bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Activity of BKM120 and BEZ235 against Lymphoma Cells
Authors: Civallero Monica , Cosenza Maria , Pozzi Samantha , Bari Alessia , Ferri Paola , Sacchi Stefano
Published: October 2015

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas encompass a heterogeneous group of cancers, with 85–90% arising from B lymphocytes and the remainder deriving from T lymphocytes or NK lymphocytes. These tumors are molecularly and clinically heterogeneous, showing dramatically different responses and outcomes with standard therapies. Deregulated PI3K signaling is linked to oncogenesis and disease progression in hematologic malignancies and in a variety of solid tumors and apparently enhances resistance to antineoplastic therapy, resulting in a poor prognosis. Here, we have evaluated and compared the effects of the pan-PI3K inhibitor BKM120 and the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor BEZ235 on mantle, follicular, and T-cell lymphomas. Our results suggest that BKM120 and BEZ235 can effectively inhibit lymphoma cell proliferation by causing cell cycle arrest and can lead to cell death by inducing apoptosis and autophagy mediated by ROS accumulation. Despite great advances in lymphoma therapy after the introduction of monoclonal antibodies, many patients still die from disease progression. Therefore, novel treatment approaches are needed. BKM120 and BEZ235 alone and in combination are very effective against lymphoma cellsin vitro. If further studies confirm their effectiveness in animal models, they may be promising candidates for development as new drugs.
Cyclical Behavior of Concrete-Encased Composite Frame Joints with High Strength Concrete
Authors: Zeng Lei , Cui Zhenkun , Xiao Yunfeng , Jin Siqian , Wu Yuanyuan
Published: October 2015

This paper presents an application of high strength concrete to concrete-encased composite frame building based on an experimental program. The work emphasized joints behavior under reverse cyclic loading caused by earthquakes to provide information for seismic design. To investigate the internal mechanisms and seismic performance, cyclic loading tests were carried out on five half-scale interior joints. Two design variables were addressed in the research: concrete strength and axial column load. Frame joints performance including crack pattern, failure mode, deformation, ductility, strain distribution, and energy dissipation capacity was investigated. It was found that all joint specimens behaved in a manner with joint panel shear failure. Using high strength concrete increased the joint strength and had relatively little effect on the stiffness and ductility. The axial column load helped the joint strength by better mobilizing the outer part of the joint, but it had an obvious influence on the ductility and energy-dissipating capacity, which can be improved by providing enough transverse reinforcement. A typical crack pattern was also provided which can well reflect mechanical character and damage process. This research should contribute to the future engineering applications of high strength concrete to concrete-encased composite structure.
Phylogenetic and Ontogenetic View of Erythroblastic Islands
Authors: Giger Katie M. , Kalfa Theodosia A.
Published: October 2015

Erythroblastic islands are a hallmark of mammalian erythropoiesis consisting of a central macrophage surrounded by and interacting closely with the maturing erythroblasts. The macrophages are thought to serve many functions such as supporting erythroblast proliferation, supplying iron for hemoglobin, promoting enucleation, and clearing the nuclear debris; moreover, inhibition of erythroblastic island formation is often detrimental to erythropoiesis. There is still much not understood about the role that macrophages and microenvironment play in erythropoiesis and insights may be gleaned from a comparative analysis with erythropoietic niches in nonmammalian vertebrates which, unlike mammals, have erythrocytes that retain their nucleus. The phylogenetic development of erythroblastic islands in mammals in which the erythrocytes are anucleate underlines the importance of the macrophage in erythroblast enucleation.
Some Theorems about(ψ,φ,ϵ,λ)-Contraction in Fuzzy Metric Spaces
Authors: Azhdari Parvin
Published: October 2015

We previously proved a number of fixed point theorems for some kinds of contractions likebn-contraction andφ-Hcontraction in fuzzy metric spaces. In this paper, we discuss the problem of existence of fixed point for(ψ,φ,ϵ,λ)-contraction in fuzzy metric spaces in sense of George and Veeramani.
Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress after Intensive Care Delirium
Authors: Svenningsen Helle , Egerod Ingrid , Christensen Doris , Tønnesen Else Kirstine , Frydenberg Morten , Videbech Poul
Published: October 2015

Introduction. Long-term psychological consequences of critical illness are receiving more attention in recent years. The aim of our study was to assess the correlation of ICU-delirium and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) anxiety and depression after ICU-discharge in a Danish cohort.Methods.A prospective observational cohort study assessing the incidence of delirium in the ICU. Psychometrics were screened by validated tools in structured telephone interviews after 2 months (n=297) and 6 months (n=248) after ICU-discharge.Results. Delirium was detected in 54% of patients in the ICU and symptoms of PTSD in 8% (2 months) and 6% (6 months) after ICU-discharge. Recall of ICU stay was present in 93%. Associations between ICU-delirium and post-discharge PTSD-symptoms were weak and insignificant. Memories of delusions were significantly associated with anxiety after two months. Remaining associations between types of ICU-memories and prevalence of post-discharge symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression were insignificant after adjusting for age. Incidence of ICU-delirium was unaffected by preadmission use of psychotropic drugs. Prevalence of PTSD-symptoms was unaffected by use of antipsychotics and sedation in the ICU.Conclusion.ICU-delirium did not increase the risk of PTSD-symptoms at 2 and 6 months after ICU discharge.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Nonmydriatic Fundus Photography for the Detection of Glaucoma in Diabetic Patients
Authors: Muñoz-Negrete Francisco J. , Contreras Inés , Oblanca Noelia , Pinazo-Durán M. Dolores , Rebolleda Gema
Published: October 2015

Purpose.To determine the diagnostic accuracy for glaucoma of a set of criteria with nonmydriatic monoscopic fundus photography (NMFP) in diabetics.Methods.Diabetics recruited from a screening program for diabetic retinopathy and diabetic glaucoma patients recruited from our glaucoma unit were included. Any patient with evidence of diabetic retinopathy was excluded. Diabetic patients had to have no visual field defects to be included as controls. Glaucoma patients had to have a glaucomatous field defect in at least one eye to be included. One NMFP was taken per eye for all subjects. These photographs were evaluated by two masked glaucoma specialists for the presence of the following: bilateral cup to disc (C/D) ratio ≥0.6, notching or thinning of the neuroretinal rim, disc hemorrhages, and asymmetry in the C/D ratio between both eyes ≥0.2. This evaluation led to a dichotomous classification: if any of the above criteria was present, the patient was classified as glaucoma. If none were present, the patient was classified as normal.Results.72 control subjects and 72 glaucoma patients were included. Evaluation of NMFP had a sensitivity of 79.17% and a specificity of 80.56% for specialist 1 and a sensitivity of 72.22% and a specificity of 88.88% for specialist 2 for the detection of glaucoma. The overall accuracy was 79.83% and 80.55%, respectively.Discussion.NMFP evaluation by a glaucoma specialist may be useful for the detection of glaucoma in diabetics.
A Fast Semiautomatic Algorithm for Centerline-Based Vocal Tract Segmentation
Authors: Poznyakovskiy Anton A. , Mainka Alexander , Platzek Ivan , Mürbe Dirk
Published: October 2015

Vocal tract morphology is an important factor in voice production. Its analysis has potential implications for educational matters as well as medical issues like voice therapy. The knowledge of the complex adjustments in the spatial geometry of the vocal tract during phonation is still limited. For a major part, this is due to difficulties in acquiring geometry data of the vocal tract in the process of voice production. In this study, a centerline-based segmentation method using active contours was introduced to extract the geometry data of the vocal tract obtained with MRI during sustained vowel phonation. The applied semiautomatic algorithm was found to be time- and interaction-efficient and allowed performing various three-dimensional measurements on the resulting model. The method is suitable for an improved detailed analysis of the vocal tract morphology during speech or singing which might give some insights into the underlying mechanical processes.
Trigonella foenum(Fenugreek) Induced Apoptosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Line, HepG2, Mediated by Upregulation of p53 and Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen
Authors: Khalil Mahmoud I. M. , Ibrahim Mohamed M. , El-Gaaly Gehan A. , Sultan Ahmed S.
Published: October 2015

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and most current therapies are of limited efficacy.Trigonella foenum(Fenugreek) is a traditional herbal plant with antitumor activity, although the mechanisms of its activity remain unclear. Herein, a crude methanol extract was prepared from Fenugreek seeds (FCE) and its anticancer mechanism was evaluated, using HepG2 cell line. Growth-inhibitory effect and apoptosis induction of HepG2 cells were evidenced by MTT assay, cell morphology alteration, apoptosis enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometric analysis, caspase-3 activity, and expression of p53, proapoptotic protein, Bax, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) after (100∼500 μg/mL) FCE treatment for 48 h. Furthermore, FCE was analyzed by Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Our results revealed that FCE treatment for 48 h showed a cytotoxic effect and apoptosis induction in a dose-dependent manner that was mediated by upregulation of p53, Bax, PCNA, and caspase-3 activation in HepG2 cells. GC-MS analysis of FCE showed the presence of fourteen bioactive compounds such as Terpenoids and Flavonoids, including two main constituents with anticancer activity, Squalene and Naringenin (27.71% and 24.05%), respectively. Our data introduced FCE as a promising nontoxic herbal with therapeutic potential to induce apoptosis in HepG2 cells through p53, Bax, and PCNA upregulation in caspase-3 dependent manner.
Perturbation Approach to Reconstructing Deformations in a Coaxial Cylindrical Waveguide
Authors: Dalarsson M. , Emadi S. M. H. , Norgren M.
Published: October 2015

We study a detection method for continuous mechanical deformations of coaxial cylindrical waveguide boundaries, using perturbation theory. The inner boundary of the waveguide is described as a continuous PEC structure with deformations modeled by suitable continuous functions. In the present approach, the computation complexity is significantly reduced compared to discrete conductor models studied in our previous work. If the mechanically deformed metallic structure is irradiated by the microwave fields of appropriate frequencies, then, by means of measurements of the scattered fields at both ends, we can reconstruct the continuous deformation function. We apply the first-order perturbation method to the inverse problem of reconstruction of boundary deformations, using the dominant TEM-mode of the microwave radiation. Different orders of Tikhonov regularization, using the L-curve criterion, are investigated. Using reflection data, we obtain reconstruction results that indicate an agreement between the reconstructed and true continuous deformations of waveguide boundaries.
Garcinia dulcisFruit Extract Induced Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis in HepG2 Liver Cancer Cell Line
Authors: Abu Bakar Mohd Fadzelly , Ahmad Nor Ezani , Suleiman Monica , Rahmat Asmah , Isha Azizul
Published: October 2015

Garcinia dulcisor locally known in Malaysia as “mundu” belongs to the family of Clusiaceae. The study was conducted to investigate the anticancer potential of different parts ofG. dulcisfruit extracts and their possible mechanism of action in HepG2 liver cancer cell line. MTT assay showed that the peel, flesh, and seed extracts ofG. dulcisinduced cytotoxicity in HepG2 cell line with IC50values of 46.33 ± 4.51, 38.33 ± 3.51, and 7.5 ± 2.52 µg/mL, respectively. The flesh extract ofG. dulcisinduced cell cycle arrest at sub-G1(apoptosis) phase in a time-dependent manner. Staining with Annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide showed that 41.2% of the cell population underwent apoptosis after 72 hours of exposure of the HepG2 cell line toG. dulcisflesh extract. Caspase-3 has been shown to be activated which finally leads to the death of HepG2 cell (apoptosis). GC-MS analysis showed that the highest percentage of compound identified in the extract ofG. dulcisflesh was hydroxymethylfurfural and 3-methyl-2,5-furandione, together with xanthones and flavonoids (based on literature), could synergistically contribute to the observed effects. This finding suggested that the flesh extract ofG. dulcishas its own potential as cancer chemotherapeutic agent against liver cancer cell.
Antibiotic Resistance inStreptococcus pneumoniaeafter Azithromycin Distribution for Trachoma
Authors: Ho Derek K-H. , Sawicki Christian , Grassly Nicholas
Published: October 2015

Trachoma is caused byChlamydia trachomatisand is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Mass distribution of azithromycin (AZM) is part of the strategy for the global elimination of blinding trachoma by 2020. Although resistance to AZM inC. trachomatishas not been reported, there have been concerns about resistance in other organisms when AZM is administered in community settings. We identified studies that measured pneumococcal prevalence and resistance to AZM following mass AZM provision reported up to 2013 in Medline and Web of Science databases. Potential sources of bias were assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. A total of 45 records were screened, of which 8 met the inclusion criteria. We identified two distinct trends of resistance prevalence, which are dependent on frequency of AZM provision and baseline prevalence of resistance. We also demonstrated strong correlation between the prevalence of resistance at baseline and at 2-3 months (r=0.759). Although resistance to AZM inC. trachomatishas not been reported, resistance to this commonly used macrolide antibiotic in other diseases could compromise treatment. This should be considered when planning long-term trachoma control strategies.
Asymmetric Barrier Lyapunov Function-Based Wheel Slip Control for Antilock Braking System
Authors: Chen Xiaolei , Dai Zhiyong , Lin Hui , Qiu Yanan , Liang Xiaogeng
Published: October 2015

As an important device of the aircraft landing system, the antilock braking system (ABS) has a function to avoid aircraft wheels self-locking. To deal with the strong nonlinear characteristics, complex nonlinear control schemes are applied in ABS. However, none of existing control schemes focus on the braking operating status, which directly reflects wheels self-locking degree. In this paper, the braking operating status region is divided into three regions: the healthy region, the light slip region, and the deep slip region. An ABLF-based wheel slip controller is proposed for ABS to constrain the braking system operating status in the healthy region and the light slip region. Therefore the ABS will be prevented from operating in the deep slip region. Under the proposed control scheme, self-locking is avoided completely and zero steady state error tracking of the wheel optimal slip ratio is implemented. The Hardware-In-Loop (HIL) experiments have validated the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
Spoken Word Recognition Errors in Speech Audiometry: A Measure of Hearing Performance?
Authors: Coene Martine , van der Lee Anneke , Govaerts Paul J.
Published: October 2015

This report provides a detailed analysis of incorrect responses from an open-set spoken word-repetition task which is part of a Dutch speech audiometric test battery. Single-consonant confusions were analyzed from 230 normal hearing participants in terms of the probability of choice of a particular response on the basis of acoustic-phonetic, lexical, and frequency variables. The results indicate that consonant confusions are better predicted by lexical knowledge than by acoustic properties of the stimulus word. A detailed analysis of the transmission of phonetic features indicates that “voicing” is best preserved whereas “manner of articulation” yields most perception errors. As consonant confusion matrices are often used to determine the degree and type of a patient’s hearing impairment, to predict a patient’s gain in hearing performance with hearing devices and to optimize the device settings in view of maximum output, the observed findings are highly relevant for the audiological practice. Based on our findings, speech audiometric outcomes provide a combined auditory-linguistic profile of the patient. The use of confusion matrices might therefore not be the method best suited to measure hearing performance. Ideally, they should be complemented by other listening task types that are known to have less linguistic bias, such as phonemic discrimination.
Cloud-Based RFID Mutual Authentication Protocol without Leaking Location Privacy to the Cloud
Authors: Dong Qingkuan , Tong Jiaqing , Chen Yuan
Published: October 2015

With the rapid developments of the IoT (Internet of Things) and the cloud computing, cloud-based RFID systems attract more attention. Users can reduce their cost of deploying and maintaining the RFID system by purchasing cloud services. However, the security threats of cloud-based RFID systems are more serious than those of traditional RFID systems. In cloud-based RFID systems, the connection between the reader and the cloud database is not secure and cloud service provider is not trusted. Therefore, the users have to encrypt their data stored in the cloud database to prevent the leakage of privacy. In addition, the reader’s location privacy should be protected to avoid its leak to the cloud provider. In this paper, a cloud-based RFID mutual authentication protocol without leaking location privacy to the cloud is proposed. It provides real-time mutual authentication between the reader and the tag and protects the reader’s location privacy by introducing the location privacy cloud. Compared with traditional backend-server-based schemes and serverless schemes, the proposed scheme has obvious advantages in deployment cost, scalability, real-time authentication, and the tag’s computational complexity.
Towards a Job Demands-Resources Health Model: Empirical Testing with Generalizable Indicators of Job Demands, Job Resources, and Comprehensive Health Outcomes
Authors: Brauchli Rebecca , Jenny Gregor J. , Füllemann Désirée , Bauer Georg F.
Published: October 2015

Studies using the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model commonly have a heterogeneous focus concerning the variables they investigate—selective job demands and resources as well as burnout and work engagement. The present study applies the rationale of the JD-R model to expand the relevant outcomes of job demands and job resources by linking the JD-R model to the logic of a generic health development framework predicting more broadly positive and negative health. The resulting JD-R health model was operationalized and tested with a generalizable set of job characteristics and positive and negative health outcomes among a heterogeneous sample of 2,159 employees. Applying a theory-driven and a data-driven approach, measures which were generally relevant for all employees were selected. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that the model fitted the data. Multiple group analyses indicated invariance across six organizations, gender, job positions, and three times of measurement. Initial evidence was found for the validity of an expanded JD-R health model. Thereby this study contributes to the current research on job characteristics and health by combining the core idea of the JD-R model with the broader concepts of salutogenic and pathogenic health development processes as well as both positive and negative health outcomes.
On Equalities Involving Integrals of the Logarithm of the Riemann ς-Function with Exponential Weight Which Are Equivalent to the Riemann Hypothesis
Authors: Sekatskii Sergey K. , Beltraminelli Stefano , Merlini Danilo
Published: October 2015

Integral equalities involving integrals of the logarithm of the Riemann ς-function with exponential weight functions are introduced, and it is shown that an infinite number of them are equivalent to the Riemann hypothesis. Some of these equalities are tested numerically. The possible contribution of the Riemann function zeroes nonlying on the critical line is rigorously estimated and shown to be extremely small, in particular, smaller than nine milliards of decimals for the maximal possible weight function exp(−2πt). We also show how certain Fourier transforms of the logarithm of the Riemann zeta-function taken along the real (demi)axis are expressible via elementary functions plus logarithm of the gamma-function and definite integrals thereof, as well as certain sums over trivial and nontrivial Riemann function zeroes.
Efficacy and Safety of Platelet Glycoprotein Receptor Blockade in Aged and Comorbid Mice With Acute Experimental Stroke
Authors: Kraft Peter , Schuhmann Michael K. , Fluri Felix , Lorenz Kristina , Zernecke Alma , Stoll Guido , Nieswandt Bernhard , Kleinschnitz Christoph
Published: October 2015

Background and Purpose—

Despite the medical and socioeconomic effect of ischemic stroke and extensive preclinical research, treatment options for ischemic stroke are limited. We recently identified and characterized essential steps of thrombus formation in stroke and demonstrated that inhibition of the platelet glycoprotein (GP) receptors Ib and VI, but not IIb/IIIa, protects young and healthy mice from ischemic neurodegeneration. Whether these findings translate to the clinic remains unclear. Considering that the typical stroke patient is elderly with comorbidity, we aimed to analyze the efficacy and safety of novel preclinical antithrombotics in adult and comorbid mice with acute experimental stroke.

Methods—

We subjected adult, healthy, atherosclerotic (
Ldlr
−/−
), diabetic (streptozotocin treated), and hypertensive (
RenTgMK
) mice to a 60-minute transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Animals were pretreated with anti-GPVI antibodies or treated 1 hour after stroke induction with anti-GPIb or anti-GPIIb/IIIa antigen–binding fragments, respectively. Isotype treatment served as control. Twenty-four hours after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion, we visually assessed the intracerebral hemorrhage rate and measured infarct volumes (using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride–stained brain slices) and functional outcome (using Bederson and grip-test scores).

Results—

GPIb and GPVI inhibition protected the mice from ischemic stroke without increasing bleeding complications. In contrast, GPIIb/IIIa inhibition was not protective but increased the intracerebral hemorrhage rate.

Conclusions—

Inhibition of early steps of thrombus formation protects adult and comorbid mice from ischemic stroke. The use of clinically meaningful mouse strains might improve the translation of preclinical stroke research to the clinic.
Lessons Learned from a Cross-Model Validation between a Discrete Event Simulation Model and a Cohort State-Transition Model for Personalized Breast Cancer Treatment
Authors: Jahn Beate , Rochau Ursula , Kurzthaler Christina , Paulden Mike , Kluibenschädl Martina , Arvandi Marjan , Kühne Felicitas , Goehler Alexander , Krahn Murray D. , Siebert Uwe
Published: October 2015

Objectives. Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in developed countries. We developed a model (the Oncotyrol breast cancer outcomes model) to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a 21-gene assay when used in combination with Adjuvant! Online to support personalized decisions about the use of adjuvant chemotherapy. The goal of this study was to perform a cross-model validation. Methods. The Oncotyrol model evaluates the 21-gene assay by simulating a hypothetical cohort of 50-year-old women over a lifetime horizon using discrete event simulation. Primary model outcomes were life-years, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). We followed the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research–Society for Medical Decision Making (ISPOR-SMDM) best practice recommendations for validation and compared modeling results of the Oncotyrol model with the state-transition model developed by the Toronto Health Economics and Technology Assessment (THETA) Collaborative. Both models were populated with Canadian THETA model parameters, and outputs were compared. Results. The differences between the models varied among the different validation end points. The smallest relative differences were in costs, and the greatest were in QALYs. All relative differences were less than 1.2%. The cost-effectiveness plane showed that small differences in the model structure can lead to different sets of nondominated test-treatment strategies with different efficiency frontiers. We faced several challenges: distinguishing between differences in outcomes due to different modeling techniques and initial coding errors, defining meaningful differences, and selecting measures and statistics for comparison (means, distributions, multivariate outcomes). Conclusions. Cross-model validation was crucial to identify and correct coding errors and to explain differences in model outcomes. In our comparison, small differences in either QALYs or costs led to changes in ICERs because of changes in the set of dominated and nondominated strategies.
Can deliberation neutralise power?
Authors: Bagg Samuel
Published: October 2015

Most democratic theorists agree that concentrations of wealth and power tend to distort the functioning of democracy and ought to be countered wherever possible. Deliberative democrats are no exception: though not its only potential value, the capacity of deliberation to ‘neutralise power’ is often regarded as ‘fundamental’ to deliberative theory. Power may be neutralised, according to many deliberative democrats, if citizens can be induced to commit more fully to the deliberative resolution of common problems. If they do, they will be unable to get away with inconsistencies and bad or private reasons, thereby mitigating the illegitimate influence of power. I argue, however, that the means by which power inflects political disagreement is far more subtle than this model suggests and cannot be countered so simply. As a wealth of recent research in political psychology demonstrates, human beings persistently exhibit ‘motivated reasoning’, meaning that even when we are sincerely committed to the deliberative resolution of common problems, and even when we are exposed to the same reasons and evidence, we still disagree strongly about what ‘fair cooperation’ entails. Motivated reasoning can be counteracted, but only under exceptional circumstances such as those that enable modern science, which cannot be reliably replicated in our society at large. My analysis suggests that in democratic politics – which rules out the kind of anti-democratic practices available to scientists – we should not expect deliberation to reliably neutralise power.
Neoliberal ideology in a private Sudbury school
Authors: Wilson Marguerite Anne Fillion
Published: October 2015

Educational researchers have called attention to how neoliberal ideology has profoundly and detrimentally influenced public education systems, but less attention has been paid to how neoliberalism influences private educational institutions. This article examines the influence of neoliberal ideology on education in the USA through an ethnographic case study of a private Sudbury school, Central Valley Sudbury School (CVSS), whose radical unschooling philosophy positions itself in an oppositional stance towards public schools, which it perceives to be hopelessly beyond repair. CVSS represents the permeation of neoliberal ideology in education through its very existence as a private school in the growing alternative education industry. While Sudbury practitioners positioned themselves in opposition to the neoliberal policies and practices of public schools, at the micro-level of routine interaction at CVSS, neoliberalism presented itself through discourses of meritocracy and choice, individual autonomy, entrepreneurship, and education as a private good. Such a contradiction reveals that there may be more congruence between radical unschooling philosophies and neoliberal rationality than would first appear. The article contributes additional understanding to how schools—both public and private—reproduce key ideologies of the society in which they are embedded.
Comprehensive Coach Education Reduces Head Impact Exposure in American Youth Football
Authors: Kerr Zachary Y. , Yeargin Susan W. , Valovich McLeod Tamara C. , Mensch James , Hayden Ross , Dompier Thomas P.
Published: October 2015

Background:

Despite little evidence that defines a threshold of head impact exposure or that participation in youth sports leads to long-term cognitive impairments, it is prudent to identify methods of reducing the frequency of head impacts.

Purpose:

To compare the mean number of head impacts between youth football players in practice and games between leagues that implemented the Heads Up Football (HUF) educational program and those that did not (NHUF).

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

During the 2014 season, head impact exposure was measured using xPatch accelerometers from 70 youth football players aged 8 to 15 years from 5 leagues. Data were collected during both games and practices. The NHUF group comprised 32 players from 8 teams within 3 leagues. The HUF group comprised 38 players from 7 teams within 2 leagues. Independent-sample t tests evaluated differences in head impact exposure across groups (ie, HUF and NHUF).

Results:

Players (mean ± SD: age, 11.7 ± 1.4 years; height, 152.2 ± 10.5 cm; weight, 51.6 ± 9.6 kg) experienced a total of 7478 impacts over 10 g, of which 4250 (56.8%) and 3228 (43.2%) occurred in practices and games, respectively. The majority of impacts occurred within the NHUF group (62.0%), followed by the HUF group (38.0%). With a 10 g impact threshold, the mean number of impacts during practice per individual event was lower in the HUF group (mean ± SD, 5.6 ± 2.9) than in the NHUF group (mean ± SD, 8.9 ± 3.1; difference, 3.4; 95% CI, 2.9-3.9). This difference was attenuated when the threshold was changed to 20 g but remained significant (difference, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.7-1.3). At both the 10 g and 20 g impact thresholds, no differences were found in games.

Conclusion:

Players who participated in HUF leagues accumulated fewer head impacts per practice at both the 10 g and 20 g thresholds. Youth football leagues should consider the HUF educational program, while exploring additional interventions, to help reduce the number of head impacts in players.
Color vision varies more among populations than among species of live-bearing fish from South America
Authors: Sandkam Benjamin A. , Young C. Megan , Breden Frances Margaret Walker , Bourne Godfrey R. , Breden Felix
Published: October 2015

Background

Sensory Bias models for the evolution of mate preference place a great emphasis on the role of sensory system variation in mate preferences. However, the extent to which sensory systems vary across- versus within-species remains largely unknown. Here we assessed whether color vision varies in natural locations where guppies (Poecilia reticulata) and their two closest relatives, Poecilia parae and Poecilia picta, occur in extreme sympatry and school together. All three species base mate preferences on male coloration but differ in the colors preferred.

Results

Measuring opsin gene expression, we found that within sympatric locations these species have similar color vision and that color vision differed more across populations of conspecifics. In addition, all three species differ across populations in the frequency of the same opsin coding polymorphism that influences visual tuning.

Conclusions

Together, this shows sensory systems vary considerably across populations and supports the possibility that sensory system variation is involved in population divergence of mate preference.
Combination therapy of menstrual derived mesenchymal stem cells and antibiotics ameliorates survival in sepsis
Authors: Alcayaga-Miranda Francisca , Cuenca Jimena , Martin Aldo , Contreras Luis , Figueroa Fernando E. , Khoury Maroun
Published: October 2015

Introduction

Sepsis is a clinical syndrome associated with a severe systemic inflammation induced by infection. Although different anti-microbial drugs have been used as treatments, morbidity and mortality rates remain high. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from the bone marrow have demonstrated a partial protective effect in sepsis. Menstrual derived MSCs (MenSCs) emerge as an attractive candidate because they present important advantages over other sources, including improved proliferation rates and paracrine response under specific stress conditions. Here, we evaluate their therapeutic effect in a polymicrobial severe sepsis model.

Methods

The antimicrobial activity of MenSCs was determined in vitro through direct and indirect bacterial growth assays and the measurement of the expression levels of different antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The therapeutic effect of MenSCs was determined in the cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) mouse model. Mice were then treated with antibiotics (AB) or MenSCs alone or in combination. The survival rates and histological and biochemical parameters were evaluated, and the systemic levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines as well as the response of specific lymphocyte subsets were determined by flow cytometry.

Results

MenSCs exerted an important antimicrobial effect in vitro, mediated by a higher expression of the AMP-hepcidin. In the CLP mouse model, MenSCs in synergy with AB (a) improved the survival rate (95 %) in comparison with saline (6 %), AB (73 %), and MenSCs alone (48 %) groups; (b) enhanced bacterial clearance in the peritoneal fluids and blood; (c) reduced organ injuries evaluated by lower concentrations of the liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase; and (d) modulated the inflammatory response through reduction of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines without significant loss of T and B lymphocytes.

Conclusions

We conclude that MenSCs in combination with AB enhance survival in CLP-induced sepsis by acting on multiples targets. MenSCs thus constitute a feasible approach for the future clinical treatment of sepsis.
High-quality permanent draft genome sequence of the Lebeckia ambigua-nodulating Burkholderia sp. strain WSM4176
Authors: De Meyer Sofie E. , Tian Rui , Seshadri Rekha , Reddy TBK , Markowitz Victor , Ivanova Natalia , Pati Amrita , Woyke Tanja , Kyrpides Nikos , Yates Ron , Howieson John , Reeve Wayne
Published: October 2015

Burkholderia sp. strain WSM4176 is an aerobic, motile, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming rod that was isolated from an effective N2-fixing root nodule of Lebeckia ambigua collected in Nieuwoudtville, Western Cape of South Africa, in October 2007. This plant persists in infertile, acidic and deep sandy soils, and is therefore an ideal candidate for a perennial based agriculture system in Western Australia. Here we describe the features of Burkholderia sp. strain WSM4176, which represents a potential inoculant quality strain for L. ambigua, together with sequence and annotation. The 9,065,247 bp high-quality-draft genome is arranged in 13 scaffolds of 65 contigs, contains 8369 protein-coding genes and 128 RNA-only encoding genes, and is part of the GEBA-RNB project proposal (Project ID 882).
High-quality permanent draft genome sequence of the Mimosa asperata - nodulating Cupriavidus sp. strain AMP6
Authors: De Meyer Sofie E. , Parker Matthew , Van Berkum Peter , Tian Rui , Seshadri Rekha , Reddy T.B.K. , Markowitz Victor , Ivanova Natalia , Pati Amrita , Woyke Tanja , Kyrpides Nikos , Howieson John , Reeve Wayne
Published: October 2015

Cupriavidus sp. strain AMP6 is an aerobic, motile, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming rod that was isolated from a root nodule of Mimosa asperata collected in Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Texas, in 2005. Mimosa asperata is the only legume described so far to exclusively associates with Cupriavidus symbionts. Moreover, strain AMP6 represents an early-diverging lineage within the symbiotic Cupriavidus group and has the capacity to develop an effective nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with three other species of Mimosa. Therefore, the genome of Cupriavidus sp. strain AMP6 enables comparative analyses of symbiotic trait evolution in this genus and here we describe the general features, together with sequence and annotation. The 7,579,563 bp high-quality permanent draft genome is arranged in 260 scaffolds of 262 contigs, contains 7,033 protein-coding genes and 97 RNA-only encoding genes, and is part of the GEBA-RNB project proposal.
The Eradication of Memory: Film Adaptations and Algorithms of the Digital
Authors: Stenport Anna Westerståhl , Traylor Garrett
Published: October 2015

This article analyzes how film adaptations and remakes exemplify and illustrate what the authors argue have recently emerged as two dominant conceptual frameworks for understanding cultural representation and digital information organization: an accelerated techno-historical forgetfulness, or an increasingly rapid cultural half-life of ideas, and theories of database logic and practices of digitally networked search culture. Discussing these frameworks with respect to film adaptation and remake theory and history, we draw on the global phenomenon of Stieg Larsson’s crime-fiction Millennium trilogy and especially the two film versions of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo , by Niels Arden Oplev (2009) and David Fincher (2011), respectively.
The Spectral Return of Cinema: Globalization and Cinephilia in Contemporary Chinese Film
Authors: Braester Yomi
Published: October 2015

The article traces the responses of Chinese directors, industry policy makers, and critics to film’s globalization and digitization. The debate in China foregrounds how the endorsement and repudiation of the CGI-rich blockbuster are based not only on aesthetic taste and concern about film’s indexicality but also on an ethical engagement with the ideological consequences of globalization. Supporters of the blockbuster model have invoked the urgency to catch up with Hollywood. Those seeking an alternative have relied on cinephiliac sentiments, insisting on the specificity of cinematic traditions. Jia Zhangke’s I Wish I Knew (2010) in particular calls for a reassessment of the relationship between the profilmic event and its cinematic record, underlining the ethical stakes in contemporary debates on visual memory.
Variation within Stability: Digital 3D and Film Style
Authors: Jones Nick
Published: October 2015

This article conducts an analysis of contemporary 3D film style in narrative features, examining how stereoscopy has been married to existing cinematic form. Formal examinations of 3D sequences show them to work within systems of classical or intensified continuity while also generating patterns of meaning tied to the 3D format.
The proto-motion event schema: Integrating Lexical Semantics and Morphological Sequencing
Authors: Meichun Liu , Hsin-shan Tsai , Chia-yin Hu , Shu-ping Chou
Published: October 2015

The present paper investigates Mandarin verbs of MOTION, one of the fundamental domains of human activities and extensively discussed areas in linguistic research. Previous studies on Mandarin motion verbs are done primarily with a typological concern. However, given the iconic nature of serial motions in Mandarin, this paper attempts to provide a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the semantic-to-morphological and lexical-to-grammatical distinctions pertaining to the colloconstructional sequencing of motion verbs. Based on the Proto-Motion Event Schema (PMS), it offers an overarching framework for a top-down analysis of the conceptual structure of motion and a bottom-up examination of corpus-based collocations. Representing the iconic sequence of serial motion events, the Schema helps to identify the crucial semantic components, both verb-internally and verb-externally, for a systematic investigation and classification of motion progression. It attempts to establish a link for lexical semantic studies of motion from various perspectives. By probing into the conceptual basis of proto-motion event, the study ultimately offers an iconically-motivated account of the possible ranges of verb meaning and the semantic-to-morphosyntactic sequencing of Mandarin motion verbs.
How language use shapes meaning: A Case Study of Singapore Southern Min Loanword Balu
Authors: Chew Teo Ming
Published: October 2015

In contact linguistics, an overlooked area that has immense research potential is regular semantic change exhibited by loanwords. Due to the relatively shorter histories of contact languages as compared to ‘normal’ languages, semantic changes in contact languages are far better understood, thereby presenting us with case studies of polysemous words where contact-induced change and regular semantic change can be better demarcated. Studying such phenomena will thus shed light on the cognitive processes behind semantic change. This paper looks at how language use shapes the semantic pathway of Singapore Southern Min loanword balu and suggests that the findings in this paper can be applied cross-linguistically to other cases of regular semantic change. Singapore Colloquial Malay adverb baru ‘recently’ was borrowed into Singapore Southern Min as balu ‘recently’. Although Southern Min balu and Malay baru both share a common function, they exhibit disparate semantic pathways. Data gathered shows that loanword balu ‘recently’ has no tendency to develop a conjunctive function similar to that of Singapore Colloquial Malay and baru ‘recently’ has no tendency to develop another adverbial function like that of balu ‘recently’ in Singapore Southern Min. Initial findings of this paper suggest that the contrasting semantic pathways for Southern Min balu ‘recently’ and Malay baru ‘recently’ are due to differences in semantic fields a particular word is most strongly associated. Nevertheless, the overarching mechanism behind both semantic changes is still pragmatic inferencing, or in other words, a reanalysis of contextually ambiguous sentences.
How does the prosody influence verb-included compound
Authors: Yulai Pei , Jinping Qiu
Published: October 2015

It is not the result of syntactic or morphologic operation for the forming of verb-included compounds, like Zhizhan Fensui Ji [INSERT INLINE GRAPHIC] but the outcome of prosodic factor because it is acceptable for compounds like SuiZhi Ji [INSERT INLINE GRAPHIC] or Zhizhang Fensui Ji [INSERT INLINE GRAPHIC], but unacceptable for Fensui Zhizhang Ji [INSERT INLINE GRAPHIC] or ZhiSui Ji [INSERT INLINE GRAPHIC]. Even though scholars have published many articles on the issue about the prosodic factors in the forming of compounds, drawbacks of these researches gradually emerge. This paper not only analyzes the drawbacks but also put forward the view that Chinese verb-included compound is influenced by two prosodic restrictions, including Verbal-Foot Adjacency and Natural Foot Limitation, which can effectively explain how prosody shapes the production of verb-included compounds.
Types of falling tones
Authors: Xiaonong Zhu
Published: October 2015

Based on firsthand acoustic data, this paper aims to determine how many phonologically contrastive falling tones exist in tonal languages, and what kinds of distinctive features are needed to specify them. These goals are achieved by using a tonal model called the Multi-Register and Four-Level Model, which represents tones along four parameters: register, length, height, and contour. Having excluded a quasi-falling tone, this paper identifies seven Falling Tonotypes in the M Register: High, Low, MS-High, MS-Low, Deferred-High, Deferred-Low, and Slight Falling. Four of these also occur in the L Register with special voice qualities. In total, there are eleven Falling Tonotypes, which can be specified according to five distinctive features.
Devoicing of Historically Voiced Obstruents in Xiangxiang Chinese––an Acoustic-Phonetic Perspective
Authors: Ting Zeng
Published: October 2015

In this paper the present-day pronunciations of the historically voiced obstruents in Xiangxiang Chinese were examined from an acoustic-phonetic perspective. Results strongly supported an ongoing process of devoicing for the voiced stops, fricatives and affricates, which is conditioned by a couple of factors including sex of speaker, place of articulation, manner of articulation and historically tonal type. Specifically, historically voiced obstruents in syllables corresponding to the historical tone category Ru have all become voiceless unaspirated or voiceless aspirated, meaning the process of devoicing has already completed; in contrast, for those that occur in syllables corresponding to the other three tonal categories, i.e., Ping, Shang , and Qu , i) the historical devoicing is still in progress, as evidenced by a considerable amount of intra- and inter-speaker free variation in the pattern of voicing among “fully voiced”, “partially devoiced” and “fully devoiced” obstruents; ii) the degree of devoicing is the highest in voiced fricatives, followed by the voiced affricates, and is the lowest in voiced stops; and iii) the devoicing also tends to be more extensive for obstruents with a more posterior place of articulation, and for male than female speakers. Candidate explanations for these patterns of devoicing were also presented.
The Origins and Grammaticalization Paths of “Le([INSERT INLINE GRAPHIC] 2 )” in the Northern and Southern Mandarins
Authors: Xiaoxue Huang
Published: October 2015

The periods during which the particle “le ([INSERT INLINE GRAPHIC] 2 )” fully developed and matured in the Northern and Southern Mandarins are different: the former in the Ming Dynasty while the latter in the Southern Song Dynasty. Also, the evolution paths of “le ([INSERT INLINE GRAPHIC] 2 )” in the Northern and Southern Mandarins are different: the southern “le ([INSERT INLINE GRAPHIC] 2 )” is derived from the phase complement “le” in the structure “verb (+ object) + le” and the northern “le ([INSERT INLINE GRAPHIC] 2 )”is grammaticalized from the aspect particle “le ([INSERT INLINE GRAPHIC] 1 )”.
“To Support the Southern Medical Public”: The Medical College of Georgia as a Southern Information Agency, 1828–1861
Authors: Stewart J Brenton
Published: October 2015

A traditional perspective situates nineteenth-century southern academic library culture as a late-century phenomenon. This article challenges that assertion and traditional beliefs about the South’s indifference to cultural advancement by examining the print culture of one of the South’s leading educational institutions, the Medical College of Georgia. An antebellum information agency, the Medical College of Georgia leveraged its medical library, museum, and journal to transform medical information production, dissemination, and consumption in the South and represents an important symbol of southern modernity. This article presents a distinct analysis of early nineteenth-century southern medicoscientific information culture.