bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Archaeal Chromosome Biology
Authors: Samson Rachel Y. , Bell Stephen D.
Published: February 2015

Knowledge of the chromosome biology of archaeal species has grown considerably in the last 15 years, since the publication of the first full archaeal genome sequences. A number of model organisms have been studied, revealing a striking variety of mechanisms and modes of genome duplication and segregation. While clear sequence relationships between archaeal and eukaryotic replication proteins are well known, some archaea also seem to possess organizational parameters for replication and segregation that reveal further striking parallels to eukaryotes.
Utility of the Hand-Drawn Spiral as a Tool in Clinical-Epidemiological Research on Essential Tremor: Data from Four Essential Tremor Cohorts
Authors: Louis Elan D.
Published: February 2015

Background: In descriptive epidemiological studies, investigators must screen large numbers of individuals. How one best screens populations for essential tremor (ET); however, remains an open question. The collection of a standardized writing sample (e.g., a hand-drawn spiral) is a method with many practical advantages, yet there are virtually no data on the validity of this particular method. Methods: Four hand-drawn spirals (2 right, 2 left) were collected from 831 ET cases across four distinct study settings (population-based study, family study, environmental epidemiological study, brain repository) and, in two of these studies, from 697 controls. Spirals were rated (range 0-3) by a senior movement disorder neurologist. These 1,528 participants also underwent a detailed neurological examination, and total tremor scores (range 0-36) and ET diagnoses were assigned by the neurologist. Results: The proportion of cases with hand-drawn spiral ratings ≥1.5 in either arm ranged from 78.8-97.0%; only 4.7% of controls had spirals with tremor of that severity. The hand-drawn spiral rating was highly correlated with the total tremor score (r = 0.65-0.73, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The hand-drawn spiral is a sensitive and specific method of screening for ET. Furthermore, it serves as a valid measure of overall tremor severity.
Microdomain Switch of cGMP-Regulated Phosphodiesterases Leads to ANP-Induced Augmentation of β-Adrenoceptor-Stimulated Contractility in Early Cardiac Hypertrophy
Authors: Perera Ruwan K. , Sprenger Julia U. , Steinbrecher Julia H. , Hübscher Daniela , Lehnart Stephan E. , Abesser Marco , Schuh Kai , El-Armouche Ali , Nikolaev Viacheslav O.
Published: February 2015

Rationale
:

Cyclic nucleotides are second messengers that regulate cardiomyocyte function through compartmentalized signaling in discrete subcellular microdomains. However, the role of different microdomains and their changes in cardiac disease are not well understood.

Objective
:

To directly visualize alterations in β-adrenergic receptor–associated cAMP and cGMP microdomain signaling in early cardiac disease.

Methods and Results
:

Unexpectedly, measurements of cell shortening revealed augmented β-adrenergic receptor–stimulated cardiomyocyte contractility by atrial natriuretic peptide/cGMP signaling in early cardiac hypertrophy after transverse aortic constriction, which was in sharp contrast to well-documented β-adrenergic and natriuretic peptide signaling desensitization during chronic disease. Real-time cAMP analysis in β
1
- and β
2
-adrenergic receptor–associated membrane microdomains using a novel membrane-targeted Förster resonance energy transfer–based biosensor transgenically expressed in mice revealed that this unexpected atrial natriuretic peptide effect is brought about by spatial redistribution of cGMP-sensitive phosphodiesterases 2 and 3 between both receptor compartments. Functionally, this led to a significant shift in cGMP/cAMP cross-talk and, in particular, to cGMP-driven augmentation of contractility in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions
:

Redistribution of cGMP-regulated phosphodiesterases and functional reorganization of receptor-associated microdomains occurs in early cardiac hypertrophy, affects cGMP-mediated contractility, and might represent a previously not recognized therapeutically relevant compensatory mechanism to sustain normal heart function.
Impact of Irrigation Methods on Land Surface Model Spinup and Initialization of WRF Forecasts
Authors: Lawston Patricia M. , Santanello Joseph A. , Zaitchik Benjamin F. , Rodell Matthew
Published: February 2015

In the United States, irrigation represents the largest consumptive use of freshwater and accounts for approximately one-third of total water usage. Irrigation impacts soil moisture and can ultimately influence clouds and precipitation through land–planetary boundary layer (PBL) coupling processes. This study utilizes NASA’s Land Information System (LIS) and the NASA Unified Weather Research and Forecasting Model (NU-WRF) framework to investigate the effects of drip, flood, and sprinkler irrigation methods on land–atmosphere interactions, including land–PBL coupling and feedbacks at the local scale. To initialize 2-day, 1-km WRF forecasts over the central Great Plains in a drier-than-normal (2006) and a wetter-than-normal year (2008), 5-yr irrigated LIS spinups were used. The offline and coupled simulation results show that regional irrigation impacts are sensitive to time, space, and method and that irrigation cools and moistens the surface over and downwind of irrigated areas, ultimately resulting in both positive and negative feedbacks on the PBL depending on the time of day and background climate conditions. Furthermore, the results portray the importance of both irrigation method physics and correct representation of several key components of land surface models, including accurate and timely land-cover and crop-type classification, phenology (greenness), and soil moisture anomalies (through a land surface model spinup) in coupled prediction models.
The effect of a particle–matrix interface on the Young’s modulus of Al–SiC composites
Authors: Krizik Peter , Balog Martin , Matko Igor , Svec Peter , Cavojsky Miroslav , Simancik Frantisek
Published: February 2015

In order to improve the Young’s modulus of Al–SiC composites, the matrix-reinforcement interface was modified via chemical reactions between the Al matrix and SiC particles. To prepare diverse interfaces, various types of composites were fabricated using the direct hot extrusion of Al-based powder mixtures containing 30 vol% untreated or oxidized SiC particles. The extruded composites were subjected to different annealing treatments. A detailed microstructural characterization of the Al–SiC interfacial regions was performed. The effect of the interface on the Young’s modulus and on the other mechanical properties of the composites was systematically investigated. Depending on the interface quality, the Young’s modulus of the composites can be varied over the range of 88–121 GPa. The results proved the importance of a stiff phase—comparable to SiC stiffness at the interface, which leads to the SiC particles contributing more effectively to the increase in the composite Young’s modulus. Conversely, the segregation of liberated Si at SiC interface led to decrease of composites Young’s modulus.
Hepatitis E virus infection presenting with paraesthesia
Authors: Bennett Susan , Li Kathy , Gunson Rory N
Published: February 2015

Hepatitis E virus infection is an emerging disease in developed countries. Acute and chronic infection has been reported, with chronic infection being increasingly reported in immunocompromised patients. Neurological disorders are an emerging manifestation of both acute and chronic hepatitis E virus infection. We report a 77-year-old female presented with paraesthesia and was found to have abnormal liver function tests. Serology was found to be positive for hepatitis E virus IgM, IgG and RNA. Liver function tests normalised after three weeks and her neurological symptoms completely resolved. To our knowledge, this is the first case in Scotland of hepatitis E virus presenting only with neurological symptoms.
Numerical simulation of the internal flow field of a new main nozzle in an air-jet loom based on Fluent
Authors: Chen Liang , Feng Zhi-hua , Dong Teng-zhong , Wang Wei-hua , Liu Shuai
Published: February 2015

In order to decrease the turbulence influence and the backflow during weft insertion in an air-jet loom, a new main nozzle composed of two nozzle needles connected in series is designed. The internal flow fields of the commonly used nozzle and the new nozzle are numerically studied by means of a three-dimensional model implemented by the computational fluid dynamics technique. It is observed that the turbulence strength is effectively controlled with different air supply pressures and the backflow phenomenon at the upstream passage generated by high supply pressures can be eliminated when the supply pressure is reasonably distributed into two inlets of the new nozzle. The drag force exerted on the weft yarn is calculated when the velocity distribution of the internal airflow is obtained, and results show that the drag force can be improved. Also, the numerical simulation can give some guidelines for future prototyping and experiments.
Impact of the ginning method on fiber quality and textile processing performance of Long Staple Upland cotton
Authors: van der Sluijs Marinus HJ
Published: February 2015

With the increased demand for quality and the production of finer, longer and stronger Upland cottons, an increasing proportion of these cottons are ginned on roller gins to preserve and improve fiber quality. However, although the benefits of roller ginning on lint turn out and fiber quality are fairly well understood, it is still unclear whether these improvements translate into improved yarn quality and processing performance. The aim of this research was to compare the impact of saw and roller ginning on Long Staple Upland cotton in a high-production and commercial environment and to evaluate quality and textile processing performance in a commercial textile mill. One field located within the central cotton growing area of Australia was planted with a Long Staple Upland variety, with a number of round modules selected at random from the field and processed by a saw and a rotary knife roller gin. There was a significant difference between the two ginning methods in some of the average fiber results, with the roller ginned fiber longer and more uniform with fewer short fibers and fibrous neps, as well as stronger with higher elongation. These improved fiber properties resulted in significant differences in the fine count combed hosiery ring spun yarn produced. On average the yarn spun from roller ginned cotton was significantly more even with fewer total imperfections, although there was no significant difference in yarn count, strength, elongation and hairiness. There were also no significant differences in terms of processing performance, fabric handle, appearance and strength.
Development of a color matching algorithm for digital transfer textile printing using an artificial neural network and multiple regression
Authors: Hwang Jong Pil , Kim Sungmin , Park Chang Kyu
Published: February 2015

A color matching algorithm has been developed to solve the color mismatch problems encountered during the digital transfer textile printing process. To match the colors between display and fabric, standard red, blue, green (sRGB) and International Commission on Illumination (CIE) color systems were used. For an affordable color matching process, sRGB values of printed fabric were extracted by a general flatbed scanner instead of an expensive spectrophotometer. Extracted sRGB values and originally intended target sRGB values were used as input and output values to form artificial neural networks and multiple regression equations to establish the relationship between those values. To verify the color matching algorithm, a total of 100 random color samples were printed, scanned, and analyzed. Both methods showed good correlations between input and output color values, which implied that the color matching algorithm developed in this study improved the color correspondence between the original design and its printed results.
An experimental study of heat pipe heat exchanger for cooling and dehumidification in an indirect evaporative way
Authors: Chan Ming-yin , Ng Roger Tsz-ho
Published: February 2015

A study of energy retrofit by combined heat pipe heat exchanger with cold condensate was carried out and results are presented in this paper. The parameters of study including inlet water temperature, water flow rate, primary air velocity, and exhaust air velocity on systems performance are experimentally investigated. Experiment results indicate that for a small condensate flow rate, both the latent heat of exhaust air and sensible heat of condensate can simultaneously be utilized for cooling and dehumidifying primary air, which is expected to be efficient for energy retrofit in central air conditioning systems.

Practical application: Cold condensate from Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) plants are usually discharged or drained off. Reuse of cold condensate not only reduces wastage of water, it also fully utilizes energy and improves overall efficiency of HVAC plants. The installation and capital cost for heat pipe heat exchanger are reasonable. The physical space required is also affordable. Its practical value is useful.
Quantifying the domestic building fabric ‘performance gap’
Authors: Johnston David , Miles-Shenton Dominic , Farmer David
Published: February 2015

In the UK, there is mounting evidence that the measured in situ performance of the building fabric in new build dwellings can be greater than that predicted, resulting in a significant building fabric ‘performance gap’. This paper presents the coheating test results from 25 new build dwellings built to Part L1A 2006 or better. Whilst the total number of dwellings reported here is small, the results suggest that a substantial ‘performance gap’ can exist between the predicted and measured performance of the building fabric, with the measured whole building U value being just over 1.6 times greater than that predicted. This is likely to have significant implications in terms of the energy use and CO2 emissions attributable to these dwellings in use.

Practical application: This paper describes an aggregate approach (coheating test) that has been applied to a small sample of dwellings to quantify the size of the ‘performance gap’. The results suggest that this ‘gap’ can be large (>100%) and can vary depending upon form and construction type. The results also illustrate the importance of developing a larger, more representative whole dwelling heat loss data set. This could be used by industry to apply a suitable performance factor (note 1) to the nominal performance of new build that accounts for the ‘performance gap’. This factor could be specific to form and main construction type.
A comparative study on characterisations of Cissus quadrangularis and Phoenix reclinata natural fibres
Authors: Mayandi K , Rajini N , Pitchipoo P , Sreenivasan VS , Jappes JT Winowlin , Alavudeen A
Published: February 2015

The morphological, physicochemical, mechanical and thermal properties of Veldt-grape stem fibre and wild date palm leaf stalk fibre are described in this work, which are seldom studied before. The botanical name of Veldt-grape stem fibre and wild date palm leaf stalk fibre are known as Cissus quadrangularis and Phoenix reclinata, respectively. The morphological analysis of vegetable fibres showed the presence of cracks, microvoids and impurities on the surfaces of Veldt-grape stem fibre and wild date palm leaf stalk fibre. Veldt-grape stem fibre possessed the lowest diameter and density of approximately 0.2668 mm and 1.2128 g/cm3, respectively, compared to wild date palm leaf stalk fibre. An X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared analysis of Veldt-grape stem fibre and wild date palm leaf stalk fibre exhibited the presence of cellulose Iβ with a crystallinity index of 30.9% and 38.8%, respectively. Wild date palm leaf stalk fibre contained high surface roughness in the range of 0.904 µm than Veldt-grape stem fibre (0.611 µm). Tensile tests displayed that wild date palm leaf stalk fibre has highest tensile strength of around 66 MPa, and Veldt-grape stem fibre has highest strain to failure of around 6% in comparison with other fibre. The thermogravimetric analysis indicates that thermal stability of Veldt-grape stem fibre and wild date palm leaf stalk fibre is better up to 230℃ and 250℃, respectively, which are well within the polymerisation process temperature.
Modified self-consistent model for the effective electrical conductivity of polygonal graphite composites
Authors: Yang Yi , Song Guquan , Chen Yuguo
Published: February 2015

The micromechanics theory of polymer composite materials was used to establish the effective electrical conductivity model of graphite composites. Based on micromechanics, the self-consistent model was analyzed. The modified self-consistent model was put forward by the Eshelby tensor of polygonal inclusions and percolation theory. These applicable conditions of various models were compared. The modified self-consistent model was finally selected to predict effective electrical conductivity of graphite composites. The key exponent of system was determined according to experimental results. Results show that the modified self-consistent model can well predict the effective electrical conductivity of graphite composites. This modified model is also expected to provide useful guidelines for the design and optimization of graphite composites.
Mechanical properties optimization of resin mineral composite for machine tool bed
Authors: Yin Jicai , Zhang Jianhua , Wang Tao , Wang Wenqiang , Ren Xiuhua
Published: February 2015

Resin mineral composite attracted much attention in the field of elementary machine components because of the excellent performance in alleviating vibration. However, applications of resin mineral composite are restricted due to its limited mechanical properties. In this paper, the effects of the aggregate gradation, the maximum diameter of the aggregate, and the mass fraction of the resin on the mechanical strength were investigated. In addition, influences of fiber types (glass fiber and carbon fiber), fiber length, mass content of fiber, and surface treating techniques (ultrasonic cleaning, oxidation by HNO3, coupling treatment by silane) on the mechanical strength of resin mineral composite were also investigated. Experimental results show that the compressive strength of resin mineral composite first increases and then decreases as the maximum aggregate diameter, the fractal dimension of the aggregate gradation, and the resin dosage increase. The best compressive strength was obtained when the maximum diameter of aggregate is 15 mm, the fractal dimension of the aggregate gradation is 2.45, and the mass fraction of the resin is 9%. Results also show that the best mechanical strength was obtained when the lengths of the fibers are 10 mm and the mass fraction of the glass (carbon) fiber is 0.1% (0.05%). Compared with resin mineral composite with no fibers, the compressive strengths of resin mineral composite reinforced by glass fibers and carbon fibers treated with three-step treating technique increased by 16.62 and 14.63%, respectively. And the flexural strength of resin mineral composite reinforced with carbon fibers treated with three-step treating technique increased by 18.3%. The flexural strength of resin mineral composite reinforced with glass fiber treated with two- and three-step treating technique increased by 9.67 and 5.7%, respectively. In addition, the mechanism of the influences of the fiber whose surfaces were treated on the mechanical strength of resin mineral composite was revealed by scanning electron microscopy.
A review of key planning and scheduling in the rail industry in Europe and UK
Authors: Turner Christopher , Tiwari Ashutosh , Starr Andrew , Blacktop Kevin
Published: February 2015

Planning and scheduling activities within the rail industry have benefited from developments in computer-based simulation and modelling techniques over the last 25 years. Increasingly, the use of computational intelligence in such tasks is featuring more heavily in research publications. This paper examines a number of common rail-based planning and scheduling activities and how they benefit from five broad technology approaches. Summary tables of papers are provided relating to rail planning and scheduling activities and to the use of expert and decision systems in the rail industry.
Bariatric surgery: An HIV-positive patient’s successful journey
Authors: Eddy F , Elvin S , Sanmani L
Published: February 2015

Bariatric surgery is becoming increasingly common in the UK. Little has been done to evaluate its place in HIV-positive patients. Here, we discuss a successful case and the complexities surrounding highly active antiretroviral therapy.
Renal infarction due to lupus vasculopathy
Authors: Varalaxmi B , Sandeep P , Sridhar A V S S N , Raveendra P , Kishore C Krishna , Ram R , Kumar V Siva
Published: February 2015

In the ISN/RPS 2003 classification of lupus nephritis (LN) renal vascular lesions are not mentioned. We present a patient with postpartum lupus vasculopathy. The renal biopsy in our patient showed concentric intimal thickening with narrowed lumen. No inflammatory changes were found. It also revealed immunoglobulin and complement deposition on the wall of the arteriole. These changes indicate lupus vasculopathy. The glomeruli revealed diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis, with wire loops and cellular crescent in one glomerulus. The patient showed improvement with immunosuppression.
Mycophenolic acid upregulates miR-142-3P/5P and miR-146a in lupus CD4+T cells
Authors: Tang Q , Yang Y , Zhao M , Liang G , Wu H , Liu Q , Xie Y , Li D , Dai Y , Yung S , Chan T M , Lu Q
Published: February 2015

Background

Mycophenolic acid (MPA), the active metabolite of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), is a noncompetitive inhibitor of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase, and is now widely used for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Dysregulated expression of microRNA has been reported to be associated with the pathogenesis of SLE. However, it is unexplored whether altering microRNA expression in SLE patients is one of the therapeutic effects of MPA.

Objectives

This study thus aims to investigate the effect of MPA on microRNAs expression in lupus CD4+T cells and its underlying mechanisms.

Results

According to our microarray data, 101 upregulated microRNAs and 77 downregulated microRNAs were identified in MPA-treated lupus CD4+T cells. Among these microRNAs, miR-142-3p/5p and miR-146a expression was found to be significantly increased in MPA-treated lupus CD4+T cells compared to untreated controls. Furthermore, we observed that MPA-treated CD4+T cells from patients with SLE showed enriched levels of H4 acetylation in the putative miRNA-142 regulatory region and enhanced levels of H3 acetylation in the putative miRNA-146a regulatory region compared to untreated cells.

Conclusion

Data from this study suggest that MPA activates miR-142 and miR-146a expression through histone modification at the promoter region, which may partially explain the pharmacological mechanisms of MPA for SLE.
Structural insights into the functional versatility of WW domain-containing oxidoreductase tumor suppressor
Authors: Farooq Amjad
Published: February 2015

Recent work on WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) tumor suppressor is beginning to shed new light on both the molecular mechanism of action of its WW domains as well as the contiguous catalytic domain. Herein, the structural basis underlying the ability of WW1 domain to bind to various physiological ligands and how the orphan WW2 tandem partner synergizes its ligand binding in the context of WW1–WW2 tandem module of WWOX is discussed. Notably, the WW domains within the WW1–WW2 tandem module physically associate so as to adopt a fixed spatial orientation relative to each other. In this manner, the association of WW2 domain with WW1 hinders ligand binding to the latter. Consequently, ligand binding to WW1 domain not only results in the displacement of WW2 lid but also disrupts the fixed orientation of WW domains in the liganded conformation. Equally importantly, structure-guided functional approach suggests that the catalytic domain of WWOX likely serves as a retinal oxidoreductase that catalyzes the reversible oxidation and reduction of all-trans-retinal. Collectively, this review provides structural insights into the functional versatility of a key signaling protein with important implications on its biology.
Lung inflation with hydrogen during the cold ischemia phase decreases lung graft injury in rats
Authors: Liu Rongfang , Fang Xianhai , Meng Chao , Xing Jingchun , Liu Jinfeng , Yang Wanchao , Li Wenzhi , Zhou Huacheng
Published: February 2015

Hydrogen has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on lung ischemia–reperfusion injury when it is inhaled by donor or/and recipient. This study examined the effects of lung inflation with 3% hydrogen during the cold ischemia phase on lung graft function in rats. The donor lung was inflated with 3% hydrogen, 40% oxygen, and 57% nitrogen at 5 mL/kg, and the gas was replaced every 20 min during the cold ischemia phase for 2 h. In the control group, the donor lung was inflated with 40% oxygen and 60% nitrogen at 5 mL/kg. The recipient was euthanized 2 h after orthotropic lung transplantation. The hydrogen concentration in the donor lung during the cold ischemia phase was 1.99–3%. The oxygenation indices in the arterial blood and pulmonary vein blood were improved in the hydrogen group. The inflammation response indices, including lung W/D ratio, the myeloperoxidase activity in the grafts, and the levels of IL-8 and TNF-α in serum, were significantly lower in the hydrogen group (5.2 ± 0.8, 0.76 ± 0.32 U/g, 340 ± 84 pg/mL, and 405 ± 115 pg/mL, respectively) than those in the control group (6.5 ± 0.7, 1.1 ± 0.5 U/g, 443 ± 94 pg/mL, and 657 ± 96 pg/mL, respectively ( P < 0.05), and the oxidative stress indices, including the superoxide dismutase activity and the level of malonaldehyde in lung grafts were improved after hydrogen application. Furthermore, the lung injury score determined by histopathology, the cell apoptotic index, and the caspase-3 protein expression in lung grafts were decreased after hydrogen treatment, and the static pressure–volume curve of lung graft was improved by hydrogen inflation. In conclusion, lung inflation with 3% hydrogen during the cold ischemia phase alleviated lung graft injury and improved graft function.
Landscape of Pin1 in the cell cycle
Authors: Lin Cheng-Han , Li Hao-Yi , Lee Yu-Cheng , Calkins Marcus J , Lee Kuen-Haur , Yang Chia-Ning , Lu Pei-Jung
Published: February 2015

Pin1 is a peptidyl-prolyl isomerase which plays a critical role in many diseases including cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The essential role of Pin1 is to affect stability, localization or function of phosphoproteins by catalyzing structural changes. Among the collection of Pin1 substrates, many have been shown to be involved in regulating cell cycle progression. The cell cycle disorder caused by dysregulation of these substrates is believed to be a common phenomenon in cancer. A number of recent studies have revealed possible functions of several important Pin1-binding cell cycle regulators. Investigating the involvement of Pin1 in the cell cycle may assist in the development of future cancer therapeutics. In this review, we summarize current knowledge regarding the network of Pin1 substrates and Pin1 regulators in cell cycle progression. In G1/S progression, cyclin D1, RB, p53, p27, and cyclin E are all well-known cell cycle regulators that are modulated by Pin1. During G2/M transition, our lab has shown that Aurora A suppresses Pin1 activity through phosphorylation at Ser16 and cooperates with hBora to modulate G2/M transition. We conclude that Pin1 may be thought of as a molecular timer which modulates cell cycle progression networks.
Biomarkers of fatigue related to adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: evaluation of plasma and lymphocyte expression
Authors: Cruz Felipe M , Munhoz Bruna A , Alves Beatriz CA , Gehrke Flavia S , Fonseca Fernando LA , Kuniyoshi Renata K , Cubero Daniel , Peppone Luke J , del Giglio Auro
Published: February 2015

Background

Fatigue is common in cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. To further understand the mechanism of fatigue and search for potential biomarkers, we conducted this prospective study. Methods

We enrolled breast cancer (BC) patients before their first adjuvant Adriamycin‐based chemotherapy cycle. Patients responded to the brief fatigue inventory (BFI) and Chalder fatigue questionnaires and had their blood drawn for both plasma evaluation and evaluation of the peripheral mononuclear cell fraction (PMNCF) mRNA expression of various biomarkers. We evaluated FSH, LH, estradiol, DHEA, DHEAS, IL6, IL2, ILIRA, IL1β, CRP, Cortisol in the plasma and IL2, IL10, IL6, TGF‐β, KLRC1, TNF, BTP, SNCA, SOD1, BLNK, PTGS2 and INF γ expression in the PMNCF.

Results

11 patients did not exhibit an increase in their BFI scores and served as controls, whereas 32 patients exhibited an increase in their BFI scores compared with the baseline scores. From the biomarkers we evaluated in the PMNCF, the only one significantly associated with fatigue was TGF‐β (p = 0.0343), while there was a trend towards significance with KLRC1 (p = 0.0627). We observed no evidence of significant associations of any plasma biomarkers with the development of fatigue. However when we analyzed patients with more severe fatigue, plasma IL1‐RA levels correlated directly with higher fatigue scores (p = 0.0136).

Conclusions

We conclude that fatigue induced by chemotherapy in BC patients is associated with changes in IL1‐ra plasma levels and in TGF‐β lymphocyte expression. Its mechanism may be different than that observed in long‐term BC survivors or that induced by radiation therapy.

Trial registration

NCT02041364 [ClinicalTrials.gov]
Enhanced production of flavonoids by methyl jasmonate elicitation in cell suspension culture of Hypericum perforatum
Authors: Wang Jing , Qian Jie , Yao Lingyun , Lu Yanhua
Published: February 2015

Background

Flavonoids of Hypericum perforatum are important secondary metabolites which have been widely utilized in medicine for a range of purposes. The use of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) elicitation for the enhancement of flavonoid production in cell suspension culture of H. perforatum would be an efficient alternative method for the flavonoid production.

Results

MeJA influenced the cells growth and flavonoid production. The optimal elicitation strategy was treatment of the cell cultures with 100 μmol/L MeJA on day 15, which resulted in the highest flavonoid production (280 mg/L) and 2.7 times of control cultures. The activities of catalase (CAT) were inhibited after MeJA treatment in the cell cultures, while the activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) increased, which led to the enhancement of flavonoid production.

Conclusion

MeJA elicitation is a useful method for the enhancement of flavonoid production in cell suspension culture of H. perforatum.
On the boundary of moduli spaces of log Hodge structures, II: Nontrivial torsors
Authors: Hayama Tatsuki
Published: February 2015

In this paper, we determine when a natural torsor arising in the work of Kato and Usui on partial compactification of period domains of pure Hodge structure is trivial, and we give an application to cycle spaces.
Social dominance and reproductive differentiation mediated by dopaminergic signaling in a queenless ant
Authors: Okada Yasukazu , Sasaki Ken , Miyazaki Satoshi , Shimoji Hiroyuki , Tsuji Kazuki , Miura Toru
Published: February 2015

In social Hymenoptera with no morphological caste, a dominant female becomes an egg layer, whereas subordinates become sterile helpers. The physiological mechanism that links dominance rank and fecundity is an essential part of the emergence of sterile females, which reflects the primitive phase of eusociality. Recent studies suggest that brain biogenic amines are correlated with the ranks in dominance hierarchy. However, the actual causality between aminergic systems and phenotype (i.e. fecundity and aggressiveness) is largely unknown due to the pleiotropic functions of amines (e.g. age-dependent polyethism) and the scarcity of manipulation experiments. To clarify the causality among dominance ranks, amine levels and phenotypes, we examined the dynamics of the aminergic system during the ontogeny of dominance hierarchy in the queenless ant Diacamma sp., which undergoes rapid physiological differentiation based on dominance interactions. Brain dopamine levels differed between dominants and subordinates at day 7 after eclosion, although they did not differ at day 1, reflecting fecundity but not aggressiveness. Topical applications of dopamine to the subordinate workers induced oocyte growth but did not induce aggressiveness, suggesting the gonadotropic effect of dopamine. Additionally, dopamine receptor transcripts (dopr1 and dopr2) were elevated in the gaster fat body of dominant females, suggesting that the fat body is a potential target of neurohormonal dopamine. Based on this evidence, we suggest that brain dopamine levels are elevated in dominants as a result of hierarchy formation, and differences in dopamine levels cause the reproductive differentiation, probably via stimulation of the fat body.
Review essay: A surfeit of violence?
Authors: Exertzoglou Haris
Published: February 2015

Review article of Ayşe Ozil, Orthodox Christians in the Late Ottoman Empire: A Study of Communal Relations in Anatolia, London: Routledge, 2013; Nicholas Doumanis, Before the Nation: Muslim–Christian Coexistence and its Destruction in the Late Ottoman Anatolia, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013; Ryan Gingeras, Sorrowful Shores: Violence, Ethnicity and the End of the Ottoman Empire, 1912–1923, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Characterization of large energy solutions of the equivariant wave map problem: I
Authors: Côte R. , Kenig C. E. , Lawrie A. , Schlag W.
Published: February 2015

We consider $1$-equivariant wave maps from ${\Bbb R}^{1+2}\to{\Bbb S}^2$.
For wave maps of topological degree zero we prove global existence and
scattering for energies below twice the energy of harmonic map, $Q$, given
by stereographic projection. We deduce this result via the concentration
compactness/rigidity method developed by the second author and Merle. In
particular, we establish a classification of equivariant wave maps with
trajectories that are pre-compact in the energy space up to the scaling
symmetry of the equation. Indeed, a wave map of this type can only be
either $0$ or $Q$ up to a rescaling. This gives a proof in the equivariant
case of a refined version of the {\it threshold conjecture} adapted to the
degree zero theory where the true threshold is $2{\mathcal E}(Q)$, not
${\mathcal E}(Q)$. The aforementioned global existence and scattering
statement can also be deduced by considering the work of Sterbenz and
Tataru in the equivariant setting. For wave maps of topological degree
one, we establish a classification of solutions blowing up in finite time
with energies less than three times the energy of $Q$. Under this
restriction on the energy, we show that a blow-up solution of degree one
is essentially the sum of a rescaled $Q$ plus a remainder term of
topological degree zero of energy less than twice the energy of $Q$. This
result reveals the universal character of the known blow-up constructions
for degree one, $1$-equivariant wave maps of Krieger, the fourth author,
and Tataru as well as Rapha\"{e}l and Rodnianski.
The index of a threefold canonical singularity
Authors: Kawakita Masayuki
Published: February 2015

The index of a 3-fold canonical singularity at a crepant centre is at most 6.
Dirac cohomology of cohomologically induced modules for reductive Lie groups
Authors: Dong Chao-Ping , Huang Jing-Song
Published: February 2015

We extend the setting and a proof of the Vogan's conjecture on Dirac
cohomology to a possibly disconnected real reductive Lie group $G$ in the
Harish-Chandra class. We show that the Dirac cohomology of cohomologically
induced module ${\mathcal L}_S(Z)$ is completely determined by the Dirac
cohomology of the inducing module $Z$. More precisely, we prove that if
$Z$ is weakly good then the Dirac cohomology $H_D({\mathcal L}_S(Z))$ is
equal to ${\mathcal
L}^{\widetilde{K}}_S(H_D(Z)\otimes\Bbb{C}_{-\rho(\frak{p}\cap\frak{u})})$.
An immediate application is a classification of tempered irreducible
unitary representations with nonzero Dirac cohomology.
Soundscaping Berlin: Female Agency and Urban Performance in Till Hastreiter’s Status Yo!
Authors: Daffner Carola
Published: February 2015

This study investigates Till Hastreiter’s critically acclaimed hip-hop film Status Yo! (Germany/Switzerland, 2004) in the context of the “sonic turn” in German Studies. As one of the few German “generation films,” Status Yo! demonstrates its particular relevance by engaging hip-hop’s participation in the shaping of a collective German identity in the new millennium. My study focuses on three sets of relationships: soundscapes and gender politics, soundscapes and ethnic differences, and soundscapes and renegotiations of (national) belongings. For the Turkish German character Yesim, sound, and how it relates to the palimpsest of Berlin, becomes an important tool in negotiating social norms and agency.
Late Socialism as a Narrative Problem: Christoph Hein and the Limits of the Novella
Authors: Norberg Jakob
Published: February 2015

Christoph Hein’s Der fremde Freund , published in the GDR in 1982, counts as a paradigmatic postwar German novella. While the text announces its genre membership explicitly, it fails, or perhaps refuses, to substantiate fully its initial self-categorization. Indeed, its ambiguous adherence to the premises of this event-focused genre highlights how the use of a particular generic format to organize narrative material can serve to foreground and conceal, activate and deactivate ideological meanings.
Relating in Henry James (The Artwork of Networks)
Authors: Evans Brad
Published: February 2015

This essay argues that Henry James would have been an excellent network theorist. It connects James to the emergence of a “relational era” in modernist aesthetics. It then locates him in the genealogy of philosophical thought about “relating” that begins with William James, continues in Phenomenology, and finds its apotheosis in the network analytics of Bruno Latour. Relating has been the fulcrum of much of the best work on James since the 1970s. This essay provides a new framework for understanding this work. It concludes that James’s description of relating can further the project of reimagining the sociality of the novel—the artwork of the literary network.
Two Kinds of Unity in the Critique of Pure Reason
Authors: McLear Colin
Published: February 2015

I argue that Kant’s distinction between the cognitive roles of sensibility and understanding raises a question concerning the conditions necessary for objective representation. I distinguish two opposing interpretive positions, namely Intellectualism and Sensibilism. According to Intellectualism, all objective representation depends, at least in part, on the unifying synthetic activity of the mind. In contrast, Sensibilism argues that at least some forms of objective representation, specifically intuitions, do not require synthesis. I argue that there are deep reasons for thinking that Intellectualism is incompatible with Kant’s view as expressed in the Transcendental Aesthetic. We can better see how Kant’s arguments in the first Critique may be integrated, I suggest, by examining his notion of the “unity” ( Einheit ) of a representation. I articulate two distinct ways in which a representation may possess unity and claim that we can use these notions to integrate Kant’s arguments in the Aesthetic and the Transcendental Deduction without compromising the core claims of either Sensibilism or Intellectualism—that intuition is a form of objective representation independent of synthesis, and that the kind of objective representations that ground scientific knowledge of the world require synthesis by the categories.
The Cult of Happiness: Maid, Housewife, and Affective Labor in Higuchi Ichiyō’s “Warekara”
Authors: Nakamura Miri
Published: February 2015

This article is a study of the representation of maids ( kahi, jochū ) in modern Japanese literature and culture. It examines maids as producers of affective labor—work that is not equated to wage production of material goods but one that demands emotion and affect. The article traces the emergence of this discourse in the Meiji era, calling it “the cult of happiness.” The study then analyzes the maid and the housewife in Higuchi Ichiyō’s (1872–96) “Warekara” (Split shell, 1896), published at the height of the “maid problem” ( jochū mondai ), when the role of the modern housewife ( shufu ) was also being determined.
A Theory of Aspects: Media Participation and Political Theory
Authors: Panagia Davide
Published: February 2015

aim in this essay is to elaborate a mode of political theorizing that is not beholden to the “how do you know?” question of epistemic validation. Rather than focusing on epistemological arguments, I propose that people interested in studying political theory address the partiality of aspects that emerge when engaging works, and the participation of media in the creation of political concepts. Central to my elaborations is the aesthetic notion that there is no overarching rule that will determine how objects, peoples, and events relate to one another and stand out as relevant to political theory, and that there are no necessary qualifications for participation in political theorizing. The essay is comprised of three sections. The first engages three thinkers of the interpretive turn in political theory: Charles Taylor, Quentin Skinner, and James Tully. The second section assembles three images of thought drawn from three different expressions of three diverse thinkers: Roland Barthes, Stanley Cavell, and Jacques Derrida. In the third section I depart from the theoretical experimentation and interpretive work of the previous sections and redirect attention to the participation of media in political theorizing. I conclude the essay by suggesting that political theory is process of mediation between and amongst a diversity of elements that have no common measure.
A Genealogical Study of De : Poetical Correspondence of Sky, Earth, and Humankind in the Early Chinese Virtuous Rule of Benefaction
Authors: Wang 王懷聿 Huaiyu
Published: February 2015

By identifying the basic meanings of de as “spiritual endowment” and “grateful offering,” this treatise aims to clarify the original meanings and structure of de and to establish the early Chinese moral and political order based on dezhi as the virtuous rule of benefaction. A critical reexamination of the influential mana thesis will lay bare the spiritual power of de as the sympathetic correspondence ( gantong 感通) of cosmic forces of yin and yang . As a principle of genus, de stands for the grounding spiritual power nurturing the growth of human communities in empathetic and reciprocal harmony with the cyclical rhythm of cosmic forces. The true foundation of the early Chinese rule of benefaction consists precisely in such senses of empathy and reciprocity originating in the poetical correspondence of sky, earth, and humankind. The investigation of de here shall reveal a distinctively Chinese understanding of human person that is based not on the philosophy of entitlement but on the poetical way of embodiment . As a distinctive site of embodiment, the primary function of a Confucian political leader is not to uphold the consigned spiritual power with exclusive authority, but to promote its proper dissemination for the harmonious coalescence of all kinds of beings. I shall argue further that such sagacious personalities should be regarded as the archetype and origin of early Chinese and Confucian moral virtues.
Toward a Complementary Consciousness and Mutual Flourishing of Chinese and Western Cultures: The Contributions of Process Philosophers
Authors: Meijun Fan , Zhihe Wang
Published: February 2015

“Complementary consciousness” takes binaries and transforms them into dynamic complements. Today this kind of consciousness has grown from a quiet stream to a mighty river in both China and the West. The streams that feed this river include generations of work by comparative literature scholars, philosophers, Sinologists, educators, anthropologists, psychologists, and theologians, as well as practical connections made by scientists and business people. Among scholars, process philosophers (constructive postmodern thinkers) have played a uniquely important role in promoting a complementary consciousness within Chinese and Western culture. This discussion explores ways that process philosophers and constructive postmodern thinkers have contributed to complementary consciousness by deconstructing Eurocentric prejudices, subverting exclusivist foundations, promoting cross-cultural dialogue, appreciating differences, appreciating the wisdom of traditional Chinese Culture, and encouraging possibilities for cross-cultural fertilization.
Dignāga on Reflexive Awareness
Authors: Bernier Paul
Published: February 2015

The purpose of this essay is to present and defend an interpretation of some central views of Dignāga, an important Indian Buddhist philosopher of the fifth century c.e ., on the theory of reflexive awareness ( svasaṃvedana ), or RA. According to RA, a conscious cognition, for instance a conscious visual experience, is directed not only at an object (or content), but also at itself. The Dignāgian view of reflexive awareness rests crucially on the so-called memory argument. An interpretation of this argument is proposed here, and three ways one could try to resist it are underscored. These objections rest, broadly, on three alternative ways of understanding the scenario of the memory argument. It is claimed that these alternative interpretations are faced with serious problems and, thus, that they fail to refute the memory argument. It is concluded that RA offers an adequate account of the nature of consciousness and self-knowledge, that is, how we know our own minds. Moreover, while Dignāga’s general philosophical views are typically understood as endorsing a kind of epistemological idealism, namely Yogācāra idealism, I point out that the interpretation of RA I propose is independent of such an idealist epistemology.
Schopenhauer on Idealism, Indian and European
Authors: Ryan Christopher
Published: February 2015

This article is an examination of Schopenhauer’s evaluation of the comparative philosophical merits of modern European and ancient Indian idealism. Schopenhauer was an enthusiastic advocate of Indian wisdom, but it is rarely noted that he excluded it from the history of philosophy proper. Although he traced the origin of the “fundamental” point of view of idealism to the ancient ṛṣis of India, he also maintained that it had not received its proper philosophical articulation and defense until Kant. But when we probe beyond Schopenhauer’s effusive estimations of Kant’s achievements and seek out his conception of idealism’s epistemological and logical bases, they appear rather flimsy and insubstantial. It turns out that Schopenhauer thought that idealism originated in and is validated by a rare state of mind to which he gave the name “philosophical discernment” ( philosophische Besonnenheit ), a prerational and intuitive condition that conceptual proofs merely justify after the event. Schopenhauer’s emphasis on the primacy of intuition and discernment over reflective reason tends to undermine his official account of the philosophical attributes of post-Kantian idealism, while a comparison of his historical surveys on the cultural status of idealism in India and Europe, respectively, suggests that the former was the healthier and more durable species.