bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Against Negation: Suicide, Self-Consciousness, and Jibanananda Das’s Poem, “One Day Eight Years Ago”
Authors: Ray Manas
Published: June 2015

Jibanananda Das (1899–1954) is widely revered as the preeminent poet of post-Tagore Bengali literature. His oeuvre is unremittingly autobiographical, narrating desultory journeys into a vulnerable yet stoic, companionless life. The poem that the paper analyses is one of his most well known. Two streaks of narrative run parallel in the poem: the protagonist’s act of suicide without any apparent reason and the ceaseless brutality of nature as a way of life. The poem has occasioned a large body of critical literature. As against the prevalent interpretation of the poem, which privileges self-consciousness and a dialectical scheme of interpretation, we set off a Foucauldian, archeo-genealogical reading. In our reading, the poem is a theater of many voices constituting a matrix of language, which, strictly speaking, is a nonlanguage—articulations that perfectly fold back against one another to implicate in a tautological bind the originary meaninglessness of living and of life’s constitutive cruelty. Here negation is uncontainable and illimitable, always spilling over, always open to possibilities of being otherwise, its trail running in negating—almost inevitably—negation itself and thus gesturing an aleatory renewal of a space for the political.
SEQUENTIAL EFFECTS OF MINIMUM TILLAGE, SEED PRIMING, FERTILIZER MICRODOSING AND MULCHING IN MAIZE, SEMIARID CENTRAL RIFT VALLEY OF ETHIOPIA
Authors: SIME GETACHEW , AUNE JENS B.
Published: June 2015

Intensification of maize production is imperative to improve food security for the rising population in the central rift valley (CRV) of Ethiopia, whose livelihood is principally based on rainfed maize that operates under shrinking landholding and high seasonal rainfall variability. This study examined different levels of intensification options in maize production by sequentially introducing minimum tillage and seed priming, phosphorus (P) fertilizer microdosing, surface mulching and nitrogen (N) fertilizer microdosing. Field experiments were conducted with five treatments, steps or levels consisting of conventional tillage (farmers practice as a control); minimum tillage + seed priming, unfertilized (step 1); step 1 + microdosing 53 kg ha−1 P (step 2); step 2 + 4 ton ha−1 maize stover as surface mulch (step 3) and step 3 + 53 kg ha−1 N (step 4). These steps represented increasing levels of intensification. Except at the lowest level (step 1), agronomic and economic responses improved with increasing levels of inputs. Relative to the very high and increasing gross margin, production costs were low but slowly increased with increasing levels of inputs. Except at the lowest level, the value cost ratio was above 4 even at the highest levels of inputs, demonstrating that such kind of intensification can be achieved with low risk. Likewise, the fertilizer use efficiency was quite high even at the highest of levels of inputs signifying the efficiency of the pocket application of fertilizer through the microdosing method. The improvement in maize establishment and yield and the reduction in the days to maturity could contribute to make maize production more adaptive to the existing seasonal rainfall variability. Depending on the affordability to the external inputs and their feasibilities, the different technology packages in the intensification ladder may give different choices for the farmers to improve maize production in the CRV of Ethiopia.
Effect of breed and pasture type on methane emissions from weaned lambs offered fresh forage
Authors: FRASER M. D. , FLEMING H. R. , THEOBALD V. J. , MOORBY J. M.
Published: June 2015

To investigate the extent to which enteric methane (CH4) emissions from growing lambs are explained by simple body weight and diet characteristics, a 2 × 2 Latin square changeover design experiment was carried out using two sheep breeds and two fresh pasture types. Weaned lambs of two contrasting breed types were used: Welsh Mountain (WM, a small, hardy hill breed) and Welsh Mule × Texel (TexX, prime lamb) (n = 8 per breed). The lambs were zero-grazed on material cut from recently reseeded perennial ryegrass and extensively managed permanent pasture. In each experimental period, individual ad libitum dry matter intake (DMI) was determined indoors following an adaptation period of 2 weeks, and CH4 emissions were measured individually in open-circuit respiration chambers over a period of 3 days. Although total daily CH4 emissions were lower for the WM lambs than for the TexX lambs (13·3 v. 15·7 g/day, respectively) when offered fresh forage, the yield of CH4 per unit DMI was similar for the two breed types (16·4 v. 17·7 g CH4/kg DMI). Total output of CH4 per day was higher when lambs were offered ryegrass compared with permanent pasture (16·1 v. 12·9 g/day, respectively), which was probably driven by differences in DMI (986 v. 732 g/day). Methane emissions per unit DMI (16·4 v. 17·7 g CH4/kg DMI) and proportion of gross energy intake excreted as CH4 (0·052 v. 0·056 MJ/MJ) were both higher on the permanent pasture. No forage × breed type interactions were identified. The results indicate that forage type had a greater impact than breed type on CH4 emissions from growing weaned lambs. It can be concluded that when calculating CH4 emissions for inventory purposes, it is more important to know what forages growing lambs are consuming than to know what breeds they are.
The regional connections of the 1728 Musin Rebellion (戊申亂)
Authors: Jackson Andrew David
Published: June 2015

Many scholars have stressed that regional dynamics led to the outbreak of the Musin Rebellion, the largest rebellion in eighteenth-century Korea. Scholars have examined the economic and political situation leading up to the violence and concluded that political marginalization caused Kyŏngsang Province elites (from the Southerner faction) to launch the rebellion. This paper analyses evidence from official sources about rebel motivations, rebel geographical associations and the court view of the causes. Although post-rebellion government statements acknowledge tensions between the court and many Kyŏngsang Province elites, rebel testimony showed no evidence of any anger about discrimination against elites from a single region. There is also inconsistent evidence of regional concerns in the membership of the rebel organization, which was drawn from three southern provinces and mainly concentrated around the capital. My findings challenge the conclusions of regionalist scholars and place the Musin Rebellion in a trajectory of late Chosŏn rebellion that was attempting to redress factional political discrimination and was not caused by regional concerns.
What classical musicians can learn from working with actors: Conceptual and pedagogic foundations and outcomes of bringing musicians to integrate in a drama training environment
Authors: Rea Ken
Published: June 2015

Effective teaching in a music conservatoire needs a continual quest to find new and better ways of delivering excellence. The challenge is to keep the work innovative. In this article I argue that, for a classical musician the communication of personality is a vital component of excellence in performance and I give reasons why an authentic, confident personality should be nurtured as part of conservatoire training. I also examine in detail one approach to this issue that I explored in my action-based research and teaching at London's Guildhall School of Music & Drama: that is the practice of music students learning certain acting techniques and collaborating with actors (drama students) on specific projects that were designed to widen the musicians' range of expression. The article focuses on a two-year study which involved musicians working alongside actors on two devised performance projects: Storytelling and Circus. It describes the process in which the musicians were prepared for the eventual performances. I set out to explore exactly what musicians could learn from working with actors and what impact this might have on their normal sphere of performance. The projects demonstrated that, even a year later, some of the musicians manifested noticeable benefits in their mainstream playing, including greater levels of confidence, creativity and presence. The article also discusses some of the difficulties and shortcomings of this approach.
Estimation of Shallow Water Depth Using HJ-1C S-band SAR Data
Authors: Bian Xiaolin , Shao Yun , Tian Wei , Zhang Chunyan
Published: June 2015

This paper presents a shallow water depth estimation methodology using S-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from the HJ-1C satellite. It is based on the shoaling and refraction of long surface gravity waves as they propagate shoreward. A two-scale Bragg scattering model is used to describe the imaging process of long waves by SAR. By computing the Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) for the selected sub image, wavelength and direction of the long wave can be retrieved from the two-dimensional (2D) spectra with wave tracking technology. Shallow water depths are then obtained from the linear dispersion relation with the calculated angular wave frequency obtained from other sources or first guesses of initial water depths or wave periods. Applicability and effectiveness are tested in the near-shore area of the Fujian province, China. Comparison between the derived results and water depths from an Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) indicates that HJ-1C SAR is capable of higher resolution underwater topography detection, and the methodology can be used for shallow water depth estimation with good accuracy. The average absolute error and average relative error of the estimated results is 0·86 m and 11·05%, respectively.
Global Energy-saving Map of Strong Ocean Currents
Authors: Chang Yu-Chia , Tseng Ruo-Shan , Chu Peter C , Shao Huan-Jie
Published: June 2015

This study provides a global, detailed, and complete energy-saving map of strong ocean currents from the absolute geostrophic velocities calculated from satellite altimetry data, with the focus on the strong Western Boundary Currents (WBCs) in the global ocean. Theoretically, the WBCs with speeds of 2–3 knots can reduce fuel consumption by 25–50% for vessels at a sailing speed of 6 knots. The fuel savings are greater for a lower sailing speed than for a higher sailing speed. For about 1·8 million motorised fishing vessels with a lower ship speed, strong currents can evidently save fuel, time and money. Since global fishing vessels generate roughly 130 million tonnes of CO2per annum (FAO, 2012), effective utilisation of the energy-saving map could significantly reduce CO2emissions from ship operations.
Restrictive right ventricular performance assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance after balloon valvuloplasty of critical pulmonary valve stenosis
Authors: Massoud Ikram , Botros Nader , Yehia Atef , Abdelghafoor Hassan , Donya Mohamed , Samir Ahmd , Serag Heba , Mohamed Elham
Published: June 2015

Background

Little data are published about right ventricular diastolic performance in patients with critical pulmonary valve stenosis after balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty thus far.

Methods

A total of 44 patients with isolated critical pulmonary valve stenosis who had undergone balloon valvuloplasty with haemodynamic recordings were enrolled to the study; 33 patients who came for follow-up underwent further imaging by echocardiography after 6 months and their right ventricular functional parameters were compared with 33 control patients of the same age and sex. Out of 33 patients, 21 underwent cardiac MRI with late gadolinium enhancement to assess the presence of right ventricular fibrosis.

Results

The right ventricular systolic pressure (p<0.0001) and right ventricular outflow tract gradient (p<0.0001) decreased acutely (p<0.0001) after balloon valvuloplasty. During follow-up, M-mode left ventricular end diastolic dimension (p<0.001) and end systolic dimension increased (p<0.001), whereas right ventricular end diastolic dimension decreased (p<0.001). Compared with controls, patients (n=33) had significantly reduced tricuspid annular Ea and higher E/Ea (p<0.001). Right ventricular systolic dysfunction was also suggested by reduced tricuspid annular systolic velocity (p<0.001). Late gadolinium enhancement was demonstrated in 13 out of 21 patients with restrictive physiology, which involves the anterior right ventricular outflow tract, anterior wall, and inferior wall. The right ventricular late gadolinium enhancement score correlated positively with age (r=0.7, p<0.001) and right ventricular mass index (r=0.52, p<0.001).

Conclusion

The persistence of right ventricular diastolic dysfunction after relief of chronic pressure overload of critical pulmonary valve stenosis suggests that a factor – other than increase in afterload – is involved in this physiology. Fibrosis is the most likely factor responsible for persistence of restrictive physiology as documented by late gadolinium enhancement.
Aortico-left ventricular tunnel and left ventricular non-compaction: a case series
Authors: Smith Brandon M. , Cochran Clinton D. , Owens Sonal T.
Published: June 2015

Aortico-left ventricular tunnel and left ventricular non-compaction are rare congenital cardiac anomalies with varied clinical presentations and sparsely described co-existence in the medical literature. Owing to the limited information about these diagnoses in tandem, we present four cases of aortico-left ventricular tunnel and left ventricular non-compaction from our institution and discuss the clinical presentation, management, and follow-up.
Acute myocardial infarction caused by embolisation of an intra-cardiac tumour
Authors: Mostafa Ashraf , Briasoulis Alexandros , Schreiber Theodore
Published: June 2015

This report describes a rare case of left main coronary artery occlusion caused by embolisation of an intra-cardiac tumour in an 11-year-old patient. The patient presented with severe chest pain with ST-segment depression in the inferolateral leads with evidence of decreased left ventricular function, anterior-apical hypokinesis, and a pedunculated mass attached to the mitral valve. An urgent cardiac catheterisation was performed, which revealed near-complete obstruction of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Transcatheter aspiration of the embolic material was successfully performed. The final pathological examination revealed an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour, which is a rare benign tumour, characterised by the proliferation of myofibroblasts and inflammatory cell infiltration.
Breastfeeding practices and policies in WHO European Region Member States
Authors: Bagci Bosi Ayse Tulay , Eriksen Kamilla Gehrt , Sobko Tanja , Wijnhoven Trudy MA , Breda João
Published: June 2015

Objective

To provide an update on current practices and policy development status concerning breastfeeding in the WHO European Region.

Design

National surveys and studies conducted by national health institutions were prioritized. Sub-national data were included where no national data or studies existed. Information on national breastfeeding policies was collected mainly from the WHO Seventh Meeting of Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative Coordinators and European Union projects. Owing to the different data sources and methods, any comparisons between countries must be made with caution.

Setting

WHO European Member States.

Results

Data from fifty-three WHO European Member States were investigated; however, a large proportion had not reported any data. Rates of early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding to 1 year all varied considerably within the WHO European Region. Exclusive breastfeeding rates declined considerably after 4 months, and were low in infants under 6 months and at 6 months of age. The majority of the countries with existing data reported having a national infant and young child feeding policy and the establishment of a national committee on breastfeeding or infant and young child feeding. The majority of the countries with existing data reported having baby-friendly hospitals, although the proportion of baby-friendly hospitals to the total number of national hospitals with maternity units was low in most countries.

Conclusions

Breastfeeding practices within the WHO European Region, especially exclusive breastfeeding rates, are far from complying with the WHO recommendations. There are marked differences between countries in breastfeeding practices, infant and young child feeding policy adoption and proportion of baby-friendly hospitals.
The role of US organic certifiers in organic hotspot formation
Authors: Marasteanu I. Julia , Jaenicke Edward C.
Published: June 2015

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the formation of hotspots of organic operations (geographically close areas that have positively correlated high numbers of organic operations), paying particular attention to the role of the organic certifying agent. We analyze the association of county-level factors related to policy, economics, demographics and organic certifiers with the probability that a county is in a hotspot or coldspot (geographically close areas that have positively correlated low numbers of organic operations) of organic operations. The results suggest that a high presence of government run organic certifying agents, as well as a high presence of private organic certifying agents who provide outreach services, are both positively associated with the probability that a county belongs to a hotspot. Other factors, such as the level of property taxes and the distance of the county from the nearest interstate, are also significantly correlated with the probability that a county is in a hotspot. Understanding factors associated with organic hotspots is important given the surge in momentum in the organic industry and the concerns that demand for organic products may be outpacing domestic supply. In particular, understanding the role that certifiers play in the formation of organic hotspots is important, as certain services provided by certifiers may be indicative of the level of communication between organic operations and their communities. The results of this paper may encourage public institutions that approve and regulate organic certifiers to provide incentives for offering outreach services, and private institutions interested in promoting organic operations to work more closely with certifying agents as a means to boost organic hotspots.
The effectiveness of flame weeding and cultivation on weed control, yield and yield components of organic soybean as influenced by manure application
Authors: Stepanovic Strahinja , Datta Avishek , Neilson Brian , Bruening Chris , Shapiro Charles , Gogos George , Knezevic Stevan Z.
Published: June 2015

Propane flaming in combination with cultivation could be a potential alternative tool for weed control in organic soybean production. Field experiments were conducted at the Haskell Agricultural Laboratory of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), Concord, NE in 2010, 2011 and 2012 to determine the level of weed control and the response of soybean grain yield and its components to flaming and cultivation within two fertility regimes (FRs) (with and without manure) utilizing flaming equipment developed at the UNL. The treatments included: weed-free control, weedy season-long and different combinations of banded flaming (intra-row), broadcast flaming and mechanical cultivation (inter-row). The treatments were applied at VC (unfolded cotyledon) and V4–V5 (4-leaf–5-leaf) growth stages. Propane doses were 20 and 45 kg ha−1 for the banded and broadcast flaming treatments, respectively. The data were collected for visual ratings of crop injury and weed control at 7 and 28 days after treatment (DAT) at V4–V5 growth stages, weed dry matter at 60 DAT, crop yield and yield components. The annual application of 101 t ha−1 manure did not alter weed community or influence the effectiveness of weed management treatment; however, it decreased soybean yield by 0.25 t ha−1 through an increased weed biomass of 0.16 t ha−1. The weed-free control plots yielded 4.15 t ha−1. The combination of mechanical cultivation and banded flaming applied twice (at VC and V4–V5) was the best treatment resulting in 80–82% weed control and 6–9% crop injury at 28 DAT and 3.41–3.67 t ha−1 yield. Cultivation conducted twice provided only 19% weed control at 28 DAT and 1.75 t ha−1 yield. Soybean plants recovered well after all flaming treatments, with the exception of broadcast flaming conducted twice (28% crop injury at 28 DAT). Combining flaming with cultivation has a potential to effectively control weeds in organic soybean production across a range of FRs.
Three Scandals in Psychology: The Need for a New Approach
Authors: Scheff Thomas
Published: June 2015

This note proposes that social/behavioral studies and the humanities develop a closer relationship. Perhaps system and intuition are equally needed if our knowledge of the human world is to advance, as Pascal suggested 300 years ago. Because modern psychology is particularly dominated by a rigid adherence to system, in my view it has come to a virtual standstill in finding new knowledge. Three areas of little or no advance are described: “aggression catharsis,” stigma, and self-esteem. Brief suggestions are made as to how intuitive and/or new systematic paths might be added to the 3 areas of study.
Reconstitution models to evaluate natural killer T cell function in tumor control
Authors: Gebremeskel Simon , Slauenwhite Drew , Johnston Brent
Published: June 2015

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are glycolipid‐reactive T lymphocytes that function in immunosurveillance and immune regulation. However, reduced tumor control in NKT cell‐deficient Jα18−/− mice may be confounded by an overall reduction in T‐cell receptor (TCR) repertoire diversity in these animals. Mechanistic studies are also hindered by a lack of tools to target molecules specifically in NKT cells. To address these issues, we developed protocols to expand functional NKT cells and stably reconstitute them in Jα18−/− mice. In vivo delivery of α‐galactosylceramide (α‐GalCer)‐loaded dendritic cells expanded NKT cells in wild‐type mice without skewing CD4 or TCR Vβ expression profiles. Expanded NKT cells exhibited enhanced cytokine responses upon re‐stimulation with glycolipid or CD3 ligation. Adoptive transfer of recently expanded wild‐type or interferon (IFN)‐γ−/− NKT cells protected recipient Jα18−/− mice from B16 melanoma metastasis without the need for additional glycolipid stimulation. However, NKT cell reconstitution in recipient Jα18−/− mice was short lived. Long‐term reconstitution was only achieved when expanded NKT cells were transferred into sublethally irradiated recipients. Thirty days after transfer, NKT cell numbers, phenotype and α‐GalCer‐induced cytokine responses were equivalent to naive wild‐type mice. Jα18−/− recipients reconstituted with wild‐type or IFN‐γ−/− NKT cells were both protected from B16 melanoma metastasis following α‐GalCer treatment, and NK cell transactivation was intact in mice reconstituted with IFN‐γ−/− NKT cells. These studies validate the use of reconstitution protocols to investigate the mechanisms of NKT cell immune function, demonstrating that NKT cell‐derived IFN‐γ and the altered TCR repertoire in Jα18−/− mice do not impact NKT cell‐mediated antitumor responses.
The exonuclease activity of DNA polymerase γ is required for ligation during mitochondrial DNA replication
Authors: Macao Bertil , Uhler Jay P. , Siibak Triinu , Zhu Xuefeng , Shi Yonghong , Sheng Wenwen , Olsson Monica , Stewart James B. , Gustafsson Claes M. , Falkenberg Maria
Published: June 2015

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymerase γ (POLγ) harbours a 3′–5′ exonuclease proofreading activity. Here we demonstrate that this activity is required for the creation of ligatable ends during mtDNA replication. Exonuclease-deficient POLγ fails to pause on reaching a downstream 5′-end. Instead, the enzyme continues to polymerize into double-stranded DNA, creating an unligatable 5′-flap. Disease-associated mutations can both increase and decrease exonuclease activity and consequently impair DNA ligation. In mice, inactivation of the exonuclease activity causes an increase in mtDNA mutations and premature ageing phenotypes. These mutator mice also contain high levels of truncated, linear fragments of mtDNA. We demonstrate that the formation of these fragments is due to impaired ligation, causing nicks near the origin of heavy-strand DNA replication. In the subsequent round of replication, the nicks lead to double-strand breaks and linear fragment formation.
A piRNA-like small RNA interacts with and modulates p-ERM proteins in human somatic cells
Authors: Mei Yuping , Wang Yuyan , Kumari Priti , Shetty Amol Carl , Clark David , Gable Tyler , MacKerell Alexander D. , Ma Mark Z. , Weber David J. , Yang Austin J. , Edelman Martin J. , Mao Li
Published: June 2015

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are thought to silence transposon and gene expression during development. However, the roles of piRNAs in somatic tissues are largely unknown. Here we report the identification of 555 piRNAs in human lung bronchial epithelial (HBE) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, including 295 that do not exist in databases termed as piRNA-like sncRNAs or piRNA-Ls. Distinctive piRNA/piRNA-L expression patterns are observed between HBE and NSCLC cells. piRNA-like-163 (piR-L-163), the top downregulated piRNA-L in NSCLC cells, binds directly to phosphorylated ERM proteins (p-ERM), which is dependent on the central part of UUNNUUUNNUU motif in piR-L-163 and the RRRKPDT element in ERM. The piR-L-163/p-ERM interaction is critical for p-ERM’s binding capability to filamentous actin (F-actin) and ERM-binding phosphoprotein 50 (EBP50). Thus, piRNA/piRNA-L may play a regulatory role through direct interaction with proteins in physiological and pathophysiological conditions.
High-performance flexible perovskite solar cells exploiting Zn2SnO4 prepared in solution below 100 °C
Authors: Shin Seong Sik , Yang Woon Seok , Noh Jun Hong , Suk Jae Ho , Jeon Nam Joong , Park Jong Hoon , Kim Ju Seong , Seong Won Mo , Seok Sang Il
Published: June 2015

Fabricating inorganic–organic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) on plastic substrates broadens their scope for implementation in real systems by imparting portability, conformability and allowing high-throughput production, which is necessary for lowering costs. Here we report a new route to prepare highly dispersed Zn2SnO4 (ZSO) nanoparticles at low-temperature (<100 °C) for the development of high-performance flexible PSCs. The introduction of the ZSO film significantly improves transmittance of flexible polyethylene naphthalate/indium-doped tin oxide (PEN/ITO)-coated substrate from ∼75 to ∼90% over the entire range of wavelengths. The best performing flexible PSC, based on the ZSO and CH3NH3PbI3 layer, exhibits steady-state power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.85% under AM 1.5G 100 mW·cm−2 illumination. This renders ZSO a promising candidate as electron-conducting electrode for the highly efficient flexible PSC applications.
Controlling dispersion forces between small particles with artificially created random light fields
Authors: Brügger Georges , Froufe-Pérez Luis S. , Scheffold Frank , José Sáenz Juan
Published: June 2015

Appropriate combinations of laser beams can be used to trap and manipulate small particles with optical tweezers as well as to induce significant optical binding forces between particles. These interaction forces are usually strongly anisotropic depending on the interference landscape of the external fields. This is in contrast with the familiar isotropic, translationally invariant, van der Waals and, in general, Casimir–Lifshitz interactions between neutral bodies arising from random electromagnetic waves generated by equilibrium quantum and thermal fluctuations. Here we show, both theoretically and experimentally, that dispersion forces between small colloidal particles can also be induced and controlled using artificially created fluctuating light fields. Using optical tweezers as a gauge, we present experimental evidence for the predicted isotropic attractive interactions between dielectric microspheres induced by laser-generated, random light fields. These light-induced interactions open a path towards the control of translationally invariant interactions with tuneable strength and range in colloidal systems.
Retinal arteriolar narrowing is associated with a 4-year risk of incident metabolic syndrome
Authors: Saito K , Kawasaki Y , Nagao Y , Kawasaki R
Published: June 2015

We aimed to determine whether retinal microvascular changes in vessel calibers at baseline are associated with the future risk of developing the metabolic syndrome over 4 years in an adult cohort of Japanese individuals (n=90) who attended a health-screening program. Retinal vessel caliber was calculated as the central retinal artery equivalent and vein equivalent (CRAE) from non-mydriatic digital fundus images using semiautomated standardized software. There were 18 cases (20%) that developed metabolic syndrome over 4 years. Narrower arteriolar caliber at baseline was associated with an increased risk of incident metabolic syndrome over 4 years after adjusting for potential confounding risk factors including individual cardiovascular risk factors related to the metabolic syndrome (adjusted odds ratio per 1 s.d. change in CRAE: 2.92, 95% confidence interval 1.03, 8.24; P=0.043). Persons with wider venular caliber at baseline were more likely to have incident metabolic syndrome, but this was not statistically significant. Retinal vascular caliber might provide independent and useful information to predict incident metabolic syndrome in a health screening program.
The endocannabinoid anandamide during lactation increases body fat content and CB1 receptor levels in mice adipose tissue
Authors: Aguirre C A , Castillo V A , Llanos M N
Published: June 2015

Type 1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1R) modulate energy balance; thus, their premature activation may result in altered physiology of tissues involved in such a function. Activation of CB1R mainly occurs after binding to the endocannabinoid Anandamide (AEA). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of AEA treatment during lactation on epididymal and body fat content, in addition to CB1R protein level at weaning. With this purpose, male mice pups were orally treated with AEA (20 μg g−1 body weight) or vehicle during lactation. Mice (21 days old) were killed and epididymal fat was extracted to evaluate its amount, adipocyte size and CB1R protein levels by western blot analysis. Total body fat percentage was also evaluated. Anandamide-treated mice showed an increased body fat content at 21 and 150 days of age. Moreover, epididymal adipose tissue amount, adipocyte size and CB1R protein levels were higher in the AEA-treated group. This in vivo study shows for the first time that a progressive increase in body fat accumulation can be programmed in early stages of life by oral treatment with the endocannabinoid AEA, a fact associated with an increased amount of epididymal fat pads and a higher expression of CB1R in this tissue.
Proteomic analysis of colon and rectal carcinoma using standard and customized databases
Authors: Slebos Robbert J.C. , Wang Xia , Wang Xiaojing , Zhang Bing , Tabb David L. , Liebler Daniel C.
Published: June 2015

Understanding proteomic differences underlying the different phenotypic classes of colon and rectal carcinoma is important and may eventually lead to a better assessment of clinical behavior of these cancers. We here present a comprehensive description of the proteomic data obtained from 90 colon and rectal carcinomas previously subjected to genomic analysis by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Here, the primary instrument files and derived secondary data files are compiled and presented in forms that will allow further analyses of the biology of colon and rectal carcinoma. We also discuss new challenges in processing these large proteomic datasets for relevant proteins and protein variants.
A TEX86 surface sediment database and extended Bayesian calibration
Authors: Tierney Jessica E , Tingley Martin P
Published: June 2015

Quantitative estimates of past temperature changes are a cornerstone of paleoclimatology. For a number of marine sediment-based proxies, the accuracy and precision of past temperature reconstructions depends on a spatial calibration of modern surface sediment measurements to overlying water temperatures. Here, we present a database of 1095 surface sediment measurements of TEX86, a temperature proxy based on the relative cyclization of marine archaeal glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) lipids. The dataset is archived in a machine-readable format with geospatial information, fractional abundances of lipids (if available), and metadata. We use this new database to update surface and subsurface temperature calibration models for TEX86 and demonstrate the applicability of the TEX86 proxy to past temperature prediction. The TEX86 database confirms that surface sediment GDGT distribution has a strong relationship to temperature, which accounts for over 70% of the variance in the data. Future efforts, made possible by the data presented here, will seek to identify variables with secondary relationships to GDGT distributions, such as archaeal community composition.
Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on C-peptide and 25-hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations at 3 and 6 Months
Authors: Chandler Paulette D. , Giovannucci Edward L. , Scott Jamil B. , Bennett Gary G. , Ng Kimmie , Chan Andrew T. , Hollis Bruce W. , Rifai Nader , Emmons Karen M. , Fuchs Charles S. , Drake Bettina F.
Published: June 2015

The link between African-Americans’ disproportionate rates of diabetes, obesity and vitamin D deficiency may be marked by C-peptide as an indicator of insulin secretion. We hypothesize that vitamin D supplementation will increase C-peptide, a marker of insulin secretion. During 3 winters from 2007-2010, 328 healthy African-Americans (median age, 51 years) living in Boston, MA were randomized into a 4-arm, double-blind trial for 3 months of placebo, 1000, 2000, or 4000 IU of vitamin D3. The differences in non-fasting C-peptide between baseline and 3 months were −0.44 ng/mL for those receiving placebo, −0.10 ng/mL for those receiving 1000 IU/d, 0 ng/mL for those receiving 2000 IU/d, 1.24 ng/mL for those receiving 4000 IU/d (C-peptide increased 0.42 ng/mL for each additional 1000 IU/d of vitamin D3, p < 0.001). Vitamin D supplementation increased C-peptide in overweight African-Americans and may be compatible with other recommendations for diabetes prevention and management including weight loss and increased physical activity.
Implementation of quantum state manipulation in a dissipative cavity
Authors: Song Jie , Di Jing-Yan , Xia Yan , Sun Xiu-Dong , Jiang Yong-Yuan
Published: June 2015

We discuss a method to perform dissipation-assisted quantum state manipulation in a cavity. We show that atomic spontaneous emission and cavity decay might be exploited to drive many atoms into many-body steady-state entanglement. Our protocol offers a dramatic improvement in fidelity when noise strength increases. Moreover, the dephasing noise is suppressed effectively by showing that high-fidelity target state can be obtained in a dissipative environment.
Imaging of tumor clones with differential liver colonization
Authors: Oshima Go , Wightman Sean C. , Uppal Abhineet , Stack Melinda E. , Pitroda Sean P. , Oskvarek Jonathan J. , Huang Xiaona , Posner Mitchell C. , Hellman Samuel , Weichselbaum Ralph R. , Khodarev Nikolai N.
Published: June 2015

We present a model of hepatic colorectal metastases which represents monoclonal cell lines double-labeled by luciferase and tdTomato. These cells form liver metastasis in varying numbers and patterns similar to those observed in patients. Using in vivo and ex vivo luminescent and fluorescent imaging we determine the growth kinetics and clonogenic frequency of tumor cells colonizing liver. Molecular profiling detected stable expressional differences between clones consistent with their phenotypes. The data indicate that clinically relevant phenotypes of liver metastases can be modeled in vivo.
Controlled Photon Switch Assisted by Coupled Quantum Dots
Authors: Luo Ming-Xing , Ma Song-Ya , Chen Xiu-Bo , Wang Xiaojun
Published: June 2015

Quantum switch is a primitive element in quantum network communication. In contrast to previous switch schemes on one degree of freedom (DOF) of quantum systems, we consider controlled switches of photon system with two DOFs. These controlled photon switches are constructed by exploring the optical selection rules derived from the quantum-dot spins in one-sided optical microcavities. Several double controlled-NOT gate on different joint systems are greatly simplified with an auxiliary DOF of the controlling photon. The photon switches show that two DOFs of photons can be independently transmitted in quantum networks. This result reduces the quantum resources for quantum network communication.
Optimization of crystal nucleation close to a metastable fluid-fluid phase transition
Authors: Wedekind Jan , Xu Limei , Buldyrev Sergey V. , Stanley H. Eugene , Reguera David , Franzese Giancarlo
Published: June 2015

The presence of a metastable fluid-fluid critical point is thought to dramatically influence the crystallization pathway, increasing the nucleation rate by many orders of magnitude over the predictions of classical nucleation theory. We use molecular dynamics simulations to study the kinetics of crystallization in the vicinity of this metastable critical point and throughout the metastable fluid-fluid phase diagram. To quantitatively understand how the fluid-fluid phase separation affects the crystal nucleation, we evaluate accurately the kinetics and reconstruct the thermodynamic free-energy landscape of crystal formation. Contrary to expectations, we find no special advantage of the proximity of the metastable critical point on the crystallization rates. However, we find that the ultrafast formation of a dense liquid phase causes the crystallization to accelerate both near the metastable critical point and almost everywhere below the fluid-fluid spinodal line. These results unveil three different scenarios for crystallization that could guide the optimization of the process in experiments
Dynamical behavior of Borospherene: A Nanobubble
Authors: Martínez-Guajardo Gerardo , Luis Cabellos José , Díaz-Celaya Andres , Pan Sudip , Islas Rafael , Chattaraj Pratim K. , Heine Thomas , Merino Gabriel
Published: June 2015

The global minimum structure of borospherene (B40) is a cage, comprising two hexagonal and four heptagonal rings. Born-Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics simulations show that continuous conversions in between six and seven membered rings take place. The activation energy barrier for such a transformation is found to be 14.3 kcal·mol−1. The completely delocalized σ- and π-frameworks, as well as the conservation of the bonding pattern during rearrangement, facilitate the dynamical behavior of B40. B40 is predicted to act as a support-free spherical two-dimensional liquid at moderate temperature. In other words, B40 could be called as a nanobubble.
Hemispheric dominance underlying the neural substrate for learned vocalizations develops with experience
Authors: Chirathivat Napim , Raja Sahitya C. , Gobes Sharon M. H.
Published: June 2015

Many aspects of song learning in songbirds resemble characteristics of speech acquisition in humans. Genetic, anatomical and behavioural parallels have most recently been extended with demonstrated similarities in hemispheric dominance between humans and songbirds: the avian higher order auditory cortex is left-lateralized for processing song memories in juvenile zebra finches that already have formed a memory of their fathers’ song, just like Wernicke’s area in the left hemisphere of the human brain is dominant for speech perception. However, it is unclear if hemispheric specialization is due to pre-existing functional asymmetry or the result of learning itself. Here we show that in juvenile male and female zebra finches that had never heard an adult song before, neuronal activation after initial exposure to a conspecific song is bilateral. Thus, like in humans, hemispheric dominance develops with vocal proficiency. A left-lateralized functional system that develops through auditory-vocal learning may be an evolutionary adaptation that could increase the efficiency of transferring information within one hemisphere, benefiting the production and perception of learned communication signals.
First-principles study on the structural and electronic properties of metallic HfH2 under pressure
Authors: Liu Yunxian , Huang Xiaoli , Duan Defang , Tian Fubo , Liu Hanyu , Li Da , Zhao Zhonglong , Sha Xiaojing , Yu Hongyu , Zhang Huadi , Liu Bingbing , Cui Tian
Published: June 2015

The crystal structures and properties of hafnium hydride under pressure are explored using the first-principles calculations based on density function theory. The material undergoes pressure-induced structural phase transition I4/mmm→Cmma→P21/m at 180 and 250 GPa, respectively and all of these structures are metallic. The superconducting critical temperature Tc values of I4/mmm, Cmma and P21/m are 47–193 mK, 5.99–8.16 K and 10.62–12.8 K at 1 atm, 180 and 260 GPa, respectively. Furthermore, the bonding nature of HfH2 is investigated with the help of the electron localization function, the difference charge density and Bader charge analyses, which show that HfH2 is classified as a ionic crystal with the charges transferring from Hf atom to H.
Edge co-occurrences can account for rapid categorization of natural versus animal images
Authors: Perrinet Laurent U. , Bednar James A.
Published: June 2015

Making a judgment about the semantic category of a visual scene, such as whether it contains an animal, is typically assumed to involve high-level associative brain areas. Previous explanations require progressively analyzing the scene hierarchically at increasing levels of abstraction, from edge extraction to mid-level object recognition and then object categorization. Here we show that the statistics of edge co-occurrences alone are sufficient to perform a rough yet robust (translation, scale and rotation invariant) scene categorization. We first extracted the edges from images using a scale-space analysis coupled with a sparse coding algorithm. We then computed the “association field” for different categories (natural, man-made, or containing an animal) by computing the statistics of edge co-occurrences. These differed strongly, with animal images having more curved configurations. We show that this geometry alone is sufficient for categorization and that the pattern of errors made by humans is consistent with this procedure. Because these statistics could be measured as early as the primary visual cortex, the results challenge widely held assumptions about the flow of computations in the visual system. The results also suggest new algorithms for image classification and signal processing that exploit correlations between low-level structure and the underlying semantic category.
Unraveling a molecular determinant for clathrin-independent internalization of the M2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor
Authors: Wan Min , Zhang Wenhua , Tian Yangli , Xu Chanjuan , Xu Tao , Liu Jianfeng , Zhang Rongying
Published: June 2015

Endocytosis and postendocytic sorting of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is important for the regulation of both their cell surface density and signaling profile. Unlike the mechanisms of clathrin-dependent endocytosis (CDE), the mechanisms underlying the control of GPCR signaling by clathrin-independent endocytosis (CIE) remain largely unknown. Among the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs), the M4 mAChR undergoes CDE and recycling, whereas the M2 mAChR is internalized through CIE and targeted to lysosomes. Here we investigated the endocytosis and postendocytic trafficking of M2 mAChR based on a comparative analysis of the third cytoplasmic domain in M2 and M4 mAChRs. For the first time, we identified that the sequence 374KKKPPPS380 servers as a sorting signal for the clathrin-independent internalization of M2 mAChR. Switching 374KKKPPPS380 to the i3 loop of the M4 mAChR shifted the receptor into lysosomes through the CIE pathway; and therefore away from CDE and recycling. We also found another previously unidentified sequence that guides CDE of the M2 mAChR, 361VARKIVKMTKQPA373, which is normally masked in the presence of the downstream sequence 374KKKPPPS380. Taken together, our data indicate that endocytosis and postendocytic sorting of GPCRs that undergo CIE could be sequence-dependent.
Highly porous Zinc Stannate (Zn2SnO4) nanofibers scaffold photoelectrodes for efficient methyl ammonium halide perovskite solar cells
Authors: Mali Sawanta S. , Su Shim Chang , Kook Hong Chang
Published: June 2015

Development of ternary metal oxide (TMO) based electron transporting layer (ETL) for perovskite solar cell open a new approaches toward efficient a unique strategy for solid state dye-sensitized solar cells (ssDSSCs). In the present investigation, highly porous zinc tin oxide (Zn2SnO4) scaffold nanofibers has been synthesized by electrospinning technique and successfully used for methyl ammonium lead halide (CH3NH3PbI3) perovskite sensitized solid state solar cells. The fabricated optimized perovskite solar cell devices exhibited 7.38% power conversion efficiency (PCE) with open circuit voltage (VOC) 0.986 V, current density (JSC) = 12.68 mAcm-2 and fill factor (FF) 0.59 under AM 1.5 G sunlight (100 mWcm−2) which is higher than Zn2SnO4 nanoparticle (η = 2.52%) based perovskite solar cells. This improvement is achieved due to high porosity of Zn2SnO4 nanofibers and high crystallinity of the nanofibers synthesized at 700 °C. These results are remarkably higher than reported perovskite solar cells based on such type of ternary metal oxide ETLs.
Pathophysiological role of microRNA-29 in pancreatic cancer stroma
Authors: Kwon Jason J. , Nabinger Sarah C. , Vega Zachary , Sahu Smiti Snigdha , Alluri Ravi K. , Abdul-Sater Zahi , Yu Zhangsheng , Gore Jesse , Nalepa Grzegorz , Saxena Romil , Korc Murray , Kota Janaiah
Published: June 2015

Dense fibrotic stroma associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a major obstacle for drug delivery to the tumor bed and plays a crucial role in pancreatic cancer progression. Current, anti-stromal therapies have failed to improve tumor response to chemotherapy and patient survival. Furthermore, recent studies show that stroma impedes tumor progression and its complete ablation accelerates PDAC progression. In an effort to understand the molecular mechanisms associated with tumor-stromal interactions, using in vitro and in vivo models and PDAC patient biopsies, we show that the loss of miR-29 is a common phenomenon of activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs)/fibroblasts, the major stromal cells responsible for fibrotic stromal reaction. Loss of miR-29 is correlated with a significant increase in extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, a major component in PDAC stroma. Our in vitro miR-29 gain/loss-of-function studies document the role of miR-29 in PSC-mediated ECM stromal protein accumulation. Overexpression of miR-29 in activated stellate cells reduced stromal deposition, cancer cell viability and cancer growth in co-culture. Furthermore, the loss of miR-29 in TGF-β1 activated PSCs is SMAD3 dependent. These results provide insights into the mechanistic role of miR-29 in PDAC stroma and its potential use as a therapeutic agent to target PDAC.