bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High‐efficiency organic light‐emitting diodes based on the gradient doping and nonlinear cross‐fading doping in transporting layers
Authors: Wang Jing , Huang Saijun , Liu Jun , Wu Xinkai , Shi Xindong , Chen Chaoping , Ye Zhicheng , Lu Jiangang , Su Yikai , He Gufeng
Published: April 2014

We have demonstrated that carrier injection and transporting can be fine‐tuned via gradient p‐doping and n‐doping in organic light‐emitting diodes. The doping profile of gradient doping in transporting layer is ultrahigh at the electrode side, declining gradually with the depth into the device until the emission layer. This not only ensures perfect charge injection from electrode to organic transporting layer but also proves an efficient charge transport for light emission. It is proposed that low doping ratio close to the emission layer may avoid possible quenching of excitons by the diffusion of dopant as well. A device based on gradient doping has been proved to obtain better carrier injection and achieve higher external quantum efficiency. To get smoother charge injection and transporting, and simplify the fabrication process, we have developed a nonlinear cross‐fading doping in transporting layer, which has been demonstrated to further enhance the current density characteristics.
Improved long‐term survival after resection of colorectal liver metastases following staging with FDG positron emission tomography
Authors: Abbadi Reyad A. , Sadat Umar , Jah Asif , Praseedom Raaj K. , Jamieson Neville V. , Cheow Heok K. , Whitley Siobhan , Ford Hugo E. , Wilson Charles B. , Harper Simon J.F. , Huguet Emmanuel L.
Published: April 2014

Background and Objectives

Actual long‐term survival of patients with colorectal liver metastases staged by PET CT has not been reported. Objectives were to investigate whether PET CT staging results in actual improved long‐term survival, to examine outcome in patients with ‘equivocal’ PET CT scans, and those excluded from hepatectomy by PET CT.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of patients undergoing hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases between March 1998 and September 2008.

Results

Overall 5‐ and 10‐year survival was 44.8% and 23.9%. PET CT staging resulted in management changes in 23% of patients. PET CT staged patients showed significantly better survival than those staged by CT alone at 3 years (79.8% vs. 54.1%) and at 5 years (54.1% vs. 37.3%) with median survivals of 6.4 years versus 3.9 years (log rank P = 0.018). Patients with equivocal PET CT scans showed worse median survival than those with favourable PET CT (log rank P = 0.002), but may include a subpopulation whose prognosis trends towards a more favourable outcome than those excluded from liver resection by PET CT, whose median survival remains limited to 21 months.

Conclusions

Staging of patients with colorectal liver metastases by PET CT is associated with significantly improved actual long‐term survival, and provides valuable prognostic information which guides surgical and oncological treatments. J. Surg. Oncol. 2014 110:313–319. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Outcome of Depression and Anxiety After War: A Prospective Epidemiologic Study of Children and Adolescents
Authors: Karam Elie G. , Fayyad John , Karam Aimee N. , Melhem Nadine , Mneimneh Zeina , Dimassi Hani , Tabet Caroline Cordahi
Published: April 2014

Prospective studies of children exposed to war have not investigated disorders other than posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and have methodological limitations. From a stratified random sample of 386 children and adolescents who had been interviewed 3 weeks after war exposure (Phase 1) a random subsample (N = 143) was interviewed a year later (Phase 2). PTSD, major depressive disorder (MDD), separation anxiety disorder (SAD), overanxious disorder (OAD), and psychosocial stressors were assessed using structured interviews administered to both children and adolescents and their parents. The prevalence of disorders among the 143 at Phase 1 was MDD 25.9%, SAD 16.1%, OAD 28.0%, and PTSD 26.0%, with 44.1% having any disorder. At Phase 2 the prevalence was MDD, 5.6%; SAD, 4.2%; OAD, 0%; and PTSD, 1.4%, with 9.2% having any disorder. Occurrence of disorders at Phase 1 was associated with older age, prewar disorders, financial problems, fear of being beaten, and witnessing any war event (ORs ranged from 2.5 to 28.6). Persistence of disorders to Phase 2 was associated with prewar disorders (OR = 6.0) and witnessing any war event (OR = 14.3). There are implications for detection of at‐risk cases following wars by screening for adolescents exposed to family violence, those with prewar disorders, and those who directly witnessed war events to target them for specific interventions.
Diagnostic Accuracy of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0) PTSD Module Among Female Vietnam‐Era Veterans
Authors: Kimerling Rachel , Serpi Tracey , Weathers Frank , Kilbourne Amy M. , Kang Han , Collins Joseph F. , Cypel Yasmin , Frayne Susan M. , Furey Joan , Huang Grant D. , Reinhard Matthew J. , Spiro Avron , Magruder Kathryn
Published: April 2014

The World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) module is widely used in epidemiological studies of PTSD, yet relatively few data attest to the instrument's diagnostic utility. The current study evaluated the diagnostic utility of the CIDI 3.0 PTSD module with U. S. women Vietnam‐era veterans. The CIDI and the Clinician‐Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) were independently administered to a stratified sample of 160 women, oversampled for current PTSD. Both lifetime PTSD and recent (past year) PTSD were assessed within a 3‐week interval. Forty‐five percent of the sample met criteria for a CAPS diagnosis of lifetime PTSD, and 21.9% of the sample met criteria for a CAPS diagnosis of past‐year PTSD. Using CAPS as the diagnostic criterion, the CIDI correctly classified 78.8% of cases for lifetime PTSD (κ = .56) and 82.0% of past year PTSD cases (κ = .51). Estimates of diagnostic performance for the CIDI were sensitivity of .61 and specificity of .91 for lifetime PTSD and sensitivity of .71 and specificity of .85 for past‐year PTSD. Results suggest that the CIDI has good utility for identifying PTSD, though it is a somewhat conservative indicator of lifetime PTSD as compared to the CAPS.
Redefining the timing of surgery for obstructive sleep apnea in anatomically favorable patients
Authors: Rotenberg Brian W. , Theriault Jenna , Gottesman Sophie
Published: April 2014

Objectives/Hypothesis

Healthcare remunerating agencies in North America require patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to undergo a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) trial before funding surgical therapy. The adherence rate of CPAP is problematic. This study's objective was to determine the proportion of surgically favorable patients who failed CPAP who subsequently benefitted from surgical therapy, and to explore consideration of surgical therapy as first‐line treatment in this specific OSA subpopulation.

Study Design

This was a prospective cohort study.

Methods

Patients with moderate–severe OSA who had failed a minimum 6‐month trial of CPAP were recruited. All had optimal anatomy for surgery and underwent tonsillectomy with palatoplasty ± septoplasty. Outcome measures included apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Sleep Apnea Quality of Life Index (SAQLI‐E), and blood pressure. Patients were followed for 1 year.

Results

By AHI measurement, 85.7% of patients in the entire cohort were successfully treated by surgery. ESS while on CPAP was 13.7 ± 2.9, improving to 4.1 ± 2.5 after surgery. SAQLI‐E scores on CPAP were 25.7 ± 5.8, improving to 10.2 ± 3.2 after surgery. Blood pressure remained elevated during CPAP but normalized after surgery. All changes were significant at P < .001.

Conclusions

Surgical intervention improved OSA severity as measured by the ESS, SAQLI‐E, and blood pressure. These measures had not improved on CPAP. AHI improved as well. Our results suggest that certain patients with OSA may be managed more effectively with surgery than CPAP, without confounding issues of treatment adherence and with only minor surgical risk.

Level of Evidence

2 Laryngoscope 124:S1–S9, 2014
Management of pseudoaneurysms of the internal carotid artery in postirradiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients
Authors: Lam Jacky Wai‐Kei , Chan Jimmy Yu‐Wai , Lui Wai‐Man , Ho Wai‐Kuen , Lee Raymond , Tsang Raymond King‐Yin
Published: April 2014

Objectives/Hypothesis

Massive epistaxis due to ruptured pseudoaneurysm of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is an often fatal complication of radiation treatment for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. We review the clinical characteristics and predictors of survival in patients suffering from this serious complication after radiotherapy.

Study Design

Retrospective case series.

Methods

Clinical records and radiological investigations of postirradiated NPC patients with ICA pseudoaneurysm diagnosed with digital subtraction angiography in Queen Mary Hospital from January 2003 to December 2012 were reviewed. Risk factors analyzed for survival included gender, size of initial tumor, history of second course of radiotherapy, history of previous maxillary swing nasopharyngectomy, presence of persistent disease, successful initial hemostasis, successful airway control, and endovascular treatment.

Results

Twenty‐six were included in the analysis. Twenty‐three patients underwent endovascular treatment, and 20 (87%) had successful control of the bleeding. Eighteen (69%) patients survived. Univariate analysis showed that successful temporary control of bleeding and airway control were associated with survival.

Conclusions

Prompt bleeding control and airway management is necessary to improve survival. Endovascular treatment is a good definitive treatment option with a high success rate.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope 124:2292–2296, 2014
A Novel SiO2‐Supported Cr–V Bimetallic Catalyst Making Polyethylene and Ethylene/1‐Hexene Copolymers with Bimodal Molecular Weight Distribution
Authors: Zhao Ning , Cheng Ruihua , He Xuelian , Liu Zhen , Liu Boping
Published: April 2014

A novel SiO2‐supported Cr–V bimetallic catalyst for ethylene and ethylene/α‐olefin polymerization is investigated. This catalyst is prepared using the residual surface hydroxyl groups in a SiO2‐supported vanadium catalyst to support bis(triphenysilyl) chromate (BC) in order to get the merits from both the vanadium‐based catalyst and the S‐2 catalyst. By investigation of the polymerization behavior and the microstructures of their polymers, several vital factors, such as the addition amount of vanadium species and the dosage of 1‐hexene, on the ethylene/1‐hexene copolymerization are systematically investigated. The results show that the activity of each bimetallic catalyst is higher than that of the S‐2 catalyst, and the product from the bimetallic catalyst shows a higher molecular weight (MW) with a bimodal molecular weight distribution (MWD). The copolymers obtained using the bimetallic catalyst also show a better short‐chain branch distribution (SCBD) than that using the S‐2 catalyst through a temperature rising elution fractionation (TREF) cross successive self‐nucleation and annealing (SSA) characterization.

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Learning and relationship orientation: an empirical examination in European museums
Authors: Garrido Ma José , Camarero Carmen
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this paper is to assess the interrelations between learning orientation, innovation strategy, relationship orientation and economic and social performance in the management of cultural organizations such as museums. We first provide a review of the literature addressing the main constructs involved in the research: learning orientation, innovation, relationship orientation and performance, and we detail the model's hypotheses reflecting the interrelations amongst the proposed variables. Building on extensive literature, a model is developed and empirically tested using survey data collected from 491 European museums in Spain, France, Italy and the UK. Data are analysed through structural equation modelling. In the present study, evidence is found to support the positive and significant link between learning orientation and internal (organizational innovation) as well as external (relationship orientation) changes in museums. Further, we find that organizational innovation and relationship orientation aid the introduction of greater technological developments in these organizations. We also find evidence to support the idea that learning orientation, innovation strategy and relationship orientation impact the economic and social performance of museums. Findings clearly show that achieving organizational objectives through learning processes necessarily entails the introduction of internal changes—innovation—and external relationships—relationship orientation.

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PARTICIPATION AND PERFORMANCE: DECENTRALISED PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION IN ETHIOPIA
Authors: Snyder Katherine A. , Ludi Eva , Cullen Beth , Tucker Josephine , Zeleke Alemayehu B. , Duncan Alan
Published: April 2014

This article discusses how decentralisation policies are enacted in the planning and implementation of natural resource management interventions in rural Ethiopia. A key element of decentralisation policy is the emphasis on greater participation by local communities. Drawing on qualitative research conducted with government staff and farmers, this paper illustrates how different actors perceive and implement national policy and how these actions affect the longer‐term sustainability of land management interventions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and thermal characterization of new dumbbell shaped POSS/PS nanocomposites: Influence of the symmetrical structure of the nanoparticles on the dispersion/aggregation in the polymer matrix
Authors: Blanco Ignazio , Bottino Francesco A. , Cicala Gianluca , Cozzo Giulia , Latteri Alberta , Recca Antonino
Published: April 2014

A series of three novel dumbbell shaped polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS)/ polystyrene (PS) nanocomposites, at different POSS contents (3%, 5% and 10% w/w), was synthesized and characterized in order to investigate the effects of this new bridged structure on the filler‐polymer interaction and then on the thermal behavior of the obtained polymer nanostructured materials (PNMs). Nanocomposites were synthesized by in situ polymerization of styrene and the actual POSS concentration in the obtained PNMs was checked by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and FTIR spectroscopy evidenced, at the same time, the presence of filler‐polymer interactions and auto‐aggregation phenomena. Degradations were carried out into a thermobalance, in the scanning mode, at various heating rates in both inert and oxidative atmospheres. The characteristic parameters of thermal stability, namely temperature at 5% mass loss and the apparent activation energy of degradation, for the various nanocomposites were determined and an increase in the initial decomposition temperatures of PNMs with increasing the POSS contents was observed. The results are discussed and interpreted. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:1394–1400, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers
Validity of maternal and infant outcomes within nationwide Medicaid data
Authors: Palmsten Kristin , Huybrechts Krista F. , Kowal Mary K. , Mogun Helen , Hernández‐Díaz Sonia
Published: April 2014

Purpose

The aim of this study is to assess the validity of preeclampsia, congenital cardiac malformations, and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) diagnoses in the US Medicaid Analytic eXtract (MAX), a nationwide health care utilization database that may be useful for perinatal research.

Methods

Using the 2000–2007 MAX, we identified more than 1 million pregnancies ending in live birth. We identified potential cases based on claims, reviewed their hospital medical records, and calculated the positive predictive values (PPVs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using records as the reference.

Results

Among 183 women with any preeclampsia diagnoses, the PPV was 66.5% (53.6, 77.4%), but it increased to 94.5% (84.0, 98.3%) for inpatient preeclampsia diagnoses. The PPV for inpatient PPHN diagnoses (N = 82) was 68.3% (57.6, 77.4%), but it increased to 89.6% (CI: 77.8, 95.5%) when restricting to infants not transferred to another facility shortly after birth (N = 48). The PPV for cardiac malformations was 77.6% (65.7, 86.2%) when requiring inpatient codes on more than one date (N = 63).

Conclusions

These PPVs are conservative, particularly when patients were transferred or received outpatient diagnoses, because we reviewed records from a single hospitalization only. PPVs improve with stringent identification criteria, at the cost of sensitivity, and can be used to correct for measurement error. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Coronavirus entry and release in polarized epithelial cells: a review
Authors: Cong Yingying , Ren Xiaofeng
Published: April 2014

Most coronaviruses cause respiratory or intestinal infections in their animal or human host. Hence, their interaction with polarized epithelial cells plays a critical role in the onset and outcome of infection. In this paper, we review the knowledge regarding the entry and release of coronaviruses, with particular emphasis on the severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronaviruses. As these viruses approach the epithelial surfaces from the apical side, it is not surprising that coronavirus cell receptors are exposed primarily on the apical domain of polarized epithelial cells. With respect to release, all possibilities appear to occur. Thus, most coronaviruses exit through the apical surface, several through the basolateral one, although the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus appears to use both sides. These observations help us understand the local or systematic spread of the infection within its host as well as the spread of the virus within the host population. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Magnetic Nanoparticles to Recover Cellular Organelles and Study the Time Resolved Nanoparticle‐Cell Interactome throughout Uptake
Authors: Bertoli Filippo , Davies Gemma‐Louise , Monopoli Marco P. , Moloney Micheal , Gun'ko Yurii K. , Salvati Anna , Dawson Kenneth A.
Published: April 2014

Nanoparticles in contact with cells and living organisms generate quite novel interactions at the interface between the nanoparticle surface and the surrounding biological environment. However, a detailed time resolved molecular level description of the evolving interactions as nanoparticles are internalized and trafficked within the cellular environment is still missing and will certainly be required for the emerging arena of nanoparticle‐cell interactions to mature. In this paper promising methodologies to map out the time resolved nanoparticle‐cell interactome for nanoparticle uptake are discussed. Thus silica coated magnetite nanoparticles are presented to cells and their magnetic properties used to isolate, in a time resolved manner, the organelles containing the nanoparticles. Characterization of the recovered fractions shows that different cell compartments are isolated at different times, in agreement with imaging results on nanoparticle intracellular location. Subsequently the internalized nanoparticles can be further isolated from the recovered organelles, allowing the study of the most tightly nanoparticle‐bound biomolecules, analogous to the ‘hard corona’ that so far has mostly been characterized in extracellular environments. Preliminary data on the recovered nanoparticles suggest that significant portion of the original corona (derived from the serum in which particles are presented to the cells) is preserved as nanoparticles are trafficked through the cells.
Molecular Evidence for OCT4-Induced Plasticity in Adult Human Fibroblasts Required for Direct Cell Fate Conversion to Lineage Specific Progenitors
Authors: Mitchell Ryan , Szabo Eva , Shapovalova Zoya , Aslostovar Lili , Makondo Kennedy , Bhatia Mickie
Published: April 2014

Here we characterize the molecular and biological requirements for OCT4 plasticity induction in human skin derived fibroblasts (hFibs) that allows direct conversion of cell fate without iPSC formation. Our results indicate that adult hFibs not only require OCT4 but also short-term exposure to reprogramming media (RM) to successfully undergo direct conversion to early hematopoietic and neural progenitor fates. RM was found to be essential in this process and allowed for unique changes in global gene expression specific to the combined effects of OCT4 and treatment with reprogramming media to establish a plastic state. This molecular state of hFib plasticity was distinct from transient expression of a full complement of iPSC reprogramming factors consistent with a lack in molecular hallmarks of iPSC formation. Human Fib-derived OCT4 plastic cells display elevated levels of developmentally related genes associated with multiple lineages, but not those associated with pluripotency. In response to changes in the extracellular environment, plastic OCT4-expressing hFibs further activate genes involved in hematopoietic as well as tripotent neural progenitor biology that allow cell fate conversion. Our study provides a working definition of hFib-induced plasticity using OCT4 and a deconvoluted system to elucidate the process of direct cell fate reprogramming. Stem Cells  2014;32:2178–2187
EDAG Positively Regulates Erythroid Differentiation and Modifies GATA1 Acetylation Through Recruiting p300
Authors: Zheng Wei-Wei , Dong Xiao-Ming , Yin Rong-Hua , Xu Fei-Fei , Ning Hong-Mei , Zhang Mei-Jiang , Xu Cheng-Wang , Yang Yang , Ding Ya-Li , Wang Zhi-Dong , Zhao Wen-Bo , Tang Liu-jun , Chen Hui , Wang Xiao-Hui , Zhan Yi-Qun , Yu Miao , Ge Chang-Hui , Li Chang-Yan , Yang Xiao-Ming
Published: April 2014

Erythroid differentiation-associated gene (EDAG) has been considered to be a transcriptional regulator that controls hematopoietic cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. The role of EDAG in erythroid differentiation of primary erythroid progenitor cells and in vivo remains unknown. In this study, we found that EDAG is highly expressed in CMPs and MEPs and upregulated during the erythroid differentiation of CD34+ cells following erythropoietin (EPO) treatment. Overexpression of EDAG induced erythroid differentiation of CD34+ cells in vitro and in vivo using immunodeficient mice. Conversely, EDAG knockdown reduced erythroid differentiation in EPO-treated CD34+ cells. Detailed mechanistic analysis suggested that EDAG forms complex with GATA1 and p300 and increases GATA1 acetylation and transcriptional activity by facilitating the interaction between GATA1 and p300. EDAG deletion mutants lacking the binding domain with GATA1 or p300 failed to enhance erythroid differentiation, suggesting that EDAG regulates erythroid differentiation partly through forming EDAG/GATA1/p300 complex. In the presence of the specific inhibitor of p300 acetyltransferase activity, C646, EDAG was unable to accelerate erythroid differentiation, indicating an involvement of p300 acetyltransferase activity in EDAG-induced erythroid differentiation. ChIP-PCR experiments confirmed that GATA1 and EDAG co-occupy GATA1-targeted genes in primary erythroid cells and in vivo. ChIP-seq was further performed to examine the global occupancy of EDAG during erythroid differentiation and a total of 7,133 enrichment peaks corresponding to 3,847 genes were identified. Merging EDAG ChIP-Seq and GATA1 ChIP-Seq datasets revealed that 782 genes overlapped. Microarray analysis suggested that EDAG knockdown selectively inhibits GATA1-activated target genes. These data provide novel insights into EDAG in regulation of erythroid differentiation. Stem Cells  2014;32:2278–2289
JMJD5 Regulates Cell Cycle and Pluripotency in Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Authors: Zhu Hui , Hu Shijun , Baker Julie
Published: April 2014

In mammalian embryos, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent cells, a shortened G1 phase is correlated with the pluripotent state. To molecularly define this phase, we compared transcripts from the shortened G1 of human ESCs (hESCs) with those from the longer G1 of derived endoderm. We identified JMJD5, a JmjC (Jumonji C) domain containing protein that, when depleted in hESCs, causes the accumulation of cells in G1 phase, loss of pluripotency, and subsequent differentiation into multiple lineages, most prominently ectoderm and trophectoderm. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the JMJD5 phenotype is caused by the upregulation of CDKN1A (p21), as depleting both JMJD5 and CDKN1A (p21) in hESCs restores the rapid G1 phase and rescues the pluripotent state. Overall, we provide genetic and biochemical evidence that the JMJD5/CDKN1A (p21) axis is essential to maintaining the short G1 phase which is critical for pluripotency in hESCs. Stem Cells  2014;32:2098–2110
Brief Report: Parthenogenetic Embryonic Stem Cells are an Effective Cell Source for Therapeutic Liver Repopulation
Authors: Espejel Silvia , Eckardt Sigrid , Harbell Jack , Roll Garrett R. , McLaughlin K. John , Willenbring Holger
Published: April 2014

Parthenogenesis is the development of an oocyte without fertilization. Mammalian parthenogenetic (PG) embryos are not viable, but can develop into blastocysts from which embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have been derived in mouse and human. PG ESCs are frequently homozygous for alleles encoding major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. MHC homozygosity permits much more efficient immune matching than MHC heterozygosity found in conventional ESCs, making PG ESCs a promising cell source for cell therapies requiring no or little immune suppression. However, findings of restricted differentiation and proliferation of PG cells in developmental chimeras have cast doubt on the potential of PG ESC derivatives for organ regeneration. To address this uncertainty, we determined whether PG ESC derivatives are effective in rescuing mice with lethal liver failure due to deficiency of fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (Fah). In developmental chimeras generated by injecting wild-type PG ESCs into Fah-deficient blastocysts, PG ESCs differentiated into hepatocytes that could repopulate the liver, provide normal liver function, and facilitate long-term survival of adult mice. Moreover, after transplantation into adult Fah-deficient mice, PG ESC-derived hepatocytes efficiently engrafted and proliferated, leading to high-level liver repopulation. Our results show that—despite the absence of a paternal genome—PG ESCs can form therapeutically effective hepatocytes. Stem Cells  2014;32:1983–1988
Development of the embryonic and larval peripheral nervous system of Drosophila
Authors: Singhania Aditi , Grueber Wesley B.
Published: April 2014

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) of embryonic and larval stage Drosophila consists of diverse types of sensory neurons positioned along the body wall. Sensory neurons, and associated end organs, show highly stereotyped locations and morphologies. Many powerful genetic tools for gene manipulation available in Drosophila make the PNS an advantageous system for elucidating basic principles of neural development. Studies of the Drosophila PNS have provided key insights into molecular mechanisms of cell fate specification, asymmetric cell division, and dendritic morphogenesis. A canonical lineage gives rise to sensory neurons and associated organs, and cells within this lineage are diversified through asymmetric cell divisions. Newly specified sensory neurons develop specific dendritic patterns, which are controlled by numerous factors including transcriptional regulators, interactions with neighboring neurons, and intracellular trafficking systems. In addition, sensory axons show modality specific terminations in the central nervous system, which are patterned by secreted ligands and their receptors expressed by sensory axons. Modality‐specific axon projections are critical for coordinated larval behaviors. We review the molecular basis for PNS development and address some of the instances in which the mechanisms and molecules identified are conserved in vertebrate development.

This article is categorized under:

Nervous System Development > Flies
The novel Shewanella putrefaciens-infecting bacteriophage Spp001: genome sequence and lytic enzymes
Authors: Han Feng , Li Meng , Lin Hong , Wang Jingxue , Cao Limin , Khan Muhammad Naseem
Published: April 2014

Shewanella putrefaciens has been identified as a specific spoilage organism commonly found in chilled fresh fish, which contributes to the spoilage of fish products. Limiting S. putrefaciens growth can extend the shelf-life of chilled fish. Endolysins, which are lytic enzymes produced by bacteriophages, have been considered an alternative to control bacterial growth, and have been useful in various applications, including food preservation. We report here, for the first time, the complete genome sequence of a novel phage Spp001, which lyses S. putrefaciens Sp225. The Spp001 genome comprises a 54,789-bp DNA molecule with 67 open reading frames and an average total G + C content of 49.42 %. In silico analysis revealed that the Spp001 open reading frames encode various putative functional proteins, including an endolysin (ORF 62); however, no sequence for genes encoding the holin polypeptides, which work in concert with endolysins, was identified. To examine further the lytic activity of Spp001, we analyzed the lytic enzyme-containing fraction from phages released at the end of the phage lytic cycle in S. putrefaciens, using diffusion and turbidimetric assays. The results show that the partially purified extract contained endolysin, as indicated by a high hydrolytic activity towards bacterial peptidoglycan decrease in the OD590 value by 0.160 in 15 min. The results will allow further investigation of the purification of natural Spp001 endolysin, the extension of Spp001 host range, and the applications of the phage-encoded enzymes.
Managerial Mindsets Toward Corporate Social Responsibility: The Case of Auto Industry in Iran
Authors: Soltani Ebrahim , Syed Jawad , Liao Ying-Ying , Iqbal Abdullah
Published: April 2014

Despite a plethora of empirical evidence on the potential role of senior management in the success of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Western-dominated organizational contexts, little attempt has been made to document the various managerial mindsets toward CSR in organizations in Muslim-dominated countries in the Middle East region. To address this existing lacuna of theoretical and empirical research in CSR management, this paper offers a qualitative case study of CSR in three manufacturing firms operating in Iran’s auto industry. Based on an inductive analysis of the qualitative data, three types of managerial mindset toward CSR are identified: conformist, self-seeker, and satisfier. While it is evident that these different mindsets of Iranian managers seek to serve managerial ends and short-term self-interests, they fall short of core values of Islamic ethics and CSR.
Does IGFR1 inhibition result in increased muscle mass loss in patients undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer?
Authors: Fogelman David R. , Holmes Holly , Mohammed Khalil , Katz Matthew H. G. , Prado Carla M. , Lieffers Jessica , Garg Naveen , Varadhachary Gauri R. , Shroff Rachna , Overman Michael J. , Garrett Christopher , Wolff Robert A. , Javle Milind
Published: April 2014

Background

IGF‐1 plays a role in the growth of multiple tumor types, including pancreatic cancer. IGF‐1 also serves as a growth factor for muscle. The impact of therapeutic targeting of IGF‐1 on muscle mass is unknown.

Methods

We evaluated muscle mass at L3 in patients enrolled in a randomized phase II study of MK‐0646 (M), a monoclonal antibody directed against the IGF‐1 protein, in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC). Two different doses of M were tested, 5 and 10 mg/kg. We used the Slice‐o‐matic (ver 4.3) software to segregate CT images into muscle and fat components and measured muscle area (cm2) at baseline and after 2 and 4 months of treatment. Patients received either gemcitabine with erlotinib (G + E), G + E + M, or G + M. Differences between the groups were compared using t tests.

Results

Fifty‐three patients had both baseline and 2‐month imaging available for analysis. Of these, 42 received M with their chemo, and 11 had G + E only. After 2 months of treatment, both groups demonstrated decrease in muscle mass. G + E patients lost 5.6 % of muscle mass; M patients lost 9.1 and 8.6 % after treatment with 5 and 10 mg/kg, respectively (p = 0.53). Patients demonstrating a response lost less muscle (median 4.6 %) than those with stable disease (9.6 %) and progressive disease (8.9 %, p = 0.14). Muscle retention from baseline to 2‐month imaging, defined as loss of <6 cm2 of muscle, correlated with better survival than those patients demonstrating a muscle loss (HR 0.51, p = 0.03).

Conclusions

MPC patients can be expected to lose muscle mass even while having clinical benefit (PR or SD) from chemotherapy. Muscle loss correlated with a risk of study drop‐out and death. There was a non‐significant trend toward greater muscle mass loss in patients on anti‐IGF‐1R therapy. However, it is unclear if this loss translates into functional differences between patients.
Osteosarcopenic obesity: the role of bone, muscle, and fat on health
Authors: Ormsbee Michael J. , Prado Carla M. , Ilich Jasminka Z. , Purcell Sarah , Siervo Mario , Folsom Abbey , Panton Lynn
Published: April 2014

Osteopenia/osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and obesity are commonly observed in the process of aging, and recent evidence suggests a potential interconnection of these syndromes with common pathophysiology. The term osteosarcopenic obesity has been coined to describe the concurrent appearance of obesity in individuals with low bone and muscle mass. Although our understanding of osteosarcopenic obesity's Etiology, prevalence, and consequences is extremely limited, it is reasonable to infer its negative impact in a population that is aging in an obesogenic environment. It is likely that these individuals will present with poorer clinical outcomes caused by the cascade of metabolic abnormalities associated with these changes in body composition. Clinical outcomes include but are not limited to increased risk of fractures, impaired functional status (including activities of daily living), physical disability, insulin resistance, increased risk of infections, increased length of hospital stay, and reduced survival. These health outcomes are likely to be worse when compared to individuals with obesity, sarcopenia, or osteopenia/osteoporosis alone. Interventions that utilize resistance training exercise in conjunction with increased protein intake appear to be promising in their ability to counteract osteosarcopenic obesity.
Alzheimer's disease‐related plaques in nondemented subjects
Authors: Elobeid Adila , Rantakömi Sanna , Soininen Hilkka , Alafuzoff Irina
Published: April 2014

Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology was assessed in 587 nondemented subjects, with age at death at or more than 50 years. In 307 subjects, amyloid‐β (Aβ) immunoreactive (IR) plaques were seen; in 192 subjects, neuritic plaques (NPs) stained with modified Bielschowsky silver stain (mBky) were observed. In 20% of the whole cohort and in 62% of the 192 subjects with NPs in mBky, hyperphosphorylated tau (HPtau) IR NPs were seen. In most cases in this nondemented cohort, the HPtau IR NPs were observed either sparsely or to a moderate extent. The correlation between the NP score and Braak stage was best (r = 0.6, P < .001) when HPtau immunohistochemistry was used. Eighty‐three percent of the subjects could not be categorized following the 1997 National Institute on Aging and the Reagan Institute (NIA‐RI) recommendations, whereas the 2012 National Institute on Aging–Alzheimer's Association (NIA‐AA) guidelines were applicable for all study subjects. Twenty‐eight subjects had an intermediate level of AD neuropathological change according to the 2012 NIA‐AA guidelines, and 25 of these 28 subjects displayed HPtau IR NPs in the temporal cortex. It is noteworthy, however, that as many as 119 out of the 192 subjects with NPs in mBky displayed HPtau IR NPs in the temporal cortex. Ninety‐four of these 119 subjects with neocortical HPtau IR NPs had a low level of neuropathological AD change according to the 2012 NIA‐AA guidelines because they were in Braak stages I and II. Thus, 94 subjects were not acknowledged as being at risk for AD when applying the 2012 NIA‐AA guidelines. We suggest that to identify all subjects with cortical HPtau pathology and, consequently, probably being at risk for developing AD, in addition to the level of AD neuropathological change as recommended by the 2012 NIA‐AA guidelines, assessment of HPtau IR NPs in the neocortex should be carried out.
Re-Discovering and Re-Creating African American Historical Accounts through Mobile Apps: The Role of Mobile Technology in History Education
Authors: King LaGarrett J. , Gardner-McCune Christina , Vargas Penelope , Jimenez Yerika
Published: April 2014

This paper describes a case study of a program called WATCH: Workshop for Actively Thinking Computationally and Historically. The focus of the program and this paper was on using mobile application development to promote historical thinking using a plantation site visit as the focus of inquiry. WATCH was delivered during an academic enrichment youth program at a major research university in the Southeast and served a total of 30 African American and Latino high school students from low socio-economic backgrounds. Through the theoretical framework of historical thinking, this case study provides descriptions of the class sessions, students’ perceptions of and interests in history and students level of historical thinking through their apps. We make suggestions about how the instructional activities could be adapted for classrooms, discuss the tensions of using technology and inquiry pedagogy to support and promote historical learning, and review the program's impact on students’ agency as learners and critical consumers and producers of historical accounts.
THE TRACERY-CARVED, CLAMP-FRONTED MEDIEVAL CHEST AT ST MARY MAGDALEN CHURCH, OXFORD, IN A COMPARATIVE NORTH-WEST EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Pickvance Christopher
Published: April 2014

The St Mary Magdalen chest is striking because of its carved facade and has attracted the attention of historians over the last century. There has been debate about its age, culminating in the recent suggestion that it either dates to the fourteenth century or is a later copy. This paper makes a detailed study of all the elements of the chest, constructional and decorative, and compares them with features of related medieval chests in England and Continental north-western Europe. It concludes that the chest has gone through a major reconstruction involving replaced front stiles but that it shares at least four features with chests in north Germany and Sweden dating from around 1320–30 that are not found in English chests, suggesting that it is an imported chest or was made by craftsmen working in that tradition. Numerous areas for future research into the features of English and Continental medieval chests are identified.
BLOOD, HONOUR AND STATUS INODYSSEY11
Authors: Martin Bridget
Published: April 2014

During the necromantic ceremony inOdyssey11 Odysseus slits the throats of two sheep and then proceeds to drain their blood into the βόθρος, or pit, which he has dug in the ground (Od. 11.35–6). At this point in the ceremony the dead swarm up from the Underworld, displaying an innate attraction to the blood (Od. 11.36–7). Such is the overwhelming response of the dead that Odysseus must draw his sword in order to hold back the multitudes who clamour to drink the offering (Od. 11.48–50). Odysseus refuses to allow the dead to approach the blood until Tiresias has drunk the offering and offered a prophecy for the future (Od. 11.95–6). After Tiresias has concluded his prophecy for Odysseus some of the other dead step forward and drink the blood, but to what end? Odysseus does not seek prophecies from these figures, nor do they produce any, which means that their reason for desiring and drinking the blood must lie elsewhere.
APARCHAIIN THE GREAT LIST OF THASIANTHEÔROI
Authors: Jim Theodora Suk Fong
Published: April 2014

One of the most baffling inscriptions has come down to us from the so-called ‘Passage of theTheôroi’ at Thasos. Situated at the north-eastern entrance of the ancient agora, and consisting originally of two walls on either side of a path paved by marble, the monumental passage way had a long list of names inscribed on the inside of its western wall; this is the so-called ‘great list of Thasiantheôroi’. Two of its constituent lists bear the headings ἐπὶ τῆς πρώτης ἀπαρχῆς and ἐπὶ τῆς δευ[τέρη]ς ἀπαρχῆς| οἵδε ἐθεόρεον. The meaning of the wordaparchêand the nature of thetheôroiin question have been the subject of disagreement among historians. The aim of this article is to contribute further suggestions to existing discussions.
HESIOD'S PROEM AND PLATO'SION
Authors: Stern-Gillet Suzanne
Published: April 2014

Plato's Hesiod is a neglected topic, scholars having long regarded Plato's Homer as a more promising field of inquiry. My aim in this chapter is to demonstrate that this particular bias of scholarly attention, although understandable, is unjustified. Of no other dialogue is this truer than of theIon.
THE RECOVERY OF MORE ENNIUS FROM A MISINFORMED CICERONIAN SCHOLIAST
Authors: Ramsey John T.
Published: April 2014

The aim of this paper is to propose a new and more satisfactory context for a fragment from one of Ennius’ tragedies preserved in Cicero and discussed by a late scholiast on the Ciceronian passage. It will be shown that the scholiast, or more likely the source upon which he drew, had in front of him a bit more of the Ennian passage than the partial line preserved in Cicero and that the scholiast drew a false conclusion concerning the identity of one of the interlocutors from the way in which one speaker addressed the other. Previous scholars have sought to remove the inconsistency in the scholiast's sketch of the scene either by changing the locale of the dialogue or by correcting the scholiast's identification of the out-of-place speaker. It will be shown that a more productive line of investigation is to seek to discover the underlying cause of the scholiast's apparent error. The identification of the cause not only sheds light on the fate of Ennius’ text in Late Antiquity but permits us to restore, by means of conjecture, an additional word to the corpus of Ennius’ tragedies, a word that is a favourite of his in the Annales, but until now has not been attested in a Roman tragedy before the age of Seneca.
SERPENTINE CONSTRUCTIONS: LUCRETIUS,DE RERVM NATVRA3.657–63
Authors: Possanza D. Mark
Published: April 2014

The mutilation of the snake provides compelling evidence that the soul and the body form an interconnected structural complex. The verbal complex, however, in which thisserpensis articulated, has long been a problematic one. At the heart of the problem is the meaning ofserpentis utrumque, a phrase which has been treated with considerable indulgence and is printed in the majority of twentieth-century editions, though it does not yield a satisfactory sense. It is usually interpreted to mean ‘both parts of a snake’, as ifutrumque serpentiswere equivalent in meaning toutramque partem serpentis.The word ‘parts,’ however, is an evasion of the semantic value ofutrumquebecause it eliminates the ambiguity, in this context, of the pronoun ‘each of two,’ the reference of which should be made clear by the context, and supplies instead the very thing that is in question here, a clearly defined object, ‘both parts,’ fordiscidere. This may seem a small point but ‘both parts’ greatly obscures the nature of the problem. If we take a more literal approach toutrumque, we will get a better sense of the frustrated linguistic expectation caused by the pronoun: ‘of a snake with a darting tongue, quivering tail, long body, to cut up each of the two’. The question immediately arises: to what does ‘each of the two’ refer? According to the normal usage ofuterquethe answer should be apparent. In 3.658 it is not. It has long been assumed thatutrumquerefers tocaudaandcorporebut such a reference is not at all clear from the syntax. In the description of the snake we do not find, and this is the essential point, two clearly defined components of the snake to whichutrumque(‘each of the two’) can refer in accordance with its meaning and the syntax of the sentence. Instead, we find three components, expressed in three parallel ablative phrases,uibrante lingua,micanti caudaandprocero corpore, all of equal importance in delineating the snake. And since the whole construction is dependent on one verb,discidere, the normal expectation would be that, whatever words are the antecedent ofutrumque, those words would be in the accusative as well; the shift fromcaudaandcorporein the ablative toutrumquein the accusative, in what is essentially an appositional relationship, is syntactically jarring.
A DOUBLESERMOCINATIOAND A RESOLVED DILEMMA IN CICERO'SPRO PLANCIO
Authors: Grillo Luca
Published: April 2014

In the litigious world of ancient Romepatroniwere often torn between conflicting bonds of loyalty, and this is the dilemma that Cicero laments in theexordiumof thePro Plancio(5). Both the prosecutor, Laterensis, and the accused, Plancius, were personal friends, and Cicero bemoans the quandary: either upsetting Laterensis by comparing him unfavourably with Plancius, or letting down his client. A second problem for Cicero was that the prosecution also took the opportunity to impugn him as the creature of Pompey and Caesar, so that Cicero had to defend himself as much as his client. Two examples ofsermocinatio(an imaginary dialogue with a personified entity) helped him to face these challenges: thesesermocinationesare Cicero's main strategy for getting out of the conundrum but, in spite of their relevance to his line of argument, they have received very little attention. In this article, after a brief historical contextualization, I analyse eachsermocinatio, arguing that Cicero cunningly sets aside the dilemma of comparing two friends by constructing an alternative comparison between Laterensis and himself, and that such a comparison, which is highly selective, re-establishes his own positive public image. The twosermocinationes, moreover, also display some meaningful textual references which have remained unnoticed: in the final part of this paper I set them against the backdrop of Plato'sCritoand of Cicero's letter to Lentulus (Fam. 1.9), arguing that the reference to theCritosupports Cicero's strategy of contrasting himself with Laterensis and that comparison withFam. 1.9 illuminates the connection between thePro Plancioand Cicero's broaderpost reditumself-defence.
THE (RE/DE)CONSTRUCTION OF CLODIUS IN CICERO'S SPEECHES
Authors: Seager Robin
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this paper is to examine the variations in Cicero's treatment of Clodius in his speeches and to suggest reasons why these variations occur. The treatment of five principal themes will be considered: (1) Clodius' relationship with Gabinius and Piso; (2) Clodius’ alleged link with Catiline and/or surviving Catilinarians; (3) the Bona Dea affair; (4) Clodius’ alleged incest with one or more of his sisters; (5) Clodius’ supposed insanity, which clearly exceeded the tribunician norm.