bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Applying the zoo model to conservation of threatened exceptional plant species
Authors: Wood Jordan , Ballou Jonathan D. , Callicrate Taylor , Fant Jeremie B. , Griffith M. Patrick , Kramer Andrea T. , Lacy Robert C. , Meyer Abby , Sullivan Sara , Traylor‐Holzer Kathy , Walsh Seana K. , Havens Kayri
Published: March 2020

Maintaining a living plant collection is the most common method of ex situ conservation for plant species that cannot be seed banked (i.e., exceptional species). Viability of living collections, and their value for future conservation efforts, can be limited without coordinated efforts to track and manage individuals across institutions. Using a pedigree‐focused approach, the zoological community has established an inter‐institutional infrastructure to support long‐term viability of captive animal populations. We assessed the ability of this coordinated metacollection infrastructure to support the conservation of 4 plant species curated in living collections at multiple botanic gardens around the world. Limitations in current practices include the inability to compile, share, and analyze plant collections data at the individual level, as well as difficulty in tracking original provenance of ex situ material. The coordinated metacollection framework used by zoos can be adopted by the botanical community to improve conservation outcomes by minimizing the loss of genetic diversity in collections. We suggest actions to improve ex situ conservation of exceptional plant species, including developing a central database to aggregate data and track unique individuals of priority threatened species among institutions and adapting a pedigree‐based population management tool that incorporates life‐history aspects unique to plants. If approached collaboratively across regional, national, and global scales, these actions could transform ex situ conservation of threatened plant species.
Miniaturizing landscapes to understand species distributions
Authors: Larsen Cole D. , Hargreaves Anna L.
Published: March 2020

Species’ geographic distributions shape global patterns of biodiversity and therefore have long been of interest to ecology and conservation. Theory has generated valuable hypotheses about how landscape structure, dispersal, biotic interactions and evolution shape range dynamics, but most predictions have not been tested on real organisms because key variables are difficult to isolate, replicate or manipulate in natural ecosystems. An exciting and rapidly emerging approach is to extend classical microcosm and mesocosm systems to create experimental ‘micro‐landscapes’. By enabling researchers to manipulate geographic features of interest, replicate landscapes, control colonization and follow dynamics across evolutionary timescales, micro‐landscapes allow explicit tests of the ecological and evolutionary underpinnings of species distributions. Here we review the micro‐landscape systems being used to advance biogeography, the major insights they have generated thus far, and the features that limit their application to some scenarios. We end by highlighting important questions about species’ biogeography that are ripe for testing with experimental micro‐landscapes, particularly those of immediate concern given rapid global change, such as range contractions and constraints to range expansion.
Traits reveal ecological strategies driving carrion insect community assembly
Authors: Evans Maldwyn J. , Wallman James F. , Barton Philip S.
Published: March 2020

1. The succession of carrion‐associated (necrophilous) insects on decomposing carrion is well documented. To exploit the changing nutritious and dynamic resources available throughout the carrion decomposition process, different species colonise and consume carrion in a predictable temporal sequence. The traits of these necrophilous insects should reflect their ecological strategies. Morphological traits of these insects, such as body size and wing size, however, have not previously been examined during active and advanced decomposition.

2. We used fourth‐corner multivariate generalised linear models to identify insect community morphological trait patterns and to quantify their change through time on decomposing rabbit carcasses in grassland and woodland environments.

3. We found that larger‐bodied species of flies and carrion‐specialist beetles were associated with the early stages of decomposition. The morphological traits of ants, in contrast, showed no changes at carcasses through time and instead showed body size differences between grassland and woodland environments.

4. Our findings indicate that specialist flies and beetles that arrive early in the decomposition process possess traits that enable rapid discovery of carrion at a large scale. Generalist beetles and ants do not share this same trait and are instead adapted to locate and consume a wider variety of resources in their preferred habitat type at their local scale.

5. Our results provide insights into the morphological adaptations linked to the ecological strategies of distinct components of carrion insect communities. Further, our results offer insights into the community assembly dynamics that structure the communities of necrophilous insect species.
Display above courts of White‐throated manakins: A new view about its display behavior
Authors: Tolentino Mariana , Anciães Marina
Published: March 2020

In order to breed successfully, organisms exhibit multiple strategies to enhance mate attraction, such as elaborate physical ornamentation, behavioral courtship displays, and social interactions, leading to competition or cooperation among potential mates. Within lek mating systems, species evolve under strong sexual selection, which promotes the evolution of exaggerated sexual traits such as male courtship displays. The White‐throated manakin, Corapipo gutturalis, is a small Neotropical bird mating in leks where males display courtships to attract females. Their displays commonly take place on fallen logs on the forest floor, but there are descriptions of displays on higher forest stratum above the typical logs. In this study, we aimed at adding new behavioral information on the above‐log displays and to compare them to log displays in their potential to attract females. For this, we conducted focal observations on seven display courts in two reproductive seasons for 193 hr and recorded above‐log displays in four of the seven observed courts. Above‐log displays were always performed in groups of up to four males from multiple ages and, on only two occasions, these displays ended on the display log. We recorded the same elements previously described during above‐log displays for the species, besides the side‐to‐side slide that had not yet been registered for the species. Above‐log displays included more males than log displays. However, there was no significant difference in the frequency of females visits to above‐log displays or log displays and, likewise, the number of males engaging in the above‐log displays did not determine female visits either. Thus, we found no evidence that above‐log displays are more effective at attracting females than those on the log display. Since above‐log displays are always in the presence of multiple males, we suggest that it may represent male–male competition to define male individuals accessing the display logs.
Catching the future: Applying Bayesian belief networks to exploratory scenario storylines to assess long‐term changes in Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras, Clupeidae) and salmon (Salmo salar, Salmonidae) fisheries
Authors: Pihlajamäki Mia , Helle Inari , Haapasaari Päivi , Sarkki Simo , Kuikka Sakari , Lehikoinen Annukka
Published: March 2020

Fisheries management aims to ensure that the fishing activities are environmentally sustainable in the long term, while also achieving the economic, social and food security related management objectives. To facilitate this, both the ecological and human dimensions of sustainability need to be included in fisheries assessment. In addition, assessing long‐term sustainability calls for taking into account plausible changes in the surrounding societal conditions that shape the characteristics of the fisheries governance system, as well as the ecological conditions. The paper uses a combination of qualitative exploratory scenario storylines (ESS) and Bayesian belief networks (BBN) to integrate the environmental, economic, social and food security dimensions in an interdisciplinary assessment of the future sustainability of Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras, Clupeidae) and salmon (Salmo salar, Salmonidae) fisheries. First, four alternative ESS were created based on plausible changes in societal drivers. The ESS were then formulated into a BBN to (a) visualize the assumed causalities, and (b) examine quantitatively how changes in the societal drivers affect the social‐ecological fisheries system and ultimately the fisheries management objectives. This type of probabilistic scenario synthesis can help in thinking qualitative scenarios in a quantitative way. Moreover, it can increase understanding on the causal links between societal driving forces and the complex fisheries system and on how the management objectives can be achieved, thereby providing valuable information for strategic decision‐making under uncertainty.
In the field with Joe: early excursions of the Freelance Geological Society
Authors: Donovan Stephen K. , Collins Joe S. H.
Published: March 2020

Fieldwork in the twenty‐first century is the subject of health and safety legislation and paperwork, as we don our luminous jackets and protective helmets. Sometimes, the geology can feel like an afterthought. Contrast this with the Freelance Geological Society in the late 1940s and after, in the field most weekends, collecting, climbing and caving, in a post‐war world with abundant quarries and mines.
Fortress Wytschaete: geological controls on the German frontline in Flanders, 1914–1917
Authors: Doyle Peter , Verdegem Simon , Schäfer Robin
Published: March 2020

The Battle of Messines (Wytschaete Bogen) of June 1917 is hailed as a triumph of military geology, with the simultaneous explosion of some 19 mines leading to the Allied destruction of the German frontline positions. This story is well known and rightly celebrated; but less well understood and often overshadowed by this success is the story of the effectiveness of the German fortress positions. These were constructed in late 1914 in order to maintain the strategic aim of holding the Allies in the west while pressing the Russians through a series of offensives in east. In this, they were highly effective, even in the face of continuous Allied bombardment. This article seeks to redress this unbalance in our understanding, drawing on archaeological evidence and archival resources to present a clearer picture of the nature of the German positions.
Labour and international accounting standards: A question of social justice
Authors: JUBÉ Samuel
Published: March 2020

As the international guardian of social justice, the ILO is witnessing a global revolution in accounting, which has culminated in international accounting standards (IAS‐IFRS). Previously, accounting measured the economy in relation to the capacities and responsibilities of workers and their employers. Today, the exact opposite is the case: the IAS‐IFRS no longer measure work and enterprises, referring instead to the abstract concept of a cybernetic entity capable of constant restructuring, at the cost of unprecedented inequality. The author points to the incoherence of this system and to the need to restore the full carrying value of labour.
Development of a clinical pathway for screening and integrated care of eating disorders in a rural substance use treatment setting
Authors: Evans Jocelyn , Horn Kristine , Cowan Darrin , Brunero Scott
Published: March 2020

Eating and substance use disorders frequently co‐occur in clinical samples. This comorbidity presents a particular challenge due to increased medical complications, higher relapse rates, psychiatric comorbidity, and poorer overall outcomes for both disorders, and is associated with specific medical and psychiatric difficulties that contribute to complexity in diagnosis and treatment. However, patients with co‐occurring substance use and eating disorders do not widely receive structured standardized assessment or treatment for eating disorders in substance use treatment settings. Focus groups were conducted to seek clinician’s knowledge and perceptions of screening and care planning for eating disorder presentations in a rural substance use treatment setting. The study adheres to COREQ guidelines. To analyse the focus group data, the authors utilized thematic analysis and three major themes emerged as follows: beliefs about clients (stereotypical views, complexity of comorbidity, client expectations), understanding of self (lack of knowledge/skills, professional role), and organizational barriers and enablers. Whilst identifying a significant number of clinician and organizational barriers to providing screening and treatment of eating disorders in a substance use treatment setting, focus group discussions also highlighted a number of potential enablers. Most notably clinicians identified a willingness to provide screening and care planning if they were provided with education, a clinical pathway and access to screening tools. A consensus conferencing approach facilitated construction of a clinical pathway to enable the service to provide screening, assessment, and treatment planning for clients with comorbid eating disorder.
Poling temperature‐insensitive piezoelectric constant of high‐performance potassium sodium niobate piezoceramics
Authors: Tao Hong , Wang Zheng , Zhao Silu , Zhao Chunlin , Yin Jie , Wu Jiagang
Published: March 2020

Deriving from strong temperature dependence of polymorphic phase boundaries, piezoelectric constant of potassium sodium niobate (K0.5N0.5NbO3)‐based ceramics is sensitive to the poling temperature. Here, an effective strategy of doping rare earth (RE) elements is proposed to solve this issue. Piezoelectric constant (d33 ~ 440 pC/N) can be well kept in 0.965K0.45Na0.55Nb0.96Sb0.04O3‐0.035(Bi0.75Dy0.25)0.5Na0.5HfO3 ceramics at a wide poling temperature range (35‐120°C) by the method of replacing Bi3+ with rare earth dysprosium, and importantly, this method can be effectively expanded to other RE elements. The high piezoelectricity roots in the multiphase coexistence with the addition of RE elements. The dull sensitivity of poling temperature is analyzed by microstructure information, that is, ferroelectric domains can be well rotated under a wide temperature range by introducing RE, which is responsible for the stabilized piezo‐response against the poling temperature. Moreover, comparing with Bi3+, a lower electronegativity of RE3+ may effectively reduce the micro‐stress produced by lattice distortion, also yielding to the lattice softening and the easier domain rotation.
Fibroblast growth factor 21 alleviates acute pancreatitis via activation of the Sirt1‐autophagy signalling pathway
Authors: Chen Qiongzhen , Li Jinmeng , Ma Junfeng , Yang Xiaoning , Ni Ming , Zhang Yali , Li Xiaokun , Lin Zhuofeng , Gong Fanghua
Published: March 2020

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a metabolic hormone with pleiotropic effects on glucose and lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity, alleviates the process of acute pancreatitis (AP). However, its mechanism remains elusive. The pathological and physiological characteristics of FGF21 are observed in both patients with AP and cerulein‐induced AP models, and the mechanisms of FGF21 in response to AP are investigated by evaluating the impact of autophagy in FGF21‐treated mice and cultured pancreatic cells. Circulating levels of FGF21 significantly increase in both AP patients and cerulein‐induced AP mice, which is accompanied by the change of pathology in pancreatic injury. Replenishment of FGF21 distinctly reverses cerulein‐induced pancreatic injury and improves cerulein‐induced autophagy damage in vivo and in vitro. Mechanically, FGF21 acts on pancreatic acinar cells to up‐regulate Sirtuin‐1 (Sirt1) expression, which in turn repairs impaired autophagy and removes damaged organs. In addition, blockage of Sirt1 accelerates cerulein‐induced pancreatic injury and weakens the regulative effect in FGF21‐activated autophagy in mice. These results showed that FGF21 protects against cerulein‐induced AP by activation of Sirtuin‐1‐autophagy axis.
To construct a ceRNA regulatory network as prognostic biomarkers for bladder cancer
Authors: Jiang Jiazhi , Bi Yaqiong , Liu Xiao‐Ping , Yu Donghu , Yan Xin , Yao Jie , Liu Tongzu , Li Sheng
Published: March 2020

Emerging evidence demonstrates that competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) hypothesis has played a role in molecular biological mechanisms of cancer occurrence and development. But the effect of ceRNA network in bladder cancer (BC), especially lncRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA regulatory network of BC, was not completely expounded. By means of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we compared the expression of RNA sequencing (RNA‐Seq) data between 19 normal bladder tissue and 414 primary bladder tumours. Then, weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA) was conducted to analyse the correlation between two sets of genes with traits. Interactions between miRNAs, lncRNAs and target mRNAs were predicted by MiRcode, miRDB, starBase, miRTarBase and TargetScan. Next, by univariate Cox regression and LASSO regression analysis, the 86 mRNAs obtained by prediction were used to construct a prognostic model which contained 4 mRNAs (ACTC1 + FAM129A + OSBPL10 + EPHA2). Then, by the 4 mRNAs in the prognostic model, a ceRNA regulatory network with 48 lncRNAs, 14 miRNAs and 4 mRNAs was constructed. To sum up, the ceRNA network can further explore gene regulation and predict the prognosis of BC patients.
A split‐face randomized controlled study comparing the efficacy and safety of intralesional radiofrequency‐assisted subcision vs conventional subcision in postacne scars
Authors: Kaur Maninder , Sharma Vinod K. , Sethuraman Gomathy , Arava Sudheer , Gupta Somesh
Published: March 2020

Background

Postacne scars have significant psychosocial distress among patients. Subcision is a well‐known treatment modality specially for rolling type of acne scars, but is a crude mechanical process, which carries a risk of hematoma formation.

Aims

To compare the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency‐assisted subcision (rSubcision) with conventional subcision in postacne scars.

Methods

In this randomized, split‐face study, adult patients with postacne scars were randomized to receive either conventional subcision or rSubcision in 2 sessions, 4 weeks apart and followed up for 2 months. Outcome was measured using Goodman and Baron score (GBS), investigator global assessment (IGA) by two blinded dermatologists, and patient global assessment (PGA).

Results

Seventeen out of 21 patients completed the treatment. Statistical analysis of the results was performed using SPSS 15.0 statistical software (SPSS). Patients in both the groups had significant improvement from baseline according to quantitative scoring (P = .0001), number of scars (P = .0001), IGA, and PGA. The improvement was comparable in both the groups according to GBS and IGA but better on rSubcision side in terms of PGA. Two patients developed small entry point burn during rSubcision which healed in one month and one developed persistent hematoma with conventional subcision.

Conclusions

Both modalities were comparable in terms of assessment scores and investigator assessment, but patients found improvement better on rSubcision side.
Serum bilirubin and uric acid antioxidant levels in rosacea patients
Authors: Turkmen Dursun
Published: March 2020

Background

Rosacea is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease that the pathogenesis is not fully understood. Although the significant role of oxidative stress in rosacea pathophysiology has been shown in recent studies, there is no study addressing the potential roles of bilirubin and uric acid (UA) in rosacea.

Aim

The purpose of this study was to assign serum bilirubin and UA antioxidant levels in rosacea patients.

Methods

Eighty‐seven rosacea patients and 81 healthy controls (HCs) similar age and gender were included in the study. From all study participants, blood samples were taken and the values of total bilirubin (Tbil), direct bilirubin (Dbil), indirect bilirubin (Ibil), and UA were analyzed in the laboratory of biochemistry.

Results

The type of rosacea was erythematotelangiectatic in 51.7% of the patients, papulopustular in 43.7%, and phymatous in 4.6%. In rosacea group serum, Tbil, Dbil, Ibil, and UA values were found to be significantly lower than in the HCs. Male rosacea patients were found to have lower Tbil, Dbil, Ibil, and UA levels when compared with the males in the HCs. There was also the same significant difference in female patients.

Conclusion

Main finding of our study was that when compared with the control group, serum bilirubin and UA levels were significantly lower in rosacea patients. These levels sustain the hypothesis that antioxidant status and oxidative stress are important in the pathogenesis of rosacea.
Coproducing the Endangered Polar Bear: Science, Climate Change, and Legal Mobilization
Authors: Vanhala Lisa
Published: March 2020

Applying insights from science and technology studies about the “coproduction” of science and sociopolitical order to research on legal mobilization yields important theoretical insights. Using the polar bear petition campaign by the Center for Biological Diversity as an illustrative case, this article shows how this protracted legal campaign around protection of the polar bear and its habitat opened up new legal opportunities for those advocating for the regulation of carbon emissions, mandated state‐sponsored generation of climate science, legally constructed the polar bear as “endangered,” and helped to shape the priorities of the nongovernmental organization itself.
Are root parasitic plants like any other plant pathogens?
Authors: Delavault Philippe
Published: March 2020

This article is a Commentary on Su et al. 226: 891–908.
What use has approved
Authors: Endicott Timothy
Published: March 2020

The meaning of a word is given by a customary rule for its use. I defend that claim and explain its implications by a comparison with customary rules in law. I address two problems about customary rules: first, how can the mere facts of social practice yield a norm? Secondly, how can we explain disagreement about the requirements of a custom, if those requirements are determined by the shared practice of the participants in a community? These problems can be resolved in a way that illuminates customary rules, and helps to explain the relation between the meaning of a word and the customary rule for its use. The meaning of a word is the usefulness that it has because of the customary rule for its use.
Boosting multiplicative model combination
Authors: Vidoni Paolo
Published: March 2020

In this article, we define a new boosting‐type algorithm for multiplicative model combination using as loss function the Hyvärinen scoring rule. In particular, we focus on density estimation problems and the aim is to define a suitable estimator, using a multiplicative combination of elementary density functions, which correspond to simplified or partially specified probability models for the interest random phenomenon. The boosting algorithm provides a simple sequential procedure for updating the weights of the component density functions, until an optimality criterion is satisfied. An extension of this procedure can be useful for composite likelihood inference, in order to specify the weights of the component likelihood objects and, simultaneously, implement parameter estimation. Finally, three applications are presented. The first one regards prediction and inference for autoregressive models, the second one is the use of model pools for prediction in a time series framework, and the third one is the estimation of the covariance and the precision matrices of a multivariate Gaussian distribution. Empirical results on real‐world financial data are presented in challenging contexts, where we have to deal with a large dataset or with sparse matrices and a large number of unknown parameters.
Cytomegalovirus myocarditis in solid organ transplant recipients: A case series and review of literature
Authors: Scherger Sias , Mathur Swati , Bajrovic Valida , Johnson Steven C. , Benamu Esther , Ramanan Poornima , Wolfel Gene , Levi Marilyn E. , Abidi Maheen Z.
Published: March 2020

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a DNA virus of the Herpesviridae family and is estimated to affect 15%‐30% of high‐risk solid organ transplant recipients. Typical manifestations of CMV end‐organ disease in this population include colitis, esophagitis, and pneumonitis, and myocarditis is a rarely reported manifestation. We describe two cases of CMV myocarditis in solid organ transplant recipients and review the literature regarding previously published cases of CMV myocarditis.
Near-Field Electroluminescent Refrigeration System Consisting of Two Graphene Schottky Diodes
Authors: Song Jaeman , Jang Junho , Lim Mikyung , Lee Jungchul , Lee Seung S. , Lee Bong Jae
Published: March 2020

It has been shown that the performance of a thermal radiative device, such as a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) and an electroluminescent (EL) refrigerator, can be significantly enhanced when the vacuum gap between a reservoir and a semiconductor diode becomes nanoscale. Recently, several studies have reported the integration of a TPV and a light emitting diode (LED) in one near-field thermal radiative device to improve the operation efficiency. However, surface polaritons were hardly exploited in previous research because bare semiconductor diodes were used. In this paper, we propose a TPV-LED integrated near-field EL refrigeration system consisting of two graphene-semiconductor Schottky diodes. A substantial refrigeration rate (101.9 kW/m2) is achieved owing to the coupling of surface plasmon-phonon polaritons excited by a symmetric configuration of graphene-polar materials. Moreover, the cooling coefficient of performance (COP) of the system can be enhanced up to 2.65 times by recycling the electrical power generated in the TPV cell. The cooling performance is further investigated in relation to design parameters, namely the doping concentration of Si and insulator thickness.
Heat Transfer in Flat-Plate Boundary Layers: A Correlation for Laminar, Transitional, and Turbulent Flow
Authors: Lienhard John H.
Published: March 2020

The laminar and turbulent regimes of a boundary layer on a flat plate are often represented with separate correlations under the assumption of a distinct “transition Reynolds number.” Average heat coefficients are then calculated by integrating across the “transition point.” Experimental data do not show an abrupt transition, but rather an extended transition region in which turbulence develops. The transition region may be as long as the laminar region. Although this transitional behavior has been known for many decades, few correlations have incorporated it. One attempt was made by Stuart Churchill in 1976. Churchill, however, based his curve fit on some doubtful assumptions about the data sets. In this paper, we develop different approximations through a detailed consideration of multiple data sets for 0.7 ⩽ Pr ⩽ 257, 4000 ⩽ Rex ⩽ 4,300,000, and varying levels of freestream turbulence for smooth, sharp-edged plates at zero pressure gradient. The result we obtain is in good agreement with the available measurements and applies smoothly over the full range of Reynolds number for either a uniform wall temperature or a uniform heat flux boundary condition. Fully turbulent air data are correlated to ±11%. Like Churchill's result, this correlation should be matched to the estimated transition condition of any particular flow. We also review the laminar analytical solutions for a uniform wall heat flux, and point out limitations of the classical Colburn analogy.
A feedforward neural network for direction-of-arrival estimation
Authors: Ozanich Emma , Gerstoft Peter , Niu Haiqiang
Published: March 2020

This paper examines the relationship between conventional beamforming and linear supervised learning, then develops a nonlinear deep feed-forward neural network (FNN) for direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation. First, conventional beamforming is reformulated as a real-valued, linear inverse problem in the weight space, which is compared to a support vector machine and a linear FNN model. In the linear formulation, DOA is quickly and accurately estimated for a realistic array calibration example. Then, a nonlinear FNN is developed for two-source DOA and for K-source DOA, where K is unknown. Two training methodologies are used: exhaustive training for controlled accuracy and random training for flexibility. The number of FNN model hidden layers, hidden nodes, and activation functions are selected using a hyperparameter search. In plane wave simulations, the 2-source FNN resolved incoherent sources with 1° resolution using a single snapshot, similar to Sparse Bayesian Learning (SBL). With multiple snapshots, K-source FNN achieved resolution and accuracy similar to Multiple Signal Classification and SBL for an unknown number of sources. The practicality of the deep FNN model is demonstrated on Swellex96 experimental data for multiple source DOA on a horizontal acoustic array.
4-1BB costimulation promotes CAR T cell survival through noncanonical NF-κB signaling
Authors: Philipson Benjamin I. , O’Connor Roddy S. , May Michael J. , June Carl H. , Albelda Steven M. , Milone Michael C.
Published: March 2020

Noncanonical NF-κB signaling enhances the survival of CAR T cells expressing the 4-1BB costimulatory domain.
Calmodulin disrupts plasma membrane localization of farnesylated KRAS4b by sequestering its lipid moiety
Authors: Grant Benjamin M. M. , Enomoto Masahiro , Back Sung-In , Lee Ki-Young , Gebregiworgis Teklab , Ishiyama Noboru , Ikura Mitsuhiko , Marshall Christopher B.
Published: March 2020

Calmodulin sequesters and inhibits KRAS4b by binding a lipid-modified region of the protein.
Toward Harmonization of Voriconazole CLSI and EUCAST Breakpoints for Candida albicans Using a Validated
In Vitro
Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Model
Authors: Beredaki Maria-Ioanna , Georgiou Panagiota-Christina , Siopi Maria , Kanioura Lamprini , Andes David , Arendrup Maiken Cavling , Mouton Johan W. , Meletiadis Joseph
Published: March 2020

CLSI and EUCAST susceptibility breakpoints for voriconazole and
Candida albicans
differ by one dilution (≤0.125 and ≤0.06 mg/liter, respectively) whereas the epidemiological cutoff values for EUCAST (ECOFF) and CLSI (ECV) are the same (0.03 mg/liter). We therefore determined the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) breakpoints of voriconazole against
C. albicans
for both methodologies with an
in vitro
PK/PD model, which was validated using existing animal PK/PD data.
Complex Response of the CpxAR Two-Component System to β-Lactams on Antibiotic Resistance and Envelope Homeostasis in
Enterobacteriaceae
Authors: Masi Muriel , Pinet Elizabeth , Pagès Jean-Marie
Published: March 2020

The Cpx stress response is widespread among
Enterobacteriaceae
. We previously reported a mutation in
cpxA
in a multidrug-resistant strain of
Klebsiella aerogenes
isolated from a patient treated with imipenem. This mutation yields a single-amino-acid substitution (Y144N) located in the periplasmic sensor domain of CpxA. In this work, we sought to characterize this mutation in
Escherichia coli
by using genetic and biochemical approaches.
Genetic Analysis of Mutacin B-Ny266, a Lantibiotic Active against Caries Pathogens
Authors: Dufour Delphine , Barbour Abdelahhad , Chan Yuki , Cheng Marcus , Rahman Taimoor , Thorburn Matthew , Stewart Cameron , Finer Yoav , Gong Siew-Ging , Lévesque Céline M.
Published: March 2020

Bacteriocins are ribosomally synthesized proteinaceous antibacterial peptides. They selectively interfere with the growth of other bacteria. The production and secretion of bacteriocins confer a distinct ecological advantage to the producer in competing against other bacteria that are present in the same ecological niche. Streptococcus mutans, a significant contributor to the development of dental caries, is one of the most prolific producers of bacteriocins, known as mutacins in S. mutans. In this study, we characterized the locus encoding mutacin B-Ny266, a lantibiotic with a broad spectrum of activity. The chromosomal locus is composed of six predicted operon structures encoding proteins involved in regulation, antimicrobial activity, biosynthesis, modification, transport, and immunity. Mutacin B-Ny266 was purified from semisolid cultures, and two inhibitory peptides, LanA and LanA′, were detected. Both peptides were highly modified. Such modifications include dehydration of serine and threonine and the formation of a C-terminal aminovinyl-cysteine (AviCys) ring. While LanA peptide alone is absolutely required for antimicrobial activity, the presence of LanA′ enhanced the activity of LanA, suggesting that B-Ny266 may function as a two-peptide lantibiotic. The activation of lanAA′ expression is most likely controlled by the conserved two-component system NsrRS, which is activated by LanA peptide but not by LanA′. The chromosomal locus encoding mutacin B-Ny266 was not universally conserved in all sequenced S. mutans genomes. Intriguingly, the genes encoding LanAA′ peptides were restricted to the most invasive serotypes of S. mutans.

IMPORTANCE Although dental caries is largely preventable, it remains the most common and costly infectious disease worldwide. Caries is initiated by the presence of dental plaque biofilm that contains Streptococcus mutans, a species extensively characterized by its role in caries development and formation. S. mutans deploys an arsenal of strategies to establish itself within the oral cavity. One of them is the production of bacteriocins that confer a competitive advantage by targeting and killing closely related competitors. In this work, we found that mutacin B-Ny266 is a potent lantibiotic that is effective at killing a wide array of oral streptococci, including nearly all S. mutans strains tested. Lantibiotics produced by oral bacteria could represent a promising strategy to target caries pathogens embedded in dental plaque biofilm.
Peptide Self-Assembly Is Linked to Antibacterial, but Not Antifungal, Activity of Histatin 5 Derivatives
Authors: Schnaider Lee , Rosenberg Alexander , Kreiser Topaz , Kolusheva Sofiya , Gazit Ehud , Berman Judith
Published: March 2020

Antimicrobial peptides are important modulators of host defense against bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens in humans and other multicellular organisms. Two converging paradigms point to a link between antimicrobial peptides that self-assemble into amyloid-like nanoassemblies and classical amyloidogenic peptides that often have potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, suggesting that antimicrobial and amyloidogenic peptides may represent two sides of the same coin. Here, we asked if the ability of an antifungal peptide to self-assemble affects its antifungal or antibacterial activity. We found that modifications of classical antifungal peptide derivative allowed it to self-assemble and did not alter its antifungal activity, and yet self-assembly substantially increased the antibacterial activity of the peptide. These results support the idea that peptide self-assembly can enhance antibacterial activities and emphasize a distinction between the action of antifungal peptides and that of antibacterial peptides. Accordingly, we suggest that the possible generality of this distinction should be widely tested.
New Mutations Involved in Colistin Resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Sun Bingbing , Liu Haiyan , Jiang Yu , Shao Lei , Yang Sheng , Chen Daijie
Published: March 2020

Acinetobacter baumannii
is an important Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen commonly infecting critically ill patients. It possesses a remarkable ability to survive in the hospital environment and acquires resistance determinants corresponding to a wide range of antibacterial agents. Given that the current treatment options for multidrug resistant
A. baumannii
are extremely limited, colistin administration has become the treatment of last resort. However, colistin-resistant
A. baumannii
strains have recently been reported. The mechanism of resistance to colistin in
A. baumannii
has rarely been reported. Here, we found two novel mutations in
pmrA
(I13M) and
pmrB
(Q270P) that caused colistin resistance. It is also first reported here that the presence of
miaA
with a I221V mutation enhanced the colistin resistance of
pmrA
P102R
.
Supplemental Material: Early syn-rift igneous dike patterns, northern Kenya Rift (Turkana, Kenya): Implications for local and regional stresses, tectonics, and magma-structure interactions
Authors: Morley C.K.
Published: March 2020

ESRI Shapefiles of the mapped dike patterns, faults, and other features for this study.
Remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting oedema after surgical remission of Cushing’s syndrome
Authors: Iwasaki Hiroaki , Kanno Hitomi , Jiang Shi-Xu
Published: March 2020

A 64-year-old woman with refractory cellulitis in the lower legs was referred for inadequate glycaemic control. Physical examination revealed cushingoid features including central obesity. CT of the abdomen revealed a right adrenal mass that was positive on131I-adosterol imaging. Findings on endocrine evaluation confirmed a diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome, which was cured with a right adrenalectomy. Two months after surgery, the patient complained of pain and marked swelling of the hands during hydrocortisone replacement therapy (20 mg per day) given for postoperative adrenal insufficiency. Laboratory examination was unremarkable. However, contrast-enhanced T2-weighted MRI of the hands revealed enhanced signals surrounding the flexor tendons, leading to a diagnosis of remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting oedema. Prednisolone (15 mg per day) was then initiated, and the symptoms disappeared within a few days. This case illustrates the possibility that successful treatment of Cushing’s syndrome may trigger emergence of a glucocorticoid-responsive disease.
Blunt laryngeal trauma presenting as bilateral massive pneumothoraces and subcutaneous emphysema: a multidisciplinary approach to management
Authors: Noel Christopher W , Pooboni Suneel Kumar , Metwalli Metwalli Gamal , Kherani Safeena
Published: March 2020

A 3-year-old boy had an unwitnessed fall from a highchair. The child had no loss of consciousness, vomiting, stridor or respiratory distress but within a few minutes had significant swelling in the neck, scalp and around the eyes. He was brought immediately to the emergency room where he deteriorated rapidly and was intubated with a cuffed oral endotracheal tube. A clinical diagnosis of blunt laryngeal trauma was made. Imaging showed no laryngeal disruption, but did reveal massive bilateral pneumothoraces, that were managed with chest tube. A multidisciplinary meeting with family led to a watchful waiting approach. The patient was successfully extubated at 1 week and healed with a clear voice.
LAG3(LAG-3,CD223) DNA methylation correlates with LAG3 expression by tumor and immune cells, immune cell infiltration, and overall survival in clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Klümper Niklas , Ralser Damian J , Bawden Emma Grace , Landsberg Jenny , Zarbl Romina , Kristiansen Glen , Toma Marieta , Ritter Manuel , Hölzel Michael , Ellinger Jörg , Dietrich Dimo
Published: March 2020

Background

Lymphocyte activating 3 (LAG3, LAG-3, CD223) is a promising target for immune checkpoint inhibition in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (KIRC). The aim of this study was to investigate the epigenetic regulation ofLAG3in KIRC by methylation.

Methods

We correlated quantitativeLAG3methylation levels with transcriptional activity, immune cell infiltration, and overall survival in a cohort of n=533 patients with KIRC and n=160 normal adjacent tissue (NAT) samples obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Furthermore, we analyzedLAG3methylation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and KIRC cell lines. We validated correlations between LAG3 expression, immune cell infiltrates, survival, and methylation in an independent KIRC cohort (University Hospital Bonn (UHB) cohort, n=118) by means of immunohistochemistry and quantitative methylation-specific PCR.

Results

We found differential methylation profiles among PBMCs, NAT, KIRC cell lines, and KIRC tumor tissue. Methylation strongly correlated with LAG3 mRNA expression in KIRCs (TCGA cohort) and KIRC cell lines. In the UHB cohort, methylation correlated with LAG3-positive immune cells and tumor-intrinsic LAG3 protein expression. Furthermore,LAG3methylation strongly correlated with signatures of distinct immune cell infiltrates, an interferon-y signature (TCGA cohort), and immunohistochemically quantified CD45+, CD8+, and CD4+immune cell infiltrates (UHB cohort). LAG3 mRNA expression (TCGA cohort), methylation (both cohorts), and tumor cell-intrinsic protein expression (UHB cohort) was significantly associated with overall survival.

Conclusion

Our data suggest an epigenetic regulation of LAG3 expression in tumor and immune cells via DNA methylation. LAG3 expression and methylation is associated with a subset of KIRCs showing a distinct clinical course and immunogenicity. Our study provides rationale for further testingLAG3DNA methylation as a predictive biomarker for response to LAG3 immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Do we control gastric residuals unnecessarily in premature newborns? AGRA study: avoidance of gastric residual aspiration
Authors: Akar Selahattin , Turgut Mehmet
Published: March 2020

Aspiration and evaluation of gastric residuals are commonly performed interventions before each feeding in intensive care units, especially in very low birthweight infants. However, there is no sufficient evidence about the necessity of routine gastric residual aspiration. In this study, we aimed to investigate the time to full enteral intake and the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants in the period with gastric residual aspiration performed before each feeding, and those in the period without gastric residual aspiration.

Methods

Preterm infants with a gestational week ≤33 were included in the study. The group with gastric residual control before each feeding consisted of 169 infants, and the group without routine gastric residual aspiration included 122 infants.

Results

The mean gestational week was 30.37±2.58 and 29.31±3.37 in the group with gastric residual control and in the group without routine residual control, respectively (p<0.05). Birth weight, male gender, and mode of delivery were similar between both groups. The time to full enteral intake was shorter in the group without routine residual control (p<0.05). Total durations of parenteral nutrition, ≥grade 2 NEC, weight at discharge and duration of hospitalization were similar between the groups. Duration of invasive mechanical ventilator support was shorter in the group without routine residual control.

Conclusion

Avoidance of routine gastric residual aspiration in preterm infants shortens the time to full enteral intake without increasing the incidence of NEC.
A comparative, single-blind, randomized study on quetiapine and aripiperazole augmentation in treatment of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder
Authors: Talaei Ali , Hosseini Farhad Farid , Aghili Zahra , Akhondzadeh Shahin , Asadpour Elham , Mehramiz Neema John , Forouzanfar Fatemeh
Published: March 2020

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder, of unknown etiology, that affects 2.5% of the population. An appropriate therapeutic response to conventional treatment is seen. Some studies use augmentative treatment by antipsychotics, glutamatergic, lithium, buspirone, and others agents to improve the therapeutic response. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of aripiprazole and quetiapine as augmentative treatments in patients with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) refractory OCD. The OCD patients were initially treated for 12 weeks with a SSRI. If after 12 weeks their Yale–Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) score was more than 16, they were randomly assigned to either the aripiprazole or the quetiapine augmentation group for an additional 12 weeks. There were no significant differences in age, sex, education, marital status, or score of Y-BOCS and Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-S) between groups (p > 0.05) at the outset of the study. Significant differences were noted after 1 month when compared with results at 2, 3, and 4 months in both groups (p < 0.001). Both quetiapine and aripiprazole may be effective and well-tolerated augmentative agents in the treatment of SSRI-refractory OCD. Because of positive results, aripiprazole may be considered more effective and may have a more rapid onset in terms of therapeutic response.
Accumulation of chemically degraded organic carbon in the soil profile of Chinese fir plantations
Authors: Wu Qicong , Jiang Xianghe , Zhang Congzhi , Lu Qianwen , Li Jinbiao , Whalen Joann K. , Chen Jinlin
Published: March 2020

Short-rotation forestry relies on frequent harvests of fast-growing trees, which could deplete soil fertility and soil organic carbon (SOC) reserves. Our objective was to measure the accumulation of SOC fractions, namely the dissolved organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, particulate organic carbon, permanganate-oxidizable carbon, and non-oxidizable organic carbon, in the soil profile of a Chinese fir plantation. Chronosequences of Chinese fir aged 7, 12, and 33 yr were sampled at depths of 0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, and 40–60 cm. The SOC stock (0–60 cm) was unchanged in the first 12 yr, but after 33 yr, there was a 41%–56% increase in the SOC stock, which reached 81.2 Mg ha−1 (P < 0.05). Permanganate-oxidizable carbon increased with time in the 0–20 cm layer but not in deeper soil depths, whereas non-oxidizable organic carbon accumulated preferentially in the 40–60 cm layer of the soil profile. Inputs of chemically complex plant litter in the soil profile may be important to maintain the oxidizable and non-oxidizable organic carbon in Chinese fir plantations.
Cosmological principle in Newtonian dynamics
Authors: Benisty David , Guendelman Eduardo I.
Published: March 2020

A correspondence between the equivalence principle and the homogeneity of the universe is discussed. In Newtonian gravity, translation of co-moving coordinates in a uniformly expanding universe defines an accelerated frame. A consistency condition for the invariance of this transformation which requires a well-defined transformation for the Newtonian potential, yields the Friedmann equations. All these symmetries are lost when we modify Newton’s Second Law (NSL) or the Poisson equation. For example, by replacing NSL with nonlinear function of the acceleration, the concept of relative acceleration is lost and the homogeneity of the universe breaks.
Hall effects in monolayer MoS2 with spin-orbit coupling under the shining of a circularly polarized light
Authors: Chen Liang
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we study Hall effects of the monolayer MoS2 with Rashba and Ising spin-orbit coupling (SOC) under the application of a circularly polarized light. The Chern number and spin textures at high frequency regime are studied based on the Floquet theory. We found that the SOCs induced valley Hall effect. The sign of Chern numbers at high frequency regime can be reversed by engineering interplay between Ising SOC and light intensity. The system undergoes a topological phase transition from valley Hall state to anomalous Hall state. By analyzing the spin texture, we study the origin of the Hall effects.