bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tankards of the British Iron Age
Authors: Horn Jonathan A.
Published: November 2015

Iron Age tankards are stave-built wooden vessels completely covered or bound in copper-alloy sheet. The distinctive copper-alloy handles of these vessels frequently display intricate ‘Celtic’ or La Tène art styles. They are characterised by their often highly original designs, complex manufacturing processes, and variety of find contexts. No systematic analysis of this artefact class has been undertaken since Corcoran’s (1952a) original study was published in Volume 18 of these Proceedings. New evidence from the Portable Antiquities Scheme for England and Wales and recent excavations have more than quadrupled the number of known examples (139 currently). It is therefore necessary and timely to re-examine tankards, and to reintegrate them into current debates surrounding material culture in later prehistory. Tankards originate in the later Iron Age and their use continued throughout much of the Roman period. As such, their design was subject to varying influences over time, both social and aesthetic. Their often highly individual form and decoration is testament to this fact and has created challenges in developing a workable typology (Corcoran 1952a; 1952b; 1957; Spratling 1972; Jackson 1990). A full examination of the decoration, construction, wear and repair, dating, and deposition contexts will allow for a reassessment of the role of tankards within the social and cultural milieu of later prehistoric and early Roman Britain.
Effect of bread gluten content on gastrointestinal function: a crossover MRI study on healthy humans
Authors: Coletta Marina , Gates Fred K. , Marciani Luca , Shiwani Henna , Major Giles , Hoad Caroline L. , Chaddock Gemma , Gowland Penny A. , Spiller Robin C.
Published: November 2015

Gluten is a crucial functional component of bread, but the effect of increasing gluten content on gastrointestinal (GI) function remains uncertain. Our aim was to investigate the effect of increasing gluten content on GI function and symptoms in healthy participants using the unique capabilities of MRI. A total of twelve healthy participants completed this randomised, mechanistic, open-label, three-way crossover study. On days 1 and 2 they consumed either gluten-free bread (GFB), or normal gluten content bread (NGCB) or added gluten content bread (AGCB). The same bread was consumed on day 3, and MRI scans were performed every 60 min from fasting baseline up to 360 min after eating. The appearance of the gastric chime in the images was assessed using a visual heterogeneity score. Gastric volumes, the small bowel water content (SBWC), colonic volumes and colonic gas content and GI symptoms were measured. Fasting transverse colonic volume after the 2-d preload was significantly higher after GFB compared with NGCB and AGCB with a dose-dependent response (289 (sem96)v. 212 (sem74)v. 179 (sem87) ml, respectively;P=0·02). The intragastric chyme heterogeneity score was higher for the bread with increased gluten (AGCB 6 (interquartile range (IQR) 0·5) compared with GFB 3 (IQR 0·5);P=0·003). However, gastric half-emptying time was not different between breads nor were study day GI symptoms, postprandial SBWC, colonic volume and gas content. This MRI study showed novel mechanistic insights in the GI responses to different breads, which are poorly understood notwithstanding the importance of this staple food.
The effects of a mid-morning snack and moderate-intensity exercise on acute appetite and energy intake in 12–14-year-old adolescents
Authors: Varley-Campbell Joanna L. , Moore Melanie S. , Williams Craig A.
Published: November 2015

Energy intake (EI) and energy expenditure (EE) should not be considered independent entities, but more an inter-connected system. With increased physical activity and reduced snacking initiatives as prevalent Public Health measures, any changes to subsequent EI from these recommendations should be monitored. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in acute EI and appetite over four conditions: (1) a control condition with no snack and no exercise (CON); (2) a snack condition (+1 MJ; SK); (3) a moderate-intensity cycling exercise condition (−1 MJ; EX); and finally (4) both snack and exercise condition (+1 MJ, −1 MJ; EXSK). Acute changes in appetite (visual analogue scale) and lunchtime EI (ad libitum pizza meal) were recorded in twenty boys and eighteen girls (12–13 years). Lunch EI was not significantly different between conditions or sexes (P>0·05). Relative EI was calculated, where the energy manipulation (+1 MJ from the snack or −1 MJ from the exercise) was added to lunchtime EI. Relative EI indicated no significant differences between the sexes (P>0·05); however, in the EX condition, relative EI was significantly lower (P<0·001) compared with all other conditions. Appetite increased significantly over time (P<0·001) and was significantly higher in the CON and EX conditions compared with the SK and EXSK conditions. No significant sex differences were found between conditions. When aiming to evoke an acute energy deficit, increasing EE created a significantly larger relative energy deficit than the removal of the mid-morning snack. Sex was not a confounder to influence EI or appetite between any of the conditions.
Molecular and morphological diversity in photobionts associated withMicareas. str. (Lecanorales, Ascomycota)
Authors: Yahr Rebecca , Florence Anna , Škaloud Pavel , Voytsekhovich Anna
Published: November 2015

Lichenization is a symbiotic ecological strategy that is widely distributed among the fungi, but in which the diversity of partners is relatively poorly known. Limited morphological diversity has hindered the recognition of true diversity in many lichen fungi, and also in their algal partners. In the temperate and boreal zones, the crustose microlichens are the most speciose but arguably the least studied, particularly in terms of their photobiont partners. In this study, we sampled eight species ofMicareas. str. collected from Europe, culturing and sequencing their green-algal partners using chloroplast (rbcL) and nuclear ribosomal (nucSSU) markers. All specimens collected in Great Britain were associated with members ofCoccomyxa(includingPseudococcomyxa), but in the smaller sample of Ukrainian material, bothCoccomyxaandElliptochloriswere found. This study extends the known range of fungal hosts for symbionts in the genusCoccomyxa, and supports earlier findings that a separate lineage of predominantly non-symbioticCoccomyxaexists.
Unmethylated CpG motifs inToxoplasma gondiiDNA induce TLR9- and IFN-β-dependent expression ofα-defensin-5 in intestinal epithelial cells
Authors: SANTAMARIA MIGUEL H. , PEREZ CABALLERO EUGENIA , CORRAL RICARDO S.
Published: November 2015

The gut epithelial barrier is a strategic place to prevent, or at least to limit, parasite dissemination upon oral infection withToxoplasma gondii. Innate immunity to this pathogen results from delicate interactions involving different components of the infecting agent and the host. We herein aimed to examine the molecular mechanism by which protozoan DNA boosts the production ofα-defensin-5 (DEFA-5), the main antimicrobial peptide at the target site of infection. The present study shows that DEFA-5 is rapidly upregulated in intestinal epithelial cells following intracellular Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) activation by unmethylated CpG motifs in DNA fromT. gondii(CpG-DNA). Concomitantly, CpG-DNA purified from the pathogen markedly increased TLR9 mRNA expression levels in the Caco-2 cell line. We further verified that DEFA-5 production was dependent on interferon-βreleased from these cells upon treatment with CpG-DNA prepared from tachyzoites. Our results suggest that, in protozoan DNA-stimulated intestinal epithelial cells, the TLR9/interferon-β/DEFA-5 pathway may initiate an innate anti-T. gondiiresponse without the need of parasite invasion. These findings highlight the key role of the gut epithelium in Toxoplasma recognition and amplification of local host defence against this microbe, thereby contributing to gain insight into immunoprotective mechanisms and to improve therapeutic strategies.
Development of a versatile in vitro method for understanding the migration of Fasciola hepatica newly excysted juveniles
Authors: GARCIA-CAMPOS ANDRES , BAIRD ALAN W. , MULCAHY GRACE
Published: November 2015

Fasciola hepatica is a parasitic trematode that causes serious losses to livestock producers, and also zoonotic disease. The limitations of chemotherapy for the control of fasciolosis have led to significant interest in the development of vaccines to protect cattle and sheep from infection. However, relatively few studies have concentrated on the mechanisms of invasion of the gut by newly excysted juvenile liver flukes (NEJ) and the host response triggered by this event. The aim of this work was to develop an in vitro model to study invasion by NEJ, while also reducing the requirement for challenge infections of experimental animals. Fasciola hepatica metacercariae were excysted in vitro and placed into compartments containing rat distal jejunal sheets. Variations in incubation medium, chamber size and incubation temperature were used to identify optimal conditions for NEJ migration across the gut. Histological examination showed increased migration until 120 min post-incubation. The use of RPMI, without gassing at 39 °C, as the incubation medium was found to be optimal, with 40·5% of NEJ migrating after 150 min. This study describes a readily-reproducible method for studying the migration of F. hepatica NEJ within the definitive host. It will be useful for identifying potential drug and vaccine targets.
English Spelling Variation and Change in Newspapers in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
Authors: Liu Yonghou , Zhao Ye
Published: November 2015

English spelling has a reputation for being notoriously difficult to learn, whether for native speakers of English or for those who learn it as an additional language. An additional problem for EFL learners is that there are two somewhat different systems to choose between: the British system and the American one. As Bondesen (2004: 4) points out, ‘although the two spelling systems are much more similar than they are different, there is variation between them.’ (For surveys of some of the main differences see Trudgill & Hannah, 1994; Carney, 1997.) The spelling discrepancies between the two varieties are systematic, and originate in large part from American spelling reform as a symbol of ‘linguistic independence’ (Knowles, 1997), and from the work of early American linguists such as Benjamin Franklin and Noah Webster. The aim of this article is to investigate the spelling preferences of English users in a few regions outside Britain and the United States, and to establish whether any clear patterns of regional variation are discernible.
Implementing a Global Englishes component in a university English course in Hong Kong
Authors: Sung Chit Cheung Matthew
Published: November 2015

With the global spread of English and the emergence of different varieties of English around the world, World Englishes (WE) researchers have argued for the recognition of ‘Englishes’ in the plural and called for the need to acknowledge the diversity of English (Kachru, 1985, 1997). Apart from WE researchers who are interested in investigating nation-bound varieties of English in different parts of the world, a growing number of researchers have begun to examine the phenomenon of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) communication, given the growth of intercultural exchanges worldwide (Jenkins, 2000, 2007; Seidlhofer, 2011). Whilst WE researchers are primarily concerned with how varieties of English differ from each other, ELF researchers are interested in exploring how speakers of different Englishes communicate with each other in contexts where English is the common language. For example, these ELF researchers have studied the communicative and pragmatic strategies which people from different lingua-cultural backgrounds use to communicate with one another through English as a common resource in order to achieve mutual intelligibility (Seidlhofer, 2011). Despite their different focuses, both WE and ELF researchers deal with the same global phenomenon of English use and the pluricentricity of English, and share similar ideas about the ownership of English, and language contact and change (Seidlhofer, 2011). A relatively new field, Global Englishes (GE) (Galloway & Rose, 2013, 2014; Jenkins, 2014), has thus emerged to bring together researchers from both WE and ELF. With an inclusive orientation, GE places less emphasis on native speaker English, emphasizes the diversity of English, and questions the relevance of native speaker norms for English Language Teaching (ELT) (see Galloway & Rose, 2015).
New Perspectives on African American English: The Role of Black-to-Black Contact
Authors: Moody Simanique
Published: November 2015

One of the most widely researched language varieties in the field of sociolinguistics is African American English (AAE), a term used to describe a range of English dialects, from standard to vernacular, spoken by many (but not all) African Americans as well as by certain members of other ethnic groups who have had extensive contact with AAE speakers. Most linguists agree that AAE developed from contact between enslaved Africans and predominantly English-speaking Europeans (who spoke a range of English vernaculars) during the early to middle period of colonization of what is now known as the United States of America. Consequently, research on the development of AAE is traditionally framed in terms of the degree of contact with white English vernaculars, both during and after AAE genesis, with white vernaculars playing a primary, if not exclusive, role (McDavid & McDavid, 1951; Mufwene, 1996; Poplack, 2000; Poplack & Tagliamonte, 2001). Though some analyses of AAE allow for substrate influence from creole and/or African languages in its development (cf. Winford, 1997, 1998; Rickford, 1998, 2006; Wolfram & Thomas, 2002; Holm, 2004), many studies place a particular focus on Earlier African American varieties or Diaspora varieties, such as the Ex-Slave Recordings, Samaná English, and Liberian Settler English rather than contemporary AAE varieties spoken within U.S. borders (cf. Rickford, 1977, 1997, 2006; DeBose, 1988; Schneider 1989; Bailey, Maynor, & Cukor-Avila, 1991; Hannah, 1997; Singler, 1998, 2007a, 2007b; Kautzsch 2002). This research has helped further linguists’ understanding of AAE yet does not reflect its full history in the United States.
Age Differences in Reaction Times and a Neurophysiological Marker of Cholinergic Activity
Authors: Young-Bernier Marielle , Tanguay Annick N. , Tremblay François , Davidson Patrick S. R.
Published: November 2015

La détérioration du système cholinergique lors du vieillissement normal semble contribuer au déclin de l’attention avec l’âge. Nous avons examiné l’effet potentiel de l’âge sur la performance au « Attention Network Test » (ANT) ainsi que sur la variabilité intra-individuelle dans la vitesse des réponses à une tâche go/no-go et à une tâche de temps de réaction (TR) à choix multiples chez un groupe de jeunes adultes et de personnes âgées en santé. Nous avons ensuite examiné si un marqueur neurophysiologique de l’activité cholinergique dérivé de la stimulation magnétique transcrânienne (i.e., inhibition afférente à courte latence; IACL) était associé à la performance. Les personnes âgées montraient un ralentissement au ANT ainsi qu’une plus grande variabilité intra-individuelle que les jeunes adultes à la tâche de TR à choix multiples, mais il n’y avait pas de différence liée à l’âge dans les scores reflétant les réseaux attentionnels du ANT (vigilance, orientation aux stimuli et contrôle exécutif). Les niveaux de IACL étaient diminués chez les personnes âgées, mais ils n’étaient pas associés à la performance. Il est possible que des relations entre le marqueur de l’activité cholinergique et l’attention émergent seulement en cas de déficits de neurotransmission sévères. D’autres mécanismes corticaux pourraient aussi être plus fortement associés aux fonctions liées à l’attention.
X-ray powder diffraction data for tectoridin, C22H22O11
Authors: Li YuanZhi , Tang PeiXiao , Xu KaiLin , Li ShanShan , Guo LiuQi , Li Hui
Published: November 2015

X-ray powder diffraction data, unit-cell parameters, and space group for tectoridin, C22H22O11, are reported [a = 13.577 (2) Å, b = 10.466 (8) Å, c = 9.454 (7) Å, α = 85.709 (4)°, β = 94.855 (3)°, γ = 101.485 (3)°, unit-cell volume V = 1309.50 Å3, Z = 2, ρ = 1.179 × 103 kg m−3, and space group P1]. No detectable impurity was observed.
The effect of temperature on differentSalmonellaserotypes during warm seasons in a Mediterranean climate city, Adelaide, Australia
Authors: MILAZZO A. , GILES L. C. , ZHANG Y. , KOEHLER A. P. , HILLER J. E. , BI P.
Published: November 2015

Changing trends in foodborne disease are influenced by many factors, including temperature. Globally and in Australia, warmer ambient temperatures are projected to rise if climate change continues.Salmonellaspp. are a temperature-sensitive pathogen and rising temperature can have a substantial effect on disease burden affecting human health. We examined the relationship between temperature andSalmonellaspp. and serotype notifications in Adelaide, Australia. Time-series Poisson regression models were fit to estimate the effect of temperature during warmer months onSalmonellaspp. and serotype cases notified from 1990 to 2012. Long-term trends, seasonality, autocorrelation and lagged effects were included in the statistical models. DailySalmonellaspp. counts increased by 1·3% [incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1·013, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·008–1·019] per 1 °C rise in temperature in the warm season with greater increases observed in specific serotype and phage-type cases ranging from 3·4% (IRR 1·034, 95% CI 1·008–1·061) to 4·4% (IRR 1·044, 95% CI 1·024–1·064). We observed increased cases ofS. Typhimurium PT9 andS. Typhimurium PT108 notifications above a threshold of 39 °C. This study has identified the impact of warm season temperature on differentSalmonellaspp. strains and confirms higher temperature has a greater effect on phage-type notifications. The findings will contribute targeted information for public health policy interventions, including food safety programmes during warmer weather.
Evaluation of a nutrient-based diet quality index in UK young children and investigation into the diet quality of consumers of formula and infant foods
Authors: Verger Eric O , Eussen Simone , Holmes Bridget A
Published: November 2015

Objective

To adapt and evaluate a nutrient-based diet quality index (PANDiet) for UK young children and to determine the nutritional adequacy of their diets according to consumption of young child formula (YCF) and commercial infant foods (CIF).

Design

Content and construct validity of the PANDiet were assessed by studying associations between the PANDiet and its components, energy intake, food intakes, and child and maternal characteristics. Four groups of children were defined according to their intake of YCF and CIF: (i) no consumption; (ii) consumption of YCF; (iii) consumption of CIF; and (iv) consumption of YCF and CIF. Child and maternal characteristics, PANDiet scores and food intakes of these four groups were compared.

Setting

Secondary analysis of data from the UK Diet and Nutrition Survey of Infants and Young Children (DNSIYC, 2011).

Subjects

Young children (n1152) aged 12–18 months.

Results

The PANDiet was adapted to the UK based on twenty-five nutrients. A lower PANDiet score was linked to lower intakes of YCF, CIF, vegetables and fruits. Determinants of having a lower score were being older, having siblings and having a younger mother with a lower educational level. Compared with children consuming neither YCF nor CIF, PANDiet scores were higher in children consuming CIF (+1·4), children consuming YCF (+7·2) and children consuming YCF and CIF (+7·8; allP<0·001).

Conclusions

The PANDiet is a valid indicator of the nutrient adequacy of the diet of UK young children. Consuming CIF was not found to be associated with lower nutritional adequacy whereas consuming YCF was associated with higher nutritional adequacy.
Performing towns. Steps towards an understanding of medieval urban communities as social practice
Authors: Christophersen Axel
Published: November 2015

Urban archaeology in Scandinavia has long been dominated by a processual understanding of medieval urban development. The author proposes that the concept of urbanity in the sense of ‘urban living’ should replace the processual and functionalist-oriented concept of ‘urbanization’, and that instead focus should be directed towards social processes, practices and materiality. He perceives the emergence of urbanity in the Middle Ages in the light of the formation of specific urban patterns of practice that can be analysed with the aid of theoretical tools from recent social-practice theory. Against this background, the potential of recent social-practice theory is examined as a possible analytical tool in an urban archaeological approach to medieval urban communities. Through concepts such as interaction, event, leakage and creativity, the medieval urban landscape can be reformulated as a dynamic social space in which diverse everyday routines were intertwined in patterns, bundles and complexes.
Physicochemical and nutritional evaluation of Spanish melon landraces
Authors: Escribano Sandra , Lázaro Almudena
Published: November 2015

The study of unknown and therefore unexploited genetic material from landraces and wild relatives could be essential to help modern plant breeders to respond to ongoing requirements and new challenges in food production. The present study evaluates the most relevant physicochemical values and nutrient contents of a genetically unique array of traditional melon varieties, cultivated in Spain at least since the 19th century, and compares them with modern melon hybrids available on the market. This research is complemented with an assessment of variety, environment and repetition effects on each trait to determine their stability. Spanish melon landraces displayed extraordinary diversity with respect to juiciness (70.59–95.97 g/100 g water fresh weight), firmness (20.75–149.89 N), soluble solids content (9.57–16.53 °Brix), pH (5.04–6.38), total sugars (360.21–877.36 mg/g dry weight), carotenoids (0.01–2.05 μg/g fresh weight) and ascorbic acid values (7.55–44.33 mg/100 g fresh weight). A subset of these landraces, belonging to Piel de Sapo and Rochet market classes, revealed remarkably superior values of ascorbic acid in comparison with all commercial varieties, doubling ascorbic acid values with respect to their corresponding market class. Furthermore, most of these landraces exhibited high acidity and accumulated high levels of sugars, fulfilling those sensory and physicochemical characteristics that researchers and breeders have spent many years seeking. The possibilities of these landraces to be used in improvement projects are innumerable; they should be surely taken into account in the near future.
Transracial adoption in England: a critical race and systems theory analysis
Authors: Sargent Sarah
Published: November 2015

The legal requirements of transracial adoption of children in England changed in 2014. An amendment to the law removed a requirement that due consideration be given to the ‘child's religious persuasion, racial origin and ethnic and linguistic background’. This change was motivated by the belief that to do so would increase the number of transracial adoptions and thus decrease the number of children in care awaiting adoption. The likelihood of this change being successful is examined through a combination of critical race theory and systems theory. The combination of these theories permits an investigation into the communications between the political, legal and child welfare systems. This paper offers an enriched evaluation of the interactions of the child welfare, legal and political systems that should be of use to those who work in those systems, as well as providing a basis for understanding why this legal amendment will not achieve its objectives.
Shared parenting, law and policy: considering power within the framework of autopoietic theory
Authors: Newnham Annika
Published: November 2015

This paper uses the last few decades’ developments in the area of shared parenting to explore power within the framework of autopoietic theory. It traces how, prompted by turbulence from the political subsystem, family law has made several unsuccessful attempts to solve the perceived problem of post-separation dual-household parenting. It agrees with Luhmann and Teubner that closed autopoietic systems’ developments are limited by their normative and cognitive frameworks, and also argues that changes which have occurred in family law show that closed social systems do not function in total isolation. It considers power asego's ability to limitalter's choices. In our functionally differentiated society, with its recent proliferation of communication, power appears more diffuse and impossible to plot into causal one-way relationships.
Can the Acoustic Analysis of Expressive Prosody Discriminate Schizophrenia?
Authors: Martínez-Sánchez Francisco , Muela-Martínez José Antonio , Cortés-Soto Pedro , García Meilán Juan José , Vera Ferrándiz Juan Antonio , Egea Caparrós Amaro , Pujante Valverde Isabel María
Published: November 2015

Emotional states, attitudes and intentions are often conveyed by modulations in the tone of voice. Impaired recognition of emotions from a tone of voice (receptive prosody) has been described as characteristic symptoms of schizophrenia. However, the ability to express non-verbal information in speech (expressive prosody) has been understudied. This paper describes a useful technique for quantifying the degree of expressive prosody deficits in schizophrenia, using a semi-automatic method, and evaluates this method’s ability to discriminate between patient and control groups. Forty-five medicated patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were matched with thirty-five healthy comparison subjects. Production of expressive prosodic speech was analyzed using variation in fundamental frequency (F0) measures on an emotionally neutral reading task. Results revealed that patients with schizophrenia exhibited significantly more pauses (p< .001), were slower (p< .001), and showed less pitch variability in speech (p< .05) and fewer variations in syllable timing (p< .001) than control subjects. These features have been associated with «flat» speech prosody. Signal processing algorithms applied to speech were shown to be capable of discriminating between patients and controls with an accuracy of 93.8%. These speech parameters may have a diagnostic and prognosis value and therefore could be used as a dependent measure in clinical trials.
Internet Panels, Professional Respondents, and Data Quality
Authors: Matthijsse Suzette M. , de Leeuw Edith D. , Hox Joop J.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. Most web surveys collect data through nonprobability or opt-in online panels, which are characterized by self-selection. A concern in online research is the emergence of professional respondents, who frequently participate in surveys and are mainly doing so for the incentives. This study investigates if professional respondents can be distinguished in online panels and if they provide lower quality data than nonprofessionals. We analyzed a data set of the NOPVO (Netherlands Online Panel Comparison) study that includes 19 panels, which together capture 90% of the respondents in online market research in the Netherlands. Latent class analysis showed that four types of respondents can be distinguished, ranging from the professional respondent to the altruistic respondent. A profile of professional respondents is depicted. Professional respondents appear not to be a great threat to data quality.
Inhibition of malignant thyroid carcinoma cell proliferation by Ras and galectin-3 inhibitors
Authors: Menachem A , Bodner O , Pastor J , Raz A , Kloog Y
Published: November 2015

Anaplastic Thyroid carcinoma is an extremely aggressive solid tumor that resists most treatments and is almost always fatal. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is an important marker for thyroid carcinomas and a scaffold of the K-Ras protein. S-trans, transfarnesylthiosalicylic acid (FTS; Salirasib) is a Ras inhibitor that inhibits the active forms of Ras proteins. Modified citrus pectin (MCP) is a water-soluble citrus-fruit-derived polysaccharide fiber that specifically inhibits Gal-3. The aim of this study was to develop a novel drug combination designed to treat aggressive anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Combined treatment with FTS and MCP inhibited anaplastic thyroid cells proliferation in vitro by inducing cell cycle arrest and increasing apoptosis rate. Immunoblot analysis revealed a significant decrease in Pan-Ras, K-Ras, Ras-GTP, p-ERK, p53, and Gal-3 expression levels and significant increase in p21 expression levels. In nude mice, treatment with FTS and MCP inhibited tumor growth. Levels of Gal-3, K-Ras-GTP, and p-ERK were significantly decreased. To conclude, our results suggest K-Ras and Gal-3 as potential targets in anaplastic thyroid tumors and herald a novel treatment for highly aggressive anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.
DNA damage induces a meiotic arrest in mouse oocytes mediated by the spindle assembly checkpoint
Authors: Collins Josie K. , Lane Simon I. R. , Merriman Julie A. , Jones Keith T.
Published: November 2015

Extensive damage to maternal DNA during meiosis causes infertility, birth defects and abortions. However, it is unknown if fully grown oocytes have a mechanism to prevent the creation of DNA-damaged embryos. Here we show that DNA damage activates a pathway involving the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) in response to chemically induced double strand breaks, UVB and ionizing radiation. DNA damage can occur either before or after nuclear envelope breakdown, and provides an effective block to anaphase-promoting complex activity, and consequently the formation of mature eggs. This contrasts with somatic cells, where DNA damage fails to affect mitotic progression. However, it uncovers a second function for the meiotic SAC, which in the context of detecting microtubule–kinetochore errors has hitherto been labelled as weak or ineffectual in mammalian oocytes. We propose that its essential role in the detection of DNA damage sheds new light on its biological purpose in mammalian female meiosis.
BAG3 promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma growth by activating stromal macrophages
Authors: Rosati Alessandra , Basile Anna , D’Auria Raffaella , d’Avenia Morena , De Marco Margot , Falco Antonia , Festa Michelina , Guerriero Luana , Iorio Vittoria , Parente Roberto , Pascale Maria , Marzullo Liberato , Franco Renato , Arra Claudio , Barbieri Antonio , Rea Domenica , Menichini Giulio , Hahne Michael , Bijlsma Maarten , Barcaroli Daniela , Sala Gianluca , di Mola Fabio Francesco , di Sebastiano Pierluigi , Todoric Jelena , Antonucci Laura , Corvest Vincent , Jawhari Anass , Firpo Matthew A , Tuveson David A , Capunzo Mario , Karin Michael , De Laurenzi Vincenzo , Turco Maria Caterina
Published: November 2015

The incidence and death rate of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have increased in recent years, therefore the identification of novel targets for treatment is extremely important. Interactions between cancer and stromal cells are critically involved in tumour formation and development of metastasis. Here we report that PDAC cells secrete BAG3, which binds and activates macrophages, inducing their activation and the secretion of PDAC supporting factors. We also identify IFITM-2 as a BAG3 receptor and show that it signals through PI3K and the p38 MAPK pathways. Finally, we show that the use of an anti-BAG3 antibody results in reduced tumour growth and prevents metastasis formation in three different mouse models. In conclusion, we identify a paracrine loop involved in PDAC growth and metastatic spreading, and show that an anti-BAG3 antibody has therapeutic potential.
A zebrafish model of Poikiloderma with Neutropenia recapitulates the human syndrome hallmarks and traces back neutropenia to the myeloid progenitor
Authors: Colombo Elisa A. , Carra Silvia , Fontana Laura , Bresciani Erica , Cotelli Franco , Larizza Lidia
Published: November 2015

Poikiloderma with Neutropenia (PN) is an autosomal recessive genodermatosis characterized by early-onset poikiloderma, pachyonychia, hyperkeratosis, bone anomalies and neutropenia, predisposing to myelodysplasia. The causativeC16orf57/USB1gene encodes a conserved phosphodiesterase that regulates the stability of spliceosomal U6-RNA. The involvement ofUSB1in splicing has not yet allowed to unveil the pathogenesis of PN and how the gene defects impact on skin and bone tissues besides than on the haematological compartment. We established a zebrafish model of PN using a morpholino-knockdown approach with two different splicing morpholinos. Bothusb1-depleted embryos displayed developmental abnormalities recapitulating the signs of the human syndrome. Besides the pigmentation and osteochondral defects,usb1-knockdown caused defects in circulation, manifested by a reduced number of circulating cells. The overall morphant phenotype was also obtained by co-injecting sub-phenotypic dosages of the two morpholinos and could be rescued by humanUSB1RNA. Integratedin situand real-time expression analyses of stage-specific markers highlighted defects of primitive haematopoiesis and traced back the dramatic reduction in neutrophil myeloperoxidase to the myeloid progenitors showing down-regulatedpu.1expression. Our vertebrate model of PN demonstrates the intrinsic requirement ofusb1in haematopoiesis and highlights PN as a disorder of myeloid progenitors associated with bone marrow dysfunction.
Transition and Damping of Collective Modes in a Trapped Fermi Gas between BCS and Unitary Limits near the Phase Transition
Authors: Dong Hang , Zhang Wenyuan , Zhou Li , Ma Yongli
Published: November 2015

We investigate the transition and damping of low-energy collective modes in a trapped unitary Fermi gas by solving the Boltzmann-Vlasov kinetic equation in a scaled form, which is combined with both the T-matrix fluctuation theory in normal phase and the mean-field theory in order phase. In order to connect the microscopic and kinetic descriptions of many-body Feshbach scattering, we adopt a phenomenological two-fluid physical approach and derive the coupling constants in the order phase. By solving the Boltzmann-Vlasov steady-state equation in a variational form, we calculate two viscous relaxation rates with the collision probabilities of fermion’s scattering including fermions in the normal fluid and fermion pairs in the superfluid. Additionally, by considering the pairing and depairing of fermions, we get results of the frequency and damping of collective modes versus temperature and s-wave scattering length. Our theoretical results are in a remarkable agreement with the experimental data, particularly for the sharp transition between collisionless and hydrodynamic behaviour and strong damping between BCS and unitary limits near the phase transition. The sharp transition originates from the maximum of viscous relaxation rate caused by fermion-fermion pair collision at the phase transition point when the fermion depair, while the strong damping due to the fast varying of the frequency of collective modes from BCS limit to unitary limit.
Terahertz-induced acceleration of massive Dirac electrons in semimetal bismuth
Authors: Minami Yasuo , Araki Kotaro , Dao Thang Duy , Nagao Tadaaki , Kitajima Masahiro , Takeda Jun , Katayama Ikufumi
Published: November 2015

Dirac-like electrons in solid state have been of great interest since they exhibit many peculiar physical behaviors analogous to relativistic mechanics. Among them, carriers in graphene and surface states of topological insulators are known to behave as massless Dirac fermions with a conical band structure in the two-dimensional momentum space, whereas electrons in semimetal bismuth (Bi) are expected to behave as massive Dirac-like fermions in the three-dimensional momentum space, whose dynamics is of particular interest in comparison with that of the massless Dirac fermions. Here, we demonstrate that an intense terahertz electric field transient accelerates the massive Dirac-like fermions in Bi from classical Newtonian to the relativistic regime; the electrons are accelerated approaching the effective “speed of light” with the “relativistic” beta β = 0.89 along the asymptotic linear band structure. As a result, the effective electron mass is enhanced by a factor of 2.4.
Universal Stochastic Multiscale Image Fusion: An Example Application for Shale Rock
Authors: Gerke Kirill M. , Karsanina Marina V. , Mallants Dirk
Published: November 2015

Spatial data captured with sensors of different resolution would provide a maximum degree of information if the data were to be merged into a single image representing all scales. We develop a general solution for merging multiscale categorical spatial data into a single dataset using stochastic reconstructions with rescaled correlation functions. The versatility of the method is demonstrated by merging three images of shale rock representing macro, micro and nanoscale spatial information on mineral, organic matter and porosity distribution. Merging multiscale images of shale rock is pivotal to quantify more reliably petrophysical properties needed for production optimization and environmental impacts minimization. Images obtained by X-ray microtomography and scanning electron microscopy were fused into a single image with predefined resolution. The methodology is sufficiently generic for implementation of other stochastic reconstruction techniques, any number of scales, any number of material phases and any number of images for a given scale. The methodology can be further used to assess effective properties of fused porous media images or to compress voluminous spatial datasets for efficient data storage. Practical applications are not limited to petroleum engineering or more broadly geosciences, but will also find their way in material sciences, climatology and remote sensing.
Passband switchable microwave photonic multiband filter
Authors: Ge Jia , Fok Mable P.
Published: November 2015

A reconfigurable microwave photonic (MWP) multiband filter with selectable and switchable passbands is proposed and experimentally demonstrated, with a maximum of 12 simultaneous passbands evenly distributed from 0 to 10 GHz. The scheme is based on the generation of tunable optical comb lines using a two-stage Lyot loop filter, such that various filter tap spacings and spectral combinations are obtained for the configuration of the MWP filter. Through polarization state adjustment inside the Lyot loop filter, an optical frequency comb with 12 different comb spacings is achieved, which corresponds to a MWP filter with 12 selectable passbands. Center frequencies of the filter passbands are switchable, while the number of simultaneous passbands is tunable from 1 to 12. Furthermore, the MWP multiband filter can either work as an all-block, single-band or multiband filter with various passband combinations, which provide exceptional operation flexibility. All the passbands have over 30 dB sidelobe suppression and 3-dB bandwidth of 200 MHz, providing good filter selectivity.
Obesity Leads to Tissue, but not Serum Vitamin A Deficiency
Authors: Trasino Steven E. , Tang Xiao-Han , Jessurun Jose , Gudas Lorraine J.
Published: November 2015

Obesity negatively affects multiple metabolic pathways, but little is known about the impact of obesity on vitamin A (VA)[retinol (ROL)], a nutrient that regulates expression of genes in numerous pathways essential for human development and health. We demonstrate that obese mice, generated from a high fat diet (HFD) or by genetic mutations (i.e., ob/ob; db/db), have greatly reduced ROL levels in multiple organs, including liver, lungs, pancreas and kidneys, even though their diets have adequate VA. However, obese mice exhibit elevated serum VA. Organs from obese mice show impaired VA transcriptional signaling, including reductions in retinoic acid receptor (RARα, RARβ2 and RARγ) mRNAs and lower intracellular ROL binding protein Crbp1 (RBP1) levels in VA-storing stellate cells. Reductions in organ VA signaling in obese mice correlate with increasing adiposity and fatty liver (steatosis), while with weight loss VA levels and signaling normalize. Consistent with our findings in obese mice, we show that increasing severity of fatty liver disease in humans correlates with reductions in hepatic VA, VA transcriptional signaling and Crbp1 levels in VA storing stellate cells. Thus, obesity causes a “silent” VA deficiency marked by reductions in VA levels and signaling in multiple organs, but not detected by serum VA.
Long Non Coding RNA MALAT1 Promotes Tumor Growth and Metastasis by inducing Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Zhou Xuan , Liu Su , Cai Guoshuai , Kong Lingping , Zhang Tingting , Ren Yu , Wu Yansheng , Mei Mei , Zhang Lun , Wang Xudong
Published: November 2015

The prognosis of advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients remains dismal and a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms is critical for identifying effective targets with therapeutic potential to improve the survival of patients with OSCC. This study aims to clarify the clinical and biological significance of metastasis-associated long non-coding RNA, metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) in OSCC. We found that MALAT1 is overexpressed in OSCC tissues compared to normal oral mucosa by real-time PCR. MALAT1 served as a new prognostic factor in OSCC patients. When knockdown by small interfering RNA (siRNA) in OSCC cell lines TSCCA and Tca8113, MALAT1 was shown to be required for maintaining epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) mediated cell migration and invasion. Western blot and immunofluorescence staining showed that MALAT1 knockdown significantly suppressed N-cadherin and Vimentin expression but induced E-cadherin expression in vitro. Meanwhile, both nucleus and cytoplasm levels of β-catenin and NF-κB were attenuated, while elevated MALAT1 level triggered the expression of β-catenin and NF-κB. More importantly, targeting MALAT1 inhibited TSCCA cell-induced xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Therefore, these findings provide mechanistic insight into the role of MALAT1 in regulating OSCC metastasis, suggesting that MALAT1 is an important prognostic factor and therapeutic target for OSCC.
Quantum Oscillation Signatures of Pressure-induced Topological Phase Transition in BiTeI
Authors: Park Joonbum , Jin Kyung-Hwan , Jo Y. J. , Choi E. S. , Kang W. , Kampert E. , Rhyee J.-S. , Jhi Seung-Hoon , Kim Jun Sung
Published: November 2015

We report the pressure-induced topological quantum phase transition of BiTeI single crystals using Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations of bulk Fermi surfaces. The sizes of the inner and the outer FSs of the Rashba-split bands exhibit opposite pressure dependence up to P = 3.35 GPa, indicating pressure-tunable Rashba effect. Above a critical pressure P ~ 2 GPa, the Shubnikov-de Haas frequency for the inner Fermi surface increases unusually with pressure and the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations for the outer Fermi surface shows an abrupt phase shift. In comparison with band structure calculations, we find that these unusual behaviors originate from the Fermi surface shape change due to pressure-induced band inversion. These results clearly demonstrate that the topological quantum phase transition is intimately tied to the shape of bulk Fermi surfaces enclosing the time-reversal invariant momenta with band inversion.
Strong optomechanical interactions in a sliced photonic crystal nanobeam
Authors: Leijssen Rick , Verhagen Ewold
Published: November 2015

Coupling between mechanical and optical degrees of freedom is strongly enhanced by using subwavelength optical mode profiles. We realize an optomechanical system based on a sliced photonic crystal nanobeam, which combines such highly confined optical fields with a low-mass mechanical mode. Analyzing the transduction of motion and effects of radiation pressure we find the system exhibits a photon-phonon coupling rate g0 /2π ≈ 11.5 MHz, exceeding previously reported values by an order of magnitude. We show that the large optomechanical interaction enables detecting thermal motion with detection noise below that at the standard quantum limit, even in broad bandwidth devices, important for both sensor applications as well as measurement-based quantum control.
Spin-dependent transport properties of Fe3O4/MoS2/Fe3O4 junctions
Authors: Wu Han-Chun , Coileáin Cormac Ó , Abid Mourad , Mauit Ozhet , Syrlybekov Askar , Khalid Abbas , Xu Hongjun , Gatensby Riley , Jing Wang Jing , Liu Huajun , Yang Li , Duesberg Georg S. , Zhang Hong-Zhou , Abid Mohamed , Shvets Igor V.
Published: November 2015

Magnetite is a half-metal with a high Curie temperature of 858 K, making it a promising candidate for magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). Yet, initial efforts to exploit its half metallic nature in Fe3O4/MgO/Fe3O4MTJ structures have been far from promising. Finding suitable barrier layer materials, which keep the half metallic nature of Fe3O4at the interface between Fe3O4layers and barrier layer, is one of main challenges in this field. Two-dimensional (2D) materials may be good candidates for this purpose. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) semiconductor with distinctive electronic, optical and catalytic properties. Here, we show based on the first principle calculations that Fe3O4keeps a nearly fully spin polarized electron band at the interface between MoS2and Fe3O4. We also present the first attempt to fabricate the Fe3O4/MoS2/Fe3O4MTJs. A clear tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) signal was observed below 200 K. Thus, our experimental and theoretical studies indicate that MoS2can be a good barrier material for Fe3O4based MTJs. Our calculations also indicate that junctions incorporating monolayer or bilayer MoS2are metallic.
Changing fluxes of carbon and other solutes from the Mekong River
Authors: Li Siyue , Bush Richard T.
Published: November 2015

Rivers are an important aquatic conduit that connects terrestrial sources of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and other elements with oceanic reservoirs. The Mekong River, one of the world’s largest rivers, is firstly examined to explore inter-annual fluxes of dissolved and particulate constituents during 1923–2011 and their associated natural or anthropogenic controls. Over this period, inter-annual fluxes of dissolved and particulate constituents decrease, while anthropogenic activities have doubled the relative abundance of SO42−, Cl− and Na+. The estimated fluxes of solutes from the Mekong decrease as follows (Mt/y): TDS (40.4) > HCO3− (23.4) > Ca2+ (6.4) > SO42− (3.8) > Cl− (1.74)~Na+ (1.7) ~ Si (1.67) > Mg2+ (1.2) > K+ (0.5). The runoff, land cover and lithological composition significantly contribute to dissolved and particulate yields globally. HCO3− and TDS yields are readily predicted by runoff and percent of carbonate, while TSS yield by runoff and population density. The Himalayan Rivers, including the Mekong, are a disproportionally high contributor to global riverine carbon and other solute budgets and are of course underlined. The estimated global riverine HCO3− flux (Himalayan Rivers included) is 34014 × 109 mol/y (0.41 Pg C/y), 3915 Mt/y for solute load, including HCO3− and 13553 Mt/y for TSS. Thereby this study illustrates the importance of riverine solute delivery in global carbon cycling.