bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COUNCILS, PETITIONS, AND DELEGATIONS: CROW CREEK ACTIVISM AND THE PROGRESSIVE ERA IN CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA
Authors: Galler Robert
Published: March 2017

While the Progressive Era in U.S. history featured varied examples of individuals and organizations turning to the federal government for reform and support, major narratives have mainly left American Indian tribal communities out of the story. This essay argues that Native people actually were quite active in their reservation communities during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Among other things, they held their own political councils, sent petitions to federal officials to promote their own agendas, and supported delegations to make their case in Washington, DC. This case study of activism on the Crow Creek Reservation in central South Dakota reveals numerous similarities and distinctions between Indian and non-Indian people in terms of progressive activism, while reinforcing the idea of American Indian political adaptations and cultural persistence during the Progressive Era.
OVID, VIRGIL AND THE ECHOING ROCKS OF THE TWO SCYLLAS
Authors: Cowan Robert
Published: March 2017

Ovid,Metamorphoses8.18, in which Scylla throws a tiny pebble against Megara's famous sounding tower, contains an exact, unique but unnoticed verbal echo of Helenus' description of the sea-monster Scylla's lair atAeneid3.432:resonantia saxa. The allusion tropes its own intertextual status as an ‘echo’ and contributes to the ludic confusion of the two Scyllas in this episode and elsewhere. The collision of the ‘tiny pebble’ with the Virgilian rocks further tropes the episode's elegiac and Callimachean recasting of epic material. The childishness of the game is also part of the self-conscious puerility of theMetamorphoses' poetics.
Global Drought Clustering Could Mean Big Losses for Mining
Authors: Underwood Emily
Published: March 2017

Long-term climate records could help mining companies and their investors assess the financial risk of water shortages.
Self-similar conductance patterns in graphene Cantor-like structures
Authors: García-Cervantes H. , Gaggero-Sager L. M. , Díaz-Guerrero D. S. , Sotolongo-Costa O. , Rodríguez-Vargas I.
Published: March 2017

Graphene has proven to be an ideal system for exotic transport phenomena. In this work, we report another exotic characteristic of the electron transport in graphene. Namely, we show that the linear-regime conductance can present self-similar patterns with well-defined scaling rules, once the graphene sheet is subjected to Cantor-like nanostructuring. As far as we know the mentioned system is one of the few in which a self-similar structure produces self-similar patterns on a physical property. These patterns are analysed quantitatively, by obtaining the scaling rules that underlie them. It is worth noting that the transport properties are an average of the dispersion channels, which makes the existence of scale factors quite surprising. In addition, that self-similarity be manifested in the conductance opens an excellent opportunity to test this fundamental property experimentally.
Identification of autoreactive B cells with labeled nucleosomes
Authors: Gies Vincent , Wagner Alain , Seifert Cécile , Guffroy Aurélien , Fauny Jean-D. , Knapp Anne-M. , Pasquali Jean-L. , Martin Thierry , Dumortier Hélène , Korganow Anne-S. , Soulas-Sprauel Pauline
Published: March 2017

The pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases has not been completely elucidated yet, and only a few specific treatments have been developed so far. In autoimmune diseases mediated by pathogenic autoantibodies, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, the specific detection and analysis of autoreactive B cells is crucial for a better understanding of the physiopathology. Biological characterization of these cells may help to define new therapeutic targets. Very few techniques allowing the precise detection of autoreactive B cells have been described so far. Herein we propose a new flow cytometry technique for specific detection of anti-nucleosome B cells, which secrete autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus, using labeled nucleosomes. We produced different fluorochrome-labeled nucleosomes, characterized them, and finally tested them in flow cytometry. Nucleosomes labeled via the cysteines present in H3 histone specifically bind to autoreactive B cells in the anti-DNA transgenic B6.56R mice model. The present work validates the use of fluorochrome-labeled nucleosomes via cysteines to identify anti-nucleosome B cells and offers new opportunities for the description of autoreactive B cell phenotype.
HMGB1-TLR4-IL23-IL17A axis promotes paraquat-induced acute lung injury by mediating neutrophil infiltration in mice
Authors: Yan Bailing , Chen Feng , Xu Lijun , Xing Jihong , Wang Xuefu
Published: March 2017

Paraquat is a poisoning herbicide that primarily targets lung, leading to severe acute lung injury characterized by extensive neutrophil infiltration. However, the mechanisms underlying the neutrophil infiltration is not clear. In this study, we demonstrated the significance of the signaling cascade from high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), to Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), interleukin-23 (IL-23), and lastly to IL-17A during the paraquat-induced neutrophil infiltration and the subsequent lung injury in mice. Paraquat challenge significantly elevated serum levels of IL-17A and IL-23, the percentage of IL-17A-producing γδT cells in the lung, and the level of HMGB1 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Reducing IL-17A production using an anti-γδT antibody, targeting IL-23 with the neutralizing antibody against IL-23p19, and blocking HMGB1 signaling by using glycyrrhizin or TLR4−/− mice all dramatically inhibited the infiltration of neutrophils and attenuated lung injury. These novel findings not only reveal the critical role of HMGB1-TLR4-IL-23-IL-17A axis in the pathogenesis of paraquat-induced acute lung injury, but also provide promising therapeutic targets for treating paraquat poisoning.
Loss of p27kip1 increases genomic instability and induces radio-resistance in luminal breast cancer cells
Authors: Berton Stefania , Cusan Martina , Segatto Ilenia , Citron Francesca , D’Andrea Sara , Benevol Sara , Avanzo Michele , Dall’Acqua Alessandra , Schiappacassi Monica , Bristow Robert G. , Belletti Barbara , Baldassarre Gustavo
Published: March 2017

Genomic instability represents a typical feature of aggressive cancers. Normal cells have evolved intricate responses to preserve genomic integrity in response to stress, such as DNA damage induced by γ-irradiation. Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) take crucial part to these safeguard mechanisms, but involvement of CDK-inhibitors, such as p27Kip1, is less clear. We generated immortalized fibroblasts from p27kip1 knock-out (KO) mouse embryos and re-expressed p27kip1 WT, or its mutant forms, to identify the function of different domains. We γ-irradiated fibroblasts and observed that loss of p27Kip1 was associated to accumulation of residual DNA damage, increased number of mitotic aberration and, eventually, to survival advantage. Nuclear localization and cyclin/CDK-binding of p27Kip1 were critical to mediate proper response to DNA damage. In human luminal breast cancer (LBC) p27kip1 is frequently down-modulated and CDKN1B, p27Kip1 gene, sporadically mutated. We recapitulated results obtained in mouse fibroblasts in a LBC cell line genetically manipulated to be KO for CDKN1B gene. Following γ-irradiation, we confirmed that p27kip1 expression was necessary to preserve genomic integrity and to recognize and clear-out aberrant cells. Our study provides important insights into mechanisms underlying radio-resistance and unveils the possibility for novel treatment options exploiting DNA repair defects in LBC.
Copper porphyrin catalyzed esterification of C(sp3)–H via a cross-dehydrogenative coupling reaction
Authors: Wang Hua-Hua , Wen Wei-Hong , Zou Huai-Bo , Cheng Fan , Ali Atif , Shi Lei , Liu Hai-Yang , Chang Chi-Kwong
Published: March 2017

Copper porphyrin was an efficient catalyst for the direct esterification of C(sp3)–H bonds using DTBP as an oxidant.
The role of the long-range tail of the potential in O2 + N2 collisional inelastic vibrational energy transfers
Authors: Garcia Ernesto , Pirani Fernando , Laganà Antonio , Martí Carles
Published: March 2017

Vibrational state-to-state rate coefficients for the O2(v = 19) + N2(u = 0) → O2(v′) + N2(u′ = 0) process computed at T = 1000 K on three potential energy surfaces with different long-range interaction.
Assessing cooperativity in supramolecular systems
Authors: von Krbek Larissa K. S. , Schalley Christoph A. , Thordarson Pall
Published: March 2017

In this tutorial review, different aspects of cooperativity in supramolecular chemistry and their thermodynamic analysis are discussed.
(Oligo)aromatic species with one or two conjugated SiSi bonds: near-IR emission of anthracenyl-bridged tetrasiladiene
Authors: Obeid Naim M. , Klemmer Lukas , Maus Daniel , Zimmer Michael , Jeck Jonathan , Bejan Iulia , White Andrew J. P. , Huch Volker , Jung Gregor , Scheschkewitz David
Published: March 2017

SiSi transfer to bulky (poly)aromatic substrates is described. Some products show intermolecular charge transfer bands and weak fluorescence.
Half-sandwich iridium N-heterocyclic carbene anticancer complexes
Authors: Wang Chuanlan , Liu Jinfeng , Tian Zhenzhen , Tian Meng , Tian Laijin , Zhao Wenqian , Liu Zhe
Published: March 2017

Half-sandwich iridium N-heterocyclic carbene complexes display potent anticancer activities and are attractive for development as new anticancer agents.
Correction: Effect of annealing atmosphere on quaternary chalcogenide-based counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cell performance: synthesis of Cu2FeSnS4 and Cu2CdSnS4 nanoparticles by thermal decomposition process
Authors: Mokurala Krishnaiah , Mallick Sudhanshu
Published: March 2017

Correction for ‘Effect of annealing atmosphere on quaternary chalcogenide-based counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cell performance: synthesis of Cu2FeSnS4 and Cu2CdSnS4 nanoparticles by thermal decomposition process’ by Krishnaiah Mokurala et al., RSC Adv., 2017, 7, 15139–15148.
Enhancers and chromatin structures: regulatory hubs in gene expression and diseases
Authors: Hu Zhenhua , Tee Wee-Wei
Published: March 2017

Gene expression requires successful communication between enhancer and promoter regions, whose activities are regulated by a variety of factors and associated with distinct chromatin structures; in addition, functionally related genes and their regulatory repertoire tend to be arranged in the same subchromosomal regulatory domains. In this review, we discuss the importance of enhancers, especially clusters of enhancers (such as super-enhancers), as key regulatory hubs to integrate environmental cues and encode spatiotemporal instructions for genome expression, which are critical for a variety of biological processes governing mammalian development. Furthermore, we emphasize that the enhancer–promoter interaction landscape provides a critical context to understand the aetiologies and mechanisms behind numerous complex human diseases and provides new avenues for effective transcription-based interventions.
Band pattern of commensurate modulated periodic structures
Authors: De Sabata Aldo , Matekovits Ladislau , Lipan Ovidiu
Published: March 2017

Analogies with physical phenomena indicate that modulation of a material or geometrical parameter of a periodic structure enriches its original band structure. The present work aims to provide an insight into the band‐splitting phenomenon in the case of commensurate modulation for a parallel‐plate waveguide technology‐based geometry. A modulated one‐dimensional parallel‐plate waveguide signal integrity structure is numerically analysed to exhibit the appearance of band splitting and new bandgaps. The modulation mechanism has a potential in dispersion engineering, as it allows controlling the number and position of the electromagnetic bandgaps and the in‐band characteristics of the field propagation. Generation of modes with negative group velocities for a given frequency band is also achievable by this technique.
Experience of Point-of-Care Devices in Obstetrical Care
Authors: Karlsson Ove
Published: March 2017

During pregnancy and puerperium, there are pronounced hemostatic changes characterized by increased coagulability and decreased fibrinolysis. In addition, hemostasis can change dramatically during obstetric complications. Several reports have described substandard management of hemostatic defects in this setting and state the need for guidelines and better care. Point-of-care devices can assess hemostatic status and are especially suitable in perioperative settings. Using point-of-care devices, no time is required for transportation, allowing faster availability of results and providing potential for better care of the patient. This article will demonstrate the use of a viscoelastic method in six different patients; five with impaired hemostasis, and where the use of viscoelastic method contributes or should have contributed to better care. The cases represent patients with normal delivery; postpartum hemorrhage (PPH); PPH with low fibrinogen; placental abruption; preeclampsia with hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count syndrome; and finally, one patient with sepsis. This article also shows the need for good practices and good supervision to implement the devices in patient care.
Indications and Use of Hydrogen Peroxide during Microvascular Flap Reconstruction Surgery: A Literature and Procedural Use Review
Authors: Rodriguez-Collazo E. , Riddle D. , Schmidtke K.
Published: March 2017

Microvascular flap reconstruction surgery is a limb preservation procedure performed in an effort to maintain the integrity of the lower limb and avoid amputations. Individuals facing the prospect of amputation often have long-term diabetes with multiple comorbidities, including severe peripheral vascular disease; peripheral arterial disease; chronic ulcerations; and Charcot arthropathy. Long-term clinical research has shown that these patients are at much higher risk for secondary amputations after a first amputation is performed. According to Sohn et al, Charcot and ulcer groups had 4.1 and 4.7 amputations per 100 person-years, respectively. In patients younger than 65 years old at the end of follow-up, amputation risk, relative to patients with Charcot alone, was 7 times higher for patients with ulcer alone and 12 times higher for patients with Charcot and ulcer. Patients with infected hardware, suffering from acute ulcerative conditions, may also be candidates for this type of surgery due to extensive tissue loss secondary to infection. Microvascular flap reconstruction surgery is a highly technical surgery involving the use of orthoplastic techniques, which is performed under ×3.5 loupe magnification. Due to the inability to perform this procedure with the use of a tourniquet, visibility within the field is obfuscated from continuous blood flow along the dissected muscle belly. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an excellent alternative to tourniquet use. The use of H2O2 allows additional benefits, such as visual field clearance and antisepsis.
The Green’s function for the Hückel (tight binding) model
Authors: Movassagh Ramis , Strang Gilbert , Tsuji Yuta , Hoffmann Roald
Published: March 2017

Applications of the Hückel (tight binding) model are ubiquitous in quantum chemistry and solid state physics. The matrix representation of this model is isomorphic to an unoriented vertex adjacency matrix of a bipartite graph, which is also the Laplacian matrix plus twice the identity. In this paper, we analytically calculate the determinant and, when it exists, the inverse of this matrix in connection with the Green’s function, G, of the N×N Hückel matrix. A corollary is a closed form expression for a Harmonic sum (Eq. (12)). We then extend the results to d− dimensional lattices, whose linear size is N. The existence of the inverse becomes a question of number theory. We prove a new theorem in number theory pertaining to vanishing sums of cosines and use it to prove that the inverse exists if and only if N + 1 and d are odd and d is smaller than the smallest divisor of N + 1. We corroborate our results by demonstrating the entry patterns of the Green’s function and discuss applications related to transport and conductivity.
Local terahertz field enhancement for time-resolved x-ray diffraction
Authors: Kozina M. , Pancaldi M. , Bernhard C. , van Driel T. , Glownia J. M. , Marsik P. , Radovic M. , Vaz C. A. F. , Zhu D. , Bonetti S. , Staub U. , Hoffmann M. C.
Published: March 2017

We report local field strength enhancement of single-cycle terahertz (THz) pulses in an ultrafast time-resolved x-ray diffraction experiment. We show that patterning the sample with gold microstructures increases the THz field without changing the THz pulse shape or drastically affecting the quality of the x-ray diffraction pattern. We find a five-fold increase in THz-induced x-ray diffraction intensity change in the presence of microstructures on a SrTiO3 thin-film sample.
Modeling the network dynamics of pulse-coupled neurons
Authors: Chandra Sarthak , Hathcock David , Crain Kimberly , Antonsen Thomas M. , Girvan Michelle , Ott Edward
Published: March 2017

We derive a mean-field approximation for the macroscopic dynamics of large networks of pulse-coupled theta neurons in order to study the effects of different network degree distributions and degree correlations (assortativity). Using the ansatz of Ott and Antonsen [Chaos 18, 037113 (2008)], we obtain a reduced system of ordinary differential equations describing the mean-field dynamics, with significantly lower dimensionality compared with the complete set of dynamical equations for the system. We find that, for sufficiently large networks and degrees, the dynamical behavior of the reduced system agrees well with that of the full network. This dimensional reduction allows for an efficient characterization of system phase transitions and attractors. For networks with tightly peaked degree distributions, the macroscopic behavior closely resembles that of fully connected networks previously studied by others. In contrast, networks with highly skewed degree distributions exhibit different macroscopic dynamics due to the emergence of degree dependent behavior of different oscillators. For nonassortative networks (i.e., networks without degree correlations), we observe the presence of a synchronously firing phase that can be suppressed by the presence of either assortativity or disassortativity in the network. We show that the results derived here can be used to analyze the effects of network topology on macroscopic behavior in neuronal networks in a computationally efficient fashion.
Fast piezoelectric valve offering controlled gas injection in magnetically confined fusion plasmas for diagnostic and fuelling purposes
Authors: Griener M. , Schmitz O. , Bald K. , Bösser D. , Cavedon M. , De Marné P. , Eich T. , Fuchert G. , Herrmann A. , Kappatou A. , Lunt T. , Rohde V. , Schweer B. , Sochor M. , Stroth U. , Terra A. , Wolfrum E. ,   ASDEX Upgrade Team
Published: March 2017

In magnetically confined fusion plasmas controlled gas injection is crucial for plasma fuelling as well as for various diagnostic applications such as active spectroscopy. We present a new, versatile system for the injection of collimated thermal gas beams into a vacuum chamber. This system consists of a gas pressure chamber, sealed by a custom made piezo valve towards a small capillary for gas injection. The setup can directly be placed inside of the vacuum chamber of fusion devices as it is small and immune against high magnetic fields. This enables gas injection close to the plasma periphery with high duty cycles and fast switch on/off times ≲ 0.5 ms. In this work, we present the design details of this new injection system and a systematic characterization of the beam properties as well as the gas flowrates which can be accomplished. The thin and relatively short capillary yields a small divergence of the injected beam with a half opening angle of 20°. The gas box is designed for pre-fill pressures of 10 mbar up to 100 bars and makes a flowrate accessible from 1018 part/s up to 1023 part/s. It hence is a versatile system for both diagnostic as well as fuelling applications. The implementation of this system in ASDEX Upgrade will be described and its application for line ratio spectroscopy on helium will be demonstrated on a selected example.
Quasiparticle self-consistent GW band structure of β-Ga2O3 and the anisotropy of the absorption onset
Authors: Ratnaparkhe Amol , Lambrecht Walter R. L.
Published: March 2017

Quasiparticle self-consistent GW calculations are presented for the band structure of β-Ga2O3, including a lattice polarization correction of the screened Coulomb interaction W. It is found that this correction is of the order of 0.5 eV. When an estimated zero-point motion correction is also included, the direct gap is found to be 4.8 ± 0.1 eV in good agreement with experiment. The indirect gap is found to be 0.1 eV smaller. The origin of the anisotropy of the absorption edge is interpreted in terms of selection rules and the symmetry labeling of the bands at Γ.
Interaction entropy for protein-protein binding
Authors: Sun Zhaoxi , Yan Yu N. , Yang Maoyou , Zhang John Z. H.
Published: March 2017

Protein-protein interactions are at the heart of signal transduction and are central to the function of protein machine in biology. The highly specific protein-protein binding is quantitatively characterized by the binding free energy whose accurate calculation from the first principle is a grand challenge in computational biology. In this paper, we show how the interaction entropy approach, which was recently proposed for protein-ligand binding free energy calculation, can be applied to computing the entropic contribution to the protein-protein binding free energy. Explicit theoretical derivation of the interaction entropy approach for protein-protein interaction system is given in detail from the basic definition. Extensive computational studies for a dozen realistic protein-protein interaction systems are carried out using the present approach and comparisons of the results for these protein-protein systems with those from the standard normal mode method are presented. Analysis of the present method for application in protein-protein binding as well as the limitation of the method in numerical computation is discussed. Our study and analysis of the results provided useful information for extracting correct entropic contribution in protein-protein binding from molecular dynamics simulations.
Multisystem altruistic metadynamics—Well-tempered variant
Authors: Hošek Petr , Kříž Pavel , Toulcová Daniela , Spiwok Vojtěch
Published: March 2017

Metadynamics method has been widely used to enhance sampling in molecular simulations. Its original form suffers two major drawbacks, poor convergence in complex (especially biomolecular) systems and its serial nature. The first drawback has been addressed by introduction of a convergent variant known as well-tempered metadynamics. The second was addressed by introduction of a parallel multisystem metadynamics referred to as altruistic metadynamics. Here, we combine both approaches into well-tempered altruistic metadynamics. We provide mathematical arguments and trial simulations to show that it accurately predicts free energy surfaces.
Tunable storage states' transition in slotted ferromagnetic nanorings
Authors: Zhou Kan , Wang Xiaokun , Li Shichao , Liu Bailin , Zhang Baoshan , Tang Dongming , Yang Yi
Published: March 2017

In magnetic random access memory, free layers are used to store data bits as “0” or “1.” For free layers with slotted nanoring structures, the magnetization configuration of counterclockwise vortex state can be defined as “0” state, while clockwise vortex state as “1” state. It is important to have a controllable and stable state transition process to make sure that “0” state can switch to “1” state and vice versa. Up to now, it has seldom been reported that the transition process is heavily affected by the static anisotropy field Hk-stat of free layers. A sufficient Hk-stat will substantially reduce the probability of successful state transition. To increase the accuracy of writing data, the free layers must be prepared with a low anisotropy field. In this paper, we present a rotational sputtering method, which can finish the desired isotropic film preparation, and thus realize a stable state transition.
A comparison of point defects in Cd1−xZnxTe1−ySey crystals grown by Bridgman and traveling heater methods
Authors: Gul R. , Roy U. N. , Camarda G. S. , Hossain A. , Yang G. , Vanier P. , Lordi V. , Varley J. , James R. B.
Published: March 2017

In this paper, the properties of point defects in Cd1−xZnxTe1−ySey (CZTS) radiation detectors are characterized using deep-level transient spectroscopy and compared between materials grown using two different methods, the Bridgman method and the traveling heater method. The nature of the traps was analyzed in terms of their capture cross-sections and trap concentrations, as well as their effects on the measured charge-carrier trapping and de-trapping times, and then compared for the two growth techniques. The results revealed that Se addition to CdZnTe can reduce the VCd− concentration. In Travelling Heater Method (THM) and Bridgman Method (BM) grown CZTS detectors, besides a few similarities in the shallow and medium energy traps, there were major differences in the deep traps. It was observed that the excess-Te and lower growth-temperature conditions in THM-grown CZTS led to a complete compensation of VCd− and two additional traps (attributed to Tei− and TeCd++ appearing at around Ev + 0.26 eV and Ec − 0.78 eV, respectively). The 1.1-eV deep trap related to large Te secondary phases was a dominant trap in the BM-grown CZTS crystals. In addition to i-DLTS data, the effects of point defects induced due to different processing techniques on the detector's resistivity, spectral response to gammas, and μτ product were determined.
Ultra-low acoustoelectric attenuation in graphene
Authors: Tang Chiu-Chun , Chen Yung-Fu , Ling D. C. , Chi C. C. , Chen Jeng-Chung
Published: March 2017

We investigate the acoustoelectric properties of graphene and extract its acoustoelectric attenuation Γ as a function of the carrier density n, tuned via ionic liquid gating. Acoustoelectric effects in graphene are induced by launching surface acoustic waves (SAWs) on a piezoelectric LiNbO3 substrate. We measure the acoustoelectric current Iae through graphene and extract the SAW attenuation factor Γ as a function of n. The magnitude of Iae increases with decreasing n when the n is far from the charge neutral point (CNP). When n is tuned across the CNP, Iae first exhibits a local maximum, vanishes at the CNP, and then changes sign in accordance with the associated change in the carrier polarity. By contrast, Γ monotonically increases with decreasing n and reaches a maximum at the CNP. The extracted values of Γ, calibrated at the central frequency of 189 MHz, vary from ∼0.4 m−1 to 6.8 m−1, much smaller than the values for known two-dimensional systems. Data analysis suggests that the evolution of Iae and Γ with n manifests the electronic states of graphene. Our experimental findings provide insightful information for developing innovative graphene-based devices.
Preparation of superhard cubic boron nitride sintered from commercially available submicron powders
Authors: Liu Teng , Kou Zili , Lu Jingrui , Yan Xiaozhi , Liu Fangming , Li Xin , Ding Wei , Liu Jin , Zhang Qiang , Wang Qiang , Ma Dejiang , Lei Li , He Duanwei
Published: March 2017

Using submicron cubic boron nitride (cBN) powder as a starting material, polycrystalline cBN (PcBN) samples without additives were sintered from 8.0–14.0 GPa at 1750 °C, and their sintering behaviour and mechanical properties were investigated. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that high-density nanotwins could be generated from common submicron cBN grains during high pressure and high temperature treatment. The dislocation glide and (111) mechanical micro-twinning are the main mechanisms that underlie plastic deformation in the sintering process, and this contributes to the grain refinement. A refinement in the grain size (∼120 nm), micro-defect (nanotwin and stacking faults), and strong covalent bonding between the grains are crucial for improving the sample mechanical properties. The PcBN sintered at 11.0 GPa/1750 °C possessed outstanding mechanical properties, including a high Vickers hardness (∼72 GPa), fracture toughness (∼12.4 MPam1/2), and thermal stability (∼1273 °C in air).
Electrical detection of magnetic states in crossed nanowires using the topological Hall effect
Authors: Tanabe Kenji , Yamada Keisuke
Published: March 2017

We used micromagnetic simulations to investigate the spatial distributions of the effective magnetic fields induced by spin chirality in crossed nanowires with three characteristic magnetic structures: a radiated-shape, an antivortex, and a uniform-like states. Our results indicate that, unlike the anomalous Hall effect, the topological Hall effect (which is related to the spin chirality) depends on both the polarity and the vorticity. Therefore, measuring the topological Hall effect can detect both the polarity and the vorticity simultaneously in crossed nanowires. This approach may be suitable for use as an elemental technique in the quest for a next-generation multi-value memory.
Allied health leadership in New South Wales: a study of perceptions and priorities of allied health leaders
Authors: Bradd Patricia , Travaglia Joanne , Hayen Andrew
Published: March 2017

Objective The aim of the present study was to investigate the opinions and perceptions of senior allied health (AH) leaders in relation to AH leadership, governance and organisation from an Australian public health perspective. The target group was the New South Wales (NSW) Health AH directors or advisors, the most senior public AH professionals in NSW. Methods The study was conducted over a 6-month period in 2014–15 and comprised two parts: (1) data collection through a 46-question online survey that sought the views of AH leaders about the field of AH in NSW; and (2) two confirmatory focus groups with members of the NSW Health Allied Health Directors Committee. Results The online questionnaire generated novel information about the field of AH in the public sector of NSW, including the current organisation, governance and culture of AH. Focus group participants explored key findings in greater depth, including the effects of AH on and value of AH to the health system as a whole, as well as the attributes and competencies required by AH leaders. Participants identified the need to build and grow their influence, to more clearly demonstrate AH’s contribution and to realign efforts towards more strategic issues influencing governance, performance, professional standards and advocacy. This entailed broadening the vision and scope of AH Directors as well as across discipline leaders. Conclusion The results provide new information about Australian AH leadership, governance, culture and organisation, and highlight potential priorities for future leadership activities. What is known about this topic? Although leadership is considered an essential element in the provision of high-quality health care, leadership across AH remains underexamined. What does this paper add? There is a paucity of literature pertaining to AH leadership nationally and internationally. This paper describes the issues affecting AH leaders and leadership in NSW, as reported by senior AH leaders. What are the implications for practitioners? This study identifies key elements related to AH leadership and governance. Health systems and services can use this information to implement strategies that enhance AH leadership capability.
Long noncoding miRNA gene represses wheat β-diketone waxes
Authors: Huang Daiqing , Feurtado J. Allan , Smith Mark A. , Flatman Leah K. , Koh Chushin , Cutler Adrian J.
Published: March 2017

Significance

Higher plants have waxy surface layers that prevent uncontrolled water loss. Many wheat cultivars accumulate diketone epicuticular waxes in reproductive-age plants that produce a glaucous appearance. We identify
INHIBITOR of WAX1
(
Iw1
), a dominant glaucous repressor, as a young miRNA gene (MIRNA) that produces an miRNA, miRW1, which targets the transcript of the biosynthetic gene
WAX1-CARBOXYLESTERASE
(
W1-COE
) for degradation. The high sequence similarity between the
Iw1
hairpin sequence and
W1-COE
suggests that this MIRNA gene arose from an inverted duplication of its target. The cleavage specificity of miRW1 for its target gene defines the unique role of a young MIRNA gene in the regulation of an important agricultural trait related to stress tolerance.
Transcription factor Etv5 is essential for the maintenance of alveolar type II cells
Authors: Zhang Zhen , Newton Kim , Kummerfeld Sarah K. , Webster Joshua , Kirkpatrick Donald S. , Phu Lilian , Eastham-Anderson Jeffrey , Liu Jinfeng , Lee Wyne P. , Wu Jiansheng , Li Hong , Junttila Melissa R. , Dixit Vishva M.
Published: March 2017

Significance

Alveolar type II (AT2) cells are a stem cell population in the lung contributing to the repair of alveolar damage and the formation of Ras-induced lung adenocarcinoma. Here we show that a critical output of Ras signaling in AT2 cells is inactivation of the ubiquitin ligase COP1, resulting in stabilization of the transcription factor ETV5. Etv5 deficiency markedly reduced mouse lung hyperplasia driven by mutant KrasG12D or lung repair following bleomycin-induced lung injury, indicating that Etv5 contributes to both tumor initiation and lung homeostasis. Deletion of
Etv5
from AT2 cells expressing KrasG12D produced a gene and protein signature characteristic of differentiated AT1 cells, suggesting that ETV5 is critical for the maintenance of AT2 cell identity.
Salivary lactoferrin is transferred into the brain via the sublingual route
Authors: Hayashi Takashi , To Masahiro , Saruta Juri , Sato Chikatoshi , Yamamoto Yuko , Kondo Yusuke , Shimizu Tomoko , Kamata Yohei , Tsukinoki Keiichi
Published: March 2017

Lactoferrin (LF) is produced by exocrine glands including salivary gland, and has various functions including infection defense. However, the transfer of LF from peripheral organs into the brain remains unclear. To clarify the kinetics of salivary LF (sLF), we investigated the consequences of sialoadenectomy and bovine LF (bLF) sublingual administration in rats. The salivary glands were removed from male Wistar rats, and we measured rat LF levels in the blood and brain at 1 week post-surgery. We also examined the transfer of LF into the organs of the rats after sublingual administration of bLF. Rat LF levels in the blood and brain were significantly reduced by sialoadenectomy. Sublingual bLF administration significantly increased bLF levels in the brain, which then decreased over time. These results indicate that LF is transferred from the sublingual mucosa to the brain, in which favorable effects of sLF on brain will be expected via the sublingual mucosa.
Liver carcinogenesis by FOS-dependent inflammation and cholesterol dysregulation
Authors: Bakiri Latifa , Hamacher Rainer , Graña Osvaldo , Guío-Carrión Ana , Campos-Olivas Ramón , Martinez Lola , Dienes Hans P. , Thomsen Martin K. , Hasenfuss Sebastian C. , Wagner Erwin F.
Published: March 2017

Human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), which arise on a background of chronic liver damage and inflammation, express c-Fos, a component of the AP-1 transcription factor. Using mouse models, we show that hepatocyte-specific deletion of c-Fos protects against diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCCs, whereas liver-specific c-Fos expression leads to reversible premalignant hepatocyte transformation and enhanced DEN-carcinogenesis. c-Fos–expressing livers display necrotic foci, immune cell infiltration, and altered hepatocyte morphology. Furthermore, increased proliferation, dedifferentiation, activation of the DNA damage response, and gene signatures of aggressive HCCs are observed. Mechanistically, c-Fos decreases expression and activity of the nuclear receptor LXRα, leading to increased hepatic cholesterol and accumulation of toxic oxysterols and bile acids. The phenotypic consequences of c-Fos expression are partially ameliorated by the anti-inflammatory drug sulindac and largely prevented by statin treatment. An inverse correlation between c-FOS and the LXRα pathway was also observed in human HCC cell lines and datasets. These findings provide a novel link between chronic inflammation and metabolic pathways important in liver cancer.
BATF2 inhibits immunopathological Th17 responses by suppressing Il23a expression during Trypanosoma cruzi infection
Authors: Kitada Shoko , Kayama Hisako , Okuzaki Daisuke , Koga Ritsuko , Kobayashi Masao , Arima Yasunobu , Kumanogoh Atsushi , Murakami Masaaki , Ikawa Masahito , Takeda Kiyoshi
Published: March 2017

Inappropriate IL-17 responses are implicated in chronic tissue inflammation. IL-23 contributes to Trypanosoma cruzi–specific IL-17 production, but the molecular mechanisms underlying regulation of the IL-23–IL-17 axis during T. cruzi infection are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate a novel function of BATF2 as a negative regulator of Il23a in innate immune cells. IL-17, but not IFN-γ, was more highly produced by CD4+ T cells from spleens and livers of T. cruzi–infected Batf2−/− mice than by those of wild-type mice. In this context, Batf2−/− mice showed severe multiorgan pathology despite reduced parasite burden. T. cruzi–induced IL-23 production was increased in Batf2−/− innate immune cells. The T. cruzi–induced enhanced Th17 response was abrogated in Batf2−/−Il23a−/− mice. The interaction of BATF2 with c-JUN prevented c-JUN–ATF-2 complex formation, inhibiting Il23a expression. These results demonstrate that IFN-γ–inducible BATF2 in innate immune cells controls Th17-mediated immunopathology by suppressing IL-23 production during T. cruzi infection.
The kinase TBK1 functions in dendritic cells to regulate T cell homeostasis, autoimmunity, and antitumor immunity
Authors: Xiao Yichuan , Zou Qiang , Xie Xiaoping , Liu Ting , Li Haiyan S. , Jie Zuliang , Jin Jin , Hu Hongbo , Manyam Ganiraju , Zhang Li , Cheng Xuhong , Wang Hui , Marie Isabelle , Levy David E. , Watowich Stephanie S. , Sun Shao-Cong
Published: March 2017

Dendritic cells (DCs) are crucial for mediating immune responses but, when deregulated, also contribute to immunological disorders, such as autoimmunity. The molecular mechanism underlying the function of DCs is incompletely understood. In this study, we have identified TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), a master innate immune kinase, as an important regulator of DC function. DC-specific deletion of Tbk1 causes T cell activation and autoimmune symptoms and also enhances antitumor immunity in animal models of cancer immunotherapy. The TBK1-deficient DCs have up-regulated expression of co-stimulatory molecules and increased T cell–priming activity. We further demonstrate that TBK1 negatively regulates the induction of a subset of genes by type I interferon receptor (IFNAR). Deletion of IFNAR1 could largely prevent aberrant T cell activation and autoimmunity in DC-conditional Tbk1 knockout mice. These findings identify a DC-specific function of TBK1 in the maintenance of immune homeostasis and tolerance.
Schrödinger operators with guided potentials on periodic graphs
Authors: Korotyaev Evgeny , Saburova Natalia
Published: March 2017

We consider discrete Schrödinger operators with periodic potentials on periodic graphs perturbed by guided non-positive potentials, which are periodic in some directions and finitely supported in other ones. The spectrum of the unperturbed operator is a union of a finite number of non-degenerate bands and eigenvalues of infinite multiplicity. We show that the spectrum of the perturbed operator consists of the “unperturbed” one plus the additional guided spectrum, which is a union of a finite number of bands. We estimate the position of the guided bands and their length in terms of graph geometric parameters. We also determine the asymptotics of the guided bands for large guided potentials. Moreover, we show that the possible number of the guided bands, their length and position can be rather arbitrary for some specific potentials.
On Bohr sets of integer-valued traceless matrices
Authors: Fish Alexander
Published: March 2017

In this paper we show that any Bohr-zero non-periodic set

B
B

of traceless integer-valued matrices, denoted by

Λ
\Lambda

, intersects non-trivially the conjugacy class of any matrix from

Λ
\Lambda

. As a corollary, we obtain that the family of characteristic polynomials of

B
B

contains all characteristic polynomials of matrices from

Λ
\Lambda

. The main ingredient used in this paper is an equidistribution result for an

S

L
d

(

Z

)

SL_d(\mathbb {Z})

random walk on a finite-dimensional torus deduced from Bourgain-Furman-Lindenstrauss-Mozes work [J. Amer. Math. Soc. 24 (2011), 231–280].
Past and current cause-specific mortality in Eisenmenger syndrome
Authors: Hjortshøj Cristel M. Sørensen , Kempny Aleksander , Jensen Annette Schophuus , Sørensen Keld , Nagy Edit , Dellborg Mikael , Johansson Bengt , Rudiene Virginija , Hong Gu , Opotowsky Alexander R. , Budts Werner , Mulder Barbara J. , Tomkiewicz-Pająk Lidia , D’Alto Michele , Prokšelj Katja , Diller Gerhard-Paul , Dimopoulos Konstantinos , Estensen Mette-Elise , Holmstrøm Henrik , Turanlahti Maila , Thilén Ulf , Gatzoulis Michael A. , Søndergaard Lars
Published: March 2017

Aims

Eisenmenger syndrome (ES) is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic strategies have changed during the 2000s in conjunction with an emphasis on specialist follow-up. The aim of this study was to determine the cause-specific mortality in ES and evaluate any relevant changes between 1977 and 2015.

Methods and results

This is a retrospective, descriptive multicentre study. A total of 1546 patients (mean age 38.7 ± 15.4 years; 36% male) from 13 countries were included. Cause-specific mortality was examined before and after July 2006, ‘early’ and ‘late’, respectively. Over a median follow-up of 6.1 years (interquartile range 2.1–21.5 years) 558 deaths were recorded; cause-specific mortality was identified in 411 (74%) cases. Leading causes of death were heart failure (34%), infection (26%), sudden cardiac death (10%), thromboembolism (8%), haemorrhage (7%), and peri-procedural (7%). Heart failure deaths increased in the ‘late’ relative to the ‘early’ era (P = 0.032), whereas death from thromboembolic events and death in relation to cardiac and non-cardiac procedures decreased (P = 0.014, P = 0.014, P = 0.004, respectively). There was an increase in longevity in the ‘late’ vs. ‘early’ era (median survival 52.3 vs. 35.2 years, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The study shows that despite changes in therapy, care, and follow-up of ES in tertiary care centres, all-cause mortality including cardiac remains high. Patients from the ‘late’ era, however, die later and from chronic rather than acute cardiac causes, primarily heart failure, whereas peri-procedural and deaths due to haemoptysis have become less common. Lifelong vigilance in tertiary centres and further research for ES are clearly needed.
Transcriptional control of monocyte and macrophage development
Authors: Kurotaki Daisuke , Sasaki Haruka , Tamura Tomohiko
Published: March 2017

Monocytes and macrophages play critical roles in immune responses, tissue homeostasis and disease progression. There are a number of functionally and phenotypically distinct subpopulations throughout the body. However, the mechanisms by which macrophage and monocyte heterogeneity is established remain unclear. Recent studies have suggested that most tissue-resident macrophages originate from fetal progenitors but not from hematopoietic stem cells, whereas some subpopulations are derived from adult monocytes. In addition, transcription factors specifically required for the development of each subpopulation have been identified. Interestingly, local environmental factors such as heme, retinoic acid and RANKL induce the expression and/or activation of tissue-specific transcription factors, thereby controlling transcriptional programs specific for the subpopulations. Thus, distinct differentiation pathways and local microenvironments appear to contribute to the determination of macrophage transcriptional identities. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our knowledge of the transcriptional control of macrophage and monocyte development.
Dust dynamics and evolution in H ii regions – II. Effects of dynamical coupling between dust and gas
Authors: Akimkin V. V. , Kirsanova M. S. , Pavlyuchenkov Ya. N. , Wiebe D. S.
Published: March 2017

In this paper, we extend the study initiated in Paper I by modelling grain ensemble evolution in a dynamical model of an expanding H ii region and checking the effects of momentum transfer from dust to gas. The radiation pressure on the dust, the dust drift and the lug on the gas by the dust are all important processes that should be considered simultaneously to describe the dynamics of H ii regions. By accounting for the momentum transfer from the dust to the gas, the expansion time of the H ii region is notably reduced (for our model of RCW 120, the time to reach the observed radius of the H ii region is reduced by a factor of 1.5). Under the common approximation of frozen dust, where there is no relative drift between the dust and gas, the radiation pressure from the ionizing star drives the formation of the very deep gas cavity near the star. Such a cavity is much less pronounced when the dust drift is taken into account. The dust drift leads to the two-peak morphology of the dust density distribution and significantly reduces the dust-to-gas ratio in the ionized region (by a factor of 2 to 10). The dust-to-gas ratio is larger for higher temperatures of the ionizing star since the dust grains have a larger electric charge and are more strongly coupled to the gas.
Association of Hospitalization for Neurosurgical Operations in Magnet Hospitals With Mortality and Length of Stay
Authors: Missios Symeon , Bekelis Kimon
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND

The association of Magnet hospital status with improved surgical outcomes remains an issue of debate.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether hospitalization in a Magnet hospital is associated with improved outcomes for patients undergoing neurosurgical operations.

METHODS

A cohort study was executed using all patients undergoing neurosurgical operations in New York registered in the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database from 2009 to 2013. We examined the association of Magnet status hospitalization after neurosurgical operations with inpatient case fatality and length of stay (LOS). We employed an instrumental variable analysis to simulate a randomized trial.

RESULTS

Overall, 190 787 patients underwent neurosurgical operations. Of these, 68 046 (35.7%) were hospitalized in Magnet hospitals, and 122 741 (64.3%) in non-Magnet institutions. Instrumental variable analysis demonstrated that hospitalization in Magnet hospitals was associated with decreased case fatality (adjusted difference, –0.8%; –95% confidence interval, –0.7% to –0.6%), and LOS (adjusted difference, –1.9; 95% confidence interval, –2.2 to –1.5) in comparison to non-Magnet hospitals. These associations were also observed in propensity score adjusted mixed effects models. These associations persisted in prespecified subgroups of patients undergoing spine surgery, craniotomy for tumor resection, or neurovascular interventions.

CONCLUSION

We identified an association of Magnet hospitals with lower case fatality, and shorter LOS in a comprehensive New York State patient cohort undergoing neurosurgical procedures.