bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Coastal Residents After Multiple Disasters
Authors: Cherry Katie E. , Sampson Laura , Galea Sandro , Marks Loren D. , Baudoin Kayla H. , Nezat Pamela F. , Stanko Katie E.
Published: December 2016

Objective

Exposure to multiple disasters, both natural and technological, is associated with extreme stress and long-term consequences for older adults that are not well understood. In this article, we address age differences in health-related quality of life in older disaster survivors exposed to the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the role played by social engagement in influencing these differences.

Methods

Participants were noncoastal residents, current coastal residents, and current coastal fishers who were economically affected by the BP oil spill. Social engagement was estimated on the basis of disruptions in charitable work and social support after the 2005 hurricanes relative to a typical year before the storms. Criterion measures were participants’ responses to the SF-36 Health Survey which includes composite indexes of physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) health.

Results

The results of logistic regressions indicated that age was inversely associated with SF-36 PCS scores. A reduction in perceived social support after Hurricane Katrina was also inversely associated with SF-36 MCS scores.

Conclusions

These results illuminate risk factors that impact well-being among older adults after multiple disasters. Implications of these data for psychological adjustment after multiple disasters are considered. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:90–96)
THE ROLE OF EPISTEMIC VIRTUE IN THE REALIZATION OF BASIC GOODS
Authors: Baril Anne
Published: December 2016

In this paper, I argue that, contrary to popular opinion, there is good reason to think that the qualities that make people good reasoners also make them better off. I will focus specifically on epistemic virtue: roughly, the kind of character in virtue of which one is excellently oriented towards epistemic goods. I propose that epistemic virtue is importantly implicated in the realization of some of the goods that are widely believed to be instrumental to, or even constitutive of, well-being. Here I focus on one such good: friendship.
SOME RESISTANCE TO THE IDEALIZED THERMOMETER MODEL
Authors: Leydon-Hardy Lauren
Published: December 2016

In my comments I look at what was gained and lost in the move from the Simple Thermometer Model (STM) to the Idealized Thermometer Model (ITM). The move is motivated by the thought that there are going to be cases of disagreement for which the simple model cannot generate results. In this way, the STM is incomplete. I try to say a bit about why we might think that the ITM is incomplete in a relevantly similar way, while also taking a hit in terms of its explanatory value. The STM tells us what to believe (even if not in every case). The ITM might be able to churn out results in some cases that the STM cannot, but offers less guidance about what we ought to believe.
TO PREEMPT OR NOT TO PREEMPT
Authors: Lackey Jennifer
Published: December 2016

When relying on someone whom we take to be an epistemic authority, should we believe preemptively what she does or not? According to Linda Zagzebski, the answer to this question is yes: beliefs formed on the basis of what an authority believes can be epistemically rational, where “[w]hat is essential to authority is that it is a normative power that generates reasons for others to do or to believe something preemptively” (Zagzebski 2012: 102). In a recent paper in this journal, Sarah Wright takes issue with this thesis, but defends a relativized version of it. Here I show that as a general policy – even relative to certain kinds of cases, such as those involving agreement or disagreement – we should neither always add nor replace our reasons with those provided by an authority. Thus, we should never believe preemptively.
KNOWLEDGE AND EVIDENCE YOU SHOULD HAVE HAD
Authors: Benton Matthew A.
Published: December 2016

Epistemologists focus primarily on cases of knowledge, belief, or credence where the evidence which one possesses, or on which one is relying, plays a fundamental role in the epistemic or normative status of one's doxastic state. Recent work in epistemology goes beyond the evidence one possesses to consider the relevance for such statuses of evidence which one does not possess, particularly when there is a sense in which one should have had some evidence. I focus here on Sanford Goldberg's approach (“Should Have Known,” Synthese, Forthcoming; and “On the Epistemic Significance of Evidence You Should Have Had,” Episteme, 2016, this issue); but the discussion will interest anyone working on epistemic defeat.
Sel-Plex™, a source of organic selenium in selenised yeast protein, as a factor that influences meat quality
Authors: Edens F. W. , Sefton A. E.
Published: December 2016

The storage and cooking quality of meat is dictated by the ability of muscle cells to effectively hold water. If this ability is diminished, then presentation at time of purchase is poorer, as the packaging fills with watery exudates (termed ‘drip loss’), which is detrimental to sales. In addition, these losses affect cooking and eating sensory qualities. It is known that antioxidants play a major role in ensuring robustness of the cell membrane in muscle, and within this, selenium (Se) plays a major part, being an essential component within an antioxidant enzyme system and its interaction with vitamin E within membranes. The following review examines the body of evidence for Se as an antioxidant to preserve water holding capacity, especially with reference to using a chemically organic form of the mineral which is akin to those forms found in natural feed materials.
An entrainment model for lazy turbulent plumes
Authors: Carlotti P. , Hunt G. R.
Published: December 2016

An entrainment model for lazy turbulent plumes is proposed, the resulting solutions of the plume conservation equations are developed and the implications for plume behaviour are considered and compared with the available experimental data. Indeed, the applicability of the classic solutions of the conservation equations subject to source conditions that produce lazy plumes, i.e. those with suitably high source Richardson number, contains an essential weakness: the underlying assumption of a constant entrainment coefficient. While entrainment models prescribing the dependence of the entrainment coefficient on the local Richardson number have been proposed for forced plumes, corresponding formulations for lazy plumes have not until now been considered. In the context of saline plumes, the model is applied directly. For hot gaseous plumes, we use a modified definition of buoyancy flux to recover a constant buoyancy flux in a non-stratified environment, despite the specific heat varying with the temperature. After a brief review of existing forced-plume formulations of entrainment, a power-law variation is adopted for the lazy plume. The plume equations are solved for the parameter $0\leqslant \unicode[STIX]{x1D714}<1$, where $\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}$ denotes the exponent of the power law. The cases of pure plumes and lazy plumes are then analysed in more detail; to the best of our knowledge this represents the first modelling of variable entrainment for lazy plumes. Specifically, it is shown that classic plume theory is recovered for $\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}=0$, while for $\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}=1/5$ the plume equations may be solved using usual functions (notably polynomials) only. The results of the models for these cases are very similar, which advocates the idea of selecting systematically $\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}=1/5$, instead of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}=0$, for cases where the effect of variation of entrainment is weak, since the new model leads to simple calculations. In the case of very lazy plumes, it is shown that, provided that a relevant value of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}$ is chosen, the new model reproduces the available experimental results well.
Evaluation of Preparation Methods in Radiocarbon Dating of Old Wood
Authors: Hajdas Irka , Hendriks Laura , Fontana Alessandro , Monegato Giovanni
Published: December 2016

From the early days of radiocarbon dating, the standard sample treatment has involved removal of contamination from carbonates and humic acids by washes in acid and base, respectively. A modification of this acid-base-acid (ABA) method has been suggested, especially for material older than 20,000 yr. However, the criticism of ABA and application of a more aggressive oxidizing method, such as wet oxidation (ABOX) or cellulose extraction, might only be needed in some special cases, for example, in the case of poorly preserved or chemically treated wood. Separation of cellulose seems to be the ultimate solution; however, it is not always applicable when samples contain small amounts of wood. As a part of studies focusing on the chronology of late Pleistocene sedimentary processes in the Venetian–Friulian Plain and Carnic Alps (NE Italy), 14C analyses were performed on old wood samples found in sedimentary deposits of pre-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) age. Wood samples were treated by five methods: ABA, two modified ABA treatments (ABOX and ABA+Bleach), as well as two different cellulose separations. Infrared spectra of treated samples and 14C results show that in most cases the ABA method is sufficient in removing the contamination of naturally deposited wood, even when the wood is of very old age.
Dietary patterns associated with overweight and obesity among Brazilian schoolchildren: an approach based on the time-of-day of eating events
Authors: Kupek Emil , Lobo Adriana S. , Leal Danielle B. , Bellisle France , de Assis Maria Alice A.
Published: December 2016

Several studies reported that the timing of eating events has critical implications in the prevention of obesity, but dietary patterns regarding the time-of-day have not been explored in children. The aim of this study was to derive latent food patterns of daily eating events and to examine their associations with overweight/obesity among schoolchildren. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 7–10-year-old Brazilian schoolchildren (n 1232) who completed the Previous Day Food Questionnaire, illustrated with twenty-one foods/beverages in six daily eating events. Latent class analysis was used to derive dietary patterns whose association with child weight status was evaluated by multivariate multinomial regression. Four mutually exclusive latent classes of dietary patterns were identified and labelled according to the time-of-day of eating events and food intake probability (FIP): (A) higher FIP only at lunch; (B) lower FIP at all eating events; (C) higher FIP at lunch, afternoon and evening snacks; (D) lower FIP at breakfast and at evening snack, higher FIP at other meals/snacks. The percentages of children within these classes were 32·3, 48·6, 15·1 and 4·0 %, respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, the mean probabilities of obesity for these classes were 6 % (95 % CI 3·0, 9·0), 13 % (95 % CI 9·0, 17·0), 12 % (95 % CI 6·0, 19) and 11 % (95 % CI 5·0, 17·0), in the same order. In conclusion, the children eating traditional lunch with rice and beans as the main meal of the day (class A) had the lowest obesity risk, thus reinforcing the importance of both the food type and the time-of-day of its intake for weight status.
Contribution of binge eating behaviour to cardiometabolic risk factors in subjects starting a weight loss or maintenance programme
Authors: Leone Alessandro , Bedogni Giorgio , Ponissi Veronica , Battezzati Alberto , Beggio Valentina , Magni Paolo , Ruscica Massimiliano , Bertoli Simona
Published: December 2016

The contribution of binge eating (BE) behaviour to cardiometabolic risk factors has been scarcely investigated so far. Previous studies have not considered the nutritional status and lifestyle of subjects suffering from BE. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of BE to the metabolic syndrome (MS), its components, high total cholesterol and high LDL in a large sample of subjects, taking into account nutritional status, dietary habits, smoking status and physical activity. For this purpose, 5175 adults seeking a weight loss or maintenance programme were recruited. Anthropometrical measurements and blood parameters were measured. BE was evaluated using the Binge Eating Scale (BES). A fourteen-item questionnaire was used to evaluate the adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Smoking status and physical activity were investigated by interview. BE prevalence was 0·16 (95 % CI 0·15, 0·17). A sex- and age-adjusted Poisson regression model showed a higher prevalence of MS in binge eaters (0·33; 95 % CI 0·28, 0·37) compared with non-binge eaters (0·27; 95 % CI 0·25, 0·28, P=0·011). However, the statistical difference was lost after inclusion of BMI and lifestyle parameters in the multiple-adjusted model. We also evaluated the association between the continuous outcomes of interest and the BES score using a multivariable median regression model. We observed a positive, but clinically irrelevant, association between BES score and HDL levels (P<0·001). In conclusion, BE does not seem to be independently related to cardiometabolic risk factors. However, the screening and treatment of BE are of clinical relevance in order to reduce the risk of developing obesity.
Effect of heavy-equipment aided environmental nebulization onAedes aegyptivectors of Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya in São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Piovezan R. , Acorinthe J. Paulo O. , Visockas A. , de Azevedo T.S. , Von Zuben C.J.
Published: December 2016

The control of dengue constitutes a great challenge for public health; however, the methods normally used have shown themselves to be insufficient to keep the indices of infestation ofAedes aegyptiunder control. Recently, beyond the large number of cases and deaths associated with dengue, new risks have arisen such as those represented by chikungunya fever and Zika. In the light of the great significance of these problems within the public health context, two areas in a municipality in the interior of the State of São Paulo, Brazil were selected in 2014. One of them, Bairro Cidade Nova, was submitted to the conventional method of nebulization with portable equipment, and the other, Bairro Jardim Europa, received the application of the insecticide by means of heavy-equipment coupled to the vehicle. During the project, 1355 mosquito eggs were collected, 1105 of them in Bairro Cidade Nova and 205 in Bairro Jardim Europa. After the applications with heavy-equipment in the months of March and April, the number of cases of the disease reported in the month of April for Bairro Jardim Europa was less than half that of Bairro Cidade Nova, which had received the conventional treatment. The nebulization with the heavy-equipment may constitute a viable and effective strategy for achieving better results in the control ofAe. aegypti.
Selected Middle Ordovician key conodont species from the Santa Gertrudis Formation (Salta, Argentina): an approach to its biostratigraphical significance
Authors: CARLOROSI JOSEFINA , SARMIENTO GRACIELA , HEREDIA SUSANA
Published: December 2016

We have analysed a newly exposed conodont association from the Santa Gertrudis Formation in the Mojotoro Range, Eastern Cordillera of Salta province, Argentina. The key speciesBaltoniodus triangularis(Lindström),Trapezognathus quadrangulum(Lindström) andErraticodon patuCooper are present. A new species of the genusBaltoniodus(Baltoniodus cooperisp. nov.) and elements ofPeriodonaff.P. flabellumare included in this conodont study. The key conodontB. triangularisindicates an age of lower Dapingian (Middle Ordovician) for the bearing strata. This was also recognized in other localities of the Eastern Cordillera, allowing their correlation. The conodonts from the Santa Gertrudis Formation provide conclusive elements on palaeogeographic interpretation by sharing species with Baltoscandia, South China and Australia, suggesting strong faunal affinities with these provinces.
Buddhist Salvation Armies as Vanguards of theSāsana: Sorcerer Societies in Twentieth-Century Burma
Authors: Patton Thomas
Published: December 2016

Since the early twentieth century, groups of Burmese Buddhist sorcerers and their followers have taken on the duty of guarding the Buddha'ssāsanafrom colonial, ideological, and Islamic threats.Sāsana(broadly, the teachings of the Buddha and the institutions and practices that support them) and how it should be sustained in the face of its inevitable demise have been central concerns of these societies, expressed in both their textual and oral representations. To illustrate this tension between endurance and change, this article explores ideas of the life cycle of thesāsanaand how ideas about its responsibility to wider communities of Burmese Buddhists became expressed through the intersection ofsāsanaand sorcery. Examining the ways these associations understood themselves to be protecting and propagating thesāsanathrough various means demonstrates howsāsanavitality gave their beliefs and actions a distinct collective and collectively ethical tone.
Beyond the hermeneutics of suspicion in the critique of humanitarian intervention
Authors: Akrivoulis Dimitrios E.
Published: December 2016

Realist and Marxist critiques of humanitarian intervention are distinctively materialistic in scope. The IR literature has already described this scepticism as a ‘hermeneutics of suspicion’, a term associated with the work of Paul Ricoeur, which aims to unearth the intervenors’ material and geopolitical interests hypocritically hidden behind the pretext of humanitarianism. The article first notes the decontextualised misappropriations of the term as an iconic and omnipotent instrument of doubt, as well as the limitations of the social constructivist response on the matter. By contextualising Ricoeur’s hermeneutics of suspicion as developed in his life work, the article then calls for an extension of critique from a hermeneutics of suspicion to a hermeneutics of naïveté. Applied in the critique of the ideology of humanitarian intervention, the article thus calls for a shift of focus from the examination of the distorting (Marxism, realism) and legitimising (social constructivism) functions of this ideology to its integrating function that has allowed the evocation of humanitarian principles as international norms, and uncritically vindicates this arrangement. The article proposes that this hermeneutical detour could allow critique to proceed to a greater analytical depth, opening up a set of critical questions.
THE ANALYTIC APPROACH FOR THE STOCHASTIC PROJECTION OF THE PUBLIC PENSION FUND
Authors: Kim Hyungsu , Kim Geonwoo , Lee Sungchul
Published: December 2016

In this paper, we propose a stochastic method to project the public pension fund in the public pension system (PPS). For this we introduce the stochastic differential equations for the three parts: the premium revenue, the benefit expenditure, and the fund process. From these we show that the solution of the aggregated fund process is the sum of log-normals, which is approximated as one log-normal for the analytic result. Related to the parameter estimations, we implement the moment matching in the first moment. For the second moment, we apply the extreme value method following Parkinson. In order to follow Parkinson, we take the maximum and the minimum range of the fund amount based on the various sensitivity result as well as the baseline one from the deterministic projection result. In this reason, it is naturally to maintain the close interrelation with the deterministic projection result, which is very important since it is still key result in the actuarial valuation of the PPS.
THE WOODY VEGETATION OF QUARTZITE SOILS IN A MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPE IN THE ATLANTIC FOREST DOMAIN (SOUTH-EASTERN BRAZIL): STRUCTURE, DIVERSITY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION
Authors: Ribeiro J. H. C. , Fonseca C. R. , Carvalho F. A.
Published: December 2016

The Serra Negra belongs to the Mantiqueira mountain complex, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It has a vegetation mosaic dominated by ombrophilous and seasonal forest and grassland formations. Woody physiognomies occur on patches of quartzite soils. The aim of the present study was to investigate the patterns of structure and diversity of woody vegetation on quartzite soils in Serra Negra. Ten plots (20 × 50 m) were randomly placed in patches of woody vegetation on quartzite soils along the landscape. The diameter and height of all woody plants with a diameter of ≥ 3 cm at 30 cm from the soil were measured. The 1899 individuals sampled represented 30 plant families and 68 species. A strong ecological dominance was found, with about 30% of individuals belonging to a single species, Eremanthus incanus (Asteraceae). The Shannon diversity index (H′) was 2.74 nats/individual and evenness (J) 0.65. The two most abundant and ecologically important species in this vegetation type, Eremanthus incanus and Eremanthus erythropappus, called ‘candeias’, are exploited in the region, mainly for firewood. This exploitation, combined with other factors (e.g. increased tourism), can pose risks to the conservation of the whole flora of the region.
Sex-Related Differences in Emotion Recognition in Multi-concussed Athletes
Authors: Léveillé Edith , Guay Samuel , Blais Caroline , Scherzer Peter , De Beaumont Louis
Published: December 2016

Objectives:Concussion is defined as a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain. Although the cumulative and long-term effects of multiple concussions are now well documented on cognitive and motor function, little is known about their effects on emotion recognition. Recent studies have suggested that concussion can result in emotional sequelae, particularly in females and multi-concussed athletes. The objective of this study was to investigate sex-related differences in emotion recognition in asymptomatic male and female multi-concussed athletes.Methods:We tested 28 control athletes (15 males) and 22 multi-concussed athletes (10 males) more than a year since the last concussion. Participants completed the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, a neuropsychological test battery and a morphed emotion recognition task. Pictures of a male face expressing basic emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise) morphed with another emotion were randomly presented. After each face presentation, participants were asked to indicate the emotion expressed by the face.Results:Results revealed significant sex by group interactions in accuracy and intensity threshold for negative emotions, together with significant main effects of emotion and group.Conclusions:Male concussed athletes were significantly impaired in recognizing negative emotions and needed more emotional intensity to correctly identify these emotions, compared to same-sex controls. In contrast, female concussed athletes performed similarly to same-sex controls. These findings suggest that sex significantly modulates concussion effects on emotional facial expression recognition. (JINS, 2017,23, 65–77)
Der Zytokinsturm – eine Komplikation des adulten Morbus Still
Authors: Plate Andreas , Vallelian Florence , Herfs Gregor
Published: December 2016

Zusammenfassung. Das Makrophagen-Aktivierungs-Syndrom (MAS) ist eine potenziell lebensbedrohliche Komplikation, die vorwiegend in Rahmen autoimmuner oder rheumatologischer Erkrankungen auftritt. Pathophysiologisch kommt es hierbei zu einem Zustand massivster Hyperinflammation im Rahmen eines sogenannten «Zytokin-Sturms». Wir berichten in diesem Fall von einer 42-jährigen Patientin mit der Neudiagnose eines adulten Morbus Still, die im Verlauf ein MAS entwickelt. Wir beschreiben in diesem Bericht die typische Klinik, die Schwierigkeiten in der Diagnostik sowie die aktuellen therapeutischen Möglichkeiten bei Patienten mit einem MAS.
Bat Guano: A Possible New Source for Paleoclimate Reconstructions
Authors: Wendel JoAnna
Published: December 2016

Nitrogen isotopes within samples of bat excrement accurately reflect modern precipitation patterns. So could guano serve as a paleoclimate record?
Fearful of Trump, Hundreds in San Francisco Rally for Science
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: December 2016

Speakers called on scientists not to remain silent in the face of what they said are threats to the Earth sciences.
California's Governor Promises to Fight for Science
Authors: Wendel JoAnna
Published: December 2016

Scientific efforts must ratchet up in the face of rising climate change denial, Governor Brown said to a roomful of scientists.
Estimating the volume and age of water stored in global lakes using a geo-statistical approach
Authors: Messager Mathis Loïc , Lehner Bernhard , Grill Günther , Nedeva Irena , Schmitt Oliver
Published: December 2016

Lakes are key components of biogeochemical and ecological processes, thus knowledge about their distribution, volume and residence time is crucial in understanding their properties and interactions within the Earth system. However, global information is scarce and inconsistent across spatial scales and regions. Here we develop a geo-statistical model to estimate the volume of global lakes with a surface area of at least 10 ha based on the surrounding terrain information. Our spatially resolved database shows 1.42 million individual polygons of natural lakes with a total surface area of 2.67 × 106 km2 (1.8% of global land area), a total shoreline length of 7.2 × 106 km (about four times longer than the world’s ocean coastline) and a total volume of 181.9 × 103 km3 (0.8% of total global non-frozen terrestrial water stocks). We also compute mean and median hydraulic residence times for all lakes to be 1,834 days and 456 days, respectively.
Amphibian gut microbiota shifts differentially in community structure but converges on habitat-specific predicted functions
Authors: Bletz Molly C. , Goedbloed Daniel J. , Sanchez Eugenia , Reinhardt Timm , Tebbe Christoph C. , Bhuju Sabin , Geffers Robert , Jarek Michael , Vences Miguel , Steinfartz Sebastian
Published: December 2016

Complex microbial communities inhabit vertebrate digestive systems but thorough understanding of the ecological dynamics and functions of host-associated microbiota within natural habitats is limited. We investigate the role of environmental conditions in shaping gut and skin microbiota under natural conditions by performing a field survey and reciprocal transfer experiments with salamander larvae inhabiting two distinct habitats (ponds and streams). We show that gut and skin microbiota are habitat-specific, demonstrating environmental factors mediate community structure. Reciprocal transfer reveals that gut microbiota, but not skin microbiota, responds differentially to environmental change. Stream-to-pond larvae shift their gut microbiota to that of pond-to-pond larvae, whereas pond-to-stream larvae change to a community structure distinct from both habitat controls. Predicted functions, however, match that of larvae from the destination habitats in both cases. Thus, microbial function can be matched without taxonomic coherence and gut microbiota appears to exhibit metagenomic plasticity.
Dendritic excitation–inhibition balance shapes cerebellar output during motor behaviour
Authors: Jelitai Marta , Puggioni Paolo , Ishikawa Taro , Rinaldi Arianna , Duguid Ian
Published: December 2016

Feedforward excitatory and inhibitory circuits regulate cerebellar output, but how these circuits interact to shape the somatodendritic excitability of Purkinje cells during motor behaviour remains unresolved. Here we perform dendritic and somatic patch-clamp recordings in vivo combined with optogenetic silencing of interneurons to investigate how dendritic excitation and inhibition generates bidirectional (that is, increased or decreased) Purkinje cell output during self-paced locomotion. We find that granule cells generate a sustained depolarization of Purkinje cell dendrites during movement, which is counterbalanced by variable levels of feedforward inhibition from local interneurons. Subtle differences in the dendritic excitation–inhibition balance generate robust, bidirectional changes in simple spike (SSp) output. Disrupting this balance by selectively silencing molecular layer interneurons results in unidirectional firing rate changes, increased SSp regularity and disrupted locomotor behaviour. Our findings provide a mechanistic understanding of how feedforward excitatory and inhibitory circuits shape Purkinje cell output during motor behaviour.
Improvement of system capacitance via weavable superelastic biscrolled yarn supercapacitors
Authors: Choi Changsoon , Kim Kang Min , Kim Keon Jung , Lepró Xavier , Spinks Geoffrey M. , Baughman Ray H. , Kim Seon Jeong
Published: December 2016

Yarn-based supercapacitors having improved performance are needed for existing and emerging wearable applications. Here, we report weavable carbon nanotube yarn supercapacitors having high performance because of high loadings of rapidly accessible charge storage particles (above 90 wt% MnO2). The yarn electrodes are made by a biscrolling process that traps host MnO2nanoparticles within the galleries of helically scrolled carbon nanotube sheets, which provide strength and electrical conductivity. Despite the high loading of brittle metal oxide particles, the biscrolled solid-state yarn supercapacitors are flexible and can be made elastically stretchable (up to 30% strain) by over-twisting to produce yarn coiling. The maximum areal capacitance of the yarn electrodes were up to 100 times higher than for previously reported fibres or yarn supercapacitors. Similarly, the energy density of complete, solid-state supercapacitors made from biscrolled yarn electrodes with gel electrolyte coating were significantly higher than for previously reported fibre or yarn supercapacitors.
Cyst-Wall-Protein-1 is fundamental for Golgi-like organelle neogenesis and cyst-wall biosynthesis in Giardia lamblia
Authors: Ebneter Jacqueline A. , Heusser Sally D. , Schraner Elisabeth M. , Hehl Adrian B. , Faso Carmen
Published: December 2016

The genome of the protozoan parasite Giardia lamblia is organized in two diploid nuclei, which has so far precluded complete analysis of gene function. Here we use a previously developed Cre/loxP-based knock-out and selection marker salvage strategy in the human-derived isolate WB-C6 to eliminate all four copies of the Cyst-Wall-Protein-1 locus (CWP1). Because these loci are silenced in proliferating trophozoites and highly expressed only in encysting cells, CWP1 ablation allows functional characterization of a conditional phenotype in parasites induced to encyst. We show that encysting Δcwp1 cells are unable to establish the stage-regulated trafficking machinery with Golgi-like encystation-specific vesicles required for cyst-wall formation but show morphological hallmarks of cyst development and karyokinesis. This ‘pseudocyst’ phenotype is rescued by transfection of Δcwp1 cells with an episomally maintained CWP1 expression vector. Genome editing in genera Giardia and Trypanosoma are the only reported examples addressing questions on pathogen transmission within the Excavata supergroup.
Erratum: N-type organic electrochemical transistors with stability in water
Authors: Giovannitti Alexander , Nielsen Christian B. , Sbircea Dan-Tiberiu , Inal Sahika , Donahue Mary , Niazi Muhammad R. , Hanifi David A. , Amassian Aram , Malliaras George G. , Rivnay Jonathan , McCulloch Iain
Published: December 2016

Nature Communications 7: Article number: 13066 (2016); Published: 7 October 2016; Updated: 15 December 2016 Typographical errors were inadvertently introduced into the unit of charge mobility during the production process, such that the correct unit cm2 V−1 s−1 was incorrectly give as cm−2 V−1 s−1. These errors do not affect the analysis of the results presented in the Article.
Simulating and Optimising Quantum Thermometry Using Single Photons
Authors: Tham W. K. , Ferretti H. , Sadashivan A. V. , Steinberg A. M.
Published: December 2016

A classical thermometer typically works by exchanging energy with the system being measured until it comes to equilibrium, at which point the readout is related to the final energy state of the thermometer. A recent paper noted that with a quantum thermometer consisting of a single spin/qubit, temperature discrimination is better achieved at finite times rather than once equilibration is essentially complete. Furthermore, preparing a qubit thermometer in a state with quantum coherence instead of an incoherent one improves its sensitivity to temperature differences. Implementing a recent proposal for efficiently emulating an arbitrary quantum channel, we use the quantum polarisation state of individual photons as models of “single-qubit thermometers” which evolve for a certain time in contact with a thermal bath. We investigate the optimal thermometer states for temperature discrimination, and the optimal interaction times, confirming that there is a broad regime where quantum coherence provides a significant improvement. We also discuss the more practical question of thermometers composed of a finite number of spins/qubits (greater than one), and characterize the performance of an adaptive protocol for making optimal use of all the qubits.
Self-assembled and intercalated film of reduced graphene oxide for a novel vacuum pressure sensor
Authors: Ahn Sung Il , Jung Jura , Kim Yongwoo , Lee Yujin , Kim Kukjoo , Lee Seong Eui , Kim Sungyun , Choi Kyeong-Keun
Published: December 2016

We report a new method for measuring vacuum pressures using Van der Waals (VDW) interactions between reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets. For this purpose, we utilized a reaction-based self-assembly process to fabricate various intercalated RGO (i-RGO) films, and monitored their electrical behavior with changing pressure and temperature. Pumping to remove gas from a vacuum chamber produced a decrease in the sheet resistance of i-RGO. With further pumping, distinctly different sheet resistance behaivors were observed depending on the measurement temperature. With increasing vacuum pressure, the resistance increased at 100 °C, whereas it decreased at 30 °C. Two types of VDW interactions are proposed to explain these features: a local VDW interaction between RGO sheets that resulted in V-shaped curves of sheet resistance with pressure changes and broad VDW interactions that occur between RGO sheets when the elastic force required to bend carbon clusters on an RGO sheet exceeds their vibrational energy at low temperatures. On the basis of the results, we propose that the resistance behavior of i-RGO as a function of vacuum pressure can be interpreted as the sum of the two different VDW interactions.
Roles of human POLD1 and POLD3 in genome stability
Authors: Tumini Emanuela , Barroso Sonia , -Calero Carmen Pérez , Aguilera Andrés
Published: December 2016

DNA replication is essential for cellular proliferation. If improperly controlled it can constitute a major source of genome instability, frequently associated with cancer and aging. POLD1 is the catalytic subunit and POLD3 is an accessory subunit of the replicative Pol δ polymerase, which also functions in DNA repair, as well as the translesion synthesis polymerase Pol ζ, whose catalytic subunit is REV3L. In cells depleted of POLD1 or POLD3 we found a differential but general increase in genome instability as manifested by DNA breaks, S-phase progression impairment and chromosome abnormalities. Importantly, we showed that both proteins are needed to maintain the proper amount of active replication origins and that POLD3-depletion causes anaphase bridges accumulation. In addition, POLD3-associated DNA damage showed to be dependent on RNA-DNA hybrids pointing toward an additional and specific role of this subunit in genome stability. Interestingly, a similar increase in RNA-DNA hybrids-dependent genome instability was observed in REV3L-depleted cells. Our findings demonstrate a key role of POLD1 and POLD3 in genome stability and S-phase progression revealing RNA-DNA hybrids-dependent effects for POLD3 that might be partly due to its Pol ζ interaction.
Evidence for a LOS and a capsular polysaccharide in Capnocytophaga canimorsus
Authors: Renzi Francesco , Ittig Simon J. , Sadovskaya Irina , Hess Estelle , Lauber Frederic , Dol Melanie , Shin Hwain , Mally Manuela , Fiechter Chantal , Sauder Ursula , Chami Mohamed , Cornelis Guy R.
Published: December 2016

Capnocytophaga canimorsus is a dog’s and cat’s oral commensal which can cause fatal human infections upon bites or scratches. Infections mainly start with flu-like symptoms but can rapidly evolve in fatal septicaemia with a mortality as high as 40%. Here we present the discovery of a polysaccharide capsule (CPS) at the surface of C. canimorsus 5 (Cc5), a strain isolated from a fulminant septicaemia. We provide genetic and chemical data showing that this capsule is related to the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) and probably composed of the same polysaccharide units. A CPS was also found in nine out of nine other strains of C. canimorsus. In addition, the genomes of three of these strains, sequenced previously, contain genes similar to those encoding CPS biosynthesis in Cc5. Thus, the presence of a CPS is likely to be a common property of C. canimorsus. The CPS and not the LOS confers protection against the bactericidal effect of human serum and phagocytosis by macrophages. An antiserum raised against the capsule increased the killing of C. canimorsus by human serum thus showing that anti-capsule antibodies have a protective role. These findings provide a new major element in the understanding of the pathogenesis of C. canimorsus.
Tracking the Impact of Excisional Cervical Treatment on the Cervix using Biospectroscopy
Authors: Halliwell Diane E. , Kyrgiou Maria , Mitra Anita , Kalliala Ilkka , Paraskevaidis Evangelos , Theophilou Georgios , Martin-Hirsch Pierre L. , Martin Francis L.
Published: December 2016

Local excisional treatment for cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) is linked to significant adverse sequelae including preterm birth, with cone depth and radicality of treatment correlating to the frequency and severity of adverse events. Attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy can detect underlying cervical disease more accurately than conventional cytology. The chemical profile of cells pre- and post-treatment may differ as a result of altered biochemical processes due to excision, or treatment of the disease. Since pre-treatment cervical length varies amongst women, the percentage of cervix excised may correlate more accurately to risk than absolute dimensions. We show that treatment for CIN significantly alters the biochemistry of the cervix, compared with women who have not had treatment; this is due to the removal of cervical tissue rather than the removal of the disease. However, the spectra do not seem to correlate to the cone depth or proportion of cervical length excised. Future research should aim to explore the impact of treatment in a larger cohort.
Disentangling the influence of earthworms in sugarcane rhizosphere
Authors: Braga Lucas P. P. , Yoshiura Caio A. , Borges Clovis D. , Horn Marcus A. , Brown George G. , Drake Harold L. , Tsai Siu M.
Published: December 2016

For the last 150 years many studies have shown the importance of earthworms for plant growth, but the exact mechanisms involved in the process are still poorly understood. Many important functions required for plant growth can be performed by soil microbes in the rhizosphere. To investigate earthworm influence on the rhizosphere microbial community, we performed a macrocosm experiment with and without Pontoscolex corethrurus (EW+ and EW−, respectively) and followed various soil and rhizosphere processes for 217 days with sugarcane. In EW+ treatments, N2O concentrations belowground (15 cm depth) and relative abundances of nitrous oxide genes (nosZ) were higher in bulk soil and rhizosphere, suggesting that soil microbes were able to consume earthworm-induced N2O. Shotgun sequencing (total DNA) revealed that around 70 microbial functions in bulk soil and rhizosphere differed between EW+ and EW− treatments. Overall, genes indicative of biosynthetic pathways and cell proliferation processes were enriched in EW+ treatments, suggesting a positive influence of worms. In EW+ rhizosphere, functions associated with plant-microbe symbiosis were enriched relative to EW− rhizosphere. Ecological networks inferred from the datasets revealed decreased niche diversification and increased keystone functions as an earthworm-derived effect. Plant biomass was improved in EW+ and worm population proliferated.
Genomic Identification and Comparative Expansion Analysis of the Non-Specific Lipid Transfer Protein Gene Family in Gossypium
Authors: Li Feng , Fan Kai , Ma Fanglu , Yue Erkui , Bibi Noreen , Wang Ming , Shen Hao , Hasan Md Mosfeq-Ul , Wang Xuede
Published: December 2016

Plant non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) are involved in many biological processes. In this study, 51, 47 and 91nsLTPswere identified inGossypium arboreum, G. raimondiiand their descendant allotetraploidG. hirsutum, respectively. All thensLTPswere phylogenetically divided into 8 distinct subfamilies. Besides, the recent duplication, which is considered cotton-specific whole genome duplication, may have led tonsLTPexpansion inGossypium. Both tandem and segmental duplication contributed tonsLTPexpansion inG. arboreumandG. hirsutum, while tandem duplication was the dominant pattern inG. raimondii. Additionally, the interspecific orthologous gene pairs inGossypiumwere identified. SomeGaLTPsandGrLTPslost their orthologs in the Atand Dtsubgenomes, respectively, ofG. hirsutum. The distribution of theseGrLTPsandGaLTPswithin each subfamily was complementary, suggesting that the loss and retention ofnsLTPsinG. hirsutummight not be random. Moreover, thensLTPsin the Atand Dtsubgenomes might have evolved symmetrically. Furthermore, both intraspecific and interspecific orthologous genes showed considerable expression variation, suggesting that their functions were strongly differentiated. Our results lay an important foundation for expansion and evolutionary analysis of thensLTPfamily inGossypium, and advancensLTPstudies in other plants, especially polyploid plants.
Arabidopsis myrosinases link the glucosinolate-myrosinase system and the cuticle
Authors: Ahuja Ishita , de Vos Ric C. H. , Rohloff Jens , Stoopen Geert M. , Halle Kari K. , Ahmad Samina Jam Nazeer , Hoang Linh , Hall Robert D. , Bones Atle M.
Published: December 2016

Both physical barriers and reactive phytochemicals represent two important components of a plant’s defence system against environmental stress. However, these two defence systems have generally been studied independently. Here, we have taken an exclusive opportunity to investigate the connection between a chemical-based plant defence system, represented by the glucosinolate-myrosinase system, and a physical barrier, represented by the cuticle, using Arabidopsis myrosinase (thioglucosidase; TGG) mutants. The tgg1, single and tgg1 tgg2 double mutants showed morphological changes compared to wild-type plants visible as changes in pavement cells, stomatal cells and the ultrastructure of the cuticle. Extensive metabolite analyses of leaves from tgg mutants and wild-type Arabidopsis plants showed altered levels of cuticular fatty acids, fatty acid phytyl esters, glucosinolates, and indole compounds in tgg single and double mutants as compared to wild-type plants. These results point to a close and novel association between chemical defence systems and physical defence barriers.
Spring maize yield, soil water use and water use efficiency under plastic film and straw mulches in the Loess Plateau
Authors: Lin Wen , Liu Wenzhao , Xue Qingwu
Published: December 2016

To compare the soil water balance, yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of spring maize under different mulching types in the Loess Plateau, a 7-year field experiment was conducted in the Changwu region of the Loess Plateau. Three treatments were used in this experiment: straw mulch (SM), plastic film mulch (PM) and conventional covering without mulch (CK). Results show that the soil water change of dryland spring maize was as deep as 300 cm depth and hence 300 cm is recommended as the minimum depth when measure the soil water in this region. Water use (ET) did not differ significantly among the treatments. However, grain yield was significantly higher in PM compared with CK. WUE was significantly higher in PM than in CK for most years of the experiment. Although ET tended to be higher in PM than in the other treatments (without significance), the evaporation of water in the fallow period also decreased. Thus, PM is sustainable with respect to soil water balance. The 7-year experiment and the supplemental experiment thus confirmed that straw mulching at the seedling stage may lead to yield reduction and this effect can be mitigated by delaying the straw application to three-leaf stage.
Modulation of gut microbiota and delayed immunosenescence as a result of syringaresinol consumption in middle-aged mice
Authors: Cho Si-Young , Kim Juewon , Lee Ji Hae , Sim Ji Hyun , Cho Dong-Hyun , Bae Il-Hong , Lee Hyunbok , Seol Min A. , Shin Hyun Mu , Kim Tae-Joo , Kim Dae-Yong , Lee Su-Hyung , Shin Song Seok , Im Sin-Hyeog , Kim Hang-Rae
Published: December 2016

Age-associated immunological dysfunction (immunosenescence) is closely linked to perturbation of the gut microbiota. Here, we investigated whether syringaresinol (SYR), a polyphenolic lignan, modulates immune aging and the gut microbiota associated with this effect in middle-aged mice. Compared with age-matched control mice, SYR treatment delayed immunosenescence by enhancing the numbers of total CD3+ T cells and naïve T cells. SYR treatment induced the expression of Bim as well as activation of FOXO3 in Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). Furthermore, SYR treatment significantly enhanced the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio compared with that in age-matched controls by increasing beneficial bacteria, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, while reducing the opportunistic pathogenic genus, Akkermansia. In addition, SYR treatment reduced the serum level of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, an inflammatory marker, and enhanced humoral immunity against influenza vaccination to the level of young control mice. Taken together, these findings suggest that SYR may rejuvenate the immune system through modulation of gut integrity and microbiota diversity as well as composition in middle-aged mice, which may delay the immunosenescence associated with aging.