bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
‘Interests of justice’: Defining the scope of Prosecutorial discretion in Article 53(1)(c) and (2)(c) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
Authors: DE SOUZA DIAS TALITA 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe International Criminal Court (ICC) was established with the aim of prosecuting individuals for the gravest crimes of concern to the international community. Yet some provisions of its Statute (the Rome Statute) recognize the need for temporarily setting aside criminal investigations or prosecutions in favour of different considerations. Two of these provisions are Article 53(1)(c) and (2)(c) of the Statute. They allow the Prosecutor of the Court to use his or her discretion in deciding not to initiate an investigation or a prosecution in the ‘interests of justice’. Nonetheless, the ambiguity of this phrase, coupled with an absent definition, have given rise to a polarized debate about its meaning and the Prosecutor's ensuing margin of discretion: some consider matters of peace and security and alternative justice mechanisms as possible ‘interests of justice’, while others exclude them. Among those adopting the latter view is the ICC's Office of the Prosecutor (OTP), as can be inferred from a 2007 Policy Paper on the Interests of Justice and a 2013 Policy Paper on Preliminary Examinations, which continue to be upheld by the Office. Against this backdrop and amid new developments at the ICC which call into question the OTP's position, the purpose of this article is to develop a comprehensive interpretation of Article 53(1)(c) and (2)(c) of the Rome Statute, using all the interpretative tools provided by Articles 31 to 33 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
Modelling ‘Life’ against ‘heat death’
Authors: Zak Michail 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThis work is inspired by the discovery of a new class of dynamical system described by ordinary differential equations coupled with their Liouville equation. These systems called self-controlled since the role of actuators is played by the probability produced by the Liouville equation. Following the Madelung equation that belongs to this class, non-Newtonian properties such as randomness, entanglement and probability interference typical for quantum systems have been described. Special attention was paid to the capability to violate the second law of thermodynamics, which makes these systems neither Newtonian, nor quantum. It has been shown that self-controlled dynamical systems can be linked to mathematical models of living systems. The discovery of isolated dynamical systems that can decrease entropy in violation of the second law of thermodynamics, and resemblances of these systems to livings suggests that ‘Life’ can slow down the ‘heat death’ of the Universe and that can be associated with the Purpose of Life.
Salmonella typhimurium Infection Reduces Schistosoma japonicum Worm Burden in Mice
Authors: Zhu Xiaoyang , Chen Lu , Wu Junfang , Tang Huiru , Wang Yulan 
Published: April 2017

AbstractCoinfection of microorganisms is a common phenomenon in humans and animals. In order to further our understanding of the progress of coinfection and the possible interaction between different pathogens, we have built a coinfection mouse model with Schistosoma japonicum and Salmonella typhimurium, and used this model to investigate the systemic metabolic and immune responses using NMR-based metabonomics and immunological techniques. Our results show that Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC14028) infection reduces the number of adult schistosomal worms and eggs, relieves symptoms of schistosomiasis and also abates the mortality of mice infected by Schistosoma japonicum. In addition, Salmonella typhimurium infection counteracts the metabolic disturbances associated with schistosomiasis, which was reflected by the reverted levels of metabolites in coinfected mice, compared with the Schistosoma japonicum infected mice. Furthermore, immune analyses also indicate that shift of the immune response to different pathogens is a result of indirect interactions between Schistosoma japonicum and Salmonella typhimurium within the host. Salmonella typhimurium infection can ameliorate Schistosoma japonicum-caused schistosomiasis in BALB/c mice, which is most likely due to inverse immune polarization. Our work provides an insight into coinfection between Schistosoma japonicum and Salmonella typhimurium, and may further contribute to the development of new tools for controlling Schistosoma japonicum-associated diseases.
A 30-Minute, Monthly, Live, Webinar-Based Journal Club Activity Alters the Self-Reported Behaviors of Dermatologic Surgeons
Authors: Zavell Amy E. , Greenberg Judah N. , Alam Murad , Armbrecht Eric S. , Maher Ian A. 
Published: April 2017

BACKGROUND
Journal clubs provide a way to communicate advances in recent literature. In outpatient surgical subspecialties, such as dermatologic surgery, physicians may face challenges in finding or attending meetings pertinent to their practice.

OBJECTIVE
To assess the utility of a live web-based journal club in dermatologic surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Monthly 30-minute journal club sessions covering 5 to 6 scholarly articles. Anonymous surveys were used to evaluate the utility and self-reported learning associated with each meeting.

RESULTS
From December 2012 to February 2015, 117 articles were reviewed. Survey data were acquired monthly, apart from 5 months of missing data. On average, the survey response rate was 37% (range: 7%–82%), with an average of 17 participants per monthly session (range: 9–25). The mean monthly usefulness score was 83.7 (101-point scale), with participants scoring their likelihood of returning in the future as 96.2 (0 = not likely, 100 = extremely likely). At each session, a mean of 68% of participants felt that at least one article would change their practice of medicine.

CONCLUSION
A monthly online and telephonic journal club may be a practical and effective way to inform dermatologic surgeons of new developments in high impact literature and may influence improvements in individual practice.
Computational neuroanatomy of human stratum proprium of interparietal sulcus
Authors: Uesaki Maiko , Takemura Hiromasa , Ashida Hiroshi 
Published: April 2017

AbstractRecent advances in diffusion-weighted MRI (dMRI) and tractography have enabled identification of several long-range white matter tracts in the human brain. Yet, our understanding of shorter tracts, such as those within the parietal lobe, remains limited. Over a century ago, a tract connecting the superior and inferior parts of the parietal cortex was identified in a post-mortem study:Stratum proprium of interparietal sulcus(SPIS; Sachs, 1892). The tract has since been replicated in another fibre dissection study (Vergani et al. 2014), however, it has never been identified in the living human brain and its anatomical properties are yet to be described. We used dMRI and tractography to identify and characterise SPIS in vivo, and explored its spatial proximity to the cortical areas associated with optic-flow processing using fMRI. SPIS was identified bilaterally in all subjects, and its anatomical position and trajectory are consistent with previous post-mortem studies. Subsequent evaluation of the tractography results using linear fascicle evaluation and virtual lesion analysis yielded strong statistical evidence for SPIS. We also found that SPIS endpoints are adjacent to the optic-flow selective areas. In sum, we show that SPIS is a short-range tract connecting the superior and inferior parts of the parietal cortex, wrapping around the intraparietal sulcus, and that it may be a crucial anatomy underlying optic-flow processing. In vivo identification and characterisation of SPIS will facilitate further research on SPIS in relation to cortical functions, their development, and diseases that affect them.
Finger recruitment patterns during mirror movements suggest two systems for hand recovery after stroke
Authors: Ejaz Naveed , Xu Jing , Branscheidt Meret , Hertler Benjamin , Schambra Heidi , Widmer Mario , Faria Andreia V. , Harran Michelle , Cortes Juan C. , Kim Nathan , Kitago Tomoko , Celnik Pablo A. , Luft Andreas , Krakauer John W. , Diedrichsen Jörn 
Published: April 2017

AbstractAccumulating behavioural and neurophysiological evidence suggests that upper-limb control relies on contributions from both cortical and subcortical motor circuits, with cortical inputs providing fine-finger function and subcortical inputs providing the ability for gross movements, respectively. During recovery of function after stroke, the relative contributions from these pathways may shift. Here we propose that mirror movements that appear after stroke provide a non-invasive assay through which relative contributions from cortical and subcortical pathways towards hand recovery can be studied. We hypothesized that mirror movements, like hand function, are generated by summed contributions from cortical and subcortical pathways, and suggest that subcortical contributions should be characterized by a broad recruitment of fingers, while cortical contributions primarily recruit the homologous finger in the passive hand. In a longitudinal stroke recovery study (Xuet al., 2016), we quantified mirror movements and paretic hand function in 53 stroke patients in the year following unilateral stroke. Mirror movements in the non-paretic hand were exaggerated early after damage (week 2), with paretic finger presses broadly recruiting multiple fingers in the non-paretic hand. On average, however, mirroring in homologous fingers was 1.76 times larger than in non-homologous fingers. Over the year, mirroring in the non-paretic hand progressively normalized with a time-course that mimicked that for the fine-finger deficits in the paretic hand. In comparison, during non-paretic finger presses, the homologous component of mirroring in the paretic hand was reduced early after stroke (week 2) but progressively normalized. Altogether, we conclude that the pattern of mirror movements across homologous and non-homologous fingers reflect the summed contributions of both cortical and subcortical systems, and we discuss the implications of our results towards hand recovery after stroke.
Distinct Regulation of History-dependent Responses by Two Cortical Interneuron Populations
Authors: Phillips Elizabeth A.K. , Schreiner Christoph E. , Hasenstaub Andrea R. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractCortical responses to repeated stimuli are highly dynamic and rapidly adaptive. Such rapid changes are prominent in all sensory cortices, across which many aspects of circuitry are conserved. As an example, in the auditory cortex, preceding sounds can powerfully suppress responses to later, spectrally similar sounds – a phenomenon called forward suppression. Whether cortical inhibitory networks shape such suppression, or whether it is wholly regulated by common mechanisms such as synaptic depression or spike-frequency adaptation, is controversial. Here, we show that optogenetically suppressing somatostatin-positive interneurons reveals facilitation in neurons that are normally forward-suppressed. This is accompanied by a weakening of forward suppression, suggesting that these interneurons regulate the strength of forward interactions. In contrast, inactivating parvalbumin-positive interneurons does not change suppression strength, but does alter its frequency-dependence. These results establish a role of cortical inhibition in forward suppression and link specific aspects of rapid sensory adaptation to genetically distinct interneuron types.
c-Maf-dependent regulatory T cells mediate immunological tolerance to intestinal microbiota
Authors: Xu Mo , Pokrovskii Maria , Ding Yi , Yi Ren , Au Christy , Galan Carolina , Bonneau Richard , Littman Dan R. 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTBoth microbial and host genetic factors contribute to the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease1-4. Accumulating evidence suggests that microbial species that potentiate chronic inflammation, as in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), often also colonize healthy individuals. These microbes, including theHelicobacterspecies, have the propensity to induce autoreactive T cells and are collectively referred to as pathobionts4-8. However, an understanding of how such T cells are constrained in healthy individuals is lacking. Here we report that host tolerance to a potentially pathogenic bacterium,Helicobacter hepaticus(H. hepaticus), is mediated by induction of RORγt+Foxp3+regulatory T cells (iTreg) that selectively restrain pro-inflammatory TH17 cells and whose function is dependent on the transcription factor c-Maf. WhereasH. hepaticuscolonization of wild-type mice promoted differentiation of RORγt-expressing microbe-specific iTregin the large intestine, in disease-susceptible IL-10-deficient animals there was instead expansion of colitogenic TH17 cells. Inactivation of c-Maf in the Tregcompartment likewise impaired differentiation of bacteria-specific iTreg, resulting in accumulation ofH. hepaticus-specific inflammatory TH17 cells and spontaneous colitis. In contrast, RORγt inactivation in Tregonly had a minor effect on bacterial-specific Treg-TH17 balance, and did not result in inflammation. Our results suggest that pathobiont-dependent IBD is a consequence of microbiota-reactive T cells that have escaped this c-Maf-dependent mechanism of iTreg-TH17 homeostasis.
Optimal structure of metaplasticity for adaptive learning
Authors: Khorsand Peyman , Soltani Alireza 
Published: April 2017

AbstractLearning from reward feedback in a changing environment requires a high degree of adaptability, yet the precise estimation of reward information demands slow updates. We show that this tradeoff between adaptability and precision, which is present in standard reinforcement-learning models, can be substantially overcome via reward-dependent metaplasticity (reward-dependent synaptic changes that do not always alter synaptic efficacy). Metaplastic synapses achieve both adaptability and precision by forming two separate sets of meta-states: reservoirs and buffers. Synapses in reservoir meta-states do not change their efficacy upon reward feedback, whereas those in buffer meta-states can change their efficacy. Rapid changes in efficacy are limited to synapses occupying buffers, creating a bottleneck that reduces noise without significantly decreasing adaptability. In contrast, more-populated reservoirs can generate a strong signal without manifesting any observable plasticity. We suggest that ubiquitous unreliability of synaptic changes evinces metaplasticity that can provide a robust mechanism for adaptive learning.
A mechanistic model of the spatial interaction between blue cones and blue cone bipolar cells in macaque retina
Authors: Lønborg Andreas V. , Eglen Stephen J. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe spatial positions of blue cones (BC) and blue cone bipolars (BCBP) are positively correlated in macaque retina (Kouyama & Marshak, 1997): BCs, located in the outer nuclear layer (ONL), and BCBPs, located in the inner nuclear layer (INL), tend to be located close to each other in the lateral dimension. They also form separate homotypic mosaics and, finally, most BCBPs contact only a single BC pedicle. We present a mechanistic model of the BC-BCBP interaction to account for the development of these two mosaics and their connections. It assumes that BCs are immobile and that BCBPs can migrate within the INL due to a compromise between a dendritic string force and an intrinsic INL friction force. Model parameters were selected to optimise the fit with observed fields (Kouyama & Marshak, 1997). Simulated density recovery profiles (DRPs) closely mimic the observed DRPs. In particular, for each of the five retinal fields studied, the simulated DRP for the interaction between BCs and BCBPs has a peak at distances less than around 20 μm and a small dip at distances up to the maximal lateral dendritic length (∼ 44 μm), matching the profiles of the real data. We conclude that our mechanistic model is a candidate for the unknown mechanism that drives the observed interaction between BCs and BCBPs in macaque retina.
Pooled CRISPR interference screens enable high-throughput functional genomics study and elucidate new rules for guide RNA library design inEscherichia coli
Authors: Wang Tianmin , Guo Jiahui , Guan Changge , Wu Yinan , Liu Bing , Xie Zhen , Zhang Chong , Xing Xin-Hui 
Published: April 2017

AbstractClustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 technology provides potential advantages in high-throughput functional genomics analysis in prokaryotes over previously established platforms based on recombineering or transposon mutagenesis. In this work, as a proof-of-concept to adopt CRISPR/Cas9 method as a pooled functional genomics analysis platform in prokaryotes, we developed a CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) library consisting of 3,148 single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) targeting the open reading frame (ORF) of 67 genes with known knockout phenotypes and performed pooled screens under two stressed conditions (minimal and acidic medium) inEscherichia coli. Our approach confirmed most of previously described gene-phenotype associations while maintaining < 5% false positive rate, suggesting that CRISPRi screen is both sensitive and specific. Our data also supported the ability of this method to narrow down the candidate gene pool when studying operons, a unique structure in prokaryotic genome. Meanwhile, assessment of multiple loci across treatments enables us to extract several guidelines for sgRNA design for such pooled functional genomics screen. For instance, sgRNAs locating at the first 5% upstream region within ORF exhibit enhanced activity and 10 sgRNAs per gene is suggested to be enough for robust identification of gene-phenotype associations. We also optimized the hit-gene calling algorithm to identify target genes more robustly with even fewer sgRNAs. This work showed that CRISPRi could be adopted as a powerful functional genomics analysis tool in prokaryotes and provided the first guideline for the construction of sgRNA libraries in such applications.ImportanceTo fully exploit the valuable resource of explosive sequenced microbial genomes, high-throughput experimental platform is needed to associate genes and phenotypes at the genome level, giving microbiologists the insight about the genetic structure and physiology of a microorganism. In this work, we adopted CRISPR interference method as a pooled high-throughput functional genomics platform in prokaryotes withEscherichia colias the model organism. Our data suggested that this method was highly sensitive and specific to map genes with previously known phenotypes, potent to act as a new strategy for high-throughput microbial genetics study with advantages over previously established methods. We also provided the first guideline for the sgRNA library design by comprehensive analysis of the screen data. The concept, gRNA library design rules and open-source scripts of this work should benefit prokaryotic genetics community to apply high-throughput mapping of defined gene set with phenotypes in a broad spectrum of microorganisms.
Evolutionary footprints reveal insights into plant microRNA biogenesis
Authors: Chorostecki Uciel , Moro Belen , Rojas Arantxa M.L. , Debernardi Juan M. , Schapire Arnaldo L. , Notredame Cedric , Palatnik Javier F. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small RNAs that recognize target sequences by base complementarity. They are processed from longer precursors that harbor a fold-back structure. Plant miRNA precursors are quite variable in size and shape, and are recognized by the processing machinery in different ways. However, ancient miRNAs and their binding sites in target genes are conserved during evolution. Here, we designed a strategy to systematically analyzeMIRNAsfrom different species generating a graphical representation of the conservation of the primary sequence and secondary structure. We found that plantMIRNAshave evolutionary footprints that go beyond the small RNA sequence itself, yet, their location along the precursor depends on the specificMIRNA. We show that these conserved regions correspond to structural determinants recognized during the biogenesis of plant miRNAs. Furthermore, we found that the members of the miR166 family have unusual conservation patterns and demonstrated that the recognition of these precursors in vivo differs from other known miRNAs. Our results describe a link between the evolutionary conservation of plantMIRNAsand the mechanisms underlying the biogenesis of these small RNAs, and show that theMIRNApattern of conservation can be used to infer the mode of miRNA biogenesis.
miR-200c suppresses stemness and increases cellular sensitivity to trastuzumab in HER2+ breast cancer
Authors: Song Cailu , Wang Jin , Wang Hua , Liu Peng , Liu Longzhong , Yang Lu , Tang Hailin , Xie Xiaoming 
Published: April 2017

AbstractResistance to trastuzumab remains a major obstacle in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer treatment. miR-200c is important for many functions in cancer stem cells (CSCs), including tumor recurrence, metastasis and resistance. We hypothesized that miR-200c contributes to trastuzumab resistance and stemness maintenance in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer. In this study, we used HER2-positive SKBR3, HER2-negative MCF-7, and their CD44+CD24-phenotype mammospheres SKBR3-S and MCF-7-S to verify. Our results demonstrated that miR-200c was weakly expressed in breast cancer cell lines and cell line stem cells. Overexpression of miR-200c resulted in a significant reduction in the number of tumor spheres formed and the population of CD44+CD24-phenotype mammospheres in SKBR3-S. Combining miR-200c with trastuzumab can significantly reduce proliferation and increase apoptosis of SKBR3 and SKBR3-S. Overexpression of miR-200c also eliminated its downstream target genes. These genes were highly expressed and positively related in breast cancer patients. Overexpression of miR-200c also improved the malignant progression of SKBR3-S and SKBR3 in vivo. miR-200c plays an important role in the maintenance of the CSC-like phenotype and increases drug sensitivity to trastuzumab in HER2+ cells and stem cells.Summary statementmiRNAs are critical in stemness maintenance and drug resistance. These data link maintenance of the stemness-related phenotype and the sensitivity of HER2+ breast cancer to miR-200c in response to trastuzumab.
Method for characterization and enhancement of 3D printing by binder jetting applied to the textures quality
Authors: Gardan Julien 
Published: April 2017

PurposeThis paper aims to present a technical approach to evaluate the quality of textures obtained by an inkjet during binder jetting in 3D printing on a powder bed through contours detection to improve the quality of the surface printed according to the result of the assembly between the inkjet and a granular product.Design/methodology/approachThe manufacturing process is based on the use of computer-aided design and a 3D printer via binder jetting. Image processing measures the edge deviation of a texture on the granular surface with the possibility of implementing a correction in an active assembly through a “design for manufacturing” (DFM) approach. Example application is presented through first tests.FindingsThis approach observes a shape alteration of the printed image on a 3D printed product, and the work used the image processing method to improve the model according to the DFM approach.Originality/valueThis paper introduces a solution for improving the texture quality on 3D printed products realized via binder jetting. The DFM approach proposes an active assembly by compensating the print errors in upstream of a product life cycle.