bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Blockchain technology for electoral process in Africa: a short review
Authors: Alam Mahtab , Yusuf Mukhtar Opeyemi , Sani Nazifi Alhassan
Published: February 2020

The electoral process has suffered from deep political instability following the post-colonial independence of most African nations. Moreover, the electoral process in many countries is characterized by massive rigging, high cost of electoral materials, and declaration of false results. In this paper, we will present a review of the blockchain Technology and some of the potential roles to play in conducting a transparent election. This paper opines that with the emergence of the blockchain technology, African Nations should tap from it and build a reliable, secure, and convenient electoral voting system. It further suggests that a blockchain electoral voting system will eliminate most of the challenges faced by African nations in conducting a free, fair and transparent election with low cost and total security. The issue of election rigging is almost completely eradicated with this technology (if properly installed). An attempt to alter/manipulate records (votes) in the system’s database can be spotted easily, because of its rigorous consensus rules, such an attempt is considered void and denied permission to access, alter, or destroy any of the previously saved votes. However, the paper argues that there are institutional challenges to implementing this technology within the continent. Specifically, there is a need to educate the masses as well as create robust policies that can accommodate this technology within the continent. Failure to acknowledge these challenges may well prevent the application of blockchain technology in African electoral process in the foreseeable future.
Big Data to support sustainable urban energy planning: The EvoEnergy project
Authors: Chalal Moulay Larbi , Medjdoub Benachir , Bezai Nacer , Shrahily Raid
Published: February 2020

Energy sustainability is a complex problem that needs to be tackled holistically by equally addressing other aspects such as socio-economic to meet the strict CO2 emission targets. This paper builds upon our previous work on the effect of household transition on residential energy consumption where we developed a 3D urban energy prediction system (EvoEnergy) using the old UK panel data survey, namely, the British household panel data survey (BHPS). In particular, the aim of the present study is to examine the validity and reliability of EvoEnergy under the new UK household longitudinal study (UKHLS) launched in 2009. To achieve this aim, the household transition and energy prediction modules of EvoEnergy have been tested under both data sets using various statistical techniques such as Chow test. The analysis of the results advised that EvoEnergy remains a reliable prediction system and had a good prediction accuracy (MAPE 5%) when compared to actual energy performance certificate data. From this premise, we recommend researchers, who are working on data-driven energy consumption forecasting, to consider merging the BHPS and UKHLS data sets. This will, in turn, enable them to capture the bigger picture of different energy phenomena such as fuel poverty; consequently, anticipate problems with policy prior to their occurrence. Finally, the paper concludes by discussing two scenarios of EvoEnergy development in relation to energy policy and decision-making.
Control Without Responsibility: The Legal Creation of Franchising, 1960–1980
Authors: CALLACI BRIAN
Published: February 2020

While the first business organizations to reach large size in the late nineteenth century did so through the route of vertical integration—formal ownership of assets and direct employment of workers—mid-twentieth-century franchising firms pioneered a new path to bigness, relying on restrictive contracts rather than formal integration to control their business organizations. Franchised chains replaced formal ownership and employment with contractual mechanisms known as vertical restraints (contractual controls on separate firms, such as price and supplier restrictions) to achieve uniformity and control over their outlets, without directly owning them. While most existing accounts of franchising focus on efficiency reasons for the evolution of the business form, this paper identifies a policy and legal mechanism: the relaxing of antitrust prohibitions on vertical restraints. These policy and legal changes were heavily lobbied for by franchising firms themselves. Whatever the efficiency implications of franchising, the increasing legalization of vertical restraints also had the benefit for franchising firms of allowing them to pull in the legal boundaries of the firm, leaving workers and other stakeholders outside. At the same time that they pursued franchising as a kind of vertical integration by other means, franchisors lobbied to preserve the legal benefits of having franchisees considered separate firms under a variety of laws, such as access to Small Business Administration loans and exclusion of workers at franchised establishments from access to collective bargaining and other rights against them.
A descriptive survey of online gaming characteristics and gaming disorder in Ireland
Authors: Columb David , Griffiths Mark D , O’Gara Colin
Published: February 2020

Objectives

The aim of this study was to carry out the first ever study of gaming characteristics of individuals engaging in online gaming in Ireland and to ascertain whether features of gaming disorder are present in this population.

Methods

An online survey (comprising 21 questions – 3 demographic questions and 18 questions related to gaming and gaming disorder) was distributed on numerous Irish online gaming forums and Irish online gaming communities. Participants were self-selected and invited to compete the online survey containing questions related to gaming behaviours (age of onset, hours played on weekdays/weekends, type of device used), mobile gaming, motives for online gaming, use of microtransactions, engagement in esports, and a screening tool for the presence of gaming disorder.

Results

A total of 166 participants engaged in the online survey. Among this study population of regular gamers in Ireland, 2.4% of the study population were classified as having gaming disorder, with up to 5.4% showing some evidence of disordered gaming. The main motivation for online gaming in the non-disordered gaming group was recreation (13.3, sd = 2.7) but only the fourth main motivation in the disordered gaming group behind competition (16.3, sd = 3.7), escape (16.2, sd = 4.3), and coping (15.1, sd = 3.7). Increased hours of gameplay on weekdays and weekends were noted in the disordered gaming group compared to non-disordered gamers.

Conclusions

A small percentage of gamers in Ireland demonstrate disordered gaming characteristics and gaming disorder, consistent with data from other international studies. Epidemiological studies are required in Ireland to enhance our knowledge of this disorder.
Expanding the Thin Blue Line: Resident Patrols and Private Security in Late Twentieth-Century New York
Authors: Holtzman Benjamin
Published: February 2020

In the late 1960s and 1970s, New York City experienced escalating crime alongside residents’ growing frustration with the inability of municipal officials and the police to curtail it. These forces led a range of New Yorkers, from those in low-income neighborhoods to those in business districts, to sidestep the police and reimagine their responses to crime. Increasingly, everyday residents formed neighborhood patrols and hired guards, while businesses and institutions employed private security forces. These developments forged a new role for private actors in the patrolling of city streets. Over time, as resident patrols waned and as security guards proliferated, the private sector gained significant new capacities to surveil and police public space. Additionally, by formalizing a cooperative relationship with private security forces, the New York police and municipal authorities captured these private resources for the expansion of the carceral state.
The World Cup's Double-Headed Eagle: Gestures and Scenarios in the Football Arena
Authors: STRANGE JARED
Published: February 2020

During the 2018 World Cup in Russia, two Kosovo-born Swiss players stirred controversy when they flashed a double-headed eagle gesture during a contentious win over Serbia. The gesture was an assertion of ethnic Albanian pre-eminence in Kosovo and a rhetorical strike against the Serbians, who still claim ownership over Kosovo even ten years after its declaration of independence. The gesture sparked worldwide media coverage and prompted punishments by FIFA (the World Cup's governing body), which legislates against overt political expression during matches. In this article, I will examine the double-headed eagle gesture as an example of the body's unique capacity to perform multiple political interventions at once. Not only did it transmit a contentious history, it also undermined the anti-political boundaries erected around the scenarios of transnational combat engendered by FIFA, highlighted anti-immigrant sentiments still festering across Europe, and illustrated the communicative powers that elite players can access through their goal celebrations. Considering these valences supports my reading of this case as symbolic of the sort of ruptures produced by competing impulses operating in Europe today, one working for the affirmation of the union, the other for its dissolution.
Population-based food consumption survey as an additional tool for foodborne outbreak investigations, Germany, 2017
Authors: Rosner B. M. , Meinen A. , Schmich P. , Zeisler M.-L. , Stark K.
Published: February 2020

We conducted a food consumption survey in the general adult population of 18 years and older in Germany to obtain data on the frequency of consumption of food items that caused foodborne disease outbreaks in the past. A total of 1010 telephone interviews were completed that queried the consumption of 95 food items in the 7-day period before the interview. Survey results were weighted to be representative. Six exemplary ‘high risk’ food items were consumed by 6% to 16% of the general population. These were raw ground pork: 6.5%; ‘Teewurst’ (=spreadable sausage-containing raw pork): 15.7%; unpasteurised milk consumed without prior heating: 9.0%; food items prepared with raw eggs: 9.8%; unheated sprouts or seedlings: 8.8% and frozen berries consumed without prior heating: 6.2%. Data from our food consumption survey were comparable to data obtained from control persons in case-control studies conducted during past foodborne disease outbreak investigations. We consider our survey an additional helpful tool that will allow comparison with food consumption data from case-patients obtained in exploratory, hypothesis-generating interviews early on in outbreak investigations, and which may assist in forming hypotheses regarding associations of illnesses with suspected food vehicles. This may facilitate and accelerate investigations of future foodborne disease outbreaks.
Revisiting the Presence of Women in Political Science Journal Editorial Positions
Authors: Palmer Barbara , van Assendelft Laura , Stegmaier Mary
Published: February 2020

In 2010, an analysis of the top 50 political science journals showed that women were reasonably well represented as editors, associate editors, and board members compared to their numbers as senior faculty at PhD-granting institutions. As the presence of women in the profession has increased, have women kept up in these editorial positions? Overall, the data from 2018 suggest that they have. Although women are still significantly underrepresented as editors and associate editors at journals with small editorial staffs, they are well represented at those with medium-sized and large staffs. The proportion of women as board members also has kept pace with the proportion of female senior faculty at PhD-granting institutions, especially at the top five journals in the profession. There is still significant variation among journals but little change in their rankings: journals with the highest proportion of women as editors, associate editors, and board members in 2010 continued to lead the way in 2018.
The Role of Archaeology in Forming Greek National Identity and its Embodiment in European identity
Authors: Katsiardi-Hering Olga
Published: February 2020

The murder of Johann Joachim Winckelmann, for many the ‘founder of archaeology’, in 1768 in a Trieste inn, did not mean the end for his work, which could be said to have been the key to understanding ancient Greece, which Europe was re-discovering at the time. In the late Enlightenment, Neoclassicism, followed by Romanticism, elevated classical, Hellenistic and Roman antiquity, and archaeological research, to the centre of academic quests, while the inclusion of archaeological sites in the era’s Grand Tours fed into a belief in the ‘Regeneration’/‘Wiedergeburt’ of Greece. The Modern Greek Enlightenment flourished during this same period, the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, with a concomitant classicizing turn. Ancient Greek texts were republished by Greek scholars, especially in the European centres of the Greek diaspora. An admiration for antiquity was intertwined into the Neohellenic national identity, and the first rulers of the free Greek State undertook to take care of the nation’s archaeological monuments. In 1837, under ‘Bavarian rule’, the first Greek University and the ‘Archaeological Society of Greece in Athens’ were set up. Archaeologists flocked to Greece and those parts of the ancient Greek world that were still part of the Ottoman Empire. The showcasing of classical monuments, at the expense of the Byzantine past, would remain the rule until the latter half of the nineteenth century. Modern Greek national identity was primarily underpinned by admiration for antiquity, which was viewed as a source of modern Hellenism, and for ‘enlightened, savant, good-governed Europe’. Today, the ‘new archaeology’ is striving to call these foundations into question.
Statistical Study of Ion Upflow Associated with Subauroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) at Substorm Time
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Liu Yong C.‐M. , Zhang Q.‐H. , Xing Zan‐Yang , Wang Yong , Ma Yu‐Zhang
Published: February 2020

We present a statistical study of the ion upflow associated with subauroral polarization streams (SAPS) in the ionospheric subauroral region at different substorm times using three Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellite (F16–F18) data for five years (2010–2014) in the Northern Hemisphere. The results show similarities between SAPS and the ion upflow at different intensity of substorms both in occurrence rate distribution and velocity distribution. In comparison to SAPS, the distribution of the ion upflow shows the smaller occurrence region and lower velocity. We also find that frictional heating plays an important role in ion upflow from the SAPS region. The intense substorms can trigger strong SAPS channels, enhanced frictional heating, and large ion upflow. In addition, there is a moderate linear correlation between SAPS velocity and field‐aligned velocity that is consistent with some previous findings. Our results also show that frictional heating can gradually dominate the ion upflow process in intense substorms, while it may not be the only factor to affect the whole upflow process.
Ballooning Instability in the Plasma Sheet TransitionRegion in Conjunction With Nonsubstorm Auroral Wave Structures
Authors: Xing Xiaoyan , Wang Chih‐Ping , Liang Jun , Yang Bing
Published: February 2020

As an important dynamic process in the plasma sheet, ballooning instability was suggested to be responsible for unstable plasma involving azimuthal wave structures. The upward and downward alternately flowing field‐aligned currents developed in association with unstable waves may cause the finger/beading‐like auroral wave structures along the longitudinal direction, which is a common auroral feature preceding the auroral substorm poleward expansions. In our previous study, we directly evaluated the ballooning instability criterion using in situ observations in conjunction with auroral images and found that the ballooning unstable condition is satisfied in the near‐Earth plasma sheet prior to the auroral wave structures preceding substorm onset. In this study, we adopted the same method and examine the plasma sheet conditions within the regions in conjunction with weak transient auroral wave structures that fade out without further intensification and poleward expansion. The results from analyzing eight events show that no abrupt changes were found in plasma moments and field data. However, the magnetohydrodynamic ballooning instability criterion estimated from observations was satisfied shortly before the initiation of the auroral wave structures due to the changes in plasma spatial profiles. Instability develops against waves with shorter wavelength than those in ambient plasma. Weak magnetic oscillations within the Pi2 band were associated with the instability. These results suggest that the ballooning instability in the plasma sheet transition region is a plausible candidate for causing auroral wave structures during non‐substorm time. The unstable state of the plasma may not necessarily lead to favorable conditions for the substorm onset to occur.
FM Broadcast Monitoring Using Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Huang M. , Yang D.R. , Zhu D. , Yang M.X. , Yang J.J.
Published: February 2020

In recent decades, artificial intelligence has demonstrated successful applications in computer vision and natural language processing due to its breakthrough performance. In this paper, we propose a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN)‐based method, characterized by acoustic features, for FM broadcast monitoring. The results show that the proposed DCNN model trained with the FBank feature extracted from FM audio files is capable of achieving nearly 100% accuracy in FM station identification tasks. Illegal broadcasting signals are then detected through a comparison with a radio frequency station database. Integrated with the trained DCNN model, an online FM broadcast monitoring system has been successfully implemented and deployed to help reduce human labor and automate the task of FM broadcast monitoring.
High-performance silicon−graphene hybrid plasmonic waveguide photodetectors beyond 1.55 μm
Authors: Guo Jingshu , Li Jiang , Liu Chaoyue , Yin Yanlong , Wang Wenhui , Ni Zhenhua , Fu Zhilei , Yu Hui , Xu Yang , Shi Yaocheng , Ma Yungui , Gao Shiming , Tong Limin , Dai Daoxin
Published: February 2020

Graphene has attracted much attention for the realization of high-speed photodetection for silicon photonics over a wide wavelength range. However, the reported fast graphene photodetectors mainly operate in the 1.55 μm wavelength band. In this work, we propose and realize high-performance waveguide photodetectors based on bolometric/photoconductive effects by introducing an ultrathin wide silicon−graphene hybrid plasmonic waveguide, which enables efficient light absorption in graphene at 1.55 μm and beyond. When operating at 2 μm, the present photodetector has a responsivity of ~70 mA/W and a setup-limited 3 dB bandwidth of >20 GHz. When operating at 1.55 μm, the present photodetector also works very well with a broad 3 dB bandwidth of >40 GHz (setup-limited) and a high responsivity of ~0.4 A/W even with a low bias voltage of −0.3 V. This work paves the way for achieving high-responsivity and high-speed silicon–graphene waveguide photodetection in the near/mid-infrared ranges, which has applications in optical communications, nonlinear photonics, and on-chip sensing.
Quasi-2D halide perovskites for resistive switching devices with ON/OFF ratios above 109
Authors: Kim Hyojung , Choi Min-Ju , Suh Jun Min , Han Ji Su , Kim Sun Gil , Le Quyet Van , Kim Soo Young , Jang Ho Won
Published: February 2020

Resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) devices based on halide perovskites have recently emerged as a new class of data storage devices, where the switching materials used in these devices have attracted extensive attention in recent years. Thus far, three-dimensional (3D) halide perovskites have been the most investigated materials for resistive switching memory devices. However, 3D-based memory devices display ON/OFF ratios comparable to those of oxide or chalcogenide ReRAM devices. In addition, perovskite materials are susceptible to exposure to air. Herein, we compare the resistive switching characteristics of ReRAM devices based on a quasi-two-dimensional (2D) halide perovskite, (PEA)2Cs3Pb4I13, to those based on 3D CsPbI3. Astonishingly, the ON/OFF ratio of the (PEA)2Cs3Pb4I13-based memory devices (109) is three orders of magnitude higher than that of the CsPbI3 device, which is attributed to a decrease in the high-resistance state (HRS) current of the former. This device also retained a high ON/OFF current ratio for 2 weeks under ambient conditions, whereas the CsPbI3 device degraded rapidly and showed unreliable memory properties after 5 days. These results strongly suggest that quasi-2D halide perovskites have potential in resistive switching memory based on their desirable ON/OFF ratio and long-term stability.
Annexin A5 as an immune checkpoint inhibitor and tumor-homing molecule for cancer treatment
Authors: Kang Tae Heung , Park Jung Hwa , Yang Andrew , Park Hyun Jin , Lee Sung Eun , Kim Young Seob , Jang Gun-Young , Farmer Emily , Lam Brandon , Park Yeong-Min , Hung Chien-Fu
Published: February 2020

The interaction between immune cells and phosphatidylserine (PS) molecules exposed on the surface of apoptotic-tumor bodies, such as those induced by chemotherapies, contributes to the formation of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Annexin A5 (AnxA5) binds with high affinity to PS externalized by apoptotic cells, thereby hindering their interaction with immune cells. Here, we show that AnxA5 administration rescue the immunosuppressive state of the TME induced by chemotherapy. Due to the preferential homing of AnxA5 to the TME enriched with PS+ tumor cells, we demonstrate in vivo that fusing tumor-antigen peptide to AnxA5 significantly enhances its immunogenicity and antitumor efficacy when administered after chemotherapy. Also, the therapeutic antitumor effect of an AnxA5-peptide fusion can be further enhanced by administration of other immune checkpoint inhibitors. Our findings support the administration of AnxA5 following chemotherapy as a promising immune checkpoint inhibitor for cancer treatment.
Towards a more effective climate policy on international trade
Authors: Dietzenbacher Erik , Cazcarro Ignacio , Arto Iñaki
Published: February 2020

In the literature on the attribution of responsibilities for greenhouse gas emissions, two accounting methods have been widely discussed: production-based accounting (PBA) and consumption-based accounting (CBA). It has been argued that an accounting framework for attributing responsibilities should credit actions contributing to reduce global emissions and should penalize actions increasing them. Neither PBA nor CBA satisfy this principle. Adapting classical Ricardian trade theory, we consider ex post measurement and propose a scheme for assigning credits and penalties. Their size is determined by how much CO2 emissions are saved globally due to trade. This leads to the emission responsibility allotment (ERA) for assigning responsibilities. We illustrate the differences between ERA and PBA and CBA by comparing their results for 41 countries and regions between 1995–2009. The Paris Agreement (COP21) proposed new market mechanisms; we argue that ERA is well suited to measure and evaluate their overall mitigation impact.
High-resolution snapshots of human N-myristoyltransferase in action illuminate a mechanism promoting N-terminal Lys and Gly myristoylation
Authors: Dian Cyril , Pérez-Dorado Inmaculada , Rivière Frédéric , Asensio Thomas , Legrand Pierre , Ritzefeld Markus , Shen Mengjie , Cota Ernesto , Meinnel Thierry , Tate Edward W. , Giglione Carmela
Published: February 2020

The promising drug target N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) catalyses an essential protein modification thought to occur exclusively at N-terminal glycines (Gly). Here, we present high-resolution human NMT1 structures co-crystallised with reactive cognate lipid and peptide substrates, revealing high-resolution snapshots of the entire catalytic mechanism from the initial to final reaction states. Structural comparisons, together with biochemical analysis, provide unforeseen details about how NMT1 reaches a catalytically competent conformation in which the reactive groups are brought into close proximity to enable catalysis. We demonstrate that this mechanism further supports efficient and unprecedented myristoylation of an N-terminal lysine side chain, providing evidence that NMT acts both as N-terminal-lysine and glycine myristoyltransferase.
Cryo-EM structures of the XPF-ERCC1 endonuclease reveal how DNA-junction engagement disrupts an auto-inhibited conformation
Authors: Jones Morgan , Beuron Fabienne , Borg Aaron , Nans Andrea , Earl Christopher P. , Briggs David C. , Snijders Ambrosius P. , Bowles Maureen , Morris Edward P. , Linch Mark , McDonald Neil Q.
Published: February 2020

The structure-specific endonuclease XPF-ERCC1 participates in multiple DNA damage repair pathways including nucleotide excision repair (NER) and inter-strand crosslink repair (ICLR). How XPF-ERCC1 is catalytically activated by DNA junction substrates is not currently understood. Here we report cryo-electron microscopy structures of both DNA-free and DNA-bound human XPF-ERCC1. DNA-free XPF-ERCC1 adopts an auto-inhibited conformation in which the XPF helical domain masks the ERCC1 (HhH)2 domain and restricts access to the XPF catalytic site. DNA junction engagement releases the ERCC1 (HhH)2 domain to couple with the XPF-ERCC1 nuclease/nuclease-like domains. Structure-function data indicate xeroderma pigmentosum patient mutations frequently compromise the structural integrity of XPF-ERCC1. Fanconi anaemia patient mutations in XPF often display substantial in-vitro activity but are resistant to activation by ICLR recruitment factor SLX4. Our data provide insights into XPF-ERCC1 architecture and catalytic activation.
Reconfigurable symmetry-broken laser in a symmetric microcavity
Authors: Cao Qi-Tao , Liu Ruishan , Wang Heming , Lu Yu-Kun , Qiu Cheng-Wei , Rotter Stefan , Gong Qihuang , Xiao Yun-Feng
Published: February 2020

The coherent light source is one of the most important foundations in both optical physics studies and applied photonic devices. However, the whispering gallery microcavity, as a prime platform for novel light sources, has the intrinsically chiral symmetry and severely rules out access to directional light output, all-optical flip-flops, efficient light extraction, etc. Here, we demonstrate a reconfigurable symmetry-broken microlaser in an ultrahigh-Q whispering gallery microcavity with the symmetric structure, in which a chirality of lasing field is empowered spontaneously by the optical nonlinear effect. Experimentally, the ratio of counter-propagating lasing intensities is found to exceed 160:1, and the chirality can be controlled dynamically and all-optically by the bias in the pump direction. This work not only presents a distinct recipe for coherent light sources with robust and reconfigurable performance, but also opens up an unexplored avenue to symmetry-broken physics in optical micro-structures.
Grain morphology reconstruction of crystalline materials from Laue three-dimensional neutron diffraction tomography
Authors: Samothrakitis Stavros , Raventós Marc , Čapek Jan , Larsen Camilla Buhl , Grünzweig Christian , Tovar Michael , Garcia-Gonzalez Marina , Kopeček Jaromír , Schmidt Søren , Strobl Markus
Published: February 2020

The macroscopic properties of advanced engineering and functional materials are highly dependent on their overall grain orientation distribution, size, and morphology. Here we present Laue 3D neutron diffraction tomography providing reconstructions of the grains constituting a coarse-grained polycrystalline material. Reconstructions of the grain morphology of a highly pure Fe cylinder and a Cu cube sample are presented. A total number of 23 and 9 grains from the Fe and Cu samples, respectively, were indexed and reconstructed. Validation of the grain morphological reconstruction is performed by post-mortem EBSD of the Cu specimen.
Loss of angiogenin function is related to earlier ALS onset and a paradoxical increase in ALS duration
Authors: Aluri Krishna C. , Salisbury Joseph P. , Prehn Jochen H. M. , Agar Jeffrey N.
Published: February 2020

0.5–1% of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are associated with mutations in the angiogenin (ANG). These mutations are thought to cause disease through a loss of ANG function, but this hypothesis has not been evaluated statistically. In addition, the potential for ANG to promote disease has not been considered. With the goal of better defining the etiology of ANG-ALS, we assembled all clinical onset and disease duration data and determined if these were correlated with biochemical properties of ANG variants. Loss of ANG stability and ribonuclease activity were found to correlate with early ALS onset, confirming an aspect of the prevailing model of ANG-ALS. Conversely, loss of ANG stability and ribonuclease activity correlated with longer survival following diagnosis, which is inconsistent with the prevailing model. These results indicate that functional ANG appears to decrease the risk of developing ALS but exacerbate ALS once in progress. These findings are rationalized in terms of studies demonstrating that distinct mechanisms contribute to ALS onset and progression and propose that ANG replacement or stabilization would benefit pre-symptomatic ANG-ALS patients. However, this study challenges the prevailing hypothesis that augmenting ANG will benefit symptomatic ANG-ALS patients. Instead, our results suggest that silencing of ANG activity may be beneficial for symptomatic ALS patients. This study will serve as a call-to-arms for neurologists to consistently publish ALS and PD patient's clinical data—if all ANG-ALS patients’ data were available our findings could be tested with considerable statistical power.
Dogs can sense weak thermal radiation
Authors: Bálint Anna , Andics Attila , Gácsi Márta , Gábor Anna , Czeibert Kálmán , Luce Chelsey M. , Miklósi Ádám , Kröger Ronald H. H.
Published: February 2020

The dog rhinarium (naked and often moist skin on the nose-tip) is prominent and richly innervated, suggesting a sensory function. Compared to nose-tips of herbivorous artio- and perissodactyla, carnivoran rhinaria are considerably colder. We hypothesized that this coldness makes the dog rhinarium particularly sensitive to radiating heat. We trained three dogs to distinguish between two distant objects based on radiating heat; the neutral object was about ambient temperature, the warm object was about the same surface temperature as a furry mammal. In addition, we employed functional magnetic resonance imaging on 13 awake dogs, comparing the responses to heat stimuli of about the same temperatures as in the behavioural experiment. The warm stimulus elicited increased neural response in the left somatosensory association cortex. Our results demonstrate a hitherto undiscovered sensory modality in a carnivoran species.
EPDR1 up-regulation in human colorectal cancer is related to staging and favours cell proliferation and invasiveness
Authors: Gimeno-Valiente F. , Riffo-Campos Á. L. , Ayala G. , Tarazona N. , Gambardella V. , Rodríguez F. M. , Huerta M. , Martínez-Ciarpaglini C. , Montón-Bueno J. , Roselló S. , Roda D. , Cervantes A. , Franco L. , López-Rodas G. , Castillo J.
Published: February 2020

The finding of novel molecular markers for prediction or prognosis of invasiveness in colorectal cancer (CRC) constitutes an appealing challenge. Here we show the up-regulation of EPDR1 in a prospective cohort of 101 CRC patients, in a cDNA array of 43 patients and in in silico analyses. EPDR1 encodes a protein related to ependymins, a family of glycoproteins involved in intercellular contacts. A thorough statistical model allowed us to conclude that the gene is significantly up-regulated in tumour tissues when compared with normal mucosa. These results agree with those obtained by the analysis of three publicly available databases. EPDR1 up-regulation correlates with the TNM staging parameters, especially T and M. Studies with CRC cell lines revealed that the methylation of a CpG island controls EPDR1 expression. siRNA knocking-down and overexpression of the gene following transient plasmid transfection, showed that EPDR1 favours cell proliferation, migration, invasiveness and adhesion to type I collagen fibres, suggesting a role in epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Both statistical and functional analysis correlated EPDR1 overexpression with invasiveness and dissemination of tumour cells, supporting the inclusion of EPDR1 in panels of genes used to improve molecular subtyping of CRC. Eventually, EPDR1 may be an actionable target.
The antioxidative enzyme SOD2 is important for physiological persistence of corpora lutea in lynxes
Authors: Braun B. C. , Halaski N. , Painer J. , Krause E. , Jewgenow K.
Published: February 2020

Corpora lutea (CL) are transient endocrine glands supporting pregnancy by progesterone production. They develop at the site of ovulation from the remaining follicle, are highly metabolically active and undergo distinct, transformative processes during their lifetime. In contrast to other species, CL of lynxes do not regress at the end of cycle, but remain functionally active (persist) for years. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and anti-oxidative enzymes are described to be important for the functionality of CL. We examined ten anti-oxidative enzymes in fresh and persistent CL of lynxes as well as in domestic cat CL of different luteal stages. The gene expression profiles, especially those of SOD1 and SOD2, showed some remarkable differences between CL stages during non-pregnant and pregnant cycles of domestic cats and between fresh and persistent CL of lynxes. Lynx gene expression profiles of SODs were confirmed by western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry and activity assays. SOD2 was characterized by a conspicuous high expression and enzyme activity exclusively in persistent CL. We suggest that SOD2 is required to detoxify potential elevated superoxide anion levels by producing H2O2 in the physiologically persistent CL. This product might also act as a signaling molecule, securing the CL from apoptosis and insuring long-term luteal cell survival.
Adventitious shoot organogenesis from leaf explants of Portulaca pilosa L.
Authors: Chen Shuangyan , Xiong Yuping , Yu Xincheng , Pang Jinhui , Zhang Ting , Wu Kunlin , Ren Hai , Jian Shuguang , Teixeira da Silva Jaime A. , Xiong Youhua , Zeng Songjun , Ma Guohua
Published: February 2020

This study established, for the first time, shoot proliferation and plant regeneration protocols via shoot organogenesis from leaf explants of a medical and ornamental plant, Portulaca pilosa L. The optimal proliferation of axillary shoots was 6.2-fold within 30 days on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 3.0 µM 6-benzyladenine (BA). Shoots could be induced directly from leaf explants, forming an average of 3.8 adventitious shoots per explant, on optimal MS medium supplemented with 1.0 µM thidiazuron (TDZ) and 0.1 µM α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). A higher concentration of TDZ (3.0 µM), alone or in combination with 0.1 µM NAA, induced somatic embryo-like shoot buds and then developed into real shoots. Rooting was easier since roots were induced on all rooting media within one month. Half-strength MS medium free of plant growth regulators was best for rooting. Rooted plantlets were transferred to a sand: perlite (1:1, v/v) substrate, resulting in highest survival (90%). Plantlets showed more robust growth, however, on substrates of yellow mud: perlite (1:1, v/v) or peat soil: vermiculite: perlite (1:1:1, v/v).
Temperature potentially induced distinctive flavor of mud crab Scylla paramamosain mediated by gut microbiota
Authors: Tang Lei , Wang Huan , Wang Chunlin , Mu Changkao , Wei Hongling , Yao Hongzhi , Ye Chunyu , Chen Lizhi , Shi Ce
Published: February 2020

Many factors affect the flavor of crabs. However, impact of temperature on flavor has not been reported. Here, we examined Scylla paramamosain collected within the main four producing areas in China from north sampling point (NP) and south sampling point (SP), respectively. The contents of flavouring-related substances in hepatopancreas, muscles and gonads were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Meanwhile, high-throughput sequencing of 16S RNA gene was used to reveal the diversity distribution of gut microbiota at each sample collection point. Comparisons among flavor substances of edible parts, the implied higher temperature in SP may be beneficial to the accumulation of flavor substances in gonads, while lower temperature in NP may be beneficial to the accumulation of flavor substances in muscles and hepatopancreas. The gut microbiota of crabs, was analyzed via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results of gut microbiota showed that there were significant differences in the distribution of gut microbiota in NP and SP. The microbiota composition of SP has a high distribution richness and no absolute dominant bacteria, while NP has absolute dominant bacteria and its microbiota richness was lower than SP. The results of redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that there was a significant correlation between temperature and the relative abundance of gut microbiota, and a significant correlation between gut microbiota and the content of flavor substances. This study indicates that temperature may be one of the main factors for the differences of flavor substances between SP and NP, which was most probably mediated by gut microbiota. Further exploration is needed with laboratory experiments in which the environment is more precisely controlled if these views are to be determined.
High-Performance Conducting Polymer Nanotube-based Liquid-Ion Gated Field-Effect Transistor Aptasensor for Dopamine Exocytosis
Authors: Park Seon Joo , Lee Jiyeon , Seo Sung Eun , Kim Kyung Ho , Park Chul Soon , Lee Sang Hun , Ban Hyun Seung , Lee Byoung Dae , Song Hyun Seok , Kim Jinyeong , Lee Chang-Soo , Bae Joonwon , Kwon Oh Seok
Published: February 2020

In this study, ultrasensitive and precise detection of a representative brain hormone, dopamine (DA), was demonstrated using functional conducting polymer nanotubes modified with aptamers. A high-performance aptasensor was composed of interdigitated microelectrodes (IMEs), carboxylated polypyrrole nanotubes (CPNTs) and DA-specific aptamers. The biosensors were constructed by sequential conjugation of CPNTs and aptamer molecules on the IMEs, and the substrate was integrated into a liquid-ion gating system surrounded by pH 7.4 buffer as an electrolyte. To confirm DA exocytosis based on aptasensors, DA sensitivity and selectivity were monitored using liquid-ion gated field-effect transistors (FETs). The minimum detection level (MDL; 100 pM) of the aptasensors was determined, and their MDL was optimized by controlling the diameter of the CPNTs owing to their different capacities for aptamer introduction. The MDL of CPNT aptasensors is sufficient for discriminating between healthy and unhealthy individuals because the total DA concentration in the blood of normal person is generally determined to be ca. 0.5 to 6.2 ng/mL (3.9 to 40.5 nM) by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) (this information was obtained from a guidebook “Evidence-Based Medicine 2018 SCL “ which was published by Seoul Clinical Laboratory). The CPNTs with the smaller diameters (CPNT2: ca. 120 nm) showed 100 times higher sensitivity and selectivity than the wider CPNTs (CPNT1: ca. 200 nm). Moreover, the aptasensors based on CPNTs had excellent DA discrimination in the presence of various neurotransmitters. Based on the excellent sensing properties of these aptasensors, the DA levels of exogeneous DA samples that were prepared from PC12 cells by a DA release assay were successfully measured by DA kits, and the aptasensor sensing properties were compared to those of standard DA reagents. Finally, the real-time response values to the various exogeneous DA release levels were similar to those of a standard DA aptasensor. Therefore, CPNT-based aptasensors provide efficient and rapid DA screening for neuron-mediated genetic diseases such as Parkinson’s disease.
The difference in dissipation of clomazone and metazachlor in soil under field and laboratory conditions and their uptake by plants
Authors: Szpyrka Ewa , Słowik-Borowiec Magdalena , Książek Paulina , Zwolak Aneta , Podbielska Magdalena
Published: February 2020

The study concerned dissipation of metazachlor and clomazone, herbicides widely used in rapeseed (Brassica napus L. subsp. napus) protection, applied to the clay soil under field and laboratory conditions. Furthermore, the uptake of these pesticide from soil by rapeseed plants was investigated under field conditions. An additional aim of this work was to modify the QuEChERS method for the determination of metazachlor and clomazone in the plant material. Analytical procedures for metazachlor and clomazone qualification and quantification in rapeseed plants and soil were developed, using gas chromatography with an micro electron capture detector (GC-μECD) and a mass detector (GC-MS/MS QqQ) as confirmation. Dissipation kinetics of herbicide residues in soil were described as first-order equations. The analytical performance was very satisfactory and confirmed that the methods meet the requirements of the European Commission. In the conducted field experiments it was found that dissipation of clomazone and metazachlor in clay soil follows first-order kinetics (R2 between 0.964 and 0.978), and half-lives were 9.5 days and 10.2 days for clomazone and metazachlor, respectively. Under laboratory conditions, dissipation of clomazone and metazachlor in soil also follows first-order kinetics (R2 between 0.937 and 0.938), and half-lives were 8.8 days and 5.7 days for clomazone and metazachlor, respectively. Residues of both herbicides in rape plants 22 days after application of herbicides were below the maximum residue levels for Brassica plants. Metazachlor and clomazone dissipate very fast in clay soil and their uptake by rape plants is very low.
The Dependence of Implicit Solvent Model Parameters and Electronic Absorption Spectra and Photoinduced Charge Transfer
Authors: Chen Xiangtao , Qiao Wenhua , Miao Wenjing , Zhang Yangdong , Mu Xijiao , Wang Jingang
Published: February 2020

In this work, the relationship between multiple solvent parameters and charge transfer index was analyzed by multi-factor multi-variate partial least squares regression (PLSR). The charge transfer of the molecule is visualized by the analysis of the excited state wave function. Hydrogen bond basicity and surface tension can significantly affect charge transfer by studying the solvation model parameters and charge transfer index. Finally, a method in which a solvent regulates charge transfer strength and migration length is proposed.
Longitudinal DNA methylation differences precede type 1 diabetes
Authors: Johnson Randi K. , Vanderlinden Lauren A. , Dong Fran , Carry Patrick M. , Seifert Jennifer , Waugh Kathleen , Shorrosh Hanan , Fingerlin Tasha , Frohnert Brigitte I. , Yang Ivana V. , Kechris Katerina , Rewers Marian , Norris Jill M.
Published: February 2020

DNA methylation may be involved in development of type 1 diabetes (T1D), but previous epigenome-wide association studies were conducted among cases with clinically diagnosed diabetes. Using multiple pre-disease peripheral blood samples on the Illumina 450 K and EPIC platforms, we investigated longitudinal methylation differences between 87 T1D cases and 87 controls from the prospective Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY) cohort. Change in methylation with age differed between cases and controls in 10 regions. Average longitudinal methylation differed between cases and controls at two genomic positions and 28 regions. Some methylation differences were detectable and consistent as early as birth, including before and after the onset of preclinical islet autoimmunity. Results map to transcription factors, other protein coding genes, and non-coding regions of the genome with regulatory potential. The identification of methylation differences that predate islet autoimmunity and clinical diagnosis may suggest a role for epigenetics in T1D pathogenesis; however, functional validation is warranted.
Neuron-specific analysis of histone modifications with post-mortem brains
Authors: Koshi-Mano Kagari , Mano Tatsuo , Morishima Maho , Murayama Shigeo , Tamaoka Akira , Tsuji Shoji , Toda Tatsushi , Iwata Atsushi
Published: February 2020

Histone modifications govern chromatin structures and regulate gene expression to orchestrate cellular functions in the central nervous system, where neuronal cells are postmitotic and developmentally inactive, the functional and age-dependent changes also accumulate in the epigenetic states. Because the brain is composed of several types of cells, such as the neurons, glial cells, and vascular cells, the analysis of histone modifications using bulk brain tissue might obscure alterations specific to neuronal cells. Furthermore, among the various epigenetic traits, analysis of the genome-wide distribution of DNA methylation in the bulk brain is predominantly a reflection of DNA methylation of the non-neuronal cells, which may be a potential caveat of previous studies on neurodegenerative diseases using bulk brains. In this study, we established a method of neuron-specific ChIP-seq assay, which allows for the analysis of genome-wide distribution of histone modifications specifically in the neuronal cells derived from post-mortem brains. We successfully enriched neuronal information with high reproducibility and high signal-to-noise ratio. Our method will further facilitate the understanding of neurodegeneration.
Author Correction: High-throughput identification of post-transcriptional utrophin up-regulators for Duchenne muscle dystrophy (DMD) therapy
Authors: Loro Emanuele , Sengupta Kasturi , Bogdanovich Sasha , Whig Kanupriya , Schultz David C. , Huryn Donna M. , Khurana Tejvir S.
Published: February 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
A precise and versatile platform for rapid glycosylation analysis of brain tissue
Authors: Vacchini Mattia , Cipolla Laura , Gornik Olga , Lauc Gordan , Klarić Thomas
Published: February 2020

Lysate in-Solution Deglycosylation (LSD) is a novel method for the preparation of N-glycans from tissue. The substrate for LSD is a commonly used lysate that is the starting point for many other applications, including classical proteomics methods.
Synthesis of 3-fluoro-2,5-disubstituted furans through ring expansion of gem-difluorocyclopropyl ketones
Authors: Sugiishi Tsuyuka , Matsumura Chihori , Amii Hideki
Published: February 2020

The synthesis of 3-fluoro-2,5-disubstituted furans from gem-difluorocyclopropyl ketones was accomplished using trifluoromethanesulfonic acid in good yields at low temperature.
Improving the water management in anion-exchange membrane fuel cells via ultra-thin, directly deposited solid polymer electrolyte
Authors: Veh Philipp , Britton Benjamin , Holdcroft Steven , Zengerle Roland , Vierrath Severin , Breitwieser Matthias
Published: February 2020

Thin ionomer membranes are considered key to achieve high performances in anion exchange membrane fuel cells, as well as high performance robustness towards changes in relative humidity.
Polyester functional graphenic materials as a mechanically enhanced scaffold for tissue regeneration
Authors: Schmidt Stephen J. , Holt Brian D. , Arnold Anne M. , Sydlik Stefanie A.
Published: February 2020

Polyesters are a promising class of biocompatible polymer, however, their mechanical properties fall short of metals and ceramics. This paper covalently binds polyesters to graphenic moieties resulting in enhanced mechanical properties.