bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Unique Cytoplasmic Marker for Extratesticular Sertoli Cells
Authors: Cameron D. F. , Hushen J. J. , Dejarlais T. , Colado L. , Wolski K. M. , Sanberg P. R. , Saporta S.
Published: September 2018

In the absence of a definitive cell marker for testis-derived Sertoli cells, their identification in cell culture or in Sertoli cell-facilitated cell transplantation protocols is difficult and limits the creditable evaluation of experimental results. However, the production by prepubertal Sertoli cells of Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) presents the possibility of specifically identifying extratesticular Sertoli cells as well as Sertoli cells in situ, by the immunodection of this unique glycoprotein. This study was designed to determine if isolated rat Sertoli cells could be identified by routine immunocytochemistry utilizing an antibody raised against MIS. Sertoli cells immunostained for MIS included Sertoli cells in situ and freshly isolated, cultured and cocultured Sertoli cells, and Sertoli cells structurally integrated with NT2 cells in simulated microgravity. Detection of MIS was also determined by Western blot analysis.
Hybrid of Gel-Cultured Smooth Muscle Cells with PLLA Sponge as a Scaffold towards Blood Vessel Regeneration
Authors: Furukawa Katsuko S. , Ushida Takashi , Toita Kenshi , Sakai Yasuyuki , Tateishi Tetsuya
Published: September 2018

Although rapid formation of a smooth inner surface is important in constructing an artificial vascular graft, a conventional model that uses a biodegradable polymer such as polyglycolic acid needs long-term culture to form it. In another model, which uses collagen gel, it is reported that prompt formation of the smooth inner surface was achieved. But the mechanical properties were not suitable, resulting in rupture under high pressure at the arterial level. Therefore, we propose a new artificial vascular graft model made of biodegradable polymer, gel, and cells. At first we manufactured an artificial vascular graft (i.d. 5 mm, o.d.7 mm) consisting of poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) with open pore structures by using gas-forming methods. After mixing human normal aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) with type I collagen solution, pores of the PLLA scaffold were filled with the mixture. The collagen mixture was made into gel in the pores of the PLLA scaffold, incubating at 37°C. WET-SEM analysis showed that the prompt formation of a smooth inner surface was achieved in the new model. The ratio of incorporation of SMCs into the artificial vascular graft became approximately 100% by using the cell–collagen mixture, whereas only 40% of SMCs were trapped in the conventional model where SMCs were inoculated as a cell–medium suspension. Therefore, it was suggested that the new artificial vascular graft model was superior in smooth inner surface formation and cell inoculation, compared with conventional models using either biodegradable polymer or gel.
Regenerative Therapy for Stroke
Authors: Chang Ying-Chao , Shyu Woei-Cherng , Lin Shinn-Zong , Li Hung
Published: September 2018

Stroke remains a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. An increasing number of animal studies and preclinical trials have, however, provided evidence that regenerative cell-based therapies can lead to functional recovery in stroke patients. Stem cells can differentiate into neural lineages to replace lost neurons. Moreover, they provide trophic support to tissue at risk in the penumbra surrounding the infarct area, enhance vasculogenesis, and help promote survival, migration, and differentiation of the endogenous precursor cells after stroke. Stem cells are highly migratory and seem to be attracted to areas of brain pathology such as ischemic regions. The pathotropism may follow the paradigm of stem cell homing to bone marrow and leukocytes migrating to inflammatory tissue. The molecular signaling therefore may involve various chemokines, cytokines, and integrins. Among these, stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1)/CXC chemokine receptor-4 (CXCR4) signaling is required for the interaction of stem cells and ischemia-damaged host tissues. SDF-1 is secreted primarily by bone marrow fibroblasts and is required for BMSC homing to bone marrow. Overexpression of SDF-1 in ischemic tissues has been found to enhance stem cell recruitment from peripheral blood and to induce neoangiogenesis. Furthermore, SDF-1 expression in the lesioned area peaked within 7 days postischemia, in concordance with the time window of G-CSF therapy for stroke. Recent data have shown that SDF-1 expression is directly proportional to reduced tissue oxygen tension. SDF-1 gene expression is regulated by hypoxic-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), a hypoxia-dependent stabilization transcription factor. Thus, ischemic tissue may recruit circulating progenitors regulated by hypoxia through differential expression of HIF-1α and SDF-1. In addition to SDF-1, β2-integrins also play a role in the homing of hematopoietic progenitor cells to sites of ischemia and are critical for their neovascularization capacity. In our recent report, increased expression of β1-integrins apparently contributed to the local neovasculization of the ischemic brain as well as its functional recovery. Identification of the molecular pathways involved in stem cell homing into the ischemic areas could pave the way for the development of new treatment regimens, perhaps using small molecules, designed to enhance endogeneous mobilization of stem cells in various disease states, including chronic stroke and other neurodegenerative diseases. For maximal functional recovery, however, regenerative therapy may need to follow combinatorial approaches, which may include cell replacement, trophic support, protection from oxidative stress, and the neutralization of the growth-inhibitory components for endogenous neuronal stem cells.
Pharmacological MRI (phMRI) Monitoring of Treatment in Hemiparkinsonian Rhesus Monkeys
Authors: Luan Liming , Ding Feng , Ai Yi , Andersen Anders , Hardy Peter , Forman Eric , Gerhardt Greg A. , Gash Don M. , Grondin Richard , Zhang Zhiming
Published: September 2018

There is a great need for the development of noninvasive, highly sensitive, and widely available imaging methods that can potentially be used to longitudinally monitor treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). Here we report the monitoring of GDNF-induced functional changes of the basal ganglia in hemiparkinsonian monkeys via pharmacological MRI measuring the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) response to a direct dopamine agonist (apomorphine, APO). After testing BOLD responsiveness to APO in their normal state, two additional scans were taken with the same dose of APO stimulation after induced parkinsonism. Then all animals were chronically treated with GDNF for 18 weeks by a programmable pump and catheter system. The catheter was surgically implanted into the right putamen and connected to the pump via flexible polyurethane tubing. phMRI scans were taken at both 6 and 18 weeks while they received 22.5 μg of GDNF per day. In addition, behavioral changes were monitored throughout the entire study. The primary finding of this study was that APO-evoked activations in the DA denervated putamen were attenuated by the chronic intraputamenal infusion of GDNF accompanied by improvements of parkinsonian features, movement speed, and APO-induced rotation compared to data collected before the chronic GDNF treatment. The results suggest that phMRI methods in combination with administration of a selective DA agonist may be useful for monitoring neurorestorative therapies in PD patients in the future.
Implantation of Sinoatrial Node Cells into Canine Right Ventricle: Biological Pacing Appears Limited by the Substrate
Authors: Zhang Hao , Lau David H. , Shlapakova Iryna N. , Zhao Xin , Danilo Peter , Robinson Richard B. , Cohen Ira S. , Qu Dan , Xu Zhiyun , Rosen Michael R.
Published: September 2018

Biological pacing has been proposed as a physiologic counterpart to electronic pacing, and the sinoatrial node (SAN) is the general standard for biological pacemakers. We tested the expression of SAN pacemaker cell activity when implanted autologously in the right ventricle (RV). We induced complete heart block and implanted electronic pacemakers in the RV of adult mongrel dogs. Autologous SAN cells isolated enzymatically were studied by patch clamp to confirm SAN identity. SAN cells (400,000) were injected into the RV subepicardial free wall and dogs were monitored for 2 weeks. Pacemaker function was assessed by overdrive pacing and IV epinephrine challenge. SAN cells expressed a time-dependent inward current (If) activating on hyperpolarization: density = 4.3 ± 0.6 pA/pF at −105 mV. Four of the six dogs demonstrated >50% of beats originating from the implant site at 24 h. Biological pacemaker rates on days 7–14 = 45–55 bpm and post-overdrive escape times = 1.5–2.5 s. Brisk catecholamine responsiveness occurred. Dogs implanted with autologous SAN cells manifest biological pacing properties dissimilar from those of the anatomic SAN. This highlights the importance of cell and substrate interaction in generating biological pacemaker function.
Local Transplantation of Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor-Mobilized Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells for Unhealing Bone Fractures
Authors: Fukui Tomoaki , Matsumoto Tomoyuki , Mifune Yutaka , Shoji Taro , Kuroda Tomoya , Kawakami Yohei , Kawamoto Atsuhiko , Ii Masaaki , Kawamata Shin , Kurosaka Masahiro , Asahara Takayuki , Kuroda Ryosuke
Published: September 2018

We previously reported the therapeutic potential of human peripheral blood (hPB) CD34+ cells for bone fracture healing via vasculogenesis/angiogenesis and osteogenesis. Transplantation of not only hPB CD34+ cells but also hPB total mononuclear cells (MNCs) has shown their therapeutic efficiency for enhancing ischemic neovascularization. Compared with transplantation of purified hPB CD34+ cells, transplantation of hPB MNCs is more attractive due to its simple method of cell isolation and inexpensive cost performance in the clinical setting. Thus, in this report, we attempted to test a hypothesis that granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized (GM) hPB MNC transplantation could also contribute to fracture healing via vasculogenesis/angiogenesis and osteogenesis. Nude rats with unhealing fractures received local administration of the following materials with atelocollagen: 1 × 107 GM hPB MNCs (Hi group), 1 × 106 GM hPB MNCs (Lo group), or PBS (PBS group). Immunohistochemistry and real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) demonstrated human cell-derived vasculogenesis and osteogenesis in the Hi and Lo groups, but not in the PBS group at week 1. Intrinsic angiogenesis and osteogenesis assessed by rat capillary, osteoblast density, and real-time RT-PCR analysis was significantly enhanced in the Hi group compared to the other groups. Blood flow assessment by laser doppler perfusion imaging showed a significantly higher blood flow ratio at week 1 in the Hi group compared with the other groups. Morphological fracture healing was radiographically and histologically confirmed in about 30% of animals in the Hi group at week 8, whereas all animals in the other groups resulted in nonunion. Local transplantation of GM hPB MNCs contributes to fracture healing via vasculogenesis/angiogenesis and osteogenesis.
Droplet-based synthesis of homogeneous magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles
Authors: Ahrberg Christian D , Choi Ji Wook , Chung Bong Geun
Published: September 2018

Nanoparticles have gained large interest in a number of different fields due to their unique properties. In medical applications, for example, magnetic nanoparticles can be used for targeting, imaging, magnetically induced thermotherapy, or for any combination of the three. However, it is still a challenge to obtain narrowly dispersed, reproducible particles through a typical lab-scale synthesis when researching these materials. Here, we present a droplet capillary reactor that can be used for the synthesis of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. Compared to conventional batch synthesis, the particles synthesized in our droplet reactor have a narrower size distribution and a higher reproducibility. Furthermore, we demonstrate how the particle size can be changed from 5.2 ± 0.9 nm to 11.8 ± 1.7 nm by changing the reaction temperature and droplet residence time in the droplet capillary reactor.
Kepler-1656b: A Dense Sub-Saturn with an Extreme Eccentricity
Authors: Brady Madison T. , Petigura Erik A. , Knutson Heather A. , Sinukoff Evan , Isaacson Howard , Hirsch Lea A. , Fulton Benjamin J. , Kosiarek Molly R. , Howard Andrew W.
Published: September 2018

Kepler-1656b is a 5

planet with an orbital period of 32 days initially detected by the prime Kepler mission. We obtained precision radial velocities of Kepler-1656 with Keck/HIRES in order to confirm the planet and to characterize its mass and orbital eccentricity. With a mass of 48 ± 4 

, Kepler-1656b is more massive than most planets of comparable size. Its high mass implies that a significant fraction, roughly 80%, of the planet’s total mass is in high-density material such as rock/iron, with the remaining mass in a low-density H/He envelope. The planet also has a high eccentricity of 0.84 ± 0.01, the largest measured eccentricity for any planet less than 100 

. The planet’s high density and high eccentricity may be the result of one or more scattering and merger events during or after the dispersal of the protoplanetary disk.
The Polarization Behavior of Relativistic Synchrotron Jets
Authors: Peirson A. L. , Romani Roger W.
Published: September 2018

We describe a geometric model for synchrotron radiation from blazar jets, involving multiple emission zones with turbulent magnetic fields and a transient core with a helical B-field. Including the effects of jet divergence, particle cooling, and the relativistic position angle rotation (RPAR) to the observer frame, we find polarization behavior consistent with recent data from monitoring campaigns. We predict that under some circumstances multi-π rotation phases should exhibit relativistically induced steps in rate dPA/dt and modulation in polarization Π that can be helpful in pinning down the jet Γ and θ
obs. Also, RPAR enhances waveband differences that will be particularly interesting for comparing radio, optical, and, soon, X-ray position angle and Π variations.
A Multiwavelength Look at Galactic Massive Star-forming Regions
Authors: Binder Breanna A. , Povich Matthew S.
Published: September 2018

We present a multiwavelength study of 28 Galactic massive star-forming H ii regions. For 17 of these regions, we present new distance measurements based on Gaia DR2 parallaxes. By fitting a multicomponent dust, blackbody, and power-law continuum model to the 3.6 μm through 10 mm spectral energy distributions, we find that ∼34% of Lyman continuum photons emitted by massive stars are absorbed by dust before contributing to the ionization of H ii regions, while ∼68% of the stellar bolometric luminosity is absorbed and reprocessed by dust in the H ii regions and surrounding photodissociation regions. The most luminous, infrared-bright regions that fully sample the upper stellar initial mass function (ionizing photon rates N

C
 ≥ 1050 s−1 and dust-processed L
TIR ≥ 106.8
L
⊙) have on average higher percentages of absorbed Lyman continuum photons (∼51%) and reprocessed starlight (∼82%) compared to less luminous regions. Luminous H ii regions show lower average polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) fractions than less luminous regions, implying that the strong radiation fields from early-type massive stars are efficient at destroying PAH molecules. On average, the monochromatic luminosities at 8, 24, and 70 μm combined carry 94% of the dust-reprocessed L
TIR. L
70 captures ∼52% of L
TIR, and is therefore the preferred choice to infer the bolometric luminosity of dusty star-forming regions. We calibrate star formation rates (SFRs) based on L
24 and L
70 against the Lyman continuum photon rates of the massive stars in each region. Standard extragalactic calibrations of monochromatic SFRs based on population synthesis models are generally consistent with our values.
Temperature, Mass, and Turbulence: A Spatially Resolved Multiband Non-LTE Analysis of CS in TW Hya
Authors: Teague Richard , Henning Thomas , Guilloteau Stéphane , Bergin Edwin A. , Semenov Dmitry , Dutrey Anne , Flock Mario , Gorti Uma , Birnstiel Tilman
Published: September 2018

Observations of multiple rotational transitions from a single molecule allow for unparalleled constraints on the physical conditions of the emitting region. We present an analysis of CS in TW Hya using the J = 7–6, 5–4 and 3–2 transitions imaged at ∼0.″5 spatial resolution, resulting in a temperature and column density profile of the CS emission region extending out to 230 au, far beyond previous measurements. In addition, the 15 kHz resolution of the observations and the ability to directly estimate the temperature of the CS emitting gas, allow for one of the most sensitive searches for turbulent broadening in a disk to date. Limits of v
turb ≲ 0.1c

s
can be placed across the entire radius of the disk. We are able to place strict limits of the local H2 density due to the collisional excitations of the observed transitions. From these we find that a minimum disk mass of 3 × 10−4
M
Sun is required to be consistent with the CS excitation conditions and can uniquely constrain the gas surface density profile in the outer disk.
Inversion Angle of Phase-polarization Curve of Near-Earth Asteroid (3200) Phaethon
Authors: Shinnaka Yoshiharu , Kasuga Toshihiro , Furusho Reiko , Boice Daniel C. , Terai Tsuyoshi , Noda Hirotomo , Namiki Noriyuki , Watanabe Jun-ichi
Published: September 2018

As a function of the solar phase angle, α, the linear polarization degree (referred to the scattering plane, P
r) of solar system objects is a good diagnostic for understanding the scattering properties of their surface materials. We report the P
r of Phaethon over a wide range of α from 19.°1 to 114.°3. The derived phase-polarization curve shows that the maximum of P
r, P
max, is >42.4% at α > 114.°3, a value significantly larger than those of the moderate albedo asteroids (P
max ∼ 9%). The phase-polarization curve classifies Phaethon as B-type as well as M- and K-type asteroids, in the polarimetric taxonomy, being compatible with the spectral property. We compute the geometric albedo, p
v, of 0.14 ± 0.04 independently by using an empirical slope-albedo relation, and the derived p
v is consistent with previous results determined from mid-infrared spectra and thermophysical modeling. We find no periodic variation of P
r in our polarimetric data in the range from 0 up to 7.208 hr (e.g., less than twice the rotational period). We also find significant differences between our P
r during the 2017 approach toward Earth and that in 2016, implying that Phaethon has a region with different properties for light scattering near its rotational pole.
Macrobenthic fauna from an upwelling coastal area of Peru (Warm Temperate South-eastern Pacific province -Humboldtian ecoregion)
Authors: Tasso Vicente , El Haddad Mustapha , Assadi Carolina , Canales Remy , Aguirre Luis , Vélez-Zuazo Ximena
Published: September 2018

A total of 162 species and subspecies of marine macroinvertebrates were recorded in the submerged soft and hard substrates around the PERU LNG marine terminal and surrounding area, in the central coast of Peru, 167 km south of Lima, Peru. The collection of specimens was carried out from June 2011 to June 2015 as part of the research studies conducted by the Biodiversity Monitoring and Assessment Program (BMAP) around the marine terminal. The area is part of the Humboldt Current Large Marine Ecosystem, one of the most important upwelling systems in the world.

We identified specimens belonging to 83 families and seven phyla. The list was assembled from the taxonomic identifications made by the BMAP. We identified species and subspecies belonging to phyla Annelida, Arthropoda, Brachiopoda, Cnidaria, Echinodermata, Bryozoa and Mollusca. Phyla Annelida (60 spp.), Arthropoda (47 spp.)and Mollusca (45 spp.) exhibited the largest number of species.
Teachers’ intention to continue using virtual learning environment (VLE): Malaysian context
Authors: Awang Hapini , Aji Zahurin Mat , Mohd Yakoob Mohd Faiz , Osman Wan Rozaini Sheik , Mukminin Amirul , Habibi Akhmad
Published: September 2018

Malaysian teachers have been using Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) technology in their instructional activities since it was introduced by the Ministry of Education in 2012. This study aimed to measure Malaysian teachers’ level of intention to continue using VLE technology and investigate factors influencing teachers’ decision to keep using VLE into teaching and learning process. Implementing sequential explanatory design, we addressed 850 questionnaires and conducted interview with 10 teachers. After data screening procedure, only 643 questionnaires were usable and measurable in the data analysis. Fifty-one teachers answered the open ended question included in the questionnaire. We further asked questions adapted from the data analysis of the questionnaires to ten teachers. The results of the study informed that the overall mean score of teachers’ intention to continue using VLE is 4.21. This mean score indicated that the intention to continue using VLE technology among the Malaysian teachers is at the moderate level. Despite this, the percentage of the teachers with high intention to use VLE whenever they have access is higher than those with the low intention. Qualitatively, accessibility factor was the main factor experienced by the participants of this study reducing the VLE integration into teaching. Further investigation is necessary to study the factors and suitable planning and policy that contribute to the intention to continue using VLE among Malaysian teachers.
Binocular and Monocular Implantation of Small-Aperture Intraocular Lenses in Cataract Surgery
Authors: Dick H. Burkhard , Elling Matthias , Schultz Tim
Published: September 2018

PURPOSE:

To compare the clinical outcomes with the extended depth of focus small-aperture intraocular lens (IOL) (IC-8; AcuFocus, Irvine, CA) for presbyopia compensation when implanted monocularly or binocularly.

METHODS:

Visual outcomes, defocus curve, patient satisfaction, and visual symptoms during a 6-month follow-up were evaluated in 11 patients (contralateral group) implanted monocularly with this IOL and with an aspheric monofocal IOL in the fellow eye (myopic target) and 6 patients (bilateral group) implanted bilaterally with the IC-8 IOL (dominant eye with plano target, fellow eye with myopic target).

RESULTS:

Bilateral implantation of the IC-8 IOL resulted in an extended range of focus, with better intermediate and near vision. Monocular implantation of the IC-8 IOL resulted in a significantly higher overall satisfaction score and lower halo score.

CONCLUSIONS:

Bilateral implantation of the IC-8 IOL resulted in an extended range of focus, with better intermediate and near vision than monocular implantation of this IOL.

[
J Refract Surg.
2018;34(9):629–631.]
Influence of Microstructure on Stiffening Effects of Corneal Cross-linking Treatment
Authors: Hatami-Marbini Hamed
Published: September 2018

PURPOSE:

To investigate the stiffening effects of corneal cross-linking (CXL) on tensile properties of anterior and posterior corneal flaps.

METHODS:

A Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty system was used to prepare anterior and posterior flaps from porcine corneas. The flaps were subjected to CXL and their mechanical behavior was assessed by conducting uniaxial tensile experiments. Full-thickness corneas were also cross-linked from the posterior and anterior side and their tensile behavior was measured.

RESULTS:

The CXL procedure significantly improved biomechanical properties of anterior flaps (
P
< .05). CXL did not have any significant effect on tensile properties of posterior flaps. Cross-linking full-thickness porcine corneal stroma from the posterior side had no significant stiffening effect.

CONCLUSIONS:

The stiffening effect of CXL therapy depends significantly on the composition and microstructure of corneal extracellular matrix.

[
J Refract Surg.
2018;34(9):622–627.]
Prestaciones sismorresistentes de un edificio sanitario proyectado con la NCSE-02
Authors: Pérez F. J. , Morillas L.
Published: September 2018

Se evalúan las prestaciones sismorresistentes de un edificio de uso sanitario proyectado con la normativa española actual. La evaluación ha sido realizada en el marco de una metodología probabilística que provee una base consistente con las incertidumbres del proceso de evaluación. Un prototipo de edificio sanitario sirve como base para discutir una estimación realista de las implicaciones de terremotos raros y ocasionales en edificios de importancia especial. Para este fin, el estudio comprende un análisis dinámico no lineal de la estructura del edificio, la identificación de grupos de prestaciones estructurales y no estructurales, la expresión probabilística de la respuesta de la estructura y la cuantificación de daños y costes de reparación mediante relaciones de fragilidad. Este trabajo revela que las prestaciones sismorresistentes del edificio analizado son inapropiadas en términos de daños, pérdida de funcionalidad y costes de reparación.
Proceso de cálculo de las cáscaras cilíndricas largas de cubierta en la obra de Félix Candela. El enfoque del equilibrio
Authors: Martínez M.
Published: September 2018

El objetivo del presente trabajo consiste en evidenciar como a partir de los años 50 Félix Candela consiguió diseñar y calcular estructuralmente cáscaras cilíndricas largas de cubierta de hormigón armado mediante análisis basados simplemente en ecuaciones de equilibrio, con un claro objetivo: conseguir un método de cálculo sencillo y seguro, respetando la característica de cedencia del hormigón armado y, por tanto, obviando las consideraciones de compatibilidad y deformación que pudiera sufrir la estructura. Y lo hizo en un momento donde la teoría elástica de cáscaras resultaba prácticamente inaplicable al implicar la resolución de ecuaciones diferenciales de octavo orden.

Se justifica analíticamente la teoría escogiendo un ejemplo de la obra de Félix Candela, ejecutada por medio de cáscaras cilíndricas largas de cubierta, y elaborando el proceso de cálculo necesario propuesto.
The cultural and creative economy in Brussels-Capital Region
Authors: Mauri Caterina , Vlegels Jef , Ysebaert Walter
Published: September 2018

This article is aimed at describing the cultural and creative (CC) economy in the Brussels-Capital Region (BCR). It provides a basis for discussions regarding this part of the economy, and the policy choices which affect it. Analysing the number of firms, turnover, value added or employment for the period 2008-2014 we observe that the share of the CC economy in Brussels remained larger than in Flanders and Wallonia, but this share has also decreased more quickly than in both other regions. The parts of the CC economy in Brussels which have been more resilient distinguish themselves through high value added per worker. This is the case in particular for sectors with a strong cultural and creative content, such as performing arts, the audiovisual sector and advertising and architecture. These activities are also the ones which make Brussels stand out with respect to the other regions. Regional differences, in particular for sectors such as the audiovisual sector, might be explained by the more urban character of Brussels compared to the other regions and by its role as capital.
Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Green Pod Yield of Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) cv MIPC-01
Authors: Prradhiepan T. , Seran T. H. , Hariharan G.
Published: September 2018

A field experiment was conducted to study the eect of combined application of organic manures with recommended inorganic fertilizers (RIF) and to nd out the best combination of applications on green pod yield of chilli cv. MIPC-01 (Mahailluppallama Kaludawali Selection). The following five treatment combinations viz. T1- No fertilizer (control plot), T2- 100% RIF, T3- 50% RIF + 15 t ha-1 cattle manure, T4- 50% RIF + 15 t ha-1 cattle manure + 250 kg ha-1 partially burnt paddy husk, T5- 50% RIF + 15 t ha-1 cattle manure + 500 kg ha-1 partially burnt paddy husk were laid out in a Randomised Completely Block Design and replicated four times. The measurements related to growth and yield parameters were taken using destructive random sampling method. The results revealed that among the tested fertilizer combinations, there were signicant dierences (p<0.05) in plant height, root length, number of  owers, average numbers of pod per plant and pod length compared to the control treatment. The application of 50% RIF, 15 t ha-1 cattle manure along with 500 kg ha-1 partially burnt paddy husk produced higher number of pods per plant (10.50 and 24.50) and average pod weight per plant (40.42g cm and 90.16 g) over the control treatment at 120 and 150 DAT (days after transplanting) respectively. It is concluded that application of 50% RIF with 15 t ha-1 cattle manure and 500 kg ha-1 partially burnt paddy husk is the best combination to obtain higher green pod yield of chilli.
Presenilin 1 Regulates NF-κB Activation via Association with Breakpoint Cluster Region and Casein Kinase II
Authors: Tanaka Yuki , Sabharwal Lavannya , Ota Mitsutoshi , Nakagawa Ikuma , Jiang Jing-Jing , Arima Yasunobu , Ogura Hideki , Okochi Masayasu , Ishii Masaru , Kamimura Daisuke , Murakami Masaaki
Published: September 2018

We recently reported that NF-κB–mediated inflammation caused by breakpoint cluster region (BCR) is dependent on the α subunit of casein kinase II (CK2α) complex. In the current study, we demonstrate that presenilin 1 (Psen1), which is a catalytic component of the γ-secretase complex and the mutations of which are known to cause familial Alzheimer disease, acts as a scaffold of the BCR–CK2α–p65 complex to induce NF-κB activation. Indeed, Psen1 deficiency in mouse endothelial cells showed a significant reduction of NF-κB p65 recruitment to target gene promoters. Conversely, Psen1 overexpression enhanced reporter activation under NF-κB responsive elements and IL-6 promoter. Furthermore, the transcription of NF-κB target genes was not inhibited by a γ-secretase inhibitor, suggesting that Psen1 regulates NF-κB activation in a manner independent of γ-secretase activity. Mechanistically, Psen1 associated with the BCR–CK2α complex, which is required for phosphorylation of p65 at serine 529. Consistently, TNF-α–induced phosphorylation of p65 at serine 529 was significantly decreased in Psen1-deficient cells. The association of the BCR–CK2α–p65 complex was perturbed in the absence of Psen1. These results suggest that Psen1 functions as a scaffold of the BCR–CK2α–p65 complex and that this signaling cascade could be a novel therapeutic target for various chronic inflammation conditions, including those in Alzheimer disease.
β1 Integrins Are Required To Mediate NK Cell Killing of Cryptococcus neoformans
Authors: Xiang Richard F. , Li ShuShun , Ogbomo Henry , Stack Danuta , Mody Christopher H.
Published: September 2018

Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen that causes fatal meningitis and pneumonia. During host defense to Cryptococcus, NK cells directly recognize and kill C. neoformans using cytolytic degranulation analogous to killing of tumor cells. This fungal killing requires independent activation of Src family kinase (SFK) and Rac1-mediated pathways. Recognition of C. neoformans requires the natural cytotoxicity receptor, NKp30; however, it is not known whether NKp30 activates both signal transduction pathways or whether a second receptor is involved in activation of one of the pathways. We used primary human NK cells and a human NK cell line and found that NKp30 activates SFK → PI3K but not Rac1 cytotoxic signaling, which led to a search for the receptor leading to Rac1 activation. We found that NK cells require integrin-linked kinase (ILK) to activate Rac1 for effective fungal killing. This observation led to our identification of β1 integrin as an essential anticryptococcal receptor. These findings demonstrate that multiple receptors, including β1 integrins and NKp30 and their proximal signaling pathways, are required for recognition of Cryptococcus, which activates a central cytolytic antimicrobial pathway leading to fungal killing.
Phenotypic and Functional Signatures of Herpes Simplex Virus–Specific Effector Memory CD73+CD45RAhighCCR7lowCD8+ TEMRA and CD73+CD45RAlowCCR7lowCD8+ TEM Cells Are Associated with Asymptomatic Ocular Herpes
Authors: Srivastava Ruchi , Coulon Pierre-Grégoire , Roy Soumyabrata , Chilukuri Sravya , Garg Sumit , BenMohamed Lbachir
Published: September 2018

HSV type 1 (HSV-1)–specific CD8+ T cells protect from herpes infection and disease. However, the nature of protective CD8+ T cells in HSV-1 seropositive healthy asymptomatic (ASYMP) individuals (with no history of clinical herpes disease) remains to be determined. In this study, we compared the phenotype and function of HSV-specific CD8+ T cells from HLA-A*02:01–positive ASYMP and symptomatic (SYMP) individuals (with a documented history of numerous episodes of recurrent ocular herpetic disease). We report that although SYMP and ASYMP individuals have similar frequencies of HSV-specific CD8+ T cells, the “naturally” protected ASYMP individuals have a significantly higher proportion of multifunctional HSV-specific effector memory CD8+ T cells (CD73+CD45RAhighCCR7lowCD8+ effector memory RA (TEMRA) and CD73+CD45RAlowCCR7lowCD8+ effector memory (TEM) as compared with SYMP individuals. Similar to humans, HSV-1–infected ASYMP B6 mice had frequent multifunctional HSV-specific CD73+CD8+ T cells in the cornea, as compared with SYMP mice. Moreover, in contrast to wild type B6, CD73−/− deficient mice infected ocularly with HSV-1 developed more recurrent corneal herpetic infection and disease. This was associated with less functional CD8+ T cells in the cornea and trigeminal ganglia, the sites of acute and latent infection. The phenotypic and functional characteristics of HSV-specific circulating and in situ CD73+CD8+ T cells, demonstrated in both ASYMP humans and mice, suggest a positive role for effector memory CD8+ T cells expressing the CD73 costimulatory molecule in the protection against ocular herpes infection and disease. These findings are important for the development of safe and effective T cell–based herpes immunotherapy.
Cutting Edge: Intracellular IFN-β and Distinct Type I IFN Expression Patterns in Circulating Systemic Lupus Erythematosus B Cells
Authors: Hamilton Jennie A. , Wu Qi , Yang PingAr , Luo Bao , Liu Shanrun , Li Jun , L. Mattheyses Alexa , Sanz Ignacio , Chatham W. Winn , Hsu Hui-Chen , Mountz John D.
Published: September 2018

In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), type I IFNs promote induction of type I IFN–stimulated genes (ISG) and can drive B cells to produce autoantibodies. Little is known about the expression of distinct type I IFNs in lupus, particularly high-affinity IFN-β. Single-cell analyses of transitional B cells isolated from SLE patients revealed distinct B cell subpopulations, including type I IFN producers, IFN responders, and mixed IFN producer/responder clusters. Anti-Ig plus TLR3 stimulation of SLE B cells induced release of bioactive type I IFNs that could stimulate HEK-Blue cells. Increased levels of IFN-β were detected in circulating B cells from SLE patients compared with controls and were significantly higher in African American patients with renal disease and in patients with autoantibodies. Together, the results identify type I IFN–producing and –responding subpopulations within the SLE B cell compartment and suggest that some patients may benefit from specific targeting of IFN-β.
Engel structures and weakly hyperbolic flows on four-manifolds
Authors: Kotschick Dieter , Vogel Thomas
Published: September 2018

We study pairs of Engel structures on four-manifolds whose intersection has constant rank one and which define the same even contact structure, but induce different orientations on it. We establish a correspondence between such pairs of Engel structures and a class of weakly hyperbolic flows. This correspondence is analogous to the correspondence between bi-contact structures and projectively or conformally Anosov flows on three-manifolds found by Eliashberg–Thurston and by Mitsumatsu.
Complete minimal submanifolds with nullity in Euclidean spheres
Authors: Dajczer Marcos , Kasioumis Theodoros , Savas-Halilaj Andreas , Vlachos Theodoros
Published: September 2018

In this paper we investigate

m

-dimensional complete minimal submanifolds in Euclidean spheres with index of relative nullity at least

m–

2 at any point. These are austere submanifolds in the sense of Harvey and Lawson [19] and were initially studied by Bryant [3]. For any dimension and codimension there is an abundance of non-complete examples fully described by Dajczer and Florit [7] in terms of a class of surfaces, called elliptic, for which the ellipse of curvature of a certain order is a circle at any point. Under the assumption of completeness, it turns out that any submanifold is either totally geodesic or has dimension three. In the latter case there are plenty of examples, even compact ones. Under the mild assumption that the Omori–Yau maximum principle holds on the manifold, a trivial condition in the compact case, we provide a complete local parametric description of the submanifolds in terms of 1-isotropic surfaces in Euclidean space. These are the minimal surfaces for which the standard ellipse of curvature is a circle at any point. For these surfaces, there exists a Weierstrass type representation that generates all simply connected ones.
Arquitetura Nova
Authors: Grossman Vanessa
Published: September 2018

When the architect Sérgio Ferro entitled his 1967 manifesto ‘New Architecture’, he proclaimed a new architecture in Brazil by means of alignment with the thesis-manifesto ‘An Aesthetic of Hunger’, written by the Brazilian filmmaker Glauber Rocha, and first published two years earlier. According to Ferro, Arquitetura Nova was a clear reference to Rocha’s ‘New Cinema’: films made from ‘simple means and ideas in mind’.

Together with architects Flávio Império and Rodrigo Lefèvre, Ferro took Cinema Novo’s ‘neo-realist’ approach as far as it could reasonably be applied to architecture. They designated it as a new ‘poetics of economy’ that should be defined from ‘the useful minimum’, the ‘constructive minimum’ and from the ‘didactic minimum’ for the formulation of a new language established ‘on the basis of Brazil’s historical reality’. In their texts and projects, developed throughout the 1960s, they advocated not only the use of popular materials and techniques in order to make architecture more accessible to the masses, but also the means by which the constructive process would be intelligible for all the protagonists involved. Despite the 1967 manifesto, written three years after Brazil’s coup d’état, Ferro only retrospectively referred to the group’s experience as Arquitetura Nova in 1988.
Weberhofer Quintana, Walter (1923–2002)
Authors: Yamasaki Ángeles Maqueira , García Martín Fabbri , Montestruque Bisso Octavio , Vila Katerine Tapia
Published: September 2018

Walter Weberhofer was born to Oswald Weberhofer (forester) and Dolores Quintana Pilts Gurt in San Jeronimo de Tunari, in the province of Huancayo, department of Junín, on 24 March 1923. Before graduating from Alfonso Ugarte School in 1940, he began his work as a draftsman, and achieved a position in 1942 at the Ministry of Development and Public Works. In 1946 he entered as a draftsman in the office of the Peruvian architect Enrique Seoane. This first encounter with one of the great modern architects of Peru marked the beginning of his intense search for a clean design and attention to details.
Monte Verità (1900–)
Authors: Baur Simon
Published: September 2018

During the first two decades of the 20th century, Monte Verità, a hill on the west side of Ascona in southern Switzerland, was the site of a ‘life-reform’ movement. An unprejudiced rural population made it possible for activists, writers, and artists to establish a non-hierarchical social model. The goal was to create community models of the future in the field of diverse reform movements. Monte Verità translates as ‘Mountain of Truth’.
Parnakh, Valentin Yakovlevich (1891–1951)
Authors: Misler Nicoletta
Published: September 2018

Brother of the celebrated poet Sofia Parnok, Valentin Parnakh was a Russo-Soviet dancer, jazz musician, actor, poet, and translator, a mover and shaker of the European avant-garde as Pablo Picasso’s portrait of him (1922) bears ready witness. Parnakh’s approach to artistic movement was truly synthetic, free of ideological dogma and academic convention, even though in Paris he published a sophisticated and original volume, Histoire de la Danse (History of Dance, 1932). Among the Russian apologists of eccentric and mechanical dances, Parnakh was the only one to compare Taylorist techniques with the new cultural exigencies of the proletariat, presenting Taylorism – in art – as the creative application of jazz dances such as ragtime, the shimmy, and fox-trot. He argued this just as the Soviet establishment was issuing its first instructions on how to eliminate these ‘decadent bourgeois dances of Western importation’ from the repertoire of workers’ clubs.
A Trip to the Moon (1902)
Authors: Leskosky Richard J.
Published: September 2018

Le voyage dans la lune [A Trip to the Moon] is the best-known work of special effects and film pioneer Georges Méliès (1861–1938). It is generally considered to be the first science fiction film, and was lauded for its plot and special effects upon its release. It made Méliès famous worldwide; but piratical practices, particularly in the United States, denied him his due profits. In the film, Professor Barbenfouillis (Méliès) and a group of scientists fly to the moon in a capsule shot from a cannon and encounter its crustacean inhabitants (Selenites). After a narrowly escaping the Selenites, the explorers return to Earth. The film’s first half owes much to Jules Verne’s novel De la terre à la lune [From the Earth to the Moon, 1865], while the second half derives from H. G. Wells’s novel The First Men in the Moon (1901). It valorises science and the idea of research/exploration as an end in itself, but also satirizes 19th-century scientific achievements. Méliès had ties to the Symbolist movement and included symbolic scenes which comment on but do not further the plot, including the film’s most iconic image: the rocket hitting the moon in its eye.
Czechoslovak New Wave Cinema
Authors: Leskosky Richard J.
Published: September 2018

The Czechoslovak New Wave was a 1960s film movement which flourished in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic during a period of general liberalisation in the country’s politics that inspired a general blossoming of the arts. It shared stylistic and thematic traits with the other European New Wave movements of the time, but it also specifically rejected Socialist Realism. Socialist Realism was the Soviet film policy that demanded optimistic depictions of anything Communist, and condemned formalist elements, such as montage, that called attention to the making of the film rather than its story. The Czech New Wave (also called at the time ‘the Czech Film Miracle’) began in 1963 with the feature debuts of Milos Forman’s Černý Petr [Black Peter], Vĕra Chytilová’s O néčem jiném [Something Different], and Jaromil Jireš’s Křik [The Cry].

Czechoslovak New Wave films typically contained wry satires of the Communist Party and Czech society, a willingness to deal with sexual themes, the casting of non-professional actors, and the use of documentary techniques to present fictional stories. In addition to refusing to capitulate to the demands of Socialist Realism, the Czech New Wave cinema was also distinctive for its filmmakers’ collaboration with the country’s foremost writers, such as Bohumil Hrabal, Milan Kundera, and Arnošt Lustig.
French Impressionist Cinema
Authors: Leskosky Richard J.
Published: September 2018

French Impressionist Cinema describes an avant-garde film movement lasting approximately from 1918 to 1929. It was characterised by camera and editing techniques which both augmented the beauty of the image and evoked characters’ psychological states. Impressionist filmmakers regarded film as an art form in itself rather than simply a means for recording plays and novels. They believed art should not attempt to express truths directly, but rather create an experience which gives rise to emotions that would lead audiences to underlying truths. Mood and suggestion took precedence over plot. The ideas underlying French Impressionist Cinema found articulation in the writings of film critic and ciné-club founder Louis Delluc, who went on to write screenplays and direct films in the movement. Other notable Impressionist directors include Abel Gance (1889–1981), Marcel L’Herbier (1890–1979), Germaine Dulac (1882–1942), Jean Epstein (1897–1953), Jacques Feyder (1885–1948), Jean Renoir (1894–1979), and Russian émigré Dimitri Kirsanoff (1899–1957).
Kubrick, Stanley (1928–1999)
Authors: Oveisy Fouad
Published: September 2018

Stanley Kubrick (b. 26 July 1928, Bronx, New York, US; d. 7 March 1999, St Albans, England) was a key late-modernist American director renowned for his creative use of cinematic elements, a bold approach to the human subject’s existential dilemmas, and a controversial tendency towards grotesque subject matter. Even though the themes and cinematic styles vary greatly throughout Kubrick’s oeuvre, the human relationship with technology and government, the individual’s traumatic response to sexual and societal norms, and the mass conditions in the wake of war and violence capture the gist of his philosophical focus on the limitations of modernity.

Kubrick’s films fall into the modernist tradition of aesthetic formalism. In the science fiction 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), he effectively uses the Eisensteinian techniques of rhythmic, tonal and intellectual montage to comment on technological teleology, human enlightenment, and the origin of violence. Kubrick established his early reputation with the noir The Killing (1956), and the World War I drama Paths of Glory (1957). The adaptations Lolita (1962) and A Clockwork Orange (1971) brought him worldwide success and acclaim. Later in his career, the psychological thriller The Shining (1987) and the Vietnam film Full Metal Jacket (1987) cemented his status as a fierce yet highly controversial critic of modern society, human nature, and the capitalistic machines of war and patriarchy.
VanDerBeek, Stan (1927–1984)
Authors: Levin Erica
Published: September 2018

Stan VanDerBeek is an American artist (b. New York City, US) who is widely regarded as a pioneer and visionary in the field of experimental media. VanDerBeek coined a number of indispensable terms that describe the myriad paths he pursued as an innovator of new media forms, including ‘underground cinema’, ‘expanded cinema’, and possibly ‘social media’, using the phrase as early as 1974. His first cut-out animations and collage films were produced in the late 1950s after he picked up a Bolex camera at Black Mountain College. As more advanced technologies became available, he embraced the possibilities opened up by video processing and early computer graphics. VanDerBeek not only focused on new modes of image production, he also imagined alternatives to conventional forms of viewing and distributing moving images, devising a proposal for a system of satellite-linked ‘movie-dromes’ (dome-shaped theatres built for multi-channel immersive screenings), media labs, and image archives that he called a Culture Intercom. VanDerBeek envisioned a future in which increased access to the tools of multimedia production would enable networked exchange across the globe. His prolific output and creative re-appropriation of the flotsam and jetsam of mass culture anticipated the antic eclecticism of a user-generated social media culture yet to come.