bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Differential Astrometric Reference Frame on short timescales in the Gaia Era
Authors: Abbas Ummi , Bucciarelli Beatrice , Lattanzi Mario G. , Crosta Mariateresa , Gai Mario , Smart Richard , Sozzetti Alessandro , Vecchiato Alberto
Published: March 2018

We use methods of differential astrometry to construct a small field inertial reference frame stable at the micro-arcsecond level. Using Gaia measurements of field angles we look at the influence of the number of reference stars and the stars magnitude as well as astrometric systematics on the total error budget with the help of Gaia-like simulations around the Ecliptic Pole in a differential astrometric scenario. We find that the systematic errors are modeled and reliably estimated to the μas level even in fields with a modest number of 37 stars with G <13 mag over a 0.24 sq. degrees field of view for short timescales of the order of a day for a perfect instrument and with high-cadence observations. Accounting for large-scale calibrations by including the geometric instrument model over such short timescales requires fainter stars down to G=14 mag without diminishing the accuracy of the reference frame.
Using Gaia as an Astrometric Tool for Deep Ground-based Surveys
Authors: Casetti-Dinescu Dana I. , Girard Terrence M. , Schriefer Michael
Published: March 2018

Gaia DR1 positions are used to astrometrically calibrate three epochs’ worth of Subaru SuprimeCam images in the fields of globular cluster NGC 2419 and the Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy. Distortion-correction “maps” are constructed from a combination of offset dithers and reference to Gaia DR1. These are used to derive absolute proper motions in the field of NGC 2419. Notably, we identify the photometrically-detected Monoceros structure in the foreground of NGC 2419 as a kinematically-cold population of stars, distinct from Galactic-field stars. This project demonstrates the feasibility of combining Gaia with deep, ground-based surveys, thus extending high-quality astrometry to magnitudes beyond the limits of Gaia.
Finding evolved stars in the inner Galactic disk withGaia
Authors: Quiroga-Nuñez L. H. , van Langevelde H. J. , Pihlström Y. M. , Sjouwerman L. O. , Brown A. G. A.
Published: March 2018

The Bulge Asymmetries and Dynamical Evolution (BAaDE) survey will provide positions and line-of-sight velocities of ~20, 000 evolved, maser bearing stars in the Galactic plane. Although this Galactic region is affected by optical extinction, BAaDE targets may haveGaiacross-matches, eventually providing additional stellar information. In an initial attempt to cross-match BAaDE targets withGaia, we have found more than 5,000 candidates. Of these, we may expect half to show SiO emission, which will allow us to obtain velocity information. The cross-match is being refined to avoid false positives using different criteria based on distance analysis, flux variability, and color assessment in the mid- and near-IR. Once the cross-matches can be confirmed, we will have a unique sample to characterize the stellar population of evolved stars in the Galactic bulge, which can be considered fossils of the Milky Way formation.
Local tests of gravitation with Gaia observations of Solar System Objects
Authors: Hees Aurélien , Le Poncin-Lafitte Christophe , Hestroffer Daniel , David Pedro
Published: March 2018

In this proceeding, we show how observations of Solar System Objects with Gaia can be used to test General Relativity and to constrain modified gravitational theories. The high number of Solar System objects observed and the variety of their orbital parameters associated with the impressive astrometric accuracy will allow us to perform local tests of General Relativity. In this communication, we present a preliminary sensitivity study of the Gaia observations on dynamical parameters such as the Sun quadrupolar moment and on various extensions to general relativity such as the parametrized post-Newtonian parameters, the fifth force formalism and a violation of Lorentz symmetry parametrized by the Standard-Model extension framework. We take into account the time sequences and the geometry of the observations that are particular to Gaia for its nominal mission (5 years) and for an extended mission (10 years).
Search for Galactic warp signal in Gaia DR1 proper motions
Authors: Poggio E. , Drimmel R. , Smart R. L. , Spagna A. , Lattanzi M. G.
Published: March 2018

The nature and origin of the Galactic warp represent one of the open questions posed by Galactic evolution. Thanks to Gaia high precision absolute astrometry, steps towards the understanding of the warp's dynamical nature can be made. Indeed, proper motions for long-lived stable warp are expected to show measurable trends in the component vertical to the galactic plane. Within this context, we search for the kinematic warp signal in the first Gaia data release (DR1). By analyzing distant spectroscopically-identified OB stars in the Hipparcos subset in Gaia DR1, we find that the kinematic trends cannot be explained by a simple model of a long-lived warp. We therefore discuss possible scenarios for the interpretation of the obtained results. We also present current work in progress to select a larger sample of OB star candidates from the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) subsample in DR1, and delineate the points that we will be addressing in the near future.
Determining the Local Dark Matter Density with SDSS G-dwarf data
Authors: Silverwood Hamish , Sivertsson Sofia , Read Justin , Bertone Gianfranco , Steger Pascal
Published: March 2018

We present a determination of the local dark matter density derived using the integrated Jeans equation method presented in Silverwoodet al.(2016) applied to SDSS-SEGUE G-dwarf data processed by Büdenbender et al. (2015). For our analysis we construct models for the tracer density, dark matter and baryon distribution, and tilt term (linking radial and vertical motions), and then calculate the vertical velocity dispersion using the integrated Jeans equation. These models are then fit to the data usingMultiNest, and a posterior distribution for the local dark matter density is derived. We find the most reliable determination to come from the α-young population presented in Büdenbenderet al.(2015), yielding a result of ρDM= 0.46+0.07−0.09GeV cm−3= 0.012+0.001−0.002M⊙pc−3. Our results also illuminate the path ahead for future analyses using Gaia DR2 data, highlighting which quantities will need to be determined and which assumptions could be relaxed.
The PMA Catalogue as a realization of the extragalactic reference system in optical and near infrared wavelengths
Authors: Akhmetov Volodymyr S. , Fedorov Peter N. , Velichko Anna B.
Published: March 2018

We combined the data from theGaiaDR1 and Two-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) catalogues in order to derive the absolute proper motions more than 420 million stars distributed all over the sky in the stellar magnitude range 8 mag < G < 21 mag (Gaia magnitude). To eliminate the systematic zonal errors in position of 2MASS catalogue objects, the 2-dimensional median filter was used. The PMA system of proper motion has been obtained by direct link to 1.6 millions extragalactic sources. The short analysis of the absolute proper motion of the PMA stars Catalogue is presented in this work. From a comparison of this data with same stars from the TGAS, UCAC4 and PPMXL catalogues, the equatorial components of the mutual rotation vector of these coordinate systems are determined.
Galactic Disk Structure and Metallicity from Mono-age Stellar Populations of LAMOST
Authors: Xiang Maosheng , Liu Xiaowei , Shi Jianrong , Yuan Haibo , Huang Yang , Chen Bingqiu , Wang Chun
Published: March 2018

The LAMOST Galactic surveys provide robust stellar atmospheric parameters, abundances, masses and ages of millions of stars, allowing a unprecedented mapping of matter distribution, spatial structure, star formation rate, chemistry and kinematics of the Galaxy. In this proceeding we present structure and metallicity of the Galactic disk revealed by mono-age stellar populations within a few kilo-parsec of the solar neighborhood.
The time evolution of gaps in tidal streams in axisymmetric potentials
Authors: Koppelman Helmer H. , Helmi Amina
Published: March 2018

Our goal is to understand the evolution and properties of gaps produced by dark matter subhalos in stellar tidal streams. Here we explore how gaps grow in spherical potentials in comparison to axisymmetric potentials. We develop a model that uses the divergence of two orbits, one on each side of the gap, to describe the size of the gap and how this varies with time and depends on the characteristics of the encounter with the dark subhalo. To this end we use a formalism based on action-angle variables.
RAVE-Gaia and the impact on Galactic archeology
Authors: Kunder Andrea
Published: March 2018

The new data release (DR5) of the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) includes radial velocities of 520,781 spectra of 457,588 individual stars, of which 215,590 individual stars are released in the Tycho-Gaia astrometric solution (TGAS) in Gaia DR1. Therefore, RAVE contains the largest TGAS overlap of the recent and ongoing Milky Way spectroscopic surveys. Most of the RAVE stars also contain stellar parameters (effective temperature, surface gravity, overall metallicity), as well as individual abundances for Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti, Fe, and Ni. Combining RAVE with TGAS brings the uncertainties in space velocities down by a factor of 2 for stars in the RAVE volume – 10 km s−1 uncertainties in space velocities are now able to be derived for the majority (70%) of the RAVE-TGAS sample, providing a powerful platform for chemo-dynamic analyses of the Milky Way. Here we discuss the RAVE-TGAS impact on Galactic archaeology as well as how the Gaia parallaxes can be used to break degeneracies within the RAVE spectral regime for an even better return in the derivation of stellar parameters and abundances.
Prediction of stellar occultations by distant solar system bodies in the Gaia era
Authors: Desmars Josselin , Camargo Julio , Sicardy Bruno , Braga-Ribas Felipe , Vieira-Martins Roberto , Assafin Marcelo , Bérard Diane , Benedetti-Rossi Gustavo
Published: March 2018

Stellar occultations are a unique technique to access physical characteristics of distant solar system objects from the ground. They allow the measure of the size and the shape at kilometric level, the detection of tenuous atmospheres (few nanobars), and the investigation of close vicinity (satellites, rings) of Transneptunian objects and Centaurs. This technique is made successful thanks to accurate predictions of occultations. Accuracy of the predictions depends on the uncertainty in the position of the occulted star and the object's orbit. The Gaia stellar catalogue (Gaia Collaboration (2017)) now allows to get accurate astrometric stellar positions (to the mas level). The main uncertainty remains on the orbit. In this context, we now take advantage of the NIMA method (Desmars et al.(2015)) for the orbit determination and of the Gaia DR1 catalogue for the astrometry. In this document, we show how the orbit determination is improved by reducing current and some past observations with Gaia DR1. Moreover, we also use more than 45 past positive occultations observed in the 2009-2017 period to derive very accurate astrometric positions only depending on the position of the occulted stars (about few mas with Gaia DR1). We use the case of (10199) Chariklo as an illustration. The main limitation lies in the imprecision of the proper motions which is going to be solved by the Gaia DR2 release.
Astrometry and Spectra Classification of Near Earth Asteroids with Lijiang 2.4m Telescope
Authors: Zhang X. L. , Yang B. , Bai J. M.
Published: March 2018

The Lijiang 2.4m telescope of Yunnan Observatories is located at longitude E100°01′51″, latitude N26°42′32″ and height 3250m above sea level (IAU code O44). Because of low latitude of the site, long-focus system and planetary tracking mode of telescope, high accuracy positioning and spectral classification of the near Earth objects (NEAs) especially in the Southern Hemisphere can be studied with the Lijiang 2.4m telescope. As a set of observational campaigns organized by the GAIA-FUN-SSO, astrometry of several near Earth asteroids including (367943) Duende and (99942) Apophis were made with Lijiang 2.4m telescope during 2013. From December 12, 2015, spectra of three near earth asteroids were also observed with the YFOSC terminal attached to the Lijiang 2.4m telescope. This paper will give the detailed introduction of Lijiaing 2.4m telescope and observational results of near Earth asteroids obtained with it.
Modelling the Milky Way with Gaia-TGAS
Authors: Hunt Jason A. S.
Published: March 2018

I summarize two recent projects involving the Gaia-TGAS data. Firstly, I discuss a detection of a lack of disc stars in the Solar neighbourhood with velocities close to zero angular momentum. We use predictions of this effect to make a measurement of the Solar rotation velocity around the Galactic centre, and also of R0. Secondly, I discuss a detection of a group of stars with systematically high Galactic rotation velocity. We propose that it may be caused by the Perseus arm and compare the data with simulations.
The AMBRE Project: r-process element abundances in the Milky Way thin and thick discs
Authors: Guiglion Guillaume , de Laverny Patrick , Recio-Blanco Alejandra , Worley C. Clare
Published: March 2018

Chemical evolution of r-process elements in the Milky Way disc is still a matter of debate. We took advantage of high resolution HARPS spectra from the ESO archive in order to derive precise chemical abundances of 3 r-process elements Eu, Dy & Gd for a sample of 4 355 FGK Milky Way stars. The chemical analysis has been performed thanks to the automatic optimization pipeline GAUGUIN. Based on the [α/Fe] ratio, we chemically characterized the thin and the thick discs, and present here results of these 3 r-process element abundances in both discs. We found an unexpected Gadolinium and Dysprosium enrichment in the thick disc stars compared to Europium, while these three elements track well each other in the thin disc.
Galaxy simulations in the Gaia era
Authors: Minchev Ivan
Published: March 2018

We live in an age where an enormous amount of astrometric, photometric, asteroseismic, and spectroscopic data of Milky Way stars are being acquired, many orders of magnitude larger than about a decade ago. Thanks to the Gaia astrometric mission and followup ground-based spectroscopic surveys in the next 5-10 years about 10-20 Million stars will have accurate 6D kinematics and chemical composition measurements. KEPLER-2, PLATO, and TESS will provide asteroseismic ages for a good fraction of those. In this article we outline some outstanding problems concerning the formation and evolution of the Milky Way and argue that, due to the complexity of physical processes involved in the formation of disk galaxies, numerical simulations in the cosmological context are needed for the interpretation of Milky Way observations. We also discuss in some detail the formation of the Milky Way thick disk, chemodynamical models, and the effects of radial migration.
Impact on the Hipparcos2-UCAC4 geometric relation from some physical properties of the stars
Authors: Marco Francisco J. , Martínez María J. , López Jose A.
Published: March 2018

The aim of this paper is the study of the impact that the consideration of different physical properties as magnitude and spectral type of stars has on the geometric relations between Hipparcos2 and UCAC4. In this sense, the pairs of residuals Δα* and Δδ can be considered as functions of (α, δ, r) and for each fixed r, we can fit a vector field on the sphere from which to obtain its components in the VSH basis. The same can be done by grouping the stars considering their magnitudes, spectral types (or mixing them) and then studying the variations in the mentioned geometry. We must not forget that Δα* and Δδ are numerical random variables whose regression on the magnitude m, for example, can be estimated. The results will be computed taking into account r as well as the physical mentioned properties. So, we avoid the assumption that the harmonic coefficients depend only on m.
A 3D-Study of the residual vector field
Authors: Marco Francisco J. , Martínez María J. , López Jose A.
Published: March 2018

One of the important challenges that Gaia imposes on the Astrometric Catalogs, is a careful study in everything affected by parallax. A particularly important case is the necessary linkage Gaia - HCRF - ICRF2, which require methods of analysis that are accurate enough so that the provided results are at the same precision level as the work data.
The Gaia sky: version 1.0
Authors: Brown Anthony G. A.
Published: March 2018

In this contribution I provide a brief summary of the contents of Gaia DR1. This is followed by a discussion of studies in the literature that attempt to characterize the quality of the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution parallaxes in Gaia DR1, and I point out a misconception about the handling of the known systematic errors in the Gaia DR1 parallaxes. I highlight some of the more unexpected uses of the Gaia DR1 data and close with a look ahead at the next Gaia data releases, with Gaia DR2 coming up in April 2018.
Tribute to François Mignard's research
Authors: Kovalevsky Jean
Published: March 2018

It is a great pleasure for me to report about your colleague and my friend François Mignard. I know him since now 43 years and shared with him some scientific adventures. If, because of my age, I had to leave the Gaia project, I have followed the tremendous work done since by François Mignard and noticed that, despite his masterly played role as the conductor of the Gaia orchestra, he kept an important scientific activity. Actually, Gaia is far from being all his scientific achievements. And this is what I shall try to convince you.
Self-consistent modelling of our Galaxy with Gaia data
Authors: Binney James
Published: March 2018

Galaxy models are fundamental to exploiting surveys of our Galaxy. There is now a significant body of work on axisymmetric models. A model can be defined by giving the DF of each major class of stars and of dark matter. Then the self-consistent gravitational potential is determined. Other modelling techniques are briefly considered before an overview of some early work on non-axisymmetric models.
Endovascular treatment of post-thrombotic and non-thrombotic iliofemoral venous outflow obstructions with self-expanding nitinol stents
Authors: Stuck Anna K. , Reich Thomas , Engelberger Rolf P. , Sebastian Tim , Kucher Nils
Published: March 2018

Abstract. Background: The aim of the study was to investigate venous patency and clinical outcomes for endovascular treatment of iliofemoral venous obstruction in patients with post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) and non-thrombotic iliac vein lesion (NIVL) with dedicated self-expanding nitinol stents. Patients and methods: Data were collected from the prospective Swiss Venous Stent Registry, enrolling consecutive patients with a standardized follow-up procedure since January 2008. Patency was evaluated by duplex sonography and clinical outcome by various scores including the Villalta score at baseline, three, six, and 12 months, and then annually after endovascular therapy. Results: Overall, 93 patients (64 PTS, 29 NIVL) were analysed. Mean follow-up time was 20 ± 16 (range 3–70) months. A total of 11 (12 %) patients had a stent occlusion, all of which occurred in the PTS group, and 13 (14 %) patients had a symptomatic stent stenosis. Primary patency was 79 % (95 % CI 68–87 %) at 12 months and 72 % (95 % CI 59–82 %) at 24 months. In PTS patients, primary patency at 12 months was 75 % (95 % CI 61–84 %) vs. 89 % (95 % CI 63–97 %) in NIVL patients (p = 0.10). Secondary patency at 24 months was 94 % (95 % CI 84–98 %) in PTS and 100 % in NIVL, p = 0.19). Overall, 62 (67 %) patients were free from PTS at the latest follow-up with a Villalta score < 5 points. Predictive factors for the loss of primary patency were stents placed below the inguinal ligament (OR 2.59, 95 % CI, 0.99–6.84, p = 0.05). Conclusions: In symptomatic patients with chronic iliofemoral vein obstruction, endovascular therapy with self-expanding nitinol stents was associated with favourable patency rates and clinical improvement in the majority of patients.
„Be Smart – Don’t Start“: Untersuchung langfristiger Effekte eines schulbasierten Präventionsprogramms
Authors: Hanewinkel Reiner , Isensee Barbara , Morgenstern Matthis
Published: March 2018

Zusammenfassung. Zielsetzung: Zur Beeinflussung der sozialen Norm verpflichten sich beim schulischen Nichtraucherwettbewerb „Be Smart – Don’t Start“ Schulklassen für 6 Monate nicht zu rauchen. Ziel der Studie war, die langfristige Wirksamkeit des Wettbewerbs zu untersuchen. Methodik: 2006 nahmen 3.490 Schüler der 7. Klassenstufe aus 84 Schulen des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt an einer cluster-randomisierten Begleitstudie teil. Diese Stichprobe wurde 2015, neun Jahre nach der Eingangserhebung, erneut kontaktiert und zu ihrem Rauchverhalten befragt. Endpunkte der Untersuchung waren Nierauchen, tägliches Rauchen, Rauchbeginn und Rauchstopp. Ergebnisse: 58 Schulen (69,0 %) erklärten sich zur Teilnahme an der Folgeuntersuchung bereit. Daraus resultierten 688 (19,7 %) Fragebogen von ehemaligen Schülern, die der Eingangserhebung zugeordnet werden konnten (mittleres Alter in 2015: 21,2 Jahre). Personen mit niedrigerem Risiko für das Rauchen wurden bei der Nachuntersuchung häufiger erreicht. Es zeigte sich darüber hinaus, dass in der Kontrollgruppe überzufällig häufig Gymnasiasten erreicht wurden. Nahezu alle Analysen wiesen auf numerisch günstigere Werte in der Interventions- im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe hin; dieser Unterschied wurde für den Rauchstopp auch statistisch bedeutsam. Schlussfolgerungen: Aufgrund der geringen Stichprobengröße sowie der differentiellen Attrition sind Schlussfolgerungen zu langfristigen Effekten einer Wettbewerbsteilnahme nur mit großer Vorsicht zu ziehen.
Adherence und der personzentrierte Aufbau interner Evidence
Authors: Schulz Michael , Behrens Johann , Löhr Michael
Published: March 2018

Zusammenfassung. Das Konzept von Adherence stellt die Personenzentrierung und Selbstbestimmung der Betroffenen in den Mittelpunkt und unterstützt Pflegende somit dabei. Eine Pflege, die nicht die individuelle Selbstbestimmung und Teilhabe der jeweils einzigartigen Person zum Ziel hat, muss als gefährliche Pflege eingestuft werden. Schon sobald die Teilhabe fremdbestimmt ist, widerspricht sie dem SGB und ist gefährliche Pflege.
„Und jetzt soll ich waschen? …“
Authors: Boeder Bettina , Dieterich Juliane , Slotala Lukas
Published: March 2018

Zusammenfassung. Durch den Fachkräfteengpass wird eine zunehmende Arbeitsmigration ausländischer Pflegekräfte nach Deutschland beobachtet. Pflegekräfte aus Drittstaaten müssen die Gleichwertigkeit ihrer Ausbildung nachweisen und zumeist hierfür eine Kenntnisprüfung ablegen. Die Vorbereitungskurse im Kontext der Anerkennungsverfahren stellen bisher eine Forschungslücke dar. Ferner ist unklar, wie die Vorbereitungskurse konzipiert sind und welche Erfahrungen die Lehrkräfte gemacht haben.
Joseph B. Walsh (1930–2017)
Authors: Scholz Christopher , Goldsby David , Bernabé Yves , Evans Brian
Published: March 2018

This world traveler and rugby enthusiast devised theories fundamental to such diverse fields as seismology, oil and gas exploration, and hydrology. He also designed the hull of the Alvin submersible.
Detection of PRMT1 inhibitors with stopped flow fluorescence
Authors: Qian Kun , Hu Hao , Xu Hui , Zheng Y George
Published: March 2018

Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) are crucial epigenetic regulators in eukaryotic organisms that serve as histone writers for chromatin remodeling. PRMTs also methylate a variety of non-histone protein substrates to modulate their function and activity. The development of potent PRMT inhibitors has become an emerging and imperative research area in the drug discovery field to provide novel therapeutic agents for treating diseases and as tools to investigate the biological functions of PRMTs. PRMT1 is the major type I enzyme that catalyzes the formation of asymmetric dimethyl arginine, and PRMT1 plays important regulatory roles in signal transduction, transcriptional activation, RNA splicing, and DNA repair. Aberrant expression of PRMT1 is found in many types of cancers, pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and renal diseases. PRMT1 is a highly promising target for therapeutic development. We created a stopped flow fluorescence-based assay for PRMT1 inhibitor detection and characterization that has the advantages of being homogeneous, nonradioactive, and mix-and-measure in nature, allowing for continuous measurement of the methylation reaction and its inhibition. To our knowledge, this is the first continuous assay for PRMT1 reaction detection and inhibitor characterization. The approach is not only capable of quantitatively determining the potency (IC50) of PRMT1 inhibitors but can also distinguish cofactor-competitive inhibitors, substrate-competitive inhibitors, and mixed-type inhibitors.
Disease-induced assemblage of a plant-beneficial bacterial consortium
Authors: Berendsen Roeland L , Vismans Gilles , Yu Ke , Song Yang , de Jonge Ronnie , Burgman Wilco P , Burmølle Mette , Herschend Jakob , Bakker Peter A H M , Pieterse Corné M J
Published: March 2018

Disease suppressive soils typically develop after a disease outbreak due to the subsequent assembly of protective microbiota in the rhizosphere. The role of the plant immune system in the assemblage of a protective rhizosphere microbiome is largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis thaliana specifically promotes three bacterial species in the rhizosphere upon foliar defense activation by the downy mildew pathogen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis. The promoted bacteria were isolated and found to interact synergistically in biofilm formation in vitro. Although separately these bacteria did not affect the plant significantly, together they induced systemic resistance against downy mildew and promoted growth of the plant. Moreover, we show that the soil-mediated legacy of a primary population of downy mildew infected plants confers enhanced protection against this pathogen in a second population of plants growing in the same soil. Together our results indicate that plants can adjust their root microbiome upon pathogen infection and specifically recruit a group of disease resistance-inducing and growth-promoting beneficial microbes, therewith potentially maximizing the chance of survival of their offspring that will grow in the same soil.
The convergent roles of NF-κB and ER stress in sunitinib-mediated expression of pro-tumorigenic cytokines and refractory phenotype in renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Makhov Peter , Naito Sei , Haifler Miki , Kutikov Alexander , Boumber Yanis , Uzzo Robert G. , Kolenko Vladimir M.
Published: March 2018

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common form of kidney cancer. While cure remains exceptionally infrequent in RCC patients with systemic or recurrent disease, current targeted molecular strategies, including multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), notably changed the treatment paradigm of advanced renal cancer. Yet, complete and durable responses have been noted in only a few cases. Our studies reveal that sunitinib triggers two resistance-promoting signaling pathways in RCC cells, which emanate from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response: a PERK-driven ER stress response that induces expression of the pro-tumorigenic cytokines IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α, and a TRAF2-mediated NF-κB survival program that protects tumor cells against cell death. PERK blockade completely prevents sunitinib-induced expression of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α, whereas NF-κB inhibition reinstates sensitivity of RCC cells to sunitinib both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our findings indicate that ER stress response may contribute to sunitinib resistance in RCC patients.
Pan-class I PI3-kinase inhibitor BKM120 induces MEK1/2-dependent mitotic catastrophe in non-Hodgkin lymphoma leading to apoptosis or polyploidy determined by Bax/Bak and p53
Authors: Müller Anja , Gillissen Bernd , Richter Antje , Richter Anja , Chumduri Cindrilla , Daniel Peter T. , Scholz Christian W.
Published: March 2018

Constitutive signaling of PI3K/Akt/mTOR plays a prominent role in malignant transformation and progression of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHL) underscoring the need for PI3K targeted therapies. The pan-class I PI3-kinase inhibitor BKM120 has shown preclinical activity in distinct malignancies and is currently tested in clinical trials. Intratumor heterogeneity is an intrinsic property of cancers that contributes to drug resistance and tumor recurrence. Here, we demonstrate that inhibition of PI3-kinases by BKM120 attenuates growth and survival of B-NHL cell lines by inducing mitotic arrest with subsequent induction of intrinsic apoptosis. BKM120-mediated downregulation of Cyclin A and activation of the CDK1/Cyclin B1 complex facilitates mitotic entry. In addition, concomitant BKM120-mediated upregulation of Cyclin B1 expression attenuates completion of mitosis, which results in mitotic catastrophe and apoptotic cell death. In Bax and Bak deficient B-NHL, which are resistant to BKM120-induced apoptosis, BKM120-induced mitotic catastrophe results in polyploidy. Upon re-expression of wt p53 in these p53 mutated cells, BKM120-induced polyploidy is strongly reduced demonstrating that the genetic status of the cells determines the outcome of a BKM120-mediated pathway inhibition. Mitotic catastrophe and unfavorable induction of polyploidy can be prevented in this setting by additional inhibition of MEK1/2 signaling. Combining MEK1/2 inhibitors with BKM120 enhances the anti-tumor effects of BKM120, prevents prognostic unfavorable polyploidy and might be a potential strategy for the treatment of B-NHL.
Biomedical findings from NASA’s Project Mercury: a case series
Authors: Carpentier William R. , Charles John B. , Shelhamer Mark , Hackler Amanda S. , Johnson Tracy L. , Domingo Catherine M. M. , Sutton Jeffrey P. , Scott Graham B. I. , Wotring Virginia E.
Published: March 2018

The United States first sent humans into space during six flights of Project Mercury from May 1961 to May 1963. These flights were brief, with durations ranging from about 15 min to just over 34 h. A primary purpose of the project was to determine if humans could perform meaningful tasks while in space. This was supported by a series of biomedical measurements on each astronaut before, during (when feasible), and after flight to document the effects of exposure to the spaceflight environment. While almost all of the data presented here have been published in technical reports, this is the first integrated summary of the main results. One unexpected finding emerges: the major physiological changes associated with these short-term spaceflights are correlated more strongly with time spent by the astronaut in a spacesuit than with time spent in space per se. Thus, exposure to the direct stressors of short-duration (up to 34 h) spaceflight was not the dominant factor influencing human health and performance. This is relevant to current spaceflight programs and especially to upcoming commercial flights in which time spent in space (as on a suborbital flight) will be minor compared to the time spent in associated preparation, ascent, and return.
Large-scale computational drug repositioning to find treatments for rare diseases
Authors: Govindaraj Rajiv Gandhi , Naderi Misagh , Singha Manali , Lemoine Jeffrey , Brylinski Michal
Published: March 2018

Rare, or orphan, diseases are conditions afflicting a small subset of people in a population. Although these disorders collectively pose significant health care problems, drug companies require government incentives to develop drugs for rare diseases due to extremely limited individual markets. Computer-aided drug repositioning, i.e., finding new indications for existing drugs, is a cheaper and faster alternative to traditional drug discovery offering a promising venue for orphan drug research. Structure-based matching of drug-binding pockets is among the most promising computational techniques to inform drug repositioning. In order to find new targets for known drugs ultimately leading to drug repositioning, we recently developedeMatchSite, a new computer program to compare drug-binding sites. In this study,eMatchSite is combined with virtual screening to systematically explore opportunities to reposition known drugs to proteins associated with rare diseases. The effectiveness of this integrated approach is demonstrated for a kinase inhibitor, which is a confirmed candidate for repositioning to synapsin Ia. The resulting dataset comprises 31,142 putative drug-target complexes linked to 980 orphan diseases. The modeling accuracy is evaluated against the structural data recently released for tyrosine-protein kinase HCK. To illustrate how potential therapeutics for rare diseases can be identified, we discuss a possibility to repurpose a steroidal aromatase inhibitor to treat Niemann-Pick disease type C. Overall, the exhaustive exploration of the drug repositioning space exposes new opportunities to combat orphan diseases with existing drugs. DrugBank/Orphanet repositioning data are freely available to research community athttps://osf.io/qdjup/.
Publisher Correction: Hydrogen sulfide stimulates CFTR in Xenopus oocytes by activation of the cAMP/PKA signalling axis
Authors: Perniss Alexander , Preiss Kathrin , Nier Marcel , Althaus Mike
Published: March 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.
Thermally Tunable Ultra-wideband Metamaterial Absorbers based on Three-dimensional Water-substrate construction
Authors: Shen Yang , Zhang Jieqiu , Pang Yongqiang , Zheng Lin , Wang Jiafu , Ma Hua , Qu Shaobo
Published: March 2018

Distilled water has frequency dispersive characteristic and high value of imaginary part in permittivity, which can be seen as a good candidate of broadband metamaterial absorbers(MAs) in microwave. Here, an interesting idea based on the combination of water-substrate and metallic metamaterial in the three-dimensional construction is proposed, which can achieve outstanding broadband absorption. As a proof, the distilled water is filled into the dielectric reservoir as ultra-thin water-substrate, and then the water-substrates are arranged on the metal backplane periodically as three-dimensional water-substrate array(TWA). Simulation shows that the TWA achieves broadband absorption with the efficiency more than 90% from 8.3 to 21.0 GHz. Then, the trigonal metallic fishbone structure is introduced here between the water-substrate and the dielectric reservoir periodically as three-dimensional water-substrate metamaterial absorber(TWMA). The proposed TWMA could achieve ultra-broadband absorption from 2.6 to 16.8 GHz, which has increase by 64.8% in relative absorption bandwidth. Meanwhile, due to the participation of distilled water, the thermally tunable property also deserves to be discussed here. In view of the outstanding performance, it is worth to expect a wide range of applications to emerge inspired from the proposed construction.
Freely suspended perforated polymer nanomembranes for protein separations
Authors: Schuster Christian , Rodler Agnes , Tscheliessnig Rupert , Jungbauer Alois
Published: March 2018

Selective removal of nanometer-sized compounds such as proteins from fluids is an often challenging task in many scientific and industrial areas. Addressing such tasks with highly efficient and selective membranes is desirable since commonly used chromatographic approaches are expensive and difficult to scale up. Nanomembranes, molecularly thin separation layers, have been predicted and shown to possess outstanding properties but in spite ultra-fast diffusion times and high-resolution separation, to date they generally lack either of two crucial characteristics: compatibility with biological fluids and low-cost production. Here we report the fast and easy fabrication of highly crosslinked polymer membranes based on a thermoset resin (poly[(o-cresyl glycidyl ether)-co-formaldehyde (PCGF) cured with branched polyethyleneimine (PEI)) with nanoscale perforations of 25 nm diameter. During spin casting, microphase separation of a polylactide-co-glycolide induces the formation of nanometer sized domains that serve as templates for perforations which penetrate the 80 nm thick membranes. Ultrathin perforated nanomembranes can be freely suspended on the cm scale, exhibit high mechanical strength, low surface energies and a sharp permeability cutoff at a hydrodynamic diameter of 10 nm suitable for protein separations.
Prevalence of the single-nucleotide polymorphism rs11554137 (IDH1105GGT) in brain tumors of a cohort of Italian patients
Authors: Acquaviva Giorgia , Visani Michela , de Biase Dario , Marucci Gianluca , Franceschi Enrico , Tosoni Alicia , Brandes Alba A. , Rhoden Kerry J. , Pession Annalisa , Tallini Giovanni
Published: March 2018

IDH mutational status is required for proper diagnosis according to the WHO criteria revised in 2016. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs11554137 (IDH1105GGT) at codon 105 of IDH1 has been reported in patients with several tumor types, including those with glioma. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of IDH1105GGT in a cohort of brain tumors, and its association with clinicopathologic features and IDH1 and IDH2 missense mutations. Exon 4 of IDH1 and IDH2 was analyzed in a series of brain tumors classified according to current WHO criteria. DNA from control individuals was analyzed to infer the prevalence of IDH1105GGT in the reference population. Analysis was performed using next generation sequencing. IDH1105GGT was three times more frequent in patients with tumors (44/293 cases, 15.0%) vs. population controls (6/109, 5.5%) (p = 0.0102). IDH1105GGT was more frequent in grade III tumors (26.1%) compared to grade II (10.9%, p = 0.038) and grade IV tumors (13.7%, p = 0.041). IDH1
105GGT
was more frequent in grade II and III tumors without an IDH tumor missense mutation (43.8%) than in those with (11.5%, p = 0.005). The IDH1105GGT SNP likely represents an important genetic marker, worthy of additional investigation to better understand the clinical and biological features of IDH-WT infiltrating gliomas.
Sharing of photobionts in sympatric populations of Thamnolia and Cetraria lichens: evidence from high-throughput sequencing
Authors: Onuț-Brännström Ioana , Benjamin Mitchell , Scofield Douglas G. , Heiðmarsson Starri , Andersson Martin G. I. , Lindström Eva S. , Johannesson Hanna
Published: March 2018

In this study, we explored the diversity of green algal symbionts (photobionts) in sympatric populations of the cosmopolitan lichen-forming fungi Thamnolia and Cetraria. We sequenced with both Sanger and Ion Torrent High-Throughput Sequencing technologies the photobiont ITS-region of 30 lichen thalli from two islands: Iceland and Öland. While Sanger recovered just one photobiont genotype from each thallus, the Ion Torrent data recovered 10–18 OTUs for each pool of 5 lichen thalli, suggesting that individual lichens can contain heterogeneous photobiont populations. Both methods showed evidence for photobiont sharing between Thamnolia and Cetraria on Iceland. In contrast, our data suggest that on Öland the two mycobionts associate with distinct photobiont communities, with few shared OTUs revealed by Ion Torrent sequencing. Furthermore, by comparing our sequences with public data, we identified closely related photobionts from geographically distant localities. Taken together, we suggest that the photobiont composition in Thamnolia and Cetraria results from both photobiont-mycobiont codispersal and local acquisition during mycobiont establishment and/or lichen growth. We hypothesize that this is a successful strategy for lichens to be flexible in the use of the most adapted photobiont for the environment.
Thermal conductivity reduction in silicon fishbone nanowires
Authors: Maire Jeremie , Anufriev Roman , Hori Takuma , Shiomi Junichiro , Volz Sebastian , Nomura Masahiro
Published: March 2018

Semiconductor nanowires are potential building blocks for future thermoelectrics because of their low thermal conductivity. Recent theoretical works suggest that thermal conductivity of nanowires can be further reduced by additional constrictions, pillars or wings. Here, we experimentally study heat conduction in silicon nanowires with periodic wings, called fishbone nanowires. We find that like in pristine nanowires, the nanowire cross-section controls thermal conductivity of fishbone nanowires. However, the periodic wings further reduce the thermal conductivity. Whereas an increase in the wing width only slightly affects the thermal conductivity, an increase in the wing depth clearly reduces thermal conductivity, and this reduction is stronger in the structures with narrower nanowires. Our experimental data is supported by the Callaway-Holland model, finite element modelling and phonon transport simulations.
Development and validation of the Canine Reward Responsiveness Scale –Examining individual differences in reward responsiveness of the domestic dog
Authors: Gerencsér Linda , Bunford Nóra , Moesta Alexandra , Miklósi Ádám
Published: March 2018

Although there is ample data indicating that reward processing plays an important role in human psychopathologies and pharmaco- and psychotherapy treatment response, the corresponding animal-model research needs to be extended to models whose motivational and social dispositions are better generalizable than those of the traditional models. Accordingly, our aim was to develop and assess the reliability and validity of an owner-report rating scale of reward responsiveness in domestic dogs (N = 2149) and then to examine individual differences in reward responsiveness. Responsiveness was categorisable by reward type (ball/toy and food) and exhibited individual variability manifesting in age- and breed-related differences. Rating scale scores were associated with behavioural observation of reward processing, indicating evidence of convergent validity. Ball/toy and food reward responsiveness were associated with owner-rated hyperactivity-impulsivity‚ inattention and with differences in training, indicating evidence of concurrent validity. Extreme (vs. average) reward responsiveness was also predicted by dogs’ hyperactivity-impulsivity and inattention‚ and extreme responsiveness was associated with increased likelihood of physical health and/or social problems. These findings are informative with regard to the dog as an animal model for various human behavioural and cognitive functions‚ and also for the dog in its own right as they are relevant to training and welfare.
Direct coupling of detergent purified human mGlu5 receptor to the heterotrimeric G proteins Gq and Gs
Authors: Nasrallah Chady , Rottier Karine , Marcellin Romain , Compan Vincent , Font Joan , Llebaria Amadeu , Pin Jean-Philippe , Banères Jean-Louis , Lebon Guillaume
Published: March 2018

The metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors are class C G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that modulate synaptic activity and plasticity throughout the mammalian brain. Signal transduction is initiated by glutamate binding to the venus flytrap domains (VFT), which initiates a conformational change that is transmitted to the conserved heptahelical domains (7TM) and results ultimately in the activation of intracellular G proteins. While both mGlu1 and mGlu5 activate Gαq G-proteins, they also increase intracellular cAMP concentration through an unknown mechanism. To study directly the G protein coupling properties of the human mGlu5 receptor homodimer, we purified the full-length receptor, which required careful optimisation of the expression, N-glycosylation and purification. We successfully purified functional mGlu5 that activated the heterotrimeric G protein Gq. The high-affinity agonist-PAM VU0424465 also activated the purified receptor in the absence of an orthosteric agonist. In addition, it was found that purified mGlu5 was capable of activating the G protein Gs either upon stimulation with VU0424465 or glutamate, although the later induced a much weaker response. Our findings provide important mechanistic insights into mGlu5 G protein-dependent activity and selectivity.
Bio-derived three-dimensional hierarchical carbon-graphene-TiO2 as electrode for supercapacitors
Authors: Jiang Lili , Ren Zhifeng , Chen Shuo , Zhang Qinyong , Lu Xiong , Zhang Hongping , Wan Guojiang
Published: March 2018

This paper reports a novel loofah-derived hierarchical scaffold to obtain three-dimensional biocarbon-graphene-TiO2 (BC-G-TiO2) composite materials as electrodes for supercapacitors. The loofah scaffold was first loaded with G and TiO2 by immersing, squeezing, and loosening into the mixed solution of graphene oxide and titania, and then carbonized at 900 °C to form the BC-G-TiO2 composite. The synergistic effects of the naturally hierarchical biocarbon structure, graphene, and TiO2 nanoparticles on the electrochemical properties are analyzed. The biocarbon provides a high interconnection and an easy accessibility surface for the electrolyte. Graphene bridged the BC and TiO2 nanoparticles, improved the conductivity of the BC-G-TiO2 composite, and increased the electron transfer efficiency. TiO2 nanoparticles also contributed to the pesudocapacitance and electrochemical stability.
Selection of reference genes for miRNA qRT-PCR under abiotic stress in grapevine
Authors: Luo Meng , Gao Zhen , Li Hui , Li Qin , Zhang Caixi , Xu Wenping , Song Shiren , Ma Chao , Wang Shiping
Published: March 2018

Grapevine is among the fruit crops with high economic value, and because of the economic losses caused by abiotic stresses, the stress resistance ofVitis viniferahas become an increasingly important research area. Among the mechanisms responding to environmental stresses, the role of miRNA has received much attention recently. qRT-PCR is a powerful method for miRNA quantitation, but the accuracy of the method strongly depends on the appropriate reference genes. To determine the most suitable reference genes for grapevine miRNA qRT-PCR, 15 genes were chosen as candidate reference genes. After eliminating 6 candidate reference genes with unsatisfactory amplification efficiency, the expression stability of the remaining candidate reference genes under salinity, cold and drought was analysed using four algorithms, geNorm, NormFinder, deltaCt and Bestkeeper. The results indicated thatU6 snRNAwas the most suitable reference gene under salinity and cold stresses; whereasmiR168was the best for drought stress. The best reference gene sets for salinity, cold and drought stresses weremiR160e + miR164a,miR160e + miR168andACT + UBQ + GAPDH, respectively. The selected reference genes or gene sets were verified usingmiR319ormiR408as the target gene.