bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three Waves of Awkwardness: A Meta-Analysis of Sex in Game Studies
Authors: Harviainen J. Tuomas , Brown Ashley M. L. , Suominen Jaakko
Published: March 2016

This article critically evaluates and questions the growth and maturity of game studies as a scholarly set of related approaches to the study of games, by providing an account of studies of sexuality in (mostly digital) games from 1978 to present. The main goal of this article is to highlight overarching themes and patterns in the literature, with a focus on theories and methodologies commonly used and the way game studies is still risk aware, even awkward in its discussions of sexuality. In addition to a review of 37 years of literature, the article employs a chronological and thematic metaphor analysis of past research texts to analyze whether game studies is growing up or in perpetual puberty and whether it really is exploring sexual maturity alongside the games we study. It finds that while different periods of time can be identified in research as far as approaches to sexuality in games go, game studies is still to a large extent engaged in the management of the stigma that discussing sexuality may cause. Rather than a maturation process, the waves are shown to be manifestations of different types of environmentally influenced risk awareness, consecutive risk avoidance, and a resulting awkwardness.
Theory analysis and structure optimization design of powered gait orthosis
Authors: Ning Meng , Luo Chao , Wang Yixin , Shi Xiaodong , Wang Wenjie , Zhu Chengxuan
Published: March 2016

Patients suffering from paraplegia are special disabled groups in society. In order to help them with lower-limb rehabilitation, a kind of power-assisted gait orthosis is designed. In consideration of the crutches that are rather necessary to keep balance when walking, the effects of crutches on analysis of mechanism cannot be ignored. Based on the gait characteristics, this gait orthosis mechanism is designed, of which the structure is optimized by genetic algorithm and the dynamical model is generated. The periodic movement of hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints in corrected gait are achieved and the torque can be transferred to the driving force of the back motor and the pushrod according to the orthosis structure. Finally, a verification test shows this design is reasonable and practical.
A study of high-strength bolts after dephosphoring
Authors: Hsia Shao-Yi , Chou Yu-Tuan , Chao Jung-Chi (Robin)
Published: March 2016

A wide variety of fasteners are produced, including those for the automobile industry, household electrical appliances industry, architectural engineering, and even the aviation industry. The effects of the high-tensile bolt dephosphoring process on the entire fastener manufacturing process and its organizational characteristics and mechanical properties are analyzed and discussed in this study. Our experimental results reveal that the bolt dephosphoring process must be completed before heat treatment, which can be confirmed with a dephosphoring reagent or metallographic observation. Once bolt heat treatment is completed, bolts without dephosphoring appear to be coated with δ ferrite (delta ferrite) composed of a phosphate coating and a phosphatizing coating, which are not easily removed. Heat treatment with phosphorus results in grain boundary segregation, causing embrittlement and a reduction in lattice bonding forces and resulting in a high risk of fracturing when bolts are used in high-temperature environments or undergo multiaxial stresses.
A quantitative study of neurochemically defined excitatory interneuron populations in laminae I–III of the mouse spinal cord
Authors: Gutierrez-Mecinas Maria , Furuta Takahiro , Watanabe Masahiko , Todd Andrew J
Published: March 2016

Background

Excitatory interneurons account for the majority of neurons in laminae I–III, but their functions are poorly understood. Several neurochemical markers are largely restricted to excitatory interneuron populations, but we have limited knowledge about the size of these populations or their overlap. The present study was designed to investigate this issue by quantifying the neuronal populations that express somatostatin (SST), neurokinin B (NKB), neurotensin, gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and the γ isoform of protein kinase C (PKCγ), and assessing the extent to which they overlapped. Since it has been reported that calretinin- and SST-expressing cells have different functions, we also looked for co-localisation of calretinin and SST.

Results

SST, preprotachykinin B (PPTB, the precursor of NKB), neurotensin, PKCγ or calretinin were detected with antibodies, while cells expressing GRP were identified in a mouse line (GRP-EGFP) in which enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was expressed under control of the GRP promoter. We found that SST-, neurotensin-, PPTB- and PKCγ-expressing cells accounted for 44%, 7%, 12% and 21% of the neurons in laminae I–II, and 16%, 8%, 4% and 14% of those in lamina III, respectively. GRP-EGFP cells made up 11% of the neuronal population in laminae I–II. The neurotensin, PPTB and GRP-EGFP populations showed very limited overlap, and we estimate that between them they account for ∼40% of the excitatory interneurons in laminae I–II. SST which is expressed by ∼60% of excitatory interneurons in this region, was found in each of these populations, as well as in cells that did not express any of the other peptides. Neurotensin and PPTB were often found in cells with PKCγ, and between them, constituted around 60% of the PKCγ cells. Surprisingly, we found extensive co-localisation of SST and calretinin.

Conclusions

These results suggest that cells expressing neurotensin, NKB or GRP form largely non-overlapping sets that are likely to correspond to functional populations. In contrast, SST is widely expressed by excitatory interneurons that are likely to be functionally heterogeneous.
Dietary linoleic acid-induced alterations in pro- and anti-nociceptive lipid autacoids
Authors: Ramsden Christopher E , Ringel Amit , Majchrzak-Hong Sharon F , Yang Jun , Blanchard Helene , Zamora Daisy , Loewke James D , Rapoport Stanley I , Hibbeln Joseph R , Davis John M , Hammock Bruce D , Taha Ameer Y
Published: March 2016

Background

Chronic idiopathic pain syndromes are major causes of personal suffering, disability, and societal expense. Dietary n-6 linoleic acid has increased markedly in modern industrialized populations over the past century. These high amounts of linoleic acid could hypothetically predispose to physical pain by increasing the production of pro-nociceptive linoleic acid-derived lipid autacoids and by interfering with the production of anti-nociceptive lipid autacoids derived from n-3 fatty acids. Here, we used a rat model to determine the effect of increasing dietary linoleic acid as a controlled variable for 15 weeks on nociceptive lipid autacoids and their precursor n-6 and n-3 fatty acids in tissues associated with idiopathic pain syndromes.

Results

Increasing dietary linoleic acid markedly increased the abundance of linoleic acid and its pro-nociceptive derivatives and reduced the abundance of n-3 eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and their anti-nociceptive monoepoxide derivatives. Diet-induced changes occurred in a tissue-specific manner, with marked alterations of nociceptive lipid autacoids in both peripheral and central tissues, and the most pronounced changes in their fatty acid precursors in peripheral tissues.

Conclusions

The present findings provide biochemical support for the hypothesis that the high linoleic acid content of modern industrialized diets may create a biochemical susceptibility to develop chronic pain. Dietary linoleic acid lowering should be further investigated as part of an integrative strategy for the prevention and management of idiopathic pain syndromes.
Imagining the lives of others: Empathy in public relations
Authors: Yeomans Liz
Published: March 2016

This article asks how we might theorise empathy in public relations (PR) in the light of a widespread turn towards emotion in the academy, as well as in popular discourse. Two distinct notions of empathy are explored: ‘true’ empathy, as discussed in intercultural communication, is driven by a human concern for the other in order to understand experiences, feelings and situations that may be different from our own, whereas ‘instrumental’ empathy, reflecting a self orientation, is said to characterise much neoliberal market discourse in which corporations are urged to understand their customers better. Thus, while empathy may seem highly desirable as a means to enter into dialogue with an organisation’s publics, particularly during times of social upheaval and crisis, it is important to pay attention to empathy in PR discourses, including whose goals are served by empathetic engagement, and the type(s) of empathy called upon within a PR context. A literature review identified a sociocultural definition of empathy as ‘imaginary effort’. A review of the PR literature, however, found that while empathy is considered an important principle and personal attribute, notions of empathy, with a few exceptions, are under-explored. Nonfunctionalist, sociocultural research which examines the meanings that practitioners associate with empathy is distinctly lacking; therefore, in order to gain further insight into empathy, two sources of data were explored. The analysis of a popular online practitioner blog showed that other-centred empathic skill is discursively framed as instrumental in achieving clients’ business objectives. The analysis of three empathy statements drawn from 12 in-depth interviews with practitioners revealed complex empathic discourse in practitioner–client relationships. While the findings are limited to illustrative analyses only, this article challenges researchers to develop conceptualisations and perspectives of empathy as imaginary effort in PR.
Perioperative blood loss in total hip and knee arthroplasty: Outcomes associated with intravenous tranexamic acid use in an academic medical center
Authors: Hogan Craig A , Golightly Larry K , Phong Suzanne , Dayton Michael R , Lyda Clark , Barber Gerard R
Published: March 2016

Objectives:

Clinical trials have reported decreased blood loss with the use of tranexamic acid during joint reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to assess the individual practice implications of tranexamic acid use in joint replacement surgery.

Methods:

Health records of adults undergoing total knee arthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty over a 12-month period were retrospectively reviewed. The treatment group comprised patients who received intravenous tranexamic acid perioperatively. The control group comprised patients who did not receive tranexamic acid.

Results:

Patients in the treatment group (n = 64) and the control group (n = 99) were well matched for demographics, orthopedic diagnosis, and comorbidities. In-hospital postsurgical mean decreases in hemoglobin concentrations were −4.05 g/dL and −4.94 g/dL in the treatment and control groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Postsurgical mean decreases in hematocrit levels were −11.2% and −14.2% in the treatment and control groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Three patients in the treatment group (5%) and 21 patients in the control group (21%) received red blood cell transfusions (p = 0.006). As compared to control, the relative risk of transfusion in the treatment group was 0.23 (95% confidence interval = 0.07–0.76) and the number needed to treat to avoid one transfusion was 7.0 (95% confidence interval = 3.8–14.4). No evidence of thromboembolism or other serious complications were observed in either group.

Conclusions:

In patients undergoing joint replacement surgery, perioperative administration of tranexamic acid was associated with diminished blood loss and lesser resource utilization.
Effects of medication adherence on hospitalizations and healthcare costs in patients with schizophrenia in Thailand
Authors: Dilokthornsakul Piyameth , Thoopputra Thitaporn , Patanaprateep Oraluck , Kongsakon Ronnachai , Chaiyakunapruk Nathorn
Published: March 2016

Background:

This study was conducted to determine the impacts of medication adherence on hospitalization and direct healthcare cost in patients with schizophrenia in Thailand.

Methods:

A retrospective study was undertaken. Patients with schizophrenia aged 18–65 years who visited a University hospital and received antipsychotics from April 2011 to October 2011 were included. Propensity score–adjusted logistic regression was used to determine the impacts of medication adherence on schizophrenia-related and all-cause hospitalizations.

Results:

A total of 582 patients were included. Three out of 224 patients (1.3%) were hospitalized with schizophrenia in optimal adherence group, while 10 of 140 (7.1%) were hospitalized in under-adherence group, and 7 of 218 (3.2%) were hospitalized in over-adherence group. Based on propensity score–adjusted multivariate logistic regression, the adjusted odds ratio was 5.86 (95% confidence interval = 1.53–22.50) for schizophrenia-related hospitalization and 8.04 (95% confidence interval = 2.20–29.40) for all-cause hospitalization. The average annual direct healthcare costs in patients with optimal adherence, under-adherence, and over-adherence were US$371 ± US$836, US$386 ± US$734, and US$508 ± US$2168, respectively.

Conclusion:

An initiation of interventions to maintain optimal adherence in patients with schizophrenia would significantly impact the healthcare system.
Clinical Outcomes of High Tibial Osteotomy for Knee Instability
Authors: Dean Chase S. , Liechti Daniel J. , Chahla Jorge , Moatshe Gilbert , LaPrade Robert F.
Published: March 2016

Background:

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in high tibial osteotomy (HTO) to treat patients with chronic knee instability due to posterolateral corner (PLC), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) insufficiencies with concurrent malalignment in the coronal and/or sagittal plane.

Purpose:

To perform a systematic review of the use of HTO for the treatment of knee ligament instability with concurrent malalignment.

Study Design:

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A systematic review of the literature was conducted for the treatment of combined knee ligament instability and malalignment with HTO using the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and MEDLINE (1980 to present); the queries were performed in July 2015. Terms searched included the following: high or proximal tibial osteotomy, unstable, instability, laxity, subluxation, tibial slope, and malalignment, in the knee joint. Inclusion criteria were as follows: HTO to treat instability of the knee joint in the sagittal and/or coronal plane, minimum 2-year follow-up with reported outcomes measures, English language, and human studies. Animal, basic science, and cadaveric studies were excluded as well as editorials, reviews, expert opinions, surveys, special topics, letters to the editor, and correspondence.

Results:

The search resulted in 460 studies. After applying exclusion criteria and removing duplicates, 13 studies were considered. Of the studies reviewed, knee ligament pathologies, previous surgeries, and measurement of knee stability were heterogeneous. However, all studies reported an improvement in knee stability after HTO. Most studies reported improvement in outcome scores. However, other studies did not provide preoperative scores for comparison. Reported complication rates ranged from 0% to 47%.

Conclusion:

Although HTO has been highly advocated and used in treating patients with ligamentous knee instability, there remains a paucity of high-quality studies. Included studies report improvement of instability as well as relatively high patient satisfaction and rate of return to sports. The heterogeneity of the pathology treated, follow-up time, and outcome measures limit comparison between studies.
Taliban: The Rebels Who Aspire to be Rulers
Authors: D’Souza Shanthie Mariet
Published: March 2016

Notwithstanding an existential crisis, which has wracked its operations following the announcement of the death of its supreme leader Mullah Omar, the Taliban-led insurgency remains a potent force drawing their sustenance from a wide range of sources both within Afghanistan as well as outside. Not only has it been able to withstand the military prowess of a vast coalition of international forces for a decade and half but also it has grown in strength by coalescing with large number of anti-government elements and criminal networks in the Afghanistan–Pakistan (Af-Pak) region. The advent of the Islamic State (IS) has added an interesting competitive dimension for area domination between these groups resulting in a surge in violence levels. As the attempts to co-opt elements within the Taliban insurgency through peace deals and negotiations intensifies, the anti-talk constituency within the insurgency has demonstrated its capacity to scuttle such peace processes. Regional power politics, local political opportunism and criminal aspirations of individual groups will continue to inject life into the insurgency.
From Brand to Customer
Authors: Rao Ajit
Published: March 2016

This article is about the inevitability of organizations to move away from a production and/or brand mindset to a customer-centric mindset. This article focuses on how an organization can build and manage such customer-oriented culture. Given that what is measured gets managed, the article starts with a discussion on the key metrics—customer metrics—that need to be defined, measured, discussed and driven within the organization. The article then explores the options available for any organization to enhance the customer metrics more specifically through customer experience and relationship building. The article is written keeping in mind the working executives. This article is based on the author’s experiences, observations and formal and informal discussions with his clients and non-clients.
Resting pulmonary artery pressure of 21–24 mmHg predicts abnormal exercise haemodynamics
Authors: Lau Edmund M.T. , Godinas Laurent , Sitbon Olivier , Montani David , Savale Laurent , Jaïs Xavier , Lador Frederic , Gunther Sven , Celermajer David S. , Simonneau Gérald , Humbert Marc , Chemla Denis , Herve Philippe
Published: March 2016

A resting mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) of 21–24 mmHg is above the upper limit of normal but does not reach criteria for the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH). We sought to determine whether an mPAP of 21–24 mmHg is associated with an increased risk of developing an abnormal pulmonary vascular response during exercise.

Consecutive patients (n=290) with resting mPAP <25 mmHg who underwent invasive exercise haemodynamics were analysed. Risk factors for pulmonary vascular disease or left heart disease were present in 63.4% and 43.8% of subjects. An abnormal pulmonary vascular response (or exercise PH) was defined by mPAP >30 mmHg and total pulmonary vascular resistance >3 WU at maximal exercise.

Exercise PH occurred in 74 (86.0%) out of 86versus96 (47.1%) out of 204 in the mPAP of 21–24 mmHg and mPAP <21 mmHg groups, respectively (OR 6.9, 95% CI: 3.6–13.6; p<0.0001). Patients with mPAP of 21–24 mmHg had lower 6-min walk distance (p=0.002) and higher New York Heart Association functional class status (p=0.03). Decreasing levels of mPAP were associated with a lower prevalence of exercise PH, which occurred in 60.3%, 38.7% and 7.7% of patients with mPAP of 17–20, 13–16 and <13 mmHg, respectively.

In an at-risk population, a resting mPAP between 21–24 mmHg is closely associated with exercise PH together with worse functional capacity.
Fixed point theorems of order-Lipschitz mappings in Banach algebras
Authors: Jiang Shujun , Li Zhilong
Published: March 2016

In this paper, by introducing the concept of Picard-completeness and using the sandwich theorem in the sense of w-convergence, we first prove some fixed point theorems of order-Lipschitz mappings in Banach algebras with non-normal cones which improve the result of Sun’s since the normality of the cone was removed. Moreover, we reconsider the case with normal cones and obtain a fixed point theorem under the assumption relating to the spectral radius, which partially improves the results of Krasnoselskii and Zabreiko’s. In addition, we present some suitable examples which show the usability of our theorems.
Cyclic compatible contraction and related fixed point theorems
Authors: Kumari Panda Sumati , Panthi Dinesh
Published: March 2016

In this work, we introduce the concept of a cyclic compatible contraction and prove related fixed point theorems in the generating space of a b-quasi-metric family.
Splenic progenitors aid in maintaining high neutrophil numbers at sites of sterile chronic inflammation
Authors: Jhunjhunwala Siddharth , Alvarez David , Aresta-DaSilva Stephanie , Tang Katherine , Tang Benjamin C , Greiner Dale L , Newburger Peter E , von Andrian Ulrich H , Langer Robert , Anderson Daniel G
Published: March 2016

Neutrophils are constantly generated from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in the bone marrow to maintain high numbers in circulation. A considerable number of neutrophils and their progenitors have been shown to be present in the spleen too; however, their exact role in this organ remains unclear. Herein, we sought to study the function of splenic neutrophils and their progenitors using a mouse model for sterile, peritoneal inflammation. In this microcapsule device implantation model, we show chronic neutrophil presence at implant sites, with recruitment from circulation as the primary mechanism for their prevalence in the peritoneal exudate. Furthermore, we demonstrate that progenitor populations in the spleen play a key role in maintaining elevated neutrophil numbers. Our results provide new insight into the role for splenic neutrophils and their progenitors and establish a model to study neutrophil function during sterile inflammation.
The effect of second-generation antipsychotics on hippocampal volume in first episode of psychosis: longitudinal study
Authors: Bodnar Michael , Malla Ashok K. , Makowski Carolina , Chakravarty M. Mallar , Joober Ridha , Lepage Martin
Published: March 2016

Background

Current neuroscience literature has related treatment with aripiprazole to improved memory performance and subcellular changes in the hippocampus.

Aims

To explore the volumetric changes in hippocampal grey matter in people with a first episode of psychosis (FEP) treated with second-generation antipsychotics.

Method

Baseline and 1-year follow-up magnetic resonance images were obtained. Hippocampal volumes were estimated by using FreeSurfer and MAGeT-Brain. Subgroups included: aripiprazole (n=13), olanzapine (n=12), risperidone/paliperidone (n=24), refused-antipsychotics (n=13) and controls (n=44).

Results

Aripiprazole subgroup displayed significant increases in bilateral hippocampal volume compared with all other subgroups (FreeSurfer: all P's<0.012; MAGeT-Brain: all P's<0.040).

Conclusions

Aripiprazole is a first-line, second-generation treatment option that may provide an added benefit of pro-hippocampal growth. The biological underpinnings of these changes should be the focus of future investigations and may be key towards achieving a better clinical outcome for more individuals.
Mental capacity to consent to treatment in anorexia nervosa: explorative study
Authors: Elzakkers Isis F.F.M. , Danner Unna N. , Hoek Hans W. , van Elburg Annemarie A
Published: March 2016

Background

Mental capacity to consent to treatment in anorexia nervosa is a neglected area in clinical decision-making.

Aims

To examine clinical and neuropsychological parameters associated with diminished mental capacity in anorexia nervosa.

Method

An explorative study was conducted in 70 adult female patients with severe anorexia nervosa. Mental capacity to consent to treatment was assessed by experienced psychiatrists. Further measurements included the MacCAT-T (to assess mental capacity status), a range of clinical measures (body mass index (BMI) and comorbidity) and neuropsychological tests assessing decision-making, central coherence and set-shifting capacity.

Results

Diminished mental capacity occurs in a third of patients with severe anorexia nervosa and is associated with a low BMI, less appreciation of illness and treatment, previous treatment for anorexia nervosa, low social functioning and poor set shifting.

Conclusions

Assessment of diminished mental capacity in anorexia nervosa requires careful evaluation of not only BMI, but also the degree of appreciation of illness and treatment, history and the tendency to have a rigid thinking style.
Serum Amino Acid Profiles in Childhood Predict Triglyceride Level in Adulthood: A 7-Year Longitudinal Study in Girls
Authors: Wiklund Petri , Zhang Xiaobo , Tan Xiao , Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi Sirkka , Alen Markku , Cheng Sulin
Published: March 2016

Context:

Branched-chain and aromatic amino acids are associated with high risk of developing dyslipidemia and type II diabetes in adults.

Objective:

This study aimed to examine whether serum amino acid profiles associate with triglyceride concentrations during pubertal growth and predict hypertriglyceridemia in early adulthood.

Design:

This was a 7.5-year longitudinal study.

Setting:

The study was conducted at the Health Science Laboratory, University of Jyväskylä.

Participants:

A total of 396 nondiabetic Finnish girls aged 11.2 ± 0.8 years at the baseline participated in the study.

Main Outcome Measures:

Body composition was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry; serum concentrations of glucose, insulin, and triglyceride by enzymatic photometric methods; and amino acids by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Results:

Serum leucine and isoleucine correlated significantly with future triglyceride, independent of baseline triglyceride level (P < .05 for all). In early adulthood (at the age of 18 years), these amino acids were significantly associated with hypertriglyceridemia, whereas fat mass and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance were not. Leucine was the strongest determinant discriminating subjects with hypertriglyceridemia from those with normal triglyceride level (area under the curve, 0.822; 95% confidence interval, 0.740–0.903; P = .000001).

Conclusions:

Serum leucine and isoleucine were associated with future serum triglyceride levels in girls during pubertal growth and predicted hypertriglyceridemia in early adulthood. Therefore, these amino acid indices may serve as biomarkers to identify individuals at high risk for developing hypertriglyceridemia and cardiovascular disease later in life. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role these amino acids play in the lipid metabolism.
Spinal motor neurons are regenerated after mechanical lesion and genetic ablation in larval zebrafish
Authors: Ohnmacht Jochen , Yang Yu-jie , Maurer Gianna W. , Barreiro-Iglesias Antón , Tsarouchas Themistoklis M. , Wehner Daniel , Sieger Dirk , Becker Catherina G. , Becker Thomas
Published: March 2016

In adult zebrafish, relatively quiescent progenitor cells show lesion-induced generation of motor neurons. Developmental motor neuron generation from the spinal motor neuron progenitor domain (pMN) sharply declines already at 48 hours post-fertilisation (hpf). After that, mostly oligodendrocytes are generated from the same domain. We demonstrate here that within 48 hours after a spinal lesion or specific genetic ablation of motor neurons at 72 hpf, the pMN domain reverts to motor neuron generation at the expense of oligodendrogenesis. In contrast, generation of dorsal Pax2-positive interneurons was not altered. Larval motor neuron regeneration can be boosted by dopaminergic drugs, similar to adult regeneration. We use larval lesions to show that pharmacological suppression of the cellular response of the innate immune system inhibits motor neuron regeneration. Hence, we have established a rapid larval regeneration paradigm. Both, mechanical lesion or motor neuron ablation are sufficient to reveal a high degree of developmental flexibility of pMN progenitor cells. In addition, we show an important influence of the immune system on motor neuron regeneration from these progenitor cells.
A quantitative analysis of growth control in theDrosophilaeye disc
Authors: Vollmer Jannik , Fried Patrick , Sánchez-Aragón Max , Lopes Carla S. , Casares Fernando , Iber Dagmar
Published: March 2016

The size and shape of organs is species-specific, and even in species in which organ size is strongly influenced by environmental cues, such as nutrition or temperature, it follows defined rules. Therefore, mechanisms must exist to ensure a tight control of organ size within a given species, while being flexible enough to allow for the evolution of different organ sizes in different species. We have combined computational modelling and quantitative measurements to analyse growth control in the Drosophila eye disc. We find that the area growth rate declines inversely proportional to the increasing total eye disc area. We identify two growth laws that are consistent with the growth data and that would explain the extraordinary robustness and evolutionary plasticity of the growth process and thus of the final adult eye size. These two growth laws correspond to very different control mechanisms and we discuss how each of these laws constrains the set of candidate biological mechanisms for growth control in the Drosophila eye disc.
Identification of FAM3D as a new endogenous chemotaxis agonist for the formyl peptide receptors
Authors: Peng Xinjian , Xu Enquan , Liang Weiwei , Pei Xiaolei , Chen Dixin , Zheng Danfeng , Zhang Yang , Zheng Can , Wang Pingzhang , She Shaoping , Zhang Yan , Ma Jing , Mo Xiaoning , Zhang Yingmei , Ma Dalong , Wang Ying
Published: March 2016

The family with sequence similarity 3 (FAM3) gene family is a cytokine-like gene family with four members FAM3A, FAM3B, FAM3C and FAM3D. In this study, we found that FAM3D strongly chemoattracted human peripheral blood neutrophils and monocytes. To identify the FAM3D receptor, we used chemotaxis, receptor internalization, Ca2+ flux and radioligand-binding assays in FAM3D-stimulated HEK293 cells that transiently expressed formyl peptide receptor (FPR)1 or FPR2 to show that FAM3D was a high affinity ligand of these receptors, both of which were highly expressed on the surface of neutrophils, and monocytes and macrophages. After being injected into the mouse peritoneal cavity, FAM3D chemoattracted CD11b+ Ly6G+ neutrophils in a short time. In response to FAM3D stimulation, phosphorylated ERK1/2 and phosphorylated p38 MAPK family proteins were upregulated in the mouse neutrophils, and this increase was inhibited upon treatment with an inhibitor of FPR1 or FPR2. FAM3D has been reported to be constitutively expressed in the gastrointestinal tract. We found that FAM3D expression increased significantly during colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium. Taken together, we propose that FAM3D plays a role in gastrointestinal homeostasis and inflammation through its receptors FPR1 and FPR2.
The Economics of Temporary Migrations
Authors: Dustmann Christian , Görlach Joseph-Simon
Published: March 2016

Many migrations are temporary—a fact that has often been ignored in the economic literature on migration. Such omission may be serious in that expected migration temporariness can impart a distinct dynamic element to immigrants' economic behavior, generating possible consequences for nonmigrants in both home and host countries. In this paper, we provide a thorough examination of the various aspects of temporary migrations that matter for the analysis of economic phenomena. We demonstrate the extent of temporary migrations in population movements. We show how temporariness can affect the various economic choices and how better data have improved both the measurement of nonpermanent migrations and the analyses of various aspects of migrant behavior. We propose a general theoretical framework for modeling temporary migration decisions, based on which we outline the various motives for temporariness while simultaneously reviewing related literature and available data sources. We discuss the possible consequences of migration temporariness for nonmigrants in both home and host countries. (JEL F22, F24, J11, J61, K37, O15)
Antibody performance in ChIP-sequencing assays: From quality scores of public data sets to quantitative certification
Authors: Mendoza-Parra Marco-Antonio , Saravaki Vincent , Cholley Pierre-Etienne , Blum Matthias , Billoré Benjamin , Gronemeyer Hinrich
Published: March 2016

We have established a certification system for antibodies to be used in chromatin immunoprecipitation assays coupled to massive parallel sequencing (ChIP-seq). This certification comprises a standardized ChIP procedure and the attribution of a numerical quality control indicator (QCi) to biological replicate experiments. The QCi computation is based on a universally applicable quality assessment that quantitates the global deviation of randomly sampled subsets of ChIP-seq dataset with the original genome-aligned sequence reads. Comparison with a QCi database for >28,000 ChIP-seq assays were used to attribute quality grades (ranging from ‘AAA’ to ‘DDD’) to a given dataset. In the present report we used the numerical QC system to assess the factors influencing the quality of ChIP-seq assays, including the nature of the target, the sequencing depth and the commercial source of the antibody.  We have used this approach specifically to certify mono and polyclonal antibodies obtained from Active Motif directed against the histone modification marks H3K4me3, H3K27ac and H3K9ac for ChIP-seq. The antibodies received the grades AAA to BBC (www.ngs-qc.org). We propose to attribute such quantitative grading of all antibodies attributed with the label “ChIP-seq grade”.
Towards understanding the evolution and functional diversification of DNA-containing plant organelles
Authors: Leister Dario
Published: March 2016

Plastids and mitochondria derive from prokaryotic symbionts that lost most of their genes after the establishment of endosymbiosis. In consequence, relatively few of the thousands of different proteins in these organelles are actually encoded there. Most are now specified by nuclear genes. The most direct way to reconstruct the evolutionary history of plastids and mitochondria is to sequence and analyze their relatively small genomes. However, understanding the functional diversification of these organelles requires the identification of their complete protein repertoires – which is the ultimate goal of organellar proteomics. In the meantime, judicious combination of proteomics-based data with analyses of nuclear genes that include interspecies comparisons and/or predictions of subcellular location is the method of choice. Such genome-wide approaches can now make use of the entire sequences of plant nuclear genomes that have emerged since 2000. Here I review the results of these attempts to reconstruct the evolution and functions of plant DNA-containing organelles, focusing in particular on data from nuclear genomes. In addition, I discuss proteomic approaches to the direct identification of organellar proteins and briefly refer to ongoing research on non-coding nuclear DNAs of organellar origin (specifically, nuclear mitochondrial DNA and nuclear plastid DNA).
Managing Catastrophic Climate Risks Under Model Uncertainty Aversion
Authors: Berger Loïc , Emmerling Johannes , Tavoni Massimo
Published: March 2016

We propose a robust risk management approach to deal with the problem of catastrophic climate change that incorporates both risk and model uncertainty. Using an analytical model of abatement, we show how aversion to model uncertainty influences the optimal level of mitigation. We disentangle the role of preferences from the structure of model uncertainty, which we define by means of a simple measure of disagreement across models. With data from an expert elicitation about climate change catastrophes, we quantify the relative importance of these two effects and calibrate a numerical integrated assessment model of climate change. The results indicate that the structure of model uncertainty, and specifically how model disagreement varies in abatement, is the key driver of optimal abatement and that model uncertainty warrants a higher level of climate change mitigation.

This paper was accepted by Manel Baucells, decision analysis.
The Behavior of Investor Flows in Corporate Bond Mutual Funds
Authors: Chen Yong , Qin Nan
Published: March 2016

This paper provides a comprehensive examination of money flows in corporate bond funds, which, although less researched, represent an important setting to study investor behavior. Based on a large sample of corporate bond funds over 1991–2014, we first show that flows are sensitive to both fund performance and macroeconomic conditions, but unlike equity funds, the flow–performance relationship is not convex. Then, we find that investor flows can predict fund performance. More importantly, the predictability cannot be explained by return momentum or price pressure but is subsumed by performance persistence. Finally, an examination of idiosyncratic flows reveals little evidence that fund investors use finer-than-public information.

This paper was accepted by Lauren Cohen, finance.
Managing good nutrition in the infant stages
Authors: Blades Mabel
Published: March 2016

The benefits of proper infant nutrition can last a lifetime. Here's how to get the basics right. By Mabel Blades
Lowe T(V): Directing masculinity in a new century
Authors: Vayo Lloyd Isaac
Published: March 2016

Though a generally innocuous, if funny, series of advertisements, the recent set of Rob Lowe commercials for DIRECTV offers something else beyond the various selling points of a specific television service. The commercials, each of which portray regular Rob Lowe alongside an unfortunate alter ego (‘Scrawny Arms’, ‘Painfully Awkward’, ‘Overly Paranoid’, ‘Crazy Hairy’, ‘Total Deadbeat’, ‘Creepy’, ‘Peaked in High School’ and ‘Meathead’), provide a catalogue of twenty-first-century masculinities. By contrasting the regular Rob Lowe alongside his lesser iterations, the commercials cast a critical eye on traditional masculinity, calling into question both physical (‘Scrawny Arms’, ‘Crazy Hairy’ and ‘Meathead’) and behavioural (‘Painfully Awkward’, ‘Overly Paranoid’, ‘Total Deadbeat’, ‘Creepy’ and ‘Peaked in High School’) extremes. When read against the particulars of Lowe’s own experiences (as found in his 2011 autobiography Stories I Only Tell My Friends and its 2014 companion piece Love Life), in which he has either inhabited or encountered those alter egos throughout his life and career, the commercials suggest that twenty-first-century masculinities, in the person of Lowe, are expansive.
‘This is what I’ve always wanted’: Bromance and the evolution of male intimacy in the Jump Street films
Authors: Ciasullo Ann M. , Magill David
Published: March 2016

For over a decade now, American popular culture has registered its fascination with the relationship between heterosexual men through the film genre of the ‘bromance’. We might have predicted the development of this genre, for it mirrors our recent shift in twenty-first century masculinities not only towards renewed fraternal connection but also towards more open emotional connection. This article focuses on the recent Jump Street movies as both nods to their ‘bromantic’ predecessors and responses to the established narrative boundaries of the genre. 21 and 22 Jump Street not only test the limits but, we would argue, explode them via three distinct but interrelated strategies: through the narrative structure of the films themselves, particularly in their representation of the bromantic relationship and the lack of heterosexual narrative closure; through their mixing of genres (buddy movie/action movie/romance/bromance); and through the queer inter- and extratextual narrative generated by what film critic Richard Dyer calls the ‘star power’ of the two leads, especially Channing Tatum. An examination of these strategies will reveal that the Jump Street films both define and defy bromantic conventions, contributing to a new understanding of male intimacy in US mainstream culture.
DiverCity - Global Cities as a Literary Phenomenon
Authors: Pooch Melanie U.
Published: March 2016

Based on the structured analysis of selected North American novels, this work examines global cities as a literary phenomenon (»DiverCity«). By analyzing Dionne Brand's Toronto, »What We All Long For« (2005), Chang-rae Lee's New York, »Native Speaker« (1995), and Karen Tei Yamashita's Los Angeles, »Tropic of Orange« (1997), Melanie U. Pooch provides the connecting link for exploring the triad of globalization and its effects, global cities as cultural nodal points, and cultural diversity in a globalizing age as a literary phenomenon. Thus, she contributes to a global, interdisciplinary, and multi-perspectival understanding of literature, culture, and society.
Weak Chord-Arc Curves and Double-Dome
Quasisymmetric Spheres
Authors: Vellis Vyron
Published: March 2016

Let Ω be a planar Jordan domain and α > 0. We consider double-dome-like surfaces Σ(Ω, tα) over Ω where the height of the surface over any point x ∈ Ωequals dist(x, ∂Ω)α. We identify the necessary and sufficient conditions in terms of and α so that these surfaces are quasisymmetric to S2 and we show that Σ(Ω, tα) is quasisymmetric to the unit sphere S2 if and only if it is linearly locally connected and Ahlfors 2-regular.
Invariant Curves of Mappings with Averaged Small Twist
Authors: Ortega Rafael
Published: March 2016

The Invariant Curve Theorem asserts the existence of invariant curves for certain planar mappings of the type θ1 = θ + ω + δα(r) + . . . , r1 = r + . . ., where α satisfies the twist condition α′ (r) ≠ 0. This paper discusses the possibility of obtaining variants of this Theorem for mappings of the more general type θ1 = θ + ω + δl1(θ, r) + . . . , r1 = r + l2(θ, r) + . . .. It is well known that if ω satisfies a diophantine condition then the twist condition can be replaced by

(θ, r),dθ ≠ 0. In this paper it will be shown that this is also the case for any number ω which is not commensurable with 2π (without imposing any arithmetic condition). As an application of this result to differential equations we shall discuss the problem of boundedness for a class of piecewise linear forced oscillators.
Symmetry of C1 Solutions of p-Laplace Equations in ℝN
Authors: Damascelli Lucio , Rarnaswarny Mythily
Published: March 2016

In this paper we consider positive C1 solutions of the equation - div(|Du|p-2Du)= f(u) in ℝN, vanishing at infinity, in the case 1 < p ≤ 2, f locally Lipschitz continuous in (0, ∞). We prove that the solutions are radially symmetric under two different sets of assumptions on the behaviour of f near zero. In the first case we assume that f is nonincreasing in (0, s0), s0 > 0, and improve a previous result of the authors and Pacella [7] where the symmetry was proved under the hypothesis u ∈ C1(ℝN) ⋂ W1,p(ℝN). In the second case, previously studied when p = 2, we assume that f(u) = O(uα+1) (u → O), and prove the radial symmetry of the solution u, provided

at infinity with m(α+2-p) > p. These results extend to pLaplace equations, 1 < p < 2, analogous symmetry results previously known in the case of strictly elliptic equations. The proofs exploit some Poincaré and Hardy-Sobolev type inequalities
Regularity of Interfaces for an Inhomogeneous Filtration Equation
Authors: Guedda M. , Hilhorst D. , Shmarev S.I.
Published: March 2016

We study the regularity of the interfaces for solutions of the degenerate parabolic equation p(x)ut =(um)xx, m > 1. AS opposed to the classical Porous Medium Equation, the interfaces in this equation may propagate with infinite speed and disappear within a finite time. We establish conditions on the initial function u(x, 0) and the function p(x) sufficient to provide the local C1-regularity of the interfaces until the moment of their disappearance. The interface equation (Darcy's law) is derived.
On a semilinear Robin problem involving critical Sobolev exponent
Authors: Cao Daomin , Noussair Ezzat S. , Yan Shusen
Published: March 2016

We establish the existence of solutions of the problem

under various assumptions on the level sets of Q(x), where Ω is a smooth bounded domain in ℝN, N ≥ 3, Q(x) 0, and a(x) are smooth functions. We also show that if a(x) ≥ a0 > 0 and a0 is suiliciently large, our solutions are not ground states.
On the Principal Eigenvalue of Disconjugate BVPs with L1-Coefficients
Authors: Degla Guy
Published: March 2016

Establishing some general results on the principal eigenvalues for a class of multipoint boundary value problems, we prove existence and uniqueness theorems for positive solutions of nonlinear multipoint boundary value problems. Our argument is based mainly on the maximum principle [4] (highlighting new ordered Banach spaces of continuous functions) and on the continuity of the spectral radius mapping for compact linear operators.
Fujita’s Exponent for a Semilinear Wave Equation with Linear Damping
Authors: Kirane Mokhtar , Qafsaoui Mahmoud
Published: March 2016

We discuss the critical exponent problem for the semilinear wave equation with linear damping

utt +(-1)m|x|αΔmu + ut = f(t,x)|u|p + w(t,x), t > 0, x ∈ℝn,and show that it coincides with the Fujita exponent for the heat equation with the same nonlinearity.
Infinitely Many Solutions for Derrick’s Equation
Authors: Pisani Lorenzo
Published: March 2016

In this paper we study a class of field equations, in several space dimensions, which admits solitary waves. The equation is a vector-valued version of a field equation proposed by Derrick in 1964 as model for elementary particles. We show the existence of infinitely many solutions with arbitrary topological charge.
Non-radially symmetric solutions of nonlinear Schrödinger equation coupled with Maxwell equations
Authors: d’Avenia Pietro
Published: March 2016

In this paper we prove the existence of standing wave solutions of nonlinear Schrödinger equation coupled with Maxwell equations which are non-radially symmetric.
Existence and Multiplicity of Positive Solutions for a Dirichlet Boundary Value Problem in ℝ2
Authors: Barutello V. , Capietto A. , Habets P.
Published: March 2016

We deal with the Dirichlet boundary value problem associated to a parameter-dependent second order vector differential equation. Using the method of lower and upper solutions together with degree theory, we provide existence and multiplicity of positive solutions.
Stability of travelling waves for degenerate reaction-diffusion equations of KPP-type
Authors: Biró Zsolt
Published: March 2016

The aim of this paper is to investigate the asymptotic behaviour as t → ∞ of the solutions to the Cauchy problem for the nonlinear degenerate KPP-type diffusion-reaction equation ut = (um)xx + up - uq, where m,p and q are positive parameters. Our result is similar to the corresponding one of Kolmogorov, Petrowsky and Piscunov; namely, we prove that for a wide class of initial functions, the solution approaches V(x - c*t) as t → ∞ uniformly in x, where V is a travelling-wave solution with a minimal speed c*.
Initial trace of positive solutions to semilinear parabolic inequalities
Authors: Marcus Moshe , Vgron Laurent
Published: March 2016

We study the existence and properties of the initial trace, at t = 0, of positive solutions of ut - ∆u + g(x, t, u) ≥ 0 in Ω × (0, T), where g(x, t, u) > 0 for (x, t ) ∈ Ω × (0, T) and u > 0. We prove that, under some general conditions on g , this initial trace is a Borel measure (which may blow up on compact sets). In addition we derive pointwise estimates for the blow up of solutions at initial singular points. Finally these results are applied to the cases g(., t, r) = tα|r|q-1r (α > 0 ) , and g(., t, r ) = e-1/t|r|q-1r. In this last case we exhibit a new type of full initial blow-up.
Multiple Solutions for Perturbed Elliptic Equations in Unbounded Domains
Authors: Salvatore A.
Published: March 2016

We look for solutions of a nonlinear perturbed Schrödinger equation with nonhomogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions. By using a perturbation method introduced by Bolle, we prove the existence of multiple solutions in spite of the lack of the symmetry of the problem.