bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality of Wood‐Pressed Rapeseed Oil
Authors: Zhang Youfeng , Zhai Xinyu , Gao Li , Jin Jun , Zhong Qianhui , Sun Chenchen , Yan Linping , Liu Ruijie , Akoh Casimir C. , Jin Qingzhe , Wang Xingguo
Published: April 2017

This study is the first report on the quality indices of Chinese wood‐pressed rapeseed oil. Nineteen representative wood‐pressed rapeseed oil samples (representing 80% of the factories that produce this oil in China) were collected and investigated for their physicochemical properties (acid value, peroxide value, color value, and oxidative stability index), fatty acid composition, as well as contents of tocopherols, phytosterols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), aflatoxin B1, arsenic, and lead. Significant differences were observed in the quality results of 19 wood‐pressed rapeseed oil samples. The acid value, peroxide value, and color values, as well as the oxidative stability index were found in the ranges of 1.10–3.04 mg KOH/g, 0.84–9.34 mequiv O2/kg, 3.50–5.30 (Y = 35, R), and 4.43–10.34 h (120 °C), respectively. Sixteen of the analyzed oil samples had greater than 2% erucic acid. Tocopherols content ranged from 50.93 to 97.54 mg/100 g and phytosterols content ranged from 453.86 to 735.65 mg/100 g. Meanwhile, benzo[a]pyrene and PAH4 were 1.00–13.57 and 7.47–33.55 μg/kg, respectively. Fourteen samples exceeded the maximum allowable limit of benzo[a]pyrene and PAH4 (chrysene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluroranthene, and benzo[a]pyrene) according to the European Union (EU) standards. However, the contents of aflatoxin B1, arsenic, and lead of the tested oil samples were all in conformance with the EU, Codex Alimentarius, and China national standards. Results showed that more attention should be paid to the problem of high PAH4 contents in wood‐pressed rapeseed oil. The inspection and monitoring of raw materials and processing equipment, as well as the establishment of quality standards for the production of high‐quality wood‐pressed rapeseed oil are necessary.
Longitudinal associations between the use of sexually explicit material and adolescents' attitudes and behaviors: A narrative review of studies
Authors: Koletić Goran
Published: April 2017

This review analyzed longitudinal studies examining the effects of sexually explicit material on adolescents' attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. The review also aimed to provide an analysis of the limitations of the existing studies, as well as recommendations for future research. To be included, publications had to employ repeated measurements, include a measure of sexually explicit material use and participants aged 18 years or under. A total of 20 papers from nine different research projects were reviewed. The results show that sexually explicit material is associated with sexual behavior, sexual norms and attitudes, gender attitudes, self‐esteem, sexual satisfaction, uncertainty and preoccupancy. In addition, the studies reported developmental effects on adolescents' behavioral, cognitive and emotional well‐being. Because experimental studies among adolescents are not feasible, more methodologically rigorous longitudinal studies—followed by a meta‐analysis—are needed to further our understanding of the effects of sexually explicit material in this population.
Lateral migration of hydrocarbons as a possible mechanism of origin of their power-law distribution by mass
Authors: Livshits V.R.
Published: April 2017

This paper discusses the conditions under which the lateral migration of primary oil accumulations in the near-top part of a reservoir leads to their Pareto distribution by mass. It is shown that this power-law distribution holds in a wide range of reservoir porosity, permeability, and dip angle and does not depend on the individual characteristics of the petroliferous basin.
New data on the petroleum potential of the Aldan–Maya depression
Authors: Sobolev P.N. , Shiganova O.V. , Dykhan S.V. , Akhmedova A.R.
Published: April 2017

The Vendian–Riphean section of the Ust’-Maiskaya-366 parametric well was studied. The well is the first deep well drilled in the central part of the Aldan–Maya depression, in the southeast of the Siberian Platform. New probable oil source rocks within the Upper and Middle Riphean deposits have been identified based on core analysis supported by geological-survey data. We make a geochemical description of organic matter from these deposits and report the composition of abundant migrated bitumens discovered in the Ust’-Maiskaya-366 well section. The petroleum content in the Aldan–Maya depression has been predicted with regard to the new geological and geochemical data.
“From the Stone Age to the Information Age”
Authors: Mol Angus A.A. , Politopoulos Aris , Ariese-Vandemeulebroucke Csilla E.
Published: April 2017

Video games are one of today's quintessential media and cultural forms, but they also have a surprising and many-sided relation with the past (Morgan 2016). This certainly holds true for Sid Meier's Civilization (MicroProse & Firaxis Games 1991–2016), which is a series of turn-based, strategy video games in which you lead a historic civilization “from the Stone Age to the Information Age” (Civilization ca. 2016). Sid Meier's Civilization VI, the newest iteration of the series developed by Firaxis and released on October 21, 2016, allows players to step into the shoes of idealized political figures such as Gilgamesh, Montezuma, Teddy Roosevelt, and Gandhi. Via these and other leaders, you aim to achieve supremacy over all other civilizations. This is done through founding cities, creating infrastructure, building armies, conducting diplomacy, spreading culture and religion, and choosing “technologies” and “civics”—philosophical or ideological breakthroughs—for your civilization to focus on.
Prospective study of dietary energy density and weight gain in a Japanese adult population
Authors: Sasaki K. M. , Wada K. , Zeredo J. L. L. , Nagata C.
Published: April 2017

High dietary energy density (ED) has been associated with weight gain. However, little is known about the long-term effects of ED on weight changes among free-living subjects, particularly in Japanese and other Asian populations. In this study, we assessed dietary habits and weight changes in participants (5778 males and 7440 females, 35–69 years old) of the Takayama study. ED was estimated using a validated FFQ at baseline only. Information on body weight (BW) was obtained by self-administered questionnaires at baseline and follow-up. Mean BW difference in 9·8 years was 17 (se4221) g for men and −210 (se3889) g for women. In men, ED was positively associated with BW at follow-up after controlling for age, BW, height, physical activity score, alcohol consumption, energy intake, years of education at the baseline and change of smoking status during the follow-up. On average, men in the highest quartile of ED (>5·322 kJ/g (>1·272 kcal/g)) gained 138 (se111) g, whereas men in the lowest ED (<1·057) lost 22 (se111) g (Pfor trend=0·01). The association between ED and BW gain was stronger in men with normal weight. In women, the association between ED and weight change was not statistically significant. In conclusion, contrary to some studies that report an association between ED and weight gain in the overweight only, our data suggest that high-ED diets may be associated with weight gain in the lean population as well, at least in male subjects.
This Is Not a Turn: Canadian Political Science and Social Mechanisms
Authors: Paquet Mireille , Broschek Jörg
Published: April 2017

Mechanism-based explanations are gaining in popularity in the social sciences. Canadian political science has somewhat embraced these debates. Recent work has explicitly identified with mechanismic explanation and, at the same time, there is a point to be made about the compatibility of CPS's cannons with a mechanism-based understanding of causation. In this paper, we survey past and recent work aligned with this ontological approach. We demonstrate a heterogeneous engagement with the methodological literature regarding mechanisms and different understandings as well as uses of mechanisms in political analysis. This survey allows us to argue for the potential of mechanism-based explanations for CPS while also forcing us to advocate for a sober and discerning use of this approach.
SOCIOSEXUAL ROLES IN OTTOMAN PULP FICTION
Authors: Sayers David Selim
Published: April 2017

The sociosexual world of the premodern Middle East has been studied through a variety of sources ranging from legal documents to shadow theater. Most such sources are either prescriptive or transgressive: they uphold or subvert a normative framework, telling us more about the framework itself than about how it was inhabited by subjects in everyday life. This study introduces the Tıfli stories as a descriptive source that transcends the prescriptive–transgressive dichotomy. An Ottoman-Turkish genre of prose fiction produced at least from the 18th to the 20th century, the Tıfli stories were a protorealist form of “pulp fiction.” Where most sources sought to stabilize specific sociosexual roles, the Tıfli stories explored the ambiguities inherent in these roles. This study employs the Tıfli stories to interrogate understandings of the Ottoman sociosexual world that rely strongly on normative sources and to stage an approximation of how norms were negotiated in practice.
GHOSTLY LABOR: ETHNIC CLASSISM IN THE LEVANTINE PRISM OF JACQUELINE KAHANOFF'SJACOB'S LADDER
Authors: Kamal Amr
Published: April 2017

In her writings, the Egyptian-born Israeli author Jacqueline Shohet Kahanoff advocated Levantine cosmopolitanism, which she dubbed Levantinism, as a unique cultural model particular to the Eastern Mediterranean. Through an analysis of Kahanoff's novelJacob's Ladder(1951), this article questions the nostalgic image often associated with Egyptian cosmopolitanism. I argue that this text provides rare insight into the process through which Levantine culture developed amid several competing imperial and nationalist projects. In particular, I show how the novel's depiction of Levantine spaces documents the marginalized role of the working class in the education of elite Levantine society and its acquisition of cultural capital. My analysis also explores how the construction and sustenance of a celebrated image of the Levantine past depended on the racialization of labor, or what I call “ethnic classism.” Through this latter process, a labor force made up of other cosmopolitan subjects was Orientalized and relegated to the background where it served to highlight a European-like Levantine cosmopolitanism.
Agrarian Forms of Islam:Mofussildiscourses on peasant religion in the Bengal delta during the 1920s
Authors: ALI TARIQ OMAR
Published: April 2017

During the 1920s, a new genre of didactic poems prescribing the proper Islamic practice of everyday peasant lives were published out of printing presses in deltaic, eastern Bengal's small towns. This article argues that these printed poems constituted a discourse of agrarian Islam that prescribed reforms in peasant material life—work, commerce, consumption, attire, hairstyle, and patriarchal authority—as a means of ensuring the viability of peasants’ market-based livelihoods. The article examines the emergence of a small-town Muslim intelligentsia that authored and financed the publications of these poems out of the Bengal delta's small-town printing industry. Eschewing communalism as an analytical frame in understanding South Asian Muslim identities, this article argues that Bengali peasant Muslim subjectivity was located in peasant engagements with agrarian markets. Agrarian Islamic texts urged Muslim cultivators to be good Muslims and good peasants, by working hard, reducing consumption, and balancing household budgets.
The socio-economics of artisanal mining and bushmeat hunting around protected areas: Kahuzi–Biega National Park and Itombwe Nature Reserve, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Spira Charlotte , Kirkby Andrew , Kujirakwinja Deo , Plumptre Andrew J.
Published: April 2017

In the Democratic Republic of Congo artisanal and small-scale mining is estimated to provide a source of livelihood for 14–16% of the population, or 8–10 million people. In the eastern part of the country it is one of the main threats to large mammal species and their habitats, including forest elephantsLoxodonta cyclotisand great apes, such as the Critically Endangered Grauer's gorillaGorilla beringei graueriand the Endangered eastern chimpanzeePan troglodytes schweinfurthii. We used semi-structured questionnaires to survey mining communities in and around Kahuzi–Biega National Park and the Itombwe Nature Reserve to understand better the socio-economics of artisanal mining in the region, as well as the impacts of mining on bushmeat hunting. Minerals exploited at the sites surveyed included cassiterite, gold, coltan and wolframite, and most mines were controlled by armed groups. On average, miners earned significantly higher revenue than non-miners. However, mining was seen as a short-term activity and most miners were in favour of leaving the sector for better opportunities. Almost all respondents stated openly that they consumed bushmeat regularly because of the lack of alternatives and believed that bushmeat hunting had caused declines and local extinctions of some large mammal populations, including great apes. Respondents stated they would reduce their consumption of bushmeat if domestic meats became more available. We recommend that future interventions should target mine sites to address bushmeat hunting, by improving access to sustainable meat sources, establishing micro-financing mechanisms to help miners leave the mining sector, and working towards de-militarizing these sites to facilitate law enforcement.
Adolescent friendships predict later resilient functioning across psychosocial domains in a healthy community cohort
Authors: van Harmelen A.-L. , Kievit R. A. , Ioannidis K. , Neufeld S. , Jones P. B. , Bullmore E. , Dolan R. ,   The NSPN Consortium, Fonagy P. , Goodyer I.
Published: April 2017

Background

Adolescence is a key time period for the emergence of psychosocial and mental health difficulties. To promote adolescent adaptive (‘resilient’) psychosocial functioning (PSF), appropriate conceptualisation and quantification of such functioning and its predictors is a crucial first step. Here, we quantify resilient functioning as the degree to which an individual functions better or worse than expected given their self-reported childhood family experiences, and relate this to adolescent family and friendship support.

Method

We used Principal Component and regression analyses to investigate the relationship between childhood family experiences and PSF (psychiatric symptomatology, personality traits and mental wellbeing) in healthy adolescents (the Neuroscience in Psychiatry Network;N= 2389; ages 14–24). Residuals from the relation between childhood family experiences and PSF reflect resilient functioning; the degree to which an individual is functioning better, or worse, than expected given their childhood family experiences. Next, we relate family and friendship support with resilient functioning both cross-sectionally and 1 year later.

Results

Friendship and family support were positive predictors of immediate resilient PSF, with friendship support being the strongest predictor. However, whereas friendship support was a significant positive predictor oflaterresilient functioning,familysupport had anegativerelationship with later resilient PSF.

Conclusions

We show that friendship support, but not family support, is an important positive predictor of both immediate and later resilient PSF in adolescence and early adulthood. Interventions that promote the skills needed to acquire and sustain adolescent friendships may be crucial in increasing adolescent resilient PSF.
The Historiography of Crisis: Jordanes, Cassiodorus and Justinian in mid-sixth-century Constantinople
Authors: van Hoof Lieve , van Nuffelen Peter
Published: April 2017

This article presents a new interpretation of the historiographical production of Jordanes by situating it in the political and social environment of Constantinople of the years 550–552. It argues that these years were a period of crisis in Justinian's reign and that this is reflected in the pessimistic view of Roman power and the critique of Justinian's military and religious policy we can see in Jordanes’Romana. If this prevents us from understanding Jordanes as a mouthpiece of the court, he cannot be reduced to a mere reproducer of Cassiodorus either: while there is more evidence for a close interaction between Jordanes and Cassiodorus (in particular the use of theHistoria Tripartitain theRomana) than usually adduced, this is balanced by Jordanes’ explicit attempts to keep his distance from the senator. If the latter can be explained by Jordanes’ much lower social and literary status and his Moesian rather than Italian origin, which made him only a marginal member of Cassiodorus’ circle in Constantinople, the agreement between both men is the result of a confluence of views caused by the turn of the Italian war in 540–550. Jordanes, then, appears as a unique voice in what must have been a polyphony of opinions in mid-sixth-century Constantinople.
Genotype analysis of noroviruses associated with gastroenteritis outbreaks in childcare centres, Victoria, Australia, 2012–2015
Authors: BRUGGINK L. D. , MOSELEN J. M. , MARSHALL J. A.
Published: April 2017

The characteristics of norovirus outbreaks in children (0–5 years) in childcare centres in Victoria, Australia (2012–2015) were examined. The three most common open reading frame (ORF) 2 genotypes in childcare centre outbreaks were GII.4 (42%), GII.6 (21%) and GII.3 (14%); the remaining genotypes (GI.2, GI.3, GI.4, GI.8, GI.13, GII.1, GII.2, GII.7 and GII.13) each made up <10%. The GII.4 genotype was the only norovirus genotype seen in all 4 years of the study and was the most common genotype in 2012–2014 but in 2015 the most common genotype was GII.2. The GII.4 genotype was more common in children 0–2 years, whereas GII.2 and GII.7 were more common in children 4–5 years. ORF 1/ORF 2 recombinant forms identified were GII.P4_NewOrleans_2009/GII.4_Sydney_2012, GII.P12/GII.3, GII.Pb (GII.21)/GII.3, GII.Pe/GII.2, GII.Pe/GII.4_Sydney_2012 and GII.Pg/GII.1. The findings indicate that norovirus genotype prevalence patterns in children were influenced by the age of the children and the year in which the analysis was carried out. The majority of norovirus infections (84%) occurred after the first year of life so that vaccination before the age of one would appear to be the most efficacious.
A genome-wide association study identifies six novel risk loci for primary biliary cholangitis
Authors: Qiu Fang , Tang Ruqi , Zuo Xianbo , Shi Xingjuan , Wei Yiran , Zheng Xiaodong , Dai Yaping , Gong Yuhua , Wang Lan , Xu Ping , Zhu Xiang , Wu Jian , Han Chongxu , Gao Yueqiu , Zhang Kui , Jiang Yuzhang , Zhou Jianbo , Shao Youlin , Hu Zhigang , Tian Ye , Zhang Haiyan , Dai Na , Liu Lei , Wu Xudong , Zhao Weifeng , Zhang Xiaomin , Zang Zhidong , Nie Jinshan , Sun Weihao , Zhao Yi , Mao Yuan , Jiang Po , Ji Hualiang , Dong Qing , Li Junming , Li Zhenzhong , Bai Xinli , Li Li , Lin Maosong , Dong Ming , Li Jinxin , Zhu Ping , Wang Chan , Zhang Yanqiu , Jiang Peng , Wang Yujue , Jawed Rohil , Xu Jing , Zhang Yu , Wang Qixia , Yang Yue , Yang Fan , Lian Min , Jiang Xiang , Xiao Xiao , Li Yanmei , Fang Jingyuan , Qiu Dekai , Zhu Zhen , Qiu Hong , Zhang Jianqiong , Tian Wenyan , Chen Sufang , Jiang Ling , Ji Bing , Li Ping , Chen Guochang , Wu Tianxue , Sun Yan , Yu Jianjiang , Tang Huijun , He Michun , Xia Min , Pei Hao , Huang Lihua , Qing Zhuye , Wu Jianfang , Huang Qinghai , Han Junhai , Xie Wei , Sun Zhongsheng , Guo Jian , He Gengsheng , Eric Gershwin M. , Lian Zhexiong , Liu Xiang , Seldin Michael F. , Liu Xiangdong , Chen Weichang , Ma Xiong
Published: April 2017

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune liver disease with a strong hereditary component. Here, we report a genome-wide association study that included 1,122 PBC cases and 4,036 controls of Han Chinese descent, with subsequent replication in a separate cohort of 907 PBC cases and 2,127 controls. Our results show genome-wide association of 14 PBC risk loci including previously identified 6p21 (HLA-DRA and DPB1), 17q12 (ORMDL3), 3q13.33 (CD80), 2q32.3 (STAT1/STAT4), 3q25.33 (IL12A), 4q24 (NF-κB) and 22q13.1 (RPL3/SYNGR1). We also identified variants in IL21, IL21R, CD28/CTLA4/ICOS, CD58, ARID3A and IL16 as novel PBC risk loci. These new findings and histochemical studies showing enhanced expression of IL21 and IL21R in PBC livers (particularly in the hepatic portal tracks) support a disease mechanism in which the deregulation of the IL21 signalling pathway, in addition to CD4 T-cell activation and T-cell co-stimulation are critical components in the development of PBC.
Exploring the complex free-energy landscape of the simplest glass by rheology
Authors: Jin Yuliang , Yoshino Hajime
Published: April 2017

For amorphous solids, it has been intensely debated whether the traditional view on solids, in terms of the ground state and harmonic low energy excitations on top of it, such as phonons, is still valid. Recent theoretical developments of amorphous solids revealed the possibility of unexpectedly complex free-energy landscapes where the simple harmonic picture breaks down. Here we demonstrate that standard rheological techniques can be used as powerful tools to examine nontrivial consequences of such complex free-energy landscapes. By extensive numerical simulations on a hard sphere glass under quasistatic shear at finite temperatures, we show that above the so-called Gardner transition density, the elasticity breaks down, the stress relaxation exhibits slow, and ageing dynamics and the apparent shear modulus becomes protocol-dependent. Being designed to be reproducible in laboratories, our approach may trigger explorations of the complex free-energy landscapes of a large variety of amorphous materials.
Overexpression of human NR2B receptor subunit in LMAN causes stuttering and song sequence changes in adult zebra finches
Authors: Chakraborty Mukta , Chen Liang-Fu , Fridel Emma E. , Klein Marguerita E. , Senft Rebecca A. , Sarkar Abhra , Jarvis Erich D.
Published: April 2017

Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) learn to produce songs in a manner reminiscent of spoken language development in humans. One candidate gene implicated in influencing learning is the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype 2B glutamate receptor (NR2B). Consistent with this idea,NR2Blevels are high in the song learning nucleus LMAN (lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium) during juvenile vocal learning, and decreases to low levels in adults after learning is complete and the song becomes more stereotyped. To test for the role ofNR2Bin generating song plasticity, we manipulatedNR2Bexpression in LMAN of adult male zebra finches by increasing its protein levels to those found in juvenile birds, using a lentivirus containing the full-length coding sequence of the humanNR2Bsubunit. We found that increasedNR2Bexpression in adult LMAN induced increases in song sequence diversity and slower song tempo more similar to juvenile songs, but also increased syllable repetitions similar to stuttering. We did not observe these effects in control birds with overexpression ofNR2Boutside of LMAN or with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in LMAN. Our results suggest that lowNR2Bsubunit expression in adult LMAN is important in conserving features of stereotyped adult courtship song.
Near band gap luminescence in hybrid organic-inorganic structures based on sputtered GaN nanorods
Authors: Forsberg Mathias , Serban Elena Alexandra , Hsiao Ching-Lien , Junaid Muhammad , Birch Jens , Pozina Galia
Published: April 2017

Novel hybrid organic-inorganic nanostructures fabricated to utilize non-radiative resonant energy transfer mechanism are considered to be extremely attractive for a variety of light emitters for down converting of ultaviolet light and for photovoltaic applications since they can be much more efficient compared to devices grown with common design. Organic-inorganic hybrid structures based on green polyfluorene (F8BT) and GaN (0001) nanorods grown by magnetron sputtering on Si (111) substrates are studied. In such nanorods, stacking faults can form periodic polymorphic quantum wells characterized by bright luminescence. In difference to GaN exciton emission, the recombination rate for the stacking fault related emission increases in the presence of polyfluorene film, which can be understood in terms of Förster interaction mechanism. From comparison of dynamic properties of the stacking fault related luminescence in the hybrid structures and in the bare GaN nanorods, the pumping efficiency of non-radiative resonant energy transfer in hybrids was estimated to be as high as 35% at low temperatures.
Attentional selection predicts rapid automatized naming ability in Chinese-speaking children with ADHD
Authors: Wang Encong , Sun Meirong , Tao Ye , Gao Xiaoyi , Guo Jialiang , Zhao Chenguang , Li Hui , Qian Qiujin , Wu Zhanliang , Wang Yufeng , Sun Li , Song Yan
Published: April 2017

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are reported to have a significantly higher risk of showing reading difficulties or disorders. Here, we aimed to identify the relationship between electroencephalographic (EEG) marker of spatial attention and reading ability in Chinese children with ADHD. First, we demonstrated that rapid automatized naming (RAN) is a strong predictor of reading ability in Chinese-speaking children. Then, EEG data of 9-to 15-year-old children with ADHD (n = 38) and typically developing (TD) controls (n = 36) were collected while the children performed a classical visual search task. Children with ADHD showed slower RAN speed than TD children. For event-related potentials (ERPs), children with ADHD showed a reduced target-evoked N2pc component, which predicted their poorer RAN performance. However, in TD children the early occipital P1 amplitude was negatively correlated with their RAN performance. The correlation between decreased N2pc and poor RAN performance in children with ADHD suggests that their reading problems may in part be due to impaired attentional selection. In contrast, in TD children, development in early visual processing co-occurs with improvements in reading ability.
Deterministic Spin-Orbit Torque Induced Magnetization Reversal In Pt/[Co/Ni]
n
/Co/Ta Multilayer Hall Bars
Authors: Li Sihua , Goolaup Sarjoosing , Kwon Jaesuk , Luo Feilong , Gan Weiliang , Lew Wen Siang
Published: April 2017

Spin-orbit torque (SOT) induced by electric current has attracted extensive attention as an efficient method of controlling the magnetization in nanomagnetic structures. SOT-induced magnetization reversal is usually achieved with the aid of an in-plane bias magnetic field. In this paper, we show that by selecting a film stack with weak out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy, field-free SOT-induced switching can be achieved in micron sized multilayers. Using direct current, deterministic bipolar magnetization reversal is obtained in Pt/[Co/Ni]2/Co/Ta structures. Kerr imaging reveals that the SOT-induced magnetization switching process is completed via the nucleation of reverse domain and propagation of domain wall in the system.
Wnt-β Catenin Signaling Pathway: A Major Player in the Injury Induced Fibrosis and Dysfunction of the External Anal Sphincter
Authors: Rajasekaran M. Raj , Kanoo Sadhana , Fu Johnny , Bhargava Valmik , Mittal Ravinder K.
Published: April 2017

Wnt-β catenin is an important signaling pathway in the genesis of fibrosis in many organ systems. Our goal was to examine the role of Wnt pathway in the external anal sphincter (EAS) injury-related fibrosis and muscle dysfunction. New Zealand White female rabbits were subjected to surgical EAS myotomy and administered local injections of either a Wnt antagonist (sFRP-2; daily for 7 days) or saline. Anal canal pressure and EAS length-tension (L-T) were measured for 15 weeks after which the animals were sacrificed. Anal canal was harvested and processed for histochemical studies (Masson trichrome stain), molecular markers of fibrosis (collagen and transforming growth factor-β) and immunostaining for β catenin. Surgical myotomy of the EAS resulted in significant impairment in anal canal pressure and EAS muscle L-T function. Following myotomy, the EAS muscle was replaced with fibrous tissue. Immunostaining revealed β catenin activation and molecular studies revealed 1.5–2 fold increase in the levels of markers of fibrosis. Local injection of sFRP-2 attenuated the β catenin activation and fibrosis. EAS muscle content and function was significantly improved following sFRP-2 treatment. Our studies suggest that upregulation of Wnt signaling is an important molecular mechanism of injury related EAS muscle fibrosis and sphincter dysfunction.
Complexity of genetic mechanisms conferring nonuniformity of recombination in maize
Authors: Pan Qingchun , Deng Min , Yan Jianbing , Li Lin
Published: April 2017

Recombinations occur nonuniformly across the maize genome. To dissect the genetic mechanisms underlying the nonuniformity of recombination, we performed quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping using recombinant inbred line populations. Genome-wide QTL scan identified hundreds of QTLs with both cis-prone and trans- effects for recombination number variation. To provide detailed insights into cis- factors associated with recombination variation, we examined the genomic features around recombination hot regions, including density of genes, DNA transposons, retrotransposons, and some specific motifs. Compared to recombination variation in whole genome, more QTLs were mapped for variations in recombination hot regions. The majority QTLs for recombination hot regions are trans-QTLs and co-localized with genes from the recombination pathway. We also found that recombination variation was positively associated with the presence of genes and DNA transposons, but negatively related to the presence of long terminal repeat retrotransposons. Additionally, 41 recombination hot regions were fine-mapped. The high-resolution genotyping of five randomly selected regions in two F2 populations verified that they indeed have ultra-high recombination frequency, which is even higher than that of the well-known recombination hot regions sh1-bz and a1-sh2. Taken together, our results further our understanding of recombination variation in plants.
Imaging of underground cavities with cosmic-ray muons from observations at Mt. Echia (Naples)
Authors: Saracino G. , Amato L. , Ambrosino F. , Antonucci G. , Bonechi L. , Cimmino L. , Consiglio L. , Alessandro R. D.’ , Luzio E. De , Minin G. , Noli P. , Scognamiglio L. , Strolin P. , Varriale A.
Published: April 2017

Muography is an imaging technique based on the measurement of absorption profiles for muons as they pass through rocks and earth. Muons are produced in the interactions of high-energy cosmic rays in the Earth’s atmosphere. The technique is conceptually similar to usual X-ray radiography, but with extended capabilities of investigating over much larger thicknesses of matter thanks to the penetrating power of high-energy muons. Over the centuries a complex system of cavities has been excavated in the yellow tuff of Mt. Echia, the site of the earliest settlement of the city of Naples in the 8th century BC. A new generation muon detector designed by us, was installed under a total rock overburden of about 40 metres. A 26 days pilot run provided about 14 millions of muon events. A comparison of the measured and expected muon fluxes improved the knowledge of the average rock density. The observation of known cavities proved the validity of the muographic technique. Hints on the existence of a so far unknown cavity was obtained. The success of the investigation reported here demonstrates the substantial progress of muography in underground imaging and is likely to open new avenues for its widespread utilisation.
Functional Neuronal Differentiation of Injury-Induced Muscle-Derived Stem Cell-Like Cells with Therapeutic Implications
Authors: Vojnits Kinga , Pan Haiying , Dai Xiaojing , Sun Hao , Tong Qingchun , Darabi Radbod , Huard Johnny , Li Yong
Published: April 2017

Mammalian skeletal muscles contain a number of heterogeneous cell populations. Our previous study characterized a unique population of myogenic lineage stem cells that can be isolated from adult mammalian skeletal muscles upon injury. These injury-induced muscle-derived stem cell-like cells (iMuSCs) displayed a multipotent state with sensitiveness and strong migration abilities. Here, we report that these iMuSCs have the capability to form neurospheres that represent multiple neural phenotypes. The induced neuronal cells expressed various neuron-specific proteins, their mRNA expression during neuronal differentiation recapitulated embryonic neurogenesis, they generated action potentials, and they formed functional synapses in vitro. Furthermore, the transplantation of iMuSCs or their cell extracts into the muscles of mdx mice (i.e., a mouse model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy [DMD]) could restore the morphology of their previously damaged neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), suggesting that the beneficial effects of iMuSCs may not be restricted to cell restoration alone, but also due to their transient paracrine actions. The current study reveals the essential role of iMuSCs in the restoration of NMJs related to injuries and diseases.
Variants in the IL7RA gene confer susceptibility to multiple sclerosis in Caucasians: evidence based on 9734 cases and 10436 controls
Authors: Liu Hong , Huang Jian , Dou Mengmeng , Liu Yong , Xiao Biying , Liu Xu , Huang Zunnan
Published: April 2017

Recently, numerous genome wide association studies (GWAS) and other case-control association studies examining the relationship between interleukin-7 receptor α chain (IL7RA) gene rs3194051, rs987107, rs11567686, and rs11567685 variants and multiple sclerosis (MS) risk have been conducted, but the conclusions have been inconsistent. The main objective of this meta-analysis was to more precisely explore the association of these four IL7RA variants with MS development. Twenty-seven eligible studies involving 9734 cases and 10436 controls were included in the present meta-analysis. Power calculation, publication bias, sensitivity analysis and cumulative meta-analysis were performed to derive a reliable conclusion. Our study indicated three IL7RA loci were significantly associated with increasing MS risk (rs3194051: recessive model: OR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.08–1.38; rs987107: recessive model: OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.22–1.69; and rs11567686: dominant model: OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.01–1.37). Additionally, IL7RA rs11567685 variants might not be related to MS development. In all, IL7RA locus polymorphisms could play an important role in the predisposition to MS, which could contribute to a better understanding the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.
Tumor necrosis factor prevents Candida albicans biofilm formation
Authors: Rocha Francisco Airton Castro , Alves Anelise Maria Costa Vasconcelos , Rocha Marcos Fábio Gadelha , Cordeiro Rossana de Aguiar , Brilhante Raimunda Sâmia Nogueira , Pinto Ana Carolina Matias Dinelly , Nunes Rodolfo de Melo , Girão Virgínia Cláudia Carneiro , Sidrim José Julio Costa
Published: April 2017

Candida species are commensals but some develop biofilms in prosthetic materials and host surfaces that may represent up to 30% of deaths related to infections, particularly in immunosuppressed patients. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) exhibits a plethora of functions in host defense mechanisms whereas excessive release of TNF in inflammation promotes tissue damage. Cytokines released in an inflammatory milieu may influence the development of microorganisms either by promoting their growth or displaying antimicrobial activity. In protozoa, TNF may affect growth by coupling through a lectin-like domain, distinct from TNF receptors. TNF was also shown to interact with bacteria via a mechanism that does not involve classical TNF receptors. Using an in vitro C. albicans biofilm model, we show that TNF dose-dependently prevents biofilm development that is blocked by incubating TNF with N,N’-diacetylchitobiose, a major carbohydrate component of C. albicans cell wall. This finding represents a relevant and hitherto unknown mechanism that adds to the understanding of why TNF blockade is associated with opportunistic C. albicans infections.
Tomatidine enhances lifespan and healthspan in C. elegans through mitophagy induction via the SKN-1/Nrf2 pathway
Authors: Fang Evandro F. , Waltz Tyler B. , Kassahun Henok , Lu Qiping , Kerr Jesse S. , Morevati Marya , Fivenson Elayne M. , Wollman Bradley N. , Marosi Krisztina , Wilson Mark A. , Iser Wendy B. , Eckley D. Mark , Zhang Yongqing , Lehrmann Elin , Goldberg Ilya G. , Scheibye-Knudsen Morten , Mattson Mark P. , Nilsen Hilde , Bohr Vilhelm A. , Becker Kevin G.
Published: April 2017

Aging is a major international concern that brings formidable socioeconomic and healthcare challenges. Small molecules capable of improving the health of older individuals are being explored. Small molecules that enhance cellular stress resistance are a promising avenue to alleviate declines seen in human aging. Tomatidine, a natural compound abundant in unripe tomatoes, inhibits age-related skeletal muscle atrophy in mice. Here we show that tomatidine extends lifespan and healthspan in C. elegans, an animal model of aging which shares many major longevity pathways with mammals. Tomatidine improves many C. elegans behaviors related to healthspan and muscle health, including increased pharyngeal pumping, swimming movement, and reduced percentage of severely damaged muscle cells. Microarray, imaging, and behavioral analyses reveal that tomatidine maintains mitochondrial homeostasis by modulating mitochondrial biogenesis and PINK-1/DCT-1-dependent mitophagy. Mechanistically, tomatidine induces mitochondrial hormesis by mildly inducing ROS production, which in turn activates the SKN-1/Nrf2 pathway and possibly other cellular antioxidant response pathways, followed by increased mitophagy. This mechanism occurs in C. elegans, primary rat neurons, and human cells. Our data suggest that tomatidine may delay some physiological aspects of aging, and points to new approaches for pharmacological interventions for diseases of aging.
Relating surface roughness and magnetic domain structure to giant magneto-impedance of Co-rich melt-extracted microwires
Authors: Jiang S. D. , Eggers T. , Thiabgoh O. , Xing D. W. , Fei W. D. , Shen H. X. , Liu J. S. , Zhang J. R. , Fang W. B. , Sun J. F. , Srikanth H. , Phan M. H.
Published: April 2017

Understanding the relationship between the surface conditions and giant magneto-impedance (GMI) in Co-rich melt-extracted microwires is key to optimizing their magnetic responses for magnetic sensor applications. The surface magnetic domain structure (SMDS) parameters of ~45 μm diameter Co69.25Fe4.25Si13B13.5-xZrx (x = 0, 1, 2, 3) microwires, including the magnetic domain period (d) and surface roughness (Rq) as extracted from the magnetic force microscopy (MFM) images, have been correlated with GMI in the range 1–1000 MHz. It was found that substitution of B with 1 at. % Zr increased d of the base alloy from 729 to 740 nm while retaining Rq from ~1 nm to ~3 nm. A tremendous impact on the GMI ratio was found, increasing the ratio from ~360% to ~490% at an operating frequency of 40 MHz. Further substitution with Zr decreased the high frequency GMI ratio, which can be understood by the significant increase in surface roughness evident by force microscopy. This study demonstrates the application of the domain period and surface roughness found by force microscopy to the interpretation of the GMI in Co-rich microwires.
A promising biodegradable magnesium alloy suitable for clinical vascular stent application
Authors: Mao Lin , shen Li , Chen Jiahui , Zhang Xiaobo , Kwak Minsuk , Wu Yu , Fan Rong , Zhang Lei , Pei Jia , Yuan Guangyin , Song Chengli , Ge Junbo , Ding Wenjiang
Published: April 2017

We report a Mg alloy Mg-2.2Nd-0.1Zn-0.4Zr (wt.%, denoted as JDBM-2) showing great potential in clinical vascular stent application by integrating the advantages of traditional medical stainless steel and polymer. This alloy exhibits high yield strength and elongation of 276 ± 6 MPa and 34.3 ± 3.4% respectively. The JDBM-2 with a stable degradation surface results in a highly homogeneous degradation mechanism and long-term structural and mechanical durability. In vitro cytotoxicity test of the Mg extract via human vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) indicates that the corrosion products are well tolerated by the tested cells and potentially negligible toxic effect on arterial vessel walls. This alloy also exhibits compromised foreign body response (FBR) determined by human peripheral blood derived macrophage adhesion, foreign body giant cell (FBGC) formation and inflammatory cytokine and chemokine secretion. Finally, vascular stents manufactured from the JDBM-2 were implanted into rabbits for long-term evaluation. The results confirm excellent tissue compatibility and up to 6-month structural and mechanical integrity of the stent in vivo. Thus, the JDBM-2 stent with up to 6-month structural and mechanical integrity and excellent tissue compatibility represents a major breakthrough in this field and a promising alternative to traditional medical stainless steel and polymer for the clinical application.
A robust salt-tolerant superoleophobic alginate/graphene oxide aerogel for efficient oil/water separation in marine environments
Authors: Li Yuqi , Zhang Hui , Fan Mizi , Zheng Peitao , Zhuang Jiandong , Chen Lihui
Published: April 2017

Marine pollution caused by frequent oil spill accidents has brought about tremendous damages to marine ecological environment. Therefore, the facile large-scale preparation of three-dimensional (3D) porous functional materials with special wettability is in urgent demand. In this study, we report a low-cost and salt-tolerant superoleophobic aerogel for efficient oil/seawater separation. The aerogel is prepared through incorporating graphene oxide (GO) into alginate (ALG) matrix by using a facile combined freeze-drying and ionic cross-linking method. The 3D structure interconnected by ALG and GO ensures the high mechanical strength and good flexibility of the developed aerogel. The rough microstructure combined with the hydrophilicity of the aerogel ensures its excellent underwater superoleophobic and antifouling properties. High-content polysaccharides contained in the aerogel guarantees its excellent salt-tolerant property. More impressively, the developed aerogel can retain its underwater superoleophobicity even after 30 days of immersion in seawater, indicating its good stability in marine environments. Furthermore, the aerogel could separate various oil/water mixtures with high separation efficiency (>99%) and good reusability (at least 40 cycles). The facile fabrication process combined with the excellent separation performance makes it promising for practical applications in marine environments.
Hierarchical Decomposition for Betweenness Centrality Measure of Complex Networks
Authors: Li Yong , Li Wenguo , Tan Yi , Liu Fang , Cao Yijia , Lee Kwang Y.
Published: April 2017

Betweenness centrality is an indicator of a node’s centrality in a network. It is equal to the number of shortest paths from all vertices to all others that pass through that node. Most of real-world large networks display a hierarchical community structure, and their betweenness computation possesses rather high complexity. Here we propose a new hierarchical decomposition approach to speed up the betweenness computation of complex networks. The advantage of this new method is its effective utilization of the local structural information from the hierarchical community. The presented method can significantly speed up the betweenness calculation. This improvement is much more evident in those networks with numerous homogeneous communities. Furthermore, the proposed method features a parallel structure, which is very suitable for parallel computation. Moreover, only a small amount of additional computation is required by our method, when small changes in the network structure are restricted to some local communities. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated via the examples of two real-world power grids and one artificial network, which demonstrates that the performance of the proposed method is superior to that of the traditional method.
Hybridization of Strength Pareto Multiobjective Optimization with Modified Cuckoo Search Algorithm for Rectangular Array
Authors: Abdul Rani Khairul Najmy , Abdulmalek Mohamedfareq , A. Rahim Hasliza , Siew Chin Neoh , Abd Wahab Alawiyah
Published: April 2017

This research proposes the various versions of modified cuckoo search (MCS) metaheuristic algorithm deploying the strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm (SPEA) multiobjective (MO) optimization technique in rectangular array geometry synthesis. Precisely, the MCS algorithm is proposed by incorporating the Roulette wheel selection operator to choose the initial host nests (individuals) that give better results, adaptive inertia weight to control the positions exploration of the potential best host nests (solutions), and dynamic discovery rate to manage the fraction probability of finding the best host nests in 3-dimensional search space. In addition, the MCS algorithm is hybridized with the particle swarm optimization (PSO) and hill climbing (HC) stochastic techniques along with the standard strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm (SPEA) forming the MCSPSOSPEA and MCSHCSPEA, respectively. All the proposed MCS-based algorithms are examined to perform MO optimization on Zitzler–Deb–Thiele’s (ZDT’s) test functions. Pareto optimum trade-offs are done to generate a set of three non-dominated solutions, which are locations, excitation amplitudes, and excitation phases of array elements, respectively. Overall, simulations demonstrates that the proposed MCSPSOSPEA outperforms other compatible competitors, in gaining a high antenna directivity, small half-power beamwidth (HPBW), low average side lobe level (SLL) suppression, and/or significant predefined nulls mitigation, simultaneously.
Model potential for the description of metal/organic interface states
Authors: Armbrust Nico , Schiller Frederik , Güdde Jens , Höfer Ulrich
Published: April 2017

We present an analytical one-dimensional model potential for the description of electronic interface states that form at the interface between a metal surface and flat-lying adlayers of π-conjugated organic molecules. The model utilizes graphene as a universal representation of these organic adlayers. It predicts the energy position of the interface state as well as the overlap of its wave function with the bulk metal without free fitting parameters. We show that the energy of the interface state depends systematically on the bond distance between the carbon backbone of the adayers and the metal. The general applicability and robustness of the model is demonstrated by a comparison of the calculated energies with numerous experimental results for a number of flat-lying organic molecules on different closed-packed metal surfaces that cover a large range of bond distances.