bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Absence of Cultural Awareness Training in International Non-Governmental Organizations
Authors: Hart Alexander , Toma Mariana , Issa Fadi , Ciottone Gregory R.
Published: September 2019

Introduction:

Cultural awareness can be defined as an understanding of the differences that exist between cultures. This understanding is a crucial first step towards the development of cultural sensitivity, a willingness to accept those differences as having equal merit, and becoming operationally effective when working within different cultures. The benefits of cultural awareness have become apparent in recent decades, including within governments, militaries, and corporations. Many organizations have developed cultural awareness training for their staffs to improve cross-cultural cooperation. However, there has not been a large movement toward cultural sensitivity training among non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who provide aid globally, across a number of countries and cultures. Cultural awareness can be a useful tool which enables an NGO to better serve the populations with which they engage.

Problem:

The goal of this study was to evaluate the presence of cultural awareness training for employees and volunteers working within international NGOs.

Methods:

Ten of the largest international NGOs were identified. Their websites were evaluated for any mention of training in cultural awareness available to their employees and volunteers. All ten were then contacted via their public email addresses to find out if they provide any form of cultural awareness training.

Results:

Of the ten NGOs identified, none had any publicly available cultural awareness training on their websites. One NGO dealt with cultural awareness by only hiring local staff, who were already a part of the prevalent culture of the area. None of the others who responded provided any cultural awareness training.

Conclusion:

Cultural awareness is a vital tool when working internationally. Large NGOs, which operate in a wide-range of cultures, have an obligation to act in a culturally aware and accepting manner. Most large NGOs currently lack a systematic, robust cultural awareness training for their employees and volunteers.
The Flat Heroine: Flat Character and Agency inMiss Marjoribanks
Authors: Rogers Hope
Published: September 2019

Critics of Miss Marjoribanks are divided about whether Margaret Oliphant's eponymous heroine's performance of social conventions, particularly those pertaining to gender roles, is consciously subversive or an unreflective embodiment of those conventions. This scholarship implicitly equates agency with critical detachment: if Lucilla does not critique the conventions she uses and the constructions of gender they reflect, she must lack the capacity to think strategically about her desires, a capacity necessary for agency. It's true that Lucilla is neither critical nor detached. Oliphant characterizes her as fully invested in social norms and as lacking the psychological depth that typically marks agential characters. In fact, I argue that Lucilla is a flat character and that Lucilla's flatness is precisely what makes her excel as an agent. Lucilla's nigh-emotionless thinking, combined with her ruling qualities of good sense and self-satisfaction, promotes agency. Untrammeled by mixed feelings or self-doubt, she has nothing to do but rationally calculate how best to achieve her interests. Reconsidering Lucilla's agency in light of her flatness thus allows us both to value that agency as Oliphant portrays it and to understand how characters can have agency at all.
A NOTE ON MONOTONE COMPARATIVE STATICS FOR MONETARY DIRECTED SEARCH MODELS
Authors: Choi Michael
Published: September 2019

This note uses monotone methods to derive two sets of comparative statics results for monetary directed search models. First, it characterizes the impact of a higher inflation rate or a higher cost of using credit on market outcomes, regardless of the choice of matching function. Second, the seller-to-buyer ratio, output level, and money demand increase as the matching function becomes more efficient in a log-supermodular sense. I also consider an extension with endogenous search intensity and show that search intensity and trade volume always decrease in the nominal interest rate.
Design and analysis of a tri-band frequency selective surface with a second-order response
Authors: Gao Chunyan , Pu Hongbin , Gao Shan , Chen Chunlan , Yang Yong
Published: September 2019

In this paper, a sandwiched type frequency selective surface (FSS) is designed and analyzed. The design procedure and operating principle is given based on the equivalent circuit model. The proposed FSS includes two identical layers of periodic metallic arrays, which are separated by a foam layer. In each layer of the periodic array, the unit cell is composed of a gridded-triple square loop structure. The FSS provides three pass-bands, in which a flat band response is presented. Three bands are separated by one or two transmission zeros, which leads to a sharp rejection on both sides of each pass-band. The central frequencies of the three pass-bands are 7.0, 10.9 and 14.0 GHz. To verify the simulated results, a prototype of the FSS is fabricated and measured. The simulated results agree well with the measured ones. This work can be used in area of a radar stealth or satellite communication system.
The SpanishMonte Pío Militar: Institutional protection for the widows and other relatives of naval officers, 1730–1900
Authors: Ortega-del-Cerro Pablo
Published: September 2019

This work examines the creation and development of theMonte Pío Militar, a permanent public pension system that was established for the widows and other relatives of deceased naval officers who had been in the Spanish Navy. This system was not a mutualist experiment, but rather constitutes an innovative example of an institutional protective organization that was based on objective principles and supported by an impersonal agent: the state. The article is divided into three parts. The first section studies the formal organization of theMonte Pío Militarbetween 1761, when the system was instituted, and 1900, when the welfare state truly began to take shape in Spain. The second part focuses on the rudimentary protection system that the navy had operated during the previous period (c. 1730–61) and the first steps of theMonte Pío Militar(1761–1800); this section is particularly interesting, for it examines how the previous system was superseded by new measures, criteria, and values. The third part examines both how the pension system was applied and its impact on the families that benefited from it during the nineteenth century. This will illustrate how the families soon internalized the idea that pensions were a reflection of the state’s duty to protect them, while the legal principles behind the system and the bureaucratic protocol built around it were progressively consolidated.
Spectral Decomposition Reveals New Perspectives on CO2Concentration Patterns and Soil‐Stream Linkages
Authors: Riml J. , Campeau A. , Bishop K. , Wallin M.B.
Published: September 2019

The rapid development of novel technologies to obtain high‐frequency observations has provided new possibilities to observe and understand carbon cycling in inland waters. This study investigates carbon dioxide (CO2) dynamics along a boreal soil‐stream transect using a state‐of‐the‐art data set in combination with a spectral methodology to identify controls on stream CO2. The spectral decomposition of hourly observations revealed intermediate (multiday) to long‐term (monthly) patterns across the upslope‐riparian‐stream continuum, with similar power law increases in CO2concentration fluctuations with increasing period. High‐frequency CO2variabilities, specifically diel CO2concentration fluctuations, were also identified at all locations but were substantially amplified in the stream compared to in the riparian groundwater. Moreover, the spectral coherence between soil and stream CO2fluctuations was inconsistent and restricted to episodic events. In contrast, we found a strong and consistent spectral coherence between the riparian groundwater level and stream CO2concentration, indicating a hydrological control on stream CO2dynamics. However, during some time spans even these patterns were obscured, suggesting that additional processes, such as CO2evasion and in‐stream metabolism, modulated the influence from riparian sources. The scales and patterns of temporal coherences (or lack thereof) between CO2at different points in the catchment, as well as with other factors, for example, groundwater levels and Photosynthetically Active Radiation, provide new perspectives on the range of processes governing stream CO2dynamics. Thus, this study highlights the potential of using spectral decomposition of high‐resolution, spatially distributed data of different types to investigate biogeochemical transformations and pathways linking terrestrial and aquatic systems.
Rainfall Characteristics and Trends—and the Role of Congo Westerlies—in the Western Uganda Transition Zone of Equatorial Africa From 1983 to 2017
Authors: Diem Jeremy E. , Sung Hae Seung , Konecky Bronwen L. , Palace Michael W. , Salerno Jonathan , Hartter Joel
Published: September 2019

While long‐term rainfall trends and related atmospheric dynamics have been researched over the past several decades across equatorial Africa, little is known about rainfall in western Uganda, a transition zone in the middle of the continent. Using satellite‐derived rainfall and reanalysis data from 1983 to 2017, this study examines atmospheric characteristics of seasons and multidecadal trends in rainfall. Most of the region has a biannual rainfall regime (i.e., the first rains within March–May and the second rains during August–November). Ascending (descending) air and increased (decreased) specific humidity are observed over western Uganda during the rainy (dry) seasons. Southeasterly air‐parcel back trajectories are common throughout western Uganda at all times except for the first dry season (i.e., December–February). For all seasons, wet days in western Uganda are characterized by increases in ascending air and specific humidity in addition to westerly flow anomalies. Wet days in most seasons also have a disproportionately high frequency of westerly back trajectories extending over the Congo Basin. These Congo westerlies are associated with more vertical ascent and a more humid middle troposphere compared to the other trajectories. Rainy seasons, especially the first rains, have gotten longer and wetter throughout western Uganda. The duration of the first rains increased by about 1 month over the 35 years; in turn, the rainfall total increased by approximately 70%. Rainfall also has increased for climatological seasons, with the exception being December–February. Increases in middle‐troposphere specific humidity and vertical ascent over time provide support for the wetting trends derived from the satellite‐derived rainfall data.
Land Use, Not Stream Order, Controls N2O Concentration and Flux in the Upper Mara River Basin, Kenya
Authors: Mwanake R.M. , Gettel G.M. , Aho K.S. , Namwaya D.W. , Masese F.O. , Butterbach‐Bahl K. , Raymond P.A.
Published: September 2019

Anthropogenic activities have led to increases in nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from river systems, but there are large uncertainties in estimates due to lack of data in tropical rivers and rapid increase in human activity. We assessed the effects of land use and river size on N2O flux and concentration in 46 stream sites in the Mara River, Kenya, during the transition from the wet (short rains) to dry season, November 2017 to January 2018. Flux estimates were similar to other studies in tropical and temperate systems, but in contrast to other studies, land use was more related to N2O concentration and flux than stream size. Agricultural stream sites had the highest fluxes (26.38 ± 5.37 N2O‐N μg·m–2·hr–1) compared to both forest and livestock sites (5.66 ± 1.38 N2O‐N μg·m–2·hr–1 and 6.95 ± 2.96 N2O‐N μg·m–2·hr–1, respectively). N2O concentrations in forest and agriculture streams were positively correlated to stream carbon dioxide (CO2‐C(aq)) but showed a negative correlation with dissolved organic carbon, and the dissolved organic carbon:dissolved inorganic nitrogen ratio. N2O concentration in the livestock sites had a negative relationship with CO2‐C(aq) and a higher number of negative fluxes. We concluded that in‐stream chemoautotrophic nitrification was likely the main biogeochemical process driving N2O production in agricultural and forest streams, whereas complete denitrification led to the consumption of N2O in the livestock stream sites. These results point to the need to better understand the relative importance of nitrification and denitrification in different habitats in producing N2O and for process‐based studies.
A Multilayer Reservoir Thermal Stratification Module for Earth System Models
Authors: Yigzaw Wondmagegn , Li Hong‐Yi , Fang Xing , Leung L. Ruby , Voisin Nathalie , Hejazi Mohamad I. , Demissie Yonas
Published: September 2019

Thermal stratification in reservoirs is a critical process that regulates downstream riverine energy and biogeochemical cycling. Current stratification models either simplify vertical energy process, reservoir geometry or neglecting the effects of reservoir operation. Here we present a new multilayer reservoir stratification model that can be applied for reservoir and stream temperature simulation at regional or global scale. With a multilayer vertical discretization, we introduce a newly developed storage‐area‐depth dataset to improve parameterization of advection processes in and out of the reservoir. The new model better represents vertical temperature gradient and subsequently temperature of water released to downstream. The stratification model is applied to 1,400 reservoirs over the contiguous United States and validated against observed surface, profile, and outflow temperature data over 130 reservoirs subjected to various levels of regulation. The Nash‐Sutcliffe values are higher than 0.5 for about 77% of the validated reservoirs using surface temperature while the average values of root mean square error and bias are 3.6 °C and −1.1 °C, respectively. Using the new reservoir storage‐area‐depth dataset improves the simulation of surface temperature at over 69% of the validated reservoirs compared to using simplified reservoir geometry. The reservoir stratification model contributes to improving predictive understanding of anthropogenic impact on terrestrial hydrological, ecological, and biogeochemical cycles.
Modeling the Translocation and Transformation of Chemicals in the Soil‐Plant Continuum: A Dynamic Plant Uptake Module for the HYDRUS Model
Authors: Brunetti Giuseppe , Kodešová Radka , Šimůnek Jiří
Published: September 2019

Food contamination is responsible for thousands of deaths worldwide every year. Plants represent the most common pathway for chemicals into the human and animal food chain. Although existing dynamic plant uptake models for chemicals are crucial for the development of reliable mitigation strategies for food pollution, they nevertheless simplify the description of physicochemical processes in soil and plants, mass transfer processes between soil and plants and in plants, and transformation in plants. To fill this scientific gap, we couple a widely used hydrological model (HYDRUS) with a multicompartment dynamic plant uptake model, which accounts for differentiated multiple metabolization pathways in plant's tissues. The developed model is validated first theoretically and then experimentally against measured data from an experiment on the translocation and transformation of carbamazepine in three vegetables. The analysis is further enriched by performing a global sensitivity analysis on the soil‐plant model to identify factors driving the compound's accumulation in plants' shoots, as well as to elucidate the role and the importance of soil hydraulic properties on the plant uptake process. Results of the multilevel numerical analysis emphasize the model's flexibility and demonstrate its ability to accurately reproduce physicochemical processes involved in the dynamic plant uptake of chemicals from contaminated soils.
Clinical and genetic validity of quantitative bipolarity
Authors: Bruce Heather A. , Kochunov Peter , Mitchell Braxton , Strauss Kevin A. , Ament Seth A. , Rowland Laura M. , Du Xiaoming , Fisseha Feven , Kavita Thangavelu , Chiappelli Joshua , Wisner Krista , Sampath Hemalatha , Chen Shuo , Kvarta Mark D. , Seneviratne Chamindi , Postolache Teodor T. , Bellon Alfredo , McMahon Francis J. , Shuldiner Alan , Elliot Hong L.
Published: September 2019

Research has yet to provide a comprehensive understanding of the genetic basis of bipolar disorder (BP). In genetic studies, defining the phenotype by diagnosis may miss risk-allele carriers without BP. The authors aimed to test whether quantitatively detected subclinical symptoms of bipolarity identifies a heritable trait that infers risk for BP. The Quantitative Bipolarity Scale (QBS) was administered to 310 Old Order Amish or Mennonite individuals from multigenerational pedigrees; 110 individuals had psychiatric diagnoses (20 BP, 61 major depressive disorders (MDD), 3 psychotic disorders, 26 other psychiatric disorders). Familial aggregation of QBS was calculated using the variance components method to derive heritability and shared household effects. The QBS score was significantly higher in BP subjects (31.5 ± 3.6) compared to MDD (16.7 ± 2.0), other psychiatric diagnoses (7.0 ± 1.9), and no psychiatric diagnosis (6.0 ± 0.65) (all p < 0.001). QBS in the whole sample was significantly heritable (h2 = 0.46 ± 0.15, p < 0.001) while the variance attributed to the shared household effect was not significant (p = 0.073). When subjects with psychiatric illness were removed, the QBS heritability was similar (h2 = 0.59 ± 0.18, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that quantitative bipolarity as measured by QBS can separate BP from other psychiatric illnesses yet is significantly heritable with and without BP included in the pedigrees suggesting that the quantitative bipolarity describes a continuous heritable trait that is not driven by a discrete psychiatric diagnosis. Bipolarity trait assessment may be used to supplement the diagnosis of BP in future genetic studies and could be especially useful for capturing subclinical genetic contributions to a BP phenotype.
Gastroesophageal reflux GWAS identifies risk loci that also associate with subsequent severe esophageal diseases
Authors: An Jiyuan , Gharahkhani Puya , Law Matthew H. , Ong Jue-Sheng , Han Xikun , Olsen Catherine M. , Neale Rachel E. , Lai John , Vaughan Tom L. , Gockel Ines , Thieme René , Böhmer Anne C. , Jankowski Janusz , Fitzgerald Rebecca C. , Schumacher Johannes , Palles Claire ,   BEACON, Gammon Marilie D. , Corley Douglas A. , Shaheen Nicholas J. , Bird Nigel C. , Hardie Laura J. , Murray Liam J. , Reid Brian J. , Chow Wong-Ho , Risch Harvey A. , Ye Weimin , Liu Geoffrey , Romero Yvonne , Bernstein Leslie , Wu Anna H. ,   23andMe Research Team, Agee M. , Alipanahi B. , Auton A. , Bell R. K. , Bryc K. , Elson S. L. , Fontanillas P. , Furlotte N. A. , Hinds D. A. , Huber K. E. , Kleinman A. , Litterman N. K. , McIntyre M. H. , Mountain J. L. , Noblin E. S. , Northover C. A. M. , Pitts S. J. , Sathirapongsasuti J. Fah , Sazonova O. V. , Shelton J. F. , Shringarpure S. , Tian C. , Tung J. Y. , Vacic V. , Wilson C. H. , Whiteman David C. , MacGregor Stuart
Published: September 2019

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is caused by gastric acid entering the esophagus. GERD has high prevalence and is the major risk factor for Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA). We conduct a large GERD GWAS meta-analysis (80,265 cases, 305,011 controls), identifying 25 independent genome-wide significant loci for GERD. Several of the implicated genes are existing or putative drug targets. Loci discovery is greatest with a broad GERD definition (including cases defined by self-report or medication data). Further, 91% of the GERD risk-increasing alleles also increase BE and/or EA risk, greatly expanding gene discovery for these traits. Our results map genes for GERD and related traits and uncover potential new drug targets for these conditions.
Quantification of the Whole Lymph Node Vasculature Based on Tomography of the Vessel Corrosion Casts
Authors: Jafarnejad M. , Ismail A. Z. , Duarte D. , Vyas C. , Ghahramani A. , Zawieja D. C. , Lo Celso C. , Poologasundarampillai G. , Moore J. E.
Published: September 2019

Lymph nodes (LN) are crucial for immune function, and comprise an important interface between the blood and lymphatic systems. Blood vessels (BV) in LN are highly specialized, featuring high endothelial venules across which most of the resident lymphocytes crossed. Previous measurements of overall lymph and BV flow rates demonstrated that fluid also crosses BV walls, and that this is important for immune function. However, the spatial distribution of the BV in LN has not been quantified to the degree necessary to analyse the distribution of transmural fluid movement. In this study, we seek to quantify the spatial localization of LNBV, and to predict fluid movement across BV walls. MicroCT imaging of murine popliteal LN showed that capillaries were responsible for approximately 75% of the BV wall surface area, and that this was mostly distributed around the periphery of the node. We then modelled blood flow through the BV to obtain spatially resolved hydrostatic pressures, which were then combined with Starling’s law to predict transmural flow. Much of the total 10 nL/min transmural flow (under normal conditions) was concentrated in the periphery, corresponding closely with surface area distribution. These results provide important insights into the inner workings of LN, and provide a basis for further exploration of the role of LN flow patterns in normal and pathological functions.
Microstructure analysis and mechanical properties of phosphorus-reinforced ZCuPb20Sn5 alloy
Authors: Ren Xiao-yan , Zhang Xin , Hong Xu , REN Jiping
Published: September 2019

An investigation was carried out to assess the effect of the P content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ZCuPb20Sn5 alloy. Alloys of various compositions, (0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5% wt.% P) were melted in a melting furnace under 1200 °C and cast into metal mould, the hardness, strength and elongation of alloy castings which adding P or not in melting process were tested and the casting mircostructure was analyzed. The results show that the second phase appeared and gradually increased in amount with the content of P elements increased. Also, the microstructure of ZCuPb20Sn5 alloy was refined, and the average size of lead inclusions was reduced and formed a dispersed network of eutectoid inclusions.The addition of P had a beneficial effect on the microstructure and properties of ZCuPb20Sn5 alloy. The hardness and tensile strength of ZCuPb20Sn5 alloy increased, but the elongation increased at first, then decreased, when the P content increased. When the P content was less than 0.1 wt.%, the functions of phosphorous copper mainly was used as a deoxidizing initial gas, but when exceeded 0.1 wt.%, a second phase reinforcing particle formed with copper or nickel together, which improved the mechanical properties of the alloy. However, the elongation was lowered due to the brittle phosphide phase.
Extension of the Coherence Time by Generating MW Dressed States in a Single NV Centre in Diamond
Authors: Morishita H. , Tashima T. , Mima D. , Kato H. , Makino T. , Yamasaki S. , Fujiwara M. , Mizuochi N.
Published: September 2019

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres in diamond hold promise in quantum sensing applications. A major interest in them is an enhancement of their sensitivity by the extension of the coherence time (T2). In this report, we experimentally generated more than four dressed states in a single NV centre in diamond based on Autler-Townes splitting (ATS). We also observed the extension of the coherence time to T2 ~ 1.5 ms which is more than two orders of magnitude longer than that of the undressed states. As an example of a quantum application using these results we propose a protocol of quantum sensing, which shows more than an order of magnitude enhancement in the sensitivity.
Human Odour Coding in the Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes aegypti
Authors: Chen Zhou , Liu Feng , Liu Nannan
Published: September 2019

Insects use their olfactory systems to obtain chemical information on mating partners, oviposition sites and food. The yellow fever mosquitoAedes aegypti, an important vector of human infectious diseases, shows strong preference for human blood meals. This study investigated the chemical basis of host detection by characterizing the neuronal responses of antennal olfactory sensilla of femaleAe. aegyptito 103 compounds from human skin emanations. The effect of blood feeding on the responses of olfactory sensilla to these odorants was examined as well. Sensilla SBTII, GP, and three functional subtypes of SST (SST1, SST2, and SST3) responded to most of the compounds tested. Olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) ‘A’ and ‘B’ in the trichoid sensilla, either activated or inhibited, were involved in the odour coding process. Compounds from different chemical classes elicited responses with different temporal structures and different response patterns across the olfactory sensilla. Except for their increased responses to several odorants, blood-fed mosquitoes generally evoked reduced responses to specific aldehydes, alcohols, aliphatics/aromatics, ketones, and amines through the SST1, SST2, SBTI, SBTII and GP sensilla. The odorants eliciting diminished responses in female mosquitoes after blood feeding may be important inAe. aegyptihost-seeking activity and thus can be candidates for mosquito attractants in the process of this disease vector management.
HPV-positive status associated with inflamed immune microenvironment and improved response to anti-PD-1 therapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Wang Jian , Sun Hao , Zeng Qin , Guo Xue-Jun , Wang Hui , Liu Huan-Huan , Dong Zhong-Yi
Published: September 2019

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy predominantly improve the clinical outcomes of patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Whether this superiority goes on when treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors is still unclear. This study sought to determine the predictive value and potential mechanisms of HPV status for the treatment of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/ligand 1(PD-L1) inhibitors. We conducted an integrated analysis of the relationships between HPV status and PD-L1, tumor mutation burden (TMB) and inflammation-related immune cells and molecules, based on the analysis of repository databases and resected HNSCC specimens. The pooled analysis of overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR) suggested that HPV-positive patients benefited more from PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors than HPV-negative patients (OS: hazard ratio (HR) = 0.71, p = 0.02; ORR: 21.9% vs 14.1%, odds ratio (OR) = 1.79, p = 0.01). Analysis of public databases and resected HNSCC specimens revealed that HPV status was independent of PD-L1 expression and TMB in HNSCC. However, HPV infection significantly increased T-cell infiltration, immune effector cell activation and the diversity of T-cell receptors. Notably, HPV-positivity correlated with increased immune cytolytic activity and a T-cell-inflamed gene expression profile. This work provides evidence that HPV status can be used to predict the effectiveness of PD-1 inhibitors in HNSCC, independently of PD-L1 expression and TMB, and probably results from an inflamed immune microenvironment induced by HPV infection.
Potent Phytotoxic Harziane Diterpenes from a Soft Coral-Derived Strain of the Fungus Trichoderma harzianum XS-20090075
Authors: Zhao Dong-Lin , Yang Lu-Jia , Shi Ting , Wang Chao-Yi , Shao Chang-Lun , Wang Chang-Yun
Published: September 2019

Two new harziane diterpene lactones, possessing a 6/5/7/5-fused carbocyclic core containing a lactone ring system, harzianelactones A and B (1 and 2), and five new harziane diterpenes, harzianones A–D (3–6) and harziane (7), were isolated from the soft coral-derived fungus Trichoderma harzianum XS-20090075. Their structures were determined by extensive NMR spectroscopic data, ECD and OR calculations, as well as X-ray diffraction. The isolated compounds exhibited potent phytotoxicity against seedling growth of amaranth and lettuce. Harziane diterpenes were rarely reported for their remarkably bioactivities, and it was the first report to study the phytotoxicity of harziane diterpenes, which provide a new application of such compounds in agriculture for future research.
Defence priming in Arabidopsis – a Meta-Analysis
Authors: Westman Sara M. , Kloth Karen J. , Hanson Johannes , Ohlsson Anna B. , Albrectsen Benedicte R.
Published: September 2019

Defence priming by organismal and non-organismal stimulants can reduce effects of biotic stress in plants. Thus, it could help efforts to enhance the sustainability of agricultural production by reducing use of agrochemicals in protection of crops from pests and diseases. We have explored effects of applying this approach to both Arabidopsis plants and seeds of various crops in meta-analyses. The results show that its effects on Arabidopsis plants depend on both the priming agent and antagonist. Fungi and vitamins can have strong priming effects, and priming is usually more effective against bacterial pathogens than against herbivores. Moreover, application of bio-stimulants (particularly vitamins and plant defence elicitors) to seeds can have promising defence priming effects. However, the published evidence is scattered, does not include Arabidopsis, and additional studies are required before we can draw general conclusions and understand the molecular mechanisms involved in priming of seeds’ defences. In conclusion, defence priming of plants has clear potential and application of bio-stimulants to seeds may protect plants from an early age, promises to be both labour- and resource-efficient, poses very little environmental risk, and is thus both economically and ecologically promising.
All-optical Reflection-mode Microscopic Histology of Unstained Human Tissues
Authors: Abbasi Saad , Le Martin , Sonier Bazil , Dinakaran Deepak , Bigras Gilbert , Bell Kevan , Mackey John R. , Haji Reza Parsin
Published: September 2019

Surgical oncologists depend heavily on visual field acuity during cancer resection surgeries for in-situ margin assessment. Clinicians must wait up to two weeks for results from a pathology lab to confirm a post-operative diagnosis, potentially resulting in subsequent treatments. Currently, there are no clinical tools that can visualize diagnostically pertinent tissue information in-situ. Here, we present the first microscopy capable of non-contact label-free visualization of human cellular morphology in a reflection-mode apparatus. This is possible with the recently reported imaging modality called photoacoustic remote sensing microscopy which enables non-contact detection of optical absorption contrast. By taking advantage of the 266-nanometer optical absorption peak of DNA, photoacoustic remote sensing is efficacious in recovering qualitatively similar nuclear information in comparison to that provided by the hematoxylin stain in the gold-standard hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) prepared samples. A photoacoustic remote sensing system was employed utilizing a 266-nanometer pulsed excitation beam to induce photoacoustic pressures within the sample resulting in refractive index modulation of the optical absorber. A 1310-nanometer continuous-wave interrogation beam detects these perturbed regions as back reflected intensity variations due to the changes in the local optical properties. Using this technique, clinically useful histologic images of human tissue samples including breast cancer (invasive ductal carcinoma), tonsil, gastrointestinal, and pancreatic tissue images were formed. These were qualitatively comparable to standard H&E prepared samples.
Sensitivity of winter North Atlantic-European climate to resolved atmosphere and ocean dynamics
Authors: Haarsma Reindert J. , García-Serrano Javier , Prodhomme Chloé , Bellprat Omar , Davini Paolo , Drijfhout Sybren
Published: September 2019

Northern Hemisphere western boundary currents, like the Gulf Stream, are key regions for cyclogenesis affecting large-scale atmospheric circulation. Recent observations and model simulations with high-temporal and -spatial resolution have provided evidence that the associated ocean fronts locally affect troposphere dynamics. A coherent view of how this affects the mean climate and its variability is, however, lacking. In particular the separate role of resolved ocean and atmosphere dynamics in shaping the atmospheric circulation is still largely unknown. Here we demonstrate for the first time, by using coupled seasonal forecast experiments at different resolutions, that resolving meso-scale oceanic variability in the Gulf Stream region strongly affects mid-latitude interannual atmospheric variability, including the North Atlantic Oscillation. Its impact on climatology, however, is minor. Increasing atmosphere resolution to meso-scale, on the other hand, strongly affects mean climate but moderately its variability. We also find that regional predictability relies on adequately resolving small-scale atmospheric processes, while resolving small-scale oceanic processes acts as an unpredictable source of noise, except for the North Atlantic storm-track where the forcing of the atmosphere translates into skillful predictions.
Infectious phage particles packaging antibiotic resistance genes found in meat products and chicken feces
Authors: Gómez-Gómez Clara , Blanco-Picazo Pedro , Brown-Jaque Maryury , Quirós Pablo , Rodríguez-Rubio Lorena , Cerdà-Cuellar Marta , Muniesa Maite
Published: September 2019

Bacteriophages can package part of their host’s genetic material, including antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), contributing to a rapid dissemination of resistances among bacteria. Phage particles containing ARGs were evaluated in meat, pork, beef and chicken minced meat, and ham and mortadella, purchased in local retailer. Ten ARGs (blaTEM, blaCTX-M-1, blaCTX-M-9, blaOXA-48, blaVIM, qnrA, qnrS, mecA, armA and sul1) were analyzed by qPCR in the phage DNA fraction. The genes were quantified, before and after propagation experiments in Escherichia coli, to evaluate the ability of ARG-carrying phage particles to infect and propagate in a bacterial host. According to microbiological parameters, all samples were acceptable for consumption. ARGs were detected in most of the samples after particle propagation indicating that at least part of the isolated phage particles were infectious, being sul1the most abundant ARG in all the matrices followed by β-lactamase genes. ARGs were also found in the phage DNA fraction of thirty-seven archive chicken cecal samples, confirming chicken fecal microbiota as an important ARG reservoir and the plausible origin of the particles found in meat. Phages are vehicles for gene transmission in meat that should not be underestimated as a risk factor in the global crisis of antibiotic resistance.
Neuronal precursor cells with dopaminergic commitment in the rostral migratory stream of the mouse
Authors: Schweyer Kerstin , Rüschoff-Steiner Corinna , Arias-Carrión Oscar , Oertel Wolfgang H. , Rösler Thomas W. , Höglinger Günter U.
Published: September 2019

Neuroblasts born in the subventricular zone of adult mammals migrate via the rostral migratory stream into the granular cell layer or periglomerular layer of the olfactory bulb to differentiate into interneurons. To analyze if new neurons in the granular cell layer or periglomerular layer have different origins, we inserted a physical barrier into the rostral migratory stream, depleted cell proliferation with cytarabine infusions, labeled newborn cells with bromodeoxyuridine, and sacrificed mice after short-term (0, 2, or 14 days) or long-term (55 or 105 days) intervals. After short-term survival, the subventricular zone and rostral migratory stream rapidly repopulated with bromodeoxyuridine+ cells after cytarabine-induced depletion. Nestin, glial fibrillary acidic protein and the PAX6 were expressed in bromodeoxyuridine+ cells within the rostral migratory stream downstream of the physical barrier. After long-term survival after physical barrier implantation, bromodeoxyuridine+ neurons were significantly reduced in the granular cell layer, but bromodeoxyuridine+ and dopaminergic neurons in the periglomerular layer remained unaffected by the physical barrier. Thus, newborn neurons for the granular cell layer are mainly recruited from neural stem cells located in the subventricular zone, but new neurons for the periglomerular layer with dopaminergic predisposition can rise as well from neuronal stem or precursor cells in the rostral migratory stream.
Transcriptome-based identification and characterization of genes responding to imidacloprid in Myzus persicae
Authors: Meng Jianyu , Chen Xingjiang , Zhang Changyu
Published: September 2019

Myzus persicae is a serious and widespread agricultural pest, against which, imidacloprid remains an effective control measure. However, recent reports indicate that this aphid has evolved and developed resistance to imidacloprid. This study aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and genetic basis of this resistance by conducting comparative transcriptomics studies on both imidacloprid-resistant (IR) and imidacloprid-susceptible (IS) M. persicae. The comparative analysis identified 252 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among the IR and IS M. persicae transcriptomes. These candidate genes included 160 and 92 genes that were down- and up-regulated, respectively, in the imidacloprid-resistant strain. Using functional classification in the GO and KEGG databases, 187 DEGs were assigned to 303 functional subcategories and 100 DEGs were classified into 45 pathway groups. Moreover, several genes were associated with known insecticide targets, cuticle, metabolic processes, and oxidative phosphorylation. Quantitative real-time PCR of 10 DEGs confirmed the trends observed in the RNA sequencing expression profiles. These findings provide a valuable basis for further investigation into the complicated mechanisms of imidacloprid resistance in M. persicae.
Diel patterns of microphytobenthic primary production in intertidal sediments: the role of photoperiod on the vertical migration circadian rhythm
Authors: Haro S. , Bohórquez J. , Lara M. , Garcia-Robledo E. , González C. J. , Crespo J. M. , Papaspyrou S. , Corzo A.
Published: September 2019

Diel primary production patterns of intertidal microphytobenthos (MPB) have been attributed to short-term physiological changes in the photosynthetic apparatus or to diel changes in the photoautotrophic biomass in the sediment photic layer due to vertical migration. Diel changes in primary production and vertical migration are entrained by external factors like photoperiod and tides. However, the role of photoperiod and tides has not been experimentally separated to date. Here, we performed laboratory experiments with sediment cores kept in immersion, in the absence of tides, with photoperiod or under continuous light. Measurements of net production, made with O2 microsensors, and of spectral reflectance at the sediment surface showed that, in intertidal sediments, the photoperiod signal was the major driver of the diel patterns of net primary production and sediment oxygen availability through the vertical migration of the MPB photoautotrophic biomass. Vertical migration was controlled by an endogenous circadian rhythm entrained by photoperiod in the absence of tides. The pattern progressively disappeared after 3 days in continuous light but was immediately reset by photoperiod. Even though a potential contribution of a subjective in situ tidal signal cannot be completely discarded, Fourier and cross spectral analysis of temporal patterns indicated that the photosynthetic circadian rhythm was mainly characterized by light/dark migratory cycles.
Variability of orographic enhancement of precipitation in the Alpine region
Authors: Napoli Anna , Crespi Alice , Ragone Francesco , Maugeri Maurizio , Pasquero Claudia
Published: September 2019

Climate change impacts are non uniformly distributed over the globe. Mountains have a peculiar response to large scale variations, documented by elevation gradients of surface temperature increase observed over many mountain ranges in the last decades. Significant changes of precipitation are expected in the changing climate and orographic effects are important in determining the amount of rainfall at a given location. It thus becomes particularly important to understand how orographic precipitation responds to global warming and to anthropogenic forcing. Here, using a large rain gauge dataset over the European Alpine region, we show that the distribution of annual precipitation among the lowlands and the mountains has varied over time, with an increase of the precipitation at the high elevations compared to the low elevations starting in the mid 20 century and peaking in the 1980s. The simultaneous increase and peak of anthropogenic aerosol load is discussed as a possible source for this interdecadal change. These results provide new insights to further our understanding and improve predictions of anthropic effects on mountain precipitations, which are fundamental for water security and management.
Distinct effects of Q925 mutation on intracellular and extracellular Na+ and K+ binding to the Na+, K+-ATPase
Authors: Nielsen Hang N. , Spontarelli Kerri , Holm Rikke , Andersen Jens Peter , Einholm Anja P. , Artigas Pablo , Vilsen Bente
Published: September 2019

Three Na+ sites are defined in the Na+-bound crystal structure of Na+, K+-ATPase. Sites I and II overlap with two K+ sites in the K+-bound structure, whereas site III is unique and Na+ specific. A glutamine in transmembrane helix M8 (Q925) appears from the crystal structures to coordinate Na+ at site III, but does not contribute to K+ coordination at sites I and II. Here we address the functional role of Q925 in the various conformational states of Na+, K+-ATPase by examining the mutants Q925A/G/E/N/L/I/Y. We characterized these mutants both enzymatically and electrophysiologically, thereby revealing their Na+ and K+ binding properties. Remarkably, Q925 substitutions had minor effects on Na+ binding from the intracellular side of the membrane – in fact, mutations Q925A and Q925G increased the apparent Na+ affinity – but caused dramatic reductions of the binding of K+ as well as Na+ from the extracellular side of the membrane. These results provide insight into the changes taking place in the Na+-binding sites, when they are transformed from intracellular- to extracellular-facing orientation in relation to the ion translocation process, and demonstrate the interaction between sites III and I and a possible gating function of Q925 in the release of Na+ at the extracellular side.
Possibility of Recycling SiOx Particles Collected at Silicon Ingot Production Process as an Anode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries
Authors: Kim Junghyun , Kim So Yeun , Yang Cheol-Min , Lee Gyo Woo
Published: September 2019

Recently, some studies have utilized silicon (Si) as an anode material of lithium ion battery by recycling Si from the slurry of wafer slicing dust. The filtration of Si particles condensed from Si vapors that were exhausted from the ingot growing furnace could propose another method of Si recycling. In this study, we investigated the possibility of using such collected silicon oxides (SiOx) particles as an anode material. After collecting SiOx particles, FE-SEM, TEM, EDS, XRD, XPS analysis, and charge/discharge test were carried out to investigate characteristics and usability of these particles. FE-SEM and FE-TEM images showed that these particles mainly consisted of spherical primary particles with a diameter of 10 nm or less. Agglomerates of these primary particles were larger than 300 nm in diameter. In TEM image and EDS analysis, crystalline particles were observed along with amorphous particles. As a result of XRD analysis, amorphous silica (SiO2) and crystalline Si were observed. Charge/discharge tests were carried out to determine the feasibility of using these particles as an anode material for lithium ion batteries. A cycle efficiency of 40.6% was obtained in the test in which the total number of charge/discharge cycle was 100 under the condition of C-rate 0.2 for the first three times and C-rate 1.0 for the remaining 97 times. Results showed that these collected particles could be used as an anode material for lithium ion batteries.
Mixing brain cerebrosides with brain ceramides, cholesterol and phospholipids
Authors: González-Ramírez Emilio J. , Goñi Félix M. , Alonso Alicia
Published: September 2019

The properties of bilayers composed of pure brain cerebroside (bCrb) or of binary mixtures of bCrb with brain ceramide, cholesterol, egg phosphatidylcholine or brain sphingomyelin have been studied using a combination of physical techniques. Pure bCrb exhibits a rather narrow gel-fluid transition centred at ≈65 °C, with a half-width at half-height T1/2 ≈ 3 °C. bCrb mixes well with both fluid and gel phospholipids and ceramide, and it rigidifies bilayers of egg phosphatidylcholine or brain sphingomyelin when the latter are in the fluid state. Cholesterol markedly widens the bCrb gel-fluid transition, while decreasing the associated transition enthalpy, in the manner of cholesterol mixtures with saturated phosphatidylcholines, or sphingomyelins. Laurdan and DPH fluorescence indicate the formation of fluid ordered phases in the bCrb:cholesterol mixtures. Macroscopic phase separation of more and less fluid domains is observed in giant unilamellar vesicles consisting of bCrb:egg phosphatidylcholine or bCrb:sphingomyelin. Crb capacity to induce bilayer permeabilization or transbilayer (flip-flop) lipid motion is much lower than those of ceramides. The mixtures explored here contained mostly bCrb concentrations >50 mol%, mimicking the situation of cell membranes in Gaucher’s disease, or of the Crb-enriched microdomains proposed to exist in healthy cell plasma membranes.
Rhinovirus-induced IFNβ expression is NFκB-dependent and regulated by the macrophage microenvironment
Authors: Menzel Mandy , Kosinski Joakim , Uller Lena , Akbarshahi Hamid
Published: September 2019

Macrophages play an important role in asthma pathogenesis both in the inflammatory and resolution phase of the disease. Macrophages can acquire different polarisation states dependent on their microenvironment. It is yet unclear through which mechanism the microenvironment affects the anti-viral response in macrophages. We hypothesized that the macrophage microenvironment regulates rhinovirus-induced IFNβ expression. Murine bone marrow-derived monocytes and human differentiated THP-1 cells were stimulated with M-CSF or GM-CSF and IFNγ or IL-4/IL-13, respectively, to mimic a Th1 or Th2 environment. Macrophages were infected with rhinovirus and gene and protein levels of IFNβ and pattern recognition receptor expression were measured. In subsequent experiments an IκB kinase inhibitor was used to study the involvement of NFκB. Both murine and human M1-like macrophages exhibited higher levels of IFNβ and pattern recognition receptors after rhinovirus infection than M2-like macrophages. Blockage of NFκB resulted in a lower expression of rhinovirus-induced IFNβ in human M1-like macrophages while inducing a higher expression in M2-like macrophages, suggesting that the interferon response towards viral infection was mediated by NFκB. These findings could contribute to a better understanding of mechanisms causing reduced anti-viral responses at viral-induced exacerbations in asthma.