bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Proteomic identification of synaptic caspase substrates
Authors: Victor Ken G. , Heffron Daniel S. , Sokolowski Jennifer D. , Majumdar Usnish , Leblanc Andrea , Mandell James W.
Published: September 2017

The dismantling and elimination of excess neurons and their connections (pruning) is essential for brain development and may be aberrantly reactivated in some neurodegenerative diseases. Growing evidence implicates caspase‐mediated apoptotic and nonapoptotic cascades in the dysfunction and death of neurons in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson, and Huntington's diseases. It is the cleaved caspase substrates that are the effectors of synapse elimination. However, their identities, specific cleavage sites, and functional consequences of cleavage are largely unknown. An important gap in our knowledge is a comprehensive catalog of synapse‐specific or synapse‐enriched caspase targets. Traditional biochemical approaches have revealed only a small number of neuronal caspase targets. Instead, we utilized a gel‐based proteomics approach to enable the first global analysis of caspase‐mediated cleavage events in mammalian brain synapses, employing both an in vitro system with recombinant activated caspases and an in vivo model of ethanol‐induced neuronal apoptosis. Of the more than 70 putative cleavage substrates that were identified, 22 were previously known caspase substrates. Among the novel targets identified and validated by Western blot were the proton pump ATPase subunit ATP6V1B2 and the N‐ethylmaleimide‐sensitive fusion protein (NSF). Our work represents the first comprehensive, proteome‐wide screen for proteolytic targets of caspases in neuronal synapses. Our discoveries will have significance for both furthering basic understanding of roles of caspases in synaptic plasticity and synaptic loss in neurodegeneration, and on a more immediately practical level, may provide candidate biomarkers for measuring synapse loss in human disease states.
Differentiating households to analyze consumption patterns: a data mining study on official household budget data
Authors: Değirmenci Tuğba , Özbakır Lale
Published: September 2017

Official data, administered by National Statistic Institutes (NSIs), play crucial role for being a major element of the governmental economic and social decision‐making process. This strategic role raises a significant necessity for statistical authorities to adopt new data tools to shift the statistical quality of the published data to a higher level. Data mining (DM) techniques and algorithms are promising tools to provide new ways to mine the crucial, complex, and voluminous official data to complement or substitute the traditional and lagged‐behind tools that NSIs have been using. This study addresses this potential utilization of DM tools on official data with a specific problem in an important survey for official statistics: Household Budget Survey. Through this study, clustering techniques are employed to characterize the household types and association rule mining technique is used to mine consumption patterns for each differentiated type. It is aimed to integrate the proposed model into data preprocessing procedure of the NSI to be able to engage in the real time analyses and to contribute exactness and timeliness of the data. WIREs Data Mining Knowl Discov 2018, 8:e1227. doi: 10.1002/widm.1227

This article is categorized under:

Algorithmic Development > Association Rules

Application Areas > Government and Public Sector

Application Areas > Industry Specific Applications
Small molecule signaling, regulation, and potential applications in cellular therapeutics
Authors: McNerney Monica P. , Styczynski Mark P.
Published: September 2017

Small molecules have many important roles across the tree of life: they regulate processes from metabolism to transcription, they enable signaling within and between species, and they serve as the biochemical building blocks for cells. They also represent valuable phenotypic endpoints that are promising for use as biomarkers of disease states. In the context of engineering cell‐based therapeutics, they hold particularly great promise for enabling finer control over the therapeutic cells and allowing them to be responsive to extracellular cues. The natural signaling and regulatory functions of small molecules can be harnessed and rewired to control cell activity and delivery of therapeutic payloads, potentially increasing efficacy while decreasing toxicity. To that end, this review considers small molecule‐mediated regulation and signaling in bacteria. We first discuss some of the most prominent applications and aspirations for responsive cell‐based therapeutics. We then describe the transport, signaling, and regulation associated with three classes of molecules that may be exploited in the engineering of therapeutic bacteria: amino acids, fatty acids, and quorum‐sensing signaling molecules. We also present examples of existing engineering efforts to generate cells that sense and respond to levels of different small molecules. Finally, we discuss future directions for how small molecule‐mediated regulation could be harnessed for therapeutic applications, as well as some critical considerations for the ultimate success of such endeavors. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2018, 10:e1405. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1405

This article is categorized under:

Biological Mechanisms > Cell Signaling

Biological Mechanisms > Metabolism

Translational, Genomic, and Systems Medicine > Therapeutic Methods
Structural Stability of Boron Carbide under Pressure Proven by Spectroscopic Studies up to 73 GPa
Authors: Chuvashova Irina , Gasharova Biliana , Mathis Yves‐Laurent , Dubrovinsky Leonid , Dubrovinskaia Natalia
Published: September 2017

Being a material of choice for lightweight armor applications, boron carbide has been intensively studied. Its behavior under pressure was investigated using both theoretical and experimental methods, such as powder X‐ray diffraction and vibrational spectroscopy. As there is a discrepancy in experimental observations, in the presented work we studied vibrational properties of commercially available, “nearly stoichiometric” B4C using IR and Raman spectroscopy up to 73 GPa. No phase transitions were found in the entire pressure range. Our results are at odds with the recent report of a phase transition in B4.3C at about 40 GPa.
The Hydrous Sodium Oxotellurates(VI) Na[TeO(OH)5], Na2[TeO2(OH)4], Na4[Te2O6(OH)4](H2O)6, and a Third Polymorph of Anhydrous Na2[TeO4]
Authors: Weil Matthias , Stöger Berthold , Larvor Carla , Raih Ilyès , Gierl‐Mayer Christian
Published: September 2017

Single crystals of the compounds Na[TeO(OH)5] (I), Na2[TeO2(OH)4] (II), Na4[Te2O6(OH)4](H2O)6 (III), and of a third polymorph (denoted as γ‐) of anhydrous Na2[TeO4] (IV) were obtained from aqueous solutions (I and III), under hydrothermal conditions (II) and from a NaNO3 melt (IV), respectively. Structure determinations on basis of single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction data revealed a lowering of the previously reported cubic symmetry and the presence of a fourfold superstructure for (I), whereas (II) – (IV) crystallize in new structure types. Common features of the four sodium oxotellurate(VI) structures are [TeO6] octahedra. They are isolated in the structures of (I) and (II), condensed into a dinuclear [Te2O6(OH)4]4– anion in (III) and into an infinite zigzag 1∞[TeO4/2O2/1]2– chain in (IV). The coordination numbers of the sodium cations in the four structures range from four to seven. The temperature behaviour of (I), (II), and (III) was investigated by thermal analysis measurements (thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, differential thermal analysis) and in situ powder X‐ray diffraction, revealing multistep decomposition sequences for the three compounds.
Comparison of comprehensive and abstinence‐only sexuality education in young African American adolescents
Authors: Shepherd Lindsay M. , Sly Kaye F. , Girard Jeffrey M.
Published: September 2017

The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of sexual behavior and condom use in African American adolescents, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of comprehensive sexuality and abstinence‐only education to reduce adolescent sexual behavior and increase condom use. Participants included 450 adolescents aged 12–14 years in the southern United States. Regression analyses showed favorable attitudes toward sexual behavior and social norms significantly predicted recent sexual behavior, and favorable attitudes toward condoms significantly predicted condom usage. Self‐efficacy was not found to be predictive of adolescents' sexual behavior or condom use. There were no significant differences in recent sexual behavior based on type of sexuality education. Adolescents who received abstinence‐only education had reduced favorable attitudes toward condom use, and were more likely to have unprotected sex than the comparison group. Findings suggest that adolescents who receive abstinence‐only education are at greater risk of engaging in unprotected sex.
Maximizing Efficiency and Reducing Robotic Surgery Costs Using the NASA Task Load Index
Authors: Walters Carrie , Webb Paula J.
Published: September 2017

Perioperative leaders at our facility were struggling to meet efficiency targets for robotic surgery procedures while also maintaining the satisfaction of the surgical team. We developed a human resources time and motion study tool and used it in conjunction with the NASA Task Load Index to observe and analyze the required workload of personnel assigned to 25 robotic surgery procedures. The time and motion study identified opportunities to enlist the help of nonlicensed support personnel to ensure safe patient care and improve OR efficiency. Using the NASA Task Load Index demonstrated that high temporal, effort, and physical demands existed for personnel assisting with and performing robotic surgery. We believe that this process could be used to develop cost‐effective staffing models, resulting in safe and efficient care for all surgical patients.
Suicide Century
Authors: Bennett Andrew
Published: September 2017

Suicide Century investigates suicide as a prominent theme in twentieth-century and contemporary literature. Andrew Bennett argues that with the waning of religious and legal prohibitions on suicide in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and the increasing influence of medical and sociological accounts of its causes and significance in the twentieth century, literature responds to the act and idea as an increasingly normalised but incessantly baffling phenomenon. Discussing works by a number of major authors from the long twentieth century, the book explores the way that suicide makes and unmakes subjects, assumes and disrupts meaning, induces and resists empathy, and insists on and makes inconceivable our understanding of ourselves and of others.
As Terrorism Evolves
Authors: Seib Philip
Published: September 2017

Some of the world's most lethal terrorist organizations have become media-centric enterprises, while also hijacking a major world religion, holding large swathes of physical territory, and governing their own virtual states. In this concise and penetrating book, Seib traces how terrorism has proliferated and increased significantly in menace in the relatively brief period between the rise of al-Qaeda and the creation of Islamic State. With close attention to the linkages between media, religion, and violence, the book offers incisive analysis of how organizations such as Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram operate and reflects on how terrorism may continue to evolve. Seib argues that twenty-first-century terrorism is enabled by new media and depends on social networks as connective tissue, while interacting simultaneously with religion and socio-economic and political grievances. As Terrorism Evolves prescribes new measures for counterterrorism efforts, underscores the importance of soft power, and makes a strong case for recognizing that we have entered an era of terrorism of undetermined duration.
Incompleteness of the pressure metric on the Teichmüller space of a bordered surface
Authors: XU BINBIN
Published: September 2017

We prove that the pressure metric on the Teichmüller space of a bordered surface is incomplete and that a completion can be given by the moduli space of metrics on a graph (dual to a special ideal triangulation of the same bordered surface) equipped with pressure metric. In contrast to the closed surface case, we obtain as a corollary that the pressure metric is not bi-Lipschitz to the Weil–Petersson metric.
The Minimal Persuasive Effects of Campaign Contact in General Elections: Evidence from 49 Field Experiments
Authors: KALLA JOSHUA L. , BROOCKMAN DAVID E.
Published: September 2017

Significant theories of democratic accountability hinge on how political campaigns affect Americans’ candidate choices. We argue that the best estimate of the effects of campaign contact and advertising on Americans’ candidates choices in general elections is zero. First, a systematic meta-analysis of 40 field experiments estimates an average effect of zero in general elections. Second, we present nine original field experiments that increase the statistical evidence in the literature about the persuasive effects of personal contact tenfold. These experiments’ average effect is also zero. In both existing and our original experiments, persuasive effects only appear to emerge in two rare circumstances. First, when candidates take unusually unpopular positionsandcampaigns invest unusually heavily in identifying persuadable voters. Second, when campaigns contact voters long before election day and measure effects immediately—although this early persuasion decays. These findings contribute to ongoing debates about how political elites influence citizens’ judgments.
The impacts of maternal iron deficiency and being overweight during pregnancy on neurodevelopment of the offspring
Authors: Berglund Staffan K. , Torres-Espínola Francisco J. , García-Valdés Luz , Segura Mª Teresa , Martínez-Zaldívar Cristina , Padilla Carmen , Rueda Ricardo , Pérez García Miguel , McArdle Harry J. , Campoy Cristina
Published: October 2017

Both maternal Fe deficiency (ID) and being overweight or obese (Ow/Ob, BMI≥25 kg/m2) may negatively affect offspring brain development. However, the two risk factors correlate and their independent effects on infant neurodevelopment are unclear. PREOBE is a prospective observational study that included 331 pregnant Spanish women, of whom 166 had pre-gestational Ow/Ob. Fe status was analysed at 34 weeks and at delivery, and babies were assessed using Bayley III scales of neurodevelopment at 18 months. In confounder-adjusted analyses, maternal ID at 34 weeks was associated with lower composite motor scores at 18 months (mean 113·3 (sd9·9)v. 117·1 (sd9·2),P=0·039). Further, the offspring of mothers with ID at delivery had lower cognitive scores (114·0 (sd9·7)v. 121·5 (sd10·9),P=0·039) and lower receptive, expressive and composite (99·5 (sd8·6)v. 107·6 (sd8·3),P=0·004) language scores. The negative associations between maternal ID at delivery and Bayley scores remained even when adjusting for maternal Ow/Ob and gestational diabetes. Similarly, maternal Ow/Ob correlated with lower gross motor scores in the offspring (12·3 (sd2·0)v. 13·0 (sd2·1),P=0·037), a correlation that remained when adjusting for maternal ID. In conclusion, maternal ID and pre-gestational Ow/Ob are both negatively associated with Bayley scores at 18 months, but independently and on different subscales. These results should be taken into account when considering Fe supplementation for pregnant women.
Phonetic transfer in language contact: Evidence for equivalence classification in the mid-vowels of Occitan–French bilinguals
Authors: Mooney Damien
Published: September 2017

This article examines first to second language (L1-to-L2) phonetic transfer in the speech of ten Occitan–French bilinguals, focusing on the mid-vowels in each of their languages. Investigating transfer in a situation of long-term societal language contact aims to shed light on the emergence of regional French phonological features from contact with Occitan. Using a sociophonetic methodology, the concept of equivalence classification (Flege 1988) is investigated, that is, that L2 words will be (initially) decomposed into familiar L2 sound categories, causing L1 and L2 sounds to resemble each other phonetically. The consequences of language contact are modelled statistically using an original corpus of over 1200 vowel tokens. The findings show that equivalence classification may not lead to equated sounds coming to resemble each other phonetically, suggesting necessary revisions to the speech learning model (SLM) hypothesis, and the need to consider the influence of sociolinguistic factors in situations of long-term language contact is emphasised.
The natural history of risky drinking and associated harms from adolescence to young adulthood: findings from the Australian Temperament Project
Authors: Betts K. S. , Alati R. , Baker P. , Letcher P. , Hutchinson D. , Youssef G. , Olsson C. A.
Published: September 2017

Background

We aimed to describe the natural history of heavy episodic drinking (HED) and associated harms from adolescence to young adulthood in a large Australian population cohort study.

Method

The Australian Temperament Project consists of mothers and babies (4–8 months) recruited from Infant Welfare Centres and followed every 2 to 4 years until age 28 years. Analyses were based on data from 1156 young people (497 male; 659 female) surveyed repeatedly at ages 16, 18, 20, 24 and 28 years. We used dual processes latent class growth analysis to estimate trajectories of HED and associated harms, employing a piecewise approach to model the hypothesized rise and subsequent fall across adolescence and the late twenties, respectively.

Results

We identified four sex-specific trajectories and observed little evidence of maturing-out across the twenties. In males, a normative pattern of increasing HED across the twenties with little related harm was observed (40% of the male sample). Early and late starter groups that peaked in harms at age 20 years with only minor attenuation in binging thereafter were also observed (6.1% and 35%, respectively). In females, a normative pattern of increasing, but moderate, HED with little related harm was observed (44% of the female sample). Early and late starter groups were also identified (18% and 17%, respectively); however, unlike males, the female late starter group showed a pattern of increasing HED and related harms.

Conclusions

Continued patterns of risky alcohol use and related harms are apparent for both males and females across the twenties.
Variations in phonological working memory: Linking early language experiences and language learning outcomes
Authors: PIERCE LARA J. , GENESEE FRED , DELCENSERIE AUDREY , MORGAN GARY
Published: September 2017

In order to build complex language from perceptual input, children must have access to a powerful information processing system that can analyze, store, and use regularities in the signal to which the child is exposed. In this article, we propose that one of the most important parts of this underlying machinery is the linked set of cognitive and language processing components that comprise the child's developing working memory (WM). To examine this hypothesis, we explore how variations in the timing, quality, and quantity of language input during the earliest stages of development are related to variations in WM, especially phonological WM (PWM), and in turn language learning outcomes. In order to tease apart the relationships between early language experience, WM, and language development, we review research findings from studies of groups of language learners who clearly differ with respect to these aspects of input. Specifically, we consider the development of PWM in children with delayed exposure to language, that is, children born profoundly deaf and exposed to oral language following cochlear implantation and internationally adopted children who have delayed exposed to the adoption language; children who experience impoverished language input, that is, children who experience early bouts of otitis media and signing deaf children born to nonsigning hearing parents; and children with enriched early language input, that is, simultaneous bilinguals and second language learners.
Variations in phonological working memory: The contribution of impaired representation and bilingual processing
Authors: Armon-Lotem Sharon
Published: September 2017

Children with bilingual typical language development (BITLD) and children with specific language impairment (SLI) present similarities in their linguistic performance (e.g., vocabulary and verb inflections). These observed similarities (Paradis 2010) have led to an influx of studies exploring the sources of these similarities and pointing to areas of disparity aiming to dissociate the effects of SLI and bilingualism in bilingual children with SLI (BISLI). The intriguing link, explored in the Pierce et al. (2017) keynote, between early language experience and the development of phonological working memory (PWM) seamlessly ties into this discussion. Bilinguals, and particularly simultaneous bilinguals, it is claimed, experience an enriched linguistic environment in early childhood that is expected to enhance their PWM. By contrast, children with SLI are claimed to have a neurocognitive impairment that negatively affects their PWM. This commentary explores, first, how both age of onset (AoO) of bilingual exposure and the neurocognitive impairment associated with SLI impact PWM and, second, how this impact might be related to the observed similarities as well as evident differences that emerge from studies comparing children with BITLD to children with SLI (monolingual and bilingual).
Phonological working memory and language development: What are the measures and what do they measure?
Authors: Hamann Cornelia
Published: September 2017

In line with the recent trend in comparative analysis of different populations (see Friedmann & Rusou, 2015, as an example), Pierce, Genesee, Delcenserie, and Morgan (2017) present a comprehensive review of different language outcomes in populations that have received qualitatively and quantitatively different input during the first year of life, from enriched stimuli in bilingual situations to no stimuli at all in the case of children with profound hearing impairment. The claims derived from these data deserve some comment, however, and need some caveats about the measures used, which I will provide in the following with a brief discussion of complementing research and the presentation of some new data derived from the Bilingual Language Development (BiLaD) Project, a recent French/German collaboration studying bilingual populations with and without specific language impairment (SLI).
Early language experience and underspecified phonological representations
Authors: Hunter Cynthia R. , Pisoni David B.
Published: September 2017

Taking as a premise that phonological working memory (PWM) influences later language development, in their keynote article, Pierce, Genesee, Delcenserie, and Morgan aim to specify the relations between early language input and the development of PWM in terms of separable influences of timing, quantity, and quality of early language input. We concur that prior work has established that PWM and language development have reciprocal influences on one another during development (e.g., Baddeley, Gathercole, & Papagno, 1998; Gathercole, 2006; Gathercole, Hitch, Service, & Martin, 1997; Metsala & Chisolm, 2010). The goal of the keynote article was to describe how early language experience may influence the development of PWM. Pierce et al. argue that this can be done by comparing the development of PWM across groups of children with differing language experiences during early childhood, specifically (a) delayed exposure to language, (b) impoverished language input, or (c) enriched language input. The authors suggest that this comparison may contribute to establishing that individual differences in PWM are due, in part, to early language experience. Sensitive periods for phonological development that are open roughly in the first year of life are discussed, and it is suggested that the quantity and quality of early language input shapes the quality of phonological representations. Efforts to specify mechanisms by which early language input may influence the development of PWM have both theoretical and, potentially, clinical importance. Considering this, Pierce et al.’s article, which aims to create a platform for future research in terms of the timing, quantity, and quality of early language input, is a valuable contribution.
Beyond typical learning: Variation in language experience as a lens to the developing mind
Authors: Kroll Judith F. , Takahesu Tabori Andrea , Mech Emily
Published: September 2017

Infants are exposed to the language of the environment in which they are born and, in most instances, become native speakers of that language. Although the history of research on language acquisition provides a colorful debate on the specific ways that nature and nurture shape this process (e.g., MacWhinney, 1999; Pinker, 1995), its primary focus has been on typically developing children exposed to a single language from birth. Pierce, Genesee, Delcenserie, and Morgan (2017) turn the table on this discussion to argue that critically important lessons can be learned by shifting the focus from typically developing children to children for whom the trajectory of language learning follows a different course. Some of the variation in language development reflects attributes of child learners themselves, such as whether they are born hearing or deaf and whether they have conditions that disrupt their ability to fully perceive the speech input to which they are exposed. Other variations reflect attributes of the external conditions in which learners develop, including whether they remain in their country of birth or move to a location in which another language is spoken, whether exposure to the native language is continuous or disrupted, and whether they are exposed to a second language (L2) early or late in development. For deaf children, there is also variation in whether their parents or caregivers are themselves deaf or hearing and able to expose them to sign language during infancy. Pierce et al. use the diversity of early language experience as a tool to examine the relation between phonological working memory and language development and to begin to suggest how conditions that may produce costs or benefits in language learning may be related to one another.
Working memory and language: From phonology to grammar
Authors: O'Grady William
Published: September 2017

Pierce, Genesee, Delcenserie, and Morgan (2017) are right to suggest that working memory is a crucial part of the machinery underlying linguistic development. In this brief commentary, I will move beyond the emergence of phonological representations, on which Pierce et al.’s essay focuses, and consider ways in which working memory shapes the character and acquisition of grammatical phenomena, a topic that has been explored in various ways in the recent literature (e.g., Chater & Christiansen, 2010; Hawkins, 2014; O'Grady, 2005, 2015).
Bovine leukaemia virus DNA in fresh milk and raw beef for human consumption
Authors: OLAYA-GALÁN N. N. , CORREDOR-FIGUEROA A. P. , GUZMÁN-GARZÓN T. C. , RÍOS-HERNANDEZ K. S. , SALAS-CÁRDENAS S. P. , PATARROYO M. A. , GUTIERREZ M. F.
Published: September 2017

Bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) is the causative agent of enzootic bovine leucosis, which has been reported worldwide. BLV has been found recently in human tissue and it could have a significant impact on human health. A possible hypothesis regarding viral entry to humans is through the consumption of infected foodstuffs. This study was aimed at detecting the presence of BLV DNA in raw beef and fresh milk for human consumption. Nested PCR directed at the BLV gag gene (272 bp) was used as a diagnostic test. PCR products were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Forty-nine per cent of the samples proved positive for the presence of proviral DNA. This is the first study highlighting the presence of the BLV gag gene in meat products for human consumption and confirms the presence of the viral DNA in raw milk, as in previous reports. The presence of viral DNA in food products could suggest that viral particles may also be found. Further studies are needed to confirm the presence of infected viral particles, even though the present findings could represent a first approach to BLV transmission to humans through foodstuff consumption.
Discontinuous hydration alters seed germination under stress of two populations of cactus that occur in different ecosystems in Northeast Brazil
Authors: Lima Ayslan T. , Meiado Marcos V.
Published: September 2017

The water uptake by the seed in arid and semi-arid ecosystems may not be continuous, but may occur in hydration and dehydration cycles (HD). In order to investigate the benefits of discontinuous hydration on seed germination of Pilosocereus catingicola subsp. salvadorensis subjected to environmental stresses, an imbibition curve was determined and times X, Y and Z selected, corresponding to 25, 50 and 75% of the first phase of imbibition, respectively. Seeds of two populations (Caatinga and Restinga) were subjected to 0, 1, 2 and 3 HD cycles, with 48 h of dehydration. Water and saline stress responses were tested at five osmotic potentials (0.0, –0.1, –0.3, –0.6 and –0.9 MPa). Discontinuous hydration provided greater tolerance to water and saline stress in the seeds from the Caatinga region. When the seeds were subjected to water stress, the reduction of the mean germination time (MGT) provided by HD cycles decreased with increasing concentration of the solution. In saline stress, the reduction of MGT was greater in the solutions with the highest concentrations. We conclude that the seeds of the same species collected from populations located in different ecosystems have different germination responses after passage through discontinuous hydration and HD cycles. This provides greater tolerance to environmental stresses but with different responses among populations.
Adjective phrases with doubly modified heads: how lexical information influences word order and constituent structure
Authors: BERG THOMAS
Published: September 2017

This study presents a corpus-based analysis of adjective phrases consisting of a grading element (‘grader’), a deadjectival adverb and an adjectival head. The interest of this pattern derives from the fact that these three constituents can occur in three different orders, as exemplified bymore cognitively complex,cognitively more complexandmore complex cognitively. The analysis builds primarily on the distinction between domain and non-domain adverbs. ADJPs with domain adverbs have different patterns from ADJPs with other adverbs. Whereas the adverb–grader–adjective order predominates in ADJPs with domain adverbs, the grader–adverb–adjective order is the most frequent type in ADJPs with non-domain adverbs. Within the set of non-domain adverbs, a secondary distinction is made between lexical and more grammatical types. Lexical adverbs are found to preferentially associate with the grader–adverb–adjective order while the more grammatical adverbs gravitate towards the adverb–grader–adjective order. The following five factors account for the empirical results: branching direction, the frequent-unit-first hypothesis, proximity, analogy/uniformity and modifier–head order. Structural representations are argued to draw on lexical information which is not coded by terminal nodes.
Wie wirkt sich mehrmaliges Kompetenz-Feedback auf psychotherapeutische Behandlungen aus?
Authors: Kaufmann Yvonne M. , Maiwald Lisa , Schindler Svenja , Weck Florian
Published: September 2017

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Einflüsse von therapeutenorientiertem Kompetenz-Feedback in der Psychotherapieausbildung wurden bislang wenig untersucht. Fragestellung: Wie gehen Ausbildungstherapeuten mit Feedback um? Welchen Einfluss hat ein regelmäßiges Kompetenz-Feedback auf die Qualität psychotherapeutischer Behandlungen (insbesondere Therapiesitzungen, therapeutische Beziehung, Person des Therapeuten, Supervision)? Methode: Elf Therapeuten wurden mithilfe eines halbstrukturierten Interviewleitfadens befragt. Die Auswertung erfolgte mittels qualitativer Inhaltsanalyse nach Mayring (2015) . Ergebnisse: Das auf Basis der Interviews erstellte Kategoriensystem umfasste die Kategorien „Erwartungen an das Feedback“, „Wahrnehmung des Feedbacks“, „Verarbeitung von und Umgang mit Feedback“, „Folgen, Auswirkungen und Veränderungen durch Feedback“ sowie „Verbesserungswünsche“. Schlussfolgerungen: Therapeuten streben eine Umsetzung des Feedbacks an, welches sich auf die Behandlung, die Supervision, die eigene Person und die therapeutische Beziehung auswirkt.
Drone Peers into Open Volcanic Vents
Authors: Turner Nicolas , Houghton Bruce , Taddeucci Jacopo , von der Lieth Jost , Kueppers Ullrich , Gaudin Damien , Ricci Tullio , Kim Karl , Scalato Piergiorgio
Published: September 2017

An unmanned aerial vehicle provided the high-resolution data that allowed scientists to construct their first detailed map of erupting vents at Stromboli, one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
Regulation of antilipopolysaccharide factors, ALFPm3 and ALFPm6, in Penaeus monodon
Authors: Kamsaeng Pitchayanan , Tassanakajon Anchalee , Somboonwiwat Kunlaya
Published: September 2017

ALFPm6, a member of antimicrobial peptide in the antilipopolysaccharide factor (ALF) family from Penaeus monodon, plays important roles in shrimp immunity against pathogens. However, its antimicrobial activity and underlying mechanism have not been reported. The synthetic cyclic ALFPm6#29–52 peptide (cALFPm6#29–52) corresponding to the ALFPm6 LPS-binding domain can agglutinate and exhibited bacterial killing activity toward a Gram-negative bacterium, Escherichia coli 363 and Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus megaterium, Aerococcus viridans, and Micrococcus luteus, with MIC values of 25–50 μM. Specifically, ALFPm6 and ALFPm3, the most abundant ALF isoforms, are different in terms of gene expression patterns upon pathogen infections. Herein, the regulation of ALFPm3 and ALFPm6 gene expression was studied. The 5′-upstream and promoter sequences were identified and the putative transcription factor (TF)-binding sites were predicted. The narrow down assay indicated that the ALFPm3 promoter and partial promoter of the ALFPm6 active regions were located at nucleotide positions (−814/+302) and (−282/+85), respectively. Mutagenesis of selected TF-binding sites revealed that Rel/NF-κB (−280/−270) of ALFPm3 and C/EBPβ (−88/−78) and Sp1 (−249/−238) sites of ALFPm6 were the activator-binding sites. Knockdown of the PmMyD88 and PmRelish genes in V. harveyi-infected shrimp suggested that the ALFPm3 gene was regulated by Toll and IMD pathways, while the ALFPm6 gene was regulated by the Toll pathway.
Impact of hepatocellular carcinoma heterogeneity on computed tomography as a prognostic indicator
Authors: Kiryu Shigeru , Akai Hiroyuki , Nojima Masanori , Hasegawa Kiyoshi , Shinkawa Hiroji , Kokudo Norihiro , Yasaka Koichiro , Ohtomo Kuni
Published: September 2017

We assessed the relationship between the heterogeneity of HCC on preoperative non-contrast-enhanced CT and patient prognosis. The heterogeneity of CT images from 122 patients was assessed and texture feature parameters such as mean, standard deviation (SD), entropy, mean of the positive pixels (MPP), skewness, and kurtosis were obtained using filtration. The relationship between CT texture features and 5-year overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS) was assessed. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to evaluate the independence of texture feature from clinical or pathological parameters. The Kaplan-Meier curves for OS or DFS was significantly different between patient groups dichotomized by cut-off values for all CT texture parameters with filtration at at least one filter level. Multivariate regression analysis showed the independence of most CT texture parameters on clinical and pathological parameters for OS with filtration at at least one filter level and without filtration except kurtosis. SD, entropy, and MPP with coarse filter, and skewness without filtration showed a significant correlation for DFS. CT texture features of non-contrast-enhanced CT images showed a relationship with HCC prognosis. Multivariate regression analysis showed the possibility of CT texture feature increase the prognostic prediction of HCC by clinical and pathological information.
Chronic sun exposure-related fusion oncogenes EGFR-PPARGC1A in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Egashira Sho , Jinnin Masatoshi , Ajino Manami , Shimozono Naoki , Okamoto Sayo , Tasaki Yukino , Hirano Ayaka , Ide Maho , Kajihara Ikko , Aoi Jun , Harada Miho , Igata Toshikatsu , Masuguchi Shinichi , Fukushima Satoshi , Ihn Hironobu
Published: September 2017

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) differs from SCC of other organs in its strong association with chronic sun exposure. However, the specific driver mutations in cSCC remain unknown. Fusion genes in established cSCC cell lines (A431 and DJM-1) were predicted by transcriptome sequence, and validated by Sanger sequence, fluorescence in situ hybridization and G-banding. By transcriptome sequencing, we identified fusion gene EGFR-PPARGC1A in A431, which were expressed in 31 of 102 cSCCs. The lesions harboring the fusion gene tended to be located in sun-exposed areas. In vivo cutaneous implantation of EGFR-PPARGC1A-expressing NIH3T3 induced tumors resembling human cSCC, indicating its potent tumorigenicity. NIH3T3 transfected with EGFR-PPARGC1A as well as A431 showed increased cell proliferation activity. With regard to underlying mechanism, EGFR-PPARGC1A protein causes constitutive tyrosine phosphorylation, and induces the phosphorylation of wild-type full-length epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) by dimerization. Conversely, the RNAi-mediated attenuation of EGFR or CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockdown of the fusion gene in A431 led to a decrease in the cell number, and may have therapeutic value. Our findings advance the knowledge concerning genetic causes of cSCC and the function of EGFR, with potential implications for new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
Sensitive and long-term monitoring of intracellular microRNAs using a non-integrating cytoplasmic RNA vector
Authors: Sano Masayuki , Ohtaka Manami , Iijima Minoru , Nakasu Asako , Kato Yoshio , Nakanishi Mahito
Published: September 2017

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that modulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Different types of cells express unique sets of miRNAs that can be exploited as potential molecular markers to identify specific cell types. Among the variety of miRNA detection methods, a fluorescence-based imaging system that utilises a fluorescent-reporter gene regulated by a target miRNA offers a major advantage for long-term tracking of the miRNA in living cells. In this study, we developed a novel fluorescence-based miRNA-monitoring system using a non-integrating cytoplasmic RNA vector based on a replication-defective and persistent Sendai virus (SeVdp). Because SeVdp vectors robustly and stably express transgenes, this system enabled sensitive monitoring of miRNAs by fluorescence microscopy. By applying this system for cellular reprogramming, we found that miR-124, but not miR-9, was significantly upregulated during direct neuronal conversion. Additionally, we were able to isolate integration-free human induced pluripotent stem cells by long-term tracking of let-7 expression. Notably, this system was easily expandable to allow detection of multiple miRNAs separately and simultaneously. Our findings provide insight into a powerful tool for evaluating miRNA expression during the cellular reprogramming process and for isolating reprogrammed cells potentially useful for medical applications.
Increasing the detection distance of remote NMR using wireless inductive coupling coil
Authors: Killner Mario Henrique M. , Tosin Giancarlo , Carvalho André S. , Firme Bernardes Diego , Colnago Luiz Alberto
Published: September 2017

Unilateral nuclear magnetic resonance (UNMR) spectrometers have been applied in a variety of fields such as petrochemistry, materials science, and process control
1
. In UNMR measurements the sample is placed outside of the UNMR sensor and the signal intensity is reduced almost exponentially as the sample-to-sensor distances increases. To expand the detection limits of remote UNMR sensors, wireless inductive coupling was proposed and tested. This strategy was proved to reduce signal attenuation due to sample detachment from sensor, resulting in an increase in detection distance by one order of magnitude (i.e., from few millimeters to few centimeters). This novel approach broadens the potential applications of UNMR sensors and opens new opportunities in several areas, from chemical to biomedical applications.
MicroRNA-134 regulates poliovirus replication by IRES targeting
Authors: Bakre Abhijeet A. , Shim Byoung-Shik , Tripp Ralph A.
Published: September 2017

Global poliovirus eradication efforts include high vaccination coverage with live oral polio vaccine (OPV), surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis, and OPV “mop-up” campaigns. An important objective involves host-directed strategies to reduce PV replication to diminish viral shedding in OPV recipients. In this study, we show that microRNA-134-5p (miR-134) can regulate Sabin-1 replication but not Sabin-2 or Sabin-3 via direct interaction with the PV 5′UTR. Hypochromicity data showed miR-134 binding to Sabin-1 and 3 but not Sabin-2 IRES. Transfection of a miR-134 mimic repressed translation of Sabin-1 5′UTR driven luciferase validating the mechanism of miR-134-mediated repression of Sabin-1. Further, site directed mutagenesis of the miR-134 binding site in Sabin-1 IRES relieved miR-134-mediated repression indicating that these regulatory molecules have an important role in regulating the host gene response to PV. Binding of miR-134 to Sabin-1 IRES caused degradation of the IRES transcript in a miR-134 and sequence specific manner. The miR-134 binding site was found to be highly conserved in wild type PV-1 as well as EV71 strains indicating that miR-134 may regulate function of these IRES sequences in circulation.
Low-dose YC-1 combined with glucose and insulin selectively induces apoptosis in hypoxic gastric carcinoma cells by inhibiting anaerobic glycolysis
Authors: Wakiyama Kota , Kitajima Yoshihiko , Tanaka Tomokazu , Kaneki Masao , Yanagihara Kazuyoshi , Aishima Shinichi , Nakamura Jun , Noshiro Hirokazu
Published: September 2017

This study aimed to establish a therapeutic strategy targeting hypoxic cancer cells in gastric carcinoma (GC). YC-1 is a HIF-1α inhibitor, and we revealed that low-dose YC-1 (10 µM) suppressed HIF-1α expression, and induced hypoxia-dependent apoptosis in the GC cell line 58As9. This hypoxia-specific apoptosis induction by YC-1 involved excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The apoptotic effect of 10 µM YC-1 was enhanced by additional glucose (G) and insulin (I) treatments. RT-PCR demonstrated that 10 µM YC-1 reduced hypoxia-induced expression of HIF-1α targets involved in anaerobic glycolysis. Metabolic analysis showed that YC-1 shifted glucose metabolism in hypoxic cells from anaerobic glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Additional GI accelerated membranous GLUT1 translocation, elevating glucose uptake, and increased acetyl-CoA levels, leading to more ROS generation in hypoxic YC-1-treated cells. Finally, we evaluated the anti-cancer effect of low-dose YC-1 (1 mg/kg) + G (2 g/kg) and I (1 unit/3 g G) treatment in xenograft models. YC-1 + GI therapy strongly inhibited tumour growth. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that YC-1 + GI reduced HIF-1α expression and pimonidazole accumulation in tumours. Conversely, YC-1 + GI increased intra-tumoral 8-OHdG and levels of apoptosis markers. Low-dose YC-1 + GI is a unique therapy targeting hypoxic GC cells that generates lethal ROS via forced activation of OXPHOS.
Temporal transcriptomic profiling of the ant-feeding assassin bug Acanthaspis cincticrus reveals a biased expression of genes associated with predation in nymphs
Authors: Kou Fei , Li Hu , Li Shujuan , Xun Huaizhu , Zhang Yinqiao , Sun Ziqiang , Zhou Xuguo , Cai Wanzhi
Published: September 2017

Acanthaspis cincticrus (Stål) is an assassin bug with a specialized camouflaging behavior to ambush ants in the nymphal stages. In this study, we comprehensively sequenced all the life stages of A. cincticrus, including the eggs, five nymph instars, female and male adults using Illumina HiSeq technology. We obtained 176 million clean sequence reads. The assembled 84,055 unigenes were annotated and classified functionally based on protein databases. Among the unigenes, 29.03% were annotated by one or more databases, suggesting their well-conserved functions. Comparison of the gene expression profiles in the egg, nymph and adult stages revealed certain bias. Functional enrichment analysis of significantly differentially expressed genes (SDEGs) showed positive correlation with specific physiological processes within each stage, including venom, aggression, olfactory recognition as well as growth and development. Relative expression of ten SDEGs involved in predation process was validated using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).
The influence of liposomal quercetin on liver damage induced by microwave ablation
Authors: Duan Xuhua , Chen Pengfei , Han Xinwei , Ren Jianzhuang , Wang Zhaoyang , Zhao Guorui , Li Hao
Published: September 2017

This study aimed to observe whether liposomal quercetin (LQ) can enhance the effect of microwave ablation (MWA) on hepatic parenchyma destruction. Forty-eight rabbits were randomly divided into three groups: LQ group, MWA group and LQ + MWA group. Serum and liver samples were collected. The coagulation volume (CV) of hepatic parenchyma, histopathological changes and liver function were compared. Hepatocyte apoptosis was examined through TUNEL. The expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were analyzed. Compared with MWA group, the CV of coagulation necrosis in liver was significantly increased in LQ + MWA group. TUNEL results showed that the hepaocyte apoptosis was higher in LQ + MWA group than MWA group on 12 h, 24 h and 3 d, respectively. HSP70 and HIF-1α expression in both MWA group and LQ + MWA group were increased at 12 and 24 hours, peaked on day3 and dropped on day7. Compared with MWA group, HSP70 and HIF-1α expression were lower in LQ + MWA group. On the contrary, TNF-α expression was decreased in MWA group and LQ + MWA group compared with LQ group. In conclusion, LQ increased hepatocyte apoptosis and MWA-induced hepatic parenchyma destruction through suppressing HSP70 and HIF-1α expression in liver surrounding ablation zone and increasing TNF-α expression.