bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relative centrality and local community detection
Authors: CHANG CHENG-SHANG , CHANG CHIH-JUNG , HSIEH WEN-TING , LEE DUAN-SHIN , LIOU LI-HENG , LIAO WANJIUN
Published: August 2015

In this paper, we develop a formal framework for what a good community should look like and how strong a community is (community strength). One of the key innovations is to incorporate the concept of relative centrality into structural analysis of networks. In our framework, relative centrality is a measure that measures how important a set of nodes in a network is with respect to another set of nodes, and it is a generalization of centrality. Building on top of relative centrality, the community strength for a set of nodes is measured by the difference between its relative centrality with respect to itself and its centrality. A community is then a set of nodes with a nonnegative community strength. We show that our community strength is related to conductance that is commonly used for measuring the strength of a small community. We define the modularity for a partition of a network as the average community strength for a randomly selected node. Such a definition generalizes the original Newman's modularity and recovers the stability in as special cases. For the local community detection problem, we also develop efficient agglomerative algorithms that guarantee the community strength of the detected local community.
Longitudinal clines in the frequency distribution of ‘super-clones’ in an aphid crop pest
Authors: Gilabert A. , Dedryver C.-A. , Stoeckel S. , Plantegenest M. , Simon J.-C.
Published: August 2015

Parthenogenesis is the main mode of reproduction of aphids. Their populations are therefore composed of clones whose frequency distribution varies in space and time. Previous population genetic studies on aphids have highlighted the existence of highly abundant clones (‘super-clones’), distributed over large geographic areas and persisting over time. Whether the abundance of ‘super-clones’ results from their ecological success or from stochastic forces, such as drift and migration, is an open question. Here, we looked for the existence of clines in clonal frequency along a climatic gradient in the cereal aphidRhopalosiphum padi(Linnaeus, 1758) and examined the possible influence of geographical distance and environmental variables in the buildup and maintenance of such clonal clines. We investigated the spatial distribution of the commonest genotypes ofR. padiby sampling populations along an east–west transect in maize fields in the northern half of France in both spring and late summer. Individual aphids were genotyped at several polymorphic loci, allowing the assessment of frequency distributions of multilocus genotypes (MLGs) across the cropping season. We found several MLGs showing longitudinal clines in their frequency distribution in both spring and summer. In particular, two dominant asexual genotypes ofR. padishowed inverted geographical clines, which could suggest divergent adaptations to environmental conditions. We concluded that while the distribution of some ‘super-clones’ ofR. padiseems most likely driven by the action of migration and genetic drift, selection could be also involved in the establishment of longitudinal clines of others.
Identification of a point mutation in the ace1gene ofTherioaphis trifollimaculata and detection of insecticide resistance by a diagnostic PCR–RFLP assay
Authors: AlSuhaibani E. , Voudouris C.C. , Al-Atiyat R. , Kotzamumin A. , Vontas J. , Margaritopoulos J.T.
Published: August 2015

Aphids are important agricultural pests worldwide. Their control is largely based on chemical insecticides. One species that shows important invasive abilities and host-plant-related differences isTherioaphis trifolii(Monell) (Hemiptera: Aphididae).T. trifolii maculata, also known as spotted alfalfa aphid (SAA), can be very injurious to alfalfa crops in certain regions, such as in Saudi Arabia for effective control it is essential to diagnose and monitor the resistance mechanisms in the SAA populations. In the present study, we analysed acetylcholinesterase (ace) target site insensitivity mechanisms. A 650 bp length DNA containing the putative acetylcholinesterase (ace1) precursor was obtained and compared with other Hemipteran species. The sequences of many individual aphids collected from alfalfa crops in Saudi Arabia were analysed for the presence of resistance mutations: no resistance mutations were found at the resistance mutation loci 302; however, the presence of a serine–phenylalanine substitution (S431F) was identified in one individual. The S431F substitution, has been shown to confer significant levels of both organophosphate and carbamate resistance in other aphid species, and is now found for the first time inT. trifolii. We subsequently developed a simple polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism assays for the S431F mutation, using a TaqI restriction site destroyed by the S431F mutation. The novel diagnostic assay may support the implementation of Insecticide Resistance Management strategies, for the control of SAA in alfalfa crops in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and other countries worldwide.
THE LOSER LEAVES (ROME'S LOSS): UMBRICIUS' WISHFUL EXILE IN JUVENAL, SATIRE 3
Authors: Geue Tom
Published: August 2015

Juvenal's third satire is a privileged piece of verbal diarrhoea. As the longest satire in Juvenal's well-attended Book 1, as the centre of this book, and as the one Juvenalian jewel that sparkles ‘non-rhetorically’, it has always been the critics’ darling. Its protagonist, on the other hand, has not always been so popular. Recently, reader sympathy for old Umbricius (the poem's main speaker) has shifted to laughter in his face; the old sense of ‘pathetic’ has ceded to the new. One of the central strategies of the ‘Umbricius-as-caricature’ camp has been to point to the overtime worked by ‘mock-epic’ in this poem: Umbricius self-inflates to become another Aeneas, fleeing a crumbling Troy (Rome). But an oppositio is wedged in imitando. Umbricius makes his lengthy verbal preparations to depart from Rome for Cumae; Aeneas had come to Rome through Cumae. Umbricius withdraws to set up shop in the meagre countryside; Aeneas had escaped to cap his exile teleologically with the (pre-foundation of the) Greatest City That Will Ever Be. Still, Virgil's paradigm tale of displacement, drift and re-establishment underlies Umbricius' self-definition as an exile. Indeed exile, with a large and ever-increasing stock of mythical and historical examples, was a situation ripe for self-mythologizing. Umbricius stands in Aeneas' shadow then, standing it on its head. His recession also makes him into a Iustitia/Dikē figure, the final trace of the golden age, off to alloy himself elsewhere. In his mind, exile is rationalized by distinguished past examples; in ours, we laugh at how disparate example and man really are. That side of Umbricius has been done to death; or at least, for present purposes, to exile.
Predictive models of lameness in dairy cows achieve high sensitivity and specificity with force measurements in three dimensions
Authors: Dunthorn Jason , Dyer Robert M , Neerchal Nagaraj K , McHenry Jonathan S , Rajkondawar Parimal G , Steingraber Gary , Tasch Uri
Published: August 2015

Lameness remains a significant cause of production losses, a growing welfare concern and may be a greater economic burden than clinical mastitis . A growing need for accurate, continuous automated detection systems continues because US prevalence of lameness is 12·5% while individual herds may experience prevalence's of 27·8–50·8%. To that end the first force-plate system restricted to the vertical dimension identified lame cows with 85% specificity and 52% sensitivity . These results lead to the hypothesis that addition of transverse and longitudinal dimensions could improve sensitivity of lameness detection. To address the hypothesis we upgraded the original force plate system to measure ground reaction forces (GRFs) across three directions. GRFs and locomotion scores were generated from randomly selected cows and logistic regression was used to develop a model that characterised relationships of locomotion scores to the GRFs. This preliminary study showed 76 variables across 3 dimensions produced a model with greater than 90% sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating curve (AUC). The result was a marked improvement on the 52% sensitivity, and 85% specificity previously observed with the 1 dimensional model  or the 45% sensitivities reported with visual observations. Validation of model accuracy continues with the goal to finalise accurate automated methods of lameness detection.
Rodentolepis straminea(Cestoda: Hymenolepididae) in an urban population ofApodemus sylvaticusin the UK
Authors: Rushworth R.L. , Boufana B. , Hall J.L. , Brannan V. , Mastin A. , Birtles R.J. , Craig P.S. , Rogan M.T.
Published: August 2015

The presence of the cyclophyllidean cestodeRodentolepis straminea(Cestoda: Hymenolepididae), was confirmed by molecular DNA analysis from a wood mouse (Apodemussylvaticus) population inhabiting urban woodland in Salford, Greater Manchester (UK) with a prevalence of 27.8%. It would appear that the only previously published record of this species inA. sylvaticusin the British Isles is that from south-west Ireland, where 24% of the wood mice examined were infected withR. straminea.This species has been recorded in studies onA. sylvaticusin continental Europe. The current report represents a new record forR. stramineaon mainland Britain and a first study of helminth parasites in an urban wood mouse population.
Morphometrics and levels of infections of digeneans in belonid fish species off the coast of Tunisia
Authors: Châari M. , Derbel H. , Neifar L.
Published: August 2015

Three species of belonid fish, Belone belone gracilis Lowe, 1839, Belone svetovidovi Collette & Parin, 1970 and Tylosurus acus imperialis (Rafinesque, 1810), caught off the eastern Tunisian coast were infected with eight species of Digenea. Among these, four species were commonly found in B. b. gracilis and are new host records for B. svetovidovi. They are: Lecithostaphylus retroflexus (Molin, 1859), Tergestia acanthocephala (Stossich, 1887) Stossich, 1899 and Aponurus laguncula Looss, 1907 in the intestine, and the metacercaria Condylocotyla pilodora Pearson and Prévot, 1985 in the pericardial sac. Four other digenean species were recorded from T. a. imperialis: Lecithostaphylus tylosuri Châari et al., 2013 and Tetrochetus coryphaenae Yamaguti, 1934 in the intestine, Oesophagotrema mediterranea Châari et al., 2011 in the oesophagus and vomer teeth, and Sclerodistomoides pacificus Kamegai, 1971 in the gall bladder. Tetrochetus coryphaenae and S. pacificus represent new host and geographical records. The spatial variation of digenean parasites within belonid host species is discussed.
A fresh insight into Kane's equations of motion
Authors: Pishkenari H. Nejat , Yousefsani S. A. , Gaskarimahalle A. L. , Oskouei S. B. G.
Published: August 2015

With rapid development of methods for dynamic systems modeling, those with less computation effort are becoming increasingly attractive for different applications. This paper introduces a new form of Kane's equations expressed in the matrix notation. The proposed form can efficiently lead to equations of motion of multi-body dynamic systems particularly those exposed to large number of nonholonomic constraints. This approach can be used in a recursive manner resulting in governing equations with considerably less computational operations. In addition to classic equations of motion, an efficient matrix form of impulse Kane formulations is derived for systems exposed to impulsive forces.
Model validation of a hexapod walker robot
Authors: Kecskés István , Burkus Ervin , Bazsó Fülöp , Odry Péter
Published: August 2015

Our complete dynamical simulation-model realistically describes the real low-cost hexapod walker robot Szabad(ka)-II within prescribed tolerances under nominal load conditions. This validated model is novel, described in detail, for it includes in a single study: (a) digital controllers, (b) gearheads and DC motors, (c) 3D kinematics and dynamics of 18 Degree of Freedom (DOF) structure, (d) ground contact for even ground, (e) sensors and battery model. In our model validation: (a) kinematical-, dynamical- and digital controller variables were simultaneously compared, (b) differences of measured and simulated curves were quantified and qualified, (c) unknown model parameters were estimated by comparing real measurements with simulation results and applying adequate optimization procedures. The model validation helps identifying both model's and real robot's imperfections: (a) gearlash of the joints, (b) imperfection of approximate ground contact model, (c) lack of gearhead's internal non-linear friction in the model. Modeling and model validation resulted in more stable robot which performed better than its predecessors in terms of locomotion.
Where east met west: Helsinki and the staging of the 1975 Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe
Authors: VILÉN TIMO
Published: August 2015

The final phase of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) in 1975 is widely regarded as the high point of détente. This article discusses the staging and legacy of the CSCE from the perspective of its host city, Helsinki. The article examines how the Finnish initiative to host the conference became enmeshed with Helsinki's municipal politics and how the CSCE's and Finland's neutrality were used by the Helsinki authorities to project an attractive image of their city. The article further highlights the Helsinki Summit as a public spectacle with which a large number of local residents engaged.
Evaluation of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion measured with cardiac MRI in children with tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Soslow Jonathan H. , Usoro Emem , Wang Li , Parra David A.
Published: August 2015

Background

Aneurysmal dilation of the right ventricular outflow tract complicates assessment of right ventricular function in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion is commonly used to estimate ejection fraction. We hypothesised that tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion measured by cardiac MRI approximates global and segmental right ventricular function, specifically right ventricular sinus ejection fraction, in children with repaired tetralogy of Fallot.

Methods

Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion was measured retrospectively on cardiac MRIs in 54 patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Values were compared with right ventricular global, sinus, and infundibular ejection fractions. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion was indexed to body surface area, converted into a fractional value, and converted into published paediatric Z-scores.

Results

Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion measurements had good agreement between observers. Right ventricular ejection fraction did not correlate with the absolute or indexed tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and correlated weakly with fractional tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (r=0.41 and p=0.002). Segmental right ventricular function did not appreciably improve correlation with any of the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion measures. Paediatric Z-scores were unable to differentiate patients with normal and abnormal right ventricular function.

Conclusions

Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion measured by cardiac MRI correlates poorly with global and segmental right ventricular ejection fraction in children with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion is an unreliable approximation of right ventricular function in this patient population.
Health-related quality of life in children with heart failure as perceived by children and parents
Authors: Wilmot Ivan , Cephus Constance E. , Cassedy Amy , Kudel Ian , Marino Bradley S. , Jefferies John L.
Published: August 2015

Advancements in paediatric heart failure management have resulted in improved survival and a focus on long-term outcomes including health-related quality of life. We compared health-related quality of life in children with heart failure with healthy patients, children with chronic conditions, and children with cardiovascular disease.

Families (n=63) and children (n=73) aged 2–20 years with heart failure were enrolled and compared with data previously published for healthy patients (n=5480), those with chronic conditions (n=247), and those with cardiovascular disease (n=347). Patients and parents completed the PedsQL 4.0 and the Cardiac 3.0 Module health-related quality-of-life questionnaires. PedsQL scores including Total, Psychosocial Health Summary, and Physical were compared between groups. In general, patients with heart failure had lower scores than the healthy population (p=0.001), and comparable scores with those with chronic conditions. Parents perceived no difference in physical scores for children with heart failure when compared with healthy children, and perceived higher scores for children with heart failure when compared with those with chronic conditions (p⩽0.003). Furthermore, children with heart failure had decremental health-related quality-of-life scores as the American Heart Association stage of heart failure increased, such that patients with stage C heart failure had scores similar to children with severe cardiovascular disease.

Children with heart failure reported significantly impaired health-related quality of life compared with healthy children and similar scores compared with children with chronic conditions. Parental perceptions appear to underestimate these impairments. Children with heart failure appear to have progressive impairment of health-related quality of life with advancing stage of heart failure.
Data-driven deep-syntactic dependency parsing
Authors: BALLESTEROS MIGUEL , BOHNET BERND , MILLE SIMON , WANNER LEO
Published: August 2015

‘Deep-syntactic’ dependency structures that capture the argumentative, attributive and coordinative relations between full words of a sentence have a great potential for a number of NLP-applications. The abstraction degree of these structures is in between the output of a syntactic dependency parser (connected trees defined over all words of a sentence and language-specific grammatical functions) and the output of a semantic parser (forests of trees defined over individual lexemes or phrasal chunks and abstract semantic role labels which capture the frame structures of predicative elements and drop all attributive and coordinative dependencies). We propose a parser that provides deep-syntactic structures. The parser has been tested on Spanish, English and Chinese.
OCCUPATION COURTS,JUS AD BELLUMCONSIDERATIONS, AND NON-STATE ACTORS: REVISITING THE ETHICS OF MILITARY OCCUPATION
Authors: Chehtman Alejandro
Published: August 2015

This article provides a normative appraisal of the law of military occupation by looking into occupation courts and their legitimacy. It focuses on two cornerstones of the current regulation of war: the principle of equality of belligerents, that is, the potential relevance ofjus ad bellumconsiderations on thein bellorights of occupants, and the normative force of the traditional distinction between states and non-state armed groups, specially in conflicts not of an international character. Against the currently predominant neoclassical position in just war theory, it argues in favor of the moral equality of just and unjust occupants. Against the orthodox position in international law, it advocates the symmetrical treatment of states and non-state actors fighting internal armed conflicts, at least in terms of the rights they may claim on the territories under their control. It concludes by appraising the way in which this moral landscape should be translated into legal norms.
GROWTH-MAXIMIZING PUBLIC DEBT UNDER CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS
Authors: Bokan Nikola , Hallett Andrew Hughes , Hougaard Jensen Svend E.
Published: August 2015

This paper develops an overlapping-generations model to study the growth-maximizing level of public debt under conditions of demograhic change. It is shown that the optimal debt level depends on a positive marginal productivity of public capital. In general, it also depends on the demographic parameters, but not if the government is not allowed to borrow to cover revenue shortfalls for current age-related spending. In that context, balanced budget rules are not an approriate form of fiscal rule. The implication is that a government facing demograhic change or demands for more welfare spending will have to adjust its fiscal plans to accommodate those changes, most likely downward, if growth is to be preserved. An advantage of this model is that it allows us to determine in advance the way in which fiscal policies need to adjust as demographic parameters change.
Type frequency influences phonological generalizations: Eliminating stressed open syllables with short vowels in West Germanic
Authors: Mailhammer Robert , Kruger William W. , Makiyama Alexander
Published: August 2015

A pivotal process in the loss of phonological quantity in West Germanic languages is what is traditionally known as Open Syllable Lengthening. Existing accounts have found no explanation for why languages such as English apply this change in less than 50% of the relevant cases. This paper presents the results of a corpus investigation of four West Germanic languages showing that whether Open Syllable Lengthening occurs in more than 50% of predicted cases correlates with the ratio of closed syllables with short vowels to open syllables with long vowels. We interpret this as the result of frequency effects that have markedly shaped the application of Open Syllable Lengthening in West Germanic. This has implications for phonological change in general, as well as for the relationship between stress and syllable structure in West Germanic languages.*
Twenty-one new records of fish species (Teleostei) from the New Caledonian EEZ (south-western Pacific Ocean)
Authors: Fricke Ronald , Teitelbaum Antoine , Wantiez Laurent
Published: August 2015

New records of fish species are reported from New Caledonia, includingPolyipnus aquavitusBaird, 1971 (Sternoptychidae),Porogadus melampeplus(Alcock, 1896) (Ophidiidae),Hoplichthys citrinusGilbert 1905 (Hoplichthyidae),Plectrogenium nanumGilbert 1905 (Plectrogeniidae),Lioscorpius trifasciatusLast, Yearsley & Motomura 2005 (Setarchidae),Neomerinthe megalepisFowler 1938 andPhenacoscorpius megalopsFowler 1938 (Scorpaenidae),Ocosia apiaPoss & Eschmeyer, 1975 (Tetrarogidae),Hoplostethus atlanticusCollett 1889 (Trachichthyidae),Zenion longipinnisKotthaus, 1970 (Zeniontidae),Plectranthias forestiFourmanoir 1977,Plectranthias pelicieriRandall & Shimizu, 1994,Plectranthias rubrifasciatusFourmanoir & Randall, 1979 andRabaulichthys squireiRandall & Walsh, 2010 (Serranidae),Synagrops philippinensis(Günther 1880) (Acropomatidae),Stegastes insularisAllen & Emery 1995 (Pomacentridae),Cirrhilabrus rubrimarginatusRandall 1992 (Labridae),Pteropsaron neocaledonicus Fourmanoir & Rivaton, 1979 (Percophidae),Centrodraco ornatus(Fourmanoir & Rivaton, 1979) andDraconetta xenicaJordan & Fowler 1903 (Draconettidae), andAcanthurus maculiceps(Ahl 1923) (Acanthuridae). A record ofPlectropomus maculatus(Bloch 1790) (Serranidae) from Grande Terre, New Caledonia is confirmed. This paper also includes new depth records ofZenion longipinnis, Plectranthias rubrifasciatus, Synagrops philippinensis, Centrodraco ornatusandDraconetta xenica.
First record of the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae) from Indian waters
Authors: Sutaria Dipani , Parikh Aashi , Barnes Alissa , Jabado Rima W.
Published: August 2015

The sandbar shark,Carcharhinus plumbeus,is a common coastal shark in the regions of the world where it occurs. Here, the first documented record of the sandbar shark is reported from north-western Indian waters, off the coast of Gujarat. Two specimens, one male and one female, were recorded and landed by a trawl vessel in Porbandar on 23 October 2014, measuring 610 and 760 mm in total length, respectively. This occurrence represents the first confirmed record ofC. plumbeusin both western and eastern Indian waters.
Major depressive disorder: reification and (maybe) rheostasis
Authors: Patten S. B.
Published: August 2015

The heterogeneity of clinical syndromes subsumed by diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) is regarded by some as a reason to abandon or modify the criteria. However, heterogeneity may be unavoidable because of the biopsychosocial complexity of depression. MDD may be characterised by complexities that cannot be distilled down to any brief set of diagnostic criteria. Psychiatrists and psychiatric epidemiologists may need to revise their expectations of this diagnosis in order to avoid over-estimating its ability to guide the selection of treatments and prediction of prognosis. An opposing perspective is that of reification, in which the diagnosis is viewed as being more real than it really is. The concept of rheostasis may help to explain some features of this condition, such as why major depressive episodes sometimes seem understandable or even adaptive (e.g. in the context of bereavement) whereas at other times such episodes are inexplicable and maladaptive.
Rapid and efficient one-step generation of paired gRNA CRISPR-Cas9 libraries
Authors: Vidigal Joana A. , Ventura Andrea
Published: August 2015

The CRISPR-Cas9 system is a powerful tool to edit eukaryotic genomes that has recently been adapted for functional screens. Several of its applications—including the disruption of genes using Cas9-nickase and the generation of large deletions—require co-expression of two distinct guide RNAs (gRNAs). However, the lack of experimental approaches to generate pools of paired gRNA vectors prevents these applications from being scalable. Here we report a simple, inexpensive, one-step method that allows for the rapid and efficient cloning of gRNA pairs into expression vectors. We show that this method can be used to generate pooled libraries and is therefore suitable for in vivo and in vitro functional screens.
Significant association between functional microRNA polymorphisms and head and neck cancer susceptibility: a comprehensive meta-analysis
Authors: Niu Yu-Ming , Du Xin-Ya , Lu Ming-Yi , Xu Qiong-Li , Luo Jie , Shen Ming
Published: August 2015

Molecular epidemiological studies have showed a closer association between microRNA polymorphisms with and head and neck cancer (HNC) risk. But the results of these studies were inconsistent. We performed this meta-analysis to clarify the associations between microRNA polymorphisms and HNC risk. Four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, CNKI and Wanfang) were searched. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CIs) were calculated to assess the association between microRNA-146a rs2910164 G > C, microRNA-196a2 rs11614913 C > T, microRNA-149 rs2292832 C > T, microRNA-499 rs3746444 A > G polymorphisms and HNC risk. Heterogeneity, publication bias and sensitivity analysis were conducted to guarantee the statistical power. Overall, 11 selected articles involving 16100 subjects were included in this meta-analysis. Significantly increased risk between microRNA-146a rs2910164 G > C polymorphism and HNC risk were observed in Caucasian population (GC vs. GG: OR = 1.31, 95%CI = 1.01–1.68; GC + CC vs. GG: OR = 1.26, 95%CI = 1.02–1.57). For microRNA-196a2 rs11614913 C > T, similarly increased risk were also found in Asian population (T vs. C, OR = 1.14, 95%CI = 1.04–1.25; TT vs. CC, OR = 1.33, 95%CI = 1.09–1.61; CT + TT vs. CC OR = 1.32, 95%CI = 0.99–1.76; TT vs. CC + CT, OR = 1.14, 95%CI = 0.99–1.33). In addition, no significant association was detected between microRNA-149 rs2292832 C > T and microRNA-499 rs3746444 A > G polymorphism and HNC risk. This meta-analysis demonstrates that microRNA polymorphisms are associated with HNC development based on ethnicity diversity.
Quantitative analysis of magnetic spin and orbital moments from an oxidized iron (1 1 0) surface using electron magnetic circular dichroism
Authors: Thersleff Thomas , Rusz Jan , Rubino Stefano , Hjörvarsson Björgvin , Ito Yasuo , J. Zaluzec Nestor , Leifer Klaus
Published: August 2015

Understanding the ramifications of reduced crystalline symmetry on magnetic behavior is a critical step in improving our understanding of nanoscale and interfacial magnetism. However, investigations of such effects are often controversial largely due to the challenges inherent in directly correlating nanoscale stoichiometry and structure to magnetic behavior. Here, we describe how to use Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) to obtain Electron Magnetic Circular Dichroism (EMCD) signals as a function of scattering angle to locally probe the magnetic behavior of thin oxide layers grown on an Fe (1 1 0) surface. Experiments and simulations both reveal a strong dependence of the magnetic orbital to spin ratio on its scattering vector in reciprocal space. We exploit this variation to extract the magnetic properties of the oxide cladding layer, showing that it locally may exhibit an enhanced orbital to spin moment ratio. This finding is supported here by both spatially and angularly resolved EMCD measurements, opening up the way for compelling investigations into how magnetic properties are affected by nanoscale features.
Reward feedback stimuli elicit high-beta EEG oscillations in human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
Authors: HajiHosseini Azadeh , Holroyd Clay B.
Published: August 2015

Reward-related feedback stimuli have been observed to elicit a burst of power in the beta frequency range over frontal areas of the human scalp. Recent discussions have suggested possible neural sources for this activity but there is a paucity of empirical evidence on the question. Here we recorded EEG from participants while they navigated a virtual T-maze to find monetary rewards. Consistent with previous studies, we found that the reward feedback stimuli elicited an increase in beta power (20–30 Hz) over a right-frontal area of the scalp. Source analysis indicated that this signal was produced in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). These findings align with previous observations of reward-related beta oscillations in the DLPFC in non-human primates. We speculate that increased power in the beta frequency range following reward receipt reflects the activation of task-related neural assemblies that encode the stimulus-response mapping in working memory.
Discovery of a drug targeting microenvironmental support for lymphoma cells by screening using patient-derived xenograft cells
Authors: Sugimoto Keiki , Hayakawa Fumihiko , Shimada Satoko , Morishita Takanobu , Shimada Kazuyuki , Katakai Tomoya , Tomita Akihiro , Kiyoi Hitoshi , Naoe Tomoki
Published: August 2015

Cell lines have been used for drug discovery as useful models of cancers; however, they do not recapitulate cancers faithfully, especially in the points of rapid growth rate and microenvironment independency. Consequently, the majority of conventional anti-cancer drugs are less sensitive to slow growing cells and do not target microenvironmental support, although most primary cancer cells grow slower than cell lines and depend on microenvironmental support. Here, we developed a novel high throughput drug screening system using patient-derived xenograft (PDX) cells of lymphoma that maintained primary cancer cell phenotype more than cell lines. The library containing 2613 known pharmacologically active substance and off-patent drugs were screened by this system. We could find many compounds showing higher cytotoxicity than conventional anti-tumor drugs. Especially, pyruvinium pamoate showed the highest activity and its strong anti-tumor effect was confirmed also in vivo. We extensively investigated its mechanism of action and found that it inhibited glutathione supply from stromal cells to lymphoma cells, implying the importance of the stromal protection from oxidative stress for lymphoma cell survival and a new therapeutic strategy for lymphoma. Our system introduces a primary cancer cell phenotype into cell-based phenotype screening and sheds new light on anti-cancer drug development.
Herd-level bovine tuberculosis risk factors: assessing the role of low-level badger population disturbance
Authors: Wright David M. , Reid Neil , Ian Montgomery W. , Allen Adrian R. , Skuce Robin A. , Kao Rowland R.
Published: August 2015

Bovine TB (bTB) is endemic in Irish cattle and has eluded eradication despite considerable expenditure, amid debate over the relative roles of badgers and cattle in disease transmission. Using a comprehensive dataset from Northern Ireland (>10,000 km2; 29,513 cattle herds), we investigated interactions between host populations in one of the first large-scale risk factor analyses for new herd breakdowns to combine data on both species. Cattle risk factors (movements, international imports, bTB history, neighbours with bTB) were more strongly associated with herd risk than area-level measures of badger social group density, habitat suitability or persecution (sett disturbance). Highest risks were in areas of high badger social group density and high rates of persecution, potentially representing both responsive persecution of badgers in high cattle risk areas and effects of persecution on cattle bTB risk through badger social group disruption. Average badger persecution was associated with reduced cattle bTB risk (compared with high persecution areas), so persecution may contribute towards sustaining bTB hotspots; findings with important implications for existing and planned disease control programmes.
Theoretical Study of Large-Angle Bending Transport of Microparticles by 2D Acoustic Half-Bessel Beams
Authors: Li Yixiang , Qiu Chunyin , Xu Shengjun , Ke Manzhu , Liu Zhengyou
Published: August 2015

Conventional microparticle transports by light or sound are realized along a straight line. Recently, this limit has been overcome in optics as the growing up of the self-accelerating Airy beams, which are featured by many peculiar properties, e.g., bending propagation, diffraction-free and self-healing. However, the bending angles of Airy beams are rather small since they are only paraxial solutions of the two-dimensional (2D) Helmholtz equation. Here we propose a novel micromanipulation by using acoustic Half-Bessel beams, which are strict solutions of the 2D Helmholtz equation. Compared with that achieved by Airy beams, the bending angle of the particle trajectory attained here is much steeper (exceeding 90o). The large-angle bending transport of microparticles, which is robust to complex scattering environment, enables a wide range of applications from the colloidal to biological sciences.
Hierarchical Co-based Porous Layered Double Hydroxide Arrays Derived via Alkali Etching for High-performance Supercapacitors
Authors: Abushrenta Nasser , Wu Xiaochao , Wang Junnan , Liu Junfeng , Sun Xiaoming
Published: August 2015

Hierarchical nanoarchitecture and porous structure can both provide advantages for improving the electrochemical performance in energy storage electrodes. Here we report a novel strategy to synthesize new electrode materials, hierarchical Co-based porous layered double hydroxide (PLDH) arrays derived via alkali etching from Co(OH)2@CoAl LDH nanoarrays. This structure not only has the benefits of hierarchical nanoarrays including short ion diffusion path and good charge transport, but also possesses a large contact surface area owing to its porous structure which lead to a high specific capacitance (23.75 F cm−2 or 1734 F g−1 at 5 mA cm−2) and excellent cycling performance (over 85% after 5000 cycles). The enhanced electrode material is a promising candidate for supercapacitors in future application.
Application of Hybrid Fillers for Improving the Through-Plane Heat Transport in Graphite Nanoplatelet-Based Thermal Interface Layers
Authors: Tian Xiaojuan , Itkis Mikhail E. , Haddon Robert C.
Published: August 2015

The in-plane alignment of graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) in thin thermal interface material (TIM) layers suppresses the though-plane heat transport thus limiting the performance of GNPs in the geometry normally required for thermal management applications. Here we report a disruption of the GNP in-plane alignment by addition of spherical microparticles. The degree of GNP alignment was monitored by measurement of the anisotropy of electrical conductivity which is extremely sensitive to the orientation of high aspect ratio filler particles. Scanning Electron Microscopy images of TIM layer cross-sections confirmed the suppression of the in-plane alignment. The hybrid filler formulations reported herein resulted in a synergistic enhancement of the through-plane thermal conductivity of GNP/Al2O3 and GNP/Al filled TIM layers confirming that the control of GNP alignment is an important parameter in the development of highly efficient GNP and graphene-based TIMs.
Variants in the Regulatory Region of WNT5A Reduced Risk of Cardiac Conotruncal Malformations in the Chinese Population
Authors: Li Peiqiang , Li Haijie , Zheng Yufang , Qiao Bin , Duan Wenyuan , Huang Lijuan , Liu Weiqi , Wang Hongyan
Published: August 2015

WNT5A is one of the most highly investigated non-canonical Wnt ligands and is involved in the embryonic heart development, especially in formation of the cardiac conotruncal region by regulating the migration and differentiation of cardiac neural crest (CNC) and second heart field (SHF) cells. No study to date has comprehensively characterized theWNT5Aregulatory variants in patients with congenital heart malformations (CHMs). The association between regulatory variants of theWNT5Agene and CHMs was examined in case-control association study in 1,210 CHMs and 798 controls. Individuals carrying a homozygous genotype CC (rs524153) or GG (rs504849) had a similarly reduced risk of conotruncal malformations. The homozygous genotypes (CC for rs524153 and GG for rs504849) were associated with a lowerWNT5Atranscriptional level compared with the transcriptional level of those with wild-type genotypes. Further functional analysis revealed that an additional upstream single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) rs371954924 (–5244GCCA > CC) in a linkage disequilibrium (LD) block with the above genotyped SNPs decreasedWNT5Aexpression through the attenuated binding affinity with the transcription factor SOX9. This is the first demonstration that genetic variants in the regulatory regions ofWNT5Aplay a vital role in sporadic conotruncal malformations susceptibility through the changeable expression of theWNT5Agene.
A combination hydrogel microparticle-based vaccine prevents type 1 diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice
Authors: Yoon Young Mee , Lewis Jamal S. , Carstens Matthew R. , Campbell-Thompson Martha , Wasserfall Clive H. , Atkinson Mark A. , Keselowsky Benjamin G.
Published: August 2015

Targeted delivery of self-antigens to the immune system in a mode that stimulates a tolerance-inducing pathway has proven difficult. To address this hurdle, we developed a vaccine based-approach comprised of two synthetic controlled-release biomaterials, poly(lactide-co-glycolide; PLGA) microparticles (MPs) encapsulating denatured insulin (key self-antigen in type 1 diabetes; T1D) and PuraMatrixTM peptide hydrogel containing granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and CpG ODN1826 (CpG), which were included as vaccine adjuvants to recruit and activate immune cells. Although CpG is normally considered pro-inflammatory, it also has anti-inflammatory effects, including enhancing IL-10 production. Three subcutaneous administrations of this hydrogel (GM-CSF/CpG)/insulin-MP vaccine protected 40% of NOD mice from T1D. In contrast, all control mice became diabetic. In vitro studies indicate CpG stimulation increased IL-10 production, as a potential mechanism. Multiple subcutaneous injections of the insulin containing formulation resulted in formation of granulomas, which resolved by 28 weeks. Histological analysis of these granulomas indicated infiltration of a diverse cadre of immune cells, with characteristics reminiscent of a tertiary lymphoid organ, suggesting the creation of a microenvironment to recruit and educate immune cells. These results demonstrate the feasibility of this injectable hydrogel/MP based vaccine system to prevent T1D.
Co-extinction in a host-parasite network: identifying key hosts for network stability
Authors: Dallas Tad , Cornelius Emily
Published: August 2015

Parasites comprise a substantial portion of total biodiversity. Ultimately, this means that host extinction could result in many secondary extinctions of obligate parasites and potentially alter host-parasite network structure. Here, we examined a highly resolved fish-parasite network to determine key hosts responsible for maintaining parasite diversity and network structure (quantified here as nestedness and modularity). We evaluated four possible host extinction orders and compared the resulting co-extinction dynamics to random extinction simulations; including host removal based on estimated extinction risk, parasite species richness and host level contributions to nestedness and modularity. We found that all extinction orders, except the one based on realistic extinction risk, resulted in faster declines in parasite diversity and network structure relative to random biodiversity loss. Further, we determined species-level contributions to network structure were best predicted by parasite species richness and host family. Taken together, we demonstrate that a small proportion of hosts contribute substantially to network structure and that removal of these hosts results in rapid declines in parasite diversity and network structure. As network stability can potentially be inferred through measures of network structure, our findings may provide insight into species traits that confer stability.
Predicting lncRNA-disease associations and constructing lncRNA functional similarity network based on the information of miRNA
Authors: Chen Xing
Published: August 2015

Accumulating experimental studies have indicated that lncRNAs play important roles in various critical biological process and their alterations and dysregulations have been associated with many important complex diseases. Developing effective computational models to predict potential disease-lncRNA association could benefit not only the understanding of disease mechanism at lncRNA level, but also the detection of disease biomarkers for disease diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and prevention. However, known experimentally confirmed disease-lncRNA associations are still very limited. In this study, a novel model of HyperGeometric distribution for LncRNA-Disease Association inference (HGLDA) was developed to predict lncRNA-disease associations by integrating miRNA-disease associations and lncRNA-miRNA interactions. Although HGLDA didn’t rely on any known disease-lncRNA associations, it still obtained an AUC of 0.7621 in the leave-one-out cross validation. Furthermore, 19 predicted associations for breast cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancer were verified by biological experimental studies. Furthermore, the model of LncRNA Functional Similarity Calculation based on the information of MiRNA (LFSCM) was developed to calculate lncRNA functional similarity on a large scale by integrating disease semantic similarity, miRNA-disease associations and miRNA-lncRNA interactions. It is anticipated that HGLDA and LFSCM could be effective biological tools for biomedical research.
Association of p21 3′ UTR gene polymorphism with cancer risk: Evidence from a meta-analysis
Authors: Li Jie , Li Zhenzhen , Kan Quancheng , Sun Suke , Li Yidong , Wang Suyun
Published: August 2015

Numerous studies have investigated the risk of cancer associated with the polymorphism of p21 3′ UTR (rs1059234 C > T), but results have been inconsistent. We performed this meta-analysis to drive a more precise estimation of the association between this polymorphism and risk of cancer. A comprehensive search was conducted to identify all case-control studies of the rs1059234 C > T polymorphism of p21 3′ UTR and cancer susceptibility. A total of eleven eligible studies, including 3,099 cases and 4,354 controls, relating to the rs1059234 polymorphism of p21 3′ UTR to the risk of cancer were identified. Multivariate and univariate methods revealed no association between this polymorphism and cancer risk. However, subgroup analysis by cancer type suggested that rs1059234 C > T polymorphism was associated with increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) (dominant model CT + TT vs. CC: OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.17–1.94). No significant association was found in other subgroup analyses. This meta-analysis suggested that rs1059234 polymorphism of p21 3′ UTR may be associated with increased SCCHN risk. And larger scale primary studies are required to further evaluate the interaction of p21 3′ UTR rs1059234 polymorphism and cancer risk in specific populations.
Moyamoya disease susceptibility gene RNF213 links inflammatory and angiogenic signals in endothelial cells
Authors: Ohkubo Kazuhiro , Sakai Yasunari , Inoue Hirosuke , Akamine Satoshi , Ishizaki Yoshito , Matsushita Yuki , Sanefuji Masafumi , Torisu Hiroyuki , Ihara Kenji , Sardiello Marco , Hara Toshiro
Published: August 2015

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a cerebrovascular disorder characterized by occlusive lesions of the circle of Willis. To date, both environmental and genetic factors have been implicated for pathogenesis of MMD. Allelic variations in RNF213 are known to confer the risk of MMD; however, functional roles of RNF213 remain to be largely elusive. We herein report that pro-inflammatory cytokines, IFNG and TNFA, synergistically activated transcription of RNF213 both in vitro and in vivo. Using various chemical inhibitors, we found that AKT and PKR pathways contributed to the transcriptional activation of RNF213. Transcriptome-wide analysis and subsequent validation with quantitative PCR supported that endogenous expression of cell cycle-promoting genes were significantly decreased with knockdown of RNF213 in cultured endothelial cells. Consistently, these cells showed less proliferative and less angiogenic profiles. Chemical inhibitors for AKT (LY294002) and PKR (C16) disrupted their angiogenic potentials, suggesting that RNF213 and its upstream pathways cooperatively organize the process of angiogenesis. Furthermore, RNF213 down-regulated expressions of matrix metalloproteases in endothelial cells, but not in fibroblasts or other cell types. Altogether, our data illustrate that RNF213 plays unique roles in endothelial cells for proper gene expressions in response to inflammatory signals from environments.