bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Longévité différentielle et redistribution : enjeux théoriques et empiriques
Authors: Leroux Marie-Louise , Pestieau Pierre , Ponthière Grégory
Published: September 2016

Dans cet article, nous étudions l’impact des différences de longévité sur la conception des politiques publiques, en particulier celles liées au départ à la retraite. Nous montrons premièrement qu’alors même que l’espérance de vie a augmenté de manière très importante tout au long du siècle dernier, il subsiste encore de fortes disparités. Deuxièmement, nous étudions d’un point de vue normatif comment les différences de longévité sont généralement prises en compte dans les modèles de cycle de vie et montrons que certaines hypothèses peuvent avoir des implications fortes en terme de redistribution intragénérationnelle. Nous identifions au moins trois arguments en faveur d’une redistribution vers les agents à faible longévité : l’aversion à l’inégalité multipériodes, l’aversion au risque de mortalité et la compensation pour des caractéristiques dont les agents ne sont pas responsables. Nous étendons ensuite notre analyse de manière à tenir compte du fait que les individus puissent être en partie responsables de leur longévité.

Finalement, nous lions ces résultats aux débats actuels sur la réforme des systèmes de retraite. Nous montrons qu’en général, parce que les pensions de retraite sont conditionnelles à la survie des bénéficiaires, les systèmes de retraite publics vont redistribuer des ressources des agents dont la durée de vie est courte vers ceux dont la durée de vie est longue. Nous fournissons des pistes de réformes qui viseraient à mieux prendre en compte ces différences de longévité et en particulier, celles relatives à la création d’une « rente longévité » telle que souhaitée par le Comité d’Amours et au développement de l’assurance autonomie, qu’elle soit privée ou publique.
Une analyse économique de propositions visant à bonifier la couverture du risque de longévité
Authors: Boisclair David , Duclos Jean-Yves , Marchand Steeve , Michaud Pierre-Carl
Published: September 2016

Nous utilisons des méthodes de simulation pour analyser les impacts de certaines propositions de réforme visant à améliorer la couverture du risque de longévité. Ce risque, qui peut en principe être adéquatement couvert par les régimes de retraite classiques à prestations déterminées, fait l’objet d’une attention particulière au Québec depuis quelques années, notamment en raison du déclin de la participation à de tels régimes. Les propositions récentes visant à bonifier la couverture du risque de longévité se concentrent en grande partie sur l’expansion du « 2e pilier » du système de revenu de retraite, actuellement constitué du Régime de rentes du Québec. Nous considérons à ce titre une proposition-clé du Comité d’Amours (la rente longévité), ainsi que deux autres propositions : celle de Mintz et Wilson, qui vise à augmenter la générosité du régime actuel, et celle de Wolfson, qui introduit une notion de taux de cotisation et de prestations différenciés selon le revenu. À l’aide de données provenant des enquêtes de Statistique Canada, nous analysons pour plusieurs types d’individus le taux de rendement interne (TRI) de ces propositions en prenant en considération l’inégalité d’espérance de vie, la variabilité temporelle des revenus ainsi que les interactions avec la fiscalité et les différents programmes de soutien du revenu à la retraite. Nous contrastons les résultats avec ceux obtenus en effectuant des contributions additionnelles à des véhicules d’épargne volontaire existants combinées à l’achat d’une rente simple au moment de la prise de la retraite.
Les modèles factoriels et la gestion du risque de longévité
Authors: Boyer Martin , Dorion Christian , Stentoft Lars
Published: September 2016

L’augmentation constante de l’espérance de vie engendre l’heureux risque de vivre au-delà de nos actifs. Ce risque n’est non seulement pas diversifiable pour les individus, mais il ne l’est que difficilement pour les fonds de pension et les assureurs. Nous illustrons comment différents modèles à facteurs peuvent être utilisés afin de valoriser les titres financiers qui permettraient aux fonds de pension de transférer ce risque à d’autres parties. Nous montrons que le risque de longévité, bien que mesurable au moyen d’un modèle en composantes principales, est mieux mesuré au moyen de modèles plus structurels. Néanmoins, le risque de modèle associé à ces modèles structurels demeure tel qu’il est fort possible que la prime que demanderait un assureur pour assumer le risque de longévité soit supérieure à la volonté à payer des promoteurs de fonds de pension. Cet écart pourrait expliquer la quasi-absence de marché pour la gestion du risque de longévité.
Potential impact of pre‐exposure prophylaxis for female sex workers and men who have sex with men in Bangalore, India: a mathematical modelling study
Authors: Mitchell Kate M , Prudden Holly J , Washington Reynold , Isac Shajy , Rajaram Subramanian P , Foss Anna M , Terris‐Prestholt Fern , Boily Marie‐Claude , Vickerman Peter
Published: September 2016

Introduction

In Bangalore, new HIV infections of female sex workers and men who have sex with men continue to occur, despite high condom use. Pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has high anti‐HIV efficacy for men who have sex with men. PrEP demonstration projects are underway amongst Indian female sex workers. We estimated the impact and efficiency of prioritizing PrEP to female sex workers and/or men who have sex with men in Bangalore.

Methods

A mathematical model of HIV transmission and treatment for female sex workers, clients, men who have sex with men and low‐risk groups was parameterized and fitted to Bangalore data. The proportion of transmission attributable (population attributable fraction) to commercial sex and sex between men was calculated. PrEP impact (infections averted, life‐years gained) and efficiency (life‐years gained/infections averted per 100 person‐years on PrEP) were estimated for different levels of PrEP adherence, coverage and prioritization strategies (female sex workers, high‐risk men who have sex with men, both female sex workers and high‐risk men who have sex with men, or female sex workers with lower condom use), under current conditions and in a scenario with lower baseline condom use amongst key populations.

Results

Population attributable fractions for commercial sex and sex between men have declined over time, and they are predicted to account for 19% of all new infections between 2016 and 2025. PrEP could prevent a substantial proportion of infections amongst female sex workers and men who have sex with men in this setting (23%/27% over 5/10 years, with 60% coverage and 50% adherence), which could avert 2.9%/4.3% of infections over 5/10 years in the whole Bangalore population. Impact and efficiency in the whole population was greater if female sex workers were prioritized. Efficiency increased, but impact decreased, if only female sex workers with lower condom use were given PrEP. Greater impact and efficiency was predicted for the scenario with lower condom use.

Conclusions

PrEP could be beneficial for female sex workers and men who have sex with men in Bangalore, and give some benefits in the general population, especially in similar settings with lower condom use levels.
Increasing Notch signaling antagonizes PRC2-mediated silencing to promote reprograming of germ cells into neurons
Authors: Seelk Stefanie , Adrian-Kalchhauser Irene , Hargitai Balázs , Hajduskova Martina , Gutnik Silvia , Tursun Baris , Ciosk Rafal
Published: September 2016

Cell-fate reprograming is at the heart of development, yet very little is known about the molecular mechanisms promoting or inhibiting reprograming in intact organisms. In the C. elegans germline, reprograming germ cells into somatic cells requires chromatin perturbation. Here, we describe that such reprograming is facilitated by GLP-1/Notch signaling pathway. This is surprising, since this pathway is best known for maintaining undifferentiated germline stem cells/progenitors. Through a combination of genetics, tissue-specific transcriptome analysis, and functional studies of candidate genes, we uncovered a possible explanation for this unexpected role of GLP-1/Notch. We propose that GLP-1/Notch promotes reprograming by activating specific genes, silenced by the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), and identify the conserved histone demethylase UTX-1 as a crucial GLP-1/Notch target facilitating reprograming. These findings have wide implications, ranging from development to diseases associated with abnormal Notch signaling.
Detecting and representing predictable structure during auditory scene analysis
Authors: Sohoglu Ediz , Chait Maria
Published: September 2016

We use psychophysics and MEG to test how sensitivity to input statistics facilitates auditory-scene-analysis (ASA). Human subjects listened to ‘scenes’ comprised of concurrent tone-pip streams (sources). On occasional trials a new source appeared partway. Listeners were more accurate and quicker to detect source appearance in scenes comprised of temporally-regular (REG), rather than random (RAND), sources. MEG in passive listeners and those actively detecting appearance events revealed increased sustained activity in auditory and parietal cortex in REG relative to RAND scenes, emerging ~400 ms of scene-onset. Over and above this, appearance in REG scenes was associated with increased responses relative to RAND scenes. The effect of temporal structure on appearance-evoked responses was delayed when listeners were focused on the scenes relative to when listening passively, consistent with the notion that attention reduces ‘surprise’. Overall, the results implicate a mechanism that tracks predictability of multiple concurrent sources to facilitate active and passive ASA.
MxaY regulates the lanthanide-mediated methanol dehydrogenase switch inMethylomicrobium buryatense
Authors: Chu Frances , Beck David A.C. , Lidstrom Mary E.
Published: September 2016

Many methylotrophs, microorganisms that consume carbon compounds lacking carbon–carbon bonds, use two different systems to oxidize methanol for energy production and biomass accumulation. The MxaFI methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) contains calcium in its active site, while the XoxF enzyme contains a lanthanide in its active site. The genes encoding the MDH enzymes are differentially regulated by the presence of lanthanides. In this study, we found that the histidine kinase MxaY controls the lanthanide-mediated switch inMethylomicrobium buryatense5GB1C. MxaY controls the transcription of genes encoding MxaFI and XoxF at least partially by controlling the transcript levels of the orphan response regulator MxaB. We identify a constitutively active version of MxaY, and identify the mutated residue that may be involved in lanthanide sensing. Lastly, we find evidence to suggest that tight control of active MDH production is required for wild-type growth rates.
Unusual 5 m E region field‐aligned irregularities observed from Northern Germany during the magnetic storm of 17 March 2015
Authors: Chau Jorge L. , St.‐Maurice Jean‐Pierre
Published: September 2016

Coherent E region echoes were observed during the 17 March 2015 storm at midlatitudes by multistatic wide field of view radars operating in northern Germany. Two of the stations operated in a monostatic configuration, while one link was set in bistatic mode. Interferometry made it feasible to locate the targets. While the radars were built to measure mesospheric winds from specular meteor echoes, the storm was so intense that it allowed them to observe auroral E region echoes for more than 4 h. All stations detected numerous examples of narrow spectra with slow (≈180 m/s) and fast (up to 1600 m/s) Doppler velocities. The target speeds were much faster than the Doppler velocities for the slow narrow echoes (more than 800 m/s versus 180 m/s) but comparable to the observed Doppler shift for the 1500 m/s narrow fast types. The narrow types came from localized horizontal structures 50 to 80 km wide in range. The fast narrow types came from the upper part of the altitudes associated with Farley‐Buneman waves. The slow narrow structures were typically from altitudes lower than 100 km. Unexpectedly, the great majority of the echoes associated with more ordinary ion acoustic turbulence had a positive Doppler shift and came from the east. A companion paper uses these new observations to reevaluate the origin of the narrow echoes and of the asymmetry in the counts. Irrespective of the generation mechanisms, our observations indicate that a combination of unusually large electric field and strong precipitation is needed to produce the unusual echoes.
A genesis potential index for Western North Pacific tropical cyclones by using oceanic parameters
Authors: Zhang Min , Zhou Lei , Chen Dake , Wang Chunzai
Published: September 2016

This study attempts to create a tropical cyclone (TC) genesis potential index (GPI) by considering oceanic parameters and necessary atmospheric parameters. Based on the general understanding of the oceanic impacts on TC genesis, many candidate factors are evaluated and discriminated, resulting in a new GPI index, which is referred to as GPIocean. GPIocean includes the parameters of (1) absolute vorticity at 1000 hPa, (2) net sea surface longwave radiation, (3) mean ocean temperature in the upper mixed layer, and (4) depth of the 26°C isotherm. GPIocean is comparable to existing GPIs in representing TC genesis over the western North Pacific on seasonal and interannual variations. The same procedure can be applied to create a similar GPI for the other ocean basins. In the context of climate change, this new index is expected to be useful for evaluating the oceanic influences on TC genesis by using ocean reanalysis products and climate model outputs.
On the origin of Earth's Moon
Authors: Barr Amy C.
Published: September 2016

The Giant Impact is currently accepted as the leading theory for the formation of Earth's Moon. Successful scenarios for lunar origin should be able to explain the chemical composition of the Moon (volatile content and stable isotope ratios), the Moon's initial thermal state, and the system's bulk physical and dynamical properties. Hydrocode simulations of the impact have long been able to match the bulk properties, but recent, more detailed work on the evolution of the protolunar disk has yielded great insight into the origin of the Moon's chemistry and its early thermal history. Here I show that the community has constructed the elements of an end‐to‐end theory for lunar origin that matches the overwhelming majority of observational constraints. In spite of the great progress made in recent years, new samples of the Moon, clarification of processes in the impact‐generated disk, and a broader exploration of impact parameter space could yield even more insights into this fundamental and uniquely challenging geophysical problem.
The MMCO‐EOT conundrum: Same benthic δ18O, different CO2
Authors: Stap Lennert B. , van de Wal Roderik S. W. , De Boer Bas , Bintanja Richard , Lourens Lucas J.
Published: September 2016

Knowledge on climate change during the Cenozoic largely stems from benthic δ18O records, which document combined effects of deep‐sea temperature and ice volume. Information on CO2 is expanding but remains uncertain and intermittent. Attempts to reconcile δ18O, sea level, and CO2 by studying proxy data suffer from paucity of data and apparent inconsistencies among different records. One outstanding issue is the difference suggested by proxy CO2 data between the Eocene‐Oligocene boundary (EOT) and the Middle‐Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO), while similar levels of δ18O are shown during these times. This conundrum implies changing relations between δ18O, CO2, and temperature over time. Here we use a coupled climate‐ice sheet model, forced by two different benthic δ18O records, to obtain continuous and mutually consistent records of δ18O, CO2, temperature, and sea level over the period 38 to 10 Myr ago. We show that the different CO2 levels between the EOT and MMCO can be explained neither by the standard configuration of our model nor by altering the uncertain ablation parametrization on the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. However, we offer an explanation for the MMCO‐EOT conundrum by considering erosion and/or tectonic movement of Antarctica, letting the topography evolve over time. A decreasing height of the Antarctic continent leads to higher surface temperatures, reducing the CO2 needed to maintain the same ice volume. This also leads to an increasing contribution of ice volume to the δ18O signal. This result is, however, dependent on how the topographic changes are implemented in our ice sheet model.
Predicting disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Taylor Albert A. , Fournier Christina , Polak Meraida , Wang Liuxia , Zach Neta , Keymer Mike , Glass Jonathan D. , Ennist David L. ,   The Pooled Resource Open‐Access ALS Clinical Trials Consortium
Published: September 2016

Objective

It is essential to develop predictive algorithms for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) disease progression to allow for efficient clinical trials and patient care. The best existing predictive models rely on several months of baseline data and have only been validated in clinical trial research datasets. We asked whether a model developed using clinical research patient data could be applied to the broader ALS population typically seen at a tertiary care ALS clinic.

Methods

Based on the PRO‐ACT ALS database, we developed random forest (RF), pre‐slope, and generalized linear (GLM) models to test whether accurate, unbiased models could be created using only baseline data. Secondly, we tested whether a model could be validated with a clinical patient dataset to demonstrate broader applicability.

Results

We found that a random forest model using only baseline data could accurately predict disease progression for a clinical trial research dataset as well as a population of patients being treated at a tertiary care clinic. The RF Model outperformed a pre‐slope model and was similar to a GLM model in terms of root mean square deviation at early time points. At later time points, the RF Model was far superior to either model. Finally, we found that only the RF Model was unbiased and was less subject to overfitting than either of the other two models when applied to a clinic population.

Interpretation

We conclude that the RF Model delivers superior predictions of ALS disease progression.
Janus‐Faced, Dual‐Conductive/Chemically Active Battery Separator Membranes
Authors: Oh Yeon‐Su , Jung Gwan Yeong , Kim Jeong‐Hoon , Kim Jung‐Hwan , Kim Su Hwan , Kwak Sang Kyu , Lee Sang‐Young
Published: September 2016

Battery separators are supposed to be electrical insulators to prevent internal short‐circuit failure between electrodes as well as having porous channels to allow ion transport. Here, as a multifunctional membrane strategy to dispel this stereotypical belief about battery separators, a new class of Janus‐faced, dual (ion/electron)‐conductive/chemically active battery separators (denoted as “Janus separators”) based on a heterolayered nanofiber mat architecture is demonstrated. The Janus separator, which is fabricated through in‐series, concurrent electrospraying/electrospinning processes, consists of an ion‐conductive/metal ion‐chelating support layer (a mat of densely packed, thiol‐functionalized silica particles spatially besieged by polyvinylpyrrolidone/polyacrylonitrile nanofibers) and a dual‐conductive top layer (a thin mat of polyetherimide nanofibers wrapped with multi‐walled carbon nanotubes). The support layer acts as a chemical trap that can capture heavy metal ions dissolved in liquid electrolytes and the top layer serves as an upper current collector for cathodes to boost the redox reaction kinetics. Notably, the unusual porous microstructure of the top layer is theoretically elucidated using molecular dynamics simulation. Benefiting from such material/structural uniqueness, the Janus separator enables significant improvements in fast‐rate charge/discharge reactions (even for high‐mass loading cathodes) and in the high‐temperature cycling performance, which lie far beyond those achievable with conventional polyethylene separators.
Order at Extreme Dilution
Authors: Alvarez Fernandez Alexandra , Hammink Roel , Kragt Stijn , Cattaneo Laura , Savoini Matteo , van der Velden Jeroen , Rasing Theo , Rowan Alan E. , Collings Peter J. , Kouwer Paul H. J.
Published: September 2016

Control over the organization of assemblies from molecular dimensions up to the macroscopic length scale is an outstanding challenge in science, above all for materials in high dilution. Instead of inducing order by generating very long and stiff structures, an alternative approach is studied: a two‐component assembly of a semiflexible polymer with a (self‐assembling) chromonic liquid crystal. By following the structure formation in time using different techniques, a mechanistic model is proposed that explains how such unusually well‐defined materials can be created from flexible components. It is concluded that at this very low concentration (>99.6% water), these macroscopically organized structures can only be formed when the energies between different assembly states and their interconversion rates are properly balanced. This may, however, be in reach for a wide range of materials, which makes this a generic route toward high definition at low concentration without the need for long and rigid building blocks.
Toward On‐and‐Off Magnetism: Reversible Electrochemistry to Control Magnetic Phase Transitions in Spinel Ferrites
Authors: Dasgupta Subho , Das Bijoy , Li Qiang , Wang Di , Baby Tessy T. , Indris Sylvio , Knapp Michael , Ehrenberg Helmut , Fink Karin , Kruk Robert , Hahn Horst
Published: September 2016

The magnetoelectric effect, i.e., electric‐field control of magnetism in artificial heterostructures is usually limited to surface/interface atoms of the magnetic materials. In order to attain electrical control of magnetism in bulk ferromagnets, this study proposes to extend the definition of magnetoelectric phenomena to include reversible, chemistry‐controlled magnetization switching. A large and reversible change in the room temperature magnetization in strong ferromagnets is reported, with electrochemistry‐driven Li‐ion exchange; carefully chosen spinel ferrites demonstrate a reversible magnetization variation up to 50% for CuFe2O4 and 70% for ZnFe2O4. In case of CuFe2O4, the magnetization variation is predominantly associated with the preferential reduction of Cu2+ to Cu+ ions, and, hence, abides a nearly one‐to‐one relationship with the amount of injected Li‐ions. In addition, the reduction of Cu2+ also annihilates the Fe3+OCu2+ magnetic interaction, resulting in a marked decrease in the Neél temperature of CuFe2O4. In contrast, the electrical tuning of superexchange interactions is found to play the decisive role in ZnFe2O4, where the simple electrochemical reduction model of magnetic cations can only explain a nominal fraction of the total magnetization variation, and indeed an electrochemically controlled reversible change in transition temperature is found necessary to account for the large magnetization variation observed.
Plasmonic Nanoparticles with Quantitatively Controlled Bioconjugation for Photoacoustic Imaging of Live Cancer Cells
Authors: Tian Chao , Qian Wei , Shao Xia , Xie Zhixing , Cheng Xu , Liu Shengchun , Cheng Qian , Liu Bing , Wang Xueding
Published: September 2016

Detection and imaging of single cancer cells is critical for cancer diagnosis and understanding of cellular dynamics. Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) provides a potential tool for the study of cancer cell dynamics, but faces the challenge that most cancer cells lack sufficient endogenous contrast. Here, a type of colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are physically fabricated and are precisely functionalized with quantitative amounts of functional ligands (i.e., polyethyleneglycol (PEG) and (Arginine(R)–Glycine(G)–Aspartic(D))4 (RGD) peptides) to serve as an exogenous contrast agent for PAI of single cells. The functionalized AuNPs, with a fixed number of PEG but different RGD densities, are delivered into human prostate cancer cells. Radioactivity and photoacoustic analyses show that, although cellular uptake efficiency of the AuNPs linearly increases along with RGD density, photoacoustic signal generation efficiency does not and only maximize at a moderate RGD density. The functionalization of the AuNPs is in turn optimized based on the experimental finding, and single cancer cells are imaged using a custom photoacoustic microscopy with high‐resolution. The quantitatively functionalized AuNPs together with the high‐resolution PAI system provide a unique platform for the detection and imaging of single cancer cells, and may impact not only basic science but also clinical diagnostics on a range of cancers.
Ni3Fe‐N Doped Carbon Sheets as a Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Air Cathodes
Authors: Fu Gengtao , Cui Zhiming , Chen Yifan , Li Yutao , Tang Yawen , Goodenough John B.
Published: September 2016

A promising bifunctional electrocatalyst is reported for air cathodes consisting of Ni3Fe nanoparticles embedded in porous nitrogen‐doped carbon sheets (Ni3Fe/N‐C sheets) by a facile and effective pyrolysis‐based route with sodium chloride (NaCl) crystals as a template. The Ni3Fe/N‐C sheets show excellent catalytic activity, selectivity, and durability toward both the oxygen‐reduction and oxygen‐evolution reactions (ORR and OER). They are shown to provide a superior, low‐cost cathode for a rechargeable Zn‐air battery. At a discharge–charge current density of 10 mA cm−2, the Ni3Fe/N‐C sheets enable a Zn–air battery to cycle steadily up to 420 h with only a small increase in the round‐trip overpotential, outperforming the more costly Pt/C + IrO2 mixture catalyst (160 h). With the simplicity and scalability of the synthetic approach and its remarkable bifunctional electrocatalytic performance, the Ni3Fe/N‐C sheets offer a promising rechargeable air cathode operating at room temperature in an alkaline electrolyte.
Pinched tube flow reactor: Hydrodynamics and suitability for exothermic multiphase reactions
Authors: Sharma Mrityunjay K. , Potdar Shital B. , Kulkarni Amol A.
Published: September 2016

A novel tubular flow reactor where a straight tube is modified by pinching it periodically at a fixed pitch and at different angles is presented. Pinched tubes (straight tube as well as helical coils) with different pitch and angles between successive pinching are studied. This work reports a detailed hydrodynamic study involving single and two‐phase flow. Mixing experiments showed that having an angle of 90° between successive pinchs achieves the shortest mixing length when compared to lower angles. Pressure recovery along with sequence of high and low shear zones and change of flow direction imposed better mixing. Residence time distribution studies showed that higher number of pinch sections decreases the extent of dispersion, yet it deviates from plug flow. The performance is evaluated by carrying a homogeneous and two‐phase aromatic nitration and also liquid‐liquid extraction. Pinched tube presents an economical option as a flow reactor for conducting exothermic reactions. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 358–365, 2017
FINRA Issues Regulatory Notice on Customers' and Employees' Right To Choose Securities Arbitration
Authors: Gross Jill I.
Published: September 2016

Access to arbitration in the securities industry's regulated forum is supposed to be guaranteed to customers with brokerage accounts and to employees of broker‐dealers under Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. Rules 12200 and 13200.
After Atalese, New Jersey Opinions Are Limiting Enforcement of Arbitration Provisions
Authors: Albert Daniela , Heifetz Elizabeth , Bleemer Russ
Published: September 2016

Arbitration contract enforcement has been in flux in New Jersey since the state's Supreme Court passed down Atalese v. U.S. Legal Services LP, 219 N.J. 430, 99 A.3d 306 (2014), cert. denied, 135 S. Ct. 2804, 192 L. Ed. 2d 847 (2015)(available at http://bit.ly/ZtfbW4).
The U.N.'s Latest Moves on Cross‐Border Mediation and Arbitration Practices
Authors: Trent Beth
Published: September 2016

Editor's note: From June 27 to July 15, the U.N. Commission on International Trade Law, best known as UNCITRAL, held its 49th session at the United Nations. The International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution, which publishes Alternatives, has been active in UNCITRAL's dispute resolution work over the past five years. The CPR Institute was invited to become an official NGO Observer to UNCITRAL Working Group III (Online Dispute Resolution) in Spring 2011. In Fall 2011, the author was invited to serve as a member of the U.S. Delegation to Working Group III, and she has served on the U.S. delegation to the UNCITRAL Commission beginning with the 45th Session in 2012. Below is an account of the key conflict resolution issues addressed earlier this summer.
Organocatalytic Domino Oxa‐Michael/1,6‐Addition Reactions: Asymmetric Synthesis of Chromans Bearing Oxindole Scaffolds
Authors: Zhao Kun , Zhi Ying , Shu Tao , Valkonen Arto , Rissanen Kari , Enders Dieter
Published: September 2016

An asymmetric organocatalytic domino oxa‐Michael/1,6‐addition reaction of ortho‐hydroxyphenyl‐substituted para‐quinone methides and isatin‐derived enoates has been developed. In the presence of 5 mol % of a bifunctional thiourea organocatalyst, this scalable domino reaction affords 4‐phenyl‐substituted chromans bearing spiro‐connected oxindole scaffolds and three adjacent stereogenic centers in good to excellent yields (up to 98 %) and with very high stereoselectivities (up to >20:1 d.r., >99 % ee).
Adaptive Iterative Learning Boundary Control of a Flexible Manipulator with Guaranteed Transient Performance
Authors: Liu Zhijie , Liu Jinkun
Published: September 2016

This paper investigates the iterative learning control (ILC) problem of a flexible manipulator in the presence of external disturbances and output constraints. The dynamic behavior of the flexible manipulator is represented by partial differential equations (PDEs). We propose an ILC law to track the desired trajectory and suppress the vibration of the elastic deflection. The control scheme is based on a prescribed performance bound (PPB) which characterizes the maximum restrictions and convergence rate of the tracking error and deflection error. It is shown that the errors satisfy the prescribed performance bond all the time at any iterations. The established theoretical results are illustrated using numerical simulations for control performance verification.
Scaling up bioethanol production from the farmed brown macroalga Macrocystis pyrifera in Chile
Authors: Camus Carolina , Ballerino Paola , Delgado Rocio , Olivera‐Nappa Álvaro , Leyton Carmen , Buschmann Alejandro H.
Published: September 2016

Interest in third‐generation biomass such as macroalgae has increased due to their high biomass yield, absence of lignin in their tissues, lower competition for land and fresh water, no fertilization requirements, and efficient CO2 capture in coastal ecosystems. However, several challenges still exist in the development of cost‐effective technologies for processing large amounts of macroalgae. Recently, genetically modified micro‐organisms able to convert brown macroalgae carbohydrates into bioethanol were developed, but still no attempt to scale up production has been proposed. Based on a giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) farming and bioethanol production program carried out in Chile, we were able to test and adapt this technology as a first attempt to scale up this process using a 75 L fermentation of genetically modified Escherichia coli. Laboratory fermentation tests results showed that although biomass growth and yield are not greatly affected by the alginate:mannitol ratio, ethanol yield showed a clear maximum around a 5:8 alginate:mannitol ratio. In M. pyrifera, a much greater proportion of alginate and lower mannitol abundance is found. In order to make the most of the carbohydrates available for fermentation, we developed a four‐stage process model for scaling up, including acid leaching, depolymerization, saccharification, and fermentation steps. Using this process, we obtained 0.213 Kg ethanol Kg−1 dry macroalgae, equivalent to 9.6 m3 of ethanol hectare−1 year−1, reaching 64% of the maximum theoretical ethanol yield. We propose strategies to increase this yield, including synthetic biology pathway engineering approaches and process optimization targets. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Prevalence and descriptive epidemiology of esophageal atresia in the Russian Federation
Authors: Demikova Nataliya S. , Vydrych Yulia V. , Podolnaya Marina A. , Lapina Aleksandra S. , Asanov Aliy Yu.
Published: September 2016

Background

This study examined the prevalence of esophageal atresia (EA) and the relationship between EA and demographic factors in the Russian Federation.

Methods

Data were obtained from a population‐based congenital malformations registry across 14 years (2000–2013) in 24 regions of the Russian Federation and included cases of EA among live births and stillbirths.

RESULTS

The total number of births was 6,478,706. There were 1317 cases of isolated EA, resulting in a rate of 2.03 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.92–2.15) per 10,000 births or 1 case per 4926 births. There were differences in the prevalence of EA among regional registries of the Russian Federation. The prevalence of EA during the study period was stable. 57.3% of all cases were cases of EA with tracheo‐esophageal fistula (compared with 42.7% of cases without fistula). The male/female sex ratio was 1.3. The relative risk of EA was higher for live births with birth weight less than 3000 g (relative risk [RR] = 2.58 (95% CI, 2.36–2.82), for older maternal age (RR = 1.47 (95% CI, 1.24–1.75), for males (RR = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.03–1.17), and for the first gravidity (RR = 1.17; 95% CI, 1.09–1.25).

CONCLUSION

In this study, the prevalence of EA across different regions of the Russian Federation was analyzed. The prevalence of EA in the period under study remained stable, and the relative risk of EA was associated with maternal age, birth weight and gravidity. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 106:854–859, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Goldilocks’ Determination of What New In Vivo Data are “Just Right” for Different Common Drug Development Scenarios, Part 1
Authors: Bowman Christopher J , Chapin Robert E
Published: September 2016

As alternative models and scientific advancements improve the ability to predict developmental toxicity, the challenge is how to best use this information to support safe use of pharmaceuticals in humans. While in vivo experimental data are often expected, there are other important considerations that drive the impact of developmental toxicity data to human risk assessment and product labeling. These considerations include three key elements: (1) the drug's likelihood of producing off‐target toxicities, (2) risk tolerance of adverse effects based on indication and patient population, and (3) how much is known about the effects of modulating the target in pregnancy and developmental biology. For example, there is little impact or value of a study in pregnant monkeys to inform the risk assessment for a highly specific monoclonal antibody indicated for a life‐threatening indication against a target known to be critical for pregnancy maintenance and fetal survival. In contrast, a small molecule to a novel biological target for a chronic lifestyle indication would warrant more safety data than simply in vitro studies and a literature review. Rather than accounting for innumerable theoretical possibilities surrounding each potential submission's profile, we consolidated most of the typical situations into eight possible scenarios across these three elements, and present a discussion of these scenarios here. We hope that this framework will facilitate a rational approach to determining what new information is required to inform developmental toxicity risk of pharmaceuticals in context of the specific needs of each program while reducing animal use where possible.
Stereodependent and solvent‐specific formation of unusual β‐structure through side chain‐backbone H‐bonding in C4(S)‐(NH2/OH/NHCHO)‐L‐prolyl polypeptides
Authors: Bansode Nitin D. , Madhanagopal B. , Sonar Mahesh V. , Ganesh Krishna N.
Published: September 2016

It is shown that C4(S)‐NH2/OH/NHCHO‐prolyl polypeptides exhibit PPII conformation in aqueous medium, but in a relatively hydrophobic solvent trifluoroethanol (TFE) transform into an unusual β‐structure. The stereospecific directing effect of H‐bonding in defining the specific structure is demonstrated by the absence of β‐structure in the corresponding C4(S)‐guanidinyl/(NH/O)‐acetyl derivatives and retention of β‐structure in C4(S)‐(NHCHO)‐prolyl polypeptides in TFE. The distinct conformations are identified by the characteristic CD patterns and supported by Raman spectroscopic data. The solvent dependent conformational effects are interpreted in terms of intraresidue H‐bonding that promotes PPII conformation in water, switching over to interchain H‐bonding in TFE. The present observations add a new design principle to the growing repertoire of strategies for engineering peptide secondary structural motifs for innovative nanoassemblies and new biomaterials.
Improved method for quantitative analysis of the cyclotide kalata B1 in plasma and brain homogenate
Authors: Melander Erik , Eriksson Camilla , Jansson Britt , Göransson Ulf , Hammarlund‐Udenaes Margareta
Published: September 2016

This study provides a new method for quantifying the cyclotide kalata B1 in both plasma and brain homogenate. Cyclotides are ultra‐stable peptides with three disulfide bonds that are interesting from a drug development perspective as they can be used as scaffolds. In this study we describe a new validated LC‐MS/MS method with high sensitivity and specificity for kalata B1. The limit of quantification was 2 ng/mL in plasma and 5 ng/gmL in brain homogenate. The method was linear in the range 2–10,000 ng/mL for plasma and 5–2000 ng/g for brain. Liquid Chromatographic separation was performed on a HyPurity C18 column, 50 × 4.6 mm, 3 µm particle size. The method had inter‐ and intra‐day precision and accuracy levels <15% and 12% respectively. Applying the method to in vivo plasma samples and brain homogenate samples from equilibrium dialysis yielded satisfying results and was able to describe the plasma pharmacokinetics and brain tissue binding of kalata B1. The described method is quick, reproducible and well suited to quantifying kalata B1 in biological matrices.
A New Rhodamine B‐based Fluorescent Probe for pH Detection and Bioimaging under Strong Acidic Conditions
Authors: Yang Quan , Zou Jingrong , Chirumarry Sridhar , Huo Chang , Tang Linlin , Zhang Fang , Xiang Yi , Zuo Hua , Shin Dong‐Soo , Peng Xiang
Published: September 2016

A new pH‐sensitive rhodamine derivative was designed and synthesized using coupling reaction of rhodamine hydrazine with commercially available 3‐bromo‐4‐hydroxybenzaldehyde, and characterized via NMR, HRMS, UV and fluorescent spectra. The obtained probe was marked with yellow fluorescence under neutral condition and pink in strongly acidic media. It has high quantum yields, is not susceptible to metal interference, and has high penetration ability for cell membrane and also further applicable in bioimaging.
Generating hand motion from body motion based on hand pose estimation
Authors: Oshita Masaki , Senju Yuta
Published: September 2016

In this paper, we propose a method to generate hand motion from full‐body motion. We assume that hand pose can be estimated from full‐body pose. We use a support vector machine to choose one of four key hand poses based on the full‐body pose. The training model is constructed from a number of full‐body motions with manually specified hand‐pose keyframes. The output poses are synthesized to include the generated continuous hand motion. We realize smooth transitions between key hand poses and add small movements of fingers for generating plausible hand motions. Because our method does not require future poses, it is valid for both on‐line and off‐line animation. Our experimental results show that our model is applicable to a wide range of full‐body motions.
Comparison of Chemical Composition in Tuber aestivum Vittad. of Different Geographical Origin
Authors: Hilszczańska Dorota , Siebyła Marta , Horak Jakub , Król Marek , Podsadni Piotr , Steckiewicz Piotr , Bamburowicz‐Klimkowska Magdalena , Szutowski Mirosław , Turło Jadwiga
Published: September 2016

Truffles are prized and nutrition‐rich edible hypogeous fungi. The aim of this study was a comprehensive investigation of chemical composition of Burgundy truffle (Tuber aestivum Vittad.). We tried to answer the question: what is the impact of the environment on the truffle quality. To know the nutritional value of Burgundy truffle we compared lipids, proteins, saccharides, polyphenolics, flavonoids, total sterols, ergosterol, volatile flavour and aroma compounds content in fruit bodies of the fungus collected in three different geographical regions, i.e., Poland, Slovakia, and Italy. A comparison of the above mentioned compounds is especially interesting due to environmental and climatic differences among the studied geographical regions. Results revealed that fruit bodies of T. aestivum from Poland and Slovakia possessed nearly similar content of proteins, total sterols, and saccharides. The fruiting bodies from Italy contained significantly larger amounts of most of the investigated compounds. In turn, Polish specimens had higher content of lipids and polyphenolics than Slovak and Italian ones. We have found higher similarity of volatile compounds composition between Polish and Italian specimens than those of Polish and Slovak origin.
Oxytocin in animal models of autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Peñagarikano Olga
Published: September 2016

Autism spectrum disorder is a behavioral disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication together with the presence of stereotyped behaviors and restricted interests. Although highly genetic, its etiology is complex which correlates with the extensive heterogeneity found in its clinical manifestation, adding to the challenge of understanding its pathophysiology and develop targeted pharmacotherapies. The neuropeptide oxytocin is part of a highly conserved system involved in the regulation of social behavior, and both animal and human research have shown that variation in the oxytocin system accounts for interindividual differences in the expression of social behaviors in mammals. In autism, recent studies in human patients and animal models are starting to reveal that alterations in the oxytocin system are more common than previously anticipated. Genetic variation in the key players involved in the system (i.e., oxytocin receptor, oxytocin, and CD38) has been found associated with autism in humans, and animal models of the disorder converge in an altered oxytocin system and/or dysfunction in oxytocin related biological processes. Furthermore, oxytocin administration exerts a behavioral and neurobiological response, and thus, the oxytocin system has become a promising potential therapeutical target for autism. Animal models represent a valuable tool to aid in the research into the potential therapeutic use of oxytocin. In this review, I aim to discuss the main findings related to oxytocin research in autism with a focus on findings in animal models. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 202–213, 2017
Inferring the timing of long‐distance dispersal between Rail metapopulations using genetic and isotopic assignments
Authors: Hall Laurie A. , Beissinger Steven R.
Published: September 2016

The stochastic and infrequent nature of long‐distance dispersal often makes it difficult to detect. We quantified the frequency, distance, and timing of long‐distance dispersal in a nonmigratory, secretive wetland bird, the California Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus), between an inland and a coastal metapopulation separated by greater than 100 km. Using 15 microsatellites in conjunction with stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotopes, we classified Rails as residents of their capture population, recent migrants that dispersed to their capture population less than one year before capture, established migrants that dispersed to their capture population more than one year before capture, and seasonal migrants that dispersed away from their capture population to forage, but returned the next season. Most Rails (195 of 204, or 95.6%) were classified as residents, but we detected two established migrants that had moved >100 km more than a year before capture. Seven Rails appeared to be seasonal migrants, but comparisons of feather isotope values with isotope values from wetland soils indicated that the isotope values in the feathers of these Rails likely resulted from natural environmental variation (e.g., source element effects) rather than long‐distance dispersal of individuals. Thus, these seven Rails were most likely misassigned by isotopic population assignments due to small‐scale variation in the isoscape. Using genetic data in conjunction with isotopic data allowed us to not only infer the timing of long‐distance dispersal events, but to successfully track long‐distance movements of nonmigratory Rails between metapopulations even when environmental variation of isotopes occurred across small spatial scales.
SHP1‐ing thymic selection
Authors: Gascoigne Nicholas R.J. , Brzostek Joanna , Mehta Monika , Acuto Oreste
Published: September 2016

Thymocyte development and maintenance of peripheral T‐cell numbers and functions are critically dependent on T‐cell receptor (TCR) signal strength. SHP1 (Src homology region 2 domain‐containing phosphatase‐1), a tyrosine phosphatase, acts as a negative regulator of TCR signal strength. Moreover, germline SHP1 knockout mice have shown impaired thymic development. However, this has been recently questioned by an analysis of SHP1 conditional knockout mice, which reported normal thymic development of SHP1 deficient thymocytes. Using this SHP1 conditional knockout mice, in this issue of the European Journal of Immunology, Martinez et al. [Eur. J. Immunol. 2016. 46: 2103–2110] show that SHP1 indeed does have a role in the negative regulation of TCR signal strength in positively selected thymocytes, and in the final maturation of single positive thymocytes. They report that thymocyte development in such mice shows loss of mature, post‐selection cells. This is due to increased TCR signal transduction in thymocytes immediately post positive‐selection, and increased cell death in response to weak TCR ligands. Thus, SHP1‐deficiency shows strong similarities to deficiency in the T‐cell specific SHP1‐associated protein Themis.
Conformational Switching of Multi‐Responsive Ferrocenyl‐Phenol Conjugates
Authors: Neidlinger Andreas , Förster Christoph , Heinze Katja
Published: September 2016

Multifunctional conformational switches based on the ferrocenyl‐salicylic acid amide motif with increasing additional complexity at the Fc moiety (R = COOMe, CONHEt, CONHFc; H‐2–H‐4; Fc = ferrocenyl) have been prepared and their preferred secondary structures in solution have been elucidated by NMR and IR spectroscopy in combination with conformational searches based on DFT calculations. Their distinct conformational responses to deprotonation ([2]––[4]–) and oxidation ([H‐2]+·–[H‐4]+·) have been revealed by IR, EPR, and UV/Vis spectroscopy as well as by DFT calculations. Deprotonation inverts all amide units (double amide twist) whereas oxidation selectively flips the terminal amide unit (single amide twist). The combined action of deprotonation and oxidation has also been explored.