bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of the Exo-Xis Region in Oxidative Stress‐Mediated Induction of Shiga Toxin‐Converting Prophages
Authors: Licznerska Katarzyna , Dydecka Aleksandra , Bloch Sylwia , Topka Gracja , Nejman-Faleńczyk Bożena , Węgrzyn Alicja , Węgrzyn Grzegorz
Published: December 2015

Previous studies indicated that these genetic elements could be involved in the regulation of lysogenization and prophage induction processes. The effects were dramatic in Shiga toxin‐converting phage Φ24B after treatment with oxidative stress‐inducing agent, hydrogen peroxide, while they were less pronounced in bacteriophage λ and in both phages irradiated with UV. The hydrogen peroxide‐caused prophage induction was found to be RecA‐dependent. Importantly, in hydrogen peroxide‐treated E. coli cells lysogenic for either λ or Φ24B, deletion of the exo-xis region resulted in a significant decrease in the levels of expression of the S.O.S. regulon genes. Moreover, under these conditions, a dramatic decrease in the levels of expression of phage genes crucial for lytic development (particularly xis, exo, N, cro, O, Q, and R) could be observed in Φ24B‐, but not in λ‐bearing cells. We conclude that genes located in the exo-xis region are necessary for efficient expression of both host S.O.S regulon in lysogenic bacteria and regulatory genes of Shiga toxin‐converting bacteriophage Φ24B.
Effects of Serial Passage on the Characteristics and Cardiac and Neural Differentiation of Human Umbilical Cord Wharton’s Jelly‐Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Lian Jianchun , Lv Shijie , Liu Chang , Liu Yang , Wang Shujun , Guo Xin , Nan Feng , Yu Hua , He Xin , Sun Guangwei , Ma Xiaojun
Published: December 2015

Background and Objective. It is important to guarantee the quality of stem cells. Serial passage is the main approach to expand stem cells. This study evaluated effects of serial passage on the biological characteristics of human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly‐derived MSCs (WJ MSCs). Methods. Biological properties of WJ MSCs in the early (less than 10 passages, P10), middle (P11–20), and late (more than P20) phases including cell proliferation, cell cycle, phenotype, senescence, oncogene expression, stemness marker expression, and differentiation capacity were evaluated using flow cytometry, real‐time PCR, immunocytofluorescence, and western blot. Results. It was found that there were no significant differences in cell proliferation, cell cycle, phenotype, and stemness marker expression in different phases. However, the expression of senescence‐related gene, p21, and oncogene, c‐Myc, was significantly upregulated in the late phase, which had close relations with the obviously increased cell senescence. Moreover, cardiac differentiation capability of WJ MSCs decreased whereas the propensity for neural differentiation increased significantly in the middle phase. Conclusions. This study reveals that WJ MSCs in the early and middle phases are relatively stable, and effect of serial passage on the lineage‐specific differentiation should be considered carefully.
Effect of Associative Learning on Memory Spine Formation in Mouse Barrel Cortex
Authors: Jasinska Malgorzata , Siucinska Ewa , Jasek Ewa , Litwin Jan A. , Pyza Elzbieta , Kossut Malgorzata
Published: December 2015

Associative fear learning, in which stimulation of whiskers is paired with mild electric shock to the tail, modifies the barrel cortex, the functional representation of sensory receptors involved in the conditioning, by inducing formation of new inhibitory synapses on single-synapse spines of the cognate barrel hollows and thus producing double-synapse spines. In the barrel cortex of conditioned, pseudoconditioned, and untreated mice, we analyzed the number and morphological features of dendritic spines at various maturation and stability levels: sER-free spines, spines containing smooth endoplasmic reticulum (sER), and spines containing spine apparatus. Using stereological analysis of serial sections examined by transmission electron microscopy, we found that the density of double-synapse spines containing spine apparatus was significantly increased in the conditioned mice. Learning also induced enhancement of the postsynaptic density area of inhibitory synapses as well as increase in the number of polyribosomes in such spines. In single-synapse spines, the effects of conditioning were less pronounced and included increase in the number of polyribosomes in sER-free spines. The results suggest that fear learning differentially affects single- and double-synapse spines in the barrel cortex: it promotes maturation and stabilization of double-synapse spines, which might possibly contribute to permanent memory formation, and upregulates protein synthesis in single-synapse spines.
A Fuzzy Integral Ensemble Method in Visual P300 Brain-Computer Interface
Authors: Cavrini Francesco , Bianchi Luigi , Quitadamo Lucia Rita , Saggio Giovanni
Published: December 2015

We evaluate the possibility of application of combination of classifiers using fuzzy measures and integrals to Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) based on electroencephalography. In particular, we present an ensemble method that can be applied to a variety of systems and evaluate it in the context of a visual P300-based BCI. Offline analysis of data relative to 5 subjects lets us argue that the proposed classification strategy is suitable for BCI. Indeed, the achieved performance is significantly greater than the average of the base classifiers and, broadly speaking, similar to that of the best one. Thus the proposed methodology allows realizing systems that can be used by different subjects without the need for a preliminary configuration phase in which the best classifier for each user has to be identified. Moreover, the ensemble is often capable of detecting uncertain situations and turning them from misclassifications into abstentions, thereby improving the level of safety in BCI for environmental or device control.
Recurrent Mutations of Chromatin-Remodeling Genes and Kinase Receptors in Pheochromocytomas and Paragangliomas
Authors: Toledo Rodrigo A. , Qin Yuejuan , Cheng Zi-Ming , Gao Qing , Iwata Shintaro , Silva Gustavo M. , Prasad Manju L. , Ocal I. Tolgay , Rao Sarika , Aronin Neil , Barontini Marta , Bruder Jan , Reddick Robert L. , Chen Yidong , Aguiar Ricardo C.T. , Dahia Patricia L.M.
Published: December 2015

Purpose: Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGL) are genetically heterogeneous tumors of neural crest origin, but the molecular basis of most PPGLs is unknown.

Experimental Design: We performed exome or transcriptome sequencing of 43 samples from 41 patients. A validation set of 136 PPGLs was used for amplicon-specific resequencing. In addition, a subset of these tumors was subjected to microarray-based transcription, protein expression, and histone methylation analysis by Western blotting or immunohistochemistry. In vitro analysis of mutants was performed in cell lines.

Results: We detected mutations in chromatin-remodeling genes, including histone-methyltransferases, histone-demethylases, and histones in 11 samples from 8 patients (20%). In particular, we characterized a new cancer syndrome involving PPGLs and giant cell tumors of bone (GCT) caused by a postzygotic G34W mutation of the histone 3.3 gene, H3F3A. Furthermore, mutations in kinase genes were detected in samples from 15 patients (37%). Among those, a novel germline kinase domain mutation of MERTK detected in a patient with PPGL and medullary thyroid carcinoma was found to activate signaling downstream of this receptor. Recurrent germline and somatic mutations were also detected in MET, including a familial case and sporadic PPGLs. Importantly, in each of these three genes, mutations were also detected in the validation group. In addition, a somatic oncogenic hotspot FGFR1 mutation was found in a sporadic tumor.

Conclusions: This study implicates chromatin-remodeling and kinase variants as frequent genetic events in PPGLs, many of which have no other known germline driver mutation. MERTK, MET, and H3F3A emerge as novel PPGL susceptibility genes. Clin Cancer Res; 22(9); 2301–10. ©2015 AACR.
Targeting YAP-Dependent MDSC Infiltration Impairs Tumor Progression
Authors: Wang Guocan , Lu Xin , Dey Prasenjit , Deng Pingna , Wu Chia Chin , Jiang Shan , Fang Zhuangna , Zhao Kun , Konaparthi Ramakrishna , Hua Sujun , Zhang Jianhua , Li-Ning-Tapia Elsa M. , Kapoor Avnish , Wu Chang-Jiun , Patel Neelay Bhaskar , Guo Zhenglin , Ramamoorthy Vandhana , Tieu Trang N. , Heffernan Tim , Zhao Di , Shang Xiaoying , Khadka Sunada , Hou Pingping , Hu Baoli , Jin Eun-Jung , Yao Wantong , Pan Xiaolu , Ding Zhihu , Shi Yanxia , Li Liren , Chang Qing , Troncoso Patricia , Logothetis Christopher J. , McArthur Mark J. , Chin Lynda , Wang Y. Alan , DePinho Ronald A.
Published: December 2015

The signaling mechanisms between prostate cancer cells and infiltrating immune cells may illuminate novel therapeutic approaches. Here, utilizing a prostate adenocarcinoma model driven by loss of Pten and Smad4, we identify polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) as the major infiltrating immune cell type, and depletion of MDSCs blocks progression. Employing a novel dual reporter prostate cancer model, epithelial and stromal transcriptomic profiling identified CXCL5 as a cancer-secreted chemokine to attract CXCR2-expressing MDSCs, and, correspondingly, pharmacologic inhibition of CXCR2 impeded tumor progression. Integrated analyses identified hyperactivated Hippo–YAP signaling in driving CXCL5 upregulation in cancer cells through the YAP–TEAD complex and promoting MDSC recruitment. Clinicopathologic studies reveal upregulation and activation of YAP1 in a subset of human prostate tumors, and the YAP1 signature is enriched in primary prostate tumor samples with stronger expression of MDSC-relevant genes. Together, YAP-driven MDSC recruitment via heterotypic CXCL5–CXCR2 signaling reveals an effective therapeutic strategy for advanced prostate cancer.

Significance: We demonstrate a critical role of MDSCs in prostate tumor progression and discover a cancer cell nonautonomous function of the Hippo–YAP pathway in regulation of CXCL5, a ligand for CXCR2-expressing MDSCs. Pharmacologic elimination of MDSCs or blocking the heterotypic CXCL5–CXCR2 signaling circuit elicits robust antitumor responses and prolongs survival. Cancer Discov; 6(1); 80–95. ©2015 AACR.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1
Sympathoexcitation in Rats With Chronic Heart Failure Depends on Homeobox D10 and MicroRNA-7b Inhibiting GABBR1 Translation in Paraventricular Nucleus
Authors: Wang Renjun , Huang Qian , Zhou Rui , Dong Zengxiang , Qi Yunfeng , Li Hua , Wei Xiaowei , Wu Hui , Wang Huiping , Wilcox Christopher S. , Hultström Michael , Zhou Xiaofu , Lai En Yin
Published: December 2015

Background—

Chronic heart failure (CHF) increases sympathoexcitation through angiotensin II (ANG II) receptors (AT
1
R) in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Recent publications indicate both γ-aminobutyric acid B-type receptor 1 (GABBR1) and microRNA-7b (miR-7b) are expressed in the PVN. We hypothesized that ANG II regulates sympathoexcitation through homeobox D10 (HoxD10), which regulates miR-7b in other tissues.

Methods and Results—

Ligation of the left anterior descendent coronary artery in rats caused CHF and sympathoexcitation. PVN expression of AT
1
R, HoxD10, and miR-7b was increased, whereas GABBR1 was lower in CHF. Infusion of miR-7b in the PVN caused sympathoexcitation in control animals and enhanced the changes in CHF. Antisense miR-7b infused in PVN normalized GABBR1 expression while attenuating CHF symptoms, including sympathoexcitation. A luciferase reporter assay detected miR-7b binding to the 3′ untranslated region of GABBR1 that was absent after targeted mutagenesis. ANG II induced HoxD10 and miR-7b in NG108 cells, effects blocked by AT
1
R blocker losartan and by HoxD10 silencing. miR-7b transfection into NG108 cells decreased GABBR1 expression, which was inhibited by miR-7b antisense. In vivo PVN knockdown of AT
1
R attenuated the symptoms of CHF, whereas HoxD10 overexpression exaggerated them. Finally, in vivo PVN ANG II infusion caused dose-dependent sympathoexcitation that was abrogated by miR-7b antisense and exaggerated by GABBR1 silencing.

Conclusions—

There is an ANG II/AT
1
R/HoxD10/miR-7b/GABBR1 pathway in the PVN that contributes to sympathoexcitation and deterioration of cardiac function in CHF.
Mortality Associated With Heart Failure After Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Gerber Yariv , Weston Susan A. , Enriquez-Sarano Maurice , Berardi Cecilia , Chamberlain Alanna M. , Manemann Sheila M. , Jiang Ruoxiang , Dunlay Shannon M. , Roger Véronique L.
Published: December 2015

Background—

Contemporary data are lacking on the prognostic importance of heart failure (HF) after myocardial infarction (MI). We evaluated the prognostic impact of HF post MI according to preserved/reduced ejection fraction and the timing of its occurrence.

Methods and Results—

All Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents (n=2596) with incident MI diagnosed in 1990 to 2010 and no prior HF were followed through March 2013. Cox models were used to examine (1) the hazard ratios for death associated with HF type and timing and (2) secular trends in survival by HF status. During a mean follow-up of 7.6 years, there were 1116 deaths, 634 in the 902 patients who developed HF (70%) and 482 in the 1694 patients who did not develop HF (28%). After adjustment for age and sex, HF as a time-dependent variable was strongly associated with mortality (hazard ratio =3.31, 95% confidence interval: 2.93–3.75), particularly from cardiovascular causes (hazard ratio =4.20, 95% confidence interval: 3.50–5.03). Further adjustment for MI severity and comorbidity, acute treatment, and recurrent MI moderately attenuated these associations (hazard ratio =2.49 and 2.94 for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, respectively). Mortality did not differ by ejection fraction, but was higher for delayed- versus early-onset HF (
P
for heterogeneity =0.002). The age- and sex-adjusted 5-year survival estimates in 2001 to 2010 versus 1990 to 2000 were 82% and 81% among HF-free and 61% and 54% among HF patients, respectively (
P
for heterogeneity of trends =0.05).

Conclusions—

HF markedly increases the risk of death after MI. This excess risk is similar regardless of ejection fraction but greater for delayed- versus early-onset HF. Mortality after MI declined over time, primarily as a result of improved HF survival.
Critical Role for Telomerase in the Mechanism of Flow-Mediated Dilation in the Human Microcirculation
Authors: Beyer Andreas M. , Freed Julie K. , Durand Matthew J. , Riedel Michael , Ait-Aissa Karima , Green Paula , Hockenberry Joseph C. , Morgan R. Garret , Donato Anthony J. , Peleg Refael , Gasparri Mario , Rokkas Chris K. , Santos Janine H. , Priel Esther , Gutterman David D.
Published: December 2015

Rationale:

Telomerase is a nuclear regulator of telomere elongation with recent reports suggesting a role in regulation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Flow-mediated dilation in patients with cardiovascular disease is dependent on the formation of reactive oxygen species.

Objective:

We examined the hypothesis that telomerase activity modulates microvascular flow-mediated dilation, and loss of telomerase activity contributes to the change of mediator from nitric oxide to mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods and Results:

Human coronary and adipose arterioles were isolated for videomicroscopy. Flow-mediated dilation was measured in vessels pretreated with the telomerase inhibitor BIBR-1532 or vehicle. Statistical differences between groups were determined using a 2-way analysis of variance repeated measure (n≥4;
P
<0.05). L-NAME (
N
ω
-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester; nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) abolished flow-mediated dilation in arterioles from subjects without CAD, whereas polyethylene glycol-catalase (PEG-catalase; hydrogen peroxide scavenger) had no effect. After exposure to BIBR-1532, arterioles from non-CAD subjects maintained the magnitude of dilation but changed the mediator from nitric oxide to mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide (% max diameter at 100 cm H
2
O: vehicle 74.6±4.1, L-NAME 37.0±2.0*, PEG-catalase 82.1±2.8; BIBR-1532 69.9±4.0, L-NAME 84.7±2.2, PEG-catalase 36.5±6.9*). Conversely, treatment of microvessels from CAD patients with the telomerase activator AGS 499 converted the PEG-catalase-inhibitable dilation to one mediated by nitric oxide (% max diameter at 100 cm H
2
O: adipose, AGS 499 78.5±3.9; L-NAME 10.9±17.5*; PEG-catalase 79.2±4.9). Endothelial-independent dilation was not altered with either treatment.

Conclusions:

We have identified a novel role for telomerase in re-establishing a physiological mechanism of vasodilation in arterioles from subjects with CAD. These findings suggest a new target for reducing the oxidative milieu in the microvasculature of patients with CAD.
Cost‐Effectiveness of a Statewide Campaign to Promote Aspirin Use for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Michaud Tzeyu L. , Abraham Jean , Jalal Hawre , Luepker Russell V. , Duval Sue , Hirsch Alan T.
Published: December 2015

Background

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in 2009 recommended increased aspirin use for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (
CVD
) in men ages 45 to 79 years and women ages 55 to 79 years for whom benefit outweighs risk. This study estimated the clinical efficacy and cost‐effectiveness of a statewide public and health professional awareness campaign to increase regular aspirin use among the target population in Minnesota to reduce first
CVD
events.

Methods and Results

A state‐transition Markov model was developed, adopting a payer perspective and lifetime time horizon. The main outcomes of interest were quality‐adjusted life years, costs, and the number of
CVD
events averted among those without a prior
CVD
history. The model was based on real‐world data about campaign effectiveness from representative state‐specific aspirin use and event rates, and estimates from the scholarly literature. Implementation of a campaign was predicted to avert 9874 primary myocardial infarctions in men and 1223 primary ischemic strokes in women in the target population. Increased aspirin use was associated with as many as 7222 more major gastrointestinal bleeding episodes. The cost‐effectiveness analysis indicated cost‐saving results for both the male and female target populations.

Conclusions

Using current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations, a state public and health professional awareness campaign would likely provide clinical benefit and be economically attractive. With clinician adjudication of individual benefit and risk, mechanisms can be made available that would facilitate achievement of aspirin's beneficial impact on lowering risk of primary
CVD
events, with minimization of adverse outcomes.
Sarcospan Regulates Cardiac Isoproterenol Response and Prevents Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy–Associated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Parvatiyar Michelle S. , Marshall Jamie L. , Nguyen Reginald T. , Jordan Maria C. , Richardson Vanitra A. , Roos Kenneth P. , Crosbie‐Watson Rachelle H.
Published: December 2015

Background

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a fatal cardiac and skeletal muscle disease resulting from mutations in the dystrophin gene. We have previously demonstrated that a dystrophin‐associated protein, sarcospan (
SSPN
), ameliorated Duchenne muscular dystrophy skeletal muscle degeneration by activating compensatory pathways that regulate muscle cell adhesion (laminin‐binding) to the extracellular matrix. Conversely, loss of
SSPN
destabilized skeletal muscle adhesion, hampered muscle regeneration, and reduced force properties. Given the importance of
SSPN
to skeletal muscle, we investigated the consequences of
SSPN
ablation in cardiac muscle and determined whether overexpression of
SSPN
into
mdx
mice ameliorates cardiac disease symptoms associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy cardiomyopathy.

Methods and Results

SSPN
‐null mice exhibited cardiac enlargement, exacerbated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and increased fibrosis in response to β‐adrenergic challenge (isoproterenol; 0.8 mg/day per 2 weeks). Biochemical analysis of
SSPN
‐null cardiac muscle revealed reduced sarcolemma localization of many proteins with a known role in cardiomyopathy pathogenesis: dystrophin, the sarcoglycans (α‐, δ‐, and γ‐subunits), and β1D integrin. Transgenic overexpression of
SSPN
in Duchenne muscular dystrophy mice (
mdx

TG

) improved cardiomyofiber cell adhesion, sarcolemma integrity, cardiac functional parameters, as well as increased expression of compensatory transmembrane proteins that mediate attachment to the extracellular matrix.

Conclusions

SSPN
regulates sarcolemmal expression of laminin‐binding complexes that are critical to cardiac muscle function and protects against transient and chronic injury, including inherited cardiomyopathy.
Bakhtin, Dewey, and the Diminishing Domain of Shared Experience
Authors: Kirk Gregory
Published: December 2015

This paper uses John Dewey’s accounts of education, expression, and art to argue that the relegation of artistic expression to the private sphere in fact, paradoxically, undermines the opportunities for human beings to cultivate their own individual autonomy. Insofar as cultural objects are matters of artistic expression, they have the special quality of potentially drawing the attention of the public to their created and contingent character, provided that they are created in a self-consciously shared political environment. I use Bakhtin’s account of the “Carnivalesque” to provide an example of a social and political environment that encourages such social participation, and therefore encourages greater human agency, and use this example to point to criticisms of contemporary culture.
Appraising Justice as Larger Loyalty
Authors: Rondel David
Published: December 2015

I examine Richard Rorty’s “justice as larger loyalty” proposal. He urges that we think of justice as a more capacious loyalty, rather than something altogether distinct from loyalty. While Rorty is right to reject the Kantian idea of a strict bifurcation between justice and loyalty, the former corresponding to reason the latter corresponding to sentiment, my argument is that it is nevertheless a mistake to follow Rorty in conceiving of justice as he recommends we should. This is not an endorsement of the rationalistic Kantian view Rorty rejects. Contrary to what Rorty sometimes implies, it is possible to be skeptical about the “justice as larger loyalty” thesis without thereby committing oneself to Kant’s view. There are compelling Rortyan reasons for rejecting the “justice as larger loyalty” proposal, which are not merely compatible with Rorty’s broader moral and political thinking, but paradoxically very much in its spirit.
What we own Before Property: Hugo Grotius and the Suum
Authors: Mancilla Alejandra
Published: December 2015

At the basis of modern natural law theories, the concept of the suum, i.e. what belongs to the person (in Latin, his, her, its, their own), has received little scholarly attention despite its importance both in explaining and justifying not only the genealogy of property, but also that of morality and war. In this essay I focus on Grotius’s account of the suum and examine what it is, what things it includes, what rights it gives rise to, and how it is extended in the transition from the state of nature to civil society. I then briefly suggest that reviving this concept could help to illuminate the current discussion on the foundations of basic human rights, and to re-evaluate cases where these seem to clash with property rights.
Discussions of affect in the tension between Christianity, Neo-Stoicism and Aristotelianism
Authors: Kemper Angelika
Published: December 2015

In line with the general popularity of Neo-Stoicism around 1600, several Jesuit plays address Neo-Stoic ideas in an affirmative or dissenting way. Neo-Stoicism offers an ideal of asceticism and virtuous conduct, but also holds a restrictive attitude towards the affects, which contradicts the positive view on the affects flourishing among Jesuit theorists as developed by Aristotle. Three plays are discussed in this contribution in order to study the interrelationship between Neo-Stoic, Aristotelian and Christian notions. The plays are based on mythological, biblical, and legendary sources and reveal different models of a virtuous conduct of life, ranging between religious obedience, private ethics, and political activity: Francesco Benci: Hercules in bivio (1580); Anonymous: Saul (1600); Jakob Bidermann: Cenodoxus (1602).
Literature in Time Versus Time in Literature
Authors: Aleksić Jana M.
Published: December 2015

This essay highlights a number of societal, teleological, aesthetic and metaphysical dimensions of literary creation, which resist classification or the demands of the times. On the basis of observations of the spiritual and ideological postulates of the contemporary era, the author tries to decode the place and the essence of literature in its anthropological unchangeable state, both in a diachronic and synchronic aspect.
The Meaning of Writing in the New Century
Authors: Živak Biljana Milovanović
Published: December 2015

This paper deals with issues of books survival and literature in the new century, considering the theme in correlation with the essential elements that define it: how the development of new technologies, especially the Internet and social networks, affects bookstores, libraries and publishing houses, but also the language and an alphabet (a creation of new, pictorial letters in modern communication), themes of countries in transition contemporary literature (war) that affect the sense of writing and literature survival in general. By associations of the past imposed on the present, “Big Brother” and “A Clockwork Orange”, and a trip to the Amazon region tribes , which in the 21st century do not have their alphabet, it is trying to provide a vision of the modern world, in which writing and books in their physical form survive as human needs, where the sense of writing leads to equalization with the meaning of life.
Does the Sense of Writing Make Sense?
Authors: Gvozden Vladimir
Published: December 2015

The question of the sense of writing often hides an attempt to speak about its senselessness. However, the question of sense is secondary compared to the issue of literature’s lost legitimacy. The article tries to deconstruct this double-coded process: somebody might complain that there is no ‘sense’ because he or she does not produce ‘sense’ by writing with the goal of erasing the ideological field. Literature cannot easily keep alive the illusion that it transcends power. But only cynicism or institutional inertia allow us to argue that there is no literature that exists beyond the boring list of self-defeating words (crisis, fragmentation, anomie, relativisation, loss of freedom, etc.). Instead of speaking about its sense and senselessness, we should be more interested in the way how writing collides with the context that still enables it.
Contemporary Transcultural Auto/Biography and Creative Nonfiction Writing on the Neonomadic Frontier
Authors: Dagnino Arianna
Published: December 2015

The present article suggests that a desirable model of creative writing in the era of digital communications and new media, growing transnational flows, neonomadic life patterns (both online and offline), and global mobility is transcultural auto/biography. By this term I identify a form of creative nonfiction particularly suited to recording and exploring the renegotiation of individual cultural identities and the re-shaping of ever more complex subjectivities and collective imaginaries in their efforts to adjust to a new age of digital communication flows, transnational processes, and cross-cultural encounters.
The Enforcement of Immigration Control in Colonial Korea and the Rise of Nationalism in the Chinese Media
Authors: Kang (姜抮亞) Jin-A
Published: December 2015

This paper investigates how conflicts and tension built up between Chinese migrant workers and Korean residents in colonial Korea (1910-1945). This led up to the enforcement of immigration controls by the Japanese authorities and also to a change of the image of Koreans in the Chinese media. The Japanese government adopted a policy to ban Chinese laborers from mainland Japan. This policy implied also, that, by contrast, the Government General of Korea should accommodate Chinese laborers to some extent, as long as the Chinese government accepted Korean people to inhabit and cultivate Manchuria. However, the competition between Chinese and Korean laborers became stronger and the Korean resentment against Chinese wealth in Korea also deepened the emotional gap between the Koreans and the Chinese as time passed. Along with these factors, the Korean nationalistic judgment, that the Chinese authorities oppressed Korean tenant farmers in Manchuria led to the first widespread anti-Chinese riots in Korea in 1927. Furthermore, the Wanbaoshan Incident in 1931 ignited Koreans’ anti-Chinese sentiment, which resulted in bloody ethnic riots and the killing of over 100 Chinese immigrants in Korea. Subsequently Chinese perceptions changed dramatically from Koreans as oppressed victims of Japanese imperialism to their collaborators. The subsequent Mukden Incident cemented this image decisively. However, the anti-Chinese riot not only was ignited by the nationalistic sentiment agitated over Chinese oppression in Manchuria, but also stemmed from long-lasting ethnic discord in colonial Korea. (This article is in English.)
Trading with the “Enemy”? Hong Kong Bourgeoisie and Chinese Nationalism during the Two Wars, 1919–1941
Authors: Huei-Ying (郭慧英) Kuo
Published: December 2015

This paper examines the interplay between trade and nationalism in the development of Chinese bourgeois nationalism in British Hong Kong in the interwar years (1919–1941). It points out the contingent responses among the Chinese bourgeoisie to the calls of Chinese nationalism. The bourgeoisie were lukewarm to the mobilization of the Chinese anti-British strikes and boycotts in the 1920s. They however organized fundraising movements and charities to support the Chinese defence against the Japanese inroads in the 1930s. The implication of the findings is twofold: first, the operation of Chinese antiforeigner movements in Hong Kong was not “taught nationalism” dictated by nationalists in mainland China. Second, while Chinese bourgeoisie identified the Japanese expansion as a reason for the British decline, they did not attempt to interrupt the Japanese trade. The latter was crucial for the Chinese manufacturers in Hong Kong to sustain their business. The agency of Chinese in Hong Kong in the decades of high Chinese nationalism points to the importance of examining Chinese bourgeois nationalism in Hong Kong against the backdrop of the colony’s place in the inter-imperialist rivalry between the demise of the British free-trade imperialism and the rise of the Japanese East Asian New Order. (This article is in Chinese.)
Transfer of Tremacron hongheense to Oreocharis (Gesneriaceae)
Authors: Moeller Michael
Published: December 2015

The genus Oreocharis Bentham (1876: 1021) was redefined on the basis of molecular phylogenetic studies (Möller et al. 2011a, b) to include species of ten additional, mostly small-sized and monotypic genera of Chinese Gesneriaceae: Ancylostemon Craib (1920[“1919”]: 233), Bournea Oliv. in Hooker (1893: t. 2254), Briggsia s. str. Craib (1920[“1919”]: 236), Dayaoshania Wang (1983: 319), Deinocheilos Wang (1986: 1), Isometrum Craib (1920[“1919”]: 250), Opithandra Burtt (1956: 162), Paraisometrum Wang in Weitzman et al. (1998[“1997”]: 431), Thamnocharis Wang (1981: 485), and Tremacron Craib (1918: 217). It is now florally one of the most diverse genera in Old World Gesneriaceae besides the enlarged Petrocodon s. l. Hance (1883: 167) (Weber et al. 2011).
ALTINORDU, F. & FERRER-GALLEGO, P.P. (2015) Typification of the Linnaean name Centaurea crocodylium (Asteraceae). Phytotaxa 236 (3): 299–300.
Authors: ALTINORDU FAHIM , FERRER-GALLEGO PEDRO PABLO
Published: December 2015

Centaurea crocodylium Linnaeus (1753: 919) is found in Mediterranean woodlands and shrublands, in Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Israel and Lebanon (see Greuter 2006 onwards), and is currently sometimes accepted under the illegitimate name Crocodylium syriacum Cass. in Cuvier (1819: 19, as Crocodilium syriacum) (see Garcia-Jacas et al. 2001; Font et al. 2002; Wang et al. 2013), the correct name for which is Crocodilium crocodylium (Linnaeus 1753: 919) Hill (1769: 63). This species is an annual plant with the simple, entire basal leaves and the upper leaves pinnatisect with 2–3 pairs of lateral segments and larger terminal segment with dentate margine, long-pedunculate capitula and bracts with hyaline appendages and ending in simple spines.
Four new species of Bauhinia sect. Pauletia and a new description of Bauhinia burchellii Bentham (Leguminosae) from Brazil
Authors: Vaz Angela Maria Studart da Fonseca , LEWIS GWILYM P.
Published: December 2015

Four new species of Bauhinia sect. Pauletia ser. Cansenia from Brazil are described: Bauhinia funchiana, Bauhinia malmeana, Bauhinia piresii and Bauhinia uberlandiana. All four are trees or treelets lacking tendrils and prickles. Flowers are arranged in pairs in pseudoracemes, each flower has a tubular hypanthium over 1.5 cm long and a calyx that is lobed at anthesis.  In addition, the buds and flowers of B. burchellii are described for the first time.
Hermeneutyka i teoria intertekstualności jako metodologia badań modernizmu w poezji serbskiej drugiej połowy XX w. na przykładzie cyklu „Deset soneta nerođenoj kćeri" Ivana V. Lalicia
Authors: Maszkiewicz Magdalena
Published: December 2015

Hermeneutics and the theory of intertextuality as a method of researching modernism in Serbian poetry of the second half of the 20th century on the example of poetic cycle Deset soneta nerođenoj kćeri by Ivan V. Lalić

The aim of this paper is to show that hermeneutics and the theory of intertextuality provide useful tools for the research in post-war Serbian modernism in poetry. The argumentation takes two steps. Firstly, the use of these methods is being legitimized in the context of general characteristics of the literature under consideration. Secondly, the functioning of such tools is presented in the example of a particular text, which in this case is Deset sonata nerođenoj kćeri ['Ten Sonnets for The Unborn Daughter'], a poetic cycle by Ivan V. Lalić. The kind of poetry researched in this paper is strongly influenced by the ideas of T. S. Eliot who said that an original literary work is the result of the author’s awareness of his place in tradition. For this reason such poetry contains numerous cultural and literary references which are an inevitable context of its interpretation. A hermeneutic and intertextual approach helps to expose such references and make them part of the process of understanding the poetry in question.

 

Hermeneutyka i teoria intertekstualności jako metodologia badań modernizmu w poezji serbskiej drugiej połowy XX w. na przykładzie cyklu Deset soneta nerođenoj kćeri Ivana V. Lalicia

Zadaniem pracy jest wykazanie, że hermeneutyka i teoria intertekstualności dostarczają narzędzi do badania poezji powojennego modernizmu serbskiego. Argumentacja opiera się na uzasadnieniu użycia tych metod najpierw w świetle ogólnej charakterystyki omawianej twórczości, a następnie na podstawie ich funkcjonowania w interpretacji konkretnego tekstu będącego jej typowym przykładem (cykl Ivana V. Lalicia Deset soneta nerođenoj kćeri). Poezja będąca przedmiotem zainteresowania tej pracy pozostaje pod silnym wpływem poglądów Thomasa S. Eliota, według którego oryginalna twórczość powinna wynikać ze zrozumienia przez autora swojego miejsca w tradycji. To powód występowania w omawianych utworach licznych nawiązań kulturowych i literackich, które stanowią kontekst niezbędny do interpretacji tej twórczości. Podejście hermeneutyczne i metody teorii intertekstualności pozwalają te elementy wydobyć i uwzględnić w rozumieniu sensu tekstu.
60th Anniversary Essay
Authors: Barley Stephen R.
Published: December 2015

This essay responds to, largely concurs with, and extends the concerns Jerry Davis expressed in his June 2015 editorial essay in ASQ about the state of research in organizational theory. In particular, it discusses the reasons novelty has become such a valued commodity in organizational theory and its unintended consequences. Fault lies with the way students are trained, the reward system that most universities implicitly or explicitly use to promote faculty, and the role that editors and reviewers play in wittingly or unwittingly rewarding the quest for novelty in the peer-review process. One way to revitalize organization theory while also addressing such problems would be for the researchers to begin to focus on the myriad ways that organizations shape our society and for organizational theorists to begin to collaborate with engineers and researchers in schools of public policy who are more aware of and interested in addressing problems that organizations, especially profit-making firms, create as they seek to shape their own environments.
Best strategies for reducing the suicide rate in Australia
Authors: Krysinska Karolina , Batterham Philip J , Tye Michelle , Shand Fiona , Calear Alison L , Cockayne Nicole , Christensen Helen
Published: December 2015

Objectives:

There is accumulating evidence about effectiveness of a number of suicide prevention interventions, and a multilevel systems approach seems promising in reducing suicide risk. This approach requires that components ranging from individual-level to public health interventions are implemented simultaneously in a localised region. This paper presents estimated reductive effects on suicide attempts and deaths that might be expected in Australia if active components of the systems approach were to be implemented.

Method:

The study estimated population preventable fractions which indicate the extent to which suicide attempts and deaths might be decreased if the each of the proposed interventions was fully implemented. The population preventable fractions were based on the best available evidence available in the literature for the risk ratio for each intervention. Prevalence estimates were assessed for each component of the proposed systems approach: reducing access to suicide means, media guidelines, public health campaigns, gatekeeper programmes, school programmes, general practitioner training, psychotherapy and co-ordinated/assertive aftercare.

Results:

There was insufficient evidence available for the impact of a number of strategies, including frontline staff gatekeeper training, on either suicide attempts or deaths. Taking prevalence of exposure to the intervention into consideration, the strategies likely to bring about the strongest reduction in suicide attempts were psychosocial treatments and co-ordinated/assertive aftercare. The greatest impact on reductions in suicide deaths was found for psychosocial treatment, general practitioner training, gatekeeper training and reducing access to means of suicide.

Conclusion:

The evidence regarding the overall efficacy of the systems approach is important in identifying what strategies should be prioritised to achieve the biggest impact. The findings of the population preventable fraction calculations indicate that the systems approach could lead to significant reduction in suicide attempts and suicide deaths in Australia. Potential synergistic effects between strategies included in the approach could further increase the impact of implemented strategies.
The trajectory of cognitive functioning following first episode mania: A 12-month follow-up study
Authors: Daglas Rothanthi , Allott Kelly , Yücel Murat , Pantelis Christos , Macneil Craig A. , Berk Michael , Cotton Sue M.
Published: December 2015

Objectives:

Cognitive deficits are apparent in the early stages of bipolar disorder; however, the timing and trajectory of cognitive functioning following a first episode of mania remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the trajectory of cognitive functioning in people following a first episode of mania over a 12-month period, relative to healthy controls.

Method:

The cohort included 61 participants who had recently stabilised from a first treated manic episode, and 21 demographically similar healthy controls. These groups were compared on changes observed over time using an extensive cognitive battery, over a 12-month follow-up period.

Results:

A significant group by time interaction was observed in one measure of processing speed (Trail Making Test – part A,) and immediate verbal memory (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test – trial 1), with an improved performance in people following a first episode of mania relative to healthy controls. On the contrary, there was a significant group by time interaction observed on another processing speed task pertaining to focussed reaction time (Go/No-Go, missed go responses), with first episode of mania participants performing significantly slower in comparison with healthy controls. Furthermore, a significant group by time interaction was observed in inhibitory effortful control (Stroop effect), in which healthy controls showed an improvement over time relative to first episode of mania participants. There were no other significant interactions of group by time related to other measures of cognition over the 12-month period.

Conclusion:

Our findings revealed cognitive change in processing speed, immediate memory and one measure of executive functioning over a 12-month period in first episode of mania participants relative to healthy controls. There was no evidence of change over time for all other cognitive domains. Further studies focussed on the at-risk period, subgroup analysis, and the effects of medication on the cognitive trajectory following first episode of mania are needed.
Impact of Maintenance Therapy for the Prevention of Peri-implant Diseases
Authors: Monje A. , Aranda L. , Diaz K.T. , Alarcón M.A. , Bagramian R.A. , Wang H.L. , Catena A.
Published: December 2015

At the present time, peri-implantitis has become a global burden that occurs with a frequency from 1% to 47% at implant level. Therefore, we aimed herein at assessing the impact of peri-implant maintenance therapy (PIMT) on the prevention of peri-implant diseases. Electronic and manual literature searches were conducted by 3 independent reviewers using several databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register, for articles up to June 2015 without language restriction. Articles were included if they were clinical trials aimed at demonstrating the incidence of peri-implant diseases under a strict regime or not of PIMT. Implant survival and failure rate were studied as secondary outcomes. A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the influence of PIMT and other reported variables upon peri-implant diseases. Thirteen and 10 clinical trials were included in the qualitative and quantitative analysis, respectively. Mucositis was affected by history of periodontitis and mean PIMT at implant and patient levels, respectively. Similarly, significant effects of history of periodontal disease were obtained for peri-implantitis for both implant and patient levels. Furthermore, mean PIMT interval was demonstrated to influence the incidence of peri-implantitis at implant but not patient level. PIMT interval showed significance at both levels. For implant survival, implants under PIMT have 0.958 the incident event than those with no PIMT. Within the limitations of the present systematic review, it can be concluded that implant therapy must not be limited to the placement and restoration of dental implants but to the implementation of PIMT to potentially prevent biologic complications and hence to heighten the long-term success rate. Although it must be tailored to a patient’s risk profiling, our findings suggest reason to claim a minimum recall PIMT interval of 5 to 6 mo. Additionally, it must be stressed that even in the establishment of PIMT, biologic complications might occur. Thus, patient-, clinical-, and implant-related factors must be thoroughly explored.
Characterisation of the weapon used in a patricide by SEM/EDS analysis of a microscopic trace from the object
Authors: Muccino Enrico , Giovanetti Giulio Federico , Crudele Graziano Domenico Luigi , Gentile Guendalina , Marchesi Matteo , Rancati Alessandra , Zoja Riccardo
Published: December 2015

This article presents a case of patricide. The murder was characterised by multiple blunt traumas and asphyxia. A mass of contused wounds was localised to the head and neck, and included the complete avulsion of the left eye (by an unknown tool), which was recovered near the cadaver. This case is of interest due to the possibility of identifying microscopic traces of the object that was used for the homicide by examining the skin margins around the ocular injury. The analysis was conducted using scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDX). Analysis of the skin margins allowed microscopic inorganic traces to be detected, which were identified as ceramic material. This result focused the attention of the investigation on a small fish-shaped statue that had been previously found by the police when examining the crime scene. The use of SEM/EDX was therefore essential in determining a match between the microscopic traces detected on the perilesional skin and the composition of the statue. This led to the suspicion that the statue was the murder weapon.
Observer-based robust stabilization for a class of uncertain polynomial systems
Authors: Zhou Yanru , Zeng Jianping
Published: December 2015

This paper focuses on the observer-based robust stabilization problem for a class of polynomial systems with norm-bounded time-varying uncertainties. The structural features of such systems guarantee the fulfilment of the separation principle between the reduced-order observer and the state feedback. The existence conditions of the observer-based robust stabilization controller are obtained by using Lyapunov stability theory. Furthermore, based on the polynomial sum of squares (SOS) theory, the above conditions are transformed into the corresponding SOS convex optimization constraints, for the avoidance of computing difficulties that exist widely in the control of non-linear systems. Finally, two numerical examples are given to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Finite-time dissipativity analysis and design for stochastic Markovian jump systems with generally uncertain transition rates and time-varying delay
Authors: Gao Xianwen , Lian Lian , Qi Wenhai
Published: December 2015

The paper is concerned with finite-time dissipativity analysis and design for stochastic Markovian jump systems with generally uncertain transition rates and time-varying delay. By constructing a more appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional, sufficient conditions for finite-time dissipativity of the underlying system are first proposed. Then, a state feedback controller is designed such that the closed-loop Markovian jump system is finite-time dissipative. These sufficient criteria are derived in the form of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Finally, numerical examples are given to demonstrate the validity of the main results.