bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Meta-Analysis Detailing Overall Sexual Function and Orgasmic Function in Women Undergoing Midurethral Sling Surgery for Stress Incontinence
Authors: Szell Nicole , Komisaruk Barry , Goldstein Sue W. , Qu Xianggui (Harvey) , Shaw Michael , Goldstein Irwin
Published: March 2017

Introduction

More than 200,000 midurethral slings are placed yearly for stress urinary incontinence. Approximately 14% to 20% of women experience worsening sexual function overall after these procedures. We postulated that sling placement injures neural pathways regulating “female prostate” tissue within the anterior vaginal wall.

Aim

To perform a meta-analysis for overall sexual function and orgasm using validated questionnaires for transvaginal tape, transobturator tape, and their variants.

Methods

Effect sizes of preoperative and postoperative questionnaire scores for overall sexual function and orgasm were calculated. Random-effects models were selected for meta-analyses. Statistical analysis involved determination of the ratio of total heterogeneity to total variability.

Main Outcome Measures

Differences of overall sexual and orgasm functions were calculated by subtracting postoperative sling scores from preoperative sling scores. Forest plots of effect sizes were performed.

Results

Sixty-seven percent of midurethral sling procedures analyzed showed no change or improvement in overall sexual function postoperatively, whereas 33% of studies analyzed for orgasm function showed improvement after the procedure. For transvaginal tape, mean total sexual function and orgasm postoperative scores were significantly higher than preoperative scores. For transobturator tape, mean total postoperative score was significantly higher than the preoperative score; however, the mean orgasm postoperative score was not significantly higher than the preoperative score, possibly because of variability in transobturator tape data.

Conclusion

There is a discrepancy between postoperative sexual satisfaction and orgasmic function after midurethral sling surgery. Although overall sexual function remained the same or improved for most women, orgasmic function in only one third of cases improved overall, with most women experiencing no change or deterioration in orgasmic function. Dissection for, and placement of, the midurethral sling can compromise the neural integrity of the anterior vaginal wall, thereby detrimentally affecting the periurethral prostate tissue that is essential to the orgasmic response. We propose that this surgical procedure can compromise orgasmic function in some women.

Szell N, Komisaruk B, Goldstein SW, et al. A Meta-Analysis Detailing Overall Sexual Function and Orgasmic Function in Women Undergoing Midurethral Sling Surgery for Stress Incontinence. Sex Med 2017;5:e84–e93.
Differences in clinical and cognitive variables in seasonal affective disorder compared to depressive-related disorders: Evidence from a population-based study in Finland
Authors: Morales-Muñoz I. , Koskinen S. , Partonen T.
Published: March 2017

Background:

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression with seasonal pattern. Although it involves some idiosyncratic symptoms, it can overlap with other depressive disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD) or dysthymia. We aimed to characterize the differences in specific cognitive and clinical symptoms between SAD and depressive-related disorders.

Methods:

In total, 4554 Finnish subjects from the population-based Health 2011 Survey were interviewed with the Munich version of Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI) and filled in the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). From this sample for our analysis, we included those participants who fulfilled the criteria for SAD (n= 171), MDD (n= 153) or dysthymia (n= 84) and their 816 psychologically healthy controls matched by age and gender. In addition to M-CIDI and SPAQ, the Beck Depression Inventory, the General Health Questionnaire, an abbreviated version of the Mini-Mental State Examination, the category verbal fluency test, and the CERAD 10-word list were used.

Results:

Subjects with dysthymia showed major deficits in both clinical and cognitive domains compared to MDD, SAD and healthy controls. Although clinical comorbidity was mild in SAD, these participants showed similar cognitive deficits to dysthymic subjects and greater impairments than MDD.

Conclusions:

SAD subjects show a differential clinical and cognitive profile compared to other depressive-related disorders. Although less severe clinical symptoms are found in these individuals, some cognitive impairment already appears in subjects with SAD recruited from a population-based study.
Population‐based stroke and dementia incidence trends: Age and sex variations
Authors: Cerasuolo Joshua O. , Cipriano Lauren E. , Sposato Luciano A. , Kapral Moira K. , Fang Jiming , Gill Sudeep S. , Hackam Daniel G. , Hachinski Vladimir
Published: March 2017

Introduction

We discovered a concomitant decline in stroke and dementia incidence rates at a whole population level in Ontario, Canada. This study explores these trends within demographic subgroups.

Methods

We analyzed administrative data sources using validated algorithms to calculate stroke and dementia incidence rates from 2002 to 2013.

Results

For more than 12 years, stroke incidence remained unchanged among those aged 20 to 49 years and decreased for those aged 50 to 64, 65 to 79, and 80+ years by 22.7%, 36.9%, and 37.9%, respectively. Dementia incidence increased by 17.3% and 23.5% in those aged 20 to 49 and 50 to 64 years, respectively, remained unchanged in those aged 65 to 79 years, and decreased by 15.4% in those aged 80+ years.

Discussion

The concomitant decline in stroke and dementia incidence rates may depict how successful stroke prevention has targeted shared risk factors of both conditions, especially at advanced ages where such risk factors are highly prevalent. We lend support for the development of an integrated system of stroke and dementia prevention.
Nonequilibrium Molecular Dynamics
Authors: Todd Billy D. , Daivis Peter J.
Published: March 2017

Written by two specialists with over twenty-five years of experience in the field, this valuable text presents a wide range of topics within the growing field of nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD). It introduces theories which are fundamental to the field - namely, nonequilibrium statistical mechanics and nonequilibrium thermodynamics - and provides state-of-the-art algorithms and advice for designing reliable NEMD code, as well as examining applications for both atomic and molecular fluids. It discusses homogenous and inhomogenous flows and pays considerable attention to highly confined fluids, such as nanofluidics. In addition to statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, the book covers the themes of temperature and thermodynamic fluxes and their computation, the theory and algorithms for homogenous shear and elongational flows, response theory and its applications, heat and mass transport algorithms, applications in molecular rheology, highly confined fluids (nanofluidics), the phenomenon of slip and how to compute it from basic microscopic principles, and generalized hydrodynamics.
Picturing Quantum Processes
Authors: Coecke Bob , Kissinger Aleks
Published: March 2017

The unique features of the quantum world are explained in this book through the language of diagrams, setting out an innovative visual method for presenting complex theories. Requiring only basic mathematical literacy, this book employs a unique formalism that builds an intuitive understanding of quantum features while eliminating the need for complex calculations. This entirely diagrammatic presentation of quantum theory represents the culmination of ten years of research, uniting classical techniques in linear algebra and Hilbert spaces with cutting-edge developments in quantum computation and foundations. Written in an entertaining and user-friendly style and including more than one hundred exercises, this book is an ideal first course in quantum theory, foundations, and computation for students from undergraduate to PhD level, as well as an opportunity for researchers from a broad range of fields, from physics to biology, linguistics, and cognitive science, to discover a new set of tools for studying processes and interaction.
Synchrotron Radiation and Free-Electron Lasers
Authors: Kim Kwang-Je , Huang Zhirong , Lindberg Ryan
Published: March 2017

Learn about the latest advances in high-brightness X-ray physics and technology with this authoritative text. Drawing upon the most recent theoretical developments, pre-eminent leaders in the field guide readers through the fundamental principles and techniques of high-brightness X-ray generation from both synchrotron and free-electron laser sources. A wide range of topics is covered, including high-brightness synchrotron radiation from undulators, self-amplified spontaneous emission, seeded high-gain amplifiers with harmonic generation, ultra-short pulses, tapering for higher power, free-electron laser oscillators, and X-ray oscillator and amplifier configuration. Novel mathematical approaches and numerous figures accompanied by intuitive explanations enable easy understanding of key concepts, whilst practical considerations of performance-improving techniques and discussion of recent experimental results provide the tools and knowledge needed to address current research problems in the field. This is a comprehensive resource for graduate students, researchers and practitioners who design, manage or use X-ray facilities.
Conservative but Not Republican
Authors: Philpot Tasha S.
Published: March 2017

Conservative but Not Republican provides a clear and comprehensive framework for understanding the formation and structure of ideological self-identification and its relationship to party identification in the USA. Exploring why the increase in Black conservatives has not met with a corresponding rise in the number of Black Republicans, the book bridges the literature from a number of different research areas to paint a detailed portrait of African-American ideological self-identification. It also provides insight into a contemporary electoral puzzle facing party strategists, while addressing gaps in the current literature on public opinion and voting behavior. Further, it offers original research from previously untapped data. The book is primarily designed for political science, but is also relevant to African-American studies, communication studies, and psychology. Including easy to read tables and figures, it is accessible not only to academic audiences, but also to journalists and practitioners.
General Recursion Theory
Authors: Fenstad Jens E.
Published: March 2017

Since their inception, the Perspectives in Logic and Lecture Notes in Logic series have published seminal works by leading logicians. Many of the original books in the series have been unavailable for years, but they are now in print once again. In this volume, the tenth publication in the Perspectives in Logic series, Jens E. Fenstad takes an axiomatic approach to present a unified and coherent account of the many and various parts of general recursion theory. The main core of the book gives an account of the general theory of computations. The author then moves on to show how computation theories connect with and unify other parts of general recursion theory. Some mathematical maturity is required of the reader, who is assumed to have some acquaintance with recursion theory. This book is ideal for a second course in the subject.
Trust in Early Modern International Political Thought, 1598–1713
Authors: Schröder Peter
Published: March 2017

Can there ever be trust between states? This study explores the concept of trust across different and sometimes antagonistic genres of international political thought during the seventeenth century. The natural law and reason of state traditions worked on different assumptions, but they mutually influenced each other. How have these traditions influenced the different concepts and discussions of trust-building? Bringing together international political thought and international law, Schröder analyses to what extent trust can be seen as one of the foundational concepts in the theorising of interstate relations in this decisive period. Despite the ongoing search for conditions of trust between states, we are still faced with the same structural problems. This study is therefore of interest not only to specialists and students of the early modern period, but also to everyone thinking about ways of overcoming conflicts which are aggravated by a lack of mutual trust.
Darkweb Cyber Threat Intelligence Mining
Authors: Robertson John , Diab Ahmad , Marin Ericsson , Nunes Eric , Paliath Vivin , Shakarian Jana , Shakarian Paulo
Published: March 2017

The important and rapidly emerging new field known as 'cyber threat intelligence' explores the paradigm that defenders of computer networks gain a better understanding of their adversaries by understanding what assets they have available for an attack. In this book, a team of experts examines a new type of cyber threat intelligence from the heart of the malicious hacking underworld - the dark web. These highly secure sites have allowed anonymous communities of malicious hackers to exchange ideas and techniques, and to buy/sell malware and exploits. Aimed at both cybersecurity practitioners and researchers, this book represents a first step toward a better understanding of malicious hacking communities on the dark web and what to do about them. The authors examine real-world darkweb data through a combination of human and automated techniques to gain insight into these communities, describing both methodology and results.
Dynamics of an elastic sphere containing a thin creeping region and immersed in an acoustic region for similar viscous-elastic and acoustic time and length scales
Authors: Friedman Yonatan , Gat Amir D.
Published: March 2017

The characteristic time of low-Reynolds-number fluid–structure interaction scales linearly with the ratio of fluid viscosity to solid Young’s modulus. For sufficiently large values of Young’s modulus, both time and length scales of the viscous-elastic dynamics may be similar to acoustic time and length scales. However, the requirement of dominant viscous effects limits the validity of such regimes to micro-configurations. We here study the dynamics of an acoustic plane wave impinging on the surface of a layered sphere, immersed within an inviscid fluid, and composed of an inner elastic sphere, a creeping fluid layer and an external elastic shell. We focus on configurations with similar viscous-elastic and acoustic time and length scales, where the viscous-elastic speed of interaction between the creeping layer and the elastic regions is similar to the speed of sound. By expanding the linearized spherical Reynolds equation into the relevant spectral series solution for the hyperbolic elastic regions, a global stiffness matrix of the layered elastic sphere was obtained. The maximal pressure difference induced by the acoustic wave on the creeping region was found to occur for identical viscous-elastic and acoustic length scales. Comparing an elastic sphere with an embedded creeping layer to a fully elastic sphere, a significant reduction in magnitude and fluctuations (with regard to wavelength) are observed for both the displacements of the solid and target strength of the sphere. This effect was most significant for identical viscous-elastic and acoustic time scales. This work relates viscous-elastic dynamics to acoustic scattering and may pave the way to the design of novel metamaterials with unique acoustic properties.
Static Analysis of the Free-Free Trusses by Using a Self-Regularization Approach
Authors: Chen J. T. , Chang Y. L. , Leu S. Y. , Lee J. W.
Published: March 2017

Following the success of static analysis of free-free 2-D plane trusses by using a self-regularization approach uniquely, we further extend the technique to deal with 3-D problems of space trusses. The inherent singular stiffness of a free-free structure is expanded to a bordered matrix by addingrsingular vectors corresponding to zero singular values, whereris the nullity of the singular stiffness matrix. Besides,rconstraints are accompanied to result in a nonsingular matrix. Only the pure particular solution with nontrivial strain is then obtained but without the homogeneous solution of no deformation. To link with the Fredholm alternative theorem, the slack variables with zero values indicate the infinite solutions while those with nonzero values imply the case of no solutions. A simple space truss is used to demonstrate the validity of the proposed model. An alternative way of reasonable support system to result in a nonsingular stiffness matrix is also addressed. In addition, the finite-element commercial code ABAQUS is also implemented to check the results.
ANIMALES E INCAS EN EL OESTE TINOGASTEÑO (CATAMARCA, ARGENTINA)
Authors: Miyano Juan Pablo , Lantos Irene , Ratto Norma , Orgaz Martín
Published: March 2017

This paper explores the diverse human practices related to the use of animals during the Inca occupation of west Tinogasta (Catamarca, Argentina). We argue that the Inca state sponsored festivities in the San Francisco site (transitional puna of Chaschuil), where wild animal meat, mainly meat and bone marrow of adult vicuñas, was shared and consumed. These wild camelids were captured during the chaku, a collective hunting regulated by social and cultural mechanisms. Llamas were used as beasts of burden in caravans transporting ceramic vessels (aríbalosandaribaloides) from the pottery production center of Batungasta to San Francisco. We postulate that thearíbalosandaribaloides, which were designed for alcoholic beverages, were lined with camelid bone marrow to make their inner walls impermeable. Lastly, we argue that bones of birds and rodents were used to and the skin of a puma (important symbolic animal for the Incas) was processed in the San Francisco site.
PLANTAS AMERINDIAS EN LA MESA DE LOS PRIMEROS EUROPEOS EN PANAMÁ VIEJO
Authors: Aceituno Francisco Javier , Martín Juan Guillermo
Published: March 2017

En este artículo se presentan los resultados de los análisis arqueobotánicos y los datos zooarqueológicos recuperados en la ciudad española de Panamá Viejo (Panamá). El objetivo de este trabajo es determinar los recursos alimenticios que fueron aprovechados por los primeros colonizadores europeos de la costa pacífica de América Central (siglos dieciséis y diecisiete). Para esto se realizaron análisis de almidones de instrumentos líticos de contextos coloniales y se incluyeron datos de fauna de contextos contemporáneos, estudiados en trabajos anteriores. Los resultados obtenidos prueban que los españoles incluyeron rápidamente en su dieta cultivos nativos como el maíz, el fríjol y la yuca y aprovecharon la fauna silvestre local como complemento de los animales domésticos introducidos desde el Viejo Mundo.
Wildlife species preferences differ among children in continental and island locations
Authors: SHAPIRO HANNAH G. , PETERSON M. NILS , STEVENSON KATHRYN T. , FREW KRISTIN N. , LANGERHANS R. BRIAN
Published: March 2017

Efforts to prioritize wildlife for conservation benefit from an understanding of public preferences for particular species, yet no studies have integrated species preferences with key attributes of the conservation landscape such as whether species occur on islands (where invasive exotics are the primary extinction threat) or continents (where land use change is the primary extinction threat). In this paper, we compare wildlife species preferences among children from a continental location (North Carolina, USA,n= 433) and an island location (Andros Island, The Bahamas,n= 197). Children on the island preferred feral domesticated species and different types of taxa than mainland children, perhaps due to the strongly divergent species richness between the regions (e.g. island children showed greater preferences for invertebrates, lizards and aquatic species). Boys preferred fish, birds and lizards more than girls, whereas girls preferred mammals. The fact that island children showed strong preferences for invasive species suggests challenges for conservation efforts on islands, where controlling invasive exotic species is often of paramount importance, but can conflict with cultural preferences for these same species.
Ferroelectric properties and structural refinement of whitlockite-type phosphate Ca8.5Pb0.5Ho(PO4)7
Authors: Deyneko Dina V. , Petrova Darya A. , Leonidova Olga N. , Nikiforov Ivan V. , Lazoryak Bogdan I.
Published: March 2017

The system of phosphates Ca9−xPbxHo(PO4)7were obtained by solid-state reaction and were found to be isotypic with whitlockite-typeβ-Ca3(PO4)2(polar space groupR3c). The crystal structure encloses five crystallographic sitesM1–M5 different in size and oxygen coordination. The unit-cell parameters were determinate using Le Bail decomposition. Rietveld method structural refining showed that Ho3+ions are located statistically with calcium inM1 andM2 sites, while Pb2+-ions are located in theM3 site. Examination of optical second-harmonic generation evidences non-linear optical activity and confirms polar space groupR3c. Structural mechanisms and dielectric features of phase transitions are strongly influenced by the exact distributions of atoms over the crystallographic sites.
Crystal structure refinement of new vanadates Ca8−xPbxCdBi(VO4)7
Authors: Petrova Daria , Deyneko Dina , Stefanovich Sergey , Lazoryak Bogdan
Published: March 2017

New Ca8−xPbxCdBi(VO4)7with the whitlockite-type structure were prepared by a standard solid-state method in air. Le Bail decomposition was used to determine unit-cell parameters. Structural refining was carried out by Rietveld's method. It is found that Bi3+cations located partially inM1 andM2 sites along with calcium, whileM3 site is settled in half by Pb2+-ions. Second-harmonic generation demonstrate highest non-linear optical activity and along with dielectric investigations indicate polar space groupR3c.
Generations, lifespans, and the zeitgeist
Authors: Fruehwald Josef
Published: March 2017

This paper is equal parts methodological recommendation and an empirical investigation of the time dimensions of linguistic change. It is increasingly common in the sociolinguistic literature for researchers to utilize speech data that was collected over the course of many decades. These kinds of datasets contain three different time dimensions that researchers can utilize to investigate language change: (i) the speakers’ dates of birth, (ii) the speakers’ ages at the time of the recording, and (iii) the date of the recording. Proper investigation of all three time dimensions is crucial for a theoretical understanding of the dynamics of language change. I recommend utilizing two-dimensional tensor product smooths, fit over speakers’ date of birth and the year of the recording, to analyze the contribution of these three time dimensions to linguistic changes. I apply this method to five language changes, based on data drawn from the Philadelphia Neighborhood Corpus. I find relatively weak evidence for lifespan effects in these changes, robust generational effects, and in one case, evidence of a zeitgeist effect.
Stability and Turán Numbers of a Class of Hypergraphs via Lagrangians
Authors: BRANDT AXEL , IRWIN DAVID , JIANG TAO
Published: March 2017

Given a family ofr-uniform hypergraphs${\cal F}$(orr-graphs for brevity), the Turán number ex(n,${\cal F})$of${\cal F}$is the maximum number of edges in anr-graph onnvertices that does not contain any member of${\cal F}$. A pair {u,v} iscoveredin a hypergraphGif some edge ofGcontains {u, v}. Given anr-graphFand a positive integerp⩾n(F), wheren(F) denotes the number of vertices inF, letHFpdenote ther-graph obtained as follows. Label the vertices ofFasv1,. . .,vn(F). Add new verticesvn(F)+1,. . .,vp. For each pair of verticesvi, vjnot covered inF, add a setBi,jofr− 2 new vertices and the edge {vi, vj} ∪Bi,j, where theBi,jare pairwise disjoint over all such pairs {i, j}. We callHFpthe expanded p-clique with an embedded F. For a relatively large family ofF, we show that for all sufficiently largen, ex(n,HFp) = |Tr(n, p− 1)|, whereTr(n, p− 1) is the balanced complete (p− 1)-partiter-graph onnvertices. We also establish structural stability of near-extremal graphs. Our results generalize or strengthen several earlier results and provide a class of hypergraphs for which the Turán number is exactly determined (for largen).
IN SEARCH OF A “A MORE PERFECT SYMPATHY”: HARVARD'S PHILLIPS BROOKS HOUSE ASSOCIATION AND THE CHALLENGES OF STUDENT VOLUNTARISM
Authors: Mieras Emily
Published: March 2017

This article examines an early twentieth-century town-gown conflict to illuminate the class and religious tensions that complicated student voluntarism at Harvard University, where the Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) formed in 1900 to unify the university's religious and service organizations. With PBHA, Harvard joined universities across the country in promoting student service and joining Progressive Era reform initiatives. The controversy following a student's talk at a Protestant Boston church—where the speaker criticized predominantly Catholic East Cambridge—shows why university representatives had trouble achieving their goals. In the decade following, PBHA struggled to articulate its mission, torn between its commitment to the Protestant Christian Association and a more secular approach, while striving to train effective volunteers and establish smooth relationships with professional social service organizations. This story of PBHA's early years exemplifies the challenges universities faced as they sought to put idealism into practice and transform students into social servants.
RESISTANCE TO THE GILDED AGE: ROBERT HERRICK'S RADICAL MIDDLE CLASS
Authors: Swenson Brynnar
Published: March 2017

Often overlooked, Robert Herrick (1868–1938) was an experimental novelist who produced a sustained and critical engagement with the economic, political, and aesthetic effects of unregulated capitalist expansion in the late nineteenth century. Focusing onThe Web of Life(1900) andTogether(1908), this essay argues that Herrick's novels forcefully document a radical middle-class political position and demonstrate how the middle class was capable of apprehending and resisting the functionings of capitalism—especially its fragmentation of lived experience and its foreclosure of any practical exterior to the social totality. Given how recent economic trends toward deregulation and privatization have resulted in a precarious situation for the middle class worldwide, Herrick's depiction of the emergence of the modern middle class in 1890s Chicago also presents a dynamic foil from which to view our present moment. Though his genre-bending and politically ambiguous literary and political experiments have long contributed to critical confusion and even dismissal of his work, today Herrick's novels are a powerful tool for rethinking the long-accepted understanding of the relationship between literary realism, the struggles surrounding the emergence of corporate capitalism, and the political standpoint of the professional middle class.
White House Issues Sweeping Executive Order on Energy, Climate
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: March 2017

Supporters praised the order, but environmental groups said it ignores climate threats, puts public health at risk, and undermines the economy.
An All-vanadium Continuous-flow Photoelectrochemical Cell for Extending State-of-charge in Solar Energy Storage
Authors: Wei Zi , Shen Yi , Liu Dong , Liu Fuqiang
Published: March 2017

Greater levels of solar energy storage provide an effective solution to the inherent nature of intermittency, and can substantially improve reliability, availability, and quality of the renewable energy source. Here we demonstrated an all-vanadium (all-V) continuous-flow photoelectrochemical storage cell (PESC) to achieve efficient and high-capacity storage of solar energy, through improving both photocurrent and photocharging depth. It was discovered that forced convective flow of electrolytes greatly enhanced the photocurrent by 5 times comparing to that with stagnant electrolytes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) study revealed a great reduction of charge transfer resistance with forced convective flow of electrolytes as a result of better mass transport at U-turns of the tortuous serpentine flow channel of the cell. Taking advantage of the improved photocurrent and diminished charge transfer resistance, the all-V continuous-flow PESC was capable of producing ~20% gain in state of charge (SOC) under AM1.5 illumination for ca. 1.7 hours without any external bias. This gain of SOC was surprisingly three times more than that with stagnant electrolytes during a 25-hour period of photocharge.
Nociceptive DRG neurons express muscle lim protein upon axonal injury
Authors: Levin Evgeny , Andreadaki Anastasia , Gobrecht Philipp , Bosse Frank , Fischer Dietmar
Published: March 2017

Muscle lim protein (MLP) has long been regarded as a cytosolic and nuclear muscular protein. Here, we show that MLP is also expressed in a subpopulation of adult rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons in response to axonal injury, while the protein was not detectable in naïve cells. Detailed immunohistochemical analysis of L4/L5 DRG revealed ~3% of MLP-positive neurons 2 days after complete sciatic nerve crush and maximum ~10% after 4–14 days. Similarly, in mixed cultures from cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral DRG ~6% of neurons were MLP-positive after 2 days and maximal 17% after 3 days. In both, histological sections and cell cultures, the protein was detected in the cytosol and axons of small diameter cells, while the nucleus remained devoid. Moreover, the vast majority could not be assigned to any of the well characterized canonical DRG subpopulations at 7 days after nerve injury. However, further analysis in cell culture revealed that the largest population of MLP expressing cells originated from non-peptidergic IB4-positive nociceptive neurons, which lose their ability to bind the lectin upon axotomy. Thus, MLP is mostly expressed in a subset of axotomized nociceptive neurons and can be used as a novel marker for this population of cells.
The cAMP-PKA pathway-mediated fat mobilization is required for cold tolerance in C. elegans
Authors: Liu Fang , Xiao Yi , Ji Xing-Lai , Zhang Ke-Qin , Zou Cheng-Gang
Published: March 2017

Low temperature has a great impact on animal life. Homoiotherms such as mammals increase their energy expenditure to produce heat by activating the cAMP-protein kinase A (PKA)-hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) pathway under cold stress. Although poikilothermic animals do not have the ability to regulate body temperature, whether this pathway is required for cold tolerance remains unknown. We have now achieved this using the genetically tractable model animal Caenorhabditis elegans. We demonstrate that cold stress activates PKA signaling, which in turn up-regulates the expression of a hormone-sensitive lipase hosl-1. The lipase induces fat mobilization, leading to glycerol accumulation, thereby protecting worms against cold stress. Our findings provide an example of an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for cold tolerance that has persisted in both poikilothermic and homoeothermic animals.
Performance Gains in Genome-Wide Association Studies for Longitudinal Traits via Modeling Time-varied effects
Authors: Ning Chao , Kang Huimin , Zhou Lei , Wang Dan , Wang Haifei , Wang Aiguo , Fu Jinluan , Zhang Shengli , Liu Jianfeng
Published: March 2017

Complex traits with multiple phenotypic values changing over time are called longitudinal traits. In traditional genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for longitudinal traits, a combined/averaged estimated breeding value (EBV) or deregressed proof (DRP) instead of multiple phenotypic measurements per se for each individual was frequently treated as response variable in statistical model. This can result in power losses or even inflate false positive rates (FPRs) in the detection due to failure of exploring time-dependent relationship among measurements. Aiming at overcoming such limitation, we developed two random regression-based models for functional GWAS on longitudinal traits, which could directly use original time-dependent records as response variable and fit the time-varied Quantitative Trait Nucleotide (QTN) effect. Simulation studies showed that our methods could control the FPRs and increase statistical powers in detecting QTN in comparison with traditional methods where EBVs, DRPs or estimated residuals were considered as response variables. Besides, our proposed models also achieved reliable powers in gene detection when implementing into two real datasets, a Chinese Holstein Cattle data and the Genetic Analysis Workshop 18 data. Our study herein offers an optimal way to enhance the power of gene detection and further understand genetic control of developmental processes for complex longitudinal traits.
New crystal structure prediction of fully hydrogenated borophene by first principles calculations
Authors: Wang Zhiqiang , Lü Tie-Yu , Wang Hui-Qiong , Feng Yuan Ping , Zheng Jin-Cheng
Published: March 2017

New crystal structures of fully hydrogenated borophene (borophane) have been predicted by first principles calculation. Comparing with the chair-like borophane (C-boropane) that has been reported in literature, we obtained four new borophane conformers with much lower total-energy. The most stable one, washboard-like borophane (W-borophane), has energy about 113.41 meV/atom lower than C-borophane. In order to explain the relative stability of different borophane conformers, the atom configuration, density of states, charge transfer, charge density distribution and defect formation energy of B-H dimer have been calculated. The results show that the charge transfer from B atoms to H atoms is crucial for the stability of borophane. In different borophane conformers, the bonding characteristics between B and H atoms are similar, but the B-B bonds in W-borophane are much stronger than that in C-borophane or other structures. In addition, we examined the dynamical stability of borophane conformers by phonon dispersions and found that the four new conformers are all dynamically stable. Finally the mechanical properties of borophane conformers along an arbitrary direction have been discussed. W-borophane possesses unique electronic structure (Dirac cone), good stability and superior mechanical properties. W-borophane has broad perspective for nano electronic device.
VLDL/LDL acts as a drug carrier and regulates the transport and metabolism of drugs in the body
Authors: Yamamoto Hideaki , Takada Tappei , Yamanashi Yoshihide , Ogura Masatsune , Masuo Yusuke , Harada-Shiba Mariko , Suzuki Hiroshi
Published: March 2017

Only free drugs have been believed to be carried into tissues through active or passive transport. However, considering that lipoproteins function as carriers of serum lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides, we hypothesized that lipoproteins can associate with certain drugs and mediate their transport into tissues in lipid-associated form. Here, in vitro and in vivo studies with low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR)-overexpressing or -knockdown cells and wild-type or LDLR-mutant mice were used to show the association of various drugs with lipoproteins and the uptake of lipoprotein-associated drugs through a lipoprotein receptor-mediated process. In clinical studies, investigation of the effect of lipoprotein apheresis on serum drug concentrations in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia demonstrated that lipoprotein-mediated drug transport occurs in humans as well as in mice. These findings represent a new concept regarding the transport and metabolism of drugs in the body and suggest that the role of lipoprotein-mediated drug transport should be considered when developing effective and safe pharmacotherapies.
Early embryonic development and spatiotemporal localization of mammalian primordial germ cell-associated proteins in the basal rodent Lagostomus maximus
Authors: Leopardo Noelia P. , Vitullo Alfredo D.
Published: March 2017

The gene network controlling primordial germ cell (PGC) specification in eutherian mammals has been exhaustively investigated in mice. The egg-cylinder morphology of the mouse embryo is the key event enabling inductive signals from the extra-embryonic ectoderm (ExE) to specify epiblast cells as PGCs early on. We investigated the embryonic development and the spatiotemporal localization of PGC-associated proteins in the basal Hystricognathi rodent Lagostomus maximus. L. maximus develops through a flat-disc epiblast far apart from the ExE. In the primitive streak stage, OCT4-positive cells are detected in the posterior pole of the embryo disc in the mesoderm of the proximal epiblast. In the neural plate stage, a reduced 8 to 12 OCT4-positive cell population transiently expresses FRAGILIS, STELLA and SOX17 in the posterior streak. Soon after translocation to the hindgut, pluripotent OCT4 cells start expressing VASA, and then, STELLA and FRAGILIS are turned on during migration toward the genital ridge. L. maximus shows a spatiotemporal pattern of PGC-associated markers divergent from the early PGC restriction model seen in mice. This pattern conforms to alternative models that are based on a pluripotent population in the embryonic axis, where PGCs are specified later during development.
RPI-Bind: a structure-based method for accurate identification of RNA-protein binding sites
Authors: Luo Jiesi , Liu Liang , Venkateswaran Suresh , Song Qianqian , Zhou Xiaobo
Published: March 2017

RNA and protein interactions play crucial roles in multiple biological processes, while these interactions are significantly influenced by the structures and sequences of protein and RNA molecules. In this study, we first performed an analysis of RNA-protein interacting complexes, and identified interface properties of sequences and structures, which reveal the diverse nature of the binding sites. With the observations, we built a three-step prediction model, namely RPI-Bind, for the identification of RNA-protein binding regions using the sequences and structures of both proteins and RNAs. The three steps include 1) the prediction of RNA binding regions on protein, 2) the prediction of protein binding regions on RNA, and 3) the prediction of interacting regions on both RNA and protein simultaneously, with the results from steps 1) and 2). Compared with existing methods, most of which employ only sequences, our model significantly improves the prediction accuracy at each of the three steps. Especially, our model outperforms the catRAPID by >20% at the 3rd step. All of these results indicate the importance of structures in RNA-protein interactions, and suggest that the RPI-Bind model is a powerful theoretical framework for studying RNA-protein interactions.
A sequence-based computational method for prediction of MoRFs
Authors: Wang Yu , Guo Yanzhi , Pu Xuemei , Li Menglong
Published: March 2017

Molecular recognition features (MoRFs) are relatively short segments (10–70 residues) within intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) that can undergo disorder-to-order transitions during binding to partner proteins.
A selective and light-up fluorescent probe for β-galactosidase activity detection and imaging in living cells based on an AIE tetraphenylethylene derivative
Authors: Jiang Guoyu , Zeng Guanjie , Zhu Wenping , Li Yongdong , Dong Xiaobiao , Zhang Guanxin , Fan Xiaolin , Wang Jianguo , Wu Yongquan , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: March 2017

An AIE based tetraphenylethylene derivative (TPE-Gal) was designed for light-up fluorescence detection and imaging of β-galactosidase activity in living cells.
One-step colorimetric detection of an antibody based on protein-induced unfolding of a G-quadruplex switch
Authors: Hu Xiaolu , Li Chao , Feng Chang , Mao Xiaoxia , Xiang Yang , Li Genxi
Published: March 2017

A colorimetric assay for an antibody is developed by combining a protein binding-induced signaling approach with a DNAzyme-based conformational switching strategy.
Cobalt-catalyzed (Z)-selective semihydrogenation of alkynes with molecular hydrogen
Authors: Chen Caiyou , Huang Yi , Zhang Zongpeng , Dong Xiu-Qin , Zhang Xumu
Published: March 2017

Cobalt-catalyzed highly (Z)-selective semihydrogenation of alkynes using molecular H2 was developed using commercially available and cheap cobalt precursors.
Metal extraction with a short-chain imidazolium nitrate ionic liquid
Authors: Depuydt Daphne , Van den Bossche Arne , Dehaen Wim , Binnemans Koen
Published: March 2017

The ionic liquid 1,3-dihexylimidazolium nitrate shows temperature-dependent phase behavior of the UCST-type. The biphasic system efficiently separates rare earths from 1st row transition metals, relevant for recycling of batteries (La/Ni) and permanent magnets (Sm/Co).
Going beyond the three-state ensemble model: the electronic chemical potential and Fukui function for the general case
Authors: Franco-Pérez Marco , Heidar-Zadeh Farnaz , Ayers Paul W. , Gázquez José L. , Vela Alberto
Published: March 2017

The analytical working equations for the chemical potential and the Fukui function for the case of any number of ground and excited states is presented.
Novel electronic and optical properties of ultrathin silicene/arsenene heterostructures and electric field effects
Authors: Shu Huabing , Tong Yilong , Guo Jiyuan
Published: March 2017

The variable band-gap of the Si/As heterostructure (left) and optical absorption spectra for AA-stacking under a vertical electric field (right).
The charge transfer limit of a chemical adduct: the role of perturbation on external potential
Authors: Hamid Aabid , Anand Atul , Roy Ram Kinkar
Published: March 2017

Density functional reactivity theory (DFRT) based charge transfer limits without and with external potential perturbation.
Recyclable Au–TiO2 nanocomposite SERS-active substrates contributed by synergistic charge-transfer effect
Authors: Jiang Xin , Sun Xiaodong , Yin Di , Li Xiuling , Yang Ming , Han Xiaoxia , Yang Libin , Zhao Bing
Published: March 2017

We present the Au–TiO2 nanocomposite as recyclable substrates for SERS enhancement, which is derived from the combined (synergistic) charge-transfer contribution of semiconductors and noble metals.
DNA capping agent control of electron transfer from silver nanoparticles
Authors: Tanner Eden E. L. , Sokolov Stanislav V. , Young Neil P. , Compton Richard G.
Published: March 2017

DNA capping of silver nanoparticles gates electron transfer from the nanoparticle and is controlled by the potentials at which the electroactive base pairs undergo oxidation.
Magnesium porphyrins with relevance to chlorophylls
Authors: Borah Karishma Devi , Bhuyan Jagannath
Published: March 2017

A review on the chemistry of magnesium porphyrins, which have significant interest owing to the relevance to chlorophyll molecules, is presented with emphasis on bicarbonate adducts of magnesium porphyrin and chlorophyll.
Bioelectrochemical conversion of CO2 to chemicals: CO2 as a next generation feedstock for electricity-driven bioproduction in batch and continuous modes
Authors: Bajracharya Suman , Vanbroekhoven Karolien , Buisman Cees J. N. , Strik David P. B. T. B. , Pant Deepak
Published: March 2017

The recent concept of microbial electrosynthesis (MES) has evolved as an electricity-driven production technology for chemicals from low-value carbon dioxide (CO2) using micro-organisms as biocatalysts. MES from CO2 comprises bioelectrochemical reduction of CO2 to multi-carbon organic compounds using the reducing equivalents produced at the electrically-polarized cathode. The use of CO2 as a feedstock for chemicals is gaining much attention, since CO2 is abundantly available and its use is independent of the food supply chain. MES based on CO2 reduction produces acetate as a primary product. In order to elucidate the performance of the bioelectrochemical CO2 reduction process using different operation modes (batch vs. continuous), an investigation was carried out using a MES system with a flow-through biocathode supplied with 20 : 80 (v/v) or 80 : 20 (v/v) CO2 : N2 gas. The highest acetate production rate of 149 mg L−1 d−1 was observed with a 3.1 V applied cell-voltage under batch mode. While running in continuous mode, high acetate production was achieved with a maximum rate of 100 mg L−1 d−1. In the continuous mode, the acetate production was not sustained over long-term operation, likely due to insufficient microbial biocatalyst retention within the biocathode compartment (i.e. suspended micro-organisms were washed out of the system). Restarting batch mode operations resulted in a renewed production of acetate. This showed an apparent domination of suspended biocatalysts over the attached (biofilm forming) biocatalysts. Long term CO2 reduction at the biocathode resulted in the accumulation of acetate, and more reduced compounds like ethanol and butyrate were also formed. Improvements in the production rate and different biomass retention strategies (e.g. selecting for biofilm forming micro-organisms) should be investigated to enable continuous biochemical production from CO2 using MES. Certainly, other process optimizations will be required to establish MES as an innovative sustainable technology for manufacturing biochemicals from CO2 as a next generation feedstock.
Fast microwave-assisted acidolysis: a new biorefinery approach for the zero-waste utilisation of lignocellulosic biomass to produce high quality lignin and fermentable saccharides
Authors: Zhou Long , Santomauro Fabio , Fan Jiajun , Macquarrie Duncan , Clark James , Chuck Christopher J. , Budarin Vitaliy
Published: March 2017

Generally, biorefineries convert lignocellulosic biomass into a range of biofuels and further value added chemicals. However, conventional biorefinery processes focus mainly on the cellulose and hemicellulose fractions and therefore produce only low quality lignin, which is commonly burnt to provide process heat. To make full use of the biomass, more attention needs to be focused on novel separation techniques, where high quality lignin can be isolated that is suitable for further valorisation into aromatic chemicals and fuel components. In this paper, three types of lignocellulosic biomass (softwood, hardwood and herbaceous biomass) were processed by microwave-assisted acidolysis to produce high quality lignin. The lignin from the softwood was isolated largely intact in the solid residue after acidolysis. For example, a 10 min microwave-assisted acidolysis treatment produced lignin with a purity of 93% and in a yield of 82%, which is superior to other conventional separation methods reported. Furthermore, py-GC/MS analysis proved that the isolated lignin retained the original structure of native lignin in the feedstock without severe chemical modification. This is a large advantage, and the purified lignin is suitable for further chemical processing. To assess the suitability of this methodology as part of a biorefinery system, the aqueous phase, produced after acidolysis of the softwood, was characterised and assessed for its suitability for fermentation. The broth contained some mono- and di-saccharides but mainly contained organic acids, oligosaccharides and furans. While this is unsuitable forS. cerevisiaeand other common ethanol producing yeasts, two oleaginous yeasts with known inhibitor tolerances were selected:Cryptococcus curvatusandMetschnikowia pulcherrima. Both yeasts could grow on the broth, and demonstrated suitable catabolism of the oligosaccharides and inhibitors over 7 days. In addition, both yeasts were shown to be able to produce an oil with a similar composition to that of palm oil. This preliminary work demonstrates new protocols of microwave-assisted acidolysis and therefore offers an effective approach to produce high purity lignin and fermentable chemicals, which is a key step towards developing a zero-waste lignocellulosic biorefinery.
Palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation with internal alkynes to construct C–C and C–N bonds in water
Authors: Gao Shang , Liu Hao , Wu Zijun , Yao Hequan , Lin Aijun
Published: March 2017

Palladium catalyzed allylic alkylation with alkynes in water, omitting the need for leaving groups and extra oxidants.