bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plates with incompatible prestrain of high order
Authors: Ricciotti Diego , Lewicka Marta , Raoult Annie
Published: February 2017

We study the elastic behaviour of incompatibly prestrained thin plates of thickness

h

whose internal energy

E^{h}

is governed by an imposed three-dimensional smooth Riemann metric

G

only depending on the variable in the midsurface

ω

. It is already known that

h^{−2}\mathrm{\inf }⁡E^{h}

converges to a finite value

c

when the metric

G

restricted to the midsurface has a sufficiently regular immersion, namely

W^{2,2}(\omega ,\mathbb{R}^{3})

. The obtained limit model generalizes the bending (Kirhchoff) model of Euclidean elasticity. In the present paper, we deal with the case when

c

equals

0

. Then, equivalently, three independent entries of the three-dimensional Riemann curvature tensor associated with

G

are null. We prove that, in such regime, necessarily

\mathrm{\inf }⁡E^{h} \leq Ch^{4}

. We identify the

Γ

-limit of the scaled energies

h^{−4}E^{h}

and show that it consists of a von Kármán-like energy. The unknowns in this energy are the first order incremental displacements with respect to the deformation defined by the bending model and the second order tangential strains. In addition, we prove that when

\mathrm{\inf }⁡h^{−4}E^{h}\rightarrow 0

, then

G

is realizable and hence

\mathrm{\min }⁡E^{h} = 0

for every

h

.

On s'intéresse au comportement de structures minces d'épaisseur

h

dont l'énergie interne

E^{h}

est régie par une métrique riemannienne tridimensionnelle

G

imposée, constante dans l'épaisseur, n'admettant pas nécessairement d'immersion isométrique. On sait que lorsque la restriction de

G

à la surface moyenne

ω

possède une immersion isométrique suffisamment régulière, c'est-à-dire appartenant à

W^{2,2}(\omega ,\mathbb{R}^{3})

, alors

h^{−2}\mathrm{\inf }⁡E^{h}

admet une limite finie

c

quand

h

tend vers 0. Le modèle limite correspondant généralise le modèle de flexion non linéaire, classique pour la métrique euclidienne. Nous nous plaçons ici dans le cas où

c

vaut 0, ce qui équivaut à la nullité de trois des six coeffiecients du tenseur de courbure associé à

G

. Nous montrons qu'alors

\mathrm{\inf }⁡E^{h} \leq Ch^{4}

. Nous identifions la

Γ

-limite de

h^{−4}E^{h}

et montrons qu'elle généralise l'énergie de von Kármán. Elle s'exprime en fonction des déplacements incrémentaux par rapport à la surface définie par le modèle de flexion et de déformations tangentielles généralisées. De plus, nous montrons que l'infimum de ce modèle limite à l'ordre 4 n'est nul que si

G

admet une immersion isométrique, auquel cas

\mathrm{\min }⁡E^{h} = 0

pour tout

h

.
Magneto- and carbon-isotope stratigraphy of the Lower–Middle Bathonian in the Sokur section (Saratov, Central Russia): implications for global correlation
Authors: Dzyuba O.S. , Guzhikov A.Yu. , Manikin A.G. , Shurygin B.N. , Grishchenko V.A. , Kosenko I.N. , Surinskii A.M. , Seltzer V.B. , Urman O.S.
Published: February 2017

The discovery of Tethyan and Boreal fossils in Bathonian deposits of the Sokur section in the vicinity of Saratov (Central Russia) reopened the possibility of direct correlation of the Bathonian sections in different paleobiogeographic provinces, which require further integrated studies involving both paleontological (based on different groups of fauna) and physicochemical (paleomagnetic and isotope-geochemical) methods. Stable carbon isotope data for belemnite (Cylindroteuthididae) rostra from the Sokur section show that the Subboreal Oraniceras besnosovi Zone and Boreal Arcticoceras harlandi Subzone are correlated with the Zigzag Zone of the standard scale, whereas the Boreal A. ishmae Subzone can be correlated completely or, even partly, with the Tenuiplicatus Zone. We identified equivalents of chrons of the geomagnetic polarity time scale (GPTS): e-Bath N, m-Bath R, and lt-Bath N, corresponding to the Lower–Middle Bathonian and, possibly, lowermost Upper Bathonian.
Diagenetic transformation of organic matter in the Holocene sediments of the Black Sea: pyrolysis data
Authors: Melenevskii V.N. , Saraev S.V. , Kostyreva E.A. , Kashirtsev V.A.
Published: February 2017

The article presents the results of pyrolysis (Rock-Eval) and pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of organic matter (OM) in the Holocene sediments of the Black Sea. The studied samples represent two parts of the sedimentary column: coccolith ooze with 2.8% Corg at the top and sapropels oozes with 8.5% Corg at the bottom. The deposition of Holocene sediments was inferred to take place under euxinic conditions, which are more favorable for organic-matter preservation and sapropel deposition during the Old Black Sea stage. The results show that the modern processes of microbially mediated methane oxidation in the Old Black Sea oozes are interpreted as the main cause of their apparently lower degree of diagenetic transformation as compared to that of coccolith oozes.
A Computer Scientist Musing about the DNC Hack
Authors: Schneider Fred B.
Published: February 2017

Theft of secrets is nothing new. Nor is it new to publicize stolen secrets with hopes
of influencing (or instigating) leadership changes in government. So the theft of
confidential information being stored by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is
part of a long tradition, albeit perpetrated in a new venue: cyberspace.
National Security or Privacy: A Second Thought on the DNC
Hack
Authors: Jun Sung-In
Published: February 2017

The recent U.S. Democratic National Committee (DNC) hack raises several difficult
questions in the fields of cybersecurity and privacy. Obviously, this was first and
foremost a matter of security in that the hack likely involved a

foreign government attempting to intervene in a
presidential election process with the possible motive of influencing its outcome.
From another perspective, however, the incident was also a matter of
privacy, in that the fundamental motive of the DNC hack was to
reveal “information that the victim wants to keep private” and to influence its
future decision through the compromise of privacy.
Costinuculana magharensisn. gen. n. sp. (Bivalvia, Nuculanidae) from the Middle Jurassic of Gebel Maghara, North Sinai, Egypt
Authors: Ayoub-Hannaa Wagih S. , Abdelhady Ahmad A. , Fürsich Franz T.
Published: February 2017

The nuculanid bivalveCostinuculana magharensisnew genus new species is described from the middle to upper Bathonian Kehailia Formation of Gebel Maghara, North Sinai, Egypt.Costinuculanadiffers from other genera of the family Nuculanidae by the presence of opisthocline ribs along the rostrum. These ribs are variable in shape and size, straight to folded posteriorly, bifurcate ventrally and occasionally postero-dorsally, and cover an area~45% of the total valve length from the posterior end. The life position ofC.magharensisn. gen. n. sp. is reconstructed on the basis of a functional interpretation of its morphology and by comparison with closely related Recent forms. The asymmetrical commarginal ribs facilitated the burrowing process. The posterior oblique ribs are asymmetrical in cross-section with a steeply concave side in the burrowing direction and slightly convex side in the opposite direction. They probably kept the bivalve in a stable position once the desired depth had been reached. The thick oblique ribs probably also increased the strength of the rostrum and offered resistance against durophagous predators, being presumably partly exposed above the sediment-water interface. Based on the associated fauna,Costinuculanan. gen. lived in a low-energy environment characterized by a fine-grained, soft substrate.
Toward a “Truly Indigenous Theatre”: Sylvia Wynter Adapts Federico García Lorca
Authors: Owens Imani D.
Published: February 2017

This article recuperates the creative work of Jamaican cultural theorist Sylvia Wynter, arguing that her activities as a dramatist and translator constitute foundational efforts to imagine an emerging postcolonial reading public. The article considers Wynter’s heretofore-neglected adaptation of Federico García Lorca’sLa Casa De Bernarda Alba. The play appears in the newly foundedJamaica Journalin 1968, alongside an essay theorizing adaptation, production, and sets. Adaptation, for Wynter, is strategy of postcolonial reading that requires carefulreinterpretation, an emphasis on historicity, and sensitivity to the imperatives of theatricality. The play evidences Wynter’s concern with the politics and poetics of translation, a transformative act that exemplifies the process ofindigenizationtheorized in her later works. Wynter transforms Lorca’s original, “transposing” it to a Jamaican setting and adding dialogue and content to craft a scathing meditation on the legacies of colonialism. Published shortly after Jamaican independence in 1962, this play imagines a “truly indigenous theatre” as central to the formation a postcolonial public.
Glycaemic index, glycaemic load and risk of cutaneous melanoma in a population-based, case–control study
Authors: Malavolti Marcella , Malagoli Carlotta , Crespi Catherine M. , Brighenti Furio , Agnoli Claudia , Sieri Sabina , Krogh Vittorio , Fiorentini Chiara , Farnetani Francesca , Longo Caterina , Ricci Cinzia , Albertini Giuseppe , Lanzoni Anna , Veneziano Leonardo , Virgili Annarosa , Pagliarello Calogero , Feliciani Claudio , Fanti Pier Alessandro , Dika Emi , Pellacani Giovanni , Vinceti Marco
Published: February 2017

Glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) are indicators of dietary carbohydrate quantity and quality and have been associated with increased risk of certain cancers and type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance has been associated with increased melanoma risk. However, GI and GL have not been investigated for melanoma. We present the first study to examine the possible association of GI and GL with melanoma risk. We carried out a population-based, case–control study involving 380 incident cases of cutaneous melanoma and 719 age- and sex-matched controls in a northern Italian region. Dietary GI and GL were computed for each subject using data from a self-administered, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. We computed the odds ratio (OR) for melanoma according to quintiles of distribution of GL and GL among controls. A direct association between melanoma risk and GL emerged in females (OR 2·38; 95 % CI 1·25, 4·52 for the highest v. the lowest quintile of GL score, Pfor trend 0·070) but not in males. The association in females persisted in the multivariable analysis after adjusting for several potential confounders. There was no evidence of an association between GI and melanoma risk. GL might be associated with melanoma risk in females.
The effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation on symptoms of schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Firth J. , Stubbs B. , Sarris J. , Rosenbaum S. , Teasdale S. , Berk M. , Yung A. R.
Published: February 2017

Background

When used as an adjunctive with antipsychotics, certain vitamins and minerals may be effective for improving symptomatic outcomes of schizophrenia, by restoring nutritional deficits, reducing oxidative stress, or modulating neurological pathways.

Method

We conducted a systematic review of all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting effects of vitamin and/or mineral supplements on psychiatric symptoms in people with schizophrenia. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to calculate the standardized mean difference between nutrient and placebo treatments.

Results

An electronic database search in July 2016 identified 18 eligible RCTs, with outcome data for 832 patients. Pooled effects showed that vitamin B supplementation (including B6, B8 and B12) reduced psychiatric symptoms significantly more than control conditions [g= 0.508, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.01–1.01,p= 0.047,I2= 72.3%]. Similar effects were observed among vitamin B RCTs which used intention-to-treat analyses (g= 0.734, 95% CI 0.00–1.49,p= 0.051). However, no effects of B vitamins were observed in individual domains of positive and negative symptoms (bothp> 0.1). Meta-regression analyses showed that shorter illness duration was associated with greater vitamin B effectiveness (p= 0.001). There were no overall effects from antioxidant vitamins, inositol or dietary minerals on psychiatric symptoms.

Conclusions

There is preliminary evidence that certain vitamin and mineral supplements may reduce psychiatric symptoms in some people with schizophrenia. Further research is needed to examine how the benefits of supplementation relate to nutrient deficits and the impact upon underlying neurobiological pathways, in order to establish optimal nutrient formulations for improving clinical outcomes in this population. Future studies should also explore the effects of combining beneficial nutrients within multi-nutrient formulas.
Extreme residues of Dedekind zeta functions
Authors: CHO PETER J. , KIM HENRY H.
Published: February 2017

In a family ofSd+1-fields (d= 2, 3, 4), we obtain the conjectured upper and lower bounds of the residues of Dedekind zeta functions except for a density zero set. ForS5-fields, we need to assume the strong Artin conjecture. We also show that there exists an infinite family of number fields with the upper and lower bounds, resp.
Colonial imprints: settler-colonialism as a fundamental feature of Israeli constitutional law
Authors: Masri Mazen
Published: February 2017

Many constitutional questions in Israel are dealt with through the lens of the nation-state paradigm where the state is constitutionally associated with an ethnically and religiously defined majority group. Thus, many of the challenges that face Israeli society and the legal system are often presented as a result of an exceptionally antagonistic majority–minority relationship in a nation-state. This paper offers a novel way of analysing the Israeli constitutional regime using the framework of settler-colonialism. It argues that adding the settler-colonial lens will help better understand many features of Israeli constitutional law. Drawing on theoretical frameworks developed by theorists of colonialism, the paper explores a number of foundational aspects of Israeli constitutional law and demonstrates how they were shaped, and continue to be shaped, by settler-colonialism. The paper argues that settler-colonialism is one of the central features that animate Israeli constitutional law.
Taking the evolution of legal doctrine seriously: review of Katayoun Baghai,Social Systems Theory and Judicial Review: Taking Jurisprudence Seriously(Farnham: Ashgate, 2015. 188 pp. £65/£58.50)
Authors: Nobles Richard , Schiff David
Published: February 2017

The endeavour to take jurisprudence seriously is addressed by Baghai, a sociologist, to those within her own discipline who fail to engage with the internal understandings of law, most particularly those exhibited within the discourse that accompanies appeal court decisions, namely the discourse that helps to establish and develop legal doctrine. In effect, the book is an appeal for sociologists to assign greater attention to legal doctrine as an object of study. But such an appeal can also be interpreted as a request for theorists who study legal doctrine to take sociology seriously – namely an invitation to legal theorists to bring sociology, or at least one version of it, to bear on their study of the evolution of doctrine. This proposal faces considerable resistance from those on both sides of this divide. Whilst Hart notoriously describedThe Concept of Lawas an essay in both analytical jurisprudence and descriptive sociology, the analytic tradition that he sponsored has sought to augment its academic credentials by moving ever closer to philosophy rather than sociology. With the important exception of Brian Leiter's arguments for ‘naturalising jurisprudence’, the general drift of analytical jurisprudence has been towards a prioritising of philosophical methods over empirical insights. And the resistance to some rapprochement has not been limited to the philosophical side of the divide. The sociology of law has a long tradition of approaching the study of law in a manner that distances itself from the self-understandings of participants in the legal system (lawyers and especially judges). This transfers in turn into hostility towards the manner in which legal philosophy has engaged with those self-understandings, with its willingness to consider, at high levels of abstraction, whether law consists of rules, norms or principles. Rather than organising insiders' views into conceptual schemes, and then examining them for their coherence and consistency, legal sociology has generated its own facts and truths about laws and lawyers, principally using empirical methods (but also other methods) and contrasting these ‘truths’ with lawyer's self-understandings, treating the latter as an inferior form of knowledge either disconnected from reality or ideological rather than descriptive. It has also noticeably failed to engage with much of the central concern of legal philosophy – the attempt to identify law as a separate entity within society. Rather than considering the existence of law as a unity, it focuses instead on parts of law as examples of more general sociological categories, such as studying the legal profession within the sociology of professions or courts, legislatures and administrative agencies within the sociology of institutions or organisations.
The concept of violence in international theory: a Double-Intent Account
Authors: Finlay Christopher J.
Published: February 2017

The ability of international ethics and political theory to establish a genuinely critical standpoint from which to evaluate uses of armed force has been challenged by various lines of argument. On one, theorists question the narrow conception of violence on which analysis relies. Were they right, it would overturn two key assumptions: first, that violence is sufficiently distinctive to merit attention as a category separate from other modes of human harming; second, that it is troubling in a special way that makes acts of violence peculiarly hard to justify. This paper defends a narrow understanding of violence and a special ethics governing its use by arguing that a distinctive form of ‘Violent Agency’ is the factor uniting the category while partly accounting for the fearful connotations of the term. Violent Agency is defined first by a double intention (1) to inflict harm using a technique chosen (2) to eliminate or evade the target’s means of escaping it or defending against it. Second, the harms it aims at aredestructive(as opposed toappropriative). The analysis offered connects the concept of violence to themes in international theory such as vulnerability, security, and domination, as well as the ethics of war.
Minimizing civilian harm in populated areas: Lessons from examining ISAF and AMISOM policies
Authors: Muhammedally Sahr
Published: February 2017

Both the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) – the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's security assistance mission to Afghanistan – have recognized the importance of reducing civilian harm, and adopted policies and practices that restrict the use of certain weapons in populated areas. ISAF commanders issued a number of tactical directives that restricted the use of certain air-delivered weapons, and AMISOM developed an indirect fire policy limiting the use of artillery and other indirect fire munitions in populated areas. This article examines both ISAF and AMISOM policies and practices to reduce civilian harm in populated areas and explores how these policies strengthened adherence to international humanitarian law and illustrated new ways in which armed actors can take feasible precautions and prioritize civilian protection.
Hacking Networks of Terror
Authors: Deibert Ronald J. , Stein Janice Gross
Published: February 2017

That we in North America face a new kind of threat is beyond question. The attacks against the heartland of the United States, its corporate and military icons, and the killing of over 3,000 civilians, mark a watershed in thinking about security. It is almost two hundred years since civilians in North America have been the object of systematic attack, and even longer since the core of the hegemonic power was struck from the periphery. The important analytical and political questions are What kind of threat do we face? What is the appropriate response to that threat? In other words, what are the appropriate ways to think about dealing with a threat from a nonstate actor with no fixed location or permanently defined territorial assets?
Haploinsufficiency networks identify targetable patterns of allelic deficiency in low mutation ovarian cancer
Authors: Delaney Joe Ryan , Patel Chandni B. , Willis Katelyn McCabe , Haghighiabyaneh Mina , Axelrod Joshua , Tancioni Isabelle , Lu Dan , Bapat Jaidev , Young Shanique , Cadassou Octavia , Bartakova Alena , Sheth Parthiv , Haft Carley , Hui Sandra , Saenz Cheryl , Schlaepfer David D. , Harismendy Olivier , Stupack Dwayne G.
Published: February 2017

Identification of specific oncogenic gene changes has enabled the modern generation of targeted cancer therapeutics. In high-grade serous ovarian cancer (OV), the bulk of genetic changes is not somatic point mutations, but rather somatic copy-number alterations (SCNAs). The impact of SCNAs on tumour biology remains poorly understood. Here we build haploinsufficiency network analyses to identify which SCNA patterns are most disruptive in OV. Of all KEGG pathways (N=187), autophagy is the most significantly disrupted by coincident gene deletions. Compared with 20 other cancer types, OV is most severely disrupted in autophagy and in compensatory proteostasis pathways. Network analysis prioritizes MAP1LC3B (LC3) and BECN1 as most impactful. Knockdown of LC3 and BECN1 expression confers sensitivity to cells undergoing autophagic stress independent of platinum resistance status. The results support the use of pathway network tools to evaluate how the copy-number landscape of a tumour may guide therapy.
Giant heat transfer in the crossover regime between conduction and radiation
Authors: Kloppstech Konstantin , Könne Nils , Biehs Svend-Age , Rodriguez Alejandro W. , Worbes Ludwig , Hellmann David , Kittel Achim
Published: February 2017

Heat is transferred by radiation between two well-separated bodies at temperatures of finite difference in vacuum. At large distances the heat transfer can be described by black body radiation, at shorter distances evanescent modes start to contribute, and at separations comparable to inter-atomic spacing the transition to heat conduction should take place. We report on quantitative measurements of the near-field mediated heat flux between a gold coated near-field scanning thermal microscope tip and a planar gold sample at nanometre distances of 0.2–7 nm. We find an extraordinary large heat flux which is more than five orders of magnitude larger than black body radiation and four orders of magnitude larger than the values predicted by conventional theory of fluctuational electrodynamics. Different theories of phonon tunnelling are not able to describe the observations in a satisfactory way. The findings demand modified or even new models of heat transfer across vacuum gaps at nanometre distances.
Demonstration of qubit operations below a rigorous fault tolerance threshold with gate set tomography
Authors: Blume-Kohout Robin , Gamble John King , Nielsen Erik , Rudinger Kenneth , Mizrahi Jonathan , Fortier Kevin , Maunz Peter
Published: February 2017

Quantum information processors promise fast algorithms for problems inaccessible to classical computers. But since qubits are noisy and error-prone, they will depend on fault-tolerant quantum error correction (FTQEC) to compute reliably. Quantum error correction can protect against general noise if—and only if—the error in each physical qubit operation is smaller than a certain threshold. The threshold for general errors is quantified by their diamond norm. Until now, qubits have been assessed primarily by randomized benchmarking, which reports a different error rate that is not sensitive to all errors, and cannot be compared directly to diamond norm thresholds. Here we use gate set tomography to completely characterize operations on a trapped-Yb+-ion qubit and demonstrate with greater than 95% confidence that they satisfy a rigorous threshold for FTQEC (diamond norm ≤6.7 × 10−4).
Call to action: improving primary care for women with COPD
Authors: Tsiligianni Ioanna , Rodríguez Miguel Román , Lisspers Karin , LeeTan Tze , Infantino Antonio
Published: February 2017

In this perspective-based article, which is based on findings from a comprehensive literature search, we discuss the significant and growing burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in women worldwide. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease now affects both men and women almost equally. Despite this, there remains an outdated perception of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as a male-dominated disease. Primary care physicians play a central role in overseeing the multidisciplinary care of women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Many women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease delay seeking medical assistance, due to fear of stigmatization or dismissing symptoms as a ‘smoker’s cough’. Improving awareness is important to encourage women with symptoms to seek advice earlier. Once women do seek help, primary care physicians need to have knowledge of the nuances of female chronic obstructive pulmonary disease disease presentation to avoid mis- or delayed diagnosis, both of which are more common in women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than men. Subsequent management should consider gender-specific issues, such as differential incidences of comorbid conditions, potentially higher symptom burden, and a higher risk of exacerbations. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treatment and smoking cessation management should be specifically tailored to the individual woman and reviewed regularly to optimize patient outcomes. Finally, education should be an integral part of managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in women as it will help to empower them to take control of their disease.
Comparisons of aerosol backscatter using satellite and ground lidars: implications for calibrating and validating spaceborne lidar
Authors: Gimmestad Gary , Forrister Haviland , Grigas Tomas , O’Dowd Colin
Published: February 2017

The Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) instrument on the polar orbiter Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) is an elastic backscatter lidar that produces a global uniformly-calibrated aerosol data set. Several Calibration/Validation (Cal/Val) studies for CALIOP conducted with ground-based lidars and CALIOP data showed large aerosol profile disagreements, both random and systematic. In an attempt to better understand these problems, we undertook a series of ground-based lidar measurements in Atlanta, Georgia, which did not provide better agreement with CALIOP data than the earlier efforts, but rather prompted us to investigate the statistical limitations of such comparisons. Meaningful Cal/Val requires intercomparison data sets with small enough uncertainties to provide a check on the maximum expected calibration error. For CALIOP total attenuated backscatter, reducing the noise to the required level requires averaging profiles along the ground track for distances of at least 1,500 km. Representative comparison profiles often cannot be acquired with ground-based lidars because spatial aerosol inhomogeneities introduce systematic error into the averages. These conclusions have implications for future satellite lidar Cal/Val efforts, because planned satellite lidars measuring aerosol backscatter, wind vector, and CO2 concentration profiles may all produce data requiring considerable along-track averaging for meaningful Cal/Val.
Finite-temperature scaling of trace distance discord near criticality in spin diamond structure
Authors: Cheng W. W. , Wang X. Y. , Sheng Y. B. , Gong L. Y. , Zhao S. M. , Liu J. M.
Published: February 2017

In this work we explore the quantum correlation quantified by trace distance discord as a measure to analyze the quantum critical behaviors in the Ising-XXZ diamond structure at finite temperatures. It is found that the first-order derivative of the trace distance discord exhibits a maximum around the critical point at finite temperatures. By analyzing the finite-temperature scaling behavior, we show that such a quantum correlation can detect exactly the quantum phase transitions from the entan-gled state in ferrimagnetic phase to an unentangled state in ferrimagnetic phase or to an unentangled state in ferromagnetic phase. The results also indicate that the above two kinds of transitions can be distinguished by the different finite-temperature scaling behaviors. Moreover, we find that the trace distance discord, in contrast to other typical quantum correlations (e.g., concurrence, quantum discord and Hellinger distance), may be more reliable to exactly spotlight the critical points of this model at finite temperatures under certain situations.
Re-shifting the ecological baseline for the overexploited Mediterranean red coral
Authors: Garrabou J. , Sala E. , Linares C. , Ledoux J. B. , Montero-Serra I. , Dominici J. M. , Kipson S. , Teixidó N. , Cebrian E. , Kersting D. K. , Harmelin J. G.
Published: February 2017

Overexploitation leads to the ecological extinction of many oceanic species. The depletion of historical abundances of large animals, such as whales and sea turtles, is well known. However, the magnitude of the historical overfishing of exploited invertebrates is unclear. The lack of rigorous baseline data limits the implementation of efficient management and conservation plans in the marine realm. The precious Mediterranean red coralCorallium rubrumhas been intensively exploited since antiquity for its use in jewellery. It shows dramatic signs of overexploitation, with no untouched populations known in shallow waters. Here, we report the discovery of an exceptional red coral population from a previously unexplored shallow underwater cave in Corsica (France) harbouring the largest biomass (by more than 100-fold) reported to date in the Mediterranean. Our findings challenge current assumptions on the pristine state of this emblematic species. Our results suggest that, before intense exploitation, red coral lived in relatively high-density populations with a large proportion of centuries-old colonies, even at very shallow depths. We call for the re-evaluation of the baseline for red coral and question the sustainability of the exploitation of a species that is still common but ecologically (functionally) extinct and in a trajectory of further decline.
Hemispheric differences between left and right supramarginal gyrus for pitch and rhythm memory
Authors: Schaal Nora K. , Pollok Bettina , Banissy Michael J.
Published: February 2017

Functional brain imaging studies and non-invasive brain stimulation methods have shown the importance of the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG) for pitch memory. The extent to which this brain region plays a crucial role in memory for other auditory material remains unclear. Here, we sought to investigate the role of the left and right SMG in pitch and rhythm memory in non-musicians. Anodal or sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was applied over the left SMG (Experiment 1) and right SMG (Experiment 2) in two different sessions. In each session participants completed a pitch and rhythm recognition memory task immediately after tDCS. A significant facilitation of pitch memory was revealed when anodal stimulation was applied over the left SMG. No significant effects on pitch memory were found for anodal tDCS over the right SMG or sham condition. For rhythm memory the opposite pattern was found; anodal tDCS over the right SMG led to an improvement in performance, but anodal tDCS over the left SMG had no significant effect. These results highlight a different hemispheric involvement of the SMG in auditory memory processing depending on auditory material that is encoded.
Jerantinine A induces tumor-specific cell death through modulation of splicing factor 3b subunit 1 (SF3B1)
Authors: Chung Felicia Fei-Lei , Tan Perry Faith Tze Ming , Raja Vijay Joseph , Tan Boon-Shing , Lim Kuan-Hon , Kam Toh-Seok , Hii Ling-Wei , Tan Si Hoey , See Sze-Jia , Tan Yuen-Fen , Wong Li-Zhe , Yam Wai Keat , Mai Chun Wai , Bradshaw Tracey D. , Leong Chee-Onn
Published: February 2017

Precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) splicing is catalyzed by a large ribonucleoprotein complex known as the spliceosome. Numerous studies have indicated that aberrant splicing patterns or mutations in spliceosome components, including the splicing factor 3b subunit 1 (SF3B1), are associated with hallmark cancer phenotypes. This has led to the identification and development of small molecules with spliceosome-modulating activity as potential anticancer agents. Jerantinine A (JA) is a novel indole alkaloid which displays potent anti-proliferative activities against human cancer cell lines by inhibiting tubulin polymerization and inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest. Using a combined pooled-genome wide shRNA library screen and global proteomic profiling, we showed that JA targets the spliceosome by up-regulating SF3B1 and SF3B3 protein in breast cancer cells. Notably, JA induced significant tumor-specific cell death and a significant increase in unspliced pre-mRNAs. In contrast, depletion of endogenous SF3B1 abrogated the apoptotic effects, but not the G2/M cell cycle arrest induced by JA. Further analyses showed that JA stabilizes endogenous SF3B1 protein in breast cancer cells and induced dissociation of the protein from the nucleosome complex. Together, these results demonstrate that JA exerts its antitumor activity by targeting SF3B1 and SF3B3 in addition to its reported targeting of tubulin polymerization.
Plasmonic nanomeshes: their ambivalent role as transparent electrodes in organic solar cells
Authors: Stelling Christian , Singh Chetan R. , Karg Matthias , König Tobias A. F. , Thelakkat Mukundan , Retsch Markus
Published: February 2017

In this contribution, the optical losses and gains attributed to periodic nanohole array electrodes in polymer solar cells are systematically studied. For this, thin gold nanomeshes with hexagonally ordered holes and periodicities (P) ranging from 202 nm to 2560 nm are prepared by colloidal lithography. In combination with two different active layer materials (P3HT:PC61BM and PTB7:PC71BM), the optical properties are correlated with the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the solar cells. A cavity mode is identified at the absorption edge of the active layer material. The resonance wavelength of this cavity mode is hardly defined by the nanomesh periodicity but rather by the absorption of the photoactive layer. This constitutes a fundamental dilemma when using nanomeshes as ITO replacement. The highest plasmonic enhancement requires small periodicities. This is accompanied by an overall low transmittance and high parasitic absorption losses. Consequently, larger periodicities with a less efficient cavity mode, yet lower absorptive losses were found to yield the highest PCE. Nevertheless, ITO-free solar cells reaching ~77% PCE compared to ITO reference devices are fabricated. Concomitantly, the benefits and drawbacks of this transparent nanomesh electrode are identified, which is of high relevance for future ITO replacement strategies.
GARP2 accelerates retinal degeneration in rod cGMP-gated cation channel β-subunit knockout mice
Authors: DeRamus Marci L. , Stacks Delores A. , Zhang Youwen , Huisingh Carrie E. , McGwin Gerald , Pittler Steven J.
Published: February 2017

The Cngb1 locus-encoded β-subunit of rod cGMP-gated cation channel and associated glutamic acid rich proteins (GARPs) are required for phototransduction, disk morphogenesis, and rod structural integrity. To probe individual protein structure/function of the GARPs, we have characterized several transgenic mouse lines selectively restoring GARPs on a Cngb1 knockout (X1−/−) mouse background. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electroretinography (ERG) were used to analyze 6 genotypes including WT at three and ten weeks postnatal. Comparison of aligned histology/OCT images demonstrated that GARP2 accelerates the rate of degeneration. ERG results are consistent with the structural analyses showing the greatest attenuation of function when GARP2 is present. Even 100-fold or more overexpression of GARP1 could not accelerate degeneration as rapidly as GARP2, and when co-expressed GARP1 attenuated the structural and functional deficits elicited by GARP2. These results indicate that the GARPs are not fully interchangeable and thus, likely have separate and distinct functions in the photoreceptor. We also present a uniform murine OCT layer naming nomenclature system that is consistent with human retina layer designations to standardize murine OCT, which will facilitate data evaluation across different laboratories.
Chilling Affects Phytohormone and Post-Embryonic Development Pathways during Bud Break and Fruit Set in Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.)
Authors: Kumar Gulshan , Gupta Khushboo , Pathania Shivalika , Swarnkar Mohit Kumar , Rattan Usha Kumari , Singh Gagandeep , Sharma Ram Kumar , Singh Anil Kumar
Published: February 2017

The availability of sufficient chilling during bud dormancy plays an important role in the subsequent yield and quality of apple fruit, whereas, insufficient chilling availability negatively impacts the apple production. The transcriptome profiling during bud dormancy release and initial fruit set under low and high chill conditions was performed using RNA-seq. The comparative high number of differentially expressed genes during bud break and fruit set under high chill condition indicates that chilling availability was associated with transcriptional reorganization. The comparative analysis reveals the differential expression of genes involved in phytohormone metabolism, particularly for Abscisic acid, gibberellic acid, ethylene, auxin and cytokinin. The expression of Dormancy Associated MADS-box, Flowering Locus C-like, Flowering Locus T-like and Terminal Flower 1-like genes was found to be modulated under differential chilling. The co-expression network analysis indentified two high chill specific modules that were found to be enriched for “post-embryonic development” GO terms. The network analysis also identified hub genes including Early flowering 7, RAF10, ZEP4 and F-box, which may be involved in regulating chilling-mediated dormancy release and fruit set. The results of transcriptome and co-expression network analysis indicate that chilling availability majorly regulates phytohormone-related pathways and post-embryonic development during bud break.
Influence of FKBP5 polymorphism and DNA methylation on structural changes of the brain in major depressive disorder
Authors: Han Kyu-Man , Won Eunsoo , Sim Youngbo , Kang June , Han Changsu , Kim Yong-Ku , Kim Seung-Hyun , Joe Sook-Haeng , Lee Min-Soo , Tae Woo-Suk , Ham Byung-Joo
Published: February 2017

A single nucleotide polymorphism of rs1360780 in the FKBP5 gene is associated with a predisposition to developing major depressive disorder (MDD). We investigated the interactive effects of FKBP5 rs1360780 allelic variants, DNA methylation, and the diagnosis of MDD on structural changes of the entire brain. One hundred and fourteen patients with MDD and eighty-eight healthy controls underwent T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging and FKBP5 rs1360780 genotyping, including DNA methylation of intron 7. We analyzed the volume of cortical and subcortical regions and cortical thickness using FreeSurfer. Significant genotype-by-diagnosis interactions were observed for volumes of the left pars triangularis, supramarginal gyrus, superior parietal lobule, right frontomarginal, and posterior midcingulate gyrus. The T allele was associated with significant volume reductions in these brain regions only in the MDD group except for the right posterior midcingulate gyrus. FKBP5 DNA methylation showed a positive correlation with the thickness of the right transverse frontopolar gyrus in the C allele homozygote group. Our findings suggest that the FKBP5 gene and its epigenetic changes could have influence on morphologic changes of several brain regions involved in emotion regulation, and that this process may be associated with the development of MDD.
Discovery of genes coding for carbohydrate-active enzyme by metagenomic analysis of lignocellulosic biomasses
Authors: Montella Salvatore , Ventorino Valeria , Lombard Vincent , Henrissat Bernard , Pepe Olimpia , Faraco Vincenza
Published: February 2017

In this study, a high-throughput sequencing approach was applied to discover novel biocatalysts for lignocellulose hydrolysis from three dedicated energy crops,Arundo donax, Eucalyptus camaldulensisandPopulus nigra, after natural biodegradation. The microbiomes of the three lignocellulosic biomasses were dominated by bacterial species (approximately 90%) with the highest representation by theStreptomycesgenus both in the total microbial community composition and in the microbial diversity related to GH families of predicted ORFs. Moreover, the functional clustering of the predicted ORFs showed a prevalence of poorly characterized genes, suggesting these lignocellulosic biomasses are potential sources of as yet unknown genes. 1.2%, 0.6% and 3.4% of the total ORFs detected inA. donax, E. camaldulensisandP. nigra,respectively, were putative Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes (CAZymes). Interestingly, the glycoside hydrolases abundance inP. nigra(1.8%) was higher than that detected in the other biomasses investigated in this study. Moreover, a high percentage of (hemi)cellulases with different activities and accessory enzymes (mannanases, polygalacturonases and feruloyl esterases) was detected, confirming that the three analyzed samples were a reservoir of diversified biocatalysts required for an effective lignocellulose saccharification.
Band-Engineered Local Cooling in Nanoscale Junctions
Authors: Hsu Bailey C. , Chen Yu-Chang
Published: February 2017

The stability and performance of nanoscale junctions are closely related to the local effective temperature. The local effective temperature is mainly caused by the competition between heating and cooling processes in inelastic electron-phonon scat- tering. Local cooling occurs when the rate of energy in cooling exceeds that in heating. Previous research has been done using either specific potential configuration or an adatom to achieve local cooling. We propose an engineer-able local-cooling mechanism in asymmetric two-terminal tunneling junctions, in which one electrode is made of metal, whereas the other is made of a selectable bad-metal, such as heavily-doped polysilicon. The width of energy window of the selectable material, defined as the width covering all possible energy states counting from the conduction band minimum, can be engineered through doping. Interestingly, we have shown that substantial local cooling can be achieved at room temperature when the width of energy window of the low-density electrode is comparable to the energy of the phonon. The unusual local cooling is caused by the narrowed width of energy window, which obstructs the inelastic scattering for heating.
The Biophysical Probes 2-fluorohistidine and 4-fluorohistidine: Spectroscopic Signatures and Molecular Properties
Authors: Kasireddy Chandana , Ellis Jonathan M. , Bann James G. , Mitchell-Koch Katie R.
Published: February 2017

Fluorinated amino acids serve as valuable biological probes, by reporting on local protein structure and dynamics through 19F NMR chemical shifts. 2-fluorohistidine and 4-fluorohistidine, studied here with DFT methods, have even more capabilities for biophysical studies, as their altered pKa values, relative to histidine, allow for studies of the role of proton transfer and tautomeric state in enzymatic mechanisms. Considering the two tautomeric forms of histidine, it was found that 2-fluorohistidine primarily forms the common (for histidine) τ-tautomer at neutral pH, while 4-fluorohistidine exclusively forms the less common π-tautomer. This suggests the two isomers of fluorohistidine can also serve as probes of tautomeric form within biomolecules, both by monitoring NMR chemical shifts and by potential perturbation of the tautomeric equilibrium within biomolecules. Fluorine also enables assignment of tautomeric states in crystal structures. The differences in experimental pKa values between the isomers was found to arise from solvation effects, providing insight into the polarization and molecular properties of each isomer. Results also encompass 13C and 19F NMR chemical shifts, from both tautomers of 2-fluorohistidine and 4-fluorohistidine in a number of different environments. This work can serve as a guide for interpretation of spectroscopic results in biophysical studies employing 2-fluorohistidine and 4-fluorohistidine.
Acyl Ghrelin Induces Insulin Resistance Independently of GH, Cortisol, and Free Fatty Acids
Authors: Vestergaard Esben T. , Jessen Niels , Møller Niels , Jørgensen Jens Otto Lunde
Published: February 2017

Ghrelin produced in the gut stimulates GH and ACTH secretion from the pituitary and also stimulates appetite and gastric emptying. We have shown that ghrelin also induces insulin resistance via GH-independent mechanisms, but it is unknown if this effect depends on ambient fatty acid (FFA) levels. We investigated the impact of ghrelin and pharmacological antilipolysis (acipimox) on insulin sensitivity and substrate metabolism in 8 adult hypopituitary patients on stable replacement with GH and hydrocortisone using a 2 × 2 factorial design: Ghrelin infusion, saline infusion, ghrelin plus short-term acipimox, and acipimox alone. Peripheral and hepatic insulin sensitivity was determined with a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp in combination with a glucose tracer infusion. Insulin signaling was assayed in muscle biopsies. Peripheral insulin sensitivity was reduced by ghrelin independently of ambient FFA concentrations and was increased by acipimox independently of ghrelin. Hepatic insulin sensitivity was increased by acipimox. Insulin signaling pathways in skeletal muscle were not consistently regulated by ghrelin. Our data demonstrate that ghrelin induces peripheral insulin resistance independently of GH, cortisol, and FFA. The molecular mechanisms remain elusive, but we speculate that ghrelin is a hitherto unrecognized direct regulator of substrate metabolism. We also suggest that acipimox per se improves hepatic insulin sensitivity.
Aging transition by random errors
Authors: Sun Zhongkui , Ma Ning , Xu Wei
Published: February 2017

In this paper, the effects of random errors on the oscillating behaviors have been studied theoretically and numerically in a prototypical coupled nonlinear oscillator. Two kinds of noises have been employed respectively to represent the measurement errors accompanied with the parameter specifying the distance from a Hopf bifurcation in the Stuart-Landau model. It has been demonstrated that when the random errors are uniform random noise, the change of the noise intensity can effectively increase the robustness of the system. While the random errors are normal random noise, the increasing of variance can also enhance the robustness of the system under certain conditions that the probability of aging transition occurs reaches a certain threshold. The opposite conclusion is obtained when the probability is less than the threshold. These findings provide an alternative candidate to control the critical value of aging transition in coupled oscillator system, which is composed of the active oscillators and inactive oscillators in practice.