bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The evolutionary modifications of a GoLoco motif in the AGS protein facilitate micromere formation in the sea urchin embryo
Authors: Emura Natsuko , Wavreil Florence DM , Fries Annaliese , Yajima Mamiko
Published: August 2024

The evolutionary introduction of asymmetric cell division (ACD) into the developmental program facilitates the formation of a new cell type, contributing to developmental diversity and, eventually, species diversification. The micromere of the sea urchin embryo may serve as one of those examples: an ACD at the 16-cell stage forms micromeres unique to echinoids among echinoderms. We previously reported that a polarity factor, activator of G-protein signaling (AGS), plays a crucial role in micromere formation. However, AGS and its associated ACD factors are present in all echinoderms and across most metazoans. This raises the question of what evolutionary modifications of AGS protein or its surrounding molecular environment contributed to the evolutionary acquisition of micromeres only in echinoids. In this study, we learned that the GoLoco motifs at the AGS C-terminus play critical roles in regulating micromere formation in sea urchin embryos. Further, other echinoderms’ AGS or chimeric AGS that contain the C-terminus of AGS orthologs from various organisms showed varied localization and function in micromere formation. In contrast, the sea star or the pencil urchin orthologs of other ACD factors were consistently localized at the vegetal cortex in the sea urchin embryo, suggesting that AGS may be a unique variable factor that facilitates ACD diversity among echinoderms. Consistently, sea urchin AGS appears to facilitate micromere-like cell formation and accelerate the enrichment timing of the germline factor Vasa during early embryogenesis of the pencil urchin, an ancestral type of sea urchin. Based on these observations, we propose that the molecular evolution of a single polarity factor facilitates ACD diversity while preserving the core ACD machinery among echinoderms and beyond during evolution.
SARS-CoV-2 NSP13 interacts with TEAD to suppress Hippo-YAP signaling
Authors: Meng Fansen , Kim Jong Hwan , Tsai Chang-Ru , Steimle Jeffrey D , Wang Jun , Shi Yufeng , Li Rich G , Xie Bing , Deshmukh Vaibhav , Liu Shijie , Li Xiao , Martin James F
Published: August 2024

The Hippo pathway is critical to organ development, homeostasis, and regeneration, facilitated by YAP/TEAD-mediated gene expression. Although emerging studies report Hippo-YAP dysfunction after viral infection, it is largely unknown in the context of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Here, we analyzed RNA sequencing data from SARS-CoV-2 infected human lung samples and induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs), and observed a decrease in YAP target gene expression. In screening SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural proteins, we found that nonstructural protein 13 (NSP13), a conserved coronavirus helicase, inhibited YAP transcriptional activity independent of the upstream Hippo kinases LATS1/2. Consistently, introducing NSP13 into cardiomyocytes suppressed active YAP (YAP5SA)
in vivo
. Subsequent investigations on NSP13 mutants indicated that NSP13 helicase activity is crucial for suppressing YAP transactivation. Mechanistically, TEAD4 serves as a platform for recruiting NSP13 and YAP. NSP13 inactivates the YAP/TEAD4 transcription complex through its interacting proteins, such as transcription termination factor 2 (TTF2). These discoveries reveal a novel YAP/TEAD regulatory mechanism orchestrated by TEAD4, which provides molecular insights of Hippo-YAP regulation after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Reported transgenerational responses to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in C. elegans are not robust
Authors: Gainey D Patrick , Shubin Andrey V , Hunter Craig P
Published: August 2024

Here we report our attempt to replicate reports of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in
Caenorhabditis elegans
. Published results from multiple laboratories show that
C. elegans
adults and their F1 embryos exposed to the pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
show pathogen aversion behavior and a pathogen exposure-dependent increase in
daf-7/TGFβ
reporter gene expression. However, results from one group show persistence of the aversion behavior and elevated
daf-7
expression in the F2, F3, and F4 generations. In contrast, we failed to consistently detect either the pathogen avoidance response or elevated
daf-7
expression beyond the F1 generation. We did confirm that the dsRNA transport proteins SID-1 and SID-2 are required for the intergenerational (F1) inheritance of pathogen avoidance, but not for the F1 inheritance of elevated
daf-7
expression. Furthermore, our reanalysis of RNA seq data provides additional evidence that this intergenerational inherited PA14 response may be mediated by small RNAs. The experimental methods are well-described, the source materials are readily available, including samples from the reporting laboratory, and we explored a variety of environmental conditions likely to account for lab-to-lab variability. None of these adjustments altered our results. We conclude that this example of transgenerational inheritance lacks robustness, confirm that the intergenerational avoidance response, but not the elevated
daf-7p::gfp
expression in F1 progeny, requires
sid-1
and
sid-2
, and identify candidate siRNAs and target genes that may mediate this intergenerational response.
Deuterium Metabolic Imaging Phenotypes Mouse Glioblastoma Heterogeneity Through Glucose Turnover Kinetics
Authors: Simões Rui V , Henriques Rafael N , Olesen Jonas L , Cardoso Beatriz M , Fernandes Francisca F , Monteiro Mariana AV , Jespersen Sune N , Carvalho Tânia , Shemesh Noam
Published: August 2024

Glioblastomas are aggressive brain tumors with dismal prognosis. One of the main bottlenecks for developing more effective therapies for glioblastoma stems from their histologic and molecular heterogeneity, leading to distinct tumor microenvironments and disease phenotypes. Effectively characterizing these features would improve the clinical management of glioblastoma. Glucose flux rates through glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidation have been recently shown to quantitatively depict glioblastoma proliferation in mouse models (GL261 and CT2A tumors) using dynamic glucose-enhanced (DGE) deuterium spectroscopy. However, the spatial features of tumor microenvironment phenotypes remain hitherto unresolved. Here, we develop a DGE Deuterium Metabolic Imaging (DMI) approach for profiling tumor microenvironments through glucose conversion kinetics. Using a multimodal combination of tumor mouse models, novel strategies for spectroscopic imaging and noise attenuation, and histopathological correlations, we show that tumor lactate turnover mirrors phenotype differences between GL261 and CT2A mouse glioblastoma, whereas recycling of the peritumoral glutamate-glutamine pool is a potential marker of invasion capacity in pooled cohorts, linked to secondary brain lesions. These findings were validated by histopathological characterization of each tumor, including cell density and proliferation, peritumoral invasion and distant migration, and immune cell infiltration. Our study bodes well for precision neuro-oncology, highlighting the importance of mapping glucose flux rates to better understand the metabolic heterogeneity of glioblastoma and its links to disease phenotypes.
DYRK1A Interacts with the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex and Promotes mTORC1 Activity
Authors: Wang Pinhua , Sarkar Sunayana , Zhang Menghuan , Xiao Tingting , Kong Fenhua , Zhang Zhe , Balasubramanian Deepa , Jayaram Nandan , Datta Sayantan , He Ruyu , Wu Ping , Chao Peng , Zhang Ying , Washburn Michael P , Florens Laurence , Nagarkar-Jaiswal Sonal , Jaiswal Manish , Mohan Man
Published: August 2024

DYRK1A, a ubiquitously expressed kinase, is linked to the dominant intellectual developmental disorder, microcephaly and Down syndrome in humans. It regulates numerous cellular processes such as cell cycle, vesicle trafficking and microtubule assembly. DYRK1A is a critical regulator of organ growth; however, how it regulates organ growth is not fully understood. Here, we show that the knockdown of
DYRK1A
results in reduced cell size, which depends on mTORC1. Using proteomic approaches, we found that DYRK1A interacts with the Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) proteins, namely TSC1 and TSC2, which negatively regulate mTORC1 activation. Further, we show that DYRK1A phosphorylates TSC2 at T1462, a modification known to inhibit TSC activity and promote mTORC1 activity. We also found that the reduced cell growth upon knockdown of DYRK1A can be rescued by overexpression of RHEB, an activator of mTORC1. Our findings suggest that DYRK1A inhibits TSC complex activity through inhibitory phosphorylation on TSC2, thereby promoting mTORC1 activity. Further, using the
Drosophila
neuromuscular junction as a model, we show that the
mnb,
the fly homologues of
DYRK1A
, is rescued by RHEB overexpression, suggesting a conserved role of
DYRK1A
in TORC1 regulation.
Targeting Ribosome Biogenesis as a Novel Therapeutic Approach to Overcome EMT-related Chemoresistance in Breast Cancer
Authors: Ban Yi , Zou Yue , Liu Yingzhuo , Lee Sharrell B , Bednarczyk Robert B , Sheng Jianting , Cao Yuliang , Wong Stephen TC , Gao Dingcheng
Published: August 2024

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes significantly to chemotherapy resistance and remains a critical challenge in treating advanced breast cancer. The complexity of EMT, involving redundant pro-EMT signaling pathways and its paradox reversal process, mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET), has hindered the development of effective treatments. In this study, we utilized a Tri-PyMT EMT lineage-tracing model and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to comprehensively analyze the EMT status of tumor cells. Our findings revealed elevated ribosome biogenesis (RiBi) during the transitioning phases of both EMT and MET processes. RiBi and its subsequent nascent protein synthesis mediated by ERK and mTOR signalings are essential for EMT/MET completion. Importantly, inhibiting excessive RiBi genetically or pharmacologically impaired the EMT/MET capability of tumor cells. Combining RiBi inhibition with chemotherapy drugs synergistically reduced metastatic outgrowth of epithelial and mesenchymal tumor cells under chemotherapies. Our study suggests that targeting the RiBi pathway presents a promising strategy for treating patients with advanced breast cancer.
The exchange dynamics of biomolecular condensates
Authors: Zhang Yaojun , Pyo Andrew GT , Kliegman Ross , Jiang Yoyo , Brangwynne Clifford P , Stone Howard A , Wingreen Ned S
Published: August 2024

A hallmark of biomolecular condensates formed via liquid-liquid phase separation is that they dynamically exchange material with their surroundings, and this process can be crucial to condensate function. Intuitively, the rate of exchange can be limited by the flux from the dilute phase or by the mixing speed in the dense phase. Surprisingly, a recent experiment suggests that exchange can also be limited by the dynamics at the droplet interface, implying the existence of an “interface resistance”. Here, we first derive an analytical expression for the timescale of condensate material exchange, which clearly conveys the physical factors controlling exchange dynamics. We then utilize sticker-spacer polymer models to show that interface resistance can arise when incident molecules transiently touch the interface without entering the dense phase, i.e., the molecules “bounce” from the interface. Our work provides insight into condensate exchange dynamics, with implications for both natural and synthetic systems.
Sensory-memory interactions via modular structure explain errors in visual working memory
Authors: Yang Jun , Zhang Hanqi , Lim Sukbin
Published: August 2024

Errors in stimulus estimation reveal how stimulus representation changes during cognitive processes. Repulsive bias and minimum variance observed near cardinal axes are well-known error patterns typically associated with visual orientation perception. Recent experiments suggest that these errors continuously evolve during working memory, posing a challenge that neither static sensory models nor traditional memory models can address. Here, we demonstrate that these evolving errors, maintaining characteristic shapes, require network interaction between two distinct modules. Each module fulfills efficient sensory encoding and memory maintenance, which cannot be achieved simultaneously in a single-module network. The sensory module exhibits heterogeneous tuning with strong inhibitory modulation reflecting natural orientation statistics. While the memory module, operating alone, supports homogeneous representation via continuous attractor dynamics, the fully connected network forms discrete attractors with moderate drift speed and nonuniform diffusion processes. Together, our work underscores the significance of sensory-memory interaction in continuously shaping stimulus representation during working memory.
Identification of novel myelodysplastic syndromes prognostic subgroups by integration of inflammation, cell-type composition, and immune signatures in the bone marrow
Authors: Gerlevik Sila , Seymen Nogayhan , Hama Shan , Mumtaz Warisha , Thompson I Richard , Jalili Seyed R , Kaya Deniz E , Iacoangeli Alfredo , Pellagatti Andrea , Boultwood Jacqueline , Napolitani Giorgio , Mufti Ghulam J , Karimi Mohammad M
Published: August 2024

Mutational profiles of Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) have established that a relatively small number of genetic aberrations, including SF3B1 and SRSF2 spliceosome mutations, lead to specific phenotypes and prognostic subgrouping. We performed a Multi-Omics Factor Analysis (MOFA) on two published MDS cohorts of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) and CD34+ cells with three data modalities (clinical, genotype, and transcriptomics). Seven different views, including immune profile, inflammation/aging, Retrotransposon (RTE) expression, and cell-type composition, were derived from these modalities to identify the latent factors with significant impact on MDS prognosis. SF3B1 was the only mutation among 13 mutations in the BMMNC cohort, indicating a significant association with high inflammation. This trend was also observed to a lesser extent in the CD34+ cohort. Interestingly, the MOFA factor representing the inflammation shows a good prognosis for MDS patients with high inflammation. In contrast, SRSF2 mutant cases show a granulocyte-monocyte progenitor (GMP) pattern and high levels of senescence, immunosenescence, and malignant myeloid cells, consistent with their poor prognosis. Furthermore, MOFA identified RTE expression as a risk factor for MDS. This work elucidates the efficacy of our integrative approach to assess the MDS risk that goes beyond all the scoring systems described thus far for MDS.
MGPfactXMBD: A Model-Based Factorization Method for scRNA Data Unveils Bifurcating Transcriptional Modules Underlying Cell Fate Determination
Authors: Ren Jun , Zhou Ying , Hu Yudi , Yang Jing , Fang Hongkun , Lyu Xuejing , Guo Jintao , Shi Xiaodong , Li Qiyuan
Published: August 2024

Manifold-learning is particularly useful to resolve the complex cellular state space from single-cell RNA sequences. While current manifold-learning methods provide insights into cell fate by inferring graph-based trajectory at cell level, challenges remain to retrieve interpretable biology underlying the diverse cellular states. Here, we described MGPfact
XMBD
, a model-based manifold-learning framework and capable to factorize complex development trajectories into independent bifurcation processes of gene sets, and thus enables trajectory inference based on relevant features. MGPfact
XMBD
offers more nuanced understanding of the biological processes underlying cellular trajectories with potential determinants. When bench-tested across 239 datasets, MGPfact
XMBD
showed advantages in major quantity-control metrics, such as branch division accuracy and trajectory topology, outperforming most established methods. In real datasets, MGPfact
XMBD
recovered the critical pathways and cell types in microglia development with experimentally valid regulons and markers. Furthermore, MGPfact
XMBD
discovered evolutionary trajectories of tumor-associated CD8
+
T cells and yielded new subtypes of CD8
+
T cells with gene expression signatures significantly predictive of the responses to immune checkpoint inhibitor in independent cohorts. In summary, MGPfact
XMBD
offers a manifold-learning framework in scRNA-seq data which enables feature selection for specific biological processes and contributing to advance our understanding of biological determination of cell fate.
Developmental stage shapes the realized energy landscape for a flight specialist
Authors: Nourani Elham , Faure Louise , Brønnvik Hester , Scacco Martina , Bassi Enrico , Fiedler Wolfgang , Grüebler Martin U , Hatzl Julia S , Jenny David , Roverselli Andrea , Sumasgutner Petra , Tschumi Matthias , Wikelski Martin , Safi Kamran
Published: August 2024

The heterogeneity of the physical environment determines the cost of transport for animals, shaping their energy landscape. Animals respond to this energy landscape by adjusting their distribution and movement to maximize gains and reduce movement costs. Much of our current knowledge about energy landscape dynamics focuses on factors external to the animal, particularly the spatio-temporal variations of the environment. However, an animal’s internal state can significantly impact its ability to perceive and utilize the available energy, creating a distinction between the “fundamental” and the “realized” energy landscapes. Here we show that the realized energy landscape varies along the ontogenetic axis. Locomotor and cognitive capabilities of individuals change over time, especially during the early life stages. We investigate the development of the realized energy landscape in the Central European Alpine population of the golden eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
, a large predator that requires negotiating the atmospheric environment to achieve energy-efficient soaring flight. We quantified weekly energy landscapes using environmental features for 55 juvenile golden eagles, demonstrating that energetic costs of traversing the landscape decreased as the birds aged. In fact, the potentially flyable area within the Alpine region increased 2,170-fold during their first three years of independence. Our work contributes to achieving a predictive understanding of animal movement behaviors by presenting ontogeny as a mechanism shaping the realized energy landscape.
Brain-wide arousal signals are segregated from movement planning in the superior colliculus
Authors: Johnston Richard , Smith Matthew A
Published: August 2024

The superior colliculus (SC) is traditionally considered a brain region that functions as an interface between processing visual inputs and generating eye movement outputs. Although its role as a primary reflex center is thought to be conserved across vertebrate species, evidence suggests that the SC has evolved to support higher-order cognitive functions including spatial attention. When it comes to oculomotor areas such as the SC, it is critical that high precision fixation and eye movements are maintained even in the presence of signals related to ongoing changes in cognition and brain state, both of which have the potential to interfere with eye position encoding and movement generation. In this study, we recorded spiking responses of neuronal populations in the SC while monkeys performed a memory-guided saccade task and found that the activity of some of the neurons fluctuated over tens of minutes. By leveraging the statistical power afforded by high-dimensional neuronal recordings, we were able to identify a low-dimensional pattern of activity that was correlated with the subjects’ arousal levels. Importantly, we found that the spiking responses of deep-layer SC neurons were less correlated with this brain-wide arousal signal, and that neural activity associated with changes in pupil size and saccade tuning did not overlap in population activity space with movement initiation signals. Taken together, these findings provide a framework for understanding how signals related to cognition and arousal can be embedded in the population activity of oculomotor structures without compromising the fidelity of the motor output.
Variation in floral morphology, histochemistry, and floral visitors of three sympatric morning glory species
Authors: Jirabanjongjit Awapa , Stewart Alyssa B. , Chitchak Natthaphong , Rattamanee Chakkrapong , Traiperm Paweena
Published: August 2024

Three morning glory species in the genus Argyreia Lour., A. lycioides (Choisy) Traiperm & Rattanakrajang, A. mekongensis Gagnep & Courchet, and A. versicolor (Kerr) Staples & Traiperm, were found co-occurring and co-flowering. Argyreia mekongensis and A. versicolor are rare, while A. lycioides is near threatened and distributed throughout Myanmar and Thailand. We investigated key floral characters (floral morphology and phenology, as well as the micromorphology of the floral nectary disc and staminal trichomes) and screened for important chemical compounds hypothesized to contribute to pollinator attraction. Our findings demonstrate that some aspects of floral morphology (e.g., corolla size, limb presence, and floral color) of the three studied congeners exhibit significant differences. Moreover, pollinator composition appears to be influenced by floral shape and size; morning glory species with wider corolla tubes were pollinated by larger bees. The morphology of the floral nectary disc was similar in all species, while variation in staminal trichomes was observed across species. Glandular trichomes were found in all three species, while non-glandular trichomes were found only in A. versicolor. Histochemical results revealed different compounds in the floral nectary and staminal trichomes of each species, which may contribute to both floral attraction and defense. These findings demonstrate some segregation of floral visitors among sympatric co-flowering morning glory species, which appears to be influenced by the macro- and micromorphology of flowers and their chemical compounds. Moreover, understanding the floral morphology and chemical attractants of these sympatric co-flowering Argyreia species may help to maintain their common pollinators in order to conserve these rare and endangered species, especially A. versicolor.
A three‐dimensional high Mach number asymmetric magnetopause model from global MHD simulation
Authors: Liu Z.‐Q. , Lu J. Y. , Wang C. , Kabin K. , Zhao J. S. , Wang M. , Han J. P. , Wang J. Y. , Zhao M. X.
Published: June 2015

The numerical results from a physics‐based global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model are used to examine the effect of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), solar wind dynamic pressure, and dipole tilt angle on the size and shape of the magnetopause. The subsolar magnetopause is identified using the plasma velocity and density, the cusps are identified using the thermal pressure, and the whole shape of the magnetopause is determined with the three‐dimensional streamlines traced through the simulation domain. The magnetopause surface obtained from the simulations is fitted with a three‐dimensional surface function controlled by ten configuration parameters, which provide a description of the subsolar magnetopause, the cusp geometry, the flaring angle, the azimuthal asymmetry, the north‐south asymmetry, and the twisting angle of the magnetopause. Effects of the IMF, solar wind dynamic pressure, and dipole tilt angle on the configuration parameters are analyzed and fitted by relatively simple functions. It is found that the solar wind dynamic pressure mainly affects the magnetopause size; the IMF mainly controls the magnetopause flaring angle, azimuthal asymmetry, and twisting angle; and the dipole tilt angle mainly affects the magnetopause north‐south asymmetry and the cusp geometry. The model is validated by comparing with available empirical models and observational results, and it is demonstrated that the new model can describe the magnetopause for typical solar wind conditions.
Plasma waves around separatrix in collisionless magnetic reconnection with weak guide field
Authors: Chen Yangao , Fujimoto Keizo , Xiao Chijie , Ji Hantao
Published: June 2015

Electrostatic and electromagnetic waves excited by electron beam around the separatrix region are analyzed in detail during the collisionless magnetic reconnection with a weak guide field by using 2‐D particle‐in‐cell simulation with the adaptive mesh refinement. Broadband electrostatic waves are excited both in the inflow and outflow regions around the separatrices due to the electron bump‐on‐tail, two‐stream, and Buneman instabilities. In contrast, the quasi‐monochromatic electromagnetic waves are excited only in the inflow side of the separatrices due to a beam‐driven whistler instability. The localization of the whistler waves is attributed to the nonuniformity of the out‐of‐plane magnetic field By. The whistler instability is suppressed in the outflow side where By is too small for the oblique propagation. The electrostatic waves with distinct speeds can explain the in situ spacecraft observations. From the causality point of view, the waves are generated as the consequence of the electron bulk acceleration to thermalize the particles through wave‐particle interactions. These simulation results provide guidance to analyze high‐resolution wave observations during reconnection in the ongoing and upcoming satellite missions, as well as in dedicated laboratory experiments.
Hydrocomplexity: Addressing water security and emergent environmental risks
Authors: Kumar Praveen
Published: June 2015

Water security and emergent environmental risks are among the most significant societal concerns. They are highly interlinked to other global risks such as those related to climate, human health, food, human migration, biodiversity loss, urban sustainability, etc. Emergent risks result from the confluence of unanticipated interactions from evolving interdependencies between complex systems, such as those embedded in the water cycle. They are associated with the novelty of dynamical possibilities that have significant potential consequences to human and ecological systems, and not with probabilities based on historical precedence. To ensure water security we need to be able to anticipate the likelihood of risk possibilities as they present the prospect of the most impact through cascade of vulnerabilities. They arise due to a confluence of nonstationary drivers that include growing population, climate change, demographic shifts, urban growth, and economic expansion, among others, which create novel interdependencies leading to a potential of cascading network effects. Hydrocomplexity aims to address water security and emergent risks through the development of science, methods, and practices with the potential to foster a “Blue Revolution” akin to the Green revolution for food security. It blends both hard infrastructure based solution with soft knowledge driven solutions to increase the range of planning and design, management, mitigation and adaptation strategies. It provides a conceptual and synthetic framework to enable us to integrate discovery science and engineering, observational and information science, computational and communication systems, and social and institutional approaches to address consequential water and environmental challenges.
Anomalous Terahertz Reflection and Scattering by Flexible and Conformal Coding Metamaterials
Authors: Liang Lanju , Qi Meiqing , Yang Jing , Shen Xiaopeng , Zhai Jiquan , Xu Weizong , Jin Biaobing , Liu Weiwei , Feng Yijun , Zhang Caihong , Lu Hai , Chen Hou‐Tong , Kang Lin , Xu Weiwei , Chen Jian , Cui Tie Jun , Wu Peiheng , Liu Shenggang
Published: June 2015

Arbitrary control of terahertz (THz) waves remains a significant challenge although it promises many important applications. Here, a method to tailor the reflection and scattering of THz waves in an anomalous manner by using 1‐bit coding metamaterials is presented. Specific coding sequences result in various THz far‐field reflection and scattering patterns, ranging from a single beam to two, three, and numerous beams, which depart obviously from the ordinary Snell's law of reflection. By optimizing the coding sequences, a wideband THz thin film metamaterial with extremely low specular reflection, due to the scattering of the incident wave into various directions, is demonstrated. As a result, the reflection from a flat and flexible metamaterial can be nearly uniformly distributed in the half space with small intensity at each specific direction, manifesting a diffuse reflection from a rough surface. Both simulation and experimental results show that a reflectivity less than −10 dB is achieved over a wide frequency range from 0.8 to 1.4 THz, and it is insensitive to the polarization of the incident wave. This work reveals new opportunities arising from coding metamaterials in effective manipulation of THz wave propagation and may offer widespread applications.
Ultra‐Efficient Photocatalytic Properties in Porous Tungsten Oxide/Graphene Film under Visible Light Irradiation
Authors: Mei Lin , Zhao Haitao , Lu Bingan
Published: June 2015

Recently, a growing amount of effort has been devoted to solving the widespread problem of pollution. Photocatalysts have attracted increasing attention for their widespread environmental applications. Here, a classic and simple electrospun technique is used to directly fabricate a porous a tungsten oxide nanoframework with graphene film as a photocatalyst for degradation of pollutants. The as‐synthesized film simultaneously possesses substantial adsorptivity of aromatic molecules, extensive light absorption range, significant light trapping, and efficient charge carrier separation properties, which remarkably enhance photocatalytic activity. In the photodegradation of Rhodamine B, a significant photocatalytic enhancement in the reaction rate is observed, which has superior photocatalytic activity compared to other bare WO3 and TiO2 nanomaterials under visible‐light irradiation.
Experimental investigation of electrostatic effect on particle motions in gas‐solid fluidized beds
Authors: Dong Kezeng , Zhang Qing , Huang Zhengliang , Liao Zuwei , Wang Jingdai , Yang Yongrong , Wang Fang
Published: June 2015

The excess accumulation of charges in the fluidized bed has a severe impact on hydrodynamics. Due to lack of effective experimental methods, electrostatic effects on hydrodynamics have mostly been studied using numerical simulation. By injecting a trace of liquid antistatic agents into a fluidized bed, charges were controlled and electrostatic influences on particle motions were investigated. The average particle–wall impact angles are acquired by developing multiscale wavelet decomposition of acoustic emission signals. The impact angles are significantly influenced by both charge levels and gas velocities. If the electric force is reduced and/or fluid drag is increased, friction dominates the particle–wall interactions. Under a larger gas velocity where fluid drag dominates, charges elimination causes no significant variation in particle impact angles, but particle velocities increase as well as at lower gas velocities. In addition, existence of electrostatic charges influences the ranges of bubble growing zone and jet impacting zone. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 3628–3638, 2015
Heritability of attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults
Authors: Brikell Isabell , Kuja‐Halkola Ralf , Larsson Henrik
Published: June 2015

Attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder. Symptoms often persist into adulthood, with a prevalence of 2.5–5% in adult populations. Twin studies in childhood consistently report high heritabilities of 70–80%, while studies in adult samples show only moderate heritability of 30–40% when estimated from self‐ratings. This review summarizes the available research on the heritability of ADHD in adults. Three key findings are outlined: (i) self‐ratings lead to relatively low heritability estimates of ADHD, independent of age and whether ratings refer to current or retrospective symptoms; (ii) studies relying on different informants to rate each twin within a pair (i.e., self‐ratings and different parents/teachers rating each twin in a pair) consistently yield lower heritability estimates than studies relying on ratings from a single informant; (iii) studies using cross‐informant data via either combined parent and self‐ratings or clinical diagnoses information suggest that the heritability of ADHD in adults could be as high as 70–80%. Together, the reviewed studies suggest that the previously reported low heritability of ADHD in adults is unlikely to reflect a true developmental change. Instead, the drop in heritability is better explained by rater effects related to a switch from using one rater for both twins in a pair (parent/teacher) in childhood, to relying on self‐ratings (where each twin rates themselves) of ADHD symptoms in adulthood. When rater effects are addressed using cross‐informant approaches, the heritability of ADHD in adults appears to be comparable to the heritability of ADHD in childhood. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fine mapping and whole‐exome sequencing of a familial cortical myoclonic tremor with epilepsy family
Authors: Cen Zhi‐dong , Xie Fei , Lou Dan‐ning , Lu Xing‐jiao , Ouyang Zhi‐yuan , Liu Ling , Cao Jin , Li Dan , Yin Hou‐min , Wang Zhong‐jin , Xiao Jian‐feng , Luo Wei
Published: June 2015

Familial cortical myoclonic tremor with epilepsy (FCMTE) is an autosomal dominant epilepsy syndrome. Four loci, including 8q24 (FCMTE1), 2p11.1‐q12.2 (FCMTE2), 5p15.31‐p15.1 (FCMTE3), and 3q26.32‐3q28 (FCMTE4) were previously reported. Herein, we report a new FCMTE1 pedigree from Chinese population with its clinical and genetic study results. Whole genome scan was performed to identify the causative gene region and copy number variants. Whole‐exome sequencing was used to identify the causative gene. There were twelve affected members alive in this FCMTE1 pedigree. Nine affected members had both cortical myoclonic tremor and epilepsy, while three affected members had only cortical myoclonic tremor. Electrophysiologic examinations manifested giant somatosensory evoked potentials and long‐latency cortical reflex in some affected members. Whole genome scan identified a 20.4 Mb causative gene region at 8q22.3‐q24.13. No copy number variants were identified as the causative mutation. Whole‐exome sequencing identified a co‐segregated mutation (c.206A>T; p.Y69F) in the SLC30A8 gene. However, the evidence supporting this gene as the causative gene of FCMTE1 is not enough. We report the first Chinese FCMTE1 pedigree. No copy number variants, point mutation or small insertion/deletion were detected in the identified region that showed an association with FCMTE1. Further studies could focus on other possible genetic mechanisms while the association between the SLC30A8 and FCMTE1 needs further evidence. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hemodialysis for removal of dabigatran in a patient with gastric hemorrhage
Authors: Kashiura Masahiro , Fujita Hiroshi , Sugiyama Kazuhiro , Akashi Akiko , Hamabe Yuichi
Published: June 2015

Case

An 82‐year‐old man taking dabigatran was admitted with syncope. Computed tomography showed extravasation from the stomach. Laboratory data revealed renal insufficiency and prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time. The gastric endoscopy showed a gastric ulcer with an exposed vessel. However, an endoscopic hemostatic procedure failed to completely stop the bleeding. The patient experienced cardiac arrest from hypotensive shock. Spontaneous circulation returned after 5 min of resuscitation. After endoscopy, computed tomography showed a gastric perforation. For dabigatran removal, the patient underwent a 6‐h hemodialysis session. Thrombin activity and thrombin–antithrombin complex increased during hemodialysis, while activated partial thromboplastin time decreased.

Outcome

Good recovery was observed after dialysis and the following gastrectomy.

Conclusion

Hemodialysis should be considered for dabigatran removal in cases of life‐threatening hemorrhage. The thrombin–antithrombin complex may be useful for monitoring the plasma dabigatran level.
Simulation study of nasotracheal and orotracheal fiberoptic intubation with the Aintree Intubation Catheter
Authors: Ueki Ryusuke , Komasawa Nobuyasu , Hirose Munetaka , Kaminoh Yoshiroh
Published: June 2015

Aim

Fiber‐optic tracheal intubation is an essential technique to secure the airway for difficult airway and cervical cord injury victims. However, there is an anxiety about the vocal cord passage of tracheal tubes because of the potential of collision with the surroundings of the vocal cords. This study aimed to examine the utility of the Aintree Intubation Catheter in nasotracheal and orotracheal intubation.

Methods

Participants were 21 anesthesiologists with more than 2 years of experience in clinical anesthesia. Participants attempted fiber‐optic tracheal intubation through the oral or nasal cavity with or without the Aintree Intubation Catheter in random order. The success rate of tracheal intubation, intubation time, and collision with the glottis were recorded. Participants also evaluated the subjective difficulty of the entire intubation process and passing the tracheal tube through the glottis using a Visual Analogue Scale.

Results

There were no significant differences in intubation time or Visual Analogue Scale scores for passing the tracheal tube through the glottis between nasal and oral intubation, regardless of the use of the Aintree Intubation Catheter. However, the catheter significantly reduced the number of collisions with the glottis in both routes (nasal, P = 0.026; oral, P = 0.017).

Conclusion

Our findings that the Aintree Intubation Catheter is effective in reducing collisions with the glottis during nasal and oral fiber‐optic intubation suggest that Aintree Intubation Catheter use may reduce the risk of mechanical injury related to airway obstruction.
Nanoscopy with focused light
Authors: Hell Stefan W.
Published: June 2015

Stefan W. Hell received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2014 “for the development of super‐resolved fluorescence microscopy”, together with Eric Betzig and William Moerner. With the invention of STED (Stimulated Emission Depletion) microscopy experimentally realized in 1999, he has revolutionized light microscopy, overcoming the resolution limit of conventional optical microscopes – a breakthrough that has enabled new ground‐breaking discoveries in biological and medical research.

image
Effects of the electron‐beam absorption dose on the glass transition, thermal expansion, dynamic mechanical properties, and water uptake of polycardanol containing epoxy groups cured by an electron beam
Authors: Cheon Jinsil , Cho Donghwan
Published: June 2015

In this study, the glass transition, thermal expansion, dynamic mechanical properties, and water‐uptake behaviors of diepoxidized polycardanol (DEPC) cured by electron‐beam radiation in the presence of cationic photoinitiators were investigated. How the type and concentration of cationic photoinitiators and the electron‐beam absorption dose influenced the properties of the cured DEPC was also studied. Two types of cationic photoinitiators, triarylsulfonium hexafluorophosphate (simply referred to as phosphate type or P‐type) and triarylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate (simply referred to as antimonate type or Sb‐type), were used. Electron‐beam absorption doses of 200, 300, 400, and 600 kGy were applied to the uncured diepoxidized cardanol (DEC) samples, respectively. It was revealed that the Sb‐type photoinitiator was preferable to the electron‐beam curing of DEC; this led to a lower photoinitiator concentration and/or a lower electron‐beam absorption dose compared to that in the phosphate‐type photoinitiator. As a result, the variations in the glass‐transition temperature, coefficient of thermal expansion, storage modulus, and water uptake of the cured DEPC were quite consistent with each other. We found that the optimal conditions for the enhanced properties of DEPC by electron‐beam curing were an Sb‐type photoinitiator at 2 wt % and an electron‐beam absorption dose of 600 kGy. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2015,132, 42570.
Property reinforcement of silicone dielectric elastomers filled with self‐prepared calcium copper titanate particles
Authors: Wang Gen Lin , Zhang Yi Yang , Duan Lei , Ding Ke Hong , Wang Zhi Feng , Zhang Ming
Published: June 2015

In this article, submicron and micron calcium copper titanate (CCTO) crystallites with different morphologies were successfully designed and prepared by directly thermal treatment method and molten salt method, respectively. Then, the silicone elastomer filled with self‐prepared CCTO particles had high dieletric constant, low dielectric loss, and actuated strain which was greatly improved at low electric field. The dieletric constant at 50 Hz obviously increased from 2.15 for pure silicone elastomer to 4.37 and 4.18 for the submicron and micron CCTO/poly (dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) composites. The dielectric loss of the composites retained at a low value (less than 0.06). Meanwhile, the elastic modulus of CCTO/PDMS composites was increased slightly only with a good flexibility. Compared to pure silicone elastomer (2.25%), the submicron and micron CCTO/PDMS composites with 2 wt % content exhibited a greater strain of 7.69% and 9.83% at a low electric field of 5 V/μm. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42613.
Morphometric Study of the Mare Oviductal Mucosa at Different Reproductive Stages
Authors: Mouguelar Horacio , Díaz Tomás , Borghi Damiana , Quinteros Rolando , Bonino Facundo , Apichela Silvana Andrea , Aguilar José Javier
Published: June 2015

The objectives of this work were to describe some morphometric characteristics and to establish quantitative parameters of different regions of the equine oviductal mucosa from the isthmus, ampullary‐isthmic junction (AIJ), and ampulla. Twenty‐one mixed‐bred mares were used for this study. Mares were selected in the following reproductive phases: anestrus, estrus, and diestrus. The left oviducts were examined with light microscopy, and rights ones were studied through the intraoviductal molds. The isthmus showed the smallest luminal area, mucosal area, epithelial perimeter, and luminal diameter. On the molds surfaces, some grooves extended as longitudinal canals, reducing their depth as they approached to the AIJ. Several small height projections, some obliquely positioned towards utero‐tubal junction, were observed in all reproductive phases. These formations may represent pockets or cul‐de‐sacs in the basal areas of the epithelial folds. The AIJ mucosa gradually changed from the smooth isthmic region toward highly folded ampulla. The number and complexity of epithelial folds showed moderate increase in the same way that many of the morphometric parameters. Multiple curves were observed on the molds of the AIJ, creating a zigzag path in the oviductal lumen. In the ampulla, the high branched epithelial folds occupied most of the lumen, leaving a small luminal area free. A linear relationship between epithelial perimeter and mucosal area was found. The presence of glandular‐like structures was observed in all the reproductive stages studied. The equine endosalpinx reveals a highly complex tridimensional arrangement where each region shows very particular and specific designs. Anat Rec, 298:1950–1959, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Can a teaching assistant experience in a surgical anatomy course influence the learning curve for nontechnical skill development for surgical residents?
Authors: Heidenreich Mark J. , Musonza Tashinga , Pawlina Wojciech , Lachman Nirusha
Published: June 2015

The foundation upon which surgical residents are trained to work comprises more than just critical cognitive, clinical, and technical skill. In an environment where the synchronous application of expertise is vital to patient outcomes, the expectation for optimal functioning within a multidisciplinary team is extremely high. Studies have shown that for most residents, one of the most difficult milestones in the path to achieving professional expertise in a surgical career is overcoming the learning curve. This view point commentary provides a reflection from the two senior medical students who have participated in the Student‐as‐Teacher program developed by the Department of Anatomy at Mayo Clinic, designed to prepare students for their teaching assistant (TA) role in anatomy courses. Both students participated as TAs in a six week surgical anatomy course for surgical first assistant students offered by the School of Health Sciences at Mayo Clinic. Development of teaching skills, nontechnical leadership, communication, and assessment skills, are discussed in relation to their benefits in preparing senior medical students for surgical residency. Anat Sci Educ. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.
Systematic review with meta-analysis of the impact of surgical fellowship training on patient outcomes
Authors: Johnston M J , Singh P , Pucher P H , Fitzgerald J E F , Aggarwal R , Arora S , Darzi A
Published: June 2015

Background

The number of surgeons entering fellowship training before independent practice is increasing. This may have a negative impact on surgeons in training. The impact of fellowship training on patient outcomes is not yet known. This review aimed to investigate the impact of fellowship training in surgery on patient outcomes.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify studies exploring the structural and surgeon-specific characteristics of fellowship training on patient outcomes. Data from these studies were extracted, synthesized and reported qualitatively, or quantitatively through meta-analysis.

Results

Twenty-three studies were included. The mortality rate for patients in centres with an affiliated fellowship programme was lower than that for centres without (odds ratio 0·86, 95 per cent c.i. 0·84 to 0·88), as was the rate of complications (odds ratio 0·90, 0·78 to 1·02). Surgeons without fellowship training converted more laparoscopic operations to open surgery than those with fellowship training (risk ratio (RR) 1·04, 95 per cent c.i. 1·03 to 1·05). Comparison of outcomes for senior surgeons versus current fellows showed no differences in rates of mortality (RR 1·00, 1·00 to 1·01), complications (RR 1·03, 0·98 to 1·08) or conversion to open surgery (RR 1·01, 1·00 to 1·01).

Conclusion

Fellowship training appears to have a positive impact on patient outcomes.