bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Direct Evidence for a Systematic Evolution of Optical Band Gap and Local Disorder in Ag, In Doped Sb2Te Phase Change Material
Authors: Shukla Krishna Dayal , Sahu Smriti , Manivannan Anbarasu , Deshpande Uday Prabhakarrao
Published: October 2017

Rapid and reversible switching properties of Ag, In doped Sb2Te (AIST) phase change material is widely used in re‐writable optical data storage applications. We report here a systematic evolution of optical band gap (Eg), local disorder (Tauc parameter, β), and Urbach energy (EU) of AIST material during amorphous to crystalline transition using in situ UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy. Unlike GeTe‐Sb2Te3 (GST) family, AIST material is found to show unique characteristics as evidenced by the presence of direct forbidden transitions. Crystallization is accompanied by a systematic reduction in Eg from 0.50 eV (as‐deposited amorphous at 300 K) to 0.18 eV (crystalline at 300 K). Moreover, decrease in EU (from 272 to 212 meV) and β is also observed during increasing the temperature in the amorphous phase, revealing direct observation of enhancement of the medium‐range order and distortion in short range order, respectively. These findings of optical transition would be helpful for distinguishing the unique behavior of AIST material from GST family.
Passivation of Phosphorus Diffused Black Multi‐Crystalline Silicon by Hafnium Oxide
Authors: Cui Jie , Phang Sieu Pheng , Sio Hang Cheong , Wan Yimao , Chen Yifeng , Verlinden Pierre , Cuevas Andres
Published: October 2017

A key challenge for the success of the recent trend to adopt diamond wire sawing for multi‐crystalline silicon wafers is the texturing and passivation of their surfaces. The various so‐called “black silicon” texturing technologies show great promise in providing strong optical gains, but the nano‐scale surface structures resulted from dry etching are challenging to passivate with the conventional plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of silicon nitride. In this work, a single layer of atomic layer deposited hafnium oxide, in combination with a short anneal, has been used to demonstrate not only low surface recombination on reactive ion etched and phosphorus diffused (90 Ω/□) surfaces but also effective passivation of bulk defects in p‐type 1.5 Ω cm multi‐crystalline silicon wafers. A combination of photoluminescence imaging and quasi‐steady state photoconductance measurements shows that the recombination via bulk defects such as grain boundaries is mitigated due to hydrogenation during rapid thermal annealing at mid to high temperatures in nitrogen. A further activation anneal at low temperature following hydrogenation improves the effective carrier lifetime by 40%. A recombination current density of J0n+ = 98 fA cm−2 per side at an injection level of Δn = 1015 cm−3 has been obtained, which equates to an attainable 1‐sun implied open circuit voltage of 691 mV when bulk and rear surface recombination are excluded. These results prove that hafnium oxide offers a viable alternative for passivating the surface and the bulk of multi‐crystalline silicon solar cells.
Dissipativity reinforcement in feedback systems and its application to expanding power systems
Authors: Urata Kengo , Inoue Masaki
Published: October 2017

This paper focuses on the performance analysis and improvement of interconnected passive systems. We assume that each subsystem has a special passivity property that is characterized by 2 parameters. The parameters are also utilized for evaluating the dissipation performance as the L2‐gain. Then, the feedback system composed of passive subsystems inherits the parameter‐dependent passivity, and the parameter transition is given. In addition, it is shown that the dissipation performance of the feedback system is strictly improved as compared with that of the subsystems, which is called dissipativity reinforcement in this paper. Furthermore, we expand the feedback system to a larger‐scale system via the iterative feedback connection of the passive subsystems. Then, the performance of the entire system is gradually reinforced with the increase in the number of subsystems. Subsequently, we extend the class of parameter‐dependent passivity to a frequency‐dependent one. Finally, dissipativity reinforcement via an iterative feedback connection is applied to a power system that involves a large number of renewable energy generators. In particular, we propose a strategy for designing the power system, such that the dissipation performance of the entire system is gradually reinforced via scale expansion, ie, with the increase in the amount of energy generators installed.
Initial validation of the exercise chronic pain acceptance questionnaire
Authors: Sessford James D. , Brawley Lawrence R.
Published: October 2017

Background and aims

Pain acceptance, measured by the chronic pain acceptance questionnaire (CPAQ), is related to exercise adherence for those with arthritis. The CPAQ measure has 20 items comprising two subscales - pain willingness and activities engagement about pursuing “valued daily activities” despite pain. However, exercise is not specified as a valued activity and respondents may be considering other activities raising generalizability and strength of prediction concerns.

Methods

Accordingly, a modified CPAQ solely for exercise (CPAQ-E) was developed to heighten salience to pursuit of exercise in the face of pain. An exercising sample with arthritis (N=98) completed the CPAQ-E at baseline and exercise 2 weeks later. Exploratory factor analysis of the CPAQ-E was performed using Mplus. Regression was used to predict exercise.

Results

Analysis revealed a two-factor, 14 item model with good psychometric properties reflecting pain willingness and activities engagement subscales (χ
2 = 85.695, df=64, p<.037; RMSEA = .055; CFI = .967; TLI = .954). Both subscales and the total score positively predicted future weekly exercise bouts (range ps from < .05 to <.001). Activities engagement predicted future weekly exercise volume (p < .05).

Conclusions

This study offers preliminary support for the factorial and predictive validity of the CPAQ-E among exercising individuals with arthritis.

Implications

This measure could help researchers increase the specificity and sensitivity of pain acceptance responses to exercising among individuals with arthritis. A more sensitive measure might help clinicians interpret patient responses to exercise for pain self-management.
Intersectionality in the Human Rights Legal Framework on Violence against Women
Authors: Sosa Lorena
Published: October 2017

While gender has become a cornerstone of the current human rights framework on violence against women (VAW), a new theoretical concept has been gaining ground and becoming increasingly visible: intersectionality. In response, this book clarifies three main aspects of the incorporation of intersectionality: it identifies the theoretical and practical implications in relation to VAW; it reveals to what extent intersectionality is incorporated in the current human rights framework on VAW; and it provides empirical evidence of the potential benefits and advantages for cases of VAW derived from the application of intersectionality. This book presents a comprehensive view of approaches within three jurisdictions (the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the Inter-American System) and it will appeal to human rights scholars, lawyers and other practitioners, particularly those interested in VAW and diversity.
Understanding Patterns of Socioeconomic and Demographic Factors Along With Health Services Provider Availability for Zika Outbreak in South Florida
Authors: McQuade Linda , Rao Mya , Miller Roger , Zhou Winnie , Deol Rinku , Sato Brian
Published: October 2017

In this study, we analyzed the patterns of socioeconomic and demographic factors along with health services provider availability for the current Zika outbreak in Miami-Dade County, South Florida. We used Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) Machine-Readable Public Use Files (MR-PUFs) to examine provider availability in combination with socioeconomic and demographic factors that could potentially lead to healthcare disparities between any underserved population of the Wynwood neighborhood and the broader population of Miami-Dade County. MR-PUFs contain public provider-level data from states that are participating in the Federally Facilitated Marketplace. According to CCIIO, an issuer of a Qualified Health Plan that uses a provider network must maintain a network that is sufficient in the number and types of providers, including providers that specialize in mental-health and substance-use disorder services, to assure that all services will be accessible to enrollees without unreasonable delay. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:455–459)
Exploring the impact of adverse childhood experiences on symptomatic and functional outcomes in adulthood: advances, limitations and considerations
Authors: Cotter J. , Yung A. R.
Published: October 2017

Exposure to traumatic experiences in childhood is a risk (and potentially causal) factor for the development of a range of adverse physical and mental health conditions. In addition to the onset of clinical disorders, there is emerging evidence that childhood trauma may also be associated with other long-term outcomes, such as the persistence and severity of an individual’s symptoms, as well as their long-term social and occupational functioning. However, the reasons for this remain poorly understood. A greater understanding both of the mediators that drive these associations, and those variables that enhance resilience against such damaging experiences may help to inform effective therapeutic interventions. In addition to biological and cognitive measures, there is a need to consider social and environmental factors, such as parental bonding and attachment, when investigating these complex relationships.
A randomized study of a smartphone application compared with booklet to improve service user’s knowledge of their legal rights
Authors: O’Donoghue B. , Roche E. , Naji A. , Daly R. , Madigan K. , Cole I. , Lyne J.
Published: October 2017

Background

The Mental Health Act 2001 has introduced significant changes to the process of admission to hospital for individuals affected by mental health disorders. This study aimed to determine whether a newly designed smartphone application could result in an improvement in service users’ knowledge of their rights compared with the paper booklet.

Methods

This was a randomized study conducted in an outpatient and day-hospital in North Dublin. Participants were randomized to receive the information booklet as either a smartphone application or in the paper form. A questionnaire which was scored from 0 to 10 was devised and was completed at baseline and at 1-week follow-up.

Results

A total of 42 individuals completed the baseline and follow-up questionnaire and of these, 53.7% were female and the mean age was 38.2 years (s.d.±13.5). A total of 34.1% had a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder, 29.3% had a depressive disorder and 22% had bipolar-affective disorder. The mean score before the intervention in the total group was 3.5 (s.d.±2.2) and this increased to 5.8 (s.d.±2.2) at follow-up. Participants randomized to the smartphone application improving by a mean of 2.5 (s.d.±2.5), while those randomized to the booklet improving by a mean of 2.3 (s.d.±2.6), which was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Both forms of the information booklet showed improvement in service users’ knowledge of their legal rights. It is possible that each individual will have preference for either a paper form or a smartphone form and this study suggests that both forms should be offered to each individual service user.
New Pennsylvanian coleoids (Cephalopoda) from Nebraska and Iowa, USA
Authors: Mapes Royal H. , Doguzhaeva Larisa A.
Published: October 2017

Four rare Pennsylvanian (Stark Shale: Pennsylvanian, Missourian [=Kasimovian]) coleoids from Nebraska and Iowa, which are preserved as flattened partial phragmocones and body chambers associated with three-dimensionally fossilized ink sacs, are herein described as Pabianiconus starkensis new genus new species, Nebraskaconus whitei new genus new species, and Starkites compressus new genus new species. One specimen that is missing most of the phragmocone, is provisionally assigned to Donovaniconus. The fossils are assigned to the Coleoidea because of the presence of ink-filled sacs in the body chamber region of the conch. Additionally, eight fragmented and flattened phragmocones and body-chamber clusters with similar morphologies, including some with ink fragments and arm hooks, are assigned to the Coleoidea, but are not named because of their fragmentary condition. On most of the eight specimens, the shell material is associated with other unidentified finely macerated material, which suggests these fossils are probably either ejectoid masses or coprolites from coleoid predators and/or scavengers. However, the new genera named above appear to have been deposited as complete animals, based on the presence of the ink-filled sacs that are in the body chambers. With their body chamber and phragmocone morphologies, these rare coleoid taxa provide valuable information about conch variability within the Carboniferous evolutionary radiation of coleoids.
Microcleidus melusinae, a new plesiosaurian (Reptilia, Plesiosauria) from the Toarcian of Luxembourg
Authors: VINCENT PEGGY , WEIS ROBERT , KRONZ GUY , DELSATE DOMINIQUE
Published: October 2017

Most of the known and most-complete Early Jurassic specimens of plesiosaurians were recovered from the United Kingdom and Germany, and few specimens from that age originate from other areas in Europe. This study describes a new plesiosaurian taxon from Toarcian deposits of Luxembourg,Microcleidus melusinae, represented by the most complete skeleton ever discovered from this country. A preliminary phylogenetic analysis placesMicrocleidus melusinaewithin Microcleididae, as a sister taxon of the species previously included in the genusMicrocleidus. The new specimen studied here contributes to our understanding of the palaeodiversity of Early Jurassic plesiosaurians and confirms their high degree of ‘endemism’ and low morphological disparity.
NORM OF THE HILBERT MATRIX OPERATOR ON THE WEIGHTED BERGMAN SPACES
Authors: KARAPETROVIĆ BOBAN
Published: October 2017

We find the lower bound for the norm of the Hilbert matrix operator H on the weighted Bergman space Ap,α
\begin{equation*}
\|H\|_{A^{p,\alpha}\rightarrow A^{p,\alpha}}\geq\frac{\pi}{\sin{\frac{(\alpha+2)\pi}{p}}}, \,\, \textnormal{for} \,\, 1<\alpha+2<p.
\end{equation*}
We show that if 4 ≤ 2(α + 2) ≤ p, then ∥H∥Ap,α → Ap,α = $\frac{\pi}{\sin{\frac{(\alpha+2)\pi}{p}}}$, while if 2 ≤ α +2 < p < 2(α+2), upper bound for the norm ∥H∥Ap,α → Ap,α, better then known, is obtained.
Once a poor pitch singer, always a poor pitch singer? A bottom up study of factors that may support singing development
Authors: Turøy Anne Kristine Wallace
Published: October 2017

Approximately 10% of students have singing difficulties appearing as poor pitch singing. During the period 2012 to 2014, I assessed 2390 recordings from 239 students. 25 students were graded below C, and thus were defined as poor pitch singers (PPS). However, these students showed varying patterns of mastery within their own portfolios of recordings. This raised the initial research question: Are there features within the musical material itself that can explain the varying degrees of mastery? The best and the weakest performances of the PPS were analyzed in terms of musical structures and lyrics. Features of the singing repertoire, self-concept and practice appear to influence singing development with PPS.
Haken spheres for genus two Heegaard splittings
Authors: CHO SANGBUM , KODA YUYA
Published: October 2017

A manifold which admits a reducible genus-2 Heegaard splitting is one of the 3-sphere, S2 × S1, lens spaces or their connected sums. For each of those splittings, the complex of Haken spheres is defined. When the manifold is the 3-sphere, S2 × S1 or a connected sum whose summands are lens spaces or S2 × S1, the combinatorial structure of the complex has been studied by several authors. In particular, it was shown that those complexes are all contractible. In this work, we study the remaining cases, that is, when the manifolds are lens spaces. We give a precise description of each of the complexes for the genus-2 Heegaard splittings of lens spaces. A remarkable fact is that the complexes for most lens spaces are not contractible and even not connected.
Building a Modern City: Legacies of Residential Development and Architectural Adaptation in Colonial Hong Kong
Authors: LAU LEUNG KWOK PRUDENCE
Published: October 2017

This article focuses on the relationship between property developers and architects in colonial Hong Kong in the 1920s to 1930s, identifying a successful collaboration within the architectural development company, the Crédit Foncier d'Extrême-Orient (CFEO). Benefiting from new plots of land made available on the Kowloon Peninsula and the opportunity to plan new neighbourhoods for both Western and Chinese clientele, the directors of CFEO negotiated with their in-house architects regarding land speculation and residential typology preferences while targeting the middle-class market. The company's demolished buildings left a crucial gap in the urban history of Hong Kong and China's treaty ports only recently uncovered through archival research by the author. Drawing upon in-depth primary data research and interviews with the architects’ descendants, this article probes into early twentieth-century residential development in Hong Kong, revealing how certain Western entrepreneurs and architects experimented with unique adaptations of architectural typologies suited to the local environment in the Chinese urban landscape.
RECASTING BOURGEOIS PSYCHOANALYSIS: EDUCATION, AUTHORITY, AND THE POLITICS OF ANALYTIC THERAPY IN THE FREUDIAN REVISION OF 1918
Authors: HENRY PHILLIP J.
Published: October 2017

This article looks at Sigmund Freud's attempt to rethink psychoanalytic therapy at the close of the Great War. By profoundly undermining a liberal world order and dramatically eroding the material security and social prestige of the educated middle class (Bildungsbürgertum) to which Freud belonged, the war unsettled the social politics of classical analytic therapy. Simultaneously, the treatment of the war neuroses by psychoanalysts appeared to invert the liberal principles around which the procedure of psychoanalysis was developed by placing the analyst in a fundamentally disciplinary relationship vis-à-vis the patient. In response to these threats to the identity of psychoanalysis, Freud undertook a far-reaching renegotiation of the politics of analytic therapy in his address, titled “The Paths of Psychoanalytic Therapy,” to the Fifth International Psychoanalytic Congress in the last months of the war. His attempt to mediate the contradictions exposed by the war gave rise to a vision of a postclassical psychoanalysis for a mass democratic age.
Circulation: reflections on circularity, entity, and liquidity in the language of global history
Authors: Gänger Stefanie
Published: October 2017

‘Circulation’ is not only among the most widely used words in the language of global history; it is also among the most erratically employed. Amorphous in its usages and protean in its semantics, ‘circulation’ has come to describe any sort of movement: from circular movement and passage along the vessels of closed systems to, paradoxically, open-ended, unidirectional dissemination. This article asks how ‘circulation’ became prominent metaphorically in global history; it seeks to understand the word’s appeal and the consequences of its ascendancy. It argues that the popularity of ‘circulation’ is attributable to a merger of two of its qualities: its seeming ‘untainted-ness’ and openness, on the one hand, and on the other, how its older, medical and economic, meanings resonate in its usages, allowing it to convey a sense of entity (independent existence) for the terrain in which ‘circulation’ occurs, and a sense of directedness, self-reliance, and ‘liquidity’ for the movements it describes.
Wenn die Blase drängt: Neue therapeutische Möglichkeiten
Authors: Bywater Mirjam , Kessler Thomas M.
Published: October 2017

Zusammenfassung. Die überaktive Harnblase ist definiert durch einen imperativen Harndrang mit oder ohne Drang-Inkontinenz und ist meist assoziiert mit einer Pollakisurie am Tag und in der Nacht, ohne dass ein Harnwegsinfekt oder eine andere offensichtliche Pathologie zugrunde liegt. Die Prävalenz der überaktiven Harnblase beträgt ab dem 40sten Lebensjahr ca. 17% und nimmt mit steigendem Alter zu. Die damit verbundenen Gesundheitskosten sind enorm. Meist ist die Lebensqualität erheblich eingeschränkt und oft führt die Standard-Therapie mit Antimuskarinika/Beta3-Adrenozeptor-Agonisten zu keiner relevanten Beschwerdebesserung. Doch es gibt neue therapeutische Möglichkeiten: Mit neuromodulativen Verfahren (wie der transkutanen elektrischen Nervenstimulation, der transkutanen oder perkutanen tibialen Nervenstimulation oder der sakralen Neuromodulation) oder Onabotulinumtoxin A-Injektionen in den Detrusor kann auch in aussichtslos scheinenden Situationen oft eine erstaunliche Wirkung erzielt werden.
Psychological Distance Cues in Online Messages
Authors: Sungur Hande , van Koningsbruggen Guido M. , Hartmann Tilo
Published: October 2017

Abstract. Growing evidence reveals that people rely on heuristic cues when processing online information. The current research, by adopting a construal level theory approach, examined whether psychological distance cues within online messages influence message processing. According to construal level theory, spatial and hypothetical distances (i.e., probabilities, likelihoods) share an association based on psychological distance. Construal level literature suggests that people overgeneralize this association and attribute unlikely events to distant places and likely events to close-by places. The current research provides a novel test of this relationship in an online communication setting. In two within-subjects experiments (Studies 1 and 2), we presented participants tweets depicting likely and unlikely events, and measured whether they attribute them to spatially close or far sources. Confirming our predictions, participants utilized the psychological distance cues and attributed the likely tweets to spatially close and the unlikely tweets to spatially far sources. In two follow-up experiments, we tested the same relationship by employing between-subjects designs. In Study 3 where participants saw one spatial distance and both likely and unlikely tweets, participants formed the same association albeit less strongly and attributed the unlikely tweets to spatially distant sources. In Study 4, where participants saw two spatial distances and only one tweet, the expected association was not formed. Findings suggest that comparison of likelihood information is necessary to form an association between source location and tweet likelihood. The implications of psychological distance and a construal level theory approach are discussed in the context of online heuristics and persuasion.
Coping and Mindfulness
Authors: Ataşalar Jale , Michou Aikaterini
Published: October 2017

Abstract. Problematic Internet use (PIU) has been posited as the negative outcome of unmet psychological needs in real life. The present study, relying on the cognitive-behavioral model of PIU ( Brand, Young, & Laier, 2014 ; Davis, 2001 ) and self-determination theory ( Deci & Ryan, 2000 ), investigated the extent to which coping strategies in aversive situations and mindfulness during Internet use serve as mediating mechanisms in the relation between need satisfaction and generalized PIU (GPIU; dependency on multiple functions of the Internet). Path analysis on a sample of 165 Turkish early adolescents ( Mage = 12.88, SD = .83; 49.1% females) found that need satisfaction was negatively related to PIU via low avoidant coping and high mindfulness in Internet engagement. The findings support the pathways from disadvantageous social context to GPIU suggested by Brand and colleagues’ (2014) model of GPIU and additionally show that next to avoidant coping, online mindfulness, an indicator of loss of cognitive control, can be a proximal correlate of GPIU. Interventions for adolescents’ harmonious Internet use could focus, among others, on adolescents’ need satisfaction, awareness of coping strategies, and development of online mindfulness.
Single-cell mass cytometry and transcriptome profiling reveal the impact of graphene on human immune cells
Authors: Orecchioni Marco , Bedognetti Davide , Newman Leon , Fuoco Claudia , Spada Filomena , Hendrickx Wouter , Marincola Francesco M. , Sgarrella Francesco , Rodrigues Artur Filipe , Ménard-Moyon Cécilia , Cesareni Gianni , Kostarelos Kostas , Bianco Alberto , Delogu Lucia G
Published: October 2017

Understanding the biomolecular interactions between graphene and human immune cells is a prerequisite for its utilization as a diagnostic or therapeutic tool. To characterize the complex interactions between graphene and immune cells, we propose an integrative analytical pipeline encompassing the evaluation of molecular and cellular parameters. Herein, we use single-cell mass cytometry to dissect the effects of graphene oxide (GO) and GO functionalized with amino groups (GONH2) on 15 immune cell populations, interrogating 30 markers at the single-cell level. Next, the integration of single-cell mass cytometry with genome-wide transcriptome analysis shows that the amine groups reduce the perturbations caused by GO on cell metabolism and increase biocompatibility. Moreover, GONH2 polarizes T-cell and monocyte activation toward a T helper-1/M1 immune response. This study describes an innovative approach for the analysis of the effects of nanomaterials on distinct immune cells, laying the foundation for the incorporation of single-cell mass cytometry on the experimental pipeline.
Chiral transcription in self-assembled tetrahedral Eu4L6 chiral cages displaying sizable circularly polarized luminescence
Authors: Yeung Chi-Tung , Yim King-Him , Wong Ho-Yin , Pal Robert , Lo Wai-Sum , Yan Siu-Cheong , Yee-Man Wong Melody , Yufit Dmitry , Smiles Danil E. , McCormick Laura J. , Teat Simon J. , Shuh David K. , Wong Wing-Tak , Law Ga-Lai
Published: October 2017

Predictable stereoselective formation of supramolecular assembly is generally believed to be an important but complicated process. Here, we show that point chirality of a ligand decisively influences its supramolecular assembly behavior. We designed three closely related chiral ligands with different point chiralities, and observe their self-assembly into europium (Eu) tetrametallic tetrahedral cages. One ligand exhibits a highly diastereoselective assembly into homochiral (either ΔΔΔΔ or ΛΛΛΛ) Eu tetrahedral cages whereas the two other ligands, with two different approaches of loosened point chirality, lead to a significant breakdown of the diastereoselectivity to generate a mixture of (ΔΔΔΔ and ΛΛΛΛ) isomers. The cages are highly emissive (luminescence quantum yields of 16(1) to 18(1)%) and exhibit impressive circularly polarized luminescence properties (|glum|: up to 0.16). With in-depth studies, we present an example that correlates the nonlinear enhancement of the chiroptical response to the nonlinearity dependence on point chirality.
αv integrins on mesenchymal cells regulate skeletal and cardiac muscle fibrosis
Authors: Murray I. R. , Gonzalez Z. N. , Baily J. , Dobie R. , Wallace R. J. , Mackinnon A. C. , Smith J. R. , Greenhalgh S. N. , Thompson A. I. , Conroy K. P. , Griggs D. W. , Ruminski P. G. , Gray G. A. , Singh M. , Campbell M. A. , Kendall T. J. , Dai J. , Li Y. , Iredale J. P. , Simpson H. , Huard J. , Péault B. , Henderson N. C.
Published: October 2017

Mesenchymal cells expressing platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRβ) are known to be important in fibrosis of organs such as the liver and kidney. Here we show that PDGFRβ+ cells contribute to skeletal muscle and cardiac fibrosis via a mechanism that depends on αv integrins. Mice in which αv integrin is depleted in PDGFRβ+ cells are protected from cardiotoxin and laceration-induced skeletal muscle fibrosis and angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibrosis. In addition, a small-molecule inhibitor of αv integrins attenuates fibrosis, even when pre-established, in both skeletal and cardiac muscle, and improves skeletal muscle function. αv integrin blockade also reduces TGFβ activation in primary human skeletal muscle and cardiac PDGFRβ+ cells, suggesting that αv integrin inhibitors may be effective for the treatment and prevention of a broad range of muscle fibroses.
Functional reconstruction of a eukaryotic-like E1/E2/(RING) E3 ubiquitylation cascade from an uncultured archaeon
Authors: Hennell James Rory , Caceres Eva F. , Escasinas Alex , Alhasan Haya , Howard Julie A. , Deery Michael J. , Ettema Thijs J. G. , Robinson Nicholas P.
Published: October 2017

The covalent modification of protein substrates by ubiquitin regulates a diverse range of critical biological functions. Although it has been established that ubiquitin-like modifiers evolved from prokaryotic sulphur transfer proteins it is less clear how complex eukaryotic ubiquitylation system arose and diversified from these prokaryotic antecedents. The discovery of ubiquitin, E1-like, E2-like and small-RING finger (srfp) protein components in the Aigarchaeota and the Asgard archaea superphyla has provided a substantive step toward addressing this evolutionary question. Encoded in operons, these components are likely representative of the progenitor apparatus that founded the modern eukaryotic ubiquitin modification systems. Here we report that these proteins from the archaeon Candidatus ‘Caldiarchaeum subterraneum’ operate together as a bona fide ubiquitin modification system, mediating a sequential ubiquitylation cascade reminiscent of the eukaryotic process. Our observations support the hypothesis that complex eukaryotic ubiquitylation signalling pathways have developed from compact systems originally inherited from an archaeal ancestor.
DNA N6-methyladenine is dynamically regulated in the mouse brain following environmental stress
Authors: Yao Bing , Cheng Ying , Wang Zhiqin , Li Yujing , Chen Li , Huang Luoxiu , Zhang Wenxin , Chen Dahua , Wu Hao , Tang Beisha , Jin Peng
Published: October 2017

Chemical modifications on DNA molecules, such as 5-methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, play important roles in the mammalian brain. A novel DNA adenine modification, N(6)-methyladenine (6mA), has recently been found in mammalian cells. However, the presence and function(s) of 6mA in the mammalian brain remain unclear. Here we demonstrate 6mA dynamics in the mouse brain in response to environmental stress. We find that overall 6mA levels are significantly elevated upon stress. Genome-wide 6mA and transcriptome profiling reveal an inverse association between 6mA dynamic changes and a set of upregulated neuronal genes or downregulated LINE transposon expression. Genes bearing stress-induced 6mA changes significantly overlap with loci associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. These results suggest an epigenetic role for 6mA in the mammalian brain as well as its potential involvement in neuropsychiatric disorders.
Recycled iron fuels new production in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean
Authors: Rafter Patrick A. , Sigman Daniel M. , Mackey Katherine R. M.
Published: October 2017

Nitrate persists in eastern equatorial Pacific surface waters because phytoplankton growth fueled by nitrate (new production) is limited by iron. Nitrate isotope measurements provide a new constraint on the controls of surface nitrate concentration in this region and allow us to quantify the degree and temporal variability of nitrate consumption. Here we show that nitrate consumption in these waters cannot be fueled solely by the external supply of iron to these waters, which occurs by upwelling and dust deposition. Rather, a substantial fraction of nitrate consumption must be supported by the recycling of iron within surface waters. Given plausible iron recycling rates, seasonal variability in nitrate concentration on and off the equator can be explained by upwelling rate, with slower upwelling allowing for more cycles of iron regeneration and uptake. The efficiency of iron recycling in the equatorial Pacific implies the evolution of ecosystem-level mechanisms for retaining iron in surface ocean settings where it limits productivity.
Fine-tuning of auxin homeostasis governs the transition from floral stem cell maintenance to gynoecium formation
Authors: Yamaguchi Nobutoshi , Huang Jiangbo , Xu Yifeng , Tanoi Keitaro , Ito Toshiro
Published: October 2017

To ensure successful plant reproduction and crop production, the spatial and temporal control of the termination of the floral meristem must be coordinated. In Arabidopsis, the timing of this termination is determined by AGAMOUS (AG). Following its termination, the floral meristem underdoes gynoecium formation. A direct target of AG, CRABS CLAW (CRC), is involved in both floral meristem determinacy and gynoecium development. However, how floral meristem termination is coordinated with gynoecium formation is not understood. Here, we identify a mechanistic link between floral meristem termination and gynoecium development through fine-tuning of auxin homeostasis by CRC. CRC controls auxin homeostasis in the medial region of the developing gynoecium to generate proper auxin maxima. This regulation partially occurs via direct transcriptional repression of TORNADO2 (TRN2) by CRC. Plasma membrane-localized TRN2 modulates auxin homeostasis. We propose a model describing how regulation of auxin homeostasis mediates the transition from floral meristem termination to gynoecium development.
Identification of functional tetramolecular RNA G-quadruplexes derived from transfer RNAs
Authors: Lyons Shawn M. , Gudanis Dorota , Coyne Steven M. , Gdaniec Zofia , Ivanov Pavel
Published: October 2017

RNA G-quadruplex (RG4) structures are involved in multiple biological processes. Recent genome-wide analyses of human mRNA transcriptome identified thousands of putative intramolecular RG4s that readily assemble in vitro but shown to be unfolded in vivo. Previously, we have shown that mature cytoplasmic tRNAs are cleaved during stress response to produce tRNA fragments that function to repress translation in vivo. Here we report that these bioactive tRNA fragments assemble into intermolecular RG4s. We provide evidence for the formation of uniquely stable tetramolecular RG4 structures consisting of five tetrad layers formed by 5ʹ-terminal oligoguanine motifs of an individual tRNA fragment. RG4 is required for functions of tRNA fragments in the regulation of mRNA translation, a critical component of cellular stress response. RG4 disruption abrogates tRNA fragments ability to trigger the formation of Stress Granules in vivo. Collectively, our data rationalize the existence of naturally occurring RG4-assembling tRNA fragments and emphasize their regulatory roles.
Elevated CO2 degassing rates prevented the return of Snowball Earth during the Phanerozoic
Authors: Mills Benjamin J. W. , Scotese Christopher R. , Walding Nicholas G. , Shields Graham A. , Lenton Timothy M.
Published: October 2017

The Cryogenian period (~720–635 Ma) is marked by extensive Snowball Earth glaciations. These have previously been linked to CO2 draw-down, but the severe cold climates of the Cryogenian have never been replicated during the Phanerozoic despite similar, and sometimes more dramatic changes to carbon sinks. Here we quantify the total CO2 input rate, both by measuring the global length of subduction zones in plate tectonic reconstructions, and by sea-level inversion. Our results indicate that degassing rates were anomalously low during the Late Neoproterozoic, roughly doubled by the Early Phanerozoic, and remained comparatively high until the Cenozoic. Our carbon cycle modelling identifies the Cryogenian as a unique period during which low surface temperature was more easily achieved, and shows that the shift towards greater CO2 input rates after the Cryogenian helped prevent severe glaciation during the Phanerozoic. Such a shift appears essential for the development of complex animal life.
The making of a miscreant: tobacco smoke and the creation of pathogen-rich biofilms
Authors: Shah Samir A. , Ganesan Sukirth M. , Varadharaj Saradhadevi , Dabdoub Shareef M. , Walters John D. , Kumar Purnima S.
Published: October 2017

We have previously reported that oral biofilms in clinically healthy smokers are pathogen-rich, and that this enrichment occurs within 24 h of biofilm formation. The present investigation aimed to identify a mechanism by which smoking creates this altered community structure. By combining in vitro microbial–mucosal interface models of commensal (consisting of Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus mitis, Actinomyces naeslundii, Neisseria mucosa and Veillonella parvula) and pathogen-rich (comprising S.oralis, S.sanguis, S.mitis, A.naeslundii, N.mucosa and V.parvula, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Filifactor alocis, Dialister pneumosintes, Selenonomas sputigena, Selenominas noxia, Catonella morbi, Parvimonas micra and Tannerella forsythia) communities with metatranscriptomics, targeted proteomics and fluorescent microscopy, we demonstrate that smoke exposure significantly downregulates essential metabolic functions within commensal biofilms, while significantly increasing expression of virulence genes, notably lipopolysaccharide (LPS), flagella and capsule synthesis. By contrast, in pathogen-rich biofilms several metabolic pathways were over-expressed in response to smoke exposure. Under smoke-rich conditions, epithelial cells mounted an early and amplified pro-inflammatory and oxidative stress response to these virulence-enhanced commensal biofilms, and a muted early response to pathogen-rich biofilms. Commensal biofilms also demonstrated early and widespread cell death. Similar results were observed when smoke-free epithelial cells were challenged with smoke-conditioned biofilms, but not vice versa. In conclusion, our data suggest that smoke-induced transcriptional shifts in commensal biofilms triggers a florid pro-inflammatory response, leading to early commensal death, which may preclude niche saturation by these beneficial organisms. The cytokine-rich, pro-oxidant, anaerobic environment sustains inflammophilic bacteria, and, in the absence of commensal antagonism, may promote the creation of pathogen-rich biofilms in smokers.
Nematic topological superconducting phase in Nb-doped Bi2Se3
Authors: Shen Junying , He Wen-Yu , Yuan Noah Fan Qi , Huang Zengle , Cho Chang-woo , Lee Seng Huat , Hor Yew San , Law Kam Tuen , Lortz Rolf
Published: October 2017

A nematic topological superconductor has an order parameter symmetry, which spontaneously breaks the crystalline symmetry in its superconducting state. This state can be observed, for example, by thermodynamic or upper critical field experiments in which a magnetic field is rotated with respect to the crystalline axes. The corresponding physical quantity then directly reflects the symmetry of the order parameter. We present a study on the superconducting upper critical field of the Nb-doped topological insulator NbxBi2Se3 for various magnetic field orientations parallel and perpendicular to the basal plane of the Bi2Se3 layers. The data were obtained by two complementary experimental techniques, magnetoresistance and DC magnetization, on three different single crystalline samples of the same batch. Both methods and all samples show with perfect agreement that the in-plane upper critical fields clearly demonstrate a two-fold symmetry that breaks the three-fold crystal symmetry. The two-fold symmetry is also found in the absolute value of the magnetization of the initial zero-field-cooled branch of the hysteresis loop and in the value of the thermodynamic contribution above the irreversibility field, but also in the irreversible properties such as the value of the characteristic irreversibility field and in the width of the hysteresis loop. This provides strong experimental evidence that Nb-doped Bi2Se3 is a nematic topological superconductor similar to the Cu- and Sr-doped Bi2Se3.
Deconstructing the traditional Japanese medicine “Kampo”: compounds, metabolites and pharmacological profile of maoto, a remedy for flu-like symptoms
Authors: Nishi Akinori , Ohbuchi Katsuya , Kushida Hirotaka , Matsumoto Takashi , Lee Keiko , Kuroki Haruo , Nabeshima Shigeki , Shimobori Chika , Komokata Nagisa , Kanno Hitomi , Tsuchiya Naoko , Zushi Makoto , Hattori Tomohisa , Yamamoto Masahiro , Kase Yoshio , Matsuoka Yukiko , Kitano Hiroaki
Published: October 2017

Pharmacological activities of the traditional Japanese herbal medicine (Kampo) are putatively mediated by complex interactions between multiple herbal compounds and host factors, which are difficult to characterize via the reductive approach of purifying major bioactive compounds and elucidating their mechanisms by conventional pharmacology. Here, we performed comprehensive compound, pharmacological and metabolomic analyses of maoto, a pharmaceutical-grade Kampo prescribed for flu-like symptoms, in normal and polyI:C-injected rats, the latter suffering from acute inflammation via Toll-like receptor 3 activation. In total, 352 chemical composition-determined compounds (CCDs) were detected in maoto extract by mass spectrometric analysis. After maoto treatment, 113 CCDs were newly detected in rat plasma. Of these CCDs, 19 were present in maoto extract, while 94 were presumed to be metabolites generated from maoto compounds or endogenous substances such as phospholipids. At the phenotypic level, maoto ameliorated the polyI:C-induced decrease in locomotor activity and body weight; however, body weight was not affected by individual maoto components in isolation. In accordance with symptom relief, maoto suppressed TNF-α and IL-1β, increased IL-10, and altered endogenous metabolites related to sympathetic activation and energy expenditure. Furthermore, maoto decreased inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes, and increased anti-inflammatory eicosapentaenoic acid and hydroxyl-eicosapentaenoic acids, suggesting that it has differential effects on eicosanoid metabolic pathways involving cyclooxygenases, lipoxygenases and cytochrome P450s. Collectively, these data indicate that extensive profiling of compounds, metabolites and pharmacological phenotypes is essential for elucidating the mechanisms of herbal medicines, whose vast array of constituents induce a wide range of changes in xenobiotic and endogenous metabolism.
Urotensin II Exerts Pressor Effects By Stimulating Renin And Aldosterone Synthase Gene Expression
Authors: Caroccia Brasilina , Menegolo Mirko , Seccia Teresa M. , Petrelli Lucia , Antonello Michele , Limena Alice , Porzionato Andrea , De Caro Raffaele , Poglitsch Marko , Rossi Gian Paolo
Published: October 2017

We investigated the in vivo pressor effects of the potent vasoconstrictor Urotensin II (UII). We randomized normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats into 4 groups that received a 7-day UII infusion (cases) or vehicle (controls). Group 1 received normal sodium intake; Group 2 underwent unilateral nephrectomy and salt loading; Group 3 received spironolactone, besides unilateral nephrectomy and salt loading; Group 4 only received spironolactone. UII raised BP transiently after a lag phase of 12-36 hours in Group 1, and progressively over the week in Group 2. Spironolactone did not affect blood pressure, but abolished both pressor effects of UII in Group 3, and left blood pressure unaffected in Group 4. UII increased by 7-fold the renal expression of renin in Group 2, increased aldosterone synthase expression in the adrenocortical zona glomerulosa, and prevented the blunting of renin expression induced by high salt. UII raises BP transiently when sodium intake and renal function are normal, but progressively in salt-loaded uninephrectomized rats. Moreover, it increases aldosterone synthase and counteracts the suppression of renin induced by salt loading. This novel action of UII in the regulation of renin and aldosterone synthesis could play a role in several clinical conditions where UII levels are up-regulated.
Large-scale DNA Barcode Library Generation for Biomolecule Identification in High-throughput Screens
Authors: Lyons Eli , Sheridan Paul , Tremmel Georg , Miyano Satoru , Sugano Sumio
Published: October 2017

High-throughput screens allow for the identification of specific biomolecules with characteristics of interest. In barcoded screens, DNA barcodes are linked to target biomolecules in a manner allowing for the target molecules making up a library to be identified by sequencing the DNA barcodes using Next Generation Sequencing. To be useful in experimental settings, the DNA barcodes in a library must satisfy certain constraints related to GC content, homopolymer length, Hamming distance, and blacklisted subsequences. Here we report a novel framework to quickly generate large-scale libraries of DNA barcodes for use in high-throughput screens. We show that our framework dramatically reduces the computation time required to generate large-scale DNA barcode libraries, compared with a naїve approach to DNA barcode library generation. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate that our framework is able to generate a library consisting of one million DNA barcodes for use in a fragment antibody phage display screening experiment. We also report generating a general purpose one billion DNA barcode library, the largest such library yet reported in literature. Our results demonstrate the value of our novel large-scale DNA barcode library generation framework for use in high-throughput screening applications.
Hallucinations in borderline personality disorder: Prevalence, characteristics and associations with comorbid symptoms and disorders
Authors: Niemantsverdriet Maria B. A. , Slotema Christina W. , Blom Jan Dirk , Franken Ingmar H. , Hoek Hans W. , Sommer Iris E. C. , van der Gaag Mark
Published: October 2017

To establish the point prevalence of hallucinations in borderline personality disorder (BPD), telephone interviews were conducted with 324 outpatients diagnosed with BPD. Then a subgroup (n = 98) was interviewed in person to investigate the co-occurrence of these phenomena with other psychotic symptoms, comorbid psychiatric disorders, prior childhood adversities, and adult life stressors. For hallucinations in general a point prevalence of 43% was found, with rates for hallucinations in separate sensory modalities ranging from 8–21%. Auditory verbal hallucinations consisted mostly of verbal abuse and were generally experienced as distressing. A significant association was found between the severity of hallucinations on the one hand, and delusions and unusual thought content on the other; this association was absent for negative symptoms and disorganization. The presence of hallucinations also correlated with the number of comorbid psychiatric disorders, and with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) specifically. Childhood emotional abuse and adult life stressors were also associated with hallucinations. The latter three associations suggest that patients with BPD might have an etiological mechanism in common with other patient/nonpatient groups who experience hallucinations. Based on these findings, we advise to treat PTSD and hallucinations when found to be present in patients with BPD.