Constellations and their relationship with categories

Constellations are partial algebras that are one-sided generalisations of categories. Indeed, we show that a category is exactly a constellation that also satisfies the left-right dual axioms. Constellations have previously appeared in the context of inductive constellations: the category of inductive constellations is known to be isomorphic to the category of left restriction semigroups. Here we consider constellations in full generality, giving many examples. We characterise those small constellations that are isomorphic to constellations of partial functions. We examine in detail the relationship between constellations and categories. In particular, we characterise those constellations that arise as (sub-)reducts of categories. We demonstrate that the notion of substructure can be captured within constellations but not within categories. We show that every constellation P gives rise to a category (Formula presented.), its canonical extension, in a simplest possible way, and that P is a quotient of (Formula presented.) in a natural sense. We also show that many of the most common concrete categories may be constructed from simpler quotient constellations using this construction. We characterise the canonical congruences (Formula presented.) on a given category (Formula presented.) (those for which (Formula presented.), and show that the category of constellations is equivalent to the category of (Formula presented.)-categories, that is, categories equipped with distinguished canonical congruence (Formula presented.). The main observation of this paper is that category theory as it applies to the familiar concrete categories of modern mathematics (which come equipped with natural notions of substructures and indeed are (Formula presented.)-categories) may be subsumed by constellation theory

The structure of an LIM-only protein 4 (LMO4) and deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor-1 (DEAF1) complex reveals a common mode of binding to LMO4

LIM-domain only protein 4 (LMO4) is a widely expressed protein with important roles in embryonic development and breast cancer. It has been reported to bind many partners, including the transcription factor Deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor-1 (DEAF1), with which LMO4 shares many biological parallels. We used yeast two-hybrid assays to show that DEAF1 binds both LIM domains of LMO4 and that DEAF1 binds the same face on LMO4 as two other LMO4-binding partners, namely LIM domain binding protein 1 (LDB1) and C-terminal binding protein interacting protein (CtIP/RBBP8). Mutagenic screening analysed by the same method, indicates that the key residues in the interaction lie in LMO4LIM2 and the N-terminal half of the LMO4-binding domain in DEAF1. We generated a stable LMO4LIM2-DEAF1 complex and determined the solution structure of that complex. Although the LMO4-binding domain from DEAF1 is intrinsically disordered, it becomes structured on binding. The structure confirms that LDB1, CtIP and DEAF1 all bind to the same face on LMO4. LMO4 appears to form a hub in protein-protein interaction networks, linking numerous pathways within cells. Competitive binding for LMO4 therefore most likely provides a level of regulation between those different pathways.SJ was funded by an Australian Postgraduate Award (education.gov.au/australian-postgraduate-awards). JPM and JMM were awarded Senior Research Fellowships from the Australian National and Medical Research Council (www.nhmrc.gov.au). This project was funded by an Australian Research Council (www. arc.gov.au) Discovery Project Grant (DP110104332) to JMM and LC

Focus Groups on Infant Care Practices in Missouri

The goal of this research project was to better understand how individuals, primarily low-income African-American parents in Missouri, make decisions on infant care practices, specifically those focused around feeding and sleeping

Deception in environmental advertising: consumers’ reactions to greenwashing

Master of ScienceDepartment of Journalism and Mass CommunicationsRobert C. PearceThe present research explored whether consumer reactions to a deceptive environmental ad differs from consumers’ reactions towards a similar true green ad. The deceptive ad used in this study violates all FTC regulations for acceptable environmental claims. The practice of deceptive environmental advertising, known as green washing, is an increasing problem for consumers and advertisers as environmental products and services are offered at an increasing rate in the marketplace. Undergraduate college students participated in the experiment testing four hypotheses. As predicted, consumers were not able to identify a green washed ad as deceptive. Similarly, a measurement of consumers’ perceived overall ethics associated with the ad revealed low ethical concerns towards both green washed and true green ads. Attitudes towards green washing were also measures, and, as hypothesized, consumers have equally positive attitudes towards green washed and true green ads and brands. Additionally, stronger levels of environmental concern decreased the consumers’ ability to detect deception in green washed ads. Implications indicate that consumers cannot perceive differences in green washed ads and true green ads, and the prevalence of green washing has the potential to cause serious damage to the credibility of the advertising industry

Engagement with a Multi-Component, Preventative Program to Reduce Child Maltreatment: Program Satisfaction and Acceptability

The development and implementation of interventions to prevent child maltreatment (CM) is particularly challenging in view of the numerous stressors experienced by families within the child welfare system (CWS). Difficulties engaging families, particularly those who are most vulnerable, can lead to lower program dose and poorer outcomes. This qualitative study, conducted as part of a larger process evaluation, explored participant perspectives of a newly developed, multi-component, community-based intervention designed to reduce the risk of CM in families with young children. The study involved one-to-one interviews with a sub-sample of mothers (n=12) recruited through statutory and community-based social work services. Several brief program satisfaction questionnaires were also completed by parents. Mothers reported a stronger parent–child bond and greater use of positive parenting strategies (e.g. improved communication and discipline strategies) following the intervention. Facilitator and group support emerged as strong themes throughout the interviews and were important factors in facilitating engagement and reducing drop-out. High levels of program satisfaction were also reported. The study findings demonstrate how a multi-component program, which combines an evidence-based treatment (EBT) with community-based supports, may offer a promising approach for social work practitioners in reducing CM and in better meeting the more complex needs of families within the CWS. However, a more thorough understanding of the factors which promote program engagement and retention, is crucial to maximizing the benefits of interventions designed to support more vulnerable families

Assessment of the Effects of Acute and Repeated Exposure to Blast Overpressure in Rodents: Toward a Greater Understanding of Blast and the Potential Ramifications for Injury in Humans Exposed to Blast

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) resulting from exposure to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has fueled a requirement to develop animals models that mirror this condition using exposure to blast overpressure (BOP). En route to developing a model of repeated exposure to BOP we sought to initially characterize the effects of acute BOP exposure in rodents, focusing specifically on the levels of BOP exposure that produced clinical mTBI symptoms. We first measured BOP effects on gross motor function on a balance beam. Separate groups of unanesthetized rats were exposed (in different orientations) to 36.6, 74.5, and 116.7 kPa BOP exposure inside a pneumatically driven shock tube. Results demonstrated that rats exposed to 116.7 kPa demonstrated transient alterations or loss of consciousness indicated by a transient loss of righting and by increased latencies on the balance beam. The 116.7 kPa exposure was the threshold for overt pathology for acute BOP exposure with approximately 30% of rats presenting with evidence of subdural hemorrhage and cortical contusions. All animals exposed to 116.7 kPa BOP manifested evidence of significant pulmonary hemorrhage. Anterograde memory deficits were observed in rats exposed to 74.5 kPa facing the BOP wave and rats exposed to 116.7 kPa in the lateral (side) orientation. We next assessed repeated exposure to either lateral or frontal 36.6 kPa BOP in anesthetized rats, once per day for 12 days. Results showed that repeated exposure in the frontal, but not side, orientation to the BOP wave produced a transitory learning deficit on a Morris water maze task as shown by significantly longer latencies to reach the submerged platform in the second and third blocks of a four block session. Implications of these data are discussed in relation to the manifestation of mTBI in military personnel exposed to IEDs. Finally, we suggest that there are multiple types of long-term brain injury from blast exposure

Acetic acid guided biopsies in Barrett’s surveillance for neoplasia detection versus non-targeted biopsies (Seattle protocol):a feasibility study for a randomised tandem endoscopy trial. The ABBA study.

<div><p>MiRNAs function in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression and play very important roles in plant development. <i>Lonicera japonica</i> is one of the important medicinal plants in China. However, few studies on the discovery of conserved and novel miRNAs from <i>L</i>. <i>japonica</i> were reported. In this study, we employed deep sequencing technology to identify miRNAs in leaf and flower tissues of <i>L</i>. <i>japonica</i>. A total of 22.97 million clean reads from flower and leaf tissues were obtained, which generated 146 conserved miRNAs distributed in 20 families and 110 novel miRNAs. Accordingly, 72 differentially expressed miRNAs (P≤0.001) between leaves and flowers and their potential target genes were identified and validated. The qRT-PCR validation showed that majority of the differentially expressed miRNAs showed significant tissue-specific expression in <i>L</i>. <i>japonica</i>. Furthermore, the miRNA-mRNA and mRNA-mRNA regulatory networks were constructed using Cytoscape software. Taken together, this study identified a large number of miRNAs and target genes in <i>L</i>. <i>japonica</i>, which not only provides the first global miRNA expression profiles, but also sheds light on functional genomics research on <i>L</i>. <i>japonica</i> in the future.</p></div

Acetic acid guided biopsies in Barrett’s surveillance for neoplasia detection versus non-targeted biopsies (Seattle protocol):a feasibility study for a randomised tandem endoscopy trial. The ABBA study.

Background and study aims - Barrett’s esophagus is a potentially pre-cancerous condition, affecting 375,000 people in the UK. Patients receive a 2-yearly endoscopy to detect cancerous changes, as early detection and treatment results in better outcomes. Current treatment requires random mapping biopsies along the length of Barrett’s, in addition to biopsy of visible abnormalities. As only 13 % of precancerous changes appear as visible nodules or abnormalities, areas of dysplasia are often missed. Acetic acid chromoendoscopy (AAC) has been shown to improve detection of pre-cancerous and cancerous tissue in observational studies, but no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been performed to date. Patients and methods - A “tandem” endoscopy cross-overdesign. Participants will be randomized to endoscopy usingmapping biopsies or AAC, in which dilute acetic acid issprayed onto the surface of the esophagus, highlighting tissuethrough an whitening reaction and enhancing visibilityof areas with cellular changes for biopsy. After 4 to 10weeks, participants will undergo a repeat endoscopy, usingthe second method. Rates of recruitment and retention willbe assessed, in addition to the estimated dysplasia detectionrate, effectiveness of the endoscopist training program,and rates of adverse events (AEs). Qualitative interviewswill explore participant and endoscopist acceptabilityof study design and delivery, and the acceptability ofswitching endoscopic techniques for Barrett's surveillance. Results - Endoscopists’ ability to diagnose dysplasia in Barrett’sesophagus can be improved. AAC may offer a simple,universally applicable, easily-acquired technique to improvedetection, affording patients earlier diagnosis and treatment,reducing endoscopy time and pathology costs. TheABBA study will determine whether a crossover “tandem”endoscopy design is feasible and acceptable to patientsand clinicians and gather outcome data to power a definitivetrial

An imbalance in progenitor cell populations reflects tumour progression in breast cancer primary culture models

Many factors influence breast cancer progression, including the ability of progenitor cells to sustain or increase net tumour cell numbers. Our aim was to define whether alterations in putative progenitor populations could predict clinicopathological factors of prognostic importance for cancer progression.Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe