bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
When Formulas Go Political: The Curious Case of Japan's Financial Index
Authors: MCMICHAEL TAYLOR C.
Published: August 2017

Scholars of distributive politics in Japan have shifted from large items in the general account budget to more geographically targeted spending known as intergovernmental transfers. However, a portion of the funds sent to prefectural governments are ostensibly determined by the apolitical ‘financial index’. However, even though the financial index is included in most studies of intergovernmental transfers, only slight attention focuses on the financial index and its determination. Using prefectural level data on intergovernmental transfers, economic indicators and electoral support for the LDP, this research shows that the LDP possesses strong incentives to manipulate the index and that politics is a significant determinant of the financial index.
Personality Traits and Voter Turnout in South Korea: The Mediation Argument
Authors: WANG CHING-HSING , WENG DENNIS LU-CHUNG , CHA HYUN-JIN
Published: August 2017

This study examines the effects of personality traits on voter turnout in South Korea. While it has been demonstrated that no direct relationships exist between personality traits and voter participation in South Korea, we argue that personality traits have indirect effects on turnout through such attitudinal factors as political interest, political efficacy, partisanship, and ideology. Using data from Korean General Social Survey (KGSS) 2012, we find that political interest and political efficacy play an important role in mediating the relationships between personality traits and voter turnout in South Korea. However, contrary to our expectations, there is either weak or no evidence on the mediating role of partisanship and ideology in the relationships between personality traits and voter turnout. To sum up, our findings provide some support to the indirect relationships between personality traits and voter turnout in South Korea and imply that the impacts of personality traits on voter participation vary by country or geographic region.
Autoimmunhepatitis: das Wichtigste für die Praxis
Authors: Terziroli Beretta-Piccoli Benedetta , Vergani Diego , Mieli-Vergani Giorgina
Published: August 2017

Zusammenfassung. Autoimmunhepatitis (AIH) ist eine chronisch entzündliche immunvermittelte Lebererkrankung. Sie kann alle Altersgruppen betreffen und ist durch hohe Transaminase- und Immunglobulin G (IgG)- Werte, positive Autoantikörper sowie histologisch durch Grenzzonenhepatitis gekennzeichnet. Wenn unbehandelt, führt sie zu Zirrhose und Leberversagen; wenn sie aber rechtzeitig diagnostiziert und behandelt wird, hat die Erkrankung eine ausgezeichnete, langfristige Prognose. Die Behandlung basiert auf Steroiden und Azathioprin. Dieser Artikel fasst die wichtigsten Punkte für die klinische Praxis zusammen.
Medikamentöse Hepatopathien
Authors: Krähenbühl Stephan , Pichler Werner J.
Published: August 2017

Zusammenfassung. Die Inzidenz von medikamentösen Hepatopathien wird in der Schweiz auf 10 – 20 Fälle pro 100’000 Personen pro Jahr geschätzt. Es handelt sich um klinisch wichtige Erkrankungen, da sie iatrogen sind, fast jede andere Leberkrankheit imitieren können und bei unklaren Leberleiden immer in die Differentialdiagnosen mit einbezogen werden sollten. Die Diagnose kann in den meisten Fällen nur indirekt, aufgrund des zeitlichen Zusammenhangs mit der Therapie, der Reaktion nach Absetzen der vermuteten Arzneistoffe und nach Ausschluss anderer Leberkrankheiten gestellt werden. In den meisten Fällen handelt es sich um Idiosynkrasien, welche allergisch oder metabolisch bedingt sein können. Die Kenntnis der wichtigsten Risikofaktoren ist wichtig zur Vermeidung von medikamentösen Hepatopathien. Zur Identifikation des auslösenden Medikamentes bei allergisch bedingten Hepatitiden kann der Lymphozytentransformationstest (LTT) beigezogen werden, der bei systemischen Reaktionen wie DRESS häufig positiv ist (> 65 %); bei isoliert auftretenden Hepatitiden ist er nur in ca. 30 % positiv. Eine Reexposition kann gefährlich sein und sollte, wenn möglich, vermieden werden. Da es keine spezifischen Therapien gibt, ist das frühzeitige Absetzen der verdächtigten Medikamente zur Begrenzung von Schäden essentiell.
Metabolic and spatio-taxonomic response of uncultivated seafloor bacteria following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Authors: Handley K M , Piceno Y M , Hu P , Tom L M , Mason O U , Andersen G L , Jansson J K , Gilbert J A
Published: August 2017

The release of 700 million liters of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over a few months in 2010 produced dramatic changes in the microbial ecology of the water and sediment. Here, we reconstructed the genomes of 57 widespread uncultivated bacteria from post-spill deep-sea sediments, and recovered their gene expression pattern across the seafloor. These genomes comprised a common collection of bacteria that were enriched in heavily affected sediments around the wellhead. Although rare in distal sediments, some members were still detectable at sites up to 60 km away. Many of these genomes exhibited phylogenetic clustering indicative of common trait selection by the environment, and within half we identified 264 genes associated with hydrocarbon degradation. Alkane degradation ability was near ubiquitous among candidate hydrocarbon degraders, whereas just three harbored elaborate gene inventories for the degradation of alkanes and aromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Differential gene expression profiles revealed a spill-promoted microbial sulfur cycle alongside gene upregulation associated with PAH degradation. Gene expression associated with alkane degradation was widespread, although active alkane degrader identities changed along the pollution gradient. Analyses suggest that a broad metabolic capacity to respond to oil inputs exists across a large array of usually rare indigenous deep-sea bacteria.
Correction: Corrigendum: A simple and versatile design concept for fluorophore derivatives with intramolecular photostabilization
Authors: van der Velde Jasper H. M. , Oelerich Jens , Huang Jingyi , Smit Jochem H. , Jazi Atieh Aminian , Galiani Silvia , Kolmakov Kirill , Gouridis Giorgos , Eggeling Christian , Herrmann Andreas , Roelfes Gerard , Cordes Thorben
Published: August 2017

Nature Communications 7 Article number: 10144 (2016) Published: 11 January 2016; Updated: 04 August 2017 The original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the author Giorgos Gouridis which was incorrectly given as Giorgos Guoridis. This has now been corrected in both the PDFand HTML versions of the Article.
Critical role for arginase 2 in obesity-associated pancreatic cancer
Authors: Zaytouni Tamara , Tsai Pei-Yun , Hitchcock Daniel S. , DuBois Cory D. , Freinkman Elizaveta , Lin Lin , Morales-Oyarvide Vicente , Lenehan Patrick J. , Wolpin Brian M. , Mino-Kenudson Mari , Torres Eduardo M. , Stylopoulos Nicholas , Clish Clary B. , Kalaany Nada Y.
Published: August 2017

Obesity is an established risk factor for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). Despite recent identification of metabolic alterations in this lethal malignancy, the metabolic dependencies of obesity-associated PDA remain unknown. Here we show that obesity-driven PDA exhibits accelerated growth and a striking transcriptional enrichment for pathways regulating nitrogen metabolism. We find that the mitochondrial form of arginase (ARG2), which hydrolyzes arginine into ornithine and urea, is induced upon obesity, and silencing or loss of ARG2 markedly suppresses PDA. In vivo infusion of 15N-glutamine in obese mouse models of PDA demonstrates enhanced nitrogen flux into the urea cycle and infusion of 15N-arginine shows that Arg2 loss causes significant ammonia accumulation that results from the shunting of arginine catabolism into alternative nitrogen repositories. Furthermore, analysis of PDA patient tumors indicates that ARG2 levels correlate with body mass index (BMI). The specific dependency of PDA on ARG2 rather than the principal hepatic enzyme ARG1 opens a therapeutic window for obesity-associated pancreatic cancer.
Windblown sediment transport and loss in a desert–oasis ecotone in the Tarim Basin
Authors: Pi Huawei , Sharratt Brenton , Lei Jiaqiang
Published: August 2017

The Tarim Basin is regarded as one of the most highly erodible areas in China. Desert comprises 64% of the land use in the Basin, but the desert–oasis ecotone plays a prominent role in maintaining oasis ecological security and stability. Yet, little is known concerning the magnitude of windblown sediment transport in a desert-oasis ecotone. Therefore, aeolian sediment transport and loss was assessed from a desert-oasis experimental site located near Alaer City in the northwestern Tarim Basin. Sediment transport and factors governing transport were measured during three high wind events in 2012 and four events in 2013. Sediment transport was measured to a height of 10 m using passive aeolian airborne sediment samplers. The mass flux profile over the eroding surface was well represented by the power-law (R2 > 0.77). Sediment loss from the site ranged from 118 g m−2 for the 20–24Apr 2012 wind event to 2925 g m−2 for the 31Mar–11Apr 2012 event. Suspension accounted for 67.4 to 84.8% of sediment loss across all high wind events. Our results indicate the severity of wind erosion in a desert-oasis ecotone and thus encourage adoption of management practices that will enhance oasis ecological security.
Evaluation on quality consistency of Ganoderma lucidum dietary supplements collected in the United States
Authors: Wu Ding-Tao , Deng Yong , Chen Ling-Xiao , Zhao Jing , Bzhelyansky Anton , Li Shao-Ping
Published: August 2017

Ganoderma lucidum is a well-known medicinal mushroom. At present, numerous G. lucidum products have emerged in the form of dietary supplements in the United States due to its various benefits. However, the quality consistency of these products based on their label ingredients has seldom been evaluated due to the lack of a suitable toolkit. In this study, 19 batches of products of G. lucidum (Red Reishi, Reishi), herbal/mushroom supplements purchased in the United States, were evaluated based on their bioactive components including triterpenes and polysaccharides by using chromatographic methods and saccharide mapping. The results showed that the measured ingredients of only 5 tested samples (26.3%) were in accordance with their labels, which suggested the quality consistency of G. lucidum dietary supplements in the U.S. market was poor, which should be carefully investigated.
Epitaxial thin films of pyrochlore iridate Bi2+xIr2-yO7-δ: structure, defects and transport properties
Authors: Yang W. C. , Xie Y. T. , Zhu W. K. , Park K. , Chen A. P. , Losovyj Y. , Li Z. , Liu H. M. , Starr M. , Acosta J. A. , Tao C. G. , Li N. , Jia Q. X. , Heremans J. J. , Zhang S. X.
Published: August 2017

While pyrochlore iridate thin films are theoretically predicted to possess a variety of emergent topological properties, experimental verification of these predictions can be obstructed by the challenge in thin film growth. Here we report on the pulsed laser deposition and characterization of thin films of a representative pyrochlore compound Bi2Ir2O7. The films were epitaxially grown on yttria-stabilized zirconia substrates and have lattice constants that are a few percent larger than that of the bulk single crystals. The film composition shows a strong dependence on the oxygen partial pressure. Density-functional-theory calculations indicate the existence of BiIr antisite defects, qualitatively consistent with the high Bi: Ir ratio found in the films. Both Ir and Bi have oxidation states that are lower than their nominal values, suggesting the existence of oxygen deficiency. The iridate thin films show a variety of intriguing transport characteristics, including multiple charge carriers, logarithmic dependence of resistance on temperature, antilocalization corrections to conductance due to spin-orbit interactions, and linear positive magnetoresistance.
Characterization of P. vivax blood stage transcriptomes from field isolates reveals similarities among infections and complex gene isoforms
Authors: Kim Adam , Popovici Jean , Vantaux Amélie , Samreth Reingsey , Bin Sophalai , Kim Saorin , Roesch Camille , Liang Li , Davies Huw , Felgner Philip , Herrera Sócrates , Arévalo-Herrera Myriam , Ménard Didier , Serre David
Published: August 2017

Our understanding of the structure and regulation of Plasmodium vivax genes is limited by our inability to grow the parasites in long-term in vitro cultures. Most P. vivax studies must therefore rely on patient samples, which typically display a low proportion of parasites and asynchronous parasites. Here, we present stranded RNA-seq data generated directly from a small volume of blood from three Cambodian vivax malaria patients collected before treatment. Our analyses show surprising similarities of the parasite gene expression patterns across infections, despite extensive variations in parasite stage proportion. These similarities contrast with the unique gene expression patterns observed in sporozoites isolated from salivary glands of infected Colombian mosquitoes. Our analyses also indicate that more than 10% of P. vivax genes encode multiple, often undescribed, protein-coding sequences, potentially increasing the diversity of proteins synthesized by blood stage parasites. These data also greatly improve the annotations of P. vivax gene untranslated regions, providing an important resource for future studies of specific genes.
Cross-species transmission potential between wild pigs, livestock, poultry, wildlife, and humans: implications for disease risk management in North America
Authors: Miller Ryan S. , Sweeney Steven J. , Slootmaker Chris , Grear Daniel A. , Di Salvo Paul A. , Kiser Deborah , Shwiff Stephanie A.
Published: August 2017

Cross-species disease transmission between wildlife, domestic animals and humans is an increasing threat to public and veterinary health. Wild pigs are increasingly a potential veterinary and public health threat. Here we investigate 84 pathogens and the host species most at risk for transmission with wild pigs using a network approach. We assess the risk to agricultural and human health by evaluating the status of these pathogens and the co-occurrence of wild pigs, agriculture and humans. We identified 34 (87%) OIE listed swine pathogens that cause clinical disease in livestock, poultry, wildlife, and humans. On average 73% of bacterial, 39% of viral, and 63% of parasitic pathogens caused clinical disease in other species. Non-porcine livestock in the familyBovidaeshared the most pathogens with swine (82%). Only 49% of currently listed OIE domestic swine diseases had published wild pig surveillance studies. The co-occurrence of wild pigs and farms increased annually at a rate of 1.2% with as much as 57% of all farms and 77% of all agricultural animals co-occurring with wild pigs. The increasing co-occurrence of wild pigs with livestock and humans along with the large number of pathogens shared is a growing risk for cross-species transmission.
Enpp1 is an anti-aging factor that regulates Klotho under phosphate overload conditions
Authors: Watanabe Ryuichi , Fujita Nobuyuki , Sato Yuiko , Kobayashi Tami , Morita Mayu , Oike Takatsugu , Miyamoto Kana , Kuro-o Makoto , Michigami Toshimi , Fukumoto Seiji , Tsuji Takashi , Toyama Yoshiaki , Nakamura Masaya , Matsumoto Morio , Miyamoto Takeshi
Published: August 2017

Control of phosphate metabolism is crucial to regulate aging in mammals. Klotho is a well-known anti-aging factor that regulates phosphate metabolism: mice mutant or deficient in Klotho exhibit phenotypes resembling human aging. Here we show that ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (Enpp1) is required for Klotho expression under phosphate overload conditions. Loss-of-function Enpp1
ttw/ttw
mice under phosphate overload conditions exhibited phenotypes resembling human aging and Klotho mutants, such as short life span, arteriosclerosis and osteoporosis, with elevated serum 1,25(OH)2D3 levels. Enpp1
ttw/ttw
mice also exhibited significantly reduced renal Klotho expression under phosphate overload conditions, and aging phenotypes in these mice were rescued by Klotho overexpression, a low vitamin D diet or vitamin D receptor knockout. These findings indicate that Enpp1 plays a crucial role in regulating aging via Klotho expression under phosphate overload conditions.
Molecular identification of spiders preying on Empoasca vitis in a tea plantation
Authors: Yang Ting-bang , Liu Jie , Yuan Long-yu , Zhang Yang , Li Dai-qin , Agnarsson Ingi , Chen Jian
Published: August 2017

Biological control using predators of key pest species is an attractive option in integrated pest management (IPM). Molecular gut analysis can provide an estimation of predator efficiency on a given prey. Here we use a combination of various experimental approaches, both in field and lab, to identify a potential biological control species of the common pest of commercially grown tea, Empoasca vitis (Göthe) (Hemiptera), in a Chinese plantation. We collected 2655 spiders from plantations and established relative abundances of spider species and their temporal overlap with the pest species in tea canopy. We analyzed DNA from 1363 individuals of the most common spider species using targeted RQ-PCR to quantify the potential efficiency of spiders as a predator on E. vitis. The results showed that, in the field, the jumping spider Evarcha albaria was the most abundant, had the closest temporal overlap with the pest, and frequently fed on it. Therefore, this spider may play a key role in pest suppression. The present study demonstrates the potential of our experimental approach to study predator-prey relationships in taxa that do not lend themselves to morphological identification of gut contents, such as spiders.
Water Circulation and Marine Environment in the Antarctic Traced by Speciation of 129I and 127I
Authors: Xing Shan , Hou Xiaolin , Aldahan Ala , Possnert Göran , Shi Keliang , Yi Peng , Zhou Weijian
Published: August 2017

Emissions of anthropogenic 129I from human nuclear activities are now detected in the surface water of the Antarctic seas. Surface seawater samples from the Drake Passage, Bellingshausen, Amundsen, and Ross Seas were analyzed for total 129I and 127I, as well as for iodide and iodate of these two isotopes. The variability of 127I and 129I concentrations and their species (127I−/127IO3−, 129I−/129IO3−) suggest limited environmental impact where ((1.15–3.15) × 106 atoms/L for 129I concentration and (0.61–1.98) × 10−11 for 129I/127I atomic ratios are the lowest ones compared to the other oceans. The iodine distribution patterns provide useful information on surface water transport and mixing that are vital for better understanding of the Southern Oceans effects on the global climate change. The results indicate multiple spatial interactions between the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and Antarctic Peninsula Coastal Current (APCC). These interactions happen in restricted circulation pathways that may partly relate to glacial melting and icebergs transport. Biological activity during the warm season should be one of the key factors controlling the reduction of iodate in the coastal water in the Antarctic.
Luciferase Expression Allows Bioluminescence Imaging But Imposes Limitations on the Orthotopic Mouse (4T1) Model of Breast Cancer
Authors: Baklaushev V. P. , Kilpeläinen A. , Petkov S. , Abakumov M. A. , Grinenko N. F. , Yusubalieva G. M. , Latanova A. A. , Gubskiy I. L. , Zabozlaev F. G. , Starodubova E. S. , Abakumova T. O. , Isaguliants M. G. , Chekhonin V. P.
Published: August 2017

Implantation of reporter-labeled tumor cells in an immunocompetent host involves a risk of their immune elimination. We have studied this effect in a mouse model of breast cancer after the orthotopic implantation of mammary gland adenocarcinoma 4T1 cells genetically labelled with luciferase (Luc). Mice were implanted with 4T1 cells and two derivative Luc-expressing clones 4T1luc2 and 4T1luc2D6 exhibiting equalin vitrogrowth rates.In vivo, the daughter 4T1luc2 clone exhibited nearly the same, and 4T1luc2D6, a lower growth rate than the parental cells. The metastatic potential of 4T1 variants was assessed by magnetic resonance, bioluminescent imaging, micro-computed tomography, and densitometry which detected 100-μm metastases in multiple organs and bones at the early stage of their development. After 3–4 weeks, 4T1 generated 11.4 ± 2.1, 4T1luc2D6, 4.5 ± 0.6; and 4T1luc2, <1 metastases per mouse, locations restricted to lungs and regional lymph nodes. Mice bearing Luc-expressing tumors developed IFN-γ response to the dominant CTL epitope of Luc. Induced by intradermal DNA-immunization, such response protected mice from the establishment of 4T1luc2-tumors. Our data show that natural or induced cellular response against the reporter restricts growth and metastatic activity of the reporter-labelled tumor cells. Such cells represent a powerful instrument for improving immunization technique for cancer vaccine applications.
Role of water and protein dynamics in proton pumping by respiratory complex I
Authors: Haapanen Outi , Sharma Vivek
Published: August 2017

Membrane bound respiratory complex I is the key enzyme in the respiratory chains of bacteria and mitochondria, and couples the reduction of quinone to the pumping of protons across the membrane. Recently solved crystal or electron microscopy structures of bacterial and mitochondrial complexes have provided significant insights into the electron and proton transfer pathways. However, due to large spatial separation between the electron and proton transfer routes, the molecular mechanism of coupling remains unclear. Here, based on atomistic molecular dynamics simulations performed on the entire structure of complex I from Thermus thermophilus, we studied the hydration of the quinone-binding site and the membrane-bound subunits. The data from simulations show rapid diffusion of water molecules in the protein interior, and formation of hydrated regions in the three antiporter-type subunits. An unexpected water-protein based connectivity between the middle of the Q-tunnel and the fourth proton channel is also observed. The protonation-state dependent dynamics of key acidic residues in the Nqo8 subunit suggest that the latter may be linked to redox-coupled proton pumping in complex I. We propose that in complex I the proton and electron transfer paths are not entirely separate, instead the nature of coupling may in part be ‘direct’.
CD71+ erythroid suppressor cells impair adaptive immunity against Bordetella pertussis
Authors: Namdar Afshin , Koleva Petya , Shahbaz Shima , Strom Stacy , Gerdts Volker , Elahi Shokrollah
Published: August 2017

Infant’s immune system cannot control infection or respond to vaccination as efficiently as older individuals, a phenomenon that has been attributed to immunological immaturity. Recently, we challenged this notion and proposed the presence of actively immunosuppressive and physiologically enriched CD71+ erythroid cells in neonates. Here we utilized Bordetella pertussis, a common neonatal respiratory tract pathogen, as a proof of concept to investigate the role of these cells in adaptive immunity. We observed that CD71+ cells have distinctive immunosuppressive properties and prevent recruitment of immune cells to the mucosal site of infection. CD71+ cells ablation unleashed induction of B. pertussis-specific protective cytokines (IL-17 and IFN-γ) in the lungs and spleen upon re-infection or vaccination. We also found that CD71+ cells suppress systemic and mucosal B. pertussis-specific antibody responses. Enhanced antigen-specific adaptive immunity following CD71+ cells depletion increased resistance of mice to B. pertussis infection. Furthermore, we found that human cord blood CD71+ cells also suppress T and B cell functions in vitro. Collectively, these data provide important insight into the role of CD71+ erythroid cells in adaptive immunity. We anticipate our results will spark renewed investigation in modulating the function of these cells to enhance host defense to infections in newborns.
Epidemiology of tuberculosis in Chongqing, China: a secular trend from 1992 to 2015
Authors: Wu Bo , Yu Ya , Xie Weijia , Liu Ying , Zhang Yao , Hu Daiyu , Li Yafei
Published: August 2017

Chongqing is a southwest city of China with high tuberculosis (TB) burden. An observational retrospective study has been performed based on routine TB surveillance data in Chongqing from 1992 to 2015. The TB notification rate has declined to 70.8 cases per 100,000 population from the peak of 106 cases per 100,000 in 2005. The TB notification rate in population over-65 years has become the highest among all-ages population since 2010. The average proportion of farmers in all notified cases from 2008 to 2015 was 62.5%, and the notification rate of farmers has become the highest among all occupations since 2011. The TB notification showed a regional disparity in Chongqing. Despite the improvement achieved since 1992, the TB control efforts has been threatened by new challenges such as the demographic shift towards an aging population, the prevalence of MDR-TB and TB/HIV co-infection, and the regional disparity of TB notification. More effective interventions should be implemented. Our study can serve as a guidance for the future development of TB control in Chongqing, and we believe it has general relevance to TB control in other regions with similar situations.
Spatial disease dynamics of free-living pathogens under pathogen predation
Authors: Mononen Tommi , Ruokolainen Lasse
Published: August 2017

The epidemiological dynamics of potentially free-living pathogens are often studied with respect to a specific pathogen species (e.g., cholera) and most studies concentrate only on host-pathogen interactions. Here we show that metacommunity-level interactions can alter conventional spatial disease dynamics. We introduce a pathogen eating consumer species and investigate a deterministic epidemiological model of two habitat patches, where both patches can be occupied by hosts, pathogens, and consumers of free-living pathogens. An isolated habitat patch shows periodic disease outbreaks in the host population, arising from cyclic consumer-pathogen dynamics. On the other hand, consumer dispersal between the patches generate asymmetric disease prevalence, such that the host population in one patch stays disease-free, while disease outbreaks occur in the other patch. Such asymmetry can also arise with host dispersal, where infected hosts carry pathogens to the other patch. This indirect movement of pathogens causes also a counter-intuitive effect: decreasing morbidity in a focal patch under increasing pathogen immigration. Our results underline that community-level interactions influence disease dynamics and consistent spatial asymmetry can arise also in spatially homogeneous systems.
Quantitative response relationships between net nitrogen transformation rates and nitrogen functional genes during artificial vegetation restoration following agricultural abandonment
Authors: Wang Honglei , Deng Na , Wu Duoyang , Hu Shu
Published: August 2017

A comprehensive understanding of how microbial associated with nitrogen (N) cycling respond to artificial vegetation restoration is still lacking, particularly in arid to semi-arid degraded ecosystems. We compared soil net N mineralization rates and the abundance of bacteria, archaea, and eleven N microbial genes on the northern Loess Plateau of China during the process of artificial vegetation restoration. The quantitative relationships between net N mineralization rates and N microbial genes were determined. We observed a significant difference of net transformation rates of NH4+-N (Ra), NO3−-N (Rd), and total mineralization (Rm), which rapidly decreased in 10-year soils and steadily increased in the 10–30-year soils. Different N functional microbial groups responded to artificial vegetation restoration distinctly and differentially, especially for denitrifying bacteria. Stepwise regression analysis suggested that Ra was collectively controlled by AOA-amoA and Archaea; Rd was jointly governed by narG, napA, nxrA, and bacreria; and Rm was jointly controlled by napA, narG, nirK, nirS, norB, nosZ, and nxrA.
Predictable Chronic Mild Stress during Adolescence Promotes Fear Memory Extinction in Adulthood
Authors: Deng Jia-Hui , Yan Wei , Han Ying , Chen Chen , Meng Shi-Qiu , Sun Cheng-Yu , Xu Ling-Zhi , Xue Yan-Xue , Gao Xue-Jiao , Chen Na , Zhang Fei-Long , Wang Yu-Mei , Shi Jie , Lu Lin
Published: August 2017

Early-life stress in adolescence has a long-lasting influence on brain function in adulthood, and it is mostly recognized as a predisposing factor for mental illnesses, such as anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. Previous studies also indicated that adolescent predictable chronic mild stress (PCMS) in early life promotes resilience to depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in adulthood. However, the role of PCMS in associated memory process is still unclear. In the present study, we found that adolescent PCMS facilitated extinction and inhibited fear response in reinstatement and spontaneous recovery tests in adult rats, and this effect was still present 1 week later. PCMS in adolescence increased the activity of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling in infralimbic cortex (IL) but not prelimbic cortex in adulthood. Intra-IL infusion of BDNF antibody and the ERK1/2 inhibitor U0126 reversed PCMS-induced enhancement of fear extinction. Moreover, we found that PCMS decreased DNA methylation of the Bdnf gene at exons IV and VI and elevated the mRNA levels of Bdnf in the IL. Our findings indicate that adolescent PCMS exposure promotes fear memory extinction in adulthood, which reevaluates the traditional notion of adolescent stress.
Deep subwavelength ultrasonic imaging using optimized holey structured metamaterials
Authors: Amireddy Kiran Kumar , Balasubramaniam Krishnan , Rajagopal Prabhu
Published: August 2017

This paper reports the experimental demonstration of deep subwavelength ultrasonic imaging of defects in metallic samples with a feature size of λ/25 using holey-structured metamaterial lenses. Optimal dimensions of the metamaterial’s geometric parameters are determined using numerical simulation and the physics of wave propagation through holey lenses. The paper also shows how the extraordinary transmission capacity of holey structured metamaterials comes about by the coupling of higher frequencies in the incident ultrasonic wave field to resonant modes of the lens.
Mass & secondary structure propensity of amino acids explain their mutability and evolutionary replacements
Authors: Bohórquez Hugo J. , Suárez Carlos F. , Patarroyo Manuel E.
Published: August 2017

Why is an amino acid replacement in a protein accepted during evolution? The answer given by bioinformatics relies on the frequency of change of each amino acid by another one and the propensity of each to remain unchanged. We propose that these replacement rules are recoverable from the secondary structural trends of amino acids. A distance measure between high-resolution Ramachandran distributions reveals that structurally similar residues coincide with those found in substitution matrices such as BLOSUM: Asn ↔ Asp, Phe ↔ Tyr, Lys ↔ Arg, Gln ↔ Glu, Ile ↔ Val, Met → Leu; with Ala, Cys, His, Gly, Ser, Pro, and Thr, as structurally idiosyncratic residues. We also found a high average correlation ($$\overline{R}$$

R

¯

 = 0.85) between thirty amino acid mutability scales and the mutational inertia (I
X
), which measures the energetic cost weighted by the number of observations at the most probable amino acid conformation. These results indicate that amino acid substitutions follow two optimally-efficient principles: (a) amino acids interchangeability privileges their secondary structural similarity, and (b) the amino acid mutability depends directly on its biosynthetic energy cost, and inversely with its frequency. These two principles are the underlying rules governing the observed amino acid substitutions.
SNAP-25b-deficiency increases insulin secretion and changes spatiotemporal profile of Ca2+oscillations in β cell networks
Authors: Daraio Teresa , Bombek Lidija Križančić , Gosak Marko , Valladolid-Acebes Ismael , Klemen Maša Skelin , Refai Essam , Berggren Per-Olof , Brismar Kerstin , Rupnik Marjan Slak , Bark Christina
Published: August 2017

SNAP-25 is a protein of the core SNARE complex mediating stimulus-dependent release of insulin from pancreatic β cells. The protein exists as two alternatively spliced isoforms, SNAP-25a and SNAP-25b, differing in 9 out of 206 amino acids, yet their specific roles in pancreatic β cells remain unclear. We explored the effect of SNAP-25b-deficiency on glucose-stimulated insulin release in islets and found increased secretion both in vivo and in vitro. However, slow photo-release of caged Ca2+ in β cells within pancreatic slices showed no significant differences in Ca2+-sensitivity, amplitude or rate of exocytosis between SNAP-25b-deficient and wild-type littermates. Therefore, we next investigated if Ca2+ handling was affected in glucose-stimulated β cells using intracellular Ca2+-imaging and found premature activation and delayed termination of [Ca2+]
i
elevations. These findings were accompanied by less synchronized Ca2+-oscillations and hence more segregated functional β cell networks in SNAP-25b-deficient mice. Islet gross morphology and architecture were maintained in mutant mice, although sex specific compensatory changes were observed. Thus, our study proposes that SNAP-25b in pancreatic β cells, except for participating in the core SNARE complex, is necessary for accurate regulation of Ca2+-dynamics.
Exhumation history of the Sanshandao Au deposit, Jiaodong: constraints from structural analysis and (U-Th)/He thermochronology
Authors: Liu Xuan , Fan Hong-Rui , Evans Noreen J. , Yang Kui-Feng , Danišík Martin , McInnes Brent I. A. , Qin Ke-Zhang , Yu Xue-Feng
Published: August 2017

The Sanshandao gold deposit contains an estimated Au resource of >1500 tons, however little is known about the history of exhumation, and the magnitude of displacement on the ore-hosting fault. Structural measurement revealed two phases of normal and one phase of sinistral movement on the fault. Despite of intra-sample dispersions, (U-Th)/He ages from two sub-vertical profiles show decreasing trends from the surface down to −3560 m (zircon: 123 Ma to 55 Ma; apatite 103 Ma to 0.3 Ma). Over-dispersion of AHe ages likely reflects the presence of undetected inclusions. According to the age-depth pattern, we infer that the deposit underwent an early phase of rapid cooling in the late Early Cretaceous, which was followed by a short period of thermal stagnation and a revived rapid cooling between 75 Ma and 55 Ma in response to a combined effects of late normal movement and erosion. Since the Eocene, the deposit has experienced a slow monotonic cooling. Exhumation magnitude estimates suggest that the deposit have been denudated > 5.1 km. The two phases of normal displacement along the fault occurred in the late Early Cretaceous and Late Cretaceous to Paleocene, leading to a total offset magnitude of 0.5–2.3 km.
Kinetic and Structural Characterization of the Effects of Membrane on the Complex of Cytochrome b
5 and Cytochrome c
Authors: Gentry Katherine A. , Prade Elke , Barnaba Carlo , Zhang Meng , Mahajan Mukesh , Im Sang-Choul , Anantharamaiah G. M. , Nagao Satoshi , Waskell Lucy , Ramamoorthy Ayyalusamy
Published: August 2017

Cytochrome b5 (cytb5) is a membrane protein vital for the regulation of cytochrome P450 (cytP450) metabolism and is capable of electron transfer to many redox partners. Here, using cyt c as a surrogate for cytP450, we report the effect of membrane on the interaction between full-length cytb5 and cyt c for the first time. As shown through stopped-flow kinetic experiments, electron transfer capable cytb5 - cyt c complexes were formed in the presence of bicelles and nanodiscs. Experimentally measured NMR parameters were used to map the cytb5-cyt c binding interface. Our experimental results identify differences in the binding epitope of cytb5 in the presence and absence of membrane. Notably, in the presence of membrane, cytb5 only engaged cyt c at its lower and upper clefts while the membrane-free cytb5 also uses a distal region. Using restraints generated from both cytb5 and cyt c, a complex structure was generated and a potential electron transfer pathway was identified. These results demonstrate the importance of studying protein-protein complex formation in membrane mimetic systems. Our results also demonstrate the successful preparation of novel peptide-based lipid nanodiscs, which are detergent-free and possesses size flexibility, and their use for NMR structural studies of membrane proteins.
The algicidal mechanism of prodigiosin from Hahella sp. KA22 against Microcystis aeruginosa
Authors: Yang Ke , Chen Qiuliang , Zhang Danyang , Zhang Huajun , Lei Xueqian , Chen Zhangran , Li Yi , Hong Yaling , Ma Xiaohong , Zheng Wei , Tian Yun , Zheng Tianling , Xu Hong
Published: August 2017

In recent years, Microcystis aeruginosa blooms have occurred throughout the world, causing huge economic losses and destroying aquatic ecosystems. It is necessary to develop effective and ecofriendly methods to control M. aeruginosa blooms. Here, we report a high algicidal activity of prodigiosin (PG) against M. aeruginosa as well as the algicidal mechanism. PG showed high algicidal activity against M. aeruginosa, with a 50% lethal dose (LD50) of 5.87 μg/mL in 72 h. A combination of methods, including propidium iodide and Annexin V-fluorescein staining assays and light and electron microscopy indicated the existence of two modes of cell death with features similar to those in eukaryotic programmed cell death: necrotic-like and apoptotic-like. Biochemical and physiological analyses showed that PG generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), which induce lipid peroxidation, damage the membrane system and destroy the function of the photosystem. A proteomics analysis revealed that many proteins were differentially expressed in response to PG stress and that most of these proteins were involved in important metabolic processes, which may trigger necrotic-like or apoptotic-like cell death. The present study sheds light on the multiple toxicity mechanisms of PG on M. aeruginosa and its potential for controlling the occurrence of M. aeruginosa blooms in lakes.
Medium/Long wavelength sensitive opsin diversity in Pitheciidae
Authors: Goulart Vinicius D. L. R. , Boubli Jean P. , Young Robert J.
Published: August 2017

New World primates feature a complex colour vision system. Most species have polymorphic colour vision where males have a dichromatic colour perception and females can be either dichromatic or trichromatic. The adaptive value of high allelic diversity of opsins, a light sensitive protein, found in primates’ eyes remains unknown. Studies revealing the allelic diversity are important as they shed light on our understanding of the adaptive value of differences in the colouration of species and their ecologies. Here we investigate the allelic types found in Pitheciidae, an understudied New World primate family, revealing the diversity of medium/long wavelength sensitive opsins both in cryptic and conspicuous species of this primate family. We found five alleles in Cacajao, six in Callicebinae (i.e. Plecturocebus, Cheracebus, and Callicebus), four in Chiropotes, and three in Pithecia, some of them reported for the first time. Both cryptic and conspicuous species in this group presented high allelic diversity.
Continental scale variability of foliar nitrogen and carbon isotopes in Populus balsamifera and their relationships with climate
Authors: Elmore Andrew J. , Craine Joseph M. , Nelson David M. , Guinn Steven M.
Published: August 2017

Variation across climate gradients in the isotopic composition of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) in foliar tissues has the potential to reveal ecological processes related to N and water availability. However, it has been a challenge to separate spatial patterns related to direct effects of climate from effects that manifest indirectly through species turnover across climate gradients. Here we compare variation along environmental gradients in foliar N isotope (δ15N) and C isotopic discrimination (Δ13C) measured in 755 specimens of a single widely distributed tree species, Populus balsamifera, with variation represented in global databases of foliar isotopes. After accounting for mycorrhizal association, sample size, and climatic range, foliar δ15N in P. balsamifera was more weakly related to mean annual precipitation and foliar N concentration than when measured across species, yet exhibited a stronger negative effect of mean annual temperature. Similarly, the effect of precipitation and elevation on Δ13C were stronger in a global data base of foliar Δ13C samples than observed in P. balsamifera. These results suggest that processes influencing foliar δ15N and Δ13C in P. balsamifera are partially normalized across its climatic range by the habitat it occupies or by the physiology of the species itself.
Evidence for enhanced multi-component behaviour in Tourette syndrome – an EEG study
Authors: Brandt Valerie C. , Stock Ann-Kathrin , Münchau Alexander , Beste Christian
Published: August 2017

Evidence suggests that Tourette syndrome is characterized by an increase in dopamine transmission and structural as well as functional changes in fronto-striatal circuits that might lead to enhanced multi-component behaviour integration. Behavioural and neurophysiological data regarding multi-component behaviour was collected from 15 patients with Tourette syndrome (mean age = 30.40 ± 11.10) and 15 healthy controls (27.07 ± 5.44), using the stop-change task. In this task, participants are asked to sometimes withhold responses to a Go stimulus (stop cue) and change hands to respond to an alternative Go stimulus (change cue). Different onset asynchronies between stop and change cues were implemented (0 and 300 ms) in order to vary task difficulty. Tourette patients responded more accurately than healthy controls when there was no delay between stop and change stimulus, while there was no difference in the 300 ms delay condition. This performance advantage was reflected in a smaller P3 event related potential. Enhanced multi-component behaviour in Tourette syndrome is likely based on an enhanced ability to integrate information from multiple sources and translate it into an appropriate response sequence. This may be a consequence of chronic tic control in these patients, or a known fronto-striatal networks hyperconnectivity in Tourette syndrome.
Evaluating agroclimatic constraints and yield gaps for winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) – A case study
Authors: Zhang Zhi , Lu Jianwei , Cong Rihuan , Ren Tao , Li Xiaokun
Published: August 2017

Evaluating the effects of agroclimatic constraints on winter oilseed rape (WOSR) yield can facilitate the development of agricultural mitigation and adaptation strategies. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the WOSR yield and agroclimatic factors using the yield data collected from Agricultural Yearbook and field experimental sites, and the climate dataset from the meteorological stations in Hubei province, China. Five agroclimatic indicators during WOSR growth, such as ≥0 °C accumulated temperature (AT-0), overwintering days (OWD), precipitation (P), precipitation at an earlier stage (EP) and sunshine hours (S), were extracted from twelve agroclimatic indices. The attainable yield for the five yield-limiting factors ranged from 2638 kg ha−1 (EP) to 3089 kg ha−1 (AT-0). Farmers (Y
farm
) and local agronomists (Y
exp
) have achieved 63% and 86% of the attainable yield (Y
att
), respectively. The contribution of optimum fertilization to narrow the yield gap (NY
exp
) was 52% for the factor P, which was remarkably lower than the mean value (63%). Overall, the precipitation was the crucial yield-limiting agroclimatic factor, and restricted the effect of optimizing fertilization. The integrated data suggest that agricultural strategies of mitigation and adaptation to climatic variability based on different agroclimatic factors are essential for improving the crop yield.
Centennial-scale reductions in nitrogen availability in temperate forests of the United States
Authors: McLauchlan K. K. , Gerhart L. M. , Battles J. J. , Craine J. M. , Elmore A. J. , Higuera P. E. , Mack M. C. , McNeil B. E. , Nelson D. M. , Pederson N. , Perakis S. S.
Published: August 2017

Forests cover 30% of the terrestrial Earth surface and are a major component of the global carbon (C) cycle. Humans have doubled the amount of global reactive nitrogen (N), increasing deposition of N onto forests worldwide. However, other global changes—especially climate change and elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations—are increasing demand for N, the element limiting primary productivity in temperate forests, which could be reducing N availability. To determine the long-term, integrated effects of global changes on forest N cycling, we measured stable N isotopes in wood, a proxy for N supply relative to demand, on large spatial and temporal scales across the continental U.S.A. Here, we show that forest N availability has generally declined across much of the U.S. since at least 1850 C.E. with cool, wet forests demonstrating the greatest declines. Across sites, recent trajectories of N availability were independent of recent atmospheric N deposition rates, implying a minor role for modern N deposition on the trajectory of N status of North American forests. Our results demonstrate that current trends of global changes are likely to be consistent with forest oligotrophication into the foreseeable future, further constraining forest C fixation and potentially storage.
Photonic Spin Hall Effect in Waveguides Composed of Two Types of Single-Negative Metamaterials
Authors: Guo Zhiwei , Jiang Haitao , Long Yang , Yu Kun , Ren Jie , Xue Chunhua , Chen Hong
Published: August 2017

The polarization controlled optical signal routing has many important applications in photonics such as polarization beam splitter. By using two-dimensional transmission lines with lumped elements, we experimentally demonstrate the selective excitation of guided modes in waveguides composed of two kinds of single-negative metamaterials. A localized, circularly polarized emitter placed near the interface of the two kinds of single-negative metamaterials only couples with one guided mode with a specific propagating direction determined by the polarization handedness of the source. Moreover, this optical spin-orbit locking phenomenon, also called the photonic spin Hall effect, is robust against interface fluctuations, which may be very useful in the manipulation of electromagnetic signals.