bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Existence of Dual Solutions and Melting Phenomenon in Unsteady Nanofluid Flow and Heat Transfer over a Stretching Surface
Authors: Ghosh S. , Mukhopadhyay S. , Vajravelu K.
Published: April 2019

The problem of unsteady boundary layer flow of a nanofluid over a stretching surface is studied. Heat transfer due to melting is analyzed. Using a similarity transformation the governing coupled nonlinear partial differential equations of the model are reduced to a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations, and then solved numerically by a Runge-Kutta method with a shooting technique. Dual solutions are observed numerically and their characteristics are analyzed. The effects of the pertinent parameters such as the acceleration parameter, the Brownian motion parameter, the thermophoresis parameter, the Prandtl number and the Lewis number on the velocity, temperature and concentration fields are discussed. Also the effects of these parameters on the skin friction coefficient, the Nusselt number and the Sherwood number are analyzed through graphs. It is observed that the melting phenomenon has a significant effect on the flow, heat and mass transfer characteristics.
The Hermeneutics of Silk: China and the Fabric of Christendom according to Martino Martini and the Early Modern Jesuit “Accommodationists”
Authors: Yeh Alice
Published: April 2019

As Jesuit missionaries in seventeenth-century China struggled to translate Christian theology into Chinese terms and categories, they embarked on a project of purifying the “political” from the “superstitious.” Their project was structured by the unmentionable: the proscribed luxury of silk robes that facilitated the encounters between the missionaries and the native elite they most sought to convert. This article examines the manifold functions of silk and the problem of “accommodation” by turning to theBrevis relatio de numero et qualitate Christianorum apud Sinas(“Brief report on the number and quality of Christians in China”), a booklet authored by the Jesuit missionary Martino Martini (1614–1661). Written for European circulation, theBrevis relatiotouted the triumphs of the mission by incorporating the conceptual imaginary of “China” into the cosmo-political confines of the Euro-Christian world. This article shows how the basic Christian metaphor of horticultural fruitfulness was used to interpret silk and sericulture as material evidence that the Chinese mission field prefigured and promised, both spiritually and commercially, a profitable harvest.
Attracting skilled labour to the North: Migration loss and policy implications across Russia’s diverse Arctic regions
Authors: Khoreva Ol’ga , Konchakov Roman , Leonard Carol Scott , Tamitskiy Aleksandr , Zaikov Konstantin
Published: April 2019

This paper identifies education, skills training and improved social infrastructure as key development issues to address population decline in regions of steady out-migration from the Russian Arctic. Migration flows have mostly stabilised after the sharp and unexpectedly large population decline in the Arctic in the 1990s, during the transition to a market economy. However, the trends set in motion during that collapse, including falling general levels of education, declining size of all but the largest cities, and ageing of the populace, are becoming more serious for some regions, even where government resettlement programmes exist. As young professionals continue to leave, resettling compatriots and hiring shift labour may contribute to the vitality of more resilient regions, for example, Krasnoyarsk and Yamalo-Nenets. However, the European part of the Russian Arctic, despite its critical importance to commerce and to military security, and despite assistance programmes and subsidies, is conforming more to the ageing, less productive contours of neighbouring Arctic states on the periphery of Europe.
Rapid In Situ Characterization of Soil Erodibility With a Field Deployable Robot
Authors: Qian Feifei , Lee Dylan , Nikolich George , Koditschek Daniel , Jerolmack Douglas
Published: April 2019

Predicting the susceptibility of soil to wind erosion is difficult because it is a multivariate function of grain size, soil moisture, compaction, and biological growth. Erosive agents like plowing and grazing also differ in mechanism from entrainment by fluid shear; it is unclear if and how erosion thresholds for each process are related. Here we demonstrate the potential to rapidly assemble empirical maps of erodibility while also examining what controls it, using a novel “plowing” test of surface‐soil shear resistance (τr) performed by a semi‐autonomous robot. Field work at White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, United States, examined gradients in erodibility at two scales: (i) soil moisture changes from dry dune crest to wet interdune (tens of meters) and (ii) downwind‐increasing dune stabilization associated with growth of plants and salt and biological crusts (kilometers). We found that soil moisture changes of a few percent corresponded to a doubling of τr, a result confirmed by laboratory experiments, and that soil crusts conferred stability that was comparable to moisture effects. We then compared different mechanisms of mechanical perturbation in a controlled laboratory setting. A new “kick‐out” test determines peak shear resistance of the surface soil as a proxy for yield strength. Kick‐out resistance exhibited a relation with soil moisture that was distinct from the plowing test and that was correlated with the independently measured threshold‐fluid stress for wind erosion. Results show that our new method maps soil erodibility in arid environments and provides an understanding of environmental controls on variations in soil erodibility.
Water Use Dynamics in Double Cropping of Rainfed Upland Rice and Irrigated Melons Produced Under Drought‐Prone Tropical Conditions
Authors: Morillas L. , Hund S. V. , Johnson M. S.
Published: April 2019

Agricultural expansion and intensification is occurring in seasonally dry regions of Central America, while droughts are intensifying due to increasing water demand and climatic change. Empirical measurements of water consumption of major crops in this region are scarce but crucial to assess agricultural water use dynamics in the light of increasing regional water conflicts. We empirically quantify total crop water use (CWU) and water footprints (WFs) of rainfed upland rice (wet season) and groundwater‐irrigated melons (dry season) grown sequentially as a double cropping system, one of the major cropping systems in the seasonally dry province of Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica. Data for this study cover 2 years and were measured with a state‐of‐the‐art eddy covariance water and carbon flux station. Upland rice only consumed green water (CWUgreen = 383 L/m2), while melons only consumed blue water (CWUblue = 177 L/m2). Irrigation was found to be 1.5 times larger than the actual melon water consumption, with better irrigation efficiencies than reported for melon farms in Brazil but slightly inferior to farms in Spain. Melon WFblue was 79 m3/t, a much lower value than global and regional estimates reported but similar to values reported for melons produced in Brazil or Spain. Upland rice WFgreen (681 m3/t) was reported for the first time and was proven to be much lower than flood irrigated‐rice WFblue‐green. Our results demonstrated lower overall water demand for upland rice‐melon double crop compared to the two other major monocultures of the region (flood‐irrigated rice and irrigated sugar cane).
If Precipitation Extremes Are Increasing, Why Aren’t Floods?
Authors: Cook Terri
Published: April 2019

Improving our understanding of the relationship between changes in precipitation and flooding due to rising temperature is a new grand challenge for the scientific community, argue the authors of a recent commentary.
Mapping Ice Algal Blooms from Space
Authors: Underwood Emily
Published: April 2019

Satellite data reveal how colorful algae are melting the Greenland ice sheet.
Thank You to Our 2018 Peer Reviewers
Authors: Filippelli Gabriel , Colwell Rita , Anenberg Susan C. , Balbus John M. , Ceccarelli Daniela , Hudson‐Edwards Karen , Jutla Antarpreet , Miao Chiyuan , Sandifer Paul A. , Vengosh Avner
Published: April 2019

Public trust in science, effective science communication, and rapid and constructive response to authors about their submissions are of paramount importance to the scientific enterprise and indeed to society itself. This is really at the heart of peer review—providing thoughtful insights into both the scientific quality and importance of work, and also how it is communicated to other scientists and increasingly to a broader audience. Very few opportunities exist to acknowledge the mostly anonymous process of peer review, especially given the huge increase in review requests and the relatively mechanical nature of online reviewing platforms. We continue to be humbled by the time, effort, and careful insights that our colleagues share with each other through the process of peer review. In 2018, GeoHealth benefited from more than 83 reviews provided by 53 of our peers for papers submitted to the journal. Thank you all for your awesome efforts toward advancing geohealth now and for the future.
Androgen receptor regulates ASS1P3/miR-34a-5p/ASS1 signaling to promote renal cell carcinoma cell growth
Authors: Wang Kefeng , Sun Yin , Guo Changcheng , Liu Tao , Fei Xiang , Chang Chawnshang
Published: April 2019

Recent studies have demonstrated that the androgen receptor (AR) could play important roles to promote renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cell proliferation, and other studies have also indicated that suppressing the argininosuccinate synthase 1 (ASS1) could promote proliferation of various tumors. The potential of AR promoting cell proliferation in RCC via altering ASS1, however, remains unclear. Here we found that the expression of ASS1 was lower in RCC tissues than in adjacent normal renal tissues, and a lower ASS1 expression was linked to a worse prognosis in RCC patients. Mechanism dissection showed that AR could decrease ASS1 expression to promote RCC cell proliferation via ASS1P3, a pseudogene of ASS1. The results of RIP assay and AGO2 assay revealed that AR could bind ASS1P3 to increase RCC cell proliferation via altering miR-34a-5p function, which could bind to the 3′UTR of ASS1 to suppress its protein expression. ASS1P3 could function as a miRNA decoy for miR-34a-5p to regulate ASS1 in RCC. Preclinical study also supports the in vitro data. Together, these results demonstrated that ASS1P3 could function as a competing endogenous RNA to suppress RCC cell progression, and targeting this newly identified AR-mediated ASS1P3/miR-34a-5p/ASS1 signaling might help in blocking proliferation.
H3K27M induces defective chromatin spread of PRC2-mediated repressive H3K27me2/me3 and is essential for glioma tumorigenesis
Authors: Harutyunyan Ashot S. , Krug Brian , Chen Haifen , Papillon-Cavanagh Simon , Zeinieh Michele , De Jay Nicolas , Deshmukh Shriya , Chen Carol C. L. , Belle Jad , Mikael Leonie G. , Marchione Dylan M. , Li Rui , Nikbakht Hamid , Hu Bo , Cagnone Gael , Cheung Warren A. , Mohammadnia Abdulshakour , Bechet Denise , Faury Damien , McConechy Melissa K , Pathania Manav , Jain Siddhant U. , Ellezam Benjamin , Weil Alexander G. , Montpetit Alexandre , Salomoni Paolo , Pastinen Tomi , Lu Chao , Lewis Peter W. , Garcia Benjamin A. , Kleinman Claudia L. , Jabado Nada , Majewski Jacek
Published: April 2019

Lys-27-Met mutations in histone 3 genes (H3K27M) characterize a subgroup of deadly gliomas and decrease genome-wide H3K27 trimethylation. Here we use primary H3K27M tumor lines and isogenic CRISPR-edited controls to assess H3K27M effects in vitro and in vivo. We find that whereas H3K27me3 and H3K27me2 are normally deposited by PRC2 across broad regions, their deposition is severely reduced in H3.3K27M cells. H3K27me3 is unable to spread from large unmethylated CpG islands, while H3K27me2 can be deposited outside these PRC2 high-affinity sites but to levels corresponding to H3K27me3 deposition in wild-type cells. Our findings indicate that PRC2 recruitment and propagation on chromatin are seemingly unaffected by K27M, which mostly impairs spread of the repressive marks it catalyzes, especially H3K27me3. Genome-wide loss of H3K27me3 and me2 deposition has limited transcriptomic consequences, preferentially affecting lowly-expressed genes regulating neurogenesis. Removal of H3K27M restores H3K27me2/me3 spread, impairs cell proliferation, and completely abolishes their capacity to form tumors in mice.
Foliar-feeding insects acquire microbiomes from the soil rather than the host plant
Authors: Hannula S. Emilia , Zhu Feng , Heinen Robin , Bezemer T. Martijn
Published: April 2019

Microbiomes of soils and plants are linked, but how this affects microbiomes of aboveground herbivorous insects is unknown. We first generated plant-conditioned soils in field plots, then reared leaf-feeding caterpillars on dandelion grown in these soils, and then assessed whether the microbiomes of the caterpillars were attributed to the conditioned soil microbiomes or the dandelion microbiome. Microbiomes of caterpillars kept on intact plants differed from those of caterpillars fed detached leaves collected from plants growing in the same soil. Microbiomes of caterpillars reared on detached leaves were relatively simple and resembled leaf microbiomes, while those of caterpillars from intact plants were more diverse and resembled soil microbiomes. Plant-mediated changes in soil microbiomes were not reflected in the phytobiome but were detected in caterpillar microbiomes, however, only when kept on intact plants. Our results imply that insect microbiomes depend on soil microbiomes, and that effects of plants on soil microbiomes can be transmitted to aboveground insects feeding later on other plants.
Genome-scale Capture C promoter interactions implicate effector genes at GWAS loci for bone mineral density
Authors: Chesi Alessandra , Wagley Yadav , Johnson Matthew E. , Manduchi Elisabetta , Su Chun , Lu Sumei , Leonard Michelle E. , Hodge Kenyaita M. , Pippin James A. , Hankenson Kurt D. , Wells Andrew D. , Grant Struan F. A.
Published: April 2019

Osteoporosis is a devastating disease with an essential genetic component. GWAS have discovered genetic signals robustly associated with bone mineral density (BMD), but not the precise localization of effector genes. Here, we carry out physical and direct variant to gene mapping in human mesenchymal progenitor cell-derived osteoblasts employing a massively parallel, high resolution Capture C based method in order to simultaneously characterize the genome-wide interactions of all human promoters. By intersecting our Capture C and ATAC-seq data, we observe consistent contacts between candidate causal variants and putative target gene promoters in open chromatin for ~ 17% of the 273 BMD loci investigated. Knockdown of two novel implicated genes, ING3 at ‘CPED1-WNT16’ and EPDR1 at ‘STARD3NL’, inhibits osteoblastogenesis, while promoting adipogenesis. This approach therefore aids target discovery in osteoporosis, here on the example of two relevant genes involved in the fate determination of mesenchymal progenitors, and can be applied to other common genetic diseases.
Metabolic potential of uncultured bacteria and archaea associated with petroleum seepage in deep-sea sediments
Authors: Dong Xiyang , Greening Chris , Rattray Jayne E. , Chakraborty Anirban , Chuvochina Maria , Mayumi Daisuke , Dolfing Jan , Li Carmen , Brooks James M. , Bernard Bernie B. , Groves Ryan A. , Lewis Ian A. , Hubert Casey R. J.
Published: April 2019

The lack of microbial genomes and isolates from the deep seabed means that very little is known about the ecology of this vast habitat. Here, we investigate energy and carbon acquisition strategies of microbial communities from three deep seabed petroleum seeps (3 km water depth) in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. Shotgun metagenomic analysis reveals that each sediment harbors diverse communities of chemoheterotrophs and chemolithotrophs. We recovered 82 metagenome-assembled genomes affiliated with 21 different archaeal and bacterial phyla. Multiple genomes encode enzymes for anaerobic oxidation of aliphatic and aromatic compounds, including those of candidate phyla Aerophobetes, Aminicenantes, TA06 and Bathyarchaeota. Microbial interactions are predicted to be driven by acetate and molecular hydrogen. These findings are supported by sediment geochemistry, metabolomics, and thermodynamic modelling. Overall, we infer that deep-sea sediments experiencing thermogenic hydrocarbon inputs harbor phylogenetically and functionally diverse communities potentially sustained through anaerobic hydrocarbon, acetate and hydrogen metabolism.
Self-organization of Plk4 regulates symmetry breaking in centriole duplication
Authors: Yamamoto Shohei , Kitagawa Daiju
Published: April 2019

During centriole duplication, a single daughter centriole is formed next to the mother centriole. The molecular mechanism that determines a single duplication site remains a long-standing question. Here, we show that intrinsic self-organization of Plk4 is implicated in symmetry breaking in the process of centriole duplication. We demonstrate that Plk4 has an ability to phase-separate into condensates via an intrinsically disordered linker and that the condensation properties of Plk4 are regulated by autophosphorylation. Consistently, the dissociation dynamics of centriolar Plk4 are controlled by autophosphorylation. We further found that autophosphorylated Plk4 is already distributed as a single focus around the mother centriole before the initiation of procentriole formation, and is subsequently targeted for STIL-HsSAS6 loading. Perturbation of Plk4 self-organization affects the asymmetry of centriolar Plk4 distribution and proper centriole duplication. Overall, we propose that the spatial pattern formation of Plk4 is a determinant of a single duplication site per mother centriole.
Integrating temporal and spatial control of electronic transitions for bright multiphoton upconversion
Authors: Sun Tianying , Li Yuhua , Ho Wai Lok , Zhu Qi , Chen Xian , Jin Limin , Zhu Haomiao , Huang Bolong , Lin Jun , Little Brent E. , Chu Sai Tak , Wang Feng
Published: April 2019

The applications of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanomaterials are limited by unsatisfactory brightness currently. Herein, a general strategy is proposed for boosting the upconversion efficiency in Er3+ ions, based on combined use of a core−shell nanostructured host and an integrated optical waveguide circuit excitation platform. A NaErF4@NaYF4 core−shell nanoparticle is constructed to host the upconversion process for minimizing non-radiative dissipation of excitation energy by surface quenchers. Furthermore, an integrated optical microring resonator is designed to promote absorption of excitation light by the nanoparticles, which alleviates quenching of excited states due to cross-relaxation and phonon-assisted energy transfer. As a result, multiphoton upconversion emission with a large anti-Stokes shift (greater than 1150 nm) and a high energy conversion efficiency (over 5.0%) is achieved under excitation at 1550 nm. These advances in controlling photon upconversion offer exciting opportunities for important photonics applications.
Estrogen receptor variants in ER-positive basal-type breast cancers responding to therapy like ER-negative breast cancers
Authors: Groenendijk Floris H. , Treece Tina , Yoder Erin , Baron Paul , Beitsch Peter , Audeh William , Dinjens Winand N. M. , Bernards Rene , Whitworth Pat
Published: April 2019

Immunohistochemically ER-positive HER2-negative (ER+HER2−) breast cancers are classified clinically as Luminal-type. We showed previously that molecular subtyping using the 80-gene signature (80-GS) reclassified a subset of ER+HER2− tumors to molecular Basal-type. We report here that molecular reclassification is associated with expression of dominant-negative ER variants and evaluate response to neoadjuvant therapy and outcome in the prospective neoadjuvant NBRST study (NCT01479101). The 80-GS reclassified 91 of 694 (13.1%) immunohistochemically Luminal-type tumors to molecular Basal-type. Importantly, all 91 discordant tumors were classified as high-risk, whereas only 66.9% of ER+/Luminal-type tumors were classified at high-risk for disease recurrence (i.e., Luminal B) (P < 0.001). ER variant mRNA (ER∆3, ER∆7, and ERα-36) analysis performed on 84 ER+/Basal tumors and 48 ER+/Luminal B control tumors revealed that total ER mRNA was significantly lower in ER+/Basal tumors. The relative expression of ER∆7/total ER was significantly higher in ER+/Basal tumors compared to ER+/Luminal B tumors (P < 0.001). ER+/Basal patients had similar pathological complete response (pCR) rates following neoadjuvant chemotherapy as ER−/Basal patients (34.3 vs. 37.6%), and much higher than ER+/Luminal A or B patients (2.3 and 5.8%, respectively). Furthermore, 3-year distant metastasis-free interval (DMFI) for ER+/Basal patients was 65.8%, significantly lower than 96.3 and 88.9% for ER+/Luminal A and B patients, respectively, (log-rank P < 0.001). Significantly lower total ER mRNA and increased relative ER∆7 dominant-negative variant expression provides a rationale why ER+/Basal breast cancers are molecularly ER-negative. Identification of this substantial subset of patients is clinically relevant because of the higher pCR rate to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and correlation with clinical outcome.
Strong hopping induced Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction and skyrmions in elemental cobalt
Authors: Luo Hu-Bin , Zhang Hong-Bin , Liu J. Ping
Published: April 2019

The Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) is well known to favor a chiral rotation of the magnetic moments, which accounts for the emergence of the skyrmions. The DMI is a combined effect of spin–orbit coupling with broken inversion symmetry in magnets. Most of the noncentrosymmetric magnetic materials that bear skyrmions involve nonmagnetic elements. This work shows that strong DMIs exist in elemental cobalt with a β-Mn-type metastable structure. The variation of DMI among different cobalt pairs largely follows the variation of hopping magnitude in which p electrons play an important role. Although the DMIs between different atomic pairs partly cancels with each other, the net interaction is sufficient to result in a left-handed Bloch-type spiral. Spin dynamics simulation shows that a critical magnetic field of 2.9 T stabilizes skyrmions at 0 K.
Amorphous FeZr metal for multi-functional sensor in electronic skin
Authors: Jung Minhyun , Lee Eunha , Kim Dongseuk , Kim Kyungkwan , Yun Changjin , Lee Hyangsook , Kim Heegoo , Rhie Kungwon , Jeon Sanghun
Published: April 2019

The composition of an amorphous metal, which is well known for having no slip plane or slip direction, can be tailored for enhanced strength and a lower Young’s modulus under mechanical stress. Unlike crystalline metals, elastic amorphous metals can, in principle, be used as a flexible electrode in soft, wearable electronics. A metal with a lattice structure absorbs external energy, which causes structural deformations, while an amorphous metal does not absorb energy. Therefore, amorphous metals have excellent mechanical properties that can overcome the limitations of crystalline metals. However, voids inside such metals are easily formed according to Thornton’s model, which results in the formation of mesoporous (10–50 nm) rods due to the spatial separation of metal atoms. We eliminated the porosity in amorphous metals by controlling the kinetic energy of sputtered metal atoms and ions. Optimized Fe33Zr67 has an amorphous structure with a strength of 2.88 GPa and a Young’s modulus of 76.6 GPa. With this amorphous metal, we fabricated a stretchable and multi-functional sensor for electronic skin that enables the detection of pressure, temperature and light and also serves as a heater. In this work, we demonstrate the feasibility of the amorphous metal Fe33Zr67 in soft electronics for use in various industrial applications.
Permittivity of ex vivo healthy and diseased murine skeletal muscle from 10 kHz to 1 MHz
Authors: Nagy J. A. , DiDonato C. J. , Rutkove S. B. , Sanchez B.
Published: April 2019

A better understanding of the permittivity property of skeletal muscle is essential for the development of new diagnostic tools and approaches for neuromuscular evaluation. However, there remain important knowledge gaps in our understanding of this property in healthy and diseased skeletal muscle, which hinder its translation into clinical application. Here, we report the permittivity of gastrocnemius muscle in healthy wild type mice and murine models of spinal muscular atrophy, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and in a model of myofiber hypertrophy. Data were measured ex vivo from 10 kHz to 1 MHz using the four-electrode impedance technique. Additional quantitative histology information were obtained. Ultimately, the normative data reported will offer the scientific community the opportunity to develop more accurate models for the validation and prediction of experimental observations in both pre-clinical and clinical neuromuscular disease research.
High-resolution global urban growth projection based on multiple applications of the SLEUTH urban growth model
Authors: Zhou Yuerong , Varquez Alvin C. G. , Kanda Manabu
Published: April 2019

As urban population is forecast to exceed 60% of the world’s population by 2050, urban growth can be expected. However, research on spatial projections of urban growth at a global scale are limited. We constructed a framework to project global urban growth based on the SLEUTH urban growth model and a database with a resolution of 30 arc-seconds containing urban growth probabilities from 2020 to 2050. Using the historical distribution of the global population from LandScanTM as a proxy for urban land cover, the SLEUTH model was calibrated for the period from 2000 to 2013. This model simulates urban growth using two layers of 50 arc-minutes grids encompassing global urban regions. While varying growth rates are observed in each urban area, the global urban cover is forecast to reach 1.7 × 106 km2 by 2050, which is approximately 1.4 times that of the year 2012. A global urban growth database is essential for future environmental planning and assessments, as well as numerical investigations of future urban climates.
RNA Sequencing Provides Novel Insights into the Transcriptome of Aldosterone Producing Adenomas
Authors: Backman Samuel , Åkerström Tobias , Maharjan Rajani , Cupisti Kenko , Willenberg Holger S. , Hellman Per , Björklund Peyman
Published: April 2019

Aldosterone producing adenomas (APAs) occur in the adrenal glands of around 30% of patients with primary aldosteronism, the most common form of secondary hypertension. Somatic mutations in KCNJ5, ATP1A1, ATP2B3, CACNA1D and CTNNB1 have been described in ~60% of these tumours. We subjected 15 aldosterone producing adenomas (13 with known mutations and two without) to RNA Sequencing and Whole Genome Sequencing (n = 2). All known mutations were detected in the RNA-Seq reads, and mutations in ATP2B3 (G123R) and CACNA1D (S410L) were discovered in the tumours without known mutations. Adenomas with CTNNB1 mutations showed a large number of differentially expressed genes (1360 compared to 106 and 75 for KCNJ5 and ATP1A1/ATP2B3 respectively) and clustered together in a hierarchical clustering analysis. RT-PCR in an extended cohort of 49 APAs confirmed higher expression of AFF3 and ISM1 in APAs with CTNNB1 mutations. Investigation of the expression of genes involved in proliferation and apoptosis revealed subtle differences between tumours with and without CTNNB1 mutations. Together our results consolidate the notion that CTNNB1 mutations characterize a distinct subgroup of APAs.
Structures and functions linked to genome-wide adaptation of human influenza A viruses
Authors: Klingen Thorsten R. , Loers Jens , Stanelle-Bertram Stephanie , Gabriel Gülsah , McHardy Alice C.
Published: April 2019

Human influenza A viruses elicit short-term respiratory infections with considerable mortality and morbidity. While H3N2 viruses circulate for more than 50 years, the recent introduction of pH1N1 viruses presents an excellent opportunity for a comparative analysis of the genome-wide evolutionary forces acting on both subtypes. Here, we inferred patches of sites relevant for adaptation, i.e. being under positive selection, on eleven viral protein structures, from all available data since 1968 and correlated these with known functional properties. Overall, pH1N1 have more patches than H3N2 viruses, especially in the viral polymerase complex, while antigenic evolution is more apparent for H3N2 viruses. In both subtypes, NS1 has the highest patch and patch site frequency, indicating that NS1-mediated viral attenuation of host inflammatory responses is a continuously intensifying process, elevated even in the longtime-circulating subtype H3N2. We confirmed the resistance-causing effects of two pH1N1 changes against oseltamivir in NA activity assays, demonstrating the value of the resource for discovering functionally relevant changes. Our results represent an atlas of protein regions and sites with links to host adaptation, antiviral drug resistance and immune evasion for both subtypes for further study.
High frequencies of Non Allelic Homologous Recombination (NAHR) events at the AZF loci and male infertility risk in Indian men
Authors: Rani Deepa Selvi , Rajender Singh , Pavani Kadupu , Chaubey Gyaneshwer , Rasalkar Avinash A. , Gupta Nalini J. , Deendayal Mamta , Chakravarty Baidyanath , Thangaraj Kumarasamy
Published: April 2019

Deletions in the AZoospermia Factor (AZF) regions (spermatogenesis loci) on the human Y chromosome are reported as one of the most common causes of severe testiculopathy and spermatogenic defects leading to male infertility, yet not much data is available for Indian infertile men. Therefore, we screened for AZF region deletions in 973 infertile men consisting of 771 azoospermia, 105 oligozoospermia and 97 oligoteratozoospermia cases, along with 587 fertile normozoospermic men. The deletion screening was carried out using AZF-specific markers: STSs (Sequence Tagged Sites), SNVs (Single Nucleotide Variations), PCR-RFLP (Polymerase Chain Reaction - Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) analysis of STS amplicons, DNA sequencing and Southern hybridization techniques. Our study revealed deletion events in a total of 29.4% of infertile Indian men. Of these, non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR) events accounted for 25.8%, which included 3.5% AZFb deletions, 2.3% AZFbc deletions, 6.9% complete AZFc deletions, and 13.1% partial AZFc deletions. We observed 3.2% AZFa deletions and a rare long AZFabc region deletion in 0.5% azoospermic men. This study illustrates how the ethnicity, endogamy and long-time geographical isolation of Indian populations might have played a major role in the high frequencies of deletion events.
Transperitoneal radical nephroureterectomy is associated with worse disease progression than retroperitoneal radical nephroureterectomy in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma
Authors: Kim Tae Heon , Suh Yoon Seok , Jeon Hwang Gyun , Jeong Byong Chang , Seo Seong Il , Jeon Seong Soo , Lee Hyun Moo , Choi Han Yong , Sung Hyun Hwan
Published: April 2019

This study aimed to compare the oncologic outcomes between retroperitoneal radical nephroureterectomy (rRNU) and transperitoneal radical nephroureterectomy (tRNU) for the treatment of patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Medical records of 743 eligible patients who underwent rRNU or tRNU between 1995 and 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. Progression-free survival (PFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) were compared according to the surgical approach using the Kaplan–Meier method. Predictors of PFS, CSS, and OS were analyzed with a multivariable Cox regression model. Overall, 620 (83.4%) and 123 (16.6%) patients were treated with rRNU and tRNU, respectively. Five-year CSS and OS rates were equivalent between rRNU and tRNU groups, but 5-year PFS was lower in the tRNU group than the rRNU group (P = 0.005). When patients were stratified by pathological T stage, PFS was significantly different between the two groups in favor of the rRNU group for both organ-confined disease (pTis/pTa/pT1/T2) (P = 0.022) and locally advanced disease (pT3/pT4) (P = 0.039). However, no significant differences in CSS or OS was observed when comparing the two surgical types in patients with organ-confined disease (P = 0.336 and P = 0.851) or patients with locally advanced disease (P = 0.499 and P = 0.278). tRNU was a significant predictor of PFS (hazard ratio = 1.54; P = 0.023), but not CSS or OS. Our findings indicate that the rRNU approach resulted in better PFS than the tRNU approach in patients with UTUC.
Anti-HERV-WEnv antibodies are correlated with seroreactivity against Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in children and youths at T1D risk
Authors: Niegowska Magdalena , Wajda-Cuszlag Małgorzata , Stępień-Ptak Grażyna , Trojanek Joanna , Michałkiewicz Jacek , Szalecki Mieczysław , Sechi Leonardo A.
Published: April 2019

Recent evidence points at the role that human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) may play through the activation of genes integrated across the human genome. Although a variety of genetic/epigenetic mechanisms maintain most HERVs silenced, independent environmental stimuli including infections may transactivate endogenous elements favoring pathogenic conditions. Several studies associated exposures to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) with increased anti-MAP seroreactivity in T1D patients. Here, we assessed humoral responses against HERV envelope antigens (HERV-KEnv and HERV-WEnv) and four MAP-derived peptides with human homologs in distinct populations: Sardinian children at T1D risk (rT1D) (n = 14), rT1D from mainland Italy (n = 54) and Polish youths with T1D (n = 74) or obesity unrelated to autoimmunity (OB) (n = 26). Unlike Sardinian rT1D, youths displayed increased anti-HERV-WEnv Abs prevalence compared to age-matched OB or healthy controls (24.32 vs. 11.54%, p = 0.02 for Polish T1D/OB and 31.48 vs. 11.90%, p = 0.0025 for Italian rT1D). Anti-HERV-KEnv responses showed variable trends across groups. A strong correlation between Abs levels against HERV-WEnv and homologous peptides was mirrored by time-related Abs patterns. Elevated values registered for HERV-WEnv overlaped with or preceded the detection of T1D diagnostic autoantibodies. These results support the hypothesis of MAP infection leading to HERV-W antigen expression and enhancing the production of autoantibodies in T1D.
Effect of dietary stevioside supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum parameters, and intestinal microflora in broilers
Authors: Wu Xuezhuang , Yang Peilong , Sifa Dai , Wen Zhiguo
Published: April 2019

Disinhibition of antibiotics promotes the use of probiotics, prebiotics, immune enhancers, and plant extracts.
An online immobilized pepsin microreactor based on polymer monoliths for screening inhibitors from natural products
Authors: Zhang Yuefen , Wang Yuying , Tang Yixia , Li Ruijun , Ji Yibing
Published: April 2019

As pepsin is one of the most important enzymes in the digestive system and is closely related to several diseases, an online system was developed to study the kinetics of pepsin and screen inhibitors from natural products.
Hybridization of a phospholipid polymer hydrogel with a natural extracellular matrix using active cell immobilization
Authors: Zhang Ren , Inoue Yuuki , Konno Tomohiro , Ishihara Kazuhiko
Published: April 2019

Three-dimensional tissue organization is still an obstacle in the field of tissue engineering, which generally involves cell immobilization, proliferation, and organization.
Eggshell particle-reinforced hydrogels for bone tissue engineering: an orthogonal approach
Authors: Wu Xinchen , Stroll Stephanie I. , Lantigua Darlin , Suvarnapathaki Sanika , Camci-Unal Gulden
Published: April 2019

Eggshell microparticle-reinforced hydrogels have been fabricated and characterized to obtain mechanically stable and biologically active scaffolds that can direct the differentiation of cells.
Ethylene polymerization of nickel catalysts with α-diimine ligands: factors controlling the structure of active species and polymer properties
Authors: Soshnikov Igor E. , Bryliakov Konstantin P. , Antonov Artem A. , Sun Wen-Hua , Talsi Evgenii P.
Published: April 2019

In the present perspective, the recent advances of α-diimine nickel based catalysts of ethylene polymerization, focusing on the relationships between catalyst structures and their catalytic properties are discussed.
Total synthesis of (±)-epi-stemodan-13α,17-diol
Authors: Chen Song , Chen Ting , Liu Guanggen , Wang Xiao , Zhu Guili , Liu Yongjiang , Fu Shaomin , Liu Bo
Published: April 2019

Stemodan-13α,17-diol is a natural stemodane-type diterpenoid isolated from Stemodia chilensis.
Organic photoredox catalysis enabled cross-coupling of arenediazonium and sulfinate salts: synthesis of (un)symmetrical diaryl/alkyl aryl sulfones
Authors: Chawla Ruchi , Yadav Lal Dhar S.
Published: April 2019

Transition-metal- and oxidant/reductant-free visible-light-mediated synthesis of (un)symmetrical diaryl/alkyl aryl sulfones from aryl diazonium and sulfinate salts employing eosin Y as an organo-photoredox catalyst is reported.
From centrosymmetric to noncentrosymmetric: cation-directed structural evolution in X3ZnB5O10(X = Na, K, Rb) and Cs12Zn4(B5O10)4crystals
Authors: Baiheti Tuohetijiang , Han Shujuan , Tudi AbuduKadi , Yang Zhihua , Yu H. H. , Pan Shilie
Published: April 2019

A new Cs12Zn4(B5O10)4compound exhibits a short DUV cutoff edge (lower than 185 nm) and contains a 3D [ZnB5O10]∞network.
Perfluorocyclobutyl-based polymers for functional materials
Authors: Zhou Junfeng , Tao Yangqing , Chen Xiaoyao , Chen Xingrong , Fang Linxuan , Wang Yuanqiang , Sun Jing , Fang Qiang
Published: April 2019

Perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB)-based polymers exhibit attractive properties, including good thermal and chemical stability, high hydrophobicity and transparency, as well as good insulating properties.
Au-catalyzed skeletal rearrangement of O-propargylic oximes via N–O bond cleavage with the aid of a Brønsted base cocatalyst
Authors: Shiga Keigo , Gridnev Ilya D. , Terada Masahiro , Nakamura Itaru
Published: April 2019

Au-catalyzed skeletal rearrangement reaction of O-propargylic oxime proceeded via N–O bond cleavage with the aid of a Brønsted base cocatalyst.
A unique sandwich structure of a CoMnP/Ni2P/NiFe electrocatalyst for highly efficient overall water splitting
Authors: Bu Xiuming , Wei Renjie , Gao Wei , Lan Changyong , Ho Johnny C.
Published: April 2019

A unique sandwich structure of CoMnP/Ni2P/NiFe is successfully achieved by introducing a Ni2P interlayer between CoMnP nanosheets and NiFe foam to achieve an excellent bifunctional electrocatalyst, yielding a low cell voltage of only 1.48 V at 10 mA cm−2 for overall water splitting in alkaline media.
Genome‐scale model of C. autoethanogenum reveals optimal bioprocess conditions for high‐value chemical production from carbon monoxide
Authors: Norman Rupert O.J. , Millat Thomas , Schatschneider Sarah , Henstra Anne M. , Breitkopf Ronja , Pander Bart , Annan Florence J. , Piatek Pawel , Hartman Hassan B. , Poolman Mark G. , Fell David A. , Winzer Klaus , Minton Nigel P. , Hodgman Charlie
Published: April 2019

Clostridium autoethanogenum is an industrial microbe used for the commercial‐scale production of ethanol from carbon monoxide. While significant progress has been made in the attempted diversification of this bioprocess, further improvements are desirable, particularly in the formation of the high‐value platform chemicals such as 2,3‐butanediol (2,3‐BD). A new, experimentally parameterised genome‐scale model of C. autoethanogenum predicts dramatically increased 2,3‐BD production under non‐carbon‐limited conditions when thermodynamic constraints on hydrogen production are considered.
Unbiased inversion‐based fault estimation of systems with non‐minimum phase fault‐to‐output dynamics
Authors: Naderi Esmaeil , Khorasani Khashayar
Published: April 2019

In this study, the authors propose a framework for inversion‐based estimation of certain categories of faults in discrete‐time linear systems. The fault signal, as an unknown input, is reconstructed from its projections onto two subspaces. The first projection is achieved through an algebraic operation, whereas the second projection is obtained by a dynamic filter whose poles coincide with the transmission zeros of the system. Feedback is then introduced to stabilise this filter as well as to provide an unbiased estimate of the unknown input. Their proposed methodology has two distinctive and practical advantages. First, it represents a unified approach to the problem of inversion of both minimum and non‐minimum phase systems as well as systems having transmission zeros on the unit circle. Second, the feedback structure ensures that the proposed scheme is robust to noise. They have shown that the proposed inversion filter is unbiased for certain categories of faults. Finally, they have demonstrated the capabilities and performance of the proposed methodology through several numerical simulation case studies.
Unit cell with flexible transmission phase slope for ultra‐wideband transmitarray antennas
Authors: Ramazannia Tuloti S.H. , Rezaei P. , Tavakkol Hamedani F.
Published: April 2019

Having studied the transmitarray antennas, it is found that the cells depending on their location on the antenna aperture should have a specific slope in the transmission phase diagram in terms of frequency. The central cell has the most negative slope, and as long as the centre is farther away, the negative slope of the transmission phase diagram in terms of frequency is reduced. Therefore, the ability to change the slope of the transmission phase diagram in terms of frequency in the unit cell is essential. To validate the proposed approach, by providing a suitable unit cell, a typical X‐band antenna with an aperture size of 20.55λ02 at 10 GHz has been designed, fabricated, and tested. In order to evaluate the effect of the transmit array aperture, the gain enhancement value of the antenna is calculated and maximum gain of 5.9 dBi at 10.5 GHz and a 29.71% 1 dB gain bandwidth is achieved.
Plane wave compensation technique for multiple‐input multiple‐output over‐the‐air testing in small multi‐probe anechoic chamber
Authors: Wang Heng , Wang Weimin , Gao Huaqiang , Wu Yongle , Liu Yuanan , Gao Jinchun
Published: April 2019

Multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) over‐the‐air (OTA) testing is often executed in multi‐probe anechoic chamber (MPAC), the size of which is generally large enough so that the waves radiated from the probes can be considered plane waves in test area. The physical dimension of test setups is a key cost factor. In order to save laboratory space and reduce the cost, a compensation technique for spherical waves synthesising plane waves is proposed, which can be applied in small anechoic chamber. The object is to investigate the performances of the proposed plane wave compensation technique on MIMO terminal OTA testing in small MPAC. In the simulation, this technique presents good performances on various metrics, e.g. field distribution, spatial correlation, power angular spectrum estimation. As demonstrated in simulation, the ring radius of anechoic chamber can be reduced and the conventional far field criteria can be relieved.
30 Gb/s integrated receiver array for parallel optical interconnects
Authors: Nguyen Nga T.H. , Ukaegbu Ikechi A. , Park Hyo‐Hoon
Published: April 2019

A 30 Gb/s integrated receiver array for parallel optical interconnects with four channels have been designed and implemented in a 0.13 μm CMOS technology. To achieve small area and low power consumption while maintaining large bandwidth and high gain, the integrated receiver has been implemented with a regulated cascode (RGC) transimpedance amplifier (TIA), resistive and capacitive degeneration and inductorless limiting amplifier (LA), which employs active feedback and negative capacitance. From the measurement results of the optical module using 850 nm photodiode (PD), the receiver showed a constant single‐ended output swing of 320 mV up to 7.5 Gb/s/ch with clear eye diagrams and BER of <10−12. With a voltage supply of 1.2 V, a figure of merit (FOM) of 8 mW/Gb/s was obtained with a small chip area per channel of 0.28 mm2 /ch.
S1-Leitlinie Diagnostik und Therapie der erektilen Dysfunktion
Authors: Haensch Carl-Albrecht , Hilz Max , Jost Wolfgang , Kaufmann Albert , Kessler Thomas , Lahrmann Heinz
Published: April 2019

Die S1-Leitlinie „Diagnostik und Therapie der erektilen Dysfunktion“ (AWMF-Registernummer 030 / 112) steht in einer vollständig überarbeiteten Neufassung zur Verfügung. Erektile Dysfunktion ist definiert als die fortwährende Unfähigkeit, eine penile Erektion, die für einen befriedigenden Geschlechtsverkehr ausreicht, zu erreichen oder aufrechtzuerhalten. Betroffen sind Millionen Bundesbürger: Bei Männern mit regelmäßiger sexueller Aktivität nimmt die erektile Dysfunktion von 2,3 Prozent in der dritten Lebensdekade auf 53,4 Prozent in der siebten Lebensdekade zu. Die Leitlinie gibt dezidierte Empfehlungen zur adäquaten Diagnose und zur Therapie der erektilen Dysfunktion, die seit der Einführung der Phosphodiesterase-5-(PDE-5-)Hemmer häufig unkritisch erfolgt.
Neue Arzneimittel für Pferde und landwirtschaftliche
Nutztiere 2018
Authors: Emmerich Ilka Ute
Published: April 2019

Im Jahr 2018 kam für Pferde und landwirtschaftliche Nutztiere kein neuer
Wirkstoff auf den deutschen Tierarzneimittelmarkt. Ein Wirkstoff erhielt eine
Tierartenerweiterung. So wurde das Inhalationsanästhetikum Isofluran (Isofluran
Baxter® vet) aus der Gruppe der halogenierten
Kohlenwasserstoffverbindungen auch für Schweine (Ferkel) zugelassen. Mit
Acepromazin, Mepivacain und Oxyclozanid wurden drei zwischenzeitlich nicht mehr
erhältliche Wirkstoffe wieder zugelassen. Außerdem kamen ein Präparat mit einer
neuen Wirkstoffkombination und ein Wirkstoff in einer neuen Darreichungsform für
Pferde und landwirtschaftliche Nutztiere auf den Markt.
Langzeit-Follow-up nach Exokryokoagulation bei Frühgeborenenretinopathie in Nordgriechenland: 3-Jahres-Ergebnisse
Authors: della Volpe Waizel Maria , Gatzioufas Zisis , Iraklis Vastardis , Soubasi Vasiliki , Drossou-Agakidou Vasiliki , Pruente Christian , Scholl Hendrik , Kozeis Nikos
Published: April 2019

Hintergrund Untersucht werden soll retrospektiv die Effektivität der Behandlung mit Exokryokoagulation bei Frühgeborenen (FG) mit Retinopathia praematurorum (ROP) bez. der morphologischen Netzhautstrukturen und der visuellen Funktion.

Material und Methoden Von insgesamt 3103 untersuchten FG hatten 304 (9,8%) eine ROP. Von diesen wurden 66 behandelt. Alle FG wurden über 3 Jahre nach dieser Behandlung beobachtet. Als nicht erfolgreich wurden eine Ablatio retinae und eine Makulaverziehung (dragging of the macula) gewertet. Bestkorrigierte Gittersehschärfe und bestkorrigierte Sehschärfen wurden mittels Lea-Symbolen und Kay Pictures geprüft.

Ergebnisse Die 66 behandelten FG (132 Augen) hatten ein Gestationsalter von weniger als 28 Wochen und ein Geburtsgewicht < 1280 g. 28 FG hatten eine ROP in Zone 1, die übrigen in Zone 2. Von diesen 66 FG zeigten 64 (128 Augen) eine Visusverbesserung. 37 FG (74 Augen) zeigten ebenso eine morphologische Besserung. Nur bei einem FG kam es zu einer bilateralen Amotio retinae.

Schlussfolgerung Eine frühe Behandlung mit Kryropexie bei FG mit ROP kann zu einer Visusverbesserung wie auch zu einer anatomischen Stabilisierung der Netzhautsituation führen.
Palladium-Catalyzed Regioselective Heck–Suzuki–Miyaura Cascade Cyclization for the Synthesis of Trisubstituted Arylideneisoquinolinones
Authors: Asgari M. , Mirzazadeh R. , Larijani B. , Rashidi Ranjbar P. , Rahimi R. , Mahdavi M.
Published: April 2019

An Ugi four-component reaction was used to construct propargylamide starting materials for a subsequent domino Heck–Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction to give derivatives of 4-benzylidene-1-oxo-3,4-dihydro-1H-isoquinoline.