bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
CCR2 signaling contributes to the differentiation of protective inflammatory dendritic cells in Leishmania braziliensis infection
Authors: Costa Diego L , Lima-Júnior Djalma S , Nascimento Manuela S , Sacramento Laís A , Almeida Roque P , Carregaro Vanessa , Silva João S 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
In vertebrate hosts, Leishmania braziliensis parasites infect mainly mononuclear phagocytic system cells, which when activated by T helper cell type 1 cytokines produce nitric oxide and kill the pathogens. Chemokine (C–C motif) receptor 2 is a chemokine receptor that binds primarily chemokine (C–C motif) ligand 2 and has an important role in the recruitment of monocytic phagocytes. Although it has been reported that Leishmania braziliensis infection induces CCR2 expression in the lesions, the role of CCR2 during Leishmania braziliensis infection remains unknown. Here, we showed that CCR2 has a role in mediating protection against Leishmania braziliensis infection in mice. The absence of CCR2 resulted in increased susceptibility to infection and was associated with low amounts of Ly6C+ inflammatory dendritic cells in the lesions, which we found to be the major sources of tumor necrosis factor production and induced nitric oxide synthase expression in C57BL/6 mice lesions. Consequently, CCR2−/− mice showed decreased tumor necrosis factor production and induced nitric oxide synthase expression, resulting in impaired parasite elimination. We also demonstrated that CCR2 has a role in directly mediating the differentiation of monocytes into inflammatory dendritic cells at the infection sites, contributing to the accumulation of inflammatory dendritic cells in Leishmania braziliensis lesions and subsequent control of parasite replication. Therefore, these data provide new information on the role of chemokines during the immune response to infections and identify a potential target for therapeutic interventions in cutaneous leishmaniasis.
DICER, DROSHA and DNA damage response RNAs are necessary for the secondary recruitment of DNA damage response factors
Authors: Francia Sofia , Cabrini Matteo , Matti Valentina , Oldani Amanda , d'Adda di Fagagna Fabrizio 
Published: February 2016

ABSTRACT
The DNA damage response (DDR) plays a central role in preserving genome integrity. Recently, we reported that the endoribonucleases DICER and DROSHA contribute to DDR activation by generating small non-coding RNAs, termed DNA damage response RNA (DDRNA), carrying the sequence of the damaged locus. It is presently unclear whether DDRNAs act by promoting the primary recognition of DNA lesions or the secondary recruitment of DDR factors into cytologically detectable foci and consequent signal amplification. Here, we demonstrate that DICER and DROSHA are dispensable for primary recruitment of the DDR sensor NBS1 to DNA damage sites. Instead, the accumulation of the DDR mediators MDC1 and 53BP1 (also known as TP53BP1), markers of secondary recruitment, is reduced in DICER- or DROSHA-inactivated cells. In addition, NBS1 (also known as NBN) primary recruitment is resistant to RNA degradation, consistent with the notion that RNA is dispensable for primary recognition of DNA lesions. We propose that DICER, DROSHA and DDRNAs act in the response to DNA damage after primary recognition of DNA lesions and, together with γH2AX, are essential for enabling the secondary recruitment of DDR factors and fuel the amplification of DDR signaling.
Trimerization of Acetylene Catalyzed by Ir(PH2CH2CH2PH2)Cl(cod): A Computational Study
Authors: Dahy AbdelRahman A , Koga Nobuaki 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
The mechanisms for the trimerization of acetylene in the presence of (PH2CH2CH2PH2)IrCl as an active catalyst were investigated by density functional (B3LYP and M06) theory calculations. The reactant bis(acetylene)–Ir complex has a distorted trigonal bipyramid structure, and thus, there are three types of equilibrium structures connected by pseudorotation. The first oxidative coupling takes place between the acetylene molecule coordinating at the axial position and that in the equatorial plane in these reactant complexes to afford square pyramidal iridacyclopentadiene complexes through one of the two favorable transition states. Then, the third acetylene molecule attacks the iridacyclopentadiene intermediate, accompanied by Cl migration, to afford the iridacyclopentadiene–acetylene complex. The formation of a benzene complex from this acetylene complex involves reaction pathways based on intramolecular [4+2] cycloaddition and the Schore mechanism through iridacycloheptatriene, as well as the bicycle mechanism. The most favorable pathway for the formation of the benzene complex is through intramolecular [4+2] cycloaddition to form the η4-benzene–Ir complex, and finally, to the η2-benzene–Ir complex. This reaction mechanism is compared with that for reactions catalyzed by TpIr and CpIr systems.
Memorialization and representation of immigrants in contemporary Italy: The case of Mimmo Paladino’s monument ‘Gateway to Lampedusa/Gateway to Europe’
Authors: Muneroni Stefano 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
This article is a critical reading of Mimmo Paladino’s ‘Gateway to Lampedusa/Gateway to Europe’, a memorial built in Lampedusa to honour the lives of thousands of immigrants who died trying to reach Italian shores. It considers how the monument’s ambiguous representation of migrants reveals the deeply contradictory position of Italy towards the mass immigration it has experienced in recent years, and it contextualizes the creation of the memorial in 2008, the year Berlusconi’s third government began. The close analysis of Paladino’s bas-reliefs illustrates the iconographic reification of old colonial stereotypes that essentialize and dehumanize the immigrants in order to separate them from the supposedly superior Italians. Ultimately, the article argues that the Gateway to Lampedusa reflects an ideal vision of Italy that is rhetorically crafted to support a culturally and racially pure image of the country. Thus the representation of immigrants is intrinsically tied to Italy’s process of self-definition that both accepts and rejects aspects of the historical past in order to maintain a self-image grounded in cultural and social heterogeneity.
The use of PCR and Real-Time PCR for Qualitative and Quantitative Determination of Poultry and Chicken Meals
Authors: Natonek-Wiśniewska Małgorzata , Krzyścin Piotr 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
European Union regulations (e.g. Commission Regulation (EU) No 56/2013) set restrictions on the use of poultry meals in animal nutrition, which requires the species composition of manufactured feeds to be constantly monitored. The aim of this study is to develop a method for qualitative analysis of poultry meals, enabling the four main poultry species (chicken, turkey, duck, goose) to be detected using one pair of primers, and a method for quantitative determination of chicken meals in poultry meals. The qualitative identification method was developed using PCR technology, whereas qPCR and TaqMan probes were used for quantitative identification. The study was performed with samples of feed mixture containing poultry and chicken meal. The limit of determination was 0.08% and 0.02% for qualitative and quantitative identification, respectively. The results of quantitative determinations obtained for independent DNA isolations from the same samples are repeatable (RSDcT ≤0.46%). The determined concentrations are accurate (Dc ≤11.23% for c ≥0.06). The identification of target sequences in both tests is good enough for commercial applications.
Adaptive optical beam shaping for compensating projection-induced focus deformation
Authors: Pütsch Oliver , Stollenwerk Jochen , Loosen Peter 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Scanner-based applications are already widely used for the processing of surfaces, as they allow for highly dynamic deflection of the laser beam. Particularly, the processing of three-dimensional surfaces with laser radiation initiates the development of highly innovative manufacturing techniques. Unfortunately, the focused laser beam suffers from deformation caused by the involved projection mechanisms. The degree of deformation is field variant and depends on both the surface geometry and the working position of the laser beam. Depending on the process sensitivity, the deformation affects the process quality, which motivates a method of compensation. Current approaches are based on a local adaption of the laser power to maintain constant intensity within the interaction zone. For advanced manufacturing, this approach is insufficient, as the residual deformation of the initial circular laser spot is not taken into account. In this paper, an alternative approach is discussed. Additional beam-shaping devices are integrated between the laser source and the scanner, and allow for an in situ compensation to ensure a field-invariant circular focus spot within the interaction zone. Beyond the optical design, the approach is challenging with respect to the control theory’s point of view, as both the beam deflection and the compensation have to be synchronized.
A Shift in U.S. Foreign Policy under the Nixon Administration and European Political Cooperation: A Historical Analysis
Authors: Nguyen Thi Thuy Hang 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
With a historical approach, this paper examines the Nixon administration’s policy and stance towards the European Political Cooperation (the EPC). In December 1969, at The Hague Summit the leaders of the European Community expressed their determination for deepening European integration. The final communiqué of The Hague Summit stressed the European Community’s desire to achieve the EPC and to parallel the European Community’s increasing economic strength with a role to play in the world affairs. With this in mind, the paper will examine the impacts that Nixon administration’s attempts to rebalance U.S. foreign relations reflected in the opening to China and the détente with the Soviet Union had on the European political integration. Then, it will be argued that the Nixon administration’s shifting of foreign policy priorities can be seen as one of the driving forces of the EPC. The paper puts forth that a European Community, whose weight was increased first by its economic integration and then by its political cooperation, was seen by the Nixon administration as a challenge to the United States. It is concluded that after a long time of consistently supporting European integration as a means to secure peace and prosperity in Europe, the United States under the Nixon administration had to reconsider its foreign relations and rebalance its focus on the global chessboard. This rebalancing certainly impacted the EPC in particular and the European integration process in general.
A policy fiasco: The institutional (non-)reform of Czech public employment services in 2011
Authors: Kotrusová Miriam , Výborná Klára 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
The article deals with an institutional reform of public employment services implemented in the Czech Republic in 2011. By merging social benefits administration with employment services into the newly established Labour Office of the Czech Republic, the right-wing government attempted to reduce the staffing and administrative costs of these services and to improve the governance of local labour offices. Using the theoretical concept of “policy fiasco” and taking an interpretive perspective thereon, we analyse these organisational changes in the functioning of public employment services in the Czech Republic. Our data consist of interviews with experts on labour market policy in the Czech Republic and two focus groups with employees of labour offices who had participated in the reform process. We conclude that the institutional reform of public employment services in the Czech Republic in 2011 can be referred to as a policy fiasco in the sense of the theoretical concept used in the work of Bovens and t’Hart (1998).
Institutionalization of Foreign Policy Think Tanks in Italy and in the UK: An Explanatory Framework
Authors: Longhini Anna 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
This article explores the phenomenon of foreign policy think tanks in Europe in a comparative perspective and offers a framework of analysis for this topic. Assuming that think tanks were largely imported from the US after World Wars I and II, the article argues that European think tanks have been influenced by the different national political contexts in which they have undergone a process of institutionalization. First, the article hypothesizes that such contexts have contributed to determining different incentives for cooperation between think tanks and national policymakers. Such cooperation is based on the willingness of policymakers to turn to think tanks for expertise, advice or validation of policy decisions. Secondly, different political contexts are expected to influence the strategies of action that think tanks have developed towards policymakers and their audience. In this respect, the article identifies three strategies: the generalist, the advocate and the lobbyist. Empirically, the article is based on a survey of eleven organizations conducted in two countries, Italy and the United Kingdom, in 2013-14. Given that very few data are available on this type of organization, their activities, funding, policy audience and goals are investigated. These indicators are used to investigate the main commonalities and differences between the two cases and to compare them with the hypotheses. The results first show that there is comparatively more funding available for think tanks in the UK system than in the Italian one. Secondly, there is apparently more willingness from policymakers to turn to think tanks for expertise in the former case, considering that the UK think tanks hold a higher number of closed-door events and parliamentary hearings. On the contrary, where policymakers tend, instead, to more scarcely rely on external expertise - as it seems more evident in the Italian case - the core audience of think tanks tends to shift to other, more accessible targets (the public opinion, the academia or even businesses). The case study makes it more evident how advocacy becomes a far less important activity for an Italian think tank than a UK one.
Response of Central European Civil Security Systems to the Economic Crisis
Authors: Brázová Věra - Karin 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
The public sector across Europe and elsewhere was affected by the economic crisis which fully unfolded in 2008. Considerable attention has been paid in the literature to the impacts of related budgetary cuts on social welfare, while some other areas remain largely under-researched. One of such areas is the so-called civil security, where no such endeavour has been attempted so far. In order to fill this gap, the paper examines the civil security systems of Central European countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary), employing a qualitative comparative analysis. Taking on the systems perspective, the article inquires how the stress posed by the economic crisis affected the civil security systems - their structure and financing. The paper builds on the findings from a 7th FP project, “ANVIL”, within which data on civil protection and disaster management systems were collected.
Tilting theory via stable homotopy theory
Authors: Groth Moritz , Šťovíček Jan 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
We show that certain tilting results for quivers are formal consequences of stability, and as such are part of a formal calculus available in any abstract stable homotopy theory. Thus these results are for example valid over arbitrary ground rings, for quasi-coherent modules on schemes, in the differential-graded context, in stable homotopy theory and also in the equivariant, motivic or parametrized variant thereof. In further work, we will continue developing this calculus and obtain additional abstract tilting results. Here, we also deduce an additional characterization of stability, based on Goodwillie’s strongly (co)cartesian n-cubes. As applications we construct abstract Auslander–Reiten translations and abstract Serre functors for the trivalent source and verify the relative fractionally Calabi–Yau property. This is used to offer a new perspective on May’s axioms for monoidal, triangulated categories.
Premixed Methanol–Air Combustion Characteristics in a Mini-scale Catalytic Combustor
Authors: Chein Reiyu , Chen Yen-Cho , Chen Jui-Yu , Chung J. N. 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Methanol catalytic combustion in a mini-scale tubular quartz-made combustor is investigated in this study. An alumina sphere was employed as the support for the platinum catalyst. The experimental results showed that the combustion can be self-ignited at room temperature. Using the combustor wall temperature to characterize the combustor performance, it was found that the combustion temperature can reach a high value within a short time. The experimental results indicated that the combustor performance depends greatly on the fuel/air supply. A higher temperature can be obtained with a higher fuel/air flow rate. The insulated and non-insulated combustor experimental results indicated that heat loss to the environment is an important factor in governing the combustion characteristics due to the large surface/volume ratio. A higher temperature can also be obtained when the combustor is insulated. Because most of the combustion took place at the combustor entrance region, the experimental result suggested that the combustor length can be shortened, leading to a more compact design allowing the combustor integration with various applications. A simple numerical model was built to provide a greater understanding of the combustion characteristics and examine the heat loss effect on combustor performance.
Steady-State Modeling of Pt-Catalyzed H2 Combustion in a Monolithic Reactor: From Micro- to Macro-kinetics
Authors: Su Qi , Zha Xiao-Ling , Xu Jin , Yu Wei-Fang 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Micro-kinetic modeling of Pt-catalyzed hydrogen oxidation in a monolithic reactor was carried out for various feed temperatures. The monolith behavior was described by a simplified steady-state model that avoids surface species enthalpy evaluation and does not have temperatures as unknowns. A simplified pseudoarch length method was used to obtain the multiple solution branches for this typical exothermic reaction system. Based on parametric sensitivity and surface species distribution analyses of the micro-kinetic modeling results, macro-kinetic models that involve only gas concentrations were derived and were used to explain the composition effects on ignition temperature.
Dynamic Modeling of CATOFIN® Fixed-Bed Iso-Butane Dehydrogenation Reactor for Operational Optimization
Authors: Nawaz Zeeshan 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
The catalytic dehydrogenation of iso-butane to iso-butylene is an equilibrium limited endothermic reaction and requires high temperature. The catalyst deactivates quickly, due to deposition of carbonaceous species and countered by periodic regeneration. The reaction-engineering constraints are tied up with operation and/or technology design features. CATOFIN® is a sophisticated commercialized technology for propane/iso-butane dehydrogenation using multiple adiabatic fixed-bed reactors having Cr2O3/Al2O3 as catalyst, that undergo cyclic operations (~18–30m); dehydrogenation, regeneration, evacuation, purging and reduction. It is always a concern, how to maintain CATOFIN® reactor at an optimum production, while overcoming gradual decrease of heat in catalyst bed and deactivation. A homogeneous one-dimensional dynamic reactor model for a commercial CATOFIN® fixed-bed iso-butane dehydrogenation reactor is developed in an equation oriented (EO) platform Aspen Custom Modeler (ACM), for operational optimization and process intensification. Both reaction and regeneration steps were modeled and results were validated. The model predicts the dynamic behavior and demonstrates the extent of catalyst utilization with operating conditions and time, coke formation and removal, etc. The model computes optimum catalyst bed temperature profiles, feed rate, pre-heating, rates for reaction and regeneration, fuel gas requirement, optimum catalyst amount, overall cycle time optimization, and suggest best operational philosophy.
Efficacy and safety of triptorelin 6-month formulation in patients with central precocious puberty
Authors: Klein Karen , Yang Joshua , Aisenberg Javier , Wright Nancy , Kaplowitz Paul , Lahlou Najiba , Linares Jeannete , Lundström Eija , Purcea Daniela , Cassorla Fernando 
Published: February 2016

AbstractTriptorelin is an established treatment for central precocious puberty (CPP) as 1- and 3-month formulations. The current triptorelin 22.5 mg 6-month formulation is approved for prostate cancer therapy. This is the first study in patients with CPP.The efficacy and safety of the triptorelin 6-month formulation in CPP were investigated. The primary objective was to evaluate the efficacy in achieving luteinizing hormone (LH) suppression to pre-pubertal levels at month 6. This was an international, non-comparative phase III study over 48 weeks. Eighteen medical centers in the US, Chile and Mexico participated. Forty-four treatment naïve patients (39 girls and five boys) aged at treatment start 2–8 years for girls and 2–9 years for boys with an advancement of bone age over chronological age ≥1 year were to be included. Triptorelin was administered im twice at an interval of 24 weeks. LH, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) (basal and stimulated), estradiol (girls), testosterone (boys), auxological parameters, clinical signs of puberty and safety were assessed.Forty-one patients (93.2%) showed pre-pubertal LH levels (stimulated LH ≤5 IU/L) at month 6 and maintained LH suppression through month 12. The percentage of patients with LH suppression exceeded 93% at each time point and reached 97.7% at month 12. No unexpected drug-related adverse events were reported.The triptorelin 6-month formulation was safe and effective in suppressing the pituitary-gonadal axis in children with CPP. The extended injection interval may improve compliance and increase comfort in the management of CPP.
Glossary of terms used in computational drug design, part II (IUPAC Recommendations 2015)
Authors: Martin Yvonne C. , Abagyan Ruben , Ferenczy György G. , Gillet Val J. , Oprea Tudor I. , Ulander Johan , Winkler David , Zefirov Nicolai S. 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Computational drug design is a rapidly changing field that plays an increasingly important role in medicinal chemistry. Since the publication of the first glossary in 1997, substantial changes have occurred in both medicinal chemistry and computational drug design. This has resulted in the use of many new terms and the consequent necessity to update the previous glossary. For this purpose a Working Party of eight experts was assembled. They produced explanatory definitions of more than 150 new and revised terms.