bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The rise of Mexican entrepreneurial migration to the United States: A mixed‐embeddedness approach
Authors: Salamanca P. Elizabeth , Alcaraz Jorge
Published: July 2018

Although many studies have analyzed the behavior of high‐skilled migration to the United States, few have focused on the escalating migration of Mexican entrepreneurs, and particularly on the determinants of this kind of high‐skilled migration. This article addresses this gap through a qualitative approach conforming to quantitative procedures, based on 20 in‐depth interviews applied to Mexican entrepreneurs working and/or living in the United States. Theoretically, a mixed‐embeddedness approach guides this research because it allows examining both the individual characteristics of Mexican entrepreneurs, and the influence of the home and host countries' institutional contexts on their business endeavors. Findings revealed Mexico's institutional weaknesses, such as insecurity, corruption, and bureaucracy, are important drivers of migration but so are the perception of a friendly U.S. fiscal system, the search for a better quality of life, and the appeal of a more transparent business environment.
Geochemical properties and pollution assessment of heavy metals in the sediments of Daechung Lake, Korea
Authors: Yang Yun Mo , Chae Minhee , Cheon Seuk , Shim Moo Joon
Published: July 2018

In order to examine the forms, sources, and pollution of heavy metals—arsenic (As), aluminum (Al), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn)—in Daechung Lake, Korea, sediment samples were collected in November 2014. Daechung Lake was constructed to supply water for human consumption, agricultural use, and industrial use as well as to generate electric power. The lake is stratified in the summer and surrounded mostly by agricultural and mining areas. Our results indicate that the heavy metals (except As and Cd) displayed similar concentrations at all of the sampling stations. As and Cd were high in locations where fine sediments had built up. Based on the enrichment factor of the metals, the sediments collected from all of the sampling stations were highly polluted by As and Cd. Therefore, deposition of heavy metals in Daechung Lake is possibly controlled by grain size and anthropogenic activity, such as drainage from abandoned mines, agricultural activities, and/or the release of wastewater. The most dominant forms for all of the metals were oxide and silicate forms. This suggests that the sediments of Daechung Lake are not highly sulfidic. However, the sediment samples were collected after the collapse of seasonal stratification. Therefore, future studies should include elucidation of major sources for As and Cd and the collection of sediments during months of stratification.
The double pentaladder integral to all orders
Authors: Caron-Huot Simon , Dixon Lance J. , von Hippel Matt , McLeod Andrew J. , Papathanasiou Georgios
Published: July 2018

Abstract

We compute dual-conformally invariant ladder integrals that are capped off by pentagons at each end of the ladder. Such integrals appear in six-point amplitudes in planar

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 4 super-Yang-Mills theory. We provide exact, finite-coupling formulas for the basic double pentaladder integrals as a single Mellin integral over hypergeometric functions. For particular choices of the dual conformal cross ratios, we can evaluate the integral at weak coupling to high loop orders in terms of multiple polylogarithms. We argue that the integrals are exponentially suppressed at strong coupling. We describe the space of functions that contains all such double pentaladder integrals and their derivatives, or coproducts. This space, a prototype for the space of Steinmann hexagon functions, has a simple algebraic structure, which we elucidate by considering a particular discontinuity of the functions that localizes the Mellin integral and collapses the relevant symbol alphabet. This function space is endowed with a coaction, both perturbatively and at finite coupling, which mixes the independent solutions of the hypergeometric differential equation and constructively realizes a coaction principle of the type believed to hold in the full Steinmann hexagon function space.
Exemplifcation in a phraseological dictionary
Authors: Szerszunowicz Joanna
Published: July 2018

Illustrative material constitutes an important part of a lexicographic entry. It ofers dictionary users the possibility to learn how the units are used, enabling them to develop a better understanding of the word or phrase presented in a lexicographic work. On the basis of the prior literature, this paper aims to ofer new insights into the selection and presentation of illustrative material in phraseological dictionaries. Since dictionaries show a range of approaches, diferent stands on exemplifcation are presented. The illustrations are discussed according to particular types of lexi? cographic works. Another aspect taken into consideration is the lexicographers’ attitude to translating examples in bilingual dictionaries. On the basis of a review of the prior literature, recommendations are made for the quantitative and qualitative extension of illustrations. A model for presentation of extended illustrative examples is proposed: the model allows for providing dictionary users with diferent categories of illustrations, for instance, examples in which the canonic form is used and those which employ modifcation of it; or illustrations which come from various sources, grouped in sections like press, literature, etc. Since one of the problems related to exemplifcation is insufcient cultural context, the model includes a selection of links to the cultural references to the phraseological unit described in the entry. An evaluation of the proposed model is also presented.
An assets‐based approach to promoting girls' financial literacy, savings, and education
Authors: Clark Shelley , Paul Marianne , Aryeetey Richmond , Marquis Grace
Published: July 2018

Purpose

This study examined whether micro‐savings programs can improve young adolescent girls' financial knowledge, savings behaviors, and schooling outcomes in Ghana.

Methods

We evaluated the short‐ and medium‐term effects of a randomized control trial in which a sub‐sample of over 1400 girls living in the Eastern Region of Ghana received financial literacy training and a micro‐savings account.

Results

Girls in the intervention arm of the study initially exhibited higher levels of financial knowledge, planning, and savings, but some of these effects disappeared within two years. Nonetheless, girls with micro‐savings retained their greater knowledge of interest rates, had higher levels of savings, and were more likely to save for school. The effects on girls' educational enrollment was strongest in the second year.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that even relatively young girls can manage micro‐savings accounts and that such programs, if sustained, can effectively build girls' financial and educational assets.
JC Virus Granule Cell Neuronopathy as AIDS-Presenting Illness
Authors: Grandjean Lapierre Simon , Dang Xin , Gilbert Danielle , Lauzier Sylvie , Koralnik Igor J. , LeBlanc Louiselle
Published: July 2018

JC virus is the etiological agent of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, a white matter demyelinating disease that mostly affects immunocompromised patients. JC virus can also infect neurons and meningeal cells and cause encephalitis, meningitis and granule cell neuronopathy. We report a patient with JC virus granule cell neuronopathy, without concomitant progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, presenting as inaugural acquired immune deficiency syndrome-related illness. This patient’s human immunodeficiency virus infection remained undiagnosed for several months after neurological symptoms onset. We review JC virus pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, treatment and prognosis, and emphasize the importance of considering human immunodeficiency virus infection and related opportunistic infections in the differential diagnosis of new-onset isolated cerebellar disease.
Application of autoencoders in cyber-empathic design
Authors: Ghosh Dipanjan , Olewnik Andrew , Lewis Kemper
Published: July 2018

A critical task in product design is mapping information from the consumer space to the design space. This process is largely dependent on the designer to identify and relate psychological and consumer level factors to engineered product attributes. In this way, current methodologies lack provision to test a designer’s cognitive reasoning and may introduce bias through the mapping process. Prior work on Cyber-Empathic Design (CED) supports this mapping by relating user–product interaction data from embedded sensors to psychological constructs. To understand consumer perceptions, a network of psychological constructs is developed using Structural Equation Modeling for parameter estimation and hypothesis testing, making the framework falsifiable in nature. The focus of this technical brief is toward automating CED through unsupervised deep learning to extract features from raw data. Additionally, Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling is used with extracted sensor features as inputs. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach a case study involving sensor-integrated shoes compares three models – a survey-only model (no sensor data), the existing CED approach with manually extracted sensor features, and the proposed deep learning based CED approach. The deep learning based approach results in improved model fit.
Experimental signal dissection and method sensitivity analyses reaffirm the potential of fossils and morphology in the resolution of the relationship of angiosperms and Gnetales
Authors: Coiro Mario , Chomicki Guillaume , Doyle James A.
Published: July 2018

The placement of angiosperms and Gnetales in seed plant phylogeny remains one of the most enigmatic problems in plant evolution, with morphological analyses (which have usually included fossils) and molecular analyses pointing to very distinct topologies. Almost all morphology-based phylogenies group angiosperms with Gnetales and certain extinct seed plant lineages, while most molecular phylogenies link Gnetales with conifers. In this study, we investigate the phylogenetic signal present in published seed plant morphological data sets. We use parsimony, Bayesian inference, and maximum-likelihood approaches, combined with a number of experiments with the data, to address the morphological–molecular conflict. First, we ask whether the lack of association of Gnetales with conifers in morphological analyses is due to an absence of signal or to the presence of competing signals, and second, we compare the performance of parsimony and model-based approaches with morphological data sets. Our results imply that the grouping of Gnetales and angiosperms is largely the result of long-branch attraction (LBA), consistent across a range of methodological approaches. Thus, there is a signal for the grouping of Gnetales with conifers in morphological matrices, but it was swamped by convergence between angiosperms and Gnetales, both situated on long branches. However, this effect becomes weaker in more recent analyses, as a result of addition and critical reassessment of characters. Even when a clade including angiosperms and Gnetales is still weakly supported by parsimony, model-based approaches favor a clade of Gnetales and conifers, presumably because they are more resistant to LBA. Inclusion of fossil taxa weakens rather than strengthens support for a relationship of angiosperms and Gnetales. Our analyses finally reconcile morphology with molecules in favoring a relationship of Gnetales to conifers, and show that morphology may therefore be useful in reconstructing other aspects of the phylogenetic history of the seed plants.
The Kinzers Formation (Pennsylvania, USA): the most diverse assemblage of Cambrian Stage 4 radiodonts
Authors: PATES STEPHEN , DALEY ALLISON C.
Published: July 2018

Radiodonta, apex Cambrian predators such asAnomalocarishave been known from the Kinzers Formation (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 4 – Pennsylvania, USA) for nearly 100 years. Work over the last ten years, mainly on radiodont material from the Chengjiang (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 3 – Yunnan, China) and Burgess Shale (Miaolingian, Wuliuan – British Columbia, Canada), has greatly improved our knowledge of the diversity and disparity of radiodonts and their frontal appendages, including the description of new species, genera and families. Previous work identified two species of radiodonts from the Kinzers Formation:Anomalocaris pennsylvanicaResser, 1929 andAnomalocaris? cf.pennsylvanicabased on isolated frontal appendage material (Briggs, 1979). A restudy of Kinzers Formation material shows that only some of the specimens can be confirmed asAnomalocaris pennsylvanica, and a number of specimens previously attributed toAnomalocarisin fact belong to other more recently discovered radiodont generaAmplectobeluaandTamisiocaris. This reinterpretation makes the Kinzers Formation the most diverse Cambrian Stage 4 Burgess Shale Type Lagerstätten in terms of number of radiodont species. This assemblage includes the youngest knownTamisiocarisand the first from outside Greenland, the onlyAmplectobeluafrom Stage 4 and the oldest from Laurentia, two specimens tentatively assigned to the recently described Chengjiang genusLaminacaris, and the endemicAnomalocaris pennsylvanica. The identification of these new radiodont taxa increases the total known diversity of the Kinzers Formation to more than ten species, and so it should now be considered a Tier 2 Lagerstätte.
Design and implementation of a millirobot for swarm studies –mROBerTO
Authors: Kim Justin Y. , Kashino Zendai , Colaco Tyler , Nejat Goldie , Benhabib Beno
Published: July 2018

The use of millirobots, particularly in swarm studies, would enable researchers to verify their proposed autonomous cooperative behavior algorithms under realistic conditions with a large number of agents. While multiple designs for such robots have been proposed, they, typically, require custom-made components, which make replication and manufacturing difficult, and, mostly, employ non-modular integral designs. Furthermore, these robots' proposed small sizes tend to limit sensory perception capabilities and operational time. Some have resolved few of the above issues through the use of extensions that, unfortunately, add to their size.

In contribution to the pertinent field, thus, a novel millirobot with an open-source design, addressing the above concerns, is presented in this paper. Our proposed millirobot has a modular design and uses easy to source, off-the-shelf components. Themilli-robot-Toronto (mROBerTO) also includes a variety of sensors and has a 16 × 16 mm2footprint.mROBerTO's wireless communication capabilities include ANT™, Bluetooth Smart, or both simultaneously. Data-processing is handled by an ARM processor with 256 KB of flash memory. Additionally, the sensing modules allow for extending or changing the robot's perception capabilities without adding to the robot's size. For example, the swarm-sensing module, designed to facilitate swarm studies, allows for measuring proximity and bearing to neighboring robots and performing local communications.

Extensive experiments, some of which are presented herein, have illustrated the capability ofmROBerTOunits for use in implementing a variety of commonly proposed swarm algorithms.
Prediction of Zika-confirmed cases in Brazil and Colombia using Google Trends
Authors: Morsy S. , Dang T.N. , Kamel M.G. , Zayan A.H. , Makram O.M. , Elhady M. , Hirayama K. , Huy N.T.
Published: July 2018

Zika virus infection in humans has been linked to severe neurological sequels and foetal malformations. The rapidly evolving epidemics and serious complications made the frequent updates of Zika virus mandatory. Web search query has emerged as a low-cost real-time surveillance system to anticipate infectious diseases’ outbreaks. Hence, we developed a prediction model that could predict Zika-confirmed cases based on Zika search volume in Google Trends. We extracted weekly confirmed Zika cases of two epidemic countries, Brazil and Colombia. We got the weekly Zika search volume in the two countries from Google Trends. We used standard time-series regression (TSR) to predict the weekly confirmed Zika cases based on the Zika search volume (Zika query). The basis TSR model – using 1-week lag of Zika query and using 1-week lag of Zika cases as a control for autocorrelation – was the best for predicting Zika cases in Brazil and Colombia because it balanced the performance of the model and the advance time in the prediction. Our results showed that we could use Google search queries to predict Zika cases 1 week earlier before the outbreak. These findings are important to help healthcare authorities evaluate the outbreak and take necessary precautions.
Is psychotherapy effective? A re-analysis of treatments for depression
Authors: Munder T. , Flückiger C. , Leichsenring F. , Abbass A. A. , Hilsenroth M. J. , Luyten P. , Rabung S. , Steinert C. , Wampold B. E.
Published: July 2018

Aims

The aim of this study was to reanalyse the data from Cuijpers et al.'s (2018) meta-analysis, to examine Eysenck's claim that psychotherapy is not effective. Cuijpers et al., after correcting for bias, concluded that the effect of psychotherapy for depression was small (standardised mean difference, SMD, between 0.20 and 0.30), providing evidence that psychotherapy is not as effective as generally accepted.

Methods

The data for this study were the effect sizes included in Cuijpers et al. (2018). We removed outliers from the data set of effects, corrected for publication bias and segregated psychotherapy from other interventions. In our study, we considered wait-list (WL) controls as the most appropriate estimate of the natural history of depression without intervention.

Results

The SMD for all interventions and for psychotherapy compared to WL controls was approximately 0.70, a value consistent with past estimates of the effectiveness of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy was also more effective than care-as-usual (SMD = 0.31) and other control groups (SMD = 0.43).

Conclusions

The re-analysis reveals that psychotherapy for adult patients diagnosed with depression is effective.
The politics of anticipation: the IPCC and the negative emissions technologies experience
Authors: Beck Silke , Mahony Martin
Published: July 2018

Non-technical summary

In the post-Paris political landscape, the relationship between science and politics is changing. We discuss what this means for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), using recent controversies over negative emissions technologies (NETs) as a window into the fraught politics of producing policy-relevant pathways and scenarios. We suggest that pathways and scenarios have a ‘world-making’ power, potentially shaping the world in their own image and creating new political realities. Assessment bodies like the IPCC need to reflect on this power, and the implications of changing political contexts, in new ways.
Perceived Attainment of Developmental Tasks in Adolescents With and Without Mental Disorders
Authors: Pinquart Martin , Pfeiffer Jens P. , Becker Katja
Published: July 2018

Abstract. The present study compared the perceived attainment of developmental tasks of 220 adolescents diagnosed with anxiety disorder, attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, or depression with a matched sample of 220 peers without a mental illness. The clinical sample perceived lower success with solving personal, social, and socio-institutional developmental tasks compared with their healthy peers. Comparisons across diagnoses identified the largest differences between students with internalizing disorders (anxiety, depression) versus other disorders. We conclude that psychological interventions with adolescents with mental disorders should promote their attainment of age-typical developmental goals.
The Challenges of Meeting Future Food, Energy, and Water Needs
Authors: D’Odorico Paolo
Published: July 2018

The inherent interlinkages between food, energy, and water systems present both challenges and opportunities for a more sustainable future on Planet Earth.
Edward L. Chupp (1927–2017)
Authors: Ryan James , Lee Martin
Published: July 2018

This pioneer in high-energy solar physics devised instruments for observing solar and cosmic ray emissions with which he detected, for the first time, nuclear gamma rays from solar flares.
Cloud Optical Properties Over West Antarctica From Shortwave Spectroradiometer Measurements During AWARE
Authors: Wilson A. , Scott R. C. , Cadeddu M. P. , Ghate V. , Lubin D.
Published: July 2018

A shortwave spectroradiometer was deployed on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) as part of the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program ARM West Antarctic Radiation Experiment (AWARE). This instrument recorded 1‐min averages of downwelling hemispheric spectral irradiance covering the wavelength range 350–2,200 nm with spectral resolution 3 and 10 nm for wavelengths shorter and longer than 1,000 nm, respectively. Using simultaneous micropulse lidar data to identify the thermodynamic phase of stratiform clouds, a radiative transfer algorithm is used to retrieve optical depth and effective droplet (or particle) size for single‐phase liquid water and ice water clouds. The AWARE campaign on the WAIS first sampled typical climatological conditions between 7 December 2015 and 9 January 2016 and then a much warmer air mass with more moisture associated with a surface melt event between 10 and 17 January 2016. Before the melt event most liquid cloud effective droplet radii were consistent with pristine polar maritime clouds (mode radius 13.5 μm) but showed a second local maximum in the distribution (at 8 μm) consistent with colder, moisture‐limited conditions. Most ice clouds sampled occurred before the melt event (mode optical depth 4 and effective particle size 19 μm). During the melt event liquid water cloud optical depth nearly doubled (mode value increasing from 8 to 14). AWARE therefore sampled on the WAIS two cases relevant to climate model simulations: typical current climatological conditions, followed by warmer meteorology possibly consistent with future increasing surface melt scenarios.
Role of Troposphere‐Convection‐Land Coupling in the Southwestern Amazon Precipitation Bias of the Community Earth System Model Version 1 (CESM1)
Authors: Sakaguchi K. , Leung L. R. , Burleyson C. D. , Xiao H. , Wan H.
Published: July 2018

The Amazon forest plays an important role in the tropical circulation and global water and biogeochemical cycles. However, the common Amazon precipitation biases in global climate models undermine our ability to understand future changes in the Amazon and their global consequences. The Community Earth System Model exhibits a persistent wet season dry bias over the southwestern Amazon. The bias is also characterized by inaccurate diurnal timing and intensity of rainfall events. Analysis of a diverse set of simulations suggests that the bias originates from the land model and/or deep convection parameterization. A known land model bias in the partitioning of surface energy fluxes is found not to contribute significantly to the rainfall bias. Key model processes are identified to be the low‐level divergent circulation controlling horizontal moisture flow and the sensitivity of the modeled deep convection to the lower tropospheric moisture. The lower tropospheric moisture divergence dictates the spatiotemporal distributions of convective precipitation through parameterized entrainment mixing. While the entrainment effect improves the rainfall diurnal cycle, it suppresses convective precipitation under low‐level moisture divergence. Persistent moisture divergence is found over the southwestern Amazon and limits parameterized convective precipitation, particularly in the late afternoon, although uncertainty exists in the low‐level flow in the simulation and reanalyses. One way to sustain rainfall in the presence of low‐level divergence is a convective trigger based on both the moisture and temperature changes in the free troposphere, which is shown to help in reducing the dry bias.
Turbulence simultaneously stimulates small- and large-scale CO2 sequestration by chain-forming diatoms in the sea
Authors: Bergkvist Johanna , Klawonn Isabell , Whitehouse Martin J. , Lavik Gaute , Brüchert Volker , Ploug Helle
Published: July 2018

Chain-forming diatoms are key CO2-fixing organisms in the ocean. Under turbulent conditions they form fast-sinking aggregates that are exported from the upper sunlit ocean to the ocean interior. A decade-old paradigm states that primary production in chain-forming diatoms is stimulated by turbulence. Yet, direct measurements of cell-specific primary production in individual field populations of chain-forming diatoms are poorly documented. Here we measured cell-specific carbon, nitrate and ammonium assimilation in two field populations of chain-forming diatoms (Skeletonema and Chaetoceros) at low-nutrient concentrations under still conditions and turbulent shear using secondary ion mass spectrometry combined with stable isotopic tracers and compared our data with those predicted by mass transfer theory. Turbulent shear significantly increases cell-specific C assimilation compared to still conditions in the cells/chains that also form fast-sinking, aggregates rich in carbon and ammonium. Thus, turbulence simultaneously stimulates small-scale biological CO2 assimilation and large-scale biogeochemical C and N cycles in the ocean.
Arsenic targets Pin1 and cooperates with retinoic acid to inhibit cancer-driving pathways and tumor-initiating cells
Authors: Kozono Shingo , Lin Yu-Min , Seo Hyuk-Soo , Pinch Benika , Lian Xiaolan , Qiu Chenxi , Herbert Megan K. , Chen Chun-Hau , Tan Li , Gao Ziang Jeff , Massefski Walter , Doctor Zainab M. , Jackson Brian P. , Chen Yuanzhong , Dhe-Paganon Sirano , Lu Kun Ping , Zhou Xiao Zhen
Published: July 2018

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) combination safely cures fatal acute promyelocytic leukemia, but their mechanisms of action and efficacy are not fully understood. ATRA inhibits leukemia, breast, and liver cancer by targeting isomerase Pin1, a master regulator of oncogenic signaling networks. Here we show that ATO targets Pin1 and cooperates with ATRA to exert potent anticancer activity. ATO inhibits and degrades Pin1, and suppresses its oncogenic function by noncovalent binding to Pin1’s active site. ATRA increases cellular ATO uptake through upregulating aquaporin-9. ATO and ATRA, at clinically safe doses, cooperatively ablate Pin1 to block numerous cancer-driving pathways and inhibit the growth of triple-negative breast cancer cells and tumor-initiating cells in cell and animal models including patient-derived orthotopic xenografts, like Pin1 knockout, which is substantiated by comprehensive protein and microRNA analyses. Thus, synergistic targeting of Pin1 by ATO and ATRA offers an attractive approach to combating breast and other cancers.
Directed evolution of CRISPR-Cas9 to increase its specificity
Authors: Lee Jungjoon K. , Jeong Euihwan , Lee Joonsun , Jung Minhee , Shin Eunji , Kim Young-hoon , Lee Kangin , Jung Inyoung , Kim Daesik , Kim Seokjoong , Kim Jin-Soo
Published: July 2018

The use of CRISPR-Cas9 as a therapeutic reagent is hampered by its off-target effects. Although rationally designed S. pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) variants that display higher specificities than the wild-type SpCas9 protein are available, these attenuated Cas9 variants are often poorly efficient in human cells. Here, we develop a directed evolution approach in E. coli to obtain Sniper-Cas9, which shows high specificities without killing on-target activities in human cells. Unlike other engineered Cas9 variants, Sniper-Cas9 shows WT-level on-target activities with extended or truncated sgRNAs with further reduced off-target activities and works well in a preassembled ribonucleoprotein (RNP) format to allow DNA-free genome editing.
A stochastic assembly model for Nipah virus revealed by super-resolution microscopy
Authors: Liu Qian , Chen Lei , Aguilar Hector C. , Chou Keng C.
Published: July 2018

Understanding virus assembly mechanisms is important for developing therapeutic interventions. Nipah virus (NiV) is of interest because of its high mortality rate and efficient human–human transmissions. The current model for most enveloped viruses suggests that matrix proteins (M) recruit attachment glycoproteins (G) and fusion glycoproteins (F) to the assembly site at the plasma membrane. Here we report an assembly model that differs in many aspects from the current one. Examining NiV proteins on the cell plasma membrane using super-resolution microscopy reveals that clusters of F and G are randomly distributed on the plasma membrane regardless of the presence or absence of M. Our data suggests a model in which the M molecules assemble at the plasma membrane to form virus-like particles (VLPs), while the incorporation of F and G into the nascent VLPs is stochastic.
Vibration hotspots reveal longitudinal funneling of sound-evoked motion in the mammalian cochlea
Authors: Cooper Nigel P. , Vavakou Anna , van der Heijden Marcel
Published: July 2018

The micromechanical mechanisms that underpin tuning and dynamic range compression in the mammalian inner ear are fundamental to hearing, but poorly understood. Here, we present new, high-resolution optical measurements that directly map sound-evoked vibrations on to anatomical structures in the intact, living gerbil cochlea. The largest vibrations occur in a tightly delineated hotspot centering near the interface between the Deiters’ and outer hair cells. Hotspot vibrations are less sharply tuned, but more nonlinear, than basilar membrane vibrations, and behave non-monotonically (exhibiting hyper-compression) near their characteristic frequency. Amplitude and phase differences between hotspot and basilar membrane responses depend on both frequency and measurement angle, and indicate that hotspot vibrations involve longitudinal motion. We hypothesize that structural coupling between the Deiters’ and outer hair cells funnels sound-evoked motion into the hotspot region, under the control of the outer hair cells, to optimize cochlear tuning and compression.
A widespread alternate form of cap-dependent mRNA translation initiation
Authors: de la Parra Columba , Ernlund Amanda , Alard Amandine , Ruggles Kelly , Ueberheide Beatrix , Schneider Robert J.
Published: July 2018

Translation initiation of most mammalian mRNAs is mediated by a 5′ cap structure that binds eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E). However, inactivation of eIF4E does not impair translation of many capped mRNAs, suggesting an unknown alternate mechanism may exist for cap-dependent but eIF4E-independent translation. We show that DAP5, an eIF4GI homolog that lacks eIF4E binding, utilizes eIF3d to facilitate cap-dependent translation of approximately 20% of mRNAs. Genome-wide transcriptomic and translatomic analyses indicate that DAP5 is required for translation of many transcription factors and receptor capped mRNAs and their mRNA targets involved in cell survival, motility, DNA repair and translation initiation, among other mRNAs. Mass spectrometry and crosslinking studies demonstrate that eIF3d is a direct binding partner of DAP5. In vitro translation and ribosome complex studies demonstrate that DAP5 and eIF3d are both essential for eIF4E-independent capped-mRNA translation. These studies disclose a widespread and previously unknown mechanism for cap-dependent mRNA translation by DAP5-eIF3d complexes.
Regulation of miR-181a expression in T cell aging
Authors: Ye Zhongde , Li Guangjin , Kim Chulwoo , Hu Bin , Jadhav Rohit R. , Weyand Cornelia M. , Goronzy Jörg J.
Published: July 2018

MicroRNAs have emerged as key regulators in T cell development, activation, and differentiation, with miR-181a having a prominent function. By targeting several signaling pathways, miR-181a is an important rheostat controlling T cell receptor (TCR) activation thresholds in thymic selection as well as peripheral T cell responses. A decline in miR-181a expression, due to reduced transcription of pri-miR-181a, accounts for T cell activation defects that occur with older age. Here we examine the transcriptional regulation of miR-181a expression and find a putative pri-miR-181a enhancer around position 198,904,300 on chromosome 1, which is regulated by a transcription factor complex including YY1. The decline in miR-181a expression correlates with reduced transcription of YY1 in older individuals. Partial silencing of YY1 in T cells from young individuals reproduces the signaling defects seen in older T cells. In conclusion, YY1 controls TCR signaling by upregulating miR-181a and dampening negative feedback loops mediated by miR-181a targets.
Nature and nurture effects on the spatiality of the mental time line
Authors: Anelli Filomena , Peters-Founshtein Gregory , Shreibman Yaen , Moreh Elior , Forlani Chiara , Frassinetti Francesca , Arzy Shahar
Published: July 2018

The nature-nurture debate regarding the origin of mental lines is fundamental for cognitive neuroscience. We examined natural-nurture effects on the mental time line, applying three different challenges to the directionality of time representation. We tested (1) patients with left-neglect and healthy participants, who are (2) left-to-right or right-to-left readers/writers, using (3) a lateralized left-right button press or a vocal mode in response to a mental time task, which asks participants to judge whether events have already happened in the past or are still to happen in the future. Using lateralized responses, a spatial-temporal association of response code (STEARC) effect was found, in concordance with the cultural effects. With vocal responses (no lateralization), past and future events showed similar results in both cultures. In patients with neglect, who have a deficit of spatial attention in processing the left side of space, future events were processed more slowly and less accurately than past events in both cultures. Our results indicate the existence of a “natural” disposition to map past and future events along a horizontal mental time line, which is affected by the different ways in which spatial representation of time is introduced.
Oil-Impregnated Hydrocarbon-Based Polymer Films
Authors: Mukherjee Ranit , Habibi Mohammad , Rashed Ziad T. , Berbert Otacilio , Shi Xiangke , Boreyko Jonathan B.
Published: July 2018

Porous surfaces impregnated with a liquid lubricant exhibit minimal contact angle hysteresis with immiscible test liquids, rendering them ideal as self-cleaning materials. Rather than roughening a solid substrate, an increasingly popular choice is to use an absorbent polymer as the “porous” material. However, to date the polymer choices have been limited to expensive silicone-based polymers or complex assemblies of polymer multilayers on functionalized surfaces. In this paper, we show that hydrocarbon-based polymer films such as polyethylene can be stably impregnated with chemically compatible vegetable oils, without requiring any surface treatment. These oil-impregnated hydrocarbon-based films exhibit minimal contact angle hysteresis for a wide variety of test products including water, ketchup, and yogurt. Our oil-impregnated films remain slippery even after several weeks of being submerged in ketchup, illustrating their extreme durability. We expect that the simple and cost-effective nature of our slippery hydrocarbon-based films will make them useful for industrial packaging applications.
Stormwater runoff driven phosphorus transport in an urban residential catchment: Implications for protecting water quality in urban watersheds
Authors: Yang Yun-Ya , Toor Gurpal S.
Published: July 2018

Increased stormwater runoff in urban watersheds is a leading cause of nonpoint phosphorus (P) pollution. We investigated the concentrations, forms, and temporal trends of P in stormwater runoff from a residential catchment (31 low-density residential homes; 0.11 km2 drainage area) in Florida. Unfiltered runoff samples were collected at 5 min intervals over 29 storm events with an autosampler installed at the stormwater outflow pipe. Mean concentrations of orthophosphate (PO4–P) were 0.18 ± 0.065 mg/L and total P (TP) were  0.28 ± 0.062 mg/L in all runoff samples. The PO4–P was the dominant form in >90% of storm events and other–P (combination of organic P and particulate P) was dominant after a longer antecedent dry period. We hypothesize that in the stormwater runoff, PO4–P likely originated from soluble and desorbed pool of eroded soil and other–P likely originated from decomposing plant materials i.e. leaves and grass clippings and eroded soil. We found that the runoff was co-limited with nitrogen (N) and P in 34% of storm events and only N limited in 66% of storm events, implicating that management strategies focusing on curtailing both P and N transport would be more effective than focussing on only N or P in protecting water quality in residential catchments.
A new quinoline-based chemical probe inhibits the autophagy-related cysteine protease ATG4B
Authors: Bosc D. , Vezenkov L. , Bortnik S. , An J. , Xu J. , Choutka C. , Hannigan A. M. , Kovacic S. , Loo S. , Clark P. G. K. , Chen G. , Guay-Ross R. N. , Yang K. , Dragowska W. H. , Zhang F. , Go N. E. , Leung A. , Honson N. S. , Pfeifer T. A. , Gleave M. , Bally M. , Jones S. J. , Gorski S. M. , Young R. N.
Published: July 2018

The cysteine protease ATG4B is a key component of the autophagy machinery, acting to proteolytically prime and recycle its substrate MAP1LC3B. The roles of ATG4B in cancer and other diseases appear to be context dependent but are still not well understood. To help further explore ATG4B functions and potential therapeutic applications, we employed a chemical biology approach to identify ATG4B inhibitors. Here, we describe the discovery of 4–28, a styrylquinoline identified by a combined computational modeling, in silico screening, high content cell-based screening and biochemical assay approach. A structure-activity relationship study led to the development of a more stable and potent compound LV-320. We demonstrated that LV-320 inhibits ATG4B enzymatic activity, blocks autophagic flux in cells, and is stable, non-toxic and active in vivo. These findings suggest that LV-320 will serve as a relevant chemical tool to study the various roles of ATG4B in cancer and other contexts.
Addition of dairy lipids and probiotic Lactobacillus fermentum in infant formula programs gut microbiota and entero-insular axis in adult minipigs
Authors: Lemaire Marion , Dou Samir , Cahu Armelle , Formal Michèle , Le Normand Laurence , Romé Véronique , Nogret Isabelle , Ferret-Bernard Stéphanie , Rhimi Moez , Cuinet Isabelle , Canlet Cécile , Tremblay-Franco Marie , Le Ruyet Pascale , Baudry Charlotte , Gérard Philippe , Le Huërou-Luron Isabelle , Blat Sophie
Published: July 2018

Clinical and animal studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of early consumption of dairy lipids and a probiotic, Lactobacillus fermentum (Lf), on infant gut physiology. The objective of this study was to investigate their long-term effects on gut microbiota and host entero-insular axis and metabolism. Piglets were suckled with a milk formula containing only plant lipids (PL), a half-half mixture of plant lipids and dairy lipids (DL), or this mixture supplemented with Lf (DL + Lf). They were weaned on a standard diet and challenged with a high-energy diet until postnatal day 140. DL and DL + Lf modulated gut microbiota composition and metabolism, increasing abundance of several Clostridia genera. Moreover, DL + Lf specifically decreased the faecal content of 2-oxoglutarate and lysine compared to PL and 5-aminovalerate compared to PL and DL. It also increased short-chain fatty acid concentrations like propionate compared to DL. Furthermore, DL + Lf had a beneficial effect on the endocrine function, enhancing caecal GLP-1 and GLP-1 meal-stimulated secretion. Correlations highlighted the consistent relationship between microbiota and gut physiology. Together, our results evidence a beneficial programming effect of DL + Lf in infant formula composition on faecal microbiota and entero-insular axis function.
Microplastic in riverine fish is connected to species traits
Authors: McNeish R. E. , Kim L. H. , Barrett H. A. , Mason S. A. , Kelly J. J. , Hoellein T. J.
Published: July 2018

Microplastic is a contaminant of concern worldwide. Rivers are implicated as major pathways of microplastic transport to marine and lake ecosystems, and microplastic ingestion by freshwater biota is a risk associated with microplastic contamination, but there is little research on microplastic ecology within freshwater ecosystems. Microplastic uptake by fish is likely affected by environmental microplastic abundance and aspects of fish ecology, but these relationships have rarely been addressed. We measured the abundance and composition of microplastic in fish and surface waters from 3 major tributaries of Lake Michigan, USA. Microplastic was detected in fish and surface waters from all 3 sites, but there was no correlation between microplastic concentrations in fish and surface waters. Rather, there was a significant effect of functional feeding group on microplastic concentration in fish.Neogobius melanostomus(round goby, a zoobenthivore) had the highest concentration of gut microplastic (19 particles fish−1) compared to 10 other fish taxa measured, and had a positive linear relationship between body size and number of microplastic particles. Surface water microplastic concentrations were lowest in the most northern, forested watershed, and highest in the most southern, agriculturally dominated watershed. Results suggest microplastic pollution is common in river food webs and is connected to species feeding characteristics. Future research should focus on understanding the movement of microplastic from point-source and diffuse sources and into aquatic ecosystems, which will support pollution management efforts on inland waters.
A New Approach to Compute the Porosity and Surface Roughness of Porous Coated Capillary-Assisted Low Pressure Evaporators
Authors: Cheppudira Thimmaiah Poovanna , Panda Asish Kumar , Pandey Upendra Kumar , McCague Claire , Dutta Pradip , Bahrami Majid
Published: July 2018

The fundamental characteristics of metal coatings that influence heat transfer are porosity and surface roughness. It is a challenge to analyze the porosity and surface roughness due to the inadequate amount of copper per coated area. In this study, a new approach to non-invasively determine the porosity of metal films utilizing a helium pycnometer and computed micro-tomography (CMT) is presented. Furthermore, a telescope-goniometer is used to measure the surface roughness. Experiments are conducted on four varieties of thin film samples coated with copper powder using wire flame and plasma thermal spray coating methods. The porosities of the thin films were determined to be between 39 and 43%. The thermal spray coating increased the hydrophobicity of the surface and the plasma coating created super-hydrophobic surfaces. The new approach establishes that the porosity of thin films can be non-invasively determined and may also be applied to a wide variety of coated surfaces.
An unusual association of hadrosaur and therizinosaur tracks within Late Cretaceous rocks of Denali National Park, Alaska
Authors: Fiorillo Anthony R. , McCarthy Paul J. , Kobayashi Yoshitsugu , Tomsich Carla S. , Tykoski Ronald S. , Lee Yuong-Nam , Tanaka Tomonori , Noto Christopher R.
Published: July 2018

We report details of a unique association of hadrosaur and therizinosaur tracks found in the Late Cretaceous lower Cantwell Formation, Denali National Park, central Alaska Range, Alaska. This rock unit is now well-documented as a source of thousands of fossil footprints of vertebrates such as fishes, pterosaurs, and avialan and non-avialan dinosaurs. The lower Cantwell Formation in this area consists of numerous fining-upward successions of conglomerates and pebbly sandstones, cross-stratified and massive sandstones, interbedded sandstones and siltstones, organic-rich siltstones and shales, and rare, thin, bentonites, typically bounded by thin coal seams, and it contains a diverse fossil flora. We report the first North American co-occurrence of tracks attributable to hadrosaurs and therizinosaurs in the lower Cantwell Formation. Although previously un-reported in North America, this association of hadrosaur and therizinosaur tracks is more characteristic of the correlative Nemegt Formation in central Asia, perhaps suggesting that parameters defining the continental ecosystem of central Asia were also present in this part of Alaska during the Latest Cretaceous.
An Expert Diagnostic System to Automatically Identify Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Clinical Settings
Authors: Badnjevic Almir , Gurbeta Lejla , Custovic Eddie
Published: July 2018

Respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are affecting a huge percentage of the world’s population with mortality rates exceeding those of lung cancer and breast cancer combined. The major challenge is the number of patients who are incorrectly diagnosed. To address this, we developed an expert diagnostic system that can differentiate among patients with asthma, COPD or a normal lung function based on measurements of lung function and information about patient’s symptoms. To develop accurate classification algorithms, data from 3657 patients were used and then independently verified using data from 1650 patients collected over a period of two years. Our results demonstrate that the expert diagnostic system can correctly identify patients with asthma and COPD with sensitivity of 96.45% and specificity of 98.71%. Additionally, 98.71% of the patients with a normal lung function were correctly classified, which contributed to a 49.23% decrease in demand for conducting additional tests, therefore decreasing financial cost.
Targeted next-generation sequencing as a comprehensive test for Mendelian diseases: a cohort diagnostic study
Authors: Sun Yan , Man Jianfen , Wan Yang , Pan Gao , Du Lique , Li Long , Yang Yun , Qiu Liru , Gao Qing , Dan Handong , Mao Liangwei , Cheng Zhengyu , Fan Chen , Yu Jing , Lin Mufei , Kristiansen Karsten , Shen Yin , Wei Xiaoming
Published: July 2018

With the development of next generation sequencing, more and more common inherited diseases have been reported. However, accurate and convenient molecular diagnosis cannot be achieved easily because of the enormous size of disease causing mutations. In this study, we introduced a new single-step method for the genetic analysis of patients and carriers in real clinical settings. All kinds of disease causing mutations can be detected at the same time in patients with Mendelian diseases or carriers. First, we evaluated this technology using YH cell line DNA and 9 samples with known mutations. Accuracy and stability of 99.80% and 99.58% were achieved respectively. Then, a total of 303 patients were tested using our targeted NGS approaches, 50.17% of which were found to have deleterious mutations and molecular confirmation of the clinical diagnosis. We identified 219 disease causing mutations, 43.84% (96/219) of which has never been reported before. Additionally, we developed a new deleteriousness prediction method for nonsynonymous SNVs, and an automating annotation and diagnosis system for Mendelian diseases, thus greatly assisting and enhancing Mendelian diseases diagnosis and helping to make a precise diagnosis for patients with Mendelian diseases.