bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality characteristics and protein composition of durum wheat cultivars released in the last 50 years
Authors: Malalgoda Maneka , Ohm Jae‐Bom , Manthey Frank A. , Elias Elias M. , Simsek Senay
Published: March 2019

Background and objectives

Despite the strong influence of proteins on quality, no research has been performed to determine the association between protein composition and quality improvements of durum wheat produced in North Dakota (ND). This research objected to identify improvements of quality traits and determine its association with variations in protein composition using 32 durum genotypes released between 1956 and 2013 in ND.

Findings

Certain durum quality parameters, such as kernel weight, mixing properties, and pasta‐making characteristics, improved over the last 50 years of durum breeding. Total protein content showed nonsignificant variation; however, protein composition parameters varied significantly. Specifically, SDS extractable LMW polymeric proteins and gliadins decreased while unextractable polymeric proteins increased. These changes in protein composition parameters were significantly correlated with dough and pasta cooking quality traits.

Conclusions

Enhancement of protein composition is primarily responsible for the improvement of mixing quality and cooked pasta firmness seen in durum cultivars released over the last 50 years.

Significance and novelty

These findings demonstrate that genetic advancement of mixing and pasta quality traits can be attained by segregation of genotypes based on protein composition in durum wheat breeding.
Chiroptical Redox Switching of Tetra‐Cationic Derivatives of Azoniahelicenes
Authors: Rončević Igor , Jirásek Michael , Severa Lukáš , Reyes‐Gutierrez Paul Eduardo , Teplý Filip , Bednárová Lucie , Hromadová Magdaléna , Pospíšil Lubomír
Published: March 2019

New tetra‐ and di‐cationic azoniahelicenes provide electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data reflecting their differences in electron transfer (ET) kinetics. Di‐cationic helquats containing two seven‐membered rings are irreversibly reduced in two ET steps. Substitution by redox‐active ethenylpyridinium in the α or γ position with respect to nitrogen atoms of the helquat core yields tetra‐cationic derivatives with reversible ET steps and communicating redox centres. Redox‐inactive substituents in di‐cationic azoniahelicenes retain ET irreversibility. Redox switching of ECD of tetra‐cationic enantiomers was observed. Unlike fully aromatic helquat, the ECD response of tetra‐cationic helquats to periodic reduction‐oxidation cycles is slower, owing to a strong adsorption on electrodes. Quantum chemical calculations (DFT) indicate that the first ET step of tetra‐cationic derivative substituted in the γ position yields a folded structure, which favours the internal donor‐acceptor interaction. This explains the spectroelectrochemical differences between both tetra‐cations.
Rational Improvement of Single‐Molecule Magnets by Enforcing Ferromagnetic Interactions
Authors: Venne Jan‐Philipp , Feldscher Bastian , Walleck Stephan , Stammler Anja , Bögge Hartmut , Schnack Jürgen , Glaser Thorsten
Published: March 2019

The anisotropy barrier of polynuclear single‐molecule magnets is expected to be higher with less tunneling the better stabilized the spin ground state is so that less MS mixing in the ground state and with excited spin states occur. We have realized this experimentally in two structurally related heptanuclear SMMs: the triplesalen‐based [MnIII6CrIII]3+ and the triplesalalen‐based *[MnIII6CrIII]3+. The ligand system triplesalen was developed to enforce ferromagnetic interactions by the spin‐polarization mechanism. However, we found weak antiferromagnetic couplings, that we assigned to an inefficient spin‐polarization by a heteroradialene formation. To prevent this heteroradialene formation, the triplesalalen ligand H6talalen
was designed. Here, we present the building block [(talalen
)MnIII3]3+ and its application for the assembly of [{(talalen
)MnIII3}2{CrIII(CN)6}]3+ (=*[MnIII6CrIII]3+). Both the trinuclear and heptanuclear complexes are SMMs. The comparison to the related triplesalen complex [(feld
)MnIII3]3+ proves the absence of heteroradialene character and the enforcement of ferromagnetic MnIII‐MnIII interactions in the (talalen
)6− complexes. This results in an increase of the barrier for spin reversal Ueff from 25 K in the triplesalen‐based [MnIII6CrIII]3+ SMMs to 37 K in the triplesalalen‐based *[MnIII6CrIII]3+ SMM proving the success of our concept. Based on this study, the next step in the rational improvement of our SMMs is discussed.
Paramagnetic Lanthanide NMR Probes Signalling Changes in Zinc Concentration by Emission and Chemical Shift: A Proof of Concept Study
Authors: Harnden Alice C. , Batsanov Andrei S. , Parker David
Published: March 2019

A zinc‐selective probe based on a set of rare earth complexes of a modified DO3A macrocyclic ligand incorporating a tris‐pyridylamine (TPA) moiety has been structurally characterised in solution and in the solid‐state. One pyridine group possesses a tert‐butyl substituent to serve as an NMR reporter group. The mono‐capped square‐antiprismatic Dy complex has a long bond (2.83 Å) to an apical N atom (pKa 5.70 Eu) and binds to one water molecule on zinc binding. Zinc binding is reversible and involves all of the exocyclic ligand N donors; it is signalled by large (ratiometric) changes in Eu emission intensity, and by dramatic changes in the size (>50 ppm) and sign of the chemical shift of the paramagnetically shifted tBu resonances in Tb, Dy and Tm complexes. Slow trans‐metallation was observed, leading to formation of an unusual di‐zinc species in which one zinc ion is seven‐coordinate and the other is six‐coordinate.
Indirect synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and direct high‐performance thin‐layer chromatographic methods for enantioseperation of zopiclone and determination of chiral‐switching eszopiclone: Evaluation of thermodynamic quantities of chromatographic separation
Authors: Moussa Bahia A. , Youssef Nadia F. , Elkady Ehab F. , Mohamed Marwa F.
Published: March 2019

Economic and enantioselective synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography methods have been developed and validated as per ICH guidelines for the separation of zopiclone enantiomers using L‐(+)‐tartaric acid as a chiral selector, followed by determination of the chiral‐switching eszopiclone. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy was successfully applied for chiral recognition of R & S enantiomers of zopiclone at ∆λ = 110 nm based on creating of diastereomeric complexes with 0.06M tartaric acid in an aqueous medium containing 0.2M disodium hydrogen orthophosphate. Synchronous fluorescence intensities of eszopiclone were recorded at 296 nm in concentration range 0.2‐ to 4‐μg/mL eszopiclone. High‐performance thin‐layer chromatography method depends on resolution of zopiclone enantiomers on achiral HPTLC silica‐gel plates using acetonitrile:methanol:water (8:2:0.25, v/v/v) containing L‐(+)‐tartaric acid as a chiral mobile‐phase additive followed by densitometric measurements at 304 nm in concentration range of 1 to 10 μg/band of eszopiclone. The effect of chiral‐selector concentration, pH, and temperature on the resolution have been studied and optimized for the proposed methods. The cited procedures were successfully applied to determine eszopiclone in commercial tablets of pure and racemic forms. Enantiomeric excess was evaluated using optical purity test and integrated peak area to describe the enantiomeric ratio. Thermodynamics of chromatographic separation, enthalpy, and entropy were evaluated using the Van't Hoff equation. The proposed methods were found to be selective for identification and determination of the eutomer in drug substances and products.
Intranuclear inclusions in hepatocellular carcinoma contain autophagy‐associated proteins and correlate with prolonged survival
Authors: Schwertheim Suzan , Westerwick Daniela , Jastrow Holger , Theurer Sarah , Schaefer Christoph M , Kälsch Julia , Möllmann Dorothe , Schlattjan Martin , Wedemeyer Heiner , Schmid Kurt Werner , Baba Hideo A
Published: March 2019

For decades, intranuclear inclusions in many normal and neoplastic cells have been considered to be mere invaginations of cytoplasm into the nucleus without any notable function or influence on disease. We investigated such inclusions in 75 specimens of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this context we demonstrate that these inclusions are true inclusions, completely closed and delimited by the nuclear membrane, containing degenerate cell organelles and lysosomal proteins. Moreover, their occurrence was positively associated with patient survival but not with tumour grade or stage. In a standardised area a mean of 124 inclusions per specimen was present in the tumorous liver tissue in contrast to 5 inclusions in the non‐tumorous adjacent section and 89% of all scrutinised HCC showed at least one membrane‐bound nuclear inclusion. Ultrastructural characterisation by transmission electron microscopy revealed degenerative materials such as residues of lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus within the inclusions. Due to the fact that the content of the inclusions appears to be more condensed than cytoplasm and contains fewer intact cell organelles, we assume that they are not mere invaginations of cytoplasm. Three dimensional (3D) reconstruction of isolated and immunofluorescence stained nuclei showed that the inclusions are completely located within the nucleus without any connection to the cytoplasm. The limiting membrane of the inclusions contained lamin B suggesting nuclear membrane origin. The content of the inclusions stained for the autophagy‐associated proteins p62, ubiquitin, LC3B, cathepsin B and cathepsin D. Triple immunofluorescence staining followed by 3D reconstruction revealed co‐localisation of p62, ubiquitin and LC3B in the same inclusion. Our observations uncover that these inclusions are real inclusions completely surrounded by the nucleus. We propose that the presence of autophagy‐associated proteins and proteases within the inclusions contribute to beneficial survival.
Cytomorphologic and molecular analyses of fallopian tube fimbrial brushings for diagnosis of serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma
Authors: Chui M. Herman , Vang Russell , Wang Tian‐Li , Shih Ie‐Ming , VandenBussche Christopher J.
Published: March 2019

Background

The paradigm shift localizing the origin of ovarian high‐grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) to the fallopian tube underscores the rationale for meticulous microscopic examination of salpingectomy specimens. The precursor, termed “serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma,” is often a focal lesion, which poses difficulties for histologic diagnosis.

Methods

The authors describe a method to examine exfoliated epithelial cells from fallopian tube fimbria by gentle brushing, thereby enabling thorough sampling of the mucosal surface. Fimbrial brushings were collected from 20 fresh salpingectomy specimens from 15 patients, including 5 who had pathologically confirmed ovarian HGSC. Samples taken only from tubes that were grossly negative for tumor were processed for Papanicolaou staining, p53 immunocytochemistry, and tumor protein 53 (TP53) mutation analysis.

Results

Cells with malignant cytomorphologic features were identified only in tubal brushings from patients with ovarian HGSC. In all cases, atypical/malignant cells on cytology corresponded to lesions with similar morphology and immunostaining pattern in permanent sections, demonstrating the sensitivity of the technique while providing reassurance that specimen integrity was not disrupted by the procedure. Targeted next‐generation sequencing confirmed the presence of TP53 mutations in fimbrial brushings from HGSC, but not in benign samples, and demonstrated concordance with the immunostaining pattern. Identical mutations were observed in matched lesions microdissected from formalin‐fixed tissue sections.

Conclusions

The described technique enables cytologic evaluation of the fallopian tube fimbria for a diagnosis of serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma, serving as a complement to histology while offering distinct advantages with respect to the procurement of cellular material for ancillary testing and research.
New viral‐genetic mapping uncovers an enrichment of corticotropin‐releasing hormone‐expressing neuronal inputs to the nucleus accumbens from stress‐related brain regions
Authors: Itoga Christy A. , Chen Yuncai , Fateri Cameron , Echeverry Paula A. , Lai Jennifer M. , Delgado Jasmine , Badhon Shapatur , Short Annabel , Baram Tallie Z. , Xu Xiangmin
Published: March 2019

Corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH) is an essential, evolutionarily‐conserved stress neuropeptide. In addition to hypothalamus, CRH is expressed in brain regions including amygdala and hippocampus where it plays crucial roles in modulating the function of circuits underlying emotion and cognition. CRH+ fibers are found in nucleus accumbens (NAc), where CRH modulates reward/motivation behaviors. CRH actions in NAc may vary by the individual's stress history, suggesting roles for CRH in neuroplasticity and adaptation of the reward circuitry. However, the origin and extent of CRH+ inputs to NAc are incompletely understood. We employed viral genetic approaches to map both global and CRH+ projection sources to NAc in mice. We injected into NAc variants of a new designer adeno‐associated virus that permits robust retrograde access to NAc‐afferent projection neurons. Cre‐dependent viruses injected into CRH‐Cre mice enabled selective mapping of CRH+ afferents. We employed anterograde AAV1‐directed axonal tracing to verify NAc CRH+ fiber projections and established the identity of genetic reporter‐labeled cells via validated antisera against native CRH. We quantified the relative contribution of CRH+ neurons to total NAc‐directed projections. Combined retrograde and anterograde tracing identified the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, basolateral amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex as principal sources of CRH+ projections to NAc. CRH+ NAc afferents were selectively enriched in NAc‐projecting brain regions involved in diverse aspects of the sensing, processing and memory of emotionally salient events. These findings suggest multiple, complex potential roles for the molecularly‐defined, CRH‐dependent circuit in modulation of reward and motivation behaviors.
Variations in the proliferative activity of the peripheral retina correlate with postnatal ocular growth in squamate reptiles
Authors: Eymann Julia , Salomies Lotta , Macrì Simone , Di‐Poï Nicolas
Published: March 2019

The retina is a complex, multilayered tissue responsible for the perception of visual stimuli from the environment. Contrary to mammals, the capacity for postnatal eye growth in fish and amphibians, and to a lower extent in birds, is coordinated with a progenitor population residing in the ciliary marginal zone (CMZ) at the retinal peripheral margin. However, little is known about embryonic retinogenesis and postnatal retinal growth in squamates (lizards, snakes), despite their exceptional array of ecologies and ocular morphologies. Here, we address this gap by performing the first large‐scale study assessing both ontogenetic and adult changes in the stem/progenitor activity of the squamate peripheral retina. Our study reveals for the first time that squamates exhibit a source of proliferating progenitors persisting post embryogenesis in a newly identified retinociliary junction anteriorly adjacent to the retina. This region is strikingly similar to the vertebrate CMZ by its peripheral location and pseudostratified nature, and shares a common pattern of slow‐cycling cells, spatial differentiation gradient, and response to postnatal ocular growth. Additionally, its proliferative activity varies considerably among squamate species, in correlation with embryonic and postnatal differences in eye size and growth. Together our data indicate that squamates possess a proliferative peripheral retina that acts as a source of progenitors to compensate, at least in part, for postnatal ocular growth. Our findings also highlight the remarkable variation in activity and location of vertebrate retinal progenitors, indicating that the currently accepted scenario of reduced CMZ activity over the course of evolution is too simplistic.
Targets of olivocochlear collaterals in cochlear nucleus of rat and guinea pig
Authors: Baashar Ahmaed , Robertson Donald , Yates Nathanael James , Mulders Wilhelmina Henrica Antonia Maria
Published: March 2019

Descending auditory pathways can modify afferent auditory input en route to cortex. One component of these pathways is the olivocochlear system which originates in brainstem and terminates in cochlea. Medial olivocochlear (MOC) neurons also project collaterals to cochlear nucleus and make synaptic contacts with dendrites of multipolar neurons. Two broadly distinct populations of multipolar cells exist: T‐stellate and D‐stellate neurons, thought to project to inferior colliculus and contralateral cochlear nucleus, respectively. It is unclear which of these neurons receive direct MOC collateral input due to conflicting results between in vivo and in vitro studies. This study used anatomical techniques to identify which multipolar cell population receives synaptic innervation from MOC collaterals. The retrograde tracer Fluorogold was injected into inferior colliculus or cochlear nucleus to label T‐stellate and D‐stellate neurons, respectively. Axonal branches of MOC neurons were labeled by biocytin injections at the floor of the fourth ventricle. Fluorogold injections resulted in labeled cochlear nucleus multipolar neurons. Biocytin abundantly labeled MOC collaterals which entered cochlear nucleus. Microscopic analysis revealed that MOC collaterals made some putative synaptic contacts with the retrogradely labeled neurons but many more putative contacts were observed on unidentified neural targets. This suggest that both T‐ and D‐stellate neurons receive synaptic innervation from the MOC collaterals on their somata and proximal dendrites. The prevalence of these contacts cannot be stated with certainty because of technical limitations, but the possibility exists that the collaterals may also make contacts with neurons not projecting to inferior colliculus or the contralateral cochlear nucleus.
A Randomized, Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled, First‐Time‐in‐Human Study to Assess the Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics of Single and Multiple Ascending Doses of GSK3389404 in Healthy Subjects
Authors: Han Kelong , Cremer Jennifer , Elston Robert , Oliver Stuart , Baptiste‐Brown Sharon , Chen Shuguang , Gardiner David , Davies Matt , Saunders Joanne , Hamatake Robert , Losos Jan , Leivers Martin , Hood Steve , van der Berg Frans , Paff Melanie , Ritter James M. , Theodore Dickens
Published: March 2019

GSK3389404 is a liver‐targeted antisense oligonucleotide that inhibits synthesis of hepatitis B surface antigen and all other hepatitis B virus proteins. This first‐in‐human, randomized, double‐blind, phase 1 study assessed the safety and pharmacokinetics of GSK3389404 administered subcutaneously (SC) in healthy subjects. Four single ascending‐dose cohorts (10 mg, 30 mg, 60 mg, and 120 mg) and 3 multiple ascending‐dose cohorts (30 mg, 60 mg, and 120 mg once weekly for 4 weeks) each comprised 6 subjects randomized to GSK3389404 and 2 subjects randomized to placebo. There were no serious adverse events (AEs) or withdrawals due to AEs. The safety profile did not worsen with repeated dosing. The most frequent treatment‐related AEs were injection site reactions (19.0% [n = 8/42], frequency unrelated to dose levels); all were mild (Grade 1) and resolved without dose modification or discontinuation. GSK3389404 administered subcutaneously was readily absorbed with a time to maximum plasma concentration (Tmax) of 1–4 hours and an elimination half‐life of 3–6 hours in plasma. Plasma area under the concentration‐time curve (AUC) and maximum observed concentration (Cmax) were dose‐proportional. Dose‐normalized plasma AUC from time 0 to infinity averaged 69.9 ng·h/(mL·mg dose) across cohorts, and Cmax 9.5 ng/(mL·mg dose). Pharmacokinetic profiles and parameters were comparable between single and multiple dosing. No accumulation was observed with once‐weekly dosing. The metabolite was undetectable in urine and plasma. In the pooled urine, GSK3389404 was estimated to account for <0.1% of the total dose. In summary, GSK3389404 dosing has been tested up to 120 mg for 4 weeks with an acceptable safety and pharmacokinetic profile, supporting further clinical investigation in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Agrobacterium‐Mediated Transformation of Brachypodium distachyon
Authors: Chen Fengjuan , Liu Qi , P. Vogel John , Wu Jiajie
Published: March 2019

Brachypodium distachyon is an excellent model system for the grasses and has been adopted as a research organism by many laboratories around the world. It has all of the biological traits required for a model system, including small stature, short life cycle, small genome, simple growth requirements, and a close relationship to major crop plants (cereals). In addition, numerous resources have been developed for working with this species, including genome sequences for many lines, sequenced mutant collections, and a large, freely available germplasm collection. Fortunately, among grasses B. distachyon is one of the most easily transformed species, an absolute necessity for a model system. Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation is the preferred method to transform plants because it usually results in simple insertions of target DNA. In this article, we describe a method for Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation of the inbred B. distachyon lines Bd21 and Bd21‐3. Embryogenic callus induced from immature embryos is co‐cultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain AGL1 or Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain 18r12v. Hygromycin and paromomycin are used as selective agents, with comparable transformation efficiencies (defined as the percentage of co‐cultivated callus that produce transgenic plants) of 40% to 70%. It takes 20 to 30 weeks to obtain T1 seeds starting from the initial step of dissecting out immature embryos. This protocol has been shown to be efficient and facile in several studies that resulted in the creation of over 22,000 T‐DNA mutants. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Universal Methods for Transgene Induction Using the Dexamethasone‐Inducible Transcription Activation System pOp6/LhGR in Arabidopsis and Other Plant Species
Authors: Samalova Marketa , Kirchhelle Charlotte , Moore Ian
Published: March 2019

Use of chemically inducible systems for transgene expression is a crucial requirement for modern plant biology research, as it allows (1) expression of transgenes that compromise plant viability or fertility when constitutively expressed and (2) spatiotemporal control of transgene expression levels. We describe the stringently regulated and highly responsive dexamethasone‐inducible gene expression system pOp6/LhGR, which comprises the chimeric transcription activator LhGR and the corresponding pOp6 promoter. Upon induction, the LhGR activator binds to the pOp6 promoter and induces expression of the target gene of interest. We provide detailed protocols for inducing transgene expression at different developmental stages and in different plant species and discuss dexamethasone stability and use of its analogs. We also introduce new, versatile, GATEWAY‐compatible binary vectors that are now available for the pOp6/LhGR system. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Pharmacokinetic Parameters of Infliximab Influence the Rate of Relapse After De‐Escalation in Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Authors: Petitcollin Antoine , Brochard Charlène , Siproudhis Laurent , Tron Camille , Verdier Marie‐Clémence , Lemaitre Florian , Lucidarme Camille , Bouguen Guillaume , Bellissant Éric
Published: March 2019

This study aimed at exploring the link among individual concentrations, pharmacokinetic parameters, and the probability of relapse after de‐escalation in a real‐world prospective cohort of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who underwent infliximab treatment de‐escalation. Ninety‐one patients were included. A time‐varying compartment model was used to estimate individual pharmacokinetic parameters and trough concentrations. A Cox model was implemented to explore the parameters influencing the probability of relapse after de‐escalation. Volume, clearance, and trough before and after de‐escalation were linked to the relapse risk at the univariate step. Independent predictors of relapse were tobacco use and/or ulcerative colitis (P = 0.0093), a higher C‐reactive protein (CRP; P = 0.00064), and an infliximab trough < 2.4 μg/mL after de‐escalation (P = 0.0001). Patients with trough > 5.7 μg/mL are eligible to de‐escalation, but infliximab pharmacokinetics is highly variable in time. Therefore, drug monitoring is mandatory after de‐escalation to maintain trough > 2.4 μg/mL. Clearance monitoring seems an appealing approach for patient selection and relapse prediction.
Query optimization mechanisms in the cloud environments: A systematic study
Authors: Azhir Elham , Navimipour Nima Jafari , Hosseinzadeh Mehdi , Sharifi Arash , Darwesh Aso
Published: March 2019

The goal of a query optimizer is to provide an optimal Query Execution Plan (QEP) by comparing alternative query plans. In a distributed database system over cloud environment, the relations required by a query plan may be stored at multiple sites. This leads to an exponential increase in the number of possible equivalent plan alternatives to find an optimal QEP. Although it is not computationally reasonable to explore exhaustively all possible plans in such large search space. Although query optimization mechanisms are important in the cloud environments, to the best of our knowledge, there exists no complete and systematic review on investigating these issues. Therefore, in this paper, four categories to study these mechanisms are considered which are search‐based, machine learning‐based, schema‐based, and security‐based mechanisms. Also, this paper represents the advantages and disadvantages of the selected query optimization techniques and investigates the metrics of their techniques. Finally, the important challenges of these techniques are reviewed to develop more efficient query optimization techniques in the future.
A slippery slope for Cryogenian diamictites?
Authors: Le Heron Daniel Paul , Vandyk Thomas M.
Published: March 2019

The Death Valley region has previously been claimed to preserve the sedimentary records of both the Sturtian and Marinoan snowball Earth events within the Kingston Peak Formation, which outcrops in a number of disconnected mountain ranges. In this context, new sedimentary logs are presented together with detailed clast textural analyses which allow diamictites of the Alexander Hills and the Saddle Peak Hills to be compared in detail for the first time, and to be contrasted with rocks of well‐established glaciogenic origin from the Kingston Range. Notably, in the Saddle Peak Hills, clasts identical in composition and facies to that of the Noonday Dolomite—a unit previously interpreted as the post‐Marinoan cap carbonate—are incorporated into diamictites at the top of the Kingston Peak Formation. Combined with the carbonate‐rich composition of rocks at the top of the formation, these observations suggest that the uppermost diamictites of the Saddle Peak Hills and Alexander Hills are genetically related to the Noonday Dolomite and are unrelated to glacial processes. We propose that they formed through local slope foundering and basinward collapse of the adjacent carbonate platform, substantiating recent interpretations of Noonday carbonate platform dynamics, and demonstrating that they are genetically unrelated to Cryogenian glaciation. Thus, clast textural analyses play a valuable role in establishing whether contested ‘snowball Earth’ outcrops are truly glaciogenic or simply the product of local slope collapse.
Protein intake is not associated with progression of diabetic kidney disease in patients without macroalbuminuria
Authors: Kaji Ayumi , Hashimoto Yoshitaka , Kobayashi Yukiko , Wada Sayori , Kuwahata Masashi , Yamazaki Masahiro , Fukui Michiaki
Published: March 2019

Background

Diabetic kidney disease is an important problem in individuals with diabetes. The effect of dietary protein intake on the renal function of patients with diabetes is controversial. Here, we sought to clarify the association between dietary protein intake and changes in the urinary albumin excretion (UAE) or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, we included 144 patients (70 men, mean ± standard deviation of age 64 ± 10 years, and median (interquartile range) of UAE 15.0 (7.0‐38.9) mg/gCr) without an eGFR less than 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 and/or UAE greater than or equal to 300 mg/gCr. Changes in the UAE or eGFR were defined as (logarithms [UAE+1] or eGFR at follow‐up minus logarithms [UAE+1] or eGFR at baseline examination)/follow‐up duration (years). Habitual protein intake was estimated by a self‐administered diet history questionnaire.

Results

The median follow‐up duration was 5 years. Protein intake (g/kg ideal body weight/day) was not associated with the change in the UAE (r = −0.130, p = 0.120) or change in the eGFR (r = −0.074, p = 0.381). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that after adjusting for covariates, the patients' protein intake was not associated with change in their UAE (standardized regression coefficient: 0.044, p = 0.732) or change in their eGFR (standardized regression coefficient: 0.250, p = 0.085).

Conclusions

Dietary protein intake does not influence changes in the UAE or eGFR among patients with type 2 diabetes without macroalbuminuria.
Proposals for optimizing sea lamprey passage through a vertical‐slot fishway
Authors: Pereira E. , Cardoso G.R. , Quintella B.R. , Mateus C.S. , Alexandre C.M. , Oliveira R.L. , Belo A.F. , Telhado A. , Quadrado M.F. , Batista C.M. , Almeida P.R.
Published: March 2019

Movement of sea lamprey through a vertical‐slot fishway (built at the Coimbra dam, in central Portugal) was continuously monitored between 2013 and 2016 by a video recording system. Visual count data were used to quantify the overall successful movements and identify seasonal and circadian patterns of fishway use. Explicative models (Boosted Regression Trees) were used to study the relationship between frequency of successful movements during the species migration peak and environmental variables. The aim of the study was to identify predictors that may be related with successful sea lamprey upstream migration through the fishway. Collected information was used to support further management recommendations for optimizing the fishway performance. During the 4‐year study, near 50,000 lampreys successfully negotiated the Coimbra dam fishway reaching the upper stretch of river Mondego. Migratory peak occurred between April and May with an increase in passages during the night period (between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.). It was observed an increase in use frequency that was related with the combined effect of flow and temperature. Higher passages were achieved when Coimbra dam discharge flows are lower than 100 m3/s and temperature between 15 and 19°C. Flow discharges higher than 150 m3/s seemed to inhibit successful sea lamprey passage. In dry years, when flows are almost constantly lower than 50 m3/s, temperature was the most important factor influencing fishway use.
Mistletoe generates non‐trophic and trait‐mediated indirect interactions through a shared host of herbivore consumers
Authors: Lázaro‐González Alba , Hódar José A. , Zamora Regino
Published: March 2019

Indirect interactions emerge among a wide range of herbivores sharing the same plant resource. Consumers usually belong to different trophic guilds, from folivores and sapsuckers to parasitic plants. We propose that mistletoes parasitizing pines could play a key role acting as herbivores on host pines and coming indirectly into competition with other herbivores feeding on the same host. Changes caused by mistletoes on its host have been well studied, but its effects running across trophic webs remain unrevealed. In this study, we investigate the effect of European mistletoe (Viscum albumsubsp.austriacum) on the host‐feeding herbivores via trait‐mediated indirect interactions (TMIIs) across their shared pine host (Pinus nigrasubsp.salzmannii). We performed field and laboratory experiments, and analyzed the net effect of different mistletoe parasite loads on three host‐phytophagous species: the sapsuckerCinara pini(Aphididae), the winter folivoreThaumetopoea pityocampa(Thaumetopoeidae), and the summer folivoreBrachyderessp. (Curculionidae), all being members of different functional feeding groups (FFGs). We summarize the mistletoe–host–herbivore interactions by means of a TMII, where mistletoe parasitism causes non‐trophic links and detrimental indirect interactions on pine‐feeding herbivores across its shared host, suggesting a worsening of host quality as food. These indirect interactions vary according to three parameters. First, the intensity has a non‐proportional relation with parasite load, showing an impact threshold on highly parasitized pines. Second, the movement capacity of insect herbivores determines their response, by decreasing the abundance of herbivores with low movement ability (aphids and pine processionary caterpillars) while altering the behavior (plant selection) of more mobile herbivores (pine weevils). Finally, FFG determines the intensity of mistletoe parasitism effects, folivores being more responsive than sapsuckers. Overall, mistletoe generates non‐trophic interaction linkages in the forest able to modify community structure by becoming a nexus of the entire herbivore community of the pine canopy.
Fungal colonization of plant roots is resistant to nitrogen addition and resilient to dominant species losses
Authors: Henning Jeremiah A. , Read Quentin D. , Sanders Nathan J. , Classen Aimee T.
Published: March 2019

Global change drivers, such as nitrogen (N) deposition and non‐random species extinctions, may shift interactions among aboveground and belowground communities. However, tightly coupled interactions between aboveground and belowground organisms may buffer ecosystems to global change. Here, we test how four years of organic and inorganic N addition and removal of a dominant plant species, Festuca thurberi, independently and interactively influences fungal colonization patterns and performance in a co‐dominant plant species, Helianthella quinquenervis. Surprisingly, we found N addition and Festuca removal had no measurable effects on the colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and dark septate endophyte (DSE) or the performance of Helianthella seedlings grown with field‐collected inoculum in a companion greenhouse experiment. However, the proximity of Helianthella to Festuca predicted fungal colonization: DSE colonization decreased by 1% for each cm of distance Helianthella was from Festuca, although the differences in fungal inoculum potential had no effect on Helianthella seedling survival or biomass. Our results suggest that plant–fungal interactions can be resistant to N addition and resilient to the loss of dominant plant species. Additionally, our results suggest that soil legacies, mediated through surviving symbiont communities or changes in soil properties, can shape ecosystem resistance and resilience to disturbance and perturbations.
Summer comes to the Southern Ocean: how phytoplankton shape bacterioplankton communities far into the deep dark sea
Authors: Richert Inga , Yager Patricia L. , Dinasquet Julie , Logares Ramiro , Riemann Lasse , Wendeberg Annelie , Bertilsson Stefan , Scofield Douglas G.
Published: March 2019

During austral spring and summer, the coastal Antarctic experiences a sharp increase in primary production and a steepening of biotic and abiotic gradients that result from increased solar radiation and retreating sea ice. In one of the largest seasonally ice‐free regions, the Amundsen Sea Polynya, pelagic samples were collected from 15 sites during a massive Phaeocystis antarctica bloom in 2010/2011. Along with a suite of other biotic and abiotic measurements, bacterioplankton were collected and analyzed for community structure by pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The aims were to identify patterns in diversity and composition of heterotrophic bacterioplankton and to test mechanistic hypotheses for explaining these differences along variations in depth, water mass, phytoplankton biomass, and organic and inorganic nutrients. The overall goal was to clarify the relationship between primary producers and bacterioplankton community structure in the Southern Ocean. Results suggested that both epipelagic and mesopelagic bacterioplankton communities were structured by phytoplankton blooming in the euphotic zone. As chlorophyll a (chl‐a) increased in surface waters, the abundance of surface bacterioplankton increased, but their diversity decreased. Similarity in bacterioplankton community composition between surface‐water sites increased as the bloom progressed, suggesting that algal blooms may homogenize surface‐water bacterioplankton communities at larger spatial scales. Below the euphotic zone, the opposite relationship was found. Mesopelagic bacterioplankton diversity increased with increasing chl‐a in the overlying surface waters. This shift may be promoted by several factors including local increase in organic and inorganic nutrients from particles sinking out of the euphotic zone, an increase in niche differentiation associated with the particle flux, interactions with deep‐dwelling macrozooplankton, and release from competition with primary producers. Additional multivariate analyses of bacterioplankton community structure and nutrient concentrations revealed distinct depth horizons, with bacterioplankton communities having maximum alpha and beta diversity just below the euphotic zone, while nutrient composition gradually homogenized with increasing depth. Our results provide evidence for bloom‐driven (bottom‐up) control of bacterioplankton community diversity in the coastal Southern Ocean and suggest mechanisms whereby surface processes can shape the diversity of bacterioplankton communities at great depth.
Greenhouse gas emissions from urban ponds are driven by nutrient status and hydrology
Authors: Peacock Mike , Audet Joachim , Jordan Sabine , Smeds Jacob , Wallin Marcus B.
Published: March 2019

Inland waters emit significant quantities of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. On a global scale, these emissions are large enough that their contribution to climate change is now recognized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Much of the past focus on GHG emissions from inland waters has focused on lakes, reservoirs, and rivers, and the role of small, artificial waterbodies such as ponds has been overlooked. To investigate the spatial variation in GHG fluxes from artificial ponds, we conducted a synoptic survey of forty urban ponds in a Swedish city. We measured dissolved concentrations of CH4 and CO2, and made complementary measurements of water chemistry. We found that CH4 concentrations were greatest in high‐nutrient ponds (measured as total phosphorus and total organic carbon). For CO2, higher concentrations were associated with silicon and calcium, suggesting that groundwater inputs lead to elevated CO2. When converted to diffusive GHG fluxes, mean emissions were 30.3 mg CH4·m−2·d−1 and 752 mg CO2·m−2·d−1. Although these fluxes are moderately high on an areal basis, upscaling them to all Swedish urban ponds gives an emission of 8336 t CO2eq/yr (±1689) equivalent to 0.1% of Swedish agricultural GHG emissions. Artificial ponds could be important GHG sources in countries with larger proportions of urban land.
WA352 gene indicates booming outcrossing progenies (three‐line hybrid rice × weedy rice) in weedy rice populations
Authors: Yan Yu‐jiang , Chao Jing , Wang Yuan , Mo Shu‐da , Kong Meng‐yao , Shi Zhi‐hua , Song Xiao‐ling , Qiang Sheng , Dai Wei‐min
Published: March 2019

Weedy rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) is a conspecific weedy relative of cultivated Asian rice (O. sativa L.) that occurs in paddy fields worldwide. The mechanism underlying the persistence of weedy rice in rice fields remains unclear. We tested for evidence that southern Chinese weedy rice has originated through pollen flow from weedy rice that has resulted in hybridization with three‐line hybrid rice cultivars, which have been extensively cultivated in southern China for the last 40 yr and now account for over half the total rice cultivation in China. To test the hypothesis, we screened for the presence of the maternally inherited WA352 gene in weedy rice populations in southern China. WA352 is a mitochondrial gene that controls wild abortive cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS‐WA) and is present in three‐line hybrid rice cultivars. Screening of 48 weedy rice populations (939 accessions) indicates that 36 of 48 populations (75%) and 325 of 939 accessions (34.6%) harbor the WA352 gene. The rate is significantly higher than the 1% outcrossing rate between weedy rice and rice cultivars. Further analysis indicates significance between the frequency of the WA352 gene in weedy rice populations and depth of plowing. Our results suggest that outcrossing with rice cultivars is one of the important mechanisms underlying the persistence of weedy rice in southern China and that deep plowing may be conducive to promoting the persistence of weedy rice derived from hybridization (three‐line hybrid rice × weedy rice).
Numerical model and dynamic analysis of multi degree of freedom masonry arches
Authors: Kollár László P. , Ther Tamás
Published: March 2019

A new model is presented for planar multi‐block arches subjected to earthquakes. The blocks are assumed to be rigid, and every interface between the blocks may split open and may close, ie, the blocks may impact to each other. During impact, both the classical Housner's approach and improved models with lower energy dissipation are considered. The arch model is verified by comparisons with the available results in the literature. Using the new model, it was found that the circular arch moves as a four‐hinge mechanism typically only at the beginning of excitation, and several cracks split open during motion; furthermore, that modeling a multi‐block arch by a single degree of freedom (SDOF) four‐hinge mechanism may significantly overestimate its collapse load. While, in accordance with the literature, the overturning curves of single blocks and arches with symmetrically located four hinges are similar; for multi‐block arches where several hinges may occur they can be very different.
Hydrogen storage in carbon materials—A review
Authors: Mohan Man , Sharma Vinod Kumar , Kumar E. Anil , Gayathri V.
Published: March 2019

It is well known that three challenges of hydrogen economy, that is, production, storage, and transportation or application put tremendous stress on scientific community for the past several decades. Based on several investigations, reported in literature, it is observed that the storage of hydrogen in solid form is more suitable option to overcome the challenges like its storage and transportation. In this form, hydrogen can be stored by absorption (metal hydrides and complex hydrides) and adsorption (carbon materials). Compared to absorption, adsorption of hydrogen on carbon materials is observed to be more favorable in terms of storage capacity. Taking in to account of these facts, in this short review, an overview on hydrogen adsorption on activated carbon and different allotropes of carbon like graphite, carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanofibers is presented. Synthesis processes of all the carbon materials are discussed in brief along with their hydrogen storage capacities at different operating conditions, and thermodynamic properties and reaction kinetics. In addition, different methods to improve hydrogen storage capacities of carbon materials are presented in detail. Finally, comparison is made between different carbon materials to estimate the amount of hydrogen that can be stored and retract practically. The experimentally measured maximum hydrogen storage capacity of activate carbon, graphite, single‐walled nanotubes, multiwalled nanotubes, and carbon nanofibers at room temperature are 5.5 wt%, 4.48 wt%, 4.5 wt%, 6.3 wt%, and 6.5 wt%, respectively.
Performance of thermochemical energy storage of a packed bed of calcium hydroxide pellets
Authors: Funayama Shigehiko , Takasu Hiroki , Zamengo Massimiliano , Kariya Jun , Kim Seon Tae , Kato Yukitaka
Published: March 2019

Thermochemical energy storage (TCES) using reversible gas‐solid reactions is a promising technology owing to the high energy density and capability of long‐term storage. TCES using a calcium oxide/calcium hydroxide/water (CaO/Ca(OH)2/H2O) reaction system has attracted considerable attention because of the low material cost and environmental friendliness of the reactants. Previous experimental studies have focused on the TCES performances of packed beds of calcium oxide/calcium hydroxide powder. However, pelleted materials can be more favorable than powdered materials from a practical viewpoint. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of TCES of a packed bed of calcium oxide/calcium hydroxide pellets. In this work, a total of 60 g of calcium hydroxide pellets (diameter of 1.9 mm and length of 2‐10 mm) was evaluated using a 100‐W scale packed bed reactor. The heat storage density of the bed was 1.0 MJ L‐bed−1, and an average heat output rate of 0.71 kW L‐bed−1 was observed for the first 10 minutes under a hydration pressure of 84.6 kPa. The stability of the reaction conversion of the bed was demonstrated during 17 cycles of experiments.
An integrated framework for minimization of inter lithium‐ion cell temperature differences and the total volume of the cell of battery pack for electric vehicles
Authors: Yun Liu , Maddila Sivasriprasanna , Gao Liang , Peng Xiongbin , Niu Xiaodong , Garg Akhil , Chin Christina May May
Published: March 2019

There is not much research carried out on factors such as temperature differences in different regions of battery pack, which is highly important and poses a great challenge. Temperature changes across batteries affect the battery pack performance and its life span largely. Thus, the present work proposes the Integrated Finite Element‐Meta‐Optimization Framework for solving this problem. The integrated framework includes the formulation of Finite Element Model of a battery pack and Meta‐Optimization Framework for multi‐objective minimization of three objectives such as the inter‐cell temperature differences, temperature standard deviation and the total volume of the cell. In this framework, firstly Support Vector Regression (SVR) model is formulated based on the data and the SVR parameters are optimized using a genetic algorithm. It can conclude that the resulting model has a coefficient of correlation metric of 99%. The simulated annealing algorithm is then applied to find the optimal values of inter‐cell and cell‐enclosure distances for minimization of inter‐cell temperature differences and the total volume of the cell. Optimization analysis concluded that the volume of the battery pack was decreased by 29%, temperature difference (K) by 42% and SD of the temperature over the entire pack decreased by 55%.