bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
mini-q: Intelligenzscreening in drei Minuten
Authors: Baudson Tanja Gabriele , Preckel Franzis
Published: October 2015

Zusammenfassung.  1968 stellte Baddeley ein ebenso schlichtes wie ökonomisches Instrument zur Erfassung von verbalem reasoning bzw. des logischen Schlussfolgerns auf Grundlage grammatikalischer Transformationen vor, welches eine Fähigkeitseinschätzung in nur 3 Minuten erlaubt ( Baddeley, 1968 ). Aufgrund grammatikalischer Besonderheiten der englischen Sprache ließ sich dieser bis heute angewandte Test (z. B. Chamorro-Premuzic & Furnham, 2008 ) jedoch nicht direkt übertragen. Wir stellen in diesem Artikel die deutschsprachige Weiterentwicklung des ursprünglichen Verfahrens vor. Der mini-q wurde von einer Stichprobe von insgesamt 478 Probanden, teils mit weiteren Intelligenzmaßen, bearbeitet. Item- und Skalenstatistiken belegen die Güte des mini-q. Die Ergebnisse zur Reliabilität und zur faktoriellen, konvergenten und kriterialen Validität zeigen, dass die deutsche Weiterentwicklung eine recht genaue Einschätzung von speeded reasoning in kurzer Zeit erlaubt. Der mini-q eignet sich damit als Screeningverfahren zentraler kognitiver Fähigkeiten in Erhebungskontexten, in denen wenig Testzeit zur Verfügung steht und/oder in denen kognitive Fähigkeiten zur Kontrolle miterhoben werden sollen.
Chancenförderung in der Spielgruppe – und was geschieht in der Familie?
Authors: Lüthi Fabienne , Edelmann Doris
Published: October 2015

Zusammenfassung. In diesem Beitrag wird ein Einblick in den familiären Bildungsort von 30 Familien mit und ohne Migrationshintergrund gegeben, deren Kinder eine frühkindliche Einrichtung (= Spielgruppe) mit spezifischer Deutschförderung besuchten, um dadurch ihre Bildungschancen zu erhöhen. Noch relevanter ist jedoch die Förderung, die in der Familie stattfindet, weshalb diese als wichtigste Sozialisations- und Bildungsinstanz der frühen Kindheit gilt. Durch ein qualitativ typengenerierendes Verfahren wurden drei Typen von familiären Bildungsorten identifiziert, die sich bezüglich bildungsbezogenem Anregungsgehalt, Einstellungen und Erwartungen an ihre Kinder unterscheiden: die ausgesprochen, die geringfügig und die marginal bildungsorientierten Familien. Deutlich wird dabei, dass für die Bildungsorientierung nicht ausschliesslich das Kriterium mit oder ohne Migrationshintergrund entscheidend ist.
Performative Sachlernprozesse in Kontaktzonen im	Museum
Authors: Bellmann Anja , Wagner Bernd
Published: October 2015

Zusammenfassung. Der Beitrag stellt eine videoethnographische Studie zu Sachlernprozessen in der Frühen Kindheit vor. Die Studie thematisiert körperbezogene Erprobungen von Vorschulkindern im Umgang mit Sammlungsobjekten und didaktischem Material im Museum. Erste Ergebnisse der komparativen Analyse des Filmmaterials werden gezeigt, die zum Diskurs einer Pädagogik der materiellen Kultur beitragen. Das Kooperationsprojekt des Fachbereichs Bildung und Vermittlung des Deutschen Historischen Museums (DHM) in Berlin mit der Sachunterrichtsdidaktik an der Universität Siegen stellt erziehungswissenschaftlich begründete Kooperationsmöglichkeiten der Frühen Bildung und der Sachunterrichtsdidaktik im Museum heraus. Ziel ist es, Vorschulkindern, die oft über eigene Dingsammlungen verfügen und Erfahrungen mit der Tätigkeit Sammeln gewonnen haben, die umfangreichen Sammlungen des DHM zugänglich zu machen. In der Dauerausstellung Deutsche Geschichte in Bildern und Zeugnissen werden zu Objekten Kontaktzonen hergestellt, die historischen Wandel erfahrbar machen. Kindergruppen im Museum werden an Spielstationen, die zum performativen Erproben einladen, videoethnographisch begleitet.
Zwischen Interessen des Kindes und Schulvorbereitung
Authors: Schuler Stephanie , Pelzer Maria , Wittkowski Anika , Wittmann Gerald
Published: October 2015

Zusammenfassung. Die Überzeugungen von ErzieherInnen gelten als zentraler Einflussfaktor auf deren professionelles Handeln, speziell auch in Bezug auf das Mathematiklernen. In einer qualitativen empirischen Studie (fünf Fallstudien und zwei Gruppendiskussionen) werden entsprechende Überzeugungen von ErzieherInnen erhoben, wobei sich auch Argumentationslinien rekonstruieren lassen, die zeigen, in welcher Weise die Gestaltung mathematischer Bildung im Kindergarten begründet wird.
Effekte von Fort- und Weiterbildung auf die Sprachförderkompetenz frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte
Authors: Roth Christine , Hopp Holger , Thoma Dieter
Published: October 2015

Zusammenfassung. Der Beitrag untersucht, inwieweit fachbezogene Fort- und Weiterbildungen zu Kompetenzfortschritten bei frühpädagogischen Fachkräften im Bereich sprachliche Bildung und Sprachförderung führen. In zwei Studien wurden die Sprachförderkompetenzen von zwei Gruppen von insgesamt 58 Erzieherinnen in einem Prä-Posttest-Design standardisiert erhoben. Beide Gruppen durchliefen vergleichbare mehrmonatige Weiterbildungsprogramme mit dem Schwerpunkt Sprachförderung. Die Ergebnisse zeigen signifikante Wissenszuwächse in beiden Gruppen, zeigen aber deutliche Unterschiede in den absoluten Werten zwischen den Gruppen. Wir diskutieren die Ergebnisse vor dem Hintergrund der Professionalisierung in der Frühpädagogik und der bildungspolitischen Ressourcenzuwendung.
The Enigmatic Core Properties of the Inner Earth
Authors: Palus Shannon
Published: October 2015

A new study explores the possibility of cubic iron alloy structure at our planet's core.
IRAK1 mediates TLR4-induced ABCA1 downregulation and lipid accumulation in VSMCs
Authors: Guo L , Chen C-H , Zhang L-L , Cao X-J , Ma Q-L , Deng P , Zhu G , Gao C-Y , Li B-H , Pi Y , Liu Y , Hu Z-C , Zhang L , Yu Z-P , Zhou Z , Li J-C
Published: October 2015

The activation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling has an important role in promoting lipid accumulation and pro-inflammatory effects in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), which facilitate atherosclerosis development and progression. Previous studies have demonstrated that excess lipid accumulation in VSMCs is due to an inhibition of the expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), an important molecular mediator of lipid efflux from VSMCs. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of this process are unclear. The purpose of this study was to disclose the underlying molecular mechanisms of TLR4 signaling in regulating ABCA1 expression. Primary cultured VSMCs were stimulated with 50 μg/ml oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL). We determined that enhancing TLR4 signaling using oxLDL significantly downregulated ABCA1 expression and induced lipid accumulation in VSMCs. However, TLR4 knockout significantly rescued oxLDL-induced ABCA1 downregulation and lipid accumulation. In addition, IL-1R-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) was involved in the effects of TLR4 signaling on ABCA1 expression and lipid accumulation. Silencing IRAK1 expression using a specific siRNA reversed TLR4-induced ABCA1 downregulation and lipid accumulation in vitro. These results were further confirmed by our in vivo experiments. We determined that enhancing TLR4 signaling by administering a 12-week-long high-fat diet (HFD) to mice significantly increased IRAK1 expression, which downregulated ABCA1 expression and induced lipid accumulation. In addition, TLR4 knockout in vivo reversed the effects of the HFD on IRAK1 and ABCA1 expression, as well as on lipid accumulation. In conclusion, IRAK1 is involved in TLR4-mediated downregulation of ABCA1 expression and lipid accumulation in VSMCs.
A novel miR-371a-5p-mediated pathway, leading to BAG3 upregulation in cardiomyocytes in response to epinephrine, is lost in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy
Authors: d'Avenia M , Citro R , De Marco M , Veronese A , Rosati A , Visone R , Leptidis S , Philippen L , Vitale G , Cavallo A , Silverio A , Prota C , Gravina P , De Cola A , Carletti E , Coppola G , Gallo S , Provenza G , Bossone E , Piscione F , Hahne M , De Windt L J , Turco M C , De Laurenzi V
Published: October 2015

Molecular mechanisms protecting cardiomyocytes from stress-induced death, including tension stress, are essential for cardiac physiology and defects in these protective mechanisms can result in pathological alterations. Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is expressed in cardiomyocytes and is a component of the chaperone-assisted autophagy pathway, essential for homeostasis of mechanically altered cells. BAG3 ablation in mice results in a lethal cardiomyopathy soon after birth and mutations of this gene have been associated with different cardiomyopathies including stress-induced Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC). The pathogenic mechanism leading to TTC has not been defined, but it has been suggested that the heart can be damaged by excessive epinephrine (epi) spillover in the absence of a protective mechanism. The aim of this study was to provide more evidence for a role of BAG3 in the pathogenesis of TTC. Therefore, we sequenced BAG3 gene in 70 TTC patients and in 81 healthy donors with the absence of evaluable cardiovascular disease. Mutations and polymorphisms detected in the BAG3 gene included a frequent nucleotide change g2252c in the BAG3 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of Takotsubo patients (P<0.05), resulting in loss of binding of microRNA-371a-5p (miR-371a-5p) as evidenced by dual-luciferase reporter assays and argonaute RNA-induced silencing complex catalytic component 2/pull-down assays. Moreover, we describe a novel signaling pathway in cardiomyocytes that leads to BAG3 upregulation on exposure to epi through an ERK-dependent upregulation of miR-371a-5p. In conclusion, the presence of a g2252c polymorphism in the BAG3 3′-UTR determines loss of miR-371a-5p binding and results in an altered response to epi, potentially representing a new molecular mechanism that contributes to TTC pathogenesis.
A mutational signature in gastric cancer suggests therapeutic strategies
Authors: Alexandrov Ludmil B. , Nik-Zainal Serena , Siu Hoi Cheong , Leung Suet Yi , Stratton Michael R
Published: October 2015

Targeting defects in the DNA repair machinery of neoplastic cells, for example, those due to inactivating BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 mutations, has been used for developing new therapies in certain types of breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancers. Recently, a mutational signature was associated with failure of double-strand DNA break repair by homologous recombination based on its high mutational burden in samples harbouring BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. In pancreatic cancer, all responders to platinum therapy exhibit this mutational signature including a sample that lacked any defects in BRCA1 or BRCA2. Here, we examine 10,250 cancer genomes across 36 types of cancer and demonstrate that, in addition to breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancers, gastric cancer is another cancer type that exhibits this mutational signature. Our results suggest that 7–12% of gastric cancers have defective double-strand DNA break repair by homologous recombination and may benefit from either platinum therapy or PARP inhibitors.
Unravelling structural ambiguities in lithium- and manganese-rich transition metal oxides
Authors: Shukla Alpesh Khushalchand , Ramasse Quentin M. , Ophus Colin , Duncan Hugues , Hage Fredrik , Chen Guoying
Published: October 2015

Although Li- and Mn-rich transition metal oxides have been extensively studied as high-capacity cathode materials for Li-ion batteries, the crystal structure of these materials in their pristine state is not yet fully understood. Here we apply complementary electron microscopy and spectroscopy techniques at multi-length scale on well-formed Li1.2(Ni0.13Mn0.54Co0.13)O2 crystals with two different morphologies as well as two commercially available materials with similar compositions, and unambiguously describe the structural make-up of these samples. Systematically observing the entire primary particles along multiple zone axes reveals that they are consistently made up of a single phase, save for rare localized defects and a thin surface layer on certain crystallographic facets. More specifically, we show the bulk of the oxides can be described as an aperiodic crystal consisting of randomly stacked domains that correspond to three variants of monoclinic structure, while the surface is composed of a Co- and/or Ni-rich spinel with antisite defects.
Dilp8 requires the neuronal relaxin receptor Lgr3 to couple growth to developmental timing
Authors: Garelli Andres , Heredia Fabiana , Casimiro Andreia P. , Macedo Andre , Nunes Catarina , Garcez Marcia , Dias Angela R. Mantas , Volonte Yanel A. , Uhlmann Thomas , Caparros Esther , Koyama Takashi , Gontijo Alisson M.
Published: October 2015

How different organs in the body sense growth perturbations in distant tissues to coordinate their size during development is poorly understood. Here we mutate an invertebrate orphan relaxin receptor gene, the Drosophila Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 3 (Lgr3), and find body asymmetries similar to those found in insulin-like peptide 8 (dilp8) mutants, which fail to coordinate growth with developmental timing. Indeed, mutation or RNA intereference (RNAi) against Lgr3 suppresses the delay in pupariation induced by imaginal disc growth perturbation or ectopic Dilp8 expression. By tagging endogenous Lgr3 and performing cell type-specific RNAi, we map this Lgr3 activity to a new subset of CNS neurons, four of which are a pair of bilateral pars intercerebralis Lgr3-positive (PIL) neurons that respond specifically to ectopic Dilp8 by increasing cAMP-dependent signalling. Our work sheds new light on the function and evolution of relaxin receptors and reveals a novel neuroendocrine circuit responsive to growth aberrations.
Magnetotactic molecular architectures from self-assembly of β-peptide foldamers
Authors: Kwon Sunbum , Kim Beom Jin , Lim Hyung-Kyu , Kang Kyungtae , Yoo Sung Hyun , Gong Jintaek , Yoon Eunyoung , Lee Juno , Choi Insung S. , Kim Hyungjun , Lee Hee-Seung
Published: October 2015

The design of stimuli-responsive self-assembled molecular systems capable of undergoing mechanical work is one of the most important challenges in synthetic chemistry and materials science. Here we report that foldectures, that is, self-assembled molecular architectures of β-peptide foldamers, uniformly align with respect to an applied static magnetic field, and also show instantaneous orientational motion in a dynamic magnetic field. This response is explained by the amplified anisotropy of the diamagnetic susceptibilities as a result of the well-ordered molecular packing of the foldectures. In addition, the motions of foldectures at the microscale can be translated into magnetotactic behaviour at the macroscopic scale in a way reminiscent to that of magnetosomes in magnetotactic bacteria. This study will provide significant inspiration for designing the next generation of biocompatible peptide-based molecular machines with applications in biological systems.
General synthesis of inorganic single-walled nanotubes
Authors: Ni Bing , Liu Huiling , Wang Peng-peng , He Jie , Wang Xun
Published: October 2015

The single-walled nanotube (SWNT) is an interesting nanostructure for fundamental research and potential applications. However, very few inorganic SWNTs are available to date due to the lack of efficient fabrication methods. Here we synthesize four types of SWNT: sulfide; hydroxide; phosphate; and polyoxometalate. Each type of SWNT possesses essentially uniform diameters. Detailed studies illustrate that the formation of SWNTs is initiated by the self-coiling of the corresponding ultrathin nanostructure embryo/building blocks on the base of weak interactions between them, which is not limited to specific compounds or crystal structures. The interactions between building blocks can be modulated by varying the solvents used, thus multi-walled tubes can also be obtained. Our results reveal that the generalized synthesis of inorganic SWNTs can be achieved by the self-coiling of ultrathin building blocks under the proper weak interactions.
Role of the central nervous system and adipose tissue BDNF/TrkB axes in metabolic regulation
Authors: Nakagomi Atsushi , Okada Sho , Yokoyama Masataka , Yoshida Yohko , Shimizu Ippei , Miki Takashi , Kobayashi Yoshio , Minamino Tohru
Published: October 2015

Background/Objectives:

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor (tropomyosin-related kinase B: TrkB, also known as Ntrk2) have a key role in central regulation of the energy balance. BDNF and TrkB are also expressed in the peripheral tissues, including adipose tissue, but their peripheral role has been unclear. Here we report on the functional significance of the adipose tissue BDNF/TrkB axis in metabolic homeostasis.

Materials and Methods:

To examine the role of the BDNF/TrkB axis in the central nervous system and in adipose tissue, we generated adipocyte-specific or neuron-specific BDNF/TrkB conditional knockout (CKO) mice. Then we compared the feeding behavior and metabolic profile between each type of CKO mouse and their littermates.

Results:

Bdnfexpression was significantly increased in the adipose tissue of mice receiving a high-calorie diet, whereasNtrk2expression was decreased. TheBdnf/Ntrk2expression ratio of adipose tissue was higher in female mice than male mice.Fabp4-Cre mice are widely used to establish adipocyte-specific CKO mice. However, we found thatFabp4-Cre-induced deletion ofBdnforNtrk2led to hyperphagia, obesity, and aggressiveness, presumably due to ectopicFabp4-Cre mediated gene recombination in the brain. Next, we attempted to more specifically deleteBdnforNtrk2in adipocytes usingAdipoq-Cre mice. Expression ofNtrk2,but notBdnf,in the adipose tissue was reduced byAdipoq-Cre mediated gene recombination, indicating that adipocytes only expressed TrkB. No phenotypic changes were detected whenAdipoq-Cre TrkB CKO mice were fed a normal diet, whereas female CKO mice receiving a high-calorie diet showed a decrease in food intake and resistance to obesity.

Conclusions:

The adipose tissue BDNF/TrkB axis has a substantial influence on the feeding behavior and obesity in female mice.
Ten-year longitudinal study of factors influencing nocturnal asthma symptoms among Asian patients in primary care
Authors: Tan Ngiap Chuan , Nadkarni Nivedita V , Lye Weng Kit , Sankari Usha , Nguyen van Hai
Published: October 2015

Background:

Nocturnal asthma symptoms result in poor quality of life and morbidity.

Aims:

This study primarily examines key factors predicting and mitigating nocturnal symptom risks among asthma patients, who were enrolled into a Singapore publicly funded asthma care programme. It also studies the association between nocturnal symptoms and medication changes as the secondary outcome.

Methods:

A longitudinal study was conducted on 939 multi-racial Asian patients with persistent asthma. Patient clinical and therapeutic data were retrieved retrospectively from the programme’s database established in 2004. Association between nocturnal symptoms (defined as night-time cough, wheeze and breathlessness at least twice monthly) and each categorical predictor was tested. The generalised linear mixed-effects model (GLIMM) was used to model the primary and secondary outcomes.

Results:

Having nocturnal asthma symptoms was significantly associated with the number of days with breathlessness, off usual activities and off work, and asthma severity at baseline (allPvalues <0.05). The asthma action plan (AAP) status is significantly associated with nocturnal symptoms after adjusting for race, age and smoking status at baseline (odds ratio (OR)=0.49 (updated asthma action plan versus none), OR=0.37 (been-on plan versus none)). The risks of nocturnal asthma symptoms increased over time for those with allergic rhinitis (OR=1.52) and reduced with subsequent visits (OR=0.91). Nocturnal symptoms increased the odds (OR=2.87) of switching from inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) to combination medications (ICS-LABA (long-acting β2-agonist)).

Conclusions:

The risks of having nocturnal symptoms were primarily associated with those with allergic rhinitis. An increase in patients’ nocturnal symptoms was also predictive of the switching from ICS medications to combination formulations by their physicians.
Dynamic weight bearing is an efficient and predictable method for evaluation of arthritic nociception and its pathophysiological mechanisms in mice
Authors: Quadros Andreza U. , Pinto Larissa G. , Fonseca Miriam M. , Kusuda Ricardo , Cunha Fernando Q. , Cunha Thiago M.
Published: October 2015

The assessment of articular nociception in experimental animals is a challenge because available methods are limited and subject to investigator influence. In an attempt to solve this problem, the purpose of this study was to establish the use of dynamic weight bearing (DWB) as a new device for evaluating joint nociception in an experimental model of antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) in mice. AIA was induced in Balb/c and C57BL/6 mice and joint nociception was evaluated by DWB. Western Blotting and real-time PCR were used to determine protein and mRNA expression, respectively. DWB detected a dose- and time-dependent increase in joint nociception during AIA and was able to detect the dose-response effects of different classes of analgesics. Using DWB, it was possible to evaluate the participation of spinal glial cells (microglia and astrocytes) and cytokines (IL-1β and TNFα) for the genesis of joint nociception during AIA. In conclusion, the present results indicated that DWB is an effective, objective and predictable test to study both the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in arthritic nociception in mice and for evaluating novel analgesic drugs against arthritis.
A high-throughput RNA-seq approach to profile transcriptional responses
Authors: Moyerbrailean G. A. , Davis G. O. , Harvey C. T. , Watza D. , Wen X. , Pique-Regi R. , Luca F.
Published: October 2015

In recent years RNA-seq protocols have been developed to investigate a variety of biological problems by measuring the abundance of different RNAs. Many study designs involve performing expensive preliminary studies to screen or optimize experimental conditions. Testing a large number of conditions in parallel may be more cost effective. For example, analyzing tissue/environment-specific gene expression generally implies screening a large number of cellular conditions and samples, without prior knowledge of which conditions are most informative (e.g., some cell types may not respond to certain treatments). To circumvent these challenges, we have established a new two-step high-throughput RNA-seq approach: the first step consists of gene expression screening of a large number of conditions, while the second step focuses on deep sequencing of the most relevant conditions (e.g., largest number of differentially expressed genes). This study design allows for a fast and economical screen in step one, with a more efficient allocation of resources for the deep sequencing of the most biologically relevant libraries in step two. We have applied this approach to study the response to 23 treatments in three lymphoblastoid cell lines demonstrating that it should also be useful for other high-throughput transcriptome profiling applications requiring iterative refinement or screening.
Microbial mediation of complex subterranean mineral structures
Authors: Tisato Nicola , Torriani Stefano F. F. , Monteux Sylvain , Sauro Francesco , De Waele Jo , Tavagna Maria Luisa , D’Angeli Ilenia M. , Chailloux Daniel , Renda Michel , Eglinton Timothy I. , Bontognali Tomaso R. R.
Published: October 2015

Helictites—an enigmatic type of mineral structure occurring in some caves—differ from classical speleothems as they develop with orientations that defy gravity. While theories for helictite formation have been forwarded, their genesis remains equivocal. Here, we show that a remarkable suite of helictites occurring in Asperge Cave (France) are formed by biologically-mediated processes, rather than abiotic processes as had hitherto been proposed. Morphological and petro-physical properties are inconsistent with mineral precipitation under purely physico-chemical control. Instead, microanalysis and molecular-biological investigation reveals the presence of a prokaryotic biofilm intimately associated with the mineral structures. We propose that microbially-influenced mineralization proceeds within a gliding biofilm which serves as a nucleation site for CaCO3 and where chemotaxis influences the trajectory of mineral growth, determining the macroscopic morphology of the speleothems. The influence of biofilms may explain the occurrence of similar speleothems in other caves worldwide and sheds light on novel biomineralization processes.
Correction: Corrigendum: Photosystem I cyclic electron flow via chloroplast NADH dehydrogenase-like complex performs a physiological role for photosynthesis at low light
Authors: Yamori Wataru , Shikanai Toshiharu , Makino Amane
Published: October 2015

Cyclic electron transport around photosystem I (PS I) was discovered more than a half-century ago and two pathways have been identified in angiosperms. Although substantial progress has been made in understanding the structure of the chloroplast NADH dehydrogenase-like (NDH) complex, which mediates one route of the cyclic electron transport pathways, its physiological function is not well understood. Most studies focused on the role of the NDH-dependent PS I cyclic electron transport in alleviation of oxidative damage in strong light. In contrast, here it is shown that impairment of NDH-dependent cyclic electron flow in rice specifically causes a reduction in the electron transport rate through PS I (ETR I) at low light intensity with a concomitant reduction in CO2 assimilation rate, plant biomass and importantly, grain production. There was no effect on PS II function at low or high light intensity. We propose a significant physiological function for the chloroplast NDH at low light intensities commonly experienced during the reproductive and ripening stages of rice cultivation that have adverse effects crop yield.
Erratum: Electric-field control of magnetic moment in Pd
Authors: Obinata Aya , Hibino Yuki , Hayakawa Daichi , Koyama Tomohiro , Miwa Kazumoto , Ono Shimpei , Chiba Daichi
Published: October 2015

Several magnetic properties have recently become tunable with an applied electric field. Particularly, electrically controlled magnetic phase transitions and/or magnetic moments have attracted attention because they are the most fundamental parameters in ferromagnetic materials. In this study, we showed that an electric field can be used to control the magnetic moment in films made of Pd, usually a non-magnetic element. Pd ultra-thin films were deposited on ferromagnetic Pt/Co layers. In the Pd layer, a ferromagnetically ordered magnetic moment was induced by the ferromagnetic proximity effect. By applying an electric field to the ferromagnetic surface of this Pd layer, a clear change was observed in the magnetic moment, which was measured directly using a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. The results indicate that magnetic moments extrinsically induced in non-magnetic elements by the proximity effect, as well as an intrinsically induced magnetic moments in ferromagnetic elements, as reported previously, are electrically tunable. The results of this study suggest a new avenue for answering the fundamental question of “can an electric field make naturally non-magnetic materials ferromagnetic?”
The Soybean Peptide Vglycin Preserves the Diabetic β-cells through Improvement of Proliferation and Inhibition of Apoptosis
Authors: Jiang Hua , Tong Yuxing , Yan Dongjing , Jia Shaohui , Ostenson Claes-Goran , Chen Zhengwang
Published: October 2015

Replenishment of insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells would be beneficial in diabetes. The number of β-cells is maintained primarily by self-neogenesis to compensate for β-cell failure, loss or dedifferentiation. We present here a polypeptide vglycin, which was isolated and purified from germinating pea seeds. Vglycin exhibited positive effects in our diabetic models by promoting the proliferation and suppressing the apoptosis and dedifferentiation of β-cells. Vglycin promoted the restoration of β-cells in both young streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetic SD rats and in aged high-fat diet with (or without) STZ-induced type 2 diabetic C57BL/6 mice. We demonstrated that vglycin triggers this positive signaling by activating the insulin receptor and corresponding transcription factors. Impaired insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in aged T2DM mice were dramatically improved after long-term vglycin treatment, consistent with the altered level of inflammatory factor IL-1β/6. In addition, energy expenditure and body weights were significantly decreased in the mouse models after vglycin therapy. These results provide insight into the protective effects of vglycin on ameliorating β-cell function in standing glucolipotoxicity. Thus, vglycin may represent a new therapeutic agent for preventing and treating diabetes by replenishing endogenous insulin-positive cells.
TGF-β2 induces Grb2 to recruit PI3-K to TGF-RII that activates JNK/AP-1-signaling and augments invasiveness of Theileria-transformed macrophages
Authors: Haidar Malak , Whitworth Jessie , Noé Gaelle , Liu Wang Qing , Vidal Michel , Langsley Gordon
Published: October 2015

Theileria-infected macrophages display many features of cancer cells such as heightened invasive capacity; however, the tumor-like phenotype is reversible by killing the parasite. Moreover, virulent macrophages can be attenuated by multiple in vitro passages and so provide a powerful model to elucidate mechanisms related to transformed macrophage virulence. Here, we demonstrate that in two independent Theileria-transformed macrophage cell lines Grb2 expression is down-regulated concomitant with loss of tumor virulence. Using peptidimer-c to ablate SH2 and SH3 interactions of Grb2 we identify TGF-receptor II and the p85 subunit of PI3-K, as Grb2 partners in virulent macrophages. Ablation of Grb2 interactions reduces PI3-K recruitment to TGF-RII and decreases PIP3 production and dampens JNK phosphorylation and AP-1-driven transcriptional activity down to levels characteristic of attenuated macrophages. Loss of TGF-R>PI3-K>JNK>AP-1 signaling negatively impacts on virulence traits such as reduced JAM-L/ITG4A and Fos-B/MMP9 expression that contribute to virulent macrophage adhesion and invasiveness.
Fluidic Active Transducer for Electricity Generation
Authors: Yang YoungJun , Park Junwoo , Kwon Soon-Hyung , Kim Youn Sang
Published: October 2015

Flows in small size channels have been studied for a long time over multidisciplinary field such as chemistry, biology and medical through the various topics. Recently, the attempts of electricity generation from the small flows as a new area for energy harvesting in microfluidics have been reported. Here, we propose for the first time a new fluidic electricity generator (FEG) by modulating the electric double layer (EDL) with two phase flows of water and air without external power sources. We find that an electric current flowed by the forming/deforming of the EDL with a simple separated phase flow of water and air at the surface of the FEG. Electric signals between two electrodes of the FEG are checked from various water/air passing conditions. Moreover, we verify the possibility of a self-powered air slug sensor by applying the FEG in the detection of an air slug.
Superadiabatic Controlled Evolutions and Universal Quantum Computation
Authors: Santos Alan C. , Sarandy Marcelo S.
Published: October 2015

Adiabatic state engineering is a powerful technique in quantum information and quantum control. However, its performance is limited by the adiabatic theorem of quantum mechanics. In this scenario, shortcuts to adiabaticity, such as provided by the superadiabatic theory, constitute a valuable tool to speed up the adiabatic quantum behavior. Here, we propose a superadiabatic route to implement universal quantum computation. Our method is based on the realization of piecewise controlled superadiabatic evolutions. Remarkably, they can be obtained by simple time-independent counter-diabatic Hamiltonians. In particular, we discuss the implementation of fast rotation gates and arbitrary n-qubit controlled gates, which can be used to design different sets of universal quantum gates. Concerning the energy cost of the superadiabatic implementation, we show that it is dictated by the quantum speed limit, providing an upper bound for the corresponding adiabatic counterparts.
Toward industrial scale synthesis of ultrapure singlet nanoparticles with controllable sizes in a continuous gas-phase process
Authors: Feng Jicheng , Biskos George , Schmidt-Ott Andreas
Published: October 2015

Continuous gas-phase synthesis of nanoparticles is associated with rapid agglomeration, which can be a limiting factor for numerous applications. In this report, we challenge this paradigm by providing experimental evidence to support that gas-phase methods can be used to produce ultrapure non-agglomerated “singlet” nanoparticles having tunable sizes at room temperature. By controlling the temperature in the particle growth zone to guarantee complete coalescence of colliding entities, the size of singlets in principle can be regulated from that of single atoms to any desired value. We assess our results in the context of a simple analytical model to explore the dependence of singlet size on the operating conditions. Agreement of the model with experimental measurements shows that these methods can be effectively used for producing singlets that can be processed further by many alternative approaches. Combined with the capabilities of up-scaling and unlimited mixing that spark ablation enables, this study provides an easy-to-use concept for producing the key building blocks for low-cost industrial-scale nanofabrication of advanced materials.
Bending light via adiabatic optical transition in longitudinally modulated photonic lattices
Authors: Han Bin , Xu Lei , Dou Yiling , Xu Jingjun , Zhang Guoquan
Published: October 2015

Bending light in a controllable way is desired in various applications such as beam steering, navigating and cloaking. Different from the conventional way to bend light by refractive index gradient, transformation optics or special beams through wavefront design such as Airy beams and surface plasmons, we proposed a mechanism to bend light via resonant adiabatic optical transition between Floquet-Bloch (FB) modes from different FB bands in longitudinally modulated photonic lattices. The band structure of longitudinally modulated photonic lattices was calculated by employing the concept of quasi-energy based on the Floquet-Bloch theory, showing the existence of band discontinuities at specific resonant points which cannot be revealed by the coupled-mode theory. Interestingly, different FB bands can be seamlessly connected at these resonant points in longitudinally modulated photonic lattices driven by adiabatically varying the longitudinal modulation period along the propagation direction, which stimulates the adiabatic FB mode transition between different FB bands.
Structural evidence for the role of polar core residue Arg175 in arrestin activation
Authors: Granzin Joachim , Stadler Andreas , Cousin Anneliese , Schlesinger Ramona , Batra-Safferling Renu
Published: October 2015

Binding mechanism of arrestin requires photoactivation and phosphorylation of the receptor protein rhodopsin, where the receptor bound phosphate groups cause displacement of the long C-tail ‘activating’ arrestin. Mutation of arginine 175 to glutamic acid (R175E), a central residue in the polar core and previously predicted as the ‘phosphosensor’ leads to a pre-active arrestin that is able to terminate phototransduction by binding to non-phosphorylated, light-activated rhodopsin. Here, we report the first crystal structure of a R175E mutant arrestin at 2.7 Å resolution that reveals significant differences compared to the basal state reported in full-length arrestin structures. These differences comprise disruption of hydrogen bond network in the polar core and three-element interaction including disordering of several residues in the receptor-binding finger loop and the C-terminus (residues 361–404). Additionally, R175E structure shows a 7.5° rotation of the amino and carboxy-terminal domains relative to each other. Consistent to the biochemical data, our structure suggests an important role of R29 in the initial activation step of C-tail release. Comparison of the crystal structures of basal arrestin and R175E mutant provide insights into the mechanism of arrestin activation, where binding of the receptor likely induces structural changes mimicked as in R175E.
Gradual edge enhancement in spiral phase contrast imaging with fractional vortex filters
Authors: Wang Jikang , Zhang Wuhong , Qi Qianqian , Zheng Shasha , Chen Lixiang
Published: October 2015

In the spiral phase contrast imaging, the integer spiral phase plate (SPP) are generally employed to perform the radial Hilbert transform on the object. Here we introduce fractional SPP filters, instead of the integer ones, to investigate the gradual formation of edge enhancement for pure phase objects. Two spatial light modulators are used in our experimental configuration. One is addressed to display the pure phase object of a five-pointed star, while the other serves as a dynamic filter of fractional topological charge Q. Of interest is the observation of the complete reversal of the edge and background brightness by gradually changing the fractional vortices from Q = 0 to 1. The experimental results were well interpreted based on the OAM spectra of fractional SPP, which indicates that the filtered output image can be considered as a coherent superposition of all possible images that are individually resulted from the integer OAM filtering. Besides, we show that the spiral phase contrast effect can still be observed in real time for a rotating three-leaf clover. Our results may find potential applications in the optical microscopic imaging.
Contrast-dependent orientation discrimination in the mouse
Authors: Long Minghai , Jiang Weiqian , Liu Dechen , Yao Haishan
Published: October 2015

As an important animal model to study the relationship between behaviour and neural activity, the mouse is able to perform a variety of visual tasks, such as orientation discrimination and contrast detection. However, it is not clear how stimulus contrast influences the performance of orientation discrimination in mice. In this study, we used two task designs, two-alternative forced choice (2AFC) and go/no-go, to examine the performance of mice to discriminate two orthogonal orientations at different contrasts. We found that the performance tended to increase with contrast and the performance at high contrast was better when the stimulus set contained a single contrast than multiple contrasts. Physiological experiments in V1 showed that neural discriminability of two orthogonal orientations increased with contrast. Furthermore, orientation discriminability of V1 neurons at high contrast was higher in the single than in the multiple contrast condition, largely due to smaller response variance in the single contrast condition. Thus, the performance of mice to discriminate orientations at high contrast is adapted to the contrast range in the stimuli, partly attributed to the contrast-range dependent capacity of V1 neurons to discriminate orientations.
The Chemokine MIP-1α/CCL3 impairs mouse hippocampal synaptic transmission, plasticity and memory
Authors: Marciniak Elodie , Faivre Emilie , Dutar Patrick , Alves Pires Claire , Demeyer Dominique , Caillierez Raphaëlle , Laloux Charlotte , Buée Luc , Blum David , Humez Sandrine
Published: October 2015

Chemokines are signaling molecules playing an important role in immune regulations. They are also thought to regulate brain development, neurogenesis and neuroendocrine functions. While chemokine upsurge has been associated with conditions characterized with cognitive impairments, their ability to modulate synaptic plasticity remains ill-defined. In the present study, we specifically evaluated the effects of MIP1-α/CCL3 towards hippocampal synaptic transmission, plasticity and spatial memory. We found that CCL3 (50 ng/ml) significantly reduced basal synaptic transmission at the Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapse without affecting NMDAR-mediated field potentials. This effect was ascribed to post-synaptic regulations, as CCL3 did not impact paired-pulse facilitation. While CCL3 did not modulate long-term depression (LTD), it significantly impaired long-term potentiation (LTP), an effect abolished by Maraviroc, a CCR5 specific antagonist. In addition, sub-chronic intracerebroventricular (icv) injections of CCL3 also impair LTP. In accordance with these electrophysiological findings, we demonstrated that the icv injection of CCL3 in mouse significantly impaired spatial memory abilities and long-term memory measured using the two-step Y-maze and passive avoidance tasks. These effects of CCL3 on memory were inhibited by Maraviroc. Altogether, these data suggest that the chemokine CCL3 is an hippocampal neuromodulator able to regulate synaptic plasticity mechanisms involved in learning and memory functions.
Electrospun Fibrous Membranes with Super-large-strain Electric Superhydrophobicity
Authors: Zhou Hua , Wang Hongxia , Niu Haitao , Lin Tong
Published: October 2015

Large-strain elastic superhydrophobicity is highly desirable for its enhanced use performance and functional reliability in mechanically dynamic environments, but remains challenging to develop. Here we have, for the first time, proven that an elastic fibrous membrane after surface hydrophobization can maintain superhydrophobicity during one-directional (uniaxial) stretching to a strain as high as 1500% and two-direction (biaxial) stretching to a strain up to 700%. The fibrous membrane can withstand at least 1,000 cycles of repeated stretching without losing the superhydrophobicity. Stretching slightly increases the membrane air permeability and reduces water breakthrough pressure. It is highly stable in acid and base environments. Such a permeable, highly-elastic superhydrophobic membrane may open up novel applications in membrane separation, healthcare, functional textile and energy fields.
Magnetic-charge ordering and phase transitions in monopole-conserved square spin ice
Authors: Xie Y.-L. , Du Z.-Z. , Yan Z.-B. , Liu J.-M.
Published: October 2015

Magnetic-charge ordering and corresponding magnetic/monopole phase transitions in spin ices are the emergent topics of condensed matter physics. In this work, we investigate a series of magnetic-charge (monopole) phase transitions in artificial square spin ice model using the conserved monopole density algorithm. It is revealed that the dynamics of low monopole density lattices is controlled by the effective Coulomb interaction and the Dirac string tension, leading to the monopole dimerization which is quite different from the dynamics of three-dimensional pyrochlore spin ice. The condensation of the monopole dimers into monopole crystals with staggered magnetic-charge order can be predicted clearly. For the high monopole density cases, the lattice undergoes two consecutive phase transitions from high-temperature paramagnetic/charge-disordered phase into staggered charge-ordered phase before eventually toward the long-range magnetically-ordered phase as the ground state which is of staggered charge order too. A phase diagram over the whole temperature-monopole density space, which exhibits a series of emergent spin and monopole ordered states, is presented.
Gut microbe-derived extracellular vesicles induce insulin resistance, thereby impairing glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle
Authors: Choi Youngwoo , Kwon Yonghoon , Kim Dae-Kyum , Jeon Jinseong , Jang Su Chul , Wang Taejun , Ban Minjee , Kim Min-Hye , Jeon Seong Gyu , Kim Min-Sun , Choi Cheol Soo , Jee Young-Koo , Gho Yong Song , Ryu Sung Ho , Kim Yoon-Keun
Published: October 2015

Gut microbes might influence host metabolic homeostasis and contribute to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D), which is characterized by insulin resistance. Bacteria-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been suggested to be important in the pathogenesis of diseases once believed to be non-infectious. Here, we hypothesize that gut microbe-derived EVs are important in the pathogenesis of T2D. In vivo administration of stool EVs from high fat diet (HFD)-fed mice induced insulin resistance and glucose intolerance compared to regular diet (RD)-fed mice. Metagenomic profiling of stool EVs by 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing revealed an increased amount of EVs derived from Pseudomonas panacis (phylum Proteobacteria) in HFD mice compared to RD mice. Interestingly, P. panacis EVs blocked the insulin signaling pathway in both skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Moreover, isolated P. panacis EVs induced typical diabetic phenotypes, such as glucose intolerance after glucose administration or systemic insulin injection. Thus, gut microbe-derived EVs might be key players in the development of insulin resistance and impairment of glucose metabolism promoted by HFD.
A Gaze Independent Brain-Computer Interface Based on Visual Stimulation through Closed Eyelids
Authors: Hwang Han-Jeong , Ferreria Valeria Y. , Ulrich Daniel , Kilic Tayfun , Chatziliadis Xenofon , Blankertz Benjamin , Treder Matthias
Published: October 2015

A classical brain-computer interface (BCI) based on visual event-related potentials (ERPs) is of limited application value for paralyzed patients with severe oculomotor impairments. In this study, we introduce a novel gaze independent BCI paradigm that can be potentially used for such end-users because visual stimuli are administered on closed eyelids. The paradigm involved verbally presented questions with 3 possible answers. Online BCI experiments were conducted with twelve healthy subjects, where they selected one option by attending to one of three different visual stimuli. It was confirmed that typical cognitive ERPs can be evidently modulated by the attention of a target stimulus in eyes-closed and gaze independent condition and further classified with high accuracy during online operation (74.58% ± 17.85 s.d.; chance level 33.33%), demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed novel visual ERP paradigm. Also, stimulus-specific eye movements observed during stimulation were verified as reflex responses to light stimuli and they did not contribute to classification. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to show the possibility of using a gaze independent visual ERP paradigm in an eyes-closed condition, thereby providing another communication option for severely locked-in patients suffering from complex ocular dysfunctions.
Fullerene-free small molecule organic solar cells with a high open circuit voltage of 1.15 V
Authors: Ni Wang , Li Miaomiao , Kan Bin , Liu Feng , Wan Xiangjian , Zhang Qian , Zhang Hongtao , Russell Thomas P. , Chen Yongsheng
Published: October 2015

A small molecule acceptor named DTBTF was synthesized and a PCE of 3.84% with a Voc of 1.15 V was achieved.
The electrochemical oxidation of toluene catalysed by Co(ii) in N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide
Authors: Balaji S. , Kannan K. , Moon I. S.
Published: October 2015

Co(ii) catalysed electro-oxidation of toluene in room temperature ionic liquid.
Can silicon substituted metal-free organic dyes achieve better efficiency compared to silicon free organic dyes? A computational study
Authors: Biswas Abul Kalam , Das Amitava , Ganguly Bishwajit
Published: October 2015

DFT and TD-DFT calculations performed using metal free organic dyes containing silicon substituted silole units and/or donor systems exhibit significantly improved optical properties compared to their corresponding silicon free dyes.
Reactivity of functionalized indoles with rare-earth metal amides. Synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of rare-earth metal complexes incorporating indolyl ligands
Authors: Feng Zhijun , Wei Yun , Zhou Shuangliu , Zhang Guangchao , Zhu Xiancui , Guo Liping , Wang Shaowu , Mu Xiaolong
Published: October 2015

The synthesized rare-earth metal amido complexes displayed different catalytic activity for intramolecular hydroamination of aminoalkenes.