bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CRISI ECONOMICA, ISTITUZIONI E RENDIMENTO IN 17 DEMOCRAZIE
Authors: Pappalardo Adriano
Published: September 2018

Introduzione

Alla metà degli anni settanta, la prima di una serie di crisi economiche colpiva le democrazie occidentali, sottoponendo a sfide più o meno severe le loro strutture e le loro capacità politico-istituzionali. Del tema si è occupata un'intera letteratura, che ha fornito ragguardevoli contributi alla conoscenza del contenuto e dell'efficacia delle risposte di singoli paesi o gruppi di paesi e degli adattamenti/mutamenti subiti dalle società e dagli attori interessati. In questo articolo, viene tracciato un bilancio della materia, aggiornato con informazioni e spiegazioni che si estendono fino alla metà degli anni novanta e coprono diciassette paesi.
L'ATTIVITÀ LEGISLATIVA DEL PARLAMENTO ITALIANO: CONSOCIATIVISMO? POLARIZZAZIONE?
Authors: Zucchini Francesco
Published: September 2018

Introduzione

Pochi termini politologici hanno avuto altrettanto successo nella polemica politica italiana della parola consociativismo. Nonostante la sua origine specialistica, che non rimanda a nessuna nozione giuridica né ad alcuna dottrina politica o sociale, è difficile assistere ad un dibattito politico senza che qualcuno dei partecipanti non lanci alla parte avversa l'accusa di essere consociativo. Strano destino. Il successo ha un prezzo per gli uomini come per i concetti: coniato da Lijphart (1968) per rendere conto dell'esistenza di democrazie stabili e relativamente felici, che la scienza politica degli anni '50 (Almond 1956) ignorava e per le quali al tempo stesso prevedeva un tribolato avvenire, il termine consociativismo ha assunto nel nostro paese una connotazione quasi esclusivamente negativa. Consociativa è la spartizione partitica, la corruzione, l'immobilismo, la mancanza di rigore finanziario. In breve, consociativa pare essere stata tutta la Prima Repubblica e consociativi tutti i guai da essa prodotti.
IL RIPENSAMENTO DEL WELFARE STATE IN GERMANIA E NEGLI STATI UNITI
Authors: Alber Jens
Published: September 2018

Introduzione

L'età dell'oro del welfare state sembra essersi conclusa. I cambiamenti demografici e l'intensificarsi della competizione internazionale in un'epoca di globalizzazione hanno messo a dura prova i sistemi di welfare. Sebbene non vi siano indicazioni di un rifiuto generale dello stato sociale (welfare backlash) tra l'opinione pubblica occidentale, gli elettori spesso scelgono partiti neo-conservatori che promettono di tagliare i programmi sociali e ridurre le tasse. In questa nuova fase di stagnazione e ridimensionamento dello stato sociale, la questione di quali fattori determinino la vulnerabilità di particolari programmi o espongano alcuni sistemi di welfare state a una politica di tagli ha assunto un ruolo centrale nel dibattito accademico.
MOVIMENTI SOCIALI E GLOBALIZZAZIONE
Authors: Porta Donatella della , Kriesi Hanspeter
Published: September 2018

Introduzione

Nel corso dell'ultimo decennio, gli studiosi dei movimenti sociali negli Stati Uniti ed in Europa hanno prestato sempre più attenzione al contesto politico nel quale essi si mobilitano. In questo processo, la ricerca non solo ha fatto sempre più riferimento alla scienza politica per completare le sue concezioni originali (principalmente fornite dalla sociologia, dalla storia e dalla economia), ma è divenuta anche più comparata, focalizzandosi sull'impatto dei contesti politici nazionali, regionali e locali sulla mobilitazione e sulle sue conseguenze in vari paesi. Con la comparazione cross-nazionale, l'attenzione si è diretta agli effetti del cambiamento nel contesto internazionale sui sistemi sociali e sulla politica a livello nazionale. In altre parole, la ricerca sui movimenti sociali è divenuta lentamente consapevole che la divisione tra la politica comparata e le relazioni internazionali è sempre più anacronistica. Anche nello studio dei movimenti sociali, la sfida «è combinare i risultati di ambedue le prospettive senza perdere di vista i loro singoli contributi» (Garrett e Lange 1995, 654). É quello che cercheremo di fare nel corso di questo articolo, concentrandoci sull'impatto delle crescenti interazioni tra contesti politici nazionali ed internazionali e movimenti sociali in un mondo sempre più globale.
CLIENTELISMO VIRTUOSO: UNA VIA DI SVILUPPO NEL MEZZOGIORNO?
Authors: Piattoni Simona
Published: September 2018

Introduzione

In questo articolo sosterrò, innanzitutto, che il clientelismo può anche promuovere lo sviluppo economico. Proporrò poi, ma non svilupperò appieno, la tesi che il clientelismo possa perfino portare al proprio superamento, ovvero a un modo di fare politica più conforme alla comune concezione di una democrazia moderna. Clientelismo e sviluppo economico possono, cioè, innescare processi reciprocamente «virtuosi» che, nel tempo, possono avere l'effetto di traghettare tanto l'economia verso lo sviluppo quanto il sistema politico verso lacivicness.
Resolving the Question of Inter-Scalar Legitimacy into Law? A Hard Look at Proportionality Balancing in Global Governance
Authors: KUO MING-SUNG
Published: September 2018

In this article, I examine the attempt to apply proportionality balancing (PB) to the co-ordination of the relations between governance regimes, which I call ‘inter-scalar PB’, from the perspective of competing institutional arrangements of global governance. Observing inter-scalar PB becoming a legal technique of management, I argue that it be reconceived as a narrative framework within which the fundamental values and principles of individual governance regimes can be politically contested without antagonism. I first discuss the role PB has played in the interaction between the law of state immunity and international investment law and then take a closer look at the features of inter-scalar PB as intimated in those instances: simplism, normativism, institutionalism and legalism. I suggest that the complex fundamental issues concerning the relationship between governance regimes are left out in the proportionality analysis-mediated resolution of regime-induced conflicts, disclosing the depoliticization tendency in inter-scalar PB. Juxtaposing it with the indicator project in international human rights advocacy, I conclude that both are jurispathic and reflect the rationalist propensity in the legal administration of global governance. PB, reconceived as a language in which values, conflicts, and interests of each governance regime can be argued and narrated as part of the politics of reconstructing global governance, will help to recast global governance in more jurisgenerative terms.
The Mechanical Response of a Structural Epoxy Adhesive Reinforced with Carbon Black Nanoparticles
Authors: Carbas Ricardo J. C. , da Silva Lucas F. M. , Andrés Luís F. S.
Published: September 2018

The influence of the concentration of carbon black nanoparticles on the mechanical behavior of a structural adhesive was studied to evaluate and understand the stiffness, strength, and deformation behavior of a reinforced epoxy adhesive. Two carbon black nanoparticles with different dielectric properties and sizes (Monarch® 120 and Vulcan® XC72R) were studied. A bi-component structural epoxy adhesive was selected. Specimens with different concentrations of carbon black were manufactured (0, 5, 10, and 20% on volume of resin) for each type of nanoparticle. The specimens were cured in a hydraulic hot-plates press machine. The mechanical behavior of the adhesives was found not to vary significantly as a function of carbon black nanoparticles amount. A scanning electron microscopy analysis was performed to evaluate the fracture surface. The fracture surfaces of specimens were correlated with the mechanical response obtained through tensile tests.
COMPLIANCE AND COMMAND I—CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVES
Authors: FINE KIT
Published: September 2018

I develop a semantics for imperatives within the truthmaker framework by taking the meaning of an imperative to be given by the actions that are in compliance with or in contravention to the imperative.
Ocean Research and Education Are Foundations for Economic Growth
Authors: Shultz Alexandra
Published: September 2018

AGU releases revised position statement that was first adopted in 2005.
Effects of resveratrol on bone health in type 2 diabetic patients. A double-blind randomized-controlled trial
Authors: Bo Simona , Gambino Roberto , Ponzo Valentina , Cioffi Iolanda , Goitre Ilaria , Evangelista Andrea , Ciccone Giovannino , Cassader Maurizio , Procopio Massimo
Published: September 2018

Objectives

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are at increased fracture risk. Resveratrol has shown beneficial effects on bone health in few studies. The aim of this trial was to investigate the effects of resveratrol on bone mineral density (BMD) and on calcium metabolism biomarkers in T2DM patients.

Methods

In this double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial 192 T2DM outpatients were randomized to receive resveratrol 500 mg/day (Resv500 arm), resveratrol 40 mg/day (Resv40 arm) or placebo for 6 months. BMD, bone mineral content (BMC), serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, and 25-hydroxy vitamin D were measured at baseline and after 6 months.

Results

At follow-up, calcium concentrations increased in all patients, while within-group variations in alkaline phosphatase were higher in both resveratrol arms, and 25-hydroxy vitamin D increased in the Resv500 arm only, without between-group differences. Whole-body BMD significantly decreased in the placebo group, while whole-body BMC decreased in both the placebo and Resv40 arms. No significant changes in BMD and BMC values occurred in the Resv500 arm. The adjusted mean differences of change from baseline were significantly different in the Resv500 arm vs placebo for whole-body BMD (0.01 vs −0.03 g/cm2, p = 0.001), whole-body BMC (4.04 vs −58.8 g, p < 0.001), whole-body T-score (0.15 vs −0.26), and serum phosphorus (0.07 vs −0.01 µmol/L, p = 0.002). In subgroup analyses, in Resv500 treated-patients BMD values increased to higher levels in those with lower calcium and 25-hydroxy vitamin D values, and in alcohol drinkers.

Conclusions

Supplementation with 500 mg resveratrol prevented bone density loss in patients with T2DM, in particular, in those with unfavorable conditions at baseline.
Resveratrol improves human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells repair for cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury
Authors: Zhang Rongxue , Yin Lei , Zhang Bin , Shi Hui , Sun Yaoxiang , Ji Cheng , Chen Jingyan , Wu Peipei , Zhang Leilei , Xu Wenrong , Qian Hui
Published: September 2018

Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs) are a promising tool for damaged tissues repair, especially for the kidney. However, their efficacy requires improvement. In order to optimize the clinical utility of hucMSCs, we adopted a strategy of treating hucMSCs with 20 μmol/L of resveratrol (Res-hucMSCs), applying it in a cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury model. Interestingly, we found that Res-hucMSCs exhibited a more efficient repairing effect than did hucMSCs. Resveratrol-promoted hucMSCs secreted platelet-derived growth factor-DD (PDGF-DD) into renal tubular cells resulting in downstream phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), which inhibited renal tubular cells apoptosis. In contrast, PDGF-DD knockdown impaired the renal protection of Res-hucMSCs. In addition, angiogenesis induced by PDGF-DD in endothelial cells was also involved in the renal protection of Res-hucMSCs. The conditioned medium of Res-hucMSCs accelerated proliferation and migration of vascular endothelial cells in vitro and CD31 was in a high-level expression in Res-hucMSCs group in vivo. Nevertheless, the angiogenesis was abrogated when Res-hucMSCs were treated with PDGF-DD siRNA. In conclusion, our findings showed that resveratrol-modified hucMSCs activated ERK pathway in renal tubular cells and promoted angiogenesis in endothelial cells via paracrine PDGF-DD, which could be a novel strategy for enhancing the therapy efficacy of hucMSCs in cisplatin-induced kidney injury.
Melittin-induced long non-coding RNA NONHSAT105177 inhibits proliferation and migration of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Wang Xinjing , Li Hongzhe , Lu Xiongxiong , Wen Chenlei , Huo Zhen , Shi Minmin , Tang Xiaomei , Chen Hao , Peng Chenghong , Fang Yuan , Deng Xiaxing , Shen Baiyong
Published: September 2018

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Previously, we found that melittin treatment suppressed PDAC tumor growth. However, it is unclear whether lncRNAs have any role in the melittin-induced suppression of PDAC. In this study, we used microarray data to identify 844 lncRNAs that were significantly differentially expressed in response to melittin treatment. Of these lncRNAs, we focused on the lncRNA NONHSAT105177, which had about a 22-fold increase in expression with melittin treatment. We found that melittin treatment increased NONHSAT105177 expression in PDAC cell lines but not in normal pancreatic ductal epithelial cell line. NONHSAT105177 expression was significantly lower in PDAC cancer tissues than in adjacent noncancerous tissues. Additionally, overexpression of NONHSAT105177 inhibited PDAC cell proliferation, migration, and the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), both in vitro and in vivo. Consistent with the mechanism of action of melittin, NONHSAT105177 significantly downregulated cholesterol pathway genes, including Clusterin (CLU). Moreover, we found that NONHSAT105177 trafficking was mediated by exosomes. The combined findings of our current and previous studies suggest that NONHSAT105177 mediated the melittin-induced inhibition of PDAC cell growth and metastasis, which indicated a potential target for developing new strategies.
RIF1 promotes tumor growth and cancer stem cell-like traits in NSCLC by protein phosphatase 1-mediated activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling
Authors: Mei Ying , Liu Yong-Bin , Cao Shan , Tian Zheng-Wen , Zhou Hong-Hao
Published: September 2018

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is essential for proliferation and maintenance of cancer stem cell-like traits of various cancer cells. In non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), the mechanisms underlying the hyperactivation of Wnt signaling remain unclear, as mutations in APC and β-catenin genes are rare in NSCLC. RIF1 has been shown upregulated in breast and cervical cancer, this study intends to find out the potential effects of the expression and biological functions of RIF1 in NSCLC. Here we revealed that RIF1 was highly expressed in NCSLC at both mRNA and protein levels. RIF1 expression was significantly associated with clinical stage (P < 0.05) and prognosis (P < 0.001) of NSCLC patients. RIF1 knockdown inhibited NSCLC cell growth in vitro and in vivo, whereas overexpression of RIF1 in NSCLC cell lines promoted cell growth, cell cycle progression and cancer stem cell (CSC)-like properties via promoting PP1–AXIN interaction and thereby activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Inhibition of PP1 in RIF1-overexpressed cells counteracted the effects of RIF1 on cell growth and CSC-like phenotype, as well as the Wnt/β-catenin signaling. RIF1 expression was positively correlated with β-catenin at the protein level in 32 NSCLC tissues. RIF1 expression closely related to MYC (r = 0.28, P < 0.001) and CCND1 (r = 0.14, P < 0.01) expression at the mRNA level in cohorts of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). These results indicated that RIF1 had an oncogenic role as a novel positive regulator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by directing PP1 to dephosphorylate AXIN; this novel mechanism may present a new therapeutic target for NSCLC.
Two-component latency distributions indicate two-step vesicular release at simple glutamatergic synapses
Authors: Miki Takafumi , Nakamura Yukihiro , Malagon Gerardo , Neher Erwin , Marty Alain
Published: September 2018

It is often assumed that only stably docked synaptic vesicles can fuse following presynaptic action potential stimulation. However, during action potential trains docking sites are increasingly depleted, raising the question of the source of synaptic vesicles during sustained release. We have recently developed methods to reliably measure release latencies during high frequency trains at single synapses between parallel fibers and molecular layer interneurons. The latency distribution exhibits a single fast component at train onset but contains both a fast and a slow component later in the train. The contribution of the slow component increases with stimulation frequency and with release probability and decreases when blocking the docking step with latrunculin. These results suggest that the slow component reflects sequential docking and release in immediate succession. The transition from fast to slow component, as well as a later transition to asynchronous release, appear as successive adaptations of the synapse to maintain fidelity at the expense of time accuracy.
Mechanism of contact pressure-induced friction at the amorphous carbon/alpha olefin interface
Authors: Li Xiaowei , Wang Aiying , Lee Kwang-Ryeol
Published: September 2018

Combining an amorphous carbon (a-C) film with a lubricating oil can significantly improve the friction performance and lifetime of moving mechanical components. However, the friction mechanism is not well understood owing to a lack of information regarding the structure of the interface when exposed to high contact pressure. Here, we select linear alpha olefin, C5H10, as a lubricant and study the evolution of the structure of the a-C/C5H10/a-C sliding interface under contact pressure via reactive molecular dynamics simulation. Our results suggest that introducing C5H10 into the a-C/a-C interface reduces the friction coefficient by up to 93% compared with no lubricant, although the lubricating efficiency strongly depends on the contact pressure. In particular, increasing the contact pressure not only induces the binding of the lubricant with a-C, but also facilitates the dissociation of the C5H10 carbon-carbon skeleton by specific scissions, which governs the friction behavior. These results disclose the underlying lubrication mechanism and could enable the development of new and effective lubricating systems with long lifetimes.
Manipulation and prediction of spike morphology traits for the improvement of grain yield in wheat
Authors: Guo Zifeng , Zhao Yusheng , Röder Marion S. , Reif Jochen C. , Ganal Martin W. , Chen Dijun , Schnurbusch Thorsten
Published: September 2018

In wheat (Triticum spp.), modifying inflorescence (spike) morphology can increase grain number and size and thus improve yield. Here, we demonstrated the potential for manipulating and predicting spike morphology, based on 44 traits. In 12 wheat cultivars, we observed that detillering (removal of branches), which alters photosynthate distribution, changed spike morphology. Our genome-wide association study detected close associations between carbon partitioning (e.g. tiller number, main shoot dry weight) and spike morphology (e.g. spike length, spikelet density) traits in 210 cultivars. Most carbon-partitioning traits (e.g. tiller dry weight, harvest index) demonstrated high prediction abilities (>0.5). For spike morphology, some traits (e.g. total and fertile spikelet number, spike length) displayed high prediction abilities (0.3–0.5), but others (e.g. spikelet fertility, spikelet density) exhibited low prediction abilities (<0.2). Grain size traits were closely correlated in field and greenhouse experiments. Stepwise regression analysis suggests that significantly associated traits in the greenhouse explain 35.35% of the variation in grain yield and 67.63% of the variation in thousand-kernel weight in the field. Therefore, the traits identified in this study affect spike morphology; these traits can be used to predict and improve plant architecture and thus increase yield.
Genetic diversity of strawberry germplasm using metabolomic biomarkers
Authors: Vallarino José G. , de Abreu e Lima Francisco , Soria Carmen , Tong Hao , Pott Delphine M. , Willmitzer Lothar , Fernie Alisdair R. , Nikoloski Zoran , Osorio Sonia
Published: September 2018

High-throughput metabolomics technologies can provide the quantification of metabolites levels across various biological processes in different tissues, organs and species, allowing the identification of genes underpinning these complex traits. Information about changes of metabolites during strawberry development and ripening processes is key to aiding the development of new approaches to improve fruit attributes. We used network-based methods and multivariate statistical approaches to characterize and investigate variation in the primary and secondary metabolism of seven domesticated and seven wild strawberry fruit accessions at three different fruit development and ripening stages. Our results demonstrated thatFragariasub-species can be identified solely based on the gathered metabolic profiles. We also showed that domesticated accessions displayed highly similar metabolic changes due to shared domestication history. Differences between domesticated and wild accessions were detected at the level of metabolite associations which served to rank metabolites whose regulation was mostly altered in the process of domestication. The discovery of comprehensive metabolic variation among strawberry accessions offers opportunities to probe into the genetic basis of variation, providing insights into the pathways to relate metabolic variation with important traits.
Author Correction: Disturbed retrieval network and prospective memory decline in postpartum women
Authors: Shin Na-Young , Bak Yunjin , Nah Yoonjin , Han Sanghoon , Kim Dong Joon , Kim Se Joo , Lee Jong Eun , Lee Sang-Guk , Lee Seung-Koo
Published: September 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
Fecal source tracking and eDNA profiling in an urban creek following an extreme rain event
Authors: Staley Zachery R. , Chuong Jun Dennis , Hill Stephen J. , Grabuski Josey , Shokralla Shadi , Hajibabaei Mehrdad , Edge Thomas A.
Published: September 2018

Fecal contamination of recreational waters (i.e. lakes, rivers, beaches) poses an on-going problem for environmental and public health. Heavy rainfall can exacerbate existing problems with fecal contamination. As there could be variable sources of fecal contamination, identifying the source is critical for remediation efforts. This study utilized microbial source tracking (MST), chemical source tracking (CST) markers and environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to profile sampling areas and identify sources of fecal contamination in creek, stormwater outfall and beach sites in the Etobicoke Creek watershed (Toronto, ON). Water samples were collected before and immediately following an extreme rain event. MST and CST identified stormwater outfalls as an important source of human fecal contamination during dry and wet conditions. eDNA metabarcoding allowed for potential identification of additional sources of fecal contamination and provided additional evidence of human fecal contamination. The extreme rainfall event altered the eDNA profiles, causing creek and beach sites to reflect a greater diversity of mammal and bird eDNA sequences. The profiles provided by eDNA metabarcoding provide a proof of concept suggesting that eDNA metabarcoding can be a useful tool to complement MST and CST methods for profiling sources of fecal contamination and studying impacts of extreme rain events.
USP45 and Spindly are part of the same complex implicated in cell migration
Authors: Conte Claudia , Griffis Eric R. , Hickson Ian , Perez-Oliva Ana B.
Published: September 2018

Ubiquitylation is a protein modification implicated in several cellular processes. This process is reversible by the action of deubiquinating enzymes (DUBs). USP45 is a ubiquitin specific protease about which little is known, aside from roles in DNA damage repair and differentiation of the vertebrate retina. Here, by using mass spectrometry we have identified Spindly as a new target of USP45. Our data show that Spindly and USP45 are part of the same complex and that their interaction specifically depends on the catalytic activity of USP45. In addition, we describe the type of ubiquitin chains associated with the complex that can be cleaved by USP45, with a preferential activity on K48 ubiquitin chain type and potentially K6. Here, we also show that Spindly is mono-ubiquitylated and this can be specifically removed by USP45 in its active form but not by the catalytic inactive form. Lastly, we identified a new role for USP45 in cell migration, similar to that which was recently described for Spindly.
Cold plasma treatment for cotton seed germination improvement
Authors: de Groot Gerard J. J. B. , Hundt Andy , Murphy Anthony B. , Bange Michael P. , Mai-Prochnow Anne
Published: September 2018

Adverse environmental conditions at planting, such as cold temperature or water limitation, can lead to a reduced level of seed germination and plant establishment for cotton. Cold atmospheric-pressure plasma (CAP) treatment of cotton seeds prior to planting may help alleviate this problem. CAP is ionised gas that has a range of biological activities due to the formation of a mix of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), excited molecules, charged particles and UV photons. Our results show that a 27 minutes CAP treatment using air can significantly increase water absorption of the seed, and improve warm germination, metabolic chill test germination and chilling tolerance in cotton. We also observe that the beneficial effect of CAP treatment is long-lasting and stable as improved germination activity is still seen when treatment occurs 4 months before germination testing, suggesting that future large-scale industrial seed plasma treatments may still be effectively applied well (months) before the seed planting. We conclude that CAP treatment is a promising new tool for use in the cotton industry that has the potential to significantly improve plant establishment in a wider range of environmental conditions.
Levelt’s laws do not predict perception when luminance- and contrast-modulated stimuli compete during binocular rivalry
Authors: Skerswetat Jan , Formankiewicz Monika A. , Waugh Sarah J.
Published: September 2018

Incompatible patterns viewed by each of the two eyes can provoke binocular rivalry, a competition of perception. Levelt’s first law predicts that a highly visible stimulus will predominate over a less visible stimulus during binocular rivalry. In a behavioural study, we made a counterintuitive observation: high visibility patterns do not always predominate over low visibility patterns. Our results show that none of Levelt’s binocular rivalry laws hold when luminance-modulated (LM) patterns compete with contrast-modulated (CM) patterns. We discuss visual saliency, asymmetric feedback, and a combination of both as potential mechanisms to explain the CM versus LM findings. Competing orthogonal LM stimuli do follow Levelt’s laws, whereas only the first two laws hold for competing CM stimuli. The current results provide strong psychophysical evidence for the existence of separate processing stages for LM and CM stimuli.
Loss of the mitochondrial kinase PINK1 does not alter platelet function
Authors: Walsh Tony G. , van den Bosch Marion T. J. , Lewis Kirsty E. , Williams Christopher M. , Poole Alastair W.
Published: September 2018

PTEN-induced putative kinase (PINK) 1 is regarded as a master regulator of cellular mitophagy such that loss of function mutations contribute to early onset Parkinson’s disease, through aberrant mitochondrial control and function. Mitochondrial function is key to platelet procoagulant activity, controlling the haemostatic response to vessel injury, but can also predispose blood vessels to thrombotic complications. Here, we sought to determine the role of PINK1 in platelet mitochondrial health and function using PINK1 knockout (KO) mice. The data largely show an absence of such a role. Haematological analysis of blood counts from KO mice was comparable to wild type. Quantification of mitochondrial mass by citrate synthase activity assay or expression of mitochondrial markers were comparable, suggesting normal mitophagy in KO platelets. Analysis of mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening, changes in mitochondrial membrane potential and calcium signalling to platelet activation were unaffected by loss of PINK1, whereas subtle enhancements of activation-induced reactive oxygen species were detected. Platelet aggregation, integrin activation, α- and dense granule secretion and phosphatidylserine exposure were unaltered in KO platelets while mouse tail bleeding responses were similar to wild type. Together these results demonstrate that PINK1 does not regulate basal platelet mitophagy and is dispensable for platelet function.
Termites shape their collective behavioural response based on stage of infection
Authors: Davis Hannah E. , Meconcelli Stefania , Radek Renate , McMahon Dino P.
Published: September 2018

Social insects employ a range of behaviours to protect their colonies against disease, but little is known about how such collective behaviours are orchestrated. This is especially true for the social Blattodea (termites). We developed an experimental approach that allowed us to explore how the social response to disease is co-ordinated by multistep host-pathogen interactions. We infected the eastern subterranean termiteReticulitermes flavipeswith the entomopathogenic fungusMetarhizium anisopliae, and then, at different stages of infection, reintroduced them to healthy nestmates and recorded behavioural responses. As expected, termites groomed pathogen-exposed individuals significantly more than controls; however, grooming was significantly elevated after fungal germination than before, demonstrating the importance of fungal status to hygienic behaviour. Significantly, we found that cannibalism became prevalent only after exposed termites became visibly ill, highlighting the importance of host condition as a cue for social hygienic behaviour. Our study reveals the presence of a coordinated social response to disease that depends on stage of infection. Specifically, we show how the host may play a key role in triggering its own sacrifice. Sacrificial self-flagging has been observed in other social insects: our results demonstrate that termites have independently evolved to both recognize and destructively respond to sickness.
Crystalline and oxide phases revealed and formed on InSb(111)B
Authors: Mäkelä Jaakko , Jahanshah Rad Zahra Sadat , Lehtiö Juha-Pekka , Kuzmin Mikhail , Punkkinen Marko P. J. , Laukkanen Pekka , Kokko Kalevi
Published: September 2018

Oxidation treatment creating a well-ordered crystalline structure has been shown to provide a major improvement for III–V semiconductor/oxide interfaces in electronics. We present this treatment’s effects on InSb(111)B surface and its electronic properties with scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. Possibility to oxidize (111)B surface with parameters similar to the ones used for (100) surface is found, indicating a generality of the crystalline oxidation among different crystal planes, crucial for utilization in nanotechnology. The outcome is strongly dependent on surface conditions and remarkably, the (111) plane can oxidize without changes in surface lattice symmetry, or alternatively, resulting in a complex, semicommensurate quasicrystal-like structure. The findings are of major significance for passivation via oxide termination for nano-structured III–V/oxide devices containing several crystal plane surfaces. As a proof-of-principle, we present a procedure where InSb(111)B surface is cleaned by simple HCl-etching, transferred via air, and post-annealed and oxidized in ultrahigh vacuum.
Intravitreal aflibercept versus bevacizumab for treatment of myopic choroidal neovascularization
Authors: Wang Jia-Kang , Huang Tzu-Lun , Chang Pei-Yao , Chen Yen-Ting , Chang Chin-Wei , Chen Fang-Ting , Hsu Yung-Ray , Chen Yun-Ju
Published: September 2018

The authors performed a retrospective and comparative study to compare the efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept and bevacizumab for patients with myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV). The patients with treatment-naïve mCNV received 1 + PRN intravitreal bevacizumab from March 2008 to February 2013, while from March 2013 to July 2016 patients were treated by 1 + PRN intravitreal aflibercept, all with monthly follow-up for 12 months. Primary outcome measures included change in central foveal thickness (CFT) in 1 mm by spectral-domain optic coherence tomography, and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at month 12. Complications after injections were recorded. The intra-group changes in CFT and BCVA were compared with Wilcoxon signed rank test, the between-group difference compared with Wilcoxon rank sum test. Fisher’s exact test was used for categorical comparison between groups. Seventy-eight eyes of 78 patients were collected. There were 42 eyes in bevacizumab group, with mean age of 53.2 ± 5.4 years and 27 female patients of them. The mean BCVA significantly improved from baseline 0.56 ± 0.35 logMAR to 0.35 ± 0.35 logMAR at Month 12 after bevacizumab treatment (p < 0.001). The mean CFT significantly decreased from baseline 315.3 ± 25.6 μm to 253.7 ± 24.4 μm at Month 12 following intravitreal bevacizumab (p < 0.001). There were 36 eyes in aflibercept group, with mean age of 52.8 ± 6.8 years and 24 female patients of them. The mean BCVA significantly improved from baseline 0.61 ± 0.47 logMAR to 0.38 ± 0.41 logMAR at Month 12 after aflibercept treatment (p < 0.001). The mean CFT significantly decreased from baseline 328.2 ± 19.8 μm to 241.8 ± 27.2 μm at Month 12 following intravitreal aflibercept (p < 0.001). The baseline demographics, lens status, axial length, refractive errors, duration of symptoms, BCVA, and CFT did not differ significantly between groups (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference between bevacizumab and aflibercept groups in BCVA and CFT from Month 1 to Month 12 (p > 0.05). Injection number of aflibercept was 2.11 ± 0.41, less than that of bevacizumab (3.23 ± 0.38) during 12-month period (p = 0.01). There were no systemic thromboembolic event, elevated intraocular pressure, retinal detachment, or infectious endophthalmitis following injections in both groups. We concluded that both aflibercept and bevacizumab can effectively treat choroidal neovascularization in high myopes. Intravitreal aflibercept had similar efficacy but less treatment number than bevacizumab for mCNV during 12-month period.
A Potassium Metal-Organic Framework based on Perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylate as Sensing Layer for Humidity Actuators
Authors: Seco José Manuel , San Sebastián Eider , Cepeda Javier , Biel Blanca , Salinas-Castillo Alfonso , Fernández Belén , Morales Diego P. , Bobinger Marco , Gómez-Ruiz Santiago , Loghin Florin C. , Rivadeneyra Almudena , Rodríguez-Diéguez Antonio
Published: September 2018

We have synthesized a novel three-dimensional metal-organic-framework (MOF) based on the perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylate linker and potassium as metallic centre. We report the formation of this K-based MOF using conventional routes with water as solvent. This material displays intense green photoluminescence at room temperature, and displays an aggregation dependent quenching. Correlation of the optical properties with the crystalline packing was confirmed by DFT calculations. We also demonstrate its potential to build humidity actuators with a reversible and reproducible response, with a change of 5 orders of magnitudes in its impedance at about 40% relative humidity (RH). This 3D-MOF is based on an interesting perylene derivative octadentate ligand, a moiety with interesting fluorescent properties and known component in organic semiconductors. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time to build such a printed and flexible actuator towards humidity with a reversible response, enabling precise humidity threshold monitoring.
Halogen-Bond-Assisted Photoluminescence Modulation in Carbazole-Based Emitter
Authors: Salunke Jagadish K. , Durandin Nikita A. , Ruoko Tero-Petri , Candeias Nuno R. , Vivo Paola , Vuorimaa-Laukkanen Elina , Laaksonen Timo , Priimagi Arri
Published: September 2018

Halogen bonding between a carbazole-based, pyridine-substituted organic semiconductor and a common halogen-bond donor (pentafluoroiodobenzene) yields efficient halogen-bond-driven fluorescence modulation in solution. Steady-state, time-resolved emission and absorption spectroscopy as well as density functional theory studies demonstrate that the fluorescence modulation arises from halogen-bond-induced intramolecular charge transfer. Fluorescence modulation offers a range of possibilities both in solution and in the solid state, for instance providing a potential pathway for the design of tunable luminescent materials for light-emitting devices.
Light-regulated crystal growth of π-conjugated luminophores in an azobenzene matrix
Authors: Kobayashi Takuji , Kitamoto Yuichi , Hirai Yu , Kajitani Takashi , Seki Tomohiro , Yagai Shiki
Published: September 2018

Control over the phase transition of functional molecules is a key to design stimuli-responsive materials. Although many efforts have been devoted toward controlling the phase transition of functional molecules by various stimuli such as temperature, solvent vapor, and mechanical stimuli, indirect control using other stimuli-responsive molecules has been hardly explored. Here we demonstrate the potential of this methodology by using a luminescent and a photoresponsive molecule. We prepare blend films composed of an oligo(p-phenylenevinylene) amphiphile showing intrinsic luminescent chromism through isotropic-to-crystalline phase transition and a photo-liquefiable azobenzene amphiphile. The two materials are designed to co-assemble on the molecular level by introducing identical alkyl and oligo(ethylene glycol) chains. The blend films exhibit a luminescence color change from orange to green upon rubbing and subsequent exposure to UV light. Structural analyses reveal that the crystallization of the luminescent amphiphile is regulated by the photoinduced isotropization of the azobenzene amphiphile.
In vitroevolution of anl-amino acid deaminase active onl-1-naphthylalanine
Authors: Melis Roberta , Rosini Elena , Pirillo Valentina , Pollegioni Loredano , Molla Gianluca
Published: September 2018

l-Amino acid deaminase fromProteus myxofaciens(PmaLAAD) is a promising biocatalyst for enantioselective biocatalysis that can be exploited to produce optically pured-amino acids or α-keto acids.
Electrochemicallyin situcontrollable assembly of hierarchically-ordered and integrated inorganic–carbon hybrids for efficient hydrogen evolution
Authors: Wang Zhong-Li , Sun Keju , Henzie Joel , Hao Xianfeng , Ide Yusuke , Takei Toshiaki , Bando Yoshio , Yamauchi Yusuke
Published: September 2018

A novel redox-unit cooperative assembly strategy is developed to construct hierarchically-ordered and integrated inorganic–carbon hybrids by electrochemically tuning the PANI to controllably bond metal complexes.
Anisotropic microfibres of a liquid-crystalline diketopyrrolopyrrole by self-assembly-assisted electrospinning
Authors: Hecht Markus , Soberats Bartolome , Zhu Jian , Stepanenko Vladimir , Agarwal Seema , Greiner Andreas , Würthner Frank
Published: September 2018

Electrospinning is used to prepare microfibres with anisotropic arrangement of a diketopyrrolopyrrole that self-assembles in solution and forms liquid-crystalline phases in bulk.
Surface related intrinsic luminescence from carbon nanodots: solvent dependent piezochromism
Authors: Jing Pengtao , Han Dong , Li Di , Zhou Ding , Shen Dezhen , Xiao Guanjun , Zou Bo , Qu Songnan
Published: September 2018

Solvent dependent blue- and red-shift piezochromism of carbon dots were studied by diamond anvil cell with in situ optical measurements.
MoS2monolayers on Si and SiO2nanocone arrays: influences of 3D dielectric material refractive index on 2D MoS2optical absorption
Authors: Kim Eunah , Cho Jin-Woo , Nguyen Tri Khoa , Nguyen Trang Thi Thu , Yoon Seokhyun , Choi Jun-Hyuk , Park Yun Chang , Kim Sun-Kyung , Kim Yong Soo , Kim Dong-Wook
Published: September 2018

The weak light confinement in low refractive index SiO2nanocone (NC) leads to greater optical absorption in the MoS2monolayers on SiO2NCs, compared with that on Si NCs.
Amorphous CuSnO3 nanospheres anchored on interconnected carbon networks for use as novel anode materials for high-performance sodium ion batteries
Authors: Zhang Yi , Zhou Limin , Xiong Fangyu , Tang Han , An Qinyou , Mai Liqiang
Published: September 2018

Bimetal oxide CuSnO3 nanospheres encapsulated in carbon networks were explored as novel anode materials for sodium batteries.
Responses of the electron transfer capacity of soil humic substances to agricultural land-use types
Authors: Xi Beidou , Tang Zhurui , Jiang Jie , Tan Wenbing , Huang Caihong , Yuan Wenchao , Xia Xiangqin
Published: September 2018

Agricultural land-use types could affect the transformation and decomposition of HS in soils, and thus further change the intrinsic chemical structures associated with ETC.
Alginic acid aquagel as a template and carbon source in the synthesis of Li4Ti5O12/C nanocomposites for application as anodes in Li-ion batteries
Authors: Kim Sanghoon , Alauzun Johan G. , Louvain Nicolas , Brun Nicolas , Stievano Lorenzo , Boury Bruno , Monconduit Laure , Mutin P. Hubert
Published: September 2018

We report here a simple process for the synthesis of Li4Ti5O12(LTO)/carbon nanocomposites by a one-pot method using an alginic acid aquagel as a template and carbon source, and lithium acetate and TiO2 nanoparticles as precursors to the LTO phase.
Effects of coordination sphere on unusually large zero field splitting and slow magnetic relaxation in trigonally symmetric molecules
Authors: Schulte Kelsey A. , Vignesh Kuduva R. , Dunbar Kim R.
Published: September 2018

Coordination of a water molecule results in drastic effects on the magnetic behavior of a series of trigonal monopyramidal and bipyramidal compounds.
Self-assembly of anisotropic red blood cell (RBC)-like colloidal particles
Authors: Song Liujun , Du Xiaolin , Zhong Li , Zhang Xinya , Cheng Zhengdong
Published: September 2018

The diagram shows a highly ordered periodic crystalline array, multilayer structure, Bragg diffraction phenomenon and well-patterned binary colloidal crystals, respectively.
Realizing enhanced luminescence of silver nanocluster–peptide soft hydrogels by PEI reinforcement
Authors: Xin Xia , Gao Yuanyuan , Zhang Qingyu , Wang Zhi , Sun Di , Yuan Shiling , Xia Haibing
Published: September 2018

Schematic illustration of the formation of fluorescent Ag6-NCs/DD-5 hydrogel and Ag6-NCs/DD-5/PEI hydrogel.
Assembly of β-Cu2V2O7/WO3 heterostructured nanocomposites and the impact of their composition on structure and photoelectrochemical properties
Authors: Scarongella Mariateresa , Gadiyar Chethana , Strach Michal , Rimoldi Luca , Loiudice Anna , Buonsanti Raffaella
Published: September 2018

Tuning interfaces is crucial to improve charge separation in inorganic bulk heterojunctions.
Phase transition induced Raman enhancement on vanadium dioxide (VO2) nanosheets
Authors: Miao Peng , Wu Jie , Du Yunchen , Sun Yanchun , Xu Ping
Published: September 2018

Crystal symmetry matters: with the increase in the crystal symmetry from VO2(B) to VO2(M) and to VO2(R), a dramatic decline in Raman enhancement on VO2 nanosheets is revealed through temperature-dependent Raman measurements.
Off‐grid DOA estimation for nested array using atomic norm minimisation
Authors: Jiang Hong , Tang Wen‐Gen , Pang Shuai‐Xuan
Published: September 2018

Nested array (NA) has received much attention for providing more degrees of freedom compared with the traditional uniform linear array. An off‐grid compressed sensing (CS) method is proposed using atomic norm minimisation for NA to identify the unknown direction‐of‐arrival of multiple sources, which overcomes the drawback of grid‐mismatch effect of the conventional CS algorithms such as orthogonal matching pursuit, and achieves better performance than the subspace methods. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Controversial ‘pixel’ prior rule for JPEG adaptive steganography
Authors: Zhou Wenbo , Li Weixiang , Chen Kejiang , Zhou Hang , Zhang Weiming , Yu Nenghai
Published: September 2018

Currently, the most successful model for image adaptive steganography is the framework of minimal distortion, in which a reasonable definition of costs can improve the security level. In the authors' previous work, they developed a rule for cost reassignment in spatial domain called the ‘controversial pixel prior (CPP)’ rule, which defines controversial pixels by utilizing the controversies among several comparable schemes. The CPP rule gives controversial pixels higher modification priorities. In this study, they investigate migrating the CPP rule from the spatial domain to the joint photographic experts group (JPEG) domain and name it the J‐CPP rule. In JPEG images, the cover elements are discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients and variant factors mayinfluence the distortion definition includingquantisation step, inter‐blocks correlation and block energy. However, there is no evidence to reveal which factor is of highest priority for promoting security. In this work, they investigate which factor is more helpful in promoting J‐CPP rule, and they finally determine to set the spatial block residual as a penalty to perfect J‐CPP rule. Through extensive experiments on different JPEG steganographic algorithms and steganalysis features, they demonstrate that the J‐CPP rule can improve the security of JPEG adaptive steganography.
Control method for the two‐stage matrix converter to enhance the linear voltage transfer ratio
Authors: Wang Hui , Zhang Yichun , Su Mei , Sun Yao , Li Xin , Zhang Guanguan
Published: September 2018

The relatively low‐linear voltage transfer ratio (VTR) is considered an intrinsic drawback of the conventional two‐stage matrix converter (TSMC). However, the studies demonstrate that the linear VTR of the third‐harmonic injection TSMC (3TSMC) can push this limit. After reviewing the operating principles and modulation strategy of 3TSMC briefly, the VTR characteristic of 3TSMC is analysed and a control method to enhance the linear VTR is proposed. With the developed method, the maximum linear VTR can break through the intrinsic limit and VTR > 0.866 can be achieved by regulating the input reactive power under arbitrary output conditions theoretically. Finally, simulations and experimental results verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis, and the comparison of 3TSMC and other TSMCs with improved VTR demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Passive ISAR part I: framework and considerations
Authors: Garry Joseph Landon , Smith Graeme Edward
Published: September 2018

In part I of a two‐part passive imaging series, a comprehensive framework for imaging of air targets with passive radar (PR) systems is developed. All operations necessary to convert raw sample data into two‐dimensional imagery are touched on. The bistatic geometries, relatively narrow signal bandwidths, and low centre frequencies of most PR illuminators are considered along with their impact on image formation procedures. The core PR processing stages stemming from the illuminators’ waveform properties are also examined within this context. The various stages of translational motion compensation are shown to have significant impact on image quality, while target tracking data aids estimation of the apparent target rotation. In turn, this enables cross‐range scaling for more advanced methods of image formation to a known image formation plane. Thus, the established framework establishes necessary operations for extension to the multistatic imaging case. The framework is validated in simulation with parameters in accordance with digital television broadcast signals.