bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ventajas y desventajas de la Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada para la empresa familiar en Colombia. Estudio exploratorio
Authors: Betancourt Ramírez José Bernardo , Gómez Betancourt Gonzalo , López Vergara María Piedad , Pamplona Beltrán Francisco , Beltrán Ruget Claudia
Published: September 2013

La Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada (SAS) representa la evolución más significativa del sistemasocietario colombiano en las últimas 4 décadas. Desde su aparición representa cerca del 90% del totalde sociedades matriculadas en el país. Este estudio exploratorio descriptivo busca determinar si losempresarios conocen las ventajas y desventajas de las SAS, y si las tienen en cuenta en la toma dedecisiones. Se aplicó un cuestionario estructurado a 57 empresas, de las cuales el 84% eran familia-res. Se observó un amplio desconocimiento de algunas ventajas y desventajas de la SAS que implicael desaprovechamiento de sus bondades y, en casos puntuales, riesgos para las empresas familiares.
Satiation from sensory simulation: Evaluating foods decreases enjoyment of similar foods
Authors: Larson Jeffrey S. , Redden Joseph P. , Elder Ryan S.
Published: September 2013

We demonstrate in two studies that people get more satiated on a food after repeatedly rating or choosing among similar foods shown in pictures. Repeated evaluations of food apparently have an effect similar to actual consumption—decreased enjoyment of foods that share a similar taste characteristic (i.e., sensory‐specific satiety). We provide mediation evidence to show that satiation manifests because considering a food engenders spontaneous simulations of the taste of that food item, which by itself is enough to produce satiation. These findings establish sensory simulations as an important mechanism underlying satiation, and provide behavioral evidence that simple evaluations can produce sensory‐specific satiety.
Monophasic action potential duration alternans after abrupt shortening of the cardiac cycle in humans
Authors: Sonoda Kazumasa , Watanabe Ichiro , Okumura Yasuo , Sasaki Naoko , Kogawa Rikitake , Takahashi Keiko , Mano Hiroaki , Kofune Masayoshi , Ohkubo Kimie , Nakai Toshiko , Kunimoto Satoshi , Hirayama Atsushi
Published: September 2013

Background

Action potential alternans may be important in causing ventricular arrhythmias.

Methods and results

We recorded monophasic action potentials from the right ventricular endocardium in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation who underwent internal atrial defibrillation during rapid ventricular pacing. In 3 of 45 patients, monophasic action potential duration alternans was observed at a pacing cycle length ≤350 ms.

Conclusion

Action potential alternans is not a rare phenomenon (6.6%) in humans.
Beyond MADIT
Authors: Deeprasertkul Peerawut , Sharma Amit B. , Ip John
Published: September 2013

Sudden cardiac death remains the global burden. The most common associated arrhythmia is ventricular fibrillation. From current guidelines, defibrillation is the most critical step to rescue the cardiac arrest victims. Internal defibrillators were invented for prompt treating the ventricular arrhythmia. The MADIT trial the benchmark randomized controlled trial that demonstrated the efficacy of defibrillators for sudden death protection and not only that MADIT‐RIT which addresses the issue of inappropriate therapy with ICD and MADIT‐CRT which highlights the importance of biventricular pacing in patients with cardiomyopathy with mild heart failure symptoms. Hereby, we review the articles the MADIT trials.
Brain activation for response inhibition under gaming cue distraction in internet gaming disorder
Authors: Liu Gin‐Chung , Yen Ju‐Yu , Chen Chiao‐Yun , Yen Cheng‐Fang , Chen Cheng‐Sheng , Lin Wei‐Chen , Ko Chih‐Hung
Published: September 2013

We evaluated neural substrates related to the loss of control in college students with internet gaming disorder (IGD). We hypothesized that deficit in response inhibition under gaming cue distraction was the possible mechanism for the loss of control internet use. Eleven cases of IGD and 11 controls performed Go/NoGo tasks with/without gaming distraction in the functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner. When the gaming picture was shown as background while individuals were performing Go/NoGo tasks, the IGD group committed more commission errors. The control group increased their brain activations more over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and superior parietal lobe under gaming cue distraction in comparison with the IGD group. Furthermore, brain activation of the right DLPFC and superior parietal lobe were negatively associated with performance of response inhibition among the IGD group. The results suggest that the function of response inhibition was impaired under gaming distraction among the IGD group, and individuals with IGD could not activate right DLPFC and superior parietal lobe to keep cognitive control and attention allocation for response inhibition under gaming cue distraction. This mechanism should be addressed in any intervention for IGD.
Dual specificity phosphatase 1 expression inversely correlates with NF‐κB activity and expression in prostate cancer and promotes apoptosis through a p38 MAPK dependent mechanism
Authors: Gil-Araujo Beatriz , Toledo Lobo María-Val , Gutiérrez-Salmerón María , Gutiérrez-Pitalúa Julia , Ropero Santiago , Angulo Javier C. , Chiloeches Antonio , Lasa Marina
Published: September 2013

Dual specificity phosphatase 1 (DUSP1) and the transcription factor NF‐κB are implicated in prostate cancer since their expression levels are altered along this disease, although there are no evidences up to date demonstrating a crosstalk between them. In this report, we show for the first time that DUSP1 over‐expression in DU145 cells promotes apoptosis and decreases NF‐κB activity by blocking p65/NF‐κB nuclear translocation. Moreover, although DUSP1 impairs TNF‐α‐induced p38 MAPK and JNK activation, only the specific inhibition of p38 MAPK exerts the same effects than DUSP1 over‐expression on both apoptosis and NF‐κB activity. Consistently, DUSP1 promotes apoptosis and decreases NF‐κB activity in cells in which p38 MAPK is induced by TNF‐α treatment. These results demonstrate that p38 MAPK is specifically involved in DUSP1‐mediated effects on both apoptosis and NF‐κB activity. Interestingly, we show an inverse correlation between DUSP1 expression and activation of both p65/NF‐κB and p38 MAPK in human prostate tissue specimens. Thus, most of apparently normal glands, benign prostatic hyperplasia and low‐grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia samples show high DUSP1 expression and low levels of both nuclear p65/NF‐κB and activated p38 MAPK. By contrast, DUSP1 expression levels are low or even absent in high‐grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and prostatic adenocarcinoma samples, whereas nuclear p65/NF‐κB and activated p38 MAPK are highly expressed in the same samples. Overall, our results provide evidence for a role of DUSP1 in the apoptosis of prostate cancer cells, through a mechanism involving the inhibition of p38 MAPK and NF‐κB. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the ratio between DUSP1 and p65/NF‐κB expression levels, rather than the individual expression of both molecules, is a better marker for diagnostic purposes in prostate cancer.
The Effect of Walking With Poles on the Distribution of Plantar Pressures in Normal Subjects
Authors: Hudson David
Published: September 2013

Background

Elevated pressures on the plantar surface of the foot increases the potential of developing foot ulcers in patients who are at risk. Walking with poles has been shown to reduce ground reaction and joint forces; however, the effect on plantar pressures is unknown.

Objective

To determine the effectiveness of walking with poles on reducing plantar pressure on the foot after brief instructions and 1 week of self‐guided practice. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant reduction in pressure in the foot when walking with poles.

Design

This was a nonblinded, randomized, crossover study.

Setting

This study took place in a motion analysis laboratory located at an academic institution.

Methods

Thirty‐five healthy subjects were instructed on 2 gait patterns when using walking poles. When walking with the 2‐point pattern, the subjects placed the poles of the opposite side with the foot in stance. The 3‐point pattern required the subjects to place both poles with the right foot. After 1 week of unsupervised practice, plantar pressures under the metatarsal heads and hallux of the right foot were measured by using a pedobarograph mat while walking with and without the poles.

Main Outcome Measurements

Mean plantar pressures and impulses were recorded from 5 trials for each walking condition: no poles, 2‐point, and 3‐point styles.

Results

Walking with the poles resulted in significant reductions (P ≤ .01) in mean and impulse of pressure under the metatarsal heads region of up to 24%; no significant changes were seen under the heel or hallux. The 3‐point style resulted in a significantly greater reduction of pressure compared with the 2‐point style (P = .002) in the metatarsal region but not the hallux.

Conclusions

Walking with poles was easy to learn and may be a useful part of the management of persons at risk for developing plantar foot ulcers.
Vegetation and environmental changes in Northern Anatolia between 134 and 119 ka recorded in Black Sea Sediments
Authors: Shumilovskikh Lyudmila S. , Arz Helge W. , Wegwerth Antje , Fleitmann Dominik , Marret Fabienne , Nowaczyk Norbert , Tarasov Pavel , Behling Hermann
Published: September 2013

This multiproxy study on SE Black Sea sediments provides the first detailed reconstruction of vegetation and environmental history of Northern Anatolia between 134 and 119 ka. Here, the glacial–interglacial transition is characterized by several short-lived alternating cold and warm events preceding a meltwater pulse (~ 130.4–131.7 ka). The latter is reconstructed as a cold arid period correlated to Heinrich event 11. The initial warming is evidenced at ~ 130.4 ka by increased primary productivity in the Black Sea, disappearance of ice-rafted detritus, and spreading of oaks in Anatolia. A Younger Dryas-type event is not identifiable. The Eemian vegetation succession corresponds to the main climatic phases in Europe: i) the Quercus–Juniperus phase (128.7–126.4 ka) indicates a dry continental climate; ii) the Ostrya–Corylus–Quercus–Carpinus phase (126.4–122.9 ka) suggests warm summers, mild winters, and high year-round precipitation; iii) the Fagus–Carpinus phase (122.9–119.5 ka) indicates cooling and high precipitation; and iv) increasing Pinus at ~ 121 ka marks the onset of cooler/drier conditions. Generally, pollen reconstructions suggest altitudinal/latitudinal migrations of vegetation belts in Northern Anatolia during the Eemian caused by increased transport of moisture. The evidence for the wide distribution of Fagus around the Black Sea contrasts with the European records and is likely related to climatic and genetic factors.
Narrative, vocal staging and masculinity in the ‘Outlaw’ country music of Waylon Jennings
Authors: Stimeling Travis D.
Published: September 2013

Emerging in the early 1970s, the work of Outlaw country artists might be heard as exploring a crisis of masculinity resulting from developments in the women's liberation movement. Building on recent research in recorded sound studies, this essay explores how the vocal staging practices deployed in Outlaw country recordings offer a unique musical exploration of the duality of the outlaw's masculinity. Using case studies drawn from Waylon Jennings' Outlaw-era recordings, this article examines how Jennings, working with co-producers ‘Cowboy’ Jack Clement, Chips Moman and Willie Nelson, among others, deployed vocal staging practices in conjunction with other musical practices to construct narratives that reveal the ‘outlaw’ character's psychological turmoil and reflect the complicated state of working-class American masculinity in the age of women's liberation.
Can Jews Become Farmers? Rurality, Peasantry and Cultural Identity in the World of the Rural Jew in Nineteenth-Century Eastern Europe
Authors: ZALKIN MORDECHAI
Published: September 2013

Based on conventional learning and supported in no small measure by stereotypes, agriculture as a vocation was not considered as part of the occupational profile of Jewish society in Eastern Europe until the Second World War. However, various studies show that in different regions in this area, primarily Lithuania, White Russia, north eastern Poland, and Bessarabia, tens of thousands of Jews made a living from direct engagement in various branches of agriculture, including field crops, orchards, lake fishing, etc. These Jews lived mainly in the rural areas and were a factor, and at times a highly significant one, in the local demographic and economic structure. The first part of this article examines the question whether these Jews, who were part of the general rural society living in the countryside, developed a certain type of rural cultural identity. This question is discussed by examining various aspects of their attitude towards nature. The second part of the article considers the possible influence of the agricultural occupation on the shaping of a unique peasant cultural identity among these rural Jews and the ways they coped with the accompanying religious, social and cultural implications.
Analysis and feedback of erroneous Arabic verbs
Authors: SHAALAN KHALED , MAGDY MARWA , FAHMY ALY
Published: September 2013

Arabic language is strongly structured and considered as one of the most highly inflected and derivational languages. Learning Arabic morphology is a basic step for language learners to develop language skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Arabic morphology is non-concatenative and provides the ability to attach a large number of affixes to each root or stem that makes combinatorial increment of possible inflected words. As such, Arabic lexical (morphological and phonological) rules may be confusing for second language learners. Our study indicates that research and development endeavors on spelling, and checking of grammatical errors does not provide adequate interpretations to second language learners’ errors. In this paper we address issues related to error diagnosis and feedback for second language learners of Arabic verbs and how they impact the development of a web-based intelligent language tutoring system. The major aim is to develop an Arabic intelligent language tutoring system that solves these issues and helps second language learners to improve their linguistic knowledge. Learners are encouraged to produce input freely in various situations and contexts, and are guided to recognize by themselves the erroneous functions of their misused expressions. Moreover, we proposed a framework that allows for the individualization of the learning process and provides the intelligent feedback that conforms to the learner's expertise for each class of error. Error diagnosis is not possible with current Arabic morphological analyzers. So constraint relaxation and edit distance techniques are successfully employed to provide error-specific diagnosis and adaptive feedback to learners. We demonstrated the capabilities of these techniques in diagnosing errors related to Arabic weak verbs formed using complex morphological rules. As a proof of concept, we have implemented the components that diagnose learner's errors and generate feedback which have been effectively evaluated against test data acquired from real teaching environment. The experimental results were satisfactory, and the performance achieved was 74.34 percent in terms of recall rate.
Influence of weaning timing advice and associated weaning behaviours in a survey of black and minority ethnic groups in the UK
Authors: Moore Amanda P , Nanthagopan Kristina , Hammond Grace , Milligan Peter , Goff Louise M
Published: September 2013

Objective

To assess understanding of the Department of Health weaning guidelines and weaning influences in a self-selected sample of black and minority ethnic (BME) parents, residing in London.

Design

A face-to-face, questionnaire-facilitated survey among Black African, Black Caribbean and South Asian parents.

Setting

An opportunistic sample of parents was recruited from Sure Start centres, churches and play groups across key London boroughs.

Subjects

Three hundred and forty-nine interviews were included; 107 Black African, fifty-four Black Caribbean, 120 South Asian and sixty-four of Black mixed-race ethnicity.

Results

Fifty-two per cent of Black and 66 % of South Asian parents had accurate understanding of the guidelines. Inaccurate knowledge of the guidelines was associated with weaning before 17 weeks (P < 0·001); 36 % of Black Africans and 31 % of Black Caribbeans were weaned before 4 months compared with 16 % of South Asians. All BME groups were most influenced by weaning information from the previous generations of mothers in their families, which was associated with earlier weaning (21·5 (sd 6·5) v. 24·1 (sd 4·2) weeks; F(2,328) = 5·79, P = 0·003), and less so by professional infant feeding advice, which was associated with a later weaning age (23·7 (sd 5·1) v. 20·7 (sd 5·7) weeks; F(1,344) = 34·7, P < 0·001).

Conclusions

Lack of awareness of the Department of Health weaning guidelines is common among these BME populations, whose weaning behaviour is strongly influenced by informal advice. Further research is necessary to elucidate the influences on weaning in these populations and to facilitate the development of infant feeding support which is salient for BME groups in the UK.
The Henrietta Lacks legacy grows
Authors: Greely Henry T , Cho Mildred K
Published: September 2013

Now that the NIH has reached an agreement with Henrietta Lacks's family concerning the use of the HeLa cell line, what lessons can we learn about informed consent and the unforeseen use of biological samples?
Addressing chronic and complex conditions: what evidence is there regarding the role primary healthcare nurses can play?
Authors: Parkinson Anne M. , Parker Rhian
Published: September 2013

Primary healthcare services in Australia need to respond to the needs of an ageing population and the rising prevalence of chronic and complex conditions in that population. This paper reports on the results of a comprehensive Australian and international literature review on nurse-led and nurse-involved primary healthcare interventions with a particular focus on those serving people with chronic and complex conditions and hard to reach populations. The key question this review addresses is: what role can nurses play in primary healthcare to manage people with chronic and complex conditions? International evidence demonstrates that nurses working in primary care provide effective care, have high patient satisfaction and patients are more likely to comply with nurse instructions than general practitioner instructions. Nurses can provide care equivalent to doctors within their scope of practice but have longer consultations. Lifestyle interventions provided by nurses have been shown to be effective for cardiac care, diabetes care, smoking cessation and obesity. The nursing workforce can provide appropriate, cost-effective and high-quality primary healthcare within their scope of practice.

What is known about the topic?
The prevalence of chronic disease worldwide is increasing due to our lifestyles and ageing populations combined with our extended lifespans. People living in rural and remote areas have higher rates of disease and injury, and poorer access to healthcare. In particular, many older people suffer multiple chronic and complex conditions that require significant clinical management. Nurses are playing increasingly important roles in the delivery of primary healthcare worldwide and international evidence demonstrates that nurses can provide equivalent care to doctors within their scope of practice but have longer consultations.

What does this paper add?
There is clear international evidence that nurses can play a more significant role in supporting preventive activities and addressing the needs of an ageing population with chronic and complex conditions. In contrast with earlier evidence, recent evidence suggests that nurses may provide the most cost-effective care.

What are the implications for practitioners?
Adequately prepared nurses can provide a range of effective and cost-effective primary healthcare services in chronic disease management. Studies report that patients are satisfied with nursing care. Nurses should be utilised to their full scope of practice to provide ongoing care to these populations.
Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Arene Ruthenium(II) Complex as Apoptosis Inducer of A549 Cells
Authors: Wu Qiong , Wu Jian , Mei Wen-Jie , Wang Qi , Zhang Zhao , Wu Xiao-Hui , Sun Fen-Yong , Wu Wei-Li , Chen Yan-Hua , Hu Xiao-Ying , Tao Yun-Yi
Published: September 2013

An arene ruthenium(ii) complex coordinated with 2-(2-chlorophenyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline, [(η6-C6H6)Ru(o-ClPIP)Cl]Cl (1), has been prepared by using microwave-assisted synthesis technology. The anti-tumour activity of this complex against various tumour cells has been evaluated by MTT assay and the results show that complex 1 exhibits selective inhibitory activity against the growth of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells with IC50 = 31.58 μM. Further studies by flow cytometric analysis showed that apoptosis of A549 cells was observed when dealt with complex 1. Furthermore, complex 1 exhibits excellent binding affinity with DNA molecules which was confirmed by spectroscopy methods, as well viscosity and melting point experiments. As a result, the conformation of DNA molecules was disturbed by complex 1.
Integrated strategy for improving functional connectivity mapping using multiecho fMRI
Authors: Kundu Prantik , Brenowitz Noah D. , Voon Valerie , Worbe Yulia , Vértes Petra E. , Inati Souheil J. , Saad Ziad S. , Bandettini Peter A. , Bullmore Edward T.
Published: September 2013

Functional connectivity analysis of resting state blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) functional MRI is widely used for noninvasively studying brain functional networks. Recent findings have indicated, however, that even small (≤1 mm) amounts of head movement during scanning can disproportionately bias connectivity estimates, despite various preprocessing efforts. Further complications for interregional connectivity estimation from time domain signals include the unaccounted reduction in BOLD degrees of freedom related to sensitivity losses from high subject motion. To address these issues, we describe an integrated strategy for data acquisition, denoising, and connectivity estimation. This strategy builds on our previously published technique combining data acquisition with multiecho (ME) echo planar imaging and analysis with spatial independent component analysis (ICA), called ME-ICA, which distinguishes BOLD (neuronal) and non-BOLD (artifactual) components based on linear echo-time dependence of signals—a characteristic property of BOLD

signal changes. Here we show for 32 control subjects that this method provides a physically principled and nearly operator-independent way of removing complex artifacts such as motion from resting state data. We then describe a robust estimator of functional connectivity based on interregional correlation of BOLD-independent component coefficients. This estimator, called independent components regression, considerably simplifies statistical inference for functional connectivity because degrees of freedom equals the number of independent coefficients. Compared with traditional connectivity estimation methods, the proposed strategy results in fourfold improvements in signal-to-noise ratio, functional connectivity analysis with improved specificity, and valid statistical inference with nominal control of type 1 error in contrasts of connectivity between groups with different levels of subject motion.
Language planning of China
Authors: Youguang Zhou
Published: September 2013

Language Planning is called Language Reform in China. The chief aims are:

1. To standardize and popularize the lingua franca of China;

2. To write in vernacular style instead of the traditional classic style;

3. To design and promote a system of Chinese phonetic symbols;

4. To simplify the Chinese characters;

5. To design and, if needed, improve writing systems for minor

nationalities.
Ontology-aware classification of tissue and cell-type signals in gene expression profiles across platforms and technologies
Authors: Lee Young-suk , Krishnan Arjun , Zhu Qian , Troyanskaya Olga G.
Published: September 2013

Motivation: Leveraging gene expression data through large-scale integrative analyses for multicellular organisms is challenging because most samples are not fully annotated to their tissue/cell-type of origin. A computational method to classify samples using their entire gene expression profiles is needed. Such a method must be applicable across thousands of independent studies, hundreds of gene expression technologies and hundreds of diverse human tissues and cell-types.

Results: We present Unveiling RNA Sample Annotation (URSA) that leverages the complex tissue/cell-type relationships and simultaneously estimates the probabilities associated with hundreds of tissues/cell-types for any given gene expression profile. URSA provides accurate and intuitive probability values for expression profiles across independent studies and outperforms other methods, irrespective of data preprocessing techniques. Moreover, without re-training, URSA can be used to classify samples from diverse microarray platforms and even from next-generation sequencing technology. Finally, we provide a molecular interpretation for the tissue and cell-type models as the biological basis for URSA’s classifications.

Availability and implementation: An interactive web interface for using URSA for gene expression analysis is available at: ursa.princeton.edu. The source code is available at https://bitbucket.org/youngl/ursa_backend.

Contact:  ogt@cs.princeton.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Discovering combinatorial interactions in survival data
Authors: duVerle David A. , Takeuchi Ichiro , Murakami-Tonami Yuko , Kadomatsu Kenji , Tsuda Koji
Published: September 2013

Motivation: Although several methods exist to relate high-dimensional gene expression data to various clinical phenotypes, finding combinations of features in such input remains a challenge, particularly when fitting complex statistical models such as those used for survival studies.

Results: Our proposed method builds on existing ‘regularization path-following’ techniques to produce regression models that can extract arbitrarily complex patterns of input features (such as gene combinations) from large-scale data that relate to a known clinical outcome. Through the use of the data’s structure and itemset mining techniques, we are able to avoid combinatorial complexity issues typically encountered with such methods, and our algorithm performs in similar orders of duration as single-variable versions. Applied to data from various clinical studies of cancer patient survival time, our method was able to produce a number of promising gene-interaction candidates whose tumour-related roles appear confirmed by literature.

Availability: An R implementation of the algorithm described in this article can be found at https://github.com/david-duverle/regularisation-path-following

Contact:  dave.duverle@aist.go.jp

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Human skin-derived keratinocytes and fibroblasts co-cultured on 3D poly ε-caprolactone scaffold support in vitro HSC differentiation into T-lineage committed cells
Authors: Palamaro Loredana , Guarino Vincenzo , Scalia Giulia , Antonini Dario , De Falco Luigia , Bianchino Gabriella , Fusco Anna , Romano Rosa , Grieco Vitina , Missero Caterina , Del Vecchio Luigi , Ambrosio Luigi , Pignata Claudio
Published: September 2013

In humans, the thymus is the primary lymphoid organ able to support the development of T cells through its three-dimensional (3D) organization of the thymic stromal cells. Since a remarkable number of similarities are shared between the thymic epithelial cells (TECs) and skin-derived keratinocytes and fibroblasts, in this study we used human keratinocytes seeded with fibroblasts on the 3D poly ε-caprolactone scaffold to evaluate their ability to replace TECs in supporting T-cell differentiation from human haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). We observed that in the multicellular biocomposite, early thymocytes expressing CD7+CD1a+, peculiar markers of an initial T-cell commitment, were de novo generated. Molecular studies of genes selectively expressed during T-cell development revealed that TAL1 was down-regulated and Spi-B was up-regulated in the cell suspension, consistently with a T-cell lineage commitment. Moreover, PTCRA and RAG2 expression was detected, indicative of a recombinant activity, required for the generation of a T-cell receptor repertoire. Our results indicate that in the multicellular biocomposite, containing skin-derived elements in the absence of thymic stroma, HSCs do start differentiating toward a T-cell lineage commitment. In conclusion, the construct described in this study exerts some properties of a lymphoid organoid, suitable for future clinical applications in cell-based therapies.
Biased usage and preferred pairing of α- and β-chains of TCRs specific for an immunodominant gluten epitope in coeliac disease
Authors: Qiao Shuo-Wang , Christophersen Asbjørn , Lundin Knut E. A. , Sollid Ludvig M.
Published: September 2013

CD4+ T cells that recognize dietary gluten antigens presented by the disease-associated HLA-DQ2 or DQ8 molecules are central players in coeliac disease. Unbiased sequencing of the human TCRα variable (TRAV) and humanTCRβ variable (TRBV) genes of 68 HLA-DQ2.5-glia-α2-specific T cells from coeliac disease patients confirmed previous reports of over-usage of the TRBV7-2 gene segment, a conserved Arg residue in the complementarity-determining region (CDR) 3β loop and prevalent usage of the canonical ASSxRxTDTQY CDR3β loop among T cells with this specificity. In 30 clones that had the canonical TCRβ chain, we found a strict usage of the TRAV26-1 gene segment in the TCRα chain. There was variable usage of the TRAJ genes and diverse CDR3α sequences with no apparent conserved motifs. This study extends previous reports on biased TCR usage in both HLA-DQ2.5- and DQ8-restricted gluten-specific TCRs and provides data for further studies on TRAV and TRBV pairing.
XMM–Newton and Swift spectroscopy of the newly discovered very faint X-ray transient IGR J17494–3030
Authors: Armas Padilla M. , Wijnands R. , Degenaar N.
Published: September 2013

A growing group of low-mass X-ray binaries are found to be accreting at very faint X-ray luminosities of <1036 erg s−1 (2–10 keV). One such system is the new X-ray transient IGR J17494–3030. We present Swift and XMM–Newton observations obtained during its 2012 discovery outburst. The Swift observations trace the peak of the outburst, which reached a luminosity of ∼7 × 1035 (D/8 kpc)2 erg s−1 (2–10 keV). The XMM–Newton data were obtained when the outburst had decayed to an intensity of ∼8 × 1034 (D/8 kpc)2 erg s−1. The spectrum can be described by a power law with an index of Γ ∼ 1.7 and requires an additional soft component with a blackbody temperature of ∼0.37 keV (contributing ∼20 per cent to the total unabsorbed flux in the 0.5–10 keV band). Given the similarities with high-quality spectra of very faint neutron-star low-mass X-ray binaries, we suggest that the compact primary in IGR J17494–3030 is a neutron star. Interestingly, the source intensity decreased rapidly during the ∼12 h XMM–Newton observation, which was accompanied by a decrease in inferred temperature. We interpret the soft spectral component as arising from the neutron-star surface due to low-level accretion, and propose that the observed decline in intensity was the result of a decrease in the mass-accretion rate on to the neutron star.
Interaction of Yersinia enterocolitica biovar 1A with cultured cells in vitro does not reflect the two previously identified clonal groups
Authors: Dhar Mahesh S. , Virdi Jugsharan S.
Published: September 2013

Yersinia enterocoliticabiovar 1A strains have been delineated into two clonal groups (A and B) based on repetitive extragenic palindrome- and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR genotyping. The present study investigated the interaction ofY. enterocoliticabiovar 1A strains with cultured cellsin vitroby their ability to adhere, invade and survive within these cells. The response of macrophages to these strains was also studied by quantifying the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, production of nitric oxide and cytokines, and activation of NFκB. The survival rate of clonal group B strains inside macrophages was significantly higher than that of clonal group A strains. In addition, strains harbouring thefepAgene showed better survival inside macrophages. However, the production of nitric oxide and cytokines and activation of NFκB did not show any significant differences between the two clonal groups. In this study, interaction ofY. enterocoliticabiovar 1A with cultured cellsin vitrodid not reflect the previously identified clonal groups, but was more dependent on the characteristics of the individual strains. Therefore, a combination of genotype and phenotype data must be used to characterize this extremely heterogeneous organism.
The REIL1 and REIL2 Proteins ofArabidopsis thalianaAre Required for Leaf Growth in the Cold
Authors: Schmidt Stefanie , Dethloff Frederik , Beine-Golovchuk Olga , Kopka Joachim
Published: September 2013

The evolutionarily conserved proteins REI1-LIKE (REIL1) and REIL2 have four conserved zinc finger domains and are Arabidopsis thaliana homologs of the cytosolic 60S ribosomal maturation factor Rei1p (for Required for isotropic bud growth1 protein) from yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and its paralog Reh1p (for REI1 homologue1 protein). The yeast and A. thaliana paralogs result from independent gene duplications. The A. thaliana REIL paralogs are required specifically in the cold (10°C) but not for growth at optimal temperature (20°C). A reil1-1 reil2-1 double mutant is arrested at 10°C prior to the emergence of the first rosette leaf. Two allelic reil2 mutants, reil2-1 and reil2-2, form small spoon-shaped leaves at 10°C. This phenomenon reverts after emergence of the inflorescence in the cold or upon shift to 20°C. Except for a slightly delayed germination, a reil1-1 mutant shows no further growth phenotype under the currently investigated conditions. A comparative analysis demonstrates conserved coexpression of orthologous genes from yeast and A. thaliana that are coregulated with yeast rei1 or with A. thaliana REIL2, respectively. The conserved correlations point to a role of A. thaliana REIL proteins in the maturation of the eukaryotic ribosomal 60S subunit. We support this conclusion by heterologous complementation of the cold-induced growth defect of the yeast Ɗrei1 deletion.
Temporal-Spatial Interaction between Reactive Oxygen Species and Abscisic Acid Regulates Rapid Systemic Acclimation in Plants
Authors: Suzuki Nobuhiro , Miller Gad , Salazar Carolina , Mondal Hossain A. , Shulaev Elena , Cortes Diego F. , Shuman Joel L. , Luo Xiaozhong , Shah Jyoti , Schlauch Karen , Shulaev Vladimir , Mittler Ron
Published: September 2013

Being sessile organisms, plants evolved sophisticated acclimation mechanisms to cope with abiotic challenges in their environment. These are activated at the initial site of exposure to stress, as well as in systemic tissues that have not been subjected to stress (termed systemic acquired acclimation [SAA]). Although SAA is thought to play a key role in plant survival during stress, little is known about the signaling mechanisms underlying it. Here, we report that SAA in plants requires at least two different signals: an autopropagating wave of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that rapidly spreads from the initial site of exposure to the entire plant and a stress-specific signal that conveys abiotic stress specificity. We further demonstrate that SAA is stress specific and that a temporal–spatial interaction between ROS and abscisic acid regulates rapid SAA to heat stress in plants. In addition, we demonstrate that the rapid ROS signal is associated with the propagation of electric signals in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our findings unravel some of the basic signaling mechanisms underlying SAA in plants and reveal that signaling events and transcriptome and metabolome reprogramming of systemic tissues in response to abiotic stress occur at a much faster rate than previously envisioned.
TheFragaria vescaHomolog of SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS1 Represses Flowering and Promotes Vegetative Growth
Authors: Mouhu Katriina , Kurokura Takeshi , Koskela Elli A. , Albert Victor A. , Elomaa Paula , Hytönen Timo
Published: September 2013

In the annual long-day plant Arabidopsis thaliana, SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS1 (SOC1) integrates endogenous and environmental signals to promote flowering. We analyzed the function and regulation of the SOC1 homolog (Fragaria vesca [Fv] SOC1) in the perennial short-day plant woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca). We found that Fv SOC1 overexpression represses flower initiation under inductive short days, whereas its silencing causes continuous flowering in both short days and noninductive long days, similar to mutants in the floral repressor Fv TERMINAL FLOWER1 (Fv TFL1). Molecular analysis of these transgenic lines revealed that Fv SOC1 activates Fv TFL1 in the shoot apex, leading to the repression of flowering in strawberry. In parallel, Fv SOC1 regulates the differentiation of axillary buds to runners or axillary leaf rosettes, probably through the activation of gibberellin biosynthetic genes. We also demonstrated that Fv SOC1 is regulated by photoperiod and Fv FLOWERING LOCUS T1, suggesting that it plays a central role in the photoperiodic control of both generative and vegetative growth in strawberry. In conclusion, we propose that Fv SOC1 is a signaling hub that regulates yearly cycles of vegetative and generative development through separate genetic pathways.
Intrinsic Disorder in Pathogen Effectors: Protein Flexibility as an Evolutionary Hallmark in a Molecular Arms Race
Authors: Marín Macarena , Uversky Vladimir N. , Ott Thomas
Published: September 2013

Effector proteins represent a refined mechanism of bacterial pathogens to overcome plants’ innate immune systems. These modular proteins often manipulate host physiology by directly interfering with immune signaling of plant cells. Even if host cells have developed efficient strategies to perceive the presence of pathogenic microbes and to recognize intracellular effector activity, it remains an open question why only few effectors are recognized directly by plant resistance proteins. Based on in-silico genome-wide surveys and a reevaluation of published structural data, we estimated that bacterial effectors of phytopathogens are highly enriched in long-disordered regions (>50 residues). These structurally flexible segments have no secondary structure under physiological conditions but can fold in a stimulus-dependent manner (e.g., during protein–protein interactions). The high abundance of intrinsic disorder in effectors strongly suggests positive evolutionary selection of this structural feature and highlights the dynamic nature of these proteins. We postulate that such structural flexibility may be essential for (1) effector translocation, (2) evasion of the innate immune system, and (3) host function mimicry. The study of these dynamical regions will greatly complement current structural approaches to understand the molecular mechanisms of these proteins and may help in the prediction of new effectors.
Policing in partnership: a case study in crime prevention
Authors: Barton Harry , Valero-Silva Nestor
Published: September 2013

Purpose

– This paper aims to outline an exploratory study of how a multi-agency, partnership approach to crime prevention might enable the police more effectively to target their utilisation of resources in order both to reduce local levels of criminality and to improve public confidence. It is set against a backdrop of major police reforms that will require police commanders to demonstrate high levels of accountability in terms of resource and financial utilisation, and to show continuing improvement in levels of public confidence.

Design/methodology/approach

– A case study approach is adopted; it draws upon both primary and secondary data sources and is framed within a situational approach to crime prevention.

Findings

– There has been a drop in the levels of burglary in those areas where the home improvement initiative (Decent Homes Programme) has been carried out. The tenants consulted as part of the research reported that they felt safer in their homes as a result. Also, their general level of satisfaction with the police and other agencies has improved.

Research limitations/implications

– There has been an overall drop in levels of reported crime in terms of burglaries across the UK. It may be asked whether such improvement in Nottingham has been due to a genuine improvement in police performance or is as a consequence of the home improvements. The present paper is a single case study, with no opportunity for a comparative analysis across other police force areas. This limitation could be overcome by other researchers involved in similar Decent Homes Programmes in other cities in the UK.

Practical implications

– The research illustrates that multi-agency working may indeed help create an improvement in living conditions for residents. It also identifies the fact that, as a result of successful integrated multi-agency approaches to crime prevention, the police are able to save resources in terms of time spent investigating crime.

Originality/value

– This paper adds tangible evidence to theoretical discourse on the benefits of multi-agency work in the context of social housing
Mediation of strategy on intellectual capital and performance
Authors: Tseng Kuo-An , Lan Yu-Wen , Lu Hao-Chun , Chen Pin-Yu
Published: September 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the mediating effect of business strategy (BS) on intellectual capital (IC) and financial performance (FP). The impact of financial crisis is also a major topic of this research.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study applies BS as mediator to explore the relationships between IC, BS, and FP. Partial least squares is employed to test the reliability and validity of measurements and the significance of path coefficients, and therefore to examine the hypotheses.

Findings

– IC has significant impacts on BS and FP in all samples, as well as in those years before and after the financial crisis. BS has a partial significant mediating effect between IC and FP. BS has significant effects on FP in all samples and pre-financial crisis, but has not in post-financial crisis.

Research limitations/implications

– IC has significant impacts on BS and FP. Moreover, the relationships of IC, BS, and FP are different during pre- and post-financial crisis. The direct effect of IC on FP is confirmed and consistent, and the indirect effect of IC on FP by BS is dependent upon the environment status.

Practical implications

– Enterprises should pay attention to IC, BS, and the related changes in environment status. These help enterprises develop appropriate strategies, maintain competitive advantage, and upgrade FP.

Originality/value

– This study applies BS as mediator, and explores the relationships between IC, BS, and FP. The impact of financial crisis is also discussed. The results may serve as the criteria for strategic performance management.
Extending resource-based theory: considering strategic, ordinary and junk resources
Authors: Warnier Vanessa , Weppe Xavier , Lecocq Xavier
Published: September 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to answer the question: how to extend resource-based theory to take into account the contribution of all kinds of resources (including the less regarded ones) to performance? While recognising the importance of strategic resources in building and sustaining a competitive advantage, the authors contend that a symmetric analysis of more available resources can shed new light on the sources and mechanisms of superior performance. Thus, they aim to contribute to an extended theory of resources.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on literature review and theorization process, the authors introduce alongside strategic resources, the concepts of “ordinary resources” and “junk resources”, showing how they may contribute to performance with an appropriate business model. Several illustrative cases are discussed to demonstrate that such resources need to be studied by resource-based theory (RBT).

Findings

– The authors propose shifting the focus of RBT from the study of strategic resources alone in order to consider other types as well: ordinary and junk resources. Such an approach involves significant implications for strategic management theory and management practices.

Practical implications

– The paper describes the conditions under which ordinary and junk resources (more available to most firms than strategic resources) may generate a competitive advantage. The extended resource-based theory can have implications for society as it may influence managers ' and public attitudes towards underestimated resources and lead to new business models.

Originality/value

– The approach developed in this article also goes beyond traditional critiques of RBT. Specifically, the authors ' analysis avoids tautological reasoning, distinguishing between: resources; perceptions of their attributes by firms; the services these resources render; the business model implemented to deploy these resources; and the effects in terms of performance. The authors build an extended resource-based theory, allowing the contribution of various kinds of resources to firm performance to be explained.
Does green management matter for donation intentions?
Authors: Walker Matthew
Published: September 2013

Purpose

– Several factors are known to influence donations to university athletic departments including previous donations and university affiliation. This research aims to build on prior work by examining whether a university's environmental management initiatives can also influence donor behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper employs a quantitative study on environmental responsibility (ER) and “green management” using donor and non-donor data in the context of a university athletic department to investigate additional (i.e. personal and dispositional) factors that drive donation intentions.

Findings

– Employing tenets of the theory of reasoned action (TRA), the hierarchical regression models confirm prior donor motives and indicate that personal disposition towards the environment and attitude toward environmental initiatives predict donor intentions. These results are set against a backdrop of managerial strategy that seemingly enabled the effects.

Research limitations/implications

– The study should be replicated to advance the decision-making literature. This study focused solely on the attitudinal component of the TRA and only anecdotally accounted for the social norms that might influence the results. Retesting the model where ER is not as well-known or has just been implemented would add credibility to the results. Finally, using a behavioral intention factor limits the explanatory power.

Practical implications

– In a modern giving climate where supply (i.e. donations) is not currently paralleling demand, university athletic departments are continually looking for innovative ways to bolster donor support. The results suggest that ER can be positive for the local community and society at large but also in reciprocal fashion for the organization.

Originality/value

– While results confirming the traditional predictors of donor intentions are not particularly novel, the contribution of this research lies in showing that environmental disposition and importance contribute to the giving dynamic.