bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Catalytic Transformation of Oxygenated Organic Compounds into Pure Hydrogen
Authors: Xue He , Liu Jun-xu , Xia Tong-yan , Li Quan-xin
Published: September 2016

The continual growth in transportation fuels and more strict environmental legislations have led to immense interest in developing green biomass energy. In this work, a proposed catalytic transformation of oxygenated organic compounds (related to bio-oil) into pure hydrogen was desighed, involving the catalytic reforming of oxygenated organic compounds to hydrogen-rich mixture gas followed by the conversion of CO to CO2 via the water gas reaction and the removal of CO2. The optimization of the different reforming catalyst, the reaction conditions as well as various sources of oxygenated organic compounds were investigated in detail. The production of pure hydrogen, with the H2 content up to 99.96% and the conversion of 97.1%, was achieved by the integrated catalytic transformation. The reaction pathways were addressed based on the investigation of decomposition, catalytic reforming, and the water gas reaction.
A Reflectron Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer with a Nano-Electrospray Ionization Source for Study of Metal Cluster Compounds
Authors: Wu Xiao-hu , Xie Hua , Liu Zhi-ling , Su Hai-feng , Lin Shui-chao , Tang Zi-chao
Published: September 2016

An experiment facility has been set up for the study of metal cluster compounds in our laboratory, which consists of a nano-electrospray ionization source, an ion transmission and focus system, and a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Taking advantage of the nano-electrospray ionization source, polyvalent ions are usually produced in the “ionization” process and the obtained mass resolution of the equipment is over 8000. The molecular ion peaks of metal cluster compounds [Au20(PPhpy2)10Cl2](SbF6)4, where PPhpy2=bis(2-pyridyl)phenylphosphine, and [Au6Ag2(C)L6](BF4)4, where L=2-(diphenylphosphino)-5-methylpyridine, are distinguished in the respective mass spectrum, accompanied by some fragment ion peaks. In addition, the mass-to-charge ratios of the parent ions are determinated. Preliminary results suggest that the device is a powerful tool for the study of metal cluster compounds. It turns out that the information obtained by the instrumentation serves as an essential supplement to single crystal X-ray diffraction for structure characterization of metal cluster compounds.
Rabex-5 is a lenalidomide target molecule that negatively regulates TLR-induced type 1 IFN production
Authors: Millrine David , Tei Mami , Gemechu Yohannes , Kishimoto Tadamitsu
Published: September 2016

Significance

The identification of the Lon protease Cereblon as the thalidomide receptor has led to significant progress in our understanding of immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs). IMiD binding alters the surface of Cereblon to facilitate the recruitment of proteins including Ikaros and CK1α. The recruitment of these proteins results in their ubiquitin-mediated proteosomal degradation. How Cereblon mediates the efficacy of these compounds in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions remains unclear. Significantly, this study has identified Rabex-5 as a Cereblon-interacting protein that is affected by IMiD binding. Furthermore, knockdown studies in a human macrophage cell line reveals a function of Rabex-5 in regulating Toll-like receptor–induced type 1 IFN production. These findings may help explain the antiinflammatory properties of IMiDs.
Sufficient trial size to inform clinical practice
Authors: Manski Charles F. , Tetenov Aleksey
Published: September 2016

Significance

A core objective of trials comparing alternative medical treatments is to inform treatment choice in clinical practice, and yet conventional practice in designing trials has been to choose a sample size that yields specified statistical power. Power, a concept in the theory of hypothesis testing, is at most loosely connected to effective treatment choice. This paper develops an alternative principle for trial design that aims to directly benefit medical decision making. We propose choosing a sample size that enables implementation of near-optimal treatment rules. Near optimality means that treatment choices are suitably close to the best that could be achieved if clinicians were to know with certainty mean treatment response in their patient populations.
Linguistic accommodations and electoral participation
Authors: Reilly Shauna , Zimmerman Jeffrey Mark
Published: September 2016

The purpose of this study was to advance the understanding of the influence geo-political events and legislation can have on the accommodation of minority language voters. Particularly, this study focused on the effects of (1) the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on minority language voters in the USA, and (2) World War I on minority language voters in Austria. We use a most similar systems design with our case studies. The results from the most similar systems design suggest that while both the USA and Austria have similar constitutional structures, are stable democracies, and have laws enacted to help protect the rights of minority language speakers (the VRA of 1965 in the USA, and Art. 8 of the Austrian State Treaty of 1955), they have developed two different approaches to linguistic accommodation for minority language speakers at elections. This study has helped to further the researchers’ understanding of the influence geo-political events and legislation can have on the accommodation of minority language voters.
Slavic constructed languages in the internet age
Authors: Meyer Anna-Maria
Published: September 2016

Slavic constructed languages have been widely neglected by interlinguistics and Slavic linguistics so far; however, the number of projects for a common Slavic language has been growing since the 17th century, beginning with Juraj Križanić’sRuski jezik(1666) and continuing up to Arnošt Eman Žídek’sSlovan(1940) and beyond. The construction of Slavic languages has recently been experiencing a revival through the spread of the internet since the 1990s. This has manifested itself mainly in three extensively elaborated projects with their own websites and user communities:Slovio(1999),Slovianski(2006) andNovoslovienski(2010). These three projects — one of them schematic, two of them naturalistic — are presented in the historical context of Slavic language construction from the 17th century up to the present and analyzed structurally in terms of their writing systems, their grammars and the composition of their lexicons. Although their chances of implementation in practice in the context of European language policy are currently rather marginal, they should be valued as a unique phenomenon in Slavic cultural history.
Reformulating the question in US Presidential debates
Authors: Jacobsen Ronald R.
Published: September 2016

This paper analyzes the role of question reformulations in the 2004 US presidential debates. While formulations used for questioning have received quite some attention in the literature, no studies, to my knowledge, with the exception of Clayman (1993), have been concerned with question reformulations, that is, formulations given in response to questions. In contrast to Clayman (1993) who examined the ‘directness/evasiveness’ of a reformulation as a collaborative achievement involving a question-answer-pursuit sequence, this paper analyzes it as a collaborative achievement involving a question-answer-answer sequence (like a panel news interview). The analysis shows that the reformulations in the 2004 US presidential debates involve a device for adjusting the question and the subsequent answer to the candidate’s (actual and presumed) audience. Thus, the relative ‘directness/evasiveness’ of a candidate’s answer depends on which of the ‘three’ perspectives (/positions) presented by the question-answer-answer sequence that the overhearing audience is most willing to adopt.
Discursive pragmatics of T-shirt inscriptions
Authors: Chiluwa Innocent , Ajiboye Esther
Published: September 2016

This study adopts a discourse-pragmatic analytical approach to examine the various ways youths construct themselves and their group identities, their environment and socio-economic aspirations using T-shirt messages and slogans. Two institutions of higher learning in Nigeria are examined. Findings show that T-shirts combine fashion and youth popular culture with need and identity negotiation. The youth not only assert who they are and what they wish to be known for, but also express their aspirations for a better socio-economic and political society. The needs for love and money are particularly stressed. The study also describes the linguistic structures and style of T-shirt messages.
The role of metapragmatic expressions as pragmatic manipulation in a TV panel discussion program
Authors: Liu Ping , Ran Yongping
Published: September 2016

This study explores the role of metapragmatic expressions (MPEs) as pragmatic manipulation in a media context, with data drawn from a Chinese TV panel discussion program Tiger Talk. It argues that the program host selects MPEs to manipulate the ongoing interactions, in order to solve or prevent the actual or potential problems in the interactions. Hence, the functioning of MPEs is described as a process consisting of three stages: problem awareness, pragmatic manipulation, and problem resolution or prevention. It is found that the host mainly uses five types of MPEs, i.e. performatives, commentaries, evidentials, message glosses, and stance displayers for the sake of pragmatic manipulation across the three dimensions of interactive procedure control, rapport management, and impact monitoring. The article concludes that the host’s pragmatic manipulation of the ongoing interactions, driven by both institutional and interpersonal concerns, is motivated by his institutional rights and obligations as a program manager.
The emergence of verb argument structure in Mandarin Chinese
Authors: Chen Jidong
Published: September 2016

This study examines the emergent linguistic properties of the early production of verb argument structure in Mandarin Chinese. Longitudinal naturalist speech data of one Mandarin-learning child were coded and analyzed for their argument structure from age 1;3 to 3;4, the crucial age for early syntactic development. The results reveal an early emergence and dominance of transitive verbs and the theme-only argument. Transitive verbs tend to have reduced number of arguments, whereas intransitive verbs tend to sustain one argument. The acquisition of thematic roles proceeds in the order of theme, agent, location, and recipient. The child’s production of verb argument structure reflects the typological features of Mandarin and reveals some language-general route in the acquisition of argument structure, which suggests the importance of explicit instruction of the discourse-pragmatic properties of verb arguments in teaching and learning Mandarin verbs to second language learners.
Facilitating language learning
Authors: Li Yen-hui Audrey
Published: September 2016

This paper discusses from a theoretical and conceptual perspective how generative linguistics can be useful to language teaching and learning. Proper interpretation of the generative theoretical underpinnings, as well as better understanding of the generative conceptions about language and linguistic competence, and of relevant research results can help us better appreciate what it takes to acquire competence in a language. Well-informed decisions can be made on effective language teaching methodologies and materials, thereby facilitating language learning and generating success for learners. Applications of relevant concepts and principles are demonstrated by concrete examples that can be incorporated into lesson designs for the instruction of Chinese to English speakers.
Explicit, implicit and metalinguistic knowledge in L2 Chinese
Authors: Romagnoli Chiara
Published: September 2016

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between metalinguistic knowledge and language proficiency in L2 Chinese. In line with the distinction between explicit knowledge and implicit knowledge, different tests were designed and then administered to 38 intermediate level learners of Chinese in order to measure the difference between the two types of knowledge, and between these values and the scores obtained in written and oral proficiency tests. Results show that the participants’ level of explicit knowledge was higher than the implicit level. This reveals that a positive correlation exists between explicit knowledge and language proficiency, and thus confirms the role played by metalinguistic knowledge in language performance.
Planning what to say
Authors: Tottie Gunnel
Published: September 2016

Based on data from the Santa Barbara Corpus of Spoken American English, this paper argues that the vocalizations [ə(:)] and [ə(:)m]), usually transcribed uh and um, can be regarded as pragmatic markers, rather than as undesirable disfluencies or hesitation markers. It is shown that they are especially frequent in registers and contexts that require more planning by speakers, like narrative passages in conversation and in task-related contexts, especially in long turns. The term planner is therefore proposed as an appropriate designation. Co-occurrences of uh and um with other pragmatic markers such as well, you know, I mean and like as well as with and and but are shown to support this view.
Towards a unified constructional characterisation of the nonfinite periphery
Authors: Bouzada-Jabois Carla , Pérez-Guerra Javier
Published: September 2016

This study focuses on two extraclausal verbal constructions: free adjuncts (FAs: Not feeling at first the Pain of the Stroke, he wondered what was become of the Ball, DODDRIDGE-1747,10.72) and absolute constructions (ACs: Your Barrels being ready, strow the Bottom with Salt: DRUMMOND-1718,32.359). Adopting a quasi-synchronic approach applied to Modern and Present-Day English (PDE), we treat FAs and ACs as constructions (sufficiently frequent compositional form-meaning pairings); more specifically, we consider them two variants of a nested ‘nonfinite-periphery construction’ in which the parameter ±subject in the nonfinite periphery determines the ascription of the construction to either the FA or the AC type. In order to relate our findings to those of Río-Rey (2002) for Early Modern English and Kortmann (1991) for PDE, we analyse more than 3,000 FAs and ACs from the Penn Parsed Corpus of Modern British English, a multi-genre parsed corpus of Late Modern English (1700–1914), and from the British component of the International Corpus of English (ICE-GB). We hypothesise that FAs and ACs deserve unitary constructional treatment in Modern and PDE, on the basis of the statistical homogeneity of their frequencies, the fixation and reduction of the set of potential introducers, the comparable proportions of FAs and ACs semantically related to the clause, their preference for sentence-final position, and the increase of the less informative types.
Left-dislocated strings in Modern English epistolary prose
Authors: Tizón-Couto David
Published: September 2016

This paper investigates the formal and functional features of strings that include both a left-dislocated constituent and a coreferring resumptive in the subsequent clause in Modern English letters and diaries. Such left-dislocated strings embody, to differing degrees, the reportedly speech-like and informal contemporary Left Dislocation construction. The data was analyzed according to a range of factors relating to the inner configuration of such strings (complexity, information status, animacy, resumption, continuity, etc.) and examined by means of a range of statistical tests such as linear regression. The results provide a clear and broad picture of (a) their overall usage profile in comparison with contemporary spoken Left Dislocation, (b) the processing constraints at work within them, and (c) their unlikely status as prospective markers of orality in Modern English epistolary prose.
Extra-clausal constituents and language contact
Authors: Heine Bernd
Published: September 2016

Extra-clausal constituents as proposed by Dik (1997: 379–407) are linguistic elements that are typically marked off from the clause proper by breaks or pause-like inflections in their prosodic contour, or occur on their own, they can only be understood in terms of pragmatic rules and principles and serve mainly functions such as interaction management, attitude specification, discourse organization and execution. In the framework of Discourse Grammar such constituents are defined as theticals, that is, as belonging to Thetical Grammar rather than to Sentence Grammar (Kaltenböck et al. 2011; Heine et al. 2013).Evidence for a distinction between these two kinds of grammatical organization has more recently been found in neurolinguistic processing (Heine et al. 2014; 2015), and if indeed there is a cognitive base to the disctinction then it should also surface in other forms of human behavior. To this end, the present paper is concerned with the behavior of bilingual speakers. The findings discussed in the paper suggest that Thetical Grammar is clearly the favored domain in bilingual interaction: Interlocutors rely distinctly more on thetical categories such as discourse markers than on categories of Sentence Grammar in linguistic discourse.
The role of extra-clausal constituents in bilingual speech
Authors: Goria Eugenio
Published: September 2016

The present contribution provides an account of the behaviour of extra-clausal constituents in bilingual speech. This topic has been investigated in several studies, but often with a particular focus on specific word classes like discourse markers and connectives. A wider perspective based on the notions of extra-clausal constituents and thetical grammar can, however, contribute to a better understanding of some of the dynamics of bilingual speech. This view is outlined throughout this paper on the basis of data from English-Spanish bilingual conversations recorded in Gibraltar, where a clear-cut division is found between elements belonging to the clause, which normally occur in English, and elements belonging to extra-clausal constituents, which normally occur in Spanish, and never the other way around.
Aspects of discourse marker sequencing
Authors: Lohmann Arne , Koops Christian
Published: September 2016

In research on Discourse Markers (DMs) it has long been noted that DMs frequently occur in sequences, e.g., oh well or you know I mean. Despite the ubiquity of this phenomenon and occasional citations of examples in studies on individual DMs, the combinatory behavior of DMs has received only limited attention as a theoretically relevant phenomenon in its own right. This chapter provides an overview of the phenomenon that synthesizes the results of prior research, complemented with new analyses of our own. We separately address two different aspects of DM sequencing. The first is the question of co-occurrence of DMs, that is, which DMs combine frequently with one another. The second aspect concerns the ordering of DMs when occurring in sequence. In discussing the results of empirical studies of both of these aspects we outline what research on DMs and the structure of the clause periphery stands to gain from studying DM sequences.
Integration of photovoltaic panels and green roofs: review and predictions of effects on electricity production and plant communities
Authors: Schindler Bracha Y. , Blank Lior , Levy Shay , Kadas Gyongyver , Pearlmutter David , Blaustein Leon
Published: September 2016

The integration of photovoltaic (PV) panels and green roofs has the potential to improve panel efficiency to produce electricity and enhance green roof species diversity and productivity. In this review, we provide an overview of research on the effects of green roofs on PV panel electricity production, and predict the expected effects of the PV panel on green roof plant communities. Previous studies suggest that PV panels are more efficient above a green roof than above several types of conventional roofs due to the cooling effect of green roofs on the temperature-sensitive PV cells. Some ecological studies on shade suggest that shade imposed by panels may enhance the biotic productivity of green roofs. Shade is often shown to be important for seedling survival, particularly in arid environments – so the effect of shade on plants may depend on climate and irrigation. Previous studies also suggest that shade variations over the roof area may enhance plant diversity, as such heterogeneity creates niches of light and moisture levels that are appropriate for a diversity of plants. These positive effects on plant diversity may lead to increased arthropod diversity as well. Additional replicated studies are needed to test the reciprocal effects of green roofs and PV, as past studies lacked replication. Future directions for research that could guide the design of green roof–PV integration include the effects of irrigation, plant diversity, and green area-to-panel ratio on the roof.
Green roofs may cast shadows
Authors: Holt Robert D.
Published: September 2016

A “green roof” is a roof on a structure created by humans, which has a plant community (and various hangers-on) established on it. There are many potential benefits of green roofs, ranging from moderation of local microclimates to modulations of storm runoffs, and green roofs may serve the enhancement of biodiversity conservation, as well. Green roofs would seem to be quintessential examples of a “novel ecosystem”. Here, I first outline some dimensions of the novelty that warrant more research. Green roofs can provide many opportunities for creative ecological research in the assembly, dynamics and functioning of novel ecosystems. Then, I briefly discuss some potential biodiversity hazards that are created along with green roofs. Recognizing these potential “shadows” of a green roof by no means belies the strong and compelling rationale for promoting green roofs, in terms of sustainability and livability of human structures; instead the points I raise are simply issues which should be evaluated and quantified when promoting green roofs broadly as a design strategy in new buildings or retrofitted existing structures.
Green roofs: new ecosystems to defend species diversity
Authors: Rosenzweig Michael L.
Published: September 2016

Many contributions to the symposium seek to expand the role of green roofs in the conservation of biodiversity. Indeed, if green roofs can be harnessed for biodiversity, they will add area to that now available to nature. That would have the mass effect of increasing the sustainable number of species in simple conformity with the species--area relationship. Because all green roofs are novel ecosystems, all represent instances of reconciliation ecology, i.e., re-engineering human uses to permit simultaneous beneficial use by people and nature. Green roofs can provide a large number of experiments that might teach us how to improve their design. But those experiments, like any in science, must be overtly designed so that their hypotheses are clear and explicit, their methods repeatable, and their data appropriate for rigorous analysis. I present an embryonic example using native plant species growing at ground level in the urban environments of Tucson, AZ, USA. Steps include: (1) formulating a hypothesis; (2) developing a database of species' attributes to allow intelligent selection for hypothesis testing; (3) developing software to allow winnowing the list of species to sets with a good chance, according to the hypothesis, of growing together; (4) installing the sets of plants and measuring the results; (5) defining a continuous measure of conformity with the hypothesis; and (6) comparing results to hypothesis. If ecologists can successfully design reconciled ecosystems in urban settings – green roofs included – city people will be able to re-establish their everyday connection to nature.
Green roofs: what can we learn from desert plants?
Authors: Dirks Inga , Raviv Buzi , Shelef Oren , Hill Amber , Amir Eppel , Aidoo Moses Kwame , Hoefgen Brian , Rapaport Tal , Gil Hila , Geta Endale , Kochavi Amnon , Cohen Itay , Rachmilevitch Shimon
Published: September 2016

Green roofs in the Mediterranean region are often exposed to high levels of radiation, extreme temperatures, and an inconsistent water supply. To withstand these harsh conditions in shallow soils and poorly aerated growth media, plants must be armored with adaptations. Strategies that have evolved in desert plants can play significant roles in the use of plants for green covers. In the following, we will specifically focus on (1) heat and radiation, (2) drought, and (3) salinity. Further, we will discuss (4) interactions between neighboring plants. Finally, we will (5) propose a design for diverse green roofs that includes horticultural and medicinal products and provides diverse habitats. Many desert plants have developed morphological and anatomical features to avoid photo-inhibition, which can be advantageous for growth on green roofs. Plants exhibiting C4photosynthesis or crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis have a protected hydraulic system that enables growth under dry conditions. Furthermore, dew and high levels of relative humidity can provide reliable water sources under limited precipitation. Halophytes are protected against salinity, ionic specific stress, and nutritional imbalances, characteristics that can be advantageous for green roofs. Under limited space, competition for resources becomes increasingly relevant. Allelopathy can also induce the germination and growth inhibition of neighboring plants. Many desert plants, as a result of their exposure to environmental stress, have developed unique survival adaptations based on secondary metabolites that can be used as pharmaceuticals. A systematic survey of plant strategies to withstand these extreme conditions provides a basis for increasing the number of green roof candidates.
Cross-script orthographic and phonological preview benefits
Authors: Jouravlev Olessia , Jared Debra
Published: September 2016

The present experiment examined the use of parafoveally presented first-language (LI) orthographic and phonological codes during reading of second-language (L2) sentences in proficient Russian-English bilinguals. Participants read English sentences containing a Russian preview word that was replaced by the English target word when the participant’s eyes crossed an invisible boundary located before the preview word. The use of English and Russian allowed us to manipulate orthographic and phonological preview effects independently of one another. The Russian preview words overlapped with English target words in (a) orthography ( ВЕЛЮР [vʲɪˈlʲʉr]– BERRY), (b) phonology ( БЛАНК [blank]– BLOOD), or (c) had no orthographic or phonological overlap ( КАЛАЧ [kɐˈlat͡ɕ]– BERRY; ГЖЕЛЬ [ɡʐɛlʲ]– BLOOD). The results of this study showed a clear and strong benefit of the parafoveal preview of Russian words that shared either orthography or phonology with English target words. This study is the first demonstration of cross-script orthographic and phonological parafoveal preview benefit effects. Bilinguals integrate orthographic and phonological information across eye fixations in reading, even when this information comes from different languages.
How Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder Watch and Interpret Pragmatically Complex Scenes
Authors: Lönnqvist Linda , Loukusa Soile , Hurtig Tuula , Mäkinen Leena , Siipo Antti , Väyrynen Eero , Palo Pertti , Laukka Seppo , Mämmelä Laura , Mattila Marja-Leena , Ebeling Hanna
Published: September 2016

The aim of the current study was to investigate subtle characteristics of social perception and interpretation in high-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), and to study the relation between watching and interpreting. As a novelty, we used an approach that combined moment-by-moment eye tracking and verbal assessment. Sixteen young adults with ASD and 16 neurotypical control participants watched a video depicting a complex communication situation while their eye movements were tracked. The participants also completed a verbal task with questions related to the pragmatic content of the video. We compared verbal task scores and eye movements between groups, and assessed correlations between task performance and eye movements. Individuals with ASD had more difficulty than the controls in interpreting the video, and during two short moments there were significant group differences in eye movements. Additionally, we found significant correlations between verbal task scores and moment-level eye movement in the ASD group, but not among the controls. We concluded that participants with ASD had slight difficulties in understanding the pragmatic content of the video stimulus and attending to social cues, and that the connection between pragmatic understanding and eye movements was more pronounced for participants with ASD than for neurotypical participants.
Watching a deep dive: Live imaging provides lessons about tooth invagination
Authors: Sharir Amnon , Klein Ophir D.
Published: September 2016

Invagination of epithelium into the surrounding mesenchyme is a critical step that marks the developmental onset of many ectodermal organs. In this issue, Ahtiainen et al. (2016. J. Cell. Biol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201512074) use the mouse incisor as a model to advance our understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying ectodermal organ morphogenesis.
RAG-induced DNA lesions activate proapoptotic BIM to suppress lymphomagenesis in p53-deficient mice
Authors: Delbridge Alex R.D. , Pang Swee Heng Milon , Vandenberg Cassandra J. , Grabow Stephanie , Aubrey Brandon J. , Tai Lin , Herold Marco J. , Strasser Andreas
Published: September 2016

Neoplastic transformation is driven by oncogenic lesions that facilitate unrestrained cell expansion and resistance to antiproliferative signals. These oncogenic DNA lesions, acquired through errors in DNA replication, gene recombination, or extrinsically imposed damage, are thought to activate multiple tumor suppressive pathways, particularly apoptotic cell death. DNA damage induces apoptosis through well-described p53-mediated induction of PUMA and NOXA. However, loss of both these mediators (even together with defects in p53-mediated induction of cell cycle arrest and cell senescence) does not recapitulate the tumor susceptibility observed in p53−/− mice. Thus, potentially oncogenic DNA lesions are likely to also trigger apoptosis through additional, p53-independent processes. We found that loss of the BH3-only protein BIM accelerated lymphoma development in p53-deficient mice. This process was negated by concomitant loss of RAG1/2-mediated antigen receptor gene rearrangement. This demonstrates that BIM is critical for the induction of apoptosis caused by potentially oncogenic DNA lesions elicited by RAG1/2-induced gene rearrangement. Furthermore, this highlights the role of a BIM-mediated tumor suppressor pathway that acts in parallel to the p53 pathway and remains active even in the absence of wild-type p53 function, suggesting this may be exploited in the treatment of p53-deficient cancers.
Epstein-Barr viral miRNAs inhibit antiviral CD4+ T cell responses targeting IL-12 and peptide processing
Authors: Tagawa Takanobu , Albanese Manuel , Bouvet Mickaël , Moosmann Andreas , Mautner Josef , Heissmeyer Vigo , Zielinski Christina , Lutter Dominik , Hoser Jonathan , Hastreiter Maximilian , Hayes Mitch , Sugden Bill , Hammerschmidt Wolfgang
Published: September 2016

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a tumor virus that establishes lifelong infection in most of humanity, despite eliciting strong and stable virus-specific immune responses. EBV encodes at least 44 miRNAs, most of them with unknown function. Here, we show that multiple EBV miRNAs modulate immune recognition of recently infected primary B cells, EBV's natural target cells. EBV miRNAs collectively and specifically suppress release of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-12, repress differentiation of naive CD4+ T cells to Th1 cells, interfere with peptide processing and presentation on HLA class II, and thus reduce activation of cytotoxic EBV-specific CD4+ effector T cells and killing of infected B cells. Our findings identify a previously unknown viral strategy of immune evasion. By rapidly expressing multiple miRNAs, which are themselves nonimmunogenic, EBV counteracts recognition by CD4+ T cells and establishes a program of reduced immunogenicity in recently infected B cells, allowing the virus to express viral proteins required for establishment of life-long infection.
The Ca2+-activated Cl− channel TMEM16B regulates action potential firing and axonal targeting in olfactory sensory neurons
Authors: Pietra Gianluca , Dibattista Michele , Menini Anna , Reisert Johannes , Boccaccio Anna
Published: September 2016

The Ca2+-activated Cl− channel TMEM16B is highly expressed in the cilia of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). Although a large portion of the odor-evoked transduction current is carried by Ca2+-activated Cl− channels, their role in olfaction is still controversial. A previous report (Billig et al. 2011. Nat. Neurosci. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nn.2821) showed that disruption of the TMEM16b/Ano2 gene in mice abolished Ca2+-activated Cl− currents in OSNs but did not produce any major change in olfactory behavior. Here we readdress the role of TMEM16B in olfaction and show that TMEM16B knockout (KO) mice have behavioral deficits in odor-guided food-finding ability. Moreover, as the role of TMEM16B in action potential (AP) firing has not yet been studied, we use electrophysiological recording methods to measure the firing activity of OSNs. Suction electrode recordings from isolated olfactory neurons and on-cell loose-patch recordings from dendritic knobs of neurons in the olfactory epithelium show that randomly selected neurons from TMEM16B KO mice respond to stimulation with increased firing activity than those from wild-type (WT) mice. Because OSNs express different odorant receptors (ORs), we restrict variability by using a mouse line that expresses a GFP-tagged I7 OR, which is known to be activated by heptanal. In response to heptanal, we measure dramatic changes in the firing pattern of I7-expressing neurons from TMEM16B KO mice compared with WT: responses are prolonged and display a higher number of APs. Moreover, lack of TMEM16B causes a markedly reduced basal spiking activity in I7-expressing neurons, together with an alteration of axonal targeting to the olfactory bulb, leading to the appearance of supernumerary I7 glomeruli. Thus, TMEM16B controls AP firing and ensures correct glomerular targeting of OSNs expressing I7. Altogether, these results show that TMEM16B does have a relevant role in normal olfaction.
Assessing electronic health record phenotypes against gold-standard diagnostic criteria for diabetes mellitus
Authors: Spratt Susan E , Pereira Katherine , Granger Bradi B , Batch Bryan C , Phelan Matthew , Pencina Michael , Miranda Marie Lynn , Boulware Ebony , Lucas Joseph E , Nelson Charlotte L , Neely Benjamin , Goldstein Benjamin A , Barth Pamela , Richesson Rachel L , Riley Isaretta L , Corsino Leonor , McPeek Hinz Eugenia R , Rusincovitch Shelley , Green Jennifer , Barton Anna Beth ,   the DDC Phenotype Group, Kelley Carly , Hyland Kristen , Tang Monica , Elliott Amanda , Ruel Ewa , Clark Alexander , Mabrey Melanie , Morrissey Kay Lyn , Rao Jyothi , Hong Beatrice , Pierre-Louis Marjorie , Kelly Katherine , Jelesoff Nicole
Published: September 2016

Objective: We assessed the sensitivity and specificity of 8 electronic health record (EHR)-based phenotypes for diabetes mellitus against gold-standard American Diabetes Association (ADA) diagnostic criteria via chart review by clinical experts.

Materials and Methods: We identified EHR-based diabetes phenotype definitions that were developed for various purposes by a variety of users, including academic medical centers, Medicare, the New York City Health Department, and pharmacy benefit managers. We applied these definitions to a sample of 173 503 patients with records in the Duke Health System Enterprise Data Warehouse and at least 1 visit over a 5-year period (2007–2011). Of these patients, 22 679 (13%) met the criteria of 1 or more of the selected diabetes phenotype definitions. A statistically balanced sample of these patients was selected for chart review by clinical experts to determine the presence or absence of type 2 diabetes in the sample.

Results: The sensitivity (62–94%) and specificity (95–99%) of EHR-based type 2 diabetes phenotypes (compared with the gold standard ADA criteria via chart review) varied depending on the component criteria and timing of observations and measurements.

Discussion and Conclusions: Researchers using EHR-based phenotype definitions should clearly specify the characteristics that comprise the definition, variations of ADA criteria, and how different phenotype definitions and components impact the patient populations retrieved and the intended application. Careful attention to phenotype definitions is critical if the promise of leveraging EHR data to improve individual and population health is to be fulfilled.
From Barriers to Drivers: Understanding Different Approaches to Getting Systematic Upward Voice in Organizations
Authors: Burris Ethan R. , Bruno Evan A. , Detert James R. , Caldwell Andrea
Published: September 2016

For the last four decades, scholars have noted the importance of getting employees to speak up. Most scholars have focused their attention on the barriers preventing employees from voicing their ideas, with the prominent theory and findings revealing that when employees do not feel it is safe or worthwhile to speak up, they will withhold their voice and stay silent. Given the increasing understanding that voice is indeed importantly related to key organizational outcomes, in this chapter, we will review a growing, though currently not well-integrated, literature about the various ways to encourage employees to speak up. That is, rather than pointing out the barriers for why employees are compelled to withhold their ideas, we seek to shift the focus to evaluating the efficacy of different approaches to getting voice.
A Network Approach to Interest Group Politics
Authors: Heaney Michael T. , Strickland James M.
Published: September 2016

Interest groups often serve as intermediaries or brokers between formal decision-making institutions and organized subgroups of society. Due to this positioning, key functions of interest groups can be understood in network terms. This chapter addresses five questions about interest groups to which network analysis offers answers: (1) What are the origins of interest groups?; (2) How do they develop, maintain, and change their identities over time?; (3) Under what conditions do groups work together, and how?; (4) How do interest groups relate to other political institutions?; and (5) What influence do they have on politics generally? The discussion highlights various effects of networks on interest group politics, including how new groups are born out of preexisting networks, how they use connections to access information and influence policy, and how they maintain long-term relationships with policymakers. Future research could benefit from greater attention to multiplexity, content analysis, and longitudinal network analysis.
Bringing Networks into Comparative Politics
Authors: Razo Armando
Published: September 2016

How do comparativists incorporate networks into their studies? What is the utility of network analysis to the subfield of comparative politics? These are timely questions, because the subfield of comparative politics has long recognized the importance of various relational phenomena but is only beginning to pay systematic attention to political networks proper. To answer these questions, this chapter reviews network-related approaches embedded in studies of collective action and contentious politics, political economy, and clientelism. It offers a prospective review of major themes in comparative politics that are essentially relational and hence ripe for network analysis. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of methodological challenges to enable comparative analysis across countries, which is an ultimate goal to bring a truly comparative dimension to relational perspectives on domestic politics.
Social Networks and Vote Choice
Authors: Santoro Lauren Ratliff , Beck Paul A.
Published: September 2016

Do social networks influence vote choice? This chapter reviews if and how social interactions shape individual voting choices. While the literature on social networks and the decision to turn out to vote is extensive, less scholarly attention has been devoted to understanding the link between social networks and vote choice. This work is dominated by studies of voting behavior in American and European elections, in which special features of the elections themselves must be considered when drawing conclusions about the role of social networks. The connection of social networks to voting choices provides an area of opportunity for scholars who seek to understand both networks and voting behavior, but it also poses substantial challenges, especially in differentiating selection from influence and moving beyond face-to-face discussion to electronic interactions, which future work needs to address.
O’Casey and the City
Authors: Murray Christopher
Published: September 2016

Seán O’Casey’s first three produced plays are often referred to as the ‘Dublin Trilogy’. They were not conceived as a trilogy but they are centrally concerned with representing the city, a relatively new departure in Irish theatre at the time. This chapter draws on theories of the city to analyse some of the ways in which tenement life and the urban society around it are dramatized in the first Dublin plays, before moving on to consider how O’Casey treated the city in later non-naturalistic works such asWithin the GatesandRed Roses for Me. This consideration of O’Casey’s urban theatre underlines both the social radicalism of his work and, in particular, the centrality of the 1913 Lockout to his understanding of the Irish urban working classes. Ultimately, this focus on the city as the main player in O’Casey’s work provides a fresh focus for one of the most important Irish writers of the past century .
Twisting in the Wind
Authors: O'Conchubhair Brian
Published: September 2016

Without a strong native tradition of drama, theatre in the Irish language, initially associated with the Gaelic League, has been slow to develop and has suffered from many frustrations and setbacks. One of the landmark early productions wasCasadh an tSúgáinby the League’s founder Douglas Hyde (1901). The Abbey did not do much initially to foster Irish-language theatre, which has functioned intermittently in Dublin, with An Comhar Drámaíochta in the 1920s and An Damer, which produced Máiréad Ní Ghráda’sAn Triail(1964). More central to the tradition has been An Taibhdhearc, established in Galway in 1928, which continues to be Ireland only dedicated Irish-language theatre. While there have been outstanding plays in Irish produced in the Abbey, the future of the tradition seems to depend more on small adventurous companies such as Fíbín, Setanta, and the Belfast-based Aisling Ghéar.
Defining Performers and Performances
Authors: Grene Nicholas
Published: September 2016

One measure of a great performer is his or her capacity to define a major role for a generation. This chapter considers the acting styles and achievement of four such performers in some of their principal parts: Siobhán McKenna from her internationally acclaimed playing of Shaw’s Saint Joan to her last part, as Mommo in Murphy’sBailegangaire; Cyril Cusack as Christy Mahon, the Shaughraun, and Drumm in Hugh Leonard’sA Life; Donal McCann as Frank Hardy in Friel’sFaith Healer, the Captain inJuno and the Paycock, and Thomas Dunne in Sebastian Barry’sThe Steward of Christendom; the tour de force of Marie Mullen playing five different roles in DruidSynge. Tracing the work of these four actors over more than half a century allows the particular achievement of each to emerge, as do the points at which their careers overlap, allowing us to discern a distinctive Irish tradition of acting.
The Riot of Spring
Authors: Burke Mary
Published: September 2016

The riots that met the first production of J. M. Synge’sPlayboy of the Western Worldin 1907 have become one of the landmarks of Irish theatre history, and have usually been interpreted in terms of competing definitions of a national theatre. This chapter chooses instead to put the 1907Playboy of the Western Worldriots in the context of the very similar response that met the première of Igor Stravinsky’sThe Rite of Spring(Le sacre du printemps) in 1913. By understanding Synge’s work in the context of a modernist understanding of primitivism and aesthetic shock, this chapter argues that we can develop a new understanding of what became known as ‘peasant drama’ in the early Abbey theatre, and begin to see it not as a form of realism, but as a critique of previous dramatic forms.
Early Modern Comparative Approaches to Literary Early Modernity
Authors: Porter David
Published: September 2016

Modern Chinese literature is often understood as marking a self-consciously cosmopolitan departure from a long and largely autochthonous literary tradition. The binary between “modern” and “traditional” implicit in this view forecloses the possibility of reading individual works and broader literary developments in the late Ming and early Qing alongside European counterparts as part of a shared early modernity. After reviewing the emergence of and lively scholarly debates around the notion of “early modern China,” this chapter proposes a model of analogical comparison as a means of avoiding some of the methodological pitfalls that are increasingly seen to imperil scholarship that places works from China and Europe in an explicitly comparative framework. Eighteenth-century satirical fictions by Wu Jingzi and Henry Fielding are juxtaposed to demonstrate the usefulness of such a model in rethinking individual works of a national tradition in relation to a more global conception of modern literary history.
Borders and Borderlands Narratives in Cold War China
Authors: Wang Xiaojue
Published: September 2016

The Cold War marks a key moment in a historical process that catalyzed a multivalent, transnational topography of Chinese literature. This chapter examines borderlands narratives in Cold War China that deal with borders, border-crossers, and the imaginary of other spaces. It features an analysis of Lu Ling’s “Wadi shang de ‘zhanyi’” (“Battle” of the Lowlands) in conjunction with Eileen Chang’sChidi zhilian(Love in the Redland). By emplotting the Korean War, these two stories address China–Korea contact from the perspective of romance, passion, and desire. The chapter continues with a reading of Deng Kebao (Bo Yang)’sYiyu(Alien lands), which tells the story of a Kuomintang force that continued to fight on in the borderlands of southwestern China, Burma, Laos, and Thailand long after the government had retreated to Taiwan. Although informed by ideological dictates of the KMT or the PRC cultural propaganda bureaus, or in Eileen Chang’s case by the United States Information Service (USIS) in Hong Kong, these three works explore border-crossing experiences in national, cultural, or existential terms and complicate the jagged boundaries of China and its identity politics.