bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influenza hospitalizations in Australian children
Authors: LI-KIM-MOY J. , YIN J. K. , BLYTH C. C. , KESSON A. , BOOY R. , CHENG A. C. , MACARTNEY K.
Published: February 2017

Australia's National Immunisation Program (NIP) provides free influenza vaccination for children at high risk of severe influenza; a pilot-funded programme for vaccine in all children aged 6 months to <5 years in one of eight states, has seen poor vaccine impact, related to recent vaccine safety concerns. This retrospective review examined influenza hospitalizations in children aged <16 years from three seasons (2011–2013) at two paediatric hospitals on opposite sides of the country. Comparisons of this cohort were made with state-based data on influenza-coded hospitalizations and national immunization register data on population-level immunization coverage. Of 740 hospitalizations, the majority were aged <5 years (476/740, 64%), and a substantial proportion (57%) involved healthy children, not currently funded for influenza vaccine. Intensive care unit admission occurred in 8·5%, and 1·5% of all children developed encephalitis. Use of antiviral therapy was uncommon (20·5%) and decreasing. Of those hospitalized, only 5·0% of at-risk children, who are currently eligible for free vaccine, and 0·7% of healthy children were vaccinated prior to hospitalization. This was consistent with low population-wide estimates of influenza vaccine uptake. It highlights the need to examine alternative strategies, such as universally funded paediatric influenza vaccination, to address disease burden in Australian children.
Assessment of community awareness and risk perceptions of zoonotic causes of abortion in cattle at three selected livestock–wildlife interface areas of Zimbabwe
Authors: NDENGU M. , DE GARINE-WICHATITSKY M. , PFUKENYI D. M. , TIVAPASI M. , MUKAMURI B. , MATOPE G.
Published: February 2017

A study was conducted to assess the awareness of cattle abortions due to brucellosis, Rift Valley fever (RVF) and leptospirosis, and to compare frequencies of reported abortions in communities living at the periphery of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area in southeastern Zimbabwe. Three study sites were selected based on the type of livestock–wildlife interface: porous livestock–wildlife interface (unrestricted); non-porous livestock–wildlife interface (restricted by fencing); and livestock–wildlife non-interface (totally absent or control). Respondents randomly selected from a list of potential cattle farmers (N = 379) distributed at porous (40·1%), non-interface (35·5%) and non-porous (26·4%), were interviewed using a combined close- and open-ended questionnaire. Focus group discussions were conducted with 10–12 members of each community. More abortions in the last 5 years were reported from the porous interface (52%) and a significantly higher per cent of respondents from the porous interface (P < 0·05) perceived wildlife as playing a role in livestock abortions compared with the other interface types. The odds of reporting abortions in cattle were higher in large herd sizes (odds ratio (OR) = 2·6; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·5–4·3), porous (OR = 1·9; 95% CI 1·0–3·5) and non-porous interface (OR = 2·2; 95% CI 1·1–4·3) compared with livestock–wildlife non-interface areas. About 21·6% of the respondents knew brucellosis as a cause of abortion, compared with RVF (9·8%) and leptospirosis (3·7%). These results explain to some extent, the existence of human/wildlife conflict in the studied livestock–wildlife interface areas of Zimbabwe, which militates against biodiversity conservation efforts. The low awareness of zoonoses means the public is at risk of contracting some of these infections. Thus, further studies should focus on livestock–wildlife interface areas to assess if the increased rates of abortions reported in cattle may be due to exposure to wildlife or other factors. The government of Zimbabwe needs to launch educational programmes on public health awareness in these remote areas at the periphery of transfrontier conservation areas where livestock–wildlife interface exists to help mitigate the morbidity and mortality of people from some of the known zoonotic diseases.
Tide gauge observations in Antarctica (1958–2014) and recent ice loss
Authors: Galassi G. , Spada G.
Published: February 2017

Several historical sea level time series from Antarctic tide gauges, available from the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level, are analysed. Two sea level curves, obtained by averaging data from the Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctica, for 1958–2014, show trends of (2.0±0.1) and (1.8±0.2) mm yr-1, respectively. By empirical mode decomposition, cyclic and non-cyclic components of sea level change were separated. A periodicity of 4–5 years was confirmed and attributed to the effects of the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave. The non-cyclic components were found to show a ‘levelling off’ of ≈ 1 mm yr-1 since c. 2000, which cannot be attributed to the isostatic response to Holocene ice melting. Using assessed mass balance data from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Antarctic Peninsula, we studied the response to current ice loss in the region and found that the levelling off could be partly explained by accelerated melting during the last approximately two decades. This may represent the first evidence of sea level fingerprints of glacial melting in Antarctica.
Interactive programming in Agda – Objects and graphical user interfaces
Authors: ABEL ANDREAS , ADELSBERGER STEPHAN , SETZER ANTON
Published: February 2017

We develop a methodology for writing interactive and object-based programs (in the sense of Wegner) in dependently typed functional programming languages. The methodology is implemented in the ooAgda library. ooAgda provides a syntax similar to the one used in object-oriented programming languages, thanks to Agda's copattern matching facility. The library allows for the development of graphical user interfaces (GUIs), including the use of action listeners.

Our notion of interactive programs is based on the IO monad defined by Hancock and Setzer, which is a coinductive data type. We use asizedcoinductive type which allows us to write corecursive programs in a modular way. Objects are server-side interactive programs that respond to method calls by giving answers and changing their state. We introduce two kinds of objects: simple objects and IO objects. Methods in simple objects are pure, while method calls in IO objects allow for interactions before returning their result. Our approach also allows us to extend interfaces and objects by additional methods.

We refine our approach to state-dependent interactive programs and objects through which we can avoid exceptions. For example, with a state-dependent stack object, we can statically disable the pop method for empty stacks. As an example, we develop the implementation of recursive functions using a safe stack. Using a coinductive notion of object bisimilarity, we verify basic correctness properties of stack objects and show the equivalence of different stack implementations. Finally, we give a proof of concept that our interaction model allows to write GUI programs in a natural way: we present a simple drawing program, and a program which allows the users to move a small spaceship using a button.
The essence of ornaments
Authors: DAGAND PIERRE-EVARISTE
Published: February 2017

Functional programmers from all horizons strive to use, and sometimes abuse, their favorite type system in order to capture the invariants of their programs. A widely used tool in that trade consists in defining finely indexed datatypes. Operationally, these typesclassifythe programmer's data, following the ML tradition. Logically, these typesenforcethe program invariants in a novel manner. This new programming pattern, by which one programsoverinductive definitions to account for some invariants, lead to the development of a theory of ornaments (McBride, 2011Ornamental Algebras, Algebraic Ornaments. Unpublished). However, ornaments originate as a dependently-typed object and may thus appear rather daunting to a functional programmer of the non-dependent kind. This article aims at presenting ornamentsfrom first-principlesand, in particular, to declutter their presentation from syntactic considerations. To do so, we shall give a sufficiently abstract model of indexed datatypes by means of many-sorted signatures. In this process, we formalize our intuition that an indexed datatype is the combination of a data-structureand a data-logic. Over this abstraction of datatypes, we shall recast the definition of ornaments, effectively giving a model of ornaments. Benefiting both from the operationalandabstract nature of many-sorted signatures, ornaments should appear applicable and, one hopes, of interest beyond the type-theoretic circles, case in point being languages with generalized abstract datatypes or refinement types.
Evaluating online bilingual dictionaries: The case of popular free English-Polish dictionaries
Authors: Lew Robert , Szarowska Agnieszka
Published: February 2017

Language learners today exhibit a strong preference for free online resources. One problem with such resources is that their quality can vary dramatically. Building on related work on monolingual resources for English, we propose an evaluation framework for online bilingual dictionaries, designed to assess lexicographic quality in four major areas: coverage of lexical items, their treatment in the entries, access to lexical information, and presentation of lexicographic data. The proposed framework is applied to a set of six popular bilingual English-Polish dictionaries freely available online, established through an online survey of Polish learners of English.
Smart Internet Search with Random Neural Networks
Authors: Serrano Will
Published: February 2017

Web services that are free of charge to users typically offer access to online information based on some form of economic interest of the web service itself. Advertisers who put the information on the web will make a payment to the search services based on the clicks that their advertisements receive. Thus, end users cannot know that the results they obtain from web search engines are exhaustive, or that they actually respond to their needs. To fill the gap between user needs and the information presented to them on the web, Intelligent Search Assistants have been proposed to act at the interface between users and search engines to present data to users in a manner that reflects their actual needs or their observed or stated preferences. This paper presents an Intelligent Internet Search Assistant based on the Random Neural Network that tracks the user’s preferences and makes a selection on the output of one or more search engines using the preferences that it has learned. We also introduce a ‘relevance metric’ to compare the performance of our Intelligent Internet Search Assistant against a few search engines, showing that it provides better performance.
Impact of two policy interventions on dietary diversity in Ecuador
Authors: Ponce Juan , Ramos-Martin Jesus
Published: February 2017

Objective

To differentiate the effects of food vouchers and training in health and nutrition on consumption and dietary diversity in Ecuador by using an experimental design.

Design

Interventions involved enrolling three groups of approximately 200 randomly selected households per group in three provinces in Ecuador. Power estimates and sample size were computed using the Optimal Design software, with a power of 80 %, at 5 % of significance and with a minimum detectable effect of 0·25 (sd). The first group was assigned to receive a monthly food voucher of $US 40. The second group was assigned to receive the same $US 40 voucher, plus training on health and nutrition issues. The third group served as the control. Weekly household values of food consumption were converted into energy intake per person per day. A simple proxy indicator was constructed for dietary diversity, based on the Food Consumption Score. Finally, an econometric model with three specifications was used for analysing the differential effect of the interventions.

Setting

Three provinces in Ecuador, two from the Sierra region (Carchi and Chimborazo) and one from the Coastal region (Santa Elena).

Subjects

Members of 773 households randomly selected (n4343).

Results

No significant impact on consumption for any of the interventions was found. However, there was evidence that voucher systems had a positive impact on dietary diversity. No differentiated effects were found for the training intervention.

Conclusions

The most cost-effective intervention to improve dietary diversity in Ecuador is the use of vouchers to support family choice in food options.
Pragmatic, Progressive, Problematic: Addressing Vulnerability through a Local Street Sex Work Partnership Initiative
Authors: Brown Kate , Sanders Teela
Published: February 2017

Whilst it remains a criminal activity to solicit sex publicly in the UK, it has become increasingly popular to configure sex workers as ‘vulnerable’, often as a means of foregrounding the significant levels of violence faced by female street sex workers. Sex work scholars have highlighted that this discourse can play an enabling role in a moralistic national policy agenda which criminalises and marginalises those who sell sex. Yet multiple and overlapping narratives of vulnerability circulate in this policy arena, raising questions about how these might operate at ground level. Drawing on empirical data gathered in the development of an innovative local street sex work multi-agency partnership in Leeds, this article explores debates, discourses and realities of sex worker vulnerability. Setting applied insights within more theoretically inclined analysis, we suggest how vulnerability might usefully be understood in relation to sex work, but also highlight how social justice for sex workers requires more than progressive discourses and local initiatives. Empirical findings highlight that whilst addressing vulnerability through a local street sex work multi-agency partnership initiative, a valuable platform for shared action on violence in particular can be created. However, an increase in fundamental legal and social reform is required in order to address the differentiated and diverse lived experiences of sex worker vulnerability.
The Mediational Effect of Weight Self-Stigma in the Relationship between Blatant and Subtle Discrimination and Depression and Anxiety
Authors: Magallares Alejandro , Bolaños-Rios Patricia , Ruiz-Prieto Inmaculada , Benito de Valle Pilar , Irles Jose Antonio , Jáuregui-Lobera Ignacio
Published: February 2017

Obesity may be considered a social stigma. In addition, people with obesity are frequently aware of stigma directed at others who have a similar weight and come to think stigmatized thoughts about themselves. Our study focused specifically on how blatant and subtle discrimination and weight self-stigma are related to depression and anxiety in people with obesity. The sample comprised 170 participants from the Clinical Nutrition Unit of the “Hospital de Valme” (Seville, Spain). The Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Perceived Discrimination Scale, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used. It was found that blatant and subtle discrimination and weight self-stigma were positively related to depression (.31, .38, and .45 respectively) and anxiety (.30, .36, and .49 respectively; all ps < .01). The path analysis conducted showed that there was a mediational effect of weight self-stigma between blatant (β = .36) and subtle discrimination (β = .40) and depression (β = .24) and anxiety (β = .49; all ps < .01). According to these results, it can be said that weight self-stigma was a full mediator in the model found because the relationships between the independent and the dependent variables were non-significant. Finally, results are discussed in the frame of the obesity stigma literature, and some clinical implications of the results of the study are suggested.
Influence of Core Affect in the Differential Efficacy of a Personality Disorder Intervention Program
Authors: Ramos Juan M. , Sendra Juan M. , Sánchez Aintzane , Mena Ana
Published: February 2017

The usual emotional experience of the person (affective style) is an influential factor in therapeutic assimilation. Based on a dynamic model of affect shaped dimensionally by the valence and arousal axes (core affect) that fluctuate over time according to the specific context of the individual, its relationship with different variables was investigated and the changes after a 6-month intervention in a specialized hospital unit (N = 103) were observed. The orthogonal structure of core-affect was confirmed. Emotional valence appeared to be positively related to social skills (r = .375; p < .01) and self-esteem (r = .491; p < .01) and negatively to depressive symptoms (r = –.631; p < .01), general disturbance (r = –.395; p < .01) and suicidality (r = –.490; p < .01). Emotional arousal is associated with impulsivity (r = .345; p < .01). The group of patients with an affective style characterized by negative valence and low arousal core-affect gained less therapeutic benefit compared to those with positive valence core-affect (p < .05). Throughout the treatment, valence became more positive (d = .26; IC 95%: 1.9 – 7.2; p = .001), arousal increased (d = .23; IC 95%: 0.2 – 1.7; p = .015) and variability decreased (d = –.44; IC 95%: (–2.9) – (–1.1); p = .001). Changes in the core-affect are related to therapeutic improvement. Adjusting expectations of change can reduce therapeutic frustration, which is as common as it is harmful in the treatment of severe personality disorders.
Prevalence of Mental Disorders in the Elderly in the Community of Madrid: Results of the Mentdis_ICF65+ Study
Authors: Ausín Berta , Muñoz Manuel , Santos-Olmo Ana Belén , Pérez-Santos Eloísa , Castellanos Miguel A.
Published: February 2017

The MentDis_ICF65+ Project is an epidemiological study of mental disorders in people 65 to 85 years old in several European cities, including Madrid. Its aim is to determine the lifetime, 12-month, and 1-month prevalence of the main mental disorders in the elderly. The relationship of age and sex with each mental disorder was examined. The sample was collected through random sampling of people over 65 in Madrid, and consisted of 555 persons between 65 and 85 years old. The CIDI65+ was administered. Estimates of prevalence and odds ratios (OR) were made using sample frequencies and according to sex and age. Excluding nicotine dependence, 40.12% of the sample was found to have suffered a mental disorder at some time in their lives, 29.89% in the past year, and 17.70% were currently suffering from a mental disorder. The disorders with the highest prevalence rates were anxiety disorders, alcohol-related disorders, and mood disorders. Elderly women had a higher risk of suffering an anxiety disorder (OR men/women 0.42; CI 0.25–0.68) with a significance level ofp< .001, while elderly men were more affected by any substance-related disorder (OR men/women 3.96; CI 1.62–11.07) with a significance level ofp< .001. Each disorder’s prevalence decreased with age (OR 65–74/75–85, 1.85; CI 1.25–2.75) with a significance level ofp< .01. Results show higher prevalence rates than previous studies reported. The main implications of this study, and the need to adapt mental health services for people over 65, are highlighted.
Confirmation and Control of HPPD-Inhibiting Herbicide–Resistant Waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) in Nebraska
Authors: Oliveira Maxwel C. , Jhala Amit J. , Gaines Todd , Irmak Suat , Amundsen Keenan , Scott Jon E. , Knezevic Stevan Z.
Published: February 2017

Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted in Nebraska to (1) confirm the 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD)-inhibiting resistant-waterhemp biotype (HPPD-RW) by quantifying the resistance levels in dose-response studies, and (2) to evaluate efficacy of PRE-only, POST-only, and PRE followed by POST herbicide programs for control of HPPD-RW in corn. Greenhouse dose-response studies confirmed that the suspected waterhemp biotype in Nebraska has evolved resistance to HPPD-inhibiting herbicides with a 2- to 18-fold resistance depending upon the type of HPPD-inhibiting herbicide being sprayed. Under field conditions, at 56 d after treatment, ≥90% control of the HPPD-RW was achieved with PRE-applied mesotrione/atrazine/S-metolachlor+acetochlor, pyroxasulfone (180 and 270 g ai ha−1), pyroxasulfone/fluthiacet-methyl/atrazine, and pyroxasulfone+saflufenacil+atrazine. Among POST-only herbicide programs, glyphosate, a premix of mesotrione/atrazine tank-mixed with diflufenzopyr/dicamba, or metribuzin, or glufosinate provided ≥92% HPPD-RW control. Herbicide combinations of different effective sites of action in mixtures provided ≥86% HPPD-RW control in PRE followed by POST herbicide programs. It is concluded that the suspected waterhemp biotype is resistant to HPPD-inhibiting herbicides and alternative herbicide programs are available for effective control in corn. The occurrence of HPPD-RW in Nebraska is significant because it limits the effectiveness of HPPD-inhibiting herbicides.
iPS-derived MSCs from an expandable bank to deliver a prodrug-converting enzyme that limits growth and metastases of human breast cancers
Authors: Ullah M , Kuroda Y , Bartosh T J , Liu F , Zhao Q , Gregory C , Reger R , Xu J , Lee R H , Prockop D J
Published: February 2017

One attractive strategy to treat cancers is to deliver an exogenous enzyme that will convert a non-toxic compound to a highly toxic derivative. The strategy was tested with viral vectors but was disappointing because the efficiency of transduction into tumor cells was too low. Recent reports demonstrated that the limitation can be addressed by using tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to deliver enzyme/prodrug systems that kill adjacent cancer cells through bystander effects. Here we addressed the limitation that tissue-derived MSCs vary in their properties and are difficult to generate in the large numbers needed for clinical applications. We prepared a Feeder Stock of MSCs from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSs) that provided an extensively expandable source of standardized cells. We then transduced the iPS-derived MSCs to express cytosine deaminase and injected them locally into a mouse xenogeneic model of human breast cancer. After administration of the prodrug (5-fluorocytosine), the transduced iPS-MSCs both limited growth of preformed tumors and decreased lung metastases.
A homolog of cyclophilin D is expressed in Trypanosoma cruzi and is involved in the oxidative stress–damage response
Authors: Bustos Patricia L , Volta Bibiana J , Perrone Alina E , Milduberger Natalia , Bua Jacqueline
Published: February 2017

Mitochondria have an important role in energy production, homeostasis and cell death. The opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) is considered one of the key events in apoptosis and necrosis, modulated by cyclophilin D (CyPD), a crucial component of this protein complex. In Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease, we have previously described that mitochondrial permeability transition occurs after oxidative stress induction in a cyclosporin A-dependent manner, a well-known cyclophilin inhibitor. In the present work, a mitochondrial parasite cyclophilin, named TcCyP22, which is homolog to the mammalian CyPD was identified. TcCyP22-overexpressing parasites showed an enhanced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and loss of cell viability when exposed to a hydrogen peroxide stimulus compared with control parasites. Our results describe for the first time in a protozoan parasite that a mitochondrial cyclophilin is a component of the permeability transition pore and is involved in regulated cell death induced by oxidative stress.
Predominant contribution of DGKζ over DGKα in the control of PKC/PDK‐1‐regulated functions in T cells
Authors: Ávila‐Flores Antonia , Arranz‐Nicolás Javier , Andrada Elena , Soutar Denise , Mérida Isabel
Published: February 2017

Diacylglycerol kinase (DGK)‐mediated consumption of the diacylglycerol (DAG) generated in response to antigen recognition is an important mechanism to limit T‐cell function. Targeting DGK activity presents new opportunities for therapeutic manipulation of the immune response, but assessment of individual DGK functions is complex. T cells express two DGK isoforms, DGKα and DGKζ, and there are no isoform‐specific inhibitors. Here we used short interfering RNA‐mediated gene silencing in human T cells and DGKα‐ and DGKζ‐deficient mice to define DGK isoform‐specific regulation of key signaling pathways during T‐cell activation. Our results identify DGKζ as the predominant brake on basal/tonic conditions as well as on downstream T‐cell receptor/co‐stimulatory signals. DGKζ silencing triggers basal RasGTP activation and facilitates enhanced membrane stability of protein kinase C alpha as well as increased activity of AGC kinases. Downstream of T‐cell receptor/co‐stimulation, DGKζ silencing results in enhanced and maintained recruitment of PKC theta to the membrane, as well as phosphoinositide‐dependent protein kinase‐1 activation and scaffolding functions. Our studies identify a previously unrecognized DGKζ contribution as a negative regulator of the crosstalk between phospholipase C‐gamma‐ and phosphoinositide 3‐kinase‐regulated pathways. This DGKζ input helps to explain previous observations in DGK‐deficient mice and suggests that the development of isoform‐specific DGK inhibitors is of great interest for the manipulation of distinct aspects of T‐cell responses.
Major sulfonate transporter Soa1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and considerable substrate diversity in its fungal family
Authors: Holt Sylvester , Kankipati Harish , De Graeve Stijn , Van Zeebroeck Griet , Foulquié-Moreno Maria R. , Lindgreen Stinus , Thevelein Johan M.
Published: February 2017

Sulfate is a well-established sulfur source for fungi; however, in soils sulfonates and sulfate esters, especially choline sulfate, are often much more prominent. Here we show that Saccharomyces cerevisiae YIL166C(SOA1) encodes an inorganic sulfur (sulfate, sulfite and thiosulfate) transporter that also catalyses sulfonate and choline sulfate uptake. Phylogenetic analysis of fungal SOA1 orthologues and expression of 20 members in the sul1Δ sul2Δ soa1Δ strain, which is deficient in inorganic and organic sulfur compound uptake, reveals that these transporters have diverse substrate preferences for sulfur compounds. We further show that SOA2, a S. cerevisiae SOA1 paralogue found in S. uvarum, S. eubayanus and S. arboricola is likely to be an evolutionary remnant of the uncharacterized open reading frames YOL163W and YOL162W. Our work highlights the importance of sulfonates and choline sulfate as sulfur sources in the natural environment of S. cerevisiae and other fungi by identifying fungal transporters for these compounds.
Ufd2p synthesizes branched ubiquitin chains to promote the degradation of substrates modified with atypical chains
Authors: Liu Chao , Liu Weixiao , Ye Yihong , Li Wei
Published: February 2017

Ubiquitination of a subset of proteins by ubiquitin chain elongation factors (E4), represented by Ufd2p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is a pivotal regulator for many biological processes. However, the mechanism of Ufd2p-mediated ubiquitination is largely unclear. Here, we show that Ufd2p catalyses K48-linked multi-monoubiquitination on K29-linked ubiquitin chains assembled by the ubiquitin ligase (Ufd4p), resulting in branched ubiquitin chains. This reaction depends on the interaction of K29-linked ubiquitin chains with two N-terminal loops of Ufd2p. Only following the addition of K48-linked ubiquitin to substrates modified with K29-linked ubiquitin chains, can the substrates be escorted to the proteasome for degradation. We demonstrate that this ubiquitin chain linkage switching reaction is essential for ERAD, oleic acid and acid pH resistance in yeast. Thus, our results suggest that Ufd2p functions by switching ubiquitin chain linkages to allow the degradation of proteins modified with a ubiquitin linkage, which is normally not targeted to the proteasome.
Proton enhanced dynamic battery chemistry for aprotic lithium–oxygen batteries
Authors: Zhu Yun Guang , Liu Qi , Rong Yangchun , Chen Haomin , Yang Jing , Jia Chuankun , Yu Li-Juan , Karton Amir , Ren Yang , Xu Xiaoxiong , Adams Stefan , Wang Qing
Published: February 2017

Water contamination is generally considered to be detrimental to the performance of aprotic lithium–air batteries, whereas this view is challenged by recent contrasting observations. This has provoked a range of discussions on the role of water and its impact on batteries. In this work, a distinct battery chemistry that prevails in water-contaminated aprotic lithium–oxygen batteries is revealed. Both lithium ions and protons are found to be involved in the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions, and lithium hydroperoxide and lithium hydroxide are identified as predominant discharge products. The crystallographic and spectroscopic characteristics of lithium hydroperoxide monohydrate are scrutinized both experimentally and theoretically. Intriguingly, the reaction of lithium hydroperoxide with triiodide exhibits a faster kinetics, which enables a considerably lower overpotential during the charging process. The battery chemistry unveiled in this mechanistic study could provide important insights into the understanding of nominally aprotic lithium–oxygen batteries and help to tackle the critical issues confronted.
Photo-driven redox-neutral decarboxylative carbon-hydrogen trifluoromethylation of (hetero)arenes with trifluoroacetic acid
Authors: Lin Jin , Li Zhi , Kan Jian , Huang Shijun , Su Weiping , Li Yadong
Published: February 2017

Catalytic oxidative C–H bond functionalization reactions that proceed without requiring stoichiometric amounts of external oxidants or pre-functionalized oxidizing reagents could maximize the atom- and step-economy in chemical syntheses. However, such a transformation remains elusive. Here, we report that a photo-driven catalytic process enables decarboxylative C–H trifluoromethylation of (hetero)arenes with trifluoroacetic acid as a trifluoromethyl source in good yields in the presence of an external oxidant in far lower than stoichiometric amounts (for example, 0.2 equivalents of Na2S2O8) using Rh-modified TiO2 nanoparticles as a photocatalyst, in which H2 release is an important driving force for the reaction. Our findings not only provide an approach to accessing valuable decarboxylative C–H trifluoromethylations via activation of abundant but inert trifluoroacetic acid towards oxidative decarboxylation and trifluoromethyl radical formation, but also demonstrate that a photo-driven catalytic process is a promising way to achieve external oxidant-free C–H functionalization reactions.
An unexpected N-terminal loop in PD-1 dominates binding by nivolumab
Authors: Tan Shuguang , Zhang Hao , Chai Yan , Song Hao , Tong Zhou , Wang Qihui , Qi Jianxun , Wong Gary , Zhu Xiaodong , Liu William J. , Gao Shan , Wang Zhongfu , Shi Yi , Yang Fuquan , Gao George F. , Yan Jinghua
Published: February 2017

Cancer immunotherapy by targeting of immune checkpoint molecules has been a research ‘hot-spot’ in recent years. Nivolumab, a human monoclonal antibody targeting PD-1, has been widely used clinically since 2014. However, the binding mechanism of nivolumab to PD-1 has not yet been shown, despite a recent report describing the complex structure of pembrolizumab/PD-1. It has previously been speculated that PD-1 glycosylation is involved in nivolumab recognition. Here we report the complex structure of nivolumab with PD-1 and evaluate the effects of PD-1 N-glycosylation on the interactions with nivolumab. Structural and functional analyses unexpectedly reveal an N-terminal loop outside the IgV domain of PD-1. This loop is not involved in recognition of PD-L1 but dominates binding to nivolumab, whereas N-glycosylation is not involved in binding at all. Nivolumab binds to a completely different area than pembrolizumab. These results provide the basis for the design of future inhibitory molecules targeting PD-1.
The Promotion of Erythropoiesis via the Regulation of Reactive Oxygen Species by Lactic Acid
Authors: Luo Shun-Tao , Zhang Dong-Mei , Qin Qing , Lu Lian , Luo Min , Guo Fu-Chun , Shi Hua-Shan , Jiang Li , Shao Bin , Li Meng , Yang Han-Shuo , Wei Yu-Quan
Published: February 2017

The simultaneous increases in blood lactic acid and erythrocytes after intense exercise could suggest a link between lactate and the erythropoiesis. However, the effects of lactic acid on erythropoiesis remain to be elucidated. Here, we utilized a mouse model to determine the role of lactic acid in this process in parallel with studies using leukaemic K562 cells. Treatment of K562 cells in vitro with lactic acid increased the mRNA and protein expression of haemoglobin genes and the frequency of GPA+ cells. Also, increases in haematocrit and CD71−/Ter119+ erythroid cells were observed in lactic acid-treated mice, which showed a physiological increase in blood lactate. Mouse bone marrow CD34+/CD117− cells showed an increase in erythroid burst-forming units after stimulation with lactic acid in vitro. Furthermore, lactic acid increased the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) content in bone marrow and in K562 cells. Erythroid differentiation induced in Haematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) and K562 cells by lactic acid was abolished by reducing ROS levels with SOD or 2-mercaptoethanol, which suggests that ROS is a critical regulator of this process. These findings provide a better understanding of the role of lactic acid in cellular metabolism and physiological functions.
Serum bilirubin levels and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from two independent cohorts in middle-aged and elderly Chinese
Authors: Wang Jing , Li Yaru , Han Xu , Hu Hua , Wang Fei , Li Xiulou , Yang Kun , Yuan Jing , Yao Ping , Miao Xiaoping , Wei Sheng , Wang Youjie , Cheng Weihong , Liang Yuan , Zhang Xiaomin , Guo Huan , Yang Handong , Yuan Jianmin , Koh Woon-Puay , Hu Frank B. , Wu Tangchun , Pan An , He Meian
Published: February 2017

Serum bilirubin is a potent endogenous antioxidant and has been identified as cardiovascular risk in cohort studies, while the relation to type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the elderly remains unclear. We investigated both cross-sectional and prospective associations between serum bilirubin levels and T2D risk in the Dongfeng-Tongji (DFTJ) cohort, and replicated the prospective findings in a nested case-control study (509 cases and 509 controls) within the Singapore Chinese Health Study (SCHS). In the cross-sectional analysis of DFTJ cohort (15,575 participants with 2,532 diabetes cases), serum bilirubin levels (total, direct and indirect) increased in new on-set diabetes and decreased with the diabetic duration. In the longitudinal analysis of DFTJ cohort (772 incident diabetes cases during 4.5 years of follow-up among 12,530 diabetes-free participants at baseline), positive association was found between direct bilirubin and T2D risk comparing extreme quartiles, similar results were observed in the nested case-control study within SCHS. Total and indirect bilirubin levels were not significantly associated with T2D in either cohort. In conclusion, our findings do not support the protective association between serum bilirubin levels and incident T2D in the middle-aged and elderly adults; instead, direct bilirubin levels were associated with increased risk of T2D.
Characteristics, chemical compositions and biological activities of propolis from Al-Bahah, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Elnakady Yasser A. , Rushdi Ahmed I. , Franke Raimo , Abutaha Nael , Ebaid Hossam , Baabbad Mohannad , Omar Mohamed O. M. , Al Ghamdi Ahmad A.
Published: February 2017

Propolis has been used to treat several diseases since ancient times, and is an important source of bioactive natural compounds and drug derivatives. These properties have kept the interest of investigators around the world, leading to the investigation of the chemical and biological properties and application of propolis. In this report, the chemical constituents that are responsible for the anticancer activities of propolis were analyzed. The propolis was sourced from Al-Baha in the southern part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Standard protocols for chemical fractionation and bioactivity-guided chemical analysis were used to identify the bio-active ethyl acetate fraction. The extraction was performed in methanol and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The major compounds are triterpenoids, with a relative concentration of 74.0%; steroids, with a relative concentration of 9.8%; and diterpenoids, with a relative concentration of 7.9%. The biological activity was characterized using different approaches and cell-based assays. Propolis was found to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner through apoptosis. Immunofluorescence staining with anti-α-tubulin antibodies and cell cycle analysis indicated that tubulin and/or microtubules are the cellular targets of the L-acetate fraction. This study demonstrates the importance of Saudi propolis as anti-cancer drug candidates.
Correction: Corrigendum: Modulation of AMPA receptor mediated current by nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in layer I neurons of rat prefrontal cortex
Authors: Tang Bo , Luo Dong , Yang Jie , Xu Xiao-Yan , Zhu Bing-Lin , Wang Xue-Feng , Yan Zhen , Chen Guo-Jun
Published: February 2017

Scientific Reports 5: Article number: 14099; published online: 15 September 2015; updated: 06 February 2017 The authors of Article made an error in preparation of the final version of Figure 2 and inadvertently used panel 2C as both panel 2Ab and panel 2C. A revised version of Figure 2 with the correct panel 2Ab is published below.
Correction: Corrigendum: Fishing-induced life-history changes degrade and destabilize harvested ecosystems
Authors: Kuparinen Anna , Boit Alice , Valdovinos Fernanda S. , Lassaux Hélène , Martinez Neo D.
Published: February 2017

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 22245; published online: 26 February 2016; updated: 06 February 2017 In the ‘Fish life-histories and population dynamics’ section of this Article the authors erroneously cited a personal communication with R. Eckmann. Dr. Eckmann did not provide any information about perch hatchery and the applied values for whitefish hatchery were modified from raw hatchery larvae records provided by him.
High-resolution traction force microscopy on small focal adhesions - improved accuracy through optimal marker distribution and optical flow tracking
Authors: Holenstein Claude N. , Silvan Unai , Snedeker Jess G.
Published: February 2017

The accurate determination of cellular forces using Traction Force Microscopy at increasingly small focal attachments to the extracellular environment presents an important yet substantial technical challenge. In these measurements, uncertainty regarding accuracy is prominent since experimental calibration frameworks at this size scale are fraught with errors – denying a gold standard against which accuracy of TFM methods can be judged. Therefore, we have developed a simulation platform for generating synthetic traction images that can be used as a benchmark to quantify the influence of critical experimental parameters and the associated errors. Using this approach, we show that TFM accuracy can be improved >35% compared to the standard approach by placing fluorescent beads as densely and closely as possible to the site of applied traction. Moreover, we use the platform to test tracking algorithms based on optical flow that measure deformation directly at the beads and show that these can dramatically outperform classical particle image velocimetry algorithms in terms of noise sensitivity and error. We then report how optimized experimental and numerical strategy can improve traction map accuracy, and further provide the best available benchmark to date for defining practical limits to TFM accuracy as a function of focal adhesion size.
Entropy exchange for infinite-dimensional systems
Authors: Duan Zhoubo , Hou Jinchuan
Published: February 2017

In this paper the entropy exchange for channels and states in infinite-dimensional systems are defined and studied. It is shown that, this entropy exchange depends only on the given channel and the state. An explicit expression of the entropy exchange in terms of the state and the channel is proposed. The generalized Klein’s inequality, the subadditivity and the triangle inequality about the entropy including infinite entropy for the infinite-dimensional systems are established, and then, applied to compare the entropy exchange with the entropy change.
Photons, phonons, and plasmons with orbital angular momentum in plasmas
Authors: Chen Qiang , Qin Hong , Liu Jian
Published: February 2017

Exact eigen modes with orbital angular momentum (OAM) in the complex media of unmagnetized homogeneous plasmas are studied. Three exact eigen modes with OAM are derived, i.e., photons, phonons, and plasmons. The OAM of different plasma components are closely related to the charge polarities. For photons, the OAM of electrons and ions are of the same magnitude but opposite direction, and the total OAM is carried by the field. For the phonons and plasmons, their OAM are carried by the electrons and ions. The OAM modes in plasmas and their characteristics can be explored for potential applications in plasma physics and accelerator physics.
Effects of hydrological regime on development of Carex wet meadows in East Dongting Lake, a Ramsar Wetland for wintering waterbirds
Authors: Jing Lei , Lu Cai , Xia Yan , Shi Linlu , Zuo Aojie , Lei Jialing , Zhang Hong , Lei Guangchun , Wen Li
Published: February 2017

Wet meadows are one of the most important ecological components in floodplain, and are among the most dynamic ecosystems. Understanding the development of wet meadows and contributing environmental factors can provide better support for wetland management. Carex meadows in East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve (EDLNNR) provide vital wintering ground for thousands of migratory waterbirds, and their ecological functions are under threated due to hydrological alternation. We measured wet meadow expansion in EDLNNR from 1989 to 2014, and explored its responses to hydrological and climatic factors within the generalised additive models (GAM) framework. We found an overall expansion of wet meadows over the study period. However, in contrast to many previous studies, our results showed that water level fluctuations at the hydrologic indicator site had only limited impacts on their development. Instead, sampling year, timing of water level recession, and local rainfall exerted significant effects. The effects of sampling year reflected the changes in sedimentation within Dongting Lake; and effects of timing of water withdrawal might be explained by the life history of the dominant sedge species. Our study suggested that the impacts of large scale hydrological alternation on vegetation may operate indirectly through its effects on sediment balance.
Apical dendrite degeneration, a novel cellular pathology for Betz cells in ALS
Authors: Genç Barış , Jara Javier H. , Lagrimas Amiko K. B. , Pytel Peter , Roos Raymond P. , Mesulam M. Marsel , Geula Changiz , Bigio Eileen H. , Özdinler P. Hande
Published: February 2017

Apical dendrites of Betz cells are important sites for the integration of cortical input, however their health has not been fully assessed in ALS patients. We investigated the primary motor cortices isolated from post-mortem normal control subjects, patients with familial ALS (fALS), sporadic ALS (sALS), ALS with frontotemporal dementia (FTD-ALS), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and found profound apical dendrite degeneration of Betz cells in both fALS and sALS, as well as FTD-ALS patients. In contrast, Betz cells of AD patients and normal controls retain cellular integrity in the motor cortex, and CA1 pyramidal neurons show abnormalities predominantly within their soma, rather than the apical dendrite. In line with extensive vacuolation and cytoarchitectural disintegration, the numbers of synapses were also significantly reduced only in ALS patients. Our findings indicate apical dendrite degeneration as a novel cellular pathology that distinguishes ALS and further support the importance of cortical dysfunction for disease pathology.
Two-dimensional Talbot self-imaging via Electromagnetically induced lattice
Authors: Wen Feng , Wang Wei , Ahmed Irfan , Wang Hongxing , Zhang Yiqi , Zhang Yanpeng , Mahesar Abdul Rasheed , Xiao Min
Published: February 2017

We propose a lensless optical method for imaging two-dimensional ultra-cold atoms (or molecules) in which the image can be non-locally observed by coincidence recording of entangled photon pairs. In particular, we focus on the transverse and longitudinal resolutions of images under various scanning methods. In addition, the role of the induced nonmaterial lattice on the image contrast is investigated. Our work shows a non-destructive and lensless way to image ultra-cold atoms or molecules that can be further used for two-dimensional atomic super-resolution optical testing and sub-wavelength lithography.
Spectrally monitoring the response of the biocrust moss Syntrichia caninervis to altered precipitation regimes
Authors: Young Kristina E. , Reed Sasha C.
Published: February 2017

Climate change is expected to impact drylands worldwide by increasing temperatures and changing precipitation patterns. These effects have known feedbacks to the functional roles of dryland biological soil crust communities (biocrusts), which are expected to undergo significant climate-induced changes in community structure and function. Nevertheless, our ability to monitor the status and physiology of biocrusts with remote sensing is limited due to the heterogeneous nature of dryland landscapes and the desiccation tolerance of biocrusts, which leaves them frequently photosynthetically inactive and difficult to assess. To address this critical limitation, we subjected a dominant biocrust species Syntrichia caninervis to climate-induced stress in the form of small, frequent watering events, and spectrally monitored the dry mosses’ progression towards mortality. We found points of spectral sensitivity responding to experimentally-induced stress in desiccated mosses, indicating that spectral imaging is an effective tool to monitor photosynthetically inactive biocrusts. Comparing the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Simple Ratio (SR), and the Normalized Pigment Chlorophyll Index (NPCI), we found NDVI minimally effective at capturing stress in precipitation-stressed dry mosses, while the SR and NPCI were highly effective. Our results suggest the strong potential for utilizing spectroscopy and chlorophyll-derived indices to monitor biocrust ecophysiological status, even when biocrusts are dry, with important implications for improving our understanding of dryland functioning.
Small RNA-directed epigenetic programming of embryonic stem cell cardiac differentiation
Authors: Ghanbarian Hossein , Wagner Nicole , Michiels Jean-François , Cuzin François , Wagner Kay-Dietrich , Rassoulzadegan Minoo
Published: February 2017

Microinjection of small noncoding RNAs in one-cell embryos was reported in several instances to result in transcriptional activation of target genes. To determine the molecular mechanisms involved and to explore whether such epigenetic regulations could play a role in early development, we used a cell culture system as close as possible to the embryonic state. We report efficient cardiac differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells induced by small non-coding RNAs with sequences of Cdk9, a key player in cardiomyocyte differentiation. Transfer of oligoribonucleotides representing parts of the Cdk9 mRNA into ES and mouse embryo fibroblast cultures resulted in upregulation of transcription. Dependency on Argonaute proteins and endogenous antisense transcripts indicated that the inducer oligoribonucleotides were processed by the RNAi machinery. Upregulation of Cdk9 expression resulted in increased efficiency of cardiac differentiation suggesting a potential tool for stem cell-based regenerative medicine.