bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Map-like navigation from distances exceeding routine movements in the three-striped poison frog (Ameerega trivittata)
Authors: Pašukonis Andrius , Loretto Matthias-Claudio , Hödl Walter
Published: December 2017

Most animals move in dense habitats where distant landmarks are limited, but how they find their way around remains poorly understood. Poison frogs inhabit the rainforest understory where they shuttle tadpoles from small territories to widespread pools. Recent studies revealed their excellent spatial memory and the ability to home back from several hundred meters. It remains unclear if this homing ability is restricted to the areas that had been previously explored or if it allows the frogs to navigate from areas outside their direct experience. Here we used radio-tracking to study the navigational performance of three-striped poison frog translocated outside the area of their routine movements (200 – 800 m). Translocated frogs returned to their home territory via a direct path from all distances and with little difference in orientation accuracy, suggesting a flexible map-like navigation mechanism. These findings challenge our current understanding of mechanisms and the sensory basis of amphibian orientation.
Eating when ill is risky: immune defense impairs food detoxification in the caterpillar,Manduca sexta
Authors: McMillan Laura E. , Miller Dylan W. , Adamo Shelley A.
Published: December 2017

Mounting an immune response consumes resources, which should lead to increased feeding. However, activating the immune system reduces feeding (i.e. illness-induced anorexia) in both vertebrates and invertebrates, suggesting that it may be beneficial. We suggest that illness-induced anorexia may be an adaptive response to conflicts between immune defense and food detoxification. We found that activating an immune response in the caterpillar Manduca sexta increased its susceptibility to the toxin permethrin. Conversely, a sublethal dose of permethrin reduced resistance to the bacterium Serratia marcescens, demonstrating a negative interaction between detoxification and immune defense. Immune system activation and toxin challenge each depleted the amount of glutathione in the hemolymph. Increasing glutathione concentration in the hemolymph increased survival for both toxin and immune+toxin challenged groups. The results of this rescue experiment suggest that decreased glutathione availability, such as occurs during an immune response, impairs detoxification. We also found that the expression of some detoxification genes were not upregulated during a combined immune-toxin challenge, although they were when animals received a toxin challenge alone. These results suggest that immune defense reduces food detoxification capacity. Illness-induced anorexia may protect animals by decreasing exposure to food toxins when detoxification is impaired.
How Successful Was the New Deal? The Microeconomic Impact of New Deal Spending and Lending Policies in the 1930s
Authors: Fishback Price
Published: December 2017

The New Deal during the 1930s was arguably the largest peace-time expansion in federal government activity in American history. Until recently, there had been very little quantitative testing of the microeconomic impact of the wide variety of New Deal programs. Over the past decade scholars have developed new panel databases for counties, cities, and states and then used panel data methods on them to examine the impact of New Deal spending and lending policies for the major New Deal programs. In most cases, the identification of the effect comes from changes across time within the same geographic location after controlling for national shocks to the economy. Many of the studies also use instrumental variable methods to control for endogeneity. The studies find that public works and relief spending had state income multipliers of around one, increased consumption activity, attracted internal migration, reduced crime rates, and lowered several types of mortality. The farm programs typically aided large farm owners but eliminated opportunities for share croppers, tenants, and farm workers. The Home Owners' Loan Corporation's purchases and refinancing of troubled mortgages staved off drops in housing prices and home ownership rates at relatively low ex post cost to taxpayers. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation's loans to banks and railroads appear to have had little positive impact, although the banks were aided when the RFC took ownership stakes. (JEL D72, E61, L52, N41, N42)
Family Economics Writ Large
Authors: Greenwood Jeremy , Guner Nezih , Vandenbroucke Guillaume
Published: December 2017

Powerful currents have reshaped the structure of families over the last century. There has been (1) a dramatic drop in fertility and greater parental investment in children; (2) a rise in married female labor-force participation; (3) a significant decline in marriage; (4) a higher degree of positive assortative mating; (5) more children living with a single mother; and (6) shifts in social norms governing premarital sex and married women’s roles in the workplace. Macroeconomic models explaining these aggregate trends are surveyed. The relentless flow of technological progress and its role in shaping family life are stressed. (JEL D13, J12, J13, J16, J22, O33, Z13)
The Great Recession in the Shadow of the Great Depression: A Review Essay on Hall of Mirrors: The Great Depression, the Great Recession, and the Uses and Misuses of History, by Barry Eichengreen
Authors: Ohanian Lee E.
Published: December 2017

This essay compares the Great Depression to the Great Recession in light of Barry Eichengreen's new book Hall of Mirrors. Eichengreen discusses these two episodes from a historical, Keynesian perspective, and concludes that policies that increase aggregate demand, such as larger fiscal deficits, would have promoted a much stronger and faster recovery from the Great Recession. I review these episodes from a neoclassical approach, which provides a very different perspective on why recoveries from these episodes were so slow and incomplete. I also argue that supply-side policies, rather than demand-side policies, are more likely to restore prosperity today. (JEL E32, E52, E62, F44, G01, N12, N22)
Blockchain protocols in clinical trials: Transparency and traceability of consent
Authors: Benchoufi Mehdi , Porcher Raphael , Ravaud Philippe
Published: December 2017

Clinical trial consent for protocols and their revisions should be transparent for patients and traceable for stakeholders. Our goal is to implement a process allowing for collection of patients’ informed consent, which is bound to protocol revisions, storing and tracking the consent in a secure, unfalsifiable and publicly verifiable way, and enabling the sharing of this information in real time. For that, we build a consent workflow using a trending technology called Blockchain. This is a distributed technology that brings a built-in layer of transparency and traceability. From a more general and prospective point of view, we believe Blockchain technology brings a paradigmatical shift to the entire clinical research field. We designed a Proof-of-Concept protocol consisting of time-stamping each step of the patient’s consent collection using Blockchain, thus archiving and historicising the consent through cryptographic validation in a securely unfalsifiable and transparent way. For each protocol revision, consent was sought again.  We obtained a single document, in an open format, that accounted for the whole consent collection process: a time-stamped consent status regarding each version of the protocol. This document cannot be corrupted and can be checked on any dedicated public website. It should be considered a robust proof of data. However, in a live clinical trial, the authentication system should be strengthened to remove the need for third parties, here trial stakeholders, and give participative control to the peer users. In the future, the complex data flow of a clinical trial could be tracked by using Blockchain, which core functionality, named Smart Contract, could help prevent clinical trial events not occurring in the correct chronological order, for example including patients before they consented or analysing case report form data before freezing the database. Globally, Blockchain could help with reliability, security, transparency and could be a consistent step toward reproducibility.
Fragile X syndrome and fragile X-associated disorders
Authors: Rajaratnam Akash , Shergill Jasdeep , Salcedo-Arellano Maria , Saldarriaga Wilmar , Duan Xianlai , Hagerman Randi
Published: December 2017

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is caused by a full mutation on the FMR1 gene and a subsequent lack of FMRP, the protein product of FMR1. FMRP plays a key role in regulating the translation of many proteins involved in maintaining neuronal synaptic connections; its deficiency may result in a range of intellectual disabilities, social deficits, psychiatric problems, and dysmorphic physical features. A range of clinical involvement is also associated with the FMR1 premutation, including fragile X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome, fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency, psychiatric problems, hypertension, migraines, and autoimmune problems. Over the past few years, there have been a number of advances in our knowledge of FXS and fragile X-associated disorders, and each of these advances offers significant clinical implications. Among these developments are a better understanding of the clinical impact of the phenomenon known as mosaicism, the revelation that various types of mutations can cause FXS, and improvements in treatment for FXS.
PPInfer: a Bioconductor package for inferring functionally related proteins using protein interaction networks
Authors: Jung Dongmin , Ge Xijin
Published: December 2017

Interactions between proteins occur in many, if not most, biological processes. This fact has motivated the development of a variety of experimental methods for the identification of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Leveraging PPI data available STRING database, we use network-based statistical learning methods to infer the putative functions of proteins from the known functions of neighboring proteins on a PPI network. This package identifies such proteins often involved in the same or similar biological functions. The package is freely available at the Bioconductor web site (http://bioconductor.org/packages/PPInfer/).
Tessellate & Montage: Molecular analytics of cyclic conformations
Authors: Barnett Christopher , Naidoo Kevin
Published: December 2017

The conformations and shapes of macromolecular structures in biological and synthetic materials often define the macroscopic functions of the systems. Tessellate and Montage provide a standardized toolset for rapid reporting of large datasets allowing comparisons of cyclic molecule conformations (ring pucker) from structural databases and simulation trajectory data. This facilitates an understanding of the dynamic transition between common conformations and the flexible range in a ring that underlies molecular behaviour and recognition properties.
Syphilis screening and treatment in pregnant women in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Lusaka, Zambia: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Berrueta Mabel , Cafferata Maria Luisa , Mwenechanya Musaku , Nkamba Mukadi Dalau , Althabe Fernando , Bergel Eduardo , Gibbons Luz , Ciganda Alvaro , Klein Karen , Mwapule Tembo Abigail , Habulembe Mwanakalanga Friday , Banda Ernest , Mavila Kilonga Arlette , Lusamba Dikassa Paul , Xiong Xu , Chomba Elwyn , Tshefu Antoinette K. , Buekens Pierre
Published: December 2017

Background: Congenital syphilis is associated with perinatal deaths, preterm births and congenital malformations. Low rates of syphilis screening during pregnancy and treatment of those found seropositive have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia. We report the rates on antenatal syphilis screening, the seroprevalence of syphilis infection, and the frequency of antibiotic treatment in pregnant women screened positive for syphilis during their attendance at antenatal care (ANC) clinics in Kinshasa, DRC and Lusaka, Zambia.

Methods: Women attending their first ANC were enrolled consecutively during a 9-month period in 16 and 13 ANC clinics in Kinshasa and Lusaka respectively, in the context of the baseline period of a cluster trial. Study personnel collected data on women’s characteristics, the syphilis screening practices, the test results, and the frequency of treatment, that were done under routine ANC conditions and registered in the clinic records.

Results: 4,153 women in Kinshasa and 18,097 women in Lusaka were enrolled. The frequency of screening at the first visit was 59.7% (n= 2,479) in Kinshasa, and 27.8% (n=5,025) in Lusaka. Screening test availability varied. In the periods in which tests were available the screening rates were 92.8% in Kinshasa and 52.0% in Lusaka. The frequency of women screened seropositive was 0.4% (n=10) in Kinshasa and 2.2% (n=109) in Lusaka. Respectively, 10% (n=1) and 11.9% (n= 13) among seropositive women received treatment at the first visit.

Conclusions: The results of the study show that screening for syphilis in pregnancy is not universal even when supplies are available. Our ongoing trial will evaluate the impact of a behavioral intervention on changing health providers’ practices to increase screening and treatment rates when supplies are available.
Descriptions of a new species and subspecies of Halysidota Hübner, [1819] from Mexico (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae)
Authors: Vincent Benoit , Laguerre Michel
Published: December 2017

A new species and subspecies of the genus Halysidota are described from Mexico and Guadeloupe respectively: Halysidota witti sp. nov. and Halysidota leda guadulpensis ssp. nov. Details of the new species and subspecies descriptions are based upon morphological and molecular characters as well as distributional data.
The Biological Variation Data Critical Appraisal Checklist: A Standard for Evaluating Studies on Biological Variation
Authors: Aarsand Aasne K , Røraas Thomas , Fernandez-Calle Pilar , Ricos Carmen , Díaz-Garzón Jorge , Jonker Niels , Perich Carmen , González-Lao Elisabet , Carobene Anna , Minchinela Joana , Coşkun Abdurrahman , Simón Margarita , Álvarez Virtudes , Bartlett William A , Fernández-Fernández Pilar , Boned Beatriz , Braga Federica , Corte Zoraida , Aslan Berna , Sandberg Sverre
Published: December 2017

BACKGROUND

Concern has been raised about the quality of available biological variation (BV) estimates and the effect of their application in clinical practice. A European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine Task and Finish Group has addressed this issue. The aim of this report is to (a) describe the Biological Variation Data Critical Appraisal Checklist (BIVAC), which verifies whether publications have included all essential elements that may impact the veracity of associated BV estimates, (b) use the BIVAC to critically appraise existing BV publications on enzymes, lipids, kidney, and diabetes-related measurands, and (c) apply metaanalysis to deliver a global within-subject BV (CVI) estimate for alanine aminotransferase (ALT).

METHODS

In the BIVAC, publications were rated as A, B, C, or D, indicating descending compliance for 14 BIVAC quality items, focusing on study design, methodology, and statistical handling. A D grade indicated that associated BV estimates should not be applied in clinical practice. Systematic searches were applied to identify BV studies for 28 different measurands.

RESULTS

In total, 128 publications were identified, providing 935 different BV estimates. Nine percent achieved D scores. Outlier analysis and variance homogeneity testing were scored as C in >60% of 847 cases. Metaanalysis delivered a CVI estimate for ALT of 15.4%.

CONCLUSIONS

Application of BIVAC to BV publications identified deficiencies in required study detail and delivery, especially for statistical analysis. Those deficiencies impact the veracity of BV estimates. BV data from BIVAC-compliant studies can be combined to deliver robust global estimates for safe clinical application.
Je me souviens de Beyrouth: Zeina Abirached’s Perecquian practice
Authors: Kemp Anna
Published: December 2017

The French experimental writing collective the Ouvroir de Littérature Potentielle, or Oulipo for short, is often imagined to be inward-looking, Pariscentric and deeply entangled in the threads of French literary history. However, the group has become increasingly diverse and its influence now extends far beyond l’Hexagone. This article will consider some of the ways in which oulipian techniques, games, themes and concerns might be transported and adapted to other national and cultural contexts. It will take, as a case in point, the complete works, to date, of the Franco-Lebanese graphic memoirist Zeina Abirached. Abirached adopts and transforms oulipian practices – in particular those of Georges Perec – in order to grapple with the memory of growing up during the Lebanese Civil War (1975–90). Like that of Perec, Abirached’s ‘oulipian’ practice appears as a means of managing individual and collective memory. However, Perec’s Parisian experiments take significantly new directions in the context of post-war Beirut where the relationship between individual and collective memory remains extremely fraught.
Doses de fósforo e uso de esterco bovino no cultivo de gérbera de vaso
Authors: Mantovani José Ricardo , Silveira Luana Gouveia da , Landgraf Paulo Roberto Corrêa , Santos Anderson Romão dos , Costa Belchior De Souza
Published: December 2017

Gerbera can be grown as a cut flower or in pots. However, there is little information on nutrition and fertilization, especially related to phosphorus and the use of organic matter in pots. This study aimed to evaluate the growth and production of potted gerbera under doses of phosphorus and the use of cattle manure. The experiment was carried out in pots, under greenhouse conditions. A randomized block experimental design was used in a 5 x 2 factorial scheme with 4 replications, totaling 40 experimental units. The treatments consisted of 5 P rates: 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 mg dm-3 P, as triple superphosphate powder and use, or not, of cattle manure. Phosphate fertilization and cattle manure in soil with low P contents did not influence the growth and production of potted gerbera. Phosphorus rates improve the nutritional status of potted gerbera, but do not contribute to the commercial quality of the plants. The use of cattle manure increases the availability of phosphorus in the soil for potted gerbera cultivation without, however, contributing to commercial quality. Potted gerbera is poorly responsive to phosphorus addition, supplied by both mineral and organic fertilizers.
Proposal the application of DMAIC tools and value stream mapping under the perspective of the lean philosophy for process improvement: a case study
Authors: De Souza Pinto Jefferson , Aoki Schuwarten Luan , Cassoli de Oliveira Júnior Gilberto , Novaski Olívio
Published: December 2017

After a recent merger, the in vitro diagnostic equipment trade company in Brazil, study object, faces difficulties for its logistics flow. The work proposes the application of the DMAIC tools, contained in the context of the six sigma, and Value Stream Mapping (VSM) under the lean philosophy perspective in order to identify the focus of waste that can be improved, corroborating with lean thinking. Unlike the common application of VSM, used in manufacturing processes, this study has its application in a service chain. From the Methodology point of view, the case study uses a qualitative approach, having as strategy the bibliographics with a descriptive and explanatory objective. Additionally, it is delineated based on the DMAIC cycle to establish the industrial overview and method of conducting the process study, and consequently, the influence on the management by the guidelines and their impact on the management of the work routine. Thus, the VSM application is presented to control the flow of distributed inventory parts with the current and future process state maps. Finally, the analyzes show the results obtained with the reduction of the waste, from the centralization of the company's inventory.
Integration of concepts about lean construction, sustainability and life cycle of buildings: a literature review
Authors: Besser Freitag Alberto Eduardo , Anholon Rosley , Martins de Oliveira Valmir , Vivanco Larrain Tomás
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this study was the development of a theoretical framework integrating concepts of lean construction, sustainability and the life cycle of buildings. It was prepared using a systematic review of the literature through the Prisma method. Findings show that there is scarce scientific literature about lean construction contributions to activities related to the consumption phase of the life cycle of a building. Project and construction activities presented the highest number of lean construction contributions in the production phase. Research limitations are terms used in the search sentences and the choice of surveyed databases. The study contributes with knowledge that can be used by companies to adopt lean construction. It is also useful for researchers who can explore several research lines. The originality of this research is to view in a same table the interrelationship of concepts about lean construction, sustainability and the life cycle of buildings.
Desigualdad de oportunidades educativas en Argentina
Authors: Serio Monserrat
Published: December 2017

Este trabajo explora la desigualdad de oportunidades educativas de los jóvenes de Argentina en los años 2000. El análisis se enfoca en tres dimensiones del nivel medio educativo: acceso a la educación, calidad educativa y desempeño educativo. Se estiman distribuciones contrafactuales de resultados educativos condicionadas a las circunstancias de los estudiantes utilizando micro-datos de las encuestas de hogares del país y de PISA. Los resultados sugieren que la desigualdad de oportunidades en el acceso a educación es baja y se ha mantenido estable mientras que la desigualdad de oportunidades en el acceso a calidad educativa ha aumentado en la última década. Respecto al desempeño educativo la misma es particularmente alta en el país.
Exploring Researcher Identity Construction of University EFL Teachers in China
Authors: Nana Long , Jing Huang
Published: December 2017

Based on the narratives of four Chinese university EFL teachers’ research experiences, this study reports on the dynamic construction of their researcher identities and the crucial socio-institutional and individual factors that have afforded and constrained researcher identity construction. The results presented different trajectories of researcher identity construction through the EFL teachers’ three stages of research experiences (beginning, stagnation/development, and struggle stages) in their professional lives. Academic learning contexts such as Master’s and PhD programs were shown to be replete with factors that contributed to the development of researcher identity, while the institutional context and the broad social context in China were exposed to be greatly constraining. Motivation, publications, academic qualifications, and networking with researchers were four important individual factors that impacted the EFL teachers’ researcher identity construction. The findings suggest that Chinese EFL teachers raise awareness of their researcher identities, make continuous critical reflections, and exercise agency to seek opportunities for development while governments and institutions should reform the current educational and promotion systems to support EFL teachers’ research engagement.
A Nonconforming Finite Element Method for an Acoustic Fluid-Structure Interaction Problem
Authors: Brenner Susanne C. , Çeşmelioğlu Ayçıl , Cui Jintao , Sung Li-Yeng
Published: December 2017

We study a nonconforming finite element approximation of the vibration modes
of an acoustic fluid-structure interaction. Displacement variables are used
for both the fluid and the solid. The numerical scheme is based on an irrotational
fluid displacement formulation and hence it is free of spurious eigenmodes.
The method uses weakly continuous

P
1

{P_{1}}

vector fields for the fluid and
classical piecewise linear elements for the solid, and it has

O
⁢

(

h
2

)

{O(h^{2})}

convergence for the eigenvalues on properly graded meshes. The theoretical results
are confirmed by numerical experiments.
Geochemistry of Selected Kaolins from Cameroon and Nigeria
Authors: Bukalo Nenita N. , Ekosse Georges-Ivo E. , Odiyo John O. , Ogola Jason S.
Published: December 2017

The geochemical characteristics of selected kaolins from Cameroon and Nigeria are presented, with an attempt to elucidate on their possible industrial applications by comparing them to world-known kaolin deposits. Major oxides concentrations were subjected to factor analyses in interpreting their relationships. Geochemical indices, including chemical index of alteration (CIA), chemical index of weathering (CIW) and the index of compositional variability (ICV) were computed and plotted on binary and ternary diagrams to determine the intensity of weathering of the kaolins and discriminate their different source rock types. Kaolinite was the major phase, followed by quartz, illite and goethite as minor phases. Minerals in trace phases included smectite, anatase, muscovite, gibbsite, microcline, palygorskite and calcite. Mean abundances of major oxides in wt% were: SiO
Studies on the preparation and properties of biodegradable polyester from soybean oil
Authors: Xuebin Wang , Jincheng Wang
Published: December 2017

Crude dimer acid (DA) was prepared with soybean oil (SO) used as raw material and organic montmorillonite as a catalyst. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) were used to characterize the structure of DA. It was demonstrated that the synthesis of crude DA using SO was feasible. A molecular weight of 995–1304 g/mol was obtained by GPC measurement. Then, a type of polyester was synthesized using the crude DA and polyethylene glycol. The effects of reaction temperatures and different catalysts on the conversion rate were explored. The results showed that the esterification conversion rate was improved to 83.13% when SnCl2 was used as the catalyst, with a reaction temperature of 180°C The FTIR, 1H-NMR, GPC and TGA were used to characterize the structure and performance of this polyester. The polyester had a molecular weight ranging from 8259 to 10892 g/mol. In addition, its biodegradable behavior was analyzed by the soil burial test and was compared with that of terephthalic acid. The results showed that the composites prepared from DA had a pronounced effect on weight loss during biodegradation.
(l) as a sociolinguistic variable in Francoprovençal
Authors: Kasstan Jonathan , Müller Daniela
Published: December 2017

This article argues for (l) as a sociolinguistic variable in Francoprovençal: (l) refers to variable palatalisation of /l/ in obstruent+lateral onset clusters (/kl, ɡl, pl, bl, fl/), a feature that has long been the subject of metalinguistic commentary, but no systematic analysis. Our data, which come from a larger study of Francoprovençal (FP), show significant intraspeaker variation. Sociolinguistic interviews were carried out in the Lyonnais region of France among 21 FP speakers with different acquisition routes. /l/-palatalisation is far from categorical in our sample, with increased rates of the French variant [l] over the traditional [j] variant. We interpret these data as contact-induced change: phonological leveling is underway, with convergence towards French. These findings are consistent with the language death literature, and are now widely reported in the context of other minority varieties spoken in the Hexagon. Conversely, somenew speakersshow different patterns with a greater range of palatalised variants. These findings add to a growing body of evidence that suggest laterals to be a locus for socio-indexical cues cross-linguistically.
Francoprovençal as social practice: comparative study in Italy, France and Switzerland
Authors: Bichurina Natalia
Published: December 2017

A series of legal acts have transformed what used to be considered a group of “patois” at the borderland of Italy, France and Switzerland into a “minority/regional language”: the Francoprovençal language (FP). A trans-border language policy is being developed, based on the assumption that structural unity of FP would imply similarity of social issues linked to its use. At the same time, although extensive research has been carried out on linguistic features of FP, none of the approaches developed so far examine FP as it is used in interaction. Hence, the central question of this article is: what do people actually do with FP and what does it mean for them? The findings are based on fieldwork in the three countries (participant observation and 60 interviews). I argue that the FP space comprises two types of linguistic situations: thediffuse typeis where FP is spoken in daily communication, and its borders, be they linguistic, geographical or social, are uncertain for speakers. Problematic issues concern outdated negative sociopolitical connotations of its use. Thefocused typeis where FP is neither spoken in everyday interactions nor transmitted in families, but emerges, discursively and politically, as a language in its own right.
Heterometallic boride clusters: synthesis and characterization of butterfly and square pyramidal boride clusters*
Authors: Bag Ranjit , Mondal Bijan , Bakthavachalam K. , Roisnel Thierry , Ghosh Sundargopal
Published: December 2017

A number of heterometallic boride clusters have been synthesized and structurally characterized using various spectroscopic and crystallographic analyses. Thermolysis of [Ru3(CO)12] with [Cp*WH3(B4H8)] (1) yielded [{Cp*W(CO)2}2(μ
4-B){Ru(CO)3}2(μ-H)] (2), [{Cp*W(CO)2}2(μ
5-B){Ru(CO)3}2{Ru(CO)2}(μ-H)] (3), [{Cp*W(CO)2}(μ
5-B){Ru(CO)3}4] (4) and a ditungstaborane cluster [(Cp*W)2B4H8Ru(CO)3] (5) (Cp*=η
5-C5Me5). Compound 2 contains 62 cluster valence-electrons, in which the boron atom occupies the semi-interstitial position of a M4-butterfly core, composed of two tungsten and two ruthenium atoms. Compounds 3 and 4 can be described as hetero-metallic boride clusters that contain 74-cluster valence electrons (cve), in which the boron atom is at the basal position of the M5-square pyramidal geometry. Cluster 5 is analogous to known [(Cp*W)2B5H9] where one of the BH vertices has been replaced by isolobal {Ru(CO)3} fragment. Computational studies with density functional theory (DFT) methods at the B3LYP level have been used to analyze the bonding of the synthesized molecules. The optimized geometries and computed 11B NMR chemical shifts satisfactorily corroborate with the experimental data. All the compounds have been characterized by mass spectrometry, IR, 1H, 11B and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and the structural architectures were unequivocally established by crystallographic analyses of clusters 2–5.
Prognostic significance of tumor regression in locally advanced rectal cancer after preoperative radiochemotherapy
Authors: Omejc Mirko , Potisek Maja
Published: December 2017

Background

The majority of rectal cancers are discovered in locally advanced forms (UICC stage II, III). Treatment consists of preoperative radiochemotherapy, followed by surgery 6–8 weeks later and finally by postoperative chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to find out if tumor regression affected long-term survival in patients with localy advanced rectal cancer, treated with neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy.

Patients and methods

Patients with rectal cancer stage II or III, treated between 2006 and 2010, were included in a retrospective study. Clinical and pathohistologic data were acquired from computer databases and information about survival from Cancer Registry. Survival was estimated according to Kaplan-Meier method. Significance of prognostic factors was evaluated in univariate analysis; comparison was carried out with log-rank test. The multivariate analysis was performed according to the Cox regression model; statistically significant variables from univariate analysis were included.

Results

Two hundred and two patients met inclusion criteria. Median follow-up was 53.2 months. Stage ypT0N0 (pathologic complete response, pCR) was observed in 14.8% of patients. Pathohistologic stage had statistically significant impact on survival (p = 0.001). 5-year survival in patients with pCR was>90%. Postoperative T and N status were also found to be statistically significant (p = 0.011 for ypT and p < 0.001 for ypN). According to multivariate analysis, tumor response to neoadjuvant therapy was the only independent prognostic factor (p = 0.003).

Conclusions

Pathologic response of tumor to preoperative radiochemotherapy is an important prognostic factor for prediction of long-term survival of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.
Structural chemistry of fluoride and mixed-ligand fluoride complexes of gallium(III)
Authors: Davidovich Ruven , Fedorov Pavel , Popov Arthur
Published: December 2017

This article covers the structural chemistry of fluoride and mixed-ligand fluoride complexes of gallium(III), discusses more than 140 known crystal structures of anionic fluoride and mixed-ligand fluoride complexes and continues the discussion initiated in previous reviews dedicated to the stereochemistry and structural chemistry of group III–V metals fluoride complexes. Most of these structures have been established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques, but some were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction methods. This paper offers a discussion of the geometry of gallium and outer sphere cation coordination polyhedra, the association of gallium atoms in dimer and polymer formations, types of cation-anion interactions, and their contributions in actual three-dimensional crystal structures. The structural information has been compiled in a single table containing phase compositions and the corresponding standard crystallographic data (such as crystal system, space group, unit cell parameters, number of formula units per cell [Z], reliability factors [R
1], Ga-F, and Ga-O bond lengths).
Evaluating news actors in Chinese hard news reporting: language patterns and social values
Authors: Huan Changpeng
Published: December 2017

This paper interrogates the ways Chinese journalists judge behaviors of different news actors (individuals or institutions written about in a news report) in Chinese hard news reporting on risk events. Drawing on a newly constructed corpus of hard news reporting and following theappraisalframework, the study examines language patterns ofjudgementand suggests how lexicogrammatical patterns ofjudgement, semantic features ofjudgementand social orders are intimately connected. Corpus analytic findings show that news actors of different social statuses are judged in different manners. Social elites are primarily judged positively in relation to their “capacity” and “tenacity” in dealing with risk situations, whereas ordinary risk makers are mainly judged negatively in relation to their “propriety” in producing risk situations. Additionally, the samejudgementmarker in the same phraseological pattern may realize different valences ofjudgementin relation to news actors of different social statuses, andjudgementof different news actors tends to select distinctive local patterns. It is argued that such different discursive patterns of judging news actors point to the distinction in the way social values are (re)produced and journalistic professional practices undertaken in the production of Chinese hard news.
“The game is rigged”: framing real life metaphorically in the TV epicThe Wire
Authors: Schröder Ulrike , Mendes Mariana Carneiro
Published: December 2017

The aim of the paper is to show the extent to which thegamemetaphor shapes the Home Box Office (HBO) show (2002–2008)The Wire, which sets out the interconnection of the systems of drug dealing/trafficking, police department, court, organized labor, media, public school, and local policy, as well as the similar structure which all those systems are built upon. As our theoretical-methodological framework we will adopt cognitive and cultural linguistics as a starting point for a contextually embedded sequence analysis. We will focus on the multimodal ubiquity ofgameas a cultural model, as well as the contextual frames in which this metaphor is embedded with regard to the everyday life of the protagonists on the TV show and the institutions they are part of. Therefore, we will first analyze a specific metaphorical scenario where the conventionalized source and target domainschessanddrug businessare inverted, which has cultural-contextual implications, before we come to a second scene where the same domains are again accessed, this time in reverse.
America first! Donald Trump, the demise of the U.S. hegemony and chaos in the capitalist world-system
Authors: Parnreiter Christof
Published: December 2017

This paper discusses Donald Trump’s presidency and his motto “America First!” against the backdrop of the notion of a declining U.S. hegemony. For that purpose, conceptualizations of hegemony by word-system scholars, namely Immanuel Wallerstein and Giovanni Arrighi, are being contrasted with John Agnew’s account in political geography. The main difference refers to the geographies of hegemony: For Agnew, a stateless hegemony is conceivable, while for Wallerstein and Arrighi hegemony in the capitalist world-system requires a state to exercise it. The paper than goes on to argue that in order to operate successfully capitalism needs the cooperation of political and economic power and hence the bringing together of the spaces of places of the former and the spaces of flows of the latter. Against this backdrop I contend that Trump’s nationalist rhetoric and (so far conceivable) politics embody and communicate the loss of U.S. hegemony both inwards and outwards. While Trump’s geographical imaginations of power are downscaled to the national, U.S. big business is ever more moving in and using global commodity chains. The fusion of the political spaces of territory and the economic spaces of flows are drifting apart. Moreover, hegemony in the capitalist world-system is global by definition. In the paper’s conclusion, the notion of a stateless hegemony is questioned.
Improving the Abrasion Resistance of Concrete to Mitigate Concrete Crosstie Rail Seat Deterioration (RSD)
Authors: Shurpali Amogh A. , Edwards J. Riley , Kernes Ryan G. , Lange David A. , Barkan Christopher P. L.
Published: December 2017

Rail seat deterioration (RSD) refers to the degradation of concrete material at the contact interface between the concrete crosstie rail seat and the rail pad that protects the bearing area of the crosstie, which supports the rail. Abrasion is a viable mechanism that causes RSD. The objective of this study is to investigate the abrasion resistance of several approaches, such as the addition of mineral admixtures, fibers, and varying curing conditions, to mitigate abrasion of the rail seat. In order to achieve this objective, the abrasion mechanism of RSD was simulated using the small-scale test for abrasion resistance, which was designed by researchers at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The results of this study show that the addition of optimal amounts of silica fume, fly ash, steel fibers, as well as increased moisture availability while curing improves the abrasion resistance of concrete.
Common Pathophysiology in Multiple Mouse Models of Pitt–Hopkins Syndrome
Authors: Thaxton Courtney , Kloth Alexander D. , Clark Ellen P. , Moy Sheryl S. , Chitwood Raymond A. , Philpot Benjamin D.
Published: December 2017

Mutations or deletions of the transcription factorTCF4are linked to Pitt–Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) and schizophrenia, suggesting that the precise pathogenic mutations dictate cellular, synaptic, and behavioral consequences. Here, we generated two novel mouse models of PTHS, one that mimics the most common pathogenicTCF4point mutation (human R580W, mouse R579W) and one that deletes three pathogenic arginines, and explored phenotypes of these lines alongside models of pan-cellular or CNS-specific heterozygousTcf4disruption. We used mice of both sexes to show that impairedTcf4function results in consistent microcephaly, hyperactivity, reduced anxiety, and deficient spatial learning. All four PTHS mouse models demonstrated exaggerated hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), consistent with deficits in hippocampus-mediated behaviors. We further examined R579W mutant mice and mice with pan-cellularTcf4heterozygosity and found that they exhibited hippocampal NMDA receptor hyperfunction, which likely drives the enhanced LTP. Together, our data pinpoint convergent neurobiological features in PTHS mouse models and provide a foundation for preclinical studies and a rationale for testing whether NMDAR antagonists might be used to treat PTHS.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTPitt–Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder associated withTCF4mutations/deletions. Despite this genetic insight, there is a need to identify the function of TCF4 in the brain. Toward this goal, we developed two mouse lines, including one harboring the most prevalent pathogenic point mutation, and compared them with two existing models that conditionally deleteTcf4. Our data identify a set of overlapping phenotypes that may serve as outcome measures for preclinical studies of PTHS treatments. We also discovered penetrant enhanced synaptic plasticity across mouse models that may be linked to increased NMDA receptor function. These data reveal convergent neurobiological characteristics of PTHS mouse models and support the further investigation of NMDA receptor antagonists as a possible PTHS treatment.
Lack of Parkin Anticipates the Phenotype and Affects Mitochondrial Morphology and mtDNA Levels in a Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Pinto Milena , Nissanka Nadee , Moraes Carlos T.
Published: December 2017

PARK2is the most common gene mutated in monogenic recessive familial cases of Parkinson's disease (PD). Pathogenic mutations cause a loss of function of the encoded protein Parkin. ParkinKO mice, however, poorly represent human PD symptoms as they only exhibit mild motor phenotypes, minor dopamine metabolism abnormalities, and no signs of dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Parkin has been shown to participate in mitochondrial turnover, by targeting damaged mitochondria with low membrane potential to mitophagy. We studied the role of Parkin on mitochondrial quality controlin vivoby knocking out Parkin in the PD-mito-PstI mouse (males), where the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) undergoes double-strand breaks only in dopaminergic neurons. The lack of Parkin promoted earlier onset of dopaminergic neurodegeneration and motor defects in the PD-mito-PstI mice, but it did not worsen the pathology. The lack of Parkin affected mitochondrial morphology in dopaminergic axons and was associated with an increase in mtDNA levels (mutant and wild type). Unexpectedly, it did not cause a parallel increase in mitochondrial mass or mitophagy. Our results suggest that Parkin affects mtDNA levels in a mitophagy-independent manner.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTParkinson's disease is characterized by progressive motor symptoms due to the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Loss-of-function mutations of Parkin cause some monogenic forms of Parkinson's disease, possibly through its role in mitochondrial turnover and quality control. To study whether Parkin has a rolein vivoin the context of mitochondrial damage, we knocked out Parkin in a mouse model in which the mitochondrial DNA is damaged in dopaminergic neurons. We found that the loss of Parkin did not exacerbate the parkinsonian pathology already present in the mice, but it was associated with an increase in mtDNA levels (mutant and wild-type) without altering mitochondrial mass. These results shed new light on the function of Parkinin vivo.
Genome-Wide Analysis of Grain Yield Stability and Environmental Interactions in a Multiparental Soybean Population
Authors: Xavier Alencar , Jarquin Diego , Howard Reka , Ramasubramanian Vishnu , Specht James E , Graef George L , Beavis William D , Diers Brian W , Song Qijian , Cregan Perry B , Nelson Randall , Mian Rouf , Shannon J Grover , McHale Leah , Wang Dechun , Schapaugh William , Lorenz Aaron J , Xu Shizhong , Muir William M , Rainey Katy M
Published: December 2017

Genetic improvement toward optimized and stable agronomic performance of soybean genotypes is desirable for food security. Understanding how genotypes perform in different environmental conditions helps breeders develop sustainable cultivars adapted to target regions. Complex traits of importance are known to be controlled by a large number of genomic regions with small effects whose magnitude and direction are modulated by environmental factors. Knowledge of the constraints and undesirable effects resulting from genotype by environmental interactions is a key objective in improving selection procedures in soybean breeding programs. In this study, the genetic basis of soybean grain yield responsiveness to environmental factors was examined in a large soybean nested association population. For this, a genome-wide association to performance stability estimates generated from a Finlay-Wilkinson analysis and the inclusion of the interaction between marker genotypes and environmental factors was implemented. Genomic footprints were investigated by analysis and meta-analysis using a recently published multiparent model. Results indicated that specific soybean genomic regions were associated with stability, and that multiplicative interactions were present between environments and genetic background. Seven genomic regions in six chromosomes were identified as being associated with genotype-by-environment interactions. This study provides insight into genomic assisted breeding aimed at achieving a more stable agronomic performance of soybean, and documented opportunities to exploit genomic regions that were specifically associated with interactions involving environments and subpopulations.
Streitverkündung und sekundäre Darlegungslast seit der 9. GWB-Novelle – was bleibt vom ORWI-Urteil des BGH?
Authors: Thole Christoph
Published: December 2017

Im ORWI-Urteil von 2011 hatte der BGH die Streitverkündung als taugliches Instrument zur Prozesskoordination bei Kartellschadensersatzklagen hervorgehoben. Die Streitverkündung ermögliche es dem Kartellanten, eine Mehrfachhaftung auf verschiedenen Vertriebsstufen zu vermeiden. Daher bedürfe es weiterreichender Darlegungslasten des unmittelbaren Abnehmers zum passing on des Preisaufschlags nicht. Mit der 9. GWB-Novelle hat der Gesetzgeber das Kartellschadensersatzrecht auf eine neue Grundlage gestellt. Der Beitrag geht der Frage nach, ob und inwieweit die Ansätze des BGH seit der Novelle noch Bestand haben können.