bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Compassionate Capitalism: Amway and the Role of Small-Business Conservatives in the New Right
Authors: Mondom Davor
Published: September 2018

This article examines the Amway Corporation, one of the largest direct sales companies in the world, and its founders, Republican kingmakers Richard DeVos and Jay Van Andel. It argues that Amway and its cofounders embodied small-business conservatism, an ideology that simultaneously critiqued government largesse and corporate capitalism, viewing both as threats to individual freedom. Beginning in the 1970s, DeVos and Van Andel became involved in the conservative effort to promote free enterprise and roll back government. At the same time, Amway and its allies presented direct sales as a more rewarding and liberating alternative to traditional, nine-to-five employment. This history highlights the important role that small-business conservatives played in the Right's campaign against the New Deal state between the 1930s and the 1980s.
Phantom: A Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics and Magnetohydrodynamics Code for Astrophysics
Authors: Price Daniel J. , Wurster James , Tricco Terrence S. , Nixon Chris , Toupin Stéven , Pettitt Alex , Chan Conrad , Mentiplay Daniel , Laibe Guillaume , Glover Simon , Dobbs Clare , Nealon Rebecca , Liptai David , Worpel Hauke , Bonnerot Clément , Dipierro Giovanni , Ballabio Giulia , Ragusa Enrico , Federrath Christoph , Iaconi Roberto , Reichardt Thomas , Forgan Duncan , Hutchison Mark , Constantino Thomas , Ayliffe Ben , Hirsh Kieran , Lodato Giuseppe
Published: September 2018

We presentPhantom, a fast, parallel, modular, and low-memory smoothed particle hydrodynamics and magnetohydrodynamics code developed over the last decade for astrophysical applications in three dimensions. The code has been developed with a focus on stellar, galactic, planetary, and high energy astrophysics, and has already been used widely for studies of accretion discs and turbulence, from the birth of planets to how black holes accrete. Here we describe and test the core algorithms as well as modules for magnetohydrodynamics, self-gravity, sink particles, dust–gas mixtures, H2chemistry, physical viscosity, external forces including numerous galactic potentials, Lense–Thirring precession, Poynting–Robertson drag, and stochastic turbulent driving.Phantomis hereby made publicly available.
Race, Partisanship, and Attitudes Toward Public Policy Commonality and Legislative Districts
Authors: Casellas Jason P. , Gillion Daniel Q. , Wallace Sophia Jordán
Published: September 2018

This paper utilizes original survey data to examine whether individuals believe they share views on public policy with members of their own racial or ethnic group and whether they place an importance on living in legislative districts with people from their own racial or ethnic group. We find strong evidence that Latino and African-American respondents have a sense of shared policy preferences within their own group. Our results also indicate white Republicans are very likely to view themselves as having shared policy preferences within their group. Respondents who have a strong sense of shared policy preferences with their racial group are also the most likely to think it is important to live in legislative districts with others from their own racial or ethnic group. This paper affords a deeper understanding of the extent to which voters express commonality with their racial and ethnic minority group on matters related to public policy.
Macrobenthic fauna associated with Diopatra cuprea (Onuphidae: Polychaeta) tubes on a macrotidal sandy beach of the Brazilian Amazon Coast
Authors: Santos T.M.T. , Aviz D.
Published: September 2018

Tube-building polychaetes are an important group of marine bioengineers in soft-bottom habitats, where they provide structures that potentially influence the composition of the benthic community. The present study investigated the effects of Diopatra cuprea tubes on the structure of the macrobenthic fauna found on a sandy beach of the Amazon coast. Samples were collected in June (rainy season) and September (dry season) 2012 in two different areas: (1) an area in which D. cuprea tubes were present, and (2) a control area, in which worm tubes were absent. A total of 53 taxa were found, of which 30 were associated exclusively with D. cuprea tubes. While large aggregations of D. cuprea were not found in the study area, the presence of even a single tube may have a significant influence on the environmental conditions available for other organisms, especially those adapted to consolidated or muddy substrates. The two areas presented different seasonal patterns. A significant increase in the abundance and richness of the macrofauna was observed in area 1 in the rainy season, when the density of worm tubes increased and the hydrodynamic conditions were less intense. The results of the study highlight the importance of this organism as an ecosystem engineer on the sandy beaches of the Amazon coast.
Food processing: criteria for dietary guidance and public health?
Authors: Jones Julie Miller
Published: September 2018

The NOVA food categorisation recommends ‘avoiding processed foods (PF), especially ultra-processed foods (UPF)’ and selecting minimally PF to address obesity and chronic disease. However, NOVA categories are drawn using non-traditional views of food processing with additional criteria including a number of ingredients, added sugars, and additives. Comparison of NOVA's definition and categorisation of PF with codified and published ones shows limited congruence with respect to either definition or food placement into categories. While NOVA studies associate PF with decreased nutrient density, other classifications find nutrient-dense foods at all levels of processing. Analyses of food intake data using NOVA show UPF provide much added sugars. Since added sugars are one criterion for designation as UPF, such a proof demonstrates a tautology. Avoidance of foods deemed as UPF, such as wholegrain/enriched bread and cereals or flavoured milk, may not address obesity but could decrease intakes of folate, calcium and dietary fibre. Consumer understanding and implementation of NOVA have not been tested. Neither have outcomes been compared with vetted patterns, such as Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, which base food selection on food groups and nutrient contribution. NOVA fails to demonstrate the criteria required for dietary guidance: understandability, affordability, workability and practicality. Consumers’ confusion about definitions and food categorisations, inadequate cooking and meal planning skills and scarcity of resources (time, money), may impede adoption and success of NOVA. Research documenting that NOVA can be implemented by consumers and has nutrition and health outcomes equal to vetted patterns is needed.
Deficient auditory predictive coding during vocalization in the psychosis risk syndrome and in early illness schizophrenia: the final expanded sample
Authors: Mathalon Daniel H , Roach Brian J , Ferri Jamie M , Loewy Rachel L , Stuart Barbara K , Perez Veronica B , Trujillo Tara H , Ford Judith M
Published: September 2018

Background

During vocalization, efference copy/corollary discharge mechanisms suppress the auditory cortical response to self-generated sounds. Previously, we found attenuated vocalization-related auditory cortical suppression in psychosis and a similar trend in the psychosis risk syndrome. Here, we report data from the final sample of early illness schizophrenia patients (ESZ), individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR), and healthy controls (HC).

Methods

Event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded from ESZ (n = 84), CHR (n = 71), and HC (n = 103) participants during a vocalization paradigm. The N1 ERP component was elicited during production (Talk) and playback (Listen) of vocalization. Age effects on N1 suppression (Talk–Listen), Talk N1, and Listen N1 were compared across groups. N1 measures were adjusted for normal aging before testing for group differences.

Results

Both ESZ and CHR groups showed reduced Talk–Listen N1 suppression relative to HC, but did not differ from each other. Listen N1 was reduced in ESZ, but not in CHR, relative to HC. Deficient Talk–Listen N1 suppression was associated with greater unusual thought content in CHR individuals. N1 suppression increased with age in HC (12–36 years), and while CHR individuals showed a similar age-related increase, no such relationship was evident in ESZ.

Conclusions

Putative efference copy/corollary discharge-mediated auditory cortical suppression during vocalization is deficient in ESZ and precedes psychosis onset, particularly in CHR individuals with greater unusual thought content. Furthermore, this suppression increases from adolescence through early adulthood, likely reflecting the effects of normal brain maturation. This maturation effect is disrupted in ESZ, presumably due to countervailing illness effects.
Desiring God implicitly: ‘worldly union desires’ and openness to God
Authors: PERLMUTTER JULIAN
Published: September 2018

‘Interested non-belief’ in God is now a common attitude, and one religious outlook such non-believers should take seriously is the Christian contemplative tradition. Drawing on C. S. Lewis, I identify the familiar phenomenon of ‘worldly union desire’: elicited by worldly things, and aimed at union with some beauty or goodness therein. I examine specifically Thomas Merton's contemplative outlook, arguing that by his lights worldly union desires manifest a desire for God and aid spiritual openness. Merton's picture extends any purely secular value in worldly union desire-experiences, giving union with God – and the spirituality aimed at this goal – a deep existential appeal for non-believers.
Power, other-worldliness, and the extended mind
Authors: GREEN ADAM
Published: September 2018

In this article, I use the extended mind literature to elucidate religious phenomena that are normally left well outside the purview of analytic philosophy of religion. I show that the extended mind literature casts light on how the potential relationships of the ordinary believer to extra-natural power dictate cross-culturally re-occurring ways of structuring religious praxis. This application of the extended mind illuminates a diverse but subtly interconnected set of religious phenomena, from the cross-cultural appeal of magic as a negative category to the role of other-worldliness in the major world religions.
Thinking in and about time: A dual systems perspective on temporal cognition
Authors: Hoerl Christoph , McCormack Teresa
Published: September 2018

We outline a dual systems approach to temporal cognition, which distinguishes between two cognitive systems for dealing with how things unfold over time – atemporal updating systemand atemporal reasoning system– of which the former is both phylogenetically and ontogenetically more primitive than the latter, and which are at work alongside each other in adult human cognition. We describe the main features of each of the two systems, the types of behavior the more primitive temporal updating system can support, and the respects in which it is more limited than the temporal reasoning system. We then use the distinction between the two systems to interpret findings in comparative and developmental psychology, arguing that animals operate only with a temporal updating system and that children start out doing so too, before gradually becoming capable of thinking and reasoning about time. After this, we turn to adult human cognition and suggest that our account can also shed light on a specific feature of humans’ everyday thinking about time that has been the subject of debate in the philosophy of time, which consists in a tendency to think about the nature of time itself in a way that appears ultimately self-contradictory. We conclude by considering the topic of intertemporal choice, and argue that drawing the distinction between temporal updating and temporal reasoning is also useful in the context of characterizing two distinct mechanisms for delaying gratification.
Cerebral and gaze data fusion for wheelchair navigation enhancement: case of distracted users
Authors: Lamti Hachem A. , Ben Khelifa Mohamed Moncef , Hugel Vincent
Published: September 2018

The goal of this paper is to present a new hybrid system based on the fusion of gaze data and Steady State Visual Evoked Potentials (SSVEP) not only to command a powered wheelchair, but also to account for users distraction levels (concentrated or distracted). For this purpose, a multi-layer perception neural network was set up in order to combine relevant gazing and blinking features from gaze sequence and brainwave features from occipital and parietal brain regions. The motivation behind this work is the shortages raised from the individual use of gaze-based and SSVEP-based wheelchair command techniques. The proposed framework is based on three main modules: a gaze module to select command and activate the flashing stimuli. An SSVEP module to validate the selected command. In parallel, a distraction level module estimates the intention of the user by mean of behavioral entropy and validates/inhibits the command accordingly. An experimental protocol was set up and the prototype was tested on five paraplegic subjects and compared with standard SSVEP and gaze-based systems. The results showed that the new framework performed better than conventional gaze-based and SSVEP-based systems. Navigation performance was assessed based on navigation time and obstacles collisions.
QUALITY ASSURANCE OF REGISTRIES FOR HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
Authors: Mandeville Kate L. , Valentic Maja , Ivankovic Damir , Pristas Ivan , Long Jae , Patrick Hannah E.
Published: September 2018

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to identify guidelines and assessment tools used by health technology agencies for quality assurance of registries and investigate the current use of registry data by HTA organizations worldwide.

Methods:

As part of a European Network for Health Technology Assessment Joint Action work package, we undertook a literature search and sent a questionnaire to all partner organizations on the work package and all organizations listed in the International Society for Pharmaco-economics and Outcomes Research directory.

Results:

We identified thirteen relevant documents relating to quality assurance of registries. We received fifty-five responses from organizations representing twenty-one different countries, a response rate of 40.5 percent (43/110). Many agencies, particularly in Europe, are already drawing on a range of registries to provide data for their HTA. Less than half, however, use criteria or standards to assess the quality of registry data. Nearly all criteria or standards in use have been internally defined by organizations rather than referring to those produced by an external body. A comparison of internal and external standards identified consistency in several quality dimensions, which can be used as a starting point for the development of a standardized tool.

Conclusion:

The use of registry data is more prevalent than expected, strengthening the need for a standardized registry quality assessment tool. A user-friendly tool developed in conjunction with stakeholders will support the consistent application of approved quality standards, and reassure critics who have traditionally considered registry data to be unreliable.
DIFFERENTIATION OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES BETWEEN FIVE DISEASE AREAS: RESULTS FROM AN INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF PATIENTS
Authors: Efthymiadou Olina , Mossman Jean , Kanavos Panos
Published: September 2018

Objectives:

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) data generated by generic, preference-based instruments (i.e., EQ-5D) are highly demanded in health policy decision making, because they allow for direct comparisons of HRQoL outcomes between disease areas. We aimed to quantify HRQoL outcomes in breast cancer (BC), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis (MS), rare cancers (RC), and rare disease (RD) patients and understand the patterns that differentiate HRQoL outcomes between these disease areas, and more specifically between rare and more common disease population groups.

Methods:

An international, Web survey of patients measured HRQoL (EQ-5D-5L), self-perceived health (EQ-5D-5L Visual Analogue Scale), and additional QoL dimensions, such as patient disability level.

Results:

We received 675 completed responses. Average utility loss was 53.5 percent, 32.5 percent, and 33.3 percent for RD, RA, and MS patients, respectively, in contrast to 18.6 percent for BC and RC patients. Statistically significant differences (p < .05) were observed between disease groups in all EQ-5D-5L domain outcomes, apart from that of “Anxiety/Depression.” Severe and/or extreme problems were reported in performing usual activities for RD and RC (34 percent and 13 percent of overall problems reported respectively), mobility for MS (18 percent), pain/discomfort for RA (13 percent), and anxiety/depression for BC (7 percent) patients.

Conclusions:

We demonstrated significant differences in the dimensions that drive HRQoL outcomes between rare and more common diseases and showcased that the same EQ-5D utility may reflect very different severities depending on the patient population under investigation. Future research should examine whether outcomes in other, critical HRQoL domains not included in generic measures also highlight significant differences across disease areas.
The slow dynamics of mycoplasma infections in a tortoise host reveal heterogeneity pertinent to pathogen transmission and monitoring
Authors: Aiello C. M. , Esque T. C. , Nussear K. E. , Emblidge P. G. , Hudson P. J.
Published: September 2018

The epidemiology of infectious diseases depends on many characteristics of disease progression, as well as the consistency of these processes across hosts. Longitudinal studies of infection can thus inform disease monitoring and management, but can be challenging in wildlife, particularly for long-lived hosts and persistent infections. Numerous tortoise species of conservation concern can be infected by pathogenic mycoplasmas that cause a chronic upper respiratory tract disease (URTD). Yet, a lack of detailed data describing tortoise responses to mycoplasma infections obscures our understanding of URTDs role in host ecology. We therefore monitoredMycoplasma agassiziiinfections in 14 captive desert tortoises and characterised clinical signs of disease, infection intensity, pathogen shedding and antibody production for nearly 4 years after initial exposure to donor hosts. Persistent infections established in all exposed tortoises within 10 weeks, but hosts appeared to vary in resistance, which affected the patterns of pathogen shedding and apparent disease. Delays in host immune response and changes to clinical signs and infection intensity over time resulted in inconsistencies between diagnostic tools and changes in diagnostic accuracy throughout the study. We discuss the implications these results have for URTD epidemiology and past and future research assessing disease prevalence and dynamics in tortoise populations.
Soybean PI 675847 A as a new source of salt tolerance
Authors: Quach Truyen Ngoc , Nguyen Lan-Anh Thi , Nguyen Nga Thi , Nguyen Cuc Thi , Dam Thang Quang , Dinh Linh Thu , Nguyen Hoan Tri
Published: September 2018

Soil salinity is a major limitation to legume production in many areas of the world. Identification of the genetic source of salt tolerance is critical in soybean breeding for improving soybean production in salt-affected regions. Vietnam has unique sources of soybean germplasm and varieties are grown in the area where exposure to salinity is frequent. However, there is little research on the identification of salt tolerant sources in the Vietnamese gene pool. The present study compared 18 Vietnamese soybean cultivars for their differences in salt tolerance. Under a range of NaCl stress from 0 to 200 mM NaCl, there was a large variation in salt tolerance among the 18 soybean lines evaluated. The soybean accession PI 675847 A (Vietnamese variety DT2008), was identified as a useful source of salt tolerance. During vegetative growth, PI 675847 A had lower leaf scorch scores, higher cell membrane stability, better photosynthesis and biomass accumulation under NaCl stress than the other 17 strains evaluated. In addition, PI 675847 A maintained better growth and seed yield in salt-affected soils compared with the sensitive lines. Analyses of ion contents in plant leaves under saline conditions showed that PI 675847 A was able to limit uptake and transport of Na+ and Cl−. Because of its higher productivity under saline conditions, PI 675847 A will be a useful germplasm source in soybean improvement programs for salt tolerance.
In vitroelucidation of suppression effects of composts to soil-borne pathogenPhytophthora nicotianaeon pepper plants using 16S amplicon sequencing and metaproteomics
Authors: Ros Margarita , Blaya Josefa , Baldrian Petr , Bastida Felipe , Richnow Hans H , Jehmlich Nico , Pascual Jose Antonio
Published: September 2018

Compost production is a critical component of organic waste management. One of the most important properties of compost is its ability to suppress soil-borne pathogens such asPhytophthora nicotianaein pepper plants. Both the physico-chemical and biological properties of composts can be responsible for the suppression of pathogens, although biological properties are the main driver. In this study, we analyzed composts with various levels of suppressiveness againstP. nicotianae. We analyzed both physico-chemical properties like pH and electrical conductivity and biological properties like microbial activity, amplicon sequencing and metaproteomics. We believed that the link between community structures and proteins could provide deep insights into the mechanism of compost suppressiveness. Our results indicate that there are differences between suppressive and non-suppressive composts at the phylogenetic level (sequencing) and at the functional level (based on analysis of the cluster of orthologous groups, COGs). The proteins identified were assigned to the carbohydrate process, cell wall structure and inorganic ion transport and metabolism.Proteobacteriacould also be new indicators ofP. nicotianaesuppression.
Guiding peripheral arterial disease management with magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Takahashi Edwin A. , Kinsman Kristin A. , Neidert Newton B. , Young Phillip M.
Published: September 2018

Abstract. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) management is exceptionally challenging. Despite advances in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, long-term vessel patency and limb salvage rates are limited. Patients with PAD frequently require extensive workup with noninvasive tests and imaging to delineate their disease and help guide appropriate management. Ultrasound and computed tomography are commonly ordered in the workup of PAD. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), on the other hand, is less often acknowledged as a useful tool in this disease. Nevertheless, MRI is an important test that can effectively characterize atherosclerotic plaque, assess vessel patency in highly calcified disease, and measure lower extremity perfusion.
Harnessing the GPS Data Explosion for Interdisciplinary Science
Authors: Blewitt Geoffrey , Hammond William , Kreemer Corn�
Published: September 2018

More GPS stations, faster data delivery, and better data processing provide an abundance of information for all kinds of Earth scientists.
Vertical Propagation of Middepth Zonal Currents Associated With Surface Wind Forcing in the Equatorial Indian Ocean
Authors: Huang Ke , McPhaden Michael J. , Wang Dongxiao , Wang Weiqiang , Xie Qiang , Chen Ju , Shu Yeqiang , Wang Qiang , Li Jian , Yao Jinglong
Published: September 2018

The vertical propagation of middepth (200–1,500 m) zonal velocity in the equatorial Indian Ocean (EIO) and its relationship with surface wind forcing are investigated. We focus on semiannual time scales, using in situ mooring observations and an oceanic reanalysis product that can reasonably well reproduce the structure and magnitude of the observed middepth zonal velocity in the EIO. The pronounced semiannual cycle in observed middepth zonal currents indicates a clear upward phase propagation with particularly robust signatures at depths of 500–1,000 m between 3°S to 3°N, 70 to 85°E. The main characteristics of the middepth currents are consistent with vertically propagating first‐meridional‐mode Rossby wave at semiannual period. Theory suggests that equatorial Kelvin waves, forced by zonal wind variations in the western half of the basin, transfer energy downward and eastward, reflecting into Rossby waves at the eastern boundary. These reflected Rossby waves transfer energy downward and westward, contributing greatly to observed phase propagation at middepths in the EIO.
Ocean Stratification and Low Melt Rates at the Ross Ice Shelf Grounding Zone
Authors: Begeman Carolyn Branecky , Tulaczyk Slawek M. , Marsh Oliver J. , Mikucki Jill A. , Stanton Timothy P. , Hodson Timothy O. , Siegfried Matthew R. , Powell Ross D. , Christianson Knut , King Matt A.
Published: September 2018

Ocean‐driven melting of ice shelves is a primary mechanism for ice loss from Antarctica. However, due to the difficulty in accessing the sub‐ice shelf ocean cavity, the relationship between ice shelf melting and ocean conditions is poorly understood, particularly near the grounding zone, where the ice transitions from grounded to floating. We present the first borehole oceanographic observations from the grounding zone of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica's largest ice shelf by area. Contrary to predictions that tidal currents near grounding zones mix the water column, we found that Ross Ice Shelf waters were vertically stratified. Current velocities at middepth in the ocean cavity did not change significantly over measurement periods at two different parts of the tidal cycle. The observed stratification resulted in low melt rates near this portion of the grounding zone, inferred from phase‐sensitive radar observations. These melt rates were generally <10 cm/year, which is lower than average for the Ross Ice Shelf (~20 cm/year). Melt rates may be higher at portions of the grounding zone that experience higher subglacial discharge or stronger tidal mixing. Stratification in the cavity at the borehole site was prone to diffusive convection as a result of ice shelf melting. Since diffusive convection influences vertical heat and salt fluxes differently than shear‐driven turbulence, this process may affect ice shelf melting and merits further consideration in ocean models of sub‐ice shelf circulation.
On the Statistical Significance of Climatic Trends Estimated From GPS Tropospheric Time Series
Authors: Alshawaf F. , Zus F. , Balidakis K. , Deng Z. , Hoseini M. , Dick G. , Wickert J.
Published: September 2018

For more than two decades, Global Positioning System (GPS) tropospheric delays have successfully been exploited to monitor the tropospheric water vapor in near real time and reprocessing mode. Although reprocessed data are considered reliable for climatic research, it is important to address the often present gaps, inhomogeneities, and to use a proper model to describe the stochastic part of the time series so that trustworthy trends are estimated. Having relatively long time series, daily reprocessed tropospheric Zenith Total Delay, precipitable water vapor (PWV), and gradients from the Tide Gauge benchmark monitoring network are used in this work to estimate climatic trends. We use a first‐order autoregressive model AR(1) to describe the residuals after the trend estimation so that a correct trend uncertainty is estimated. Using the same model, we obtain the number of years of PWV data required to estimate statistically significant trends. For comparison, we produce tropospheric parameters at each Tide Gauge station based on ERA‐Interim refractivity fields. We found that 83% of 64 GPS stations show a positive PWV trend below 1 mm/decade independent of the time interval, with approximately half of the trends indicated significant. There is a strong correlation (86%) between the Global Navigation Satellite Systems and ERA‐Interim PWV trends. The trends tend to increase when moving east and south on the European map. The results show a percentage change of PWV of 3–8% per a degree Celsius rise in temperature. The number of years required to detect significant PWV trends varies between 30 and 40 years.
Response of Tropical Terrestrial Gross Primary Production to the Super El Niño Event in 2015
Authors: Zhu Jiawen , Zhang Minghua , Zhang Yao , Zeng Xiaodong , Xiao Xiangming
Published: September 2018

The gross primary production (GPP) in tropical terrestrial ecosystems plays a critical role in the global carbon cycle and climate change. The strong 2015–2016 El Niño event offers a unique opportunity to investigate how GPP in the tropical terrestrial ecosystems responds to climatic forcing. This study uses two GPP products and concurrent climate data to investigate the GPP anomalies and their underlying causes. We find that both GPP products show an enhanced GPP in 2015 for the tropical terrestrial ecosystem as a whole relative to the multiyear mean of 2001–2015, and this enhancement is the net result of GPP increase in tropical forests and decrease in nonforests. We show that the increased GPP in tropical forests during the El Nino event is consistent with increased photosynthesis active radiation as a result of a reduction in clouds, while the decreased GPP in nonforests is consistent with increased water stress as a result of a reduction of precipitation and an increase of temperature. These results reveal the strong coupling of ecosystem and climate that is different in forest and nonforest ecosystems and provide a test case for carbon cycle parameterization and carbon‐climate feedback simulation in models.
Cervical squamous cell carcinoma-secreted exosomal miR-221-3p promotes lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis by targeting VASH1
Authors: Zhou Chen-Fei , Ma Jing , Huang Lei , Yi Hong-Yan , Zhang Yan-Mei , Wu Xiang-Guang , Yan Rui-Ming , Liang Li , Zhong Mei , Yu Yan-Hong , Wu Sha , Wang Wei
Published: September 2018

Cancer-secreted exosomal miRNAs are emerging mediators of cancer-stromal cross-talk in the tumor environment. Our previous miRNAs array of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) clinical specimens identified upregulation of miR-221-3p. Here, we show that miR-221-3p is closely correlated with peritumoral lymphangiogenesis and lymph node (LN) metastasis in CSCC. More importantly, miR-221-3p is characteristically enriched in and transferred by CSCC-secreted exosomes into human lymphatic endothelial cells (HLECs) to promote HLECs migration and tube formation in vitro, and facilitate lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis in vivo according to both gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments. Furthermore, we identify vasohibin-1 (VASH1) as a novel direct target of miR-221-3p through bioinformatic target prediction and luciferase reporter assay. Re-expression and knockdown of VASH1 could respectively rescue and simulate the effects induced by exosomal miR-221-3p. Importantly, the miR-221-3p-VASH1 axis activates the ERK/AKT pathway in HLECs independent of VEGF-C. Finally, circulating exosomal miR-221-3p levels also have biological function in promoting HLECs sprouting in vitro and are closely associated with tumor miR-221-3p expression, lymphatic VASH1 expression, lymphangiogenesis, and LN metastasis in CSCC patients. In conclusion, CSCC-secreted exosomal miR-221-3p transfers into HLECs to promote lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis via downregulation of VASH1 and may represent a novel diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for metastatic CSCC patients in early stages.
Rhythmicity of coastal marine picoeukaryotes, bacteria and archaea despite irregular environmental perturbations
Authors: Lambert Stefan , Tragin Margot , Lozano Jean-Claude , Ghiglione Jean-François , Vaulot Daniel , Bouget François-Yves , Galand Pierre E
Published: September 2018

Seasonality in marine microorganisms has been classically observed in phytoplankton blooms, and more recently studied at the community level in prokaryotes, but rarely investigated at the scale of individual microbial taxa. Here we test if specific marine eukaryotic phytoplankton, bacterial and archaeal taxa display yearly rhythms at a coastal site impacted by irregular environmental perturbations. Our seven-year study in the Bay of Banyuls (North Western Mediterranean Sea) shows that despite some fluctuating environmental conditions, many microbial taxa displayed significant yearly rhythms. The robust rhythmicity was found in both autotrophs (picoeukaryotes and cyanobacteria) and heterotrophic prokaryotes. Sporadic meteorological events and irregular nutrient supplies did, however, trigger the appearance of less common non-rhythmic taxa. Among the environmental parameters that were measured, the main drivers of rhythmicity were temperature and day length. Seasonal autotrophs may thus be setting the pace for rhythmic heterotrophs. Similar environmental niches may be driving seasonality as well. The observed strong association between Micromonas and SAR11, which both need thiamine precursors for growth, could be a first indication that shared nutritional niches may explain some rhythmic patterns of co-occurrence.
Niche and fitness differences determine invasion success and impact in laboratory bacterial communities
Authors: Li Shao-peng , Tan Jiaqi , Yang Xian , Ma Chao , Jiang Lin
Published: September 2018

There is increasing awareness of invasion in microbial communities worldwide, but the mechanisms behind microbial invasions remain poorly understood. Specifically, we know little about how the evolutionary and ecological differences between invaders and natives regulate invasion success and impact. Darwin’s naturalization hypothesis suggests that the phylogenetic distance between invaders and natives could be a useful predictor of invasion, and modern coexistence theory proposes that invader-native niche and fitness differences combine to determine invasion outcome. However, the relative importance of phylogenetic distance, niche difference and fitness difference for microbial invasions has rarely been examined. By using laboratory bacterial microcosms as model systems, we experimentally assessed the roles of these differences for the success of bacterial invaders and their impact on native bacterial community structure. We found that the phylogenetic distance between invaders and natives failed to explain invasion success and impact for two of three invaders at the phylogenetic scale considered. Further, we found that invasion success was better explained by invader-native niche differences than relative fitness differences for all three invaders, whereas invasion impact was better explained by invader-native relative fitness differences than niche differences. These findings highlight the utility of considering modern coexistence theory to gain a more mechanistic understanding of microbial invasions.
Silencing of TGFβ signalling in microglia results in impaired homeostasis
Authors: Zöller Tanja , Schneider Artur , Kleimeyer Christian , Masuda Takahiro , Potru Phani Sankar , Pfeifer Dietmar , Blank Thomas , Prinz Marco , Spittau Björn
Published: September 2018

TGFβ1 has been implicated in regulating functional aspects of several distinct immune cell populations including central nervous system (CNS) resident microglia. Activation and priming of microglia have been demonstrated to contribute to the progression of neurodegenerative diseases and, thus, underlie stringent control by endogenous regulatory factors including TGFβ1. Here, we demonstrate that deletion of Tgfbr2 in adult postnatal microglia does neither result in impairment of the microglia-specific gene expression signatures, nor is microglial survival and maintenance affected. Tgfbr2-deficient microglia were characterised by distinct morphological changes and transcriptome analysis using RNAseq revealed that loss of TGFβ signalling results in upregulation of microglia activation and priming markers. Moreover, protein arrays demonstrated increased secretion of CXCL10 and CCL2 accompanied by activation of immune cell signalling as evidenced by increased phosphorylation of TAK1. Together, these data underline the importance of microglial TGFβ signalling to regulate microglia adaptive changes.
LISA improves statistical analysis for fMRI
Authors: Lohmann Gabriele , Stelzer Johannes , Lacosse Eric , Kumar Vinod J. , Mueller Karsten , Kuehn Esther , Grodd Wolfgang , Scheffler Klaus
Published: September 2018

One of the principal goals in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is the detection of local activation in the human brain. However, lack of statistical power and inflated false positive rates have recently been identified as major problems in this regard. Here, we propose a non-parametric and threshold-free framework called LISA to address this demand. It uses a non-linear filter for incorporating spatial context without sacrificing spatial precision. Multiple comparison correction is achieved by controlling the false discovery rate in the filtered maps. Compared to widely used other methods, it shows a boost in statistical power and allows to find small activation areas that have previously evaded detection. The spatial sensitivity of LISA makes it especially suitable for the analysis of high-resolution fMRI data acquired at ultrahigh field (≥7 Tesla).
Femtosecond photoexcitation dynamics inside a quantum solvent
Authors: Thaler Bernhard , Ranftl Sascha , Heim Pascal , Cesnik Stefan , Treiber Leonhard , Meyer Ralf , Hauser Andreas W. , Ernst Wolfgang E. , Koch Markus
Published: September 2018

The observation of chemical reactions on the time scale of the motion of electrons and nuclei has been made possible by lasers with ever shortened pulse lengths. Superfluid helium represents a special solvent that permits the synthesis of novel classes of molecules that have eluded dynamical studies so far. However, photoexcitation inside this quantum solvent triggers a pronounced response of the solvation shell, which is not well understood. Here, we present a mechanistic description of the solvent response to photoexcitation of indium (In) dopant atoms inside helium nanodroplets (HeN), obtained from femtosecond pump–probe spectroscopy and time-dependent density functional theory simulations. For the In–HeN system, part of the excited state electronic energy leads to expansion of the solvation shell within 600 fs, initiating a collective shell oscillation with a period of about 30 ps. These coupled electronic and nuclear dynamics will be superimposed on intrinsic photoinduced processes of molecular systems inside helium droplets.
Regulatory control of DNA end resection by Sae2 phosphorylation
Authors: Cannavo Elda , Johnson Dominic , Andres Sara N. , Kissling Vera M. , Reinert Julia K. , Garcia Valerie , Erie Dorothy A. , Hess Daniel , Thomä Nicolas H. , Enchev Radoslav I. , Peter Matthias , Williams R. Scott , Neale Matt J. , Cejka Petr
Published: September 2018

DNA end resection plays a critical function in DNA double-strand break repair pathway choice. Resected DNA ends are refractory to end-joining mechanisms and are instead channeled to homology-directed repair. Using biochemical, genetic, and imaging methods, we show that phosphorylation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sae2 controls its capacity to promote the Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 (MRX) nuclease to initiate resection of blocked DNA ends by at least two distinct mechanisms. First, DNA damage and cell cycle-dependent phosphorylation leads to Sae2 tetramerization. Second, and independently, phosphorylation of the conserved C-terminal domain of Sae2 is a prerequisite for its physical interaction with Rad50, which is also crucial to promote the MRX endonuclease. The lack of this interaction explains the phenotype of rad50S mutants defective in the processing of Spo11-bound DNA ends during meiotic recombination. Our results define how phosphorylation controls the initiation of DNA end resection and therefore the choice between the key DNA double-strand break repair mechanisms.
Digital coding of mechanical stress in a dynamic covalent shape memory polymer network
Authors: Zhang Guogao , Peng Wenjun , Wu Jingjun , Zhao Qian , Xie Tao
Published: September 2018

Controlling stresses in materials presents many unusual opportunities for their engineering applications. The potential for current approaches is severely limited by the intrinsic tie between the stress and the geometric shape. Here, we report a material concept that allows stress management in a highly efficient digital manner while decoupling the stress and the geometric shape. This is realized in a dynamic covalent shape memory polymer network, for which the elastic shape memory sets the baseline stress level and maintains the geometric shape while the plasticity enabled by the dynamic bond exchange allows stress tuning. With a digital gray scale photothermal mechanism, any arbitrarily defined stress distribution can be created in a free-standing polymer film. The naturally invisible stresses can be further visualized as mechanical colors under polarized light, revealing its potential for encoding hidden information. Our approach expands the technological potential in many areas for which stresses are relevant.
Coupled microbial bloom and oxygenation decline recorded by magnetofossils during the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum
Authors: Chang Liao , Harrison Richard J. , Zeng Fan , Berndt Thomas A. , Roberts Andrew P. , Heslop David , Zhao Xiang
Published: September 2018

Understanding marine environmental change and associated biological turnover across the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; ~56 Ma)—the most pronounced Cenozoic short-term global warming event—is important because of the potential role of the ocean in atmospheric CO2 drawdown, yet proxies for tracing marine productivity and oxygenation across the PETM are limited and results remain controversial. Here we show that a high-resolution record of South Atlantic Ocean bottom water oxygenation can be extracted from exceptionally preserved magnetofossils—the bioinorganic magnetite nanocrystals produced by magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) using a new multiscale environmental magnetic approach. Our results suggest that a transient MTB bloom occurred due to increased nutrient supply. Bottom water oxygenation decreased gradually from the onset to the peak PETM. These observations provide a record of microbial response to the PETM and establish the value of magnetofossils as palaeoenvironmental indicators.
A flow platform for degradation-free CuAAC bioconjugation
Authors: Hatit Marine Z. C. , Reichenbach Linus F. , Tobin John M. , Vilela Filipe , Burley Glenn A. , Watson Allan J. B.
Published: September 2018

The Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction is a cornerstone method for the ligation of biomolecules. However, undesired Cu-mediated oxidation and Cu-contamination in bioconjugates limits biomedical utility. Here, we report a generic CuAAC flow platform for the rapid, robust, and broad-spectrum formation of discrete triazole bioconjugates. This process leverages an engineering problem to chemical advantage: solvent-mediated Cu pipe erosion generates ppm levels of Cu in situ under laminar flow conditions. This is sufficient to catalyze the CuAAC reaction of small molecule alkynes and azides, fluorophores, marketed drug molecules, peptides, DNA, and therapeutic oligonucleotides. This flow approach, not replicated in batch, operates at ambient temperature and pressure, requires short residence times, avoids oxidation of sensitive functional groups, and produces products with very low ppm Cu contamination.
Surface degradation mechanisms in precipitation-hardened high-entropy alloys
Authors: Ayyagari Aditya V. , Gwalani Bharat , Muskeri Saideep , Mukherjee Sundeep , Banerjee Rajarshi
Published: September 2018

Design of high-entropy alloys with complex microstructures presents a unique opportunity to combine the best of solid solution strengthening and precipitation hardening. These alloys are potentially disruptive for several high-performance applications including aerospace, oil and gas, nuclear industry, and next-generation tribology. This study presents the thermo-mechanical treatment, microstructural evolution, and surface degradation resistance in precipitation hardenable Al0.3Cu0.3Ti0.2CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy. The heat-treated alloy consisted of fine precipitates of L12 and L21, strengthening the face-centered cubic solid solution matrix. Potentiodynamic polarization showed nano-galvanic coupling between the intermetallic particles and the matrix. Phase-specific nano-indentation showed that hard intermetallic particles caused three-body wear and higher friction values during sliding wear. The microstructure was correlated with processing conditions and resulting surface degradation resistance using transmission electron microscopy imaging and analysis.
Elucidating a role for the cytoplasmic domain in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis mechanosensitive channel of large conductance
Authors: Herrera Nadia , Maksaev Grigory , Haswell Elizabeth S. , Rees Douglas C.
Published: September 2018

Microbial survival in dynamic environments requires the ability to successfully respond to abrupt changes in osmolarity. The mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) is a ubiquitous channel that facilitates the survival of bacteria and archaea under severe osmotic downshock conditions by relieving excess turgor pressure in response to increased membrane tension. A prominent structural feature of MscL, the cytoplasmic C-terminal domain, has been suggested to influence channel assembly and function. In this report, we describe the X-ray crystal structure and electrophysiological properties of a C-terminal domain truncation of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis MscL (MtMscLΔC). A crystal structure of MtMscLΔC solubilized in the detergent n-dodecyl-β-D-maltopyranoside reveals the pentameric, closed state-like architecture for the membrane spanning region observed in the previously solved full-length MtMscL. Electrophysiological characterization demonstrates that MtMscLΔC retains mechanosensitivity, but with conductance and tension sensitivity more closely resembling full length EcMscL than MtMscL. This study establishes that the C-terminal domain of MtMscL is not required for oligomerization of the full-length channel, but rather influences the tension sensitivity and conductance properties of the channel. The collective picture that emerges from these data is that each MscL channel structure has characteristic features, highlighting the importance of studying multiple homologs.
Author Correction: In vitro inhibition of hepatic stellate cell activation by the autophagy-related lipid droplet protein ATG2A
Authors: Hong Yun , Li Sirui , Wang Jifeng , Li Youming
Published: September 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.
Author Correction: Onion-like networks are both robust and resilient
Authors: Hayashi Yukio , Uchiyama Naoya
Published: September 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
Publisher Correction: Sirt1 activator induces proangiogenic genes in preadipocytes to rescue insulin resistance in diet-induced obese mice
Authors: Nawaz Allah , Mehmood Arshad , Kanatani Yukiko , Kado Tomonobu , Igarashi Yoshiko , Takikawa Akiko , Yamamoto Seiji , Okabe Keisuke , Nakagawa Takashi , Yagi Kunimasa , Fujisaka Shiho , Tobe Kazuyuki
Published: September 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.