bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Threat, Deterrence, and Penal Severity: An Analysis of Flogging in the Royal Navy, 1740–1820
Authors: Underwood Patrick , Pfaff Steven , Hechter Michael
Published: August 2018

Perceived threats to established social order can influence the willingness of those in authority to inflict punishments as well as the severity of those punishments. Our article explores that proposition in the case of summary punishment by flogging in the Royal Navy. In the Royal Navy commanders were given the power to inflict flogging for a host of offenses. Prevailing penal thinking emphasized general deterrence, whereby punishment of a few serious offenders would deter the body of seamen. Eighteenth-century reforms were intended to rationalize and normalize flogging and limit its severity. Qualitative evidence indicates that naval commanders saw the established order under attack after 1789 and, emphasizing moral offenses, imposed tighter discipline on their crews. The evidence we have assembled based on a randomly selected sample of ships between 1740 and 1820 shows that flogging aboard ships was moderate up until the “Age of Revolution” that began after 1789 but increased dramatically in its frequency and severity in the wake of the French Revolution. Multivariate analysis shows that greater penal severity is associated with several factors, including a period effect associated with the onset of the revolutionary age. Our findings are consistent with existing research that suggests that disorder influences the willingness to punish.
The Psychology of Euthanasia
Authors: Ricou Miguel , Wainwright Tony
Published: August 2018

Abstract. Voluntary euthanasia has been legalized in several countries and associated with this development there has been much discussion concerning the relationship between the ethical principle of autonomy and the respect for human life. Psychological science should make a significant contribution to understanding how polarizing positions may be taken in such debates. However, little has been written concerning the implications of this research for the euthanasia debate and about the contributions of psychology. In the same way, very little is written about the psychologist’s role in countries where voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide is legalized. We take as a starting assumption that there are no solutions that will meet everyone’s wishes or needs, but that an understanding of psychological ideas, can assist in developing strategies that may help people with opposing views come to some agreement. In our view, it is fundamental to a fruitful analysis, to leave aside a polarized approach and to understand that an eventual answer to the question of how we approach voluntary euthanasia will only be achieved after the hard process of carefully considering the consequences of having either legalized voluntary euthanasia or its prohibition, in the context of a psychological understanding.
Glacier Recession and the Response of Summer Streamflow in the Pacific Northwest United States, 1960–2099
Authors: Frans Chris , Istanbulluoglu Erkan , Lettenmaier Dennis P. , Fountain Andrew G. , Riedel Jon
Published: August 2018

The Pacific Northwest is the most highly glacierized region in the conterminous United States (858 glaciers; 466 km2). These glaciers have displayed ubiquitous patterns of retreat since the 1980s mostly in response to warming air temperatures. Glacier melt provides water for downstream uses including agricultural water supply, hydroelectric power generation, and for ecological systems adapted to cold reliable streamflow. While changes in glacier area have been studied within the region over an extended period of time, the hydrologic consequences of these changes are not well defined. We applied a high‐resolution glacio‐hydrological model to predict glacier mass balance, glacier area, and river discharge for the period 1960–2099. Six river basins across the region were modeled to characterize the regional hydrological response to glacier change. Using these results, we generalized past and future glacier area change and discharge across the entire Pacific Northwest using a k‐means cluster analysis. Results show that the rate of regional glacier recession will increase, but the runoff from glacier melt and its relative contribution to streamflow display both positive and negative trends. In high‐elevation river basins enhanced glacier melt will buffer strong declines in seasonal snowpack and decreased late summer streamflow, before the glaciers become too small to support streamflow at historic levels later in the 21st century. Conversely, in lower‐elevation basins, smaller snowpack and the shrinkage of small glaciers result in continued reductions in summer streamflow.
Precipitating Electron Energy Flux and Characteristic Energies in Jupiter's Main Auroral Region as Measured by Juno/JEDI
Authors: Clark G. , Tao C. , Mauk B. H. , Nichols J. , Saur J. , Bunce E. J. , Allegrini F. , Gladstone R. , Bagenal F. , Bolton S. , Bonfond B. , Connerney J. , Ebert R. W. , Gershman D. J. , Haggerty D. , Kimura T. , Kollmann P. , Kotsiaros S. , Kurth W. S. , Levin S. , McComas D. J. , Murakami G. , Paranicas C. , Rymer A. , Valek P.
Published: August 2018

The relationship between electron energy flux and the characteristic energy of electron distributions in the main auroral loss cone bridges the gap between predictions made by theory and measurements just recently available from Juno. For decades such relationships have been inferred from remote sensing observations of the Jovian aurora, primarily from the Hubble Space Telescope, and also more recently from Hisaki. However, to infer these quantities, remote sensing techniques had to assume properties of the Jovian atmospheric structure—leading to uncertainties in their profile. Juno's arrival and subsequent auroral passes have allowed us to obtain these relationships unambiguously for the first time, when the spacecraft passes through the auroral acceleration region. Using Juno/Jupiter Energetic particle Detector Instrument (JEDI), an energetic particle instrument, we present these relationships for the 30‐keV to 1‐MeV electron population. Observations presented here show that the electron energy flux in the loss cone is a nonlinear function of the characteristic or mean electron energy and supports both the predictions from Knight (1973, https://doi.org/10.1016/0032‐0633(73)90093‐7) and magnetohydrodynamic turbulence acceleration theories (e.g., Saur et al., 2003, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GL015761). Finally, we compare the in situ analyses of Juno with remote Hisaki observations and use them to help constrain Jupiter's atmospheric profile. We find a possible solution that provides the best agreement between these data sets is an atmospheric profile that more efficiently transports the hydrocarbons to higher altitudes. If this is correct, it supports the previously published idea (e.g., Parkinson et al., 2006, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JE002539) that precipitating electrons increase the hydrocarbon eddy diffusion coefficients in the auroral regions.
Ultrawideband Rising‐Tone Chorus Waves Observed Inside the Oscillating Plasmapause
Authors: Yu J. , Li L. Y. , Cui J. , Wang J.
Published: August 2018

Previous observations indicate that there are mainly unstructured plasmaspheric hiss in the high‐density plasmasphere, whereas structured whistler mode chorus waves with the lowest frequency of 0.1fce (fce is the electron gyrofrequency) are observed mostly outside the plasmapause. Here we observed ultrawideband rising‐tone chorus waves with frequencies extending to lower hybrid resonance frequency (fLHR ~ 101 Hz) in a dawnside high‐density region (magnetic local time [MLT] ~ 7 hr and Ne ~ 75 cm−3) inside the oscillating plasmapause. The ultrawideband chorus waves have also typical two‐band structures separated by a power gap at 0.5fce, but their lowest frequency (fLHR ~ 0.023fce) in the high‐density region is much smaller than that of the normal chorus waves (>0.1fce) in the low‐density trough (Ne < 40 cm−3). The Poynting fluxes of the waves indicate that the ultrawideband chorus waves are excited near the magnetic equator. By comparing the linear wave growth rate to the nonlinear growth rate, we found that the ultrawideband chorus waves are probably amplified through the nonlinear excitation mechanism.
Constraining the Emission of Particulate Matter From Indonesian Peatland Burning Using Continuous Observation Data
Authors: Kuwata Mikinori , Neelam‐Naganathan Gautham‐Giri , Miyakawa Takuma , Khan Md Firoz , Kozan Osamu , Kawasaki Masahiro , Sumin Syahrial , Latif Mohd Talib
Published: August 2018

Tropical peatland, which dominantly distributes in Indonesia and Malaysia, has experienced recurring fires in the last few decades. Constraining the enhancement ratios and emission factors of gas and particulate matter emitted by the wildfires is necessary to evaluate their environmental and climatic impacts. We analyzed continuous observation data at Pekanbaru in Indonesia and Muar in Malaysia to investigate the emissions of gas and particulate matter. The enhancement ratios of particulate matter to carbon monoxide (PM10/CO) of wildfires in Riau province in June 2013 and February–March 2014 were analyzed. The PM10/CO ratios of peatland burning plumes ranged from 77 to 97 μg mg−1 for the event in June 2013, whereas the corresponding value was 127 μg mg−1 in February–March 2014. These enhancement ratios were translated to the emission factors of particulate matter using previous data on the emission factors of CO, assuming that secondary formation was ignorable. The estimated emission factors for PM10 were 13 ± 2 g kg−1 (2013) and 19 ± 2 g kg−1 (2014). These values are comparable to those reported by recent field observations in Indonesia and Malaysia (17.3 ± 6.0 to 34.4 ± 18.8 g kg−1). The estimated emission factors from both the present study and recent field work are consistently higher than that used in the current emission inventory, which suggests that it should be updated. A caveat for this analysis is possible influence of secondary formation, which will still be needed to be investigated in future studies.
Detection of Positive Gross Primary Production Extremes in Terrestrial Ecosystems of China During 1982–2015 and Analysis of Climate Contribution
Authors: Wang Miaomiao , Wang Shaoqiang , Wang Junbang , Yan Hao , Mickler Robert A. , Shi Hao , He Honglin , Huang Mei , Zhou Lei
Published: August 2018

Gross primary productivity (GPP) quantifies the photosynthetic uptake of carbon by terrestrial ecosystems. High‐temperature extremes and associated droughts significantly reduce terrestrial ecosystem carbon uptake, but there is uncertainty as to whether climatic extremes can be beneficial to ecosystem carbon uptake. In this study, we used three ecological models: the Boreal Ecosystem Productivity Simulator, the Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon flux model, and the Global Production Efficiency Model coupled with the Carbon Exchange between Vegetation, Soil, and the Atmosphere model, to simulate China's terrestrial ecosystem GPP during the study period of 1982–2015. Positive GPP extremes were identified on yearly scales and analyzed for their temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation attributions. We found that the 3 years of positive GPP extremes occurred in 1990, 1998, and 2013, with the detrended GPP anomalies of 0.4 PgC/year, 0.2 PgC/year, and 0.3 PgC/year, respectively. Maximum GPP years were associated with an increased carbon uptake in response to increasing temperature and solar radiation under adequate precipitation for plant growth. China's subtropical‐tropical monsoonal region, a region dominated by managed forests and agricultural lands, contributed the largest in GPP extremes and accounted for 46%, 50%, and 46% of the total detrended GPP anomalies in 1990, 1998, and 2013, respectively. Positive GPP extremes were associated with increasing temperature and solar radiation, indicating favorable positive climate extremes would be beneficial to carbon uptake in China's terrestrial ecosystem. This study provides a method to assess positive GPP extremes in response to global climate change.
Whole-exome sequencing reveals known and novel variants in a cohort of intracranial vertebral–basilar artery dissection (IVAD)
Authors: Wang Kun , Zhao Sen , Zhang Qianqian , Yuan Jian , Liu Jiaqi , Ding Xinghuan , Song Xiaofei , Lin Jiachen , Du Renqian , Zhou Yangzhong , Sugimoto Michihiko , Chen Weisheng , Yuan Bo , Liu Jian , Yan Zihui , Liu Bowen , Zhang Yisen , Li Xiaoxin , Niu Yuchen , Long Bo , Shen Yiping , Zhang Shuyang , Abe Kuniya , Su Jianzhong , Wu Zhihong , Wu Nan , Liu Pengfei , Yang Xinjian ,   Deciphering Disorders Involving Scoliosis & Comorbidities (DISCO) study
Published: August 2018

Intracranial vertebral–basilar artery dissection (IVAD) is an arterial disorder leading to life-threatening consequences. Genetic factors are known to be causative to certain syndromic forms of IVAD. However, systematic study of the molecular basis of sporadic and isolated IVAD is lacking. To identify genetic variants contributing to the etiology of IVAD, we enrolled a cohort of 44 unrelated cases with a clinical diagnosis of isolated IVAD and performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) for all the participants; a trio exome sequencing approach was used when samples from both parents were available. Four previously reported disease-causing heterozygous variants (three in COL3A1 and one in FBN1) and seven novel heterozygous variants in IVAD-related genes were identified. In addition, six variants in novel IVAD genes including two de novo heterozygous nonsynonymous variants (each in VPS52 and CDK18), two stop-gain variants (each in MYH9 and LYL1), and two heterozygous biallelic variants in TNXB were considered to be possibly contributing to the phenotype, with unknown significance according to the existing knowledge. A significantly higher mutational rate of IVAD candidate genes was observed in patients versus our in-house controls (P = 0.002) (DISCO study, http://www.discostudy.org/, n = 2248). Our study provided a mutational landscape for patients with isolated IVAD.
Mechanisms regulating intestinal barrier integrity and its pathological implications
Authors: Chelakkot Chaithanya , Ghim Jaewang , Ryu Sung Ho
Published: August 2018

The gastrointestinal tract is a specialized organ in which dynamic interactions between host cells and the complex environment occur in addition to food digestion. Together with the chemical barrier of the mucosal layer and the cellular immune system, the epithelial cell layer performs a pivotal role as the first physical barrier against external factors and maintains a symbiotic relationship with commensal bacteria. The tight junction proteins, including occludin, claudins, and zonula occludens, are crucial for the maintenance of epithelial barrier integrity. To allow the transport of essential molecules and restrict harmful substances, the intracellular signaling transduction system and a number of extracellular stimuli such as cytokines, small GTPases, and post-translational modifications dynamically modulate the tight junction protein complexes. An imbalance in these regulations leads to compromised barrier integrity and is linked with pathological conditions. Despite the obscurity of the causal relationship, the loss of barrier integrity is considered to contribute to inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, and metabolic disorders. The elucidation of the role of diseases in barrier integrity and the underlying regulatory mechanisms have improved our understanding of the intestinal barrier to allow the development of novel and potent therapeutic approaches.
Biological function of eosinophil extracellular traps in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma
Authors: Choi Youngwoo , Le Pham Duy , Lee Dong-Hyun , Lee So-Hee , Kim Seung-Hyun , Park Hae-Sim
Published: August 2018

Eosinophil extracellular traps (EETs), a complex of DNA fibers and cytotoxic granule proteins, are implicated in the development of asthma; however, the pathophysiological function of EETs in immune responses has not been fully determined. The present study investigated the characteristics of EETs from patients with non-severe asthma (NSA,n = 20) and severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA,n = 20) and evaluated EET function. The percentage of EET-forming peripheral blood eosinophils stimulated with IL-5 and LPS was significantly higher in patients with SEA than in those with NSA(P = 0.009). This percentage negatively correlated with baseline FEV1(r = −0.350,P = 0.027) and positively correlated with serum eosinophil-derived neurotoxin levels in asthmatic subjects (r = 0.437,P = 0.018). In addition, EET formation was markedly associated with reactive oxygen species production (r = 0.750,P < 0.001). These EETs exhibited an autocrine function to induce eosinophil degranulation, which led to granule protein production. Airway epithelial cells stimulated with EETs exhibited increased epithelial detachment and permeability and pro-inflammatory cytokine release. However, EETs were not significantly associated with mast cell activation. The present study suggests that peripheral blood eosinophils from patients with SEA may be more activated to produce EETs than those from patients with NSA, which further induces inflammation in asthmatic airways. Therefore, regulation of EET formation and function may be a novel therapeutic approach for asthma management.
Identification of ADHD risk genes in extended pedigrees by combining linkage analysis and whole-exome sequencing
Authors: Corominas Jordi , Klein Marieke , Zayats Tetyana , Rivero Olga , Ziegler Georg C. , Pauper Marc , Neveling Kornelia , Poelmans Geert , Jansch Charline , Svirin Evgeniy , Geissler Julia , Weber Heike , Reif Andreas , Arias Vasquez Alejandro , Galesloot Tessel E. , Kiemeney Lambertus A. L. M. , Buitelaar Jan K. , Ramos-Quiroga Josep-Antoni , Cormand Bru , Ribasés Marta , Hveem Kristian , Gabrielsen Maiken Elvestad , Hoffmann Per , Cichon Sven , Haavik Jan , Johansson Stefan , Jacob Christian P. , Romanos Marcel , Franke Barbara , Lesch Klaus-Peter
Published: August 2018

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex genetic background, hampering identification of underlying genetic risk factors. We hypothesized that combining linkage analysis and whole-exome sequencing (WES) in multi-generation pedigrees with multiple affected individuals can point toward novel ADHD genes. Three families with multiple ADHD-affected members (Ntotal = 70) and apparent dominant inheritance pattern were included in this study. Genotyping was performed in 37 family members, and WES was additionally carried out in 10 of those. Linkage analysis was performed using multi-point analysis in Superlink Online SNP 1.1. From prioritized linkage regions with a LOD score ≥ 2, a total of 24 genes harboring rare variants were selected. Those genes were taken forward and were jointly analyzed in gene-set analyses of exome-chip data using the MAGMA software in an independent sample of patients with persistent ADHD and healthy controls (N = 9365). The gene-set including all 24 genes together, and particularly the gene-set from one of the three families (12 genes), were significantly associated with persistent ADHD in this sample. Among the latter, gene-wide analysis for the AAED1 gene reached significance. A rare variant (rs151326868) within AAED1 segregated with ADHD in one of the families. The analytic strategy followed here is an effective approach for identifying novel ADHD risk genes. Additionally, this study suggests that both rare and more frequent variants in multiple genes act together in contributing to ADHD risk, even in individual multi-case families.
Functional metagenomics reveals abundant polysaccharide-degrading gene clusters and cellobiose utilization pathways within gut microbiota of a wood-feeding higher termite
Authors: Liu Ning , Li Hongjie , Chevrette Marc G , Zhang Lei , Cao Lin , Zhou Haokui , Zhou Xuguo , Zhou Zhihua , Pope Phillip B , Currie Cameron R , Huang Yongping , Wang Qian
Published: August 2018

Plant cell-wall polysaccharides constitute the most abundant but recalcitrant organic carbon source in nature. Microbes residing in the digestive tract of herbivorous bilaterians are particularly efficient at depolymerizing polysaccharides into fermentable sugars and play a significant support role towards their host’s lifestyle. Here, we combine large-scale functional screening of fosmid libraries, shotgun sequencing, and biochemical assays to interrogate the gut microbiota of the wood-feeding “higher” termite Globitermes brachycerastes. A number of putative polysaccharide utilization gene clusters were identified with multiple fibrolytic genes. Our large-scale functional screening of 50,000 fosmid clones resulted in 464 clones demonstrating plant polysaccharide-degrading activities, including 267 endoglucanase-, 24 exoglucanase-, 72 β-glucosidase-, and 101 endoxylanase-positive clones. We sequenced 173 functionally active clones and identified ~219 genes encoding putative carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) targeting cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin. Further analyses revealed that 68 of 154 contigs encode one or more CAZyme, which includes 35 examples of putative saccharolytic operons, suggesting that clustering of CAZymes is common in termite gut microbial inhabitants. Biochemical characterization of a representative xylanase cluster demonstrated that constituent enzymes exhibited complementary physicochemical properties and saccharolytic capabilities. Furthermore, diverse cellobiose-metabolizing enzymes include β-glucosidases, cellobiose phosphorylases, and phopho-6-β-glucosidases were identified and functionally verified, indicating that the termite gut micro-ecosystem utilizes diverse metabolic pathways to interconnect hydrolysis and central metabolism. Collectively, these results provide an in-depth view of the adaptation and digestive strategies employed by gut microbiota within this tiny-yet-efficient host-associated ecosystem.
Periodic and coordinated gene expression between a diazotroph and its diatom host
Authors: Harke Matthew J , Frischkorn Kyle R , Haley Sheean T , Aylward Frank O , Zehr Jonathan P , Dyhrman Sonya T
Published: August 2018

In the surface ocean, light fuels photosynthetic carbon fixation of phytoplankton, playing a critical role in ecosystem processes including carbon export to the deep sea. In oligotrophic oceans, diatom–diazotroph associations (DDAs) play a keystone role in ecosystem function because diazotrophs can provide otherwise scarce biologically available nitrogen to the diatom host, fueling growth and subsequent carbon sequestration. Despite their importance, relatively little is known about the nature of these associations in situ. Here we used metatranscriptomic sequencing of surface samples from the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) to reconstruct patterns of gene expression for the diazotrophic symbiont Richelia and we examined how these patterns were integrated with those of the diatom host over day–night transitions. Richelia exhibited significant diel signals for genes related to photosynthesis, N2 fixation, and resource acquisition, among other processes. N2 fixation genes were significantly co-expressed with host nitrogen uptake and metabolism, as well as potential genes involved in carbon transport, which may underpin the exchange of nitrogen and carbon within this association. Patterns of expression suggested cell division was integrated between the host and symbiont across the diel cycle. Collectively these data suggest that symbiont–host physiological ecology is strongly interconnected in the NPSG.
Half-metallic carbon nitride nanosheets with micro grid mode resonance structure for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Authors: Zhou Gang , Shan Yun , Hu Youyou , Xu Xiaoyong , Long Liyuan , Zhang Jinlei , Dai Jun , Guo Junhong , Shen Jiancang , Li Shuang , Liu Lizhe , Wu Xinglong
Published: August 2018

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water has triggered an intensive search for metal-free semiconducting photocatalysts. However, traditional semiconducting materials suffer from limited hydrogen evolution efficiency owing to low intrinsic electron transfer, rapid recombination of photogenerated carriers, and lack of artificial microstructure. Herein, we report a metal-free half-metallic carbon nitride for highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The introduced half-metallic features not only effectively facilitate carrier transfer but also provide more active sites for hydrogen evolution reaction. The nanosheets incorporated into a micro grid mode resonance structure via in situ pyrolysis of ionic liquid, which show further enhanced photoelectronic coupling and entire solar energy exploitation, boosts the hydrogen evolution rate reach up to 1009 μmol g−1 h−1. Our findings propose a strategy for micro-structural regulations of half-metallic carbon nitride material, and meanwhile the fundamentals provide inspirations for the steering of electron transfer and solar energy absorption in electrocatalysis, photoelectrocatalysis, and photovoltaic cells.
Author Correction: The ASIC3/P2X3 cognate receptor is a pain-relevant and ligand-gated cationic channel
Authors: Stephan Gabriele , Huang Lumei , Tang Yong , Vilotti Sandra , Fabbretti Elsa , Yu Ye , Nörenberg Wolfgang , Franke Heike , Gölöncsér Flóra , Sperlágh Beáta , Dopychai Anke , Hausmann Ralf , Schmalzing Günther , Rubini Patrizia , Illes Peter
Published: August 2018

The originally published version of this article contained an error in the name of the author Flóra Gölöncsér, which was incorrectly given as Flóra Göröncsér. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the article.
Interhemispheric connectivity of primary sensory cortex is associated with motor impairment after stroke
Authors: Frías Ilse , Starrs Faryn , Gisiger Thomas , Minuk Jeffrey , Thiel Alexander , Paquette Caroline
Published: August 2018

Neuroimaging-derived markers are used to model post-stroke impairment. Among these, lesion size, corticospinal-tract lesion-load (CST-LL) and resting-state functional-connectivity (rs-FC) have been correlated with impairment. It has been shown that the sensory cortex (S1) is associated with motor learning and is essential for post-stroke recovery; yet stroke-induced changes in S1 connectivity alone are yet to be investigated. We aim to determine whether interhemispheric rs-FC could be used to refine imaging models of stroke-related impairment. Subjects’ post-stroke and age-matched controls underwent rs-fMRI. Stroke-related disability was correlated with lesion size, CST-LL and interhemispheric S1 and M1 rs-FC as independent seeds. Regression analyses were performed to assess the contribution of these markers in stroke-related deficits. Post-stroke subjects showed an asymmetrical pattern of rs-FC in which affected hemisphere S1 and M1 were mostly connected with ipsi-lesional regions. Correlations between rs-FC and stroke-severity were found. Adding rs-FC of S1 to the regression model of impairment decreased the variance 31% compared to lesion size only. After a stroke, S1 interhemispheric connectivity is decreased, with S1 only connected with ipsi-lesional regions. This asymmetry correlates with neurological and motor impairment. Furthermore, when combined with lesion anatomical measures, S1 connectivity might be an important marker in explaining stroke outcome.
Both maternal and paternal risk factors for term singleton low birthweight infants in rural Chinese population: a population-based, retrospective cohort study
Authors: Chen Shi , Yang Yingying , Qu Yimin , Zou Yun , Zhu Huijuan , Yang Hongbo , Gong Fengying , Wang Linjie , Jiang Yu , Lian Bill Q. , Liu Cynthia , Yan Chengsheng , Li Jianqiang , Wang Qing , Zhang Shi-kun , Pan Hui
Published: August 2018

No large population-based study has focused on both maternal paternal risk factors for low birthweight (LBW) in China. We aimed to identify parental risk factors associated with LBW.A population-based, retrospective cohort study was conducted on 202,725 singleton infants at 37–42 weeks. These term singleton newborns were classified as LBW with birthweight ≤2500 g(TLBW) and normal birthweight between 50th to 97th percentile (TNBW 50th–97th) according to Chinese singleton norms. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to find those parental risk factors of LBW by comparing two groups. TLBW and TNBW(50th–97th) occupied 4.8% and 70.8% of the study population, respectively. Logistic regression showed a significant association with positive maternal hepatitis B surface antigen (RR = 1.979, P = 0.047), irregular folic acid intake (RR = 1.152, P = 0.003), paternal history of varicocele (RR = 2.404, P = 0.003) and female babies (RR = 1.072, P = 0.046). Maternal smoking, hypertension and history of stillbirth were found related to LBW but no statistically significant. Positive maternal hepatitis B surface antigen, irregular folic acid intake, paternal history of varicocele had a negative effect on birth weight. Measures are necessarily taken to avoid them to improve pregnancy outcomes. Further studies should be done to investigate each detailed risk factors on LBW.
A Proof-of-Concept Study of Transcutaneous Magnetic Spinal Cord Stimulation for Neurogenic Bladder
Authors: Niu Tianyi , Bennett Carol J. , Keller Tina L. , Leiter J. C. , Lu Daniel C.
Published: August 2018

Patients with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) cannot urinate at will and must empty the bladder by self-catheterization. We tested the hypothesis that non-invasive, transcutaneous magnetic spinal cord stimulation (TMSCS) would improve bladder function in individuals with SCI. Five individuals with American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale A/B, chronic SCI and detrusor sphincter dyssynergia enrolled in this prospective, interventional study. After a two-week assessment to determine effective stimulation characteristics, each patient received sixteen weekly TMSCS treatments and then received “sham” weekly stimulation for six weeks while bladder function was monitored. Bladder function improved in all five subjects, but only during and after repeated weekly sessions of 1 Hz TMSCS. All subjects achieved volitional urination. The volume of urine produced voluntarily increased from 0 cc/day to 1120 cc/day (p = 0.03); self-catheterization frequency decreased from 6.6/day to 2.4/day (p = 0.04); the capacity of the bladder increased from 244 ml to 404 ml (p = 0.02); and the average quality of life ranking increased significantly (p = 0.007). Volitional bladder function was re-enabled in five individuals with SCI following intermittent, non-invasive TMSCS. We conclude that neuromodulation of spinal micturition circuitry by TMSCS may be used to ameliorate bladder function.
Molecular, physiological and phylogenetic traits of Lactococcus 936-type phages from distinct dairy environments
Authors: Chmielewska-Jeznach M. , Bardowski J. K. , Szczepankowska A. K.
Published: August 2018

Bacteriophage infection ofLactococcusspecies can cause serious disruption of dairy fermentation processes. The most common isolates from the dairy environment areSiphoviridaelytic 936-type phages. To gain specific knowledge about this group of phages in Polish dairies, we examined 90 isolates from 8 different locations. Based on restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, coupled with physiological and molecular studies, the isolated phages were divided into 8 distinct groups. Whole-genome sequencing of single representatives from each phage group provided data about their biology and genetic composition. The phages present an overall conserved genome organization. High sequence homology to another Polish isolate,Lactococcusphage bIBB29, indicates their close phylogenetic relatedness to this strain. Such similarity may be suggestive of a general genome conservation among phages persisting in Polish dairies. Comparative genome analyses with other 936-type phages revealed several discriminative traits, including the presence and position of HNH endonuclease genes, varying number oforfsin the early gene region, and a putative TpeX gene. Interestingly, host range of the sequenced phages was restricted toL.lactissubsp.lactisbiovar.diacetylactisstrains. The results provide new data regarding phages present in the Polish dairy environment and permit analysis of their biology, genome composition and relatedness to otherLactococcus936-type phages.
Astrocyte-specific overexpression of Nrf2 protects against optic tract damage and behavioural alterations in a mouse model of cerebral hypoperfusion
Authors: Sigfridsson Emma , Marangoni Martina , Johnson Jeffrey A. , Hardingham Giles E. , Fowler Jill H. , Horsburgh Karen
Published: August 2018

Mouse models have shown that cerebral hypoperfusion causes white matter disruption and memory impairment relevant to the study of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia. The associated mechanisms include inflammation and oxidative stress are proposed to drive disruption of myelinated axons within hypoperfused white matter. The aim of this study was to determine if increased endogenous anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling in astrocytes was protective in a model of mild cerebral hypoperfusion. Transgenically altered mice overexpressing the transcription factor Nrf2 (GFAP-Nrf2) and wild type littermates were subjected to bilateral carotid artery stenosis or sham surgery. Behavioural alterations were assessed using the radial arm maze and tissue was collected for pathology and transcriptome analysis six weeks post-surgery. GFAP-Nrf2 mice showed less pronounced behavioural impairments compared to wild types following hypoperfusion, paralleled by reduced optic tract white matter disruption and astrogliosis. There was no effect of hypoperfusion on anti-oxidant gene alterations albeit the levels were increased in GFAP-Nrf2 mice. Instead, pro-inflammatory gene expression was determined to be significantly upregulated in the optic tract of hypoperfused wild type mice but differentially affected in GFAP-Nrf2 mice. In particular, complement components (C4 and C1q) were increased in wild type hypoperfused mice but expressed at levels similar to controls in hypoperfused GFAP-Nrf2 mice. This study provides evidence that overexpression of Nrf2 in astrocytes exerts beneficial effects through repression of inflammation and supports the potential use of Nrf2-activators in the amelioration of cerebrovascular-related inflammation and white matter degeneration.
Electrochemical metallization cell with anion supplying active electrode
Authors: Zhang Ziyang , Wang Yaoyuan , Luo Yan , He Yuhan , Ma Mingyuan , Yang Rongrong , Li Huanglong
Published: August 2018

Electrochemical metallization (ECM) memories are among the various emerging non-volatile memory technologies, contending to replace DRAM and Flash and enabling novel neuromorphic computing applications. Typically, the operation of ECM cell is based on the electrochemical redox reactions of the cation supplying active electrode (e.g., Ag, Cu). Although extensively investigated, the possibility of utilizing new materials for the active electrode remains largely undiscussed. In this paper, an ECM cell with a Te active electrode is fabricated. It is found that the SET operation of the device occurs under negative voltage on the active electrode, which is opposite to that of the device with Ag electrode, indicating that the Te electrode supplies Te2− anions by electrochemical reduction. The influence of the electrolyte material on the switching properties is also found to be more significant for devices with Te electrodes. For Pt/GeS/Te and Pt/Ge2Sb2Te5/Te cells, repeatable unipolar and bipolar resistive switching are observed, respectively, which can be attributed to the rupture of the filament by Joule heating for the former and by ECM for the latter in the RESET process. The semiconducting properties of Te, the reversed operating polarity and the electrolyte dependent switching characteristics open up unprecedented prospects for ECM cells.
Author Correction: Multiomics reveal non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats following chronic exposure to an ultra-low dose of Roundup herbicide
Authors: Mesnage Robin , Renney George , Séralini Gilles-Eric , Ward Malcolm , Antoniou Michael N.
Published: August 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.
Handwritten-Digit Recognition by Hybrid Convolutional Neural Network based on HfO2 Memristive Spiking-Neuron
Authors: Wang J. J. , Hu S. G. , Zhan X. T. , Yu Q. , Liu Z. , Chen T. P. , Yin Y. , Hosaka Sumio , Liu Y.
Published: August 2018

Although there is a huge progress in complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology, construction of an artificial neural network using CMOS technology to realize the functionality comparable with that of human cerebral cortex containing 1010–1011 neurons is still of great challenge. Recently, phase change memristor neuron has been proposed to realize a human-brain level neural network operating at a high speed while consuming a small amount of power and having a high integration density. Although memristor neuron can be scaled down to nanometer, integration of 1010–1011 neurons still faces many problems in circuit complexity, chip area, power consumption, etc. In this work, we propose a CMOS compatible HfO2 memristor neuron that can be well integrated with silicon circuits. A hybrid Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based on the HfO2 memristor neuron is proposed and constructed. In the hybrid CNN, one memristive neuron can behave as multiple physical neurons based on the Time Division Multiplexing Access (TDMA) technique. Handwritten digit recognition is demonstrated in the hybrid CNN with a memristive neuron acting as 784 physical neurons. This work paves the way towards substantially shrinking the amount of neurons required in hardware and realization of more complex or even human cerebral cortex level memristive neural networks.
High-altitude well log evaluation of a permafrost gas hydrate reservoir in the Muli area of Qinghai, China
Authors: Lin Zhenzhou , Pan Heping , Fang Hui , Gao Wenli , Liu Dongming
Published: August 2018

The Muli area is the only permafrost region on the Chinese mainland wherein gas hydrates have been discovered. The gas hydrates are present in the fractures and pore spaces of the host rocks with a lamellar or micro-disseminated structure. By combining conventional and image logs, we describe the thickness of the permafrost layer and the well log responses of the gas hydrate reservoir, and calculate the porosity and gas hydrate saturation. We then analyze the advantages and disadvantages of different logging methods for evaluating gas hydrate reservoirs. Our results indicate that (1) gas hydrates are present below the permafrost in the Muli area, (2) gas hydrates predominantly occur in rock fractures, (3) the apparent resistivity is sensitive to gas hydrates present in pore spaces, and both apparent resistivity and acoustic logs are sensitive to gas hydrates present in fractures, (4) a density log is more appropriate for calculating porosity, and (5) gas hydrate saturation can be effectively calculated by the Archie equation, the modified Archie equation, and the Indonesian equation.
Reduced expression of Twist 1 is protective against insulin resistance of adipocytes and involves mitochondrial dysfunction
Authors: Lu Sumei , Wang Hong , Ren Rui , Shi Xiaohong , Zhang Yanmei , Ma Wanshan
Published: August 2018

Insulin resistance (IR) has become a global epidemic that represents a serious hazard to public health. However, the precise mechanisms modulating IR have not been fully elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the role of transcriptional factor Twist 1 in adipocyte IR and to further explore the molecular mechanism. An in vitro IR model based on cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes was established under high glucose/insulin stimulation and an in vivo IR model in C57/BL6J mice induced by a high fat diet (HFD) was also developed. Lentivirus targeting Twist 1 silencing was introduced. The relationships between Twist 1 expression and IR state, mitochondrial dysfunction and the downstream insulin signaling pathway were assayed. Our results firstly showed the elevation of Twist 1 in IR adipocytes, and Twist 1 silencing attenuated IR. Then mitochondrial ultra-structural damage, elevated ROS, decreased MMP and ATP, and changes in mitochondrial biosynthesis-related genes in IR group indicated mitochondrial dysfunction. Further, the downstream IRS/PI3K/AKT/GluT4 pathway was showed involved in Twist 1-mediated IR. In total, we provide evidence of a protective role of Twist 1 silencing in relieving the IR state of adipocytes. Mitochondrial dysfunction and the downstream IRS/PI3K/AKT/GluT4 pathway were involved in this Twist 1-mediated IR.
Turbulence in a matter-wave supersolid
Authors: Hsueh C.-H. , Tsai Y.-C. , Horng T.-L. , Tsubota M. , Wu W. C.
Published: August 2018

Quantum turbulence associated with wave and vortex dynamics is numerically investigated for a two-dimensional trapped atomic Rydberg-dressed Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). When the coupling constant of the soft-core interaction is over a critical value, the superfluid (SF) system can transition into a hexagonal supersolid (SS) state. Based on the Gross-Pitaevskii equation approach, we have discovered a new characteristick−13/3scaling law for wave turbulence in the SS state, that coexists with the waveactionk−1/3and energyk−1cascades commonly existing in a SF BEC. The newk−13/3scaling law implies that the SS system exhibits a negative, minus-one power energy dispersion (E ~ k−1) at the wavevector consistent with the radius of the SS droplet. For vortex turbulence, in addition to the presence of the Kolmogorov energyk−5/3and Saffman enstrophyk−4cascades, it is found that large amount of independent vortices and antivortices pinned to the interior of the oscillating SS results in a strongk−1scaling at the wavevector consistent with the SS lattice constant.
Synergetic improvements of sensitivity and specificity of nanowire field effect transistor gene chip by designing neutralized DNA as probe
Authors: Hu Wen-Pin , Tsai Chih-Chin , Yang Yuh-Shyong , Chan Hardy Wai-Hong , Chen Wen-Yih
Published: August 2018

Neutral DNA analogs as probes for the detection of target oligomers on the biosensors based on the field-effect transistor (FET) configuration feature advantages in the enhancement of sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio. Herein, we used phosphate-methylated nucleotides to synthesize two partially neutralized chimeric DNA products and a fully neutralized DNA sequence and adopted a regular DNA oligomer as probes on the polycrystalline silicon nanowire (NW) FET devices. The sequences of two neutralized chimeric DNAs close to the 5′ end were alternately modified with the phosphate-methylated nucleotides, and all probes were immobilized via their 5′ end on the NW surface. The non-specific-to-specific binding ratio indicated that the two 5′-end partially neutralized chimeric DNAs featured better performance than the regular and fully neutralized DNA oligomers. The partially neutralized probe design reduces the ionic strength needed for hybridization and increases the Debye length of detection, thus promoting the detection sensitivity of FET and achieving the limit of detection of 0.1 fM. By using an appropriate probe design, applying DNA oligomers with embedded phosphate-methylated nucleotides in the FET biosensors is a promising way for gene detection with high sensitivity and specificity.
Risk factors associated with extracranial atherosclerosis in old patients with acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Wang Lili , He Maolin , Zhang Yun
Published: August 2018

The aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with extracranial atherosclerosis (ECAS) in old Chinese patients with ischemic stroke. Eligible patients were divided into two groups: <60years group and ≥60 years group. The incidence, severity of ECAS and risk factors related to ECAS were compared between the two groups. In total, 921 patients were included in the analysis. The distribution of ECAS between the two age groups did not show difference (P = 0.747).But severe ECAS stenosis was more common in <60years group than in ≥60years group (x2 = 8.307, P = 0.013). Compared with <60years group, factors contributed to higher risk of ECAS in ≥60year group were hypertension(OR = 6.279, P = 0.000), heart disease(OR = 5.618, P = 0.032) and atrial fibrillation(OR = 7.477, P = 0.015). However, though smoking was higher in the <60years group (x2 = 7.664, P = 0.010) than in ≥60year group, multivariate analysis showed the difference was not significant(P = 0.879). Further studies should focus on risk factors in young ECAS patients. Different risk factors might contribute to ECAS in old age groups compared to young groups. Risk factor prevention/control measures should be strengthened in those with high risk of ECAS for decreasing stroke risk.
Mixed valence salts based on carbon-centered neutral radical crystals
Authors: Murata Tsuyoshi , Yamada Chiaki , Furukawa Ko , Morita Yasushi
Published: August 2018

Organic neutral radicals have been predicted to exhibit various electronic functions such as electrical conduction. However, most organic neutral radicals are insulators, because they cannot form sufficient intermolecular interactions due to the bulky substituent groups required for stabilization. Here we report that one-dimensional assemblies of carbon-centered neutral π-radicals, namely 4,8,12,trioxotriangulene derivatives, possess effective conducting pathways as a result of strong intermolecular interactions based on two-electron-multicenter bonding. The columns of trioxotriangulene derivatives with weak π-dimerization and uniform π-stacking exhibit semiconducting behaviors, with high conductivities of ~10−3 S cm−1 as a single component purely organic molecular system. We exploit this general tendency to form one-dimensional assemblies, and the large 25 π-electronic system with a robust condensed polycyclic structure, to obtain mixed-valence salts consisting of neutral radicals and the corresponding anionic species with a higher room-temperature conductivity of 1–125 S cm−1.
Development and validation of anin situand real-time quantification method for bicarbonate, carbonate and orthophosphate ions by ATR FT-IR spectroscopy in aqueous solutions
Authors: Morisset Pierre-Olivier , Gagnon Jonathan , Tremblay Réjean , Deschênes Jean-Sébastien
Published: August 2018

Anin situreal-time quantification method for inorganic carbon and phosphate ions in water using ATR FT-IR suitable for bioprocess monitoring is described.
Innovative HPTLC method with fluorescence detection for assessment of febuxostat–montelukast combination and study of their protective effects against gouty arthritis
Authors: Hosny Noha M. , Atia Noha N. , El-Gizawy Samia M. , Badary Dalia M. , Hareedy Mohammad S.
Published: August 2018

This study was designed to evaluate the potential protective effects of montelukast, febuxostat and their combination on a model of acute gouty arthritis, and to establish a HPTLC method for determination of both drugs simultaneously.
Tailoring hollow microflower-shaped CoSe2 anodes in sodium ion batteries with high cycling stability
Authors: Ma Xiaoqing , Zou Long , Zhao Wenxi
Published: August 2018

A unique hollow microflower-shaped CoSe2 was fabricated and displayed high stability over 1690 cycles.
Oxidant-free oxidative gold catalysis: the new paradigm in cross-coupling reactions
Authors: Akram Manjur O. , Banerjee Somsuvra , Saswade Sagar S. , Bedi Vaibhav , Patil Nitin T.
Published: August 2018

The construction of C–C and C–X (X = hetero atom) bonds is the core aspect for the assembly of molecules. This feature article critically presents an overview of all the redox neutral cross-coupling reactions enabled by gold catalysis, which we believe would stimulate further research activities in this promising area.