bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The comprehension of 3rd person singular -s by NYC English-speaking preschoolers
Authors: Barrière Isabelle , Kresh Sarah , Aharodnik Katsiaryna , Legendre Géraldine , Nazzi Thierry
Published: April 2019

Monolingual English 4-year-olds were administered a Subject-Verb agreement comprehension task that included stimuli such as the boy

s

spin

ø

versus the boy

ø

spin

s

(…/freely/in the hall). They were categorized as users of Mainstream American English (MAE) (N = 8), Some Variation (N = 9) and Strong Variation (N = 9) based on the Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variation (Seymour et al., 2005). Only MAE users performed significantly above chance across conditions (final versus medial with adverb versus medial with prepositional phrase) while comprehension in learners of other varieties was sensitive to syntactic context. Corpus analyses revealed that input frequency cannot explain our comprehension results and confirmed the plausibility of the hypothesis that 3rd person -s competes with other structures to express generic tense in non-mainstream varieties of English.
The interpretation of disjunction in VP ellipsis in Mandarin Chinese
Authors: Gao Na , Thornton Rosalind , Zhou Peng , Crain Stephen
Published: April 2019

This study investigated the interpretation assigned to disjunction by Mandarin-speaking children and adults in negative sentences with either overt or covert disjunction. In one condition, both negation and disjunction were phonologically realized in the second conjunct of a coordinate structure. In a second condition, disjunction was elided from the verb phrase. Children and adults differed in scope assignments when both negation and disjunction were phonologically realized. However, negation took scope over disjunction for both groups when disjunction was elided. The findings invite the inference that adults, but not children, analyze disjunction as a Positive Polarity Item in negative sentences, but this polarity sensitivity is cancelled in sentences with verb phrase ellipsis. In this linguistic structure, both groups assign the same interpretation.
Scalarity, degree reading and maximality in a Mandarin numeral construction
Authors: Jin Dawei , Chen Jun
Published: April 2019

This paper investigates the semantics of an understudied Mandarin numeral construction type, here dubbed
da-NumPs (i.e. number word < da ‘big’ < noun). Drawing primarily upon evidence from
online Mandarin corpora, we argue for a taxonomy of this construction that comprises two distinct interpretations, based on the
scalarity of the morpheme da and its composition with the other constituents within the construction.
Specifically, one reading of da-NumPs is a degree superlative reading, in which da relates a
domain of comparison, denoted by the nominal argument, to a plural group of entities ranked along the upper bound of a
contextually determined scale. Second, da-NumPs have a definite description reading, in which da
behaves on a par with a maximality-denoting iota operator, such that the construction refers to the maximal group individual that
satisfies the property denoted by the nominal argument. We further show that at the discourse level, both readings encode the way
the speaker subjectively construes the situation being described, indicating the speaker’s evaluative attitude towards the
significance of said situation. This pragmatic condition distinguishes the use of da-NumPs against that of
alternative, truth-conditionally identical numeral construction types. We further propose that in cases where the nominal
component includes a degree argument, a process of degree intensification enables the definite description reading to verify the
same situation as is licensed under a superlative semantics. We show that this process provides a way to make sense of the
systematic ambiguity available to da-NumPs, and allows us to capture its polysemy.
The effect of morphological structure on semantic transparency ratings
Authors: Wang Shichang , Huang Chu-Ren , Yao Yao , Chan Angel
Published: April 2019

Semantic transparency deals with the interface between lexical semantics and morphology. It is an important
linguistic phenomenon in Chinese in the context of prediction of meanings of compounds from their constituents. Given prominence
of compounding in Chinese morpho-lexical processes, to date there is no semantic transparency dataset available to support
verifiable and replicable quantitative analysis of semantic transparency in Mandarin Chinese. In addition, the relation between
semantic transparency and morphological structure has not been systematically examined. This paper reports a crowdsourcing-based
experiment designed for the construction of a large semantic transparency dataset of Chinese compounds which includes semantic
transparency ratings of both the compound and each constituent root of the compound. We also present an analysis of the effects of
morphological structure on semantic transparency using the constructed dataset. Our study found that in a transparent
modifier-head compound, the head tends to get greater semantic transparency rating than the modifier. Interestingly, no such
effect is observed in coordinative compounds. This result suggests that compounds of different morphological structures are
processed differently and that the concept of head plays an important role in the word-formation process of compounding. We
advocate that crowdsourcing can be a highly instrumental method to collect linguistic judgments and to construct language
resources in Chinese language studies. In addition, the proposed methodology of comparing constituent transparency and word
transparency sheds light on the relation between morpho-lexical structure and cognitive processing of lexical meanings.
Unifying UG and language variation
Authors: Keenan Edward L.
Published: April 2019

We consider the problem of formulating universal generalizations about natural languages given that as work on grammars of particular languages proceeds with increasing precision and detail, the specific form of and conditions on rules increasingly diverges. Formally the problem becomes one of how to generalize over non-isomorphic structures.
Computational and semantic aspects of resumption
Authors: Rouveret Alain
Published: April 2019

Taking the properties of Welsh relativization as a point of departure, this paper argues that the linking of resumptive pronouns to the periphery is a strictly narrow-syntactic process, triggered by the uninterpretable features of resumptive pronouns and c-commanding complementizers and reducing to non-local Agree. Resumptive dependencies also give rise to reconstruction effects, which can also be detected in structures that have a different derivational history – the intrusive dependencies involving a strong island. It appears that, in both types, the internal structure of the pronouns involved is exclusively responsible for the various reconstruction options. In other words, the specific way pronouns are linked to the periphery (via a probe-goal relation or via binding at the interface) plays no role in their reconstruction properties, the fact that they have an internal structure plays no role in their distribution. This state of affairs has interesting implications concerning the “semantic blindness” of syntactic operations (Uriagereka 2002).
The syntax of either and disjunction
Authors: Law Paul
Published: April 2019

It is argued that the scope indicator either is base-generated in place and its syntactic relation with disjunction is subject to a phase-theoretic locality constraint. Apparently unbalanced disjunction where either does not occur adjacent to disjunction is in fact syntactically balanced coordination, with parts of the second disjunct possibly deleted by independent processes such as gapping or extraposition. Some facts recalling locality constraints on movement are shown to be due to conditions on deletion independently of movement. Processing may explain some but not all facts.
Focus, negation and event quantification in Chinese
Authors: Lee Peppina Po-lun
Published: April 2019

Chinese negators, bu and mei, translated as “not” in English, are assumed to be focus-sensitive indiscriminately. In this paper, I argue that unlike bu, mei does not lexically encode a dependency on the placement of focus, due to the failure of semantic focus to override its syntactic constraint. Syntax has made mei inherently a negative existential quantifier of situations. The role of focus in mei-sentences is to provide the backgrounded event description. Material within the TP scope of mei, excluding the focus, will be structurally mapped to the background part to set up its restrictive domain, and everything within its scope to the nuclear scope. Therefore, although falling under the same category, negators do not necessarily demonstrate the same focus dependency.
Syntax/semantics interface and interpretation of Chinese NP1NP2V construction by Japanese speakers
Authors: Zeng Li , Hua Dongfan
Published: April 2019

Sorace’s (2005, 2006) Interface Hypothesis proposed that properties of syntax are relatively easier to acquire than ones involving interfaces. The article provides supporting evidence with a study investigating second language (L2) acquisition of the interpretation of Chinese NP1NP2V construction by Japanese speakers. The canonical OSV interpretation for Chinese NP1NP2V is considered a syntactic property. The acceptability of SOV interpretation for Chinese NP1NP2V depends on the combined effects of the semantic compatibility factor and the prominence factor, which involve the syntax-semantics interface. The results show that Japanese speakers can acquire the canonical OSV interpretation; but they have difficulties in accessing prominence to distinguish the acceptable SOV interpretation from the unacceptable one.
New words in contemporary Chinese language use
Authors: Xiao Yun
Published: April 2019

This study analyzes the linguistic features and word formation processes of the new words in The List of New Words Used in Media 2015. The results show that the average word length of the 446 new words used in media 2015 is 3.34, with both 3- and 4-morpheme words hovering around 40% of the total and 2-morpheme words under 17%. The majority of the 2-morpheme new words parallel the Chinese syntactic patterns, such as [modifier + modified], [subject + predicate], [verb + object], and [verb + verb]. The major processes involved in the 4-morpheme word formation are blending, abbreviation, coinage, and numerical formulae. In the blending and abbreviation processes, large chunks of information are clipped off to maintain the [2+2] 4-morpheme word length pattern. In addition, like many other newly-created usages, the case of 互联网+ shows that, in language change, new words can be created through grammaticalization and various types of derivational morphology, involving the creation of new affixes.
Chinese near-synonyms jian (建), zao (造), gai (蓋) ‘to build’ revisited
Authors: Huang Chenhsuan
Published: April 2019

This study reexamines Mandarin Chinese near-synonyms jian (建), zao (造), gai (蓋) ‘to build’ and their shared patterns in written and spoken genres. Three independent variables – including word length of the object NP, preverbal locative phrase, and building purpose – were tested by a logistic regression analysis (Rbrul) to account for the multiple crosscutting and interacting factors that influence language usage. Multivariate analyses show that word length and building purpose can account for the differences among these verbs in both genres. The analyses suggest that the use of jian (建) and zao (造) possess more written properties, while gai (蓋) favors the spoken genre. The current study contributes to a growing number of studies in Chinese near-synonyms by focusing on genre variation.
Constraints on the collocational behaviors of Chinese near-synonyms
Authors: Yang Jia
Published: April 2019

This paper reports a corpus-based study to examine how Chinese near-synonyms choose their typical collocates. Near-synonyms commonly misused by English-speaking learners of Chinese were selected for analysis. Results obtained from the corpora (the Chinese Internet Corpus by the University of Leeds and the Lancaster corpus of Mandarin Chinese) indicate that the collocational behaviors of the selected synonyms are constrained by their own semantic, grammatical, prosodic, stylistic and pragmatic features and hence are explainable to second/foreign learners. Findings of this study will contribute to the design of collocation/synonym dictionary as well as the instruction of collocations as a second/foreign language.
A stereoscopic reading of Rosario Ferré’s “El cuento envenenado” and “The Poisoned Story”
Authors: Ayuso Mónica G.
Published: April 2019

Rosario Ferré has been a self-translator since the mid-1980s. For just as long, criticism of her work has been
snarled in essentialist arguments that assume that language embodies the values of the culture from which it derives and that
words transmit an essence regardless of context. Following this logic, English and Spanish are systems in opposition. This essay
compares “El cuento envenenado” (1986) to Ferré’s self-translation, “The Poisoned Story” (1991) in order to recast her as a bilingual writer. Using Marilyn Gaddis Rose’s concept of stereoscopic reading, the
essay places two autonomous but interrelated texts in a theory-informed relationship that renders them as one textual space and
captures the creative interliminality of a bilingual writer. This reading traces Ferré’s evolution as a writer from the late
seventies to the nineties and beyond, when she envisioned a short story of greater inscrutability and resistance that reflected
the legacy of colonialism within a Puerto Rican household.
Identifying translation problems in English-Chinese sight translation
Authors: Su Wenchao , Li Defeng
Published: April 2019

Translation problems have received considerable attention among translation process researchers and different
research methods have been used to identify them. Findings are sometimes inconsistent, and as these studies have mainly studied
translation between European languages, little research has been conducted to explore the issue concerning non-European languages.
To fill this gap, the present study investigates problem triggers in English-Chinese sight translation in both directions (L1 and
L2 translation). using eye-tracking data (Dragsted 2012). Results suggest that the type
and number of translation problems encountered by the translators are different in L1 and L2 sight translation and that
language-pair specificity is at play during the process, indicated by two identified Chinese-specific problem triggers, namely,
back-sloping comma and head-final noun phrase.
Promotion of alleles by genome engineering.
Authors: Cole J. B.
Published: April 2019

Traditional genetic selection programmes based on pedigree and performance information have been used to improve livestock populations for decades. The introduction of high-density single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping about 10 years ago supported increased rates of gain through more accurate prediction of genetic merit earlier in life. Recent continued technological advances enable the routine use of genetic engineering and gene editing tools in livestock research and, increasingly, production systems. Livestock geneticists have responded by proposing new breeding schemes that combine traditional selection methodology with these new tools to substantially increase rates of genetic gain while reducing harmful effects due to decreased heterozygosity. Genetic improvement strategies based on gene drives have the potential further increase rates of gain but pose risks that may not be acceptable to the public. Intense debate about the use of these technologies in the animal food chain is being driven by regulatory agencies and consumer advocates, and it is not clear if genetically modified animals will be acceptable to consumers. This review focuses on the application of genetic engineering and genome engineering tools to livestock population improvement through the management of genetic load and the promotion of desirable alleles in the population associated with both monogenic and polygenic traits. Limitations of the current technology, such as limited knowledge of true causal variants, are discussed, as are regulatory and consumer acceptance issues.
Andre Delbecq, a leader’s leader and master mentor
Authors: Weiss Joseph W.
Published: April 2019

This is a tribute to Andre Delbecq in memory of his contributions as a master mentor, teacher, consultant, and innovator in spirituality and leadership – as written through the lens of our relationship and shared journey spanning four decades. As a PhD student at the University
of Wisconsin, Madison to a Professor of Management at Bentley University in Waltham, MA, I personally and professionally experienced and benefitted from Andre’s gifts as he evolved from eminent scholar/professor, consultant, and friend, to an acknowledged Spiritual Director. This article
may also serve as a small portal through which to glimpse some of the effects Andre still has on so many.
A compartmentalized neuron-oligodendrocyte co-culture device for myelin research: design, fabrication and functionality testing
Authors: Ristola Mervi , Sukki Lassi , Azevedo Maria Manuela , Seixas Ana Isabel , Relvas João Bettencourt , Narkilahti Susanna , Kallio Pasi
Published: April 2019

Microfluidics devices for co-culturing neurons and oligodendrocytes represent an important in vitro research tool to decipher myelination mechanisms in health and disease and in the identification of novel treatments for myelin diseases. In reported devices using primary rodent cells, the spontaneous formation of myelin sheaths has been challenging and random orientation of neurites impede the analysis of myelination. Furthermore, fabrication methods for devices show limitations, highlighting the need for novel in vitro cell-based myelination models. In the present study, we describe a compartmentalized cell culture device targeted for neuron-oligodendrocyte co-culturing and myelination studies. In the device, neurites from primary rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons were capable of forming aligned dense networks in a specific compartment that was physically isolated from neuronal somas. Co-culture of rat DRG neurons and oligodendrocytes, a well-known model to study myelination in vitro, led to interactions between oligodendrocytes and neurites in the device, and the deposition of myelin segments in an aligned distribution was spontaneously formed. For the fabrication of the device, we present a new method that produces polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)—based devices possessing an open compartment design. The proposed fabrication method takes advantage of an SU-8 photolithography process and 3D printing for mould fabrication. Both the microscale and macroscale features are replicated from the same mould, allowing devices to be produced with high precision and repeatability. The proposed device is applicable for long-term cell culturing, live-cell imaging, and by enhancing aligned myelin distribution, it is a promising tool for experimental setups that address diverse biological questions in the field of myelin research.
Tuning of impurity-bound interlayer complexes in a van der Waals heterobilayer
Authors: Vialla Fabien , Danovich Mark , Ruiz-Tijerina David A , Massicotte Mathieu , Schmidt Peter , Taniguchi Takashi , Watanabe Kenji , Hunt Ryan J , Szyniszewski Marcin , Drummond Neil D , Pedersen Thomas G , Fal’ko Vladimir I , Koppens Frank H L
Published: April 2019

Due to their unique 2D nature, charge carriers in semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) exhibit strong unscreened Coulomb interactions and sensitivity to defects and impurities. The versatility of van der Waals layer stacking allows spatially separating electrons and holes between different TMD layers with staggered band structure, yielding interlayer few-body excitonic complexes whose nature is still debated. Here we combine quantum Monte Carlo calculations with spectrally and temporally resolved photoluminescence (PL) measurements on a top- and bottom-gated MoSe2/WSe2 heterostructure, and identify the emitters as impurity-bound interlayer excitonic complexes. Using independent electrostatic control of doping and out-of-plane electric field, we demonstrate control of the relative populations of neutral and charged complexes, their emission energies on a scale larger than their linewidth, and an increase of their lifetime into the microsecond regime. This work unveils new physics of confined carriers and is key to the development of novel optoelectronics applications.
Optimal control of hybrid optomechanical systems for generating non-classical states of mechanical motion
Authors: Bergholm Ville , Wieczorek Witlef , Schulte-Herbrüggen Thomas , Keyl Michael
Published: April 2019

Cavity optomechanical systems are one of the leading experimental platforms for controlling mechanical motion in the quantum regime. We exemplify that the control over cavity optomechanical systems greatly increases by coupling the cavity also to a two-level system, thereby creating a hybrid optomechanical system. If the two-level system can be driven largely independently of the cavity, we show that the nonlinearity thus introduced enables us to steer the extended system to non-classical target states of the mechanical oscillator with Wigner functions exhibiting significant negative regions. We illustrate how to use optimal control techniques beyond the linear regime to drive the hybrid system from the near ground state into a Fock target state of the mechanical oscillator. We base our numerical optimization on realistic experimental parameters for exemplifying how optimal control enables the preparation of decidedly non-classical target states, where naive control schemes fail. Our results thus pave the way for applying the toolbox of optimal control in hybrid optomechanical systems for generating non-classical mechanical states.
Association of Social Adversity with Comorbid Diabetes and Depression Symptoms in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study: A Syndemic Framework
Authors: McCurley Jessica L , Gutierrez Angela P , Bravin Julia I , Schneiderman Neil , Reina Samantha A , Khambaty Tasneem , Castañeda Sheila F , Smoller Sylvia , Daviglus Martha L , O’Brien Matthew J , Carnethon Mercedes R , Isasi Carmen R , Perreira Krista M , Talavera Greg A , Yang Mingan , Gallo Linda C
Published: April 2019

Background

U.S. Hispanics/Latinos experience high lifetime risk for Type 2 diabetes and concurrent psychological depression. This comorbidity is associated with poorer self-management, worse disease outcomes, and higher mortality. Syndemic theory is a novel social epidemiological framework that emphasizes the role of economic and social adversity in promoting disease comorbidity and health disparities.

Purpose

Informed by the syndemic framework, this study explored associations of socioeconomic and psychosocial adversity (low income/education, trauma history, adverse childhood experiences, ethnic discrimination, neighborhood problems [e.g., violence]) with comorbidity of diabetes and depression symptoms in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) and Sociocultural Ancillary Study.

Methods

Participants were 5,247 Latino adults, aged 18–74, enrolled in four U.S. cities from 2008 to 2011. Participants completed a baseline physical exam and measures of depression symptoms and psychosocial adversity. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations of adversity variables with comorbid diabetes and high depression symptoms.

Results

Household income below $30,000/year was associated with higher odds of diabetes/depression comorbidity (odds ratio [OR] = 4.61; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.89, 7.33) compared to having neither condition, as was each standard deviation increase in adverse childhood experiences (OR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.16, 1.71), ethnic discrimination (OR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.50), and neighborhood problems (OR = 1.53; 95% CI: 1.30, 1.80).

Conclusion

Low household income, adverse childhood experiences, ethnic discrimination, and neighborhood problems are related to comorbid diabetes and depression in U.S. Latinos. Future studies should explore these relationships longitudinally.
Physical Activity Intentions and Behavior Mediate Treatment Response in an Acceptance-Based Weight Loss Intervention
Authors: Godfrey Kathryn M , Schumacher Leah M , Butryn Meghan L , Forman Evan M
Published: April 2019

Increased physical activity intentions and behaviors partially accounted for the superior effect of an acceptance-based behavioral treatment on weight loss outcomes, relative to standard behavioral treatment.
A process-based model for leaf development and growth in hardneck garlic (Allium sativum)
Authors: Hsiao Jennifer , Yun Kyungdahm , Moon Kyung Hwan , Kim Soo-Hyung
Published: April 2019

Background and aims

Phenology and morphology are two major aspects of crop growth models. A new process-based model built for hardneck garlic (Allium sativum) is presented, focusing on phenology and morphology processes and how they translate to whole-plant growth. The tight coupling between the two processes and their dynamic changes throughout the growing season were captured while incorporating storage effects and reproductive aspects unique to bulbous crops.

Methods

Non-linear temperature dependences of leaf development were integrated into the model and dynamically coupled with changes in leaf growth throughout the growing season. Bulb storage effects on leaf development and photoperiod effects on the vegetative-to-reproductive transition were also incorporated. The model was parameterized with data from a set of experiments and the literature, while its performance was tested with additional observations that had not been used for parameterization under a range of environmental conditions, management practices and cultivar choices.

Key Results

The model successfully captured the dynamic nature of leaf development and growth in garlic plants throughout the growing season. It simulated with reasonable accuracy the timing of leaf initiation, maturation and senescence, as well as changes in green leaf area over time. Most parameters were relatively stable across cultivars, and parameter sensitivity tests revealed the importance of bulb storage effects.

Conclusions

The model embodies a novel approach to capture the phenology and morphology of garlic under a range of environments, genotypes and management practices. The process-oriented nature of the model and inclusion of storage effects set the foundation for bulbous crop growth simulations, allowing the understanding and discovery of key processes that coordinate and integrate the dynamics of growth and development from organ to whole plant, with implications for crop improvement programmes while opening opportunities for modelling other bulbous crops.
SolidBin: improving metagenome binning with semi-supervised normalized cut
Authors: Wang Ziye , Wang Zhengyang , Lu Yang Young , Sun Fengzhu , Zhu Shanfeng
Published: April 2019

Motivation

Metagenomic contig binning is an important computational problem in metagenomic research, which aims to cluster contigs from the same genome into the same group. Unlike classical clustering problem, contig binning can utilize known relationships among some of the contigs or the taxonomic identity of some contigs. However, the current state-of-the-art contig binning methods do not make full use of the additional biological information except the coverage and sequence composition of the contigs.

Results

We developed a novel contig binning method, Semi-supervised Spectral Normalized Cut for Binning (SolidBin), based on semi-supervised spectral clustering. Using sequence feature similarity and/or additional biological information, such as the reliable taxonomy assignments of some contigs, SolidBin constructs two types of prior information: must-link and cannot-link constraints. Must-link constraints mean that the pair of contigs should be clustered into the same group, while cannot-link constraints mean that the pair of contigs should be clustered in different groups. These constraints are then integrated into a classical spectral clustering approach, normalized cut, for improved contig binning. The performance of SolidBin is compared with five state-of-the-art genome binners, CONCOCT, COCACOLA, MaxBin, MetaBAT and BMC3C on five next-generation sequencing benchmark datasets including simulated multi- and single-sample datasets and real multi-sample datasets. The experimental results show that, SolidBin has achieved the best performance in terms of F-score, Adjusted Rand Index and Normalized Mutual Information, especially while using the real datasets and the single-sample dataset.

Availability and implementation

https://github.com/sufforest/SolidBin.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Possible reproductive benefits to female Carpetan rock lizards of pre-sensory bias towards chemical signals
Authors: Rodríguez-Ruiz Gonzalo , López Pilar , Martín José
Published: April 2019

Female Carpetan rock lizards (Iberolacerta cyreni) might assess the quality of males from their chemical signals. Females select areas scent marked by males with secretions containing high proportions of provitamin D to ensure mating with high-quality males. However, an alternative explanation might be that females are not choosing a mate, but that females have a pre-sensory bias for chemical cues of vitamin D in the food and are, in fact, assessing habitat quality to obtain direct benefits of increasing the intake of vitamin D. We evaluated experimentally the possible benefits of a nutritional supplement of provitamin D or vitamin D in pregnant females for their clutches and offspring. However, we did not find large differences between treatments, except in the lower body condition of juveniles of mothers supplemented with provitamin D. We also tested the chemosensory interest of females in the scent of males to study the existence of a sensory bias; this response decreased when the amount of dietary vitamin D exceeded their needs. The results suggest that there are no reproductive benefits in the intake of additional vitamin D and that the potential sensory bias to scents of males could be related to the physiological needs of the females.
GPAT2 is required for piRNA biogenesis, transposon silencing, and maintenance of spermatogonia in mice†
Authors: Shiromoto Yusuke , Kuramochi-Miyagawa Satomi , Nagamori Ippei , Chuma Shinichiro , Arakawa Tatsuhiko , Nishimura Toru , Hasuwa Hidetoshi , Tachibana Taro , Ikawa Masahito , Nakano Toru
Published: April 2019

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), a subclass of germ cell-specific noncoding small RNAs, are essential for de novo DNA methylation of retrotransposon genes in embryonic testes. PIWIL2/MILI, one of three mouse PIWI family members, is indispensable for piRNA production, DNA methylation of retrotransposons presumably via piRNA, and normal spermatogenesis. In vitro analysis using germline stem cells (GS cells) revealed that glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 2 (GPAT2), which is a mitochondrial outer membrane protein involved in generation of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and highly expressed in testes, plays important roles in spermatogenesis. Namely, GPAT2 binds to PIWIL2 and is closely involved in the biogenesis of piRNAs; this process is independent of its enzymatic activity on LPA. However, GS cells recapitulate only a limited phase of spermatogenesis and the biological functions of GPAT2 remain largely unknown. In this study, we generated GPAT2-deficient mice and conducted comprehensive analyses. The deficient mice showed defective piRNA production and subsequent de-silencing of IAP and Line-1 retrotransposons in fetal testes. In addition, apoptosis of pachytene spermatocytes was observed. These abnormalities were all common to the phenotype of PIWIL2-deficient mice, in which piRNA production was impaired. GPAT2-deficient mice exhibited apoptosis in spermatogonia at the neonatal stage, which was not observed in PIWIL2-deficient mice. These data show that GPAT2 plays a critical role in preventing apoptosis in spermatogonia.
Validated RP-HPLC Method for Simultaneous Determination of Ribavirin, Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir in Human Plasma: A Treatment Protocol Administered to HCV Patients in Egypt
Authors: Youssef Aya A , Magdy N , Hussein Lobna A , El-Kosasy A M
Published: April 2019

Egypt has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the world thus it launched a national program for eliminating HCV aiming to treat 300,000 HCV patients per year. Three anti-HCV co-administered drugs; ribavirin (RBV), sofosbuvir (SF) daclatasvir (DAC) were simultaneously determined in human plasma by a validated, simple and sensitive RP-HPLC method using propyl paraben as an internal standard. Liquid–liquid extraction using ethyl acetate was used for samples extraction. Chromatographic separation was achieved on Scharlau® C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm2, 5 μm). Gradient elution was employed with a mobile phase mixture of water and acetonitrile at a flow rate 1 mL/min. UV detection using photodiode array detector was carried out at 207, 260 and 312 nm for RBV, SF and DAC, respectively. Method validation was performed according to the FDA guidelines for bioanalytical method validation. The calibration curves were linear over the ranges (0.5–80, 0.1–40 and 0.5–80 μg/mL) with average recoveries (100.64–108.28%, 98.48–105.91% and 97.68–101.38%) for RBV, SF and DAC, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precision and accuracy results were within the acceptable limits. Stability assays revealed that the three studied analytes were stable during sample storage, preparation and injection. The method can be successfully applied in routine analysis of plasma of HCV patients treated with this combination therapy which aids in therapeutic drug monitoring and patients’ follow-up especially in Egypt and other developing countries fighting HCV.
Low Reserve Prices in Auctions*
Authors: Hu Audrey , Matthews Steven A , Zou Liang
Published: April 2019

A standard result in auction theory is that a seller’s profit-maximising reserve price is no less than his own value for the good. In practice, however, reserve prices often appear to be less than sellers’ values. This article revisits the theory of optimal reserves in the context of second-price auctions. The main result is that an optimal reserve is less than the seller’s value if the bidders are sufficiently risk averse and if their values are sufficiently interdependent. The resulting outcome may approximate that of an auction without reserve, i.e., an absolute auction.
Protease-activated receptor 2 deficiency mediates cardiac fibrosis and diastolic dysfunction
Authors: Friebel Julian , Weithauser Alice , Witkowski Marco , Rauch Bernhard H , Savvatis Konstantinos , Dörner Andrea , Tabaraie Termeh , Kasner Mario , Moos Verena , Bösel Diana , Gotthardt Michael , Radke Michael H , Wegner Max , Bobbert Peter , Lassner Dirk , Tschöpe Carsten , Schutheiss Heinz-Peter , Felix Stephan B , Landmesser Ulf , Rauch Ursula
Published: April 2019

Aims

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and pathological cardiac aging share a complex pathophysiology, including extracellular matrix remodelling (EMR). Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) deficiency is associated with EMR. The roles of PAR1 and PAR2 have not been studied in HFpEF, age-dependent cardiac fibrosis, or diastolic dysfunction (DD).

Methods and results

Evaluation of endomyocardial biopsies from patients with HFpEF (n = 14) revealed that a reduced cardiac PAR2 expression was associated with aggravated DD and increased myocardial fibrosis (r = −0.7336, P = 0.0028). In line, 1-year-old PAR2-knockout (PAR2ko) mice suffered from DD with preserved systolic function, associated with an increased age-dependent α-smooth muscle actin expression, collagen deposition (1.7-fold increase, P = 0.0003), lysyl oxidase activity, collagen cross-linking (2.2-fold increase, P = 0.0008), endothelial activation, and inflammation. In the absence of PAR2, the receptor-regulating protein caveolin-1 was down-regulated, contributing to an augmented profibrotic PAR1 and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)-dependent signalling. This enhanced TGF-β/PAR1 signalling caused N-proteinase (ADAMTS3) and C-proteinase (BMP1)-related increased collagen I production from cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). PAR2 overexpression in PAR2ko CFs reversed these effects. The treatment with the PAR1 antagonist, vorapaxar, reduced cardiac fibrosis by 44% (P = 0.03) and reduced inflammation in a metabolic disease model (apolipoprotein E-ko mice). Patients with HFpEF with upstream PAR inhibition via FXa inhibitors (n = 40) also exhibited reduced circulating markers of fibrosis and DD compared with patients treated with vitamin K antagonists (n = 20).

Conclusions

Protease-activated receptor 2 is an important regulator of profibrotic PAR1 and TGF-β signalling in the heart. Modulation of the FXa/FIIa-PAR1/PAR2/TGF-β-axis might be a promising therapeutic approach to reduce HFpEF.
The effectiveness of training in emergency obstetric care: a systematic literature review
Authors: Ameh Charles A , Mdegela Mselenge , White Sarah , van den Broek Nynke
Published: April 2019

Providing quality emergency obstetric care (EmOC) reduces the risk of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity. There is evidence that over 50% of maternal health programmes that result in improving access to EmOC and reduce maternal mortality have an EmOC training component. The objective was to review the evidence for the effectiveness of training in EmOC. Eleven databases and websites were searched for publications describing EmOC training evaluations between 1997 and 2017. Effectiveness was assessed at four levels: (1) participant reaction, (2) knowledge and skills, (3) change in behaviour and clinical practice and (4) availability of EmOC and health outcomes. Weighted means for change in knowledge and skills obtained, narrative synthesis of results for other levels. One hundred and one studies including before–after studies (n = 44) and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (n = 15). Level 1 and/or 2 was assessed in 68 studies; Level 3 in 51, Level 4 in 21 studies. Only three studies assessed effectiveness at all four levels. Weighted mean scores pre-training, and change after training were 67.0% and 10.6% for knowledge (7750 participants) and 53.1% and 29.8% for skills (6054 participants; 13 studies). There is strong evidence for improved clinical practice (adherence to protocols, resuscitation technique, communication and team work) and improved neonatal outcomes (reduced trauma after shoulder dystocia, reduced number of babies with hypothermia and hypoxia). Evidence for a reduction in the number of cases of post-partum haemorrhage, case fatality rates, stillbirths and institutional maternal mortality is less strong. Short competency-based training in EmOC results in significant improvements in healthcare provider knowledge/skills and change in clinical practice. There is emerging evidence that this results in improved health outcomes.
D1-Dopamine Receptor Availability in First-Episode Neuroleptic Naive Psychosis Patients
Authors: Stenkrona Per , Matheson Granville J , Halldin Christer , Cervenka Simon , Farde Lars
Published: April 2019

Background

Positron emission tomography studies examining differences in D1-dopamine receptor binding between control subjects and patients with schizophrenia have been inconsistent, reporting higher, lower, and no difference in the frontal cortex. Exposure to antipsychotic medication has been suggested to be a likely source of this heterogeneity, and thus there is a need for studies of patients at early stages of the disorder who have not been exposed to such drugs.

Methods

Here, we compared 17 healthy control subjects and 18 first-episode neuroleptic naive patients with schizophrenia or schizophreniform psychosis using positron emission tomography and the D1-dopamine receptor radioligand [11C]SCH23390.

Results

We observed a statistically significant difference in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Contrary to our expectations, patients had less D1-dopamine receptor availability with a moderate effect size. In a Bayesian analysis, we show that the data are over 50 times more likely to have occurred under the decrease as opposed to the increase hypothesis. This effect was not global, as our analysis showed that the null hypothesis was preferred over either hypothesis in the striatum.

Conclusions

This investigation represents the largest single sample of neuroleptic-naive patients examined for D1-dopamine receptor availability using PET and suggests a reduction of prefrontal D1-dopamine receptor density in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However, further work will be required to reach a consensus.
The Strange History of the Right to Bear Arms in the French Revolution
Authors: Shusterman Noah
Published: April 2019

French Revolutionaries shared many of the same beliefs as their American counterparts about the relationship between citizenship and bearing arms. Both nations’ leaders viewed standing armies as a threat to freedom, and both nations required militia participation from a portion of the citizenry. Yet the right to bear arms is a legacy only of the American Revolution. The right to bear arms came up several times in debates in France’s National Assembly. The deputies never approved that right, but they never denied it either. During the first years of the Revolution, the leading politicians were wary of arming poor citizens, a concern that was in tension with the egalitarian language of the Declaration of the Rights of Man. Moreover, militias thrived during the early years of the French Revolution and became instruments—albeit unstable ones—for maintaining a social domination that played out along class lines. In response to the contradictions in their positions, French revolutionary leaders remained silent on the issue. In France as in the United States, the question of whether or not there was a right to bear arms was less important than the question of who had the right to bear arms.
Jet kinematics of the quasar 4C+21.35 from observations with the KaVA very long baseline interferometry array
Authors: Lee Taeseok , Trippe Sascha , Kino Motoki , Sohn Bong Won , Park Jongho , Oh Junghwan , Hada Kazuhiro , Niinuma Kotaro , Ro Hyunwook , Jung Taehyun , Zhao Guang-Yao , Lee Sang-Sung , Algaba Juan-Carlos , Akiyama Kazunori , Wajima Kiyoaki , Sawada-Satoh Satoko , Tazaki Fumie , Cho Ilje , Hodgson Jeffrey , Lee Jeong Ae , Hagiwara Yoshiaki , Honma Mareki , Koyama Shoko , An Tao , Cui Yuzhu , Yoo Hyemin , Kawaguchi Noriyuki , Roh Duk-Gyoo , Oh Se-Jin , Yeom Jae-Hwan , Jung Dong-Kyu , Oh Chungsik , Kim Hyo-Ryoung , Hwang Ju-Yeon , Byun Do-Young , Cho Se-Hyung , Kim Hyun-Goo , Kobayashi Hideyuki , Shibata Katsunori M , Shen Zhiqiang , Jiang Wu , Lee Jee Won
Published: April 2019

We present the jet kinematics of the flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) 4C+21.35 using time-resolved KaVA very long baseline interferometry array radio maps obtained from 2014 September to 2016 July. During two out of three observing campaigns, observations were performed bi-weekly at 22 and 43 GHz quasi-simultaneously. At 22 GHz, we identified three jet components near the core with apparent speeds up to (14.4 ± 2.1)c. The timing of the ejection of a new component detected in 2016 is consistent with a γ-ray flare in 2014 November. At 43 GHz, we found four inner jet (<3 mas) components with speeds from (3.5 ± 1.4)c to (6.8 ± 1.5)c. Jet component speeds tend to be higher with increasing distances from the core. We compared our data with archival Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) data from the Boston University (BU) 43 GHz and the Monitoring Of Jets in Active galactic nuclei with VLBA Experiments (MOJAVE) 15.4 GHz monitoring programmes. Whereas MOJAVE data and our data are in good agreement, jet speeds obtained from the BU programme data in the same time period are about twice as high as the ones we obtain from the KaVA data. The discrepancy at 43 GHz indicates that radio arrays with different angular resolution identify and trace different jet features even when the data are obtained at the same frequency and at the same time. The flux densities of jet components decay exponentially, in agreement with a synchrotron cooling time-scale of ∼1 yr. Using known electron Lorentz factor values (∼9000), we estimate the magnetic field strength to be ∼1–3 $\mu$T. When adopting a jet viewing angle of 5°, the intrinsic jet speed is of order 0.99c.
Totally homogeneous networks
Authors: Shi Dinghua , Lü Linyuan , Chen Guanrong
Published: April 2019

In network science, the non-homogeneity of node degrees has been a concerning issue for study. Yet, with today's modern web technologies, the traditional social communication topologies have evolved from node-central structures into online cycle-based communities, urgently requiring new network theories and tools. Switching the focus from node degrees to network cycles could reveal many interesting properties from the perspective of totally homogenous networks or sub-networks in a complex network, especially basic simplexes (cliques) such as links and triangles. Clearly, compared with node degrees, it is much more challenging to deal with network cycles. For studying the latter, a new clique vector-space framework is introduced in this paper, where the vector space with a basis consisting of links has a dimension equal to the number of links, that with a basis consisting of triangles has the dimension equal to the number of triangles and so on. These two vector spaces are related through a boundary operator, for example mapping the boundary of a triangle in one space to the sum of three links in the other space. Under the new framework, some important concepts and methodologies from algebraic topology, such as characteristic number, homology group and Betti number, will play a part in network science leading to foreseeable new research directions. As immediate applications, the paper illustrates some important characteristics affecting the collective behaviors of complex networks, some new cycle-dependent importance indexes of nodes and implications for network synchronization and brain-network analysis.
Diet quality indices for research in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review
Authors: Trijsburg Laura , Talsma Elise F , de Vries Jeanne H M , Kennedy Gina , Kuijsten Anneleen , Brouwer Inge D
Published: April 2019

Context

Dietary intake research has increasingly focused on improving diet quality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Accompanying this is the need for sound metrics to assess diet quality.

Objective

This systematic literature review aims to describe existing diet quality indices for general populations and highlights recommendations for developing such indices for food system research in LMICs.

Data sources

Three electronic databases were searched for papers published between January 2008 and December 2017.

Data extraction

Articles published in English and describing the development of an index to measure overall diet quality, irrespective of whether they were for high-income countries or LMICs, were included.

Data analysis

Eighty-one indices were identified, over two thirds were based on national dietary guidelines from high-income countries. Of the 3 key diet quality dimensions, “diversity” was included in all 18 indices developed for LMICs, “moderation” was captured by most, and “nutrient adequacy” was included 4 times.

Conclusions

Indices need to be developed that include all dimensions, include foods and/or food groups rather than nutrients, use an optimal range for individual components in the score, and express the intake of healthy and unhealthy components separately. Importantly, validation of the index should be part of its development.