bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of bisphenol A on gap junctions in HaCaT cells as mediated by the estrogen receptor pathway
Authors: Zhang Qi , Wu Shuang , Liu Lu , Hou Xiaohong , Jiang Jianjun , Wei Xuetao , Hao Weidong
Published: September 2018

Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used as the raw material for the production of plastics and paper products. People can be exposed to BPA through dermal contact, particularly for cashiers in contact with thermal paper every day. BPA is a known endocrine disruptor that has been shown to be carcinogenic. Many tumors show weak gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) function. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and possible mechanisms of BPA's action on GJIC of human HaCaT skin cells. The results showed that BPA increased cell proliferation rates, prolonged GJIC photobleaching fluorescence recovery times and reduced overall fluorescence recovery rates at 0.01, 0.1 and 1 μm. BPA downregulated connexin (Cx)26 mRNA level at 0.1 μm. Estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist ICI 182 780 at 5 nm partially blocked the above effects of BPA indicating involvement of the ER pathway with BPA exposure. However, BPA did not influence Cx43 mRNA and protein levels. Our immunofluorescence data showed that Cx26 was expressed in the cytoplasm and plasma membrane, and was involved in the formation of gap junctions between adjacent cells, while Cx43 was expressed only in the cytoplasm. Therefore, our data indicate that Cx26 gap junctions may be involved in the GJIC inhibition caused by BPA. In conclusion, our results indicate that BPA can promote human skin cell proliferation, inhibit skin cell GJIC function but not formation and downregulate Cx26 mRNA levels partially through the ER pathway. We hypothesize that BPA can exhibit carcinogenicity by inhibiting GJIC.
Morphometric analysis of the gastrointestinal tract of four African muroid rodent species (Rhabdomys dilectus, Rhabdomys pumilio, Aethomys chrysophilus, and Lemniscomys rosalia)
Authors: Henke Zaskia , Sahd Lauren , Matthee Sonja , Kotzé Sanet H.
Published: September 2018

Several muroid rodent species are distributed throughout southern Africa. Some species are reportedly classified as opportunistic omnivorous rodents consuming plant, seed, and insect material. This study aims to provide a detailed morphometric analysis of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of four such omnivorous species, including stomach content analysis. Fixed GIT specimens (n = 5 of each) of Rhabdomys dilectus (Mesic four‐striped grass mouse), Rhabdomys pumilio (Xeric four‐striped grass mouse), Aethomys chrysophilus (Red rock rat), and Lemniscomys rosalia (Single‐striped grass mouse) were weighed. Length and circumference measurements of each anatomically distinct GIT region were determined to calculate the basal surface area (BSA). Histological sections from each GIT region were used to calculate a surface enlargement factor (SEF). The BSA and SEF were multiplied to calculate the luminal surface area (LSA) of each GIT region. Stomach content was analyzed both macroscopically and histologically. All species had a similar GIT morphology, namely a unilocular, hemiglandular stomach with a clear limiting ridge, which indicated the transition from stratified squamous epithelium to glandular epithelium. A large loosely spiralled cecum was present in all species. A narrowing of the cecal apex accompanied by lymph aggregates, confirmed histologically in both Rhabdomys species, indicated a cecal appendix. A single short colonic loop with a unique folding pattern for each species was present in the proximal colon. The colonic mucosal surface presented with proximal V‐shaped, and distal longitudinal folds. Intermediate transitional S‐shaped folds were present in three species (R. dilectus, R. pumilio, and L. rosalia). Colonic mucosal folds indicated hindgut specialization similar to other muroid rodents. The hindgut specialization was further supported by morphometric analysis, which indicated large BSA and LSA measurements in the cecum and colon. These adaptations are consistent with herbivory, despite stomach content analysis revealing omnivorous tendencies.
Variation of source gate workfunction on the performance of dual material gate rectangular recessed channel SOI‐MOSFET
Authors: Mishra Sikha , Bhanja Urmila , Mishra Guru Prasad
Published: September 2018

This paper attempts to propose a new device as workfunction modulated dual metal rectangular recessed channel silicon on insulator (WMDMRRC‐SOI) MOSFET. This model takes the advantage of recessed channel to reduce the hot‐carrier effect and a linear variation of workfunction at source side metal gate to achieve improved threshold voltage and electron transportation efficiency. The characteristics of WMDMRRC‐SOI MOSFET are analyzed in terms of electron behaviour like mobility, temperature, and velocity in the channel region. The impact of negative junction depth on threshold voltage and short‐channel effects like drain induced barrier lowering, subthreshold slope are analyzed to optimize the characteristics of the proposed architecture. Performance parameters of WMDMRRC‐SOI MOSFET are compared with the results of DMRRC‐SOI MOSFET and conventional RRC‐SOI MOSFET. The comparison interprets that with higher intrinsic gain and lower distortion, the proposed architecture gives better analog performance and enhanced short channel parameters. The results obtained are validated through Sentaurus TCAD device simulator.
Changes in the total knee joint moment in patients with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis over 5 years
Authors: Asay Jessica L. , Erhart‐Hledik Jennifer C. , Andriacchi Thomas P.
Published: September 2018

Progression of medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (OA) has been associated with repetitive mechanical loading during walking, often characterized by the peak knee adduction (KAM) and knee flexion moments (KFM). However, the relative contributions of these components to the knee total joint moment (TJM) can change as the disease progresses since KAM and KFM are influenced by different factors that change over time. This study tested the hypothesis that the relative contributions of KAM, KFM, and the rotational moment (KRM) to the TJM change over time in subjects with medial compartment knee OA. Patients with medial compartment knee OA (n = 19) were tested walking at their self‐selected speed at baseline and a 5‐year follow‐up. For each frame during stance, the TJM was calculated using the KAM, KFM, and KRM. The peaks of the TJM and the relative contributions of the moment components at the time of the peaks of the TJM were tested for changes between baseline and follow‐up. The percent contribution of KFM to the first peak of the TJM (TJM1) significantly decreased (p < 0.001) and the percent contribution of KAM to TJM1 significantly increased (p < 0.001), while the magnitude of the TJM1 did not significantly change over the 5‐year follow‐up. These gait changes with disease progression appear to maintain a constant TJM1, but the transition from a KFM to a KAM dominance appears to reflect gait changes associated with progressing OA and pain. Thus, the TJM and its component analysis captures a comprehensive metric for total loading on the knee over time. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. 36:2373–2379, 2018.
Multi‐Component Spirane Assemblies
Authors: Özer Merve S. , Mittal Nikita , Gaikwad Sudhakar , Schmittel Michael
Published: September 2018

A scaffold with a tetraphenylmethane core carrying two identical phenanthroline and two equal zinc porphyrin terminals is utilized for the clean self‐assembly of supramolecular three‐ and five‐component spiranes. The self‐assembly is guided by the orthogonality of the heteroleptic bisphenanthroline complex, heteroleptic terpyridine and phenanthroline complex, and Npy → zinc porphyrin interactions. In contrast to Newkome’s spirane assembly (Chem. Eur. J.2014, 20, 11291), the present systems are fully dynamic structures in which both rings share one common atom.
Analysis of artillery shoot‐and‐scoot tactics
Authors: Shim Younglak , Atkinson Michael P.
Published: September 2018

Firing multiple artillery rounds from the same location has two main benefits: a high rate of fire at the enemy and improved accuracy as the shooter's aim adjusts to previous rounds. However, firing repeatedly from the same location carries significant risk that the enemy will detect the artillery's location. Therefore, the shooter may periodically move locations to avoid counter‐battery fire. This maneuver is known as the shoot‐and‐scoot tactic. This article analyzes the shoot‐and‐scoot tactic for a time‐critical mission using Markov models. We compute optimal move policies and develop heuristics for more complex and realistic settings. Spending a reasonable amount of time firing multiple shots from the same location is often preferable to moving immediately after firing an initial salvo. Moving frequently reduces risk to the artillery, but also limits the artillery's ability to inflict damage on the enemy.
Adjacency‐based local top‐down search method for finding maximal efficient faces in multiple objective linear programming
Authors: Tohidi G. , Hassasi H.
Published: September 2018

It is well‐known that the efficient set of a multiobjective linear programming (MOLP) problem can be represented as a union of the maximal efficient faces of the feasible region. In this paper, we propose a method for finding all maximal efficient faces for an MOLP. The new method is based on a condition that all efficient vertices (short for the efficient extreme points and rays) for the MOLP have been found and it relies on the adjacency, affine independence and convexity results of efficient sets. The method uses a local top‐down search strategy to determine maximal efficient faces incident to every efficient vertex for finding maximal efficient faces of an MOLP problem. To our knowledge, the proposed method is the first top‐down search method that uses the adjacency property of the efficient set to find all maximal efficient faces. We discuss this and other advantages and disadvantages of the algorithm. We also discuss some computational experience we have had with our computer code for implementing the algorithm. This computational experience involved solving several MOLP problems with the code.
Fabrication of speedy and super‐water‐absorbing non‐woven cloth with hierarchical three‐dimensional network structure
Authors: Chen Yuan , Wu Xiaoqing , Wei Junfu , Luo Xianjian
Published: September 2018

A novel speedy and super‐water‐absorbing non‐woven cloth with hierarchical three‐dimensional network (3D‐SS‐PET) was fabricated through the induction of UV copolymerization on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers followed by a volume phase transition. The macroscopic three‐dimensional network implied that the PET non‐woven substrates are complicated three‐dimensional fibrous materials including oriented fibers in preferential or random directions. The microscopic three‐dimensional network is poly(acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide) (poly(AA‐co‐AM)) crosslinked copolymer layers on the fiber surface. The rapid volume phase transition was achieved by immersing the swelled non‐woven poly(AA‐co‐AM) modified PET (PET‐g‐AA‐co‐AM) in ethanol. The above process was an essential step to prepare the copolymer chain; after that the fiber surface was extended to form abundant capillary channels and plenty of space between fibers. The water contact angle decreased remarkably from 130° to 0°, while the absorbing capacity of the saturated water and the average water‐absorbing rate experienced an increasing trend, rising from 300 to 324.6 g g−1 in 24 h and 18.6 and 222 g (g min)−1 in 40 s, respectively. It was concluded that surface hydrophilicity and capillaries of the hydrophilic modified macroscopic fibrous structure enhanced the water‐absorbing rate and the swelling process contributed to the higher water absorption capacity. This speedy and super‐water‐absorbing material exhibits great potentiality in diapers, sanitary napkins, wound dressings, surgical pads, and hygroscopic and sweat‐free underwear in extremely cold areas. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Roles of positive psychological outcomes in future health perception and mental health problems: A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study
Authors: Weinstein Aurélie G. , Henrich Christopher C. , Armstrong Gregory T. , Stratton Kayla L. , King Tricia Z. , Leisenring Wendy M. , Krull Kevin R.
Published: September 2018

Objective

Positive psychological outcomes among adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer may influence long‐term health status. We examined posttraumatic growth (PTG) and Life satisfaction (LS) in adolescence, and their impact on future emotional and physical health status in young adulthood.

Methods

Survivors (n = 2802) from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study were longitudinally analyzed across social, emotional, and physical factors during adolescence (12–17 years old), and PTG (PTG‐Inventory) and LS (Cantril‐Ladder‐of‐Life) during young adulthood (19–24 years old). The impact of PTG and LS on survivors' future long‐term mental health, physical health, and social skills was also examined (23–28 years old) using Structural Equation Modeling.

Results

Survivors reported high levels of LS (M = 7.43, range 1 to 10) and a positive impact from their cancer experience (M = 48.78, range 0 to 105). Adolescent predictors of higher PTG included older age at diagnosis (p = 0.001), experiencing more severe chronic health conditions (p = 0.01), cancer recurrence/relapse (p = 0.01), and being diagnosed with a non‐CNS cancer (p = 0.001). Higher perceived general health (p = 0.01), higher social skills (p = 0.001), and diagnosis with a non‐CNS cancer (p = 0.02) were associated with higher LS. Higher PTG during young adulthood predicted poorer perceived health (p = 0.04) and worse emotional health (p = 0.001) in later adulthood. Higher LS predicted better emotional health (p = 0.001) and better perceived health (p = 0.001).

Conclusions

While LS was found to help survivors have better perceived long‐term emotional and physical health outcomes, survivors with higher PTG fond both positive and negative impacts from cancer. Future therapeutic trials to improve LS should be considered.
Orientation of AlN Grains Nucleated on Different Diamond Substrates by Magnetron Sputtering
Authors: Liu Hao , Xu Yaohua , Zhang Xiao , Chen Liangxian , Li Chengming , Wei Feng , Yuan Peng
Published: September 2018

For AlN/diamond structure, the crystal quality of diamond substrates is of great importance for the epitaxial growth of AlN. In this paper, c‐axis‐oriented AlN films are deposited on diamond with different crystal quality by radio frequency (RF) reactive magnetron sputtering. The effects of the microstructure of diamond substrates on the orientation of AlN are studied. The results show that the crystal quality of the diamond films greatly affects the growth behavior of AlN. The surface defects of diamond, such as the amorphous phase, will cause the growth direction of AlN to deviate from the c‐axis, resulting in the disorder of grain orientation. Meanwhile, diamond crystal orientation also has influence on the growth of AlN. The (111) oriented grains of diamond are beneficial to the c‐axis growth of AlN. The interface of AlN nucleation and initial growth plays a vital role in final performance of the films, where there is a transition zone from randomly oriented AlN grains to c‐axis‐oriented grains. The suitable diamond substrate can eliminate the transition zone, and can lead to AlN films with high‐degree c‐axis orientation.
Suppression of influenza B virus replication by sakuranetin and mode of its action
Authors: Kwon Dur‐Han , Ji Jeong‐Hun , Yim Soon‐Ho , Kim Byoung‐Soo , Choi Hwa‐Jung
Published: September 2018

This study aimed to investigate in vitro the anti‐influenza B/Lee/40 virus effect of sakuranetin and mode of its action. The sakuranetin exhibited potent antiviral activity against influenza B/Lee/40 virus, reducing the formation of a visible cytopathic effect, with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 7.21 μg/ml and no cytotoxicity at a concentration of 100 μg/ml, and the derived therapeutic index (TI) was >13.87. Oseltamivir showed weak anti‐influenza B/Lee/40 virus activity with IC50 of 80.74 μg/ml, 50% cytotoxicity concentration of >100 μg/ml, and TI of >1.24. Sakuranetin also showed effective inhibitory effects when added at the viral attachment, entry, and postentry steps. Moreover, sakuranetin effectively inactivated influenza B/Lee/40 virus infection in dose‐ and temperature‐dependent manners. Sakuranetin indicated an inhibitory effect in viral RNA synthesis in the presence of 100 μg/ml of sakuranetin. Overall, this research revealed that sakuranetin could inhibit influenza B/Lee/40 virus replication and that sakuranetin may be involved in the virus attachment, entry, and postentry. Therefore, sakuranetin is a good candidate for a chemopreventive agent for influenza virus‐related diseases.
EWMA chart with variable sample size and sampling interval for monitoring Pareto data with estimated parameters
Authors: Cheng Xiao‐Bin , Wang Fu‐Kwun
Published: September 2018

The Pareto distribution has been widely used to model data in numerous areas including actuarial science, climatology, economics, finance, and reliability. The exponential weighted moving average (EWMA) chart with variable sample size and sampling interval (VSSI) is quicker than EWMA chart, EWMA chart with variable sample size (VSS), and EWMA chart with variable sampling interval (VSI) in detecting the mean shifts of a normal process. In this study, we present an EWMA‐VSSI chart to monitor the Pareto data with estimated parameters. The average time to signal (ATS) is computed by using the Markov chain approach. The results indicate that the proposed chart performs better than the other EWMA charts with fixed sample size, VSS, and VSI in terms of ATS. The design parameters of the proposed control charts are given in order to expedite the use of the chart by practitioners. Two examples are used to illustrate the application of the proposed control charts.
Thermally enhanced hydrolysis for treatment of pesticides and explosives
Authors: Beyke Gregory L.
Published: September 2018

Thermally enhanced hydrolysis of halogenated alkanes such as 1,1,1‐trichlorethane has become a proven method of in situ soil and groundwater remediation. Electrical resistance heating is commonly used to heat soil and groundwater to accelerate the rate of hydrolysis. This article provides practical information to extend the hydrolysis remediation toolkit to include treatment of common pesticides and explosives. Sites with comingled volatile compounds, pesticides, and/or explosives can also be treated via a single solution.
Neutrino signatures in primordial non-gaussianities
Authors: Chen Xingang , Wang Yi , Xianyu Zhong-Zhi
Published: September 2018

Abstract

We study the cosmological collider phenomenology of neutrinos in an effective field theory. The mass spectrum of neutrinos and their characteristic oscillatory signatures in the squeezed limit bispectrum are computed. Both dS-covariant and slow-roll corrections are considered, so is the scenario of electroweak symmetry breaking during inflation. Interestingly, we show that the slow-roll background of the inflaton provides a chemical potential for the neutrino production. The chemical potential greatly amplifies the oscillatory signal and makes the signal observably large for heavy neutrinos without the need of fine tuning.
An Error in Temporal Error Theory
Authors: TALLANT JONATHAN
Published: September 2018

Within the philosophy of time there has been a growing interest in positions that deny the reality of time. Those positions, whether motivated by arguments from physics or metaphysics, have a shared conclusion: time is not real. What has not been made clear, however, is exactly what it entails to deny the reality of time. Time is unreal, sure. But what does that mean?

There has (within the recent literature) been only one sustained attempt to spell out what it would mean to endorse a (so-called) temporal error theory, a theory that denies the reality of time: Baron and Miller's (2015) ‘What Is Temporal Error Theory?’ Despite the fact that their paper makes significant strides in spelling out what would be required, my claim in this paper is that their position must be rejected and replaced. In addition to rejecting Baron and Miller's position, I also offer that replacement.
Homogenization theory for the effective permittivity of a turbulent tokamak plasma in the scrape-off layer
Authors: Bairaktaris F. , Hizanidis K. , Ram A. K. , Papagiannis P. , Tsironis C. , Kominis Y. , Glytsis E. , Chellai O. , Alberti S. , Furno I.
Published: September 2018

There has been a growing interest, over the past few years, on understanding the effect on radio frequency waves due to turbulence in the scrape-off layer of tokamak plasmas. While the far scrape-off layer density width is of the order of centimetres in contemporary tokamaks, in ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), and in future fusion reactors, the corresponding width will be of the order of tens of centimetres. As such, this could impact the spectral properties of the waves and, consequently, the transport of wave energy and momentum to the core plasma. The turbulence in the scrape-off layer spans a broad range of spatial scales and includes blobs and filaments that are elongated along the magnetic field lines. The propagation of radio frequency waves through this tenuous plasma is given by Maxwell’s equations. The characteristic properties of the plasma appear as a permittivity tensor in the expression for the current in Ampere’s equation. This paper develops a formalism for expressing the permittivity of a turbulent plasma using the homogenization technique. This technique has been extensively used to express the dielectric properties of composite materials that are spatially inhomogeneous, for example, due to the presence of micro-structures. In a similar vein, the turbulent plasma in the scrape-off layer is spatially inhomogeneous and can be considered as a composite material in which the micro-structures are filaments and blobs. The classical homogenization technique is not appropriate for the magnetized plasma in the scrape-off layer, as the radio frequency waves span a broad range of wavelengths and frequencies – from tens of megahertz to hundreds of gigahertz. The formalism in this paper makes use of the Fourier space components of the electric and magnetic fields of the radio frequency waves for the scattered fields and fields inside the filaments and blobs. These are the eigenvectors of the dispersion matrix which, using the Green’s function approach, lead to a homogenized dielectric tensor.
I COULDN'T MAKE A PIECE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THAT: A CONVERSATION WITH ALLISON CAMERON
Authors: Höstman Anna
Published: September 2018

The composer Allison Cameron (b. 1963) lives in Toronto. Her music has been widely performed at festivals such as Emerging Voices in San Diego, Evenings of New Music in Bratislava, Festival SuperMicMac in Montréal, Newfoundland Sound Symposium, New Music across America, Bang on a Can Marathon in New York, New York, and Rumori Dagen in Amsterdam. A dedicated performer of experimental music in Toronto, Allison co-founded the Drystone Orchestra (1989) and the Arcana Ensemble (1992). She has been improvising since 2000 on banjo, ukulele, cassette tapes, radios, miscellaneous objects, mini amplifiers, crackle boxes, toys and keyboards, in collaboration with Éric Chenaux, the Draperies, Ryan Driver, Dan Friedman, Mike Gennaro, Kurt Newman, John Oswald, Stephen Parkinson and Mauro Savo, among other musicians. In that same year she became Artistic Director of Toronto's experimental ensemble Arraymusic, a position she held for five years. In 2007, she founded the Allison Cameron Band with Eric Chenaux and Stephen Parkinson, and in 2009, the trio c_RL with Nicole Rampersaud (trumpet) and Germaine Liu (drums). Allison has experimented with graphic and notational scores that will soon be gathered and published as a collection. Additionally, she is the winner of the 2018 KM Hunter Award for music in Ontario.
Late Music York: Delta Saxophone Quartet, Ian Pace Unitarian Chapel, York
Authors: Williams Nick
Published: September 2018

Growing out of Soundpool, a York-based composer/performer collective of the 1980s, Late Music York has been promoting new music in York for over 20 years. Composers and commissions featured in their concerts have included Frederic Rzewski, Michael Finnissy, Judith Weir, Anna Meredith and Howard Skempton. Their latest series is equally broad, with music ranging from David Bowie to Tristan Murail (not forgetting younger local composers); the series can never be accused of having a narrow agenda. This review aims to contrast two separate events to give an idea of the range and variety one has come to expect from Late Music concerts.
MaerzMusik
Authors: Allan Robert Reid
Published: September 2018

For one week in March, a bitterly cold Berlin became a hotspot for hard-hitting, radical and politically engaged music making, as MaerzMusik welcomed some of the most forward-thinking composers, performers, speakers and thinkers through its doors. With by far the most representation across the week's events, it was composer/producer/DJ/transgender activist Terre Thaemlitz who assumed the role of unofficial artist-in-residence, with her appearances spanning two concerts, a talk, a DJ set (under pseudonym DJ Sprinkles) and a 30-hour performance of his latest album Soullessness, which was installed over the festival's opening weekend at the Martin-Gropius-Bau.
BBC Radio 3 Open Ear: EXAUDI Vocal Ensemble, We Spoke & Gwen Rouger LSO St Luke's, London
Authors: Barry Robert
Published: September 2018

Simon Løffler's b presents to its audience an immediate question: where are the instruments? Three players sit on straight-backed chairs, joined by a daisy-chain of cables and guitar stomp boxes. The score directs a choreography of foot switching, demanding extraordinary pedal dexterity. Sounds pass down the line, modulated by distortion and equaliser effects, before bursting out of the PA in a series of abrupt electrical barks. But at the other end of the line there is nothing but an unplugged jack, held aloft, inserted nowhere but the open air.
SPOR Festival: Part I
Authors: Nickel Luke
Published: September 2018

‘Music is a dark world of meaningless abstraction, of memory and longing.’ These words by Niels Rønsholdt boldly opened his new opera Gaze for Gaze, created collaboratively with the ensemble and music theatre collective SCENATET. Gaze for Gaze was one of the cornerstones of SPOR's 2018 programming, shown three times to an intimate sold-out audience of around 40 people. The piece's clever twist – text was delivered by audience members sitting in a circle around the work's two lead performers, with the rest of the musicians performing behind the audience – brought to the fore many of SPOR's curatorial themes: absence, substitution, and darkness.
Borealis Festival 2018: Part I
Authors: Luck Neil
Published: September 2018

Visiting Borealis for two of its five-day stretch in March, I encountered a festival that offered a refreshingly diverse take on the field of experimental music – diverse not only in terms of who is making it (the festival actively works towards equality of representation) but also in the practices represented. Indeed, perhaps a majority of the works presented in the festival intersected with fields of artistic activity outside of conventional musical performance.
Qualitative Forschung mit dem „Concept of Candidacy“
Authors: Pfister Andreas
Published: September 2018

Zusammenfassung. Zielsetzung: Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird der wissenschaftliche Nutzen des „Concept of Candidacy“ für die qualitative Erforschung erschwerter Inanspruchnahme von (Sucht-)Prävention aufgezeigt. Methodik: Am Beispiel sozioökonomisch benachteiligter Familien werden die Erklärungs- und Aussagekraft wissenschaftlicher Modelle und quantitativ-methodischer Zugänge in Bezug auf die erschwerte Inanspruchnahme von Suchtprävention kritisch diskutiert und das Potential qualitativer Sozialforschung unter Nutzung des „Concept of Candidacy“ aufgezeigt. Schlussfolgerungen: Quantitativ ausgerichtete Modelle identifizieren relevante Faktoren und deren (multifaktoriellen) Einfluss auf das Gesundheitsverhalten. Sie sind aber eher statisch, klären zu wenig auf, wie erschwerte Inanspruchnahme in einem Prozess und in Interaktion zwischen Adressatinnen/Adressaten und Professionellen der Suchtprävention zu Stande kommt. Das „Concept of Candidacy“ kann im Rahmen qualitativer Forschungszugänge diese wissenschaftliche Erkenntnislücke schliessen. Es kann die Formulierung von Problem- und Fragestellungen instruieren, als sensibilisierendes Konzept im Rahmen von Grounded Theory-Zugängen verwendet werden, oder als analytische Heuristik, die die Datenerhebung und -auswertung stärker strukturiert. Der Zugang vulnerabler Gruppen wie etwa sozioökonomisch benachteiligter Familien zu suchtpräventiven Angeboten und Massnahmen könnte dadurch verbessert werden.
Honoring Earth and Space Scientists
Authors: Duncombe Jenessa
Published: September 2018

AGU members and others in the news.
DISC1 regulates N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor dynamics: abnormalities induced by a Disc1 mutation modelling a translocation linked to major mental illness
Authors: Malavasi Elise L. V. , Economides Kyriakos D. , Grünewald Ellen , Makedonopoulou Paraskevi , Gautier Philippe , Mackie Shaun , Murphy Laura C. , Murdoch Hannah , Crummie Darragh , Ogawa Fumiaki , McCartney Daniel L. , O’Sullivan Shane T. , Burr Karen , Torrance Helen S. , Phillips Jonathan , Bonneau Marion , Anderson Susan M. , Perry Paul , Pearson Matthew , Constantinides Costas , Davidson-Smith Hazel , Kabiri Mostafa , Duff Barbara , Johnstone Mandy , Polites H. Greg , Lawrie Stephen M. , Blackwood Douglas H. , Semple Colin A. , Evans Kathryn L. , Didier Michel , Chandran Siddharthan , McIntosh Andrew M. , Price David J. , Houslay Miles D. , Porteous David J. , Millar J. Kirsty
Published: September 2018

The neuromodulatory gene DISC1 is disrupted by a t(1;11) translocation that is highly penetrant for schizophrenia and affective disorders, but how this translocation affects DISC1 function is incompletely understood. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) play a central role in synaptic plasticity and cognition, and are implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia through genetic and functional studies. We show that the NMDAR subunit GluN2B complexes with DISC1-associated trafficking factor TRAK1, while DISC1 interacts with the GluN1 subunit and regulates dendritic NMDAR motility in cultured mouse neurons. Moreover, in the first mutant mouse that models DISC1 disruption by the translocation, the pool of NMDAR transport vesicles and surface/synaptic NMDAR expression are increased. Since NMDAR cell surface/synaptic expression is tightly regulated to ensure correct function, these changes in the mutant mouse are likely to affect NMDAR signalling and synaptic plasticity. Consistent with these observations, RNASeq analysis of the translocation carrier-derived human neurons indicates abnormalities of excitatory synapses and vesicle dynamics. RNASeq analysis of the human neurons also identifies many differentially expressed genes previously highlighted as putative schizophrenia and/or depression risk factors through large-scale genome-wide association and copy number variant studies, indicating that the translocation triggers common disease pathways that are shared with unrelated psychiatric patients. Altogether, our findings suggest that translocation-induced disease mechanisms are likely to be relevant to mental illness in general, and that such disease mechanisms include altered NMDAR dynamics and excitatory synapse function. This could contribute to the cognitive disorders displayed by translocation carriers.
Augmentation of vaccine-induced humoral and cellular immunity by a physical radiofrequency adjuvant
Authors: Cao Yan , Zhu Xiaoyue , Hossen Md Nazir , Kakar Prateek , Zhao Yiwen , Chen Xinyuan
Published: September 2018

Protein/subunit vaccines often require external adjuvants to induce protective immunity. Due to the safety concern of chemical adjuvants, physical adjuvants were recently explored to boost vaccination. Physical adjuvants use physical energies rather than chemicals to stimulate tissue stress and endogenous danger signal release to boost vaccination. Here we present the safety and potency of non-invasive radiofrequency treatment to boost intradermal vaccination in murine models. We show non-invasive radiofrequency can increase protein antigen-induced humoral and cellular immune responses with adjuvant effects comparable to widely used chemical adjuvants. Radiofrequency adjuvant can also safely boost pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccination with adjuvant effects comparable to MF59-like AddaVax adjuvant. We find radiofrequency adjuvant induces heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) release and activates MyD88 to mediate the adjuvant effects. Physical radiofrequency can potentially be a safe and potent adjuvant to augment protein/subunit vaccine-induced humoral and cellular immune responses.
Complexity, rate, and scale in sliding friction dynamics between a finger and textured surface
Authors: Khojasteh Behnam , Janko Marco , Visell Yon
Published: September 2018

Sliding friction between the skin and a touched surface is highly complex, but lies at the heart of our ability to discriminate surface texture through touch. Prior research has elucidated neural mechanisms of tactile texture perception, but our understanding of the nonlinear dynamics of frictional sliding between the finger and textured surfaces, with which the neural signals that encode texture originate, is incomplete. To address this, we compared measurements from human fingertips sliding against textured counter surfaces with predictions of numerical simulations of a model finger that resembled a real finger, with similar geometry, tissue heterogeneity, hyperelasticity, and interfacial adhesion. Modeled and measured forces exhibited similar complex, nonlinear sliding friction dynamics, force fluctuations, and prominent regularities related to the surface geometry. We comparatively analysed measured and simulated forces patterns in matched conditions using linear and nonlinear methods, including recurrence analysis. The model had greatest predictive power for faster sliding and for surface textures with length scales greater than about one millimeter. This could be attributed to the the tendency of sliding at slower speeds, or on finer surfaces, to complexly engage fine features of skin or surface, such as fingerprints or surface asperities. The results elucidate the dynamical forces felt during tactile exploration and highlight the challenges involved in the biological perception of surface texture via touch.
Differential Effect of HCV Eradication and Fibrosis Grade on Hepatocellular Carcinoma and All-cause Mortality
Authors: Lee Yun Bin , Nam Joon Yeul , Lee Jeong-Hoon , Chang Young , Cho Hyeki , Cho Young Youn , Cho Eun Ju , Yu Su Jong , Kim Hwi Young , Lee Dong Ho , Lee Jeong Min , Hwang Seong Gyu , Kim Yoon Jun , Yoon Jung-Hwan
Published: September 2018

Whether a sustained virological response (SVR) improves long-term outcomes in chronic hepatitis C patients with earlier-stage fibrosis has not been established. We investigated the differential effect of SVR on the risk of outcomes according to hepatic fibrosis grade. Fibrosis grade was categorised using FIB-4: <1.45, low-probability of significant fibrosis; 1.45–3.25, intermediate-probability; and ≥3.25, high-probability. Primary and secondary endpoints were hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence and death, respectively. Among 1,373 included chronic hepatitis C patients, 744 patients were treated with interferon-based or –free regimens and 622 (83.6%) achieved SVR. SVR was independently associated with lower risk of HCC (vs. untreated: adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.165; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.077–0.350; P < 0.001) and overall death (vs. untreated; aHR, 0.146; 95% CI, 0.050–0.424; P < 0.001) during the median observation of 3.5 (interquartile range, 1.9–6.6) years. The SVR group had significantly lower risk of HCC than the untreated group among patients with intermediate-probability (n = 492: aHR, 0.171; 95% CI, 0.051–0.578; P = 0.004) and high-probability (n = 446: aHR, 0.243; 95% CI, 0.107–0.551; P < 0.001) of significant fibrosis. HRs were maintained after balancing with inverse probability weighting. SVR was associated with reduced risk of HCC development and all-cause mortality in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Genome-wide association meta-analysis of coronary artery disease and periodontitis reveals a novel shared risk locus
Authors: Munz Matthias , Richter Gesa M. , Loos Bruno G. , Jepsen Søren , Divaris Kimon , Offenbacher Steven , Teumer Alexander , Holtfreter Birte , Kocher Thomas , Bruckmann Corinna , Jockel-Schneider Yvonne , Graetz Christian , Munoz Loreto , Bhandari Anita , Tennstedt Stephanie , Staufenbiel Ingmar , van der Velde Nathalie , Uitterlinden André G. , de Groot Lisette C. P. G. M. , Wellmann Jürgen , Berger Klaus , Krone Bastian , Hoffmann Per , Laudes Matthias , Lieb Wolfgang , Franke Andre , Dommisch Henrik , Erdmann Jeanette , Schaefer Arne S.
Published: September 2018

Evidence for a shared genetic basis of association between coronary artery disease (CAD) and periodontitis (PD) exists. To explore the joint genetic basis, we performed a GWAS meta-analysis. In the discovery stage, we used a German aggressive periodontitis sample (AgP-Ger; 680 cases vs 3,973 controls) and the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D CAD meta-analysis dataset (60,801 cases vs 123,504 controls). Two SNPs at the known CAD risk loci ADAMTS7 (rs11634042) and VAMP8 (rs1561198) passed the pre-assigned selection criteria (PAgP-Ger < 0.05; PCAD < 5 × 10−8; concordant effect direction) and were replicated in an independent GWAS meta-analysis dataset of PD (4,415 cases vs 5,935 controls). SNP rs1561198 showed significant association (PD[Replication]: P = 0.008 OR = 1.09, 95% CI = [1.02–1.16]; PD [Discovery + Replication]: P = 0.0002, OR = 1.11, 95% CI = [1.05–1.17]). For the associated haplotype block, allele specific cis-effects on VAMP8 expression were reported. Our data adds to the shared genetic basis of CAD and PD and indicate that the observed association of the two disease conditions cannot be solely explained by shared environmental risk factors. We conclude that the molecular pathway shared by CAD and PD involves VAMP8 function, which has a role in membrane vesicular trafficking, and is manipulated by pathogens to corrupt host immune defense.
Stabilization of HIF-2α impacts pancreas growth
Authors: Flores-Martínez Alvaro , García-Núñez Alejandro , Rojas Anabel , Cano David A.
Published: September 2018

Hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) are critical regulators of the response to oxygen deficiency by activating target genes involved in a variety of biological functions. HIFs have been implicated in the pathophysiology of numerous pathologies including cancer. Patients with mutations in the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene, an essential regulator of HIF activity, develop tumors in several organs including the pancreas. Previous functional studies of HIF activation in the pancreas have used Vhlh (the murine homolog of VHL) deficient mice. However, the role of each specific HIF transcription factors in the pancreas has not been thoroughly examined. We derived mice that constitutively express a normoxia-stable form of HIF2α in the pancreas. Activation of HIF2α in the pancreas severely impairs postnatal exocrine pancreas. Mice with pancreas-specific activation of HIF2α develop histological features reminiscent of pancreatitis including loss of acinar cells, ductal dilation and fibrosis. Moreover, we provide evidence that signaling pathways important for acinar cell homeostasis are altered in HIF2α-overexpressing pancreata.
Strike-slip 23 January 2018 MW 7.9 Gulf of Alaska rare intraplate earthquake: Complex rupture of a fracture zone system
Authors: Krabbenhoeft Anne , von Huene Roland , Miller John J. , Lange Dietrich , Vera Felipe
Published: September 2018

Large intraplate earthquakes in oceanic lithosphere are rare and usually related to regions of diffuse deformation within the oceanic plate. The 23 January 2018 MW 7.9 strike-slip Gulf of Alaska earthquake ruptured an oceanic fracture zone system offshore Kodiak Island. Bathymetric compilations show a muted topographic expression of the fracture zone due to the thick sediment that covers oceanic basement but the fracture zone system can be identified by offset N-S magnetic anomalies and E-W linear zones in the vertical gravity gradient. Back-projection from global seismic stations reveals that the initial rupture at first propagated from the epicenter to the north, likely rupturing along a weak zone parallel to the ocean crustal fabric. The rupture then changed direction to eastward directed with most energy emitted on Aka fracture zone resulting in an unusual multi-fault earthquake. Similarly, the aftershocks show complex behavior and are related to two different tectonic structures: (1) events along N-S trending oceanic fabric, which ruptured mainly strike-slip and additionally, in normal and oblique slip mechanisms and (2) strike-slip events along E-W oriented fracture zones. To explain the complex faulting behavior we adopt the classical stress and strain partitioning concept and propose a generalized model for large intra-oceanic strike-slip earthquakes of trench-oblique oriented fracture zones/ocean plate fabric near subduction zones. Taking the Kodiak asperity position of 1964 maximum afterslip and outer-rise Coulomb stress distribution into account, we propose that the unusual 2018 Gulf of Alaska moment release was stress transferred to the incoming oceanic plate from co- and post-processes of the nearby great 1964 MW 9.2 megathrust earthquake.
DaReUS-Loop: accurate loop modeling using fragments from remote or unrelated proteins
Authors: Karami Yasaman , Guyon Frédéric , De Vries Sjoerd , Tufféry Pierre
Published: September 2018

Despite efforts during the past decades, loop modeling remains a difficult part of protein structure modeling. Several approaches have been developed in the framework of crystal structures. However, for homology models, the modeling of loops is still far from being solved. We propose DaReUS-Loop, a data-based approach that identifies loop candidates mining the complete set of experimental structures available in the Protein Data Bank. Candidate filtering relies on local conformation profile-profile comparison, together with physico-chemical scoring. Applied to three different template-based test sets, DaReUS-Loop shows significant increase in the number of high-accuracy loops, and significant enhancement for modeling long loops. A special advantage is that our method proposes a prediction confidence score that correlates well with the expected accuracy of the loops. Strikingly, over 50% of successful loop models are derived from unrelated proteins, indicating that fragments under similar constraints tend to adopt similar structure, beyond mere homology.
Histone acetylation as a new mechanism for bilirubin-induced encephalopathy in the Gunn rat
Authors: Vianello Eleonora , Zampieri Stefania , Marcuzzo Thomas , Tordini Fabio , Bottin Cristina , Dardis Andrea , Zanconati Fabrizio , Tiribelli Claudio , Gazzin Silvia
Published: September 2018

Bilirubin neurotoxicity has been studied for decades and has been shown to affect various mechanisms via significant modulation of gene expression. This suggests that vital regulatory mechanisms of gene expression, such as epigenetic mechanisms, could play a role in bilirubin neurotoxicity. Histone acetylation has recently received attention in the CNS due to its role in gene modulation for numerous biological processes, such as synaptic plasticity, learning, memory, development and differentiation. Aberrant epigenetic regulation of gene expression in psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders has also been described. In this work, we followed the levels of histone 3 lysine 14 acetylation (H3K14Ac) in the cerebellum (Cll) of the developing (2, 9, 17 days after the birth) and adult Gunn rat, the natural model for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and kernicterus. We observed an age-specific alteration of the H3K14Ac in the hyperbilirubinemic animals. The GeneOntology analysis of the H3K14Ac linked chromatin revealed that almost 45% of H3K14Ac ChiP-Seq TSS-promoter genes were involved in CNS development including maturation and differentiation, morphogenesis, dendritogenesis, and migration. These data suggest that the hallmark Cll hypoplasia in the Gunn rat occurs also via epigenetically controlled mechanisms during the maturation of this brain structure, unraveling a novel aspect of the bilirubin-induced neurotoxicity.
Sodium dodecylsulfate-layered double hydroxide and its use in the adsorption of 17β-estradiol in wastewater
Authors: Kong Yuan , Huang Yangrui , Meng Chenrui , Zhang Zhi
Published: September 2018

SDS-LDH composites were synthesized by coprecipitation. The composites are promising adsorbents for the recovery and abatement of trace-level E2 in secondary effluents of wastewater treatment plants.
Polypeptide – decorated nanoliposomes as novel delivery systems for lutein
Authors: Jiao Yan , Li Dajing , Liu Chunquan , Chang Ying , Song Jiangfeng , Xiao Yadong
Published: September 2018

Polypeptide decorated nanoliposomes were prepared as novel delivery systems to enhance the stability, release and bioactivity of lutein.
Lipid- and gut microbiota-modulating effects of graphene oxide nanoparticles in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic mice
Authors: Li Juan , Yang Shengmei , Yu Jiaqi , Cui Rongli , Liu Ru , Lei Runhong , Chang Yanan , Geng Huan , Qin Yanxia , Gu Weihong , Xia Shibo , Chen Kui , Kong Jianglong , Chen Guogang , Wu Chongming , Xing Gengmei
Published: September 2018

The impact of GO on blood/liver lipids and gut microbiota structure in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperlipidemic mice was investigated. Oral administration of GO for 28 days remarkably decreased lipid levels in blood and liver and GO did not decrease the total number of gut bacteria but increased the relative abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria.
HD 189733 b: bow shock or no shock?
Authors: Kohl S. , Salz M. , Czesla S. , Schmitt J. H. M. M.
Published: September 2018

Context. Hot Jupiters are surrounded by extended atmospheres of neutral hydrogen. Observations have provided evidence for in-transit hydrogen Hα absorption as well as variable pre-transit absorption signals. These have been interpreted in terms of a bow shock or an accretion stream that transits the host star before the planet.

Aims. We test the hypothesis of planetary-related Hα absorption by studying the time variability of the Hα and stellar activity-sensitive calcium lines in high-resolution TIGRE (Telescopio Internacional de Guanajuato Robótico Espectroscópico) spectra of the planet host HD 189733.

Methods. In the framework of an observing campaign spanning several months, the host star was observed several times per week randomly sampling the orbital phases of the planet. We determine the equivalent width in the Hα and Ca IRT(calcium infrared triplet) lines, and subtract stellar rotationally induced activity from the Hα time series via its correlation with the IRT evolution. The residuals are explored for significant differences between the pre-, in-, and out-of-transit phases.

Results. We find strong stellar rotational variation with a lifetime of about 20–30 days in all activity indicators, but the corrected Hα time series exhibits no significant periodic variation. We exclude the presence of more than 6.2 mÅ pre-transit absorption and 5.6 mÅ in-transit absorption in the corrected Hα data at a 99% confidence level.

Conclusions. Previously observed Hα absorption signals exceed our upper limits, but they could be related to excited atmospheric states. The Hα variability in the HD 189733 system is dominated by stellar activity, and observed signals around the planetary transit may well be caused by short-term stellar variability.