bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Editorial: Time Travel
Authors: RAE PAUL
Published: January 2018

One of the most forbidding and yet rewarding challenges in a substantive internationalization of arts scholarship is accounting for the experience and passage of time. The extent to which developments in theatre and performance over the past 150 years have been tied up with the larger social, economic and technological transformations reflexively understood as ‘modernity’ is a key reason an international journal readership is able to find interest and value in scholarship on performances they may not have seen, that are practised in places they have never been. At the same time, any such research – it is tempting to say ‘from outside the West’, but in fact the requirement holds everywhere – must register how the work under discussion complicates an otherwise oversimplified narrative of developmental modernity. This narrative treats a homogenized industrial and postindustrial ‘West’ as having led the way and established a model for how other parts of the world would modernize subsequently. The assumption is quickened in discussions of art because arguably one characteristic of those transformations as they happened in numerous centres of Euro-American power was the role that artists played in giving them aesthetic form and expressing their meanings. This is prominent in the emergence of modernism and the avant-garde, and it is logical that in recent times scholars of modernism have been particularly energetic in questioning the developmental narrative and demonstrating not only how such phenomena were constitutively reliant on processes elsewhere, but also how artistic developments everywhere both informed each other (often inequably) and manifested local and highly contingent characteristics.
A “congenitally corrected” variant of Ebstein’s anomaly
Authors: Çetin Güvenç Rengin , Akgün Gökmen , Güvenç Tolga S.
Published: January 2018

Ebstein’s anomaly is a rare CHD that is characterised by caudal displacement of the functional tricuspid annulus and a dysfunctional tricuspid valve owing to a failure of proper leaflet coaptation. We present a balanced variant of Ebstein’s anomaly, in which the overgrowth of the septal leaflet had allowed proper coaptation of the tricuspid leaflets, thus preserving the valve function.
Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension with coexisting CHD
Authors: Day Thomas G. , Hughes Marina , Pandya Bejal
Published: January 2018

Sinus venosus atrial septal defect can result in an increase in pulmonary blood flow and vascular resistance, leading to pulmonary hypertension. Rarely, the degree of pulmonary hypertension is out of proportion to the degree of intra-cardiac shunting. This case outlines the differences between pulmonary hypertension secondary to CHD and idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, and illustrates the investigation and management strategy used in a patient with features of both.
Using Rapid Improvement Events for Disaster After-Action Reviews: Experience in a Hospital Information Technology Outage and Response
Authors: Little Charles M. , McStay Christopher , Oeth Justin , Koehler April , Bookman Kelly
Published: January 2018

The use of after-action reviews (AARs) following major emergency events, such as a disaster, is common and mandated for hospitals and similar organizations. There is a recurrent challenge of identified problems not being resolved and repeated in subsequent events. A process improvement technique called a rapid improvement event (RIE) was used to conduct an AAR following a complete information technology (IT) outage at a large urban hospital. Using RIE methodology to conduct the AAR allowed for the rapid development and implementation of major process improvements to prepare for future IT downtime events. Thus, process improvement methodology, particularly the RIE, is suited for conducting AARs following disasters and holds promise for improving outcomes in emergency management.

LittleCM, McStayC, OethJ, KoehlerA, BookmanK. Using rapid improvement events for disaster after-action reviews: experience in a hospital information technology outage and response. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(1):98–100.
DESIRE AND DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Strulik Holger
Published: January 2018

This paper explores the impact of gender differences in the desire for sex and the distribution of power in the household on the onset of the demographic transition and the take-off to growth. Depending on the price and efficacy of modern contraceptives, the gender wage gap, and female bargaining power, the economy assumes one of two possible equilibria. At the traditional equilibrium, contraceptives are not used, fertility is high and education and growth are low. At the modern equilibrium, contraceptives are used, fertility is low and further declining with increasing income, and education and growth are high. The theory motivates a “wanted fertility reversal”: At the traditional equilibrium, men prefer more children than women, whereas at the modern equilibrium, men prefer fewer children than women. Female empowerment causes households to provide more education for their children and leads to an earlier uptake of modern contraceptives and an earlier onset of the demographic transition and the take-off to modern growth.
Superstorm Sandy’s impact on the provision of WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) services in New York State
Authors: Wemette Michelle , Shipp Hilts Asante , Mack Stephanie R , Li Yunshu , Eidson Millicent , Santilli Loretta A , Nguyen Trang , Birkhead Guthrie S
Published: January 2018

Objective

Services provided by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) were interrupted in 2012 when Superstorm Sandy struck New York State (NYS). The present study evaluates the impact on WIC providers.

Design

A focus group, telephone interviews and anonymous online survey were conducted. Qualitative data were analysed by coding transcribed text into key words and identifying major and minor themes for strengths, challenges and recommendations using national public health preparedness capabilities. Survey responses were analysed quantitatively; reported challenges were classified by preparedness capability.

Setting

The focus group was held at a 2014 regional WIC meeting. Interviews and a survey were conducted via telephone in 2014 and online in 2015, respectively.

Subjects

WIC staff representing New York City and three NYS counties.

Results

In the focus group (n 12) and interviews (n 6), ‘emergency operations coordination’ was the most cited capability as a strength, ‘environmental health protection’ (against environmental hazards) as a challenge and ‘flexibility’ (on rules and procedures) as a recommendation. In the survey (n 24), the capability ‘information sharing’ was most often cited as a challenge. Most staff (66·6 %) reported their programmes were at least somewhat prepared for future weather-related disasters. Only 16·7 % indicated having practiced a work-related emergency response plan since Sandy. Staff who practiced an emergency response plan were more likely to indicate they were prepared (P < 0·05).

Conclusions

The study identified WIC programme areas requiring preparedness improvements. The research methodology can be utilized to assess the continuity of other public health services during disasters.
Current trends and practices in the use of imprisonment
Authors: Coyle Andrew , Heard Catherine , Fair Helen
Published: January 2018

This article charts the rapid rise in the use of imprisonment in recent decades before considering some of the most pressing issues of concern in the use of imprisonment today. First among these is prison overcrowding, which continues to blight the record of many countries in their treatment of prisoners. To illustrate the potentially dire consequences of overcrowding – a problem common to many other countries and regions – an account is given of a recent visit to a prison in El Salvador. The article then provides an overview of the relevant regional and international standards on the treatment of prisoners, referring also to the role of judicial bodies in ensuring implementation.
Elias on Anti-Semitism: Zionism or Sociology
Authors: Trom Danny
Published: January 2018

This paper proposes to revisit the intellectual trajectory of Norbert Elias on the basis of an article published by the sociologist in a local Jewish newspaper in 1929 and entitled “On the Sociology of German Anti-Semitism.” It argues that in this seemingly circumstantial text, Elias asserts his decision to favor sociology, which had come to replace and envelop his engagement in the Zionist youth movement Blau-Weiss. This is evident in the article's somewhat ambiguous final sentence, where Elias presents German Jews with an alternative: collective emigration to Palestine or a lucid vision drawn from a sociological diagnosis of the situation. The paper begins by situating Elias's text within the range of analyses of anti-Semitism in 1920s Germany, comparing its approach to Zionism with that of Franz Oppenheimer. It then contextualizes its relationship to the sociology of Karl Mannheim: Elias was Mannheim's assistant in Frankfurt and his approach contrasted with the perspective developed in the same time and place by the Frankfurt school. Finally, the paper shows that Elias's sociological distantiation would imperceptibly take the place of the political distantiation that had centered on Zionism—a scientific movement that implied erasing from his memory the political Zionism he had long supported. A new French translation of Elias's 1929 text, also by Danny Trom, is included as an appendix.
Beyond Social Science History: Population and Environment in the US Great Plains
Authors: Gutmann Myron P.
Published: January 2018

This article advocates for broadening social science history to include an even larger horizon, to reach a new level of understanding of human society in the past. It builds on and shares insights from 20 years of research that integrates environmental knowledge and environmental science into a history of social change, while trying to understand in detail how people changed the environment. The focus of the research is the demographic, social, agricultural, and environmental history of the US Great Plains, from the 1870s to the end of the twentieth century. Beyond supporting the argument for a broader interdisciplinary vision of history, the article shows how the Great Plains environment was changed by human action, and the ways that the environment shaped human behavior in turn. The history of the plains shows that the impact of human action on the land was dramatic and unmistakable. People radically changed land cover, but their actions were only one factor in causing events like the Dust Bowl, and only one part of the measurable increase in greenhouse gases. At the same time, the environment also constrained and shaped human behavior, even though it had less to do with family organization than broad trends in social change in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The environment's most dramatic contribution was to spur out-migration in the 1930s when drought caused widespread agricultural failure, further confirmation of the importance of going beyond purely social factors to understand how people lived in the past.
A Window into the Emerging Anthropocene…Through Art
Authors: Wendel JoAnna
Published: January 2018

Want a snapshot of how humans have been changing their landscapes since the Industrial Revolution? Look at artwork at a local museum, one geoscientist says.
Melessew Nigussie Receives 2017 Africa Award for Research Excellence in Space Science
Authors:   AGU
Published: January 2018

Melessew Nigussie received the 2017 Africa Award for Research Excellence in Space Science at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 13 December 2017 in New Orleans, La. The award honors an early-career scientist from the African continent for “completing significant work that shows the focus and promise of making outstanding contributions to research in space science.”
Mutations in DNMT3A, U2AF1, and EZH2 identify intermediate-risk acute myeloid leukemia patients with poor outcome after CR1
Authors: Saygin Caner , Hirsch Cassandra , Przychodzen Bartlomiej , Sekeres Mikkael A. , Hamilton Betty K. , Kalaycio Matt , Carraway Hetty E. , Gerds Aaron T. , Mukherjee Sudipto , Nazha Aziz , Sobecks Ronald , Goebel Christopher , Abounader Donna , Maciejewski Jaroslaw P. , Advani Anjali S.
Published: January 2018

Intermediate-risk acute myeloid leukemia (IR-AML) is a clinically heterogeneous disease, for which optimal post-remission therapy is debated. The utility of next-generation sequencing information in decision making for IR-AML has yet to be elucidated. We retrospectively studied 100 IR-AML patients, defined by European Leukemia Net classification, who had mutational information at diagnosis, received intensive chemotherapy and achieved complete remission (CR) at Cleveland Clinic (CC). The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data were used for validation. In the CC cohort, median age was 58.5 years, 64% had normal cytogenetics, and 31% required >1 induction cycles to achieve CR1. In univariable analysis, patients carrying mutations in DNMT3A, U2AF1, and EZH2 had worse overall and relapse-free survival. After adjusting for other variables, the presence of these mutations maintained an independent effect on survival in both CC and TCGA cohorts. Patients who did not have the mutations and underwent hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) had the best outcomes. HCT improved outcomes for patients who had these mutations. RUNX1 or ASXL1 mutations did not predict survival, and performance of HCT did not confer a significant survival benefit. Our results provide evidence of clinical utility in considering mutation screening to stratify IR-AML patients after CR1 to guide therapeutic decisions.
Polycythemia vera treatment algorithm 2018
Authors: Tefferi Ayalew , Vannucchi Alessandro M. , Barbui Tiziano
Published: January 2018

Recently reported mature survival data have confirmed the favorable prognosis in polycythemia vera (PV), with an estimated median survival of 24 years, in patients younger than age 60 years old. Currently available drugs for PV have not been shown to prolong survival or alter the natural history of the disease and are instead indicated primarily for prevention of thrombosis. Unfortunately, study endpoints that are being utilized in currently ongoing clinical trials in PV do not necessarily target clinically or biologically relevant outcomes, such as thrombosis, survival, or morphologic remission, and are instead focused on components of disease palliation. Even more discouraging has been the lack of critical appraisal from “opinion leaders”, on the added value of newly approved drugs. Keeping these issues in mind, at present, we continue to advocate conservative management in low-risk PV (phlebotomy combined with once- or twice-daily aspirin therapy) and include cytoreductive therapy in “high-risk” patients; in the latter regard, our first, second, and third line drugs of choice are hydroxyurea, pegylated interferon-α and busulfan, respectively. In addition, it is reasonable to considerJAK2inhibitor therapy, in the presence of protracted pruritus or markedly enlarged splenomegaly shown to be refractory to the aforementioned drugs.
Injury-activated glial cells promote wound healing of the adult skin in mice
Authors: Parfejevs Vadims , Debbache Julien , Shakhova Olga , Schaefer Simon M. , Glausch Mareen , Wegner Michael , Suter Ueli , Riekstina Una , Werner Sabine , Sommer Lukas
Published: January 2018

Cutaneous wound healing is a complex process that aims to re-establish the original structure of the skin and its functions. Among other disorders, peripheral neuropathies are known to severely impair wound healing capabilities of the skin, revealing the importance of skin innervation for proper repair. Here, we report that peripheral glia are crucially involved in this process. Using a mouse model of wound healing, combined with in vivo fate mapping, we show that injury activates peripheral glia by promoting de-differentiation, cell-cycle re-entry and dissemination of the cells into the wound bed. Moreover, injury-activated glia upregulate the expression of many secreted factors previously associated with wound healing and promote myofibroblast differentiation by paracrine modulation of TGF-β signalling. Accordingly, depletion of these cells impairs epithelial proliferation and wound closure through contraction, while their expansion promotes myofibroblast formation. Thus, injury-activated glia and/or their secretome might have therapeutic potential in human wound healing disorders.
Author Correction: Hot carrier cooling mechanisms in halide perovskites
Authors: Fu Jianhui , Xu Qiang , Han Guifang , Wu Bo , Huan Cheng Hon Alfred , Leek Meng Lee , Sum Tze Chien
Published: January 2018

The original version of this Article omitted an affiliation of Cheng Hon Alfred Huan: ‘Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), A*STAR, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis #08-03 138634, Singapore’.

This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the article.
Hydrogen blistering under extreme radiation conditions
Authors: Sznajder Maciej , Geppert Ulrich , Dudek Mirosław R.
Published: January 2018

Metallic surfaces, exposed to a proton flux, start to degradate by molecular hydrogen blisters. These are created by recombination of protons with metal electrons. Continued irradiation progresses blistering, which is undesired for many technical applications. In this work, the effect of the proton flux magnitude onto the degradation of native metal oxide layers and its consequences for blister formation has been examined. To study this phenomenon, we performed proton irradiation experiments of aluminium surfaces. The proton kinetic energy was chosen so that all recombined hydrogen is trapped within the metal structure. As a result, we discovered that intense proton irradiation increases the permeability of aluminium oxide layers for hydrogen atoms, thereby counteracting blister formation. These findings may improve the understanding of the hydrogen blistering process, are valid for all metals kept under terrestrial ambient conditions, and important for the design of proton irradiation tests.
Determinants of postnatal spleen tissue regeneration and organogenesis
Authors: Tan Jonathan K. H. , Watanabe Takeshi
Published: January 2018

The spleen is an organ that filters the blood and is responsible for generating blood-borne immune responses. It is also an organ with a remarkable capacity to regenerate. Techniques for splenic auto-transplantation have emerged to take advantage of this characteristic and rebuild spleen tissue in individuals undergoing splenectomy. While this procedure has been performed for decades, the underlying mechanisms controlling spleen regeneration have remained elusive. Insights into secondary lymphoid organogenesis and the roles of stromal organiser cells and lymphotoxin signalling in lymph node development have helped reveal similar requirements for spleen regeneration. These factors are now considered in the regulation of embryonic and postnatal spleen formation, and in the establishment of mature white pulp and marginal zone compartments which are essential for spleen-mediated immunity. A greater understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms which control spleen development will assist in the design of more precise and efficient tissue grafting methods for spleen regeneration on demand. Regeneration of organs which harbour functional white pulp tissue will also offer novel opportunities for effective immunotherapy against cancer as well as infectious diseases.
Understanding turbulent free-surface vortex flows using a Taylor-Couette flow analogy
Authors: Mulligan Sean , De Cesare Giovanni , Casserly John , Sherlock Richard
Published: January 2018

Free-surface vortices have long been studied to develop an understanding of similar rotating flow phenomena observed in nature and technology. However, a complete description of its turbulent three-dimensional flow field still remains elusive. In contrast, the related Taylor-Couette flow system has been well explicated which classically exhibits successive instability phases manifested in so-called Taylor vortices. In this study, observations made on the turbulent free-surface vortex revealed distinguishable, time-dependent “Taylor-like” vortices in the secondary flow field similar to the Taylor-Couette flow system. The observations were enabled by an original application of 2D ultrasonic Doppler velocity profiling complemented with laser induced fluorescence dye observations. Additional confirmation was provided by three-dimensional numerical simulations. Using Rayleigh’s stability criterion, we analytically show that a wall bounded free-surface vortex can indeed become unstable due to a centrifugal driving force in a similar manner to the Taylor-Couette flow. Consequently, it is proposed that the free-surface vortex can be treated analogously to the Taylor-Couette flow permitting advanced conclusions to be drawn on its flow structure and the various states of free-surface vortex flow stability.
Newborn screening of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in Guangxi, China: determination of optimal cutoff value to identify heterozygous female neonates
Authors: Fu Chunyun , Luo Shiyu , Li Qifei , Xie Bobo , Yang Qi , Geng Guoxing , Lin Caijuan , Su Jiasun , Zhang Yue , Wang Jin , Qin Zailong , Luo Jingsi , Chen Shaoke , Fan Xin
Published: January 2018

The aim of this study is to assess the disease incidence and mutation spectrum of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency in Guangxi, China, and to determine an optimal cutoff value to identify heterozygous female neonates. A total of 130, 635 neonates were screened from the year of 2013 to 2017. Neonates suspected for G6PD deficiency were further analyzed by quantitatively enzymatic assay and G6PD mutation analysis. The overall incidence of G6PD deficiency was 7.28%. A total of 14 G6PD mutations were identified, and different mutations lead to varying levels of G6PD enzymatic activities. The best cut-off value of G6PD activity in male subjects is 2.2 U/g Hb, same as conventional setting. In female population, however, the cut-off value is found to be 2.8 U/g Hb (sensitivity: 97.5%, specificity: 87.7%, AUC: 0.964) to best discriminate between normal and heterozygotes, and 1.6 U/g Hb (sensitivity: 82.2%, specificity: 85.9%, AUC: 0.871) between heterozygotes and deficient subjects. In conclusion, we have conducted a comprehensive newborn screening of G6PD deficiency in a large cohort of population from Guangxi, China, and first established a reliable cut-off value of G6PD activity to distinguish heterozygous females from either normal or deficient subjects.
Detection of American Football Head Impacts Using Biomechanical Features and Support Vector Machine Classification
Authors: Wu Lyndia C. , Kuo Calvin , Loza Jesus , Kurt Mehmet , Laksari Kaveh , Yanez Livia Z. , Senif Daniel , Anderson Scott C. , Miller Logan E. , Urban Jillian E. , Stitzel Joel D. , Camarillo David B.
Published: January 2018

Accumulation of head impacts may contribute to acute and long-term brain trauma. Wearable sensors can measure impact exposure, yet current sensors do not have validated impact detection methods for accurate exposure monitoring. Here we demonstrate a head impact detection method that can be implemented on a wearable sensor for detecting field football head impacts. Our method incorporates a support vector machine classifier that uses biomechanical features from the time domain and frequency domain, as well as model predictions of head-neck motions. The classifier was trained and validated using instrumented mouthguard data from collegiate football games and practices, with ground truth data labels established from video review. We found that low frequency power spectral density and wavelet transform features (10~30 Hz) were the best performing features. From forward feature selection, fewer than ten features optimized classifier performance, achieving 87.2% sensitivity and 93.2% precision in cross-validation on the collegiate dataset (n = 387), and over 90% sensitivity and precision on an independent youth dataset (n = 32). Accurate head impact detection is essential for studying and monitoring head impact exposure on the field, and the approach in the current paper may help to improve impact detection performance on wearable sensors.
HPV-16 virions can remain infectious for 2 weeks on senescent cells but require cell cycle re-activation to allow virus entry
Authors: Broniarczyk Justyna , Ring Nadja , Massimi Paola , Giacca Mauro , Banks Lawrence
Published: January 2018

Successful infection with Human Papillomaviruses requires mitosis, when incoming viral genomes gain access to nuclear components. However, very little is known about how long HPV particles can remain infectious in non-dividing cells or in which cellular compartments these viruses may reside. To investigate these questions we have used BJ cells as a reversible model of senescence and show that HPV-16 can only infect early-passage proliferating cells. Late-passage senescent cells are resistant to HPV infection, but this can be reversed by inducing cell cycle re-entry with a p53 siRNA. In senescent cells we find that efficient virus entry can be attained upon cell cycle re-entry 16 days after infection, demonstrating that HPV can persist for 2 weeks prior to induction of mitosis. However, exposing cells to anti-HPV-16 L1 neutralising antibody blocks infection at these late time points, suggesting that the virions reside near the cell surface. Indeed, immunofluorescence analysis shows that virions accumulate on the cell surface of senescent cells and only enter endocytic vesicles upon stimulation with p53 siRNA. These results demonstrate that HPV-16 virions can remain viable on a non-dividing cell for extended periods of time, but are nonetheless vulnerable to antibody-induced neutralisation throughout.
Ancient Human Migrations to and through Jammu Kashmir- India were not of Males Exclusively
Authors: Sharma Indu , Sharma Varun , Khan Akbar , Kumar Parvinder , Rai Ekta , Bamezai Rameshwar N. K. , Vilar Miguel , Sharma Swarkar
Published: January 2018

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), the Northern most State of India, has been under-represented or altogether absent in most of the phylogenetic studies carried out in literature, despite its strategic location in the Himalayan region. Nonetheless, this region may have acted as a corridor to various migrations to and from mainland India, Eurasia or northeast Asia. The belief goes that most of the migrations post-late-Pleistocene were mainly male dominated, primarily associated with population invasions, where female migration may thus have been limited. To evaluate female-centered migration patterns in the region, we sequenced 83 complete mitochondrial genomes of unrelated individuals belonging to different ethnic groups from the state. We observed a high diversity in the studied maternal lineages, identifying 19 new maternal sub-haplogroups (HGs). High maternal diversity and our phylogenetic analyses suggest that the migrations post-Pleistocene were not strictly paternal, as described in the literature. These preliminary observations highlight the need to carry out an extensive study of the endogamous populations of the region to unravel many facts and find links in the peopling of India.
An orthotopic mouse model of gastric cancer invasion and metastasis
Authors: Busuttil Rita A. , Liu David S. , Di Costanzo Natasha , Schröder Jan , Mitchell Catherine , Boussioutas Alex
Published: January 2018

Gastric cancer is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with advanced stage being correlated to the level of tumour invasion and metastasis. Current research is heavily focused on the identification and development of efficacious therapeutics targeting these fundamental hallmarks of cancer, however there are currently no animal models that mimic the invasive phenotypes observed in humans. To address this we have developed an orthotopic mouse model whereby gastric cancer cell lines are tagged with luciferase and injected into the subserosal layer of the stomach. This allows for the monitoring of primary tumour growth and metastasis in real-time as well as quantitation of the degree of tumour invasion through the stomach wall by immunohistochemistry. We have three models based on the degree of invasion and metastasis that are cell line specific: The AGS cells develop into invasive tumours by 4-weeks with no evidence of metastases, MKN45 cells are moderately metastatic with minimal invasion till week 2 and MKN28 cells are highly metastatic and fully invasive by week 1. These models have utility as a tool for testing the efficacy of anti-tumour, anti-invasive and anti-metastatic therapies in the setting of gastric cancer, which currently has poor treatment options.
Four-dimensional entanglement distribution over 100 km
Authors: Ikuta Takuya , Takesue Hiroki
Published: January 2018

High-dimensional quantum entanglement can enrich the functionality of quantum information processing. For example, it can enhance the channel capacity for linear optic superdense coding and decrease the error rate threshold of quantum key distribution. Long-distance distribution of a high-dimensional entanglement is essential for such advanced quantum communications over a communications network. Here, we show a long-distance distribution of a four-dimensional entanglement. We employ time-bin entanglement, which is suitable for a fibre transmission, and implement scalable measurements for the high-dimensional entanglement using cascaded Mach-Zehnder interferometers. We observe that a pair of time-bin entangled photons has more than 1 bit of secure information capacity over 100 km. Our work constitutes an important step towards secure and dense quantum communications in a large Hilbert space.
Carbohydrates protect protein against abiotic fragmentation by soil minerals
Authors: Reardon Patrick N. , Walter Eric D. , Marean-Reardon Carrie L. , Lawrence Chad W. , Kleber Markus , Washton Nancy M.
Published: January 2018

The degradation and turnover of soil organic matter is an important part of global carbon cycling and of particular importance with respect to attempts to predict the response of ecosystems to global climate change. Thus, it is important to mechanistically understand the processes by which organic matter can be degraded in the soil environment, including contact with reactive or catalytic mineral surfaces. We have characterized the outcome of the interaction of two minerals, birnessite and kaolinite, with two disaccharides, cellobiose and trehalose. These results show that birnessite reacts with and degrades the carbohydrates, while kaolinite does not. The reaction of disaccharides with birnessite produces Mn(II), indicating that degradation of the disaccharides is the result of their oxidation by birnessite. Furthermore, we find that both sugars can inhibit the degradation of a model protein by birnessite, demonstrating that the presence of one organic constituent can impact abiotic degradation of another. Therefore, both the reactivity of the mineral matrix and the presence of certain organic constituents influence the outcomes of abiotic degradation. These results suggest the possibility that microorganisms may be able to control the functionality of exoenzymes through the concomitant excretion of protective organic substances, such as those found in biofilms.
Postural adaptations to unilateral knee joint hypomobility induced by orthosis wear during gait initiation
Authors: Delafontaine A. , Fourcade P. , Honeine J. L. , Ditcharles S. , Yiou E.
Published: January 2018

Balance control and whole-body progression during gait initiation (GI) involve knee-joint mobility. Single knee-joint hypomobility often occurs with aging, orthopedics or neurological conditions. The goal of the present study was to investigate the capacity of the CNS to adapt GI organization to single knee-joint hypomobility induced by the wear of an orthosis. Twenty-seven healthy adults performed a GI series on a force-plate in the following conditions: without orthosis (“control”), with knee orthosis over the swing leg (“orth-swing”) and with the orthosis over the contralateral stance leg (“orth-stance”). In orth-swing, amplitude of mediolateral anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) and step width were larger, execution phase duration longer, and anteroposterior APAs smaller than in control. In orth-stance, mediolateral APAs duration was longer, step width larger, and amplitude of anteroposterior APAs smaller than in control. Consequently, step length and progression velocity (which relate to the “motor performance”) were reduced whereas stability was enhanced compared to control. Vertical force impact at foot-contact did not change across conditions, despite a smaller step length in orthosis conditions compared to control. These results show that the application of a local mechanical constraint induced profound changes in the global GI organization, altering motor performance but ensuring greater stability.
Mutations in bassoon in individuals with familial and sporadic progressive supranuclear palsy-like syndrome
Authors: Yabe Ichiro , Yaguchi Hiroaki , Kato Yasutaka , Miki Yasuo , Takahashi Hidehisa , Tanikawa Satoshi , Shirai Shinichi , Takahashi Ikuko , Kimura Mari , Hama Yuka , Matsushima Masaaki , Fujioka Shinsuke , Kano Takahiro , Watanabe Masashi , Nakagawa Shin , Kunieda Yasuyuki , Ikeda Yoshio , Hasegawa Masato , Nishihara Hiroshi , Ohtsuka Toshihisa , Tanaka Shinya , Tsuboi Yoshio , Hatakeyama Shigetsugu , Wakabayashi Koichi , Sasaki Hidenao
Published: January 2018

Clinical diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is sometimes difficult because various phenotypes have been identified. Here, we report a mutation in the bassoon (BSN) gene in a family with PSP-like syndrome. Their clinical features resembled not only those of PSP patients but also those of individuals with multiple system atrophy and Alzheimer’s disease. The neuropathological findings showed a novel three + four repeat tauopathy with pallido-luysio-nigral degeneration and hippocampal sclerosis. Whole-exome analysis of this family identified a novel missense mutation in BSN. Within the pedigree, the detected BSN mutation was found only in affected individuals. Further genetic analyses were conducted in probands from four other pedigrees with PSP-like syndrome and in 41 sporadic cases. Three missense mutations in BSN that are very rarely listed in databases of healthy subjects were found in four sporadic cases. Western blot analysis of tau following the overexpression of wild-type or mutated BSN revealed the possibility that wild-type BSN reduced tau accumulation, while mutated BSN lost this function. An association between BSN and neurological diseases has not been previously reported. Our results revealed that the neurodegenerative disorder associated with the original proband’s pedigree is a novel tauopathy, differing from known dementia and parkinsonism syndromes, including PSP.
The GluN2A Subunit Regulates Neuronal NMDA receptor-Induced Microglia-Neuron Physical Interactions
Authors: Eyo Ukpong B. , Bispo Ashley , Liu Junting , Sabu Sruchika , Wu Rong , DiBona Victoria L. , Zheng Jiaying , Murugan Madhuvika , Zhang Huaye , Tang Yamei , Wu Long-Jun
Published: January 2018

Microglia are known to engage in physical interactions with neurons. However, our understanding of the detailed mechanistic regulation of microglia-neuron interactions is incomplete. Here, using high resolution two photon imaging, we investigated the regulation of NMDA receptor-induced microglia-neuron physical interactions. We found that the GluN2A inhibitor NVPAAM007, but not the GluN2B inhibitor ifenprodil, blocked the occurrence of these interactions. Consistent with the well-known developmental regulation of the GluN2A subunit, these interactions are absent in neonatal tissues. Furthermore, consistent with a preferential synaptic localization of GluN2A subunits, there is a differential sensitivity of their occurrence between denser (stratum radiatum) and less dense (stratum pyramidale) synaptic sub-regions of the CA1. Finally, consistent with differentially expressed GluN2A subunits in the CA1 and DG areas of the hippocampus, these interactions could not be elicited in the DG despite robust microglial chemotactic capabilities. Together, these results enhance our understanding of the mechanistic regulation of NMDA receptor-dependent microglia-neuronal physical interactions phenomena by the GluN2A subunit that may be relevant in the mammalian brain during heightened glutamatergic neurotransmission such as epilepsy and ischemic stroke.
Supra-pharmacological concentration of capsaicin stimulates brown adipogenesis through induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress
Authors: Kida Ryosuke , Noguchi Taiki , Murakami Masaru , Hashimoto Osamu , Kawada Teruo , Matsui Tohru , Funaba Masayuki
Published: January 2018

We previously showed that brown (pre)adipocytes express Trpv1, a capsaicin receptor, and that capsaicin stimulates differentiation of brown preadipocytes in the late stages of brown adipogenesis. The present study revealed that treatment with 100 μM capsaicin stimulates brown adipogenesis by inducing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Treatment with capsaicin (100 μM) during brown adipogenesis enhanced lipid accumulation and the expression of Ucp1, a gene selectively expressed in brown adipocytes. Capsaicin treatment also caused an increase in the cytosolic calcium concentration even when extracellular calcium was removed. I-RTX, a Trpv1 inhibitor, did not modulate the increase in cytosolic calcium concentration, lipid accumulation or Ucp1 expression. Previous studies revealed that the release of calcium from the ER induces ER stress, leading to the conversion of X-box binding protein 1 (Xbp1) pre-mRNA to spliced Xbp1 (sXbp1) as well as the up-regulation of Chop expression. Capsaicin treatment increased the expression of sXbp1 and Chop in brown preadipocytes and did not enhance lipid accumulation or Ucp1 expression in Xbp1 knockdown cells. The present results describe a novel mechanism of brown adipogenesis regulation via ER stress that is induced by a supra-pharmacological concentration of capsaicin.
Prognostic Performance of Ten Liver Function Models in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Radiofrequency Ablation
Authors: Ho Shu-Yein , Liu Po-Hong , Hsu Chia-Yang , Chiou Yi-You , Su Chien-Wei , Lee Yun-Hsuan , Huang Yi-Hsiang , Lee Fa-Yauh , Hou Ming-Chih , Huo Teh-Ia
Published: January 2018

Liver functional capacity is a crucial survival determinant for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Noninvasive models were proposed to assess hepatic reserve, but their performance in outcome prediction is unclear. We aimed to investigate 10 currently used liver function models in HCC patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation (RFA). A total 499 HCC patients were prospectively identified. Homogeneity and corrected Akaike information criteria (AICc) were compared. Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify independent survival predictors. Significance survival differences were found across 10 noninvasive models (all p < 0.001) except for GUCI and APRI grade 2 vs 3, and King’s score grade 1 vs 2. Among these models, ALBI grade showed the highest homogeneity and lowest AICs value, indicating a better prognostic performance. Within Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score 5 group, significant survival difference was demonstrated between ALBI grade 1 and 2 (p < 0.001); for those with CTP score 6 or higher, only ALBI grade 2 and 3 showed survival difference (p < 0.001). Cox analysis disclosed that ALBI grade, tumor size and performance status were independent prognostic predictors. There was significant correlation between CTP score and other 9 models. We conclude that ALBI grade may serve as objective and feasible surrogate for prognostic prediction in HCC patients undergoing RFA.
Efficient isolation on Vero.DogSLAMtag cells and full genome characterization of Dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV) by next generation sequencing
Authors: Peletto Simone , Caruso Claudio , Cerutti Francesco , Modesto Paola , Biolatti Cristina , Pautasso Alessandra , Grattarola Carla , Giorda Federica , Mazzariol Sandro , Mignone Walter , Masoero Loretta , Casalone Cristina , Acutis Pier Luigi
Published: January 2018

The Dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV) genome from the first Mediterranean epidemic (1990-’92) is the only cetacean Morbillivirus that has been completely sequenced. Here, we report the first application of next generation sequencing (NGS) to morbillivirus infection of aquatic mammals. A viral isolate, representative of the 2006-’08 Mediterranean epidemic (DMV_IZSPLV_2008), efficiently grew on Vero.DogSLAMtag cells and was submitted to whole genome characterization by NGS. The final genome length was 15,673 nucleotides, covering 99.82% of the DMV reference genome. Comparison of DMV_IZSPLV_2008 and 1990-’92 DMV strain sequences revealed 157 nucleotide mutations and 47 amino acid changes. The sequence similarity was 98.7% at the full genome level. Whole-genome phylogeny suggested that the DMV strain circulating during the 2006-’08 epidemics emerged from the 1990-’92 DMV strain. Viral isolation is considered the “gold standard” for morbillivirus diagnostics but efficient propagation of infectious virus is difficult to achieve. The successful cell replication of this strain allowed performing NGS directly from the viral RNA, without prior PCR amplification. We therefore provide to the scientific community a second DMV genome, representative of another major outbreak. Interestingly, genome comparison revealed that the neglected L gene encompasses 74% of the genetic diversity and might serve as “hypervariable” target for strain characterization.
Biochemical and genetic characterization of a novel metallo-β-lactamase from marine bacterium Erythrobacter litoralis HTCC 2594
Authors: Jiang Xia-Wei , Cheng Hong , Huo Ying-Yi , Xu Lin , Wu Yue-Hong , Liu Wen-Hong , Tao Fang-Fang , Cui Xin-Jie , Zheng Bei-Wen
Published: January 2018

Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) are a group of enzymes that can inactivate most commonly used β-lactam-based antibiotics. Among MBLs, New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) constitutes an urgent threat to public health as evidenced by its success in rapidly disseminating worldwide since its first discovery. Here we report the biochemical and genetic characteristics of a novel MBL, ElBla2, from the marine bacterium Erythrobacter litoralis HTCC 2594. This enzyme has a higher amino acid sequence similarity to NDM-1 (56%) than any previously reported MBL. Enzymatic assays and secondary structure alignment also confirmed the high similarity between these two enzymes. Whole genome comparison of four Erythrobacter species showed that genes located upstream and downstream of elbla2 were highly conserved, which may indicate that elbla2 was lost during evolution. Furthermore, we predicted two prophages, 13 genomic islands and 25 open reading frames related to insertion sequences in the genome of E. litoralis HTCC 2594. However, unlike NDM-1, the chromosome encoded ElBla2 did not locate in or near these mobile genetic elements, indicating that it cannot transfer between strains. Finally, following our phylogenetic analysis, we suggest a reclassification of E. litoralis HTCC 2594 as a novel species: Erythrobacter sp. HTCC 2594.
Foxo1 Promotes Th9 Cell Differentiation and Airway Allergy
Authors: Buttrick Thomas S. , Wang Wei , Yung Christina , Trieu Kenneth G. , Patel Kruti , Khoury Samia J. , Ai Xingbin , Elyaman Wassim
Published: January 2018

T helper 9 (Th9) cells are effector CD4+ T cells that are characterized by the production of interleukin-9 (IL-9) and have been associated with allergic responses. Here, we found that the expression of the transcription factor forkhead box O1 (Foxo1) was induced in Th9 and Foxo1 plays a crucial role in the differentiation of Th9 cells. Pharmacological inhibition of Foxo1 or genetic disruption of Foxo1 in CD4+ T cells caused a reduction in IL-9 expression while upregulating IL-17A and IFNγ production. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) followed by luciferase assays revealed direct binding of Foxo1 to both the Il9 and Irf4 promoters and induces their transactivation. Lastly, adoptive transfer of Th9 cells into lungs induced asthma-like symptoms that were ameliorated by Foxo1 inhibitor, AS1842856. Together, our findings demonstrate a novel regulator of Th9 cells with a direct implication in allergic inflammation.
Integrated miRNA-mRNA spatial signature for oral squamous cell carcinoma: a prospective profiling study of Narrow Band Imaging guided resection
Authors: Farah Camile S. , Fox Simon A. , Dalley Andrew J.
Published: January 2018

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignancy for which there is poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. The objective was to identify mRNA targets of dysregulated miRNAs in OSCC using integrated analysis and understand molecular abnormality in surgical margins. We used biopsies along the spatial axis from normal tissue defined by narrow band imaging (NBI) through conventional white light (WL) margins to tumour from 18 patients undergoing surgical resection for OSCC. Overall 119 miRNA and 4794 mRNA were differentially expressed along the adjacent normal tissue to tumour axis. Analysis of miRNA profiles demonstrated the NBI margins were molecularly distinct from both the tumour and WL margin. Integrated analysis identified 193 miRNA-mRNA interactions correlated to the spatial axis of NBI-WL-T. We used cross-validation analysis to derive a spatial interactome signature of OSCC comprising 100 putative miRNA-mRNA interactions between 40 miRNA and 96 mRNA. Bioinformatic analysis suggests that miRNA dysregulation in OSCC may contribute to activation of the oncostatin M, BDNF and TGF-β pathways. Our data demonstrates that surgical margins defined by NBI leave less potentially malignant residual tissue. The miRNA-mRNA interactome provides insight into dysregulated miRNA signalling in OSCC and supports molecular definition of tumour margins.
Author Correction: Multiple similarly effective solutions exist for biomedical feature selection and classification problems
Authors: Liu Jiamei , Xu Cheng , Yang Weifeng , Shu Yayun , Zheng Weiwei , Zhou Fengfeng
Published: January 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML version of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.
Utility of PEGylated dithiolane ligands for direct synthesis of water-soluble Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Cu and AuPt nanoparticles
Authors: Oh Eunkeu , Delehanty James B. , Klug Christopher A. , Susumu Kimihiro , Russ Algar W. , Goswami Ramasis , Medintz Igor L.
Published: January 2018

The ability of small PEGylated dithiolane molecules to produce a variety of metallic nanoparticles directly in water is highlighted here.
The second-harmonic generation intensification derived from localization conjugated π-orbitals in O22−
Authors: Song Yunxia , Luo Min , Liang Fei , Ye Ning , Lin Zheshuai
Published: January 2018

Polar, non-centrosymmetric K3[V(O2)2O]CO3 consists of two different types of π-orbitals anionic groups (delocalized (CO3)2− groups and localized (O2)2− groups) and d0 cation V5+, which exhibited a very strong SHG response about 20 times that of KH2PO4 (KDP).
Barbiturate end-capped non-fullerene acceptors for organic solar cells: tuning acceptor energetics to suppress geminate recombination losses
Authors: Tan Ching-Hong , Gorman Jeffrey , Wadsworth Andrew , Holliday Sarah , Subramaniyan Selvam , Jenekhe Samson A. , Baran Derya , McCulloch Iain , Durrant James R.
Published: January 2018

We report the synthesis of two barbiturate end-capped non-fullerene acceptors and demonstrate their efficient function in high voltage output organic solar cells.
A strategy for generating aryl radicals from arylborates through organic photoredox catalysis: photo-Meerwein type arylation of electron-deficient alkenes
Authors: Iwata Y. , Tanaka Y. , Kubosaki S. , Morita T. , Yoshimi Y.
Published: January 2018

Generation of a variety of aryl radicals from arylboronic acids through metal-free photoredox catalysis under mild conditions.