bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gene expression profile of normal and cancer‐associated fibroblasts according to intratumoral inflammatory cells phenotype from breast cancer tissue
Authors: González Lucía , Eiro Noemi , Fernandez‐Garcia Belen , González Luis O. , Dominguez Francisco , Vizoso Francisco J.
Published: September 2015

The biological heterogeneity of breast cancer leads to the need for finding new approaches to understand the mechanisms implicated in breast cancer progression. The tumor stroma appears as a key in the progression of solid tumors towards a malignant phenotype. Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) may orchestrate a functional “corrupted” stroma which in turn helps metastatic spread. In this study, we investigated by real‐time PCR, the expression of 19 factors by normal breast‐associated fibroblasts (NAFs) and CAFs, which were implicated in several actions promoting tumor growth, such as extracellular matrix remodeling, inflammation and invasion. Also, we explored the influence of inflammatory cells phenotypes (MMP11 status) and breast cancer cell lines (MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231) on the molecular profile of CAFs. If we consider that one of the major sources of CAFs are resident NAFs, the transition of NAFs into CAFs is associated with molecular changes involving the overexpression of some molecular factors of biological importance in tumor progression. In addition, the characterization of the tumor stroma regarding to the MMP11 status by MICs reflects a type of fibroblasts which contribute even more to tumor progression. Moreover, different patterns in the induction of the expression of factors by CAFs were observed, depending on the tumor cell line which they were co‐cultured with. Furthermore, CAFs influence TGFβ expression in both cancer cell lines. Therefore, this study can help to a better characterization of tumor stroma in order to improve the prognostic evaluation, as well as to define the different populations of CAFs as potential therapeutic targets in breast cancer. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Ultra fast magic angle spinning solid – state NMR spectroscopy of intact bone
Authors: Singh Chandan , Rai Ratan Kumar , Kayastha Arvind M. , Sinha Neeraj
Published: September 2015

Ultra fast magic angle spinning (MAS) has been a potent method to significantly average out homogeneous/inhomogeneous line broadening in solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy. It has given a new direction to ssNMR spectroscopy with its different applications. We present here the first and foremost application of ultra fast MAS (~60 kHz) for ssNMR spectroscopy of intact bone. This methodology helps to comprehend and elucidate the organic content in the intact bone matrix with resolution and sensitivity enhancement. At this MAS speed, amino protons from organic part of intact bone start to appear in 1H NMR spectra. The experimental protocol of ultra‐high speed MAS for intact bone has been entailed with an additional insight achieved at 60 kHz. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Unexpected reactivities in chain shuttling copolymerizations
Authors: Zinck Philippe
Published: September 2015

Chain shuttling copolymerization (CSP) is a modern polymerization technique that allows in a one‐step procedure access to multiblock microstructures of statistical copolymer blocks of different compositions, providing notably new thermoplastic elastomers. The process involves the shuttling of a growing copolymeric chain between two catalysts showing different reactivity ratios versus the comonomers. The complexity of the active species formed in the presence of two catalysts and a chain transfer agent can give rise to unexpected reactivities. They are presented and discussed in this contribution, including their possible origin when provided and the consequences regarding the design of catalytic systems for CSP.
Similarities in lindane induced alterations in protein expression profiling in different brain regions with neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Mudawal Anubha , Singh Anshuman , Yadav Sanjay , Mishra Manisha , Singh Pradhyumna Kumar , Chandravanshi Lalit Pratap , Mishra Juhi , Khanna Vinay K. , Bandyopadhyay Sanghamitra , Parmar Devendra
Published: September 2015

Previous studies have reported that lindane, an organochlorine pesticide induces oxidative stress in rat brain that may lead to neurodegeneration. However, as the proteins involved in lindane induced neurodegeneration are yet to be identified, the present study aims to identify the proteins that may regulate lindane induced neurotoxicity. The data showed that repeated exposure of lindane (2.5 mg/kg) for 21 days to adult rats significantly increased the reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation in different brain regions. Proteomic study revealed that lindane induces major dysregulation in the ubiquitin proteasome pathway. Alterations in the expression of molecular chaperones in brain regions and an increase in the expression of α‐synuclein in substantia‐nigra and corpus‐striatum and amyloid precursor protein in hippocampus and frontal‐cortex suggests the accumulation of proteins in these brain regions. Western blotting also revealed alterations in the dopaminergic and cholinergic pathways in hippocampus and substantia‐nigra isolated from lindane treated rats. Neurobehavioural data indicating alterations in learning and working memory, conditioned avoidance response and motor function, supports the proteomic data. The data suggest that repeated exposure of lindane to adult rats induces alterations, which are similar to that seen in neurodegenerative diseases.
ITMSQ: A software tool for N‐ and C‐terminal fragment ion pairs based isobaric tandem mass spectrometry quantification
Authors: Xie Li‐Qi , Zhang Lei , Nie Ai‐Ying , Yan Guo‐Quan , Yao Jun , Zhang Yang , Yang Peng‐Yuan , Lu Hao‐Jie
Published: September 2015

Tandem MS (MS2) quantification using the series of N‐ and C‐terminal fragment ion pairs generated from isobaric‐labelled peptides was recently considered an accurate strategy in quantitative proteomics. However, the presence of multiplexed terminal fragment ion in MS2 spectra may reduce the efficiency of peptide identification, resulting in lower identification scores or even incorrect assignments. To address this issue, we developed a quantitative software tool, denoted isobaric tandem MS quantification (ITMSQ), to improve N‐ and C‐terminal fragment ion pairs based isobaric MS2 quantification. A spectrum splitting module was designed to separate the MS2 spectra from different samples, increasing the accuracy of both identification and quantification. ITMSQ offers a convenient interface through which parameters can be changed along with the labelling method, and the result files and all of the intermediate files can be exported. We performed an analysis of in vivo terminal amino acid labelling labelled HeLa samples and found that the numbers of quantified proteins and peptides increased by 13.64 and 27.52% after spectrum splitting, respectively. In conclusion, ITMSQ provides an accurate and reliable quantitative solutionfor N‐ and C‐terminal fragment ion pairs based isobaric MS2 quantitative methods.
SiOx precipitate composition in Si, revisited: Discussion closed?
Authors: Vanhellemont Jan
Published: September 2015

The composition SiOx of oxide precipitates in Si has been discussed for the past thirty years with experimentally estimated x ‐values ranging between 1 and 2. It is shown that this spread of x ‐values can be explained by calculating the average composition taking into account temperature and anneal time dependent size and shape of the precipitates and the limitations and probing volumes of the various characterization techniques. Hereby it is assumed that the oxygen‐rich (SiO2?) core of the precipitates is surrounded by a 2 nm thin SiO layer as revealed by recent electron energy loss spectroscopy analyses. For plate‐like precipitates thinner than and for octahedral precipitates smaller than 6 nm, x ≈ 1. For larger precipitates, the central part of the precipitate consists of SiOx with x close to 2 and the precipitate has an average x between 1 and 1.3 for plate‐like and up to 1.9 for octahedral precipitates. The predicted x ‐values for different precipitate sizes and morphologies, are compared with published experimental data. SiOx precipitate nucleation and initial growth should be simulated assuming x = 1 and Fourier transform infrared spectra of precipitates assuming a mixture of SiO2 and amorphous Si. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Search and Integration in External Venturing: An Inductive Examination of Corporate Venture Capital Units
Authors: Basu Sandip , Phelps Corey C. , Kotha Suresh
Published: September 2015

Research summary

How do external venturing units effectively achieve external knowledge search and integration of their initiatives with mainstream organizational units? We investigate this largely unexplored question through an inductive study of 17 corporate venture capital units. We document a set of five novel practices that influence the efficacy of a unit's external search and internal integration and identify how these practices complement a broader set of practices used by all units. We highlight the entrepreneurial nature of managing an external venturing unit, often to overcome unfavorable corporate contexts, a perspective that prior research has largely overlooked. Our findings provide unique insights into why some corporate investors are better at learning from external start‐ups than others.

Managerial summary

External venturing involves strategic partnerships by established firms with entrepreneurial ventures. Top management usually tasks autonomous units with searching for willing and potentially valuable partners. These units must integrate their activities with the operations of parent firms to elicit cooperation from important business units. To understand how external venturing units implement search and integration in combination, we study corporate venture capital (CVC) units, which form external partnerships through minority investments in start‐ups. While all units adopted fundamental processes that are well established in the venture capital community, certain processes that are idiosyncratic to corporate investing helped units demonstrate superior performance in their strategic missions. These processes often required CVC unit managers to be entrepreneurial and politically savvy in building connections with relevant personnel in parent firms. Copyright © 2015 Strategic Management Society
Rethinking actions: implementation and association
Authors: Quandt Lorna C. , Chatterjee Anjan
Published: September 2015

Action processing allows us to move through and interact with the world, as well as understand the movements performed by other people. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the semantics of actions as differentiated from the semantics of objects. However, as the understanding of action semantics has evolved, it is evident that the existing literature conflates two senses of the word ‘action’—one that stems from studies of tool use and the other from event representation. In this paper, we suggest that this issue can be clarified by closely examining differences in how the human parietal and temporal cortices of the brain process action‐related stimuli. By contrasting the posterior parietal cortex to the posterolateral temporal cortex, we characterize two complementary action systems in the human brain, each with its own specialization of function. We suggest that these two systems be referred to as the parietal Action Implementation System, and the posterolateral temporal Action Association System. While the frontoparietal system is concerned primarily with how we perform actions, and simulate others’ actions, the temporal action system is more involved with processing actions from a third‐person, conceptual standpoint. Recent work in cognitive neuroscience of perception and language, as well as the neuroanatomical organization of these brain regions support this distinction. We will discuss the implications of this work for cognition‐, language‐, and neuroscience‐based action research. WIREs Cogn Sci 2015, 6:483–490. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1367

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Language

Neuroscience > Cognition
Food Security as Basic Goods Provision
Authors: Reinert Kenneth A.
Published: September 2015

Food security is a central aspect of human well‐being. Given current trends in population, climate change, water availability, and conflict, however, food security is under threat for hundreds of millions of people. This article will argue that we can helpfully assess food security through the lens of basic goods provision. The basic goods approach is a type of development ethics that emphasizes the role of basic goods and services as prerequisites for well‐being and subsistence rights fulfillment. The article summarizes this version of development ethics and then focuses on food security as one important type of basic goods provision.
Systems biology and mechanics of growth
Authors: Eskandari Mona , Kuhl Ellen
Published: September 2015

In contrast to inert systems, living biological systems have the advantage to adapt to their environment through growth and evolution. This transfiguration is evident during embryonic development, when the predisposed need to grow allows form to follow function. Alterations in the equilibrium state of biological systems breed disease and mutation in response to environmental triggers. The need to characterize the growth of biological systems to better understand these phenomena has motivated the continuum theory of growth and stimulated the development of computational tools in systems biology. Biological growth in development and disease is increasingly studied using the framework of morphoelasticity. Here, we demonstrate the potential for morphoelastic simulations through examples of volume, area, and length growth, inspired by tumor expansion, chronic bronchitis, brain development, intestine formation, plant shape, and myopia. We review the systems biology of living systems in light of biochemical and optical stimuli and classify different types of growth to facilitate the design of growth models for various biological systems within this generic framework. Exploring the systems biology of growth introduces a new venue to control and manipulate embryonic development, disease progression, and clinical intervention. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2015, 7:401–412. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1312

This article is categorized under:

Analytical and Computational Methods > Computational Methods

Analytical and Computational Methods > Dynamical Methods
How to Study a Shakespeare Play
Authors: Peck John , Coyle Martin
Published: September 2015

This book - for a decade the most highly regarded general introduction to Shakespeare - offers students a clear and practical method of approaching a Shakespeare play. This major new edition has been thoroughly revised and expanded to include five new chapters that illustrate the nature and impact of the new approaches to Shakespeare that have swept through literary studies in recent years: structuralism, poststructuralism, deconstruction, feminism, new historicism and cultural materialism.
A Comparison of Homeless Male Veterans in Metropolitan and Micropolitan Areas in Nebraska: A Methodological Caveat
Authors: Tsai Jack , Ramaswamy Sriram , Bhatia Subhash C. , Rosenheck Robert A.
Published: September 2015

This study explored differences between homeless male veterans in metropolitan and micropolitan cities in Nebraska on sociodemographic, housing, clinical, and psychosocial characteristics as well as health service use. A convenience sample of 151 homeless male veterans (112 metropolitan, 39 micropolitan) were recruited from Veterans Affairs facilities and area shelters in Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, and Hastings in Nebraska. Research staff conducted structured interviews with homeless veterans. Results showed that compared to homeless veterans in metropolitans, those in micropolitans were more likely to be White, unmarried, living in transitional settings, and were far more transient but reported greater social support and housing satisfaction. Veterans in micropolitans also reported more medical problems, diagnoses of anxiety and personality disorders, and unexpectedly, were more likely to report using various health services and less travel time for services. Together, these findings suggest access to homeless and health services for veterans in micropolitan areas may be facilitated through Veterans Affairs facilities and community providers that work in close proximity to one another. Many homeless veterans in these areas are transient, making them a difficult population to study and serve. Innovative ways to provide outreach to homeless veterans in micropolitan and more rural areas are needed.
Insights into the Optimization of Alkyl Phenol/Alkyl Halide Ratio in Gemini Surfactant Synthesis
Authors: Guo LiJuan , Guo YongJun , Feng RuSen , Liu JianXin
Published: September 2015

1H NMR and thin layer chromatography (TLC) were applied to analyze the component of two series of synthesized sulfonated Gemini surfactants with different spacer lengths (2, 4, and 6 carbons) and hydrophobic chain lengths (9, 12 carbons). Gemini surfactants were prepared by reacting alkylphenol with alkyl halide followed by sulfonation with chlorosulfonic acid. The influence of the molar ratio of alkyphenol to alkyl halide on the mono‐ to diether ratio was investigated and the results indicated that the molar ratio is a key factor to minimize impurities in the target material, due to the high reactivity of alkyl halide. In addition, the results showed that alkyl halide with a shorter spacer group length required a higher molar ratio of alkyl halide to alkylphenol. To synthesize the intermediate Gemini product with 80 % diether content, the molar ratios were optimized using n(alkylphenol):n(1,6‐dibromohexane) = 1:0.55, n(alkylphenol):n(1,4‐dibromobutane) = 1:0.7, and n(alkylphenol):n(1,2‐dibromoethane) = 1:2.5, respectively.
Comparative Outcomes of Traumatic Brain Injury from Biking Accidents With or Without Helmet Use
Authors: Dagher Jehane H. , Costa Camille , Lamoureux Julie , de Guise Elaine , Feyz Mitra
Published: September 2015

Objective: To determine if health outcomes and demographics differ according to helmet status between persons with cycling-related traumatic brain injuries (TBI).Methods: This is a retrospective study of 128 patients admitted to the Montreal General Hospital following a TBI that occurred while cycling from 2007-2011. Information was collected from the Quebec trauma registry and the coroner’s office in cases of death from cycling accidents. The independent variables collected were socio-demographic, helmet status, clinical and neurological patient information. The dependent variables evaluated were length of stay (LOS), extended Glasgow outcome scale (GOS-E), injury severity scale (ISS), discharge destination and death.Results:25% of cyclists wore a helmet. The helmet group was older, more likely to be university educated, married and retired. Unemployment, longer intensive care unit (ICU) stay, severe intracranial bleeding and neurosurgical interventions were more common in the no helmet group. There was no significant association between the severity of the TBI, ISS scores, GOS-E or death and helmet wearing. The median age of the subjects who died was higher than those who survived.Conclusion: Cyclists without helmets were younger, less educated, single and unemployed. They had more severe TBIs on imaging, longer LOS in ICU and more neurosurgical interventions. Elderly cyclists admitted to the hospital appear to be at higher risk of dying in the event of a TBI.
FERTILITY AND SOCIAL SECURITY
Authors: Boldrin Michele , De Nardi Mariacristina , Jones Larry E.
Published: September 2015

The data show that an increase in government provided old-age pensions is strongly correlated with a reduction in fertility. What type of model is consistent with this finding? We explore this question using two models of fertility, the one by Barro and Becker (1989), and the one inspired by Caldwell and developed by Boldrin and Jones (2002). In the Barro and Becker model parents have children because they perceive their children’s lives as a continuation of their own. In the Boldrin and Jones’ framework parents procreate because the children care about their old parents’ utility, and thus provide them with old age transfers. The effect of increases in government provided pensions on fertility in the Barro and Becker model is very small, and inconsistent with the empirical findings. The effect on fertility in the Boldrin and Jones model is sizeable and accounts for between 55 and 65% of the observed Europe–US fertility differences both across countries and across time and over 80% of the observed variation seen in a broad cross section of countries. Another key factor affecting fertility the Boldrin and Jones model is the access to capital markets, which can account for the other half of the observed change in fertility in developed countries over the last 70 years.
Living in Contaminated Radioactive Areas Is Not an Acute Risk Factor for Noncommunicable Disease Development: A Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: Ishii Takeaki , Tsubokura Masaharu , Ochi Sae , Kato Shigeaki , Sugimoto Amina , Nomura Shuhei , Nishikawa Yoshitaka , Kami Masahiro , Shibuya Kenji , Saito Yasutoshi , Iwamoto Yukihide , Tachiya Hidekiyo
Published: September 2015

Objective

Although much attention is now being paid to the health risks associated with nuclear disasters, reliable information is lacking. We retrospectively evaluated the health effects of living in highly contaminated radioactive areas in Japan.

Methods

The health evaluation was conducted in Tamano district, Fukushima prefecture, in 2011 and 2012. The surface deposition density of cesium in Tamano was 600 to 1000 kBq/m2 shortly after the Fukushima nuclear accident. Clinical parameters included body mass index, blood pressure, and laboratory examinations for blood cell counts, glucose levels, and lipid profiles. A screening program for internal and external exposure was also implemented.

Results

One hundred fifty-five residents participated in the health evaluation. Significant decreases in average body mass index and blood pressure were observed from 2011 to 2012. Annual internal exposure levels did not exceeded 1 mSv in any participants. The levels of external exposure ranged from 1.3 to 4.3 mSv/y measured in the first test period but decreased to 0.8 to 3.6 mSv/y in the second test period.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that inhabiting nuclear contaminated areas is not always associated with short-term health deterioration and that radiation exposure can be controlled within safety limitations. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:34–37)
Improving mental health among people living with HIV: a review of intervention trials in low- and middle-income countries
Authors: Sikkema K. J. , Dennis A. C. , Watt M. H. , Choi K. W. , Yemeke T. T. , Joska J. A.
Published: September 2015

People living with HIV (PLWH) experience greater psychological distress than the general population. Evidence from high-incomes countries suggests that psychological interventions for PLWH can improve mental health symptoms, quality of life, and HIV care engagement. However, little is known about the effectiveness of mental health interventions for PLWH in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the large majority of PLWH reside. This systematized review aims to synthesize findings from mental health intervention trials with PLWH in LMICs to inform the delivery of mental health services in these settings. A systematic search strategy was undertaken to identify peer-reviewed published papers of intervention trials addressing negative psychological states or disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety) among PLWH in LMIC settings. Search results were assessed against pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data from papers meeting criteria were extracted for synthesis. Twenty-six papers, published between 2000 and 2014, describing 22 unique interventions were identified. Trials were implemented in sub-Saharan Africa (n = 13), Asia (n = 7), and the Middle East (n = 2), and addressed mental health using a variety of approaches, including cognitive-behavioral (n = 18), family-level (n = 2), and pharmacological (n = 2) treatments. Four randomized controlled trials reported significant intervention effects in mental health outcomes, and 11 preliminary studies demonstrated promising findings. Among the limited mental health intervention trials with PLWH in LMICs, few demonstrated efficacy. Mental health interventions for PLWH in LMICs must be further developed and adapted for resource-limited settings to improve effectiveness.
Long-wave instability of a helical vortex
Authors: Quaranta Hugo Umberto , Bolnot Hadrien , Leweke Thomas
Published: September 2015

We investigate the instability of a single helical vortex filament of small pitch with respect to displacement perturbations whose wavelength is large compared to the vortex core size. We first revisit previous theoretical analyses concerning infinite Rankine vortices, and consider in addition the more realistic case of vortices with Gausssian vorticity distributions and axial core flow. We show that the various instability modes are related to the local pairing of successive helix turns through mutual induction, and that the growth rate curve can be qualitatively and quantitatively predicted from the classical pairing of an array of point vortices. We then present results from an experimental study of a helical vortex filament generated in a water channel by a single-bladed rotor under carefully controlled conditions. Various modes of displacement perturbations could be triggered by suitable modulation of the blade rotation. Dye visualisations and particle image velocimetry allowed a detailed characterisation of the vortex geometry and the determination of the growth rate of the long-wave instability modes, showing good agreement with theoretical predictions for the experimental base flow. The long-term (downstream) development of the pairing instability leads to a grouping and swapping of helix loops. Despite the resulting complicated three-dimensional structure, the vortex filaments surprisingly remain mostly intact in our observation interval. The characteristic distance of evolution of the helical wake behind the rotor decreases with increasing initial amplitude of the perturbations; this can be predicted from the linear stability theory.
Decaying capillary wave turbulence under broad-scale dissipation
Authors: Pan Yulin , Yue Dick K. P.
Published: September 2015

We study the freely decaying weak turbulence of capillary waves by direct numerical solution of the primitive Euler equations. By introducing a small amount of wave dissipation, measured by the viscosity magnitude${\it\gamma}_{0}$, we are able to recover phenomena observed in experiments that are not described by weak-turbulence theory (WTT), including the exponential modal decay and time variation of the width and power-law spectral slope${\it\alpha}$of the inertial range. In contrast to WTT, this problem also involves non-constant inter-modal energy transfer across the inertial range, which imposes a difficulty in quantifying and measuring the energy flux$P$associated with a certain power-law spectrum. We propose an effective and novel way to evaluate$P$in such cases by physically considering the unsteady effects of the spectrum and variation of the inter-modal energy transfer. Our results show the fundamental difference between the energy flux$P$and the total energy dissipation rate${\it\Gamma}$, which is due to significant energy dissipation within the inertial range. This settles the previous debate on the measurement of$P$which assumes the equivalence of the two. Based on our numerical data, we obtain a general form of the time-evolving inertial-range spectrum, where the parameters involved are functions of${\it\gamma}_{0}$only. The value of the spectral slope${\it\alpha}$at each time moment in the decay, however, is found to be uniquely related to the spectral magnitude at that time and irrespective of${\it\gamma}_{0}$, in the range we consider. This physically reveals the dominant effect of nonlinear wave interaction in forming the power-law spectrum within the inertial range. The evolutions of the inertial-range energy are shown to be predicted by analytical integration of the evolving spectra for different values of${\it\gamma}_{0}$.
Thomas Willis, the Restoration and the First Works of Neurology
Authors: Caron Louis
Published: September 2015

This article provides a new consideration of how Thomas Willis (1621–75) came to write the first works of ‘neurology’, which was in its time a novel use of cerebral and neural anatomy to defend philosophical claims about the mind. Willis’s neurology was shaped by the immediate political and religious contexts of the English Civil War and Restoration. Accordingly, the majority of this paper is devoted to uncovering the political necessities Willis faced during the Restoration of the English monarchy in 1660, with particular focus on the significance of Willis’s dedication of his neurology and natural philosophy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Gilbert Sheldon. Because the Restoration of Charles II brought only a semblance of order and peace, Willis and his allies understood the need for a coherent defense of the authority of the English church and its liturgy. Of particular importance to Sheldon and Willis (and to others in Sheldon’s circle) were the specific ceremonies described in theBook of Common Prayer, a manual that directed the congregation to assume various postures during public worship. This article demonstrates that Willis’s neurology should be read as an intervention in these debates, that his neurology would have been read at the time as an attempt to ground orthodox worship in the structure of the brain and nerves. The political necessities that helped to shape Willis’s project also help us to better understand Willis’s innovative insistence that philosophical statements about the mind should be formulated only after a comprehensive anatomical investigation of the brain and nerves.
DETERMINING THE NUCLEOLUS OF COMPROMISE STABLE GAMES
Authors: HOU DONGSHUANG , DRIESSEN THEO
Published: September 2015

The main goal is to illustrate that the so-called indirect function of a cooperative game in characteristic function form is applicable to determine the nucleolus for a subclass of coalitional games called compromise stable transferable utility (TU) games. In accordance with the Fenchel–Moreau theory on conjugate functions, the indirect function is known as the dual representation of the characteristic function of the coalitional game. The key feature of a compromise stable TU game is the coincidence of its core with a box prescribed by certain upper and lower core bounds. For the purpose of the determination of the nucleolus, we benefit from the interrelationship between the indirect function and the prekernel of coalitional TU games. The class of compromise stable TU games contains the subclasses of clan games, big boss games and $1$- and $2$-convex $n$-person TU games. As an adjunct, this paper reports the indirect function of clan games for the purpose of determining their nucleolus.
The lichen genus Psoromidium (Pannariaceae) re-evaluated, with nomenclatural notes on Degeliella and Psoromaria
Authors: Jørgensen Per M. , Andersen Heidi Lie
Published: September 2015

Molecular studies have shown that Psoromidium is well separated from Psoromaria and Degeliella, when including the type species only. The latter generic name is illegitimate and the correct name for the other species sometimes included in Psoromidium is shown to be Psoromaria versicolor (Müll. Arg.) P. M. Jørg. & H. L. Andersen, comb. nov. It is the type species of the genus Psoromaria Nyl. ex Hue. The inclusion of Degeliella rosulata in Psoromaria is unresolved, according to the molecular evidence. However, its characters (except the photobiont) match those of Psoromaria, rather than those of the other species with which it groups. So for nomenclature reasons it is transferred to this genus, as Psoromaria rosulata (P. M. Jørg. & D. J. Galloway) P. M. Jørg. & H. L. Andersen comb. nov.
New species and records of the lichen genus Graphis (Graphidaceae, Ascomycota) from Thailand
Authors: Pitakpong Arunpak , Kraichak Ekaphan , Papong Khwanruan Butsathorn , Muangsan Nooduan , Suwanwaree Pongthep , Lumbsch H. Thorsten , Lücking Robert
Published: September 2015

One new species and six new records of the crustose lichenized genus Graphis are reported from Thailand. Graphis koratensis Pitakpong, Kraichak & Lücking sp. nov. is characterized by lirelline ascocarps with whitish grey or grey-green pruina along the slit, transversely septate ascospores, and the presence of norstictic acid. Phylogenetic analyses with two loci (mtSSU and nuLSU) show the distinct position of this new species within the genus. Six new records for Thailand are reported, including G. cincta (Pers.) Aptroot, G. jejuensis K. H. Moon et al., G. nigrocarpa Adaw. & Makhija, G. renschiana (Müll. Arg.) Stizenb., G. seminuda Müll. Arg., and G. subserpentina Nyl.
The description of a new species reveals underestimated diversity in the lichen genusBulbothrix(Parmeliaceae) in Africa
Authors: Masson Didier , Benatti Michel N. , Sérusiaux Emmanuël
Published: September 2015

Bulbothrix johannisis described as new to science. The species is morphologically similar to the South AmericanBulbothrix pseudofungicolaBenatti & Marcelli but has wider lobes, laminal ciliate isidia which frequently develop into phyllidia, larger cilia and rhizines, and longer ascospores. This epiphytic species occurs fairly frequently in the cloud forests and montane thickets on Réunion Island (Mascarene archipelago). The comparison ofB. johanniswith morphologically and chemically similar species shows that several different African taxa are currently grouped under the widely used but problematic nameB. suffixa(Stirt.) Hale.
MtDNA diversity of the Indonesian giant barrel spongeXestospongia testudinaria(Porifera: Haplosclerida) – implications from partial cytochrome oxidase 1 sequences
Authors: Setiawan Edwin , de Voogd Nicole J. , Swierts Thomas , Hooper John N.A. , Wörheide Gert , Erpenbeck Dirk
Published: September 2015

The Indonesian archipelago is a ‘hotspot’ for invertebrate biodiversity (‘Coral Triangle’). In this area of ‘peak’ biodiversity, the origins of this high species diversity have often been debated.Xestospongia testudinariais one of the sponge species that dominates coral reef sponge communities in this region. The role of the so-called ‘giant barrel sponge’ for the reef ecosystem has been studied repeatedly, as have its various bioactive compounds. However, the genetic variation of this iconic sponge in the region remains unknown. We investigate over 200 barrel sponge samples from Indonesia, and neighbouring as well as more distant localities (Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Thailand, Taiwan, Java, Sulawesi and the Great Barrier Reef, Australia) using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1. We compare our results with those from the studies on the congeneric barrel spongesXestospongia mutafrom the Caribbean, andXestospongia bergquistiafrom the Indo-Pacific, and observe a high degree of overlapping haplotypes between the three barrel sponge species, likely indicating the presence of ancestral polymorphisms. We discuss the implications of these findings to better interpret the phylogeography of barrel sponge taxa in the Indo-Pacific.
Increased rare duplication burden genomewide in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia
Authors: Martin A. K. , Mowry B.
Published: September 2015

Background

A significant number of patients with schizophrenia fail to respond to antipsychotic medication. Although several studies have investigated associated patient characteristics, the emerging findings from genetic studies offer further scope for study.

Method

In 612 schizophrenia patients with detailed clinical information, common genetic variants indexed by polygenic risk scores, and rare variants indexed by deletion and duplication burden genomewide, we explored potential genetic predictors alongside other established risk factors for treatment resistance. Clinical outcomes of treatment resistance were also calculated using lifetime measures of positive, negative/disorganized and mood symptoms as well as number of hospitalizations and suicide attempts.

Results

Logistic regression models identified a significant relationship between treatment resistance and total duplication burden genomewide, years of formal schooling and age at onset. Clinically, treatment-resistant patients were characterized by greater negative/disorganized and positive symptoms and greater number of hospitalizations.

Conclusions

Taken together, these findings suggest genetic information, specifically the genomewide burden of rare copy number variants, may increase our understanding and clinical management of patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia.
Political bias is tenacious
Authors: Ditto Peter H. , Wojcik Sean P. , Chen Eric Evan , Grady Rebecca Hofstein , Ringel Megan M.
Published: September 2015

Duarte et al. are right to worry about political bias in social psychology but they underestimate the ease of correcting it. Both liberals and conservatives show partisan bias that often worsens with cognitive sophistication. More non-liberals in social psychology is unlikely to speed our convergence upon the truth, although it may broaden the questions we ask and the data we collect.
Lack of political diversity and the framing of findings in personality and clinical psychology
Authors: Lilienfeld Scott O.
Published: September 2015

I extend the arguments of Duarte et al. by examining the implications of political uniformity for the framing of findings in personality and clinical psychology. I argue that the one-sided framing of psychological research on political ideology has limited our understanding of the personality correlates of liberalism and conservatism.
Diverse crowds using diverse methods improves the scientific dialectic
Authors: Motyl Matt , Iyer Ravi
Published: September 2015

In science, diversity is vital to the development of new knowledge. We agree with Duarte et al. that we need more political diversity in social psychology, but contend that we need more religious diversity and methodological diversity as well. If some diversity is good, more is better (especially in science).
Too paranoid to see progress: Social psychology is probably liberal, but it doesn't believe in progress
Authors: Winegard Bo , Winegard Benjamin , Geary David C.
Published: September 2015

We agree with Duarte et al. that bias in social psychology is a serious problem that researchers should confront. However, we are skeptical that most social psychologists adhere to a liberal progress narrative. We suggest, instead, that most social psychologists are paranoid egalitarian meliorists (PEMs). We explain the term and suggest possible remedies to bias in social psychology.
What kinds of conservatives does social psychology lack, and why?
Authors: Ross Lee
Published: September 2015

Although Duarte et al.'s claims about the potential benefits of greater political diversity in the ranks of social psychology are apt, their discussion of the decline in such diversity, the role played by self-selection, and the specific domains they cite in discussing an anti-conservative bias raise issues that merit closer examination. The claim that sound research and analysis challenging liberal orthodoxies fails to receive a fair hearing in our journals and professional discourse is also disputed.
A checklist to facilitate objective hypothesis testing in social psychology research
Authors: Washburn Anthony N. , Morgan G. Scott , Skitka Linda J.
Published: September 2015

Social psychology is not a very politically diverse area of inquiry, something that could negatively affect the objectivity of social psychological theory and research, as Duarte et al. argue in the target article. This commentary offers a number of checks to help researchers uncover possible biases and identify when they are engaging in hypothesis confirmation and advocacy instead of hypothesis testing.
Theatre as Advocacy: Asking for It and the Audibility of Women inNirbhaya, the Fearless One
Authors: INCHLEY MAGGIE
Published: September 2015

This article uses critical practice to explore making an ‘ethical response’ to Yaël Farber'sNirbhaya(Fearless One), a play incited by the fatal gang rape of Jyoti Singh Pandey in Delhi in December 2012. Requiring its audiences to witness testimonies of violence against women,Nirbhaya's strategies raise complex relationships of witnessing and trauma, while insisting on the cultural audibility of women's voices. Performing a shift from the testimonial to the persuasive,Nirbhayacan be seen as part of a global advocacy movement that asks audiences not only to bear witness, and the responsibilities this entails, but also to become fellow activists. By attending closely to the voices ofNirbhaya, and to the use of female testimony as a tactic of local and global movements and geopolitical motivations, this article argues that female voices are displaced, mediatized and co-opted through their role as advocates and agents of cultural change.
Morphological assessment on day 4 and its prognostic power in selecting viable embryos for transfer
Authors: Fabozzi Gemma , Alteri Alessandra , Rega Emilia , Starita Maria Flavia , Piscitelli Claudio , Giannini Pierluigi , Colicchia Antonio
Published: September 2015

The aim of this study was to describe a system for embryo morphology scoring at the morula stage and to determine the efficiency of this model in selecting viable embryos for transfer. In total, 519 embryos from 122 patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were scored retrospectively on day 4 according to the grading system proposed in this article. Two separate quality scores were assigned to each embryo in relation to the grade of compaction and fragmentation and their developmental fate was then observed on days 5 and 6. Secondly, the prediction value of this scoring system was compared with the prediction value of the traditional scoring system adopted on day 3. Morulas classified as grade A showed a significant higher blastocyst formation rate (87.2%) compared with grades B, C and D (63.8, 41.3 and 15.0%, respectively), (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the ability to form top quality blastocysts was significantly higher for grade A morulas with respect to grades B, and C and D (37.8% vs. 22.4% vs. 11.1%), (P < 0.001). Finally, the morula scoring system showed more prediction power with respect to the embryo scoring a value of 1 [Akaike information criterion (AIC) index 16.4 vs. 635.3 and Bayesian information criterion (BIC) index −68.8 vs. −30.0 for morulas and embryos respectively]. In conclusion, results demonstrated that the presented scoring system allows for the evaluation of eligible embryos for transfer as a significant correlation between the grade of morula, blastulation rate and blastocyst quality was observed. Furthermore, the morula scoring system was shown to be the best predictive model when compared with the traditional scoring system performed on day 3.
Participation of PLA2 and PLC in DhL-induced activation ofRhinella arenarumoocytes
Authors: Zapata-Martínez J. , Medina M.F. , Gramajo-Bühler M.C. , Sánchez-Toranzo G.
Published: September 2015

Rhinella arenarumoocytes can be artificially activated, a process known as parthenogenesis, by a sesquiterpenic lactone of the guaianolide group, dehydroleucodine (DhL). Transient increases in the concentration of cytosolic Ca2+are essential to trigger egg activation events. In this sense, the 1-4-5 inositol triphosphate receptors (IP3R) seem to be involved in the Ca2+transient release induced by DhL in this species. We analyzed the involvement of phosphoinositide metabolism, especially the participation of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and phospholipase C (PLC) in DhL-induced activation. Different doses of quinacrine, aristolochic acid (ATA) (PLA2 inhibitors) or neomycin, an antibiotic that binds to PIP2, thus preventing its hydrolysis, were used in matureRhinella arenarumoocytes. In order to assay the participation of PI-PLC and PC- PLC we used U73122, a competitive inhibitor of PI-PLC dependent events and D609, an inhibitor of PC-PLC. We found that PLA2 inhibits quinacrine more effectively than ATA. This difference could be explained by the fact that quinacrine is not a specific inhibitor for PLA2 while ATA is specific for this enzyme. With respect to the participation of PLC, a higher decrease in oocyte activation was detected when cells were exposed to neomycin. Inhibition of PC-PLC with D609 and IP-PLC with U73122 indicated that the last PLC has a significant participation in the effect of DhL-induced activation. Results would indicate that DhL induces activation ofin vitromatured oocytes ofRhinella arenarumby activation of IP-PLC, which in turn may induce IP3 formation which produces Ca2+release.
Copper Refinement from Anode to Cathode and then to Wire Rod: Effects of Impurities on Recrystallization Kinetics and Wire Ductility
Authors: Helbert Anne-Laure , Moya Alice , Jil Tomas , Andrieux Michel , Ignat Michel , Brisset François , Baudin Thierry
Published: September 2015

In this paper, the traceability of copper from the anode to the cathode and then the wire rod has been studied in terms of impurity content, microstructure, texture, recrystallization kinetics, and ductility. These characterizations were obtained based on secondary ion mass spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction, HV hardness, and electron backscattered diffraction. It is shown that the recrystallization was delayed by the total amount of impurities. From tensile tests performed on cold drawn and subsequently annealed wires for a given time, a simplified model has been developed to link tensile elongation to the chemical composition. This model allowed quantification of the contribution of some additional elements, present in small quantity, on the recrystallization kinetics. The proposed model adjusted for the cold-drawn wires was also validated on both the cathode and wire rod used for the study of traceability.
Contribution of Light and Electron Microscopy to Identification of Bark from Frangula azorica, an Azorean Medicinal Plant
Authors: Malmir Maryam , Curica Cátia , Gomes Elsa T. , Serrano Rita , Silva Olga
Published: September 2015

Frangula azorica V. Grubow is a Macaronesian flora medicinal plant, endemic from Azores islands and inscribed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. This species, known as “sanguinho,” belongs to the family Rhamnaceae, the same as Frangula alnus Mill. and Frangula purshiana (DC.) J. G. Cooper, two widely used official laxative herbal medicines of the western Pharmacopoeias constituted by the dried barks of each species. Morphological and chemical studies on F. azorica dried bark are scarce although it is potentially recognized as a Portuguese laxative herbal medicine. Macroscopically, the bark occurs in quills or nearly flat pieces. A channeled external surface with transversely elongated lenticels is characteristic. When the outer phellem layer is removed, a bright purple inner phellem layer is disclosed. Light and electron microscopy observations revealed flattened phellem cells with slightly thickened walls, cortical parenchyma with secretory ducts and groups of sclereids, phloem with groups of fibers and sheaths of parenchymatous cells containing druses or more frequently prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, and parenchymatous medullary rays one to three cells wide with spherical starch grains. Observation of these botanical characteristics must be included in quality monographs of F. azorica bark herbal medicine.