bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Address food, housing insecurity among students
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: March 2019

JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — When Clare Cady found herself unemployed and struggling to make ends meet, she faced a tough choice between paying her car loan versus her rent. She chose her car. And so she began living in her car while going on job interviews. This ended up playing a key role in how she answered questions while interviewing for a job helping college students experiencing economic struggles.
Structure estimation of binary graphical models on stratified data: Application to the description of injury tables for victims of road accidents
Authors: Ballout Nadim , Viallon Vivian
Published: March 2019

Graphical models are used in many applications such as medical diagnostics and computer security. Increasingly often, the estimation of such models has to be performed on several predefined strata of the whole population. For instance, in epidemiology and clinical research, strata are often defined according to age, gender, treatment, or disease type. In this article, we propose new approaches dedicated to the estimation of binary graphical models on such strata. These approaches are implemented by combining well‐known methods that have been developed in the context of a single binary graphical model, with penalties encouraging structured sparsity, which have recently been shown to be appropriate when dealing with stratified data. Empirical comparisons on synthetic data highlight that our approaches generally outperform its competitors. We present an application of the approach to study associations among the injuries suffered by victims of road accidents according to road user type.
Experimental Size‐Selective Harvesting Affects Behavioral Types of a Social Fish
Authors: Sbragaglia Valerio , Alós Josep , Fromm Kim , Monk Christopher T. , Díaz‐Gil Carlos , Uusi‐Heikkilä Silva , Honsey Andrew E. , Wilson Alexander D. M. , Arlinghaus Robert
Published: March 2019

In most fisheries, larger fish experience substantially higher mortality than smaller fish. Body length, life history, and behavioral traits are often correlated, such that fisheries‐induced changes in size or life history can also alter behavioral traits. However, empirical evidence regarding how size‐selective harvesting alters the evolution of behavioral traits in exploited stocks is scarce. We used experimental lines of Zebrafish Danio rerio that were exposed to positively size‐selective, negatively size‐selective, or random harvest over five generations. Our aim was to investigate whether simulated fishing changed the mean personality of the surviving females five generations after initial harvesting halted. We found that mean boldness, activity, and sociability were significantly altered relative to the randomly harvested control line. Harvest‐induced changes in individual‐level personality were only detected in the negatively size‐selected line. By contrast, we did not detect harvest‐induced evolution of personality in the positively size‐selected line. We conclude that size‐selective harvesting alters individual personality in this social fish.
Current control of modular multilevel converters with phase‐shifted pwm using a daisy‐chained distributed control system
Authors: Koyama Yushi , Isobe Takanori
Published: March 2019

A modular multilevel converter (MMC) with a conventional centralized control system has many optical fibers for gate signals. A daisy‐chained distributed control system that consists of a primary controller and daisy‐chained cell controllers can reduce the fibers effectively. However, communication delays occur between the controllers and affect the current control performance. This article reveals the current control model of an MMC with phase‐shifted pulse width modulation using the daisy‐chained distributed control system considering the communication delays. We derived a generalized pulse transfer function of the current control and verified it with numerical analyses and circuit simulations. The impacts of the communication delays on the current control and its gain design method are also discussed and analyzed. © 2019 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Desorption and solubilization of anthracene by a rhamnolipid biosurfactant from Rhodococcus fascians
Authors: Kim Chul‐Hwan , Lee Dong Wan , Heo Young Mok , Lee Hanbyul , Yoo Yeonjae , Kim Gyu‐Hyeok , Kim Jae‐Jin
Published: March 2019

The rhamnolipid biosurfactant‐producing bacterium, strain SDRB‐G7, was isolated from the sediment of Sindu‐ri beach and identified as Rhodococcus fascians based on a phylogenetic analysis. Optimal activity, with the highest yield (2.441 g/L) and surface tension‐reducing activity (24.38 mN/m), was observed when the cells were grown on olive oil as their sole source of carbon at pH 8.0. The rhamnolipid biosurfactant showed environmental stability at a variety of NaCl concentrations (2‐20%) and pH values (2‐12) even under acidic conditions. Of the initial anthracene, 66% was solubilized by 100% crude biosurfactant. Furthermore, 100% crude biosurfactant desorbed 81% of the anthracene in sediment into the aqueous phase. These results suggest that the rhamnolipid biosurfactant produced from R. fascians SDRB‐G7 is a promising candidate for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) removal from the sediment and can be an effective agent for processes that bioremediate PAHs such as surfactant‐enhanced remediation.

Practitioner points

Biosurfactants can accelerate desorption of PAHs and improve their solubility.

BS‐producing R. fascians SDRB‐G7 was selected by screening of biochemical tests.

Solubility of anthracene was enhanced by rhamnolipid produced by strain SDRB‐G7.

Microbial surfactant is a promising alternative for bioremediation of PAH‐polluted sites.
ZZ production at the LHC: NLO QCD corrections to the loop-induced gluon fusion channel
Authors: Grazzini Massimiliano , Kallweit Stefan , Wiesemann Marius , Yook Jeong Yeon
Published: March 2019

Abstract

We consider QCD radiative corrections to the production of four charged leptons in hadron collisions. We present the computation of the next-to-leading order QCD corrections to the loop-induced gluon fusion contribution. Our predictions include, for the first time, also the quark-gluon partonic channels. The computed corrections, which are formally of

$$ \mathcal{O}\left({\alpha}_{\mathrm{S}}^3\right) $$

O

α
S
3

, turn out to increase the loop-induced Born-level result by an amount ranging from 75% to 71% as

$$ \sqrt{s} $$

s

ranges from 8 to 13 TeV. We combine our result with state-of-the-art NNLO corrections to the quark annihilation channel, and present updated predictions for fiducial cross sections and distributions for this process.
Computing the elliptic genus of higher rank E-strings from genus 0 GW invariants
Authors: Duan Zhihao , Gu Jie , Kashani-Poor Amir-Kian
Published: March 2019

Abstract

We show that the elliptic genus of the higher rank E-strings can be computed based solely on the genus 0 Gromov-Witten invariants of the corresponding elliptic geometry. To set up our computation, we study the structure of the topological string free energy on elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau manifolds both in the unrefined and the refined case, determining the maximal amount of the modular structure of the partition function that can be salvaged. In the case of fibrations exhibiting only isolated fibral curves, we show that the principal parts of the topological string partition function at given base-wrapping can be computed from the knowledge of the genus 0 Gromov-Witten invariants at this base-wrapping, and the partition function at lower base-wrappings. For the class of geometries leading to the higher rank E-strings, this leads to the result stated in the opening sentence.
Towards a full solution of the large N double-scaled SYK model
Authors: Berkooz Micha , Isachenkov Mikhail , Narovlansky Vladimir , Torrents Genis
Published: March 2019

Abstract

We compute the exact, all energy scale, 4-point function of the large N doublescaled SYK model, by using only combinatorial tools and relating the correlation functions to sums over chord diagrams. We apply the result to obtain corrections to the maximal Lyapunov exponent at low temperatures. We present the rules for the non-perturbative diagrammatic description of correlation functions of the entire model. The latter indicate that the model can be solved by a reduction of a quantum deformation of SL(2), that generalizes the Schwarzian to the complete range of energies.
Dark matter blind spots at one-loop
Authors: Han Tao , Liu Hongkai , Mukhopadhyay Satyanarayan , Wang Xing
Published: March 2019

Abstract

We evaluate the impact of one-loop electroweak corrections to the spin-independent dark matter (DM) scattering cross-section with nucleons (σ
SI), in models with a so-called blind spot for direct detection, where the leading-order prediction for the relevant DM coupling to the Higgs boson, and therefore σ
SI, are vanishingly small. Adopting a simple illustrative scenario in which the DM state results from the mixing of electroweak singlet and doublet fermions, we compute the relevant higher order corrections to the scalar effective operator contributions to σ
SI, stemming from both triangle and box diagrams involving the SM and dark sector fields. It is observed that in a significant region of the singlet-doublet model-space, the one-loop corrections “unblind” the tree-level blind spots and lead to detectable SI scattering rates at future multi-ton scale liquid Xenon experiments, with σSI reaching values up to a few times 10−47 cm2, for a weak scale DM with

$$ \mathcal{O}(1) $$

O

1

Yukawa couplings. Furthermore, we find that there always exists a new SI blind spot at the next-to-leading order, which is perturbatively shifted from the leading order one in the singlet-doublet mass parameters. For comparison, we also present the tree-level spin-dependent scattering cross-sections near the SI blind-spot region, that could lead to a larger signal. Our results can be mapped to the blind-spot scenario for bino-Higgsino DM in the MSSM, with other sfermions, the heavier Higgs boson, and the wino decoupled.
Chiral vortical effect for an arbitrary spin
Authors: Huang Xu-Guang , Sadofyev Andrey V.
Published: March 2019

Abstract

The spin Hall effect of light attracted enormous attention in the literature due to the ongoing progress in developing of new optically active materials and metamaterials with non-trivial spin-orbit interaction. Recently, it was shown that rotating fermionic systems with relativistic massless spectrum may exhibit a 3-dimensional analogue of the spin Hall current — the chiral vortical effect (CVE). Here we show that CVE is a general feature of massless particles with an arbitrary spin. We derive the semi-classical equations of motion in rotating frame from the first principles and show how by coordinate transformation in the phase space it can be brought to the intuitive form proposed in [1]. Our finding clarifies the superficial discrepancies in different formulations of the chiral kinetic theory for rotating systems. We then generalize the chiral kinetic theory, originally introduced for fermions, to an arbitrary spin and study chirality current in a general rotating chiral medium. We stress that the higher-spin realizations of CVE can be in principle observed in various setups including table-top experiments on quantum optics.
Finding suitable variability abstractions for lifted analysis
Authors: Dimovski Aleksandar S. , Brabrand Claus , Wąsowski Andrzej
Published: March 2019

Many software systems are today variational: they are built as program families or Software Product Lines. They can produce a potentially huge number of related programs, known as products or variants, by selecting suitable configuration options (features) at compile time. Many such program families are safety critical, yet the appropriate tools only rarely are able to analyze them effeciently. Researchers have addressed this problem by designing specialized
variability-aware
static (dataflow) analyses, which allow analyzing all variants of the family, simultaneously, in a single run without generating any of the variants explicitly. They are also known as
lifted
or
family-based
analyses. They take as input the common code base, which encodes all variants of a program family, and produce precise analysis results corresponding to all variants. These analyses scale much better than “brute force” approach, where all individual variants are analyzed in isolation, one-by-one, using off-the-shelf single-program analyzers. Nevertheless, the computational cost of lifted analyses still greatly depends on the number of features and variants (which is often huge). For families with a large number of features and variants, the lifted analyses may be too costly or even infeasible. In order to speed up lifted analyses and make them computationally cheaper, variability abstractions which simplify variability away from program families and lifted analyses have been introduced. However, the space of possible variability abstractions is still intractably large to search naively, with most abstractions being either too imprecise or too costly.

We introduce here a method to efficiently find suitable variability abstractions from a large space of possible abstractions for a lifted static analysis. The main idea is to use a
pre-analysis
to estimate the impact of variability-specific parts of the program family on the analysis’s precision. The pre-analysis is fully variability-aware while it aggressively abstracts the other semantics aspects. Then we use the pre-analysis results to find out when and where the subsequent abstract lifted analysis should turn off or on its variability-awareness. The abstraction constructed in this way is effective in discarding variability-specific program details that are irrelevant for showing the analysis’s ultimate goal. We formalize this approach and we illustrate its effectiveness on several Java case studies. The evaluation shows that our approach which consists of running a pre-analysis followed by a subsequent abstract lifted analysis achieves competitive the precision-speed tradeoff compared to the standard lifted analysis.
A modeling and verification framework for optical quantum circuits
Authors: Beillahi Sidi Mohamed , Mahmoud Mohamed Yousri , Tahar Sofiène
Published: March 2019

Quantum computing systems promise to increase the capabilities for solving problems which classical computers cannot handle adequately, such as integers factorization. In this paper, we present a formal modeling and verification approach for optical quantum circuits, where we build a rich library of optical quantum gates and develop a proof strategy in higher-order logic to reason about optical quantum circuits automatically. The constructed library contains a variety of quantum gates ranging from 1-qubit to 3-qubit gates that are sufficient to model most existing quantum circuits. As real world applications, we present the formal analysis of several quantum circuits including quantum full adders and the Grover’s oracle circuits, for which we have proved the behavioral correctness and calculated the operational success rate, which has never been provided in the literature. We show through several case studies the efficiency of the proposed framework in terms of the scalability and modularity.
Augmented Weighted Estimators Dealing with Practical Positivity Violation to Causal inferences in a Random Coefficient Model
Authors: Wang Mary Ying-Fang , Tuss Paul , Qi Lihong
Published: March 2019

The inverse probability of treatment weighted (IPTW) estimator can be used to make causal inferences under two assumptions: (1) no unobserved confounders (ignorability) and (2) positive probability of treatment and of control at every level of the confounders (positivity), but is vulnerable to bias if by chance, the proportion of the sample assigned to treatment, or proportion of control, is zero at certain levels of the confounders. We propose to deal with this sampling zero problem, also known as practical violation of the positivity assumption, in a setting where the observed confounder is cluster identity, i.e., treatment assignment is ignorable within clusters. Specifically, based on a random coefficient model assumed for the potential outcome, we augment the IPTW estimating function with the estimated potential outcomes of treatment (or of control) for clusters that have no observation of treatment (or control). If the cluster-specific potential outcomes are estimated correctly, the augmented estimating function can be shown to converge in expectation to zero and therefore yield consistent causal estimates. The proposed method can be implemented in the existing software, and it performs well in simulated data as well as with real-world data from a teacher preparation evaluation study.
Machine Learning to Predict the Martensite Start Temperature in Steels
Authors: Rahaman Moshiour , Mu Wangzhong , Odqvist Joakim , Hedström Peter
Published: March 2019

The martensite start temperature (M
s) is a critical parameter when designing high-performance steels and their heat treatments. It has, therefore, attracted significant interest over the years. Numerous methodologies, such as thermodynamics-based, linear regression and artificial neural network (ANN) modeling, have been applied. The application of data-driven approaches, such as ANN modeling, or the wider concept of machine learning (ML), have shown limited technical applicability, but considering that these methods have made significant progress lately and that materials data are becoming more accessible, a new attempt at data-driven predictions of the M
s is timely. We here investigate the usage of ML to predict the M
s of steels based on their chemical composition. A database of the M
s
vs alloy composition containing 2277 unique entries is collected. It is ensured that all alloys are fully austenitic at the given austenitization temperature by thermodynamic calculations. The ML modeling is performed using four different ensemble methods and ANN. Train-test split series are used to evaluate the five models, and it is found that all four ensemble methods outperform the ANN on the current dataset. The reason is that the ensemble methods perform better for the rather small dataset used in the present work. Thereafter, a validation dataset of 115 M
s entries is collected from a new reference and the final ML model is benchmarked vs a recent thermodynamics-based model from the literature. The ML model provides excellent predictions on the validation dataset with a root-mean-square error of 18, which is slightly better than the thermodynamics-based model. The results on the validation dataset indicate the technical usefulness of the ML model to predict the M
s in steels for design and optimization of alloys and heat treatments. Furthermore, the agility of the ML model indicates its advantage over thermodynamics-based models for M
s predictions in complex multicomponent steels.
Pre and postnatal diagnosis of congenital portosystemic shunt
Authors: Shireen Mreish , Hamdan Mohamed A.
Published: March 2019

Introduction:

Congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS) are rare vascular malformations that can lead to severe complications. With advanced imaging techniques, diagnosis is becoming more feasible occurring in fetal life. Different approaches have been adopted to manage these cases, with an increased utilization of interventional therapy recently. This cohort aims to describe the course of children diagnosed with CPSS and the impact of interventional therapy on the outcome.

Methods:

Retrospective chart review was done for all patients who were diagnosed with CPSS in our institution between January 2006 and December 2015.

Results:

Six patients were diagnosed with CPSS. During this period, 8,680 mothers carrying 9548 fetuses underwent fetal ultrasound examinations. Three patients were diagnosed antenatally at a median [IQ] gestational age of 33 [26–33] weeks, and three patients were diagnosed postnatally at 0, 2, and 43 months, respectively. At a median follow-up of 87 [74–110] months, 5 patients are alive; 4 of whom had received transcatheter closure for different indications, and one who had spontaneous resolution of her CPSS. One infant died at the age of 6 weeks secondary to sepsis.

Conclusion:

CPSS can result in significant complications in children. Interventional therapy is feasible at any age group, but long-term follow-up is warranted.
Demonstration of polarisation calibration with the LBA on Selected AGNs
Authors: Chanapote Thanapol , Dodson Richard , Rioja Maria , Asanok Kitiyanee , Stevens Jamie , Martí-Vidal Iván
Published: March 2019

We present here the results from a full polarisation study, an important VLBI capability, of a selected set of bright Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs), along with the steps required to fully calibrate the Australian Long Baseline Array. We compare strategies for high-precision polarisation measurements using two polarisation correction methods: (1) Linear model and (2) Ellipticity-Orientation model and two data-recording techniques: recording (1) nominally circular polarisation at all stations and (2) mixed polarisation, where all but one station record circular polarisation and the other recorded linear polarisation. The latter is corrected post-correlation. We explored these possible solution to discover which will best accommodate the heterogeneous nature of the Australian Long Baseline Array without impacting on the science results. The targets, all compact and of low polarisation fraction, allow us to compare multiple independent solutions for polarisation characteristics. The results show that the agreement between the two polarisation correction models is excellent. However, the values from Mopra with nominally circular polarisation are larger than would be acceptable. However, we also demonstrate that recording mixed polarisation modes and correcting post-correlation provide a high quality polarisation product. We report on the detailed tests of these strategies and assess that the array is ready for full polarisation operation.
EDICIONES, REIMPRESIONES Y TRADUCCIONES EN ESPAÑOL DEL TRATADO DE ECONOMÍA POLÍTICA DE JEAN BAPTISTE SAY
Authors: Menudo José M. , O’Kean José María
Published: March 2019

Jean-Baptiste Say’s Traité d’économie politique made a profound impact on Spain in the 19th century due to its prominent influence on parliamentary debate and teaching. Probably due to the success achieved in Spain and the numerous editions and translations into Spanish, certain confusion is perceived in the literature. The aim of this article is to clarify the muddle over the different editions of Say’s Traité in Spanish and also the identity of their translators who, in some cases, were obliged to conceal their names because of the obstacles to press freedom. We also conclude that Say’s translation was part of two publishing projects. A teaching project linked to the Real Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País and a political project due to the fact the Liberal Triennium allowed the exiles to bring new ideas to policy makers and students.
REPUTATION AND THE PALMER RULE IN THE ORIGINS OF BANKING IN SPAIN
Authors: Blasco-Martel Yolanda
Published: March 2019

This paper investigates the reasons why provincial issuing banks in Spain maintained high reserves in the 19thcentury and the effects this had. The introduction of banknotes into the economy meant that convertibility had to be guaranteed. If convertibility was respected, this gave banks a good reputation and made them reliable. The Palmer Rule was a control mechanism stating that a well-managed bank should keep one-third of its liabilities as cash in hand and two-thirds in securities. In Spain the banking system, constituted in the mid-19thcentury, was characterised by a plurality of issuing banks. Regulations required reserves only to secure notes, with no mention of reserve requirements for banks’ other types of liabilities. However, Spanish provincial banks of issue adopted the Palmer Rule. The Bank of Spain did not follow the same path.
Impacts of gastropods on epiphytic microalgae on the brown macroalga Himantothallus grandifolius
Authors: Amsler Charles D. , Amsler Margaret O. , Curtis Michelle D. , McClintock James B. , Baker Bill J.
Published: March 2019

Chemically defended benthic macroalgae that dominate shallow, hard bottom communities along the western Antarctic Peninsula support very high densities of mesograzers, particularly amphipods but also small gastropods. Previous studies have demonstrated that the macroalgae and amphipods form a mutualistic relationship. The chemically defended macroalgae provide the amphipods with a refuge from predation while the macroalgae benefit from the amphipods greatly reducing surface fouling by smaller algae. One of the three most important macroalgae in terms of overstory cover, Himantothallus grandifolius, forms huge blades that can carpet the benthos. Field observations suggest that gastropods may be higher in relative abundance in proportion to amphipods on H. grandifolius than on other overstory macroalgae. The present study documents the finding that natural abundances of gastropods on H. grandifolius maintained in mesocosms reduce fouling by microscopic algae, primarily diatoms. However, amphipods are probably also important in keeping the macroalga clean of diatoms in nature. In a smaller scale experiment, three gastropod species were differentially effective at reducing diatom coverage on H. grandifolius. The hypothesis that gastropods benefit from associating with H. grandifolius in potentially gaining a refuge from sea-star predation was also tested but not supported by the experimental results.
In vitro culture systems as an alternative for female reproductive toxicology studies
Authors: Guerreiro Denise Damasceno , Mbemya Gildas Tetaping , Bruno Jamily Bezerra , Faustino Luciana Rocha , de Figueiredo José Ricardo , Rodrigues Ana Paula Ribeiro
Published: March 2019

Studies have shown that daily exposure to different products, whether chemical or natural, can cause irreversible damage to women’s reproductive health. Therefore it is necessary to use tests that evaluate the safety and efficacy of these products. Most reproductive toxicology tests are performedin vivo. However, in recent years, various cell culture methods, including embryonic stem cells and tissues have been developed with the aim of reducing the use of animals in toxicological tests. This is a major advance in the area of toxicology, as these systems have the potential to become a widely used tool compared within vivotests routinely used in reproductive biology and toxicology. The present review describes and highlights data onin vitroculture processes used to evaluate reproductive toxicity as an alternative to traditional methods usingin vivotests.
Embryo sHLA-G secretion is related to pregnancy rate
Authors: Díaz R. Rodríguez , Zamora R. Blanes , Sánchez R. Vaca , Pérez J. González , Bethencourt J.C. Alberto
Published: March 2019

HLA-G expression has been detected in early preimplantation embryos and it has been postulated that a relationship between embryonic expression of this factor and successful pregnancy may exist. Forty-six patients were prospectively selected from our centre ‘Unidad de Reproducción Humana, Hospital Universitario de Canarias’ for conducting this study. In all cases, metaphase II (MII) oocytes were fertilized using intracytoplasmic sperm injection 2–4 h after retrieval. Embryos were cultured individually in 20 µl droplets of G-1 medium (VitroLife) under oil at 37°C and a 6% CO2environment. Fertilization was assessed at 18 h postinsemination and all oocytes fertilized were passed into a new culture plaque individually in 300 µl culture medium until day 3 of culture. The culture medium was examined for the expression and secretion of sHLA-G with a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (BioVendor, Heidelberg, Germany) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. We found statistical significance between higher levels of sHLA-G secretion and pregnancy rate. When both groups were compared there was no difference in embryo quality of transferred embryos, but a significant difference in the number of oocytes and the embryo quality of the cohort existed that was greater in the pregnant group. A standardized sHLA-G assay with a specifically defined range and standard units provides a non-invasive method to identify the most competent embryos for transfer.
Assessment of successful pregnancy using granular oocytes in ICSI treatments
Authors: Tulay P. , Arslan H. , Buran A. , Koprulu Y.
Published: March 2019

Different parameters affect the success of assisted reproduction technology (ART) treatments. One of the advantages of using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is that it also enables the assessment of the oocyte morphology. To date there has not been a clear conclusion on aberrant oocyte morphology and its consequences on the success of ART treatments. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the fertilization, embryo development and pregnancy rates in patients who have oocytes with granular cytoplasm. Additionally, we investigated if there were more aneuploid embryos obtained from abnormal cytoplasmic morphology. In total, 5704 oocytes were collected and, of these, 4036 were metaphase II (MII) oocytes. The morphology of these oocytes was assessed following denudation and 970 oocytes were observed to have granular cytoplasm. There was no difference in the fertilization rates between the oocytes with normal cytoplasm (89%) and oocytes with granular cytoplasm (72%). Cleavage of embryos and the number of embryos that reached the blastocyst stage were also similar in these two groups. The aneuploidy rates between the two groups were also similar. However, clinical pregnancies were significantly lower in embryos obtained from oocytes with granular cytoplasm (37.5% vs 70%, P<0.05). Therefore, the morphology of the oocyte is as important as morphology of the sperm. Even though normal fertilization and cleavage were achieved from oocytes with granular cytoplasm, their implantation potential was significantly compromised.
Names, shares and mortgages: the formalisation of Swedish commercial bank lending, 1870–1938
Authors: Broberg Oskar , Ögren Anders
Published: March 2019

This article explores the process of the formalisation of the Swedish financial market, through an analysis of commercial bank lending in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The analysis shows that the incorporation of Swedish business around the turn of the century led to a shift from lending primarily backed by name security to an increased use of mortgage and shares as collateral – after the severe stock market crash in 1920/1 mortgage lending surpassed lending against shares as collateral. We interpret this change as an important part of the formalisation process of the financial system, as it standardised the valuation process and allowed creditors to exit on a secondary market. Our statistical testing points to increased financial wealth and liquidity represented by the broad money supply, plus population growth and urbanisation, as important forces behind this formalisation.
International Investment Law, Time, and Economics: Fixing the Length of Economic Crises as a Costs-Allocation Tool between Host States and Foreign Investors
Authors: Alvarez-Jimenez Alberto
Published: March 2019

The case law on non-precluded measures clauses, when they are successful, and the customary rule of necessity, when it fails, transfers significant risks to foreign investors and host States, respectively, during severe economic crises. Some risk-sharing mechanisms should be explored to achieve a more balanced result. This article presents the policy reasons in support of this approach and its normative basis: the principle of acceptable compensation, and illustrates that one way to introduce such mechanisms is through the determination by investor/State tribunals of the length of the breakdown, which is marked by the dates for its beginning and end. The article discusses economic research on when crises conclude, which could be useful to tribunals, and explores the determination on the beginning of economic collapses as a risk-sharing tool and shows how decisions of the Argentinean saga have achieved this result.
Paul Dessau and the Hard Work of Socialist Music in the German Democratic Republic
Authors: BRADY MARTIN
Published: March 2019

This article examines the labour of socialist music in the German Democratic Republic, focusing on composer Paul Dessau's use of political cryptography and quotation in a number of compositions from the operaThe Condemnation of Lukullus(1950) through to Choral Music No. 5 (1976). Most famous for his collaborations with Bertolt Brecht, Dessau was the leading avant-garde composer of the GDR and its chief practitioner of serialism. He believed that only difficult, progressive New Music could convey the struggle(s) of socialism. This brought him into conflict with the authorities, who accused him of formalism. Choral Music No. 5 is a setting of a poem by Heiner Müller based on a speech by Erich Honecker (Žižek refers to the text as an ‘obscenity’). Dessau's composition is complex and dialectical, abrasive in its rhythms and counterpoint, and pluralistic in style. It is the embodiment of Dessau's belief in socialist music as rewarding hard work.
The Effects of Religious Attendance and Evangelical Identification on Media Perception and Political Knowledge
Authors: Gaskins Ben
Published: March 2019

Scholars have shown that religious activity can prepare individuals for civic activity by endowing them with the skills and motivation to engage in politics. Others, however, assert that religious dogmatism may lead to disengagement with the secular world and politics more generally. These two perspectives have resulted in contradictory findings on a key aspect of civic ability: political knowledge. I argue that while religiosity may indeed increase individuals’ engagement in a wide array of political activities, including some aspects of political knowledge, religious commitment decreases the ability to acquire accurate information about certain types of political facts. This argument is tested with a number of national surveys, and I find that while religion has a mixed effect on knowledge of general political structures and actors, it increases the perception of media hostility, which leads to lower levels of political knowledge about policy-specific surveillance information.
Extracellular vesicles in onco-nephrology
Authors: Gai Chiara , Pomatto Margherita A. C. , Grange Cristina , Deregibus Maria Chiara , Camussi Giovanni
Published: March 2019

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important mediators of intercellular communication in cancer and in normal tissues. EVs transfer biologically active molecules from the cell of origin to recipient cells. This review summarizes the studies on EVs derived from renal cell carcinoma and from a subpopulation of CD105-positive renal cancer stem cells. While EVs from renal cell carcinoma show mild biological activity, EVs from renal cancer stem cells enhance tumor angiogenesis and metastasis formation. The effect is probably due to the transfer of proangiogenic RNA cargo to endothelial cells, which acquire an activated angiogenic phenotype. In vivo, treatment with EVs favors the formation of a premetastatic niche in the lungs. Moreover, EVs derived from renal cancer stem cells modify gene expression in mesenchymal stromal cells, enhancing the expression of genes involved in matrix remodeling, cell migration, and tumor growth. Mesenchymal stromal cells preconditioned with tumor EVs and then coinjected in vivo with renal cancer cells support tumor growth and vessel formation. Finally, tumor EVs promote tumor immune escape by inhibiting the differentiation process of dendritic cells and the activation of T cells. Thus, tumor-derived EVs act on the microenvironment favoring tumor aggressiveness, may contribute to angiogenesis through both direct and indirect mechanisms and are involved in tumor immune escape.
Mass spectrometry-based proteome profiling of extracellular vesicles and their roles in cancer biology
Authors: Bandu Raju , Oh Jae Won , Kim Kwang Pyo
Published: March 2019

Over the past three decades, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have arisen as important mediators of intercellular communication that are involved in the transmission of biological signals between cells to regulate various biological processes. EVs are largely responsible for intercellular communication through the delivery of bioactive molecules, such as proteins, messenger RNAs (mRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), DNAs, lipids, and metabolites. EVs released from cancer cells play a significant role in signal transduction between cancer cells and the surrounding cells, which contributes to the formation of tumors and metastasis in the tumor microenvironment. In addition, EVs released from cancer cells migrate to blood vessels and flow into various biological fluids, including blood and urine. EVs and EV-loaded functional cargoes, including proteins and miRNAs, found in these biological fluids are important biomarkers for cancer diagnosis. Therefore, EV proteomics greatly contributes to the understanding of carcinogenesis and tumor progression and is critical for the development of biomarkers for the early diagnosis of cancer. To explore the potential use of EVs as a gateway to understanding cancer biology and to develop cancer biomarkers, we discuss the mass spectrometric identification and characterization of EV proteins from different cancers. Information provided in this review may help in understanding recent progress regarding EV biology and the potential roles of EVs as new noninvasive biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Insulin-stimulated mTOR activation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells associated with early treatment response to lithium augmentation in rodent model of antidepressant-resistance
Authors: Walker Adam J. , Price J. Blair , Borreggine Kristin , Sutor Shari L. , Gogos Andrea , McGillivray Jane A. , Frye Mark A. , Tye Susannah J.
Published: March 2019

Lithium has been shown to have some therapeutic efficacy as an adjunctive treatment for intractable forms of major depression. Activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) have been implicated in its putative mechanisms of action. These proteins are integral components of the insulin signaling pathway, which may serve as a critical co-regulator of drug action. Utilizing an animal model of tricyclic antidepressant resistance, we investigated the relationship between insulin signaling and antidepressant response to lithium augmentation. Pre-treatment with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH 100 µg/day i.p.) for 14 days effectively blocked the immobility-reducing effects of an acute dose of imipramine (10 mg/kg i.p.) in the forced swim test (FST). Lithium augmentation (100 mg/kg i.p.) rescued the antidepressant-like effects of imipramine in this model. Total and phosphorylated (p) levels of protein kinase B (Akt), mTOR, and GSK3β protein were quantified in the infralimbic cortex (ILPFC) following FST stress via Western blot. Levels of mTOR and pmTOR were further quantified in isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) following insulin stimulation (10 mg/mL for 5 min) via ELISA. Elevated levels of phosphorylated insulin signaling proteins were present in the ILPFC of ACTH-pretreated animals that received both imipramine and lithium, together with a concurrent increase in mTOR activation in PBMCs. Large correlations were observed between immobility time and insulin-stimulated mTOR levels in PBMCs. We propose that PBMC insulin challenge may be a useful probe for predicting antidepressant response to lithium administration, and potentially other therapies acting via similar mechanisms of action.
Autophagy suppresses the pathogenic immune response to dietary antigens in cystic fibrosis
Authors: Villella Valeria R. , Esposito Speranza , Ferrari Eleonora , Monzani Romina , Tosco Antonella , Rossin Federica , Castaldo Alice , Silano Marco , Marseglia Gian Luigi , Romani Luigina , Barlev Nikolai A. , Piacentini Mauro , Raia Valeria , Kroemer Guido , Maiuri Luigi
Published: March 2019

Under physiological conditions, a finely tuned system of cellular adaptation allows the intestinal mucosa to maintain the gut barrier function while avoiding excessive immune responses to non-self-antigens from dietary origin or from commensal microbes. This homeostatic function is compromised in cystic fibrosis (CF) due to loss-of-function mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Recently, we reported that mice bearing defective CFTR are abnormally susceptible to a celiac disease-like enteropathy, in thus far that oral challenge with the gluten derivative gliadin elicits an inflammatory response. However, the mechanisms through which CFTR malfunction drives such an exaggerated response to dietary protein remains elusive. Here we demonstrate that the proteostasis regulator/transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) inhibitor cysteamine restores reduced Beclin 1 (BECN1) protein levels in mice bearing cysteamine-rescuable F508del-CFTR mutant, either in homozygosis or in compound heterozygosis with a null allele, but not in knock-out CFTR mice. When cysteamine restored BECN1 expression, autophagy was increased and gliadin-induced inflammation was reduced. The beneficial effects of cysteamine on F508del-CFTR mice were lost when these mice were backcrossed into a Becn1 haploinsufficient/autophagy-deficient background. Conversely, the transfection-enforced expression of BECN1 in human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells mitigated the pro-inflammatory cellular stress response elicited by the gliadin-derived P31–43 peptide. In conclusion, our data provide the proof-of-concept that autophagy stimulation may mitigate the intestinal malfunction of CF patients.
Plant diversity alters the representation of motifs in food webs
Authors: Giling Darren P. , Ebeling Anne , Eisenhauer Nico , Meyer Sebastian T. , Roscher Christiane , Rzanny Michael , Voigt Winfried , Weisser Wolfgang W. , Hines Jes
Published: March 2019

Changes in the diversity of plant communities may undermine the economically and environmentally important consumer species they support. The structure of trophic interactions determines the sensitivity of food webs to perturbations, but rigorous assessments of plant diversity effects on network topology are lacking. Here, we use highly resolved networks from a grassland biodiversity experiment to test how plant diversity affects the prevalence of different food web motifs, the smaller recurrent sub-networks that form the building blocks of complex networks. We find that the representation of tri-trophic chain, apparent competition and exploitative competition motifs increases with plant species richness, while the representation of omnivory motifs decreases. Moreover, plant species richness is associated with altered patterns of local interactions among arthropod consumers in which plants are not directly involved. These findings reveal novel structuring forces that plant diversity exerts on food webs with potential implications for the persistence and functioning of multitrophic communities.
KCC2 overexpression prevents the paradoxical seizure-promoting action of somatic inhibition
Authors: Magloire Vincent , Cornford Jonathan , Lieb Andreas , Kullmann Dimitri M. , Pavlov Ivan
Published: March 2019

Although cortical interneurons are apparently well-placed to suppress seizures, several recent reports have highlighted a paradoxical role of perisomatic-targeting parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons in ictogenesis. Here, we use an acute in vivo model of focal cortical seizures in awake behaving mice, together with closed-loop optogenetic manipulation of PV+ interneurons, to investigate their function during seizures. We show that photo-depolarization of PV+ interneurons rapidly switches from an anti-ictal to a pro-ictal effect within a few seconds of seizure initiation. The pro-ictal effect of delayed photostimulation of PV+ interneurons was not shared with dendrite-targeting somatostatin-positive (SOM+) interneurons. We also show that this switch can be prevented by overexpression of the neuronal potassium-chloride co-transporter KCC2 in principal cortical neurons. These results suggest that strategies aimed at improving the ability of principal neurons to maintain a trans-membrane chloride gradient in the face of excessive network activity can prevent interneurons from contributing to seizure perpetuation.
A series of magnon crystals appearing under ultrahigh magnetic fields in a kagomé antiferromagnet
Authors: Okuma R. , Nakamura D. , Okubo T. , Miyake A. , Matsuo A. , Kindo K. , Tokunaga M. , Kawashima N. , Takeyama S. , Hiroi Z.
Published: March 2019

Geometrical frustration and a high magnetic field are two key factors for realizing unconventional quantum states in magnetic materials. Specifically, conventional magnetic order can potentially be destroyed by competing interactions and may be replaced by an exotic state that is characterized in terms of quasiparticles called magnons, the density and chemical potential of which are controlled by the magnetic field. Here we show that a synthetic copper mineral, Cd-kapellasite, which comprises a kagomé lattice consisting of corner-sharing triangles of spin-1/2 Cu2+ ions, exhibits an unprecedented series of fractional magnetization plateaus in ultrahigh magnetic fields of up to 160 T. We propose that these quantum states can be interpreted as crystallizations of emergent magnons localized on the hexagon of the kagomé lattice.
Lineage tracing using a Cas9-deaminase barcoding system targeting endogenous L1 elements
Authors: Hwang Byungjin , Lee Wookjae , Yum Soo-Young , Jeon Yujin , Cho Namjin , Jang Goo , Bang Duhee
Published: March 2019

Determining cell lineage and function is critical to understanding human physiology and pathology. Although advances in lineage tracing methods provide new insight into cell fate, defining cellular diversity at the mammalian level remains a challenge. Here, we develop a genome editing strategy using a cytidine deaminase fused with nickase Cas9 (nCas9) to specifically target endogenous interspersed repeat regions in mammalian cells. The resulting mutation patterns serve as a genetic barcode, which is induced by targeted mutagenesis with single-guide RNA (sgRNA), leveraging substitution events, and subsequent read out by a single primer pair. By analyzing interspersed mutation signatures, we show the accurate reconstruction of cell lineage using both bulk cell and single-cell data. We envision that our genetic barcode system will enable fine-resolution mapping of organismal development in healthy and diseased mammalian states.
LipidII interaction with specific residues of Mycobacterium tuberculosis PknB extracytoplasmic domain governs its optimal activation
Authors: Kaur Prabhjot , Rausch Marvin , Malakar Basanti , Watson Uchenna , Damle Nikhil P. , Chawla Yogesh , Srinivasan Sandhya , Sharma Kanika , Schneider Tanja , Jhingan Gagan Deep , Saini Deepak , Mohanty Debasisa , Grein Fabian , Nandicoori Vinay Kumar
Published: March 2019

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis kinase PknB is essential for growth and survival of the pathogen in vitro and in vivo. Here we report the results of our efforts to elucidate the mechanism of regulation of PknB activity. The specific residues in the PknB extracytoplasmic domain that are essential for ligand interaction and survival of the bacterium are identified. The extracytoplasmic domain interacts with mDAP-containing LipidII, and this is abolished upon mutation of the ligand-interacting residues. Abrogation of ligand-binding or sequestration of the ligand leads to aberrant localization of PknB. Contrary to the prevailing hypothesis, abrogation of ligand-binding is linked to activation loop hyperphosphorylation, and indiscriminate hyperphosphorylation of PknB substrates as well as other proteins, ultimately causing loss of homeostasis and cell death. We propose that the ligand-kinase interaction directs the appropriate localization of the kinase, coupled to stringently controlled activation of PknB, and consequently the downstream processes thereof.