bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Infrared spectroscopic confirmation of α‐lactone formation in the dissociation of a gaseous amino acid
Authors: Wenthold Paul G. , Koirala Damodar , Somogyi Arpad , Poutsma J. C.
Published: July 2016

The product obtained upon collision‐induced dissociation of sulfonated phenylalanine in the gas phase has been investigated by using infrared multiphoton dissociation spectroscopy with a free‐electron laser. This confirms that the product formed by loss of ammonia from the amino acid is the α‐lactone, as had been deduced previously based on qualitative analysis and electronic structure calculations. Spectroscopically, the structure is confirmed by the presence of the carbonyl stretching peak at 1915 cm−1 and supported by excellent agreement between the predicted and observed S–O stretching bands. The agreement between predicted relative intensities is not as good, but can be attributed to the nonlinear process of IRMPD. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interplay of 4f and 3d moments in EuFe2As2 iron pnictides
Authors: Maiwald Jannis , Gegenwart Philipp
Published: July 2016

EuFeAs is unique among 122 iron pnictides due to its 4f magnetic moments. We review its properties with particular emphasis on the interplay between 4f and 3d moments. After discussing the parent compound, we first focus on the evolution of magnetism and superconductivity for hole‐doped EuKFeAs as well as for chemical and hydrostatic pressure in EuFe(AsP) . Non‐Fermi liquid behavior for optimally doped superconducting systems is highlighted in the electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power. We also discuss the in‐plane anisotropy and how the indirect magnetoelastic coupling between Eu 4f moments and the crystal structure can be used for persistent detwinning of EuFeAs in the orthorhombic state by small magnetic fields.
An assessment of automatic speaker verification vulnerabilities to replay spoofing attacks
Authors: Janicki Artur , Alegre Federico , Evans Nicholas
Published: July 2016

This paper analyses the threat of replay spoofing or presentation attacks in the context of automatic speaker verification. As relatively high‐technology attacks, speech synthesis and voice conversion, which have thus far received far greater attention in the literature, are probably beyond the means of the average fraudster. The implementation of replay attacks, in contrast, requires no specific expertise nor sophisticated equipment. Replay attacks are thus likely to be the most prolific in practice, while their impact is relatively under‐researched. The work presented here aims to compare at a high level the threat of replay attacks with those of speech synthesis and voice conversion. The comparison is performed using strictly controlled protocols and with six different automatic speaker verification systems including a state‐of‐the‐art iVector/probabilistic linear discriminant analysis system. Experiments show that low‐effort replay attacks present at least a comparable threat to speech synthesis and voice conversion. The paper also describes and assesses two replay attack countermeasures. A relatively new approach based on the local binary pattern analysis of speech spectrograms is shown to outperform a competing approach based on the detection of far‐field recordings. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Anions of π‐Acidic N‐nitrosulfonyl/carboxy Amides and Their Re Complexes
Authors: Bohle D. Scott , Chua Zhijie
Published: July 2016

The synthesis of the potassium salts of the nitrogen acids N‐nitroamide {N‐nitroacetamide, K[CH3C(O)NNO2] (1)}, N‐nitrosulfonamide {N‐nitro‐p‐tolylsulfonamide, K[p‐tolylSO2NNO2] (2)} and N‐nitrocarbamates {N‐nitromethylcarbamate, K[CH3OC(O)NNO2] (3), N‐nitroethylcarbamate, K[C2H5OC(O)NNO2] (4)} are described. Reaction of 1–4 with [Re(CH3CN)2(CO)2(PPh3)2](X) (X=ClO4 or BF4) gave the corresponding new Re(I) nitrogen acid complexes Re(η2‐nitrogen acid)(CO)2(PPh3)2 5–8 in good yields. Complex 5 and 6 can also be obtained from the reaction of N‐nitroacetamide (1‐H) or N‐nitro‐p‐tolylsulfonamide (2‐H) respectively with the basic Re(I) hydride complex, Re(H)(CO)2(PPh3)3.
A New CuII Coordination Polymer: Structural Elucidation, EPR and Sensing Studies for Detection of Volatile Organic Solvents
Authors: Das Kuheli , Mendiratta Shruti , Datta Amitabha , Gajewska Małgorzata J. , Garribba Eugenio , Akitsu Takashiro , Sinha Chittaranjan
Published: July 2016

The copper derivative [Cu(H‐stp)(bipy)(H2O)2]n⋅H2O (1) is afforded by combining flexible 2‐sulfoterephthalic acid monosodium salt [Na(H2stp)] and divalent copper nitrate in presence of the N‐donor ancillary co‐ligand, 4,4′‐bipyridyl. As a result of the potential coordination modes of carboxylate oxygens from the stp ligand and the bipy co‐ligand, a one dimensional chain is formed as evident by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction technique. Solvent exchange studies reveals that compound 1 is able to sense various small polar volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and acts as a good capacitative sensor under ambient conditions. An increase of the temperature from 100 to 298 K on EPR measurement causes a variation of the SOMO composition and a change of the spectrum from an ’inverse’ to a ‘rhombic’ one. On temperature dependent magnetic study, the χMT value of compound 1 is 6.86 cm3 K mol‐1 at 5 K which decreases up to 8.81 cm3 K mol‐1 at 300 K.
Multifunctional Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles with Thermal‐Responsive Gatekeeper for NIR Light‐Triggered Chemo/Photothermal‐Therapy
Authors: Lei Qi , Qiu Wen‐Xiu , Hu Jing‐Jing , Cao Peng‐Xi , Zhu Cheng‐Hui , Cheng Han , Zhang Xian‐Zheng
Published: July 2016

In this work, a matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐triggered tumor targeted mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) is designed to realize near‐infrared (NIR) photothermal‐responsive drug release and combined chemo/photothermal tumor therapy. Indocyanine green (ICG) and doxorubicin (DOX) are both loaded in the MSN modified with thermal‐cleavable gatekeeper (Azo‐CD), which can be decapped by ICG‐generated hyperthermia under NIR illumination. A peptidic sequence containing a short PEG chain, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) substrate (PLGVR) and tumor cell targeting motif (RGD) are further decorated on the MSN via a host–guest interaction. The PEG chain can protect the MSN during the circulation and be cleaved off in the tumor tissues with overexpressed MMP, and then the RGD motif is switched on to target tumor cells. After the tumor‐triggered targeting process, the NIR irradiation guided by ICG fluorescence can trigger cytosol drug release and realize combined chemo/photothermal therapy.
Tuning Surface Properties of Low Dimensional Materials via Strain Engineering
Authors: Yang Shengchun , Liu Fuzhu , Wu Chao , Yang Sen
Published: July 2016

The promising and versatile applications of low dimensional materials are largely due to their surface properties, which along with their underlying electronic structures have been well studied. However, these materials may not be directly useful for applications requiring properties other than their natal ones. In recent years, strain has been shown to be an additionally useful handle to tune the physical and chemical properties of materials by changing their geometric and electronic structures. The strategies for producing strain are summarized. Then, the electronic structure of quasi‐two dimensional layered non‐metallic materials (e.g., graphene, MX2, BP, Ge nanosheets) under strain are discussed. Later, the strain effects on catalytic properties of metal‐catalyst loaded with strain are focused on. Both experimental and computational perspectives for dealing with strained systems are covered. Finally, an outlook on engineering surface properties utilizing strain is provided.
Ahab: A cloud‐based distributed big data analytics framework for the Internet of Things
Authors: Vögler Michael , Schleicher Johannes M. , Inzinger Christian , Dustdar Schahram
Published: July 2016

Smart city applications generate large amounts of operational data during their execution, such as information from infrastructure monitoring, performance and health events from used toolsets, and application execution logs. These data streams contain vital information about the execution environment that can be used to fine‐tune or optimize different layers of a smart city application infrastructure. Current approaches do not sufficiently address the efficient collection, processing, and storage of this information in the smart city domain. In this paper, we present Ahab, a generic, scalable, and fault‐tolerant data processing framework based on the cloud that allows operators to perform online and offline analyses on gathered data to better understand and optimize the behavior of the available smart city infrastructure. Ahab is designed for easy integration of new data sources, provides an extensible API to perform custom analysis tasks, and a domain‐specific language to define adaptation rules based on analysis results. We demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach using an example application for autonomous intersection management in smart city environments. Our framework is able to autonomously optimize application deployment topologies by distributing processing load over available infrastructure resources when necessary based on both online analysis of the current state of the environment and patterns learned from historical data. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Concise Review: Current Status and Future Directions on Research Related to Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Wruck Wasco , Graffmann Nina , Kawala Marie-Ann , Adjaye James
Published: July 2016

Considered a feature of the metabolic syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, obesity and drug toxicity. Its prevalence is estimated at about 30% in western countries mainly due to sedentary life styles and high fat diets. Genome-wide association studies have identified polymorphisms in several genes, for example, PNPLA3, and TM6SF2 which confer susceptibility to NAFLD. Here, we review recent findings in the NAFLD field with a particular focus on published transcriptomics datasets which we subject to a meta-analysis. We reveal a common gene signature correlating with the progression of the disease from steatosis and steatohepatitis and reveal that lipogenic and cholesterol metabolic pathways are main actors in this signature. We propose the use of disease-in-a-dish models based on hepatocyte-like cells derived from patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). These will enable investigations into the contribution of genetic background in the progression from NALFD to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Furthermore, an iPSC-based approach should aid in the elucidation of the function of new biomarkers, thus enabling better diagnostic tests and validation of potential drug targets.
A method for simultaneous gene overexpression and inactivation in the Corynebacterium glutamicum genome
Authors: Xu Jianzhong , Zhang Junlan , Han Mei , Zhang Weiguo
Published: July 2016

The gene integration method is an important tool to stably express desirable genes in bacteria. To avoid heavy workload and cost, we constructed a rapid and efficient method for genome modification. This method depended on a mobilizable plasmid, which contains a P  tac promoter, an introduced multiple cloning site (iMCS), and rrnBT1T2 terminator. Briefly, the mobilizable plasmid pK18-MBPMT with the P  tac-iMCS-rrnBT1T2 cartridge derived from pK18mobsacB was prepared to directly integrate hetero-/homologous DNA into the Corynebacterium glutamicum genome. Like our previous method, this method was based on insertional inactivation and double-crossover homologous recombination, which simultaneously achieved gene overexpression and inactivation in the genome without the use of genetic markers. Compared to the previous method, this protocol omitted the construction of a recombinant expression plasmid and clone of the target gene(s) cassette, which significantly decreased the workload, cost, and operational time. Using this method, the heterologous gene amy and the homologous gene lysCT311I were successfully integrated into the C. glutamicum genome at alaT and avtA loci, respectively. Moreover, the operation time of this method was shorter than that of the previous method, especially for repeated integration. This method, which is based on the mobilizable plasmid pK18-MBPMT, thus represents a potentially attractive protocol for the integration of genes in the course of genetic modification of C. glutamicum.
Comparison of four methods of blood loss estimation after cesarean delivery
Authors: Withanathantrige Manoj , Goonewardene Malik , Dandeniya Ranmalie , Gunatilake Pabashani , Gamage Sasini
Published: July 2016

Objective

To assess agreement between four different methods of blood loss estimation after lower‐segment cesarean delivery (LSCD).

Methods

A secondary analysis was undertaken of a randomized controlled trial of three timings of cord clamping during LSCD performed at a center in Sri Lanka between January 21 and April 30, 2013. Eligible women underwent prepartum LSCD at 37–39 weeks of pregnancy. Estimated blood loss (EBL) was assessed by a combined method (direct measurements of spilled blood and sucker bottle volumes, and weighing of surgical towels and drapes before and after use), according to visual assessments by the surgeon and by anesthesiologists, and by measurement of preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin levels.

Results

Among 156 participants, mean EBL was 502 mL (95% CI 370–618) from the combined method, 506 mL (412–643) calculated from hemoglobin levels, 484 mL (367–621) by the surgeon's estimation, and 491 mL (361–612) by anesthesiologists’ estimation (P = 0.32). Visual assessment of EBL by anesthesiologists had the best intraclass correlation (0.713) and limits of agreement with the combined method. There were no significant differences between the proportion of cases in which anesthesiologists and the surgeon underestimated or overestimated the EBL when compared with the combined method.

Conclusion

EBL should be ideally obtained by the combined method.
Weighted multiple ergodic averages and correlation sequences
Authors: FRANTZIKINAKIS NIKOS , HOST BERNARD
Published: July 2016

We study mean convergence results for weighted multiple ergodic averages defined by commuting transformations with iterates given by integer polynomials in several variables. Roughly speaking, we prove that a bounded sequence is a good universal weight for mean convergence of such averages if and only if the average of this sequence times any nilsequence converges. Two decomposition results of independent interest play key roles in the proof. The first states that every bounded sequence in several variables satisfying some regularity conditions is a sum of a nilsequence and a sequence that has small uniformity norm (this generalizes a result of the second author and Kra); and the second states that every multiple correlation sequence in several variables is a sum of a nilsequence and a sequence that is small in uniform density (this generalizes a result of the first author). Furthermore, we use these results in order to establish mean convergence and recurrence results for a variety of sequences of dynamical and arithmetic origin and give some combinatorial implications.
A circle diffeomorphism with breaks that is absolutely continuously linearizable
Authors: TEPLINSKY ALEXEY
Published: July 2016

In this paper we answer positively to a question of whether it is possible for a circle diffeomorphism with breaks to be smoothly conjugate to a rigid rotation in the case where its breaks are lying on pairwise distinct trajectories. An example constructed is a piecewise linear circle homeomorphism that has four break points lying on distinct trajectories and whose invariant measure is absolutely continuous with respect to the Lebesgue measure. The irrational rotation number for our example can be chosen to be a Roth number, but not of bounded type.
Affine invariant submanifolds with completely degenerate Kontsevich–Zorich spectrum
Authors: AULICINO DAVID
Published: July 2016

We prove that if the Lyapunov spectrum of the Kontsevich–Zorich cocycle over an affine$\text{SL}_{2}(\mathbb{R})$-invariant submanifold is completely degenerate, i.e. if$\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{2}=\cdots =\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{g}=0$, then the submanifold must be an arithmetic Teichmüller curve in the moduli space of Abelian differentials over surfaces of genus three, four, or five. As a corollary, we prove that there is at most a finite number of such Teichmüller curves.
Effective mixing and counting in Bruhat–Tits trees
Authors: KWON SANGHOON
Published: July 2016

Let ${\mathcal{T}}$ be a locally finite tree, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}$ be a discrete subgroup of $\,\operatorname{Aut}\,({\mathcal{T}})$ and $\widetilde{F}$ be a $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}$-invariant potential. Suppose that the length spectrum of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}$ is not arithmetic. In this case, we prove the exponential mixing property of the geodesic translation map $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}:\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}\backslash S{\mathcal{T}}\rightarrow \unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}\backslash S{\mathcal{T}}$ with respect to the measure $m_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4},F}^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}^{-},\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}^{+}}$ under the assumption that $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}$ is full and $(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4},\widetilde{F})$ has a weighted spectral gap. We also obtain the effective formula for the number of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}$-orbits with weights in a Bruhat–Tits tree ${\mathcal{T}}$ of an algebraic group.
Transitivity of conservative diffeomorphisms isotopic to Anosov on
Authors: ANDERSSON MARTIN , GAN SHAOBO
Published: July 2016

We prove transitivity for volume-preserving $C^{1+}$ diffeomorphisms on $\mathbb{T}^{3}$ which are isotopic to a linear Anosov automorphism along a path of weakly partially hyperbolic diffeomorphisms.
Champion of the Gaeilgeoirí: John Charles McQuaid and the Irish-language mass
Authors: Bruce James P.
Published: July 2016

In 1963 the Second Vatican Council voted overwhelmingly to introduce the vernacular into Roman Catholic worship. The Irish hierarchy decided that both Irish and English speakers should be catered for in the reformed liturgy. Within a few years John Charles McQuaid, archbishop of Dublin, had gained a widespread reputation as having gone further than his fellow bishops in the provision of masses in Irish. At the same time he was criticised for his lack of enthusiasm towards other areas of liturgical reform. This dichotomy stemmed from McQuaid’s deep dismay at the church’s new ecumenical direction and the possibility that it would lead to shared worship between Catholics and Protestants. Yet, as a senior prelate in the Catholic Church, he was obliged to implement each of the Council’s decrees, including those concerning the liturgy. McQuaid’s response was to introduce Vatican-approved changes to the mass, while simultaneously protecting the traditional liturgy he cherished. So he tried to re-establish the Latin rite on the same terms as those he had arranged for the Irish mass. Had he succeeded, the result would have been a reduction in the use of an English vernacular which he found offensive to his Catholic sensibilities.
The reduction of Leinster and the origins of the Tudor conquest of Ireland,c.1534–46
Authors: Heffernan David
Published: July 2016

The government’s incursion into the midlands lordships of the O’Connors and O’Mores in 1546 is often identified as the root of the Tudor conquest of Ireland. Conversely, the years from 1535 to 1546 have been depicted as a period wherein a conciliatory approach to Gaelic Ireland was favoured. This paper argues that the origins of the Tudor conquest lie in the 1530s following the Kildare Rebellion. At this time a majority of senior officials in Ireland urged the regional conquest of the lordships of the O’Byrnes, O’Tooles and MacMurrough Kavanaghs in Wicklow and Carlow. This strategy was not adopted as Henry VIII refused to finance such a costly endeavour. Consequently a cheap political alternative now known as ‘surrender and regrant’ was briefly adopted in the early 1540s. However in 1546 the officials who favoured regional intervention in Leinster succeeded in initiating an incursion into the midlands. In light of the links between the campaign for the reduction of south Leinster in the 1530s and the incursion into the midlands in 1546, this paper argues that the origins of the Tudor conquest of Ireland can be traced to the campaign for the reduction of south Leinster in the mid-1530s.
Efficiency Ratings and Performance Appraisals in the United States Federal Government
Authors: Stetz Thomas A. , Chmielewski Todd L.
Published: July 2016

As industrial–organizational (I-O) psychologists and longtime employees, we have developed and implemented appraisal systems and have been subjected to and have subjected others to appraisals. We have thus viewed performance appraisals from all angles, seeing the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. We believe that all of the points discussed by Adler et al. (2016) about retaining or eliminating performance ratings have merit and address the realities of the current state of affairs in performance appraisal practice and research. However, as Wiese and Buckley (1998) point out, organizations survived quite well for centuries without formal appraisal systems, which raises the question, “Why do formal performance appraisal systems exist?” One inescapable yet surprisingly undiscussed reason is that it is a legal and/or regulatory mandate for 4,185,000 U.S. federal government employees (Office of Personnel Management, 2015a). Eliminating performance ratings for these workers would literally require an act of Congress.
Rating Performance May Be Difficult, but It Is Also Necessary
Authors: Hunt Steven T.
Published: July 2016

The company I work for is one of the leading providers of performance management technology (Jones & Wang-Audia, 2013). This technology is used by more than 3,000 organizations worldwide, including several of the companies mentioned in Adler et al. (2016). The technology is highly configurable. It is currently being used to support performance management processes with no annual manager ratings, processes with traditional annual rating evaluations, processes that only evaluate competencies, processes that only evaluate goal accomplishment, processes that mix goals and competencies, processes that require forced-ranked comparisons between employees, processes that make no direct comparisons between employees, and much more. The capabilities of this and other human resources (HR) technology systems are allowing companies to radically rethink performance management because they enable companies to do things far differently from what was possible when they were constrained to more fixed electronic or paper forms (Hunt, 2011, 2015a). The result is an explosion in the diversity of approaches being taken toward performance management design.
Eliminating a Quantitative Measure of Performance Means Our Science Is Starting From Square One
Authors: Burlacu Gabriela
Published: July 2016

In their debate about whether companies should keep traditional, numerical ratings of employee performance in an ever-changing world of work, Colquitt and colleagues argued that performance ratings are too hard to do correctly, while Adler and colleagues (Adler et al., 2016) countered that “‘too hard’ is no excuse for I-O psychology.” I would like to build on this by suggesting that “too hard” is not only no excuse but also a complete dismissal of the central aspect of what our science seeks to achieve.
Performance Appraisal in a Constantly Changing Work World
Authors: Rabenu Edna , Tziner Aharon
Published: July 2016

Adler et al. (2016) present a comprehensive review of the fundamental and painful problems of performance appraisal in organizations, from which it appears that we cannot do without performance appraisal because of its benefits, and we cannot do with it because of its flaws. If so, how can organizations make a decision on this issue? Mend them or end them? (See also Culbertson, Krome, McHenry, Stetzer, & van Ittersum, 2013.)
Advancing Employee Resilience Research: Additional Thoughts
Authors: Wolfson Natalie E. , Mulqueen Casey
Published: July 2016

Britt, Shen, Sinclair, Grossman, and Klieger (2016) draw attention to issues in the psychological literature regarding how we define, assess, select for, and build employee resilience. We offer a handful of recommendations for complementing and expanding on these important issues. Specifically, we propose that research should include more common forms of workplace adversity, versus extreme and rare types of adversity; resilience should be assessed via objective multirater methodology rather than subjective self-report; because context is important when studying resilience, researchers should delineate the purposes of the research; resilience should be treated as a malleable rather than a fixed characteristic; and finally, the field would benefit from qualitative research in addition to quantitative research.
Taking Time Seriously as a Component of Employee Resilience
Authors: Palmer David K.
Published: July 2016

Britt, Shen, Sinclair, Grossman, and Klieger (2016) recommend that our understanding of resilience would be advanced by making its temporal nature explicit. As a dynamic process, resilience is historical and temporal. The animating adverse event(s) and the resilient response(s) are dynamic and unfold over time; they often unfold as trajectories. This notion of trajectories implies a dynamic process, one progressing from one response or adaptation to another. These “temporal processes are a bit of a black box in I-O research” (Britt et al., p. 394). What would an extension of Britt et al.’s recommendation that researchers explicitly integrate time or temporality look like? Fully acknowledging the importance of time in this model may suggest worthwhile future research and potential interventions.
Feedback Dynamics Are Critical to Improving Performance Management Systems
Authors: Chawla Nitya , Gabriel Allison S. , Dahling Jason J. , Patel Kajal
Published: July 2016

Colquitt, Murphy, and Ollander-Krane (Adler et al., 2016) argue that performance ratings are problematic in part because of the problems associated with feedback: Ratees dislike and dismiss performance feedback, raters are reluctant to provide tough feedback, and organizations do not enact research findings about improving feedback processes (Adler et al.). Discarding performance ratings on these grounds is effectively “throwing out the baby with the bath water,” given that we know quite a lot about how to improve the delivery and receptivity of feedback. Our commentary is intended to briefly illustrate ways to leverage research on feedback receptivity to improve performance management systems. Specifically, we focus on (a) cultivating supportive feedback environments, (b) integrating employee coaching into performance management systems, and (c) attending to the characteristics of feedback recipients to understand how they process feedback.
Epidemiological trends for hospital admissions for acute rotavirus gastroenteritis in Belgium following the introduction of routine rotavirus vaccination and the subsequent switch from lyophilized to liquid formulation of Rotarix™
Authors: RAES M. , STRENS D. , KLEINTJENS J. , BIUNDO E. , MOREL T. , VYSE A.
Published: July 2016

This study describes epidemiological trends for acute rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) in Belgium in children aged ⩽5 years during the period June 2007 to May 2014 after the introduction of routine rotavirus (RV) vaccination. This period encompassed the switch from lyophilized to the liquid formulation of Rotarix™ (GlaxoSmithKline, Belgium) in August 2011. Uptake of RV vaccine remained consistently high throughout the study period with Rotarix the brand most often used. RV was present in 9% (1139/12 511) of hospitalized cases with acute gastroenteritis included in the study. Epidemiological trends for hospital admissions for RVGE remained consistent throughout the study period, with no evidence of any change associated with the switch from lyophilized to liquid formulation of Rotarix. This suggests both formulations perform similarly, with the liquid formulation not inferior regarding ability to reduce hospital admissions for acute RVGE in children aged ⩽5 years. A strong seasonal effect was observed with most RVGE occurring in the winter months but with some variability in intensity, with highest incidence found in those aged 6–24 months. The main observation was the decreased number of hospital admissions for RVGE in Belgium that occurred during winter 2013/2014.
Creating a lesion-specific “roadmap” for ambulatory care following surgery for complex congenital cardiac disease
Authors: Wernovsky Gil , Lihn Stacey L. , Olen Melissa M.
Published: July 2016

Over the past 20 years, the successes of neonatal and infant surgery have resulted in dramatically changed demographics in ambulatory cardiology. These school-aged children and young adults have complex and, in some cases, previously unexpected cardiac and non-cardiac consequences of their surgical and/or transcatheter procedures. There is a growing need for additional cardiac and non-cardiac subspecialists, and coordination of care may be quite challenging. In contrast to hospital-based care, where inpatient care protocols are common, and perioperative expectations are more or less predictable for most children, ambulatory cardiologists have evolved strategies of care more or less independently, based on their education, training, experience, and individual styles, resulting in highly variable follow-up strategies. We have proposed a combination proactive–reactive collaborative model with a patient’s primary cardiologist, primary-care provider, and subspecialists, along with the patient and their family. The goal is to help standardise data collection in the ambulatory setting, reduce patient and family anxiety, increase health literacy, measure and address the non-cardiac consequences of complex cardiac disease, and aid in the transition to self-care as an adult.
Editorial
Authors: ABUTALEBI JUBIN , CLAHSEN HARALD
Published: July 2016

This volume of BLC presents two thematic sets of studies, the first one consisting of short concise reviews of studies on neuroimaging of the bilingual brain, and the second one a Special Issue edited by Margaret Deuchar that focuses on code switching, priming, and other cross-language effects in bilingual production and comprehension, presenting novel findings from different language combinations and a range of experimental and naturalistic methods; Deuchar (2016) provides an overview of this set of studies.
Phthalates in neonatal health: friend or foe?
Authors: Bowman J. D. , Choudhury M.
Published: July 2016

Exposure to environmental chemicals has adverse effects on the health and survival of humans. Emerging evidence supports the idea that exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) can perturb an individual’s physiological set point and as a result increase his/her propensity toward several diseases. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, the primary plasticizer found in plastic medical devices used in neonatal intensive care units, its effects on the fetus and newborn, epidemiological studies, pharmacokinetics, toxicity and epigenetic implications. We searched the PubMed databases to identify relevant studies. Phthalates are known EDCs that primarily are used to improve the flexibility of polyvinyl chloride plastic products and are called plasticizers in lay terms. Neonates and infants are particularly vulnerable to the effects of phthalates, beginning with maternal exposure and placental transfer during gestation and during infancy following birth. In line with the developmental origins of adult disease, a focus on the effects of environmental chemicals in utero or early childhood on the genesis of adult diseases through epigenome modulation is timely and important. The epigenetic effects of phthalates have not been fully elucidated, but accumulating evidence suggests that they may be associated with adverse health effects, some of which may be heritable. Phthalate exposure during pregnancy and the perinatal period is particularly worrisome in health-care settings. Although the clinical significance of phthalate exposure has been difficult to assess with epidemiologic studies, the evidence that physiological changes occur due to exposure to phthalates is growing and points toward the need for more investigation at a molecular, specifically epigenetic level.
Efficacy of PARP inhibition in Pde6a mutant mouse models for retinitis pigmentosa depends on the quality and composition of individual human mutations
Authors: Jiao K , Sahaboglu A , Zrenner E , Ueffing M , Ekström P A R , Paquet-Durand F
Published: July 2016

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an inherited blinding disease, is caused by a variety of different mutations that affect retinal photoreceptor function and survival. So far there is neither effective treatment nor cure. We have previously shown that poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) acts as a common and critical denominator of cell death in photoreceptors, qualifying it as a potential target for future therapeutic intervention. A significant fraction of RP-causing mutations affect the genes for the rod photoreceptor phosphodiesterase 6A (PDE6A) subunit, but it is not known whether they all engage the same death pathway. Analysing three homozygous point mutations (Pde6a R562W, D670G, and V685M) and one compound heterozygous Pde6aV685M/R562W mutation in mouse models that match human RP patients, we demonstrate excessive activation of PARP, which correlated in time with the progression of photoreceptor degeneration. The causal involvement of PARP activity in the neurodegenerative process was confirmed in organotypic retinal explant cultures treated with the PARP-selective inhibitor PJ34, using different treatment time-points and durations. Remarkably, the neuroprotective efficacy of PARP inhibition correlated inversely with the strength of the genetically induced insult, with the D670G mutant showing the best treatment effects. Our results highlight PARP as a target for neuroprotective interventions in RP caused by PDE6A mutations and are a first attempt towards personalized, genotype-matched therapy development for RP. In addition, for each of the different mutant situations, our work identifies windows of opportunity for an optimal treatment regimen for further in vivo experimentation and possibly clinical studies.
Structure and activation of pro-activin A
Authors: Wang Xuelu , Fischer Gerhard , Hyvönen Marko
Published: July 2016

Activins are growth factors with multiple roles in the development and homeostasis. Like all TGF-β family of growth factors, activins are synthesized as large precursors from which mature dimeric growth factors are released proteolytically. Here we have studied the activation of activin A and determined crystal structures of the unprocessed precursor and of the cleaved pro-mature complex. Replacing the natural furin cleavage site with a HRV 3C protease site, we show how the protein gains its bioactivity after proteolysis and is as active as the isolated mature domain. The complex remains associated in conditions used for biochemical analysis with a dissociation constant of 5 nM, but the pro-domain can be actively displaced from the complex by follistatin. Our high-resolution structures of pro-activin A share features seen in the pro-TGF-β1 and pro-BMP-9 structures, but reveal a new oligomeric arrangement, with a domain-swapped, cross-armed conformation for the protomers in the dimeric protein.
Light-melt adhesive based on dynamic carbon frameworks in a columnar liquid-crystal phase
Authors: Saito Shohei , Nobusue Shunpei , Tsuzaka Eri , Yuan Chunxue , Mori Chigusa , Hara Mitsuo , Seki Takahiro , Camacho Cristopher , Irle Stephan , Yamaguchi Shigehiro
Published: July 2016

Liquid crystal (LC) provides a suitable platform to exploit structural motions of molecules in a condensed phase. Amplification of the structural changes enables a variety of technologies not only in LC displays but also in other applications. Until very recently, however, a practical use of LCs for removable adhesives has not been explored, although a spontaneous disorganization of LC materials can be easily triggered by light-induced isomerization of photoactive components. The difficulty of such application derives from the requirements for simultaneous implementation of sufficient bonding strength and its rapid disappearance by photoirradiation. Here we report a dynamic molecular LC material that meets these requirements. Columnar-stacked V-shaped carbon frameworks display sufficient bonding strength even during heating conditions, while its bonding ability is immediately lost by a light-induced self-melting function. The light-melt adhesive is reusable and its fluorescence colour reversibly changes during the cycle, visualizing the bonding/nonbonding phases of the adhesive.
Biotic interchange between the Indian subcontinent and mainland Asia through time
Authors: Klaus Sebastian , Morley Robert J. , Plath Martin , Zhang Ya-Ping , Li Jia-Tang
Published: July 2016

Biotic interchange after the connection of previously independently evolving floras and faunas is thought to be one of the key factors that shaped global biodiversity as we see it today. However, it was not known how biotic interchange develops over longer time periods of several million years following the secondary contact of different biotas. Here we present a novel method to investigate the temporal dynamics of biotic interchange based on a phylogeographical meta-analysis by calculating the maximal number of observed dispersal events per million years given the temporal uncertainty of the underlying time-calibrated phylogenies. We show that biotic influx from mainland Asia onto the Indian subcontinent after Eocene continental collision was not a uniform process, but was subject to periods of acceleration, stagnancy and decrease. We discuss potential palaeoenvironmental causes for this fluctuation.
Association of pasta consumption with body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio: results from Moli-sani and INHES studies
Authors: Pounis G , Castelnuovo A Di , Costanzo S , Persichillo M , Bonaccio M , Bonanni A , Cerletti C , Donati M B , de Gaetano G , Iacoviello L ,   on behalf of the Moli-sani and INHES investigators
Published: July 2016

Background/Objectives:

Pasta as a traditional component of Mediterranean diet (MeD) in Italy has not been studied in detail in the management of body weight. This study aimed at evaluating the association of pasta intake with body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio, in two large epidemiological datasets.

Subjects/Methods:

A total of 14 402 participants aged ⩾35 years randomly recruited from the general population of the Molise region (Moli-sani cohort) and 8964 participants aged >18 years from all over Italy (Italian Nutrition & HEalth Survey, INHES) were separately analyzed. The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-food frequency questionnaire and one 24-h dietary recall were used for dietary assessment. Weight, height, waist and hip circumference were measured in Moli-sani or self-reported in INHES. Residuals methodology corrected for either total energy intake or body weight was used for the analysis of pasta intake.

Results:

Higher pasta intake was associated with better adhesion to MeD in both genders (P for both<0.001). In the Moli-sani study, after multivariable analysis, pasta-energy residuals were negatively associated with BMI in women but not in men (β-coef=−0.007, P=0.003 for women and β-coef=−0.001, P=0.58 for men). When pasta intake-body weight residuals were used, pasta intake was significantly and negatively associated with BMI in crude and multi-adjusted models (including adhesion to MeD) in both genders and Moli-sani and INHES studies (for all β-coef<0, P<0.05). In the Moli-sani study, pasta-body weight residuals were significantly and negatively associated with waist and hip circumference and waist-to-hip ratio (for all β-coef<0, P<0.05).

Conclusions:

As a traditional component of MeD, pasta consumption was negatively associated with BMI, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio and with a lower prevalence of overweight and obesity.
Nm23H1 mediates tumor invasion in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by regulation of CLDN1 through the AKT signaling
Authors: Kuo K-T , Chen C-L , Chou T-Y , Yeh C-T , Lee W-H , Wang L-S
Published: July 2016

Esophageal cancer is a lethal malignancy worldwide. Previously, low expression of metastasis suppressor Nm23H1 and tight junction (TJ) protein claudin-1 (CLDN1) have been known to correlate with poor prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the molecular interaction between them has not been clarified. In the present study, we first examined the expression of Nm23H1 and CLDN1 in 74 surgical ESCC samples by immunohistochemistry (IHC) to verify their clinicopathologic significance. The biologic effects of Nm23H1 gene silencing or overexpression in ESCC cell lines were then studied by migration and invasion studies, and its regulation on CLDN1 expression was also investigated by western blot analysis. Moreover, the expression of Nm23H1 and CLDN1 at the same invasion front of ESCC tumors was verified by immunofluorescence. The results showed a significantly positive correlation between the expression of Nm23H1 and CLDN1 (γ=0.296, P=0.011) in surgical specimens, especially for the 34 tumors with lymph-node metastasis (γ=0.455, P=0.007). In ESCC cell lines, silencing of Nm23H1 expression markedly enhanced cell invasiveness, accompanied by increased Akt phosphorylation and decreased CLDN1 expression. Conversely, Nm23H1-expressed transfectants exhibited reduced invasiveness, decreased Akt phosphorylation and correspondingly increased CLDN1 expression. Regain of CLDN1 expression in ESCC cells significantly suppressed invasiveness, but did not influence the Akt phosphorylation. Moreover, treating Nm23H1-depleted cells with the AKT inhibitor MK2206 recovered CLDN1 expression, and diminished the invasiveness of ESCC cells. Finally, decreased expressions of both CLDN1 and E-cadherin were observed at the invasive front of the Nm23H1-negative tumors. Overall, our current study documented that reduced Nm23H1 expression activates the AKT signaling pathway, results in diminished CLDN1 expression and potentiates invasiveness of ESCC cells. Enhancement of Nm23H1 expression, inhibition of the AKT signaling pathway, or combined, might be a potential treatment strategy in selective ESCC patients.
Metformin inhibits Branched Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) derived ketoacidosis and promotes metabolic homeostasis in MSUD
Authors: Sonnet Davis S. , O’Leary Monique N. , A. Gutierrez Mark , Nguyen Steven M. , Mateen Samiha , Hsu Yuehmei , P. Mitchell Kylie , J. Lopez Antonio , Vockley Jerry , Kennedy Brian K. , Ramanathan Arvind
Published: July 2016

Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) is an inherited disorder caused by the dysfunction in the branched chain keto-acid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) enzyme. This leads to buildup of branched-chain keto-acids (BCKA) and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) in body fluids (e.g. keto-isocaproic acid from the BCAA leucine), leading to numerous clinical features including a less understood skeletal muscle dysfunction in patients. KIC is an inhibitor of mitochondrial function at disease relevant concentrations. A murine model of intermediate MSUD (iMSUD) shows significant skeletal muscle dysfunction as by judged decreased muscle fiber diameter. MSUD is an orphan disease with a need for novel drug interventions. Here using a 96-well plate (liquid chromatography- mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based drug-screening platform we show that Metformin, a widely used anti-diabetic drug, reduces levels of KIC in patient-derived fibroblasts by 20–50%. This Metformin-mediated effect was conserved in vivo; Metformin-treatment significantly reduced levels of KIC in the muscle (by 69%) and serum (by 56%) isolated from iMSUD mice and restored levels of mitochondrial metabolites (e.g. AMP and other TCA). The drug also decreased the expression of mitochondrial branched chain amino transferase (BCAT) which produces KIC in skeletal muscle. This suggests that Metformin can restore skeletal muscle homeostasis in MSUD by decreasing mitochondrial KIC production.
Surviving but not thriving: inconsistent responses of zooxanthellate jellyfish polyps to ocean warming and future UV-B scenarios
Authors: Klein Shannon G. , Pitt Kylie A. , Carroll Anthony R.
Published: July 2016

Complex changes to UV radiation at the Earth’s surface are occurring concurrently with ocean warming. Despite few empirical tests, jellyfish are hypothesised to be increasing in some parts of the world because they are robust to environmental stressors. Here we examine the effects of UV-B and ocean warming projections on zooxanthellate jellyfish polyps. We exposed Cassiopea sp. polyps to three levels of UV-B (future-low (1.43 Wm2), current (1.60 Wm2), future-high (1.77 Wm2)) and two levels of temperature (current-day (25 °C) and future (28 °C)) over 6 weeks. The intensity of UV-B was varied throughout the day to mimic diel variation in UV-B irradiance. Polyp survival, asexual reproduction and YII were measured. In the current and future-high UV-B treatments, more polyps were produced in 25 °C than 28 °C. This pattern, however, was reversed under future-low UV-B conditions, where more polyps were produced at 28 °C. YII was highest under current summer conditions and future conditions of low UV-B and increased temperature. YII, however, was reduced under high UV-B conditions but was further reduced with warming. Our results suggest that although Cassiopea polyps may survive elevated UV-B and warming conditions, they are unlikely to thrive. If, however, UV-B radiation decreases then ocean warming may facilitate increases in Cassiopea populations.
Nucleolin interacts with influenza A nucleoprotein and contributes to viral ribonucleoprotein complexes nuclear trafficking and efficient influenza viral replication
Authors: Terrier Olivier , Carron Coralie , De Chassey Benoît , Dubois Julia , Traversier Aurélien , Julien Thomas , Cartet Gaëlle , Proust Anaïs , Hacot Sabine , Ressnikoff Denis , Lotteau Vincent , Lina Bruno , Diaz Jean-Jacques , Moules Vincent , Rosa-Calatrava Manuel
Published: July 2016

Influenza viruses replicate their single-stranded RNA genomes in the nucleus of infected cells and these replicated genomes (vRNPs) are then exported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and plasma membrane before budding. To achieve this export, influenza viruses hijack the host cell export machinery. However, the complete mechanisms underlying this hijacking remain not fully understood. We have previously shown that influenza viruses induce a marked alteration of the nucleus during the time-course of infection and notably in the nucleolar compartment. In this study, we discovered that a major nucleolar component, called nucleolin, is required for an efficient export of vRNPs and viral replication. We have notably shown that nucleolin interacts with the viral nucleoprotein (NP) that mainly constitutes vRNPs. Our results suggest that this interaction could allow vRNPs to “catch” the host cell export machinery, a necessary step for viral replication.