bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Democratic Procedures in the CCP's Cadre Selection Process: Implementation and Consequences
Authors: Zeng Qingjie
Published: November 2015

Since the early 1990s, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has put in place a series of measures to allow more Party members to participate in the cadre selection process. “Intra-party democracy” was promoted as a remedy to solve the corruption and social tension that resulted from overly concentrated personnel power. How effective are these formal procedures in constraining the appointment power of core Party leaders and institutionalizing the influence of a larger group of cadres? Drawing on archival research, interviews and quantitative data, this paper examines two components of intra-party democratic reform: “democratic recommendation,” which serves as a gateway to cadre promotion, and the semi-competitive elections at Party congresses. This in-depth study finds that the efforts to expand bottom-up participation are hindered by loopholes in formal regulations, informal practices and the frequent rotation of Party officials. Meanwhile, the reform measures have brought changes to the personnel system by complicating the Party secretaries' exercise of appointment power and altering the incentives of ambitious cadres. The implementation of intra-party democracy could improve the vitality of one-party rule, and its ebbs and flows imply a divide within China's top leadership over the direction of political change.
Characteristics of heavy minerals and grain size of surface sediments on the continental shelf of Prydz Bay: implications for sediment provenance
Authors: Wang Haozhuang , Chen Zhihua , Wang Kunshan , Liu Helin , Tang Zheng , Huang Yuanhui
Published: November 2015

Data on grain size and heavy mineral composition for surface sediments on the Prydz Bay continental shelf was analysed to identify sediment features and provenance. The grain size composition of surface sediments indicate spatial variations in the glaciomarine environment and the key factors influencing sedimentation, which on the shelf include topography/water depth, currents and icebergs. The study area was divided into two sections by Q-type factor analysis: section I included Prydz Channel, Amery Basin and Svenner Channel, and section II included Four Ladies Bank, Fram Bank and the area in front of the Amery Ice Shelf. Sedimentation in section I is mainly controlled by currents and topography/water depth. However, in section II, icebergs/floating ice masses, the Amery Ice Shelf and currents have prominent effects on sedimentation. The heavy mineral composition indicates that surface sediments on the eastern side of the bay, including Four Ladies Bank, are primarily derived from Princess Elizabeth Land. Sediments in the area in front of the Amery Ice Shelf, Svenner Channel, Amery Basin and Prydz Channel have a mixed source from the eastern regions around the bay, including the Prince Charles Mountains and Princess Elizabeth Land. The contribution from Mac. Robertson Land to sediment at Fram Bank is limited.
Spatial and temporal patterns of changes in condition of southern elephant seals
Authors: McIntyre Trevor , Donaldson Ashleigh , Bester Marthán N.
Published: November 2015

The study of foraging success in marine predators is complicated by a lack of direct observations and relies mostly on proxy measures of foraging success. This study assessed spatial and temporal patterns of changes in body condition of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) from Marion Island, based on changes in drift rates (which are related to gains and losses of blubber). Seals showed substantial individual variation in condition changes throughout migrations, which was not explained by age-, sex- or reproductive stages. Substantial variation was also evident in the spatial patterns of condition changes, although an area south of the Antarctic Polar Front (APF) between 10°E and 35°E was evidently associated with moderate, yet consistent gains in condition. Seals that foraged more distantly from Marion Island displayed more extreme gains and losses in condition, suggesting a possible risk/reward trade-off associated with foraging further afield versus closer to the island. Increased condition was consistently negatively related to sea surface temperature, suggesting that seals were generally improving their condition faster in cooler water masses. These results support previous studies predicting that continued warming of the Southern Ocean will result in changes to the habitat use patterns exhibited by southern elephant seals at sea.
Rhythmic Movement Disorder in Children
Authors: Hoban Timothy F.
Published: November 2015

How should sleep-related rhythmic movements in children be assessed and treated? Rhythmic movement disorder (RMD) represents an unusual variety of childhood parasomnia characterized by repetitive motion of the head, trunk, or extremities, which usually occurs during the transition from wakefulness to sleep or arises during sustained sleep. Although the condition most often affects infants and toddlers in a transient and self-limited fashion, the condition occasionally persists in a problematic fashion, which may nevertheless be amenable to treatment. Since RMD may occasionally cause injury or resemble nocturnal seizure, prompt recognition, and appropriate management on the part of the clinician is essential. This article will examine the spectrum of RMD in children, including their common clinical manifestations; data regarding their epidemiology and natural history; the role of polysomnography, electroencephalography; and other diagnostic testing. Potential causes of the condition and available methods of treatment are also examined.
Explanation in Biology: Explanation in Biology
Authors: Smith John Maynard
Published: November 2015

During the war, I worked in aircraft design. About a year after D-day, an exhibition was arranged at Farnborough of the mass of German equipment that had been captured, including the doodlebug and the V2 rocket. I and a friend spent a fascinating two days wandering round the exhibits. The questions that kept arising were ‘Why did they make it like that?’, or, equivalently ‘I wonder what that is for?’ We were particularly puzzled by a gyroscope in the control system of the V2. One's first assumption was that the gyroscope maintained the rocket on its course, but, instead of being connected to the steering vanes, it was connected to the fuel supply to the rocket. Ultimately my friend (who would have made a better biologist than I) remembered that the rate of precession of a gyro depends on acceleration, and saw that the Germans had used this fact to design an ingenious device for switching off the engines when the required velocity had been reached.
Transnational Higher Education Strategies into and out of Singapore: Commodification and Consecration
Authors: Ye Rebecca
Published: November 2015

This article addresses transnational higher education strategies both to and from Singapore. It does so by focusing on outbound educational mobility from Singapore to the UK and inbound educational mobility from Vietnam to Singapore. Since the turn of the century, Singapore has pursued the agenda of developing itself as a regional hub for higher education, aspiring to be a Global Schoolhouse. Yet, while the number of international students grows in local universities, Singapore's academically brightest do not necessarily take advantage of higher educational opportunities within the shores of the city-state, with many traveling to universities overseas through a form of sponsored mobility. Using two case studies, I trace two logics of commodification and consecration as observed through the processes whereby individuals and institutions devise transnational higher education strategies into and out of Singapore. The first case study draws on interviews conducted with Singaporean undergraduates at Oxbridge while the second case focuses on Vietnamese students at two Singaporean universities. Together, the analysis from these cases uncovers the value for these Southeast Asian students in studying abroad and distinguishes between different types of routes that exist: one where students choose their own educational plans and another where students are chosen for a prestigious educational and occupational pathway. With increasing participation in mass higher education taking place across the region, the article outlines, through the site of Singapore, strategies of transnationalism employed by both individuals and institutions as a means of social differentiation.
Overlapping functions of the MAP4K family kinases Hppy and Msn in Hippo signaling
Authors: Li Shuangxi , Cho Yong Suk , Yue Tao , Ip Y Tony , Jiang Jin
Published: November 2015

The Hippo (Hpo) tumor suppressor pathway is an evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway that controls tissue growth and organ size in species ranging from Drosophila to human, and its malfunction has been implicated in many types of human cancer. In this study, we conducted a kinome screen and identified Happyhour (Hppy)/MAP4K3 as a novel player in the Hpo pathway. Our biochemical study showed that Hppy binds and phosphorylates Wts. Our genetic experiments suggest that Hppy acts in parallel and partial redundantly with Misshapen (Msn)/MAP4K4 to regulate Yki nuclear localization and Hpo target gene expression in Drosophila wing imaginal discs. Furthermore, we showed that cytoskeleton stress restricts Yki nuclear localization through Hppy and Msn when Hpo activity is compromised, thus providing an explanation for the Wts-dependent but Hpo-independent regulation of Yki in certain contexts. Our study has unraveled an additional layer of complexity in the Hpo signaling pathway and laid down a foundation for exploring how different upstream regulators feed into the core Hpo pathway.
Tracing the fate of carbon and the atmospheric evolution of Mars
Authors: Hu Renyu , Kass David M. , Ehlmann Bethany L. , Yung Yuk L.
Published: November 2015

The climate of Mars likely evolved from a warmer, wetter early state to the cold, arid current state. However, no solutions for this evolution have previously been found to satisfy the observed geological features and isotopic measurements of the atmosphere. Here we show that a family of solutions exist, invoking no missing reservoirs or loss processes. Escape of carbon via CO photodissociation and sputtering enriches heavy carbon (13C) in the Martian atmosphere, partially compensated by moderate carbonate precipitation. The current atmospheric 13C/12C and rock and soil carbonate measurements indicate an early atmosphere with a surface pressure <1 bar. Only scenarios with large amounts of carbonate formation in open lakes permit higher values up to 1.8 bar. The evolutionary scenarios are fully testable with data from the MAVEN mission and further studies of the isotopic composition of carbonate in the Martian rock record through time.
SENP1-mediated NEMO deSUMOylation in adipocytes limits inflammatory responses and type-1 diabetes progression
Authors: Shao Lan , Zhou Huanjiao Jenny , Zhang Haifeng , Qin Lingfeng , Hwa John , Yun Zhong , Ji Weidong , Min Wang
Published: November 2015

Adipocyte dysfunction correlates with the development of diabetes. Here we show that mice with a adipocyte-specific deletion of the SUMO-specific protease SENP1 gene develop symptoms of type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), including hyperglycaemia and glucose intolerance with mild insulin resistance. Peri-pancreatic adipocytes from SENP1-deficient mice exhibit heightened NF-κB activity and production of proinflammatory cytokines, which induce CCL5 expression in adjacent pancreatic islets and direct cytotoxic effects on pancreatic islets. Mechanistic studies show that SENP1 deletion in adipocytes enhances SUMOylation of the NF-κB essential molecule, NEMO, at lysine 277/309, leading to increased NF-κB activity, cytokine production and pancreatic inflammation. We further show that NF-κB inhibitors could inhibit pre-diabetic cytokine production, β-cell damages and ameliorate the T1DM phenotype in SENP1-deficient mice. Feeding a high-fat diet augments both type-1 and type-2 diabetes phenotypes in SENP1-deficient mice, consistent with the effects on adipocyte-derived NF-κB and cytokine signalling. Our study reveals previously unrecognized mechanism regulating the onset and progression of T1DM associated with adipocyte dysfunction.
Episodic entrainment of deep primordial mantle material into ocean island basalts
Authors: Williams Curtis D. , Li Mingming , McNamara Allen K. , Garnero Edward J. , van Soest Matthijs C.
Published: November 2015

Chemical differences between mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) and ocean island basalts (OIBs) provide critical evidence that the Earth’s mantle is compositionally heterogeneous. MORBs generally exhibit a relatively low and narrow range of 3He/4He ratios on a global scale, whereas OIBs display larger variability in both time and space. The primordial origin of 3He in OIBs has motivated hypotheses that high 3He/4He ratios are the product of mantle plumes sampling chemically distinct material, but do not account for lower MORB-like 3He/4He ratios in OIBs, nor their observed spatial and temporal variability. Here we perform thermochemical convection calculations which show the variable 3He/4He signature of OIBs can be reproduced by deep isolated mantle reservoirs of primordial material that are viscously entrained by thermal plumes. Entrainment is highly time-dependent, producing a wide range of 3He/4He ratios similar to that observed in OIBs worldwide and indicate MORB-like 3He/4He ratios in OIBs cannot be used to preclude deep mantle-sourced hotspots.
Optical focusing inside scattering media with time-reversed ultrasound microbubble encoded light
Authors: Ruan Haowen , Jang Mooseok , Yang Changhuei
Published: November 2015

Focusing light inside scattering media in a freely addressable fashion is challenging, as the wavefront of the scattered light is highly disordered. Recently developed ultrasound-guided wavefront shaping methods are addressing this challenge, albeit with relatively low modulation efficiency and resolution limitations. In this paper, we present a new technique, time-reversed ultrasound microbubble encoded (TRUME) optical focusing, which can focus light with improved efficiency and sub-ultrasound wavelength resolution. This method ultrasonically destroys microbubbles, and measures the wavefront change to compute and render a suitable time-reversed wavefront solution for focusing. We demonstrate that the TRUME technique can create an optical focus at the site of bubble destruction with a size of ∼2 μm. We further demonstrate a twofold enhancement in addressable focus resolution in a microbubble aggregate target by exploiting the nonlinear pressure-to-destruction response of the microbubbles. The reported technique provides a deep tissue-focusing solution with high efficiency, resolution, and specificity.
Loss of Polo ameliorates APP-induced Alzheimer’s disease-like symptoms in Drosophila
Authors: Peng Fei , Zhao Yu , Huang Xirui , Chen Changyan , Sun Lili , Zhuang Luming , Xue Lei
Published: November 2015

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Despite extensive studies, little is known about the regulation of APP’s functions in vivo. Here we report that expression of human APP in Drosophila, in the same temporal-spatial pattern as its homolog APPL, induced morphological defects in wings and larval NMJ, larva and adult locomotion dysfunctions, male choice disorder and lifespan shortening. To identify additional genes that modulate APP functions, we performed a genetic screen and found that loss of Polo, a key regulator of cell cycle, partially suppressed APP-induced morphological and behavioral defects in larval and adult stages. Finally, we showed that eye-specific expression of APP induced retina degeneration and cell cycle re-entry, both phenotypes were mildly ameliorated by loss of Polo. These results suggest Polo is an important in vivo regulator of the pathological functions of APP and provide insight into the role of cell cycle re-entry in AD pathogenesis.
Classification of Parkinson’s Disease Genotypes in Drosophila Using Spatiotemporal Profiling of Vision
Authors: West Ryan J.H. , Elliott Christopher J.H. , Wade Alex R.
Published: November 2015

Electrophysiological studies indicate altered contrast processing in some Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients. We recently demonstrated that vision is altered in Drosophila PD models and hypothesised that different types of genetic and idiopathic PD may affect dopaminergic visual signalling pathways differently. Here we asked whether visual responses in Drosophila could be used to identify PD mutations. To mimic a clinical setting a range of flies was used. Young flies from four control lines were compared to three early-onset PD mutations (PINK1, DJ-1α and DJ-1β) and to two other neurodegenerative mutations, one in the fly LRRK2 orthologue (dLRRK) the other in eggroll, a model of general neurodegeneration in Drosophila. Stimuli were contrast reversing gratings spanning 64 spatiotemporal frequency combinations. We recorded the steady-state visually-evoked response amplitude across all combinations. We found that the pattern of neuronal responses differed between genotypes. Wild-type and early-onset PD flies formed separate clusters; the late-onset mutation is an outlier. Neuronal responses in early-onset PD flies were stronger than in wild-types. Multivariate pattern analysis grouped flies by PD/non-PD genotype with an accuracy >85%. We propose that machine learning algorithms may be useful in increasing the diagnostic specificity of human electrophysiological measurements in both animal models and PD patients.
“Thermal Stabilization Effect” of Al2O3 nano-dopants improves the high-temperature dielectric performance of polyimide
Authors: Yang Yang , He Jinliang , Wu Guangning , Hu Jun
Published: November 2015

Insulation performance of the dielectrics under extreme conditions always attracts widespread attention in electrical and electronic field. How to improve the high-temperature dielectric properties of insulation materials is one of the key issues in insulation system design of electrical devices. This paper studies the temperature-dependent corona resistance of polyimide (PI)/Al2O3 nanocomposite films under high-frequency square-wave pulse conditions. Extended corona resistant lifetime under high-temperature conditions is experimentally observed in the 2 wt% nanocomposite samples. The “thermal stabilization effect” is proposed to explain this phenomenon which attributes to a new kind of trap band caused by nanoparticles. This effect brings about superior space charge characteristics and corona resistance under high temperature with certain nano-doping concentration. The proposed theory is experimentally demonstrated by space charge analysis and thermally stimulated current (TSC) tests. This discovered effect is of profound significance on improving high-temperature dielectric properties of nanocomposites towards various applications.
Kill-painting of hypoxic tumours in charged particle therapy
Authors: Tinganelli Walter , Durante Marco , Hirayama Ryoichi , Krämer Michael , Maier Andreas , Kraft-Weyrather Wilma , Furusawa Yoshiya , Friedrich Thomas , Scifoni Emanuele
Published: November 2015

Solid tumours often present regions with severe oxygen deprivation (hypoxia), which are resistant to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Increased radiosensitivity as a function of the oxygen concentration is well described for X-rays. It has also been demonstrated that radioresistance in anoxia is reduced using high-LET radiation rather than conventional X-rays. However, the dependence of the oxygen enhancement ratio (OER) on radiation quality in the regions of intermediate oxygen concentrations, those normally found in tumours, had never been measured and biophysical models were based on extrapolations. Here we present a complete survival dataset of mammalian cells exposed to different ions in oxygen concentration ranging from normoxia (21%) to anoxia (0%). The data were used to generate a model of the dependence of the OER on oxygen concentration and particle energy. The model was implemented in the ion beam treatment planning system to prescribe uniform cell killing across volumes with heterogeneous radiosensitivity. The adaptive treatment plans have been validated in two different accelerator facilities, using a biological phantom where cells can be irradiated simultaneously at three different oxygen concentrations. We thus realized a hypoxia-adapted treatment plan, which will be used for painting by voxel of hypoxic tumours visualized by functional imaging.
Vibration mechanosignals superimposed to resistive exercise result in baseline skeletal muscle transcriptome profiles following chronic disuse in bed rest
Authors: Salanova Michele , Gambara Guido , Moriggi Manuela , Vasso Michele , Ungethuem Ute , Belavý Daniel L. , Felsenberg Dieter , Cerretelli Paolo , Gelfi Cecilia , Blottner Dieter
Published: November 2015

Disuse-induced muscle atrophy is a major concern in aging, in neuromuscular diseases, post-traumatic injury and in microgravity life sciences affecting health and fitness also of crew members in spaceflight. By using a laboratory analogue to body unloading we perform for the first time global gene expression profiling joined to specific proteomic analysis to map molecular adaptations in disused (60 days of bed rest) human soleus muscle (CTR) and in response to a resistive exercise (RE) countermeasure protocol without and with superimposed vibration mechanosignals (RVE). Adopting Affymetrix GeneChip technology we identified 235 differently transcribed genes in the CTR group (end- vs. pre-bed rest). RE comprised 206 differentially expressed genes, whereas only 51 changed gene transcripts were found in RVE. Most gene transcription and proteomic changes were linked to various key metabolic pathways (glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, lipid metabolism) and to functional contractile structures. Gene expression profiling in bed rest identified a novel set of genes explicitly responsive to vibration mechanosignals in human soleus. This new finding highlights the efficacy of RVE protocol in reducing key signs of disuse maladaptation and atrophy and to maintain a close-to-normal skeletal muscle quality outcome following chronic disuse in bed rest.
PRL-3 activates mTORC1 in Cancer Progression
Authors: Ye Zu , Al-aidaroos Abdul Qader Omer , Park Jung Eun , Yuen Hiu Fung , Zhang Shu Dong , Gupta Abhishek , Lin Youbin , Shen Han-Ming , Zeng Qi
Published: November 2015

PRL-3, a metastasis-associated phosphatase, is known to exert its oncogenic functions through activation of PI3K/Akt, which is a key regulator of the rapamycin-sensitive mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1), but a coherent link between PRL-3 and activation of mTOR has not yet been formally demonstrated. We report a positive correlation between PRL-3 expression and mTOR phospho-activation in clinical tumour samples and mouse models of cancer and demonstrate that PRL-3 increased downstream signalling to the mTOR substrates, p70S6K and 4E-BP1, by increasing PI3K/Akt-mediated activation of Rheb-GTP via TSC2 suppression. We also show that PRL-3 increases mTOR translocation to lysosomes via increased mTOR binding affinity to Rag GTPases in an Akt-independent manner, demonstrating a previously undescribed mechanism of action for PRL-3. PRL-3 also enhanced matrix metalloproteinase-2 secretion and cellular invasiveness via activation of mTOR, attributes which were sensitive to rapamycin treatment. The downstream effects of PRL-3 were maintained even under conditions of environmental stress, suggesting that PRL-3 provides a strategic survival advantage to tumour cells via its effects on mTOR.
Processing of frequency and location in human subcortical auditory structures
Authors: Moerel Michelle , De Martino Federico , Uğurbil Kâmil , Yacoub Essa , Formisano Elia
Published: November 2015

To date it remains largely unknown how fundamental aspects of natural sounds, such as their spectral content and location in space, are processed in human subcortical structures. Here we exploited the high sensitivity and specificity of high field fMRI (7 Tesla) to examine the human inferior colliculus (IC) and medial geniculate body (MGB). Subcortical responses to natural sounds were well explained by an encoding model of sound processing that represented frequency and location jointly. Frequency tuning was organized in one tonotopic gradient in the IC, whereas two tonotopic maps characterized the MGB reflecting two MGB subdivisions. In contrast, no topographic pattern of preferred location was detected, beyond an overall preference for peripheral (as opposed to central) and contralateral locations. Our findings suggest the functional organization of frequency and location processing in human subcortical auditory structures and pave the way for studying the subcortical to cortical interaction required to create coherent auditory percepts.
Effect of Diabetes Mellitus on Survival in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Mao Yixiang , Tao Min , Jia Xiaoyan , Xu Hong , Chen Kai , Tang Hongwei , Li Donghui
Published: November 2015

Concurrent diabetes has been linked with an increased risk of death in many cancers, but findings in pancreatic cancer have been inconsistent. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of diabetes on survival in patients with pancreatic cancer. Of 4, 463 original articles, 41 were included in the review; 29 studies with 33 risk estimates were included in the meta-analysis. In the overall comparison of patients with pancreatic cancer and diabetes with their nondiabetic counterparts, the former had significantly higher all-cause mortality (pooled HR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.04–1.22). Subgroup analyses showed that diabetes was associated with poor survival in patients with resectable disease (HR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.15–1.63) but not in those with unresectable disease (HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.89–1.29). The HR (95% CI) was 1.52 (1.20–1.93) for patients with new-onset diabetes (≤2 years of diabetes duration) and 1.22 (0.83–1.80) for those with longstanding diabetes (>2 years). Diabetes was associated with higher mortality overall in patients with pancreatic cancer. The effect of diabetes on overall survival was associated with the stages of tumor and the duration of diabetes.
Spatial working memory is enhanced in children by differential outcomes
Authors: Esteban Laura , Vivas Ana B. , Fuentes Luis J. , Estévez Angeles F.
Published: November 2015

Working memory (WM) is essential to academic achievement. Any enhancement of WM abilities may improve children’s school performance. We tested the usefulness of the differential outcomes procedure (DOP) to enhance typically developing children’s performance on a spatial WM task. The DOP involves a conditional discriminative learning task in which a correct choice response to a specific stimulus-stimulus association is reinforced with a particular reinforcer (outcome). We adapted a spatial memory task to be used with the DOP. Participants had to learn and retain in their WM four target locations of eight possible locations where a shape could be presented. Two groups of 5- and 7-year-old children performed the low-attentional version of the spatial task and an additional group of 7-year-old children performed the high-attentional version. The results showed that compared with the standard non-differential outcomes procedure (NOP), the DOP produced better memory-based performance in 5-year-old children with the low-attentional task and in 7-year-old children with the high-attentional task. Additionally, delay intervals impaired performance in the NOP but not in the DOP. These findings suggest that the DOP may be a useful complement to other WM intervention programs targeted to improve children´s academic performance at school.
Amelanism in the corn snake is associated with the insertion of an LTR-retrotransposon in the OCA2 gene
Authors: Saenko Suzanne V. , Lamichhaney Sangeet , Barrio Alvaro Martinez , Rafati Nima , Andersson Leif , Milinkovitch Michel C.
Published: November 2015

The corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus) is a new model species particularly appropriate for investigating the processes generating colours in reptiles because numerous colour and pattern mutants have been isolated in the last five decades. Using our captive-bred colony of corn snakes, transcriptomic and genomic next-generation sequencing, exome assembly and genotyping of SNPs in multiple families, we delimit the genomic interval bearing the causal mutation of amelanism, the oldest colour variant observed in that species. Proceeding with sequencing the candidate gene OCA2 in the uncovered genomic interval, we identify that the insertion of an LTR-retrotransposon in its 11th intron results in a considerable truncation of the p protein and likely constitutes the causal mutation of amelanism in corn snakes. As amelanistic snakes exhibit white, instead of black, borders around an otherwise normal pattern of dorsal orange saddles and lateral blotches, our results indicate that melanocytes lacking melanin are able to participate to the normal patterning of other colours in the skin. In combination with research in the zebrafish, this work opens the perspective of using corn snake colour and pattern variants to investigate the generative processes of skin colour patterning shared among major vertebrate lineages.
Small Sample Sizes Yield Biased Allometric Equations in Temperate Forests
Authors: Duncanson L. , Rourke O. , Dubayah R.
Published: November 2015

Accurate quantification of forest carbon stocks is required for constraining the global carbon cycle and its impacts on climate. The accuracies of forest biomass maps are inherently dependent on the accuracy of the field biomass estimates used to calibrate models, which are generated with allometric equations. Here, we provide a quantitative assessment of the sensitivity of allometric parameters to sample size in temperate forests, focusing on the allometric relationship between tree height and crown radius. We use LiDAR remote sensing to isolate between 10,000 to more than 1,000,000 tree height and crown radius measurements per site in six U.S. forests. We find that fitted allometric parameters are highly sensitive to sample size, producing systematic overestimates of height. We extend our analysis to biomass through the application of empirical relationships from the literature and show that given the small sample sizes used in common allometric equations for biomass, the average site-level biomass bias is ~+70% with a standard deviation of 71%, ranging from −4% to +193%. These findings underscore the importance of increasing the sample sizes used for allometric equation generation.
Mutations in the heat-shock protein A9 (HSPA9) gene cause the EVEN-PLUS syndrome of congenital malformations and skeletal dysplasia
Authors: Royer-Bertrand Beryl , Castillo-Taucher Silvia , Moreno-Salinas Rodrigo , Cho Tae-Joon , Chae Jong-Hee , Choi Murim , Kim Ok-Hwa , Dikoglu Esra , Campos-Xavier Belinda , Girardi Enrico , Superti-Furga Giulio , Bonafé Luisa , Rivolta Carlo , Unger Sheila , Superti-Furga Andrea
Published: November 2015

We and others have reported mutations inLONP1, a gene coding for a mitochondrial chaperone and protease, as the cause of the human CODAS (cerebral, ocular, dental, auricular and skeletal) syndrome (MIM 600373). Here, we delineate a similar but distinct condition that shares the epiphyseal, vertebral and ocular changes of CODAS but also included severe microtia, nasal hypoplasia and other malformations and for which we propose the name of EVEN-PLUS syndrome for epiphyseal, vertebral, ear, nose, plus associated findings. In three individuals from two families, no mutation inLONP1was found; instead, we found biallelic mutations inHSPA9, the gene that codes for mHSP70/mortalin, another highly conserved mitochondrial chaperone protein essential in mitochondrial protein import, folding and degradation. The functional relationship between LONP1 and HSPA9 in mitochondrial protein chaperoning and the overlapping phenotypes of CODAS and EVEN-PLUS delineate a family of “mitochondrial chaperonopathies” and point to an unexplored role of mitochondrial chaperones in human embryonic morphogenesis.
Copy number variations play important roles in heredity of common diseases: a novel method to calculate heritability of a polymorphism
Authors: Nagao Yoshiro
Published: November 2015

“Missing heritability” in genome wide association studies, the failure to account for a considerable fraction of heritability by the variants detected, is a current puzzle in human genetics. For solving this puzzle the involvement of genetic variants like rare single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy number variations (CNVs) has been proposed. Many papers have published estimating the heritability of sets of polymorphisms, however, there has been no paper discussing the estimation of a heritability of a single polymorphism. Here I show a simple but rational method to calculate heritability of an individual polymorphism, hp2. Using this method, I carried out a trial calculation of hp2 of CNVs and SNPs using published data. It turned out that hp2 of some CNVs is quite large. Noteworthy examples were that about 25% of the heritability of type 2 diabetes mellitus and about 15% of the heritability of schizophrenia could be accounted for by one CNV and by four CNVs, respectively. The results suggest that a large part of missing heritability could be accounted for by re-evaluating the CNVs which have been already found and by searching novel CNVs with large hp2.
Global Prioritization of Disease Candidate Metabolites Based on a Multi-omics Composite Network
Authors: Yao Qianlan , Xu Yanjun , Yang Haixiu , Shang Desi , Zhang Chunlong , Zhang Yunpeng , Sun Zeguo , Shi Xinrui , Feng Li , Han Junwei , Su Fei , Li Chunquan , Li Xia
Published: November 2015

The identification of disease-related metabolites is important for a better understanding of metabolite pathological processes in order to improve human medicine. Metabolites, which are the terminal products of cellular regulatory process, can be affected by multi-omic processes. In this work, we propose a powerful method, MetPriCNet, to predict and prioritize disease candidate metabolites based on integrated multi-omics information. MetPriCNet prioritized candidate metabolites based on their global distance similarity with seed nodes in a composite network, which integrated multi-omics information from the genome, phenome, metabolome and interactome. After performing cross-validation on 87 phenotypes with a total of 602 metabolites, MetPriCNet achieved a high AUC value of up to 0.918. We also assessed the performance of MetPriCNet on 18 disease classes and found that 4 disease classes achieved an AUC value over 0.95. Notably, MetPriCNet can also predict disease metabolites without known disease metabolite knowledge. Some new high-risk metabolites of breast cancer were predicted, although there is a lack of known disease metabolite information. A predicted disease metabolic landscape was constructed and analyzed based on the results of MetPriCNet for 87 phenotypes to help us understand the genetic and metabolic mechanism of disease from a global view.
Proline biosynthesis augments tumor cell growth and aerobic glycolysis: involvement of pyridine nucleotides
Authors: Liu Wei , Hancock Chad N. , Fischer Joseph W. , Harman Meredith , Phang James M.
Published: November 2015

The metabolism of the nonessential amino acid proline contributes to tumor metabolic reprogramming. Previously we showed that MYC increases proline biosynthesis (PB) from glutamine. Here we show MYC increases the expression of the enzymes in PB at both protein and mRNA levels. Blockade of PB decreases tumor cell growth and energy production. Addition of Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) or proline reverses the effects of P5C synthase knockdown but not P5C reductases knockdown. Importantly, the reversal effect of proline was blocked by concomitant proline dehydrogenase/oxidase (PRODH/POX) knockdown. These findings suggest that the important regulatory contribution of PB to tumor growth derives from metabolic cycling between proline and P5C rather than product proline or intermediate P5C. We further document the critical role of PB in maintaining pyridine nucleotide levels by connecting the proline cycle to glycolysis and to the oxidative arm of the pentose phosphate pathway. These findings establish a novel function of PB in tumorigenesis, linking the reprogramming of glucose, glutamine and pyridine nucleotides and may provide a novel target for antitumor therapy.
A new live-cell reporter strategy to simultaneously monitor mitochondrial biogenesis and morphology
Authors: Hodneland Nilsson Linn Iren , Nitschke Pettersen Ina Katrine , Nikolaisen Julie , Micklem David , Avsnes Dale Hege , Vatne Røsland Gro , Lorens James , Tronstad Karl Johan
Published: November 2015

Changes in mitochondrial amount and shape are intimately linked to maintenance of cell homeostasis via adaptation of vital functions. Here, we developed a new live-cell reporter strategy to simultaneously monitor mitochondrial biogenesis and morphology. This was achieved by making a genetic reporter construct where a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1), controls expression of mitochondria targeted green fluorescent protein (mitoGFP). HeLa cells with the reporter construct demonstrated inducible expression of mitoGFP upon activation of AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) with AICAR. We established stable reporter cells where the mitoGFP reporter activity corresponded with mitochondrial biogenesis both in magnitude and kinetics, as confirmed by biochemical markers and confocal microscopy. Quantitative 3D image analysis confirmed accordant increase in mitochondrial biomass, in addition to filament/network promoting and protecting effects on mitochondrial morphology, after treatment with AICAR. The level of mitoGFP reversed upon removal of AICAR, in parallel with decrease in mtDNA. In summary, we here present a new GFP-based genetic reporter strategy to study mitochondrial regulation and dynamics in living cells. This combinatorial reporter concept can readily be transferred to other cell models and contexts to address specific physiological mechanisms.
Buckling of Microtubules on a 2D Elastic Medium
Authors: Kabir Arif Md. Rashedul , Inoue Daisuke , Afrin Tanjina , Mayama Hiroyuki , Sada Kazuki , Kakugo Akira
Published: November 2015

We have demonstrated compression stress induced mechanical deformation of microtubules (MTs) on a two-dimensional elastic medium and investigated the role of compression strain, strain rate and a MT-associated protein in the deformation of MTs. We show that MTs, supported on a two-dimensional substrate by a MT-associated protein kinesin, undergo buckling when they are subjected to compression stress. Compression strain strongly affects the extent of buckling, although compression rate has no substantial effect on the buckling of MTs. Most importantly, the density of kinesin is found to play the key role in determining the buckling mode of MTs. We have made a comparison between our experimental results and the ‘elastic foundation model’ that theoretically predicts the buckling behavior of MTs and its connection to MT-associated proteins. Taking into consideration the role of kinesin in altering the mechanical property of MTs, we are able to explain the buckling behavior of MTs by the elastic foundation model. This work will help understand the buckling mechanism of MTs and its connection to MT-associated proteins or surrounding medium and consequently will aid in obtaining a meticulous scenario of the compression stress induced deformation of MTs in cells.
A microfluidic indirect competitive immunoassay for multiple and sensitive detection of testosterone in serum and urine
Authors: Wang Huashan , Li Juanjuan , Zhang Xiaoqing , Hu Binfeng , Liu Yang , Zhang Lin , Cha Ruitao , Sun Jiashu , Jiang Xingyu
Published: November 2015

A microfluidic-based chemiluminescence immunoassay is developed for multiple and sensitive detection of testosterone in human serum and urine samples.
Assessing the iron delivery efficacy of transferrin in clinical samples by native electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Pawlowski Jake W. , Kellicker Noelle , Bobst Cedric E. , Kaltashov Igor A.
Published: November 2015

Serum transferrin is a key player in iron homeostasis, and its ability to deliver iron to cellsviathe endosomal pathway critically depends on the nature of anion (carbonate or oxalate) that binds this protein synergistically with ferric ion.
A quick Chan–Lam C–N and C–S cross coupling at room temperature in the presence of square pyramidal [Cu(DMAP)4I]I as a catalyst
Authors: Roy Subhasish , Sarma Manas Jyoti , Kashyap Bishwapran , Phukan Prodeep
Published: November 2015

A rapid and efficient protocol for C–N and C–S cross coupling has been developed using a new square pyramidal copper complex, [Cu(DMAP)4I]I.
Semiconductor and carbon-based fluorescent nanodots: the need for consistency
Authors: Cayuela A. , Soriano M. L. , Carrillo-Carrión C. , Valcárcel M.
Published: November 2015

The need for establishing the bases and definitions of photoluminescent nanodots is discussed and their state-of-the-art in analytical and biomedical research fields is highlighted.
The total chemical synthesis of polymer/graphene nanocomposite films
Authors: Salvatierra Rodrigo V. , Cava Carlos E. , Roman Lucimara S. , Oliveira Marcela M. , Zarbin Aldo J. G.
Published: November 2015

A versatile and room temperature synthesis of thin films of polymer/graphene is reported.
Chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of azlactones
Authors: Zhang Zhenhua , Sun Wangsheng , Zhu Gongming , Yang Junxian , Zhang Ming , Hong Liang , Wang Rui
Published: November 2015

The first chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed highly diastereo- and enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of azlactones and methyleneindolinones was disclosed to yield 3,3′-pyrrolidonyl spirooxindole scaffolds.
NAD-dependent dehydrogenase bioelectrocatalysis: the ability of a naphthoquinone redox polymer to regenerate NAD
Authors: Abdellaoui Sofiene , Milton Ross D. , Quah Timothy , Minteer Shelley D.
Published: November 2015

A naphthoquinone redox polymer is able to mediate the oxidation of enzymatically-generated NADH without the requirement of diaphorase.
Iron-dependent lysosomal dysfunction mediated by a natural product hybrid
Authors: Mariani A. , Mai T. T. , Zacharioudakis E. , Hienzsch A. , Bartoli A. , Cañeque T. , Rodriguez R.
Published: November 2015

Marmycin A and artemisinin join forces as the molecular hybrid artesumycin, a new fluorescent lysosomotropic small molecule that targets lysosomal iron to kill cancer cells.
Ionothermal synthesis of FeAPO-5 in the presence of phosphorous acid
Authors: Ng Eng-Poh , Ghoy Jia-Pei , Awala Hussein , Vicente Aurélie , Adnan Rohana , Ling Tau Chuan , Mintova Svetlana
Published: November 2015

The ionothermal crystallization of FeAPO-5 molecular sieves in the presence of phosphorous acid (H3PO3) has been investigated.
Fmoc–RGDS based fibrils: atomistic details of their hierarchical assembly
Authors: Zanuy David , Poater Jordi , Solà Miquel , Hamley Ian W. , Alemán Carlos
Published: November 2015

We describe the 3D supramolecular structure of Fmoc–RGDS fibrils, where Fmoc and RGDS refer to the hydrophobic N-(fluorenyl-9-methoxycarbonyl) group and the hydrophilic Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser peptide sequence, respectively.
Graphene oxide inhibits hIAPP amyloid fibrillation and toxicity in insulin-producing NIT-1 cells
Authors: Nedumpully-Govindan Praveen , Gurzov Esteban N. , Chen Pengyu , Pilkington Emily H. , Stanley William J. , Litwak Sara A. , Davis Thomas P. , Ke Pu Chun , Ding Feng
Published: November 2015

Using a multidisciplinary approach combining computational modeling, biophysical characterization, and in vitro toxicity studies, the anti-amyloid effect of graphene oxide and its molecular mechanism is investigated.
Fabrication of superhydrophilic–underwater superoleophobic inorganic anti-corrosive membranes for high-efficiency oil/water separation
Authors: Liu Luyan , Chen Chen , Yang Siyu , Xie Hua , Gong MaoGang , Xu Xiaoliang
Published: November 2015

Synergistic superhydrophilic–underwater superoleophobic inorganic membranes were inventively created by a maneuverable galvanic displacement reaction on copper mesh.
Correction: Size and shape dependent photoluminescence and excited state decay rates of diamondoids
Authors: Richter Robert , Wolter David , Zimmermann Tobias , Landt Lasse , Knecht Andre , Heidrich Christoph , Merli Andrea , Dopfer Otto , Reiß Philipp , Ehresmann Arno , Petersen Jens , Dahl Jeremy E. , Carlson Robert M. K. , Bostedt Christoph , Möller Thomas , Mitric Roland , Rander Torbjörn
Published: November 2015

Correction for ‘Size and shape dependent photoluminescence and excited state decay rates of diamondoids’ by Robert Richter et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014, 16, 3070–3076.
NOx SCR with decane using Ag–MFI catalysts: on the effect of silver content and co-cation presence
Authors: Bartolomeu Rui , Mendes Acácio Nobre , Fernandes Auguste , Henriques Carlos , da Costa Patrick , Ribeiro M. Filipa
Published: November 2015

A series of 4 and 9 wt% Ag/MFI catalysts were prepared using MFI zeolites containing different co-cations (H+ and Na+).
Synthesis and conductive performance of indium-substituted ternary heteropoly acids with Keggin structures
Authors: Wu Xuefei , Huang Tianpei , Wu Qingyin , Xu Lin
Published: November 2015

Keggin-type ternary polyoxometalates H4[In(H2O)PW11O39]·11H2O and H5[In(H2O)SiW11O39]·8H2O are solid high-proton conductors with a conductivity of 2.60 × 10−4 S cm−1 and 5.25 × 10−4 S cm−1, respectively, at 18 °C and 80% relative humidity.
Sodalite-like rare-earth carbonates: a study of structural transformation and diluted magnetism
Authors: Wang Yanyan , Han Tian , Ding You-Song , Zheng Zhiping , Zheng Yan-Zhen
Published: November 2015

The structural transformation by calcinations and diluted magnetism of a series of rare-earth carbonates, RE3(OH)6(CO3)Cl, with novel SOD topologies is reported.
A new TPE-based tetrapodal ligand and its Ln(iii) complexes: multi-stimuli responsive AIE (aggregation-induced emission)/ILCT(intraligand charge transfer)-bifunctional photoluminescence and NIR emission sensitization
Authors: Zhu Yi-Xuan , Wei Zhang-Wen , Pan Mei , Wang Hai-Ping , Zhang Jian-Yong , Su Cheng-Yong
Published: November 2015

AIE and ILCT properties are combined in one zwitterionic-type ligand and its assembled lanthanide complexes.
Formazanido complexes of heavier group 13 elements aluminium, gallium, and indium
Authors: Schorn W. , Grosse-Hagenbrock D. , Oelkers B. , Sundermeyer J.
Published: November 2015

The straightforward synthesis and detailed characterization both in solution and in the solid state of novel triphenylformazanido complexes of group 13 elements Al, Ga, In is reported.
The role of imidoselenium(ii) chlorides in the formation of cyclic selenium imides via cyclocondensation
Authors: Karhu Aino J. , Pakkanen Olli J. , Rautiainen J. Mikko , Oilunkaniemi Raija , Chivers Tristram , Laitinen Risto S.
Published: November 2015

Imidoselenium(ii) chlorides ClSe[N(tBu)Se]nCl (n= 1–3) are intermediates in the formation of cyclic selenium imides by the reaction of SeCl2andtBuNH2in THF.