bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Humour 2.0: Styles and Types of Humour and Virality of Memes on Facebook
Authors: Taecharungroj Viriya , Nueangjamnong Pitchanut
Published: December 2015

This research analyzes the communication process of humorous memes in the most vibrant online phenomenon, Facebook. Through quantitative and qualitative content analysis of 1,000 memes shared on a Facebook page, this research tests the effect of various styles and types of humour on the virality of memes. Self-defeating is the most effective style of humour although it is not the most frequently used. By applying the typology used in the context of broadcast and print media, this study shows that although sarcasm and silliness are the two most prevalent types of humour used in Internet memes, no obvious differences can be observed in the effects of seven types of humour—comparison, personification, exaggeration, pun, sarcasm, silliness and surprise—on virality. Nevertheless, the authors develop the framework for humorous memes in social media communications by combining established communication models with the concepts and theories of humour and virality. The findings of this research may benefit practitioners who are involved in humour communications on social media. The framework and insights on the styles and types of humour in social media memes may also be helpful for researchers aiming to further explore the relevant topics.
The Contribution of the Minimum Wage to US Wage Inequality over Three Decades: A Reassessment
Authors: Autor David H. , Manning Alan , Smith Christopher L.
Published: December 2015

We reassess the effect of minimum wages on US earnings inequality using additional decades of data and an IV strategy that addresses potential biases in prior work. We find that the minimum wage reduces inequality in the lower tail of the wage distribution, though by substantially less than previous estimates, suggesting that rising lower tail inequality after 1980 primarily reflects underlying wage structure changes rather than an unmasking of latent inequality. These wage effects extend to percentiles where the minimum is nominally nonbinding, implying spillovers. We are unable to reject that these spillovers are due to reporting artifacts, however. (JEL J22, J31, J38, K31)
Understanding the Changing Structure of Scientific Inquiry
Authors: Agrawal Ajay , Goldfarb Avi , Teodoridis Florenta
Published: December 2015

The fall of the Iron Curtain led to an influx of new mathematical ideas into western science. We show that research teams grew disproportionately in size in subfields of mathematics in which the Soviets were strongest. This is consistent with the knowledge burden hypothesis that an outward shift in the knowledge frontier increases the returns to collaboration. We also report additional evidence consistent with this interpretation: (i) The effect is present in countries outside the United States and is not correlated with the local population of Soviet scholars, (ii) Researchers in Soviet-rich subfields disproportionately increased their level of specialization. (JEL I23, O31, O33, P36)
Birthdays, Schooling, and Crime: Regression-Discontinuity Analysis of School Performance, Delinquency, Dropout, and Crime Initiation
Authors: Cook Philip J. , Kang Songman
Published: December 2015

Dropouts have high crime rates, but is there a direct causal link? This study, utilizing administrative data for six cohorts of public school children in North Carolina, demonstrates that those born just after the cut date for enrolling in public kindergarten are more likely to drop out of high school before graduation and to commit a felony offense by age 19. We present suggestive evidence that dropout mediates criminal involvement. Paradoxically, these late-entry students outperform their grade peers academically while still in school, which helps account for the fact that they are less likely to become juvenile delinquents. (JEL H75, I21, J13, J24, K42)
Star Wars: The Empirics Strike Back
Authors: Brodeur Abel , Lé Mathias , Sangnier Marc , Zylberberg Yanos
Published: December 2015

Using 50,000 tests published in the AER, JPE, and QJE, we identify a residual in the distribution of tests that cannot be explained solely by journals favoring rejection of the null hypothesis. We observe a two-humped camel shape with missing p-values between 0.25 and 0.10 that can be retrieved just after the 0.05 threshold and represent 10–20 percent of marginally rejected tests. Our interpretation is that researchers inflate the value of just-rejected tests by choosing “significant” specifications. We propose a method to measure this residual and describe how it varies by article and author characteristics. (JEL A11, C13)
Too Much Information? Information Provision and Search Costs
Authors: Branco Fernando , Sun Monic , Villas-Boas J. Miguel
Published: December 2015

A seller often needs to determine the amount of product information to provide to consumers. We model costly consumer information search in the presence of limited information. We derive the consumer’s optimal stopping rule for the search process. We find that, in general, there is an intermediate amount of information that maximizes the likelihood of purchase. If too much information is provided, some of it is not as useful for the purchase decision, the average informativeness per search occasion is too low, and consumers end up choosing not to purchase the product. If too little information is provided, consumers may end up not having sufficient information to decide to purchase the product. The optimal amount of information increases with the consumer’s ex ante valuation of the product, because with greater ex ante valuation by the consumer, the firm wants to offer sufficient information for the consumer to be less likely to run out of information to check. One can also show that there is an intermediate amount of information that maximizes the consumer’s expected utility from the search problem (social welfare under some assumptions). Furthermore, this amount may be smaller than that which maximizes the probability of purchase; that is, the market outcome may lead to information overload with respect to the social welfare optimum. This paper can be seen as providing conditions under which too much information may hurt consumer decision making. Numerical analysis shows also that if consumers can choose to some extent which attributes to search through (but not perfectly), or if the firm can structure the information searched by consumers, the amount of information that maximizes the probability of purchase increases, but is close to the amount of information that maximizes the probability of purchase when the consumer cannot costlessly choose which attributes to search through.
Where Strategic and Evolutionary Stability Depart—A Study of Minimal Diversity Games
Authors: Balkenborg Dieter , Vermeulen Dries
Published: December 2015

A minimal diversity game is an n player strategic form game in which each player has m pure strategies at his disposal. The payoff to each player is always 1, unless all players select the same pure strategy, in which case, all players receive zero payoff. Such a game has a unique isolated completely mixed Nash equilibrium in which each player plays each strategy with equal probability, and a connected component of Nash equilibria consisting of those strategy profiles in which each player receives payoff 1. The Pareto superior component is shown to be asymptotically stable under a wide class of evolutionary dynamics, while the isolated equilibrium is not. In contrast, the isolated equilibrium is strategically stable, while the strategic stability of the Pareto-efficient component depends on the dimension of the component, and hence on the number of players, and the number of pure strategies.
OM Forum—Supply Chain Contracting: Doughnuts to Bubbles
Authors: Lariviere Martin A.
Published: December 2015

This paper discusses the origins of the supply chain contracting literature as well as its current state. It argues that its origins go back further than many scholars realize. It also makes the case that the field expanded rapidly, creating a bubble that has largely burst. However, there have been lasting implications that affect both how we teach supply chain management and the kind of research that is done under the heading of operations management.
Mixed-Integer Programming for Railway Capacity Analysis and Cyclic, Combined Train Timetabling and Platforming
Authors: Petering Matthew E. H. , Heydar Mojtaba , Bergmann Dietrich R.
Published: December 2015

We present the literature’s first mixed-integer linear programming model of a cyclic, combined train timetabling and platforming problem. The model’s objectives are to minimize (1) the cycle length and (2) the total journey time of all trains dispatched during one cycle. The model falls outside the framework of the well-known periodic event scheduling problem and explicitly considers the minimization of cycle length using linear constraints and a linear objective function. We define the model, propose methods for obtaining bounds on the optimal objective value, and describe preprocessing techniques for reducing the number of variables and constraints. Numerous life-size problem instances are solved to optimality using IBM ILOG CPLEX. Results show the model’s effectiveness in pursuing objectives 1 and 2, the benefits of deciding the cyclic train order versus assuming a given order, and the model’s ability to calculate railway capacity without bias.
Young Americans: Do junior doctors have it better in the US?
Authors: Rudge Eleanor
Published: December 2015

A research fellowship at Harvard Medical School gave one British junior doctor the chance to compare the US healthcare system with the NHS. What she found was two nations divided by a common goal: the best form of healthcare provision.
from Westminster: Command and control
Authors: Leahy Patrick
Published: December 2015

As the NHS struggles on, Whitehall tightens its grip.
Two September Weeks That Saved Damascus in 1918
Authors: Sami Moubayed
Published: December 2015

The final two weeks of September 1918 were crucial for the modern history of Damascus. They marked exodus of the Ottoman Turks and entry of the Allied Forces, yet they have received mediocre attention from World War I historians. Most literature on the Great War in the Middle East covers British strategies in the Arab Revolt and Hashemite ambitions, revolving around the characters of T. E. Lawrence and Sharif Faisal. Most cover the years 1916–18, or the British-backed Arab government that was established on October 1, 1918, the day Lawrence entered Damascus. Never has scholarly attention been given as to what happened inside the city itself during these two weeks that preceded October 1, or to the community leaders who teamed up to protect Damascus from uncontrollable chaos that threatened to tear the city apart. This article looks at the two weeks inside the city, namely through one protagonist, being the self-appointed governor of Damascus, Emir Said El Djazairi.
The productivity of the poor: The Wire and the expropriation of the common
Authors: Dale Daniel
Published: December 2015

David Simon’s The Wire (2002–2008) focuses on Baltimore, Maryland, an American city hollowed out by the globalized economy. Simon, drawing from Harvard sociologist William Julius Wilson, portrays a city where the economy has left behind blue collar workers who are trained for jobs that no longer exist. These workers, in Simon’s view, do not have a place in a post-industrial economy. This view is challenged when confronted with Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri’s conception of immaterial production. Under this economic model, the urban poor are responsible for creating an immaterial social product that is then expropriated by David Simon for The Wire.
Review
Authors: Corkin Stanley
Published: December 2015

The Wire: Race, Class and Genre, Liam Kennedy and Stephen Shapiro (eds) (2012) Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 312 pp., ISBN: 9780472071784, h/bk, $75.00 US; ISBN: 9780472051786, p/bk, $30.95 US

The Wire: Urban Decay and American Television, Tiffany Potter and C. W. Marshall (eds) (2009) New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 264 pp., ISBN: 9780826438041, p/bk, $34.95 US

On The Wire, Linda Williams (2014) Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 280 pp., ISBN: 9780822357179, p/bk, $23.95 US
The Museum of Everyday Life: Objects and Affects of Glorious Obscurity
Authors: Levine Gabriel
Published: December 2015

Since 2011, the Museum of Everyday Life in Glover, Vermont, has existed as a ‘utopian homemade museum’ housed in a century-old barn. Guided by its curator, the museum draws from collectors, artists and friends to present exhibitions dedicated to ordinary mass-produced objects, often transformed in vernacular fashion. This article contextualizes and analyses the museum’s affective staging of everyday materiality. Drawing on affect theory and object-oriented thought, it examines three aspects of the museum’s practice: the everyday objects it presents and transforms, its playful strategies of display, and the wider networks that link it to pressing political and aesthetic concerns.
Book Reviews
Authors: Cooley Alison , Aggarwal-Schifellite Manisha
Published: December 2015

RADICAL MUSEOLOGY: OR, WHAT’S ‘CONTEMPORARY’ IN MUSEUMS OF CONTEMPORARY ART?, CLAIRE BISHOP AND DAN PERJOVSCHI Köln: Walther König (2014), 80 pp., Paperback, ISBN: 978-3-86335-364-3, US $19.95

MUSEUMS AND MIGRATION: HISTORY, MEMORY AND POLITICS, LAURENCE GOURIÉVIDIS (ED.) New York: Routledge (2014), 278 pp., Paperback, ISBN: 978-0-415-83876-4, $51.95
Annealing effect on I—V characteristic of n-ZnO—p-InSe heterojunction
Authors: Kovalyuk Z. D. , Katerynchuk V. M. , Kudrynskyi Z. R. , Kushnir B. V. , Netyaga V. V. , Khomyak V. V.
Published: December 2015

The article is devoted to studying of influence of vacuum low-temperature annealing on the electrical and photoelectric characteristics of n-ZnO — p-InSe heterostructure.
Indium monoselenide (InSe) is a semiconductor of the A3B6 group of layered compounds. The basic unit consists of two planes of metal atoms sandwiched between two planes of chalcogen atoms (Se—In—In—Se). The absence of dangling bonds on InSe cleaved surface makes it possible to use this semiconductor as a substrate for fabrication of heterostructures based on semiconductor materials with different symmetries and lattice spacings. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is the most suitable material for window materials and solar cells buffer layers application due to its marvelous transparency in the range of visible region.
InSe single crystals were grown by the Bridgman technique from a nonstoichiometric melt and characterized by a pronounced layered structure along the whole length of a sample. ZnO thin oxide film was formed on freshly cleaved van der Waals surface of InSe layered crystal. n-ZnO — p-InSe heterostructure was prepared by the method of high-frequency magnetron sputtering. Sensitivity spectral areas were identified by MDR-3 monochromator with a resolution of 2.6 nm/mm.
The current-voltage characteristics of the n-ZnO — p-InSe heterostructures showed a clearly pronounced diode character. In the forward bias of the initial samples, the diode factor had the value 3.7 at room temperature. It is shown that vacuum low-temperature annealing reduces shunt currents of the heterojunction, which is reflected in the decrease in the values of n from 3.7 to 2.7.
Communicative action seeking golden years!
Authors: Moreira Thereza Maria Magalhães
Published: December 2015

Over the year of 2015 much has been said and celebrated about the 15 years of Rene. Profesor Lorita Pagliuca, the journal’s founder and my first counselor in research, in the editorial number one, brilliantly rescued, based on the doctor Saramago’s work, that “utopia is the spice of life” and warned that social responsibility preserves the affection and inclusive do over the magazine’s evolution(1).
Perceptions of caregivers about surgical children’s thirst
Authors: Campana Mariana Campos , Fonseca Ligia Fahl , Lopes Dolores Ferreira de Melo , Martins Pamela Rafaela
Published: December 2015

Objective: to understand how caregivers experience surgical children’s fasting and how they realize their thirst in the perioperative period. Method: descriptive study of qualitative nature, carried out with 15 caregivers of children between 1 and 12 years old after surgery in a teaching hospital. For analysis, the Collective Subject Discourse method was used. Results: four thematic units emerged: surgical children in the presence of fasting and thirst; realizing thirst in surgical children; experiencing and facing the period of fasting and thirst with children; realizing the action of the health team in the presence of children’s thirst. For families, the experience of fasting is permeated with feelings like helplessness and distress. The presence of thirst, detected by self-report and physical signs, exacerbates their suffering. Conclusion: thirst management alleviates the suffering of children and families. It is therefore necessary to develop strategies for children’s thirst management.
Hansen’s disease: social representations of affected people
Authors: Monte Raquel Santos , Pereira Maria Lúcia Duarte
Published: December 2015

Objective: to identify the social representations of leprosy among its carriers. Methods: qualitative study based on the Theory of Social Representations, conducted with 40 subjects with leprosy, divided into two groups (male and female). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and free observation, submitted to thematic content analysis. Two categories were formulated. Results: it was found different aspects between men and women. Women highlighted issues related to the domestic sphere, care with family and body image; men signaled changes in routine and adaptation to the new condition. Conclusion: the health and especially the nursing model, must seek to understand the daily life of being a leprosy carrier, learning to deal with the differences in each individual, using educational activities that advance toward comprehensive care to the human being.
Evidence of health care offered to women in situations of violence
Authors: Cortes Laura Ferreira , Arboit Jaqueline , Padoin Stela Maris de Mello , De Paula Cristiane Cardoso
Published: December 2015

Objective: to analyze the scientific evidence of enhancing and limiting factors of the care rendered to women in situation of violence. Methods: integrative review developed in Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences database and Public Medline database. The corpus of the research included thirty studies. Results: the factors that enhance attention are related to services organization, conceptions and actions of professionals guided by strategies of communication and identification of violence. The limitating factores are conceptions of professionals grounded in traditional roles of genders, lack of training, protocols for the care and registration of cases, attitudes based on personal style and assistance focused in physical symptoms. Conclusion: the evidence points to the realization of screening and creation of protocols of assistance permeated by listening and guidelines directed to women ensuring the continuity of care network. There is a pressing need for investment in vocational training to provide of visibility to the theme in the health context.
Heterogeneity of glucagonomas due to differential processing of proglucagon-derived peptides
Authors: Challis Benjamin G , Albrechtsen Nicolai J Wewer , Bansiya Vishakha , Burling Keith , Barker Peter , Hartmann Bolette , Gribble Fiona , O'Rahilly Stephen , Holst Jens J , Simpson Helen L
Published: December 2015

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (pNETs) secreting proglucagon are associated with phenotypic heterogeneity. Here, we describe two patients with pNETs and varied clinical phenotypes due to differential processing and secretion of proglucagon-derived peptides (PGDPs). Case 1, a 57-year-old woman presented with necrolytic migratory erythema, anorexia, constipation and hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia. She was found to have a grade 1 pNET, small bowel mucosal thickening and hyperglucagonaemia. Somatostatin analogue (SSA) therapy improved appetite, abolished hypoglycaemia and improved the rash. Case 2, a 48-year-old male presented with diabetes mellitus, diarrhoea, weight loss, nausea, vomiting and perineal rash due to a grade 1 metastatic pNET and hyperglucagonaemia. In both cases, plasma levels of all measured PGDPs were elevated and attenuated following SSA therapy. In case 1, there was increased production of intact glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and GLP-2, similar to that of the enteroendocrine L cell. In case 2, pancreatic glucagon was elevated due to a pancreatic α-cell-like proglucagon processing profile. In summary, we describe two patients with pNETs and heterogeneous clinical phenotypes due to differential processing and secretion of PGDPs. This is the first description of a patient with symptomatic hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia and marked gastrointestinal dysfunction due to, in part, a proglucagon-expressing pNET.

Learning points

PGDPs exhibit a diverse range of biological activities including critical roles in glucose and amino acid metabolism, energy homeostasis and gastrointestinal physiology.

The clinical manifestations of proglucagon-expressing tumours may exhibit marked phenotypic variation due to the biochemical heterogeneity of their secreted peptide repertoire.

Specific and precise biochemical assessment of individuals with proglucagon-expressing tumours may provide opportunities for improved diagnosis and clinical management.
Minimally Invasive Valve Surgery and Single Vessel Coronary Artery Bypass via Limited Anterior Right Thoracotomy
Authors: Shariff Masood A , Klingbeil Laura , Martingano Daniel , Carlucci Robert F , Michael Rami , Davila Jonathan , Sadel Scott M , Nabagiez John P , McGinn Jr. Joseph T
Published: December 2015

Background: Coronary artery bypass grafting with aortic valve replacement (AVR) or mitral valve replacement (MVR) is traditionally performed via sternotomy. Minimally invasive coronary surgery (MICS) and minimally invasive valve surgery have been successfully performed independently. Patients with critical right coronary artery (RCA) stenosis not amenable to percutaneous intervention are candidates for valve replacement and single vessel coronary artery bypass. We present our series of six patients who underwent a concomitant valve and single vessel intervention via right thoracotomy.
Methods: Between January 2011 and June 2013, six patients underwent right thoracotomy with valve replacement and single vessel bypass. Four aortic and two mitral valves were replaced and all received single vessel RCA bypass using reversed saphenous vein graft. Thoracotomy was via right anterior approach for AVR and right lateral for MVR. The patients were assessed postoperatively for overall outcomes.
Results: The average age was 74 years (range 69-81); two patients were elective (AVR-1; MVR-1) and four were urgent (AVR-3; MVR-1). For MICS AVR and MICS MVR, the average cardiopulmonary bypass time was 171 ± 30 and 169 ± 7 minutes and the average aortic cross-clamp time was 122 ± 36 and 112 ± 2 minutes, respectively. Three patients were discharged home, one patient to a nursing home, and two to rehab. No patients required conversion to sternotomy; one patient developed atrial fibrillation, and one sepsis.
Conclusion: Concomitant valve replacement and single bypass grafting via right anterior mini-thoracotomy is a viable option for select patients, particularly in non-stentable RCA stenosis. In the appropriate patient population, combined coronary artery bypass grafting and valve surgery can be safely performed via right thoracotomy.
Effects of DNA Methylation and Chromatin State on Rates of Molecular Evolution in Insects
Authors: Glastad Karl M , Goodisman Michael A D , Yi Soojin V , Hunt Brendan G
Published: December 2015

Epigenetic information is widely appreciated for its role in gene regulation in eukaryotic organisms. However, epigenetic information can also influence genome evolution. Here, we investigate the effects of epigenetic information on gene sequence evolution in two disparate insects: the fly Drosophila melanogaster, which lacks substantial DNA methylation, and the ant Camponotus floridanus, which possesses a functional DNA methylation system. We found that DNA methylation was positively correlated with the synonymous substitution rate in C. floridanus, suggesting a key effect of DNA methylation on patterns of gene evolution. However, our data suggest the link between DNA methylation and elevated rates of synonymous substitution was explained, in large part, by the targeting of DNA methylation to genes with signatures of transcriptionally active chromatin, rather than the mutational effect of DNA methylation itself. This phenomenon may be explained by an elevated mutation rate for genes residing in transcriptionally active chromatin, or by increased structural constraints on genes in inactive chromatin. This result highlights the importance of chromatin structure as the primary epigenetic driver of genome evolution in insects. Overall, our study demonstrates how different epigenetic systems contribute to variation in the rates of coding sequence evolution.
FASTmC: A Suite of Predictive Models for Nonreference-Based Estimations of DNA Methylation
Authors: Bewick Adam J , Hofmeister Brigitte T , Lee Kevin , Zhang Xiaoyu , Hall David W , Schmitz Robert J
Published: December 2015

We describe a suite of predictive models, coined FASTmC, for nonreference, cost-effective exploration and comparative analysis of context-specific DNA methylation levels. Accurate estimations of true DNA methylation levels can be obtained from as few as several thousand short-reads generated from whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. These models make high-resolution time course or developmental and large diversity studies practical regardless of species, genome size, and availability of a reference genome.
Back to Acid Soil Fields: The Citrate Transporter SbMATE Is a Major Asset for Sustainable Grain Yield for Sorghum Cultivated on Acid Soils
Authors: Carvalho Geraldo , Schaffert Robert Eugene , Malosetti Marcos , Viana Joao Herbert Moreira , Menezes Cicero Bezerra , Silva Lidianne Assis , Guimaraes Claudia Teixeira , Coelho Antonio Marcos , Kochian Leon V , van Eeuwijk Fred A , Magalhaes Jurandir Vieira
Published: December 2015

Aluminum (Al) toxicity damages plant roots and limits crop production on acid soils, which comprise up to 50% of the world’s arable lands. A major Al tolerance locus on chromosome 3, AltSB, controls aluminum tolerance in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] via SbMATE, an Al-activated plasma membrane transporter that mediates Al exclusion from sensitive regions in the root apex. As is the case with other known Al tolerance genes, SbMATE was cloned based on studies conducted under controlled environmental conditions, in nutrient solution. Therefore, its impact on grain yield on acid soils remains undetermined. To determine the real world impact of SbMATE, multi-trait quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping in hydroponics, and, in the field, revealed a large-effect QTL colocalized with the Al tolerance locus AltSB, where SbMATE lies, conferring a 0.6 ton ha–1 grain yield increase on acid soils. A second QTL for Al tolerance in hydroponics, where the positive allele was also donated by the Al tolerant parent, SC283, was found on chromosome 9, indicating the presence of distinct Al tolerance genes in the sorghum genome, or genes acting in the SbMATE pathway leading to Al-activated citrate release. There was no yield penalty for AltSB, consistent with the highly localized Al regulated SbMATE expression in the root tip, and Al-dependent transport activity. A female effect of 0.5 ton ha–1 independently demonstrated the effectiveness of AltSB in hybrids. Al tolerance conferred by AltSB is thus an indispensable asset for sorghum production and food security on acid soils, many of which are located in developing countries.
Genome-Wide Analysis of the TORC1 and Osmotic Stress Signaling Network inSaccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Worley Jeremy , Sullivan Arron , Luo Xiangxia , Kaplan Matthew E , Capaldi Andrew P
Published: December 2015

The Target of Rapamycin kinase Complex I (TORC1) is a master regulator of cell growth and metabolism in eukaryotes. Studies in yeast and human cells have shown that nitrogen/amino acid starvation signals act through Npr2/Npr3 and the small GTPases Gtr1/Gtr2 (Rags in humans) to inhibit TORC1. However, it is unclear how other stress and starvation stimuli inhibit TORC1, and/or act in parallel with the TORC1 pathway, to control cell growth. To help answer these questions, we developed a novel automated pipeline and used it to measure the expression of a TORC1-dependent ribosome biogenesis gene (NSR1) during osmotic stress in 4700 Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains from the yeast knock-out collection. This led to the identification of 440 strains with significant and reproducible defects in NSR1 repression. The cell growth control and stress response proteins deleted in these strains form a highly connected network, including 56 proteins involved in vesicle trafficking and vacuolar function; 53 proteins that act downstream of TORC1 according to a rapamycin assay—including components of the HDAC Rpd3L, Elongator, and the INO80, CAF-1 and SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes; over 100 proteins involved in signaling and metabolism; and 17 proteins that directly interact with TORC1. These data provide an important resource for labs studying cell growth control and stress signaling, and demonstrate the utility of our new, and easily adaptable, method for mapping gene regulatory networks.
Legionella prevalence and risk of legionellosis in Hungarian hospitals
Authors: Barna Zsófia , Kádár Mihály , Kálmán Emese , Róka Eszter , Szax Anita Sch. , Vargha Márta
Published: December 2015

Nosocomial legionellosis is a growing concern worldwide. In Hungary, about 20% of the reported cases are health-care associated, but in the absence of legal regulation, environmental monitoring of Legionella is not routinely performed in hospitals. In the present study, 23 hospitals were investigated. The hot water distribution system was colonized by Legionella in over 90%; counts generally exceeded the public health limit value. Hot water temperature was critically low in all systems (<45 °C), and large differences (3–38 °C temperature drop) were observed within buildings, indicating insufficient circulation. Most facilities were older than 30 years (77%); however, new systems (n = 3) were also shown to be rapidly colonized at low hot water temperature. Vulnerable source of drinking water, complex distribution system, and large volume hot water storage increased the risk of Legionella prevalence (OR = 28.0, 27.3, 27.7, respectively). Risk management interventions (including thermal or chemical disinfection) were only efficient if the system operation was optimized. Though the risk factors were similar, in those hospitals where nosocomial legionellosis was reported, Legionella counts and the proportion of L. pneumophila sg 1 isolates were significantly higher. The results of environmental prevalence of legionellae in hospitals suggest that the incidence of nosocomial legionellosis is likely to be underreported. The observed colonization rates call for the introduction of a mandatory environmental monitoring scheme.
Estimation of AM fungal colonization — Comparability and reliability of classical methods
Authors: Füzy Anna , Biró Ibolya , Kovács Ramóna , Takács Tünde
Published: December 2015

The characterization of mycorrhizal status in hosts can be a good indicator of symbiotic associations in inoculation experiments or in ecological research. The most common microscopic-based observation methods, such as (i) the gridline intersect method, (ii) the magnified intersections method and (iii) the five-class system of Trouvelot were tested to find the most simple, easily executable, effective and objective ones and their appropriate parameters for characterization of mycorrhizal status. In a pot experiment, white clover (Trifolium repens L.) host plant was inoculated with 6 (BEG144; syn. Rhizophagus intradices) in pumice substrate to monitor the AMF colonization properties during host growth. Eleven (seven classical and four new) colonization parameters were estimated by three researchers in twelve sampling times during plant growth. Variations among methods, observers, parallels, or individual plants were determined and analysed to select the most appropriate parameters and sampling times for monitoring. The comparability of the parameters of the three methods was also tested. As a result of the experiment classical parameters were selected for hyphal colonization: colonization frequency in the first stage or colonization density in the later period, and arbuscular richness of roots. A new parameter was recommended to determine vesicule and spore content of colonized roots at later stages of symbiosis.
Comparative animal study of the antinociceptive efficacy of lamotrigine and gabapentin for the management of pain
Authors: Szabo AZ , Bocsan IC , Suciu S , Buzoianu AD
Published: December 2015

Pain relief using drugs with high efficacy provides significant improvement in the patients’ lives. Drugs like lamotrigine (LTG) and gabapentin (GBP) have the ability to overcome the symptoms of neuropathic pain. Aim: The present study offers a comparative analysis of LTG and GBP efficacy in a rat model of nociceptive pain after single administration. Method: Sixty-three Wistar-Bratislava rats randomized into 7 groups were included: a control group treated with saline solution and 6 groups treated with different doses of LTG and GBP. Nociceptive responses to thermal and mechanical stimulations were evaluated before and after drug administration, at different time intervals, using paw pressure and hot plate tests. The obtained data were statistically analyzed, with significance at p value < 0.05. Results: LTG 100 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg presented a significant analgesic effect in both mechanical and thermal tests, 1 and 2 hours after administration. GBP 100 mg/kg increased latency time in hot plate test. The effect of both anticonvulsant drugs occurred rapidly after administration, but had a short duration. Conclusions: LTG and GBP had an analgesic effect in a single dose administration. The effect of LTG was more evident since it was observed in both tests. Their effect was dose dependent.
DSM-5 criteria for gambling disorder: Underlying structure and applicability to specific groups of gamblers
Authors: Sleczka Pawel , Braun Barbara , Piontek Daniela , Bühringer Gerhard , Kraus Ludwig
Published: December 2015

Background and Aims

DSM-5 provides nine diagnostic criteria for gambling disorder. All criteria have a pre-assumed equal diagnostic impact and are applied to all individuals and groups in an equal manner. The aims of the study are to analyse the structure underlying the diagnosis and to assess whether DSM-5 is equally applicable to different groups of gamblers.

Methods

Data from the 2009 German Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse and from a study on slot machine gamblers were used. Item Response Theory analysis was applied to estimate discrimination and severity parameters of the criteria. With the use of Differential Item Functioning analysis, potential criterion biases were analysed. We analysed data from 107 participants from the general population sample and 376 participants from the slot machine gamblers’ sample who answered a 19-item diagnostic questionnaire based on the DSM criteria for gambling disorder.

Results

A single underlying factor, the severity of gambling disorder, was identified in both samples. In the general population sample the criteria of preoccupation and chasing were least severe and showed low discriminatory power. Bailout, withdrawal and jeopardized matters criteria had highest severity and discriminatory power. The comparison of the two samples revealed two criterion biases in the preoccupation and tolerance criteria.

Conclusions

The structure underlying the criteria is unidimensional but the disorder is manifested differently depending on disorder severity. The assumed equal impact of each criterion lacks support in the findings. The DSM-5 criteria measure a partially different construct in slot machine gamblers than in gamblers in the general population.
Self-concept clarity and compulsive Internet use: The role of preference for virtual interactions and employment status in British and North-American samples
Authors: Quinones Cristina , Kakabadse Nada Korak
Published: December 2015

Background and Aims

Compulsive Internet Use (CIU) describes a maladaptive relationship with the Internet characterised by loss of control and conflict. Although also affecting adults, most studies use teenage samples, and theoretical development on risk factors is scarce. According to Davis (2001), the social connectivity function of the Internet is key in identifying traits associated with CIU. Since Self-Concept Clarity (SCC) is strongly related to social anxiety, and virtual interactions allow “self-edition”, we hypothesized that individuals low in SCC could choose virtual interactions as safer alternative to satisfy their social needs. This could in turn increase the risk of CIU. Building on a previous study, we also expected CIU to be more harmful in the unemployed.

Methods

We collected samples from the UK (N = 532) and US (N = 502) with equal distribution of employed and unemployed individuals. We ran Measurement Invariance tests to confirm that the constructs were equivalent across countries. Subsequently, we conducted mediation and moderation analysis to test our hypothesis with Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis.

Results

Measurement Invariance was confirmed. The relationship between SCC and CIU was partially mediated by preference of virtual interactions in both countries. This preference was significantly related to lower social support. Short term unemployment seemed to accentuate the negative impact of CIU on life satisfaction in both countries, although only marginally significantly in the US. The unemployed reported significantly lower levels of life satisfaction.

Conclusion

We demonstrated that SCC is a key vulnerability factor to CIU in adults, and confirmed the additional risks for the unemployed.
Think twice: Impulsivity and decision making in obsessive–compulsive disorder
Authors: Grassi Giacomo , Pallanti Stefano , Righi Lorenzo , Figee Martijn , Mantione Mariska , Denys Damiaan , Piccagliani Daniele , Rossi Alessandro , Stratta Paolo
Published: December 2015

Background and Aims

Recent studies have challenged the anxiety-avoidance model of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), linking OCD to impulsivity, risky-decision-making and reward-system dysfunction, which can also be found in addiction and might support the conceptualization of OCD as a behavioral addiction. Here, we conducted an exploratory investigation of the behavioral addiction model of OCD by assessing whether OCD patients are more impulsive, have impaired decision-making, and biased probabilistic reasoning, three core dimensions of addiction, in a sample of OCD patients and healthy controls.

Methods

We assessed these dimensions on 38 OCD patients and 39 healthy controls with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and the Beads Task.

Results

OCD patients had significantly higher BIS-11 scores than controls, in particular on the cognitive subscales. They performed significantly worse than controls on the IGT preferring immediate reward despite negative future consequences, and did not learn from losses. Finally, OCD patients demonstrated biased probabilistic reasoning as reflected by significantly fewer draws to decision than controls on the Beads Task.

Conclusions

OCD patients are more impulsive than controls and demonstrate risky decision-making and biased probabilistic reasoning. These results might suggest that other conceptualizations of OCD, such as the behavioral addiction model, may be more suitable than the anxiety-avoidance one. However, further studies directly comparing OCD and behavioral addiction patients are needed in order to scrutinize this model.
Finite element modelling of central leader and vase shape cherry trees
Authors: Láng Z. , Csorba L.
Published: December 2015

Central leader and vase form tree models were built using Finite Element Modelling (FEM). Their main characteristics were chosen to be the same. To get comparable results to real values, acceleration versus time curves of the two types of real trees were processed using FFT method to determine their natural frequencies. The natural frequencies measured on real trees and calculated for the models have shown good similarity. The models were virtually exposed to the effect of horizontal forced vibration in the frequency range of 0–20 Hz. Acceleration-frequency curves were calculated and drawn to find the best frequency values for the highest accelerations and also to see their differences in the limb. For the same purpose, the direction of shaking was also changed. It was found that for the central leader limb shape multidirectional shaking would bring uniform detachment, while for the vase form trees, even the unidirectional shakers are appropriate. Real trees were also shaken and their acceleration-frequency curves were compared with the values of the FEMs. The resultant good similarity proves the ability of the models. The acceleration values achieved in the vase form models were much higher than for the central leader type. The acceleration-frequency curve of the shaker unit can be used to find the best frequency for shaking.
Crinipellis cupreostipes (Marasmiaceae, Agaricales, Basidiomycota): a new distributional record from India
Authors: Dutta Arun Kumar , Pradhan Prakash , Roy Anirban , Acharya Krishnendu
Published: December 2015

The present study reports Crinipellis cupreostipes (first described from Thailand) as a new record for Indian mycobiota. A phylogenetic analysis based on nrDNA ITS shows that C. cupreostipes can be readily distinguished from other morphologically similar species such as Crinipellis nigricaulis var. macrospora. A detailed taxonomic description with illustrations and an artificial key to Crinipellis species previously reported from India and its neighboring countries are provided.
Amphibia, Anura, Leiuperidae, Physalaemus cicada: distribution extension in the state of Ceará, Brazil
Authors: Loebmann Daniel , Mai Ana Cecília Giacometti
Published: December 2015

None
Reptilia, Elapidae, Bungarus niger: distribution extension and first record for the state of Uttarakhand, India, with notes on snakebites in the Gori River valley
Authors: Theophilus Emmanuel , Captain Ashok , Tillack Frank , Kuch Ulrich
Published: December 2015

None
Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae, Urotheca fulviceps: distribution extension
Authors: Rojas-Runjaic Fernando J. M. , Natera-Mumaw Marco , Infante-Rivero Edwin E.
Published: December 2015

None
Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae, Bokermannohyla izecksohni: Distribution extension
Authors: Toledo Luís Felipe , Brasileiro Cinthia A. , Araújo Olívia G. S. , Haddad Célio F. B.
Published: December 2015

None
Aves, Charadriidae, Charadrius modestus: geographic distribution and a recent record to state of São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Cestari César
Published: December 2015

None
Tolerance of Bermudagrass and Stargrass to Aminocyclopyrachlor
Authors: Abe Daniel G. , Sellers Brent A. , Ferrell Jason A. , Leon Ramon G. , Odero D. Calvin
Published: December 2015

The tolerance of bermudagrass and stargrass to the relatively new herbicide, aminocyclopyrachlor (ACP), must be known before it can be recommended for weed control in these forage systems. Field experiments were conducted in 2012 and 2013 in south-central Florida to determine the tolerance of established bermudagrass and stargrass to various rates and combinations of ACP, chlorsulfuron, 2,4-D, triclopyr, and metsulfuron. Overall, bermudagrass and stargrass injury was transient and was minimal by 60 d after treatment (DAT). Similarly, biomass production was negatively affected at 30 DAT when treated with ACP at rates of 70 g ae ha−1 or greater, but was similar to the nontreated control by 60 DAT. Tank-mixing ACP with chlorsulfuron, 2,4-D amine, triclopyr, or metsulfuron did not increase injury compared with ACP alone applied at equivalent rates. Forage nutritive values were unaffected by herbicides. These data suggest that long-term effects of ACP on bermudagrass and stargrass are negligible, and this herbicide could be an important component of weed management programs in these forage systems.
Preparation and properties of modified magnesium oxysulfate cement derived from waste sulfuric acid
Authors: Chengyou Wu , Huifang Zhang , Hongfa Yu
Published: December 2015

High-strength modified magnesium oxysulfate cement is prepared using light-burned magnesia and industrial waste sulfuric acid resulting from titanium dioxide production. Amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP) is used as a modifier. Coal fly ash is added as a filler to the magnesium oxysulfate cement in order to further reduce its production cost. The compressive strength, setting time, phase compositions, micro-morphology and volume stability of the modified magnesium oxysulfate cement are comprehensively analysed. The results indicate that the compressive strength of the modified magnesium oxysulfate cement reaches 82·1 MPa when the molar ratio of the active magnesium oxide/sulfuric acid (MgO/H2SO4) (M) is 6, the water/cement ratio (R) is 0·6 and the ATMP and coal fly ash dosages are 0·2% and 50%, respectively. Low ATMP doses markedly affect the microstructure, hydration and shrinkage of the magnesium oxysulfate cement. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses prove that the needle-like magnesium hydroxide sulfate hydrate – 5Mg(OH)2·MgSO4·7H2O crystal (5·1·7 phase) – is the predominant strength phase in this cement system.
Settlement of footings at the crest of reinforced slopes subjected to toe unloading
Authors: Huang C. C.
Published: December 2015

To investigate the effectiveness and limitations of using a reinforced earth slab to mitigate excessive footing settlements induced by an unloading at the slope toe, two-dimensional model slope tests were performed. Model slopes sustaining a constant footing load at the slope crest were brought to failure by progressively unloading at the slope toe. A rigid wall was jointed to a screw jack to apply constant displacement rate translational movement of the rigid wall to simulate typical conditions of slope toe excavation. Test results revealed that the toe unloading-induced settlement of a footing can be significantly reduced by using two layers of geosynthetic reinforcement under the footing, provided that the height of toe unloading (H) is less than the threshold value (Hc). For a cohesionless slope subjected to a footing load at the crest, the threshold unloading height can be significantly increased (by 64%) by incorporating two layers of geosynthetic reinforcement under the footing. Test results also revealed that both the stability of a footing and the locus of points of maximum tensile reinforcement force are strongly influenced by the location of the active slip plane developed behind the zone of toe unloading.
Book Review: Motschenbacher, Heiko. 2013. New Perspectives on English as a European Lingua Franca. North America: John Benjamins Publishing Company. ISBN 97890 272 7099.
Authors: Zhang Danyang , Lin Xiao
Published: December 2015

This book studies European ELF for particular and aims to record the hybridity of European ELF within a community of practice where “Europeanness” is expressed during the use of English. Linguistic materials on Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) press conference 2010 are studied, from which four linguistic levels are examined for illustrating the internal hybridity of European ELF. This is shaped by "Europeanness", or speakers' willingness to be part of Europe, by weakening their associations with national countries.