bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Layer-sensitive magneto-optical Kerr effect study of magnetization reversal in Fe/MnAs/GaAs(001)
Authors: Lounis L. , Eddrief M. , Sacchi M. , Vidal F.
Published: December 2017

Fe/MnAs/GaAs(001), a prototypical system for thermally assisted magnetization reversal, is studied by magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements. The results show that it is possible to recover elemental sensitivity from magneto-optical measurements when both Kerr rotation (θK) and Kerr ellipticity (ϵK) are measured under the same conditions. Both Fe and MnAs magnetic cycles can be extracted from simple linear combinations of θK and ϵK cycles. The data analysis shows that the orientation of the Fe magnetization at remanence can be controlled through the temperature of the system as a result of the peculiar temperature dependent self-organized stripes pattern in MnAs/GaAs(001).
The evolution of droplet impacting on thin liquid film at superhydrophilic surface
Authors: Li Yun , Zheng Yi , Lan Zhong , Xu Wei , Ma Xuehu
Published: December 2017

Thin films are ubiquitous in nature, and the evolution of a liquid film after droplet impact is critical in many industrial processes. In this paper, a series of experiments and numerical simulations are conducted to investigate the distribution and evolution features of local temperature as the droplet impacts a thin film on the superhydrophilic surface by the thermal tracing method. A cold area is formed in the center after droplet impacts on heated solid surfaces. For the droplet impact on thin heated liquid film, a ring-shaped low temperature zone is observed in this experiment. Meanwhile, numerical simulation is adopted to analyze the mechanism and the interaction between the droplet and the liquid film. It is found that due to the vortex velocity distribution formed inside the liquid film after the impact, a large part of the droplet has congested. The heating process is not obvious in the congested area, which leads to the formation of a low-temperature area in the results.
Optimizing the formation of colloidal compounds with components of different shapes
Authors: Escobedo Fernando A.
Published: December 2017

By introducing favorable inter-species interactions, stoichiometric compound phases (C*), akin to intermetallic alloys, can be formed by binary mixtures of nanoparticle components of different shapes. The stability of such C* phases is expected to be affected by asymmetries in both the energetics of like vs. unlike species contacts, and the packing entropy of components, as captured by their shapes and relative sizes. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we explore the effect of changes in size ratio (for fixed contact energy) and in binding energy (for fixed size ratio) in the stability of the CsCl compound phase for equimolar mixtures of octahedra and spheres and of the NaCl compound for equimolar mixtures of cubes and spheres. As a general design rule, it is proposed that enhanced compound stability is associated with inter-species interactions that minimize the free-energy of the C* phase at coexistence with the (disordered) phase that is stable at lower concentrations. For the systems studied, this rule identifies optimal relative particle sizes and inter-species binding energies that are consistent with physically grounded expectations.
Wetting of inclined nano-textured surfaces by self-healing agents
Authors: An Seongpil , Il Kim Yong , Yoon Joshua Y. , Yarin Alexander L. , Yoon Sam S.
Published: December 2017

Experiments were conducted to study spreading of droplets of liquid healing agents on tilted nanofiber mats, which is relevant in the framework of self-healing engineered materials with vascular networks. In the present situation, the effect of gravity on drop spreading is important, as well as the inclination angle and the mat thickness. In the control case of gravity-driven spreading of droplets on an inclined polydimethylsiloxane surface, the results agreed fairly well with the theoretical predictions in the framework of the lubrication theory for the intact surfaces. However, spreading on the inclined nanofiber mats revealed significant deviations from the theory due to the imbibition of liquid into the inter-fiber pores. The imbibition effect, which stems from the wettability-driven suction, increased as the mat thickness increased. Notably, the imbibition effect also increased as the inclination angle increased.
On turbulence decay of a shear-thinning fluid
Authors: Rahgozar S. , Rival D. E.
Published: December 2017

An experimental investigation of turbulent flow in a shear-thinning fluid is presented. The experimental flow is a boundary-free, uniformly sheared flow at a relatively high Reynolds number (i.e., Reλmax=275), which decays in time. As just one example of decaying turbulence, the experiment can be thought of as a simple model of bulk turbulence in large arteries. The dimensionless parameters used are Reynolds, Strouhal, and Womersley numbers, which have been adapted according to the characteristics of the present experiment. The working fluid is a solution of aqueous 35 ppm xanthan gum, a well-known shear-thinning fluid. The velocity fields are acquired via time-resolved particle image velocimetry in the streamwise/cross-stream and streamwise/spanwise planes. The results show that the presence of xanthan gum not only modifies the turbulent kinetic energy and the dissipation rate but also significantly alters the characteristics of the large-scale eddies.
Inverse giant magnetoresistance found in thin-film device
Authors: Yiu Yuen
Published: December 2017

Thin film inspired-device exhibits inverse giant magnetoresistance with novel properties that make it a candidate for spintronic applications.
Anion vacancy-mediated ferromagnetism in atomic-thick Ni3N nanosheets
Authors: Xia Baorui , Wang Tongtong , Chi Xiao , Yu Xiaojiang , Liu Peitao , Zhang Jingyan , Xi Shibo , Du Yonghua , Gao Daqiang
Published: December 2017

Realizing spin and electronic behavior of two-dimensional ultrathin nanosheets is significant to construct next generation nanoelectronics. Here, atomic-thick Ni3N nanosheets with clear room temperature ferromagnetism and high saturation magnetization (1.2 emu/g) are reported. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and first-principles calculation results give the evidence that the observed intrinsic ferromagnetism in Ni3N nanosheets originates from the surface N-deficiency, where alignments of localized large magnetic moments of Ni in the vicinity of the N defect can be aligned parallel to activate macroscopic ferromagnetism. These ultrathin Ni3N nanosheets show great potential application in next-generation electron devices.
Deterministic ion implantation nears single donor level, detected by quantum transport measurement
Authors: Hall Shannon
Published: December 2017

Using a focused ion beam in conjunction with a single ion detector, a new fabrication method offers single atom implantation with high precision for developing silicon devices.
Novel Penning trap design delivers optical access for precise spectroscopy
Authors: Cockbill Louisa
Published: December 2017

A Penning electrode replaced with glass coated in a conductive layer maintains ion trapping while permitting optical access.
Neurophysiological development of newborn pigs: effect of the sow
Authors: Roldan-Santiago P. , Mota-Rojas D. , Martínez-Burnes J. , Velarde A. , Muns R. , López-Mayagoitia A.
Published: December 2017

The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of sow parity on neonatal piglet health and vitality at birth. We evaluated 1505 neonate piglets, which were born of York–Landrace sows with the following parity distribution: primiparous (n = 202), second (n = 207), third (n = 211), fourth (n = 222), fifth (n = 225), sixth (n = 218) and seventh parity (n = 220). Piglets born to primiparous and seventh-parity sows had the lowest and highest birthweights respectively, and showed the most marked imbalances in blood gas exchanges, acid–base balance and energy profiles, as well as the highest percentage of severe meconium staining of the skin and the lowest vitality scores (P < 0.05). In contrast, the neonates from the fourth-parity sows had the highest vitality scores, required less time to reach the mother’s teat, and had the highest percentage of adhered umbilical cords and newborns with dyspnoea, apnoea and abnormal heartbeat (P < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that during eutocic farrowings, the sow’s parity number has the following effects on newborn piglets: reduced vigour and longer latencies to begin breathing, stand and take the teat. These effects are due to the presence of imbalances in gas exchanges, the acid–base balance and energy profiles that occurred when the mother was a primiparous or older sow. These signs indicate that the newborn piglet survived a process of intrapartum asphyxia.
Divergence of regulatory networks governed by the orthologous transcription factors FLC and PEP1 in Brassicaceae species
Authors: Mateos Julieta L. , Tilmes Vicky , Madrigal Pedro , Severing Edouard , Richter René , Rijkenberg Colin W. M. , Krajewski Paweł , Coupland George
Published: December 2017

Significance

Developmental programs of higher plants show plasticity to environmental signals. In the Brassicaceae, the transcription factor (TF) FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) represses reproduction until plants are exposed to winter cold. Here we define the target genes of FLC in two species in different lineages of the Brassicaceae and compare the target sequences across the family. Fewer than 20% of target genes were conserved between the species examined, and genes involved in flowering were overrepresented among these. By contrast, many of the nonconserved target genes were involved in stress responses. We propose that, for TFs like FLC, which control environmental responses of plants, core sets of targets are conserved between species, but the majority change rapidly during evolution.
Dynamics of translation can determine the spatial organization of membrane-bound proteins and their mRNA
Authors: Korkmazhan Elgin , Teimouri Hamid , Peterman Neil , Levine Erel
Published: December 2017

Significance

Unlike their eukaryotic counterparts, bacterial cells are composed of a single compartment. This allows many rapidly diffusing macromolecules, such as proteins and mRNAs, to be evenly distributed in the cell. Important exceptions are proteins embedded in the cell membrane, which transport material and information across the membrane. Often these proteins attach to the membrane before their translation is complete, anchoring their mRNAs to the vicinity of the membrane. This coupling between translation and localization suggests that the dynamics of translation may shape the spatial organization. In this paper, we use a canonical model of nonequilibrium statistical physics to characterize this connection and show how tunable kinetic properties allow the cell to regulate the spatial organization of both mRNAs and proteins.
Relationship between season of birth, temperature exposure, and later life wellbeing
Authors: Isen Adam , Rossin-Slater Maya , Walker Reed
Published: December 2017

Significance

Recent work has demonstrated how exposure to extreme temperatures influences contemporaneous health outcomes, such as infant mortality and morbidity. Additional research has explored how shocks to the early-life environment affect long-run human capital outcomes. However, there is little evidence on the possible long-term consequences of exposure to extreme temperatures in utero or in early childhood. This paper begins to fill this gap by studying long-run effects of temperature on measures of individuals’ economic wellbeing around age 30 y. We find that adult economic outcomes are negatively correlated with prenatal exposure to days with mean temperatures exceeding 32 °C. This relationship is completely mitigated among individuals born in counties with high rates of access to air conditioning.
Naturalization of European plants on other continents: The role of donor habitats
Authors: Kalusová Veronika , Chytrý Milan , van Kleunen Mark , Mucina Ladislav , Dawson Wayne , Essl Franz , Kreft Holger , Pergl Jan , Weigelt Patrick , Winter Marten , Pyšek Petr
Published: December 2017

Significance

Understanding which species become successful aliens outside their native range is a fundamental question in ecology, as it informs efforts to mitigate ecological and economic losses from biological invasions. For alien plants of European origin, the association with human-disturbed environments is suggested as a key factor for their establishment success following introduction to other regions, especially to similarly disturbed human-made habitats. By combining a comprehensive list of European habitats and their species composition with a database of plant naturalization records worldwide, we showed that a broad habitat range together with human-induced disturbance experienced in native-range habitats can increase a species’ chance of becoming naturalized in other parts of the world.
Structural insights into the roles of the IcmS–IcmW complex in the type IVb secretion system of
Legionella pneumophila
Authors: Xu Jianpo , Xu Dandan , Wan Muyang , Yin Li , Wang Xiaofei , Wu Lijie , Liu Yanhua , Liu Xiaoyun , Zhou Yan , Zhu Yongqun
Published: December 2017

Significance

Type IVb secretion systems are crucial for the pathogenesis of
Legionella pneumophila
and
Coxiella burnetii
. IcmS and IcmW are known as adaptor proteins for the
Legionella
T4BSS and regulate the translocation of many virulent effector proteins into host cells. However, the mechanism by which IcmS–IcmW recognizes its substrates and facilitates their delivery is unclear. We performed structural and biochemical analyses of the IcmS–IcmW complex. We found that the IcmS–IcmW complex harbors a distinct structure and binds its cognate effectors via an extended hydrophobic surface. IcmS–IcmW also functions as an inseparable partner of DotL to assemble a unique type IV coupling protein complex. Our results provide mechanistic insights into the dual roles of the IcmS–IcmW complex in T4BSSs.
pH-sensitive vibrational probe reveals a cytoplasmic protonated cluster in bacteriorhodopsin
Authors: Lorenz-Fonfria Victor A. , Saita Mattia , Lazarova Tzvetana , Schlesinger Ramona , Heberle Joachim
Published: December 2017

Significance

The vectorial transport of protons across membranes by pumps is central to cellular bioenergetics. A persistent problem in their study is the technical unfeasibility to simultaneously resolve the dynamics of all the relevant proton transfer steps by the same method, that is, those within the protein as well as those involving protonation changes of the aqueous medium, currently relying on complementary methods to map both. Here, we solved this limitation and monitored both internal and external protonation changes during the proton-pump mechanism of bacteriorhodopsin by time-resolved infrared spectroscopy. Our findings reveal inconsistencies with the proton uptake mechanism accepted for the last 25 years, highlighting the need for simultaneous and comprehensive monitoring of protonation changes to resolve the molecular mechanism of ion pumps.
Earliest hydraulic enterprise in China, 5,100 years ago
Authors: Liu Bin , Wang Ningyuan , Chen Minghui , Wu Xiaohong , Mo Duowen , Liu Jianguo , Xu Shijin , Zhuang Yijie
Published: December 2017

Significance

The recently excavated Liangzhu hydraulic system in the Yangtze Delta has pushed back the date of formalized water engineering in China to approximately 5,100 years ago. The results are unprecedented in learning about the timing, structure, and function of a large-scale complex of dams, levees, ditches, and other water-controlling features in ancient China. Together with the well-excavated remains of Liangzhu city and its rice fields, the new findings represent one of the largest efforts of hydraulic landscape engineering in the ancient world.
Rapid diagnostic testing platform for iron and vitamin A deficiency
Authors: Lu Zhengda , O’Dell Dakota , Srinivasan Balaji , Rey Elizabeth , Wang Ruisheng , Vemulapati Sasank , Mehta Saurabh , Erickson David
Published: December 2017

Significance

We demonstrate a technology that we believe could transform the way nutritional deficiency testing is done worldwide. Micronutrient deficiencies such as vitamin A and iron affect a third of the world’s population with consequences such as blindness, higher child mortality, anemia, poor pregnancy outcomes, and reduced work capacity. Our testing platform simultaneously quantifies concentrations of ferritin, retinol-binding protein, and C-reactive protein, allowing one to diagnose iron and vitamin A deficiency and inflammation status (to better inform and help with the interpretation of the result) in about 15 min. Our approach combines multiple florescent markers and immunoassay approaches on a single test strip, allowing us to span the five orders of magnitude difference in the physiological range of these markers.
Evaluating the environmental impacts of dietary recommendations
Authors: Behrens Paul , Kiefte-de Jong Jessica C. , Bosker Thijs , Rodrigues João F. D. , de Koning Arjan , Tukker Arnold
Published: December 2017

Significance

Nationally recommended diets are a prominent method for informing the public on dietary choices. Although dietary choices drive both health and environmental outcomes, these diets make almost no reference to environmental impacts. Our study provides a comparison between the environmental impacts of average dietary intakes and a nation-specific recommended diet across 37 middle- and high-income nations. We find that following a nationally recommended diet in high-income nations results in a reduction in greenhouse gases, eutrophication, and land use. In upper-middle–income nations, we find a smaller reduction in impacts, and in lower-middle–income nations we find a substantial increase. The net result from large-scale adoption of nationally recommended diets for countries studied here results in a reduction in environmental impacts.
Musical training sharpens and bonds ears and tongue to hear speech better
Authors: Du Yi , Zatorre Robert J.
Published: December 2017

Significance

Musical training is a good thing, but does it benefit us in hearing speech in noise as has been suggested? If so, what is the brain mechanism behind this? Here we provide evidence of musician advantage on speech in noise perception at not only the behavioral level but also the level of neural representations of phonemes and functional connectivity. Results implicate better speech encoding in both auditory and speech motor regions, as well as stronger cross-modal auditory–motor integration in musicians than nonmusicians when processing speech, especially in noisy conditions. The idea that musical training improves speech in noise perception by enhancing auditory–motor integration is intriguing, with applications in alleviating speech perception difficulties in aging populations and hearing disorders.
Methylprednisolone acetate induces, and Δ7-dafachronic acid suppresses,Strongyloides stercoralishyperinfection in NSG mice
Authors: Patton John B. , Bonne-Année Sandra , Deckman Jessica , Hess Jessica A. , Torigian April , Nolan Thomas J. , Wang Zhu , Kliewer Steven A. , Durham Amy C. , Lee James J. , Eberhard Mark L. , Mangelsdorf David J. , Lok James B. , Abraham David
Published: December 2017

Significance

The intestinal parasiteStrongyloides stercoralisinfects an estimated 100 million people. This nematode’s unique ability to autoinfect its host enables it to persist for decades undetected and to progress to a potentially fatal hyperinfection that often is induced by glucocorticoid treatment. We report a mouse model, involving the NSG strain, that recapitulates all forms of human strongyloidiasis. Even in severely immunocompromised NSG mice, glucocorticoid treatment was required for autoinfection, raising intriguing questions about the mechanism of glucocorticoid action. Notably, administering a nematode-derived steroid, Δ7-dafachronic acid, which acts through a receptor withinS. stercoralisto regulate parasite development, significantly diminished autoinfection in glucocorticoid-treated NSG mice. This opens the possibility of new chemotherapy for hyperinfective strongyloidiasis, targeting the parasite’s own steroid hormone mechanisms.
Epigenetic therapy activates type I interferon signaling in murine ovarian cancer to reduce immunosuppression and tumor burden
Authors: Stone Meredith L. , Chiappinelli Katherine B. , Li Huili , Murphy Lauren M. , Travers Meghan E. , Topper Michael J. , Mathios Dimitrios , Lim Michael , Shih Ie-Ming , Wang Tian-Li , Hung Chien-Fu , Bhargava Vipul , Wiehagen Karla R. , Cowley Glenn S. , Bachman Kurtis E. , Strick Reiner , Strissel Pamela L. , Baylin Stephen B. , Zahnow Cynthia A.
Published: December 2017

Significance

Therapies that activate the host immune system have shown tremendous promise for a variety of solid tumors. However, in most cancer types, fewer than half of patients respond to these immunotherapies. We propose epigenetic therapy as a mechanism to sensitize tumors to immune checkpoint therapy. We have shown that inhibiting DNA methylation triggers a viral defense pathway in tumors. Here we show that epigenetic therapy in a mouse model of ovarian cancer increases the numbers of activated immune cells, and that this is dependent on the interferon antiviral response. The combination of epigenetic therapy and immune checkpoint blockade leads to the greatest reduction in tumor burden and increase in survival, and may hold the greatest promise for patients.
Extending density functional embedding theory for covalently bonded systems
Authors: Yu Kuang , Carter Emily A.
Published: December 2017

Significance

Quantum mechanics (QM) simulations increasingly help researchers understand phenomena in chemistry, geoscience, material science, and biology. Unfortunately, the exact solution of the relevant QM equations is not available; consequently approximate yet accurate QM methods must be developed. In many situations, e.g., heterogeneous catalysis and enzymatic reactions, although the entire system is too large to treat with high-level QM, the relevant phenomena happen in a confined space. Quantum embedding theories can study exactly such cases by using highly accurate but expensive QM methods to simulate only the region of interest, while using fast but less accurate approximations to treat the surroundings. In this article, we present a unique, accurate quantum embedding theory applicable to covalently bonded systems.
Structural insights into how GTP-dependent conformational changes in a metallochaperone UreG facilitate urease maturation
Authors: Yuen Man Hon , Fong Yu Hang , Nim Yap Shing , Lau Pak Ho , Wong Kam-Bo
Published: December 2017

Significance

Our work provides insights into how cells solve the problem of delivering nickel, a toxic metal, to the active site of a metalloenzyme such as urease. Urease, a nickel-containing enzyme, is a virulence factor for
Helicobacter pylori
, which infects half of the human population and causes peptic ulcers. Supported by structural and biochemical evidence, we present a paradigm on how a metallochaperone UreG couples GTP hydrolysis/binding to allosterically control the binding/release of nickel ions and to switch protein-binding partners along the metal-delivery pathway so that the nickel ions are passing from one metallochaperone to another, without releasing the “free” toxic metal to the cytoplasm.
STRIP1, a core component of STRIPAK complexes, is essential for normal mesoderm migration in the mouse embryo
Authors: Bazzi Hisham , Soroka Ekaterina , Alcorn Heather L. , Anderson Kathryn V.
Published: December 2017

Significance

Striatin-interacting phosphatases and kinases (STRIPAK) complexes can regulate the cytoskeleton and cell migration in cell lines, but their roles in vivo in mammals are not known. Here, we show that mouse embryos that lack striatin-interacting protein 1 (STRIP1), a core component of STRIPAK complexes, arrest at midgestation with striking morphological defects.
Strip1
mutants lack a trunk, and both paraxial and axial mesoderm fail to elongate along the anterior–posterior body axis. Mesodermal cells from
Strip1
mutants have defects in actin organization, focal adhesions, and cell migration that can account for the failure of normal mesoderm migration. The findings demonstrate that STRIPAK is a critical regulator of mammalian cell migration and is likely to have important roles in tumor progression as well as development.
Point-of-care device to diagnose and monitor neonatal jaundice in low-resource settings
Authors: Keahey Pelham A. , Simeral Mathieu L. , Schroder Kristofer J. , Bond Meaghan M. , Mtenthaonnga Prince J. , Miros Robert H. , Dube Queen , Richards-Kortum Rebecca R.
Published: December 2017

Significance

Neonatal jaundice, a condition caused by the accumulation of bilirubin in the bloodstream, affects approximately half of all newborns. In high-resource settings, babies with elevated serum bilirubin levels are identified through routine hospital laboratory testing. When identified, jaundice is easily treated using blue-light phototherapy. Low-cost, rugged phototherapy lights have been developed and shown to be effective in low-resource settings. However, jaundice regularly goes undetected in these settings due to a lack of diagnostic tools to measure bilirubin levels. Left untreated, jaundice can lead to permanent neurological damage and mortality, the vast majority of which currently occurs in low-resource settings. In this paper, we present a low-cost method to measure total bilirubin at the point of care in low-resource settings.
TRPV1 is a physiological regulator of μ-opioid receptors
Authors: Scherer Paul C. , Zaccor Nicholas W. , Neumann Neil M. , Vasavda Chirag , Barrow Roxanne , Ewald Andrew J. , Rao Feng , Sumner Charlotte J. , Snyder Solomon H.
Published: December 2017

Significance

MOR1, the main target of endogenous opioid peptides as well as morphine and other opiate derivatives, is a principal regulator of analgesia. TRPV1, the receptor for capsaicin, is increasingly recognized as a major mediator of mechanical, chemical, and thermal pain sensation. Here we demonstrate that these two pain systems, heretofore thought to operate independently, interact physically and physiologically. TRPV1 activation modulates MOR1 agonist-induced receptor phosphorylation via GRK5 and prevents MOR1 internalization from the cell membrane. TRPV1-mediated regulation of MOR1 thus affords a promising avenue to improve the therapeutic profile of opioid medications.
Strategic maneuvering by persuasive definition in corporate crisis communication
Authors: Na Yang
Published: December 2017

This paper aims to explore the use of persuasive definition in a corporate weblog by examining how a blogger attempts to define the company’s role in response to criticisms in the cyber space. Making use of a pragma-dialectical research framework, corporate weblog is characterized as an argumentative activity type in the commercial domain in which the legitimacy of persuasive definition is contextually constrained. The paper first analyzes the institutional preconditions that restrict all the argumentative moves in a corporate weblog, and then investigates how the corporate blogger of Taobao, the biggest online shopping website in China, responds to criticism by redefinition to evade the burden of proof.
A pragma-dialectical approach to governmental crisis communication
Authors: Linqiong Yan
Published: December 2017

To explore an argumentative approach to governmental crisis communication, this research adopts the pragma-dialectical framework to analyze and evaluate a local Chinese government’s crisis discourse concerning disputes over a proposed chemical project. The discourse is collected from the popular local online forum Mengxi Forum. By reconstructing from the discourse the four stages of a critical discussion, analyzing the embedded strategic maneuverings and evaluating the argumentation in view of institutional preconditions, it is shown that in its use of co-ordinative argumentation structures and causal argument schemes, the local government’s crisis discourse is not dialectically reasonable enough to convince the other stakeholders of the necessity to implement the proposed project. The results also shed some light on the necessity for governments’ crisis information management to ensure in its crisis discourse both dialectical reasonableness and rhetorical effectiveness.
A rhetorical approach to translation
Authors: Qian Duoxiu , Kaufer David
Published: December 2017

Over the past three decades, the Chinese government has repeatedly called for the effective transmission of its policies to the West through translation. Yet the effectiveness of translation and its evaluation has remained a ticklish issue, particularly for texts with a political agenda. Fidelity to literal denotative meaning at the grain of words and phrases is generally insufficient for the translation of such texts. Texts in these sensitive domains of the Chinese context call for exacting fidelity in tone, register, genre, stance, connotation, and, overall, rhetoric. The Chinese government, wishing to avoid misinterpretation, is concerned with sharing their policies with foreigners as closely as possible to the way the many authors of these policies understood them from the inside. In this paper, we think of a “rhetoric” of translation holistically as capturing the “inside contours” of words and phrases as understood by a native speaker. For this purpose, we present a rhetorical approach to translation that can help explain the translation standards of Chinese government documents marked for wide-scale distribution abroad. The approach and method can be applicable in the assessment of other translations when rhetoric or the overall effect is the major concern.
The dimension of automorphism groups of algebraic varieties with pseudo-effective log canonical divisors
Authors: Hu Fei
Published: December 2017

Let

(
X
,
D
)

(X,D)

be a log smooth pair of dimension

n
n

, where

D
D

is a reduced effective divisor such that the log canonical divisor

K
X

+
D

K_X + D

is pseudo-effective. Let

G
G

be a connected algebraic subgroup of

A
u
t

(
X
,
D
)

\rm {Aut}(X, D)

. We show that

G
G

is a semi-abelian variety of dimension

≤
min
{
n
−

κ
¯

(
V
)
,
n
}

\le \min \{n-\bar {\kappa }(V), n\}

with

V

≔

X
∖
D

V\coloneq X\setminus D

. In the dimension two, Iitaka claimed in his 1979 Osaka J. Math. paper that

dim
⁡
G
≤

q
¯

(
V
)

\dim G\le \bar {q}(V)

for a log smooth surface pair with

κ
¯

(
V
)
=
0

\bar {\kappa }(V) = 0

and

p
¯

g

(
V
)
=
1

\bar {p}_g(V) = 1

. We (re-)prove and generalize this classical result for all surfaces with

κ
¯

=
0

\bar {\kappa }=0

without assuming Iitaka’s classification of logarithmic Iitaka surfaces or logarithmic

K
3

K3

surfaces.
A High-Sensitivity, Microtiter-Based Plate Assay for Plant Pattern-Triggered Immunity
Authors: Mott G. Adam , Desveaux Darrell , Guttman David S.
Published: December 2017

The first step in the plant immune response to pathogen challenge involves the perception of conserved epitopes, called microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), by cell-surface pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Given the key roles that MAMPs and PRRs play in plant innate immunity, great effort has been expended to identify these molecules. Current methods for assaying these immune responses are often limited in their resolution and throughput, and consequently, there is a need for medium- to high-throughput methodologies. Here, we describe the development of a 96-well microtiter plate–based assay for plant pattern-triggered immunity that measures the activity of plant peroxidase (POX) enzymes produced in response to treatment with bacterial MAMPs. The system has been optimized to minimize both the amount of plant tissue and MAMPs required and displays up to three orders of magnitude greater sensitivity than the traditional luminol-based reactive oxygen species assay when measuring the plant response to treatment with the bacterial MAMP flg22, reaching detection limits in the picomolar range. This high sensitivity opens the possibility of evaluating the immune-eliciting effects of weaker elicitors. The throughput and material requirements of the assay make it ideal for screens involving quantitative measurement of the plant innate immune response to MAMPs.
Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Small Incision Endokeratophakia Using a Xenogeneic Lenticule in Rhesus Monkeys
Authors: He Miao , Jin He , He Hong , Ding Hui , Wang Wei , Liu Liangping , Zhang Chi , Zhong Xingwu
Published: December 2017

Purpose:

To evaluate the feasibility and safety of xenogeneic endokeratophakia in rhesus monkeys and to explore the effects of a concave lenticule on refractive power.

Methods:

Three adult New Zealand white rabbits and 6 healthy rhesus monkeys were used. The xenogenic concave grafts were created from the rabbits using a modified small incision lenticule extraction technique; after being cryopreserved in glycerol for 1 week, the grafts were implanted into the monkey recipient corneas. Spherical equivalent (SE), central corneal thickness, and keratometry curvature were assessed preoperatively, 1 week, 1, 4 and 6 months postoperatively. The quality of the xenogenic graft was also assessed by slit-lamp microscopy, in vivo confocal microscopy, and optical coherence tomography with anterior segment imaging.

Results:

The graft appeared to be swollen a day after the operation but reduced considerably after a week. A trend of a lower refractive power (hyperopic shift) was demonstrated in relation to the SE after concave graft implantation. The mean SE increased from −0.60 ± 1.31 (median −0.69, interquartile range −1.00 to 0.50) preoperatively to 0.75 ± 1.27 (median 1.38, interquartile range −0.25 to 1.63) at 1 month postoperatively (P = 0.01). Central corneal thickness was significantly thicker each time after surgery compared with that recorded preoperatively (P < 0.01). The anterior and posterior interface between the graft and stroma was visible during the study. Corneal nerve regeneration was evident at 6 months postoperatively. The xenogeneic concave graft was stable and transparent at follow-up. Severe adverse events or evidence of a rejection response were not observed.

Conclusions:

Femtosecond laser-assisted small incision endokeratophakia using a xenogeneic corneal lenticule seems to be feasible and safe, which may provide a new method for myopia correction and keratoconus treatment.
Past Year Substance Use by Student Nurses
Authors: Boulton Martha A. , O’Connell Kathleen A.
Published: December 2017

Purpose:

Nurses who abuse substances are a threat to patients, colleagues, society, and themselves. Research indicates that substance use often begins during undergraduate years. The purpose of this research was to identify rates of past year substance use by student nurses.

Method:

A quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational design was used to examine past year substance use by student nurses and to determine whether substance use is related to age, gender, race, relationship status, ethnicity, country of birth, type of school program, and year in program. The convenience sample of National Student Nurses’ Association members yielded 4,033 completed surveys. Students were asked about their past year substance use via Survey Monkey. Responses were analyzed through exploratory data analysis and logistic regression.

Results:

Binge drinking was reported by 61% of the student nurses; 18% reported using marijuana; 5% reported using illegal drugs, excluding marijuana; 8% reported using nonprescribed stimulants to enhance academic performance; and 10% reported using nonprescribed prescription pills. Students who were younger than 28 years old, White, male, born in this country, or single tended to report more substance misuse than other students.

Conclusions:

The results suggest that student nurses tend to use fewer drugs than their college counterparts but are slightly more likely to binge drink. Further research is needed on the effect of substance education in the beginning of the nursing program and that continued throughout the program on student nurse substance use. Research on faculty’s ability to identify the at-risk student is necessary for early intervention.
A Naturalistic Evaluation of Change in Antidepressant Prescription in Patients With Affective and Anxiety Disorders in a Tertiary Care Hospital of India
Authors: Patil Amol , Sahoo Swapnajeet , Garg Gaurav , Grover Sandeep
Published: December 2017

Background

Although many studies have evaluated prescription patterns, there is lack of information on the choice of antidepressants among patients who do not respond antidepressants. Similarly, information on switching strategies is also limited. This naturalistic study aimed to evaluate the switching strategies and preferred antidepressants by the psychiatrists among patients who do not respond to or who are not able to tolerate an antidepressant.

Methods

A cross-sectional observational study design was followed. Patients diagnosed with affective and anxiety disorders, who were recommended a change in antidepressant, were recruited. Details of antidepressant before switching, antidepressants considered at the time of switching, coprescription advised at the time of switching, reasons considered for switching, and strategy advised at the time of switching were noted down.

Results

A total of 102 patients were recruited. The most common change strategy was selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) to a serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) (N = 42; 41.17%), and this was followed by SSRI to SSRI (N = 18; 17.64%) and SNRI to SSRI (N = 10; 9.8%). In majority of the patients (N = 79; 77.45%) cross-taper of older antidepressant with gradual increase in dose of newer antidepressants was followed. About 44.1% of the patients were on adjuvant medications at the time of considering change in antidepressants, and 37.25% of the patients were additionally started on some adjuvant medications during the change of antidepressants.

Conclusions

The present study suggests that the most common strategy followed during change of antidepressant is from SSRI to SNRI and this is followed by SSRI to SSRI and SNRI to SSRI. Cross-taper switching strategy along with the use of adjuvant medications like benzodiazepines during the process of switching is most commonly followed.
Effect of Aromatherapy Massage on Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathic Pain and Fatigue in Patients Receiving Oxaliplatin
Authors: Izgu Nur , Ozdemir Leyla , Bugdayci Basal Fatma
Published: December 2017

Background

Patients receiving oxaliplatin may experience peripheral neuropathic pain and fatigue. Aromatherapy massage, a nonpharmacological method, may help to control these symptoms.

Objective

The aim of this open-label, parallel-group, quasi–randomized controlled pilot study was to investigate the effect of aromatherapy massage on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathic pain and fatigue in patients receiving oxaliplatin.

Methods

Stratified randomization was used to allocate 46 patients to 2 groups: intervention (n = 22) and control (n = 24). Between week 1 and week 6, participants in the intervention group (IG) received aromatherapy massage 3 times a week. There was no intervention in weeks 7 and 8. The control group (CG) received routine care. Neuropathic pain was identified using the Douleur Neuropathique 4 Questions; severity of painful paresthesia was assessed with the numerical rating scale; fatigue severity was identified with the Piper Fatigue Scale.

Results

At week 6, the rate of neuropathic pain was significantly lower in the IG, when compared with the CG. The severity of painful paresthesia based on numerical rating scale in the IG was significantly lower than that in the CG at weeks 2, 4, and 6. At week 8, fatigue severity in the IG was significantly lower when compared with CG (P < .05).

Conclusion

Aromatherapy massage may be useful in the management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathic pain and fatigue.

Implications for Practice

This pilot study suggests that aromatherapy massage may be useful to relieve neuropathic pain and fatigue. However, there is a need for further clinical trials to validate the results of this study.
Subjective inflation of color saturation in the periphery under temporal overload
Authors: Rajananda Sivananda , A.K. Peters Megan , Lau Hakwan , Odegaard Brian
Published: December 2017

A long-standing puzzle in perception concerns the subjective impression of vivid color experience in the periphery. While peripheral color processing is not entirely insensitive, the subjective vividness seems unsupported by the relative paucity of representation in the periphery. Inspired by the flashed face distortion effect, in which peripheral faces are perceived as somewhat exaggerated or distorted when they are preceded by flashes of other faces in the same location, we attempted to create an equivalent illusion in the domain of color. The hypothesis is that under temporal overload, patches of colorful dots may be perceived as more exaggerated in terms of saturation. We confirmed this hypothesis with the observation of a significant effect of modest magnitude, which was replicated in a second experiment. These results suggest that subjective inflation of perceived color saturation does occur in the periphery, when the perceptual system is sufficiently occupied temporally and spatially. We discuss the relationship between the observed effects with previous findings of liberal detection biases in the unattended periphery.
Interleukin-4 restores neurogenic plasticity of the primary human neural stem cells through suppression of Kynurenic acid production upon Amyloid-beta42 toxicity
Authors: Papadimitriou Christos , Celikkaya Hilal , Cosacak Mehmet Ilyas , Mashkaryan Violeta , Bhattarai Prabesh , Lin Weilin , Thomas Alvin Kuriakose , Zhang Yixin , Freudenberg Uwe , Werner Carsten , Kizil Caghan
Published: December 2017

The immune response is an important determinant of the plasticity and neurogenic capacity of neural stem cells (NSCs) upon amyloid-beta42 (Aβ42) toxicity in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the direct effects of individual immuno-modulatory effectors on NSC plasticity remain to be elucidated and are the motivation for reductionist tissue-mimetic culture experiments. Using starPEG-Heparin hydrogel system that provides a defined 3D cell-instructive neuro-microenvironment culture system, sustains high levels of proliferative and neurogenic activity of human NSCs, and recapitulates the fundamental pathological consequences of Amyloid toxicity upon Aβ42 administration, we found that the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-4 (IL4) restores the plasticity and neurogenic capacity of NSCs by suppressing the Aβ42-induced kynurenic acid-producing enzyme kynurenine aminotransferase 2 (KAT2), which we also found to be upregulated in the brains of the AD model, APP/PS1dE9 mouse. Our transcriptome analyses showed that IL4 treatment restores the expression levels of NSC and cortical subtype markers. Thus, our dissective neuro-microenvironment culture revealed IL4-mediated neuroinflammatory crosstalk for human NSC plasticity and predicted a new mechanistic target for therapeutic intervention in AD.
Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 lethally sensitizes cancer cells to stress-targeted therapeutic inhibitors
Authors: Dias Matheus H. , Fonseca Cecília S , Zeidler Julianna D. , Albuquerque Layra L. , da Silva Marcelo S. , Cararo-Lopes Eduardo , Reis Marcelo S. , Noël Vincent , Prior Ian A. , Armelin Hugo A.
Published: December 2017

In malignant transformation, cellular stress response pathways are dynamically mobilized to counterbalance oncogenic activity, keeping cancer cells viable. Therapeutic disruption of this riskily balanced homeostasis might change the outcome of many human cancers, particularly those for which no effective therapy is available. Here, we report the use of Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2) to demonstrate that further mitogenic activation disrupts cellular homeostasis and strongly sensitizes cancer cells to stress-targeted therapeutic inhibitors. We show that FGF2 enhanced replication and proteotoxic stresses in a K-Ras-driven murine cancer cell model, and combinations of FGF2 and proteasome or DNA damage response-checkpoint inhibitors triggered cell death. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated K-Ras depletion suppressed the malignant phenotype and prevented these synergic toxicities in these murine cells. Moreover, in a panel of human Ewing’s sarcoma family tumor cells, sub-lethal concentrations of bortezomib (proteasome-inhibitor) or VE-821 (ATR-inhibitor) induced cell death when combined with FGF2. Sustained MAPK-ERK1/2 overactivation induced by FGF2 underlies these synthetic lethalities, once late pharmacological inhibition of this pathway restored cell homeostasis and prevented these described synergies. Our results highlight how mitotic signaling pathways frequently overridden in malignant transformation might be exploited to disrupt the risky robustness of cancer cells, ultimately sensitizing them to stress-targeted therapies. This approach provides a new therapeutic rationale for human cancers, with important implications for tumors still lacking effective treatment, and for those that frequently relapse after available therapies.
MetaRiPPquest: A Peptidogenomics Approach for the Discovery of Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-translationally Modified Peptides
Authors: Mohimani Hosein , Gurevich Alexey , Alexander Kelsey L. , Naman C. Benjamin , Leão Tiago , Glukhov Evgenia , Moss Nathan A. , Luzzatto-Knaan Tal , Vargas Fernando , Nothias Louis-Felix , Singh Nitin K. , Sanders Jon G. , Benitez Rodolfo A. S. , Thompson Luke R. , Hamid Md-Nafiz , Morton James T. , Mikheenko Alla , Shlemov Alexander , Korobeynikov Anton , Friedberg Iddo , Knight Rob , Venkateswaran Kasthuri , Gerwick William , Gerwick Lena , Dorrestein Pieter C. , Pevzner Pavel A.
Published: December 2017

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are an important class of natural products that include many antibiotics and a variety of other bioactive compounds. While recent breakthroughs in RiPP discovery raised the challenge of developing new algorithms for their analysis, peptidogenomic-based identification of RiPPs by combining genome/metagenome mining with analysis of tandem mass spectra remains an open problem. We present here MetaRiPPquest, a software tool for addressing this challenge that is compatible with large-scale screening platforms for natural product discovery. After searching millions of spectra in the Global Natural Products Social (GNPS) molecular networking infrastructure against just six genomic and metagenomic datasets, MetaRiPPquest identified 27 known and discovered 5 novel RiPP natural products.