bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Integrative Clinical Database and Diagnostics Platform for Biomarker Identification and Analysis in Ion Mobility Spectra of Human Exhaled Air
Authors: Schneider Till , Hauschild Anne-Christin , Baumbach Jörg Ingo , Baumbach Jan
Published: December 2017

Over the last decade the evaluation of odors and vapors in human breath has gained more and more attention, particularly in the diagnostics of pulmonary diseases. Ion mobility spectrometry coupled with multi-capillary columns (MCC/IMS), is a well known technology for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air. It is a comparatively inexpensive, non-invasive, high-throughput method, which is able to handle the moisture that comes with human exhaled air, and allows for characterizing of VOCs in very low concentrations. To identify discriminating compounds as biomarkers, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the detailed composition of human breath. Therefore, in addition to the clinical studies, there is a need for a flexible and comprehensive centralized data repository, which is capable of gathering all kinds of related information. Moreover, there is a demand for automated data integration and semi-automated data analysis, in particular with regard to the rapid data accumulation, emerging from the high-throughput nature of the MCC/IMS technology. Here, we present a comprehensive database application and analysis platform, which combines metabolic maps with heterogeneous biomedical data in a well-structured manner. The design of the database is based on a hybrid of the entity-attribute- value (EAV) model and the EAV-CR, which incorporates the concepts of classes and relationships. Additionally it offers an intuitive user interface that provides easy and quick access to the platform’s functionality: automated data integration and integrity validation, versioning and roll-back strategy, data retrieval as well as semi-automatic data mining and machine learning capabilities. The platform will support MCC/IMS-based biomarker identification and validation. The software, schemata, data sets and further information is publicly available at http://imsdb.mpi-inf.mpg.de.
A System for Extracting Study Design Parameters from Nutritional Genomics Abstracts
Authors: Kelly Cassidy , Yang Hui
Published: December 2017

The extraction of study design parameters from biomedical journal articles is an important problem in natural language processing (NLP). Such parameters define the characteristics of a study, such as the duration, the number of subjects, and their profile. Here we present a system for extracting study design parameters from sentences in article abstracts. This system will be used as a component of a larger system for creating nutrigenomics networks from articles in the nutritional genomics domain. The algorithms presented consist of manually designed rules expressed either as regular expressions or in terms of sentence parse structure. A number of filters and NLP tools are also utilized within a pipelined algorithmic framework. Using this novel approach, our system performs extraction at a finer level of granularity than comparable systems, while generating results that surpass the current state of the art.
An Integrative Bioinformatics Framework for Genome-scale Multiple Level Network Reconstruction of Rice
Authors: Liu Lili , Mei Qian , Yu Zhenning , Sun Tianhao , Zhang Zijun , Chen Ming
Published: December 2017

Understanding how metabolic reactions translate the genome of an organism into its phenotype is a grand challenge in biology. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) statistically connect genotypes to phenotypes, without any recourse to known molecular interactions, whereas a molecular mechanistic description ties gene function to phenotype through gene regulatory networks (GRNs), protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and molecular pathways. Integration of different regulatory information levels of an organism is expected to provide a good way for mapping genotypes to phenotypes. However, the lack of curated metabolic model of rice is blocking the exploration of genome-scale multi-level network reconstruction. Here, we have merged GRNs, PPIs and genome-scale metabolic networks (GSMNs) approaches into a single framework for rice via omics’ regulatory information reconstruction and integration. Firstly, we reconstructed a genome-scale metabolic model, containing 4,462 function genes, 2,986 metabolites involved in 3,316 reactions, and compartmentalized into ten subcellular locations. Furthermore, 90,358 pairs of protein-protein interactions, 662,936 pairs of gene regulations and 1,763 microRNA-target interactions were integrated into the metabolic model. Eventually, a database was developped for systematically storing and retrieving the genome-scale multi-level network of rice. This provides a reference for understanding genotype-phenotype relationship of rice, and for analysis of its molecular regulatory network.
Assembling cell context-specific gene sets: a case in cardiomyopathy
Authors: Liu Mingming , King Vanessa , Lim Wei Keat
Published: December 2017

An increasing amount of evidence suggests that canonical pathways and standard molecular signature databases are incomplete and inadequate to model the complex behavior of cell physiology and pathology. Yet, many Gene Set Analysis (GSA) studies still rely on these databases to identify disease biomarkers and molecular mechanisms within a specific cell context. While tremendous effort has been invested in developing GSA tools, there is limited number of studies focusing on de novo assembly of context-specific gene sets as opposed to simply applying GSA using the standard gene set database.

In this paper, we propose a pipeline to derive the entire collection of Cell context-Specific Gene Sets (CSGS) from a molecular interaction network, based on the hypothesis that molecular events linked to a specific phenotypic response should cluster within a subnet of interacting genes. Gene sets are assigned using both physical properties of the network and functional annotations of the neighboring nodes. The identified gene sets could provide a precise starting point such that the downstream GSA will cover all functional pathways in this particular cell context and, at the same time, avoid the noise and excessive multiple-hypothesis testing due to inclusion of irrelevant gene sets from the standard database. We applied the pipeline in the context of cardiomyopathy and demonstrated its superiority over MSigDB gene set collection in terms of: (i) reproducibility and robustness in GSA, (ii) effectiveness in uncovering molecular mechanisms associated with cardiomyopathy, and (iii) the performance in distinguishing diseased vs. normal states.
Efficient mapping of genomic sequences to optimize multiple pairwise alignment in hybrid cluster platforms
Authors: Montañola Alberto , Roig Concepció , Hernández Porfidio
Published: December 2017

Multiple sequence alignment (MSA), used in biocomputing to study similarities between different genomic sequences, is known to require important memory and computation resources. Nowadays, researchers are aligning thousands of these sequences, creating new challenges in order to solve the problem using the available resources efficiently. Determining the efficient amount of resources to allocate is important to avoid waste of them, thus reducing the economical costs required in running for example a specific cloud instance. The pairwise alignment is the initial key step of the MSA problem, which will compute all pair alignments needed. We present a method to determine the optimal amount of memory and computation resources to allocate by the pairwise alignment, and we will validate it through a set of experimental results for different possible inputs. These allow us to determine the best parameters to configure the applications in order to use effectively the available resources of a given system.
The CellML 1.1 Specification
Authors: Cuellar Autumn , Hedley Warren , Nelson Melanie , Lloyd Catherine , Halstead Matt , Bullivant David , Nickerson David , Hunter Peter , Nielsen Poul
Published: December 2017

This document specifies CellML 1.1, an XML-based language for describing and exchanging models of cellular and subcellular processes. MathML embedded in CellML documents is used to define the underlying mathematics of models. Models consist of a network of re- usable components, each with variables and equations manipulating those variables. Models may import other models to create systems of increasing complexity. Metadata may be embedded in CellML documents using RDF.
The CellML Metadata Framework 2.0 Specification
Authors: Cooling Michael T. , Hunter Peter
Published: December 2017

The CellML Metadata Framework 2.0 is a modular framework that describes how semantic annotations should be made about mathematical models encoded in the CellML (www.cellml.org) format, and their elements. In addition to the Core specification, there are several satellite specifications, each designed to cater for model annotation in a different context. Basic Model Information, Citation, License and Biological Annotation specifications are presented.
COMBINE Archive Specification Version 1
Authors: Bergmann Frank T. , Rodriguez Nicolas , Le Novère Nicolas
Published: December 2017

Several standard formats have been proposed that can be used to describe models, simulations, data or other essential information in a consistent fashion. These constitute various separate components required to reproduce a given published scientific result.

The Open Modeling EXchange format (OMEX) supports the exchange of all the information necessary for a modeling and simulation experiment in biology. An OMEX file is a ZIP container that includes a manifest file, an optional metadata file, and the files describing the model. The manifest is an XML file listing all files included in the archive and their type. The metadata file provides additional information about the archive and its content. Although any format can be used, we recommend an XML serialization of the Resource Description Framework.

Together with the other standard formats from the Computational Modeling in Biology Network (COMBINE), OMEX is the basis of the COMBINE Archive. The content of a COMBINE Archive consists of files encoded in COMBINE standards whenever possible, but may include additional files defined by an Internet Media Type. The COMBINE Archive facilitates the reproduction of modeling and simulation experiments in biology by embedding all the relevant information in one file. Having all the information stored and exchanged at once also helps in building activity logs and audit trails.
Extracting kinetic information from literature with KineticRE
Authors: Alão Freitas Ana , Costa Hugo , Rocha Isabel
Published: December 2017

To better understand the dynamic behavior of metabolic networks in a wide variety of conditions, the field of Systems Biology has increased its interest in the use of kinetic models. The different databases, available these days, do not contain enough data regarding this topic. Given that a significant part of the relevant information for the development of such models is still wide spread in the literature, it becomes essential to develop specific and powerful text mining tools to collect these data. In this context, this work has as main objective the development of a text mining tool to extract, from scientific literature, kinetic parameters, their respective values and their relations with enzymes and metabolites. The approach proposed integrates the development of a novel plug-in over the text mining framework @Note2. In the end, the pipeline developed was validated with a case study on Kluyveromyces lactis, spanning the analysis and results of 20 full text documents.
SBML Level 3 package: Groups, Version 1 Release 1
Authors: Hucka Michael , Smith Lucian P.
Published: December 2017

Biological models often contain components that have relationships with each other, or that modelers want to treat as belonging to groups with common characteristics or shared metadata. The SBML Level 3 Version 1 Core specification does not provide a n explicit mechanism for expressing such relationships, but it does provide a mechanism for SBML packages to extend the Core specification and add additional syntactical constructs. The SBML Groups package for SBML Level 3 adds the necessary features to SBML to allow grouping of model components to be expressed. Such groups do not affect the mathematical interpretation of a model, but they do provide a way to add information that can be useful for modelers and software tools. The SBML Groups package enables a modeler to include definitions of groups and nested groups, each of which may be annotated to convey why that group was created, and what it represents.
Jllumina - A comprehensive Java-based API for statistical Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 and Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip data processing
Authors: Almeida Diogo , Skov Ida , Lund Jesper , Mohammadnejad Afsaneh , Silva Artur , Vandin Fabio , Tan Qihua , Baumbach Jan , Röttger Richard
Published: December 2017

Measuring differential methylation of the DNA is the nowadays most common approach to linking epigenetic modifications to diseases (called epigenome-wide association studies, EWAS). For its low cost, its efficiency and easy handling, the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip and its successor, the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip, is the by far most popular techniques for conduction EWAS in large patient cohorts. Despite the popularity of this chip technology, raw data processing and statistical analysis of the array data remains far from trivial and still lacks dedicated software libraries enabling high quality and statistically sound downstream analyses. As of yet, only R-based solutions are freely available for low-level processing of the Illumina chip data. However, the lack of alternative libraries poses a hurdle for the development of new bioinformatic tools, in particular when it comes to web services or applications where run time and memory consumption matter, or EWAS data analysis is an integrative part of a bigger framework or data analysis pipeline. We have therefore developed and implemented Jllumina, an open-source Java library for raw data manipulation of Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 and Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip data, supporting the developer with Java functions covering reading and preprocessing the raw data, down to statistical assessment, permutation tests, and identification of differentially methylated loci. Jllumina is fully parallelizable and publicly available at http://dimmer.compbio.sdu.dk/download.html
Omics Fusion – A Platform for Integrative Analysis of Omics Data
Authors: Brink Benedikt G. , Seidel Annica , Kleinbölting Nils , Nattkemper Tim W. , Albaum Stefan P.
Published: December 2017

We present Omics Fusion, a new web-based platform for integrative analysis of omics data. Omics Fusion provides a collection of new and established tools and visualization methods to support researchers in exploring omics data, validating results or understanding how to adjust experiments in order to make new discoveries. It is easily extendible and new visualization methods are added continuously. It is available for free under: https://fusion.cebitec.uni-bielefeld.de/
Dynamics of miRNA biogenesis and nuclear transport
Authors: Kotipalli Aneesh , Gutti Ravikumar , Mitra Chanchal K.
Published: December 2017

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNA sequences ~22 nucleotides in length that play an important role in gene regulation-transcription and translation. The processing of these miRNAs takes place in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm while the final maturation occurs in the cytoplasm. Some mature miRNAs with nuclear localisation signals (NLS) are transported back to the nucleus and some remain in the cytoplasm. The functional roles of these miRNAs are seen in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. In the nucleus, miRNAs regulate gene expression by binding to the targeted promoter sequences and affect either the transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) or transcriptional gene activation (TGA). In the cytoplasm, targeted mRNAs are translationally repressed or cleaved based on the complementarity between the two sequences at the seed region of miRNA and mRNA. The selective transport of mature miRNAs to the nucleus follows the classical nuclear import mechanism. The classical nuclear import mechanism is a highly regulated process, involving exportins and importins. The nuclear pore complex (NPC) regulates all these transport events like a gate keeper. The half-life of miRNAs is rather low, so within a short time miRNAs perform their function. Temporal studies of miRNA biogenesis are, therefore, useful. We have carried out simulation studies for important miRNA biogenesis steps and also classical nuclear import mechanism using ordinary differential equation (ODE) solver in the Octave software.
Biogeographic implications of small mammals from Northern Highlands in Tanzania with first data from the volcanic Mount Kitumbeine
Authors: Sabuni Christopher , Aghová Tatiana , Bryjová Anna , Šumbera Radim , Bryja Josef
Published: December 2017

Small terrestrial mammals and their biogeographical affinities were studied on Mount Kitumbeine, one of the little known volcanoes in the Gregory Rift Valley (northern Tanzania). In June, 2015, a total of 10 species, two insectivores and eight rodents, were recorded during a short-time sampling in two high altitude habitats. Taxonomic identification was based on genetic data allowing zoogeographic interpretations. For most of the taxa, there was a clear link with fauna of the northern part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, but there were also species with their core distributions in the Albertine Rift Mountains (Crocidura montis) as well as taxa endemic to the volcanic Northern Highlands (e.g. Hanang or Ngorongoro), such as Lophuromys makundi and probably Otomys angoniensis. Comparison of genotyped small mammals from Kitumbeine and neighboring hills with previously collected data revealed the first genetically confirmed Tanzanian records of two species (C. montis and Lophuromys stanleyi) and one species (Lophuromys sabunii) is reported for the first time from Zambia. The present study thus showed that, even in such well-studied areas like northern Tanzania, a basic faunistic survey of mammals can still bring interesting results stressing the need to study biota in small and poorly known areas.
Artists’ Books and the Problem of Digital Preservation
Authors: Lowe Tyne
Published: December 2017

Artists’ books have become a popular genre for many institutions collecting art objects and unique books. The attempt to preserve the physical artists’ books often competes with the desire to extend user access to these highly tactile works. Partial digitization of artists’ books has allowed many institutions to cultivate an online presence for these collections, increasing access without compromising the physical integrity of the objects. However, creation of digital surrogates for artists’ books often sacrifices the authenticity and access to the intellectual content of the work. The challenge of digital preservation for artists’ books demonstrates the shortcomings of digital reformatting for works that may be intellectual and artistic.
IPABA Checklist for Heritage in Spanish: How to Assess Visibility and Accessibility on the Web
Authors: García-Santiago Lola , Olvera-Lobo Maria-Dolores
Published: December 2017

The authors propose a new index called IPABA (Identification, Presence, Audience, Browsability, Accessibility) for determining the potential visibility of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain and Mexico on the basis of their official websites. This index is based on a checklist which includes new categories and items that influence the visibility of these websites. The sample is exhaustive, comprising the 114 Mexican and Spanish websites that are the official, government-sanctioned online representations of the World Heritage Sites in question. The results reveal changes in social behavior with regard to communication. The majority of the websites assessed had an overall score that was acceptable with more than 650 points out of a possible 1000, although differences were observed between countries in terms of presence on social networks.
Review of studies concerning job performance of nursing staff
Authors: Szara Marta , Ksykiewicz-Dorota Anna , Klukow Jadwiga , Lamont Marzena
Published: December 2017

Introduction. Work performance is defined as a total value of behaviours expected from the employees during evaluation performed within a specified time. According to the basic and dichotomous division, performance refers to behaviours of employees (behavioural), and the results of their work. In addition, the researchers differentiate: task performance, contextual performance and adaptive performance. Results. Since the 1960s, many international researchers have been engaged in problems concerning the performance of work of nursing staff. Until today, the above-mentioned scope of problems remains up-to-date, but has been poorly recognized in Polish literature [1,2,3]. In the international reports the authors prove that the multi-aspect phenomenon of work performance depends on many variables. Many studies confirmed the relationship between job performance and personal traits of the employee, shift work, level of stress, social support, interpersonal relationships, leadership, as well as organizational culture.
Plato, the Medicine, and the Paraphrase on the Timaeus in the Anonymus Londiniensis Papyrus
Authors: Saumell Jordi Crespo
Published: December 2017

This article aims to give a critical and up to date survey on the medical theories expounded in the
Divine Activity and Human Life
Authors: Jirsa Jakub
Published: December 2017

The following article is a contribution to the rich debate concerning happiness or fulfilment (
Aristotle on Nature, Human Nature and Human Understanding
Authors: Segev Mor
Published: December 2017

Aristotle is committed to three propositions which seem to be mutually inconsistent: (1) He thinks that natural phenomena occur either always or for the most part. Natural phenomena, and a fortiori the core properties determining the nature of an entire species, cannot be rarities; (2) He states that theoretical understanding is an essential, dominant component of human nature; (3) He observes that human theoretical understanding is rare. I evaluate possible alternative ways of solving the inconsistency, and show that they all involve considerable difficulties.
The Real Problem with Uniqueness
Authors: Moldovan Andrei
Published: December 2017

Arguments against the Russellian theory of definite descriptions based on cases that involve failures of uniqueness are a recurrent theme in the relevant literature. In this paper, I discuss a number of such arguments, from Strawson (1950), Ramachandran (1993) and Szabo (2005). I argue that the Russellian has resources to account for these data by deploying a variety of mechanisms of quantifier domain restrictions. Finally, I present a case that is more problematic for the Russellian. While the previous cases all involve referential uses of descriptions (or some variations of such uses), the most effective objection to the uniqueness condition draws on genuine attributive uses.
Accounting for Water Stored in Superabsorbent Polymers in Increasing the Degree of Hydration and Reducing the Shrinkage of Internally Cured Cementitious Mixtures
Authors: Montanari Luca , Suraneni Prannoy , Weiss W. Jason
Published: December 2017

The use of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) in cementitious materials has attracted much attention recently due to the potential benefits associated with internal curing. In this study, a commercially produced SAP is characterized using pore solution absorption and desorption measurements. The SAP helps maintain higher internal relative humidity in the pastes, resulting in a reduction in autogenous shrinkage. This paper explores the effects of partial SAP replacements and compares the results to those obtained using a previously developed relationship based on pore size distribution and relative humidity measurements, which aims to predict the reduction in shrinkage coming from additional internal curing water. Using this approach reduces the amount of SAP used for internal curing, as compared to the more conventional design methodology, which is based on providing a volume of internal curing water that is equivalent to the total chemical shrinkage. Experimental data showed that only a fraction of the provided internal curing water ends up filling the pores and reducing the autogenous shrinkage. Other factors, such as increased degree of hydration and partial desorption of the internal curing agent, account for the sharing of the available internal curing water. The aforementioned approach was modified to consider these factors. It can be concluded that using lower amounts of SAP results in substantial reduction of autogenous shrinkage at early ages, and the developed relationship predicts this shrinkage reduction.
Experimental Investigation and Assessment of Internal Stability of Granular Filters under One-Dimensional Static and Cyclic Loading
Authors: Israr Jahanzaib , Israr Jehangir
Published: December 2017

Internal instability occurs when the finer fraction of a filter escapes with the infiltrates, causing permanent changes to its particle size distribution and rendering it ineffective. Thus far, numerous criteria based on particle and constriction size distributions have been proposed to assess the potential of internal instability. This paper reports the results of pressure gradient controlled hydraulic tests performed on granular soils including silt-sand-gravel, sand, and sand-gravel mixtures with their uniformity coefficients ranging from 1 to 304 and compacted at varying relative densities between 0 and 100 %. Select dense samples were then subjected to a series of hydraulic tests under static loading up to 100 kPa and cyclic loading up to 30 Hz, simulating subballast filtration under heavy-haul freight trains with speeds as high as 210 km/h. The analysis revealed that the agitation and pore pressure development under cyclic loading promotes premature suffusion, thereby making it the worst case of filtration. An objective evaluation of some of the existing criteria led to a more realistic interpretation of experimental results based on a modified technique that accurately assessed the internal stability of soils under cyclic loading. Results of internal stability assessments from existing geometrical criteria were then compared with those from the proposed technique, which showed enhanced success, thereby contributing to increased confidence in the practical design of granular filters under cyclic conditions.
Role of the Axon Initial Segment in the Control of Spontaneous Frequency of Nigral Dopaminergic NeuronsIn Vivo
Authors: Meza Rodrigo C. , López-Jury Luciana , Canavier Carmen C. , Henny Pablo
Published: December 2017

The spontaneous tonic discharge activity of nigral dopamine neurons plays a fundamental role in dopaminergic signaling. To investigate the role of neuronal morphology and architecture with respect to spontaneous activity in this population, we visualized the 3D structure of the axon initial segment (AIS) along with the entire somatodendritic domain of adult male mouse dopaminergic neurons, previously recordedin vivo. We observed a positive correlation of the firing rate with both proximity and size of the AIS. Computational modeling showed that the size of the AIS, but not its position within the somatodendritic domain, is the major causal determinant of the tonic firing rate in the intact model, by virtue of the higher intrinsic frequency of the isolated AIS. Further mechanistic analysis of the relationship between neuronal morphology and firing rate showed that dopaminergic neurons function as a coupled oscillator whose frequency of discharge results from a compromise between AIS and somatodendritic oscillators. Thus, morphology plays a critical role in setting the basal tonic firing rate, which in turn could control striatal dopaminergic signaling that mediates motivation and movement.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe frequency at which nigral dopamine neurons discharge action potentials sets baseline dopamine levels in the brain, which enables activity in motor, cognitive, and motivational systems. Here, we demonstrate that the size of the axon initial segment, a subcellular compartment responsible for initiating action potentials, is a key determinant of the firing rate in these neurons. The axon initial segment and all the molecular components that underlie its critical function may provide a novel target for the regulation of dopamine levels in the brain.
Scale-Free Amplitude Modulation of Neuronal Oscillations Tracks Comprehension of Accelerated Speech
Authors: Borges Ana Filipa Teixeira , Giraud Anne-Lise , Mansvelder Huibert D. , Linkenkaer-Hansen Klaus
Published: December 2017

Speech comprehension is preserved up to a threefold acceleration, but deteriorates rapidly at higher speeds. Current models posit that perceptual resilience to accelerated speech is limited by the brain's ability to parse speech into syllabic units using δ/θ oscillations. Here, we investigated whether the involvement of neuronal oscillations in processing accelerated speech also relates to their scale-free amplitude modulation as indexed by the strength of long-range temporal correlations (LRTC). We recorded MEG while 24 human subjects (12 females) listened to radio news uttered at different comprehensible rates, at a mostly unintelligible rate and at this same speed interleaved with silence gaps. δ, θ, and low-γ oscillations followed the nonlinear variation of comprehension, with LRTC rising only at the highest speed. In contrast, increasing the rate was associated with a monotonic increase in LRTC in high-γ activity. When intelligibility was restored with the insertion of silence gaps, LRTC in the δ, θ, and low-γ oscillations resumed the low levels observed for intelligible speech. Remarkably, the lower the individual subject scaling exponents of δ/θ oscillations, the greater the comprehension of the fastest speech rate. Moreover, the strength of LRTC of the speech envelope decreased at the maximal rate, suggesting an inverse relationship with the LRTC of brain dynamics when comprehension halts. Our findings show that scale-free amplitude modulation of cortical oscillations and speech signals are tightly coupled to speech uptake capacity.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTOne may read this statement in 20–30 s, but reading it in less than five leaves us clueless. Our minds limit how much information we grasp in an instant. Understanding the neural constraints on our capacity for sensory uptake is a fundamental question in neuroscience. Here, MEG was used to investigate neuronal activity while subjects listened to radio news played faster and faster until becoming unintelligible. We found that speech comprehension is related to the scale-free dynamics of δ and θ bands, whereas this property in high-γ fluctuations mirrors speech rate. We propose that successful speech processing imposes constraints on the self-organization of synchronous cell assemblies and their scale-free dynamics adjusts to the temporal properties of spoken language.
HRPU-2, a Homolog of Mammalian hnRNP U, Regulates Synaptic Transmission by Controlling the Expression of SLO-2 Potassium Channel inCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Liu Ping , Wang Sijie Jason , Wang Zhao-Wen , Chen Bojun
Published: December 2017

Slo2 channels are large-conductance potassium channels abundantly expressed in the nervous system. However, it is unclear how their expression level in neurons is regulated. Here we report that HRPU-2, an RNA-binding protein homologous to mammalian heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U (hnRNP U), plays an important role in regulating the expression of SLO-2 (a homolog of mammalian Slo2) inCaenorhabditis elegans. Loss-of-function (lf) mutants ofhrpu-2were isolated in a genetic screen for suppressors of a sluggish phenotype caused by a hyperactive SLO-2. Inhrpu-2(lf)mutants, SLO-2-mediated delayed outward currents in neurons are greatly decreased, and neuromuscular synaptic transmission is enhanced. These mutant phenotypes can be rescued by expressing wild-type HRPU-2 in neurons. HRPU-2 binds toslo-2mRNA, andhrpu-2(lf)mutants show decreased SLO-2 protein expression. In contrast,hrpu-2(lf)does not alter the expression of either the BK channel SLO-1 or theShakertype potassium channel SHK-1.hrpu-2(lf)mutants are indistinguishable from wild type in gross motor neuron morphology and locomotion behavior. Together, these observations suggest that HRPU-2 plays important roles in SLO-2 function by regulating SLO-2 protein expression, and that SLO-2 is likely among a restricted set of proteins regulated by HRPU-2. Mutations of human Slo2 channel and hnRNP U are strongly linked to epileptic disorders and intellectual disability. The findings of this study suggest a potential link between these two molecules in human patients.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTHeterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U (hnRNP U) belongs to a family of RNA-binding proteins that play important roles in controlling gene expression. Recent studies have established a strong link between mutations of hnRNP U and human epilepsies and intellectual disability. However, it is unclear how mutations of hnRNP U may cause such disorders. This study shows that mutations of HRPU-2, a worm homolog of mammalian hnRNP U, result in dysfunction of a Slo2 potassium channel, which is critical to neuronal function. Because mutations of Slo2 channels are also strongly associated with epileptic encephalopathies and intellectual disability in humans, the findings of this study point to a potential mechanism underlying neurological disorders caused by hnRNP U mutations.
The Gendered Construction of ‘Inauthentic’ Female Bilinguals in South Korea
Authors: Choi Lee Jin
Published: December 2017

This paper examines the ways contemporary models of personhood associated with female Korean–English bilinguals become linked to historical figures of inauthentic multilingualism. The case of the Korean–English bilingual exemplifies how historically constructed models of personhood reproduce already existing gender politics. By analysing both macro and micro discourses, this paper illustrates how historically locatable models of personhood associated with female Korean–English bilinguals function as a kind of authoritative discourse in contemporary South Korean society to actively marginalise the increasing number of female Korean–English bilinguals. The findings of this paper challenge scholars in the field of applied linguistics and language studies to apply a historical perspective in order to explain second and foreign language learners’ gender identity and display.
Why do interpreters need to be beautiful?
Authors: Cho Jinhyun
Published: December 2017

This article explores the intersections between language, gender and commodification in the Korean language market, in which the focus is currently shifting from language proficiency to personal aesthetics. By drawing on the concept of ‘aesthetic labour’, it explores how and why beautification has emerged as one way of enhancing individual competitiveness among English–Korean female interpreters who are engaged in heavy competition in the context of market saturation. This process is best embodied by the recent media phenomenon of eoljjang tongyeoksa or ‘good-looking interpreters’, which refers to a number of beautiful female interpreters working on television and sensationalised in the media. This paper examines how contemporary female interpreters cope with a market demand for performing beauty work in addition to language work in order to highlight aesthetic labour as a strategically gendered approach for selfcommodification in a patriarchal language market.
Uroš Cvoro. 2014. Turbo-Folk Music and Cultural Representations of National Identity in Former Yugoslavia
Authors: Jelača Dijana
Published: December 2017

Uroš Cvoro. 2014. Turbo-Folk Music and Cultural Representations of National Identity in Former Yugoslavia. Farnham: Ashgate. 209pp. ISBN 978-1-47242-036-7 (hbk)
Jonathyne Briggs. 2015. Sounds French: Globalisation, Cultural Communities, and Pop Music, 1958–1980
Authors: Green Ben
Published: December 2017

Jonathyne Briggs. 2015. Sounds French: Globalisation, Cultural Communities, and Pop Music, 1958–1980. New York: Oxford University Press. 226pp. ISBN 978-0-19937-7-060 (hbk)
Irene Morra. 2014. Britishness, Popular Music, and National Identity: The Making of Modern Britain
Authors: Zuberi Nabeel
Published: December 2017

Irene Morra. 2014. Britishness, Popular Music, and National Identity: The Making of Modern Britain. New York and Abingdon: Routledge. 253pp. ISBN 978-0-415-83481-0 (hbk)
Introduction to the Special Issue
Authors: Alabarces Pablo , Trotta Felipe
Published: December 2017

It is not difficult to see the enormous clout of aesthetic production associated with the “popular”, which increasingly enters the imaginaries shared extensively in several Latin American countries (and beyond). They are cultural practices that circulate on television channels, the internet, in parties and concerts of various sizes, implementing the idea of “popular” in some form. In this whirlwind of sights, sounds and stereotypes around the “popular world”, music is certainly one of the artefacts that most disseminates the “aesthetics of the periphery”. Artists such as Michel Teló, Aviões do Forró, Mr. Catra, Damas Grátis, Pibes Chorros, Don Omar and Calle 13 are linked to ways of saying, acting and thinking of the periphery (in its various social and territorial meanings), and circulate around the industry of world culture implementing sounds and thoughts that frequently collide with intellectualized aspects of life and discourse. In Latin America, some musical practices highlight heated debates about ethics and aesthetics, dealing with thoughts on the geographical and social hierarchy of our societies. This special issue, including its introduction, intends to present some of these discussions, focusing on three key categories in Latin American debates: popular, subalternity and periphery (in the complex meaning of social and territorial separation, but also in production from beyond the centre of the Western world: in the music scene, and also in academia).
Haters beyond the Hate
Authors: Pereira de Sá Simone , Evangelista Cunha Simone
Published: December 2017

For almost 30 years, funk carioca has been one of the most “popular” musical genres among working-class young adults in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, funk’s consolidation as a musical expression does not imply wide cultural acknowledgement. Associated with “bad taste” in music by middle-class music critics in Brazil and bearing connotations to violence and sex, the musical genre has been one of the most persecuted by the media and the police forces, who have repeatedly used moral panic arguments to address the phenomenon. During the last ten years, funk carioca obtained national visibility in Brazil through its circulation on social network sites and YouTube. However, the spread of funk music through these online spaces did not help to diminish the prejudice against the genre. On the contrary, social networks have been used by “haters” of this musical genre to express their prejudice against funk. Within this context, the article will discuss taste, stigma and value disputes around funk carioca on YouTube. The analysis will focus on comments posted by haters of funk about the ‘Passinho do Volante’ music video, which was the second most viewed music video on YouTube in Brazil in 2013. To do so, we collected, organized and analysed the most aggressive comments according to four categories: (1) racial prejudice, (2) social-territorial prejudice, (3) aesthetic criticism and repudiation of funk as cultural expression, and (4) funk popularization as a “threat” to the country’s progress. Our theoretical and methodological discussions make reference to the sociology of music on value and taste, and, more specifically, Antoine Hennion’s discussion on taste performance, as well as to actor-network theory related to the theoretical approach of cartography of controversies.
Brazilian Soul and Argentinian Jazz
Authors: Corti Berenice , Xavier de Oliveira Luciana
Published: December 2017

This article analyses two musical examples of cultural consumption within the framework of racial construction in Argentina and Brazil, and their various propositions of “blackness” as examples of strategic controversial positions on “black” popular culture. In the first case, we will discuss how the concept of style as grammar or underlying cultural principle in African diasporic musical practice resulted in distinctive meanings associated with elitist consumption, which forms part of the commodification process of jazz music, both on a global and local scale. This process was accentuated by social conditions surrounding the invisibility and denial of the African presence in the country. In the Brazilian case in the 1970s, as a strategy to affirm black identity, a specific style, combining national and global references, revolved around the great soul dances developed in the outskirts and suburbs of Rio de Janeiro. This scene resulted in new acts of cultural consumption that destabilized stereotypes and brought together performance and political action around the idea of “blackness”.
Pop-Rock as Musical Cosmopolitanism
Authors: Regev Motti
Published: December 2017

Presenting the notion of musical cosmopolitanism, this position paper sets out to assert pop-rock music as its prominent manifestation. A characterization of the cultural realm of pop-rock music is followed by a discussion of three of its major dimensions: the logic of innovation and mainstreaming; the global proliferation of national scenes and fields of pop-rock; and the effect of pop-rock on bodies and sonic environments.
The Moral of the Story
Authors: Bakan Michael B
Published: December 2017

How can we make ethnomusicology truly matter and, more specifically, how can we at once build upon and transform its traditions in order to make it a more relevant, impactful, and humane discipline? These are the central questions addressed in this article, which was originally presented as the keynote lecture at the British Forum for Ethnomusicology’s (BFE) annual conference in 2017. The work is organized in four sections. The first deals with world music pedagogy, the second with the music and culture of Balinese gamelan beleganjur, the third with the author’s collaborations with funk music legend George Clinton, and the fourth with his research on the ethnomusicology of autism. “Tradition today”, the conference theme of BFE 2017, provides the conceptual groundwork for this wide-ranging exploration, which is further unified by Bakan’s choice of topics and issues deriving from his principal areas of research, teaching, and musical activity. The examples set forth are used to advocate for more engaged, activist, and representational (as opposed to representational) approaches in ethnomusicology.
Narcotráfico en la Darkweb: los criptomercados/ Illicit Drug Trafficking on the Darkweb: Criptomarkets
Authors: Garcia Sigman Luis Ignacio
Published: December 2017

En el marco del creciente interés y preocupación generada por el narcotráfico a través de Internet, el presente artículo se propone presentar, de manera sistemática y sucinta, los principales rasgos del tráfico ilícito de drogas en la Internet oscura. Para hacerlo, el trabajo se dividirá en dos partes. La primera, más breve, dedicada a distinguir los diferentes niveles de Internet. La segunda, más larga, enfocada en presentar los principales rasgos de los criptomercados. En particular, se intentarán describir, en esta sección, las tecnologías de seguridad y los mecanismos que usan para generar confianza en los compradores y vendedores; sus potencialidades y límites; su impacto en los diferentes niveles del tráfico ilícito de drogas; los tipos y las cantidades de estupefacientes que se comercializan en ellos; el perfil de los compradores y de los vendedores; y también las estrategias concebidas por los estados para restringirlos. La consecución de dichos propósitos supondrá que se tomen como referencia los trabajos más relevantes que, hasta el momento, se escribieron sobre el tema.

 

 

Abstract

In the context of the growing interest in and concern about drug trafficking carried out over the internet, this article aims to describe, in a systematic and succinct fashion, the principal characteristics of the illegal drug trade on the dark web. To this end, the article will be divided into two sections. The first, shorter section, will distinguish between the different “levels” of the internet. The second, longer section, will focus on describing the principal characteristics of these crypto-markets. As regards these sorts of dark web markets, this section will detail the security measures and mechanisms that they utilize to generate trust among buyers and sellers; their capabilities and limits; their impact on various levels of the illegal drug trade; the types and quantities of narcotics that are sold on them; the profile of the buyers and sellers who use them; and also the strategies designed by states to limit them. The achievement of said objectives presupposes that the most relevant and up-to-date work written about this subject will be used as reference material.
Seguridad nacional, inteligencia militar y acceso a la información en México/ National security, military intelligence and access to information in Mexico
Authors: Jasso López Lucía Carmina
Published: December 2017

Existen tensiones entre la seguridad nacional y el acceso a la información que no exentan a México. El presente artículo profundiza en el estudio de la relación entre la seguridad nacional y la inteligencia militar en un marco institucional apegado a la rendición de cuentas, la transparencia y el acceso a la información. Principalmente, se enfoca en la demanda de información por parte de los ciudadanos respecto a la inteligencia militar en México y parte de las siguientes preguntas: ¿qué tipo de información demandan los ciudadanos sobre inteligencia militar a través de los mecanismos de acceso a la información? y ¿cuál es la respuesta de las dependencias de seguridad nacional ante esta demanda de información? A partir de la evidencia empírica, se concluye que existen brechas entre la demanda de información en materia de inteligencia militar y la atención a esta demanda por parte de las dependencias de seguridad nacional, que deben acotarse en aras de la transparencia y la rendición de cuentas, sobre todo en aquellos casos que no comprometen asuntos confidenciales. 
 
 
Abstract
There are tensions between national security and access to information that does not exempt Mexico. In this article I analyzes the relationship between national security and military intelligence in an institutional framework attached to accountability, transparency and access to information. Mainly focuses on the demand for information from citizens about military intelligence in Mexico and part of the following questions: What kind of information do citizens demand about military intelligence through the mechanisms of access to information? and What is the response of the national security agencies to this demand for information? Based on the empirical evidence, I concluded that there are gaps between the demand for information on military intelligence and the attention to this demand by the national security agencies, which should be limited in the interests of transparency and accountability, especially in those cases that do not compromise confidential matters.