bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hormetic effects of glyphosate on plants
Authors: Brito Ivana PFS , Tropaldi Leandro , Carbonari Caio A , Velini Edivaldo D
Published: January 2017

As all herbicides act on pathways or processes crucial to plants, in an inhibitory or stimulatory way, low rates of any herbicide might be used to modulate plant growth, development, or plant composition. Glyphosate is the most used herbicide in the world, and very low rates of this herbicide can stimulate plant growth, an effect called hormesis. Several studies have shown that glyphosate applications at low rates can increase plant growth, induce shikimic acid accumulation, increase photosynthesis and stomatal opening, increase seed production, and shorten the plant life cycle. Low rates of glyphosate applied to leaves have been reported to cause one or more of these effects in an expanding group of species. Under field conditions, pesticide rates are not uniform, causing some target organisms to receive rates that are low enough to cause hormesis. Until the present, low rates of glyphosate have not been recommended as a growth stimulant for crops, because the hormetic dose can vary considerably, depending on many factors. The objective of the present review is to summarize and analyze existing information about the hormetic effects of glyphosate on plants, thus contributing to understanding how glyphosate hormesis takes place and evaluating the potential use of glyphosate to stimulate plant growth. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Characterisation of glufosinate resistance mechanisms in Eleusine indica
Authors: Jalaludin Adam , Yu Qin , Zoellner Peter , Beffa Roland , Powles Stephen B
Published: January 2017

BACKGROUND

An Eleusine indica population has evolved resistance to glufosinate, a major post‐emergence herbicide of global agriculture. This population was analysed for target‐site (glutamine synthetase) and non‐target‐site (glufosinate uptake, translocation and metabolism) resistance mechanisms.

RESULTS

Glutamine synthetase (GS) activity extracted from susceptible (S) and resistant (R*) plants was equally sensitive to glufosinate inhibition, with IC50 values of 0.85 mm and 0.99 mm, respectively. The extractable GS activity was also similar in S and R* samples. Foliar uptake of [14C]‐glufosinate did not differ in S and R* plants, nor did glufosinate net uptake in leaf discs. Translocation of [14C]‐glufosinate into untreated shoots and roots was also similar in both populations, with 44% to 47% of the herbicide translocated out from the treated leaf 24 h after treatment. The HPLC and LC‐MS analysis of glufosinate metabolism revealed no major metabolites in S or R* leaf tissue.

CONCLUSIONS

Glufosinate resistance in this resistant population is not due to an insensitive GS, or increased activity, or altered glufosinate uptake and translocation, or enhanced glufosinate metabolism. Thus, target‐site resistance is likely excluded and the exact resistance mechanism(s) remain to be determined. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
A feedback scheme for control of single electron transport
Authors: Brandes Tobias
Published: January 2017

We revise a feedback control scheme for single electron transport. It is based on the idea of an adaptive modulation of the system parameters (such as tunnel rates) during the observation of the full counting statistics. This can be done via an iterative, step‐wise modulation, or in a continuous manner. We compare these two procedures and discuss an extension of the previously used linear feedback protocol to the non‐linear case. This involves an exponential dependence of tunnel rates on the differences , where n is the number of electrons transferred after time t and the stationary target current. The feedback freezes the full counting statistics into a stationary distribution that we derive and analyze using a Fokker–Planck equation.
Almost output regulation of switched linear dynamics with switched exosignals
Authors: Yuan Chengzhi , Wu Fen
Published: January 2017

For systems with switched linear dynamics and affected by persistent switched exosignals, we propose a new hybrid control approach to achieve not only closed‐loop stability but also tracking and/or rejection of persistent references/disturbances generated by multiple exosystems, namely, output regulation. It is assumed that both controlled plant and exosystem are described by switched linear models. The proposed hybrid controller/output regulator is specified as a switching impulsive system, where the controller states will undergo impulsive jumps at each switching instant. Based on the average dwell time switching technique, it has been shown how to completely reduce the synthesis problem of the hybrid controller to a set of linear matrix equations and linear matrix inequalities. Both continuous‐time and discrete‐time cases are discussed. To demonstrate its usefulness, the proposed hybrid control method has been applied to solve the output regulation problem for a mechanical system. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An efficient designated verifier signature scheme with pairing‐free and low cost
Authors: Hu Xiaoming , Xu Huajie , Liu Yan , Wang Jian , Tan Wenan , Zhang Xiaojun
Published: January 2017

In a strong designated verifier signature with message recovery (SDVSWMR) scheme, only the designated receiver has the capability to recover and validate the message‐signature pair. In 2015, using the bilinear pairing, Islam and Biswas presented an SDVSWMR scheme (we call it: IsBi‐SDVSWMR) with non‐delegatability, which has better performance than other schemes in terms of communication and computation cost. However, in this study, we address that IsBi‐SDVSWM scheme does not satisfy the security property of non‐delegatability as they claimed and we present two types of delegatability attack to their scheme. We also propose a new and pairing‐free SDVSWMR scheme that possesses the following security requirements: non‐delegatability, unforgeability, non‐transferability and privacy of signer's identity (PrSI). Compared our scheme with other existing related schemes, our scheme obtains better performance; that is, the computational cost is only 58%(lower) of IsBi‐SDVSWM scheme (other schemes), and the communication cost is 800 bits that is only 68%(lower) of IsBi‐SDVSWM scheme (other schemes). Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Four Crystalline Forms of (Tetrahydrothiophene)trichloridogold(III): Polymorphism and Reversible Low‐temperature Phase Transitions
Authors: Upmann Daniel , Näther Christian , Jess Inke , Jones Peter G.
Published: January 2017

The title compound (tht)AuCl3, previously known to crystallize at –95 °C in space group C2 with Z = 4 (form I), converts reversibly to form II (P21/n, Z = 8) at ca. –150 °C; the b axis doubles and the centering is lost. A few crystals of a rarer form III (Pna21, Z = 4) were also investigated; these transform reversibly to form IV (P21/c, Z = 4) at ca. –160 °C. In all forms, stacks of molecules are formed, with short Au···Cl contacts within the stacks. For forms I and II, adjacent stacks are connected by C–H···Cl interactions; more striking for forms III/IV are short Cl···Cl contacts between the stacks. Detailed physico‐chemical studies of the relationships between the various phases proved to be impossible, largely because form III could not be obtained reproducibly in significant quantities.
Cyano‐bridged Molecular Square: [Ni(iprtacn)Fe(phen)2(CN)2]2(PF6)4·6CH3CN – Preparation, Structure, Magnetic Properties and Binding with DNA
Authors: Yang Yong‐Sheng , Ren Wei , Yan Shi‐Ping
Published: January 2017

The cyano‐bridged molecular square Ni(iprtacn)]2[Fe(phen)2(CN)2]2(PF6)4·6CH3CN (1) (iprtacn = 1,4,7‐triisopropyl‐1,4,7‐triazacyclononane, phen = 1, 10‐phenanthroline) was prepared and its crystal structure, magnetic properties, and binding with DNA were characterized. The four metal ions NiIIFeIINiIIFeII of the complex 1 are almost coplanar. Magnetic susceptibilities measured over the range of 2–300 K show weak antiferromagnetic interactions between the two nickel(II) ions; best fitting for the experimental data leads to J = –1.27 cm–1. UV/Vis and fluorescence spectra show that the complex is able to displace DNA‐bound EB and bind to DNA with strong interactions.
When Surgical Resources are Severely Constrained, Who Receives Care? Determinants of Access to Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery in Uganda
Authors: Stephens Trina , Mezei Alexander , O’Hara Nathan N. , Potter Jeffrey , Mugarura Rodney , Blachut Piotr A. , O’Brien Peter J. , Beyeza Tito , Slobogean Gerard P.
Published: January 2017

Background

In low‐ and middle‐income countries, the volume of traumatic injuries requiring orthopaedic intervention routinely exceeds the capacity of available surgical resources. The objective of this study was to identify predictors of surgical care for lower extremity fracture patients at a high‐demand, resource‐limited public hospital in Uganda.

Methods

Skeletally mature patients admitted with the intention of definitive surgical treatment of an isolated tibia or femur fractures to the national referral hospital in Uganda were recruited to participate in this study. Demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical data were collected through participant interviews at the time of injury and 6 months post‐injury. Social capital (use of social networks to gain access to surgery), financial leveraging, and ethnicity were also included as variables in this analysis. A probit estimation model was used to identify independent and interactive predictors of surgical treatment.

Results

Of the 64 patients included in the final analysis, the majority of participants were male (83%), with a mean age of 40.6, and were injured in a motor vehicle accident (77%). Due to resource constraints, only 58% of participants received surgical care. The use of social capital and femur fractures were identified as significant predictors of receiving surgical treatment, with social capital emerging as the strongest predictor of access to surgery (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Limited infrastructure, trained personnel, and surgical supplies rations access to surgical care. In this environment, participants with advantageous social connections were able to self‐advocate for surgery where demand for these services greatly exceeded available resources.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Operative Findings Correlation in 229 Fistula‐in‐Ano Patients
Authors: Garg Pankaj , Singh Pratiksha , Kaur Baljit
Published: January 2017

Background

To correlate the operative findings of patients with fistula‐in‐ano with preoperative MRI and quantify the information added with MRI.

Methods

All consecutive fistula‐in‐ano patients operated between July 2013 and May 2015 were prospectively enrolled. Preoperative MRI was done in every patient. The details of tracts, internal opening and “complex parameters” (additional tract or additional internal opening, horseshoe tract, associated abscess and supralevator extension) found at surgery were compared to the findings determined by MRI.

Results

A total of 229 patients (424 tracts) with mean age—49.0 ± 11.3 years were included. M/F 198/31. James hospital classification: Type I 58, II 20, III 49, IV 86 and V 16. The sensitivity and specificity of MRI in diagnosing fistula tracts were 98.8 and 99.7%, respectively, and in identifying internal opening were 97.7 and 98.6%, respectively. MRI added significant information in 46.7% (107/229) patients which was presence of additional tracts in 71 (66.3%), horseshoe tract in 63 (58.8%), supralevator extension in 16 (14.9%), unsuspected abscess in 11 (10.3%) and multiple internal openings in one patient (1%). The proportion of simple/complex fistula (based on history and clinical examination alone) was 32.8/67.2% which changed to 21.4/78.6% after the MRI scan. MRI added significant information about unsuspecting complex parameters which were missed on history and clinical examination in more than one‐third (26/75: 34.6%) of simple fistulae and more than half (81/154: 52.5%) of already known complex fistulae.

Conclusions

MRI is highly accurate in diagnosing fistula‐in‐ano and added significant information about unsuspected complex parameters in over one‐third (34.6%) of simple and in half (52.5%) of complex fistula‐in‐ano.
748 K (475 °C) Embrittlement of Duplex Stainless Steel: Effect on Microstructure and Fracture Behavior
Authors: Örnek Cem , Burke M. G. , Hashimoto T. , Engelberg D. L.
Published: January 2017

22Cr-5Ni duplex stainless steel (DSS) was aged at 748 K (475 °C) and the microstructure development correlated to changes in mechanical properties and fracture behavior. Tensile testing of aged microstructures confirmed the occurrence of 748 K (475 °C) embrittlement, which was accompanied by an increase of strength and hardness and loss of toughness. Aging caused spinodal decomposition of the ferrite phase, consisting of Cr-enriched α″ and Fe-rich α′ and the formation of a large number of R-phase precipitates, with sizes between 50 and 400 nm. Fracture surface analyses revealed a gradual change of the fracture mode from ductile to brittle delamination fracture, associated with slip incompatibility between ferrite and austenite. Ferrite became highly brittle after 255 hours of aging, mainly due to the presence of precipitates, while austenite was ductile and accommodated most plastic strain. The fracture mechanism as a function of 748 K (475 °C) embrittlement is discussed in light of microstructure development.
Glucose Uptake and Triacylglycerol Synthesis Are Increased in Barth Syndrome Lymphoblasts
Authors: Mejia Edgard M. , Zinko James C. , Hauff Kristin D. , Xu Fred Y. , Ravandi Amir , Hatch Grant M.
Published: January 2017

Barth syndrome (BTHS) is an X‐linked genetic disease resulting in loss of cardiolipin (Ptd2Gro). Patients may be predisposed to hypoglycemia and exhibit increases in whole‐body glucose disposal rates and a higher fat mass percentage. We examined the reasons for this in BTHS lymphoblasts. BTHS lymphoblasts exhibited a 60% increase (p < 0.004) in 2‐[1,2‐3H(N)]deoxy‐d‐glucose uptake, a 40% increase (p < 0.01) in glucose transporter‐3 protein expression, an increase in phosphorylated‐adenosine monophosphate kinase (AMPK) and a 58% increase (p < 0.001) in the phosphorylated‐AMPK/AMPK ratio compared to controls. In addition, BTHS lymphoblasts exhibited a 90% (p < 0.001) increase in d‐[U‐14C]glucose incorporated into 1,2,3‐triacyl‐sn‐glycerol (TAG) and a 29% increase (p < 0.025) in 1,2‐diacyl‐sn‐glycerol acyltransferase‐2 activity compared to controls. Thus, BTHS lymphoblasts exhibit increased glucose transport and increased glucose utilization for TAG synthesis. These results may, in part, explain why BTHS patients exhibit an increase in whole‐body glucose disposal rates, may be predisposed to hypoglycemia and exhibit a higher fat mass percentage.
Flame volume prediction and validation for lean blow-out of gas turbine combustor
Authors: Ahmed E. , Huang Y.
Published: January 2017

Lean Blow-Out (LBO) limits are critically important in the operation of aero engines. Previously, Lefebvre's LBO empirical correlation has been extended to the flame volume concept by the authors. Flame volume takes into account the effects of geometric configuration, spatial interaction of mixing jets, turbulence, heat transfer and combustion processes inside the gas turbine combustion chamber. For these reasons, LBO predictions based on flame volume are more accurate. Although LBO prediction accuracy has improved, it poses a challenge associated with Vfestimation in real gas turbine combustors. This work extends the approach of flame volume prediction based on fuel iterative approximation with cold flow simulations to reactive flow simulations. Flame volume for 11 combustor configurations were simulated and validated against experimental data. To make prediction methodology robust, as required in preliminary design stage, reactive flow simulations were carried out with the combination of presumed Probability Density Function (PDF) and discrete phase model (DPM) in Fluent 15.0 The criterion for flame identification was defined. Two important parameters—critical injection diameter (Dp,crit) and critical temperature (Tcrit)—were identified and their influence on reactive flow simulation was studied for Vfestimation. Results exhibit ±15% error in Vf estimation with experimental data.
Pregnant Women’s Awareness of Social Capital in the Great East Japan Earthquake-Affected Areas of Miyagi Prefecture: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study
Authors: Nishigori Hidekazu , Nishigori Toshie , Sakurai Kasumi , Mizuno Satoshi , Obara Taku , Metoki Hirohito , Watanabe Zen , Iwama Noriyuki , Ishikuro Mami , Tatsuta Nozomi , Nishijima Ichiko , Sugawara Junichi , Kuriyama Shinichi , Fujiwara Ikuma , Arima Takahiro , Nakai Kunihiko , Takahashi Fumiaki , Yaegashi Nobuo ,   the Japan Environment & Children’s Study Group
Published: January 2017

Objective

We aimed to clarify the correlation between the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and pregnant women’s awareness of social capital 3 to 9 months after the tsunami disaster.

Methods

We analyzed data on responses to a questionnaire by 7451 pregnant women in their second to third trimesters. The proportions of social capital–related items were calculated in the north and south coastal areas of Miyagi Prefecture and were compared with national samples. The factors associated with social capital were estimated by use of multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Results

The proportion of women feeling that they had helpful neighbors was higher (69.0% vs 56.7%,P=0.0005), the proportion of women regarding their communities as safe and secure was lower (51.7% vs 62.4%,P=0.002), and the proportion of women feeling that most people were trustworthy was lower (23.7% vs 32.9%,P=0.006) in the north coastal area than nationwide. Such differences were not observed in the less severely affected south coastal area. Age of 35 years or older, extended family, college or university graduation, and being multiparous were associated with the feeling of having helpful neighbors.

Conclusion

The current status of pregnant women’s awareness of social capital in disaster-affected areas was revealed. Continuous monitoring and support may be necessary to address this issue.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:355–364)
Nonlinear dynamics and hydrodynamic feedback in two-dimensional double cavity flow
Authors: Tuerke F. , Pastur L. , Fraigneau Y. , Sciamarella D. , Lusseyran F. , Artana G.
Published: January 2017

This paper reports results obtained with two-dimensional numerical simulations of viscous incompressible flow in a symmetric channel with a sudden expansion and contraction, creating two facing cavities; a so-called double cavity. Based on time series recorded at discrete probe points inside the double cavity, different flow regimes are identified when the Reynolds number and the intercavity distance are varied. The transition from steady to chaotic flow behaviour can in general be summarized as follows: steady (fixed) point, period-1 limit cycle, intermediate regime (including quasi-periodicity) and torus breakdown leading to toroidal chaos. The analysis of the intracavity vorticity reveals a ‘carousel’ pattern, creating a feedback mechanism, that influences the shear-layer oscillations and makes it possible to identify in which regime the flow resides. A relation was found between the ratio of the shear-layer frequency peaks and the number of small intracavity structures observed in the flow field of a given regime. The properties of each regime are determined by the interplay of three characteristic time scales: the turnover time of the large intracavity vortex, the lifetime of the small intracavity vortex structures and the period of the dominant shear-layer oscillations.
Flow regimes for a square cross-section cylinder in oscillatory flow
Authors: Tong Feifei , Cheng Liang , Xiong Chengwang , Draper Scott , An Hongwei , Lou Xiaofan
Published: January 2017

Two-dimensional direct numerical simulation and Floquet stability analysis have been performed at moderate Keulegan–Carpenter number ($KC$) and low Reynolds number ($Re$) for a square cross-section cylinder with its face normal to the oscillatory flow. Based on the numerical simulations a map of flow regimes is formed and compared to the map of flow around an oscillating circular cylinder by Tatsuno & Bearman (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 211, 1990, pp. 157–182). Two new flow regimes have been observed, namely A$^{\prime }$ and F$^{\prime }$. The regime A$^{\prime }$ found at low $KC$ is characterised by the transverse convection of fluid particles perpendicular to the motion; and the regime F$^{\prime }$ found at high $KC$ shows a quasi-periodic feature with a well-defined secondary period, which is larger than the oscillation period. The Floquet analysis demonstrates that when the two-dimensional flow breaks the reflection symmetry about the axis of oscillation, the quasi-periodic instability and the synchronous instability with the imposed oscillation occur alternately for the square cylinder along the curve of marginal stability. This alternate pattern in instabilities leads to four distinct flow regimes. When compared to the vortex shedding in otherwise unidirectional flow, the two quasi-periodic flow regimes are observed when the oscillation frequency is close to the Strouhal frequency (or to half of it). Both the flow regimes and marginal stability curve shift in the $(Re,KC)$-space compared to the oscillatory flow around a circular cylinder and this shift appears to be consistent with the change in vortex formation time associated with the lower Strouhal frequency of the square cylinder.
A large-eddy simulation on a deep-stalled aerofoil with a wavy leading edge
Authors: Pérez-Torró Rafael , Kim Jae Wook
Published: January 2017

A numerical investigation on the stalled flow characteristics of a NACA0021 aerofoil with a sinusoidal wavy leading edge (WLE) at chord-based Reynolds number$Re_{\infty }=1.2\times 10^{5}$and angle of attack$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}=20^{\circ }$is presented in this paper. It is observed that laminar separation bubbles (LSBs) form at the trough areas of the WLE in a collocated fashion rather than uniformly/periodically distributed over the span. It is found that the distribution of LSBs and their influence on the aerodynamic forces is strongly dependent on the spanwise domain size of the simulation, i.e. the wavenumber of the WLE used. The creation of a pair of counter-rotating streamwise vortices from the WLE and their evolution as an interface/buffer between the LSBs and the adjacent fully separated shear layers are discussed in detail. The current simulation results confirm that an increased lift and a decreased drag are achieved by using the WLEs compared to the straight leading edge (SLE) case, as observed in previous experiments. Additionally, the WLE cases exhibit a significantly reduced level of unsteady fluctuations in aerodynamic forces at the frequency of periodic vortex shedding. The beneficial aerodynamic characteristics of the WLE cases are attributed to the following three major events observed in the current simulations: (i) the appearance of a large low-pressure zone near the leading edge created by the LSBs; (ii) the reattachment of flow behind the LSBs resulting in a decreased volume of the rear wake; and, (iii) the deterioration of von-Kármán (periodic) vortex shedding due to the breakdown of spanwise coherent structures.
On the mechanism of high-incidence lift generation for steadily translating low-aspect-ratio wings
Authors: DeVoria Adam C. , Mohseni Kamran
Published: January 2017

High-incidence lift generation via flow reattachment is studied. Different reattachment mechanisms are distinguished, with dynamic manoeuvres and tip vortex downwash being separate mechanisms. We focus on the latter mechanism, which is strictly available to finite wings, and isolate it by considering steadily translating wings. The tip vortex downwash provides a smoother merging of the flow at the trailing edge, thus assisting in establishing a Kutta condition there. This decreases the strength/amount of vorticity shed from the trailing edge, and in turn maintains an effective bound circulation resulting in continued lift generation at high angles of attack. Just below the static lift-stall angle of attack, strong vorticity is shed at the trailing edge indicating an increasingly intermittent reattachment/detachment of the instantaneous flow at mid-span. Above this incidence, the trailing-edge shear layer increases in strength/size representing a negative contribution to the lift and leads to stall. Lastly, we show that the mean-flow topology is equivalent to a vortex pair regardless of the particular physical flow configuration.
Asymptotic solution for high-vorticity regions in incompressible three-dimensional Euler equations
Authors: Agafontsev D. S. , Kuznetsov E. A. , Mailybaev A. A.
Published: January 2017

Incompressible three-dimensional Euler equations develop high vorticity in very thin pancake-like regions from generic large-scale initial conditions. In this work, we propose an exact solution of the Euler equations for the asymptotic pancake evolution. This solution combines a shear flow aligned with an asymmetric straining flow, and is characterized by a single asymmetry parameter and an arbitrary transversal vorticity profile. The analysis is based on detailed comparison with numerical simulations performed using a pseudospectral method in anisotropic grids of up to $972\times 2048\times 4096$.
Moral Struggles in Markets
Authors: Balsiger Philip
Published: January 2017

Practices within markets are widely regulated and sometimes contested on the basis of moral judgments. Moral entrepreneurs challenge markets and market practices while firms and industry actors defend them, leading to moral struggles opposing different orders of worth. Based on an historical case study, this paper develops a theoretical framework to study moral struggles in markets as social and political processes around commensurability. It identifies three core arenas in which moral struggles play out: ideas, where the morality of specific practices itself is contested and actors ground their moral claims in different institutional orders for legitimation; the economy, where the market viability of changing moral standards is at stake; and politics, where commensuration reflects political power struggles. Through a socio-historical analysis of the fight against battery cages in Swiss egg production in the 1970s and 1980s, the study fleshes out how this moral struggle played out along these dimensions, focusing on the competing discourses, strategies, and tactics of the main moral entrepreneurs and industry associations.
Evaluation of Analysis Conditions for Laser-Pulsed Atom Probe Tomography: Example of Cemented Tungsten Carbide
Authors: Peng Zirong , Choi Pyuck-Pa , Gault Baptiste , Raabe Dierk
Published: January 2017

Cemented tungsten carbide has been analyzed using laser-pulsed atom probe tomography (APT). The influence of experimental parameters, including laser pulse energy, pulse repetition rate, and specimen base temperature, on the acquired data were evaluated from different aspects, such as mass spectrum, chemical composition, noise-to-signal ratio, and multiple events. Within all the applied analysis conditions, only 1 MHz pulse repetition rate led to a strong detector saturation effect, resulting in a largely biased chemical composition. A comparative study of the laser energy settings showed that an ~12 times higher energy was required for the less focused green laser of the LEAPTM 3000X HR system to achieve a similar evaporation field as the finer spot ultraviolet laser of the LEAPTM 5000 XS system.
“HE KEPT US OUT OF WAR!” A COUNTERFACTUAL LOOK AT AMERICAN HISTORY WITHOUT THE FIRST WORLD WAR
Authors: Berg Manfred
Published: January 2017

One hundred years after President Woodrow Wilson led Americans into the Great War, this essay ponders various counterfactual scenarios based on the assumption that the United States had not become a belligerent power in 1917. The methodological introduction makes a case for counterfactual analysis as a useful and indeed indispensable tool of historians. The second part demonstrates that contemporaries, including Wilson himself, did not consider American entry into the war a foregone conclusion. The third section looks at the possible consequences of continued American neutrality on the international position of the United States, while the fourth part focuses on the question which major domestic developments would have been unlikely had America remained neutral. Had the United States stayed out of the Great War, America's international role in the postwar world would not been very different from what it actually was in the 1920s, but the nation would have been spared the spasms of war hysteria that altered domestic politics.
Targeted DNA sequencing and in situ mutation analysis using mobile phone microscopy
Authors: Kühnemund Malte , Wei Qingshan , Darai Evangelia , Wang Yingjie , Hernández-Neuta Iván , Yang Zhao , Tseng Derek , Ahlford Annika , Mathot Lucy , Sjöblom Tobias , Ozcan Aydogan , Nilsson Mats
Published: January 2017

Molecular diagnostics is typically outsourced to well-equipped centralized laboratories, often far from the patient. We developed molecular assays and portable optical imaging designs that permit on-site diagnostics with a cost-effective mobile-phone-based multimodal microscope. We demonstrate that targeted next-generation DNA sequencing reactions and in situ point mutation detection assays in preserved tumour samples can be imaged and analysed using mobile phone microscopy, achieving a new milestone for tele-medicine technologies.
Creating stable Floquet–Weyl semimetals by laser-driving of 3D Dirac materials
Authors: Hübener Hannes , Sentef Michael A. , De Giovannini Umberto , Kemper Alexander F. , Rubio Angel
Published: January 2017

Tuning and stabilizing topological states, such as Weyl semimetals, Dirac semimetals or topological insulators, is emerging as one of the major topics in materials science. Periodic driving of many-body systems offers a platform to design Floquet states of matter with tunable electronic properties on ultrafast timescales. Here we show by first principles calculations how femtosecond laser pulses with circularly polarized light can be used to switch between Weyl semimetal, Dirac semimetal and topological insulator states in a prototypical three-dimensional (3D) Dirac material, Na3Bi. Our findings are general and apply to any 3D Dirac semimetal. We discuss the concept of time-dependent bands and steering of Floquet–Weyl points and demonstrate how light can enhance topological protection against lattice perturbations. This work has potential practical implications for the ultrafast switching of materials properties, such as optical band gaps or anomalous magnetoresistance.
Mate choice in fruit flies is rational and adaptive
Authors: Arbuthnott Devin , Fedina Tatyana Y. , Pletcher Scott D. , Promislow Daniel E. L.
Published: January 2017

According to rational choice theory, beneficial preferences should lead individuals to sort available options into linear, transitive hierarchies, although the extent to which non-human animals behave rationally is unclear. Here we demonstrate that mate choice in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster results in the linear sorting of a set of diverse isogenic female lines, unambiguously demonstrating the hallmark of rational behaviour, transitivity. These rational choices are associated with direct benefits, enabling males to maximize offspring production. Furthermore, we demonstrate that female behaviours and cues act redundantly in mate detection and assessment, as rational mate choice largely persists when visual or chemical sensory modalities are impaired, but not when both are impaired. Transitivity in mate choice demonstrates that the quality of potential mates varies significantly among genotypes, and that males and females behave in such a way as to facilitate adaptive mate choice.
Electrically tunable organic–inorganic hybrid polaritons with monolayer WS2
Authors: Flatten Lucas C. , Coles David M. , He Zhengyu , Lidzey David G. , Taylor Robert A. , Warner Jamie H. , Smith Jason M.
Published: January 2017

Exciton-polaritons are quasiparticles consisting of a linear superposition of photonic and excitonic states, offering potential for nonlinear optical devices. The excitonic component of the polariton provides a finite Coulomb scattering cross section, such that the different types of exciton found in organic materials (Frenkel) and inorganic materials (Wannier-Mott) produce polaritons with different interparticle interaction strength. A hybrid polariton state with distinct excitons provides a potential technological route towards in situ control of nonlinear behaviour. Here we demonstrate a device in which hybrid polaritons are displayed at ambient temperatures, the excitonic component of which is part Frenkel and part Wannier-Mott, and in which the dominant exciton type can be switched with an applied voltage. The device consists of an open microcavity containing both organic dye and a monolayer of the transition metal dichalcogenide WS2. Our findings offer a perspective for electrically controlled nonlinear polariton devices at room temperature.
Correction: Corrigendum: Tissue engineering of acellular vascular grafts capable of somatic growth in young lambs
Authors: Syedain Zeeshan , Reimer Jay , Lahti Matthew , Berry James , Johnson Sandra , Bianco Richard , Tranquillo Robert T.
Published: January 2017

Nature Communications 7: Article number: 12951 (2016); Published 27 September 2016; Updated 17 January 2017 The authors inadvertently omitted Richard Bianco, who provided consultation for the experimental surgical services, from the author list. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Erratum: Fission and fusion scenarios for magnetic microswimmer clusters
Authors: Guzmán-Lastra Francisca , Kaiser Andreas , Löwen Hartmut
Published: January 2017

Nature Communications 7: Article number: 13519 (2016); Published 22 November 2016; Updated 17 January 2017 This Article contains an error in Reference 18 that was introduced during the production process. The correct reference should be: Steinbach, G. et al. Stirrers and movers actuated by oscillating fields.
Correction: Corrigendum: Critical exponents and scaling invariance in the absence of a critical point
Authors: Saratz N. , Zanin D. A. , Ramsperger U. , Cannas S. A. , Pescia D. , Vindigni A.
Published: January 2017

Nature Communications 7: Article number: 13611 (2016); Published 5 December 2016; Updated 17 January 2017 The original version of this Article contained a typographical error in the spelling of the author S.A. Cannas, which was incorrectly given as S. Cannas. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Cymbiola nobilis shell: Toughening mechanisms in a crossed-lamellar structure
Authors: Ji Hongmei , Li Xiaowu , Chen Daolun
Published: January 2017

Natural structural materials with intricate hierarchical architectures over several length scales exhibit excellent combinations of strength and toughness. Here we report the mechanical response of a crossed-lamellar structure in Cymbiola nobilis shell via stepwise compression tests, focusing on toughening mechanisms. At the lower loads microcracking is developed in the stacked direction, and channel cracking along with uncracked-ligament bridging and aragonite fiber bridging occurs in the tiled direction. At the higher loads the main mechanisms involve cracking deflection in the bridging lamellae in the tiled direction alongside step-like cracking in the stacked direction. A distinctive crack deflection in the form of “convex” paths occurs in alternative lamellae with respect to the channel cracks in the tiled direction. Furthermore, a barb-like interlocking mechanism along with the uneven interfaces in the 1st-order aragonite lamellae is also observed. The unique arrangement of the crossed-lamellar structure provides multiple interfaces which result in a complicated stress field ahead of the crack tip, hence increasing the toughness of shell.
Sulfated Cyclocarya paliurus polysaccharides markedly attenuates inflammation and oxidative damage in lipopolysaccharide-treated macrophage cells and mice
Authors: Wang Zhijun , Xie Jianhua , Yang Yujiao , Zhang Fan , Wang Shengnan , Wu Ting , Shen Mingyue , Xie Mingyong
Published: January 2017

Natural polysaccharides and their modified derivatives are crucial supplements to the prevention of inflammation. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sulfated modification on the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities of Cyclocarya paliurus polysaccharides (CP). A sulfated CP, S-CP1–4 was obtained using chlorosulfonic acid-pyridine method. The chemical components and FT-IR spectrum confirmed that sulfated group was synthesized to the polysaccharide chains successfully. S-CP1–4 was found to inhibit nitric oxide production, phagocytic activity and the release of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β in lipopolysaccharide-treated macrophage cells, RAW 264.7. S-CP1–4 significantly decreased the secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α and the thymus and spleen indexes, and increased the production of IL-10 in lipopolysaccharide-treated mice. S-CP1–4 could better protect the liver by inhibiting the activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and malondialdehyde level while increasing the superoxide dismutase activity and total anti-oxidative capacity. These results suggested that S-CP1–4 may be an effective anti-inflammatory agent, and sulfated modification may be a reliable method for the development of food supplements.
Folivory elicits a strong defense reaction in Catharanthus roseus: metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal distinct local and systemic responses
Authors: Dugé de Bernonville Thomas , Carqueijeiro Inês , Lanoue Arnaud , Lafontaine Florent , Sánchez Bel Paloma , Liesecke Franziska , Musset Karine , Oudin Audrey , Glévarec Gaëlle , Pichon Olivier , Besseau Sébastien , Clastre Marc , St-Pierre Benoit , Flors Victor , Maury Stéphane , Huguet Elisabeth , O’Connor Sarah E. , Courdavault Vincent
Published: January 2017

Plants deploy distinct secondary metabolisms to cope with environment pressure and to face bio-aggressors notably through the production of biologically active alkaloids. This metabolism-type is particularly elaborated inCatharanthus roseusthat synthesizes more than a hundred different monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs). While the characterization of their biosynthetic pathway now reaches completion, still little is known about the role of MIAs during biotic attacks. As a consequence, we developed a new plant/herbivore interaction system by challengingC. roseusleaves withManduca sextalarvae. Transcriptomic and metabolic analyses demonstrated thatC. roseusrespond to folivory by both local and systemic processes relying on the activation of specific gene sets and biosynthesis of distinct MIAs following jasmonate production. While a huge local accumulation of strictosidine was monitored in attacked leaves that could repel caterpillars through its protein reticulation properties, newly developed leaves displayed an increased biosynthesis of the toxic strictosidine-derived MIAs, vindoline and catharanthine, produced by up-regulation of MIA biosynthetic genes. In this context, leaf consumption resulted in a rapid death of caterpillars that could be linked to the MIA dimerization observed in intestinal tracts. Furthermore, this study also highlights the overall transcriptomic control of the plant defense processes occurring during herbivory.
Sequestration of PRMT1 and Nd1-L mRNA into ALS-linked FUS mutant R521C-positive aggregates contributes to neurite degeneration upon oxidative stress
Authors: Jun Mi-Hee , Ryu Hyun-Hee , Jun Yong-Woo , Liu Tongtong , Li Yan , Lim Chae-Seok , Lee Yong-Seok , Kaang Bong-Kiun , Jang Deok-Jin , Lee Jin-A
Published: January 2017

Mutations in fused in sarcoma (FUS), a DNA/RNA binding protein, are associated with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, little is known about how ALS-causing mutations alter protein-protein and protein-RNA complexes and contribute to neurodegeneration. In this study, we identified protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) as a protein that more avidly associates with ALS-linked FUS-R521C than with FUS-WT (wild type) or FUS-P525L using co-immunoprecipitation and LC-MS analysis. Abnormal association between FUS-R521C and PRMT1 requires RNA, but not methyltransferase activity. PRMT1 was sequestered into cytosolic FUS-R521C-positive stress granule aggregates. Overexpression of PRMT1 rescued neurite degeneration caused by FUS-R521C upon oxidative stress, while loss of PRMT1 further accumulated FUS-positive aggregates and enhanced neurite degeneration. Furthermore, the mRNA of Nd1-L, an actin-stabilizing protein, was sequestered into the FUS-R521C/PRMT1 complex. Nd1-L overexpression rescued neurite shortening caused by FUS-R521C upon oxidative stress, while loss of Nd1-L further exacerbated neurite shortening. Altogether, these data suggest that the abnormal stable complex of FUS-R521C/PRMT1/Nd1-L mRNA could contribute to neurodegeneration upon oxidative stress. Overall, our study provides a novel pathogenic mechanism of the FUS mutation associated with abnormal protein-RNA complexes upon oxidative stress in ALS and provides insight into possible therapeutic targets for this pathology.
Glatiramer acetate attenuates the activation of CD4+ T cells by modulating STAT1 and −3 signaling in glia
Authors: Ahn Ye-Hyeon , Jeon Sae-Bom , Chang Chi Young , Goh Eun-Ah , Kim Sang Soo , Kim Ho Jin , Song Jaewhan , Park Eun Jung
Published: January 2017

Interactions between immune effector cells of the central nervous system appear to directly or indirectly influence the progress/regression of multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, we report that glial STAT1 and −3 are distinctively phosphorylated following the interaction of activated lymphocytes and glia, and this effect is significantly inhibited by glatiramer acetate (GA), a disease-modifying drug for MS. GA also reduces the activations of STAT1 and −3 by MS-associated stimuli such as IFNγ or LPS in primary glia, but not neurons. Experiments in IFNγ- and IFNγ receptor-deficient mice revealed that GA-induced inhibitions of STAT signaling are independent of IFNγ and its receptor. Interestingly, GA induces the expression levels of suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 and −3, representative negative regulators of STAT signaling in glia. We further found that GA attenuates the LPS-triggered enhancement of IL-2, a highly produced cytokine in patients with active MS, in CD4+ T cells co-cultured with glia, but not in CD4+ T cells alone. Collectively, these results provide that activation of glial STATs is an essential event in the interaction between glia and T cells, which is a possible underlying mechanism of GA action in MS. These findings provide an insight for the development of targeted therapies against MS.
Urinary Exosomes Contain MicroRNAs Capable of Paracrine Modulation of Tubular Transporters in Kidney
Authors: Gracia Tannia , Wang Xiaonan , Su Ya , Norgett Elizabeth E. , Williams Timothy L. , Moreno Pablo , Micklem Gos , Karet Frankl Fiona E.
Published: January 2017

Exosomes derived from all nephron segments are present in human urine, where their functionality is incompletely understood. Most studies have focused on biomarker discovery rather than exosome function. Through sequencing we identified the miRNA repertoire of urinary exosomes from healthy volunteers; 276 mature miRNAs and 345 pre-miRNAs were identified (43%/7% of reads). Among the most abundant were members of the miR-10, miR-30 and let-7 families. Targets for the identified miRNAs were predicted using five different databases; genes encoding membrane transporters and their regulators were enriched, highlighting the possibility that these miRNAs could modulate key renal tubular functions in a paracrine manner. As proof of concept, cultured renal epithelial cells were exposed to urinary exosomes and cellular exosomal uptake was confirmed; thereafter, reduced levels of the potassium channel ROMK and kinases SGK1 and WNK1 were observed in a human collecting duct cell line, while SPAK was unaltered. In proximal tubular cells, mRNA levels of the amino acid transporter gene SLC38A2 were diminished and reflected in a significant decrement of its encoded protein SNAT2. Protein levels of the kinase SGK1 did not change. Thus we demonstrated a novel potential function for miRNA in urinary exosomes.
Ab Initio Calculations of the N-N Bond Dissociation for the Gas-phase RDX and HMX
Authors: Liu Lin-lin , Liu Pei-jin , Hu Song-qi , He Guo-qiang
Published: January 2017

NO2 fission is a vital factor for 1,3,5-Trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) decomposition. In this study, the geometry of the gas-phase RDX and HMX molecules was optimized, and the bond order and the bond dissociation energy of the N-N bonds were examined. Moreover, the rate constants of the gas-phase RDX and HMX conformers, concerning the N-N bond dissociation, were evaluated using the microcanonical variational transition state theory (μVT). The calculation results have shown that HMX is more stable than RDX in terms of the N-N bond dissociation, and the conformers stability parameters were as follows: RDXaaa < RDXaae < HMX I < HMX II. In addition, for the RDX conformers, the N-N bond of the pseudo-equatorial positioning of the nitro group was more stable than the N-N bond of the axial positioning of the nitro group, while the results were opposite in the case of the HMX conformers. Moreover, it has been shown that the dissociation rate constant of the N-N bond is influenced by the temperature significantly, thus the rate constants were much lower (<10−10 s−1) when the temperature was less than 1000 K.
Methylation specific targeting of a chromatin remodeling complex from sponges to humans
Authors: Cramer Jason M. , Pohlmann Deborah , Gomez Fernando , Mark Leslie , Kornegay Benjamin , Hall Chelsea , Siraliev-Perez Edhriz , Walavalkar Ninad M. , Sperlazza M. Jeannette , Bilinovich Stephanie , Prokop Jeremy W. , Hill April L. , Williams David C.
Published: January 2017

DNA cytosine methylation and methyl-cytosine binding domain (MBD) containing proteins are found throughout all vertebrate species studied to date. However, both the presence of DNA methylation and pattern of methylation varies among invertebrate species. Invertebrates generally have only a single MBD protein, MBD2/3, that does not always contain appropriate residues for selectively binding methylated DNA. Therefore, we sought to determine whether sponges, one of the most ancient extant metazoan lineages, possess an MBD2/3 capable of recognizing methylated DNA and recruiting the associated nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex. We find thatEphydatia muellerihas genes for each of the NuRD core components including an EmMBD2/3 that selectively binds methylated DNA. NMR analyses reveal a remarkably conserved binding mode, showing almost identical chemical shift changes between binding to methylated and unmethylated CpG dinucleotides. In addition, we find that EmMBD2/3 and EmGATAD2A/B proteins form a coiled-coil interaction known to be critical for the formation of NuRD. Finally, we show that knockdown of EmMBD2/3 expression disrupts normal cellular architecture and development ofE. muelleri. These data support a model in which the MBD2/3 methylation-dependent functional role emerged with the earliest multicellular organisms and has been maintained to varying degrees across animal evolution.