bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging of interfacial reactions of TiO2 microspheres embedded in ionic liquids
Authors: Shen Kan , Tarolli Jay G. , Winograd Nicholas
Published: January 2016

Rationale

Our goal is to develop protocols for the elucidation of the identity and structure of reaction products embedded in a reaction medium. Results should find significance in a variety of disciplines ranging from the study of biological cells and tissues, to the steps associated with the functionalization of nanoparticles.

Methods

We utilize cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry (cluster‐SIMS) to acquire three‐dimensional (3D) information about 5–30 µm TiO2 microspheres imbedded into an ionic liquid. The method allows molecular depth profiling with submicron spatial resolution and depth profiling with a resolution of several tens of nanometers. The ionic liquid matrix enshrouds the spheres, allowing them to be introduced into the vacuum environment of the mass spectrometer.

Results

The results provide 3D chemical information about these microspheres as they are synthesized by interfacial sol‐gel reactions. We show that with 40 keV C60+, it is possible to erode through the reaction medium and map the distribution of those embedded TiO2 microspheres. Moreover, we demonstrate that it is possible to monitor surface modification of the particles and, via ion beam drilling, elucidate their internal structure.

Conclusions

Using cluster‐SIMS imaging, we are able to elucidate the identity and structure of reaction products embedded in a reaction medium, a problem of long‐standing interest for materials characterization. With this strategy, we have provided a new approach that may be especially useful for the characterization of biological tissue and cells within the vacuum confines of the mass spectrometer. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Discovery of a solvent effect preventing quantitative profiling by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization and its treatment
Authors: Park Kyung Man , Moon Jeong Hee , Kim Jae Hyung , Song Un Tak , Lee Seong Hoon , Kim Myung Soo
Published: January 2016

Rationale

In analyte profiling by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI), drawing a quantitative profile map is an outstanding problem. Recently, we developed a method to quantify an analyte by MALDI, which is needed to solve the problem. Another requirement for quantitative profiling is the quantitative sample‐to‐matrix analyte transfer, which is investigated in this work.

Methods

MALDI‐time‐of‐flight (TOF) spectra were acquired for samples produced by two methods. In one, a sample solution containing a matrix and an analyte was loaded with a pipet and dried. In the other, a sample was prepared by a consecutive process, i.e., loading‐drying of an analyte solution followed by that of a matrix solution. Two different micro‐spotters were used in the second method. Various mixtures of organic solvents with water were used to prepare matrix solutions.

Results

The organic solvent, matrix, and analyte used in the study did not affect the analyte transfer efficiency, whereas it improved as the water content in the solvent increased. It also improved as the liquid droplet emitted by a micro‐spotter got larger. Use of a more polar solvent or a larger droplet increases the contact time between a solution droplet and the sample surface, which seems to be responsible for the improvement in the transfer efficiency.

Conclusions

Sample‐to‐matrix analyte transfer occurred efficiently when polar solvents and/or large liquid droplets were used to produce solid samples for MALDI profiling with a micro‐spotter. A long contact time between the sample surface and a matrix solution droplet is one of the requirements for quantitative profiling. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The power of energy‐resolved tandem mass spectrometry experiments for resolution of isomers: the case of drug plasma stability investigation of multidrug resistance inhibitors
Authors: Menicatti Marta , Guandalini Luca , Dei Silvia , Floriddia Elisa , Teodori Elisabetta , Traldi Pietro , Bartolucci Gianluca
Published: January 2016

Rationale

A series of drug plasma stability experiments were carried out to evaluate the bioavailability of three multidrug resistance inhibitors. The studied compounds are positional isomers; therefore, a chromatographic separation or taking advantage of specific collisionally activated decomposition pathways, obtained by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) experiments, is necessary in order to resolve them.

Methods

A method was developed for quantitative determination of the analytes in plasma using liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer operating in MS/MS mode. Different collisional approaches were employed based on the potentiality of a triple quadrupole system. Aside from the classical product ion spectroscopy, energy‐resolved MS/MS experiments and a post‐processing mathematical algorithm tool (LEDA) were used to distinguish among different kinds of inhibitors present in the sample batch.

Results

The developed LC/MS/MS method showed precision between 1.8–7.9%, accuracy ranging from 92.8 to 99.9% and limit of detection (LOD) values in the range 1.0–1.4 ng mL−1 for all the analytes. The evaluation of matrix effects demonstrated that the sample preparation procedure did not affect the ionization efficiency or recovery (matrix effects and recovery larger than 88%). Finally, the LEDA tool was able to differentiate among the isomers, ensuring their proper monitoring.

Conclusions

The proposed LC/MS/MS method was suitable for evaluating the stability of the analytes in plasma samples, although small concentration variations occurred. Furthermore, the investigation on the energetics of fragmentation pathways allowed the better product ions and optimal abundance ratios to be selected for LEDA application into a multi‐component analysis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of formulation of silica‐based solution on corrosion resistance of silicate coating on hot‐dip galvanized steel
Authors: Zhang Shuang‐hong , Kong Gang , Sun Zi‐wen , Che Chun‐shan , Lu Jin‐tang
Published: January 2016

Several silica‐based solutions with 50 g/l of SiO2 were prepared from sodium silicate solutions and silica sol; the silicate conversion coatings were obtained by immersing hot‐dip galvanized steel sheets in these solutions. These solutions were characterized using high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy and 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance; the morphology of the coatings was observed by SEM and atomic force microscopy while the corrosion resistance was evaluated by electrochemical measurements as well as neutral salt spray tests. The results show that the coatings obtained from the single silica sol solution had poor adhesion and the coating obtained from the sodium silicate solution with low SiO2/Na2O molar ratio was uneven. By adding the silica sol to the silicate solution with low molar ratio, uniform coatings with better protection property were obtained. According to the results of 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, the effects of the distribution of silicate anions with various polymerization degrees in the silica‐based solutions on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of the silicate coatings are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Heterogeneity of Radial Glia-Like Cells in the Adult Hippocampus
Authors: Gebara Elias , Bonaguidi Michael Anthony , Beckervordersandforth Ruth , Sultan Sébastien , Udry Florian , Gijs Pieter-Jan , Lie Dieter Chichung , Ming Guo-Li , Song Hongjun , Toni Nicolas
Published: January 2016

Adult neurogenesis is tightly regulated by the neurogenic niche. Cellular contacts between niche cells and neural stem cells are hypothesized to regulate stem cell proliferation or lineage choice. However, the structure of adult neural stem cells and the contact they form with niche cells are poorly described. Here, we characterized the morphology of radial glia-like (RGL) cells, their molecular identity, proliferative activity, and fate determination in the adult mouse hippocampus. We found the coexistence of two morphotypes of cells with prototypical morphological characteristics of RGL stem cells: Type α cells, which represented 76% of all RGL cells, displayed a long primary process modestly branching into the molecular layer and type β cells, which represented 24% of all RGL cells, with a shorter radial process highly branching into the outer granule cell layer-inner molecular layer border. Stem cell markers were expressed in type α cells and coexpressed with astrocytic markers in type β cells. Consistently, in vivo lineage tracing indicated that type α cells can give rise to neurons, astrocytes, and type β cells, whereas type β cells do not proliferate. Our results reveal that the adult subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus harbors two functionally different RGL cells, which can be distinguished by simple morphological criteria, supporting a morphofunctional role of their thin cellular processes. Type β cells may represent an intermediate state in the transformation of type α, RGL stem cells, into astrocytes.
DNA-damage response gene GADD45A induces differentiation in hematopoietic stem cells without inhibiting cell cycle or survival
Authors: Wingert Susanne , Thalheimer Frederic B. , Haetscher Nadine , Rehage Maike , Schroeder Timm , Rieger Michael A.
Published: January 2016

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) maintain blood cell production life-long by their unique abilities of self-renewal and differentiation into all blood cell lineages. Growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible 45 alpha (GADD45A) is induced by genotoxic stress in HSCs. GADD45A has been implicated in cell cycle control, cell death and senescence, as well as in DNA-damage repair. In general, GADD45A provides cellular stability by either arresting the cell cycle progression until DNA damage is repaired or, in cases of fatal damage, by inducing apoptosis. However, the function of GADD45A in hematopoiesis remains controversial. We revealed the changes in murine HSC fate control orchestrated by the expression of GADD45A at single cell resolution. In contrast to other cellular systems, GADD45A expression did not cause a cell cycle arrest or an alteration in the decision between cell survival and apoptosis in HSCs. Strikingly, GADD45A strongly induced and accelerated the differentiation program in HSCs. Continuous tracking of individual HSCs and their progeny via time-lapse microscopy elucidated that once GADD45A was expressed, HSCs differentiate into committed progenitors within 29 hours. GADD45A-expressing HSCs failed to long-term reconstitute the blood of recipients by inducing multilineage differentiation in vivo. Importantly, γ-irradiation of HSCs induced their differentiation by upregulating endogenous GADD45A. The differentiation induction by GADD45A was transmitted by activating p38 Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and allowed the generation of megakaryocytic-erythroid, myeloid, and lymphoid lineages. These data indicate that genotoxic stress-induced GADD45A expression in HSCs prevents their fatal transformation by directing them into differentiation and thereby clearing them from the system.
On Being in an Undiscoverable Position
Authors: Holliday Wesley H. ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: January 2016

The Paradox of the Surprise Examination has been a testing ground for a variety of frameworks in formal epistemology, from epistemic logic to probability theory to game theory and more. In this paper, I treat a related paradox, the Paradox of the Undiscoverable Position (from Sorensen 1982, 1988), as a test case for the possible-worlds style representation of epistemic states. I argue that the paradox can be solved in this framework, further illustrating the power of possible-worlds style modeling. The solution also illustrates an important distinction between anti-performatory and unassimilable announcements of information.
Development and validation of a tool incorporating cervical length and quantitative fetal fibronectin to predict spontaneous preterm birth in asymptomatic high‐risk women. K. Kuhrt , E. Smout, N. Hezelgrave, P. T. Seed, J. Carter and A. H. Shennan. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2016; 47: 104–109
Authors: Simpson N. A. B.
Published: January 2016

Linked Comment: Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2016; 47: 104–109
Re: Risk of fetal loss associated with invasive testing following combined first‐trimester screening for Down syndrome: a national cohort of 147 987 singleton pregnancies. C. B. Wulff, T. A. Gerds, L. Rode, C. K. Ekelund, O. B. Petersen, A. Tabor and the Danish Fetal Medicine Study Group. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2016; 47: 38–44
Authors: Akolekar R.
Published: January 2016

Linked Comment: Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2016; 47: 38–44
Coalitional game‐based behavior analysis for spectrum access in cognitive radios
Authors: Belghiti Imane Daha , Elmachkour Mouna , Berrada Ismail , Kobbane Abdellatif , Ben‐Othman Jalel
Published: January 2016

The core of cognitive radio paradigm is to introduce cognitive devices able to opportunistically access the licensed radio bands. The coexistence of licensed and unlicensed users prescribes an effective spectrum hole‐detection and a non‐interfering sharing of those frequencies. Collaborative resource allocation and spectrum information exchange are required but often costly in terms of energy and delay. In this paper, each secondary user (SU) can achieve spectrum sensing and data transmission through a coalitional game‐based mechanism. SUs are called upon to report their sensing results to the elected coalition head, which properly decides on the channel state and the transmitter in each time slot according to a proposed algorithm. The goal of this paper is to provide a more holistic view on the spectrum and enhance the cognitive system performance through SUs behavior analysis. We formulate the problem as a coalitional game in partition form with non‐transferable utility, and we investigate on the impact of both coalition formation and the combining reports costs. We discuss the Nash Equilibrium solution for our coalitional game and propose a distributed strategic learning algorithm to illustrate a concrete case of coalition formation and the SUs competitive and cooperative behaviors inter‐coalitions and intra‐coalitions. We show through simulations that cognitive network performances, the energy consumption and transmission delay, improve evidently with the proposed scheme. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cover Image, Volume 5, Issue 1
Authors: Walther Viola , Alison Malcolm R.
Published: January 2016

The cover image, by Viola Walther and Malcolm R. Alison, is based on the Advanced Review “Cell lineage tracing in human epithelial tissues using mitochondrial DNA mutations as clonal markers”, DOI 10.1002/wdev.203.

image
Why Quark Rhymes with Pork
Authors: Mermin N. David
Published: January 2016

A collection of offbeat, entertaining and primarily nontechnical essays on physics and those who practice it, from eminent theoretical physicist N. David Mermin. Bringing together for the first time all thirty of his columns published in Physics Today's Reference Frame series from 1988 to 2009, with updating commentary, this humorous and unusual volume includes thirteen other essays, many of them previously unpublished. Mermin's lively and penetrating writing illuminates a broad range of topics, from the implications of bad spelling in a major science journal, to the crises of science libraries and scientific periodicals, the folly of scientific prizes and honors, the agony of getting funding, and how to pronounce 'quark'. His witty observations and insightful anecdotes gleaned from a lifetime in science will entertain physicists at all levels, as well as anyone else interested in science or scientists at the turn of the twenty-first century.
Regional Variation in Written American English
Authors: Grieve Jack
Published: January 2016

The first study of its kind, Regional Variation in Written American English takes a corpus-based approach to map over a hundred grammatical alternation variables across the United States. A multivariate spatial analysis of these maps shows that grammatical alternation variables follow a relatively small number of common regional patterns in American English, which can be explained based on both linguistic and extra-linguistic factors. Based on this rigorous analysis of extensive data, Grieve identifies five primary modern American dialect regions, demonstrating that regional variation is far more pervasive and complex in natural language than is generally assumed. The wealth of maps and data and the groundbreaking implications of this volume make it essential reading for students and researchers in linguistics, English language, geography, computer science, sociology and communication studies.
Contest Theory
Authors: Vojnović Milan
Published: January 2016

Contests are prevalent in many areas, including sports, rent seeking, patent races, innovation inducement, labor markets, scientific projects, crowdsourcing and other online services, and allocation of computer system resources. This book provides unified, comprehensive coverage of contest theory as developed in economics, computer science, and statistics, with a focus on online services applications, allowing professionals, researchers and students to learn about the underlying theoretical principles and to test them in practice. The book sets contest design in a game-theoretic framework that can be used to model a wide-range of problems and efficiency measures such as total and individual output and social welfare, and offers insight into how the structure of prizes relates to desired contest design objectives. Methods for rating the skills and ranking of players are presented, as are proportional allocation and similar allocation mechanisms, simultaneous contests, sharing utility of productive activities, sequential contests, and tournaments.
An Ape's View of Human Evolution
Authors: Andrews Peter
Published: January 2016

Our closest living relatives are the chimpanzee and bonobo. We share many characteristics with them, but our lineages diverged millions of years ago. Who in fact was our last common ancestor? Bringing together ecology, evolution, genetics, anatomy and geology, this book provides a new perspective on human evolution. What can fossil apes tell us about the origins of human evolution? Did the last common ancestor of apes and humans live in trees or on the ground? What did it eat, and how did it survive in a world full of large predators? Did it look anything like living apes? Andrews addresses these questions and more to reconstruct the common ancestor and its habitat. Synthesising thirty-five years of work on both ancient environments and fossil and modern ape anatomy, this book provides unique new insights into the evolutionary processes that led to the origins of the human lineage.
The Female Voice of Myanmar
Authors: Sengupta Nilanjana
Published: January 2016

The Female Voice of Myanmar seeks to offer a female perspective on the history and political evolution of Myanmar. It delves into the lives and works of four of Myanmar's remarkable women who set aside their lives to answer the call of their country: Khin Myo Chit, who spoke about latent sexual politics in pre-Independent Burma; Ludu Daw Amar, who as the editor of the leftist Ludu Daily, was deemed anti-establishment and was witness to the socialist government's abortive efforts at ethnic reconciliation; Ma Thida, whose writing bears testimony to the impact the authoritative military rule had on the individual psyche; and Aung San Suu Kyi, who has re-articulated Burmese nationalism. This book breaks new ground in exploring their writing, both published and hitherto unexamined, some in English and much in Burmese, while the intimate biographical sketches offer a glimpse into the Burmese home and the shifting feminine image.
AN UNPUBLISHED NUZI-TYPE ANTICHRETIC LOAN CONTRACT IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM; WITH SOME COMMENTS ON CHILDREN IN THE KINGDOM OF ARRAPḪE
Authors: Justel Josué J. , Justel Daniel
Published: January 2016

The paper presents the edition of cuneiform tablet BM 102353, from Yorġān Tepe (ancient Nuzi). Though various scholars have examined the document, and information about its content has been partially distributed, it is the first time that copy, transliteration and thorough commentaries are provided. The text presumably was written during the fourth generation of Teḫip-Tilla's family. It is an antichretic contract in which a young girl is lent, and therefore some comments on children in the documentary evidence from the Kingdom of Arrapḫe are in order.
A RADIOCARBON DATE FROM EARLY DYNASTIC KISH AND THE STRATIGRAPHY AND CHRONOLOGY OF THE YWN SOUNDING AT TELL INGHARRA
Authors: Zaina Federico
Published: January 2016

Between 1927 and 1930 a joint expedition by the University of Oxford and the Field Museum of Chicago to the site of Kish opened a series of soundings (ZY, Y, YW and YWN) on the mound of Tell Ingharra in order to investigate the earliest periods of the settlement. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the YWN sounding utilizing previously unpublished documentation and excavated objects, and offers a new interpretation of the evidence. In addition, a new radiocarbon date assigns the latest phase from the sounding to the ED IIIb to Akkadian transition and it can be compared usefully with existing dates from several central and north Mesopotamian sites.
Hydrodynamics of swimming in stingrays: numerical simulations and the role of the leading-edge vortex
Authors: Bottom II R. G. , Borazjani I. , Blevins E. L. , Lauder G. V.
Published: January 2016

Stingrays, in contrast with many other aquatic animals, have flattened disk-shaped bodies with expanded pectoral ‘wings’, which are used for locomotion in water. To discover the key features of stingray locomotion, large-eddy simulations of a self-propelled stingray, modelled closely after the freshwater stingray,Potamotrygon orbignyi, are performed. The stingray’s body motion was prescribed based on three-dimensional experimental measurement of wing and body kinematics in live stingrays at two different swimming speeds of 1.5 and$2.5L~\text{s}^{-1}$($L$is the disk length of the stingray). The swimming speeds predicted by the self-propelled simulations were within 12 % of the nominal swimming speeds in the experiments. It was found that the fast-swimming stingray (Reynolds number$Re=23\,000$and Strouhal number$St=0.27$) is approximately 12 % more efficient than the slow-swimming one ($Re=13\,500$,$St=0.34$). This is related to the wake of the fast- and slow-swimming stingrays, which was visualized along with the pressure on the stingray’s body. A horseshoe vortex was discovered to be present at the anterior margin of the stingray, creating a low-pressure region that enhances thrust for both fast and slow swimming speeds. Furthermore, it was found that a leading-edge vortex (LEV) on the pectoral disk of swimming stingrays generates a low-pressure region in the fast-swimming stingray, whereas the low- and high-pressure regions in the slow-swimming one are in the back half of the wing and not close to any vortical structures. The undulatory motion creates thrust by accelerating the adjacent fluid (the added-mass mechanism), which is maximized in the back of the wing because of higher undulations and velocities in the back. However, the thrust enhancement by the LEV occurs in the front portion of the wing. By computing the forces on the front half and the back half of the wing, it was found that the contribution of the back half of the wing to thrust in a slow-swimming stingray is several-fold higher than in the fast-swimming one. This indicates that the LEV enhances thrust in fast-swimming stingrays and improves the efficiency of swimming.
Wall-resolved wavelet-based adaptive large-eddy simulation of bluff-body flows with variable thresholding
Authors: De Stefano Giuliano , Nejadmalayeri Alireza , Vasilyev Oleg V.
Published: January 2016

The wavelet-based eddy-capturing approach with variable thresholding is extended to bluff-body flows, where the obstacle geometry is enforced through Brinkman volume penalization. The use of a spatio-temporally varying threshold allows one to perform adaptive large-eddy simulations with the prescribed fidelity on a near optimal computational mesh. The space–time evolution of the threshold variable is achieved by solving a transport equation based on the Lagrangian path-line diffusive averaging methodology. The coupled wavelet-collocation/volume-penalization approach with variable thresholding is illustrated for a turbulent incompressible flow around an isolated stationary prism with square cross-section. Wavelet-based adaptive large-eddy simulations supplied with the one-equation localized dynamic kinetic energy-based model are successfully performed at moderately high Reynolds number. The present study demonstrates that the proposed variable thresholding methodology for wavelet-based modelling of turbulent flows around solid obstacles is feasible, accurate and efficient.
Explosive fragmentation of liquid shells
Authors: Vledouts A. , Quinard J. , Vandenberghe N. , Villermaux E.
Published: January 2016

The forced radial expansion of a spherical liquid shell by an exothermic chemical reaction is a prototypical configuration for the explosion of cohesive materials in three dimensions. The shell is formed by the capillary pinch off of a thin liquid annular jet surrounding a jet of reactive gaseous mixture at ambient pressure. The encapsulated gas in the resulting liquid bubble is a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen in controlled relative proportions, which is ignited by a laser plasma aimed at the centre of the bubble. The strongly exothermic combustion of the mixture induces the expansion of the hot burnt gas, pushing the shell radially outwards in a violently accelerated motion. That motion triggers the instability of the shell, developing thickness modulations ultimately piercing it in a number of places. The capillary retraction of the holes concentrates the liquid constituting the shell into a web of ligaments, whose breakup leads to stable drops. We offer a comprehensive description of the overall process, from the kinematics of the shell initial expansion, to the final drop size distribution as a function of the composition of the gas mixture, the initial shell radius and thickness.
Origins and Barriers: Reflections on Subrahmanyam
Authors: SCHAFFER SIMON
Published: January 2016

It has been said that if completely known and understood, a historical phenomenon is therefore dead. Yet how perverse, so it might seem, that the scholarly revelation of the complex history of a powerful concept might therefore be taken as an argument that it should therefore be entirely abandoned. This is, of course, not Sanjay Subrahmanyam's conclusion about the notion of Asia. The choice he poses is not between one Asia or none, but between a singular and overarching universal and an unevenly connected plurality. However, further complementary questions might pose themselves. Under what conditions can this plurality and these connections become anything like objects of knowledge? And of whose knowledge? These are, perhaps, issues where historians of the sciences might contribute. It is a distressingly familiar theme among those historians that it has too often been supposed that a demonstration of the historical construction and variable functions of an object is to be understood somehow as a denial of that object's existence or value.
“If a Muslim says ‘homo’, nothing gets done”: Racist discourse and in-group identity construction in an LGBT youth group
Authors: Jones Lucy
Published: January 2016

This article presents ethnographic data emerging from research with a group of LGBT young people, detailing the construction of a shared identity. Using discourse analysis, it shows how the group members position people of South Asian descent as a homogenous out-group, one framed as ‘other’ to their own in-group identity of ‘non-Asian’ due to the assumption that Asian people are homophobic. It is argued that this very local form of identity construction is facilitated by broader discourses of Islamophobia, as well as homonormative ideologies positioning gay people as white. The article therefore provides evidence to support Bucholtz & Hall's (2005) claim that identity positioning relates not only to the interactional moment and the norms of a given ethnographic context, but that it also encompasses macro-level discourses and ideologies. It also, however, reveals the pervasiveness of Islamophobic discourses in Britain today, and the marginalisation of LGBT people of colour. (LGBT identity, racist discourse, homonormativity, Islamophobia)*
S4AC Case Study: Enhancing Underserved Seniors’ Access to Health Promotion Programs
Authors: Koehn Sharon , Habib Sanzida , Bukhari Syeda
Published: January 2016

Les Services de soutien pour les aînés projet communautaire sud-asiatique (SSAPCSA) ont été développé en réponse à la sous-utilisation des loisirs disponibles et des installations pour les aînés par des aînés sud-asiatiques qui étaient particulièrement nombreux dans une banlieue en Colombie-Britannique. Abordant ce problème a nécessité la collaboration de la municipalité et un organisme enregistré à but non-lucratif offrant un large éventail de services et de programmes aux communautés immigrantes et réfugiées. Grâce à la sensibilisation créative et l’hébergement, le projet a engagé plus de 100 personnes âgées qui parlent panjabi chaque année à diverses activités impliquant l’exercice. Les méthodes de recherche ont porté sur l’étude de cas avec le personnel et les participants actuels et anciens cadres de SSAPCSA comprennent l’observation participante, entretiens individuels, et des groupes de discussion. Les conclusions, vues à travers le prisme d'interprétation critique de la “cadre de la candidature,” révèlent les multiples façons dans lesquelles l’accès à la promotion de la santé et l’activité physique pour les immigrants plus âgés est un processus complexe et itératif de négociation à plusieurs niveaux.
Using the Thematic Apperception Test to Assess Interpersonal	Decentering in Violent Relationships
Authors: Jenkins Sharon Rae , Dobbs Lauren , Leeper Melissa
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Interpersonal decentering or role-taking, the ability to see the world from another person’s perspective, normally develops in childhood, but the degree to which a mature adult routinely uses this capacity for a theory of mind, or mentalization, can be considered a personality disposition that facilitates good social relationships. Use of decentering processes may also vary according to the social roles of the people who are interacting in the situation and the activity that engages them. The Interpersonal Decentering scoring system for thematic apperceptive techniques was developed to assess the maturity level of decentering using an implicit assessment method. Violence perpetrators need not decenter if they can control others by threats; domestic violence survivors may rely on decentering to understand, anticipate, and try to control their partner’s violent episodes. This exploratory archival study of 61 assessment clients found that domestic violence survivors and those with no obvious interpersonal problems decentered more maturely, and violence perpetrators decentered less than did those who lacked close relationships or had heterogeneous nonviolent relationship problems. These findings suggest a story-based strategy for collaborative or therapeutic assessment with both perpetrators and survivors.
A novel role for the tumour suppressor Nitrilase1 modulating the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway
Authors: Mittag Sonnhild , Valenta Tomas , Weiske Jörg , Bloch Laura , Klingel Susanne , Gradl Dietmar , Wetzel Franziska , Chen Yuan , Petersen Iver , Basler Konrad , Huber Otmar
Published: January 2016

Nitrilase1 was classified as a tumour suppressor in association with the fragile histidine-triad protein Fhit. However, knowledge about nitrilase1 and its tumour suppressor function is still limited. Whereas nitrilase1 and Fhit are discrete proteins in mammals, they are merged in Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. According to the Rosetta-Stone hypothesis, proteins encoded as fusion proteins in one organism and as separate proteins in another organism may act in the same signalling pathway. Although a direct interaction of human nitrilase1 and Fhit has not been shown, our previous finding that Fhit interacts with β-catenin and represses its transcriptional activity in the canonical Wnt pathway suggested that human nitrilase1 also modulates Wnt signalling. In fact, human nitrilase1 forms a complex with β-catenin and LEF-1/TCF-4, represses β-catenin-mediated transcription and shows an additive effect together with Fhit. Knockdown of human nitrilase1 enhances Wnt target gene expression. Moreover, our experiments show that β-catenin competes away human nitrilase1 from LEF-1/TCF and thereby contributes to the activation of Wnt-target gene transcription. Inhibitory activity of human nitrilase1 on vertebrate Wnt signalling was confirmed by repression of Wnt-induced double axis formation in Xenopus embryogenesis. In line with this finding, the Drosophila fusion protein Drosophila NitFhit directly binds to Armadillo and represses the Wingless pathway in reporter gene assays. Genetic experiments confirmed the repressive activity of Drosophila NitFhit on Wingless signalling in the Drosophila wing imaginal disc. In addition, colorectal tumour microarray analysis revealed a significantly reduced expression of human nitrilase1 in poorly differentiated tumours. Taken together, repression of the canonical Wnt pathway represents a new mechanism for the human nitrilase1 tumour suppressor function.
Local viscoelasticity of living cells measured by rotational magnetic spectroscopy
Authors: Berret J.-F.
Published: January 2016

When submitted to a magnetic field, micron-size wires with superparamagnetic properties behave as embedded rheometers and represent interesting sensors for microrheology. Here we use rotational magnetic spectroscopy to measure the shear viscosity of the cytoplasm of living cells. We address the question of whether the cytoplasm is a viscoelastic liquid or an elastic gel. The main result of the study is the observation of a rotational instability between a synchronous and an asynchronous regime of rotation, found for murine fibroblasts and human cancer cells. For wires of susceptibility 3.6, the transition occurs in the range 0.01–1 rad s−1. The determination of the shear viscosity (10–100 Pa s) and elastic modulus (5–20 Pa) confirms the viscoelastic character of the cytoplasm. In contrast to earlier studies, it is concluded that the interior of living cells can be described as a viscoelastic liquid, and not as an elastic gel.
Structure of the polyisoprenyl-phosphate glycosyltransferase GtrB and insights into the mechanism of catalysis
Authors: Ardiccioni Chiara , Clarke Oliver B. , Tomasek David , Issa Habon A. , von Alpen Desiree C. , Pond Heather L. , Banerjee Surajit , Rajashankar Kanagalaghatta R. , Liu Qun , Guan Ziqiang , Li Chijun , Kloss Brian , Bruni Renato , Kloppmann Edda , Rost Burkhard , Manzini M. Chiara , Shapiro Lawrence , Mancia Filippo
Published: January 2016

The attachment of a sugar to a hydrophobic polyisoprenyl carrier is the first step for all extracellular glycosylation processes. The enzymes that perform these reactions, polyisoprenyl-glycosyltransferases (PI-GTs) include dolichol phosphate mannose synthase (DPMS), which generates the mannose donor for glycosylation in the endoplasmic reticulum. Here we report the 3.0Å resolution crystal structure of GtrB, a glucose-specific PI-GT from Synechocystis, showing a tetramer in which each protomer contributes two helices to a membrane-spanning bundle. The active site is 15 Å from the membrane, raising the question of how water-soluble and membrane-embedded substrates are brought into apposition for catalysis. A conserved juxtamembrane domain harbours disease mutations, which compromised activity in GtrB in vitro and in human DPM1 tested in zebrafish. We hypothesize a role of this domain in shielding the polyisoprenyl-phosphate for transport to the active site. Our results reveal the basis of PI-GT function, and provide a potential molecular explanation for DPM1-related disease.
HSP90 regulates temperature-dependent seedling growth in Arabidopsis by stabilizing the auxin co-receptor F-box protein TIR1
Authors: Wang Renhou , Zhang Yi , Kieffer Martin , Yu Hong , Kepinski Stefan , Estelle Mark
Published: January 2016

Recent studies have revealed that a mild increase in environmental temperature stimulates the growth of Arabidopsis seedlings by promoting biosynthesis of the plant hormone auxin. However, little is known about the role of other factors in this process. In this report, we show that increased temperature promotes rapid accumulation of the TIR1 auxin co-receptor, an effect that is dependent on the molecular chaperone HSP90. In addition, we show that HSP90 and the co-chaperone SGT1 each interact with TIR1, confirming that TIR1 is an HSP90 client. Inhibition of HSP90 activity results in degradation of TIR1 and interestingly, defects in a range of auxin-mediated growth processes at lower as well as higher temperatures. Our results indicate that HSP90 and SGT1 integrate temperature and auxin signalling in order to regulate plant growth in a changing environment.
A series connection architecture for large-area organic photovoltaic modules with a 7.5% module efficiency
Authors: Hong Soonil , Kang Hongkyu , Kim Geunjin , Lee Seongyu , Kim Seok , Lee Jong-Hoon , Lee Jinho , Yi Minjin , Kim Junghwan , Back Hyungcheol , Kim Jae-Ryoung , Lee Kwanghee
Published: January 2016

The fabrication of organic photovoltaic modules via printing techniques has been the greatest challenge for their commercial manufacture. Current module architecture, which is based on a monolithic geometry consisting of serially interconnecting stripe-patterned subcells with finite widths, requires highly sophisticated patterning processes that significantly increase the complexity of printing production lines and cause serious reductions in module efficiency due to so-called aperture loss in series connection regions. Herein we demonstrate an innovative module structure that can simultaneously reduce both patterning processes and aperture loss. By using a charge recombination feature that occurs at contacts between electron- and hole-transport layers, we devise a series connection method that facilitates module fabrication without patterning the charge transport layers. With the successive deposition of component layers using slot-die and doctor-blade printing techniques, we achieve a high module efficiency reaching 7.5% with area of 4.15 cm2.
Overlap microtubules link sister k-fibres and balance the forces on bi-oriented kinetochores
Authors: Kajtez Janko , Solomatina Anastasia , Novak Maja , Polak Bruno , Vukušić Kruno , Rüdiger Jonas , Cojoc Gheorghe , Milas Ana , Šumanovac Šestak Ivana , Risteski Patrik , Tavano Federica , Klemm Anna H. , Roscioli Emanuele , Welburn Julie , Cimini Daniela , Glunčić Matko , Pavin Nenad , Tolić Iva M.
Published: January 2016

During metaphase, forces on kinetochores are exerted by k-fibres, bundles of microtubules that end at the kinetochore. Interestingly, non-kinetochore microtubules have been observed between sister kinetochores, but their function is unknown. Here we show by laser-cutting of a k-fibre in HeLa and PtK1 cells that a bundle of non-kinetochore microtubules, which we term ‘bridging fibre’, bridges sister k-fibres and balances the interkinetochore tension. We found PRC1 and EB3 in the bridging fibre, suggesting that it consists of antiparallel dynamic microtubules. By using a theoretical model that includes a bridging fibre, we show that the forces at the pole and at the kinetochore depend on the bridging fibre thickness. Moreover, our theory and experiments show larger relaxation of the interkinetochore distance for cuts closer to kinetochores. We conclude that the bridging fibre, by linking sister k-fibres, withstands the tension between sister kinetochores and enables the spindle to obtain a curved shape.
Pantheon 1.0, a manually verified dataset of globally famous biographies
Authors: Yu Amy Zhao , Ronen Shahar , Hu Kevin , Lu Tiffany , Hidalgo César A.
Published: January 2016

We present the Pantheon 1.0 dataset: a manually verified dataset of individuals that have transcended linguistic, temporal, and geographic boundaries. The Pantheon 1.0 dataset includes the 11,341 biographies present in more than 25 languages in Wikipedia and is enriched with: (i) manually verified demographic information (place and date of birth, gender) (ii) a taxonomy of occupations classifying each biography at three levels of aggregation and (iii) two measures of global popularity including the number of languages in which a biography is present in Wikipedia (L), and the Historical Popularity Index (HPI) a metric that combines information on L, time since birth, and page-views (2008–2013). We compare the Pantheon 1.0 dataset to data from the 2003 book, Human Accomplishments, and also to external measures of accomplishment in individual games and sports: Tennis, Swimming, Car Racing, and Chess. In all of these cases we find that measures of popularity (L and HPI) correlate highly with individual accomplishment, suggesting that measures of global popularity proxy the historical impact of individuals.
Probiotic treatment reduces appetite and glucose level in the zebrafish model
Authors: Falcinelli Silvia , Rodiles Ana , Unniappan Suraj , Picchietti Simona , Gioacchini Giorgia , Merrifield Daniel Lee , Carnevali Oliana
Published: January 2016

The gut microbiota regulates metabolic pathways that modulate the physiological state of hunger or satiety. Nutrients in the gut stimulate the release of several appetite modulators acting at central and peripheral levels to mediate appetite and glucose metabolism. After an eight-day exposure of zebrafish larvae to probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus, high-throughput sequence analysis evidenced the ability of the probiotic to modulate the microbial composition of the gastrointestinal tract. These changes were associated with a down-regulation and up-regulation of larval orexigenic and anorexigenic genes, respectively, an up-regulation of genes related to glucose level reduction and concomitantly reduced appetite and body glucose level. BODIPY-FL-pentanoic-acid staining revealed higher short chain fatty acids levels in the intestine of treated larvae. These results underline the capability of the probiotic to modulate the gut microbiota community and provides insight into how the probiotic interacts to regulate a novel gene network involved in glucose metabolism and appetite control, suggesting a possible role for L. rhamnosus in the treatment of impaired glucose tolerance and food intake disorders by gut microbiota manipulation.
The role of dung beetles in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cattle farming
Authors: Slade Eleanor M. , Riutta Terhi , Roslin Tomas , Tuomisto Hanna L.
Published: January 2016

Agriculture is one of the largest anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs), with dairy and beef production accounting for nearly two-thirds of emissions. Several recent papers suggest that dung beetles may affect fluxes of GHGs from cattle farming. Here, we put these previous findings into context. Using Finland as an example, we assessed GHG emissions at three scales: the dung pat, pasture ecosystem and whole lifecycle of milk or beef production. At the first two levels, dung beetles reduced GHG emissions by up to 7% and 12% respectively, mainly through large reductions in methane (CH4) emissions. However, at the lifecycle level, dung beetles accounted for only a 0.05–0.13% reduction of overall GHG emissions. This mismatch derives from the fact that in intensive production systems, only a limited fraction of all cow pats end up on pastures, offering limited scope for dung beetle mitigation of GHG fluxes. In contrast, we suggest that the effects of dung beetles may be accentuated in tropical countries, where more manure is left on pastures and dung beetles remove and aerate dung faster and that this is thus a key area for future research. These considerations give a new perspective on previous results and suggest that studies of biotic effects on GHG emissions from dung pats on a global scale are a priority for current research.
Chronic Metabolic Acidosis Activates Renal Tubular Sodium Chloride Cotransporter through Angiotension II-dependent WNK4-SPAK Phosphorylation Pathway
Authors: Fang Yu-Wei , Yang Sung-Sen , Cheng Chih-Jen , Tseng Min-Hua , Hsu Hui-Min , Lin Shih-Hua
Published: January 2016

The mechanism by which chronic metabolic acidosis (CMA) regulates sodium (Na+)-chloride (Cl−) cotransporter (NCC) in the renal distal convoluted tubules remains unexplored. We examined the role of STE20/SPS1-related proline/alanine-rich kinase (SPAK) and with-no-lysine kinase 4 (WNK4) on expression of NCC in mouse models of CMA. CMA was induced by NH4Cl in wild type mice (WTA mice), SPAK and WNK4 knockout mice. The quantities of Ncc mRNA, expression of total NCC, phosphorylated (p)-NCC, SPAK and WNK4 in the kidneys as well as NCC inhibition with hydrochlorothiazide and Na+ balance were evaluated. Relative to WT mice, WTA mice had similar levels of Ncc mRNA, but increased expression of total and p-NCC, SPAK and WNK4 and an exaggerated response to hydrochlorothiazide which could not be observed in SPAK or WNK4 knockout mice with CMA. In WTA mice, increased plasma renin activity, aldosterone and angiotensin II concentrations accompanied by a significantly negative Na+ balance. High Na+ diet abolished the enhanced NCC expression in WTA mice. Furthermore, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker rather than a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist exerted a marked inhibition on Na+ reabsorption and NCC phosphorylation in WTA mice. CMA increases WNK4-SPAK-dependent NCC phosphorylation and appears to be secondary to previous natriuresis with volume-dependent angiotensin II activation.
Immune cell impact of three differently coated lipid nanocapsules: pluronic, chitosan and polyethylene glycol
Authors: Farace Cristiano , Sánchez-Moreno Paola , Orecchioni Marco , Manetti Roberto , Sgarrella Francesco , Asara Yolande , Peula-García José M. , Marchal Juan A. , Madeddu Roberto , Delogu Lucia G.
Published: January 2016

Lipid nanocapsules (NCs) represent promising tools in clinical practice for diagnosis and therapy applications. However, the NC appropriate functionalization is essential to guarantee high biocompatibility and molecule loading ability. In any medical application, the immune system-impact of differently functionalized NCs still remains to be fully understood. A comprehensive study on the action exerted on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and major immune subpopulations by three different NC coatings: pluronic, chitosan and polyethylene glycol-polylactic acid (PEG) is reported. After a deep particle characterization, the uptake was assessed by flow-cytometry and confocal microscopy, focusing then on apoptosis, necrosis and proliferation impact in T cells and monocytes. Cell functionality by cell diameter variations, different activation marker analysis and cytokine assays were performed. We demonstrated that the NCs impact on the immune cell response is strongly correlated to their coating. Pluronic-NCs were able to induce immunomodulation of innate immunity inducing monocyte activations. Immunomodulation was observed in monocytes and T lymphocytes treated with Chitosan-NCs. Conversely, PEG-NCs were completely inert. These findings are of particular value towards a pre-selection of specific NC coatings depending on biomedical purposes for pre-clinical investigations; i.e. the immune-specific action of particular NC coating can be excellent for immunotherapy applications.