bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The point of banter in the television show Pointless
Authors: Pillière Linda 
Published: April 2018

Abstract
This paper explores banter within the television quiz show
Pointless
. Building on previous theories of banter, I suggest that the composite nature of the phenomenon can usefully be analysed within an interactional pragmatic model, such as that proposed by Lecercle (1999). Using this model to analyse various episodes of
Pointless
, I seek to demonstrate that banter is created within a dynamic interpersonal process. I focus on the sequential interaction between speaker and the various hearers involved in the exchange, as opposed to isolated utterances. I propose that any analysis of banter needs not only to study the linguistic aspects of a series of utterances, but also the sociocultural context and the encyclopaedic knowledge that each participant brings to the exchange.
Grammatical fear morphemes in Ese Ejja
Authors: Vuillermet Marine 
Published: April 2018

AbstractGrammatical morphemes dedicated to emotions have been little described so far, except for surprise, which may be instantiated in a mirative category. It has even been suggested that an equivalent grammatical encoding for other basic emotions does not seem to occur crosslinguistically. This paper examines three grammatical morphemes in the Amazonian language Ese Ejja (Takanan), namely theapprehensive, theavertiveand thetimitive, and argues that all three morphemes express fear or its milder version apprehension, i.e. an emotion triggered by an undesirable, (highly) possible event. The morphemes essentially diverge in their syntactic scope (main verb, subordinated verb, or NP), their perspective (that of the speaker or the subject), and the possible absence vs. obligatory presence of a precautionary situation, i.e. the precautions taken to avoid the (consequences of the) feared event. After describing these features in Ese Ejja, the article outlines a crosslinguistic framework for the study of these categories.
Inhibition of miR-21-5p suppresses high glucose-induced proliferation and angiogenesis of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells by the regulation of AKT and ERK pathways via maspin
Authors: Qiu Feng , Tong Huijuan , Wang Yawen , Tao Jun , Wang Hailin , Chen Lei 
Published: April 2018

ABSTRACT
The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of miR-21-5p in angiogenesis of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs). HRMECs were incubated with 5 mM glucose, 30 mM glucose or 30 mM mannitol for 24 h, 48 h or 72 h. Then, HRMECs exposed to 30 mM glucose were transfected with miR-21-5p inhibitor. We found that high glucose increased the expression of miR-21-5p, VEGF, VEGFR2 and cell proliferation activity. Inhibition of miR-21-5p reduced high glucose-induced proliferation, migration, tube formation of HRMECs, and reversed the decreased expression of maspin as well as the abnormal activation of PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways. Down-regulation of maspin by siRNA significantly increased the activities of PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways. In conclusion, inhibition of miR-21-5p could suppress high glucose-induced proliferation and angiogenesis of HRMECs, and these effects may partly dependent on the regulation of PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways via its target protein maspin.
Room temperature ferromagnetism in Fe-doped semiconductor ZrS2 single crystals
Authors: Muhammad Zahir , Lv Haifeng , Wu Chuanqiang , Habib Muhammad , ur Rehman Zia , Khan Rashid , Chen Shuangming , Wu Xiaojun , Song Li 
Published: April 2018

Abstract
Two dimensional (2D) layered magnetic materials have obtained much attention due to their intriguing properties with a potential application in the field of spintronics. Herein, room-temperature ferromagnetism with 0.2 emu g−1 magnetic moment is realized in Fe-doped ZrS2 single crystals of millimeter size, in comparison with diamagnetic behaviour in ZrS2. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals that 5.2wt% Fe-doping ZrS2 crystal exhibit high spin value of g-factor about 3.57 at room temperature also confirmed this evidence, due to the unpaired electrons created by doped Fe atoms. First principle static electronic and magnetic calculations further confirm the increased stability of long range ferromagnetic ordering and enhanced magnetic moment in Fe-doped ZrS2, originating from the Fe spin polarized electron near the Fermi level.
Scanner Data‐Based Panel Price Indexes
Authors: Zhen Chen , Finkelstein Eric A. , Karns Shawn A. , Leibtag Ephraim S. , Zhang Chenhua 
Published: April 2018

AbstractWe construct panel price indexes using retail scanner data that allow comparisons of consumption cost across space and time. Two types of panel indexes are examined: the rolling‐window panel extensions of the multilateral Cave‐Christensen‐Diewert index with the Törnqvist index as its elements, and of the multilateral Gini‐Eltetö‐Köves‐Szulc index using the Fisher ideal index as its elements. The rolling window method maintains the nonrevisability of published index numbers while allowing index numbers for new periods and locations to be calculated and the basket of items to be updated. Meanwhile, the multilateral structure of price comparison eliminates significant downward drift in standard chained indexes. Using county‐level bilateral and panel indexes based on retail beverage scanner data, we experimentally adjust for purchasing parity the portion of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that participants spend on beverages. Accounting for temporal and spatial cost differences causes over 2% of SNAP allotment spent on beverages to be reallocated, or approximately a 5% change in allotment on average for a county. About 90% of the relocated SNAP fund is to adjust for spatial differences in food cost. We also compare SNAP allotments implied by the retail scanner data indexes with those implied by indexes based on the USDA Quarterly Food‐at‐Home Price Database (QFAHPD). The treatment of unit values and product quality may have contributed to the significant differences observed between the retail scanner data indexes and the QFAHPD indexes.
Livable Environments and the Quality of Life of Older People: An Ecological Perspective
Authors: Stephens Christine , Szabó Ágnes , Allen Joanne , Alpass Fiona 
Published: April 2018

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesThe WHO “Framework for Policy for Healthy Ageing’ (2015) focuses on the broader environment and the support it provides for everyday functioning of older people. The concept of “livability” supports this framework by providing a conceptualization of environments that support good quality of life.Research Design and MethodsThis observational study used an ecological framework of livability to assess cross-sectional relationships between living environments and perceived quality of life among 4,028 respondents, aged 50–89 years who were surveyed in 2016. A 4-step hierarchical model regressed quality of life on individual resources (health, chronic conditions, SES), contextual variables (distance to health care; rural/urban setting), perceptions of housing and neighborhood environments (housing satisfaction, neighborhood quality, neighborhood social cohesion), and interactions between these levels of the ecological model.ResultsAs predicted, housing and neighborhood perceptions contributed an additional 5% variance to the model which explained 49% of quality of life. There were significant interactions between the contextual variables and qualities of housing and neighborhood.Discussion and ImplicationsThese findings support the importance of material and social provisions of housing and neighborhoods to quality of life among older people. The ecological model highlights critical information provided by taking different levels of the environment and personal circumstances into account. The concept of “livability,” focusing on perceptions of the environment, can assist a shift from seeking the universal ideal neighborhood toward understanding the ways in which different communities may achieve quality of housing and neighborhood facilities that meet community members’ needs.
Late toxicity in long-term survivors from a phase 2 study of concurrent radiation therapy, temozolomide and valproic acid for newly diagnosed glioblastoma
Authors: Krauze Andra V , Mackey Megan , Rowe Lindsay , Chang Michal G , Holdford Diane J , Cooley Theresa , Shih Joanna , Tofilon Philip J , Camphausen Kevin 
Published: April 2018

Abstract

Background
Valproic acid (VPA) is an antiepileptic agent with histone deacetylase inhibitor activity shown to enhance overall survival and progression free survival in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM). This reports on the late toxicity of the VPA/radiotherapy (RT)/temozolomide (TMZ) combination in the long-term survivors of a phase 2 study evaluating this regimen.

Methods
37 patients with newly diagnosed GBM were initially enrolled on this trial and received combination therapy. VPA/RT/TMZ related late toxicities were evaluated in the 6 patients that lived greater than 3 years using the Cancer Therapy and Evaluation Program Common Toxicity Criteria (CTC) Version 4.0 for toxicity and adverse event reporting as well as the RTOG/EORTC Radiation Morbidity Scoring Scheme.

Results
The median duration of follow-up for these 6 patients was 69.5m. In this cohort, the median OS was 73.8m (60.8–103.8m) and median PFS was 53.1m (37.3 – 103.8m). The most common late toxicity of VPA in conjunction with RT/TMZ were the CTC classifications of neurological, pain, and blood/ bone marrow toxicity and most were grade 1/2. There were only two grade 3/4 toxicities.

Conclusions
The addition of VPA to concurrent RT/TMZ in patients with newly diagnosed GBM was well tolerated with little late toxicity. Additionally, VPA may result in improved outcomes as compared to historical data and merits further study.
Microelectromechanical system gravimeters as a new tool for gravity imaging
Authors: Middlemiss Richard P. , Bramsiepe Steven G. , Douglas Rebecca , Hild Stefan , Hough James , Paul Douglas J. , Samarelli Antonio , Rowan Sheila , Hammond Giles D. 
Published: April 2018

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) gravimeter has been manufactured with a sensitivity of 40 ppb in an integration time of 1 s. This sensor has been used to measure the Earth tides: the elastic deformation of the globe due to tidal forces. No such measurement has been demonstrated before now with a MEMS gravimeter. Since this measurement, the gravimeter has been miniaturized and tested in the field. Measurements of the free-air and Bouguer effects have been demonstrated by monitoring the change in gravitational acceleration measured while going up and down a lift shaft of 20.7 m, and up and down a local hill of 275 m. These tests demonstrate that the device has the potential to be a useful field-portable instrument. The development of an even smaller device is underway, with a total package size similar to that of a smartphone.
This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘The promises of gravitational-wave astronomy’.
The prospects of pulsar timing with new-generation radio telescopes and the Square Kilometre Array
Authors: Stappers B. W. , Keane E. F. , Kramer M. , Possenti A. , Stairs I. H. 
Published: April 2018

Pulsars are highly magnetized and rapidly rotating neutron stars. As they spin, the lighthouse-like beam of radio emission from their magnetic poles sweeps across the Earth with a regularity approaching that of the most precise clocks known. This precision combined with the extreme environments in which they are found, often in compact orbits with other neutron stars and white dwarfs, makes them excellent tools for studying gravity. Present and near-future pulsar surveys, especially those using the new generation of telescopes, will find more extreme binary systems and pulsars that are more precise ‘clocks’. These telescopes will also greatly improve the precision to which we can measure the arrival times of the pulses. The Square Kilometre Array will revolutionize pulsar searches and timing precision. The increased number of sources will reveal rare sources, including possibly a pulsar–black hole binary, which can provide the most stringent tests of strong-field gravity. The improved timing precision will reveal new phenomena and also allow us to make a detection of gravitational waves in the nanohertz frequency regime. It is here where we expect to see the signature of the binary black holes that are formed as galaxies merge throughout cosmological history.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘The promises of gravitational-wave astronomy’.
Revolutionising the design and analysis of protein engineering experiments using fractional factorial design
Authors: Harborne Steven P. D. , Wotherspoon Duncan , Michie Jessica , McComb Alasdair , Kotila Tommi , Gilmour Steven G. , Goldman Adrian 
Published: April 2018

AbstractProtein engineering is one of the foundations of biotechnology, used to increase protein stability, re-assign the catalytic properties of enzymes or increase the interaction affinity between antibody and target. To date, strategies for protein engineering have focussed on systematic, random or computational methods for introducing new mutations. Here, we introduce the statistical approach of fractional factorial design as a convenient and powerful tool for the design and analysis of protein mutations, allowing sampling of a large mutational space whilst minimising the tests to be done. Our test case is the integral membrane protein, Acridine resistance subunit B (AcrB), part of the AcrAB-TolC multi-protein complex, a multi-drug efflux pump of Gram-negative bacteria. E. coli AcrB is naturally histidine-rich, meaning that it is a common contaminant in the purification of recombinantly expressed, histidine-tagged membrane proteins. Coupled with the ability of AcrB to crystallise from picogram quantities causing false positives in 2-D and 3-D crystallisation screening, AcrB contamination represents a significant hindrance to the determination of new membrane protein structures. Here, we demonstrate the use of fractional factorial design for protein engineering, identifying the most important residues involved in the interaction between AcrB and nickel resin. We demonstrate that a combination of spatially close, but sequentially distant histidine residues are important for nickel binding, which were different from those predicted a priori. Fractional factorial methodology has the ability to decrease the time and material costs associated with protein engineering whilst expanding the depth of mutational space explored; a revolutionary concept.Significance statementProtein engineering is important for the production of enzymes for bio-manufacturing, stabilised protein for research and production of therapeutic antibodies against human diseases. Here, we introduce a statistical method that can reduce the time and cost required to perform protein engineering. We validate our approach experimentally using the multi-drug efflux pump AcrB, a target for understanding drug-resistance in pathogenic bacteria, but also a persistent contaminant in the purification of membrane proteins from E. coli. This provides a general method for increasing the efficiency of protein engineering.
Rapid Identification of Stable Clusters in Bacterial Populations Using the Adjusted Wallace Coefficient
Authors: Barker Dillon OR , Carriço João A , Kruczkiewicz Peter , Palma Federica , Rossi Mirko , Taboada Eduardo N 
Published: April 2018

AbstractWhole-genome sequencing (WGS) of microbial pathogens has become an essential part of modern epidemiological investigations. Although WGS data can be analyzed using a number of different approaches, such as traditional phylogenetic methods, a critical requirement for global systems for pathogen surveillance is the development of approaches for transforming sequence data into WGS-based subtypes, which creates a nomenclature that describes their higher-order relationships to one another. To this end, subtype similarity thresholds are needed to define clusters of subtypes representing lineages of interest. WGS-based subtyping presents a challenge since both the addition of novel genome sequences and small adjustments in similarity thresholds can have a dramatic impact on cluster composition and stability. We present the Neighbourhood Adjusted Wallace Coefficient (nAWC), a method for evaluating cluster stability based on computing cluster concordance between neighbouring similarity thresholds. The nAWC can be used to identify areas in in which distance thresholds produce robust clusters. Using datasets fromSalmonella entericaandCampylobacter jejuni, representing strongly and weakly clonal bacterial species respectively, we show that clusters generated using such thresholds are both stable and reflect basic units in their overall population structure. Our results suggest that the nAWC could be useful for defining robust clusters compatible with nomenclatures for global WGS-based surveillance networks, which require stable clusters to be defined that both harness the discriminatory power of WGS data while allowing for long-term tracking of strains of interest.
Improving early epidemiological assessment of emergingAedes-transmitted epidemics using historical data
Authors: Riou Julien , Poletto Chiara , Boëlle Pierre-Yves 
Published: April 2018

AbstractModel-based epidemiological assessment is useful to support decision-making at the beginning of an emergingAedes-transmitted outbreak. However, early forecasts are generally unreliable as little information is available in the first few incidence data points. Here, we show how pastAedes-transmitted epidemics help improve these predictions. The approach was applied to the 2015-2017 Zika virus epidemics in three islands of the French West Indies, with historical data including otherAedes-transmitted diseases (Chikungunya and Zika) in the same and other locations. Hierarchical models were used to build informativea prioridistributions on the reproduction ratio and the reporting rates. The accuracy and sharpness of forecasts improved substantially when thesea prioridistributions were used in models for prediction. For example, early forecasts of final epidemic size obtained without historical information were 3.3 times too high on average (range: 0.2 to 5.8) with respect to the eventual size, but were far closer (1.1 times the real value on average, range: 0.4 to 1.5) using information on past CHIKV epidemics in the same places. Likewise, the 97.5% upper bound for maximal incidence was 15.3 times (range: 2.0 to 63.1) the actual peak incidence, and became much sharper at 2.4 times (range: 1.3 to 3.9) the actual peak incidence with informativea prioridistributions. Improvements were more limited for the date of peak incidence and the total duration of the epidemic. The framework can adapt to all forecasting models at the early stages of emergingAedes-transmitted outbreaks.
Cross-sectional white matter microstructure differences in aging and trait mindfulness
Authors: Boekel Wouter , Hsieh Shulan 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThe process of aging can be characterized by a decline in cognitive performance, which may be accompanied by deterioration in specific structural properties of the brain. In this study we sought to investigate to what extent mindfulness changes over the aging process, and which alterations in brain structure can be associated to aging and concomitant changes in mindfulness. We collected Mindful Attention Awareness Scale questionnaire data to assess trait mindfulness and acquired diffusion-weighted imaging data fitted to the diffusion tensor model in a group of 97 middle-aged to elderly participants. Our results showed that trait mindfulness increased with age. In terms of white matter structure our results suggested that there was a general increase of omnidirectional diffusion, which favored radial over axial diffusivity, leading to a decrease in fractional anisotropy (FA) in older participants. We further showed that trait mindfulness mediated the FA-age effect in a localized area consisting of the internal and external capsule, as well as the corona radiata. The implication of this mediation analysis is that trait mindfulness may deter age-associated neurocognitive decline, perhaps by preventing age-associated microlesions specifically in cortico-subcortical white matter tracts. This study can be considered a pioneer of using DTI studies to investigate the relationship between age and trait mindfulness.Disclosure statementConflict of Interest: The authors have no actual or potential conflicts of interest.
Antagonistic Pleiotropy Is Unexpectedly Rare In New Mutations
Authors: Sane Mrudula , Miranda Joshua John , Agashe Deepa 
Published: April 2018

ABSTRACTPleiotropic effects of mutations may underlie diverse biological phenomena such as ageing and specialization. In particular, antagonistic pleiotropy (“AP”: when a mutation has opposite fitness effects in different environments) generates tradeoffs, which may constrain adaptation. Models of adaptation typically assume that AP is common – especially among large-effect mutations – and that pleiotropic effect sizes are positively correlated. The rare empirical tests of these assumptions have largely focused on beneficial mutations observed under strong selection, whereas most mutations are actually deleterious or neutral, and are removed by selection. We quantified the incidence, nature and effect size of pleiotropy for carbon utilization across 80 single mutations in Escherichia coli that arose under mutation accumulation (i.e. weak selection). Although ~46% of the mutations were pleiotropic, only 11% showed AP, which is lower than expected given the distributions of fitness effects for each resource. In some environments, AP was more common in large-effect mutations (but not synergistic pleiotropy, SP); whereas pleiotropic effect sizes were positively correlated for SP (but not AP). Thus, AP is generally rare, is not consistently enriched in large-effect mutations, and often involves weakly deleterious antagonistic effects. Our unbiased quantification of mutational effects therefore suggests that antagonistic pleiotropy is unlikely to cause maladaptive tradeoffs.
Inferior parietal lobule and early visual areas support elicitation of individualized meanings during narrative listening
Authors: Saalasti S. , Alho J. , Bar M. , Glerean E. , Honkela T. , Kauppila M. , Sams M. , Jääskeläinen I. P. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractWhen listening to a narrative, the verbal expressions translate into meanings and flow of mental imagery, at best vividly immersing the keen listener into the sights, sounds, scents, objects, actions, and events in the story. However, the same narrative can be heard quite differently based on differences in listeners’ previous experiences and knowledge, as the semantics and mental imagery elicited by words and phrases in the story vary extensively between any given two individuals. Here, we capitalized on such inter-individual differences to disclose brain regions that support transformation of narrative into individualized propositional meanings and associated mental imagery by analyzing brain activity associated with behaviorally-assessed individual meanings elicited by a narrative. Sixteen subjects listed words best describing what had come to their minds during each 3–5 sec segment of an eight-minute narrative that they listened during fMRI of brain hemodynamic activity. Similarities in these word listings between subjects, estimated using latent-semantic analysis combined with WordNet knowledge, predicted similarities in brain hemodynamic activity in supramarginal and angular gyri as well as in cuneus. Our results demonstrate how inter-individual differences in semantic representations can be measured and utilized to identify specific brain regions that support the elicitation of individual propositional meanings and the associated mental imagery when one listens to a narrative.