bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring social inclusivity within the University of the Third Age (U3A): a model of collaborative research
Authors: PATTERSON REBECCA , MOFFATT SUZANNE , SMITH MAUREEN , SCOTT JESSICA , MCLOUGHLIN CHRISTOPHER , BELL JUDITH , BELL NORMAN
Published: June 2015

Lifelong learning is believed to have physical, social and emotional benefits for older adults. In recognition of this, numerous programmes encouraging learning in later life exist worldwide. One example is the University of the Third Age (U3A) – a lifelong learning co-operative rooted in peer-support and knowledge sharing. This article is based on a collaborative study conducted by university researchers and members of a U3A in North-East England (United Kingdom) investigating the social inclusivity of the group in light of low attendance levels among those from social housing and non-professional backgrounds. A qualitative approach comprising semi-structured interviews and focus groups was adopted to explore knowledge and experience of lifelong learning and the U3A. Sixty individuals aged 50+ were interviewed. The demographic profile of participants largely reflected the socio-economic make-up of the area, with the majority living in areas of high socio-economic deprivation. Several barriers to lifelong learning were revealed, including: poor health, insufficient transport and caring responsibilities. Regarding U3A participation, three exclusionary factors were outlined: lack of knowledge, organisational name and location. Poor comprehension of the purpose and remit of the U3A can result in the development of ‘middle-class' myths regarding membership, perpetuating poor participation rates among lower socio-economic groups. Such perceptions must be dispelled to allow the U3A to fulfil its potential as a highly inclusive organisation.
Infant engagement and early vocabulary development: a naturalistic observation study of Mozambican infants from 1;1 to 2;1
Authors: MASTIN J. DOUGLAS , VOGT PAUL
Published: June 2015

This study analyzes how others engage rural and urban Mozambican infants during naturalistic observations, and how the proportion of time spent in different engagements relates to infants' language development over the second year of life. Using an extended version of Bakeman and Adamson's (1984) categorization of infant engagement, we investigated to what extent a detailed analysis of infant engagement can contribute to our understanding of vocabulary development in natural settings. In addition, we explored how the different infant engagements relate to vocabulary size, and how these differ between the two communities. Results show that rural infants spend significantly more time in forms of solitary engagement, whereas urban infants spend more time in forms of triadic joint engagement. In regard to correlations with reported productive vocabulary, we find that dyadic persons engagement (i.e. interactions not about concrete objects) has positive correlations with vocabulary measures in both rural and urban communities. In addition, we find that triadic coordinated joint attention has a positive relationship with vocabulary in the urban community, but a contrasting negative correlation with vocabulary in the rural community. These similarities and differences are explained, based upon the parenting beliefs and socialization practices of different prototypical learning environments. Overall, this study concludes that the extended categorization provides a valuable contribution to the analysis of infant engagement and their relation to language acquisition, especially for analyzing naturalistic observations as compared to semi-structured studies. Moreover, with respect to vocabulary development, Mozambican infants appear to benefit strongest from dyadic Persons engagement, while they do not necessarily benefit from joint attention, as tends to be the case for children from industrial, developed communities.
The Interpolation Method for Random Graphs with Prescribed Degrees
Authors: SALEZ JUSTIN
Published: June 2015

We consider large random graphs with prescribed degrees, as generated by the configuration model. In the regime where the empirical degree distribution approaches a limit μ with finite mean, we establish the systematic convergence of a broad class of graph parameters that includes the independence number, the maximum cut size, the logarithm of the Tutte polynomial, and the free energy of the anti-ferromagnetic Ising and Potts models. Contrary to previous works, our results are not a priori limited to the free energy of some prescribed graphical model. They apply more generally to any additive, Lipschitz and concave graph parameter. In addition, the corresponding limits are shown to be Lipschitz and concave in the degree distribution μ. This considerably extends the applicability of the celebrated interpolation method, introduced in the context of spin glasses, and recently related to the challenging question of right-convergence of sparse graphs.
Isomerism or heterotaxy: which term leads to better understanding?
Authors: Loomba Rohit S. , Hlavacek Anthony M. , Spicer Diane E. , Anderson Robert H.
Published: June 2015

Use of correct nomenclature is important in all aspects of medicine. Many of the controversies that have bedeviled paediatric cardiology have devolved from the inappropriate use of words to describe the lesions to be found when the heart is congenitally abnormal. A continuing area of disagreement is the situation currently described by many as representing “heterotaxy”. When used literally, this word means any departure from the normal. Thus, all congenitally malformed hearts represent examples of heterotaxy. By convention, nonetheless, the term is used to describe the arrangement in which the bodily organs, including parts of the heart, are not in their usual or in their mirror-imaged patterns. The arrangements, therefore, represent the presence of the organs on the right and left sides of the body being mirror imaged, in other words isomeric; however, not all the organs are uniformly isomeric. In this review, we show that, when assessed on the basis of the morphology of the atrial appendages, specifically the extent of the pectinate muscles relative to the atrioventricular junctions, isomerism is an unequivocal finding within the heart. Only the atrial appendages, however, are truly isomeric. The potential problem of disharmony between the various systems of organs is resolved simply by accounting specifically for each of the systems. On these bases, we suggest that the isomeric arrangements can now readily be diagnosed in the clinical setting, and differentiated into their right and left isomeric variants. We propose that such distinctions will provide the key for establishing the genetic cues responsible for the formation of the isomeric as opposed to the lateralised arrangements.
Research Preregistration in Political Science: The Case, Counterarguments, and a Response to Critiques
Authors: Monogan James E.
Published: June 2015

This article describes the current debate on the practice of preregistration in political science—that is, publicly releasing a research design before observing outcome data. The case in favor of preregistration maintains that it can restrain four potential causes of publication bias, clearly distinguish deductive and inductive studies, add transparency regarding a researcher’s motivation, and liberate researchers who may be pressured to find specific results. Concerns about preregistration maintain that it is less suitable for the study of historical data, could reduce data exploration, may not allow for contextual problems that emerge in field research, and may increase the difficulty of finding true positive results. This article makes the case that these concerns can be addressed in preregistered studies, and it offers advice to those who would like to pursue study registration in their own work.
Predictors of the risk of malnutrition among children under the age of 5 years in Somalia
Authors: Kinyoki Damaris K , Berkley James A , Moloney Grainne M , Kandala Ngianga-Bakwin , Noor Abdisalan M
Published: June 2015

Objective

To investigate the predictors of wasting, stunting and low mid-upper arm circumference among children aged 6–59 months in Somalia using data from household cross-sectional surveys from 2007 to 2010 in order to help inform better targeting of nutritional interventions.

Design

Cross-sectional nutritional assessment surveys using structured interviews were conducted among communities in Somalia each year from 2007 to 2010. A two-stage cluster sampling methodology was used to select children aged 6–59 months from households across three livelihood zones (pastoral, agro-pastoral and riverine). Predictors of three anthropometric measures, weight-for-height (wasting), height-for-age (stunting) and mid-upper arm circumference, were analysed using Bayesian binomial regression, controlling for both spatial and temporal dependence in the data.

Setting

The study was conducted in randomly sampled villages, representative of three livelihood zones in Somalia.

Subjects

Children between the ages of 6 and 59 months in Somalia.

Results

The estimated national prevalence of wasting, stunting and low mid-upper arm circumference in children aged 6–59 months was 21 %, 31 % and 36 %, respectively. Although fever, diarrhoea, sex and age of the child, household size and access to foods were significant predictors of malnutrition, the strongest association was observed between all three indicators of malnutrition and the enhanced vegetation index. A 1-unit increase in enhanced vegetation index was associated with a 38 %, 49 % and 59 % reduction in wasting, stunting and low mid-upper arm circumference, respectively.

Conclusions

Infection and climatic variations are likely to be key drivers of malnutrition in Somalia. Better health data and close monitoring and forecasting of droughts may provide valuable information for nutritional intervention planning in Somalia.
A Legal Journey Through the UN, Academia, and the ICJ: Conversations with Dame Rosalyn Higgins DBE, JSD, FBA, QC
Authors: Dingle Lesley
Published: June 2015

This article, written by Lesley Dingle, is based upon an in-depth interview with Dame Rosalyn Higgins in March 2014. It highlights particular elements that characterise her contribution to legal scholarship and international adjudication, and should be read in the context of the biography presented in the Eminent Scholars Archive: http://www.squire.law.cam.ac.uk/eminent_scholars/dame_rosalyn_higgins.php. Dame Rosalyn Higgins was born in Kensington in 1937. She grew up in London during the Blitz and her matter-of-fact account of these times epitomised her later career: application to the task in hand, and a lack of a sense of expectation. After the War, she passed successively through grammar school, Girton College, Yale and the Royal Institute of International affairs, steadily immersing herself over fifteen years in the work of the United Nations during its formative period. It was on the UN's role as the global peace-keeper and international law-maker that she became the acknowledged authority. There followed a long period of formal academia (1978–95: Kent and LSE), during which she rose to high office. This experience further honed her scholarly and administrative instincts, and she was honoured in 1995 with a DBE. Later that year Dame Rosalyn was appointed to the Bench of the International Court of Justice – the first woman to rise to this position, and in 2006 was elected its President. She retired in 2009.
Judicial Power in Latin America: a Short Survey
Authors: Miguel-Stearns Teresa M.
Published: June 2015

This article, written by Teresa M. Miguel-Stearns, explores the vast differences in judicial authority not only between the common law and civil law traditions, but also among various countries steeped in the civil law tradition in Latin America. Judicial review,certiorari, precedent, and other functions and characteristics of the judiciaries of five distinctly different countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico) are compared and contrasted with each other and with the common law tradition. This evaluation demonstrates that despite their, arguably, similar distant histories and legal foundations, each country has evolved into a unique legal system with significant differences in the treatment of the judiciary and its jurisprudence.
‘Good’ Law
Authors: Hoadley Daniel
Published: June 2015

The ever increasing capabilities of online legal research platforms have revolutionised the strategies we adopt in tackling routine research questions. It is now possible, for example, to comprehensively identify later judicial references to any given earlier case at the click of a button. However, we are potentially running the risk of believing that the online platforms are capable of providing us with answers to questions that they are not yet able to deliver. In this short article Daniel Hoadley focuses on the capability of the current spread of online research platforms to answer a frequent and fundamental legal research question: “is this case still good law?”
Investing in Children, Monitoring Parents: Parenting Support in the Changing German Welfare State
Authors: Ostner Ilona , Stolberg Carolyn
Published: June 2015

The long tradition of parent education and support in German social welfare provision has recently acquired a new importance. As in the recent expansion of public early childhood education and care, the current emphasis on supporting parents highlights altered definitions of childhood, shifting boundaries between ‘public’ and ‘private’ in parent‒child relations, and new local welfare mixes in service delivery. The article uses a literature review and qualitative interviews with experts, decision makers and service providers: first, to explicate older policy ideas in the new turn to parenting and the strong role being given to model projects for policy reform in the German institutional setting; second, to present recurrent themes in the interviews with professionals working on the ground, such as the new role of childcare centres in accessing parents, ongoing problems of coordination and cooperation in parenting support and issues of evidence and evaluation.
Persistence of psychological distress and correlated factors among patients with head and neck cancer
Authors: Ichikura Kanako , Yamashita Aya , Sugimoto Taro , Kishimoto Seiji , Matsushima Eisuke
Published: June 2015

Objective:

Many patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) suffer from psychological distress associated with dysfunction and/or disfigurement. Our aim was to evaluate the ratio of patients with persistence of psychological distress during hospitalization and identify the predictors of persistence or change in psychological distress among HNC patients.

Method:

We conducted a single-center longitudinal study with self-completed questionnaires. We evaluated psychological distress (the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HADS) and functional level (the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Head and Neck Scale; FACT–H&N) among patients during hospitalization at the Medical Hospital of Tokyo Medical and Dental University.

Results:

Of 160 patients, 117 (73.1%) completed the questionnaire at both admission and discharge. Some 42 (52.5%) patients reported persistent psychological distress. The physical well-being of patients with continued distress was significantly lower than that of other patients (21.7 ± 4.7, 19.4 ± 6.1, 19.5 ± 5.4;p< 0.01), and the emotional well-being of patients with continued distress was significantly lower than that in patients with no distress and reduced distress (22.3 ± 3.5, 20.5 ± 2.5; p < 0.01).

Significant of results:

Impaired physical and emotional function appears to be associated with persistent psychological distress among HNC patients. Psychological interventions focused on relaxation, cognition, or behavior may be efficacious in preventing such persistent distress.
Establishment and preliminary outcomes of a palliative care research network
Authors: Hudson Peter , Street Annette , Graham Suzanne , Aranda Sanchia , O'Connor Margaret , Thomas Kristina , Jackson Kate , Spruyt Odette , Ugalde Anna , Philip Jennifer
Published: June 2015

Objective:

The difficulties in conducting palliative care research have been widely acknowledged. In order to generate the evidence needed to underpin palliative care provision, collaborative research is considered essential. Prior to formalizing the development of a research network for the state of Victoria, Australia, a preliminary study was undertaken to ascertain interest and recommendations for the design of such a collaboration.

Method:

Three data-collection strategies were used: a cross-sectional questionnaire, interviews, and workshops. The questionnaire was completed by multidisciplinary palliative care specialists from across the state (n = 61); interviews were conducted with senior clinicians and academics (n = 21) followed by two stakeholder workshops (n = 29). The questionnaire was constructed specifically for this study, measuring involvement of and perceptions of palliative care research.

Results:

Both the interview and the questionnaire data demonstrated strong support for a palliative care research network and aided in establishing a research agenda. The stakeholder workshops assisted with strategies for the formation of the Palliative Care Research Network Victoria (PCRNV) and guided the development of the mission and strategic plan.

Significance of results:

The research and efforts to date to establish the PCRNV are encouraging and provide optimism for the evolution of palliative care research in Australia. The international implications are highlighted.
Ben Franklin's ghost: world peace, American slavery, and the global politics of information before the Universal Postal Union
Authors: Shulman Peter A.
Published: June 2015

Attributing revolutionary potential to new international communications technology, notably the internet, is not new. On a global scale, similar ideas emerged in the mid nineteenth century in relation to government-subsidized mail steamers. These visions remained utopian, then as now, although some nations went further than others in attempting to implement ‘world peace’ and ‘social improvement’ through communications. Before widespread electrical transmissions, Americans created the blueprint for such utopian visions through mail steamers. Americans had long considered their postal system socially transformative; the development of mail steamers turned that social vision outwards to the globe. This article examines two movements of the 1850s that sought change through global communications: using mail steamers to resettle American free blacks in Africa and reducing international postage rates to such a low rate that increased communications would prevent war. These two nearly simultaneous histories suggest that the evolving concept of the nation-state deserves further investigation as an element at the conjuncture of global communications and social reform.
‘The telegraph and the bank’: on the interdependence of global communications and capitalism, 1866–1914
Authors: Müller Simone M. , Tworek Heidi J.S.
Published: June 2015

This article uses the example of submarine telegraphy to trace the interdependence between global communications and modern capitalism. It uncovers how cable entrepreneurs created the global telegraph network based upon particular understandings of cross-border trade, while economists such as John Maynard Keynes and John Hobson saw global communications as the foundation for capitalist exchange. Global telegraphic networks were constructed to support extant capitalist systems until the 1890s, when states and corporations began to lay telegraph cables to open up new markets, particularly in Asia and Latin America, as well as for strategic and military reasons. The article examines how the interaction between telegraphy and capitalism created particular geographical spaces and social orders despite opposition from myriad Western and non-Western groups. It argues that scholars need to account for the role of infrastructure in creating asymmetrical information and access to trade that have continued to the present day.
The Cold War battle over global news in East Africa: decolonization, the free flow of information, and the media business, 1960–1980
Authors: Brennan James R.
Published: June 2015

This article examines the news business in Africa during decolonization. While UNESCO stimulated enormous discussion about creating independent ‘third world’ alternatives for news exchange, African countries such as Kenya and Tanzania sought to secure informational sovereignty by placing international news agencies within their control. Reuters and other international news agencies, in turn, adapted to decolonization by reinventing themselves as companies working to assist new nation-states. In the subsequent contest over news distribution, the Cold War, and inter-agency competition, Africa became a battleground for disputes between Reuters’ capitalist vision of news as a commercial product and UNESCO's political conception of news. Ironically, decolonization enabled Reuters to gain greater control over information supply across Africa, because African leaders viewed the capitalist model of news as better suited to their diplomatic goals and political views.
Plant breeding for local food systems: A contextual review of end-use selection for small grains and dry beans in Western Washington
Authors: Brouwer Brook O. , Murphy Kevin M. , Jones Stephen S.
Published: June 2015

The rapid growth and co-option of the local agriculture movement highlights a need to deepen connections to place-based culture. Selection of plant varieties specifically adapted to regional production and end-use is an important component of building a resilient food system. Doing so will facilitate a defetishization of food systems by increasing the cultural connection to production and consumption. Today's dominant model of plant breeding relies on selection for centralized production and end-use, thereby limiting opportunity for regional differentiation. On the other hand, end-user-driven selection of heirloom varieties with strong cultural and culinary significance may limit productivity while failing to promote continued advances in end-use quality. Farmer-based selection may directly reflect local food culture; however, increasing genetic gains may require increased exchange of germplasm, and collaboration with trained plant breeders. Participatory farmer–breeder–chef collaborations are an emerging model for overcoming these limitations and adding the strength of culturally based plant breeding to the alternative food movement. These models of variety selection are examined within the context of small grain and dry bean production in Western Washington.
Religious Nationalism and Perceptions of Muslims and Islam
Authors: Shortle Allyson F. , Gaddie Ronald Keith
Published: June 2015

We test for relationships between anti-Muslim attitudes and opinion and competing religious identity and religious belief variables in an evangelical Christian constituency. Original survey data from a statewide sample of 508 likely voters in Oklahoma are subjected to a robust regression analysis to determine (1) indicators of holding Christian nationalist beliefs and (2) the relationship between belief measures of Christian nationalism, evangelical Christian identity, and subsequent anti-Muslim sentiment. Christian nationalism is more prevalent among self-identified evangelicals. Christian nationalist beliefs and strong belief in Biblical literalism are significantly related to negative and restrictive views of Muslims. Anti-Muslim sentiments in the form of general disapproval and the desire to limit Muslim worship are shaped more by beliefs than identities or behaviors. Evangelical self-identification does not help us disentangle domestic opinion regarding Muslims as well as measures that disentangle beliefs from identity.
First record of intersexuality in walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma (Pallas, 1814)
Authors: Zhukova K. , Privalikhin A.M.
Published: June 2015

We report the first record of intersexuality in walleye pollockTheragra chalcogramma(Pallas, 1814) caught in the Bering and Okhotsk seas. Prevalence of intersexuality was low (0.0003–0.0016%). We describe intersex gonads at the macro- and microscopic levels (using histological methods).
Infant nutrition and lifelong health: current perspectives and future challenges
Authors: Robinson S. M.
Published: June 2015

Understanding the role and importance of nutrition in early postnatal life, as an influence on lifelong vulnerability to poor health, is an important part of current research. We need to be able to define optimal patterns of infant feeding, not just to support growth and development in infancy, but also as determinants of later health. To date, much of the focus on the long-term effects of infant nutrition has been on milk feeding, to compare breast and formula feeding and to evaluate the effects of exclusivity, timing and duration of feeding different types of milk in infancy; other aspects of infant feeding such as age at introduction of solid foods and type of weaning diet have received less attention, and relatively little is known about their links to later health. Contemporary data are needed to enable us to move beyond explanation of historical infant feeding data in order to understand and predict health outcomes in future generations. Ongoing and new population studies, that include infants from diverse settings, will be key to providing generalizable data that can be used to define optimal feeding practice. There are some methodological challenges ahead, although significant progress has already been made, and further progress is envisaged in the future. In particular, the opportunity to bring together epidemiological studies and new mechanistic insights that will help identify key aspects of infant nutrition and their causal effects offer great promise both in moving this field forward as well as the potential for health benefits for future generations.
"It's Either Do It or Die"
Authors: Peterson Debbie H. M. , Collings Sunny C.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Background: The role of self-management of suicidality was investigated as part of a larger qualitative study of suicidality among people with experience of mental illness in New Zealand. Aims: To understand how people self-manage suicidality, why they self-manage, and the effects that self-management may have on suicidal thoughts and behavior. Method: Twenty seven people with experience of mental illness and suicidality were interviewed. A narrative thematic analysis was performed. Results: People had either drifted into self-management (while still using or instead of using mental health services) or chosen self-management because they were unhappy with mental health services, desired independence, or had difficulty accessing services. Self-management of suicidality included: using active ways to reduce, distract, and protect themselves from suicidal thoughts and feelings; practical ways of looking after themselves; reframing thoughts; getting to know themselves better; and peer support. Conclusion: Self-management of suicidality can encourage independence and resilience, a sense of citizenship, mutuality, and achievement.
Suicidal Tendency Among Adolescents With Adjustment Disorder
Authors: Ferrer Laia , Kirchner Teresa
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Background: Adolescents with adjustment disorder (AD) are at risk of presenting suicidal symptoms. Certain personality traits are linked to suicidal tendencies. There is a lack of information about the link between suicide and personality patterns in adolescents with AD. Aims: To identify the personality characteristics that predispose to or prevent the development of suicidal ideation and behavior among adolescents with AD. Method: We recruited 108 adolescents with AD at a public mental health center near Barcelona (Spain). They were administered the Inventario de Riesgo Suicida para Adolescentes (IRIS) to assess suicidal symptoms, as well as the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) and the 16PF Adolescent Personality Questionnaire (16PF-APQ) to appraise personality features. Results: Doleful personality emerged as the principal risk for suicidal symptoms. The conforming personality pattern exerted a protective effect, and emotional stability was associated with low levels of suicidal tendencies. Among the Big Five factors, anxiety had the highest explanatory power for suicidal tendencies. Conclusion: Certain personality characteristics are associated with heightened or reduced risk of suicidal tendencies in adolescents with AD. Their identification is important for clinicians designing treatment programs for these patients.
Manning Up
Authors: Cheryan Sapna , Schwartz Cameron Jessica , Katagiri Zach , Monin Benoît
Published: June 2015

Abstract. The current paper investigates two basic strategies that men use to recover from masculinity threats: (i) avoiding stereotypically feminine preferences and (ii) exaggerating their masculinity. In two experiments, males were either given false feedback that threatened their masculinity (i.e., underperforming on a masculinity test in Study 1, being physically weak in Study 2) or told they were average for their gender (control). Males who had their masculinity threatened expressed lower preference for stereotypically feminine products but did not express greater preference for stereotypically masculine products (Studies 1 and 2). Additionally, threatened men claimed more stereotypically masculine attributes, such as height, number of past sexual relationships, and aggressiveness (Study 2). These findings provide insight into how people react to identity threats by deploying specific strategies that most effectively restore their questioned identities.
Connecticut-Sized Dead Zone Expected in Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Wendel JoAnna
Published: June 2015

An ensemble of four computer models evaluated river runoff, wind patterns, and other factors affecting the extent of oxygen-poor waters near the Mississippi River's mouth.
Composition and temporal stability of the gut microbiota in older persons
Authors: Jeffery Ian B , Lynch Denise B , O’Toole Paul W
Published: June 2015

The composition and function of the human gut microbiota has been linked to health and disease. We previously identified correlations between habitual diet, microbiota composition gradients and health gradients in an unstratified cohort of 178 elderly subjects. To refine our understanding of diet–microbiota associations and differential taxon abundance, we adapted an iterative bi-clustering algorithm (iterative binary bclustering of gene sets (iBBiG)) and applied it to microbiota composition data from 732 faecal samples from 371 ELDERMET cohort subjects, including longitudinal samples. We thus identified distinctive microbiota configurations associated with ageing in both community and long-stay residential care elderly subjects. Mixed-taxa populations were identified that had clinically distinct associations. Microbiota temporal instability was observed in both community-dwelling and long-term care subjects, particularly in those with low initial microbiota diversity. However, the stability of the microbiota of subjects had little impact on the directional change of the microbiota as observed for long-stay subjects who display a gradual shift away from their initial microbiota. This was not observed in community-dwelling subjects. This directional change was associated with duration in long-stay. Changes in these bacterial populations represent the loss of the health-associated and youth-associated microbiota components and gain of an elderly associated microbiota. Interestingly, community-associated microbiota configurations were impacted more by the use of antibiotics than the microbiota of individuals in long-term care, as the community-associated microbiota showed more loss but also more recovery following antibiotic treatment. This improved definition of gut microbiota composition patterns in the elderly will better inform the design of dietary or antibiotic interventions targeting the gut microbiota.
The solvation of electrons by an atmospheric-pressure plasma
Authors: Rumbach Paul , Bartels David M. , Sankaran R. Mohan , Go David B.
Published: June 2015

Solvated electrons are typically generated by radiolysis or photoionization of solutes. While plasmas containing free electrons have been brought into contact with liquids in studies dating back centuries, there has been little evidence that electrons are solvated by this approach. Here we report direct measurements of solvated electrons generated by an atmospheric-pressure plasma in contact with the surface of an aqueous solution. The electrons are measured by their optical absorbance using a total internal reflection geometry. The measured absorption spectrum is unexpectedly blue shifted, which is potentially due to the intense electric field in the interfacial Debye layer. We estimate an average penetration depth of 2.5±1.0 nm, indicating that the electrons fully solvate before reacting through second-order recombination. Reactions with various electron scavengers including H+, NO2−, NO3− and H2O2 show that the kinetics are similar, but not identical, to those for solvated electrons formed in bulk water by radiolysis.
Direct interaction between centralspindlin and PRC1 reinforces mechanical resilience of the central spindle
Authors: Lee Kian-Yong , Esmaeili Behrooz , Zealley Ben , Mishima Masanori
Published: June 2015

During animal cell division, the central spindle, an anti-parallel microtubule bundle structure formed between segregating chromosomes during anaphase, cooperates with astral microtubules to position the cleavage furrow. Because the central spindle is the only structure linking the two halves of the mitotic spindle, it is under mechanical tension from dynein-generated cortical pulling forces, which determine spindle positioning and drive chromosome segregation through spindle elongation. The central spindle should be flexible enough for efficient chromosome segregation while maintaining its structural integrity for reliable cytokinesis. How the cell balances these potentially conflicting requirements is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the central spindle in C. elegans embryos has a resilient mechanism for recovery from perturbations by excess tension derived from cortical pulling forces. This mechanism involves the direct interaction of two different types of conserved microtubule bundlers that are crucial for central spindle formation, PRC1 and centralspindlin.
Pressure induced metallization with absence of structural transition in layered molybdenum diselenide
Authors: Zhao Zhao , Zhang Haijun , Yuan Hongtao , Wang Shibing , Lin Yu , Zeng Qiaoshi , Xu Gang , Liu Zhenxian , Solanki G. K. , Patel K. D. , Cui Yi , Hwang Harold Y. , Mao Wendy L.
Published: June 2015

Layered transition-metal dichalcogenides have emerged as exciting material systems with atomically thin geometries and unique electronic properties. Pressure is a powerful tool for continuously tuning their crystal and electronic structures away from the pristine states. Here, we systematically investigated the pressurized behavior of MoSe2 up to ∼60 GPa using multiple experimental techniques and ab-initio calculations. MoSe2 evolves from an anisotropic two-dimensional layered network to a three-dimensional structure without a structural transition, which is a complete contrast to MoS2. The role of the chalcogenide anions in stabilizing different layered patterns is underscored by our layer sliding calculations. MoSe2 possesses highly tunable transport properties under pressure, determined by the gradual narrowing of its band-gap followed by metallization. The continuous tuning of its electronic structure and band-gap in the range of visible light to infrared suggest possible energy-variable optoelectronics applications in pressurized transition-metal dichalcogenides.
Optoelectronic crystal of artificial atoms in strain-textured molybdenum disulphide
Authors: Li Hong , Contryman Alex W. , Qian Xiaofeng , Ardakani Sina Moeini , Gong Yongji , Wang Xingli , Weisse Jeffrey M. , Lee Chi Hwan , Zhao Jiheng , Ajayan Pulickel M. , Li Ju , Manoharan Hari C. , Zheng Xiaolin
Published: June 2015

The isolation of the two-dimensional semiconductor molybdenum disulphide introduced a new optically active material possessing a band gap that can be facilely tuned via elastic strain. As an atomically thin membrane with exceptional strength, monolayer molybdenum disulphide subjected to biaxial strain can embed wide band gap variations overlapping the visible light spectrum, with calculations showing the modified electronic potential emanating from point-induced tensile strain perturbations mimics the Coulomb potential in a mesoscopic atom. Here we realize and confirm this ‘artificial atom’ concept via capillary-pressure-induced nanoindentation of monolayer molybdenum disulphide from a tailored nanopattern, and demonstrate that a synthetic superlattice of these building blocks forms an optoelectronic crystal capable of broadband light absorption and efficient funnelling of photogenerated excitons to points of maximum strain at the artificial-atom nuclei. Such two-dimensional semiconductors with spatially textured band gaps represent a new class of materials, which may find applications in next-generation optoelectronics or photovoltaics.
EZH2 is crucial for both differentiation of regulatory T cells and T effector cell expansion
Authors: Yang Xiang-Ping , Jiang Kan , Hirahara Kiyoshi , Vahedi Golnaz , Afzali Behdad , Sciume Giuseppe , Bonelli Michael , Sun Hong-Wei , Jankovic Dragana , Kanno Yuka , Sartorelli Vittorio , O’Shea John J. , Laurence Arian
Published: June 2015

The roles of EZH2 in various subsets of CD4+ T cells are controversial and its mechanisms of action are incompletely understood. FOXP3-positive Treg cells are a critical helper T cell subset and dysregulation of Treg generation or function results in systemic autoimmunity. FOXP3 associates with EZH2 to mediate gene repression and suppressive function. Herein, we demonstrate that deletion of Ezh2 in CD4 T cells resulted in reduced numbers of Treg cells in vivo and differentiation in vitro and an increased proportion of memory CD4 T cells in part due to exaggerated production of effector cytokines. Furthermore, we found that both Ezh2-deficient Treg cells and T effector cells were functionally impaired in vivo: Tregs failed to constrain autoimmune colitis and T effector cells neither provided a protective response to T. gondii infection nor mediated autoimmune colitis. The dichotomous function of EZH2 in regulating differentiation and senescence in effector and regulatory T cells helps to explain the apparent existing contradictions in literature.
Maximal Holevo Quantity Based on Weak Measurements
Authors: Wang Yao-Kun , Fei Shao-Ming , Wang Zhi-Xi , Cao Jun-Peng , Fan Heng
Published: June 2015

The Holevo bound is a keystone in many applications of quantum information theory. We propose “ maximal Holevo quantity for weak measurements” as the generalization of the maximal Holevo quantity which is defined by the optimal projective measurements. The scenarios that weak measurements is necessary are that only the weak measurements can be performed because for example the system is macroscopic or that one intentionally tries to do so such that the disturbance on the measured system can be controlled for example in quantum key distribution protocols. We evaluate systematically the maximal Holevo quantity for weak measurements for Bell-diagonal states and find a series of results. Furthermore, we find that weak measurements can be realized by noise and project measurements.
High-field functional magnetic resonance imaging of vocalization processing in marmosets
Authors: Sadagopan Srivatsun , Temiz-Karayol Nesibe Z. , Voss Henning U.
Published: June 2015

Vocalizations are behaviorally critical sounds and this behavioral importance is reflected in the ascending auditory system, where conspecific vocalizations are increasingly over-represented at higher processing stages. Recent evidence suggests that, in macaques, this increasing selectivity for vocalizations might culminate in a cortical region that is densely populated by vocalization-preferring neurons. Such a region might be a critical node in the representation of vocal communication sounds, underlying the recognition of vocalization type, caller and social context. These results raise the questions of whether cortical specializations for vocalization processing exist in other species, their cortical location and their relationship to the auditory processing hierarchy. To explore cortical specializations for vocalizations in another species, we performed high-field fMRI of the auditory cortex of a vocal New World primate, the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). Using a sparse imaging paradigm, we discovered a caudal-rostral gradient for the processing of conspecific vocalizations in marmoset auditory cortex, with regions of the anterior temporal lobe close to the temporal pole exhibiting the highest preference for vocalizations. These results demonstrate similar cortical specializations for vocalization processing in macaques and marmosets, suggesting that cortical specializations for vocal processing might have evolved before the lineages of these species diverged.
Ghrelin agonist does not foster insulin resistance but improves cognition in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model
Authors: Kunath Nicolas , van Groen Thomas , Allison David B. , Kumar Ashish , Dozier-Sharpe Monique , Kadish Inga
Published: June 2015

The orexigenic hormone ghrelin, a potential antagonist of the insulin system, ensures sufficient serum glucose in times of fasting. In the race for new therapeutics for diabetes, one focus of study has been antagonizing the ghrelin system in order to improve glucose tolerance. We provide evidence for a differential role of a ghrelin agonist on glucose homeostasis in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model fed a high–glycemic index diet as a constant challenge for glucose homeostasis. The ghrelin agonist impaired glucose tolerance immediately after administration but not in the long term. At the same time, the ghrelin agonist improved spatial learning in the mice, raised their activity levels and reduced their body weight and fat mass. Immunoassay results showed a beneficial impact of long-term treatment on insulin signaling pathways in hippocampal tissue. The present results suggest that ghrelin might improve cognition in Alzheimer’s disease via a central nervous system mechanism involving insulin signaling.
Domain Walls Conductivity in Hybrid Organometallic Perovskites and Their Essential Role in CH3NH3PbI3 Solar Cell High Performance
Authors: Rashkeev Sergey N. , El-Mellouhi Fedwa , Kais Sabre , Alharbi Fahhad H.
Published: June 2015

The past several years has witnessed a surge of interest in organometallic trihalide perovskites, which are at the heart of the new generation of solid-state solar cells. Here, we calculated the static conductivity of charged domain walls in n- and p- doped organometallic uniaxial ferroelectric semiconductor perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 using the Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire (LGD) theory. We find that due to the charge carrier accumulation, the static conductivity may drastically increase at the domain wall by 3 – 4 orders of magnitude in comparison with conductivity through the bulk of the material. Also, a two-dimensional degenerated gas of highly mobile charge carriers could be formed at the wall. The high values of conductivity at domain walls and interfaces explain high efficiency in organometallic solution-processed perovskite films which contains lots of different point and extended defects. These results could suggest new routes to enhance the performance of this promising class of novel photovoltaic materials.
Human longevity is characterised by high thyroid stimulating hormone secretion without altered energy metabolism
Authors: Jansen S. W. , Akintola A. A. , Roelfsema F. , van der Spoel E. , Cobbaert C. M. , Ballieux B. E. , Egri P. , Kvarta-Papp Z. , Gereben B. , Fekete C. , Slagboom P. E. , van der Grond J. , Demeneix B. A. , Pijl H. , Westendorp R. G. J. , van Heemst D.
Published: June 2015

Few studies have included subjects with the propensity to reach old age in good health, with the aim to disentangle mechanisms contributing to staying healthier for longer. The hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis maintains circulating levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid hormone (TH) in an inverse relationship. Greater longevity has been associated with higher TSH and lower TH levels, but mechanisms underlying TSH/TH differences and longevity remain unknown. The HPT axis plays a pivotal role in growth, development and energy metabolism. We report that offspring of nonagenarians with at least one nonagenarian sibling have increased TSH secretion but similar bioactivity of TSH and similar TH levels compared to controls. Healthy offspring and spousal controls had similar resting metabolic rate and core body temperature. We propose that pleiotropic effects of the HPT axis may favour longevity without altering energy metabolism.
Imaging agents based on lanthanide doped nanoparticles
Authors: Prodi L. , Rampazzo E. , Rastrelli F. , Speghini A. , Zaccheroni N.
Published: June 2015

This review summarizes the recent progress of single and multimodal imaging agents based on lanthanide doped nanoparticles.
Facile sonochemical synthesis of pH-responsive copper nanoclusters for selective and sensitive detection of Pb2+ in living cells
Authors: Wang Chuanxi , Cheng Hao , Huang Yijun , Xu Zhenzhu , Lin Huihui , Zhang Chi
Published: June 2015

Fluorescent copper nanoclusters are synthesized via a simple and rapid sonochemical approach, which could work as novel fluorescence probes for pH and Pb2+ ions in living cells.
Investigating changes in the gas-phase conformation of Antithrombin III upon binding of Arixtra using traveling wave ion mobility spectrometry (TWIMS)
Authors: Zhao Yuejie , Singh Arunima , Li Lingyun , Linhardt Robert J. , Xu Yongmei , Liu Jian , Woods Robert J. , Amster I. Jonathan
Published: June 2015

We validate the utility of ion mobility to measure protein conformational changes induced by the binding of glycosaminoglycan ligands.
Enzyme linking to DNA aptamers via a zinc finger as a bridge
Authors: Abe Koichi , Murakami Yoshiyuki , Tatsumi Atsuro , Sumida Koichi , Kezuka Aki , Fukaya Takahiro , Kumagai Takenori , Osawa Yuko , Sode Koji , Ikebukuro Kazunori
Published: June 2015

Aptamers are labeled by luciferase via a zinc finger (ZF) by introduction into a ZF recognition sequence to the aptamer. It enables us to construct a highly sensitive detection system.
o-Carborane functionalized pentacenes: synthesis, molecular packing and ambipolar organic thin-film transistors
Authors: Guo Jixi , Liu Danqing , Zhang Jiahui , Zhang Jiji , Miao Qian , Xie Zuowei
Published: June 2015

Replacement of triisopropylsilyl groups with o-carboranyl units in pentacene derivatives can lower both LUMO and HOMO energy levels, converting a typical p-type semiconductor into an ambipolar one.
Efficient and reproducible CH3NH3PbI3−x(SCN)x perovskite based planar solar cells
Authors: Chen Yani , Li Bobo , Huang Wei , Gao Deqing , Liang Ziqi
Published: June 2015

CH3NH3PbI3−x(SCN)x perovskite based planar solar cells exhibit a maximum power conversion efficiency of 11.07% with remarkably high reproducibility and good stability.
Biocompatible organic charge transfer complex nanoparticles based on a semi-crystalline cellulose template
Authors: Nagai Atsushi , Miller Jason B. , Du Jia , Kos Petra , Stefan Mihaela C. , Siegwart Daniel J.
Published: June 2015

Using a bio-inspired cellulose template, new charge transfer (CT) nanoparticles (NPs) with unique emission properties for biomedical imaging are reported.
The recyclable synthesis of hierarchical zeolite SAPO-34 with excellent MTO catalytic performance
Authors: Xi Dongyang , Sun Qiming , Chen Xiaoxin , Wang Ning , Yu Jihong
Published: June 2015

Hierarchical zeolite SAPO-34 is obtained via a facile and green route by recycling of waste mother-liquors, which shows high MTO catalytic activity and selectivity.