bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maternal abuse history and reduced fetal heart rate variability: Abuse-related sleep disturbance is a mediator
Authors: Gustafsson Hanna , Doyle Colleen , Gilchrist Michelle , Werner Elizabeth , Monk Catherine
Published: October 2016

The consequences of childhood maltreatment are profound and long lasting. Not only does the victim of abuse suffer as a child, but there is mounting evidence that a history of maltreatment places the next generation at risk for significant psychopathology. Research identifies postnatal factors as affecting this intergenerational transmission of trauma. However, emerging evidence suggests that part of this risk may be transmitted before birth, passed on via abuse-related alterations in the in utero environment that are as yet largely unidentified. To date, no study has directly assessed the influence of pregnant women's abuse history on fetal neurobehavioral development, nor considered trauma-associated poor sleep quality as a mediator reflecting established physiological dysregulation. Using data from 262 pregnant adolescents (ages 14–19), a population at elevated risk for childhood maltreatment, the current study examined maternal emotional abuse history and sleep quality in relation to third-trimester fetal resting heart rate variability, an index of parasympathetic nervous system functioning. The results indicate that maternal emotional abuse history is indirectly associated with lower fetal heart rate variability via abuse-related sleep disturbances. These data demonstrate an association between maternal abuse histories and fetal development, showing that at least part of the intergenerational transmission of risk occurs during pregnancy.
‘With Rome and with Moscow’: Italian Catholic Communism and Anti-Fascist Exile
Authors: BALDOLI CLAUDIA
Published: October 2016

This article aims to explore the interplay between religion and political radicalism in Europe by focusing on the case of Italian ‘White Leagues’ (Catholic trade unions) in the interwar period. Interest in this movement stems partly from the opinion that the understanding of politics in early twentieth-century Europe has often been distorted by the historiographical focus on the political polarisation between communism and fascism, which has led to the neglect of the complex ideological area in between. The article will focus in particular on the main organiser of the peasant ‘White’ unions in Italy, Guido Miglioli. He developed a network of political contacts across Europe with the aim of resuscitating the anti-fascist struggle in Italy and launching a campaign for the liberation of the peasantry. This was to be achieved through a European peasant International that would draw from the Soviet example while maintaining its Christian roots.
Museums and the Nostalgic Self
Authors: Levine Michael P.
Published: October 2016

The first part of this essay asks: What is the function, purpose and value of a museum? Has any museologist or philosopher given a credible account of philosophical problems associated with museums? Is there any set of properties shared by the diverse entities called museums? Overgeneralization is the principal problem here. The essay then examines a central kind of museum experience; one that invokes and relies upon nostalgia. I argue that the attraction of museums are varied but are best explained affectively and in terms of the orectic (appetitive, desiderative, wishing) rather than cognitively conatively (willing, deciding). Although this need not be taken as conflicting with the idea that museums are focused on scholarship, it is more consonant with the claim that exhibitions are central. Museums may at times both pique and satisfy our curiosity. However it is a mistake to see ‘curiosity’ as merely, or even primarily, a matter of cognition.
People and Things: Questions Museums Make us Ask and Answer
Authors: Rodrigues Alda
Published: October 2016

This chapter first analyzes two texts in the tradition of essays which associate museums with the notion of displacement: Moral Considerations on the Destination of Works of Art, by Quatremère de Quincy, and ‘The Origin of the Work of Art’, by Heidegger. Both authors claim that a work of art is not only a material object but also a centre of practices, values, beliefs, traditions, memories, and so on. I argue that, insofar as a work of art can be the centre of this type of network in a museum, the description of art these authors propose defeats their own claims against museums. In the second part, I suggest that Heidegger's and Quatremère's descriptions of the role of art can be articulated with the help of Donald Davidson's understanding of the interconnection between the material world and human concepts. As Davidson sees it, things and people can only be described in relation to the other particular persons, objects, events and places they are connected to. From this perspective, the subjective, the objective and the intersubjective cannot be grasped independently. Museums stage this interconnection and can, therefore, be regarded as philosophical instruments that may help us describe things and, by extension, also ourselves.
An Honest Display of Fakery: Replicas and the Role of Museums
Authors: Sandis Constantine
Published: October 2016

This essay brings together questions from aesthetic theory and museum management. In particular, I relate a contextualist account of the value of copies to a pluralistic understanding of the purpose of museums. I begin by offering a new defence of the no longer fashionable view that the aesthetic (as opposed to the ethical, personal, monetary, historical, or other) value of artworks may be detached from questions regarding their provenance. My argument is partly based on a distinction between the process of creating a work of art and the artwork in question.

Next, I defend a pluralism about the purpose of museums and their exhibitions. I combine this with a pluralist account of the value of replicas which falls out of the above argument, exposing our preference for originality as being frequently fetishistic. I maintain that the importance of the provenance of artworks is relative to the specific purposes of any given exhibition or museum. Those that are primarily educational (such as encyclopaedic ones) are in many cases best served with high-quality replicas. This view may be extended to artefacts that are not artworks, such as fossils and dinosaur skeletons. Finally, I expound the variety of roles that replicas may play in museums and relate these to notions of authenticity.
OPTIMAL DECISION MAKING FOR ONLINE AND OFFLINE RETAILERS UNDER BOPS MODE
Authors: CHEN XINGRAN , LIU YONGMEI , WAN ZHONG
Published: October 2016

As a new business form, the buy-online and pick-up-in-store (BOPS) mode allows consumers to pay for goods online and pick them up in a physical store. In this paper, an equilibrium model is constructed to formulate an optimal decision-making problem for online and offline retailers under the BOPS mode, where the online retailer determines the retail price of the goods and the consignment quantity in a physical store, while the offline retailer chooses the revenue share of profit by a consignment contract. Different to the existing models, the cost of overstocking and loss of understocking are incorporated into the profit function of the online retailer due to the randomness of demand. For the objective function of the offline retailer, the cross-sale quantity generated by the BOPS mode is taken into account. Then the game between the online and offline retailers is expressed as a stochastic Nash equilibrium model. Based on the analytic properties of the model, necessary conditions for the equilibrium solution are obtained. A case study and sensitivity analysis are employed to reveal the managerial implications of the model, which can provide a number of valuable suggestions on optimizing the strategies for the online and offline retailers under the BOPS mode.
Anytime answer set optimization via unsatisfiable core shrinking
Authors: ALVIANO MARIO , DODARO CARMINE
Published: October 2016

Unsatisfiable core analysis can boost the computation of optimum stable models for logic programs with weak constraints. However, current solvers employing unsatisfiable core analysis either run to completion, or provide no suboptimal stable models but the one resulting from the preliminary disjoint cores analysis. This drawback is circumvented here by introducing a progression based shrinking of the analyzed unsatisfiable cores. In fact, suboptimal stable models are possibly found while shrinking unsatisfiable cores, hence resulting into an anytime algorithm. Moreover, as confirmed empirically, unsatisfiable core analysis also benefits from the shrinking process in terms of solved instances.
Online learning of event definitions
Authors: KATZOURIS NIKOS , ARTIKIS ALEXANDER , PALIOURAS GEORGIOS
Published: October 2016

Systems for symbolic event recognition infer occurrences of events in time using a set of event definitions in the form of first-order rules. The Event Calculus is a temporal logic that has been used as a basis in event recognition applications, providing among others, direct connections to machine learning, via Inductive Logic Programming (ILP). We present an ILP system for online learning of Event Calculus theories. To allow for a single-pass learning strategy, we use the Hoeffding bound for evaluating clauses on a subset of the input stream. We employ a decoupling scheme of the Event Calculus axioms during the learning process, that allows to learn each clause in isolation. Moreover, we use abductive-inductive logic programming techniques to handle unobserved target predicates. We evaluate our approach on an activity recognition application and compare it to a number of batch learning techniques. We obtain results of comparable predicative accuracy with significant speed-ups in training time. We also outperform hand-crafted rules and match the performance of a sound incremental learner that can only operate on noise-free datasets.
Paraconsistency and word puzzles
Authors: GAO TIANTIAN , FODOR PAUL , KIFER MICHAEL
Published: October 2016

Word puzzles and the problem of their representations in logic languages have received considerable attention in the last decade (Ponnuruet al. 2004; Shapiro 2011; Baral and Dzifcak 2012; Schwitter 2013). Of special interest is the problem of generating such representations directly from natural language (NL) or controlled natural language (CNL). An interesting variation of this problem, and to the best of our knowledge, scarcely explored variation in this context, is when the input information is inconsistent. In such situations, the existing encodings of word puzzles produce inconsistent representations and break down. In this paper, we bring the well-known type of paraconsistent logics, calledAnnotated Predicate Calculus(APC) (Kifer and Lozinskii 1992), to bear on the problem. We introduce a new kind of non-monotonic semantics for APC, calledconsistency preferred stable modelsand argue that it makes APC into a suitable platform for dealing with inconsistency in word puzzles and, more generally, in NL sentences. We also devise a number of general principles to help the user choose among the different representations of NL sentences, which might seem equivalent but, in fact, behave differently when inconsistent information is taken into account. These principles can be incorporated into existing CNL translators, such as Attempto Controlled English (ACE) (Fuchset al. 2008) and PENG Light (White and Schwitter 2009). Finally, we show that APC with the consistency preferred stable model semantics can be equivalently embedded in ASP with preferences over stable models, and we use this embedding to implement this version of APC in Clingo (Gebseret al. 2011) and its Asprin add-on (Brewkaet al. 2015).
Iterative Learning of Answer Set Programs from Context Dependent Examples
Authors: LAW MARK , RUSSO ALESSANDRA , BRODA KRYSIA
Published: October 2016

In recent years, several frameworks and systems have been proposed that extend Inductive Logic Programming (ILP) to the Answer Set Programming (ASP) paradigm. In ILP, examples must all be explained by a hypothesis together with a given background knowledge. In existing systems, the background knowledge is the same for all examples; however, examples may be context-dependent. This means that some examples should be explained in the context of some information, whereas others should be explained in different contexts. In this paper, we capture this notion and present a context-dependent extension of theLearning from Ordered Answer Setsframework. In this extension, contexts can be used to further structure the background knowledge. We then propose a new iterative algorithm, ILASP2i, which exploits this feature to scale up the existing ILASP2 system to learning tasks with large numbers of examples. We demonstrate the gain in scalability by applying both algorithms to various learning tasks. Our results show that, compared to ILASP2, the newly proposed ILASP2i system can be two orders of magnitude faster and use two orders of magnitude less memory, whilst preserving the same average accuracy.
CoreALMlib: An library translated from the Component Library
Authors: INCLEZAN DANIELA
Published: October 2016

This paper presents CoreALMlib, an $\mathscr{ALM}$ library of commonsense knowledge about dynamic domains. The library was obtained by translating part of the Component Library (CLib) into the modular action language $\mathscr{ALM}$. CLib consists of general reusable and composable commonsense concepts, selected based on a thorough study of ontological and lexical resources. Our translation targets CLibstates (i.e., fluents) and actions. The resulting $\mathscr{ALM}$ library contains the descriptions of 123 action classes grouped into 43 reusable modules that are organized into a hierarchy. It is made available online and of interest to researchers in the action language, answer-set programming, and natural language understanding communities. We believe that our translation has two main advantages over its CLib counterpart: (i) it specifies axioms about actions in a more elaboration tolerant and readable way, and (ii) it can be seamlessly integrated with ASP reasoning algorithms (e.g., for planning and postdiction). In contrast, axioms are described in CLib using STRIPS-like operators, and CLib's inference engine cannot handle planning nor postdiction.
ASP for minimal entailment in a rational extension of SROEL
Authors: GIORDANO LAURA , DUPRÉ DANIELE THESEIDER
Published: October 2016

In this paper we exploit Answer Set Programming (ASP) for reasoning in a rational extensionSROEL(⊓,×)RTof the low complexity description logicSROEL(⊓, ×), which underlies the OWL EL ontology language. In the extended language, a typicality operatorTis allowed to define conceptsT(C) (typicalC's) under a rational semantics. It has been proven that instance checking under rational entailment has a polynomial complexity. To strengthen rational entailment, in this paper we consider a minimal model semantics. We show that, for arbitrarySROEL(⊓,×)RTknowledge bases, instance checking under minimal entailment is ΠP2-complete. Relying on a Small Model result, where models correspond to answer sets of a suitable ASP encoding, we exploit Answer Set Preferences (and, in particular, theasprinframework) for reasoning under minimal entailment.
Deriving conclusions from non-monotonic cause-effect relations
Authors: FANDINNO JORGE
Published: October 2016

We present an extension of Logic Programming (under stable models semantics) that, not only allows concluding whether a true atom is a cause of another atom, but alsoderiving new conclusionsfrom these causal-effect relations. This is expressive enough to capture informal rules like “if some agent's actionshave beennecessaryto cause an eventEthen conclude atomcaused(,E),” something that, to the best of our knowledge, had not been formalised in the literature. To this aim, we start from a first attempt that proposed extending the syntax of logic programs with so-calledcausal literals. These causal literals are expressions that can be used in rule bodies and allow inspecting the derivation of some atomAin the program with respect to some query function ψ. Depending on how these query functions are defined, we can model different types of causal relations such as sufficient, necessary or contributory causes, for instance. The initial approach was specifically focused on monotonic query functions. This was enough to cover sufficient cause-effect relations but, unfortunately, necessary and contributory are essentiallynon-monotonic. In this work, we define a semantics for non-monotonic causal literals showing that, not only extends the stable model semantics for normal logic programs, but also preserves many of its usual desirable properties for the extended syntax. Using this new semantics, we provide precise definitions ofnecessaryandcontributorycausal relations and briefly explain their behaviour on a pair of typical examples from the Knowledge Representation literature.
Does WTO Accession Help Domestic Reform? The Political Economy of SOE Reform Backsliding in Vietnam
Authors: VU-THANH TU-ANH
Published: October 2016

Conventional wisdom holds that international trade agreements can serve as a source of external pressure and credible commitment to overcome opposition and to lock in domestic economic reforms. This belief, however, underestimates the ability of politicians not only to circumvent these pressures, but to leverage international trade agreements to advance their own policy preferences – preferences that may be highly anti-reformist. Thus, trade agreements do not necessarily induce reforms and, in certain circumstances, they can even be counterproductive. Through an analysis of aggregate data and 40 interviews with senior politicians, government officials, and state-owned enterprise managers in Vietnam, this paper illustrates these insights by analyzing the political economy of SOE reform backsliding on the eve of Vietnam's accession to the WTO.
Enhancing electric-field control of ferromagnetism through nanoscale engineering of high-Tc MnxGe1−x nanomesh
Authors: Nie Tianxiao , Tang Jianshi , Kou Xufeng , Gen Yin , Lee Shengwei , Zhu Xiaodan , He Qinglin , Chang Li-Te , Murata Koichi , Fan Yabin , Wang Kang L.
Published: October 2016

Voltage control of magnetism in ferromagnetic semiconductor has emerged as an appealing solution to significantly reduce the power dissipation and variability beyond current CMOS technology. However, it has been proven to be very challenging to achieve a candidate with high Curie temperature (Tc), controllable ferromagnetism and easy integration with current Si technology. Here we report the effective electric-field control of both ferromagnetism and magnetoresistance in unique MnxGe1−x nanomeshes fabricated by nanosphere lithography, in which a Tc above 400 K is demonstrated as a result of size/quantum confinement. Furthermore, by adjusting Mn doping concentration, extremely giant magnetoresistance is realized from ∼8,000% at 30 K to 75% at 300 K at 4 T, which arises from a geometrically enhanced magnetoresistance effect of the unique mesh structure. Our results may provide a paradigm for fundamentally understanding the high Tc in ferromagnetic semiconductor nanostructure and realizing electric-field control of magnetoresistance for future spintronic applications.
Quantitative interaction mapping reveals an extended UBX domain in ASPL that disrupts functional p97 hexamers
Authors: Arumughan Anup , Roske Yvette , Barth Carolin , Forero Laura Lleras , Bravo-Rodriguez Kenny , Redel Alexandra , Kostova Simona , McShane Erik , Opitz Robert , Faelber Katja , Rau Kirstin , Mielke Thorsten , Daumke Oliver , Selbach Matthias , Sanchez-Garcia Elsa , Rocks Oliver , Panáková Daniela , Heinemann Udo , Wanker Erich E.
Published: October 2016

Interaction mapping is a powerful strategy to elucidate the biological function of protein assemblies and their regulators. Here, we report the generation of a quantitative interaction network, directly linking 14 human proteins to the AAA+ ATPase p97, an essential hexameric protein with multiple cellular functions. We show that the high-affinity interacting protein ASPL efficiently promotes p97 hexamer disassembly, resulting in the formation of stable p97:ASPL heterotetramers. High-resolution structural and biochemical studies indicate that an extended UBX domain (eUBX) in ASPL is critical for p97 hexamer disassembly and facilitates the assembly of p97:ASPL heterotetramers. This spontaneous process is accompanied by a reorientation of the D2 ATPase domain in p97 and a loss of its activity. Finally, we demonstrate that overproduction of ASPL disrupts p97 hexamer function in ERAD and that engineered eUBX polypeptides can induce cell death, providing a rationale for developing anti-cancer polypeptide inhibitors that may target p97 activity.
TREM-1 links dyslipidemia to inflammation and lipid deposition in atherosclerosis
Authors: Zysset Daniel , Weber Benjamin , Rihs Silvia , Brasseit Jennifer , Freigang Stefan , Riether Carsten , Banz Yara , Cerwenka Adelheid , Simillion Cedric , Marques-Vidal Pedro , Ochsenbein Adrian F. , Saurer Leslie , Mueller Christoph
Published: October 2016

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) is a potent amplifier of pro-inflammatory innate immune responses, but its significance in non-infectious diseases remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that TREM-1 promotes cardiovascular disease by exacerbating atherosclerosis. TREM-1 is expressed in advanced human atheromas and is highly upregulated under dyslipidemic conditions on circulating and on lesion-infiltrating myeloid cells in the Apoe−/− mouse model. TREM-1 strongly contributes to high-fat, high-cholesterol diet (HFCD)-induced monocytosis and synergizes with HFCD serum-derived factors to promote pro-inflammatory cytokine responses and foam cell formation of human monocyte/macrophages. Trem1−/−Apoe−/− mice exhibit substantially attenuated diet-induced atherogenesis. In particular, our results identify skewed monocyte differentiation and enhanced lipid accumulation as novel mechanisms through which TREM-1 can promote atherosclerosis. Collectively, our findings illustrate that dyslipidemia induces TREM-1 surface expression on myeloid cells and subsequently synergizes with TREM-1 to enhance monopoiesis, pro-atherogenic cytokine production and foam cell formation.
Single-catalyst high-weight% hydrogen storage in an N-heterocycle synthesized from lignin hydrogenolysis products and ammonia
Authors: Forberg Daniel , Schwob Tobias , Zaheer Muhammad , Friedrich Martin , Miyajima Nobuyoshi , Kempe Rhett
Published: October 2016

Large-scale energy storage and the utilization of biomass as a sustainable carbon source are global challenges of this century. The reversible storage of hydrogen covalently bound in chemical compounds is a particularly promising energy storage technology. For this, compounds that can be sustainably synthesized and that permit high-weight% hydrogen storage would be highly desirable. Herein, we report that catalytically modified lignin, an indigestible, abundantly available and hitherto barely used biomass, can be harnessed to reversibly store hydrogen. A novel reusable bimetallic catalyst has been developed, which is able to hydrogenate and dehydrogenate N-heterocycles most efficiently. Furthermore, a particular N-heterocycle has been identified that can be synthesized catalytically in one step from the main lignin hydrogenolysis product and ammonia, and in which the new bimetallic catalyst allows multiple cycles of high-weight% hydrogen storage.
New Australian sauropods shed light on Cretaceous dinosaur palaeobiogeography
Authors: Poropat Stephen F. , Mannion Philip D. , Upchurch Paul , Hocknull Scott A. , Kear Benjamin P. , Kundrát Martin , Tischler Travis R. , Sloan Trish , Sinapius George H. K. , Elliott Judy A. , Elliott David A.
Published: October 2016

Australian dinosaurs have played a rare but controversial role in the debate surrounding the effect of Gondwanan break-up on Cretaceous dinosaur distribution. Major spatiotemporal gaps in the Gondwanan Cretaceous fossil record, coupled with taxon incompleteness, have hindered research on this effect, especially in Australia. Here we report on two new sauropod specimens from the early Late Cretaceous of Queensland, Australia, that have important implications for Cretaceous dinosaur palaeobiogeography. Savannasaurus elliottorum gen. et sp. nov. comprises one of the most complete Cretaceous sauropod skeletons ever found in Australia, whereas a new specimen of Diamantinasaurus matildae includes the first ever cranial remains of an Australian sauropod. The results of a new phylogenetic analysis, in which both Savannasaurus and Diamantinasaurus are recovered within Titanosauria, were used as the basis for a quantitative palaeobiogeographical analysis of macronarian sauropods. Titanosaurs achieved a worldwide distribution by at least 125 million years ago, suggesting that mid-Cretaceous Australian sauropods represent remnants of clades which were widespread during the Early Cretaceous. These lineages would have entered Australasia via dispersal from South America, presumably across Antarctica. High latitude sauropod dispersal might have been facilitated by Albian–Turonian warming that lifted a palaeoclimatic dispersal barrier between Antarctica and South America.
Midbrain Gene Screening Identifies a New Mesoaccumbal Glutamatergic Pathway and a Marker for Dopamine Cells Neuroprotected in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Viereckel Thomas , Dumas Sylvie , Smith-Anttila Casey J. A. , Vlcek Bianca , Bimpisidis Zisis , Lagerström Malin C. , Konradsson-Geuken Åsa , Wallén-Mackenzie Åsa
Published: October 2016

The ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) of the midbrain are associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), schizophrenia, mood disorders and addiction. Based on the recently unraveled heterogeneity within the VTA and SNc, where glutamate, GABA and co-releasing neurons have been found to co-exist with the classical dopamine neurons, there is a compelling need for identification of gene expression patterns that represent this heterogeneity and that are of value for development of human therapies. Here, several unique gene expression patterns were identified in the mouse midbrain of which NeuroD6 and Grp were expressed within different dopaminergic subpopulations of the VTA, and TrpV1 within a small heterogeneous population. Optogenetics-coupled in vivo amperometry revealed a previously unknown glutamatergic mesoaccumbal pathway characterized by TrpV1-Cre-expression. Human GRP was strongly detected in non-melanized dopaminergic neurons within the SNc of both control and PD brains, suggesting GRP as a marker for neuroprotected neurons in PD. This study thus unravels markers for distinct subpopulations of neurons within the mouse and human midbrain, defines unique anatomical subregions within the VTA and exposes an entirely new glutamatergic pathway. Finally, both TRPV1 and GRP are implied in midbrain physiology of importance to neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Flaky FeSiAl alloy-carbon nanotube composite with tunable electromagnetic properties for microwave absorption
Authors: Huang Lina , Liu Xiaofang , Chuai Dan , Chen Yaxin , Yu Ronghai
Published: October 2016

Flaky FeSiAl alloy/multi-wall carbon nanotube (FeSiAl/MWCNT) composite was fabricated by facile and scalable ball milling method. The morphology and electromagnetic properties of the FeSiAl alloy can be well tuned by controlling the milling time. It is found that the magnetic loss of the FeSiAl alloy is improved by optimizing the milling time due to the increased anisotropy field. Meanwhile the addition of MWCNTs enhances the dielectric loss of the composite by increasing the interfacial polarizations, dipolar polarizations and conductive paths. Relative to conventional FeSiAl absorbers, the FeSiAl/MWCNT composite exhibits greatly improved microwave absorption performance with advantages of strong absorption and small thickness. The minimum reflection loss of the composite reaches −42.8 dB at 12.3 GHz at a very thin thickness of 1.9 mm.
Application of Targeted Mass Spectrometry for the Quantification of Sirtuins in the Central Nervous System
Authors: Jayasena T. , Poljak A. , Braidy N. , Zhong L. , Rowlands B. , Muenchhoff J. , Grant R. , Smythe G. , Teo C. , Raftery M. , Sachdev P.
Published: October 2016

Sirtuin proteins have a variety of intracellular targets, thereby regulating multiple biological pathways including neurodegeneration. However, relatively little is currently known about the role or expression of the 7 mammalian sirtuins in the central nervous system. Western blotting, PCR and ELISA are the main techniques currently used to measure sirtuin levels. To achieve sufficient sensitivity and selectivity in a multiplex-format, a targeted mass spectrometric assay was developed and validated for the quantification of all seven mammalian sirtuins (SIRT1-7). Quantification of all peptides was by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) using three mass transitions per protein-specific peptide, two specific peptides for each sirtuin and a stable isotope labelled internal standard. The assay was applied to a variety of samples including cultured brain cells, mammalian brain tissue, CSF and plasma. All sirtuin peptides were detected in the human brain, with SIRT2 being the most abundant. Sirtuins were also detected in human CSF and plasma, and guinea pig and mouse tissues. In conclusion, we have successfully applied MRM mass spectrometry for the detection and quantification of sirtuin proteins in the central nervous system, paving the way for more quantitative and functional studies.
Widespread occurrence of lysine methylation in Plasmodium falciparum proteins at asexual blood stages
Authors: Kaur Inderjeet , Zeeshan Mohammad , Saini Ekta , Kaushik Abhinav , Mohmmed Asif , Gupta Dinesh , Malhotra Pawan
Published: October 2016

Post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications play a major role in Plasmodium life cycle regulation. Lysine methylation of histone proteins is well documented in several organisms, however in recent years lysine methylation of proteins outside histone code is emerging out as an important post-translational modification (PTM). In the present study we have performed global analysis of lysine methylation of proteins in asexual blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum development. We immunoprecipitated stage specific Plasmodium lysates using anti-methyl lysine specific antibodies that immunostained the asexual blood stage parasites. Using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry analysis, 570 lysine methylated proteins at three different blood stages were identified. Analysis of the peptide sequences identified 605 methylated sites within 422 proteins. Functional classification of the methylated proteins revealed that the proteins are mainly involved in nucleotide metabolic processes, chromatin organization, transport, homeostatic processes and protein folding. The motif analysis of the methylated lysine peptides reveals novel motifs. Many of the identified lysine methylated proteins are also interacting partners/substrates of PfSET domain proteins as revealed by STRING database analysis. Our findings suggest that the protein methylation at lysine residues is widespread in Plasmodium and plays an important regulatory role in diverse set of the parasite pathways.
Interferon Regulatory Factor 4 controls TH1 cell effector function and metabolism
Authors: Mahnke Justus , Schumacher Valéa , Ahrens Stefanie , Käding Nadja , Feldhoff Lea Marie , Huber Magdalena , Rupp Jan , Raczkowski Friederike , Mittrücker Hans-Willi
Published: October 2016

The transcription factor Interferon Regulatory Factor 4 (IRF4) is essential for TH2 and TH17 cell formation and controls peripheral CD8+ T cell differentiation. We used Listeria monocytogenes infection to characterize the function of IRF4 in TH1 responses. IRF4−/− mice generated only marginal numbers of listeria-specific TH1 cells. After transfer into infected mice, IRF4−/− CD4+ T cells failed to differentiate into TH1 cells as indicated by reduced T-bet and IFN-γ expression, and showed limited proliferation. Activated IRF4−/− CD4+ T cells exhibited diminished uptake of the glucose analog 2-NBDG, limited oxidative phosphorylation and strongly reduced aerobic glycolysis. Insufficient metabolic adaptation contributed to the limited proliferation and TH1 differentiation of IRF4−/− CD4+ T cells. Our study identifies IRF4 as central regulator of TH1 responses and cellular metabolism. We propose that this function of IRF4 is fundamental for the initiation and maintenance of all TH cell responses.
DCE-MRI Perfusion and Permeability Parameters as predictors of tumor response to CCRT in Patients with locally advanced NSCLC
Authors: Tao Xiuli , Wang Lvhua , Hui Zhouguang , Liu Li , Ye Feng , Song Ying , Tang Yu , Men Yu , Lambrou Tryphon , Su Zihua , Xu Xiao , Ouyang Han , Wu Ning
Published: October 2016

In this prospective study, 36 patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), who underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) before concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT) were enrolled. Pharmacokinetic analysis was carried out after non-rigid motion registration. The perfusion parameters [including Blood Flow (BF), Blood Volume (BV), Mean Transit Time (MTT)] and permeability parameters [including endothelial transfer constant (Ktrans), reflux rate (Kep), fractional extravascular extracellular space volume (Ve), fractional plasma volume (Vp)] were calculated, and their relationship with tumor regression was evaluated. The value of these parameters on predicting responders were calculated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to find the independent variables. Tumor regression rate is negatively correlated with Ve and its standard variation Ve_SD and positively correlated with Ktrans and Kep. Significant differences between responders and non-responders existed in Ktrans, Kep, Ve, Ve_SD, MTT, BV_SD and MTT_SD (P < 0.05). ROC indicated that Ve < 0.24 gave the largest area under curve of 0.865 to predict responders. Multivariate logistic regression analysis also showed Ve was a significant predictor. Baseline perfusion and permeability parameters calculated from DCE-MRI were seen to be a viable tool for predicting the early treatment response after CCRT of NSCLC.
Reconfigurable Complementary Logic Circuits with Ambipolar Organic Transistors
Authors: Yoo Hocheon , Ghittorelli Matteo , Smits Edsger C. P. , Gelinck Gerwin H. , Lee Han-Koo , Torricelli Fabrizio , Kim Jae-Joon
Published: October 2016

Ambipolar organic electronics offer great potential for simple and low-cost fabrication of complementary logic circuits on large-area and mechanically flexible substrates. Ambipolar transistors are ideal candidates for the simple and low-cost development of complementary logic circuits since they can operate as n-type and p-type transistors. Nevertheless, the experimental demonstration of ambipolar organic complementary circuits is limited to inverters. The control of the transistor polarity is crucial for proper circuit operation. Novel gating techniques enable to control the transistor polarity but result in dramatically reduced performances. Here we show high-performance non-planar ambipolar organic transistors with electrical control of the polarity and orders of magnitude higher performances with respect to state-of-art split-gate ambipolar transistors. Electrically reconfigurable complementary logic gates based on ambipolar organic transistors are experimentally demonstrated, thus opening up new opportunities for ambipolar organic complementary electronics.
Quantitative analysis of echogenicity for patients with thyroid nodules
Authors: Wu Ming-Hsun , Chen Chiung-Nien , Chen Kuen-Yuan , Ho Ming-Chih , Tai Hao-Chih , Wang Yu-Hsin , Chen Argon , Chang King-Jen
Published: October 2016

Hypoechogenicity has been described qualitatively and is potentially subject to intra- and inter-observer variability. The aim of this study was to clarify whether quantitative echoic indexes (EIs) are useful for the detection of malignant thyroid nodules. Overall, 333 participants with 411 nodules were included in the final analysis. Quantification of echogenicity was performed using commercial software (AmCAD-UT; AmCad BioMed, Taiwan). The coordinates of three defined regions, the nodule, thyroid parenchyma, and strap muscle regions, were recorded in the database separately for subsequent analysis. And the results showed that ultrasound echogenicity (US-E), as assessed by clinicians, defined hypoechogenicity as an independent factor for malignancy. The EI, adjusted EI (EIN-T; EIN-M) and automatic EI(N-R)/R values between benign and malignant nodules were all significantly different, with lower values for malignant nodules. All of the EIs showed similar percentages of sensitivity and specificity and had better accuracies than US-E. In conclusion, the proposed quantitative EI seems more promising to constitute an important advancement than the conventional qualitative US-E in allowing for a more reliable distinction between benign and malignant thyroid nodules.
Electromagnetic Model Reliably Predicts Radar Scattering Characteristics of Airborne Organisms
Authors: Mirkovic Djordje , Stepanian Phillip M. , Kelly Jeffrey F. , Chilson Phillip B.
Published: October 2016

The radar scattering characteristics of aerial animals are typically obtained from controlled laboratory measurements of a freshly harvested specimen. These measurements are tedious to perform, difficult to replicate, and typically yield only a small subset of the full azimuthal, elevational, and polarimetric radio scattering data. As an alternative, biological applications of radar often assume that the radar cross sections of flying animals are isotropic, since sophisticated computer models are required to estimate the 3D scattering properties of objects having complex shapes. Using the method of moments implemented in the WIPL-D software package, we show for the first time that such electromagnetic modeling techniques (typically applied to man-made objects) can accurately predict organismal radio scattering characteristics from an anatomical model: here the Brazilian free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis). The simulated scattering properties of the bat agree with controlled measurements and radar observations made during a field study of bats in flight. This numerical technique can produce the full angular set of quantitative polarimetric scattering characteristics, while eliminating many practical difficulties associated with physical measurements. Such a modeling framework can be applied for bird, bat, and insect species, and will help drive a shift in radar biology from a largely qualitative and phenomenological science toward quantitative estimation of animal densities and taxonomic identification.
Comparative profiling of microRNAs in the winged and wingless English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.) (Homoptera: Aphididae)
Authors: Li Xiangrui , Zhang Fangmei , Coates Brad , Zhang Yunhui , Zhou Xuguo , Cheng Dengfa
Published: October 2016

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short single-stranded non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression, particularly during development. In this study, 345 miRNAs were identified from the English green aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.), of which 168 were conserved and 177 were S. avenae-specific. Quantitative comparison of miRNA expression levels indicated that 16 and 12 miRNAs were significantly up-regulated in winged and wingless S. avenae small RNA libraries, respectively. Differential expression of these miRNAs was confirmed by real-time quantitative RT-PCR validation. The putative transcript targets for these candidate miRNAs were predicted based on sequences from a model species Drosophila melanogaster and four aphid species Acyrthosiphon pisum, Myzus persicae, Toxoptera citricida, and Aphis gosspii. Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway analyses shed light on the potential functions of these miRNAs in the regulation of genes involved in the metabolism, development and wing polyphenism of S. avenae.
Machine-learned pattern identification in olfactory subtest results
Authors: Lötsch Jörn , Hummel Thomas , Ultsch Alfred
Published: October 2016

The human sense of smell is often analyzed as being composed of three main components comprising olfactory threshold, odor discrimination and the ability to identify odors. A relevant distinction of the three components and their differential changes in distinct disorders remains a research focus. The present data-driven analysis aimed at establishing a cluster structure in the pattern of olfactory subtest results. Therefore, unsupervised machine-learning was applied onto olfactory subtest results acquired in 10,714 subjects with nine different olfactory pathologies. Using the U-matrix, Emergent Self-organizing feature maps (ESOM) identified three different clusters characterized by (i) low threshold and good discrimination and identification, (ii) very high threshold associated with absent to poor discrimination and identification ability, or (iii) medium threshold, i.e., in the mid-range of possible thresholds, associated with reduced discrimination and identification ability. Specific etiologies of olfactory (dys)function were unequally represented in the clusters (p < 2.2 · 10−16). Patients with congenital anosmia were overrepresented in the second cluster while subjects with postinfectious olfactory dysfunction belonged frequently to the third cluster. However, the clusters provided no clear separation between etiologies. Hence, the present verification of a distinct cluster structure encourages continued scientific efforts at olfactory test pattern recognition.
Aggregation of soy protein-isoflavone complexes and gel formation induced by glucono-δ-lactone in soymilk
Authors: Hsia Sheng-Yang , Hsiao Yu-Hsuan , Li Wen-Tai , Hsieh Jung-Feng
Published: October 2016

This study investigated the glucono-δ-lactone (GDL)-induced aggregation of isoflavones and soy proteins in soymilk. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis indicated that isoflavones mixed with β-conglycinin (7S) and glycinin (11S) proteins formed 7S-isoflavone and 11S-isoflavone complexes in soymilk supernatant fraction (SSF). Most of the soy protein-isoflavone complexes then precipitated into the soymilk pellet fraction (SPF) following the addition of 4 mM GDL, whereupon the pH value of the soymilk dropped from 6.6 to 5.9. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and HPLC analysis suggest that the addition of 4 mM GDL induced the aggregation of most 7S (α’, α and β subunits), 11S acidic and 11S basic proteins as well as isoflavones, including most aglycones, including daidzein, glycitein, genistein and a portion of glucosides, including daidzin, glycitin, genistin, malonyldaidzin and malonylgenistin. These results provide an important reference pertaining to the effects of GDL on the aggregation of soy protein-isoflavone complexes and could benefit future research regarding the production of tofu from soymilk.
The copepod Calanus spp. (Calanidae) is repelled by polarized light
Authors: Lerner Amit , Browman Howard I.
Published: October 2016

Both attraction and repulsion from linearly polarized light have been observed in zooplankton. A dichotomous choice experiment, consisting of plankton light traps deployed in natural waters at a depth of 30 m that projected either polarized or unpolarized light of the same intensity, was used to test the hypothesis that the North Atlantic copepod, Calanus spp., is linearly polarotactic. In addition, the transparency of these copepods, as they might be seen by polarization insensitive vs. sensitive visual systems, was measured. Calanus spp. exhibited negative polarotaxis with a preference ratio of 1.9:1. Their transparency decreased from 80% to 20% to 30% in the unpolarized, partially polarized, and electric (e-) vector orientation domains respectively - that is, these copepods would appear opaque and conspicuous to a polarization-sensitive viewer looking at them under conditions rich in polarized light. Since the only difference between the two plankton traps was the polarization cue, we conclude that Calanus spp. are polarization sensitive and exhibit negative polarotaxis at low light intensities (albeit well within the sensitivity range reported for copepods). We hypothesize that Calanus spp. can use polarization vision to reduce their risk of predation by polarization-sensitive predators and suggest that this be tested in future experiments.
The prothrombotic state associated with obesity-induced hypertension is reduced by cocoa and its main flavanols
Authors: Rabadán-Chávez G. M. , Reyes-Maldonado E. , Quevedo-Corona L. , Paniagua-Castro N. , Escalona-Cardoso G. , Jaramillo-Flores M. E.
Published: October 2016

Cocoa flavanols could ameliorate cardiovascular health in obese patients.
Protective effects of Angelica sinensis polysaccharide against hyperglycemia and liver injury in multiple low-dose streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic BALB/c mice
Authors: Wang Kaiping , Tang Zhuohong , Zheng Ziming , Cao Peng , Shui Weizhi , Li Qiang , Zhang Yu
Published: October 2016

Angelica sinensispolysaccharide (ASP), one of the major active ingredients isolated from the roots ofAngelica sinensis(Oliv.) Diels, possesses antidiabetic bioactivity.
(Chalcogen)semicarbazones and their cobalt complexes differentiate HL-60 myeloid leukaemia cells and are cytotoxic towards tumor cell lines
Authors: Todorović Tamara R. , Vukašinović Jelena , Portalone Gustavo , Suleiman Sherif , Gligorijević Nevenka , Bjelogrlić Snezana , Jovanović Katarina , Radulović Siniša , Anđelković Katarina , Cassar Analisse , Filipović Nenad R. , Schembri-Wismayer Pierre
Published: October 2016

A comparative study of (chalcogen)semicarbazones and their cobalt complexes was performed.
Synthesis of aerogels: from molecular routes to 3-dimensional nanoparticle assembly
Authors: Rechberger Felix , Niederberger Markus
Published: October 2016

Inorganic aerogels are synthesized by molecular routes or through the gelation of nanoparticle dispersions. We review the different approaches and illustrate the self-assembly into macroscopic monolithic bodies.
Hypervalent iodine catalysis for selective oxidation of Baylis–Hillman adducts via in situ generation of o-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX) from 2-iodosobenzoic acid (IBA) in the presence of oxone
Authors: Bikshapathi Raktani , Prathima Parvathaneni Sai , Rao Vaidya Jayathirtha
Published: October 2016

An efficient, eco-friendly protocol for selective oxidation of primary and secondary Baylis–Hillman alcohols to the corresponding carbonyl compounds in high yields has been developed with 2-iodosobenzoic acid (IBA).
I2-TBHP-catalyzed one-pot highly efficient synthesis of 4,3-fused 1,2,4-triazoles from N-tosylhydrazones and aromatic N-heterocycles via intermolecular formal 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition
Authors: Inturi Surendra Babu , Kalita Biswajit , Ahamed A. Jafar
Published: October 2016

I2-TBHP-catalyzed azomethine imine generation and subsequent regioselective formal 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with aromatic N-heterocycles is reported.
Large-scale synthesis and structural analysis of a synthetic glycopeptide dendrimer as an anti-cancer vaccine candidate
Authors: Ganneau Christelle , Simenel Catherine , Emptas Emeline , Courtiol Tiphanie , Coïc Yves-Marie , Artaud Cécile , Dériaud Edith , Bonhomme Frédéric , Delepierre Muriel , Leclerc Claude , Lo-Man Richard , Bay Sylvie
Published: October 2016

A complex glycopeptide was obtained in multigram as a fully synthetic anti-cancer vaccine for human use.
Stereoselective alkyne semihydrogenations with an air-stable copper(i) catalyst
Authors: Thiel Niklas O. , Teichert Johannes F.
Published: October 2016

Practical Z-selective alkyne semihydrogenations can be achieved with an air-stable and preactivated copper(i) hydroxide complex.
Calcium mediated C–F bond substitution in fluoroarenes towards C–chalcogen bond formation
Authors: Maity Pintu , Ahammed Sabir , Manna Rabindra Nath , Ranu Brindaban C.
Published: October 2016

An efficient C–F bond substitution in electron-deficient fluoroarenes by chalcogens has been achieved using calcium chloride.