bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Roles of Ethnicity and Performance in African Elections
Authors: Long James D. , Gibson Clark C.
Published: October 2015

While many scholars argue that ethnicity drives voting behavior in Africa, recent quantitative work finds government performance also matters. But under what conditions do Africans use ethnicity or performance to inform their vote? We argue that the importance of ethnicity and performance is conditional on whether voters evaluate co-ethnics and incumbent candidates. We hypothesize co-ethnic voters will coordinate and form blocs, whereas non-co-ethnics are more likely to divide their support between candidates. We also hypothesize that while incumbent performance matters to all voters independent of ethnicity, citizens will forgive their co-ethnic incumbent’s poor performance. Tests using data from a nationwide exit poll we conducted during Kenya’s 2007 national election strongly support our hypotheses. Our results are robust to analyses concerning the potentially confounding relationship between ethnicity and performance.
A prospective study of psychological resilience and depression among left-behind children in China
Authors: Wu Yi-Le , Zhao Xue , Ding Xiu-Xiu , Yang Hui-Yun , Qian Zhen-Zhong , Feng Fang , Lu Shan-Shan , Hu Cai-Yun , Gong Feng-Feng , Sun Ye-Huan
Published: October 2015

This prospective study examined the longitudinal effects of psychological resilience on depression in a Chinese sample of left-behind children. A total of 386 left-behind children completed both a baseline and a 1-year follow-up survey. The prevalence of depression at the baseline and 1-year follow-up was 12.7 and 8.5 per cent, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that older age and baseline depressive symptoms were positively associated with follow-up depression, while psychological resilience and quality of life were negatively related to follow-up depression. Our findings provided preliminary evidence that higher psychological resilience was a significantly protective factor of developing depression among left-behind children.
Diagnosis lost: Differences between children who had and who currently have an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis
Authors: Blumberg Stephen J , Zablotsky Benjamin , Avila Rosa M , Colpe Lisa J , Pringle Beverly A , Kogan Michael D
Published: October 2015

Autism spectrum disorder diagnoses sometimes change due to misdiagnosis, maturation, or treatment. This study uses a probability-based national survey—the Survey of Pathways to Diagnosis and Services—to compare currently diagnosed (n = 1420) and previously diagnosed (n = 187) children aged 6–17 years based on retrospective parental reports of early concerns about their children’s development, responses to those concerns by doctors and other healthcare providers, the type of provider who made the first autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, and the autism spectrum disorder subtype diagnoses received (if any). Propensity score matching was used to control for differences between the groups on children’s current level of functioning and other current characteristics that may have been related to diagnosis loss. Approximately 13% of the children ever diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder were estimated to have lost the diagnosis, and parents of 74% of them believed it was changed due to new information. Previously diagnosed children were less likely to have parents with early concerns about verbal skills, nonverbal communication, learning, and unusual gestures or movements. They were also less likely to have been referred to and diagnosed by a specialist. Previously diagnosed children were less likely to have ever received a diagnosis of Asperger’s disorder or autistic disorder.
Modelling the mechanical behaviour of heat-treated AISI 52100 bearing steel with retained austenite
Authors: Anoop AD , Sekhar AS , Kamaraj M , Gopinath K
Published: October 2015

The mechanical properties of hardened AISI 52100 bearing steel such as flexural strength, microhardness and Young’s modulus are considerably influenced by the austenite content retained in the microstructure. A microstructure-sensitive finite element simulation approach is presented which considers the effect of retained austenite to estimate the mechanical properties. The austenite grain size is derived as a function of austenitising temperature and holding time using a modified Arrhenius type equation. The simulation strategy involves division of the two-dimensional domain using triangular elements such that a group of six neighbouring triangular elements represented a hexagonal grain of calculated size. Material inhomogeneity is introduced by enforcing austenite properties to a fraction of the elements equal to the volume percent of retained austenite in the steel. The predictions from the simulation approach for 8% and 20% retained austenite volume fractions matched well with earlier experimental results.
Shopping with violence: Black Friday sales in the British context
Authors: Smith Oliver , Raymen Thomas
Published: October 2015

This article argues that the 2014 adoption of the US shopping tradition of Black Friday sales to stores and supermarkets in the United Kingdom and beyond represents an important point of enquiry for the social sciences. We claim that the importation of the consumer event, along with the disorder and episodes of violence that accompany it, are indicative of the triumph of liberal capitalist consumer ideology while reflecting an embedded and cultivated form of insecurity and anxiety concomitant with the barbaric individualism, social envy and symbolic competition of consumer culture. Through observation and qualitative interviews, this article presents some initial analyses of the motivations and meanings attached to the conduct of those we begin to understand as ‘extreme shoppers’ and seeks to understand these behaviours against the context of the social harms associated with consumer culture.
Colour preference varies with lighting application
Authors: Lin Y , Wei M , Smet KAG , Tsukitani A , Bodrogi P , Khanh TQ
Published: October 2015

Numerous efforts have been made to investigate how to characterize the effect of light sources on colour preference. This paper describes a psychophysical experiment to compare the colour preference evaluation among three sources for different lighting applications. Three lighting applications – restaurant, retail display, and supermarket – were created in two side-by-side full-scaled rooms. It was found that the colour preference varied with the lighting applications. Although none of the existing single-value measures can predict the preference for all three applications, a single measure is necessary for general consumer use given a careful definition of general lighting. In addition, lighting application specific measures could be useful for lighting professionals and experts. To provide detailed information, a colour distortion icon, with improved test colour samples will be useful.
Racial Differences in Treatment Approaches and Mortality Following Arterial Trauma
Authors: Moreira Carla C. , Farber Alik , Rybin Denis , Doros Gheorghe , Kalish Jeffrey , Eberhardt Robert T. , Siracuse Jeffrey J. , Hamburg Naomi M.
Published: October 2015

Objectives:

We sought to evaluate the impact of race on treatment approaches and mortality following arterial trauma.

Methods:

The National Trauma Data Bank (version 7.2, American College of Surgeons) was queried from 2002 to 2012 to identify patients aged 18 to 65 years with arterial trauma. The association between race (white, black, and Hispanic) and mortality following arterial injury was assessed, stratified by penetrating or blunt injury. Temporal trends in the use of open and endovascular procedures were evaluated across the racial groups. Multivariable regression models adjusting for patient demographics, injury severity, hospital characteristics, insurance status, and type of intervention performed were used to evaluate potential contributors to the association of race with mortality.

Results:

The study cohort consisted of 58 626 patients (52% white, 31% black, and 17% Hispanic). A majority (57%) of patients had penetrating injuries, with black and Hispanic patients being more likely to sustain penetrating injuries (80% and 65%, respectively) compared to white patients (41%, P < .001). Overall, black patients had higher mortality for penetrating injuries (16.8% vs 13.0% vs 7.8%, P < .001) when compared to Hispanic and white patients, correspondingly. Over the study period, there was increasing use of endovascular and decreasing open surgical procedures for treatment of arterial trauma. This finding was similar across all groups studied. In multivariable analysis, black race was found to be associated with higher mortality compared to white for both penetrating (odds ratio [OR] 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33-1.75, P < .001) and blunt (OR 1.27 95%CI 1.09-1.47, P = .002) arterial trauma.

Conclusion:

Even after adjusting for potential confounders, minority patients had increased odds of mortality following arterial trauma compared to their white counterparts. Further studies are needed to understand and to eliminate these observed disparities in outcome.
Design of adaptive switching control for hypersonic aircraft
Authors: Jiao Xin , Jiang Ju
Published: October 2015

This article proposes a novel adaptive switching control of hypersonic aircraft based on type-2 Takagi–Sugeno–Kang fuzzy sliding mode control and focuses on the problem of stability and smoothness in the switching process. This method uses full-state feedback to linearize the nonlinear model of hypersonic aircraft. Combining the interval type-2 Takagi–Sugeno–Kang fuzzy approach with sliding mode control keeps the adaptive switching process stable and smooth. For rapid stabilization of the system, the adaptive laws use a direct constructive Lyapunov analysis together with an established type-2 Takagi–Sugeno–Kang fuzzy logic system. Simulation results indicate that the proposed control scheme can maintain the stability and smoothness of switching process for the hypersonic aircraft.
Mechanisms of favorable effects of Rho kinase inhibition on myocardial remodeling and systolic function after experimental myocardial infarction in the rat
Authors: Mera Claudia , Godoy Iván , Ramírez Renato , Moya Jackeline , Ocaranza María Paz , Jalil Jorge E.
Published: October 2015

Objective:

The objective of this study was to determine the molecular mechanisms by which cardiac Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase (ROCK) activation after myocardial infarction (MI) does intervene in cardiac systolic function decline and remodeling.

Methods:

Simultaneous measurement of different cardiac ROCK target proteins levels, in vivo left ventricular (LV) systolic function, myocardial fibrosis and hypertrophy in rats with MI under ROCK inhibition with fasudil.

Results:

Seven days after MI, the ventricular mass increased significantly by 5.6% in the MI group and was reduced with fasudil. LV systolic dysfunction improved significantly with fasudil whereas cardiac ROCK activation was reduced to sham levels. The ROCK inhibitor also reduced increased cardiac levels of both ROCK1 and ROCK2 isoforms, cardiomyocyte ROCK2 fluorescence levels and β-myosin heavy chain (MHC) levels in addition to myocardial collagen volume fraction decline. Compared with sham rats, troponin phosphorylation levels after MI were similar and ROCK inhibition reduced them. MI significantly increased phosphorylation levels of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 42 and ERK 44 by twofold and 63%, respectively, whereas in the fasudil-treated MI group these levels were similar to those in the sham group. MI significantly increased phosphorylated levels of the transcription factor GATA-4 and the ROCK inhibitor normalized them.

Conclusions:

LV systolic dysfunction after MI was strongly associated with cardiac ROCK activation and subsequent phosphorylation of ROCK target proteins that promote ventricular remodeling such as β-MHC and the ERK/GATA-4 pathway. ROCK inhibition with fasudil significantly improved systolic function, diminished myocardial fibrosis and normalized β-MHC and ERK/GATA-4 phosphorylation levels.
The Transformation of Diabetes Care Through the Use of Person-Centered Data
Authors: Mastrototaro John J.
Published: October 2015

The health care industry is undergoing a major transformation. Despite spending more on health care than any other country, the United States has not seen a commensurate improvement in the quality of care. Chronic disease management puts the greatest burden on the health care system with estimates suggesting that 3 of 4 health care dollars are spent on managing chronic disease. Moreover, the number of older patients with chronic conditions, like diabetes, is rising as expected, which only serves to worsen the physician shortage problem we are currently experiencing, and further increase health care costs. Unless new models of health care are established for these patients, they simply will not be served. Consistent with the message above, there are generally 3 universal health care needs, (1) improved outcomes, (2) expanded access, and (3) optimized cost and efficiency. It is likely the future state will involve value-based health care, with payment based on outcomes, not services rendered, and incentives tied more directly to the value delivered. Medical device providers will be held more accountable for positive outcomes, and to ensure success, they will need to create better solutions with their therapies. Instead of the touch point with patients being solely at the time of a procedure or sale of the device, it is likely companies will need to drive toward a more comprehensive partnership with patients, providers, and payers, extending the scope of services and interactions to provide a continuum of care. In general, companies will need to start to think of their most important customers as people living with a condition, as opposed to patients needing immediate medical devices. In this article, I discuss the challenges of health care today and present some of the opportunities to revamp health care delivery in diabetes by leveraging the pervasive use of mobile technologies and digital data.
Current practices in coronary artery disease evaluation of renal transplant candidates prior to renal transplantation
Authors: Wong Ningyan , Tee Ping Sing , Kee Terence Yi-Shern , Tan Jack Wei Chieh
Published: October 2015

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients and candidates awaiting transplant. Pre-transplant coronary artery disease evaluation can aid in determining transplant candidacy, identifying patients who may benefit from pre-operative cardiac intervention, and implementing measures to reduce perioperative and post-transplant cardiovascular events. However, the choice of investigations and approach in evaluation has yet to be well defined. This article aims to review the evidence for the use of non-invasive investigations and coronary angiography in prognostication, as well as the evidence for revascularization in reducing future cardiac events. The article will also summarize international recommendations and describe the local practice in coronary artery disease evaluation prior to transplant.
The Conceptualization of Digitally Networked Participation
Authors: Theocharis Yannis
Published: October 2015

The conceptualization and measurement of political participation has been an issue vibrantly debated for more than 50 years. The arrival of digital media came to add important parameters to the debate complicating matters further. Digital media have added inexhaustive creative and nonpolitical ways to engage in social and political life that not only often appear to form the basis of political participation but also, in a plethora of everyday contexts, seem to become embedded into what eventually evolves to become a politically meaningful act. This article argues that digitally networked participation—and its manifestations—is a form of political participation and should be conceptualized, identified, and measured as one. Relying on recent conceptual and empirical work, it shows how various common manifestations of digitally networked participation conform to minimalist, targeted, and motivational definitions of political participation. Finally, tackling common misconceptions about the value of such acts, this article argues that nonpolitical forms of digitally networked participation can occasionally be far more impactful than forms of participation commonly accepted as political. This article concludes by recommending the systematic development of measures for digitally networked participation and its formal integration in the study of political participation.
IFN-γ-mediated hematopoietic cell destruction in murine models of immune-mediated bone marrow failure
Authors: Chen Jichun , Feng Xingmin , Desierto Marie J. , Keyvanfar Keyvan , Young Neal S.
Published: October 2015

Key Points

IFN-γ reduces functional HSCs and augments Fas expression and Fas-mediated apoptosis in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Disruption of the IFN-γ/IFN-γ-receptor 1 signaling axis by targeted gene deletion significantly attenuates immune-mediated BM failure.
Aspirin as a potential treatment in sepsis or acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Toner Philip , McAuley Danny Francis , Shyamsundar Murali
Published: October 2015

Sepsis is a common condition that is associated with significant morbidity, mortality and health-care cost. Pulmonary and non-pulmonary sepsis are common causes of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The mortality from ARDS remains high despite protective lung ventilation, and currently there are no specific pharmacotherapies to treat sepsis or ARDS. Sepsis and ARDS are characterised by activation of the inflammatory cascade. Although there is much focus on the study of the dysregulated inflammation and its suppression, the associated activation of the haemostatic system has been largely ignored until recently. There has been extensive interest in the role that platelet activation can have in the inflammatory response through induction, aggregation and activation of leucocytes and other platelets. Aspirin can modulate multiple pathogenic mechanisms implicated in the development of multiple organ dysfunction in sepsis and ARDS. This review will discuss the role of the platelet, the mechanisms of action of aspirin in sepsis and ARDS, and aspirin as a potential therapy in treating sepsis and ARDS.
The LRR receptor Islr2 is required for retinal axon routing at the vertebrate optic chiasm
Authors: Panza Paolo , Sitko Austen A. , Maischein Hans-Martin , Koch Iris , Flötenmeyer Matthias , Wright Gavin J. , Mandai Kenji , Mason Carol A. , Söllner Christian
Published: October 2015

Background

In the visual system of most binocular vertebrates, the axons of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) diverge at the diencephalic midline and extend to targets on both ipsi- and contralateral sides of the brain. While a molecular mechanism explaining ipsilateral guidance decisions has been characterized, less is known of how RGC axons cross the midline.

Results

Here, we took advantage of the zebrafish, in which all RGC axons project contralaterally at the optic chiasm, to characterize Islr2 as an RGC receptor required for complete retinal axon midline crossing. We used a systematic extracellular protein-protein interaction screening assay to identify two Vasorin paralogs, Vasna and Vasnb, as specific Islr2 ligands. Antibodies against Vasna and Vasnb reveal cellular populations surrounding the retinal axon pathway, suggesting the involvement of these proteins in guidance decisions made by axons of the optic nerve. Specifically, Vasnb marks the membranes of a cellular barricade located anteriorly to the optic chiasm, a structure termed the “glial knot” in higher vertebrates. Loss of function mutations in either vasorin paralog, individually or combined, however, do not exhibit an overt retinal axon projection phenotype, suggesting that additional midline factors, acting either independently or redundantly, compensate for their loss. Analysis of Islr2 knockout mice supports a scenario in which Islr2 controls the coherence of RGC axons through the ventral midline and optic tract.

Conclusions

Although stereotypic guidance of RGC axons at the vertebrate optic chiasm is controlled by multiple, redundant mechanisms, and despite the differences in ventral diencephalic tissue architecture, we identify a novel role for the LRR receptor Islr2 in ensuring proper axon navigation at the optic chiasm of both zebrafish and mouse.
Erratum to: Combined effect of hydrogen sulphide donor and losartan in experimental diabetic nephropathy in rats
Authors: Kaur Manpreet , Sachdeva Shilpi , Bedi Onkar , Kaur Tavleen , Kumar Puneet
Published: October 2015

The original version of this article [1] unfortunately contained mistakes to the figure legends and was missing Figure 7 (Fig. 1 here).
Force and Vulnerability in Philosophy and Science
Authors: Phillips John W. P.
Published: October 2015

Taking as a starting point the challenge in finding ways of treating autoimmune disorders, this article constructs a hypothetical frame for enquiry that explores the connections between bioscience and, in a different register, the techniques of cultural memory. Putting the question of the long development and inheritance of immune functions (phylogenesis) in touch with that of cultural inheritance (epiphylogenesis), the article questions lines of continuity between somatic mutation, consciousness, technics, time, and media. For instance, drawing on a tradition that acknowledges Immanuel Kant, Edmund Husserl, Theodor Adorno, and Martin Heidegger, Bernard Stiegler’s attempt to mobilize the structure of the trace in the philosophy of Jacques Derrida results in a profound challenge to a technics that can be regarded as a powerful complement to biological evolutionary inheritance. The article proposes a critical reading of these traditions that would be sensitive to the political and biological implications of the paradoxical structures of immunity in the current climate of global biopolitics.
in/Visibility and the Securitization of Migration
Authors: Mountz Alison
Published: October 2015

The border, once conceived of as a line on a map, is changing spatially into a form more akin to an archipelago: it is transnational, fragmented, biometric, intimate, and contracted out with proliferating spaces of confinement. The border is reconstituted and sovereign power reconfigured through the blurring of on- and offshore sites and migrations. Amid security “crises,” states use geography creatively to undermine access to legal representation, human rights, and avenues to asylum. Enforcement operations reach offshore, moving the border to the locations of asylum seekers and carrying out detention in places between states. These geographic shifts of border enforcement are tied to the securitization of migration and require a degree of complicity with violence in peripheral zones. The shifting of resources offshore serves, in part, to call public attention away from other sites and social relations, rendering hypervisible enforcement practices and homogenizing discourse while “invisibilizing” the violence incurred by offshore enforcement. With intensified enforcement and detention on islands through securitization and militarization, public attention is diverted from quieter daily practices of exclusion. This essay explores paradoxical framings endemic to contemporary governance of migration: to make visible and invisible, to show some things while hiding others.
The Negative Abyss
Authors: Featherstone Mark
Published: October 2015

This article explores what one might call the dystopia of contemporary screen-based culture through a discussion of the work of Paul Virilio and Bernard Stiegler. Centrally, it explains that the screen might be seen as a negative abyss, where absolute surface creates the effect of infinite depth and a sense of absolute freedom obscures the truth of solipsistic self-reflection and enclosure. It explores this idea through reference to Virilio’s concept of the “squared horizon” and a short history of screen culture that commences with Plato’s myth of the cave, where perceptions of surface and depth clash and contrast in the underworld. It then turns to Friedrich Nietzsche’s use of the idea of the abyss. This work on Plato and Nietzsche brings together the ideas of the screen and the abyss. The article next takes up Edmund Husserl’s notion of the horizon, which structures the human perception of movement through time, and relates this to Virilio’s concept of the negative horizon, which rushes toward humanity rather than endlessly moving into the future. At this point the negative horizon recalls the abyssal screen that is simultaneously infinite distance and absolute surface and the horror of contemporary media culture. Finally, the article reflects on Virilio’s work on technodesertification and disappearance and Stiegler’s theory of the destruction of the delay of desire in the immediacy of drive through attention capture to show how screen culture annihilates the thickness of the thing itself in favor of flat images. In conclusion, the article explains that this is the future of new media culture—the twenty-first-century dystopia of the negative abyss.
Drosophila lipin interacts with insulin and TOR signaling pathways in the control of growth and lipid metabolism
Authors: Schmitt Sandra , Ugrankar Rupali , Greene Stephanie E. , Prajapati Meenakshi , Lehmann Michael
Published: October 2015

Lipin proteins have key functions in lipid metabolism, acting as both phosphatidate phosphatases (PAPs) and nuclear regulators of gene expression. We show that the insulin and TORC1 pathways independently control functions of Drosophila dLipin. Reduced signaling through the insulin receptor strongly enhances defects caused by dLipin deficiency in fat body development, whereas reduced signaling through TORC1 leads to translocation of dLipin into the nucleus. Reduced expression of dLipin results in decreased signaling through the insulin receptor-controlled PI3K/Akt pathway and increased hemolymph sugar levels. Consistent with this, downregulation of dLipin in fat body cell clones causes a strong growth defect. The PAP, but not the nuclear activity of dLipin is required for normal insulin pathway activity. Reduction of other enzymes of the glycerol-3 phosphate pathway similarly affects insulin pathway activity, suggesting an effect mediated by one or more metabolites associated with the pathway. Together, our data show that dLipin is subject to intricate control by the insulin and TORC1 pathways and that the cellular status of dLipin impacts how fat body cells respond to signals relayed through the PI3K/Akt pathway.
In vitrostrain in human metacarpal bones during striking: testing the pugilism hypothesis of hominin hand evolution
Authors: Horns Joshua , Jung Rebekah , Carrier David R.
Published: October 2015

The hands of hominins (i.e. bipedal apes) are distinguished by skeletal proportions that are known to enhance manual dexterity but also allow the formation of a clenched fist. Because male–male physical competition is important in the mating systems of most species of great apes, including humans, we tested the hypothesis that a clenched fist protects the metacarpal bones from injury by reducing the level of strain during striking. We used cadaver arms to measure in vitro strain in metacarpals during forward strikes with buttressed and unbuttressed fist postures and during side slaps with an open palm. If the protective buttressing hypothesis is correct, the clenched fist posture should substantially reduce strain in the metacarpal bones during striking and therefore reduce the risk of fracture. Recorded strains were significantly higher in strikes in which the hand was secured in unbuttressed and slapping postures than in the fully buttressed posture. Our results suggest that humans can safely strike with 55% more force with a fully buttressed fist than with an unbuttressed fist and with twofold more force with a buttressed fist than with an open-hand slap. Thus, the evolutionary significance of the proportions of the hominin hand may be that these are the proportions that improved manual dexterity while at the same time making it possible for the hand to be used as a club during fighting.
Fish embryos on land: terrestrial embryo deposition lowers oxygen uptake without altering growth or survival in the amphibious fishKryptolebias marmoratus
Authors: Wells Michael W. , Turko Andy J. , Wright Patricia A.
Published: October 2015

Few teleost fishes incubate embryos out of water, but the oxygen-rich terrestrial environment could provide advantages for early growth and development. We tested the hypothesis that embryonic oxygen uptake is limited in aquatic environments relative to air using the self-fertilizing amphibious mangrove rivulus, Kryptolebias marmoratus, which typically inhabits hypoxic, water-filled crab burrows. We found that adult mangrove rivulus released twice as many embryos in terrestrial versus aquatic environments and that air-reared embryos had accelerated developmental rates. Surprisingly, air-reared embryos consumed 44% less oxygen and possessed larger yolk reserves, but attained the same mass, length and chorion thickness. Water-reared embryos moved their opercula ∼2.5 more times per minute compared with air-reared embryos at 7 days post-release, which probably contributed to the higher rates of oxygen uptake and yolk utilization we observed. Genetically identical air- and water-reared embryos from the same parent were raised to maturity, but the embryonic environment did not affect growth, reproduction or emersion ability in adults. Therefore, although aspects of early development were plastic, these early differences were not sustained into adulthood. Kryptolebias marmoratus embryos hatched out of water when exposed to aerial hypoxia. We conclude that exposure to a terrestrial environment reduces the energetic costs of development partly by reducing the necessity of embryonic movements to dispel stagnant boundary layers. Terrestrial incubation of young would be especially beneficial to amphibious fishes that occupy aquatic habitats of poor water quality, assuming low terrestrial predation and desiccation risks.
Modeling of autosomal-dominant retinitis pigmentosa in Caenorhabditis elegans uncovers a nexus between global impaired functioning of certain splicing factors and cell type-specific apoptosis
Authors: Rubio-Peña Karinna , Fontrodona Laura , Aristizábal-Corrales David , Torres Silvia , Cornes Eric , García-Rodríguez Francisco J. , Serrat Xènia , González-Knowles David , Foissac Sylvain , Porta-De-La-Riva Montserrat , Cerón Julián
Published: October 2015

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a rare genetic disease that causes gradual blindness through retinal degeneration. Intriguingly, seven of the 24 genes identified as responsible for the autosomal-dominant form (adRP) are ubiquitous spliceosome components whose impairment causes disease only in the retina. The fact that these proteins are essential in all organisms hampers genetic, genomic, and physiological studies, but we addressed these difficulties by using RNAi in Caenorhabditis elegans. Our study of worm phenotypes produced by RNAi of splicing-related adRP (s-adRP) genes functionally distinguishes between components of U4 and U5 snRNP complexes, because knockdown of U5 proteins produces a stronger phenotype. RNA-seq analyses of worms where s-adRP genes were partially inactivated by RNAi, revealed mild intron retention in developing animals but not in adults, suggesting a positive correlation between intron retention and transcriptional activity. Interestingly, RNAi of s-adRP genes produces an increase in the expression of atl-1 (homolog of human ATR), which is normally activated in response to replicative stress and certain DNA-damaging agents. The up-regulation of atl-1 correlates with the ectopic expression of the pro-apoptotic gene egl-1 and apoptosis in hypodermal cells, which produce the cuticle, but not in other cell types. Our model in C. elegans resembles s-adRP in two aspects: The phenotype caused by global knockdown of s-adRP genes is cell type-specific and associated with high transcriptional activity. Finally, along with a reduced production of mature transcripts, we propose a model in which the retina-specific cell death in s-adRP patients can be induced through genomic instability.
Case Report: Severe acute respiratory distress by tracheal obstruction due to a congenital thyroid teratoma.
Authors: Colleti Junior Jose , Tannuri Uenis , Monti Lora Felipe , Armelin Benites Eliana Carla , Koga Walter , Honda Imamura Janete , Rute Moutinho Patricia , Brunow de Carvalho Werther
Published: October 2015

Congenital teratoma is a rare condition and is a germ cell tumor composed of elements from one or more of the embryonic germ layers and contain tissues usually foreign to the anatomic site of origin. We report a case of a neck tumor diagnosed during pregnancy, initially thought to be a goiter. After birth the neck mass kept growing until it compressed the trachea and produced respiratory failure. The infant had a difficult tracheal intubation because of the compressing mass. The staff decided to surgically remove the neck mass. After that, the infant became eupneic. The histological analysis showed a mature teratoma with no atypias.
Heterogeneity in Women’s Adherence and Its Role in Optimal Breast Cancer Screening Policies
Authors: Ayer Turgay , Alagoz Oguzhan , Stout Natasha K. , Burnside Elizabeth S.
Published: October 2015

Most major health institutions recommend women to undergo repeat mammography screening for early diagnosis of breast cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. Although the proportion of women who ever had a mammogram is increasing, a majority of women do not get repeat mammograms. This paper analyzes the role of heterogeneity in women’s adherence on optimal mammography screening recommendations. We develop a dynamic modeling framework that considers imperfect and heterogeneous adherence to screening recommendations. We carefully calibrate our model and solve it using real data. Unlike the existing breast cancer screening guidelines, our results suggest that adherence and heterogeneity in women’s adherence behaviors should be explicitly considered. In particular, we find that when screening strategies are optimized assuming average adherence for everyone, the effect on patients with already low adherence would be relatively small, but patients with high adherence would be adversely affected. Considering imperfect and heterogeneous adherence in the population, our model suggests (1) given the current low adherence rates, an aggressive screening policy such as annual screening between the ages of 40 and 79 should be promoted to the general population; (2) screening strategies may be adjusted in clinical practice based on women’s adherence, and screening intervals can be extended to two years for women with a history of high adherence; and (3) if the screening patterns change in the long run and most regular screeners adopt the most recent U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines, then improving overall mammography adherence in society becomes more critical.

This paper was accepted by Rakesh Sarin, decision analysis.
SEM And EDS Analysis Of Nitinol Surfaces Treated By Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation
Authors: Rokosz K. , Hryniewicz T. , Dudek Ł. , Malorny W.
Published: October 2015

In the paper, the surface layers formed on nickel-titanium alloy during Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO), known also as Micro Arc Oxidation (MAO), are described. The mixture of phosphoric acid and copper nitrate as the electrolyte for all plasma electrochemical processes was used. Nitinol biomaterial was used for the studies. All the experiments were performed under the voltage of 450 V and current density of 0.3 A/dm2. The main purpose of the studies was to achieve the highest amount of copper in the surface layer versus amount of the copper nitrate in phosphoric acid. The highest copper concentration was found in the surface layer after the PEO treatment in the electrolyte consisting of 150g Cu(NO3)2 in 0.5 dm3 H3PO4. The worst results, in case of the amount of copper in the NiTi surface layer, were recorded after oxidizing in the solution with 5 g Cu(NO3)2.
Migration strategy predicts stopover ecology in shorebirds on the northern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Henkel Jessica Renee , Taylor Caz M.
Published: October 2015

Twenty-eight species of migratory shorebirds rely
on the coastlines of the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) to
fuel migrations to near-arctic breeding grounds. Shorebird
species vary in their migration ecology: some species
use a “jump” strategy, migrating long distances without
stopping, while others use “skip” and “hop” strategies,
stopping to refuel at shorter intervals along their journey.
We compared stopover duration, body condition (fat
scores and size-adjusted mass), and refueling rates
(plasma metabolite concentrations), in three Calidrid
sandpiper species (Calidris pusilla, C. mauri, and C. alpina)
that differ in migration strategy after leaving the NGOM
during spring. Results indicate that, while birds refueled
at similar rates, C. alpina, an intermediate distance jump
migrant, reached higher fuel stores before departing on
migration than the hop and skip migrants, C. pusilla and
C. mauri. C. alpina also spent more time on the NGOM
than the other two species. Results suggest that NGOM
habitats may be particularly important for migration
success in C. alpina. This knowledge will help us predict
the potential population level consequences of habitat
loss due to global change on NGOM shorebird populations
and develop conservation plans to mitigate these impacts.
The class Bp for weighted generalized Fourier transform inequalities
Authors: Abdelkefi Chokri , Rachdi Mongi
Published: October 2015

In the present paper, we prove weighted inequalities for the Dunkl transform (which generalizes the Fourier transform) when the weights belong to the well-known class Bp. As application, we obtain the Pitt’s inequality for power weights.
Precipitation as a factor triggering landslide activity in the Kamień massif (Beskid Niski Mts, Western Carpathians)
Authors: Papciak Tomasz , Malik Ireneusz , Krzemień Kazimierz , Wistuba Małgorzata , Gorczyca Elżbieta , Wrońska-Wałach Dominika , Sobucki Mateusz
Published: October 2015

On the landslide slope in the Beskid Niski Mts (Western Carpathians) 48 silver firs were cored for dendrochronological samples. Tree-ring widths were measured for the upslope and downslope sides of each stem. Events of landslide activity were dated using the method of the eccentricity index. The tree-ring record of landsliding was compared with the occurrence of precipitation in the study area. The nature of the relation between precipitation and landsliding is complex. We have found a statistically significant correlation between landsliding and the number of days with 24-hour precipitation totals above 20 mm and high 3-, 5-, and 10-day precipitation totals during winter half-years. Thus landsliding in the Kamień massif is triggered mainly by high precipitation totals in the preceding winter period. No such relation was found for annual precipitation totals and different types of precipitation totals in the summer period. Single landsliding events related to high summer precipitation totals were found, but the correlation is not statistically significant. In addition some landsliding events are 1–2 years lagged after the occurrence of high long-term precipitation totals. It seems that the strongest landsliding events resulted from sequences of wet summer, wet winter and once again wet summer seasons directly following one another.
The origin of sandstone boulder aprons along the escarpments of the Stołowe Mountains: are they all rockfall-derived? A new insight into an old problem using the CONEFALL 1.0 software
Authors: Duszyński Filip , Migoń Piotr , Strzelecki Mateusz Czesław
Published: October 2015

A characteristic feature of sandstone-capped escarpments in the Stołowe Mountains is the occurrence of extensive boulder mantles which extend from the rock face to the footslope over distances of 300–500 m. The hypothesis implying rockfall as the process of boulder release from the rock face and subsequent transport is tested by means of Conefall 1.0 software, designed to simulate run-out zones of rockfalls. The actual extent of boulder mantles is much larger than the simulated extent, which casts doubt on the applicability of rockfall scenario. Alternative hypotheses are briefly discussed and it is concluded that a similar morphological effect can be achieved by in situ caprock disintegration and sub-caprock slope lowering and retreat.
Investigation of low amyloid level toxicity effects
on the function of hippocampal neurons
Authors: Popugaeva Elena , Pchitskaya Ekaterina , Zhang Hua , Vlasova Olga , Bezprozvanny Ilya
Published: October 2015

Alzheimer disease (AD) is responsible for the
majority of elderly dementia cases. There are multiple
mouse models of AD, however, none of them completely
recapitulate human pathology. Moreover, it is even more
difficult to imitate the onset of the disease in experimental
models. In the current study we analyzed the influence of
low amyloid level toxicity on the function of hippocampal
neurons. Our assay is based on use of synthetic oligomeric
amyloid beta peptides. These peptides were added to
primary hippocampal cultures at a physiological nanomolar
range to mimic early AD. Calcium imaging was used to
evaluate the functionality of the assay. A low amyloid level
toxicity assay could be useful for fundamental research as
well as for testing newly developed AD drugs.
Genetic structure of the cisco (Coregonus albula L.)
from lakes of glacial origin in northern Poland
Authors: Kirczuk L. , Rymaszewska A. , Czerniawski R. , Pilecka-Rapacz M. , Domagała J.
Published: October 2015

European cisco (Coregonus albula L.) is one of the
most precious species of the European lake ichtyofauna,
however, due to progressive eutrophication of water,
the range of its occurrence has decreased. Deteriorating
ecological conditions are the main cause of this decline
in population, and most of the existing populations in
lakes are maintained thanks to reintroduction. Thus, it
is important to determine the genetic structure of the
European cisco. The study involved PCR-RFLP-based
genetic analysis of C. albula caught in 15 lakes in northern
Poland, including four lakes located in national parks.
The analysis covered 3 genes located in the mitochondrial
DNA: ND1, ND3/4 and cytochrome b, as well as a control
region (D-loop). The PCR product was digested with
4 endonucleases (RsaI, MspI, BsuI and HhaI) and the
resulting haplotypes were grouped into combinations.
Statistical analysis were then performed on these
groups. Based on the genetic distance, a phenogram was
constructed in which two groups could be distinguished.
One group was represented by C. albula populations from
most lakes in north-western Poland, including the three
protected lakes. The other group consisted of the European
cisco population from Lake Wigry (north-eastern Poland)
and commercially exploited lakes from the southern part
of the investigated north-western Poland area. The results
of the study of C. albula from northern Poland present a
valuable molecular characterization of the populations
and can be a starting point for further genetic monitoring.
Myristoylated p110α Causes Embryonic Death
Due to Developmental and Vascular Defects
Authors: Sheen Mee Rie , Warner Sandra L. , Fields Jennifer L. , Conejo-Garcia Jose R. , Fiering Steven
Published: October 2015

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)
signaling pathway regulates many important cellular
functions. The functional impact of deregulating the
PIK3CA gene, encoding the p110α catalytic subunit of
PI3K, is validated by frequent gain of function mutations
in a range of human cancers. We generated a mouse
model with an inducible constitutively active form of
PI3K. In this model Cre recombinase activates expression
of a myristoylated form of p110α (myr-p110α). The
myristoylated version of p110α brings the protein to the
cytoplasmic side of the cell membrane, which mimics
the normal activation mechanism for the p110α catalytic
subunit and activates the PI3K enzyme. Constitutively
activated PI3K signaling induced by myr-p110α in all cells
of the developing mouse caused lethality during embryonic
development. Transgenic Cre;myr-p110α heterozygous
embryos displayed morphological malformation and
poor vascular development with extremely dilated
blood vessels and hemorrhage in the embryo and the
extraembryonic yolk sac. Previous studies demonstrated
that loss of p110α during embryonic development causes
angiogenic disruption and here we show that constitutive
activation of p110α by gain of function mutation during
development also disrupts vasculogenesis/angiogenesis
in what appears to be a similar manner. These finding
demonstrate the importance of tight regulation of PI3K
signaling during embryonic vasculogenesis/angiogenesis.
Vernacular architecture and traditional rural landscape in new socio-economic realities - a case study from Central Poland
Authors: Gorączko Marcin , Gorączko Aleksandra
Published: October 2015

The article presents the results of the research survey of the old rural constructions in the Koło Basin (Central Poland) and its closest vicinity, conducted by the authors in the period 2011-2013. From the beginning of the 19th century until the late 1960s, the population of that region tended to use for construction limestone, instead of wood which for centuries was the most common building material on Polish lowlands. Using the local deposits of limestone, excavated near Rożaniatow village, various structures were built, with the parts of the building most endangered by degradation made of ceramic bricks (for corners and window/door frames) or glacial erratics (for wall base), thereby forming structures with specific architectural and aesthetic features, unique to that region. The survey was conducted in 165 villages of the region, cataloguing more than 2,000 such structures - residential buildings, farm facilities, industrial buildings. Many of these buildings display a similar elevation style of same-coloured stones, making them one of the most specific elements of the landscape.

The analysed area, just like the majority of rural Poland, is currently undergoing socio-economic changes which started in the 1990s and intensified after Poland joined the European Union. Changes in production profiles and farm sizes, migration of rural population to cities or countries of Western and Northern Europe, and progress of suburbanization are some of the main factors which trigger significant changes in the settlement network of the country. This is the right moment to assess whether the traditional solutions applied in the rural construction of the Koło Basin are worth modern application or whether they are only an element of cultural heritage valuable just from the historical perspective.