bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three bounded proofs for nonlinear multi‐input multi‐output approximate dynamic programming based on the Lyapunov stability theory
Authors: Huang Zhijian , Xiong Xuemei , Chen Wentao , Zhang Qin , Liu Yihua , Chen Yuli
Published: June 2017

The approximate dynamic programming needs 2 prerequisites to be an effective optimal control method. Firstly, it must be assured to be stable and convergent before application. Secondly, the control system should mainly be a nonlinear multi‐input multi‐output form. Thus, this paper introduces a nonlinear multi‐input multi‐output approximate dynamic programming and proves that it is stable in Lyapunov sense, therefore it is convergent. Besides, the Lyapunov function design is also analyzed. These proofs are based on the Lyapunov stability theory in the form of the utility function of quadratic, square‐weighted sum, and absolute value. Thereafter, 3 typical control examples of nonlinear multi‐input multi‐output approximate dynamic programming are offered to show their applications and verify the proofs. The proof overcomes the complex derivation, and the results contain 3 practical and systematic bounded proofs. It is for the first time that the proof focuses on nonlinear multi‐input multi‐output approximate dynamic programming from the view of utility function. What is more, the results can also serve as an effective analysis and guide for the utility function design and the stability criterion of nonlinear multi‐input multi‐output approximate dynamic programming as well.
Singlet oxygen production and in vitro phototoxicity studies on fenofibrate, mycophenolate mofetil, trifusal, and their active metabolites
Authors: Molins‐Molina Oscar , Bresolí‐Obach Roger , Garcia‐Lainez Guillermo , Andreu Inmaculada , Nonell Santi , Miranda Miguel A. , Jiménez M. Consuelo
Published: June 2017

Singlet oxygen photosensitization (studied by time‐resolved near‐infrared emission spectroscopy) and in vitro phototoxicity (by means of the 3T3 neutral red uptake assay) have been investigated for the prodrugs fenofibrate (FFB), mycophenolate mofetil (MMP), and trifusal (TFS) as well as for their active metabolites fenofibric acid (FFA), mycophenolic acid (MPA), and 2‐hydroxy‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)benzoic acid (HTB). The results show that FFB and its active metabolite FFA generate 1O2 with a quantum yield in the range 0.30 to 0.40 and show a photo‐irritation factor (PIF) higher than 40. By contrast, MMP/MPA and TFS/HTB are not photoactive in the used assays. These results correlate well with the previously reported in vivo phototoxicity in treated patients.
Substitution determination of Fmoc‐substituted resins at different wavelengths
Authors: Eissler Stefan , Kley Markus , Bächle Dirk , Loidl Günther , Meier Thomas , Samson Daniel
Published: June 2017

In solid‐phase peptide synthesis, the nominal batch size is calculated using the starting resin substitution and the mass of the starting resin. The starting resin substitution constitutes the basis for the calculation of a whole set of important process parameters, such as the number of amino acid derivative equivalents. For Fmoc‐substituted resins, substitution determination is often performed by suspending the Fmoc‐protected starting resin in 20% (v/v) piperidine in DMF to generate the dibenzofulvene–piperidine adduct that is quantified by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The spectrometric measurement is performed at the maximum absorption wavelength of the dibenzofulvene–piperidine adduct, that is, at 301.0 nm. The recorded absorption value, the resin weight and the volume are entered into an equation derived from Lambert–Beer's law, together with the substance‐specific molar absorption coefficient at 301.0 nm, in order to calculate the nominal substitution. To our knowledge, molar absorption coefficients between 7100 l mol−1 cm−1 and 8100 l mol−1 cm−1 have been reported for the dibenzofulvene–piperidine adduct at 301.0 nm. Depending on the applied value, the nominal batch size may differ up to 14%. In this publication, a determination of the molar absorption coefficients at 301.0 and 289.8 nm is reported. Furthermore, proof is given that by measuring the absorption at 289.8 nm the impact of wavelength accuracy is reduced. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Peptide Science published by European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Adjuvant Treatment with Qilin Pill for Men with Oligoasthenospermia: A Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Jin Xin , Man Changfeng , Gong Dandan , Fan Yu
Published: June 2017

Qilin pill has been used in the management of oligoasthenospermia. This meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of Qilin pill as an adjunctive therapy on semen parameters in oligoasthenospermic men. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, CNKI, and VIP databases until June 2016. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated Qilin pill as an adjunctive therapy in oligoasthenospermic were included. Dichotomous data and continuous data were calculated as the risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD) with their 95% confidence interval (CI), respectively. Eight RCTs involving 778 patients were identified. Adjunctive treatment with Qilin pill significantly improved the semen volume (MD 0.50 mL; 95% CI 0.42–0.59), sperm concentration (MD 5.01 × 106/mL; 95% CI 3.28–6.75), sperm motility (MD 7.54%; 95% CI 5.64–9.45), grade A sperm (MD 9.75%; 95% CI 4.05–15.45), serum testosterone level (MD 1.66 nM; 95% CI 0.40–2.92), and pregnancy rate (RR 1.46; 95% CI 1.08–1.99) during follow‐up. However, differences in the serum follicle‐stimulating and luteinizing hormone levels were not significant. Adjunctive treatment with Qilin pill significantly improves the sperm quality in patients with oligoasthenospermia. However, further trials are necessary to investigate the efficacy of Qilin pill on oligoasthenospermia‐induced male infertility. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neuro‐Protective Effects of Resveratrol on Carbon Monoxide‐Induced Toxicity in Male Rats
Authors: Tabrizian Kaveh , Shahraki Jafar , Bazzi Mohadeseh , Rezaee Ramin , Jahantigh Hosseinali , Hashemzaei Mahmoud
Published: June 2017

Acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning causes neurotoxicity through induction of necrosis, apoptosis, lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. Resveratrol (RES) is a natural polyphenolic phytoalexin that exhibits neuroprotective effects in ischemia/reperfusion due to its anti‐apoptotic, anti‐necrotic and strong anti‐oxidant properties as well as its ability to activate pro‐survival pathways. In this study, rats were exposed to CO 3000 ppm for 1 h. Immediately after poisoning and on the next four consecutive days, RES (1, 5 and 10 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally. On the fifth day, animals' brains were excised, and necrosis, lipid peroxidation level and the level of Akt, BAX and BCL2 expression were evaluated. The results showed that RES 10 mg/kg significantly reduced lipid peroxidation, but RES 1 and 5 mg/kg had no significant effect on this parameter. Furthermore, RES 5 and 10 mg/kg significantly increased Akt expression level, while BAX/BCL2 ratio was reduced by RES 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg. Moreover, RES reduced necrotic foci in the brain, but the best results were seen following treatment with RES 10 mg/kg. In summary, RES showed neuroprotective effect in CO‐poisoned rats as it decreased necrosis and BAX/BCL2 ratio and increased Akt expression levels. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Emerging Market Firms' Internationalization: How Do Firms' Inward Activities Affect Their Outward Activities?
Authors: Li Haiyang , Yi Xiwei , Cui Geng
Published: June 2017

Research summary: In this study we examine how an emerging market firm's inward international activities (“inward activities”) are related to its outward international activities (“outward activities”) by focusing on the role of the firm's gain from its inward activities. On the one hand, drawing upon the organizational learning perspective, we propose that a firm's gain from inward activities may facilitate its outward activities through improving its resource fungibility. On the other hand, we draw upon the prospect theory to propose that a firm's gain from inward activities may hinder its outward activities by discouraging the firm's top managers from taking risks that are inherent in outward activities. With detailed data from a sample of manufacturing firms in China, we find empirical support for both lines of arguments.

Managerial summary: Are emerging market firms with higher inward gain more likely to engage in outward internationalization activities? We argue that it depends upon how a firm uses its gain from inward activities. If the firm can improve its resource fungibility (particularly organizational resource fungibility) from its inward gain, it is more likely to engage in outward activities. If the firm cannot improve its resource fungiblity, the answer is no. Our findings suggest that for emerging market firms, internationalization is not just a path toward new markets; instead, it reflects how these firms exploit and explore what they have learned from their interactions with foreign firms at home in foreign markets. Therefore, managers must think more strategically on developing (organizational) resource fungibility from their inward activities. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
iFogSim: A toolkit for modeling and simulation of resource management techniques in the Internet of Things, Edge and Fog computing environments
Authors: Gupta Harshit , Vahid Dastjerdi Amir , Ghosh Soumya K. , Buyya Rajkumar
Published: June 2017

Internet of Things (IoT) aims to bring every object (eg, smart cameras, wearable, environmental sensors, home appliances, and vehicles) online, hence generating massive volume of data that can overwhelm storage systems and data analytics applications. Cloud computing offers services at the infrastructure level that can scale to IoT storage and processing requirements. However, there are applications such as health monitoring and emergency response that require low latency, and delay that is caused by transferring data to the cloud and then back to the application can seriously impact their performances. To overcome this limitation, Fog computing paradigm has been proposed, where cloud services are extended to the edge of the network to decrease the latency and network congestion. To realize the full potential of Fog and IoT paradigms for real‐time analytics, several challenges need to be addressed. The first and most critical problem is designing resource management techniques that determine which modules of analytics applications are pushed to each edge device to minimize the latency and maximize the throughput. To this end, we need an evaluation platform that enables the quantification of performance of resource management policies on an IoT or Fog computing infrastructure in a repeatable manner. In this paper we propose a simulator, called iFogSim, to model IoT and Fog environments and measure the impact of resource management techniques in latency, network congestion, energy consumption, and cost. We describe two case studies to demonstrate modeling of an IoT environment and comparison of resource management policies. Moreover, scalability of the simulation toolkit of RAM consumption and execution time is verified under different circumstances.
Plasticity of thermoregulatory behavior in leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius, Blyth 1954)
Authors: Craioveanu Octavian , Craioveanu Cristina , Mireşan Vioara
Published: June 2017

Studies on thermoregulation in nocturnal lizards have shown that their thermal regimes are similar to those of diurnal lizards, even though they hide during the daytime and are active mostly at night, when heat sources are very scarce. As a result, nocturnal lizards display an active thermoregulatory behavior consisting of seeking warm shelters to hide during the daytime, using accumulated heat for the nocturnal activity. Based on this information, we hypothesize that when leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius, Blyth 1954) are presented with the choice of safety in cool shelters or vulnerability in heated open areas, suitable temperature will prevail in importance, i.e. they will trade the advantages provided by the shelter for an exposed, but physiologically necessary heat source. Data on the time juvenile E. macularius spent in shelters, and in open areas along a thermal gradient and under a 12/12 hr photoperiod, from eight individuals confirmed our hypothesis. We found that, not only did they select heat sources over shelters, but, along with the light/dark cycle, temperature may also represent a cue for activity. Additionally we found that substrate moisture plays an important role in shelter preference.
Microbial compositions and metabolic interactions in one- and two-phase partitioning airlift bioreactors treating a complex VOC mixture
Authors: Wu Chao , Xu Peilun , Xia Yinfeng , Li Wei , Li Sujing , Wang Xiangqian
Published: June 2017

Engineered microbial ecosystems in bioscrubbers for the treatment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been complicated by complex VOC mixtures from various industrial emissions. Microbial associations with VOC removal performance of the bioscrubbers are still not definitive. Here, one- and two-phase partitioning airlift bioreactors were used for the treatment of a complex VOC mixture. Microbial characteristics in both bioreactors were uncovered by high-throughput metagenomics sequencing. Results showed that dominant species with specialized VOC biodegradability were mainly responsible for high removal efficiency of relative individual VOC. Competitive enzyme inhibitions among the VOC mixture were closely related to the deterioration of removal performance for individual VOC. Relative to the mass transfer resistance, the specialized biodegrading functions of microbial inoculations and enzymatic interactions among individual VOC biodegradation also must be carefully evaluated to optimize the treatment of complex VOC mixtures in bioreactors.
Body mass index in midlife and dementia: Systematic review and meta‐regression analysis of 589,649 men and women followed in longitudinal studies
Authors: Albanese Emiliano , Launer Lenore J. , Egger Matthias , Prince Martin J. , Giannakopoulos Panteleimon , Wolters Frank J. , Egan Kieren
Published: June 2017

Introduction

We conducted a meta‐analysis of the conflicting epidemiologic evidence on the association between midlife body mass index (BMI) and dementia.

Methods

We searched standard databases to identify prospective, population‐based studies of dementia risk by midlife underweight, overweight, and obesity. We performed random‐effects meta‐analyses and meta‐regressions of adjusted relative risk (RR) estimates and formally explored between‐study heterogeneity.

Results

We included 19 studies on 589,649 participants (2040 incident dementia cases) followed up for up to 42 years. Midlife (age 35 to 65 years) obesity (BMI ≥ 30) (RR, 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–1.63), but not overweight (25 < BMI < 30) (RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.96–1.20), was associated with dementia in late life. The association with midlife underweight (RR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.13–1.70) was potentially driven by residual confounding (P from meta‐regression = .004), selection (P = .046), and information bias (P = .007).

Discussion

Obesity in midlife increases the risk of dementia. The association between underweight and dementia remains controversial.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Kassim Adetola A. , Savani Bipib N.
Published: June 2017

Increasing numbers of patients are receiving allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Scientific and clinical advances in supportive care, donor selection, and conditioning regimens have resulted in lower transplant-related mortality, extension of care to a wider population of patients, and improvements in survival. Recent era has witnessed an explosive information about the molecular pathophysiology of AML. By early identification of patients at a high risk of relapse, it is expected that a majority of eligible patients will receive HCT in first complete remission. Novel conditioning regimens have been explored to improve transplant outcomes in AML. Currently, a stem cell source can be found for virtually all patients who have an indication to receive HCT. This area of investigation will likely continue to be of intense interest in terms of optimizing transplant outcomes.
Bringing Down the Educational Wall
Authors: Manzano Dulce
Published: June 2017

Bringing Down the Educational Wall studies the causes of educational expansion in a global sample of developing and developed countries from 1960 to 2005. The book explores how the interaction between the economic context of nations (economic development and inequality) and political factors (the type of political regime and the ideology of dictatorships) influences countries' educational outcomes. The book's main contributions are the exploration of ideological differences between autocratic regimes and the tracing of changes in different parts of the income distribution, which accounts for education expanding to broad sectors of the population. Bringing Down the Educational Wall introduces a new database on the ideology of dictatorships and uses quantitative methods and case analyses to test its theoretical arguments. This work will help students in comparative politics and political economy courses to develop their understanding of redistributive policies and the effects of political factors on the expansion of education.
Renegotiating the World Order
Authors: Lipscy Phillip Y.
Published: June 2017

Rising powers often seek to reshape the world order, triggering confrontations with those who seek to defend the status quo. In recent years, as international institutions have grown in prevalence and influence, they have increasingly become central arenas for international contestation. Phillip Y. Lipscy examines how international institutions evolve as countries seek to renegotiate the international order. He offers a new theory of institutional change and explains why some institutions change flexibly while others successfully resist or fall to the wayside. The book uses a wealth of empirical evidence - quantitative and qualitative - to evaluate the theory from international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, European Union, League of Nations, United Nations, the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization, and Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. The book will be of particular interest to scholars interested in the historical and contemporary diplomacy of the United States, Japan, and China.
Remote operation and monitoring of a micro aero gas turbine
Authors: Diakostefanis M. , Nikolaidis T. , Sampath S. , Triantafyllou T.
Published: June 2017

Internet applications have been extended to various aspects of everyday life and offer services of high reliability and security at relatively low cost. This project presents the design of a reliable, safe and secure software system for real-time remote operation and monitoring of an aero gas turbine with utilisation of existing internet technology, whilst the gas turbine is installed in a remote test facility

This project introduces a capability that allows remote and flexible operation of an aero gas turbine throughout the whole operational envelope, as required by the user at low cost, by exploiting the available Internet technology. Remote operation of the gas turbine can be combined with other remote Internet applications to provide very powerful gas-turbine performance-simulation experimental platforms and real-time performance monitoring tools, whilst keeping the implementation cost at low levels.

The gas turbine used in this experiment is an AMT Netherlands Olympus micro gas turbine and a spiral model approach was applied for the software. The whole process was driven by risk mitigation.

The outcome is a fully functional software application that enables remote operation of the micro gas turbine whilst constantly monitors the performance of the engine according to basic gas turbine control theory. The application is very flexible, as it runs with no local installation requirements and includes provisions for expansion and collaboration with other online performance simulation and diagnostic tools.
Assessment and development of the gas kinetic boundary condition for the Boltzmann equation
Authors: Wu Lei , Struchtrup Henning
Published: June 2017

Gas–surface interactions play important roles in internal rarefied gas flows, especially in micro-electro-mechanical systems with large surface area to volume ratios. Although great progress has been made to solve the Boltzmann equation, the gas kinetic boundary condition (BC) has not been well studied. Here we assess the accuracy of the Maxwell, Epstein and Cercignani–Lampis BCs, by comparing numerical results of the Boltzmann equation for the Lennard–Jones potential to experimental data on Poiseuille and thermal transpiration flows. The four experiments considered are: Ewartet al.(J. Fluid Mech., vol. 584, 2007, pp. 337–356), Rojas-Cárdenaset al.(Phys. Fluids, vol. 25, 2013, 072002) and Yamaguchiet al.(J. Fluid Mech., vol. 744, 2014, pp. 169–182; vol. 795, 2016, pp. 690–707), where the mass flow rates in Poiseuille and thermal transpiration flows are measured. This requires that the BC has the ability to tune the effective viscous and thermal slip coefficients to match the experimental data. Among the three BCs, the Epstein BC has more flexibility to adjust the two slip coefficients, and hence for most of the time it gives good agreement with the experimental measurements. However, like the Maxwell BC, the viscous slip coefficient in the Epstein BC cannot be smaller than unity but the Cercignani–Lampis BC can. Therefore, we propose to combine the Epstein and Cercignani–Lampis BCs to describe gas–surface interaction. Although the new BC contains six free parameters, our approximate analytical expressions for the viscous and thermal slip coefficients provide useful guidance to choose these parameters.
Relaxation drag history of shock accelerated microparticles
Authors: Bordoloi Ankur D. , Martinez Adam A. , Prestridge Katherine
Published: June 2017

Experimental measurements of the displacements of shock accelerated microparticles from shortly after shock interaction to the particle relaxation time show time-dependent drag coefficients ($C_{D}$) that are much higher than those predicted by quasi-steady and unsteady drag models. Nylon particles with mean diameter of $4~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$, accelerated by one-dimensional normal shocks (Mach number $M_{s}=1.2$, 1.3 and 1.4), have measured $C_{D}$ values that follow a power-law behaviour. The drag is a function of the time-dependent Knudsen number, $Kn^{\ast }=M_{s}/Re_{p}$, where the particle Reynolds number ($Re_{p}$) is calculated using the time-dependent slip velocity. Some portion of the drag can be attributed to quasi-steady forces, but the total drag cannot be predicted by current unsteady force models that are based on the Basset–Boussinesq–Oseen equation and pressure drag. The largest contribution to the total drag is the unsteady component ($C_{D,us}$) until the particle attains $Kn^{\ast }\approx 0.5{-}1.0$, then the unsteady contribution decays. The quasi-steady component ($C_{D,qs}$) increases almost linearly with $Kn^{\ast }$, intersects the $C_{D,us}$ at $Kn^{\ast }\approx 2$ and becomes the primary contributor to the drag towards the end of the relaxation zone as $Re_{p}\rightarrow 0$. There are currently no analytical models that are able to predict the nonlinear behaviour of the shock accelerated particles during the relaxation phase of the flow.
At the Movies: Contemporary Australian Indigenous Cultural Expressions – Transforming the Australian Story
Authors: Griffin Lynn , Griffin Steven , Trudgett Michelle
Published: June 2017

Cinema is an art form widely recognised as an agent to change the social condition and alter traditional norms. Movies can be used to educate and transform society's collective conscience. Indigenous Australian artists utilise the power of artistic expression as a tool to initiate change in the attitudes and perceptions of the broader Australian society. Australia's story has predominately been told from the coloniser's viewpoint. This narrative is being rewritten through Indigenous artists utilising the power of cinema to create compelling stories with Indigenous control. This medium has come into prominence for Indigenous Australians to express our culture, ontology and politics. Movies such as Samson and Delilah, Bran Nue Dae, The Sapphires and Rabbit-Proof Fence for example, have highlighted the injustices of past policies, adding new dimensions to the Australian narrative. These three films are just a few of the Indigenous Australian produced films being used in the Australian National Curriculum.Through this medium, Australian Indigenous voices are rewriting the Australian narrative from the Indigenous perspective, deconstructing the predominant stereotypical perceptions of Indigenous culture and reframing the Australian story. Films are essential educational tools to cross the cultural space that often separates Indigenous learners from their non-Indigenous counterparts.
Regional and environmental variation in escalatory ecological trends during the Jurassic: a western Tethys hotspot for escalation?
Authors: Monarrez Pedro M. , Aberhan Martin , Holland Steven M.
Published: June 2017

Understanding the drivers of macroevolutionary trends through the Phanerozoic has been a central question in paleobiology. Increasingly important is understanding the regional and environmental variation of macroevolutionary patterns and how they are reflected at the global scale. Here we test the role of biotic interactions on regional ecological patterns during the Mesozoic marine revolution. We test for escalatory trends in Jurassic marine benthic macroinvertebrate ecosystems using occurrence data from the Paleobiology Database parsed by region and environment. The escalation hypothesis posits that taxonomic groups that could adapt to intense predation and bioturbation proliferated, whereas groups unable to adapt were reduced in diversity and abundance or driven to extinction. We tested this hypothesis in five regions during Jurassic stages and among four depositional environments in Europe. Few escalatory trends were detected, although at least one escalatory trend was observed in every region, with the greatest number and strongest trends observed in Europe. These trends include increases in shallow infauna and cementing epifauna and occurrences of facultatively mobile invertebrates and decreases in pedunculate, free-lying, and sessile epifauna. Within Europe, escalatory trends occur in shallow-water environments but also in deeper-water environments, where they are predicted not to occur. When regional trends are aggregated, trends in Europe drive the global signal. The results of this study suggest that while evidence of escalation is rare globally, it is plausible that escalation drove macroevolutionary patterns in Europe. Furthermore, these results underline the need to dissect global fossil data at the regional scale to understand global macroevolutionary dynamics.
Polymorphisms of the TNF-α gene interact with plasma fatty acids on inflammatory biomarker profile: a population-based, cross-sectional study in São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Oki Erica , Norde Marina N. , Carioca Antônio A. F. , Souza José M. P. , Castro Inar A. , Marchioni Dirce M. L. , Fisberg Regina M. , Rogero Marcelo M.
Published: June 2017

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship of four TNF-α SNP with inflammatory biomarkers and plasma fatty acids (FA), and the interaction among them in a population-based, cross-sectional study in São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 281 subjects, aged >19 and <60 years, participated in a cross-sectional, population-based study performed in Brazil. The following SNP spanning the TNF-α gene were genotyped: -238G/A (rs361525), -308G/A (rs1800629), -857C/T (rs1799724) and -1031T/C (rs1799964). In all, eleven plasma inflammatory biomarkers and plasma FA profile were determined. To analyse the interaction between TNF-α SNP and plasma FA, a cluster analysis was performed to stratify individuals based on eleven inflammatory biomarkers into two groups used as outcome: inflammatory (INF) and non-inflammatory clusters. The -238A allele carriers had higher TNF-α (P=0·033), IL-6 (P=0·013), IL-1β (P=0·037), IL-12 (0·048) and IL-10 (P=0·010) than the GG genotype. The -308A allele carriers also had lower levels of plasma palmitoleic acid (P=0·009), oleic acid (P=0·039), total MUFA (P=0·014), stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) activity index-16 (P=0·007), SCD-18 (P=0·020) and higher levels of PUFA (P=0·046) and DHA (P=0·044). Significant interactions modifying the risk of belonging to the INF cluster were observed with inflammatory cluster as outcome between -857C/T and plasma α-linolenic acid (P=0·026), and also between -308G/A and plasma stearic acid (P=0·044) and total SFA (P=0·040). Our study contributes to knowledge on TNF-α SNP and their association with inflammatory biomarker levels, plasma FA and the interaction among them, of particular interest for the Brazilian population.
Expected Business Conditions and Bond Risk Premia
Authors: Eriksen Jonas N.
Published: June 2017

In this article, I study the predictability of bond risk premia by means of expectations to future business conditions using survey forecasts from the Survey of Professional Forecasters. I show that expected business conditions consistently affect excess bond returns and that the inclusion of expected business conditions in standard predictive regressions improve forecast performance relative to models using information derived from the current term structure or macroeconomic variables. The results are confirmed in a real-time out-of-sample exercise, where the predictive accuracy of the models is evaluated both statistically and from the perspective of a mean-variance investor that trades in the bond market.
Dietary gap assessment: an approach for evaluating whether a country’s food supply can support healthy diets at the population level
Authors: Kuyper Edye M , Engle-Stone Reina , Arsenault Joanne E , Arimond Mary , Adams Katherine P , Dewey Kathryn G
Published: June 2017

Objective

Dietary diversity, and in particular consumption of nutrient-rich foods including fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and animal-source foods, is linked to greater nutrient adequacy. We developed a ‘dietary gap assessment’ to evaluate the degree to which a nation’s food supply could support healthy diets at the population level.

Design/Setting

In the absence of global food-based dietary guidelines, we selected the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet as an example because there is evidence it prevents diet-related chronic disease and supports adequate micronutrient intakes. We used the DASH guidelines to shape a hypothetical ‘healthy’ diet for the test country of Cameroon. Food availability was estimated using FAO Food Balance Sheet data on country-level food supply. For each of the seven food groups in the ‘healthy’ diet, we calculated the difference between the estimated national supply (in kcal, edible portion only) and the target amounts.

Results

In Cameroon, dairy and other animal-source foods were not adequately available to meet healthy diet recommendations: the deficit was −365 kcal (–1527 kJ)/capita per d for dairy products and −185 kcal (–774 kJ)/capita per d for meat, poultry, fish and eggs. Adequacy of fruits and vegetables depended on food group categorization. When tubers and plantains were categorized as vegetables and fruits, respectively, supply nearly met recommendations. Categorizing tubers and plantains as starchy staples resulted in pronounced supply shortfalls: −109 kcal (–457 kJ)/capita per d for fruits and −94 kcal (–393 kJ)/capita per d for vegetables.

Conclusions

The dietary gap assessment illustrates an approach for better understanding how food supply patterns need to change to achieve healthier dietary patterns.
CME: Beurteilung der Hafterstehungsfähigkeit: Eine Übersicht für den Alltag
Authors: Kuhn Eric , Staub Thomas
Published: June 2017

Zusammenfassung. Die Hafterstehungsfähigkeit (HEF) ist keine medizinische Diagnose, sondern ein Rechtsbegriff. Die Beurteilung der HEF muss durch eine Ärztin beziehungsweise einen Arzt erfolgen und hat das Ziel, zu prüfen, ob die gefasste Person einer Einrichtung des Strafvollzugs ohne Gefahr einer gesundheitlichen Schädigung zugeführt werden kann. Für die involvierten Ärzte stellt diese Beurteilung nicht selten eine grosse Herausforderung dar, da sowohl die Anamnese als auch die körperliche Untersuchung aufgrund diverser Schwierigkeiten (sprachliche Barrieren, veränderter kognitiver Zustand, zeitliche Knappheit) nur ungenügend durchgeführt werden kann. Dieser Artikel soll eine Übersicht und konkrete Tipps in spezifischen Situationen geben.
On the Inability to Ignore Useless Advice
Authors: Schultze Thomas , Mojzisch Andreas , Schulz-Hardt Stefan
Published: June 2017

Abstract. Research in the judge-advisor-paradigm suggests that advice is generally utilized less than it should be according to its quality. In a series of four experiments, we challenge this widely held assumption. We hypothesize that when advice quality is low, the opposite phenomenon, namely overutilization of advice, occurs. We further assume that this overutilization effect is the result of anchoring: advice serves as an anchor, thus causing an adjustment toward even useless advice. The data of our four experiments support these hypotheses. Judges systematically adjusted their estimates toward advice that we introduced to them as being useless, and this effect was stable after controlling for intentional utilization of this advice. Furthermore, we demonstrate that anchoring-based adjustment toward advice is independent of advice quality. Our findings enhance our understanding of the processes involved in advice taking and identify a potential threat to judgment accuracy arising from an inability to discount useless advice.
Optogenetic activation of Plexin-B1 reveals contact repulsion between osteoclasts and osteoblasts
Authors: Deb Roy Abhijit , Yin Taofei , Choudhary Shilpa , Rodionov Vladimir , Pilbeam Carol C. , Wu Yi I.
Published: June 2017

During bone remodelling, osteoclasts induce chemotaxis of osteoblasts and yet maintain spatial segregation. We show that osteoclasts express the repulsive guidance factor Semaphorin 4D and induce contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL) in osteoblasts through its receptor Plexin-B1. To examine causality and elucidate how localized Plexin-B1 stimulation may spatiotemporally coordinate its downstream targets in guiding cell migration, we develop an optogenetic tool for Plexin-B1 designated optoPlexin. Precise optoPlexin activation at the leading edge of migrating osteoblasts readily induces local retraction and, unexpectedly, distal protrusions to steer cells away. These morphological changes are accompanied by reorganization of Myosin II, PIP3, adhesion and active Cdc42. We attribute the resultant repolarization to RhoA/ROCK-mediated redistribution of β-Pix, which activates Cdc42 and promotes protrusion. Thus, our data demonstrate a causal role of Plexin-B1 for CIL in osteoblasts and reveals a previously unknown effect of Semaphorin signalling on spatial distribution of an activator of cell migration.
Cellulose-based magnetoelectric composites
Authors: Zong Yan , Zheng Tian , Martins Pedro , Lanceros-Mendez S. , Yue Zhilian , Higgins Michael J.
Published: June 2017

Since the first magnetoelectric polymer composites were fabricated more than a decade ago, there has been a reluctance to use piezoelectric polymers other than poly(vinylidene fluoride) and its copolymers due to their well-defined piezoelectric mechanism and high piezoelectric coefficients that lead to superior magnetoelectric coefficients of >1 V cm−1 Oe−1. This is the current situation despite the potential for other piezoelectric polymers, such as natural biopolymers, to bring unique, added-value properties and functions to magnetoelectric composite devices. Here we demonstrate a cellulose-based magnetoelectric laminate composite that produces considerable magnetoelectric coefficients of ≈1.5 V cm−1 Oe−1, comprising a Fano resonance that is ubiquitous in the field of physics, such as photonics, though never experimentally observed in magnetoelectric composites. The work successfully demonstrates the concept of exploring new advances in using biopolymers in magnetoelectric composites, particularly cellulose, which is increasingly employed as a renewable, low-cost, easily processable and degradable material.
The emergence and transient behaviour of collective motion in active filament systems
Authors: Suzuki Ryo , Bausch Andreas R.
Published: June 2017

Most living systems, ranging from animal flocks, self-motile microorganisms to the cytoskeleton rely on self-organization processes to perform their own specific function. Despite its importance, the general understanding of how individual active constituents initiate the intriguing pattern formation phenomena on all these different length scales still remains elusive. Here, using a high density actomyosin motility assay system, we show that the observed collective motion arises from a seeding process driven by enhanced acute angle collisions. Once a critical size is reached, the clusters coarsen into high and low density phases each with fixed filament concentrations. The steady state is defined by a balance of collision induced randomization and alignment effects of the filaments by multi-filament collisions within ordered clusters.
Phonon engineering in proximity enhanced superconductor heterostructures
Authors: Tang Yong-Chao , Kwon Sangil , Mohebbi Hamid R. , Cory David G. , Miao Guo-Xing
Published: June 2017

In this research, we tailor the phonon density of states (DOS) in thin superconducting films to suppress quasiparticle losses. We examine a model system of a proximity-enhanced three-layered Al/Nb/Al heterostructure and show that the local quantized phonon spectrum of the ultrathin Al cladding layers in the heterostructure has a pronounced effect on the superconducting resonator’s quality factors. Instead of a monotonic increase of quality factors with decreasing temperatures, we observe the quality factor reaches a maximum at 1.2 K in 5/50/5 nm Al/Nb/Al microstrip resonators, because of a quantized phonon ladder. The phonon DOS may be engineered to enhance the performance of quantum devices.
Long-term cilostazol treatment reduces gliovascular damage and memory impairment in a mouse model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion
Authors: Kitamura Akihiro , Manso Yasmina , Duncombe Jessica , Searcy James , Koudelka Juraj , Binnie Margaret , Webster Scott , Lennen Ross , Jansen Maurits , Marshall Ian , Ihara Masafumi , Kalaria Raj N. , Horsburgh Karen
Published: June 2017

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion is a major cause of age-related vascular cognitive impairment. A well-characterised mouse model has shown that hypoperfusion results in gliovascular and white matter damage and impaired spatial working memory. In this study, we assessed whether cilostazol, a phosphodiesterase III inhibitor, could protect against these changes. Adult, male C57Bl/6J mice were subjected to bilateral common carotid artery stenosis or a sham operation and fed normal or cilostazol diet for three months. Cilostazol treatment reduced the impairment in working memory and white matter function after hypoperfusion. Endothelial adhesion molecules and gliosis, increased after hypoperfusion, were ameliorated with cilostazol treatment. Interestingly, the improvement in working memory was closely correlated with reduced microglia and endothelial adhesion molecules. Further, the number of stroke lesions after hypoperfusion was reduced in the cilostazol-treated group. Altogether cilostazol showed potential to ameliorate the gliovascular damage and working memory impairments after hypoperfusion possibly via endothelial protection supporting its potential use in the treatment of vascular cognitive impairment.
Multiple introns in a deep-sea Annelid (Decemunciger: Ampharetidae) mitochondrial genome
Authors: Bernardino Angelo F. , Li Yuanning , Smith Craig R. , Halanych Kenneth M.
Published: June 2017

Wood falls provide episodic fluxes of energy to the sea floor that are degraded by a species-rich benthic fauna. Part of this rich diversity includes annelid polychaetes but unfortunately, our understanding of such fauna is limited and their genetic variability and evolutionary origins remain poorly known. In this study, we sequenced complete mitochondrial genomes from three congeneric Decemunciger (Ampharetidae) individuals that had colonized multiple wood falls in the deep (~1600 m) NE Pacific Ocean. Mitochondrial gene order within Decemunciger was similar to the three other available Terebellomorpha genomes, consistent with the relatively conserved nature of mitochondrial genomes within annelids. Unexpectedly, we found introns within the cox1, nad1 and nad4 genes of all three genomes assembled. This is the greatest number of introns observed in annelid mtDNA genomes, and possibly in bilaterians. Interestingly, the introns were of variable sizes suggesting possible evolutionary differences in the age and origins of introns. The sequence of the introns within cox1 is similar to Group II introns previously identified, suggesting that introns in the mitochondrial genome of annelids may be more widespread then realized. Phylogenetically, Decemunciger appears to be a sister clade among current vent and seep deep-sea Ampharetinae.
Effect of high fat diet on phenotype, brain transcriptome and lipidome in Alzheimer’s model mice
Authors: Nam Kyong Nyon , Mounier Anais , Wolfe Cody M. , Fitz Nicholas F. , Carter Alexis Y. , Castranio Emilie L. , Kamboh Hafsa I. , Reeves Valerie L. , Wang Jianing , Han Xianlin , Schug Jonathan , Lefterov Iliya , Koldamova Radosveta
Published: June 2017

We examined the effect of chronic high fat diet (HFD) on amyloid deposition and cognition of 12-months old APP23 mice, and correlated the phenotype to brain transcriptome and lipidome. HFD significantly increased amyloid plaques and worsened cognitive performance compared to mice on normal diet (ND). RNA-seq results revealed that in HFD mice there was an increased expression of genes related to immune response, such as Trem2 and Tyrobp. We found a significant increase of TREM2 immunoreactivity in the cortex in response to HFD, most pronounced in female mice that correlated to the amyloid pathology. Down-regulated by HFD were genes related to neuron projections and synaptic transmission in agreement to the significantly deteriorated neurite morphology and cognition in these mice. To examine the effect of the diet on the brain lipidome, we performed Shotgun Lipidomics. While there was no difference in the total amounts of phospholipids of each class, we revealed that the levels of 24 lipid sub-species in the brain were significantly modulated by HFD. Network visualization of correlated lipids demonstrated overall imbalance with most prominent effect on cardiolipin molecular sub-species. This integrative approach demonstrates that HFD elicits a complex response at molecular, cellular and system levels in the CNS.
Effects of habitat constraints on soil microbial community function
Authors: Nunan Naoise , Leloup Julie , Ruamps Léo S. , Pouteau Valérie , Chenu Claire
Published: June 2017

An underlying assumption of most soil carbon (C) dynamics models is that soil microbial communities are functionally similar; in other words, that microbial activity under given conditions is not dependent on the composition or diversity of the communities. Although a number of studies have indicated that microbial communities are not intrinsically functionally similar, most soil C dynamics models can adequately describe C dynamics without explicitly describing microbial functioning. Here, we provide a mechanistic basis for reconciling this apparent discrepancy. In a reciprocal transplant experiment, we show that the environmental context (soil and pore-network properties) of microbial communities can constrain the activity of functionally different communities to such an extent that their activities are indistinguishable. The data also suggest that when microbial activity is less constrained, the intrinsic functional differences among communities can be expressed. We conclude that soil C dynamics may depend on microbial community structure or diversity in environments where their activity is less constrained, such as the rhizosphere or the litter layer, but not in oligotrophic environments such as the mineral layers of soil.
Comparative proteome analysis between C
. briggsae embryos and larvae reveals a role of chromatin modification proteins in embryonic cell division
Authors: An Xiaomeng , Shao Jiaofang , Zhang Huoming , Ren Xiaoliang , Ho Vincy Wing Sze , Li Runsheng , Wong Ming-Kin , Zhao Zhongying
Published: June 2017

Caenorhabditis briggsae has emerged as a model for comparative biology against model organism C. elegans. Most of its cell fate specifications are completed during embryogenesis whereas its cell growth is achieved mainly in larval stages. The molecular mechanism underlying the drastic developmental changes is poorly understood. To gain insights into the molecular changes between the two stages, we compared the proteomes between the two stages using iTRAQ. We identified a total of 2,791 proteins in the C. briggsae embryos and larvae, 247 of which undergo up- or down-regulation between the two stages. The proteins that are upregulated in the larval stages are enriched in the Gene Ontology categories of energy production, protein translation, and cytoskeleton; whereas those upregulated in the embryonic stage are enriched in the categories of chromatin dynamics and posttranslational modification, suggesting a more active chromatin modification in the embryos than in the larva. Perturbation of a subset of chromatin modifiers followed by cell lineage analysis suggests their roles in controlling cell division pace. Taken together, we demonstrate a general molecular switch from chromatin modification to metabolism during the transition from C. briggsae embryonic to its larval stages using iTRAQ approach. The switch might be conserved across metazoans.
Novel insights into mitochondrial gene rearrangement in thrips (Insecta: Thysanoptera) from the grass thrips, Anaphothrips obscurus
Authors: Liu Hangrui , Li Hu , Song Fan , Gu Wenyi , Feng Jinian , Cai Wanzhi , Shao Renfu
Published: June 2017

We sequenced the mitochondrial (mt) genome of the grass thrips, Anaphothrips obscurus, which is highly rearranged and differs from the four thrips species reported previously in the arrangement of both tRNA genes and a protein-coding gene, nad3, and in the copy number of the control region (CR). We reconstructed the phylogeny of the thrips with mt genome sequences, and used it as a framework to gain insights into mt genome evolution in thrips. It is evident that A. obscurus is less rearranged in mt genome organization than the other four known thrips. nad3 is in its ancestral location in A. obscurus but was translocated in other four thrips. Also, A. obscurus has one CR, which is ancestral to hexapods whereas other thrips have two or three CRs. All of the five thrips whose mt genomes have been sequenced to date are from the subfamily Thripinae, which represents about a quarter of the species richness in the order Thysanoptera. The high variation in mt genome organization observed in a subfamily challenges our knowledge about animal mt genomes. It remains to be investigated why mt genomes evolved so fast in the subfamily Thripinae and how mt genomes evolved in other lineages of thrips.