bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Water structure at the interface of alcohol monolayers as determined by molecular dynamics simulations and computational vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy
Authors: Moberg Daniel R. , Li Qin , Reddy Sandeep K. , Paesani Francesco
Published: January 2019

We investigate the structure of water at the interface of three long-chain alcohol monolayers differing in alkyl chain length through molecular dynamics simulations combined with modeling of vibrational sum-frequency generation (vSFG) spectra. The effects of alkyl chain parity on interfacial water are examined through extensive analysis of structural properties, hydrogen bonding motifs, and spectral features. Besides providing molecular-level insights into the structure of interfacial water, this study also demonstrates that, by enabling comparisons with experimental vSFG spectra, computational spectroscopy may be used to test and validate force fields commonly used in biomolecular simulations. The results presented here may serve as benchmarks for further investigations to characterize ice nucleation induced by alcohol monolayers.
Two-dimensional simulation of dielectric barrier discharge with ring electrodes at atmospheric pressure
Authors: Wang Jing , Lei Bingying , Li Jing , Xu Yonggang , Zhang Jingyue , Tang Jie , Wang Yishan , Zhao Wei , Duan Yixiang
Published: January 2019

A two-dimensional fluid model was used to investigate the characteristics of helium dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) equipped with ring electrodes at atmospheric pressure. Simulation results show that the transition of discharge also exists as the traditional parallel-plate DBD. The discharge mode translates from the Townsend mode to the glow mode during the rising phase and returns to the Townsend mode in the falling phase of the discharge. Meanwhile, symmetric discharge current and current densities at different radial positions are observed in each cycle, and the current density peak at the radial center of the ring electrode is always higher than that at other positions. In addition, the charged particles follow a periphery-advantage spatial distribution, and the relative temporal variation of charged particles is faster in the periphery than in the central region because of the higher electric field existing there. Moreover, the density of surface charges assembled in the periphery changes faster than that in the central region of the upper dielectric barrier and exhibits an uneven periphery-advantage distribution, which is also ascribed to the higher electric field in the periphery resulted from the ring electrode configuration. Comparing the ring electrode DBD with the traditional one indicates that an inverse discharge structure is observed between the two electrode configurations.
VSe2/carbon-nanotube compound for all solid-state flexible in-plane supercapacitor
Authors: Wang Chaolun , Wu Xing , Xu Hejun , Zhu Yujin , Liang Fang , Luo Chen , Xia Yin , Xie Xinying , Zhang Jian , Duan Chungang
Published: January 2019

Two-dimensional (2D) metallic transition-metal dichalcogenide (MTMD)/carbon-nanotube (CNT) compounds are competitive electrode materials for solid-state flexible in-plane supercapacitors, resulting from the synergistic effect of the large specific surface area of 2D MTMDs and the excellent mechanical properties of the CNT. In this paper, the high-quality VSe2/CNT electrode material is prepared by the one-step chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The CVD method offers a facile and safe way to synthesize a pure VSe2/CNT compound. The VSe2 nanosheets are vertically grown on the surface of the CNT cluster. The vertical configuration of the VSe2 nanosheets on the conductive CNT cluster takes full advantage of the large specific surface area of the VSe2 nanosheets to store charges. The ductile and conductive CNT cluster offers good mechanical and electrical connections to the VSe2 nanosheets. The VSe2/CNT compound is applied as the electrode material of a solid-state flexible in-plane supercapacitor which achieves a specific area capacitance of 1854 μF/cm2 and stable cycling stability, ∼7% degradation after 10 000 times of current cycling. The VSe2/CNT also presents a desirable mechanical stability, and ∼ 90% capacitance is retained after bending up to 40°. This work promotes the application of 2D MTMD compounds in the field of energy storage and wearable devices.
High-power, high-spectral-purity GaSb-based laterally coupled distributed feedback lasers with metal gratings emitting at 2
μ
m
Authors: Yang Cheng-Ao , Xie Sheng-Wen , Zhang Yi , Shang Jin-Ming , Huang Shu-Shan , Yuan Ye , Shao Fu-Hui , Zhang Yu , Xu Ying-Qiang , Niu Zhi-Chuan
Published: January 2019

We report on the fabrication of high-power, high-spectral-purity GaSb-based laterally coupled distributed feedback (LC-DFB) lasers emitting at 2 μm. Second-order Chromium-Bragg-gratings are fabricated alongside the ridge waveguide by lift off. Due to the introduction of gain coupling, the lasers exhibit a stable single mode operation [side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) >40 dB] from 10 °C to 50 °C and the maximum SMSR is as high as 53 dB. At a heat-sink temperature of 10 °C, the lasers emit more than 40 mW continuous-wave in a single longitudinal mode. A high external quantum efficiency of 48% is obtained, resulting in a notable increase in power conversion efficiency peaking at 13%. The lasers achieve a comparable output power with that of the index-coupled LC-DFB lasers, while maintaining a better single mode performance. Thus, we prove the feasibility of the metal-grating LC-DFB structure to achieve high-power, frequency-stable semiconductor lasers through a simpler and much more convenient way.
Enhanced quantum dots spontaneous emission with metamaterial perfect absorbers
Authors: Wang Wei , Yang Xiaodong , Luk Ting S. , Gao Jie
Published: January 2019

Metamaterial perfect absorbers (PAs) made of a hexagonal array of holes on Ag-SiO2-Ag thin films have been realized and utilized to enhance the spontaneous emission rate and photoluminescence intensity of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) spin-coated on the absorber top surface. Perfect absorption of incoming light occurs at the wavelength where the impedance is matched to that of the free space. When QDs strongly excite both the electric and magnetic resonances at this perfect absorption wavelength, a significant Purcell effect on the spontaneous emission process and enhanced radiative outcoupling of photoluminescence intensity are expected. For perfect absorbers with near-unity absorption at the QD emission wavelength of 620 nm, 5-fold Purcell enhancement of the spontaneous emission rate and 3.6-fold enhancement of photoluminescence intensity are demonstrated in the time-resolved photoluminescence experiments, which are in good agreement with three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain simulation. These results will advance the understanding and applications of metamaterial PA-based light harvesting and emitting devices.
Monte Carlo simulation of coil-to-globule transition of compact polymer chains: Role of monomer interacting
Authors: Zhang Xin-ke , Su Jia-ye
Published: January 2019

Coil-to-globule transitions are fundamental problems existing in polymer science for several decades; however, some features are still unclear, such as the effect of chain monomer interaction. Herein, we use Monte Carlo simulation to study the coil-to-globule transition of simple compact polymer chains. We first consider the finite-size effects for a given monomer interaction, where the short chain exhibits a one-step collapse while long chains demonstrate a two-step collapse, indicated by the specific heat. More interestingly, with the decrease of chain monomer interaction, the critical temperatures marked by the peaks of heat capacity shift to low values. A closer examination from the energy, mean-squared radius of gyration and shape factor also suggests the lower temperature of coil-to-globule transition.
Photo-induced intermolecular electron transfer-effect of acceptor molecular structures
Authors: Zhang Wei , Liu Xiao-song , Yan Lin , Zhu Gang-bei , Wang Zan-hao , Yang Yan-qiang
Published: January 2019

Photo-induced electron transfer versus molecular structure of acceptors is investigated using ultrafast time-resolved transient grating spectroscopy. Typical laser dyes Rhodamine 101 (Rh101) and Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) in electron donor solvent—aniline are adopted as the objects. The forward electron transfer time constant from aniline to the excited singlet state of two Rhodamine dyes and subsequent back electron transfer from two dyes to aniline are measured. The experimental results denote that Rh6G presents faster electron transfer rates with aniline in both forward electron transfer and back electron transfer processes. With chemical calculation and qualitative analysis, it is found that the flexible molecular geometry of Rh6G leads to stronger electron coupling with donor solvent and further gives rise to larger electron transfer rates.
Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus) recreational hunting values
Authors: Kerr Geoffrey
Published: January 2019

Context Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus) are a valued game resource that can cause environmental harm, requiring control of tahr populations below policy-prescribed thresholds. Effective game management requires understanding of the benefits to hunters of game resources and how hunter behaviours change in response to changes in hunt attributes, including game-animal densities, hunt duration, presence of other hunters and travel distance. Aims To identify the value of recreational Himalayan tahr hunting and how that value is affected by changes in hunt attributes for different types of hunter, thereby identifying the value of tahr as a recreational resource and opportunities for enhancing recreational hunting experiences. Methods Hunter differences were explored through factor analysis and cluster analysis, which identified three different groups of hunters on the basis of motivations and hunting activity. Preferences for hunt attributes were explored with a choice experiment that used a pivot design around actual travel distances to measure the relative importance of hunt-related attributes. Latent class analysis of choice experiment responses identified three discrete groups of hunters who sought different activity settings. Key results Results showed the high value of recreational tahr hunting for all three groups of tahr hunters. Tahr hunters were uniformly focussed on trophy bull tahr, and reduced probabilities of securing a trophy would diminish recreational hunting effort significantly. Hunting activity was not affected by adult female tahr populations. These results suggest that managing tahr to low densities, but improving trophy potential, can provide concurrent environmental and recreational benefits. Conclusions Changes in hunt attributes, such as trophy potential and presence of other hunters, have significant effects on hunt benefits, site choice and the amount of recreational tahr hunting. Implications The present study identified potential gains from active management of Himalayan tahr and tahr hunters.
Suppression of chemotherapy-induced cytokine/lipid mediator surge and ovarian cancer by a dual COX-2/sEH inhibitor
Authors: Gartung Allison , Yang Jun , Sukhatme Vikas P. , Bielenberg Diane R. , Fernandes Djanira , Chang Jaimie , Schmidt Birgitta A. , Hwang Sung Hee , Zurakowski David , Huang Sui , Kieran Mark W. , Hammock Bruce D. , Panigrahy Dipak
Published: January 2019

Significance

Our study demonstrates that ovarian tumor cell debris generated by front-line chemotherapy promotes tumor growth by stimulating the release of proinflammatory cytokines and lipid mediators in the tumor microenvironment. Targeting the debris-mediated surge of protumorigenic factors provides a strategy for enhancing the efficacy of cytotoxic therapies. Here, we show that the dual cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitor PTUPB prevented the chemotherapy-induced cytokine/lipid surge and suppressed debris-stimulated ovarian tumor growth. Dual COX-2/sEH inhibition may have clinical implications for use in combination with cytotoxic cancer therapies to alleviate debris-mediated inflammation. Our results indicate that PTUPB may act as a “surge protector” against therapy-induced protumorigenic mediators to improve patient survival by preventing tumor recurrence.
Multistate design of influenza antibodies improves affinity and breadth against seasonal viruses
Authors: Sevy Alexander M. , Wu Nicholas C. , Gilchuk Iuliia M. , Parrish Erica H. , Burger Sebastian , Yousif Dina , Nagel Marcus B. M. , Schey Kevin L. , Wilson Ian A. , Crowe James E. , Meiler Jens
Published: January 2019

Influenza is a yearly threat to global public health. Rapid changes in influenza surface proteins resulting from antigenic drift and shift events make it difficult to readily identify antibodies with broadly neutralizing activity against different influenza subtypes with high frequency, specifically antibodies targeting the receptor binding domain (RBD) on influenza HA protein. We developed an optimized computational design method that is able to optimize an antibody for recognition of large panels of antigens. To demonstrate the utility of this multistate design method, we used it to redesign an antiinfluenza antibody against a large panel of more than 500 seasonal HA antigens of the H1 subtype. As a proof of concept, we tested this method on a variety of known antiinfluenza antibodies and identified those that could be improved computationally. We generated redesigned variants of antibody C05 to the HA RBD and experimentally characterized variants that exhibited improved breadth and affinity against our panel. C05 mutants exhibited improved affinity for three of the subtypes used in design by stabilizing the CDRH3 loop and creating favorable electrostatic interactions with the antigen. These mutants possess increased breadth and affinity of binding while maintaining high-affinity binding to existing targets, surpassing a major limitation up to this point.
Facial masculinity does not appear to be a condition-dependent male ornament and does not reflect MHC heterozygosity in humans
Authors: Zaidi Arslan A. , White Julie D. , Mattern Brooke C. , Liebowitz Corey R. , Puts David A. , Claes Peter , Shriver Mark D.
Published: January 2019

Significance

Facial masculinity has been considered a sexual ornament in humans, akin to peacock trains and stag antlers. Recently, studies have questioned the once-popular view that facial masculinity is a condition-dependent male ornament signaling immunocompetence (the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis). We sought to rigorously test these ideas using high-resolution phenotypic (3D facial images) and genetic data in the largest sample to date. We found no support for the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis of facial masculinity in humans. Our findings add to a growing body of evidence challenging a popular viewpoint in the field and highlight the need for a deeper understanding of the genetic and environmental factors underlying variation in facial masculinity and human sexual dimorphism more broadly.
Unraveling the seasonal epidemiology of pneumococcus
Authors: Domenech de Cellès Matthieu , Arduin Hélène , Lévy-Bruhl Daniel , Georges Scarlett , Souty Cécile , Guillemot Didier , Watier Laurence , Opatowski Lulla
Published: January 2019

Infections caused by
Streptococcus pneumoniae
—including invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPDs)—remain a significant public health concern worldwide. The marked winter seasonality of IPDs is a striking, but still enigmatic aspect of pneumococcal epidemiology in nontropical climates. Here we confronted age-structured dynamic models of carriage transmission and disease with detailed IPD incidence data to test a range of hypotheses about the components and the mechanisms of pneumococcal seasonality. We find that seasonal variations in climate, influenza-like illnesses, and interindividual contacts jointly explain IPD seasonality. We show that both the carriage acquisition rate and the invasion rate vary seasonally, acting in concert to generate the marked seasonality typical of IPDs. We also find evidence that influenza-like illnesses increase the invasion rate in an age-specific manner, with a more pronounced effect in the elderly than in other demographics. Finally, we quantify the potential impact of seasonally timed interventions, a type of control measures that exploit pneumococcal seasonality to help reduce IPDs. Our findings shed light on the epidemiology of pneumococcus and may have notable implications for the control of pneumococcal infections.
Transient receptor potential melastatin 2 governs stress-induced depressive-like behaviors
Authors: Ko Seung Yeon , Wang Sung Eun , Lee Han Kyu , Jo Sungsin , Han Jinil , Lee Seung Hoon , Choi Miyeon , Jo Hye-Ryeong , Seo Jee Young , Jung Sung Jun , Son Hyeon
Published: January 2019

Significance

Transient receptor potential melastatin type 2 (TRPM2) is an oxidative stress-sensing calcium-permeable channel that is thought to contribute to the calcium influx associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Here we show that TRPM2 deficiency lowers chronic unpredictable stress (CUS)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and calpain activation and prevents aberrant hyperactivation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5). In mice models of CUS, genetic elimination of TRPM2 normalized behavioral deficits. Moreover, removal of Cdk5 reversed the antidepressant-like behaviors observed in
Trpm2

−/−

mice. Our results reveal the important roles of TRPM2 in raising ROS levels and aberrantly hyperactivating Cdk5 in mouse models of CUS and suggest that TRPM2 could be a target for treating ROS-induced neurodegenerative diseases such as depression.
Species delimitation in endangered groundwater salamanders: Implications for aquifer management and biodiversity conservation
Authors: Devitt Thomas J. , Wright April M. , Cannatella David C. , Hillis David M.
Published: January 2019

Groundwater-dependent species are among the least-known components of global biodiversity, as well as some of the most vulnerable because of rapid groundwater depletion at regional and global scales. The karstic Edwards–Trinity aquifer system of west-central Texas is one of the most species-rich groundwater systems in the world, represented by dozens of endemic groundwater-obligate species with narrow, naturally fragmented distributions. Here, we examine how geomorphological and hydrogeological processes have driven population divergence and speciation in a radiation of salamanders (Eurycea) endemic to the Edwards–Trinity system using phylogenetic and population genetic analysis of genome-wide DNA sequence data. Results revealed complex patterns of isolation and reconnection driven by surface and subsurface hydrology, resulting in both adaptive and nonadaptive population divergence and speciation. Our results uncover cryptic species diversity and refine the borders of several threatened and endangered species. The US Endangered Species Act has been used to bring state regulation to unrestricted groundwater withdrawals in the Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone) Aquifer, where listed species are found. However, the Trinity and Edwards–Trinity (Plateau) aquifers harbor additional species with similarly small ranges that currently receive no protection from regulatory programs designed to prevent groundwater depletion. Based on regional climate models that predict increased air temperature, together with hydrologic models that project decreased springflow, we conclude that Edwards–Trinity salamanders and other codistributed groundwater-dependent organisms are highly vulnerable to extinction within the next century.
Extracellular vesicles mediate improved functional outcomes in engineered cartilage produced from MSC/chondrocyte cocultures
Authors: Kim Minwook , Steinberg David R. , Burdick Jason A. , Mauck Robert L.
Published: January 2019

Significance

Coculture is a promising strategy in cartilage tissue engineering given its potential to rejuvenate aged mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to promote functional chondrogenesis. Identifying the molecular factors mediating this coculture effect, as well as carriers and delivery mechanisms, will forward the development of therapeutics to promote functional cartilage repair by aged autologous MSCs. This will potentially expand the clinical indications of microfracture and other procedures that rely on aged endogenous stem cell populations.
Cross-species hybridization and the origin of North African date palms
Authors: Flowers Jonathan M. , Hazzouri Khaled M. , Gros-Balthazard Muriel , Mo Ziyi , Koutroumpa Konstantina , Perrakis Andreas , Ferrand Sylvie , Khierallah Hussam S. M. , Fuller Dorian Q. , Aberlenc Frederique , Fournaraki Christini , Purugganan Michael D.
Published: January 2019

Date palm (
Phoenix dactylifera
L.) is a major fruit crop of arid regions that were domesticated ∼7,000 y ago in the Near or Middle East. This species is cultivated widely in the Middle East and North Africa, and previous population genetic studies have shown genetic differentiation between these regions. We investigated the evolutionary history of
P. dactylifera
and its wild relatives by resequencing the genomes of date palm varieties and five of its closest relatives. Our results indicate that the North African population has mixed ancestry with components from Middle Eastern
P. dactylifera
and
Phoenix theophrasti
, a wild relative endemic to the Eastern Mediterranean. Introgressive hybridization is supported by tests of admixture, reduced subdivision between North African date palm and
P. theophrasti
, sharing of haplotypes in introgressed regions, and a population model that incorporates gene flow between these populations. Analysis of ancestry proportions indicates that as much as 18% of the genome of North African varieties can be traced to
P. theophrasti
and a large percentage of loci in this population are segregating for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are fixed in
P. theophrasti
and absent from date palm in the Middle East. We present a survey of
Phoenix
remains in the archaeobotanical record which supports a late arrival of date palm to North Africa. Our results suggest that hybridization with
P. theophrasti
was of central importance in the diversification history of the cultivated date palm.
The Assessment of Psychopathic Personality Disturbance Among Adolescent Male Offenders: Interview Strategies and Recommendations
Authors: McCuish Evan C. , Hanniball Katherine B. , Corrado Raymond
Published: January 2019

Although it is relatively common for some practitioners to assess psychopathic personality disturbance (PPD) among adolescent offenders, little has been said about interview skills and strategies that are helpful for an accurate assessment. Thus, this article provided recommendations for improving interview protocols for the assessment of PPD among incarcerated adolescent offenders. These recommendations were based on experiences interviewing adolescents from the Incarcerated Serious and Violent Young Offender Study and related to: (1) establishing and improving rapport, (2) responding to dishonesty, (3) tailoring the interview for adolescents as opposed to adults, (4) the importance of follow-up questions, and (5) recognizing and responding to symptoms of PPD that emerge during the interview. Vignettes of interviews with incarcerated adolescent males were used to help illustrate recommendations and strategies. Future research should systematically measure what works and what does not work when implementing interview strategies, including whether such strategies generalize across gender and culture.
A mosaic of old and young nucleoporins
Authors: Shimi Takeshi , Kimura Hiroshi
Published: January 2019

Some nucleoporins, the nuclear pore complex (NPC) components, have exceptionally long lifetimes. In this issue, Toyama et al. (2019. J. Cell Biol. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201809123) report that NPCs are maintained by a slow piecemeal replacement of NPC components in dividing and terminally differentiated cells and by whole-pore exchange in quiescent cells.
Midkine drives cardiac inflammation by promoting neutrophil trafficking and NETosis in myocarditis
Authors: Weckbach Ludwig T. , Grabmaier Ulrich , Uhl Andreas , Gess Sebastian , Boehm Felicitas , Zehrer Annette , Pick Robert , Salvermoser Melanie , Czermak Thomas , Pircher Joachim , Sorrelle Noah , Migliorini Mary , Strickland Dudley K. , Klingel Karin , Brinkmann Volker , Abu Abed Ulrike , Eriksson Urs , Massberg Steffen , Brunner Stefan , Walzog Barbara
Published: January 2019

Heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy is frequently caused by myocarditis. However, the pathogenesis of myocarditis remains incompletely understood. Here, we report the presence of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in cardiac tissue of patients and mice with myocarditis. Inhibition of NET formation in experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) of mice substantially reduces inflammation in the acute phase of the disease. Targeting the cytokine midkine (MK), which mediates NET formation in vitro, not only attenuates NET formation in vivo and the infiltration of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) but also reduces fibrosis and preserves systolic function during EAM. Low-density lipoprotein receptor–related protein 1 (LRP1) acts as the functionally relevant receptor for MK-induced PMN recruitment as well as NET formation. In summary, NETosis substantially contributes to the pathogenesis of myocarditis and drives cardiac inflammation, probably via MK, which promotes PMN trafficking and NETosis. Thus, MK as well as NETs may represent novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of cardiac inflammation.
RIscoper: a tool for RNA–RNA interaction extraction from the literature
Authors: Zhang Yang , Liu Tianyuan , Chen Liqun , Yang Jinxurong , Yin Jiayi , Zhang Yuncong , Yun Zhixi , Xu Hao , Ning Lin , Guo Fengbiao , Jiang Yongshuai , Lin Hao , Wang Dong , Huang Yan , Huang Jian
Published: January 2019

Motivation

Numerous experimental and computational studies in the biomedical literature have provided considerable amounts of data on diverse RNA–RNA interactions (RRIs). However, few text mining systems for RRIs information extraction are available.

Results

RNA Interactome Scoper (RIscoper) represents the first tool for full-scale RNA interactome scanning and was developed for extracting RRIs from the literature based on the N-gram model. Notably, a reliable RRI corpus was integrated in RIscoper, and more than 13 300 manually curated sentences with RRI information were recruited. RIscoper allows users to upload full texts or abstracts, and provides an online search tool that is connected with PubMed (PMID and keyword input), and these capabilities are useful for biologists. RIscoper has a strong performance (90.4% precision and 93.9% recall), integrates natural language processing techniques and has a reliable RRI corpus.

Availability and implementation

The standalone software and web server of RIscoper are freely available at www.rna-society.org/riscoper/.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
RNF216 is essential for spermatogenesis and male fertility†
Authors: Melnick Ashley F , Gao Yuen , Liu Jiali , Ding Deqiang , Predom Alicia , Kelly Catherine , Hess Rex A , Chen Chen
Published: January 2019

Ring finger protein 216 (RNF216) belongs to the RING family of E3 ubiquitin ligases that are involved in cellular protein degradation. Mutations in human Rnf216 gene have been identified in Gordon Holmes syndrome, which is defined by ataxia, dementia, and hypogonadotropism. However, the gene function of Rnf216 in mammalian species remains unknown. Here, we show that targeted deletion of Rnf216 in mice results in disruption in spermatogenesis and male infertility. RNF216 is not required for female fertility. These findings reveal an essential function of RNF216 in spermatogenesis and male fertility and suggest a critical role for RNF216 in human gonadal development.
Vancomycin Area Under the Curve and Acute Kidney Injury: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Aljefri Doaa M , Avedissian Sean N , Rhodes Nathaniel J , Postelnick Michael J , Nguyen Kevin , Scheetz Marc H
Published: January 2019

Background

This study analyzed the relationship between vancomycin area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) and acute kidney injury (AKI) reported across recent studies.

Methods

A systematic review of PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and compiled references was conducted. We included randomized cohort and case-control studies that reported vancomycin AUCs and risk of AKI (from 1990 to 2018). The primary outcome was AKI, defined as an increase in serum creatinine of ≥0.5 mg/L or a 50% increase from baseline on ≥2 consecutive measurements. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Primary analyses compared the impact of AUC cutpoint (greater than ~650 mg × hour/L) and AKI. Additional analysis compared AUC vs trough-guided monitoring on AKI incidence.

Results

Eight observational studies met inclusion/exclusion criteria with data for 2491 patients. Five studies reported first-24-hour AUCs (AUC0-24) and AKI, 2 studies reported 24- to 48-hour AUCs (AUC24-48) and AKI, and 2 studies reported AKI associated with AUC- vs trough-guided monitoring. AUC less than approximately 650 mg × hour/L was associated with decreased AKI for AUC0-24 (OR, 0.36 [95% CI, .23–.56]) as well as AUC24-48 (OR, 0.45 [95% CI, .27–.75]). AKI associated with the AUC monitoring strategy was significantly lower than trough-guided monitoring (OR, 0.68 [95% CI, .46–.99]).

Conclusions

AUCs measured in the first or second 24 hours and lower than approximately 650 mg × hour/L may result in a decreased risk of AKI. Vancomycin AUC monitoring strategy may result in less vancomycin-associated AKI. Additional investigations are warranted.
Energy oversupply to tissues: a single mechanism possibly underlying multiple cancer risk factors
Authors: Wu Daniel J , Aktipis Athena , Pepper John W
Published: January 2019

Background and objectives

Several major risk factors for cancer involve vascular oversupply of energy to affected tissues. These include obesity, diabetes and chronic inflammation. Here, we propose a potential mechanistic explanation for the association between energy oversupply and cancer risk, which we call the metabolic cancer suppression hypothesis: We hypothesize that oncogenesis is normally suppressed by organismal physiology that regulates and strictly limits normal energy supply to somatic cells, and that this protection is removed by abnormal oversupply of energy.

Methodology

We evaluate this hypothesis using a computational model of somatic cell evolution to simulate experimental manipulation of the vascular energy supply to a tissue. The model simulates the evolutionary dynamics of somatic cells during oncogenesis.

Results

In our simulation experiment, we found that under plausible biological assumptions, elevated energy supply to a tissue led to the evolution of elevated energy uptake by somatic cells, leading to the rapid evolution of both defining traits of cancer cells: hyperproliferation, and tissue invasion.

Conclusions and implications

Our results support the hypothesis of metabolic cancer suppression, suggesting that vascular oversupply of energetic resources to somatic cells removes normal energetic limitations on cell proliferation, and that this accelerates cellular evolution toward cancer. Various predictions of this hypothesis are amenable to empirical testing, and have promising implications for translational research toward clinical cancer prevention.
Decreases in length at maturation of Mediterranean fishes associated with higher sea temperatures
Authors: Shapiro Goldberg Daphna , van Rijn Itai , Kiflawi Moshe , Belmaker Jonathan
Published: January 2019

Fish size at maturation influences lifetime reproductive success and is an important parameter in managing stocks. Fish tend to reach maturity at a smaller size in warmer water; however, the generality of this pattern is a matter of controversy. The mechanisms by which temperature influences fish size at maturation are not well understood, particularly in natural populations, but may have broad implications if climate change continues to warm the seas. In this study, we use populations of 16 fish species across the Mediterranean Sea to evaluate the association between different temperature metrics and fish size at maturation, and to understand the variation among species. We found that both mean annual temperature and growing degree days (GDD) were the best supported environmental predictors of fish size at maturation. This suggests that the mechanisms affecting size at maturation may differ from those affecting maximum size, for which maximum temperature was the best predictor. Across species, we found that the effect of temperature is stronger for more active species, while other species-level predictors had limited influence. The correlation of fish size at maturation to specific temperature metrics should help fisheries and conservation programmes better predict the effects of climate change on fish populations.
Gene editing in plants: progress and challenges
Authors: Mao Yanfei , Botella Jose Ramon , Liu Yaoguang , Zhu Jian-Kang
Published: January 2019

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated protein 9 (Cas9) genome editing system is a powerful tool for targeted gene modifications in a wide range of species, including plants. Over the last few years, this system has revolutionized the way scientists perform genetic studies and crop breeding, due to its simplicity, flexibility, consistency and high efficiency. Considerable progress has been made in optimizing CRISPR/Cas9 systems in plants, particularly for targeted gene mutagenesis. However, there are still a number of important challenges ahead, including methods for the efficient delivery of CRISPR and other editing tools to most plants, and more effective strategies for sequence knock-ins and replacements. We provide our viewpoint on the goals, potential concerns and future challenges for the development and application of plant genome editing tools.
Postcolonial Theory
Authors: Elam J Daniel
Published: January 2019

Postcolonial theory is a body of thought primarily concerned with accounting for the political, aesthetic, economic, historical, and social impact of European colonial rule around the world in the 18th through the 20th century. Postcolonial theory takes many different shapes and interventions, but all share a fundamental claim: that the world we inhabit is impossible to understand except in relationship to the history of imperialism and colonial rule. This means that it is impossible to conceive of “European philosophy,” “European literature,” or “European history” as existing in the absence of Europe’s colonial encounters and oppression around the world. It also suggests that colonized world stands at the forgotten center of global modernity. The prefix “post” of “postcolonial theory” has been rigorously debated, but it has never implied that colonialism has ended; indeed, much of postcolonial theory is concerned with the lingering forms of colonial authority after the formal end of Empire. Other forms of postcolonial theory are openly endeavoring to imagine a world after colonialism, but one which has yet to come into existence. Postcolonial theory emerged in the US and UK academies in the 1980s as part of a larger wave of new and politicized fields of humanistic inquiry, most notably feminism and critical race theory. As it is generally constituted, postcolonial theory emerges from and is deeply indebted to anticolonial thought from South Asia and Africa in the first half of the 20th century. In the US and UK academies, this has historically meant that its focus has been these regions, often at the expense of theory emerging from Latin and South America. Over the course of the past thirty years, it has remained simultaneously tethered to the fact of colonial rule in the first half of the 20th century and committed to politics and justice in the contemporary moment. This has meant that it has taken multiple forms: it has been concerned with forms of political and aesthetic representation; it has been committed to accounting for globalization and global modernity; it has been invested in reimagining politics and ethics from underneath imperial power, an effort that remains committed to those who continue to suffer its effects; and it has been interested in perpetually discovering and theorizing new forms of human injustice, from environmentalism to human rights. Postcolonial theory has influenced the way we read texts, the way we understand national and transnational histories, and the way we understand the political implications of our own knowledge as scholars. Despite frequent critiques from outside the field (as well as from within it), postcolonial theory remains one of the key forms of critical humanistic interrogation in both academia and in the world.
First Contact and Early Colonization of Brazil
Authors: Schwartz Stuart B. , Rodrigues Aldair
Published: January 2019

This article covers much of the first century of the history of Brazil. The quincentennial commemorations of the Vasco da Gama voyage (1498) to India and that of Pedro Alvares Cabral (1500), which “discovered” Brazil, stimulated in Portugal and Brazil as well as in the academic communities interested in their histories a surge in research, reeditions of classic accounts, and a rise in the curiosity of, and readership by, the general public. This article includes major works from this recent historiographical boom along with classical studies that have long served as the basis for understanding Brazil’s first century. The article covers the period from 1500 to c. 1580 when a dynastic crisis brought Portugal and its empire under the control of King Phillip II of Spain. At first a number of royally commissioned voyages of exploration visited the Brazilian coast, but, for the most part, contact was in private hands since the Portuguese Crown granted contracts for the extraction of dyewood. In the 16th century, French competitors contested the Portuguese presence on the coast and the relations of the Portuguese with native peoples. By the 1530s, to secure this region from foreign competition, Portugal instituted a system of proprietary captaincies to develop settlements. A few of the captaincies (e.g., Pernambuco, São Vicente) flourished due to the beginnings of a sugar industry, but most of them failed such that, in 1549, to secure the colony, a royal governor and judicial and treasury officers were dispatched along with c. 1,300 men. Jesuit missionaries accompanied them and a capital city was established at Salvador. During the next three decades, the Portuguese settled and took control of the Brazilian coast, eliminating a French attempt at colonization and, in its place, founding the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1565. Meanwhile, relations with Brazil’s indigenous population shifted as missionary efforts, epidemic diseases, and the need for laborers in the growing sugar plantation economy resulted in war, enslavement, and depopulation. By the 1560s, colonists in Brazil had turned to the existing Portuguese slave trade with Africa to augment their supply of workers. By c. 1570 a multiracial society had formed. Although the laws and institutions of Portugal clearly provided governing structures for the colony, the extent to which Brazil’s colonial situation, the influences of indigenous and then African cultures, and the growing importance of slavery distinguished the colony from its metropolis has recently become a central issue of debate about the origins and the nature of early Brazil.
Telenovelas and Melodrama in Latin America
Authors: Estill Adriana
Published: January 2019

Telenovelas are a television genre developed and produced originally in Latin America since the 1950s. Now they serve as one of the largest media exports of countries such as Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, circulating widely within Latin America as well as around the world. Telenovelas are often compared to the US soap opera and do boast some common characteristics, such as their reliance on the melodramatic mode. However, telenovela production, structure, and programming differ greatly from that of soap operas, with the most-notable differences being their “closed” structure—narratives generally last between six and fifteen months and, in most countries, are programmed nightly—and their popularity across demographic groups, with many telenovelas being tailored for the whole family. While research in the field began in the 1970s, scholars agree that it was not until the effects and power of media globalization began to be seen in the 1980s that telenovela scholarship gathered traction. Early research grappled with the popularity and influence of telenovelas, with studies about the history and structure of the genre, the conditions of melodrama, and the context of national television industrial formation. Early debates deliberated over the telenovela’s role—along with television in general—in pacifying audiences and participating in mass media imperial projects; telenovela exportation success required the reassessment of these theories of culture, given Latin America’s growing role as a producer of media flow. Other general areas of inquiry include nuanced discussions of the genre and its persistence, studies of its production and consumption in local conditions, and analyses of particular telenovelas. Telenovela scholars have placed their work in direct and fruitful conversation with scholars in other countries studying serial melodramas, particularly as telenovelas have grown into a significant global export. Attending to the transnational context of media flow and consumption has lead to less concern about imperialism’s effects on Latin American audiences and more-extensive theoretical work on the relationship between telenovelas to formations of Latin American modernity. Some scholars make the case that telenovelas’ Latin American success has to do with the role that melodrama plays in facilitating the negotiation of Latin American modernity. Since the late 1990s, scholarship has continued apace in all the major areas of television studies: production, reception, the text and its thematic and narrative meanings, and the relationship between telenovelas and their sociohistorical context. The organization of this article reflects these research areas. Newer developments in the field include the growth of telenovela production in the United States (telenovela programming and viewership has a longer history) and the loss of markets for telenovelas due to the success of Turkish dizis and the rise of over-the-top (OTT) platforms. More scholarship is needed in these areas.
Santo Domingo
Authors: Yingling Charlton
Published: January 2019

Santo Domingo became the first permanent European colony and city in the Americas (1495–1496). As the local Taínos encountered waves of Spanish invaders after the arrival of Christopher Columbus, colonial Santo Domingo and the island of Hispaniola (a region called Ayiti or Quisqueya by its then inhabitants) sank into a series of foreboding firsts of European colonialism in the Americas. Santo Domingo was the first site of mass indigenous forced labor, die-offs, and coerced conversions. It was home to the first boom-and-bust cycles in both gold and sugar, was a base for Spanish expansion across the region, and the location of initial African enslavement and slave revolts in the Western Hemisphere. Though Spanish profits surged from other parts of their sprawling empire in the Americas, Santo Domingo remained a hub of governance and religiosity given the presence of the Audiencia and Arzobispado in the city. Santo Domingo in the Age of Revolutions again became pivotal to salient points of dawning political modernity due to its frontier on Hispaniola with the revolutionary French (after 1789) and the even more radical Haitian state (after 1804). After the start of the Haitian Revolution (1791) in particular, Dominicans and Spanish officials were at the forefront of debates over abolition, secularism, and republicanism. In the ensuing seventy years of near-constant political turmoil, slaves gained emancipation in neighboring Saint-Domingue (1793), the French Republic occupied Santo Domingo (1802–1809), and an elite and moderate Dominican independence project (1821) was supplanted by Haitian annexation with popular appeal (1822). Despite efforts at decolonization and the establishment of the Dominican Republic (1844), remnants of Hispanic nostalgia resurfaced in elite politics to define Dominicans as protectors of Spanish culture. Spanish recolonization (1861–1865) prompted mass Dominican dissent over the fear of reenslavement and ended in the reestablishment of an independent Dominican Republic with support of regional neighbors, like Haiti. In more-recent years, scholarship has moved beyond dated, top-down accounts of the colonial era that often serviced elite Dominican nationalism, and in the mid-20th century the Trujillo dictatorship’s antihaitianismo and hispanismo, which lingered through the many years of Balaguer and beyond. This scholarly turn nuances our understandings of Dominican race and slavery, revolutionary connectivity, and solidarity with Haitians, which in sum supplement persistently relevant works related to political, institutional, economic, and military histories of the Spanish Empire. Scholarship on colonial Santo Domingo could still benefit from gender studies and environmental histories.
Interjections
Authors: Libert Alan
Published: January 2019

Interjections are one of the traditional parts of speech (along with nouns, verbs, etc.), although some linguists have considered them not to be a part of language but rather instinctive reactions to a situation. The word interjection comes from the Latin interjicere “to throw between,” as they were seen as words that were tossed into a sentence, without being syntactically related to other items. Examples of English interjections are oh!, ah!, ugh!, and ouch! Interjections such as these, which are not (zero-)derived from words belonging to other parts of speech, and which have only an interjectional function, are called primary interjections; interjections that have evolved from words of other classes and which have retained their original function in addition to their new one are known as secondary interjections. Secondary interjections are often swear words, e.g. shit!, or religious terms, e.g. Jesus! Some (putative) interjections, interjectional phrases, consist of more than one word, e.g. my God!; they could be problematic for the view that interjections are a word class or part of speech. Interjections have received considerably less attention from linguists than the other parts of speech. This may be due, in part, to the just mentioned view that they are not really linguistic items and thus are of little or no interest from a linguistic point of view. However, to say that they have been neglected, as some authors do, is an overstatement; as can be seen in this article, scholars have been thinking and writing about different aspects of interjections for a long time (and note that this article mentions only works devoted (at least in large part) to interjections, not works on other subjects that also discuss interjections). Thus here one will see works on the phonetics/phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics of interjections, among other subjects. There does, however, seem to be one gap in the literature: few, if any, papers focus on the morphology of interjections. A problem in compiling a bibliography on interjections is that authors disagree on what should be included in the set of interjections; for example, are onomatopoeias interjections (and thus should works on onomatopoeias be included in a bibliography on interjections)? In this article a conservative policy has been taken, and works dealing only with onomatopoeias (or greetings, etc.) have been excluded.