bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Membrane Type 1 Matrix Metalloproteinase Regulates Monocyte Migration and Collagen Destruction in Tuberculosis
Authors: Sathyamoorthy Tarangini , Tezera Liku B. , Walker Naomi F. , Brilha Sara , Saraiva Luisa , Mauri Francesco A. , Wilkinson Robert J. , Friedland Jon S. , Elkington Paul T.
Published: June 2015

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global pandemic and drug resistance is rising. Multicellular granuloma formation is the pathological hallmark of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. The membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP or MMP-14) is a collagenase that is key in leukocyte migration and collagen destruction. In patients with TB, induced sputum MT1-MMP mRNA levels were increased 5.1-fold compared with matched controls and correlated positively with extent of lung infiltration on chest radiographs (r = 0.483; p < 0.05). M. tuberculosis infection of primary human monocytes increased MT1-MMP surface expression 31.7-fold and gene expression 24.5-fold. M. tuberculosis–infected monocytes degraded collagen matrix in an MT1-MMP–dependent manner, and MT1-MMP neutralization decreased collagen degradation by 73%. In human TB granulomas, MT1-MMP immunoreactivity was observed in macrophages throughout the granuloma. Monocyte–monocyte networks caused a 17.5-fold increase in MT1-MMP surface expression dependent on p38 MAPK and G protein–coupled receptor-dependent signaling. Monocytes migrating toward agarose beads impregnated with conditioned media from M. tuberculosis–infected monocytes expressed MT1-MMP. Neutralization of MT1-MMP activity decreased this M. tuberculosis network–dependent monocyte migration by 44%. Taken together, we demonstrate that MT1-MMP is central to two key elements of TB pathogenesis, causing collagen degradation and regulating monocyte migration.
MicroRNA-9 Regulates the Differentiation and Function of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells via Targeting Runx1
Authors: Tian Jie , Rui Ke , Tang Xinyi , Ma Jie , Wang Yungang , Tian Xinyu , Zhang Yue , Xu Huaxi , Lu Liwei , Wang Shengjun
Published: June 2015

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play a critical role in tumor-associated immunosuppression, thus affecting effective immunotherapies for cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in regulating the differentiation and function of MDSCs remain largely unclear. In this study, we found that inhibition of microRNA (miR)-9 promoted the differentiation of MDSCs with significantly reduced immunosuppressive function whereas overexpression of miR-9 markedly enhanced the function of MDSCs. Notably, knockdown of miR-9 significantly impaired the activity of MDSCs and inhibited the tumor growth of Lewis lung carcinoma in mice. Moreover, miR-9 regulated MDSCs differentiation by targeting the runt-related transcription factor 1, an essential transcription factor in regulating MDSC differentiation and function. Furthermore, the CREB was found to regulate miR-9 expression in MDSCs. Taken together, our findings have identified a critical role of miR-9 in regulating the differentiation and function of MDSCs.
CD56brightCD16− NK Cells Produce Adenosine through a CD38-Mediated Pathway and Act as Regulatory Cells Inhibiting Autologous CD4+ T Cell Proliferation
Authors: Morandi Fabio , Horenstein Alberto L. , Chillemi Antonella , Quarona Valeria , Chiesa Sabrina , Imperatori Andrea , Zanellato Silvia , Mortara Lorenzo , Gattorno Marco , Pistoia Vito , Malavasi Fabio
Published: June 2015

Recent studies suggested that human CD56brightCD16− NK cells may play a role in the regulation of the immune response. Since the mechanism(s) involved have not yet been elucidated, in the present study we have investigated the role of nucleotide-metabolizing enzymes that regulate the extracellular balance of nucleotides/nucleosides and produce the immunosuppressive molecule adenosine (ADO). Peripheral blood CD56dimCD16+ and CD56brightCD16− NK cells expressed similar levels of CD38. CD39, CD73, and CD157 expression was higher in CD56brightCD16− than in CD56dimCD16+ NK cells. CD57 was mostly expressed by CD56dimCD16+ NK cells. CD203a/PC-1 expression was restricted to CD56brightCD16− NK cells. CD56brightCD16− NK cells produce ADO and inhibit autologous CD4+ T cell proliferation. Such inhibition was 1) reverted pretreating CD56brightCD16− NK cells with a CD38 inhibitor and 2) increased pretreating CD56brightCD16− NK cells with a nucleoside transporter inhibitor, which increase extracellular ADO concentration. CD56brightCD16− NK cells isolated from the synovial fluid of juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients failed to inhibit autologous CD4+ T cell proliferation. Such functional impairment could be related to 1) the observed reduced CD38/CD73 expression, 2) a peculiar ADO production kinetics, and 3) a different expression of ADO receptors. In contrast, CD56brightCD16− NK cells isolated from inflammatory pleural effusions display a potent regulatory activity. In conclusion, CD56brightCD16− NK cells act as “regulatory cells” through ADO produced by an ectoenzymes network, with a pivotal role of CD38. This function may be relevant for the modulation of the immune response in physiological and pathological conditions, and it could be impaired during autoimmune/inflammatory diseases.
Differential Interaction of the Staphylococcal Toxins Panton–Valentine Leukocidin and γ-Hemolysin CB with Human C5a Receptors
Authors: Spaan András N. , Schiepers Ariën , de Haas Carla J. C. , van Hooijdonk Davy D. J. J. , Badiou Cédric , Contamin Hugues , Vandenesch François , Lina Gérard , Gerard Norma P. , Gerard Craig , van Kessel Kok P. M. , Henry Thomas , van Strijp Jos A. G.
Published: June 2015

Staphylococcus aureus is well adapted to the human host. Evasion of the host phagocyte response is critical for successful infection. The staphylococcal bicomponent pore-forming toxins Panton–Valentine leukocidin LukSF-PV (PVL) and γ-hemolysin CB (HlgCB) target human phagocytes through interaction with the complement receptors C5aR1 and C5aR2. Currently, the apparent redundancy of both toxins cannot be adequately addressed in experimental models of infection because mice are resistant to PVL and HlgCB. The molecular basis for species specificity of the two toxins in animal models is not completely understood. We show that PVL and HlgCB feature distinct activity toward neutrophils of different mammalian species, where activity of PVL is found to be restricted to fewer species than that of HlgCB. Overexpression of various mammalian C5a receptors in HEK cells confirms that cytotoxicity toward neutrophils is driven by species-specific interactions of the toxins with C5aR1. By taking advantage of the species-specific engagement of the toxins with their receptors, we demonstrate that PVL and HlgCB differentially interact with human C5aR1 and C5aR2. In addition, binding studies illustrate that different parts of the receptor are involved in the initial binding of the toxin and the subsequent formation of lytic pores. These findings allow a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of pore formation. Finally, we show that the toxicity of PVL, but not of HlgCB, is neutralized by various C5aR1 antagonists. This study offers directions for the development of improved preclinical models for infection, as well as for the design of drugs antagonizing leukocidin toxicity.
Cutting Edge: IFN-γ Produced by Brain-Resident Cells Is Crucial To Control Cerebral Infection with Toxoplasma gondii
Authors: Sa Qila , Ochiai Eri , Tiwari Ashish , Perkins Sara , Mullins Jeremi , Gehman Marie , Huckle William , Eyestone Willard H. , Saunders Thomas L. , Shelton Brent J. , Suzuki Yasuhiro
Published: June 2015

In vitro studies demonstrated that microglia and astrocytes produce IFN-γ in response to various stimulations, including LPS. However, the physiological role of IFN-γ production by brain-resident cells, including glial cells, in resistance against cerebral infections remains unknown. We analyzed the role of IFN-γ production by brain-resident cells in resistance to reactivation of cerebral infection with Toxoplasma gondii using a murine model. Our study using bone marrow chimeric mice revealed that IFN-γ production by brain-resident cells is essential for upregulating IFN-γ–mediated protective innate immune responses to restrict cerebral T. gondii growth. Studies using a transgenic strain that expresses IFN-γ only in CD11b+ cells suggested that IFN-γ production by microglia, which is the only CD11b+ cell population among brain-resident cells, is able to suppress the parasite growth. Furthermore, IFN-γ produced by brain-resident cells is pivotal for recruiting T cells into the brain to control the infection. These results indicate that IFN-γ produced by brain-resident cells is crucial for facilitating both the protective innate and T cell–mediated immune responses to control cerebral infection with T. gondii.
The Effect of Nepotism on Organizational Silence, Alienation and Commitment: A Study on Hotel Employees in Turkey
Authors: Pelit Elbeyi , Dinçer Füsun İstanbullu , Kılıç İbrahim
Published: June 2015

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of nepotism on organizational silence, alienation and commitment. As a data collecting method a questionnaire which contains nepotism, organizational silence, alienation and commitment scales was used. It was applied on 662 employees working in 30 five star hotels in Turkey. Since nepotism covers the practices in establishments in which family-relative relations are concentrated, the hotels included in the sampling group have been selected from establishments whose proprietors are a part of a family/family group. Factor analysis, Cronbach’s Alpha, mean, standard deviation, correlation and regression analysis were used to analyze the acquired data. The study results revealed that nepotism has a positive relationship with organizational silence and alienation and a negative relationship with organizational commitment. 
Hoe Zeus Hera verleidde: Een bespreking van het arrest San Lorenzo (C-113/13) over opdrachtverstrekking van medisch vervoer aan vrijwilligersorganisaties in Italië
Authors: Stergiou Hélène
Published: June 2015

In het arrest San Lorenzo oordeelt het Hof van Justitie dat sociale doelstellingen een rechtvaardiging kunnen zijn voor het buiten aanbesteding verstrekken van een opdracht tot het verrichten van medisch vervoer. Daarmee is San Lorenzo een belangrijk arrest, waarin het Hof van Justitie voor het eerst erkent dat de organisatie van sociale zekerheid kan leiden tot een gerechtvaardigde uitzondering op het beperkte aanbestedingsregime voor IIB-diensten en de verdragsvrijheden.

HvJ (Vijfde kamer) 11 december 2014, zaak C-113/13, Azienda sanitaria locale nr. 5 ‘Spezzino’, Associazione nazionale pubblica assistenza (ANPAS) - Comitato regionale Liguria /San Lorenzo Soc. coop. sociale, Croce Verde Cogema cooperativa sociale Onlus, in tegenwoordigheid van Croce Rossa Italiana-Comitato regionale Liguria e.a., ECLI:EU:C:2014:2240, n.n.g.
API, een noot over mededingingsbeperkingen en overheden
Authors: Vollering Stefan , van der Vijver Tjarda
Published: June 2015

Wanneer overtreedt een overheid artikel 101 VWEU door betrokken te zijn bij een mededingingsbeperkende overeenkomst tussen ondernemingen? Over die vraag wees het Hof van Justitie op 4 september 2014 in de zaak API een belangrijk arrest. In het arrest geeft het Hof van Justitie meer duidelijkheid over het toepasselijke beoordelingskader in het geval dat de overheid betrokken is bij mededingingsbeperkende gedragingen door ondernemingen.

HvJ 4 september 2014, zaak C-184/13, API, ECLI:EU:C:2014:2147
Aanbodbundeling en gezamenlijke verkoop van primaire landbouwproducten – hoever reikt het kartelverbod?
Authors: Janssen Eric , van der Heul Sjaak
Published: June 2015

In de vorig jaar in werking getreden GMO-Verordening worden producenten van primaire landbouwproducten gestimuleerd hun producten gezamenlijk af te zetten. Wanneer gezamenlijke afzet tevens centrale prijsstelling en/of aanbodbundeling impliceert, kan een spanningsveld ontstaan met het kartelverbod dat concurrentiebeperkende afspraken zoals prijsafspraken en quotering verbiedt. In deze bijdrage wordt nader ingegaan op de verhouding tussen de GMO-Verordening en het kartelverbod, waarbij de (on)mogelijkheden voor samenwerking in de landbouwsector worden geschetst.

Verordening (EU) nr. 1308/2013 van het Europees Parlement en de Raad van 17 december 2013, PbEU 2013, L 347
Insolventie van de werkgever - bescherming van werknemers zonder geldige verblijfstitel
Authors: van der Mei A.P.
Published: June 2015

Richtlijn 2008/94/EG inzake de bescherming van werknemers bij insolventie van de werkgever verplicht de EU-lidstaten tot instelling van een waarborgfonds waarop werknemers een beroep kunnen doen indien hun werkgever vanwege insolventie niet aan zijn betalingsverplichtingen kan voldoen. De richtlijn definieert niet, en laat het in beginsel aan de lidstaten te bepalen, wie als werknemer moet worden beschouwd. Betekent dit dat een lidstaat als Nederland het begrip ‘werknemer’ zo mag invullen dat derdelanders zonder geldige verblijfstitel het recht op insolventie-uitkering wordt onthouden? Het antwoord van het Hof van Justitie is dat dat niet mag indien, dergelijke derdelanders voor doeleinden van het gemene arbeidsrecht wel als werknemer worden beschouwd, zoals in Nederland het geval is.

HvJ 5 november 2014, zaak C-311/13, Tümer/Raad van bestuur van het Uitvoeringsinstituut werknemersverzekeringen, ECLI:EU:C:2014:2237, n.n.g.
The Transnational Reception of Improvised Drama: Tommaso Sgricci in Paris and in the Periodicals
Authors: Esterhammer Angela
Published: June 2015

The Italian improvvisatore Tommaso Sgricci (1789–1836), known for his ability to improvise tragic dramas on themes requested by audience members, made international tours to Paris in 1824 and 1826. This article examines the impact of his performances in Parisian theatres by way of the reviews that appeared in European periodicals. Differences among national tastes and aesthetic values inform the reception of Sgricci's performances by French, German, and English reviewers, and these differences become further defined as reviewers respond to one another and write for different markets. The transnational reception of Sgricci and other improvvisatori also reveals how nineteenth-century journalists are themselves improvising as they adapt rapidly to new readerships and innovative types of performance.
Spectacular Remedies to Colonial Conflicts: Tableaux Vivants, Proto-Cinema and Global Performance in Dion Boucicault's Jessie Brown
Authors: Smith Lawrence D.
Published: June 2015

The story of ‘Jessie Brown’ emerged within a faux eyewitness account to the so-called Indian Mutiny of 1857. Subsequently elaborated and distributed via a ‘global republic of performance’ (including journalism, ballad poetry, musical compositions, dioramas, exhibitions and stage spectacles), Jessie Brown exposed class- and ethnic-based dissonances within the British imperialist project. The culmination of this process was the elaborate ‘contemporaneous drama’ Jessie Brown; or, The Relief of Lucknow (1858), by Dion Boucicault. Due to ongoing developments in a real-world colonial conflict, Boucicault employed melodramatic elements non-formulaically, including a sonically enhanced, proto-cinematic tableau vivant in lieu of a conventional dramatic resolution. This article augments the study of nineteenth-century literature by developing a ‘global republic of performance’ model used to analyse and account for the Jessie Brown phenomenon in its various media elaborations.
Promiscuous Spaces and Economies of Entertainment: Soldiers, Actresses and Hybrid Genres in Colonial India
Authors: Bhattacharya Rimli
Published: June 2015

This article seeks to destabilise the categories of the regional, national and foreign by juxtaposing several strands of performance history in colonial India. The first of these is the strong presence of military theatricals in the subcontinent; the second is the continuous passage of girls and women often as solo performers or as a couple, through British India and Ceylon, eastwards and westwards; and the third, the growth of new forms of vernacular theatre under colonial auspices. Select examples are drawn here from the 1860s–1880s to index the performance range, establish links with regimental theatres and outline the popular travel routes to highlight crucial points of intersection between these strands.
Performing Cultural Memory: The Travelling Hibernicon and the Transnational Irish Community in the United States and Australia
Authors: Granshaw Michelle
Published: June 2015

The proliferation of popular touring companies in the late nineteenth century provides an opportunity to explore how popular ideas of Irishness travelled and transformed across national borders. Through its international reach and unique form, the hibernicon — an Irish variation on the moving panorama — had the potential to create an imagined collectivity among Irish emigrants and their descendants in the US and Australia. Looking at the hibernicon and transnational theatre emphasises the ways that performances of cultural memory shift over time and are dependent not only on the relationship of the Irish to homeland, but also the transnational relationships among those who have left. The hibernicon highlights the crucial role popular entertainment played in conversations about cultural memory and demonstrates the importance of transnationalism in cultural memory's formation.
The Lyceum Theatre and its Double: Richard Mansfield's Visit to the Greenwich Meridian of Late-Victorian Theatre
Authors: Blum Justin A.
Published: June 2015

Despite his ambitions to be considered among the greatest actors in the world, Richard Mansfield only appeared as a starring performer outside of North America in one tour. Drawing on Pascale Casanova's notion of the “world republic of literature”, this paper analyses his London residency of 1888–89 and its financial and critical failure, characterising these as evidence of a transatlantic cultural system by which late-Victorian acting was accorded aesthetic value based on the judgment of professional critics in metropolitan centres like London. Mansfield's choices of repertoire are seen as part of his conscious desire to emulate, and compete with, Henry Irving, then the English world's most prominent actor. Ultimately, failure in London made Mansfield, a British citizen by birth, choose to embrace an identity as a distinctly American actor-manager.
Certain Sensations Past
Authors: Smith Matthew Wilson
Published: June 2015

Dubbed ‘hysterical' by its alleged editor, this anonymous collection of entries cataloging peculiar sensations of the (principally Western European) nineteenth- century hovers between glossary and glossolalia, raising the question not only of whether it is genuine, but whether it is an article at all.
A Cambrian origin for vertebrate rods
Authors: Asteriti Sabrina , Grillner Sten , Cangiano Lorenzo
Published: June 2015

Vertebrates acquired dim-light vision when an ancestral cone evolved into the rod photoreceptor at an unknown stage preceding the last common ancestor of extant jawed vertebrates (∼420 million years ago Ma). The jawless lampreys provide a unique opportunity to constrain the timing of this advance, as their line diverged ∼505 Ma and later displayed high-morphological stability. We recorded with patch electrodes the inner segment photovoltages and with suction electrodes the outer segment photocurrents of Lampetra fluviatilis retinal photoreceptors. Several key functional features of jawed vertebrate rods are present in their phylogenetically homologous photoreceptors in lamprey: crucially, the efficient amplification of the effect of single photons, measured by multiple parameters, and the flow of rod signals into cones. These results make convergent evolution in the jawless and jawed vertebrate lines unlikely and indicate an early origin of rods, implying strong selective pressure toward dim-light vision in Cambrian ecosystems.
Promoter nucleosome dynamics regulated by signalling through the CTD code
Authors: Materne Philippe , Anandhakumar Jayamani , Migeot Valerie , Soriano Ignacio , Yague-Sanz Carlo , Hidalgo Elena , Mignion Carole , Quintales Luis , Antequera Francisco , Hermand Damien
Published: June 2015

The phosphorylation of the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain (CTD) plays a key role in delineating transcribed regions within chromatin by recruiting histone methylases and deacetylases. Using genome-wide nucleosome mapping, we show that CTD S2 phosphorylation controls nucleosome dynamics in the promoter of a subset of 324 genes, including the regulators of cell differentiation ste11 and metabolic adaptation inv1. Mechanistic studies on these genes indicate that during gene activation a local increase of phospho-S2 CTD nearby the promoter impairs the phospho-S5 CTD-dependent recruitment of Set1 and the subsequent recruitment of specific HDACs, which leads to nucleosome depletion and efficient transcription. The early increase of phospho-S2 results from the phosphorylation of the CTD S2 kinase Lsk1 by MAP kinase in response to cellular signalling. The artificial tethering of the Lsk1 kinase at the ste11 promoter is sufficient to activate transcription. Therefore, signalling through the CTD code regulates promoter nucleosomes dynamics.
Transports and budgets of anthropogenic CO2 in the tropical North Atlantic in 1992–1993 and 2010–2011
Authors: Zunino Patricia , Pérez Fiz F. , Fajar Noelia M. , Guallart Elisa F. , Ríos Aida F. , Pelegrí Josep L. , Hernández‐Guerra Alonso
Published: June 2015

The meridional transport of anthropogenic CO2 (Cant) in the tropical North Atlantic (TNA) is investigated using data from transoceanic sections along 7.5°N and 24.5°N, carried out in the early 1990s and 2010s. The net Cant transport across both sections is northward. At 7.5°N, this transport increased from 315 ± 47 kmol s−1 in 1993 to 493 ± 51 kmol s−1 in 2010; similarly, across 24.5°N it grew from 530 ± 46 kmol s−1 in 1992 to 662 ± 49 kmol s−1 in 2011. These changes result from modifications in the intermediate and deep circulation patterns, as well as from Cant increase within the thermocline waters. In deep waters, lateral advection causes a net Cant input of 112 ± 60 kmol s−1 (234 ± 65 kmol s−1) in 1992–1993 (2010–2011); within these deep waters, the storage rate of Cant is not statistically different from the net Cant input, 139 ± 21 kmol s−1 (188 ± 21 kmol s−1) in 1992–1993 (2010–2011). The Cant increase in deep waters is due to the large injection of Cant across the 24.5°N by the Deep Western Boundary Current and the northward recirculation of North Atlantic Deep Water along 7.5°N. In contrast, a large net Cant output in the upper layer is caused by the Florida Current. Despite this net Cant output, the Cant accumulates at a rate of 215 ± 24 kmol s−1 (291 ± 24 kmol s−1) referenced to year 1993 (2010). From the two Cant budgets, we infer a Cant air‐sea flux of 0.23 ± 0.02 Pg yr−1in the TNA, much larger than previous estimates.
Descent toward the Icehouse: Eocene sea surface cooling inferred from GDGT distributions
Authors: Inglis Gordon N. , Farnsworth Alexander , Lunt Daniel , Foster Gavin L. , Hollis Christopher J. , Pagani Mark , Jardine Phillip E. , Pearson Paul N. , Markwick Paul , Galsworthy Amanda M. J. , Raynham Lauren , Taylor Kyle. W. R. , Pancost Richard D.
Published: June 2015

The TEX86 proxy, based on the distribution of marine isoprenoidal glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether lipids (GDGTs), is increasingly used to reconstruct sea surface temperature (SST) during the Eocene epoch (56.0–33.9 Ma). Here we compile published TEX86 records, critically reevaluate them in light of new understandings in TEX86 palaeothermometry, and supplement them with new data in order to evaluate long‐term temperature trends in the Eocene. We investigate the effect of archaea other than marine Thaumarchaeota upon TEX86 values using the branched‐to‐isoprenoid tetraether index (BIT), the abundance of GDGT‐0 relative to crenarchaeol (%GDGT‐0), and the Methane Index (MI). We also introduce a new ratio, %GDGTRS, which may help identify Red Sea‐type GDGT distributions in the geological record. Using the offset between TEX86H and TEX86L (ΔH‐L) and the ratio between GDGT‐2 and GDGT‐3 ([2]/[3]), we evaluate different TEX86 calibrations and present the first integrated SST compilation for the Eocene (55 to 34 Ma). Although the available data are still sparse some geographic trends can now be resolved. In the high latitudes (>55°), there was substantial cooling during the Eocene (~6°C). Our compiled record also indicates tropical cooling of ~2.5°C during the same interval. Using an ensemble of climate model simulations that span the Eocene, our results indicate that only a small percentage (~10%) of the reconstructed temperature change can be ascribed to ocean gateway reorganization or paleogeographic change. Collectively, this indicates that atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2) was the likely driver of surface water cooling during the descent toward the icehouse.
The search for electrostatically lofted grains above the Moon with the Lunar Dust Experiment
Authors: Szalay Jamey R. , Horányi Mihály
Published: June 2015

The Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX) on board the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer mission was designed to make in situ dust measurements while orbiting the Moon. Particles with radii a >∼ 0.3μm were detected as single impacts. LDEX was also capable of measuring the collective signal generated from dust impacts with sizes below its single‐particle detection threshold. A putative population of electrostatically lofted grains above the lunar terminator with radii of approximately 0.1 μm has been suggested to exist since the Apollo era. LDEX performed the first search with an in situ dust detector for such a population. Here we present the results of the LDEX observations taken over the lunar terminator and report that within LDEX's detection limits, we found no evidence of electrostatically lofted grains in the altitude range of 3–250 km above the lunar terminator.
Predicting the permeability of sediments entering subduction zones
Authors: Daigle Hugh , Screaton Elizabeth J.
Published: June 2015

Using end‐member permeabilities defined by a worldwide compilation of sediment permeabilities at convergent margins, we compare permeability predictions using a geometric mean and a two‐component effective medium theory (EMT). Our implementation of EMT includes a threshold fraction of the high‐permeability component that determines whether flow occurs dominantly in the high‐ or low‐permeability component. We find that this threshold fraction in most cases is equal to the silt + sand‐sized fraction of the sediment. This suggests that sediments undergoing primary consolidation tend to exhibit flow equally distributed between the high‐ and low‐permeability components. We show that the EMT method predicts permeability better than the weighted geometric mean of the end‐member values for clay fractions <0.6. This work provides insight into the microstructural controls on permeability in subducting sediments and valuable guidance for locations which lack site‐specific permeability results but have available grain‐size information.
Observed drag coefficients in high winds in the near offshore of the South China Sea
Authors: Bi Xueyan , Gao Zhiqiu , Liu Yangang , Liu Feng , Song Qingtao , Huang Jian , Huang Huijun , Mao Weikang , Liu Chunxia
Published: June 2015

This paper investigates the relationships between friction velocity, 10 m drag coefficient, and 10 m wind speed using data collected at two offshore observation towers (one over the sea and the other on an island) from seven typhoon episodes in the South China Sea from 2008 to 2014. The two towers were placed in areas with different water depths along a shore‐normal line. The depth of water at the tower over the sea averages about 15 m, and the depth of water near the island is about 10 m. The observed maximum 10 min average wind speed at a height of 10 m is about 32 m s−1. Momentum fluxes derived from three methods (eddy covariance, inertial dissipation, and flux profile) are compared. The momentum fluxes derived from the flux profile method are larger (smaller) over the sea (on the island) than those from the other two methods. The relationship between the 10 m drag coefficient and the 10 m wind speed is examined by use of the data obtained by the eddy covariance method. The drag coefficient first decreases with increasing 10 m wind speed when the wind speeds are 5–10 m s−1, then increases and reaches a peak value of 0.002 around a wind speed of 18 m s−1. The drag coefficient decreases with increasing 10 m wind speed when 10 m wind speeds are 18–27 m s−1. A comparison of the measurements from the two towers shows that the 10 m drag coefficient from the tower in 10 m water depth is about 40% larger than that from the tower in 15 m water depth when the 10 m wind speed is less than 10 m s−1. Above this, the difference in the 10 m drag coefficients of the two towers disappears.
Neurophotonics
Authors: Allegra Mascaro Anna L. , Silvestri Ludovico , Sacconi Leonardo , Calamai Martino , Pavone Francesco S.
Published: June 2015

Understanding brain structure and function, and the complex relationships between them, is one of the grand challenges of contemporary sciences. Thanks to their flexibility, optical techniques could be the key to explore this complex network. Here, we describe recent advancements in optical methods applied to four main aspects of the quest for brain understanding: from large‐scale brain anatomy, to neural network plasticity and functionality, to synaptic biology. First, novel implementations of light microscopy to resolve neuronal anatomy in entire fixed brains with cellular resolution are described. Moving to living samples, we explore how real‐time dynamics of brain rewiring can be visualized through two‐photon microscopy with the spatial resolution of single synaptic contacts. Nonlinear microscopy combined with voltage‐ and calcium‐sensitive dyes address the functionality at the microcircuitry level. Finally, the molecular details of synaptic plasticity are investigated with nanometric precision by superresolution microscopy and single‐particle tracking. The information gained from these complementary optical methods may provide a deeper comprehension of the brain and of its unique features.
Maintenance of Clinical Efficacy and Radiographic Benefit Through Two Years of Ustekinumab Therapy in Patients With Active Psoriatic Arthritis: Results From a Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled Phase III Trial
Authors: Kavanaugh Arthur , Puig Lluís , Gottlieb Alice B. , Ritchlin Christopher , Li Shu , Wang Yuhua , Mendelsohn Alan M. , Song Michael , Zhu Yaowei , Rahman Proton , McInnes Iain B. ,   on behalf of the PSUMMIT 1 Study Group
Published: June 2015

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ustekinumab through 2 years in adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods

A total of 615 adult patients with active PsA were randomized to placebo, ustekinumab 45 mg, or ustekinumab 90 mg, at weeks 0, 4, and every 12 weeks through week 88 (last dose). At week 16, patients with <5% improvement in both tender and swollen joint counts entered blinded early escape (placebo to 45 mg, 45 mg to 90 mg, and 90 mg to 90 mg). All remaining placebo patients crossed over to ustekinumab 45 mg at week 24. Clinical efficacy measures included American College of Rheumatology criteria for 20% improvement (ACR20), Disease Activity Score in 28 joints using the C‐reactive protein level (DAS28‐CRP), and ≥75% improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI75). Radiographic progression was evaluated using the modified Sharp/van der Heijde score (SHS).

Results

At week 100, ACR20, DAS28‐CRP moderate/good response, and PASI75 rates ranged from 56.7–63.6%, 71.9–76.7%, and 63.9–72.5%, respectively, across the 3 treatment groups. In both ustekinumab groups, the median percent improvement in dactylitis and enthesitis was 100% at week 100. The mean changes in SHS score from week 52 to week 100 were similar to those observed from week 0 to week 52 in the ustekinumab groups. Through week 108, 70.7% and 9.7% of patients had an adverse event (AE) or serious AE, respectively. The rates and type of AEs were similar between the dose groups.

Conclusion

Clinical and radiographic benefits from ustekinumab treatment were maintained through week 100 in the PSUMMIT 1 study. No unexpected safety events were observed; the safety profile of ustekinumab in this population was similar to that previously observed in psoriasis patients treated with ustekinumab.
Standing‐Wave‐Assisted Creation of Nanopillar Arrays with Vertically Integrated Nanogaps for SERS‐Active Substrates
Authors: Jeon Tae Yoon , Park Sung‐Gyu , Kim Dong‐Ho , Kim Shin‐Hyun
Published: June 2015

An optical method is used to create multi‐dimensional metal structures with three distinct periodicities for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Periodic arrays of nanopillars are formed by phase‐shift interference lithography on sub‐micrometer length scales. With the help of a standing wave, each nanopillar is made to be a disk‐stacking structure consisting of a series of 20‐nm‐thick metal nanogaps; the nanopillars consequently resemble a pagoda. The vertically integrated metal nanogaps of the metal‐deposited pagoda‐like nanopillars enable strong localization of an electromagnetic field and effective enhancement of Raman signals for molecules adsorbed on the metal surface. Moreover, the nanopillars are arranged in a regular lattice, which results in a low spatial variation of the SERS intensity and provides high reproducibility in measurements. Arrays of the nanopillars can be further micropatterned to have a periodicity ranging from tens of micrometers to a millimeter by subsequently employing photo‐lithography. The nanopillar arrays promote the wetting of sample fluids, which enables the selective confinement of fluids on the array regions of the micropatterns without spreading. Consequently, numerous fluid samples can be separately deposited, enabling SERS‐based analysis of multiple samples using a single substrate.
Impurity‐Induced First‐Order Phase Transitions in Highly Crystalline V2O3 Nanocrystals
Authors: Ishiwata Yoichi , Takahashi Eiko , Akashi Kenta , Imamura Masaki , Azuma Junpei , Takahashi Kazutoshi , Kamada Masao , Ishii Hirofumi , Liao Yen‐Fa , Tezuka Yasuhisa , Inagaki Yuji , Kawae Tatsuya , Nishio‐Hamane Daisuke , Nantoh Masashi , Ishibashi Koji , Kida Tetsuya
Published: June 2015

A first‐order phase transition in a bulk material is generally considered to arise at extended defects such as grain boundaries or dislocations, where the energetic barrier between the two phases is reduced. Downsizing a crystal to the nanoscale can exclude the number of defects, leading to enhanced kinetic stabilization of the metastable phase. Here, the disappearance of the first‐order metal–insulator transition in defect‐free V2O3 nanocrystals and the revival of the transition by introducing a certain Cr or Ti impurity content are investigated. The hysteresis width of the transition corresponding to the barrier height decreases with the impurity content. It is proposed that homogeneous impurity doping is a universal method that can control the occurrence of a first‐order phase transition in nanoscale materials.
Ohmic Contacts on p‐GaN
Authors: Chen Jingli , Brewer William D.
Published: June 2015

With the development of GaN‐based optoelectronic devices, the need for p‐GaN contacts with low resistivity, good thermal stability, and high transparency or reflectivity has become more pressing. Various contact schemes to satisfy these requirements have been investigated in the past two decades. In this progress report, the main developments of contacts on p‐GaN throughout these years are summarized. The primary focus is on the materials aspects of the contacts and the functional mechanisms related to their relevant properties. The important process of surface treatment is also discussed briefly at the end of the article.
Impact of commercial farming on household reproductive strategies in Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico
Authors: Gurri Francisco D. , Ortega‐Muñoz Allan
Published: June 2015

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to determine if commercial agriculture can lead to changes in peasant reproductive strategies in migrant agriculturalists from Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico.

Methods

The reproductive histories of 746 women from Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico were collected. The sample was first divided into women who had reproduced within or outside of Calakmul (RC and RO, respectively) and these were further subdivided into those who lived in households practicing subsistence agriculture and those who turned agriculture into a business (Household Subsistence Agricultural Strategy (HSA) and Household Commercial Agricultural Strategy (HCA), respectively). Age‐specific fertility rate (ASFR) differences were compared between strategies and place of reproduction. Comparisons between interbirth interval and age at which desired fertility was reached were done with a Kaplan–Meier life table‐based statistic.

Results

In both strategies, RC women increased ASFRs by reducing age at first birth, and HSA‐RC women also reduced interbirth intervals. HCA women had lower ASFRs than HSA women. The latter had a natural fertility pattern while the former expressed a desire to stop reproducing at a younger age. HCA‐RC women showed important fertility reductions after age 25 and HCA‐RO women after age 30.

Conclusions

Fertility reductions in households that practice commercial versus those that practice subsistence agriculture were significant. Also, a “frontier” effect was observed that increased fertility over all, but HCA households were not as influenced by it. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 27:758–766, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Improved growth velocity of a patient with Noonan‐like syndrome with loose anagen hair (NS/LAH) without growth hormone deficiency by low‐dose growth hormone therapy
Authors: Takasawa Kei , Takishima Shigeru , Morioka Chikako , Nishioka Masato , Ohashi Hirofumi , Aoki Yoko , Shimohira Masayuki , Kashimada Kenichi , Morio Tomohiro
Published: June 2015

Noonan‐like syndrome with loose anagen hair (NS/LAH; OMIM 607721) is caused by a heterozygous c.4A>G mutation in SHOC2. Most cases exhibit both growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and growth hormone insensitivity (GHI) and thus require a high dose of growth hormone (GH) therapy (e.g., 35–40 µg/kg/day). We report on a genetically diagnosed NS/LAH patient manifesting severe short stature (−3.85 SDs) with low serum level of IGF1, 30 ng/ml. The peak levels of GH stimulation tests were within the normal range, and GHI was not observed in the IGF1 generation test. However, with low‐dose GH therapy (25 µg/kg/day) for two years, IGF1 level and height were remarkably improved (IGF1: 117 ng/ml, height SDs: −2.20 SDs). Further, catch‐up of motor development and improvement of the proportion of extending limbs to trunk were observed (the Developmental Quotient score increased from 68 to 98 points, and the relative sitting height ratio decreased from 0.62 to 0.57). Our results suggest that endocrinological causes for short stature are variable in NS/LAH and that GH therapy should be considered as a possible treatment for delayed development in NS/LAH. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Staphylococcus aureus triggers nitric oxide production in human upper airway epithelium
Authors: Carey Ryan M. , Workman Alan D. , Chen Bei , Adappa Nithin D. , Palmer James N. , Kennedy David W. , Lee Robert J. , Cohen Noam A.
Published: June 2015

Background

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important antibacterial defense molecule produced by upper airway (sinonasal) epithelial cells. We previously showed that a bitter taste receptor expressed in airway epithelium detects quorum‐sensing molecules secreted by Gram‐negative bacteria and subsequently triggers bactericidal NO production. We hypothesized that the upper airway epithelium may also be able to detect the Gram‐positive aerobe Staphylococcus aureus and mount an NO response.

Methods

Human sinonasal air‐liquid interface (ALI) cultures were treated with methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA)‐conditioned medium (CM), and NO production was measured using fluorescence imaging. Inhibitors of bitter taste receptor signaling were used to pharmacologically determine if this pathway was involved in the production of NO.

Results

A low‐molecular‐weight, heat, and protease‐stabile product found in MRSA CM induced differential, NO synthase (NOS)‐mediated NO production. This response varied markedly between individual patients. The MRSA‐stimulated NO production was not dependent on 2 important components of bitter taste signaling: phospholipase C isoform β‐2 or the transient receptor potential melastatin isoform 5 (TRPM5) ion channel.

Conclusion

This study shows that a S. aureus product elicits an NO‐mediated innate defense response in human upper airway epithelium. The active bacterial product is likely a small, nonpeptide molecule that triggers a pathway independent of bitter taste receptors. Patient variation in the NO response to MRSA product(s), potentially due to genetic differences, might play a role in pathophysiology of Gram‐positive upper respiratory infections and/or pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis.
Cognitive dysfunction associated with pain and quality of life in chronic rhinosinusitis
Authors: Tarasidis George S. , DeConde Adam S. , Mace Jess C. , Ashby Shaelene , Smith Timothy L. , Orlandi Richard R. , Alt Jeremiah A.
Published: June 2015

Background

Cognitive dysfunction and its relationship to both pain and disease‐specific quality of life (QOL) in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) have not been investigated previously. We sought to analyze the correlations of pain and disease‐specific QOL with cognitive function in CRS.

Methods

Adults with CRS were prospectively enrolled in a cross‐sectional study. Participants’ cognitive function was assessed using the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire. Pain was characterized using the Short‐Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF‐MPQ) and the Brief Pain Inventory Short Form. Disease‐specific QOL was ascertained using the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI) and 22‐item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT‐22). Disease severity was assessed using nasal endoscopy and computed tomography. Bivariate correlations of pain and cognitive dysfunction, disease‐specific QOL, and clinical measures of disease severity were ascertained.

Results

In patients with CRS (n = 70) there was a significant correlation between cognitive dysfunction and pain severity scores (Spearman's correlation [Rs] = 0.321, p < 0.01). A similar correlation was identified with pain interference (Rs = 0.317, p < 0.01) and cognitive dysfunction scores. This is mirrored by a significant correlation between another measure of pain severity, the SF‐MPQ and cognitive dysfunction (Rs = 0.498, p < 0.01). In patients with CRS there was a significant correlation between disease‐specific QOL scores and cognitive function scores as measured by the SNOT‐22 (Rs = 0.395, p < 0.01) and the RSDI (Rs = 0.528, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

In patients with CRS, increasing pain and worse QOL are associated with cognitive dysfunction. Possible mechanisms for this cognitive dysfunction include differential neural activation secondary to chronic pain and/or the sequela of a chronic inflammatory state.
Aktivierung molekularer Schalter mit sichtbarem Licht
Authors: Bléger David , Hecht Stefan
Published: June 2015

Grundlegende Eigenschaften molekularer Systeme durch Bestrahlung mit Licht zu beeinflussen, verspricht vielfältige Möglichkeiten im Bereich der Material‐ und Biowissenschaften. Das Fundament solcher Systeme bilden Moleküle, gemeinhin als Photoschalter bezeichnet, die reversibel zwischen zwei Zuständen photoisomerisieren. Eine erhebliche Einschränkung bei der Entwicklung funktionaler photodynamischer Systeme ist die meist notwendige Verwendung von UV‐Licht zum Schalten in zumindest eine Richtung, was jedoch oft mit schädlichen Nebeneffekten und einer geringen Eindringtiefe in den meisten Medien verbunden ist. Dieser Kurzaufsatz soll einen Überblick über die verschiedenen konzeptionellen Strategien geben, die eine Isomerisierung im sichtbaren und nahen Infrarotbereich des optischen Spektrums ermöglichen. Solche mit sichtbarem Licht steuerbaren molekularen Schalter tragen erheblich zur Erweiterung der Anwendungsbereiche photoschaltbarer Systeme in zukünftigen Technologien bei.
Polyamide4‐block‐poly(vinyl acetate) via a polyamide4 azo macromolecular initiator: Thermal and mechanical behavior, biodegradation, and morphology
Authors: Kawasaki Norioki , Yamano Naoko , Nakayama Atsuyoshi
Published: June 2015

A series of polyamide4‐block‐poly(vinyl acetate)s were synthesized by the radical polymerization of vinyl acetate (VAc) using an azo macromolecular initiator composed of polyamide4 (PA4). The block copolymers were investigated by examining their molecular weight, structure, thermal and mechanical properties, biodegradation, and the morphology of the film surface. The compositions and molecular weights (Mw) ranging from 46,800 to 163,700 g mol−1 of the block copolymers varied linearly with increasing molar ratio of VAc to azo‐PA4. The block copolymers have high melting points of 248.2–262.5°C owing to PA4 blocks and heats of fusion, which were linearly dependent on the PA4 content. The mechanical properties of the block copolymers were monotonically dependent on the composition, i.e., increasing the PA4 content increased the tensile strength, whereas increasing the poly(vinyl acetate) content increased the elongation at break. The morphology of the block copolymers suggested the appearance of microphase separation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42466.
Study on the preparation of hyperbranched polyethylene fibers and hyperbranched polyethylene composite fibers via electrospinning
Authors: Zhao Yulai , Wang Li , Yu Haojie , Li Chao , Jing Guanghui , Tong Rongbai , Chen Yongsheng
Published: June 2015

This contribution mainly studied the preparation of hyperbranched polyethylene (HBPE) fibers and HBPE/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite fibers via electrospinning for the first time. Firstly, the effects of solvents, solution concentration, voltage, and rotating speed of collector on the morphology of HBPE fibers were studied. Among the factors, solvent type, concentration, and voltage showed notable influence on the morphology of HBPE fibers. HBPE has an excellent dispersion effect on CNT in organic solvents. Through ultrasonic dispersion, the HBPE solutions with dispersed MWCNT were obtained. Then HBPE/MWCNT composite fibers were obtained with different contents of MWCNT via electrospinning. The effects of voltage and working distance on the morphology of HBPE/MWCNT composite fibers were investigated. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42517.
Does international collaboration yield a higher citation potential for US scientists publishing in highly visible interdisciplinary Journals?
Authors: Rousseau Ronald , Ding Jielan
Published: June 2015

Generally, multicountry papers receive more citations than single‐country ones. In this contribution, we examine if this rule also applies to American scientists publishing in highly visible interdisciplinary journals. Concretely, we compare the citations received by American scientists in Nature, Science, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). It is shown that, statistically, American scientists publishing in Nature and Science do not benefit from international collaboration. This statement also holds for communicated submissions, but not for direct and for contributed submissions, to PNAS.