bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSVERSAL COMPETENCES IN SCHOOL EDUCATION (A DIDACTIC INTERPRETATION)
Authors: Tsankov Nikolay
Published: January 2018

The contemporary socio-cultural and educational situation points the attention to the analysis and construction of opportunities for the formation and development of transversal competences in school education. It is expedient therefore that within the process of education in all school subjects and throughout all ages and cognitive activities the decisions for the design of a suitable educational environment should be systematized and specified in such a way as to guarantee that knowledge and skills can be continuously regrouped in accordance with context. In other words, these skills and the knowledge they are based on, should form the foundation of transversal competences that can be applied regardless of age and activities. The design of invariant technologies for the development of transversal competences is also related to the coordination of a variety of approaches, principles and conditions of education in such a manner as to provide effectiveness when these technologies are specifically applied as variants. This creates a necessity for a didactic interpretation of the means of development of transversal competences. Additionally, it poses a necessity to improve teachers’ special preparation and qualification to design educational environment that can guarantee the achievement of transversal competences as an educational outcome. The present research offers opportunities to realize this goal in an integrative and integrating process rather than as an isolated endevour on part of the teachers or as an unorganized effort on part of the students. This in turn poses some new requirements to the system of school education as a whole.
Educar a la ciudadanía global en una perspectiva intercultural
Authors: Fiorucci Massimiliano
Published: January 2018

Diferentes situaciones sociohistóricas han producido y seguirán produciendo desplazamientos de personas de unos territorios a otros. El sistema educativo está llamado a implicarse y a trazar posibles vías de actuación en una sociedad cada vez más plural y compleja, porque estos cambios, que ponen en tela de juicio los sistemas educativos y formativos establecidos en Europa, hacen que la sociedad dependa mucho más que antes de personas desconocidas que jamás se han visto entre sí y que deben afrontar cuestiones de carácter mundial (medioambientales, económicas, políticas y religiosas), que no podrán solucionarse por separado.En este ensayo se trata de aportar elementos contextualizadores indispensables en cualquier intento de abordar el cambio educativo. Las instituciones deben proporcionar nuevos conocimientos a los estudiantes sobre grupos minoritarios, sobre sus luchas, conquistas o su contribución a la cultura nacional, pero también de conocimientos referentes a otros países y sus poblaciones. Este conocimiento por sí solo no garantiza un comportamiento correcto, pero es requisito previo para superar estereotipos y prejuicios. Para comprender mejor la cuestión se proponen ejemplos referidos a Italia: su secular composición multicultural, la reducción de las humanidades y artes en favor de habilidades técnicas y conocimientos prácticos y científicos, y se analizan propuestas concretas de relevantes autores para una acción educativa intercultural. Se contrapone la educación orientada a la ganancia versus la educación hacia una ciudadanía más inclusiva, hacia la democracia teniendo en cuenta, además, que no es algo que atañe solo a la escuela, sino a toda la sociedad en sus distintos niveles:  la integración social tiene que ver también con las políticas de integración que un país está dispuesto a poner en marcha. Se concluye que la educación intercultural no es una nueva disciplina a añadir, sino una perspectiva diferente con la que ver los conocimientos que se enseñan actualmente.
Biblioteca de mujeres
Authors: Mediavilla Marisa
Published: January 2018

Breve historia de la creación, origen y características de la Biblioteca de mujeres. Situación actual y fondos.
Centração no paciente: Contributo para o estudo de adaptação da patient-practitioner orientation scale (PPOS)
Authors: Grilo Ana Monteiro , Santos Rita Joana , Carolino Elisabete Teresa , Gomes Ana Isabel , dos Santos Margarida Custódio
Published: January 2018

Objetivo

Este estudo teve como objetivo traduzir e contribuir para a adaptação para a população portuguesa (Português Europeu) da Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS).

Método

Após o processo de tradução e de pré-teste, a escala foi aplicada a 593 estudantes do 1º ao 6º ano do curso de Medicina em várias Universidades de Portugal Continental. A validade do construto e a fiabilidade do instrumento foram aferidas através da análise fatorial exploratória (ACP) e confirmatória (AFC), e do cálculo do coeficiente alpha de Cronbach.

Resultados

A versão final explica 31.54% da variância total e confirma a estrutura em dois fatores: Caring, (19.56% da variância) e Sharing (11.98% da variância). Os itens 2 e 4 apresentaram inconsistências com os fatores definidos à priori (versão original do instrumento), os itens 9 e 17 obtiveram cargas fatoriais inferiores a .3, e o item 3 registou uma diferença inferior a .1 entre as cargas fatoriais para os dois domínios. Os coeficientes de alpha de Cronbach foram .65, .50 e .56 para a escala total, e subscalas Caring e Sharing, respetivamente. A AFC revelou um bom ajustamento global do modelo de medida (χ2(132, N = 593) = 344.28, p < .001; χ2/gl = 2.61; GFI = .93; AGFI = .92; CFI = .87; NNFI = .81; SRMR = .084; RMSEA = .05, 95% CI [0.045, 0.059], p = .293). As análises exploratórias posteriores sugerem a possibilidade de melhoria dos índices de validade e de fiabilidade da escala total e da sub-escala Caring, com a retirada de itens específicos.

Conclusão

Não obstante as fragilidades encontradas no que concerne à fiabilidade e validade da PPOS-P para uma amostra de estudantes portugueses de Medicina, este estudo representa um contributo científico para a adaptação da escala, que pode ser considerada para efeitos de avaliação de atitudes de centração no paciente nos contextos da educação médica e da investigação.
Plant breeding in Lithuania: 95 years for science and agriculture improvement
Authors: Ruzgas Vytautas
Published: January 2018

Plant breeding in Lithuania was started in 1922 after the Dotnuva Plant Breeding Station had been established. The first head of this station was prof. D. Rudzinskas whose activities in plant breeding began in 1902 in Russia. The genetic basis for plant breeding was the local varieties and landraces, as well as the material developed by prof. Rudzinskas at the Moscow Plant Breeding Station. The chief method during the initial period of the Lithuanian plant breeding was analytic, later the so-called, “synthetic” plant breeding which included crossing programmes. The breeders used several selection schemes and field designs. In the first schemes the direct yield test was evaluated in late generations only. Progress in the field mechanization allowed to start yield tests at more early generations. Up-to-date breeding schemes are based on new requirements for varietal purity and uniformity. Over the period 1922–2017, 325 varieties have been developed by Lithuanian plant breeders.
Nonsense mRNA suppression via nonstop decay
Authors: Arribere Joshua A , Fire Andrew Z
Published: January 2018

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay is the process by which mRNAs bearing premature stop codons are recognized and cleared from the cell. While considerable information has accumulated regarding recognition of the premature stop codon, less is known about the ensuing mRNA suppression. During the characterization of a second, distinct translational surveillance pathway (nonstop mRNA decay), we trapped intermediates in nonsense mRNA degradation. We present data in support of a model wherein nonsense-mediated decay funnels into the nonstop decay pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans. Specifically, our results point to SKI-exosome decay and pelota-based ribosome removal as key steps facilitating suppression and clearance of prematurely-terminated translation complexes. These results suggest a model in which premature stop codons elicit nucleolytic cleavage, with the nonstop pathway disengaging ribosomes and degrading the resultant RNA fragments to suppress ongoing expression.
Variations in Progression and Regression of Precancerous Lesions of the Uterine Cervix on Cytology Testing Among Women of Different Races
Authors: Martingano Daniel , Renson Audrey , Martingano Alison Jane , Martingano Francis X.
Published: January 2018

Background

Although not incorporated into current cervical cancer screening guidelines, racial differences are known to persist in both occurrence of and outcomes related to cervical cancer.

Objective

To compare the differences in progression and regression of precancerous lesions of the uterine cervix on cervical cytologic analysis among women of different races who adhered to cervical cancer screening recommendations and follow-up.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study comparing differences in precancerous lesion diagnoses for patients receiving adequate evaluation according to the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology guidelines. The authors fit Markov multistate models to estimate self-reported race-specific expected wait times and hazard ratios for each possible regression and progression and compared a race model with an intercept-only model using a likelihood ratio test.

Results

The sample included 5472 women receiving a Papanicolaou test between January 2006 and September 2016, contributing a total of 24,316 person-years of follow-up. Of 21 hazard ratios tested for significance, the following 4 hazard ratios (95% CIs) were statistically significant: atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) progression to low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) for Hispanic patients (0.72; 95% CI, 0.54-0.96); LSIL regression to ASC-US for Hispanic patients (1.55; 95% CI, 1.04-2.31), LSIL regression to ASC-US for Asian patients (1.91; 95% CI, 1.08-3.36), and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion regression to LSIL for black patients (0.39; 95% CI, 0.16-0.96). There is an observed trend that all racial groups other than white had a slower rate of progression from ASC-US to LSIL, with Hispanics having demonstrated the slowest rate from ASC-US to LSIL. Hispanics also demonstrated the fastest rate from LSIL to HSIL when compared with all other race categories. In regressions, blacks had the slowest rate of regression from HSIL to LSIL, and Asians had the fastest rate from LSIL to ASC-US. The Hispanic group demonstrated the fastest expected progression (17.6 years; 95% CI, 11.5-25.5), as well as the fastest regression (27.6 years; 95% CI, 21.5-35.6), and the black group has the slowest expected times for both progression (28.1 years; 95% CI, 14.6-47.2) and regression (49 years; 95% CI, 29.1-86.2). The number of visits (1 vs ≥2) in the study was differentially distributed both by race (P=.033) and by last diagnosis (P<.001).

Conclusion

Variations in precancerous lesions of the uterine cervix are not uniform across races.
Toxic Injury to the Gastrointestinal Tract After Ipilimumab Therapy for Advanced Melanoma
Authors: Shepard Benjamin , Trower Carrie , Hendrickson Scott
Published: January 2018

Ipilimumab, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4–blocking antibody, is known to precipitate tissue-specific immune-related adverse events. The second most common site for immune-related adverse events is the gastrointestinal tract, with toxic injury resulting in diarrhea, colitis, and enterocolitis. In the present case, a woman who received ipilimumab 2 weeks prior was found to have severe, diffuse corticosteroid-refractory gastrointestinal tract toxic injury affecting the stomach, small bowel, and colon.
A redesign of OGC Symbology Encoding standard for sharing cartography
Authors: Bocher Erwan , Ertz Olivier
Published: January 2018

Despite most Spatial Data Infrastructures offering service-based visualization of geospatial data, requirements are often at a very basic level leading to poor quality of maps. This is a general observation for any geospatial architecture as soon as open standards as those of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) are applied. To improve the situation, this paper does focus on improvements at the portrayal interoperability side by considering standardization aspects. We propose two major redesign recommendations. First to consolidate the cartographic theory at the core of the OGC Symbology Encoding standard. Secondly to build the standard in a modular way so as to be ready to be extended with upcoming future cartographic requirements. Thus, we start by defining portrayal interoperability by means of typical-use cases that frame the concept of sharing cartography. Then we bring to light the strengths and limits of the relevant open standards to consider in this context. Finally we propose a set of recommendations to overcome the limits so as to make these use cases a true reality. Even if the definition of a cartographic-oriented standard is not able to act as a complete cartographic design framework by itself, we argue that pushing forward the standardization work dedicated to cartography is a way to share and disseminate good practices and finally to improve the quality of the visualizations.
Resounding failure to replicate links between developmental language disorder and cerebral lateralisation
Authors: Wilson Alexander C. , Bishop Dorothy V.M.
Published: January 2018

Background

It has been suggested that failure to establish cerebral lateralisation may be related to developmental language disorder (DLD). There has been weak support for any link with handedness, but more consistent reports of associations with functional brain lateralisation for language. The consistency of lateralisation across different functions may also be important. We aimed to replicate previous findings of an association between DLD and reduced laterality on a quantitative measure of hand preference (reaching across the midline) and on language laterality assessed using functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound (fTCD).

Methods

From a sample of twin children aged from 6;0 to 11;11 years, we identified 107 cases of DLD and 156 typically-developing comparison cases for whom we had useable data from fTCD yielding a laterality index (LI) for language function during an animation description task. Handedness data were also available for these children.

Results

Indices of handedness and language laterality for this twin sample were similar to those previously reported for single-born children. There were no differences between the DLD and TD groups on measures of handedness or language lateralisation, or on a categorical measure of consistency of left hemisphere dominance. Contrary to prediction, there was a greater incidence of right lateralisation for language in the TD group (19.90%) than the DLD group (9.30%), confirming that atypical laterality is not inconsistent with typical language development. We also failed to replicate associations between language laterality and language test scores.

Discussion and Conclusions

Given the large sample studied here and the range of measures, we suggest that previous reports of atypical manual or language lateralisation in DLD may have been false positives.
A new species ofCretalamna sensu stricto(Lamniformes, Otodontidae) from the Late Cretaceous (Santonian-Campanian) of Alabama, USA
Authors: Ebersole Jun A. , Ehret Dana J.
Published: January 2018

Decades of collecting from exposures of the Upper Cretaceous Tombigbee Sand Member of the Eutaw Formation and Mooreville Chalk in Alabama, USA has produced large numbers of isolatedCretalamna(sensu stricto) teeth. Many of these teeth had formerly been assigned to the extinct Late Cretaceous sharkCretalamna appendiculata(Agassiz, 1843), a taxon that is now considered largely restricted to the Turonian of Europe. Recent studies have shed light on the diversity of Late CretaceousCretalamna(s.s.) taxa, and here we recognize a new species from Alabama,Cretalamna bryanti. The teeth ofC. bryantisp. nov. appear aligned with the members of theCretalamna borealisspecies group, but can be distinguished from these other species by a combination of the following: anterior teeth with a more pronounced and triangular lingual root protuberance, broader triangular cusp, and a taller root relative to the height of the crown; anteriorly situated lateroposterior teeth have a distally inclined or hooked main cusp and more than one pair of lateral cusplets; and lateroposterior teeth have a strong distally hooked main cusp and a root that is largely symmetrical in basal view. At present,C. bryantisp. nov. is stratigraphically confined to the Santonian/CampanianDicarinella asymetricaSigal, 1952 andGlobotruncanita elevataBrotzen, 1934 Planktonic Foraminiferal Zones within the Tombigbee Sand Member of the Eutaw Formation and Mooreville Chalk, and teeth have been collected from only four counties in central and western Alabama. The recognition ofC. bryantisp. nov. in Alabama adds to our knowledge on the diversity and distribution of Late Cretaceous otodontids in the region.
Management Approach of Penetrating Vertebral Artery Injury with Concomitant Cervical Nerve Root Injury in Regional Hospital: Report of Two Cases
Authors: Yuk-Yu Lam , Hon-For Tsui , Hok-Leung Wong , Yuk-Yin Chow
Published: January 2018

Penetrating vertebral artery injury is uncommon yet potentially fatal. We present two cases of penetrating vertebral artery injury with concomitant cervical nerve root injury managed in our centre. The first case was a young gentleman who suffered from neck injury by broken metal fragment. Cervical nerve root injury was suspected preoperatively. Massive bleeding from vertebral artery was encountered during wound exploration. It was managed by ligation, followed by retrograde endovascular embolisation. The second case was a young lady being assaulted with knife and fork over the neck. She was also suspected to have cervical nerve root injury preoperatively. Vascular control of vertebral artery was achieved with endovascular intervention. Subsequent operation for foreign body removal and nerve root repair was performed with minimal bleeding intraoperatively. Management approach of penetrating vertebral artery injury with concomitant cervical nerve root injury and the role of endovascular intervention were discussed.
Amatoxin-Containing Mushroom Poisonings: Species, Toxidromes, Treatments, and Outcomes
Authors: Diaz James H.
Published: January 2018

Amatoxins are produced primarily by 3 species of mushrooms: Amanita, Lepiota, and Galerina. Because amatoxin poisonings are increasing, the objective of this review was to identify all amatoxin-containing mushroom species, present a toxidromic approach to earlier diagnoses, and compare the efficacies and outcomes of therapies. To meet these objectives, Internet search engines were queried with keywords to select peer-reviewed scientific articles on amatoxin-containing mushroom poisoning and management. Descriptive epidemiological analyses have documented that most mushroom poisonings are caused by unknown mushrooms, and most fatal mushroom poisonings are caused by amatoxin-containing mushrooms. Amanita species cause more fatal mushroom poisonings than other amatoxin-containing species, such as Galerina and Lepiota. Amanita phalloides is responsible for most fatalities, followed by Amanita virosa and Amanita verna. The most frequently reported fatal Lepiota ingestions are due to Lepiota brunneoincarnata, and the most frequently reported fatal Galerina species ingestions are due to Galerina marginata. With the exception of liver transplantation, the current treatment strategies for amatoxin poisoning are all supportive and have not been subjected to rigorous efficacy testing in randomized controlled trials. All patients with symptoms of late-appearing gastrointestinal toxicity with or without false recovery or quiescent periods preceding acute liver insufficiency should be referred to centers providing liver transplantation. Patients with amatoxin-induced acute liver insufficiency that does not progress to liver failure will have a more favorable survival profile with supportive care than patients with amatoxin-induced acute liver failure, about half of whom will require liver transplantation.
Computerised Tracking Training for Coordination in Children with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy: A Case Series
Authors: Chiu Hsiu-Ching , Ada Louise , Chen Chin-Min , Lee Hsin-Min
Published: January 2018

Objective: To examine whether elbow coordination training can improve elbow coordination in cerebral palsy and whether any benefit carries over to upper limb activity.

Methods: A case series A–B–C multiple baseline study was carried out. Two weeks of no intervention (A) was followed by 2 weeks of computerised tracking (B), which was followed by 2 weeks of no intervention (C). Six children (age range 7–12 years) with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (Level I–III of the Manual Ability Classification System) participated. Coordination training consisted of 10 × 1-min trials of computerised tracking each session for 10 sessions over a 2-week period. Coordination was measured as tracking performance using a different target from the training target. Upper limb activity was measured using the 9-Hole Peg Test. Data were analysed using the 2-SD band method.

Results: None of the participants appeared to improve tracking performance or 9-Hole Peg Test (9HPT) scores (p > 0.05) after the 2 weeks of intervention. On withdrawal of the intervention, visual analysis showed that tracking performance and 9HPT scores remained at the same level as the intervention phase.

Conclusions: Ten minutes of computerised elbow tracking daily for 10 sessions did not improve coordination in six children with cerebral palsy.
Social Isolation in Later Life: Extending the Conversation
Authors: Weldrick Rachel , Grenier Amanda
Published: January 2018

Avec le vieillissement de la population canadienne, l’isolement social des personnes âgées constitue une préoccupation croissante et une priorité d’action au niveau national. Bien que les risques individuels de l’isolement social des personnes âgées et les conséquences négatives sur leur santé soient relativement bien connus, les impacts des trajectoires de vie et des expériences collectives sont rarement considérés. Les définitions actuelles et les réponses à cet isolement social se basent sur des programmes qui tendent à privilégier les approches individuelles. Ici nous proposons que la discussion soit élargie afin de considérer les aspects sociaux et culturels de l’isolement social des personnes âgées. En particulier, nous suggérons que les définitions et les approches prennent en compte trois dimensions : les facteurs temporels, les facteurs spatiaux et les liens entre l’isolement social et l’exclusion. Ainsi, nous pensons qu’il serait possible d’élaborer une approche d’intervention plus inclusive face à l’isolement social des personnes âgées, et de développer les capacités en ce sens chez un plus grand nombre d’aînés, en vue de pouvoir répondre, en particulier, aux besoins des personnes âgées les plus vulnérables ou marginalisées.
SOULS OF THE ANCESTORS: POSTCLASSIC MAYA ARCHITECTURE, INCENSARIOS, AND MANA
Authors: Cecil Leslie G. , Pugh Timothy W.
Published: January 2018

In this article, we consider how the Postclassic Kowoj Maya of the central Peten lakes region of El Petén, Guatemala utilized mana in conjunction with their ritual objects and spolia to mediate between the natural and supernatural worlds. In many cultures worldwide and throughout time, mana (magical or spiritual powers that provide people and objects with a living force) transforms the ordinary into the spiritually powerful. The Kowojs imbued incense burners and buildings with mana, thus facilitating a connection with their ancestors. We examine the manufacturing recipe of a group of incense burners and the civic-ceremonial buildings at Zacpeten to argue that the Kowoj used these objects to mediate among the living, the dead, and the supernatural realms. Ultimately, by empowering these objects with mana, the Kowoj constructed a universe where they regularly communicated with their ancestors and built structures that ensouled their historical consciousness.
Non-rheumatic streptococcal myocarditis mimicking acute myocardial infarction in an adolescent male
Authors: O’Brien Caitlin E. , Coulson John D. , Sekar Priya , Resar Jon R. , Nelson McMillan Kristen
Published: January 2018

An adolescent male with a recent history of streptococcal pharyngitis presented with severe substernal chest pain, troponin leak, and ST-segment elevation, which are suggestive of acute inferolateral myocardial infarction. The coronary angiogram was normal. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with non-rheumatic streptococcal myocarditis. He was treated with amoxicillin and had excellent recovery. Non-rheumatic streptococcal myocarditis is an important mimic of acute myocardial infarction in young adults.
On-Field Signs Predict Future Acute Symptoms After Sport-Related Concussion: A Structural Equation Modeling Study
Authors: Brett Benjamin L. , Kuhn Andrew W. , Yengo-Kahn Aaron M. , Jeckell Aaron S. , Solomon Gary S. , Zuckerman Scott L.
Published: January 2018

Objectives:This study investigated the relationship between on-field, objective signs immediately following sport-related concussion and self-reported symptom endorsement within 1 day post injury.Methods:A retrospective case series of 237 concussed high school athletes was performed. On-field signs were evaluated immediately post injury. Self-reported symptoms (2 clusters) were collected within 1 day post injury. A two-step structural equation model and follow-up bivariate regression analyses of significant on-field signs and symptom clusters were performed.Results: Signs of immediate memory, β=0.20,p=.04, and postural instability, β=0.19,p< .01, significantly predicted a greater likelihood of endorsing the cognitive-migraine-fatigue symptom cluster within 1 day post injury. Regarding signs correlated with specific symptoms, immediate memory was associated with symptoms of trouble remembering, χ2=37.92,p< .001, odds ratio (OR)=3.89 (95% confidence interval (CI) [2.47, 6.13]), and concentration difficulties, χ2=10.84,p=.001, OR=2.13 (95% CI [1.37, 3.30]). Postural instability was associated with symptom endorsement of trouble remembering, χ2=12.08,p< .001, OR=1.76 (95% CI [1.29, 2.40]).Conclusions:Certain post-concussion on-field signs exhibited after injury were associated with specific symptom endorsement within 1 day post injury. Based on these associations, individualized education-based interventions and academic accommodations may help reduce unanticipated worry from parents, students, and teachers following a student-athlete’s sport-related concussion, especially in cases of delayed onset symptoms. (JINS, 2018,24, 476–485)
Strength of primary care service delivery: a comparative study of European countries, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada
Authors: Pavlič Danica R. , Sever Maja , Klemenc-Ketiš Zalika , Švab Igor , Vainieri Milena , Seghieri Chiara , Maksuti Alem
Published: January 2018

Aim

We sought to examine strength of primary care service delivery as measured by selected process indicators by general practitioners from 31 European countries plus Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. We explored the relation between strength of service delivery and healthcare expenditures.

Background

The strength of a country’s primary care is determined by the degree of development of a combination of core primary care dimensions in the context of its healthcare system. This study analyses the strength of service delivery in primary care as measured through process indicators in 31 European countries plus Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Methods

A comparative cross-sectional study design was applied using the QUALICOPC GP database. Data on the strength of primary healthcare were collected using a standardized GP questionnaire, which included 60 questions divided into 10 dimensions related to process, structure, and outcomes. A total of 6734 general practitioners participated. Data on healthcare expenditure were obtained from World Bank statistics. We conducted a correlation analysis to analyse the relationship between strength and healthcare expenditures.

Findings

Our findings show that the strength of service delivery parameters is less than optimal in some countries, and there are substantial variations among countries. Continuity and comprehensiveness of care are significantly positively related to national healthcare expenditures; however, coordination of care is not.
Defining Twentieth- and Twenty-First-Century Music
Authors: CLARKE DAVID
Published: January 2018

What do we mean by ‘twentieth-century music’? And how are we to square this with the musics of a twenty-first century that is now nearing the end of its second decade? These and other questions are salient for a journal that identifies the former century in its title yet regards the latter as equally within its remit. Just how are we to think the two centuries together? Should we consider the music of the twenty-first century as a continuation of tendencies from the late twentieth? Or are there tendencies within musical production and consumption that have a definitively twenty-first-century character and so mark out the beginning of a new era? If so, when and with what, iconically speaking, did the twenty-first century begin and the twentieth end? Or do these historiographic categories even continue to have currency?
A new assemblage of Early Cretaceous green lacewings (Chrysopidae: Neuroptera) from Transbaikalia
Authors: Khramov Alexander V.
Published: January 2018

One new genus and four new species of Chrysopidae are described from the Lower Cretaceous of Khasurty, Transbailakia (Russia):Mesypochrysa cannabinasp. nov.;M. naranicasp. nov.;Aberrantochrysa buryaticagen. & sp. nov.; andA. pulchellagen. & sp. nov. The abundance of Chrysopidae in Mesozoic localities is discussed.
When increasing population density can promote the evolution of metabolic cooperation
Authors: Lindsay Richard J , Pawlowska Bogna J , Gudelj Ivana
Published: January 2018

Microbial cooperation drives ecological and epidemiological processes and is affected by the ecology and demography of populations. Population density influences the selection for cooperation, with spatial structure and the type of social dilemma, namely public-goods production or self-restraint, shaping the outcome. While existing theories predict that in spatially structured environments increasing population density can select either for or against cooperation, experimental studies with both public-goods production and self-restraint systems have only ever shown that increasing population density favours cheats. We suggest that the disparity between theory and empirical studies results from experimental procedures not capturing environmental conditions predicted by existing theories to influence the outcome. Our study resolves this issue and provides the first experimental evidence that high population density can favour cooperation in spatially structured environments for both self-restraint and public-goods production systems. Moreover, using a multi-trait mathematical model supported by laboratory experiments we extend this result to systems where the self-restraint and public-goods social dilemmas interact. We thus provide a systematic understanding of how the strength of interaction between the two social dilemmas and the degree of spatial structure within an environment affect selection for cooperation. These findings help to close the current gap between theory and experiments.
Altered avalanche dynamics in a developmental NMDAR hypofunction model of cognitive impairment
Authors: Seshadri Saurav , Klaus Andreas , Winkowski Daniel E. , Kanold Patrick O. , Plenz Dietmar
Published: January 2018

Disturbed activity patterns in cortical networks contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SZ). Several lines of evidence implicate NMDA receptor hypofunction in SZ, and blocking NMDA receptor signaling during early neurodevelopment produces cognitive deficits in rodent models that resemble those seen in schizophrenic patients. However, the altered network dynamics underlying these cognitive impairments largely remain to be characterized, especially at the cellular level. Here, we use in vivo two-photon calcium imaging to describe pathological dynamics, occurring in parallel with cognitive dysfunction, in a developmental NMDA receptor hypofunction model. We observed increased synchrony and specific alterations in spatiotemporal activity propagation, which could be causally linked to a previously unidentified persistent bursting phenotype. This phenotype was rescued by acute treatment with the NMDA receptor co-agonist D-serine or the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen, which similarly rescued working memory performance. It was not reproduced by optogenetic inhibition of fast-spiking interneurons. These results provide novel insight into network-level abnormalities mediating the cognitive impairment induced by NMDA receptor hypofunction.
Loneliness 5 years ante-mortem is associated with disease-related differential gene expression in postmortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
Authors: Canli Turhan , Yu Lei , Yu Xiaoqing , Zhao Hongyu , Fleischman Debra , Wilson Robert S. , De Jager Philip L. , Bennett David A.
Published: January 2018

Subjective social isolation, loneliness, is associated with poor mental and physical health, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we analyzed loneliness data collected on average 5 years ante-mortem and RNA gene expression at death in postmortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) from 181 participants in the Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP), a longitudinal, prospective cohort study of common chronic conditions of aging. Our analytic protocol controlled for biographical variables (age, sex, education), psychological and health variables (depressive symptoms, interval between assessment and autopsy, slope of cognitive decline, AD pathology, presence of infarcts) and RNA integrity. Our results are based on a pre-ranked Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) at FDR-corrected q-values <0.05, using these collections from the Molecular Signatures Database (v6.0 MSigDB): (1) Hallmarks, (2) Canonical, (3) Gene Ontology (GO), (4) Chemical and Genetic Perturbations, (5) Immunologic Signatures, (6) Oncogenic Signatures, and (7) Cancer Modules. We now report on 337 up-regulated and 43 down-regulated gene sets, among which the most significant ones were associated with Alzheimer’s disease, psychiatric illness, immune dysfunction, and cancer. These gene sets constitute attractive targets for future studies into the molecular mechanisms by which loneliness exacerbates a wide range of neurodegenerative, psychiatric, and somatic illnesses.
Author Correction: Gene isoforms as expression-based biomarkers predictive of drug response in vitro
Authors: Safikhani Zhaleh , Smirnov Petr , Thu Kelsie L. , Silvester Jennifer , El-Hachem Nehme , Quevedo Rene , Lupien Mathieu , Mak Tak W. , Cescon David , Haibe-Kains Benjamin
Published: January 2018

In the original version of this Article, financial support was not fully acknowledged. This error has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Strong grain neighbour effects in polycrystals
Authors: Abdolvand Hamidreza , Wright Jonathan , Wilkinson Angus J.
Published: January 2018

Anisotropy in single-crystal properties of polycrystals controls both the overall response of the aggregates and patterning of local stress/strain distributions, the extremes of which govern failure processes. Improving the understanding of grain–grain interactions has important consequences for in-service performance limits. Three-dimensional synchrotron X-ray diffraction was used to study the evolution of grain-resolved stresses over many contiguous grains in Zr and Ti polycrystals deformed in situ. In a significant fraction of grains, the stress along the loading axis was found to decrease during tensile plastic flow just beyond the macroscopic yield point; this is in the absence of deformation twinning and is a surprising behaviour. It is shown that this phenomenon is controlled by the crystallographic orientation of the grain and its immediate neighbours, particularly those adjacent along the loading axis.
Engineered nanointerfaces for microfluidic isolation and molecular profiling of tumor-specific extracellular vesicles
Authors: Reátegui Eduardo , van der Vos Kristan E. , Lai Charles P. , Zeinali Mahnaz , Atai Nadia A. , Aldikacti Berent , Floyd Frederick P. , H. Khankhel Aimal , Thapar Vishal , Hochberg Fred H. , Sequist Lecia V. , Nahed Brian V. , S. Carter Bob , Toner Mehmet , Balaj Leonora , T. Ting David , Breakefield Xandra O. , Stott Shannon L.
Published: January 2018

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) carry RNA, DNA, proteins, and lipids. Specifically, tumor-derived EVs have the potential to be utilized as disease-specific biomarkers. However, a lack of methods to isolate tumor-specific EVs has limited their use in clinical settings. Here we report a sensitive analytical microfluidic platform (EVHB-Chip) that enables tumor-specific EV-RNA isolation within 3 h. Using theEVHB-Chip, we achieve 94% tumor-EV specificity, a limit of detection of 100 EVs per μL, and a 10-fold increase in tumor RNA enrichment in comparison to other methods. Our approach allows for the subsequent release of captured tumor EVs, enabling downstream characterization and functional studies. Processing serum and plasma samples from glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients, we can detect the mutant EGFRvIII mRNA. Moreover, using next-generation RNA sequencing, we identify genes specific to GBM as well as transcripts that are hallmarks for the four genetic subtypes of the disease.
Publisher Correction: Random access quantum information processors using multimode circuit quantum electrodynamics
Authors: Naik R. K. , Leung N. , Chakram S. , Groszkowski Peter , Lu Y. , Earnest N. , McKay D. C. , Koch Jens , Schuster D. I.
Published: January 2018

In the original version of this Article, the affiliation details for Peter Groszkowski and Jens Koch were incorrectly given as ‘Department of Physics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA’, instead of the correct ‘Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA’. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Carbon-doped SnS2 nanostructure as a high-efficiency solar fuel catalyst under visible light
Authors: Shown Indrajit , Samireddi Satyanarayana , Chang Yu-Chung , Putikam Raghunath , Chang Po-Han , Sabbah Amr , Fu Fang-Yu , Chen Wei-Fu , Wu Chih-I , Yu Tsyr-Yan , Chung Po-Wen , Lin M. C. , Chen Li-Chyong , Chen Kuei-Hsien
Published: January 2018

Photocatalytic formation of hydrocarbons using solar energy via artificial photosynthesis is a highly desirable renewable-energy source for replacing conventional fossil fuels. Using an l-cysteine-based hydrothermal process, here we synthesize a carbon-doped SnS2 (SnS2-C) metal dichalcogenide nanostructure, which exhibits a highly active and selective photocatalytic conversion of CO2 to hydrocarbons under visible-light. The interstitial carbon doping induced microstrain in the SnS2 lattice, resulting in different photophysical properties as compared with undoped SnS2. This SnS2-C photocatalyst significantly enhances the CO2 reduction activity under visible light, attaining a photochemical quantum efficiency of above 0.7%. The SnS2-C photocatalyst represents an important contribution towards high quantum efficiency artificial photosynthesis based on gas phase photocatalytic CO2 reduction under visible light, where the in situ carbon-doped SnS2 nanostructure improves the stability and the light harvesting and charge separation efficiency, and significantly enhances the photocatalytic activity.
Unusual multiscale mechanics of biomimetic nanoparticle hydrogels
Authors: Zhou Yunlong , Damasceno Pablo F. , Somashekar Bagganahalli S. , Engel Michael , Tian Falin , Zhu Jian , Huang Rui , Johnson Kyle , McIntyre Carl , Sun Kai , Yang Ming , Green Peter F. , Ramamoorthy Ayyalusamy , Glotzer Sharon C. , Kotov Nicholas A.
Published: January 2018

Viscoelastic properties are central for gels and other materials. Simultaneously, high storage and loss moduli are difficult to attain due to their contrarian requirements to chemical structure. Biomimetic inorganic nanoparticles offer a promising toolbox for multiscale engineering of gel mechanics, but a conceptual framework for their molecular, nanoscale, mesoscale, and microscale engineering as viscoelastic materials is absent. Here we show nanoparticle gels with simultaneously high storage and loss moduli from CdTe nanoparticles. Viscoelastic figure of merit reaches 1.83 MPa exceeding that of comparable gels by 100–1000 times for glutathione-stabilized nanoparticles. The gels made from the smallest nanoparticles display the highest stiffness, which was attributed to the drastic change of GSH configurations when nanoparticles decrease in size. A computational model accounting for the difference in nanoparticle interactions for variable GSH configurations describes the unusual trends of nanoparticle gel viscoelasticity. These observations are generalizable to other NP gels interconnected by supramolecular interactions and lead to materials with high-load bearing abilities and energy dissipation needed for multiple technologies.
NF-κB inducing kinase is a therapeutic target for systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Brightbill Hans D. , Suto Eric , Blaquiere Nicole , Ramamoorthi Nandhini , Sujatha-Bhaskar Swathi , Gogol Emily B. , Castanedo Georgette M. , Jackson Benjamin T. , Kwon Youngsu C. , Haller Susan , Lesch Justin , Bents Karin , Everett Christine , Kohli Pawan Bir , Linge Sandra , Christian Laura , Barrett Kathy , Jaochico Allan , Berezhkovskiy Leonid M. , Fan Peter W. , Modrusan Zora , Veliz Kelli , Townsend Michael J. , DeVoss Jason , Johnson Adam R. , Godemann Robert , Lee Wyne P. , Austin Cary D. , McKenzie Brent S. , Hackney Jason A. , Crawford James J. , Staben Steven T. , Alaoui Ismaili Moulay H. , Wu Lawren C. , Ghilardi Nico
Published: January 2018

NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK) mediates non-canonical NF-κB signaling downstream of multiple TNF family members, including BAFF, TWEAK, CD40, and OX40, which are implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here, we show that experimental lupus in NZB/W F1 mice can be treated with a highly selective and potent NIK small molecule inhibitor. Both in vitro as well as in vivo, NIK inhibition recapitulates the pharmacological effects of BAFF blockade, which is clinically efficacious in SLE. Furthermore, NIK inhibition also affects T cell parameters in the spleen and proinflammatory gene expression in the kidney, which may be attributable to inhibition of OX40 and TWEAK signaling, respectively. As a consequence, NIK inhibition results in improved survival, reduced renal pathology, and lower proteinuria scores. Collectively, our data suggest that NIK inhibition is a potential therapeutic approach for SLE.
Recent enhanced high-summer North Atlantic Jet variability emerges from three-century context
Authors: Trouet V. , Babst F. , Meko M.
Published: January 2018

A recent increase in mid-latitude extreme weather events has been linked to Northern Hemisphere polar jet stream anomalies. To put recent trends in a historical perspective, long-term records of jet stream variability are needed. Here we combine two tree-ring records from the British Isles and the northeastern Mediterranean to reconstruct variability in the latitudinal position of the high-summer North Atlantic Jet (NAJ) back to 1725 CE. We find that northward NAJ anomalies have resulted in heatwaves and droughts in northwestern Europe and southward anomalies have promoted wildfires in southeastern Europe. We further find an unprecedented increase in NAJ variance since the 1960s, which co-occurs with enhanced late twentieth century variance in the Central and North Pacific Basin. Our results suggest increased late twentieth century interannual meridional jet stream variability and support more sinuous jet stream patterns and quasi-resonant amplification as potential dynamic pathways for Arctic warming to influence mid-latitude weather.
A Computational Assay of Estrogen Receptor α Antagonists Reveals the Key Common Structural Traits of Drugs Effectively Fighting Refractory Breast Cancers
Authors: Pavlin Matic , Spinello Angelo , Pennati Marzia , Zaffaroni Nadia , Gobbi Silvia , Bisi Alessandra , Colombo Giorgio , Magistrato Alessandra
Published: January 2018

Somatic mutations of the Estrogen Receptor α (ERα) occur with an up to 40% incidence in ER sensitive breast cancer (BC) patients undergoing prolonged endocrine treatments. These polymorphisms are implicated in acquired resistance, disease relapse, and increased mortality rates, hence representing a current major clinical challenge. Here, multi-microseconds (12.5 µs) molecular dynamics simulations revealed that recurrent ERα polymorphisms (i. e. L536Q, Y537S, Y537N, D538G) (mERα) are constitutively active in their apo form and that they prompt the selection of an agonist (active)-like conformation even upon antagonists binding. Interestingly, our simulations rationalize, for the first time, the efficacy profile of (pre)clinically used Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators/Downregulators (SERMs/SERDs) against these variants, enlightening, at atomistic level of detail, the key common structural traits needed by drugs able to effectively fight refractory BC types. This knowledge represents a key advancement for mechanism-based therapeutics targeting resistant ERα isoforms, potentially allowing the community to move a step closer to ‘precision medicine’ calibrated on patients’ genetic profiles and disease progression.
Detection of Apparent Cell-free M. tuberculosis DNA from Plasma
Authors: Click E. S. , Murithi W. , Ouma G. S. , McCarthy K. , Willby M. , Musau S. , Alexander H. , Pevzner E. , Posey J. , Cain K. P.
Published: January 2018

New diagnostics are needed to improve clinicians’ ability to detect tuberculosis (TB) disease in key populations such as children and persons living with HIV and to rapidly detect drug resistance. Circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) in plasma is a diagnostic target in new obstetric and oncologic applications, but its utility for diagnosing TB is not known. Here we show that Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA can be detected in plasma of persons with sputum smear-positive TB, even in the absence of mycobacteremia. Among 40 participants with bacteriologically-confirmed smear-positive TB disease who had plasma tested by quantitative PCR (qPCR), 18/40 (45%) had a positive result on at least one triplicate reaction. Our results suggest that plasma DNA may be a useful target for improving clinicians’ ability to diagnose TB. We anticipate these findings to be the starting point for optimized methods of TB ccfDNA testing and sequence-based diagnostic applications such as molecular detection of drug resistance.