bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of stress latent class membership and transitions on statutory service and alcohol use in adolescents across 33 months
Authors: Andretta James R. , McKay Michael T.
Published: December 2018

Introduction

Adolescence is a period of intense physical, biological, and psychological change, and this can result in feelings of stress. We examined the development of stress in early adolescence, and further, how that development impacted on both alcohol‐use behaviours and utilisation of government‐provided services.

Methods

We used a shortened, 24‐item version of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ) to account for stress, and applied latent transition analysis to examine longitudinal change. Participants were 2230 school children (Mage = 12.5 years at time one) in Northern Irish and Scottish schools who completed a battery of questionnaires 33 months apart.

Results

We identified three stress profiles at baseline and 33 months: (a) High Stress, (b) Typical Stress, and (c) Low Stress. Stress profiles were shown to be associated with, and predict, a theoretically consistent set of outcomes, where adolescents who experienced high levels of stress also suffered from both problematic alcohol behaviours and harms, and utilised services.

Conclusions

Future studies are recommended to include more exploration into the usefulness of a multivariate conceptualising of ASQ‐S scores.
Sustainability considerations for clinical and translational research informatics infrastructure
Authors: Obeid Jihad S. , Tarczy-Hornoch Peter , Harris Paul A. , Barnett William K. , Anderson Nicholas R. , Embi Peter J. , Hogan William R. , Bell Douglas S. , McIntosh Leslie D. , Knosp Boyd , Tachinardi Umberto , Cimino James J. , Wehbe Firas H.
Published: December 2018

A robust biomedical informatics infrastructure is essential for academic health centers engaged in translational research. There are no templates for what such an infrastructure encompasses or how it is funded. An informatics workgroup within the Clinical and Translational Science Awards network conducted an analysis to identify the scope, governance, and funding of this infrastructure. After we identified the essential components of an informatics infrastructure, we surveyed informatics leaders at network institutions about the governance and sustainability of the different components. Results from 42 survey respondents showed significant variations in governance and sustainability; however, some trends also emerged. Core informatics components such as electronic data capture systems, electronic health records data repositories, and related tools had mixed models of funding including, fee-for-service, extramural grants, and institutional support. Several key components such as regulatory systems (e.g., electronic Institutional Review Board [IRB] systems, grants, and contracts), security systems, data warehouses, and clinical trials management systems were overwhelmingly supported as institutional infrastructure. The findings highlighted in this report are worth noting for academic health centers and funding agencies involved in planning current and future informatics infrastructure, which provides the foundation for a robust, data-driven clinical and translational research program.
Temporal stability analysis of jets of lobed geometry
Authors: Lyu Benshuai , Dowling Ann P.
Published: December 2018

A two-dimensional temporal incompressible stability analysis is performed for lobed jets. The jet base flow is assumed to be parallel and of a vortex-sheet type. The eigenfunctions of this simplified stability problem are expanded using the eigenfunctions of a round jet. The original problem is then formulated as an innovative matrix eigenvalue problem, which can be solved in a very robust and efficient manner. The results show that the lobed geometry changes both the convection velocity and temporal growth rate of the instability waves. However, different modes are affected differently. In particular, mode 0 is not sensitive to the geometry changes, whereas modes of higher orders can be changed significantly. The changes become more pronounced as the number of lobes $N$ and the penetration ratio $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}$ increase. Moreover, the lobed geometry can cause a previously degenerate eigenvalue ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{n}=\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{-n}$) to become non-degenerate ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{n}\neq \unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{-n}$) and lead to opposite changes to the stability characteristics of the corresponding symmetric ($n$) and antisymmetric ($-n$) modes. It is also shown that each eigenmode changes its shape in response to the lobes of the vortex sheet, and the degeneracy of an eigenvalue occurs when the vortex sheet has more symmetric planes than the corresponding mode shape (including both symmetric and antisymmetric planes). The new approach developed in this paper can be used to study the stability characteristics of jets of other arbitrary geometries in a robust and efficient manner.
Neutron star properties from optimised chiral nuclear interactions
Authors: Logoteta D. , Bombaci I.
Published: December 2018

We adopt two- and three-body nuclear forces derived at the next-to-next-to-leading-order in the framework of effective chiral perturbation theory to calculate the equation of state of β-stable neutron star matter using the Brueckner–Hartree–Fock many-body approach. We use the recent optimized chiral two-body nuclear interaction at next-to-next-to-leading-order derived by Ekström et al. and two different parametrizations of the three-body next-to-next-to-leading-order interaction: the first one is fixed to reproduce the saturation point of symmetric nuclear matter while the second one is fixed to reproduce the binding energies of light atomic nuclei. We show that in the second case the properties of nuclear matter are not well determined whereas in the first case various empirical nuclear matter properties around the saturation density are well reproduced. We finally calculate various neutron star properties and in particular the mass-radius and mass-central density relations. We find that the adopted interactions based on a fully microscopic framework, are able to provide an equation of state which is consistent with the present data of measured neutron star masses.
Radiocarbon in the Maritime Air and Sea Surface Water of the South China Sea
Authors: Gao Pan , Zhou Liping , Liu Kexin , Xu Xiaomei
Published: December 2018

Radiocarbon (14C) generated by the thermonuclear tests in the late 1950s to early 1960s has been used as a tracer to study atmospheric and oceanic circulations, carbon exchange between different reservoirs, and fossil fuel emissions. Here we report the first measurements of 14C in atmospheric CO2 of maritime air collected over the South China Sea (SCS) during July 2014. We also present 14C of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the sea surface water in the same region. Most of the Δ14C values of the atmospheric CO2 vary in the range of 15.6±1.6‰– 22.0±1.6‰, indicating that the central SCS maritime air is well-mixed and consistent with the clean background air in the Northern Hemisphere. The 14C values of the DIC (DI14C) in the surface seawater vary between 28.3±2.5‰ and 40.6±2.7‰, mainly due to the lateral mixing between the SCS and western Pacific. The average surface seawater DI14C is 15.4 ± 5.1‰ higher than that of the maritime air 14CO2. The reversal of the sea–air Δ14C gradient occurred at ∼2000, marking the start of the upper ocean transferring bomb 14C back to the atmosphere in the SCS.
Reproductive biology of the Egyptian sole, Solea aegyptiaca (Actinopterygii: Pleuronectiformes: Soleidae), in southern Tunisian waters (Central Mediterranean)
Authors: Khalifa Faten , Hadj Taieb Aymen , Hajji Ferid , Ayadi Habib , Jarboui Othman
Published: December 2018

Solea aegyptiaca (Chabanaud, 1927) is one of the most common Soleid species in southern Tunisian waters. This study provides the first detailed information on the reproduction biology of S. aegyptiaca in these areas. Samples of S. aegyptiaca were collected by trawl from the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia) between April 2013 and March 2015. A total of 1638 specimens were examined, ranging from 9.7 to 30.7 cm total length. The sex ratio was in favour of males in smaller size classes and females in larger size classes. The macroscopic analysis of the gonads and the progression of the monthly values of the gonadosomatic index (GSI) indicated that the reproductive season extended from October to February, with GSI peaking in November and December for males and females respectively, and that spawning occurs once a year from November to February. The utilization of lipid reserves, stored predominantly in the liver as well as in muscles, was depicted. The estimated average length at first maturity was 22.31 ± 0.41 cm for males and 23.19 ± 0.184 cm for females. Total fecundity of mature females ranged from 14,160–62,700 eggs per fish, showing a significant increase with size, with an average of 33,020 ± 5239 eggs per fish.
Creating a common world through action: what participation in community activities means to older people
Authors: Endo Chikako
Published: December 2018

As a response to demographic ageing, various governments have been promoting social policies that promote older people's participation in productive activities, including those outside the formal labour market. Nevertheless, older people's behaviours do not simply reflect government policies and intentions. This paper explores how older people themselves interpret their social roles within a policy context that seeks to position them as providers of welfare through their participation in community activities. For this purpose, this paper draws on a qualitative case study of older people in Japan engaging in health promotion and mutual aid among local residents. By employing Hannah Arendt's distinction between the human activities of labour, work and action as a conceptual framework, it finds that although the purported purpose of community activities was to substitute decreasing pensions and family care or to create a better community, participants in this study valued their activities as a process of creating new relations and new realities through action. The paper argues that while labour has occupied a predominant position in the post-war welfare paradigm, community activities by an expanding population of older people may offer opportunities for action, which were not always available through paid work or care-giving in the household.
ON DETERMINISTIC FINITE STATE MACHINES IN RANDOM ENVIRONMENTS
Authors: Ratsaby Joel
Published: December 2018

The general problem under investigation is to understand how the complexity of a system which has been adapted to its random environment affects the level of randomness of its output (which is a function of its random input). In this paper, we consider a specific instance of this problem in which a deterministic finite-state decision system operates in a random environment that is modeled by a binary Markov chain. The system interacts with it by trying to match states of inactivity (represented by 0). Matching means that the system selects the (t + 1)th bit from the Markov chain whenever it predicts at time t that the environment will take a 0 value. The actual value at time t + 1 may be 0 or 1 thus the selected sequence of bits (which forms the system's output) may have both binary values. To try to predict well, the system's decision function is inferred based on a sample of the random environment.

We are interested in assessing how non-random the output sequence may be. To do that, we apply the adapted system on a second random sample of the environment and derive an upper bound on the deviation between the average number of 1 bit in the output sequence and the probability of a 1. The bound shows that the complexity of the system has a direct effect on this deviation and hence on how non-random the output sequence may be. The bound takes the form of $O(\sqrt {(2^k/n} ))$ where 2k is the complexity of the system and n is the length of the second sample.
Does the meiotic spindle really predicts embryo implantation and live birth rates? An update
Authors: García-Oro Sabela , Valverde Diana
Published: December 2018

The aim of this study was to determine the capacity of the meiotic spindle (MS) to predict embryo implantation and live birth rates. For this purpose, we performed a broad systematic literature search. Of all publications retrieved, only those in which the implantation rates were related to some characteristics of the MS were evaluated. Despite the different methodology used in all the chosen studies, presence of the MS in oocytes was found to be positively associated with embryo implantation. Moreover, high retardance values, as well as strict criteria of normality in the MS structure, are significantly related to higher embryo implantation numbers and live birth rates.
A New and Unexpected Spatial Relationship Between Interaction Volume and Diffraction Pattern in Electron Microscopy in Transmission
Authors: Brodu Etienne , Bouzy Emmanuel
Published: December 2018

The finding of this study is that the interaction volume in electron microscopy in transmission is well ordered laterally, with a remarkable and unexpected consequence being that lateral subsections of the interaction volume produce subsections of the Kikuchi diffraction pattern. It makes the microstructure of samples directly visible in Kikuchi patterns. This is first illustrated with polycrystalline Ti–10Al–25Nb with an on-axis transmission Kikuchi diffraction set-up in a scanning electron microscope. It is then shown via a Monte Carlo simulation and a large-angle convergent-beam electron diffraction experiment that this phenomenon finds its origin in the nature of the differential elastic and quasi-elastic cross sections. This phenomenon is then quantified by a careful image analysis of Kikuchi patterns recorded across a vertical interface in a silicon sample specifically designed and fabricated. A Monte Carlo simulation reproducing all the geometric parameters is conducted. Experiments and simulations match very well qualitatively, but with a slight quantitativity gap. The specificity of the thermal diffuse scattering cross-section, not available in the simulation, is thought to be responsible for this gap. Beside Kikuchi diffraction, the case of diffraction spots and diffuse background present in the pattern is also discussed.
Personal votes, electoral competitiveness of parties, and legislative representation in Taiwan under SNTV
Authors: Jang Jinhyeok , Lin Nick C. N.
Published: December 2018

We advance the literature on electoral institutions and legislative representation by investigating legislators’ position taking strategies in Taiwan under the single non-transferable voting period. Existing research largely assumes that representatives elected from the same electoral rule behave similarly. We challenge this conventional understanding by arguing that legislators in multi-member districts (MMDs) tend to move toward the extreme direction from the party line if they come from districts where their party is less competitive. This pattern of legislative representation allows them to appeal to partisan voters, as lowering one's partisan profile can be too costly in such districts. On the contrary, those who are elected from strong partisan districts are expected to deviate from the party toward the moderate direction. Given a solid partisan foundation in these districts, these legislators may target voters across party lines. Our analysis covering the entire period of MMD elections after Taiwan's democratization (1992–2008) provides robust empirical evidence to our theoretical claim. Our findings, therefore, shed lights for future studies on the intertwining nature between electoral systems, district level factors, and legislative representation.
CARNAP’S DEFENSE OF IMPREDICATIVE DEFINITIONS
Authors: FLOCKE VERA
Published: December 2018

A definition of a propertyPisimpredicativeif it quantifies over a domain to whichPbelongs. Due to influential arguments by Ramsey and Gödel, impredicative mathematics is often thought to possess special metaphysical commitments. The reason is that an impredicative definition of a propertyPdoes not have its intended meaning unlessPexists, suggesting that the existence ofPcannot depend on its explicit definition. Carnap (1937 [1934], p. 164) argues, however, that accepting impredicative definitions amounts to choosing a “form of language” and is free from metaphysical implications. This article explains this view in its historical context. I discuss the development of Carnap’s thought on the foundations of mathematics from the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s, concluding with an account of Carnap’s (1937 [1934]) non-Platonistic defense of impredicativity. This discussion is also important for understanding Carnap’s influential views on ontology more generally, since Carnap’s (1937 [1934]) view, according to which accepting impredicative definitions amounts to choosing a “form of language”, is an early precursor of the view that Carnap presents in “Empiricism, Semantics and Ontology” (1956 [1950]), according to which referring to abstract entities amounts to accepting a “linguistic framework”.
Facilitating Field-Scale Experiments in Volcano Hazards
Authors: Valentine Greg , Sonder Ingo
Published: December 2018

Multidisciplinary Volcano Hazards Experiments at the Geohazards Field Station; Amherst and Springville, New York, 24–27 July 2018
Tracing the Path of Carbon in North America
Authors: Duncombe Jenessa
Published: December 2018

A team of more than 200 scientists released a decade-long look at how carbon weaves through Earth’s air, soil, and plants. Here are nine key takeaways from their report.
Ionospheric D Region Remote Sensing Using ELF Sferic Group Velocity
Authors: Gołkowski M. , Sarker S. R. , Renick C. , Moore R. C. , Cohen M. B. , Kułak A. , Młynarczyk J. , Kubisz J.
Published: December 2018

The lowest region of the ionosphere, the D region, plays an important role in magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling but is challenging to directly observe. The group velocity of the extremely low frequency (ELF; 3–300 Hz) portion of lightning induced electromagnetic radiation can be used to diagnose the D region electron density profile. Day‐night conditions can be assessed using ELF receivers and lightning detection networks. Analytical formulations and the Long Wave Propagation Capability software package show that ELF group velocity has particular sensitivity to the sharpness of the exponential electron density profile. Applying the technique to sudden ionospheric disturbances shows that the group velocity increases in response to incidence of solar X‐ray flux . A small number of ELF receivers can provide a large‐scale diagnostic of the D region. ELF remote sensing using lightning is complementary to very low frequency remote sensing and can be used to assess the Earth‐ionosphere propagation channel for very low frequency transmitters.
High-resolution, in vivo multimodal photoacoustic microscopy, optical coherence tomography, and fluorescence microscopy imaging of rabbit retinal neovascularization
Authors: Zhang Wei , Li Yanxiu , Nguyen Van Phuc , Huang Ziyi , Liu Zhipeng , Wang Xueding , Paulus Yannis M.
Published: December 2018

Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) is an emerging imaging technology that can non-invasively visualize ocular structures in animal eyes. This report describes an integrated multimodality imaging system that combines PAM, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and fluorescence microscopy (FM) to evaluate angiogenesis in larger animal eyes. High-resolution in vivo imaging was performed in live rabbit eyes with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced retinal neovascularization (RNV). The results demonstrate that our multimodality imaging system can non-invasively visualize RNV in both albino and pigmented rabbits to determine retinal pathology using PAM and OCT and verify the leakage of neovascularization using FM and fluorescein dye. This work presents high-resolution visualization of angiogenesis in rabbits using a multimodality PAM, OCT, and FM system and may represent a major step toward the clinical translation of the technology.
Self-healable electroluminescent devices
Authors: Liang Guojin , Liu Zhuoxin , Mo Funian , Tang Zijie , Li Hongfei , Wang Zifeng , Sarangi Venkateshwarlu , Pramanick Abhijit , Fan Jun , Zhi Chunyi
Published: December 2018

Electroluminescent (EL) devices have been extensively integrated into multi-functionalized electronic systems in the role of the vitally constituent light-emitting part. However, the lifetime and reliability of EL devices are often severely restricted by concomitant damage, especially when the strain exceeds the mechanical withstanding limit. We report a self-healable EL device by adopting a modified self-healable polyacrylic acid hydrogel as the electrode and a self-healable polyurethane as a phosphor host to realize the first omni-layer-healable light-emitting device. The physicochemical properties of each functionalized layer can be efficiently restored after experiencing substantial catastrophic damage. As a result, the luminescent performance of the self-healable EL devices is well recovered with a high healing efficiency (83.2% for 10 healing cycles at unfixed spots, and 57.7% for 20 healing cycles at a fixed spot). In addition, inter-device healing has also been developed to realize a conceptual “LEGO”-like assembly process at the device level for light-emitting devices. The design and realization of the self-healable EL devices may revive their performance and expand their lifetime even after undergoing a deadly cut. Our self-healable EL devices may serve as model systems for electroluminescent applications of the recently developed ionically conductive healable hydrogels and dielectric polymers.
Marine probiotics: increasing coral resistance to bleaching through microbiome manipulation
Authors: Rosado Phillipe M , Leite Deborah C A , Duarte Gustavo A S , Chaloub Ricardo M , Jospin Guillaume , Nunes da Rocha Ulisses , Saraiva João P , Dini-Andreote Francisco , Eisen Jonathan A , Bourne David G , Peixoto Raquel S
Published: December 2018

Although the early coral reef-bleaching warning system (NOAA/USA) is established, there is no feasible treatment that can minimize temperature bleaching and/or disease impacts on corals in the field. Here, we present the first attempts to extrapolate the widespread and well-established use of bacterial consortia to protect or improve health in other organisms (e.g., humans and plants) to corals. Manipulation of the coral-associated microbiome was facilitated through addition of a consortium of native (isolated from Pocillopora damicornis and surrounding seawater) putatively beneficial microorganisms for corals (pBMCs), including five Pseudoalteromonas sp., a Halomonas taeanensis and a Cobetia marina-related species strains. The results from a controlled aquarium experiment in two temperature regimes (26 °C and 30 °C) and four treatments (pBMC; pBMC with pathogen challenge – Vibrio coralliilyticus, VC; pathogen challenge, VC; and control) revealed the ability of the pBMC consortium to partially mitigate coral bleaching. Significantly reduced coral-bleaching metrics were observed in pBMC-inoculated corals, in contrast to controls without pBMC addition, especially challenged corals, which displayed strong bleaching signs as indicated by significantly lower photopigment contents and Fv/Fm ratios. The structure of the coral microbiome community also differed between treatments and specific bioindicators were correlated with corals inoculated with pBMC (e.g., Cobetia sp.) or VC (e.g., Ruegeria sp.). Our results indicate that the microbiome in corals can be manipulated to lessen the effect of bleaching, thus helping to alleviate pathogen and temperature stresses, with the addition of BMCs representing a promising novel approach for minimizing coral mortality in the face of increasing environmental impacts.
NR2C2-uORF targeting UCA1-miR-627-5p-NR2C2 feedback loop to regulate the malignant behaviors of glioma cells
Authors: Fan Zirong , Zheng Jian , Xue Yixue , Liu Xiaobai , Wang Di , Yang Chunqing , Ma Jun , Liu Libo , Ruan Xuelei , Wang Zhenhua , Liu Yunhui
Published: December 2018

Accumulating evidence has highlighted the potential role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and upstream open-reading frames (uORFs) in the biological behaviors of glioblastoma. Here, we elucidated the function and possible molecular mechanisms of the effect of some ncRNAs and NR2C2-uORF on the biological behaviors of gliomas. Quantitative real-time PCR was conducted to profile the cell expression of lnc-UCA1 and microRNA-627-5p (miR-627-5p) in glioma tissues and cells. Western blot assay was used to determine the expression levels of NR2C2, SPOCK1, and NR2C2-uORF in glioma tissues and cells. Stable knockdown of lnc-UCA1 or overexpression of miR-627-5p in glioma cell lines (U87 and U251) were established to explore the function of lnc-UCA1 and miR-627-5p in glioma cells. Further, Dual luciferase report assay was used to investigate the correlation between lnc-UCA1 and miR-627-5p. Cell Counting Kit-8, transwell assays, and flow cytometry were used to investigate lnc-UCA1 and miR-627-5p function including cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and apoptosis, respectively. ChIP assays were used to ascertain the correlations between NR2C2 and SPOCK1 as well as NR2C2 between lnc-UCA1. This study confirmed that lnc-UCA1 was up-regulated in glioma tissues and cells. UCA1 knockdown inhibited the malignancies of glioma cells by reducing proliferation, migration, and invasion, but inducing apoptosis. We found that lnc-UCA1 acted as miR-627-5p sponge in a sequence-specific manner. Meanwhile, upregulated lnc-UCA1 inhibited miR-627-5p expression. In addition, miR-627-5p targeted 3′UTR of NR2C2 and down-regulated its expression. Moreover, UCA1 knockdown impaired NR2C2 expression by upregulating miR-627-5p. An uORF was identified in mRNA 5'UTR of NR2C2 and overexpression of whom negatively regulated NR2C2 expression. Remarkably, lnc-UCA1 knockdown combined with uORF overepression and NR2C2 knockdown led to severe tumor suppression in vivo. This study demonstrated that the NR2C2-uORF impaired the pivotal roles that UCA1-miR-627-5p-NR2C2 feedback loop had in regulating the malignancies of glioma cells by targeting NR2C2 directly. And this may provide a potential therapeutic strategy for treating glioma.
p73 regulates ependymal planar cell polarity by modulating actin and microtubule cytoskeleton
Authors: Fuertes-Alvarez Sandra , Maeso-Alonso Laura , Villoch-Fernandez Javier , Wildung Merit , Martin-Lopez Marta , Marshall Clayton , Villena-Cortes Alberto J. , Diez-Prieto Inmaculada , Pietenpol Jennifer A. , Tissir Fadel , Lizé Muriel , Marques Margarita M. , Marin Maria C.
Published: December 2018

Planar cell polarity (PCP) and intercellular junctional complexes establish tissue structure and coordinated behaviors across epithelial sheets. In multiciliated ependymal cells, rotational and translational PCP coordinate cilia beating and direct cerebrospinal fluid circulation. Thus, PCP disruption results in ciliopathies and hydrocephalus. PCP establishment depends on the polarization of cytoskeleton and requires the asymmetric localization of core and global regulatory modules, including membrane proteins like Vangl1/2 or Frizzled. We analyzed the subcellular localization of select proteins that make up these modules in ependymal cells and the effect of Trp73 loss on their localization. We identify a novel function of the Trp73 tumor suppressor gene, the TAp73 isoform in particular, as an essential regulator of PCP through the modulation of actin and microtubule cytoskeleton dynamics, demonstrating that Trp73 is a key player in the organization of ependymal ciliated epithelia. Mechanistically, we show that p73 regulates translational PCP and actin dynamics through TAp73-dependent modulation of non-musclemyosin-II activity. In addition, TAp73 is required for the asymmetric localization of PCP-core and global signaling modules and regulates polarized microtubule dynamics, which in turn set up the rotational PCP. Therefore, TAp73 modulates, directly and/or indirectly, transcriptional programs regulating actin and microtubules dynamics and Golgi organization signaling pathways. These results shed light into the mechanism of ependymal cell planar polarization and reveal p73 as an epithelial architect during development regulating the cellular cytoskeleton.
Long noncoding RNA ATB promotes the epithelial−mesenchymal transition by upregulating the miR-200c/Twist1 axe and predicts poor prognosis in breast cancer
Authors: Li Rong-Hui , Chen Min , Liu Jing , Shao Chang-Chun , Guo Cui-Ping , Wei Xiao-Long , Li Yao-Chen , Huang Wen-He , Zhang Guo-Jun
Published: December 2018

Recent studies indicate that the long noncoding RNA ATB (lncATB) can induce the epithelial−mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer cells, but the specific cellular targets of lncATB require further investigation. In the present study, the upregulation of lncATB in breast cancer cells was validated in a TGF-β-induced EMT model. Gain- and loss-of-function studies demonstrated that lncATB enhanced cell migration, invasion and clonogenicity in vitro and in vivo. LncATB promoted the EMT by acting as a sponge for the miR-200 family and restoring Twist1 expression. Subsequently, the clinical significance of lncATB was investigated in a cohort of breast cancer patients (N = 131). Higher lncATB expression was correlated with increased nodal metastasis (P = 0.036) and advanced clinical stage (P = 0.011) as well as shorter disease-free survival (P = 0.043) and overall survival (P = 0.046). These findings define Twist1 as a major target of lncATB in the induction of the EMT and highlight lncATB as a biomarker in breast cancer patients.
Combination of chemotherapy and physical plasma elicits melanoma cell death via upregulation of SLC22A16
Authors: Sagwal Sanjeev Kumar , Pasqual-Melo Gabriella , Bodnar Yana , Gandhirajan Rajesh Kumar , Bekeschus Sander
Published: December 2018

Malignant melanoma is an aggressive cancer that develops drug resistance leading to poor prognosis. Efficient delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs to the tumor tissue remains a major challenge in treatment regimens. Using murine (B16) and human (SK-MEL-28) melanoma cells, we investigated traditional cytotoxic agents in combination with cold physical plasma-derived oxidants. We report synergistic cytotoxicity of doxorubicin and epirubicin, and additive toxicity of oxaliplatin with plasma exposure in coefficient of drug interaction analysis. The combination treatment led to an increased DNA damage response (increased phosphorylation of ATM, γ-H2AX foci, and micronuclei formation). There was also an enhanced secretion of immunogenic cell death markers ATP and CXCL10 in cell culture supernatants following combination treatment. The observed synergistic effects in tumor cells was due to enhanced intracellular doxorubicin accumulation via upregulation of the organic cationic transporter SLC22A16 by plasma treatment. The doxorubicin uptake was reversed by pretreating cells with antioxidants or calcium influx inhibitor BTP2. Endoribonuclease-prepared siRNAs (esiRNA)-mediated knockdown of SLC22A16 inhibited the additive cytotoxic effect in tumor cells. SK-MEL 28 and THP-1 monocytes co-culture led to greater THP-1 cell migration and SK-MEL-28 cytotoxicity when compared with controls. Taken together, we propose pro-oxidant treatment modalities to sensitize chemoresistant melanoma cells towards subsequent chemotherapy, which may serve as therapeutic strategy in combination treatment in oncology.
A novel lncRNA, TCONS_00006195, represses hepatocellular carcinoma progression by inhibiting enzymatic activity of ENO1
Authors: Yu Songman , Li Ning , Huang Zebing , Chen Ruochan , Yi Panpan , Kang Rui , Tang Daolin , Hu Xingwang , Fan Xuegong
Published: December 2018

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies and has an unfavorable prognosis. The hepatitis B virus X (HBx) protein has been reported to be closely associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. Meanwhile, emerging evidence has indicated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the pathogenesis and progression of cancers. Our previous investigation has demonstrated that HBx could promote HCC by regulating the expression levels of various lncRNAs. In this study, we identified an lncRNA, lncRNA-TCONS_00006195 (termed lncRNA-6195), which was downregulated in HBV-related HCC tissues compared with its expression in adjacent noncancerous hepatic tissues. Clinical data showed that a low level of lncRNA-6195 was correlated with a high Edmondson–Steiner grade of the tumor and a poor prognosis in HCC patients. Furthermore, lncRNA-6195 acted as a tumor repressor in the development of hepatitis B-related HCC, inhibiting HCC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, lncRNA-6195 could combine with α-enolase (ENO1) and repress its enzymatic activity, thus further inhibiting the energy metabolism in HCC cells. Our results suggest that lncRNA-6195 represses the growth of HCC by inhibiting the enzymatic activity of ENO1. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the lncRNA involvement in hepatocarcinogenesis and can serve as a basis for the development of novel strategies to hinder HCC.
The spatial distribution pattern of Connexin26 expression in supporting cells and its role in outer hair cell survival
Authors: Chen Sen , Xu Kai , Xie Le , Cao Hai-Yan , Wu Xia , Du An-Na , He Zu-Hong , Lin Xi , Sun Yu , Kong Wei-Jia
Published: December 2018

Mutations in the GJB2 gene (which encodes Connexin26 (Cx26)) account for about a quarter of all cases of non-syndromic deafness. Previous studies have indicated that knockout (KO) of Gjb2 gene during early postnatal days can cause outer hair cell (OHC) loss in mouse models. However, the postnatal spatial distribution pattern of Cx26 in different types of supporting cells (SCs) and the role of such distributions for the survival of OHCs is still obscure. In this study, the spatial distribution patterns of Cx26 in SCs were observed, and based on these observations different spatial Cx26-null mouse models were established in order to determine the effect of changes in the spatial distribution of Cx26 in SCs on the survival of OHCs. At postnatal day (P)3, unlike the synchronous expression of Cx26 along both longitudinal and radial boundaries of most types of SCs, Cx26 expression was primarily observed along the longitudinal boundaries of rows of Deiter’s cells (DCs). From P5 to P7, radial expression of Cx26 was gradually observed between adjacent rows of DCs. When Gjb2 gene was knocked out at random in different types of SCs, about 40% of the total DCs lost Cx26 expression and these Cx26-null DCs were distributed randomly in all three rows of DCs. The mice in this randomly Cx26-null group showed normal hearing and no significant OHC loss. When using a longitudinal KO pattern to induce knockout of Gjb2 gene specifically in the third row of DCs, about 33% of the total DCs lost Cx26 expression in this specific longitudinally Cx26-null group. The mice in this group showed late-onset hearing loss and significant OHC loss, however, the morphology of corresponding DCs was slightly altered. In both experimental groups, no substantial DC loss was observed. These results indicate that longitudinal Cx26-based channels are predominant in DCs during P3–P5. The Cx26 expression along rows of DCs might play a key role in the survival of OHCs, but this longitudinal KO pattern in DCs has a limited effect on DC survival or on its postnatal development.
Tumor treating fields increases membrane permeability in glioblastoma cells
Authors: Chang Edwin , Patel Chirag B. , Pohling Christoph , Young Caroline , Song Jonathan , Flores Thomas Anthony , Zeng Yitian , Joubert Lydia-Marie , Arami Hamed , Natarajan Arutselvan , Sinclair Robert , Gambhir Sanjiv S.
Published: December 2018

Glioblastoma is the most common yet most lethal of primary brain cancers with a one-year post-diagnosis survival rate of 65% and a five-year survival rate of barely 5%. Recently the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a novel fourth approach (in addition to surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy) to treating glioblastoma; namely, tumor treating fields (TTFields). TTFields involves the delivery of alternating electric fields to the tumor but its mechanisms of action are not fully understood. Current theories involve TTFields disrupting mitosis due to interference with proper mitotic spindle assembly. We show that TTFields also alters cellular membrane structure thus rendering it more permeant to chemotherapeutics. Increased membrane permeability through the imposition of TTFields was shown by several approaches. For example, increased permeability was indicated through increased bioluminescence with TTFields exposure or with the increased binding and ingress of membrane-associating reagents such as Dextran-FITC or ethidium D or with the demonstration by scanning electron microscopy of augmented number and sizes of holes on the cellular membrane. Further investigations showed that increases in bioluminescence and membrane hole production with TTFields exposure disappeared by 24 h after cessation of alternating electric fields thus demonstrating that this phenomenom is reversible. Preliminary investigations showed that TTFields did not induce membrane holes in normal human fibroblasts thus suggesting that the phenomenom was specific to cancer cells. With TTFields, we present evidence showing augmented membrane accessibility by compounds such as 5-aminolevulinic acid, a reagent used intraoperatively to delineate tumor from normal tissue in glioblastoma patients. In addition, this mechanism helps to explain previous reports of additive and synergistic effects between TTFields and other chemotherapies. These findings have implications for the design of combination therapies in glioblastoma and other cancers and may significantly alter standard of care strategies for these diseases.
Human granulocytes undergo cell death via autophagy
Authors: Kajiume Teruyuki , Kobayashi Masao
Published: December 2018

Mature neutrophils must be quickly removed from inflammatory sites to prevent tissue damage. Neutrophil removal is thought to be accomplished primarily through caspase-dependent apoptosis, which involves several genes of mitochondrial origin. However, mature neutrophils show reduced gene transcription and mitochondrial numbers. We predicted that neutrophils utilize other cell death mechanisms and investigated programmed cell death in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNCs) and polymorphonuclear cells (PMNCs or neutrophil fractions). Unlike MNCs, PMNCs did not undergo DNA fragmentation and were not TUNEL positive, but expressed LC3-II, an autophagy marker. We also found that during differentiation, autophagy inhibitor 3-MA, and not caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk, prevented segmentation of the nucleus, indicating that these cells undergo autophagy during maturation. Therefore, human neutrophils may undergo spontaneous autophagic cell death rather than apoptosis, during which autophagy may be essential for both maturation and death.
Mechanical loading of desmosomes depends on the magnitude and orientation of external stress
Authors: Price Andrew J. , Cost Anna-Lena , Ungewiß Hanna , Waschke Jens , Dunn Alexander R. , Grashoff Carsten
Published: December 2018

Desmosomes are intercellular adhesion complexes that connect the intermediate filament cytoskeletons of neighboring cells, and are essential for the mechanical integrity of mammalian tissues. Mutations in desmosomal proteins cause severe human pathologies including epithelial blistering and heart muscle dysfunction. However, direct evidence for their load-bearing nature is lacking. Here we develop Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based tension sensors to measure the forces experienced by desmoplakin, an obligate desmosomal protein that links the desmosomal plaque to intermediate filaments. Our experiments reveal that desmoplakin does not experience significant tension under most conditions, but instead becomes mechanically loaded when cells are exposed to external mechanical stresses. Stress-induced loading of desmoplakin is transient and sensitive to the magnitude and orientation of the applied tissue deformation, consistent with a stress absorbing function for desmosomes that is distinct from previously analyzed cell adhesion complexes.
Deoxyribose and deoxysugar derivatives from photoprocessed astrophysical ice analogues and comparison to meteorites
Authors: Nuevo Michel , Cooper George , Sandford Scott A.
Published: December 2018

Sugars and their derivatives are essential to all terrestrial life. Their presence in meteorites, together with amino acids, nucleobases, amphiphiles, and other compounds of biological importance, may have contributed to the inventory of organics that played a role in the emergence of life on Earth. Sugars, including ribose (the sugar of RNA), and other sugar derivatives have been identified in laboratory experiments simulating photoprocessing of ices under astrophysical conditions. In this work, we report the detection of 2-deoxyribose (the sugar of DNA) and several deoxysugar derivatives in residues produced from the ultraviolet irradiation of ice mixtures consisting of H2O and CH3OH. The detection of deoxysugar derivatives adds to the inventory of compounds of biological interest that can form under astrophysical conditions and puts constraints on their abiotic formation pathway. Finally, we report that some of the deoxysugar derivatives found in our residues are also newly identified in carbonaceous meteorites.
Bioconjugation strategy for cell surface labelling with gold nanostructures designed for highly localized pH measurement
Authors: Puppulin Leonardo , Hosogi Shigekuni , Sun Hongxin , Matsuo Kazuhiko , Inui Toshio , Kumamoto Yasuaki , Suzaki Toshinobu , Tanaka Hideo , Marunaka Yoshinori
Published: December 2018

Regulation of intracellular pH is critically important for many cellular functions. The quantification of proton extrusion in different types of cells and physiological conditions is pivotal to fully elucidate the mechanisms of pH homeostasis. Here we show the use of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) to create a high spatial resolution sensor for measuring extracellular pH in proximity of the cell membrane. We test the sensor on HepG2 liver cancer cells and MKN28 gastric cancer cells before and after inhibition of Na+/H+ exchanger. The gold surface conjugation strategy is conceived with a twofold purpose: i) to anchor the AuNP to the membrane proteins and ii) to quantify the local pH from AuNP using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The nanometer size of the cell membrane anchored sensor and the use of SERS enable us to visualize highly localized variation of pH induced by H+ extrusion, which is particularly upregulated in cancer cells.
Single human B cell-derived monoclonal anti-Candida antibodies enhance phagocytosis and protect against disseminated candidiasis
Authors: Rudkin Fiona M. , Raziunaite Ingrida , Workman Hillary , Essono Sosthene , Belmonte Rodrigo , MacCallum Donna M. , Johnson Elizabeth M. , Silva Lisete M. , Palma Angelina S. , Feizi Ten , Jensen Allan , Erwig Lars P. , Gow Neil A. R.
Published: December 2018

The high global burden of over one million annual lethal fungal infections reflects a lack of protective vaccines, late diagnosis and inadequate chemotherapy. Here, we have generated a unique set of fully human anti-Candida monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with diagnostic and therapeutic potential by expressing recombinant antibodies from genes cloned from the B cells of patients suffering from candidiasis. Single class switched memory B cells isolated from donors serum-positive for anti-Candida IgG were differentiated in vitro and screened against recombinant Candida albicans Hyr1 cell wall protein and whole fungal cell wall preparations. Antibody genes from Candida-reactive B cell cultures were cloned and expressed in Expi293F human embryonic kidney cells to generate a panel of human recombinant anti-Candida mAbs that demonstrate morphology-specific, high avidity binding to the cell wall. The species-specific and pan-Candida mAbs generated through this technology display favourable properties for diagnostics, strong opsono-phagocytic activity of macrophages in vitro, and protection in a murine model of disseminated candidiasis.
Author Correction: The influence of latitude, geographic distance, and habitat discontinuities on genetic variation in a high latitude montane species
Authors: Hindley J. A. , Graham B. A. , Pulgarin-R. P. C. , Burg T. M.
Published: December 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
Sheet-like and tubular aggregates of protein nanofibril–phosphate hybrids
Authors: Han Xiangsheng , Lv Lili , Li Mingjie , You Jun , Wu Xiaochen , Li Chaoxu
Published: December 2018

Nanofibrils assembled by bovine serum albumin aligned into microtubes and nanosheets upon heating and cooling its solution in phosphate buffer.
Activity enhancement of Pt/MnOx catalyst by novel β-MnO2 for low-temperature CO oxidation: study of the CO–O2 competitive adsorption and active oxygen species
Authors: Zhang Ningqiang , Li Lingcong , Wu Rui , Song Liyun , Zheng Lirong , Zhang Guizhen , He Hong
Published: December 2018

Interfacial lattice oxygen in Pt/MnOx could act as the active oxygen species for low-temperature CO oxidation.
Mn decorated Na/Fe catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation to light olefins
Authors: Liang Binglian , Sun Ting , Ma Junguo , Duan Hongmin , Li Lin , Yang Xiaoli , Zhang Yaru , Su Xiong , Huang Yanqiang , Zhang Tao
Published: December 2018

Addition of Mn to Na/Fe catalysts enhanced light olefin selectivity in CO2 hydrogenation through modulation of the C–C coupling reaction.
Isolation of OH-bridged Ag(i)/Cu(iii) and ion-pair Cu(i)/Cu(iii) trifluoromethyl complexes with monophosphines
Authors: Xiao Chang , Zhang Song-Lin
Published: December 2018

An unusual Ag(i)–Cu(iii) trifluoromethyl complex is isolated and characterized, featuring linear Ag(i) and square planar Cu(iii) units that are bridged by a hydroxide ligand.
Towards more realistic reference microplastics and nanoplastics: preparation of polyethylene micro/nanoparticles with a biosurfactant
Authors: Balakrishnan Gireeshkumar , Déniel Maureen , Nicolai Taco , Chassenieux Christophe , Lagarde Fabienne
Published: December 2018

New polyethylene micro/nanoparticles with a biosurfactant as model micro/nanoplastics to assess the toxicity of small plastics to aquatic organisms.
Concentrating ammonium in wastewater by forward osmosis using a surface modified nanofiltration membrane
Authors: Jafarinejad Shahryar , Park Hosung , Mayton Holly , Walker Sharon L. , Jiang Sunny C.
Published: December 2018

Enhancing ammonium rejection by PEI modification.
LA-ICP-MS analyses of Fe-rich alloys: quantification of matrix effects for 193 nm excimer laser systems
Authors: Steenstra E. S. , Berndt J. , Klemme S. , van Westrenen W.
Published: December 2018

The use of silicate calibrants for ns LA-ICP-MS analyses of Fe-based samples results in significant matrix effects. The magnitude of these effects, defined by the fractionation index or Fi, is a function of elemental volatility. Using the dependency of the Fi with elemental volatility a predictive model was developed to correct for these effects.
A scalable filtration method for high throughput screening based on cell deformability
Authors: Gill Navjot Kaur , Ly Chau , Nyberg Kendra D. , Lee Linus , Qi Dongping , Tofig Bobby , Reis-Sobreiro Mariana , Dorigo Oliver , Rao JianYu , Wiedemeyer Ruprecht , Karlan Beth , Lawrenson Kate , Freeman Michael R. , Damoiseaux Robert , Rowat Amy C.
Published: December 2018

We demonstrate a scalable, high throughput method to screen cells based on their ability to deform through micron-scale gaps.