bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Medicine Beneath Your Feet: A Biocultural Examination of the Risks and Benefits of Geophagy
Authors: Young Sera L. , Miller Joshua D.
Published: April 2019

Geophagy is the intentional consumption of earth. Although widely documented among vulnerable populations, including children and pregnant women, the causes and consequences of geophagy remain poorly understood. Relevant literature was, therefore, reviewed to describe geophagy across species, geographies, life stages, and disease states. After a brief consideration of hypothesized etiologies, the potential harmful and beneficial consequences of geophagy are described, considering current evidence for each. Data available to date suggest that the greatest potential risks of geophagy include toxicity or heavy metal poisoning, and diseases resulting from consumed clays binding nutrients and beneficial pharmaceuticals in the gut. Evidence also suggests that geophagy may be beneficial by protecting against harmful pathogens and toxins through two distinct physiological pathways. Future research should explore causal relationships between geophagy and iron deficiency, as well as investigate the biological and psychosocial conditions that govern geophagy.
Canadian Association of Radiologists White Paper on Ethical and Legal Issues Related to Artificial Intelligence in Radiology
Authors:   for the Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Artificial Intelligence Working Group, Jaremko Jacob L. , Azar Marleine , Bromwich Rebecca , Lum Andrea , Alicia Cheong Li Hsia , Gibert Martin , Laviolette François , Gray Bruce , Reinhold Caroline , Cicero Mark , Chong Jaron , Shaw James , Rybicki Frank J. , Hurrell Casey , Lee Emil , Tang An
Published: April 2019

Artificial intelligence (AI) software that analyzes medical images is becoming increasingly prevalent. Unlike earlier generations of AI software, which relied on expert knowledge to identify imaging features, machine learning approaches automatically learn to recognize these features. However, the promise of accurate personalized medicine can only be fulfilled with access to large quantities of medical data from patients. This data could be used for purposes such as predicting disease, diagnosis, treatment optimization, and prognostication. Radiology is positioned to lead development and implementation of AI algorithms and to manage the associated ethical and legal challenges. This white paper from the Canadian Association of Radiologists provides a framework for study of the legal and ethical issues related to AI in medical imaging, related to patient data (privacy, confidentiality, ownership, and sharing); algorithms (levels of autonomy, liability, and jurisprudence); practice (best practices and current legal framework); and finally, opportunities in AI from the perspective of a universal health care system.
Longitudinal cerebrospinal fluid biomarker trajectories along the Alzheimer's disease continuum in the BIOMARKAPD study
Authors: Lleó Alberto , Alcolea Daniel , Martínez‐Lage Pablo , Scheltens Philip , Parnetti Lucilla , Poirier Judes , Simonsen Anja H. , Verbeek Marcel M. , Rosa‐Neto Pedro , Slot Rosalinde E.R. , Tainta Mikel , Izaguirre Andrea , Reijs Babette L.R. , Farotti Lucia , Tsolaki Magda , Vandenbergue Rik , Freund‐Levi Yvonne , Verhey Frans R.J. , Clarimón Jordi , Fortea Juan , Frolich Lutz , Santana Isabel , Molinuevo José Luis , Lehmann Sylvain , Visser Pieter J. , Teunissen Charlotte E. , Zetterberg Henrik , Blennow Kaj
Published: April 2019

Introduction

Within‐person trajectories of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are not well defined.

Methods

We included 467 subjects from the BIOMARKAPD study with at least two serial CSF samples. Diagnoses were subjective cognitive decline (n = 75), mild cognitive impairment (n = 128), and AD dementia (n = 110), and a group of cognitively unimpaired subjects (n = 154) were also included. We measured baseline and follow‐up CSF levels of total tau (t‐tau), phosphorylated tau (p‐tau), YKL‐40, and neurofilament light (NfL). Median CSF sampling interval was 2.1 years.

Results

CSF levels of t‐tau, p‐tau, NfL, and YKL‐40 were 2% higher per each year of baseline age in controls (P <.001). In AD, t‐tau levels were 1% lower (P <.001) and p‐tau levels did not change per each year of baseline age. Longitudinally, only NfL (P <.001) and YKL‐40 (P <.02) increased during the study period.

Discussion

All four CSF biomarkers increase with age, but this effect deviates in AD for t‐tau and p‐tau.
Clinical and manometric investigation in constipated Chagasic patients with and without megacolon
Authors: Leite Arminda Caetano de Almeida e , Moreira Marise Amaral Rebouças , Barbosa Maria Alves , Júnior Hélio Moreira , Leite Paula Chrystina Caetano Almeida , Moreira José Paulo Teixeira
Published: April 2019

Background Chagasic colopathy is the second most common digestive manifestation, and constipation is the main symptom. The absence of the Rectoanal Inhibitory Reflex plays an important role in constipation and anal manometry is crucial for appropriate evaluation.

Purpose Evaluate anal manometry findings (mainly Rectoanal Inhibitory Reflex) in Chagasic patients with chronic constipation, with and without megacolon and correlate these findings with clinical and demographic data.

Methods Cross-sectional study of patients with chronic constipation who underwent Chagasic serologic test, barium enema, and anal manometry. The absence of Rectoanal Inhibitory Reflex was evaluated using the mid-P Exact Test.

Results 64 Patients were included: 23 Chagasic patients with megacolon/megarectum (G1), 21 Chagasic patients without megacolon/megarectum (G2) and 20 non-Chagasic patients without megacolon/megarectum (G3). Chagasic patients with megacolon had a higher incidence of fecaloma (39%) compared to the other two groups (9.5% and 10% for G2 and G3, respectively, p = 0.03). Rectal capacity on manometry was statically higher for G1 patients. Rectoanal Inhibitory Reflex was absent in 91.3% of patients in G1, 47.29% in G2 and present in all patients in G3. There was a significant difference in the absence of the Rectoanal Inhibitory Reflex when comparing the groups (G1 vs. G2: p = 0.002, G1 vs. G3: p < 0.001, G2 vs. G3: p < 0.001).

Conclusion The absence of RAIR confirms the diagnosis of Chagasic colopathy and endorses surgical treatment whenever clinical treatment fails. The presence of the RAIR in patients with positive serology for Chagas disease without megacolon/megarectum might not be due chagasic colopathy and other causes should be considered.
Diary and recovered note cast new light on defection and assassination on Fiala-Ziegler Polar Expedition, 1903–05
Authors: Vedoe Douglas
Published: April 2019

An article by Walter Sullivan in The New York Times of 30 January 1969 speculated that a note discovered by a Russian party on Rudolf Island, Franz Josef Land, was evidence of defection by three members of the Fiala-Ziegler Polar Expedition, 1903–05. Sullivan indicated that the Soviet Novosti news service had reported that the partially decayed note, which was dated 2 July 1904, started: ‘We the opposition’ and was signed by ‘Tess, Veddy, and Ralliet.’ Examinations of the diaries of a member of the expedition and of expedition leader Anthony Fiala's book Fighting the polar ice show that it was impossible for these men to have been together on 2 July 1904, but that they were together a year later, and that they left a note then, at the place where Novosti reported the Russian party to have found one. Fiala and the diary show that the reported version of the note is not consistent with the circumstances at the purported time of the writing. When the note of 1905 was written, the trio was on a mission to assist Fiala. Defection and dissent by this group are contrary to available documents and publications, as well as the text of what is undoubtedly the original note, newly brought to light. In addition, the foundation for the issue of assassination and defection as raised by William Hunt, who referenced Sullivan's story in his book To stand at the Pole, is challenged.
Have mites (Acarina: Arachnida) colonised Antarctica and the islands of the Southern Ocean via air currents?
Authors: Pugh P.J.A.
Published: April 2019

Mites (Acarina: Arachnida) have not colonised Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands by ballooning on air currents. All acarine records from Pacific and Southern Ocean aerial plankton represent dead coastal (hemi)-edaphic species or phoretics dislodged from their flying insect hosts. The few sub-Antarctic records of mites capable of ‘ballooning’ on air currents are all verified as being attributed to anthropogenic introductions.
Obituary
Authors: Miller Paul
Published: April 2019

Frederick William Sherrell, geologist and engineer, who participated in both Arctic fieldwork and the Falkland Islands and Dependencies Aerial Survey Expedition, died of complications from emphysema at Tavistock on 5 August 2001.
Two-time scale controller design for a high speed planar parallel manipulator with structural flexibility
Authors: Kang Bongsoo , Yeung Benny , Mills James K.
Published: April 2019

Planar parallel manipulators, with potential applications in high speed, high acceleration tasks such as electronic component placement, would be subject to mechanical vibration due to high inertial forces acting on the linkages and other components. To achieve high throughput capability, such motion induced vibration would have to be damped quickly, to reduce settling time of the platform position and orientation. This paper develops a two-time scale dynamic model of a three-degree-of-freedom planar parallel manipulator with structurally flexible linkages. Based on the two-time scale model, a composite controller, consisting of a computed torque controller for the slow time-scale or rigid body subsystem dynamics, and a linear-quadratic state-feedback regulator for the fast time-scale flexible dynamic subsystem, is designed. Simulation results show that the composite control scheme permits the parallel manipulator platform to follow a given desired trajectory, while damping structural vibration arising due to excitation from inertial forces.
A SUBJECT OF DISTASTE; AN OBJECT OF JUDGMENT
Authors: Haldane John
Published: April 2019

In recent years it has become increasingly common in the United
States and in the United Kingdom for newspapers and other media to
expose problematic aspects of the private lives of political (and other
public) figures; or, since the facts may already be in the public
domain, to draw wider attention to them and to make them the subject of
commentary. These “problematic aspects” may include past or
continuing physical or psychological illness, eating disorders, drug
and alcohol abuse or dependence, financial difficulties, family
conflict, infidelity, or certain sexual proclivities of both the
political figures themselves and of their family members or intimates.
In the United States, the most prominent cases are probably those of
President Bill Clinton in relation to a series of alleged extramarital
affairs leading up to the scandal involving White House intern Monica
Lewinsky, and of President John F. Kennedy, also in relation to marital
infidelities. The latter exposure was, of course retrospective, as were
revelations of similar matters concerning other presidents and holders
of high office. Up until the mid-1960s, while it was sometimes known to
the press that politicians had “problems” in their private
lives, it was rare for these to be made public. Sometimes it might be
reported, or more likely hinted, that a figure had a
“complex” or “difficult” personal life, and the
public was left to infer whatever it might from this (generally
concluding that infidelity, alcoholism, or both, were probably at
issue). The recent culture of exposure results from a combination of
factors, including changed attitudes toward public discussion of sexual
conduct, changed standards of sexual behavior, recognition of the scale
of Cold War espionage and of its practice of blackmail, a general
decline in social deference, a threat to the print media posed by the
growth of television, and the rise of satirical entertainment. All of
these elements were present in the case that marked the establishment
of the culture of exposure in the U.K.: the ‘Profumo
scandal’ of 1963. For those unaware of this episode, it may be
sufficient to say that it involved the then-secretary of state for war,
members of the British aristocracy, a Soviet naval attaché, and
a number of “society” call girls, and that it contributed
to the resignation of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and the
subsequent fall from power of the Conservative Party. In the United
States, the culture of exposure developed somewhat later and took shape
in the period of the Watergate scandal, which damaged the American
public's perception of the governing classes just as the Profumo
scandal had in Britain.
SHOULD POLITICAL LIBERALS BE COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATIVES?
PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE
Authors: Tomasi John
Published: April 2019

It is easy and popular these days to be a political liberal. Compared
to ‘ethical liberals’, who justify the use of state power by way
of one or another conception of people's true moral nature,
‘political liberals’ seek a less controversial foundation for
liberal politics. Pioneered within the past twenty years by John Rawls and
Charles Larmore, the ‘political liberal’ approach seeks to justify
the coercive power of the state by reference to general political
ideas about persons and society. Since it abandons the debates about personal
moral value that have historically dogged liberal theory, political
liberalism offers itself as a more latitudinarian, indeed a more
liberal, form of liberalism. Being a political liberal is not the only
way to be a good liberal, but this approach has become prevalent enough
that I shall focus upon it here.
Increasing the generalizability of economic evaluations: Recommendations for the design, analysis, and reporting of studies
Authors: Drummond Michael , Manca Andrea , Sculpher Mark
Published: April 2019

Objectives:Health technology assessment (HTA) is increasingly an international activity, and HTA agencies collaborate to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort. However, the sharing of the results from HTAs raises questions about their generalizability; namely, are the results of an HTA undertaken in one country relevant to another?

Methods:This study presents recommendations for increasing the generalizability of economic evaluations. They represent an important component of HTAs and are commonly thought to have limited generalizability.

Results:Recommendations are given for studies using patient-level data (i.e., evaluations conducted alongside clinical trials) and for studies using decision analytic modeling.

Conclusions:If implemented, the recommendations would increase the value for investments in HTA.
Didactic images in a thirteenth-century French music theory treatise: theScientia artis musiceof Hélie Salomon
Authors: DYER JOSEPH
Published: April 2019

TheScientia artis musice, a music theory treatise completed in the year 1274 by Hélie Salomon, a cleric from the village of St-Astier (Périgord/Dordogne), covers all the usual topics treated in such sources: letter names, hexachord syllables, the claves (letter + syllable(s)), the musical hand, mutation, staff notation, clef placement and chant genres. It includes an incomplete tonary with representative chant genres together with a commentary on the seculorum (differentiae) appropriate to various chant incipits. A lengthy instruction on the performance of parallel four-voice organum is also included. TheScientiais the only medieval theory treatise whose eight illustrations (called ‘figurae’) include human figures. These images relate directly to matters covered in the treatise and serve to make its main points more easily committed to memory. Of especial interest is the image of an enthroned bishop that serves as the focal point for a novel exposition of the tonal system of chant as (1) a set of logical relations modelled after the Tree of Porphyry and (2) a variant of the tree of consanguinity. Since the sole surviving copy of the treatise is the original, all these details must reflect the author's intention.
Melodrama,Purimspiel, and Jewish Emancipation
Authors: Weltman Sharon Aronofsky
Published: April 2019

Long forgotten, Elizabeth Polack (fl. 1835–43) is the earliest known Jewish woman playwright in England. This essay argues that her first play,Esther, the Royal Jewess,or the Death of Haman!(1835), performed at a public playhouse in the Jewish working-class neighborhood of London's East End, radically realigns diverse genres and populations in advocating both Jewish emancipation and a voice for women. By way of a very brief introduction, I first point out the applicability here of Judith Butler'sNotes toward a Performative Theory of Assembly. Butler explores how group protest, such as Tahir Square or Occupy Wall Street, serves as a kind of communal bodily signification. Of course, her point is not to address how people come together in a public theater, where the cast arrives daily for salaried jobs and the audience plunks down cold cash for a fun night out. Yet something else meaningful can occur in assembly within the theater. Theatrical performances can take on the discursive power of political assembly that Butler defines, signifying “in excess of what is said,” bringing actors and audience together with potentially political valence. Butler helps us understand the stakes of theatrical performance and public assembly and why it is important to examineEsther, the Royal Jewessbeyond recovering a neglected author, though that too is part of my object.
Solar Occultation FTIR Spectrometry at Mars for Trace Gas Detection: A Sensitivity Study
Authors: Toon Geoffrey C. , Liebe Carl Christian , Nemati Bijan , Harris Ian , Kleinböhl Armin , Allen Mark , Hipkin Vicky , Drummond Jim , Soucy Marc‐André , Yung Yuk L. , Zeng Zhao‐Cheng , Wunch Debra , Wennberg Paul O.
Published: April 2019

A sensitivity study has been performed to estimate detection limits of various atmospheric trace gases achievable by a Mars‐orbiting solar occultation Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. This was accomplished by first computing realistic limb transmittance spectra based on a model (T, P, VMR, and dust profiles) of the Mars atmosphere and adding appropriate noise and systematic errors based on assumed instrument design/configuration/performance. We then performed spectral fits to the resulting synthetic spectra to derive slant column abundances and their uncertainties. A profile retrieval was performed to infer limits of detection. This methodology was applied to a Mars‐orbiting FTIR solar occultation spectrometer covering the 850–4,300 cm−1 spectral region at 0.025‐cm−1 resolution. We conclude that most gases can be retrieved with a single‐occultation sensitivity of 20–100 ppt. But this sensitivity varies considerably with the dust loading, especially for gases whose strongest absorption bands are toward higher wavenumbers where scattering is large. We conclude that for CH4, the ν4 band centered at 1,305 cm−1, despite being more than 2 times weaker than the ν3 band centered at 3,015 cm−1, offers better sensitivity due to its close spectral proximity to the dust extinction minimum. We also conclude that for the purpose of CH4 detection, a high‐resolution (0.025 cm−1) broadband instrument would have a substantial advantage over a medium‐resolution (0.15 cm−1) instrument, despite the latter having a much larger signal‐to‐noise ratio.
The Sensitivity of Sprite Streamer Inception on the Initial Electron‐Ion Patch
Authors: Köhn C. , Chanrion O. , Neubert T.
Published: April 2019

Sprite streamers are bright atmospheric phenomena above thunderstorms powered by sufficiently high electric fields and free charges from inhomogeneities in the mesosphere or ionosphere. A common feature of recent simulations is that they model the streamer inception from spherical Gaussian electron‐ion patches. We here tackle the following question: How do the streamer inception time and streamer properties depend on the initial geometry? Therefore, we consider prolate (“cigar”) and oblate (“pancake”) electron‐ion patches aiming to understand the geometric influence on streamer inception speed, electric field evolution, branching time, and ohmic heating of streamers. We initiate patches of different geometry with fixed peak densities of 5·1011 m−3 or with a fixed total electron number of 9.40·1012 in ambient fields of 0.5 and 1.5 times the breakdown field and study the streamer evolution between 60 and 80 km altitude with a 2.5D cylindrical Monte Carlo particle code. We present the evolution of the electron density and of the electric field. In our simulations, the time for the electric field tips to develop into the regime where they can self sustain the discharge is shortest for streamers from prolate patches and longest for oblate patches. The branching time of negative fronts depends on the eccentricity and increases for oblate patches ranging from 5 to 8 μs. We observe ohmic heating with maximum temperature differences up to tens of kelvins depending on the eccentricity and density of the initial patch influencing the efficiency of plasma reactions in streamer channels.
The Migration Diary of a Knickpoint in a Channelized Stream With a Cohesive Bed
Authors: Papanicolaou A. N. (Thanos) , Thomas John T. , Wilson Christopher G. , Abban Benjamin K. B. , Bettis E. Arthur , Elhakeem Mohamed
Published: April 2019

This paper examines the coevolutionary roles of variable flow features and heterogeneous substrates on knickpoint migration. A conceptual model is used to depict distinct migration mechanisms in a channelized headwater system of a representative intensively managed watershed in the Deep Loess Region of the U.S. Midwest. Throughout this region, entrenched streams have eroded into alluvial‐based strata that are horizontally consistent but vertically heterogeneous. Variable flow in these streams switches between vented conditions, where water shoots from the knickpoint face as an aerated plunging jet, and unvented conditions, where water clings close to its face through suction. These switches affect hydrodynamic mechanisms controlling migration but cannot explain fully observed alternating slow‐fast migration rates. It is hypothesized that vertically heterogeneous strata in entrenched streams, specifically strong‐over‐weak layers, facilitate observed changes in knickpoint migration rates. Preferential erosion of weaker sublayers is thought to trigger other erosional mechanisms to accelerate migration even at low flows. Herein, a migration “diary” documents a representative knickpoint's displacement over time with flow measurements and site stratigraphy. Slower migration occurred from 2006 to 2009 through fluvial erosion of a resistant silt loam cap. From 2009 to 2012, migration accelerated as the knickpoint face reached a critical height through scour. A flow back roller formed, which preferentially eroded a weaker sand sublayer. Undercutting/cantilever failure cycles persisted, causing 30 m of retreat within 2 months (i.e., 62.5% of the total migration over 78 months). Comparisons with established fluvial hydraulics‐based and undercutting/cantilever‐based migration models confirm the hypothesis and importance of both stratified substrates and hydrodynamic controls on knickpoint migration.
The Thermosphere Responds to a Weaker Than Normal Solar Cycle
Authors: Sidder Aaron
Published: April 2019

Infrared emissions from nitric oxide and carbon dioxide in Earth’s upper atmosphere, which are closely tied to incoming solar radiation, are drastically lower than in the previous solar cycle.
A Multivariate AMV Index and Associated Discrepancies Between Observed and CMIP5 Externally Forced AMV
Authors: Yan Xiaoqin , Zhang Rong , Knutson Thomas R.
Published: April 2019

Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV) is a multivariate phenomenon. Here for the first time we obtain a multivariate AMV index and associated patterns using Multivariate Empirical Orthogonal Function (MEOF) analysis to explore the multivariate nature of AMV. Coherent multidecadal variability that is unique to the Atlantic is found in the observed MEOF‐extracted AMV, various AMV‐related indices, and an Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation fingerprint. When the signal associated with global mean sea surface temperature is removed from both observations and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) simulations, the residual CMIP5 forced basin‐wide sea surface temperature‐based AMV index disagrees strongly with the observed residual. Only the observed residual basin‐wide sea surface temperature‐based AMV index retains a strong AMV signal. The MEOF approach still extracts a residual CMIP5 forced AMV signal that is unique to the Atlantic, although very different from observations. Our findings suggest that the observed AMV is not dominated by external forcing.
The Effects of Thermal Electrons on Whistler Mode Waves Excited by Anisotropic Hot Electrons: Linear Theory and 2‐D PIC Simulations
Authors: Fan Kai , Gao Xinliang , Lu Quanming , Guo Jun , Wang Shui
Published: April 2019

The wave normal angle of excited whistler waves was previously considered to be controlled by the parallel plasma beta (β∥h) of anisotropic hot electrons, while the effects of thermal electrons were usually neglected. By combining both the linear theoretical and 2‐D particle‐in‐cell (PIC) simulation models, we have investigated the effects of thermal electrons on the whistler anisotropy instability. In the high‐beta (β∥h ≥ 0.025) regime, the wave normal angle of the dominant whistler mode with the largest growth rate is always 0°, which is not affected by thermal electrons, while, its wave frequency and linear growth rate decrease with the density and temperature of thermal electrons. These results are also confirmed by PIC simulations. In the low‐beta (β∥h ≤ 0.025) regime, with the increase of the density and temperature of thermal electrons, the wave normal angle of the dominant whistler mode turns to zero from a large value. This change could be due to the stronger damping caused by thermal electrons for oblique whistler mode, since oblique wave usually has a smaller cyclotron resonant velocity than parallel wave. PIC simulations also show a consistent result, but reproduce a broad magnetic spectrum, even in the case including sufficient thermal electrons. Furthermore, thermal electrons with large parallel velocities are resonantly accelerated in the perpendicular direction, while parts of hot electrons are trapped and accelerated in the parallel direction. Our study suggests that the wave normal angle of whistler mode in the Earth's magnetosphere could be determined by both anisotropic and thermal electrons.
Annual and Semiannual Oscillations of Thermospheric Composition in TIMED/GUVI Limb Measurements
Authors: Yue Jia , Jian Yongxiao , Wang Wenbin , Meier R.R. , Burns Alan , Qian Liying , Jones M. , Wu Dong L. , Mlynczak Martin
Published: April 2019

The Global UltraViolet Imager (GUVI) onboard the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite provides a data set of vertical thermospheric composition (O, N2, and O2 densities) and temperature profiles from 2002–2007. Even though GUVI sampling is limited by orbital constraint, we demonstrated that the GUVI data set can be used to derive the altitude profiles of the amplitudes and phases of annual oscillation (AO) and semiannual oscillation (SAO), thereby providing important constraints on models seeking to explain these features. We performed a seasonal and interannual analysis of GUVI limb O, O2, and N2 densities and volume number density ratio O/N2 at constant pressure levels. These daytime observations of O and O/N2 in the lower thermosphere show a strong AO at midlatitudes and a clear SAO at lower latitudes. The global mean GUVI O/N2 number density ratio shows the AO, with slightly larger values in January than in July and a SAO with O/N2 greater during equinoxes than at the solstices. O and N2 densities on fixed pressure levels in the upper thermosphere are anticorrelated with solar extreme ultraviolet flux. On the other hand, O/N2 is smaller during solar minimum and larger during solar maximum. The thermospheric AO and SAO in composition have a constant phase with altitude throughout the thermosphere.
Auditory sensory memory span for duration is severely curtailed in females with Rett syndrome
Authors: Brima Tufikameni , Molholm Sophie , Molloy Ciara J. , Sysoeva Olga V. , Nicholas Eric , Djukic Aleksandra , Freedman Edward G. , Foxe John J.
Published: April 2019

Rett syndrome (RTT), a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the MECP2 gene, is typified by profound cognitive impairment and severe language impairment, rendering it very difficult to accurately measure auditory processing capabilities behaviorally in this population. Here we leverage the mismatch negativity (MMN) component of the event-related potential to measure the ability of RTT patients to decode and store occasional duration deviations in a stream of auditory stimuli. Sensory memory for duration, crucial for speech comprehension, has not been studied in RTT.

High-density electroencephalography was successfully recorded in 18 females with RTT and 27 age-matched typically developing (TD) controls (aged 6–22 years). Data from seven RTT and three TD participants were excluded for excessive noise. Stimuli were 1 kHz tones with a standard duration of 100 ms and deviant duration of 180 ms. To assess the sustainability of sensory memory, stimulus presentation rate was varied with stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) of 450, 900, and 1800 ms. MMNs with maximum negativity over fronto-central scalp and a latency of 220–230 ms were clearly evident for each presentation rate in the TD group, but only for the shortest SOA in the RTT group. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant group by SOA interaction. MMN amplitude correlated with age in the TD group only. MMN amplitude was not correlated with the Rett Syndrome Severity Scale. This study indicates that while RTT patients can decode deviations in auditory duration, the span of this sensory memory system is severely foreshortened, with likely implications for speech decoding abilities.
Antidepressants affect gut microbiota and Ruminococcus flavefaciens is able to abolish their effects on depressive-like behavior
Authors: Lukić Iva , Getselter Dmitriy , Ziv Oren , Oron Oded , Reuveni Eli , Koren Omry , Elliott Evan
Published: April 2019

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that the gut microbiota affects brain function and behavior, including depressive behavior. Antidepressants are the main drugs used for treatment of depression. We hypothesized that antidepressant treatment could modify gut microbiota which can partially mediate their antidepressant effects. Mice were chronically treated with one of five antidepressants (fluoxetine, escitalopram, venlafaxine, duloxetine or desipramine), and gut microbiota was analyzed, using 16s rRNA gene sequencing. After characterization of differences in the microbiota, chosen bacterial species were supplemented to vehicle and antidepressant-treated mice, and depressive-like behavior was assessed to determine bacterial effects. RNA-seq analysis was performed to determine effects of bacterial treatment in the brain. Antidepressants reduced richness and increased beta diversity of gut bacteria, compared to controls. At the genus level, antidepressants reduced abundances of Ruminococcus, Adlercreutzia, and an unclassified Alphaproteobacteria. To examine implications of the dysregulated bacteria, we chose one of antidepressants (duloxetine) and investigated if its antidepressive effects can be attenuated by simultaneous treatment with Ruminococcus flavefaciens or Adlercreutzia equolifaciens. Supplementation with R. flavefaciens diminished duloxetine-induced decrease in depressive-like behavior, while A. equolifaciens had no such effect. R. flavefaciens treatment induced changes in cortical gene expression, up-regulating genes involved in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, while down-regulating genes involved in neuronal plasticity. Our results demonstrate that various types of antidepressants alter gut microbiota composition, and further implicate a role for R. flavefaciens in alleviating depressive-like behavior. Moreover, R. flavefaciens affects gene networks in the brain, suggesting a mechanism for microbial regulation of antidepressant treatment efficiency.
Evaluation of MEDAG gene expression in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma: associations with histological features, regional lymph node metastasis and prognosis
Authors: Song Yang , Fu Li-jun , Li Hong-ting , Qiu Xin-guang
Published: April 2019

Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma accounts﻿ for a large proportion of papillary thyroid carcinoma, especially among new cases. Many  PTMC patients have regional lymph node metastasis, with some experiencing recurrence and even death. However, the risk factors and mechanism by which PTMC relates to these factors are unknown. In this study, differentially expressed genes were identified with microarray from The Cancer Genome Atlas, followed by analysis using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, western blot and Oil Red O staining were carried out to evaluate expression levels and functional alterations. Mesenteric Estrogen Dependent Adipogenesis expression was observed in almost all cases of papillary thyroid microcarcinomas, and the location of expression was associated with histological subtype. High expression was correlated with metastasis and poor disease-free survival. Furthermore, the enrichment analysis indicated that Mesenteric Estrogen Dependent Adipogenesis expression may be associated with metabolic reprogramming to influence metastasis and prognosis. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how Mesenteric Estrogen Dependent Adipogenesis affects metastasis and the prognosis of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma patients and suggest that Mesenteric Estrogen Dependent Adipogenesis expression may be a novel prognostic marker in these patients.
Iterative screening methodology enables isolation of strains with improved properties for a FACS-based screen and increased L-DOPA production
Authors: Savitskaya Judy , Protzko Ryan J. , Li Francesca-Zhoufan , Arkin Adam P. , Dueber John E.
Published: April 2019

Optimizing microbial hosts for the large-scale production of valuable metabolites often requires multiple mutations and modifications to the host’s genome. We describe a three-round screen for increased L-DOPA production in S. cerevisiae using FACS enrichment of an enzyme-coupled biosensor for L-DOPA. Multiple rounds of screening were enabled by a single build of a barcoded in vitro transposon-mediated disruption library. New background strains for screening were built for each iteration using results from previous iterations. The same in vitro transposon-mediated disruption library was integrated by homologous recombination into new background strains in each round of screening. Compared with creating new transposon insertions in each round, this method takes less time and saves the cost of additional sequencing to characterize transposon insertion sites. In the first two rounds of screening, we identified deletions that improved biosensor compartmentalization and, consequently, improved our ability to screen for L-DOPA production. In a final round, we discovered that deletion of heme oxygenase (HMX1) increases total heme concentration and increases L-DOPA production, using dopamine measurement as a proxy. We further demonstrated that deleting HMX1 may represent a general strategy for P450 function improvement by improving activity of a second P450 enzyme, BM3, which performs a distinct reaction.
Effects of Disorder on Thermoelectric Properties of Semiconducting Polymers
Authors: Upadhyaya Meenakshi , Boyle Connor J. , Venkataraman Dhandapani , Aksamija Zlatan
Published: April 2019

Organic materials have attracted recent interest as thermoelectric (TE) converters due to their low cost and ease of fabrication. We examine the effects of disorder on the TE properties of semiconducting polymers based on the Gaussian disorder model (GDM) for site energies while employing Pauli’s master equation approach to model hopping between localized sites. Our model is in good agreement with experimental results and a useful tool to study hopping transport. We show that stronger overlap between sites can improve the electrical conductivity without adversely affecting the Seebeck coefficient. We find that positional disorder aids the formation of new conduction paths with an increased probability of carriers in high energy sites, leading to an increase in electrical conductivity while leaving the Seebeck unchanged. On the other hand, energetic disorder leads to increased energy gaps between sites, hindering transport. This adversely affects conductivity while only slightly increasing Seebeck and results in lower TE power factors. Furthermore, positional correlation primarily affects conductivity, while correlation in site energies has no effect on TE properties of polymers. Our results also show that the Lorenz number increases with Seebeck coefficient, largely deviating from the Sommerfeld value, in agreement with experiments and in contrast to band conductors. We conclude that reducing energetic disorder and positional correlation, while increasing positional disorder can lead to higher TE power factors.
Control of nanostructure and pinning properties in solution deposited YBa2Cu3O7−x nanocomposites with preformed perovskite nanoparticles
Authors: Li Ziliang , Coll Mariona , Mundet Bernat , Chamorro Natalia , Vallès Ferran , Palau Anna , Gazquez Jaume , Ricart Susagna , Puig Teresa , Obradors Xavier
Published: April 2019

Solution deposited YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO) nanocomposites with preformed nanoparticles represent a promising cost-effective approach for superior critical current properties under applied magnetic fields. Nonetheless, the majority of YBCO nanocomposites with high nanoparticle loads (>20%) suffer from nanoparticle coalescence and degraded superconducting properties. Here, we study the influence of nanoparticle concentration (0–25% mol), size (5 nm–10 nm) and composition (BaHfO3, BaZrO3) on the generation of structural defects in the epitaxial YBCO matrix, key parameter for vortex pinning. We demonstrate that flash-heated superconducting nanocomposites with 20 mol% preformed BaHfO3 or BaZrO3 perovskite secondary phases feature discrete and small (7 nm) nanoparticles and high density of YBa2Cu4O8 (Y248) intergrowths. We identify a synergy between Y248 intergrowth density and small nanoparticles to increase artificial vortex pinning centers. Also, we validate the multideposition process to successfully increase film thickness of epitaxial nanocomposites with competitive critical currents Ic at 77 K.
Electrical impulse effects on degenerative human annulus fibrosus model to reduce disc pain using micro-electrical impulse-on-a-chip
Authors: Shin JaeHee , Hwang MinHo , Back SeungMin , Nam HyoGeun , Yoo ChangMin , Park JeongHun , Son HyeongGuk , Lee JaeWon , Lim HyunJung , Lee KwangHo , Moon HongJoo , Kim JooHan , Cho HanSang , Choi Hyuk
Published: April 2019

Electrical stimulation of cells and tissues for therapeutic benefit is a well-established method. Although animal studies can emulate the complexity of an organism’s physiology, lab-on-a-chip platforms provide a suitable primary model for follow-up animal studies. Thus, inexpensive and easy-to-use platforms for in vitro human cell studies are required. In the present study, we designed a micro-electrical impulse (micro-EI)-on-a-chip (micro-EI-chip), which can precisely control electron density and adjust the frequency based on a micro-EI. The micro-EI-chip can stimulate cells at various micro-EI densities (0–500 mV/mm) and frequencies (0–300 Hz), which enables multiple co-culture of different cell types with or without electrical stimulation. As a proof-of-concept study, a model involving degenerative inflamed human annulus fibrosus (hAF) cells was established in vitro and the effects of micro-EI on inflamed hAF cells were evaluated using the micro-EI-chip. Stimulation of the cells (150 mV/mm at 200 Hz) inhibited the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and downregulated the activities of extracellular matrix-modifying enzymes and matrix metalloproteinase-1. These results show that micro-EI stimulation could affect degenerative diseases based on inflammation, implicating the micro-EI-chip as being useful for basic research of electroceuticals.
Significant THz absorption in CH3NH2 molecular defect-incorporated organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite thin film
Authors: Maeng Inhee , Lee Young Mi , Park Jinwoo , Raga Sonia R. , Kang Chul , Kee Chul-Sik , Yu Byung Deok , Hong Suklyun , Ono Luis K. , Qi Yabing , Jung Min-Cherl , Nakamura Masakazu
Published: April 2019

The valid strong THz absorption at 1.58 THz was probed in the organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite thin film, CH3NH3PbI3, fabricated by sequential vacuum evaporation method. In usual solution-based methods such as 2-step solution and antisolvent, we observed the relatively weak two main absorption peaks at 0.95 and 1.87 THz. The measured absorption spectrum is analyzed by density-functional theory calculations. The modes at 0.95 and 1.87 THz are assigned to the Pb-I vibrations of the inorganic components in the tetragonal phase. By contrast, the origin of the 1.58 THz absorption is due to the structural deformation of Pb-I bonding at the grain boundary incorporated with a CH3NH2 molecular defect.
Author Correction: Low efficiency of large volcanic eruptions in transporting very fine ash into the atmosphere
Authors: Gouhier Mathieu , Eychenne Julia , Azzaoui Nourddine , Guillin Arnaud , Deslandes Mathieu , Poret Matthieu , Costa Antonio , Husson Philippe
Published: April 2019

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.
Culturing and patch clamping of Jurkat T cells and neurons on Al2O3 coated nanowire arrays of altered morphology
Authors: Harberts Jann , Zierold Robert , Fendler Cornelius , Koitmäe Aune , Bayat Parisa , Fernandez-Cuesta Irene , Loers Gabriele , Diercks Björn-Philipp , Fliegert Ralf , Guse Andreas H. , Ronning Carsten , Otnes Gaute , Borgström Magnus , Blick Robert H.
Published: April 2019

Report on electrophysiologically intact cell cultures on vertically arranged nanowires as a tool for next generation cell/nanowire stimulation studies.
Effects of spermine on liver barrier function, amino acid transporters, immune status, and apoptosis in piglets
Authors: Liu Guangmang , Zheng Jie , Cao Wei , Wu Xianjian , Jia Gang , Zhao Hua , Chen Xiaoling , Wu Caimei , Wang Jing
Published: April 2019

This study investigated the effects of spermine supplementation and its extended duration on amino acid transporters, immune status, barrier function, and apoptosis in the liver.
Comparing a deep eutectic solvent (DES) to a hydrotrope for their ability to enhance the fractionation and enzymatic hydrolysis of willow and corn stover
Authors: Song Yanliang , Chandra Richard P. , Zhang Xu , Tan Tianwei , Saddler Jack N.
Published: April 2019

The use of deep eutectic solvents and hydrotropes as a “post-treatment” for mechanical pulp to increase the ease of enzymatic hydrolysis.
Predicting two-dimensional pentagonal transition metal monophosphides for efficient electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction
Authors: Ying Yiran , Fan Ke , Luo Xin , Huang Haitao
Published: April 2019

A new group of two-dimensional materials—pentagonal MP (M = Ti, Zr, Hf)—with applications in nitrogen reduction electrocatalysis are proposed.
A multifunctional persistent luminescent nanoprobe for imaging guided dual-stimulus responsive and triple-synergistic therapy of drug resistant tumor cells
Authors: Su Feng-Xia , Zhao Xu , Dai Cong , Li Yu-Jie , Yang Cheng-Xiong , Yan Xiu-Ping
Published: April 2019

A novel multifunctional persistent luminescent nanoprobe was fabricated for imaging guided dual-stimulus responsive and triple-synergistic therapy for multiple drug resistant tumor cells.
Heavy-atom-free amorphous materials with facile preparation and efficient room-temperature phosphorescence emission
Authors: Zhao Changxing , Jin Yanhuan , Wang Jie , Cao Xiaoming , Ma Xiang , Tian He
Published: April 2019

Amorphous pure organic room-temperature phosphorescent small molecules without heavy atoms were designed and facilely preparedviamodification of heavy-atom-free luminophores onto β-cyclodextrin.
Stable gold graphitic nanocapsule doped hydrogels for efficient photothermal antibacterial applications
Authors: Xu Ming-Lu , Guan Lu-Yao , Li Sheng-Kai , Chen Long , Chen Zhuo
Published: April 2019

We have fabricated gold nanorod graphitic nanocapsule (AuNR@G) doped poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/chitosan (CS) hydrogels, which possessed highly efficient and stable photothermal antibacterial properties under the irradiation of a near-infrared laser.
Computer simulations of the adsorption of an N-terminal peptide of statherin, SN15, and its mutants on hydroxyapatite surfaces
Authors: Luo Muzhong , Gao Yuan , Yang Shengjiang , Quan Xuebo , Sun Delin , Liang Kunneng , Li Jiyao , Zhou Jian
Published: April 2019

Salt-bridge adsorption of the SN15 peptide and its mutants on the HAP(001) surface.
Easy and rapid estimation of ammonia in cold-storage potatoes: precautions in the environment
Authors: Kundu Shampa , Sarkar Himadri Sekhar , Das Sujoy , Sahoo Prithidipa
Published: April 2019

Carbazole–fluorescein-based imine (CFI) has been developed as a first chemosensor for selective detection and quantification of ammonia in cold-storage potatoes.
Antioxidant activity of cerium dioxide nanoparticles and nanorods in scavenging hydroxyl radicals
Authors: Filippi Alexander , Liu Fobang , Wilson Jake , Lelieveld Steven , Korschelt Karsten , Wang Ting , Wang Yueshe , Reich Tobias , Pöschl Ulrich , Tremel Wolfgang , Tong Haijie
Published: April 2019

Cerium dioxide nanoparticles and nanorods were found to exhibit much stronger scavenging activity than ·OH generation in quasi-physiological conditions.
Spermine modified polymeric micelles with pH-sensitive drug release for targeted and enhanced antitumor therapy
Authors: Chen Yang , Yang Cejun , Mao Juan , Li Haigang , Ding Jinsong , Zhou Wenhu
Published: April 2019

Tumor targeting delivery of SPM functionalized micelles via PTS binding and their endocytosis and pH-triggered endo/lysosome drug release for anti-cancer therapy.
Capillary flow in microchannel circuitry of scleral lenses
Authors: Yetisen Ali K. , Soylemezoglu Bugra , Dong Jie , Montelongo Yunuen , Butt Haider , Jakobi Martin , Koch Alexander W.
Published: April 2019

Simple and complex microchannels are formed in scleral lenses using laser pattering to perform microfluidic operations via capillary action.
Gas barrier enhancement of uncharged apolar polymeric films by self-assembling stratified nano-composite films
Authors: Motedayen Ali Akbar , Rezaeigolestani Mohammadreza , Guillaume Carole , Guillard Valérie , Gontard Nathalie
Published: April 2019

The gas (O2and CO2) permeability of an innovative stratified PE–organoclay (LLDPE/OMMT) nano-enabled composite films was studied for the first time and related to the self-assembly process driven by hydrophobic interactions.
Synthesis and enhanced visible light photocatalytic CO2 reduction of BiPO4–BiOBrxI1−x p–n heterojunctions with adjustable energy band
Authors: Yin Hao Yong , Zheng Yi Fan , Song Xu Chun
Published: April 2019

A series of novel BiPO4–BiOBrxI1−x p–n heterojunctions were successfully prepared by a facile solvothermal method.
Microfluidic preparation, shrinkage, and surface modification of monodispersed alginate microbeads for 3D cell culture
Authors: Yu Dan , Dong Ziye , Lim HyunTaek , Chen Yuting , Ding Zhenya , Sultana Nadia , Wu Jiangyu , Qin Bingyu , Cheng Jianjian , Li Wei
Published: April 2019

Cell-size alginate microbeads for 3D cell culture were prepared by microfluidic emulsification and controlled shrinkage, followed by nanofilm modification.