bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantitative systems models illuminate arrhythmia mechanisms in heart failure: Role of the Na+‐Ca2+‐Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II‐reactive oxygen species feedback
Authors: Morotti Stefano , Grandi Eleonora
Published: July 2018

Quantitative systems modeling aims to integrate knowledge in different research areas with models describing biological mechanisms and dynamics to gain a better understanding of complex clinical syndromes. Heart failure (HF) is a chronic complex cardiac disease that results from structural or functional disorders impairing the ability of the ventricle to fill with or eject blood. Highly interactive and dynamic changes in mechanical, structural, neurohumoral, metabolic, and electrophysiological properties collectively predispose the failing heart to cardiac arrhythmias, which are responsible for about a half of HF deaths. Multiscale cardiac modeling and simulation integrate structural and functional data from HF experimental models and patients to improve our mechanistic understanding of this complex arrhythmia syndrome. In particular, they allow investigating how disease‐induced remodeling alters the coupling of electrophysiology, Ca2+ and Na+ handling, contraction, and energetics that lead to rhythm derangements. The Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II, which expression and activity are enhanced in HF, emerges as a critical hub that modulates the feedbacks between these various subsystems and promotes arrhythmogenesis.

This article is categorized under:

Physiology > Mammalian Physiology in Health and Disease

Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Mechanistic Models

Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Cellular Models

Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Organ, Tissue, and Physiological Models
Colonic fibromatosis − a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Linardoutsos Dimitrios , Patel Neal , Patel Hitesh
Published: July 2018

Intra-abdominal desmoids tumours are very rare and usually occur in patients with familiar adenomatous polyposis and previous surgery. They represent fibroepithelial growths with varied biologic behavior and therefore different prognosis. We report a case of a 60-year-old patient with a large right colonic mass who underwent right hemicolectomy. Histology proved morphological and immuno-histochemical features indicating fibromatosis. This desmoid tumour appeared growing from the colonic wall rather than the mesocolon, confirming a true colonic wall fibromatosis, a deep isolated form of intra-abdominal fibromatosis. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice in isolated well confirmed lesions. Multidisciplinary team approach is crucial for treatment and prognosis.
Migration networks and narratives in Ghana: a case study from the Zongo
Authors: Casentini Giulia
Published: July 2018

The historical presence of Zongo communities in contemporary Ghana is analysed through archival documents and ethnography, with the aim of highlighting their social and political value as migrant communities, and their possible inclusion in the urban strategy of the country. Zongos have been present in Ghana since precolonial and colonial times, depending on specific cases, and are historically connected to the presence of Muslim trade communities in the market areas of various urban settlements. I argue that their role in the Ghanaian socio-political landscape goes beyond this common definition: Zongos act as interlocutors between the urban centre and peripheral rural areas, and they have a potentially effective role in dealing with migrant flows. Zongo people elaborate their memory of migration in particular ways, revealing both an inherent mode of producing a common group identity, and a conscious strategy of inclusion in the contemporary political dynamics of Ghana.
Monetary Union: A Desperate Gamble
Authors: Minford Patrick
Published: July 2018

Dr Tim Bunch (President, Manchester Actuarial Society): Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Manchester Town Hall for this special meeting of the Manchester Actuarial Society, which is being held to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the actuarial profession in the UK.

I should like to welcome particularly various guests. There are guests invited by the Manchester Actuarial Society, and also guests of actuarial firms in the north of England. I would particularly like to welcome Paul Thornton, the current President of the Institute.

Our speaker today is Professor Patrick Minford, who is Professor of Economics at Cardiff Business School, which is at the University of Wales. He has been in that position since October 1997. Prior to that, he was Professor of Economics at Liverpool University, and he maintains his contacts with the University of Liverpool through being Director of the Liverpool research group in macro-economics. He has held economic positions in a number of places, including HM Treasury, at Manchester University and at the National Institute for Economic and Social Research.
‘I don't want to be, feel old’: older Canadian men's perceptions and experiences of physical activity
Authors: Hurd Clarke Laura , Currie Lauren , Bennett Erica V.
Published: July 2018

Relatively few older adults are physically active despite extensive research exploring barriers and facilitators and concomitant interventions designed to enhance participation rates. Building on the growing literature that considers the subjective experience of being physically active, we explored the meanings that older Canadian men attributed to physical activity broadly defined. Thus, we examined their experiences and perceptions of exercise, sport and/or leisure-time physical activities. Data are presented from qualitative interviews with 22 community-dwelling Canadian men aged 67–90. Our analysis resulted in three overarching categories that subsumed the men's understanding of physical activity. ‘I do it for my health’ described how the men stated that their primary reason for engaging in exercise was to maintain their health and body functionality so that they could age well and continue to participate in sport and leisure. ‘It feels good’ referred to the various ways that the men derived pleasure from being active, including the physical sensations, psychological benefits and social connections they derived from their participation. ‘It gets tougher’ detailed the ways that the men were finding physical activity to be increasingly difficult as a result of the onset of health problems, declining body functionality and the social realities of ageing. We discuss our findings in light of the extant literature concerning age relations, ageism, and the third and fourth ages.
Was that my name? Infants’ listening in conversational multi-talker backgrounds
Authors: BERNIER Dana E. , SODERSTROM Melanie
Published: July 2018

This study tested infants’ ability to segregate target speech from a background of ecologically valid multi-talker speech at a 10 dB SNR. Using the Headturn Preference Procedure, 72 English-learning 5-, 9-, and 12-month-old monolinguals were tested on their ability to detect and perceive their own name. At all three ages infants were able to detect the presence of the target speech, but only at 9 months did they show sensitivity to the phonetic details that distinguished their own name from other names. These results extend previous findings on infants’ speech perception in noise to more naturalistic forms of background speech.
Subtractive analysis of S. franciscanus and S. purpuratus ovary mRNA: what kinds of genes determine species-specificity?
Authors: Kamei Noriko , Glabe Charles G.
Published: July 2018

Our goal is to identify and understand points of regulation in sperm–egg recognition as well as in steps of early development. These processes are species-specific and are the key to understanding speciation. In both vertebrates and invertebrates, the interaction of the sperm and egg displays a wide range of species-specificity. The questions we would like to answer are: What kinds of molecules determine the specificity and control the fertilisation process? Are early steps in development regulated in a species-specific manner?

As an approach to identifying genes that determine species-specificity, in two different species, S. purpuratus (S. p.) and S. franciscanus (S. f.), we used a new subtractive hybridisation method known as RDA (representational difference analysis) (Lisitsyn et al., 1993; Hubank et al., 1994). Several species-specific clones were isolated from S. f. ovary mRNA by this method using mRNA from another species but the same genus of sea urchin, S. p. Four different clones were obtained and the species-specificity of the sequence was confirmed by hybridisation. One of them has four tandem EGF repeats and is homologous to the S. p. EGF-II gene (Yang et al., 1989) and A. crassispina EGIP (exogastrula inducing protein) gene (Ishihara et al., 1982). The first three EGF repeats (EGF 1–3) have 60% similarity among these species, but the fourth EGF domain (EGF 4) is highly divergent. The EGF-II protein is believed to be involved in the signalling events of early development, because purified EGF causes exogastrulation when it is added to the seawater prior to gastrulation (Ishihara et al., 1982). Recombinant EGF 3 from S. f. induces exogastrulation in both S. f. and S. p.
Cellular analyses of sea urchin metamorphosis
Authors: Sato Yukiko , Yazaki Ikuko
Published: July 2018

Larvae of marine invertebrates undergo metamorphosis in response to environmental cues (Chia & Burke, 1978). In sea urchins, free fatty acids (Kitamura et al., 1993), dibromomethane (Taniguchi et al., 1994), pheromonal peptides (Burke, 1984) and L-glutamine (Yazaki & Harashima, 1994; Yazaki, 1995) have been known as metamorphosis-inducing substances. The mechanisms by which cells respond to these cues and how the larval tissues are absorbed have not been clear, however. In the present study, we used L-glutamine (Gln) and a natural cue, green algae (Ulvella sp.), to induce metamorphosis of Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus and Anthocidaris crassispina, and investigated the intracellular changes during metamorphosis.

After being subjected to 10−5–10−3 M Gln for 10–24 h, larvae cease swimming, settle, begin to retract their larval arms, extrude the primary podia and finally evert their echinus rudiment (ER). In H. pulcherrimus, larvae retracted their arms from 6 h to 24 h after the start of Gln treatment and then everted the ER. A. crassispina larvae underwent similar processes to those of H. pulcherrimus. The larval surface is composed of squamous epithelium and columnar epithelium. The epithelium of the ciliary bands or epaulets is columnar.

In the squamous epithelium, the nuclear chromatin in the larval arms and body, and in the oesophagus, markedly condensed after treatment with Gln for 24 h. Electron microscopy revealed swelling of both nuclei and mitochondria, while their membranes seemed to be intact. In the cytoplasm, lipid-like structures and electron-dense substances appeared. A further 24 h after Gln treatment, the chromatin condensation had progressed. Most nuclei in which chromatin had condensed were positive to the TUNEL assay, which detects DNA fragmentation. These results suggest that cell death in the squamous epithelium is apoptotic rather than necrotic.
Competence of the animal cap to react with the inductive signal from micromere descendants in the hatching blastula stage of echinoid embryos
Authors: Ishizuka Yasuhiro , Amemiya Shonan
Published: July 2018

Micromere signalling is a key to understanding the developmental mechanisms underlying endomesoderm differentiation along the A-V axis in sea urchin embryos. A recent study has shown that micromere activity in inducing endo-mesoderm differentiation of mesomere descendants is, unexpectedly, maximal at the hatching blastula (HB) stage in the echinoids Scaphechinus mirabilis and Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus. This study focused mainly on the timing of emission of the inductive signal by the micromere
descendants. The timing of animal cap competent to react to the inductive signal from micromeres was not specifically investigated.

In the present study, we examined the competence of mesomere descendants at the HB stage to react to the inductive signal of micromere descendants by producing recombinant embryos of the descendants of mesomeres and micromeres.

Adults of the sand dollar Scaphechinus mirabilis and the sea urchin Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus were collected along the shore of Shiraishi Island, Okayama Prefecture and in the vicinity of the Misaki Marine Biological Station, Kanagawa Prefecture, respectively. The fertilised eggs were separated into two groups immediately after removal of the fertilisation membranes. One group was cultured in normal artificial seawater (ASW), and the other in ASW containing 50 mg/ml of rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RITC). At the early 16-cell stage unlabelled embryos were transferred to calcium-free seawater (CFSW) and dissected in the equatorial plane with a glass needle to isolate animal caps consisting of eight mesomeres. Embryos labeled with RITC were also transferred to CFSW at the same stage and dissected to isolate four micromeres. An isolated animal cap and a quartet of micromeres were cultured separately in ASW and recombined at the stage corresponding to the HB of control (undisturbed) embryos.
Inversion of left–right asymmetry in the formation of the adult rudiment in sea urchin larvae: removal of a part of embryos at the gastrula stage
Authors: Aihara Mizuki , Amemiya Shonan
Published: July 2018

At the late pluteus stage, sea urchin larvae form an adult rudiment left–right (LR) asymmetrically, on only the left side. Little is known about how the LR asymmetry of the adult rudiment is established in earlier stages during which the larval body is basically LR symmetric. To investigate how the different regions of the embryo function to establish LR asymmetry, we removed different regions at the gastrula stage and assessed the effects of the operation on the establishment of LR asymmetry of the adult rudiment.

Surgery was performed on mid- to late-gastrula embryos of two indirect developing species: Scaphechinus mirabilis and Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus. The embryos were placed under a dissecting microscope (SMZ8, Leica) and ectodermal epithelium together with underlying mesenchyme cells was dissected out with a glass needle. The region along the midline of the embryo at the width of the archenteron was designated the ‘midline region’, and the region lateral to the ‘midline region’ was designated the ‘lateral region’. When the left and/or the right side was excised, the whole lateral region was precisely removed on the animal side, but the plane of incision deviated more laterally on the vegetal side to avoid the ventro-lateral cluster of primary mesenchyme cells, so that a part of the defined ‘lateral region’ was left on the vegetal side. The vertical excision was made by cutting mid-gastrula embryos vertically to the archenteron at a level just superior to the tip of the archenteron. In the sham operation, embryos were pressed with the needle as in the vertical excision, but the incision was stopped slightly before the animal and vegetal halves of the embryos were completely divided from each other. The operated embryos were examined through an optical microscope (Optiphoto, Nikon) to confirm that the excision was correct, and they were then cultured with a food supply (diatoms, Chaetoceros gracilis). The handedness of the adult rudiment was examined at the six-armed or eight-armed pluteus stage through an optical microscope (Table 1).
Analyzing the political survival prospects of Kim Jong-un's North Korean regime through the framework of selectorate theory
Authors: Lee Hanhee
Published: July 2018

The political survival of Kim Jong-un's regime in North Korea has been a major international concern since his accession in 2012. While international research has endeavored to diagnose the stability of the regime based on its limitations and weaknesses due to political, economic, and international factors, studies based on baseline theoretical models of leadership stability have rarely been undertaken. This paper employs selectorate theory to address this issue, by identifying the selectorate and winning coalition in North Korea and illustrating their relationships with Kim Jong-un's political survival. To reexamine the analytical framework and results, this study has undertaken in-depth interviews with high-level North Korean defectors who have served in key power apparatuses of Kim Jong-il and/or Kim Jong-un's regime. It analyzes how frequent co-optation of top aides, economic ideologies, and policies are utilized for political survival. It further explains the correlation of his political survival with the party-dependent bureaucracy, internal reign of terror, development of nuclear capacity, and continuous military provocations. However, as the regime further intensifies the reign of terror, the possibility of acoup d’étatby the selectorate and coalition cannot be completely ruled out.
Feasibility and Efficacy of Bright Light Therapy in Depressed Adolescent Inpatients
Authors: Kirschbaum-Lesch Inken , Gest Stephanie , Legenbauer Tanja , Holtmann Martin
Published: July 2018

Abstract. Objective: Bright light therapy (BLT) has recently come into increasing focus in the treatment of adolescent depression, whereby light glasses today appear to be more feasible than light therapy boxes. This study investigated the feasibility and efficacy of 4 weeks of BLT with light glasses. It also analyzed whether a treatment duration of 4 weeks of BLT yields larger effects than the 2 weeks of BLT investigated in previous studies. Methods: This first open-label, single-arm, prospective clinical trial pursued a naturalistic approach: 39 inpatients aged 12–18 years with moderate or severe depression received 4 weeks of morning BLT with light glasses in addition to usual treatment. Depressive symptoms, sleep problems, circadian phase, and the clinical global impression were assessed at several timepoints. In a second analysis, the data of the present study were compared to those from a previous pilot trial. Results: Depressive symptoms, sleep problems, and the global clinical impression improved significantly after BLT with light glasses, whereas the circadian phase did not change over time. Light glasses showed similarly positive effects on sleep parameters and depressive symptoms as light boxes. Contrary to expectation, prolonging BLT to 4 weeks did not yield larger effects on depressive symptoms and sleep complaints compared to 2 weeks of intervention. Conclusions: Light glasses seem to be a feasible and highly acceptable method for the treatment of adolescent depression. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to obtain sufficient evidence regarding the efficacy of BLT as an add-on intervention to psychological and pharmacological approaches for adolescent depression.
Welche Faktoren beeinflussen das Erleben von Freude am Schulsport im Jugendalter?
Authors: Engels Eliane Stephanie , Freund Philipp Alexander
Published: July 2018

Zusammenfassung. Freude ist einer der wichtigsten Faktoren zur langfristigen Aufrechterhaltung sportlicher Aktivität. So sollte bereits im Schulsport Freude am Sport vermittelt werden. Ziel der Studie war die Untersuchung der Bedeutsamkeit und Stärke von sieben Einflussfaktoren (Kompetenzerleben, Soziale Eingebundenheit, Sozialer Umgang, Autonomie/Mitbestimmung, Lehrkompetenz, Allgemeine Sportlichkeit und Elterliche Unterstützung) für das Erleben von Freude am Schulsport im Jugendalter. Es nahmen N = 1598 Schülerinnen und Schülern der Klassenstufen 7–10 an der Untersuchung teil. Freude am Schulsport wurde mittels drei Skalen (Vergnügen, Flow-Erleben, Erholung) erfasst. Sämtliche Einflussfaktoren wiesen moderate bis hohe Zusammenhänge zu den Sportfreude-Facetten auf. Es konnte ein starker positiver Einfluss von Kompetenzerleben und Sozialer Eingebundenheit auf das Erleben von Freude am Schulsport festgestellt werden. Lehrkompetenz zeigte einen geringen Effekt und elterliche Unterstützung einen indirekten Effekt über Allgemeine Sportlichkeit. Diese Ergebnisse liefern erste Hinweise für konkrete Interventionsmöglichkeiten zur Steigerung der Freude am Schulsport.
Breeding for soil-borne pathogen resistance impacts active rhizosphere microbiome of common bean
Authors: Mendes Lucas William , Mendes Rodrigo , Raaijmakers Jos M , Tsai Siu Mui
Published: July 2018

Over the past century, plant breeding programs have substantially improved plant growth and health, but have not yet considered the potential effects on the plant microbiome. Here, we conducted metatranscriptome analysis to determine if and how breeding for resistance of common bean against the root pathogen Fusarium oxysporum (Fox) affected gene expression in the rhizobacterial community. Our data revealed that the microbiome of the Fox-resistant cultivar presented a significantly higher expression of genes associated with nutrient metabolism, motility, chemotaxis, and the biosynthesis of the antifungal compounds phenazine and colicin V. Network analysis further revealed a more complex community for Fox-resistant cultivar and indicated Paenibacillus as a keystone genus in the rhizosphere microbiome. We suggest that resistance breeding in common bean has unintentionally co-selected for plant traits that strengthen the rhizosphere microbiome network structure and enrich for specific beneficial bacterial genera that express antifungal traits involved in plant protection against infections by root pathogens.
Microbial biogeography of 925 geothermal springs in New Zealand
Authors: Power Jean F. , Carere Carlo R. , Lee Charles K. , Wakerley Georgia L. J. , Evans David W. , Button Mathew , White Duncan , Climo Melissa D. , Hinze Annika M. , Morgan Xochitl C. , McDonald Ian R. , Cary S. Craig , Stott Matthew B.
Published: July 2018

Geothermal springs are model ecosystems to investigate microbial biogeography as they represent discrete, relatively homogenous habitats, are distributed across multiple geographical scales, span broad geochemical gradients, and have reduced metazoan interactions. Here, we report the largest known consolidated study of geothermal ecosystems to determine factors that influence biogeographical patterns. We measured bacterial and archaeal community composition, 46 physicochemical parameters, and metadata from 925 geothermal springs across New Zealand (13.9–100.6 °C and pH < 1–9.7). We determined that diversity is primarily influenced by pH at temperatures <70 °C; with temperature only having a significant effect for values >70 °C. Further, community dissimilarity increases with geographic distance, with niche selection driving assembly at a localised scale. Surprisingly, two genera (Venenivibrio and Acidithiobacillus) dominated in both average relative abundance (11.2% and 11.1%, respectively) and prevalence (74.2% and 62.9%, respectively). These findings provide an unprecedented insight into ecological behaviour in geothermal springs, and a foundation to improve the characterisation of microbial biogeographical processes.
Middle Eocene greenhouse warming facilitated by diminished weathering feedback
Authors: van der Ploeg Robin , Selby David , Cramwinckel Marlow Julius , Li Yang , Bohaty Steven M. , Middelburg Jack J. , Sluijs Appy
Published: July 2018

The Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) represents a ~500-kyr period of global warming ~40 million years ago and is associated with a rise in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, but the cause of this CO2 rise remains enigmatic. Here we show, based on osmium isotope ratios (187Os/188Os) of marine sediments and published records of the carbonate compensation depth (CCD), that the continental silicate weathering response to the inferred CO2 rise and warming was strongly diminished during the MECO—in contrast to expectations from the silicate weathering thermostat hypothesis. We surmise that global early and middle Eocene warmth gradually diminished the weatherability of continental rocks and hence the strength of the silicate weathering feedback, allowing for the prolonged accumulation of volcanic CO2 in the oceans and atmosphere during the MECO. These results are supported by carbon cycle modeling simulations, which highlight the fundamental importance of a variable weathering feedback strength in climate and carbon cycle interactions in Earth’s history.
A temporal shift of the evolutionary principle shaping intratumor heterogeneity in colorectal cancer
Authors: Saito Tomoko , Niida Atsushi , Uchi Ryutaro , Hirata Hidenari , Komatsu Hisateru , Sakimura Shotaro , Hayashi Shuto , Nambara Sho , Kuroda Yosuke , Ito Shuhei , Eguchi Hidetoshi , Masuda Takaaki , Sugimachi Keishi , Tobo Taro , Nishida Haruto , Daa Tsutomu , Chiba Kenichi , Shiraishi Yuichi , Yoshizato Tetsuichi , Kodama Masaaki , Okimoto Tadayoshi , Mizukami Kazuhiro , Ogawa Ryo , Okamoto Kazuhisa , Shuto Mitsutaka , Fukuda Kensuke , Matsui Yusuke , Shimamura Teppei , Hasegawa Takanori , Doki Yuichiro , Nagayama Satoshi , Yamada Kazutaka , Kato Mamoru , Shibata Tatsuhiro , Mori Masaki , Aburatani Hiroyuki , Murakami Kazunari , Suzuki Yutaka , Ogawa Seishi , Miyano Satoru , Mimori Koshi
Published: July 2018

Advanced colorectal cancer harbors extensive intratumor heterogeneity shaped by neutral evolution; however, intratumor heterogeneity in colorectal precancerous lesions has been poorly studied. We perform multiregion whole-exome sequencing on ten early colorectal tumors, which contained adenoma and carcinoma in situ. By comparing with sequencing data from advanced colorectal tumors, we show that the early tumors accumulate a higher proportion of subclonal driver mutations than the advanced tumors, which is highlighted by subclonal mutations in KRAS and APC. We also demonstrate that variant allele frequencies of subclonal mutations tend to be higher in early tumors, suggesting that the subclonal mutations are subject to selective sweep in early tumorigenesis while neutral evolution is dominant in advanced ones. This study establishes that the evolutionary principle underlying intratumor heterogeneity shifts from Darwinian to neutral evolution during colorectal tumor progression.
Tunable flexible artificial synapses: a new path toward a wearable electronic system
Authors: Yang Kunlong , Yuan Sijian , Huan Yuxiang , Wang Jiao , Tu Li , Xu Jiawei , Zou Zhuo , Zhan Yiqiang , Zheng Lirong , Seoane Fernando
Published: July 2018

The flexible electronics has been deemed to be a promising approach to the wearable electronic systems. However, the mismatching between the existing flexible deices and the conventional computing paradigm results an impasse in this field. In this work, a new way to access to this goal is proposed by combining flexible devices and the neuromorphic architecture together. To achieve that, a high-performance flexible artificial synapse is created based on a carefully designed and optimized memristive transistor. The device exhibits high-performance which has near-linear non-volatile resistance change under 10,000 identical pulse signals within the 515% dynamic range, and has the energy consumption as low as 45 fJ per pulse. It also displays multiple synaptic plasticity features, which demonstrates its potential for real-time online learning. Besides, the adaptability by virtue of its three-terminal structure specifically contributes its improved uniformity, repeatability, and reduced power consumption. This work offers a very viable solution for the future wearable computing.
Curcumin alleviates persistence of Acinetobacter baumannii against colistin
Authors: Kaur Amanjot , Sharma Prince , Capalash Neena
Published: July 2018

Persisters are phenotypic variants of normal susceptible bacterial populations that survive prolonged exposure to high doses of antibiotics and are responsible for pertinacious infections and post-treatment relapses. Out of the three antibiotics, Acinetobacter baumannii formed the highest percentage of persister cells against rifampicin followed by amikacin and the least against colistin. Colistin-treated cells formed the high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) whose quenching with bipyridyl and thiourea led to an increased persister population. Curcumin, a polyphenolic pro-oxidant, significantly decreased persistence against colistin. The quenching of ROS generated by curcumin-colistin combination and the use of resveratrol, an anti-oxidant, with colistin increased the persister population, supporting the significance of ROS in decreased persistence against this combination. The down-regulation of repair genes by this combination in comparison to colistin alone supported the modulation of gene expression in response to ROS and their importance in decreased persistence. Increased membrane permeability by colistin, facilitating the penetration of curcumin into cells and resulting in increased ROS and compromised repair compounded by the decreased efflux of colistin by the inhibition of efflux pumps, may be responsible for enhanced lethality and low persistence. Hence, the curcumin-colistin combination can be another option with anti-persister potential for the control of chronic A. baumannii infections.
Vineyard under-vine floor management alters soil microbial composition, while the fruit microbiome shows no corresponding shifts
Authors: Chou Ming-Yi , Vanden Heuvel Justine , Bell Terrence H. , Panke-Buisse Kevin , Kao-Kniffin Jenny
Published: July 2018

The microbiome of a vineyard may play a critical role in fruit development, and consequently, may impact quality properties of grape and wine. Vineyard management approaches that have directly manipulated the microbiome of grape clusters have been studied, but little is known about how vineyard management practices that impact the soil microbial pool can influence this dynamic. We examined three under-vine soil management practices: 1) herbicide application, 2) soil cultivation (vegetation removal), and 3) natural vegetation (no vegetation removal) in a Riesling vineyard in New York over a three-year period. The microbiomes associated with soil and grapes were profiled using high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16 S rRNA gene and fungal ITS regions. Our results showed that soil bacterial composition under natural vegetation differs from that seen in glyphosate-maintained bare soil. Soil fungal composition under the natural vegetation treatment was distinct from other treatments. Although our study revealed soil microbiome shifts based on under-vine management, there were no corresponding changes in fruit-associated microbial composition. These results suggested that other vineyard management practices or environmental factors are more influential in shaping the grape-associated microbiome.
High Serum Iron level is Associated with Increased Mortality in Patients with Sepsis
Authors: Lan Peng , Pan Kong-han , Wang Shuo-jia , Shi Qiu-cheng , Yu Yun-xian , Fu Ying , Chen Yan , Jiang Yan , Hua Xiao-ting , Zhou Jian-cang , Yu Yun-song
Published: July 2018

Iron is an essential nutrient for bacterial survival and thus higher iron levels may precipitate bacterial infections. We investigated the association between the serum iron level and prognosis in patients with sepsis by using the single-centre Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III) database. Sepsis patients with iron parameters measured on ICU admission were included and stratified according to quartiles of serum iron levels. A total of 1,891 patients diagnosed with sepsis according to the Sepsis-3 criteria were included in this study, 324 of whom were septic shock. After adjusting for confounding variables, higher iron quartile was associated with an increase in 90-day mortality in the Cox regression analysis. Moreover, a stepwise increase in the risk of 90-day mortality was observed as the quartiles of serum iron levels increased in the patients with sepsis. In conclusion, higher serum iron levels were independently associated with increased 90-day mortality in this large cohort of patients with sepsis.
Response Modality vs. Target Modality: Sensory Transformations and Comparisons in Cross-modal Slant Matching Tasks
Authors: Liu Juan , Ando Hiroshi
Published: July 2018

Humans constantly combine multi-sensory spatial information to successfully interact with objects in peripersonal space. Previous studies suggest that sensory inputs of different modalities are encoded in different reference frames. In cross-modal tasks where the target and response modalities are different, it is unclear which reference frame these multiple sensory signals are transformed to for comparison. The current study used a slant perception and parallelity paradigm to explore this issue. Participants perceived (either visually or haptically) the slant of a reference board and were asked to either adjust an invisible test board by hand manipulation or to adjust a visible test board through verbal instructions to be physically parallel to the reference board. We examined the patterns of constant error and variability of unimodal and cross-modal tasks with various reference slant angles at different reference/test locations. The results revealed that rather than a mixture of the patterns of unimodal conditions, the pattern in cross-modal conditions depended almost entirely on the response modality and was not substantially affected by the target modality. Deviations in haptic response conditions could be predicted by the locations of the reference and test board, whereas the reference slant angle was an important predictor in visual response conditions.
Discovery of glycocholic acid and taurochenodeoxycholic acid as phenotypic biomarkers in cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Song Won-Suk , Park Hae-Min , Ha Jung Min , Shin Sung Gyu , Park Han-Gyu , Kim Joonwon , Zhang Tianzi , Ahn Da-Hee , Kim Sung-Min , Yang Yung-Hun , Jeong Jae Hyun , Theberge Ashleigh B. , Kim Byung-Gee , Lee Jong Kyun , Kim Yun-Gon
Published: July 2018

Although several biomarkers can be used to distinguish cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) from healthy controls, differentiating the disease from benign biliary disease (BBD) or pancreatic cancer (PC) is a challenge. CCA biomarkers are associated with low specificity or have not been validated in relation to the biological effects of CCA. In this study, we quantitatively analyzed 15 biliary bile acids in CCA (n = 30), BBD (n = 57) and PC (n = 17) patients and discovered glycocholic acid (GCA) and taurochenodeoxycholic acid (TCDCA) as specific CCA biomarkers. Firstly, we showed that the average concentration of total biliary bile acids in CCA patients was quantitatively less than in other patient groups. In addition, the average composition ratio of primary bile acids and conjugated bile acids in CCA patients was the highest in all patient groups. The average composition ratio of GCA (35.6%) in CCA patients was significantly higher than in other patient groups. Conversely, the average composition ratio of TCDCA (13.8%) in CCA patients was significantly lower in all patient groups. To verify the biological effects of GCA and TCDCA, we analyzed the gene expression of bile acid receptors associated with the development of CCA in a CCA cell line. The gene expression of transmembrane G protein coupled receptor (TGR5) and sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2) in CCA cells treated with GCA was 8.6-fold and 3.4-fold higher compared with control (untreated with bile acids), respectively. Gene expression of TGR5 and S1PR2 in TCDCA-treated cells was not significantly different from the control. Taken together, our study identified GCA and TCDCA as phenotype-specific biomarkers for CCA.
A novel fluorescence sensing method based on quantum dot-graphene and a molecular imprinting technique for the detection of tyramine in rice wine
Authors: Wang Qinghua , Zhang Dongdong
Published: July 2018

Tyramine, an important biogenic amine, occurs in high amounts in certain processed food products and can cause adverse health effects in people.
TransFEr: a new device to measure the transfer of volatile and hydrophobic organic chemicals across anin vitrointestinal fish cell barrier
Authors: Schug Hannah , Begnaud Frédéric , Debonneville Christian , Berthaud Fabienne , Gimeno Sylvia , Schirmer Kristin
Published: July 2018

Being able to quantify transfer of compounds across cellular barriers is important but challenging.
A novel route to prepare N-graphene/SnO2composite as a high-performance anode for lithium batteries
Authors: Liang Kuang , Zhao Zhi-Wei , Zhou Xiao , Xu An-Wu
Published: July 2018

In this study, we report a simple method to prepare nitrogen-doped graphene, with which a nitrogen-doped graphene/SnO2composite was successfully fabricated and employed as a lithium battery anode.
Alkali metal complexes as efficient catalysts for hydroboration and cyanosilylation of carbonyl compounds
Authors: Harinath Adimulam , Bhattacharjee Jayeeta , Nayek Hari Pada , Panda Tarun K.
Published: July 2018

Catalytic hydroboration of aldehydes and ketones with pinacolborane (HBpin) and catalytic cyanosilylation of carbonyl compounds with trimethylsilyl cyanide using alkali metal (Li, Na, K) complexes as precatalysts under mild conditions are reported.
Nuclearity effects in supported, single-site Fe(ii) hydrogenation pre-catalysts
Authors: Langeslay Ryan R. , Sohn Hyuntae , Hu Bo , Mohar Jacob S. , Ferrandon Magali , Liu Cong , Kim Hacksung , Jeremy Kropf A. , Yang Ce , Niklas Jens , Poluektov Oleg G. , Ercan Alp E. , Ignacio-de Leon Patricia , Sattelberger Alfred P. , Hock Adam S. , Delferro Massimiliano
Published: July 2018

Dimeric and monomeric supported single-site Fe(ii) organometallics are active hydrogenation catalysts.
Long-term effects of lysine concentration on growth performance, intestinal microbiome, and metabolic profiles in a pig model
Authors: Yin Jie , Li Yuying , Han Hui , Liu Zhaojin , Zeng Xiangfang , Li Tiejun , Yin Yulong
Published: July 2018

Lysine is a common limiting amino acid in human and animal diets and plays an important role in cell proliferation and metabolism.
Stereoselective synthesis of enantiomerically pure bowl-shaped hydroxytribenzotriquinacenes
Authors: Rommelmann Philipp , Nachtigall Beate , Guntelmann Tim , Gröger Harald , Kuck Dietmar
Published: July 2018

A bowl-shaped (M)-2-hydroxytribenzotriquinacene was obtained in enantiomerically pure form by stereoselective enzyme-catalysed ester hydrolysis of the racemic TBTQ-based aryl acetate.
Formation of Nα-terminal 2-dialkyl amino oxazoles from guanidinated derivatives under mild conditions
Authors: Abdel Monaim Shimaa A. H. , Mhlongo Jessica T. , Kumar Ashish , El-Faham Ayman , Albericio Fernando , de la Torre Beatriz G.
Published: July 2018

Oxazole-containing peptides are an important class of molecules in medicinal chemistry programs.
Lead (Pb2+) sorptive removal using chitosan-modified biochar: batch and fixed-bed studies
Authors: Bombuwala Dewage Narada , Fowler Ruth E. , Pittman Charles U. , Mohan Dinesh , Mlsna Todd
Published: July 2018

Batch and fixed-bed column studies for the removal of lead (Pb2+) from aqueous solution by chitosan-modified pinewood biochar.
Ex situ solid electrolyte interphase synthesis via radiolysis of Li-ion battery anode–electrolyte system for improved coulombic efficiency
Authors: Varenne Fanny , Alper John P. , Miserque Frédéric , Bongu Chandra Sekhar , Boulineau Adrien , Martin Jean-Frédéric , Dauvois Vincent , Demarque Alexandre , Bouhier Mickaël , Boismain Florent , Franger Sylvain , Herlin-Boime Nathalie , Le Caër Sophie
Published: July 2018

Radiolysis generates artificial solid electrolyte interphase on carbon nanoparticles.
Thermo-thickening behavior and its mechanism in a chitosan-graft-polyacrylamide aqueous solution
Authors: Shangguan Yonggang , Liu Mingguo , Jin Lei , Wang Mengjie , Wang Zhengke , Wu Qiang , Zheng Qiang
Published: July 2018

A novel thermo-thickening behavior of a chitosan-g-polyacrylamide (CS-g-PAM, GPAM) aqueous solution is reported for the first time in this work.
Skinny emulsions take on granular matter
Authors: Giustiniani Anaïs , Weis Simon , Poulard Christophe , Kamm Paul H. , García-Moreno Francisco , Schröter Matthias , Drenckhan Wiebke
Published: July 2018

The packing of soft frictional and adhesive emulsion drops shows similarities to packings of frictional hard spheres, while also presenting intriguing new features.
Perylene bisimide with diphenylacrylonitrile on side-chain: strongly fluorescent liquid crystal with large pseudo Stokes shift based on AIE and FRET effect
Authors: Zhu Mingguang , Chen Yunxiang , Zhang Xiaoyi , Chen Meihui , Guo Hongyu , Yang Fafu
Published: July 2018

A novel perylene bisimide (PBI) derivative with an AIE-active diphenylacrylonitrile unit positioned at the terminal N-imide position through a flexible spacer has been synthesized and characterized.
Synthesis of fish scale and lotus leaf mimicking, stretchable and durable multilayers
Authors: Das Avijit , Sengupta Shreyasi , Deka Jumi , Rather Adil Majeed , Raidongia Kalyan , Manna Uttam
Published: July 2018

Stretchable and nature inspired multilayers are developed through covalent and layer-by-layer integration of functional nanomaterials. These nanomaterials are amino graphene oxide and a chemically reactive polymeric nanocomplex, and the synthesized material is capable of sustaining various forms of severe physical damage and large tensile deformations simultaneously.
Boosting the performance of perovskite solar cells through a novel active passivation method
Authors: Wang Pengfei , Wang Jiao , Zhang Xin , Wang Haoliang , Cui Xiaolei , Yuan Sijian , Lu Haizhou , Tu Li , Zhan Yiqiang , Zheng Lirong
Published: July 2018

Potassium halides have recently garnered much attention, due to their improvement of perovskite solar cell performance.
Spectrum monitoring in heterogeneous cognitive radio network: How to cooperate?
Authors: Thakur Prabhat , Kumar Alok , Pandit Shweta , Singh Ghanshyam , Satashia Samji N.
Published: July 2018

The spectrum‐monitoring is a prominent technique to detect the reappearance of the primary user (PU) during the cognitive users’ (CUs) data transmission. However, the imperfect spectrum monitoring (SM) causes a delay in the identification of PU that introduces interference at PU as well as data‐loss. The cooperation among CUs for SM is a proficient solution to diminish these impairments of imperfection. Thus, in this study, a scenario of the heterogeneous cognitive radio network (CRN) is presented in which the CUs perform cooperation among them for SM and have analysed the impact of cooperation on several performance metrics such as the data‐loss, interference efficiency and energy efficiency. An algorithm is presented for the evaluation of data‐loss for different circumstances of the traffic intensity of PU and probability of SM error in the proposed heterogeneous CRN. In addition to this, the closed‐form expressions for the cooperative and non‐cooperative SM of these metrics are derived. Furthermore, the simulation results are illustrated for different state‐of‐affairs of the probability of SM error and traffic intensity.
Finite‐time stabilisation of switched linear input‐delay systems via saturating actuators
Authors: Lin Xiangze , Huang Shuaiting , Li Shihua , Zou Yun
Published: July 2018

In this study, the problem of finite‐time feedback stabilisation for switched linear input‐delay systems with saturating actuators is addressed by virtue of the comparison‐function‐like method. Finite‐time state feedback stabilisation is discussed and controllers are designed to make the closed‐loop systems finite‐time stable. Moreover, for the case that the states are unmeasured, observers are constructed to estimate the unavailable states and the observer–controller compensator strategy is proposed. Based on the results proposed in this study, information of transient performance of the controlled switched systems can be obtained and bounds of system trajectory are estimated. An example is employed to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Theoretical study of extended interaction frequency‐locking oscillator based on carbon nanotube cold cathodes
Authors: Xie Jie , Yuan Xuesong , Chen Qingyun , Yang Tongbin , Zhang Yu , Wang Bin , Li Hailong , Yan Yang , Meng Lin
Published: July 2018

An extended interaction frequency‐locking oscillator based on carbon nanotube (CNT) cold cathode is proposed to overcome locked‐frequency limits of the conventional oscillator. Compared with the conventional oscillators, the oscillation frequency is locked by a modulation electron beam, which can be obtained in a field emission CNT cold cathode electron gun. The frequency‐locking signal does not enter the high‐frequency (HF) system but imposes an additional HF electric field on the cathode surface by a microstrip structure, which consumes considerably less power to lock the oscillation frequency. A ladder structure extended interaction oscillator operating in 2π mode is numerically investigated by three‐dimensional Particle‐In‐Cell simulation code. By analysing the impacts of different frequency‐locking power on the locked ranges, the results show that the average output power of 30.6 W is achieved at 35.11 GHz when the frequency‐locking power consumption is 460 mW. The 3‐dB bandwidth of a frequency‐locking region reaches 100 MHz.
Multi‐agent based intelligent frequency control in multi‐terminal dc grid‐based hybrid ac/dc networks
Authors: Musa Aysar , Sabug Lorenzo , Ponci Ferdinanda , Monti Antonello
Published: July 2018

This study proposes a novel control scheme for frequency support in multi‐terminal dc grid‐based hybrid ac/dc networks. This control is based on the multi‐agent system paradigm with an adaptive frequency droop control and is distributed in all grid‐tied converters. The objective of this control is to enable the ac grids to intelligently decide on their participation on frequency support, considering their power reserves, demand, and relevant technical constraints and requirements. The main achievement of the proposed control is to minimise the rate of change of frequency and frequency undershoot (), and also providing a systematic enhancement in frequency stability, particularly in the disturbed and weak ac grids. A stability analysis is performed for the proposed control, using vector Lyapunov method for interconnected systems, deriving the conditions for stable operation. Test scenarios are conducted on a modified seven‐terminal CIGRE grid, connecting five ac grids. Results under different scenarios show the performance and robustness of the proposed control in providing significant enhancement in the frequency regulation for the connected ac grids.
Automatic registered back‐projection approach based on object orientation for airborne repeat‐track interferometric SAR
Authors: Lin Jianhe , Lv Xiaolei , Li Rui
Published: July 2018

The requirements of the correction of motion errors and high accurate registration are difficult to satisfy for the independence of the aperture paths in airborne repeat‐track interferometry. Here, according to the principle of the independence between the imaging scene and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) viewing geometry, the authors propose a new SAR imaging approach based on the idea of object orientation and back‐projection (BP), where the complex motion compensation is effectively avoided and the image formation and registration are achieved simultaneously with high accuracy. In contrast to the standard BP algorithm, it greatly reduces the difficulty of registration brought by the irregular deviations. Moreover, it further successfully overcomes the influence introduced by the centre‐beam approximation compared with frequency‐domain algorithms. Experimental results both on simulated and actual SAR data are used to validate the proposed algorithm.