bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heat, Disparities, and Health Outcomes in San Diego County's Diverse Climate Zones
Authors: Guirguis Kristen , Basu Rupa , Al‐Delaimy Wael K. , Benmarhnia Tarik , Clemesha Rachel E. S. , Corcos Isabel , Guzman‐Morales Janin , Hailey Brittany , Small Ivory , Tardy Alexander , Vashishtha Devesh , Zivin Joshua G. , Gershunov Alexander
Published: May 2018

Climate variability and change are issues of growing public health importance. Numerous studies have documented risks of extreme heat on human health in different locations around the world. Strategies to prevent heat‐related morbidity and reduce disparities are possible but require improved knowledge of health outcomes during hot days at a small‐scale level as important within‐city variability in local weather conditions, socio‐demographic composition, and access to air conditioning (AC) may exist. We analyzed hospitalization data for three unique climate regions of San Diego County alongside temperature data spanning 14 years to quantify the health impact of ambient air temperature at varying exceedance threshold levels. Within San Diego, coastal residents were more sensitive to heat than inland residents. At the coast, we detected a health impact at lower temperatures compared to inland locations for multiple disease categories including heat illness, dehydration, acute renal failure, and respiratory disease. Within the milder coastal region where access to AC is not prevalent, heat‐related morbidity was higher in the subset of zip codes where AC saturation is lowest. We detected a 14.6% increase (95% confidence interval [4.5%, 24.6%]) in hospitalizations during hot weather in comparison to colder days in coastal locations where AC is less common, while no significant impact was observed in areas with higher AC saturation. Disparities in AC ownership were associated with income, race/ethnicity, and homeownership. Given that heat waves are expected to increase with climate change, understanding health impacts of heat and the role of acclimation is critical for improving outcomes in the future.
Source Apportionments of Aerosols and Their Direct Radiative Forcing and Long‐Term Trends Over Continental United States
Authors: Yang Yang , Wang Hailong , Smith Steven J. , Zhang Rudong , Lou Sijia , Yu Hongbin , Li Can , Rasch Philip J.
Published: May 2018

Due to U.S. air pollution regulations, aerosol and precursor emissions have decreased during recent decades, while changes in emissions in other regions of the world also influence U.S. aerosol trends through long‐range transport. We examine here the relative roles of these domestic and foreign emission changes on aerosol concentrations and direct radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere over the continental United States. Long‐term (1980–2014) trends and aerosol source apportionment are quantified in this study using a global aerosol‐climate model equipped with an explicit aerosol source tagging technique. Due to U.S. emission control policies, the annual mean near‐surface concentration of particles, consisting of sulfate, black carbon, and primary organic aerosol, decreases by about −1.1 (±0.1)/−1.4 (±0.1) μg/m3 in western United States and −3.3 (±0.2)/−2.9 (±0.2) μg/m3 in eastern United States during 2010–2014, as compared to those in 1980–1984. Meanwhile, decreases in U.S. emissions lead to a warming of +0.48 (±0.03)/+0.46 (±0.03) W/m2 in western United States and +1.41 (±0.07)/+1.32 (±0.09) W/m2 in eastern United States through changes in aerosol direct radiative forcing. Increases in emissions from East Asia generally have a modest impact on U.S. air quality but mitigated the warming effect induced by reductions in U.S. emissions by 25% in western United States and 7% in eastern United States. As U.S. domestic aerosol and precursor emissions continue to decrease, foreign emissions may become increasingly important to radiative forcing over the United States.
Roger Lhermitte (1920–2016)
Authors: Williams Earle
Published: May 2018

This luminary in the field of weather radar did it all, from basic engineering to sophisticated analysis.
Challenging the Day Diagram, a Rock Magnetism Paradigm
Authors: Cook Terri
Published: May 2018

A critique of the plot routinely used to determine bulk magnetic properties concludes the technique is so ambiguous that new approaches to understanding magnetic mineral assemblages must be developed.
Touring the Solar System with Science Art
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: May 2018

No sketchy science here! Just science sketches that bring conference note-taking to a whole new level.
Food Water Contribution to the Oxygen Isotope Composition of Land Snail Body Water and Its Environmental Implication
Authors: Zhang N. , Yamada K. , Yoshida N.
Published: May 2018

This is the first study focused on the oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) of laboratory‐cultivated land snails. Land snails were raised under various controlled environmental parameters, permitting an evaluation of the effectiveness of the flux balance model developed by Balakrishnan and Yapp (). The slope of body water δ18O values vs. provided water δ18O values, suggest that food water is an important source (19‐37%) of land snail body water. However, the flux balance model does not account for this water source. We suggest a revised framework to understand the sources and controlling factors of the land snail body fluid, which should be helpful to future studies on paleo‐environment reconstruction using land snail fossils. This investigation also indicates that snails living in non‐optimal conditions (e.g. low temperature) can adapt their biological behaviors to the environment, which will in turn affect the δ18O values of both body fluid and shells, giving rise to δ18O values which deviate from those of snails living at optimal temperatures.
Impact of California Fires on Local and Regional Air Quality: The Role of a Low‐Cost Sensor Network and Satellite Observations
Authors: Gupta P. , Doraiswamy P. , Levy R. , Pikelnaya O. , Maibach J. , Feenstra B. , Polidori Andrea , Kiros F. , Mills K. C.
Published: May 2018

PM2.5, or fine particulate matter, is a category of air pollutant consisting of particles with effective aerodynamic diameter equal to or less than 2.5 μm. These particles have been linked to human health impacts as well as regional haze, visibility, and climate change issues. Due to cost and space restrictions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency monitoring network remains spatially sparse. To increase the spatial resolution of monitoring, previous studies have used satellite data to estimate ground‐level PM concentrations, despite these estimates being associated with moderate to large uncertainties when relating a column measure of aerosol (aerosol optical depth) with surface measurements. To this end, we discuss a low‐cost air quality monitor (LCAQM) network deployed in California. In this study, we present an application of LCAQM and satellite data for quantifying the impact of wildfires in California during October 2017. The impacts of fires on PM2.5 concentration at varying temporal (hourly, daily, and weekly) and spatial (local to regional) scales have been evaluated. Comparison between low‐cost air quality sensors and reference‐grade air quality instruments shows expected performance with moderate to high uncertainties. The LCAQM measurements, in the absence of federal equivalent method data, were also found to be very useful in developing statistical models to convert aerosol optical depth into PM2.5 with performance of satellite‐derived PM2.5, similar to that obtained using the federal equivalent method data. This paper also highlights challenges associated with both LCAQM and satellite‐based PM2.5 measurements, which require further investigation and research.
Stringent Emission Control Policies Can Provide Large Improvements in Air Quality and Public Health in India
Authors: Conibear Luke , Butt Edward W. , Knote Christoph , Arnold Stephen R. , Spracklen Dominick V.
Published: May 2018

Exposure to high concentrations of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a leading risk factor for public health in India causing a large burden of disease. Business‐as‐usual economic and industrial growth in India is predicted to increase emissions, worsen air quality, and increase the associated disease burden in future decades. Here we use a high‐resolution online‐coupled model to estimate the impacts of different air pollution control pathways on ambient PM2.5 concentrations and human health in India. We find that with no change in emissions, the disease burden from exposure to ambient PM2.5 in 2050 will increase by 75% relative to 2015, due to population aging and growth increasing the number of people susceptible to air pollution. We estimate that the International Energy Agencies New Policy Scenario (NPS) and Clean Air Scenario (CAS) in 2050 can reduce ambient PM2.5 concentrations below 2015 levels by 9% and 68%, respectively, offsetting 61,000 and 610,000 premature mortalities a year, which is 9% and 91% of the projected increase in premature mortalities due to population growth and aging. Throughout India, the CAS stands out as the most effective scenario to reduce ambient PM2.5 concentrations and the associated disease burden, reducing the 2050 mortality rate per 100,000 below 2015 control levels by 15%. However, even under such stringent emission control policies, population growth and aging results in premature mortality estimates from exposure to particulate air pollution to increase by 7% compared to 2015, highlighting the challenge facing efforts to improve public health in India.
On the Use of Repeat Leveling for the Determination of Vertical Land Motion: Artifacts, Aliasing, and Extrapolation Errors
Authors: Lyon T. J. , Filmer M. S. , Featherstone W. E.
Published: May 2018

Leveling remains the most precise technique for measuring changes in heights. However, for the purposes of determining vertical land motion (VLM), a time series of repeat leveling measurements is susceptible to artifacts and aliasing that may arise due to systematic errors, seasonal surface fluctuations, motions occurring during a survey, and any inconsistencies in the observation conditions among epochs. Using measurements from 10 repeat leveling surveys conducted twice yearly along a profile spanning ~40 km across the Perth Basin, Western Australia, we describe the observation, processing, and analysis methods required to mitigate these potential error sources. We also demonstrate how these issues may lead to misinterpretation of the VLM derived from repeat leveling and may contribute to discrepancies between geologically inferred rates of ground motion or those derived from other geodetic measurement techniques. Finally, we employ historical (~40‐year‐old) leveling data in order to highlight the errors that can arise when attempting to extrapolate VLM derived from a geodetic time series, particularly in cases where the long‐term motion may be nonlinear.
Horizontal operon transfer, plasmids, and the evolution of photosynthesis in Rhodobacteraceae
Authors: Brinkmann Henner , Göker Markus , Koblížek Michal , Wagner-Döbler Irene , Petersen Jörn
Published: May 2018

The capacity for anoxygenic photosynthesis is scattered throughout the phylogeny of the Proteobacteria. Their photosynthesis genes are typically located in a so-called photosynthesis gene cluster (PGC). It is unclear (i) whether phototrophy is an ancestral trait that was frequently lost or (ii) whether it was acquired later by horizontal gene transfer. We investigated the evolution of phototrophy in 105 genome-sequenced Rhodobacteraceae and provide the first unequivocal evidence for the horizontal transfer of the PGC. The 33 concatenated core genes of the PGC formed a robust phylogenetic tree and the comparison with single-gene trees demonstrated the dominance of joint evolution. The PGC tree is, however, largely incongruent with the species tree and at least seven transfers of the PGC are required to reconcile both phylogenies. The origin of a derived branch containing the PGC of the model organism Rhodobacter capsulatus correlates with a diagnostic gene replacement of pufC by pufX. The PGC is located on plasmids in six of the analyzed genomes and its DnaA-like replication module was discovered at a conserved central position of the PGC. A scenario of plasmid-borne horizontal transfer of the PGC and its reintegration into the chromosome could explain the current distribution of phototrophy in Rhodobacteraceae.
Reduced levels of miRNAs 449 and 34 in sperm of mice and men exposed to early life stress
Authors: Dickson David A. , Paulus Jessica K. , Mensah Virginia , Lem Janis , Saavedra-Rodriguez Lorena , Gentry Adrienne , Pagidas Kelly , Feig Larry A.
Published: May 2018

Exposure of male mice to early life stress alters the levels of specific sperm miRNAs that promote stress-associated behaviors in their offspring. To begin to evaluate whether similar phenomena occur in men, we searched for sperm miRNA changes that occur in both mice and men exposed to early life stressors that have long-lasting effects. For men, we used the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) questionnaire. It reveals the degree of abusive and/or dysfunctional family experiences when young, which increases risks of developing future psychological and physical disorders. For male mice, we used adolescent chronic social instability (CSI) stress, which not only enhances sociability defects for >1 year, but also anxiety and defective sociability in female offspring for multiple generations through the male lineage. Here we found a statistically significant inverse correlation between levels of multiple miRNAs of the miR-449/34 family and ACE scores of Caucasian males. Remarkably, we found members of the same sperm miRNA family are also reduced in mice exposed to CSI stress. Thus, future studies should be designed to directly test whether reduced levels of these miRNAs could be used as unbiased indicators of current and/or early life exposure to severe stress. Moreover, after mating stressed male mice, these sperm miRNA reductions persist in both early embryos through at least the morula stage and in sperm of males derived from them, suggesting these miRNA changes contribute to transmission of stress phenotypes across generations. Since offspring of men exposed to early life trauma have elevated risks for psychological disorders, these findings raise the possibility that a portion of this risk may be derived from epigenetic regulation of these sperm miRNAs.
Nogo-C regulates post myocardial infarction fibrosis through the interaction with ER Ca2+ leakage channel Sec61α in mouse hearts
Authors: Weng Lin , Jia Shi , Xu Chunling , Ye Jingjing , Cao Yangpo , Liu Yingying , Zheng Ming
Published: May 2018

Cardiac fibrosis is an independent risk factor for heart failure and even the leading cause of death in myocardial infarction patients. However, molecular mechanisms associated with the pathogenesis of cardiac fibrosis following myocardial infarction are not yet fully understood. Nogo-C protein ubiquitously expresses in tissues including in the heart. Our previous study found that Nogo-C regulated cardiomyocyte apoptosis during myocardial infarction. In the present study, we found that Nogo-C was upregulated in fibrotic hearts after myocardial infarction and in Ang II- or TGF-β1-stimulated cardiac fibroblasts. Overexpression of Nogo-C in cardiac fibroblasts increased expression of pro-fibrogenic proteins, while knockdown of Nogo-C inhibited the fibrotic responses of cardiac fibroblasts to Ang II- or TGF-β1 stimulation. Functionally, Nogo-C deficiency suppressed pro-fibrogenic proteins in post-myocardial infarction hearts and ameliorated post-myocardial infarction cardiac function. Mechanistically, we found that Nogo-C increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration and buffering Ca2+ totally abolished Nogo-C-induced fibrotic responses. Moreover, overexpression of Nogo-C caused increased Sec61α, the Ca2+ leakage channel on endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Nogo-C interacted with Sec61α on endoplasmic reticulum and stabilized Sec61α protein by inhibiting its ubiquitination. Inhibition or knockdown of Sec61α blocked Nogo-C-induced increase of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration and inhibited Nogo-C- and TGF-β1-induced fibrotic responses in cardiac fibroblasts, suggesting that Nogo-C regulates cardiac fibrosis through interacting with Sec61α to mediate the Ca2+ leakage from endoplasmic reticulum. Thus, our results reveal a novel mechanism underlying cardiac fibrosis following myocardial infarction, and provide a therapeutic strategy for cardiac remodeling related heart diseases.
Inhibition of LCMR1 and ATG12 by demethylation-activated miR-570-3p is involved in the anti-metastasis effects of metformin on human osteosarcoma
Authors: Bao Xing , Zhao Libo , Guan Hanfeng , Li Feng
Published: May 2018

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that metformin could mitigate the progression of several tumors. Although it has been proved that metformin could cause demethylation of DNA and lead to up-regulation of some encoding genes and non-coding RNAs, there is little data about the effects of metformin on metastasis, and the interaction between metastasis and autophagy in human osteosarcoma cells. Here, we found miR-570-3p was significantly down-regulated in human metastatic osteosarcoma tissues but not in non-metastatic osteosarcoma tissues. Metformin attenuates the metastasis and autophagy in osteosarcoma. Interestingly, this autophagy favors osteosarcoma cells invasion. Moreover, reduction of metformin-induced inhibition of autophagy could reverse the invasion suppression in osteosarcoma. Mechanistically, metformin increases miR-570-3p by the demethylation of DNA, and the upregulation of miR-570-3p repressed the translation of its target, LCMR1 and ATG12. Our results, for the first time, presents evidence that the miR-570-3p-mediated suppression of LCMR1 and ATG12 is involved in the metformin-induced inhibition of metastasis in osteosarcoma cells.
Laminin γ3 plays an important role in retinal lamination, photoreceptor organisation and ganglion cell differentiation
Authors: Dorgau Birthe , Felemban Majed , Sharpe Alexander , Bauer Roman , Hallam Dean , Steel David H. , Lindsay Susan , Mellough Carla , Lako Majlinda
Published: May 2018

Laminins are heterotrimeric glycoproteins of the extracellular matrix. Eleven different laminin chains have been identified in vertebrates. They are ubiquitously expressed in the human body, with a distinct tissue distribution. Laminin expression in neural retina and their functional role during human retinogenesis is still unknown. This study investigated the laminin expression in human developing and adult retina, showing laminin α1, α5, β1, β2 and γ1 to be predominantly expressed in Bruch’s membrane and the inner limiting membrane. Laminin-332 and laminin γ3 expression were mainly observed in the neural retina during retinal histogenesis. These expression patterns were largely conserved in pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal organoids. Blocking of laminin γ3 function in retinal organoids resulted in the disruption of laminar organisation and synapse formation, the loss of photoreceptor organisation and retinal ganglion cells. Our data demonstrate a unique temporal and spatial expression for laminins and reveal a novel role for laminin γ3 during human retinogenesis.
Dasatinib reduces 5-Fu-triggered apoptosis in colon carcinoma by directly modulating Src-dependent caspase-9 phosphorylation
Authors: Fu Yang , Yang Ge , Xue Peipei , Guo Luwei , Yin Yuhan , Ye Zhiqiang , Peng Sanfei , Qin Yanru , Duan Qiuhong , Zhu Feng
Published: May 2018

Preclinical data have revealed the inhibitory effect of dasatinib on colon cancer. However, a combination of dasatinib and conventional chemotherapy has failed to show any meaningful outcome in a series of clinical trials. We, therefore, wondered whether Src kinase inhibitors were suitable for treating colon cancer in combination with chemotherapy drugs. This study was designed to explore whether dasatinib disturbed 5-Fu-triggered apoptosis in colon carcinoma. As a result, we established that Src was able to directly phosphorylate caspase-9 at tyrosine 251, leading to elevated caspase-9 activity. Dasatinib dramatically decreased 5-Fu triggered apoptosis in colon carcinoma via suppression of Src activation. Our findings may have partially explained why dasatinib combined with FOLFOX failed to show a meaningful clinical response in mCRC.
Chemically activating MoS2 via spontaneous atomic palladium interfacial doping towards efficient hydrogen evolution
Authors: Luo Zhaoyan , Ouyang Yixin , Zhang Hao , Xiao Meiling , Ge Junjie , Jiang Zheng , Wang Jinlan , Tang Daiming , Cao Xinzhong , Liu Changpeng , Xing Wei
Published: May 2018

Lacking strategies to simultaneously address the intrinsic activity, site density, electrical transport, and stability problems of chalcogels is restricting their application in catalytic hydrogen production. Herein, we resolve these challenges concurrently through chemically activating the molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) surface basal plane by doping with a low content of atomic palladium using a spontaneous interfacial redox technique. Palladium substitution occurs at the molybdenum site, simultaneously introducing sulfur vacancy and converting the 2H into the stabilized 1T structure. Theoretical calculations demonstrate the sulfur atoms next to the palladium sites exhibit low hydrogen adsorption energy at –0.02 eV. The final MoS2 doped with only 1wt% of palladium demonstrates exchange current density of 805 μA cm−2 and 78 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm−2, accompanied by a good stability. The combined advantages of our surface activating technique open the possibility of manipulating the catalytic performance of MoS2 to rival platinum.
Tumour-associated missense mutations in the dMi-2 ATPase alters nucleosome remodelling properties in a mutation-specific manner
Authors: Kovač Kristina , Sauer Anja , Mačinković Igor , Awe Stephan , Finkernagel Florian , Hoffmeister Helen , Fuchs Andreas , Müller Rolf , Rathke Christina , Längst Gernot , Brehm Alexander
Published: May 2018

ATP-dependent chromatin remodellers are mutated in more than 20% of human cancers. The consequences of these mutations on enzyme function are poorly understood. Here, we characterise the effects of CHD4 mutations identified in endometrial carcinoma on the remodelling properties of dMi-2, the highly conserved Drosophila homologue of CHD4. Mutations from different patients have surprisingly diverse defects on nucleosome binding, ATPase activity and nucleosome remodelling. Unexpectedly, we identify both mutations that decrease and increase the enzyme activity. Our results define the chromodomains and a novel regulatory region as essential for nucleosome remodelling. Genetic experiments in Drosophila demonstrate that expression of cancer-derived dMi-2 mutants misregulates differentiation of epithelial wing structures and produces phenotypes that correlate with their nucleosome remodelling properties. Our results help to define the defects of CHD4 in cancer at the mechanistic level and provide the basis for the development of molecular approaches aimed at restoring their activity.
Author Correction: Time-dependent memory transformation along the hippocampal anterior–posterior axis
Authors: Dandolo Lisa C. , Schwabe Lars
Published: May 2018

In the originally published version of this Article, the rightmost graph in Fig. 2c was inadvertently replaced with a duplicate of the central panel. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Induction of anergic or regulatory tumor-specific CD4+ T cells in the tumor-draining lymph node
Authors: Alonso Ruby , Flament Héloïse , Lemoine Sébastien , Sedlik Christine , Bottasso Emanuel , Péguillet Isabel , Prémel Virginie , Denizeau Jordan , Salou Marion , Darbois Aurélie , Núñez Nicolás Gonzalo , Salomon Benoit , Gross David , Piaggio Eliane , Lantz Olivier
Published: May 2018

CD4+T cell antitumor responses have mostly been studied in transplanted tumors expressing secreted model antigens (Ags), while most mutated proteins in human cancers are not secreted. The fate of Ag-specific CD4+T cells recognizing a cytoplasmic Ag in mice bearing autochthonous tumors is still unclear. Here we show, using a genetically engineered lung adenocarcinoma mouse model, that naive tumor-specific CD4+T cells are activated and proliferate in the tumor-draining lymph node (TdLN) but do not differentiate into effectors or accumulate in tumors. Instead, these CD4+T cells are driven toward anergy or peripherally-induced Treg (pTreg) differentiation, from the early stage of tumor development. This bias toward immune suppression is restricted to the TdLN, and is maintained by Tregs enriched in the tumor Ag-specific cell population. Thus, tumors may enforce a dominant inhibition of the anti-tumor CD4 response in the TdLN by recapitulating peripheral self-tolerance mechanisms.
Nonlinear optical components for all-optical probabilistic graphical model
Authors: Babaeian Masoud , Blanche Pierre-A. , Norwood Robert A. , Kaplas Tommi , Keiffer Patrick , Svirko Yuri , Allen Taylor G. , Chen Vincent W. , Chi San-Hui , Perry Joseph W. , Marder Seth R. , Neifeld Mark A. , Peyghambarian N.
Published: May 2018

The probabilistic graphical models (PGMs) are tools that are used to compute probability distributions over large and complex interacting variables. They have applications in social networks, speech recognition, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and many more areas. Here, we present an all-optical implementation of a PGM through the sum-product message passing algorithm (SPMPA) governed by a wavelength multiplexing architecture. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate the use of optics to solve a two node graphical model governed by SPMPA and successfully map the message passing algorithm onto photonics operations. The essential mathematical functions required for this algorithm, including multiplication and division, are implemented using nonlinear optics in thin film materials. The multiplication and division are demonstrated through a logarithm-summation-exponentiation operation and a pump-probe saturation process, respectively. The fundamental bottlenecks for the scalability of the presented scheme are discussed as well.
Author Correction: Smac mimetics and oncolytic viruses synergize in driving anticancer T-cell responses through complementary mechanisms
Authors: Kim Dae-Sun , Dastidar Himika , Zhang Chunfen , Zemp Franz J. , Lau Keith , Ernst Matthias , Rakic Andrea , Sikdar Saif , Rajwani Jahanara , Naumenko Victor , Balce Dale R. , Ewanchuk Ben W. , Tailor Pankaj , Yates Robin M. , Jenne Craig , Gafuik Chris , Mahoney Douglas J.
Published: May 2018

The originally published version of this article contained an error in the spelling of the author Pankaj Tailor, which was incorrectly given as Pankaj Taylor. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the article.
Sonochemical synthesis of cellulose/hydroxyapatite nanocomposites and their application in protein adsorption
Authors: Fu Lian-Hua , Qi Chao , Liu Yan-Jun , Cao Wen-Tao , Ma Ming-Guo
Published: May 2018

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is the main mineral constituent in the hard tissue of vertebrate, which is recognized as an important biomedical material owing to its excellent bioactivity and biocompatibility. Herein, we report a facile and green sonochemical route for the rapid synthesis of cellulose/HA nanocomposites in NaOH/urea aqueous solution. The in vitro behavior of the cellulose/HA nanocomposites was studied to evaluate the biological response of the nanocomposites following immersion in simulated body fluid for various periods (maximum of 28 days). The HA crystals formed on the surface of the nanocomposites were carbonate-containing apatite, which is similar to the naturally occurring calcium phosphate materials. The HA nanosheets (assembly of nanorods) were mineralized on the surface of the nanocomposites, and maximum mass of the nanocomposites was reached 1.82 times of initial mass after 28 days of soaking. Moreover, the as-prepared cellulose/HA nanocomposites have good cytocompatibility, and show a relatively high protein adsorption ability using hemoglobin as a model protein. These results indicate that the as-prepared cellulose/HA nanocomposites are promising for applications in various biomedical fields such as tissue engineering and protein/drug delivery.
Amending the Structure of Renewable Carbon from Biorefinery Waste-Streams for Energy Storage Applications
Authors: Ho Hoi Chun , Goswami Monojoy , Chen Jihua , Keum Jong K. , Naskar Amit K.
Published: May 2018

Biorefineries produce impure sugar waste streams that are being underutilized. By converting this waste to a profitable by-product, biorefineries could be safeguarded against low oil prices. We demonstrate controlled production of useful carbon materials from the waste concentrate via hydrothermal synthesis and carbonization. We devise a pathway to producing tunable, porous spherical carbon materials by modeling the gross structure formation and developing an understanding of the pore formation mechanism utilizing simple reaction principles. Compared to a simple hydrothermal synthesis from sugar concentrate, emulsion-based synthesis results in hollow spheres with abundant microporosity. In contrast, conventional hydrothermal synthesis produces solid beads with micro and mesoporosity. All the carbonaceous materials show promise in energy storage application. Using our reaction pathway, perfect hollow activated carbon spheres can be produced from waste sugar in liquid effluence of biomass steam pretreatment units. The renewable carbon product demonstrated a desirable surface area of 872 m2/g and capacitance of up to 109 F/g when made into an electric double layer supercapacitor. The capacitor exhibited nearly ideal capacitive behavior with 90.5% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles.
Less invasive surfactant administration and complications of preterm birth
Authors: Härtel Christoph , Paul Pia , Hanke Kathrin , Humberg Alexander , Kribs Angela , Mehler Katrin , Vochem Matthias , Wieg Christian , Roll Claudia , Herting Egbert , Göpel Wolfgang
Published: May 2018

In a large cohort study of the German Neonatal Network (GNN) we aimed to evaluate whether less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) strategy is associated with complications of preterm birth. Within the observational period n = 7533 very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWI) with gestational age 22 0/7 to 28 6/7 weeks were enrolled in GNN; n = 1214 VLBWI never received surfactant, n = 2624 VLBWI were treated according to LISA procedure, n = 3695 VLBWI had surfactant via endotracheal tube (ETT). LISA was associated with a reduced risk for adverse outcome measures including mortality [odds ratio (OR) 0.66 (95% CI: 0.51–0.84), p < 0.001] bronchopulmonary dysplasia [BPD; OR 0.55 (95% CI: 0.49–0.62), p < 0.001], intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) grade II-IV [OR 0.55 (95% CI: 0.48–0.64), p < 0.001] and retinopathy of prematurity [ROP; OR 0.62 (95% CI: 0.45–0.85), p < 0.001]. Notably, LISA was associated with an increased risk for focal intestinal perforation [FIP; OR 1.49 (95% CI: 1.14–1.95), p = 0.002]. The differences in FIP rates were primarily observed in VLBWI born <26 weeks (LISA: 10.0 vs. ETT: 7.4%, p = 0.029). Our observational data confirm that LISA is associated with improved outcome. In infants <26 weeks we noted an increased risk for FIP. Future randomized controlled trials including LISA need to integrate safety analyses for this particular subgroup.
Interferon-gamma drives programmed death-ligand 1 expression on islet β cells to limit T cell function during autoimmune diabetes
Authors: Osum Kevin C. , Burrack Adam L. , Martinov Tijana , Sahli Nathanael L. , Mitchell Jason S. , Tucker Christopher G. , Pauken Kristen E. , Papas Klearchos , Appakalai Balamurugan , Spanier Justin A. , Fife Brian T.
Published: May 2018

Type 1 diabetes is caused by autoreactive T cell-mediated β cell destruction. Even though co-inhibitory receptor programmed death-1 (PD-1) restrains autoimmunity, the expression and regulation of its cognate ligands on β cell remains unknown. Here, we interrogated β cell-intrinsic programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression in mouse and human islets. We measured a significant increase in the level of PD-L1 surface expression and the frequency of PD-L1+ β cells as non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice aged and developed diabetes. Increased β cell PD-L1 expression was dependent on T cell infiltration, as β cells from Rag1-deficient mice lacked PD-L1. Using Rag1-deficient NOD mouse islets, we determined that IFN-γ promotes β cell PD-L1 expression. We performed analogous experiments using human samples, and found a significant increase in β cell PD-L1 expression in type 1 diabetic samples compared to type 2 diabetic, autoantibody positive, and non-diabetic samples. Among type 1 diabetic samples, β cell PD-L1 expression correlated with insulitis. In vitro experiments with human islets from non-diabetic individuals showed that IFN-γ promoted β cell PD-L1 expression. These results suggest that insulin-producing β cells respond to pancreatic inflammation and IFN-γ production by upregulating PD-L1 expression to limit self-reactive T cells.
In vivo wide-field calcium imaging of mouse thalamocortical synapses with an 8 K ultra-high-definition camera
Authors: Yoshida Eriko , Terada Shin-Ichiro , Tanaka Yasuyo H. , Kobayashi Kenta , Ohkura Masamichi , Nakai Junichi , Matsuzaki Masanori
Published: May 2018

In vivo wide-field imaging of neural activity with a high spatio-temporal resolution is a challenge in modern neuroscience. Although two-photon imaging is very powerful, high-speed imaging of the activity of individual synapses is mostly limited to a field of approximately 200 µm on a side. Wide-field one-photon epifluorescence imaging can reveal neuronal activity over a field of ≥1 mm2 at a high speed, but is not able to resolve a single synapse. Here, to achieve a high spatio-temporal resolution, we combine an 8 K ultra-high-definition camera with spinning-disk one-photon confocal microscopy. This combination allowed us to image a 1 mm2 field with a pixel resolution of 0.21 µm at 60 fps. When we imaged motor cortical layer 1 in a behaving head-restrained mouse, calcium transients were detected in presynaptic boutons of thalamocortical axons sparsely labeled with GCaMP6s, although their density was lower than when two-photon imaging was used. The effects of out-of-focus fluorescence changes on calcium transients in individual boutons appeared minimal. Axonal boutons with highly correlated activity were detected over the 1 mm2 field, and were probably distributed on multiple axonal arbors originating from the same thalamic neuron. This new microscopy with an 8 K ultra-high-definition camera should serve to clarify the activity and plasticity of widely distributed cortical synapses.
Direct observation of pure pentavalent uranium in U2O5 thin films by high resolution photoemission spectroscopy
Authors: Gouder T. , Eloirdi R. , Caciuffo R.
Published: May 2018

Thin films of the elusive intermediate uranium oxide U2O5 have been prepared by exposing UO3 precursor multilayers to atomic hydrogen. Electron photoemission spectra measured about the uranium 4f core-level doublet contain sharp satellites separated by 7.9(1) eV from the 4f main lines, whilst satellites characteristics of the U(IV) and U(VI) oxidation states, expected respectively at 6.9(1) and 9.7(1) eV from the main 4f lines, are absent. This shows that uranium ions in the films are in a pure pentavalent oxidation state, in contrast to previous investigations of binary oxides claiming that U(V) occurs only as a metastable intermediate state coexisting with U(IV) and U(VI) species. The ratio between the 5f valence band and 4f core-level uranium photoemission intensities decreases by about 50% from UO2 to U2O5, which is consistent with the 5f 2 (UO2) and 5f 1 (U2O5) electronic configurations of the initial state. Our studies conclusively establish the stability of uranium pentoxide.
Oligomeric states of microbial rhodopsins determined by high-speed atomic force microscopy and circular dichroic spectroscopy
Authors: Shibata Mikihiro , Inoue Keiichi , Ikeda Kento , Konno Masae , Singh Manish , Kataoka Chihiro , Abe-Yoshizumi Rei , Kandori Hideki , Uchihashi Takayuki
Published: May 2018

Oligomeric assembly is a common feature of membrane proteins and often relevant to their physiological functions. Determining the stoichiometry and the oligomeric state of membrane proteins in a lipid bilayer is generally challenging because of their large size, complexity, and structural alterations under experimental conditions. Here, we use high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) to directly observe the oligomeric states in the lipid membrane of various microbial rhodopsins found within eubacteria to archaea. HS-AFM images show that eubacterial rhodopsins predominantly exist as pentamer forms, while archaeal rhodopsins are trimers in the lipid membrane. In addition, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy reveals that pentameric rhodopsins display inverted CD couplets compared to those of trimeric rhodopsins, indicating different types of exciton coupling of the retinal chromophore in each oligomer. The results clearly demonstrate that the stoichiometry of the fundamental oligomer of microbial rhodopsins strongly correlate with the phylogenetic tree, providing a new insight into the relationship between the oligomeric structure and function-structural evolution of microbial rhodopsins.
Evolution of oncogenic signatures of mutation hotspots in tyrosine kinases supports the atavistic hypothesis of cancer
Authors: Chen Weiran , Li Yixue , Wang Zhen
Published: May 2018

Cancer has been shown as an evolutionary process emerging hallmarks that are reminiscent of unicellular organisms. Since cancer is mostly driven by somatic mutations, especially by oncogenic hotspot mutations, we proposed a molecular atavism of cancer caused by gain-of-function mutations in oncogenes. As tyrosine kinase (TK) family contains the largest subgroup of oncogenes with hotspot mutations, we traced the most predominant mutation hotspots of TK oncogenes across phylogeny with the domain information and adjacent sequences integrated as onco-signatures. We detected 9 out of 17 TK oncogenes with onco-homologs possessing an onco-signature, which could be divided into two classes by whether their onco-homologs existed in mammals or not. In Class I we identified mammalian onco-homologs assuming oncogenic functions with onco-signatures always intact in cancer, such as HCK and LYN. In Class II with no bona fide mammalian onco-homologs, Pyk2, a protist onco-homolog with an onco-signature of BRAF was found assuming oncogenic-like functions. Onco-signatures in both classes root deep in the primitive system. Together, these evidences supported our proposal that cancer can be driven by reverse evolution of oncogenes through gain-of-function mutations. And also for the first time, we provided the specific targets for experimental verification of the atavistic hypothesis of cancer.
Exploring the Reusability of Synthetically Contaminated Wastewater Containing Crystal Violet Dye using Tectona grandis Sawdust as a Very Low-Cost Adsorbent
Authors: Mashkoor Fouzia , Nasar Abu , Inamuddin  , Asiri Abdullah M.
Published: May 2018

Present investigation explores the possible reusability of synthetically contaminated wastewater containing crystal violet (CV) organic dye using Tectona grandis sawdust (TGSD) waste as a very low-cost adsorbent. The adsorbent was characterized by proximate, SEM/EDX, FTIR, and XRD analyses. Batch adsorption studies were carried under changing conditions of contact time, the initial concentration of CV, pH, TGSD dose, TGSD particle size, and temperature. The experimental data were tested using Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models, and the data were best followed by Langmuir one. The kinetic results were examined in the light of different models and pseudo-second-order was obtained to be best obeyed. The values of ΔH° (28.642 kJ/mol), ΔG° (-10.776 to -7.080 kJ/mol) and ΔS° (121.8 J/K/mol) in the temperature range of 293–323 K suggested the overall process to be spontaneous, endothermic and associated with an increase in randomness. On the basis of experimental results and their analyses, it has been established that TGSD is one of the most effective adsorbents among those obtained from the domestic, agricultural and industrial wastes. Thus this adsorbent can be effectively utilized to make the impure wastewater reusable.
Using genetic markers to unravel the origin of birds converging towards pre-migratory sites
Authors: Bounas Anastasios , Tsaparis Dimitris , Gustin Marco , Mikulic Kresimir , Sarà Maurizio , Kotoulas Georgios , Sotiropoulos Konstantinos
Published: May 2018

Identifying patterns of individual movements in spatial and temporal scales can provide valuable insight into the structure of populations and the dynamics of communities and ecosystems. Especially for migrating birds, that can face a variety of unfavorable conditions along their journey, resolving movements of individuals across their annual cycle is necessary in order to design better targeted conservation strategies. Here, we studied the movements of a small migratory falcon, the Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni), by genetically assigning feathers from individuals of unknown origin that concentrate in large roosts during the pre-migratory period. Our findings suggest that birds from multiple breeding populations in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean region move towards two pre-migratory sites in the Balkans, some of them detouring greatly from their expected flyways, travelling more than 500 km to reach these sites and prepare for the post-nuptial migration. By identifying the origin of individuals using the pre-migratory sites, not only we provide a better understanding of the possible impact of local threats at these sites on multiple breeding populations but also inform the design of effective conservation actions for the species.
Spatial and temporal changes in extracellular elastin and laminin distribution during lung alveolar development
Authors: Luo Yongfeng , Li Nan , Chen Hui , Fernandez G. Esteban , Warburton David , Moats Rex , Mecham Robert P. , Krenitsky Daria , Pryhuber Gloria S. , Shi Wei
Published: May 2018

Lung alveolarization requires precise coordination of cell growth with extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis and deposition. The role of extracellular matrices in alveogenesis is not fully understood, because prior knowledge is largely extrapolated from two-dimensional structural analysis. Herein, we studied temporospatial changes of two important ECM proteins, laminin and elastin that are tightly associated with alveolar capillary growth and lung elastic recoil respectively, during both mouse and human lung alveolarization. By combining protein immunofluorescence staining with two- and three-dimensional imaging, we found that the laminin network was simplified along with the thinning of septal walls during alveogenesis, and more tightly associated with alveolar endothelial cells in matured lung. In contrast, elastin fibers were initially localized to the saccular openings of nascent alveoli, forming a ring-like structure. Then, throughout alveolar growth, the number of such alveolar mouth ring-like structures increased, while the relative ring size decreased. These rings were interconnected via additional elastin fibers. The apparent patches and dots of elastin at the tips of alveolar septae found in two-dimensional images were cross sections of elastin ring fibers in the three-dimension. Thus, the previous concept that deposition of elastin at alveolar tips drives septal inward growth may potentially be conceptually challenged by our data.
Composite binocular perception from dichoptic stimulus arrays with similar ensemble information
Authors: Cha Oakyoon , Blake Randolph , Chong Sang Chul
Published: May 2018

We view the world through laterally displaced eyes that generate two streams of image signals differing slightly in their perspectives of the visual scene. The brain derives three-dimensional structures from these two image streams by establishing binocular matches and computing image disparities between the two eyes’ views. Since the binocular matching problem can have multiple, alternative solutions, vision relies on several strategies to determine the most probable matches. The current study investigated whether the visual system might utilize regularities among neighbouring features (feature ensembles) when confronting this problem. We hypothesized that binocular perception with unlikely, anomalous ensembles would indicate unsuccessful binocular matches. We made dichoptic stimulus arrays of coloured circles and manipulated the colour similarity of stimulus items to produce probable or unusual ensembles when superimposed. Using binocular rivalry as a proxy index, we found that composite perception of dichoptic arrays was more stable when the stimulus items shared similar colours, and that unusual ensembles induced binocular rivalry. Our results suggest that binocular ensembles can be utilized to detect unsuccessful binocular matches, thus uncovering a potentially useful supplemental strategy for identifying binocular matches when viewing potentially confusing visual scenes containing redundant visual features.
Responses to salinity stress in bivalves: Evidence of ontogenetic changes in energetic physiology on Cerastoderma edule
Authors: Peteiro Laura G. , Woodin Sarah A. , Wethey David S. , Costas-Costas Damian , Martínez-Casal Arantxa , Olabarria Celia , Vázquez Elsa
Published: May 2018

Estuarine bivalves are especially susceptible to salinity fluctuations. Stage-specific sensibilities may influence the structure and spatial distribution of the populations. Here we investigate differences on the energetic strategy of thread drifters (3–4 mm) and sedentary settlers (9–10 mm) of Cerastoderma edule over a wide range of salinities. Several physiological indicators (clearance, respiration and excretion rates, O:N) were measured during acute (2 days) and acclimated responses (7 days of exposure) for both size classes. Our results revealed a common lethal limit for both developmental stages (Salinity 15) but a larger physiological plasticity of thread drifters than sedentary settlers. Acclimation processes in drifters were initiated after 2 days of exposure and they achieved complete acclimation by day 7. Sedentary settlers delay acclimation and at day 7 feeding activity had not resumed and energetic losses through respiration and excretion were higher at the lowest salinity treatment. Different responses facing salinity stress might be related to differences in habitat of each stage. For sedentary settlers which occupy relatively stable niches, energy optimisation include delaying the initiation of the energetically expensive acclimation processes while drifters which occupy less stable environments require a more flexible process which allow them to optimize energy acquisition as fast as possible.