bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Zinc finger gene nolz1 regulates the formation of retinal progenitor cells and suppresses the Lim3/Lhx3 phenotype of retinal bipolar cells in chicken retina
Authors: Blixt Maria K.E. , Konjusha Dardan , Ring Henrik , Hallböök Finn
Published: November 2017

Background: The zinc‐finger transcription factor Nolz1 regulates spinal cord neuron development by interacting with the transcription factors Isl1, Lim1, and Lim3, which are also important for photoreceptors, horizontal and bipolar cells during retinal development. We, therefore, studied Nolz1 during retinal development. Results: Nolz1 expression was seen in two waves during development: one early (peak at embryonic day 3–4.5) in retinal progenitors and one late (embryonic day 8) in newly differentiated cells in the inner nuclear layer. Overexpression and knockdown showed that Nolz1 decreases proliferation and stimulates cell cycle withdrawal in retinal progenitors with effects on the generation of retinal ganglion cells, photoreceptors, and horizontal cells without triggering apoptosis. Overexpression of Nolz1 gave more p27 positive cells. Sustained overexpression of Nolz1 in the retina gave fewer Lim3/Lhx3 bipolar cells. Conclusions: We conclude that Nolz1 has multiple functions during development and suggest a mechanism in which Nolz1 initially regulates the proliferation state of the retinal progenitor cells and then acts as a repressor that suppresses the Lim3/Lhx3 bipolar cell phenotype at the time of bipolar cell differentiation. Developmental Dynamics 247:630–641, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Predictions of response to temperature are contingent on model choice and data quality
Authors: Low‐Décarie Etienne , Boatman Tobias G. , Bennett Noah , Passfield Will , Gavalás‐Olea Antonio , Siegel Philipp , Geider Richard J.
Published: November 2017

The equations used to account for the temperature dependence of biological processes, including growth and metabolic rates, are the foundations of our predictions of how global biogeochemistry and biogeography change in response to global climate change. We review and test the use of 12 equations used to model the temperature dependence of biological processes across the full range of their temperature response, including supra‐ and suboptimal temperatures. We focus on fitting these equations to thermal response curves for phytoplankton growth but also tested the equations on a variety of traits across a wide diversity of organisms. We found that many of the surveyed equations have comparable abilities to fit data and equally high requirements for data quality (number of test temperatures and range of response captured) but lead to different estimates of cardinal temperatures and of the biological rates at these temperatures. When these rate estimates are used for biogeographic predictions, differences between the estimates of even the best‐fitting models can exceed the global biological change predicted for a decade of global warming. As a result, studies of the biological response to global changes in temperature must make careful consideration of model selection and of the quality of the data used for parametrizing these models.
Diet reveals links between morphology and foraging in a cryptic temperate reef fish
Authors: Winkler Natalia S. , Paz‐Goicoechea Maite , Lamb Robert W. , Pérez‐Matus Alejandro
Published: November 2017

Predators select prey so as to maximize energy and minimize manipulation time. In order to reduce prey detection and handling time, individuals must actively select their foraging space (microhabitat) and populations exhibit morphologies that are best suited for capturing locally available prey. We explored how variation in diet correlates with habitat type, and how these factors influence key morphological structures (mouth gape, eye diameter, fin length, fin area, and pectoral fin ratio) in a common microcarnivorous cryptic reef fish species, the triplefin Helcogrammoides cunninghami. In a mensurative experiment carried out at six kelp‐dominated sites, we observed considerable differences in diet along 400 km of the Chilean coast coincident with variation in habitat availability and prey distributions. Triplefins preferred a single prey type (bivalves or barnacles) at northern sites, coincident with a low diversity of foraging habitats. In contrast, southern sites presented varied and heterogeneous habitats, where triplefin diets were more diverse and included amphipods, decapods, and cumaceans. Allometry‐corrected results indicated that some morphological structures were consistently correlated with different prey items. Specifically, large mouth gape was associated with the capture of highly mobile prey such as decapods, while small mouth gape was more associated with cumaceans and copepods. In contrast, triplefins that capture sessile prey such as hydroids tend to have larger eyes. Therefore, morphological structures co‐vary with habitat selection and prey usage in this species. Our study shows how an abundant generalist reef fish exhibits variable feeding morphologies in response to the distribution of potential habitats and prey throughout its range.
High inbreeding and low connectivity among Ambystoma texanum populations in fragmented Ohio forests
Authors: Rhoads Elizabeth A. , Williams Patrick Kelly , Krane Carissa M.
Published: November 2017

Habitat loss and fragmentation negatively impact the size and diversity of many natural populations. Woodland amphibians require connected aquatic and terrestrial habitats to complete their life cycle, and often rely on metapopulation structure for long‐term persistence. Wetland loss and deforestation fragment amphibian populations, which may result in population isolation and its negative effects. The aim of this research was to analyze the population genetic structure of small‐mouthed salamanders (Ambystoma texanum) in western Ohio, where agriculture is now the dominant land use. Salamander tail tissue was collected from eight breeding pools. Three pools occur in the same forest; the other five are in forest patches at distances ranging from 250 m to 20 km from one another. Eight microsatellite loci were amplified by PCR and genotyped for allele size. Observed heterozygosities were lower than expected in all sampled populations; the two most isolated sites (Ha1, Ha2) had the highest inbreeding coefficients. Ha2 also had the lowest mean number of alleles and was found to be genetically differentiated from populations to which our data analysis indicates it was historically connected by gene flow. The most distant site (Ha1) had the highest number of private alleles and showed genetic differentiation from other populations both historically and currently. Geographic distance between pools was strongly correlated with the number of private alleles in a population. The results suggest that population isolation results in decreased genetic diversity and that a breakdown of metapopulation structure due to landscape change may contribute to differentiation between once‐connected populations.
Plasma renin activity, response to aliskiren, and clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized for heart failure: the ASTRONAUT trial
Authors: Vaduganathan Muthiah , Cheema Baljash , Cleveland Erin , Sankar Kamya , Subacius Haris , Fonarow Gregg C. , Solomon Scott D. , Lewis Eldrin F. , Greene Stephen J. , Maggioni Aldo P. , Böhm Michael , Zannad Faiez , Butler Javed , Gheorghiade Mihai
Published: November 2017

Aims

The direct renin inhibitor, aliskiren, is known to reduce plasma renin activity (PRA), but whether the efficacy of aliskiren varies based on an individual's baseline PRA in patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) is presently unknown. We characterized the prognostic value of PRA and determined if this risk is modifiable with use of aliskiren.

Methods and results

This pre‐specified neurohormonal substudy of ASTRONAUT analysed all patients hospitalized for HF with ejection fraction (EF) ≤40% with available baseline PRA data (n = 1306, 80.9%). Risk associated with baseline PRA and short‐term changes in PRA from baseline to 1 month was modelled with respect to 12‐month clinical events. Median baseline PRA was 3.0 (interquartile range 0.6–16.4) ng/mL/h. Aliskiren significantly reduced PRA early after treatment initiation through 12‐month follow‐up compared with placebo (P < 0.001). The lowest baseline PRA quartile (<0.6 ng/mL/h) was independently predictive of lower all‐cause mortality [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.31–0.81] and the composite of cardiovascular mortality and HF hospitalization (adjusted HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.40–0.79). Delta log‐normalized PRA (from baseline to 1 month) was not predictive of either primary endpoint at 12 months (P ≥ 0.43). The prognostic value of baseline PRA and short‐term changes in PRA did not vary by randomization to aliskiren or placebo (interaction P ≥ 0.13).

Conclusions

Plasma renin activity is reduced early and durably by aliskiren, but this did not translate into improved clinical outcomes in ASTRONAUT. Baseline PRA or short‐term reduction in PRA do not identify a subgroup who may preferentially benefit from direct renin inhibition.

Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Unique Identifier: NCT00894387
Overcoming the Ambient‐Temperature Operation Limitation in Lithium‐Ion Batteries by using a Single‐Ion Polymer Electrolyte Fabricated by Controllable Molecular Design
Authors: Zhang Yunfeng , Pan Meize , Liu Xupo , Li Cuicui , Dong Jiaming , Sun Yubao , Zeng Danli , Yang Zehui , Cheng Hansong
Published: November 2017

A polymer electrolyte with a particular molecular architecture plays a critical role in the improvement of the performances of both a polymer electrolyte and a battery device. Here, we present the design and synthesis of a sp3‐boron‐based single‐ion polymer electrolyte (SIPE), lithium poly(bisphenol AF borate) (LiPFB), by using partially aromatic bisphenol AF as a linker. As a result of the torsional, flexible, and strong electron‐withdrawing properties of the bistrifluoromethyl methylene group (−C(CF3)2−), the prepared poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐hexafluoropropene (PVDF‐HFP)/LiPFB membrane displays an enhanced ionic conductivity and a remarkable compatibility with electrodes compared to that of the PVDF‐HFP/lithium poly(4,4′‐biphenol borate) membrane, in which a linear and fully aromatic 4,4′‐biphenol is used as a linker. Consequently, an excellent battery performance both at room temperature and high charge/discharge rates was demonstrated. This study underscores the fundamental importance of the molecular structure of SIPE materials in battery performance enhancement and suggests ways to design new SIPE materials to enhance battery devices with improved electrochemical performance.
New thermodynamic analysis and optimization of performance of an irreversible diesel cycle
Authors: Ahmadi Mohammad H. , Ahmadi Mohammad‐Ali , Açıkkalp Emin , Alhuyi Nazari Mohammad , Arab Pour Yazdi Mohammad , Kumar Ravinder
Published: November 2017

In this study, an irreversible Diesel cycle is investigated based on entransy method and optimization conducted by considering various scenarios. Entransy expressed as a heat transfer potential of a subject and it has begun to investigate as a new thermodynamic assessment parameter. This paper presents thermodynamical study of an irreversible Diesel cycle in order to optimize its performance. Moreover, four different strategies in the process of multiobjective optimization are proposed, and the outcomes are assessing separately. The first strategy is proposed to minimize the entransy dissipation rate and maximize the ecological coefficient of performance along with the maximum available work. Furthermore, the second one is suggested to minimize the entransy dissipation rate and maximize the ecological function along with the exergetic performance criteria. The third strategy is proposed to minimize ethe entransy dissipation rate and maximize the ecological function along with the thermal efficiency. Moreover, the fourth strategy is suggested to achieve the minimum entransy dissipation rate and maximum ecological function along with the entransy efficiency. Finally, the values of objective functions were obtained at the optimum conditions of each scenario; afterwards, compared with other scenarios to select the most appropriate one. Based on obtained results, maximizing ecological coefficient of performance is the most appropriate approach for optimization, since it leads to the maximum values of ecological function, exergetic performance criteria and thermal efficiency. In addition, in the fourth scenario the lowest entransy dissipation rate was achieved. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 37: 1475–1490, 2018
Numerical and experimental investigations of converter gas improvement inside a flue using its waste heat and CO2 by pulverized coal injection
Authors: Wang Bao , Zhou Jian‐An , Xie Jian‐Bo , Liu Zhong‐Qiu , Zhang Hua , Zhou Lan‐Hua
Published: November 2017

To explore how to use the waste heat and reduce the CO2 emissions of converter flue gas, a new process is proposed in this paper, performed by injecting pulverized coal into the hot gas using its waste heat to generate CO and further to achieve a secondary recovery of flue gas. Numerical simulations and industrial investigations are conducted. By comparing the injecting rate, the particle size, and the injecting velocity of the pulverized coal, an optimized scheme was obtained. The testing results show that, with increasing the injecting rate, the O2 and CO2 contents in the flue gas are reduced, while the CO and H2 contents are increased. When the injecting rate is 20 kg min−1, the O2 and CO2 contents are decreased by 72.16% and 50%, respectively, yet the CO and H2 contents are raised by 21.08% and 171.8%, respectively. The gas recovery time is extended by 10.12% and the carbon conversion is increased as much as 55%. Thus, the new process will be of great benefit to reduce CO2 emissions and increase the energy of converter gas. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 37: 1503–1512, 2018
FERC's “Resiliency” Rulemaking Offers Many Challenges
Authors: Smead Richard G.
Published: November 2017

The most important regulatory action going on for the gas and organized electric markets lately is the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC's) RM18‐1 rulemaking, exploring whether there should be a full‐cost‐recovery safety net for coal and nuclear facilities that cannot make it in competitive power markets.
Predictors of foreign corporate political activities in United States politics
Authors: Brown Lee Warren , Yaşar Mahmut , Rasheed Abdul A.
Published: November 2017

Research Summary

Although there is growing recognition of the importance of nonmarket strategies in ensuring favorable outcomes for firms, most of the research on corporate political activity (CPA) in the U.S. has focused on domestic firms. However, foreign firms are also actively involved in lobbying in the U.S. We identify several predictors of foreign firm CPA using an institutional perspective. Based on a sample of 1,701 publicly listed foreign firms from 37 different countries during the period 1998–2014 and using penalized maximum likelihood and Poisson estimators, we find that the cultural‐cognitive, normative, and regulative institutional characteristics of the home countries of the foreign firms can explain a firm's willingness to engage in CPA in the U.S., over and above firm and industry‐level factors.

Managerial Summary

There is growing recognition of the importance of nonmarket strategies in ensuring favorable outcomes for firms. However, most of the research on corporate political activity (CPA) in the U.S. has focused on domestic firms. Foreign firms are also active participants in CPA in the U.S. In this article, we try to identify the country‐level predictors of foreign firm CPA, more specifically their lobbying activities, using data on 1,701 publicly listed foreign firms from 37 different countries during the period 1998–2014. Our results indicate that country‐level institutional factors influence a foreign firm's likelihood of engaging in CPA in the U.S. above and beyond more well‐known firm and industry‐level variables.
Career mentoring in context: A multilevel study on differentiated career mentoring and career mentoring climate
Authors: Van Vianen Annelies E. M. , Rosenauer Doris , Homan Astrid C. , Horstmeier Christiane A. L. , Voelpel Sven C.
Published: November 2017

This study explores how supervisor career mentoring contributes to contemporary organizational career development, which strives to foster employees' promotability while strengthening their intention to stay. Specifically, we focus on the implications of career mentoring in team contexts. Applying a multilevel framework, we distinguish between individual‐level differentiated mentoring (i.e., an employee's mentoring perceptions as compared to those of other team members) and group‐level career mentoring climate (i.e., the average perception across all group members). In a workplace setting, we collected data from vocational job starters (N ranged from 230 to 290) and their company supervisors (N ranged from 56 to 68). We find that career mentoring climate positively relates to promotability, more so than differentiated career mentoring. Both career mentoring climate and differentiated career mentoring are positively related to the intention to stay. At the individual level, this relationship is mediated by job satisfaction. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of differentiated and group‐level mentoring.
Operation family caregiver: Problem‐solving training for military caregivers in a community setting
Authors: Easom Leisa R. , Wang Ke , Moore Renee H. , Wang Heqiong , Bauer Laura
Published: November 2017

Objective

This study, conducted over a 2‐year period at 9 sites, describes the outcomes of an evidence‐based support program, Operation Family Caregiver, to gain an understanding of how a tailored, problem‐solving training could assist military caregivers, who provide care and assistance to those injured, ill, or disabled as a result of war.

Method

A pre‐post research design was employed to examine caregiver burden, depression, health complaints, satisfaction with life, children's anxiety, and problem solving among a convenience sample of caregivers of 128 military service members and veterans.

Results

Analysis revealed a decrease in depression, burden, and health complaints and an increase in satisfaction of life and positive problem‐solving skills (p < .001).

Conclusion

This program may be beneficial to caregiving families of military service and veterans living with posttraumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, and/or a physical disability.
Cranial shape variation in jacarean caimanines (Crocodylia, Alligatoroidea) and its implications in the taxonomic status of extinct species: The case of Melanosuchus fisheri
Authors: Foth Christian , Fernandez Blanco María Victoria , Bona Paula , Scheyer Torsten M.
Published: November 2017

Melanosuchus niger (Crocodylia, Alligatoroidea) is one of the six living caimanine species widely distributed throughout the Amazon River basin today. Although there is only one extant species of Melanosuchus, fossil material assigned to this genus, represented by M. fisheri, has been reported from the late Miocene in South America. However, the validity of this taxon has been questioned and a recent investigation indicates that the referred specimen of M. fisheri (MCZ 4336) actually belongs to Globidentosuchus brachyrostris, while those diagnostic characters present in the holotype (MCNC 243) fall into the spectrum of intraspecific variation of M. niger. Here, we compare the skull shape of the holotype of M. fisheri with the ontogenetic series of the four jacarean species (M. niger, Caiman yacare, Caiman crocodilus, and Caiman latirostris) using 2D‐geometric morphometric analyses in two different views. The analyses indicate that MCNC 243 falls into the morphospace of M. niger and C. latirostris. Despite strong shape similarities between juveniles of C. latirostris and MCNC 243, further anatomical comparisons reveal notable differences between them. In contrast, no concrete anatomical differences can be found between MCNC 243 and M. niger, although shape analyses indicate that MCNC 243 is relatively robust for its size. Thus, this study is able to confirm that the genus Melanosuchus was present in the late Miocene, but it still remains unclear if MCNC 243 should be treated as a junior synonym or probably a sister species of M. niger. Its Miocene age favors the second option, but as the shape analyses were also not able to extract any diagnostic characters, it should be retained as Melanosuchus cf. niger.
Tool for osteoarthritis risk prediction (TOARP) over 8 years using baseline clinical data, X‐ray, and MRI: Data from the osteoarthritis initiative
Authors: Joseph Gabby B. , McCulloch Charles E. , Nevitt Michael C. , Neumann Jan , Gersing Alexandra S. , Kretzschmar Martin , Schwaiger Benedikt J. , Lynch John A. , Heilmeier Ursula , Lane Nancy E. , Link Thomas M.
Published: November 2017

Background

Osteoarthritis (OA), a multifactorial disease causing joint degeneration, often leads to severe disability. The rising rates of disability highlight the need for implementing preventative measures at early stages of the disease, which would especially benefit subjects at high risk for OA development.

Purpose

To develop a risk prediction tool for moderate‐severe OA (TOARP) over 8 years based on subject characteristics, knee radiographs, and MRI data at baseline using data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI).

Study Type

Retrospective.

Subjects

641 subjects with no/mild radiographic OA (Kellgren–Lawrence [KL] 0–2) and no clinically significant symptoms (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index [WOMAC] 0–1) were selected from the OAI.

Field Strength/Sequence

MR images were obtained using 3.0T.

Assessment

Compartment‐specific cartilage and meniscus morphology and cartilage T2 were assessed. Baseline subject demographics, risk factors, KL score, cartilage WORMS score, presence of meniscus tear, and cartilage T2 were used to predict the development of moderate/severe OA (KL = 3–4 or WOMAC pain ≥5 or total knee replacement [TKR]) over 8 years.

Statistical Tests

Best subsets variable selection followed by cross‐validation were used to assess which combinations of variables best predict moderate/severe OA.

Results

Model 1 included KL score, previous knee injury in the last 12 months, age, gender, and BMI. Model 2 included all variables in Model 1 plus presence of cartilage defects in the lateral femur and patella, and presence of a meniscal tear. Model 3 included all variables in Models 1 and 2, plus cartilage T2 in the medial tibia and medial femur. Compared to Model 1 (cross‐validated AUC = 0.67), Model 3 performed significantly better (AUC = 0.72, P = 0.04), while Model 2 showed a statistical trend (AUC = 0.71, P = 0.08).

Data Conclusion

We established a risk calculator for the development of moderate/severe knee OA over 8 years that includes radiographic and MRI data. The inclusion of MRI‐based morphological abnormalities and cartilage T2 significantly improved model performance.

Level of Evidence: 2

Technical Efficacy: Stage 3

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:1517–1526.
Effectiveness of quality standards regulation considering the behavior of government and firms
Authors: Pu Xujin , Song Zhiping , Han Guanghua
Published: November 2017

We construct an analysis framework consisting of the central government, a local government, a representative firm, and consumers. This study analyzes how the local government's enforcement, the firm's compliance, and their interaction influence the effectiveness of regulation after the central government has established policies regarding quality standards. We construct three scenarios: perfect enforcement, imperfect enforcement, and collusion. We show that when the local government imperfectly enforces the regulation, the firm's utility and the local government's utility are higher, whereas the degree of the firm's compliance, consumers' utility, and the level of social welfare are lower. When there is collusion between the local government and the firm, the firm's utility and the local government's utility are the highest, but the degree of the firm's compliance, consumers' utility, and the level of social welfare are the lowest among the different scenarios. This study proves that the behavior of governments and firms plays a vital role in the effectiveness of quality standards regulation.
High‐order Padé and singly diagonally Runge‐Kutta schemes for linear ODEs, application to wave propagation problems
Authors: Barucq Hélène , Duruflé Marc , N'Diaye Mamadou
Published: November 2017

In this article, we address the problem of constructing high‐order implicit time schemes for wave equations. We consider two classes of one‐step A‐stable schemes adapted to linear Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE). The first class, which is not dissipative is based on the diagonal Padé approximant of exponential function. For this class, the obtained schemes have the same stability function as Gauss Runge‐Kutta (Gauss RK) schemes. They have the advantage to involve the solution of smaller linear systems at each time step compared to Gauss RK. The second class of schemes are constructed such that they require the inversion of a unique linear system several times at each time step like the Singly Diagonally Runge‐Kutta (SDIRK) schemes. While the first class of schemes is constructed for an arbitrary order of accuracy, the second‐class schemes is given up to order 12. The performance assessment we provide shows a very good level of accuracy for both classes of schemes, and the great interest of considering high‐order time schemes that are faster. The diagonal Padé schemes seem to be more accurate and more robust.
Flavin‐Based Light‐Driven Fluorescent Probe for the Detection of Antioxidant Amino Acids
Authors: Hong Kyeong‐Im , Lee Seong Min , Jang Woo‐Dong
Published: November 2017

We have synthesized a flavin‐N(5)‐oxide derivative with a p‐toluenesulfonyl (Ts‐OF) group as a “turn‐on” fluorescent probe for the detection of several antioxidant amino acids and biothiols. Oxidized flavin was synthesized by using dithiothreitol as the reducing agent. Ts‐OF showed a light‐driven fluorescence enhancement in the presence of several amino acids and biothiols such as histidine (His), methionine (Met), cysteine (Cys), glutathione (GSH), and homocysteine (Hcy). The 1H NMR study indicated the reductive elimination of the p‐toluenesulfonyl group from Ts‐OF in the presence of antioxidants and photo‐irradiation.
Antidepressant use during pregnancy and childhood cancer in the offspring
Authors: Momen Natalie C. , Munk‐Olsen Trine , Li Jiong , Ingstrup Katja G. , Olsen Jørn , Bergink Veerle , Liu Xiaoqin
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Antidepressant use during pregnancy has been increasing in recent years. We evaluated whether in utero exposure to antidepressants increased the risk of childhood cancer.

Methods

This population‐based cohort study using national registers in Denmark comprised 915 128 liveborn singletons during 1998‐2012. We categorised children into three mutually exclusive exposure groups according to maternal redemption of an antidepressant prescription from 2 years before pregnancy until delivery of the index child: Unexposed (N = 863 033), prior user (use before but not during pregnancy) (N = 30 607), and use during pregnancy (N = 21 488). The children were followed from birth until first diagnosis of cancer, death, emigration, or December 31, 2012, whichever came first. The children were followed maximum 14.9 years and contributed to 6.9 × 106 person‐years at risk. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) of cancer using Cox regression with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

In total, 1298 (0.1%) children were diagnosed with cancer. Antidepressant use during pregnancy was not associated with a significantly increased risk of childhood cancer in general; the HR was 1.03 (95% CI, 0.63‐1.68), compared to children born by mothers who discontinued antidepressant use prior to pregnancy. The association between in utero exposure to antidepressants and childhood cancer did not depend on type or duration of antidepressant use. There was no strong evidence indicating a higher risk of leukaemia or nervous system tumours among children exposed to antidepressants in utero.

Conclusion

Antidepressant use during pregnancy was not significantly associated with childhood cancer in general nor with leukaemia or nervous system tumours in specific.
Residual orientation in injection‐moulded plaques of atactic‐polystyrene I: The effect of processing conditions
Authors: Healy John , Knott Robert , Edward Graham
Published: November 2017

Injection moulded polymer articles often have residual macromolecular or crystalline orientation which can have a significant impact on the optical and mechanical properties of the moulded article. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) was used to measure the molecular shape and orientation of deuterated blends of injection moulded polystyrene. For ∼1‐mm‐thick mouldings of uniform rectangular cross‐section, the eccentricity in the SANS pattern gave a direct measure of the residual molecular orientation over the length scale ∼100–1,500 Å. The residual orientation was found to vary significantly with injection moulding conditions with comparative residual orientation decreasing with decreasing mould fill‐time, and increasing with mould thickness and moulding temperatures. The orientation was found to be a minimum in the centre of the mould and highest near the surface and the average orientation at a particular position in the mould was found to be strongly correlated with the volume of material deposited as a solid skin layer during injection moulding. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:1322–1331, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Quantitative Extracellular Matrix Proteomics Suggests Cell Wall Reprogramming in Host‐Specific Immunity During Vascular Wilt Caused by Fusarium oxysporum in Chickpea
Authors: Elagamey Eman , Narula Kanika , Sinha Arunima , Ghosh Sudip , Abdellatef Magdi A. E. , Chakraborty Niranjan , Chakraborty Subhra
Published: November 2017

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is the unique organelle that perceives stress signals and reprograms molecular events of host cell during patho‐stress. However, our understanding of how ECM dictates plant immunity is largely unknown. Vascular wilt caused by the soil borne filamentous fungus Fusarium oxysporum is a major impediment for global crop productivity. To elucidate the role of ECM proteins and molecular mechanism associated with cell wall mediated immunity, the temporal changes of ECM proteome was studied in vascular wilt resistant chickpea cultivar upon F. oxysporum infection. The 2DE protein profiling coupled with mass spectrometric analysis identified 166 immune responsive proteins (IRPs) involved in variety of functions. Our data suggest that wall remodeling; protein translocation, stabilization, and chitin triggered immunity; and extracellular ATP signaling are major players in early, middle, and later phases of ECM signaling during fungal attack. Furthermore, we interrogated the proteome data using network analysis that identified modules enriched in known and novel immunity‐related prognostic proteins centered around nascent aminopolypeptide complex (NAC), amine oxidase, thioredoxin, and chaperonin. This study for the first time provides an insight into the complex network operating in the ECM and impinges on the surveillance mechanism of innate immunity during patho‐stress in crop plant.
Exploring the cancer caregiver's journey through web‐based Meaning‐Centered Psychotherapy
Authors: Applebaum A.J. , Buda K.L. , Schofield E. , Farberov M. , Teitelbaum N.D. , Evans K. , Cowens‐Alvarado R. , Cannady R.S.
Published: November 2017

Objective

Psychosocial interventions are historically underutilized by cancer caregivers, but support programs delivered flexibly over the Internet address multiple barriers to care. We adapted Meaning‐Centered Psychotherapy for cancer caregivers, an in‐person psychotherapeutic intervention intended to augment caregivers' sense of meaning and purpose and ameliorate burden, for delivery in a self‐administered web‐based program, the Care for the Cancer Caregiver (CCC) Workshop. The present study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of this program.

Methods

Eighty‐four caregivers were randomized to the CCC Workshop or waitlist control arm. Quantitative assessments of meaning, burden, anxiety, depression, benefit finding, and spiritual well‐being were conducted preintervention (T1), within 2‐weeks postintervention (T2), and 2‐ to 3‐month follow‐up (T3). In‐depth semistructured interviews were conducted with a subset of participants.

Results

Forty‐two caregivers were randomized to the CCC Workshop. Attrition was moderate at T2 and T3, with caregiver burden and bereavement as key causes of drop‐out. At T2 and T3, some observed mean change scores and effect sizes were consistent with hypothesized trends (eg, meaning in caregiving, benefit finding, and depressive symptomatology), though no pre‐post significant differences emerged between groups. However, a longitudinal mixed‐effects model found significant differential increases in benefit finding in favor of the CCC arm.

Conclusions

The CCC Workshop was feasible and acceptable. Based on effect sizes reported here, a larger study will likely establish the efficacy of the CCC Workshop, which has the potential to address unmet needs of caregivers who underutilize in‐person supportive care services.
Exploring the mechanisms for the radical induced damage of 6‐thioguanine
Authors: Sandhiya Lakshmanan , Senthilkumar Kittusamy
Published: November 2017

The oxidation of thioguanine (6‐TG) by reactive radicals such as •OH, •OCl, •OOH, and •OONO has been studied using density functional theory methods. The radical addition to the C‐atomic sites of 6‐TG occurs more favorably at the C8‐position. The radical addition to the S‐atom of 6‐TG proceeds through the formation of guanine sulfenate radical which is more stable than the peroxo intermediate formed through UVA mediated photooxidation of 6‐TG. Thus, the formation of guanine sulfenate radical resists its full oxidation to guanine sulphonate, a highly effectual blocking agent to replication and transcription. The ring opening and rearrangement of the radical adducts lead to the formation of a spiro compound, more feasibly by the •OONO attack. The •OONO is not highly reactive toward radical addition reactions, but induces damage to DNA through the formation of spiro compounds. The attack of the radicals at four sites of 6‐TG, N1, N10, N9, and C8 have been studied and the order of preferred sites for dehydrogenation of 6‐TG by reactive radicals can be quantified as N1 > N9 > N10 > C8. The •OCl is equally reactive as •OH in oxidizing 6‐TG. The electron transfer reactions between 6‐TG and the radicals under study are endergonic in both gas and aqueous phases. The present study deals with the important mechanisms involved in the radical induced damage of 6‐TG in competition with the UVA mediated photooxidation of 6‐TG.
Inter‐organizational sensemaking in the face of strategic meta‐problems: Requisite variety and dynamics of participation
Authors: Seidl David , Werle Felix
Published: November 2017

Research Summary: When faced with complex strategic problems that exceed their individual sensemaking capacities, organizations often engage in inter‐organizational collaboration. This enables them to pool the participants’ different perspectives and to grasp the problem at hand more comprehensively. Drawing on data collected from two longitudinal case studies, we examine how those who participate in inter‐organizational sensemaking processes are selected and how the particular selection of participants affects the dynamics of the sensemaking process in turn. In our analysis, we show how the selection of specific problem issues influences who joins or withdraws from the collaboration and we identify a mechanism that accounts for changes in the particular dynamics of the sensemaking process over time. Our findings help explain how the process of inter‐organizational sensemaking can yield different outcomes.

Managerial Summary: The ability to make sense of the business environment is central to strategic management. As the complexity of the environment increases and interpreting it becomes more difficult, organizations increasingly turn to inter‐organizational collaboration, which allows them to pool their expertise in order to explore strategic issues. We examine how the participants in projects of joint exploration are selected and how the selection of participants affects the process of exploration in turn. More specifically, we describe how the aspects on which collaborating organizations choose to focus influence who joins and who withdraws from a collaboration. We also identify a mechanism that accounts for differences and changes in the dynamics of the sensemaking process over time. These changes affect how the collaborators come to understand their organization's business environment.
Factors Associated with Premalignant Epithelial Changes in Chronic Calculous Cholecystitis: A Case–Control Study
Authors: Bangash Muhibullah , Alvi Abdul Rehman , Shahzad Noman , Shariff Amir Hafeez , Gill Roger Christopher
Published: November 2017

Introduction

Gallstones are known to be associated with premalignant changes in the gallbladder epithelium that range from atypical hyperplasia, metaplasia, dysplasia to carcinoma. Recognition of factors associated with these changes in patients with gallstones can potentially be helpful in identifying patients to whom prophylactic cholecystectomy can be offered to reduce the chances of developing carcinoma.

Objective

To identify factors associated with premalignant epithelial changes including atypical hyperplasia, metaplasia, and dysplasia in gallbladder mucosa in patients with chronic calculus cholecystitis.

Materials and methods

This was retrospective case–control study conducted over a period of 10 years from 2004 to 2014. Cases were patients with reported histopathological premalignant epithelial changes along with chronic calculus cholecystitis, and controls were patients without premalignant epithelial changes but chronic calculus cholecystitis. Controls were twice the number of the cases.

Results

Over study period, 92 patients were reported to have premalignant epithelial changes on gall bladder histopathology for whom 184 controls were selected. Of cases, 61 (66%) patients had atypical hyperplasia, while metaplasia and dysplasia were present in 26 (28%) and 5 (5%) cases, respectively. Mean age was 47.5 ± 14.5 years, and 74% of the study population were female. Wall thickness of more than 3 mm (OR = 4.14, p value < 0.001) turned out to be statistically significant independent variables associated with premalignant lesions in gallbladder mucosa.

Conclusion

Odds of premalignant epithelial change in gall bladder mucosa in patients with gall bladder wall thickness of more than 3 mm is four times the odds of patients with wall thickness less than 3 mm, and the effect is statistically significant. Prophylactic cholecystectomy should be considered for this group of patients.
Radiocarbon and Stable Isotope Evidence for Changes in Sediment Mixing in the North Pacific over the Past 30 kyr
Authors: Costa Kassandra M , McManus Jerry F , Anderson Robert F
Published: November 2017

Deep-sea sediment mixing by bioturbation is ubiquitous on the seafloor, and it can be an important influence on the fidelity of paleoceanographic records. Bioturbation can be difficult to quantify, especially in the past, but diffusive models based on radioactive tracer profiles have provided a relatively successful approach. However, a singular, constant mixing regime is unlikely to prevail in a region where dynamic oceanographic changes in the bottom water environment are a consequence of paleoclimatic variability. In this study, foraminiferal stable isotopes, radiocarbon (14C) dating, and 230Th fluxes are utilized to understand the sediment mixing history in the easternmost region of the North Pacific. In the uppermost sediment, a 12,000-yr offset between planktonic foraminifera species N. incompta and G. bulloides is observed that coincides with age plateaus at 2000–2500 yr for N. incompta and 15,000–16,000 yr for G. bulloides despite coincident glacial-interglacial shifts in δ18O of benthic species. These age plateaus, particularly for G. bulloides, are a result of changing foraminiferal abundance related to assemblage shifts and carbonate preservation changes since the last glacial period, providing a window into the extent of mixing in the past. The 14C and stable isotope results can be simulated using an iterative model that couples these changes in foraminiferal abundance with variability in mixing depth over time. The best-fit model output suggests that the deepest, or most intense, mixing of the past 30,000 yr (30 kyr) may have occurred during the Holocene. Even though changes in mixing affect the 14C and δ18O of planktonic species that have dramatically varying abundance, substantial age control is nevertheless provided by δ18O measurements on the more consistently abundant benthic foraminifera Uvigerina, thus allowing the construction of a reliable chronology for these cores.
Will human-like machines make human-like mistakes?
Authors: Livesey Evan J. , Goldwater Micah B. , Colagiuri Ben
Published: November 2017

Although we agree with Lake et al.'s central argument, there are numerous flaws in the way people use causal models. Our models are often incorrect, resistant to correction, and applied inappropriately to new situations. These deficiencies are pervasive and have real-world consequences. Developers of machines with similar capacities should proceed with caution.
The limitations of structural priming are not the limits of linguistic theory
Authors: Adger David
Published: November 2017

Structural priming is a useful technique for testing the predictions of linguistic theories, but one cannot conclude anything definitively about the shape of those theories from any particular methodology.
Converging on a theory of language through multiple methods
Authors: González-Márquez Mónica , Feist Michele I. , Ströbel Liane
Published: November 2017

Assuming that linguistic representation has been studied only by linguists using grammaticality judgments, Branigan & Pickering (B&P) present structural priming as a novel alternative. We show that their assumptions are incorrect for cognitive-functional linguistics, exposing converging perspectives on form/meaning pairings between generativists and cognitive-functional linguists that we hope will spark the cross-disciplinary discussion necessary to produce a cognitively plausible model of linguistic representation.
Don't forget the neurobiology: An experimental approach to linguistic representation
Authors: Hagoort Peter
Published: November 2017

Acceptability judgments are no longer acceptable as the holy grail for testing the nature of linguistic representations. Experimental and quantitative methods should be used to test theoretical claims in psycholinguistics. These methods should include not only behavior, but also the more recent possibilities to probe the neural codes for language-relevant representations.
Structural priming, action planning, and grammar
Authors: MacDonald Maryellen C. , Weiss Daniel J.
Published: November 2017

Structural priming is poorly understood and cannot inform accounts of grammar for two reasons. First, those who view performance as grammar + processing will always be able to attribute psycholinguistic data to processing rather than grammar. Second, structural priming may be simply an example of hysteresis effects in general action planning. If so, then priming offers no special insight into grammar.
The evolution and political use of élite domestic architecture at Poggio Civitate (Murlo)
Authors: Tuck Anthony
Published: November 2017

The hill of Poggio Civitate is located immediately adjacent to the small mediaeval town of Murlo, c.25 km south of Siena (fig. 1). Situated at the juncture of Tuscany's mineralrich Colline metallifere and the agricultural abundance of the Crete senese, Poggio Civitate's inhabitants drew upon the area's vast resources to emerge as a regional center of power in the 8th through 6th c. B.C.

Excavation in 2015 at the Etruscan site revealed a previously undocumented phase of monumental domestic architecture. The building in question lies immediately west of the Piano del Tesoro plateau, in the modern property zone known as Civitate A. Its architectural form, as well as the materials recovered both upon and beneath its floor, suggest that it dates earlier than the architectural complex known on the adjacent plateau.
Baetican olive-oil trade under the Late Empire: new data on the production of Late Roman amphorae (Dressel 23) in the lower Genil valley
Authors: Bourgeon Oriane
Published: November 2017

From the Julio-Claudian era until around the third quarter of the 3rd c. A.D., the amphorae that H. Dressel referred to as the Dressel 20 type in his table of amphorae discovered at the Castra Praetoria and, to a lesser extent, at Monte Testaccio, was used to transport olive oil from Hispania Baetica to Rome and the NW provinces of the empire. The artificial mound of Testaccio, just over 40 m high and covering an area of 2.2 ha, is a huge dump composed mainly of Dr. 20 amphorae, standing near the Emporium on the left bank of the Tiber. As has been acknowledged, its abandonment, a direct consequence of the construction of the Aurelian Walls from 271 onwards, did not signal the end of olive-oil imports from Baetica. In a similar way, the end of Dr. 20 production, in c.260-270, does not point to the end of oil-amphora production in that province and, more precisely, in the Guadalquivir basin where this form originates.
Possible density dependent local variations in the IMF – CORRIGENDUM
Authors: Kavila Indulekha , George Babitha
Published: November 2017

In the article by Kavila & George (2016) published in Proceedings IAU Symposium No. 315 there was an error with the author's affiliations. The correct affiliation is:

School of Pure & Applied Physics, Mahatma Gandhi University, KERALA 686560 INDIA email: indulekha@mgu.ac.in, kindulekha@gmail.com
CME
Authors: Rosset Nina , Huber Lars C. , Eberli Franz
Published: November 2017

Zusammenfassung. Das akute Koronarsyndrom bleibt weltweit eine führende Ursache für Morbidität und Mortalität. Deshalb sind die rasche Diagnosestellung und die Wahl des Therapieansatzes von entscheidender Bedeutung. Das optimale Timing für Intervention und Revaskularisation hängt von der initialen Risikostratifikation ab. Patienten mit hämodynamischer Instabilität oder kardiogenem Schock, lebensbedrohlichen Arrhythmien, refraktärer Angina pectoris oder schwerer Herzinsuffizienz sollten unabhängig von EKG-Veränderungen oder kardialen Biomarkern einer sofortigen Koronarangiografie zugeführt werden. Patienten mit NSTEMI oder instabiler Angina pectoris mit entsprechend hohem Risikoprofil profitieren von einer frühinvasiven Abklärung innerhalb von 24 h. Ein frühinvasiver Therapieansatz bei Patienten mit NSTEMI ist sicher und mit einer geringeren Anzahl refraktärer Ischämien und einem kürzeren Spitalaufenthalt assoziiert. Weniger klar ist die Situation bei asymptomatischen und stabilen Patienten mit NSTEMI, bei denen eine Latenz bis maximal 72 h vertretbar ist.
Eine seltene Ursache einer Synkope
Authors: Keller Lukas S. , Keller Dagmar I.
Published: November 2017

Zusammenfassung. Wir berichten über eine unklare Synkope eines 21-jährigen Patienten. Als Ursache der Synkope fanden sich bilaterale zentrale Lungenembolien als thrombembolische Komplikation eines grossen, rechtsseitigen Vorhofmyxoms.