bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Architecture for Improving Security in Web Environment
Authors: M Varaprasad Rao , Prasad A.V. Krishna
Published: January 2016

Web security threats have undergone much sophistication compared to their initial introduction and they are becoming more & more evolved every day. The evolution might be in terms of new ways of attack or bringing in resistance to using simulated OS or VM environments. Web service architecture is a set of standard protocols to communicate secure web services. Which include policy, security, trust, secure conversation, reliable messaging and automatic transactions. Security is one of the major issues which reduces the growth of computing and complications with data privacy and data protection continue to plague the market. A new model targeting at improving features of an existing model must not risk or threaten other important features of the current model. The architecture of web poses such a threat to the security of the existing technologies when deployed in a web-based environment. In this chapter, the different security risks presented and specific to the different security issues that has emanated due to the nature of the service delivery models.
Essentiality of Machine Learning Algorithms for Big Data Computation
Authors: Narayanapppa Manjunath Thimmasandra , Kumar T. P. Puneeth , Hegadi Ravindra S.
Published: January 2016

Recent technological advancements have led to generation of huge volume of data from distinctive domains (scientific sensors, health care, user-generated data, finical companies and internet and supply chain systems) over the past decade. To capture the meaning of this emerging trend the term big data was coined. In addition to its huge volume, big data also exhibits several unique characteristics as compared with traditional data. For instance, big data is generally unstructured and require more real-time analysis. This development calls for new system platforms for data acquisition, storage, transmission and large-scale data processing mechanisms. In recent years analytics industries interest expanding towards the big data analytics to uncover potentials concealed in big data, such as hidden patterns or unknown correlations. The main goal of this chapter is to explore the importance of machine learning algorithms and computational environment including hardware and software that is required to perform analytics on big data.
A New Formula for the Energy of Bulk Superconductivity
Authors: Kachmar Ayman
Published: January 2016

The energy of a type II superconductor submitted to an external magnetic field of intensity close to the second critical field is given by the celebrated Abrikosov energy. If the external magnetic field is comparable to and below the second critical field, the energy is given by a reference function obtained as a special (thermodynamic) limit of a non-linear energy. In this note, we give a new formula for this reference energy. In particular, we obtain it as a special limit of a linear energy defined over configurations normalized in the L4-norm.
El historiador ante los medios de comunicación digitales. Una relación nueva"
Authors: De Ramón Carrión Manuel Alberto , Paniagua Santamaría Pedro
Published: January 2016

La manera de hacer periodismo y los propios medios de comunicación han cambiado no sólo sus técnicas y sus formas, sino también los contenidos. En concreto, la presión ejercida por las nuevas tecnologías y el surgimiento de una sociedad muy relacionada con los medios digitales están remodelando en constante debate el mundo de la información. Por ejemplo, frente a los complejos fenómenos derivados de la inmediatez se presenta un nuevo periodismo de investigación basado en la acumulación y análisis de grandes cantidades de datos, que aporta otras visiones de la actualidad para ahora y para la posteridad. De este modo, las tradicionales relaciones entre la Historia y el Periodismo experimentan unas variaciones sustanciales a tomar muy en cuenta en las investigaciones en marcha o futuras. Ya no se trata de unos medios archivados que sirven de fuentes, sino de una visión distinta de la información y de la sociedad que la recibe.
DETERMINAÇÃO DE COMPOSTOS FENÓLICOS E AVALIAÇÃO DA ATIVIDADE ANTIOXIDANTE DE Lafoensia pacari (LYTHRACEAE)
Authors: Firmo Wellyson Da Cunha Araújo , Miranda Milena Valadar , Coutinho Gizelli Santos Lourenço , Barboza Josianne Rocha , Alves Luciana Patrícia Lima , Olea Roberto Sigfrido Gallegos
Published: January 2016

A espécie Lafoensia pacari A. St.-Hil (Lythraceae) é uma planta do cerrado brasileiro, encontrada na Bahia, Goiás e Maranhão. Empregada popularmente para problemas gástricos e inflamação, conhecida por mangava brava, dedaleiro e pacari. O objetivo do trabalho foi determinar a concentração de compostos fenólicos e avaliar a atividade antioxidante no extrato hidroalcoólico a 70% e frações. A planta foi coletada no município de Estreito-MA, das folhas secas foi obtido o extrato hidroalcoólico a 70% e separadas frações pelos solventes hexano, clorofórmio, acetato de etila e metanol. Do extrato foram determinadas as concentrações de fenóis (reagente Folin-Ciocalteau), flavonóides (reação com cloreto de alumínio), ácidos fenólicos (diferença entre as quantidades dosadas de fenóis e flavonóides) e avaliação da atividade antioxidante pelo método in vitro 2,2-difenil-1-picril-hidrazila (DPPH). Os resultados demonstraram que o extrato bruto, a fração acetato de etila e metanólica apresentaram teores altos de compostos fenólicos e uma boa atividade antioxidante para o extrato metanólico uma vez que o valor de CE50 foi de 19,69 ?g/mL. Estes resultados caracterizam a L. pacari como matéria-prima natural com ação antioxidante, podendo esta atividade estar relacionada à presença de constituintes fenólicos, que são substâncias com este potencial.
Development and Validity Testing of a Chinese-Language Version of FourSight
Authors: Tsai Kuan Chen
Published: January 2016

The purpose of the current study was twofold: its first objective was to evaluate 151 Taiwanese high school students’ creative process preferences using FourSight and its second, to assess the reliability and validity of FourSight’s Chinese-language version. The results show that the highest proportion of our participants were high-Clarifiers (51%) and the lowest proportion, high-Ideators (28%), with high-Developers (32%) and high-Implementers (40%) occupying middle positions relative to the other two types. Our respondents may be influenced by the country’s standardized-test-based educational system. Based on a series of factor analysis, our final 18-item Chinese-language version of FourSight with a five-factor construct was a reliable and valid measure, against the original 36-item English version with a four-factor construct. This discrepancy may have resulted from translation issues or cultural ones, or both. It is possible that the idea of CPS was itself quite new for our Taiwanese respondents.
Black Power and the Big Green: Dartmouth College and the Black Freedom Movement, 1945-75
Authors: Bradley Stefan M.
Published: January 2016

This essay examines the intersection between traditional white American institutions and the need for Black advancement. The case of Dartmouth College from 1945 to 1975 highlights the expanse of the struggle for Black freedom as the burgeoning civil rights and Black Power movements assisted educational institutions with their approach to opportunities for Black students. The socioeconomically elite and geographically isolated colonial college in Hanover, New Hampshire, struggled with attracting Black students and creating resources that helped them acclimate to the starkly white environment. Without the assistance of a local Black community or access to famous activists to act on their behalf, Black students worked together to help the college acknowledge its role in modern society. In doing so, they practiced Black student power, leveraging their status as students in institutions of higher education to act on behalf of the larger Black freedom movement. Dartmouth students benefited from the militant activism of peers at other Ivy institutions that sometimes involved building takeovers and the threat of violence. In addition, they took advantage of the unusual access that they had with the trustees of the college to seize the historical moment by pressuring the institution to evolve with regard to its policies. As a result of their negotiations and vigilance, students at Dartmouth achieved their goals of increased Black enrollment, a Black studies program, and a Black cultural space. Moreover, they showed the nuance and effectiveness of the civil rights and Black Power movements when youth took the lead.
EDITORIAL: Introducing the JRME Editor-Designate
Authors: Langrall Cynthia W.
Published: January 2016

Once again, the wheels of change are turning at JRME. This issue marks the beginning of Volume 47, which will be the last volume under my editorship. To facilitate the transition to the new editor, there is a 1–year period during which the work of the journal is shared by the editor and the editor–designate. I am pleased to announce that Jinfa Cai, Professor of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Delaware, is the JRME editor–designate. His term as JRME editor will span Volumes 48–51, from 2017–2020.
Risco do crédito bancário brasileiro: uma análise multifatores
Authors: Silva Mygre Lopes da , Vieira Kelmara Mendes , Ceretta Paulo Sérgio , Coronel Daniel Arruda
Published: January 2016

O sistema bancário atua como agente na concessão de poder de compra para antecipação do gasto e na criação de moeda ao conceder crédito. No mercado financeiro brasileiro, o crédito bancário é inferior em termos de volume se comparado aos demais países, além de apresentar elevado spread, o qual reflete o risco associado à concessão de crédito. Este risco pode estar relacionado com questões inerentes à organização bancária, com risco não sistemático, de perfil do cliente, bem como à situação do mercado, risco sistemático. Seguindo esta temática, este trabalho procura analisar como os fatores macroeconômicos afetam as carteiras de crédito bancárias brasileiras, públicas ou privadas nacionais, ou seja, como o risco sistemático afeta o risco de crédito bancário brasileiro. Para tal, utilizou-se econometria de séries temporais, especificamente por meio de testes de raiz unitária e de regressões múltiplas. O período analisado é de 2001 a 2012, com dados mensais. Os resultados encontrados indicam que o risco de crédito dos bancos públicos é explicado pelo produto industrial, pelo spread bancário e pelo próprio risco de crédito. Para o risco de crédito dos bancos privados nacionais, verifica-se que a taxa de juros, o risco-país, o produto industrial e a taxa de desemprego são as variáveis explicativas. Em suma, incrementos do produto industrial reduzem o risco de crédito, uma vez que acarretam menor nível de inadimplência dos agentes econômicos.
Ressenya a Enric Pujol (ed.) & Òsca r Jané (est.), Antologia de memòries i dietaris personals catalans sobre la Guerra de Successió, Barcelona, Institut d’Estudis Catalans, 2014
Authors: Cases Ibáñez Adrià
Published: January 2016

Ressenya a Enric Pujol (ed.) & Òsca r Jané (est.), Antologia de memòries i dietaris personalscatalans sobre la Guerra de Successió, Barcelona, Institut d’Estudis Catalans, 2014, 286 pp .ISBN : 978-84-9965-221-4Review to Enric Pujol (ed.) & Òscar Jané (est.), Antologia de memòries i dietaris personalscatalans sobre la Guerra de Successió, Barcelona, Institut d’Estudis Catalans, 2014, 286 pp .ISBN: 978-84-9965-221-4
La Cancillería de Martín el Humano a través de los Registros Notariorum (1396-1410)
Authors: Cárcel Ortí Mª Milagros , Pons Alós Vicente
Published: January 2016

El objetivo de estetrabajo es conocer a través de dos registros notariorum del Archivo de la Corona de Aragón quiénes desempeñaronlos diferentes cargos de canciller, vicecanciller, regente de cancillería, protonotario,secretario, escribano, archivero, sellador, portero, examinador de notarios,tesorero y otros durante el reinado de Martín I, así como los miembros de sucasa y corte como capellán, confesor, consejero, médico y otros, además del personal de otras escribaníasreales, señoriales y episcopales.
Pour la fête de notre séraphique mère sainte Thérèse: A Teresian Celebration in Verse, and a Concise View of French Carmelite Poetry
Authors: Hanna Daniel
Published: January 2016

Abstract – “Pour la fête de notre séraphique mère sainte Thérèse”   This article commemorating the 500th anniversary of the birth of Teresa of Avila has two purposes: one, the presentation and analysis of a newly discovered poem composed in honor or Teresa of Avila in the French Carmelite convent of Saint-Denis (Paris) and two, a brief overview of recent scholarly work on French Carmelite poetry. It is proposed in the article that the poems of Teresa of Avila, not always considered important in their own right, should be re-considered and re-contextualized as foundational texts in a long tradition of Carmelite poetry that is both international and multilingual.   Key words: Teresa of Avila, poetry, Spain, France, manuscripts
El català en la premsa local del primer terç del segle XX. El cas d’Algemesí
Authors: Escartí Carrasco Lluís
Published: January 2016

Resum: El present treball és un estudi sobre quatre setmanaris bilingües d’Algemesí (València) del primer terç del segle XX: Pim, Pam, Pum (1911), La Canariera (1913), La Ribera (1917) i Llevant (1931); tot parant una atenció especial als aspectes lingüístics, sociolingüístics i literaris.En una primera part hi ha una contextualització de la premsa valenciana de principis de segle, en la qual s’estudien les publicacions locals, la premsa en català, la premsa satírica i la d’ideologia valencianista, així com les seues característiques i publicacions més destacades.En la segona part del treball s’analitza les quatre publicacions objecte d’estudi: la seua ideologia, els temes i continguts tractats, els gèneres, així com els aspectes lingüístics més destacats pel que fa a l’ús del català. Així mateix, es posen en relació amb el tipus de premsa del moment i amb el context polític, social i cultural. Paraules clau: premsa local, premsa en català, publicacions periòdiques, premsa valenciana, publicacions Algemesí Abstract: The present paper analyzes four bilingual weekly newspapers published in the first third of the twentieth century in Algemesí (Valencia, Spain): Pim, Pam, Pum (1911), La Canariera (1913), La Ribera (1917) i Llevant (1931); specially focusing on linguistic, socio-linguistic and literary aspects.In the first part there is a contextualization of Valencian press in the beginning of the twentieth century containing a study of local publications, Catalan press, satiric press and political Valencianism press, where characteristics and main titles are reported. The second part analyzes the four publications mentioned: ideology, themes, contents, genres… as well as most important language issues regarding the use of Catalan. They are also related to the press of that time and to the political, social and cultural context. Key words: local press, Catalan press, periodicals, Valencian press, publications in Algemesí
«Cual doctora en cielo graduada... ». La poesia femenina per als certàmens literaris amb motiu de la beatificació i canonització de Teresa de Jesús (València, 1614 i 1621; Barcelona, 1614)
Authors: Zaragoza Gómez Verònica
Published: January 2016

Resum: L’objectiu d’aquest estudi és examinar les composicions poètiques aportades per dones als tres certàmens celebrats a València i Barcelona, amb motiu de la beatificació (1614) i posterior canonització (1622) de Teresa de Jesús; dos moments clau per a la consolidació de la fama de la carmelitana avilesa que van possibilitar l’exhibició pública i impressió de poesia femenina. Analitzem també la participació femenina catalana al certamen celebrat a Saragossa el 1614 per la beatificació. L’estudi està enfocat des d’una perspectiva femenina, a través de la revisió de dihuit poesies amb signatura de dones que ens han transmès les extenses relacions impreses. Al llarg del comentari dels poemes, analitzem la percepció general que aquestes dones tenen de Teresa de Jesús y ens centrem en algunes de les imatges tòpiques sobre la vida i l’obra de la fundadora. Incidim en la documentació biogràfica de les autores, setze poetes ‘de circumstàncies’ conegudes tan sols per un nom i cognom(s) estampats a la rúbrica. A més, proporcionem unes breus pinzellades sobre la recepció femenina de la figura de la carmelita avilesa a l’àmbit lingüístic català. Paraules clau: poesia femenina; poesia de certamen; festes barroques; Teresa de Jesús Abstract: Keywords:
Ressenya a Àlex Broch (coord.) Història de la literatura catalana: Vol. I. Dels orígens al segle XIV; Vol. II. Segles XIV-XV; Vol. III. Segle XV, dirigit per Lola Badia, Barcelona, Enciclopèdia Catalana, Ed. Barcino i Ajuntament de Barcelona, 2013-2015
Authors: Fuertes Zapata Joan Vicent
Published: January 2016

Ressenya a Àlex Broch (coord.) Història de la literatura catalana: Vol. I. Dels orígens al segle XIV; Vol. II. Segles XIV-XV; Vol. III. Segle XV, dirigit per Lola Badia, Barcelona, Enciclopèdia Catalana, Editorial Barcino i Ajuntament de Barcelona, 2013-2014-2015, 543, 487, 494 pp. ISBN: 978-84-412-2253-3
The impact of pontine disease on lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Weissbart Steven J. , Pechersky Dasha , Malykhina Anna , Bavaria Thomas , Parrillo Lisa , Arya Lily A. , Bilello Michel , Wein Alan J. , Smith Ariana L.
Published: January 2016

Aims

To investigate the relationship between pontine lesion characteristics on MRI and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods

We performed a prospective cohort study of patients with MS and LUTS who were undergoing brain/spine MRI. Patients were administered the American Urological Association Symptom Score (AUA‐SS), Medical, Epidemiologic, and Social Aspects of Aging questionnaire (MESA), and Urogenital Distress Inventory questionnaire (UDI‐6), underwent Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scoring by a neurologist, and had their MRIs reviewed by a neuroradiologist. The relationships between symptom scores and lesion number, size, and location were analyzed.

Results

There were 42 patients that completed the study and 20 (48%) had one or more pontine lesions. Total AUA‐SS and UDI‐6 were related to multiple Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36) scales and not EDSS scoring. Weak urinary stream measured on the AUA‐SS (P = 0.028), and urgency incontinence measured on the MESA questionnaire (P = 0.034) were related to pontine lesion diameter. There was no difference in urinary symptoms according to the presence or absence of a pontine lesion, or according to lesion location within the pons.

Conclusions

Pontine lesion size appears to be related to lower urinary tract symptoms (weak stream and urgency incontinence) in patients with MS. Therefore, CNS lesion characteristics may be able to phenotype voiding symptoms in patients with MS. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:453–456, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pride and protein
Authors: Stern William
Published: January 2016

Objective

In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, members of the Bennet family are either sensible or silly, and males are under‐represented. This study searches for an underlying medical diagnosis that explains these features.

Design

Very retrospective literature review.

Participants

Mrs Bennet, her five daughters (Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and Lydia), her brother (Mr Gardiner) and her sister (Mrs Phillips).

Main outcome measures

Family tree and associated phenotypes

Methods

The author read Pride and Prejudice. A Bennet family tree was constructed. The number of male and female descendants was analysed using a binomial model. For each character, evidence of behaviour was collected, and members of the Bennet family were categorised as either sensible or silly.

Results

Males are under‐represented in Mrs Bennet's family. Assuming an equal probability of male or female offspring, this reaches statistical significance (binomial model, P = 0.03). Approximately 50 % of females in the family are silly. Silly behaviour is more prevalent during social gatherings.

Conclusions

The family tree suggests an X‐linked genetic disorder, fatal in utero or in early life to affected males, explaining the paucity of male offspring. Female carriers survive, but with cognitive difficulties, explaining the approximate 50‐50 distribution of sensible and silly females in the family. The exacerbation of silliness during social gatherings may suggest an effect of protein intake, raising suspicions of a disorder of protein metabolism. Ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency is one such condition. Unfortunately, there remain significant challenges in performing genetic testing on fictional characters, so definitive evidence remains elusive. Jane and Elizabeth Bennet do not show signs of the disorder. However, carriers may be asymptomatic; they should be offered genetic counselling before Bingley or Darcy offspring are considered.
Social representations, ageing and memory: a holistic approach to cognitive assessment
Authors: DRYJANSKA LAURA , AIELLO STEFANIA , GIUA MARZIA
Published: January 2016

This paper examines how contextual (conversational) aspects and socially shared meanings might affect the participants' performance on a standardised memory test using the theoretical framework of social representations. A total of 97 members of centres for older adults located in Rome, Italy participated in a screening using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test. Prior to testing, a group of volunteers had organised a performance focused on events from the distant past, stimulating intergenerational reminiscence. The participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. In the first case, prior to administering the test, a psychotherapist talked to each participant about the performance, focusing on ageing and stressing the neutral aspects of its social representations, such as change and time. In the second case, performance was used to concentrate on positive aspects of the social representations of ageing, namely wisdom and experience. In line with the hypothesis, focusing on positive aspects of social representations of ageing (wisdom and experience) versus their neutral aspects (change and time) has resulted in improved performance on a standardised memory test. Practitioners (psychotherapists – experts in psycho-diagnostics) who administered the tests have been involved in the co-construction of the meaning of ageing, discussing a real-life situation: the common experience of intergenerational activity that involved the participants' memories of their urban environment.
Hacking and Rehearsing: Experiments in Creative Tinkering
Authors: Varela Miguel Escobar
Published: January 2016

Hacking – improving software through a process of trial and error – is a mode of rehearsal. Such is the claim made by Miguel Escobar Varela in this article, which he furthers by exploring the similarities between the ways theatre makers and software programmers speak about their crafts. Understanding software programming as an essentially creative process should be of interest for theatre scholars, who are constantly searching for modes of academic discourse that are sensitive to the specificity of theatre. By offering examples from interface design for the study of Javanese theatre, Escobar argues that creating software, through an iterative process of trial and error, can become part of the methodological palette of theatre scholars. Miguel Escobar Varela is Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies at the National University of Singapore, and has worked as a theatre researcher, computer programmer and translator in Mexico, the Netherlands, Indonesia, and Singapore. His articles on the intersection of digital technology and theatre studies have been published in Digital Scholarship in the Humanities, Asian Theatre Journal, Performance Research, Contemporary Theatre Review and are forthcoming in TDR and Theatre Research International.
APPROPRIATE CAUSAL MODELS AND THE STABILITY OF CAUSATION
Authors: HALPERN JOSEPH Y.
Published: January 2016

Causal models defined in terms of structural equations have proved to be quite a powerful way of representing knowledge regarding causality. However, a number of authors have given examples that seem to show that the Halpern–Pearl (HP) definition of causality (Halpern & Pearl, 2005) gives intuitively unreasonable answers. Here it is shown that, for each of these examples, we can give two stories consistent with the description in the example, such that intuitions regarding causality are quite different for each story. By adding additional variables, we can disambiguate the stories. Moreover, in the resulting causal models, the HP definition of causality gives the intuitively correct answer. It is also shown that, by adding extra variables, a modification to the original HP definition made to deal with an example of Hopkins & Pearl (2003) may not be necessary. Given how much can be done by adding extra variables, there might be a concern that the notion of causality is somewhat unstable. Can adding extra variables in a “conservative” way (i.e., maintaining all the relations between the variables in the original model) cause the answer to the question “Is X = x a cause of Y = y?” to alternate between “yes” and “no”? It is shown that we can have such alternation infinitely often, but if we take normality into consideration, we cannot. Indeed, under appropriate normality assumptions. Adding an extra variable can change the answer from “yes’ to “no”, but after that, it cannot change back to “yes”.
Peter J. Webster Receives 2015 International Award
Authors:   AGU
Published: January 2016

Peter J. Webster received the 2015 International Award at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 16 December 2015 in San Francisco, Calif. The award honors "an individual scientist, group, or a small team for making an outstanding contribution to furthering the Earth and space sciences and using science for the benefit of society in developing nations."
Autophosphorylation at Thr279 of Entamoeba histolytica atypical kinase EhAK1 is required for activity and regulation of erythrophagocytosis
Authors: Mansuri M Shahid , Babuta Mrigya , Ali Mohammad Sabir , Bharadwaj Ravi , jhingan Gagan Deep , Gourinath Samudrala , Bhattacharya Sudha , Bhattacharya Alok
Published: January 2016

Phagocytosis plays a key role in survival and pathogenicity of Entamoeba histolytica. We have recently demonstrated that an atypical kinase EhAK1 is involved in phagocytosis in this parasite. It is recruited to the phagocytic cups through interaction with EhCaBP1. EhAK1 manipulates actin dynamics by multiple mechanisms including phosphorylation of G-actin. Biochemical analysis showed that EhAK1 is a serine/threonine kinase with broad ion specificity and undergoes multiple trans-autophosphorylation. Three autophosphorylation sites were identified by mass spectrometry. Out of these Thr279 appears to be involved in both autophosphorylation as well as substrate phosphorylation. Over expression of the mutant Thr279A inhibited erythrophagocytosis showing dominant negative phenotype. Multiple alignments of different kinases including alpha kinases displayed conserved binding sites that are thought to be important for function of the protein. Mutation studies demonstrated the importance of some of these binding sites in kinase activity. Binding studies with fluorescent-ATP analogs supported our prediction regarding ATP binding site based on sequence alignment. In conclusion, EhAK1 has multiple regulatory features and enrichment of EhAK1 at the site of phagocytosis stimulates trans-autophosphorylation reaction that increases kinase activity resulting in enhanced actin dynamics and phagocytosis. Some of the properties of EhAK1 are similar to that seen in alpha kinases.
Correction: Corrigendum: Plasmodium berghei ANKA causes intestinal malaria associated with dysbiosis
Authors: Taniguchi Tomoyo , Miyauchi Eiji , Nakamura Shota , Hirai Makoto , Suzue Kazutomo , Imai Takashi , Nomura Takahiro , Handa Tadashi , Okada Hiroko , Shimokawa Chikako , Onishi Risa , Olia Alex , Hirata Jun , Tomita Haruyoshi , Ohno Hiroshi , Horii Toshihiro , Hisaeda Hajime
Published: January 2016

Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain and diarrhea, are frequently observed in patients with Plasmodium falciparum malaria. However, the correlation between malaria intestinal pathology and intestinal microbiota has not been investigated. In the present study, infection of C57BL/6 mice with P. berghei ANKA (PbA) caused intestinal pathological changes, such as detachment of epithelia in the small intestines and increased intestinal permeability, which correlated with development with experimental cerebral malaria (ECM). Notably, an apparent dysbiosis occurred, characterized by a reduction of Firmicutes and an increase in Proteobacteria. Furthermore, some genera of microbiota correlated with parasite growth and/or ECM development. By contrast, BALB/c mice are resistant to ECM and exhibit milder intestinal pathology and dysbiosis. These results indicate that the severity of cerebral and intestinal pathology coincides with the degree of alteration in microbiota. This is the first report demonstrating that malaria affects intestinal microbiota and causes dysbiosis.
Ozone-induced IL-17A and neutrophilic airway inflammation is orchestrated by the caspase-1-IL-1 cascade
Authors: Che Luanqing , Jin Yan , Zhang Chao , Lai Tianwen , Zhou Hongbin , Xia Lixia , Tian Baoping , Zhao Yun , Liu Juan , Wu Yinfang , Wu Yanping , Du Jie , Li Wen , Ying Songmin , Chen Zhihua , Shen Huahao
Published: January 2016

Ozone is a common environmental air pollutant leading to respiratory illness. The mechanisms regulating ozone-induced airway inflammation remain poorly understood. We hypothesize that ozone-triggered inflammasome activation and interleukin (IL)-1 production regulate neutrophilic airway inflammation through IL-17A. Pulmonary neutrophilic inflammation was induced by extended (72 h) low-dose (0.7 ppm) exposure to ozone. IL-1 receptor 1 (Il1r1)−/−, Il17a−/− mice and the caspase-1 inhibitor acetyl-YVAD-chloromethylketone (Ac-YVAD-cmk) were used for in vivo studies. Cellular inflammation and protein levels in bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF), cytokines and IL-17A-producing γδT-cells, as well as mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) release and inflammasome activation in lung macrophages were analyzed. Ozone-induced neutrophilic airway inflammation, accompanied an increased production of IL-1β, IL-18, IL-17A, Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), Interferon-γ inducible protein 10 (IP-10) and BALF protein in the lung. Ozone-induced IL-17A production was predominantly in γδT-cells and Il17a-knockout mice exhibited reduced airway inflammation. Lung macrophages from ozone-exposed mice exhibited higher levels of mitochondrial ROS, enhanced cytosolic mtDNA, increased caspase-1 activation and higher production of IL-1β. Il1r1-knockout mice or treatment with Ac-YVAD-cmk decreased the IL-17A production and subsequent airway inflammation. Taken together, we demonstrate that ozone-induced IL-17A and neutrophilic airway inflammation is orchestrated by the caspase-1-IL-1 cascade.
Irisin promotes osteoblast proliferation and differentiation via activating the MAP kinase signaling pathways
Authors: Qiao Xiaoyong , Nie Ying , Ma Yaxian , Chen Yan , Cheng Ran , Yin Weiyao , Hu Ying , Xu Wenming , Xu Liangzhi
Published: January 2016

Physical exercise is able to improve skeletal health. However, the mechanisms are poorly known. Irisin, a novel exercise-induced myokine, secreted by skeletal muscle in response to exercise, have been shown to mediate beneficial effects of exercise in many disorders. In the current study, we demonstrated that irisin promotes osteoblast proliferation and increases the expression of osteoblastic transcription regulators, such as Runt-related transcription factor-2, osterix/sp7; and osteoblast differentiation markers, including alkaline phosphatase, collagen type 1 alpha-1, osteocalcin and osteopontin in vitro. Irisin also increase ALP activity and calcium deposition in cultured osteoblast. These osteogenic effects were mediated by activating the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38 MAPK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Inhibition of p38 MAPK by SB203580 or pERK by U0126 abolished the proliferation and up-regulatory effects of irisin on Runx2 expression and ALP activity. Together our observation suggest that irisin directly targets osteoblast, promoting osteoblast proliferation and differentiation via activating P38/ERK MAP kinase signaling cascades in vitro. Whether irisin can be utilized as the therapeutic agents for osteopenia and osteoporosis is worth to be further pursued
Crystal structures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis HspAT and ArAT reveal structural basis of their distinct substrate specificities
Authors: Nasir Nazia , Anant Avishek , Vyas Rajan , Biswal Bichitra Kumar
Published: January 2016

Aminotransferases of subfamily Iβ, which include histidinol phosphate aminotransferases (HspATs) and aromatic amino acid aminotransferases (ArATs), are structurally similar but possess distinct substrate specificities. This study, encompassing structural and biochemical characterisation of HspAT and ArAT from Mycobacterium tuberculosis demonstrates that the residues lining the substrate binding pocket and N-terminal lid are the primary determinants of their substrate specificities. In mHspAT, hydrophilic residues in the substrate binding pocket and N-terminal lid allow the entry and binding of its preferential substrate, Hsp. On the other hand, the hydrophobic nature of both the substrate binding pocket and the N-terminal lid of mArAT is responsible for the discrimination of a polar substrate such as Hsp, while facilitating the binding of Phe and other aromatic residues such as Tyr and Trp. In addition, the present study delineates the ligand induced conformational rearrangements, providing insights into the plasticity of aminotransferases. Furthermore, the study also demonstrates that the adventitiously bound ligand 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid (MES) is indeed a specific inhibitor of HspAT. These results suggest that previously untapped morpholine-ring scaffold compounds could be explored for the design of new anti-TB agents.
Mathematical modelling of transcriptional heterogeneity identifies novel markers and subpopulations in complex tissues
Authors: Wang Niya , Hoffman Eric P. , Chen Lulu , Chen Li , Zhang Zhen , Liu Chunyu , Yu Guoqiang , Herrington David M. , Clarke Robert , Wang Yue
Published: January 2016

Tissue heterogeneity is both a major confounding factor and an underexploited information source. While a handful of reports have demonstrated the potential of supervised computational methods to deconvolute tissue heterogeneity, these approaches require a priori information on the marker genes or composition of known subpopulations. To address the critical problem of the absence of validated marker genes for many (including novel) subpopulations, we describe convex analysis of mixtures (CAM), a fully unsupervised in silico method, for identifying subpopulation marker genes directly from the original mixed gene expressions in scatter space that can improve molecular analyses in many biological contexts. Validated with predesigned mixtures, CAM on the gene expression data from peripheral leukocytes, brain tissue and yeast cell cycle, revealed novel marker genes that were otherwise undetectable using existing methods. Importantly, CAM requires no a priori information on the number, identity, or composition of the subpopulations present in mixed samples and does not require the presence of pure subpopulations in sample space. This advantage is significant in that CAM can achieve all of its goals using only a small number of heterogeneous samples and is more powerful to distinguish between phenotypically similar subpopulations.
Probing Intersubunit Interfaces in AMPA-subtype Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors
Authors: Yelshanskaya Maria V. , Saotome Kei , Singh Appu K. , Sobolevsky Alexander I.
Published: January 2016

AMPA subtype ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) mediate the majority of fast neurotransmission across excitatory synapses in the central nervous system. Each AMPA receptor is composed of four multi-domain subunits that are organized into layers of two amino-terminal domain (ATD) dimers, two ligand-binding domain (LBD) dimers, transmembrane domains and carboxy-terminal domains. We introduced cysteine substitutions at the intersubunit interfaces of AMPA receptor subunit GluA2 and confirmed substituted cysteine crosslink formation by SDS-PAGE. The functional consequence of intersubunit crosslinks was assessed by recording GluA2-mediated currents in reducing and non-reducing conditions. Strong redox-dependent changes in GluA2-mediated currents were observed for cysteine substitutions at the LBD dimer-dimer interface but not at the ATD dimer-dimer interface. We conclude that during gating, LBD dimers undergo significant relative displacement, while ATD dimers either maintain their relative positioning, or their relative displacement has no appreciable effect on AMPA receptor function.
Synthesis of glycidyl azide polymers (GAPs) via binary ionic liquid–water mixtures without catalysts
Authors: Xu Xiaodong , Liu Meihua , Yin Yuan , Zheng Chunbai , Deng Pengyang , Xue Dongfeng
Published: January 2016

A simple ionic liquid–water mixed solvent system without catalysts for the synthesis of GAP was reported, which could effectively avoid organic solvent pollution.
Effect of Zn substitution at a Cu site on the transport behavior and thermoelectric properties in Cu3SbSe4
Authors: Kumar Aparabal , Dhama P. , Saini Deepash S. , Banerji P.
Published: January 2016

Zn substitution at Cu site in Cu3SbSe4 reduces the thermal conductivity giving beneficial effect to the thermoelectric figure of merit.
Microneedle-based sensors for medical diagnosis
Authors: Miller Philip R. , Narayan Roger J. , Polsky Ronen
Published: January 2016

The field of microneedle sensors is reviewed discussing current trends and future applications.
Low-dose chemotherapeutic drugs induce reactive oxygen species and initiate apoptosis-mediated genomic instability
Authors: Arun Renganathan , Dhivya Sridaran , Abraham Suresh K. , Premkumar Kumpati
Published: January 2016

Low-dose chemotherapy drugs initiate defective apoptosis, allowing a small population of cells to escape from cell cycle check points and survive with accumulated genetic damage.
Evaluating potential sources of variation in Chironomidae catch rates on sticky traps
Authors: Smith Joshua T. , Muehlbauer Jeffrey D. , Kennedy Theodore A.
Published: January 2016

Sticky traps are a convenient tool for assessing adult aquatic insect population dynamics, but there are many practical questions about how trap sampling artefacts may affect observed results. Utilising study sites on the Colorado River and two smaller streams in northern Arizona, USA, we evaluated whether catch rates and sex ratios of Chironomidae, a ubiquitous aquatic insect, were affected by spraying traps with insecticide, placing traps at different heights above ground, and placing traps at different locations within a terrestrial habitat patch. We also evaluated temporal variation in Chironomidae counts monthly over a 9-month growing season. We found no significant variation in catch rates or sex ratios between traps treated versus untreated with insecticide, nor between traps placed at the upstream or downstream end of a terrestrial habitat patch. Traps placed near ground level did have significantly higher catch rates than traps placed at 1.5m, although sex ratios were similar across heights. Chironomidae abundance and sex ratios also varied from month-to-month and seemed to be related to climatic conditions. Our results inform future sticky trap studies by demonstrating that trap height, but not insecticide treatment or precise trap placement within a habitat patch, is an important source of variation influencing catch rates.
Remarks on Explanatory Power
Authors: Jeffrey Richard C.
Published: January 2016

The idea of using information-theoretical concepts to quantify the notion of explanatory power of theories is an attractive one. Where the theory is adequately represented by a probability measure p on Boolean algebra A of propositions, it is natural to think of measuring explanatory power by some function of H(A), the entropy or uncertainty of p. But recently, Greeno and others have been exploring measures of explanatory power which are suggested by more detailed representations of theories - representations which are themselves suggested by communication-theoretical analogies.

To avoid inessential complications, suppose that the Boolean algebra A is finite, and let ‘a’ range over the atoms of A, viz., the strongest propositions in A which are not logically false. (Any two atoms are logically incompatible, and any proposition in A is expressible as a disjunction of atoms.) Then we have

where we set p(a) logp(a)=0 in case p(a)=0.
Can We Use the History of Science to Decide between Competing Methodologies?
Authors: Hall Richard J.
Published: January 2016

How are we to decide between the different methodologies that have been proposed for science? In particular, how are we to decide between inductivism, conventionalism, falsificationism, and research programism? Lakatos says that we should use history of science to help us decide. He proposes, or at any rate seems to propose, the following criterion: Given competing methodologies we should prefer that methodology according to which more of the actual history of science is internal and rational, and more of scientists’ own judgments about science are correct. This criterion presupposes the following proposition, which Lakatos also asserts: The different methodologies lead to determinable and different dividing lines between internal (rational) history of science and external (empirical) history of science.
Tachyons, Backwards Causation, and Freedom
Authors: Fitzgerald Paul
Published: January 2016

‘Tachyons’ are hypothetical faster-than-light particles. Their existence has been suspected and sought, on the ground that they appear to be compatible with the laws of nature, particularly with Special Relativity, and so there is at least some likelihood that they exist. That last mad inferential leap is justified by the experience of particle physicists, summed up in ‘Gell-Mann's totalitarian principle’ that “whatever is not forbidden is compulsory.” Experimental searches made so far have failed to find them.

The classical reason for ruling out faster-than-light particles has been that according to Special Relativity an infinite force would be required to accelerate a particle up to and beyond the speed of light. For if the particle's rest mass mo is greater than zero, then its relativistic mass, given by the formula

approaches infinity as the particle's velocity v approaches c, the speed of light.
The Structure, Growth and Application of Scientific Knowledge: Reflections on Relevance and the Future of Philosophy of Science
Authors: Giere Ronald N.
Published: January 2016

I would like to make it clear at the outset that this paper is not about a problem in the philosophy of science; it is about the philosophy of science itself. Furthermore, the discussion will not be confined to developments internal to philosophy of science but will include considerations of external factors and their possible relations to the philosophy of science. The justification for this departure from standard practice is simply that the issues to be discussed seem to be enough on many peoples’ minds to justify bringing them out into the public arena.

There is no need to dwell on the all too familiar external factors labeled by well-known catch phrases such as ‘over-population’, ‘pollution’, ‘violence’, ‘runaway technology’, ‘social disintegration’, etc., etc. Although one may debate their precise nature and speculate on their eventual relative significance, the seriousness of these problems, especially in conjunction, can hardly be doubted.
Two Kinds of Theory in the Social Sciences
Authors: Morrison Paul G.
Published: January 2016

In one sense, not every science of social phenomena qualifies as a social science, but only one which investigates the structure of one or more entire societies or cultures. It is within this context, perhaps, that historical linguistics, despite its central concern with an important variety of socially transmitted behavior and its largely deductive character, is less often classified with the social sciences than with the humanities.

From a broader standpoint, however, one may construe as a social science any science which investigates a complex of human behavior, attitude and belief that is transmitted, maintained, modified or discontinued through interpersonal influence. If the social sciences are understood in this broad sense, it is possible to distinguish two kinds of theory at work in them. On one hand, we may discern theories of social phenomena which function in deductive-nomothetic explanation. A typical example is the theory of the evolution of the Indo-European languages.
Elsasser, Generalized Complementarity, and Finite Classes: A Critique of his Anti-Reductionism
Authors: Kauffman Stuart
Published: January 2016

Serious students of cellular and developmental biology confront what may well be the gravest epistemological problems ever faced by scientists. These are direct consequences of the immense, ordered biochemical complexity of organisms.

One of the most extensive discussions of the epistemological problems confronting cell biologists has been supplied by Elsasser, whose views have had a rather wide audience [1, 2]. Elsasser is greatly to be admired for his insistence that biologists confront the epistemological problems of their science, and for his efforts to analyze those problems, which he feels center in our incapacity to know the quantum microstate of an organism. While I am sympathetic with his effort, I feel he misconstrues the epistemological consequences of our failure to know completely the organism's quantum microstates.
Randomness
Authors: Kyburg Henry E.
Published: January 2016

Mr. Coffa's admirable and lucid exposition of the history of mathematical randomness, leaves, to my mind, nothing to be desired. I am not sure whether, or how, its end result is of use to the theoretically minded statistician, but it is certainly interesting enough in its own right to need no excuse.

I tend also to agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Coffa's treatment of physical randomness, or at least with his conclusion. I can easily imagine that he will not have succeeded in convincing those who are sure that epistemology is built into physics - say in quantum mechanics - but he has certainly given even these people some food for thought. I can even swallow the peroration of his last paragraph whole, and agree that one might hope and expect that physics can make its claims without a reference to knowledge or to randomness.
Kant, the Dynamical Tradition, and the Role of Matter in Explanation
Authors: Buroker Jill Vance
Published: January 2016

Both the history of science and the history of philosophy demonstrate that different explanations of nature are motivated by different assumptions about what types of things need to be explained and what types of things are capable of explaining them. The view that diversity must be explained, for example, decrees that what is most fundamental is the immutable, and that diverse features of nature arise from essentially unchanging elements. This sort of view is best illustrated in atomistic theories where the characteristics of objects of our experience are ultimately accounted for in terms of the varying configurations and motions of indestructible atoms.

When we examine physical theories in order to determine what assumptions lead philosophers to value some aspects of nature as more fundamental than others, we will find that the focal point for these underlying assumptions is the concept of matter expounded in the theory.