bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Latino Community Health Workers and the Promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Health
Authors: Lechuga Julia , Garcia Dina , Owczarzak Jill , Barker Maria , Benson Meghan
Published: February 2015

Community health worker (CHW) programs have existed for over 50 years across the world. However, only recently has research evidence documented their effectiveness. Research is still needed to identify issues related to implementation and sustainability of CHW programs. This article explores the role and challenges of U.S. Latino CHWs trained to deliver a comprehensive sexual and reproductive health educational intervention to Latino families. We conducted a semistructured interview with a purposive convenience sample of 19 CHWs. Findings suggest that CHWs occupy roles that go beyond those they were trained for. CHWs serve not only as educators but also as providers of social support, facilitators of access to resources, patient navigators, and civil rights advocates. Lack of clarity of the role of a CHW influenced perceptions of adequacy of compensation, training, and integration into the agency that trained them. Policy facilitating the standardization of the CHW occupational category and role expectations is imperative to ensure successful implementation and sustainability of U.S. CHW programs.
Morphological Awareness Intervention
Authors: McLeod Angela N. , Apel Kenn
Published: February 2015

We investigated the effect of a morphological awareness intervention on the morphological awareness and reading skills of a 6-year-old student who was struggling with early reading skills and had a history of speech and language impairment. We conducted a 7-week intervention designed to increase the student’s awareness of affixes and the meaning relations between base words and their inflected and derived forms. The student received twenty-five, 35-min sessions, typically receiving three to four sessions per week. Results revealed clinically relevant gains in morphological awareness abilities and word-level (sight word) reading skills. Gains were noted in pseudoword reading and reading comprehension, but they did not reach clinically relevant levels. The results of our case study suggest that our relatively short, but somewhat intensive, morphological awareness intervention led to clinically relevant gains in morphological awareness skills and word-level reading abilities for our 6-year-old student with a history of speech and language impairment. Initial clinical implications, limitations of the study, and research suggestions are discussed.
Rapid detection of polyethylene glycol sonolysis upon functionalization of carbon nanomaterials
Authors: Murali Vasanth S , Wang Ruhung , Mikoryak Carole A , Pantano Paul , Draper Rockford
Published: February 2015

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) and related polymers are often used in the functionalization of carbon nanomaterials in procedures that involve sonication. However, PEG is very sensitive to sonolytic degradation and PEG degradation products can be toxic to mammalian cells. Thus, it is imperative to assess potential PEG degradation to ensure that the final material does not contain undocumented contaminants that can introduce artifacts into experimental results. Described here is a simple and inexpensive polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis method to detect the sonolytic degradation of PEG. The method was used to monitor the integrity of PEG phospholipid constructs and branched chain PEGs after different sonication times. This approach not only helps detect degraded PEG, but should also facilitate rapid screening of sonication parameters to find optimal conditions that minimize PEG damage.
Hispanic Minority College Students at Selective Colleges
Authors: Wagner Jennie M.
Published: February 2015

Hispanic college enrollment in 2011 surpassed all other minority groups. However, Hispanic graduation rates continue to lag. This study examines background, academic integration, social integration, perception of prejudice and discrimination factors, and social capital factors, and how these affect Hispanic undergraduate 6-year completion rates at selective colleges. The results demonstrate that social capital during the high school senior year and attending a private or liberal arts college positively affect Hispanic students’ graduation rates.
Negotiating Access and Tier One Aspirations
Authors: Doran Erin E.
Published: February 2015

This study evaluates the recent move toward Tier One by the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) in light of its historical commitment to serve the largely Hispanic population of South Texas. Among the largest Hispanic-serving universities, UTSA provides a useful case study of this type of institution both historically and at the organizational level. This study contributes to how researchers and practitioners think about Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) and how they balance access and excellence.
Is Being Authentic Being Fair? Multilevel Examination of Authentic Leadership, Justice, and Employee Outcomes
Authors: Kiersch Christa E. , Byrne Zinta S.
Published: February 2015

To advance research on how leaders influence followers and organizational performance, we proposed and tested a multilevel mediation model whereby authentic leaders influence follower fairness perceptions and create a fair climate, which in turn relates to subordinate well-being, turnover intention, and organizational commitment. Survey data from 187 employees, clustered under 37 leaders, were tested using a multilevel structural equation modeling approach. Results show that authentic leaders relate to follower outcomes in part through directly relating to subordinates’ perceptions of justice and justice climate. Implications include development of authentic leadership as an actionable strategy for bolstering followers’ well-being and performance.
Temporomandibular joint effusion and its relationship with perceived disability assessed using musculoskeletal ultrasound and a patient-reported disability index
Authors: Johnston Katie , Bird Lance , Bright Phillip
Published: February 2015

The relationship between effusion of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and patient-reported disability is poorly researched. This pilot study explored the link between TMJ inflammation as measured by ultrasound and patient disability assessed by the Steigerwald Maher TMD Disability Index (SMTDI). The study design used a prospective correlational approach involving a sample with TMJ dysfunction (TMD). Twenty-four patients were recruited from the European School of Osteopathy and a Kent dental practice. Participants completed the SMTDI to determine the level of TMD (symptomatic score >20). A SonoSite SLA “Hockey Stick” [13-6 MHz] musculo-skeletal transducer was placed over the TMJ in a transverse direction and effusion was calculated indirectly by measuring capsular width. An upper left quadrant protocol was used throughout. A regression analysis was run with participants’ gender, age and capsular width as predictor variables modelled against reported SMTDI. Larger capsular widths were found to be significant predictors of SMTDI scores ( r = 0.803, p < 0.0001). The patient profile matched with the previous studies and the TMD sufferer population, indicating external validity. Results suggest that the SMTDI could be integrated into practice life as a quick, accessible and easy tool to monitor patients’ progress and assess levels of inflammation, without the need for repetitive imaging. The study design proved reproducible and a larger scale study is indicated.
The Theatricalisation of the Social: Problematising the Public Sphere
Authors: Szakolczai Arpad
Published: February 2015

This article investigates a single thesis, following Nietzsche’s insights: a central feature of the modern world is theatricalisation. Beyond being entrapped by critiquing the ‘naïve mirroring’ perspective, it is argued that art is not simply part of reality, but might interfere with other aspects of life, and so can become problematic. As for a theoretical framework, the author introduces three anthropological concepts: imitation, liminality and trickster. Under liminal conditions, imitative processes can escalate and trickster figures become influential. A central area for such escalating processes is the public sphere, due to its own liminal features. Focusing on the rise of the modern realistic novel in England, the article first presents how such novels further escalate theatricalisation. Through the example of Goethe, the author then shows how the best novelists, by reflecting on their own activity, made the in-depth theatricalisation of social life in modernity a central theme of their works.
T1ρ Dispersion in Articular Cartilage
Authors: Keenan Kathryn E. , Besier Thor F. , Pauly John M. , Smith R. Lane , Delp Scott L. , Beaupre Gary S. , Gold Garry E.
Published: February 2015

Objective

This study assessed T1ρ relaxation dispersion, measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as a tool to noninvasively evaluate cartilage material and biochemical properties. The specific objective was to answer two questions: (1) does cartilage initial elastic modulus ( E0) correlate with T1ρ dispersion effects and (2) does collagen or proteoglycan content correlate with T1ρ dispersion effects?

Design

Cadaveric patellae with and without visible cartilage damage on conventional MR were included. T2 and T1ρ relaxation times at 500 and 1000 Hz spin-lock field amplitudes were measured. We estimated T1ρ dispersion effects by measuring T1ρ relaxation time at 500 and 1000 Hz and T2 relaxation time and using a new tool, the ratio T1ρ/T2. Cartilage initial elastic modulus, E0, was measured from initial response of mechanical indentation creep tests. Collagen and proteoglycan contents were measured at the indentation test sites; proteoglycan content was measured by their covalently linked sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAG). Pearson correlation coefficients were determined, taking into account the clustering of multiple samples within a single patella specimen.

Results

Cartilage initial elastic modulus, E0, increased with decreasing values of T1ρ/T2 measurements at both 500 Hz ( P = 0.034) and 1000 Hz ( P = 0.022). 1/T1ρ relaxation time (500 Hz) increased with increasing sGAG content ( P = 0.041).

Conclusions

T1ρ/T2 ratio, a new tool, and cartilage initial elastic modulus are both measures of water–protein interactions, are dependent on the cartilage structure, and were correlated in this study.
Accessing Services for Youth With Emotional Disturbances in and After High School
Authors: Wagner Mary M. , Wei Xin , Thornton S. Patrick , Valdes Kathryn
Published: February 2015

This study uses data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 to examine the rates at which youth with emotional disturbances received services during and up to 8 years after high school. Parents’ efforts to obtain services, information sources accessed, problems encountered, and the perceived sufficiency of services to meet youths’ needs are described. Findings show a drop in receipt rates for several services in the first 2 years post high school, relative to those received during high school, and a continued decrease thereafter. An increase in the reported effort to obtain services accompanied this decline in receipt rates. Implications for transition planning to build a better bridge from high school to the adult service systems are discussed and aspects of a research agenda are outlined.
A novel inflammatory pathway mediating rapid hepcidin-independent hypoferremia
Authors: Guida Claudia , Altamura Sandro , Klein Felix A. , Galy Bruno , Boutros Michael , Ulmer Artur J. , Hentze Matthias W. , Muckenthaler Martina U.
Published: February 2015

Key Points

Stimulation of Toll-like receptors 2 and 6 reduces ferroportin expression in mouse macrophages by hepcidin-independent mechanism(s). Reduced expression of ferroportin in macrophages that recycle iron from red cells is sufficient to rapidly induce hypoferremia in mice.
Controllable size-selective method to prepare graphene quantum dots from graphene oxide
Authors: Fan Tianju , Zeng Wenjin , Tang Wei , Yuan Chunqiu , Tong Songzhao , Cai Kaiyu , Liu Yidong , Huang Wei , Min Yong , Epstein Arthur J
Published: February 2015

We demonstrated one-step method to fabricate two different sizes of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) through chemical cutting from graphene oxide (GO), which had many advantages in terms of simple process, low cost, and large scale in manufacturing with higher production yield comparing to the reported methods. Several analytical methods were employed to characterize the composition and morphology of the resultants. Bright blue luminescent GQDs were obtained with a produced yield as high as 34.8%. Moreover, how the different sizes affect fluorescence wavelength mechanism was investigated in details.
Lobular breast cancer: molecular basis, mouse and cellular models
Authors: Christgen Matthias , Derksen Patrick WB
Published: February 2015

Infiltrating lobular breast cancer (ILC) is the most common special breast cancer subtype. With mutational or epigenetic inactivation of the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin (CDH1) being confined almost exclusively to ILC, this tumor entity stands out from all other types of breast cancers. The molecular basis of ILC is linked to loss of E-cadherin, as evidenced by human CDH1 germline mutations and conditional knockout mouse models. A better understanding of ILC beyond the level of descriptive studies depends on physiologically relevant and functional tools. This review provides a detailed overview on ILC models, including well-characterized cell lines, xenograft tumors and genetically engineered mouse models. We consider advantages and limitations of these models and evaluate their representativeness for human ILC. The still incompletely defined mechanisms by which loss of E-cadherin drives malignant transformation are discussed based on recent findings in these models. Moreover, candidate genes and signaling pathways potentially involved in ILC development and progression as well as anticancer drug and endocrine resistance are highlighted.
CD4+ T cell STAT3 phosphorylation precedes acute GVHD, and subsequent Th17 tissue invasion correlates with GVHD severity and therapeutic response
Authors: Betts Brian C , Sagatys Elizabeth M , Veerapathran Anandharaman , Lloyd Mark C , Beato Francisca , Lawrence Harshani R , Yue Binglin , Kim Jongphil , Sebti Said M , Anasetti Claudio , Pidala Joseph
Published: February 2015

Th17 cells contribute to severe GVHD in murine bone marrow transplantation. Targeted deletion of the RORγt transcription factor or blockade of the JAK2-STAT3 axis suppresses IL-17 production and alloreactivity by Th17 cells. Here, we show that pSTAT3 Y705 is increased significantly in CD4+ T cells among human recipients of allogeneic HCT before the onset of Grade II–IV acute GVHD. Examination of target-organ tissues at the time of GVHD diagnosis indicates that the amount of RORγt + Th17 cells is significantly higher in severe GVHD. Greater accumulation of tissue-resident Th17 cells also correlates with the use of MTX- compared with Rapa-based GVHD prophylaxis, as well as a poor therapeutic response to glucocorticoids. RORγt is optimally suppressed by concurrent neutralization of TORC1 with Rapa and inhibition of STAT3 activation with S3I-201, supporting that mTOR- and STAT3-dependent pathways converge upon RORγt gene expression. Rapa-resistant T cell proliferation can be totally inhibited by STAT3 blockade during initial allosensitization. We conclude that STAT3 signaling and resultant Th17 tissue accumulation are closely associated with acute GVHD onset, severity, and treatment outcome. Future studies are needed to validate the association of STAT3 activity in acute GVHD. Novel GVHD prevention strategies that incorporate dual STAT3 and mTOR inhibition merit investigation.
Soma influences GSC progeny differentiation via the cell adhesion-mediated steroid-let-7-Wingless signaling cascade that regulates chromatin dynamics
Authors: König Annekatrin , Shcherbata Halyna R.
Published: February 2015

It is known that signaling from the germline stem cell niche is required to maintain germline stem cell identity in Drosophila. However, it is not clear whether the germline stem-cell daughters differentiate by default (because they are physically distant from the niche) or whether additional signaling is necessary to initiate the differentiation program. Previously, we showed that ecdysteroid signaling cell non-autonomously regulates early germline differentiation via its soma-specific co-activator and co-repressor, Taiman and Abrupt. Now, we demonstrate that this regulation is modulated by the miRNA let-7, which acts in a positive feedback loop to confer ecdysone signaling robustness via targeting its repressor, the transcription factor Abrupt. This feedback loop adjusts ecdysteroid signaling in response to some stressful alterations in the external and internal conditions, which include temperature stress and aging, but not nutritional deprivation. Upon let-7 deficit, escort cells fail to properly differentiate: their shape, division, and cell adhesive characteristics are perturbed. These cells have confused cellular identity and form columnar-like rather than squamous epithelium and fail to send protrusions in between differentiating germline cysts, affecting soma-germline communication. Particularly, levels of the homophilic cell adhesion protein Cadherin, which recruits Wg signaling transducer β-catenin, are increased in mutant escort cells and, correspondingly, in the adjacent germline cells. Readjustment of heterotypic (soma-germline) cell adhesion modulates Wg signaling intensity in the germline, which in turn regulates histone modifications that promote expression of the genes necessary to trigger early germline differentiation. Thus, our data first show the intrinsic role for Wg signaling in the germline and support a model where the soma influences the tempo of germline differentiation in response to external conditions.
The C. elegans Crumbs family contains a CRB3 homolog and is not essential for viability
Authors: Waaijers Selma , Ramalho João Jacob , Koorman Thijs , Kruse Elisabeth , Boxem Mike
Published: February 2015

Crumbs proteins are important regulators of epithelial polarity. In C. elegans, no essential role for the two described Crumbs homologs has been uncovered. Here, we identify and characterize an additional Crumbs family member in C. elegans, which we termed CRB-3 based on its similarity in size and sequence to mammalian CRB3. We visualized CRB-3 subcellular localization by expressing a translational GFP fusion. CRB-3::GFP was expressed in several polarized tissues in the embryo and larval stages, and showed apical localization in the intestine and pharynx. To identify the function of the Crumbs family in C. elegans development, we generated a triple Crumbs deletion mutant by sequentially removing the entire coding sequence for each crumbs homolog using a CRISPR/Cas9-based approach. Remarkably, animals lacking all three Crumbs homologs are viable and show normal epithelial polarity. Thus, the three C. elegans Crumbs family members do not appear to play an essential role in epithelial polarity establishment.
Rab40C is a novel Varp-binding protein that promotes proteasomal degradation of Varp in melanocytes
Authors: Yatsu Ayaka , Shimada Hikaru , Ohbayashi Norihiko , Fukuda Mitsunori
Published: February 2015

Varp (VPS9-ankyrin repeat protein) was originally identified as an activator of small GTPase Rab21 through its VPS9 domain, but it has subsequently been shown to function as a Rab32/38 effector through its first ANKR1 domain. Although these functions of Varp are important for melanogenesis, Varp contains a second ANKR2 domain, whose function remained completely unknown. Here we identified Rab40C, an atypical Rab containing a SOCS box that recruits a ubiquitin ligase complex, as a novel ANKR2-binding protein and investigated its involvement in melanogenic enzyme trafficking in melanocytes. The results showed that overexpression of Rab40C in melanocytes caused a dramatic reduction in melanogenic enzyme Tyrp1 signals by promoting proteasomal degradation of Varp in a SOCS-box-dependent manner and that knockdown of Rab40C in melanocytes caused an increase in the amount of Varp. Intriguingly, Rab40C knockdown also caused a dramatic reduction in Tyrp1 signals, the same as Varp overexpression did. These findings indicated that Rab40C is a previously unexpected regulator of Tyrp1 trafficking in melanocytes through controlling the proteasomal degradation of Varp.
Strategies for swimming: explorations of the behaviour of a neuro-musculo-mechanical model of the lamprey
Authors: Williams Thelma L. , McMillen Tyler
Published: February 2015

Experiments were performed on a neuro-musculo-mechanical model of a lamprey, to explore the strategies for controlling swimming speed. The muscle component of the model was based on previous experiments on isolated lamprey muscle. The patterns of muscle activation were those found in EMG studies on swimming lampreys. The fluid mechanics were modelled with G.I. Taylor's simplification. Tail beat frequencies of 2–6 sec−1 were combined with muscle activation strengths of 0.1% to 20% of maximum tetanic isometric strength. The resulting forward swimming speed and changing body shape were recorded. From the changing body shape the speed of the backward-travelling wave of curvature was calculated, as well as the ratio between the speeds of the waves of activation and curvature. For any given activation strength there was a tail beat frequency that gave maximal forward speed. Furthermore, for all the combinations of activation strength and tail beat frequency that gave such maximum swimming speeds, the ratio of the speed of the wave of curvature to the wave of muscle activation was approximately 0.75. This is similar to the ratio found in swimming lampreys.
Loss of BMPR2 leads to high bone mass due to increased osteoblast activity
Authors: Lowery Jonathan W. , Intini Giuseppe , Gamer Laura , Lotinun Sutada , Salazar Valerie S. , Ote Satoshi , Cox Karen , Baron Roland , Rosen Vicki
Published: February 2015

Imbalances in the ratio of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) versus activin and TGFβ signaling are increasingly associated with human diseases yet the mechanisms mediating this relationship remain unclear. The type 2 receptors ACVR2A and ACVR2B bind BMPs and activins but the type 2 receptor BMPR2 only binds BMPs, suggesting that type 2 receptor utilization might play a role in mediating the interaction of these pathways. We tested this hypothesis in the mouse skeleton, where bone mass is reciprocally regulated by BMP signaling and activin and TGFβ signaling. We found that deleting Bmpr2 in mouse skeletal progenitor cells (Bmpr2-cKO mice) selectively impaired activin signaling but had no effect on BMP signaling, resulting in an increased bone formation rate and high bone mass. Additionally, activin sequestration had no effect on bone mass in Bmpr2-cKO mice but increased bone mass in wild-type mice. Our findings suggest a novel model whereby BMPR2 availability alleviates receptor-level competition between BMPs and activins and where utilization of ACVR2A and ACVR2B by BMPs comes at the expense of activins. As BMP and activin pathway modulation are of current therapeutic interest, our findings provide important mechanistic insight into the relationship between these pathways in human health.
The integrin expression profile modulates orientation and dynamics of force transmission at cell–matrix adhesions
Authors: Balcioglu Hayri E. , van Hoorn Hedde , Donato Dominique M. , Schmidt Thomas , Danen Erik H. J.
Published: February 2015

Integrin adhesion receptors connect the extracellular matrix (ECM) to the cytoskeleton and serve as bidirectional mechanotransducers. During development, angiogenesis, wound healing and cancer progression, the relative abundance of fibronectin receptors, including integrins α5β1 and αvβ3, changes, thus altering the integrin composition of cell–matrix adhesions. Here, we show that enhanced αvβ3 expression can fully compensate for loss of α5β1 and other β1 integrins to support outside-in and inside-out force transmission. α5β1 and αvβ3 each mediate actin cytoskeletal remodeling in response to stiffening or cyclic stretching of the ECM. Likewise, α5β1 and αvβ3 support cellular traction forces of comparable magnitudes and similarly increase these forces in response to ECM stiffening. However, cells using αvβ3 respond to lower stiffness ranges, reorganize their actin cytoskeleton more substantially in response to stretch, and show more randomly oriented traction forces. Centripetal traction force orientation requires long stress fibers that are formed through the action of Rho kinase (ROCK) and myosin II, and that are supported by α5β1. Thus, altering the relative abundance of fibronectin-binding integrins in cell–matrix adhesions affects the spatiotemporal organization of force transmission.
Constitutive negative regulation in the processing of the anti-Müllerian hormone receptor II
Authors: Hirschhorn Tal , di Clemente Nathalie , Amsalem Ayelet R. , Pepinsky R. Blake , Picard Jean-Yves , Smorodinsky Nechama I. , Cate Richard L. , Ehrlich Marcelo
Published: February 2015

The levels and intracellular localization of wild-type transforming growth factor β superfamily (TGFβ-SF) receptors are tightly regulated by endocytic trafficking, shedding and degradation. In contrast, a main regulatory mechanism of mutation-bearing receptors involves their intracellular retention. Anti-Müllerian hormone receptor II (AMHRII, also known as AMHR2) is the type-II receptor for anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), a TGFβ-SF ligand that mediates Müllerian duct regression in males. Here, we studied AMHRII processing and identified novel mechanisms of its constitutive negative regulation. Immunoblot analysis revealed that a significant portion of AMHRII was missing most of its extracellular domain (ECD) and, although glycosylated, was unfolded and retained in the endoplasmic reticulum. Exogenous expression of AMHRII, but not of type-II TGF-β receptor (TβRII, also known as TGFR2), resulted in its disulfide-bond-mediated homo-oligomerization and intracellular retention, and in a decrease in its AMH-binding capacity. At the plasma membrane, AMHRII differed from TβRII, forming high levels of non-covalent homomeric complexes, which exhibited a clustered distribution and restricted lateral mobility. This study identifies novel mechanisms of negative regulation of a type-II TGFβ-SF receptor through cleavage, intracellular retention and/or promiscuous disulfide-bond mediated homo-oligomerization.
Human mitochondrial COX1 assembly into cytochrome c oxidase at a glance
Authors: Dennerlein Sven , Rehling Peter
Published: February 2015

Mitochondria provide the main portion of cellular energy in form of ATP produced by the F1Fo ATP synthase, which uses the electrochemical gradient, generated by the mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC). In human mitochondria, the MRC is composed of four multisubunit enzyme complexes, with the cytochrome c oxidase (COX, also known as complex IV) as the terminal enzyme. COX comprises 14 structural subunits, of nuclear or mitochondrial origin. Hence, mitochondria are faced with the predicament of organizing and controlling COX assembly with subunits that are synthesized by different translation machineries and that reach the inner membrane by alternative transport routes. An increasing number of COX assembly factors have been identified in recent years. Interestingly, mutations in several of these factors have been associated with human disorders leading to COX deficiency. Recently, studies have provided mechanistic insights into crosstalk between assembly intermediates, import processes and the synthesis of COX subunits in mitochondria, thus linking conceptually separated functions. This Cell Science at a Glance article and the accompanying poster will focus on COX assembly and discuss recent discoveries in the field, the molecular functions of known factors, as well as new players and control mechanisms. Furthermore, these findings will be discussed in the context of human COX-related disorders.
Complementary probes reveal that phosphatidylserine is required for the proper transbilayer distribution of cholesterol
Authors: Maekawa Masashi , Fairn Gregory D.
Published: February 2015

Cholesterol is an essential component of metazoan cellular membranes and it helps to maintain the structural integrity and fluidity of the plasma membrane. Here, we developed a cholesterol biosensor, termed D4H, based on the fourth domain of Clostridium perfringens theta-toxin, which recognizes cholesterol in the cytosolic leaflet of the plasma membrane and organelles. The D4H probe disassociates from the plasma membrane upon cholesterol extraction and after perturbations in cellular cholesterol trafficking. When used in combination with a recombinant version of the biosensor, we show that plasmalemmal phosphatidylserine is essential for retaining cholesterol in the cytosolic leaflet of the plasma membrane. In vitro experiments reveal that 1-stearoy-2-oleoyl phosphatidylserine can induce phase separation in cholesterol-containing lipid bilayers and shield cholesterol from cholesterol oxidase. Finally, the altered transbilayer distribution of cholesterol causes flotillin-1 to relocalize to endocytic organelles. This probe should be useful in the future to study pools of cholesterol in the cytosolic leaflet of the plasma membrane and organelles.
Margaret Thatcher’s legacy for social work with children and families: critical possibilities?
Authors: Rogowski Steve
Published: February 2015

Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had a significant impact on economic, political and social life in the United Kingdom (UK) and elsewhere. The neoliberal changes she initiated were continued and intensified by subsequent Conservative, New Labour and now Conservative-led coalition governments in the UK. She left a particular legacy regarding the welfare state and social work, the former being gradually being dismantled, while social work has been transformed into a narrower and more restricted role. Practitioners are now largely concerned with rationing resources and risk assessment/management, with users having to be responsible for themselves and their families. If they do not do this, there is a punitive turn – having their child(ren) removed and adopted. Despite the neoliberal Thatcher legacy, and resultant significant challenges for social work, critical practice is both possible and necessary. It is a practice that engages with the issues that lie at the root of social injustice, namely growing inequality in a neoliberalised world.
Badiou in China?: Re-translations of French Maoism and inaesthetics
Authors: Wright Colin
Published: February 2015

This article explores the origins of Alain Badiou’s philosophy of art in his engagements with Maoism in order to speculate about the potential impact of that philosophy on contemporary Chinese art and art criticism. Utilizing the broad concept of ‘translation’, the article first situates Badiou’s position on art in relation to the translation of Maoism in France and his personal participation in France’s experience of May 1968. It is then argued that French Maoism was interpreted through pre-existing avant-gardist models of aestheticized politics that largely departed from what was happening in China during the Cultural Revolution. By understanding Badiou’s critique of the depoliticizing effects of this avant-gardist conflation of art and politics, it is possible to understand more clearly his later concept of ‘inaesthetics’. Although it is a theoretical piece, this article aims to encourage a mutual ‘translation’ between Badiou’s work and contemporary Chinese art and art criticism.
Tracing the body aesthetics in contemporary Chinese art: Hong Kong sculptor Ho Siu Kee as a case study
Authors: Fok Silvia
Published: February 2015

This article attempts to define body aesthetics in contemporary Chinese art. By tracing the body aesthetics in Hong Kong Sculptor Ho Siu Kee’s artistic development in the past two decades, it will argue that Ho’s artworks exploring the body and extension of the body as themes and mediums entail a certain kind of body aesthetics that is unprecedented in the history of contemporary Chinese art. It will also examine how Ho’s adoption of contraption parallels his western counterparts. Most importantly it will examine the ways he has developed his sculptural forms emphasizing modification of the body, bodily movement, contraptions, the art of measurement with regard to the body, materialization of bodily measurement and fine craftsmanship that transcend his western counterparts. His art as a whole can be interpreted in a fluid manner that goes beyond the boundaries of performance art, installation art, conceptual art, photography, video art and sculpture.
The ‘post-human’ Internet dimension: Ai Weiwei and Cao Fei online
Authors: Thomas Taliesin
Published: February 2015

This article presents an argument for the Internet as a novel ‘post-human’ dimension where individuals around the world can explore possibilities for social engagement in a virtual environment beyond the confines of their ‘real’ lives. Artists take to the Internet to conceive original forms of aesthetic expression outside of ordinary objective existence; the diversity encountered within the Internet realm reflects the complexity of our human condition in the twenty-first century. While the authorities in mainland China continue to patrol cyberspace in an effort to maintain control over actual society, some Chinese artists are finding ways to engage the digital sphere to create virtual communities, political opportunities and sensual experiences that transcend corporeal and ideological borders – ostensibly the post-human environs of the Internet surpasses our human reality. Through their dynamic use of social media and other online platforms, artists such as Ai Weiwei and Cao Fei are redefining social activism and artistic praxis in China today.
Transforming human and beast: Hybridization and diasporic identities in Daniel Lee’s art
Authors: Turner Ming
Published: February 2015

China-born and Taiwan-educated artist Daniel Lee has been based in New York since the early 1990s. He became internationally well known for his 1993 series Manimals, which comprised hybridized forms of humans and the signs of the twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac. Through utilizing technology and computer programs, Lee creates powerful images and videos with a strong reference to his cultural heritage and the symbols of modern life. Manimals resembles different personalities through hybridized images of people and animals, and this kind of artistic technique demonstrates the artist’s sense of nostalgia towards his homeland and the roots of his culture. The concept of hybridity has been widely argued by Homi Bhabha, and it can be visualized in the transformation of conflicting, yet powerful, images by Lee. In 2004, Lee created the series Harvest, through which he personified different farm animals as musicians, dancers and performers who seemed to be having a party. Lee manifests his diasporic identities and cultural heritage in his art, but it is only in recent years that he has gradually begun to dilute the references to oriental aesthetics in his work. With a theoretical consideration of hybridity and diasporic studies, this article explores the different themes throughout his career as an artist and also examines selected series of his works.
Contemporary Chinese ink paintings: The dawn of a rock renaissance
Authors: Wang Olivia
Published: February 2015

This article focuses on eight contemporary Chinese ink artists who paint scholars’ rocks. Their interpretations of the rock demonstrate the diversity of their perspectives and talents. Although each artist has his or her unique interpretation of the rock, they are united in their desire to revitalize ink painting and its associated literati tradition. This article will first present a brief introduction of the history of collecting and painting rocks in literati culture. This will be followed by discussions of the work of each of the artists in question. It shall be argued that while these artists use the rock – a traditional object of scholarly contemplation – and brush and ink as their main point of reference, they are actively engaged in bringing their work into the present. The work of these artists demonstrates that image and technical skills do not need to be entirely novel to be contemporary.
Indie art books in China
Authors: Millichap John
Published: February 2015

This article describes the development of independent art books in China over roughly the past decade. By exploring selected examples it attempts to sketch broad categories of independent book-making, from designer- and publisher-initiated projects to artists’ books, and their different characteristics and creative aims within the general context of publishing in China.
Measures of Distance (to HomeShop): A conversation with Elaine W. Ho and Edward Sanderson
Authors: Gladston Paul
Published: February 2015

In this conversation artist Elaine W. Ho and critic Edward Sanderson discuss contemporary independent artistic initiatives and collectives in the People’s Republic of China. In particular, Ho and Sanderson focus on the activities of HomeShop, a community-oriented art collective that occupied a shop front space in Beijing between 2008 and 2013 of which Ho is a founder. A key aspect of the discussion is the difficulty involved in sustaining and measuring the impact of collective practices that not only problematize the boundary between art and community, but that also challenge as well as occupy space within conventional sociocultural structures.
Teaching contemporary art history in China
Authors: Carrier David
Published: February 2015

In 2009, the author spent a semester teaching western art history to Chinese students in Beijing. And he was also able to review contemporary art exhibitions in that city. He has published books on the methodologies of art history, on the art museum and on a world art history. Therefore, this article draws some lessons from that experience, in light of these publications. To what extent can histories of art in China be modelled on narratives about western art? And, in what ways, does the art historian need to consider the distinctive features of Chinese culture? When the possibilities for misunderstanding by a foreigner are so obvious, how is it possible to develop plausible interpretations of contemporary art? A great deal of recent English-language art writing is being translated into Chinese. And yet, the availability of such cultural exchanges does not necessarily answer these questions. But here it is necessary to consider political issues, which are not easy to resolve.
Reviews
Authors: Hill Katie , Gladston Paul , Carrier David
Published: February 2015

Book from the Ground. From Point to Point, Xu Bing (2014) Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 128 pp., ISBN: 9780262027083, h/bk, £17.95

The Book About Xu Bing’s Book from the Ground, Mathieu Borysevicz (ed.) (2014) Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 160 pp., ISBN: 9780262027427, h/bk, £17.95

Modern Poetry in China: A Visual-Verbal Dynamic, Paul Manfredi (2014) Amherst, NY: Cambria Press, 244 pp. ISBN: 9781604978629, h/bk £35.00

Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary China Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 11 December 2013–6 April 2014
Octarepeat region flexibility impacts prion function, endoproteolysis and disease manifestation
Authors: Lau Agnes , McDonald Alex , Daude Nathalie , Mays Charles E , Walter Eric D , Aglietti Robin , Mercer Robert CC , Wohlgemuth Serene , van der Merwe Jacques , Yang Jing , Gapeshina Hristina , Kim Chae , Grams Jennifer , Shi Beipei , Wille Holger , Balachandran Aru , Schmitt‐Ulms Gerold , Safar Jiri G , Millhauser Glenn L , Westaway David
Published: February 2015

The cellular prion protein (PrPC) comprises a natively unstructured N‐terminal domain, including a metal‐binding octarepeat region (OR) and a linker, followed by a C‐terminal domain that misfolds to form PrPSc in Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease. PrPC β‐endoproteolysis to the C2 fragment allows PrPSc formation, while α‐endoproteolysis blocks production. To examine the OR, we used structure‐directed design to make novel alleles, ‘S1’ and ‘S3’, locking this region in extended or compact conformations, respectively. S1 and S3 PrP resembled WT PrP in supporting peripheral nerve myelination. Prion‐infected S1 and S3 transgenic mice both accumulated similar low levels of PrPSc and infectious prion particles, but differed in their clinical presentation. Unexpectedly, S3 PrP overproduced C2 fragment in the brain by a mechanism distinct from metal‐catalysed hydrolysis reported previously. OR flexibility is concluded to impact diverse biological endpoints; it is a salient variable in infectious disease paradigms and modulates how the levels of PrPSc and infectivity can either uncouple or engage to drive the onset of clinical disease.
Society for Endocrinology Competency Framework for Adult Endocrine Nursing: 2nd edition
Authors: Kieffer Veronica , Davies Kate , Gibson Christine , Middleton Morag , Munday Jean , Shalet Shashana , Shepherd Lisa , Yeoh Phillip
Published: February 2015

This competency framework was developed by a working group of endocrine specialist nurses with the support of the Society for Endocrinology to enhance the clinical care that adults with an endocrine disorder receive. Nurses should be able to demonstrate that they are functioning at an optimal level in order for patients to receive appropriate care. By formulating a competency framework from which an adult endocrine nurse specialist can work, it is envisaged that their development as professional practitioners can be enhanced. This is the second edition of the Competency Framework for Adult Endocrine Nursing. It introduces four new competencies on benign adrenal tumours, hypo- and hyperparathyroidism, osteoporosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. The authors and the Society for Endocrinology welcome constructive feedback on the document, both nationally and internationally, in anticipation that further developments and ideas can be incorporated into future versions.
Intravenous glucocorticoid therapy for Graves' ophthalmopathy and acute liver damage: an epidemiological study
Authors: Sisti Eleonora , Coco Barbara , Menconi Francesca , Leo Marenza , Rocchi Roberto , Latrofa Francesco , Profilo Maria Antonietta , Mazzi Barbara , Albano Eleonora , Vitti Paolo , Marcocci Claudio , Brunetto Maurizia , Marinò Michele
Published: February 2015

Objective

Intravenous glucocorticoid (i.v.GC) pulse therapy for Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) can be associated with acute liver damage (ALD), which was roughly estimated to occur in ∼1% of patients, with an overall mortality of 0.4%. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of ALD after the introduction of a series of exclusion criteria and preventive measures.

Design

Retrospective evaluation of all consecutive patients candidate to i.v.GC over a period of 5 years.

Methods

The study includes 376 GO patients candidate to i.v.GC. Several liver tests were performed before, during, and after i.v.GC. To prevent ALD morbidity and mortality, the following measures were applied: i) exclusion of patients with active viral hepatitis and/or severe liver steatosis; ii) reduction in the GC dose, frequency, and number of pulses; and iii) administration of oral GC after i.v.GC, and also during i.v.GC in patients positive for nonorgan-specific autoantibodies (to prevent autoimmune hepatitis due to immune rebound). ALD was defined as an increase in alanine aminotransferase ≥300 U/l.

Results

A total of 353 patients were given i.v.GC and 23 were excluded for various conditions. ALD was detected in 4/376 patients candidate to i.v.GC, resulting in a morbidity of 1.06%. One patient recovered spontaneously and three after additional treatment with oral GC, given to re-establish immune suppression in the suspect of an autoimmune hepatitis.

Conclusions

ALD related to i.v.GC is a relatively rare adverse event. Provided an accurate selection of patients and a series of preventive measures are applied, i.v.GC is a safe treatment for the liver.
Vitamin D3 increases in abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue after supplementation with vitamin D3
Authors: Didriksen Allan , Burild Anders , Jakobsen Jette , Fuskevåg Ole Martin , Jorde Rolf
Published: February 2015

Objective

The objective was to assess the amount of vitamin D3stored in adipose tissue after long-term supplementation with high dose vitamin D3.

Design

A cross-sectional study on 29 subjects with impaired glucose tolerance who had participated in a randomized controlled trial with vitamin D320 000 IU (500 μg) per week vs placebo for 3–5 years.

Methods

Abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue was obtained by needle biopsy for the measurements of vitamin D3and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3(25(OH)D3). Body fat was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and serum 25(OH)D3level was quantified.

Results

In the subjects given vitamin D3, the median concentrations of serum 25(OH)D3, fat vitamin D3, and fat 25(OH)D3were 99 nmol/l, 209 ng/g, and 3.8 ng/g, respectively; and correspondingly in the placebo group 62 nmol/l, 32 ng/g, and 2.5 ng/g. If assuming an equal amount of vitamin D3stored in all adipose tissue in the body, the median body store was 6.6 mg vitamin D3and 0.12 mg 25(OH)D3in those given vitamin D3.

Conclusions

Subcutaneous adipose tissue may store large amounts of vitamin D3. The clinical importance of this storage needs to be determined.
Placental PAGs: gene origins, expression patterns, and use as markers of pregnancy
Authors: Wallace Rhianna M , Pohler Ky G , Smith Michael F , Green Jonathan A
Published: February 2015

Pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs) are abundantly expressed products of the placenta of species within the Cetartiodactyla order (even-toed ungulates). They are restricted to this order and they are particularly numerous in the Bovidae. The PAGs exhibit a range of temporal and spatial expression patterns by the placental trophoblasts and probably represent a group of related proteins that perform a range of distinct functions in the epitheliochorial and synepitheliochorial placental forms. This review presents an overview of the origins of the PAGs, a summary of PAG expression patterns, and their use as markers of pregnancy status. Speculations about their putative role(s) in pregnancy are also presented.