bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electroactive degradable copolymers enhancing osteogenic differentiation from bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Li Longchao , Yu Meng , Ma Peter X. , Guo Baolin
Published: November 2015

Osteogenic differentiation from bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells was significantly enhanced by electroactive degradable copolymers.
Multi‐objective control of multi‐functional grid‐connected inverter for renewable energy integration and power quality service
Authors: Zeng Zheng , Li Hui , Tang Shengqing , Yang Huan , Zhao Rongxiang
Published: November 2015

Multi‐functional grid‐connected inverters (MFGCIs) not only interface renewable energy sources into the utility, but also provide ancillary power quality enhancement service. Therefore, extra installment of power quality conditioners can be partially avoided in a micro‐grid including MFGCIs. Because the capacity of an MFGCI employed for power quality compensation is limited, how to balance the multiple functions and optimally utilise the limited capacity becomes a challenging for MFGCI application, and this is studied in details in this paper. First, to set up a benchmark for balancing the multiple functions of the MFGCI, a comprehensive power quality evaluation (CPQE) index is presented based on the catastrophe decision theory to quantify the power quality of a micro‐grid. Then, for the strategic utilisation of the limited capacity, a multi‐objective optimal compensation model is proposed in which the objectives are to optimise the CPQE index and minimise the occupied capacity of an MFGCI for power quality compensation. Finally, the solutions of the model are derived on the basis of Pareto approach. As a result, the MFGCI can flexibly customise the power quality of the micro‐grid according to its available capacity margin and the users’ requirement. Finally, the experimental results performed on a 10 kVA MFGCI prototype have confirmed the validity of the proposed model.
Terahertz harvesting with shape-optimized InAlAs/InGaAs self-switching nanodiodes
Authors: Cortes-Mestizo Irving , Méndez-García Victor H. , Briones Joel , Perez-Caro Manuel , Droopad Ravi , McMurtry Stefan , Hehn Michel , Montaigne François , Briones Edgar
Published: November 2015

In this letter, self-switching nanochannels have been proposed as an enabling technology for energy gathering in the terahertz (THz) regime. Such devices combine their diode-like behavior and high-speed of operation in order to generate DC electrical power from high-frequency signals. By using finite-element simulations, we have improved the sensitivity of L-shaped and V-shaped nanochannels based on InAlAs/InGaAs samples. Since those devices combine geometrical effects with their rectifying properties at zero-bias, we have improved their performance by optimizing their shape. Results show nominal sensitivities at zero-bias in the order of 40 V−1 and 20 V−1, attractive values for harvesting applications with square-law rectifiers.
Fastest predators in the plant kingdom: functional morphology and biomechanics of suction traps found in the largest genus of carnivorous plants
Authors: Poppinga Simon , Weisskopf Carmen , Westermeier Anna Sophia , Masselter Tom , Speck Thomas
Published: November 2015

Understanding the physics of plant movements, which describe the interplay between plant architecture, movement speed and actuation principles, is essential for the comprehension of important processes like plant morphogenesis. Recent investigations especially on rapid plant movements at the interface of biology, physics and engineering sciences highlight how such fast motions can be achieved without the presence of muscles, nerves and technical hinge analogies. The suction traps (bladders) of carnivorous bladderworts ( Utricularia spp., Lentibulariaceae, Lamiales) are considered as some of the most elaborate moving structures in the plant kingdom. A complex interplay of morphological and physiological adaptations allows the traps to pump water out of their body and to store elastic energy in the deformed bladder walls. Mechanical stimulation by prey entails opening of the otherwise watertight trapdoor, followed by trap wall relaxation, sucking in of water and prey, and consecutive trapdoor closure. Suction can also occur spontaneously in non-stimulated traps. We review the current state of knowledge about the suction trap mechanism with a focus on architectonically homogeneous traps of aquatic bladderwort species from section Utricularia (the so-called ‘ Utricularia vulgaris trap type’). The functional morphology and biomechanics of the traps are described in detail. We discuss open questions and propose promising aspects for future studies on these sophisticated ultra-fast trapping devices.
Pregnancy and Parental Leave During Graduate Medical Education
Authors: Blair Janis E. , Mayer Anita P. , Caubet Suzanne L. , Norby Suzanne M. , O’Connor Mary I. , Hayes Sharonne N.
Published: November 2015

Purpose

To understand the pregnancy, childbirth, and parental leave plans and experiences of trainees in multiple graduate medical education (GME) programs at a single institution.

Method

In 2013, the authors developed and deployed a voluntary, Internet-based survey of trainees in 269 residency and fellowship programs across the three sites of the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education. The survey assessed pregnancy-related issues, including use of relevant institutional policies, changes in work due to pregnancy, and activities during pregnancy and parental leave. The authors analyzed the responses to make comparisons across groups.

Results

Forty-two percent (644/1,516) of trainees responded. Less than half (264; 41%) had children, and 46 (7%) were currently pregnant (themselves or their partners). Among parents, 24 (of 73; 33%) women and 28 (of 81; 35%) men planned to have another child during their current training program, and 13 (18%) women and 14 (17%) men planned to do so during their next training program. Among nonparents, 40 (of 135; 30%) women and 36 (of 111; 32%) men planned pregnancies during their current training program, and 25 (19%) women and 14 (13%) men planned pregnancies during their next training program. Of respondents eligible for parental leave, 81 (of 83; 98%) women and 89 (of 101; 88%) men had used it.

Conclusions

Approximately 40% of respondents planned to have children during their GME training; most will require family leave and institutional support. GME programs should pursue policies and practices to minimize the effects of these leaves on their workforce.
A Case of a Bilateral Cicatricial Upper Eyelid Entropion After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I
Authors: Dulz Simon , Wagenfeld Lars , Richard Gisbert , Schrum Johanna , Muschol Nicole , Keserü Matthias
Published: November 2015

Minor eyelid abnormalities are commonly encountered in mucopolysaccharidosis, but only rarely leading to a clinically relevant situation. The authors report a clinical case of severe bilateral cicatricial entropion of the upper eyelids, leading to recurrent conjunctival infections, corneal erosion, persistent epiphora, and a major decline in life quality in a 7-year-old boy with mucopolysaccharidosis type I who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at 1.6 years old. A bilateral anterior lamellar repositioning including eyelid split and cryoepilation was performed to correct bilateral upper eyelid entropium and trichiasis. Three months after the surgical intervention, the patient showed a persistent regular eyelid position with only mild recurrent right-sided lateral upper eyelid entropion. A significant reduction in conjunctival infections and epiphora with complete discontinuation of topical therapy was achieved. Although mucopolysaccaridosis is associated with eyelid abnormalities, the authors conclude that the described case is most likely due to chronic graft versus host disease.
Multitasking during social interactions in adolescence and early adulthood
Authors: Mills Kathryn L. , Dumontheil Iroise , Speekenbrink Maarten , Blakemore Sarah-Jayne
Published: November 2015

Multitasking is part of the everyday lives of both adolescents and adults. We often multitask during social interactions by simultaneously keeping track of other non-social information. Here, we examined how keeping track of non-social information impacts the ability to navigate social interactions in adolescents and adults. Participants aged 11–17 and 22–30 years old were instructed to carry out two tasks, one social and one non-social, within each trial. The social task involved referential communication, requiring participants to use social cues to guide their decisions, which sometimes required taking a different perspective. The non-social task manipulated cognitive load by requiring participants to remember non-social information in the form of one two-digit number (low load) or three two-digit numbers (high load) presented before each social task stimulus. Participants showed performance deficits when under high cognitive load and when the social task involved taking a different perspective, and individual differences in both trait perspective taking and working memory capacity predicted performance. Overall, adolescents were less adept at multitasking than adults when under high cognitive load. These results suggest that multitasking during social interactions incurs performance deficits, and that adolescents are more sensitive than adults to the effects of cognitive load while multitasking.
Regulatory mechanisms of group distributions in a gregarious arthropod
Authors: Broly Pierre , Mullier Romain , Devigne Cédric , Deneubourg Jean-Louis
Published: November 2015

In a patchy environment, how social animals manage conspecific and environmental cues in their choice of habitat is a leading issue for understanding their spatial distribution and their exploitation of resources. Here, we experimentally tested the effects of environmental heterogeneities (artificial shelters) and some of their characteristics (size and fragmentation) on the aggregation process of a common species of terrestrial isopod (Crustacea). One hundred individuals were introduced into three different heterogeneous set-ups and in a homogeneous set-up. In the four set-ups, the populations split into two aggregates: one large (approx. 70 individuals) and one smaller (approx. 20 individuals). These aggregates were not randomly distributed in the arena but were formed diametrically opposite from one another. The similarity of the results among the four set-ups shows that under experimental conditions, the environmental heterogeneities have a low impact on the aggregation dynamics and spatial patterns of the isopod, merely serving to increase the probability of nucleation of the larger aggregation at these points. By contrast, the regulation of aggregate sizes and the regular distribution of groups are signatures of local amplification processes, in agreement with the short-range activator and long-range inhibitor model (scale-dependent feedbacks). In other words, we show how small-scale interactions may govern large-scale spatial patterns. This experimental illustration of spatial self-organization is an important step towards comprehension of the complex game of competition among groups in social species.
The potential for climate-driven bathymetric range shifts: sustained temperature and pressure exposures on a marine ectotherm,
Palaemonetes varians
Authors: Morris J. P. , Thatje S. , Cottin D. , Oliphant A. , Brown A. , Shillito B. , Ravaux J. , Hauton C.
Published: November 2015

Range shifts are of great importance as a response for species facing climate change. In the light of current ocean-surface warming, many studies have focused on the capacity of marine ectotherms to shift their ranges latitudinally. Bathymetric range shifts offer an important alternative, and may be the sole option for species already at high latitudes or those within enclosed seas; yet relevant data are scant. Hydrostatic pressure (HP) and temperature have wide ranging effects on physiology, importantly acting in synergy thermodynamically, and therefore represent key environmental constraints to bathymetric migration. We present data on transcriptional regulation in a shallow-water marine crustacean (
Palaemonetes varians
) at atmospheric and high HP following 168-h exposures at three temperatures across the organisms’ thermal scope, to establish the potential physiological limit to bathymetric migration by neritic fauna. We observe changes in gene expression indicative of cellular macromolecular damage, disturbances in metabolic pathways and a lack of acclimation after prolonged exposure to high HP. Importantly, these effects are ameliorated (less deleterious) at higher temperatures, and exacerbated at lower temperatures. These data, alongside previously published behavioural and heat-shock analyses, have important implications for our understanding of the potential for climate-driven bathymetric range shifts
The cervical anatomy of
Samotherium
, an intermediate-necked giraffid
Authors: Danowitz Melinda , Domalski Rebecca , Solounias Nikos
Published: November 2015

Giraffidae are represented by many extinct species. The only two extant taxa possess diametrically contrasting cervical morphology, as the okapi is short-necked and the giraffe is exceptionally long-necked.
Samotherium major
, known from the Late Miocene of Samos in Greece and other Eurasian localities, is a key extinct giraffid; it possesses cervical vertebrae that are intermediate in the evolutionary elongation of the neck. We describe detailed anatomical features of the cervicals of
S. major
, and compare these characteristics with the vertebrae of the two extant giraffid taxa. Based on qualitative morphological characters and a quantitative analysis of cervical dimensions, we find that the
S. major
neck is intermediate between that of the okapi and the giraffe. Specifically, the more cranial (C2–C3) vertebrae of
S. major
represent a mosaic of features shared either with the giraffe or with the okapi. The more caudal (C5–C7)
S. major
vertebrae, however, appear transitional between the two extant taxa, and hence are more unique. Notably, the C6 of
S. major
exhibits a partially excavated ventral lamina that is strong cranially but completely absent on the caudal half of the ventral vertebral body, features between those seen in the giraffe and the okapi. Comprehensive anatomical descriptions and measurements of the almost-complete cervical column reveal that
S. major
is a truly intermediate-necked giraffid. Reconstructions of the neck display our findings.
Predicting community structure in snakes on Eastern Nearctic islands using ecological neutral theory and phylogenetic methods
Authors: Burbrink Frank T. , McKelvy Alexander D. , Pyron R. Alexander , Myers Edward A.
Published: November 2015

Predicting species presence and richness on islands is important for understanding the origins of communities and how likely it is that species will disperse and resist extinction. The equilibrium theory of island biogeography (ETIB) and, as a simple model of sampling abundances, the unified neutral theory of biodiversity (UNTB), predict that in situations where mainland to island migration is high, species-abundance relationships explain the presence of taxa on islands. Thus, more abundant mainland species should have a higher probability of occurring on adjacent islands. In contrast to UNTB, if certain groups have traits that permit them to disperse to islands better than other taxa, then phylogeny may be more predictive of which taxa will occur on islands. Taking surveys of 54 island snake communities in the Eastern Nearctic along with mainland communities that have abundance data for each species, we use phylogenetic assembly methods and UNTB estimates to predict island communities. Species richness is predicted by island area, whereas turnover from the mainland to island communities is random with respect to phylogeny. Community structure appears to be ecologically neutral and abundance on the mainland is the best predictor of presence on islands. With regard to young and proximate islands, where allopatric or cladogenetic speciation is not a factor, we find that simple neutral models following UNTB and ETIB predict the structure of island communities.
Fish can show emotional fever: stress-induced hyperthermia in zebrafish
Authors: Rey Sonia , Huntingford Felicity A. , Boltaña Sebastian , Vargas Reynaldo , Knowles Toby G. , Mackenzie Simon
Published: November 2015

Whether fishes are sentient beings remains an unresolved and controversial question. Among characteristics thought to reflect a low level of sentience in fishes is an inability to show stress-induced hyperthermia (SIH), a transient rise in body temperature shown in response to a variety of stressors. This is a real fever response, so is often referred to as ‘emotional fever’. It has been suggested that the capacity for emotional fever evolved only in amniotes (mammals, birds and reptiles), in association with the evolution of consciousness in these groups. According to this view, lack of emotional fever in fishes reflects a lack of consciousness. We report here on a study in which six zebrafish groups with access to a temperature gradient were either left as undisturbed controls or subjected to a short period of confinement. The results were striking: compared to controls, stressed zebrafish spent significantly more time at higher temperatures, achieving an estimated rise in body temperature of about 2–4°C. Thus, zebrafish clearly have the capacity to show emotional fever. While the link between emotion and consciousness is still debated, this finding removes a key argument for lack of consciousness in fishes.
Structure–function relationships in Gan42B, an intracellular GH42 β-galactosidase fromGeobacillus stearothermophilus
Authors: Solomon Hodaya V. , Tabachnikov Orly , Lansky Shifra , Salama Rachel , Feinberg Hadar , Shoham Yuval , Shoham Gil
Published: November 2015

Geobacillus stearothermophilusT-6 is a Gram-positive thermophilic soil bacterium that contains a battery of degrading enzymes for the utilization of plant cell-wall polysaccharides, including xylan, arabinan and galactan. A 9.4 kb gene cluster has recently been characterized inG. stearothermophilusthat encodes a number of galactan-utilization elements. A key enzyme of this degradation system is Gan42B, an intracellular GH42 β-galactosidase capable of hydrolyzing short β-1,4-galactosaccharides into galactose units, making it of high potential for various biotechnological applications. The Gan42B monomer is made up of 686 amino acids, and based on sequence homology it was suggested that Glu323 is the catalytic nucleophile and Glu159 is the catalytic acid/base. In the current study, the detailed three-dimensional structure of wild-type Gan42B (at 2.45 Å resolution) and its catalytic mutant E323A (at 2.50 Å resolution), as determined by X-ray crystallography, are reported. These structures demonstrate that the three-dimensional structure of the Gan42B monomer generally correlates with the overall fold observed for GH42 proteins, consisting of three main domains: an N-terminal TIM-barrel domain, a smaller mixed α/β domain, and the smallest all-β domain at the C-terminus. The two catalytic residues are located in the TIM-barrel domain in a pocket-like active site such that their carboxylic functional groups are about 5.3 Å from each other, consistent with a retaining mechanism. The crystal structure demonstrates that Gan42B is a homotrimer, resembling a flowerpot in general shape, in which each monomer interacts with the other two to form a cone-shaped tunnel cavity in the centre. The cavity is ∼35 Å at the wide opening and ∼5 Å at the small opening and ∼40 Å in length. The active sites are situated at the interfaces between the monomers, so that every two neighbouring monomers participate in the formation of each of the three active sites of the trimer. They are located near the small opening of the cone tunnel, all facing the centre of the cavity. The biological relevance of this trimeric structure is supported by independent results obtained from gel-permeation chromatography. These data and their comparison to the structural data of related GH42 enzymes are used for a more general discussion concerning structure–activity aspects in this GH family.
Crystal structure of 3-benzyl-1-[(1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-1-ylidene)amino]thiourea
Authors: Mohamed Shaaban K. , Mague Joel T. , Akkurt Mehmet , Hassan Alaa A , Abdel-Aziz Ahmed T. , Albayati Mustafa R.
Published: November 2015

In the title compound, C18H19N3S, the dihedral angle between the planes of the benzene rings is 58.63 (8)°. The six-membered ring bonded to the thiosemicarbazide group (r.m.s. deviation = 0.038 Å) adopts a sofa conformation, with one of the methylene-group C atoms as the flap. A short intramolecular N—H...N contact is observed. In the crystal, molecules are linked by weak N—H...S interactions to generateC(4) chains propagating in the [010] direction, with adjacent molecules related by glide symmetry.
Crystal structure of 5,5′-bis(dimethylamino)-N,N′-(3-methyl-3-azapentane-1,5-diyl)di(naphthalene-1-sulfonamide)
Authors: Horne Toyketa V. , Haque Syed A. , Barton Adrianne , Hossain Md. Alamgir
Published: November 2015

In the title compound, C29H37N5O4S2, two arms substituted with dansyl derivatives are connected to a central tertiary amine, where the dihedral angle between the planes of two dansyl units is 56.39 (4)°. Each arm contains a sulfonamide functional group and both N—H groups in the compound are pointed to the same side. The central part of the molecule is disordered over three sets of sites with a refined occupancy ratio of 0.547 (4):0.328 (4):0.125 (3). No intramolecular π–π or hydrogen-bonding interactions are observed. In the crystal, molecules are linkedviapairs of N—H...O interactions involving the same acceptor atom, forming inversion dimers. In addition, C—H...O interactions exist between molecules, providing further stabilization of dimers.
Crystal structure of a third polymorph of tris(acetylacetonato-κ2O,O′)iron(III)
Authors: Baker Tessa M. , Howard Kevin M. , Brennessel William W. , Neidig Michael L.
Published: November 2015

In the structure of the title complex, [Fe(C5H7O2)3] or Fe(acac)3, the asymmetric unit contains one molecule in a general position. The coordination sphere of the FeIIIatom is that of a slightly distorted octahedron. The crystal under investigation was a two-component pseudo-merohedral twin in the monoclinic system with a β angle close to 90°. Twin law [100/0-10/00-1] reduced theR1 residual [I> 2σ(I)] from 0.0769 to 0.0312, and the mass ratio of twin components refined to 0.8913 (5):0.1087 (5). In the crystal, molecules are arranged in sheets normal to [001]vianon-classical C—H...O hydrogen bonding. No other significant intermolecular interactions are observed. The structure is a new polymorph of Fe(acac)3and is isotypic with one polymorph of its gallium analog.
Testing the concepts of market mavenism and opinion leadership in China
Authors: Zhang Jie , Lee Wei-Na
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– Market mavenism and opinion leadership are two important consumer influential concepts in marketing communication literature. The purpose of this paper is to explore two overarching research questions. First, can we separate market mavenism from opinion leadership in China? The answer to this question would solve an important issue of targeting in marketing communication. Second, if market mavenism is indeed distinctive from opinion leadership, are market mavenism and opinion leadership determined by same or different factors in China? The answer of this question would help determine how to reach each type of consumer influential and add knowledge to market segmentation.

Design/methodology/approach

– An online survey was conducted to test the hypotheses. In total, 316 Chinese respondents completed this survey.

Findings

– The results were illuminating: market mavenism and opinion leadership were indeed distinctive yet related concepts in China. Monochronicity, altruism, price-value consciousness, and income significantly influenced market mavenism after controlling for all other variables while monochronicity, price-value consciousness, and age significantly predicted opinion leadership after controlling for all other variables.

Research limitations/implications

– This study provides a richer picture of market mavenism and opinion leadership in the Chinese market.

Originality/value

– This study helps scholars and professionals efficiently and effectively reach each type of consumer influential.
Developing English
Authors: Dixon John
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– An overview of English aims, theoretical scope and methods is badly needed. Ministries throughout the English-speaking world have become dominated by a demand for testing – stimulated no doubt by regular Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) surveys – and lost sight of first principles. The purpose of this article is therefore to set out a model of English drawn from the best international experience since the 1960s, collected during seminars and practical workshops on four continents.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper uses a collection of experiences drawn from seminars and practical workshops over the past 50 years. It incorporates researches and reflections generated with the author’s former colleagues.

Findings

– The paper gives an insider’s account of the carefully designed movement for English development and teacher participation that started during that decade in England, ramifying and attracting new energies in Canadian provinces, the USA, Australia and New Zealand. Founded in new theories of classroom communication and interaction, the emerging models also demonstrated the urgent need for new approaches to assessment, sampling students’ optimal achievements. The regime that is universally replacing this major work depends, it can be shown, on a model designed by ministers (disregarding professional advice) and avowedly intended to promote competition among pupils, teachers and schools – thus stifling the kinds of cooperation essential to any classroom, especially in the arts, and indeed to Education in general. But the historical foundations remain, from that creative period, and can be reclaimed.

Originality/value

– This is an original view from an author who is one of the handful of survivors and who has been active in each stage since 1960, and has been privileged to be invited to four continents to convene seminars and practical workshops over many years.
The English teacher as interdisciplinary resource
Authors: Locke Terry
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to combine conceptual and documentary research.

Design/methodology/approach

– Drawing on a range of New Zealand curriculum documents and on the history of English subject in the New Zealand context, it maps aspects of the contestation that has accompanied the development of various versions of the subject over time. It also explores ways in which the subject has always drawn on a range of primary disciplinary discourses through a process of recontextualization (Bernstein, 2000).

Findings

– Based on this analysis, it problematizes the conventional location of literary study within the English curriculum, arguing that this arrangement disadvantages English as an additional language (EAL) students with an interest in literature. As another plank in the argument, it argues that literary study is itself currently disadvantaged by being linked to narrowly conceived notions of textual practice and the pervasive power of high-stake assessment technologies in constructing content and pedagogy.

Originality/value

– A solution to both problems is offered, arguing a case for relocating literary study in an expanded Arts curriculum. The paper then goes on to draw on the concept of disciplinary literacy, to argue a case for the “reinvention” of the English teacher as a cross-disciplinary resource teaching a re-framed subject renamed “Disciplinary Rhetorics”. It concludes by discussing the implications of these two re-envisionments for English teacher identities and the construction of their professional content and pedagogical knowledge.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma: Summary of 11 cases from two facilities in Japan and Brazil
Authors: Oka Tomonori , Sugaya Makoto , Cury‐Martins Jade , Vasconcelos‐Berg Roberta , Suga Hiraku , Miyagaki Tomomitsu , Scheinberg Phillip , Fujita Hideki , Izutsu Koji , Sato Shinichi , Sanches José A.
Published: November 2015

Some patients with cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma (CTCL) show a miserable clinical course and the only option that can induce long‐term remission for advanced CTCL may be hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). So far, studies on HSCT for CTCL patients have been limited. In this study, we summarized 11 cases with CTCL treated with HSCT, including nine cases in Japan and two cases in Brazil. The patients were five cases with mycosis fungoides (MF), two cases with Sézary syndrome (SS), three cases with anaplastic large cell lymphoma, and one case with primary cutaneous peripheral T‐cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTL‐NOS). Currently, seven out of 11 cases are alive (at 13–108 months after transplantation) and four died at 15 days to 14 months after transplantation. When focusing on the eight patients who received allogeneic HSCT for MF/SS and PTL‐NOS, all four patients at 45 years old or under are alive at present. One case showed relapse in the skin. On the other hand, one out of the other four patients at over 45 years old survived. Engraftment failure was seen in one case and all the other three cases experienced relapse. Although this is only a case series with a small number, our study has suggested that we should be careful about age when treating patients with MF/SS by allogeneic HSCT.
Bacterial Ecology of Fermented Cucumber Rising pH Spoilage as Determined by Nonculture‐Based Methods
Authors: Medina Eduardo , Pérez‐Díaz Ilenys M. , Breidt Fred , Hayes Janet , Franco Wendy , Butz Natasha , Azcarate‐Peril María Andrea
Published: November 2015

Fermented cucumber spoilage (FCS) characterized by rising pH and the appearance of manure‐ and cheese‐like aromas is a challenge of significant economical impact for the pickling industry. Previous culture‐based studies identified the yeasts Pichia manshurica and Issatchenkia occidentalis, 4 Gram‐positive bacteria, Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus parrafaraginis, Clostridium sp., and Propionibacterium and 1 Gram‐negative genus, Pectinatus, as relevant in various stages of FCS given their ability to metabolize lactic acid. It was the objective of this study to augment the current knowledge of FCS using culture‐independent methods to microbiologically characterize commercial spoilage samples. Ion Torrent data and 16S rRNA cloning library analyses of samples collected from commercial fermentation tanks confirmed the presence of L. rapi and L. buchneri and revealed the presence of additional species involved in the development of FCS such as Lactobacillus namurensis, Lactobacillus acetotolerans, Lactobacillus panis, Acetobacter peroxydans, Acetobacter aceti, and Acetobacter pasteurianus at pH below 3.4. The culture‐independent analyses also revealed the presence of species of Veillonella and Dialister in spoilage samples with pH above 4.0 and confirmed the presence of Pectinatus spp. during lactic acid degradation at the higher pH. Acetobacter spp. were successfully isolated from commercial samples collected from tanks subjected to air purging by plating on Mannitol Yeast Peptone agar. In contrast, Lactobacillus spp. were primarily identified in samples of FCS collected from tanks not subjected to air purging for more than 4 mo. Thus, it is speculated that oxygen availability may be a determining factor in the initiation of spoilage and the leading microbiota.
‘A Laborious and Truly Useful Gentleman’: Mapping the Networks of John Nichols (1745‐1826), Printer, Antiquary and Biographer
Authors: Pooley Julian
Published: November 2015

The papers of John Nichols and his family of printers and antiquaries are a major source for the study of the book trade, of antiquarianism and of lives and letters in Britain in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As leading London printers and editors of the Gentleman’s Magazine, the Nicholses were at the heart of a network of information exchange between members of both national and local clubs and societies. This article shows how a database of their surviving archive is enabling us to map these networks and rebuild epistolary conversations between those contributing to eighteenth‐century networks of improvement.
Literary Communities and Commemorations in the Edinburgh Cape Club
Authors: Brown Rhona
Published: November 2015

This article examines the roles of literature and poets in Edinburgh's Cape Club towards the end of the eighteenth century. It examines the club's manuscript collection of songs and poems, including a long narrative poem on its history entitled ‘The Capeiad’, to demonstrate that literature had simultaneously celebratory, commemorative and moralistic functions within the Cape's private world. It analyses the club's yearly literary ‘jubilees’, which memorialise James Thomson, author of The Seasons, and William Shakespeare, to reveal the literary networks at play in the Cape, thereby demonstrating that literature is central to its community.
Translating Hemp into a Transatlantic ‘Band of Reciprocal Interest’: The Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce as a 1760s' Actor Network
Authors: Green Georgina
Published: November 2015

Inspired by actor‐network theory, this article begins by focusing on the Society of Arts’ overarching aims to encourage improvement and reinforce the bonds between Britain and its North American colonies, but also attends to the details of the controversy over a specific premium for encouraging North American hemp production. This controversy documents the society's negotiation of uncertainty, even as its surface rhetoric promotes a vision of inevitable improvement. This leads to a double vision of the society as a failed tool of mercantilism but also an enduring collective experiment, reinterpreting the tension between nationalism and Enlightenment in its goals.
Laying the Victorians to Rest: Funerals, Memorials, and the Funeral Business in Nineteenth‐Century Otago
Authors: Trapeznik Alexander , Gee Austin
Published: November 2015

This article seeks to integrate the history of the physical aspects of burial practices with the cultural aspects of mourning and bereavement by considering the businesses that catered for the demand created by funerals and mourning in the second half of the nineteenth century. The example of the first major industrial and commercial urban centre to develop in New Zealand, Dunedin, is used to show that a range of businesses emerge quickly to cater for the funerary trade. Many were short lived, and few specialised exclusively in the funerary business.
Phthalate exposure and semen quality in fertile US men
Authors: Thurston S. W. , Mendiola J. , Bellamy A. R. , Levine H. , Wang C. , Sparks A. , Redmon J. B. , Drobnis E. Z. , Swan S. H.
Published: November 2015

Several experimental and observational studies have demonstrated the antiandrogenicity of several phthalates. However, there is limited evidence of an association between phthalate exposure in adult life and semen quality. The aim of this study was to examine phthalate exposure during adulthood in relation to semen quality in fertile US men. This multi‐center cross‐sectional study included 420 partners of pregnant women who attended a prenatal clinic in one of five US cities during 1999–2001. Nine phthalate metabolites [mono (2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono (2‐ethyl‐5‐hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono (2‐ethyl‐5‐oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), and mono (2‐ethyl‐5‐carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP)], as well as mono‐n‐butyl phthalate (MBP) and mono‐isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), mono (three carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), and monoethyl phthalate (MEP)] were measured in urine collected at the same time as the semen sample. We regressed natural log‐transformed (ln) sperm concentration, ln(total sperm count), ln(total motile sperm count), percent motile spermatozoa, and percent spermatozoa with normal morphology on each of the nine natural log‐transformed metabolite concentrations and on the molar‐weighted sum of DEHP metabolites in separate models. We fit unadjusted models and models that adjusted for confounders determined a priori. In unadjusted models, ln(MiBP) was significantly and positively associated with motility and ln(MBzP) significantly negatively associated with ln(total sperm count). In adjusted linear models, urinary metabolite concentrations of DEHP, DBP, DEP, and DOP were not associated with any semen parameter. We found an inverse association between ln(MBzP) concentrations and sperm motility (β = −1.47, 95% CI: −2.61, −0.33), adjusted for ln(creatinine concentration), geographic location, age, race, smoking status, stress, recent fever, time from sample collection and time to complete analysis. Several sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these associations. This study and the available literature suggest that impacts of adult exposure to phthalates at environmental levels on classical sperm parameters are likely to be small.
Involvement of transglutaminase 2 and voltage‐gated potassium channels in cystamine vasodilatation in rat mesenteric small arteries
Authors: Engholm Morten , Pinilla Estéfano , Mogensen Susie , Matchkov Vladimir , Hedegaard Elise Røge , Chen Hua , Mulvany Michael J , Simonsen Ulf
Published: November 2015

Background and Purpose

Vasodilatation may contribute to the neuroprotective and vascular anti‐remodelling effect of the tissue transglutaminase 2 (TG2) inhibitor cystamine. Here, we hypothesized that inhibition of TG2 followed by blockade of smooth muscle calcium entry and/or inhibition of Rho kinase underlies cystamine vasodilatation.

Experimental Approach

We used rat mesenteric small arteries and RT‐PCR, immunoblotting, and measurements of isometric wall tension, intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i), K+ currents (patch clamp), and phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1 (MYPT1) and myosin regulatory light chain, in our experiments.

Key Results

RT‐PCR and immunoblotting revealed expression of TG2 in mesenteric small arteries. Cystamine concentration‐dependently inhibited responses to phenylephrine, 5‐HT and U46619 and for extracellular potassium. Selective inhibitors of TG2, LDN 27129 and T101, also inhibited phenylephrine contraction. An inhibitor of PLC suppressed cystamine relaxation. Cystamine relaxed and reduced [Ca2+]i in phenylephrine‐contracted arteries. In potassium‐contracted arteries, cystamine induced less relaxation without changing [Ca2+]i, and these relaxations were blocked by mitochondrial complex inhibitors. Blockers of Kv7 channels, XE991 and linopirdine, inhibited cystamine relaxation and increases in voltage‐dependent smooth muscle currents. Cystamine and the Rho kinase inhibitor Y27632 reduced basal MYPT1‐Thr855 phosphorylation, but only Y27632 reduced phenylephrine‐induced increases in MYPT1‐Thr855 and myosin regulatory light chain phosphorylation.

Conclusions and Implications

Cystamine induced vasodilatation by inhibition of receptor‐coupled TG2, leading to opening of Kv channels and reduction of intracellular calcium, and by activation of a pathway sensitive to inhibitors of the mitochondrial complexes I and III. Both pathways may contribute to the antihypertensive and neuroprotective effect of cystamine.
NVP‐TAE684 reverses multidrug resistance (MDR) in human osteosarcoma by inhibiting P‐glycoprotein (PGP1) function
Authors: Ye Shunan , Zhang Jianming , Shen Jacson , Gao Yan , Li Ying , Choy Edwin , Cote Gregory , Harmon David , Mankin Henry , Gray Nathanael S , Hornicek Francis J , Duan Zhenfeng
Published: November 2015

Background and purpose

Increased expression of P‐glycoprotein (PGP1) is one of the major causes of multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer, including in osteosarcoma, which eventually leads to the failure of cancer chemotherapy. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop effective therapeutic strategies to override the expression and function of PGP1 to counter MDR in cancer patients.

Experimental Approach

In an effort to search for new chemical entities targeting PGP1‐associated MDR in osteosarcoma, we screened a 500+ compound library of known kinase inhibitors with established kinase selectivity profiles. We aimed to discover potential drug synergistic effects among kinase inhibitors and general chemotherapeutics by combining inhibitors with chemotherapy drugs such as doxorubicin and paclitaxel. The human osteosarcoma MDR cell lines U2OSR2 and KHOSR2 were used for the initial screen and secondary mechanistic studies.

Key Results

After screening 500+ kinase inhibitors, we identified NVP‐TAE684 as the most effective MDR reversing agent. NVP‐TAE684 significantly reversed chemoresistance when used in combination with doxorubicin, paclitaxel, docetaxel, vincristine, ET‐743 or mitoxantrone. NVP‐TAE684 itself is not a PGP1 substrate competitive inhibitor, but it can increase the intracellular accumulation of PGP1 substrates in PGP1‐overexpressing cell lines. NVP‐TAE684 was found to inhibit the function of PGP1 by stimulating PGP1 ATPase activity, a phenomenon reported for other PGP1 inhibitors.

Conclusions and Implications

The application of NVP‐TAE684 to restore sensitivity of osteosarcoma MDR cells to the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutics will be useful for further study of PGP1‐mediated MDR in human cancer and may ultimately benefit cancer patients.
External validation of models predicting the individual risk of metachronous peritoneal carcinomatosis from colon and rectal cancer
Authors: Segelman J. , Akre O. , Gustafsson U. O. , Bottai M. , Martling A.
Published: November 2015

Aim

To externally validate previously published predictive models of the risk of developing metachronous peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) after resection of nonmetastatic colon or rectal cancer and to update the predictive model for colon cancer by adding new prognostic predictors.

Method

Data from all patients with Stage I–III colorectal cancer identified from a population‐based database in Stockholm between 2008 and 2010 were used. We assessed the concordance between the predicted and observed probabilities of PC and utilized proportional‐hazard regression to update the predictive model for colon cancer.

Results

When applied to the new validation dataset (n = 2011), the colon and rectal cancer risk‐score models predicted metachronous PC with a concordance index of 79% and 67%, respectively. After adding the subclasses of pT3 and pT4 stage and mucinous tumour to the colon cancer model, the concordance index increased to 82%.

Conclusion

In validation of external and recent cohorts, the predictive accuracy was strong in colon cancer and moderate in rectal cancer patients. The model can be used to identify high‐risk patients for planned second‐look laparoscopy/laparotomy for possible subsequent cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.
Current status and future needs of economics research of inland fisheries
Authors: Grantham R. W. , Rudd M. A.
Published: November 2015

Inland capture fisheries (ICFs) provide ecosystem services – fish for food, livelihoods and recreation – to people and therefore have an economic value. Economic valuation can inform the sustainable management of ICFs and ensure they are recognised in trade‐off analysis and decision‐making. This study assesses existing ICFs economic research to identify knowledge gaps. Bibliographic databases were searched for suitable peer‐reviewed articles. The selected studies (n = 75) were analysed for coverage, valuation methodologies and value metrics. A majority of existing studies value recreational ICFs in developed countries. Studies have employed a wide range of valuation methodologies and therefore provide a variety of economic values measured at different units and scales. This study highlights the need for a greater quantity of ICFs economic research that covers a representative sample of ecosystems and fishery types globally. Best practice recommendations are made for a standardised framework to ensure ICFs research generates economically credible and comparable values.
Multi‐sited accumulation of capital: Cape Verdean returnees and small‐scale business
Authors: ÅKESSON LISA
Published: November 2015

In recent years, policymakers have portrayed return migration as positive for development. In both migrant sending and migrant receiving countries, policymakers expect the transfer of economic, cultural and social capital by returnees to stimulate economic growth. Inherent in these assumptions is the idea of a unidirectional flow of capital from northern countries of immigration to the countries of return. The objective of this article is to contest this idea of a one‐way transfer of capital through a case study of Cape Verdean returnee business owners. To what extent have they accumulated their various forms of capital before emigration, during their sojourn abroad or after return? In this article, I examine the returnees' multi‐sited accumulation of capital and how it corresponds to the resources they need to run a sustainable business. In addition, I analyse how they adapt capital accumulated abroad to the conditions in Cape Verde.
Fostering self‐regulated learning in a blended environment using group awareness and peer assistance as external scaffolds
Authors: Lin J‐W. , Lai Y‐C. , Lai Y‐C. , Chang L‐C.
Published: November 2015

Most systems for training self‐regulated learning (SRL) behaviour focus on the provision of a learner‐centred environment. Such systems repeat the training process and place learners alone to experience that process iteratively. According to the relevant literature, external scaffolds are more promising for effective SRL training. In this work, group awareness and peer assistance are used as external scaffolds in the process of training SRL behaviour, enhancing opportunities for self‐reflection and stimulating and encouraging learners. This work further develops a system, called self‐regulated learning with group awareness and peer assistance (SRL‐GAPA). Experimental results reveal that SRL‐GAPA provides significantly more participation in online training tasks and learning activities, better SRL behaviour and better learning achievement than the traditional SRL system (i.e,, a learner‐centred environment). The SRL‐GAPA benefited poorly self‐regulated learners more than highly self‐regulated students. Some implications of this finding are discussed.
Europa and Gaia: Towards an Ecofeminist Perspective in Integration Theory
Authors: Brianson Alex
Published: November 2015

In this article I argue that a key part of the re‐thinking of integration theory should be an engagement with green political theory and political economy, so that the field can speak to the major real‐life issues of our time such as climate change, biodiversity loss and the transition to a sustainable way of life. My focus is particularly on ecofeminism, which I argue helps regional integration scholars ask important questions that need to be more central to our work, and on Gaia theory, which I argue provides the ontological analysis to legitimize such a shift in theoretical perspective. As an illustration of how a green approach to integration theory might be undertaken, I use Mary Mellor's ecofeminist work to contribute to the ‘normative turn’ in integration theory.