODS

A quasi-experimental study was performed in 6 intensive care units with computer-generated allocation. Baseline demographic characteristics, self-reported stage of HH behavioral commitment, and observed HH adherence were examined from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2012 (preintervention), and from January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2013 (postintervention). Self-reported HH was categorized by the stages construct from the Transtheoretical Model of Health Behavior Change. The intensive care unit group randomization was to either standard-of-care HH education every 3 months (S1), intensified HH interventions (S2), or intensified HH interventions plus increased availability of alcohol-based handrub throughout the unit (S3).

RESULTS

Among125 HCWs from 6 intensive care units (42 in S1, 41 in S2, 42 in S3) there were 1,936 total HH observations; most HCWs (100 [ 80%]) were nurses or nurse assistants. Compared with preintervention, overall postintervention HH adherence improved in HCWs assigned to S2 (65% vs 85%; P=.02) and S3 (66% vs 95%; P=.005) but not S1 (68% vs 71%; P=.84). Improvement in HH adherence was demonstrated among HCWs who reported lower stages of HH commitment in S2 (21% vs 84%; P<.001) and S3 (24% vs 89%; P<.001) and in HCWs who self-reported higher stages of commitment in S3 (78% vs 96%; P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

HCW HH programs may benefit from stage-based tailored strategies to promote sustained HH adherence.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;00(0): 1–5
A Subsystem Test Bed for Chinese Spectral Radioheliograph – CORRIGENDUM
Authors: Zhao A. , Yan Y. , Wang W.
Published: February 2015

In the original publication of “A Subsystem Test Bed for Chinese Spectral Radioheliograph,” by A. Zhao, Y. Yan, and W. Wang, there were errors in the numerical data for Tables 4, 5, and 6. The authors have supplied replacement tables, which are replicated below. The authors regret these errors.
Social Networks and Urban Space: Worker Mobilization in the First Years of “New” Unionism in Brazil
Authors: Macedo Francisco Barbosa de
Published: February 2015

In 1980, thousands of metalworkers from the region of greater São Paulo known as the “ABC” region carried out one of the most intense and lasting strikes in the history of the Brazilian working class. For forty-one days, striking workers resisted the repression that bosses and the nation's military regime mounted against them, which contributed to the collective worker mobilization that spread throughout the spaces of the city – especially the streets of the São Bernardo do Campo neighborhood. Expelled from factories and major public spaces, workers were able to maintain the strike mainly in the neighborhoods where they lived, thus politicizing the spaces and relationships of their daily lives and redefining the geography of collective mobilization. This article analyzes aspects of this process, highlighting the importance of workers’ social networks to the notable (re)appropriation of urban space that characterized the strike movement.
Simple model of reduced electric field in ambipolar regime of dc discharge positive column in hydrogen
Authors: Lisovskiy V. A. , Artushenko E. P. , Yegorenkov V. D.
Published: February 2015

We studied the positive column of the dc discharge through analytical modeling. We considered the ambipolar regime when the balance of charged particles is determined only by direct ionization of molecules by electrons and ambipolar escape of them to the discharge chamber walls. The approximation chosen permitted us to solve the balance equation and to obtain simple formulas for the reduced electric field. Our calculation data for the positive column in hydrogen agree well with experimental and theoretical data of other authors.
HOW DOES PRIOR WORD KNOWLEDGE AFFECT VOCABULARY LEARNING PROGRESS IN AN EXTENSIVE READING PROGRAM?
Authors: Webb Stuart , Chang Anna C.-S.
Published: February 2015

Sixty English as a foreign language learners were divided into high-, intermediate-, and low-level groups based on their scores on pretests of target vocabulary and Vocabulary Levels Test scores. The participants read 10 Level 1 and 10 Level 2 graded readers over 37 weeks during two terms. Two sets of 100 target words were chosen from each set of graded readers and were tested on three occasions. The results showed that the relative gains from pretest to immediate posttest were 63.18%, 44.64%, and 28.12% for the high-, intermediate-, and low-level groups, respectively. There was little decay in knowledge on the Term 1 three-month delayed posttest; relative gains ranged from 21.05% for the low-level group to 59.01% for the high-level group. The learning gains in Term 2 were consistent with those from Term 1. The results indicate that prior vocabulary knowledge may have a large impact on the amount of vocabulary learning made through extensive reading.
On maximal ideals in certain reduced twisted C*-crossed products
Authors: BÉDOS ERIK , CONTI ROBERTO
Published: February 2015

We consider a twisted action of a discrete groupGon a unital C*-algebraAand give conditions ensuring that there is a bijective correspondence between the maximal invariant ideals ofAand the maximal ideals in the associated reduced C*-crossed product.
Monotone Cellular Automata in a Random Environment
Authors: BOLLOBÁS BÉLA , SMITH PAUL , UZZELL ANDREW
Published: February 2015

In this paper we study in complete generality the family of two-state, deterministic, monotone, local, homogeneous cellular automata in $\mathbb{Z}$d with random initial configurations. Formally, we are given a set $\mathcal{U}$ = {X1,. . . , Xm} of finite subsets of $\mathbb{Z}$d \ {0}, and an initial set A0 ⊂ $\mathbb{Z}$d of ‘infected’ sites, which we take to be random according to the product measure with density p. At time t ∈ $\mathbb{N}$, the set of infected sites At is the union of At-1 and the set of all x ∈ $\mathbb{Z}$d such that x + X ∈ At-1 for some X ∈ $\mathcal{U}$. Our model may alternatively be thought of as bootstrap percolation on $\mathbb{Z}$d with arbitrary update rules, and for this reason we call it $\mathcal{U}$-bootstrap percolation.

In two dimensions, we give a classification of $\mathcal{U}$-bootstrap percolation models into three classes – supercritical, critical and subcritical – and we prove results about the phase transitions of all models belonging to the first two of these classes. More precisely, we show that the critical probability for percolation on ($\mathbb{Z}$/n$\mathbb{Z}$)2 is (log n)−Θ(1) for all models in the critical class, and that it is n−Θ(1) for all models in the supercritical class.

The results in this paper are the first of any kind on bootstrap percolation considered in this level of generality, and in particular they are the first that make no assumptions of symmetry. It is the hope of the authors that this work will initiate a new, unified theory of bootstrap percolation on $\mathbb{Z}$d.
Long-term care: a review of global funding ‐ Abstract of the Edinburgh Discussion
Authors: Elliott Sue
Published: February 2015

This abstract relates to the following paper: ElliottSLong-term care: a review of global funding. British Actuarial Journal, doi: 10.1017/S1357321714000300
Long-term care: a review of global funding models
Authors: Elliott S. , Golds S. , Sissons I. , Wilson H.
Published: February 2015

This paper looks at alternative long-term care (LTC) funding models and options. It analyses six global models and the potential applications to the United Kingdom. The paper provides a demographic overview for each of the six countries to illustrate the increasing global demand for LTC and the funding thereof that is becoming a global critical issue. It examines the approaches each country has taken to address the funding issue with varying degrees of public/private co-operation and partnerships. The authors hope that the lessons learned from these other markets will assist the United Kingdom as they try to come to grips with their growing social care funding issue.
Acceptability and non-compliance in a family-led weight-management programme for obese Pacific children
Authors: Teevale Tasileta , Taufa Seini , Percival Teuila
Published: February 2015

Objective

To explore factors influencing participation and attrition in a family-led weight-management programme for obese Pacific children.

Design

Qualitative study used bilingual in-depth interviews at exit and end of an 8-week weight-management programme.

Setting

New Zealand.

Subjects

Forty-two parents/primary caregivers of obese children who were randomised in the intervention weight-management programme.

Results

Programmatic factors that enhanced retention included: simultaneous delivery to both children and parents as participants; delivery of the programme in small group settings at local community venues; enabling trustworthy and accountable relationships; providing resources for travel to venues and regular telephone/text messaging follow-up calls reinforcing programme goals; and day and time scheduling. Suggested programme improvements included having ethnic-specific Island-language delivery and practical sessions like cooking classes and shopping expeditions at local food stores. The research found that unpredictable external life crises like extended family deaths, a change in job shift, family illnesses (both acute and those requiring chronic management) and long-term family visitations affected participation and momentum. A loss of momentum through managing life crises was often difficult to overcome for participants, leading them to drop out of the weight-management programme. Most drop-out participants preferred to defer their programme participation with hopes of re-committing to future programmes at another time.

Conclusions

In order for weight-management programmes to be effective, participants must be able to complete them. Identifying factors that predict participation and attrition may serve as a basis for programme improvement.
Mexican Folk Music and Theater in Early Twentieth-Century Southern California: The Ramona Pageant and the Mexican Players
Authors: MARCUS KENNETH H.
Published: February 2015

In an environment of racial tension and conflict in Southern California during the first half of the twentieth century, the Ramona Pageant and the plays by the Padua Hills Mexican Players offered Mexican American performers a vital role in perpetuating cultural memory through music and dance. The Ramona Pageant, which began in Hemet, California in 1923 and is still in operation, remains one of the longest-running pageants, or historical dramas, in U.S. history. Similarly, the Mexican Players were founded during the Great Depression in 1931 in Claremont, California and performed continuously for more than forty years. This article argues that Hispanic musicians achieved a degree of cultural agency in these plays through the performance of Mexican folk music, especially canciones (love songs) and corridos (narrative ballads), which were essential elements in the “soundscape” of the Southwest. Although Anglos created and directed the plays, they did not create or perform the music. In spite of the plays’ largely romanticized portrayals of California's Spanish and Mexican past, they provided some of the few prominent forums in Southern California for Mexican American musicians and dancers during the first half of the twentieth century.
The politics of leadership capital in compound democracies: inferences from the German case
Authors: Helms Ludger
Published: February 2015

This article offers a contextualization of the recently introduced leadership capital concept within the wider field of political leadership research, and a demonstration of its usefulness for studying leadership performances and patterns in different institutional and political contexts. At the centre of this piece, is an application of the leadership capital approach to studying the conditions and manifestations of executive leadership in the Federal Republic of Germany, which is being considered a classic case of a compound democracy. As the inquiry into the German case suggests, the politics of leadership capital is in fact strongly shaped by the institutional framework of a regime. That said, institutions do not determine the accumulation and spending of leadership capital, and after all, even within a given institutional context, different leaders lead by making different choices. As a case study on Helmut Kohl, the Federal Republic’s longest serving chancellor, demonstrates, the leadership capital approach marks a useful and meaningful conceptual device for a deeper analytical understanding of a leader’s performance. An inquiry carried out along these lines suggests in particular that informality was one of Kohl’s key strengths across all three dimensions of leadership capital (skills, relations, and reputation), which effectively ‘freed’ him to some considerable extent from the supposedly vital ‘performative’ parts of the office of chief executive.
Consent to humanitarian access: An obligation triggered by territorial control, not States' rights
Authors: Bouchet-Saulnier Françoise
Published: February 2015

The debate about the legality of cross-border relief operations has been revived in the wake of the failures experienced by international humanitarian organizations in their response to humanitarian needs in Syria.
China's “Responsible Protection” Concept: Reinterpreting the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and Military Intervention for Humanitarian Purposes
Authors: GARWOOD-GOWERS Andrew
Published: February 2015

This paper assesses the extent to which the recently formulated Chinese concept of “Responsible Protection” (RP) offers a valuable contribution to the normative debate over R2P's third pillar following the controversy over military intervention in Libya. While RP draws heavily on previous proposals including the 2001 ICISS report and Brazil's “Responsibility while Protecting” (RwP), by amalgamating and repackaging these earlier ideas in a more restrictive form the initiative represents a new and distinctive interpretation of R2P. However, some aspects of RP are framed too narrowly to provide workable guidelines for determining the permissibility of military intervention for humanitarian purposes, and should be clarified and refined. Nevertheless, the Chinese proposal remains significant because it offers important insights into Beijing's current stance on R2P. More broadly, China's RP and Brazil's RwP initiatives illustrate the growing willingness of rising, non-Western powers to assert their own normative preferences on sovereignty, intervention, and global governance.
Schwache Fingergnosie als Risikofaktor für zukünftiges Rechnen?
Authors: Wyschkon Anne , Poltz Nadine , Höse Anna , von Aster Michael , Esser Günter
Published: February 2015

Zusammenfassung. Aktuelle Studien belegen eine Verbindung zwischen Fingergnosie, der Fähigkeit einzelne Finger voneinander zu unterscheiden, zu benennen und nach Aufforderung vorzuzeigen ( Reeve & Humberstone, 2011 ), und numerisch-arithmetischen Fertigkeiten. Die Fingergnosie wird zum Teil als wichtiger spezifischer Prädiktor späterer mathematischer Fertigkeiten bezeichnet. Hier wird untersucht, ob Defizite von Kindergartenkindern in fingergnostischen Fertigkeiten prognostisch relevant für spätere schwache Leistungen im numerisch-arithmetischen Bereich sind.

Im Rahmen der SCHUES-Studie sind die Daten zweier Messzeitpunkte einer 1594 Kinder umfassenden epidemiologischen Längsschnittuntersuchung ausgewertet worden. Fingergnosie und numerisch-arithmetische Fertigkeiten (getrennt nach Zählfertigkeiten, Ziffernkenntnis und Rechnen/Mengenerfassung) wurden in Individualtestungen zu zwei Messzeitpunkten erhoben. Die zunächst etwa ein Jahr vor der Einschulung untersuchten Kinder waren zu t1im Mittel 63 Monate alt, 9 Monate später fand die zweite Testung im Kindergarten statt.

Numerisch-arithmetische Fertigkeiten zeigen über die beiden Messzeitpunkte hinweg eine mittlere, fingergnostische Leistungen lediglich eine geringe Stabilität. Zufriedenstellende Vorhersagen der numerisch-arithmetischen Fertigkeitsniveaus (durchschnittlich, auffällig, schwer auffällig) gelingen durch die neun Monate zuvor erfassten Fertigkeitsniveaus der numerisch-arithmetischen Leistungen, nicht aber durch jene der Fingergnosie. Werden für die Prognose der numerisch-arithmetischen Fertigkeitsniveaus zu t2neben den numerisch-arithmetischen Fertigkeitsniveaus zu t1auch jene der Fingergnosie hinzugenommen, wird eine Verbesserung der Sensitivität erreicht, es kommt aber zu Einbußen in der Spezifität. Die Güte der Gesamtklassifikation kann durch die zusätzliche Aufnahme der Fingergnosie als Prädiktor nicht verbessert werden. Zusammenfassend sind geringe positive Korrelationen zwischen fingergnostischen und späteren numerisch-arithmetischen Fähigkeiten der Vorschulkinder zu konstatieren. Eine schwache Fingergnosie kann jedoch nach den vorliegenden Ergebnissen keinesfalls als klarer Risikofaktor für zukünftige Defizite im Rechnen bezeichnet werden.
Vom Fingergefühl zum Rechnen
Authors: Poltz Nadine , Wyschkon Anne , Höse Anna , von Aster Michael , Esser Günter
Published: February 2015

Zusammenfassung. Aktuelle Studien belegen eine Verbindung zwischen Fingergnosie, der Fähigkeit einzelne Finger voneinander zu unterscheiden, zu benennen und nach Aufforderung vorzuzeigen ( Reeve & Humberstone, 2011 ), und numerisch-arithmetischen Fertigkeiten. Die Fingergnosie wird zum Teil als wichtiger spezifischer Prädiktor späterer mathematischer Fertigkeiten bezeichnet. Um den tatsächlichen Prädiktionswert fingergnostischer Leistungen zu untersuchen, werden hier neben den Leistungen in der nonverbalen Intelligenz, dem visuell-räumlichen Arbeitsgedächtnis und der selektiven Aufmerksamkeit auch die numerisch-arithmetischen Leistungen zu einem früheren Zeitpunkt kontrolliert.

Im Rahmen der SCHUES-Studie sind die Daten zweier Messzeitpunkte einer 1594 Kinder umfassenden epidemiologischen Längsschnittuntersuchung ausgewertet worden. Die Kindergartenkinder waren zum ersten Messzeitpunkt im Mittel 63 Monate alt. Der zweite Messzeitpunkt fand durchschnittlich neun Monate später statt. Fingergnosie und numerisch-arithmetische Fertigkeiten (getrennt nach Zählfertigkeiten, Ziffernkenntnis und Rechnen/Mengenerfassung) sowie nonverbale Intelligenz, visuell-räumliches Arbeitsgedächtnis und selektive Aufmerksamkeit wurden in Individualtestungen erhoben.

Die Korrelationen zwischen Fingergnosie und den numerisch-arithmetischen Fertigkeiten sind gering. In Pfadanalysen erweisen sich die analogen numerisch-arithmetischen Fertigkeiten zu einem früheren Messzeitpunkt als jeweils beste Prädiktoren. Unter zusätzlicher Berücksichtigung der nonverbalen Intelligenz, des visuell-räumlichen Arbeitsgedächtnisses und der selektiven Aufmerksamkeit hat die Fingergnosie einen eigenen, aber geringen Prädiktionswert für Zählfertigkeiten und Rechnen/Mengenerfassung, nicht jedoch für die Ziffernkenntnis zum zweiten Messzeitpunkt. Nach den numerisch-arithmetischen Leistungen ist die nonverbale Intelligenz der bedeutsamste Prädiktor.

Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Fingergnosie einen von der nonverbalen Intelligenz, dem visuell-räumlichen Arbeitsgedächtnis und der selektiven Aufmerksamkeit unabhängigen Vorhersagebeitrag für Zählfertigkeiten und Rechnen/Mengenerfassung erbringt, aber in ihrer Prädiktionskraft späterer numerisch-arithmetischer Leistungen deutlich hinter jenem der frühen numerischen und intellektuellen Leistungsfähigkeit zurückbleibt.
Beyond Dichotomies
Authors: Blömeke Sigrid , Gustafsson Jan-Eric , Shavelson Richard J.
Published: February 2015

In this paper, the state of research on the assessment of competencies in higher education is reviewed. Fundamental conceptual and methodological issues are clarified by showing that current controversies are built on misleading dichotomies. By systematically sketching conceptual controversies, competing competence definitions are unpacked (analytic/trait vs. holistic/real-world performance) and commonplaces are identified. Disagreements are also highlighted. Similarly, competing statistical approaches to assessing competencies, namely item-response theory (latent trait) versus generalizability theory (sampling error variance), are unpacked. The resulting framework moves beyond dichotomies and shows how the different approaches complement each other. Competence is viewed along a continuum from traits that underlie perception, interpretation, and decision-making skills, which in turn give rise to observed behavior in real-world situations. Statistical approaches are also viewed along a continuum from linear to nonlinear models that serve different purposes. Item response theory (IRT) models may be used for scaling item responses and modeling structural relations, and generalizability theory (GT) models pinpoint sources of measurement error variance, thereby enabling the design of reliable measurements. The proposed framework suggests multiple new research studies and may serve as a “grand” structural model.
Validating Test Score Interpretations by Cross-National Comparison
Authors: Förster Manuel , Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia Olga , Brückner Sebastian , Happ Roland , Hambleton Ronald K. , Walstad William B. , Asano Tadayoshi , Yamaoka Michio
Published: February 2015

Cross-national assessment of students’ competences in higher education is becoming increasingly important in many disciplines including economics but there are few available instruments that meet psychological standards for assessing students’ economic competence in higher education (HE). One of them is the internationally valid Test of Understanding in College Economics (TUCE), which has been adapted and employed successfully in HE systems in various countries, but the test results have seldom been used for international comparisons of students’ Economic Content Knowledge (ECK). Here, we compare the German and the Japanese test adaptations of the TUCE with reference to the American original in order to determine their suitability for comparative analyses of ECK in HE among these countries. Having critically examined the two test adaptations, we present a comparative analysis of students’ test scores in Germany and Japan and evaluate potential differences with regard to students’ acquisition of ECK while investigating country-specific influence factors.
The Relationship of Mathematical Competence and Mathematics Anxiety
Authors: Jenßen Lars , Dunekacke Simone , Eid Michael , Blömeke Sigrid
Published: February 2015

In educational contexts, it is assumed that mathematical competence can be viewed as a trait. However, studies have yet to examine whether mathematical competence is actually a stable personality characteristic or rather depends on situational factors. Thus, construct validity has not yet been confirmed in this respect. The present study closes this research gap with regard to prospective pre-school teachers when measured across measurement occasions with similar situational characteristics. This study also examines the idea that math anxiety is a relevant negative predictor of mathematical competence. Both research objectives were examined using latent state-trait theory (LST) modeling, which allows for the investigation of occasion-independent and occasion-specific variability over time. The competence and anxiety of n = 354 prospective pre-school teachers were assessed twice across a period of three weeks. Results indicated no occasion-specific effects and moderate negative relations between math anxiety and all mathematical domains. The utility of LST modeling for construct validation and the investigation of complex relationships are discussed.
Assessment of Mathematical Competencies and Epistemic Cognition of Preservice Teachers
Authors: Rott Benjamin , Leuders Timo , Stahl Elmar
Published: February 2015

Assessment in higher education requires multifaceted instruments to capture competence structures and development. The construction of a competence model of preservice mathematics teachers’ mathematical abilities and epistemic beliefs allows for comparing different groups at different stages of their studies. We investigated 1st and 4th semester students with respect to their epistemic beliefs on the certainty of mathematical knowledge (assessed by both denotative and connotative judgments) and their mathematical abilities (defined as critical thinking with respect to mathematical problem situations). We show that students’ beliefs change during the first four semesters, and that the level of critical thinking does not depend on belief orientation but goes along with the level of sophistication of the epistemic judgments uttered by the students.
Assessing Professional Vision in Teacher Candidates
Authors: Stürmer Kathleen , Seidel Tina
Published: February 2015

In this study, we present an approach to validating the video-based Observer Extended Research Tool, which empirically captures prospective teachers’ professional vision in a standardized yet contextualized way. We extended the original Observer tool with the aim of providing a reliable, efficient measure for subpopulations in different consecutive phases of teacher education (university and induction phase). Therefore, we expand the measure to include a broader spectrum of knowledge about effective teaching by drawing on a cognitive process-oriented teaching and learning model while at the same time the number of test items is shortened to ensure a economically manageable assessment tool. In the validation study, we tested the extent to which the extension meets the criteria of context validity, reliability, and sensitiveness for different subpopulations. The participants were 317 preservice teachers and teacher candidates who worked with the Observer Extended Research Tool. Measurement quality was investigated using methods of item response theory. Our results confirm that the Observer Extended Research Tool provides a reliable measure of description, explanation, and prediction as aspects of professional vision within and across different subpopulations in teacher education.
Protection of Hypoglycemia-Induced Neuronal Death by β-Hydroxybutyrate Involves the Preservation of Energy Levels and Decreased Production of Reactive Oxygen Species
Authors: Julio-Amilpas Alberto , Montiel Teresa , Soto-Tinoco Eva , Gerónimo-Olvera Cristian , Massieu Lourdes
Published: February 2015

Glucose is the main energy substrate in brain but in certain circumstances such as prolonged fasting and the suckling period alternative substrates can be used such as the ketone bodies (KB), beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and acetoacetate. It has been shown that KB prevent neuronal death induced during energy limiting conditions and excitotoxicity. The protective effect of KB has been mainly attributed to the improvement of mitochondrial function. In the present study, we have investigated the protective effect of D-BHB against neuronal death induced by severe noncoma hypoglycemia in the rat in vivo and by glucose deprivation (GD) in cortical cultures. Results show that systemic administration of D-BHB reduces reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in distinct cortical areas and subregions of the hippocampus and efficiently prevents neuronal death in the cortex of hypoglycemic animals. In vitro results show that D-BHB stimulates ATP production and reduces ROS levels, while the nonphysiologic isomer of BHB, L-BHB, has no effect on energy production but reduces ROS levels. Data suggest that protection by BHB, not only results from its metabolic action but is also related to its capability to reduce ROS, rendering this KB as a suitable candidate for the treatment of ischemic and traumatic injury.
Emerging magnetic order in platinum atomic contacts and chains
Authors: Strigl Florian , Espy Christopher , Bückle Maximilian , Scheer Elke , Pietsch Torsten
Published: February 2015

The development of atomic-scale structures revealing novel transport phenomena is a major goal of nanotechnology. Examples include chains of atoms that form while stretching a transition metal contact or the predicted formation of magnetic order in these chains, the existence of which is still debated. Here we report an experimental study of the magneto-conductance (MC) and anisotropic MC with atomic-size contacts and mono-atomic chains of the nonmagnetic metal platinum. We find a pronounced and diverse MC behaviour, the amplitude and functional dependence change when stretching the contact by subatomic distances. These findings can be interpreted as a signature of local magnetic order in the chain, which may be of particular importance for the application of atomic-sized contacts in spintronic devices of the smallest possible size.
Sensory integration dynamics in a hierarchical network explains choice probabilities in cortical area MT
Authors: Wimmer Klaus , Compte Albert , Roxin Alex , Peixoto Diogo , Renart Alfonso , de la Rocha Jaime
Published: February 2015

Neuronal variability in sensory cortex predicts perceptual decisions. This relationship, termed choice probability (CP), can arise from sensory variability biasing behaviour and from top-down signals reflecting behaviour. To investigate the interaction of these mechanisms during the decision-making process, we use a hierarchical network model composed of reciprocally connected sensory and integration circuits. Consistent with monkey behaviour in a fixed-duration motion discrimination task, the model integrates sensory evidence transiently, giving rise to a decaying bottom-up CP component. However, the dynamics of the hierarchical loop recruits a concurrently rising top-down component, resulting in sustained CP. We compute the CP time-course of neurons in the medial temporal area (MT) and find an early transient component and a separate late contribution reflecting decision build-up. The stability of individual CPs and the dynamics of noise correlations further support this decomposition. Our model provides a unified understanding of the circuit dynamics linking neural and behavioural variability.
Multi-localization transport behaviour in bulk thermoelectric materials
Authors: Zhao Wenyu , Wei Ping , Zhang Qingjie , Peng Hua , Zhu Wanting , Tang Dingguo , Yu Jian , Zhou Hongyu , Liu Zhiyuan , Mu Xin , He Danqi , Li Jichao , Wang Chunlei , Tang Xinfeng , Yang Jihui
Published: February 2015

Simultaneously optimizing electrical and thermal transport properties of bulk thermoelectric materials remains a key challenge due to the conflicting combination of material traits. Here, we have explored the electrical and thermal transport features of In-filled CoSb3 through X-ray absorption fine structure, X-ray photoemission spectra, transport measurement and theoretical calculation. The results provide evidence of three types of coexisting multi-localization transport behaviours in the material; these are heat-carrying phonon-localized resonant scattering, accelerated electron movement and increase in density of states near the Fermi level. The 5p-orbital hybridization between In and Sb is discovered in the In-filled CoSb3 compound, which results in a charge transfer from Sb to In and the enhancement of p–d orbital hybridization between Co and Sb. Our work demonstrates that the electrical and thermal properties of filled skutterudite bulk thermoelectric materials can be simultaneously optimized through the three types of coexisting multi-localization transport behaviours in an independent way.
Cytosolic Irradiation of Femtosecond Laser Induces Mitochondria-dependent Apoptosis-like Cell Death via Intrinsic Reactive Oxygen Cascades
Authors: Yoon Jonghee , Ryu Seung-wook , Lee Seunghee , Choi Chulhee
Published: February 2015

High-intensity femtosecond lasers have recently been used to irreversibly disrupt nanoscale structures, such as intracellular organelles and to modify biological functions in a reversible manner: so-called nanosurgery and biophotomodulation. Femtosecond laser pulses above the threshold intensity sufficient for reversible biophotomodulation can cause irreversible changes in the irradiated cell, eventually leading to cell death. Here, we demonstrated that cytosolic irradiation with a femtosecond laser produced intrinsic cascades of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which led to rapid apoptosis-like cell death via a caspase and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) signaling pathway. We further showed that cells with enhanced mitochondrial fusion activity are more resilient to laser-induced stress compared to those with enforced mitochondrial fission. Taken together, these findings provide fundamental insight into how optical stimulation intervenes in intrinsic cellular signaling pathways and functions.
Origin of near to middle infrared luminescence and energy transfer process of Er3+/Yb3+co-doped fluorotellurite glasses under different excitations
Authors: Huang Feifei , Liu Xueqiang , Ma Yaoyao , Kang Shuai , Hu Lili , Chen Danping
Published: February 2015

We report the near to middle infrared luminescence and energy transfer process of Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped fluorotellurite glasses under 980, 1550 and 800 nm excitations, respectively. Using a 980 nm laser diode pump, enhanced 1.5 and 2.7 μm emissions from Er3+:I13/2→4I15/2 and I11/2→4I13/2 transitions are observed, in which Yb3+ ions can increase pumping efficiency and be used as energy transfer donors. Meanwhile, Yb3+ can also be used as an acceptor and intensive upconversion luminescence of around 1000 nm is achieved from Er3+:I11/2→4I15/2 and Yb3+: F5/2→4F7/2 transitions using 1550 nm excitation. In addition, the luminescence properties and variation trendency by 800 nm excitation is similar to that using 1550 nm excitation. The optimum Er3+ and Yb3+ ion ratio is 1:1.5 and excess Yb3+ ions decrease energy transfer efficiency under the two pumpings. These results indicate that Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped fluorotellurite glasses are potential middle- infrared laser materials and may be used to increase the efficiency of the silicon solar cells.
Jagged-1 signaling suppresses the IL-6 and TGF-β treatment-induced Th17 cell differentiation via the reduction of RORγt/IL-17A/IL-17F/IL-23a/IL-12rb1
Authors: Wang Yuan , Xing Feiyue , Ye Siqi , Xiao Jia , Di Jingfang , Zeng Shan , Liu Jing
Published: February 2015

Jagged-1 signaling has recently been reported to be involved in the Th17 cell differentiation. However, little is known about its mechanisms. Soluble Jagged-1 was used to activate the Jagged-1–Notch signaling to interfere with the IL-6 and TGF-β-induced Th17 cell skewing. Genes relevant to the autoimmunity or inflammation were screened for the first time in this system by qPCR array for the differential expressions. The 18 genes out of 84, including Clec7a, Il12b, Il12rb1, Il12rb2, Csf3, Il15, Il17a, Il17f, Il17rc, Il17rd, Il17re, Il23a, Myd88, Socs1, Stat4, Stat5a, Sykb and Tbx21, were downregulated, but only Cxcl2, Cxcl12 and Mmp3 were upregulated. The expressions of the genes, Rorγt, Il17a, Il17f, Il12rb1 and Il23a, induced by simultaneous IL-6 and TGF-β treatment were significantly suppressed by Jagged-1, followed by the reduction of RORγt, IL-17A and IL-17F. Consistent with the attenuation of RORγt and the reduced production and secretion of IL-17A and IL-17F in the cell supernatant and the in situ stained cells, the number of CD4+IL-17+ cells was also diminished. It is concluded that the Jagged-1–Notch signaling can suppress the IL-6 and TGF-β treatment-induced Th17 cell skewing through the attenuation of RORγt and, hence by, the down-regulation of IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-23a and IL-12rb1.
The shift between the Red Queen and the Red King effects in mutualisms
Authors: Gao Lei , Li Yao-Tang , Wang Rui-Wu
Published: February 2015

Interspecific mutualisms consist of partners trading services that yield common benefits to both species. Until now, understanding how the payoffs from mutualistic cooperation are allocated among the participants has been problematic. Two hypotheses have been proposed to resolve this problem. The Red Queen effect argues that faster-evolving species are favoured in co-evolutionary processes because they are able to obtain a larger share of benefits. Conversely, the Red King effect argues that the slower-evolving species gains a larger share of benefits. The model we propose shows that the allocations for a common benefit vary when the effect of a reward mechanism is included in the model. The outcome is a shift from the Red Queen effect to the Red King effect and vice versa. In addition, our model shows that either an asymmetry in payoff or an asymmetry in the number of cooperative partners causes a shift between the Red Queen effect and the Red King effect. Even in situations where the evolutionary rates are equal between the two species, asymmetries in rewards and in participant number lead to an uneven allocation of benefits among the partners.
Rab1A regulates anterograde melanosome transport by recruiting kinesin-1 to melanosomes through interaction with SKIP
Authors: Ishida Morié , Ohbayashi Norihiko , Fukuda Mitsunori
Published: February 2015

Melanosomes are lysosome-related organelles in melanocytes that are transported from the perinucleus to the cell periphery by coordination between bidirectional (anterograde and retrograde) microtubule-dependent transport and unidirectional actin-dependent transport. Although the molecular machineries that mediate retrograde transport and actin-dependent transport have already been identified, little is known about the anterograde transport complex on microtubules in mammalian cells. Here we discovered that small GTPase Rab1A on melanosomes recruits SKIP/PLEKHM2 as a Rab1A-specific effector and that Rab1A, SKIP and a kinesin-1/(Kif5b+KLC2) motor form a transport complex that mediates anterograde melanosome transport in melanocytes. Interestingly, Arl8, Arf-like small GTPase that also interacts with SKIP, is specifically localized at lysosomes and regulates their anterograde transport in melanocytes. Our findings suggest that the anterograde microtubule-dependent transport of melanosomes and lysosomes are differently regulated by independent cargo receptors, i.e., Rab1A and Arl8, respectively, but that a SKIP–kinesin-1 mechanism is responsible for the transport of both.
The biochemical changes in hippocampal formation occurring in normal and seizure experiencing rats as a result of a ketogenic diet
Authors: Chwiej Joanna , Skoczen Agnieszka , Janeczko Krzysztof , Kutorasinska Justyna , Matusiak Katarzyna , Figiel Henryk , Dumas Paul , Sandt Christophe , Setkowicz Zuzanna
Published: February 2015

In this study, ketogenic diet-induced biochemical changes occurring in normal and epileptic hippocampal formations were compared.
An electrochemical sensor for selective determination of sulfamethoxazole in surface water using a molecularly imprinted polymer modified BDD electrode
Authors: Zhao Yang , Yuan Fang , Quan Xie , Yu Hongtao , Chen Shuo , Zhao Huimin , Liu Zhaoyang , Hilal Nidal
Published: February 2015

A new electrochemical sensor based on a MIP/BDD electrode is presented for the quantitative determination of sulfamethoxazole and performs a satisfactory recovery for the detection of SMX in surface water samples.
Strain-controlled fluorescence polarization in a CdSe nanoplatelet–block copolymer composite
Authors: Beaudoin E. , Abecassis B. , Constantin D. , Degrouard J. , Davidson P.
Published: February 2015

Composite materials obtained by doping a SBS thermoplastic elastomer matrix with CdSe nanoplatelets show reversible platelets alignment upon stretching.
Enantioselective synthesis of dihydrocoumarin derivatives by chiral scandium(iii)-complex catalyzed inverse-electron-demand hetero-Diels–Alder reaction
Authors: Hu Haipeng , Liu Yangbin , Guo Jing , Lin Lili , Xu Yali , Liu Xiaohua , Feng Xiaoming
Published: February 2015

An asymmetric inverse-electron-demand hetero-Diels–Alder reaction betweeno-quinone methides and azlactones to generate potentially pharmacological active dihydrocoumarins has been achieved efficiently by using a chiralN,N′-dioxide–Sc(iii) complex as the catalyst.
A look into amyloid formation by transthyretin: aggregation pathway and a novel kinetic model
Authors: Faria Tiago Q. , Almeida Zaida L. , Cruz Pedro F. , Jesus Catarina S. H. , Castanheira Pedro , Brito Rui M. M.
Published: February 2015

The kinetics of transthyretin aggregation from acid-unfolded monomers to amyloid fibrils was studied by several biophysical techniques and may be described as a two-step process with transient accumulation of oligomeric species.
Durable superhydrophilic/phobic surfaces based on green patina with corrosion resistance
Authors: Cho Handong , Lee Jeongwon , Lee Sangmin , Hwang Woonbong
Published: February 2015

Special wetting surfaces with superhydrophilicity or superhydrophobicity have attracted great interest because of their potential for practical applications.