bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combined Solution‐ and Magic Angle Spinning NMR Reveals Regions of Distinct Dynamics in Amyloid β Protofibrils
Authors: Lendel Christofer , Sparrman Tobias , Mayzel Maxim , Andersson C. Evalena , Karlsson Göran , Härd Torleif
Published: November 2016

Solid‐state magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR has emerged as an important tool for investigations of protein aggregates and amyloid fibrils, which are not accessible for solution NMR experiments. We recently presented a structural model for amyloid β (Aβ) protofibrils based on MAS‐NMR data. The absence of resonances for the N‐terminus of Aβ in this dataset suggested that it might be disordered and more dynamic than the structural core. We here provide evidence for a distinct dynamic regime in the N‐terminal part of the peptide and show that the structural characteristics of this region can be elucidated using 13C‐detected solution NMR. The results shed more light on the structural properties of pre‐fibrillar Aβ species and demonstrate the potential of combining MAS and solution NMR experiments for the characterization of structure and dynamics of complex protein assemblies.
Specific Intermolecular Interactions by the Localized π‐Electrons in C70‐fullerene
Authors: Kubo Takuya , Kanao Eisuke , Matsumoto Takatoshi , Naito Toyohiro , Sano Tomoharu , Yan Mingdi , Otsuka Koji
Published: November 2016

We report the specific intermolecular interactions on C70‐fullerene. A newly developed silica‐monolithic capillary column, which was modified with C70‐fullerene via a particular thermal reactive molecule, perfluorophenyl azide, provided a selective retention behavior toward polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in liquid chromatography. Especially, a hemispherical molecule, i. e., corannulene, was significantly retained on this C70‐fullerene column. Results of the computer simulation of the molecules suggested that the specific interaction might be caused by the deflection of the π‐electrons‐density in C70‐fullerene. Furthermore, the absorption spectrometry also indicated that the absorption spectra of C70‐fullerene with/without corannulene were dramatically changed by the specific interaction, whereas no spectrum differences were observed with C60‐fullerene.
High‐Throughput Fabrication and Modular Assembly of 3D Heterogeneous Microscale Tissues
Authors: Yang Wenguang , Yu Haibo , Li Gongxin , Wang Yuechao , Liu Lianqing
Published: November 2016

3D hydrogel microstructures that encapsulate cells have been used in broad applications in microscale tissue engineering, personalized drug screening, and regenerative medicine. Recent technological advances in microstructure assembly, such as bioprinting, magnetic assembly, microfluidics, and acoustics, have enabled the construction of designed 3D tissue structures with spatially organized cells in vitro. However, a bottleneck exists that still hampers the application of microtissue structures, due to a lack of techniques that combined high‐throughput fabrication and flexible assembly. Here, a versatile method for fabricating customized microstructures and reorganizing building blocks composed of functional components into a combined single geometric shape is demonstrated. The arbitrary microstructures are dynamically synthesized in a microfluidic device and then transferred to an optically induced electrokinetics chip for manipulation and assembly. Moreover, building blocks containing different cells can be arranged into a desired geometry with specific shape and size, which can be used for microscale tissue engineering.
Aid Volatility and Real Business Cycles in a Developing Open Economy
Authors: Houndonougbo Ahiteme N.
Published: November 2016

This article analyzes the impact of the unpredictability of foreign aid on macroeconomic fluctuations in the recipient country. I build a small open‐economy business cycle model that accounts for foreign aid shocks, with no preference shocks. The model is calibrated to reflect the structural empirical regularities of Cote d'Ivoire, a typical aid‐dependent developing country. The parameters of the exogenous shocks are estimated using Bayesian methods and time series data for Cote d'Ivoire. The model produces business cycle patterns that are consistent with the data and key stylized facts. Specifically, the excess volatility of consumption with respect to output is successfully replicated. The results suggest that the unpredictability of foreign aid contributes to explain the volatility of business cycles in the recipient economy and has negative welfare effects.
Energy consumption analysis of data stream processing: a benchmarking approach
Authors: Dayarathna Miyuru , Li Yuanlong , Wen Yonggang , Fan Rui
Published: November 2016

Energy efficiency of data analysis systems has become a very important issue in recent times because of the increasing costs of data center operations. Although distributed streaming workloads have increasingly been present in modern data centers, energy‐efficient scheduling of such applications remains as a significant challenge. In this paper, we conduct an energy consumption analysis of data stream processing systems in order to identify their energy consumption patterns. We follow stream system benchmarking approach to solve this issue. Specifically, we implement Linear Road benchmark on six stream processing environments (S4, Storm, ActiveMQ, Esper, Kafka, and Spark Streaming) and characterize these systems' performance on a real‐world data center. We study the energy consumption characteristics of each system with varying number of roads as well as with different types of component layouts. We also use a microbenchmark to capture raw energy consumption characteristics. We observed that S4, Esper, and Spark Streaming environments had highest average energy consumption efficiencies compared with the other systems. Using a neural networkbased technique with the power/performance information gathered from our experiments, we developed a model for the power consumption behavior of a streaming environment. We observed that energy‐efficient execution of streaming application cannot be specifically attributed to the system CPU usage. We observed that communication between compute nodes with moderate tuple sizes and scheduling plans with balanced system overhead produces better power consumption behaviors in the context of data stream processing systems. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
General Glivenko–Cantelli theorems
Authors: Athreya Krishna B. , Roy Vivekananda
Published: November 2016

A Glivenko–Cantelli theorem is a fundamental result in statistics. It says that an empirical distribution function uniformly approximates the true distribution function for a sufficiently large sample size. We prove general Glivenko–Cantelli theorems for three types of sequences of random variables: delayed regenerative, delayed stationary and delayed exchangeable. In particular, our results hold for irreducible Harris recurrent Markov chains that admit a stationary probability distribution but are not necessarily in the stationary state. We also do not assume any mixing conditions on the Markov chain. This is useful in the application of Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. A key tool used is a generalized version of Polya's theorem on the convergence of distribution functions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Behaviour of RHS beam‐to‐column bolted steel connections
Authors: dos Santos Gabriel Barros , de Miranda Batista Eduardo , de Araújo Afonso Henrique Mascarenhas
Published: November 2016

The connection concept is a key point in the design of steel structures which affects fabrication, erection procedures and the final costs. Welding processes have been extensively used for tubular trussed girders by combining shop welding with bolted flange solutions to facilitate straightforward connection procedures during erection. The present research addresses the behaviour of innovative beam‐to‐column bolted connections for steel rectangular hollow sections (RHS) which combine simplicity in fabrication and erection, favourable aesthetics for the case of visible structures and structural effectiveness. Four cruciform prototypes were tested under a static non‐reversible bending moment with different bolted conditions: i) non‐friction and ii) friction connection. The experimental results show that the proposed geometry with friction connections is able to develop a rigid elastic moment–rotation response up to usual loading conditions.
Curved directly glazed steel structure
Authors: Helbig Thorsten , Kamp Florian , Schieber Roman , Oppe Matthias , Torsing Rob , Kieft Ralph
Published: November 2016

ZJA Zwarts & Jansma Architects have designed a new light rail departure station in The Hague, The Netherlands. The spatial roof structure of the station is made of rolled steel rectangular hollow sections arranged in two independent layers rigidly connected to each other. A glass envelope covering the roof structure matches the contours of the steel exactly. Since the diamond‐shaped glass panes could only be attached to the outer layer of the steel grid, the panes (with edge lengths of approx. 1.30 m) are supported on two sides only. When optimizing the overall geometry, the double‐curvature area at the nose of the roof structure became a special focus. Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering has managed to minimize the deviation of each single glass pane from the single‐curvature geometry to a maximum out‐of‐plane deformation of only 3 mm. Therefore, the project is a great example of how geometry development can influence structural design and enable new approaches.
Study of the magnetic force delivered by an actuator with nonlinear ferrofluid and permanent magnets
Authors: Olaru Radu , Arcire Alexandru , Petrescu Camelia , Mihai Marius‐Mugurel
Published: November 2016

The main purpose of the paper is to calculate the magnetic force delivered by actuators with a nonmagnetic body levitated in a ferrofluid that is magnetized by permanent magnets. A linear algebraic formula is proposed for this purpose, which is then validated experimentally. The nonlinear magnetization curve for the ferrofluid, known in detail, was used in computations. Satisfactory agreement between the results obtained with the linear formula for the force and the experimental results was obtained. The expression for the force is very simple, having only three independent variables, and can be used as a “guideline” in the analysis and design of the mentioned actuators. © 2016 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A gain‐scheduled control algorithm for input constrained systems to track time‐varying references using controller state resets
Authors: Wada Nobutaka , Kawaoka Naoki , Saeki Masami
Published: November 2016

In this paper, we propose a control law for a discrete‐time linear system with actuator saturation to track time‐varying reference signals. The proposed control law consists of a feedback controller and a target recalculation mechanism. The feedback controller includes an integrator to achieve zero steady‐state error in the case where the reference signal is constant. The feedback gains of the controller are parameterized by a single scheduling parameter. In the proposed control algorithm, when the tracking error is large, a modified reference signal is computed by the target recalculation mechanism so that feasibility of the algorithm and stability of the control system are guaranteed at all times. At this stage, the controller state is modified online so that the tracking control performance is improved. Further, when the tracking error becomes small, the scheduling parameter and the controller state are updated simultaneously so that the tracking control performance is improved. The problems of determining the scheduling parameter, the controller state, and the modified reference signal are reduced to convex optimization problems with linear matrix inequality constraints. The effectiveness of the proposed control method is shown through an experiment. © 2016 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Unwinding the twister ribozyme: from structure to mechanism
Authors: Gebetsberger Jennifer , Micura Ronald
Published: November 2016

The twister ribozyme motif has been identified by bioinformatic means very recently. Currently, four crystal structures with ordered active sites together with a series of chemical and biochemical data provide insights into how this RNA accomplishes its efficient self‐cleavage. Of particular interest for a mechanistic proposal are structural distinctions observed in the active sites that concern the conformation of the U‐A cleavage site dinucleotide (in‐line alignment of the attacking 2′‐O nucleophile to the to‐be‐cleaved PO5′ bond versus suboptimal alignments) as well as the presence/absence of Mg2+ ions at the scissile phosphate. All structures support the notion that an active site guanine and the conserved adenine at the cleavage site are important contributors to cleavage chemistry, likely being involved in general acid base catalysis. Evidence for innersphere coordination of a Mg2+ ion to the pro‐S nonbridging oxygen of the scissile phosphate stems from two of the four crystal structures. Together with the finding of thio/rescue effects for phosphorothioate substrates, this suggests the participation of divalent ions in the overall catalytic strategy employed by twister ribozymes. In this context, it is notable that twister retains wild‐type activity when the phylogenetically conserved stem P1 is deleted, able to cleave a single nucleotide only. WIREs RNA 2017, 8:e1402. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1402

This article is categorized under:

RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics, and Chemistry

RNA-Based Catalysis > RNA-Mediated Cleavage

Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Riboswitches
A Dinuclear Gold(I) Bis(Carbene) Complex Based on a Ditopic Cyclic (Aryl)(Amino)Carbene Framework
Authors: Deck Eva , Reiter Kevin , Klopper Wim , Breher Frank
Published: November 2016

A dinuclear gold(I) bis(carbene) complex based on a 1,5‐dihydropyrazolo[3,4‐f]indazoline‐3,7‐diylidene ligand framework is reported. The bridging bis(carbene) ligand is the first example of a ditopic cyclic (aryl)(amino)carbene (CArAC). The ligand precursor 2,6‐diethyl‐1,5‐diphenyl‐1,5‐dihydropyrazolo[3,4‐f]indazole‐2,6‐diium (2H2) is readily available from the literature‐known starting material 1,5‐diphenyl‐1,5‐dihydropyrazolo[3,4‐f]indazole (1) and two equivalents of the Meerwein salt [Et3O][BF4]. The NHC gold(I) hydroxide complex [IPrAuOH] proved to be a valuable precursor for the synthesis of the dinuclear gold complex [(IPr)2Au2(μ‐2)][BF4]2 (3) [IPr = 1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazole‐2‐ylidene]. The compounds under study were fully characterized by various methods, also including X‐ray crystallographic studies on single crystals of 2H2 and 3. The ligand was developed in order to explore a possibly enhanced mediation of electronic metal‐to‐metal communication via the π‐system. Density functional theory calculations revealed, however, that the electronic communication in the parent system, or in other ring‐substituted derivatives, is only small and predominantly mediated by the σ‐bond framework. The calculations also predict that the introduction of an additional donor functionality to the central arene ring of the ditopic bis(carbene), which is able to act as bridging entity and forms an additional metal‐ligand bond, increases the communication between the two central metal atoms. The amount of electronic communication in the bis(carbene) complexes under study appears to be a direct function of the number of metal‐ligand contacts.
Thermal loading and unloading of a solid cylinder subjected to periodic internal energy cycling
Authors: Eraslan Ahmet N. , Apatay Tunc
Published: November 2016

An analytical model is developed to estimate partially plastic loading and unloading behavior of a transient internal energy cycling solid cylinder. The cylinder is initially at zero temperature, but for times greater than zero, heat is generated or consumed internally at a time dependent rate. The transient temperature distribution in the cylinder is obtained by using Duhamel's theorem. As the cylinder is heated or cooled slowly the uncoupled theory of thermal stress is used. Under these circumstances elastic and plastic solutions are obtained in conformity with the generalized plane strain condition. When variable amplitude periodic internal energy cycling occurs within the cylinder, two different plasticization modes may take place depending on the parameters that define the thermal load. Corresponding to these, four plastic solutions based on different mathematical forms of Tresca's yield criterion are derived considering linearly hardening material behavior. Sudden unloading approximation is used to model unloading from partially plastic to plastically predeformed elastic states of stress. The model is verified in comparison to a purely numerical solution and by observing satisfaction of equilibrium, interface and boundary conditions in every stage of deformation.
Balance of threat: The domestic insecurity of Vladimir Putin
Authors: Person Robert
Published: November 2016

During the 17 years that Vladimir Putin has ruled Russia, the country has become increasingly authoritarian. However, I argue that this rollback of democracy has not been motivated by Putin's blind desire to maximize his political power, as many have assumed. Rather, his anti-democratic policies have responded to perceived specific threats to his control. In applying theories originally developed in the field of international relations to individual leaders, we can understand Putin as a “defensive realist” who balances against threats in order to maintain security rather than maximize power. This is an essential distinction that produces important conclusions about what motives lie behind the increasingly authoritarian character of the Russian state and gives insights into the possible future trajectory of the regime.
Brexpiprazole in patients with schizophrenia: overview of short- and long-term phase 3 controlled studies
Authors: Marder Stephen R. , Hakala Mika Juhani , Josiassen Mette Krog , Zhang Peter , Ouyang John , Weiller Emmanuelle , Weiss Catherine , Hobart Mary
Published: November 2016

Objective

Review efficacy, safety, and tolerability of brexpiprazole in patients with schizophrenia in short- and long-term phase 3 studies.

Methods

Patients experiencing a current exacerbation of schizophrenia received brexpiprazole in two fixed-dose (2 and 4 mg), 6-week, placebo-controlled studies, one flexible-dose (2–4 mg), 6-week, placebo-control and active reference study, and one fixed-dose (1–4 mg), 52-week, placebo-controlled maintenance study.

Results

The efficacy of brexpiprazole was demonstrated in the two short-term fixed-dose studies with statistically significant improvements from baseline in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score compared with placebo. In the flexible-dose short-term study, treatment with brexpiprazole resulted in numerically greater improvements in PANSS total score than with placebo that approached statistical significance (p=0.056). A meta-analysis of these short-term studies showed a mean change in PANSS total score of −20.1, reflecting a clinically meaningful reduction in symptoms. In the maintenance study, brexpiprazole had a beneficial effect relative to placebo on time to exacerbation of psychotic symptoms/impending relapse (p<0.0001). For all studies, brexpiprazole demonstrated clinically meaningful treatment effects on the Personal and Social Performance scale. Brexpiprazole had a favourable safety profile, with a relatively low prevalence of activating and sedating side effects. Weight gain in the short-term studies was ~1 kg greater than placebo. No safety concerns were observed with brexpiprazole in laboratory values, electrocardiogram, or vital signs.

Conclusions

Overall, the results indicate brexpiprazole, used either short-term or as part of a long-term maintenance treatment programme, is an efficacious therapy option in adults with schizophrenia and has a favourable safety/tolerability profile.
“¿Quién es? ¿Quién es?”: Revisiting the Racial Context of the Billy the Kid Legend
Authors: STERBA CHRISTOPHER M.
Published: November 2016

Billy the Kid spoke his last words in Spanish. Calling out “¿Quién es? ¿Quién es?” before he was killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett, the young outlaw's final moments signal his diverse ethnic context. This article examines the Kid's close contact with the Southwest's communities of color – New Mexico's Mescalero Apache Indians, African American soldiers, and Hispano farmers – and why these communities have been removed from countless popular representations of the Kid's story. Their omission has helped to perpetuate a uniquely Western and white American ideal of individualism and served to legitimize a libertarian and ahistorical ideal of violence: the rebellion of an outlaw who defies the rest of his society and his times.
Child Maintenance and Social Security Interactions: the Poverty Reduction Effects in Model Lone Parent Families across Four Countries
Authors: SKINNER CHRISTINE , MEYER DANIEL R. , COOK KAY , FLETCHER MICHAEL
Published: November 2016

In most developed countries, children in lone parent families face a high risk of poverty. A partial solution commonly sought in English-speaking nations is to increase the amounts of private child maintenance paid by the other parent. However, where lone parent families are in receipt of social assistance benefits, some countries hold back a portion of the child maintenance to reduce public expenditures. This partial ‘pass-through’ treats child maintenance as a substitute for cash benefits which conceivably neutralises its poverty reduction potential. Such neutralising effects are not well understood and can be obscured further when more subtle interactions between child maintenance systems and social security systems operate. This research makes a unique contribution to knowledge by exposing the hidden interaction effects operating in similar child maintenance systems across four countries: the United Kingdom, United States (Wisconsin), Australia and New Zealand. We found that when child maintenance is counted as income in calculating benefit entitlements, it can reduce the value of cash benefits. Using model lone parent families with ten different employment and income scenarios, we show how the poverty reduction potential of child maintenance is affected by whether it is treated as a substitute for, or a complement to, cash benefits.
STOCHASTIC MONOTONICITY OF CONDITIONAL ORDER STATISTICS IN MULTIPLE-OUTLIER SCALE POPULATION
Authors: Amini-Seresht Ebrahim , Zhang Yiying
Published: November 2016

This paper discusses the stochastic monotonicity property of the conditional order statistics from independent multiple-outlier scale variables in terms of the likelihood ratio order. Let X1, …, Xn be a set of non-negative independent random variables with Xi, i=1, …, p, having common distribution function F(λ1x), and Xj, j=p+1, …, n, having common distribution function F(λ2x), where F(·) denotes the baseline distribution. Let Xi:n(p, q) be the ith smallest order statistics from this sample. Denote by $X_{i,n}^{s}(p,q)\doteq [X_{i:n}(p,q)|X_{i-1:n}(p,q)=s]$. Under the assumptions that xf′(x)/f(x) is decreasing in x∈ℛ+, λ1≤λ2 and s1≤s2, it is shown that $X_{i:n}^{s_{1}}(p+k,q-k)$ is larger than $X_{i:n}^{s_{2}}(p,q)$ according to the likelihood ratio order for any 2≤i≤n and k=1, 2, …, q. Some parametric families of distributions are also provided to illustrate the theoretical results.
Commodification of natural resources and forest ecosystem services: examining implications for forest protection
Authors: KOPNINA HELEN
Published: November 2016

Through the commodification of nature, the framing of the environment as a ‘natural resource’ or ‘ecosystem service’ has become increasingly prominent in international environmental governance. The economic capture approach is promoted by international organizations such as the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) through Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) and The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). This paper will inquire as to how forest protection is related to issues of social and ecological justice, exploring whether forest exploitation based on the top-down managerial model fosters an unequitable distribution of resources. Both top-down and community-based approaches to forest protection will be critically examined and a more inclusive ethical framework to forest protection will be offered. The findings of this examination indicate the need for a renewed focus on existing examples of good practice in addressing both social and ecological need, as well as the necessity to address the less comfortable problem of where compromise appears less possible. The conclusion argues for the need to consider ecological justice as an important aspect of more socially orientated environmental justice for forest protection.
Golden Rice: no progress to be seen. Do we still need it?
Authors: Wesseler Justus , Zilberman David
Published: November 2016

In the December 2014 issue of Environment and Development Economics, we published the article, ‘The economic power of the Golden Rice opposition’ by Wesseler and Zilberman. The paper generated substantial interest, not only in academia but also among civil society groups. In this note, we address some of the concerns that have been raised about our results. Our main conclusion remains that misguided regulations in the case of Golden Rice have cost millions of healthy life years and billions of dollars.
ON THE UMBILICITY OF HYPERSURFACES IN THE HYPERBOLIC SPACE
Authors: AQUINO C. P. , BATISTA M. , DE LIMA H. F.
Published: November 2016

In this paper, we establish new characterization results concerning totally umbilical hypersurfaces of the hyperbolic space$\mathbb{H}^{n+1}$, under suitable constraints on the behavior of the Lorentzian Gauss map of complete hypersurfaces having some constant higher order mean curvature. Furthermore, working with different warped product models for$\mathbb{H}^{n+1}$and supposing that certain natural inequalities involving two consecutive higher order mean curvature functions are satisfied, we study the rigidity and the nonexistence of complete hypersurfaces immersed in$\mathbb{H}^{n+1}$.
Anerkennung ausländischer Pflegeabschlüsse in Deutschland
Authors: Slotala Lukas
Published: November 2016

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: In das deutsche Pflegesystem wandern ausländische Pflegefachkräfte ein. Fragestellung/Ziel: Wie hat sich die Pflegezuwanderung nach Deutschland in den zurückliegenden Jahren entwickelt? Methode: Auswertung der amtlichen Anerkennungsstatistiken. Ergebnisse: Die Nachfrage nach der Anerkennung einer im Ausland abgeschlossenen Pflegeausbildung steigt, konzentriert sich auf bestimmte Ausbildungsstaaten und Ziel-Bundesländer. Schlussfolgerungen: Pflegezuwanderung nimmt zu und sollte pflegewissenschaftlich analysiert werden.
Pflegekräfte aus Vietnam
Authors: Peters Verena , Braeseke Grit
Published: November 2016

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: 2012 wurde das Projekt «Fachkräftegewinnung für die Pflegewirtschaft» mit dem Partnerland Vietnam durch das Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie initiiert. Es wurden 150 VietnamesInnen mit einer abgeschlossenen Pflegeausbildung in Vietnam rekrutiert und 6 Monate im Heimatland sprachlich ausgebildet (Niveau A2). 100 TeilnehmerInnen begannen im September 2013 eine auf zwei Jahre verkürzte Altenpflegeausbildung an Standorten in vier Bundesländern. Ziel war, dass die VietnamesInnen im Anschluss an die Ausbildung für mindestens drei Jahre in deutschen Altenpflegeeinrichtungen tätig werden. Das Projekt wurde von der Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) umgesetzt und vom IEGUS Institut von Januar 2013 bis März 2016 evaluiert. Ziel: Die Möglichkeiten einer Ausbildung junger Menschen aus Drittstaaten zu Pflegefachkräften in Deutschland sollten modellhaft erprobt werden. Die Erkenntnisse mündeten in einen Handlungsleitfaden für Unternehmen der Pflegewirtschaft. Methode: Die formative und summative Evaluation beruhte auf telefonischen, schriftlichen sowie persönlichen Befragungen sowie auf Hospitationen und Beobachtungen, in die sämtliche am Projekt beteiligten Akteure einbezogen wurden: die VietnamesInnen, die Pflegeeinrichtungen, die Pflege- und Sprachschulen sowie die im Projekt eingesetzten BetreuerInnen. Im Beitrag werden die Ergebnisse der Befragungen vorgestellt. Ergebnisse: Der Beitrag fasst die Evaluationsergebnisse zusammen und liefert erste empirische Befunde zu den gewonnenen Erfahrungen aus fachlichem, sprachlichem und kulturellem Blickwinkel.
Myelinosome formation represents an early stage of oligodendrocyte damage in multiple sclerosis and its animal model
Authors: Romanelli Elisa , Merkler Doron , Mezydlo Aleksandra , Weil Marie-Theres , Weber Martin S. , Nikić Ivana , Potz Stephanie , Meinl Edgar , Matznick Florian E. H. , Kreutzfeldt Mario , Ghanem Alexander , Conzelmann Karl-Klaus , Metz Imke , Brück Wolfgang , Routh Matthew , Simons Mikael , Bishop Derron , Misgeld Thomas , Kerschensteiner Martin
Published: November 2016

Oligodendrocyte damage is a central event in the pathogenesis of the common neuroinflammatory condition, multiple sclerosis (MS). Where and how oligodendrocyte damage is initiated in MS is not completely understood. Here, we use a combination of light and electron microscopy techniques to provide a dynamic and highly resolved view of oligodendrocyte damage in neuroinflammatory lesions. We show that both in MS and in its animal model structural damage is initiated at the myelin sheaths and only later spreads to the oligodendrocyte cell body. Early myelin damage itself is characterized by the formation of local myelin out-foldings—‘myelinosomes’—, which are surrounded by phagocyte processes and promoted in their formation by anti-myelin antibodies and complement. The presence of myelinosomes in actively demyelinating MS lesions suggests that oligodendrocyte damage follows a similar pattern in the human disease, where targeting demyelination by therapeutic interventions remains a major open challenge.
Universal domain wall dynamics under electric field in Ta/CoFeB/MgO devices with perpendicular anisotropy
Authors: Lin Weiwei , Vernier Nicolas , Agnus Guillaume , Garcia Karin , Ocker Berthold , Zhao Weisheng , Fullerton Eric E. , Ravelosona Dafiné
Published: November 2016

Electric field effects in ferromagnetic metal/dielectric structures provide a new route to control domain wall dynamics with low-power dissipation. However, electric field effects on domain wall velocities have only been observed so far in the creep regime where domain wall velocities are low due to strong interactions with pinning sites. Here we show gate voltage modulation of domain wall velocities ranging from the creep to the flow regime in Ta/Co40Fe40B20/MgO/TiO2 structures with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. We demonstrate a universal description of the role of applied electric fields in the various pinning-dependent regimes by taking into account an effective magnetic field being linear with the electric field. In addition, the electric field effect is found to change sign in the Walker regime. Our results are consistent with voltage-induced modification of magnetic anisotropy. Our work opens new opportunities for the study and optimization of electric field effect at ferromagnetic metal/insulator interfaces.
Delayed wound healing after tooth extraction and self-reported kyphosis in Japanese men and women
Authors: Taguchi Akira , Kamimura Mikio , Nakamura Yukio , Sugino Noriyuki , Ichinose Akira , Maezumi Hisayoshi , Fukuzawa Takashi , Ashizawa Ryouhei , Takahara Kenji , Gushiken Susumu , Mukaiyama Keijiro , Ikegami Shota , Uchiyama Shigeharu , Kato Hiroyuki
Published: November 2016

It is unclear whether osteoporosis itself is a main risk factor for delayed wound healing after tooth extraction in humans. In this study, we evaluated the association between experience of delayed wound healing after last tooth extraction and self-reported kyphosis, with the possibility of having vertebral fractures, in Japanese patients. Among the 1,504 patients who responded to the structured questionnaire survey, 518 patients (134 men and 384 women) aged 55–97 years finally participated in this study. Patients who self-reported mild-moderate kyphosis were more likely to have problematic delayed wound healing after last tooth extraction than those who reported severe kyphosis (odds ratio [OR] 4.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.86–13.38 and OR 2.30; 95% CI, 0.52–10.22, respectively) (p for trend = 0.005). Japanese patients with vertebral fractures may have a higher risk of having problematic delayed wound healing after tooth extraction.
Listeria monocytogenes sequence type 1 is predominant in ruminant rhombencephalitis
Authors: Dreyer Margaux , Aguilar-Bultet Lisandra , Rupp Sebastian , Guldimann Claudia , Stephan Roger , Schock Alexandra , Otter Arthur , Schüpbach Gertraud , Brisse Sylvain , Lecuit Marc , Frey Joachim , Oevermann Anna
Published: November 2016

Listeria (L.) monocytogenes is an opportunistic pathogen causing life-threatening infections in diverse mammalian species including humans and ruminants. As little is known on the link between strains and clinicopathological phenotypes, we studied potential strain-associated virulence and organ tropism in L. monocytogenes isolates from well-defined ruminant cases of clinical infections and the farm environment. The phylogeny of isolates and their virulence-associated genes were analyzed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and sequence analysis of virulence-associated genes. Additionally, a panel of representative isolates was subjected to in vitro infection assays. Our data suggest the environmental exposure of ruminants to a broad range of strains and yet the strong association of sequence type (ST) 1 from clonal complex (CC) 1 with rhombencephalitis, suggesting increased neurotropism of ST1 in ruminants, which is possibly related to its hypervirulence. This study emphasizes the importance of considering clonal background of L. monocytogenes isolates in surveillance, epidemiological investigation and disease control.
A novel approach of utilization of the fungal conidia biomass to remove heavy metals from the aqueous solution through immobilization
Authors: Cai Chun-Xiang , Xu Jian , Deng Nian-Fang , Dong Xue-Wei , Tang Hao , Liang Yu , Fan Xian-Wei , Li You-Zhi
Published: November 2016

The biomass of filamentous fungi is an important cost-effective biomass for heavy metal biosorption. However, use of free fungal cells can cause difficulties in the separation of biomass from the effluent. In this study, we immobilized the living conidia of the heavy metal-resistant Penicillium janthinillum strain GXCR by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-sodium alginate (SA) beads to remove heavy metals from an aqueous solution containing a low concentration (70 mg/L) of Cu, Pb, and Cd. The PVA-SA-conidia beads showed perfect characters of appropriate mechanical strength suitable for metal removal from the dynamic wastewater environment, an ideal settleability, easy separation from the solution, and a high metal biosorption and removal rate even after four cycles of successive sorption-desorption of the beads, overcoming disadvantages when fungal biomasses alone are used for heavy metal removal from wastewater. We also discuss the major biosorption-affecting factors, biosorption models, and biosorption mechanisms.
Differential expression of TGF-β superfamily members and role of Smad1/5/9-signalling in chondral versus endochondral chondrocyte differentiation
Authors: Dexheimer Verena , Gabler Jessica , Bomans Katharina , Sims Tanja , Omlor Georg , Richter Wiltrud
Published: November 2016

Proteins of the transforming-growth-factor-β (TGF-β)-superfamily have a remarkable ability to induce cartilage and bone and the crosstalk of TGF-β - and BMP-signalling pathways appears crucial during chondrocyte development. Aim was to assess the regulation of TGF-β-superfamily members and of Smad2/3- and Smad1/5/9-signalling during endochondral in vitro chondrogenesis of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) relative to chondral redifferentiation of articular chondrocytes (AC) to adjust chondrocyte development of MSC towards a less hypertrophic phenotype. While MSC increased BMP4 and BMP7 and reduced TGFBR2 and TGFBR3-expression during chondrogenesis, an opposite regulation was observed during AC-redifferentiation. Antagonists CHRD and CHL2 rose significantly only in AC-cultures. AC showed higher initial BMP4, pSmad1/5/9 and SOX9 protein levels, a faster (re-)differentiation but a similar decline of pSmad2/3- and pSmad1/5/9-signalling versus MSC-cultures. BMP-4/7-stimulation of MSC-pellets enhanced SOX9 and accelerated ALP-induction but did not shift differentiation towards osteogenesis. Inhibition of BMP-signalling by dorsomorphin significantly reduced SOX9, raised RUNX2, maintained collagen-type-II and collagen-type-X lower and kept ALP-activity at levels reached at initiation of treatment. Conclusively, ALK1,2,3,6-signalling was essential for MSC-chondrogenesis and its prochondrogenic rather than prohypertrophic role may explain why inhibition of canonical BMP-signalling could not uncouple cartilage matrix production from hypertrophy as this was achieved with pulsed PTHrP-application.
Evidences for Cooperative Resonance-Assisted Hydrogen Bonds in Protein Secondary Structure Analogs
Authors: Zhou Yu , Deng Geng , Zheng Yan-Zhen , Xu Jing , Ashraf Hamad , Yu Zhi-Wu
Published: November 2016

Cooperative behaviors of the hydrogen bonding networks in proteins have been discovered for a long time. The structural origin of this cooperativity, however, is still under debate. Here we report a new investigation combining excess infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory calculation on peptide analogs, represented byN-methylformamide (NMF) andN-methylacetamide (NMA). Interestingly, addition of the strong hydrogen bond acceptor, dimethyl sulfoxide, to the pure analogs caused opposite effects, namely red- and blue-shift of the N−H stretching infrared absorption in NMF and NMA, respectively. The contradiction can be reconciled by the marked lowering of the energy levels of the self-associates between NMA molecules due to a cooperative effect of the hydrogen bonds. On the contrary, NMF molecules cannot form long-chain cooperative hydrogen bonds because they tend to form dimers. Even more interestingly, we found excellent linear relationships between changes on bond orders of N−H/N−C/C = O and the hydrogen bond energy gains upon the formation of hydrogen bonding multimers in NMA, suggesting strongly that the cooperativity originates from resonance-assisted hydrogen bonds. Our findings provide insights on the structures of proteins and may also shed lights on the rational design of novel molecular recognition systems.
Enterovirus 71 infection of motor neuron-like NSC-34 cells undergoes a non-lytic exit pathway
Authors: Too Issac Horng Khit , Yeo Huimin , Sessions October Michael , Yan Benedict , Libau Eshele Anak , Howe Josephine L. C. , Lim Ze Qin , Suku-Maran Shalini , Ong Wei-Yi , Chua Kaw Bing , Wong Boon Seng , Chow Vincent T. K. , Alonso Sylvie
Published: November 2016

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) causing Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, is regarded as the most important neurotropic virus worldwide. EV71 is believed to replicate in muscles and infect motor neurons to reach the central nervous system (CNS). To further investigate the mechanisms involved, we have employed the motor neuron cell line NSC-34. NSC-34 cells were permissive to EV71 and virus production yields were strain-dependent with differential efficacy at the entry, replication and egress steps. Furthermore, unlike all the other cell lines previously reported, EV71-infected NSC-34 cells neither displayed cytopathic effect nor underwent apoptosis. Instead, autophagy was markedly up-regulated and virus-containing autophagic vacuoles were isolated from the culture supernatant, providing the first experimental evidence that EV71 can adopt a non-lytic exit pathway. Finally, the ability of EV71 to infect productively NSC-34 cells correlated with its ability to invade the CNS in vivo, supporting the relevance of NSC-34 cells to study the intrinsic neurovirulence of EV71 strains.
The correlation between expression profiles measured in single cells and in traditional bulk samples
Authors: Dzamba David , Valihrach Lukas , Kubista Mikael , Anderova Miroslava
Published: November 2016

Reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is already an established tool for mRNA detection and quantification. Since recently, this technique has been successfully employed for gene expression analyses, and also in individual cells (single cell RT-qPCR). Although the advantages of single cell measurements have been proven several times, a study correlating the expression measured on single cells, and in bulk samples consisting of a large number of cells, has been missing. Here, we collected a large data set to explore the relation between gene expression measured in single cells and in bulk samples, reflected by qPCR Cq values. We measured the expression of 95 genes in 12 bulk samples, each containing thousands of astrocytes, and also in 693 individual astrocytes. Combining the data, we described the relation between Cq values measured in bulk samples with either the percentage of the single cells that express the given genes, or the average expression of the genes across the single cells. We show that data obtained with single cell RT-qPCR are fully consistent with measurements in bulk samples. Our results further provide a base for quality control in single cell expression profiling, and bring new insights into the biological process of cellular expression.
Near-Earth object hazardous impact: A Multi-Criteria Decision Making approach
Authors: Sánchez-Lozano J. M. , Fernández-Martínez M.
Published: November 2016

The impact of a near-Earth object (NEO) may release large amounts of energy and cause serious damage. Several NEO hazard studies conducted over the past few years provide forecasts, impact probabilities and assessment ratings, such as the Torino and Palermo scales. These high-risk NEO assessments involve several criteria, including impact energy, mass, and absolute magnitude. The main objective of this paper is to provide the first Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach to classify hazardous NEOs. Our approach applies a combination of two methods from a widely utilized decision making theory. Specifically, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology is employed to determine the criteria weights, which influence the decision making, and the Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is used to obtain a ranking of alternatives (potentially hazardous NEOs). In addition, NEO datasets provided by the NASA Near-Earth Object Program are utilized. This approach allows the classification of NEOs by descending order of their TOPSIS ratio, a single quantity that contains all of the relevant information for each object.
Androgen receptor (AR) signaling promotes RCC progression via increased endothelial cell proliferation and recruitment by modulating AKT → NF-κB → CXCL5 signaling
Authors: Guan Zhenfeng , Li Chong , Fan Jinhai , He Dalin , Li Lei
Published: November 2016

Androgen receptor (AR) signaling may promote renal cell carcinoma (RCC) progression via altered HIF-2α/VEGF signaling. However, it remains unclear whether AR signaling also promotes RCC progression by recruiting vascular endothelial cells (ECs), key players in the development of blood vessels. In our study, AR increased EC proliferation and recruitment to the tumor microenvironment and promoted RCC progression. Mechanistically, AR modulated cytokine CXCL5 expression by altering AKT → NF-κB signaling, and interruption of AKT → NF-κB → CXCL5 signaling using either specific inhibitors or siRNA suppressed AR-enhanced EC recruitment and AR-EC-promoted RCC progression. The results obtained using an in vivo mouse model and a human clinical sample survey confirmed the role of AR in promoting RCC progression through enhancement of EC proliferation and/or recruitment via altered AKT → NF-κB → CXCL5 signaling. Targeting this newly identified AR-induced AKT → NF-κB → CXCL5 pathway may facilitate the development of new therapies for slowing RCC progression.
Revisiting the expression and function of follicle-stimulation hormone receptor in human umbilical vein endothelial cells
Authors: Stelmaszewska Joanna , Chrusciel Marcin , Doroszko Milena , Akerfelt Malin , Ponikwicka-Tyszko Donata , Nees Matthias , Frentsch Marco , Li Xiangdong , Kero Jukka , Huhtaniemi Ilpo , Wolczynski Slawomir , Rahman Nafis A.
Published: November 2016

Expression of follicle-stimulation hormone receptor (FSHR) is confined to gonads and at low levels to some extragonadal tissues like human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). FSH-FSHR signaling was shown to promote HUVEC angiogenesis and thereafter suggested to have an influential role in pregnancy. We revisited hereby the expression and functionality of FSHR in HUVECs angiogenesis, and were unable to reproduce the FSHR expression in human umbilical cord, HUVECs or immortalized HUVECs (HUV-ST). Positive controls as granulosa cells and HEK293 cells stably transfected with human FSHR cDNA expressed FSHR signal. In contrast to positive control VEGF, FSH treatment showed no effects on tube formation, nitric oxide production, wound healing or cell proliferation in HUVEC/HUV-ST. Thus, it remains open whether the FSH-FSHR activation has a direct regulatory role in the angiogenesis of HUVECs.
Robustness of replica symmetry breaking phenomenology in random laser
Authors: Tommasi Federico , Ignesti Emilio , Lepri Stefano , Cavalieri Stefano
Published: November 2016

Random lasers are optical sources where light is amplified by stimulated emission along random paths through an amplifying scattering medium. Connections between their physics and the one of quenched disordered nonlinear systems, notably spin glasses, have been recently suggested. Here we report a first experimental study of correlations of spectral fluctuations intensity in a random laser medium where the scatterers displacement significantly changes among consecutive shots. Remarkably, our results reveal that the replica symmetry breaking (RSB) phenomenology is robust with respect to an averaging over different realizations of the disorder. Moreover, besides opening new intriguing questions about the understanding of such a phenomenon, this work aims to clarify the connection between the RSB with the onset of the Lévy regime, i.e. the fluctuations regime that is a peculiar feature of the random lasing under critical conditions. Our results suggest that the former occurs independently of the latter and then the RSB phenomenology is a generic feature linked to the random laser threshold.