bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distributed modeling of ablation (1996–2011) and climate sensitivity on the glaciers of Taylor Valley, Antarctica
Authors: HOFFMAN MATTHEW J. , FOUNTAIN ANDREW G. , LISTON GLEN E.
Published: March 2016

The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica host the coldest and driest ecosystem on Earth, which is acutely sensitive to the availability of water coming from glacial runoff. We modeled the spatial variability in ablation and assessed climate sensitivity of the glacier ablation zones using 16 years of meteorological and surface mass-balance observations collected in Taylor Valley. Sublimation was the primary form of mass loss over much of the ablation zones, except for near the termini where melt, primarily below the surface, dominated. Microclimates in ~10 m scale topographic basins generated melt rates up to ten times higher than over smooth glacier surfaces. In contrast, the vertical terminal cliffs on the glaciers can have higher or lower melt rates than the horizontal surfaces due to differences in incoming solar radiation. The model systematically underpredicted ablation for the final 5 years studied, possibly due to an increase of windblown sediment. Surface mass-balance sensitivity to temperature was ~−0.02 m w.e. K−1, which is among the smallest magnitudes observed globally. We also identified a high sensitivity to ice albedo, with a decrease of 0.02 having similar effects as a 1 K increase in temperature, and a complex sensitivity to wind speed.
Plastic bed beneath Hofsjökull Ice Cap, central Iceland, and the sensitivity of ice flow to surface meltwater flux
Authors: MINCHEW BRENT , SIMONS MARK , BJÖRNSSON HELGI , PÁLSSON FINNUR , MORLIGHEM MATHIEU , SEROUSSI HELENE , LAROUR ERIC , HENSLEY SCOTT
Published: March 2016

The mechanical properties of glacier beds play a fundamental role in regulating the sensitivity of glaciers to environmental forcing across a wide range of timescales. Glaciers are commonly underlain by deformable till whose mechanical properties and influence on ice flow are not well understood but are critical for reliable projections of future glacier states. Using synoptic-scale observations of glacier motion in different seasons to constrain numerical ice flow models, we study the mechanics of the bed beneath Hofsjökull, a land-terminating ice cap in central Iceland. Our results indicate that the bed deforms plastically and weakens following incipient summertime surface melt. Combining the inferred basal shear traction fields with a Coulomb-plastic bed model, we estimate the spatially distributed effective basal water pressure and show that changes in basal water pressure and glacier accelerations are non-local and non-linear. These results motivate an idealized physical model relating mean basal water pressure and basal slip rate wherein the sensitivity of glacier flow to changes in basal water pressure is inversely related to the ice surface slope.
Pointcatcher software: analysis of glacial time-lapse photography and integration with multitemporal digital elevation models
Authors: JAMES MIKE R. , HOW PENELOPE , WYNN PETER M.
Published: March 2016

Terrestrial time-lapse photography offers insight into glacial processes through high spatial and temporal resolution imagery. However, oblique camera views complicate measurement in geographic coordinates, and lead to reliance on specific imaging geometries or simplifying assumptions for calculating parameters such as ice velocity. We develop a novel approach that integrates time-lapse imagery with multitemporal DEMs to derive full three-dimensional coordinates for natural features tracked throughout a monoscopic image sequence. This enables daily independent measurement of horizontal (ice flow) and vertical (ice melt) velocities. By combining two terrestrial laser scanner surveys with a 73 days sequence from Sólheimajökull, Iceland, variations in horizontal ice velocity of ~10% were identified over timescales of ~25 days. An overall decrease of ~3.0 m surface elevation showed asynchronous rate changes with the horizontal velocity variations, demonstrating a temporal disconnect between the processes of ice surface lowering and mechanisms of glacier movement. Our software, ‘Pointcatcher’, is freely available for user-friendly interactive processing of general time-lapse sequences and includes Monte Carlo error analysis and uncertainty in projection onto DEM surfaces. It is particularly suited for analysis of challenging oblique glacial imagery, and we discuss good features to track, both for correction of camera motion and for deriving ice velocities.
Mineralogical and morphological properties of individual dust particles in ice cores from the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: WU GUANGJIAN , ZHANG XUELEI , ZHANG CHENGLONG , XU TIANLI
Published: March 2016

Using a field emission scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (FESEM−EDS), individual insoluble dust particles in ice cores recovered from the northern (Dunde), western (Muztagata) and south-eastern (Palong-Zangbo) Tibetan Plateau were analysed in order to reveal the mineralogical and morphological characteristics of the analogue of long-range transported Asian dust. The results reveal that the dust particles are mainly composed of quartz (17–36%, number abundance), clay (37–48%) and feldspar (12–18%). Illite and chlorite are the dominant clay species, while kaolinite is rarely observed. For the three sites, regional differences in the mineral assemblages are significant, in particular the abundance of quartz, chlorite and muscovite species, reflecting the regional provenance of these dust particles and the climatic regime in their source areas. Oxide ratios in clays indicate different weathering strengths of the particles in their source regions, with a higher K2O/(SiO2 + Al2O3) in the western and northern Tibetan Plateau. The individual particles have modes of 1.48 and 1.53 in the aspect ratio and circularity distribution respectively. No significant relationship between aspect ratio and circularity was found. Quartz and feldspar particles have a narrow aspect ratio distribution. Muscovite particles have the coarsest grain size, while chlorite particles have the finest.
Parties, Brokers, and Voter Mobilization: How Turnout Buying Depends Upon the Party’s Capacity to Monitor Brokers
Authors: LARREGUY HORACIO , MARSHALL JOHN , QUERUBÍN PABLO
Published: March 2016

Despite its prevalence, little is known about when parties buy turnout. We emphasize the problem of parties monitoring local brokers with incentives to shirk. Our model suggests that parties extract greater turnout buying effort from their brokers where they can better monitor broker performance and where favorable voters would not otherwise turn out. Exploiting exogenous variation in the number of polling stations—and thus electoral information about broker performance—in Mexican electoral precincts, we find that greater monitoring capacity increases turnout and votes for the National Action Party (PAN) and the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Consistent with our theoretical predictions, the effect of monitoring capacity on PRI votes varies nonlinearly with the distance of voters to the polling station: it first increases because rural voters—facing larger costs of voting—generally favor the PRI, before declining as the cost of incentivizing brokers increases. This nonlinearity is not present for the PAN, who stand to gain less from mobilizing rural voters.
Liberal Integrity and Foreign Entanglement
Authors: NILI SHMUEL
Published: March 2016

My aim in this article is to show that there is distinctive normative value to thinking about a liberal polity as an agent with integrity that can be threatened, paralleling the integrity of an individual person. I argue that the idea of liberal integrity organizes and clarifies important moral intuitions concerning the policies of liberal democracies, especially with regard to their global conduct. This idea provides a novel organizing framework for liberal values that currently seem disparate. It also captures important moral intuitions as to how the tainted histories of actual liberal societies should bear on their global conduct. Finally, this idea explains, in a way that a simple appeal to familiar liberal values arguably cannot, why liberal polities have identity-based moral reasons not to entangle themselves in manifestly illiberal practices beyond their borders—reasons whose significance becomes apparent in scenarios and real-world cases that global political theory overlooks.
Metabolic syndrome in people with a psychotic illness: is cannabis protective?
Authors: Waterreus A. , Di Prinzio P. , Watts G. F. , Castle D. , Galletly C. , Morgan V. A.
Published: March 2016

Background

Rates of the metabolic syndrome in people with psychotic illness are high. Emerging evidence suggests that cannabis use may have a positive impact on cardiometabolic risk factors in the general population, but little is known about its impact for people with psychotic illness. Our aim was to investigate whether the rate of the metabolic syndrome in people with psychotic illness was associated with frequency of cannabis use.

Method

The 2010 Australian psychosis survey used a two-phase design to randomly select a nationally representative sample of 1825 adults with psychotic illness for interview and physical assessment. This study is based on 1813 participants who provided data on cannabis use. Multiple logistic regression was used to model the influence of frequency of cannabis use on the metabolic syndrome, adjusting for potential covariates including antipsychotic medication use, smoking, alcohol use and cognitive function.

Results

One-third (33.0%) of participants had used cannabis in the past year. The proportion of non-users, occasional users and frequent users with the metabolic syndrome was 63.0, 51.7 and 43.5%, respectively (p< 0.001). In unadjusted analyses, both occasional use and frequent cannabis use were associated with significantly lower odds of the metabolic syndrome. In the adjusted analyses, the association between the metabolic syndrome and frequent cannabis use remained significant [odds ratio = 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.39–0.80], but not the association with occasional use (odds ratio = 0.75, 95% CI 0.49–1.13).

Conclusions

While cannabis use may be detrimental for mental health, these data suggest that it may also have a cardiometabolic protective effect. Further investigation is required to understand the mechanism underlying this paradoxical finding.
Parents and their children's variable language: Is it acquisition or more?
Authors: HABIB RANIA
Published: March 2016

This study compares the use of the variable (q), which is realized as rural [q] and urban [ʔ], in the speech of twenty-two parents and their twenty-one children from the village of Oyoun Al-Wadi in Syria. The study shows that children acquire the general gendered linguistic pattern of the community but do not replicate the linguistic frequencies that exist in their immediate environment. Boys and girls exhibit different linguistic behavior. Boys deviate from the non-local caregivers' proportions and approach men's local linguistic behavior, although their local variant proportions remain lower; girls, even those with local mothers, approach the women's supralocal variant proportions. The study shows that sociolinguistic variation is not acquired from adults from a very early age; it is acquired later in life after accepting and ascertaining the gendered linguistic differences and appropriateness norms.
Bilingual language input environments, intake, maturity and practice
Authors: DE HOUWER ANNICK
Published: March 2016

Before bilingual children can say anything, they must learn to distinguish between the two languages that are spoken to them, and they must learn to make useful perceptual distinctions in each of them in order to understand what is said to them. Conversational interaction and non-verbal communication, such as pointing and gaze, aid children in attending to and processing aspects of their “language input environment” (De Houwer, 2009, 2011), “exposure” in Carroll's terms. As Carroll points out, children must build up their linguistic categories based on their intrinsically category-free “exposure”: they must process speech to acquire language. This reminds me of Wijnen's (2000) notion oflanguage intake, which is the “data base children use to derive hypotheses on the structure of the target grammar” (p. 174), and which constitutes children's selection from what I will continue to call input,paceCarroll.
The influence of classroom input and community exposure on the learning of variable grammar
Authors: MOUGEON RAYMOND , REHNER KATHERINE
Published: March 2016

As pointed out by Carroll (Carroll), our team has investigated the influence of input on the spoken French competence of older Ontario bilinguals. Our research has examined the learning of invariant and variable aspects of French grammar. We focus here on the learning of variation, since it is an under-researched topic not covered by Carroll. Our research examines adolescent speakers of Ontario French from French-medium schools (e.g., Mougeon & Beniak, 1991), same-age immersion students (e.g., Mougeon, Nadasdi & Rehner, 2010) and advanced learners from a bilingual university (e.g., Mougeon & Rehner, 2015). Two key dimensions of input are teacher classroom speech and frequency of use of French in the community for the Franco-Ontarian students and amount of extra-curricular interactions with Francophones for the FSL students. Having collected corpora from these student groups, we compared the output of learners with primarily classroom-based input with that of learners with broader ranging (extra-) curricular input. The availability of teacher in-class recordings for these learner groups has been crucial in identifying additional factors influencing these students’ output.
Straw man: Who thought exposure was the ONLY factor?
Authors: GATHERCOLE VIRGINIA C. MUELLER
Published: March 2016

Carroll (Carroll) purports to contrast one view of language development in bilinguals, based on exposure, with another, based on processing. She claims that some researchers view language acquisition in bilinguals as founded solely on exposure and argues that language acquisition involves more than this, including analogy, associative learning, instance-based learning, rule-learning, and statistical learning.
A LOGNORMAL MODEL FOR DEMAND FORECASTING IN THE NATIONAL ELECTRICITY MARKET
Authors: MAISANO J. , RADCHIK A. , LING T.
Published: March 2016

Many electricity market participants have a requirement to calculate the probabilistic risk measures, such as earnings at risk (EaR) and value at risk (VaR), for compliance reporting purposes. This requirement is currently hindered by the lack of analytical representations for forecasts of demand (load) and price curves; this motivates numerical simulation and models that need extensive calibration. In this paper, we derive an analytical representation of a state demand forecast which is the aggregated usage of all electricity consumers in a particular region (such as New South Wales or Victoria). We have used two probabilistic benchmarks from the Australian energy market operator as input, which are expressed as forecasted probability of exceedance.

Due to a number of considerations, including asymmetry of these quantiles with respect to the median, we have selected a series of truncated lognormal distributions with two parameters. The procedure of finding these parameters has been reduced to solving (for every half-hour) a single nonlinear equation. As a result, the two-year half-hourly forecast (expected curve) and demand volatility are found by explicit integration with the set of derived distributions. We have also tested an alternative method based on simplifying assumptions; using a nontruncated lognormal distribution, we found that under the test conditions this method produces an identical forward load and volatility curve.
Is Compliance the Name of the Effectiveness Game? Goal-Shifting and the Dynamics of Judicial Effectiveness at the WTO
Authors: AGON SIVAN SHLOMO
Published: March 2016

In line with current research on the effectiveness of international law and institutions, much of the literature on the effectiveness of the WTO dispute settlement system (DSS) has settled on compliance as its primary effectiveness benchmark. This article challenges this trend. It argues that common models gauging the DSS effectiveness through the narrow lens of compliance disregard many other institutional goals pursued by the system, and the conflicts latent among them. Furthermore, existing models are also static in nature—predicated on problematic assumptions regarding the constant supremacy of the DSS compliance objective—what leads them to overlook important shifts amidst the multiple and conflicting goals of the DSS that take place over time and across disputes. Building on the goal-based approach developed in the social sciences, the article introduces a multidimensional framework for analyzing the DSS effectiveness, using the multiple, conflicting and shifting goals set for the system by WTO Members as key effectiveness benchmarks. The article then turns to closely examine the novel concept of ‘goal-shifting’ – essential for effectiveness assessment – and through interview-based analysis of different categories of WTO disputes shows how the DSS goals change with time and context, as a consequence of the changing modalities in which the system operates.
Genetic variation in sorghum as revealed by phenotypic and SSR markers: implications for combining ability and heterosis for grain yield
Authors: Amelework Beyene , Shimelis Hussien , Laing Mark
Published: March 2016

Hybrid breeding relies on selection of genetically unrelated and complementary parents for key traits. The objective of this study was to examine genetic variation and identify unique sorghum genotypes using phenotypic and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and to determine their relationships with combining ability and heterosis for grain yield. A total of 32 landraces and four cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines were phenotyped using 25 agro-morphological traits and genotyped with 30 polymorphic SSR markers. The landraces were crossed with four CMS lines using a line × tester mating design. The 128 hybrids, 36 parentals and four check varieties were field-evaluated using a 12 × 14 alpha lattice design with three replications. General combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA) and heterosis for grain yield were determined. Genetic distance estimates ranged from 0.39 to 0.60 and 0.50 to 0.79, based on phenotypic and SSR markers, respectively. Landraces 72572, 75454, 200654, 239175, 239208, 244735A and 242039B and CMS lines ICSA 743 and ICSA 756 displayed positive and significant GCA effects for grain yield. Based on the SCA effects of yield, lines were classified into three heterotic groups aligned to the different cytoplasmic systems of testers. Lines with high GCA effects rendered hybrids with highly significant SCA effects with high mid-parent heterosis (MPH) for grain yield. Both marker systems were effective in demarcating sorghum genotypes that provided desirable cross-combinations with high combining ability effects and MPH for grain yield. The selected genotypes are recommended as potential parents for sorghum hybrid breeding in moisture stress environments.
Scientists Find the Point of No Return for Antarctic Ice Cap
Authors: Wendel JoAnna
Published: March 2016

Varying amounts of glacial debris in a core of ancient sediment show the ice cover grew and shrank until airborne carbon dioxide levels fell below 600 parts per million, spurring steady growth.
Lenalidomide treatment and prognostic markers in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia: data from the prospective, multicenter phase-II CLL-009 trial
Authors: Bühler A , Wendtner C-M , Kipps T J , Rassenti L , Fraser G A M , Michallet A-S , Hillmen P , Dürig J , Gregory S A , Kalaycio M , Aurran-Schleinitz T , Trentin L , Gribben J G , Chanan-Khan A , Purse B , Zhang J , De Bedout S , Mei J , Hallek M , Stilgenbauer S
Published: March 2016

Efficacy of lenalidomide was investigated in 103 patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) treated on the prospective, multicenter randomized phase-II CLL-009 trial. Interphase cytogenetic and mutational analyses identified TP53 mutations, unmutated IGHV, or del(17p) in 36/96 (37.5%), 68/88 (77.3%) or 22/92 (23.9%) patients. The overall response rate (ORR) was 40.4% (42/104). ORRs were similar irrespective of TP53 mutation (36.1% (13/36) vs 43.3% (26/60) for patients with vs without mutation) or IGHV mutation status (45.0% (9/20) vs 39.1% (27/68)); however, patients with del(17p) had lower ORRs than those without del(17p) (21.7% (5/22) vs 47.1% (33/70); P=0.049). No significant differences in progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) were observed when comparing subgroups defined by the presence or absence of high-risk genetic characteristics. In multivariate analyses, only multiple prior therapies (⩾3 lines) significantly impacted outcomes (median OS: 21.2 months vs not reached; P=0.019). This analysis indicates that lenalidomide is active in patients with relapsed/refractory CLL with unfavorable genetic profiles, including TP53 inactivation or unmutated IGHV. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00963105).
IL-15-dependent balance between Foxp3 and RORγt expression impacts inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Tosiek Milena J. , Fiette Laurence , El Daker Sary , Eberl Gérard , Freitas Antonio A.
Published: March 2016

The ability of CD4+ T cells to change their phenotype and to specialize into different functional subsets may enhance the risk of autoimmune diseases. Here we investigate how a pleiotropic cytokine interleukin (IL)-15 may modify the functional commitment of CD4+ T cells expressing the lineage-associated transcription factors: forkhead box P3 (Foxp3; Treg) and RORγt (Th17) in the context of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We demonstrate in mice that impaired delivery of IL-15 to CD4+ T cells in the colon downmodulates Foxp3 expression (diminishing STAT5 phosphorylation) and enhances RORγt expression (by upregulating the expression of Runx1). In consequence, CD4+ T cells deprived of IL-15 rapidly trigger IBD characterized by enhanced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interferon-γ, IL-6) and accumulation of Th1/Th17 cells. Overall, our findings indicate a potentially beneficial role of IL-15 in IBD by fine-tuning the balance between Treg and Th17 cells and controlling intestinal inflammation.
The TLX-miR-219 cascade regulates neural stem cell proliferation in neurodevelopment and schizophrenia iPSC model
Authors: Murai Kiyohito , Sun Guoqiang , Ye Peng , Tian E. , Yang Su , Cui Qi , Sun Guihua , Trinh Daniel , Sun Olivia , Hong Teresa , Wen Zhexing , Kalkum Markus , Riggs Arthur D. , Song Hongjun , Ming Guo-li , Shi Yanhong
Published: March 2016

Dysregulated expression of miR-219, a brain-specific microRNA, has been observed in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia (SCZ). However, its role in normal mammalian neural stem cells (NSCs) and in SCZ pathogenesis remains unknown. We show here that the nuclear receptor TLX, an essential regulator of NSC proliferation and self-renewal, inhibits miR-219 processing. miR-219 suppresses mouse NSC proliferation downstream of TLX. Moreover, we demonstrate upregulation of miR-219 and downregulation of TLX expression in NSCs derived from SCZ patient iPSCs and DISC1-mutant isogenic iPSCs. SCZ NSCs exhibit reduced cell proliferation. Overexpression of TLX or inhibition of miR-219 action rescues the proliferative defect in SCZ NSCs. Therefore, this study uncovers an important role for TLX and miR-219 in both normal neurodevelopment and in SCZ patient iPSC-derived NSCs. Moreover, this study reveals an unexpected role for TLX in regulating microRNA processing, independent of its well-characterized role in transcriptional regulation.
Propagation phasor approach for holographic image reconstruction
Authors: Luo Wei , Zhang Yibo , Göröcs Zoltán , Feizi Alborz , Ozcan Aydogan
Published: March 2016

To achieve high-resolution and wide field-of-view, digital holographic imaging techniques need to tackle two major challenges: phase recovery and spatial undersampling. Previously, these challenges were separately addressed using phase retrieval and pixel super-resolution algorithms, which utilize the diversity of different imaging parameters. Although existing holographic imaging methods can achieve large space-bandwidth-products by performing pixel super-resolution and phase retrieval sequentially, they require large amounts of data, which might be a limitation in high-speed or cost-effective imaging applications. Here we report a propagation phasor approach, which for the first time combines phase retrieval and pixel super-resolution into a unified mathematical framework and enables the synthesis of new holographic image reconstruction methods with significantly improved data efficiency. In this approach, twin image and spatial aliasing signals, along with other digital artifacts, are interpreted as noise terms that are modulated by phasors that analytically depend on the lateral displacement between hologram and sensor planes, sample-to-sensor distance, wavelength, and the illumination angle. Compared to previous holographic reconstruction techniques, this new framework results in five- to seven-fold reduced number of raw measurements, while still achieving a competitive resolution and space-bandwidth-product. We also demonstrated the success of this approach by imaging biological specimens including Papanicolaou and blood smears.
Ecosystem services provided by a complex coastal region: challenges of classification and mapping
Authors: Sousa Lisa P. , Sousa Ana I. , Alves Fátima L. , Lillebø Ana I.
Published: March 2016

A variety of ecosystem services classification systems and mapping approaches are available in the scientific and technical literature, which needs to be selected and adapted when applied to complex territories (e.g. in the interface between water and land, estuary and sea). This paper provides a framework for addressing ecosystem services in complex coastal regions. The roadmap comprises the definition of the exact geographic boundaries of the study area; the use of CICES (Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services) for ecosystem services identification and classification; and the definition of qualitative indicators that will serve as basis to map the ecosystem services. Due to its complexity, the Ria de Aveiro coastal region was selected as case study, presenting an opportunity to explore the application of such approaches at a regional scale. The main challenges of implementing the proposed roadmap, together with its advantages are discussed in this research. The results highlight the importance of considering both the connectivity of natural systems and the complexity of the governance framework; the flexibility and robustness, but also the challenges when applying CICES at regional scale; and the challenges regarding ecosystem services mapping.
Dynamic channel adjustments in the Jingjiang Reach of the Middle Yangtze River
Authors: Xia Junqiang , Deng Shanshan , Lu Jinyou , Xu Quanxi , Zong Quanli , Tan Guangming
Published: March 2016

Significant channel adjustments have occurred in the Jingjiang Reach of the Middle Yangtze River, because of the operation of the Three Gorges Project (TGP). The Jingjiang Reach is selected as the study area, covering the Upper Jingjiang Reach (UJR) and Lower Jingjiang Reach (LJR). The reach-scale bankfull channel dimensions in the study reach were calculated annually from 2002 to 2013 by means of a reach-averaged approach and surveyed post-flood profiles at 171 sections. We find from the calculated results that: the reach-scale bankfull widths changed slightly in the UJR and LJR, with the corresponding depths increasing by 1.6 m and 1.0 m; the channel adjustments occurred mainly with respect to bankfull depth because of the construction of large-scale bank revetment works, although there were significant bank erosion processes in local regions without the bank protection engineering. The reach-scale bankfull dimensions in the UJR and LJR generally responded to the previous five-year average fluvial erosion intensity during flood seasons, with higher correlations being obtained for the depth and cross-sectional area. It is concluded that these dynamic adjustments of the channel geometry are a direct result of recent human activities such as the TGP operation.
Structure-Based Virtual Ligand Screening on the XRCC4/DNA Ligase IV Interface
Authors: Menchon Grégory , Bombarde Oriane , Trivedi Mansi , Négrel Aurélie , Inard Cyril , Giudetti Brigitte , Baltas Michel , Milon Alain , Modesti Mauro , Czaplicki Georges , Calsou Patrick
Published: March 2016

The association of DNA Ligase IV (Lig4) with XRCC4 is essential for repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) in humans. DSBs cytotoxicity is largely exploited in anticancer therapy. Thus, NHEJ is an attractive target for strategies aimed at increasing the sensitivity of tumors to clastogenic anticancer treatments. However the high affinity of the XRCC4/Lig4 interaction and the extended protein-protein interface make drug screening on this target particularly challenging. Here, we conducted a pioneering study aimed at interfering with XRCC4/Lig4 assembly. By Molecular Dynamics simulation using the crystal structure of the complex, we first delineated the Lig4 clamp domain as a limited suitable target. Then, we performedin silicoscreening of ~95,000 filtered molecules on this Lig4 subdomain. Hits were evaluated by Differential Scanning Fluorimetry, Saturation Transfer Difference - NMR spectroscopy and interaction assays with purified recombinant proteins. In this way we identified the first molecule able to prevent Lig4 binding to XRCC4in vitro. This compound has a unique tripartite interaction with the Lig4 clamp domain that suggests a starting chemotype for rational design of analogous molecules with improved affinity.
Identification of OCTN2 variants and their association with phenotypes of Crohn’s disease in a Korean population
Authors: Park Hyo Jin , Jung Eun Suk , Kong Kyoung Ae , Park Eun-Mi , Cheon Jae Hee , Choi Ji Ha
Published: March 2016

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease and a genetic variant in the OCTN2, g.-207G > C is significantly associated with CD susceptibility. This study was aimed to identify novel OCTN2 functional promoter variants and their roles in transcriptional regulation using various in vitro assays. In addition, we investigated the association between OCTN2 genotypes and CD through genetic analysis using DNA samples from 193 patients with CD and 281 healthy controls. Among the three major promoter haplotypes of OCTN2 identified, one haplotype, H3, showed a significant decrease in promoter activity: two polymorphisms in H3 were associated with a significant reduction in promoter activity. In particular, we found that the reduced transcriptional activity of those two polymorphisms results from a reduction in the binding affinity of the activators, NF-E2 and YY1, to the OCTN2 promoter. The functional haplotype of the OCTN2 promoter was associated with clinical course of CD such as the disease behavior and need for surgery. However, genetic variants or haplotypes of OCTN2 did not affect the susceptibility to CD. Our results suggest that a common promoter haplotype of OCTN2 regulates the transcriptional rate of OCTN2 and influences the clinical course of CD.
A New Acyl-homoserine Lactone Molecule Generated by Nitrobacter winogradskyi
Authors: Shen Qiuxuan , Gao Jie , Liu Jun , Liu Shuangjiang , Liu Zijun , Wang Yinghuan , Guo Baoyuan , Zhuang Xuliang , Zhuang Guoqiang
Published: March 2016

It is crucial to reveal the regulatory mechanism of nitrification to understand nitrogen conversion in agricultural systems and wastewater treatment. In this study, the nwiI gene of Nitrobacter winogradskyi was confirmed to be a homoserine lactone synthase by heterologous expression in Escherichia coli that synthesized several acyl-homoserine lactone signals with 7 to 11 carbon acyl groups. A novel signal, 7, 8-trans-N-(decanoyl) homoserine lactone (C10:1-HSL), was identified in both N. winogradskyi and the recombined E. coli. Furthermore, this novel signal also triggered variances in the nitrification rate and the level of transcripts for the genes involved in the nitrification process. These results indicate that quorum sensing may have a potential role in regulating nitrogen metabolism.
Localized surface plasmon resonances dominated giant lateral photovoltaic effect observed in ZnO/Ag/Si nanostructure
Authors: Zhang Ke , Wang Hui , Gan Zhikai , Zhou Peiqi , Mei Chunlian , Huang Xu , Xia Yuxing
Published: March 2016

We report substantially enlarged lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE) in the ZnO/Ag/Si nanostructures. The maximum LPE sensitivity (55.05 mv/mm) obtained in this structure is about seven times larger than that observed in the control sample (7.88 mv/mm) of ZnO/Si. We attribute this phenomenon to the strong localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) induced by nano Ag semicontinuous films. Quite different from the traditional LPE in PN junction type structures, in which light-generated carriers contributed to LPE merely depends on direct excitation of light in semiconductor, this work firstly demonstrates that, by introducing a super thin metal Ag in the interface between two different kinds of semiconductors, the nanoscale Ag embedded in the interface will produce strong resonance of localized field, causing extra intraband excitation, interband excitation and an enhanced direct excitation. As a consequence, these LSPRs dominated contributions harvest much more carriers, giving rise to a greatly enhanced LPE. In particular, this LSPRs-driven mechanism constitutes a sharp contrast to the traditional LPE operation mechanism. This work suggests a brand new LSPRs approach for tailoring LPE-based devices and also opens avenues of research within current photoelectric sensors area.
Peltaster fructicola genome reveals evolution from an invasive phytopathogen to an ectophytic parasite
Authors: Xu Chao , Chen Huan , Gleason Mark L. , Xu Jin-Rong , Liu Huiquan , Zhang Rong , Sun Guangyu
Published: March 2016

Sooty blotch and flyspeck (SBFS) fungi are unconventional plant pathogens that cause economic losses by blemishing the surface appearance of infected fruit. Here, we introduce the 18.14-Mb genome of Peltaster fructicola, one of the most prevalent SBFS species on apple. This undersized assembly contains only 8,334 predicted protein-coding genes and a very small repertoire of repetitive elements. Phylogenomics and comparative genomics revealed that P. fructicola had undergone a reductive evolution, during which the numbers of orphan genes and genes involved in plant cell wall degradation, secondary metabolism, and secreted peptidases and effectors were drastically reduced. In contrast, the genes controlling 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN)-melanin biosynthesis and appressorium-mediated penetration were retained substantially. Additionally, microscopic examination of the surfaces of infected apple indicated for the first time that P. fructicola can not only dissolve epicuticular waxes but also partially penetrate the cuticle proper. Our findings indicate that genome contraction, characterized mainly by the massive loss of pathogenicity-related genes, has played an important role in the evolution of P. fructicola (and by implication other SBFS species) from a plant-penetrating ancestor to a non-invasive ectophyte, displaying a novel form of trophic interaction between plants and fungi.
Preservation of ancestral Cretaceous microflora recovered from a hypersaline oil reservoir
Authors: Gales Grégoire , Tsesmetzis Nicolas , Neria Isabel , Alazard Didier , Coulon Stéphanie , Lomans Bart P. , Morin Dominique , Ollivier Bernard , Borgomano Jean , Joulian Catherine
Published: March 2016

Microbiology of a hypersaline oil reservoir located in Central Africa was investigated with molecular and culture methods applied to preserved core samples. Here we show that the community structure was partially acquired during sedimentation, as many prokaryotic 16S rRNA gene sequences retrieved from the extracted DNA are phylogenetically related to actual Archaea inhabiting surface evaporitic environments, similar to the Cretaceous sediment paleoenvironment. Results are discussed in term of microorganisms and/or DNA preservation in such hypersaline and Mg-rich solutions. High salt concentrations together with anaerobic conditions could have preserved microbial/molecular diversity originating from the ancient sediment basin wherein organic matter was deposited.
A high-throughput peptidomic strategy to decipher the molecular diversity of cyclic cysteine-rich peptides
Authors: Serra Aida , Hemu Xinya , Nguyen Giang K. T. , Nguyen Ngan T. K. , Sze Siu Kwan , Tam James P.
Published: March 2016

Cyclotides are plant cyclic cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs). The cyclic nature is reported to be gene-determined with a precursor containing a cyclization-competent domain which contains an essential C-terminal Asn/Asp (Asx) processing signal recognized by a cyclase. Linear forms of cyclotides are rare and are likely uncyclizable because they lack this essential C-terminal Asx signal (uncyclotide). Here we show that in the cyclotide-producing plantClitoria ternatea, both cyclic and acyclic products, collectively named cliotides, can be bioprocessed from the same cyclization-competent precursor. Using an improved peptidomic strategy coupled with the novel Asx-specific endopeptidase butelase 2 to linearize cliotides at a biosynthetic ligation site for transcriptomic analysis, we characterized 272 cliotides derived from 38 genes. Several types of post-translational modifications of the processed cyclotides were observed, including deamidation, oxidation, hydroxylation, dehydration, glycosylation, methylation, and truncation. Taken together, our results suggest that cyclotide biosynthesis involves ‘fuzzy’ processing of precursors into both cyclic and linear forms as well as post-translational modifications to achieve molecular diversity, which is a commonly found trait of natural product biosynthesis.
Antioxidants inhibit advanced glycosylation end-product-induced apoptosis by downregulation of miR-223 in human adipose tissue-derived stem cells
Authors: Wang Zhe , Li Hongqiu , Guo Ran , Wang Qiushi , Zhang Dianbao
Published: March 2016

Advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) are endogenous inflammatory mediators that induce apoptosis of mesenchymal stem cells. A potential mechanism includes increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). MicroRNA-223 (miR-223) is implicated in the regulation of cell growth and apoptosis in several cell types. Here, we tested the hypothesis that antioxidants N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (AAP) inhibit AGE-induced apoptosis via a microRNA-dependent mechanism in human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs). Results showed that AGE-HSA enhanced apoptosis and caspase-3 activity in ADSCs. AGE-HSA also increased ROS generation and upregulated the expression of miR-223. Interestingly, reductions in ROS generation and apoptosis and upregulation of miR-223 were found in ADSCs treated with antioxidants NAC and AAP. Furthermore, miR-223 mimics blocked antioxidant inhibition of AGE-induced apoptosis and ROS generation. Knockdown of miR-223 amplified the protective effects of antioxidants on apoptosis induced by AGE-HSA. miR-223 acted by targeting fibroblast growth factor receptor 2. These results indicate that NAC and AAP suppress AGE-HSA-induced apoptosis of ADSCs, possibly through downregulation of miR-223.
YiXin-Shu, a ShengMai-San-based traditional Chinese medicine formula, attenuates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by suppressing mitochondrial mediated apoptosis and upregulating liver-X-receptor α
Authors: Zhao Yichao , Xu Longwei , Qiao Zhiqing , Gao Lingchen , Ding Song , Ying Xiaoying , Su Yuanyuan , Lin Nan , He Ben , Pu Jun
Published: March 2016

Positive evidence from clinical trials has fueled growing acceptance of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of cardiac diseases; however, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. Here, we investigated the nature and underlying mechanisms of the effects of YiXin-Shu (YXS), an antioxidant-enriched TCM formula, on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury. YXS pretreatment significantly reduced infarct size and improved viable myocardium metabolism and cardiac function in hypercholesterolemic mice. Mechanistically, YXS attenuated myocardial apoptosis by inhibiting the mitochondrial mediated apoptosis pathway (as reflected by inhibition of mitochondrial swelling, cytochromecrelease and caspase-9 activity and normalization of Bcl-2 and Bax levels) without altering the death receptor and endoplasmic reticulum-stress death pathways. Moreover, YXS reduced oxidative/nitrative stress (as reflected by decreased superoxide and nitrotyrosine content and normalized pro- and anti-oxidant enzyme levels). Interestingly, YXS upregulated endogenous nuclear receptors including LXRα, PPARα, PPARβ and ERα andin-vivoknockdown of cardiac-specific LXRα significantly blunted the cardio-protective effects of YXS. Collectively, these data show that YXS is effective in mitigating MI/R injury by suppressing mitochondrial mediated apoptosis and oxidative stress and by upregulating LXRα, thereby providing a rationale for future clinical trials and clinical applications.
Diet of dingoes and other wild dogs in peri-urban areas of north-eastern Australia
Authors: Allen Benjamin L. , Carmelito Erin , Amos Matt , Goullet Mark S. , Allen Lee R. , Speed James , Gentle Matt , Leung Luke K.-P.
Published: March 2016

Knowledge of the resource requirements of urban predators can improve our understanding of their ecology and assist town planners and wildlife management agencies in developing management approaches that alleviate human-wildlife conflicts. Here we examine food and dietary items identified in scats of dingoes in peri-urban areas of north-eastern Australia to better understand their resource requirements and the potential for dingoes to threaten locally fragmented populations of native fauna. Our primary aim was to determine what peri-urban dingoes eat and whether or not this differs between regions. We identified over 40 different food items in dingo scats, almost all of which were mammals. Individual species commonly observed in dingo scats included agile wallabies, northern brown bandicoots and swamp wallabies. Birds were relatively common in some areas but not others, as were invertebrates. Dingoes were identified as a significant potential threat to fragmented populations of koalas. Dietary overlap was typically very high or near-identical between regions, indicating that peri-urban dingoes ate the same types or sizes of prey in different areas. Future studies should seek to quantify actual and perceived impacts of and human attitudes towards, peri-urban dingoes and to develop management strategies with a greater chance of reducing human-wildlife conflicts.
High speed direct imaging of thin metal film ablation by movie-mode dynamic transmission electron microscopy
Authors: Hihath Sahar , Santala Melissa K. , Cen Xi , Campbell Geoffrey , van Benthem Klaus
Published: March 2016

Obliteration of matter by pulsed laser beams is not only prevalent in science fiction movies, but finds numerous technological applications ranging from additive manufacturing over machining of micro- and nanostructured features to health care. Pulse lengths ranging from femtoseconds to nanoseconds are utilized at varying laser beam energies and pulse lengths and enable the removal of nanometric volumes of material. While the mechanisms for removal of material by laser irradiation, i.e., laser ablation, are well understood on the micrometer length scale, it was previously impossible to directly observe obliteration processes on smaller scales due to experimental limitations for the combination of nanometer spatial and nanosecond temporal resolution. Here, we report the direct observation of metal thin film ablation from a solid substrate through dynamic transmission electron microscopy. Quantitative analysis reveals liquid-phase dewetting of the thin-film, followed by hydrodynamic sputtering of nano- to submicron sized metal droplets. We discovered unexpected fracturing of the substrate due to evolving thermal stresses. This study confirms that hydrodynamic sputtering remains a valid mechanism for droplet expulsion on the nanoscale, while irradiation induced stress fields represent limit laser processing of nanostructured materials. Our results allow for improved safety during laser ablation in manufacturing and medical applications.
Three-dimensional printing of continuous-fiber composites by in-nozzle impregnation
Authors: Matsuzaki Ryosuke , Ueda Masahito , Namiki Masaki , Jeong Tae-Kun , Asahara Hirosuke , Horiguchi Keisuke , Nakamura Taishi , Todoroki Akira , Hirano Yoshiyasu
Published: March 2016

We have developed a method for the three-dimensional (3D) printing of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastics based on fused-deposition modeling. The technique enables direct 3D fabrication without the use of molds and may become the standard next-generation composite fabrication methodology. A thermoplastic filament and continuous fibers were separately supplied to the 3D printer and the fibers were impregnated with the filament within the heated nozzle of the printer immediately before printing. Polylactic acid was used as the matrix while carbon fibers, or twisted yarns of natural jute fibers, were used as the reinforcements. The thermoplastics reinforced with unidirectional jute fibers were examples of plant-sourced composites; those reinforced with unidirectional carbon fiber showed mechanical properties superior to those of both the jute-reinforced and unreinforced thermoplastics. Continuous fiber reinforcement improved the tensile strength of the printed composites relative to the values shown by conventional 3D-printed polymer-based composites.
Convenient and controllable preparation of a novel uniformly nitrogen doped porous graphene/Pt nanoflower material and its highly-efficient electrochemical biosensing
Authors: Ren Shuang , Wang Huan , Zhang Yufan , Sun Yuena , Li Lanfen , Zhang Hongyi , Shi Zhihong , Li Mingjie , Li Meng
Published: March 2016

A novel uniformly nitrogen doped porous graphene/Pt nanoflower was prepared by a convenient method and used as highly-efficient electrocatalyst.
A data fusion detection method for fish freshness based on computer vision and near-infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Huang Xingyi , Xu Haixia , Wu Lei , Dai Huang , Yao Liya , Han Fangkai
Published: March 2016

This article proposes and describes a data fusion detection method based on computer vision and spectroscopic techniques for fish freshness classification.
Studying the effects of asymmetry on the bending rigidity of lipid membranes formed by microfluidics
Authors: Karamdad K. , Law R. V. , Seddon J. M. , Brooks N. J. , Ces O.
Published: March 2016

In this article we detail a robust high-throughput microfluidic platform capable of fabricating either symmetric or asymmetric giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) and characterise the mechanical properties of their membranes.
Heteronuclear DNP of protons and deuterons with TEMPOL
Authors: Kaminker I. , Shimon D. , Hovav Y. , Feintuch A. , Vega S.
Published: March 2016

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) experiments on samples with several types of magnetic nuclei sometimes exhibit “cross-talk” between the nuclei, such as different nuclei having DNP spectra with similar shapes and enhancements.
Ionic liquid-based materials: a platform to design engineered CO2 separation membranes
Authors: Tomé Liliana C. , Marrucho Isabel M.
Published: March 2016

This review provides a judicious assessment of the CO2 separation efficiency of membranes using ionic liquid-based materials and highlights breakthroughs and key challenges in this field.