bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermomechanical analysis of an elastoplastic rough body in sliding contact with flat surface and the effect of adjacent contact asperity
Authors: Huang Jianmeng , Gao Chenghui , Chen Jingjing , Lin Xiezhao , Ren Zhiying
Published: May 2015

The study of the instantaneous frictional temperature, stress, and equivalent plastic strain generated when two surfaces are in frictional sliding process plays a significant role in understanding friction and wear mechanism. A thermomechanical coupling model between a rough body and a flat body is established. The model integrates the heat flux coupling between the sliding surfaces and considers the effects of the interaction among contact asperities and elastoplastic deformation of the rough body. The thermomechanical problem under this three-dimensional model is solved by the nonlinear finite element methods in ABAQUS software. The results show that the temperature, contact pressure, and stress are coupled. The results of the real contact area and the instantaneous frictional temperature, contact pressure, and VonMises equivalent stress on the local contact region fluctuate obviously due to the interaction among the adjacent contact asperities. The influence of asperity interaction is not constant but intermittent. Its time interval is related to the added interaction of a new adjacent contact asperity. The fluctuation of the VonMises equivalent stress makes the equivalent plastic strain of the frictional surface layer accumulate continually which might cause fatigue wear and plastic deformation wear of the material when the frictional rotating process was repeated.
Influence of pick working angle on cutting performance of auger miner’s aiguille
Authors: Fu Lin , Du Changlong , Li Jianping , Zheng Kehong
Published: May 2015

To study the influence of pick working angles on cutting performance of auger miner’s aiguille, aiguilles with different pick working angles were developed and their performance were tested on coal cutting test-bed. Cutting performance evaluation system of the aiguille was established first, and then evaluation indexes such as average load, load fluctuation coefficient, and specific energy were analyzed by statistical method. The research indicates that the torque and specific energy of the aiguille decrease first and then increase with increased pick working angles. The feed resistance decreases with the increase in two working angles. The energy consumed by the feed resistance is very small relative to the total energy and can be ignored. When the cutting angle is between 45° and 50° and the tilt angle is about 20°, the torque and specific energy of the aiguille will be at a minimum and the load stability of the aiguille will also be ideal.
Failure observation of the AZ31B magnesium alloy and the effect of lead addition content under ballistic impact
Authors: Abdullah Mohamad Faizal , Abdullah Shahrum , Omar Mohd Zaidi , Sajuri Zainuddin , Sohaimi Risby Mohd
Published: May 2015

The association of the failure behavior of the AZ31B magnesium alloy with absorption energy under ballistic impact condition was investigated in this study, as well as the effect of varying percentages of added lead (Pb) content. The compositions of Pb in AZ31B were 1%, 5%, and 10% by percentage weight of Pb. Two types of projectile were used to compare the experimental and simulation results. Ballistic testing on a magnesium alloy plate was performed at the velocity of 435 m/s for the 9 mm×19 mm Parabellum projectile and 976 m/s for the 5.56 mm×45 mm NATO projectile. Simulation was performed using the Johnson–Cook model to determine the maximum stress that the material can withstand. Deformation and failure occurred in the ballistic simulation when the different projectiles were used. In the 9 mm×19 mm Parabellum projectile, no penetration was observed in the magnesium alloy, whereas in the 5.56 mm×45 mm NATO projectile, complete penetration was observed throughout the thickness of the alloy. The addition of Pb on AZ31B affected the absorption energy, and the addition of 1% Pb produced the most suitable absorption energy for further analysis.
Distributed leadership through the lens of Activity Theory
Authors: Ho Jeanne Pau Yen , Victor Chen Der-Thanq , Ng David
Published: May 2015

Purpose:

Using Activity Theory as an interpretive lens to examine the distribution of leadership, this paper shares a case study on how leadership for an ICT project was distributed in a Singapore school.

Method:

The case study involved observations of 49 meetings and 34 interviews of leaders and the teachers who were involved in the ICT project.

Findings:

Applying the lens of third-generation Activity Theory helped to reveal two main interrelated activity systems, and the leadership actions performed by senior and middle management. The two activity systems comprised the school and the ICT project. The focus in Activity Theory on the social–cultural perspective highlighted the role played by social norms in mediating the leadership activity.

Implications for future research:

The conclusion focuses on the understanding of distributed leadership as analysed through the lens of Activity Theory and suggests future research directions. Activity Theory enables research on distributed leadership to identify and examine interrelated activity systems that various leaders are involved in, and how these impact the leadership provided.
Reflexivity in practice: Ethical dilemmas in research with potential living kidney donors
Authors: Cuesta-Briand Beatriz , Wray Natalie , Boudvile Neil
Published: May 2015

“Ethics in practice” are the ethical dilemmas that arise during the conduct of research. In this article, we describe the ethical issues we faced when conducting an exploration of the experiences of 19 potential living kidney donors, and demonstrate how reflexivity can guide the ethical decision-making throughout the research process. We discuss how we addressed issues of risk of potential psychological discomfort and distress to participants; autonomy and consent; and power imbalance, disclosure and reciprocity. We also address the practical implications of our decisions. Through this discussion of the “ethically important” moments we faced, we aim to spark debate about the ethical and practical challenges facing qualitative health researchers today, and demonstrate how reflexivity can contribute to navigating the “ethical labyrinth” of qualitative health research.
Facebook’s flawed emotion experiment: Antisocial research on social network users
Authors: Shaw David
Published: May 2015

In June 2014, a paper reporting the results of a study into ‘emotional contagion’ on Facebook was published. This research has already attracted a great deal of criticism for problems surrounding informed consent. While most of this criticism is justified, other relevant consent issues have gone unremarked, and the study has several other ethical flaws which collectively indicate the need for better regulation of health and mood research using social networks.
5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-D-ribofuranoside-attenuates LPS/D-Gal-induced acute hepatitis in mice
Authors: Zhou Dan , Ai Qing , Lin Ling , Gong Xianqiong , Ge Pu , Che Qian , Wan Jingyuan , Wen Aiqing , Zhang Li
Published: May 2015

The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-mediated energy-sensing signals play important roles in reprogramming the expression of inflammatory genes. In the present study, the potential effects of the AMPK activator 5-aminoimidazole-4 - carboxamide-1-β-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR) were investigated in a mouse model with LPS/D-Gal-induced acute hepatitis. Our experimental data indicated that treatment with AICAR suppressed the elevation of plasma aminotransferases and alleviated the histopathological abnormalities in mice exposed to LPS/D-Gal. Treatment with AICAR also inhibited the LPS/D-Gal-induced up-regulation of TNF-α, NO and myeloperoxidase. In addition, the LPS/D-Gal-induced expression of pro-apoptotic factor Bax, cleavage of caspase-3, elevation of hepatic caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9 activities and induction of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nucleotide nick-end labeling–positive cells were all suppressed by AICAR. These results suggested that the AMPK activator AICAR could attenuate LPS/D-Gal-induced acute hepatitis, which implies that AMPK might become a novel target for the treatment of inflammation-based liver disorders.
Test-Retest Reliability of a Computerized Concussion Test
Authors: Littleton Ashley C. , Register-Mihalik Johna K. , Guskiewicz Kevin M.
Published: May 2015

Background:

Neurocognitive testing is an important concussion evaluation tool, but for neurocognitive tests to be useful, their psychometric properties must be well established. Test-retest reliability of computerized neurocognitive tests can influence their clinical utility. The reliability for a commonly used computerized neurocognitive test, CNS Vital Signs, is not well established. The purpose of this study was to examine test-retest reliability and reliable change indices for CNS Vital Signs in a healthy, physically active college population.

Hypothesis:

CNS Vital Signs yields acceptable test-retest reliability, with greater reliability between the second and third test administration compared with between the first and second administration.

Study Design:

Cohort study.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.

Methods:

Forty healthy, active volunteers (16 men, 24 women; mean age, 21.05 ± 2.17 years) reported to a clinical laboratory for 3 sessions, 1 week apart. At each session, participants were administered CNS Vital Signs. Outcomes included standard scores for the following CNS Vital Signs domains: verbal memory, visual memory, psychomotor speed, cognitive flexibility, complex attention, processing speed, reaction time, executive functioning, and reasoning.

Results:

Participants performed significantly better on the second session and/or third session than they did on the first testing session on 6 of 9 neurocognitive domains. Pearson r test-retest correlations between sessions ranged from 0.11 to 0.87. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.10 to 0.86.

Conclusion:

Clinicians should consider using reliable change indices to account for practice effects, identify meaningful score changes due to pathology, and inform clinical decisions.

Clinical Relevance:

This study highlights the importance of clinicians understanding the psychometric properties of computerized neurocognitive tests when using them in the management of sport-related concussion. If CNS Vital Signs is administered twice within a small time frame (such as 1 week), athletes should be expected to improve between the first and second administration.
The Palestinian path to the Convention on the Rights of the Child: Anticipation and discussion
Authors: Habashi Janette
Published: May 2015

As Palestinian society prepares for statehood and finalizes a state constitution, the Palestinian legislation and policy-makers must ensure that Palestinian children’s rights are upheld according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Palestine clearly has a dedication to children’s rights and as a society is committed to advocating and supporting them. In order for children’s rights to be upheld within the Palestinian community as they are delineated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, it is necessary for the Palestinian government to make certain that national law echoes Convention on the Rights of the Child rights. The current Palestinian Basic Law takes into account international treaties and mandates but also espouses Sharia law as one of its foundations, as Sharia law is part of the Palestinian national discourse and identity. Due to this, it is integral that Palestinian law and policy-makers juxtapose the Palestinian Basic Law and the Convention on the Rights of the Child to identify any discrepancies or inconsistencies between the two so that discussion can occur on how best to uphold children’s rights in Palestinian society.
Spaces of dialogue? The case of the World Social Forum Tunis 2013 from the perspective of young, local volunteers
Authors: Jabberi Fatma , Laine Sofia
Published: May 2015

In this article, we use a multidimensional approach to empirically study the concepts of dialogue and contact zones in the setting of the World Social Forum Tunis 2013, with a special emphasis on young, local volunteers. Although young Tunisians played a crucial role in the revolution, they have been side-lined in the construction of the country’s new democracy. Furthermore, although many studies have paid attention to the creativity of young activists in the World Social Forum, very few have thoroughly analysed the engagements and experiences of young, local participants. This is surprising, especially since the youth represent one of the biggest groups of participants in World Social Forums. Moreover, many World Social Forum volunteers, the backbone of the forum, are young locals. This article presents a combination of Jabberi’s autoethnographic work and Laine’s ethnographic work on the World Social Forum Tunis 2013. Using the concepts of de Sousa Santos, the article shows how young World Social Forum volunteers actively produced translations of knowledge and practices that enabled multicultural contact zones that connected the different actors in the forum.
Competing imaginations for teaching and learning: The findings of research into a Christian approach to teaching and learning called What If Learning
Authors: Cooling Trevor , Green Elizabeth H
Published: May 2015

What If Learning is an approach to help teachers re-frame teaching and learning to support the Christian ethos of a school. This article presents the findings of research carried out with 14 teachers, in three state-funded church secondary schools in England. The findings provide an important insight into teachers’ pedagogic practice. The article concludes that teachers’ assumptions about knowledge, pedagogy and theology are filtered through their prior assumptions about what it means to teach ‘Christianly’ and also by assumptions about pedagogy embedded within English education policy. What If Learning required them to re-frame their practice in the light of a Christian worldview, and even though they were teaching in church schools this was the first time some of the participants had experienced this.
Are Hip Precautions Necessary Post Total Hip Arthroplasty? A Systematic Review
Authors: Barnsley Lara , Barnsley Leslie , Page Richard
Published: May 2015

Purpose:

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a common and effective treatment of hip osteoarthritis. Activity restrictions known as hip precautions are widely practiced in rehabilitation post THA, aiming to foster healing and prevent hip dislocation. The focused clinical question was: Does the application of hip precautions in patients post THA versus unrestricted activities significantly decrease the risk of prosthetic dislocation?

Methods:

A comprehensive literature search was conducted for randomized controlled trials or cohort studies with a comparative group and minimum 6 months follow-up, with dislocation as an end point. Retrieved titles were assessed independently by 2 reviewers for inclusion and underwent standardized data extraction.

Results:

Title search produced 80 potentially relevant articles. Five articles were retrieved for data extraction of which 2 met a prior eligibility criteria. No eligible studies were found that concerned posterior approaches to hip arthroplasty, so the results of this review concern only anterolateral approaches. Neither included study showed any benefit of hip precautions in preventing dislocation.

Conclusion:

The rate of dislocation after anterolateral THA is low and is not improved by hip precautions. Hip precautions are associated with a slower return to activities, significant expense, and decreased patient satisfaction. Existing studies risk being compromised by a type II error, but a definitive study may be prohibitively large and expensive.
Nurses in France
Authors: Jovic Ljiljana , Bianchi Evelyne , Decouflet Sylvie , Loizeau Valérie , Amiot Patricia , Teixeira Maria
Published: May 2015

In France, medical practitioners are aware that the practice of the delivery of primary care by nurses occurs in other countries. However, there is disagreement about how to implement this practice. This aspect of the issue of front line care has not yet been studied in France. In this article, our aim is to identify to what extent the delivery of primary care by nurses is considered acceptable by doctors and nurses working in hospital emergency departments and in public and private health centers. The results of our research provide a picture of opinions that exist among doctors and nurses. These opinions highlight practices that are outside the current regulations and present perspectives, which range from conditionally in favor to unfavorable. Such opinions contribute to our knowledge because they are derived from the professionals directly involved and describe what is acceptable in this particular context.
Historical Perspectives of the Causation of Lung Cancer
Authors: Ruegg Tracy A.
Published: May 2015

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Less-known forces are involved in the etiology of lung cancer and have relevant implications for providers in ameliorating care. The purpose of this article is to discuss theories of causation of lung cancer using historical analyses of the evolution of the disease and incorporating related explanations integrating the relationships of science, nursing, medicine, and society. Literature from 160 years was searched and Thagard’s model of causation networks was used to exhibit how nursing and medicine were significant influences in lung cancer causation theory. Disease causation interfaces with sociological norms of behavior to form habits and rates of health behavior. Historically, nursing was detrimentally manipulated by the tobacco industry, engaging in harmful smoking behaviors, thus negatively affecting patient care. Understanding the underlying history behind lung cancer causation may empower nurses to play an active role in a patient’s health.
Microstructure and mechanical properties of Al/Ti joints welded by resistance spot welding
Authors: Li Y. , Zhang Y. , Luo Z.
Published: May 2015

Resistance spot welding of commercial pure titanium and aluminium alloy 6061-T6 is carried out. The microstructure and tensile shear properties of the weld joints are studied. There is a critical range of welding current at which the reaction between liquid aluminium and solid titanium changes to a reaction between liquid aluminium and liquid titanium. The microstructure in the aluminium side is a type of transition structure, which is considered to be the same microstructure that connects the columnar dendrite and equiaxed dendrite in similar aluminium alloy resistance spot welding. The welding current has the largest influence upon the tensile shear properties of the Al/Ti weld joint, while the welding time has a small effect and the electrode force has virtually no effect.
Irreversible thermodynamics approach to plasticity: Dislocation density based constitutive modelling
Authors: Vinogradov A. , Yasnikov I. S. , Estrin Y.
Published: May 2015

In this paper, we describe a simple methodology that offers a familiar constitutive description of plasticity in terms of the dislocation density evolution as an outcome of the approach based on the thermodynamics of irreversible processes. We further demonstrate that the dislocation density evolution approach can organically predict the critical strain corresponding to the Considère instability point. Finally, we show that the fractal dimension (FD) of the dislocation population of a deforming material can be integrated in the proposed modelling framework and, consequently, the FD behaviour can be traced, providing insights in the evolution of the dislocation structure in the course of deformation.
On the kinetics of copper electroless plating with hypophosphite reductant
Authors: Martins J. I. , Nunes M. C.
Published: May 2015

The electroless copper plating using sodium hypophosphite as the reductant and sodium citrate as the chelating agent was studied by gravimetric and electrochemical measurements. The effects of temperature, pH, boric acid, citrate, hypophosphite, nickel catalyst and copper concentration were tested. A chemical model was defined to determine the composition of all ionic species in the bath solution. The kinetics of the electroless copper deposition was interpreted on the basis of the dehydrogenation of the reductant, mixed potential theory and in the ionic speciation of the bath. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray microanalysis by energy spectroscopy dispersion and X-ray diffraction applied on surfaces show that the deposits are composed by binary (Ni–Cu) and ternary alloys (Cu–Ni–P) and that their crystallinity depends on phosphorus content.
Simultaneous nitriding for two components of Ti/steel clad sheet
Authors: Sun J. , Yao Q. T. , Tong W. P. , Du X. D. , Wu Y. C.
Published: May 2015

Nanostructured surface layers were fabricated on titanium and steel components of the Ti/steel clad sheet by the surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). The average grain size on the top surface layer of SMAT titanium component and SMAT steel component is ∼8 and 10–20 nm respectively. Subsequently, the nitriding behaviours of the SMAT Ti/steel clad sheet at 530°C for 8 h were investigated in comparison with those of the coarse grained counterpart. Experimental results showed that the surface nanocrystallisation evidently promotes the formation of an ultrafine polycrystalline compound layer on titanium component and of a much thicker compound layer on steel component. Surface property tests demonstrated that two components of the SMAT nitrided Ti/steel clad sheet exhibit high surface hardness and excellent wear resistance. This paper offers a novel approach for simultaneous nitriding of two components on the Ti/steel clad sheet.
Titanium nitride deposition on aluminium for adhesion promotion
Authors: Subramanian A. , Pratap T. , Kurup D. A. , Thangaraj G. , Bhowmik S. , Mukherjee S. , Rane R.
Published: May 2015

This investigation highlights the adhesion characteristics of unmodified and titanium nitride deposited aluminium. Due to titanium nitride deposition on aluminium, surface energy, especially the polar component of surface energy of aluminium, increases considerably. There is a significant change in physicochemical characteristics due to titanium nitride deposition on aluminium observed under atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. Lap shear tensile test results reveal that due to titanium nitride deposition on aluminium, the adhesive joint strength of aluminium to aluminium increases considerably and increases further if silicate nanoparticulates are dispersed into the epoxy adhesive. Dispersion of silicate nanoparticles into the silicon adhesive deteriorates the adhesive bond strength. Failure mode of adhesive bonding of unmodified aluminium is primarily interfacial and changes to cohesive due to the titanium nitride deposition on aluminium.
Dicer1 imparts essential survival cues in Notch-driven T-ALL via miR-21–mediated tumor suppressor Pdcd4 repression
Authors: Junker Fabian , Chabloz Antoine , Koch Ute , Radtke Freddy
Published: May 2015

Key Points

Dicer1-mediated miRNA biogenesis is essential for induction and maintenance of Notch1-driven T-ALL. miR-21 regulates survival of T-ALL, in part through the repression of the tumor suppressor gene Pdcd4.
Warfarin-induced venous limb ischemia/gangrene complicating cancer: a novel and clinically distinct syndrome
Authors: Warkentin Theodore E. , Cook Richard J. , Sarode Ravi , Sloane Debi A. , Crowther Mark A.
Published: May 2015

Key Points

Warfarin-induced venous gangrene in cancer affects limb with DVT and features platelet fall after stopping heparin and supratherapeutic INR. Persisting thrombin generation occurs despite elevated INR, indicating severe PC depletion that occurs in parallel with reduced factor VII.
P-selectin promotes neutrophil extracellular trap formation in mice
Authors: Etulain Julia , Martinod Kimberly , Wong Siu Ling , Cifuni Stephen M. , Schattner Mirta , Wagner Denisa D.
Published: May 2015

Key Points

NET formation is stimulated by platelet or soluble P-selectin.
Pain Perception in Acute Model Mice of Parkinson's Disease Induced by 1-Methyl-4-Phenyl-1,2,3,6-Tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)
Authors: Park Jihye , Lim Chae-Seok , Seo Hyunhyo , Park Chung-Ah , Zhuo Min , Kaang Bong-Kiun , Lee Kyungmin
Published: May 2015

Background

Pain is the most prominent non-motor symptom observed in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the mechanisms underlying the generation of pain in PD have not been well studied. We used a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced mouse model of PD to analyze the relationship between pain sensory abnormalities and the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons.

Results

The latency to fall off the rotarod and the total distance traveled in round chamber were significantly reduced in MPTP-induced PD mice, consistent with motor dysfunction. MPTP-treated mice also showed remarkably shorter nociceptive response latencies compared to saline-treated mice and the subcutaneous injection of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) partially reversed pain hypersensitivity induced by MPTP treatment. We found that degeneration of cell bodies and fibers in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the striatum of MPTP-treated mice. In addition, astrocytic and microglial activation was seen in the subthalamic nucleus and neuronal activity was significantly increased in the striatum and globus pallidus. However, we did not observe any changes in neurons, astrocytes, and microglia of both the dorsal and ventral horns in the spinal cord after MPTP treatment.

Conclusions

These results suggest that the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway may have a role in inhibiting noxious stimuli, and that abnormal inflammatory responses and neural activity in basal ganglia is correlated to pain processing in PD induced by MPTP treatment.
Functional fingerprinting of human mesenchymal stem cells using high-throughput RNAi screening
Authors: Erdmann Gerrit , Suchanek Michael , Horn Patrick , Graf Fabian , Volz Christian , Horn Thomas , Zhang Xian , Wagner Wolfgang , Ho Anthony D. , Boutros Michael
Published: May 2015

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising candidates for cellular therapies ranging from tissue repair in regenerative medicine to immunomodulation in graft versus host disease after allogeneic transplantation or in autoimmune diseases. Nonetheless, progress has been hampered by their enormous phenotypic as well as functional heterogeneity and the lack of uniform standards and guidelines for quality control. In this study, we describe a method to perform cellular phenotyping by high-throughput RNA interference in primary human bone marrow MSCs. We have shown that despite heterogeneity of MSC populations, robust functional assays can be established that are suitable for high-throughput and high-content screening. We profiled primary human MSCs against human fibroblasts. Network analysis showed a kinome fingerprint that differs from human primary fibroblasts as well as fibroblast cell lines. In conclusion, this study shows that high-throughput screening in primary human MSCs can be reliably used for kinome fingerprinting.
Applying DEKOIS 2.0 in structure-based virtual screening to probe the impact of preparation procedures and score normalization
Authors: Ibrahim Tamer M , Bauer Matthias R , Boeckler Frank M
Published: May 2015

Background

Structure-based virtual screening techniques can help to identify new lead structures and complement other screening approaches in drug discovery. Prior to docking, the data (protein crystal structures and ligands) should be prepared with great attention to molecular and chemical details.

Results

Using a subset of 18 diverse targets from the recently introduced DEKOIS 2.0 benchmark set library, we found differences in the virtual screening performance of two popular docking tools (GOLD and Glide) when employing two different commercial packages (e.g. MOE and Maestro) for preparing input data. We systematically investigated the possible factors that can be responsible for the found differences in selected sets. For the Angiotensin-I-converting enzyme dataset, preparation of the bioactive molecules clearly exerted the highest influence on VS performance compared to preparation of the decoys or the target structure. The major contributing factors were different protonation states, molecular flexibility, and differences in the input conformation (particularly for cyclic moieties) of bioactives. In addition, score normalization strategies eliminated the biased docking scores shown by GOLD (ChemPLP) for the larger bioactives and produced a better performance. Generalizing these normalization strategies on the 18 DEKOIS 2.0 sets, improved the performances for the majority of GOLD (ChemPLP) docking, while it showed detrimental performances for the majority of Glide (SP) docking.

Conclusions

In conclusion, we exemplify herein possible issues particularly during the preparation stage of molecular data and demonstrate to which extent these issues can cause perturbations in the virtual screening performance. We provide insights into what problems can occur and should be avoided, when generating benchmarks to characterize the virtual screening performance. Particularly, careful selection of an appropriate molecular preparation setup for the bioactive set and the use of score normalization for docking with GOLD (ChemPLP) appear to have a great importance for the screening performance. For virtual screening campaigns, we recommend to invest time and effort into including alternative preparation workflows into the generation of the master library, even at the cost of including multiple representations of each molecule.
Civil Contract of Photography in India
Authors: Pinney Christopher
Published: May 2015

Pinney’s essay explores, in the context of both colonized and contemporary India, Ariella Azoulay’s argument about the prophetic nature of photographic citizenship. The use of photographs in a number of key Indian National Congress reports reveals the destabilizing potential of the camera. This photographic counter-narrative presents a challenge to certain Althusserian and Foucauldian accounts for which the state is ultimately the arbiter of “evidence.” As Pinney shows, political claims could be advanced in the space of photography that were disallowed in everyday life. This possibility was predicated on smaller and faster apparatuses, that is, a changing technics of media. However, in contemporary India an increasingly miniaturized technics is provoking widespread anxieties about the public visibility of what was formerly private and intimate. The changing form of photographic technics thus drives a social narrative that transforms the camera as a utopian tool of liberation into a dystopian means of transgression.
Asymmetric cell division of granule neuron progenitors in the external granule layer of the mouse cerebellum
Authors: Haldipur Parthiv , Sivaprakasam Iswariya , Periasamy Vinod , Govindan Subashika , Mani Shyamala
Published: May 2015

The plane of division of granule neuron progenitors (GNPs) was analysed with respect to the pial surface in P0 to P14 cerebellum and the results showed that there was a significant bias towards the plane of cell division being parallel to pial surface across this developmental window. In addition, the distribution of β-Catenin in anaphase cells was analysed, which showed that there was a significant asymmetry in the distribution of β-Catenin in dividing GNPs. Further, inhibition of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signalling had an effect on plane of cell division. Asymmetric distribution of β-Catenin was shown to occur towards the source of a localized extracellular cue.
Endoglin potentiates nitric oxide synthesis to enhance definitive hematopoiesis
Authors: Nasrallah Rabab , Knezevic Kathy , Thai Thuan , Thomas Shane R. , Göttgens Berthold , Lacaud Georges , Kouskoff Valerie , Pimanda John E.
Published: May 2015

During embryonic development, hematopoietic cells develop by a process of endothelial-to hematopoietic transition of a specialized population of endothelial cells. These hemogenic endothelium (HE) cells in turn develop from a primitive population of FLK1+ mesodermal cells. Endoglin (ENG) is an accessory TGF-β receptor that is enriched on the surface of endothelial and hematopoietic stem cells and is also required for the normal development of hemogenic precursors. However, the functional role of ENG during the transition of FLK1+ mesoderm to hematopoietic cells is ill defined. To address this we used a murine embryonic stem cell model that has been shown to mirror the temporal emergence of these cells in the embryo. We noted that FLK1+ mesodermal cells expressing ENG generated fewer blast colony-forming cells but had increased hemogenic potential when compared with ENG non-expressing cells. TIE2+/CD117+ HE cells expressing ENG also showed increased hemogenic potential compared with non-expressing cells. To evaluate whether high ENG expression accelerates hematopoiesis, we generated an inducible ENG expressing ES cell line and forced expression in FLK1+ mesodermal or TIE2+/CD117+ HE cells. High ENG expression at both stages accelerated the emergence of CD45+ definitive hematopoietic cells. High ENG expression was associated with increased pSMAD2/eNOS expression and NO synthesis in hemogenic precursors. Inhibition of eNOS blunted the ENG induced increase in definitive hematopoiesis. Taken together, these data show that ENG potentiates the emergence of definitive hematopoietic cells by modulating TGF-β/pSMAD2 signalling and increasing eNOS/NO synthesis.
Saponin-permeabilization is not a viable alternative to isolated mitochondria for assessing oxidative metabolism in hibernation
Authors: Mathers Katherine E. , Staples James F.
Published: May 2015

Saponin permeabilization of tissue slices is increasingly popular for characterizing mitochondrial function largely because it is fast, easy, requires little tissue and leaves much of the cell intact. This technique is well described for mammalian muscle and brain, but not for liver. We sought to evaluate how saponin permeabilization reflects aspects of liver energy metabolism typically assessed in isolated mitochondria. We studied the ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus Mitchell), a hibernating mammal that shows profound and acute whole-animal metabolic suppression in the transition from winter euthermia to torpor. This reversible metabolic suppression is also reflected in the metabolism of isolated liver mitochondria. In this study we compared euthermic and torpid animals using saponin permeabilized tissue and mitochondria isolated from the same livers. As previously demonstrated, isolated mitochondria have state 3 respiration rates, fueled by succinate, that are suppressed by 60-70% during torpor. This result holds whether respiration is standardized to mitochondrial protein, cytochrome a content or citrate synthase activity. In contrast, saponin-permeabilized liver tissue, show no such suppression in torpor. Neither citrate synthase activity nor VDAC content differ between torpor and euthermia, indicating that mitochondrial content remains constant in both permeabilized tissue and isolated mitochondria. In contrast succinate dehydrogenase activity is suppressed during torpor in isolated mitochondria, but not in permeabilized tissue. Mechanisms underlying metabolic suppression in torpor may have been reversed by the permeabilization process. As a result we cannot recommend saponin permeabilization for assessing liver mitochondrial function under conditions where acute changes in metabolism are known to occur.
The canonical eIF4E isoform ofC. elegansregulates growth, embryogenesis, and germline sex-determination
Authors: Mangio Richard S. , Votra SarahBeth , Pruyne David
Published: May 2015

eIF4E plays a conserved role in initiating protein synthesis, but with multiple eIF4E isoforms present in many organisms, these proteins also adopt specialized functions. Previous RNAi studies showed that ife-3, encoding the sole canonical eIF4E isoform of Caenorhabditis elegans, is essential for viability. Using ife-3 gene mutations, we show here that it is maternal ife-3 function that is essential for embryogenesis, but ife-3 null progeny of heterozygous animals are viable. We find that zygotic ife-3 function promotes body growth and regulates germline development in hermaphrodite worms. Specifically, the normal transition from spermatogenesis to oogenesis in the hermaphrodite germline fails in ife-3 mutants. This failure to switch is reversed by inhibiting expression of the key masculinizing gene, fem-3, suggesting ife-3 resembles a growing number of genes that promote the sperm/oocyte switch by acting genetically as upstream inhibitors of fem-3.
Nodal signaling is required for mesodermal and ventral but not for dorsal fates in the indirect developing hemichordate,Ptychodera flava
Authors: Röttinger Eric , DuBuc Timothy Q. , Amiel Aldine R. , Martindale Mark Q.
Published: May 2015

Nodal signaling plays crucial roles in vertebrate developmental processes such as endoderm and mesoderm formation, and axial patterning events along the anteroposterior, dorsoventral and left-right axes. In echinoderms, Nodal plays an essential role in the establishment of the dorsoventral axis and left-right asymmetry, but not in endoderm or mesoderm induction. In protostomes, Nodal signaling appears to be involved only in establishing left-right asymmetry. Hence, it is hypothesized that Nodal signaling has been co-opted to pattern the dorsoventral axis of deuterostomes and for endoderm, mesoderm formation as well as anteroposterior patterning in chordates. Hemichordata, together with echinoderms, represent the sister taxon to chordates. In this study, we analyze the role of Nodal signaling in the indirect developing hemichordate Ptychodera flava. In particular, we show that during gastrulation nodal transcripts are detected in a ring of cells at the vegetal pole that gives rise to endomesoderm and in the ventral ectoderm at later stages of development. Inhibition of Nodal function disrupts dorsoventral fates and also blocks formation of the larval mesoderm. Interestingly, molecular analysis reveals that only mesodermal, apical and ventral gene expression is affected while the dorsal side appears to be patterned correctly. Taken together, this study suggests that the co-option of Nodal signaling in mesoderm formation and potentially in anteroposterior patterning has occurred prior to the emergence of chordates and that Nodal signaling on the ventral side is uncoupled from BMP signaling on the dorsal side, representing a major difference from the molecular mechanisms of dorsoventral patterning events in echinoderms.
A reanalysis of mouse ENCODE comparative gene expression data
Authors: Gilad Yoav , Mizrahi-Man Orna
Published: May 2015

Recently, the Mouse ENCODE Consortium reported that comparative gene expression data from human and mouse tend to cluster more by species rather than by tissue. This observation was surprising, as it contradicted much of the comparative gene regulatory data collected previously, as well as the common notion that major developmental pathways are highly conserved across a wide range of species, in particular across mammals. Here we show that the Mouse ENCODE gene expression data were collected using a flawed study design, which confounded sequencing batch (namely, the assignment of samples to sequencing flowcells and lanes) with species. When we account for the batch effect, the corrected comparative gene expression data from human and mouse tend to cluster by tissue, not by species.
On the hunt for shiny doubloons
Authors: Sargent Marianne
Published: May 2015

In this extract from Planning for Learning Through Pirates [Practical Pre-School Books] we explore activities based on the foundation stage areas of learning… pieces of eight!
Living with lymphoedema: enhancing quality of life
Authors: Nazarko Linda
Published: May 2015

Lymphoedema is increasingly prevalent in older people. With this in mind, Linda Nazarko recommends how health professionals can manage and treat the condition, ultimately helping to make patients’ lives better
Careful considerations in end-of-life care
Authors: Vandrevala Tushna , Samsi Kritika , Manthorpe Jill
Published: May 2015

With many older people expected to reach end of life in a residential home, it is important to consider the ramifications for these people, their family and friends and the staff who care for them. Support must be available to all those involved
The growing importance of health and safety for care homes
Authors: Williams Poppy
Published: May 2015

Against a backdrop of increasing prosecutions and fines, one of which amounted to £133 000, Poppy Williams offers advice on how to keep both staff and residents safe
Solve empirical problems using a Python program
Authors: Rachel  , Bosley Mark
Published: May 2015

Python is a text-based programming language which can be downloaded for free. Use it to test mathematical probabilities and extend children's problem-solving skills.
Preanalytical Variables Affecting the Integrity of Human Biospecimens in Biobanking
Authors: Ellervik Christina , Vaught Jim
Published: May 2015

BACKGROUND

Most errors in a clinical chemistry laboratory are due to preanalytical errors. Preanalytical variability of biospecimens can have significant effects on downstream analyses, and controlling such variables is therefore fundamental for the future use of biospecimens in personalized medicine for diagnostic or prognostic purposes.

CONTENT

The focus of this review is to examine the preanalytical variables that affect human biospecimen integrity in biobanking, with a special focus on blood, saliva, and urine. Cost efficiency is discussed in relation to these issues.

The quality of a study will depend on the integrity of the biospecimens. Preanalytical preparations should be planned with consideration of the effect on downstream analyses. Currently such preanalytical variables are not routinely documented in the biospecimen research literature. Future studies using biobanked biospecimens should describe in detail the preanalytical handling of biospecimens and analyze and interpret the results with regard to the effects of these variables.
Foreign correspondents in Israel, and the Arab–Israeli conflict and peace process
Authors: Cohen Yoel
Published: May 2015

Foreign correspondents play a key role in the construction of foreign images about Israel. The overwhelming quantity of reporting about Israel is carried out by a relatively small number of persons. Reflecting the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict and peace process, there has been a considerable growth in the number of foreign news organizations with representatives in Israel. Drawing on surveys of the foreign press corps by the author, the factors for the news interest are examined. Correspondents’ self-evaluations of their news interest found that War and Terrorism are overwhelmingly the major factors. Culturally proximate factors such as the Holyland, Israel-US ties and Israeli relations with Arab countries while existent have less significance than the military story. These were confirmed by separate questions measuring the frequency of contacts with news sources, where the Army Spokesman and the Foreign Ministry were found to be the major news sources. Structural factors such as military censorship; knowledge levels about Israel/Arab countries and Judaism/Islam; and advanced media technology were found to be lesser factors than the war and terrorism. This led to an overwhelming focus in foreign media coverage of Israel upon the conflict with little coverage of Israeli society itself.
Visualizing a society on the brink: Gaza and Hebron
Authors: Bratchford Gary
Published: May 2015

This article begins with Operation Protective Edge, the Israeli military operation against Gaza during the summer months of 2014. This article examines the Israeli use of language and the emphasis on terror, trauma and victimhood as vehicles upon which to mobilize and justify its multi-narrative, collective punishment of the Palestinian. I will identify how this use of language helps to frame Israel’s actions as democratic by acting in defence, a process articulated throughout previous military operations. Such a process is implicit within the dominant political imaginary that constitutes much of the popular discourse that shapes the Israeli relationship with the Palestinian. Thereafter, I will highlight how a number of documentary photographers have sought to challenge the political visibilities related to the Israeli Palestine conflict by attempting to visualize the ongoing ‘catastrophization of Gaza’ before switching my attention to Hebron and the work of the photography collective, Activestills.
The displacement effect of Internet use among Saudi students
Authors: Miliany Khulood
Published: May 2015

This study investigates the time Saudi students spend with different media and whether the time they spend with new mediums will cut into the time spent with other traditional media, particularly television. A time diary survey was administered to a sample of 200 university students to measure the way they spent their time during one 24-hour period. In general, the study has demonstrated that Saudi students shift to the Internet for social and entertainment purposes at the expense of the time they spend on TV viewing. However, there are gender differences in relation to which online activities emerge as the most powerful predictors of television watching.
Performance Studies Floating Free of Theatre. Richard Schechner and the Rise of an Open Interdisciplinary Field
Authors: Deriu Fabrizio
Published: May 2015

As Marvin Carlson points out, the term performance has recently developed “as a central metaphor and critical tool for a bewildering variety of studies, covering almost every aspect of human activity.” While there is a tendency to stress their similarities and theoretical convergence, Performance Studies and Cultural Studies have different origins: the roots of Performance Studies are clearly located in theatre studies and practices. The essay outlines a short history of the rise of Performance Studies, focussing on Richard Schechner’s work. According to him, a Performance Studies paradigm came to the fore in the mid-1950s, with books by Bateson, Austin, Goffman, Caillois and others. In the Sixties Schechner started to teach and was founder/director for influential theatre groups on the American avant-garde scene. When his interest shifted from theatre to performance and from aesthetics to social sciences, he found anthropology extremely useful because in ethnographies anthropologists treat the actual lived behaviours of people performatively. Schechner developed these assumptions and cooperated intensely with social scientists, in particular the anthropologist Victor Turner. In 1980 Schechner co-founded the Department of Performance Studies at NYU. Since then many academic institutions have started similar programs; Schechner’s books have been translated into many languages; and worldwide a growing cohort of scholars have been attracted to this stimulating, inter-disciplinary, threshold-crossing approach.