bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stable Membrane-Association of mRNAs in Etiolated, Greening and Mature Plastids
Authors: Legen Julia , Schmitz-Linneweber Christian
Published: August 2017

Chloroplast genes are transcribed as polycistronic precursor RNAs that give rise to a multitude of processing products down to monocistronic forms. Translation of these mRNAs is realized by bacterial type 70S ribosomes. A larger fraction of these ribosomes is attached to chloroplast membranes. This study analyzed transcriptome-wide distribution of plastid mRNAs between soluble and membrane fractions of purified plastids using microarray analyses and validating RNA gel blot hybridizations. To determine the impact of light on mRNA localization, we used etioplasts, greening plastids and mature chloroplasts from Zea mays as a source for membrane and soluble extracts. The results show that the three plastid types display an almost identical distribution of RNAs between the two organellar fractions, which is confirmed by quantitative RNA gel blot analyses. Furthermore, they reveal that different RNAs processed from polycistronic precursors show transcript-autonomous distribution between stroma and membrane fractions. Disruption of ribosomes leads to release of mRNAs from membranes, demonstrating that attachment is likely a direct consequence of translation. We conclude that plastid mRNA distribution is a stable feature of different plastid types, setting up rapid chloroplast translation in any plastid type.
Thirty Minutes of Hypobaric Hypoxia Provokes Alterations of Immune Response, Haemostasis, and Metabolism Proteins in Human Serum
Authors: Hinkelbein Jochen , Jansen Stefanie , Iovino Ivan , Kruse Sylvia , Meyer Moritz , Cirillo Fabrizio , Drinhaus Hendrik , Hohn Andreas , Klein Corinna , Robertis Edoardo , Beutner Dirk
Published: August 2017

Hypobaric hypoxia (HH) during airline travel induces several (patho-) physiological reactions in the human body. Whereas severe hypoxia is investigated thoroughly, very little is known about effects of moderate or short-term hypoxia, e.g. during airline flights. The aim of the present study was to analyse changes in serum protein expression and activation of signalling cascades in human volunteers staying for 30 min in a simulated altitude equivalent to airline travel. After approval of the local ethics committee, 10 participants were exposed to moderate hypoxia (simulation of 2400 m or 8000 ft for 30 min) in a hypobaric pressure chamber. Before and after hypobaric hypoxia, serum was drawn, centrifuged, and analysed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DIGE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization followed by time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). Biological functions of regulated proteins were identified using functional network analysis (GeneMania®, STRING®, and Perseus® software). In participants, oxygen saturation decreased from 98.1 ± 1.3% to 89.2 ± 1.8% during HH. Expression of 14 spots (i.e., 10 proteins: ALB, PGK1, APOE, GAPDH, C1QA, C1QB, CAT, CA1, F2, and CLU) was significantly altered. Bioinformatic analysis revealed an association of the altered proteins with the signalling cascades “regulation of haemostasis” (four proteins), “metabolism” (five proteins), and “leukocyte mediated immune response” (five proteins). Even though hypobaric hypoxia was short and moderate (comparable to an airliner flight), analysis of protein expression in human subjects revealed an association to immune response, protein metabolism, and haemostasis
The Role of PALB2 in the DNA Damage Response and Cancer Predisposition
Authors: Nepomuceno Thales , De Gregoriis Giuliana , De Oliveira Francisco M. Bastos , Suarez-Kurtz Guilherme , Monteiro Alvaro , Carvalho Marcelo
Published: August 2017

The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage response (DDR) is a major feature in the maintenance of genome integrity and in the suppression of tumorigenesis. PALB2 (Partner and Localizer of Breast Cancer 2 (BRCA2)) plays an important role in maintaining genome integrity through its role in the Fanconi anemia (FA) and homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair pathways. Since its identification as a BRCA2 interacting partner, PALB2 has emerged as a pivotal tumor suppressor protein associated to hereditary cancer susceptibility to breast and pancreatic cancers. In this review, we discuss how other DDR proteins (such as the kinases Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) and ATM- and Rad3-Related (ATR), mediators BRCA1 (Breast Cancer 1)/BRCA2 and effectors RAD51/DNA Polymerase η (Polη) interact with PALB2 to orchestrate DNA repair. We also examine the involvement of PALB2 mutations in the predisposition to cancer and the role of PALB2 in stimulating error-free DNA repair through the FA/HR pathway.
Bio-Corrosion of Magnesium Alloys for Orthopaedic Applications
Authors: Brooks Emily , Ehrensberger Mark
Published: September 2017

Three Mg alloys, Mg–1.34% Ca–3% Zn (MCZ), Mg–1.34% Ca–3% Zn–0.2% Sr (MCZS), and Mg–2% Sr (MS), were examined to understand their bio-corrosion behavior. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and polarization scans were performed after 6 days of immersion in cell culture medium, and ion release and changes in media pH were tracked over a 28 day time period. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of alloy microstructure was performed to help interpret the results of the electrochemical testing. Results indicate that corrosion resistance of the alloys is as follows: MCZ > MCZS > MS.
Alkaloid Constituents of the Amaryllidaceae Plant Amaryllis belladonna L
Authors: Tallini Luciana , Andrade Jean , Kaiser Marcel , Viladomat Francesc , Nair Jerald , Zuanazzi José , Bastida Jaume
Published: August 2017

The plant family Amaryllidaceae is well-known for its unique alkaloid constituents, which exhibit a wide range of biological activities. Its representative, Amaryllis belladonna, has a geographical distribution covering mainly southern Africa, where it has significant usage in the traditional medicine of the native people. In this study, A. belladonna samples collected in Brazil were examined for alkaloid content. Alkaloid profiles of A. belladonna bulbs were generated by a combination of chromatographic, spectroscopic and spectrometric methods, including GC–MS and 2D NMR. In vitro screening against four different parasitic protozoa (Trypanosoma cruzi, T. brucei rhodesiense, Leishmania donovani and Plasmodium falciparum) was carried out using the A. belladonna crude methanol extract, as well as three of its alkaloid isolates. Twenty-six different Amaryllidaceae alkaloids were identified in the A. belladonna bulb samples, and three of them were isolated. Evidence for their respective biosynthetic pathways was afforded via their mass-spectral fragmentation data. Improved data for 1-O-acetylcaranine was provided by 2D NMR experiments, together with new 1H-NMR data for buphanamine. The crude extract and 3-O-acetylhamayne exhibited good antiprotozoal activity in vitro, although both with a high cytotoxic index.
Unique Roles of Gold Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery, Targeting and Imaging Applications
Authors: Kong Fen-Ying , Zhang Jin-Wei , Li Rong-Fang , Wang Zhong-Xia , Wang Wen-Juan , Wang Wei
Published: August 2017

Nanotechnology has become more and more potentially used in diagnosis or treatment of diseases. Advances in nanotechnology have led to new and improved nanomaterials in biomedical applications. Common nanomaterials applicable in biomedical applications include liposomes, polymeric micelles, graphene, carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, ferroferric oxide nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), and so on. Among them, Au NPs have been considered as the most interesting nanomaterial because of its unique optical, electronic, sensing and biochemical properties. Au NPs have been potentially applied for medical imaging, drug delivery, and tumor therapy in the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. This review focuses on some recent advances in the use of Au NPs as drug carriers for the intracellular delivery of therapeutics and as molecular nanoprobes for the detection and monitoring of target molecules.
Synthesis of Water-Soluble Group 4 Metallocene and Organotin Polyethers and Their Ability to Inhibit Cancer
Authors: Carraher Charles , Roner Michael , Frank Jessica , Moric-Johnson Alica , Miller Lindsey , Black Kendra , Slawek Paul , Mosca Francesca , Einkauf Jeffrey , Russell Floyd
Published: September 2017

Water-soluble metallocene and organotin-containing polyethers were synthesized employing interfacial polycondensation. The reaction involved various chain lengths of poly(ethylene glycol), and produced water-soluble polymers in decent yield. Commercially available reactants were used to allow for easy scale up. The polymers exhibited a decent ability to inhibit a range of cancer cell lines, including two pancreatic cancer cell lines. This approach should allow the synthesis of a wide variety of other water-soluble polymers.
A Hybrid Approach to Detect Driver Drowsiness Utilizing Physiological Signals to Improve System Performance and Wearability
Authors: Awais Muhammad , Badruddin Nasreen , Drieberg Micheal
Published: August 2017

Driver drowsiness is a major cause of fatal accidents, injury, and property damage, and has become an area of substantial research attention in recent years. The present study proposes a method to detect drowsiness in drivers which integrates features of electrocardiography (ECG) and electroencephalography (EEG) to improve detection performance. The study measures differences between the alert and drowsy states from physiological data collected from 22 healthy subjects in a driving simulator-based study. A monotonous driving environment is used to induce drowsiness in the participants. Various time and frequency domain feature were extracted from EEG including time domain statistical descriptors, complexity measures and power spectral measures. Features extracted from the ECG signal included heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), including low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF) and LF/HF ratio. Furthermore, subjective sleepiness scale is also assessed to study its relationship with drowsiness. We used paired t-tests to select only statistically significant features (p < 0.05), that can differentiate between the alert and drowsy states effectively. Significant features of both modalities (EEG and ECG) are then combined to investigate the improvement in performance using support vector machine (SVM) classifier. The other main contribution of this paper is the study on channel reduction and its impact to the performance of detection. The proposed method demonstrated that combining EEG and ECG has improved the system’s performance in discriminating between alert and drowsy states, instead of using them alone. Our channel reduction analysis revealed that an acceptable level of accuracy (80%) could be achieved by combining just two electrodes (one EEG and one ECG), indicating the feasibility of a system with improved wearability compared with existing systems involving many electrodes. Overall, our results demonstrate that the proposed method can be a viable solution for a practical driver drowsiness system that is both accurate and comfortable to wear.
Geometrical Characterisation of a 2D Laser System and Calibration of a Cross-Grid Encoder by Means of a Self-Calibration Methodology
Authors: Torralba Marta , Díaz-Pérez Lucía , Valenzuela Margarita , Albajez José , Yagüe-Fabra José
Published: August 2017

This article presents a self-calibration procedure and the experimental results for the geometrical characterisation of a 2D laser system operating along a large working range (50 mm × 50 mm) with submicrometre uncertainty. Its purpose is to correct the geometric errors of the 2D laser system setup generated when positioning the two laser heads and the plane mirrors used as reflectors. The non-calibrated artefact used in this procedure is a commercial grid encoder that is also a measuring instrument. Therefore, the self-calibration procedure also allows the determination of the geometrical errors of the grid encoder, including its squareness error. The precision of the proposed algorithm is tested using virtual data. Actual measurements are subsequently registered, and the algorithm is applied. Once the laser system is characterised, the error of the grid encoder is calculated along the working range, resulting in an expanded submicrometre calibration uncertainty (k = 2) for the X and Y axes. The results of the grid encoder calibration are comparable to the errors provided by the calibration certificate for its main central axes. It is, therefore, possible to confirm the suitability of the self-calibration methodology proposed in this article.
Non-Invasive Breast Cancer Diagnosis through Electrochemical Biosensing at Different Molecular Levels
Authors: Campuzano Susana , Pedrero María , Pingarrón José
Published: August 2017

The rapid and accurate determination of specific circulating biomarkers at different molecular levels with non- or minimally invasive methods constitutes a major challenge to improve the breast cancer outcomes and life quality of patients. In this field, electrochemical biosensors have demonstrated to be promising alternatives against more complex conventional strategies to perform fast, accurate and on-site determination of circulating biomarkers at low concentrations in minimally treated body fluids. In this article, after discussing briefly the relevance and current challenges associated with the determination of breast cancer circulating biomarkers, an updated overview of the electrochemical affinity biosensing strategies emerged in the last 5 years for this purpose is provided highlighting the great potentiality of these methodologies. After critically discussing the most interesting features of the electrochemical strategies reported so far for the single or multiplexed determination of such biomarkers with demonstrated applicability in liquid biopsy analysis, existing challenges still to be addressed and future directions in this field will be pointed out.
Cooperation Techniques between LTE in Unlicensed Spectrum and Wi-Fi towards Fair Spectral Efficiency
Authors: Maglogiannis Vasilis , Naudts Dries , Shahid Adnan , Giannoulis Spilios , Laermans Eric , Moerman Ingrid
Published: August 2017

On the road towards 5G, a proliferation of Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets) is expected. Sensor networks are of great importance in this new wireless era, as they allow interaction with the environment. Additionally, the establishment of the Internet of Things (IoT) has incredibly increased the number of interconnected devices and consequently the already massive wirelessly transmitted traffic. The exponential growth of wireless traffic is pushing the wireless community to investigate solutions that maximally exploit the available spectrum. Recently, 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) announced standards that permit the operation of Long Term Evolution (LTE) in the unlicensed spectrum in addition to the exclusive use of the licensed spectrum owned by a mobile operator. Alternatively, leading wireless technology developers examine standalone LTE operation in the unlicensed spectrum without any involvement of a mobile operator. In this article, we present a classification of different techniques that can be applied on co-located LTE and Wi-Fi networks. Up to today, Wi-Fi is the most widely-used wireless technology in the unlicensed spectrum. A review of the current state of the art further reveals the lack of cooperation schemes among co-located networks that can lead to more optimal usage of the available spectrum. This article fills this gap in the literature by conceptually describing different classes of cooperation between LTE and Wi-Fi. For each class, we provide a detailed presentation of possible cooperation techniques that can provide spectral efficiency in a fair manner.
A Smart Eddy Current Sensor Dedicated to the Nondestructive Evaluation of Carbon Fibers Reinforced Polymers
Authors: Naidjate Mohammed , Helifa Bachir , Feliachi Mouloud , Lefkaier Iben-Khaldoun , Heuer Henning , Schulze Martin
Published: August 2017

This paper propose a new concept of an eddy current (EC) multi-element sensor for the characterization of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) to evaluate the orientations of plies in CFRP and the order of their stacking. The main advantage of the new sensors is the flexible parametrization by electronical switching that reduces the effort for mechanical manipulation. The sensor response was calculated and proved by 3D finite element (FE) modeling. This sensor is dedicated to nondestructive testing (NDT) and can be an alternative for conventional mechanical rotating and rectangular sensors.
Wireless Sensor Platform for Cultural Heritage Monitoring and Modeling System
Authors: Klein Levente , Bermudez Sergio , Schrott Alejandro , Tsukada Masahiko , Dionisi-Vici Paolo , Kargere Lucretia , Marianno Fernando , Hamann Hendrik , López Vanessa , Leona Marco
Published: August 2017

Results from three years of continuous monitoring of environmental conditions using a wireless sensor platform installed at The Cloisters, the medieval branch of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, are presented. The platform comprises more than 200 sensors that were distributed in five galleries to assess temperature and air flow and to quantify microclimate changes using physics-based and statistical models. The wireless sensor network data shows a very stable environment within the galleries, while the dense monitoring enables localized monitoring of subtle changes in air quality trends and impact of visitors on the microclimate conditions. The high spatial and temporal resolution data serves as a baseline study to understand the impact of visitors and building operations on the long-term preservation of art objects.
Reconstruction of an Acid Water Spill in a Mountain Reservoir
Authors: Jofre-Meléndez Rodolfo , Torres Ester , Ramos-Arroyo Yann , Galván Laura , Ruiz-Cánovas Carlos , Ayora Carlos
Published: September 2017

The Olivargas Reservoir is located in a remote and scarcely monitored area in the Odiel River Basin (Southwest Spain) and is used for domestic, agricultural and mining water supplies. In contrast with highly monitored reservoirs, this paper explores the application of the CE-QUAL-W2 model, that was designed by Cole and Wells in 2005, to a poorly monitored reservoir and the utility of the results obtained. The model satisfactorily reproduced the water head measured continuously over three years, temperature (T), total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH measured bimonthly in a depth profile near the dam. A significant increase in TDS and decrease in DO and pH profiles were observed for four months, especially in the hypolimnion. The model reproduced changes in the parameters by assuming the occurrence of an acid water spill into the reservoir. A comparison of calculated results and measured TDS and DO prompted the conclusion that the spill consisted of approximately 3000 t of TDS (mainly sulfates) and 26 t of Fe(II) flowing into the reservoir for approximately 15 days at rates of approximately two and 0.02 kg/s, respectively.
Coupling the Modified Linear Spectral Mixture Analysis and Pixel-Swapping Methods for Improving Subpixel Water Mapping: Application to the Pearl River Delta, China
Authors: Liu Xulong , Deng Ruru , Xu Jianhui , Zhang Feifei
Published: September 2017

High-resolution water mapping with remotely sensed data is essential to monitoring of rainstorm waterlogging and flood disasters. In this study, a modified linear spectral mixture analysis (LSMA) method is proposed to extract high-precision water fraction maps. In the modified LSMA, the pure water and mixed water-land pixels, which are extracted by the Otsu method and a morphological dilation operation, are used to improve the accuracy of water fractions. The modified LSMA is applied to the 18 October 2015 Landsat 8 OLI image of the Pearl River Delta for the extraction of water fractions. Based on the water fraction maps, a modified subpixel mapping method (MSWM) based on a pixel-swapping algorithm is proposed for obtaining the spatial distribution information of water at subpixel scale. The MSWM includes two steps in subpixel water mapping. The MSWM considers the inter-subpixel/pixel and intra-subpixel/subpixel spatial attractions. Subpixel water mapping is first implemented with the inter-subpixel/pixel spatial attractions, which are estimated using the distance between a given subpixel and its surrounding pixels and the water fractions of the surrounding pixels. Based on the initialized subpixel water mapping results, the final subpixel water maps are determined by a modified pixel-swapping algorithm, in which the intra-subpixel/subpixel spatial attractions are estimated using the initialized subpixel water maps and an inverse-distance weighted function of the current subpixel at the centre of a moving window with its surrounding subpixels within the window. The subpixel water mapping performance of the MSWM is compared with that of subpixel mapping for linear objects (SPML) and that of the subpixel/pixel spatial attraction model (SPSAM) using the GF-1 reference image from 20 October 2015. The experimental results show that the MSWM shows better subpixel water mapping performance and obtains more details than SPML and SPSAM, as it has the largest overall accuracy values and Kappa coefficients. Furthermore, the MSWM can significantly eliminate the phenomenon of jagged edges and has smooth continuous edges.
Methane Emissions in Spanish Saline Lakes: Current Rates, Temperature and Salinity Responses, and Evolution under Different Climate Change Scenarios
Authors: Camacho Antonio , Picazo Antonio , Rochera Carlos , Santamans Anna , Morant Daniel , Miralles-Lorenzo Javier , Castillo-Escrivà Andreu
Published: September 2017

Wetlands are among the most biologically active ecosystems on Earth, playing an important role in the global carbon cycle. Methane production in wetlands, resulting from anaerobic respiration of organic matter, accounts for an important part of natural sources of methane. In this work, we have evaluated the methane release rates of saline shallow lakes located in Central Spain, some of which maintain natural conditions, whereas others are hydrologically altered, with lowered salinity, or even presenting trophic alterations. We used sediment core plus water incubations to determine the release of methane from the studied lakes to the atmosphere, integrating both diffusion and ebullition processes, as well as the effects of temperature and salinity on methane production. The studied hypersaline lakes released methane at rates within the lowest range reported for temperate lakes and wetlands, whereas in hydrologically altered lakes that have dropped their salinity these rates were markedly higher. Models built with the specific response of methane release rates to temperature regarding the temperature changes expected according to the RCP climate scenarios predicted significant increases of these rates for the future, which could almost double current methane release for some of the studied lakes under the most pessimistic mitigation scenario (RCP8.5).
Economy-wide Impact of Tourism in Malaysia: An Input–output Analysis
Authors: Mazumder Mohammad Nurul Huda , Su Zhan , Bhuiyan Abul Bashar , Rashid Mamunur , Al-Mamun Abdullah
Published: August 2017

Because previous empirical research offers inconclusive evidence of the induced impact of tourism expenditure in Malaysia, this study utilizes a closed input–output model to analyze the total economy-wide impact of international tourist expenditure in Malaysia. The results reveal that international tourist expenditure has both a direct primary impact on tourism-related sectors and a significant secondary impact on other sectors of the economy. The findings of this study suggest that minimizing multiplier variation by adding value to tourism products and curbing import dependency increases the significance of the multipliers and impacts that are generated by international tourist expenditure. The results of this study also indicate that both the primary and secondary economy-wide impacts of tourism should be considered on the basis of many multipliers across various sectors, which is largely absent in the extant literature on the Malaysian tourism industry.
Models of Warm Jupiter Atmospheres: Observable Signatures of Obliquity
Authors: Rauscher Emily
Published: September 2017

We present three-dimensional atmospheric circulation models of a hypothetical “warm Jupiter” planet, for a range of possible obliquities from 0° to 90°. We model a Jupiter-mass planet on a 10 day orbit around a Sun-like star, since this hypothetical planet sits at the boundary between planets for which we expect that tidal forces should have aligned their rotation axes with their orbital axes (i.e., ones with zero obliquity) and planets whose timescale for tidal alignment is longer than the typical age of an exoplanet system. In line with observational progress, which is pushing atmospheric characterization for planets on longer orbital periods, we calculate the observable signatures of obliquity for a transiting warm Jupiter: in orbital phase curves of thermal emission and in the hemispheric flux gradients that could be measured by eclipse mapping. For both of these predicted measurements, the signal that we would see depends strongly on our viewing geometry relative to the orientation of the planet’s rotation axis, and we thoroughly identify the degeneracies that result. We compare these signals to the predicted sensitivities of current and future instruments and determine that the James Webb Space Telescope should be able to constrain the obliquities of nearby warm Jupiters to be small (if

) or to directly measure them if significantly non-zero (

) using the technique of eclipse mapping. For a bright target and assuming photon-limited precision, this could be done with a single secondary eclipse observation.
Subcritical Growth of Electron Phase-space Holes in Planetary Radiation Belts
Authors: Osmane Adnane , Turner Drew L. , Wilson Lynn B. , Dimmock Andrew P. , Pulkkinen Tuija I.
Published: September 2017

The discovery of long-lived electrostatic coherent structures with large-amplitude electric fields (

mV/m) by the Van Allen Probes has revealed alternative routes through which planetary radiation belts’ acceleration can take place. Following previous reports showing that small phase-space holes, with

, could result from electron interaction with large-amplitude whistlers, we demonstrate one possible mechanism through which holes can grow nonlinearly (i.e.,

) and subcritically as a result of momentum exchange between hot and cold electron populations. Our results provide an explanation for the common occurrence and fast growth of large-amplitude electron phase-space holes in the Earth’s radiation belts.
Constraining Formation Models of Binary Black Holes with Gravitational-wave Observations
Authors: Zevin Michael , Pankow Chris , Rodriguez Carl L. , Sampson Laura , Chase Eve , Kalogera Vassiliki , Rasio Frederic A.
Published: September 2017

Gravitational waves (GWs) from binary black hole (BBH) mergers provide a new probe of massive-star evolution and the formation channels of binary compact objects. By coupling the growing sample of BBH systems with population synthesis models, we can begin to constrain the parameters of such models and glean unprecedented knowledge about the inherent physical processes that underpin binary stellar evolution. In this study, we apply a hierarchical Bayesian model to mass measurements from a synthetic GW sample to constrain the physical prescriptions in population models and the relative fraction of systems generated from various channels. We employ population models of two canonical formation scenarios in our analysis—isolated binary evolution involving a common-envelope phase and dynamical formation within globular clusters—with model variations for different black hole natal kick prescriptions. We show that solely with chirp mass measurements, it is possible to constrain natal kick prescriptions and the relative fraction of systems originating from each formation channel with

of confident detections. This framework can be extended to include additional formation scenarios, model parameters, and measured properties of the compact binary.
Imprint of the Sun’s Evolving Polar Winds on IBEX Energetic Neutral Atom All-sky Observations of the Heliosphere
Authors: Zirnstein E. J. , Dayeh M. A. , McComas D. J. , Sokół J. M.
Published: August 2017

With 7 years of Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) measurements of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs), IBEX has shown a clear correlation between dynamic changes in the solar wind and the heliosphere’s response in the formation of ENAs. In this paper, we investigate temporal variations in the latitudinal-dependent ENA spectrum from IBEX and their relationship to the solar wind speed observed at 1 au. We find that the variation in latitude of the transition in ENA spectral indices between low (≲1.8) and high (≳1.8) values, as well as the distribution of ENA spectral indices at high and low latitudes, correlates well with the evolution of the fast and slow solar wind latitudinal structure observed near 1 au. This correlation includes a delay due to the time it takes the solar wind to propagate to the termination shock and into the inner heliosheath, and for ENAs to be generated via charge-exchange and travel back toward 1 au. Moreover, we observe a temporal asymmetry in the steepening of the ENA spectrum in the northern and southern hemispheres, consistent with asymmetries observed in the solar wind and polar coronal holes. While this asymmetry is observed near the upwind direction of the heliosphere, it is not yet observed in the tail direction, suggesting a longer line-of-sight integration distance or different processing of the solar wind plasma downstream of the termination shock.
Numerical Simulations of Supernova Remnant Evolution in a Cloudy Interstellar Medium
Authors: Slavin Jonathan D. , Smith Randall K. , Foster Adam , Winter Henry D. , Raymond John C. , Slane Patrick O. , Yamaguchi Hiroya
Published: September 2017

The mixed morphology class of supernova remnants has centrally peaked X-ray emission along with a shell-like morphology in radio emission. White & Long proposed that these remnants are evolving in a cloudy medium wherein the clouds are evaporated via thermal conduction once being overrun by the expanding shock. Their analytical model made detailed predictions regarding temperature, density, and emission profiles as well as shock evolution. We present numerical hydrodynamical models in 2D and 3D including thermal conduction, testing the White & Long model and presenting results for the evolution and emission from remnants evolving in a cloudy medium. We find that, while certain general results of the White & Long model hold, such as the way the remnants expand and the flattening of the X-ray surface brightness distribution, in detail there are substantial differences. In particular we find that the X-ray luminosity is dominated by emission from shocked cloud gas early on, leading to a bright peak, which then declines and flattens as evaporation becomes more important. In addition, the effects of thermal conduction on the intercloud gas, which is not included in the White & Long model, are important and lead to further flattening of the X-ray brightness profile as well as lower X-ray emission temperatures.
Hot Gas in the Wolf–Rayet Nebula NGC 3199
Authors: Toalá 杜宇 J. A. 君 , Marston A. P. , Guerrero M. A. , Chu 朱有 Y.-H. 花 , Gruendl R. A.
Published: September 2017

The Wolf–Rayet (WR) nebula NGC 3199 has been suggested to be a bow shock around its central star, WR 18, which is presumably a runaway star, because optical images of the nebula show a dominating arc of emission southwest of the star. We present the XMM-Newton detection of extended X-ray emission from NGC 3199, unveiling the powerful effect of the fast wind from WR 18. The X-ray emission is brighter in the region southeast of the star and an analysis of the spectral properties of the X-ray emission reveals abundance variations: (i) regions close to the optical arc present nitrogen-rich gas enhanced by the stellar wind from WR 18 and (ii) gas at the eastern region exhibits abundances close to those reported for the nebular abundances derived from optical studies, which is a signature of an efficient mixing of the nebular material with the stellar wind. The dominant plasma temperature and electron density are estimated to be T ≈ 1.2 × 106 K and n
e = 0.3 cm−3 with an X-ray luminosity in the 0.3–3.0 keV energy range of L
X = 2.6 × 1034 erg s−1. Combined with information derived from Herschel and the recent Gaia first data release, we conclude that WR 18 is not a runaway star and that the formation, chemical variations, and the shape of NGC 3199 depend on the initial configuration of the interstellar medium.
ALMA Detects CO(3–2) within a Super Star Cluster in NGC 5253
Authors: Turner Jean L. , Consiglio S. Michelle , Beck Sara C. , Goss W. M. , Ho Paul. T. P. , Meier David S. , Silich Sergiy , Zhao Jun-Hui
Published: September 2017

We present observations of CO(3–2) and 13CO(3–2) emission near the supernebula in the dwarf galaxy NGC 5253, which contains one of the best examples of a potential globular cluster in formation. The 0.″3 resolution images reveal an unusual molecular cloud, “Cloud D1,” that is coincident with the radio-infrared supernebula. The ∼6 pc diameter cloud has a linewidth, Δ v = 21.7

, that reflects only the gravitational potential of the star cluster residing within it. The corresponding virial mass is 2.5 × 105

. The cluster appears to have a top-heavy initial mass function, with M
* ≳ 1–2 

. Cloud D1 is optically thin in CO(3–2), probably because the gas is hot. Molecular gas mass is very uncertain but constitutes <35% of the dynamical mass within the cloud boundaries. In spite of the presence of an estimated ∼1500–2000 O stars within the small cloud, the CO appears relatively undisturbed. We propose that Cloud D1 consists of molecular clumps or cores, possibly star-forming, orbiting with more evolved stars in the core of the giant cluster.
Tomographic Imaging of the Fermi-LAT γ-Ray Sky through Cross-correlations: A Wider and Deeper Look
Authors: Cuoco Alessandro , Bilicki Maciej , Xia Jun-Qing , Branchini Enzo
Published: September 2017

We investigate the nature of the extragalactic unresolved γ-ray background (UGRB) by cross-correlating several galaxy catalogs with sky maps of the UGRB built from 78 months of Pass 8 Fermi-Large Area Telescope data. This study updates and improves similar previous analyses in several aspects. First, the use of a larger γ-ray data set allows us to investigate the energy dependence of the cross-correlation in more detail, using up to eight energy bins over a wide energy range of [0.25,500] GeV. Second, we consider larger and deeper catalogs (2MASS Photometric Redshift catalog, 2MPZ; WISE × SuperCOSMOS, WI×SC; and SDSS DR12 photometric redshift data set) in addition to the ones employed in the previous studies (NVSS and SDSS QSOs). Third, we exploit the redshift information available for the above catalogs to divide them into redshift bins and perform the cross-correlation separately in each of them. Our results confirm, with higher statistical significance, the detection of cross-correlation signals between the UGRB maps and all the catalogs considered, on angular scales smaller than 1°. Significances range from

for NVSS,

for SDSS DR12 and WI×SC, to

for 2MPZ and

for SDSS QSOs. Furthermore, including redshift tomography, the significance of the SDSS DR12 signal strikingly rises up to

and that of WI×SC to

. We offer a simple interpretation of the signal in the framework of the halo model. The precise redshift and energy information allows us to clearly detect a change over redshift in the spectral and clustering behavior of the γ-ray sources contributing to the UGRB.
Can probiotics enhance vaccine-specific immunity in children and adults?
Authors: Kwak J.Y. , Lamousé-Smith E.S.N.
Published: August 2017

The growing use of probiotics by the general public has heightened the interest in understanding the role of probiotics in promoting health and preventing disease. General practitioners and specialists often receive inquiries from their patients regarding probiotic products and their use to ward off systemic infection or intestinal maladies. Enhanced immune function is among the touted health benefits conferred by probiotics but has not yet been fully established. Results from recent clinical trials in adults suggest a potential role for probiotics in enhancing vaccine-specific immunity. Although almost all vaccinations are given during infancy and childhood, the numbers of and results from studies using probiotics in pediatric subjects are limited. This review evaluates recent clinical trials of probiotics used to enhance vaccine-specific immune responses in adults and infants. We highlight meaningful results and the implications of these findings for designing translational and clinical studies that will evaluate the potential clinical role for probiotics. We conclude that the touted health claims of probiotics for use in children to augment immunity warrant further investigation. In order to achieve this goal, a consensus should be reached on common study designs that apply similar treatment timelines, compare well-characterised probiotic strains and monitor effective responses against different classes of vaccines.
A new Felimare (Mollusca: Heterobranchia: Nudibranchia) of the Atlantic blue chromodorid chromatic group from Cape Verde
Authors: Ortigosa Deneb , Pola Marta , Cervera Juan Lucas
Published: September 2017

A new species of the chromodorid genus Felimare (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) of the Atlantic blue chromatic group is described using material from Cape Verde (eastern Atlantic). Felimare aurantimaculata n. sp. was described based on morphological characters, as well as a molecular phylogeny using two mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S rRNA) and one nuclear (histone-3) markers. Felimare aurantimaculata n. sp. is characterized by having a ground of dark blue colour with many orange polka dots over the body, dark blue rhinophores and branchial leaves, and very large and not clustered mantle dermal formations (MDFs) at the edge of the mantle, totally absent in the anterior area facing the rhinophores.
Bioeconomic assessment of a change in fishing gear selectivity: the case of a single-species fleet affected by the landing obligation
Authors: Prellezo Raúl , Carmona Itsaso , García Dorleta , Arregi Luis , Ruiz Jon , Onandia Iñigo
Published: September 2017

The European Union Common Fisheries Policy has established a discard ban, which states that fish below a reference size cannot be sold directly for human consumption. In a fishing effort-regulated fishery, the discard ban can result in extra handling, storing and landing costs. In an output-regulated fishery, this policy might also limit the effort levels as all the catches count against the quota. In both cases, this regulation can reduce the economic performance of the companies, even in single-species fisheries. A possible solution is to increase the mesh size, thus retaining fewer small individuals. To study this option, a bioeconomic simulation of a change in the gear selectivity from 100- to 120-mm minimum mesh size (MMS) was performed. The results show that the private perspective (profits) does not change. Furthermore, due to the lower retention of 120 mm MMS, the efficiency of a fishing day was reduced by 5% and 2.5%, from the point of view of capital and labour productivity, respectively. In contrast, gross revenues increased by 1.5% and crew compensation by 2%. Given a societal benefit of this change in the mesh size, this gain could be re-distributed to provide an incentive for selectivity improvements.
Investigation on Electrochemical Discharge Micro-Machining of Silicon Carbide
Authors: Sarkar B.R. , Doloi B. , Bhattacharyya B.
Published: August 2017

Electrochemical discharge machining (ECDM) process has great potential to machine hard, brittle and electrically non-conducting materials in micron range. The objective of this paper is to investigate into electrochemical discharge micro-machining on electrically semi-conductor type silicon carbide (SiC) material so as to study the effects of applied voltage, electrolyte concentration and inter-electrode gap on material removal rate (MRR) and radial overcut (ROC) of micro-drilled hole. Experiments were conducted based on L9 array of Taguchi method with stainless steel µ-tool of 300µm diameter using NaOH electrolyte. An attempt has been made to find out the single as well as multi-objective optimal parametric combinations for maximum MRR and minimum ROC. The single-objective parametric combinations were selected as 45V/20wt%/20mm and 25V/20wt%/40mm for maximum MRR and minimum ROC respectively whereas multi-objective optimal parametric combinations was found as 25V/20wt%/40mm. Further mathematical models have been developed between the above machining parameters and characteristics.
Reengineering Probabilistic Relational Databases with Fuzzy Probability Measures into XML Model
Authors: Ma Zongmin , Li Chengwei , Yan Li
Published: August 2017

This paper concentrates on modeling probabilistic events with fuzzy probability measures in relational databases and XML (Extensible Markup Language). Instead of crisp probability degrees or interval probability degrees, fuzzy sets are applied to represent imprecise probability degrees in relational databases and XML. A probabilistic XML model with fuzzy probability measures is introduced, which incorporates fuzzy probability measures to handle imprecision and uncertainty. In particular, the formal approach to reengineering the relational database model with fuzzy probability measures into the DTD (document type definition) model with fuzzy probability measures is developed in the paper.
Mobile Collaboration Support for Virtual Teams
Authors: Siau Keng , Ling Min
Published: August 2017

Organizations increasingly depend on virtual teams in which geographically distributed individuals use sophisticated technology to interact and collaborate. With the advancement of mobile and wireless technology, mobile support for collaboration among virtual team members is becoming increasingly important and popular. In this research, we study the values of mobile support for virtual team members. Using the qualitative technique, Value-Focused Thinking approach, proposed by Keeney, we interviewed 30 subjects who were involved in information systems development teams and asked them the values of mobile support for virtual collaboration. This study uses Alter's Work Systems Theory as the conceptual foundation.
Unsteady MHD Natural Convective Flow of a Rotating Fluid over an Infinite Vertical Plate due to Oscillatory Movement of the Free-Stream with Hall and Ion-Slip Currents
Authors: Singh Jitendra Kumar , Seth Gauri Shenkar , Begum S. Ghousia
Published: August 2017

In the present research study a mathematical analysis has been presented for unsteady MHD natural convective flow of a rotating fluid over an infinite vertical plate immersed in a fluid saturated porous medium with oscillating free-stream. The effects of Hall and ion-slip currents also considered on the fluid flow. The unsteady MHD flow over the vertical plate is induced due to thermal and concentration buoyancy forces and oscillatory movement of the free-stream. The partial differential equations governing the motion for the fluid flow are solved analytically. The effects of various pertinent flow parameters on the fluid velocity, fluid temperature and species concentration are presented in graphical form whereas that on skin friction and rate of heat and mass transfer at the plate are presented in tabular form. An interesting observation recorded from the present analysis that there appears reversal flow in the secondary flow direction due to presence of thermal and/or concentration buoyancy forces. However, in the absence of both reversals flow does not exist in the secondary flow direction. It is also noted that the thickness of momentum boundary layer decreases with rise in frequency of oscillations of the free-stream.
Cyclodextrin Reduces Cholesterol Crystal–Induced Inflammation by Modulating Complement Activation
Authors: Bakke Siril S. , Aune Marie H. , Niyonzima Nathalie , Pilely Katrine , Ryan Liv , Skjelland Mona , Garred Peter , Aukrust Pål , Halvorsen Bente , Latz Eicke , Damås Jan K. , Mollnes Tom E. , Espevik Terje
Published: August 2017

Cholesterol crystals (CC) are abundant in atherosclerotic plaques and promote inflammatory responses via the complement system and inflammasome activation. Cyclic oligosaccharide 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (BCD) is a compound that solubilizes lipophilic substances. Recently we have shown that BCD has an anti-inflammatory effect on CC via suppression of the inflammasome and liver X receptor activation. The putative effects of BCD on CC-induced complement activation remain unknown. In this study, we found that BCD bound to CC and reduced deposition of Igs, pattern recognition molecules, and complement factors on CC in human plasma. Furthermore, BCD decreased complement activation as measured by terminal complement complex and lowered the expression of complement receptors on monocytes in whole blood in response to CC exposure. In line with this, BCD also reduced reactive oxygen species formation caused by CC in whole blood. Furthermore, BCD attenuated the CC-induced proinflammatory cytokine responses (e.g., IL-1α, MIP-1α, TNF, IL-6, and IL-8) as well as regulated a range of CC-induced genes in human PBMC. BCD also regulated complement-related genes in human carotid plaques treated ex vivo. Formation of terminal complement complex on other complement-activating structures such as monosodium urate crystals and zymosan was not affected by BCD. These data demonstrate that BCD inhibits CC-induced inflammatory responses, which may be explained by BCD-mediated attenuation of complement activation. Thus, these findings support the potential for using BCD in treatment of atherosclerosis.
Complexity of Complement Resistance Factors Expressed by Acinetobacter baumannii Needed for Survival in Human Serum
Authors: Sanchez-Larrayoz Amaro F. , Elhosseiny Noha M. , Chevrette Marc G. , Fu Yang , Giunta Peter , Spallanzani Raúl G. , Ravi Keerthikka , Pier Gerald B. , Lory Stephen , Maira-Litrán Tomás
Published: August 2017

Acinetobacter baumannii is a bacterial pathogen with increasing impact in healthcare settings, due in part to this organism’s resistance to many antimicrobial agents, with pneumonia and bacteremia as the most common manifestations of disease. A significant proportion of clinically relevant A. baumannii strains are resistant to killing by normal human serum (NHS), an observation supported in this study by showing that 12 out of 15 genetically diverse strains of A. baumannii are resistant to NHS killing. To expand our understanding of the genetic basis of A. baumannii serum resistance, a transposon (Tn) sequencing (Tn-seq) approach was used to identify genes contributing to this trait. An ordered Tn library in strain AB5075 with insertions in every nonessential gene was subjected to selection in NHS. We identified 50 genes essential for the survival of A. baumannii in NHS, including already known serum resistance factors, and many novel genes not previously associated with serum resistance. This latter group included the maintenance of lipid asymmetry genetic pathway as a key determinant in protecting A. baumannii from the bactericidal activity of NHS via the alternative complement pathway. Follow-up studies validated the role of eight additional genes identified by Tn-seq in A. baumannii resistance to killing by NHS but not by normal mouse serum, highlighting the human species specificity of A. baumannii serum resistance. The identification of a large number of genes essential for serum resistance in A. baumannii indicates the degree of complexity needed for this phenotype, which might reflect a general pattern that pathogens rely on to cause serious infections.