bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In-situ high temperature micro-Raman investigation of annealing behavior of high-pressure phases of Si
Authors: Mannepalli Sowjanya , Mangalampalli Kiran S. R. N.
Published: June 2019

Among the 13 polymorphic phases of Si, the ambient temperature stable body-centered cubic (bc8) and rhombohedral (r8) polymorphs have gained significant interest due to their attractive optical and electronic properties suitable for photovoltaic applications. Though ex situ methods were extensively employed previously to understand the pressure-induced phase transformation kinetics of Si, the limited number of available in situ studies has significantly improved the knowledge in this field and clarified uncertainties. Similarly, in this article, we attempt to understand the thermal annealing behavior of nanoindentation-induced r8 and bc8 phases of Si and their volume dependence using in situ high temperature micro-Raman spectroscopy and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). A spherical diamond indenter of ∼20-μm radius was chosen to indent diamond cubic (dc) Si (100) at different peak loads (Pmax) to create different volumes of high-pressure phases. The Raman spectra, Raman imaging, and XTEM of the pre- and postannealed indents confirm complete annealing of r8/bc8 phases at 200 ± 10 °C, irrespective of the volume of indents. In contrast to the previous ex situ studies, no signature of the presence of the hexagonal diamond (hd)-Si phase was found at elevated temperatures and the overall transformation observed is directly from r8 → polycrystalline dc-Si and bc8 → polycrystalline dc-Si rather than through other metastable phases such as Si-XIII/hd-Si. The present systematic in situ study provides evidence for a few earlier predictions and clarifies ambiguities involved in understanding the annealing behavior and transformation pathways of two high-pressure phases of Si at elevated temperatures.
Ring opening reactions of nitrogen heterocycles
Authors: Smolobochkin Andrey V. , Gazizov Almir S. , Burilov Alexander R. , Pudovik Mikhail A. , Sinyashin Oleg G.
Published: June 2019

Published data on ring opening reactions of nitrogen-containing cyclic compounds resulting in various acyclic products are integrated and systematized. The reactions of common five-, six- and seven-membered nitrogen heterocycles containing one to four nitrogen atoms in the ring and having various structures (mononuclear, polynuclear, fused, saturated, unsaturated and aromatic) are considered. Special emphasis is made on the potential of nitrogen heterocycles for the synthesis of polyfunctional open-chain compounds. The advantages and disadvantages of the proposed approaches are noted. Data on the biological activities of some ring opening products of the title heterocycles are presented. The text is arranged according to the type of reagents and catalysts used.

The bibliography includes 196 references.
Evidence for distinct biodevelopmental influences on male sexual orientation
Authors: Swift-Gallant Ashlyn , Coome Lindsay A. , Aitken Madison , Monks D. Ashley , VanderLaan Doug P.
Published: June 2019

Significance

Studying individual differences in gender and sexual orientation provides insight into how early-life biology shapes brain and behavior. The literature identifies multiple biodevelopmental influences on male sexual orientation, but these influences are generally studied individually, and the potential for association or interaction between them remains largely unexplored. We hypothesized that distinct biodevelopmental pathways correspond to specific subgroups of nonheterosexual men. We present evidence that nonheterosexual men can be categorized into at least four subgroups based on established biomarkers, and these biodevelopmental pathways differentially relate to gender expression and personality traits. These findings indicate individual differences in biodevelopmental pathways of male sexual orientation. They also illustrate the value of latent profile analyses for studying individual differences.
CDK7 inhibition suppresses aberrant hedgehog pathway and overcomes resistance to smoothened antagonists
Authors: Liu Fang , Jiang Wenyan , Sui Yi , Meng Wei , Hou Linjun , Li Tiantian , Li Meng , Zhang Lei , Mo Jialin , Wang Jiajia , Zhao Yang , Zhang Liye , Ma Jie , Tang Yujie
Published: June 2019

The aberrant hedgehog (Hh) pathway plays important roles in multiple cancer types, therefore serving as a promising drug target. Current clinically available hedgehog-targeted drugs act mostly by antagonizing the upstream component smoothened; however, both primary and acquired resistance to FDA-approved smoothened inhibitor (SMOi) drugs have been described. We have recently demonstrated that the BET inhibitor effectively suppresses SMOi-resistant Hh-driven cancers through antagonizing transcription of GLI1 and GLI2, the core transcriptional factors of Hh pathway, suggesting epigenetic or transcriptional targeted therapy represents an anti-Hh therapeutic strategy that can overcome SMOi resistance. Here we performed an unbiased screening of epigenetic or transcriptional targeted small molecules to test their inhibitory effects on GLI1 and GLI2 transcription or cell viability of Hh-driven tumor lines. THZ1, a covalent inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7), is identified as the top hit in our screening. We then confirmed that antagonizing CDK7 by either small-molecule inhibitors or the CRISPR-Cas9 approach causes substantial suppression of GLI1 and GLI2 transcription, resulting in effective inhibition of Hh-driven cancers in vitro and in vivo. More importantly, antagonizing CDK7 retains inhibitory activity against Hh-driven cancers with almost all so-far described primary or acquired SMOi resistance. Furthermore, we reveal a synergy between CDK7 inhibition and BET inhibition on antagonizing aberrant Hh pathway and Hh-driven cancers that are either responsive or resistant to SMOi. Our results illustrate transcriptional inhibition through targeting CDK7 as a promising therapeutic strategy for treating Hh-driven cancers, especially those with primary or acquired resistance to SMOi drugs.
Exploration of the chemical space and its three historical regimes
Authors: Llanos Eugenio J. , Leal Wilmer , Luu Duc H. , Jost Jürgen , Stadler Peter F. , Restrepo Guillermo
Published: June 2019

Significance

We found that the number of new chemical compounds has grown exponentially with a 4.4% annual production rate from 1800 to 2015 not even affected by World Wars. There are three distinct growth regimes: proto-organic, organic, and organometallic, with decreasing variability in the production of compounds over time. Contrary to the belief that organic synthesis developed only after 1828, synthesis had been a key provider of new compounds already at the beginning of the 19th century. By 1900, it became the established tool to report new compounds. We found that chemists are conservative when selecting starting materials and that despite the growing production of new compounds, most of them belong to a restricted set of chemical compositions.
2-hydroxyglutarate inhibits MyoD-mediated differentiation by preventing H3K9 demethylation
Authors: Schvartzman Juan-Manuel , Reuter Vincent P. , Koche Richard P. , Thompson Craig B.
Published: June 2019

Oncogenic IDH1/2 mutations produce 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG), resulting in competitive inhibition of DNA and protein demethylation. IDH-mutant cancer cells show an inability to differentiate but whether 2HG accumulation is sufficient to perturb differentiation directed by lineage-specifying transcription factors is unknown. A MyoD-driven model was used to study the role of IDH mutations in the differentiation of mesenchymal cells. The presence of 2HG produced by oncogenic IDH2 blocks the ability of MyoD to drive differentiation into myotubes. DNA 5mC hypermethylation is dispensable while H3K9 hypermethylation is required for this differentiation block. IDH2-R172K mutation results in H3K9 hypermethylation and impaired accessibility at myogenic chromatin regions but does not result in genome-wide decrease in accessibility. The results demonstrate the ability of the oncometabolite 2HG to block transcription factor-mediated differentiation in a molecularly defined system.
Possible mechanisms of polyphosphate-induced amyloid fibril formation of β
2
-microglobulin
Authors: Zhang Chun-ming , Yamaguchi Keiichi , So Masatomo , Sasahara Kenji , Ito Toru , Yamamoto Suguru , Narita Ichiei , Kardos József , Naiki Hironobu , Goto Yuji
Published: June 2019

Significance

Although amyloid fibrils are associated with numerous pathologies, the factors triggering amyloid formation remain largely unknown. Polyphosphates were recently reported to induce amyloid fibrils of several amyloidogenic proteins. We found that, under both acidic and neutral pH conditions, the amyloid formation of β
2
-microglobulin was significantly accelerated by polyphosphates. We elucidated the underlying pH-dependent mechanisms, which will be important for a more comprehensive understanding of the amyloid formation of proteins. Due to the marked ability of polyphosphates to induce the amyloid formation of β
2
-microglobulin, even at neutral pH, polyphosphates may play an important role in the development of dialysis-related amyloidosis.
Common neural code for reward and information value
Authors: Kobayashi Kenji , Hsu Ming
Published: June 2019

Significance

It is more important than ever to seek information adaptively. While it is optimal to acquire information based solely on its instrumental benefit, humans also often acquire useless information because of psychological motives, such as curiosity and pleasure of anticipation. Here we show that instrumental and noninstrumental motives are multiplexed in subjective value of information (SVOI) signals in human brains. Subjects’ information seeking in an economic decision-making task was captured by a model of SVOI, which reflects not only information’s instrumental benefit but also utility of anticipation it provides. SVOI was represented in traditional value regions, sharing a common code with more basic reward value. This demonstrates that valuation system combines multiple motives to drive information-seeking behavior.
Transfer of complex regional pain syndrome to mice via human autoantibodies is mediated by interleukin-1–induced mechanisms
Authors: Helyes Zsuzsanna , Tékus Valéria , Szentes Nikolett , Pohóczky Krisztina , Botz Bálint , Kiss Tamás , Kemény Ágnes , Környei Zsuzsanna , Tóth Krisztina , Lénárt Nikolett , Ábrahám Hajnalka , Pinteaux Emmanuel , Francis Sheila , Sensi Serena , Dénes Ádám , Goebel Andreas
Published: June 2019

Significance

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a poorly understood painful condition, which typically arises after distal limb trauma; 20% of patients may develop lifelong severe incessant pain with few therapeutic options. In this study, we show that immunoglobulin G autoantibodies from patients with severe, persistent CRPS, on transfer to hind paw-injured mice, elicit important features of the clinical condition and profound glial activation in pain-related brain regions. Blockade of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) both prevents and reverses these changes. Our findings suggest that antibody-mediated autoimmunity contributes to the development of severe CRPS after injury and that blockade of IL-1 actions may be an attractive therapeutic prospect. Investigation of autoantibody contribution to other unexplained chronic pain syndromes seems warranted.
Education rather than age structure brings demographic dividend
Authors: Lutz Wolfgang , Crespo Cuaresma Jesus , Kebede Endale , Prskawetz Alexia , Sanderson Warren C. , Striessnig Erich
Published: June 2019

Significance

Global environmental change and discussions about the drivers of international migration lead to renewed interest in population growth and global demographic change. The notion of the demographic dividend was introduced to highlight the benefits of fertility decline, yet, among African leaders, it is also often interpreted as describing the benefits of their youthful populations. Due to its controversial nature, the topic of population was not explicitly included in the Sustainable Development Goals. In this controversial discussion, this paper provides a systematic reassessment about what aspects of demographic change have beneficial consequences for economic growth and sustainable development.
The isoprenoid alcohol pathway, a synthetic route for isoprenoid biosynthesis
Authors: Clomburg James M. , Qian Shuai , Tan Zaigao , Cheong Seokjung , Gonzalez Ramon
Published: June 2019

Significance

We have demonstrated the design, prototyping, and implementation of a non-natural route to isoprenoid biosynthesis, termed the isoprenoid alcohol (IPA) pathway. Opposed to working within the confines of native metabolic pathways, our approach of utilizing all available biochemical reactions identified a synthetic route to isoprenoid compounds that is both different and provides a more energy-efficient pathway compared with native isoprenoid biosynthesis. By improving the overall pathway design, the IPA pathway has the potential to facilitate the synthesis of a diverse range of isoprenoid compounds at high product titers and yields.
Synthesis of liquid fuel via direct hydrogenation of CO
2
Authors: He Zhenhong , Cui Meng , Qian Qingli , Zhang Jingjing , Liu Huizhen , Han Buxing
Published: June 2019

Significance

CO
2
is a greenhouse gas. Synthesis of liquid fuel using CO
2
and H
2
is promising for the sustainability of mankind. The reported technologies usually proceed via CO intermediate, which needs high temperature, and tend to cause low selectivity. Direct hydrogenation of CO
2
to liquid fuel, not via CO, is a challenging issue. In this work, we designed a Co
6
/MnO
x
nanocatalyst that could successfully avoid the CO route. The reaction could proceed at 200 °C, which is much lower than those reported so far. The selectivity of the liquid fuel in total products reached 53.2 C-mol%, which is among the highest reported to date.
Bioinspired inner microstructured tube controlled capillary rise
Authors: Li Chuxin , Dai Haoyu , Gao Can , Wang Ting , Dong Zhichao , Jiang Lei
Published: June 2019

Significance

Liquid manipulation in tubes or pipes is greatly important for microfluidic chips, artificial blood vessels, dental suction, medical injection, oil–water separators, and biochemical analysis. Spontaneous and directional liquid transport has attracted great interest in recent years. However, existing spontaneous liquid transport systems still perform at low speeds and focus on precursor film spreading or drop motion. In this study, we propose an inner peristome-mimetic structured tube with controlled capillary rise and siphon diode behaviors. Our method makes it possible to actuate a larger amount of bulk liquid to transfer spontaneously and continuously in an antigravity direction, develops a generation of microfluidic devices, and is able to function without complex accessories, such as pumps or valves.
Massively parallel screening of synthetic microbial communities
Authors: Kehe Jared , Kulesa Anthony , Ortiz Anthony , Ackerman Cheri M. , Thakku Sri Gowtham , Sellers Daniel , Kuehn Seppe , Gore Jeff , Friedman Jonathan , Blainey Paul C.
Published: June 2019

Significance

Microbial communities have many applications, but current experimental strategies to investigate their behavior are limited by the combinatorial complexity of interactions between species. Here, we introduce a platform to automatically construct and test synthetic communities of microbes from a set of input species at a scale of ∼100,000 communities per day. As a first demonstration, we discovered specific compositions of bacteria isolated from local soil that promote the growth of a model plant symbiont. More broadly, our platform can be adopted for the discovery of microbial consortia with many useful properties, such as suppression of pathogens or degradation of recalcitrant substrates for use in biofuel production or environmental remediation.
Lineage tracing and targeting of IL17RB
+
tuft cell-like human colorectal cancer stem cells
Authors: Goto Norihiro , Fukuda Akihisa , Yamaga Yuichi , Yoshikawa Takaaki , Maruno Takahisa , Maekawa Hisatsugu , Inamoto Susumu , Kawada Kenji , Sakai Yoshiharu , Miyoshi Hiroyuki , Taketo Makoto Mark , Chiba Tsutomu , Seno Hiroshi
Published: June 2019

Significance

Cancer stem cells, capable of self-renewing and giving rise to progeny cells in the tumor, have attracted attention as potential therapeutic targets. In this study, using genetically engineered mouse models, we showed that IL17RB, a tuft cell marker in the intestine, does not mark normal stem cells but marks tumor stem cells of mouse intestinal adenomas. Furthermore, using CRISPR-Cas9–mediated IL17RB-CreERT2 knockin human organoids, we showed that IL17RB marks human colorectal cancer stem cells by lineage tracing, and that long-term targeting of IL17RB
+
cells strongly suppressed the tumor growth in vivo. This study identifies IL17RB
+
cancer stem cells and preclinically validates them as a cancer therapeutic target.
Drought suppresses soil predators and promotes root herbivores in mesic, but not in xeric grasslands
Authors: Franco André L. C. , Gherardi Laureano A. , de Tomasel Cecilia M. , Andriuzzi Walter S. , Ankrom Katharine E. , Shaw E. Ashley , Bach Elizabeth M. , Sala Osvaldo E. , Wall Diana H.
Published: June 2019

Significance

Temporal and spatial variation in precipitation affect the functional composition of biological communities and ecosystems. Belowground, these changes disrupt the fragile balance between root herbivores, which are major constraints of ecosystem primary production, and their predators. We provide evidence that droughts and deluges alter the functional composition of soil nematode communities depending on the long-term mean annual precipitation (MAP) along a gradient from arid to moist grasslands. The abundance of root-feeding nematodes increased under drought following reductions in the number of predators. These responses increased in magnitude along the MAP gradient, demonstrating that climate change can tip the nematode predator-prey balance and result in higher abundance of root herbivores with potentially important implications for mesic grasslands.
An ultralow-density porous ice with the largest internal cavity identified in the water phase diagram
Authors: Liu Yuan , Huang Yingying , Zhu Chongqin , Li Hui , Zhao Jijun , Wang Lu , Ojamäe Lars , Francisco Joseph S. , Zeng Xiao Cheng
Published: June 2019

Significance

Among 18 known ice structures, ice XVI and XVII were produced by emptying the guest atoms/molecules encapsulated in cavities of porous ices. We demonstrate simulation evidence that the ultralow-density porous EMT ice (named according to zeolite nomenclature) is thermodynamically stable under negative pressures. Such a low-density solid (∼60% of the mass density of ice XVI) can be exploited for hydrogen storage with H
2
mass density of 12.9 wt %, which is more than twice that (5.3 wt %) achieved by sII clathrate hydrate. With EMT ice, the temperature–pressure phase diagram of water under negative pressures is reconstructed. Like ice XVII, EMT ice could be produced by pumping off guest molecules in EMT hydrates preformed at high pressure.
Rapid experimental evolution of reproductive isolation from a single natural population
Authors: Villa Scott M. , Altuna Juan C. , Ruff James S. , Beach Andrew B. , Mulvey Lane I. , Poole Erik J. , Campbell Heidi E. , Johnson Kevin P. , Shapiro Michael D. , Bush Sarah E. , Clayton Dale H.
Published: June 2019

Ecological speciation occurs when local adaptation generates reproductive isolation as a by-product of natural selection. Although ecological speciation is a fundamental source of diversification, the mechanistic link between natural selection and reproductive isolation remains poorly understood, especially in natural populations. Here, we show that experimental evolution of parasite body size over 4 y (approximately 60 generations) leads to reproductive isolation in natural populations of feather lice on birds. When lice are transferred to pigeons of different sizes, they rapidly evolve differences in body size that are correlated with host size. These differences in size trigger mechanical mating isolation between lice that are locally adapted to the different sized hosts. Size differences among lice also influence the outcome of competition between males for access to females. Thus, body size directly mediates reproductive isolation through its influence on both intersexual compatibility and intrasexual competition. Our results confirm that divergent natural selection acting on a single phenotypic trait can cause reproductive isolation to emerge from a single natural population in real time.
Elevated dopamine signaling from ventral tegmental area to prefrontal cortical parvalbumin neurons drives conditioned inhibition
Authors: Yan Rongzhen , Wang Tianyu , Zhou Qiang
Published: June 2019

Significance

Suppression of a learned response is critical to survival and adaptation and is impaired in various diseases. Conditioned inhibition is proposed to require learning and inhibitory processes, but its exact nature is poorly understood. Here we studied safety cue-triggered fear suppression and found that its learning process requires plasticity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), leading to an enhanced dopaminergic (DA) neuron activity by safety cue, and its inhibitory process requires VTA DA neuron inputs to parvalbumin neurons in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) to reduce dmPFC activity and fear responses. This DA-dependent learning process is impaired in a posttraumatic stress disorder model. Thus, conditioned inhibition requires complex interactions between DA and GABAergic signaling to suppress learned responses.
Molecular basis for branched steviol glucoside biosynthesis
Authors: Lee Soon Goo , Salomon Eitan , Yu Oliver , Jez Joseph M.
Published: June 2019

Steviol glucosides, such as stevioside and rebaudioside A, are natural products roughly 200-fold sweeter than sugar and are used as natural, noncaloric sweeteners. Biosynthesis of rebaudioside A, and other related stevia glucosides, involves formation of the steviol diterpenoid followed by a series of glycosylations catalyzed by uridine diphosphate (UDP)-dependent glucosyltransferases. UGT76G1 from
Stevia rebaudiana
catalyzes the formation of the branched-chain glucoside that defines the stevia molecule and is critical for its high-intensity sweetness. Here, we report the 3D structure of the UDP-glucosyltransferase UGT76G1, including a complex of the protein with UDP and rebaudioside A bound in the active site. The X-ray crystal structure and biochemical analysis of site-directed mutants identifies a catalytic histidine and how the acceptor site of UGT76G1 achieves regioselectivity for branched-glucoside synthesis. The active site accommodates a two-glucosyl side chain and provides a site for addition of a third sugar molecule to the C3′ position of the first C13 sugar group of stevioside. This structure provides insight on the glycosylation of other naturally occurring sweeteners, such as the mogrosides from monk fruit, and a possible template for engineering of steviol biosynthesis.
Endothelial cell Piezo1 mediates pressure-induced lung vascular hyperpermeability via disruption of adherens junctions
Authors: Friedrich Emily E. , Hong Zhigang , Xiong Shiqin , Zhong Ming , Di Anke , Rehman Jalees , Komarova Yulia A. , Malik Asrar B.
Published: June 2019

Significance

Increased hydrostatic pressure in lung capillaries experienced during high altitude, head trauma, and left heart failure can lead to disruption of lung endothelial barrier and edema formation. We identified Piezo1 as a mechanical sensor responsible for endothelial barrier breakdown (barotrauma) secondary to reduced expression of the endothelial adherens junction proteins VE-cadherin, β-catenin, and p120-catenin. Endothelial-specific deletion or pharmacological inhibition of Piezo1 prevented lung capillary leakage, suggesting a therapeutic approach for preventing edema and associated lung failure.
Shear stress regulation of miR-93 and miR-484 maturation through nucleolin
Authors: Gongol Brendan , Marin Traci , Zhang Jiao , Wang Shen-Chih , Sun Wei , He Ming , Chen Shanshan , Chen Lili , Li Jie , Liu Jun-Hui , Martin Marcy , Han Yue , Kang Jian , Johnson David A. , Lytle Christian , Li Yi-Shuan , Huang Po-Hsun , Chien Shu , Shyy John Y.-J.
Published: June 2019

Significance

This work identifies a mechanism by which atheroprone oscillatory shear and atheroprotective pulsatile shear differentially regulate microRNA (miR) biogenesis in the vascular endothelium. Nonphosphorylated nucleolin facilitates the maturation of miR-93 and miR-484, which in turn target Krüpple-like factor 2 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase mRNAs. The translational significance of these findings is provided by the identification of elevated levels of miR-93 and miR-484 in sera from patients with coronary artery disease.
Consistency between individuals' past and current romantic partners' own reports of their personalities
Authors: Park Yoobin , MacDonald Geoff
Published: June 2019

Significance

Although a romantic partner’s personality creates an interpersonal environment that can be highly consequential for emotional and physical well-being, little research has examined to what degree romantic partners’ personalities are similar across relationships. In this study, we provide evidence of stability in partner personality, implementing a rigorous analysis using self-reports of personalities from both past and current partners themselves. The significant degree of unique similarity between an individual’s past and current partners could not be explained by important potential confounds. Our results also provided tentative evidence that this similarity is weaker for people who are more extraverted or open to experience.
High-resolution cryo-EM structures of outbreak strain human norovirus shells reveal size variations
Authors: Jung James , Grant Timothy , Thomas Dennis R. , Diehnelt Chris W. , Grigorieff Nikolaus , Joshua-Tor Leemor
Published: June 2019

Noroviruses are a leading cause of foodborne illnesses worldwide. Although GII.4 strains have been responsible for most norovirus outbreaks, the assembled virus shell structures have been available in detail for only a single strain (GI.1). We present high-resolution (2.6- to 4.1-Å) cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of GII.4, GII.2, GI.7, and GI.1 human norovirus outbreak strain virus-like particles (VLPs). Although norovirus VLPs have been thought to exist in a single-sized assembly, our structures reveal polymorphism between and within genogroups, with small, medium, and large particle sizes observed. Using asymmetric reconstruction, we were able to resolve a Zn
2+
metal ion adjacent to the coreceptor binding site, which affected the structural stability of the shell. Our structures serve as valuable templates for facilitating vaccine formulations.
Nineteenth-century nanotechnology: The plasmonic properties of daguerreotypes
Authors: Schlather Andrea E. , Gieri Paul , Robinson Mike , Centeno Silvia A. , Manjavacas Alejandro
Published: June 2019

Significance

Daguerreotypes, among the earliest photographs of the 19th century, owe their incredible optical properties, image resolution, and dynamic range to light scattering produced by metallic nanostructures on their surface. Here we provide a detailed experimental and theoretical analysis on how the material composition, morphology, and dimensions of these nanostructures determine the characteristics of the daguerreotype image. Our results provide a scientific understanding of the unique optical effects of these artworks and therefore, in addition to providing valuable insight for developing preservation protocols, can inspire additional approaches for color printing, where nanostructures are directly manufactured by light.
Whose Africa is rising?
Authors: Khisa Moses
Published: June 2019

This briefing revisits the ‘Africa rising’ narrative. It makes two arguments. First, the ‘Africa rising’ narrative at best sits on a shaky foundation. African economies may have registered modest growth in recent years but the growth is either superficial or not happening in the sectors that matter the most. Second, the rather rosy picture of a rising Africa masks the continent’s continued marginal position in the global capitalist structures of power, domination and exploitation.
Feeding Aspergillus protease preparation combined with adequate protein diet to rats increases levels of cecum gut-protective amino acids, partially linked to Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus
Authors: Yang Yongshou , Kumrungsee Thanutchaporn , Kuroda Manabu , Yamaguchi Shotaro , Kato Norihisa
Published: June 2019

Our recent study indicated that dietary Aspergillus oryzae-derived protease preparation (AP), through its enzymatic activity, exerted a bifidogenic effect in rats. We hypothesized that dietary AP links to protein degradation and subsequently elevates gut-protective amino acids (AAs) in rats fed adequate protein diet. In this study, dietary AP markedly increased the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and the levels of free threonine, alanine, proline, taurine, ornithine, phenylalanine, cystine, and γ-aminobutyric acid in the cecum contents of rats fed with an adequate protein diet, but not in those fed with a low-protein diet. The elevated AAs, except ornithine and phenylalanine, potentially have gut-related health benefits. Some of the AP-modulated free AAs appeared to be associated with the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Thus, AP combined with adequate protein diet is likely to increase the levels of cecum beneficial free AAs, which is partially associated with the relative abundance of the probiotics.
Cell death–mediated cytokine release and its therapeutic implications
Authors: Place David E. , Kanneganti Thirumala-Devi
Published: June 2019

Targeting apoptosis to treat diseases has seen tremendous success over the past decades. More recently, alternative forms of regulated cell death, including pyroptosis and necroptosis, have been described. Understanding the molecular cascades regulating both pyroptosis and necroptosis will yield even more targets to treat diseases. These lytic forms of cell death are distinct from apoptosis due to their characteristic lysis and release of cellular components that promote disease or direct a beneficial immune response. In this review, we focus on how pyroptosis and necroptosis, which release potent immune cytokines such as IL-1 and IL-18, contribute to various diseases. We also consider the important role that the executioners of these cell death pathways, GSDMD and MLKL, play in the progression of inflammatory diseases. Crosstalk between the different cell death pathways likely plays a major role physiologically. New therapeutic strategies targeting these specific molecules hold enormous potential for managing inflammatory diseases.
Hyper-Raman lines emission concomitant with high-order harmonic generation
Authors: Bloch Etienne , Beaulieu Samuel , Descamps Dominique , Petit Stéphane , Légaré François , Magunov Alexander , Mairesse Yann , Strelkov Vasily
Published: June 2019

Hyper-Raman lines (HRL) resulting from strong-field light–matter interaction have been predicted theoretically in the 1990s but never identified in high-order harmonic generation experiments. Here, we use a combination of 800 and 400 nm laser pulses to control independently the two processes required for the hyper-Raman emission: creation of a coherence between two electronic states and laser-dressing of these states. As a result we observe simultaneously high-order harmonics, XUV free induction decay and HRL. We investigate experimentally and numerically the properties of this novel emission source. It can be of high interest, amongst others, for high-resolution spatio-temporal spectroscopy of excited electronic states in the same fashion high-order harmonics generation provides it for ground state.
The role of non-CO2 mitigation options within the dairy industry for pursuing climate change targets
Authors: Rolph K A , Forest C E , Ruark M D
Published: June 2019

Mitigation of non-CO2 climate forcing agents must complement the mitigation of CO2 to achieve long-term temperature and climate policy goals. A large share of global non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions is attributed to agriculture, with a significant contribution related to dairy production. As demonstrated by the results of a recent USDA coordinated project, Dairy-CAP, dairy farmers can significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by implementing beneficial management practices (BMPs). This study assesses the potential mitigation of projected climate change if greenhouse gases associated with the dairy subsector were reduced. To compare the performance of several mitigation measures under future climate change, we employ a fully coupled Earth system model of intermediate complexity, the MIT Earth System Model. With an interactive carbon-cycle, the model is capable of addressing important feedbacks between the climate and terrestrial biosphere impacting greenhouse gas concentrations. We illustrate the importance of ongoing mitigation efforts in the agricultural sector to reduce non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions towards established climate goals. If BMPs are implemented globally within the next three decades, projected warming by the end of the century can be reduced by 0.21 °C on average or 6% of total warming, with dairy farm mitigation contributing to 0.03 °C of the temperature reduction.
More extreme marine heatwaves in the China Seas during the global warming hiatus
Authors: Li Yan , Ren Guoyu , Wang Qingyuan , You Qinglong
Published: June 2019

Based on the satellite-derived global daily sea surface temperature (SST) data set with high resolution (0.25° by 0.25°), we analyzed changes in annual mean SST and extreme SSTs over the China Seas since 1982. Results show that the annual mean SST in the China Seas has experienced a remarkable declining trend during the global warming hiatus (1998–2013), which was dominated by the striking cooling of SST in boreal winter. Despite annual mean SST experienced warming hiatus after 1998, the regional averaged SST for 1998–2013 was still 0.5 °C above that for 1982–1997. The statistical distributions show that there are not only significant warmer climate shift in annual mean SSTs but also in annual extreme hot SSTs and cold SSTs. These changes can increase the likelihood of extreme oceanic warming events, known as marine heatwaves (MHWs). Further analyses reveal that, from 1982 to present, the MHW frequency increases at a rate of 1.13 events per decade, 2.5 times the global mean rate. For the period 1998–2013, the MHWs in the China Sea has never decreased in both of the frequency and intensity but has already become more frequent, longer duration and more intense than those metrics of MHWs during 1982–1997.
Preliminary study of the degradation of biocellulose based film using soil fungi Aspergillus unguis TP3 and Paecilomyces marquandii TP4 producing cellulose
Authors: Srikandace Y , Andayani D G S , Karina M
Published: June 2019

Bacterial cellulose or biocellulose (BC) is cellulose produced from the activity of bacteria in the suitable growth media containing glucose as mainly carbon source. Due to its unique properties, BC is used for edible packaging. Many studies reported on anti bacterial activity on BC based-edible packaging against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus as as well as Listeria monocytogenes. This study reports the biodegradation of BC (sample A) based-film by using Aspergillus unguis and Paecilomyces marquandii. For comparison, BC film was added with CMC (sample B), with glycerol (sample C), with CMC and glycerol (sample D), respectively. Biodegradation was carried out using broth fermentation and solid substrate fermentation (SSF). BC films (1 cm x 1 cm) and fungi were fermented in 100 mL of sterile aquadest for 60 days with agitation (120 rpm at room temperature). For treatment in SSF, fungi were inoculated into BC films for 60 days at room temperature in petridish. Results showed that all compounds of films were still available based on FTIR results. The physical performance of films BC was in solid chewy (A), like chewy thread (B and C), and like powder (D) form. Results showed that both fungi biodegraded films through broth fermentation whereas no biodegradation activity on SSF. From SEM analysis, it showed that the film surfaces performed fine and smooth morphology.
Evaluation of the strength of coconut shell aggregate concrete block for parking area
Authors: Ridwan A , Limantara A D , Subiyanto B , Gardjito E , Rahardjo D , Santoso A , Heryanto B , Sudarmanto H L , Murti H , Sari A G , Mudjanarko S W
Published: June 2019

The development of green technology requires the utilization of waste products and processing of them into cheap and environmentally friendly materials. The idea was applied in the concrete block (conblock) production. The usage of coconut shell waste for the concrete mixed material will reduce the cost and produce an environmentally friendly road conblock for pavement, which also quickly absorbs runoff into the soil so that pavement is more durable.The purpose of this research was to evaluate the compressive strength of concrete obtained by the addition of fine aggregate mixture and a coarse aggregate of coconut shell. The test specimens used were cubes with a size of 15x15x15 cm consisting of 5 samples for each variation of coconut shell and powder content (0%, 20%, 25%, and 30%) and tested at 28 days. The average yield of compressive strength and absorption at 28 days were 18.5 MPa and 22% for 0% variation, 11.4 MPa and 16% for 20% variation, 7.6 MPa and 14% for 25% variation, and 6.7 MPa and 12% for 30% variation. The results inform that the concrete given a mixture of fine and coarse aggregate coconut shell has decreasing compressive strength and absorption.
Isolation and characterization of Boso fish (Oxyeleotris marmorata) oil and their recovery using enzymatic reaction
Authors: Kosasih W , Priatni S , Saepudin E , Rosmalina R T , Nurasiah S , Endah E S
Published: June 2019

Oxyeleotris marmorata (Boso) fish is abundant and widespread in West Java Sea area, primarily in Indramayu. This study was aimed to improve the extraction method of essential fatty acids from Boso fish oil, so it would increase the economic value and the benefits of Boso fish. The extraction of fish oil was carried out by n-hexane for 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 hours. Fish oil was hydrolyzed by a commercial lipase enzyme at various concentration for 48 hours. The fish oil products were analyzed for acid level, acid value and saponification value. Fatty acid contents of fish oil with and without hydrolysis with lipase were determined by Gas Chromatography (GC) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrophotometry (GC-MS) methods. GC-MS results show that fish oil without lipase hydrolysis contained 6.31% omega-6 and 12.31% omega-9, while fish oil hydrolyzed with lipase contained 10.76% omega-6 and 13.84% omega-9. The optimum methyl linolenic acid concentration of 8276.6 ppm was obtained with 9 units lipase concentration, whereas the optimum EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) concentration of 3937.6 ppm was obtained with 6 units lipase concentration. Enzymatic reactions using lipase can increase the level of omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 from Boso fish oil.
Performance of the three-stages anaerobic tofu wastewater treatment during the second start-up process
Authors: Sriwuryandari L , Widyarani  , Priantoro E A , Muchlis  , Hamidah U , Sembiring T , Sintawardani N
Published: June 2019

Tofu industry in Indonesia develops rapidly with the demand of the community. Therefore it is necessary to pay attention to the condition of liquid waste as the by-product of the industry. Traditionally, small- to medium-scale tofu industries produce highly polluted wastewater in compare with the big industries. For this reason, research on the tofu wastewater treatment was carried out to study the stability of anaerobic process in a three-stages packed-bed system after two months of pause or no-feeding process. The experiment used tofu wastewater from one of the factories in Bandung; the untreated wastewater had 15.9 g/L of COD at pH 3.5. Observations were carried out for 26 days. The system consisted of three similar reactors that worked in serial; each has the capacity of 10 litres. Tofu wastewater was introduced from the bottom of the reactor flowing vertically upward to the outlet. The outlet of the first reactor flow to the bottom inlet of the second reactor, and subsequently the outlet of the second reactor fed the third reactor. Each reactor was placed at different altitudes to facilitate gravity flow from one reactor to the next at the same rate. The results of the experiment show that the system overall worked well in a continuous flow rate. The COD value could decrease from 15.9 g/L to 7.4 g/L on average at the third reactor, as well as the pH changed from pH 3.5 to 7.
Removal of fluoride ion from fertilizer industry wastewater to recover ammonium and phosphate using a five-compartment electrodialysis system
Authors: Arum G S , Bagastyo A Y
Published: June 2019

Wastewater from the fertilizer industry contains high concentrations of ammonium and phosphate ions, up to 3,395 mg.L−1 and 12,725 mg.L−1, respectively. These ions can be recovered as struvite precipitates. However, 1,158 mg.L−1 of fluoride ions contained in the wastewater may influence the struvite formation. Therefore, experiments using a laboratory-scale of five-compartment electrodialysis batch reactor were performed to remove fluoride ion and subsequently recover ammonium and phosphate ions. Electrical currents of 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 A were applied constantly to the electrodes. The initial pH of wastewater was adjusted to 5, 7, and 9. The highest removal of fluoride ion was obtained at 0.1 A, i.e. decreased to 376 mg.L−1 and 486 mg.L−1 at pH 5 and pH 7, respectively. At the same conditions, the final ammonium concentrations at pH 5 and 7 were 2,127 mg and 2,185 mg, respectively. Similarly, 7,878 mg and 10,669 mg phosphate ions were recovered at pH 5 and pH 7, respectively. The energy consumed for fluoride removal at pH 5 was higher than pH 7, i.e. 4 Wh.g−1 F− vs. 7 Wh.g−1 F−. Nevertheless, the suspended solid formation at pH 5 was higher than pH 7, suggesting that pH operational at 7 is preferable for application with less possibility of scaling formation.
Low volume liquid-liquid extraction for the determination of benzene, toluene, and xylene in water by GC-FID and HPLC-UV
Authors: Yusiasih R , Marvalosha R , Suci S D S , Yuliani E , Pitoi M M
Published: June 2019

A simple sample preparation method based on green analytical chemistry was proposed to measure benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) in water. The method implemented low volume liquid-liquid extraction for extraction of BTX from water using acetonitrile without any solid phase extraction (SPE) clean-up to cut the chemical consumption during the sample preparation. The quantification of BTX was done by GC-FID and HPLC-UV for comparison. The result showed that the method in combination with GC-FID was able to detect toluene and xylene in spiked water samples below the limit regulated by Ministry of Health of Indonesia (MRL toluene=0.7 mg/L; MRL xylene 0.5 mg/L) but not for benzene (MRL benzene=0.01 mg/L).
Health Benefit Value of Selenium (HBV-Se) of mercury from consumption of fishes from Tual, Indonesia
Authors: Kusnadi A , Oktaviyani S , Suratno
Published: June 2019

Our study reports the total mercury (THg) and total selenium (TSe) content measured in the tissue of fishes from the market at Tual (Indonesia), that was used to examine the Health Benefit Value of Selenium (HBV-Se) as a food safety index from mercury contamination in seafood consumption. Nine fish species that were usually eaten and predicted to have a high content of mercury were bought from the fish market. Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA) NIC-MA3000 was used to analyze the total mercury (THg) content directly. While the fish sample for total selenium analysis must be prepared with microwave digestion prior to measure by ICP-OES. The mean THg concentrations varied from 0.009 up to 1.38 mg/kg-DW and the mean TSe concentrations varied from 1.56 up to 6.88 mg/kg-DW. Cephalopholis sonnerati and Epinephelus morrhua exceeded the SNI standard which has a limit of 0.5 mg/kg, but all the fishes exceeded the new BPOM guidelines (0.06 mg/kg) except Siganus lineatus. The THg values from the highest were Epinephelus morrhua > Cephalopholis sp > Cephalopholis ongus > Lutjanus gibbus > Ephinephelus ongus > Euthynus affinis > Rastrelinger kanagurta > Katsuwanus pelamis > Siganus lineatus. Measurement of HBV-Se value of all the fishes in Tual showed positive values, which means safe for consumption. HBV-Se index provided a comprehensive elucidation of human risk assessment on food safety compared with the single data of total mercury due to mercury contamination.
Etched and non-etched polystyrene nanoballs coated with AuNPs on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) electrode as H2O2 sensor
Authors: Saputra G M A , Purwidyantri A , Yang C-M , Prabowo B A , Lai C-S
Published: June 2019

In electro-analytical applications, metallic nanoparticles (NPs) facilitate roughening of the conductive sensing interface and electrochemical signal amplification as a result of some metal NPs catalytic properties. In this study, natural lithography, termed as nanospheres lithography (NSL), was used to fabricate 5 nm thick AuNPs from thermal evaporation system on an Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) substrate patterned with polystyrene (PS) nanoballs (d=100 nm). The electrode substrate was characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) and utilized as a sensor to measure H2O2. More prominent features were shown by the etched PS on the fabricated electrode that left AuNPs honeycomb-like pattern than the non-etched one. Higher oxidation peak was demonstrated by the etched electrode than non-etched electrode as recorded with cyclic voltammogram, as well as in H2O2 measurement. CV outcomes denoted higher surface area at the substrate with etched PS and resulted in a lower limit of detection (LOD) of H2O2 than the non-etched substrates.
Experimental Study on the Unconfined Compressive Strength of Artificially Cemented Sand
Authors: Wang Xumin , Wang Cheng , Yi Zhao
Published: June 2019

Artificially cemented sand sample was prepared by incorporating cement clinker into the standard sand sample. The electron microscopic scanning test (SEM) and the unconfined compressive strength test of the artificial cementation sand sample were carried out, and the microstructure changes before and after the cementation of the sand sample were analyzed. The formula of the unconfined compressive strength of cemented sand samples considering the influence of cement clinker incorporation ratio Cv and curing time t is proposed. Scanning electron microscopy experiments show that as the incorporation ratio increases, the standard sand gap is gradually filled by the cements, and the shape of the cements attached to the surface of the standard sand changes from flocculant filamentous to pellet. The unconfined compressive strength test shows that the axial strain decreases with the increase of the blending ratio, and the brittle fracture is more and more obvious. The fitting formula of the unconfined compressive strength is proved to be reasonable by the experimental data of other scholars.