bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
International Consensus Guidelines for the Optimal Use of the Polymyxins: Endorsed by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), International Society for Anti‐infective Pharmacology (ISAP), Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), and Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP)
Authors: Tsuji Brian T. , Pogue Jason M. , Zavascki Alexandre P. , Paul Mical , Daikos George L. , Forrest Alan , Giacobbe Daniele R. , Viscoli Claudio , Giamarellou Helen , Karaiskos Ilias , Kaye Donald , Mouton Johan W. , Tam Vincent H. , Thamlikitkul Visanu , Wunderink Richard G. , Li Jian , Nation Roger L. , Kaye Keith S.
Published: February 2019

The polymyxin antibiotics colistin (polymyxin E) and polymyxin B became available in the 1950s and thus did not undergo contemporary drug development procedures. Their clinical use has recently resurged, assuming an important role as salvage therapy for otherwise untreatable gram‐negative infections. Since their reintroduction into the clinic, significant confusion remains due to the existence of several different conventions used to describe doses of the polymyxins, differences in their formulations, outdated product information, and uncertainties about susceptibility testing that has led to lack of clarity on how to optimally utilize and dose colistin and polymyxin B. We report consensus therapeutic guidelines for agent selection and dosing of the polymyxin antibiotics for optimal use in adult patients, as endorsed by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), International Society of Anti‐Infective Pharmacology (ISAP), Society for Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), and Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP). The European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) endorses this document as a consensus statement. The overall conclusions in the document are endorsed by the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). We established a diverse international expert panel to make therapeutic recommendations regarding the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of the drugs and pharmacokinetic targets, polymyxin agent selection, dosing, dosage adjustment and monitoring of colistin and polymyxin B, use of polymyxin‐based combination therapy, intrathecal therapy, inhalation therapy, toxicity, and prevention of renal failure. The treatment guidelines provide the first ever consensus recommendations for colistin and polymyxin B therapy that are intended to guide optimal clinical use.
Effects of bioavailable phenolic compounds from Ilex paraguariensis on the brain of mice with lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Cittadini María C. , Repossi Gastón , Albrecht Claudia , Di Paola Naranjo Romina , Miranda Agustín R. , de Pascual‐Teresa Sonia , Soria Elio A.
Published: February 2019

Lung carcinoma is one of the most common cancers and has a high mortality. Recently, we showed that it produces neurological paraneoplastic syndrome, with Ilex paraguariensis (IP) extract exerting palliative effects due to its content of phenolic compounds. It is possible, therefore, that these diet agents can arrive at the brain and exert neuroprotection, after the oral intake of IP. Here, the aim was to investigate the protective role of bioavailable IP compounds on the telencephalon and diencephalon in lung adenocarcinoma‐bearing BALB/cJ males. Mice aged 2 months were treated for 3 weeks with 0–100 IP mg·kg−1·day−1. HPLC‐UV revealed the presence of chlorogenic acid and quercetin in brain regions, liver, and tumour, in an IP dose‐dependent manner. Brain was also evaluated histologically, and interleukin‐6 was measured by ELISA. Chlorogenic acid was the major compound found in brain, whereas quercetin was observed at the diencephalon to a lesser extent. Both compounds were involved in IP dose‐dependent diencephalic interleukin‐6 reduction. Histology suggested cellular protection with less apoptosis in chlorogenic‐exposed areas. Taken together, chlorogenic acid and quercetin from dietary IP were bioavailable and bioactive in brain, thereby attenuating lung cancer‐related neuroinflammation and damage. These findings support plant‐based strategies to improve prognosis.
First experiences with the Airo mobile intraoperative CT scanner in acetabular surgery—An analysis of 10 cases
Authors: Keil Holger , Beisemann Nils , Schnetzke Marc , Vetter Sven Y. , Grützner Paul A. , Franke Jochen
Published: February 2019

Background

Being a proven method in trauma and spine surgery, intraoperative 3D imaging (CBCT) has intrinsic deficits in difficult anatomy and with artifacts because of metal implants. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of intraoperative computed tomography (iCT) in acetabular surgery.

Methods

Ten cases of acetabular fractures that were operated with intraoperative use of the mobile CT scanner Brainlab Airo were analyzed. Data were compared with a historical group of 17 patients.

Results

Additional fluoroscopy time was 24.2 seconds (6‐91), which was significantly lower than in the control group where it was 211.4 seconds (77‐446; P < 0.000). Operation time did not differ significantly (iCT group 196.8 min [122‐288], control group 240.8 min [71‐411], P = 0.234).

Conclusion

iCT provides images of a reliable high quality and assessability. Radiation exposure to the staff is reduced while surgery time is not altered significantly. Quality of intraoperative imaging and thus patient care can substantially improve patient outcome.
Multivariate approach to hydrogenated TiO2 photocatalytic activity under visible light
Authors: Pradenas Marlene , Yáñez Jorge , Ranganathan Suresh , Contreras David , Santander Paola , Mansilla Héctor D.
Published: February 2019

The photocatalytic activity of hydrogenated TiO2 was evaluated in the photooxidation of methyl orange (MO). The hydrogenation of TiO2 was carried out by calcination of a mixture of TiO2 P‐25 and NaBH4, at 300 and 350°C for blue TiO2 and black TiO2, respectively. An experimental design was made for the determination of the best reaction conditions for the oxidation of MO. The influence of catalyst dosage and pH on photocatalytic efficiency was optimized, and the degradation percentage of MO was the response factor. The photocatalytic reaction was performed using a Xenon lamp that simulates the solar light spectrum for the activation of the catalyst. It was determined that both blue and black TiO2 show the greatest activity at pH = 2 and 0.8 g/L of catalyst. Additionally, the positive influence of hydrogen peroxide in the photocatalytic activity of both hydrogenated catalysts was determined. In parallel, COD and TOC were also studied.

Practitioner points

The extent of titania reduction by hydrogenation is dependent on the reaction time with sodium borohydride.

The extent of titania reduction affects the photocatalytic activity in the oxidation of methyl orange. An excess of catalyst reduction inhibits the oxidation of the dye because of the increase of recombination points.

The best reaction conditions were determined by multivariate optimization as pH 2 and 0.8 g L‐1 of hydrogenated catalyst.

The addition of hydrogen peroxide into the reaction system improves the oxidation yield attributed to their electron accepting capacity.
Semi-simple enlargement of the $$ \mathfrak{b}\mathfrak{m}{\mathfrak{s}}_3 $$ algebra from a $$ \mathfrak{so}\left(2,\ 2\right)\oplus \mathfrak{so}\left(2,\ 1\right) $$ Chern-Simons theory
Authors: Concha Patrick , Merino Nelson , Rodríguez Evelyn , Salgado-Rebolledo Patricio , Valdivia Omar
Published: February 2019

Abstract

In this work we present a BMS-like ansatz for a Chern-Simons theory based on the semi-simple enlargement of the Poincaré symmetry, also known as AdS-Lorentz algebra. We start by showing that this ansatz is general enough to contain all the relevant stationary solutions of this theory and provides with suitable boundary conditions for the corresponding gauge connection. We find an explicit realization of the asymptotic symmetry at null infinity, which defines a semi-simple enlargement of the

$$ \mathfrak{b}\mathfrak{m}{\mathfrak{s}}_3 $$

b
m

s
3

algebra and turns out to be isomorphic to three copies of the Virasoro algebra. The flat limit of the theory is discussed at the level of the action, field equations, solutions and asymptotic symmetry.
BSM hadronic matrix elements for ε′/ε and K → ππ decays in the Dual QCD approach
Authors: Aebischer Jason , Buras Andrzej J. , Gérard Jean-Marc
Published: February 2019

Abstract

We calculate for the first time all four-quark hadronic matrix elements of local operators possibly contributing to K → ππ decays and in particular to the ratio ε

′

/ε beyond the Standard Model (BSM). To this end we use the Dual QCD (DQCD) approach. In addition to 7 new mirror operators obtained from the SM ones by flipping the chirality, we count 13 BSM four-quark operators of a given chirality linearly independent of each other and of the aforesaid 14 operators for which hadronic matrix elements are already known. We present results in two bases for all these operators, one termed DQCD basis useful for the calculation of the hadronic matrix elements in the DQCD approach and the other called SD basis suited to the short distance renormalization group evolution above the 1 GeV scale. We demonstrate that the pattern of long distance evolution (meson evolution) matches the one of short distance evolution (quark-gluon evolution), a property which to our knowledge cannot be presently achieved in any other analytical framework. The highlights of our paper are chirally enhanced matrix elements of tensor-tensor and scalar-scalar BSM operators. They could thereby explain the emerging ε

′

/ε anomaly which is strongly indicated within DQCD with some support from lattice QCD. On the other hand we do not expect the BSM operators to be relevant for the ΔI = 1/2 rule.
Dual regulation between the two-component system PhoRP and AdpA regulates antibiotic production in Streptomyces
Authors: Zheng Yang , Sun Chen-Fan , Fu Yu , Chen Xin-Ai , Li Yong-Quan , Mao Xu-Ming
Published: February 2019

Antibiotic production during secondary metabolism in Streptomyces spp. is elaborately controlled by multiple environmental signals and intracellular cascades. These include the two-component system PhoRP responding to phosphate starvation and a conserved signaling pathway mediated by the pleiotropic regulator AdpA. However, little information exists about how these two pathways work together for secondary metabolite production of Streptomyces. Herein, we report the dual regulation from the phosphate starvation-responsive regulator PhoP and AdpA on atrA promoter (atrAp) for the production of daptomycin, an antibiotic produced by Streptomyces roseosporus. We found that PhoP directly binds to atrAp, positively regulates atrA expression and thus daptomycin production. We also observed positive auto-regulation of phoRP expression during fermentation for daptomycin production. Moreover, partial overlap between PhoP- and AdpA-binding sites on atrAp was observed, which results in partial competitive binding between these two regulators. This partial overlapping and competition between PhoP and AdpA was further confirmed by mutations and binding assays. In summary, our findings have revealed dual regulation of PhoP and AdpA on the same promoter for antibiotic production in Streptomyces. This mechanism would be beneficial to further environment-responsive fermentation optimization for antibiotic production.
A loss of consciousness in a teenage girl with anorexia nervosa, due to polydipsia: case report and a minireview
Authors: Krogulska Aneta , Nowicka Dominika , Nowicki Zbigniew , Parzęcka Monika , Sakson-Słomińska Agnieszka , Kuczyńska Renata
Published: February 2019

Purpose

Anorexia nervosa is a chronic disease which may result in various complications. In pediatric clinical practice, it is common to observe complications related to progressive cachexia caused by malnutrition; however, cases of severe complications, like electrolyte disorders, which represent a direct threat to life, due to polydipsia, are rarely observed. The purpose of this study is to highlight that excessive drinking is of primary importance in anorexia nervosa patients, as it can result in severe medical complications, including increased risk of death.

Methods

We report the case of a 13-year-old girl with anorexia nervosa, who was referred to hospital with seizures, disorders of consciousness, and cardiorespiratory failure.

Results

The unstable condition of the patient was attributed to hyponatremia (119 mmol/l), decreased serum osmolality (248 mmol/kg), and decreased urine osmolality (95 mmol/kg) caused by polydipsia (water intoxication) and persistent vomiting. The presented girl was drinking large amounts of water prior to a weigh-in to falsify her low body weight.

Conclusions

Polydipsia is a common problem reported by patients with eating disorders, but one which rarely leads to serious clinical complications, due to severe hyponatremia. This case underscores the importance of careful evaluation of fluid intake and the need for regular monitoring of serum electrolytes in patients with anorexia nervosa. All clinicians treating patients with such disease, as well as the parents of sick children, should be familiar with this life-threatening condition.

Level IV

Evidence obtained from multiple time series with or without the intervention, such as case studies.
A retrospective cohort study of antibiotic exposure and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus recolonization
Authors: Hughes Heather Y. , Odom Robin T. , Michelin Angela V. , Snitkin Evan S. , Sinaii Ninet , Milstone Aaron M. , Henderson David K. , Palmore Tara N.
Published: February 2019

Objective:

In the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, patients colonized or infected with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) are placed in contact isolation until they are deemed “decolonized,” defined as having 3 consecutive perirectal swabs negative for VRE. Some decolonized patients later develop recurrent growth of VRE from surveillance or clinical cultures (ie, “recolonized”), although that finding may represent recrudescence or new acquisition of VRE. We describe the dynamics of VRE colonization and infection and their relationship to receipt of antibiotics.

Methods:

In this retrospective cohort study of patients at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, baseline characteristics were collected via chart review. Antibiotic exposure and hospital days were calculated as proportions of VRE decolonized days. Using survival analysis, we assessed the relationship between antibiotic exposure and time to VRE recolonization in a subcohort analysis of 72 decolonized patients.

Results:

In total, 350 patients were either colonized or infected with VRE. Among polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive, culture (Cx)-negative (PCR+/Cx−) patients, PCR had a 39% positive predictive value for colonization. Colonization with VRE was significantly associated with VRE infection. Among 72 patients who met decolonization criteria, 21 (29%) subsequently became recolonized. VRE recolonization was 4.3 (P = .001) and 2.0 (P = .22) times higher in patients with proportions of antibiotic days and antianaerobic antibiotic days above the median, respectively.

Conclusion:

Colonization is associated with clinical VRE infection and increased mortality. Despite negative perirectal cultures, re-exposure to antibiotics increases the risk of VRE recolonization.
Mean flow generation by three-dimensional nonlinear internal wave beams
Authors: Beckebanze F. , Raja K. J. , Maas L. R. M.
Published: February 2019

We study the generation of resonantly growing mean flow by weakly nonlinear internal wave beams. With a perturbational expansion, we construct analytic solutions for three-dimensional internal wave beams, exact up to first-order accuracy in the viscosity parameter. We specifically focus on the subtleties of wave beam generation by oscillating boundaries, such as wave makers in laboratory set-ups. The exact solutions to the linearized equations allow us to derive an analytic expression for the mean vertical vorticity production term, which induces a horizontal mean flow. Whereas mean flow generation associated with viscous beam attenuation – known as streaming – has been described before, we are the first to also include a peculiar inviscid mean flow generation in the vicinity of the oscillating wall, resulting from line vortices at the lateral edges of the oscillating boundary. Our theoretical expression for the mean vertical vorticity production is in good agreement with earlier laboratory experiments, for which the previously unrecognized inviscid mean flow generation mechanism turns out to be significant.
Functional analysis of the dairy cow mammary transcriptome between early lactation and mid-dry period
Authors: Lin Ye , Lv He , Jiang Minghui , Zhou Jinyu , Song Shuyuan , Hou Xiaoming
Published: February 2019

In this research communication we used digital gene expression (DGE) analysis to identify differences in gene expression in the mammary glands of dairy cows between early lactation and the mid-dry period. A total of 741 genes were identified as being differentially expressed by DGE analysis. Compared with their expression in dry cows, 214 genes were up-regulated and 527 genes were down-regulated in lactating cow mammary glands. Gene Ontology analysis showed that lactation was supported by increased gene expression related to metabolic processes and nutrient transport and was associated with decreased gene expression related to cell proliferation. Pathway mapping using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes showed that 579 differentially expressed genes had pathway annotations related to 204 pathways. Metabolic pathway-related genes were the most significantly enriched. Genes and pathways identified by the present study provide insights into molecular events that occur in the mammary gland between early lactation and mid-dry period, which can be used to facilitate further investigation of the mechanisms underlying lactation and mammary tissue remodeling in dairy cows.
Subclinical Sadism and the Dark Triad
Authors: Johnson Laura K. , Plouffe Rachel A. , Saklofske Donald H.
Published: February 2019

Abstract. The Dark Triad is a constellation of three antisocial personality traits: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Recently, researchers have introduced a “Dark Tetrad” that includes subclinical sadism, although others suggest considerable overlap between psychopathy and sadism. To clarify the position of sadism within the Dark Triad, an online study was conducted with 615 university students. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that a six-factor solution fit the data best, representing Machiavellianism, psychopathy, physical sadism, verbal sadism, narcissism, and vicarious sadism. Furthermore, convergent validity was supported through sadism’s correlations with the HEXACO personality traits. The results support sadism’s inclusion within the Dark Tetrad as a unique construct but with some conceptual overlap with psychopathy.
Deep‐Sea Oxygen Depletion and Ocean Carbon Sequestration During the Last Ice Age
Authors: Anderson Robert F. , Sachs Julian P. , Fleisher Martin Q. , Allen Katherine A. , Yu Jimin , Koutavas Athanasios , Jaccard Samuel L.
Published: February 2019

Enhanced ocean carbon storage during the Pleistocene ice ages lowered atmospheric CO2 concentrations by 80 to 100 ppm relative to interglacial levels. Leading hypotheses to explain this phenomenon invoke a greater efficiency of the ocean's biological pump, in which case carbon storage in the deep sea would have been accompanied by a corresponding reduction in dissolved oxygen. We exploit the sensitivity of organic matter preservation in marine sediments to bottom water oxygen concentration to constrain the level of dissolved oxygen in the deep central equatorial Pacific Ocean during the last glacial period (18,000–28,000 years BP) to have been within the range of 20–50 μmol/kg, much less than the modern value of ~168 μmol/kg. We further demonstrate that reduced oxygen levels characterized the water column below a depth of ~1,000 m. Converting the ice age oxygen level to an equivalent concentration of respiratory CO2, and extrapolating globally, we estimate that deep‐sea CO2 storage during the last ice age exceeded modern values by as much as 850 Pg C, sufficient to balance the loss of carbon from the atmosphere (~200 Pg C) and from the terrestrial biosphere (~300–600 Pg C). In addition, recognizing the enhanced preservation of organic matter in ice age sediments of the deep Pacific Ocean helps reconcile previously unexplained inconsistencies among different geochemical and micropaleontological proxy records used to assess past changes in biological productivity of the ocean.
Modeling Extreme Warm‐Air Advection in the Arctic: The Role of Microphysical Treatment of Cloud Droplet Concentration
Authors: Sotiropoulou Georgia , Bossioli Elissavet , Tombrou Maria
Published: February 2019

As the Arctic climate is changing fast, with increasing areas of open water in summer, there is a growing interest in the processes related to the marginal ice zones. Recent studies have indicated that such a critical process may be the advection of warm and moist air from the south. In this study, the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is evaluated during an extreme warm advection episode over melting sea ice that occurred near the Arctic ice edge in summer 2014. The model gives a reasonably good representation of the atmospheric conditions and the Arctic boundary layer, characterized by very strong surface inversions and the frequent presence of low‐level jets. However, the representation of the highly variable cloud conditions, from optically thick to optically thin, dissipating clouds, is sensitive to the choice of cloud droplet treatment in WRF. Simulations with relatively high cloud droplet number concentrations (Ndrop ≥ 100 cm−3) are more successful in representing the optically thick cloud state, whereas to reproduce optically thin and tenuous clouds Ndrop should be <50 cm−3. The WRF‐Chem model, with a realistic treatment of the cloud‐aerosol interactions, allows for large variations in Ndrop and hence can reproduce the cloud water properties reasonably well for most of the simulation time. This contributes to an improved representation of the cloud longwave radiative effect, compared to the simulations where a less adaptive treatment of Ndrop is applied.
An Efficient Method for Microphysical Property Retrievals in Vertically Inhomogeneous Marine Water Clouds Using MODIS‐CloudSat Measurements
Authors: Saito Masanori , Yang Ping , Hu Yongxiang , Liu Xu , Loeb Norman , Smith William L. , Minnis Patrick
Published: February 2019

An efficient method is developed to infer cloud optical thickness (COT) and cloud droplet effective radius (CDER) of marine water clouds from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and CloudSat measurements, incorporating droplet size vertical inhomogeneity. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis is employed to reduce the degrees of freedom of the droplet size profile. The first two EOFs can explain 94% of the variability in the droplet size profile. Compared to the existing bispectral CDER retrieval from MODIS assuming plane parallel vertically homogeneous clouds, the new retrieval produces smaller CDER values in clouds in which the adiabatic growth process is dominant and larger CDER values in clouds in which the collision‐coalescence process is dominant. To evaluate the performance of the retrieval algorithm, we compare retrieved COT and CDER in this study with their MODIS and CloudSat counterparts on a pixel‐by‐pixel basis. CDER retrieval based on the vertically homogeneous assumption may be underestimated by 30% due to droplet size vertical inhomogeneity when COT is large and the collision‐coalescence process is dominant in the cloud. Retrieved CDER in conjunction with the two scores for EOFs can reconstruct the vertical profile of CDER, which is useful for cloud microphysical process studies. Furthermore, potential expansion of this algorithm to MODIS pixels without CloudSat collocations is discussed.
Landslides on Ceres: Inferences Into Ice Content and Layering in the Upper Crust
Authors: Chilton H. T. , Schmidt B. E. , Duarte K. , Ferrier K. L. , Hughson K. H. G. , Scully J. E. C. , Wray J. J. , Sizemore H. G. , Nathues A. , Platz T. , Schorghofer N. , Schenk P. M. , Landis M. E. , Bland M. , Byrne S. , Russell C. T. R. , Raymond C. A.
Published: February 2019

We analyze landslides on Ceres using several quantitative approaches to constrain the composition and structure of the top few kilometers of Ceres' crust. We focus on a subset of archetypal landslides classified morphologically as thick, steep‐snouted “type 1” (T1) flows and thin spatulate “type 2” (T2) flows (Schmidt et al., 2017, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2936) to explore the landslides' mechanical properties. Our results confirm earlier observations showing that T1 landslides are typically found poleward of 70° latitude and T2 mostly equatorward of 70° latitude. Measurements of landslide drop height and runout length imply effective friction coefficients lower than common friction coefficients in any of Ceres' identified or suggested non‐ice surface materials, including saturated clays. Our measurements of the volume and area of landslide scars suggest that T1 landslides can fail to greater depths than T2 for a given scar area, consistent with depth‐limited failure in T2 landslides. These results are consistent with a layer of lower shear strength material overlying a stronger layer in Ceres' outer shell at low to middle latitudes and a single layer without an overlying weak layer at polar latitudes. Combining these observations with known constraints on Ceres' near‐surface composition, we propose that Ceres' crust at low to middle latitudes consists of a topmost layer with an ice content in excess of the spectral and elemental detection depths, thins out at high latitudes, and overlies a stronger and more ice‐rich layer.
Infrasound Array Analysis of Debris Flow Activity and Implication for Early Warning
Authors: Marchetti E. , Walter F. , Barfucci G. , Genco R. , Wenner M. , Ripepe M. , McArdell B. , Price C.
Published: February 2019

Debris flows constitute a severe natural hazard and studies are performed to investigate triggering mechanisms and to identify and evaluate early warning systems. We present a seismoacoustic analysis of debris flow activity at Illgraben, Switzerland, with infrasound data collected with a small aperture array. Events are recorded as emergent signals of long duration, with seismic and infrasound amplitudes scaling with the flow discharge. The spectral content is stable and peaking at 8 Hz for the seismic and at 5 Hz for the infrasound that suggests two separate processes of elastic energy radiation, most likely bed‐load transport for the seismic and waves at the free surface for the infrasound. Although amplitude and frequency content of the infrasound signal are well within the processing limits, most of the signal is not showing any correlation among the array elements. We suggest that this is a consequence of the contribution of multiple sources of infrasound acting with variable amplitude and phase along the surface of the debris flow. At Illgraben, coherent infrasound is recorded only from fixed sources, corresponding to check dams within the channel. Here infrasound radiation is increased and the dams turn into predominant sources of energy. This allows to unambiguously identify the occurrence of debris flow at Illgraben with the infrasound array, from a remote and safe position and with a timing that is similar to the early warning system based on in‐channel sensors. This clearly shows how infrasound arrays could be used as an efficient early warning systems.
Two‐Stage Cooling and Exhumation of Deeply Subducted Continents
Authors: Cutts J. A. , Smit M. A. , Kooijman E. , Schmitt M.
Published: February 2019

The burial and exhumation of continental crust during collisional orogeny exert a strong control on the dynamics of mountain belts and plateaus. Constraining the rates and style of exhumation of deeply buried crust has proven difficult due to complexities in the local geology and thermochronometric methods typically used. To advance this field, we applied trace‐element and U‐Pb laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analyses to rutile from eclogite and amphibolite samples from the Western Gneiss Complex of Norway—an archetypal continental (ultra)high‐pressure (UHP) terrane. Peak temperature and timing of midcrustal cooling were constrained for samples collected along a subduction‐ and exhumation‐parallel transect, using Zr‐in‐rutile thermometry and U‐Pb rutile geochronology, respectively. Peak temperatures decrease from 830 °C in the UHP domain to 730 °C at the UHP‐HP transition, remain constant at 730 °C across most of the terrane, and decrease to 620 °C at the eclogite‐out boundary. U‐Pb results show that most of the terrane cooled through 500 °C at 380–375 Ma except for the lowest grade region, where cooling occurred approximately 20 million years earlier. The results indicate that exhumation was a two stage process, involving (1) flexural rebound and slab flattening at depth combined with foreland‐directed extrusion, followed by (2) synchronous cooling below 500 °C across the, by then, largely flat‐lying Western Gneiss Complex. The latter implies and requires relatively homogeneous mass removal across a large area, consistent with erosion of an overlying orogenic plateau. The Caledonides were at near‐equatorial latitudes at the time. A Caledonian paleo‐plateau thus may represent a so far unrecognized factor in Devonian and Carboniferous atmospheric circulation and climate forcing.
Added Value of Large Ensemble Simulations for Assessing Extreme River Discharge in a 2 °C Warmer World
Authors: van der Wiel K. , Wanders N. , Selten F. M. , Bierkens M. F. P.
Published: February 2019

The assessment of return periods of extreme hydrological events often relies on statistical analysis using generalized extreme value (GEV) distributions. Here we compare the traditional GEV approach with a novel large ensemble approach to determine the added value of a direct, empirical distribution‐based estimate of extreme hydrological events. Using the global climate and hydrological models EC‐Earth and PCR‐GLOBWB, we simulate 2,000 years of global hydrology for a present‐day and 2 °C warmer climate. We show that the GEV method has inherent limitations in estimating changes in hydrological extremes, especially for compound hydrological events. The large ensemble method does not suffer from these limitations and quantifies the impacts of climate change with greater precision. The explicit simulation of extreme events enables better hydrological process understanding. We conclude that future studies focusing on the impact of climatic changes on hydrological extremes should use large ensemble techniques to properly account for these rare hydrological events.
Recent increases in tropical cyclone intensification rates
Authors: Bhatia Kieran T. , Vecchi Gabriel A. , Knutson Thomas R. , Murakami Hiroyuki , Kossin James , Dixon Keith W. , Whitlock Carolyn E.
Published: February 2019

Tropical cyclones that rapidly intensify are typically associated with the highest forecast errors and cause a disproportionate amount of human and financial losses. Therefore, it is crucial to understand if, and why, there are observed upward trends in tropical cyclone intensification rates. Here, we utilize two observational datasets to calculate 24-hour wind speed changes over the period 1982–2009. We compare the observed trends to natural variability in bias-corrected, high-resolution, global coupled model experiments that accurately simulate the climatological distribution of tropical cyclone intensification. Both observed datasets show significant increases in tropical cyclone intensification rates in the Atlantic basin that are highly unusual compared to model-based estimates of internal climate variations. Our results suggest a detectable increase of Atlantic intensification rates with a positive contribution from anthropogenic forcing and reveal a need for more reliable data before detecting a robust trend at the global scale.
Retraction Note: Endocrine disruptors induce perturbations in endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria of human pluripotent stem cell derivatives
Authors: Rajamani Uthra , Gross Andrew R. , Ocampo Camille , Andres Allen M. , Gottlieb Roberta A. , Sareen Dhruv
Published: February 2019

This paper has been retracted at the request of the authors.
Post-translational regulation of lipogenesis via AMPK-dependent phosphorylation of insulin-induced gene
Authors: Han Yamei , Hu Zhimin , Cui Aoyuan , Liu Zhengshuai , Ma Fengguang , Xue Yaqian , Liu Yuxiao , Zhang Feifei , Zhao Zehua , Yu Yanyan , Gao Jing , Wei Chun , Li Jingya , Fang Jing , Li Jia , Fan Jian-Gao , Song Bao-Liang , Li Yu
Published: February 2019

Insulin-induced gene (Insig) negatively regulates SREBP-mediated de novo fatty acid synthesis in the liver. However, the upstream regulation of Insig is incompletely understood. Here we report that AMPK interacts with and mediates phosphorylation of Insig. Thr222 phosphorylation following AMPK activation is required for protein stabilization of Insig-1, inhibition of cleavage and processing of SREBP-1, and lipogenic gene expression in response to metformin or A769662. AMPK-dependent phosphorylation ablates Insig’s interaction with E3 ubiquitin ligase gp78 and represses its ubiquitination and degradation, whereas AMPK deficiency shows opposite effects. Interestingly, activation of AMPK by metformin causes an augmentation of Insig stability and reduction of lipogenic gene expression, and leads to the attenuation of hepatic steatosis in HFHS diet-fed mice. Moreover, hepatic overexpression of Insig-1 rescues hepatic steatosis in liver-specific AMPKα2 knockout mice fed with HFHS diet. These findings uncover a novel effector of AMPK. Targeting Insig may have the therapeutic potential for treating fatty liver disease and related disorders.
In silico re-assessment of a diagnostic RT-qPCR assay for universal detection of Influenza A viruses
Authors: Nagy Alexander , Jiřinec Tomáš , Jiřincová Helena , Černíková Lenka , Havlíčková Martina
Published: February 2019

The ongoing evolution of microbial pathogens represents a significant issue in diagnostic PCR/qPCR. Many assays are burdened with false negativity due to mispriming and/or probe-binding failures. Therefore, PCR/qPCR assays used in the laboratory should be periodically re-assessed in silico on public sequences to evaluate the ability to detect actually circulating strains and to infer potentially escaping variants. In the work presented we re-assessed a RT-qPCR assay for the universal detection of influenza A (IA) viruses currently recommended by the European Union Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza. To this end, the primers and probe sequences were challenged against more than 99,000 M-segment sequences in five data pools. To streamline this process, we developed a simple algorithm called the SequenceTracer designed for alignment stratification, compression, and personal sequence subset selection and also demonstrated its utility. The re-assessment confirmed the high inclusivity of the assay for the detection of avian, swine and human pandemic H1N1 IA viruses. On the other hand, the analysis identified human H3N2 strains with a critical probe-interfering mutation circulating since 2010, albeit with a significantly fluctuating proportion. Minor variations located in the forward and reverse primers identified in the avian and swine data were also considered.
Notch signaling facilitates hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA transcription via cAMP response element-binding protein with E3 ubiquitin ligase-modulation
Authors: Wang Zijing , Kawaguchi Kazunori , Honda Masao , Hashimoto Shinichi , Shirasaki Takayoshi , Okada Hikari , Orita Noriaki , Shimakami Tetsuro , Yamashita Taro , Sakai Yoshio , Mizukoshi Eishiro , Murakami Seishi , Kaneko Shuichi
Published: February 2019

Notch1 is regulated by E3 ubiquitin ligases, with proteasomal degradation of the Notch intracellular domain affecting the transcription of target genes. cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) mediates the transcription of hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). We assessed the relationship between HBV cccDNA and Notch signaling activities. HBV cccDNA levels and relative gene expression were evaluated in HBV-replicating cells treated with Jagged1 shRNA and a γ-secretase inhibitor. The effects of these factors in surgically resected clinical samples were also assessed. Notch inhibition suppressed HBV cccDNA and CREB-related expression but increased ITCH and NUMB levels. Proteasome inhibitor augmented HBV cccDNA, restored Notch and CREB expression, and inhibited ITCH and NUMB function. Increased HBV cccDNA was observed after ITCH and NUMB blockage, even after treatment with the adenylate cyclase activator forskolin; protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor had the opposite effect. Notch activation and E3 ligase inactivation were observed in HBV-positive cells in clinical liver tissue. Collectively, these findings reveal that Notch signaling activity facilitates HBV cccDNA transcription via CREB to trigger the downstream PKA-phospho-CREB cascade and is regulated by E3 ubiquitin ligase-modulation of the Notch intracellular domain.
Comparative transcriptomics approach in elucidation of carotenoid biosynthesis regulation in grains of rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Chettry Upasna , Chrungoo Nikhil K. , Kulkarni Kirti
Published: February 2019

Estimation of phytoene, lycopene, β-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin in grains of white, brown and purple cultivars of rice revealed marked differences in the levels of these carotenoid intermediates amongst the cultivars. Grains of white rice did not show any significant accumulation of carotenoid intermediates at any stage of development. On the other hand, grains of the purple cultivar accumulated 49.16 ± 5 µg of β-carotene, 28.89 ± 3.2 µg of lutein and 34.65 ± 4.6 µg of zeaxanthin per gm of grain fresh weight. In addition to PSY1, higher expression of βLCY than εLCY appears to be an important factor in determining the flux of pathway towards synthesis of β-β branch carotenoids in purple rice. This cultivar showed a higher fold change in carotenoid precursors during transition from milky to doughing stages and an enhanced flux of lycopene towards β-carotene during grain maturation. Our results indicate that higher level of carotenoids in purple rice is a consequence of higher expression of genes involved in pyruvate metabolism as well as those involved in carotenoid biosynthesis such as PSY1, PDS and β-LCY. Co-expression networking revealed a strong positive relationship between the expression profiles of genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis and genes coding for geranylgeranyl transferase type II, glutathione S-transferase, DnaJ and SET domain containing proteins as well as MADS26 and R2R3MYB family of transcription factors.
Transition-metal-free regioselective construction of 1,5-diaryl-1,2,3-triazoles through dehydrative cycloaddition of alcohols with aryl azides mediated by SO2F2
Authors: Zhang Xu , Rakesh K. P. , Qin Hua-Li
Published: February 2019

A novel, simple and practical method for mild, efficient, cost-effective and regioselective synthesis of highly valuable 1,5-diaryl-1,2,3-triazoles was developed.
Hydrothermal synthesis of novel rhombic dodecahedral SnS nanocrystals for highly efficient photothermal therapy
Authors: Chen Fei , Yang Dongliang , Shen Haifeng , Deng Meng , Zhang Ying , Zhong Guolun , Hu Yanling , Weng Lixing , Luo Zhimin , Wang Lianhui
Published: February 2019

Hydrothermal synthesis of novel rhombic dodecahedral SnS nanocrystals with a large extinction coefficient and a high photothermal conversion efficiency for photothermal therapy.
Transition metal-containing molecular devices: controllable single-spin negative differential thermoelectric resistance effects under gate voltages
Authors: Yang Xifeng , Tan Fangxin , Dong Yaojun , Yu Hailin , Liu Yushen
Published: February 2019

Based on the non-equilibrium Green function method combined with density functional theory, we investigate the spin-resolved transport through transition metal (TM) (= Cr, Mn, Fe and Ru)-containing molecular devices in the presence of zigzag graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR) electrodes.
In situtopotactic formation of 2D/2D direct Z-scheme Cu2S/Zn0.67Cd0.33S in-plane intergrowth nanosheet heterojunctions for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production
Authors: Shi Jingjing , Li Shuangde , Wang Fengming , Gao Lina , Li Yanmei , Zhang Xiaorang , Lu Jun
Published: February 2019

2D/2D direct Z-scheme Cu2S/Zn0.67Cd0.33S in-plane intergrowth nanosheet heterojunction exhibited the high-performance hydrogen evolution activity.
Co3O4-nanoparticle-entrapped nitrogen and boron codoped mesoporous carbon as an efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution
Authors: Tang Duihai , Sun Xue , Yu Huan , Zhang Wenting , Zhang Ling , Li Xuefeng , Qiao Zhen-An , Zhu Junjiang , Zhao Zhen
Published: February 2019

This work demonstrates the synthesis of Co3O4-entrapped, B,N-codoped mesoporous carbon via the molten salt route and investigates its electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction.
Cluster nuclearity control and modulated hydrothermal synthesis of functionalized Zr12 metal–organic frameworks
Authors: Peh Shing Bo , Cheng Youdong , Zhang Jian , Wang Yuxiang , Chan Ger Hui , Wang Jian , Zhao Dan
Published: February 2019

Cluster nuclearity control over the SBUs of zirconium MOFs to target Zr6-based and Zr2-based phases is demonstrated for the Zr terephthalate system (Zr-BDC) using a modulated hydrothermal synthesis method.
Crossing the Thauer limit: rewiring cyanobacterial metabolism to maximize fermentative H2production
Authors: Kumaraswamy Kenchappa G. , Krishnan Anagha , Ananyev Gennady , Zhang Shuyi , Bryant Donald A. , Dismukes G. Charles
Published: February 2019

Metabolic engineering of cyanobacteria with concomitant electrochemical elimination of H2uptake increases H2yield beyond the Thauer limit.
Anisole: a further step to sustainable hydroformylation
Authors: Delolo Fábio G. , dos Santos Eduardo N. , Gusevskaya Elena V.
Published: February 2019

Anisole, a solvent with an impressive sustainability rank, is an excellent alternative for hydroformylation, an industrially important homogeneously catalyzed reaction.
Generation of high-temperature and low-density plasma with strong spectral intensity by changing the distance between the focusing lens and target surface in femtosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy
Authors: Xu Wanpeng , Chen Anmin , Wang Qiuyun , Zhang Dan , Wang Ying , Li Suyu , Jiang Yuanfei , Jin Mingxing
Published: February 2019

This paper exhibits the generation of high-temperature and low-density plasma with strong spectral intensity by changing the distance between focusing lens and target surface in femtosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.
Self-assembled nanomaterials: design principles, the nanostructural effect, and their functional mechanisms as antimicrobial or detection agents
Authors: Li Li-Li , An Hong-Wei , Peng Bo , Zheng Rui , Wang Hao
Published: February 2019

Self-assembled nanomaterials have been endowed with designable biofunctions based on non-covalent interactions forming well-ordered nanostructures.
One-step synthesis of nitrogen-doped wood derived carbons as advanced electrodes for supercapacitor applications
Authors: Meng Qi , Ge Huilin , Yao Weitang , Zhu Wenkun , Duan Tao
Published: February 2019

Nitrogen-doped wood derived carbon was first prepared by a one-step method without destroying the original hierarchical porous structure of wood.
Real-time mechanistic study of carbon nanotube anion functionalisation through open circuit voltammetry
Authors: Clancy Adam J. , Sirisinudomkit Pichamon , Anthony David B. , Thong Aaron Z. , Greenfield Jake L. , Salaken Singh Maniesha K. , Shaffer Milo S. P.
Published: February 2019

The mechanism of the functionalisation of reduced single walled carbon nanotubes with organobromides was monitored by open circuit voltammetry and elucidated through a series of comparative reactions.
Efficient photoredox conversion of alcohol to aldehyde and H2 by heterointerface engineering of bimetal–semiconductor hybrids
Authors: Han Chuang , Tang Zi-Rong , Liu Junxue , Jin Shengye , Xu Yi-Jun
Published: February 2019

An anisotropic bimetal–semiconductor heterostructure with efficient charge carrier generation, transfer and utilization for plasmon-enhanced photoredox catalysis.
Transition from curvature sensing to generation in a vesicle driven by protein binding strength and membrane tension
Authors: Sachin Krishnan T. V. , Das Sovan L. , Kumar P. B. Sunil
Published: February 2019

Grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations of the curvature sensing-curvature generation transition in vesicles.
Femtomolar response of a plasmon-coupled ZnO/graphene/silver hybrid whispering-gallery mode microcavity for SERS sensing
Authors: Zhu Qiuxiang , Xu Chunxiang , Wang Delong , Liu Bing , Qin Feifei , Zhu Zhu , Liu Yanjun , Zhao Xiangwei , Shi Zengliang
Published: February 2019

A ZnO/graphene/Ag-NP substrate manifested femtomolar SERS sensitivity with an ultralow detection limit down to 10−15 M for probe molecule detection.
Investigation of a zirconium compound for redox switchable ring opening polymerization
Authors: Dai Ruxi , Diaconescu Paula L.
Published: February 2019

Redox switchable catalysis with a ferrocene Schiff base zirconium complex allowed the synthesis of diblock and triblock copolymers.
Synthesis of quinazolin-4(1H)-ones via amination and annulation of amidines and benzamides
Authors: Hu Fangpeng , Cui Xinfeng , Ban Zihui , Lu Guoqiang , Luo Nan , Huang Guosheng
Published: February 2019

A convenient and operationally simple protocol for the synthesis of quinazolin-4(1H)-one derivatives has been developed via amination and annulation of amidines and benzamides.
Naphthalimide-containing conjugated polyelectrolytes with different chain configurations
Authors: Chen Yu , Tan Ying , Tan Chunyan , Lu Yunpeng , Chen Yuzong , Jiang Yuyang
Published: February 2019

Different polymer chain configurations along the main chains of poly(naphthalimide and phenylene ethynylene)s lead to dramatic differences in polymer conformations and photophysical properties.
Synthesis, characterization and crystal structures of novel fluorinated di(thiazolyl)benzene derivatives
Authors: Barłóg Maciej , Kulai Ihor , Ji Xiaozhou , Bhuvanesh Nattamai , Dey Somnath , Sliwinski Eric Pierre , Bazzi Hassan S. , Fang Lei , Al-Hashimi Mohammed
Published: February 2019

A series of 11 novel fluorinated and non-fluorinated di(thiazolyl)benzenes have been synthesized via microwave assisted Stille coupling and characterized using X-ray crystallography.
Hydrocarbon production by continuous hydrodeoxygenation of liquid phase pyrolysis oil with biogenous hydrogen rich synthesis gas
Authors: Treusch Klara , Mauerhofer Anna Magdalena , Schwaiger Nikolaus , Pucher Peter , Müller Stefan , Painer Daniela , Hofbauer Hermann , Siebenhofer Matthäus
Published: February 2019

Liquid phase pyrolysis oil was hydrodeoxygenated continuously with biogenous syngas by in situ water gas shift reaction.
5,10-Dimesityldiindeno[1,2-a:2′,1′-i]phenanthrene: a stable biradicaloid derived from Chichibabin's hydrocarbon
Authors: Majewski Marcin A. , Chmielewski Piotr J. , Chien Alan , Hong Yongseok , Lis Tadeusz , Witwicki Maciej , Kim Dongho , Zimmerman Paul M. , Stępień Marcin
Published: February 2019

A diindenophenanthrene biradicaloid, formally derived from Chichibabin's hydrocarbon, is obtained in a short, scalable synthesis.