bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TWAS pathway method greatly enhances the number of leads for uncovering the molecular underpinnings of psychiatric disorders
Authors: Chatzinakos Chris , Lee Donghyung , Cai Na , Vladimirov Vladimir I. , Docherty Anna , Webb Bradley T. , Riley Brien P. , Flint Jonathan , Kendler Kenneth S. , Daskalakis Nikolaos , Bacanu Silviu-Alin
Published: July 2018

Genetic signal detection in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) is enhanced by pooling small signals from multiple Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP), e.g. across genes and pathways. Because genes are believed to influence traits via gene expression, it is of interest to combine information from expression Quantitative Trait Loci (eQTLs) in a gene or genes in the same pathway. Such methods, widely referred as transcriptomic wide association analysis (TWAS), already exist for gene analysis. Due to the possibility of eliminating most of the confounding effect of linkage disequilibrium (LD) from TWAS gene statistics, pathway TWAS methods would be very useful in uncovering the true molecular bases of psychiatric disorders. However, such methods are not yet available for arbitrarily large pathways/gene sets. This is possibly due to it quadratic (in the number of SNPs) computational burden for computing LD across large regions. To overcome this obstacle, we propose JEPEGMIX2-P, a novel TWAS pathway method that i) has a linear computational burden, ii) uses a large and diverse reference panel (33K subjects), iii) is competitive (adjusts for background enrichment in gene TWAS statistics) and iv) is applicable as-is to ethnically mixed cohorts. To underline its potential for increasing the power to uncover genetic signals over the state-of-the-art and commonly used non-transcriptomics methods, e.g. MAGMA, we applied JEPEGMIX2-P to summary statistics of most large meta-analyses from Psychiatric Genetics Consortium (PGC). While our work is just the very first step toward clinical translation of psychiatric disorders, PGC anorexia results suggest a possible avenue for treatment.
Plasticity in the glucagon interactome reveals novel proteins that regulate glucagon secretion in αTC1-6 cells
Authors: Asadi Farzad , Dhanvantari Savita
Published: July 2018

Glucagon is stored within secretory granules of pancreatic alpha cells until a stimulus, such as a change in microenvironmental conditions, triggers its release. We hypothesized that the secretory response of the alpha cell to various stimuli could be determined by plasticity in the network of proteins that interact with glucagon within alpha cell secretory granules. To answer this question, we isolated secretory granules from alpha TC1-6 cells and identified glucagon-interacting proteins by affinity purification coupled with liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Proteomic analyses revealed a network of cytoplasmic and histone proteins. Specifically, the interaction between glucagon and histone H4 and the ER stress protein GRP78 was confirmed through co-immunoprecipitation of secretory granule lysates, and co-localization within secretory granules using high-resolution confocal microscopy. The composition of these networks was altered at different glucose levels (25 mM vs 5.5 mM) and in response to the paracrine inhibitors of glucagon secretion, GABA and insulin. Finally, siRNA-mediated silencing of a subset of nonhistone proteins revealed novel proteins that may regulate glucagon secretion. We have therefore described a novel and dynamic glucagon interactome within alpha cell secretory granules, and suggest that plasticity in the interactome governs the alpha cell secretory response to paracrine and nutritional stimuli.
Sensitivity to Affective Touch Depends on Adult Attachment Style
Authors: Krahé Charlotte , Mohr Mariana von , Gentsch Antje , Guy Lisette , Vari Chiara , Nolte Tobias , Fotopoulou Aikaterini
Published: July 2018

Affective touch supports affiliative bonds and social cognition. However, it remains unknown whether pre-existing models of social relating influence the perception of affective touch. Here, we present the first study (N=44) to examine how individual differences in attachment styles relate to the perception of affective touch, as well as to a different non-social modality of interoception, namely cardiac perceived accuracy. Using the gold standard assessment of adult attachment (Adult Attachment Interview), we found that insecure attachment was associated with reduced pleasantness discrimination between affective vs. non-affective, neutral touch. Acknowledging the different traditions in measuring attachment, we also used a well-validated self-report questionnaire that pertains to explicit representations of current close relationships. Using this measure, we found that higher scores on an attachment anxiety dimension (but not an attachment avoidance) were associated with reduced pleasantness discrimination between affective vs. non-affective, neutral touch. Attachment patterns (in both measures) were not related to cardiac perception accuracy. These results corroborate and extend previous literature on the affectivity of touch and its relation with affiliative bonds and social cognition. Given that attachment was not related to perceived cardiac accuracy, these findings point to the specificity of the relationship between affective touch and attachment.
Parkinson’s disease-linked Parkin mutations impair glutamatergic synaptic transmission and plasticity
Authors: Zhu Mei , Cortese Giuseppe P. , Waites Clarissa L.
Published: July 2018

Parkinson’s disease (PD)-associated E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin is enriched at glutamatergic synapses, where it ubiquitinates multiple substrates, suggesting that its mutation/loss-of-function could contribute to the etiology of PD by disrupting excitatory neurotransmission. Here, we evaluate the impact of four common PD-associated Parkin point mutations (T240M, R275W, R334C, G430D) on glutamatergic synaptic function in hippocampal neurons. We find that expression of these point mutants in Parkin-deficient and -null backgrounds alters NMDA and AMPA receptor-mediated currents and cell-surface levels, and prevents the induction of long-term depression. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that Parkin regulates NMDA receptor trafficking through its ubiquitination of GluN1, and that all four mutants are impaired in this ubiquitinating activity. Furthermore, Parkin regulates synaptic AMPA receptor trafficking via its binding and retention of the postsynaptic scaffold Homer1, and all mutants are similarly impaired in this capacity. Our findings demonstrate that pathogenic Parkin mutations disrupt glutamatergic synaptic transmission and plasticity by impeding NMDA and AMPA receptor trafficking, and through these effects likely contribute to the pathophysiology of PD inPARK2patients.
Kinase Driver Mutations in Protein-protein Structure may associate to Disease by Effecting Kinase Stability
Authors: Chen Jing , Xu Yali , Gao Yunjing , Lu Xiaoquan
Published: July 2018

Activating mutations are significant drug targets of diseases. Statistical analysis on the mutated amino acids, the mutation characteristic and the related disease information of activating mutations is of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Study on the protein stability by predicting Gibbs free energy (ΔΔG) change after mutation is very helpful for understanding the relationship between protein structure and function. By combining mCSM and disease datasets, this paper studies the effect of mutation on the protein stability and disease. The results show that the mutations in protein may be the cause of disease for PPI structures, which statistically afford significant information for disease related research and medical diagnosis and treatment.
Genome-scale metabolic reconstruction of the stress-tolerant hybrid yeast Zygosaccharomyces parabailii
Authors: Filippo Marzia Di , Ortiz-Merino Raúl A. , Damiani Chiara , Frascotti Gianni , Porro Danilo , Wolfe Kenneth H. , Branduardi Paola , Pescini Dario
Published: July 2018

Genome-scale metabolic models are powerful tools to understand and engineer cellular systems facilitating their use as cell factories. This is especially true for microorganisms with known genome sequences from which nearly complete sets of enzymes and metabolic pathways are determined, or can be inferred. Yeasts are highly diverse eukaryotes whose metabolic traits have long been exploited in industry, and although many of their genome sequences are available, few genome-scale metabolic models have so far been produced. For the first time, we reconstructed the genome-scale metabolic model of the hybrid yeast Zygosaccharomyces parabailii, which is a member of the Z. bailii sensu lato clade notorious for stress-tolerance and therefore relevant to industry. The model comprises 3096 reactions, 2091 metabolites, and 2413 genes. Our own laboratory data were then used to establish a biomass synthesis reaction, and constrain the extracellular environment. Through constraint-based modeling, our model reproduces the co-consumption and catabolism of acetate and glucose posing it as a promising platform for understanding and exploiting the metabolic potential of Z. parabailii.
Modeling membrane nanotube morphology: the role of heterogeneity in composition and material properties
Authors: Alimohamadi Haleh , Ovryn Ben , Rangamani Padmini
Published: July 2018

Membrane nanotubes have been identified as dynamic structures for cells to connect over long distances. Nanotubes typically appear as thin and cylindrical tubes, but they may also have a beaded architecture along the tube. In this paper, we study the role of membrane mechanics in governing the architecture of these tubes and show that the formation of beadlike structures along the nanotubes can result from local heterogeneities in the membrane either due to protein aggregation or due to membrane composition. We present numerical results that predict how membrane properties, protein density, and local tension compete to create a phase space that governs the morphology of a nanotube. We also find that there is an energy barrier that prevents two beads from fusing. These results suggest that the membrane-protein interaction, membrane composition, and membrane tension closely govern the tube radius, number of beads, and the bead morphology.
Do the basic crystal chemistry principles agree with a plethora of recent quantum chemistry data?
Authors: Levi Elena , Aurbach Doron , Gatti Carlo
Published: July 2018

The main descriptors of chemical bonding such as bond order (BO) and electron density at the bond critical point, ρc, are customarily used to understand the crystal and electronic structure of materials, as well as to predict their reactivity and stability. They can be obtained in the framework of crystal chemistry and quantum chemistry approaches, which are mostly applied as alternatives to each other. This paper verifies the convergence of the two approaches by analyzing a plethora of quantum chemistry data available in the literature. The exponential correlation between the electron descriptors [BOijand ρc(ij)] and the length of chemical bonds,Rij, which is basic in crystal chemistry, was confirmed for 72 atom pairs, regardless of the nature of their interactions (ionic/covalent, metal–metal,etc.). The difference between the BOij (Rij) correlations obtained in this work and those accepted in crystal chemistry for the same atomic pairs does not exceed the dispersion of quantum chemistry data, confirming the qualitative validity of the BO conservation principle. Various examples are presented to show that knowledge of the exponential parameters ensures a surprisingly simple determination of two basic electron descriptors in any complex compound with known interatomic distances. In particular, the BO analysis for 20 Re6-cluster complexes illustrates the BO conservation for systems with delocalized electrons. Despite the significant transfer of electron density from the Re–Re to the Re–ligand bonds, the total number of Re valence electrons used in bonding remains close to the formal value of seven electrons.
Solving protein structure from sparse serial microcrystal diffraction data at a storage-ring synchrotron source
Authors: Lan Ti-Yen , Wierman Jennifer L. , Tate Mark W. , Philipp Hugh T. , Martin-Garcia Jose M. , Zhu Lan , Kissick David , Fromme Petra , Fischetti Robert F. , Liu Wei , Elser Veit , Gruner Sol M.
Published: July 2018

In recent years, the success of serial femtosecond crystallography and the paucity of beamtime at X-ray free-electron lasers have motivated the development of serial microcrystallography experiments at storage-ring synchrotron sources. However, especially at storage-ring sources, if a crystal is too small it will have suffered significant radiation damage before diffracting a sufficient number of X-rays into Bragg peaks for peak-indexing software to determine the crystal orientation. As a consequence, the data frames of small crystals often cannot be indexed and are discarded. Introduced here is a method based on the expand–maximize–compress (EMC) algorithm to solve protein structures, specifically from data frames for which indexing methods fail because too few X-rays are diffracted into Bragg peaks. The method is demonstrated on a real serial microcrystallography data set whose signals are too weak to be indexed by conventional methods. In spite of the daunting background scatter from the sample-delivery medium, it was still possible to solve the protein structure at 2.1 Å resolution. The ability of the EMC algorithm to analyze weak data frames will help to reduce sample consumption. It will also allow serial microcrystallography to be performed with crystals that are otherwise too small to be feasibly analyzed at storage-ring sources.
3′,4′-Diphenyl-3H,4′H-spiro[benzo[b]thiophene-2,5′-isoxazol]-3-one
Authors: Bakhouch Mohamed , El Yazidi Mohamed , Al Houari Ghali , Saadi Mohamed , El Ammari Lahcen
Published: July 2018

The molecule of the title compound, C22H15NO2S, is built up from a benzothiophene system linked to an isoxazoline ring which is connected to two phenyl rings. The benzothiophene system is essentially planar, while the isoxazoline ring displays an envelope conformation with the spiro C atom as the flap. The mean plane through the isoxazoline ring is slightly inclined to one phenyl ring by 5.74 (13)° and is approximately perpendicular [86.10 (10)°] to the fused ring system and to the other phenyl ring [84.31 (12)°]. In the crystal, molecules are linked together by C—H...O hydrogen bonds and by π–π interactions between the fused ring systems [intercentroid distance = 3.702 (2) Å], forming a three-dimensional network.
How closely do blood gas electrolytes and haemoglobin agree with serum values in adult emergency department patients: An observational study
Authors: Gibbons Michael , Klim Sharon , Mantzaris Arthur , Dillon Oliver , Kelly Anne‐Maree
Published: July 2018

Objective

The aims of this study were to establish the bias (mean difference) and 95% limits of agreement (LoA) between electrolyte values (sodium and potassium) and haemoglobin between whole blood analysed by the ED resuscitation room blood gas analyser and specimens analysed using standard techniques in the central hospital laboratory and to determine the proportion of analyses falling outside defined clinically acceptable LoA and pathology expert defined standards.

Methods

Prospective cohort study. Paired blood gas analyser and laboratory samples taken no more than 10 min apart were included. The primary outcome of interest was bias and 95% LoA by Bland–Altman analysis. Subgroup analyses for values outside the normal range were also conducted.

Results

Three hundred and fifty‐two sample pairs were included in the analysis. For sodium concentration the bias was 0.6 mmol/L (95% LoA −3.3 to 4.6 mmol/L). For potassium concentration the bias was 0.21 mmol/L (95% LoA −0.36 to 0.79 mmol/L). For haemoglobin concentration the bias was −1.6 g/dL (95% LoA −10.2 to 6.9 g/dL). For sodium and haemoglobin concentrations, >95% of results fell within the defined clinically acceptable limits. For potassium concentration, >90% of results fell within the defined clinically acceptable limits. In general, serum sodium and potassium concentrations were slightly higher than blood gas levels and for haemoglobin serum levels were slightly lower.

Conclusion

Agreement between blood gas analysis and laboratory analysis for sodium, potassium and haemoglobin concentrations shows acceptable agreement for use in time critical clinical decision‐making in ED.
Efficacy of pemetrexed and carboplatin with or without bevacizumab in lung adenocarcinoma patients with EGFR non‐T790M mutations after progression on first‐line EGFR‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors
Authors: Jiang Zhansheng , Zhang Yu , Yang Yinli , Yue Zhensong , Pan Zhanyu
Published: July 2018

Background

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of pemetrexed and carboplatin plus bevacizumab (PC + B) versus pemetrexed and carboplatin (PC) in lung adenocarcinoma patients with EGFR non‐T790M mutations after progression on first‐line EGFR‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).

Methods

Patients with EGFR‐positive lung adenocarcinoma who had received second‐line PC with or without bevacizumab harboring EGFR non‐T790M mutations after progression on first‐line EGFR‐TKIs between April 2015 and 2017 at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital were enrolled in the study. The primary endpoint was progression‐free survival and secondary endpoints were overall survival, objective response rate, disease control rate, and safety.

Results

A total of 85 patients were eligible for the study: 55 and 30 cases were enrolled in the PC and PC + B groups, respectively. The median progression‐free survival was prolonged with PC + B compared to PC (median 8.2 vs. 5.1 months; P = 0.037). The objective response rate was improved with PC + B compared to PC (46.7% vs. 25.5%; P = 0.047) and overall survival prolonged with PC + B compared to PC (median 26.3 vs. 19.2 months; P = 0.012). Safety was similar to previous studies of bevacizumab in non‐small cell lung cancer: one patient experienced grade 3 hypertension and proteinuria but did not require the discontinuation of therapy.

Conclusion

The addition of bevacizumab to PC was superior to PC alone as second‐line therapy in patients with advanced non‐T90M EGFR‐positive lung adenocarcinoma. However, this result needs to be confirmed by prospective clinical trials.
Nrf2 stabilization prevents critical oxidative damage in Down syndrome cells
Authors: Zamponi Emiliano , Zamponi Nahuel , Coskun Pinar , Quassollo Gonzalo , Lorenzo Alfredo , Cannas Sergio A. , Pigino Gustavo , Chialvo Dante R. , Gardiner Katheleen , Busciglio Jorge , Helguera Pablo
Published: July 2018

Mounting evidence implicates chronic oxidative stress as a critical driver of the aging process. Down syndrome (DS) is characterized by a complex phenotype, including early senescence. DS cells display increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial structural and metabolic dysfunction, which are counterbalanced by sustained Nrf2‐mediated transcription of cellular antioxidant response elements (ARE). Here, we show that caspase 3/PKCδdependent activation of the Nrf2 pathway in DS and Dp16 (a mouse model of DS) cells is necessary to protect against chronic oxidative damage and to preserve cellular functionality. Mitochondria‐targeted catalase (mCAT) significantly reduced oxidative stress, restored mitochondrial structure and function, normalized replicative and wound healing capacity, and rendered the Nrf2‐mediated antioxidant response dispensable. These results highlight the critical role of Nrf2/ARE in the maintenance of DS cell homeostasis and validate mitochondrial‐specific interventions as a key aspect of antioxidant and antiaging therapies.
Discovery of the subfamily Lycorininae Cushman & Rohwer, 1920 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) from Indonesia, based on Lycorina longicauda Shimizu, sp. nov., with a key to the Oriental Lycorina species
Authors: Shimizu So , Ogawa Ryo
Published: July 2018

The subfamily Lycorininae Cushman & Rohwer is discovered from Indonesia based on a single new species, Lycorina longicauda Shimizu, sp. nov., which can be easily distinguished from any other Lycorina species by its longer ovipositor sheath and colour pattern. We also provide a key to the five species of Lycorina known from the Oriental region.
Host plants and habitats of Helicoverpa punctigera and H. armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in inland Australia
Authors: Gregg Peter C , Del Socorro Alice P , Le Mottee Kristian , Tann Colin R , Fitt Gary P , Zalucki Myron P
Published: July 2018

For Helicoverpa punctigera (Wallengren), and to a lesser extent Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), native host plants in non‐cropping regions of inland Australia are believed to be contributors to populations which migrate in spring to infest cropping regions of south‐east Australia, and southwestern Australia. Non‐crop hosts were sampled using sweep nets in 71 survey trips in 19 years between 1987 and 2017 for larvae of H. punctigera and H. armigera, over about 2.4 million km2 in inland Australia. Of 1976 samples, H. punctigera larvae were present in 50.5%, distributed throughout the study area. Larvae were found on 106 host plant species in 24 families, including 61 new host records. H. armigera larvae were found on 33 plant species from eight families, including 14 new host records. However, only 4.3% of samples were positive for this species, and they were mostly in the east of the study area and had fewer larvae than the positive H. punctigera samples. H. punctigera larvae were found in each of six habitats, being, in order of mean numbers per sample: sandy deserts > floodplains > mulga, grasslands and saltbush > stony downs. Host status was determined for both species by plotting relative incidence against relative abundance, and the good hosts for H. punctigera differed between habitats. We discuss the value and limitations of this approach for identifying key hosts in broad scale population dynamics, and primary hosts which may have close co‐evolutionary histories with the insects.
Population‐based longitudinal study showed that children born small for gestational age faced a higher risk of hospitalisation during early childhood
Authors: Yoshimoto Junko , Yorifuji Takashi , Washio Yosuke , Okamura Tomoka , Watanabe Hirokazu , Doi Hiroyuki , Tsukahara Hirokazu
Published: July 2018

Aim

We examined the effects of being born small for gestational age (SGA) on the risk of being hospitalised for common diseases during childhood.

Methods

This Japanese nationwide, population‐based longitudinal survey followed babies born before 42 weeks of gestation from 10 to 17 January and from 10 to 17 July 2001, using data from the Government's Longitudinal Survey of Babies in the 21st Century. Our study followed 41 268 children until 5.5 years of age: 39 107 full term (8.7% SGA) and 2161 preterm (15.5% SGA). We evaluated the relationship between SGA status and hospitalisation using their history of hospitalisation for common diseases and comparing full‐term or preterm births. Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for potential confounders, estimated the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

The full‐term and preterm children who were born SGA were more likely to be hospitalised during infancy and early childhood than those born non SGA. The ORs for hospitalisation from six months to 18 months of age were 1.23 (95% CI: 1.10–1.37) for full‐term and 1.67 (95% CI: 1.23–2.25) for preterm subjects. Higher risks of hospitalisation due to bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma and diarrhoea were also observed.

Conclusion

Being born SGA was associated with all‐cause and cause‐specific hospitalisation in early childhood, particularly for term infants.
Ambra1 modulates the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to epirubicin by regulating autophagy via ATG12
Authors: Sun Wei‐Liang , Wang Li , Luo Jie , Zhu Hua‐Wei , Cai Zheng‐Wen
Published: July 2018

The sensitivity of breast cancer cells to epirubicin (EPI) is closely related to the efficacy of the drug and the prognosis of patients. A growing body of research has suggested that autophagy is involved in the treatment of a variety of cancers, including breast cancer, and modifies the sensitivity of anticancer drugs. However, the mechanism by which autophagy participates in cancer therapy and modulates drug sensitivity has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we showed that the expression of Autophagy/Beclin 1 regulator 1 (Ambra1), a key protein of autophagy, was negatively correlated with EPI sensitivity in breast cancer cells. In addition, it altered the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to EPI by regulating EPI‐induced autophagy. As a potential mechanism, we demonstrated that autophagy‐related protein 12 (ATG12) was a downstream protein that Ambra1‐regulated EPI‐induced autophagy. Therefore, Ambra1 plays an important role in regulating the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to EPI. And the regulatory effect of Ambra1 on EPI sensitivity is achieved through the regulation of autophagy by targeting ATG12. Overall, we propose a novel mechanism by which autophagy modulates the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to EPI. ATG12 is a novel targeting protein of Ambra1 in regulating EPI‐induced autophagy. In addition, the important role of Ambra1 in modulating the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to EPI is confirmed in vivo. This finding indicates that Ambra1 might be a target for developing breast cancer treatments.
Stratified Sampling of Projected Spherical Caps
Authors: Ureña Carlos , Georgiev Iliyan
Published: July 2018

We present a method for uniformly sampling points inside the projection of a spherical cap onto a plane through the sphere's center. To achieve this, we devise two novel area‐preserving mappings from the unit square to this projection, which is often an ellipse but generally has a more complex shape. Our maps allow for low‐variance rendering of direct illumination from finite and infinite (e.g. sun‐like) spherical light sources by sampling their projected solid angle in a stratified manner. We discuss the practical implementation of our maps and show significant quality improvement over traditional uniform spherical cap sampling in a production renderer.
Handling Fluorescence in a Uni‐directional Spectral Path Tracer
Authors: Mojzík M. , Fichet A. , Wilkie A.
Published: July 2018

We present two separate improvements to the handling of fluorescence effects in modern uni‐directional spectral rendering systems. The first is the formulation of a new distance tracking scheme for fluorescent volume materials which exhibit a pronounced wavelength asymmetry. Such volumetric materials are an important and not uncommon corner case of wavelength‐shifting media behaviour, and have not been addressed so far in rendering literature. The second one is that we introduce an extension of Hero wavelength sampling which can handle fluorescence events, both on surfaces, and in volumes. Both improvements are useful by themselves, and can be used separately: when used together, they enable the robust inclusion of arbitrary fluorescence effects in modern uni‐directional spectral MIS path tracers. Our extension of Hero wavelength sampling is generally useful, while our proposed technique for distance tracking in strongly asymmetric media is admittedly not very efficient. However, it makes the most of a rather difficult situation, and at least allows the inclusion of such media in uni‐directional path tracers, albeit at comparatively high cost. Which is still an improvement since up to now, their inclusion was not really possible at all, due to the inability of conventional tracking schemes to generate sampling points in such volume materials.
Exploiting Repetitions for Image‐Based Rendering of Facades
Authors: Rodriguez Simon , Bousseau Adrien , Durand Fredo , Drettakis George
Published: July 2018

Street‐level imagery is now abundant but does not have sufficient capture density to be usable for Image‐Based Rendering (IBR) of facades. We present a method that exploits repetitive elements in facades ‐ such as windows ‐ to perform data augmentation, in turn improving camera calibration, reconstructed geometry and overall rendering quality for IBR. The main intuition behind our approach is that a few views of several instances of an element provide similar information to many views of a single instance of that element. We first select similar instances of an element from 3–4 views of a facade and transform them into a common coordinate system, creating a “platonic” element. We use this common space to refine the camera calibration of each view of each instance and to reconstruct a 3D mesh of the element with multi‐view stereo, that we regularize to obtain a piecewise‐planar mesh aligned with dominant image contours. Observing the same element under multiple views also allows us to identify reflective areas ‐ such as glass panels ‐ which we use at rendering time to generate plausible reflections using an environment map. Our detailed 3D mesh, augmented set of views, and reflection mask enable image‐based rendering of much higher quality than results obtained using the input images directly.
On‐the‐Fly Power‐Aware Rendering
Authors: Zhang Yunjin , Ortin Marta , Arellano Victor , Wang Rui , Gutierrez Diego , Bao Hujun
Published: July 2018

Power saving is a prevailing concern in desktop computers and, especially, in battery‐powered devices such as mobile phones. This is generating a growing demand for power‐aware graphics applications that can extend battery life, while preserving good quality. In this paper, we address this issue by presenting a real‐time power‐efficient rendering framework, able to dynamically select the rendering configuration with the best quality within a given power budget. Different from the current state of the art, our method does not require precomputation of the whole camera‐view space, nor Pareto curves to explore the vast power‐error space; as such, it can also handle dynamic scenes. Our algorithm is based on two key components: our novel power prediction model, and our runtime quality error estimation mechanism. These components allow us to search for the optimal rendering configuration at runtime, being transparent to the user. We demonstrate the performance of our framework on two different platforms: a desktop computer, and a mobile device. In both cases, we produce results close to the maximum quality, while achieving significant power savings.
The circadian gene Nr1d1 in the mouse nucleus accumbens modulates sociability and anxiety‐related behaviour
Authors: Zhao Changjiu , Gammie Stephen C.
Published: July 2018

Nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group D, member 1 (Nr1d1) (also known as Rev‐erb alpha) has been linked to circadian rhythm regulation, mood‐related behaviour and disorders associated with social deficits. Recent work from our laboratory found striking decreases in Nr1d1 in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in the maternal condition and indirect evidence that Nr1d1 was interacting with numerous addiction and reward‐related genes to modulate social reward. In this study, we applied our insights from the maternal state to nonparental adult mice to determine whether decreases in Nr1d1 expression in the NAc via adeno‐associated viral (AAV) vectors and short hairpin RNA (shRNA)‐mediated gene knockdown were sufficient to modulate social behaviours and mood‐related behaviours. Knockdown of Nr1d1 in the NAc enhanced sociability and reduced anxiety, but did not affect depressive‐like traits in female mice. In male mice, Nr1d1 knockdown had no significant behavioural effects. Microarray analysis of Nr1d1 knockdown in females identified changes in circadian rhythm and histone deacetylase genes and suggested possible drugs, including histone deacetylase inhibitors, that could mimic actions of Nr1d1 knockdown. Quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) analysis confirmed expression upregulation of gene period circadian clock 1 (Per1) and period circadian clock 2 (Per2) with Nr1d1 knockdown. The evidence for roles for opioid‐related genes opioid receptor, delta 1 (Oprd1) and preproenkephalin (Penk) was also found. Together, these results suggest that Nr1d1 in the NAc modulates sociability and anxiety‐related behaviour in a sex‐specific manner, and circadian, histone deacetylase and opioid‐related genes may be involved in the expression of these behavioural phenotypes.
TAF7 is a heat‐inducible unstable protein and is required for sustained expression of heat shock protein genes
Authors: Nagashimada Mayumi , Ueda Takumi , Ishita Yuichiro , Sakurai Hiroshi
Published: July 2018

TATA‐binding protein‐associated factor 7 (TAF7), a dissociable component of the general transcription factor IID (TFIID), plays a role as a check‐point regulator at the step of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription initiation. Here, we focused on the role of TAF7 in heat‐shocked cells, where its expression is induced by heat shock factor HSF1. TAF7 is a phosphoprotein, and the phosphorylation status is related to its interaction with TFIID and to its stability controlled by the ubiquitin‐proteasome pathway. TAF7 is necessary for the prolonged expression of heat shock protein genes and for efficient recovery of heat‐shocked cells. During sustained transcription, TAF7, presumably its TFIID‐independent form, binds the promoter and enhances the levels of Pol II at the gene body but not the promoter. These results showed the novel function of TAF7 that is necessary for the transition from initiation to elongation in multiple‐round transcription.
Determinants of dopaminergic neuron loss in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Surmeier Dalton James
Published: July 2018

The cardinal motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) are caused by the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). Alpha‐synuclein (aSYN) pathology and mitochondrial dysfunction have been implicated in PD pathogenesis, but until recently it was unclear why SNc dopaminergic neurons should be particularly vulnerable to these two types of insult. In this brief review, the evidence that SNc dopaminergic neurons have an anatomical, physiological, and biochemical phenotype that predisposes them to mitochondrial dysfunction and synuclein pathology is summarized. The recognition that certain traits may predispose neurons to PD‐linked pathology creates translational opportunities for slowing or stopping disease progression.
Home‐based exergaming among children with overweight and obesity: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Staiano A. E. , Beyl R. A. , Guan W. , Hendrick C. A. , Hsia D. S. , Newton R. L.
Published: July 2018

Background

Given children's low levels of physical activity and high prevalence of obesity, there is an urgent need to identify innovative physical activity options.

Objective

This study aims to test the effectiveness of exergaming (video gaming that involves physical activity) to reduce children's adiposity and improve cardiometabolic health.

Methods

This randomized controlled trial assigned 46 children with overweight/obesity to a 24‐week exergaming or control condition. Intervention participants were provided a gaming console with exergames, a gameplay curriculum (1 h per session, three times a week) and video chat sessions with a fitness coach (telehealth coaching). Control participants were provided the exergames following final clinic visit. The primary outcome was body mass index (BMI) z‐score. Secondary outcomes were fat mass by dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry and cardiometabolic health metrics.

Results

Half of the participants were girls, and 57% were African–American. Intervention adherence was 94.4%, and children's ratings of acceptability and enjoyment were high. The intervention group significantly reduced BMI z‐score excluding one control outlier (intervention [standard error] vs. control [standard error]: −0.06 [0.03] vs. 0.03 [0.03], p = 0.016) with a marginal difference in intent‐to‐treat analysis (−0.06 [0.03] vs. 0.02 [0.03], p = 0.065). Compared with control, the intervention group improved systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol and moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (all p values <0.05).

Conclusions

Exergaming at home elicited high adherence and improved children's BMI z‐score, cardiometabolic health and physical activity levels. Exergaming with social support may be promoted as an exercise option for children.
Cuestionario del Trabajo Decente: Elaboración y validación en dos muestras de trabajadores intelectuales
Authors: FERRARO Tânia , PAIS Leonor , REBELO DOS SANTOS Nuno , MOREIRA João Manuel
Published: July 2018

Se propone un Cuestionario del Trabajo Decente como herramienta de medición basada en las percepciones de los trabajadores, cubriendo así un vacío de investigación: el análisis a escala individual. Los autores parten de los elementos fundamentales del Programa de Trabajo Decente de la OIT. La versión definitiva del cuestionario comprende 31 enunciados vinculados, mediante análisis factorial, a siete factores. Las pruebas de fiabilidad, validez convergente y validez discriminante arrojan buenos valores, por lo que el cuestionario podría abrir nuevas vías de investigación empírica sobre la base del concepto de trabajo decente.
The Role of Dyadic Coordination in Organizing Visual Attention in 5‐Month‐Old Infants
Authors: Mason Gina M. , Kirkpatrick Fiona , Schwade Jennifer A. , Goldstein Michael H.
Published: July 2018

In human infants, the ability to share attention with others is facilitated by increases in attentional selectivity and focus. Differences in early attention have been associated with socio‐cognitive outcomes including language, yet the social mechanisms of attention organization in early infancy have only recently been considered. Here, we examined how social coordination between 5‐month‐old infants and caregivers relate to differences in infant attention, including looking preferences, span, and reactivity to caregivers’ social cues. Using a naturalistic play paradigm, we found that 5‐month‐olds who received a high ratio of sensitive (jointly focused) contingent responses showed strong preferences for objects with which their caregivers were manually engaged. In contrast, infants whose caregivers exhibited high ratios of redirection (attempts to shift focus) showed no preferences for caregivers’ held objects. Such differences have implications for recent models of cognitive development, which rely on early looking preferences for adults’ manually engaged objects as a pathway toward joint attention and word learning. Further, sensitivity and redirectiveness predicted infant attention even in reaction to caregiver responses that were non‐referential (neither sensitive nor redirective). In response to non‐referentials, infants of highly sensitive caregivers oriented less frequently than infants of highly redirective caregivers, who showed increased distractibility. Our results suggest that specific dyadic exchanges predict infant attention differences toward broader social cues, which may have consequences for social‐cognitive outcomes.
Calorimetric study of the thermodynamic properties of Mn5O8
Authors: Zhang Pinghui , Liu Jue , Page Katharine , Navrotsky Alexandra
Published: July 2018

Manganese oxides occur widely in nature and have technical applications in various areas. This study quantitatively evaluates the thermodynamic properties of Mn5O8, a binary manganese oxide that has a layered structure and contains coexisting divalent and tetravalent manganese. Three samples of the Mn5O8 phase with slightly different manganese average oxidation states (Mn AOS) were synthesized using a wet chemical method and annealing. Synchrotron X‐ray analysis revealed that the samples contain a small amount of a secondary MnO2 phase that cannot be identified using laboratory X‐ray diffraction. High‐temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry in molten sodium molybdate at 700°C showed that all three samples are slightly higher in enthalpy than an isochemical mixture of bixbyite (Mn2O3) and pyrolusite (MnO2), probably rendering them metastable in free energy with respect to isochemical mixtures of bixbyite and pyrolusite. However, the energetic metastability (endothermic enthalpy) of Mn5O8 is very small (<6 kJ/mol) and does not depend significantly on the Mn AOS. Thus, although Mn5O8 probably does not appear on the equilibrium Mn‐O phase diagram, its small metastability allows its synthesis by a variety of low temperature reactions.
Molecular Features and mRNA Expression of the Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1 from Symbiodinium microadriaticum ssp. microadriaticum During Growth and the Light/Dark cycle
Authors: Islas‐Flores Tania , Pérez‐Cervantes Esmeralda , Nava‐Galeana Jessica , Loredo‐Guillén Montserrat , Guillén Gabriel , Villanueva Marco A.
Published: July 2018

Two genes of the RACK1 homolog from the photosynthetic dinoflagellate Symbiodinium microadriaticum ssp. microadriaticum (SmicRACK1), termed SmicRACK1A and SmicRACK1B, were found tandemly arrayed and displayed a single synonymous substitution (T/C) encoding threonine. They included two exons of 942 bp each, encoding 313 amino acids with seven WD‐40 repeats and two PKC‐binding motifs. The protein theoretical mass and pI were 34,200 Da and 5.9, respectively. SmicRACK1 showed maximum identities with RACK1 homologs at the amino acid and nucleotide level, respectively, of 92 and 84% with S. minutum, and phylogenetic analysis revealed clustered related RACK1 sequences from the marine dinoflagellates S. minutum, Heterocapsa triquetra, Karenia brevis, and Alexandrium tamarense. Interestingly, light‐dependent regulatory elements were found both within the 282 bp SmicRACK1A promotor sequence, and within an intergenic sequence of 359 nucleotides that separated both genes, which strongly suggest light‐related functions. This was further supported by mRNA accumulation analysis, which fluctuated along the light and dark phases of the growth cycle showing maximum specific peaks under either condition. Finally, qRT‐PCR analysis revealed differential SmicRACK1 mRNA accumulation with maxima at 6 and 20 d of culture. Our SmicRACK1 characterization suggests roles in active growth and proliferation, as well as light/dark cycle regulation in S. microadriaticum.
Characterization of membrane processed honey and the effect of ultrafiltration with diafiltration on subsequent spray drying
Authors: Samborska Katarzyna , Suszek Justyna , Hać‐Szymańczuk Elżbieta , Matwijczuk Arkadiusz , Gładyszewska Bożena , Chocyk Dariusz , Gładyszewski Grzegorz , Gondek Ewa
Published: July 2018

Canola flower honey solution and glucose/fructose solution were subjected to ultrafiltration (UF) coupled with diafiltration (DF) with the use of 15 kDa ceramic membrane in order to partially remove sugars (with the rejection of proteins at the same time), and enhance a subsequent spray drying process. Membrane processing affected honey solution chemical composition, what was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy ‐ATR spectroscopy analysis. 50% of sugars was removed from honey solution, while 74% of nitrogen‐based compounds was rejected by membrane. Honey pretreatment by UF/DF enhanced the yield of subsequent spray drying process with the application of gum arabic as a drying carrier. Obtained powders, containing 60% of honey solids were fully amorphous (verified by morphology observation and X‐ray diffraction), with physical properties typical for sugar‐rich material dehydrated by spray drying. It was possible to reduce carrier content in honey powder to 40% solids, with a maintenance of drying yield above 50% at the same time. However, the flowability was not enhanced because of UF/DF pretreatment (but it was also not deteriorated).

Practical applications

The article presents the possibility to improve the process of honey spray drying by the application of membrane pretreatment. It was concluded that ultrafiltration with diafiltration, can be used for selective removal of sugars from honey, with simultaneous rejection of proteins important for antimicrobial properties. The obtained results can be used by food manufactures, because the difficult process of honey spray drying can be boosted by the proposed pretreatment method. The yield of membrane‐treated honey increases, and at the same time honey content in the material can be increased above typical value 50%.
Synergistic effects of ultrasound and microwave on the pumpkin slices qualities during ultrasound‐assisted microwave vacuum frying
Authors: Huang Meng‐sha , Zhang Min , Bhandari Bhesh
Published: July 2018

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the ultrasound‐assisted microwave vacuum frying (USMVF) technology on the quality parameters of pumpkin slices. Pumpkin slices fried for 15 min by different frying methods, such as USMVF, microwave‐assisted vacuum frying (MVF), and vacuum frying (VF), were compared in terms of parameters such as moisture content, oil content, color, texture, and microstructure. During the frying process, the effect of microwave powers (600 W, 800 W, and 1,000 W) and ultrasound powers (0 W, 300 W, and 600 W) was evaluated and compared with the conventional VF. The results showed that the application of ultrasound lowered the moisture content significantly (p < .05) in comparison to MVF and VF samples. The application of ultrasound also positively affected the oil content (low oil absorption) and texture (better crispness) of USMVF samples. Cellular structure of pumpkin chips was also preserved well when ultrasound‐assisted frying process. Color was not significantly influenced by applying ultrasound. In summary, the microwave and ultrasound applied in the VF process showed a synergistic effect in promoting the quality parameters of pumpkin chips.

Practical applications

The results showed that the application of ultrasound lowered the moisture content significantly in comparison to microwave‐assisted vacuum frying and vacuum frying (VF) samples. The application of ultrasound also positively affected the oil content (lower oil absorption) and texture (better crispness) of ultrasound‐assisted microwave vacuum frying (USMVF) samples. Microstructure of pumpkin chips was also preserved well when ultrasound‐assisted frying process. Color was not significantly influenced by applying ultrasound. In summary, the microwave and ultrasound applied in the VF showed a synergistic effect in promoting quality parameters of pumpkin chips.