bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perforation conditions and almost algebraic order in Cuntz semigroups
Authors: Antoine Ramon , Perera Francesc , Petzka Henning
Published: April 2018

For a C*-algebra A, determining the Cuntz semigroup Cu(A ⊗) in terms of Cu(A) is an important problem, which we approach from the point of view of semigroup tensor products in the category of abstract Cuntz semigroups by analysing the passage of significant properties from Cu(A) to Cu(A)⊗Cu Cu(). We describe the effect of the natural map Cu(A) → Cu(A)⊗Cu Cu() in the order of Cu(A), and show that if A has real rank 0 and no elementary subquotients, Cu(A)⊗Cu Cu() enjoys the corresponding property of having a dense set of (equivalence classes of) projections. In the simple, non-elementary, real rank 0 and stable rank 1 situation, our investigations lead us to identify almost unperforation for projections with the fact that tensoring with is inert at the level of the Cuntz semigroup.
2017 HES PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: ECONOMISTS AND THEIR TRAVELS, OR THE TIME WHEN JFK SENT DOUGLASS NORTH ON A MISSION TO BRAZIL
Authors: Boianovsky Mauro
Published: April 2018

The role of traveling as a source of discovery and development of new ideas has been controversial in the history of economics. Despite their protective attitude toward established theory, economists have traveled widely and gained new insights or asked new questions as a result of their exposure to “other” economic systems, ideas, and forms of behavior. That is particularly the case when they travel to new places while their frameworks are in their initial stages or undergoing changes. This essay examines economists’ traveling as a potential source of new hypotheses, from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries, with a detailed case study of Douglass North’s 1961 travel to Brazil.
Prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and residual antimicrobials in the environment in Vietnam
Authors: Yamasaki Shinji , Le Tuyen Danh , Vien Mai Quang , Van Dang Chinh , Yamamoto Yoshimasa
Published: April 2018

Emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, including extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli, have become serious problems worldwide. Recent studies conducted in Vietnam revealed that ESBL-producing E. coli are widely distributed in food animals and people. CTX-M-9 and CTX-M-1 are the most prevalent β-lactamases among the identified ESBLs. Furthermore, most of the ESBL-producing E. coli isolates were multi-drug resistant. Residual antimicrobials such as sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, sulfadimidine, cephalexin, and sulfadiazine were also detected at a high level in both animal meats and environmental water collected from several cities, including Ho Chi Minh city and Can Tho city. These recent studies indicated that improper use of antimicrobials in animal-originated food production might contribute to the emergence and high prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli in Vietnam. Although clonal ESBL-producing E. coli was not identified, CTX-M-55 gene-carrying plasmids with similar sizes (105–139 kb) have been commonly detected in the ESBL-producing E. coli strains isolated from various food animals and human beings. This finding strongly suggests that horizontal transfer of the CTX-M plasmid among various E. coli strains played a critical role in the emergence and high prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli in Vietnam.
Phonological Individuation in a Former Danish Settlement in South Dakota, USA
Authors: Petersen Jan Heegård
Published: April 2018

The article describes the manifestation and distribution of 15 phonological variables in a rural heritage language community in South Dakota, USA. I discuss to what extent dialect convergence has occurred in this former Danish settlement. The data sample encompasses speakers born in Northwest Jutland in Denmark, as well as speakers born in South Dakota to parents who emigrated from Northwest Jutland. The analysis shows that dialectal convergence has not occurred to any significant degree, in spite of what may be expected; speakers born in South Dakota have significantly more dialectal features in their speech than the speakers born in Denmark. The analysis also reveals a sizeable degree of inter-speaker variation within both groups, as well as a considerable variation between the variables with respect to how likely they are to be realized dialectally versus nondialectally. The results are discussed in relation to theories of shared linguistic repertoire and individuation in small speech communities.*
Language Shift Revisited. Linguistic Repertoires of Jews in Low German-Speaking Germany in the Early 20th Century: Insights from the LCAAJ Archive
Authors: Reershemius Gertrud
Published: April 2018

This paper analyzes the linguistic repertoires of Jews in the Low German-speaking areas in the first decades of the 20th century, as a contribution to historical sociolinguistics. Based on fieldwork questionnaires held in the archives of the Language and Culture Atlas of Ashkenazic Jewry (LCAAJ), it addresses the question of whether the Jewish minorities spoke a supralectal form of standard German or Koiné forms of dialects, relating this to issues of language shift from Western Yiddish. The study shows that many Jews living in northern Germany during the 1920s and 1930s still had access to a multilingual repertoire containing remnants of Western Yiddish; that a majority of the LCAAJ interviewees from this area emphasized their excellent command of standard German; and that their competence in Low German varied widely, from first language to no competence at all, depending on the region where they lived.*
THE NEW HISTORY OF PSYCHOANALYSIS: TOWARDS A RICHER AND MORE NUANCED NARRATIVE
Authors: SHAPIRA MICHAL
Published: April 2018

By 1939, W. H. Auden was able to publish a poem in memory of Sigmund Freud saying, “if often he was wrong and, at times, absurd, to us he is no more a person now but a whole climate of opinion.” Indeed, despite the opposition to Freud's new discipline from the medical establishment and some members of the public, psychoanalysis in its various proliferations had become popular in Europe as early as before World War II, and its terminology had become part of everyday language. More importantly, it propounded new possibilities for diagnosing personal problems and understanding sociopolitical issues. When Freud was asked in 1923 whether he would like to “psycho-analyze Europe in the hope of finding a cure for her ills,” he replied, “I never take a patient to whom I can offer no hope.” But as the twentieth century progressed, Freud and his followers developed ideas that engaged directly and indirectly with the personal and political questions of the age of catastrophes.
Legacy of the Lash: Race and Corporal Punishment in the Brazilian Navy and the Atlantic World. By Zachary Morgan. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2014. Pp. xiv, 320. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $65.00 cloth. – CORRIGENDUM
Authors: Borucki Alex
Published: April 2018

An error introduced during the production process resulted in the following misstatement: “The explanations provided for this conflict and the Triple Alliance War (35–36, 69) are plagued with errors, for example, the identification of the Argentinean president during the latter conflict as Bartolomé Mitre instead of Justo J. Urquiza (whose name is misspelled).”
Dissolved Organic Nitrogen Production and Consumption in Eastern Tropical South Pacific Surface Waters
Authors: Knapp A. N. , Casciotti K. L. , Prokopenko M. G.
Published: April 2018

Models of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) production and consumption indicate that marine DON is produced in the euphotic zone, especially in upwelling environments, and is consumed as it transits into more oligotrophic regions where it may support export production. However, evaluation of such models is data limited, and in particular, few measurements of DON concentration and/or nitrogen isotopic composition (“δ15N”) exist from the South Pacific. Here we present measurements of the concentration and δ15N of DON collected in the eastern tropical South Pacific during the austral summers of 2010 (El Niño) and 2011 (La Niña). The concentration and δ15N of DON from the eastern tropical South Pacific are broadly consistent with prior measurements elsewhere, that is, DON concentrations of 5 ± 1 μM and DON δ15N of 5 ± 1‰, but variations were associated with DON production and consumption. Specifically, surface ocean chlorophyll a concentrations were highly correlated with upper 50‐m DON stocks (r = 0.96), consistent with a photosynthetic source for DON. Additionally, upper 50‐m DON stocks and their δ15N were significantly negatively correlated (r = −0.84, p = 0.0006), indicating that DON was consumed in surface waters with an isotope effect of 5.5 ± 1.2‰. These results inform our understanding of the controls of DON distributions in the surface ocean and indicate that DON may support export production in nitrate‐poor surface waters, which may decouple new from gross production.
Thank You Reviewers of Earth's Future in 2017
Authors: van der Pluijm Ben
Published: April 2018

Editorial from the Editor‐in‐Chief thanking those who reviewed in 2017 for Earth's Future.
Radiocarbon in the Oceans
Authors: Alves Eduardo
Published: April 2018

Offsets in radiocarbon concentration within the ocean or between the ocean and the atmosphere are particularly useful proxies for a variety of studies.
Atmospheric Teleconnections: Advanced Tools and Citizen Science
Authors: Rousi Eftychia , Coumou Dim , Donner Reik
Published: April 2018

GOTHAM International Summer School on Global Teleconnections in the Earth’s Climate System – Processes, Modelling and Advanced Analysis Methods; Potsdam, Germany, 18–22 September 2017
The Role of the Upper Tidal Estuary in Wetland Blue Carbon Storage and Flux
Authors: Krauss Ken W. , Noe Gregory B. , Duberstein Jamie A. , Conner William H. , Stagg Camille L. , Cormier Nicole , Jones Miriam C. , Bernhardt Christopher E. , Graeme Lockaby B. , From Andrew S. , Doyle Thomas W. , Day Richard H. , Ensign Scott H. , Pierfelice Katherine N. , Hupp Cliff R. , Chow Alex T. , Whitbeck Julie L.
Published: April 2018

Carbon (C) standing stocks, C mass balance, and soil C burial in tidal freshwater forested wetlands (TFFW) and TFFW transitioning to low‐salinity marshes along the upper estuary are not typically included in “blue carbon” accounting, but may represent a significant C sink. Results from two salinity transects along the tidal Waccamaw and Savannah rivers of the U.S. Atlantic Coast show that total C standing stocks were 322–1,264 Mg C/ha among all sites, generally shifting to greater soil storage as salinity increased. Carbon mass balance inputs (litterfall, woody growth, herbaceous growth, root growth, and surface accumulation) minus C outputs (surface litter and root decomposition, gaseous C) over a period of up to 11 years were 340–900 g C · m−2 · year−1. Soil C burial was variable (7–337 g C · m−2 · year−1), and lateral C export was estimated as C mass balance minus soil C burial as 267–849 g C · m−2 · year−1. This represents a large amount of C export to support aquatic biogeochemical transformations. Despite reduced C persistence within emergent vegetation, decomposition of organic matter, and higher lateral C export, total C storage increased as forests converted to marsh with salinization. These tidal river wetlands exhibited high N mineralization in salinity‐stressed forested sites and considerable P mineralization in low‐salinity marshes. Large C standing stocks and rates of C sequestration suggest that TFFW and oligohaline marshes are considerably important globally to coastal C dynamics and in facilitating energy transformations in areas of the world in which they occur.
Analysis of 182 cerebral palsy transcriptomes points to dysregulation of trophic signalling pathways and overlap with autism
Authors: van Eyk Clare L. , Corbett Mark A. , Gardner Alison , van Bon Bregje W. , Broadbent Jessica L. , Harper Kelly , MacLennan Alastair H. , Gecz Jozef
Published: April 2018

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability of childhood. It is characterised by permanent, non-progressive but not unchanging problems with movement, posture and motor function, with a highly heterogeneous clinical spectrum and frequent neurodevelopmental comorbidities. The aetiology of CP is poorly understood, despite recent reports of a genetic contribution in some cases. Here we demonstrate transcriptional dysregulation of trophic signalling pathways in patient-derived cell lines from an unselected cohort of 182 CP-affected individuals using both differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). We also show that genes differentially expressed in CP, as well as network modules significantly correlated with CP status, are enriched for genes associated with ASD. Combining transcriptome and whole exome sequencing (WES) data for this CP cohort likely resolves an additional 5% of cases separated to the 14% we have previously reported as resolved by WES. Collectively, these results support a convergent molecular abnormality in CP and ASD.
Loss of DEPTOR in renal tubules protects against cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury
Authors: Wang Caixia , Dai Huaiqian , Xiong Zhi , Song Qiancheng , Zou Zhipeng , Li Mangmang , Nie Jing , Bai Xiaochun , Chen Zhenguo
Published: April 2018

DEP domain containing mTOR-interacting protein (DEPTOR) was originally identified as an in vivo dual inhibitor of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). It was recently reported to be involved in renal physiology and pathology in vitro; however, its detailed roles and mechanisms in vivo are completely unknown. We observed that DEPTOR expression in the kidney was markedly increased on day 3 after cisplatin treatment, at which time cell apoptosis peaked, implicating DEPTOR in cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). We then used the Cre–LoxP system to generate mutant mice in which the DEPTOR gene was specifically deleted in the proximal tubule cells. DEPTOR deficiency did not alter the renal histology or functions in the saline-treated group, indicating that DEPTOR is not essential for kidney function under physiological conditions. Interestingly, DEPTOR deletion extensively preserved the renal histology and maintained the kidney functions after cisplatin treatment, suggesting that the absence of DEPTOR ameliorates cisplatin-induced AKI. Mechanistically, DEPTOR modulated p38 MAPK signaling and TNFα production in vivo and in vitro, rather than mTOR signaling, thus moderating the inflammatory response and cell apoptosis induced by cisplatin. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the roles and mechanisms of DEPTOR in the regulation of the renal physiology and pathology, and demonstrate that the loss of DEPTOR in the proximal tubules protects against cisplatin-induced AKI.
Tumor-associated macrophages promote progression and the Warburg effect via CCL18/NF-kB/VCAM-1 pathway in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Ye Huilin , Zhou Quanbo , Zheng Shangyou , Li Guolin , Lin Qing , Wei Lusheng , Fu Zhiqiang , Zhang Bin , Liu Yimin , Li Zhihua , Chen Rufu
Published: April 2018

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are frequently found near pancreatic cancer cells, but it is uncertain whether they are involved in pancreatic cancer progression and the Warburg effect. Here, we show that CCL18 secreted by TAMs facilitates malignant progression and induced a glycolytic phenotype in pancreatic cancer, partially owing to paracrine induction of VCAM-1 in pancreatic cancer cells. Reciprocally, VCAM-1-induced lactate production from pancreatic cancer cells with enhanced aerobic glycolysis activates macrophages to a TAM-like phenotype, forming a positive feedback loop. VCAM-1 was found to be highly expressed in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tissues and cell lines, and is associated with disease progression and predicts clinical outcome in PDAC patients. Flow cytometry analysis further demonstrated that VCAM-1 downregulation induced an accumulation of PDAC cells in G0/G1 phase, accompanied by a significant decrease in S phase. Downregulation of VCAM-1 significantly inhibited proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion of PDAC cellsin vitro, whereas the ectopic expression of VCAM-1 had the opposite effect. VCAM-1 on pancreatic cancer cells might tethers THP-1 monocytes to cancer cells via counter–receptor interaction, providing a survival advantage to pancreatic cancer cells that infiltrate leukocyte-rich microenvironments. Furthermore, downregulation of VCAM-1 could repress tumor growth in mouse xenograft models. In particular, our results highlighted the contribution of VCAM-1 to the maintenance of the Warburg effect in PDAC cells. Finally, we investigated the clinical correlations of CCL18 and VCAM-1 in human PDAC specimens. In summary, these findings indicate that the CCL18/PITPNM3/NF-kB/VCAM-1 regulatory network might provide a potential new therapeutic strategy for PDAC.
A serum microRNA signature predicts trastuzumab benefit in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients
Authors: Li Huiping , Liu Jiang , Chen Jianing , Wang Huiyun , Yang Linbin , Chen Fei , Fan Siting , Wang Jing , Shao Bin , Yin Dong , Zeng Musheng , Li Mengfeng , Li Jun , Su Fengxi , Liu Qiang , Yao Herui , Su Shicheng , Song Erwei
Published: April 2018

Trastuzumab is a standard treatment for HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer, but some patients are refractory to the therapy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been used to predict therapeutic effects for various cancers, but whether miRNAs can serve as biomarkers for HER2+ metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients remains unclear. Using miRNA microarray, we identify 13 differentially expressed miRNAs in the serum of HER2+ MBC patients with distinct response to trastuzumab, and four miRNAs are selected to construct a signature to predict survival using LASSO model. Further, our data show that miR-940 is mainly released from the tumor cells and miR-451a, miR-16-5p and miR-17-3p are mainly from the immune cells. All these four miRNAs directly target signaling molecules that play crucial roles in regulating trastuzumab resistance. In summary, we develop a serum-based miRNA signature that potentially predicts the therapeutic benefit of trastuzumab for HER2+ MBC patients and warrants future validation in prospective clinical trials.
Control of mechanical pain hypersensitivity in mice through ligand-targeted photoablation of TrkB-positive sensory neurons
Authors: Dhandapani Rahul , Arokiaraj Cynthia Mary , Taberner Francisco J. , Pacifico Paola , Raja Sruthi , Nocchi Linda , Portulano Carla , Franciosa Federica , Maffei Mariano , Hussain Ahmad Fawzi , de Castro Reis Fernanda , Reymond Luc , Perlas Emerald , Garcovich Simone , Barth Stefan , Johnsson Kai , Lechner Stefan G. , Heppenstall Paul A.
Published: April 2018

Mechanical allodynia is a major symptom of neuropathic pain whereby innocuous touch evokes severe pain. Here we identify a population of peripheral sensory neurons expressing TrkB that are both necessary and sufficient for producing pain from light touch after nerve injury in mice. Mice in which TrkB-Cre-expressing neurons are ablated are less sensitive to the lightest touch under basal conditions, and fail to develop mechanical allodynia in a model of neuropathic pain. Moreover, selective optogenetic activation of these neurons after nerve injury evokes marked nociceptive behavior. Using a phototherapeutic approach based upon BDNF, the ligand for TrkB, we perform molecule-guided laser ablation of these neurons and achieve long-term retraction of TrkB-positive neurons from the skin and pronounced reversal of mechanical allodynia across multiple types of neuropathic pain. Thus we identify the peripheral neurons which transmit pain from light touch and uncover a novel pharmacological strategy for its treatment.
Repeated evolution of self-compatibility for reproductive assurance
Authors: Nieuwenhuis Bart P. S. , Tusso Sergio , Bjerling Pernilla , Stångberg Josefine , Wolf Jochen B. W. , Immler Simone
Published: April 2018

Sexual reproduction in eukaryotes requires the fusion of two compatible gametes of opposite sexes or mating types. To meet the challenge of finding a mating partner with compatible gametes, evolutionary mechanisms such as hermaphroditism and self-fertilization have repeatedly evolved. Here, by combining the insights from comparative genomics, computer simulations and experimental evolution in fission yeast, we shed light on the conditions promoting separate mating types or self-compatibility by mating-type switching. Analogous to multiple independent transitions between switchers and non-switchers in natural populations mediated by structural genomic changes, novel switching genotypes readily evolved under selection in the experimental populations. Detailed fitness measurements accompanied by computer simulations show the benefits and costs of switching during sexual and asexual reproduction, governing the occurrence of both strategies in nature. Our findings illuminate the trade-off between the benefits of reproductive assurance and its fitness costs under benign conditions facilitating the evolution of self-compatibility.
Barium bioaccumulation by bacterial biofilms and implications for Ba cycling and use of Ba proxies
Authors: Martinez-Ruiz Francisca , Jroundi Fadwa , Paytan Adina , Guerra-Tschuschke Isabel , Abad María del Mar , González-Muñoz María Teresa
Published: April 2018

Ba proxies have been broadly used to reconstruct past oceanic export production. However, the precise mechanisms underlying barite precipitation in undersaturated seawater are not known. The link between bacterial production and particulate Ba in the ocean suggests that bacteria may play a role. Here we show that under experimental conditions marine bacterial biofilms, particularly extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), are capable of bioaccumulating Ba, providing adequate conditions for barite precipitation. An amorphous P-rich phase is formed at the initial stages of Ba bioaccumulation, which evolves into barite crystals. This supports that in high productivity regions where large amounts of organic matter are subjected to bacterial degradation, the abundant EPS would serve to bind the necessary Ba and form nucleation sites leading to barite precipitation. This also provides new insights into barite precipitation and opens an exciting field to explore the role of EPS in mineral precipitation in the ocean.
Causes and implications of the unforeseen 2016 extreme yield loss in the breadbasket of France
Authors: Ben-Ari Tamara , Boé Julien , Ciais Philippe , Lecerf Remi , Van der Velde Marijn , Makowski David
Published: April 2018

In 2016, France, one of the leading wheat-producing and wheat-exporting regions in the world suffered its most extreme yield loss in over half a century. Yet, yield forecasting systems failed to anticipate this event. We show that this unprecedented event is a new type of compound extreme with a conjunction of abnormally warm temperatures in late autumn and abnormally wet conditions in the following spring. A binomial logistic regression accounting for fall and spring conditions is able to capture key yield loss events since 1959. Based on climate projections, we show that the conditions that led to the 2016 wheat yield loss are projected to become more frequent in the future. The increased likelihood of such compound extreme events poses a challenge: farming systems and yield forecasting systems, which often support them, must adapt.
Long ncRNA A-ROD activates its target gene DKK1 at its release from chromatin
Authors: Ntini Evgenia , Louloupi Annita , Liz Julia , Muino Jose M. , Marsico Annalisa , Ørom Ulf Andersson Vang
Published: April 2018

Abstract

Long ncRNAs are often enriched in the nucleus and at chromatin, but whether their dissociation from chromatin is important for their role in transcription regulation is unclear. Here, we group long ncRNAs using epigenetic marks, expression and strength of chromosomal interactions; we find that long ncRNAs transcribed from loci engaged in strong long-range chromosomal interactions are less abundant at chromatin, suggesting the release from chromatin as a crucial functional aspect of long ncRNAs in transcription regulation of their target genes. To gain mechanistic insight into this, we functionally validate the long ncRNA A-ROD, which enhances DKK1 transcription via its nascent spliced released form. Our data provide evidence that the regulatory interaction requires dissociation of A-ROD from chromatin, with target specificity ensured within the pre-established chromosomal proximity. We propose that the post-transcriptional release of a subset of long ncRNAs from the chromatin-associated template plays an important role in their function as transcription regulators.
Immunosilencing peptides by stereochemical inversion and sequence reversal: retro-D-peptides
Authors: Arranz-Gibert Pol , Ciudad Sonia , Seco Jesús , García Jesús , Giralt Ernest , Teixidó Meritxell
Published: April 2018

Peptides are experiencing a new era in medical research, finding applications ranging from therapeutics to vaccines. In spite of the promising properties of peptide pharmaceuticals, their development continues to be hindered by three weaknesses intrinsic to their structure, namely protease sensitivity, clearance through the kidneys, and immune system activation. Here we report on two retro-D-peptides (H2N-hrpyiah-CONH2 and H2N-pwvpswmpprht-CONH2), which are protease-resistant and retain the original BBB shuttle activity of the parent peptide but are much less immunogenic than the parent peptide. Hence, we envisage that retro-D-peptides, which display a similar topological arrangement as their parent peptides, will expand drug design and help to overcome factors that lead to the failure of peptide pharmaceuticals in pre- and clinical trials. Furthermore, we reveal requirements to avoid or elicit specific humoral responses to therapeutic peptides, which might have a strong impact in both vaccine design and peptide therapeutic agents.
Real-time visual interactions across the boundary of awareness
Authors: Meital-Kfir Noya , Sagi Dov
Published: April 2018

Recently, using Motion Induced-Blindness (MIB), we have shown that two visual stimuli, one consciously experienced and one not, interact as a function of feature and object similarity, pointing to preserved visual representations of objects, and their constitutive features, in the absence of perceptual awareness. Here we investigated whether these representations preserve the memory of the previously perceived stimulus by testing interactions with the unperceived stimulus modified while it is invisible. Observers performed the MIB task, wherein an object ‘Target’ (a plaid object) was morphed into one of its features (an oriented Gabor patch) once its disappearance was reported. Reappearances of the morphed target were induced by a visible ‘Cue’ (object or feature), with reappearance frequency used to quantify the interaction between the visible cue and the invisible target. Reappearance rates were highest when the morphed target and the cue shared the same orientations, with the plaid-cue showing reappearance rates equal to that of the orthogonal-cue. Our findings indicate that target-cue interactions do not depend on memory-stored representations, but rather, on the current state of the consciously unavailable target. We suggest that visual objects can be constructed and deconstructed in the absence of conscious perception, but only objects are consciously available.
Pulmonary Effects of Adjusting Tidal Volume to Actual or Ideal Body Weight in Ventilated Obese Mice
Authors: Guivarch Elise , Voiriot Guillaume , Rouzé Anahita , Kerbrat Stéphane , Tran Van Nhieu Jeanne , Montravers Philippe , Maitre Bernard , Mekontso Dessap Armand , Desmard Mathieu , Boczkowski Jorge
Published: April 2018

Obese patients could be more susceptible to mechanical ventilation (MV)-induced lung injury than non-obese patients due to weight-dependent changes in lung properties. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the pulmonary effects of 2 hours low VT MV in a diet-induced obese mice model, with VT calculated on either the actual body weight (VTaw) or the ideal body weight (VTiw) . First, we hypothesized that a MV with VTaw would be associated with altered lung mechanics and an increased lung inflammation. Second, we hypothesised that a MV with a VTiw would preserve lung mechanics and limit lung inflammation. We analyzed lung mechanics and inflammation using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cell counts, flow cytometry tissue analysis and histology. Lung mechanics and inflammation were comparable in control and obese mice receiving VTiw. By contrast, obese mice receiving VTaw had significantly more alterations in lung mechanics, BAL cellularity and lung influx of monocytes as compared to control mice. Their monocyte expression of Gr1 and CD62L was also increased. Alveolar neutrophil infiltration was significantly increased in all obese mice as compared to controls. In conclusion, our findings suggest that protective MV with a VTaw is deleterious, with a marked alteration in lung mechanics and associated lung inflammation as compared to lean mice. With VTiw, lung mechanics and inflammation were close to that of control mice, except for an increased alveolar infiltrate of polymorphonuclear neutrophils. This inflammation might be attenuated by a blunted recruitment of inflammatory cells associated with obesity.
Author Correction: Quantifying Nearshore Sea Turtle Densities: Applications of Unmanned Aerial Systems for Population Assessments
Authors: Sykora-Bodie Seth T. , Bezy Vanessa , Johnston David W. , Newton Everette , Lohmann Kenneth J.
Published: April 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.
Strengthening of Al-Fe3Al composites by the generation of harmonic structures
Authors: Shahid R. N. , Scudino S.
Published: April 2018

Strengthening of alloys can be efficiently attained by the creation of harmonic structures: bimodal microstructures generated by controlled milling of the particulate precursors, which consist of coarse-grained cores embedded in a continuous fine-grained matrix. Here, we extend the concept of harmonic structures to metal matrix composites and analyze the effectiveness of such bimodal microstructures for strengthening composites consisting of a pure Al matrix reinforced with Fe3Al particles. Preferential microstructural refinement limited to the surface of the particles, where the Fe3Al phase is progressively fragmented, occurs during ball milling of the Al-Fe3Al composite powder mixtures. The refined surface becomes the continuous fine-grained matrix that encloses macro-regions with coarser reinforcing particles in the harmonic composites synthesized during subsequent powder consolidation. The generation of the bimodal microstructure has a significant influence on the strength of the harmonic composites, which exceeds that of the conventional material by a factor of 2 while retaining considerable plastic deformation. Finally, modeling of the mechanical properties indicates that the strength of the harmonic composites can be accurately described by taking into account both the volume fraction of reinforcement and the characteristic microstructural features describing the harmonic structure.
Author Correction: Artificial controlled model of blood circulation system for adhesive evaluation
Authors: Jung Sang-Myung , Chung Goo Yong , Shin Hwa Sung
Published: April 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
Author Correction: Multiplexed imaging of high-density libraries of RNAs with MERFISH and expansion microscopy
Authors: Wang Guiping , Moffitt Jeffrey R. , Zhuang Xiaowei
Published: April 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
Metabolic and Cardiac Adaptation to Chronic Pharmacologic Blockade of Facilitative Glucose Transport in Murine Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Myocardial Ischemia
Authors: Heitmeier Monique R. , Payne Maria A. , Weinheimer Carla , Kovacs Attila , Hresko Richard C. , Jay Patrick Y. , Hruz Paul W.
Published: April 2018

GLUT transgenic and knockout mice have provided valuable insight into the role of facilitative glucose transporters (GLUTs) in cardiovascular and metabolic disease, but compensatory physiological changes can hinder interpretation of these models. To determine whether adaptations occur in response to GLUT inhibition in the failing adult heart, we chronically treated TG9 mice, a transgenic model of dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure, with the GLUT inhibitor ritonavir. Glucose tolerance was significantly improved with chronic treatment and correlated with decreased adipose tissue retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) and resistin. A modest improvement in lifespan was associated with decreased cardiomyocyte brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) expression, a marker of heart failure severity. GLUT1 and −12 protein expression was significantly increased in left ventricular (LV) myocardium in ritonavir-treated animals. Supporting a switch from fatty acid to glucose utilization in these tissues, fatty acid transporter CD36 and fatty acid transcriptional regulator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) mRNA were also decreased in LV and soleus muscle. Chronic ritonavir also increased cardiac output and dV/dt-d in C57Bl/6 mice following ischemia-reperfusion injury. Taken together, these data demonstrate compensatory metabolic adaptation in response to chronic GLUT blockade as a means to evade deleterious changes in the failing heart.
Production and delivery of Helicobacter pylori NapA in Lactococcus lactis and its protective efficacy and immune modulatory activity
Authors: Peng Xiaoyan , Zhang Rongguang , Duan Guangcai , Wang Chen , Sun Nan , Zhang Linghan , Chen Shuaiyin , Fan Qingtang , Xi Yuanlin
Published: April 2018

Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein A subunit (NapA) has been identified as a virulence factor, a protective antigen and a potent immunomodulator. NapA shows unique application potentials for anti-H. pylori vaccines and treatment strategies of certain allergic diseases and carcinomas. However, appropriate production and utilization modes of NapA still remain uncertain to date. This work has established a novel efficient production and utilization mode of NapA by using L. lactis as an expression host and delivery vector, and demonstrated immune protective efficacy and immune modulatory activity of the engineered L. lactis by oral vaccination of mice. It was observed for the first time that H. pylori NapA promotes both polarized Th17 and Th1 responses, which may greatly affect the clinical application of NapA. This report offers a promising anti-H. pylori oral vaccine candidate and a potent mucosal immune modulatory agent. Meanwhile, it uncovers a way to produce and deliver the oral vaccine and immunomodulator by fermentation of food like milk, which might have striking effects on control of H. pylori infection, gastrointestinal cancers, and Th2 bias allergic diseases, including many food allergies.
Large-scale brain network associated with creative insight: combined voxel-based morphometry and resting-state functional connectivity analyses
Authors: Ogawa Takeshi , Aihara Takatsugu , Shimokawa Takeaki , Yamashita Okito
Published: April 2018

Creative insight occurs with an “Aha!” experience when solving a difficult problem. Here, we investigated large-scale networks associated with insight problem solving. We recruited 232 healthy participants aged 21–69 years old. Participants completed a magnetic resonance imaging study (MRI; structural imaging and a 10 min resting-state functional MRI) and an insight test battery (ITB) consisting of written questionnaires (matchstick arithmetic task, remote associates test, and insight problem solving task). To identify the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) associated with individual creative insight, we conducted an exploratory voxel-based morphometry (VBM)-constrained RSFC analysis. We identified positive correlations between ITB score and grey matter volume (GMV) in the right insula and middle cingulate cortex/precuneus, and a negative correlation between ITB score and GMV in the left cerebellum crus 1 and right supplementary motor area. We applied seed-based RSFC analysis to whole brain voxels using the seeds obtained from the VBM and identified insight-positive/negative connections, i.e. a positive/negative correlation between the ITB score and individual RSFCs between two brain regions. Insight-specific connections included motor-related regions whereas creative-common connections included a default mode network. Our results indicate that creative insight requires a coupling of multiple networks, such as the default mode, semantic and cerebral-cerebellum networks.
Au–Pd NPs immobilised on nanostructured ceria and titania: impact of support morphology on the catalytic activity for selective oxidation
Authors: Khawaji Motaz , Chadwick David
Published: April 2018

Au–Pd colloidal NPs immobilised on ceria nanorods are highly active catalysts for selective oxidation.
Carbon-free energetic materials: computational study on nitro-substituted BN-cage molecules with high heat of detonation and stability
Authors: Zeng Xin , Li Nan , Jiao Qingjie
Published: April 2018

A new series of high-energy density materials were created by replacing the H atoms in the BN-cage with nitro groups.
In vitro diagnosis of DNA methylation biomarkers with digital PCR in breast tumors
Authors: Cui Xingye , Cao Lei , Huang Yalin , Bai Dan , Huang Shan , Lin Min , Yang Qingzhen , Lu Tian Jian , Xu Feng , Li Fei
Published: April 2018

DNA methylation biomarkers are quantified with digital PCR and applied to the in vitro diagnosis of breast tumors.
DNA aptamers from whole-cell SELEX as new diagnostic agents against glioblastoma multiforme cells
Authors: Wu Qiaoyi , Wang Yuzhe , Wang Hongyao , Wu Liang , Zhang Huimin , Song Yanling , Zhu Zhi , Kang Dezhi , Yang Chaoyong
Published: April 2018

Aptamers selectively binding to glioblastoma multiforme cells were identified.
In situ formation of nano-CdSe as a photocatalyst: cadmium ion-enhanced photochemical vapour generation directly from Se(vi)
Authors: Xu Fujian , Zou Zhirong , He Juan , Li Mengtian , Xu Kailai , Hou Xiandeng
Published: April 2018

The in situ formation of nano-CdSe as a photocatalyst enhances the efficiency of the photochemical generation of gaseous Se-containing species.
Finding a receptor design for selective recognition of perrhenate and pertechnetate: hydrogen vs. halogen bonding
Authors: Ravi Anil , Oshchepkov Aleksandr S. , German Konstantin E. , Kirakosyan Gayana A. , Safonov Aleksey V. , Khrustalev Victor N. , Kataev Evgeny A.
Published: April 2018

Receptors bearing hydrogen and halogen bond donor sites for recognition of perrhenate and pertechnetate were designed and studied.
A label-free and blocker-free photoelectrochemical strategy for highly sensitive caspase-3 assay
Authors: Yang Ruiying , Li Yanmei , Zou Kang , Meng Leixia , Zhang Xiaohua , Chen Jinhua
Published: April 2018

Based on CC-DEVD-peptide modified nitrogen-doped porous carbon-ZnO nanopolyhedra/CdS hybrids, a label-free and blocker-free photoelectrochemical strategy was developed for caspase-3 assay.
A lead-free perovskite-like hybrid with above-room-temperature switching of quadratic nonlinear optical properties
Authors: Zhang Jing , Han Shiguo , Liu Xitao , Wu Zhenyue , Ji Chengmin , Sun Zhihua , Luo Junhua
Published: April 2018

We report a new lead-free perovskite-like hybrid, composed of hexamethyleneimine and one-dimensional [SbCl5]n2− polyanionic zigzag chains, which shows above-temperature switching of quadratic nonlinear optical (NLO) properties.
The origin of absorptive features in the two-dimensional electronic spectra of rhodopsin
Authors: Farag Marwa H. , Jansen Thomas L. C. , Knoester Jasper
Published: April 2018

A three-state three-mode model Hamiltonian reveals the origin of the absorptive features in the two-dimensional electronic spectra of rhodopsin.
Theoretical design and investigation of 1,8-naphthalimide-based two-photon fluorescent probes for detecting cytochrome P450 1A with separated fluorescence signal
Authors: Zhang Chun , Ren Ai-Min , Guo Jing-Fu , Wang Dan , Yu Li-Ying
Published: April 2018

Two-photon fluorescent probe for detecting CYP1A enzyme with separated fluorescence signal.
FeOx/Al2O3 catalysts for high-temperature decomposition of N2O under conditions of NH3 oxidation in nitric acid production
Authors: Sádovská Galina , Tabor Edyta , Bernauer Milan , Sazama Petr , Fíla Vlastimil , Kmječ Tomáš , Kohout Jaroslav , Závěta Karel , Tokarová Věnceslava , Sobalík Zdeněk
Published: April 2018

The δ and θ Al2O3 phases well stabilized Fe(iii) in Td or Oh coordination, which were identified as the active species in high temperature decomposition of N2O in a complex gas mixture produced by oxidation of ammonia.
Understanding small-molecule electro-oxidation on palladium based compounds – a feature on experimental and theoretical approaches
Authors: Sarma Saurav Ch. , Peter Sebastian C.
Published: April 2018

Electrochemical oxidation of small molecules such as ethanol, methanol and formic acid on Pd based compounds has a great impact on green energy production in fuel cells.
Pre-programmed self-assembly of polynuclear clusters
Authors: Shiga Takuya , Newton Graham N. , Oshio Hiroki
Published: April 2018

This perspective reviews our recent efforts towards the self-assembly of polynuclear clusters with ditopic and tritopic multidentate ligands HL1 (2-phenyl-4,5-bis{6-(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)pyrid-2-yl}-1H-imidazole) and H2L2 (2,6-bis-[5-(2-pyridinyl)-1H-pyrazole-3-yl]pyridine), both of which are planar and rigid molecules.
Fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis: a meta-analysis of observational studies
Authors: Hu Danqing , Cheng Lixiao , Jiang Wenjie
Published: April 2018

The association of the consumption of fruit and vegetables (FV) and the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) has been a controversial subject.
A sharp-edge-based acoustofluidic chemical signal generator
Authors: Huang Po-Hsun , Chan Chung Yu , Li Peng , Wang Yuqi , Nama Nitesh , Bachman Hunter , Huang Tony Jun
Published: April 2018

A sharp-edge-based acoustofluidic device capable of generating temporally controllable chemical signals is presented to enable cell-signaling studies.
Nickel(ii) riboflavin complex as an efficient nanobiocatalyst for heterogeneous and sustainable oxidation of benzylic alcohols and sulfides
Authors: Hasanpour Ravak , Feizpour Fahimeh , Jafarpour Maasoumeh , Rezaeifard Abdolreza
Published: April 2018

A novel Ni(ii)Rf2 nanocomplex was prepared, which efficiently oxidizes a wide range of benzyl alcohols and sulfides by employing ideal oxidants in green reaction media.
Synthesis of a deoxyguanosine monophosphate rich propyl methacrylate oligomer
Authors: Wilson Michael J. , Fenati Renzo A. , Williams Elizabeth G. L. , Ellis Amanda V.
Published: April 2018

Propyl methacrylate oligomers with pendant guanosine monophosphate nucleotides can self-assemble in the presence of monovalent cations.
One-dimensional cobalt(ii) coordination polymer featuring single-ion-magnet-type field-induced slow magnetic relaxation
Authors: Liu Xiangyu , Ma Xiufang , Cen Peipei , An Fengqing , Wang Zheng , Song Weiming , Zhang Yi-Quan
Published: April 2018

Single-ion-magnet-type field-induced double magnetic relaxation was observed in a one-dimensional cobalt(ii) coordination polymer which shows easy-axis anisotropy with D = −33.9 cm−1 and an energy barrier of Ueff = 38.8 K.
Photoswitchable azobenzene–rhodamine tweezers for biosensing of Al3+ ions
Authors: Raman Arunachalam , Augustine George , Ayyadurai Niraikulam , Easwaramoorthi Shanmugam
Published: April 2018

Photoswitchable tweezers: light catalysed enhanced binding of Al3+ using an azobenzene–rhodamine dyad by gating the photoisomerization process.
Layer-dependent transport and optoelectronic property in two-dimensional perovskite: (PEA)2PbI4
Authors: Zhao Yu-Qing , Ma Qi-Rui , Liu Biao , Yu Zhuo-Liang , Yang Junliang , Cai Meng-Qiu
Published: April 2018

Recently, two-dimensional (2D) layered organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites have attracted a huge amount of interest due to their unique layered structure, and potential optical properties.
Novel perovskite-based composites, La1−xNdxFeO3@activated carbon, as efficient catalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants by heterogeneous electro-Fenton reactions
Authors: Wang Qijun , Zhou Shu , Xiao Song , Wei Feifei , Zhao Xuezhu , Qu Jun’e , Wang Hairen
Published: April 2018

We present a facile sol–gel method for the design and preparation of a series of perovskite-activated carbon composites (La1−xNdxFeO3@AC) for the degradation of methyl orange.
Enhancing the ambient stability of few-layer black phosphorus by surface modification
Authors: Lei Shuang-Ying , Shen Hai-Yun , Sun Yi-Yang , Wan Neng , Yu Hong , Zhang Shengbai
Published: April 2018

To enhance the ambient stability of black phosphorus, fifteen elements have been selected to investigate their effects on the conduction band minimum of bP.
Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on Leymus chinensis seedlings under salt–alkali stress and nitrogen deposition conditions: from osmotic adjustment and ion balance
Authors: Lin Jixiang , Peng Xiaoyuan , Hua Xiaoyu , Sun Shengnan , Wang Yingnan , Yan Xiufeng
Published: April 2018

We evaluated the contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to the growth, ion content, and solute accumulation of Leymus chinensis seedlings under salt–alkali stress and nitrogen deposition.
A methylene blue-based near-infrared fluorescent probe for rapid detection of hypochlorite in tap water and living cells
Authors: Huang Xin , Li Zhipeng , Cao Tingting , Cai Qian , Zeng Chengchu , Fu Hua , Hu Liming
Published: April 2018

We developed a MB-based probe to detect OCl−, whose product is almost non-toxic. The fluorescence enhancement times are large.
Core@shell structured Co–CoO@NC nanoparticles supported on nitrogen doped carbon with high catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction
Authors: Zhen Zihao , Jiang Zhongqing , Tian Xiaoning , Zhou Lingshan , Deng Binglu , Chen Bohong , Jiang Zhong-Jie
Published: April 2018

A simple method has been developed for the synthesis of Co–CoO@NC/NC, which exhibits high and stable performance for the ORR.
Brønsted acidic ionic liquids for cellulose hydrolysis in an aqueous medium: structural effects on acidity and glucose yield
Authors: Suzuki Shiori , Takeoka Yuko , Rikukawa Masahiro , Yoshizawa-Fujita Masahiro
Published: April 2018

Using Brønsted acidic ionic liquids with various structures, their acidic catalytic activity for cellulose hydrolysis assisted by microwave irradiation was assessed using the Hammett acidity function (H0) and theoretical calculations.
Modification of a hollow-fibre polyethersulfone membrane using silver nanoparticles formed in situ for biofouling prevention
Authors: Dolina Jan , Gončuková Zuzanna , Bobák Marek , Dvořák Lukáš
Published: April 2018

As biofouling represents a serious problem limiting the widespread application of membranes, new modification method based on the in situ AgNPs formation leading to antibiofouling properties was developed.
Ternary composites by an in situ hydrolytic polymerization process
Authors: Nagel K. , Kaßner L. , Seifert A. , Grützner R.-E. , Cox G. , Spange S.
Published: April 2018

Polyamide 6/silica/polysiloxane composites have been prepared in a one-step process using lactam-substituted silicon monomers.
In situ construction of yolk–shell zinc cobaltite with uniform carbon doping for high performance asymmetric supercapacitors
Authors: Chang Xiaoya , Zang Lei , Liu Song , Wang Mengying , Guo Huinan , Wang Caiyun , Wang Yijing
Published: April 2018

Yolk–shell ZnCo2O4 with in situ formed carbon shows great potential for supercapacitors, which delivers high energy density and power density.