bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Le mystère de Québec
Authors: Daoust Jean-François
Published: July 2017

Québec est un mystère politique et nombreuses sont les explications proposées pour comprendre le comportement électoral de la région de la capitale. Par rapport au reste de la province, les citoyens de la région choisissent d’élire beaucoup plus de députés de partis conservateurs depuis les années 1970. Plusieurs chercheurs ont examiné ce casse-tête, mais aucun modèle théorique n’est en mesure d’en rendre compte et de lever le voile sur le mystère. Cette recherche revient sur les modèles d’explication proposés pour ensuite tester empiriquement quelques relations qui pourraient s’avérer fécondes dans la résolution de l’énigme. Les résultats réfutent les plus récentes tentatives d’explication et laissent toujours cette énigme irrésolue, mais démontrent toutefois que même si les électeurs de la région de Québec se disent généralement plus à droite sur l’échiquier politique et moins favorables à la redistribution économique, la clé du mystère ne se trouve pas au niveau des valeurs et de l’attitude de l’ensemble de la population. La piste la plus féconde apparaît lorsqu’on isole l’attitude des moins nantis : il n’y a pas de classe pauvre qui serait économiquement plus à gauche dans la région de Québec.
El desempeño profesional del evaluador en instituciones de atención á la diversidad funcional. Dificultades y retos.
Authors: Muñoz-Cantero Jesús Miguel , Espiñeira-Bellón Eva , Losada-Puente Luisa
Published: July 2017

Este trabajo tiene como finalidad realizar un análisis sobre el desarrollo de la evaluación por parte de los y las profesionales que trabajan en instituciones de atención a la diversidad funcional en lo referente a sus actividades como evaluadores y evaluadoras de programas y proyectos con personas con discapacidad intelectual. Formaron parte de la muestra 108 sujetos procedentes de un total de treinta y una instituciones que trabajan con adultos/as con discapacidad intelectual y cinco centros de educación especial. Para la selección de la muestra y el posterior diseño e interpretación de los resultados, partimos de la existencia de una amplia heterogeneidad de perfiles profesionales en el ámbito de las Ciencias Sociales y Educativas, y de la posibilidad de que desarrollen funciones complementarias de intervención y evaluación en los diversos contextos que desarrollan su actividad. Se emplean metodologías cualitativas y cuantitativas. Los resultados muestran el tipo de funciones que son encargadas a los/las profesionales como agentes evaluadores/as, las peculiaridades que tiene su desarrollo en el ámbito de la diversidad funcional, y los condicionantes o limitaciones a los que se enfrentan estos/as profesionales en el quehacer diario, así como las posibles soluciones a tales problemáticas.
Reubicándose en la universidad. Propuesta de una tasa de reubicaciones a partir de un estudio de trayectorias educativas
Authors: Villar-Aguilés Alícia , Hernàndez i Dobon Francesc Jesús , García-Ros Rafael
Published: July 2017

La universidad ha vivido transformaciones importantes en los últimos años como es la expansión de una mayor heterogeneidad en el perfil de los estudiantes. Esta realidad ha implicado cambios significativos en el acceso a la universidad, los resultados y la salida hacia el mercado laboral de los universitarios. Los estudiantes provienen de entornos socioeconómicos diferentes, de vías de acceso diversas y se incorporan a la universidad con distintas expectativas y ritmos están produciendo una diversificación de las trayectorias educativas. En este sentido, esta diversificación conduce a una mayor frecuencia de trayectorias que desencadenan cambios de grado y abandonos de los estudios, lo que ha supuesto que se hayan desarrollado numerosos trabajos para determinar los factores explicativos. Este trabajo aborda los cambios de grados y abandonos de los estudios universitarios utilizando el concepto de “reubicación académica” mediante un análisis de trayectorias de 60.300 sujetos. El período analizado ha sido de seis cursos académicos (2009-10 a 2014-15). El objetivo es estudiar las “reubicaciones” entre titulaciones de grado para, a partir de ello, proponer el cálculo de un nuevo indicador: la “tasa de reubicaciones”. Las diferencias apreciadas entre titulaciones y su agrupación por ramas de conocimiento permiten constatar la importante heterogeneidad institucional.
Análise da disponibilidade de alimentos volumosos em propriedades leiteiras da agricultura familiar no município de Ponte Nova/MG: um estudo multicasos
Authors: Lazarini Graciela Pires , Lopes Marcos Aurélio , Cardoso Milton Ghedini
Published: July 2017

Objetivou-se analisar a disponibilidade de alimentos volumosos em propriedades leiteiras em regime de economia familiar, visando orientar produtores quanto às melhores alternativas de sustentabilidade financeira e ambiental no município de Ponte Nova, Zona da Mata Mineira. Durante o mês de abril de 2016, cinco pecuaristas foram entrevistados utilizando-se um formulário semiestruturado com 47 questões de múltipla escolha e 50 abertas, visando conhecer a quantidade de animais existentes, as fontes de alimentos e o período de arraçoamento dos animais. Para efetuar a mensuração das áreas de alimentação foi utilizado o Google Earth Pro®. As pastagens encontradas nas propriedades são à base de Brachiaria brizantha, Brachiaria decumbens e capins nativos, manejadas em lotação contínua ou em piquetes rotacionados. Os principais alimentos volumosos cultivados encontrados foram capineiras de capim elefante (Pennisetum purpureum), cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum officinarum) e silagem de milho (Zea mays). Conclui-se que 80% das propriedades não tem alimentação suficiente para todos os animais no decorrer de um ano.
Agency as a mediator in the pathway from transactional sex to HIV among pregnant women in Swaziland: a multigroup path analysis
Authors: Fielding‐Miller Rebecca , Dunkle Kristin L , Hadley Craig , Cooper Hannah LF , Windle Michael
Published: July 2017

Introduction: Transactional sex is a structural driver of HIV for women and girls in sub‐Saharan Africa. In transactional relationships, sexual and economic obligations intertwine and may have positive and negative effects on women's financial standing and social status. We conducted a clinic‐based survey with pregnant women in Swaziland using a locally validated transactional sex scale to measure the association between subjective social status, transactional sex, and HIV status, and to assess whether this association differed according to a woman's agency within her relationship.

Methods: We recruited a convenience sample of 406 pregnant women at one rural and one urban public antenatal clinic in Swaziland and administered a behavioural survey that was linked to participant HIV status using clinic records. We then conducted a multigroup path analysis to test three hypotheses: (1) that more engagement in transactional sex is associated with decreased condom use and increased subjective social status; (2) that subjective social status mediates the relationship between transactional sex and HIV status; and (3) that these relationships are different across groups according to whether or not a woman reported any indicator of constrained agency within her relationship.

Results: The amount and value of material goods received from a sexual partner was significantly and positively associated with higher subjective social status among all participants. As the amount of material goods received from a partner increased, women who reported no indicators of constrained agency were less likely to use condoms. Conversely, there was no relationship between transactional sex and condom use among women who reported any indicator of constrained relationship agency. Among women who reported any indicator of constrained agency, HIV was significantly associated with lower subjective social status.

Conclusions: Relationship agency likely plays a key role in determining which mechanisms create HIV risk for women in transactional relationships. Interventions to mitigate these risks must address social forces that penalize women who engage in sexual relationships as well as structural drivers of gendered economic disparity that reduce women's agency within their sexual and romantic relationships.
Mitochondrial flashes regulate ATP homeostasis in the heart
Authors: Wang Xianhua , Zhang Xing , Wu Di , Huang Zhanglong , Hou Tingting , Jian Chongshu , Yu Peng , Lu Fujian , Zhang Rufeng , Sun Tao , Li Jinghang , Qi Wenfeng , Wang Yanru , Gao Feng , Cheng Heping
Published: July 2017

The maintenance of a constant ATP level (‘set-point’) is a vital homeostatic function shared by eukaryotic cells. In particular, mammalian myocardium exquisitely safeguards its ATP set-point despite 10-fold fluctuations in cardiac workload. However, the exact mechanisms underlying this regulation of ATP homeostasis remain elusive. Here we show mitochondrial flashes (mitoflashes), recently discovered dynamic activity of mitochondria, play an essential role for the auto-regulation of ATP set-point in the heart. Specifically, mitoflashes negatively regulate ATP production in isolated respiring mitochondria and, their activity waxes and wanes to counteract the ATP supply-demand imbalance caused by superfluous substrate and altered workload in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, manipulating mitoflash activity is sufficient to inversely shift the otherwise stable ATP set-point. Mechanistically, the Bcl-xL-regulated proton leakage through F1Fo-ATP synthase appears to mediate the coupling between mitoflash production and ATP set-point regulation. These findings indicate mitoflashes appear to constitute a digital auto-regulator for ATP homeostasis in the heart.
Ionic mechanisms underlying history-dependence of conduction delay in an unmyelinated axon
Authors: Zhang Yang , Bucher Dirk , Nadim Farzan
Published: July 2017

Axonal conduction velocity can change substantially during ongoing activity, thus modifying spike interval structures and, potentially, temporal coding. We used a biophysical model to unmask mechanisms underlying the history-dependence of conduction. The model replicates activity in the unmyelinated axon of the crustacean stomatogastric pyloric dilator neuron. At the timescale of a single burst, conduction delay has a non-monotonic relationship with instantaneous frequency, which depends on the gating rates of the fast voltage-gated Na+ current. At the slower timescale of minutes, the mean value and variability of conduction delay increase. These effects are because of hyperpolarization of the baseline membrane potential by the Na+/K+ pump, balanced by an h-current, both of which affect the gating of the Na+ current. We explore the mechanisms of history-dependence of conduction delay in axons and develop an empirical equation that accurately predicts this history-dependence, both in the model and in experimental measurements.
Synthetic lethality between the cohesin subunits STAG1 and STAG2 in diverse cancer contexts
Authors: van der Lelij Petra , Lieb Simone , Jude Julian , Wutz Gordana , Santos Catarina P , Falkenberg Katrina , Schlattl Andreas , Ban Jozef , Schwentner Raphaela , Hoffmann Thomas , Kovar Heinrich , Real Francisco X , Waldman Todd , Pearson Mark A , Kraut Norbert , Peters Jan-Michael , Zuber Johannes , Petronczki Mark
Published: July 2017

Recent genome analyses have identified recurrent mutations in the cohesin complex in a wide range of human cancers. Here we demonstrate that the most frequently mutated subunit of the cohesin complex, STAG2, displays a strong synthetic lethal interaction with its paralog STAG1. Mechanistically, STAG1 loss abrogates sister chromatid cohesion in STAG2 mutated but not in wild-type cells leading to mitotic catastrophe, defective cell division and apoptosis. STAG1 inactivation inhibits the proliferation of STAG2 mutated but not wild-type bladder cancer and Ewing sarcoma cell lines. Restoration of STAG2 expression in a mutated bladder cancer model alleviates the dependency on STAG1. Thus, STAG1 and STAG2 support sister chromatid cohesion to redundantly ensure cell survival. STAG1 represents a vulnerability of cancer cells carrying mutations in the major emerging tumor suppressor STAG2 across different cancer contexts. Exploiting synthetic lethal interactions to target recurrent cohesin mutations in cancer, e.g. by inhibiting STAG1, holds the promise for the development of selective therapeutics.
Frail phenotype might herald bone health worsening among end-stage renal disease patients
Authors: Chao Chia-Ter , Huang Jenq-Wen , Chan Ding-Cheng ,   Cohort of Geriatric Nephrology in NTUH (COGENT) study group
Published: July 2017

Background

Frailty exhibits a high prevalence in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and is associated with adverse health-related outcomes, including falls and fractures. Available studies do not address whether frailty is associated with temporal changes in BMD. We evaluated this issue by analyzing the follow-up dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) results in an ESRD cohort.

Methods

In 2015, we enrolled forty-three ESRD patients, divided into frail, pre-frail, and robust ones based on a validated simple FRAIL scale, all receiving DXA at baseline. After one year of follow-up, survivors received another DXA, and we calculated the absolute and percentage changes in area, bone mineral density (BMD), T-, and Z-scores of lumbar spine and femoral neck (FN) between baseline and follow-up examinations.

Results

Among all, frail individuals with ESRD had significantly lower average lumbar spine area, lower L4, FN, and total BMD and T-scores, lower FN and total Z-scores than non-frail ones, without differences in gender, body mass index, dialysis duration, and comorbidities. Furthermore, we discovered frail ESRD patients had significantly more prominent decrease in average lumbar spine area, percentage changes in L1 Z-scores and average lumbar spine area, and a trend toward more prominent decrease in L4 area than non-frail ones after one year of follow-up.

Conclusions

Baseline frailty might be associated with deteriorating bone health, including shrinking L-spine areas and a more rapid decrease in L-spine Z scores, among ESRD patients. This frailty-bone association should be highlighted during our care of frail individuals with ESRD.
Effective length of a receiving antenna in case of quasi‐electrostatic whistler mode waves: Application to spacecraft observations of chorus emissions
Authors: Shirokov E. A. , Demekhov A. G. , Chugunov Yu. V. , Larchenko A. V.
Published: July 2017

We propose a method for calculating the receiving antenna effective length in the case of reception of quasi‐electrostatic whistler mode waves in plasmas and apply it to the spacecraft observations of oblique VLF chorus waves. The method is based on the reciprocity theorem and requires an appropriate choice of the radiation source. Such a choice is possible on the basis of the measured emission parameters if a quasi‐monochromatic (i.e., having narrow instant width of the dynamic spectrum) wave packet with wave normal angles near the resonance cone is detected. We analyze several typical chorus events detected by Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms spacecraft and show that the effective length of receiving antenna can be more than an order of magnitude greater than the geometric length.
Geodetic model of the 2016 Central Italy earthquake sequence inferred from InSAR and GPS data
Authors: Cheloni D. , De Novellis V. , Albano M. , Antonioli A. , Anzidei M. , Atzori S. , Avallone A. , Bignami C. , Bonano M. , Calcaterra S. , Castaldo R. , Casu F. , Cecere G. , De Luca C. , Devoti R. , Di Bucci D. , Esposito A. , Galvani A. , Gambino P. , Giuliani R. , Lanari R. , Manunta M. , Manzo M. , Mattone M. , Montuori A. , Pepe A. , Pepe S. , Pezzo G. , Pietrantonio G. , Polcari M. , Riguzzi F. , Salvi S. , Sepe V. , Serpelloni E. , Solaro G. , Stramondo S. , Tizzani P. , Tolomei C. , Trasatti E. , Valerio E. , Zinno I. , Doglioni C.
Published: July 2017

We investigate a large geodetic data set of interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and GPS measurements to determine the source parameters for the three main shocks of the 2016 Central Italy earthquake sequence on 24 August and 26 and 30 October (Mw 6.1, 5.9, and 6.5, respectively). Our preferred model is consistent with the activation of four main coseismic asperities belonging to the SW dipping normal fault system associated with the Mount Gorzano‐Mount Vettore‐Mount Bove alignment. Additional slip, equivalent to a Mw ~ 6.1–6.2 earthquake, on a secondary (1) NE dipping antithetic fault and/or (2) on a WNW dipping low‐angle fault in the hanging wall of the main system is required to better reproduce the complex deformation pattern associated with the greatest seismic event (the Mw 6.5 earthquake). The recognition of ancillary faults involved in the sequence suggests a complex interaction in the activated crustal volume between the main normal faults and the secondary structures and a partitioning of strain release.
Glacierized headwater streams as aquifer recharge corridors, subarctic Alaska
Authors: Liljedahl A. K. , Gädeke A. , O'Neel S. , Gatesman T. A. , Douglas T. A.
Published: July 2017

Arctic river discharge has increased in recent decades although sources and mechanisms remain debated. Abundant literature documents permafrost thaw and mountain glacier shrinkage over the past decades. Here we link glacier runoff to aquifer recharge via a losing headwater stream in subarctic Interior Alaska. Field measurements in Jarvis Creek (634 km2), a subbasin of the Tanana and Yukon Rivers, show glacier meltwater runoff as a large component (15–28%) of total annual streamflow despite low glacier cover (3%). About half of annual headwater streamflow is lost to the aquifer (38 to 56%). The estimated long‐term change in glacier‐derived aquifer recharge exceeds the observed increase in Tanana River base flow. Our findings suggest a linkage between glacier wastage, aquifer recharge along the headwater stream corridor, and lowland winter discharge. Accordingly, glacierized headwater streambeds may serve as major aquifer recharge zones in semiarid climates and therefore contributing to year‐round base flow of lowland rivers.
What controls channel form in steep mountain streams?
Authors: Palucis M. C. , Lamb M. P.
Published: July 2017

Steep mountain streams have channel morphologies that transition from alternate bar to step‐pool to cascade with increasing bed slope, which affect stream habitat, flow resistance, and sediment transport. Experimental and theoretical studies suggest that alternate bars form under large channel width‐to‐depth ratios, step‐pools form in near supercritical flow or when channel width is narrow compared to bed grain size, and cascade morphology is related to debris flows. However, the connection between these process variables and bed slope—the apparent dominant variable for natural stream types—is unclear. Combining field data and theory, we find that certain bed slopes have unique channel morphologies because the process variables covary systematically with bed slope. Multiple stable states are predicted for other ranges in bed slope, suggesting that a competition of underlying processes leads to the emergence of the most stable channel form.
Conjugal Visits
Authors: Einat Tomer
Published: July 2017

Conjugal visits in prison are private meetings between a male or a female inmate with his or her significant other, during which the couple may engage in whatever legal activity they desire. Some Western and non‐Western countries offer conjugal visitation programs within their prisons. These visits are granted to male and female prisoners by law if certain criteria are met. Despite the importance of conjugal visitation programs and their frequent and extensive use in various American and non‐American prison systems, only a few studies have made a theoretical and empirical attempt to address these visits in men's and women's prisons. This entry incorporates a comprehensive review of the literature concerning conjugal visitation programs for men and women in Western and non‐Western prison systems.
Self‐Healing and Shape Memory Effects in Gold Microparticles through the Defects‐Mediated Diffusion
Authors: Kovalenko Oleg , Brandl Christian , Klinger Leonid , Rabkin Eugen
Published: July 2017

Some metal alloys subjected to irreversible plastic deformation can repair the inflicted damage and/or recover their original shape upon heating. The conventional shape memory effect in metallic alloys relies on collective, or “military” phase transformations. This work demonstrates a new and fundamentally different type of self‐healing and shape memory in single crystalline faceted nano and microparticles of pure gold, which are plastically deformed with an atomic force microscope tip. It is shown that annealing of the deformed particles at elevated temperatures leads to nearly full recovery of their initial asymmetric polyhedral shape, which does not correspond to global energy minimum shape. The atomistic molecular dynamic simulations demonstrate that the shape recovery of the particles is controlled by the self‐diffusion of gold atoms along the terrace ledges formed during the particles indentation. This ledge‐guided diffusion leads to shape recovery by the irreversible diffusion process. A semiquantitative model of healing developed in this work demonstrates a good agreement with the experimental data.
Neural tube defects in Waardenburg syndrome: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Hart Joseph , Miriyala Kalpana
Published: July 2017

Waardenburg syndrome type 1 (WS1) is an autosomal dominant genetic condition characterized by sensorineural deafness and pigment abnormalities, and is caused by variants in the PAX3 homeodomain. PAX3 variants have been associated with severe neural tube defects in mice and humans, but the frequency and clinical manifestations of this symptom remain largely unexplored in humans. Consequently, the role of PAX3 in human neural tube formation remains a study of interest, for clinical as well as research purposes. Though the association between spina bifida and WS1 is now well‐documented, no study has attempted to characterize the range of spina bifida phenotypes seen in WS. Spina bifida encompasses several diagnoses with a wide scope of clinical severity, ranging from spina bifida occulta to myelomeningocele. We present a patient with Waardenburg syndrome type 1 caused by a novel missense variant in PAX3, presenting with myelomeningocele, Arnold‐Chiari malformation, and hydrocephalus at birth. Additionally, we review 32 total cases of neural tube defects associated with WS. Including this report, there have been 15 published cases of myelomeningocele, 10 cases of unspecified spina bifida, 3 cases of sacral dimples, 0 cases of meningocele, and 4 cases of miscellaneous other neural tube defects. Though the true frequency of each phenotype cannot be determined from this collection of cases, these results demonstrate that Waardenburg syndrome type 1 carries a notable risk of severe neural tube defects, which has implications in prenatal and genetic counseling.
Terahertz Electric Field Driven Electric Currents and Ratchet Effects in Graphene
Authors: Ganichev Sergey D. , Weiss Dieter , Eroms Jonathan
Published: July 2017

Terahertz field induced photocurrents in graphene were studied experimentally and by microscopic modeling. Currents were generated by and pulsed laser radiation in large area as well as small‐size exfoliated graphene samples. We review general symmetry considerations leading to photocurrents depending on linear and circular polarized radiation and then present a number of situations where photocurrents were detected. Starting with the photon drag effect under oblique incidence, we proceed to the photogalvanic effect enhancement in the reststrahlen band of SiC and edge‐generated currents in graphene. Ratchet effects were considered for in‐plane magnetic fields and a structure inversion asymmetry as well as for graphene with non‐symmetric patterned top gates. Lastly, we demonstrate that graphene can be used as a fast, broadband detector of terahertz radiation.
Solubility correlation of gall (Quercus infectoria) extract in supercritical CO2 using semi‐empirical equations
Authors: Mohd Nasir Hasmida , Md Salleh Liza , Ismail Ahmad Ramdan , Machmudah Siti
Published: July 2017

The present work studied the solubilities of Quercus infectoria gall extract in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC‐CO2) system with the addition of methanol as polarity enhancer. Experimentally, the galls were extracted using SC‐CO2 at different operating pressures (20 to 30 MPa) and temperatures (50 to 70 °C). Six semi‐empirical equations (Chrastil, Adachi‐Lu, del Valle‐Aguilera, Sparks, Kumar‐Johnston and Bartle) were used to explain mathematically the solubility behaviour of the Q. infectoria gall extract. The results demonstrated that the extract solubility increases as pressure increases at fixed temperature, while at constant pressure, it increases with increasing temperature. Apparently, Bartle equation provides best correlation between experimental and calculated solubility data for gall extraction with high correlation coefficient, R2 (0.96), and small absolute average relative deviation (1.52%). © 2017 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Turning psychology against militarism
Authors: Orford Jim
Published: July 2017

This paper draws on material, mostly from outside psychology, which illustrates the deep rootedness of militarisation in modern culture and the numerous ways in which it permeates civic society. Children, boys especially, learn to value armed conflict. War games are now more realistic, and the distinction between gaming and military training has become blurred. War and deadly weapons are portrayed in unrealistic ways that hide their actual effects. Just war theory, widely subscribed to, justifies armed conflict by proposing that under certain conditions, war can be just with moral rules that apply to the fighting. Many psychologists have worked for the military in one way or another, implicitly or explicitly promoting militarism, and the changing nature of war and armaments is providing further temptations for psychologists to do so. Psychology has been ambivalent about militarism. Peace psychology has not taken an unambiguous position on it, often speaking disparagingly of the absence of war in the absence of social justice, referring to it as “negative peace.” Feminists, often very clear in their opposition to militarism, have sometimes advocated for women to have greater acceptance in the armed forces. The paper concludes by arguing for a more clearly identified Psychology Against Militarism. Community psychology should take a lead in advocating for Psychology Against Militarism because militarism is a good example of how the exercise of power, wreaking widespread harm on us all but especially on those who are already relatively powerless, is collectively legitimised, and hence how we become complicit in supporting it.
3D‐modeling of carboxyl‐terminal phosphorylation of plant αβ‐tubulin and its role in kinesin‐8/microtubule interaction
Authors: Demchuk Oleh M. , Karpov Pavel A. , Blume Yaroslav B.
Published: July 2017

The results of computer modeling of plant kinesin‐8/αβ‐tubulin complexes with such αβ‐tubulins’ modified amino acid residues as phosphorylated Tyr262 and Tyr107 are reported in this paper. The molecular dynamics of these modified complexes in comparison with the dynamics of non‐modified ones suggests that the phosphorylation of both α‐ and β‐tubulins reveals stabilizing effect on the protein structure around the modified residue. It was found also that the phosphorylation of Tyr107 in β‐tubulin molecule favors to more advantageous kinesin‐8 binding with the phosphorylated microtubule surface in terms of energy.
The post‐therapeutic effect of rapamycin in mild traumatic brain‐injured rats ensuing in the upregulation of autophagy and mitophagy
Authors: Wang Changxing , Hu Zhiying , Zou Yang , Xiang Mingjun , Jiang Yuting , Botchway Benson O. A. , Huo Xue , Du Xiaoxue , Fang Marong
Published: July 2017

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), common in juveniles, has been reported to be caused by sports‐related concussion. Many young children may suffer from post‐concussion syndrome. mTBI, in early stages of life, could play a part in neuron apoptosis and degeneration, cognitive and motor coordination impairment, as well as dementia. Our study was aimed at further investigating the post‐therapeutic efficacy of rapamycin in the recuperation of mTBI while at the same time investigating the metamorphosis in both autophagy and mitophagy in mTBI. We created a weight‐drop rat mTBI model with the administration of rapamycin at 4 h after every mTBI. Behavioral tests of beam walking and open field task indicated the expected improvement of cognitive and motor coordination functions. Both Western blot and immunofluorescence examinations revealed increased Beclin‐1 and PINK1 in the treated rats as well as reduction of caspase‐3 and cytochrome C (Cyt C). More so, the TUNEL staining evidenced curtailment of apoptotic cells following treatment with rapamycin. The upregulation of Beclin‐1 and PINK1 and the downregulation of caspase‐3 and Cyt C extrapolate that rapamycin plays neuroprotective as well as anti‐apoptotic role via interposition of both autophagy and mitophagy.
Understanding Noncovalent Interactions of Small Molecules with Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Calbo Joaquín , López‐Moreno Alejandro , de Juan Alberto , Comer Jeffrey , Ortí Enrique , Pérez Emilio M.
Published: July 2017

We combine experimental methods, density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in the quantitative analysis of noncovalent interactions between (6,5)‐enriched single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), as hosts, and a set of pyrene derivatives with different electronic properties and surface areas, as guests. The experiments and calculations were carried out in two solvents with markedly different polarities, namely 1,1′,2,2′‐tetrachloroethane (TCE) and N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF). Our results show that dispersion forces govern the supramolecular association of small molecules with (6,5)‐SWNTs, with negligible contributions from ground‐state charge‐transfer effects. In the nonpolar solvent (TCE), the binding constants are highly correlated with the contact area between the SWNT and the guests. In the polar solvent (DMF), the binding constants show a complex dependence on the chemical nature of the pyrene substituents, as demonstrated by MD simulations with the explicit inclusion of solvent molecules. The solvation of the small molecules is shown to play a leading role in the binding process. Remarkably, the binding constants obtained from the MD simulations for the five guest molecules correlate with those derived from experiment. Furthermore, the MD simulations also reveal the structure of the adsorbed guest from low to high SWNT surface coverage.
Synthesis and Characterization of Bioinspired [Mo2Fe2]–Hydride Cluster Complexes and Their Application in the Catalytic Silylation of N2
Authors: Ohki Yasuhiro , Araki Yuna , Tada Mizuki , Sakai Yoichi
Published: July 2017

The hydride‐supported [Mo2Fe2] cluster complex {Cp*Mo(PMe3)}2{FeN(SiMe3)2}2(H)8 (2 a; Cp*=η5‐C5Me5) and its [Mo2Mn2] congener 2 b were synthesized from the reactions of Cp*Mo(PMe3)(H)5 (1) with M{N(SiMe3)2}2 (M=Fe, Mn). The amide‐to‐thiolate ligand‐exchange reactions of complex 2 a with bulky thiol reagents (HSR; R=2,4,6‐iPr3C6H2 (Tip), 2,6‐(SiMe3)2C6H3 (Btp)) furnished the corresponding hydride‐supported [Mo2Fe2](SR)2 cluster complexes. The [Mo2Fe2] clusters served as catalyst precursors for the reductive silylation of N2 and yielded ≈65–69 equivalents of N(SiMe3)3 relative to the [Mo2Fe2] clusters. Treatment of complexes 2 a and b with an excess of CNtBu resulted in the formation of dinuclear Mo−Fe and Mo−Mn complexes, which indicated that the [Mo2M2] cores (M=Fe, Mn) split into two dinuclear species upon accommodation of substrates.
Occurrence of Pharmaceutical Products, Female Sex Hormones and Caffeine in a Subtropical Region in Brazil
Authors: Ide Alessandra Honjo , Osawa Rodrigo Arimura , Marcante Luana Oliveira , da Costa Pereira Jorge , de Azevedo Júlio César Rodrigues
Published: July 2017

Water quality is currently a subject of increasing concern, especially because of the emerging pollutants contaminating aquatic environment. The aim of this study was to verify the presence of emerging pollutants in the Iguaçu River, from source to mouth, such as: pharmaceuticals, including acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), salicylic acid, ketoprofen (KET), naproxen (NAP), gemfibrozil and fenofibrate; female sex hormones, including estradiol (E1), ethinylestradiol (EET) and estrone (E2); UV filters, including 4‐methylbenzylidene camphor and octylmethoxycinnamate; and caffeine (CAF). The extracted pollutants were purified using solid phase extraction and then analyzed by liquid chromatography with diode array detection and gas chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry. All analyzed compounds were detected in at least one site in one sample. The analysis revealed maximum concentrations of 27.0 μg L−1 CAF, 5.17 μg L−1 ASA, 0.34 μg L−1 NAP, 0.62 μg L−1 KET, 1.42 μg L−1 E1, 1.48 μg L−1 EET, and 0.94 μg L−1 E2. The results indicated that Iguaçu river water is contaminated with emerging pollutants and nutrients and that this may be due to domestic sewage and water from tributary rivers mixing with Iguaçu river water. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the study of emerging environmental contaminants is a useful tool to determine if contamination is due to domestic sewage input once traditional physical, chemical and spectroscopic analyses have been insufficient to prove an anthropogenic influence.
The cyanobacterium Gloeotrichia echinulata increases the stability and network complexity of phytoplankton communities
Authors: Carey Cayelan C. , Brown Bryan L. , Cottingham Kathryn L.
Published: July 2017

Changes in the abundance of a taxon can have large effects on communities, particularly if that taxon is a strong interactor. These changes may arise as a consequence of environmental change, recruitment from dormant stages, or quirks of population dynamics, and have effects that ripple through a community interaction network. We hypothesized that cyanobacteria, which are increasing in many freshwater lakes globally, may be strong interactors because they can exert large and persistent effects on the biomass and composition of other phytoplankton. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated how the phytoplankton community responded to different densities of Gloeotrichia echinulata, a large colonial cyanobacterium increasingly observed in low‐nutrient lakes in northeastern North America, in an in situ mesocosm experiment. We observed that many phytoplankton taxa, especially diatoms and green algae, responded primarily to increased nutrient availability (a result of Gloeotrichia's nitrogen fixation and translocation of phosphorus from the sediments), while a few taxa (two euglenophytes, one dinoflagellate, and one cyanobacterium) responded to both the direct and indirect effects of Gloeotrichia. Surprisingly, Gloeotrichia reduced the compositional variability of the phytoplankton community relative to the non‐Gloeotrichia control treatment; there was no effect on the aggregate temporal variability of total non‐Gloeotrichia biovolume. Moreover, experimentally increased densities of Gloeotrichia coincided with increasing complexity of the phytoplankton community in network analyses of taxon co‐occurrences, as indicated by significantly greater network density and transitivity and shorter path lengths. Taken together, these findings suggest that Gloeotrichia may be a strongly interacting species in low‐nutrient lakes, with the potential to increase the resilience of phytoplankton communities to future disturbance by increasing compositional stability and network complexity.
Assessing ecological performance thresholds in fire‐prone Kakadu National Park, northern Australia
Authors: Russell‐Smith Jeremy , Evans Jay , Edwards Andrew C. , Simms Anthony
Published: July 2017

Contemporary fire regimes are recognized as a key threatening process for relatively immobile vertebrates and narrowly dispersing obligate seeder plant taxa in fire‐prone Australian savannas. Here, we assess the efficacy of proposed ecological performance threshold metrics for evaluating the current state of fire management for biodiversity conservation outcomes in Australia's premier, and best publicly funded savanna reserve, Kakadu National Park. The assessment draws on available data describing Landsat‐scale fire mapping over the period 1997–2015, habitat mapping, and mostly modeled responses of vegetation and faunal attributes. Despite conceptual and technical issues associated with various proposed performance thresholds and mapping products, the assessment demonstrates significant challenges with the current state of the reserve's fire management program. For example, by the end of 2015 it was observed that just 6% of woodland habitat in lowland and 23% in upland situations had remained unburnt for longer than three years and 98% of mapped fires in lowland and 87% in upland habitats were >1 km2 in extent. Of 14 assessed performance threshold metrics, two were within acceptable thresholds at the end of 2015, and none had improved materially over the decadal assessment period. Given substantial resources evidently required to deliver effective, seasonally intensive, fine‐grained adaptive fire management for biodiversity conservation outcomes in fire‐prone Australian savannas, we suggest that alternative resourcing opportunities through market‐based savanna burning greenhouse gas emissions abatement projects need to be explored.
Vegetation dynamics during last 35,000 years at a cold desert locale: preferential loss of forbs with increased aridity
Authors: Nowak Robert S. , Nowak Cheryl L. , Tausch Robin J.
Published: July 2017

Paleoecological records are an important source of data to better understand ecological responses to climate. To help understand vegetation–climate relationships in the Great Basin cold desert of North America, we analyzed 154 plant taxa from 52 fossil woodrat middens that spanned both an 800‐m elevation gradient and the last 35,000 yr (35 ka) within a single study area. Vegetation was analyzed by community assemblage (CA), by plant functional type, and by individual species. Concordant with a predominant trend of increased aridity since glacial maximum, CA change was largely unidirectional despite centennial‐scale cycles of climate variation. Richness of forb and other herbaceous plant functional types peaked from 15 to 26 ka during glacial maximum and then gradually decreased from ~15 ka to present. Analysis of individual taxa indicates that once a herbaceous species was lost from the study area, that species did not re‐occur. In contrast, woody (shrubs and trees) species richness peaked from 8 to 15 ka during and following the Bolling‐Allerod rapid warming. However, most tree taxa that established during this period of warming were subsequently lost as climate became more arid after the beginning of Mid‐Holocene Temperature Maximum warming ~8 ka. These shifts in plant functional types decreased relative richness of forbs compared to shrubs (i.e., decreased forb/shrub ratio), and these shifts continue to the present despite intervening cycles of climate cooling and warming. We conclude that the relative importance of herbaceous species in current CAs of the Great Basin cold desert has been decreasing for the last 15 ka. We also speculate that decreased richness of herbaceous species has, in part, provided opportunities for exotic species to establish and proliferate in the Great Basin during the last 100 yr. Thus, observations of past vegetation change suggest that increased aridity with future climate warming will continue to favor woody vegetation over herbaceous species at our cold desert locale, at least until invasive species displace native shrub species.
Effect of treatment with tartaric acid on carbon as a catalyst in the absorption of NO into the hexamminecobalt(II) solution
Authors: Long Xiang‐li , Li Fang , Jia Ming‐lei , Huang Jin‐feng
Published: July 2017

Tartaric acid solution is applied to change the surface characteristics of activated carbon to improve its catalytic capability in the regeneration of Co(NH3)62+ that is used to realize the simultaneous removal of NO and SO2. The experimental results show that the best treatment condition is impregnating the carbon samples in 1.5 mol l−1 tartaric acid solution for 18 h followed by being activated at 400°C for 4 h under nitrogen atmosphere. After being treated with tartaric acid solution, the surface area of activated carbon and the acidity on its surface increase. The experiments show that the modified carbon can obtain a much higher NO removal efficiency than the original carbon. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 37: 333–341, 2018
The Effects of Different Levels of Performance Feedback on TOEFL iBT® Reading Practice Test Performance
Authors: Sawaki Yasuyo
Published: July 2017

The purpose of the present study is to examine whether performance on the TOEFL iBT® Reading practice test is affected by 3 different levels of feedback provided to learners upon completion of reading exercises: (a) correctness of learner response (the knowledge of correct results [KCR] feedback), (b) KCR feedback and rationales for correct/incorrect answers, and (c) KCR feedback and the rationales along with on‐demand video lectures. Japanese learners of English completed 18 reading exercises and reviewed the results by using the type of feedback provided to the group to which each learner had been assigned. They also completed 2 TOEFL iBT Reading test forms: 1 as a pretest and 1 as a posttest. A multilevel modeling analysis of data from 193 participants who completed the study showed that despite a gain of over 3 scaled score points on the TOEFL iBT Reading test from the pretest to the posttest, the level of feedback was not found to affect the test score. A learner background variable, previous knowledge about the TOEFL iBT test, was identified as a predictor positively related to the test score. Moreover, a series of ANOVAs conducted on learner survey data suggested that the level of feedback affected the degree to which study participants perceived the usefulness of the study materials in understanding different item types that appear on the TOEFL iBT Reading section and in developing strategies for understanding the gist of the text within a short time.
Synthesis and Biological Activity of Octaketides from the Cytosporone Family
Authors: von Delius Max , Le Christine M. , Ellinger Bernhard , Kuzikov Maria , Gul Sheraz , Dong Vy M.
Published: July 2017

Cytosporone B and its simple analogues (e. g., amoitone B) were recently identified as unique agonists for nuclear orphan receptor Nur77. In this study, we have developed an aldehyde C‐H activation method for preparing natural and designer analogues from the cytosporone family. In addition, a comprehensive investigation of the compounds’ biological activities and pharmacological liabilities has been conducted and new structure activity relationships (SAR) were derived from the data. Most notably, we found that increased cytotoxicity can be obtained by virtue of fluorine substitution on the hydrophobic acyl chain.
Neuroimmunomodulatory properties of DPSCs in an in vitro model of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Gnanasegaran Nareshwaran , Govindasamy Vijayendran , Mani Vasudevan , Abu Kasim Noor Hayaty
Published: July 2017

In neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, microglial cell activation is thought to contribute to their degeneration by producing neurotoxic compounds. While dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have been regarded as the next possible cell source for cell replacement therapy (CRT), their actual role when exposed in such harsh environment remains elusive. In this study, the immunomodulatory behavior of DPSCs from human subjects was investigated in a coculture system consisting of neuron and microglia which were treated with 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1, 2, 3, 6‐tetrahydropyridine, which mimics the inflammatory conditions and contribute to degeneration of dopaminergic (DA‐ergic) neurons. Assessments were performed on their proliferation, extent of DNA damage, productions of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), as well as secretion of inflammatory mediators. Notably, DPSCs were shown to attenuate their proliferation, production of ROS, and NO significantly (P < 0.05). Additionally, their immunomodulatory properties were distinct although insignificant changes were observed in DNA damage. Despite DPSCs were exposed to such harsh environment, they were still able to express neuronal markers such as Nestin, Pax 6, and Nurr1, at least by twofold thereby indicating their applicability for CRT especially in PD conditions. To conclude, DPSCs were shown to have immunomodulatory capacities which could probably serve as secondary effects upon transplantation in a CRT regime. © 2017 IUBMB Life, 69(9):689–699, 2017
Bioglass® 45S5‐based composites for bone tissue engineering and functional applications
Authors: Rizwan M. , Hamdi M. , Basirun W. J.
Published: July 2017

Bioglass® 45S5 (BG) has an outstanding ability to bond with bones and soft tissues, but its application as a load‐bearing scaffold material is restricted due to its inherent brittleness. BG‐based composites combine the amazing biological and bioactive characteristics of BG with structural and functional features of other materials. This article reviews the composites of Bioglass®in combination with metals, ceramics and polymers for a wide range of potential applications from bone scaffolds to nerve regeneration. Bioglass®also possesses angiogenic and antibacterial properties in addition to its very high bioactivity; hence, composite materials developed for these applications are also discussed. BG‐based composites with polymer matrices have been developed for a wide variety of soft tissue engineering. This review focuses on the research that suggests the suitability of BG‐based composites as a scaffold material for hard and soft tissues engineering. Composite production techniques have a direct influence on the bioactivity and mechanical behavior of scaffolds. A detailed discussion of the bioactivity,in vitroandin vivobiocompatibility and biodegradation is presented as a function of materials and its processing techniques. Finally, an outlook for future research is also proposed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 3197–3223, 2017.