bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Music as a Technology of Surveillance
Authors: DROTT ERIC A.
Published: July 2018

This article explores surveillance in cloud-based music streaming. Key catalysts in the transition from ownership- to access-based models of music distribution, services like Spotify, Pandora, or Deezer have positioned themselves as a means of reintegrating listeners into “digital enclosures” over which rights holders exercise greater control. Yet streaming's promise of remonetizing musical commodities demonetized by filesharing has been called into doubt by difficulties in converting users of advertising-based “freemium” services into paying subscribers. In need of alternative means of extracting value from users, streaming platforms have increasingly refashioned themselves as enterprises whose business extends beyond music-related services to encompass the collection, aggregation, and exchange of user data. In pursuing this strategy, streaming platforms place themselves in direct competition with other new media companies trading in user data. In order to distinguish themselves from such competitors, streaming platforms cast music as a particularly valuable source of data, offering privileged access to listeners’ innermost selves. But they also cast music as an ideal tracking device, accompanying individuals across a variety of social, physical and geographical spaces. In this way, the very attributes that make music so powerful a “technology of the self” facilitate its transformation into an equally powerful technology of surveillance.
Psychiatry, Violence, and the Soviet Project of Transformation: A Micro-History of the Perm΄ Psycho-Neurological School-Sanatorium
Authors: Galmarini-Kabala Maria Cristina
Published: July 2018

This article analyzes the interactions of medical experts, minor patients, and parents in a child psychiatric institution that operated in the Soviet city of Perm΄ between 1926 and 1929. Through a micro-history of this institution, the author raises questions about the nature of violence within the realm of psychiatric care, demonstrating the multidimensional flow of power within a particular institutional setting and adding complexity to our understanding of the asylum writ large. At the same time, the article engages the question of violence in Soviet society at the end of the NEP, suggesting that the historical actors involved in the Perm΄ institution used violence as a means to explain the crisis of their time.
In Defense of Native Literature: Writers’ Associations, State and the Cult of the Writer in pre-1945 Bulgaria
Authors: Gigova Irina
Published: July 2018

Looking at Bulgarian society and cultural life of the first half of the 1900s, this study scrutinizes a common belief in the high public esteem reserved for poets and writers in eastern Europe. It demonstrates that the creators of literature (and the national arts in general) occupied a precarious position in a society without a sustainable cultural market. The predicament of Bulgarian writers, however, was that of many European literati in early 1900s competing for readers’ attention with a rising mass culture. Placing Bulgarian writers in a broader interwar framework, this article explores the various non-literary strategies they pursued in affirming the public value of national literature. In the process, it suggests that the lore of “the writer as a national hero” was the deliberate work of social actors seeking to correct an unsatisfying reality and not an expression of an organic relationship between nation and writers (and intellectuals more broadly).
Building in the Shadow of Death:Monastery Construction and the Politics of Community Reconstitution in Sixteenth-Century Mexico
Authors: Crewe Ryan
Published: July 2018

Around the year 1550, an indigenoustlacuilo(painter-scribe-historian) in Tepechpan, a small altepetl north of Mexico City, narrated the tumultuous events through which he had lived. In Figure 1, we see an excerpt of this tlacuilo's contribution to the town's annals, theTira de Tepechpan, which depicts a sequence of events from 1545 to 1549. On the left, beneath the glyph for the year 1545, the tlacuilo paints a dangling corpse, its arms crossed and eyes shut, with blood spurting from the nose and mouth. Here the tlacuilo is telling us of the 1545hueycocolixtli, the “great sickness” that killed at least a third of the population, according to conservative estimates. Among the victims was Tepechpan's ruler, the crowned figure wrapped in funeral cloth above the year glyph.
Eheglück durch „Wenn“ und „Aber“?
Authors: Supke Max , Engl Joachim , Thurmaier Franz , Schulz Wolfgang , Hahlweg Kurt
Published: July 2018

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Die Qualität der partnerschaftlichen, verbalen Kommunikation ist ein entscheidender Faktor für Trennung und Scheidung. Durch Konjunktionen können Satzteile sinnvoll miteinander verknüpft und Beziehungen zwischen ihnen hergestellt werden. Fragestellung: Lässt sich anhand von in Konfliktgesprächen verwendeten Konjunktionen die Scheidungswahrscheinlichkeit und die Partnerschaftszufriedenheit von Ehepaaren nach fünf und 25 Jahren vorhersagen? Methode: Zur Untersuchung dieser Hypothesen wurden 172 Transkripte von N = 65 zufriedenen Ehepaaren linguistisch ausgewertet. Ergebnisse: Mithilfe von logistischen und linearen Regressionsmodellen konnte gezeigt werden, dass die verwendeten Konjunktionen einen signifikanten Prädiktor (Schutzfaktor) für die Vorhersage der Scheidungswahrscheinlichkeit darstellen. Zur Vorhersage der Partnerschaftszufriedenheit eigneten sie sich hingegen zu keinem der beiden Untersuchungszeitpunkte. Schlussfolgerungen: Insgesamt stellte der Konjunktionsgebrauch einen Indikator für komplexe soziale Interaktionsprozesse dar.
Matrix‐Based Sensitivity Assessment of Soil Organic Carbon Storage: A Case Study from the ORCHIDEE‐MICT Model
Authors: Huang Yuanyuan , Zhu Dan , Ciais Philippe , Guenet Bertrand , Huang Ye , Goll Daniel S. , Guimberteau Matthieu , Jornet‐Puig Albert , Lu Xingjie , Luo Yiqi
Published: July 2018

Modeling of global soil organic carbon (SOC) is accompanied by large uncertainties. The heavy computational requirement limits our flexibility in disentangling uncertainty sources especially in high latitudes. We build a structured sensitivity analyzing framework through reorganizing the Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems (ORCHIDEE)‐aMeliorated Interactions between Carbon and Temperature (MICT) model with vertically discretized SOC into one matrix equation, which brings flexibility in comprehensive sensitivity assessment. Through Sobol's method enabled by the matrix, we systematically rank 34 relevant parameters according to variance explained by each parameter and find a strong control of carbon input and turnover time on long‐term SOC storages. From further analyses for each soil layer and regional assessment, we find that the active layer depth plays a critical role in the vertical distribution of SOC and SOC equilibrium stocks in northern high latitudes (>50°N). However, the impact of active layer depth on SOC is highly interactive and nonlinear, varying across soil layers and grid cells. The stronger impact of active layer depth on SOC comes from regions with shallow active layer depth (e.g., the northernmost part of America, Asia, and some Greenland regions). The model is sensitive to the parameter that controls vertical mixing (cryoturbation rate) but only when the vertical carbon input from vegetation is limited since the effect of vertical mixing is relatively small. And the current model structure may still lack mechanisms that effectively bury nonrecalcitrant SOC. We envision a future with more comprehensive model intercomparisons and assessments with an ensemble of land carbon models adopting the matrix‐based sensitivity framework.
Nitrate Isotope Distribution in the Subarctic and Subtropical North Pacific
Authors: Yoshikawa Chisato , Makabe Akiko , Matsui Yohei , Nunoura Takuro , Ohkouchi Naohiko
Published: July 2018

Nitrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions of nitrate (δ15NNitrate and δ18ONitrate) were determined along 47°N in the subarctic North Pacific and 149°E in the western North Pacific. In the western subarctic gyre, known as a high‐nutrient, low‐chlorophyll region, the δ15NNitrate and the differences between δ15NNitrate and δ18ONitrate (herein Δ(15–18)) in the intermediate water were significantly lower than in the surrounding area. The 15N‐depleted nitrate was generated by nitrified nitrate from the remineralization of organic matter produced by the partial consumption of the surface nitrate pool. Between the western subarctic gyre and the Alaskan gyre, there was a 0.2‰ increase in δ15NNitrate and a 0.3‰ increase in Δ(15–18) in the intermediate water associated with a 7.2‐μM decrease in the nitrate concentration at the surface. Assuming Rayleigh distillation kinetics, the increase in utilization of the surface nitrate pool between the western subarctic gyre and the Alaskan gyre (from 29% to 85%) corresponds to a change in δ15N of organic matter from 2.6‰ to 4.9‰. The 15N enrichment of intermediate nitrate toward the east resulted from the increase in utilization. Moreover, the 15N‐depleted nitrate in the mixed‐layer water of the western subtropical gyre was affected by N2 fixation in the Kuroshio water, whereas the 15N‐enriched nitrate in the intermediate water at the western margin of North America was affected by water column denitrification. The δ15N sediment record in the western subarctic North Pacific likely reflects past changes in the high‐nutrient, low‐chlorophyll region but may also be controlled by water column denitrification and N2 fixation.
Wave Evolution in Off‐Ice Wind Conditions
Authors: Gemmrich Johannes , Rogers W. Erick , Thomson Jim , Lehner Susanne
Published: July 2018

The reduction of the sea ice coverage increases the importance of wind waves in the Arctic. Updates to the standard spectral wave models in recent years have included many aspects of wave‐ice interaction. Here we use high‐resolution wave parameters retrieved from TerraSAR‐X images and in situ SWIFT buoy observations to evaluate the performance of WAVEWATCH III® in ice‐free waters in the western Arctic over a 7‐week period including the fall freeze‐up. About two thirds of the analyzed data sets show a good agreement between observations and model results. In other cases, more accurate representation of the wind input fields and the ice coverage could improve the model predictions. Two data sets with larger discrepancy are discussed in more detail. In these two cases of low model skill, with off‐ice wind conditions, we show that the model wind‐sea growth is too weak to match TerraSAR‐X observations, and this situation is improved only slightly by including the effects of atmospheric stability using existing methods. Application of an effective fetch parameterization, which allows for reduced wave generation within the marginal ice zone prior to the open ocean, provides the best estimation of wave growth during off‐ice winds.
The Polygonal Surface Structures in the Dalangtan Playa, Qaidam Basin, NW China: Controlling Factors for Their Formation and Implications for Analogous Martian Landforms
Authors: Dang Y. N. , Xiao L. , Xu Y. , Zhang F. , Huang J. , Wang J. , Zhao J. N. , Komatsu G. , Yue Z.
Published: July 2018

Abundant polygonal surface structure (PSS) landforms within the Qaidam Basin, Tibetan Plateau, northwestern China, are considered to be excellent analogues for the PSSs on Mars. In this study, we have carried out fieldwork in the Dalangtan Playa, a large dried salt lake in the northwestern Qaidam Basin, complemented with laboratory analyses of collected samples. Our study shows that (1) the playa PSSs can be divided into three groups: small (<10 m), medium (10–100 m), and large (>100 m) according to their sizes; (2) the samples collected from the PSSs are dominated by halite (mostly >50 wt %), followed by feldspar (mostly ~20 wt %), quartz, and minor clays; (3) illite‐ and chlorite‐dominated clay minerals are detected in nearly all medium‐ to large‐sized PSS regions; the average halite content of small‐sized PSSs is higher than that of larger PSSs; (4) most small‐sized PSSs are distributed on the flat playa floors, while larger PSSs tend to occur at the edge of the Dalangtan Playa with higher elevations. The topography within the Dalangtan Playa controls different mineralogical precipitation primarily due to evaporation processes. Thus, correlations of the size‐dependent PSS occurrences and elevations seem to indicate that the PSS formation is strongly influenced by the mineralogy. The geomorphological similarity of these PSSs and their counterparts on Mars indicates that the Martian PSSs likely formed as a result of environmental change from wet to dryer condition, and it also suggests that there are similar controlling factors responsible for the PSS formation on Mars.
Nintedanib decreases muscle fibrosis and improves muscle function in a murine model of dystrophinopathy
Authors: Piñol-Jurado Patricia , Suárez-Calvet Xavier , Fernández-Simón Esther , Gallardo Eduard , de la Oliva Natalia , Martínez-Muriana Anna , Gómez-Gálvez Pedro , Escudero Luis M. , Pérez-Peiró María , Wollin Lutz , de Luna Noemi , Navarro Xavier , Illa Isabel , Díaz-Manera Jordi
Published: July 2018

Duchenne muscle dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness. Dystrophin deficiency induces instability of the sarcolemma during muscle contraction that leads to muscle necrosis and replacement of muscle by fibro-adipose tissue. Several therapies have been developed to counteract the fibrotic process. We report the effects of nintedanib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in the mdx murine model of DMD. Nintedanib reduced proliferation and migration of human fibroblasts in vitro and decreased the expression of fibrotic genes such as COL1A1, COL3A1, FN1, TGFB1, and PDGFA. We treated seven mdx mice with 60 mg/kg/day nintedanib for 1 month. Electrophysiological studies showed an increase in the amplitude of the motor action potentials and an improvement of the morphology of motor unit potentials in the animals treated. Histological studies demonstrated a significant reduction of the fibrotic areas present in the skeletal muscles. Analysis of mRNA expression from muscles of treated mice showed a reduction in Col1a1, Col3a1, Tgfb1, and Pdgfa. Western blot showed a reduction in the expression of collagen I in skeletal muscles. In conclusion, nintedanib reduced the fibrotic process in a murine model of dystrophinopathy after 1 month of treatment, suggesting its potential use as a therapeutic drug in DMD patients.
A novel small-molecule activator of Sirtuin-1 induces autophagic cell death/mitophagy as a potential therapeutic strategy in glioblastoma
Authors: Yao Zhi-qiang , Zhang Xin , Zhen Yongqi , He Xu-Ying , Zhao Shuangmei , Li Xi-Feng , Yang Bo , Gao Feng , Guo Fu-You , Fu Leilei , Liu Xian-Zhi , Duan Chuan-Zhi
Published: July 2018

Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1), the mammalian ortholog of yeast Sir2p, is well known to be a highly conserved NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase that has been emerging as a key cancer target. Autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved, multi-step lysosomal degradation process, has been implicated in cancer. Accumulating evidence has recently revealed that SIRT1 may act as a tumor suppressor in several types of cancer, and thus activating SIRT1 would represent a possible therapeutic strategy. Thus, in our study, we identified that SIRT1 was a key prognostic factor in brain cancer based upon The Cancer Genome Atlas and tissue microarray analyses. Subsequently, we screened a series of potential small-molecule activators of SIRT1 from Drugbank, and found the best candidate compound F0911-7667 (hereafter, named Comp 5), which showed a good deacetylase activity for SIRT1 rather than other Sirtuins. In addition, we demonstrated that Comp 5-induced autophagic cell death via the AMPK-mTOR-ULK complex in U87MG and T98G cells. Interestingly, Comp 5-induced mitophagy by the SIRT1–PINK1–Parkin pathway. Further iTRAQ-based proteomics analyses revealed that Comp 5 could induce autophagy/mitophagy by downregulating 14-3-3γ, catalase, profilin-1, and HSP90α. Moreover, we showed that Comp 5 had a therapeutic potential on glioblastoma (GBM) and induced autophagy/mitophagy by activating SIRT1 in vivo. Together, these results demonstrate a novel small-molecule activator of SIRT1 that induces autophagic cell death/mitophagy in GBM cells, which would be utilized to exploit this compound as a leading drug for future cancer therapy.
MicroRNA-21 prevents excessive inflammation and cardiac dysfunction after myocardial infarction through targeting KBTBD7
Authors: Yang Linshan , Wang Bo , Zhou Qingqing , Wang Yiru , Liu Xingguang , Liu Zhongmin , Zhan Zhenzhen
Published: July 2018

The excessive inflammation triggered by damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) after myocardial infarction (MI) is responsible for the development of cardiac dysfunction and adverse remodeling, while the mechanisms by which inflammation is fine tuned remain to be fully elucidated. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) has been shown to function in cardiovascular diseases, while its role in inflammatory responses and cardiac function post MI in mice remains unknown. Here, we found that miR-21 expression was markedly increased in border and infarct areas of cardiac tissues during the early inflammatory phase of MI model established by ligating the left-anterior descending coronary artery. MiR-21 knockout mice had decreased survival rates, worse cardiac dysfunction, and increased infarct and scar areas after MI compared with WT mice. MiR-21 knockout mice showed significantly higher levels of inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in cardiac tissues, as well as infiltration of CD11b+ monocytes/macrophages with higher expression level of inflammatory cytokines. MI induced the great release of high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) and heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) in cardiac tissue. MiR-21 deficiency significantly promoted the inflammatory cytokine production triggered by DAMPs in macrophages, whereas, miR-21 overexpression markedly inhibited the inflammatory cytokine production. Mechanistically, miR-21 deficiency enhanced p38 and NF-κB signaling activation in cardiac tissue post MI and macrophages treated with DAMPs. MiR-21 was found to directly target kelch repeat and BTB (POZ) domain containing 7 (KBTBD7), which promoted DAMP-triggered inflammatory responses in macrophages. Furthermore, KBTBD7 interacted with MKK3/6 and promoted their activation, which in turn enhanced the activation of downstream p38 and NF-κB signaling induced by DAMPs. Therefore, our findings demonstrate that miR-21 attenuates inflammation, cardiac dysfunction, and maladaptive remodeling post MI through targeting KBTBD7 and inhibiting p38 and NF-κB signaling activation, suggesting that miR-21 may function as a novel potential therapeutic target for MI.
Regulation and biological role of the peptide/histidine transporter SLC15A3 in Toll-like receptor-mediated inflammatory responses in macrophage
Authors: Song Feifeng , Yi Yaodong , Li Cui , Hu Yongjun , Wang Jinhai , Smith David E. , Jiang Huidi
Published: July 2018

The peptide/histidine transporter SLC15A3 is responsible for transporting histidine, certain dipeptide and peptidomimetics from inside the lysosome to cytosol. Previous studies have indicated that SLC15A3 transcripts are mainly expressed in the lymphatic system, however, its regulation and biological role in innate immune responses and inflammatory diseases are as yet unknown. In this study, mouse peritoneal macrophages (PMs), mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs), the human acute monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1 and the human lung epithelial carcinoma cell line A549 were used to investigate the regulation and biological role of SLC15A3 in TLR-mediated inflammatory responses. Our results showed that SLC15A3 was upregulated by TLR2, TLR4, TLR7 and TLR9 ligands in macrophages at both the mRNA and protein levels via activation of NF-κB (nuclear factor-kappa-B), MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) and IRF3 (interferon regulatory factor 3). Furthermore, knockdown or overexpression of SLC15A3 influenced the TLR4-triggered expression of proinflammatory cytokines. A reporter gene assay showed that the SLC15A3 promotor contained potential NF-κB binding sites, which were reasonable for regulating SLC15A3 by TLR-activation through NF-κB signaling. Additionally, SLC15A3 expression was increased and positively related to inflammation in mice with bacterial peritonitis. The collective findings suggest that SLC15A3 is regulated by various TLRs, and that it plays an important role in regulating TLR4-mediated inflammatory responses.
Intravital imaging-based analysis tools for vessel identification and assessment of concurrent dynamic vascular events
Authors: Honkura Naoki , Richards Mark , Laviña Bàrbara , Sáinz-Jaspeado Miguel , Betsholtz Christer , Claesson-Welsh Lena
Published: July 2018

The vasculature undergoes changes in diameter, permeability and blood flow in response to specific stimuli. The dynamics and interdependence of these responses in different vessels are largely unknown. Here we report a non-invasive technique to study dynamic events in different vessel categories by multi-photon microscopy and an image analysis tool, RVDM (relative velocity, direction, and morphology) allowing the identification of vessel categories by their red blood cell (RBC) parameters. Moreover, Claudin5 promoter-driven green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression is used to distinguish capillary subtypes. Intradermal injection of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) is shown to induce leakage of circulating dextran, with vessel-type-dependent kinetics, from capillaries and venules devoid of GFP expression. VEGFA-induced leakage in capillaries coincides with vessel dilation and reduced flow velocity. Thus, intravital imaging of non-invasive stimulation combined with RVDM analysis allows for recording and quantification of very rapid events in the vasculature.
Act1 is a negative regulator in T and B cells via direct inhibition of STAT3
Authors: Zhang Cun-Jin , Wang Chenhui , Jiang Meiling , Gu Chunfang , Xiao Jianxin , Chen Xing , Martin Bradley N. , Tang Fangqiang , Yamamoto Erin , Xian Yibo , Wang Han , Li Fengling , Sartor R. Balfour , Smith Howard , Husni M. Elaine , Shi Fu-Dong , Gao Ji , Carman Julie , Dongre Ashok , McKarns Susan C. , Coppieters Ken , Jørgensen Trine N. , Leonard Warren J. , Li Xiaoxia
Published: July 2018

Although Act1 (adaptor for IL-17 receptors) is necessary for IL-17-mediated inflammatory responses, Act1- (but not Il17ra-, Il17rc-, or Il17rb-) deficient mice develop spontaneous SLE- and Sjögren’s-like diseases. Here, we show that Act1 functions as a negative regulator in T and B cells via direct inhibition of STAT3. Mass spectrometry analysis detected an Act1–STAT3 complex, deficiency of Act1 (but not Il17ra-, Il17rc-, or Il17rb) results in hyper IL-23- and IL-21-induced STAT3 activation in T and B cells, respectively. IL-23R deletion or blockade of IL-21 ameliorates SLE- and Sjögren’s-like diseases in Act1−/− mice. Act1 deficiency results in hyperactivated follicular Th17 cells with elevated IL-21 expression, which promotes T–B cell interaction for B cell expansion and antibody production. Moreover, anti-IL-21 ameliorates the SLE- and Sjögren’s-like diseases in Act1-deficient mice. Thus, IL-21 blocking antibody might be an effective therapy for treating SLE- and Sjögren’s-like syndrome in patients containing Act1 mutation.
The prescience of paleoclimatology and the future of the Antarctic ice sheet
Authors: Steig Eric J. , Neff Peter D.
Published: July 2018

The emerging view that the West Antarctic ice sheet is in the early stage of collapse owes as much to paleoclimatology as to contemporary observations.
Mutant ASXL1 cooperates with BAP1 to promote myeloid leukaemogenesis
Authors: Asada Shuhei , Goyama Susumu , Inoue Daichi , Shikata Shiori , Takeda Reina , Fukushima Tsuyoshi , Yonezawa Taishi , Fujino Takeshi , Hayashi Yasutaka , Kawabata Kimihito Cojin , Fukuyama Tomofusa , Tanaka Yosuke , Yokoyama Akihiko , Yamazaki Satoshi , Kozuka-Hata Hiroko , Oyama Masaaki , Kojima Shinya , Kawazu Masahito , Mano Hiroyuki , Kitamura Toshio
Published: July 2018

ASXL1 mutations occur frequently in myeloid neoplasms and are associated with poor prognosis. However, the mechanisms by which mutant ASXL1 induces leukaemogenesis remain unclear. In this study, we report mutually reinforcing effects between a C-terminally truncated form of mutant ASXL1 (ASXL1-MT) and BAP1 in promoting myeloid leukaemogenesis. BAP1 expression results in increased monoubiquitination of ASXL1-MT, which in turn increases the catalytic function of BAP1. This hyperactive ASXL1-MT/BAP1 complex promotes aberrant myeloid differentiation of haematopoietic progenitor cells and accelerates RUNX1-ETO-driven leukaemogenesis. Mechanistically, this complex induces upregulation of posterior HOXA genes and IRF8 through removal of H2AK119 ubiquitination. Importantly, BAP1 depletion inhibits posterior HOXA gene expression and leukaemogenicity of ASXL1-MT-expressing myeloid leukemia cells. Furthermore, BAP1 is also required for the growth of MLL-fusion leukemia cells with posterior HOXA gene dysregulation. These data indicate that BAP1, which has long been considered a tumor suppressor, in fact plays tumor-promoting roles in myeloid neoplasms.
TCM visualizes trajectories and cell populations from single cell data
Authors: Gong Wuming , Kwak Il-Youp , Koyano-Nakagawa Naoko , Pan Wei , Garry Daniel J.
Published: July 2018

Profiling single cell gene expression data over specified time periods are increasingly applied to the study of complex developmental processes. Here, we describe a novel prototype-based dimension reduction method to visualize high throughput temporal expression data for single cell analyses. Our software preserves the global developmental trajectories over a specified time course, and it also identifies subpopulations of cells within each time point demonstrating superior visualization performance over six commonly used methods.
Self-hydrogenated shell promoting photocatalytic H2 evolution on anatase TiO2
Authors: Lu Yue , Yin Wen-Jin , Peng Kai-Lin , Wang Kuan , Hu Qi , Selloni Annabella , Chen Fu-Rong , Liu Li-Min , Sui Man-Ling
Published: July 2018

As one of the most important photocatalysts, TiO2 has triggered broad interest and intensive studies for decades. Observation of the interfacial reactions between water and TiO2 at microscopic scale can provide key insight into the mechanisms of photocatalytic processes. Currently, experimental methodologies for characterizing photocatalytic reactions of anatase TiO2 are mostly confined to water vapor or single molecule chemistry. Here, we investigate the photocatalytic reaction of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles in water using liquid environmental transmission electron microscopy. A self-hydrogenated shell is observed on the TiO2 surface before the generation of hydrogen bubbles. First-principles calculations suggest that this shell is formed through subsurface diffusion of photo-reduced water protons generated at the aqueous TiO2 interface, which promotes photocatalytic hydrogen evolution by reducing the activation barrier for H2 (H–H bond) formation. Experiments confirm that the self-hydrogenated shell contains reduced titanium ions, and its thickness can increase to several nanometers with increasing UV illuminance.
Different population dynamics in the supplementary motor area and motor cortex during reaching
Authors: Lara A. H. , Cunningham J. P. , Churchland M. M.
Published: July 2018

Neural populations perform computations through their collective activity. Different computations likely require different population-level dynamics. We leverage this assumption to examine neural responses recorded from the supplementary motor area (SMA) and motor cortex. During visually guided reaching, the respective roles of these areas remain unclear; neurons in both areas exhibit preparation-related activity and complex patterns of movement-related activity. To explore population dynamics, we employ a novel “hypothesis-guided” dimensionality reduction approach. This approach reveals commonalities but also stark differences: linear population dynamics, dominated by rotations, are prominent in motor cortex but largely absent in SMA. In motor cortex, the observed dynamics produce patterns resembling muscle activity. Conversely, the non-rotational patterns in SMA co-vary with cues regarding when movement should be initiated. Thus, while SMA and motor cortex display superficially similar single-neuron responses during visually guided reaching, their different population dynamics indicate they are likely performing quite different computations.
Molecular architecture of fungal cell walls revealed by solid-state NMR
Authors: Kang Xue , Kirui Alex , Muszyński Artur , Widanage Malitha C. Dickwella , Chen Adrian , Azadi Parastoo , Wang Ping , Mentink-Vigier Frederic , Wang Tuo
Published: July 2018

The high mortality of invasive fungal infections, and the limited number and inefficacy of antifungals necessitate the development of new agents with novel mechanisms and targets. The fungal cell wall is a promising target as it contains polysaccharides absent in humans, however, its molecular structure remains elusive. Here we report the architecture of the cell walls in the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. Solid-state NMR spectroscopy, assisted by dynamic nuclear polarization and glycosyl linkage analysis, reveals that chitin and α-1,3-glucan build a hydrophobic scaffold that is surrounded by a hydrated matrix of diversely linked β-glucans and capped by a dynamic layer of glycoproteins and α-1,3-glucan. The two-domain distribution of α-1,3-glucans signifies the dual functions of this molecule: contributing to cell wall rigidity and fungal virulence. This study provides a high-resolution model of fungal cell walls and serves as the basis for assessing drug response to promote the development of wall-targeted antifungals.
A diuranium carbide cluster stabilized inside a C80 fullerene cage
Authors: Zhang Xingxing , Li Wanlu , Feng Lai , Chen Xin , Hansen Andreas , Grimme Stefan , Fortier Skye , Sergentu Dumitru-Claudiu , Duignan Thomas J. , Autschbach Jochen , Wang Shuao , Wang Yaofeng , Velkos Giorgios , Popov Alexey A. , Aghdassi Nabi , Duhm Steffen , Li Xiaohong , Li Jun , Echegoyen Luis , Schwarz W. H. Eugen , Chen Ning
Published: July 2018

Unsupported non-bridged uranium–carbon double bonds have long been sought after in actinide chemistry as fundamental synthetic targets in the study of actinide-ligand multiple bonding. Here we report that, utilizing Ih(7)-C80 fullerenes as nanocontainers, a diuranium carbide cluster, U=C=U, has been encapsulated and stabilized in the form of UCU@Ih(7)-C80. This endohedral fullerene was prepared utilizing the Krätschmer–Huffman arc discharge method, and was then co-crystallized with nickel(II) octaethylporphyrin (NiII-OEP) to produce UCU@Ih(7)-C80·[NiII-OEP] as single crystals. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals a cage-stabilized, carbide-bridged, bent UCU cluster with unexpectedly short uranium–carbon distances (2.03 Å) indicative of covalent U=C double-bond character. The quantum-chemical results suggest that both U atoms in the UCU unit have formal oxidation state of +5. The structural features of UCU@Ih(7)-C80 and the covalent nature of the U(f1)=C double bonds were further affirmed through various spectroscopic and theoretical analyses.
Mechanically tunable conductive interpenetrating network hydrogels that mimic the elastic moduli of biological tissue
Authors: Feig Vivian R. , Tran Helen , Lee Minah , Bao Zhenan
Published: July 2018

Conductive and stretchable materials that match the elastic moduli of biological tissue (0.5–500 kPa) are desired for enhanced interfacial and mechanical stability. Compared with inorganic and dry polymeric conductors, hydrogels made with conducting polymers are promising soft electrode materials due to their high water content. Nevertheless, most conducting polymer-based hydrogels sacrifice electronic performance to obtain useful mechanical properties. Here we report a method that overcomes this limitation using two interpenetrating hydrogel networks, one of which is formed by the gelation of the conducting polymer PEDOT:PSS. Due to the connectivity of the PEDOT:PSS network, conductivities up to 23 S m−1 are achieved, a record for stretchable PEDOT:PSS-based hydrogels. Meanwhile, the low concentration of PEDOT:PSS enables orthogonal control over the composite mechanical properties using a secondary polymer network. We demonstrate tunability of the elastic modulus over three biologically relevant orders of magnitude without compromising stretchability ( > 100%) or conductivity ( > 10 S m−1).
Small near-infrared photochromic protein for photoacoustic multi-contrast imaging and detection of protein interactions in vivo
Authors: Li Lei , Shemetov Anton A. , Baloban Mikhail , Hu Peng , Zhu Liren , Shcherbakova Daria M. , Zhang Ruiying , Shi Junhui , Yao Junjie , Wang Lihong V. , Verkhusha Vladislav V.
Published: July 2018

Photoacoustic (PA) computed tomography (PACT) benefits from genetically encoded probes with photochromic behavior, which dramatically increase detection sensitivity and specificity through photoswitching and differential imaging. Starting with a DrBphP bacterial phytochrome, we have engineered a near-infrared photochromic probe, DrBphP-PCM, which is superior to the full-length RpBphP1 phytochrome previously used in differential PACT. DrBphP-PCM has a smaller size, better folding, and higher photoswitching contrast. We have imaged both DrBphP-PCM and RpBphP1 simultaneously on the basis of their unique signal decay characteristics, using a reversibly switchable single-impulse panoramic PACT (RS-SIP-PACT) with a single wavelength excitation. The simple structural organization of DrBphP-PCM allows engineering a bimolecular PA complementation reporter, a split version of DrBphP-PCM, termed DrSplit. DrSplit enables PA detection of protein–protein interactions in deep-seated mouse tumors and livers, achieving 125-µm spatial resolution and 530-cell sensitivity in vivo. The combination of RS-SIP-PACT with DrBphP-PCM and DrSplit holds great potential for noninvasive multi-contrast deep-tissue functional imaging.
Modeling gene-regulatory networks to describe cell fate transitions and predict master regulators
Authors: Cholley Pierre-Etienne , Moehlin Julien , Rohmer Alexia , Zilliox Vincent , Nicaise Samuel , Gronemeyer Hinrich , Mendoza-Parra Marco Antonio
Published: July 2018

Complex organisms originate from and are maintained by the information encoded in the genome. A major challenge of systems biology is to develop algorithms that describe the dynamic regulation of genome functions from large omics datasets. Here, we describe TETRAMER, which reconstructs gene-regulatory networks from temporal transcriptome data during cell fate transitions to predict “master” regulators by simulating cascades of temporal transcription-regulatory events.
Non-adaptive strategy selection in adults with high mathematical anxiety
Authors: Ashkenazi Sarit , Najjar Deema
Published: July 2018

Participants with mathematical anxiety (MA) tend to show particular difficulty in mathematical operations with high working memory (WM) demands compared to operations with lower WM demands. Accordingly, we examined strategy selection to test the cognitive mechanism underlying the observed weakness of high MA participants in mathematical operations with high WM demands. We compared two groups of college students with high or low MA, in the solution of simple non-carry addition problems (e.g., 54 + 63) and complex carryover addition problems (e.g., 59 + 63). The results indicated that high MA participants showed particular difficulty in the harder carry condition. Testing the strategy selection mechanism among high MA participants, we found in the carry condition 1) they used the common strategy less often compared to low MA participants and 2) employed unusual strategies more often compared to low MA participants. Therefore, high MA participants were less efficient in their strategy selection, which may be due to weaker spatial representations, numerical difficulties, or less experience solving complex problems. These primitive representations are not adaptive, and can negatively impact performance in math tasks with high WM demands.
Swimming of peritrichous bacteria is enabled by an elastohydrodynamic instability
Authors: Riley Emily E. , Das Debasish , Lauga Eric
Published: July 2018

Peritrichously-flagellated bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, self-propel in fluids by using specialised motors to rotate multiple helical filaments. The rotation of each motor is transmitted to a short flexible segment called the hook which in turn transmits it to a flagellar filament, enabling swimming of the whole cell. Since multiple motors are spatially distributed on the body of the organism, one would expect the propulsive forces from the filaments to push against each other leading to negligible swimming. We use a combination of computations and theory to show that the swimming of peritrichous bacteria is enabled by an elastohydrodynamic bending instability occurring for hooks more flexible than a critical threshold. Using past measurements of hook bending stiffness, we demonstrate how real bacteria are safely on the side of the instability that promotes systematic swimming.
The influence of ontogenetic diet variation on consumption rate estimates: a marine example
Authors: Lawson Christopher L. , Suthers Iain M. , Smith James A. , Schilling Hayden T. , Stewart John , Hughes Julian M. , Brodie Stephanie
Published: July 2018

Consumption rates are the foundation of trophic ecology, yet bioenergetics models used to estimate these rates can lack realism by not incorporating the ontogeny of diet. We constructed a bioenergetics model of a marine predatory fish (tailor, Pomatomus saltatrix) that incorporated high-resolution ontogenetic diet variation, and compared consumption estimates to those derived from typical bioenergetics models that do not consider ontogenetic diet variation. We found tailor consumption was over- or under-estimated by ~5–25% when only including the most common prey item. This error was due to a positive relationship between mean prey energy density and predator body size. Since high-resolution diet data isn’t always available, we also simulated how increasing dietary information progressively influenced consumption rate estimates. The greatest improvement in consumption rate estimates occurred when diet variation of 2–3 stanzas (1–2 juvenile stanzas, and adults) was included, with at least 5–6 most common prey types per stanza. We recommend increased emphasis on incorporating the ontogeny of diet and prey energy density in consumption rate estimates, especially for species with spatially segregated life stages or variable diets. A small-moderate increase in the resolution of dietary information can greatly benefit the accuracy of estimated consumption rates. We present a method of incorporating variable prey energy density into bioenergetics models.
Testing the feasibility of the startle-first route to deimatism
Authors: Holmes Grace G. , Delferrière Emeline , Rowe Candy , Troscianko Jolyon , Skelhorn John
Published: July 2018

Many prey species perform deimatic displays that are thought to scare or startle would-be predators, or elicit other reflexive responses that lead to attacks being delayed or abandoned. The form of these displays differs among species, but often includes prey revealing previously-hidden conspicuous visual components. The evolutionary route(s) to deimatism are poorly understood, but it has recently been suggested that the behavioural component of the displays evolves first followed by a conspicuous visual component. This is known as the “startle-first hypothesis”. Here we use an experimental system in which naïve domestic chicks forage for artificial deimatic prey to test the two key predictions of this hypothesis: (1) that movement can deter predators in the absence of conspicuously coloured display components; and, (2) that the combination of movement and conspicuously coloured display components is more effective than movement alone. We show that both these predictions hold, but only when the movement is fast. We thus provide evidence for the feasibility of ‘the startle-first hypothesis’ of the evolution of deimatism.
Novel In-situ Precipitation Process to Engineer Low Permeability Porous Composite
Authors: Varanasi Swambabu , Garusinghe Uthpala , Simon George P , Garnier Gil , Batchelor Warren
Published: July 2018

Inspired by the natural precipitation of minerals in soil and rocks, a novel, simple and industrially scalable in-situ precipitation process to produce low permeability porous composites is presented. This process relies on capillary flow in wettable porous composites to absorb and store liquid. In this process, a porous composite first absorbs a salt solution, after which the composite is dipped in a second salt solution. Salts are selected such as they react to form an insoluble precipitate. As big pores absorb more liquid than small pores, the precipitated particles are formed specifically for each pore. In this paper, precipitation of CaCO3 nanoparticles in cellulose nanofibre (CNF) films was demonstrated as an example. Precipitation of 1 wt% of CaCO3 nanoparticles in the CNF film reduced the pore volume by 50%, without changing the density. This reduced the water vapour and oxygen transmission rates by one order of magnitude to 4.7 g/m2.day and 2.7 cc/m2.day, respectively. The barrier properties of in-situ precipitated composites showed superior performance to previously reported CNF films in literature. The concept is general and of very high industrial interest as it can easily be retrofitted to current continuous industrial processes.
Fully automatic liver segmentation combining multi-dimensional graph cut with shape information in 3D CT images
Authors: Lu Xuesong , Xie Qinlan , Zha Yunfei , Wang Defeng
Published: July 2018

Liver segmentation is an essential procedure in computer-assisted surgery, radiotherapy, and volume measurement. It is still a challenging task to extract liver tissue from 3D CT images owing to nearby organs with similar intensities. In this paper, an automatic approach integrating multi-dimensional features into graph cut refinement is developed and validated. Multi-atlas segmentation is utilized to estimate the coarse shape of liver on the target image. The unsigned distance field based on initial shape is then calculated throughout the whole image, which aims at automatic graph construction during refinement procedure. Finally, multi-dimensional features and shape constraints are embedded into graph cut framework. The optimal liver region can be precisely detected with a minimal cost. The proposed technique is evaluated on 40 CT scans, obtained from two public databases Sliver07 and 3Dircadb1. The dataset Sliver07 is considered as the training set for parameter learning. On the dataset 3Dircadb1, the average of volume overlap is up to 94%. The experiment results indicate that the proposed method has ability to reach the desired boundary of liver and has potential value for clinical application.
Effect of surface and porosity of biochar on water holding capacity aiming indirectly at preservation of the Amazon biome
Authors: Batista Estela M. C. C. , Shultz Juliana , Matos Tassya T. S. , Fornari Mayara R. , Ferreira Thuany M. , Szpoganicz Bruno , de Freitas Rilton A. , Mangrich Antonio S.
Published: July 2018

As part of efforts to reduce pressure on the Amazon and other biomes, one approach considered by Brazilian authorities and scientists is more intensive use of the soils of the interior of the northeast of the country, which are generally sandy, with low contents of organic matter and low water holding capacity and are frequently affected by severe droughts. In this work, biochars produced from waste biomasses were tested for the improvement of these soils. The highest BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) specific surface areas were observed for all biochars. In the pH range studied, the water hyacinth plants (WH) sample showed the most negative zeta potentials, as well as the highest water holding capacity (WHC) values, while the zeta potentials of two quartzarenic neosol soils were consistent with their WHC values. The results suggested that despite the effect of porosity on water retention, the zeta potential could be associated with the presence of negative charges by which hydrated cationic counterions were absorbed and retained. The surface energy and its polar and dispersive components were associated with water retention, with sugar cane bagasse, orange peel, and water hyacinth biochars presenting higher SE values and larger polar components.
Moderate levels of dietary arachidonic acid reduced lipid accumulation and tended to inhibit cell cycle progression in the liver of Japanese seabass Lateolabrax japonicus
Authors: Xu Houguo , Wang Chengqiang , Zhang Yuanqin , Wei Yuliang , Liang Mengqing
Published: July 2018

To investigate the physiological roles of dietary arachidonic acid (ARA) in fish, a feeding trial with Japanese seabass was conducted, followed by a hepatic transcriptome assay. Six experimental diets differing basically in ARA level (0.05%, 0.22%, 0.37%, 0.60%, 1.38% and 2.32% of dry matter) were used in the feeding trial. Liver samples from fish fed diets with 0.05% and 0.37% ARA were subjected to transcriptomic assay, generating a total of 139 differently expressed unigenes, which were primarily enriched in lipid metabolism and cell cycle-related signaling pathways. Then, qRT-PCR validation on lipid metabolism and cell cycle-related genes as well as corresponding enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of selected proteins were conducted with liver samples from all six groups. Moderated ARA levels reduced lipogenesis and stimulated β-oxidation concurrently, but high ARA levels seemed to affect lipid metabolism in complicated ways. Both gene expression and protein concentration of cell cycle-related proteins were decreased by moderate levels of dietary ARA. The lipid content and fatty acid composition in fish confirmed the transcription and protein concentration results related to lipid metabolism. In conclusion, moderate levels of dietary ARA (0.37% and 0.60%) reduced lipid accumulation and tended to inhibit cell cycle progression in the liver of Japanese seabass.