bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Roles of two cyp11 genes in sex hormone biosynthesis in Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)
Authors: Meng Lihui , Yu Haiyang , Ni Feifei , Niu Jingjing , Liu Xiumei , Wang Xubo
Published: November 2019

The P450 side‐chain cleavage enzymes P450scc (Cyp11a) and 11β‐hydroxylase (Cyp11b) play important roles in sex steroid and cortisol production. Here, two duplicates of cyp11 genes were identified in Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus): Pocyp11a and Pocyp11b, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis and amino acid sequence alignment revealed that Pocyp11a and Pocyp11b shared significant identity with sequences of other teleost fish species. The quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) results indicated that among the studied tissues, brain tissue showed the highest expression of Pocyp11a, followed by kidney and testis tissues, whereas Pocyp11b expression was highest in the testis. The expression patterns of these two genes showed sexual dimorphism, with both genes showing higher expression in the testis than in the ovary. In‐situ hybridization analysis demonstrated that Pocyp11a and Pocyp11b mRNA were both detected in oocytes, spermatocytes, and Sertoli cells, indicating that they might be involved in hormone synthesis. The expression levels of Pocyp11a and Pocyp11b were significantly downregulated by treatment with 17α‐methyltestosterone (17α‐MT) in the testis and ovary in both in vivo and studies. In vivo studies showed that Pocyp11a and Pocyp11b transcripts were suppressed by 17β‐estradiol (E2) treatment in both the testis and ovary. In addition, in vitro studies showed that the expression level of Pocyp11b was decreased by treatment with E2, whereas that of Pocyp11a was largely unaffected. Moreover, the expression levels of Pocyp11a and Pocyp11b in the testis cell line were significantly upregulated after NR0b1 and NR5a2 (p < .05) treatment. These results indicate that Pocyp11a and Pocyp11b might play important roles in sex hormone biosynthesis. Our research can assist future studies of the mechanisms of steroid biosynthesis and functional differences between cyp11a and cyp11b in Japanese flounder.
Efficiency
Authors: Gálvez Alyshia
Published: November 2019

The concept of efficiency, perhaps more than any other, provides an underlying logic to social, political, and economic formations in North America. But it is arguably the term's misuse, rather than its true definition as a ratio of effort and investment to yield, that drives the current neoliberal policy landscape under the US‐Mexico‐Canada Agreement (formerly the North American Free Trade Agreement). This essay draws on the example of corn to show how other productive arrangements reflect alternative rural and indigenous measures of worth.
Grid Country
Authors: Özden‐Schilling Canay
Published: November 2019

What appears today to rural Americans as the vector of their difference besides the mainstays of farming and ranching? Through what optics do we see our rural and urban senses of belonging? I argue that electric grids provide one answer. Across the contiguous United States, there are groups of rural and suburban citizens who organize against the expansion of electricity's transmission infrastructure, claiming that they are unjustly suffering the consequences of electric grids’ city‐based remote governance. Grid expansion in the countryside might mean property lost to eminent domain and subpar conditions for farming, consequences that rarely factor into projects that overwhelmingly prioritize meeting ever‐growing electricity demand in cities. The unevenness in the governance of our shared grids, and by extension our public infrastructures, prompts citizen reflection on their senses of rural, suburban, and urban belonging. Attending to infrastructures as milieus of emergent political consciousness thus provides an opportunity to understand rural and suburban politics through a wider optic than the “red versus blue” narrative by which politics in the United States is so often understood.
Playground
Authors: Sizek Julia
Published: November 2019

For dirt‐bikers, the California desert is a playground. But other actors criticize the recreational activity's impact on public lands as they seek to save sacred landscapes, historical sites, and endangered species habitat. Tracing debates about desert land use in the United States between World War II and the present, this essay explores questions of possession, commemoration, and leisure through the life history of a pro‐riding activist.
Outlaw
Authors: Polson Michael
Published: November 2019

Framed around the case of cannabis cultivation in Northern California, this essay explores the social category of the rural outlaw. It argues that outlawry consists not only in those whose actions are illegalized but also in the conditions through which racial capitalism accumulates and dispossesses at its various frontiers. Cannabis, before and after its legalization, gets caught up in various dynamics through which outlawry can be assessed.
Rural Mobilities: Migrant Workers in Manitoba
Authors: Bryan Catherine
Published: November 2019

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in rural Manitoba, this essay challenges notions of rural mobilities as either outward or novel. Looking back to Canadian histories of colonization, the essay calls for a view of rural mobilities as a continuous and consistent modality of capital accumulation and state formation.
Deindustrial Chicago and the Ruralization of The Jungle
Authors: Blanchette Alex
Published: November 2019

This brief essay proposes ways of seeing the city and the country as relational and interdependent, cued to a cultural moment at which these spaces are often scripted as occupying separate worlds with distinct issues and dilemmas. It does so by juxtaposing the present‐day struggles of Chicago's Back of the Yards, the setting of Upton Sinclair's infamous 1906 meatpacking exposé The Jungle, in relation to ascendant and highly industrialized pockets of the countryside. In developing a notion of ruralization, the essay seeks to draw attention to how specific industrial ruralities dwell within deindustrial cities, complicating well‐worn discourses that see urbanization as a unilinear teleology.
Introduction: An Anthropological Almanac of Rural Americas
Authors: Blanchette Alex , LaFlamme Marcel
Published: November 2019

Critically cued to a political moment at which “the rural” across diverse North American locales is taken to be a singular, homogeneous place, this introduction to the special issue explores the value of comparative inquiry into settings and subject positions that index the rural in markedly different ways. It does so through the conceit of an anthropological almanac: a genre of forecasting through brief, necessarily ephemeral provocations, which both register the uneven production of space and value across their contexts and illuminate social transformations that extend well beyond the rural. Like other almanacs, ours is marked by a commitment to formal and epistemological pluralism, featuring contributions from scholars across the career cycle and presenting creative narrative selections side by side with more conventionally ethnographic ones. Asserting in the face of widespread precarity that rurality has a consequential future, it looks ahead to ask what the study of rural North America might yet become.
Comprehensive analysis of Twitter activity on #Incontinence
Authors: Grabbert Markus , Khoder Wael Y. , Gratzke Christian , Paffenholz Pia , Salem Johannes , Bauer Ricarda M.
Published: November 2019

Aim

The aim of this study is comprehensive analysis of the Twitter activity on #Incontinence.

Material and Methods

The following six functional‐urology hashtags on Twitter were analyzed from 2015 to 2018 to gain a comprehensive insight into the topic: #Incontinence, #InterstitialCystitis, #OAB, #FPMRS, #BPH, and #UroBPH. For the Twitter analysis, Symplur Signals was used, which is a health care social media analytics tool.

Results

In total 191 383 tweets by 54 094 users in 2015 through 2018 were analyzed. A rise in the number of tweets could be identified for all six analyzed hashtags on functional urology, in summary, the numbers raised from 25 629 tweets in 2015 to 66 551 tweets in 2018. For the hashtag incontinence (#Incontinence), the number of tweets raised from 13 823 in 2015 to 19 996 in 2018 (+44.7%). Main influencers on functional urology topics identified by the Symplur algorithm were individuals from the health care sector in 44.6% of the cases and health care organizations in 36.5% of the cases, whereas for #Incontinence, only 7% of influencers were patients in 2018. The ten most common words connected to #Incontinence were Incontinence, Urinary, Women, Help, New, Bladder, Stress, Treatment, Pelvic, and Sex. Of the tweets, 66% were categorized as positive statements and 34% were categorized as negative.

Conclusion

Social media is an emerging tool of communication in urology, whereas discussions on #Incontinence are underrepresented compared to the high prevalence of urinary incontinence. In addition, patients’ activity is low.
A theories of practice perspective in understanding barriers to sustainable commuting: The case of United Arab Emirates
Authors: Iyanna Shilpa , Bosangit Carmela , Lazell Jordon , Carrigan Marylyn
Published: November 2019

A critical step to mitigate climate change is to reduce automobile pollution emissions. The transportation sector produces 23% of world energy‐related CO2 emissions with three quarters of the emissions coming from road transport, specifically passenger cars and light‐duty trucks. The daily commute constitutes a significant portion of the traffic demand in cities, as people's use of private cars remains an integral part of daily life. Using theories of practice, this paper investigates the range of elements (meanings, competencies, and materials) that collectively shapes the practice of daily commuting. Adopting a qualitative approach, the research comprises 21 interviews with United Arab Emirates residents. Our findings reveal two major insights: (a) “meanings” play a more dominant role in shaping the practice of daily commuting; thus, competencies and materials are integrated in a way that addresses these meanings, and (b) practices are simultaneously interconnected with other practices and often compete for the finite resources of consumers. The paper provides insights to the barriers to sustainable commuting practices and outlines significant opportunities for intervention.
Influence of the polarity of the matrix on the breakage mechanisms of lignocellulosic fibers during twin‐screw extrusion
Authors: Berzin Françoise , Lemkhanter Loubna , Marcuello Carlos , Chabbert Brigitte , Aguié‐Béghin Véronique , Molinari Michael , Castellani Romain , Vergnes Bruno
Published: November 2019

In a series of previous papers, models describing the breakage of lignocellulose fibers during melt mixing process were established and applied to predict fiber size changes when compounding composites in a twin‐screw extruder. Different types of fibers were studied (flax, hemp, sisal, etc), but always with the same matrix, namely polypropylene (PP) compatibilized with PP grafted with maleic anhydride (PP‐g‐MA). In the present study, the influence of the matrix was characterized, by comparing the results obtained with nonpolar PP and polar poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) of similar viscosity. For flax and hemp fibers, morphology changes (in length and diameter) were characterized along the screws under various processing conditions (screw speed and feed rate). Whatever the conditions, breakage was more important with the PBS matrix. Moreover, the rheological properties of the composites were also different, indicating specific interactions between fibers and matrices. Atomic force microscopy was used to measure the adhesion between the different matrices and AFM levers functionalized with nanocrystalline cellulose. The results confirmed a better interaction between the nanocrystalline cellulose and the PBS matrix compared to the PP one.
Descriptive Analysis of an Interdisciplinary Musculoskeletal Program
Authors: Santa Barbara Matthew T. , Cortazzo Megan , Emerick Trent , Furnier Jessica , Duff Jesse , Shapiro Steve , Zigler Christine K. , Badway Andrea , Sowa Gwendolyn
Published: November 2019

Background

Interdisciplinary musculoskeletal programs address comorbidities confounding musculoskeletal conditions and serve as an alternative to the single provider model.

Objective

Descriptive analysis of an interdisciplinary musculoskeletal program.

Design

Retrospective descriptive analysis of patients enrolled in an interdisciplinary musculoskeletal program. Retrospective subanalysis: cohort of patients enrolled in interdisciplinary program with low back pain compared to historical cohort of patients in a single provider clinic.

Setting

Academic interdisciplinary musculoskeletal health program.

Patients

Patients referred to program with at least one follow‐up visit over a 2‐year period.

Interventions

Interdisciplinary musculoskeletal program involving physiatry, pain anesthesia, nutrition, psychology, rheumatology, sleep medicine, nursing, and physical therapy.

Main Outcome Measurements

Patient Specific Functional Scale (PSFS), Oswestry Low Back Disability Index (ODI), number of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, computed tomography (CT) scans, opioid prescriptions; Press Ganey scores.

Results

One hundred and seventy‐three patients were enrolled and had at least one follow‐up visit. Twenty‐four percent of patients with any musculoskeletal complaint demonstrated clinically significant improvements in total PSFS. Mean improvement in PSFS was + 0.864 (SD 1.94), which was a statistically significant improvement (P = .0005), but not clinically significant. Magnetic resonance imaging was ordered for 5% of patients, and no computed tomography scans were ordered. Six percent of patients received opioid prescriptions. Press Ganey scores: 96% responded favorably in regard to physician communication quality, 86% of patients responded favorably for access to care, and 78% responded favorably for care coordination. 27.8% of patients with low back pain in the interdisciplinary program achieved a significant decrease in their ODI, compared to 26.6% in the single provider clinic (P = .87).

Conclusions

Interdisciplinary musculoskeletal programs are a promising model to improve the functioning of patients with musculoskeletal pain and decrease downstream utilization. These programs may be more appropriate for patients at higher risk of developing chronic pain.
The underestimated posterior lymphatic drainage of the prostate: An historical overview and preliminary anatomical study on cadaver
Authors: Boscolo‐Berto Rafael , Siracusano Salvatore , Porzionato Andrea , Polguj Michał , Porcaro Antonio Benito , Stecco Carla , Macchi Veronica , De Caro Raffaele
Published: November 2019

Background

The evidence of pelvic lymph node metastases after radical prostatectomy (RP) with pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) is one of the strongest prognostic factors for poor oncologic outcome. The extent of PLND, although representing a crucial step in RP, is still controversial. Currently, there is a critical drawback in clinical practice due to the lack of congruence between the known lymphatic drainage and cancer dissemination despite defined management by a surgical approach. We hypothesized the existence of alternative pathways for the lymphatic drainage of the prostate currently not considered in clinical daily practice.

Methods

We carried out a literature review of the anatomic description of nodal drainage of prostate reported by online databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, Ovid, and Scopus) and the original texts since the 18th century, with an additional anatomical dissection on a human cadaver to confirm theoretical data.

Results

The anatomical dissection study converged with the historical anatomical treatises in describing three groups of lymphatics devoted to carrying out prostatic nodal drainage. Apart from the ascending ducts from the cranial gland leading to the external iliac nodes; the lateral ducts leading to the hypogastric nodes; small lymphatic vessels from the posterior surface of the prostate, directed to the pararectal lymphatic plexus, in the direction of the lateral sacral lymph nodes and those at the sacral promontory (ie, pararectal and presacral lymph nodes) were observed.

Conclusions

Our preliminary findings demonstrate that lymphatic drainage of the prostate extends beyond standard nodal templates actually considered in surgical daily practice, despite the knowledge reported by historical anatomical treatises. Further anatomical and experimental evidence are needed to investigate anatomical variability in humans, as well as to add more topographical details.
Role of Capping Material and GaN Polarity on Mg Ion Implantation Activation
Authors: Jacobs Alan G. , Feigelson Boris N. , Hite Jennifer K. , Gorsak Cameron A. , Luna Lunet E. , Anderson Travis J. , Kub Francis J.
Published: November 2019

Ion implantation of magnesium for p‐type GaN presents many opportunities; however, activation has proven difficult due to the decomposition of GaN at relevant annealing temperatures. Herein, testing the efficacy of multiple in situ and ex situ caps based on aluminum nitride and silicon nitride for GaN protection during annealing is presented. Photoluminescence shows better activation for in situ metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD)‐grown aluminum nitride caps compared with ex situ sputtered aluminum nitride and the best performance by ex situ plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) silicon nitride. Furthermore, only samples annealed at the highest temperatures tested show preferential growth of UV luminescence to yellow‐green luminescence reinforcing the need for better capping solutions and higher temperature annealing.
Radiative Efficiency and Charge‐Carrier Lifetimes and Diffusion Length in Polycrystalline CdSeTe Heterostructures
Authors: Kuciauskas Darius , Moseley John , Ščajev Patrik , Albin David
Published: November 2019

CdTe‐based photovoltaics is a rapidly developing energy technology with one of the lowest levelized costs of electricity. But nonradiative Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) recombination limits the efficiency of CdTe solar cells. Partial mitigation of bulk and grain‐boundary SRH recombination was achieved by alloying CdTe with Se, and CdSexTe1−x absorbers are used in high‐efficiency solar cells. Recently, interface recombination was significantly reduced with alumina passivation, but other properties of Al2O3/CdSexTe1−x/Al2O3 heterostructures have not yet been investigated. Herein, further progress in understanding and developing polycrystalline heterostructures with x = 0.2 is reported. It is shown that external photoluminescence quantum yield is increased to 0.2%, quasi‐Fermi‐level splitting to 950 mV, minority carrier lifetimes to 750 ns, and mobility to 100 cm2 Vs−1. Such polycrystalline CdSexTe1−x electronic characteristics match or exceed CdTe single‐crystal properties. The resulting charge‐carrier diffusion length of ≈14 μm is several times greater than the absorber thickness in test structures and in typical CdTe solar cells. Herein, with passivation and absorbers, polycrystalline CdSeTe solar cell open‐circuit voltage is increased from the current 76% of the Shockley–Queisser limit to 82%, or close to 1 V is reported.
Oleuropein: A natural antioxidant molecule in the treatment of metabolic syndrome
Authors: Ahamad Javed , Toufeeq Ibrahim , Khan Mohammad Ahmed , Ameen Muath Sh. Mohammed , Anwer Esra T. , Uthirapathy Subha , Mir Showkat R. , Ahmad Javed
Published: November 2019

Olive (Olea europaea Linn., Fam. Oleaceae) is commonly known as Zaytoon in Mediterranean region. Its fruits and oil are essential components of Mediterranean diets. Olive tree is a prevalent plant species and one of the important cultivated crops of Mediterranean region. Oleuropein is a phenolic constituents of olive, which, along with its related compounds, has been indicated to be majorly responsible for its beneficial effects. Oleuropein is a secoiridoid type of phenolic compound and consists of three structural subunits: hydroxytyrosol, elenolic acid, and a glucose molecule. It is also reported to be the chemotaxonomic marker of olive. The oleuropein is reported to possess a number of biological activities including action against dyslipidemia, antiobesity, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antiatherogenic, antihypertensive, antiinflammatory, and hepatoprotective actions. The scientific evidence supports the role of oleuropein as a potential agent against metabolic syndrome. The present review discusses chemistry of oleuropein along with potential role of oleuropein with reference to pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome.
The effects of extremes and temporal scale on multifractal properties of river flow time series
Authors: Hekmatzadeh Ali Akbar , Torabi Haghighi Ali , Hosseini Guyomi Kianoosh , Amiri Seyed Mehrab , Kløve Bjørn
Published: November 2019

For accurate forecasting of extreme events in rivers, streamflow time series with sub‐daily temporal resolution (1–6 hour) are preferable, but discharge time series for long rivers are usually available at daily or monthly resolution. In this study, the scaling properties of hourly and daily streamflow time series were measured. As an innovation, the effects of extreme values on the multifractal behavior of these series were evaluated. Interestingly, both hourly and daily discharge records led to nearly identical scaling trends and identical crossover times. Daily and hourly discharge time series appeared to be non‐stationary when the timescale ranged from 75 to 366 days. Otherwise, the signals may be considered stationary time series. In addition, the results indicated that the extreme values strongly contribute to the multifractality of the series. The width of singularity spectra decreased considerably when the extreme events were removed from both hourly and daily discharge records.
Recent Advances in Glucose‐Oxidase‐Based Nanocomposites for Tumor Therapy
Authors: Wang Man , Wang Dongmei , Chen Qing , Li Chunxia , Li Zhengquan , Lin Jun
Published: November 2019

Glucose oxidase (GOx) can react with intracellular glucose and oxygen (O2) to produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and gluconic acid, which can cut off the nutrition source of cancer cells and consequently inhibit their proliferation. Therefore, GOx is recognised as an ideal endogenous oxido‐reductase for cancer starvation therapy. This process can further regulate the tumor microenvironment by increasing the hypoxia and the acidity. Thus, GOx offers new possibilities for the elaborate design of multifunctional nanocomposites for tumor therapy. However, natural GOx is expensive to prepare and purify and exhibits immunogenicity, short in vivo half‐life, and systemic toxicity. Furthermore, GOx is highly prone to degrade after exposure to biological conditions. These intrinsic shortcomings will undoubtedly limit its biomedical applications. Accordingly, some nanocarriers can be used to protect GOx from the surrounding environment, thus controlling or preserving the activity. A variety of nanocarriers including hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles, metal–organic frameworks, organic polymers, and magnetic nanoparticles are summarized for the construction of GOx‐based nanocomposites for multimodal synergistic cancer therapy. In addition, current challenges and promising developments in this area are highlighted.
Recent Advances in Microfluidic Platforms Applied in Cancer Metastasis: Circulating Tumor Cells' (CTCs) Isolation and Tumor‐On‐A‐Chip
Authors: Lin Zhengjie , Luo Guanyi , Du Weixiang , Kong Tiantian , Liu Changkun , Liu Zhou
Published: November 2019

Cancer remains the leading cause of death worldwide despite the enormous efforts that are made in the development of cancer biology and anticancer therapeutic treatment. Furthermore, recent studies in oncology have focused on the complex cancer metastatic process as metastatic disease contributes to more than 90% of tumor‐related death. In the metastatic process, isolation and analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play a vital role in diagnosis and prognosis of cancer patients at an early stage. To obtain relevant information on cancer metastasis and progression from CTCs, reliable approaches are required for CTC detection and isolation. Additionally, experimental platforms mimicking the tumor microenvironment in vitro give a better understanding of the metastatic microenvironment and antimetastatic drugs' screening. With the advancement of microfabrication and rapid prototyping, microfluidic techniques are now increasingly being exploited to study cancer metastasis as they allow precise control of fluids in small volume and rapid sample processing at relatively low cost and with high sensitivity. Recent advancements in microfluidic platforms utilized in various methods for CTCs' isolation and tumor models recapitulating the metastatic microenvironment (tumor‐on‐a‐chip) are comprehensively reviewed. Future perspectives on microfluidics for cancer metastasis are proposed.
Systematic literature review and empirical investigation of motivators for requirements change management process in global software development
Authors: Khan Arif Ali , Akbar Muhammad Azeem
Published: November 2019

Most software development firms have adopted the concepts of global software development (GSD) to develop high‐quality and low‐cost products. However, GSD is not a straightforward process. It is associated with many challenges that are mostly related to requirements change management (RCM). In this study, we explore the motivators that contribute to managing RCM activities in the GSD environment. We extracted a total of 25 motivators using the systematic literature review (SLR) approach and conducted a survey study to empirically evaluate the findings of the SLR. The results of the applied Spearman's statistical test show that the findings of the SLR and survey study had a positive moderate correlation (rs(25) = 0.566). We further analyzed the reported motivators according to organization size. Finally, we developed taxonomies of the identified motivators based on the framework proposed by Ramasubbu and the project management body of knowledge. We believe that the taxonomies provide a robust framework for tackling the challenges of RCM, which is significant for the success and evolution of GSD firms.
A Dislocation Density‐Based Unified Constitutive Model of Multipass Deformation
Authors: Jia Bin , Ma Hongru , Peng Yan
Published: November 2019

Quantitative relations between the softening mechanism and the constitutive model are determined based on the dislocation density, the influences of various deformation parameters, the dynamic softening mechanism, and static softening mechanism. A unified explicit constitutive model of multipass deformation is established by coupling the microstructural model of Q345B steel (the equivalent of ASTM A572Gr50). The flow stress curves under different deformation conditions are obtained from a Gleeble‐3500 thermosimulation machine during hot compression deformation, including single‐pass and double‐pass compression for Q345B. From the experimental results, a new method to identify parameters is developed to determine the material parameters for the unified constitutive model and to establish their analytic expressions. The results predicted from the proposed model are also presented for validation and compared with the experimental results. The proposed model can accurately describe the stress–strain curves during dynamic recovery on the high‐stress stage, during dynamic recrystallization, steady flow state, and next pass after the completion of static softening. In addition, the errors from the model are adequately analyzed to make further improvements.
Sodium Hexametaphosphate‐Modified Thermoplastic Starch Materials Prepared with the Assistance of Supercritical CO2
Authors: Mi Si‐yu , Sun Liang‐shuang , Runt James , Kuo Mu‐chen , Huang Kuo‐shien , Yeh Jen‐taut
Published: November 2019

This paper describes sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP)‐modified thermoplastic starch (TPS) resins (scCO2TPS100SHMPx) gelatinized and/or modified with the aid of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). TPS and scCO2TPS100SHMPxexhibit considerably higher melt flow rates, moisture resistance, and initial and retention tensile strength values than TPS and TPS100SHMPxprepared using conventional atmospheric pressure. Only Vh‐type crystals are found in conditioned scCO2TPS100SHMPx, which show significantly lower melting temperatures (≈19 °C) than the corresponding conditioned TPS100SHMPx. Relative to TPS100SHMPx, conditioned scCO2TPS100SHMPxshow a weaker hydrogen bonding network among the hydroxyl groups in the amylopectin chains and considerably less retrogradation. The loosely hydrogen‐bonded hydroxyl groups found in conditioned scCO2TPS100SHMPxcan be replaced with stronger hydrogen bonds involving the phosphate groups of SHMP through the proper modification of scCO2TPS100SHMPx.
Typification of plant names published by Giovanni Casaretto based on specimens collected in Brazil and Uruguay
Authors: Delprete Piero G. , Baldini Riccardo M. , Fumeaux Nicolas , Guglielmone Laura
Published: November 2019

Giovanni Casaretto (1810–1879) was appointed by King Charles Albert of Savoy‐Carignano, Kingdom of Sardinia, as the botanist and mineralogist of a planned circumnavigation of the globe. After collecting in a few localities in southern Brazil and Uruguay, Casaretto collected for almost nine months, from April to December 1839, in Rio de Janeiro and its vicinity. While in Rio, he also bought about 100 collections from Riedel and about 500 collections from Clausen, which were made in the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais, which he re‐numbered and integrated into his collections. He also made significant collections in the state of Bahia, and a few collections in and around Recife (Pernambuco). Based on the preceding collections, Casaretto published a total of 101 names (in 36 plant families, delimited according to APG III), of which, according to the present study, 27 names are currently accepted, 12 serve as basionyms for currently accepted names, 7 are illegitimate due to superfluity, and 55 are heterotypic synonyms of previously published names. All the 101 names of Casaretto are hereby typified, and Eugenia casarettoana Delprete is here proposed as a substitute name for an illegitimate later homonym. In addition, a lectotype and an epitype for Couratari estrellensis Raddi are here designated.
Advances in Doppler optical coherence tomography and angiography
Authors: Li Yan , Chen Jason , Chen Zhongping
Published: November 2019

Since the first demonstration of Doppler optical coherence tomography (OCT) in 1997, several functional extensions of Doppler OCT have been developed, including velocimetry, angiogram, and optical coherence elastography. These functional techniques have been widely used in research and clinical applications, particularly in ophthalmology. Here, we review the principles, representative methods, and applications of different Doppler OCT techniques, followed by discussion on the innovations, limitations, and future directions of each of these techniques.
Machine learning and artificial neural network accelerated computational discoveries in materials science
Authors: Hong Yang , Hou Bo , Jiang Hengle , Zhang Jingchao
Published: November 2019

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been referred to as the “fourth paradigm of science,” and as part of a coherent toolbox of data‐driven approaches, machine learning (ML) dramatically accelerates the computational discoveries. As the machinery for ML algorithms matures, significant advances have been made not only by the mainstream AI researchers, but also those work in computational materials science. The number of ML and artificial neural network (ANN) applications in the computational materials science is growing at an astounding rate. This perspective briefly reviews the state‐of‐the‐art progress in some supervised and unsupervised methods with their respective applications. The characteristics of primary ML and ANN algorithms are first described. Then, the most critical applications of AI in computational materials science such as empirical interatomic potential development, ML‐based potential, property predictions, and molecular discoveries using generative adversarial networks (GAN) are comprehensively reviewed. The central ideas underlying these ML applications are discussed, and future directions for integrating ML with computational materials science are given. Finally, a discussion on the applicability and limitations of current ML techniques and the remaining challenges are summarized.

This article is categorized under:

Computer and Information Science > Chemoinformatics.

Structure and Mechanism > Computational Materials Science.

Computer and Information Science > Computer Algorithms and Programming.

Software > Molecular Modeling.
Interrogating chemical mechanisms in natural products biosynthesis using quantum chemical calculations
Authors: Tantillo Dean J.
Published: November 2019

Quantum chemical methods are useful for probing the energetic viability of chemical mechanisms involved in natural product biosynthesis. Typical computational approaches are described and representative examples of mechanistic studies on radical, pericyclic, and carbocation rearrangement reactions that lead to polycyclic skeletons of complex natural products showcase the utility of such methods in providing understanding and shaping future experimental studies. The importance of inherent substrate reactivity is highlighted and cautions for interpreting computational results are discussed.

This article is categorized under:

Structure and Mechanism > Reaction Mechanisms and Catalysis

Theoretical and Physical Chemistry > Reaction Dynamics and Kinetics

Structure and Mechanism > Computational Biochemistry and Biophysics
A critical look: Challenges in differentiating human pluripotent stem cells into desired cell types and organoids
Authors: Fowler Jonas L. , Ang Lay Teng , Loh Kyle M.
Published: November 2019

Too many choices can be problematic. This is certainly the case for human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs): they harbor the potential to differentiate into hundreds of cell types; yet it is highly challenging to exclusively differentiate hPSCs into a single desired cell type. This review focuses on unresolved and fundamental questions regarding hPSC differentiation and critiquing the identity and purity of the resultant cell populations. These are timely issues in view of the fact that hPSC‐derived cell populations have or are being transplanted into patients in over 30 ongoing clinical trials. While many in vitro differentiation protocols purport to “mimic development,” the exact number and identity of intermediate steps that a pluripotent cell takes to differentiate into a given cell type in vivo remains largely unknown. Consequently, most differentiation efforts inevitably generate a heterogeneous cellular population, as revealed by single‐cell RNA‐sequencing and other analyses. The presence of unwanted cell types in differentiated hPSC populations does not portend well for transplantation therapies. This provides an impetus to precisely control differentiation to desired ends—for instance, by logically blocking the formation of unwanted cell types or by overexpressing lineage‐specifying transcription factors—or by harnessing technologies to selectively purify desired cell types. Conversely, approaches to differentiate three‐dimensional “organoids” from hPSCs intentionally generate heterogeneous cell populations. While this is intended to mimic the rich cellular diversity of developing tissues, whether all such organoids are spatially organized in a manner akin to native organs (and thus, whether they fully qualify as organoids) remains to be fully resolved.

This article is categorized under:

Adult Stem Cells > Tissue Renewal > Regeneration: Stem Cell Differentiation and Reversion

Gene Expression > Transcriptional Hierarchies: Cellular Differentiation

Early Embryonic Development: Gastrulation and Neurulation
On volume subregion complexity in Vaidya spacetime
Authors: Auzzi Roberto , Nardelli Giuseppe , Schaposnik Massolo Fidel I. , Tallarita Gianni , Zenoni Nicolò
Published: November 2019

Abstract

We study holographic subregion volume complexity for a line segment in the AdS3 Vaidya geometry. On the field theory side, this gravity background corresponds to a sudden quench which leads to the thermalization of the strongly-coupled dual conformal field theory. We find the time-dependent extremal volume surface by numerically solving a partial differential equation with boundary condition given by the Hubeny-Rangamani- Takayanagi surface, and we use this solution to compute holographic subregion complexity as a function of time. Approximate analytical expressions valid at early and at late times are derived.
Structural basis of homologous recombination
Authors: Sun Yueru , McCorvie Thomas J. , Yates Luke A. , Zhang Xiaodong
Published: November 2019

Homologous recombination (HR) is a pathway to faithfully repair DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). At the core of this pathway is a DNA recombinase, which, as a nucleoprotein filament on ssDNA, pairs with homologous DNA as a template to repair the damaged site. In eukaryotes Rad51 is the recombinase capable of carrying out essential steps including strand invasion, homology search on the sister chromatid and strand exchange. Importantly, a tightly regulated process involving many protein factors has evolved to ensure proper localisation of this DNA repair machinery and its correct timing within the cell cycle. Dysregulation of any of the proteins involved can result in unchecked DNA damage, leading to uncontrolled cell division and cancer. Indeed, many are tumour suppressors and are key targets in the development of new cancer therapies. Over the past 40 years, our structural and mechanistic understanding of homologous recombination has steadily increased with notable recent advancements due to the advances in single particle cryo electron microscopy. These have resulted in higher resolution structural models of the signalling proteins ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated), and ATR (ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein), along with various structures of Rad51. However, structural information of the other major players involved, such as BRCA1 (breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein) and BRCA2 (breast cancer type 2 susceptibility protein), has been limited to crystal structures of isolated domains and low-resolution electron microscopy reconstructions of the full-length proteins. Here we summarise the current structural understanding of homologous recombination, focusing on key proteins in recruitment and signalling events as well as the mediators for the Rad51 recombinase.
The effect of heat treatment on thermal conductivity of paulownia wood
Authors: Pásztory Z. , Fehér S. , Börcsök Z.
Published: November 2019

The thermal conductivity properties of wood of Paulownia Clones in Vitro 112 were investigated after heat treatment at temperatures of 180 °C, 200 °C and 220 °C. After the treatment, the density decreased by 5.6, 8.9, and 14.1% for the samples heat-treated at 180 °C, 200 °C and 220 °C, respectively. The decrease in the thermal conductivity was 0, 2.6 and 15.7%, respectively. The thermal conductivity of kiri wood after thermal treatment at 220 °C was 0.064 W/mK, which is almost the same as that of thermal insulation materials.
Suicide attempt following sickness absence and disability pension due to common mental disorders: a prospective Swedish twin study
Authors: Wang M. , Mather L. , Svedberg P. , Mittendorfer-Rutz E.
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate if sickness absence and disability pension (SA/DP) in general and due to specific common mental disorders (CMDs) are associated with subsequent suicide attempt among women and men by taking familial factors (genetics and shared environment) into consideration.

Methods

This register-based cohort study includes 4871 twin pairs 18–65 years of age discordant for SA/DP due to CMDs 2005–2010. Twins were followed up for suicide attempt from inpatient and specialised outpatient care until December 2012. Conditional Cox proportional hazards regression models, adjusting for familial factors, were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

SA/DP due to CMDs was associated with a higher risk of suicide attempt (HR 3.14, CI 2.51–3.93). The risk of suicide attempt was five times higher among men and three times higher among women, compared to the SA/DP unaffected co-twins. In the diagnosis-specific analysis, SA/DP due to anxiety disorders resulted in the highest HR (4.09, CI 2.37–7.06) for suicide attempt, followed by depressive disorders (HR 3.70, CI 2.66–5.14) and stress-related disorders (HR 1.96, CI 1.35–2.84). The stratified analysis on zygosity indicates that there seems to be a genetic influence on the associations between SA/DP due to CMDs and suicide attempt, particularly among women and among those with SA/DP due to depressive disorders.

Conclusions

SA/DP due to CMDs was a risk factor for suicide attempt among women and men. Genetic factors might explain part of the associations for women and for those with SA/DP due to depressive disorders.
Inertial and Hodge–Tate weights of crystalline representations
Authors: Bartlett Robin
Published: November 2019

Let K be an unramified extension of $${\mathbb {Q}}_p$$Qp and $$\rho :G_K \rightarrow {\text {GL}}_n(\overline{{\mathbb {Z}}}_p)$$ρ:GK→GLn(Z¯p) a crystalline representation. If the Hodge–Tate weights of $$\rho $$ρ differ by at most p then we show that these weights are contained in a natural collection of weights depending only on the restriction to inertia of $${\overline{\rho }} = \rho \otimes _{\overline{{\mathbb {Z}}}_p} \overline{{\mathbb {F}}}_p$$ρ¯=ρ⊗Z¯pF¯p. Our methods involve the study of a full subcategory of p-torsion Breuil–Kisin modules which we view as extending Fontaine–Laffaille theory to filtrations of length p.
A Saccharomyces paradox: chromosomes from different species are incompatible because of anti-recombination, not because of differences in number or arrangement
Authors: Ono Jasmine , Greig Duncan
Published: November 2019

Many species are able to hybridize, but the sterility of these hybrids effectively prevents gene flow between the species, reproductively isolating them and allowing them to evolve independently. Yeast hybrids formed bySaccharomyces cerevisiaeandSaccharomyces paradoxusparents are viable and able to grow by mitosis, but they are sexually sterile because most of the gametes they make by meiosis are inviable. The genomes of these two species are so diverged that they cannot recombine properly during meiosis, so they fail to segregate efficiently. Thus most hybrid gametes are inviable because they lack essential chromosomes. Recent work shows that chromosome mis-segregation explains nearly all observed hybrid sterility—genetic incompatibilities have only a small sterilising effect, and there are no significant sterilising incompatibilities in chromosome arrangement or number between the species. It is interesting that chromosomes from these species have diverged so much in sequence without changing in configuration, even though large chromosomal changes occur quite frequently, and sometimes beneficially, in evolving yeast populations.
The synthetic versatility of the Tiffeneau–Demjanov chemistry in homologation tactics
Authors: Kohlbacher Stefan M. , Ionasz Vivien-Sandra , Ielo Laura , Pace Vittorio
Published: November 2019

The Tiffeneau–Demjanov rearrangement can be regarded as an interesting alternative to the more common semi-pinacol transposition. It is usually employed for ring extension but, under specific conditions, it can also be used for ring contraction. Compared to other techniques, such as the Demjanov rearrangement or homologations with diazo compounds, the Tiffeneau–Demjanov pathway presents attractive features including high yielding and selective processes. Ring enlargements follow very strict and simple rules, such as the movement of the less substituted carbon and retention of the configuration. The rearrangement process is mainly affected by steric factors, due to presence of neighbouring groups, rather than electronic ones. The ring contraction may be achieved positioning the amine within the ring, thus achieving a high level of control. Unfortunately, applications of the reaction in modern homologation chemistry are rare; therefore, the aim of the review is re-proposing to the synthetic community the versatility of this venerable reaction and thus, spurring its employment for tackling challenging homologations processes.

Graphic abstract
Differential Mueller matrix imaging of partially depolarizing optically anisotropic biological tissues
Authors: Trifonyuk L. , Sdobnov A. , Baranowski W. , Ushenko V. , Olar O. , Dubolazov A. , Pidkamin L. , Sidor M. , Vanchuliak O. , Motrich A. , Gorsky M. , Meglinski I.
Published: November 2019

Since recently, a number of innovative polarization-based optical imaging modalities have been introduced and extensively used in various biomedical applications, with an ultimate aim to attain the practical tool for the optical biopsy and functional characterization of biological tissues. The techniques utilize polarization properties of light and Mueller matrix mapping of microscopic images of histological sections of biological tissues or polycrystalline films of biological fluids. The main drawback of currently developed laser polarimetry approaches and Mueller matrix mapping techniques is poor reproducibility of experimental data. This is due to azimuthal dependence of polarization and ellipticity values of most matrix elements to sample orientation in respect to incidence light polarization. Current study aims to generalize the methods of laser polarimetry for diagnosis of partially depolarizing optically anisotropic biological tissues. A method of differential Mueller matrix mapping for reconstruction of linear and circular birefringence and dichroism parameter distributions of partially depolarizing layers of biological tissues of different morphological structure is introduced and practically implemented. The coordinate distributions of the value of the first-order differential matrix elements of histological sections of brain tissue with spatially structured, optically anisotropic fibrillar network, as well as of parenchymatous tissue of the rectum wall with an “islet” polycrystalline structure are determined. Within the statistical analysis of polarization reproduced distributions of the averaged parameters of phase and amplitude anisotropy, the significant sensitivity of the statistical moments of the third and fourth orders to changes in the polycrystalline structure of partially depolarizing layers of biological tissue is observed. The differentiation of female reproductive sphere connective tissue is realized with excellent accuracy. The differential Mueller matrix mapping method for reconstruction of distributions of linear and circular birefringence and dichroism parameters of partially depolarizing layers of biological tissues of different morphological structures is proposed and substantiated. Differential diagnostics of changes in the phase (good balanced accuracy) and amplitude (excellent balanced accuracy) of the anisotropy of the partially depolarizing layers of the vagina wall tissue with prolapse of the genitals is realized. The maximum diagnostic efficiency of the first-order differential matrix method was demonstrated in comparison with the traditional methods of polarization and Mueller matrix mapping of histological sections of light-scattering biological tissues.