bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of p53 and PDGFR‐β Expression on Metastasis and Prognosis of Patients with Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Kurahara Hiroshi , Maemura Kosei , Mataki Yuko , Sakoda Masahiko , Shinchi Hiroyuki , Natsugoe Shoji
Published: March 2016

Background

Identifying novel predictors of hematogenous metastasis is essential to select optimal therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer. The goal of this study was to clarify the clinical implications of p53 and platelet‐derived growth factor receptor‐β (PDGFR‐β) in pancreatic cancer using immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Methods

Specimens obtained by surgical resection and endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration (EUS–FNA) of the primary tumor were used for IHC. EUS–FNA was performed before any treatment. We analyzed the clinical implications of p53 and PDGFR‐β IHC. We also performed a comparative analysis of the IHC findings between surgical and EUS–FNA specimens.

Results

This study involved 149 patients (120 who did not receive and 29 who received preoperative therapy). EUS–FNA specimens were obtained from 20 patients without preoperative therapy and 20 patients with preoperative therapy. Abnormal p53 and high PDGFR‐β expression was significantly correlated with a high incidence of hematogenous metastasis (p < 0.001) and poor postoperative survival (p = 0.006). In patients without preoperative therapy, the results for p53 and PDGFR‐β staining were concordant between surgical and EUS–FNA specimens in 95 % of the cases. In patients with preoperative therapy, 80 and 70 % of the patients showed consistent p53 and PDGFR‐β expression between surgical and EUS–FNA specimens, respectively.

Conclusions

Pancreatic cancer patients with simultaneous abnormal p53 and high PDGFR‐β expression have a significantly higher risk of hematogenous metastasis and a poor prognosis after surgery. IHC evaluation using EUS–FNA specimens may be able to identify patients with highly metastatic pancreatic cancer who may benefit from aggressive therapeutic intervention.
Large-Scale Urban Riots and Residential Segregation: A Case Study of the 1960s U.S. Riots
Authors: Brazil Noli
Published: March 2016

Despite a well-established literature investigating race-related predictors of riot incidence, the racial aftermath of riots remains unexamined. In this study, I use the 1960s U.S. race riots to investigate trends in black residential segregation levels following large-scale riot activity in seven major U.S. cities. I use a novel approach—namely, synthetic control matching—to select a group of cities against which segregation trends can be compared. I find that levels of black segregation rose in 1970 for four of the seven cities, but these increases disappeared in 1980 and 1990 except in Detroit. These results mask differential trends at lower geographic levels: suburban neighborhoods in affected areas experienced larger and longer-term increases in segregation, particularly in traditionally hypersegregated cities in the Midwest and Northeast.
DNA damage signalling barrier, oxidative stress and treatment‐relevant DNA repair factor alterations during progression of human prostate cancer
Authors: Kurfurstova Daniela , Bartkova Jirina , Vrtel Radek , Mickova Alena , Burdova Alena , Majera Dusana , Mistrik Martin , Kral Milan , Santer Frederic R. , Bouchal Jan , Bartek Jiri
Published: March 2016

The DNA damage checkpoints provide an anti‐cancer barrier in diverse tumour types, however this concept has remained unexplored in prostate cancer (CaP). Furthermore, targeting DNA repair defects by PARP1 inhibitors (PARPi) as a cancer treatment strategy is emerging yet requires suitable predictive biomarkers. To address these issues, we performed immunohistochemical analysis of multiple markers of DNA damage signalling, oxidative stress, DNA repair and cell cycle control pathways during progression of human prostate disease from benign hyperplasia, through intraepithelial neoplasia to CaP, complemented by genetic analyses of TMPRSS2‐ERG rearrangement and NQO1, an anti‐oxidant factor and p53 protector. The DNA damage checkpoint barrier (γH2AX, pATM, p53) mechanism was activated during CaP tumorigenesis, albeit less and with delayed culmination compared to other cancers, possibly reflecting lower replication stress (slow proliferation despite cases of Rb loss and cyclin D1 overexpression) and progressive loss of ATM activator NKX3.1. Oxidative stress (8‐oxoguanine lesions) and NQO1 increased during disease progression. NQO1 genotypes of 390 men did not indicate predisposition to CaP, yet loss of NQO1 in CaP suggested potential progression‐opposing tumour suppressor role. TMPRSS2‐ERG rearrangement and PTEN loss, events sensitizing to PARPi, occurred frequently along with heterogeneous loss of DNA repair factors 53BP1, JMJD1C and Rev7 (all studied here for the first time in CaP) whose defects may cause resistance to PARPi. Overall, our results reveal an unorthodox DNA damage checkpoint barrier scenario in CaP tumorigenesis, and provide novel insights into oxidative stress and DNA repair, with implications for biomarker guidance of future targeted therapy of CaP.
A numerical investigation of the wake of an axisymmetric body with appendages
Authors: Posa A. , Balaras E.
Published: March 2016

We report wall-resolved large-eddy simulations of an axisymmetric body of revolution with appendages. The geometry is that of the DARPA SUBOFF body at 0 yaw angle and a Reynolds number equal to$\mathit{Re}_{L}=1.2\times 10^{6}$(based on the free-stream velocity and the length of the body). The computational grid, composed of approximately 3 billion nodes, is designed to capture all essential flow features, including the turbulent boundary layers on the surface of the body. Our results are in good agreement with measurements available in the literature. It is shown that the wake of the body is affected mainly by the shear layer from the trailing edge of the fins and the turbulent boundary layer growing along the stern, while the influence of the wake of the sail is minimal. In agreement with the reference experiments, a bimodal behaviour for the turbulent stresses is observed in the wake. This is due to the displacement of the maximum of turbulent kinetic energy away from the wall along the surface of the stern, where the boundary layer is subjected to strong adverse pressure gradients. The junction flows, produced by the interaction of the boundary layer with the leading edge of the fins, enhance this bimodal pattern, feeding additional turbulence in the boundary layer and the downstream wake. The evolution of the wake towards self-similarity is also investigated up to nine diameters downstream of the tail. We found the mean flow approaches this condition, while its development is delayed by the wake of the appendages, especially by the flow coming from the tip of the fins. However, the width of the wake and its maximum momentum deficit follow the expected power-law behaviour on the side away from the sail. The second-order statistics, on the other hand, are still far from self-similarity, which is consistent with experimental observations in the literature.
Coherent structures in a swirl injector at Re = 4800 by nonlinear simulations and linear global modes
Authors: Tammisola O. , Juniper M. P.
Published: March 2016

The large-scale coherent motions in a realistic swirl fuel-injector geometry are analysed by direct numerical simulations (DNS), proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), and linear global modes. The aim is to identify the origin of instability in this turbulent flow in a complex internal geometry. The flow field in the nonlinear simulation is highly turbulent, but with a distinguishable coherent structure: the precessing vortex core (a spiralling mode). The most energetic POD mode pair is identified as the precessing vortex core. By analysing the fast Fourier transform (FFT) of the time coefficients of the POD modes, we conclude that the first four POD modes contain the coherent fluctuations. The remaining POD modes (incoherent fluctuations) are used to form a turbulent viscosity field, using the Newtonian eddy model. The turbulence sets in from convective shear layer instabilities even before the nonlinear flow reaches the other end of the domain, indicating that equilibrium solutions of the Navier–Stokes are never observed. Linear global modes are computed around the mean flow from DNS, applying the turbulent viscosity extracted from POD modes. A slightly stable discrete $m=1$ eigenmode is found, well separated from the continuous spectrum, in very good agreement with the POD mode shape and frequency. The structural sensitivity of the precessing vortex core is located upstream of the central recirculation zone, identifying it as a spiral vortex breakdown instability in the nozzle. Furthermore, the structural sensitivity indicates that the dominant instability mechanism is the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability at the inflection point forming near vortex breakdown. Adjoint modes are strong in the shear layer along the whole extent of the nozzle, showing that the optimal initial condition for the global mode is localized in the shear layer. We analyse the qualitative influence of turbulent dissipation in the stability problem (eddy viscosity) on the eigenmodes by comparing them to eigenmodes computed without eddy viscosity. The results show that the eddy viscosity improves the complex frequency and shape of global modes around the fuel-injector mean flow, while a qualitative wavemaker position can be obtained with or without turbulent dissipation, in agreement with previous studies. This study shows how sensitivity analysis can identify which parts of the flow in a complex geometry need to be altered in order to change its hydrodynamic stability characteristics.
Trends in food consumption and nutrient intake in Germany between 2006 and 2012: results of the German National Nutrition Monitoring (NEMONIT)
Authors: Gose Maria , Krems Carolin , Heuer Thorsten , Hoffmann Ingrid
Published: March 2016

The German National Nutrition Monitoring (NEMONIT) is a longitudinal and nationwide study to assess changes in food consumption and nutrient intake in Germany. A sample of 1840 participants (baseline age: 14–80 years) was drawn from the nationally representative German National Nutrition Survey (NVS) II (2005–2007). The participants have been interviewed by telephone annually since 2008. Food consumption was assessed by two 24-h recalls in the NVS II and the 4 years of NEMONIT (2008–2012/2013), respectively. Energy and nutrient intakes were calculated using the German Nutrient Database 3.02. Diet quality was evaluated using the Healthy Eating Index-NVS (HEI-NVS) II. Time trends were analysed by generalised estimating equation. Consumption of fruit/fruit products and fruit juice/nectar among men and women decreased, whereas consumption of water, soft drinks and coffee/tea increased over the 6-year period. Furthermore, increased consumption of confectionery and animal fats was observed among women. HEI-NVS II did not change since NVS II in both sexes. There were no changes in energy and protein intakes, but carbohydrate intake declined while fat intake increased over time. Regarding micronutrients, a decreasing intake of thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin B6 was observed in both sexes, but intake of Mg, Fe and niacin increased among women over time. In conclusion, food consumption and nutrient intake remained relatively stable between 2005–2007 and 2012/2013 within this German cohort. A few favourable and unfavourable changes were observed. Compared with national dietary guidelines, consumption of food of plant origin remained too low and consumption of meat/meat products remained too high in Germany.
The Priests of the King's Reliquary in Anglo-Saxon England
Authors: LLOYD JAMES
Published: March 2016

That the priests of the Anglo-Saxon royal household functioned as a primitive chancery is a popular and reasonable hypothesis, corroborated both by contemporary continental practice and by the overlap between chancery and chapel evident from the twelfth century to the fourteenth. Evidence for an Anglo-Saxon chancellorship as such, however, remains frustratingly elusive. This paper argues for the existence of a special tier of priests entrusted with the king's reliquary and archive. It examines their role in the royal household, resolving conflicts in the evidence, to argue that the later office of chancellor evolved from their office.
Strategic Default, Debt Structure, and Stock Returns
Authors: Valta Philip
Published: March 2016

This paper theoretically and empirically investigates how debt structure and strategic interaction among shareholders and debt holders in the event of default affect expected stock returns. The model predicts that expected stock returns are higher for firms that face high debt renegotiation difficulties and that have a large fraction of secured or convertible debt. Using a large sample of publicly traded U.S. firms for the period 1985–2012, the paper presents new evidence on the link between debt structure and stock returns that is supportive of the model’s predictions.
Anthelmintic activity of chicory (Cichorium intybus):in vitroeffects on swine nematodes and relationship to sesquiterpene lactone composition
Authors: WILLIAMS ANDREW R. , PEÑA-ESPINOZA MIGUEL A. , BOAS ULRIK , SIMONSEN HENRIK T. , ENEMARK HEIDI L. , THAMSBORG STIG M.
Published: March 2016

Chicory is a perennial crop that has been investigated as a forage source for outdoor-reared ruminants and pigs, and has been reported to have anthelmintic properties. Here, we investigatedin vitroanthelmintic effects of forage chicory-extracts against the highly prevalent swine parasitesAscaris suumandOesophagostomum dentatum.Methanol extracts were prepared and purified from two different cultivars of chicory (Spadona and Puna II). Marked differences were observed between the anthelmintic activity of extracts from the two cultivars. Spadona extracts had potent activity againstA. suumthird (L3) and fourth (L4) – stage larvae, as well asO. dentatumL4 and adults, whereas Puna II extracts had less activity againstA. suumand no activity towardsO. dentatumL4. Transmission-electron microscopy ofA. suumL4 exposed to Spadona extracts revealed only subtle changes, perhaps indicative of a specific anthelmintic effect rather than generalized toxicity. Ultra-high liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the purified extracts were rich in sesquiterpene lactones (SL), and that the SL profile differed significantly between cultivars. This is the first report of anthelmintic activity of forage chicory towards swine nematodes. Our results indicate a significant anthelmintic effect, which may possibly be related to SL composition.
Gaps problems and frequencies of patches in cut and project sets
Authors: HAYNES ALAN , KOIVUSALO HENNA , WALTON JAMES , SADUN LORENZO
Published: March 2016

We establish a connection between gaps problems in Diophantine approximation and the frequency spectrum of patches in cut and project sets with special windows. Our theorems provide bounds for the number of distinct frequencies of patches of size r, which depend on the precise cut and project sets being used, and which are almost always less than a power of log r. Furthermore, for a substantial collection of cut and project sets we show that the number of frequencies of patches of size r remains bounded as r tends to infinity. The latter result applies to a collection of cut and project sets of full Hausdorff dimension.
On the equations and classification of toric quiver varieties
Authors: Domokos Mátyás , Joó Dániel
Published: March 2016

Toric quiver varieties (moduli spaces of quiver representations) are studied. Given a quiver and a weight, there is an associated quasi-projective toric variety together with a canonical embedding into projective space. It is shown that for a quiver with no oriented cycles the homogeneous ideal of this embedded projective variety is generated by elements of degree at most 3. In each fixed dimension d up to isomorphism there are only finitely many d-dimensional toric quiver varieties. A procedure for their classification is outlined.
Optimal rates of convergence to the singular Barenblatt profile for the fast diffusion equation
Authors: Fila Marek , Winkler Michael
Published: March 2016

We study the asymptotic behaviour of solutions of the fast diffusion equation near extinction. For a class of initial data, the asymptotic behaviour is described by a singular Barenblatt profile. We complete previous results on rates of convergence to the singular Barenblatt profile by describing a new phenomenon concerning the difference between the rates in time and space.
Perceptions, Legislation, and Management of Cultural Heritage in Ethiopia
Authors: Nair Vijayakumar Somasekharan
Published: March 2016

The present article discusses perceptions of cultural heritage and the development of heritage management in Ethiopia against the background of various pieces of legislation. Compared to many colonized countries of sub-Saharan Africa, the enactment of laws for the protection and preservation of cultural heritage is a recent phenomenon in Ethiopia. Even though archaeological research in Ethiopia dates back to the mid-nineteenth century, there have been no formal heritage laws or scientific restoration programs until 1966. However, living heritage, which is economically and spiritually beneficial to the local communities, has been protected and preserved with TMSs in communities such as Yeha, Konso, and Lalibela. Unlike Western management systems that emphasize the authenticity and integrity of physical features, the TMSs of Ethiopia have focused on the ideals and thoughts of the agencies that produce the cultural heritage. It had its own implications, to say, while retaining the ideological aspects, most built heritages in Ethiopia have been subjected to considerable physical interventions. Such physical interventions have disregarded structural authenticity and integrity of the monuments. Due to foreign invasions, continuous civil conflicts, and sporadic famines in the past, attention to cultural heritage and the implementation of heritage legislation has been negligent. However, Ethiopia has witnessed growing interest in the conservation and preservation of its heritage—cultural and natural; tangible and intangible—during the last twenty years. With the support of international collaborators, the Ethiopian government has initiated several measures to protect its heritage assets.
Midwives of Sixteenth-Century Rural East Anglia
Authors: ALLISON JULIA
Published: March 2016

This study identifies more than fifty previously unrecorded Elizabethan, East Anglian rural midwives. Their professional lives are discussed in terms of licensing and oaths, knowledge, skills, caseload, travel, networking and years of practice. In regard to their family life, matters examined include marital status, spousal occupation, children, social standing, age at death and testacy. Finding and researching these midwives involved examination of a large number of different kinds of archive documents, including sixteenth-century parish registers and quarter session records. As data were examined a clearer picture emerged of these early midwives and their practice.
The Affair of the Pigeon Droppings: Rural Schoolmasters in Eighteenth-Century France
Authors: CARTER KAREN E.
Published: March 2016

This article examines the role played by village schoolmasters in eighteenth-century rural France. Although schoolmasters were not supported or regulated by the state, as they would be a century later, they were able to navigate successfully the complex network of social relationships that existed within early modern rural society. Using the journal of one schoolmaster, Pierre Delahaye, the article demonstrates that in addition to teaching, schoolmasters also worked as record keepers for village notables, as clerks for the parish, and even cleaned the churches and belfries. The schoolmaster's position afforded him a much greater social position than might be assumed from knowledge of only his income and background, and even allowed him to serve as a mediator between the village and the curé. Thus it can be argued that schoolmasters of the eighteenth century were as important to rural society as their state supported counterparts of the nineteenth century.
Preliminary assessment of the scope and scale of illegal killing and taking of birds in the Mediterranean
Authors: BROCHET ANNE-LAURE , VAN DEN BOSSCHE WILLEM , JBOUR SHARIF , NDANG’ANG’A P. KARIUKI , JONES VICTORIA R. , ABDOU WED ABDEL LATIF IBRAHIM , AL- HMOUD ABDEL RAZZAQ , ASSWAD NABEGH GHAZAL , ATIENZA JUAN CARLOS , ATRASH IMAD , BARBARA NICHOLAS , BENSUSAN KEITH , BINO TAULANT , CELADA CLAUDIO , CHERKAOUI SIDI IMAD , COSTA JULIETA , DECEUNINCK BERNARD , ETAYEB KHALED SALEM , FELTRUP-AZAFZAF CLAUDIA , FIGELJ JERNEJ , GUSTIN MARCO , KMECL PRIMOŽ , KOCEVSKI VLADO , KORBETI MALAMO , KOTROŠAN DRAŽEN , MULA LAGUNA JUAN , LATTUADA MATTEO , LEITÃO DOMINGOS , LOPES PAULA , LÓPEZ-JIMÉNEZ NICOLÁS , LUCIĆ VEDRAN , MICOL THIERRY , MOALI AÏSSA , PERLMAN YOAV , PILUDU NICOLA , PORTOLOU DANAE , PUTILIN KSENIJA , QUAINTENNE GWENAEL , RAMADAN-JARADI GHASSAN , RUŽIĆ MILAN , SANDOR ANNA , SARAJLI NERMINA , SAVELJIĆ DARKO , SHELDON ROBERT D. , SHIALIS TASSOS , TSIOPELAS NIKOS , VARGAS FRAN , THOMPSON CLAIRE , BRUNNER ARIEL , GRIMMETT RICHARD , BUTCHART STUART H.M.
Published: March 2016

Illegal killing/taking of birds is a growing concern across the Mediterranean. However, there are few quantitative data on the species and countries involved. We assessed numbers of individual birds of each species killed/taken illegally in each Mediterranean country per year, using a diverse range of data sources and incorporating expert knowledge. We estimated that 11–36 million individuals per year may be killed/taken illegally in the region, many of them on migration. In each of Cyprus, Egypt, Italy, Lebanon and Syria, more than two million birds may be killed/taken on average each year. For species such as Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, Common Quail Coturnix coturnix, Eurasian Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs, House Sparrow Passer domesticus and Song Thrush Turdus philomelos, more than one million individuals of each species are estimated to be killed/taken illegally on average every year. Several species of global conservation concern are also reported to be killed/taken illegally in substantial numbers: Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata, Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca and Rock Partridge Alectoris graeca. Birds in the Mediterranean are illegally killed/taken primarily for food, sport and for use as cage-birds or decoys. At the 20 worst locations with the highest reported numbers, 7.9 million individuals may be illegally killed/taken per year, representing 34% of the mean estimated annual regional total number of birds illegally killed/taken for all species combined. Our study highlighted the paucity of data on illegal killing/taking of birds. Monitoring schemes which use systematic sampling protocols are needed to generate increasingly robust data on trends in illegal killing/taking over time and help stakeholders prioritise conservation actions to address this international conservation problem. Large numbers of birds are also hunted legally in the region, but specific totals are generally unavailable. Such data, in combination with improved estimates for illegal killing/taking, are needed for robustly assessing the sustainability of exploitation of birds.
‘All the Musics Which Computers Make Possible’: Questions of genre at the Prix Ars Electronica
Authors: Haworth Christopher
Published: March 2016

This article explores the workings of genre in experimental electronic musics. Predominantly sociological in orientation, it has three main foci. First, it addresses practitioners’ and theorists’ resistances to the concept of genre in experimental musics. Drawing on recent developments in genre theory, it discusses the problems of agency, mediation and scale that any discussion of genre calls forth, pitting them alongside theories that emphasise genre’s necessity and inevitability in communication. The second section examines the politics of genre as they play out in practice, focusing on the Prix Ars Electronica festival and the controversy that ensued from the decision to change the name of the Computer Music category in 1999. The analysis focuses on issues of institutional mediation, historicity, genre emergence and the politics of labelling as they come into view when two broad spheres – electroacoustic art music and ‘popular’ electronic music – are brought into the same field together in competition. The third section deepens the analysis of Ars Electronica by zooming in on one of the represented genres, microsound, to examine how it is shaped and negotiated in practice. Using digital methods tools developed in the context of Actor-Network Theory, I present a view of the genre as fundamentally promiscuous, overlapping liberally with adjacent genres. Fusing Derrida’s principle of ‘participation over belonging’ with ANT’s insistence on the agency of ‘non-human actors’ in social assemblages, the map provides a means to analyse the genre through its mediations – through the varied industries, institutions and social networks that support and maintain it.
Sound-based Brutalism: An emergent aesthetic
Authors: Zareei Mo H. , Mckinnon Dugal , Carnegie Dale A. , Kapur Ajay
Published: March 2016

Cold, stripped-down, monochrome, pixelated, iterative, quantised, grid, pulse, glitch, noise: taken together, these words imply a growing aesthetic connection within a body of experimental and independent (or non-academic) sound-based artworks produced in the past few decades. Although realised in different mediums and belonging to different artistic categories, such works are connected through a certain aesthetic sensibility. Nevertheless, since the majority of these works have thus far received little scholarly attention, a framing discussion of the aesthetic principles and features that link them is overdue. This article examines this emergent phenomenon, accounting for the particular aesthetic features that connect such sound-based artworks, arguing for a more specific terminology to adequately account for this aesthetic across the various practices in which it is observed. Rejecting ‘minimalist’ as a descriptor, this article calls for an aesthetic frame of reference derived through Brutalism, understood as a crystallisation of key features of modernism and its various movements. The first author’s work is presented as a conscious effort to create sound art redolent of Brutalism, locating this work in the context of the revival of Brutalism in recent years, which, as will be argued, can be expanded to works from a wide range of contemporary artists and musicians.
Genre and Capital in Avant-garde Electronica
Authors: Britton Eliot
Published: March 2016

This article applies agenre levelapproach to the tangled discourse surrounding the points of convergence between avant-garde electronica and electroacoustic music. More specifically the article addresses related experimental practices in these distinct yet related fields of electronic music-making. The democratisation of music technology continues to expand into an increasingly diverse set of musical fields, destabilising established power dynamics. A flexible, structured approach to the analysis of these relationships facilitates the navigation of crumbling boundaries and shifting relationships. Contemporary electronic music’s overlapping networks encompass varying forms of capital, aesthetics, technology, ideology, tools and techniques. These areas offer interesting points of convergence. As the discourse surrounding electronic music expands, so must the vocabulary and conceptual models used to describe and discuss new areas of converging artistic practice.Genre leveldiagrams selectively collapse, expand and arrange artistic fields, facilitating concrete, coherent arguments and the examination of patterns and relationships. Through thegenre leveldiagram’s establishment of distinct yet flexible boundaries, electronic music’s sprawling discourse can be cordoned off, expanded or contracted to suit structured analyses. In this way, this approach clarifies scope and facilitates simultaneous examination from a variety of perspectives.
Extending a Gradient Symbolic approach to the native versus non-native contrast: The case of plurals in compounds
Authors: VERÍSSIMO JOÃO
Published: March 2016

The Gradient Symbolic Computation (GSC) model presented in the keynote article (Goldrick, Putnam & Schwarz) constitutes a significant theoretical development, not only as a model of bilingual code-mixing, but also as a general framework that brings together symbolic grammars and graded representations. The authors are to be commended for successfully integrating a theory of grammatical knowledge with the voluminous research on lexical co-activation in bilinguals. It is, however, unfortunate that a certain conception of bilingualism was inherited from this latter research tradition, one in which the contrast between native and non-native language takes a back seat.
Variability in seed oil content and fatty acid composition, phenotypic traits and self-incompatibility among selected niger germplasm accessions
Authors: Benelli Victoria G. , Allen Fred L. , Wang Ming Li
Published: March 2016

Niger (Guizotia abyssinica, L.) is a desirable oilseed crop for birdseed, especially for finches (Spinusspp.) because of its high ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids and relatively high oil content. In 2012, phenotypic traits, seed oil and fatty acid content measurements were made on 14 plant introductions (PIs) from the United States Department of Agriculture germplasm collection. The PIs originated in Ethiopia (ten), India (three) and USA (one). The phenotypic traits analysed included seed/plant, branches/plant, capitula/plant1, average seed/capitulum and plant height. After initial assessments of the 14 PIs, three were selected for use as parents to produce two one-way and two two-wayF1crosses for the purpose of evaluating self-incompatibility (SI). Parent andF1progeny seeds were planted in a greenhouse and transplanted to a field site at the East Tennessee Research and Education Center (2012, 2013 and 2014). Comparisons from 2012 showed seed oil of the 14 PIs ranging from 32.9 to 37.9% (PI 508076 (Ethiopia) and PI 509436 (India), respectively). Major fatty acids included stearic, palmitic, oleic and linoleic; with linoleic acid in highest amount. PI508079 (Ethiopia) had the best combination of seed yield, seed oil and linoleic acid content. Over 2013 and 2014, SI ranged from 91.1 to 100.0%. W6 18860 (USA) had the most self-compatibility, and theF1plants generated from crosses between W6 18860 and other plants tended to be self-compatible when the former was used as a pollen recipient. The results obtained from this study should be useful for niger breeding and production purposes.
A 60 GHz passive repeater array with quasi-endfire radiation based on metal groove unit-cells
Authors: Wang Duo , Gillard Raphaël , Loison Renaud
Published: March 2016

This paper describes a linear-polarized reflector that reflects incident wave almost parallel to its surface at 60 GHz, when illuminated by an impinging plane wave with normal incidence. This structure is designed as a simple and low-cost passive repeater with both a quasi-endfire radiation and a flat profile. Working as a transmission relay, it is a quite potential and possible solution to improve the radio-coverage in the T-shaped corridor, which is a typical scenario of non-light-of-sight (NLOS) environment for 60 GHz indoor communications. The proposed repeater consists of an array of parallel grooves with appropriate depths, drilled in a metallic plate. Full-wave simulations and theoretical investigations are carried out to demonstrate the working principle and to optimize the performance. Then, an 80-groove breadboard in the size of 200 mm × 200 mm is fabricated and measured to explore the feasibility of the concept. In a practical measurement, when the distance from the repeater to transmitting antenna (Tx) is 2 m, and to the receiving antenna (Rx) is 1.5 m, the repeater exhibits a main beam at ±75° with gain up to 22.7 dB. The communication between Tx and Rx in NLOS areas is thus successfully recovered.
Utilizing the Strengths of the Pediatric Psychologist in Health Care Improvement Efforts
Authors: Greco Peggy , Pitel Paul
Published: March 2016

Pediatric psychology research has typically been characterized by well-developed theoretical underpinnings as well as a statistically sound approach to measurement and treatment related to health care for children, adolescents, and their families. However, there is far less emphasis placed on developing strategies and processes for translating these findings for current use within the health care environment. Pediatric psychologists are uniquely qualified to observe and modify practitioner behavior in accordance with empirical findings in order to improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction. Clinical coaching of medical providers may be one such avenue. Ethical issues related to clinical coaching and the broader emphasis on patient satisfaction are discussed as well as practical concerns such as cost-effective ways to utilize the clinical coaching process. With ongoing changes to the health care environment and mounting pressure to improve patient satisfaction, we argue for the increased involvement of pediatric psychologists in health care improvement efforts.
Society of Pediatric Psychology Workforce Survey: Development of Survey Methods, Sample Characteristics, and Lessons Learned
Authors: Wysocki Tim , Brosig Cheryl L. , Hilliard Marisa E.
Published: March 2016

There are few detailed workforce studies of specialty fields within professional psychology, and none have been reported for pediatric psychology since 2006. Availability of such data could facilitate more-informed decision making by students and trainees, psychologists pursuing employment opportunities, and psychologists involved in employment or compensation negotiations. This article describes the work of a task force of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 54 (Society of Pediatric Psychology) in the design, construction, pretesting, distribution, and data management for the Society of Pediatric Psychology (SPP) Workforce Survey. The 18-member task force was established to design and implement a workforce survey that balanced needs for breadth, clarity, brevity, and protection of confidentiality. The survey solicits information about demographic characteristics; training, licensure and certifications; employment settings, responsibilities, and productivity metrics; compensation; and employment satisfaction. A survey link was distributed via e-mail to full members of the SPP in June 2015. A total of 404 members (32.3% return rate) completed the survey. This article focuses on the development, methodology, and respondent characteristics for this 1st administration of the workforce survey. Separate articles will report detailed analyses of the survey results such as compensation and work satisfaction. Future distributions of the survey will enable compilation of a longitudinal database to track changes in the profession. SPP members and others may propose additional analyses of these data. This work may provide guidance to other groups of specialized psychologists who may wish to implement similar initiatives.
Autophagy regulates odontoblast differentiation by suppressing NF-κB activation in an inflammatory environment
Authors: Pei F , Wang H S , Chen Z , Zhang L
Published: March 2016

Odontoblasts are derived from dental papilla mesenchymal cells and have an important role in defense against bacterial infection, whereas autophagy can recycle long-lived proteins and damaged organelles to sustain cellular homeostasis. Thus, this study explores the role of autophagy in odontoblast differentiation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in vitro and the colocalization of p-NF-κB and LC3 in caries teeth. The odontoblasts differentiation was enhanced through LPS stimulation, and this outcome was reflected in the increased number of mineralized nodules and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. The expression levels of the autophagy markers LC3, Atg5, Beclin1 and TFE3 increased time dependently, as well along with the amount of autophagosomes and autophagy fluxes. This result suggests that autophagy was enhanced in odontoblasts cultured with mineralized-induced media containing LPS. To confirm the role of autophagy in differentiated odontoblasts with LPS stimulation, chloroquine (CQ) or rapamycin were used to either block or enhance autophagy. The number of mineralized nodules decreased when autophagy was inhibited, but this number increased with rapamycin treatment. Phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) expression was negatively related to autophagy and could inhibit odontoblast differentiation. Furthermore, p-NF-κB and LC3 colocalization could be detected in cells stimulated with LPS. The nucleus translocation of p-NF-κB in odontoblasts was enhanced when autophagy was inhibited by Atg5 small interfering RNA. In addition, the colocalization of p-NF-κB and LC3 in odontoblasts and sub-odontoblastic layers was observed in caries teeth with reactionary dentin. Therefore, our findings provide a novel insight into the role of autophagy in regulating odontoblast differentiation by suppressing NF-κB activation in inflammatory environments.
Dengue-induced autophagy, virus replication and protection from cell death require ER stress (PERK) pathway activation
Authors: Datan E , Roy S G , Germain G , Zali N , McLean J E , Golshan G , Harbajan S , Lockshin R A , Zakeri Z
Published: March 2016

A virus that reproduces in a host without killing cells can easily establish a successful infection. Previously, we showed that dengue-2, a virus that threatens 40% of the world, induces autophagy, enabling dengue to reproduce in cells without triggering cell death. Autophagy further protects the virus-laden cells from further insults. In this study, we evaluate how it does so; we show that dengue upregulates host pathways that increase autophagy, namely endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) signaling followed by production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Inhibition of ER stress or ATM signaling abrogates the dengue-conferred protection against other cell stressors. Direct inhibition of ER stress response in infected cells decreases autophagosome turnover, reduces ROS production and limits reproduction of dengue virus. Blocking ATM activation, which is an early response to infection, decreases transcription of ER stress response proteins, but ATM has limited impact on production of ROS and virus titers. Production of ROS determines only late-onset autophagy in infected cells and is not necessary for dengue-induced protection from stressors. Collectively, these results demonstrate that among the multiple autophagy-inducing pathways during infection, ER stress signaling is more important to viral replication and protection of cells than either ATM or ROS-mediated signaling. To limit virus production and survival of dengue-infected cells, one must address the earliest phase of autophagy, induced by ER stress.
LINC01225 promotes occurrence and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma in an epidermal growth factor receptor-dependent pathway
Authors: Wang X , Zhang W , Tang J , Huang R , Li J , Xu D , Xie Y , Jiang R , Deng L , Zhang X , Chai Y , Qin X , Sun B
Published: March 2016

The long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have long been clarified to participate in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as a biomarker. We carried out the present study in order to identify HCC-related lncRNAs and elucidate the functional roles in the development and progression of HCC. Our previous study has provided that LINC01225 may be an HCC-related gene. Here, we verified that LINC01225 was upregulated in HCC. Knockdown of LINC01225 resulted in inhibited cell proliferation and invasion with activated apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in vitro. Overexpression of LINC01225 in LINC01225 knockdown cells presented that attenuated cell proliferation and invasion were restored and enhanced. Subcutaneous and tail vein/intraperitoneal injection xenotransplantation model in vivo validated reduced tumor progression and metastasis. Investigation of mechanism found that LINC01225 could bind to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and increase the protein level of EGFR, and subsequently fine tune the EGFR/Ras/Raf-1/MEK/MAPK signaling pathway. Analysis with clinicopathological information suggested a high expression of LINC01225 is positively associated with poor prognosis. We also proved that LINC01225 was stably expressed in serum and can act as a novel biomarker in predicting the diagnosis of HCC. As a conclusion, LINC01225 plays a crucial role in HCC and can act as a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC.
Itk is required for Th9 differentiation via TCR-mediated induction of IL-2 and IRF4
Authors: Gomez-Rodriguez Julio , Meylan Françoise , Handon Robin , Hayes Erika T. , Anderson Stacie M. , Kirby Martha R. , Siegel Richard M. , Schwartzberg Pamela L.
Published: March 2016

Th9 cells produce interleukin (IL)-9, a cytokine implicated in allergic asthma and autoimmunity. Here we show that Itk, a mediator of T cell receptor signalling required for Th2 immune responses and the development of asthma, is a positive regulator of Th9 differentiation. In a model of allergic lung disease, Itk-deficient mice show reduced pulmonary inflammation and IL-9 production by T cells and innate lymphoid type 2 cells (ILC2), despite normal early induction of ILC2s. In vitro, Itk−/− CD4+ T cells do not produce IL-9 and have reduced levels of IRF4 (Interferon Regulator Factor 4), a critical transcription factor for effector T cell function. Both IL-9 and IRF4 expression are rescued by either IL-2 or constitutively active STAT5, but not NFATc1. STAT5 binds the Irf4 promoter, demonstrating one mechanism by which IL-2 rescues weakly activated T cells. Itk inhibition also reduces IL-9 expression by human T cells, implicating ITK as a key regulator of Th9 induction.
Single-cell differences in matrix gene expression do not predict matrix deposition
Authors: Cote Allison J. , McLeod Claire M. , Farrell Megan J. , McClanahan Patrick D. , Dunagin Margaret C. , Raj Arjun , Mauck Robert L.
Published: March 2016

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) display substantial cell-to-cell heterogeneity, complicating their use in regenerative medicine. However, conventional bulk assays mask this variability. Here we show that both chondrocytes and chondrogenically induced MSCs exhibit substantial mRNA expression heterogeneity. Single-molecule RNA FISH to measure mRNA expression of differentiation markers in single cells reveals that sister cell pairs have high levels of mRNA variability, suggesting that marker expression is not heritable. Surprisingly, this variability does not correlate with cell-to-cell differences in cartilage-like matrix production. Transcriptome-wide analysis suggests that no combination of markers can predict functional potential. De-differentiating chondrocytes also show a disconnect between mRNA expression of the cartilage marker aggrecan and cartilage-like matrix accumulation. Altogether, these quantitative analyses suggest that sorting subpopulations based on these markers would only marginally enrich the progenitor population for ‘superior’ MSCs. Our results suggest that instantaneous mRNA abundance of canonical markers is tenuously linked to the chondrogenic phenotype at the single-cell level.
Temperature mapping of operating nanoscale devices by scanning probe thermometry
Authors: Menges Fabian , Mensch Philipp , Schmid Heinz , Riel Heike , Stemmer Andreas , Gotsmann Bernd
Published: March 2016

Imaging temperature fields at the nanoscale is a central challenge in various areas of science and technology. Nanoscopic hotspots, such as those observed in integrated circuits or plasmonic nanostructures, can be used to modify the local properties of matter, govern physical processes, activate chemical reactions and trigger biological mechanisms in living organisms. The development of high-resolution thermometry techniques is essential for understanding local thermal non-equilibrium processes during the operation of numerous nanoscale devices. Here we present a technique to map temperature fields using a scanning thermal microscope. Our method permits the elimination of tip–sample contact-related artefacts, a major hurdle that so far has limited the use of scanning probe microscopy for nanoscale thermometry. We map local Peltier effects at the metal–semiconductor contacts to an indium arsenide nanowire and self-heating of a metal interconnect with 7 mK and sub-10 nm spatial temperature resolution.
Chronic cough and a normal chest X-ray - a simple systematic approach to exclude common causes before referral to secondary care: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Turner Richard D , Bothamley Graham H
Published: March 2016

Chronic cough is common in the community and can cause significant morbidity. It is not clear how closely treatment guidelines are used in general practice, or how often specialist referral is indicated. We aimed to assess the management of chronic cough in primary care before referral to a cough clinic, and to assess the outcome of managing chronic cough with an approach of simple investigation and empirical treatment trials. Data were extracted from the records of all patients attending a district general hospital respiratory clinic over a two-year period with isolated chronic cough lasting ⩾8 weeks. The clinic assessed symptoms with a cough-severity visual analogue scale and the Leicester Cough Questionnaire. Among 266 patients, the most frequent diagnoses were asthma (29%), gastro-oesophageal reflux (22%) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use (14%). In all, 12% had unexplained chronic cough. Common diagnoses had often not been excluded in primary care: only 21% had undergone spirometry, 86% had undergone chest radiography and attempts to exclude asthma with corticosteroids had been made only in 39%. In the clinic few investigations were conducted that were not available in primary care. Substantial improvements in symptoms occurred with a median (interquartile range) total of 2 (2–3) clinic visits. We estimated that 87% of patients could have been managed solely in primary care; we did not identify distinguishing characteristics among this group. Most cases of chronic cough referred to secondary care could be managed with a simple and systematic approach, which is potentially transferrable to a community setting.