bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variant allele of HSD3B1 increases progression to castration‐resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Wu Gang , Huang Shengsong , Nastiuk Kent L. , Li Jinliang , Gu Jun , Wu Ming , Zhang Qimin , Lin Hanqing , Wu Denglong
Published: March 2015

BACKGROUND

3β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (3βHSD1), which is a rate‐limiting enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of adrenal‐derived steroid dehydroepiandrosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), may be a promising target for treating castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

METHODS

From 2004 to 2011, a total of 103 consecutive patients presenting with advanced prostate cancer were included in this study. All patients were treated with surgical castration as androgen‐deprivation therapy (ADT). Germline DNA was extracted from archived tissue from each patient and sequenced. PSA half‐time (representing rate to PSA nadir after ADT), the incidence of, and time to CRPC occurrence, and cause‐specific mortality rates were determined during the 3–10 years follow‐up. The perioperative data and postoperative outcomes are compared. The patients were retrospectively analyzed for survival time.

RESULTS

Of the 103 patient samples analyzed, 18 harbored a heterozygous variant (1245C) HSD3B1 gene, while 85 patients were homozygous wild‐type (1245A) for HSD3B1. The two groups were homogenous for age, PSA, Gleason and metastases rate preoperatively. The incidence of CRPC observed in the variant group was significantly higher than that of wild‐type group (100% vs. 64.7%, respectively; P = 0.003). Despite this higher incidence of CRPC, there were no significant differences in time to develop CRPC, or in cause‐specific mortality. Further, neither PSA half‐time, nor time to biochemical recurrence were different between the variant and wild‐type groups.

CONCLUSION

Prostate cancer patients who harbored the heterozygous variant HSD3B1 (1245C) are more likely to develop to CRPC, but do not have shorter time to biochemical recurrence, shorter survival time or higher mortality risk. Prostate 75:777–782, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Kazakh–German Social Space: Decreasing Transnational Ties and Symbolic Social Protection
Authors: Sienkiewicz Joanna J. , Sadovskaya Yelena , Amelina Anna
Published: March 2015

Through migration, expectations and obligations of social protection can change and migrants can be faced with the situation where they are not able to fulfil these new expectations, for example, because of a lack of (financial) resources. The sending of parcels to Kazakhstan will be used in this paper as an example of one form of symbolic protection – by which we mean protection where the symbolic value is very high whilst the material value is low – within the German–Kazakh social space, which allows migrants to maintain transnational ties and be the provider of protection to their relatives left behind. Drawing on interviews collected in a multi‐sited matched sample approach, we demonstrate that when family members in both countries compare life chances, a ‘transnational space of comparison’ emerges. Transnational comparisons in the German–Kazakh social space shape expectations of reciprocity in informal protection that often diverge from those within the national space. For example, migrants in Germany can be defined by their family members as in need of protection within a national network but at the same time as providers of protection within transnational networks. We argue that transnational comparisons can lead to inequalities within multi‐locally organised families, such as the exclusion of migrants in Germany from transnational informal protection. Our study contributes to the literature on social protection by drawing attention to a form of protection in transnational spaces that has low material but high symbolic value, indicating the symbolic dimension of social protection. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
‘Gotta Go Visit Family’: Reconsidering the Relationship Between Tourism and Transnationalism
Authors: von Koppenfels Amanda Klekowski , Mulholland Jon , Ryan Louise
Published: March 2015

A comparative examination of two groups of highly skilled Global North migrants – US citizens (Americans) in London, Berlin, and Paris and French citizens in London – this paper explores the nature of these migrants' visits home, situating these visits between tourism and transnationalism. We question whether there has been a tendency to conceptualise visits home by migrants from the Global North as tourism and those from the Global South as transnational engagement. We found that our study participants' visits home often incorporated visits to family, relaxation, tourism, and cultural transmission to children, suggesting there is not a clear distinction between tourism and transnationalism. At the same time, we noted a certain tension between transnationalism, here primarily familial obligations, and tourism, as migrants sought to balance a felt need to visit family and a desire to have some aspect of relaxation or tourism. Visits home also often necessitated negotiations of social relations – often in both home and host countries. Finally, we noted a bidirectionality in visits: migrants visited home, but family and friends visited them as well, which also serves to maintain social connections with home, suggesting that the implications of this bidirectionality for the nature of transnationalism are an area for future research. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Study of high‐quality (11−22) semi‐polar GaN grown on nanorod templates
Authors: Xu B. , Yu X. , Gong Y. , Xing K. , Bai J. , Wang T.
Published: March 2015

(11−22) semi‐polar GaN overgrown on nanorod templates with different nanorod diameters has been systematically studied in terms of crystal quality, strain relaxation, wafer bowing and electrical properties. With increasing nanorod diameter from 300 to 827 nm, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the X‐ray rocking curve reduces from 0.20° to 0.15° along (1−100) direction and from 0.15° to 0.10° along (11−2−3) direction, respectively. The strain relaxation of the overgrown GaN layers has been significantly enhanced, leading to a reduction in wafer bowing from 0.0298 to 0.0091 cm−1. The electron mobility in the overgrown GaN layers increases from 83 to 228 cm V−1 s−1 and from 52 to 124 cm V−1 s−1 along (1−100) and (11−2−3) directions, respectively.
Robot‐assisted radical adrenalectomy with clamping of the vena cava for excision of a metastatic adrenal vein thrombus: a case report
Authors: Ploumidis Achilles , Spinoit Anne‐Françoise , De Naeyer Geert , Ficarra Vincenzo , Mottrie Alexandre
Published: March 2015

Background

Renal or adrenal neoplastic vein thrombi are relative contra‐indications for laparoscopic treatment. To the best of our knowledge, we present the first robot‐assisted radical adrenalectomy (RARA) with the presence of a thrombus in the adrenal vein.

Methods

A 54 year‐old male with a history of laparoscopic left radical nephrectomy for clear cell carcinoma was referred to our department with a diagnosed right adrenal tumour extending into the adrenal vein. A RARA was planned through a trans‐peritoneal approach, and an en bloc resection of the adrenal and its vein with clamping of the vena cava was performed.

Results

Console time was 94 min and the estimated blood loss was 44 ml. The pathology report confirmed clear cell carcinoma with negative surgical margins. Convalescence was uneventful.

Conclusion

RARA with thrombectomy and vascular reconstruction can be safe, effective and feasible in experienced hands, using robotic bulldogs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparing the genotoxicity of a potentially carcinogenic and a noncarcinogenic PAH, singly, and in binary combination, on peripheral blood cells of the European sea bass
Authors: Martins Marta , Ferreira Ana M. , Costa Maria H. , Costa Pedro M.
Published: March 2015

Research on the toxicological mechanisms of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) deemed carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic has mostly been developed for individual compounds even though, in the environment, PAHs invariably occur in mixtures. The present work aimed at understanding the interaction effects of two model PAHs, the potentially carcinogenic benzo[b]fluoranthene (B[b]F) and the noncarcinogenic phenanthrene (Phe) to a marine fish (the sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax). The study endeavoured an ecologically‐relevant scenario with respect to concentrations and contaminant matrix, sediments, which are the main reservoirs of these substances in the environment, due to their hydrophobic nature. For the purpose, 28‐day laboratorial bioassays with spiked sediments (with individual and combined PAHs at equitoxic concentrations) were conducted. Genotoxicity was determined in peripheral blood through the “Comet” assay and by scoring erythrocytic nuclear abnormalities (ENA). The results showed that exposure to either PAHs induced similar levels of DNA strand breaks, although without a clear dose‐ or time‐response, likely due to the low concentrations of exposure and potential shits in PAH bioavailability during the assays. However, clastogenic/aneugenic lesions were only observed in fish exposed to B[b]F‐spiked sediments. Conversely, the combination assays revealed a supra‐additive effect especially at chromosome level, linked to concentrations of PAHs in water. A decrease in DNA‐strand breakage was observed over time during all assays, revealing some ability of fish to cope with this DNA lesion. Overall, the findings show that low‐moderate concentrations of sediment‐bound mixed PAHs may significantly increase the hazard of mutagenesis even when the individual concentrations indicate low risk, especially considering that chromosome‐level damage is unlikely to be repaired, leading to the fixation of DNA lesions upon prolonged exposures. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 1307–1318, 2016.
Mutagenicity of cigarette butt waste in the bacterial reverse mutation assay: The protective effects of β‐caryophyllene and β‐caryophyllene oxide
Authors: Di Giacomo Silvia , Mazzanti Gabriela , Di Sotto Antonella
Published: March 2015

Cigarette filters pose a serious litter and toxic waste disposal problem, because of their not biodegradability and to the leaching of toxins in the environment. Therefore, cigarette butts need to be manipulated as special waste, with potential risks to human health and environment. In the present study, the genotoxic potential of a methanol extract from commonly discharged cigarette butts (CBE) was evaluated in the bacterial reverse mutation assay on Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 and Escherichia coli WP2uvrA strains, both in the absence and presence of the S9 exogenous metabolic activator. Furthermore, the ability of the natural sesquiterpenes β‐caryophyllene (CRY) and β‐caryophyllene oxide (CRYO) to inhibit the mutagenicity of CBE was studied as a possible preventive strategy. In order to identify the potential antimutagenic mechanisms, three different protocols (pretreatment, cotreatment, and posttreatment) were applied. CBE showed to increase the number of revertant colonies in all the strains tested in presence of S9, so resulting mutagenic. In the antimutagenicity assay, both CRY and CRYO significantly reduced the revertant colonies induced by CBE, although with different potency and specificity. For both sesquiterpenes, the antimutagenicity was strong in all experimental conditions, except for the cotreatment of CRY with CBE in WP2uvrA, which produced a moderate inhibition. Both desmutagenic and bioantimutagenic mechanisms seem to be involved in the antimutagenicity of the test substances. Taking into account the potential genotoxicity of cigarette butts, CRY and CRYO appear as possible further candidates as environmental decontaminants against this hazardous waste. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 1319–1328, 2016.
Performance evaluation of chlorinated polyethylene compatibilized‐industrial waste‐filled acrylonitrile butadiene rubber/low‐density polyethylene blends
Authors: Ahmed Khalil
Published: March 2015

Chlorinated polyethylene as a compatibilizer at various levels was mixed in a Brabender® internal mixer with different ratios of (acrylonitrile butadiene rubber)/(low‐density polyethylene) that contained industrial marble waste. Vulcanized articles were fabricated. The properties were investigated by cure characteristics, and mechanical and swelling parameters. The natural weathering impact on these properties was also evaluated within the span of 6 to 12 months. Notable improvements were recorded in the cure, and mechanical and swelling behaviors of uncompatibilized and chlorinated polyethylene compatibilized marble waste‐‐filled (acrylonitrile butadiene rubber)/(low‐density polyethylene) blends. Considerable losses in mechanical properties were found for all specimens because of environmental oxidation. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 22:460–469, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Kinetics effects and modeling of mRNA turnover
Authors: Palumbo Maria Concetta , Farina Lorenzo , Paci Paola
Published: March 2015

Broader comprehension of gene expression regulatory mechanisms can be gained from a global analysis of how transcription and degradation are coordinated to orchestrate complex cell responses. The role of messenger RNA (mRNA) turnover modulation in gene expression levels has become increasingly recognized. From such perspective, in this review we briefly illustrate how a simple but effective mathematical model of mRNA turnover and some experimental findings, may together shed light on the molecular mechanisms underpinning the major role of mRNA decay rates in shaping the kinetics of gene activation and repression. WIREs RNA 2015, 6:327–336. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1277

This article is categorized under:

RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Regulation of RNA Stability
Loss of function mutation in glutamic pyruvate transaminase 2 (GPT2) causes developmental encephalopathy
Authors: Celis Katrina , Shuldiner Scott , Haverfield Eden V. , Cappell Joshua , Yang Rongze , Gong Da‐Wei , Chung Wendy K.
Published: March 2015

Intellectual disability is genetically heterogeneous, and it is likely that many of the responsible genes have not yet been identified. We describe three siblings with isolated, severe developmental encephalopathy. After extensive uninformative genetic and metabolic testing, whole exome sequencing identified a homozygous novel variant in glutamic pyruvate transaminase 2 (GPT2) or alanine transaminase 2 (ALT2), c.459 C > G p.Ser153Arg that segregated with developmental encephalopathy in the family. This variant was predicted to be damaging by all in silico prediction algorithms. GPT2 is the gene encoding ALT2 which is responsible for the reversible transamination of alanine and 2‐oxoglutarate to form pyruvate and glutamate. GPT2 is expressed in brain and is in the pathway to generate glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter. Functional assays of recombinant wild‐type and mutant ALT2 proteins demonstrated the p.Ser153Arg mutation resulted in a severe loss of enzymatic function. We suggest that recessively inherited loss of function GPT2 mutations are a novel cause of intellectual disability.
Life and death by boundary conditions
Authors: Prosperetti Andrea
Published: March 2015

Picano et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 764, 2015, pp. 463–487) have conducted fully resolved numerical simulations of many thousands of spherical particles in a turbulent channel flow with $\mathit{Re}=5600$. Their results give a tantalizing demonstration of the vastness of the vistas that this line of research is about to open.
HYPERPLANES OF FINITE-DIMENSIONAL NORMED SPACES WITH THE MAXIMAL RELATIVE PROJECTION CONSTANT
Authors: KOBOS TOMASZ
Published: March 2015

Therelative projection constant${\it\lambda}(Y,X)$of normed spaces$Y\subset X$is${\it\lambda}(Y,X)=\inf \{\Vert P\Vert :P\in {\mathcal{P}}(X,Y)\}$, where${\mathcal{P}}(X,Y)$denotes the set of all continuous projections from$X$onto$Y$. By the well-known result of Bohnenblust, for every$n$-dimensional normed space$X$and a subspace$Y\subset X$of codimension one,${\it\lambda}(Y,X)\leq 2-2/n$. The main goal of the paper is to study the equality case in the theorem of Bohnenblust. We establish an equivalent condition for the equality${\it\lambda}(Y,X)=2-2/n$and present several applications. We prove that every three-dimensional space has a subspace with the projection constant less than$\frac{4}{3}-0.0007$. This gives a nontrivial upper bound in the problem posed by Bosznay and Garay. In the general case, we give an upper bound for the number of ($n-1$)-dimensional subspaces with the maximal relative projection constant in terms of the facets of the unit ball of$X$. As a consequence, every$n$-dimensional normed space$X$has an ($n-1$)-dimensional subspace$Y$with${\it\lambda}(Y,X)<2-2/n$. This contrasts with the separable case in which it is possible that every hyperplane has a maximal possible projection constant.
Detection of serum cytokines before and after pharmacological and surgical treatment in patients with cystic echinococcosis
Authors: Naik M.I. , Tenguria R.K. , Haq E.
Published: March 2015

Human cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused byEchinococcus granulosus, is one of the most important and widespread parasitic zoonoses. One of the problems that can be encountered after treating CE patients is the risk of post-surgical relapses or treatment failure, thus a long-term clinical and serological follow-up is required to evaluate the success or failure of therapy. In the present study immunological markers have been identified to indicate the effectiveness of pharmacological and surgical treatments. The relationship between serum cytokine levels and the outcome of chemotherapy and surgery was evaluated in 50 patients with CE. Serum interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10 and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) before and after pharmacological and surgical treatment. Serum cytokine levels of IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-γ were elevated in a significant proportion of patients during the active stage of disease. IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-γ were measurable in 41 (82%), 37 (74%) and 25 (50%) patients before the treatment. Clinical and radiological assessment of patients 2 years after pharmacological treatment has shown that 48 of 50 patients responded to treatment. IL-4 and IL-10 levels were decreased significantly (P< 0.05) in these patients. Conversely, patients who did not respond showed high levels of IL-4 and IL-10 and undetectable levels of IFN-γ. Hence these results suggest that serum IL-4 and IL-10 detection may be useful in the follow-up of patients with CE.
A computational analysis of flanker interference in depression
Authors: Dillon D. G. , Wiecki T. , Pechtel P. , Webb C. , Goer F. , Murray L. , Trivedi M. , Fava M. , McGrath P. J. , Weissman M. , Parsey R. , Kurian B. , Adams P. , Carmody T. , Weyandt S. , Shores-Wilson K. , Toups M. , McInnis M. , Oquendo M. A. , Cusin C. , Deldin P. , Bruder G. , Pizzagalli D. A.
Published: March 2015

Background

Depression is characterized by poor executive function, but – counterintuitively – in some studies, it has been associated with highly accurate performance on certain cognitively demanding tasks. The psychological mechanisms responsible for this paradoxical finding are unclear. To address this issue, we applied a drift diffusion model (DDM) to flanker task data from depressed and healthy adults participating in the multi-site Establishing Moderators and Biosignatures of Antidepressant Response for Clinical Care for Depression (EMBARC) study.

Method

One hundred unmedicated, depressed adults and 40 healthy controls completed a flanker task. We investigated the effect of flanker interference on accuracy and response time, and used the DDM to examine group differences in three cognitive processes: prepotent response bias (tendency to respond to the distracting flankers), response inhibition (necessary to resist prepotency), and executive control (required for execution of correct response on incongruent trials).

Results

Consistent with prior reports, depressed participants responded more slowly and accurately than controls on incongruent trials. The DDM indicated that although executive control was sluggish in depressed participants, this was more than offset by decreased prepotent response bias. Among the depressed participants, anhedonia was negatively correlated with a parameter indexing the speed of executive control (r = −0.28, p = 0.007).

Conclusions

Executive control was delayed in depression but this was counterbalanced by reduced prepotent response bias, demonstrating how participants with executive function deficits can nevertheless perform accurately in a cognitive control task. Drawing on data from neural network simulations, we speculate that these results may reflect tonically reduced striatal dopamine in depression.
Quantity and spatial distribution of seeds dispersed by a western lowland gorilla population in south-east Cameroon
Authors: Petre Charles-Albert , Tagg Nikki , Beudels-Jamar Roseline , Haurez Barbara , Salah Marcel , Spetschinsky Victoria , Willie Jacob , Doucet Jean-Louis
Published: March 2015

Understanding the ecological function of large frugivores in tropical forests is important considering their central position in seed-dispersal networks. This study illustrates the seed-dispersal effectiveness of a western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) population in Cameroon by looking at the interaction of seed quantity, species regeneration traits and the environmental characteristics of the deposition sites (sleeping sites vs. feeding trails) in order to discuss the role of gorillas within the ecosystem. The analysis of 1030 faecal samples collected over a 3-y period (September 2009–August 2012) showed that gorillas dispersed a diverse array of species (58 spp. identified), with an average of 289 intact seeds (>5 mm) d−1 per individual. Seed damage during mouth and gut processing occurred for 12 spp., generally accounting for <5% of specific seed load. Germination trials suggested that germination success of passed seeds remained unchanged (N = 6 spp.) or improved (N = 5 spp.) after gut passage compared with hand-cleaned seeds, with one exception. Indicator species identification (IndVal method) and General Discriminant Analysis suggested that sleeping sites (N = 36), as a main type of seed deposition site, correspond to regenerating microhabitats and correspondingly degree of canopy openness is one variable discriminating significantly this type of deposition site with random locations in the forest (N = 36) used as a proxy for non-directed seed deposition on feeding trails. With a mean canopy openness of 19–27%, sleeping sites offer optimal light conditions for the seedling recruitment of non-pioneer light-demanding species, the seeds of which encompass 47.4% of the total seed load dispersed over the 3-y period. From this study, it is hypothesized that the gorilla performed directed-dispersal of some light-demanding plant species at sleeping sites, and hence, by being actively implicated in gap-phase dynamics, fulfils a valuable ecological function within its ecosystem.
A local-global principle for small triangulated categories
Authors: BENSON DAVE , IYENGAR SRIKANTH B. , KRAUSE HENNING
Published: March 2015

Local cohomology functors are constructed for the category of cohomological functors on an essentially small triangulated category ⊺ equipped with an action of a commutative noetherian ring. This is used to establish a local-global principle and to develop a notion of stratification, for ⊺ and the cohomological functors on it, analogous to such concepts for compactly generated triangulated categories.
Perceived Cognitive Difficulties and Cognitive Test Performance as Predictors of Employment Outcomes in People with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Honan Cynthia A. , Brown Rhonda F. , Batchelor Jennifer
Published: March 2015

Perceived cognitive difficulties and cognitive impairment are important determinants of employment in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). However, it is not clear how they are related to adverse work outcomes and whether the relationship is influenced by depressive symptoms. Thus, this study examined perceived and actual general cognitive and prospective memory function, and cognitive appraisal accuracy, in relation to adverse work outcomes. The possible mediating and/or moderating role of depression was also examined. A cross-sectional community-based sample of 111 participants (33 males, 78 females) completed the Multiple Sclerosis Work Difficulties Questionnaire (MSWDQ), Beck Depression Inventory – Fast Screen (BDI-FS), and questions related to their current or past employment. They then underwent cognitive testing using the Screening Examination for Cognitive Impairment, Auditory Consonant Trigrams test, Zoo Map Test, and Cambridge Prospective Memory Test. Perceived general cognitive and prospective memory difficulties in the workplace and performance on the respective cognitive tests were found to predict unemployment and reduced work hours since MS diagnosis due to MS. Depression was also related to reduced work hours, but it did not explain the relationship between perceived cognitive difficulties and the work outcomes. Nor was it related to cognitive test performance. The results highlight a need to address the perceptions of cognitive difficulties together with cognitive impairment and levels of depression in vocational rehabilitation programs in pwMS. (JINS, 2015,21, 156–168)
Acute accents as graphic markers of vowel quantity in two Late Old English manuscripts
Authors: MOKROWIECKI TOMASZ
Published: March 2015

The available standard accounts of Old and Middle English usually assert that scribes paid very little or no attention to vowel quantity. However, a great deal of what has been said so far about quantitative changes in Late Old and Early Middle English is based either on purely theoretical models, or on extremely questionable Modern English data. Surprisingly, except for a few more detailed studies on the peculiar orthography ofThe Ormulum, little has been done so far to analyse other orthographic systems from this perspective. Furthermore, as has already been shown in earlier studies, vowel quantity of Old and Middle English can be reconstructed to some extent on the basis of orthographic evidence from some manuscripts. Since use of the accent mark by some scribes is often associated with vowel length, the primary aim of the present study is to assess the reliability of the accent marks used in MSS Gg. 3.28 (Homilies of Ælfric) and William H. Scheide (The Blickling Homilies) as potential orthographic indicators of vowel quantity. The results of the analysis clearly show that the accent mark is one of those orthographic notations that can be extremely helpful in establishing vowel quantity in a Late Old English manuscript.
How rarities likegoldcame to exist: on co-evolutionary interactions between morphology and lexical phonotactics
Authors: RITT NIKOLAUS , KAZMIERSKI KAMIL
Published: March 2015

We address the question of when, how and why highly marked rhymes of the structure VVCC (as ingold, falseorbind) came to be established in the lexical phonotactics of English. Specifically, we discuss two hypotheses. The first is that lexical VVCC clusters owe their existence to the fact that similar rhyme structures are produced routinely in verbal past tenses and third-person singular present tense forms (fails, fined), and in nominal plurals (goals, signs), The other is based on the insight emerging in morphonotactic research (Dressler & Dziubalska-Kołaczyk 2006) that languages tend to avoid homophonies between lexical and morphotactically produced structures. We hold both hypotheses against a body ofOEDand corpus data, reconstruct the phases in which the lexical VVCC rhymes that are still attested in Present-day English emerged, and relate them to the phases in which productive inflectional rules came to produce rhymes of the same type. We show that the emergence of morphotactic models is indeed likely to have played a role in establishing VVCC rhymes in the English lexicon, since VVCC rhymes of the types VV[sonorant]/d|z/ began to establish themselves in lexical phonotactics at the same period in which they also started to be produced in inflection, and clearly before similar types that had no inflectionally produced analogues (i.e. VV[sonorant]/t|s/ as infault, dance). At the same time, we show that this does not necessarily contradict the hypothesis that homophonies between lexical and morphotactic rhymes are dispreferred. We argue that under the specific historical circumstances that obtained in English, natural ways of eliminating the resulting ambiguities failed to be available. Finally, we show that, once the phonotactically and semiotically dispreferred VV[sonorant]/d|z/ rhymes had been established, the emergence of morphotactically unambiguous rhymes of the types VV[sonorant]/t|s/ was to be expected, since they filled what was an accidental rather than natural gap in the phonotactic system of English (see Hayes & White 2013).
A systematic review of ovarian cancer and fear of recurrence
Authors: Ozga Melissa , Aghajanian Carol , Myers-Virtue Shannon , McDonnell Glynnis , Jhanwar Sabrina , Hichenberg Shira , Sulimanoff Isabel
Published: March 2015

Objective:

To assess demographic, medical, and psychological factors that are associated with fear of recurrence (FCR) in ovarian cancer patients.

Method:

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. For PubMed, a search using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) was run, as well as a text-word search from 1990 to July of 2014. The search terms used consisted of ovarian terms, fear terms, and recurrence/progression themes. Title and abstract reviews were conducted by two independent reviewers to determine eligibility, and discrepancies were decided by a third reviewer. Full-text reviews of potentially eligible articles were conducted by the review team, which met regularly to ensure the reliability of eligibility ratings across all articles.

Results:

A total of 15 articles met our inclusion criteria. Nine were quantitative studies that utilized a cross-sectional design, and the other six included three qualitative studies, two small intervention studies, and one study that utilized content analysis to explore written correspondence among ovarian cancer patients. FCR was reported as a significant concern for both older and younger women at both early and advanced stages. Women were distressed about recurrence at various times during their treatment and posttreatment. FCR was noted to be prevalent around cancer follow-up examinations. Many women reported not receiving adequate support for recurrence. FCR was also shown to be linked in some way to hopelessness, faith/spirituality, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). FCR was also linked to patients' anxiety about death and dying and uncertainty about the future of their medical health.

Significance of Results:

This review demonstrates that FCR is prevalent in the ovarian cancer population. Moreover, cancer recurrence fears are not adequately assessed or treated. More information is needed on the factors that may be related to women's fears about recurrence of ovarian cancer. In addition, a validated measure of FCR among ovarian cancer patients as well as a treatment intervention are needed.
Development of legal highs
Authors: Wasunna Brenda , Thomas Emily , Morgan Sally
Published: March 2015

New psychoactive substances (NPS) or ‘legal highs’ are defined as unregulated psychoactive substances including synthetic and/or plant derived substances (marketed as research chemicals, party pills and herbal highs) that are intended to mimic the effects of controlled drugs. Psychiatric services around the country are seeing a rise in the use of NPS complicating mental health presentations. The challenge surrounding these substances is the fact that they are not under the international drug control system and are proving to have a detrimental health effect on users. This article reviews the current literature on this subject and discusses some of the most common examples of NPS and their potential effects on mental health.
The role of bureaucrats in designing policy outcomes: the case of the 2002 General Security Service (GSS) Law
Authors: Meydani Assaf
Published: March 2015

Since the 1980s, and mainly since the 1990s, studies in politics and law have adopted an economic attitude to explaining judicial behaviour. In contrast, this paper follows the individualistic approach by focusing on the role of individuals in bureaucracies in designing policy outcomes, using political entrepreneurship and new institutionalism as its theoretical framework. In describing a specific institutional change in Israel – the passage of the General Security Service Law in 2002 – I maintain that this institutional change is an equilibrium that resulted from the actions of empowered military bureaucrats acting as political entrepreneurs who sought to maximise their own political assets in the light of certain structural and cultural conditions, both local and international. The institutional arena was characterised by the inability of the government to function effectively (non-governability), enhanced judicialisation, the dominance of security issues in Israel, and the development of a unique shared mental model of alternative political culture. However, it was still open to changes based on new liberal attitudes about human rights. Thus, politicians influence and are influenced by a wide range of institutional norms and practices in a complex process of changes in institutional design.
Compassion and the criminal justice system:stumbling alongtowards a jurisprudence of love and forgiveness
Authors: Shaw Julia J. A.
Published: March 2015

As the title suggests, Jeffrie G. Murphy's latest anthology of thirteen essays comprises an agglomeration of his thoughts on punishment and forgiveness along with the moral emotions of guilt, remorse, resentment, shame, love and jealousy. All were written and published in law and philosophy journals between 1999 and 2011, with the exception of the final chapter in which he returns to an earlier passion for Kant's moral, political and legal theory in relation to duelling, infanticide, shipwrecks and the right of necessity. Murphy's enduring commitment to the quasi-Kantian ideal of human dignity is articulated by reference to the social significance of a religious framework within which, he claims, it is possible to elucidate an appropriately moral vision of punishment for criminal justice decision-making. Although the investigation of moral emotions is not purported to deliver solutions in the form of a set of precise rules or principles capable of producing specific outcomes, he provides normative direction by an appeal to the core values which comprise the traditional Christian ethic of forgiveness. Because, according to Christianity, we are all created in God's image, there is resemblance between all human beings which means we are able to identify with the sentiments of others.
The end of application of international humanitarian law
Authors: Milanovic Marko
Published: March 2015

This article provides an overview of the rules governing the end of application of international humanitarian law (IHL), or the law of armed conflict. It articulates the general principle that, unless there is a good reason of text, principle or policy that warrants an exception, the application of IHL will cease once the conditions that triggered its application in the first place are no longer met. For IHL to apply, its distinct thresholds of application – international armed conflict, belligerent occupation and non-international armed conflict – must continue to be satisfied at any given point in time. The article also examines situations in which a departure from the general rule is warranted, as well as the factors that need to be taken into account in determining the end of each type of armed conflict. In doing so, the article analyzes terminating processes and events, which generally end the application of IHL (but not necessarily all of it), and transformative processes and events, which end the application of one IHL sub-regime but immediately engage another. Finally, the article briefly looks at the (putative) armed conflict between the United States and Al Qaeda and its seemingly imminent end.
Conflict-related sexual violence and the policy implications of recent research
Authors: Wood Elisabeth Jean
Published: March 2015

Scholars increasingly document different forms of conflict-related sexual violence, their distinct causes, and their sharply varying deployment by armed organizations. In this paper, I first summarize recent research on this variation, emphasizing findings that contradict or complicate popular beliefs. I then discuss distinct interpretations of the claim that such violence is part of a continuum of violence between peace and war. After analyzing recent research on the internal dynamics of armed organizations, I suggest that widespread rape often occurs as a practice rather than as a strategy. Finally, I advance some principles to guide policy in light of recent research.
Action Change Theory: A Reinforcement Learning Perspective on Behavior Change
Authors: Vlaev Ivo , Dolan Paul
Published: March 2015

Traditional theories of behavior change rely mostly on influencing higher-order mental processes as a route to altering deliberate responses, whereas more recent theorizing postulates that interventions can also rely on using contextual cues influencing lower-order processes as a route to changing spontaneous responses. We propose an alternative mechanistic account based on reinforcement learning theory, which utilizes different action control systems in the brain. Therefore, this account works at a different level of analysis and description, which promises to lead to the development of a more general and integrative theory of behavior change. Reward systems generate specific affective states that influence behavior via 3 action controllers. Innate actions are stereotyped evolutionarily determined responses to stimuli. Habitual actions develop through stimulus-response learning without explicit outcome representations. Goal-directed actions are based on an explicit model of the structure of the environment, which utilizes computations of action-outcome contingencies. We describe how these mechanisms for action control parsimoniously explain behavior change theories and techniques.
Research on Institutionalized Children: Implications for International Child Welfare Practitioners and Policymakers
Authors: McCall Robert B. , Groark Christina J.
Published: March 2015

This paper reviews the empirical literature on the effects of institutionalization on young children’s development from the perspective of global child welfare practice and policy. It considers the characteristics of typical institutions, how to assess the quality of care in institutions, the level of physical and behavioral/mental development of infants and young children while residing in institutions, the crucial role of caregiver–child interactions in children’s development, the potential of children to developmentally improve when institutional caregiver–child interactions improve or children are transferred to families, and the influence of the quality of care on children’s development regardless of context. Several controversies are considered in a balanced fashion and from the standpoint of the nature of the evidence, such as care as typically practiced versus more ideal care, intercountry adoptions, improving institutions, and volunteers in institutions. Implications for practice and policy are identified throughout, especially factors that characterize successful large-scale attempts to transition from institutionalization to a system of family alternatives.
Simultaneous observation of the quantization and the interference pattern of a plasmonic near-field
Authors: Piazza L , Lummen T.T.A. , Quiñonez E , Murooka Y , Reed B.W. , Barwick B , Carbone F
Published: March 2015

Surface plasmon polaritons can confine electromagnetic fields in subwavelength spaces and are of interest for photonics, optical data storage devices and biosensing applications. In analogy to photons, they exhibit wave–particle duality, whose different aspects have recently been observed in separate tailored experiments. Here we demonstrate the ability of ultrafast transmission electron microscopy to simultaneously image both the spatial interference and the quantization of such confined plasmonic fields. Our experiments are accomplished by spatiotemporally overlapping electron and light pulses on a single nanowire suspended on a graphene film. The resulting energy exchange between single electrons and the quanta of the photoinduced near-field is imaged synchronously with its spatial interference pattern. This methodology enables the control and visualization of plasmonic fields at the nanoscale, providing a promising tool for understanding the fundamental properties of confined electromagnetic fields and the development of advanced photonic circuits.
The relationship between dopamine receptor D1 and cognitive performance
Authors: Tsang Jonathan , Fullard John F , Giakoumaki Stella G , Katsel Pavel , Katsel Pavel , Karagiorga Vasiliki Eirini , Greenwood Tiffany A , Braff David L , Siever Larry J , Bitsios Panos , Haroutunian Vahram , Roussos Panos
Published: March 2015

Background:

Cognitive impairment cuts across traditional diagnostic boundaries and is one of the most typical symptoms in various psychiatric and neurobiological disorders.

Aims:

The objective of this study was to examine the genetic association between 94 candidate genes, including receptors and enzymes that participate in neurotransmission, with measures of cognition.

Methods:

The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), a global measure of cognition, and genotypes derived from a custom array of 1,536 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 94 genes were available for a large postmortem cohort of Caucasian cases with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), schizophrenia and controls (n=727). A cohort of healthy young males (n=1,493) originating from the LOGOS project (Learning On Genetics Of Schizophrenia Spectrum) profiled across multiple cognitive domains was available for targeted SNP genotyping. Gene expression was quantified in the superior temporal gyrus of control samples (n=109). The regulatory effect on transcriptional activity was assessed using the luciferase reporter system.

Results:

The rs5326-A allele at the promoter region of dopamine receptor D1 (DRD1) locus was associated with: (i) poorer cognition (higher CDR) in the postmortem cohort (P=9.325×10−4); (ii) worse cognitive performance relevant to strategic planning in the LOGOS cohort (P=0.008); (iii) lower DRD1 gene expression in the superior temporal gyrus of controls (P=0.038); and (iv) decreased transcriptional activity in human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells (P=0.026).

Conclusions:

An interdisciplinary approach combining genetics with cognitive and molecular neuroscience provided a possible mechanistic link among DRD1 and alterations in cognitive performance.
Scalable quantum memory in the ultrastrong coupling regime
Authors: Kyaw T. H. , Felicetti S. , Romero G. , Solano E. , Kwek L.-C.
Published: March 2015

Circuit quantum electrodynamics, consisting of superconducting artificial atoms coupled to on-chip resonators, represents a prime candidate to implement the scalable quantum computing architecture because of the presence of good tunability and controllability. Furthermore, recent advances have pushed the technology towards the ultrastrong coupling regime of light-matter interaction, where the qubit-resonator coupling strength reaches a considerable fraction of the resonator frequency. Here, we propose a qubit-resonator system operating in that regime, as a quantum memory device and study the storage and retrieval of quantum information in and from the Z2 parity-protected quantum memory, within experimentally feasible schemes. We are also convinced that our proposal might pave a way to realize a scalable quantum random-access memory due to its fast storage and readout performances.
Complete genome sequence of hypervirulent and outbreak-associated Acinetobacter baumannii strain LAC-4: epidemiology, resistance genetic determinants and potential virulence factors
Authors: Ou Hong-Yu , Kuang Shan N. , He Xinyi , Molgora Brenda M. , Ewing Peter J. , Deng Zixin , Osby Melanie , Chen Wangxue , Xu H. Howard
Published: March 2015

Acinetobacter baumannii is an important human pathogen due to its multi-drug resistance. In this study, the genome of an ST10 outbreak A. baumannii isolate LAC-4 was completely sequenced to better understand its epidemiology, antibiotic resistance genetic determinants and potential virulence factors. Compared with 20 other complete genomes of A. baumannii, LAC-4 genome harbors at least 12 copies of five distinct insertion sequences. It contains 12 and 14 copies of two novel IS elements, ISAba25 and ISAba26, respectively. Additionally, three novel composite transposons were identified: Tn6250, Tn6251 and Tn6252, two of which contain resistance genes. The antibiotic resistance genetic determinants on the LAC-4 genome correlate well with observed antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Moreover, twelve genomic islands (GI) were identified in LAC-4 genome. Among them, the 33.4-kb GI12 contains a large number of genes which constitute the K (capsule) locus. LAC-4 harbors several unique putative virulence factor loci. Furthermore, LAC-4 and all 19 other outbreak isolates were found to harbor a heme oxygenase gene (hemO)-containing gene cluster. The sequencing of the first complete genome of an ST10 A. baumannii clinical strain should accelerate our understanding of the epidemiology, mechanisms of resistance and virulence of A. baumannii.
6-Gingerol reduces Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation and virulence via quorum sensing inhibition
Authors: Kim Han-Shin , Lee Sang-Hoon , Byun Youngjoo , Park Hee-Deung
Published: March 2015

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a well-known pathogenic bacterium that forms biofilms and produces virulence factors via quorum sensing (QS). Interfering with normal QS interactions between signal molecules and their cognate receptors is a developing strategy for attenuating its virulence. Here we tested the hypothesis that 6-gingerol, a pungent oil of fresh ginger, reduces biofilm formation and virulence by antagonistically binding to P. aeruginosa QS receptors. In silico studies demonstrated molecular binding occurs between 6-gingerol and the QS receptor LasR through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. Experimentally 6-gingerol reduced biofilm formation, several virulence factors (e.g., exoprotease, rhamnolipid and pyocyanin) and mice mortality. Further transcriptome analyses demonstrated that 6-gingerol successfully repressed QS-induced genes, specifically those related to the production of virulence factors. These results strongly support our hypothesis and offer insight into the molecular mechanism that caused QS gene repression.