bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The puzzle of public opposition to TTIP in Germany
Authors: Chan Alexsia T. , Crawford Beverly K.
Published: November 2017

Germany is pivotal to the success of any trade agreement between the European Union and the United States. As the third largest exporter in the world, Germany is dependent on open markets; throughout the post-war period, government support for free trade has been unequivocal. Despite these positive incentives for expanding free trade, both German business and the wider public voiced fierce opposition to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). TTIP became a flash point for the German public to overcome collective action problems and create a broad protest movement against a free trade agreement for the first time in German history. This movement enabled the public to successfully exercise influence on German foreign economic policy-making, which had long been protected from public pressure. By 2015, the success of that pressure in penetrating the policy-making apparatus combined with growing government concern about the potential of international firms to undermine national policy. As a result of the confluence of these two forces, German leaders changed their position in TTIP negotiations.
A Randomized Trial of Two Cover Gowns Comparing Contamination of Healthcare Personnel During Removal of Personal Protective Equipment
Authors: Mana Thriveen S. C. , Tomas Myreen E. , Cadnum Jennifer L. , Jencson Annette L. , Piedrahita Christina T. , Donskey Curtis J.
Published: November 2017

In a randomized trial, a gown designed to allow easy removal at the neck and with increased skin coverage and snugness of fit at the wrist significantly reduced contamination of personnel during personal protective equipment (PPE) removal. Our results suggest that simple modifications of PPE can reduce contamination of personnel.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:97–100
A comparison of mental health legislation in five developed countries: a narrative review
Authors: Cronin T. , Gouda P. , McDonald C. , Hallahan B.
Published: November 2017

Objectives

To describe similarities and differences in mental health legislation between five jurisdictions: the Republic of Ireland, England and Wales, Scotland, Ontario (Canada), and Victoria (Australia).

Methods

An in-depth examination was undertaken focussing on the process of involuntary admission, review of Admission Orders and the legal processes in relation to treatment in the absence of patient consent in each of the five jurisdictions of interest.

Results

All jurisdictions permit the detention of a patient if they have a mental disorder although the definition of mental disorder varies between jurisdictions. Several additional differences exist between the five jurisdictions, including the duration of admission prior to independent review of involuntary detention and the role of supported decision making.

Conclusions

Across the five jurisdictions examined, largely similar procedures for admission, detention and treatment of involuntary patients are employed, reflecting adherence with international standards and incorporation of human rights-based principles. Differences exist in relation to the criteria to define mental disorder, the occurrence of automatic review hearings in a timely fashion after a patient is involuntarily admitted and the role for supported decision making under mental health legislation.
Effect of neuroactive nutritional supplementation on body weight and composition in growing puppies
Authors: Wang Wei , Brooks Melissa , Gardner Cari , Milgram Norton
Published: November 2017

Nutritional factors can dramatically affect development of young animals during the early stage of life. The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of a neuroactive nutritional supplement (NNS) containing DHA, taurine, carotenoids and vitamins on the body weight and body composition of growing puppies. A total of twenty-four 2-month-old Beagles were fed a nutritionally complete and balanced base diet and a control supplement daily during an initial 1-month baseline assessment, after which they were divided into control and treatment groups. They were fed daily either control or treatment supplements in addition to the base diet from 3 to 12 months of age. Lean body mass and fat mass were assessed using quantitative magnetic resonance scans at 0 (baseline), 3, 6 and 9 months of treatment. Total body weight and lean body mass did not differ between groups over time. The puppies in the treatment group showed a trend of reduced fat gain compared with those in the control group, and with a marginally significant difference at 6 months (P= 0·05). At 3 months, insulin-like growth factor 1 was higher (P= 0·02) in the treatment group compared with the control group. At 9 months, fasting lipid levels were lower (P< 0·05) and fat-oxidation metabolite 3-hydroxybutyrate was higher (P< 0·05) in the treatment group compared with the control group. These results may indicate that NNS has an impact on puppy growth and development, possibly by promoting fat metabolism; further investigation would be necessary to determine the full impact of this supplement on growth and development.
Long-chainn-3 PUFA in vegetarian women: a metabolic perspective
Authors: Burdge Graham C. , Tan Sze-Yen , Henry Christiani Jeyakumar
Published: November 2017

Vegetarian diets have been associated with health benefits, but paradoxically are low in EPA and DHA which are important for development, particularly of the central nervous system, and for health. Humans have limited capacity for synthesis of EPA and DHA from α-linolenic acid, although this is greater in women than men. Oily fish and, to a lesser extent, dairy foods and meat are the primary sources of EPA and DHA in the diet. Exclusion of these foods from the diet by vegetarians is associated consistently with lower EPA and DHA status in vegetarian women compared with omnivores. The purpose of the present review was to assess the impact of low EPA and DHA status in vegetarian pregnancies on the development and health of children. EPA and DHA status was lower in breast milk and in infants of vegetarian mothers than those born to omnivore mothers, which suggests that in the absence of pre-formed dietary EPA and DHA, synthesis from α-linolenic acid is an important process in determining maternal EPA and DHA status in pregnancy. However, there have been no studies that have investigated the effect of low maternal DHA status in vegetarians on cognitive function in children. It is important to address this gap in knowledge in order to be confident that vegetarian and vegan diets during pregnancy are safe in the context of child development.
Terroir in the New World: Hedonic Estimation of Vineyard Sale Prices in California
Authors: Cross Robin , Plantinga Andrew J. , Stavins Robert N.
Published: November 2017

In the Old-World vineyards of Europe, a key concept that plays an important role in the production and appreciation of wines isterroir, which refers to the special characteristics of a place that impart unique qualities to the wine produced. We examine whetherterroirmatters in the New-World wines produced in California's Napa and Sonoma Counties by conducting a hedonic price analysis of vineyard sales over the period 1991 to 2007 to determine the relative effects on vineyard sales prices of designated appellations versus biophysical site attributes commonly associated withterroir, such as slope, aspect, elevation, and climate. Because vineyards that are sold are not necessarily representative of the universe of vineyards, we employ Heckman's two-stage econometric approach to control for possible sample-selection bias. We find that intrinsic site attributes and designated appellations influence vineyard prices, although our results are stronger and more consistent with regard to the influence of appellations. This finding indicates thatterroirmatters economically, even if the designated appellations have relatively less connection in reality withterroir. (JEL Classifications: C2, Q11)
Exploring the Influence of Regional Brand Equity in an Emerging Wine Sector
Authors: Canziani Bonnie , Byrd Erick T.
Published: November 2017

We measure the effects of consumer-perceived regional brand equity on future intentions toward regional wine purchases and winery visits for U.S.-based North Carolina (NC) wines. Visitor data were collected at 23 regional wineries, including demographics, motives, and perceptions of and intentions toward NC wines. SPSS™ and SmartPLS™ were employed in analyzing the model presented. Knowledge and regional wine brand equity influence wine consumer motives, which in turn affect intentions. Product-centered motives were more important than experience motives for visiting regional wineries. (JEL Classifications: L66, L83, M31)
Managerial Styles in Privately Owned Domestic Organizations in Russia: Heterogeneity, Antecedents, and Organizational Implications
Authors: Balabanova Evgeniya , Rebrov Alexey , Koveshnikov Alexei
Published: November 2017

Drawing on a dataset consisting of 344 personal interviews, participant observations, and internal documents collected in 26 privately owned business organizations in Russia, the study aims at complementing existing research on Russian indigenous management in three ways. First, it examines the managerial styles of key individuals (i.e. owners and/or CEOs) in the case organizations. Hence, it taps into the existing heterogeneity of managerial styles, the so-calledgroupvergence, found in contemporary Russian organizations, and documents their idiosyncratic features, such as the transformational nature of authoritarian leadership. Second, the study explores the antecedents of the identified styles to establish what factors contribute to their emergence and thus sheds light on how the heterogeneous managerial styles in Russian organizations come into existence. Finally, the study investigates how the identified styles manifest themselves in organizations by influencing organizational goals and strategies, organizational structures, supporting mechanisms, relationships between organizational members, and reward systems. It therefore elaborates on the organizational implications of the styles and highlights the mechanisms of their sustainable diffusion to lower organizational levels in Russian organizations.
Explaining variations in the diversity of parasitoid assemblages in a biosphere reserve of Mexico: evidence from vegetation, land management and seasonality
Authors: González-Moreno A. , Bordera S. , Leirana-Alcocer J. , Delfín-González H. , Ballina-Gómez H.S.
Published: November 2017

Insect fauna biodiversity in natural protected areas has not been thoroughly studied. Therefore, the aim of this work was to assess whether and how vegetation types, land management and seasonality influence the diversity of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) in the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (Mexico). A sampling programme was conducted using Malaise traps from 2008 to 2009 in three vegetation types, each with two conservation zones (core and buffer zones). Three seasons were considered: rainy, dry and north-winds (isolated storms from November to February). A total of 336 species were identified. Rarefaction and Generalized Linear Model indicated higher species richness and abundance, respectively, in the buffer zone of the dry forest; possible explanations for this finding include the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, wherein diversity can be higher in sites where disturbance is not very frequent or very intense, and the ‘enemies hypothesis’, wherein structural complexity and high plant diversity favour increased predators or, in this case, parasitoids. Diversity was higher during the rainy season, which may have been due to the higher availability of resources. Vegetation and management had a positive impact on the Coc (attack cocoons and pupae) and Myc (attack concealed larvae living in the fruiting bodies of mushrooms) parasitoid guilds. Members of the Coc guild are generalist parasitoids, which may be favoured in complex vegetation with a high richness of potential hosts and non-hosts. The Myc guild requires certain environmental conditions that promote fungal growth, such as humidity, that is absent in the other vegetation types of savannah and coastal dune scrubland.
WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT AND GENDER INEQUALITY IN ADOLESCENT NUTRITIONAL STATUS: EVIDENCE FROM THE INDONESIAN FAMILY LIFE SURVEY
Authors: Kunto Yohanes Sondang , Bras Hilde
Published: November 2017

In contrast to the extensive knowledge on the association between women’s empowerment and the nutritional status of children under the age of five, relatively little is known about the influence of women’s empowerment on adolescents’ nutritional status. This study aimed to assess the association between women’s empowerment and gender inequalities in adolescent nutritional status. Data were from the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) covering the period 1997 to 2015, and consisted of 16,683 observations from 13,396 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 years born in 6781 families. Three indicators of women’s empowerment were used: mother’s education, mother’s bargaining power and mother’s working status. Multivariate linear regression with robust standard errors was used to examine whether and how these indicators of women’s empowerment influenced adolescent nutritional status. Interaction terms were added to analyse how the association between women’s empowerment and adolescent nutritional status differed by gender. The results showed that mother’s education and mother’s working status were significantly associated with adolescent nutritional status, particularly with height-for-age. Adolescents of well-educated mothers had a higher height-for-age while those who were raised by mothers with a blue-collar job had a lower height-for-age. Although no gender differences were found for height-for-age, gender differences for BMI-for-age were obvious, with boys having a lower BMI-for-age than girls. Interactions between indicators of mother’s empowerment and gender showed that the gender gap in BMI-for-age was smaller for adolescents of more educated mothers. However, further analyses of food consumption patterns showed that boys whose mothers were more educated consumed more fast food and had higher instant noodle consumption than girls, thus suggesting gender bias in new disguise.
A review on metronidazole: an old warhorse in antimicrobial chemotherapy
Authors: Leitsch David
Published: November 2017

The 5-nitroimidazole drug metronidazole has remained the drug of choice in the treatment of anaerobic infections, parasitic as well as bacterial, ever since its development in 1959. In contrast to most other antimicrobials, it has a pleiotropic mode of action and reacts with a large number of molecules. Importantly, metronidazole, which is strictly speaking a prodrug, needs to be reduced at its nitro group in order to become toxic. Reduction of metronidazole, however, only takes place under very low concentrations of oxygen, explaining why metronidazole is exclusively toxic to microaerophilic and anaerobic microorganisms. In general, resistance rates amongst the pathogens treated with metronidazole have remained low until the present day. Nevertheless, metronidazole resistance does occur, and for the treatment of some pathogens, especiallyHelicobacter pylori, metronidazole has become almost useless in some parts of the world. This review will give an account on the current status of research on metronidazole's mode of action, metronidazole resistance in eukaryotes and prokaryotes, and on other 5-nitroimidazoles in use.
In vitro and in vivo efficacy of diamidines against Trypanosoma equiperdum strains
Authors: Gillingwater Kirsten
Published: November 2017

Trypanosoma equiperdum is a protozoan parasite responsible for causing Dourine, a debilitating neglected veterinary disease, found worldwide affecting equids. It is the only pathogenic trypanosome species that does not require an invertebrate vector for transmission, thus being passed from animal to animal via coitus. At present, there is no officially recognized form of chemotherapeutic treatment and therefore all confirmed (or suspected) cases of infected animals must be slaughtered immediately. For many global communities and farming populations, which rely heavily on their animals for their livelihood, such stringent regulations can seriously enhance the socio-economic problems attributing to poverty. Two reference drugs, together with 37 novel diamidine compounds were tested in vitro using a 72 h drug sensitivity assay to determine their efficacy against two axenically adapted T. equiperdum strains. Further in vivo investigations in mouse models of infection against 4 ‘true’ T. equiperdum strains were performed using the 17 most active diamidines. Single bolus doses of 10 mg kg−1, given i.p. were administered to NMRI mice infected with one of the 4 T. equiperdum strains. The results obtained from this study show that experimentally T. equiperdum can indeed be effectively treated with chemotherapy using in vivo mouse models of infection.
Development of early morphological awareness in Greek: Epilinguistic versus metalinguistic and inflectional versus derivational awareness
Authors: DIAMANTI VASSILIKI , BENAKI ARGYRO , MOUZAKI ANGELIKI , RALLI ASIMINA , ANTONIOU FAYE , PAPAIOANNOU SOPHIA , PROTOPAPAS ATHANASSIOS
Published: November 2017

This cross-sectional study examined the development of morphological awareness in Greek children 4–7 years old. A distinction was adopted between epilinguistic control, evidenced in judgment tasks and indicative of elementary levels of awareness, and metalinguistic awareness, evidenced in production tasks and indicative of full-blown conscious awareness. The morphological domains of inflectional and derivational morphology were specifically contrasted to determine whether they follow distinct developmental trajectories. Trial-level performance data from 236 children in four morphological awareness tasks as a function of age were modeled using generalized additive models. Significant performance increase with age was found for all four awareness tasks. The results further indicated that production of derivational morphemes was consistently more difficult than production of inflectional morphemes and judgment of derivational morphemes, whereas the differences between the two inflectional and between the two judgment tasks were not significant. This suggests that at these ages, epilinguistic control is similarly effective for the two morphological domains whereas full metalinguistic awareness of derivational morphology trails behind that of inflectional morphology, at least as measured by these specific tasks. The findings highlight the need for early tracking and finer distinctions within the domain of morphological awareness, to identify and potentially enhance the critical skills related to the development of vocabulary and reading comprehension.
Absolute Navigation and Positioning of Mars Rover Using Gravity-Aided Odometry
Authors: Liu Jiandong , Wei Erhu , Jin Shuanggen , Liu Jingnan
Published: November 2017

Positioning and Navigation (PN) of Martian rovers still faces challenges due to limited observations. In this paper, the PN feasibilities of Mars rovers based on a Gravity-aided Odometry (GO) system are proposed and investigated in terms of numeric simulations and a case study. Statistical features of the Mars gravity field are studied to evaluate the feature diversity of the background map. The Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm is introduced to match gravity measurements with the gravitational map. The trajectories of Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) and Mars Gravity Map 2011 (MGM2011) are used to complete the experiments. Several key factors of GO including odometry errors, measurement uncertainties, and grid resolution of the map are investigated to evaluate their influences on the positioning ability of the system. Simulated experiments indicate that the GO method could provide an alternative positioning solution for Martian surface rovers.
Global solvability and explicit bounds for non-local adhesion models
Authors: HILLEN T. , PAINTER K. J. , WINKLER M.
Published: November 2017

Adhesion between cells and other cells (cell–cell adhesion) or other tissue components (cell–matrix adhesion) is an intrinsically non-local phenomenon. Consequently, a number of recently developed mathematical models for cell adhesion have taken the form of non-local partial differential equations, where the non-local term arises inside a spatial derivative. The mathematical properties of such a non-local gradient term are not yet well understood. Here we use sophisticated estimation techniques to show local and global existence of classical solutions for such examples of adhesion-type models, and we provide a uniform upper bound for the solutions. Further, we discuss the significance of these results to applications in cell sorting and in cancer invasion and support the theoretical results through numerical simulations.
Systematic review of infant and young child complementary feeding practices in South Asian families: the India perspective
Authors: Manikam Logan , Prasad Ankita , Dharmaratnam Abina , Moen Christy , Robinson Alexandra , Light Alexander , Ahmed Sonia , Lingam Raghu , Lakhanpaul Monica
Published: November 2017

Objective

Suboptimal nutrition among children remains a problem among South Asian (SA) families. Appropriate complementary feeding (CF) practices can greatly reduce this risk. Thus, we undertook a systematic review of studies assessing CF (timing, dietary diversity, meal frequency and influencing factors) in children aged <2 years in India.

Design

Searches between January 2000 and June 2016 in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, Web of Science, OVID Maternity & Infant Care, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, BanglaJOL, POPLINE and WHO Global Health Library. Eligibility criteria: primary research on CF practices in SA children aged 0–2 years and/or their families. Search terms: ‘children’, ‘feeding’ and ‘Asians’ and derivatives. Two researchers undertook study selection, data extraction and quality appraisal (EPPI-Centre Weight of Evidence).

Results

From 45 712 abstracts screened, sixty-four cross-sectional, seven cohort, one qualitative and one case–control studies were included. Despite adopting the WHO Infant and Young Child Feeding guidelines, suboptimal CF practices were found in all studies. In twenty-nine of fifty-nine studies, CF was introduced between 6 and 9 months, with eight studies finding minimum dietary diversity was achieved in 6–33 %, and ten of seventeen studies noting minimum meal frequency in only 25–50 % of the study populations. Influencing factors included cultural influences, poor knowledge on appropriate CF practices and parental educational status.

Conclusions

This is the first systematic review to evaluate CF practices in SA in India. Campaigns to change health and nutrition behaviour and revision of nationwide child health nutrition programmes are needed to meet the substantial unmet needs of these children.
Classifying Language Contact Phenomena: English Verbs in Texas German
Authors: Dux Ryan
Published: November 2017

While the transfer of English nouns into Texas German has received substantial scholarly attention, there currently exist no detailed studies on the transfer of English verbs into Texas German in particular and German-American dialects in general. This paper therefore discusses English verbs that are code-switched and loan-translated into Texas German from both a synchronic and diachronic perspective, using data collected by the Texas German Dialect Project since 2001. The analysis serves two purposes. The first is to provide an overview of English verbs used by Texas German speakers: how these verbs are integrated into German structures, and whether they have become established in the Texas German lexicon. The second goal is to show how analyzing verbal transfers in contact situations underscores the dynamic, interactive nature of language contact and structure. This part of the analysis is motivated by Backus & Dorleijn’s (2009) discussion of loan translation, which emphasizes that existing classifications of language contact phenomena must be rethought, as many instances of transference are not clearly captured by existing categories. Thus, this study goes beyond a lexical analysis of English verbs in Texas German by discussing how lexical transfer interacts with morphology, semantics, and syntax.*
Divided Government and Significant Legislation: A History of Congress from 1789 to 2010
Authors: Ansolabehere Stephen , Palmer Maxwell , Schneer Benjamin
Published: November 2017

This article presents and analyzes the most comprehensive database to date of significant acts of Congress—from 1789 to 2010—to test whether divided party control of government affects the number of important acts Congress passes. We find that unified control corresponds with one additional significant act passed per Congress in the nineteenth century and four additional such acts in the twentieth century. However, party control of government cannot explain the broad historical trends in the rate at which Congress passes significant legislation. Nixon in 1969 was far more successful with a Democratic Congress than was McKinley in 1897 with a Republican one.
Intergroup Contact as the Missing Link Between LGB Rights and Sexual	Prejudice
Authors: Górska Paulina , van Zomeren Martijn , Bilewicz Michał
Published: November 2017

Abstract. Although research has revealed that more progressive LGB (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) rights are positively associated with more favorable attitudes toward sexual minorities, little is known about why LGB rights co-occur with positive attitudes. The present contribution fills this gap by testing whether the prevalence of intergroup contact with LGB individuals explains the relationship between more progressive LGB rights and sexual prejudice. Utilizing representative Eurobarometer data from 28 European Union Member States, we find that progressive institutional arrangements positively predict favorable attitudes toward sexual minorities by rendering intergroup contact with LGB individuals more commonplace. Importantly, this pattern of findings replicates for different measures of prejudice and LGB-related legislation. The theoretical and practical implications of the current findings are discussed.
Improved outcome for AML patients over the years 2000–2014
Authors: Bertoli Sarah , Tavitian Suzanne , Huynh Anne , Borel Cécile , Guenounou Sarah , Luquet Isabelle , Delabesse Eric , Sarry Audrey , Laurent Guy , Attal Michel , Huguet Françoise , Bérard Emilie , Récher Christian
Published: November 2017

Few recent studies from registries have reported an improvement in overall survival of younger patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, reasons for this improvement are not defined. We analyzed the therapeutic course and outcome of 976 patients treated by intensive chemotherapy between 2000 and 2014. The number of patients receiving allogeneic stem cell transplantation in first or second response significantly increased over time whereas autologous transplantation was progressively abandoned. In the 513 younger patients, there were no differences in first complete response, induction failure, incidence of relapse, or non-relapse mortality over time. The period of time was significantly associated with a better overall survival especially in 2010–2014. The 2010–2014 period effect was still significant in multivariate analysis and was independent of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. In the 463 older patients, there was a significant interaction between the period and leukocytosis in multivariate analysis meaning that the 2010–2014 period had only an impact in patients with white blood cell count >50 giga/L for response and overall survival. Progresses have been made in each phase of the therapeutic course of younger AML patients resulting in survival improvement. In older patients, the outcome of hyperleukocytic patients has significantly improved in 2010–2014.
Intracellular localization of nanoparticle dimers by chirality reversal
Authors: Sun Maozhong , Xu Liguang , Bahng Joong Hwan , Kuang Hua , Alben Silas , Kotov Nicholas A. , Xu Chuanlai
Published: November 2017

The intra- and extracellular positioning of plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) can dramatically alter their curative/diagnostic abilities and medical outcomes. However, the inability of common spectroscopic identifiers to register the events of transmembrane transport denies their intracellular vs. extracellular localization even for cell cultures. Here we show that the chiroptical activity of DNA-bridged NP dimers allows one to follow the process of internalization of the particles by the mammalian cells and to distinguish their extra- vs intra-cellular localizations by real-time spectroscopy in ensemble. Circular dichroism peaks in the visible range change from negative to positive during transmembrane transport. The chirality reversal is associated with a spontaneous twisting motion around the DNA bridge caused by the large change in electrostatic repulsion between NPs when the dimers move from interstitial fluid to cytosol. This finding opens the door for spectroscopic targeting of plasmonic nanodrugs and quantitative assessment of nanoscale interactions. The efficacy of dichroic targeting of chiral nanostructures for biomedical applications is exemplified here as photodynamic therapy of malignancies. The efficacy of cervical cancer cell elimination was drastically increased when circular polarization of incident photons matched to the preferential absorption of dimers localized inside the cancer cells, which is associated with the increased generation of reactive oxygen species and their preferential intracellular localization.
STIM1 promotes migration, phagosomal maturation and antigen cross-presentation in dendritic cells
Authors: Nunes-Hasler Paula , Maschalidi Sophia , Lippens Carla , Castelbou Cyril , Bouvet Samuel , Guido Daniele , Bermont Flavien , Bassoy Esen Y. , Page Nicolas , Merkler Doron , Hugues Stéphanie , Martinvalet Denis , Manoury Bénédicte , Demaurex Nicolas
Published: November 2017

Antigen cross-presentation by dendritic cells (DC) stimulates cytotoxic T cell activation to promote immunity to intracellular pathogens, viruses and cancer. Phagocytosed antigens generate potent T cell responses, but the signalling and trafficking pathways regulating their cross-presentation are unclear. Here, we show that ablation of the store-operated-Ca2+-entry regulator STIM1 in mouse myeloid cells impairs cross-presentation and DC migration in vivo and in vitro.Stim1ablation reduces Ca2+signals, cross-presentation, and chemotaxis in mouse bone-marrow-derived DCs without altering cell differentiation, maturation or phagocytic capacity. Phagosomal pH homoeostasis and ROS production are unaffected by STIM1 deficiency, but phagosomal proteolysis and leucyl aminopeptidase activity, IRAP recruitment, as well as fusion of phagosomes with endosomes and lysosomes are all impaired. These data suggest that STIM1-dependent Ca2+signalling promotes the delivery of endolysosomal enzymes to phagosomes to enable efficient cross-presentation.
Hourglass Dirac chain metal in rhenium dioxide
Authors: Wang Shan-Shan , Liu Ying , Yu Zhi-Ming , Sheng Xian-Lei , Yang Shengyuan A.
Published: November 2017

Nonsymmorphic symmetries, which involve fractional lattice translations, can generate exotic types of fermionic excitations in crystalline materials. Here we propose a topological phase arising from nonsymmorphic symmetries—the hourglass Dirac chain metal, and predict its realization in the rhenium dioxide. We show that ReO2 features hourglass-type dispersion in the bulk electronic structure dictated by its nonsymmorphic space group. Due to time reversal and inversion symmetries, each band has an additional two-fold degeneracy, making the neck crossing-point of the hourglass four-fold degenerate. Remarkably, close to the Fermi level, the neck crossing-point traces out a Dirac chain—a chain of connected four-fold-degenerate Dirac loops—in the momentum space. The symmetry protection, the transformation under symmetry-breaking, and the associated topological surface states of the Dirac chain are revealed. Our results open the door to an unknown class of topological matters, and provide a platform to explore their intriguing physics.
Directing intracellular supramolecular assembly with N-heteroaromatic quaterthiophene analogues
Authors: Ng David Y. W. , Vill Roman , Wu Yuzhou , Koynov Kaloian , Tokura Yu , Liu Weina , Sihler Susanne , Kreyes Andreas , Ritz Sandra , Barth Holger , Ziener Ulrich , Weil Tanja
Published: November 2017

Self-assembly in situ, where synthetic molecules are programmed to organize in a specific and complex environment i.e., within living cells, can be a unique strategy to influence cellular functions. Here we present a small series of rationally designed oligothiophene analogues that specifically target, locate and dynamically self-report their supramolecular behavior within the confinement of a cell. Through the recognition of the terminal alkyl substituent and the amphiphilic pyridine motif, we show that the cell provides different complementary pathways for self-assembly that can be traced easily with fluorescence microscopy as their molecular organization emits in distinct fluorescent bands. Importantly, the control and induction of both forms are achieved by time, temperature and the use of the intracellular transport inhibitor, bafilomycin A1. We showcase the importance of both intrinsic (cell) and extrinsic (stimulus) factors for self-organization and the potential of such a platform toward developing synthetic functional components within living cells.
Low-threshold optically pumped lasing in highly strained germanium nanowires
Authors: Bao Shuyu , Kim Daeik , Onwukaeme Chibuzo , Gupta Shashank , Saraswat Krishna , Lee Kwang Hong , Kim Yeji , Min Dabin , Jung Yongduck , Qiu Haodong , Wang Hong , Fitzgerald Eugene A. , Tan Chuan Seng , Nam Donguk
Published: November 2017

The integration of efficient, miniaturized group IV lasers into CMOS architecture holds the key to the realization of fully functional photonic-integrated circuits. Despite several years of progress, however, all group IV lasers reported to date exhibit impractically high thresholds owing to their unfavourable bandstructures. Highly strained germanium with its fundamentally altered bandstructure has emerged as a potential low-threshold gain medium, but there has yet to be a successful demonstration of lasing from this seemingly promising material system. Here we demonstrate a low-threshold, compact group IV laser that employs a germanium nanowire under a 1.6% uniaxial tensile strain as the gain medium. The amplified material gain in strained germanium can sufficiently overcome optical losses at 83 K, thus allowing the observation of multimode lasing with an optical pumping threshold density of ~3.0 kW cm−2. Our demonstration opens new possibilities for group IV lasers for photonic-integrated circuits.
Cooperation and the evolution of hunter-gatherer storytelling
Authors: Smith Daniel , Schlaepfer Philip , Major Katie , Dyble Mark , Page Abigail E. , Thompson James , Chaudhary Nikhil , Salali Gul Deniz , Mace Ruth , Astete Leonora , Ngales Marilyn , Vinicius Lucio , Migliano Andrea Bamberg
Published: November 2017

Storytelling is a human universal. From gathering around the camp-fire telling tales of ancestors to watching the latest television box-set, humans are inveterate producers and consumers of stories. Despite its ubiquity, little attention has been given to understanding the function and evolution of storytelling. Here we explore the impact of storytelling on hunter-gatherer cooperative behaviour and the individual-level fitness benefits to being a skilled storyteller. Stories told by the Agta, a Filipino hunter-gatherer population, convey messages relevant to coordinating behaviour in a foraging ecology, such as cooperation, sex equality and egalitarianism. These themes are present in narratives from other foraging societies. We also show that the presence of good storytellers is associated with increased cooperation. In return, skilled storytellers are preferred social partners and have greater reproductive success, providing a pathway by which group-beneficial behaviours, such as storytelling, can evolve via individual-level selection. We conclude that one of the adaptive functions of storytelling among hunter gatherers may be to organise cooperation.
Metal-hydrogen systems with an exceptionally large and tunable thermodynamic destabilization
Authors: Ngene Peter , Longo Alessandro , Mooij Lennard , Bras Wim , Dam Bernard
Published: November 2017

Hydrogen is a key element in the energy transition. Hydrogen–metal systems have been studied for various energy-related applications, e.g., for their use in reversible hydrogen storage, catalysis, hydrogen sensing, and rechargeable batteries. These applications depend strongly on the thermodynamics of the metal–hydrogen system. Therefore, tailoring the thermodynamics of metal–hydrogen interactions is crucial for tuning the properties of metal hydrides. Here we present a case of large metal hydride destabilization by elastic strain. The addition of small amounts of zirconium to yttrium leads to a compression of the yttrium lattice, which is maintained during (de)hydrogenation cycles. As a result, the equilibrium hydrogen pressure of YH2 ↔ YH3can be rationally and precisely tuned up to five orders of magnitude at room temperature. This allows us to realize a hydrogen sensor which indicates the ambient hydrogen pressure over four orders of magnitude by an eye-visible color change.
Bacterial endosymbionts influence host sexuality and reveal reproductive genes of early divergent fungi
Authors: Mondo Stephen J. , Lastovetsky Olga A. , Gaspar Maria L. , Schwardt Nicole H. , Barber Colin C. , Riley Robert , Sun Hui , Grigoriev Igor V. , Pawlowska Teresa E.
Published: November 2017

Many heritable mutualisms, in which beneficial symbionts are transmitted vertically between host generations, originate as antagonisms with parasite dispersal constrained by the host. Only after the parasite gains control over its transmission is the symbiosis expected to transition from antagonism to mutualism. Here, we explore this prediction in the mutualism between the fungus Rhizopus microsporus (Rm, Mucoromycotina) and a beta-proteobacterium Burkholderia, which controls host asexual reproduction. We show that reproductive addiction of Rm to endobacteria extends to mating, and is mediated by the symbiont gaining transcriptional control of the fungal ras2 gene, which encodes a GTPase central to fungal reproductive development. We also discover candidate G-protein-coupled receptors for the perception of trisporic acids, mating pheromones unique to Mucoromycotina. Our results demonstrate that regulating host asexual proliferation and modifying its sexual reproduction are sufficient for the symbiont’s control of its own transmission, needed for antagonism-to-mutualism transition in heritable symbioses. These properties establish the Rm-Burkholderia symbiosis as a powerful system for identifying reproductive genes in Mucoromycotina.
High-resolution bacterial 16S rRNA gene profile meta-analysis and biofilm status reveal common colorectal cancer consortia
Authors: Drewes Julia L. , White James R. , Dejea Christine M. , Fathi Payam , Iyadorai Thevambiga , Vadivelu Jamuna , Roslani April C. , Wick Elizabeth C. , Mongodin Emmanuel F. , Loke Mun Fai , Thulasi Kumar , Gan Han Ming , Goh Khean Lee , Chong Hoong Yin , Kumar Sandip , Wanyiri Jane W. , Sears Cynthia L.
Published: November 2017

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the third most common cancer worldwide, with a growing incidence among young adults. Multiple studies have presented associations between the gut microbiome and CRC, suggesting a link with cancer risk. Although CRC microbiome studies continue to profile larger patient cohorts with increasingly economical and rapid DNA sequencing platforms, few common associations with CRC have been identified, in part due to limitations in taxonomic resolution and differences in analysis methodologies. Complementing these taxonomic studies is the newly recognized phenomenon that bacterial organization into biofilm structures in the mucus layer of the gut is a consistent feature of right-sided (proximal), but not left-sided (distal) colorectal cancer. In the present study, we performed 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and biofilm quantification in a new cohort of patients from Malaysia, followed by a meta-analysis of eleven additional publicly available data sets on stool and tissue-based CRC microbiota using Resphera Insight, a high-resolution analytical tool for species-level characterization. Results from the Malaysian cohort and the expanded meta-analysis confirm that CRC tissues are enriched for invasive biofilms (particularly on right-sided tumors), a symbiont with capacity for tumorigenesis (Bacteroides fragilis), and oral pathogens including Fusobacterium nucleatum, Parvimonas micra, and Peptostreptococcus stomatis. Considered in aggregate, species from the Human Oral Microbiome Database are highly enriched in CRC. Although no detected microbial feature was universally present, their substantial overlap and combined prevalence supports a role for the gut microbiota in a significant percentage (>80%) of CRC cases.
Van der Waals oxide heteroepitaxy
Authors: Chu Ying-Hao
Published: November 2017

The research field of oxide heteroepitaxy suffers from the characteristics of misfit strain and substrate clamping, hampering the optimization of performance and the gain of fundamental understanding of oxide systems. Recently, there are demonstrations on functional oxides epitaxially fabricated on layered muscovite substrate. In these heterostructures, due to the weak interaction between substrate and film, they show the lattice of films close to bulk with excellent strictive properties, suggesting that these critical problems can be potentially solved by van der Waals oxide heteroepitaxy. In addition, by exploiting the transparent and flexible features of muscovite, such a heteroepitaxy can deliver new material solutions to transparent soft technology. In this paper, the history, development, and current status of van der Waals oxide heteroepitaxy are addressed and discussed. In the end, new research directions in terms of fundamental study and practical application are proposed to highlight the importance of this research field.
Reprogramming to pluripotency does not require transition through a primitive streak-like state
Authors: Raab Stefanie , Klingenstein Moritz , Möller Anna , Illing Anett , Tosic Jelena , Breunig Markus , Kuales Georg , Linta Leonhard , Seufferlein Thomas , Arnold Sebastian J. , Kleger Alexander , Liebau Stefan
Published: November 2017

Pluripotency can be induced in vitro from adult somatic mammalian cells by enforced expression of defined transcription factors regulating and initiating the pluripotency network. Despite the substantial advances over the last decade to improve the efficiency of direct reprogramming, exact mechanisms underlying the conversion into the pluripotent stem cell state are still vaguely understood. Several studies suggested that induced pluripotency follows reversed embryonic development. For somatic cells of mesodermal and endodermal origin that would require the transition through a Primitive streak-like state, which would necessarily require an Eomesodermin (Eomes) expressing intermediate. We analyzed reprogramming in human and mouse cells of mesodermal as well as ectodermal origin by thorough marker gene analyses in combination with genetic reporters, conditional loss of function and stable fate-labeling for the broad primitive streak marker Eomes. We unambiguously demonstrate that induced pluripotency is not dependent on a transient primitive streak-like stage and thus does not represent reversal of mesendodermal development in vivo.
Ultrafast and low-energy switching in voltage-controlled elliptical pMTJ
Authors: Deng Jiefang , Liang Gengchiau , Gupta Gaurav
Published: November 2017

Switching magnetization in a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) via voltage controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) has shown the potential to markedly reduce switching energy. However, the requirement of an external magnetic field poses a critical bottleneck for its practical applications. In this work, we propose an elliptical-shaped pMTJ to eliminate the requirement of providing an external field by an additional circuit. We demonstrate that a 10 nm thick in-plane magnetized bias layer (BL) separated by a metallic spacer of 3 nm from the free layer (FL) can be engineered within the MTJ stack to provide the 50 mT bias magnetic field for switching. By conducting macrospin simulation, we find that a fast switching in 0.38 ns with energy consumption as low as 0.3 fJ at a voltage of 1.6 V can be achieved. Furthermore, we study the phase diagram of switching probability, showing that a pulse duration margin of 0.15 ns is obtained and low-voltage operation (~1 V) is favored. Finally, the MTJ scalability is considered, and it is found that scaling down may not be appealing in terms of both the energy consumption and the switching time for precession based VCMA switching.
Data driven inference for the repulsive exponent of the Lennard-Jones potential in molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Kulakova Lina , Arampatzis Georgios , Angelikopoulos Panagiotis , Hadjidoukas Panagiotis , Papadimitriou Costas , Koumoutsakos Petros
Published: November 2017

The Lennard-Jones (LJ) potential is a cornerstone of Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations and among the most widely used computational kernels in science. The LJ potential models atomistic attraction and repulsion with century old prescribed parameters (q = 6, p = 12, respectively), originally related by a factor of two for simplicity of calculations. We propose the inference of the repulsion exponent through Hierarchical Bayesian uncertainty quantification We use experimental data of the radial distribution function and dimer interaction energies from quantum mechanics simulations. We find that the repulsion exponent p ≈ 6.5 provides an excellent fit for the experimental data of liquid argon, for a range of thermodynamic conditions, as well as for saturated argon vapour. Calibration using the quantum simulation data did not provide a good fit in these cases. However, values p ≈ 12.7 obtained by dimer quantum simulations are preferred for the argon gas while lower values are promoted by experimental data. These results show that the proposed LJ 6-p potential applies to a wider range of thermodynamic conditions, than the classical LJ 6-12 potential. We suggest that calibration of the repulsive exponent in the LJ potential widens the range of applicability and accuracy of MD simulations.
Evaluation of BMMSCs-EPCs sheets for repairing alveolar bone defects in ovariectomized rats
Authors: Wen Yi , Yang Hongxu , Liu Yanli , Liu Qian , Wang Axian , Ding Yin , Jin Zuolin
Published: November 2017

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) - endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), BMMSCs and EPCs sheets have on repairing maxillary alveolar defects in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. In this study, after identification using multi-lineage differentiation and flow cytometry, BMMSCs and EPCs were isolated from female rats. The BMMSCs-EPCs, BMMSCs and EPCs sheets were detected by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and qRT-PCR. Defects were created in maxillary alveoli and repaired with BMMSCs-EPCs, BMMSCs and EPCs sheets in OVX rats. The repair effects were determined by histological staining and micro-CT analysis at 2, 4 and 8 weeks after implantation. We aim to clarify whether BMMSCs-EPCs sheets are more effective in repairing alveolar bone defects than are BMMSCs and EPCs sheets in OVX rats. The results show that the osteogenic potential and the effect of bone repair are greater in the BMMSCs-EPCs sheet group and that this group has a higher ability to repair alveolar bone defects in OVX rats. These results suggest that BMMSCs-EPCs sheets have potential in clinical applications for treating humans with osteoporosis.