bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning to Labour: “Native” Orphans in Colonial India, 1840s–1920s
Authors: Soni
Published: November 2019

To this day, the history of indigenous orphans in colonial India remains surprisingly understudied. Unlike the orphans of Britain or European and Eurasian orphans in the colony, who have been widely documented, Indian orphans are largely absent in the existing historiography. This article argues that a study of “native” orphans in India helps us transcend the binary of state power and poor children that has hitherto structured the limited extant research on child “rescue” in colonial India. The essay further argues that by shifting the gaze away from the state, we can vividly see how non-state actors juxtaposed labour and education. I assert that the deployment of child labour by these actors, in their endeavour to educate and make orphans self-sufficient, did not always follow the profitable trajectory of the state-led formal labour regime (seen in the Indian indenture system or early nineteenth-century prison labour). It was often couched in terms of charity and philanthropy and exhibited a convergence of moral and economic concerns.
AUTHOR OF HIS OWN FATE? THE EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY WRITINGS OF AYUBA SULAYMAN DIALLO
Authors: NAYLOR PAUL , WALLACE MARION
Published: November 2019

The life of Ayuba Sulayman Diallo (also known as Job ben Solomon) receives a fresh examination in this article, based primarily on his own writings. The son of an Imam from Bundu in Senegambia, Diallo was enslaved in 1731 and transported to America. He survived to gain his freedom, make his mark in London society, and return to Africa in 1734. This article offers an analysis of documents from the British Library, including items that have not been previously analysed and are here translated into English for the first time. In addition, they bring together what is known of his archive, including the letters he wrote before, during, and after his time in London, the Qur'ans he scribed there, and the scraps and snippets created as he discussed the Arabic language with friends.

A close analysis of Diallo's writings reveals new information about his life history; his relationships with the elites in both Bundu and London; his scholarly abilities; and the history of Bundu itself. Diallo used the technology of writing to direct the course of his own life and career, converting a disastrous course of events into favourable opportunities for himself.
Protecting nests of the Critically Endangered South Pacific loggerhead turtleCaretta carettafrom goannaVaranusspp. predation
Authors: Madden Hof Christine A. , Shuster Gabriela , McLachlan Nev , McLachlan Bev , Giudice Saranne , Limpus Colin , Eguchi Tomoharu
Published: November 2019

The South Pacific subpopulation of the loggerhead turtleCaretta carettais categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List because of significant population declines. Five Queensland beaches support high-density nesting of this subpopulation, but egg and hatchling survival are low at some beaches because of feral and native terrestrial predators. We quantified predation of loggerhead turtle eggs by two species of goanna,Varanus panoptesandVaranus varius, at Wreck Rock beach, one of the turtle's major nesting beaches. In addition, we conducted an experiment to determine the efficacy of a nest protection device. Predation rates at Wreck Rock beach were 15.2% for treatment and 45.8% for non-treatment clutches during the 2013–2014 nesting season. A higher probability of predation (64%) was predicted for the northern beach. Although nests were only partially predated (16.4% of the total number of eggs), nest loss to predators and beach erosion (caused by a cyclone) was 91.7%. If left unmanaged, the cumulative impact of predation and other threats, including those exacerbated by climate change, can cause unsustainable loss of loggerhead turtle nests. This study provides one of the first quantitative data sets on rates of loggerhead turtle clutch predation in the South Pacific. It enhances our understanding of goanna predation impacts and identifies an efficient predator exclusion device for mitigating the effects of terrestrial predators at Wreck Rock beach, and for protecting marine turtle nests across northern Australia and globally.
Overlooking the transition elephant in the ultra-high-risk room: are we missing functional equivalents of transition to psychosis?
Authors: Raballo Andrea , Poletti Michele
Published: November 2019

In the wake of the almost quarter of a century since the conceptualization of ultra-high-risk (UHR) states for psychosis, empirical evidences in the field are constantly scrutinized and re-assessed through meta-analytic lens. Briefly, such scrutiny converges on three major evidences: pretest risk enrichment, risk hierarchy within UHR states, and declining transition rates. While the former two are intuitive, the dilution effect remains elusive and might be rather symptomatic of unsolved issues in the field. Those include the heterogeneously reported antipsychotic (AP) exposure in UHR samples and the almost univocal focus on purely psychometric transition to psychosis. Both issues lead to the neglect of functional equivalents of transition, i.e. that of a mental state at immediate need for AP medication, and might have a cascading confounding effect on the predictive value of contemporary risk calculators centered on criterial transition as a unique outcome.
Beyond Freedom's Reach: An Imperfect Centering of Women and Children Caught within Cuba's Long Emancipation and the Afterlife of Slavery
Authors: Cespedes Karina L.
Published: November 2019

This article examines Cuba's long process of gradual emancipation (from 1868–1886) and the continual states of bondage that categorize the afterlife of Cuban slavery. The article addresses deferred freedom, re-enslavement, and maintenance of legal states of bondage in the midst of “freedom.” It contends with the legacy of thecastasystem, the contradictions within the Moret Law of 1870, which “half-freed” children but not their mothers, and it analyzes the struggle for full emancipation after US occupation, with the thwarted attempt of forming the Partido Independiente de Color to enfranchise populations of color. The article argues that the desire to control the labor of racialized populations, and in particular the labor of black and indigenous women and children, unified Cuban and US slaveholders determined to detain emancipation; and provides an analysis of the re-enslavement of US free people of color at the end of the nineteenth century, kidnapped and brought to the Cuba as a method of bolstering slavery. The article draws on the scholarship of Saidiya Hartman and Shona Jackson to provide an assessment of the afterlife of Cuban slavery, the invisibility of indigenous labor, the hypervisibility of African labor in the Caribbean deployed to maintain white supremacy, and it critiques the humanizing narrative of labor as a means for freedom in order to address the ways in which, for racialized populations in Cuba, wage labor would emerge as a tool of oppression. The article raises an inquiry into the historiography on Cuban slavery to provide a critique of the invisibility of indigenous and African women and children. It also considers the role and place of sexual exchanges/prostitution utilized to obtain freedom and to finance self-manumission, alongside the powerful narratives of the social and sexual deviancy of black women that circulated within nineteenth-century Cuba.
The Security Council in practice: Haiti, cholera, and the elected members of the United Nations Security Council
Authors: Freedman Rosa , Lemay-Hébert Nicolas
Published: November 2019

While the cholera outbreak in Haiti still claims victims every month, it is also the backdrop of one of the biggest legal battles the UN has been engaged in – one for the recognition of harm caused and for reparations for victims of cholera. Having used its immunity to disengage from the issue, the UN finally changed its stance in December 2016 and apologized for the organization’s role in the cholera outbreak. This article analyses the role of the elected members of the Security Council – alongside other key stakeholders – in contributing to the UN’s change of policy. Based on privileged access to a number of actors in this politico-legal fight, this article argues that elected members of the Security Council have played a crucial role in pushing the UN to ‘do the right thing’. This article, along with other contributions to this special issue, sheds a different light on the practices inside the Security Council, demonstrating that elected members are far from being powerless, as most of the literature on the subject tends to assume. They can successfully play a significant role inside the organization when the right conditions permit them to play this role.
Decriminalizing mental illness: specialized policing responses
Authors: Dempsey Charles , Quanbeck Cameron , Bush Clarissa , Kruger Kelly
Published: November 2019

De-institutionalization of mental health patients has evolved, over nearly 3 generations now, to a status quo of mental health patients experiencing myriad contacts with first-responders, primarily police, in lieu of care. The current institutions in which these patients rotate through are psychiatric emergency units, emergency rooms, jails, and prisons. Although more police are now specially trained to respond to calls that involve mental health patients, the criminalization of persons with mental illness has been steadily increasing over the past several decades. There have also been deaths. The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model fosters mental health acumen among first responders, and facilitates collaboration among first responders, mental health professionals, and mental health patients and their families. Here, we review some modern, large city configurations of CIT, the co-responder model, the mitigating effects of critically situated community-based programs, as well as barriers to the success of joint efforts to better address this pressing problem.
Dynamic Processes of CO2Storage in the Field: 1. Multiscale and Multipath Channeling of CO2Flow in the Hierarchical Fluvial Reservoir at Cranfield, Mississippi
Authors: Zhou Quanlin , Yang Xianjin , Zhang Rui , Hosseini Seyyed A. , Ajo‐Franklin Jonathan B. , Freifeld Barry M. , Daley Thomas M. , Hovorka Susan D.
Published: November 2019

A consistent picture of dynamic channeling, invasion, spreading, and breakthrough (CISB) of supercritical CO2in the hierarchical fluvial reservoir at Cranfield, Mississippi is presented after 10 years of integration and analysis of complementary field monitoring and characterization data. The dynamic CISB withsmall‐scale CO2‐flow channelsin the F1‐F2‐F3 cross section (F1, F2, and F3 are one injection and two monitoring wells) was imaged by daily electrical resistance tomography (ERT) and time‐lapse crosswell seismic surveys. One, three, and four CO2flow channels logged at F1, F2, and F3, respectively, were dynamically connected with strong temporal variations in CO2saturation during 221 days of drainage with injection rate doubling twice and 81 days of imbibition. Threeintermediate‐scale CO2flow channels(with highest CO2saturation) normal to the cross section were ERT‐imaged during late‐time drainage. Alarge‐scale, sinuous fluvial CO2flow channelwas imaged by repeat surface seismic survey at the end of the imbibition. The fluvial sandstone channel sinuously bypasses the F1‐F2‐F3 cross section in a point bar, but the channel is connected to the cross section through an intermediate‐scale sandstone channel, forming a complicated flow channel network. The multiscale flow channel network (in the fluvial channel‐point bar system) revealed from the observed CISB enables us to consistently interpret the hydrological monitoring data of three tracer tests, each conducted during an injection rate step, and preinjection hydraulic‐thermal‐tracer tests. This interpretation of the CISB and flow channel network can guide future modeling and data inversion to best understand the effects of natural heterogeneity on CO2storage efficiency and residual trapping.
Common elements for uncommon light: vector beams with GRIN lenses
Authors: Forbes Andrew
Published: November 2019

A well-known defect introduced during the fabrication of GRIN lenses can be exploited for the creation, detection and wave-guiding of exotic forms of vectorial structured light, bringing the toolkit into the realm of common laboratory optics.
Architecture of high-strength aluminum–matrix composites processed by a novel microcasting technique
Authors: Shao Chenwei , Zhao Shuo , Wang Xuegang , Zhu Yankun , Zhang Zhefeng , Ritchie Robert O.
Published: November 2019

As important lightweight structural materials, cast aluminum alloys have been largely used in the transportation and aerospace industries. In general, Al–Si-based alloys comprise more than 90% of all castings due to their excellent castability and corrosion resistance. However, even though various reinforcements have been introduced, the strength of these alloys is not that high, which severely limits their use for certain high-performance applications. Here, we report on a new strategy and technology to reinforce Al–Si alloys to increase their yield strength into the ~400–660 MPa range, a level that is 29–113% higher than that of all current cast Al–Si alloys, laboratory or commercial, and comparable to that of many high-strength steels but with ~40% lower density. By introducing continuous Ti–6Al–4V reinforcements into the Al–Si matrix through a novel microcasting process, the yield strength of the resulting alloy can be enhanced to between 4 and 6 times higher than that of the pure Al–Si alloy. The extraordinary reinforcing effect originates from the occurrence of multiscale strengthening mechanisms, including macroscale compound strengthening (the rule of mixtures amended by crack arrest mechanism), mesoscale strain-gradient strengthening, and microscale interface-affected-zone and nanoparticle strengthening. The core principle of our material design is to make all components of the composite fully participate in plastic (compatible) deformation, and thus, continuous reinforcements, instead of discrete reinforced structures (e.g., particles, whiskers, and short fibers), were introduced into the Al–Si alloy. Combined with 3-D printing technology, the present microcasting process can realize strengthening at the designed position by architecting specific reinforcements in the matrix.
Members of the public in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia expressing genetic exceptionalism say they are more willing to donate genomic data
Authors:   on behalf of the Participant Values Work Stream of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health, Middleton Anna , Milne Richard , Howard Heidi , Niemiec Emilia , Robarts Lauren , Critchley Christine , Nicol Dianne , Prainsack Barbara , Atutornu Jerome , Vears Danya F. , Smith James , Steed Claire , Bevan Paul , Scott Erick R. , Bobe Jason , Goodhand Peter , Kleiderman Erika , Thorogood Adrian , Morley Katherine I.
Published: November 2019

Public acceptance is critical for sharing of genomic data at scale. This paper examines how acceptance of data sharing pertains to the perceived similarities and differences between DNA and other forms of personal data. It explores the perceptions of representative publics from the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia (n = 8967) towards the donation of DNA and health data. Fifty-two percent of this public held ‘exceptionalist’ views about genetics (i.e., believed DNA is different or ‘special’ compared to other types of medical information). This group was more likely to be familiar with or have had personal experience with genomics and to perceive DNA information as having personal as well as clinical and scientific value. Those with personal experience with genetics and genetic exceptionalist views were nearly six times more likely to be willing to donate their anonymous DNA and medical information for research than other respondents. Perceived harms from re-identification did not appear to dissuade publics from being willing to participate in research. The interplay between exceptionalist views about genetics and the personal, scientific and clinical value attributed to data would be a valuable focus for future research.
A bird’s-eye view of Italian genomic variation through whole-genome sequencing
Authors: Cocca Massimiliano , Barbieri Caterina , Concas Maria Pina , Robino Antonietta , Brumat Marco , Gandin Ilaria , Trudu Matteo , Sala Cinzia Felicita , Vuckovic Dragana , Girotto Giorgia , Matullo Giuseppe , Polasek Ozren , Kolčić Ivana , Gasparini Paolo , Soranzo Nicole , Toniolo Daniela , Mezzavilla Massimo
Published: November 2019

The genomic variation of the Italian peninsula populations is currently under characterised: the only Italian whole-genome reference is represented by the Tuscans from the 1000 Genome Project. To address this issue, we sequenced a total of 947 Italian samples from three different geographical areas. First, we defined a new Italian Genome Reference Panel (IGRP1.0) for imputation, which improved imputation accuracy, especially for rare variants, and we tested it by GWAS analysis on red blood traits. Furthermore, we extended the catalogue of genetic variation investigating the level of population structure, the pattern of natural selection, the distribution of deleterious variants and occurrence of human knockouts (HKOs). Overall the results demonstrate a high level of genomic differentiation between cohorts, different signatures of natural selection and a distinctive distribution of deleterious variants and HKOs, confirming the necessity of distinct genome references for the Italian population.
Efficacy and safety of subthreshold micropulse laser compared with threshold conventional laser in central serous chorioretinopathy
Authors: Sun Zuhua , Huang Ying , Nie Chaochao , Wang Zhijie , Pei Junqing , Lin Bing , Zhou Rong , Zhang Junyan , Chong Victor , Liu Xiaoling
Published: November 2019

Purpose

To compare the efficacy and safety of subthreshold micropulse laser (SML) with threshold conventional laser (TCL) in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).

Methods

Prospective, randomized, double-masked, non-inferiority, 12-week clinical trial. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to SML group or TCL group. Patients in the SML group were treated with 577 nm micropulse laser. The spot size was 160 µm, the duty cycle was 5% and exposure time was 0.2 s. The power was 50% threshold tested. Patients in the TCL group were treated with 577 nm continuous laser. The power was 100% threshold tested. The primary outcome was the mean change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at week 12, with a non-inferiority limit of five letters on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity charts.

Results

Eighty-eight patients were enroled. Seventy-seven patients were male. Forty-four patients were in SML group and 44 in TCL group. At week 12, SML was equivalent to TCL with a gain of 6.23 ± 8.59 and 6.61 ± 6.35 letters, respectively, (SML–TCL difference: −0.38 letters; 95% confidence interval (CI):−3.58–2.81;Pnon-inferiority = 0.0026). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (t = 0.240,P = 0.811). At week 12, the proportion of patients whose SRF had been totally absorbed was 63.63 and 81.82% respectively for SML and TCL groups. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (χ2 = 3.67,P = 0.056).

Conclusions

Both SML and TCL can improve visual acuity in CSC. SML was non-inferior to TCL in the improvement of BCVA.
An open source automated tumor infiltrating lymphocyte algorithm for prognosis in melanoma
Authors: Acs Balazs , Ahmed Fahad Shabbir , Gupta Swati , Wong Pok Fai , Gartrell Robyn D. , Sarin Pradhan Jaya , Rizk Emanuelle M. , Gould Rothberg Bonnie , Saenger Yvonne M. , Rimm David L.
Published: November 2019

Assessment of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) as a prognostic variable in melanoma has not seen broad adoption due to lack of standardization. Automation could represent a solution. Here, using open source software, we build an algorithm for image-based automated assessment of TILs on hematoxylin-eosin stained sections in melanoma. Using a retrospective collection of 641 melanoma patients comprising four independent cohorts; one training set (N = 227) and three validation cohorts (N = 137, N = 201, N = 76) from 2 institutions, we show that the automated TIL scoring algorithm separates patients into favorable and poor prognosis cohorts, where higher TILs scores were associated with favorable prognosis. In multivariable analyses, automated TIL scores show an independent association with disease-specific overall survival. Therefore, the open source, automated TIL scoring is an independent prognostic marker in melanoma. With further study, we believe that this algorithm could be useful to define a subset of patients that could potentially be spared immunotherapy.
Efficient upgrading of CO to C3 fuel using asymmetric C-C coupling active sites
Authors: Wang Xue , Wang Ziyun , Zhuang Tao-Tao , Dinh Cao-Thang , Li Jun , Nam Dae-Hyun , Li Fengwang , Huang Chun-Wei , Tan Chih-Shan , Chen Zitao , Chi Miaofang , Gabardo Christine M. , Seifitokaldani Ali , Todorović Petar , Proppe Andrew , Pang Yuanjie , Kirmani Ahmad R. , Wang Yuhang , Ip Alexander H. , Richter Lee J. , Scheffel Benjamin , Xu Aoni , Lo Shen-Chuan , Kelley Shana O. , Sinton David , Sargent Edward H.
Published: November 2019

The electroreduction of C1 feedgas to high-energy-density fuels provides an attractive avenue to the storage of renewable electricity. Much progress has been made to improve selectivity to C1 and C2 products, however, the selectivity to desirable high-energy-density C3 products remains relatively low. We reason that C3 electrosynthesis relies on a higher-order reaction pathway that requires the formation of multiple carbon-carbon (C-C) bonds, and thus pursue a strategy explicitly designed to couple C2 with C1 intermediates. We develop an approach wherein neighboring copper atoms having distinct electronic structures interact with two adsorbates to catalyze an asymmetric reaction. We achieve a record n-propanol Faradaic efficiency (FE) of (33 ± 1)% with a conversion rate of (4.5 ± 0.1) mA cm−2, and a record n-propanol cathodic energy conversion efficiency (EEcathodic half-cell) of 21%. The FE and EEcathodic half-cell represent a 1.3× improvement relative to previously-published CO-to-n-propanol electroreduction reports.
Myeloid lineage enhancers drive oncogene synergy in CEBPA/CSF3R mutant acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Braun Theodore P. , Okhovat Mariam , Coblentz Cody , Carratt Sarah A. , Foley Amy , Schonrock Zachary , Curtiss Brittany M. , Nevonen Kimberly , Davis Brett , Garcia Brianna , LaTocha Dorian , Weeder Benjamin R. , Grzadkowski Michal R. , Estabrook Joey C. , Manning Hannah G. , Watanabe-Smith Kevin , Jeng Sophia , Smith Jenny L. , Leonti Amanda R. , Ries Rhonda E. , McWeeney Shannon , Di Genua Cristina , Drissen Roy , Nerlov Claus , Meshinchi Soheil , Carbone Lucia , Druker Brian J. , Maxson Julia E.
Published: November 2019

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) develops due to the acquisition of mutations from multiple functional classes. Here, we demonstrate that activating mutations in the granulocyte colony stimulating factor receptor (CSF3R), cooperate with loss of function mutations in the transcription factor CEBPA to promote acute leukemia development. The interaction between these distinct classes of mutations occurs at the level of myeloid lineage enhancers where mutant CEBPA prevents activation of a subset of differentiation associated enhancers. To confirm this enhancer-dependent mechanism, we demonstrate that CEBPA mutations must occur as the initial event in AML initiation. This improved mechanistic understanding will facilitate therapeutic development targeting the intersection of oncogene cooperativity.
Bridging the gap between efficacy trials and model-based impact evaluation for new tuberculosis vaccines
Authors: Tovar Mario , Arregui Sergio , Marinova Dessislava , Martín Carlos , Sanz Joaquín , Moreno Yamir
Published: November 2019

In Tuberculosis (TB), given the complexity of its transmission dynamics, observations of reduced epidemiological risk associated with preventive interventions can be difficult to translate into mechanistic interpretations. Specifically, in clinical trials of vaccine efficacy, a readout of protection against TB disease can be mapped to multiple dynamical mechanisms, an issue that has been overlooked so far. Here, we describe this limitation and its effect on model-based evaluations of vaccine impact. Furthermore, we propose a methodology to analyze efficacy trials that circumvents it, leveraging a combination of compartmental models and stochastic simulations. Using our approach, we can disentangle the different possible mechanisms of action underlying vaccine protection effects against TB, conditioned to trial design, size, and duration. Our results unlock a deeper interpretation of the data emanating from efficacy trials of TB vaccines, which renders them more interpretable in terms of transmission models and translates into explicit recommendations for vaccine developers.
Benchmarking an 11-qubit quantum computer
Authors: Wright K. , Beck K. M. , Debnath S. , Amini J. M. , Nam Y. , Grzesiak N. , Chen J.-S. , Pisenti N. C. , Chmielewski M. , Collins C. , Hudek K. M. , Mizrahi J. , Wong-Campos J. D. , Allen S. , Apisdorf J. , Solomon P. , Williams M. , Ducore A. M. , Blinov A. , Kreikemeier S. M. , Chaplin V. , Keesan M. , Monroe C. , Kim J.
Published: November 2019

The field of quantum computing has grown from concept to demonstration devices over the past 20 years. Universal quantum computing offers efficiency in approaching problems of scientific and commercial interest, such as factoring large numbers, searching databases, simulating intractable models from quantum physics, and optimizing complex cost functions. Here, we present an 11-qubit fully-connected, programmable quantum computer in a trapped ion system composed of 13 171Yb+ ions. We demonstrate average single-qubit gate fidelities of 99.5$$\%$$%, average two-qubit-gate fidelities of 97.5$$\%$$%, and SPAM errors of 0.7$$\%$$%. To illustrate the capabilities of this universal platform and provide a basis for comparison with similarly-sized devices, we compile the Bernstein-Vazirani and Hidden Shift algorithms into our native gates and execute them on the hardware with average success rates of 78$$\%$$% and 35$$\%$$%, respectively. These algorithms serve as excellent benchmarks for any type of quantum hardware, and show that our system outperforms all other currently available hardware.
Fine mapping and identification of serum urate loci in American Indians: The Strong Heart Family Study
Authors: Chittoor Geetha , Haack Karin , Balakrishnan Poojitha , Bizon Christopher , Laston Sandra , Best Lyle G. , MacCluer Jean W. , North Kari E. , Umans Jason G. , Franceschini Nora , Prasad Gauri , Macias-Kauffer Luis , Villarreal-Molina Teresa , Bharadwaj Dwaipayan , Canizales-Quinteros Samuel , Navas-Acien Ana , Cole Shelley A. , Voruganti V. S.
Published: November 2019

While studies have reported genetic loci affecting serum urate (SU) concentrations, few studies have been conducted in minority populations. Our objective for this study was to identify genetic loci regulating SU in a multigenerational family-based cohort of American Indians, the Strong Heart Family Study (SHFS). We genotyped 162,718 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 2000 SHFS participants using an Illumina MetaboChip array. A genome-wide association analysis of SU was conducted using measured genotype analysis approach accounting for kinships in SOLAR, and meta-analysis in METAL. Our results showed strong association of SU with rs4481233, rs9998811, rs7696092 and rs13145758 (minor allele frequency (MAF) = 25–44%; P < 3 × 10−14) of solute carrier family 2, member 9 (SLC2A9) and rs41481455, rs2231142 and rs1481012 (MAF = 29%; p < 3 × 10−9) of ATP-binding cassette protein, subfamily G, member 2 (ABCG2). Carriers of G alleles of rs9998811, rs4148155 and rs1481012 and A alleles of rs4481233, rs7696092 and rs13145758 and rs2231142 had lower SU concentrations as compared to non-carriers. Genetic analysis of SU conditional on significant SLC2A9 and ABCG2 SNPs revealed new loci, nucleobindin 1 (NUCB1) and neuronal PAS domain protein 4 (NPAS4) (p <6× 10−6). To identify American Indian-specific SNPs, we conducted targeted sequencing of key regions of SLC2A9. A total of 233 SNPs were identified of which 89 were strongly associated with SU (p < 7.1 × 10−10) and 117 were American Indian specific. Analysis of key SNPs in cohorts of Mexican-mestizos, European, Indian and East Asian ancestries showed replication of common SNPs, including our lead SNPs. Our results demonstrate the association of SU with uric acid transporters in a minority population of American Indians and potential novel associations of SU with neuronal-related genes which warrant further investigation.
Sorting Fermionization from Crystallization in Many-Boson Wavefunctions
Authors: Bera S. , Chakrabarti B. , Gammal A. , Tsatsos M. C. , Lekala M. L. , Chatterjee B. , Lévêque C. , Lode A. U. J.
Published: November 2019

Fermionization is what happens to the state of strongly interacting repulsive bosons interacting with contact interactions in one spatial dimension. Crystallization is what happens for sufficiently strongly interacting repulsive bosons with dipolar interactions in one spatial dimension. Crystallization and fermionization resemble each other: in both cases – due to their repulsion – the bosons try to minimize their spatial overlap. We trace these two hallmark phases of strongly correlated one-dimensional bosonic systems by exploring their ground state properties using the one- and two-body density matrix. We solve the N-body Schrödinger equation accurately and from first principles using the multiconfigurational time-dependent Hartree for bosons (MCTDHB) and for fermions (MCTDHF) methods. Using the one- and two-body density, fermionization can be distinguished from crystallization in position space. For N interacting bosons, a splitting into an N-fold pattern in the one-body and two-body density is a unique feature of both, fermionization and crystallization. We demonstrate that this splitting is incomplete for fermionized bosons and restricted by the confinement potential. This incomplete splitting is a consequence of the convergence of the energy in the limit of infinite repulsion and is in agreement with complementary results that we obtain for fermions using MCTDHF. For crystalline bosons, in contrast, the splitting is complete: the interaction energy is capable of overcoming the confinement potential. Our results suggest that the spreading of the density as a function of the dipolar interaction strength diverges as a power law. We describe how to distinguish fermionization from crystallization experimentally from measurements of the one- and two-body density.
Evolution of large area TiS2-TiO2 heterostructures and S-doped TiO2 nano-sheets on titanium foils
Authors: Etghani S. Ahmad , Ansari E. , Mohajerzadeh S.
Published: November 2019

We report a novel and facile method to synthesize sulfur-doped titanium oxide sheets and realize TiS2-TiO2 heterostructures by means of a sequential sulfurization and oxidation step in a dual-zone chemical vapor deposition furnace. The inclusion of chlorine and argon gases during the growth of such titanium-based compounds plays a critical role in the formation of desired geometries and crystalline structures. These heterostructures possess nano-whisker and nanosheet configurations, controlled by adjusting the growth parameters such as temperature, carrier gas and the sequencing between different steps of the growth. The evolution of these complex heterostructures has been investigated using Raman spectroscopy and EDS characterization. The presence of chlorine gas during the growth results in local TiS2 formation as well as faceted growth of TiO2 nanosheets through anatase to rutile phase change prohibition. The electron microscopy (TEM) images and diffraction pattern (SAED) characterization reveal the crystallinity and layered nature of grown structures, further demonstrating the 2D characteristics of S-doped nanosheets. The evolution of TiO2 on TiS2 heterostructures has also has been verified using XPS analysis. These highly featured nanostructures are suitable candidates to enhance the photocatalytic behavior of TiO2 nanostructures.
Misinterpreting carbon accumulation rates in records from near-surface peat
Authors: Young Dylan M. , Baird Andy J. , Charman Dan J. , Evans Chris D. , Gallego-Sala Angela V. , Gill Peter J. , Hughes Paul D. M. , Morris Paul J. , Swindles Graeme T.
Published: November 2019

Peatlands are globally important stores of carbon (C) that contain a record of how their rates of C accumulation have changed over time. Recently, near-surface peat has been used to assess the effect of current land use practices on C accumulation rates in peatlands. However, the notion that accumulation rates in recently formed peat can be compared to those from older, deeper, peat is mistaken – continued decomposition means that the majority of newly added material will not become part of the long-term C store. Palaeoecologists have known for some time that high apparent C accumulation rates in recently formed peat are an artefact and take steps to account for it. Here we show, using a model, how the artefact arises. We also demonstrate that increased C accumulation rates in near-surface peat cannot be used to infer that a peatland as a whole is accumulating more C – in fact the reverse can be true because deep peat can be modified by events hundreds of years after it was formed. Our findings highlight that care is needed when evaluating recent C addition to peatlands especially because these interpretations could be wrongly used to inform land use policy and decisions.
Recycling Waste Circuit Board Efficiently and Environmentally Friendly through Small-Molecule Assisted Dissolution
Authors: Chen Zhiqiang , Yang Meng , Shi Qian , Kuang Xiao , Qi H. Jerry , Wang Tiejun
Published: November 2019

With the increasing amount of electronic waste (e-waste) generated globally, it is an enormous challenge to recycle printed circuit boards (PCBs) efficiently and environmentally friendly. However, conventional recycling technologies have low efficiency and require tough treatment such as high temperature (>200 °C) and high pressure. In this paper, a small-molecule assisted approach based on dynamic reaction was proposed to dissolve thermosetting polymers containing ester groups and recycle electronic components from PCBs. This effective approach operates below 200 °C and the polymer could be dissolved in a short time. It has a remarkable ability to recycle a wide range of commercial PCBs, including boards made of typical anhydride epoxy or polyester substrate. Besides, it is environmentally friendly as even the recycling solution could be reused multiple times. In addition, the wasted solution after recycling could be used for board bonding and damage repair. This work also demonstrates the advantage of using polymers containing ester groups as the PCB substrate in consideration of eco-friendly and efficient recycling.
Simultaneous measurement of p53:Mdm2 and p53:Mdm4 protein-protein interactions in whole cells using fluorescence labelled foci
Authors: Frosi Y. , Inoue K. , Ramlan Siti Radhiah , Lane D. P. , Watanabe T. , Brown C. J.
Published: November 2019

In this report we describe the development of a Fluorescent Protein-Protein Interaction-visualization (FLUOPPI) to enable the simultaneous measurement of both Mdm2:p53 and Mdm4:p53 interactions in order to assess the relative efficiencies of mimetic molecules of the p53 peptide helix against both PPIs. Mdm2 and Mdm4 overexpression frequently leads to the inactivation of non-mutated p53 in human cancers, via inhibition of its transcriptional activity, enhancing its degradation by the proteasome or by preventing its nuclear import. Development of inhibitors to disrupt the binding of one or both of these protein interactions have been the subject of intensive pharmaceutical development for anti-cancer therapies. Using the bimodal FLUOPPI system we have characterised compounds that were either monospecific for Mdm2 or bispecific for both Mdm2 and Mdm4. We have also demonstrated that the FLUOPPI assay can reliably differentiate between specific and non-specific disruption of these protein complexes via accurate assessment and normalization to the cell population under measurement. We envision that this methodology will increase the efficiency of identifying compounds that are either specific against a single PPI from a closely related family of interactions or compounds that interact across multiple related PPI pairs, depending on which is more desirable.
A Model Falsification Approach to Learning in Non-Stationary Environments for Experimental Design
Authors: Murari Andrea , Lungaroni Michele , Peluso Emmanuele , Craciunescu Teddy , Gelfusa Michela
Published: November 2019

The application of data driven machine learning and advanced statistical tools to complex physics experiments, such as Magnetic Confinement Nuclear Fusion, can be problematic, due the varying conditions of the systems to be studied. In particular, new experiments have to be planned in unexplored regions of the operational space. As a consequence, care must be taken because the input quantities used to train and test the performance of the analysis tools are not necessarily sampled by the same probability distribution as in the final applications. The regressors and dependent variables cannot therefore be assumed to verify the i.i.d. (independent and identical distribution) hypothesis and learning has therefore to take place under non stationary conditions. In the present paper, a new data driven methodology is proposed to guide planning of experiments, to explore the operational space and to optimise performance. The approach is based on the falsification of existing models. The deployment of Symbolic Regression via Genetic Programming to the available data is used to identify a set of candidate models, using the method of the Pareto Frontier. The confidence intervals for the predictions of such models are then used to find the best region of the parameter space for their falsification, where the next set of experiments can be most profitably carried out. Extensive numerical tests and applications to the scaling laws in Tokamaks prove the viability of the proposed methodology.
Assembly along lines in boundary-driven dynamical system
Authors: Singh Kulveer , Rabin Yitzhak
Published: November 2019

We introduce a simple dynamical rule in which each particle locates a particle that is farthest from it and moves towards it. Repeated application of this algorithm results in the formation of unusual dynamical patterns: during the process of assembly the system self-organizes into slices of low particle density separated by lines of increasingly high particle density along which most particles move. As the process proceeds, pairs of lines meet and merge with each other until a single line remains and particles move along it towards the zone of assembly. We show that this pattern is governed by particles (attractors) situated on the instantaneous outer boundary of the system and that both in two and in three dimensions the lines are formed by zigzag motion of a particle towards a pair of nearly equidistant attractors. This novel line-dominated assembly is very different from the local assembly in which particles that move towards their nearest neighbors produce point-like clusters that coalesce into new point-like clusters, etc.
Neddylation regulates excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity
Authors: Brockmann Marisa M. , Döngi Michael , Einsfelder Ulf , Körber Nils , Refojo Damian , Stein Valentin
Published: November 2019

Post-translational modifications, like phosphorylation, ubiquitylation, and sumoylation, have been shown to impact on synaptic neurotransmission by modifying pre- and postsynaptic proteins and therefore alter protein stability, localization, or protein-protein interactions. Previous studies showed that post-translational modifications are essential during the induction of synaptic plasticity, defined by a major reorganization of synaptic proteins. We demonstrated before that neddylation, a post-translational modification that covalently binds Nedd8 to lysine-residues, strongly affects neuronal maturation and spine stability. We now analysed the consequences of inhibiting neddylation on excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity, which will help to narrow down possible targets, to make educated guesses, and test specific candidates. Here, we show that acute inhibition of neddylation impacts on synaptic neurotransmission before morphological changes occur. Our data indicate that pre- and postsynaptic proteins are neddylated since the inhibition of neddylation impacts on presynaptic release probability and postsynaptic receptor stabilization. In addition, blocking neddylation during the induction of long-term potentiation and long-term inhibition abolished both forms of synaptic plasticity. Therefore, this study shows the importance of identifying synaptic targets of the neddylation pathway to understand the regulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity.
Calorie restriction slows age-related microbiota changes in an Alzheimer’s disease model in female mice
Authors: Cox Laura M. , Schafer Marissa J. , Sohn Jiho , Vincentini Julia , Weiner Howard L. , Ginsberg Stephen D. , Blaser Martin J.
Published: November 2019

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects an estimated 5.8 million Americans, and advanced age is the greatest risk factor. AD patients have altered intestinal microbiota. Accordingly, depleting intestinal microbiota in AD animal models reduces amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaque deposition. Age-related changes in the microbiota contribute to immunologic and physiologic decline. Translationally relevant dietary manipulations may be an effective approach to slow microbiota changes during aging. We previously showed that calorie restriction (CR) reduced brain Aβ deposition in the well-established Tg2576 mouse model of AD. Presently, we investigated whether CR alters the microbiome during aging. We found that female Tg2576 mice have more substantial age-related microbiome changes compared to wildtype (WT) mice, including an increase in Bacteroides, which were normalized by CR. Specific gut microbiota changes were linked to Aβ levels, with greater effects in females than in males. In the gut, Tg2576 female mice had an enhanced intestinal inflammatory transcriptional profile, which was reversed by CR. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Bacteroides colonization exacerbates Aβ deposition, which may be a mechanism whereby the gut impacts AD pathogenesis. These results suggest that long-term CR may alter the gut environment and prevent the expansion of microbes that contribute to age-related cognitive decline.
Construction of miRNA-target networks using microRNA profiles of CVB3-infected HeLa cells
Authors: Yao Hai Lan , Liu Mi , Wang Wen Jun , Wang Xin Ling , Song Juan , Song Qin Qin , Han Jun
Published: November 2019

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in regulating gene expression in multiple biological processes and diseases. Thus, to understand changes in miRNA during CVB3 infection, specific miRNA expression profiles were investigated at 3 h, 6 h, and 9 h postinfection in HeLa cells by small-RNA high-throughput sequencing. Biological implications of 68 differentially expressed miRNAs were analyzed through GO and KEGG pathways. Interaction networks between 34 known highly differentially expressed miRNAs and targets were constructed by mirDIP and Navigator. The predicted targets showed that FAM135A, IKZF2, PLAG1, ZNF148, PHC3, LCOR and DYRK1A, which are associated with cellular differentiation and transcriptional regulation, were recognized by 8 miRNAs or 9 miRNAs through interactional regulatory networks. Seven target genes were confirmed by RT-qPCR. The results showed that the expression of DYRK1A, FAM135A, PLAG1, ZNF148, and PHC3 were obviously inhibited at 3 h, 6 h, and 9 h postinfection. The expression of LCOR did not show a significant change, and the expression of IKZF2 increased gradually with prolonged infection time. Our findings improve the understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of CVB3 infection on cellular differentiation and development through miRNA regulation, which has implications for interventional approaches to CVB3-infection therapy. Our results also provide a new method for screening target genes of microRNA regulation in virus-infected cells.
Exotic species invasions undermine regional functional diversity of freshwater fish
Authors: Milardi Marco , Gavioli Anna , Soininen Janne , Castaldelli Giuseppe
Published: November 2019

Exotic species invasions often result in native biodiversity loss, i.e. a lower taxonomic diversity, but current knowledge on invasions effects underlined a potential increase of functional diversity. We thus explored the connections between functional diversity and exotic species invasions, while accounting for their environmental drivers, using a fine-resolution large dataset of Mediterranean stream fish communities. While functional diversity of native and exotic species responded similarly to most environmental constraints, we found significant differences in the effects of altitude and in the different ranking of constraints. These differences suggest that invasion dynamics could play a role in overriding some major environmental drivers. Our results also showed that a lower diversity of ecological traits in communities (about half of less disturbed communities) corresponded to a high invasion degree, and that the exotic component of communities had typically less diverse ecological traits than the native one, even when accounting for stream order and species richness. Overall, our results suggest that possible outcomes of severe exotic species invasions could include a reduced functional diversity of invaded communities, but analyzing data with finer ecological, temporal and spatial resolutions would be needed to pinpoint the causal relationship between invasions and functional diversity.
Fractionated head and neck irradiation impacts taste progenitors, differentiated taste cells, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in adult mice
Authors: Gaillard Dany , Shechtman Lauren A. , Millar Sarah E. , Barlow Linda A.
Published: November 2019

Head and neck cancer patients receiving conventional repeated, low dose radiotherapy (fractionated IR) suffer from taste dysfunction that can persist for months and often years after treatment. To understand the mechanisms underlying functional taste loss, we established a fractionated IR mouse model to characterize how taste buds are affected. Following fractionated IR, we found as in our previous study using single dose IR, taste progenitor proliferation was reduced and progenitor cell number declined, leading to interruption in the supply of new taste receptor cells to taste buds. However, in contrast to a single dose of IR, we did not encounter increased progenitor cell death in response to fractionated IR. Instead, fractionated IR induced death of cells within taste buds. Overall, taste buds were smaller and fewer following fractionated IR, and contained fewer differentiated cells. In response to fractionated IR, expression of Wnt pathway genes,Ctnnb1,Tcf7, Lef1andLgr5were reduced concomitantly with reduced progenitor proliferation. However, recovery of Wnt signaling post-IR lagged behind proliferative recovery. Overall, our data suggest carefully timed, local activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling may mitigate radiation injury and/or speed recovery of taste cell renewal following fractionated IR.