bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The natural history of subependymal giant cell astrocytomas in tuberous sclerosis complex: a review
Authors: Chan Denise L. , Calder Tessa , Lawson John A. , Mowat David , Kennedy Sean E. 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an auto-somal-dominant inherited condition with an incidence of approximately 1:6000 births, characterised by deregulated mTOR activity with multi-site hamartomas. Subependymal giant cell astrocytomas (SEGA) are one such hamartoma, affecting up to 24% of patients with TSC. Their intraventricular location may lead to life-threatening obstructive hydrocephalus. Current management is hampered by a lack of understanding regarding the natural history, behaviour and growth patterns of SEGA. We review the current literature to summarise what is known about SEGA in the following areas: (1) diagnostic criteria, (2) prevalence, (3) origin, (4) imaging characteristics, (5) growth rate, (6) genotype-phenotype correlation, (7) congenital SEGA and (8) SEGA as a marker of severity of other TSC manifestations.
The Palimpsestic Time and Identity in Graham Swift’s Ever After
Authors: Catană Elisabeta Simona 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
The essay analyses Graham Swift’s Ever After and shows that the concepts of time and identity are fictional constructs which stand for a palimpsestic world presented as an eternal stage of past and present stories. Time and identity are revealed to us through symbols which stand for a palimpsestic world. They are reinvented and rewritten according to the narrator’s vision.
Cultural Translation as Representation in Paul Bowles’ Their Heads Are Green and Their Hands Are Blue (1957)
Authors: Aammari Lahoucine 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
This paper is premised upon the American writer, Paul Bowles, and his journey into Morocco as a liminal topography. In his Their Heads are Green and their Hands are Blue the traveller-writer crosses borders, moving from the metropolis to the colony as a far-flung territory, a process which is faced with a sense of unrepresentability of the Other and its culture, leading to a sense of dislocation on the part of the traveller. The latter lives on the edge of two starkly different cultures, civilizations, religions and societies. His peregrination produces weird feelings which are associated with the liminal and the threshold, and which oscillate between the homely and unhomely, the ordinary and the mysterious.
Initiative For EFL Teacher Development in Romanian Schools
Authors: Pavelescu Liana 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
The aim of the present teacher development initiative is twofold: to help EFL teachers develop critical reflection skills through various means such as video recording, journal writing, peer observation and a support group and to create what Hargreaves (cited in Johnston 2009) calls a “culture of collaboration”. It is believed that teachers, students and the educational institution as a whole would benefit from such an initiative.
Developing Literary Translators’ Competence. A Multi-Leveled Approach
Authors: Percec Dana 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
Just as one’s foreign language skills may be assessed on the basis of the Common European Framework of Reference, so may literary translators’ competences be evaluated following the criteria listed in the PETRA-E Framework of Reference for the Education and Training of Literary Translators. The article reports on the results obtained on the basis of a small-scale investigation aimed at diagnosing the competences of 1st year Translation Studies MA students at the West University of Timișoara, where the authors teach. The investigation covered one month of the fall semester, during which the students were asked to translate a short story (O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi¸ 1906) and perform a number of other tasks set in accordance with the PETRA-E descriptors for early career translators’ competences. The paper rounds off with the conclusions of the investigation, which may prove useful in outlining directions in literary translators’ training.
Analysis of the bending and failure of fiber metal laminates based on glass and carbon fibers
Authors: Ostapiuk Monika , Bieniaś Jarosław , Surowska Barbara 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mechanisms of cracking and failure in fiber metal laminates (FMLs) subjected to 3-point bending. Two types of laminates, based on the glass/epoxy and carbon/epoxy composites, were selected for the study. The paper presents the failures of matrix and fibers as well as the effects of different thicknesses of metal layers on the tested laminates. The mechanisms of failure observed for the two tested types of fibers with uniform thickness of aluminum sheets seem similar. The results demonstrate that the tested laminates exhibit the following failure modes: fiber breakage, matrix cracking, fiber/matrix debonding, delamination, and anodic layer failure. Given the behavior of aluminum under the compressive and tensile stresses, the aluminum layer acts as a barrier preventing FML failure during bending. In addition to aluminum layer thickness, the fiber type and composite layer directions are also important factors to be considered.
Shadow Economy in Tourism: Some Conceptual Considerations from Croatia
Authors: Kesar Oliver , Čuić Katarina 
Published: December 2017

AbstractAlthough the importance of tourism for the Croatian economy is widely recognized and well documented, the issues related to the existence of shadow economy in tourism are not yet fully investigated and resolved. In spite of many attempts to estimate the size and impacts of shadow economy in tourism, there is still much controversy regarding the scope of the research area and the appropriateness of methodological approaches used to quantify this complex phenomenon. The present study aimed to (1) summarize the existing body of empirical evidence related to the shadow economy in tourism, with special reference to the case of Croatia, and to (2) shed some more light on additional aspects and variables which have been found to be important determinants for better understanding of the nature of the shadow economy in tourism. In order to reduce the adverse impacts of the shadow economy in tourism, some policy recommendations are suggested.
Temperature-dependent synchrotron X-ray diffraction, pair distribution function and susceptibility study on the layered compound CrTe3
Authors: Hansen Anna-Lena , Dietl Bastian , Etter Martin , Kremer Reinhard K. , Johnson David C. , Bensch Wolfgang 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
Results of combined synchrotron X-ray diffraction and pair distribution function experiments performed on the layered compound CrTe3 provide evidence for a short range structural distortion of one of the two crystallographically independent CrTe6 octahedra. The distortion is caused by higher mobility of one crystallographically distinct Te ion, leading to an unusual large Debye Waller factor. In situ high temperature X-ray diffraction investigations show an initial crystallization of a minor amount of elemental Te followed by decomposition of CrTe3 into Cr5Te8 and Te. Additional experiments provide evidence that the Te impurity (<1%) cannot be avoided. Analyses of structural changes in the temperature range 100–754 K show a pronounced anisotropic expansion of the lattice parameters. The differing behavior of the crystal axes is explained on the basis of structural distortions of the Cr4Te16 structural building units. An abrupt distortion of the structure occurs at T≈250 K, which then remains nearly constant down to 100 K. The structural distortion affects the spin exchange interactions between Cr3+ cations. A significant splitting between field-cooled (fc) and zero-field-cooled (zfc) magnetic susceptibility is observed below about 200 K. Applying a small external magnetic field results in a substantial spontaneous magnetization, reminiscent of ferro- or ferrimagnet exchange interactions below ~240 K. A Debye temperature of ~150 K was extracted from heat capacity measurements.
A Design of Experiment Approach to Study the Effects of Raw Material on the Performance of Geopolymer Concrete
Authors: Li Yanping , Shen Lin , Mirmoghtadaei Reza , Ai Li 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
The compressive strength development, setting time, and workability of fly ash–based geopolymer were investigated by modifying alkali solution composition, slag replacement percentage, curing temperature, and liquid to binder ratio (L/B). The mechanism of how raw material formulation affects fresh and mechanical properties of geopolymer concrete was discussed based on analysis of the geopolymerization process. Due to the complex reactions involved with the geopolymer formations, a design of experiment (DOE) approach was used to quantify the effects of silica concentration, hydroxide concentration, and slag replacement percentage on setting time, 7-day, and 28-day compressive strength. The prediction models showed excellent agreement with high adjusted R2. The DOE results revealed the following: for setting time, concentration of hydroxide (mol of [OH-]), the interaction of the concentration of silicon (mol of [Si]) and [OH-], and the quadratic (second-order) effect of [Si] were considered significant; for 7-day compressive strength, only [Si], the ground granulated blast-furnace slag to cementitious materials ratio ([GGBS/cem]), and their interaction were found to be significant, whereas [OH-] was considered not significant; for 28-day compressive strength, all factors appeared to become important.
Physical Modeling of Soil Liquefaction: Repeatability of Centrifuge Experimentation at RPI
Authors: Abdoun Tarek , Kokkali Panagiota , Zeghal Mourad 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
Numerical models are commonly used in practice to predict the occurrence and propagation of liquefaction and lateral spreading. Nevertheless, there are still only a few good-quality data sets to validate these models. An international collaboration between physical and numerical modelers has been initiated through the Liquefaction Experiments and Analysis Projects (LEAP) to establish a standard method for validation of numerical models. One of the main goals of LEAP is to provide numerical modelers with high-quality experimental data that can be used in a series of prediction exercises. In this framework, a small-scale centrifuge test of a sloping deposit was conducted at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in January 2015 and provided comprehensive data sets for evaluation of soil liquefaction numerical tools. The same experiment was repeated in September 2015 to assess the robustness and repeatability of the physical modeling methods at RPI. This paper serves a double objective: (1) to study the response and liquefaction potential of sloped deposits experimentally and (2) to establish the repeatability of experimental data to be used in numerical simulations.
Expedited Soil–Water Characteristic Curve Tests Using Combined Centrifuge and Chilled Mirror Techniques
Authors: Rahardjo H. , Nong X. F. , Lee D. T. T. , Leong E. C. , Fong Y. K. 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
A soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC) shows soil’s ability to provide water availability and the rate that this water can be transmitted and replenished. However, the current commonly used method to determine the SWCCs of soils (the axis-translation method) is time consuming. This study combines two relatively new but established methods (centrifuge and chilled mirror psychrometer) to find a rapid and reliable way to obtain the SWCC for a large range of suctions. For comparison, the SWCC was also independently measured using the axis-translation method (Tempe cell and pressure plate). The comparisons show that the SWCC parameters (air-entry values, residual suctions, and slope of SWCC) determined using the combined centrifuge and chilled mirror psychrometer methods agree well with the same SWCC parameters determined using the Tempe cell and pressure plate methods (axis-translation method). At the same time, the time taken was cut down from a few months for the axis-translation method to about two days for the combined centrifuge and chilled mirror psychrometer.
Area-Specific Regulation of Quiescent Neural Stem Cells by Notch3 in the Adult Mouse Subependymal Zone
Authors: Kawai Hiroki , Kawaguchi Daichi , Kuebrich Benjamin D. , Kitamoto Takeo , Yamaguchi Masahiro , Gotoh Yukiko , Furutachi Shohei 
Published: December 2017

In the adult mammalian brain, neural stem cells (NSCs) generate new neurons throughout the mammal's lifetime. The balance between quiescence and active cell division among NSCs is crucial in producing appropriate numbers of neurons while maintaining the stem cell pool for a long period. The Notch signaling pathway plays a central role in both maintaining quiescent NSCs (qNSCs) and promoting cell division of active NSCs (aNSCs), although no one knows how this pathway regulates these apparently opposite functions. Notch1 has been shown to promote proliferation of aNSCs without affecting qNSCs in the adult mouse subependymal zone (SEZ). In this study, we found that Notch3 is expressed to a higher extent in qNSCs than in aNSCs while Notch1 is preferentially expressed in aNSCs and transit-amplifying progenitors in the adult mouse SEZ. Furthermore, Notch3 is selectively expressed in the lateral and ventral walls of the SEZ. Knockdown of Notch3 in the lateral wall of the adult SEZ increased the division of NSCs. Moreover, deletion of theNotch3gene resulted in significant reduction of qNSCs specifically in the lateral and ventral walls, compared with the medial and dorsal walls, of the lateral ventricles. Notch3 deletion also reduced the number of qNSCs activated after antimitotic cytosine β-D-arabinofuranoside (Ara-C) treatment. Importantly, Notch3 deletion preferentially reduced specific subtypes of newborn neurons in the olfactory bulb derived from the lateral walls of the SEZ. These results indicate that Notch isoforms differentially control the quiescent and proliferative steps of adult SEZ NSCs in a domain-specific manner.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTIn the adult mammalian brain, the subependymal zone (SEZ) of the lateral ventricles is the largest neurogenic niche, where neural stem cells (NSCs) generate neurons. In this study, we found that Notch3 plays an important role in the maintenance of quiescent NSCs (qNSCs), while Notch1 has been reported to act as a regulator of actively cycling NSCs. Furthermore, we found that Notch3 is specifically expressed in qNSCs located in the lateral and ventral walls of the lateral ventricles and regulates neuronal production of NSCs in a region-specific manner. Our results indicate that Notch3, by maintaining the quiescence of a subpopulation of NSCs, confers a region-specific heterogeneity among NSCs in the adult SEZ.
Phencyclidine Discoordinates Hippocampal Network Activity But Not Place Fields
Authors: Kao Hsin-Yi , Dvořák Dino , Park EunHye , Kenney Jana , Kelemen Eduard , Fenton André A. 
Published: December 2017

We used the psychotomimetic phencyclidine (PCP) to investigate the relationships among cognitive behavior, coordinated neural network function, and information processing within the hippocampus place cell system. We report in rats that PCP (5 mg/kg, i.p.) impairs a well learned, hippocampus-dependent place avoidance behavior in rats that requires cognitive control even when PCP is injected directly into dorsal hippocampus. PCP increases 60–100 Hz medium-freguency gamma oscillations in hippocampus CA1 and these increases correlate with the cognitive impairment caused by systemic PCP administration. PCP discoordinates theta-modulated medium-frequency and slow gamma oscillations in CA1 LFPs such that medium-frequency gamma oscillations become more theta-organized than slow gamma oscillations. CA1 place cell firing fields are preserved under PCP, but the drug discoordinates the subsecond temporal organization of discharge among place cells. This discoordination causes place cell ensemble representations of a familiar space to cease resembling pre-PCP representations despite preserved place fields. These findings point to the cognitive impairments caused by PCP arising from neural discoordination. PCP disrupts the timing of discharge with respect to the subsecond timescales of theta and gamma oscillations in the LFP. Because these oscillations arise from local inhibitory synaptic activity, these findings point to excitation–inhibition discoordination as the root of PCP-induced cognitive impairment.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTHippocampal neural discharge is temporally coordinated on timescales of theta and gamma oscillations in the LFP and the discharge of a subset of pyramidal neurons called “place cells” is spatially organized such that discharge is restricted to locations called a cell's “place field.” Because this temporal coordination and spatial discharge organization is thought to represent spatial knowledge, we used the psychotomimetic phencyclidine (PCP) to disrupt cognitive behavior and assess the importance of neural coordination and place fields for spatial cognition. PCP impaired the judicious use of spatial information and discoordinated hippocampal discharge without disrupting firing fields. These findings dissociate place fields from spatial cognitive behavior and suggest that hippocampus discharge coordination is crucial to spatial cognition.
Determining the Neural Substrate for Encoding a Memory of Human Pain and the Influence of Anxiety
Authors: Tseng Ming-Tsung , Kong Yazhuo , Eippert Falk , Tracey Irene 
Published: December 2017

To convert a painful stimulus into a briefly maintainable construct when the painful stimulus is no longer accessible is essential to guide human behavior and avoid dangerous situations. Because of the aversive nature of pain, this encoding process might be influenced by emotional aspects and could thus vary across individuals, but we have yet to understand both the basic underlying neural mechanisms as well as potential interindividual differences. Using fMRI in combination with a delayed-discrimination task in healthy volunteers of both sexes, we discovered that brain regions involved in this working memory encoding process were dissociable according to whether the to-be-remembered stimulus was painful or not, with the medial thalamus and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex encoding painful and the primary somatosensory cortex encoding nonpainful stimuli. Encoding of painful stimuli furthermore significantly enhanced functional connectivity between the thalamus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). With regards to emotional aspects influencing encoding processes, we observed that more anxious participants showed significant performance advantages when encoding painful stimuli. Importantly, only during the encoding of pain, the interindividual differences in anxiety were associated with the strength of coupling between medial thalamus and mPFC, which was furthermore related to activity in the amygdala. These results indicate not only that there is a distinct signature for the encoding of a painful experience in humans, but also that this encoding process involves a strong affective component.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTTo convert the sensation of pain into a briefly maintainable construct is essential to guide human behavior and avoid dangerous situations. Although this working memory encoding process is implicitly contained in the majority of studies, the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Using fMRI in a delayed-discrimination task, we found that the encoding of pain engaged the activation of the medial thalamus and the functional connectivity between the thalamus and medial prefrontal cortex. These fMRI data were directly and indirectly related to participants' self-reported trait and state anxiety. Our findings indicate that the mechanisms responsible for the encoding of noxious stimuli differ from those for the encoding of innocuous stimuli, and that these mechanisms are shaped by an individual's anxiety levels.
History-Dependent Odor Processing in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb
Authors: Vinograd Amit , Livneh Yoav , Mizrahi Adi 
Published: December 2017

In nature, animals normally perceive sensory information on top of backgrounds. Thus, the neural substrate to perceive under background conditions is inherent in all sensory systems. Where and how sensory systems process backgrounds is not fully understood. In olfaction, just a few studies have addressed the issue of odor coding on top of continuous odorous backgrounds. Here, we tested how background odors are encoded by mitral cells (MCs) in the olfactory bulb (OB) of male mice. Usingin vivotwo-photon calcium imaging, we studied how MCs responded to odors in isolation versus their responses to the same odors on top of continuous backgrounds. We show that MCs adapt to continuous odor presentation and that mixture responses are different when preceded by background. In a subset of odor combinations, this history-dependent processing was useful in helping to identify target odors over background. Other odorous backgrounds were highly dominant such that target odors were completely masked by their presence. Our data are consistent in both low and high odor concentrations and in anesthetized and awake mice. Thus, odor processing in the OB is strongly influenced by the recent history of activity, which could have a powerful impact on how odors are perceived.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTWe examined a basic feature of sensory processing in the olfactory bulb. Specifically, we measured how mitral cells adapt to continuous background odors and how target odors are encoded on top of such background. Our results show clear differences in odor coding based on the immediate history of the stimulus. Our results support the argument that odor coding in the olfactory bulb depends on the recent history of the sensory environment.
Human Astrocytes Transfer Aggregated Alpha-Synuclein via Tunneling Nanotubes
Authors: Rostami Jinar , Holmqvist Staffan , Lindström Veronica , Sigvardson Jessica , Westermark Gunilla T , Ingelsson Martin , Bergström Joakim , Roybon Laurent , Erlandsson Anna 
Published: December 2017

Many lines of evidence suggest that the Parkinson's disease (PD)-related protein α-synuclein (α-SYN) can propagate from cell to cell in a prion-like manner. However, the cellular mechanisms behind the spreading remain elusive. Here, we show that human astrocytes derived from embryonic stem cells actively transfer aggregated α-SYN to nearby astrocytes via direct contact and tunneling nanotubes (TNTs). Failure in the astrocytes' lysosomal digestion of excess α-SYN oligomers results in α-SYN deposits in the trans-Golgi network followed by endoplasmic reticulum swelling and mitochondrial disturbances. The stressed astrocytes respond by conspicuously sending out TNTs, enabling intercellular transfer of α-SYN to healthy astrocytes, which in return deliver mitochondria, indicating a TNT-mediated rescue mechanism. Using a pharmacological approach to inhibit TNT formation, we abolished the transfer of both α-SYN and mitochondria. Together, our results highlight the role of astrocytes in α-SYN cell-to-cell transfer, identifying possible pathophysiological events in the PD brain that could be of therapeutic relevance.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTAstrocytes are the major cell type in the brain, yet their role in Parkinson's disease progression remains elusive. Here, we show that human astrocytes actively transfer aggregated α-synuclein (α-SYN) to healthy astrocytes via direct contact and tunneling nanotubes (TNTs), rather than degrade it. The astrocytes engulf large amounts of oligomeric α-SYN that are subsequently stored in the trans-Golgi network region. The accumulation of α-SYN in the astrocytes affects their lysosomal machinery and induces mitochondrial damage. The stressed astrocytes respond by sending out TNTs, enabling intercellular transfer of α-SYN to healthy astrocytes. Our findings highlight an unexpected role of astrocytes in the propagation of α-SYN pathology via TNTs, revealing astrocytes as a potential target for therapeutic intervention.