bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Making Sense of the House: Explaining the Decline of the Indian Parliament amidst Democratization
Authors: Verma Rahul , Tripathi Vikas
Published: December 2013

Although the Indian Parliament has witnessed progressive democratization in terms of representation of various sections of society, it has declined as an effective institution of accountability. Unlike in Western democracies, the decline of Indian parliament is not due to strengthening of the executive. Ironically both the executive and the parliament in India have remained weak during the ‘democratic upsurge’ era, while some non-parliamentary institutions have succeeded in asserting their autonomy. We find that existing literature on Indian parliament fails in explaining the paradox of declining parliamentary performance amidst its democratization. In this article, we highlight five such paradoxes. We bring in political parties as the main explanatory variable and argue that the changing character of political parties during the ‘democratic upsurge’ era in India lies at the heart of this debate: the emergence of new players representing sectional interests though increased representation of various sections of society, yet adversarial politics among these parties led to parliament’s decline.
Book Review: India’s Rights Revolution: Has it Worked for the Poor?
Authors: Sakhrani Monica
Published: December 2013

S.K. Das, India’s Rights Revolution: Has it Worked for the Poor? New Delhi: Oxford University Press. 2013. 330 pages. ₹ 795.
Book Review: Democracy and Its Institutions
Authors: Menon Krishna
Published: December 2013

André Béteille, Democracy and Its Institutions. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. 2012. 214 pages. ₹ 595.
Book Review: Green and Saffron: Hindu Nationalism and Indian Environmental Politics
Authors: Srinivasan Janaki
Published: December 2013

Mukul Sharma, Green and Saffron: Hindu Nationalism and Indian Environmental Politics. Ranikhet: Permanent Black. 2012. 318 pages. ₹ 795.
Was the Delimitation Commission Unfair to Muslims?
Authors: Jensenius Francesca Refsum
Published: December 2013

In the Sachar Committee report, a report from 2006 about the socio-economic status of Muslims in India, it was stated that a number of constituencies (electoral districts) reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) have a high proportion of Muslims and a low proportion of SCs, while there are many general (unreserved) constituencies with fewer Muslims and more SCs. Some have interpreted this as an allegation that the Delimitation Commission in the 1970s willfully assigned constituencies reserved for SCs to areas with a high Muslim population. Since this delimitation was in force for more than 30 years (1974–2007), this could have seriously undermined the representation of Muslims in India. In this article I use archival evidence from the Election Commission records as well as unique statistical data of the Muslim population across Indian constituencies in the 1970s to show that there is no evidence that such a systematic discrimination took place. Looking at data from 14 Indian states, I show that the Muslim population is on average lower in reserved constituencies than in general ones. This is mainly due to the fact that reserved seats by construction have a high concentration of SCs, and therefore a lower concentration of other groups. On comparing reserved and general constituencies with similar proportions of SCs, I find that there is no statistically significant difference in the proportion of Muslims in reserved and general areas. These results do not suggest that Muslims have been adequately represented in Indian politics, but simply that it is unfounded allegation that Muslims have been over-represented in reserved constituencies.
A mouse model of anemia of inflammation: complex pathogenesis with partial dependence on hepcidin
Authors: Kim Airie , Fung Eileen , Parikh Sona G. , Valore Erika V. , Gabayan Victoria , Nemeth Elizabeta , Ganz Tomas
Published: December 2013

Key Points

An injection of heat-killed Brucella abortus in mice causes prolonged anemia with features similar to human anemia of inflammation. Ablation of hepcidin ameliorates anemia of inflammation in this model and allows faster recovery.
B-cell tolerance regulates production of antibodies causing heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
Authors: Zheng Yongwei , Wang Alexander W. , Yu Mei , Padmanabhan Anand , Tourdot Benjamin E. , Newman Debra K. , White Gilbert C. , Aster Richard H. , Wen Renren , Wang Demin
Published: December 2013

Key Points

B-cell tolerance plays a critical role in controlling production of PF4/heparin-specific antibodies.
Identical twins:one with anti-glomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis,the other with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Liu Xiaoxia , Wu Yu , Yang Yuan , Wang Jue , Tao Ye , Fu Ping , Hu Zhangxue
Published: December 2013

Background

Anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) glomerulonephritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are both disorders of the immune system; however, they are known as distinct diseases. Till now no clinical evidence suggests the genetic relationship between these two diseases. Herein, we present two identical twins; one was diagnosed as anti-GBM glomerulonephritis, the other SLE. This is the first clinical report on the genetic relationship between these two diseases.

Case presentation

A 25-year-old female was admitted complaining of intermittent gross hematuria for 6 months and elevated serum creatinine for 1 month. She denied hemoptysis. Laboratory examinations showed hemoglobin 7.4 g/dL, serum creatinine 7.15 mg/dL and albumin 2.8 g/dL. Urinalysis showed hematuria (484 RBCs per high-power field) and proteinuria 4+. Antinuclear antibody, complement levels and ANCAs were all normal. Renal ultrasound showed normal-sized kidneys without obstruction or masses. Serum anti-GBM antibody assay showed 119.70 RU/mL (normal range, <20 RU/mL). Chest X-ray was normal. She was diagnosed as anti-GBM glomerulonephritis and received plasma exchange (2000-3000 ml plasma/exchange, 5 turns), methylprednisolone 0.5 g for three days, plus cyclophosphamide. Although serum anti-GBM antibodies decreased gradually to a normal range, her renal function did not improve. One month later, her identical twin sister was diagnosed as SLE based on malar erythema, arthralgia, antinuclear antibody positive with liter 1:1000, and Anti-Smith (Sm) antibody ++. Anti-GBM antibody and complements were within normal ranges. Further study showed these twins were HLA-DRB1*1501 homozygotes.

Conclusion

The presence of identical twins having anti-GBM nephritis and SLE respectively provides clinical evidence to support that anti-GBM nephritis and lupus may share a common genetic background to some extent, while environment may contribute to disease evolution in part.
Growth and metabolic outcome in adolescents born preterm (GROWMORE): follow-up protocol for the Newcastle preterm birth growth study (PTBGS)
Authors: Wood Claire L , Tinnion Robert J , Korada S Murthy , Cheetham Timothy D , Relton Caroline L , Cooke Richard J , Pearce Mark S , Hollingsworth Kieren G , Trenell Michael I , Embleton Nicholas D
Published: December 2013

Background

Preterm infants represent up to 10% of births worldwide and have an increased risk of adverse metabolic outcomes in later life. Early life exposures are key factors in determining later health but current lifestyle factors such as diet and physical activity are also extremely important and provide an opportunity for targeted intervention.

Methods/Design

This current study, GROWMORE, is the fourth phase of the Newcastle Preterm Birth Growth Study (PTBGS), which was formed from two randomised controlled trials of nutrition in early life in preterm (24–34 weeks gestation) and low birthweight infants. 247 infants were recruited prior to hospital discharge. Infant follow-up included detailed measures of growth, nutritional intake, morbidities and body composition (Dual X Ray Absorptiometry, DXA) along with demographic data until 2 years corrected age. Developmental assessment was performed at 18 months corrected age, and cognitive assessment at 9–10 years of age. Growth, body composition (DXA), blood pressure and metabolic function (insulin resistance and lipid profile) were assessed at 9–13 years of age, and samples obtained for epigenetic analysis. In GROWMORE, we will follow up a representative cohort using established techniques and novel metabolic biomarkers and correlate these with current lifestyle factors including physical activity and dietary intake. We will assess auxology, body composition (BODPOD™), insulin resistance, daily activity levels using Actigraph™ software and use 31P and 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess mitochondrial function and intra-hepatic lipid content.

Discussion

The Newcastle PTBGS is a unique cohort of children born preterm in the late 1990’s. The major strengths are the high level of detail of early nutritional and growth exposures, and the comprehensive assessment over time. This study aims to examine the associations between early life exposures in preterm infants and metabolic outcomes in adolescence, which represents an area of major translational importance.
A colorimetric method for the molecular weight determination of polyethylene glycol using gold nanoparticles
Authors: Ling Kai , Jiang Hongyan , Zhang Qiqing
Published: December 2013

A gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based colorimetric method was developed for the molecular weight (MW) determination of polyethylene glycol (PEG), a commonly used hydrophilic polymer. Addition of a salt solution to PEG-coated AuNP solutions helps in screening the electrostatic repulsion between nanoparticles and generating a color change of the solutions from wine red to blue in 10 min in accordance with the MW of PEG, which illustrates the different stability degrees (SDs) of the AuNPs. The SDs are calculated by the absorbance ratios of the stable to the aggregated AuNPs in the solution. The root mean square end-to-end length (〈h
2〉1/2) of PEG molecules shows a linear fit to the SDs of the PEG-coated AuNPs in a range of 1.938 ± 0.156 to 10.151 ± 0.176 nm. According to the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory, the reason for this linear relationship is that the thickness of the PEG adlayer is roughly equivalent to the 〈h
2〉1/2 of the PEG molecules in solution, which determines the SDs of the AuNPs. Subsequently, the MW of the PEG can be obtained from its 〈h
2〉1/2 using a mathematical relationship between 〈h
2〉1/2 and MW of PEG molecule. Applying this approach, we determined the 〈h
2〉1/2 and the MW of four PEG samples according to their absorbance values from the ordinary ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometric measurements. Therefore, the MW of PEG can be distinguished straightforwardly by visual inspection and determined by spectrophotometry. This novel approach is simple, rapid, and sensitive.
Video resampling algorithm for simultaneous deinterlacing and image upscaling with reduced jagged edge artifacts
Authors: Yoo Du Sic , Chang Joonyoung , Park Chul Hee , Kang Moon Gi
Published: December 2013

In this paper, we propose a video resampling method for simultaneous deinterlacing and image upscaling. The proposed method is composed of two steps: the initial image magnification step and the edge enhancement step. In order to convert an interlaced image into a display format image, a filtering strategy, which resizes images with arbitrary ratios and reduces the overall computational load, is performed region adaptively using local characteristics such as motion or motionless regions. After the initial step, the proposed jagged edge correction (JEC) method is applied to the initially upscaled images to correct the stair-like artifacts (jagged edges) which are caused by ignoring any edge information in diagonal edge regions during the linear filtering process. Moreover, this method can be very useful for various upscaling applications to improve edge quality since it can be used in combination with other common interpolation techniques, such as cubic spline techniques. Experimental results show that the proposed method substantially reduces the jagged edges of the converted images and provides steep and natural-looking edge transitions.
Mandibular asymmetry: a three-dimensional quantification of bilateral condyles
Authors: Lin Han , Zhu Ping , Lin Yi , Wan Shuangquan , Shu Xin , Xu Yue , Zheng Youhua
Published: December 2013

Introduction

The shape and volume of the condyle is considered to play an important role in the pathogenesis of the mandibular deviation. Curvature analysis is informative for objectively assess whether the shape of the condyles matches that of the glenoid fossa. In this study, a three-dimensional (3-D) quantification of bilateral asymmetrical condyles was firstly conducted to identify the specific role of 3-D condylar configuration for mandibular asymmetry.

Methods

55 adult patients, 26 males (26 ± 5 yrs) and 29 females (26 ± 5 yrs), diagnosed with mandibular asymmetry were included. The examination of deviation of chin point, deviation of dental midlines, inclination of occlusal plane, and depth of the mandibular occlusal plane were conducted. After the clinical investigation, computed tomography images from the patients were used to reconstruct the 3-D mandibular models. Then the condylar volume, surface size, surface curvature and bone mineral density were evaluated independently for each patient on non-deviated and deviated sides of temporomandibular joint.

Results

Both the condylar surface size and volume were significantly larger on deviated side (surface size: 1666.14 ± 318.3 mm2, volume: 1981.5 ± 418.3 mm3). The anterior slope of the condyle was flatter (0.12 ± 0.06) and the posterior slope (0.39 ± 0.08) was prominently convex on the deviated side. The corresponding bone mineral density values were 523.01 ±118.1 HU and 549.07 ±120. 6 HU on anterior and posterior slopes.

Conclusions

The incongruence presented on the deviated side resulted in a reduction in contact areas and, thus, an increase in contact stresses and changes of bone density. All aforementioned results suggest that the difference existing between deviated and non-deviated condyles correlates with facial asymmetrical development. In mandibular asymmetry patients, the 3-D morphology of condyle on deviated side differ from the non-deviated side, which indicates the association between asymmetrical jaw function and joint remodeling.
Knowledge and valuation of Andean agroforestry species: the role of sex, age, and migration among members of a rural community in Bolivia
Authors: Brandt Regine , Mathez-Stiefel Sarah-Lan , Lachmuth Susanne , Hensen Isabell , Rist Stephan
Published: December 2013

Background

Agroforestry is a sustainable land use method with a long tradition in the Bolivian Andes. A better understanding of people’s knowledge and valuation of woody species can help to adjust actor-oriented agroforestry systems. In this case study, carried out in a peasant community of the Bolivian Andes, we aimed at calculating the cultural importance of selected agroforestry species, and at analysing the intracultural variation in the cultural importance and knowledge of plants according to peasants’ sex, age, and migration.

Methods

Data collection was based on semi-structured interviews and freelisting exercises. Two ethnobotanical indices (Composite Salience, Cultural Importance) were used for calculating the cultural importance of plants. Intracultural variation in the cultural importance and knowledge of plants was detected by using linear and generalised linear (mixed) models.

Results and discussion

The culturally most important woody species were mainly trees and exotic species (e.g.Schinus molle,Prosopis laevigata,Eucalyptus globulus). We found that knowledge and valuation of plants increased with age but that they were lower for migrants; sex, by contrast, played a minor role. The age effects possibly result from decreasing ecological apparency of valuable native species, and their substitution by exotic marketable trees, loss of traditional plant uses or the use of other materials (e.g. plastic) instead of wood. Decreasing dedication to traditional farming may have led to successive abandonment of traditional tool uses, and the overall transformation of woody plant use is possibly related to diminishing medicinal knowledge.

Conclusions

Age and migration affect how people value woody species and what they know about their uses. For this reason, we recommend paying particular attention to the potential of native species, which could open promising perspectives especially for the young migrating peasant generation and draw their interest in agroforestry. These native species should be ecologically sound and selected on their potential to provide subsistence and promising commercial uses. In addition to offering socio-economic and environmental services, agroforestry initiatives using native trees and shrubs can play a crucial role in recovering elements of the lost ancient landscape that still forms part of local people’s collective identity.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Ferroportin in the progression and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wang Qin , Zhou Jun , Zhong Dewu , Wang Qunwei , Huang Jiangsheng
Published: December 2013

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common malignant tumor in men and the seventh in women and understanding the molecular mechanisms of HCC and establishing more effective therapies are critical and urgent issues. Our objective was to study the expression of ferroportin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue samples and the relationship between ferroportin expression and HCC characteristics.

Methods

Sixty HCC tissues and their corresponding para-cancer liver tissues (PCLT) were obtained from sixty HCC patients who had undergone hepatectomy in the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University. Ten normal liver tissue samples were also obtained as a control. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to analyze the ferroportin expression in HCC, and the relationship between ferroportin expression and HCC clinical pathological characteristics also was analyzed. For the evaluation of IHC results, the comprehensive scoring criteria were met according to the staining intensity and the number of positive staining cells. Western blotting was performed to detect the expression level of ferroportin in HCC cell lines.

Results

Ferroportin expression in HCC tissue was significantly lower compared to PCLT and normal liver tissue (P <0.05). Moreover, ferroportin expression was related to liver cancer cell de-differentiation, the severity degree in TNM staging, Edmondson-Steiner grading, intrahepatic metastasis and portal vein invasion. In addition, high expression of ferroportin was observed in normal human liver cell lines L02 and HL7702, whereas weak positive expression and even negative expression of ferroportin were observed in HCC cell lines FOCUS, MHCC-97H, HepG2 and SMMC-7721. Furthermore, among the four kinds of HCC cell lines, the expression level of ferroportin was the lowest in MHCC-97H cells.

Conclusions

Ferroportin expression level declines along with the progression of liver cancer, suggesting that the reduction of ferroportin may serve as an important marker for poor HCC prognosis and as a new therapeutic target.
Crystal structures of the A2A adenosine receptor and their use in medicinal chemistry
Authors: Jacobson Kenneth A
Published: December 2013

New insights into drug design are derived from the X-ray crystallographic structures of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), and the adenosine receptors (ARs) are at the forefront of this effort. The 3D knowledge of receptor binding and activation promises to enable drug discovery for GPCRs in general, and specifically for the ARs. The predictability of modeling based on the X-ray structures of the A2AAR has been well demonstrated in the identification, design and modification of both known and novel AR agonists and antagonists. It is expected that structure-based design of drugs acting through ARs will provide new avenues to clinically useful agents.
Transcriptomics-based screen for genes induced by flagellin and repressed by pathogen effectors identifies a cell wall-associated kinase involved in plant immunity
Authors: Rosli Hernan G , Zheng Yi , Pombo Marina A , Zhong Silin , Bombarely Aureliano , Fei Zhangjun , Collmer Alan , Martin Gregory B
Published: December 2013

Background

Microbe-associated molecular patterns, such as those present in bacterial flagellin, are powerful inducers of the innate immune response in plants. Successful pathogens deliver virulence proteins, termed effectors, into the plant cell where they can interfere with the immune response and promote disease. Engineering the plant immune system to enhance disease resistance requires a thorough understanding of its components.

Results

We describe a high-throughput screen, using RNA sequencing and virus-induced gene silencing, to identify tomato genes whose expression is enhanced by the flagellin microbe-associated molecular pattern flgII-28, but reduced by activities of the Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) type III effectors AvrPto and AvrPtoB. Gene ontology terms for this category of Flagellin-induced repressed by effectors (FIRE) genes showed enrichment for genes encoding certain subfamilies of protein kinases and transcription factors. At least 25 of the FIRE genes have been implicated previously in plant immunity. Of the 92 protein kinase-encoding FIRE genes, 33 were subjected to virus-induced gene silencing and their involvement in pattern-triggered immunity was tested with a leaf-based assay. Silencing of one FIRE gene, which encodes the cell wall-associated kinase SlWAK1, compromised the plant immune response resulting in increased growth of Pst and enhanced disease symptoms.

Conclusions

Our transcriptomic approach identifies FIRE genes that represent a pathogen-defined core set of immune-related genes. The analysis of this set of candidate genes led to the discovery of a cell wall-associated kinase that participates in plant defense. The FIRE genes will be useful for further elucidation of the plant immune system.
Spatial expression of transcription factors in Drosophilaembryonic organ development
Authors: Hammonds Ann S , Bristow Christopher A , Fisher William W , Weiszmann Richard , Wu Siqi , Hartenstein Volker , Kellis Manolis , Yu Bin , Frise Erwin , Celniker Susan E
Published: December 2013

Background

Site-specific transcription factors (TFs) bind DNA regulatory elements to control expression of target genes, forming the core of gene regulatory networks. Despite decades of research, most studies focus on only a small number of TFs and the roles of many remain unknown.

Results

We present a systematic characterization of spatiotemporal gene expression patterns for all known or predicted Drosophila TFs throughout embryogenesis, the first such comprehensive study for any metazoan animal. We generated RNA expression patterns for all 708 TFs by in situ hybridization, annotated the patterns using an anatomical controlled vocabulary, and analyzed TF expression in the context of organ system development. Nearly all TFs are expressed during embryogenesis and more than half are specifically expressed in the central nervous system. Compared to other genes, TFs are enriched early in the development of most organ systems, and throughout the development of the nervous system. Of the 535 TFs with spatially restricted expression, 79% are dynamically expressed in multiple organ systems while 21% show single-organ specificity. Of those expressed in multiple organ systems, 77 TFs are restricted to a single organ system either early or late in development. Expression patterns for 354 TFs are characterized for the first time in this study.

Conclusions

We produced a reference TF dataset for the investigation of gene regulatory networks in embryogenesis, and gained insight into the expression dynamics of the full complement of TFs controlling the development of each organ system.
The draft genome of a socially polymorphic halictid bee, Lasioglossum albipes
Authors: Kocher Sarah D , Li Cai , Yang Wei , Tan Hao , Yi Soojin V , Yang Xingyu , Hoekstra Hopi E , Zhang Guojie , Pierce Naomi E , Yu Douglas W
Published: December 2013

Background

Taxa that harbor natural phenotypic variation are ideal for ecological genomic approaches aimed at understanding how the interplay between genetic and environmental factors can lead to the evolution of complex traits. Lasioglossum albipes is a polymorphic halictid bee that expresses variation in social behavior among populations, and common-garden experiments have suggested that this variation is likely to have a genetic component.

Results

We present the L. albipes genome assembly to characterize the genetic and ecological factors associated with the evolution of social behavior. The de novo assembly is comparable to other published social insect genomes, with an N50 scaffold length of 602 kb. Gene families unique to L. albipes are associated with integrin-mediated signaling and DNA-binding domains, and several appear to be expanded in this species, including the glutathione-s-transferases and the inositol monophosphatases. L. albipes has an intact DNA methylation system, and in silico analyses suggest that methylation occurs primarily in exons. Comparisons to other insect genomes indicate that genes associated with metabolism and nucleotide binding undergo accelerated evolution in the halictid lineage. Whole-genome resequencing data from one solitary and one social L. albipes female identify six genes that appear to be rapidly diverging between social forms, including a putative odorant receptor and a cuticular protein.

Conclusions

L. albipes represents a novel genetic model system for understanding the evolution of social behavior. It represents the first published genome sequence of a primitively social insect, thereby facilitating comparative genomic studies across the Hymenoptera as a whole.
The evolution, impact and properties of exonic splice enhancers
Authors: Cáceres Eva Fernández , Hurst Laurence D
Published: December 2013

Background

In humans, much of the information specifying splice sites is not at the splice site. Exonic splice enhancers are one of the principle non-splice site motifs. Four high-throughput studies have provided a compendium of motifs that function as exonic splice enhancers, but only one, RESCUE-ESE, has been generally employed to examine the properties of enhancers. Here we consider these four datasets to ask whether there is any consensus on the properties and impacts of exonic splice enhancers.

Results

While only about 1% of all the identified hexamer motifs are common to all analyses we can define reasonably sized sets that are found in most datasets. These consensus intersection datasets we presume reflect the true properties of exonic splice enhancers. Given prior evidence for the properties of enhancers and splice-associated mutations, we ask for all datasets whether the exonic splice enhancers considered are purine enriched; enriched near exon boundaries; able to predict trends in relative codon usage; slow evolving at synonymous sites; rare in SNPs; associated with weak splice sites; and enriched near longer introns. While the intersect datasets match expectations, only one original dataset, RESCUE-ESE, does. Unexpectedly, a fully experimental dataset identifies motifs that commonly behave opposite to the consensus, for example, being enriched in exon cores where splice-associated mutations are rare.

Conclusions

Prior analyses that used the RESCUE-ESE set of hexamers captured the properties of consensus exonic splice enhancers. We estimate that at least 4% of synonymous mutations are deleterious owing to an effect on enhancer functioning.
Lifetime affect and midlife cognitive function: prospective birth cohort study
Authors: Richards M. , Barnett J. H. , Xu M. K. , Croudace T. J. , Gaysina D. , Kuh D. , Jones P. B. ,   the MRC National Survey of Health and Development scientific and data collection team
Published: December 2013

Background

Recurrent affective problems are predictive of cognitive impairment, but the timing and directionality, and the nature of the cognitive impairment, are unclear.

Aims

To test prospective associations between life-course affective symptoms and cognitive function in late middle age.

Method

A total of 1668 men and women were drawn from the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development (the British 1946 birth cohort). Longitudinal affective symptoms spanning age 13–53 years served as predictors; outcomes consisted of self-reported memory problems at 60–64 years and decline in memory and information processing from age 53 to 60–64 years.

Results

Regression analyses revealed no clear pattern of association between longitudinal affective symptoms and decline in cognitive test scores, after adjusting for gender, childhood cognitive ability, education and midlife socioeconomic status. In contrast, affective symptoms were strongly, diffusely and independently associated with self-reported memory problems.

Conclusions

Affective symptoms are more clearly associated with self-reported memory problems in late midlife than with objectively measured cognitive performance.
Knowledge Production and Regional Scholarship
Authors: Das Veena
Published: December 2013

Das discusses region as a source of theory and raises concerns about the current state of scholarship, especially (1) the censorship of ideas made possible by government control over research along with a public culture that is increasingly intolerant of differences in interpretation in the name of a feeling ethics; (2) the production of knowledge at different institutional sites that might stand in a tense relation to authorized institutional discourses; and (3) dangerous developments in the rise of new subdisciplines such as global health, which have had serious consequences for freedom of inquiry as a false consensus is generated over what counts as “success” in policy interventions.
Why Is the Mirror Cracked?
Authors: Kaviraj Sudipta
Published: December 2013

Social science theory, the concepts and argumentative architecture through which scholars make sense of the vast processes of modernity—industrialization, étatisation, secularity, individuation—generated the first wave of theoretical concepts in the crucible of European history. Social science inquiry in India had no way of avoiding these concepts, Kaviraj argues, but it could not escape a sense of unease at the misfit between the assumptions built into these theories and concepts and the historical world it investigated. In the last decade, a serious discussion about these theoretical questions has emerged: one moving from dissatisfaction with individual primary concepts—like secularity, the state, citizenship, industrialization, labor—to a more generalized discontent regarding the nature of theorizing itself. Gopal Guru and Sunder Sarukkai’s book The Cracked Mirror contributes centrally to this discussion at two levels: it questions the way in which social scientists have taken for granted the way they have thought about untouchability; at the same time, it raises with an undeniable sharpness the question of theory itself. What is the activity called theorizing? What is it meant to do? What are the criteria of success in this activity—besides the fluent and repeated use of concepts taken from the latest Western intellectual debates?
Theory in the Mirror of Caste
Authors: Rajan Rajeswari Sunder
Published: December 2013

Sunder Rajan’s essay responds to Gopal Guru and Sundar Sarukkai’s book The Cracked Mirror: An Indian Debate on Experience and Theory. Its primary focus is the authors’ arguments regarding the absence of original theory in the social sciences in India, and the case they make for the imperative need for such theory. The essay also places Guru and Sarukkai in conversation with Franz Fanon. It is Fanon, Sunder Rajan contends, who speaks most closely and pertinently to the question of the “lived experience” that Guru and Sarukkai invoke, in the phenomenological mode, as theory’s other and its source. But it is not exclusively these obvious parallels between Fanon’s pioneering work on the experience and philosophy of race on the one hand, and the contemporary work on Dalit experience and theory on the other, that the essay is interested in tracing. It also draws attention also to a practice of theoretical intervention that Fanon establishes in his work, in Black Skin and in The Wretched of the Earth, that would be of value to caste critiques, which is to use (a certain Other) experience to draw the limits of (European, mainstream) theory.
Experience and Dalit Theory
Authors: Satyanarayana K.
Published: December 2013

Responding to Gopal Guru and Sundar Sarukkai’s book The Cracked Mirror: An Indian Debate on Experience and Theory, Satyanarayana’s essay examines the significance of bringing Dalit experience into the public debate with reference to the practice of social sciences in particular and social theory in general. The Cracked Mirror, Satyanarayana argues, offers a critique of the commonsense view of experience and the limitations of social theory in India. It acknowledges the constitutive role of experience in the production of theory, redefines the task of theory, and calls on Dalits and other marginalized groups to play the role of a new generation of scholars committed not only to scholarship but also to social causes.
Topics of the New Dalit Critique
Authors: Wakankar Milind
Published: December 2013

Wakankar’s article assesses the recent book by Gopal Guru and Sundar Sarukkai, The Cracked Mirror. The authors, Wakankar contends, supply concepts by which Dalits, formerly known as the “untouchable” caste, can choose to live. Anger, humiliation, snobbery—such concepts make up what might be called a mnemo-technics, concepts that can be used as rules of thumb for the conduct of Dalit life in the modern. The authors of this seminal volume argue that, despite their origin in the millennial experience of Dalits alone, these concepts are to be pressed into service for a renewal of our social life in general. The book testifies to the important role that the Dalit critique has played—and continues to play—in the renewal of the idea of research.
Cell migration and division in amoeboid-like fission yeast
Authors: Flor-Parra Ignacio , Bernal Manuel , Zhurinsky Jacob , Daga Rafael R.
Published: December 2013

Yeast cells are non-motile and are encased in a cell wall that supports high internal turgor pressure. The cell wall is also essential for cellular morphogenesis and cell division. Here, we report unexpected morphogenetic changes in a Schizosaccharomyces pombe mutant defective in cell wall biogenesis. These cells form dynamic cytoplasmic protrusions caused by internal turgor pressure and also exhibit amoeboid-like cell migration resulting from repeated protrusive cycles. The cytokinetic ring responsible for cell division in wild-type yeast often fails in these cells; however, they were still able to divide using a ring-independent alternative mechanism relying on extrusion of the cell body through a hole in the cell wall. This mechanism of cell division may resemble an ancestral mode of division in the absence of cytokinetic machinery. Our findings highlight how a single gene change can lead to the emergence of different modes of cell growth, migration and division.
Mutations in the Drosophila ortholog of the vertebrate Golgi pH regulator (GPHR) protein disturb endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi organization and affect systemic growth
Authors: Charroux Bernard , Royet Julien
Published: December 2013

Sorting of secretory cargo and retrieval of components of the biosynthetic pathway occur in organelles such as the Golgi apparatus, the endoplasmic reticulum and the endosomes. In order to perform their functions in protein sorting, these organelles require a weakly acidified lumen. In vitro data have shown that Golgi luminal pH is in part regulated by an anion channel called Golgi pH Regulator (GPHR). Mammalian cells carrying a mutated GPHR version present an increased luminal pH leading to delayed protein transport, impaired glycosylation and Golgi disorganization. Using Drosophila as a model system, we present here the first phenotypic consequences, at the organism level, of a complete lack of GPHR function. We show that, although all individuals carrying complete loss-of-function mutations in the dGPHR gene can go through embryonic development, most of them die at late larval stages. The dGPHR mutations are, however, sublethal and can therefore generate escapers that are smaller than controls. Using cellular and molecular readouts, we demonstrate that the effects of dGPHR mutation on larval growth are not due to Insulin signaling pathway impairment and can be rescued by providing dGPHR in only some of the larval tissues. We reveal that, although functionally exchangeable, the invertebrate and vertebrate GPHRs display not completely overlapping sub-cellular localization. Whereas the mammalian GPHR is a Golgi-only associated protein whose inactivation disturbs the Golgi apparatus, our data suggest that dGPHR is expressed in both the ER and the Golgi and that dGPHR mutant flies have defects in both organelles that lead to a defective secretory pathway.
Zebrafish etv7 regulates red blood cell development through the cholesterol synthesis pathway
Authors: Quintana Anita M. , Picchione Fabrizio , Klein Geltink Ramon I. , Taylor Michael R. , Grosveld Gerard C.
Published: December 2013

ETV7 is a human oncoprotein that cooperates with Eμ-MYC to promote pre B-cell leukemia in mice. It is normally expressed in the bone marrow and fetal liver and is up regulated in primary leukemia suggesting that it is involved in proper hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis. ETV7 has been deleted in most rodents, but is conserved in all other vertebrates including the zebrafish, Danio rerio. In this report, we characterize the function of the zebrafish etv7 gene during erythropoiesis. Our results demonstrate that etv7 regulates the expression of the zebrafish lanosterol synthase (lss) gene, an essential gene in the cholesterol synthesis pathway. Furthermore, morpholino knockdown of etv7 leads to loss of hemoglobin containing red blood cells, a phenotype which can be rescued by injection of exogenous cholesterol. We conclude that etv7 is essential for normal red blood cell development through regulation of the lss gene and the cholesterol synthesis pathway.
Genes involved in cell adhesion and signaling: A new repertoire of Retinoic Acid Receptors target genes in mouse embryonic fibroblasts
Authors: Al Tanoury Ziad , Piskunov Aleksandr , Andriamoratsiresy Dina , Gaouar Samia , Lutzing Régis , Ye Tao , Jost Bernard , Keime Céline , Rochette-Egly Cécile
Published: December 2013

Nuclear retinoic acid (RA) receptors (RARα, β and γ) are ligand dependent transcription factors that regulate the expression of a battery of genes involved in cell differentiation and proliferation. They are also phosphoproteins and we evidenced the importance of their phosphorylation in their transcriptional activity. Here we conducted a genome-wide analysis of the genes that are regulated by RARs, in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), by comparing MEFs WT to MEFs knockout for the three RARs. We found that in the absence of RA, RARs control the expression of several gene transcripts associated to cell adhesion. Consequently the knockout MEFs have lost their ability to adhere and to spread on substrates and display a disrupted network of actin filaments, compared to the WT cells. In contrast, in the presence of ligand, RARs control the expression of other genes involved in signaling and in RA metabolism. Then taking advantage of rescue cell lines expressing the RARα or RARγ subtypes (either WT or mutated at the N-terminal phosphorylation sites) in the null background, we found that the expression of RA-target genes can be controlled either by a specific single RAR or by a combination of RAR isotypes, depending on the gene. We also selected genes, which require the phosphorylation of the receptors for their regulation by RA. Our results increase the repertoire of genes that are regulated by RARs and highlight the complexity and diversity of the transcriptional programs regulated by RARs, depending on the gene.
Time-resolved quantitative proteomics implicates the core snRNP protein, SmB, together with the Survival of Motor Neuron protein, in neural trafficking
Authors: Prescott Alan R , Bales Alexandra , James John , Trinkle-Mulcahy Laura , Sleeman Judith E.
Published: December 2013

The biogenesis of splicing snRNPs (small nuclear ribonucleoproteins) is a complex process, beginning and ending in the nucleus of the cell but including key stages that take place in the cytoplasm. In particular, the SMN (Survival Motor Neurons) protein complex is required for addition of the core Sm proteins to the snRNP. Insufficiency of SMN results in the inherited neurodegenerative condition, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Details of the physical organization of the cytoplasmic stages of snRNP biogenesis are unknown. We have used time-resolved quantitative proteomics to identify proteins that associate preferentially with either newly assembled or mature splicing snRNPs. These data have allowed us to identify highly mobile SmB protein trafficking vesicles in neural cells. These vesicles are dependent on the cellular levels of SMN and SmB for their morphology and mobility. We propose that these represent a family of related vesicles, some of which play a role in snRNP biogenesis and some of which may play more diverse roles in cellular RNA metabolism.
Catalytic Dehydration of 1,2-Propanediol into Propanal over Ag-Modified Silica–Alumina
Authors: Sun Daolai , Narita Ryosuke , Sato Fumiya , Yamada Yasuhiro , Sato Satoshi
Published: December 2013

Vapor-phase catalytic dehydration of 1,2-propanediol was investigated over several solid acid catalysts, such as alumina, silica–alumina, HY zeolite, and β-zeolite. These acids catalyzed the dehydration of 1,2-propanediol to produce propanal (Figure 1Figure 1. Dehydration of 1,2-propanediol to propanal.), while zeolites were particularly deactivated because of deposition of carbonaceous species. An amorphous silica–alumina was modified with metals such as Ag and Cu to stabilize the catalytic activity under hydrogen flow conditions. Ag-modified silica–alumina is a promising catalyst for the production of propanal from 1,2-propanediol.
Development of a Flow-injection Spin-trapping ESR System for Estimation of Second-order Rate Constants for Reactions of a Superoxide Radical Anion and Selected Phenolic Compounds
Authors: Sakurai Yasuhiro , Yamaguchi Tomoko , Nakajima Akira , Kanaori Kenji , Tajima Kunihiko
Published: December 2013

A flow-injection ESR system was developed for the quantitative detection of a superoxide radical anion (O2•−), which was generated by the riboflavin-dependent photoreduction of oxygen. This system was applied for estimation of second-order rate constants (ks) of the reactions between the O2•− and selected phenolic compounds, such as caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, trolox, vanillic acid, and 4-hydroxycinnamic acid.
Inside Debt and the Design of Corporate Debt Contracts
Authors: Anantharaman Divya , Fang Vivian W. , Gong Guojin
Published: December 2013

Theory posits that managerial holdings of debt (“inside debt”) align managers' incentives with those of outside debtholders. Executive pensions, consisting of rank-and-file (RAF) plans and supplemental executive retirement plans (SERPs), and other deferred compensation (ODC) have debt-like payoffs, and could therefore function as inside debt. However, whereas SERPs are often unfunded and unsecured, RAF plans are funded and secured to some extent, and ODC may be invested in equity and withdrawn flexibly before retirement. Special arrangements in executive debt-like compensation could hence weaken or even nullify any incentive-alignment effect. We find that higher CEO debt-like compensation leads to lower promised yield and fewer covenants in a sample of loans originated in 2006–2008. This effect is driven entirely by benefits accrued under SERPs, consistent with SERPs more closely resembling risky corporate debt; balances accrued under RAF and ODC plans do not provide similar effects. Furthermore, promised yields are lower when debt-like compensation claims can be withdrawn only after outside debt claims are expected to settle. Our findings persist after accounting for endogeneity using state personal income tax rates as an instrument for CEOs' willingness to defer compensation. Overall, the evidence suggests that executive debt-like compensation is only effective at resolving stockholder–debtholder conflicts when its payoffs are truly debt-like and that lenders' perceptions are affected not only by the magnitude of debt-like compensation but also by its seniority.

Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2013.1813 .

This paper was accepted by Wei Jiang, finance.
Just Like a Woman? Effects of Gender-Biased Perceptions of Friendship Network Brokerage on Attributions and Performance
Authors: Brands Raina A. , Kilduff Martin
Published: December 2013

Do women face bias in the social realm in which they are purported to excel? Across two different studies (one organizational and one comprising MBA teams), we examined whether the friendship networks around women tend to be systematically misperceived and whether there were effects of these misperceptions on the women themselves and their teammates. Thus, we investigated the possibility (hitherto neglected in the network literature) that biases in friendship networks are triggered not just by the complexity of social relationships but also by the gender of those being perceived. Study 1 showed that, after controlling for actual network positions, men, relative to women, were perceived to occupy agentic brokerage roles in the friendship network—those roles involving less constraint and higher betweenness and outdegree centrality. Study 2 showed that if a team member misperceived a woman to occupy such roles, the woman was seen as competent but not warm. Furthermore, to the extent that gender stereotypes were endorsed by many individuals in the team, women performed worse on their individual tasks. But teams in which members fell back on well-rehearsed perceptions of gender roles (men rather than women misperceived as brokers) performed better than teams in which members tended toward misperceiving women occupying agentic brokerage roles. Taken together, these results contribute to unlocking the mechanisms by which social networks affect women’s progress in organizations.