bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of weak biological effects by round robin experiments: cytotoxicity/biocompatibility of SiO2 and polymer nanoparticles in HepG2 cells
Authors: Landgraf Lisa , Nordmeyer Daniel , Schmiel Peter , Gao Qi , Ritz Sandra , S. Gebauer Julia , Graß Stefan , Diabaté Silvia , Treuel Lennart , Graf Christina , Rühl Eckart , Landfester Katharina , Mailänder Volker , Weiss Carsten , Zellner Reinhard , Hilger Ingrid
Published: June 2017

All over the world, different types of nanomaterials with a diversified spectrum of applications are designed and developed, especially in the field of nanomedicine. The great variety of nanoparticles (NPs), in vitro test systems and cell lines led to a vast amount of publications with conflicting data. To identify the decisive principles of these variabilities, we conducted an intercomparison study of collaborating laboratories within the German DFG Priority Program SPP1313, using well-defined experimental parameters and well-characterized NPs. The participants analyzed the in vitro biocompatibility of silica and polymer NPs on human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Nanoparticle mediated effects on cell metabolism, internalization, and inflammation were measured. All laboratories showed that both nanoparticle formulations were internalized and had a low cytotoxicity profile. Interestingly, small variations in nanoparticle preparation, cell handling and the type of culture slide influenced the nanoparticle stability and the outcomes of cell assays. The round robin test demonstrated the importance of the use of clearly defined and characterized NPs and parameters for reproducible results across laboratories. Comparative analyses of in vitro screening methods performed in multiple laboratories are absolutely essential to establish robust standard operation procedure as a prerequisite for sound hazard assessment of nanomaterials.
Deciphering biodiversity and interactions between bacteria and microeukaryotes within epilithic biofilms from the Loue River, France
Authors: Zancarini Anouk , Echenique-Subiabre Isidora , Debroas Didier , Taïb Najwa , Quiblier Catherine , Humbert Jean-François
Published: June 2017

Epilithic river biofilms are complex matrix-enclosed communities harboring a great diversity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. Interactions between these communities and the relative impacts of environmental factors on their compositions are poorly understood. In this study, we assessed the spatio-temporal variation in the diversity and composition of bacterial and microeukaryotic communities within biofilms in a French river. Significant changes were found in the composition of these microbial communities over the sampling period and between the upstream and downstream stations. In addition, the beta diversity of the bacterial community tended to decrease along the river, mostly as a result of turnover. These changes could be caused by the different water temperatures and geological and hydrological river contexts at the sampling sites (from karst landscape to river plain). Finally, our network analysis showed multiple correlations among dominant OTUs. Among them, negative correlations between Rhodobacteraceae and two other dominant groups of photosynthetic microorganisms (cyanobacteria and diatoms) were particularly interesting, which raises the question of what environmental factors trigger the changes occurring in benthic microbial photosynthetic communities.
Engineering Biodegradable and Biocompatible Bio-ionic Liquid Conjugated Hydrogels with Tunable Conductivity and Mechanical Properties
Authors: Noshadi Iman , Walker Brian W. , Portillo-Lara Roberto , Shirzaei Sani Ehsan , Gomes Nayara , Aziziyan Mohammad Reza , Annabi Nasim
Published: June 2017

Conventional methods to engineer electroconductive hydrogels (ECHs) through the incorporation of conductive nanomaterials and polymers exhibit major technical limitations. These are mainly associated with the cytotoxicity, as well as poor solubility, processability, and biodegradability of their components. Here, we describe the engineering of a new class of ECHs through the functionalization of non-conductive polymers with a conductive choline-based bio-ionic liquid (Bio-IL). Bio-IL conjugated hydrogels exhibited a wide range of highly tunable physical properties, remarkable in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility, and high electrical conductivity without the need for additional conductive components. The engineered hydrogels could support the growth and function of primary cardiomyocytes in both two dimentinal (2D) and three dimensional (3D) cultures in vitro. Furthermore, they were shown to be efficiently biodegraded and possess low immunogenicity when implanted subcutaneously in rats. Taken together, our results suggest that Bio-IL conjugated hydrogels could be implemented and readily tailored to different biomedical and tissue engineering applications.
A Quantitative Study of Internal and External Interactions of Homodimeric Glucocorticoid Receptor Using Fluorescence Cross-Correlation Spectroscopy in a Live Cell
Authors: Tiwari Manisha , Oasa Sho , Yamamoto Johtaro , Mikuni Shintaro , Kinjo Masataka
Published: June 2017

Glucocorticoid receptor (GRα) is a well-known ligand-dependent transcription-regulatory protein. The classic view is that unliganded GRα resides in the cytoplasm, relocates to the nucleus after ligand binding, and then associates with a specific DNA sequence, namely a glucocorticoid response element (GRE), to activate a specific gene as a homodimer. It is still a puzzle, however, whether GRα forms the homodimer in the cytoplasm or in the nucleus before DNA binding or after that. To quantify the homodimerization of GRα, we constructed the spectrally different fluorescent protein tagged hGRα and applied fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy. First, the dissociation constant (Kd) of mCherry2-fused hGRα or EGFP-fused hGRα was determined in vitro. Then, Kd of wild-type hGRα was found to be 3.00 μM in the nucleus, which was higher than that in vitro. Kd of a DNA-binding-deficient mutant was 3.51 μM in the nucleus. This similarity indicated that GRα homodimerization was not necessary for DNA binding but could take place on GRE by means of GRE as a scaffold. Moreover, cytoplasmic homodimerization was also observed using GRα mutated in the nuclear localization signal. These findings support the existence of a dynamic monomer pathway and regulation of GRα function both in the cytoplasm and nucleus.
Lignin-first biomass fractionation: the advent of active stabilisation strategies
Authors: Renders T. , Van den Bosch S. , Koelewijn S.-F. , Schutyser W. , Sels B. F.
Published: June 2017

Effective ways to prevent lignin degradation during biomass fractionation are key for an easy lignin-to-aromatics conversion.
Bitopic fluorescent antagonists of the A2A adenosine receptor based on pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidin-5-amine functionalized congeners
Authors: Duroux Romain , Ciancetta Antonella , Mannes Philip , Yu Jinha , Boyapati Shireesha , Gizewski Elizabeth , Yous Said , Ciruela Francisco , Auchampach John A. , Gao Zhan-Guo , Jacobson Kenneth A.
Published: June 2017

Functionalized antagonist probes of the A2A adenosine receptor.
Nanorattles with tailored electric field enhancement
Authors: Schnepf Max J. , Mayer Martin , Kuttner Christian , Tebbe Moritz , Wolf Daniel , Dulle Martin , Altantzis Thomas , Formanek Petr , Förster Stephan , Bals Sara , König Tobias A. F. , Fery Andreas
Published: June 2017

Nanorattles are metallic core–shell particles with core and shell separated by a dielectric spacer.
Pt nanocrystals on nitrogen-doped graphene for the hydrogen evolution reaction using Si nanowires as a sacrificial template
Authors: Jiang Binbin , Liao Fan , Sun Yuyang , Cheng Yafei , Shao Mingwang
Published: June 2017

Cost-effective catalysts for electrocatalytic water splitting play a key role in the renewable energy research.
Diphenylacrylonitrile-connected BODIPY dyes: fluorescence enhancement based on dark and AIE resonance energy transfer
Authors: Lin Liangbin , Lin Xiaoru , Guo Hongyu , Yang Fafu
Published: June 2017

Diphenylacrylonitrile-connected BODIPY dyes were reported for the first time, and they exhibited remarkable fluorescence enhancement based on both dark and AIE resonance energy transfers.
Reactive sulfur species inactivate Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV via S-polysulfidation of its active-site cysteine residue
Authors: Takata Tsuyoshi , Ihara Hideshi , Hatano Naoya , Tsuchiya Yukihiro , Akaike Takaaki , Watanabe Yasuo
Published: June 2017

Reactive sulfur species (RSS) modulate protein functions via S-polysulfidation of reactive Cys residues. Here, we report that Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV) was reversibly inactivated by RSS via polysulfidation of the active-site Cys residue. CaMKIV is phosphorylated at Thr196 by its upstream CaMK kinase (CaMKK), resulting in the induction of its full activity. In vitro incubation of CaMKIV with the exogenous RSS donors Na2Sn (n = 2–4) resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of the CaMKK-induced phospho-Thr196 and consequent inactivation of the enzyme activity. Conversely, mutated CaMKIV (C198V) was refractory to the Na2Sn-induced enzyme inhibition. A biotin-polyethylene glycol-conjugated maleimide capture assay revealed that Cys198 in CaMKIV represents a target for S-polysulfidation. Furthermore, phosho-Thr196 and CaMKIV activity were inhibited by incubation with cysteine hydropersulfide, a newly identified RSS that is generated from cystine by cystathionine-γ-lyase. In transfected cells expressing CaMKIV, ionomycin-induced CaMKIV phosphorylation at Thr196 was decreased upon treatment with either Na2S4 or the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress inducer thapsigargin, whereas cells expressing mutant CaMKIV (C198V) were resistant to this treatment. In addition, the ionomycin-induced phospho-Thr196 of endogenous CaMKIV was also inhibited by treatment either with Na2S4 or thapsigargin in Jurkat T lymphocytes. Taken together, these data define a novel signaling function for intracellular RSS in inhibiting CaMKIV activity via S-polysulfidation of its Cys198 during the response to ER stress.
3.8 mW 10 Gbit/s CDR for intra‐panel interface with a modulated training pattern
Authors: Lee D. , Kim J.‐J.
Published: June 2017

A modulated training pattern for intra‐panel interface is proposed and is applied to design power‐efficient clock and data recovery (CDR) circuits for intra‐panel interface. By modulating the position of the rising edge of the training pattern, the number of the delay cells to generate the multi‐phase clock to capture display data safely is reduced. As a result, power, area, and electro‐magnetic interference characteristics can be improved over the conventional training pattern. A phase‐locked loop‐based CDR circuit with the proposed scheme in a 65 nm CMOS technology is designed. The measured lock range was between 6 and 10 Gbit/s and the power efficiency was 0.38 mW/Gbit/s at 10 Gbit/s inputs.
Optimisation of hybrid renewable energy system using iterative filter selection approach
Authors: Hussain Shahbaz , Al‐ammari Rashid , Iqbal Atif , Jafar Md. , Padmanaban Sanjeevikumar
Published: June 2017

This study presents a hybrid renewable energy system that yields minimum total project cost and maximum reliability. The system is in modular configuration consisting of photovoltaic (PV) array, wind turbine, battery storage, AC load and a dump load. Also, the minimisation of unutilised surplus power is taken into consideration as one of the design objectives. In this study, a new technique named iterative filter selection approach is used in designing the hybrid PV–wind turbine–battery system to obtain the best acceptable solution while considering all the design objectives. The system is then justified by comparing with iterative‐Pareto‐fuzzy and particle swarm optimisation techniques. The technique is found to be superior in terms of total project cost with satisfaction to the load demand. The method is simulated using MATLAB and the results are presented in the study with proper discussion.
Biostratigraphy of the Bajocian-Bathonian boundary interval in northern Siberia: new data on belemnites from the Yuryung-Tumus peninsula
Authors: de Lagausie Benoît , Dzyuba Oksana S.
Published: June 2017

This paper presents a refined belemnite based biostratigraphy for the Bajocian-Bathonian transition in the Yuryung-Tumus peninsula (northern Siberia, Russia). A revision of the Siberian belemnite zonation is proposed. Herein two new belemnite biostratigraphic units are introduced: theParamegateuthis subishmensisZone (upper part of the Lower Bajocian) and theParamegateuthis ishmensisZone (Lower-Middle Bathonian boundary interval).Paramegateuthis subishmensisSTOYANOVA-VERGILOVA, recorded for the first time in Siberia and previously only known from Bulgaria (Sub-Mediterranean domain), provides evidence for correlation of both the BorealBoreiocephalites borealisandCranocephalites gracilisammonite zones with the standardStephanoceras humphriesianumZone. The new biostratigraphic data also result in an improved correlation based on belemnites for the Lower-Middle Bathonian of the Boreal (Siberia, North European Russia) and Subboreal (Central Russia) regions.
Use of Shorter Intramedullary Guide for Ipsilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty following Prior Total Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Webb Bradley , Ulrich Slif , MacKinlay Kenneth , Smith Langan , Malkani Arthur
Published: June 2017

Alignment after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) plays an important role with respect to patient satisfaction and implant survivorship. In patients undergoing ipsilateral TKA with prior total hip arthroplasty (THA), the femoral intramedullary (IM) guide cannot be fully inserted into the femoral canal because of the prior THA. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of femoral component alignment using a shorter IM guide during TKA in patients with an ipsilateral THA. We identified 42 patients undergoing ipsilateral TKA with the use of a short IM guide in the setting of a prior THA. A matched cohort group was identified from our total joint registry that included 42 patients who underwent primary TKA. The surgical goal was to achieve 5 degrees of valgus on the femoral side and 0 degree on the tibial side with an overall postoperative tibial–femoral angle of 5 degrees of valgus. Patients were evaluated clinically using Knee Society pain scores (KSSs), function scores, and with radiography. Both the tibial–femoral limb alignment and the femoral component alignment were compared using Student's t-test. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to sex, age, body mass index (BMI), pre- and postoperative KSSs. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups with respect to radiographic tibial–femoral limb alignment, 4.33 degrees of valgus in the short stem THA–TKA group versus 5.4 degrees of valgus in the TKA group (p < 0.04); however, this difference did not correlate to a difference in postoperative outcomes. An adequate tibial–femoral component alignment was achieved in patients undergoing ipsilateral TKA with prior THA using a shortened IM femoral guide.
Outcomes of Admissions for Preterm Labor
Authors: Kuzniewicz Michael , Black Libby , Walsh Eileen , Li Sherian , Greenberg Mara
Published: June 2017

Objective This study aims to quantitate the incidence of preterm labor (PTL) admissions and determine the frequency and predictors of preterm delivery (PTD) during these admissions.

Study Design Retrospective cohort of singleton pregnancies within Kaiser Permanente Northern California, 2001 to 2011. PTL admissions were defined as inpatient encounters > 24 hours with an International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision code for PTL.

Results Total study population was 365,897 with PTL admission rate 11%. PTD occurred in 85% of pregnancies with PTL admission. Delivery occurred within 48 hours of admission in 96% ≥34 weeks, 67% 31 to 33 weeks, and 51.9% <31 weeks. Predictors of delivery during PTL admission included gestational age 34 to 36 weeks (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 6.90), chorioamnionitis (aOR, 105.58), and preterm rupture of membranes (aOR 19.29).

Conclusion We demonstrate a high rate of PTD per PTL admission in a highly integrated health care system. More work is needed to determine optimal practices for hospitalization and treatment of women diagnosed with PTL.
Chirurgie der Trachea
Authors: Volmerig Jan , Hecker Erich
Published: June 2017

Die Chirurgie der Trachea ist ein Spezialgebiet, in dem aufgrund der Vielzahl von Indikationen und der erweiterten Topografie viele Disziplinen gemeinsam tätig sind. Nicht nur wegen der besonderen funktionellen Bedeutung, sondern auch wegen seiner komplexen Morphologie, Anatomie und Physiologie stellt dieses Organ eine besondere therapeutische Herausforderung dar. Eine Vielzahl von Krankheiten erfordert chirurgische Eingriffe der Trachea – sowohl die Krankheit selbst als auch patientenabhängige Parameter beeinflussen die therapeutische Strategie. Unabhängig von der Art der zugrunde liegenden Erkrankung erfordert es eine hohe Expertise im Luftwegmanagement, eine sorgfältige Diagnose und interventionellen Planung sowie ein erfahrenes OP-Team mit Beherrschung der erweiterten Operationstechniken, um gute Ergebnisse zu erzielen. Zur optimalen Therapieentscheidung ist immer eine multidisziplinäre Bewertung der individuellen Situation durch den interventionellen Pneumologen, den Thoraxchirurgen, den Viszeralchirurgen, HNO-Chirurgen und Anästhesisten erforderlich.
Die laparoskopisch assistierte Mobilisation und Resektion eines Steißbeinteratoms Altman Typ III
Authors: Gödeke Jan , Engel Veronika , Münsterer Oliver
Published: June 2017

Zielsetzung Der vorliegende Beitrag zeigt Schritt für Schritt die laparoskopisch assistierte Mobilisation und Resektion eines Steißbeinteratoms Altman Typ III.

Indikation Die laparoskopische supralevatorische Tumormobilisation ist eine in ausgewählten Zentren etablierte Methode und kann als initialer Schritt einer Steißbeinteratomresektion mit intrapelvinem Anteil die komplette (R0-) Resektion vereinfachen.

Methode Es erfolgt eine laparoskopische Operation in Rückenlage mit einem 5-mm-Trokar umbilikal, einem 5-mm-Trokar im rechten Oberbauch und 2 3-mm-Trokaren im linken Mittel- und Unterbauch. Wir verwenden dazu eine 5-mm-45°-Optik und laparoskopische 3-mm-Fasszangen sowie Overholt-Klemmen. Zur Koagulation wird ein laparoskopischer 5-mm-Diathermieversiegler (LigaSure™, Covidien, Neustadt) eingesetzt.

Schlussfolgerung Das Verfahren der laparoskopisch assistierten Tumormobilisation bietet unserer Meinung nach für geeignete Tumoren den Vorteil, dass sich die primär tumorversorgenden Gefäßstrukturen gleich bei Beginn der Operation sicher identifizieren und durchtrennen lassen. Der laparoskopische Ansatz erlaubt ferner exakte Präparation und Mobilisierung des supralevatorischen Tumoranteils unter direkter Sicht. Nach Umlagerung des Patienten in die Bauchlage kann dann von sakral die infralevatorische Präparation ohne größere Blutungsgefahr zeitsparend und sicher erfolgen.
Osteologie – praxisnah
Authors: Lange Uwe
Published: June 2017

Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen,

es ist mir eine große Freude und Ehre, dass mir als vornehmlich klinisch tätigem Arzt und Vertreter der patientenzentrierten klinischen Forschung die Herausgabe des Schwerpunktheftes „Osteologie-Praxisnah“ anvertraut wurde. Für die 5 praxisrelevanten osteologischen Fortbildungsbeiträge ist es mir gelungen, Personen mit Expertise sowohl auf dem osteologischen als auch rheumatologischen Gebiet zu gewinnen.
Notfallbehandlung von Beckenverletzungen
Authors: Lechner Raimund , Lampl Lorenz , Treffer Dominik
Published: June 2017

Schwere Verletzungen des Beckens gehen mit einer hohen Letalitätsrate einher, bedingt durch einen hohen Blutverlust. Deshalb sollten alle Patienten mit einem relevanten Traumamechanismus, äußeren Verletzungszeichen sowie Schmerzen im Beckenbereich bereits präklinisch mit einer Beckenschlinge versorgt werden. In diesem Beitrag wird die Durchführung einer suffizienten Blutungskontrolle in der Präklinik- und Schockraumphase dargestellt.
Suppression of Forkhead Box Protein O1 (FOXO1) Transcription Factor May Promote Adrenocortical Tumorigenesis
Authors: Stenman Adam , Murtha Timothy , Korah Reju , Carling Tobias
Published: June 2017

Despite recent comprehensive genetic analyses, molecular evidence for a pathophysiological continuum linking benign adrenocortical adenoma (ACA) and highly aggressive adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is still elusive. Using human tumor samples and the established ACC cell line SW-13, this study investigated potential regulatory roles for FOXO transcription factors, in modulating adrenocortical tumorigenesis. Adrenocortical tumor specimens (20 ACAs, 10 ACCs, and 9 normal adrenal tissue samples) obtained from 30 patients were analyzed for ubiquitously expressed FOXO transcription factors, FOXO1 and FOXO3 using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The SW-13 ACC cells were used to study the phenotypic effects of FOXO regulation in vitro. While FOXO3 expression remained unchanged in ACCs, FOXO1 expression was found to be significantly downregulated in 19/20 ACAs and 9/10 ACCs (p<0.0001 and p<0.05, respectively), suggesting a global role for FOXO1 suppression in promoting and maintaining adrenocortical dedifferentiation. Silencing of FOXO1 in SW-13 cells resulted in significant loss of viability (p<0.001) mediated by apoptosis as determined by quantitative Annexin V immunofluorescence analysis (p<0.01). FOXO1 silencing also augmented the migratory behavior of SW-13 cells (p<0.0001), suggesting distinct roles for FOXO1 in promoting viability and controlled motility of adrenocortical cells.
Versorgungsstrategie von Nervenverletzungen bei schwerem
Weichteilschaden
Authors: Harhaus Leila , Hirche Christoph , Giunta Riccardo E. , Aszmann Oskar , Siemers Frank , Kneser U. , Lehnhardt Marcus
Published: June 2017

Nervenverletzungen mit schwerem Weichteilschaden sind selten und bedürfen einer
komplexen, individualisierten Behandlungsstrategie, um die resultierenden
medizinischen und sozioökonomischen Folgen möglichst gering zu halten. Da bisher
eine einheitliche systematische Evidenz fehlt, werden abhängig vom individuellen
Erfahrungstand der versorgenden Mikrochirurgen uneinheitliche Therapiestandards
angewendet. Um beste Voraussetzungen für deren weiteren Heilungsverlauf zu
schaffen, wurden in einem Konsensusworkshop der 38. Jahrestagung der
Deutschsprachigen Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Mikrochirurgie der peripheren Nerven
und Gefäße (DAM) Konsensusempfehlungen von einer Expertengruppe erarbeitet.
Diese beinhalten die Aspekte Zeitpunkt der Nerven- und Weichteilversorgung,
Versorgungsstrategien, sowie Rehabilitation und Heilverfahrenssteuerung.
Validation of Brain Angiotensin System Blockade as a Novel Drug Target in Pharmacological Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Authors: Wincewicz Dominik , Braszko Jan
Published: June 2017

Retreat in psychiatric drug development results in innovative medication decline that might be at least partially overcome by adjunct therapy. New evidence from clinical studies has shown a possible role for brain Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) in both affective and psychotic disorders. Simultaneously, rapidly accumulating data from basic studies indicate effectiveness of central RAS blockade in much broader range of neuropsychiatric disease. Recent findings implicate brain RAS, especially Angiotensin II (Ang II), in neural pathophysiology of mental disorders through neuroendocrine modulation and effects on neurotransmitter release, mostly noradrenaline, acetylcholine and dopamine. The potential effects of angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibition and angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) blockade on treatment of mental disorders are a matter of considerable interest. This review describes involvement of brain RAS in pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders and an intriguing possibilities of improvement in pharmacological treatment outcome, where using angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB), goes beyond blood pressure control.
Transparent semiconducting amorphous cadmium–gallium–tin oxide films by magnetron sputtering with water vapor
Authors: Yanagi Hiroshi , Koyamaishi Yusuke , Sato Chiyuki , Kimura Yota
Published: June 2017

Amorphous oxide semiconductors (including transparent ones) are attractive materials for next-generation optoelectronic applications. One of the difficulties with amorphous oxide semiconductors is the lack of high mobility (>10 cm2 V−1 s−1) at low carrier density (<1018 cm−3). A threshold carrier density of ∼1018 cm−3 is generally required to obtain a constant high mobility, although higher mobilities of ≥30 cm2 V−1 s−1 have been achieved with carrier densities ranging from 8 × 1019 to ∼1020 cm−3. In the present study, we obtain mobilities of 57 cm2 V−1 s−1 at 1.9 × 1017 cm−3 and 36 cm2 V−1 s−1 at 5.3 × 1016 cm−3 in transparent amorphous Cd–Ga–Sn–O films deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering with a water-vapor pressure ≥0.25 Pa. In these amorphous films, the threshold carrier density for obtaining high mobility (∼10 cm2 V−1 s−1) is possibly four orders of magnitude lower than that in conventional amorphous oxide semiconductors such as amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O.
Physiotherapists' perceptions of workplace competency: a mixed-methods observational study
Authors: Sturt Rodney , Burge Angela T. , Harding Paula , Sayer James
Published: June 2017

Objectives Workplace-based competency is increasingly considered fundamental to patient safety and quality healthcare. The aim of the present study was to identify and describe physiotherapists’ perceptions of workplace competency. Methods The present study was a mixed-methods cross-sectional observational study. Thematic and descriptive analysis of qualitative and survey data were undertaken. Forty-six physiotherapists employed at a metropolitan acute public hospital participated in interviews or focus groups; a subgroup of 31 participants also completed an online survey. Results Five main themes were identified: (1) despite the availability of workplace learning opportunities and supports, less-experienced staff reported limited confidence; (2) assessment and feedback around workplace competency was limited, predominantly informal and unstructured, with less than half of the cohort (42%) agreeing feedback received was useful for improving their workplace skills; (3) practicing within individual scope is an important aspect of workplace competency as a physiotherapist; (4) most (81%) agreed it was important for them to self-determine their learning and development goals, and they relied primarily on informal discussion to achieve these goals; and, (5) physiotherapists felt motivated regarding workplace learning, with 97% interested in developing their workplace skills however, nearly half (45%) did not feel they had sufficient time to do so. Conclusions The perceptions of physiotherapists working in a metropolitan acute public hospital are reflected in five themes. These themes elucidate how workplace competency is supported, maintained and developed among physiotherapists in this setting. These themes also highlight key challenges of workplace learning faced by this cohort of physiotherapists and allude to methods that may assist with improving feedback mechanisms and knowledge acquisition. What is known about this topic? Studies investigating employee perceptions around workplace competency, knowledge, skills and learning are found across a range of industries. Workplace-based competency is increasingly considered fundamental to patient safety and quality health care. There is little known about physiotherapists’ perceptions of workplace competency. What does this paper add? This study has identified and described themes around physiotherapists’ perceptions of their workplace knowledge and skills. What are the implications for practitioners? The themes identified provide support for the development, implementation and evaluation of a workplace-based competency framework for physiotherapists.
Abortion: findings from women and men participating in the Understanding Fertility Management in contemporary Australia national survey
Authors: Rowe Heather , Holton Sara , Kirkman Maggie , Bayly Christine , Jordan Lynne , McNamee Kathleen , McBain John , Sinnott Vikki , Fisher Jane
Published: June 2017

Background There are few reliable Australian abortion data. The aim was to investigate prevalence, sexual experiences and socioeconomic characteristics of women and men who report having had or being a partner in an abortion. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of women and men aged 18–50 years randomly selected from the Australian Electoral Roll was used. Weighted multivariable analyses were conducted. Results: Data from 2235 returned (of 15 480) mailed surveys were analysed. One in six women and one in 10 men had experienced or been a partner in an abortion. In adjusted analyses, for women, experience of sexual coercion [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.46, 3.24] was associated with significantly increased odds of abortion, and socioeconomic advantage (AOR = 0.57; 95% CI 0.39, 0.84), being comfortable negotiating contraceptive use (AOR 0.26; 95% CI 0.09, 0.73) and importance of religion in fertility choices (AOR = 0.55; 95% CI 0.35, 0.87) were associated with significantly reduced odds. For men, sexual coercion (AOR = 3.05; 95% CI 1.51, 6.18) and metropolitan residence (AOR = 1.70; 95% CI 1.06, 2.75) significantly increased the odds of reporting being a partner in an abortion. Conclusions: The findings contribute to scarce information about abortion in Australia. The high prevalence of abortion suggests that effective contraceptive counselling and accessible contraception services are not sufficient, and that there is a continuing need for universal pregnancy advice and abortion services. The association between sexual coercion and abortion warrants further investigation.
‘The sea pulled her skirt up’
Authors: Baker Paul , Jabarooty Maryam Paknahad
Published: June 2017

This article examines the language used by bloggers in Iran who write about same-sex relationships. Homosexuality is a criminal offence in Iran and discussion of sex is tabooed so blogging potentially acts as a form of empowerment for bloggers who desire such relationships. By conducting a qualitative analysis of a small sample of blogs, we show how Iranian bloggers have developed a range of techniques to avoid censorship of their postings, as well as examining how they orient to discourses around same-sex relationships, oppression of their identities and heteronormativity.
The acquisition of rhotics by child L2 and L3 learners
Authors: Reyes Alexandra Morales , Arechabaleta-Regulez Begoña , Montrul Silvina
Published: June 2017

This study investigated how previous linguistic experience and universal strategies guide the acquisition of phonology in the classroom. More specifically, it focused on the possible advantages that bilingual children have over monolingual children. Thirty-four children completed a picture-naming task: 9 Spanish native speakers, 19 English native speakers acquiring Spanish as L2 and 6 Korean-English bilinguals acquiring Spanish as L3. Results indicated that in general the children rapidly acquired native-like pronunciation of the Spanish rhotics, but the Korean-English bilinguals outperformed the English-speaking children. We propose that although previous linguistic knowledge plays a role in L2 and L3 acquisition, children are able to overcome transfer errors because they are guided by universal developmental strategies from the initial stages of acquisition. We suggest that if L3 learners have an advantage over L2 learners, this may be due to their complex linguistic knowledge and higher metalinguistic competence.
Establishing an empirical basis for priorities in pronunciation teaching
Authors: McAndrews M. M. , Thomson R. I.
Published: June 2017

The central purpose of this study is to illustrate how ESL instructors can take a principled approach to setting pronunciation instruction priorities for learners. Elicited speech samples from 30 adult English learners were analysed for suprasegmental and segmental pronunciation features. Guided byLevis’ (2005)intelligibility principle, results of the analysis led to recommended foci for pronunciation instruction. The study’s participants come from three distinct first language (L1) backgrounds (Mandarin Chinese, Colombian Spanish, and Slavic), reflecting the type of linguistic breadth found in typical ESL classrooms. It is recommended that problematic features observed in the speech of participants from all three L1s be addressed as a whole group, with each L1 group also receiving separate instruction for their specific difficulties. Finally, results of the speech analysis are compared with previously published material describing L1-specific pronunciation difficulties.
Potential contribution of tandem circadian enhancers to nonlinear oscillations in clock gene expression
Authors: Tokuda Isao T. , Okamoto Akihiko , Matsumura Ritsuko , Takumi Toru , Akashi Makoto
Published: June 2017

Limit-cycle oscillations require the presence of nonlinear processes. Although mathematical studies have long suggested that multiple nonlinear processes are required for autonomous circadian oscillation in clock gene expression, the underlying mechanism remains controversial. Here we show experimentally that cell-autonomous circadian transcription of a mammalian clock gene requires a functionally interdependent tandem E-box motif; the lack of either of the two E-boxes results in arrhythmic transcription. Although previous studies indicated the role of the tandem motifs in increasing circadian amplitude, enhancing amplitude does not explain the mechanism for limit-cycle oscillations in transcription. In this study, mathematical analysis suggests that the interdependent behavior of enhancer elements including not only E-boxes but also ROR response elements might contribute to limit-cycle oscillations by increasing transcriptional nonlinearity. As expected, introduction of the interdependence of circadian enhancer elements into mathematical models resulted in autonomous transcriptional oscillation with low Hill coefficients. Together these findings suggest that interdependent tandem enhancer motifs on multiple clock genes might cooperatively enhance nonlinearity in the whole circadian feedback system, which would lead to limit-cycle oscillations in clock gene expression.
A short region upstream of the yeast vacuolar Qa-SNARE heptad-repeats promotes membrane fusion through enhanced SNARE complex assembly
Authors: Song Hongki , Wickner William
Published: June 2017

Whereas SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide–sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) heptad-repeats are well studied, SNAREs also have upstream N-domains of indeterminate function. The assembly of yeast vacuolar SNAREs into complexes for fusion can be studied in chemically defined reactions. Complementary proteoliposomes bearing a Rab:GTP and either the vacuolar R-SNARE or one of the three integrally anchored Q-SNAREs were incubated with the tethering/SM protein complex HOPS and the two other soluble SNAREs (lacking a transmembrane anchor) or their SNARE heptad-repeat domains. Fusion required a transmembrane-anchored R-SNARE on one membrane and an anchored Q-SNARE on the other. The N-domain of the Qb-SNARE was completely dispensable for fusion. Whereas fusion can be promoted by very high concentrations of the Qa-SNARE heptad-repeat domain alone, at physiological concentrations the Qa-SNARE heptad-repeat domain alone has almost no fusion activity. The 181–198 region of Qa, immediately upstream of the SNARE heptad-repeat domain, is required for normal fusion activity with HOPS. This region is needed for normal SNARE complex assembly.
Electrostatic interaction between polyglutamylated tubulin and the nexin–dynein regulatory complex regulates flagellar motility
Authors: Kubo Tomohiro , Oda Toshiyuki
Published: June 2017

Tubulins undergo various posttranslational modifications. Among them, polyglutamylation is involved in the motility of eukaryotic flagella and the stability of the axonemal microtubules. However, it remains unclear where polyglutamylated tubulin localizes precisely within the axoneme and how tubulin polyglutamylation affects flagellar motility. In this study, we identified the three-dimensional localization of the polyglutamylated tubulin in Chlamydomonas flagella using antibody labeling and cryo–electron tomography. Polyglutamylated tubulins specifically located in close proximity to a microtubule-cross-bridging structure called the nexin–dynein regulatory complex (N-DRC). Because N-DRC is positively charged, we hypothesized that there is an electrostatic interaction between the polyglutamylated tubulin and the N-DRC, and therefore we mutated the amino acid sequences of DRC4 to modify the charge of the N-DRC. We found that both augmentation and reduction of the positive charge on DRC4 resulted in reduced flagellar motility. Moreover, reduced motility in a mutant with a structurally defective N-DRC was partially restored by increasing the positive charge on DRC4. These results clearly indicate that beating motion of flagella is maintained by the electrostatic cross-bridge formed between the negatively charged polyglutamylated tubulins and the positively charged N-DRC.
Sin, Gender, and Empire
Authors: Croasmun Matthew
Published: June 2017

This chapter places Paul’s discourse of the “Body of Hamartia” within the context of various ancient discourses regarding the social body. These discourses are shown to be oriented around a central ideology of self-mastery that frames ancient Greco-Roman ideas about both gender and empire. It engages especially with the Roma cult in the Roman Republic and early Roman Empire as an instance of an ancient collective “person” emergent from a complex social system. (The case of “Legion” in Mark 5 is considered as well.) This comparison allows for a discussion of Hamartia in Paul in terms of ancient political and gender ideology.
Exploring Inductive Risk
Authors: Elliott Kevin C. , Richards Ted
Published: June 2017

The introductory chapter provides an overview of the book Exploring Inductive Risk. It introduces the concept of inductive risk, briefly traces the history of the argument from inductive risk, and sets out the book’s chapters in terms of four themes. The first part, “Weighing Inductive Risk,” illustrates the concept of inductive risk and the judgments involved in weighing different sorts of errors. The chapters in the second part, “Evading Inductive Risk,” examine proposals by critics who argue that the value judgments associated with inductive risk should be made by citizens and policymakers, not by scientists. The third section, “The Breadth of Inductive Risk,” illustrates the wide variety of decision points throughout scientific practice where considerations of inductive risk are relevant. The book’s fourth section, “Exploring the Limits of Inductive Risk,” considers whether it still makes sense to apply the label of inductive risk to such a broad array of phenomena.
The Body of Western Embodiment
Authors: Holmes Brooke
Published: June 2017

Much of western philosophy, especially ancient Greek philosophy, addresses the problems posed by embodiment. This chapter argues that to grasp the early history of embodiment is to see the category of the body itself as historically emergent. Bruno Snell argued that Homer lacked a concept of the body (sōma), but it is the emergence of body in the fifth century BCE rather than the appearance of mind or soul that is most consequential for the shape of ancient dualisms. The body takes shape in Hippocratic medical writing as largely hidden and unconscious interior space governed by impersonal forces. But Plato’s corpus demonstrates that while Plato’s reputation as a somatophobe is well grounded and may arise in part from the way the body takes shape in medical and other physiological writing, the Dialogues represent a more complex position on the relationship between body and soul than Plato’s reputation suggests.
Curated Stories
Authors: Fernandes Sujatha
Published: June 2017

In the contemporary era we have seen a proliferation of storytelling activities, from the phenomenon of TED talks and Humans of New York to a plethora of story-coaching agencies and consultants. Curated Stories seeks to understand the rise of this storytelling culture alongside a broader shift to neoliberal free market economies. The book shows how in the turn to free market orders, stories have been reconfigured to promote liberal and neoliberal self-making and are restructured as easily digestible soundbites mobilized toward utilitarian ends. The reader is taken to several sites around the world where we can hear stories and observe varied contemporary modes of storytelling: the online Afghan Women’s Writing Project, the domestic workers movement and the undocumented student Dreamer movement in the United States, and the Misión Cultura storytelling project in Venezuela. Curated stories are often heartbreaking accounts of poverty and mistreatment that may move us deeply. But what do they move us to? What are the stakes, and for whom, in the crafting and mobilization of storytelling? A careful analysis of the conditions under which the stories are told, the tropes through which they are narrated, and the ways in which they are responded to shows how stories may actually work to disguise the deeper contexts of global inequality in which these marginal lives are situated. The book is also concerned with how we might reclaim storytelling as a craft that allows for the fullness and complexity of experience to be expressed in pursuit of transformative social change.
Introduction
Authors: James Elaine T.
Published: June 2017

Despite the Song of Songs’ apparent and vested interest in the natural world, it has received little scholarly attention from this perspective. This chapter calls attention to the prominent role of land in the Song, and considers the role of the natural world in the poetry’s lyricism. The chapter develops a theoretical concept of “landscape” in dialogue with contemporary geography and landscape architecture. This concept has the advantage of accounting for humanistic dimensions of landscape, especially the material realities of intervention and the role of the perceiver. The chapter then offers an illustrative reading of Song 2:8–17, showing how the poem’s formal features, especially its use of structural embedding, offer an example of how to think about landscape in the Song.
The Priest and the Prophetess
Authors: Rey Terry
Published: June 2017

Shortly after a slave revolt in the North Province of the French colony of Saint-Domingue sparked the Haitian Revolution in August 1791, a free black immigrant coffee farmer and gender-bending religious visionary named Romaine-la-Prophétesse launched a separate insurgency on behalf of his own beleaguered people. Leading thousands of free colored insurgents and the slaves they liberated in the colony’s West Province, Romaine achieved something that no other rebel leader ever did in the colonial history of the Americas: conquering not one, but two coastal cities: Jacmel and Léogâne. His political adviser was a French Catholic priest named Abbé Ouvière, who brokered the treaty that formally tendered to Romaine rule over the latter city. What was the nature of their relationship? In what ways was each man instrumental in broader revolutionary events in the colony? This book answers these and related questions, deepening our understanding of the function of religion in the Haitian Revolution, along with those of race, science, and medicine, in the broader revolutionary Atlantic world, the latter topics impelled by the second half of the priest’s remarkable life as a scientist and physician in the United States, as Dr. Felix Pascalis. That Abbé Ouvière and Dr. Pascalis were one and the same person has heretofore been lost on scholars, and that Romaine-la-Prophétesse, though ultimately betrayed by the priest, would be judged by him as worthy of honor from his “tyrannized nation,” accentuate the historical significance of each man and the major contributions of this book.
Frankfurt on Identification
Authors: Moran Richard
Published: June 2017

In Harry Frankfurt’s work on freedom and the concept of a person, the idea of “identifying” with one desire rather than another plays an important role, and the difference between being “active” rather than “passive” with respect to a desire is important in explicating what is meant by “identification” in this context. The paper argues that to understand the relevant sense of being “active” here we must distinguish the first-person agency involved in such things as making up one’s mind or endorsing some desire from the idea of “managerial control” over one’s attitudes or any form of voluntarism. Making out this distinction requires appeal to a broader notion of “reason” that Frankfurt seems willing to countenance, but it is argued that without it we have no way of understanding either the notion of “identification” that he is concerned to explicate, or its contraries in alienation and ambivalence.
“With Unity We Will Be Victorious!”
Authors: Wirtz Kristina
Published: June 2017

This chapter investigates the relationship between monologue and dialogue in Cuban revolutionary discourse. It proposes to attend to the “mono-logic”—the semiotic and ideological forces designed to compel alignments toward unity, coherence, and continuity, that are, asymptotically, never quite reached. Cuba’s political leaders have for decades insisted that citizens undergo a continual process of conscientization in which inner selves and outer displays jointly cultivate commitment to revolutionary principles. There are two semiotic calibrations of such discourse: (1) the charismatic, in which heroic figures such as José Martí and Fidel Castro speak with overwhelming authority; and (2) the nomic, in which slogans on banners and in graffiti present universalized Truths voiced by no one and therefore, potentially, by everyone. Inevitably, heteroglossic criticism of the mono-logic surfaces in irony, parody, and even silence. The chapter argues that the monologic drive for unity across psyche, self, society, and history co-constitutes and reframes the dialogic.
From Neighborhood Talk to Talking for the Neighborhood
Authors: Goebel Zane
Published: June 2017

This chapter looks at the relationship between dialogue and monologue and what this reveals about the emergence of local practices and ideologies about these practices. This chapter’s empirical focus is the talk that occurs in a regular monthly women’s meeting that occurred in one of Indonesia’s diverse urban neighborhoods in the mid-1990s. It shows how imitation of each other’s talk figures in the emergence of norms for social conduct in this neighborhood and ultimately a monologic neighborhood voice. In doing so, the chapter also points to how this interactional work relates to broader state ideologies about national and ethnic languages.
The Security Dilemma
Authors: Buchanan Ben
Published: June 2017

This chapter traces the arc of the security dilemma through time. It begins with Thucydides and, stretching through the formal articulation with John Herz, Herbert Butterfield, and Robert Jervis, and continuing through the Cold War. It makes the link to intelligence work, a connection first made by Michael Herman. In particular, it shows how the security dilemma is most potent when there is a strong linkage between intelligence collection and attack, as is the case in cyber operations. This tight linkage makes collection activity more threatening, and is more likely to lead to a response by the involved nations.