bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CDX2 inhibits the proliferation and tumor formation of colon cancer cells by suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling via transactivation of GSK-3β and Axin2 expression
Authors: Yu Junhui , Liu Dong , Sun Xuejun , Yang Kui , Yao Jianfeng , Cheng Chen , Wang Chunbao , Zheng Jianbao
Published: January 2019

Caudal-related homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2), an intestine-specific nuclear transcription factor, has been strongly implicated in the tumourigenesis of various human cancers. However, the functional role of CDX2 in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) is not well known. In this study, CDX2 knockdown in colon cancer cells promoted cell proliferation in vitro, accelerated tumor formation in vivo, and induced a cell cycle transition from G0/G1 to S phase, whereas CDX2 overexpression inhibited cell proliferation. TOP/FOP-Flash reporter assay showed that CDX2 knockdown or CDX2 overexpression significantly increased or decreased Wnt signaling activity. Western blot assay showed that downstream targets of Wnt signaling, including β-catenin, cyclin D1 and c-myc, were up-regulated or down-regulated in CDX2-knockdown or CDX2-overexpressing colon cancer cells. In addition, suppression of Wnt signaling by XAV-939 led to a marked suppression of the cell proliferation enhanced by CDX2 knockdown, whereas activation of this signaling by CHIR-99021 significantly enhanced the cell proliferation inhibited by CDX2 overexpression. Dual-luciferase reporter and quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation (qChIP) assays further confirmed that CDX2 transcriptionally activates glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and axis inhibition protein 2 (Axin2) expression by directly binding to the promoter of GSK-3β and the upstream enhancer of Axin2. In conclusion, these results indicated that CDX2 inhibits the proliferation and tumor formation of colon cancer cells by suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling.
Synthesizing ginsenoside Rh2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell factory at high-efficiency
Authors: Wang Pingping , Wei Wei , Ye Wei , Li Xiaodong , Zhao Wenfang , Yang Chengshuai , Li Chaojing , Yan Xing , Zhou Zhihua
Published: January 2019

Synthetic biology approach has been frequently applied to produce plant rare bioactive compounds in microbial cell factories by fermentation. However, to reach an ideal manufactural efficiency, it is necessary to optimize the microbial cell factories systemically by boosting sufficient carbon flux to the precursor synthesis and tuning the expression level and efficiency of key bioparts related to the synthetic pathway. We previously developed a yeast cell factory to produce ginsenoside Rh2 from glucose. However, the ginsenoside Rh2 yield was too low for commercialization due to the low supply of the ginsenoside aglycone protopanaxadiol (PPD) and poor performance of the key UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT) (biopart UGTPg45) in the final step of the biosynthetic pathway. In the present study, we constructed a PPD-producing chassis via modular engineering of the mevalonic acid pathway and optimization of P450 expression levels. The new yeast chassis could produce 529.0 mg/L of PPD in shake flasks and 11.02 g/L in 10 L fed-batch fermentation. Based on this high PPD-producing chassis, we established a series of cell factories to produce ginsenoside Rh2, which we optimized by improving the C3–OH glycosylation efficiency. We increased the copy number of UGTPg45, and engineered its promoter to increase expression levels. In addition, we screened for more efficient and compatible UGT bioparts from other plant species and mutants originating from the direct evolution of UGTPg45. Combining all engineered strategies, we built a yeast cell factory with the greatest ginsenoside Rh2 production reported to date, 179.3 mg/L in shake flasks and 2.25 g/L in 10 L fed-batch fermentation. The results set up a successful example for improving yeast cell factories to produce plant rare natural products, especially the glycosylated ones.
Nb/Ta systematics in arc magma differentiation and the role of arclogites in continent formation
Authors: Tang Ming , Lee Cin-Ty A. , Chen Kang , Erdman Monica , Costin Gelu , Jiang Hehe
Published: January 2019

The surfaces of rocky planets are mostly covered by basaltic crust, but Earth is unique in that it also has extensive regions of felsic crust, manifested in the form of continents. Exactly how felsic crust forms when basaltic magmas are the dominant products of melting the mantles of rocky planets is unclear. A fundamental part of the debate is centered on the low Nb/Ta of Earth’s continental crust (11–13) compared to basalts (15–16). Here, we show that during arc magma differentiation, the extent of Nb/Ta fractionation varies with crustal thickness with the lowest Nb/Ta seen in continental arc magmas. Deep arc cumulates (arclogites) are found to have high Nb/Ta (average ~19) due to the presence of high Nb/Ta magmatic rutiles. We show that the crustal thickness control of Nb/Ta can be explained by rutile saturation being favored at higher pressures. Deep-seated magmatic differentiation, such as in continental arcs and other magmatic orogens, is thus necessary for making continents.
Integrated phenotypic screening and activity-based protein profiling to reveal potential therapy targets of pancreatic cancer
Authors: Liu Wenyan , Zhang Zhang , Zhang Zhi-Min , Hao Piliang , Ding Ke , Li Zhengqiu
Published: January 2019

Here, an integrated phenotypic screening and activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) approach was employed to identify a series of therapy targets of pancreatic cancer, which can facilitate the corresponding cancer treatment and diagnosis.
Prying open a Thiele cage: discovery of an unprecedented extended pinacol rearrangement
Authors: Dao Nathan , Sader Jonathan K. , Oliver Allen G. , Wulff Jeremy E.
Published: January 2019

The first extended pinacol reaction across an sp3–sp3 bond has been exploited to open a 1,3-bishomocubane cage in pursuit of conformationally restricted molecules for biological screening.
Engineering graphene oxide with ultrasmall SPIONs and smart drug release for cancer theranostics
Authors: Luo Yu , Tang Yan , Liu Tianzhi , Chen Qian , Zhou Xiaohan , Wang Ning , Ma Ming , Cheng Yingsheng , Chen Hangrong
Published: January 2019

An intelligent nanoplatform is constructed by conjugating cis-aconitic anhydride-modified doxorubicin to weakly crystallized, ultrasmall SPION loaded graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets. More importantly, the composites present ultrasensitive breakage hydrolysis induced by pH alteration, achieving on-demand, gradual drug release in the tumor microenvironment.
Coordination microparticle vaccines engineered from tumor cell templates
Authors: Wang Xiaoli , Liang Jiayi , Zhang Chuangnian , Ma Guilei , Wang Chun , Kong Deling
Published: January 2019

A microparticle vaccine was developed by encapsulating individual tumor cells with an EGCG–Al(iii) coordination layer, efficiently internalizedviaactin polymerization and clathrin-mediated endocytosis.
Cycloalkanes and cycloalkenes in dispersive force oriented inclusion crystals by a functionalized acyclic host molecule
Authors: Hyodo Tadashi , Kawahata Masatoshi , Hikami Yuya , Komatsu Ai , Tominaga Masahide , Yamaguchi Kentaro
Published: January 2019

The complexation of alicyclic compounds with a functionalized acyclic host gave inclusion crystals. Guest molecules were enclathrated within the cavity of the cyclic dimer of host molecules.
Visible photodissociation of the CO2 dimer cation: fast and slow dissociation dynamics in the excited state
Authors: Nakashima Yuji , Okutsu Kenichi , Fujimoto Keita , Ito Yuri , Kanno Manabu , Nakano Motoyoshi , Ohshimo Keijiro , Kono Hirohiko , Misaizu Fuminori
Published: January 2019

Velocity and angular distributions of photofragment CO2+ ions produced from mass-selected (CO2)2+ at 532 nm excitation were observed in an ion imaging experiment.
The deposition of cadmium selenide and cadmium phosphide thin films from cadmium thioselenoimidodiphosphinate by AACVD and the formation of an aromatic species
Authors: Oyetunde Temidayo , Afzaal Mohammad , Vincent Mark A. , O'Brien Paul
Published: January 2019

Aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) of Cd[(SPiPr2)(SePiPr2)N]2 yields hexagonal cadmium selenide and monoclinic cadmium phosphide films on glass substrates between 475 and 525 °C at different argon flow rates.
Highly efficient metal(iii) porphyrin and salen complexes for the polymerization of rac-lactide under ambient conditions
Authors: Praban Siriwan , Piromjitpong Parichat , Balasanthiran Vagulejan , Jayaraj Savithra , Chisholm Malcolm H. , Tantirungrotechai Jonggol , Phomphrai Khamphee
Published: January 2019

Metal(iii) complexes supported by porphyrin and salen ligands were highly efficient for rac-lactide polymerization at room temperature giving isotactic-enriched PLA.
Luminescent cyclic trinuclear coinage metal complexes with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) performance
Authors: Tian Yuan , Wang Zhao-Yang , Zang Shuang-Quan , Li Dan , Mak Thomas C. W.
Published: January 2019

A series of TPE-incorporated cyclic trinuclear coinage metal complexes have been prepared, and they show remarkable aggregation-induced emission performance.
Isoselenocarbonyl complexes
Authors: Cade Ian A. , Hill Anthony F. , McQueen Caitlin M. A.
Published: January 2019

The salt elimination reactions of [NEt4][Mo(CSe)(CO)2(Tp*)] ([NEt4][2], Tp* = hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)borate) with a range of metal halide complexes (ClMLn) have been investigated as a possible route to isoselenocarbonyl complexes [Mo(CSeMLn)(CO)2(Tp*)].
On the energetic efficiency of producing polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers from CO2 using electrical energy
Authors: Held Maximilian , Tönges Yannic , Pélerin Dominik , Härtl Martin , Wachtmeister Georg , Burger Jakob
Published: January 2019

Polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether (OME) are a high-potential and carbon-neutral synthetic e-fuel. This is the first comprehensive study to report the energetic efficiency of the production of OME from CO2 and electrical energy.
Cashew nut shell: a potential bio-resource for the production of bio-sourced chemicals, materials and fuels
Authors: Mgaya James , Shombe Ginena B. , Masikane Siphamandla C. , Mlowe Sixberth , Mubofu Egid B. , Revaprasadu Neerish
Published: January 2019

Cashew nut shells, agro-waste generated from cashew nut factories, are rich in valuable bio-based green and renewable materials.
Negatively charged singly-bonded dimers of C1-[C70(CF3)10] and bare C70 fullerene
Authors: Konarev Dmitri V. , Khasanov Salavat S. , Goryunkov Alexey A. , Troyanov Sergey I. , Brotsman Victor A. , Ioffe Ilya N. , Lyubovskaya Rimma N.
Published: January 2019

Singly-bonded {C70(CF3)10−}2 and (C70−)2 dimers are obtained as crystalline salts allowing their molecular structure, and optical and magnetic properties to be studied.
HUSY zeolite-promoted reactions of trifluoromethylated propargyl alcohols with arenes: synthesis of CF3-indenes and DFT study of intermediate carbocations
Authors: Nursahedova Selbi K. , Zerov Aleksey V. , Boyarskaya Irina A. , Grinenko Elena V. , Nenajdenko Valentine G. , Vasilyev Aleksander V.
Published: January 2019

Reaction of CF3-propargyl alcohols with arenes under the action of HUSY zeolite CBV-720 at 100 °C for 1 h affords CF3-indenes.
An AIE fluorescent switch with multi-stimuli responsive properties and applications for quantitatively detecting pH value, sulfite anion and hydrostatic pressure
Authors: Lin Tingting , Su Xing , Wang Kai , Li Minjie , Guo Hongwei , Liu Lulu , Zou Bo , Zhang Yu-Mo , Liu Yifei , Zhang Sean Xiao-An
Published: January 2019

An AIE fluorescent switch exhibited multi-parameter detection properties for pH, sulfite anion and pressure with good linear relationships.
Characterization of surface–solute interactions by diffusioosmosis
Authors: Ault Jesse T. , Shin Sangwoo , Stone Howard A.
Published: January 2019

The accurate measurement of wall zeta potentials and solute–surface interaction length scales for electrolyte and non-electrolyte solutes, respectively, is critical to the design of many biomedical and microfluidic applications. We propose a novel microfluidic-based approach for the characterization of surface-solute interactions based on diffusioosmosis.
Marangoni stress induced by rotation frustration in a liquid foam
Authors: Bérut Antoine , Cantat Isabelle
Published: January 2019

Bubble rotation during foam deformation is deduced from the Marangoni stress consistency.
Modelling and experimental linearisation of electric field sensing using electrode‐less LiNbO3 interferometers and incoherent light
Authors: Gutiérrez‐Martínez C. , Ricardez‐Trejo R.
Published: January 2019

Electrode‐less integrated optics lithium niobate (LiNbO3) asymmetric Mach–Zehnder interferometers (AMZIs) can be used as electric field (e‐field) sensors. Electrode‐less sensors are attractive for practical use as such devices do not perturb the sensed variable. A critical issue when using electrode‐less sensors is to ensure a linear sensing process. This requires the electro‐optic transfer function (EOTF) to be adjusted at its quadrature point. For this purpose, an electrode‐less sensor can be optically biased. However, an accurate optical bias is strongly limited by the fabrication tolerances of the AMZIs. Hence a linear sensing‐detection process is not actually ensured. To explore a linear e‐field sensing‐detection process, a simple linearising scheme is proposed in this Letter. The scheme is configured by cascading two optically matched AMZIs. The first AMZI is an electrode‐less sensor; the second one, which is provided of electrodes performs simultaneously as an optical demodulator and an EOTF tuner. The EOTF of the demodulating AMZI can be tuned to its quadrature point by a DC voltage on its associated electrodes. The sensing‐detection scheme is modelled and experimentally tested when illuminated either by coherent and incoherent light. The sensed e‐field is linearly recuperated only when incoherent light is used.
FER‐Net: facial expression recognition using densely connected convolutional network
Authors: Ma Hui , Celik Turgay
Published: January 2019

Convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures have shown excellent image classification performance on large‐scale visual recognition tasks. If a CNN architecture contains a shorter connection between layers close to the input and those close to the output, the training can be deeper, more accurate and efficient. In this Lette, the authors propose a densely connected CNN architecture for facial expression recognition (FER‐Net), which connects the output of each convolution layer to the inputs of the next convolution layers in the architecture. Experiments conducted on a publicly available dataset show that FER‐Net produces state‐of‐the‐art results in facial expression recognition.
Design of frequency duplex and triplex antennas based on quarter‐mode substrate integrated waveguide
Authors: Tong Yanghui , Qian Zuping , Cao Wenquan , Shi Shujie , Cai Yang
Published: January 2019

In this study, a novel and compact design of frequency duplex antenna based on quarter‐mode substrate integrated waveguide (QMSIW) is presented. The proposed antenna consists of two orthogonal QMSIWs excited by two separate feed lines. Independent frequency tunability is exhibited by adjusting the size of QMSIW. The electric wall formed by metal vias is used to suppress the coupling between QMSIW units. Thus, a high isolation (>26.6 dB) is achieved, which promotes the frequency duplexing characteristic. The proposed antenna resonates at 4.83 and 5.0 GHz with magnetic dipole radiation patterns and has corresponding gains of 2.08 and 2.21 dBi, respectively. Furthermore, a model is proposed to achieve the frequency multiplexing characteristic by taking advantage of the stable port isolation while changing the angle of two QMSIWs. A frequency triplex antenna working at 4.86, 4.95, and 5.05 GHz is also designed, it still exhibits good isolation (>20 dB) and excellent radiation performance although the frequency ratio remains extremely low (1.02).
Dual‐wideband filter with wide high‐rejection band using composite resonators
Authors: Li Zhiliang , Wu Ke‐Li
Published: January 2019

A new type of dual‐wideband bandpass filter using composite series and shunt resonators is proposed in conjunction with its direct synthesis and design theory. By making use of the transmission pole (TP) and the transmission zero of the composite resonators flexibly, a dual‐wideband filter with a wide range of frequency and bandwidth ratios as well as a wide stopband can be realised. With a shunt capacitor introduced at each I/O port, extra TPs either in the low passband or in the high passband can be created, leading to more filter design options. To give a direct design procedure, a lumped‐element prototype is first synthesised based on a target filtering function and a dedicated circuit extraction process. The filter layout can be realised using semi‐distributed circuits and chip capacitors. Two practical schemes are introduced to suppress spurious resonances for a wide high‐rejection stopband. Two filter examples are designed with a small and a large frequency ratio and a wide band suppressed spurious resonances. The unique filter response and good agreement between the designed and measured results demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed filter structure and the effectiveness of the synthesis and design theory.
Development of polarisation reconfigurable omnidirectional antennas using crossed dipoles
Authors: Fan Yi , Li RongLin , Cui Yuehui
Published: January 2019

A new method for the development of polarisation reconfigurable omnidirectional antennas is presented. Four crossed‐dipole elements around a cylinder are used to construct an omnidirectional antenna. By switching on/off four PIN diodes for each crossed‐dipole element, three types of polarisation reconfigurable omnidirectional antennas are realised, including vertical or horizontal polarisation (VP/HP), ±45° slant polarisation (SP), and left‐handed circular polarisation or right‐handed circular polarisation (LHCP/RHCP). The VP/HP, ±45° SP, and LHCP/RHCP reconfigurable omnidirectional antennas are simulated, fabricated, and measured, respectively. Simulated and measured results show that all the three reconfigurable omnidirectional antennas feature good omnidirectional patterns with gain variations of <2 dB in the horizontal plane.
Stable‐multiband frequency reconfigurable antenna with improved radiation efficiency and increased number of multiband operations
Authors: Kumar Jayendra , Basu Banani , Talukdar Fazal Ahmed , Nandi Arnab
Published: January 2019

In this study, a multiband frequency reconfigurable antenna is presented. The proposed antenna can switch among fixed GSM850/900 MHz, LTE1600/1700/1800 MHz and ISM2400 MHz bands through switchable, single, three double, and two triple band modes. The multiband operation is obtained using a spline‐based radiator and two open‐ended rectangular slot‐resonators (RSRs). Three series configurations of PIN diode radio‐frequency (RF) switches are integrated into RSRs to activate and deactivate it. The position of RSRs and RF switches is precisely optimised to obtain the desired operating bands and the input scattering parameter (S11) below −10 dB. RF switches #1–3 are turned ON and OFF to transfigure the current distributions on the radiator resulting in the frequency band‐switching operation. It is shown that the integration of RSRs and PIN diode RF switches into the antenna structure degrades the radiation efficiency. To improve the radiation efficiency, the antenna is fabricated on a low dielectric constant multilayered substrate built using RT/Duroid 5880 laminates and an air gap. The increased multiband operation, good radiation efficiency, omnidirectional radiation pattern, and sufficient co‐cross polarisation isolation are obtained in all operating bands. The prototype of the antenna is fabricated and fairly good agreement is seen amongst simulated and measured results.
Beam steerable subarray with small footprint for use as building block in wall‐mounted indoor wireless infrastructure
Authors: SalarRahimi Marzieh , Vandenbosch Guy A.E.
Published: January 2019

A dedicated antenna topology targeting wall‐mounted beam‐steered mass‐producable wireless indoor applications in the microwave band is presented. Four linearly polarised E‐shaped microstrip patches are fed by a novel Butler matrix in a 2 × 2 array configuration, realising a very simple two‐dimensional beam steering. To isolate the beam forming network (BFN) from the patches and the wall, a multilayer stripline technology was used. The proposed passive BFN consists of stripline couplers without crossings or physically separate phase shifters, leading to a BFN fitting within the same footprint as the array itself. The overall size of the Butler matrix is only 0.54λ0 × 0.54λ0 × 0.06λ0. A prototype at 6 GHz has been realised and measured, proving the validity of the concept.
A multiwavelength study of filamentary cloud G341.244-00.265
Authors: Yu Nai-Ping , Xu Jing-Long , Wang Jun-Jie
Published: January 2019

We present a multiwavelength study toward the filamentary molecular cloud G341.244-00.265, to investigate the physical and chemical properties, as well as star formation activities taking place therein. Our radio continuum and molecular line data were obtained from the Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey (SUMSS), Atacama Pathfinder Experiment Telescope Large Area Survey of the Galaxy (ATLASGAL), Structure, excitation, and dynamics of the inner Galactic interstellar medium (SEDIGISM) and Millimeter Astronomy Legacy Team Survey at 90 GHz (MALT90). The infrared archival data come from Galactic Legacy Infrared Midplane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE), Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), and Herschel InfraRed Galactic Plane Survey (Hi-GAL). G341.244-00.265 displays an elongated filamentary structure both in far-infrared and molecular line emissions; the “head” and “tail” of this molecular cloud are associated with known infrared bubbles S21, S22, and S24. We made H2 column density and dust temperature maps of this region by the spectral energy distribution (SED) method. G341.244-00.265 has a linear mass density of about 1654 M⊙ pc−1 and has a projected length of 11.1 pc. The cloud is prone to collapse based on the virial analysis. Even though the interactions between this filamentary cloud and its surrounding bubbles are evident, we found these bubbles are too young to trigger the next generation of star formation in G341.244-00.265. From the ATLASGAL catalog, we found eight dense massive clumps associated with this filamentary cloud. All of these clumps have sufficient mass to form massive stars. Using data from the GLIMPSE and WISE survey, we search the young stellar objects (YSOs) in G341.244-00.265. We found an age gradient of star formation in this filamentary cloud: most of the YSOs distributed in the center are Class I sources, while most Class II candidates are located in the head and tail of G341.244-00.265, indicating star formation at the two ends of this filament is prior to the center. The abundance ratio of N(N2H+)/N(C18O) is higher in the center than that in the two ends, also indicating that the gas in the center is less evolved. Taking into account the distributions of YSOs and the N(N2H+)/N(C18O) ratio map, our study is in agreement with the prediction of the so-called “end-dominated collapse” star formation scenario.
The role of salinity as an environmental filtering factor in the determination of the Diptera taxonomic composition in the Crimean waters
Authors: Shadrin Nickolai V. , Belyakov Victor P. , Bazhora Alexandra I. , Anufriieva Elena V.
Published: January 2019

Salinity is one of the most important factors in aquatic ecosystems, but its filtering role in the Diptera community species composition is still poorly studied. This issue was studied in the diverse Crimean water bodies. A total of 425 samples were collected from freshwater to hypersaline waters. In 73% of the 425 samples examined, representatives of Diptera were found; their larvae and pupae belonged to seven families. Сhironomid species composition was analyzed in 47 samples. The most common were Chironomidae, which were in 94% of samples with Diptera, Ceratopoganidae were in 8% of samples, Ephydridae were in 5% of samples, Simuliidae were in 4% of samples, Culicidae and Chaoboridae were in 4% of samples, and Syrphidae was in only one sample. A total of 14 Chironomidae genera and 21 species and forms were found; 9 of them are new for Crimea. Reduction of the dominance variants in the community, as well as the number of chironomid species, with increasing salinity may indicate an increase in the filtering role of salinity in the Diptera community species composition that is still poorly studied.
Estimation of critical conditions for deflagration-to-detonation transition in obstructed channels filled with gaseous mixtures
Authors: Kiverin Alexey D. , Yakovenko Ivan S.
Published: January 2019

The paper considers the peculiarities of deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) in obstructed channels filled with gaseous mixtures. The necessary stage in flame evolution prior to DDT is the stage of flame propagation in so-called “chocked flame” regime. The structure of the chocked flame is studied numerically in details that allows formulating the criterion of its stability. In turn, the stability of chocked flame determines the possibility of further flame acceleration and subsequent DDT. Such a criterion is of purely chemical nature and can be estimated using the parametric study involving simple one-dimensional calculations. It should be however noted that to get the prediction of DDT in real complex geometry one should additionally estimate the particular conditions of chocked flame formation in the given geometry. Moreover, the particular mechanisms of detonation onset should be analyzed. Such a complex analysis involving both chemical criterion and analysis of geometrical conditions is applied to the estimation of DDT possibility in obstructed channels. The obtained results are in a good agreement with available experimental data.
Effectiveness and efficiency of virtual reality designs to enhance athlete development: an ecological dynamics perspective
Authors: Stone Joseph Anthony , Strafford Ben William , North Jamie Stephen , Toner Ciaran , Davids Keith
Published: January 2019

A rapidly developing area of research is focused on the use of virtual reality (VR) systems to enhance athlete performance in sport. The assumption is that, implementation of such technologies will enhance skill acquisition and expedite athlete development. However, application of such technologies for enriching athlete development and performance preparation needs to be efficiently and effectively used by coaches and athletes to save time, energy and other resources in practice and training. Here, we argue that implementation of VR systems needs to be grounded in theory, with learning designs informed by a clear scientific rationale. We discuss how the full potential of VR systems can be utilised through implementing a theoretical framework, like ecological dynamics, to shape their application. We outline how an ecological dynamics framework can underpin research and applications of VR in athlete development through: (i) individualised training and assessment programmes; (ii) supporting exploration of variable and creative practice environments; (iii) ensuring context-dependent perception and decision making, and actions, where technology permits. An ecological dynamics rationale proposes how VR systems, when carefully implemented, can enrich and enhance learning designs, but can never replace coaching support for learning during physical practice.
Surface smoothing and native oxide suppression on Zn doped aerotaxy GaAs nanowires
Authors: Yngman Sofie , McKibbin Sarah R. , Knutsson Johan V. , Troian Andrea , Yang Fangfang , Magnusson Martin H. , Samuelson Lars , Timm Rainer , Mikkelsen Anders
Published: January 2019

Aerotaxy, a recently invented aerosol-based growth method for nanostructures, has been shown to hold great promise in making III-V nanowires more accessible for cheap mass-production. Aerotaxy nanowire surface structure and chemistry, however, remains unexplored, which is unfortunate since this can influence (opto)electronic properties. We investigate the surfaces of aerotaxy grown GaAs nanowires using synchrotron based high resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and high resolution atomic force microscopy. We observe that increasing the concentration of the p-type dopant diethylzinc to very high levels during nanowire growth significantly changes the surface morphology and leads to a strong suppression of native surface oxide formation. Our findings indicate that up to 1.8 monolayers of Zn are present on the nanowire surface after growth. Finally, we find that this also influences the Fermi level pinning of the surface. We suggest that Zn present on the surface after growth could play a role in the strongly hindered oxidation of the III-V compound when exposed to air. The aerotaxy nanowires generally exhibit a round cross section, while a significant smoothening of the surface morphology along the nanowire appears for very high nominal doping levels likely as a result of slight reshaping during growth in the presence of Zn. Given that surface oxide and a rough morphology can be detrimental to nanowire electrical and optical performance, the ability to reduce them as a side effect of dopant introduction will benefit future applications. Finally, the observed hindering of oxidation during air transport can allow for reliable post-growth processing in separate systems.
A three dimensional numerical quantum mechanical model of electronic field emission from metallic surfaces with nanoscale corrugation
Authors: Lepetit Bruno
Published: January 2019

The effects on the electronic emission of the presence of nanoscale steps on a tungsten surface are investigated for the first time using three dimensional quantum mechanical models. The plane wave periodic version of the density functional theory is used to obtain the electronic wavefunctions and potentials for flat and corrugated structures. Local and averaged emitted current densities are obtained from them using time dependent perturbation theory. The orders of magnitude of the averaged current densities resulting from these calculations are similar for both flat and corrugated cases; however, strong enhancements are observed on the local current densities near the edges of the steps. These numerical results are compared with those of the analytical Fowler-Nordheim type models. The slopes of the Fowler-Nordheim plots are in good agreement for both numerical and analytical models, but the magnitudes of the emitted currents are significantly different. This is related to weaknesses in the description of the electronic structure of the metal in the analytical models.
More than seventy years from a milestone in fractal geometry: Moran’s theorem
Authors: Fernández-Martínez M. , Guirao Juan L. G. , Rodríguez-Bermúdez G.
Published: January 2019

In this paper, we re-explore in detail the techniques employed in P. A. P. Moran’s original proof for a key result in fractal geometry allowing the calculation of the Hausdorff dimension of attractors of iterated function systems constructed by similitudes.
Small valence band offset of h-BN/Al0.7Ga0.3N heterojunction measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Authors: Hao Guo-Dong , Tsuzuki Sachiko , Inoue Shin-ichiro
Published: January 2019

Because of its large bandgap of ∼6.0 eV and suitability for high p-type doping, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) has become a candidate material that can serve as a p-layer by forming a heterostructure with AlGaN materials with a high Al fraction in deep-ultraviolet optoelectronic devices. The band offsets at the heterojunction are crucial to the device design because they determine the hole and electron transport properties across the heterojunction. In this study, we give the band alignment between h-BN and Al0.7Ga0.3N using the valence and conduction band offsets. The valence band offset of the h-BN/Al0.7Ga0.3N heterojunction is determined via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to be as small as −0.01 ± 0.09 eV. The small valence band discontinuity that occurs at the h-BN/Al0.7Ga0.3N interface is further confirmed using angle-resolved valence band spectra from the XPS measurements. By combining the bandgap values of Al0.7Ga0.3N and h-BN which were estimated using absorption spectra measurements, the conduction band offset is found to be approximately 0.89 ± 0.09 eV. These results indicate that h-BN is an excellent material for hole injection into Al0.7Ga0.3N. Meanwhile, the electrons can be effectively blocked away from h-BN. These results will be helpful in the design of group-III-nitride-based optoelectronic devices, particularly deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes and lasers.
Numerical investigation of fractional-fractal Boussinesq equation
Authors: Yadav Mahaveer Prasad , Agarwal Ritu
Published: January 2019

Fractal nature is found in many real world problems. Fractured aquifers, in which groundwater occurs, are an example of fractal geometry/nature. In this paper, we make an attempt to develop a space time fractional-fractal Boussinesq equation. For numerical approximation of the developed fractional-fractal Boussinesq equation, Crank-Nicolson finite difference scheme is applied. Numerical simulation of the solution of Boussinesq equation is depicted graphically for different values of fractal dimensions and fractional order which shows applicability of the developed model to groundwater flow in fractured media. Stability and the convergence conditions of the Crank-Nicolson scheme are also investigated.
Symmetries in the time-averaged dynamics of networks: Reducing unnecessary complexity through minimal network models
Authors: Sorrentino Francesco , Siddique Abu Bakar , Pecora Louis M.
Published: January 2019

Complex networks are the subject of fundamental interest from the scientific community at large. Several metrics have been introduced to characterize the structure of these networks, such as the degree distribution, degree correlation, path length, clustering coefficient, centrality measures, etc. Another important feature is the presence of network symmetries. In particular, the effect of these symmetries has been studied in the context of network synchronization, where they have been used to predict the emergence and stability of cluster synchronous states. Here, we provide theoretical, numerical, and experimental evidence that network symmetries play a role in a substantially broader class of dynamical models on networks, including epidemics, game theory, communication, and coupled excitable systems; namely, we see that in all these models, nodes that are related by a symmetry relation show the same time-averaged dynamical properties. This discovery leads us to propose reduction techniques for exact, yet minimal, simulation of complex networks dynamics, which we show are effective in order to optimize the use of computational resources, such as computation time and memory.
Ribosomal protein RPL26 is the principal target of UFMylation
Authors: Walczak Christopher P. , Leto Dara E. , Zhang Lichao , Riepe Celeste , Muller Ryan Y. , DaRosa Paul A. , Ingolia Nicholas T. , Elias Joshua E. , Kopito Ron R.
Published: January 2019

Significance

Ubiquitin fold modifier 1 (UFM1) is a ubiquitin-like posttranslational modifier that is essential for tissue development in metazoans. Genetic ablation of UFM1 or the genes that encode the enzymes that conjugate UFM1 to protein targets causes endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, suggesting a role for this modification in ER protein homeostasis. Here, we show that RPL26, a largely uncharacterized ribosomal protein, is the primary cellular target of UFMylation. Ribosomal RPL26 is subject to a dynamic cycle of UFMylation and de-UFMylation, catalyzed by enzymes that are tethered to the cytoplasmic surface of the ER. UFMylated RPL26 and the UFMylation machinery are in close proximity to the SEC61 translocon, suggesting a role for UFMylation in protein biogenesis at the ER.
COmplexome Profiling ALignment (COPAL) reveals remodeling of mitochondrial protein complexes in Barth syndrome
Authors: Van Strien Joeri , Guerrero-Castillo Sergio , Chatzispyrou Iliana A , Houtkooper Riekelt H , Brandt Ulrich , Huynen Martijn A
Published: January 2019

Motivation

Complexome profiling combines native gel electrophoresis with mass spectrometry to obtain the inventory, composition and abundance of multiprotein assemblies in an organelle. Applying complexome profiling to determine the effect of a mutation on protein complexes requires separating technical and biological variations from the variations caused by that mutation.

Results

We have developed the COmplexome Profiling ALignment (COPAL) tool that aligns multiple complexome profiles with each other. It includes the abundance profiles of all proteins on two gels, using a multi-dimensional implementation of the dynamic time warping algorithm to align the gels. Subsequent progressive alignment allows us to align multiple profiles with each other. We tested COPAL on complexome profiles from control mitochondria and from Barth syndrome (BTHS) mitochondria, which have a mutation in tafazzin gene that is involved in remodeling the inner mitochondrial membrane phospholipid cardiolipin. By comparing the variation between BTHS mitochondria and controls with the variation among either, we assessed the effects of BTHS on the abundance profiles of individual proteins. Combining those profiles with gene set enrichment analysis allows detecting significantly affected protein complexes. Most of the significantly affected protein complexes are located in the inner mitochondrial membrane (mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system, prohibitins), or are attached to it (the large ribosomal subunit).

Availability and implementation

COPAL is written in python and is available from http://github.com/cmbi/copal.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Institutional volume affects long-term survival following lung transplantation in the USA
Authors: Kilic Arman , Gleason Thomas G , Kagawa Hiroshi , Kilic Ahmet , Sultan Ibrahim
Published: January 2019

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of institutional volume on long-term outcomes following lung transplantation (LTx) in the USA.

METHODS

Adults undergoing LTx were identified in the United Network for Organ Sharing registry. Patients were divided into equal size tertiles according to the institutional volume. All-cause mortality following LTx was evaluated using the risk-adjusted multivariable Cox regression and the Kaplan–Meier analyses, and compared between these volume cohorts at 3 points: 90 days, 1 year (excluding 90-day deaths) and 10 years (excluding 1-year deaths). Lowess smoothing plots and receiver-operating characteristic analyses were performed to identify optimal volume thresholds associated with long-term survival.

RESULTS

A total of 13 370 adult LTx recipients were identified. The mean annual centre volume was 33.6 ± 20.1. After risk adjustment, low-volume centres were found to be at increased risk for 90-day mortality, [hazard ratio (HR) 1.56, P < 0.001], 1-year mortality excluding 90-day deaths (HR 1.46, P < 0.001) and 10-year mortality excluding 1-year deaths (HR 1.22, P < 0.001). These findings persisted when the centre volume was modelled as a continuous variable. The Kaplan–Meier analysis also demonstrated significant reductions in survival at each of these time points for low-volume centres (each P < 0.001). The 10-year survival conditional on 1-year survival was 37.4% in high-volume centres vs 28.0% in low-volume centres (P < 0.001). The optimal annual volume threshold for long-term survival was 26 LTx/year.

CONCLUSIONS

The institutional volume impacts long-term survival following LTx, even after excluding deaths within the first post-transplant year. Identifying the processes of care that lead to longer survival in high-volume centres is prudent.
Star Wars or Strategic Defense Initiative: What's in a Name?
Authors: Stimmer Anette
Published: January 2019

Popular culture can influence debates over security policy. This article studies the use of Star Wars in the debate over Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The term Star Wars was widely used to refer to SDI during debates in the 1980s. Scholars have pointed to both disabling and enabling effects of popular culture on political debates. This article refines these effects and introduces a third effect that comes from the widespread use of popular culture: a neutralizing effect that turns popular culture references into descriptive shorthands. Studying these dynamics contributes to our understanding of why popular culture is or is not used as a framing device and how it is used and perceived by decision-makers. I rely on content analysis of newspaper articles, congressional records, and political speeches and incorporate findings from elite interviews and the norm literature to conduct my analysis. I find that critics capitalized on linkages between the movie franchise and the policy to frame Reagan's missile defense system as Star Wars and to criticize his policy proposal. This science-fictionalization soon constituted the sociopolitical context surrounding Reagan's missile defense initiative. Most decision-makers perceived the Star Wars label to have a disabling effect as it cast doubt on the viability and desirability of SDI. Opponents initially tried to mobilize this effect, whereas most proponents argued against the label or refrained from using it. Few tapped into the enabling potential of Star Wars to communicate the potential benefits of SDI. The introduction of the professional term SDI helped proponents mitigate science-fictionalization in expert settings, while among the public the widespread use of the Star Wars label neutralized its meaning and turned it into a descriptive shorthand.
Progenitor constraints on the Type Ia supernova SN 2014J from Hubble Space Telescope H β and [O  iii] observations
Authors: Graur Or , Woods Tyrone E
Published: January 2019

Type Ia supernovae are understood to arise from the thermonuclear explosion of a carbon–oxygen white dwarf, yet the evolutionary mechanisms leading to such events remain unknown. Many proposed channels, including the classical single-degenerate scenario, invoke a hot, luminous evolutionary phase for the progenitor, in which it is a prodigious source of photoionizing emission. Here, we examine the environment of SN 2014J for evidence of a photoionized nebula in pre- and post-explosion [O  iii] λ5007 Å and H β images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope. From the absence of any extended emission, we exclude a stable nuclear-burning white dwarf at the location of SN 2014J in the last ∼100 000 years, assuming a typical warm interstellar medium (ISM) particle density of 1 cm−3. These limits greatly exceed existing X-ray constraints at temperatures typical of known supersoft sources. Significant extreme-UV/soft X-ray emission prior to explosion remains plausible for lower ISM densities (e.g. $n_{\rm ISM}\sim 0.1\,\rm {cm}^{-3}$). In this case, however, any putative nebula would be even more extended, allowing deeper follow-up observations to resolve this ambiguity in the near future.
Sequence Variations Among 17 New Radish Isolates ofTurnip mosaic virusShowing Differential Pathogenicity and Infectivity inNicotiana benthamiana,Brassica rapa, andRaphanus sativus
Authors: Gong Junsu , Ju Hye-Kyoung , Kim Ik-Hyun , Seo Eun-Young , Cho In-Sook , Hu Wen-Xing , Han Jae-Yeong , Kim Jung-Kyu , Choi Su Ryun , Lim Young Pyo , Hammond John , Lim Hyoun-Sub
Published: January 2019

Infectious clones were generated from 17 new Korean radish isolates of Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all new isolates, and three previously characterized Korean radish isolates, belong to the basal-BR group (indicating that the pathotype can infect both Brassica and Raphanus spp.). Pairwise analysis revealed genomic nucleotide and polyprotein amino acid identities of >87.9 and >95.7%, respectively. Five clones (HJY1, HJY2, KIH2, BE, and prior isolate R007) had lower sequence identities than other isolates and produced mild symptoms in Nicotiana benthamiana. These isolates formed three distinct sequence classes (HJY1/HJY2/R007, KIH2, and BE), and several differential amino acid residues (in P1, P3, 6K2, and VPg) were present only in mild isolates HJY1, HJY2, and R007. The remaining isolates all induced systemic necrosis in N. benthamiana. Four mild isolates formed a phylogenetic subclade separate from another subclade including all of the necrosis-inducing isolates plus mild isolate KIH2. Symptom severity in radish and Chinese cabbage genotypes was not correlated with pathogenicity in N. benthamiana; indeed, Chinese cabbage cultivar Norang was not infected by any isolate, whereas Chinese cabbage cultivar Chusarang was uniformly susceptible. Four isolates were unable to infect radish cultivar Iljin, but no specific amino acid residues were correlated with avirulence. These results may lead to the identification of new resistance genes against TuMV.
Introducing RpsA Point Mutation Δ438A or D123A into the Chromosome of M. tuberculosis Confirms its Role in Causing Resistance to Pyrazinamide
Authors: Shi Wanliang , Cui Peng , Niu Hongxia , Zhang Shuo , Tønjum Tone , Zhu Bingdong , Zhang Ying
Published: January 2019

Pyrazinamide (PZA) is a unique frontiline drug for shortening tuberculosis treatment, but its mechanisms of action are elusive. We previously identified RpsA as a target of PZA and found an alanine deletion at position 438 (Δ438A) in RpsA associated with PZA resistance, but its role in PZA resistance is controversial. Here, we introduced RpsA mutation Δ438A or D123A into M. tuberculosis chromosome and demonstrated that the introduced RspA mutations are indeed responsible for PZA resistance.
P53 Transposable Elements and Regulatory Introns Inform Codondex Cell Selection for Autologous Trigger of Immune Cascade
Authors: Bermeister Kevin
Published: January 2019

We were motivated to discover whether our small signatures triangulate patient cohort relationships between intron and mRNA or protein. We tested biological outcomes using the signatures and intend to use it to screen cells for use in autologous and allogeneic immunotherapies.
Evolutionarily-conserved chromatin crosstalk generates a DOT1L-dose dependency in thymic lymphoma caused by loss of HDAC1
Authors: Vlaming Hanneke , McLean Chelsea M. , Korthout Tessy , Alemdehy Mir Farshid , Hendriks Sjoerd , Lancini Cesare , Palit Sander , Klarenbeek Sjoerd , Kwesi-Maliepaard Eliza Mari , Molenaar Thom M. , Hoekman Liesbeth , Schmidlin Thierry T. , Altelaar A.F. Maarten , van Welsem Tibor , Dannenberg Jan-Hermen , Jacobs Heinz , Leeuwen Fred van
Published: January 2019

DOT1L methylates histone H3K79 and is aberrantly regulated in MLL-rearranged leukemia. Inhibitors have been developed to target DOT1L activity in leukemia but the cellular mechanisms that regulate DOT1L are still poorly understood. Here we identify the budding yeast histone deacetylase Rpd3 as a negative regulator of Dot1. At its target genes, the transcriptional repressor Rpd3 restricts H3K79 methylation, explaining the absence of H3K79me3 at a subset of genes in the yeast genome. Similar to the crosstalk in yeast, inactivation of the murine Rpd3 homolog HDAC1 in thymocytes led to an increase in H3K79 methylation. Thymic lymphomas that arise upon genetic deletion of Hdac1 retained the increased H3K79 methylation and were sensitive to reduced DOT1L dosage. Furthermore, cell lines derived from Hdac1Δ/Δ thymic lymphomas were sensitive to DOT1L inhibitor, which induced apoptosis. In summary, we identified an evolutionarily-conserved crosstalk between HDAC1 and DOT1L with impact in murine thymic lymphoma development.