bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neurexin‐1 regulates sleep and synaptic plasticity in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Larkin Aoife , Chen Ming‐Yu , Kirszenblat Leonie , Reinhard Judith , van Swinderen Bruno , Claudianos Charles 
Published: July 2015

AbstractNeurexins are cell adhesion molecules that are important for synaptic plasticity and homeostasis, although links to sleep have not yet been investigated. We examined the effects of neurexin‐1 perturbation on sleep in Drosophila, showing that neurexin‐1 nulls displayed fragmented sleep and altered circadian rhythm. Conversely, the over‐expression of neurexin‐1 could increase and consolidate night‐time sleep. This was not solely due to developmental effects as it could be induced acutely in adulthood, and was coupled with evidence of synaptic growth. The timing of over‐expression could differentially impact sleep patterns, with specific night‐time effects. These results show that neurexin‐1 was dynamically involved in synaptic plasticity and sleep in Drosophila. Neurexin‐1 and a number of its binding partners have been repeatedly associated with mental health disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia and Tourette syndrome, all of which are also linked to altered sleep patterns. How and when plasticity‐related proteins such as neurexin‐1 function during sleep can provide vital information on the interaction between synaptic homeostasis and sleep, paving the way for more informed treatments of human disorders.
The application of expert knowledge in Bayesian networks to predict soil bulk density at the landscape scale
Authors: Taalab K. , Corstanje R. , Mayr T. M. , Whelan M. J. , Creamer R. E. 
Published: July 2015

SummaryThis paper investigates the use of expert knowledge as a resource for digital soil mapping. To do this, three models of topsoil soil bulk density (Db) were produced: (i) a random forest model formulated and cross‐validated with the limited data available (which served as the benchmark), (ii) a naïve Bayesian network (BN) where the conditional probabilities that define the relations between Db and explanatory landscape variables were derived from expert knowledge rather than data and (iii) a ‘hierarchical’ BN where model structure was also defined by expert knowledge. These models were used to generate spatial predictions for mapping topsoil Db at a landscape scale. The results show that expert knowledge‐based models can identify the same spatial trends in soil properties at a landscape scale as state‐of‐the‐art mapping algorithms. This means that they are a viable option for soil mapping applications in areas that have limited empirical data.
An Exercise in Legal Honesty: Rewriting the Court of Justice and the Bundesverfassungsgericht
Authors: Everson Michelle 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThis article contains an urgent plea for the re‐establishment of legal honesty in Europe. European law is a victim of European economic crisis. The emergence of the concept of conditionality within national and European jurisprudence, or the judicial imposition of a market discipline upon national budgets, is also a part of a chronicle foretold given in the face of the volatile power of international finance markets. Yet, in rewriting the judgements given by the Court of Justice in the case of Thomas Pringle and by the German Constitutional Court in its matching jurisprudence on the European Stability Mechanism, this article seeks to overcome the destruction of constitutionality within Europe, the foreclosure of a European space for the politics of alternatives and the condemning of individual Europeans to lasting suffering within a perpetual austerity regime.
Distinct actin oligomers modulate differently the activity of actin nucleators
Authors: Qu Zheng , Silvan Unai , Jockusch Brigitte M. , Aebi Ueli , Schoenenberger Cora‐Ann , Mannherz Hans Georg 
Published: July 2015

Polymerization of actin monomers into filaments requires the initial formation of nuclei composed of a few actin subunits; however, their instability has hindered their detailed study. Therefore we used chemically crosslinked actin oligomers to analyse their effect on actin polymerization. Actin dimer (upper dimer, UD), trimer and tetramer intermolecularly crosslinked by phenylene‐bismaleimide along the genetic helix (between Lys199 and Cys374) were isolated by gel filtration and found to increasingly stimulate actin polymerization as shown by the pyrene assay and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. In contrast, the so‐called lower actin dimer (LD) characterized by a Cys374‐Cys374 crosslink stimulated actin polymerization only at low but inhibited it at high concentrations. UD and trimer stimulated the repolymerization of actin from complexes with thymosin β4 (Tβ4) or profilin, whereas the LD stimulated repolymerization only from the profilin : actin but not the actin : Tβ4 complex. In vivo, actin polymerization is stimulated by nucleation factors. Therefore the interaction and effects of purified LD, UD and trimer on the actin‐nucleating activity of gelsolin, mouse diaphanous related (mDia) formin and the actin‐related protein 2/3 (Arp2/3) complex were analysed. Native gel electrophoresis demonstrated binding of LD, UD and trimer to gelsolin and its fragment G1–3, to the FH2 domains of the formins mDia1 and mDia3, and to Arp2/3 complex. UD and trimer increased the nucleating activity of gelsolin and G1–3, but not of the mDia‐FH2 domain nor of the Arp2/3 complex. In contrast, LD at equimolar concentration to Arp2/3 complex stimulated its nucleating activity, but inhibited that of mDia‐FH2 domains, gelsolin and G1–3, demonstrating differential regulation of their nucleating activity by dimers containing differently oriented actin subunits.
Dominant factors for very‐high‐cycle fatigue of high‐strength steels and a new design method for components
Authors: Matsunaga H. , Sun C. , Hong Y. , Murakami Y. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractDominant factors affecting fatigue failure from non‐metallic inclusions in the very‐high‐cycle fatigue (VHCF) regime are reviewed, and the mechanism for the disappearance of the conventional fatigue limit is discussed. Specifically, this paper focuses on the following: (i) the crucial role of internal hydrogen trapped by non‐metallic inclusions for the growth of the optically dark area (around the non‐metallic inclusion at fracture origin), (ii) the behaviour of the crack growth from a non‐metallic inclusion as a small crack and (iii) the statistical aspects of the VHCF strength, in consideration of the maximum inclusion size, using statistics of extremes. In addition, on the basis of the aforementioned findings, a new fatigue design method is proposed for the VHCF regime. The design method gives the allowable stress, σallowable, for a determined design life, NfD, as the lower bound of scatter of fatigue strength, which depends on the amount of components produced.
A nonlinear continuous damage model based on short‐crack concept under variable amplitude loading
Authors: Zhang J. , Yang S. , Lin J. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractIn this paper, a modified nonlinear damage accumulation model is proposed by using intrinsic crack size as the damage variable in the stress‐control condition. The model's development is based on the Chaboche nonlinear damage law and the short‐crack theory. The validations are confirmed by using the experimental data of Ti–6Al–4V and 2024‐T3 collected from tests and literature. The model capabilities of predicting damage accumulation and crack growth rate in the multi‐level loading condition as well as the variable amplitude loading condition with single and multiple over‐load are investigated and discussed in detail. Comparison results show that the proposed model is able to consider the loading ratio, the loading sequence and the over‐load effect on damage accumulation correctly. Meanwhile, the damage accumulation in the last stage of fatigue life can be described more clearly by the proposed model attributed to the use of crack size as the damage variable.
Temporal and spatial trends in size, biomass and abundance of groupers (Epinephelinae) in Mafia Island Marine Park: fishers’ perceptions and underwater visual census surveys
Authors: Gaspare L. , Bryceson I. , Mgaya Y. D. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractFishers’ perceptions of changes in grouper size and abundance were compared with scientific data collected via underwater visual censuses (UVCs) before (1995) and after (2006 and 2011) the establishment of the Mafia Island Marine Park. Perceptions on changes in the size structure of groupers differed among communities due to differences in fishing capacities. Fishers in one village had mixed perceptions, while in another village the majority (66%) perceived a decline in size, with small groupers dominating the catch. Similarly, UVCs indicated that size structure was dominated by small groupers at all times surveyed. Consistent with fishers’ perceptions, UVC indicated that biomass and abundance of groupers declined in both no‐take zones (NTZs) and specified‐use zones (SUZs) between 1995 and 2006, with no substantial changes between 2006 and 2011. The NTZs had higher density and diversity of grouper species than SUZs, as would be expected from the differences in bottom topography in these two types of areas. The idea that NTZs could increase the biomass and abundance of groupers to benefit fished zones was not found, thus indicating that NTZs are not necessarily the best option for managing reef fisheries.
Idiopathic Ophthalmodynia and Idiopathic Rhinalgia: A Prospective Series of 16 New Cases
Authors: Pareja Juan A. , Montojo Teresa , Guerrero Ángel L. , Álvarez Mónica , Porta‐Etessam Jesús , Cuadrado María L. 
Published: July 2015

BackgroundIdiopathic ophthalmodynia and idiopathic rhinalgia were described a few years ago. These conditions seem specific pain syndromes with a distinctive location in the eye or in the nose. We aimed to present a new prospective series in order to verify the consistency of these syndromes.MethodsWe performed a descriptive study of all patients referred to our regional neurologic clinics from 2010 to 2014 because of facial pain exclusively felt in the eye or in the nose fulfilling the proposed diagnostic criteria for idiopathic ophthalmodynia and idiopathic rhinalgia.ResultsThere were 9 patients with idiopathic ophthalmodynia and 7 patients with idiopathic rhinalgia, with a clear female preponderance, and a mean age at onset in the fifth decade. The pain was usually moderate and the temporal pattern was generally chronic. Only one patient reported accompaniments (hypersensitivity to the light and to the flow of air in the symptomatic eye). Preventive treatment with amitriptyline, pregabalin, or gabapentin was partially or totally effective.ConclusionsThe clinical features of this new series parallels those of the original description, thus indicating that both idiopathic ophthalmodynia and idiopathic rhinalgia have clear‐cut clinical pictures with excellent consistency both inter‐ and intra‐individually.
The Epidemiology of Exertional Headache in the General Population of Tehran, Iran
Authors: Rabiee Behnam , Mohammadinejad Payam , Kordi Ramin , Yunesian Masud 
Published: July 2015

ObjectiveIn this cross‐sectional study, we investigated the prevalence and characteristics of primary exertional headache (EH) among the Iranian general population living in Tehran, the capital city of the country.BackgroundHeadache is the most common complaint and is listed in the top 10 most disabling conditions. Epidemiological researches on headache can demonstrate its actual burden. There are still limited data on EH, especially in Iran and the Middle East.MethodsA Persian questionnaire was designed based on the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria of headache disorders (ICHD‐II). Face‐to‐face interviews were performed by 5 trained medical interns on a sample size of 2300 people.ResultsData for a total number of 2076 subjects were enrolled for final analysis. The mean age of the subjects at the time of the study was 36.3 ± 14.6 years. The 1‐year prevalence of EH was 7.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.2‐8.4%). The prevalence of EH was significantly higher in females compared to males (10.0% vs 5.4%, P < .001). The mean age of the subjects with EH was 32 ± 12.1 years. None of our EH patients received medical consult prior to the study.ConclusionEH seems to be less prevalent among the Iranian population compared to previous studies.
“We Find Ourselves Preoccupied with the World of the Present”: Humanist Resistance to Progressive Education in Ontario
Authors: Christou Theodore Michael 
Published: July 2015

The work here explores the voices of Ontario's humanist educators, who advocated for the preservation of a curriculum theory rooted in faculty psychology, mental discipline, and the classics in the face of progressivist revisions to the province's public school organization. A great deal of scholastic sweat has been poured over the subject of progressive education, its meanings, and its purposes. Much less has been said about the critics of progressivist reform, who are referred to here as humanists; this term follows from the work of Herbert Kliebard, who characterized humanists as one of four competing interests in an epic struggle over the curriculum in the United States. Theodore Christou dubbed humanists “foils” to the progressivist reformers who succeeded in overturning Ontario'sProgrammes of Studyfor the public schools. Kliebard defined this group as:the guardians of an ancient tradition tied to the power of reason and the finest elements of the Western cultural heritage… to them fell the task of reinterpreting, and thereby preserving as best as they could, their revered traditions and values in the face of rapid social change and a burgeoning school system.
“Building Bridges, Not Fences”: A History of Civic Engagement at Private Black Colleges and Universities, 1944–1965
Authors: Gasman Marybeth , Spencer Dorsey , Orphan Cecilia 
Published: July 2015

HBCUs traditionally build bridges, not fences, for their neighbors.–Barbara S. FrankleIn its truest sense, higher education is aimed at fostering academic achievement and educating students for good and productive citizenship. With this purpose in mind, over the past few decades there has been a proliferation of research on civic engagement. Although substantial in size and reach, the civic engagement literature is limited in terms of depth and scope. Many scholars working in this area have sought to define civic engagement as well as service learning; service learning is believed to lead to greater civic engagement and to increase educational attainment by some scholars and practitioners. Of note, this scholarship aims to defend civic engagement by providing a philosophical justification for it, reclaiming the historic civic purpose of higher education, or providing an assessment of student outcomes, including participation in protest, voting knowledge and behavior, and the impact of service learning. The civic engagement literature also demonstrates the level of engagement among undergraduate students and provides in-depth case studies of college and university initiatives to engage local communities throughout the nation. Scholars of civic engagement have focused on many different types of majority institutions, including small private colleges, state universities, land grant institutions, and private research universities. Most of these studies draw on how the unique histories of these various sectors of higher education position them for civic engagement work as well as the institutional efforts to engage local communities.
Emerging links between non‐neurogenic lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic obstruction, metabolic syndrome and its components: A systematic review
Authors: Russo Giorgio I , Castelli Tommaso , Urzì Daniele , Privitera Salvatore , La Vignera Sandro , Condorelli Rosita A , Calogero Aldo E , Favilla Vincenzo , Cimino Sebastiano , Morgia Giuseppe 
Published: July 2015

AbstractWe carried out a systematic review in order to determine the connection between lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to bladder outlet obstruction and metabolic syndrome with its components. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Review and Web of Science from their inception until January 2015 to identify all eligible studies on the effect of metabolic syndrome (or component factors) on the presence or severity of lower urinary tract symptoms/bladder outlet obstruction in men. This analysis was carried out according to the STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology guidelines. In total, 19 studies were identified as eligible for this systematic review. The quality assessment score was ≥50% in more than half of the studies (11/19). The evidence synthesis showed a positive association between metabolic syndrome, number of components and lower urinary tract symptoms/bladder outlet obstruction. In particular, the major endocrine aberrations of this connection are central obesity and hypertriglyceridemia. The links between insulin resistance and lower urinary tract symptoms/bladder outlet obstruction should be better investigated. Ethnic disparities in all examined studies showed a different impact of metabolic syndrome on lower urinary tract symptoms/bladder outlet obstruction severity and such influence still remain unclear. The relationship between metabolic syndrome and lower urinary tract symptoms/bladder outlet obstruction open the way for introducing physical activity and diet as recognized first‐line interventions for treating lower urinary tract symptoms. However, this connection should be investigated in two different ethnic cohorts (i.e. Asian vs Caucasian) in order to better understand the impact of ethnic disparities on metabolic syndrome and lower urinary tract symptoms/bladder outlet obstruction severity.
Managerial Sharing, Mutual Fund Connections, and Performance
Authors: Augustiani Cathline , Casavecchia Lorenzo , Gray Jack 
Published: July 2015

AbstractIn this study, we examine the effect of mutual fund connections, through managerial sharing, on performance and stock holding commonalities. Our analysis of return correlations and portfolio holdings indicates that more interconnected funds tend to buy and sell similar stocks, hence increasing the similarity of portfolio holdings and undermining the distinctiveness of their investment strategy. Our results also indicate that highly connected funds significantly underperform weakly connected funds by about 1.4% on a yearly risk‐adjusted basis. We show that fund family performance is unaffected by the intensity of fund connections, and that greater fund connections could significantly enhance family‐level profit margins.
Nursing students' understanding and enactment of resilience: a grounded theory study
Authors: Reyes Andrew Thomas , Andrusyszyn Mary‐Anne , Iwasiw Carroll , Forchuk Cheryl , Babenko‐Mould Yolanda 
Published: July 2015

AbstractAimThe aim of this study was to explore nursing students' understanding and enactment of resilience.BackgroundStress is considered to be a major factor affecting the health, well‐being and academic performance of nursing students. Resilience has been extensively researched as a process that allows individuals to successfully adapt to adversity and develop positive outcomes as a result. However, relatively little is known about the resilience of nursing students.DesignA constructivist, grounded theory qualitative design was used for this study.MethodIn‐depth individual interviews were conducted with 38 nursing students enrolled in a four‐year, integrated baccalaureate nursing degree programme at a university in Ontario, Canada. Face‐to‐face interviews were conducted from January to April 2012 using a semi‐structured interview guide.FindingsThe basic social process of ‘pushing through’ emerged as nursing students' understanding and enactment of resilience. Participants employed this process to withstand challenges in their academic lives. This process was comprised of three main phases: ‘stepping into’, ‘staying the course’ and ‘acknowledging’. ‘Pushing through’ also included a transient ‘disengaging’ process where students were temporarily unable to push through their adversities. The process of ‘pushing through’ was based on a progressive trajectory, which implied that nursing students enacted the process to make progress in their academic lives and to attain goals.ConclusionStudy findings provide important evidence for understanding the phenomenon of resilience as a dynamic, contextual process that can be learnt and developed, rather than a static trait or personality characteristic.
Local adaptation at range edges: comparing elevation and latitudinal gradients
Authors: Halbritter A. H. , Billeter R. , Edwards P. J. , Alexander J. M. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractLocal adaptation at range edges influences species’ distributions and how they respond to environmental change. However, the factors that affect adaptation, including gene flow and local selection pressures, are likely to vary across different types of range edge. We performed a reciprocal transplant experiment to investigate local adaptation in populations of Plantago lanceolata and P. major from central locations in their European range and from their latitudinal and elevation range edges (in northern Scandinavia and Swiss Alps, respectively). We also characterized patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation in populations using molecular markers. Range‐centre plants of P. major were adapted to conditions at the range centre, but performed similarly to range‐edge plants when grown at the range edges. There was no evidence for local adaptation when comparing central and edge populations of P. lanceolata. However, plants of both species from high elevation were locally adapted when compared with plants from high latitude, although the reverse was not true. This asymmetry was associated with greater genetic diversity and less genetic differentiation over the elevation gradient than over the latitudinal gradient. Our results suggest that adaptation in some range‐edge populations could increase their performance following climate change. However, responses are likely to differ along elevation and latitudinal gradients, with adaptation more likely at high‐elevation. Furthermore, based upon these results, we suggest that gene flow is unlikely to constrain adaptation in range‐edge populations of these species.