bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Some Recent Statistical Results
Authors: Elderton W. Palin
Published: June 2019

Probably everyone who has been responsible in any way for the underwriting of life assurance has paused on some occasions to consider whether an extra premium which it is proposed to charge for personal or family history is really justifiable. It is comparatively easy to express this hesitancy as a problem that requires solution by asking whether the mortality among those persons having a certain family history or personal defect is heavier than that among other assured lives, and if so, to what extent. At present there is, however, little to help towards a direct solution and the amount of extra premium is based on an “educated guess.” It is, of course, only statistical evidence that can finally prove the necessity for an extra or justify its amount, but although insurance offices have been doing business and charging extra premiums for many years no complete attempt has been made to solve the problem.
Nucleotide variation in the ovine KRT31 promoter region and its association with variation in wool traits in Merino-cross lambs
Authors: Chai W. , Zhou H. , Gong H. , Wang J. , Luo Y. , Hickford J. G. H.
Published: June 2019

Keratins are the main structural proteins of wool fibres, and it is thought that variation in the keratins may affect wool fibre characteristics. Polymerase chain reaction-single stranded conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analyses were used to investigate four regions of the ovine keratin gene KRT31 including a portion of the promoter, the exon 1, exon 3 and exon 7 regions. Initially, in a screening panel of 300 New Zealand Romney, Merino and White Dorper sheep obtained from 26 farms, three, two, two and two PCR-SSCP banding patterns were observed for these four regions, respectively. The promoter region, the exon 1 and exon 3 regions contained two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the exon 7 region contained one SNP. The effect of the variation found in the promoter region on wool traits was subsequently investigated in 485 Southdown × Merino-cross lambs from seven sire-lines. The three variants identified in the original 300 sheep (named A, B and C) were observed with frequencies of 56, 29 and 15%, respectively. The presence of A and B had no significant effect on wool traits, but the presence of C was found to be associated with an increase in greasy fleece weight (GFW), clean fleece weight (CFW) and mean staple length (MSL). There was an effect of genotype on CFW and MSL, with BC sheep producing wool of higher CFW and MSL than AA, AB, AC and BB sheep. These results suggest that ovine KRT31 might be a useful candidate gene for improving wool traits.
Zapata's Justice: Land and Water Conflict Resolution in Revolutionary Mexico (1914–16)
Authors: Baitenmann Helga
Published: June 2019

This article challenges the widely held view that, during the Mexican Revolution, the Zapatista villages governed themselves with complete autonomy from the state and according to the pueblos’ customary justice. It shows how Zapatistas in the multi-state region of south-central Mexico dealt with quarrels over small and medium-sized properties, the restitution of usurped pueblo lands and water resources, as well as village boundary disputes. They did so by blending nineteenth-century judicial procedures and civil law, limited but radical reforms to the existing judicial system and new forms of land and water management – all of which strengthened state authority.
On the Multiplication of Decimals
Authors: Grant A. S.
Published: June 2019

So-called “standard form.”

Method I have used with success as regards clearness and accuracy. (I believe this is Mr. Pendlebury’s arrangement.)

Ride. Put singles (or units) figure of multiplier under the last figure of multiplicand.

Arguments in favour of this second plan :

Instead of such a mechanical rule as Mr. Borchardt’s (p. 69, Borchardt’s ,Arithmetical Types and Examples), we get the continued use of the sound and fundamental rule of “putting each first figure of a partial product underneath the figure to which that partial product is due.” And this also corresponds to the method of algebraic multiplication.
Phenotypic and aetiological architecture of depressive symptoms in a Japanese twin sample
Authors: Takahashi Yusuke , Pingault Jean-Baptiste , Yamagata Shinji , Ando Juko
Published: June 2019

Background

The phenotypic and aetiological architecture of depression symptomatology has been mostly studied in Western samples. In this study, we conducted a genetically informed factor analysis to elucidate both the phenotypic and aetiological architectures of self-reported depression among a Japanese adult twin sample.

Methods

Depressive symptoms assessed by Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale were self-rated by 425 twin pairs (301 monozygotic and 124 dizygotic twin pairs) in a community sample in Japan.

Results

An exploratory factor analysis extracted three symptom domains representing cognitive, affective and somatic symptomatology. A confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that a bi-factor solution fitted better than the alternative solutions, implying that depression may be defined as a combination of a single general construct and three factors specific to each of the three symptom domains. A multivariate genetic analysis with the bi-factor solution showed that the general factor was substantially heritable (47%), and that only the affective symptom domain was significantly heritable (29%) among the three specific factors, their remaining variance being explained by non-shared environmental influences.

Conclusions

Depression symptomatology appears to be adequately captured by a substantially heritable general factor. The heritability of this factor (47%) in a Japanese adult sample is in line with commonly reported heritability estimates for depression. The three specific factors – cognitive, affective and somatic – are mostly explained by non-shared environmental factors, which include measurement error. The extent to which these specific factors are uniquely associated with correlates of depression when the general factor is accounted for should be investigated in future studies.
VI. The Vyakti-viveka of Mahima-Bhatta
Authors: Narasimhiengar M. T.
Published: June 2019

This is a unique rhetorical work in Sanskrit literature, quoted by such eminent authors as Mammaṭa-Bhaṭṭa. In point of singular outspokenness, fearless criticism, and utter disregard of contemporary opinion, few rhetoricians can compare with Mahima-Bhaṭṭa. He wrote his wellknown work at a time when the critical spirit was at the highest pitch, and his courageous exposure of the prevailing schools of thought and his daring attempt to set up an original school in their stead are commendable. Though often referred to by later authors and quoted piecemeal, the Vyakti-vivēka, as a whole, has till now remained a sealed book to the public at large. A paper manuscript of the work that was available to me, as well as the Mysore Oriental Library copy to which I had access through the courtesy of the Curator, supplied the materials for this brief sketch.
VII. The Babar-nama. The material now available for a definitive text of the book
Authors: Beveridge Annette S.
Published: June 2019

At the end of an article on the Elphinstone Codex which appeared in this Journal in January, 1907, I expressed the hope of being able later to offer information from which to judge how it compares in wording with the Haydarābād Codex, the ultimate aim of the whole investigation being the establishment of a definitive text of the Bābār-nāma. Since writing that article I have ascertained, by collating the two manuscripts, that in the matter of wording one cannot be ranked higher than the other because, trifling divergence excepted, they are verbally identical.
V.—Spectroscopic Observations of the Rotation of the Sun
Authors: Halm J.
Published: June 2019

The causes of the peculiarities of the solar rotation exhibited by the superficial layers of the sun's body must still be considered unknown, notwithstanding recent interesting attempts at explanation. This is no doubt partly due to the difficulties of the hydrodynamical problem placed before the mathematician in an investigation of such complexity as the movements of particles in a rotating fluid subject to energetic convection. But it must also be conceded that the observational data available for a basis of mathematical, or even speculative, research are still so scanty, that for this reason alone we may perhaps not feel surprised at the failure so far of theoretical attempts.
A Study of Model Gliders
Authors: Roe A. V.
Published: June 2019

The fact that a considerable amount of knowledge can lie gained by experiments with weighted model gliders does not at present appear to be sufficiently appreciated ; only with model gliders, for convenience sake, a less weight is used per square foot of carrying aëroplane surface. A ¼ lb. per square foot area is a convenient demonstrating weight, giving a Speed of about 8 m.p.h., with a drop of about one in six ; with man-carrying machines the usual weight varies between ½ and 1½ lbs.

If a single aëroplane be released in the air it will simply fall anyhow to the ground, but on fixing a steering plane fore or aft, let us say in front as in Fig. 1, there will be a tendency for it to glide, but sooner or later one side will dip downwards, owing to the two planes not being in the same straight line or being improperly balanced.
Methods of Measuring Aircraft Performances
Authors: Tizard H.T.
Published: June 2019

The accurate testing of aeroplanes is one of the many branches of aeronauticswhich have been greatly developed during the war, and especially during the last year. For some months after the war began a climb to 3,000 to 5,000 feet by aneroid and a run over a speed course was considered quite a sufficient test of a new aeroplane ; now we all realise that for military reasons certainly, and probably for commercial reasons in the future, it is the performance of a machine at far greater heights with which we are mainly concerned.
Biostabilization of sewage sludge in the Antarctic
Authors: Banchón Carlos , Borodulina Tamara , Posligua Paola , Gualoto Miguel
Published: June 2019

Antarctica is no longer a pristine environment due to atmospheric pollution, fuel spills, inadequate waste management and wastewater discharges from anthropogenic activities (Harris 1998, Stark et al. 2015). Approximately 37% of the permanent stations and 69% of the summer stations lack any form of sewage treatment (Gröndahl et al. 2009). The characteristics of wastewater from stations are also of concern because they are a complex mix of contaminants containing human waste, cosmetics, viruses, dyes, detergents, medications, chemicals from laboratories and even microplastics (Bhardwaj et al. 2018). In Antarctica, treatment plants discharge treated water into the sea and then sludge is packed and sealed into drums for later shipment to Chile. Nevertheless, sewage sludge (c. 59–88% organic matter) could become a biosolid instead of being a waste if correctly stabilized. The Ecuadorian Antarctic station ‘Pedro Vicente Maldonado’ produced c. 200 kg of sewage sludge during expeditions in 2017 and 2018. Thus, the aim of the present study was to biostabilize sewage sludge using two methods (one thermal and one biological) at the Ecuadorian Antarctic station. As a result, the stabilization of sewage sludge produced a biosolid that was easier and more cost effective to transport, avoiding odour problems.
Associations between classroom climate and children's externalizing symptoms: The moderating effect of kindergarten children's parasympathetic reactivity
Authors: Roubinov Danielle S. , Bush Nicole R. , Hagan Melissa J. , Thompson Jason , Boyce W. Thomas
Published: June 2019

Classrooms are key social settings that impact children's mental health, though individual differences in physiological reactivity may render children more or less susceptible to classroom environments. In a diverse sample of children from 19 kindergarten classrooms (N = 338, 48% female, M age = 5.32 years), we examined whether children's parasympathetic reactivity moderated the association between classroom climate and externalizing symptoms. Independent observers coded teachers’ use of child-centered and teacher-directed instructional practices across classroom social and management domains. Children's respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity to challenge tasks was assessed in fall and a multi-informant measure of externalizing was collected in fall and spring. Both the social and the management domains of classroom climate significantly interacted with children's respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity to predict spring externalizing symptoms, controlling for fall symptoms. For more reactive children, as classrooms shifted toward greater proportional use of child-centered methods, externalizing symptoms declined, whereas greater use of teacher-dominated practices was associated with increased symptoms. Conversely, among less reactive children, exposure to more teacher-dominated classroom management practices was associated with lower externalizing. Consistent with the theory of biological sensitivity to context, considering variability in children's physiological reactivity aids understanding of the salience of the classroom environment for children's mental health.
Community Integration in Traumatic Brain Injury: The Contributing Factor of Affect Recognition Deficits
Authors: Binder Allison S. , Lancaster Katie , Lengenfelder Jean , Chiaravalloti Nancy D. , Genova Helen M.
Published: June 2019

Objective: Individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) can experience social isolation, which is damaging to well-being and counterproductive to successful rehabilitation. It has been proposed that social cognitive deficits that commonly result from TBI may contribute to weakened social integration. However, the consequences of specific social cognitive deficits in TBI are still being delineated. The current work sought to better characterize the relationship between community integration and facial affect recognition (FAR) in TBI. Participants and Methods: A total of 27 participants with moderate to severe TBI and 30 healthy controls (HCs) completed two tests of FAR, which employed either static photographic stimuli or dynamic video stimuli (The Awareness of Social Inference Test). The Community Integration Questionnaire was also administered to participants. Results: Participants with TBI were significantly impaired on both the static and dynamic FAR measures, yet the deficits were most pronounced within the dynamic task. Furthermore, participants with TBI reported lower community integration compared with HCs. FAR was positively associated with community integration in both groups, such that participants with proficient affect recognition skills were better integrated into their communities. Conclusions: FAR deficits may contribute to the lack of community integration often observed in TBI; thus, interventions designed to improve FAR may be beneficial to this population’s ability to successfully reintegrate into society.
The Balloon Ascents made by James Glaisher, F.R.S., for Scientific Purposes, 1862-69
Authors: Marriott Williams
Published: June 2019

A memoir of the late Mr. James Glaisher, F.R.S., appeared in the April number of the Aeronautical Journal, so it seems hardly necessary for any further reference to be made to him. But since that time the instruments and apparatus used by him in his famous balloon ascents have, by the courtesy of his son, Dr. J. W. L. Glaisher, F.R.S., come into the possession of the Royal Meteorological Society.

Your Secretary, Mr. E. S. Bruce, was very desirous that these instruments should be exhibited at a meeting of the Aeronautical Society, and thought that it would be interesting to most of the members if a brief account of Mr. Glaisher's balloon ascents was given at the same time. I could not refuse this request, as Mr. Glaisher was for some time my chief at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, although I think a more interesting account might have been prepared by someone else.
Scientific Instruments, Their Design and use in Aeronautics
Authors: Darwix Horace
Published: June 2019

The Wright brothers made careful observation of the flight of birds, and fourd their observations A'aluable. It is interesting to consider the resemblance and differences of the manufactured aeroplane and the living bird. The resemblance may be simply the result of copying the bird, or it may be that similar designs have been arrived at independently by birds and men. The wings of both are roughly the same shape : of wide span, and narrow in the direction in which the bird flies ; both have concave wings with thick leading edges. In many aeroplanes hollow spars arc used like bones and like the quills of the feathers of birds. We copy plants also in this respect, for they too have learnt the economy of material in the use of hollow spars. The bodies of airships {iresimilar in shape to the bodies of swimming animals, with the greatest width towards the head. The bodies of birds are of similar form.
On the Construction of Detailed Parts of Aeroplane Flying Machines
Authors: Wenham F. H.
Published: June 2019

I write promptly on this very important subject, as time with me is on the wing. I have passed fourteen years beyond the three score and ten of life allotted to man. For many years I have at times brought up the subject of flying, and if I say a few words concerning myself I may, perhaps, be exempt for incurring a charge of egotism.

My training has been that of a marine engineer. I was present at the early trials of “Archimides”—the only screw steamer then afloat. I was but a small boy then, but ever since have taken a keen interest in screw propulsion. It may, therefore, be asked why I did not apply a screw propeller to my design of a flying machine in 1866, but no motive power except steam was then known, and I could not imagine the practicability of carrying a supply of water and fuel up in the air and therefore had to consider the possibility of the strength of a man being sufficient to propel the machine. For this purpose the adaptation of a screw propeller was not feasible, as the man, having other matters requiring his attention, could not be solely occupied in turning a winch-handle. I, therefore, proposed to adapt a pair of oars to be worked by treadles.
Tensile Tests on Steel Tape, Wires, and Flexible Steel Cable
Authors: Mann W. G. , Brimelow J.
Published: June 2019

The following tables are compiled from tests carried out at East London College on various materials of aeroplane construction, kindly supplied by Messrs. W. N. Brunton and Son, T. W. K. Clarke and Co., F. Handley Page, and H. EoUet and Co. Figure 1 shows the method of fixing the steel tapes during test. Table I. gives the results of these tests.
Arctic Amplification Response to Individual Climate Drivers
Authors: Stjern Camilla Weum , Lund Marianne Tronstad , Samset Bjørn Hallvard , Myhre Gunnar , Forster Piers M. , Andrews Timothy , Boucher Olivier , Faluvegi Gregory , Fläschner Dagmar , Iversen Trond , Kasoar Matthew , Kharin Viatcheslav , Kirkevåg Alf , Lamarque Jean‐François , Olivié Dirk , Richardson Thomas , Sand Maria , Shawki Dilshad , Shindell Drew , Smith Christopher J. , Takemura Toshihiko , Voulgarakis Apostolos
Published: June 2019

The Arctic is experiencing rapid climate change in response to changes in greenhouse gases, aerosols, and other climate drivers. Emission changes in general, as well as geographical shifts in emissions and transport pathways of short‐lived climate forcers, make it necessary to understand the influence of each climate driver on the Arctic. In the Precipitation Driver Response Model Intercomparison Project, 10 global climate models perturbed five different climate drivers separately (CO2, CH4, the solar constant, black carbon, and SO4). We show that the annual mean Arctic amplification (defined as the ratio between Arctic and the global mean temperature change) at the surface is similar between climate drivers, ranging from 1.9 (± an intermodel standard deviation of 0.4) for the solar to 2.3 (±0.6) for the SO4 perturbations, with minimum amplification in the summer for all drivers. The vertical and seasonal temperature response patterns indicate that the Arctic is warmed through similar mechanisms for all climate drivers except black carbon. For all drivers, the precipitation change per degree global temperature change is positive in the Arctic, with a seasonality following that of the Arctic amplification. We find indications that SO4 perturbations produce a slightly stronger precipitation response than the other drivers, particularly compared to CO2.
Paleoearthquake History Along the Southern Segment of the Daliangshan Fault Zone in the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Sun Haoyue , He Honglin , Ikeda Yasutaka , Wei Zhanyu , Chen Changyun , Xu Yueren , Shi Feng , Bi Lisi , Shirahama Yoshiki , Okada Shinsuke , Echigo Tomoo
Published: June 2019

Assessing the seismic hazard of a fault is usually based on its record of strong earthquakes. Earthquake records with long periods of quiescence for active faults can lead to underestimates of seismic hazards, such as for the Longmenshan fault zone which produced the unanticipated 2008Mw7.9 Wenchuan earthquake. The Daliangshan fault zone has a low slip rate and has not produced any strong earthquakes in history. As a result, little is known about its paleoearthquake history, including the behavior of any strong earthquakes it might produce and the seismic hazards posed by the Daliangshan fault zone. To solve this problem, we excavated four trenches across the Jiaojihe and Butuo faults along the southern segment of the Daliangshan fault zone. The paleoseismic investigations revealed six paleoearthquakes on the Jiaojihe fault in ~20,000 years and determined another seven rupturing events on the Butuo fault in ~42,000 years. The strong earthquake history of the Jiaojihe fault has evidence of temporal clustering, while the Butuo fault exhibits a relatively periodic recurrence pattern with intervals of 1,710–2,460 years. Based on its surface rupture length and the magnitude of observed displacement, the southern segment of the Daliangshan fault zone is capable of producingM > 6.5 earthquakes. Furthermore, based on their respective slip rates and the elapsed times since the most recent events along the Jiaojihe and Butuo faults, they have accumulated seismic energy equivalent toM ~ 7.6, suggesting they pose a significant seismic hazard to the southeastern Tibetan Plateau.
Biomarker Thermal Maturity Reveals Localized Temperature Rise From Paleoseismic Slip Along the Punchbowl Fault, CA, USA
Authors: Savage Heather M. , Polissar Pratigya J.
Published: June 2019

The Punchbowl Fault, California, USA, is an example of a simple fault zone that has a relatively narrow fault core with further slip localization to principal slip zones. We sampled the principal slip zone, fault core, and wall rocks and conducted hydrous pyrolysis experiments to analyze biomarker thermal maturity within the Punchbowl Fault. Using biomarker maturity as a proxy for temperature rise, we show that the existing principal slip zone experienced greater temperature rise than the surrounding fault core and wall rock, and therefore, we infer that earthquake slip localized along this layer. Furthermore, evidence of slight thermal maturity within the ultracataclasite suggests that the fault core is made up at least in part of reworked former principal slip zones. Using a wide range of possible layer thicknesses, we find that the maximum temperature range during a single earthquake could have varied from ~460 to 1,060 °C at 1‐m/s slip velocity. However, not all samples from within the principal slip zone show a temperature rise, indicating that layer thickness, slip, or shear stress varied during slip. Our temperature estimate also allows us to constrain the frictional energy dissipated during the earthquake to 2.2–25 MJ/m2. Our study demonstrates that localized slip structures can be directly linked to seismicity and that small changes in earthquake or fault parameters can lead to changes in temperature (and likely fault strength) at small scales.
Exploring Key Characteristics in Saturn's Infrared Auroral Emissions Using VLT‐CRIRES: Intensities, Ion Line‐of‐Sight Velocities, and Rotational Temperatures
Authors: Chowdhury M. N. , Stallard T. S. , Melin H. , Johnson R. E.
Published: June 2019

We present a study of Saturn's
northern auroral emission using data from 19 May 2013 from the Very Large Telescope's long‐slit spectrometer Cryogenic Infrared Echelle Spectrograph (VLT‐CRIRES). Adaptive optics, combined with the spectral resolution of VLT‐CRIRES (
100,000), offers unprecedented spectrally resolved views of Saturn's infrared aurora. Discrete
emission lines—used to derive dawn‐to‐dusk profiles of auroral intensity, ion line‐of‐sight velocity, and thermospheric temperature—reveal a dawn‐enhanced aurora with an average temperature of 361 (±48) K and a localized dark region in the emission co‐located with a noon‐to‐midnight (and vice versa) flow in the ion velocity on the scale of ∼1 km/s, resembling an ionospheric polar vortex. A temperature hotspot of 379 (±66) K may be driving an emission region, corresponding to a location where
is failing to cool the thermosphere. Results presented here have implications for current understanding on the complex nature of Saturn's thermosphere‐ionosphere‐magnetosphere interaction.
Ligand Binding Strength Explains the Distribution of Iron in the North Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Pham Anh L. D. , Ito Takamitsu
Published: June 2019

Observations of dissolved iron (dFe) in the subtropical North Atlantic revealed remarkable features: While the near‐surface dFe concentration is low despite receiving high dust deposition, the subsurface dFe concentration is high. We test several hypotheses that might explain this feature in an ocean biogeochemistry model with a refined Fe cycling scheme. These hypotheses invoke a stronger lithogenic scavenging rate, rapid biological uptake, and a weaker binding between Fe and a ubiquitous, refractory ligand. While the standard model overestimates the surface dFe concentration, a 10‐time stronger biological uptake run causes a slight reduction in the model surface dFe. A tenfold decrease in the binding strength of the refractory ligand, suggested by recent observations, starts reproducing the observed dFe pattern, with a potential impact for the global nutrient distribution. An extreme value for the lithogenic scavenging rate can also match the model dFe with observations, but this process is still poorly constrained.
The Influence of Tropical Cyclones on Circulation, Moisture Transport, and Snow Accumulation at Kilimanjaro During the 2006–2007 Season
Authors: Collier E. , Sauter T. , Mölg T. , Hardy D.
Published: June 2019

Tropical cyclones represent an important component of intraseasonal atmospheric variability in the southwest Indian Ocean, and their landfall can be devastating to coastal communities. However, little is known about their impact on precipitation in the high‐elevation regions of East Africa. Here we combine in situ measurements from the summit of Kilimanjaro and subkilometer atmospheric modeling of the region to investigate the impact of these storms during the 2006–2007 cyclone season, which was characterized by anomalously positive snow accumulation at the summit coinciding with cyclone activity. Observations indicate that two storms are associated with snowfall amounts exceeding 10 cm per day, an amount representing ~5% of the observed average annual total. Numerical simulations show that some tropical cyclones transport moisture directly to the region while others induce moisture transport from the continental interior. Our study suggests that these synoptic‐scale phenomena have the potential to complicate the extraction of climate signals from glaciers.
Neuronal cell-subtype specificity of neural synchronization in mouse primary visual cortex
Authors: Knoblich Ulf , Huang Lawrence , Zeng Hongkui , Li Lu
Published: June 2019

Spatiotemporally synchronised neuronal activity is central to sensation, motion and cognition. Brain circuits consist of dynamically interconnected neuronal cell-types, thus elucidating how neuron types synergise within the network is key to understand the neuronal orchestra. Here we show that in neocortex neuron-network coupling is neuronal cell-subtype specific. Employing in vivo two-photon (2-p) Calcium (Ca) imaging and 2-p targeted whole-cell recordings, we cell-type specifically investigated the coupling profiles of genetically defined neuron populations in superficial layers (L) of mouse primary visual cortex (V1). Our data reveal novel subtlety of neuron-network coupling in inhibitory interneurons (INs). Parvalbumin (PV)- and Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-expressing INs exhibit skewed distributions towards strong network-coupling; in Somatostatin (SST)-expressing INs, however, two physiological subpopulations are identified with distinct neuron-network coupling profiles, providing direct evidence for subtype specificity. Our results thus add novel functional granularity to neuronal cell-typing, and provided insights critical to simplifying/understanding neural dynamics.
Microbiota of human precolostrum and its potential role as a source of bacteria to the infant mouth
Authors: Ruiz Lorena , Bacigalupe Rodrigo , García-Carral Cristina , Boix-Amoros Alba , Argüello Héctor , Silva Camilla Beatriz , de los Angeles Checa Maria , Mira Alex , Rodríguez Juan M.
Published: June 2019

Human milk represents a source of bacteria for the initial establishment of the oral (and gut) microbiomes in the breastfed infant, however, the origin of bacteria in human milk remains largely unknown. While some evidence points towards a possible endogenous enteromammary route, other authors have suggested that bacteria in human milk are contaminants from the skin or the breastfed infant mouth. In this work 16S rRNA sequencing and bacterial culturing and isolation was performed to analyze the microbiota on maternal precolostrum samples, collected from pregnant women before delivery, and on oral samples collected from the corresponding infants. The structure of both ecosystems demonstrated a high proportion of taxa consistently shared among ecosystems, Streptococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. being the most abundant. Whole genome sequencing on those isolates that, belonging to the same species, were isolated from both the maternal and infant samples in the same mother-infant pair, evidenced that in 8 out of 10 pairs both isolates were >99.9% identical at nucleotide level. The presence of typical oral bacteria in precolostrum before contact with the newborn indicates that they are not a contamination from the infant, and suggests that at least some oral bacteria reach the infant’s mouth through breastfeeding.
Hepatitis C virus sequence divergence preserves p7 viroporin structural and dynamic features
Authors: Oestringer Benjamin P. , Bolivar Juan H. , Claridge Jolyon K. , Almanea Latifah , Chipot Chris , Dehez François , Holzmann Nicole , Schnell Jason R. , Zitzmann Nicole
Published: June 2019

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) viroporin p7 oligomerizes to form ion channels, which are required for the assembly and secretion of infectious viruses. The 63-amino acid p7 monomer has two putative transmembrane domains connected by a cytosolic loop, and has both N- and C- termini exposed to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen. NMR studies have indicated differences between p7 structures of distantly related HCV genotypes. A critical question is whether these differences arise from the high sequence variation between the different isolates and if so, how the divergent structures can support similar biological functions. Here, we present a side-by-side characterization of p7 derived from genotype 1b (isolate J4) in the detergent 6-cyclohexyl-1-hexylphosphocholine (Cyclofos-6) and p7 derived from genotype 5a (isolate EUH1480) in n-dodecylphosphocholine (DPC). The 5a isolate p7 in conditions previously associated with a disputed oligomeric form exhibits secondary structure, dynamics, and solvent accessibility broadly like those of the monomeric 1b isolate p7. The largest differences occur at the start of the second transmembrane domain, which is destabilized in the 5a isolate. The results show a broad consensus among the p7 variants that have been studied under a range of different conditions and indicate that distantly related HCVs preserve key features of structure and dynamics.
Progesterone decreases gut permeability through upregulating occludin expression in primary human gut tissues and Caco-2 cells
Authors: Zhou Zejun , Bian Chuanxiu , Luo Zhenwu , Guille Constance , Ogunrinde Elizabeth , Wu Jiapeng , Zhao Min , Fitting Sylvia , Kamen Diane L. , Oates Jim C. , Gilkeson Gary , Jiang Wei
Published: June 2019

Progesterone plays a protective role in preventing inflammation and preterm delivery during pregnancy. However, the mechanism involved is unknown. Microbial product translocation from a permeable mucosa is demonstrated as a driver of inflammation. To study the mechanism of the protective role of progesterone during pregnancy, we investigated the effect of physiologic concentrations of progesterone on tight junction protein occludin expression and human gut permeabilityin vitroand systemic microbial translocation in pregnant womenin vivo. Plasma bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a representative marker ofin vivosystemic microbial translocation was measured. We found that plasma LPS levels were significantly decreased during 24 to 28 weeks of gestation compared to 8 to 12 weeks of gestation. Moreover, plasma LPS levels were negatively correlated with plasma progesterone levels but positively correlated with plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels at 8 to 12 weeks of gestation but not at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation. Progesterone treatment increased intestinal trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) in primary human colon tissues and Caco-2 cellsin vitrothrough upregulating tight junction protein occludin expression. Furthermore, progesterone exhibited an inhibitory effect on nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation following LPS stimulation in Caco-2 cells. These results reveal a novel mechanism that progesterone may play an important role in decreasing mucosal permeability, systemic microbial translocation, and inflammation during pregnancy.
The combined antimicrobial effect of arginine and fluoride toothpaste
Authors: Bijle Mohammed Nadeem Ahmed , Ekambaram Manikandan , Lo Edward C. M. , Yiu Cynthia Kar Yung
Published: June 2019

The aim of the study was to investigate the antibacterial effect of arginine (Arg) in NaF toothpaste. 24-h mono-/3-species biofilm cultures of S. mutans, S. sanguis and S. gordonii inoculated sHA discs were subjected to treatment with toothpaste supernatants prepared as - [1]:2% Arg –NaF (0.147% F), [2]:4% Arg–NaF (0.144% F), [3]:8% Arg – NaF (0.138% F), [4]:NaF (0.15%) and [5]:deionized water. After 24-h incubation, the mono-species biofilms were subjected to viability assay using WST-8, SEM and confocal imaging (CLSM). The 3-species biofilm were quantified for bacterial composition by PCR analysis, SEM, CLSM, and RNA isolation with reverse-transcription PCR analysis. Increasing arginine concentrations in NaF toothpaste had no effect on microbial viability. The mono-/3-species biofilm imaging depicted that the 2% Arg-NaF and 4% Arg-NaF had a biofilm disrupting effect. The 3-species biofilm bacterial composition indicated that the 2% Arg-NaF group maintained an ecological homeostasis by inhibiting S. mutans growth and enriching the growth of S. sanguis and S. gordonii. The 2% Arg-NaF group significantly downregulated the expression of virulent gtfB gene and upregulated the expression of sagP with relative dominance of arcA. Incorporation of 2% arginine in NaF toothpaste might enrich the alkali-producing bacteria and provide enhanced counter mechanisms against cariogenic pathogen when compared to NaF toothpaste.
Subjectivity and complexity of facial attractiveness
Authors: Ibáñez-Berganza Miguel , Amico Ambra , Loreto Vittorio
Published: June 2019

The origin and meaning of facial beauty represent a longstanding puzzle. Despite the profuse literature devoted to facial attractiveness, its very nature, its determinants and the nature of inter-person differences remain controversial issues. Here we tackle such questions proposing a novel experimental approach in which human subjects, instead of rating natural faces, are allowed to efficiently explore the face-space and “sculpt” their favorite variation of a reference facial image. The results reveal that different subjects prefer distinguishable regions of the face-space, highlighting the essential subjectivity of the phenomenon. The different sculpted facial vectors exhibit strong correlations among pairs of facial distances, characterising the underlying universality and complexity of the cognitive processes, and the relative relevance and robustness of the different facial distances.
Oral microbial dysbiosis linked to worsened periodontal condition in rheumatoid arthritis patients
Authors: Corrêa Jôice Dias , Fernandes Gabriel R. , Calderaro Débora Cerqueira , Mendonça Santuza Maria Souza , Silva Janine Mayra , Albiero Mayra Laino , Cunha Fernando Q. , Xiao E. , Ferreira Gilda Aparecida , Teixeira Antônio Lúcio , Mukherjee Chiranjit , Leys Eugene J. , Silva Tarcília Aparecida , Graves Dana T.
Published: June 2019

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by joint inflammation. Individuals with RA have a higher risk of periodontitis and periodontitis has been linked to RA through the production of enzymes by periodontal pathogens that citrullinate proteins. This linkage is supported by findings that periodontitis is associated with increased RA severity and treatment of periodontitis can improve the symptoms of RA. The possible mechanism for this association is through dysbiosis of the oral microbiota triggered by RA-induced systemic inflammation. We examined the RA status of subjects by measuring the number of tender and swollen joints, anti-citrullinated protein antibody and rheumatoid factor. Periodontal disease status and salivary cytokine levels were measured, and dental plaque analyzed by 16S rRNA high throughput sequencing. RA patients had a higher bacterial load, a more diverse microbiota, an increase in bacterial species associated with periodontal disease, more clinical attachment loss, and increased production of inflammatory mediators including IL-17, IL-2, TNF, and IFN-γ. Furthermore, changes in the oral microbiota were linked to worse RA conditions. Our study provides new insights into the bi-directional relationship between periodontitis and RA and suggest that monitoring the periodontal health of RA patients is particularly important.
A mathematical model of tumor-endothelial interactions in a 3D co-culture
Authors: Connor Yamicia , Tekleab Yonatan , Tekleab Sarah , Nandakumar Shyama , Bharat Divya , Sengupta Shiladitya
Published: June 2019

Intravasation and extravasation of cancer cells through blood/lymph vessel endothelium are essential steps during metastasis. Successful invasion requires coordinated tumor-endothelial crosstalk, utilizing mechanochemical signaling to direct cytoskeletal rearrangement for transmigration of cancer cells. However, mechanisms underlying physical interactions are difficult to observe due to the lack of experimental models easily combined with theoretical models that better elucidate these pathways. We have previously demonstrated that an engineered 3D in vitro endothelial-epithelial co-culture system can be used to isolate both molecular and physical tumor-endothelial interactions in a platform that is easily modeled, quantified, and probed for experimental investigation. Using this platform with mathematical modeling, we show that breast metastatic cells display unique behavior with the endothelium, exhibiting a 3.2-fold increase in interaction with the endothelium and a 61-fold increase in elongation compared to normal breast epithelial cells. Our mathematical model suggests energetic favorability for cellular deformation prior to breeching endothelial junctions, expending less energy as compared to undeformed cells, which is consistent with the observed phenotype. Finally, we show experimentally that pharmacological inhibition of the cytoskeleton can disrupt the elongatation and alignment of metastatic cells with endothelial tubes, reverting to a less invasive phenotype.
Fish focus primarily on the faces of other fish
Authors: Hotta Takashi , Kawasaka Kento , Satoh Shun , Kohda Masanori
Published: June 2019

“Face” is a special stimulus in humans and, nonhuman primates, and some other social mammals; that is, they perceive the face differently from the other body parts and other stimuli. In these species, the face conveys much information, so individuals examine the face at first sight rather than other body parts. Similar to mammals, the faces of fish also convey much information, but little is known about whether fish pay attention to the face or face-viewing patterns. Here we document the face-viewing patterns of the cichlid fish Neolamprologus brichardi, which can distinguish between conspecifics based on facial colouration. First, we established a method to identify the point at which subject fish inspected. Fish often fixated in direction to their heads toward the object of attention, suggesting that the extended body axis indicated the attention point. Using this attribute, we examined the point of attention of subject fish presented with photographs of conspecifics and heterospecifics. The results revealed that the fish inspected initially and repeatedly at the face and the duration was longer for the face than other body parts.
The Role of Intermetallic Compounds in Controlling the Microstructural, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Cu-[Sn-Ag-Cu-Bi]-Cu Solder Joints
Authors: Sayyadi Reza , Naffakh-Moosavy Homam
Published: June 2019

A lead-free Sn-2.5Ag-0.7Cu base solder with different weight percentages of bismuth (0, 1, 2.5, 5) was used. Thermal properties, microstructure, wettability and mechanical properties were investigated. By decreasing the degree of undercooling, microstructure improved, the eutectic structure become finer and the size of β-Sn and intermetallic compounds decreased. By the addition of bismuth to SAC257 solder, the spreading ratio increased from 80.46% to 85.97, indicating an improvement in wettability. In order to investigate the joint properties, alloy solders were bonded to copper substrate, and the structure of the interface, tensile-shear strength and the fractured surfaces were studied. It was observed that the thickness of the intermetallic compounds of Cu6Sn5 at the interface decreased with the addition of bismuth, and the lowest thickness of the interfacial IMCs was found in the SAC257-1Bi solder joint, which decreased about 14% compared to the base solder. Also, the Cu/SAC257-1Bi/Cu bond had the highest tensile-shear strength and elongation percentage among the alloy solders, which has a tensile-shear strength of about 30% and an elongation percentage of about 38% higher than the base solder joint.
Orb-weaving spider Araneus ventricosus genome elucidates the spidroin gene catalogue
Authors: Kono Nobuaki , Nakamura Hiroyuki , Ohtoshi Rintaro , Moran Daniel A. Pedrazzoli , Shinohara Asaka , Yoshida Yuki , Fujiwara Masayuki , Mori Masaru , Tomita Masaru , Arakawa Kazuharu
Published: June 2019

Members of the family Araneidae are common orb-weaving spiders, and they produce several types of silks throughout their behaviors and lives, from reproduction to foraging. Egg sac, prey capture thread, or dragline silk possesses characteristic mechanical properties, and its variability makes it a highly attractive material for ecological, evolutional, and industrial fields. However, the complete set of constituents of silks produced by a single species is still unclear, and novel spidroin genes as well as other proteins are still being found. Here, we present the first genome in genusAraneustogether with the full set of spidroin genes with unamplified long reads and confirmed with transcriptome of the silk glands and proteome analysis of the dragline silk. The catalogue includes the first full length sequence of a paralog of major ampullate spidroinMaSp3, and several spider silk-constituting elements designated SpiCE. Family-wide phylogenomic analysis of Araneidae suggests the relatively recent acquisition of these genes, and multiple-omics analyses demonstrate that these proteins are critical components in the abdominal spidroin gland and dragline silk, contributing to the outstanding mechanical properties of silk in this group of species.
Functional Reconstitution of HlyB, a Type I Secretion ABC Transporter, in Saposin-A Nanoparticles
Authors: Kanonenberg Kerstin , Smits Sander H. J. , Schmitt Lutz
Published: June 2019

Type I secretion systems (T1SS) are ubiquitous transport machineries in Gram-negative bacteria. They comprise a relatively simple assembly of three membrane-localised proteins: an inner-membrane complex composed of an ABC transporter and a membrane fusion protein, and a TolC-like outer membrane component. T1SS transport a wide variety of substrates with broad functional diversity. The ABC transporter hemolysin B (HlyB), for example, is part of the hemolysin A-T1SS in Escherichia coli. In contrast to canonical ABC transporters, an accessory domain, a C39 peptidase-like domain (CLD), is located at the N-terminus of HlyB and is essential for secretion. In this study, we have established an optimised purification protocol for HlyB and the subsequent reconstitution employing the saposin-nanoparticle system. We point out the negative influence of free detergent on the basal ATPase activity of HlyB, studied the influence of a lysolipid or lipid matrix on activity and present functional studies with the full-length substrate proHlyA in its folded and unfolded states, which both have a stimulatory effect on the ATPase activity.
lncRNA PSORS1C3 is regulated by glucocorticoids and fine-tunes OCT4 expression in non-pluripotent cells
Authors: Mirzadeh Azad Fatemeh , Malakootian Mahshid , Mowla Seyed Javad
Published: June 2019

OCT4 is a transcription factor known for its regulatory roles in stemness, tumorigenesis and stress response. Considering its versatile functions, expression of OCT4 is regulated at different levels. PSORS1C3, a long non-coding RNA overlapped with OCT4, has a putative association with immune mediated diseases; however, its exact functions remained to be elucidated. Here, we demonstrated that PSORS1C3 is regulated by glucocorticoids (GC), has two endogenously active promoters, promoter 0 and 1, and two sets of transcripts, short and long variants. According to our findings, PSORS1C3 promoters behaved differently during neural differentiation of NT2 cells and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activation. In both processes the expression pattern of short variants differed from that of long variants and was similar to OCT4 expression. Furthermore, our data revealed that PSORS1C3’s promoter 0 could act as an enhancer for OCT4 in non-pluripotent cells, where its deletion caused a significant decrease in OCT4 expression. Meanwhile, during GR activation promoter 0 functioned as a negative regulator and alleviated transcription induction of OCT4 after GC treatment. Altogether, our work clarified the structure and regulation of PSORS1C3, explained its relation to immune-related disease through GR signaling and introduced it as a novel fine-tuner of OCT4 expression in non-pluripotent cells.