bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Securitization, Normalization, and Representations of Islam in Senate Discourse
Authors: Coen Alise 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThis study explores depictions of Islam in Senate rhetoric across the 106th (1999–2000) and 111th (2009–2010) Congresses. These two periods are compared to consider overall patterns in congressional discourse on Islam and to explore how the September 11th, 2001 attacks might have shaped this discourse. The study also examines the possible effects of ideology, partisanship, and senator religious affiliation on representations of Islam. The article ultimately suggests that despite some important post-September 11 shifts in Senate rhetoric pertaining to Islam, persistent themes regarding securitization, Orientalist tendencies, moderate-fundamentalist dichotomizations, and ideological divisions merit scrutiny. This study contributes to work on Congress, religion, and American politics by assessing trends in the discursive representation of Islam by United States legislators. Theoretically, the article draws upon the Copenhagen School in International Relations to assess the securitization of Islam within legislative debates and to develop the related concept of normalization.
Identification of a genetically defined ultra-high-risk group in relapsed pediatric T-lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Richter-Pechańska P , Kunz J B , Hof J , Zimmermann M , Rausch T , Bandapalli O R , Orlova E , Scapinello G , Sagi J C , Stanulla M , Schrappe M , Cario G , Kirschner-Schwabe R , Eckert C , Benes V , Korbel J O , Muckenthaler M U , Kulozik A E 
Published: February 2017

AbstractIn the search for genes that define critical steps of relapse in pediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and can serve as prognostic markers, we performed targeted sequencing of 313 leukemia-related genes in 214 patients: 67 samples collected at the time of relapse and 147 at initial diagnosis. As relapse-specific genetic events, we identified activating mutations in NT5C2 (P=0.0001, Fisher’s exact test), inactivation of TP53 (P=0.0007, Fisher’s exact test) and duplication of chr17:q11.2-24.3 (P=0.0068, Fisher’s exact test) in 32/67 of T-ALL relapse samples. Alterations of TP53 were frequently homozygous events, which significantly correlated with higher rates of copy number alterations in other genes compared with wild-type TP53 (P=0.0004, Mann–Whitney’s test). We subsequently focused on mutations with prognostic impact and identified genes governing DNA integrity (TP53, n=8; USP7, n=4; MSH6, n=4), having key roles in the RAS signaling pathway (KRAS, NRAS, n=8), as well as IL7R (n=4) and CNOT3 (n=4) to be exclusively mutated in fatal relapses. These markers recognize 24/49 patients with a second event. In 17 of these patients with mostly refractory relapse and dire need for efficient treatment, we identified candidate targets for personalized therapy with p53 reactivating compounds, MEK inhibitors or JAK/STAT-inhibitors that may be incorporated in future treatment strategies.
Prenatal thalamic waves regulate cortical area size prior to sensory processing
Authors: Moreno-Juan Verónica , Filipchuk Anton , Antón-Bolaños Noelia , Mezzera Cecilia , Gezelius Henrik , Andrés Belen , Rodríguez-Malmierca Luis , Susín Rafael , Schaad Olivier , Iwasato Takuji , Schüle Roland , Rutlin Michael , Nelson Sacha , Ducret Sebastien , Valdeolmillos Miguel , Rijli Filippo M. , López-Bendito Guillermina 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe cerebral cortex is organized into specialized sensory areas, whose initial territory is determined by intracortical molecular determinants. Yet, sensory cortical area size appears to be fine tuned during development to respond to functional adaptations. Here we demonstrate the existence of a prenatal sub-cortical mechanism that regulates the cortical areas size in mice. This mechanism is mediated by spontaneous thalamic calcium waves that propagate among sensory-modality thalamic nuclei up to the cortex and that provide a means of communication among sensory systems. Wave pattern alterations in one nucleus lead to changes in the pattern of the remaining ones, triggering changes in thalamic gene expression and cortical area size. Thus, silencing calcium waves in the auditory thalamus induces Rorβ upregulation in a neighbouring somatosensory nucleus preluding the enlargement of the barrel-field. These findings reveal that embryonic thalamic calcium waves coordinate cortical sensory area patterning and plasticity prior to sensory information processing.
Dual origins of the intracellular circadian calcium rhythm in the suprachiasmatic nucleus
Authors: Enoki Ryosuke , Ono Daisuke , Kuroda Shigeru , Honma Sato , Honma Ken-ichi 
Published: February 2017

AbstractIn mammals, the master circadian clock is located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), where most neurons show circadian rhythms of intracellular Ca2+ levels. However, the origin of these Ca2+ rhythms remains largely unknown. In this study, we successfully monitored the intracellular circadian Ca2+ rhythms together with the circadian PER2 and firing rhythms in a single SCN slice ex vivo, which enabled us to explore the origins. The phase relation between the circadian PER2 and Ca2+ rhythms, but not between the circadian PER2 and firing rhythms, was significantly altered in Cry1/Cry2 double knockout mice, which display a loss of intercellular synchronization in the SCN. In addition, in Cry1/Cry2 double knockout mice, circadian Ca2+ rhythms were abolished in the dorsolateral SCN, but were maintained in the majority of the ventromedial SCN. These findings indicate that intracellular circadian Ca2+ rhythms are composed of an exogenous and endogenous component involving PER2 expression.
Forensic SNP Genotyping using Nanopore MinION Sequencing
Authors: Cornelis Senne , Gansemans Yannick , Deleye Lieselot , Deforce Dieter , Van Nieuwerburgh Filip 
Published: February 2017

AbstractOne of the latest developments in next generation sequencing is the Oxford Nanopore Technologies’ (ONT) MinION nanopore sequencer. We studied the applicability of this system to perform forensic genotyping of the forensic female DNA standard 9947 A using the 52 SNP-plex assay developed by the SNPforID consortium. All but one of the loci were correctly genotyped. Several SNP loci were identified as problematic for correct and robust genotyping using nanopore sequencing. All these loci contained homopolymers in the sequence flanking the forensic SNP and most of them were already reported as problematic in studies using other sequencing technologies. When these problematic loci are avoided, correct forensic genotyping using nanopore sequencing is technically feasible.
Cover crops support ecological intensification of arable cropping systems
Authors: Wittwer Raphaël A. , Dorn Brigitte , Jossi Werner , van der Heijden Marcel G. A. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractA major challenge for agriculture is to enhance productivity with minimum impact on the environment. Several studies indicate that cover crops could replace anthropogenic inputs and enhance crop productivity. However, so far, it is unclear if cover crop effects vary between different cropping systems, and direct comparisons among major arable production systems are rare. Here we compared the short-term effects of various cover crops on crop yield, nitrogen uptake, and weed infestation in four arable production systems (conventional cropping with intensive tillage and no-tillage; organic cropping with intensive tillage and reduced tillage). We hypothesized that cover cropping effects increase with decreasing management intensity. Our study demonstrated that cover crop effects on crop yield were highest in the organic system with reduced tillage (+24%), intermediate in the organic system with tillage (+13%) and in the conventional system with no tillage (+8%) and lowest in the conventional system with tillage (+2%). Our results indicate that cover crops are essential to maintaining a certain yield level when soil tillage intensity is reduced (e.g. under conservation agriculture), or when production is converted to organic agriculture. Thus, the inclusion of cover crops provides additional opportunities to increase the yield of lower intensity production systems and contribute to ecological intensification.
Ag/Au/Polypyrrole Core-shell Nanowire Network for Transparent, Stretchable and Flexible Supercapacitor in Wearable Energy Devices
Authors: Moon Hyunjin , Lee Habeom , Kwon Jinhyeong , Suh Young Duk , Kim Dong Kwan , Ha Inho , Yeo Junyeob , Hong Sukjoon , Ko Seung Hwan 
Published: February 2017

AbstractTransparent and stretchable energy storage devices have attracted significant interest due to their potential to be applied to biocompatible and wearable electronics. Supercapacitors that use the reversible faradaic redox reaction of conducting polymer have a higher specific capacitance as compared with electrical double-layer capacitors. Typically, the conducting polymer electrode is fabricated through direct electropolymerization on the current collector. However, no research have been conducted on metal nanowires as current collectors for the direct electropolymerization, even though the metal nanowire network structure has proven to be superior as a transparent, flexible, and stretchable electrode platform because the conducting polymer’s redox potential for polymerization is higher than that of widely studied metal nanowires such as silver and copper. In this study, we demonstrated a highly transparent and stretchable supercapacitor by developing Ag/Au/Polypyrrole core-shell nanowire networks as electrode by coating the surface of Ag NWs with a thin layer of gold, which provide higher redox potential than the electropolymerizable monomer. The Ag/Au/Polypyrrole core-shell nanowire networks demonstrated superior mechanical stability under various mechanical bending and stretching. In addition, proposed supercapacitors showed fine optical transmittance together with fivefold improved areal capacitance compared to pristine Ag/Au core-shell nanowire mesh-based supercapacitors.
MISSA 2.0: an updated synthetic biology toolbox for assembly of orthogonal CRISPR/Cas systems
Authors: Zhang Hai-Yan , Wang Xing-Hui , Dong Li , Wang Zhi-Ping , Liu Bing , Lv Jie , Xing Hui-Li , Han Chun-Yan , Wang Xue-Chen , Chen Qi-Jun 
Published: February 2017

AbstractEfficient generation of plants carrying mutations in multiple genes remains a challenge. Using two or more orthogonal CRISPR/Cas systems can generate plants with multi-gene mutations, but assembly of these systems requires a robust, high-capacity toolkit. Here, we describe MISSA 2.0 (multiple-round in vivo site-specific assembly 2.0), an extensively updated toolkit for assembly of two or more CRISPR/Cas systems. We developed a novel suicide donor vector system based on plasmid RK2, which has much higher cloning capacity than the original, plasmid R6K-based system. We validated the utility of MISSA 2.0 by assembling multiple DNA fragments into the E. coli chromosome, and by creating transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana that constitutively or inducibly overexpress multiple genes. We then demonstrated that the higher cloning capacity of the RK2-derived MISSA 2.0 donor vectors facilitated the assembly of two orthogonal CRISPR/Cas systems including SpCas9 and SaCas9, and thus facilitated the creation of transgenic lines harboring these systems. We anticipate that MISSA 2.0 will enable substantial advancements in multiplex genome editing based on two or more orthogonal CRISPR/Cas9 systems, as well as in plant synthetic biology.
Short‐term wind power forecasting and uncertainty analysis using a hybrid intelligent method
Authors: Huang Chao‐Ming , Kuo Chung‐Jen , Huang Yann‐Chang 
Published: February 2017

This study proposes a hybrid intelligent method for short‐term wind power forecasting and uncertainty analysis. In practice, the power output of a wind turbine is a direct function of wind speed. Owing to the intermittent and irregular nature of wind, the wind power generation is not easily dispatched and the prediction of wind power is highly uncertain. To allow a procedure for more accurate forecasting, a deterministic wind power prediction method that uses multiple support vector regression (SVR) models is established based on the wind power capacity and wind speed forecasts obtained from the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau (TCWB). An enhanced harmony search (EHS) algorithm is then used to estimate the parameters for each SVR model. To assess the risk that is associated with wind power forecasts in a power grid, an EHS‐based quantile regression method that accurately reflects the confidence intervals for wind power forecasts is presented. The proposed approach provides wind power forecasts for future 3 h in steps of 15 min and the associated forecasting uncertainty. During testing on three practical wind power generation systems, the proposed method gives better forecasting accuracy and produces more reasonable confidence intervals than existing methods.
Applications of 25OHD
3
in poultry meat production.
Authors: Litta G. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract

Vitamin D (cholecalciferol) is essential to humans and animals. Vitamin D
3
, the form active in poultry, can be synthesized endogenously but, as this process has very low efficiency in this species, vitamin D
3
must be supplemented via feed. To become active, vitamin D
3
must be hydroxylated twice in the body: first in the liver to 25OHD
3
and then in the kidney to the active, hormonal form 1,25(OH)
2
D
3
. The 25OHD
3
level in blood plasma is the indicator of the vitamin D nutritional status. Primary function of vitamin D
3
is to regulate both calcium and phosphorus metabolism, hence it plays a pivotal role in bone and skeletal development. For almost two decades now, 25OHD
3
has been commercially available. By feeding this metabolite directly, plasma levels are higher than when fed vitamin D
3
This occurs even more clearly when intestinal diseases or stress impair vitamin D
3
absorption. Both experimental trials and commercial use have indicated that supplementing broiler diets with 25OHD
3
can help improve bone and skeletal health; reduce the incidence of lameness and other bone disorders (e.g. tibial dyschondroplasia); modulate immune response; and improve performance, including having a direct effect on muscle growth mediated by molecular and cellular mechanisms.
Changes in xyloglucan endotransglycosylase (XET) activity during hormone-induced growth in lettuce and cucumber hypocotyls and spinach veil suspension cultures
Authors: Potter Ian , Fry Stephen C. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
The promotion of stem elongation in dwarf pea plants by GA3 has been correlated with an increase in extractable xyloglucan endotransglycosylase (XET) activity (Potter and Fry, 1993). Doses of auxin that caused either elongation or lateral swelling in pea stems have not been found to increase XET activity (Fry et al., 1992). We therefore explored the generality of the association between GA3 action and XET activity by testing three other bioassay systems.
A similar correlation was found in the hypocotyls of intact lettuce seedlings, where GA3 strongly promoted elongation and doubled the extractable XET activity per unit fresh weight.
In the hypocotyls of intact cucumber seedlings, GA3 evoked a prolonged promotion of elongation for at least 96 h; this was correlated with only a small increase in XET activity per unit fresh weight of tissue. IAA promoted elongation for only 48 h, but this effect was correlated with a larger increase in XET activity per unit fresh weight than that due to GA3.
In cell suspension cultures of spinach, much of the XET activity was present in solution in the culture medium. GA3 had little effect on this fraction for the first 9 d, but thereafter the hormone suppressed a sudden burst in soluble extracellular XET activity that occurred in the untreated controls. A further proportion of the XET activity was ionically wall-bound; this fraction was enhanced by GA3 in the early phase of the growth cycle of the culture and inhibited in later phases. Pre-adaptation of the culture by growth for 6 years in the presence of 10−7 M GA3 intensified the response of the cells to re-addition of GA3.
We conclude that there is no simple or unique relationship between total extractable XET activity and GA3 action. Nevertheless, we have extended the evidence that XET is often subject to the effects of GA3 in systems where this hormone influences growth.
Detection of two power-law tails in the probability distribution functions of massive GMCs
Authors: Schneider N. , Bontemps S. , Girichidis P. , Rayner T. , Motte F. , André Ph. , Russeil D. , Abergel A. , Anderson L. , Arzoumanian D. , Benedettini M. , Csengeri T. , Didelon P. , Francesco J. Di , Griffin M. , Hill T. , Klessen R. S. , Ossenkopf V. , Pezzuto S. , Rivera-Ingraham A. , Spinoglio L. , Tremblin P. , Zavagno A. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
We report the novel detection of complex high column density tails in the probability distribution functions (PDFs) for three high-mass star-forming regions (CepOB3, MonR2, NGC 6334), obtained from dust emission observed with Herschel. The low column density range can be fitted with a lognormal distribution. A first power-law tail starts above an extinction (AV) of ∼6–14. It has a slope of α = 1.3–2 for the ρ ∝ r−α profile for an equivalent density distribution (spherical or cylindrical geometry), and is thus consistent with free-fall gravitational collapse. Above AV ∼40, 60, and 140, we detect an excess that can be fitted by a flatter power-law tail with α &gt; 2. It correlates with the central regions of the cloud (ridges/hubs) of size ∼1 pc and densities above 104 cm−3. This excess may be caused by physical processes that slow down collapse and reduce the flow of mass towards higher densities. Possible are: (1) rotation, which introduces an angular momentum barrier, (2) increasing optical depth and weaker cooling, (3) magnetic fields, (4) geometrical effects, and (5) protostellar feedback. The excess/second power-law tail is closely linked to high-mass star-formation though it does not imply a universal column density threshold for the formation of (high-mass) stars.
Radio emission from Sgr A*: pulsar transits through the accretion disc
Authors: Christie I. M. , Petropoulou M. , Mimica P. , Giannios D. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
Radiatively inefficient accretion flow models have been shown to accurately account for the spectrum and luminosity observed from Sgr A* in the X-ray regime down to mm wavelengths. However, observations at a few GHz cannot be explained by thermal electrons alone but require the presence of an additional non-thermal particle population. Here, we propose a model for the origin of such a population in the accretion flow via means of a pulsar orbiting the supermassive black hole in our Galaxy. Interactions between the relativistic pulsar wind with the disc lead to the formation of a bow shock in the wind. During the pulsar’s transit through the accretion disc, relativistic pairs, accelerated at the shock front, are injected into the disc. The radio-emitting particles are long lived and remain within the disc long after the pulsar’s transit. Periodic pulsar transits through the disc result in regular injection episodes of non-thermal particles. We show that for a pulsar with spin-down luminosity Lsd ∼ 3 × 1035 erg s−1 and a wind Lorentz factor of γw ∼ 104 a quasi-steady synchrotron emission is established with luminosities in the 1–10 GHz range comparable to the observed one.
ANTIBODY AGAINST THE HEPATITIS TYPE B CORE ANTIGEN
Authors: SZMUNESS WOLF , HOOFNAGLE JAY H. , STEVENS CLADD E. , PRINCE ALFRED M. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
Four random samples representing populations at low (volunteer blood donors), intermediate, (VD clinic patients), high (family contacts of chronic antigen carriers) and very high (male homosexuals) risk of exposure to HBV were surveyed. Among HBsAg and anti-HBs negative individuals an average of 3.3% were found to be anti-HBs positive, and among those with anti-HBs. 19.4% were anti-HBc positive. Anti-HBc, with concurrent anti-HBs and without, was detected more frequently in the high risk samples than in the low risk. Individuals with a past history of acute viral hepatitis were more frequently anti-HBc positive than those without such a history, and anti-HBc positivity was frequently accompanied by serum transaminase elevation. Anti-HBc may persist for many years after an episode of acute hepatitis. In households of carriers, the highest frequency of anti-HBc was observed among spouses, which would argue for the possibility of sexual transmission. A significant excess of females with both types of antibody was observed in families of carriers. Anti-HBC determinations in conjunction with other HBV markers, provide a useful new tool for epidemiologic studies.
GEOGRAPHIC VARIATIONS IN US ASTHMA MORTALITY: SMALL-AREA ANALYSES OF EXCESS MORTALITY, 1981–1985
Authors: WEISS KEVIN B. , WAGENER DIANE K. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
US asthma mortality rates have been increasing during the past 10 years. Little is known about the geographic variation of this infrequent health event Using US vital records for the 1981–1985 period, small-area variation of excess asthma mortality of young adults was studied. Several geopolitical definitions were used to define populations. A total of 22 single counties, 12 metropolitan statistical areas, 11 health service areas, and 29 state economic areas were identified as having mortality significantly in excess of that expected, based on US race/sex-speclflc rates. Significant variation in asthma mortality was found at several levels of geopolitical classification of the data. Elevated areas included the central plains states and three large urban metropolitan areas—Chicago, illinois, New York, New York, and Phoenix, Arizona—as well as a few mostly suburban populations. Areas with excess mortality may provide a useful population base for further epidemlologic investigation into the risk factors associated with the more frequent morbid events of this disease, such as emergency room and hospital utilization.
Progress in Dosimetry with Piezoelectric Quartz
Authors: Ettinger K.V. , Brondo J. , Holowacz J. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
Samples of natural quartz were used to produce piezoelectric resonators. These resonators were irradiated to doses of gamma rays in the range from about 20 Gy to 10 kGy. The response in this range was monotonic, as measured by means of frequency change following irradiation. Below the dose of about 50 Gy a large scatter of results made the results less reliable. It appears that there is a positive correlation between the amount of impurities like aluminium, sodium and lithium and the radiation sensitivity. Piezoids of natural quartz can be used, after determining the sensitivity of the material, as dosemeters for routine high dose measurements.
Recent Developments in Detectors for Photon and Neutron Dosimetry
Authors: Dörschel B. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
One of the main trends in external dosimetry is the investigation of new radiation detection mechanisms with the aim of developing improved detectors and dosemeters. These include bubble-damage, electret detectors, MOS transistors, MOS thin-film breakdown detectors, detectors on the basis of dynamic RAMs, fibre optic detectors, etc. Studies of the physical properties of these detectors are very important in order to ensure the scientific basis of future measurement techniques in dosimetry.