bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Amino acid and lipid associated plasma metabolomic patterns are related to healthspan indicators with ageing
Authors: Johnson Lawrence C. , Martens Christopher R. , Santos-Parker Jessica R. , Bassett Candace J. , Strahler Talia R. , Cruickshank-Quinn Charmion , Reisdorph Nichole , McQueen Matthew B. , Seals Douglas R.
Published: June 2018

Advancing age is associated with impairments in numerous physiological systems, leading to an increased risk of chronic disease and disability, and reduced healthspan (the period of high functioning healthy life). The plasma metabolome is thought to reflect changes in the activity of physiological systems that influence healthspan. Accordingly, we utilized an LC-MS metabolomics analysis of plasma collected from healthy young and older individuals to characterize global changes in small molecule abundances with age. Using a weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA), similarly expressed metabolites were grouped into modules that were related to indicators of healthspan, including clinically relevant markers of morphology (body mass index, body fat, and lean mass), cardiovascular health (systolic/diastolic blood pressure, endothelial function), renal function (glomerular filtration rate), and maximal aerobic exercise capacity in addition to conventional clinical blood markers (e.g. fasting glucose and lipids). Investigation of metabolic classes represented within each module revealed that amino acid and lipid metabolism as significantly associated with age and indicators of healthspan. Further LC-MS/MS targeted analyses of the same samples were used to identify specific metabolites related to age and indicators of healthspan, including methionine and nitric oxide pathways, fatty acids, and ceramides. Overall, these results demonstrate that plasma metabolomics profiles in general, and amino acid and lipid metabolism in particular, are associated with ageing and indicators of healthspan in healthy adults.
Optimal load dispatch for industrial manufacturing process based on demand response in a smart grid
Authors: Lu Xinhui , Zhou Kaile , Zhang Chi , Yang Shanlin
Published: June 2018

As a key smart grid technology, demand response (DR) can effectively balance the supply and demand of electricity in the power system, which both reduces the energy consumption costs and improves the stability of the power grid. The industrial sector is one of the major consumers of electricity, and it is of great practical significance and potential to implement DR programs in the industrial sector. In this study, the state-task network is first implemented to model an industrial manufacturing process. Then, a new optimal load dispatch model for the industrial manufacturing process based on DR in a smart grid environment is proposed. In the model, the energy storage system (ESS) and distributed energy resources (DERs) are included. Finally, a stamping process of automobile manufacturing is selected as a case study, in which the effects of DR, ESS, and DERs on the industrial load dispatch are discussed, respectively. The results show that parts of the electricity demand can be shifted from peak to off-peak periods through DR, which can reduce the energy consumption costs for the industrial manufacturing process. Meanwhile, the results reveal that the energy costs can be reduced further by managing the electricity storage of the ESS and through the deployment of DERs.
Laser-controlled field effect in graphene/hexagonal boron nitride heterostructures
Authors: Wlasny I. , Stepniewski R. , Klusek Z. , Strupinski W. , Wysmolek A.
Published: June 2018

The possibility of modification of the local properties of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) by laser irradiation is investigated. Investigations conducted using both Raman spectroscopy and electrostatic force microscopy were performed. Laser light induced modifications are found to cause no structural changes. However, they impact the Raman spectra and local charge state of the material. They are also shown to be stable in time and during electrical grounding of the sample. A mechanism of photoionization of deep defects present in h-BN is proposed to explain the observed phenomenon. The discussed effect opens up a new method of nanostructuration of h-BN based planar heterostructures.
Van der Waals epitaxy of two-dimensional single-layer h-BN on graphite by molecular beam epitaxy: Electronic properties and band structure
Authors: Pierucci Debora , Zribi Jihene , Henck Hugo , Chaste Julien , Silly Mathieu G. , Bertran François , Le Fevre Patrick , Gil Bernard , Summerfield Alex , Beton Peter H. , Novikov Sergei V. , Cassabois Guillaume , Rault Julien E. , Ouerghi Abdelkarim
Published: June 2018

We report on the controlled growth of h-BN/graphite by means of molecular beam epitaxy. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggests the presence of an interface without any reaction or intermixing, while the angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements show that the h-BN layers are epitaxially aligned with graphite. A well-defined band structure is revealed by ARPES measurements, reflecting the high quality of the h-BN films. The measured valence band maximum located at 2.8 eV below the Fermi level reveals the presence of undoped h-BN films (band gap ∼ 6 eV). These results demonstrate that, although only weak van der Waals interactions are present between h-BN and graphite, a long range ordering of h-BN can be obtained even on polycrystalline graphite via van der Waals epitaxy, offering the prospect of large area, single layer h-BN.
Buoyancy induced turbulence modulation in pipe flow at supercritical pressure under cooling conditions
Authors: Pandey Sandeep , Chu Xu , Laurien Eckart , Weigand Bernhard
Published: June 2018

A numerical investigation of cooling of a fluid at supercritical pressure has been performed by means of direct numerical simulations. The simulations were conducted with a uniform heat flux imposed at the wall at an inlet bulk Reynolds number of 5400. The aim of this work is to understand the role of buoyancy in modulating the turbulence in a flow where properties are spatially varying. Heat transfer deterioration followed by recovery is observed in the downward flow while enhancement occurs in the upward flow as compared to forced convection. The decomposition of the skin friction factor and the Nusselt number was performed. The major effects on the skin friction factor were brought by the non-uniform body force due to the gravity. The turbulent parts equally influence the Nusselt number as well as the skin friction factor in supercritical flows. Quadrant analysis and its weighted joint probability density function were analyzed to understand the role of sweep (Q4) and ejection (Q2) events. During the heat transfer deterioration, sweep and ejection events are decreased greatly, triggering the reduction in turbulence. The recovery in turbulence is brought by the Q1 and Q3 (also known as outward and inward interaction) events, contrary to the conventional belief about turbulence generation. The turbulence anisotropy of the Reynolds stress tensor is investigated showing that the turbulence structure becomes rod-like during the deteriorated heat transfer regime in the downward flow and disc-like for the upward flow.
A redshift mechanism of high-order harmonics: Change of ionization energy
Authors: Yue Shengjun , Fu Silin , Li Jinbin , Zhang Xiao , Feng Yongkang , Hu Bitao , Du Hongchuan
Published: June 2018

We theoretically study the high-order harmonic generation of H2+ and its isotopes beyond the Born-Oppenheimer dynamics. It is surprising that the spectral redshift can still be observed in high harmonic spectra of H2+ driven by a sinusoidal laser pulse in which the trailing (leading) edge of the laser pulse is nonexistent. The results confirm that this spectral redshift originates from the reduction in ionization energy between recombination time and ionization time, which is obviously different from the nonadiabatic spectral redshift induced by the falling edge of the laser pulse. Additionally, the improved instantaneous frequency of harmonics by considering the changeable ionization energy can deeply verify our results. Therefore, this new mechanism must be taken into account when one uses the nonadiabatic spectral redshift to retrieve the nuclear motion.
Oscillating dispersed-phase co-flow microfluidic droplet generation: Multi-droplet size effect
Authors: Shams Khorrami Amin , Rezai Pouya
Published: June 2018

Controllable generation of microdroplets at desired sizes and throughputs is important in many applications. Many biological assays require size-optimized droplets for effective encapsulation of analytes and reagents. To perform size optimization, different-size droplets must be generated from identical sources of samples to prevent potential cross-sample variations or other sources of error. In this paper, we introduce a novel alteration of the co-flow droplet generation technique to achieve multi-size generation of monodispersed droplets. Using a custom-made mechanism, we oscillate the disperse-phase (d-phase) flow nozzle perpendicular to the continuous phase (c-phase) flow in a co-flow channel. Oscillation of the d-phase nozzle introduces an additional lateral drag force to the growing droplets while exposing them to various levels of axial drag owing to the parabolic velocity distribution of the c-phase flow. Superimposing both effects results in simultaneous and repeatable generation of monodispersed droplets with different sizes. The effect of nozzle oscillation frequency (f = 0–15 Hz) on droplet generation at different d-phase (Qd = 0.05, 0.10, and 0.50 ml/min) and c-phase (Qc = 2, 5, and 10 ml/min) flow rates was studied. A wide range of monodispersed droplets (4nl–4 μl) were generated using this method. Droplet sizes were directly proportional to the We number and inversely proportional to the Ca number and oscillation frequency. Our technique is promising for applications such as aqueous two-phase systems, where due to inherently low interfacial tension, the d-phase flow forms a long stable jet which can be broken into droplets using the additional oscillatory drag in our device.
Exploring bismuth-based alternatives to lead-halide perovskites
Authors: Wolverton Mark
Published: June 2018

Bismuth-based photovoltaic compounds show possibilities as lead-halide analogs without the toxicity risks.
Computational design of orthogonal membrane receptor-effector switches for rewiring signaling pathways
Authors: Young M. , Dahoun T. , Sokrat B. , Arber C. , Chen K. M. , Bouvier M. , Barth P.
Published: June 2018

Significance

Membrane receptors sense and translate extracellular signals into specific intracellular functions and represent powerful molecules for biomedicine and synthetic biology. However, the computational design of receptors with novel signaling functions remains challenging because receptors often couple to multiple intracellular proteins with poorly characterized interactions. We developed a computational approach to model and rationally engineer orthogonal receptor-intracellular protein pairs that bind and signal with high selectivity. The orthogonal receptor-effector systems coupled with high efficiency and triggered the intended cellular functions without interfering with natural systems. The designed proteins displayed key, distinct sequence motifs when compared with native proteins, which expanded the alphabet of receptor-effector recognition. This design approach can be used to reprogram cellular functions in cell-engineering applications.
Local quantum phase transition in YFe
2
Al
10
Authors: Gannon W. J. , Wu L. S. , Zaliznyak I. A. , Xu W. H. , Tsvelik A. M. , Qiu Y. , Rodriguez-Rivera J. A. , Aronson M. C.
Published: June 2018

Significance

We report the discovery of a type of phase transition that occurs at

T
=
0

. In continuous phase transitions, order occurs when the size and lifetime of small ordered regions increase until they span the system and become static. Reported here is experimental evidence of a transition where this paradigm fails. Our observed phase transition is local, where each magnetic moment in YFe
2
Al
10
is independent of every other moment, yet each moment follows the same spectrum of quantum critical fluctuations. The phase transition present in YFe
2
Al
10
is a realization of a scenario only hinted at by theory, corresponding to the formation of magnetic moments, with no evidence for the breaking of translational symmetry that accompanies magnetic order.
Quantifying coal power plant responses to tighter SO
2
emissions standards in China
Authors: Karplus Valerie J. , Zhang Shuang , Almond Douglas
Published: June 2018

Significance

We observe large reductions in the concentration of sulfur dioxide (SO
2
) from coal power plants in China following the implementation of a tougher national air emissions standard using a high-frequency plant-level data source. We find a corresponding decline in SO
2
measures in satellite observations. However, correspondence between these two measures is lower in areas that faced a sharper increase in standard stringency.
Three-dimensional virtual histology of human cerebellum by X-ray phase-contrast tomography
Authors: Töpperwien Mareike , van der Meer Franziska , Stadelmann Christine , Salditt Tim
Published: June 2018

Significance

The complex cytoarchitecture of human brain tissue is traditionally studied by histology, providing structural information in 2D planes. This can be partly extended to 3D by inspecting many parallel slices, however, at nonisotropic resolution. This work shows that propagation-based X-ray phase-contrast tomography, both at the synchrotron and even at a compact laboratory source, can be used to perform noninvasive 3D virtual histology on unstained paraffin-embedded human cerebellum at isotropic subcellular resolution. The resulting data quality is high enough to visualize and automatically locate ∼10
6
neurons within the different layers of the cerebellum, providing unprecedented data on its 3D cytoarchitecture and spatial organization.
Sodium and proton coupling in the conformational cycle of a MATE antiporter from
Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Claxton Derek P. , Jagessar Kevin L. , Steed P. Ryan , Stein Richard A. , Mchaourab Hassane S.
Published: June 2018

Significance

Transporters from the multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) superfamily protect the cell from cytotoxic molecules through an efflux mechanism that is dependent on ion electrochemical gradients. This study examined the role of specific residues in supporting conformational changes associated with ion and drug binding in NorM, an archetype of MATE transporters. The results show that a network of conserved residues in the N-terminal domain is critical for Na
+
- and H
+
-driven conformational changes, whereas residues in the C-terminal domain mediate drug binding. Informed by a correlation of conformational dynamics with transport activity, we propose a model that describes how conserved residues mediate ion-coupled structural changes underlying drug efflux.
Error-prone protein synthesis in parasites with the smallest eukaryotic genome
Authors: Melnikov Sergey V. , Rivera Keith D. , Ostapenko Denis , Makarenko Arthur , Sanscrainte Neil D. , Becnel James J. , Solomon Mark J. , Texier Catherine , Pappin Darryl J. , Söll Dieter
Published: June 2018

Significance

Microsporidia are poorly treatable eukaryotic pathogens that threaten human health and industrially valuable insects and fish, yet we are only beginning to understand the complex biology of these emerging pathogens. Here we combine bioinformatics, biochemistry, and mass spectrometry analyses to show that Microsporidia carry an error-prone machinery of protein synthesis, and that their protein synthesis is accompanied by a remarkable number of translation errors. This finding reveals a previously unknown aspect of protein synthesis in these emerging parasites and creates a potential opportunity to use the defective protein synthesis machinery as a therapeutic target to treat microsporidia infections.
LARGE, an intellectual disability-associated protein, regulates AMPA-type glutamate receptor trafficking and memory
Authors: Seo Bo Am , Cho Taesup , Lee Daniel Z. , Lee Joong-jae , Lee Boyoung , Kim Seong-Wook , Shin Hee-Sup , Kang Myoung-Goo
Published: June 2018

Significance

In human patients, mutations in the
LARGE
gene cause congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) type 1D, which, unlike other types of CMD, is accompanied by severe intellectual disability. Neurological phenotypes of
LARGE
knockout mice also suggest the possibility of impaired learning and memory. Our study using region-specific
LARGE
knockdown provides strong evidence that a deficit of LARGE in the hippocampus results in excitatory synapses being abnormally potentiated through the overloading of AMPA-type glutamate receptor, thereby impairing hippocampus-dependent memory. Our data reveal an intriguing role for LARGE in regulating the fine-tuning of synaptic strength in the hippocampus, which influences hippocampus-dependent memory. The results provide crucial insights for the therapeutic treatment of brain disorders associated with intellectual disability.
Hyperstimulation of CaSR in human MSCs by biomimetic apatite inhibits endochondral ossification via temporal down-regulation of PTH1R
Authors: Sarem Melika , Heizmann Miriam , Barbero Andrea , Martin Ivan , Shastri V. Prasad
Published: June 2018

Significance

Bone formation occurs through two distinct pathways, namely, endochondral ossification (EO) and intramembranous ossification (IMO). While significant effort has gone into understanding the role of various soluble signals in EO and IMO, the impact of the bone inorganic interface in triggering these ossification pathways has remained unexplored. Herein, we report the discovery that the bone-like mineral phase promotes formation of bone by mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) exclusively via IMO even in the presence of soluble signals that promote the EO paradigm. Furthermore, we provide mechanistic insights into our observations and illustrate a previously unidentified role for extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) in dictating the choice of ossification pathway in MSCs. These findings have significant implications for developing new strategies for bone repair and understanding bone homeostasis.
Written languages, East-Asian scripts, and cross-linguistic influences
Authors: Pae Hye K.
Published: June 2018

This chapter describes the realm of writing systems, scripts, and orthographies focusing on three East-Asian languages – Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. With the operational definitions of basic terms, it identifies the visual resemblances in square blocks as the essential feature underlying commonalities among the three scripts as well as the internal structures of words and linguistic units as the crucial features behind dissimilarities. Next, it describes the scope and breadth of cross-linguistic influences and how models and theories of word processing can be established through cross-linguistic research. The chapter closes with the book’s objectives, intended audiences, and organization.
Introduction to script processing in Chinese and cognitive consequences for bilingual reading
Authors: Lin Candise Yue , Wang Min , Singh Anisha
Published: June 2018

The Chinese writing system forms the sharpest contrast with the English writing system in terms of its grapheme-phoneme mapping principle. This review paper begins with a description of the characteristics of the Chinese writing and spoken systems, which is followed by the discussion of phonological, morphological, and orthographic processing involved in reading Chinese. We then review the literature central to the question as to how cross-language and cross-script differences and similarities in terms of the three basic processes impact reading English as a second language (L2) by native Chinese readers. We address the question from developmental perspectives targeting both children who are learning to read Chinese and English simultaneously and adult sequential learners of English. The chapter concludes with a discussion of limitations in previous research and future directions.
Semantic processing and development in Chinese as a second language
Authors: Jiang Nan
Published: June 2018

Languages differ in the semantic structures underlying their linguistic forms. Thus, the learning of a new language entails the development of a semantic system that is specific to the target language. This chapter reviews recent studies that examined three topics related to semantic processing and development among learners of Chinese as a second language (CSL). They are the factors that may affect the initial understanding of the meanings of unknown words, the acquisition of multiple meanings of polysemous words, and learning of new meanings and new semantic distinctions. The chapter concludes with some discussion of pedagogical implications of this line of research.
Introduction to the multi-script Japanese writing system and word processing
Authors: Joyce Terry , Masuda Hisashi
Published: June 2018

The general consensus among writing-systems researchers is that the Japanese writing system (JWS) is remarkably complex (Joyce, 2002a, 2011). This introductory chapter consists of two main parts that, respectively, provide an overview of the multi-script JWS and a selective review of psycholinguistic research on Japanese visual word processing. More specifically, after outlining its historical development, Part 2 focuses on the contemporary JWS and on highlighting the complex conventions that simultaneously underlie how the component scripts are employed together in essentially complementary ways while effectively sanctioning its pervasive levels of orthographic variation. In contrast, the shorter Part 3 reflects on how JWS’s complexity both poses certain challenges and also affords unique opportunities for investigating the complicated interactions involved in word processing.
Constituent-priming investigations of the morphological activation of Japanese compound words
Authors: Masuda Hisashi , Joyce Terry
Published: June 2018

This chapter reports on two experiments conducted to investigate the morphological activation of two-kanji compound words using the constituent-morpheme priming paradigm with a series of very-brief masked stimulus onset asynchronicity (SOA) conditions. In contrast to Experiment 1 where the word-formation principle (WFP) conditions all involved Sino-Japanese (SJ) compound word targets, the WFP conditions for Experiment 2 included both SJ and native-Japanese (NJ) WFP targets. The results from both experiments provide evidence for the early contributions of morphological information to the lexical processing of compound words, in terms of advantages for left-to-right processing, for head-morphemes and for lexical-stratum. The results are discussed in the context of the Japanese lemma-unit model (Joyce, 2002a, 2002b).
Orthographic and phonological processing in L2-English word recognition
Authors: Yamashita Junko
Published: June 2018

There has been a general consensus that readers develop different cognitive mechanisms in response to linguistic properties of languages and writing systems in which they read, and that processing capacities acquired in the first language (L1) may transfer to reading in another language. However, findings from developmental studies are substantially mixed. To address the conflicting results, this study examined an English word recognition trajectory in L1-Japanese secondary school students from Grade 9 to 11 using a longitudinal research design and observing the relative contribution of orthographic and phonological processing to word recognition. Contrary to the developmental trend in L1-English readers, the significant predictor of word recognition was orthographic processing in lower grades and phonological processing in Grade 11, suggesting the different developmental pathway between L1 and L2 word recognition for the readers of multi-script Japanese.
Cross-linguistic interactions in L2 word meaning inference in English as a foreign language
Authors: Koda Keiko , Miller Ryan T.
Published: June 2018

L2 reading entails a complex cross-linguistic interaction between L1 reading ability and L2 linguistic knowledge. As such, it is seen as a dynamic process of coalescing diverse resources, including cognitive skills, linguistic knowledge, and metalinguistic awareness, in two languages. In this chapter, we explain the nature of morphological awareness as an abstract, yet language-dependent, construct. We then analyze systematic variations in grapheme-morpheme relationships in typologically different languages. Based on the analysis, we propose specific predictions regarding the joint contributions of L1 reading and L2 resources to the development and utilization of L2 morphological awareness. We report a summary of a study addressing the relative contributions of L1 reading ability, L2 morphological awareness and L2 linguistic knowledge to L2 word meaning inference.
Sociocultural implications of the Japanese multi-scripts
Authors: Sato Eriko
Published: June 2018

This chapter analyzes the development of the Japanese writing system and the use of multiple types of scripts in translated texts in Japanese based on translanguaging. The sociolinguistic concept of translanguaging refers to the strategic use of linguistic repertoires across language boundaries by bilingual language users. In the case of translations of texts into Japanese, various scripts provide numerous communicative and expressive functions which allow users to adapt new concepts, creatively represent ideas, and critically convey their viewpoints. These abilities are often afforded by unconventional use of furigana, or small-sized kana that indicate the proper pronunciation of kanji characters. This study argues that translanguaging occurs not only in oral communications, but also through scripts, and is essential for languages to evolve by incorporating the surrounding sociocultural contexts.
Looking ahead
Authors: Bae Han Suk , Joshi R. Malatesha , Pae Hye K.
Published: June 2018

This closing chapter briefly summarizes research findings on the processes of word reading in three East-Asian orthographies (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) and calls for theoretical and practical attention related to word reading among speakers of these unique languages. Based on the analyses of and reflections on studies of the three orthographies, we first summarize what we know about word reading with respect to reading universals, reading particulars, and cross-language transfer. We then articulate theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical considerations to advance to the next phase of reading sciences in these three orthographies.
The Arabic component in Domari
Authors: Herin Bruno
Published: June 2018

The goal of this paper is to discuss the Arabic component in the northern dialects of Domari spoken in Lebanon, Syria and
Southern Turkey and see to what extent it differs from the Arabic component found in southern Domari, spoken in Jordan and
Palestine and already discussed by Matras (2007, 2012).
Arabic-Berber-Songhay contact and the grammaticalisation of ‘thing’
Authors: Souag Lameen
Published: June 2018

The development of double negation in Arabic has attracted increasing attention in recent years. The striking parallels between
negation in Berber and North African Arabic invite an explanation in contact terms, and such explanations have indeed been
debated. However, in addition to their use in postverbal negation, reflexes of šayʔ have several
functions not directly related to negation, notably indefinite quantification and polar question marking. The marking of these
functions, too, shows striking Arabic-Berber parallels generally neglected in discussions of the phenomenon. Taking these into
account produces a more complete picture of contact influence, and provides clues to the relative chronology of these
developments. In some cases, non-Arabic varieties are found to preserve usages obsolete in present-day regional Arabic
dialects.
Arabic on the Dahlak islands (Eritrea)
Authors: Simeone-Senelle Marie-Claude
Published: June 2018

This paper is devoted to the Arabic dialect spoken on the Dahlak archipelago of Eritrea, a variety of Arabic poorly documented
so far. There are few studies on the Arabic varieties spoken on the African coast of the Red sea (Simeone-Senelle 2000b, 2002, 2005a–b, 2009;
Kassim Mohamed 2012) but none of them has been dedicated particularly to Arabic
as spoken on the islands. By revising previously published data about the Arabic variety spoken by islanders, I will attempt
to assess the specific features of Dahlaki Arabic. After an overview of the archipelago and its sociolinguistic situation on
the three inhabited islands, the main features of Arabic spoken on the islands will be compared with Arabic spoken as lingua franca (ALF) on the African coast of the Red Sea. The issue is to determine to what extend a
distinction can be drawn between both Arabic varieties: Dahlaki Arabic and ALF of the coast.
Phonetical and morphological remarks on the adaptation of Italian loanwords in Libyan Arabic
Authors: D'Anna Luca
Published: June 2018

The contact between Italian and Libyan Arabic, whose earliest traces date back to the first half of the XIX century,
intensified in the decades immediately preceding the Italian occupation of Libya (1911). The number of Italian loanwords in
Libyan Arabic can be estimated at about 700 lexical items, although for some of them the source might be another Romance
language. The present study integrates the loanwords provided by Abdu (1988) with
more lexical items collected from Yoda (2005), Pereira (2010) and the author’s personal fieldwork. The data obtained are subsequently analyzed from a phonetical
and morphological perspective, contributing to the knowledge of the processes of adaptation of Italian loanwords in Libyan
Arabic.
An assessment of the Arabic lexical contribution to contemporary spoken Koalib
Authors: Quint Nicolas
Published: June 2018

The present paper deals with the lexical contribution of Arabic, the dominant language of Sudan, to Koalib, a Kordofanian
language traditionally spoken in the northeastern part of the Nuba Mountains (Southern Kordofan, central Sudan). The study is
based on a corpus of 400 Koalib items borrowed from Arabic, the main characteristics of which (social context, phonology, part
of speech and semantics) are successively examined and discussed. The conclusion summarizes the main typological implications
of the Arabic influence upon the Koalib grammatical system.
From Arabia to Persia and back
Authors: Gazsi Dénes
Published: June 2018

This paper explores the discourse functions of Arabic-Persian code-switching and the phonological/lexical outcomes of language
contact among members of the Āl ʿAlī tribe in the United Arab Emirates and Hurmuzgān Province in Iran. The linguistic
environment among the Āl ʿAlī is characterized by bilingualism and multidialectalism. In the spoken and written code, they
generate a tetra-glossic switching between Modern Standard Arabic, Gulf Colloquial Arabic, Modern Standard Persian, Colloquial
Persian and two Persian dialects: Bandarī and Ačumī. The study draws on recorded data with tribal members in the UAE and
conversation threads of fellow Iranian tribesmen on social media sites. The main theoretical construct applied for the
analysis is the Matrix Language-Frame model (Myers-Scotton 2002). It will be argued
that the nature of codeswitching among the Āl ʿAlī is situational and transactional, both inter- and intra-sentential.
Language and dialect choice is determined by the topic of the conversation, the interlocutors’ identity and their relationship
to each other.
Preparation of copper amalgam (CuHg) as working electrode for analysis of selenium
Authors: Dara F , Buchari  , Noviandri I
Published: June 2018

Selenium is an essential trace element for human. Beside the range of concentration, the beneficial and toxic effects of selenium are also depending on which chemical form it takes. In nature or environment and some organisms, selenium is present both in organic and inorganic forms where some studies revealed that inorganic species especially selenite are more toxic than the organics matter. Various methods are used to analyse selenium, but it is usually to determine the total selenium, not designed for field applications, requires several preparation steps prior to actual determination, and needs a lot of chemicals. These problems can be solved by voltammetry methods by using dropping or film mercury as a working electrode. The nature of poisonous mercury becomes a limitation in the use of this working electrode. A copper amalgam (CuHg) as working electrodes was successfully prepared for the analysis of selenium. CuHg working electrode was made in a simple way, namely by deposition of copper (Cu) on the surface of Cu wire with potential and at certain time, then dipped into a solution of saturated mercury salt to form the amalgam. Cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate the electrochemical properties of selenium with 0.1 M HCl as a supporting electrolyte. Cyclic voltammetry technique was conducted on the working potential range of - 300 mV (Ei) to -800 mV (Ef). Profiles of cyclic voltammogram were influenced by the scan rate applied. In addition, SEM images showed that the adsorption of selenium occurred on the surface of CuHg working electrode.
Meffil: efficient normalization and analysis of very large DNA methylation datasets
Authors: Min J L , Hemani G , Davey Smith G , Relton C , Suderman M
Published: June 2018

Motivation

DNA methylation datasets are growing ever larger both in sample size and genome coverage. Novel computational solutions are required to efficiently handle these data.

Results

We have developed meffil, an R package designed for efficient quality control, normalization and epigenome-wide association studies of large samples of Illumina Methylation BeadChip microarrays. A complete re-implementation of functional normalization minimizes computational memory without increasing running time. Incorporating fixed and random effects within functional normalization, and automated estimation of functional normalization parameters reduces technical variation in DNA methylation levels, thus reducing false positive rates and improving power. Support for normalization of datasets distributed across physically different locations without needing to share biologically-based individual-level data means that meffil can be used to reduce heterogeneity in meta-analyses of epigenome-wide association studies.

Availability and implementation

https://github.com/perishky/meffil/

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Prevalence and Determinants of Susceptibility to Tobacco Smoking Among Students in The Gambia
Authors: Jallow Isatou K , Britton John , Langley Tessa
Published: June 2018

Introduction

Smoking is the biggest preventable cause of death and kills about seven million people annually. As smoking prevalence is falling in developed countries, tobacco businesses are turning to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to generate new tobacco markets. To prevent young people from initiating smoking and becoming regular smokers, it is important to understand the causes of susceptibility to smoking. In this study, we report a nationwide survey of the prevalence and risk factors of smoking susceptibility among students aged 12–20 years in The Gambia.

Methods

We used two-stage cluster random sampling to select students in secondary schools throughout The Gambia and questionnaire to collect data on demographic characteristics and indicators on susceptibility to initiating smoking.

Results

Among the total sample of 10289 students, 9831 (96%; 55.6% girls and 44.4% boys, aged 12–20 years) nonsmokers were included in the analysis. Of these, 3333 (33.9%) were found to be susceptible to smoking. Smoking susceptibility was more common among students attending grant-aided schools, non-Muslims, who had smoking allowed at home, had family members or friends who smoke, were sent to purchase cigarettes, had poor knowledge of the harmful effects of smoking, noticed point-of-sale tobacco advertisements, and who had positive attitudes towards smoking.

Conclusions

This study shows that susceptibility to smoking is common among students and associated with preventable exposures. Although based on cross-sectional data, these findings suggest that raising students’ awareness of the harmful effects of smoking and reducing the prevalence of adult smoking, extending tobacco advertising restrictions to include point-of-sale, are all important to preventing the uptake of smoking among students.

Implications

This is the first study to provide detailed data on smoking susceptibility and risk factors in a nationally representative sample of young people in The Gambia. Our findings show that susceptibility to smoking is relatively high and associated with preventable measures. Our results also identify an urgent need to broaden the ban on tobacco advertising to explicitly include point-of-sale advertisements. These findings provide valuable information for tobacco control policies and evidence to enable targeted intervention for young people most at risk of initiating smoking.
Policing in a Time of Austerity: Understanding the Public Protection Paradox through Qualitative Interviews with Police Monitoring Officers
Authors: Mann Natalie , Devendran Priya , Lundrigan Samantha
Published: June 2018

This article examines the changing nature of public protection police work in a climate of continued austerity and increasing prosecutions for sexual offending, which have made a significant impact on the workloads of police teams who manage and monitor registered sexual offenders in the community. This increase has run parallel to a decrease in the general policing budget, which has seen it cut by an average of 22% across England and Wales [BBC. (2017). Utilizing data from observations and in-depth qualitative interviews with police officers from a force in England, this article highlights the effect which cost-saving measures have had on the professional standards of the police service in the management of sex offenders; how collaborative working practices have been hindered by these austerity measures, and finally how continual cuts have had a detrimental effect on the police’s ability to protect the public.
Zinc reduces hepatic lipid deposition and activates lipophagy via Zn2+/MTF‐1/PPARα and Ca2+/CaMKKβ/AMPK pathways
Authors: Wei Chuan‐Chuan , Luo Zhi , Hogstrand Christer , Xu Yi‐Huan , Wu Li‐Xiang , Chen Guang‐Hui , Pan Ya‐Xiong , Song Yu‐Feng
Published: June 2018

Zinc (Zn) deficiency is the most consistently discovered nutritional manifestations of fatty liver disease. Although Zn is known to stimulate hepatic lipid oxidation, little is known about its underlying mechanism of action in lipolysis. Given the potential role of lipophagy in lipid metabolism, the purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that Zn attenuates hepatic lipid accumulation by modulating lipophagy. The present study indicated that Zn is a potent promoter of lipophagy. Zn administration significantly alleviated hepatocellular lipid accumulation and increased the release of free fatty acids in association with enhanced fatty acid oxidation and inhibited lipogenesis, which was accompanied by activation of autophagy. Moreover, Zn reduced lipid accumulation and stimulated lipolysis by autophagy‐mediated lipophagy. Zn‐induced up‐regulation of autophagy and lipid depletion is free Zn2+‐dependent in the cytosols. Zn‐induced autophagy and lipid turnover involved up‐regulation of the calcium/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase kinase‐β (Ca2+/CaMKKβ)/AMPK pathway. Meanwhile, Zn2+‐activated autophagy and lipid depletion were via enhancing metal response element‐binding transcription factor (MTF)‐1 DNA binding at PPARα promoter region, which in turn induced transcriptional activation of the key genes related to autophagy and lipolysis. Zn activated the pathways of Zn2+/MTF‐1/ Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR)α and Ca2+/CaMKKβ/AMPK, resulting in the up‐regulation of lipophagy and accordingly reduced hepatic lipid accumulation. Our study, for the first time, provided innovative evidence of the direct relationship between metal elements (Zn) and lipid metabolism. The present study also indicated the novel mechanism for Zn‐induced lipolysis by the activation of Zn2+/MTF‐1/PPARα and Ca2+/CaMKKβ/AMPK pathways, which induced the occurrence of lipophagy. These results provide new insight into Zn nutrition and its potential beneficial effects on the prevention of fatty liver disease in vertebrates.—Wei, C.‐C., Luo, Z., Hogstrand, C., Xu, Y.‐H., Wu, L.‐X., Chen, G.‐H., Pan, Y.‐X., Song, Y.‐F. Zinc reduces hepatic lipid deposition and activates lipophagy via Zn2+/MTF‐1/PPARα and Ca2+/CaMKKβ/AMPK pathways. FASEB J. 32, 6666–6680 (2018). www.fasebj.org
Scanning of speechless comics changes spatial biases in mental model construction
Authors: Román Antonio , Flumini Andrea , Santiago Julio
Published: June 2018

The mental representation of both time and number shows lateral spatial biases, which can be affected by habitual reading and writing direction. However, this effect is in place before children begin to read. One potential early cause is the experiences of looking at picture books together with a carer, as those images also follow the directionality of the script. What is the underlying mechanism for this effect? In the present study, we test the possibility that such experiences induce spatial biases in mental model construction, a mechanism which is a good candidate to induce the biases observed with numbers and times. We presented a speechless comic in either standard (left-to-right) or mirror-reversed (right-to-left) form to adult Spanish participants. We then asked them to draw the scene depicted by sentences like ‘the square is between the cross and the circle’. The position of the lateral objects in these drawings reveals the spatial biases at work when building mental models in working memory. Under conditions of highly consistent directionality, the mirror comic changed pre-existing lateral biases. Processes of mental model construction in working memory stand as a potential mechanism for the generation of spatial biases for time and number.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Varieties of abstract concepts: development, use and representation in the brain’.
Abstract concepts, language and sociality: from acquisition to inner speech
Authors: Borghi Anna M. , Barca Laura , Binkofski Ferdinand , Tummolini Luca
Published: June 2018

The problem of representation of abstract concepts, such as ‘freedom’ and ‘justice’, has become particularly crucial in recent years, owing to the increased success of embodied and grounded views of cognition. We will present a novel view on abstract concepts and abstract words. Since abstract concepts do not have single objects as referents, children and adults might rely more on input from others to learn them; we, therefore, suggest that linguistic and social experience play an important role for abstract concepts. We will discuss evidence obtained in our and other laboratories showing that processing of abstract concepts evokes linguistic interaction and social experiences, leading to the activation of the mouth motor system. We will discuss the possible mechanisms that underlie this activation. Mouth motor system activation can be due to re-enactment of the experience of conceptual acquisition, which occurred through the mediation of language. Alternatively, it could be due to the re-explanation of the word meaning, possibly through inner speech. Finally, it can be due to a metacognitive process revealing low confidence in the meaning of our concepts. This process induces in us the need to rely on others to ask/negotiate conceptual meaning. We conclude that with abstract concepts language works as a social tool: it extends our thinking abilities and pushes us to rely on others to integrate our knowledge.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Varieties of abstract concepts: development, use, and representation in the brain’.
Moving beyond the distinction between concrete and abstract concepts
Authors: Barsalou Lawrence W. , Dutriaux Léo , Scheepers Christoph
Published: June 2018

From the perspective of the situated conceptualization framework, the primary purpose of concepts is for categorizing and integrating elements of situations to support goal-directed action (including communication and social interaction). To the extent that important situational elements are categorized and integrated properly, effective goal-directed action follows. Over time, frequent patterns of co-occurring concepts within situations become established in memory as situated conceptualizations, conditioning the conceptual system and producing habitual patterns of conceptual processing. As a consequence, individual concepts are most basically represented within patterns of concepts that become entrained with specific kinds of physical situations. In this framework, the concrete versus abstract distinction between concepts is no longer useful, with two other distinctions becoming important instead: (i) external versus internal situational elements, (ii) situational elements versus situational integrations. Whereas concepts for situational elements originate in distributed neural networks that provide continual feeds about components of situations, concepts for situational integrations originate in association areas that establish temporal co-occurrence relations between situational elements, both external and internal. We propose that studying concepts in the context of situated action is necessary for establishing complete accounts of them, and that continuing to study concepts in isolation is likely to provide relatively incomplete and distorted accounts.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Varieties of abstract concepts: development, use and representation in the brain’.
Evaluating fMRI-Based Estimation of Eye Gaze during Naturalistic Viewing
Authors: Son Jake , Ai Lei , Lim Ryan , Xu Ting , Colcombe Stanley , Franco Alexandre Rosa , Cloud Jessica , LaConte Stephen , Lisinski Jonathan , Klein Arno , Craddock R. Cameron , Milham Michael
Published: June 2018

The collection of eye gaze information during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is important for monitoring variations in attention and task compliance, particularly for naturalistic viewing paradigms (e.g., movies). However, the complexity and setup requirements of current in-scanner eye-tracking solutions can preclude many researchers from accessing such information. Predictive eye estimation regression (PEER) is a previously developed support vector regression-based method for retrospectively estimating eye gaze from the fMRI signal in the eye’s orbit using a 1.5-minute calibration scan. Here, we provide confirmatory validation of the PEER method’s ability to infer eye gaze on a TR-by-TR basis during movie viewing, using simultaneously acquired eye tracking data in five individuals (median angular deviation < 2°). Then, we examine variations in the predictive validity of PEER models across individuals in a subset of data (n=448) from the Child Mind Institute Healthy Brain Network Biobank, identifying head motion as a primary determinant. Finally, we accurately classify which of two movies is being watched based on the predicted eye gaze patterns (area under the curve = .90 ± .02) and map the neural correlates of eye movements derived from PEER. PEER is a freely available and easy-to-use tool for determining eye fixations during naturalistic viewing.