bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mass spectrometric phosphoproteome analysis of HIV‐infected brain reveals novel phosphorylation sites and differential phosphorylation patterns
Authors: Uzasci Lerna , Auh Sungyoung , Cotter Robert J. , Nath Avindra
Published: May 2015

Purpose

To map the phosphoproteome and identify changes in the phosphorylation patterns in the HIV‐infected and uninfected brain.

Experimental design

Parietal cortex from individuals with and without HIV infection were lysed and trypsinized. The peptides were labeled with iTRAQ reagents, combined, phospho‐enriched by titanium dioxide chromatography, and analyzed by LC‐MS/MS with high resolution.

Results

Our phosphoproteomic workflow resulted in the identification of 112 phosphorylated proteins and 17 novel phosphorylation sites in all the samples that were analyzed. The phosphopeptide sequences were searched for kinase substrate motifs, which revealed potential kinases involved in important signaling pathways. The site‐specific phosphopeptide quantification showed that peptides from neurofilament medium polypeptide, myelin basic protein, and 2′‐3′‐cyclic nucleotide‐3′ phosphodiesterase have relatively higher phosphorylation levels during HIV infection.

Conclusions and clinical relevance

This study has enriched the global phosphoproteome knowledge of the human brain by detecting novel phosphorylation sites on neuronal proteins and identifying differentially phosphorylated brain proteins during HIV infection. Kinases that lead to unusual phosphorylations could be therapeutic targets for the treatment of HIV‐associated neurocognitive disorders.
Multistep deposition of Cu2Si(S,Se)3 and Cu2ZnSiSe4high band gap absorber materials for thin film solar cells
Authors: ElAnzeery Hossam , Buffière Marie , Messaoud Khaled Ben , Oueslati Souhaib , Brammertz Guy , Daif Ounsi El , Cheyns David , Guindi Rafik , Meuris Marc , Poortmans Jef
Published: May 2015

Cu2ZnSi(S,Se)4 and Cu2Si(S,Se)3 are potential materials to obtain cost effective high band gap absorbers for tandem thin film solar cell devices. A method to synthesize Cu2SiS3, Cu2SiSe3and Cu2ZnSiSe4thin film absorbers is proposed. This method is based on a multistep process, using sequential deposition and annealing processes. X‐ray diffraction analysis performed on the final thin films have confirmed the presence of the Cu2Si(S,Se)3 and Cu2ZnSiSe4phases. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed the formation of polycrystalline layers with grains size up to 1 µm. The band gap of the ternary Cu2SiSe3 and Cu2SiS3, and quaternary Cu2ZnSiSe4 based thin films as determined from optical and photoluminescence measurements are found to be close to their theoretical values. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Omega‐3 supplementation during pregnancy to prevent recurrent intrauterine growth restriction: systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Saccone G. , Berghella V. , Maruotti G. M. , Sarno L. , Martinelli P.
Published: May 2015

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of omega‐3 supplementation during pregnancy in preventing intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in women with apparently uncomplicated singleton pregnancy and previous IUGR pregnancy.

Methods

For this systematic review, the research protocol was designed a priori. Searches were performed in electronic databases for studies published from inception of each database to December 2014. A combination of search terms was used including ‘fish oil’, ‘long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids’, ‘intrauterine growth restriction’, ‘small for gestational age’ and ‘omega‐3’. We included all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of women with an uncomplicated singleton pregnancy and a prior IUGR pregnancy who were randomized to receive prophylactic treatment with omega‐3 supplementation or either placebo or no treatment (control). Trials that included women with multiple gestations and those with only biochemical outcomes available were excluded. Pooled estimates were based on relative risk (RR) with 95% CI. Primary outcome was incidence of IUGR as defined in the RCTs.

Results

Three RCTs including 575 women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancy with prior IUGR were analyzed. Women who received omega‐3 supplementation during pregnancy had the same incidence of IUGR, defined as estimated fetal weight < 5th or < 3rd centiles, as had controls (22.8% vs 20.2%, respectively; RR, 1.13 (95% CI, 0.83–1.54)). Compared to controls, women who received omega‐3 supplementation delivered later (mean difference, 1.4 (95% CI, 1.28–1.63) weeks), had a longer latency (mean difference, 2 (95% CI, 1.73–2.08) weeks), had a similar incidence of perinatal death (2.1% vs 3.3%, respectively; RR, 0.60 (95% CI, 0.15–2.42)) and similar birth weight (mean difference, 50 g (95% CI, −26 to 246 g)).

Conclusions

Omega‐3 supplementation during pregnancy does not prevent recurrence of IUGR in women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancy and a previous IUGR pregnancy. Copyright © 2015 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Forecasting Groundwater Level by Artificial Neural Networks as an Alternative Approach to Groundwater Modeling
Authors: Chitsazan Manouchehr , Rahmani Gholamreza , Neyamadpour Ahmad
Published: May 2015

The main purpose of this article is to apply feed forward back propagation neural network (FNN) to predict groundwater level of Aghili plain, which is located in southwestern Iran. An optimal design is completed for the two hidden layers with four different algorithms: descent with momentum (GDM), Levenberg Marquardt (LM), resilient back propagation (RP), and scaled conjugate gradient (SCG). The training data for ANN is obtained from observation data. Rain, evaporation, relative humidity, temperature, discharge of irrigation canal, and groundwater recharge from the plain boundary were used in input layer while future groundwater level was used as output layer. Before training, the available data were divided into three groups, according to hydrogeological characteristics of different parts of the plain surrounding each piezometer. Statistical analysis in terms of Mean-Square-Error (MSE) and correlation coefficient (R) was used to investigate the prediction performance of ANN. FFN-LM algorithm has shown best result in the present study for all three hydrogeological groups. Now, to predict water level, the t time data (October 2003 to July 2009) and t+1 time data (October 2004 to July 2010) were used as input and output respectively. The best condition of this network was achieved for each group of data. Next, with defining the new input data related to August 2010 to January 2011 groundwater level was predicted for the following year. The achieved results of ANN model in contrast with results of finite difference model showed very high accuracy of artificial neural network in predicting groundwater level.
New Finding of Coal in Western Escarpment of Mainpat Plateau, Surguja District, Chhattisgarh
Authors: Patel D. R. , Chauhan G. R.
Published: May 2015

The Mainpat plateau (N22°41′00″ to 22°55’ 00″ and E 83°08′00″ to 83°25′00″) is a table-land, rising >400 m above foothills, consisting of Archaean rocks (granite-gneisses, phyllite etc), Gondwana formations and Deccan basalt. Archaean rocks occur at the foot hills of Mainpat and Gondwana formations are exposed in the western escarpment of Mainpat plateau in turn overlain by the basaltic rock of Deccan Traps at the top. Barakar Formation contains coal seams from few cm to ~9 m are exposed near Chitaghutri, Kodwari, Tirkela, Tekta etc. villages of Lakhanpur tehsil of Surguja district, covered in Survey of India, Toposheet 64 N/1.

Coal present in the area contains high volatile matters and high ash in the different seams in different localities. Analysis shows that coal of this area ranges between C and E grade with useful heat value varying from 3461 to 5223 K Cal/kg. This recently discovered area is located between Hasdo –Arand and Mand-Raigarh coalfields. Coal bearing horizon seems to be persistent, beneath the Deccan Traps.
Quality of Life Enhancement Programme for Individuals with Mood Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study
Authors: Chen Yun-Ling , Pan Ay-Woan , Hsiung Ping-Chuan , Chung Lyinn
Published: May 2015

Objective/Background

To investigate the efficacy and feasibility of the Quality of Life Enhancement Programme (QOLEP) for individuals with mood disorder.

Methods

Twenty-one individuals with mood disorder were recruited from psychiatric rehabilitation centres in Taipei City and were randomly assigned to either the treatment group (N = 11) or the control group (N = 10). The treatment group received an 8-week QOLEP. The control group received only “phone contact”, which included support for everyday situations pertaining to daily life and emotions. The primary outcome measure was evaluating improvements in quality of life using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF-Taiwan version questionnaire. The feasibility of the intervention was assessed by the recruitment rate, dropout rate of the participants, and by its content and delivery. The content and delivery were assessed by the group satisfaction questionnaire. The mixed-effects linear model was applied to analyze the efficacy of QOLEP.

Results

The individuals who participated in the eight-session QOLEP showed significant improvement in their level of depression compared with the control group [pre vs. post, treatment group: 25.8 (19.2) vs. 17.8 (13.1); control group: 13.3 (17.3) vs. 13.3 (14.4)]. The criteria of feasibility were met in this study. Most of the participants were satisfied with engaging in the QOLEP activities within a supportive environment.

Conclusion

The participants who received the 8-week QOLEP demonstrated significant improvement in the level of depression. Studies with a sample size of at least 104 participants are recommended in the future.
Effects of Crossed Brassiere Straps on Pain, Range of Motion, and Electromyographic Activity of Scapular Upward Rotators in Women With Scapular Downward Rotation Syndrome
Authors: Kang Min‐Hyeok , Choi Ji‐Young , Oh Jae‐seop
Published: May 2015

Background

Scapular downward rotation syndrome manifests as an abnormally downward‐rotated scapula at rest or with arm motion and typically results in neck and shoulder pain. The brassiere strap has been suggested as a possible contributing factor to scapula downward rotation and pain in the upper trapezius because of increased downward rotational force on the lateral aspect of the scapula. No study, however, has examined the influences of a modified brassiere strap on pain in and the function of the scapular muscles.

Objective

To examine the effects of crossed brassiere straps on the pressure pain threshold (PPT) of the upper trapezius, neck rotation range of motion (ROM), and electromyographic activity of the scapular upward rotators in females with scapular downward rotation syndrome.

Design

Cross‐over design.

Setting

Laboratory.

Participants

In total, 15 female subjects with scapular downward rotation syndrome were recruited at hospitals and a local university.

Methods

All participants performed neck rotation and humeral elevation under 2 different conditions: parallel and crossed brassiere straps.

Main outcome measurements

The PPT of the upper trapezius was measured using an analog algometer, whereas neck rotation ROM was quantified with a 3‐dimensional ultrasonic motion analysis system. The electromyographic activities of the upper trapezius, serratus anterior, and lower trapezius during humeral elevation were assessed with a surface electromyography system. Outcome measures were assessed under parallel and crossed brassiere strap conditions, and differences in outcomes between the conditions were analyzed using a paired t‐test.

Results

The PPT and neck rotation ROM were increased when the subject was wearing the brassiere with crossed versus parallel straps (P < .001). Greater electromyographic activities of the serratus anterior, lower trapezius, and lesser upper trapezius muscles during humeral elevation were found under the crossed strap condition than the parallel strap condition (P < .05).

Conclusions

These findings provide useful information for clinicians when designing management programs to decrease pain and improve biomechanical function for females with scapular downward rotation syndrome.
Exploring the Parsing of Dynamic Action in Checking Proneness
Authors: Belayachi Sanaâ , Van der Linden Martial
Published: May 2015

Impaired action processing may be a key feature of the obsessive-compulsive checking phenomenon, although the mechanism underlying the impairment remains to be explored. We examined the ability to parse a continuous flow of movements and perceptual changes into meaningful segments of action — a key component of action processing — in checking proneness. Participants (N= 65) completed a measure of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and, while viewing four videotaped movies, were requested to detect the transitions between significant action steps. The main result indicated that Checking — but not the other obsessive-compulsive dimensions — was negatively related, with the size of meaningful units identified. These findings suggest that checking proneness may be specifically connected with difficulties in processing actions on the basis of abstract features such as goal-related information. This could explain why people with checking symptoms find it more difficult to determine whether an intended goal has actually been achieved.
Positive and Negative Perfectionism and the Big Five Personality Factors
Authors: Egan Sarah J. , Piek Jan P. , Dyck Murray J.
Published: May 2015

Perfectionism has been argued to have both positive and negative aspects. Negative perfectionism has a robust positive correlation with psychopathology. This study explored the personality pattern of a group of clinical participants and a group of athletes in relation to positive and negative perfectionism. The results indicated negative perfectionism is related to neuroticism and agreeableness in both clinical and non-clinical groups. Negative perfectionism was most strongly associated with low agreeableness but had no significant relationship with conscientiousness or extraversion in the clinical sample. In the athlete sample, higher negative perfectionism was most strongly related to higher neuroticism but was also associated with lower extraversion and conscientiousness. In order to more fully understand these relationships and their clinical implications, more studies using validated measures of positive and negative perfectionism with larger samples are required. It would be useful to determine if personality factors of agreeableness and competence could be increased in order to ameliorate the distress associated with negative perfectionism.
Current approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of white sponge nevus
Authors: Cai Wenping , Jiang Beizhan , Yu Fang , Yang Jianhua , Chen Zhenghu , Liu Junjun , Wei Rongbin , Zhao Shouliang , Wang Xiaoping , Liu Shangfeng
Published: May 2015

White sponge nevus (WSN) in the oral mucosa is a rare autosomal dominant genetic disease. The involved mucosa is white or greyish, thickened, folded and spongy. The genes associated with WSN include mutant cytokeratin keratin 4 (KRT4) and keratin 13 (KRT13). In recent years, new cases of WSN and associated mutations have been reported. Here, we summarise the recent progress in our understanding of WSN, including clinical reports, genetics, animal models, treatment, pathogenic mechanisms and future directions. Gene-based diagnosis and gene therapy for WSN may become available in the near future and could provide a reference and instruction for treating other KRT-associated diseases.
Why Stay? Forced Labor, the Correia Report, and Portuguese–South African Competition at the Angola–Namibia Border, 1917–1939
Authors: Keese Alexander
Published: May 2015

The so far unknown report by Norberto Correia, Portuguese administrator of the Baixo-Cunene border district, is an impressive document on forced labor and flight at the Angola-Namibia border, written by a controversial official fallen into disgrace after a regime change in the metropole. Correia’s acerbic and detailed analysis allows fresh interpretations of a border situation that is only at first glance well-known. By contrasting the Correia report with documentation from South African officials and the voices of their Ovambo partners in indirect rule, we come to clearer understanding of motivations and options at this unruly colonial border.
Fractures and Fragments: Finding Postcolonial Histories of Guinea in Local Archives
Authors: Straussberger John
Published: May 2015

Using my experience working in the Regional Archives of Labé (Guinea), this essay examines the importance of using local archives to write political histories of postcolonial Africa. In doing so, I argue that the fractured and fragmentary nature of the postcolonial holdings of archives – often cited as a hurdle to writing histories of Africa after independence – is in fact the product of the states that (sometimes inadequately) maintain these repositories. As such, these “imperfect” archives should be approached as an opportunity to examine the local practice of statehood in postcolonial Africa.
Evaluation of the Quality of Reprocessing of Gastrointestinal Endoscopes
Authors: Saviuc Philippe , Picot-Guéraud Romain , Shum Cheong Sing Jacqueline , Batailler Pierre , Pelloux Isabelle , Brenier-Pinchart Marie-Pierre , Dobremez Valérie , Mallaret Marie-Reine
Published: May 2015

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the quality of gastrointestinal endoscope reprocessing and discuss the advantages of microbiological surveillance testing of these endoscopes.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of the results of endoscope sampling performed from October 1, 2006, through December 31, 2014, in a gastrointestinal endoscopy unit of a teaching hospital equipped with 89 endoscopes and 3 automated endoscope reprocessors, with an endoscopy quality assurance program in place. The compliance rate was defined as the proportion of the results classified at target or alert levels according to the French guidelines. A multivariate analysis (logistic regression) was used to identify the parameters influencing compliance.

RESULTS

A total of 846 samples were taken. The overall compliance rate was 86% and differed significantly depending on the sampling context (scheduled or not scheduled), the type of endoscope, and the season. No other parameter was associated with compliance. A total of 118 samples carried indicator microorganisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Enterobacteriaceae, and Candida sp.

CONCLUSION

The systematic use of an automated endoscope reprocessor does not provide totally satisfactory compliance. Microbiological surveillance is indispensable to monitor reprocessing, reinforce good practices (endoscopes, reprocessing units), and detect endoscopes requiring early technical maintenance.

Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;36(9):1017–1023
A study of the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on white matter microstructural integrity at birth
Authors: Donald Kirsten Ann , Roos Annerine , Fouche Jean-Paul , Koen Nastassja , Howells Fleur M. , Woods Roger P. , Zar Heather J. , Narr Katherine L. , Stein Dan J.
Published: May 2015

Background

Neuroimaging studies have indicated that prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with alterations in the structure of specific brain regions in children. However, the temporal and regional specificity of such changes and their behavioural consequences are less known. Here we explore the integrity of regional white matter microstructure in infants within uteroexposure to alcohol, shortly after birth.

Methods

Twenty-eight alcohol-exposed and 28 healthy unexposed infants were imaged using diffusion tensor imaging sequences to evaluate white matter integrity using validated tract-based spatial statistics analysis methods. Second, diffusion values were extracted for group comparisons by regions of interest. Differences in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity were compared between groups and associations with measures from the Dubowitz neonatal neurobehavioural assessment were examined.

Results

Lower AD values (p<0.05) were observed in alcohol-exposed infants in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus compared with non-exposed infants. Altered FA and MD values in alcohol-exposed neonates in the right inferior cerebellar were associated with abnormal neonatal neurobehaviour.

Conclusion

These exploratory data suggest that prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with reduced white matter microstructural integrity even early in the neonatal period. The association with clinical measures reinforces the likely clinical significance of this finding. The location of the findings is remarkably consistent with previously reported studies of white matter structural deficits in older children with a diagnosis of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
The Comparative Policy Agendas Project: theory, measurement and findings
Authors: Dowding Keith , Hindmoor Andrew , Martin Aaron
Published: May 2015

The Policy Agendas Project (PAP) was developed in the United States in the early 1990s as a means of collecting data on the contents of the policy agenda. The PAP coding method has subsequently been employed in the United Kingdom, a number of European countries, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, as well as the state of Pennsylvania (http://www.comparativeagendas.org/). What does PAP measure? How does it measure it? What does it find? How does it explain what it finds? We use these questions to structure our review.
“THE GHOST OF SLAVERY” INOUR MUTUAL FRIEND
Authors: Neel Alexandra
Published: May 2015

On his last trip to Americain 1868, Charles Dickens would write a letter to his friend and biographer John Forster, which paints a sobering picture of postbellum Baltimore: “It is remarkable to see how the Ghost of Slavery haunts the town; and how the shambling, untidy, evasive, and postponing Irrepressible proceeds about his free work, going round and round it, instead of at it.” While Dickens's phrase “the Ghost of Slavery” indicts a slave system that persists despite abolition, his representation of the former slave body – “the shambling, untidy, evasive, and postponing Irrepressible” – suggests another kind of ghost, an identity that toggles between the spectral and the grossly embodied. Dickens reinforces this conjunction of the ghostly and the corporeal as he goes on to note that “[t]he melancholy absurdity of giving these people votes, at any rate at present, would glare at one out of every roll of their eyes, chuckle in their mouths, and bump in their heads, if one did not see . . . that their enfranchisement is a mere party trick to get votes” (Letters27). Resorting to the crudest racial stereotypes, Dickens portrays recently manumitted slaves as dolls devoid of speech and political agency. In depicting the “postponing Irrepressible” as stripped of personhood and civil capacities, Dickens conjures the legal fiction of “civil death” – a medieval English common law that divested a prisoner accused of treason any rights by proclaiming him dead in the eyes of the law. In stark contrast to Dickens's impassioned pleas for the abolition of slavery and prison reform inAmerican Notes(1842), his private remarks in this letter some twenty-five years later convert former slaves into the objects of satire – minstrelsy puppets in a larger political game in which they play no civil part – as it were, dead again. However, even as Dickens attempts to constrain the former slave body through a kind of stereotypical branding, his language – the “postponing Irrepressible” – registers an unease that this corporeal ghost won't die. It is precisely in this form of the living dead that the “ghost of slavery” surfaces inOur Mutual Friend(OMF).
THE MANIC-DEPRESSIVE FATHER IN GEORGE MEREDITH'SHARRY RICHMOND
Authors: McDaniel Linda
Published: May 2015

George Meredith's 1871 three-volumenovel,The Adventures of Harry Richmond, follows the careers of the title character and his flamboyant father Richmond Roy, who perennially expects a court case to prove his claim to royalty. In the course of the narrative, the older Richmond changes from a comical, magical figure of enthusiasms and entertainments to a wreck of instability and loss. Roy's overindulgence, womanizing, and financial extravagance link such damaging and self-destructive behavior to an illness called in Meredith's day “circular insanity” – today known as manic-depression or bipolar disorder. From wild spending sprees to hypersexuality and delusions of grandeur, Roy's symptoms fit many of the major and associated criteria for recognizing manic-depression. Meredith begins the novel with a scene establishing clues about Roy's pathology. Though romanticized by Harry – and often by reviewers and critics as well – Roy's initial appearance reveals not a father coming in the middle of the night despite all obstacles for his five-year-old son; rather, the penniless Roy has walked in manic sleeplessness to coax money from his wealthy, neglected wife. Furious at his father-in-law's refusal to admit him, Richmond Roy then disappears into the darkness with his small son instead. The author's own family history and a character that parallels Roy in an earlier novel suggest that Meredith may have taken a personal interest in examining bipolar behaviors.
Reconceptualizing Work and Building Ruddick's Feminist Solidarity Transnationally
Authors: Scholz Sally J.
Published: May 2015

I offer a reading Sara Ruddick's account of feminist solidarity as grounded in her reconceptualization of “work” in order to suggest that she provides a framework for transnational feminist solidarity that offers an important augmentation to other contemporary theories of transnational feminist solidarity. Feminist solidarity, according to Ruddick, forms through struggles to work. But what she means by work has not been fully appreciated in the literature on Ruddick. Scholars who focus solely on maternal thinking or even the work of mothering obscure the fact that such work is just her prime example of the reconceptualized notion of work she develops. I unpack her notion of work and show how it functions in a theoretical account of transnational feminist solidarity and feminist resistance movements.
New Insights from Seafloor Mapping of a Hawaiian Marine Monument
Authors: Kelley Christopher , Smith John , Miller Joyce , Tree Jonathan , Boston Brian , Garcia Michael , Ito Garret , Taylor Jeremey , Lichowski Frances , Wagner Daniel , Leonard Jason , Dechnik Belinda , Leurs Daniel
Published: May 2015

New surveys help untangle the complex geologic history of the Hawaiian Archipelago and provide hints about where to seek marine life.
Marine diatom proteorhodopsins and their potential role in coping with low iron availability
Authors: Marchetti Adrian , Catlett Dylan , Hopkinson Brian M , Ellis Kelsey , Cassar Nicolas
Published: May 2015

Proteorhodopsins (PR) are retinal-binding membrane proteins that function as light-driven proton pumps to generate energy for metabolism and growth. Recently PR-like genes have been identified in some marine eukaryotic protists, including diatoms, dinoflagellates, haptophytes and cryptophytes. These rhodopsins are homologous to green-light-absorbing, ATP-generating PRs present within bacteria. Here we show that in the oceanic diatom Pseudo-nitzschia granii, PR-like gene and protein expressions increase appreciably under iron limitation. In a survey of available transcriptomes, PR-like genes in diatoms are generally found in isolates from marine habitats where seasonal to chronic growth limitation by the micronutrient iron is prevalent, yet similar biogeographical patterns are not apparent in other phytoplankton taxa. We propose that rhodopsin-based phototrophy could account for a proportion of energy synthesis in marine eukaryotic photoautotrophs, especially when photosynthesis is compromised by low iron availability. This alternative ATP-generating pathway could have significant effects on plankton community structure and global ocean carbon cycling.
Fungal invasion of the rhizosphere microbiome
Authors: Chapelle Emilie , Mendes Rodrigo , Bakker Peter A H M , Raaijmakers Jos M
Published: May 2015

The rhizosphere is the infection court where soil-borne pathogens establish a parasitic relationship with the plant. To infect root tissue, pathogens have to compete with members of the rhizosphere microbiome for available nutrients and microsites. In disease-suppressive soils, pathogens are strongly restricted in growth by the activities of specific rhizosphere microorganisms. Here, we sequenced metagenomic DNA and RNA of the rhizosphere microbiome of sugar beet seedlings grown in a soil suppressive to the fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani. rRNA-based analyses showed that Oxalobacteraceae, Burkholderiaceae, Sphingobacteriaceae and Sphingomonadaceae were significantly more abundant in the rhizosphere upon fungal invasion. Metatranscriptomics revealed that stress-related genes (ppGpp metabolism and oxidative stress) were upregulated in these bacterial families. We postulate that the invading pathogenic fungus induces, directly or via the plant, stress responses in the rhizobacterial community that lead to shifts in microbiome composition and to activation of antagonistic traits that restrict pathogen infection.
Can resistance against quorum-sensing interference be selected?
Authors: García-Contreras Rodolfo , Maeda Toshinari , Wood Thomas K
Published: May 2015

Quorum-sensing (QS) interference is a novel therapy to fight bacterial infections that, unlike conventional antibiotic treatments, is focused on reducing the damage caused by pathogens (virulence) rather than focused on inhibiting their growth. Given this ideal, it was predicted that this approach will be impervious to or at least much less prone to resistance in bacterial populations. However, recently, resistance mechanisms against well-characterized quorum quenchers (QQs) have been found in the laboratory as well as in clinical strains, demonstrating that the rise of resistance against these kinds of compounds is possible. Nevertheless, it has been argued that even if resistance mechanisms against QS interference exist, this fact does not guarantee that resistance will spread. In the present work, we discuss recent insights derived from the latest experiments to address this question. In addition, we explain how environmental conditions like the stress produced by the host immune system may influence the selection of resistance and eventually lead to the selection of QS interference-resistant bacteria in a clinical setting.
Unravelling core microbial metabolisms in the hypersaline microbial mats of Shark Bay using high-throughput metagenomics
Authors: Ruvindy Rendy , White III Richard Allen , Neilan Brett Anthony , Burns Brendan Paul
Published: May 2015

Modern microbial mats are potential analogues of some of Earth’s earliest ecosystems. Excellent examples can be found in Shark Bay, Australia, with mats of various morphologies. To further our understanding of the functional genetic potential of these complex microbial ecosystems, we conducted for the first time shotgun metagenomic analyses. We assembled metagenomic next-generation sequencing data to classify the taxonomic and metabolic potential across diverse morphologies of marine mats in Shark Bay. The microbial community across taxonomic classifications using protein-coding and small subunit rRNA genes directly extracted from the metagenomes suggests that three phyla Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Bacteriodetes dominate all marine mats. However, the microbial community structure between Shark Bay and Highbourne Cay (Bahamas) marine systems appears to be distinct from each other. The metabolic potential (based on SEED subsystem classifications) of the Shark Bay and Highbourne Cay microbial communities were also distinct. Shark Bay metagenomes have a metabolic pathway profile consisting of both heterotrophic and photosynthetic pathways, whereas Highbourne Cay appears to be dominated almost exclusively by photosynthetic pathways. Alternative non-rubisco-based carbon metabolism including reductive TCA cycle and 3-hydroxypropionate/4-hydroxybutyrate pathways is highly represented in Shark Bay metagenomes while not represented in Highbourne Cay microbial mats or any other mat forming ecosystems investigated to date. Potentially novel aspects of nitrogen cycling were also observed, as well as putative heavy metal cycling (arsenic, mercury, copper and cadmium). Finally, archaea are highly represented in Shark Bay and may have critical roles in overall ecosystem function in these modern microbial mats.
Self-assembled three-dimensional and compressible interdigitated thin-film supercapacitors and batteries
Authors: Nyström Gustav , Marais Andrew , Karabulut Erdem , Wågberg Lars , Cui Yi , Hamedi Mahiar M.
Published: May 2015

Traditional thin-film energy-storage devices consist of stacked layers of active films on two-dimensional substrates and do not exploit the third dimension. Fully three-dimensional thin-film devices would allow energy storage in bulk materials with arbitrary form factors and with mechanical properties unique to bulk materials such as compressibility. Here we show three-dimensional energy-storage devices based on layer-by-layer self-assembly of interdigitated thin films on the surface of an open-cell aerogel substrate. We demonstrate a reversibly compressible three-dimensional supercapacitor with carbon nanotube electrodes and a three-dimensional hybrid battery with a copper hexacyanoferrate ion intercalating cathode and a carbon nanotube anode. The three-dimensional supercapacitor shows stable operation over 400 cycles with a capacitance of 25 F g−1 and is fully functional even at compressions up to 75%. Our results demonstrate that layer-by-layer self-assembly inside aerogels is a rapid, precise and scalable route for building high-surface-area 3D thin-film devices.
A lead-halide perovskite molecular ferroelectric semiconductor
Authors: Liao Wei-Qiang , Zhang Yi , Hu Chun-Li , Mao Jiang-Gao , Ye Heng-Yun , Li Peng-Fei , Huang Songping D. , Xiong Ren-Gen
Published: May 2015

Inorganic semiconductor ferroelectrics such as BiFeO3 have shown great potential in photovoltaic and other applications. Currently, semiconducting properties and the corresponding application in optoelectronic devices of hybrid organo-plumbate or stannate are a hot topic of academic research; more and more of such hybrids have been synthesized. Structurally, these hybrids are suitable for exploration of ferroelectricity. Therefore, the design of molecular ferroelectric semiconductors based on these hybrids provides a possibility to obtain new or high-performance semiconductor ferroelectrics. Here we investigated Pb-layered perovskites, and found the layer perovskite (benzylammonium)2PbCl4 is ferroelectric with semiconducting behaviours. It has a larger ferroelectric spontaneous polarization Ps=13 μC cm−2 and a higher Curie temperature Tc=438 K with a band gap of 3.65 eV. This finding throws light on the new properties of the hybrid organo-plumbate or stannate compounds and provides a new way to develop new semiconductor ferroelectrics.
Decreased expression of CHIP leads to increased angiogenesis via VEGF-VEGFR2 pathway and poor prognosis in human renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Sun Chao , Li Hai-long , Chen Hai-rong , Shi Mei-lin , Liu Qing-hua , Pan Zhen-qiang , Bai Jin , Zheng Jun-nian
Published: May 2015

CHIP (c-terminal Hsp70-interacting protein) is an E3 ligase which may play different roles in different cancers. The elucidation of the VHL-HIF-1α(hypoxia inducible factor-1α)-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) pathway has led to the development of targeted therapy in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, little is known about the role of CHIP and the relationship between CHIP and VEGF-VEGFR2 (VEGF receptor 2) pathway in RCC. In this study, we found that the expression of CHIP was downregulated and significantly correlated with pT status (P = 0.022) and TNM stage (P = 0.022) in 304 RCC and 35 normal renal tissues using tissue microarray. Moreover, low expression of CHIP is a strong and independent negative prognostic value for RCC. In vitro, CHIP negatively regulated RCC cell migration, invasion and angiogenesis. In addition, ELISA tests showed that restoration of CHIP inhibited, while knockdown promoted, the secreted level of VEGF. Furthermore, western blot indicated that the VEGFR2 protein level was reduced after CHIP overexpression. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that CHIP may be involved in RCC angiogenesis through regulating VEGF secretion and expression of VEGFR2. CHIP may serve as promising prognostic biomarker of angiogenesis and may constitute a potential therapeutic target in RCC.
Arctic cyclone water vapor isotopes support past sea ice retreat recorded in Greenland ice
Authors: Klein Eric S. , Cherry J. E. , Young J. , Noone D. , Leffler A. J. , Welker J. M.
Published: May 2015

Rapid Arctic warming is associated with important water cycle changes: sea ice loss, increasing atmospheric humidity, permafrost thaw and water-induced ecosystem changes. Understanding these complex modern processes is critical to interpreting past hydrologic changes preserved in paleoclimate records and predicting future Arctic changes. Cyclones are a prevalent Arctic feature and water vapor isotope ratios during these events provide insights into modern hydrologic processes that help explain past changes to the Arctic water cycle. Here we present continuous measurements of water vapor isotope ratios (δ18O, δ2H, d-excess) in Arctic Alaska from a 2013 cyclone. This cyclone resulted in a sharp d-excess decrease and disproportional δ18O enrichment, indicative of a higher humidity open Arctic Ocean water vapor source. Past transitions to warmer climates inferred from Greenland ice core records also reveal sharp decreases in d-excess, hypothesized to represent reduced sea ice extent and an increase in oceanic moisture source to Greenland Ice Sheet precipitation. Thus, measurements of water vapor isotope ratios during an Arctic cyclone provide a critical processed-based explanation and the first direct confirmation, of relationships previously assumed to govern water isotope ratios during sea ice retreat and increased input of northern ocean moisture into the Arctic water cycle.
Triggering mitophagy with far-red fluorescent photosensitizers
Authors: Hsieh Cheng-Wei , Chu Chih-Hang , Lee Hsien-Ming , Yuan Yang Wei
Published: May 2015

Cells identify defective mitochondria and eliminate them through mitophagy: this allows cells to rid themselves of unwanted stress to maintain health and avoid the activation of cell death. One approach to experimentally investigate mitophagy is through the use of mitochondrial photosensitizers, which when coupled with light allows one to precisely control mitochondrial damage with spatial and temporal precision. Here we report three far-red fluorophores that can be used as robust mitochondrial photosensitizers to initiate mitophagy. The dyes offer maximal compatibility with multi-color live-cell imaging, as they do not spectrally overlap with commonly used fluorescent proteins. Through the use of these far-red fluorescent photosensitizers we found that mitophagic engulfment and mitophagosome maturation rates are highly correlated with the cellular Parkin-labeled mitochondria levels. This may represent a protective cellular mechanism to avoid membrane and lysosome depletion during mitophagy.
Relationship between social support during pregnancy and postpartum depressive state: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Morikawa Mako , Okada Takashi , Ando Masahiko , Aleksic Branko , Kunimoto Shohko , Nakamura Yukako , Kubota Chika , Uno Yota , Tamaji Ai , Hayakawa Norika , Furumura Kaori , Shiino Tomoko , Morita Tokiko , Ishikawa Naoko , Ohoka Harue , Usui Hinako , Banno Naomi , Murase Satomi , Goto Setsuko , Kanai Atsuko , Masuda Tomoko , Ozaki Norio
Published: May 2015

Although the association between social support and postpartum depression has been previously investigated, its causal relationship remains unclear. Therefore, we examined prospectively whether social support during pregnancy affected postpartum depression. Social support and depressive symptoms were assessed by Japanese version of Social Support Questionnaire (J-SSQ) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), among 877 pregnant women in early pregnancy and at one month postpartum. First, J-SSQ was standardized among peripartum women. The J-SSQ was found to have a two-factor structure, with Number and Satisfaction subscales, by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Analysis of covariance was performed to examine how EPDS and J-SSQ scores during pregnancy affected the EPDS score at postpartum. Significant associations were found between postpartum EPDS score and both EPDS and total scores on the Number subscales during pregnancy (β = 0.488 and -0.054, ps < 0.001). Specifically, this negative correlation was stronger in depressive than non-depressive groups. Meanwhile, total score on Satisfaction subscales was not significantly associated with postpartum EPDS score. These results suggest that having a larger number of supportive persons during pregnancy helps protect against postpartum depression and that this effect is greater in depressive than non-depressive pregnant women. This finding is expected to be vitally important in preventive interventions.
Guided current-induced skyrmion motion in 1D potential well
Authors: Purnama I. , Gan W. L. , Wong D. W. , Lew W. S.
Published: May 2015

Magnetic skyrmions are particle-like magnetization configurations which can be found in materials with broken inversion symmetry. Their topological nature allows them to circumvent around random pinning sites or impurities as they move within the magnetic layer, which makes them interesting as information carriers in memory devices. However, when the skyrmion is driven by a current, a Magnus force is generated which leads to the skyrmion moving away from the direction of the conduction electron flow. The deflection poses a serious problem to the realization of skyrmion-based devices, as it leads to skyrmion annihilation at the film edges. Here, we show that it is possible to guide the movement of the skyrmion and prevent it from annihilating by surrounding and compressing the skyrmion with strong local potential barriers. The compressed skyrmion receives higher contribution from the spin transfer torque, which results in the significant increase of the skyrmion speed.
Lipidome and Transcriptome Profiling of Pneumolysin Intoxication Identifies Networks Involved in Statin-Conferred Protection of Airway Epithelial Cells
Authors: Statt Sarah , Ruan Jhen-Wei , Huang Chih-Ting , Wu Reen , Kao Cheng-Yuan
Published: May 2015

Pneumonia remains one of the leading causes of death in both adults and children worldwide. Despite the adoption of a wide variety of therapeutics, the mortality from community-acquired pneumonia has remained relatively constant. Although viral and fungal acute airway infections can result in pneumonia, bacteria are the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia, with Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated in nearly 50% of cases. Pneumolysin is a cholesterol-dependent cytolysin or pore-forming toxin produced by Streptococcus pneumonia and has been shown to play a critical role in bacterial pathogenesis. Airway epithelium is the initial site of many bacterial contacts and its barrier and mucosal immunity functions are central to infectious lung diseases. In our studies, we have shown that the prior exposure to statins confers significant resistance of airway epithelial cells to the cytotoxicity of pneumolysin. We decided to take this study one step further, assessing changes in both the transcriptome and lipidome of human airway epithelial cells exposed to toxin, statin or both. Our current work provides the first global view in human airway epithelial cells of both the transcriptome and the lipid interactions that result in cellular protection from pneumolysin.
A novel inhibitory mechanism of MRTF-A/B on the ICAM-1 gene expression in vascular endothelial cells
Authors: Hayashi Ken’ichiro , Murai Toshiyuki , Oikawa Hiroki , Masuda Tomoyuki , Kimura Kazuhiro , Muehlich Susanne , Prywes Ron , Morita Tsuyoshi
Published: May 2015

The roles of myocardin-related transcription factor A (MRTF-A) and MRTF-B in vascular endothelial cells are not completely understood. Here, we found a novel regulatory mechanism for MRTF-A/B function. MRTF-A/B tend to accumulate in the nucleus in arterial endothelial cells in vivo and human aortic endothelial cells (HAoECs) in vitro. In HAoECs, nuclear localization of MRTF-A/B was not significantly affected by Y27632 or latrunculin B, primarily due to the reduced binding of MRTF-A/B to G-actin and in part, to the low level of MRTF-A phosphorylation by ERK. MRTF-A/B downregulation by serum depletion or transfection of siRNA against MRTF-A and/or MRTF-B induced ICAM-1 expression in HAoECs. It is known that nuclear import of nuclear factor−κB (NF−κB) plays a key role in ICAM-1 gene transcription. However, nuclear accumulation of NF−κB p65 was not observed in MRTF-A/B-depleted HAoECs. Our present findings suggest that MRTF-A/B inhibit ICAM-1 mRNA expression by forming a complex with NF−κB p65 in the nucleus. Conversely, downregulation of MRTF-A/B alleviates this negative regulation without further translocation of NF−κB p65 into the nucleus. These results reveal the novel roles of MRTF-A/B in the homeostasis of vascular endothelium.
Structured caustic vector vortex optical field: manipulating optical angular momentum flux and polarization rotation
Authors: Chen Rui-Pin , Chen Zhaozhong , Chew Khian-Hooi , Li Pei-Gang , Yu Zhongliang , Ding Jianping , He Sailing
Published: May 2015

A caustic vector vortex optical field is experimentally generated and demonstrated by a caustic-based approach. The desired caustic with arbitrary acceleration trajectories, as well as the structured states of polarization (SoP) and vortex orders located in different positions in the field cross-section, is generated by imposing the corresponding spatial phase function in a vector vortex optical field. Our study reveals that different spin and orbital angular momentum flux distributions (including opposite directions) in different positions in the cross-section of a caustic vector vortex optical field can be dynamically managed during propagation by intentionally choosing the initial polarization and vortex topological charges, as a result of the modulation of the caustic phase. We find that the SoP in the field cross-section rotates during propagation due to the existence of the vortex. The unique structured feature of the caustic vector vortex optical field opens the possibility of multi-manipulation of optical angular momentum fluxes and SoP, leading to more complex manipulation of the optical field scenarios. Thus this approach further expands the functionality of an optical system.