bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamics of quantum systems with multiple conserved quantities
Authors: Guryanova Yelena , Popescu Sandu , Short Anthony J. , Silva Ralph , Skrzypczyk Paul
Published: July 2016

Recently, there has been much progress in understanding the thermodynamics of quantum systems, even for small individual systems. Most of this work has focused on the standard case where energy is the only conserved quantity. Here we consider a generalization of this work to deal with multiple conserved quantities. Each conserved quantity, which, importantly, need not commute with the rest, can be extracted and stored in its own battery. Unlike the standard case, in which the amount of extractable energy is constrained, here there is no limit on how much of any individual conserved quantity can be extracted. However, other conserved quantities must be supplied, and the second law constrains the combination of extractable quantities and the trade-offs between them. We present explicit protocols that allow us to perform arbitrarily good trade-offs and extract arbitrarily good combinations of conserved quantities from individual quantum systems.
Microcanonical and resource-theoretic derivations of the thermal state of a quantum system with noncommuting charges
Authors: Yunger Halpern Nicole , Faist Philippe , Oppenheim Jonathan , Winter Andreas
Published: July 2016

The grand canonical ensemble lies at the core of quantum and classical statistical mechanics. A small system thermalizes to this ensemble while exchanging heat and particles with a bath. A quantum system may exchange quantities represented by operators that fail to commute. Whether such a system thermalizes and what form the thermal state has are questions about truly quantum thermodynamics. Here we investigate this thermal state from three perspectives. First, we introduce an approximate microcanonical ensemble. If this ensemble characterizes the system-and-bath composite, tracing out the bath yields the system’s thermal state. This state is expected to be the equilibrium point, we argue, of typical dynamics. Finally, we define a resource-theory model for thermodynamic exchanges of noncommuting observables. Complete passivity—the inability to extract work from equilibrium states—implies the thermal state’s form, too. Our work opens new avenues into equilibrium in the presence of quantum noncommutation.
Erratum: Tailoring superradiance to design artificial quantum systems
Authors: Longo Paolo , Keitel Christoph H. , Evers Jörg
Published: July 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 23628; published online: 24 March 2016; updated: 07 July 2016 This Article contains formatting errors in the labeling of the following Equations, In Equation 16, should read: In Equation 17, should read: In Equation 18, should read:
Correction: Corrigendum: Artificial Gauge Field and Topological Phase in a Conventional Two-dimensional Electron Gas with Antidot Lattices
Authors: Shi Likun , Lou Wenkai , Cheng F. , Zou Y. L. , Yang Wen , Chang Kai
Published: July 2016

Scientific Reports 5: Article number: 15266; published online: 16 October 2015; updated: 07 July 2016 The Authors neglected to cite previous studies related to the existence of intersubband spin-orbit coupling and the use of intersubband spin-orbit coupling to create topological insulator in double quantum wells with antidote lattices.
White spot syndrome virus entry is dependent on multiple endocytic routes and strongly facilitated by Cq-GABARAP in a CME-dependent manner
Authors: Chen Rong-yuan , Shen Kai-li , Chen Zhen , Fan Wei-wei , Xie Xiao-lu , Meng Chuang , Chang Xue-jiao , Zheng Li-bing , Jeswin Joseph , Li Cheng-hua , Wang Ke-jian , Liu Hai-peng
Published: July 2016

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is a lethal pathogen of shrimp and many other crustaceans, including crayfish. However, the molecular mechanism underlying its cellular entry remains elusive due to the lack of shrimp cell lines for viral propagation. Crayfish hematopoietic tissue (Hpt) cell culture was recently established as a good model for WSSV infection study. Here, we showed that multiple endocytic routes, including clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), macropinocytosis and caveolae-mediated endocytosis, were indispensably employed for the viral entry into Hpt cell of the crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus. Intriguingly, cellular autophagic activity was positively correlated with efficient viral entry, in which a key autophagy-related protein, γ-aminobutyric acid receptor-associated protein (Cq-GABARAP), that not only localized but also co-localized with WSSV on the Hpt cell membrane, strongly facilitated WSSV entry by binding to the viral envelope VP28 in a CME-dependent manner that was negatively regulated by Cq-Rac1. Furthermore, cytoskeletal components, including Cq-β-tubulin and Cq-β-actin, bound to both recombinant rCq-GABARAP and WSSV envelope proteins, which likely led to viral entry promotion via cooperation with rCq-GABARAP. Even under conditions that promoted viral entry, rCq-GABARAP significantly reduced viral replication at an early stage of infection, which was probably caused by the formation of WSSV aggregates in the cytoplasm.
Application of an in vitro-amplification assay as a novel pre-screening test for compounds inhibiting the aggregation of prion protein scrapie
Authors: Schmitz Matthias , Cramm Maria , Llorens Franc , Candelise Niccolò , Müller-Cramm Dominik , Varges Daniela , Schulz-Schaeffer Walter J. , Zafar Saima , Zerr Inga
Published: July 2016

In vitro amplification assays, such as real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) are used to detect aggregation activity of misfolded prion protein (PrP) in brain, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and urine samples from patients with a prion disease. We believe that the method also has a much broader application spectrum. In the present study, we applied RT-QuIC as a pre-screening test for substances that potentially inhibit the aggregation process of the cellular PrP (PrPC) to proteinase (PK)-resistant PrPres. We chose doxycycline as the test substance as it has been tested successfully in animal models and proposed in clinical studies as a therapeutic for prion diseases. The RT-QuIC-reaction was seeded with brain tissue or CSF from sCJD patients and doxycycline was then added in different concentrations as well as at different time points. In both experiments, we observed a dose- and time-dependent inhibition of the RT-QuIC seeding response and a decrease of PK resistant PrPres when doxycycline was added. In contrast, ampicillin or sucrose had no effect on the RT-QuIC seeding response. Our study is the first to apply RT-QuIC as a pre-screening assay for compounds inhibiting the PrP aggregation in vitro and confirms that doxycycline is an efficient inhibitor of the PrP aggregation process in RT-QuIC analysis.
Comparison of large networks with sub-sampling strategies
Authors: Ali Waqar , Wegner Anatol E. , Gaunt Robert E. , Deane Charlotte M. , Reinert Gesine
Published: July 2016

Networks are routinely used to represent large data sets, making the comparison of networks a tantalizing research question in many areas. Techniques for such analysis vary from simply comparing network summary statistics to sophisticated but computationally expensive alignment-based approaches. Most existing methods either do not generalize well to different types of networks or do not provide a quantitative similarity score between networks. In contrast, alignment-free topology based network similarity scores empower us to analyse large sets of networks containing different types and sizes of data. Netdis is such a score that defines network similarity through the counts of small sub-graphs in the local neighbourhood of all nodes. Here, we introduce a sub-sampling procedure based on neighbourhoods which links naturally with the framework of network comparisons through local neighbourhood comparisons. Our theoretical arguments justify basing the Netdis statistic on a sample of similar-sized neighbourhoods. Our tests on empirical and synthetic datasets indicate that often only 10% of the neighbourhoods of a network suffice for optimal performance, leading to a drastic reduction in computational requirements. The sampling procedure is applicable even when only a small sample of the network is known and thus provides a novel tool for network comparison of very large and potentially incomplete datasets.
The focus on sample quality: Influence of colon tissue collection on reliability of qPCR data
Authors: Korenkova Vlasta , Slyskova Jana , Novosadova Vendula , Pizzamiglio Sara , Langerova Lucie , Bjorkman Jens , Vycital Ondrej , Liska Vaclav , Levy Miroslav , Veskrna Karel , Vodicka Pavel , Vodickova Ludmila , Kubista Mikael , Verderio Paolo
Published: July 2016

Successful molecular analyses of human solid tissues require intact biological material with well-preserved nucleic acids, proteins, and other cell structures. Pre-analytical handling, comprising of the collection of material at the operating theatre, is among the first critical steps that influence sample quality. The aim of this study was to compare the experimental outcomes obtained from samples collected and stored by the conventional means of snap freezing and by PAXgene Tissue System (Qiagen). These approaches were evaluated by measuring rRNA and mRNA integrity of the samples (RNA Quality Indicator and Differential Amplification Method) and by gene expression profiling. The collection procedures of the biological material were implemented in two hospitals during colon cancer surgery in order to identify the impact of the collection method on the experimental outcome. Our study shows that the pre-analytical sample handling has a significant effect on the quality of RNA and on the variability of qPCR data. PAXgene collection mode proved to be more easily implemented in the operating room and moreover the quality of RNA obtained from human colon tissues by this method is superior to the one obtained by snap freezing.
Investigation of Localized States in GaAsSb Epilayers Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy
Authors: Gao Xian , Wei Zhipeng , Zhao Fenghuan , Yang Yahui , Chen Rui , Fang Xuan , Tang Jilong , Fang Dan , Wang Dengkui , Li Ruixue , Ge Xiaotian , Ma Xiaohui , Wang Xiaohua
Published: July 2016

We report the carrier dynamics in GaAsSb ternary alloy grown by molecular beam epitaxy through comprehensive spectroscopic characterization over a wide temperature range. A detailed analysis of the experimental data reveals a complex carrier relaxation process involving both localized and delocalized states. At low temperature, the localized degree shows linear relationship with the increase of Sb component. The existence of localized states is also confirmed by the temperature dependence of peak position and band width of the emission. At temperature higher than 60 K, emissions related to localized states are quenched while the band to band transition dominates the whole spectrum. This study indicates that the localized states are related to the Sb component in the GaAsSb alloy, while it leads to the poor crystal quality of the material, and the application of GaAsSb alloy would be limited by this deterioration.
Dielectrophoretic behaviours of microdroplet sandwiched between LN substrates
Authors: Chen Lipin , Li Shaobei , Fan Bolin , Yan Wenbo , Wang Donghui , Shi Lihong , Chen Hongjian , Ban Dechao , Sun Shihao
Published: July 2016

We demonstrate a sandwich configuration for microfluidic manipulation in LiNbO3 platform based on photovoltaic effect and the behaviours of dielectric microdroplet under this sandwich configuration are investigated. It is found that the microdroplet can generate in the form of liquid bridge inside the LiNbO3-based sandwich structure under the governing dielectrophoretic force and the dynamic process of microdroplet generation highly depends on the substrate combinations. Dynamic features found for different combinations are explained by the different electrostatic field distribution basing on the finite-element simulation results. Moreover, the electrostatic field required by the microdroplet generation is estimated through meniscus evolution and it is found in good agreement with the simulated electrostatic field inside the sandwich gap. Several kinds of microdroplet manipulations are attempted in this work. We suggest that the local dielectrophoretic force acting on the microdroplet depends on the distribution of the accumulated irradiation dosage. Without using any additional pumping or jetting actuator, the microdroplet can be step-moved, deformed or patterned by the inconsecutive dot-irradiation scheme, as well as elastically stretched out and back or smoothly guided in a designed pass by the consecutive line-irradiation scheme.
Tunable C2N Membrane for High Efficient Water Desalination
Authors: Yang Yanmei , Li Weifeng , Zhou Hongcai , Zhang Xiaoming , Zhao Mingwen
Published: July 2016

Water scarcity represents one of the most serious global problems of our time and challenges the advancements in desalination techniques. Although water-filtering architectures based on graphene have greatly advanced the approach to high performance desalination membranes, the controlled-generation of nanopores with particular diameter is tricky and has stunted its wide applications. Here, through molecular dynamic simulations and first-principles calculations, we propose that the recently reported graphene-like carbon nitride (g-C2N) monolayer can serve as high efficient filters for water desalination. Taking the advantages of the intrisic nanoporous structure and excellent mechanical properties of g-C2N, high water transparency and strong salt filtering capability have been demonstrated in our simulations. More importantly, the “open” and “closed” states of the g-C2N filter can be precisely regulated by tensile strain. It is found that the water permeability of g-C2N is significantly higher than that reported for graphene filters by almost one order of magnitude. In the light of the abundant family of graphene-like carbon nitride monolayered materials, our results thus offer a promising approach to the design of high efficient filteration architectures.
Sonar beam dynamics in leaf-nosed bats
Authors: Linnenschmidt Meike , Wiegrebe Lutz
Published: July 2016

Ultrasonic emissions of bats are directional and delimit the echo-acoustic space. Directionality is quantified by the aperture of the sonar beam. Recent work has shown that bats often widen their sonar beam when approaching movable prey or sharpen their sonar beam when navigating through cluttered habitats. Here we report how nose-emitting bats, Phyllostomus discolor, adjust their sonar beam to object distance. First, we show that the height and width of the bats sonar beam, as imprinted on a parabolic 45 channel microphone array, varies even within each animal and this variation is unrelated to changes in call level or spectral content. Second, we show that these animals are able to systematically decrease height and width of their sonar beam while focusing on the approaching object. Thus it appears that sonar beam sharpening is a further, facultative means of reducing search volume, likely to be employed by stationary animals when the object position is close and unambiguous. As only half of our individuals sharpened their beam onto the approaching object we suggest that this strategy is facultative, under voluntary control and that beam formation is likely mediated by muscular control of the acoustic aperture of the bats’ nose leaf.
Phenotypic flexibility of gape anatomy fine-tunes the aquatic prey-capture system of newts
Authors: Van Wassenbergh Sam , Heiss Egon
Published: July 2016

A unique example of phenotypic flexibility of the oral apparatus is present in newts (Salamandridae) that seasonally change between an aquatic and a terrestrial habitat. Newts grow flaps of skin between their upper and lower jaws, the labial lobes, to partly close the corners of the mouth when they adopt an aquatic lifestyle during their breeding season. Using hydrodynamic simulations based on μCT-scans and cranial kinematics during prey-capture in the smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris), we showed that this phenotypic flexibility is an adaptive solution to improve aquatic feeding performance: both suction distance and suction force increase by approximately 15% due to the labial lobes. As the subsequent freeing of the corners of the mouth by resorption of the labial lobes is assumed beneficial for the terrestrial capture of prey by the tongue, this flexibility of the mouth fine-tunes the process of capturing prey throughout the seasonal switching between water and land.
Optic-null space medium for cover-up cloaking without any negative refraction index materials
Authors: Sun Fei , He Sailing
Published: July 2016

With the help of optic-null medium, we propose a new way to achieve invisibility by covering up the scattering without using any negative refraction index materials. Compared with previous methods to achieve invisibility, the function of our cloak is to cover up the scattering of the objects to be concealed by a background object of strong scattering. The concealed object can receive information from the outside world without being detected. Numerical simulations verify the performance of our cloak. The proposed method will be a great addition to existing invisibility technology.
Bisphenol A affects early bovine embryo development and metabolism that is negated by an oestrogen receptor inhibitor
Authors: Choi Bom-Ie , Harvey Alexandra J. , Green Mark P.
Published: July 2016

Increasing evidence supports an association between exposure to endocrine disruptors, such as the xenoestrogen bisphenol A (BPA), a commonly used plasticiser and the developmental programming of offspring health. To date however animal studies to investigate a direct causal have mainly focussed on supra-environmental BPA concentrations, without investigating the effect on the early embryo. In this study we investigated the effect of acute BPA exposure (days 3.5 to 7.5 post-fertilisation) at environmentally relevant concentrations (1 and 10 ng/mL) on in vitro bovine embryo development, quality and metabolism. We then examined whether culturing embryos in the presence of the oestrogen receptor inhibitor fulvestrant could negate effects of BPA and 17β-oestradiol (E2). Exposure to BPA or E2 (10 ng/mL) decreased blastocyst rate and the percentage of transferrable quality embryos, without affecting cell number, lineage allocation or metabolic gene expression compared to untreated embryos. Notably, blastocysts exposed to BPA and E2 (10 ng/mL) displayed an increase in glucose consumption. The presence of fulvestrant however negated the adverse developmental and metabolic effects, suggesting BPA elicits its effects via oestrogen-mediated pathways. This study demonstrates that even acute exposure to an environmentally relevant BPA concentration can affect early embryo development and metabolism. These may have long-term health consequences on an individual.
Sexual complementarity between host humoral toxicity and soldier caste in a polyembryonic wasp
Authors: Uka Daisuke , Sakamoto Takuma , Yoshimura Jin , Iwabuchi Kikuo
Published: July 2016

Defense against enemies is a type of natural selection considered fundamentally equivalent between the sexes. In reality, however, whether males and females differ in defense strategy is unknown. Multiparasitism necessarily leads to the problem of defense for a parasite (parasitoid). The polyembryonic parasitic wasp Copidosoma floridanum is famous for its larval soldiers’ ability to kill other parasites. This wasp also exhibits sexual differences not only with regard to the competitive ability of the soldier caste but also with regard to host immune enhancement. Female soldiers are more aggressive than male soldiers and their numbers increase upon invasion of the host by other parasites. In this report, in vivo and in vitro competition assays were used to test whether females have a toxic humoral factor; if so, then its strength was compared with that of males. We found that females have a toxic factor that is much weaker than that of males. Our results imply sexual complementarity between host humoral toxicity and larval soldiers. We discuss how this sexual complementarity guarantees adaptive advantages for both males and females despite the one-sided killing of male reproductives by larval female soldiers in a mixed-sex brood.
Immunophenotyping of rheumatoid arthritis reveals a linkage between HLA-DRB1 genotype, CXCR4 expression on memory CD4+ T cells and disease activity
Authors: Nagafuchi Yasuo , Shoda Hirofumi , Sumitomo Shuji , Nakachi Shinichiro , Kato Rika , Tsuchida Yumi , Tsuchiya Haruka , Sakurai Keiichi , Hanata Norio , Tateishi Shoko , Kanda Hiroko , Ishigaki Kazuyoshi , Okada Yukinori , Suzuki Akari , Kochi Yuta , Fujio Keishi , Yamamoto Kazuhiko
Published: July 2016

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that leads to destructive arthritis. Although the HLA class II locus is the strongest genetic risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis, the relationship between HLA class II alleles and lymphocyte activation remains unclear. We performed immunophenotyping of peripheral blood mononuclear cells on 91 HLA-DRB1-genotyped RA patients and 110 healthy donors. The frequency of memory CXCR4+CD4+T cells and not Th1 and Th17 cells, was significantly associated with disease severity by multiple linear regression analysis. RA patients with one or more susceptible HLA-DR haplotypes (shared epitope: SE) displayed a significantly higher frequency of memory CXCR4+CD4+T cells. Moreover, the frequency of memory CXCR4+CD4+T cells significantly correlated with the expression level of HLA-DR on B cells, which was elevated in RA patients with SE.In vitroanalysis and transcriptomic pathway analysis suggested that the interaction between HLA-DR and T cell receptors is an important regulator of memory CXCR4+CD4+T cells. Clinically, a higher frequency of memory CXCR4+CD4+T cells predicted a better response to CTLA4-Ig. Memory CXCR4+CD4+T cells may serve as a powerful biomarker for unraveling the linkage between HLA-DRB1 genotype and disease activity in RA.
LysGH15 kills Staphylococcus aureus without being affected by the humoral immune response or inducing inflammation
Authors: Zhang Lei , Li Dong , Li Xinwei , Hu Liyuan , Cheng Mengjun , Xia Feifei , Gong Pengjuan , Wang Bin , Ge Jinli , Zhang Hao , Cai Ruopeng , Wang Yanmei , Sun Changjiang , Feng Xin , Lei Liancheng , Han Wenyu , Gu Jingmin
Published: July 2016

The lysin LysGH15, derived from the staphylococcal phage GH15, exhibits a wide lytic spectrum and highly efficient lytic activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Here, we found that LysGH15 did not induce resistance in MRSA or methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) strains after repeated treatment. Although LysGH15 triggered the generation of LysGH15-specific antibodies in mice, these antibodies did not block lytic activity in vitro (nor the binding capacity of LysGH15). More importantly, when the antibody titre was highest in mice immunized with LysGH15, a single intravenous injection of LysGH15 was sufficient to protect mice against lethal infection with MRSA. These results indicated that LysGH15-specific antibodies did not affect the killing efficiency of LysGH15 against MRSA in vitro or in vivo. LysGH15 also reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines in mice with lethal infections. Furthermore, a high-dose LysGH15 injection did not cause significant adverse effects or pathological changes in the main organs of treated animals. These results provide further evidence for the administration of LysGH15 as an alternative strategy for the treatment of infections caused by MRSA.
Plio-Pleistocene evolution of Bohai Basin (East Asia): demise of Bohai Paleolake and transition to marine environment
Authors: Yi Liang , Deng Chenglong , Tian Lizhu , Xu Xingyong , Jiang Xingyu , Qiang Xiaoke , Qin Huafeng , Ge Junyi , Chen Guangquan , Su Qiao , Chen Yanping , Shi Xuefa , Xie Qiang , Yu Hongjun , Zhu Rixiang
Published: July 2016

The Bohai Basin was transformed to an inner shelf sea hundreds of thousands years ago. This youngest land-sea transition participated in the significant modification of the distribution of fresh water, sediment fluxes and climate in East Asia and played an important role in the origin of the Asian marginal seas. Here we present the results of a magnetostratigraphic investigation and propose a conceptual model for the land-sea transition. Our findings indicate that the transition probably started several million years ago, from a fluvial system during the late Miocene and early Pliocene, to a lacustrine environment between the late Pliocene and Middle Pleistocene and finally to a marine system in the late Pleistocene. Comparison of our results with previous research suggests that the Bohai Paleolake was initiated from the late Pliocene, was fully developed prior to ~1.0 Ma and terminated around the late Middle Pleistocene. The Miaodao Islands formed the eastern “barrier” of the basin and since the Pliocene or earlier they played a significant role in blocking the lake water and sediments. They deformed from ~1.0 Ma, subsided significantly at ~0.3 Ma and completely by ~0.1 Ma, resulting in the maturation of the basin as an inner shelf sea.
Increased frequency of self-fertile isolates in Phytophthora infestans may attribute to their higher fitness relative to the A1 isolates
Authors: Zhu Wen , Shen Lin-Lin , Fang Zhi-Guo , Yang Li-Na , Zhang Jia-Feng , Sun Dan-Li , Zhan Jiasui
Published: July 2016

Knowledge of population dynamics of mating types is important for better understanding pathogen’s evolutionary potential and sustainable management of natural and chemical resources such as host resistances and fungicides. In this study, 2250 Phytophthora infestans isolates sampled from 61 fields across China were assayed for spatiotemporal dynamics of mating type frequency. Self-fertile isolates dominated in ~50% of populations and all but one cropping region with an average frequency of 0.64 while no A2 isolates were detected. Analyses of 140 genotypes consisting of 82 self-fertile and 58 A1 isolates indicated that on average self-fertile isolates grew faster, demonstrated higher aggressiveness and were more tolerant to fungicides than A1 isolates; Furthermore, pattern of association between virulence complexity (defined as the number of differential cultivars on which an isolate can induce disease) and frequency was different in the two mating types. In A1 isolates, virulence complexity was negatively correlated (r = −0.515, p = 0.043) with frequency but this correlation was positive (r = 0.532, p = 0.037) in self-fertile isolates. Our results indicate a quick increase of self-fertile isolates possibly attributable to their higher fitness relative to A1 mating type counterpart in the field populations of P. infestans in China.
Fabrication of InGaN thin-film transistors using pulsed sputtering deposition
Authors: Itoh Takeki , Kobayashi Atsushi , Ueno Kohei , Ohta Jitsuo , Fujioka Hiroshi
Published: July 2016

We report the first demonstration of operational InGaN-based thin-film transistors (TFTs) on glass substrates. The key to our success was coating the glass substrate with a thin amorphous layer of HfO2, which enabled a highly c-axis-oriented growth of InGaN films using pulsed sputtering deposition. The electrical characteristics of the thin films were controlled easily by varying their In content. The optimized InGaN-TFTs exhibited a high on/off ratio of ~108, a field-effect mobility of ~22 cm2 V−1 s−1 and a maximum current density of ~30 mA/mm. These results lay the foundation for developing high-performance electronic devices on glass substrates using group III nitride semiconductors.
Conformational Heterogeneity of Bax Helix 9 Dimer for Apoptotic Pore Formation
Authors: Liao Chenyi , Zhang Zhi , Kale Justin , Andrews David W. , Lin Jialing , Li Jianing
Published: July 2016

Helix α9 of Bax protein can dimerize in the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) and lead to apoptotic pores. However, it remains unclear how different conformations of the dimer contribute to the pore formation on the molecular level. Thus we have investigated various conformational states of the α9 dimer in a MOM model — using computer simulations supplemented with site-specific mutagenesis and crosslinking of the α9 helices. Our data not only confirmed the critical membrane environment for the α9 stability and dimerization, but also revealed the distinct lipid-binding preference of the dimer in different conformational states. In our proposed pathway, a crucial iso-parallel dimer that mediates the conformational transition was discovered computationally and validated experimentally. The corroborating evidence from simulations and experiments suggests that, helix α9 assists Bax activation via the dimer heterogeneity and interactions with specific MOM lipids, which eventually facilitate proteolipidic pore formation in apoptosis regulation.
Molecular basis of the remarkable species selectivity of an insecticidal sodium channel toxin from the African spider Augacephalus ezendami
Authors: Herzig Volker , Ikonomopoulou Maria , Smith Jennifer J. , Dziemborowicz Sławomir , Gilchrist John , Kuhn-Nentwig Lucia , Rezende Fernanda Oliveira , Moreira Luciano Andrade , Nicholson Graham M. , Bosmans Frank , King Glenn F.
Published: July 2016

The inexorable decline in the armament of registered chemical insecticides has stimulated research into environmentally-friendly alternatives. Insecticidal spider-venom peptides are promising candidates for bioinsecticide development but it is challenging to find peptides that are specific for targeted pests. In the present study, we isolated an insecticidal peptide (Ae1a) from venom of the African spider Augacephalus ezendami (family Theraphosidae). Injection of Ae1a into sheep blowflies (Lucilia cuprina) induced rapid but reversible paralysis. In striking contrast, Ae1a was lethal to closely related fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) but induced no adverse effects in the recalcitrant lepidopteran pest Helicoverpa armigera. Electrophysiological experiments revealed that Ae1a potently inhibits the voltage-gated sodium channel BgNaV1 from the German cockroach Blattella germanica by shifting the threshold for channel activation to more depolarized potentials. In contrast, Ae1a failed to significantly affect sodium currents in dorsal unpaired median neurons from the American cockroach Periplaneta americana. We show that Ae1a interacts with the domain II voltage sensor and that sensitivity to the toxin is conferred by natural sequence variations in the S1–S2 loop of domain II. The phyletic specificity of Ae1a provides crucial information for development of sodium channel insecticides that target key insect pests without harming beneficial species.
Development of a simple and efficient pretreatment technique named pH-dependent continuous homogenous liquid–liquid extraction
Authors: Farajzadeh Mir Ali , Mohebbi Ali , Feriduni Behruz
Published: July 2016

In this study, a simple and rapid sample pretreatment technique named pH-dependent continuous homogenous liquid–liquid extraction followed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection has been developed for the extraction, preconcentration, and determination of four pesticides including diazinon, oxadiazon, bromopropylate, and fenazaquin in fruit juice and vegetable samples.
Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles with high antimicrobial activity and low cytotoxicity using catechol-conjugated chitosan
Authors: Huang Xiaofei , Pang Yichuan , Liu Yalan , Zhou Yi , Wang Zhengke , Hu Qiaoling
Published: July 2016

Catechol-conjugated chitosan was synthesized to act as a reducing and stabilizing agent in the preparation of silver nanoparticles. The resulting silver nanoparticles exhibit strong antibacterial activity and low cytotoxicity.
Monolithic supports based on biomorphic SiC for the catalytic combustion of hydrogen
Authors: Arzac G. M. , Ramírez-Rico J. , Gutiérrez-Pardo A. , Jiménez de Haro M. C. , Hufschmidt D. , Martínez-Fernández J. , Fernández A.
Published: July 2016

Application of biomorphic porous SiC monoliths as Pt catalysts supports for the catalytic combustion of hydrogen. Anisotropic thermal behaviour is highlighted.
Non-adiabatic dynamics simulation exploration of the wavelength-dependent photoinduced relaxation mechanism of trans-N-1-methyl-2-(tolylazo) imidazole in the gas phase
Authors: Zhao Li , Zhou Pan-Wang , Zhao Guang-Jiu
Published: July 2016

A comprehensive picture of the photoinduced non-adiabatic relaxation dynamics of trans-N-1-methyl-2-(tolylazo) imidazole (trans-MTAI) in different electronic excited states has been revealed using the on-the-fly surface hopping method at the ab initio CASSCF level.
Temperature-, power-, and concentration-dependent two and three photon upconversion in Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped lanthanum ortho-niobate phosphors
Authors: do Nascimento J. P. C. , Sales A. J. M. , Sousa D. G. , da Silva M. A. S. , Moreira S. G. C. , Pavani K. , Soares M. J. , Graça M. P. F. , Suresh Kumar J. , Sombra A. S. B.
Published: July 2016

Variation of two and three photon upconversion band intensities in LNO:Er1%–Yb7.5% phosphor with temperature.
Role of cis-1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid in the regulation of the structure and properties of a poly(butylene adipate-co-butylene 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate) copolymer
Authors: Liu Fei , Qiu Jia , Wang Jinggang , Zhang Junwu , Na Haining , Zhu Jin
Published: July 2016

cis-PBC plays both rigid and flexible roles in a PBAC copolymer, a copolymer that could be considered as a triblock random copolyester.
Exfoliation of graphite and graphite oxide in water by chlorin e6
Authors: Hernández-Sánchez Dania , Scardamaglia Mattia , Saucedo-Anaya Sonia , Bittencourt Carla , Quintana Mildred
Published: July 2016

An ultrasonic process for the exfoliation of graphite and graphite oxide in water was devised for the production of chlorine e6 nanohybrids with remarkable potential applications in energy and biomedicine.
Enhanced thermoelectric properties of BaZn2Sb2via a synergistic optimization strategy using co-doped Na and Sr
Authors: Yan Ruijuan , Lv Wanyu , Wang Ke , Guo Kai , Yang Xinxin , Luo Jun , Zhao Jing-tai
Published: July 2016

Polycrystalline samples of Ba1−x−yNaxSryZn2Sb2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1, 0 ≤ y ≤ 0.1) were prepared by a solid-state reaction method and hot press sintering with the aim of achieving synergistic optimization of the power factor and thermal conductivity.
Stable slippery liquid-infused anti-wetting surface at high temperatures
Authors: Zhang Pengfei , Chen Huawei , Zhang Liwen , Zhang Yi , Zhang Deyuan , Jiang Lei
Published: July 2016

Recently developed slippery liquid-infused surfaces (LIS) offer a new approach to construct anti-wetting surfaces due to their excellent repellence of various liquids.
Impairment of autophagy by TTR V30M aggregates: in vivo reversal by TUDCA and curcumin
Authors: Teixeira Cristina A. , Almeida Maria do Rosário , Saraiva Maria João
Published: July 2016

Transthyretin (TTR)-related amyloidoses are diseases characterized by extracellular deposition of amyloid fibrils and aggregates in tissues composed of insoluble misfolded TTR that becomes toxic. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of small compounds in preventing and reversing TTR V30M deposition in transgenic mice gastrointestinal (GI) tract as well as lowering biomarkers associated with cellular stress and apoptotic mechanisms. In the present study we aimed to study TTR V30M aggregates effect in autophagy, a cellular mechanism crucial for cell survival that has been implicated in the development of several neurodegenerative diseases. We were able to demonstrate in cell culture that TTR V30M aggregates cause a partial impairment of the autophagic machinery as shown by p62 accumulation, whereas early steps of the autophagic flux remain unaffected as shown by autophagosome number evaluation and LC3 turnover assay. Our studies performed in TTR V30M transgenic animals demonstrated that tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) and curcumin effectively reverse p62 accumulation in the GI tract pointing to the ability of both compounds to modulate autophagy additionally to mitigate apoptosis. Overall, our in vitro and in vivo studies establish an association between TTR V30M aggregates and autophagy impairment and suggest the use of autophagy modulators as an additional and alternative therapeutic approach for the treatment of TTR V30M-related amyloidosis.
Adaptation of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories for Spanish Children With Down Syndrome: Validity and Reliability Data for Vocabulary
Authors: Galeote Miguel , Checa Elena , Sánchez-Palacios Concepción , Sebastián Eugenia , Soto Pilar
Published: July 2016

Purpose

The MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories are widely used to study early language and communicative development. We recently developed a Spanish version for children with Down syndrome (the CDI-Down) adapted to their particular profile of linguistic and communicative development. The principal aims of this study are to assess the concurrent validity and test–retest reliability of the vocabulary section of this adaptation.

Method

Validation for productive vocabulary (Study 1) was achieved by correlating CDI-Down scores on expressive vocabulary and measures on the basis of spontaneous speech samples (n= 29). Validation for receptive vocabulary (Study 2) was achieved by correlating CDI-Down scores on receptive vocabulary and measures derived from language items of the Brunet-Lézine Scale (Josse, 1997;n= 70). Reliability (Study 3) was measured with a subset of parents who completed the same inventory 4 months after the original sampling (n= 26).

Results

CDI-Down expressive and receptive vocabulary scores showed a significant positive relationship with their comparison measures, thereby demonstrating convergent validity. A significant positive relationship was also found between test–retest measures for productive and receptive vocabularies, thus supporting the reliability of the adaptation.

Conclusion

The results demonstrate that the CDI-Down is a valid and reliable tool that could be useful for parents, teachers, clinicians, and researchers.
Pantomime Production by People With Aphasia: What Are Influencing Factors?
Authors: van Nispen Karin , van de Sandt-Koenderman Mieke , Mol Lisette , Krahmer Emiel
Published: July 2016

Purpose

The present article aimed to inform clinical practice on whether people with aphasia (PWA) deploy pantomime techniques similarly to participants without brain damage (PWBD) and if not, what factors influence these differences.

Method

We compared 38 PWA to 20 PWBD in their use of 6 representation techniques (
handling, enact, object, shape, deictic,
and
other
) when pantomiming objects, and determined whether PWA used the same defaults as PWBD. We assessed the influence of
(non-)dominant arm use, ideomotor apraxia, semantic processing, aphasia severity,
and
oral naming.

Results

PWA used various pantomime techniques. Enact, deictic, and other were used infrequently. No differences were found for the use of shape techniques, but PWA used fewer handling and object techniques than PWBD and they did not use these for the same objects as PWBD did. No influence was found for (non-)dominant arm use. All other variables correlated with the use of handling, object, and defaults.

Conclusion

In our study, PWA were able to use various pantomime techniques. As a group, they used these techniques differently from PWBD and relied more heavily on the use of shape techniques. This was not influenced by a hemiparesis, but seemed dependent on semantic processing. Clinical implications are discussed.
Sentence Processing in Traumatic Brain Injury: Evidence From the P600
Authors: Key-DeLyria Sarah E.
Published: July 2016

Purpose

Sentence processing can be affected following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to linguistic or cognitive deficits. Language-related event-related potentials (ERPs), particularly the P600, have not been described in individuals with TBI history.

Method

Four young adults with a history of closed head injury participated. Two had severe injuries, and 2 had mild–moderate injuries more than 24 months prior to testing. ERPs were recorded while participants read sentences designed to be grammatically correct or incorrect. Participants also completed cognitive and sentence comprehension measures.

Results

One participant with TBI was significantly different than the control group on several behavioral sentence measures and 1 cognitive measure. However, none of the participants with TBI had a reliable P600 effect. Nonparametric bootstrapping indicated that the ERP was reliable in 10 control participants but no participants with TBI history.

Conclusions

There were few behavioral differences between individuals with TBI history and the control group, though all reported subjective difficulty with reading. The P600 was absent in the TBI group in this study. Given the heterogeneity of individuals with TBI and the difficulty in assessing subtle language impairments, exploring the P600 further may provide useful insight into language processing difficulties.

Supplemental Material

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.14963817
Sparse polynomial approximation of parametric elliptic PDEs.
Part I: affine coefficients
Authors: Bachmayr Markus , Cohen Albert , Migliorati Giovanni
Published: July 2016

We consider the linear elliptic equation −
div(a∇u) = f on
some bounded domain D, where a has the affine form a = a(y) = ā + ∑j≥1yjψj for some parameter vector y =
(yj)j ≥ 1 ∈
U = [−1,1]N. We study the summability
properties of polynomial expansions of the solution map
y → u(y) ∈ V := H01(D)

. We consider both Taylor series and Legendre series.
Previous results [A. Cohen, R. DeVore and C. Schwab, Anal. Appl. 9
(2011) 11–47] show that, under a uniform ellipticity assuption, for any
0 <p<
1, the ℓp summability of the
(∥ψj∥L∞)j ≥
1 implies the ℓp summability of the
V-norms of
the Taylor or Legendre coefficients. Such results ensure convergence rates n−
s of polynomial approximations obtained by best
n-term
truncation of such series, with s = (1/p)−1
in L∞(U,V) or
s = (1/p)−(1/2)

in L2(U,V). In this paper
we considerably improve these results by providing sufficient conditions of
ℓp summability of the
coefficient V-norm sequences expressed in terms of the pointwise
summability properties of the (|ψj|)j ≥
1. The approach in the present paper strongly differs from that
of [A. Cohen, R. DeVore and C. Schwab, Anal. Appl. 9 (2011)
11–47], which is based on individual estimates of the coefficient norms obtained by the
Cauchy formula applied to a holomorphic extension of the solution map. Here, we use
weighted summability estimates, obtained by real-variable arguments. While the obtained
results imply those of [7] as a particular case,
they lead to a refined analysis which takes into account the amount of overlap between the
supports of the ψj. For instance, in
the case of disjoint supports, these results imply that for all 0 <p< 2, the
ℓp summability of the
coefficient V-norm sequences follows from the weaker assumption
that (∥ψj∥L∞)j ≥
1 is ℓq summable for
q = q(p) := 2p/(2−p)
. We provide a simple analytic example showing that this
result is in general optimal and illustrate our findings by numerical experiments. The
analysis in the present paper applies to other types of linear PDEs with similar affine
parametrization of the coefficients, and to more general Jacobi polynomial expansions.
Interview mit Sana-Chef Michael Philippi: „Ich bereue nichts“
Authors: Gaede Kirsten
Published: July 2016

Eines stellt Michael Philippi gleich klar: Er möchte nicht darüber reden, warum er Sana zum 31. Dezember verlässt. Das haben wir uns schon gedacht. Aber es gibt andere heiße Themen, die zum 40. Jubiläum der privaten Klinikkette passen: die Privatisierungsflaute, das positive Image von Sana und die Diskussion über angemessene Ebit-Margen.
Density domains of a photo-excited electron gas on liquid helium
Authors: Monarkha Yu. P.
Published: July 2016

The Coulombic effect on the stability range of the photo-excited electron gas on liquid helium is shown to favor formation of domains of different densities. Domains appear to eliminate or greatly reduce regions with negative conductivity. An analysis of the density domain structure allows explaining remarkable observations reported recently for the photo-excited electron gas.
Unusual changes in the shape of solid parahydrogen with higher than natural isotope content
Authors: Alekseeva L. A. , Dobryden I.
Published: July 2016

The relative elongation ε of samples of high purity (99.9999 mol. % with respect to nonhydrogenic impurities) parahydrogen (p-H2, ∼0.2% o-H2) with different amounts of the stable hydrogen isotope deuterium is measured as a function of applied stress σ at temperatures of 1.8–4.2 K. The samples were subjected to uniaxial tension by stepwise loading. The ratio [D]/[H] of the number [D] of deuterium atoms to the number [H] of p-H2 hydrogen atoms ranged from 0.0055 ± 0.0005 at. % up to 0.07 at. %. For deuterium enriched p-H2, the easy slip dislocation stage vanished from the σ(ε) curves and there was a significant reduction in the total relative elongation of the samples, as well as a substantial increase in the hardening coefficient dσ/dε. Deformation of samples of p-H2 with deuterium contents higher than the natural amount produces an unusual change in their shape owing to the appearance of a rotational component of the low-temperature plastic mass transfer.
Spin transitions in La0.7 Ba0.3CoO3 thin films revealed by combining Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction
Authors: Othmen Zied , Copie Olivier , Daoudi Kais , Boudard Michel , Gemeiner Pascale , Oueslati Meherzi , Dkhil Brahim
Published: July 2016

In cobaltite, the spin states transitions of Co3+/4+ ions govern the magnetic and electronic conduction properties. These transitions are strain-sensitive and can be varied using external parameters, including temperature, hydrostatic pressure, or chemical stresses through ionic substitutions. In this work, using temperature dependent Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, the epitaxial strain effects on both structural and vibrational properties of La0.7 Ba0.3 CoO3 (LBCO) cobaltite thin films are investigated. All Raman active phonon modes as well as the structure are found to be strongly affected. Both Raman modes and lattice parameter evolutions show temperature changes correlated with magnetic and electronic transitions properties. Combining Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction appears as a powerful approach to probe the spin transition in thin film cobaltite. Our results provide insight into strong spin-charge-phonon coupling in LBCO thin film. This coupling manifests as vibrational transition with temperature in the Raman spectra near the ferromagnetic spin ordered transition at 220 K.
Cellular heterogeneity mediates inherent sensitivity–specificity tradeoff in cancer targeting by synthetic circuits
Authors: Morel Mathieu , Shtrahman Roman , Rotter Varda , Nissim Lior , Bar-Ziv Roy H.
Published: July 2016

Significance

The recent advance in the use of viral vectors for gene delivery, combined with the design of synthetic gene circuits to diagnose and target cells, brings opportunities for effective treatment of cancer. So far, gene circuits have been considered logical devices capable of discriminating normal from malignant cells as discrete states, ignoring cellular heterogeneity in cancer expression markers. We addressed the inherent limitations heterogeneity imposes on the precision of targeting circuits. Using molecular parameters to control circuit gain amplification and threshold, we show an inherent tradeoff emerges between specificity and sensitivity. In light of this tradeoff, the molecular optimization of targeting circuits will be an important step for effective implementation of personalized gene therapy.