bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Systems‐of‐systems modeling using a comprehensive viewpoint‐based SysML profile
Authors: Mori Marco , Ceccarelli Andrea , Lollini Paolo , Frömel Bernhard , Brancati Francesco , Bondavalli Andrea 
Published: April 2017

AbstractIn recent years, more and more efforts have been devoted in supporting the design of systems‐of‐systems (SoS). Designing such systems is a multidisciplinary problem which involves considering emergent phenomena, assuring the achievement of dependability/security requirements, guaranteeing system responsiveness, and supporting dynamicity/evolution and multicriticality of provided services. A first step towards a viable design approach is to provide a conceptual model of SoS which captures SoS concepts, and their interrelationships aiming at enhancing the understandability of SoS to stakeholders and providing the basis for further automated analysis. In this context, the AMADEOS European project is bringing together researchers and practitioners to provide the support to design SoS starting from the definition of a domain specific ontology serving as a vocabulary for SoS. Our contribution consists in the modeling of the key SoS concepts and relationships defined in AMADEOS adopting a systems modeling language visual modeling language. We propose a systems modeling language profile for SoS, and we show its applicability in a Smart Grid scenario. We show how to use the profile in a model‐driven engineering process to support different types of analyses, and we discuss how to integrate the profile in a user‐friendly model‐driven engineering tool for SoS rapid modeling, validation, code‐generation, and simulation.
Accelerating physical simulations of proteins by leveraging external knowledge
Authors: Perez Alberto , Morrone Joseph A. , Dill Ken A. 
Published: April 2017

It is challenging to compute structure‐function relationships of proteins using molecular physics. The problem arises from the exponential scaling of the computational searching and sampling of large conformational spaces. This scaling challenge is not met by today's methods, such as Monte Carlo, simulated annealing, genetic algorithms, or molecular dynamics (MD) or its variants such as replica exchange. Such methods of searching for optimal states on complex probabilistic landscapes are referred to more broadly as Explore‐and‐Exploit (EE), including in contexts such as computational learning, games, industrial planning, and modeling military strategies. Here, we describe a Bayesian method, called MELD, that ‘melds’ together EE approaches with externally added information that can be vague, combinatoric, noisy, intuitive, heuristic, or from experimental data. MELD is shown to accelerate physical MD simulations when using experimental data to determine protein structures; for predicting protein structures by using heuristic directives; and when predicting binding affinities of proteins from limited information about the binding site. Such Guided EE approaches might also be useful beyond proteins and beyond molecular science. WIREs Comput Mol Sci 2017, 7:e1309. doi: 10.1002/wcms.1309This article is categorized under:

Structure and Mechanism > Computational Biochemistry and Biophysics
Molecular and Statistical Mechanics > Molecular Mechanics
Software > Simulation Methods
Oil Content, Oil Yield and Fatty Acid Profile of Groundnut Germplasm in Mediterranean Climates
Authors: Yol Engin , Ustun Rustem , Golukcu Muharrem , Uzun Bulent 
Published: April 2017

AbstractA high amount of good‐quality vegetable oil in seeds has an overwhelming contribution to the groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivation throughout the world. In order to take into account great variation in oil characteristics in Arachis subspecies and botanical varieties, 256 groundnut genotypes including ICRISAT's mini core collection were investigated. Significant variability in oil content (31.7–57.0%) was detected among groundnut genotypes. Oil yield varied from 9.5 to 179.3 kg da−1 with the average being 67.7 kg da−1. Significant genotypic differences were also observed for all the fatty acids studied. Oleic and linoleic acids accounted for the major fraction with mean values of 45.3 and 32.1% in the ranges of 35.3–60.9% and 16.1–43.6%, respectively. Significant negative correlation was observed between oleic and linoleic acid. In the present investigation, desirable values were obtained for oil traits which would be useful to develop nutritional and health‐beneficial cultivars.
Corporate Power Beyond the Political Arena: The case of the ‘Big Three’ and CAFE Standards
Authors: Hathaway Terry 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThis article outlines the ways in which corporations are powerful and can realize their interests in society and policy, through a case study of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards in the U.S. It diverges from the main bodies of literature on corporate power—which focus more on corporate actions in the formal policy process (such as lobbying or campaign contributions) or on the structural dependence of the state on capital—by showing how corporate-led material and ideational societal change was key to the realization of corporate interests in formal policy, as corporate-led societal change reshaped the baseline from which policy was made. Additionally, through the case study, this article offers a new conceptual language for corporate power, and demonstrates how to approach and test power analysis with a sensitivity to both the temporal element of power and an understanding that power can operate beyond the formal political arena. This original case study, then, is significant in that it should encourage political economy scholars to adopt a broader societal focus, to work with a more comprehensive understanding of power, and to utilize longer study timeframes when seeking to assess corporate power.
Piezoelectric technology in otolaryngology, and head and neck surgery: a review
Authors: Meller C , Havas T E 
Published: April 2017

AbstractBackground:Piezoelectric technology has existed for many years as a surgical tool for precise removal of soft tissue and bone. The existing literature regarding its use specifically for otolaryngology, and head and neck surgery was reviewed.Methods:The databases Medline, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Embase and Cambridge Scientific Abstracts were searched. Studies were selected and reviewed based on relevance.Results:Sixty studies were identified and examined for evidence of benefits and disadvantages of piezoelectric surgery and its application in otolaryngology. The technique was compared with traditional surgical methods, in terms of intra-operative bleeding, histology, learning curve, operative time and post-operative pain.Conclusion:Piezoelectric technology has been successfully employed, particularly in otology and skull base surgery, where its specific advantages versus traditional drills include a lack of ‘blunting’ and tissue selectivity. Technical advantages include ease of use, a short learning curve and improved visibility. Its higher cost warrants consideration given that clinically significant improvements in operative time and morbidity have not yet been proven. Further studies may define the evolving role of piezoelectric surgery in otolaryngology, and head and neck surgery.
Quantifying the rate of subsistence wood harvesting from a tropical rainforest in Kenya
Authors: Kefa Christopher Amutabi , Lung Mark , Espira Anton , Gregory Andrew J. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractOne of the major threats to tropical forests throughout the world is the frequency and intensity with which local people use forests for subsistence. Kakamega Forest in Kenya is one such forest, in which fuelwood harvest is a primary use. The Kenya Forest Service and Kenya Wildlife Service have tried to regulate subsistence harvesting in this forest. However, high human population density (c. 542 people per km2) and extreme poverty leave local people little choice but to use forest resources to survive. We investigated patterns of wood use by people across Kakamega Forest. Our results indicate that wood harvesters prefer indigenous as opposed to non-indigenous wood, as the former sells for a premium price. Harungana madagascariensis and Psidium guajava were the most harvested indigenous and non-indigenous woods, respectively. Our data suggest that because market economies seem to drive forest use, perhaps they can be used to incentivize forest conservation. Proper integration of economic forest conservation interventions, economic diversification, and effective forest management are needed to protect Kakamega Forest.
The late medieval and early modern Hanse as an institution of conflict management
Authors: WUBS-MROZEWICZ JUSTYNA 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTEver since research on the Hanse began in the nineteenth century, there have been repeated efforts to redefine the boundaries and the core of the phenomenon. Views of the Hanse have evolved, and it has been seen by turns as a profoundly German league of towns, and as a network or organisation of towns and traders that was present in commercial centres and harbours from Novgorod to Portugal, and from Norway to Italy. In more general discussions on the institutional development of commerce in Europe, many of them influenced by the New Institutional Economics, the Hanse has even appeared as a mega-guild. The revival of the field of institutional economics and the history of commerce in pre-modern Europe has recently spawned a reappraisal of Hanseatic sources. The present article contributes to this debate by arguing that from the perspective of conflict management, the late medieval and early modern Hanse was an institution. There were several institutional mechanisms, such as a strong preference for mediation and arbitration in conflicts between individuals, as well as a mediation strategy for internal conflicts between towns. All of these mechanisms combined in a multifaceted institution of conflict management, which represented the added value of Hanse membership for traders, and for their towns.
Families of elliptic curves with the same mod 8 representations
Authors: CHEN ZEXIANG 
Published: April 2017

AbstractWe compute certain twists of the classical modular curve X(8). Searching for rational points on these twists enables us to find non-trivial pairs non-isogenous elliptic curves over ℚ whose 8-torsion subgroups are isomorphic as Galois modules. We also show that there are infinitely many examples over ℚ.
Are impairments in emotion recognition a core feature of callous–unemotional traits? Testing the primary versus secondary variants model in children
Authors: Dadds Mark R. , Kimonis Eva R. , Schollar-Root Olivia , Moul Caroline , Hawes David J. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe role of environmental adversity in the development of high callous–unemotional (CU) traits in children is controversial. Evidence speaks to the traits being largely independent of adversity; however, recent data shows that those with high CU traits and high adversity and/or high anxiety might differ in important ways from those with no such history. We tested this using emotion recognition (ER) skills. We tested whether maltreatment history and anxiety levels moderated the relationship between level of CU traits and ER skills in N = 364 children with behavioral problems who were 3 to 16 years old. As hypothesised, in the full sample, the relationship between CU traits and ER differed according to maltreatment history, such that CU traits were associated with poorer recognition for those with zero or negligible history of maltreatment. This moderation of the CU-ER relationship by maltreatment was inconsistent across subgroups, however, and for the cohort utilizing youth self-report of maltreatment, high CU traits were associated with poor ER in those with lower anxiety levels. Maltreatment history and/or anxiety levels can identify different emotional impairments associated with high CU traits, and the impairments might be characteristic of “primary” high CU traits defined as occurring independently of maltreatment and/or high anxiety.
Psychological flexibility mediates change in intuitive eating regulation in acceptance and commitment therapy interventions
Authors: Sairanen Essi , Tolvanen Asko , Karhunen Leila , Kolehmainen Marjukka , Järvelä-Reijonen Elina , Lindroos Sanni , Peuhkuri Katri , Korpela Riitta , Ermes Miikka , Mattila Elina , Lappalainen Raimo 
Published: April 2017

AbstractObjectiveDespite the promising results related to intuitive eating, few studies have attempted to explain the processes encouraging this adaptive eating behaviour. The focus of the present study was on exploring mechanisms of change in intuitive eating and weight in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) interventions. Mediation provides important information regarding the treatment processes and theoretical models related to specific treatment approaches. The study investigates whether psychological flexibility, mindfulness skills and sense of coherence mediated the interventions’ effect on intuitive eating and weight.DesignSecondary analysis of a randomized control trial. Mediation analysis compared two ACT interventions – face-to-face (in a group) and mobile (individually) – with a control group using a latent difference score model.SettingsData were collected in three Finnish towns.SubjectsThe participants were overweight or obese (n 219), reporting symptoms of perceived stress.ResultsThe effect of the interventions on participants’ (i) BMI, (ii) intuitive eating and its subscales, (iii) eating for physical rather than emotional reasons and (iv) reliance on internal hunger and satiety cues was mediated by changes in weight-related psychological flexibility in both ACT groups.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that ACT interventions aiming for lifestyle changes mediate the intervention effects through the enhanced ability to continue with valued activities even when confronted with negative emotions and thoughts related to weight.
Direct observation of mono-layer, bi-layer, and tri-layer charge density waves in 1T-TaS2 by transmission electron microscopy without a substrate
Authors: Sakabe Daiki , Liu Zheng , Suenaga Kazutomo , Nakatsugawa Keiji , Tanda Satoshi 
Published: April 2017

AbstractCharge-density-waves, which occur mainly in low-dimensional systems, have a macroscopic wave function similar to superfluids and superconductors. Kosterlitz–Thouless transition is observed in superfluids and superconductors, but the presence of Kosterlitz–Thouless transition in ultra-thin charge-density-waves systems has been an open problem. We report the direct real-space observation of charge-density-waves with new order states in mono-layer, bi-layer, and tri-layer 1T-TaS2 crystals using a low voltage scanning-transmission-electron-microscopy without a substrate. This method is ideal to observe local atomic structures and possible defects. We clearly observed that the mono-layer crystal has a new triclinic stripe charge-density-waves order without satisfying the triple q condition q1 + q2 + q3 = 0. A strong electron-phonon interaction gives rise to new crevasse (line) type defects instead of disclination (point) type defects due to the Kosterlitz–Thouless transition. These results reaffirm the importance of the electron-phonon interaction in mono-layer nanophysics.
Inference of the infection status of individuals using longitudinal testing data from cryptic populations: Towards a probabilistic approach to diagnosis
Authors: Buzdugan Svetlana N. , Vergne Timothée , Grosbois Vladimir , Delahay Richard J. , Drewe Julian A. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractEffective control of many diseases requires the accurate detection of infected individuals. Confidently ascertaining whether an individual is infected can be challenging when diagnostic tests are imperfect and when some individuals go for long periods of time without being observed or sampled. Here, we use a multi-event capture-recapture approach to model imperfect observations of true epidemiological states. We describe a method for interpreting potentially disparate results from individuals sampled multiple times over an extended period, using empirical data from a wild badger population naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis as an example. We examine the effect of sex, capture history and current and historical diagnostic test results on the probability of being truly infected, given any combination of diagnostic test results. In doing so, we move diagnosis away from the traditional binary classification of apparently infected versus uninfected to a probability-based interpretation which is updated each time an individual is re-sampled. Our findings identified temporal variation in infection status and suggest that capture probability is influenced by year, season and infection status. This novel approach to combining ecological and epidemiological data may aid disease management decision-making by providing a framework for the integration of multiple diagnostic test data with other information.
The GPR139 reference agonists 1a and 7c, and tryptophan and phenylalanine share a common binding site
Authors: Nøhr Anne Cathrine , Jespers Willem , Shehata Mohamed A. , Floryan Leonard , Isberg Vignir , Andersen Kirsten Bayer , Åqvist Johan , Gutiérrez-de-Terán Hugo , Bräuner-Osborne Hans , Gloriam David E. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractGPR139 is an orphan G protein-coupled receptor expressed in the brain, in particular in the habenula, hypothalamus and striatum. It has therefore been suggested that GPR139 is a possible target for metabolic disorders and Parkinson’s disease. Several surrogate agonist series have been published for GPR139. Two series published by Shi et al. and Dvorak et al. included agonists 1a and 7c respectively, with potencies in the ten-nanomolar range. Furthermore, Isberg et al. and Liu et al. have previously shown that tryptophan (Trp) and phenylalanine (Phe) can activate GPR139 in the hundred-micromolar range. In this study, we produced a mutagenesis-guided model of the GPR139 binding site to form a foundation for future structure-based ligand optimization. Receptor mutants studied in a Ca2+ assay demonstrated that residues F1093×33, H1875×43, W2416×48 and N2717×38, but not E1083×32, are highly important for the activation of GPR139 as predicted by the receptor model. The initial ligand-receptor complex was optimized through free energy perturbation simulations, generating a refined GPR139 model in agreement with experimental data. In summary, the GPR139 reference surrogate agonists 1a and 7c, and the endogenous amino acids l-Trp and l-Phe share a common binding site, as demonstrated by mutagenesis, ligand docking and free energy calculations.
An Amidase_3 domain-containing N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase is required for mycobacterial cell division
Authors: Senzani Sibusiso , Li Dong , Bhaskar Ashima , Ealand Christopher , Chang James , Rimal Binayak , Liu Chengyin , Joon Kim Sung , Dhar Neeraj , Kana Bavesh 
Published: April 2017

AbstractMycobacteria possess a multi-layered cell wall that requires extensive remodelling during cell division. We investigated the role of an amidase_3 domain-containing N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase, a peptidoglycan remodelling enzyme implicated in cell division. We demonstrated that deletion of MSMEG_6281 (Ami1) in Mycobacterium smegmatis resulted in the formation of cellular chains, illustrative of cells that were unable to complete division. Suprisingly, viability in the Δami1 mutant was maintained through atypical lateral branching, the products of which proceeded to form viable daughter cells. We showed that these lateral buds resulted from mislocalization of DivIVA, a major determinant in facilitating polar elongation in mycobacterial cells. Failure of Δami1 mutant cells to separate also led to dysregulation of FtsZ ring bundling. Loss of Ami1 resulted in defects in septal peptidoglycan turnover with release of excess cell wall material from the septum or newly born cell poles. We noted signficant accumulation of 3-3 crosslinked muropeptides in the Δami1 mutant. We further demonstrated that deletion of ami1 leads to increased cell wall permeability and enhanced susceptiblity to cell wall targeting antibiotics. Collectively, these data provide novel insight on cell division in actinobacteria and highlights a new class of potential drug targets for mycobacterial diseases.
Work disability before and after a major cardiovascular event: a ten-year study using nationwide medical and insurance registers
Authors: Virtanen Marianna , Ervasti Jenni , Mittendorfer-Rutz Ellenor , Lallukka Tea , Kjeldgård Linnea , Friberg Emilie , Kivimäki Mika , Lundström Erik , Alexanderson Kristina 
Published: April 2017

AbstractWe examined the trajectories of work disability before and after IHD and stroke events. New IHD (n = 13521) and stroke (n = 7162) cases in 2006–2008 were retrieved from nationwide Swedish hospital records and their annual work disability days five years before and after the date of diagnosis were retrieved from a nationwide disability register. There was no pre-event differences in disability days between the IHD and stroke cases and five years prior to the event, they were close to those observed in the general population. In the first post-event year, the adjusted mean days increased to 83.9 (95% CI 80.6–86.5) in IHD; to 179.5 (95% CI 172.4–186.8) in stroke, a six-fold increase in IHD and 14-fold in stroke. Work disability leveled off among the IHD cases but not among those who had stroke. The highest disability levels for the fifth post-event year after a stroke event was associated with pre-existing diabetes (146.9), mental disorder (141.2), non-employment (137.0), and immigrant status (117.9). In a working-age population, the increase in work disability after a cardiovascular event decreases close ﻿﻿to the pre-event level in IHD but remains particularly high after stroke; among patients with comorbid depression or diabetes, immigrants, and those not in employment.
The RNA-binding protein MARF1 promotes cortical neurogenesis through its RNase activity domain
Authors: Kanemitsu Yoshitaka , Fujitani Masashi , Fujita Yuki , Zhang Suxiang , Su You-Qiang , Kawahara Yukio , Yamashita Toshihide 
Published: April 2017

AbstractCortical neurogenesis is a fundamental process of brain development that is spatiotemporally regulated by both intrinsic and extrinsic cues. Although recent evidence has highlighted the significance of transcription factors in cortical neurogenesis, little is known regarding the role of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in the post-transcriptional regulation of cortical neurogenesis. Here, we report that meiosis arrest female 1 (MARF1) is an RBP that is expressed during neuronal differentiation. Cortical neurons expressed the somatic form of MARF1 (sMARF1) but not the oocyte form (oMARF1). sMARF1 was enriched in embryonic brains, and its expression level decreased as brain development progressed. Overexpression of sMARF1 in E12.5 neuronal progenitor cells promoted neuronal differentiation, whereas sMARF1 knockdown decreased neuronal progenitor differentiation in vitro. We also examined the function of sMARF1 in vivo using an in utero electroporation technique. Overexpression of sMARF1 increased neuronal differentiation, whereas knockdown of sMARF1 inhibited differentiation in vivo. Moreover, using an RNase domain deletion mutant of sMARF1, we showed that the RNase domain is required for the effects of sMARF1 on cortical neurogenesis in vitro. Our results further elucidate the mechanisms of post-transcriptional regulation of cortical neurogenesis by RBPs.