bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parametric Studies of Shape Memory Alloy Hybrid Composite Laminates Under Low-Velocity Impact
Authors: Lin Y.-C. , Chen Y.-L. , Chen H.-W.
Published: April 2016

In the paper, the influence of shape memory alloy (SMA) by varying the parameters such as volume fraction, orientation, and temperature on the hybrid-SMA composite laminate subjected to low-velocity impact is studied. A theoretical model for the composite laminated plate bonded with SMA reinforced layers is presented. The constitutive relation of the SMA layer is obtained by using the method of micromechanics. The governing relations obtained can be used for theoretical predications of thermomechanical properties of SMA plies in this paper. The analytical expressions for the hybrid SMA composite plate are derived based on Tanaka's constitutive equation and linear phase transformation kinetics presented by Liang and Rogers.

The laminated plate theory, first-order shear deformation theory and minimal potential energy principle is utilized to solve the governing equations of the hybrid composite plate and calculate the absorbed energies including tensile, shear and bending.

An orthogonal array and analysis of variance is employed to investigate the influence of the mentioned parameters on the energy absorption of the hybrid laminated plate. The results showed that the effects of the phase transformation temperature are more significant than the effects of the volume fraction and orientation of SMA on structural energy absorption.
N. HEINSIUS'S FRAGMENTVM CAESENAS OF OVID'S METAMORPHOSES REDISCOVERED
Authors: Rivero García Luis
Published: April 2016

Among the manuscripts of Ovid's Metamorphoses used by N. Heinsius (1620–1681) and as yet unidentified or given up for lost is the so-called fragmentum Caesenas (Cs), the collation of which was not carried out by Heinsius himself but provided for him by the Hamburg jurist Lucas Langermann (1625–1686), who was a correspondent of Heinsius, Gronovius and Vossius, among others. According to M.D. Reeve, he was also responsible for adding these notes, using the siglum c, to Oxon. Bodl. Auct. S.V.5, which also includes the collations—by another hand—of A (= Vrbinas ueterrimus, our V2) and B (= Berneggerianus, our P2). The variants provided by this fragment affect lines 9.235–11.169 and 13.1–403, although this does not imply that these were the exact limits of its content, as we shall see below. Some of these variants ended up in the notes of the editions by Heinsius himself and by those who continued his work (the most prominent example being the admirable edition of Ovid by P. Burman, in 1727), and it was D.A. Slater who rescued the collation of Bodl. Auct. S.V.5 from obscurity when he included the greater part of the readings of c (the siglum he himself retains) among the rich store of information presented in his work. F. Munari included the fragment in his catalogue, clearly pointing to the uncertainty surrounding its dating (‘aetatis incertae’, the same expression as used by Slater) while adding the information that it was not at that time to be found in Cesena. The succinct information offered by Slater is used by I. Marahrens for her dissertation and by W.S. Anderson for his edition. R.J. Tarrant, in turn, explicitly states that the fragment is now lost. In the following pages, however, I will attempt to show that this fragment is not lost, but still preserved in the Biblioteca Malatestiana in Cesena.
LOW-INPUT PINEAPPLE CROPS WITH HIGH QUALITY FRUIT: PROMISING IMPACTS OF LOCALLY INTEGRATED AND ORGANIC FERTILISATION COMPARED TO CHEMICAL FERTILISERS
Authors: DARNAUDERY MARIE , FOURNIER PATRICK , LÉCHAUDEL MATHIEU
Published: April 2016

Fruit and vegetable farming generally involves high levels of chemical inputs despite the fact that consumers are increasingly concerned about the sanitary and organoleptic aspects of fruit quality. Pineapple is largely subject to these issues since it is dominated by conventional monocropping with high levels of agrochemical inputs due to nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) fertilisation, weed management, crop protection and flowering induction. However, low-input pineapple cropping systems are both rare and little documented. Our study aimed at replacing all or part of the chemical fertilisers used with local organic fertilisers. It was conducted on the cultivar ‘Queen Victoria’, without pesticides or herbicides, in Reunion Island. We compared the impacts of three fertilisation treatments on pineapple growth and yield, fruit quality traits, symptoms of two major fungal diseases in fruit and production costs and labour times: (i) conventional: NPK fertiliser at recommended doses (265.5 kg ha−1N–10.53 kg ha−1P–445.71 kg ha−1K); (ii) integrated:Mucuna pruriensgreen manure (240.03 kg ha−1N, 18.62 kg ha−1P, 136.11 kg ha−1K) incorporated into the soil and a half-dose of NPK fertiliser and (iii) organic:M. pruriensgreen manure incorporated into the soil and foliar applications of sugarcane vinasse from a local distillery, rich in K (14.44 g L−1). Our results showed that NPK fertilisation could be replaced by organic fertilisers as well as by integrated fertilisation. ‘D’-leaf analysis showed that vinasse supplies a largely sufficient K level for growing pineapples. With organic fertilisation, pineapple growth was slower, 199 days after planting vs. 149 days for integrated or conventional fertilisations, and fruit yield was lower, 47.25 t ha−1vs. 52.51 and 61.24 t ha−1, probably becauseM. pruriensgreen manure provided an early increase in soil mineral N, whereas N requirements are much higher four months after planting. However, the fruit weight (709.94 ± 123.53 g) was still within the size range required for the export market (600–900 g). Interestingly, organic fertilisation significantly reduced Leathery Pocket disease and produced the best quality fruit with the highest total soluble solids contents (TSS) and the lowest titratable acidity (TTA). Fruit quality was also significantly improved with integrated fertilisation, with fruit weight similar to that of conventional fertilisation. To conclude, these findings have implications for the sustainability of pineapple production and could lead to low-input innovative cropping systems that reduce production costs and develop local organic inputs.
Brazilian Export Growth and Divergence in the Tropics during the Nineteenth Century
Authors: DAVID ABSELL CHRISTOPHER , TENA-JUNGUITO ANTONIO
Published: April 2016

The objective of this article is to reappraise both the accuracy of the official export statistics and the narrative of Brazilian export growth during the period immediately following independence. We undertake an accuracy test of the official values of Brazilian export statistics and find evidence of considerable under-valuation. Once corrected, during the post-independence decades (1821–50) Brazil's current exports represented a larger share of its economy and its constant growth is found to be more dynamic than any other period of the nineteenth century. We posit that this dynamism was related to an exogenous institutional shock in the form of British West Indies slave emancipation that afforded Brazil a competitive advantage.
Public understanding of language planning and linguistic rights: The debate on the current Portuguese orthographic reform
Authors: Melo-Pfeifer Sílvia
Published: April 2016

This study focuses on the tensions around Portugal's language policies and citizens’ perceptions of their linguistic rights in the context of the current orthographic reform. Unlike other linguistic rights studies, this enquiry does not focus on endangered languages or linguistic minorities. Instead, there are three major ingredients that embody linguistic-rights claims by European Portuguese speakers: the right to be heard on orthographic reform in a democratic society, ownership and authenticity of the Portuguese language, and the need for protection against external (or, more specifically, Brazilian) hegemony. A critical discourse analysis approach to the arguments put forward by European Portuguese opponents of the orthographic reform shows that the ongoing discussion: (i) is neither about language nor about rights, but about competition; (ii) is based on linguistic dichotomies and recategorization of speakers and languages; (iii) manipulates the rhetoric of threat, endangerment, linguistic rights, and democracy; and (iv) opens up intra-linguistic and inter-variety spaces for conceptualizing linguistic rights claims. (Language ideological debate, public understanding, language planning, linguistic rights, orthographic reform)
Calculation and optimization of topology of a radial insulating magnetic field in an acceleration gap of a high-power ion diode with an induction plasma source
Authors: Petrov A.V. , Remnev G.E. , Pavlov S.K. , Rumyantsev I.D.
Published: April 2016

The paper presents the results of calculation and optimization of a structure of a radial insulating magnetic field in an acceleration gap of a high-power ion diode. A diode configuration with an induction plasma source and an anode configuration with azimuthally symmetrical slots and a pair of cathode coils of a magnetic diode system have been studied. When the size of the slots is ≤5 mm and codirectional magnetic fields of a diode and shock induction coil, the perturbation of the B-field does not exceed ≤20% and is located in the region near the anode. In this condition, the topology of the magnetic field В = f(1/r) is maintained in the acceleration gap. It was shown that the required radial distribution of the B-field can be optimized by varying the anode profile in the region opposite to two cathode coils of the diode magnetic system.
A plasma focus device as a metallic plasma jet generator
Authors: Kasperczuk A. , Paduch M. , Tomaszewski K. , Zielinska E. , Miklaszewski R. , Szymaszek A.
Published: April 2016

This paper aims at a test of a plasma focus (PF) device as a metallic plasma jet generator. The experiment was carried out at the DPF-1000U device in which the inner electrode face was conically shaped. Deuterium (D2) with the initial pressure of 0.9 Torr was used as a filling gas. In the experiment, a metallic plasma was ensured due to erosion of the inner electrode during a PF discharge. To create the metallic plasma jet, the eroded copper (Cu) plasma, swept by the deuterium plasma sheath, was accelerated axially and compressed to very small radius (about 1–2 mm). The Cu plasma jet achieved a velocity of 3 × 107 cm/s. To study processes of the plasma jet creation and propagation a 16-frame laser interferometer and a four-frame X-ray pinhole camera were used. Recorded images prove a successful adaptation of the PF device to the metallic plasma jet generator.
Johne's disease: reliability of environmental sampling to characterize Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) infection in beef cow-calf herds
Authors: KLAWONN W. , EINAX E. , PÜTZSCHEL R. , SCHMIDT M. , DONAT K.
Published: April 2016

Environmental samples are considered to be a cost-effective method of identifying Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP)-positive dairy herds, but evidence for beef cow-calf herds is weak. This study aims at evaluating this approach in a total of 20 German herds that were characterized by individual faecal samples (n = 2545) of all cows. For 14 MAP-positive herds having at least one MAP-positive animal, the within-herd prevalence was calculated from concurrent individual faecal culture-based testing. Six herds certified as ‘MAP free’ based on the negative results of previous years served as MAP-negative controls. On average, six environmental samples were taken at the end of winter from areas with high cow traffic and tested for MAP by faecal culture. According to the environmental samples, nine (64·3%) out of the 14 MAP-positive cow-calf herds were infected. The percentage of positive environmental samples and the apparent within-herd prevalence (Spearman's P = 0·73, P < 0·001) as well as the herd-level test results (positive and negative) and the herd's status based on individual testing (Fisher's exact test, P = 0·014) showed a positive association. Considering limitations in low-prevalence herds, MAP-positive beef cow-calf herds are detectable by environmental samples in temperate climate zones.
Managing Your Research Pipeline
Authors: Lebo Matthew J.
Published: April 2016

A researcher’s “pipeline” refers to the progression of papers from the idea stage to the publication stage. Tenure-track faculty and graduate students often are advised that a busy pipeline is the way to tenure. However, beyond the simple encouragement to “work harder,” “write more,” and “publish more,” not much direction is given to junior scholars regarding how they should think about and manage their research pipeline. How does one develop a large number of papers from their first stages to the pages of respected journals? This article discusses the author’s system for pipeline management. The system works (1) by separating the difficult exercise of publishing a paper into eight manageable stages; and (2) by organizing a set of papers using these steps according to a practicable timeline.
Gender, Teaching Evaluations, and Professional Success in Political Science
Authors: Martin Lisa L.
Published: April 2016

Evaluations of teaching effectiveness rely heavily on student evaluations of teaching. However, an accumulating body of evidence shows that these evaluations are subject to gender bias. Theories of leadership and role incongruity suggest that this bias should be especially prominent in large courses. This article examines publicly available data from two large political science departments and finds that female instructors receive substantively and significantly lower ratings than male instructors in large courses. The author discusses the implications of apparent gender bias in teaching evaluations for the professional success of female faculty. Findings of gender bias in evaluations in other fields also hold in political science and are particularly problematic in the evaluation of large courses.
Pre-Law Advising and the Political Science Major: Evidence from Pre-Law Advisors
Authors: Knotts H. Gibbs , Wofford Claire B.
Published: April 2016

Political science is one of the most popular majors for law school applicants, and studies show that political science majors have high rates of law school admission. In addition, many political science departments have a pre-law advisor. However, little is known about the status of pre-law advising on college campuses or the views of pre-law advisors on political science. This article presents the results of a February 2015 survey of 313 college pre-law advisors from across the United States. The authors discovered that the majority of pre-law advisors hold faculty appointments and serve as pre-law advisors without additional compensation or course releases. Pre-law advisors also rate political science as the second-best major, among 14 popular majors, for preparing students for both admission to and academic success in law school. These findings should be of interest to political scientists as well as other faculty and administrators who are concerned with pre-law advising.
Negotiating the Transatlantic Relationship: An International, Interdisciplinary Simulation of a Real-World Negotiation
Authors: Nance Mark T. , Suder Gabriele , Hall Abigail
Published: April 2016

This article analyzes the effectiveness of an international, interdisciplinary simulation of an ongoing trade negotiation. It thoroughly describes the simulation, provides links to background information for public use, and offers suggestions on ways to further strengthen the learning outcomes achieved.
Movement Commitment among Progressive and Conservative Religio-Political Activists in the United States
Authors: Olson Laura R.
Published: April 2016

In this article, I compare progressive and conservative religio-political activists' commitment to their movements (the religious left and right, respectively). I rely on data from the Public Religion Research Institute's 2009 surveys of individuals they identified as religious left activists and religious right activists. Do these activists actually say they identify with the movement with which pollsters assume them to affiliate? How potentially influential do they perceive their movements to be? Third, to what extent do activists support their movement's core social movement organizations? I conclude by arguing that the evidence is mixed that the American religious left lacks influence because its activists tend not to be unified.
Kunsttherapie mit unbegleiteten minderjährigen Flüchtlingen
Authors: Natt Anna
Published: April 2016

Zusammenfassung. In dem Beitrag werden die Möglichkeiten der Kunsttherapie zur Förderung der Resilienz von unbegleiteten minderjährigen Flüchtlingen aufgezeigt. Ausgehend von der Annahme, dass junge Flüchtlinge über ein hohes Ressourcenpotenzial verfügen, wird das Konzept der Resilienzförderung als Grundlage für die Kunsttherapie mit der Zielgruppe untersucht und relevante protektive Faktoren herausgestellt. Ein besonderes Augenmerk liegt dabei auf der Verknüpfbarkeit von spezifisch kunsttherapeutischen und transkulturellen Kompetenzen. Als methodisches Instrument wurde eine literaturbasierte Erforschung in Ergänzung mit zwei Experteninterviews angewendet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen konkrete Handlungsmöglichkeiten der Kunsttherapie zur psychosozialen Unterstützung von unbegleiteten minderjährigen Flüchtlingen auf. Als entscheidend wird hierbei die gezielte Förderung zielgruppenrelevanter protektiver Faktoren im Sinne einer Ressourcenaktivierung gesehen. Zudem plädiert der Beitrag für einen verstärkten Einsatz der Kunsttherapie im transkulturellen Kontext der Flüchtlingsarbeit und verweist auf die Notwendigkeit weiterer Forschung in diesem Praxisfeld.
Wer gestaltet mein Leben?
Authors: Hopf Alexandra , Büssing Arndt , Elbing Ulrich , Heußner Pia
Published: April 2016

Zusammenfassung. In der Onkologie ist die psychosoziale Belastung der betreuten Patienten aufgrund der potentiell lebensbedrohlichen Erkrankung erheblich. Während der akuten Behandlung wird der Einfluss auf die eigene Lebensgestaltung eingeschränkt wahrgenommen und sollte thematisiert werden. Es wurde eine kunsttherapeutische Intervention, die KSKT®, speziell für den klinisch-onkologischen Behandlungskontext entwickelt. Ziel der vorgestellten Studie ist die Identifizierung und Beschreibung der Wirkung der KSKT® aus Patientenperspektive. Daten aus Leitfaden gestützten Interviews, die zu drei Messzeitpunkten erhoben wurden (n = 5; vor der Intervention (VDI, T 0) direkt nach der Intervention (NDI, T 1) und nach drei Monaten (NDI 2, T 2), wurden mit Hilfe der Qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse (nach Mayring 2002 , 2008b ) ausgewertet. Aus dem umfangreichen Datenmaterial liessen sich insgesamt sechs Kategorien ermitteln. Die Sinnhaftigkeit der Erkrankung (Kat. 1) war eine der drei meistgenannten Kategorien. Diese wurde vor allem in einer Veränderung der bisherigen eigenen Einstellung gesehen. Auch nahmen die Patientinnen nur geringe Einflussmöglichkeiten auf ihre aktuelle Situation (Kat. 2), aber eine positive Wirkung der kunsttherapeutischen Intervention (Kat. 3) wahr. Die positive Bewertung der KSKT® beruht darauf, dass Patientinnen mit Hilfe der Intervention mehr Einflussmöglichkeiten wahrnahmen.
Polarization-controlled directional scattering for nanoscopic position sensing
Authors: Neugebauer Martin , Woźniak Paweł , Bag Ankan , Leuchs Gerd , Banzer Peter
Published: April 2016

Controlling the propagation and coupling of light to sub-wavelength antennas is a crucial prerequisite for many nanoscale optical devices. Recently, the main focus of attention has been directed towards high-refractive-index materials such as silicon as an integral part of the antenna design. This development is motivated by the rich spectral properties of individual high-refractive-index nanoparticles. Here we take advantage of the interference of their magnetic and electric resonances to achieve strong lateral directionality. For controlled excitation of a spherical silicon nanoantenna, we use tightly focused radially polarized light. The resultant directional emission depends on the antenna’s position relative to the focus. This approach finds application as a novel position sensing technique, which might be implemented in modern nanometrology and super-resolution microscopy set-ups. We demonstrate in a proof-of-concept experiment that a lateral resolution in the Ångström regime can be achieved.
Experimental realization of Bloch oscillations in a parity-time synthetic silicon photonic lattice
Authors: Xu Ye-Long , Fegadolli William S. , Gan Lin , Lu Ming-Hui , Liu Xiao-Ping , Li Zhi-Yuan , Scherer Axel , Chen Yan-Feng
Published: April 2016

As an important electron transportation phenomenon, Bloch oscillations have been extensively studied in condensed matter. Due to the similarity in wave properties between electrons and other quantum particles, Bloch oscillations have been observed in atom lattices, photonic lattices, and so on. One of the many distinct advantages for choosing these systems over the regular electronic systems is the versatility in engineering artificial potentials. Here by utilizing dissipative elements in a CMOS-compatible photonic platform to create a periodic complex potential and by exploiting the emerging concept of parity-time synthetic photonics, we experimentally realize spatial Bloch oscillations in a non-Hermitian photonic system on a chip level. Our demonstration may have significant impact in the field of quantum simulation by following the recent trend of moving complicated table-top quantum optics experiments onto the fully integrated CMOS-compatible silicon platform.
Quantum simulation of the Hubbard model with dopant atoms in silicon
Authors: Salfi J. , Mol J. A. , Rahman R. , Klimeck G. , Simmons M. Y. , Hollenberg L. C. L. , Rogge S.
Published: April 2016

In quantum simulation, many-body phenomena are probed in controllable quantum systems. Recently, simulation of Bose–Hubbard Hamiltonians using cold atoms revealed previously hidden local correlations. However, fermionic many-body Hubbard phenomena such as unconventional superconductivity and spin liquids are more difficult to simulate using cold atoms. To date the required single-site measurements and cooling remain problematic, while only ensemble measurements have been achieved. Here we simulate a two-site Hubbard Hamiltonian at low effective temperatures with single-site resolution using subsurface dopants in silicon. We measure quasi-particle tunnelling maps of spin-resolved states with atomic resolution, finding interference processes from which the entanglement entropy and Hubbard interactions are quantified. Entanglement, determined by spin and orbital degrees of freedom, increases with increasing valence bond length. We find separation-tunable Hubbard interaction strengths that are suitable for simulating strongly correlated phenomena in larger arrays of dopants, establishing dopants as a platform for quantum simulation of the Hubbard model.
Correction: Corrigendum: Delivery of therapeutic agents by nanoparticles made of grapefruit-derived lipids
Authors: Wang Qilong , Zhuang Xiaoying , Mu Jingyao , Deng Zhong-Bin , Jiang Hong , Zhang Lifeng , Xiang Xiaoyu , Wang Baomei , Yan Jun , Miller Donald , Zhang Huang-Ge
Published: April 2016

Nature Communications 4: Article number: 1867 (2013); Published: 21 May 2013; Updated: 20 April 2016 The financial support for this Article was not fully acknowledged. The Acknowledgements should have included the following: Huang-Ge Zhang is supported by a Research Career Scientist (RCS) Award.
Cell-cycle-independent transitions in temporal identity of mammalian neural progenitor cells
Authors: Okamoto Mayumi , Miyata Takaki , Konno Daijiro , Ueda Hiroki R. , Kasukawa Takeya , Hashimoto Mitsuhiro , Matsuzaki Fumio , Kawaguchi Ayano
Published: April 2016

During cerebral development, many types of neurons are sequentially generated by self-renewing progenitor cells called apical progenitors (APs). Temporal changes in AP identity are thought to be responsible for neuronal diversity; however, the mechanisms underlying such changes remain largely unknown. Here we perform single-cell transcriptome analysis of individual progenitors at different developmental stages, and identify a subset of genes whose expression changes over time but is independent of differentiation status. Surprisingly, the pattern of changes in the expression of such temporal-axis genes in APs is unaffected by cell-cycle arrest. Consistent with this, transient cell-cycle arrest of APs in vivo does not prevent descendant neurons from acquiring their correct laminar fates. Analysis of cultured APs reveals that transitions in AP gene expression are driven by both cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms. These results suggest that the timing mechanisms controlling AP temporal identity function independently of cell-cycle progression and Notch activation mode.
Whi5 phosphorylation embedded in the G1/S network dynamically controls critical cell size and cell fate
Authors: Palumbo Pasquale , Vanoni Marco , Cusimano Valerio , Busti Stefano , Marano Francesca , Manes Costanzo , Alberghina Lilia
Published: April 2016

In budding yeast, overcoming of a critical size to enter S phase and the mitosis/mating switch—two central cell fate events—take place in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Here we present a mathematical model of the basic molecular mechanism controlling the G1/S transition, whose major regulatory feature is multisite phosphorylation of nuclear Whi5. Cln3–Cdk1, whose nuclear amount is proportional to cell size, and then Cln1,2–Cdk1, randomly phosphorylate both decoy and functional Whi5 sites. Full phosphorylation of functional sites releases Whi5 inhibitory activity, activating G1/S transcription. Simulation analysis shows that this mechanism ensures coherent release of Whi5 inhibitory action and accounts for many experimentally observed properties of mitotically growing or conjugating G1 cells. Cell cycle progression and transcriptional analyses of a Whi5 phosphomimetic mutant verify the model prediction that coherent transcription of the G1/S regulon and ensuing G1/S transition requires full phosphorylation of Whi5 functional sites.
A nine-atom rhodium–aluminum oxide cluster oxidizes five carbon monoxide molecules
Authors: Li Xiao-Na , Zhang Hua-Min , Yuan Zhen , He Sheng-Gui
Published: April 2016

Noble metals can promote the direct participation of lattice oxygen of very stable oxide materials such as aluminum oxide, to oxidize reactant molecules, while the fundamental mechanism of noble metal catalysis is elusive. Here we report that a single atom of rhodium, a powerful noble metal catalyst, can promote the transfer of five oxygen atoms to oxidize carbon monoxide from a nine-atom rhodium–aluminum oxide cluster. This is a sharp improvement in the field of cluster science where the transfer of at most two oxygen atoms from a doped cluster is more commonly observed. Rhodium functions not only as the preferred trapping site to anchor and oxidize carbon monoxide by the oxygen atoms in direct connection with rhodium but also the primarily oxidative centre to accumulate the large amounts of electrons and the polarity of rhodium is ultimately transformed from positive to negative.
Correction: Corrigendum: Rapid antibiotic-resistance predictions from genome sequence data for Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Bradley Phelim , Gordon N. Claire , Walker Timothy M. , Dunn Laura , Heys Simon , Huang Bill , Earle Sarah , Pankhurst Louise J. , Anson Luke , de Cesare Mariateresa , Piazza Paolo , Votintseva Antonina A. , Golubchik Tanya , Wilson Daniel J. , Wyllie David H. , Diel Roland , Niemann Stefan , Feuerriegel Silke , Kohl Thomas A. , Ismail Nazir , Omar Shaheed V. , Smith E. Grace , Buck David , McVean Gil , Walker A. Sarah , Peto Tim E. A. , Crook Derrick W. , Iqbal Zamin
Published: April 2016

Nature Communications 6: Article number: 10063 (2015); Published: 21 December 2015; Updated: 20 April 2016 In Supplementary Data 3 of this Article, one of the Staphylococcus aureus accession codes is incorrect, as follows: SRR2101499 should be ERR1197981.
Correction: Corrigendum: LSD1 is essential for oocyte meiotic progression by regulating CDC25B expression in mice
Authors: Kim Jeesun , Singh Anup Kumar , Takata Yoko , Lin Kevin , Shen Jianjun , Lu Yue , Kerenyi Marc A. , Orkin Stuart H. , Chen Taiping
Published: April 2016

Nature Communications 6: Article number: 10116 (2015); Published: 02 December 2015; Updated: 20 April 2016 In Fig. 6f of this article, the histogram label ‘Lsd1’ should read ‘IAP’. The correct version of Fig. 6 appears below. Figure 6
Correction: Corrigendum: A universal mechanism of extreme events and critical phenomena
Authors: Wu J. H. , Jia Q.
Published: April 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 21612; published online: 16 February 2016; updated: 20 April 2016. This Article contains typographical errors in the Acknowledgements section. “Jiangsu Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 1063-515024111)” should read: “Jiangsu Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (No.
Correction: Corrigendum: Non-ionizing radiofrequency electromagnetic waves traversing the head can be used to detect cerebrovascular autoregulation responses
Authors: Oziel M. , Hjouj M. , Gonzalez C. A. , Lavee J. , Rubinsky B.
Published: April 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 21667; published online: 22 February 2016; updated: 20 April 2016. In this Article, J. Lavee is incorrectly listed as being affiliated with ‘Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, Israel’. The correct affiliation is listed below: Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Correction: Corrigendum: Nonvolatile modulation of electronic structure and correlative magnetism of L10-FePt films using significant strain induced by shape memory substrates
Authors: Feng Chun , Zhao Jiancheng , Yang Feng , Gong Kui , Hao Shijie , Cao Yi , Hu Chen , Zhang Jingyan , Wang Zhongqiang , Chen Lei , Li Sirui , Sun Li , Cui Lishan , Yu Guanghua
Published: April 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 20199; published online: 01 February 2016; updated: 20 April 2016. This Article contains typographical errors in in the Methods section. “Mg K α radiation was used with the X-ray source that was run at 14.5 kV. The energy analyzer operated at a constant pass energy of 50 eV.
Correction: Corrigendum: Impurity Resonant States p-type Doping in Wide-Band-Gap Nitrides
Authors: Liu Zhiqiang , Yi Xiaoyan , Yu Zhiguo , Yuan Guodong , Liu Yang , Wang Junxi , Li Jinmin , Lu Na , Ferguson Ian , Zhang Yong
Published: April 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 19537; published online: 18 January 2016; updated: 20 April 2016. The original version of this Article contained typographical errors in the spelling of the author Guodong Yuan, which was incorrectly given as Gongdong Yuan. This has now been corrected in the PDFand HTML versions of the Article.
Erratum: Hepatic circadian clock oscillators and nuclear receptors integrate microbiome-derived signals
Authors: Montagner Alexandra , Korecka Agata , Polizzi Arnaud , Lippi Yannick , Blum Yuna , Canlet Cécile , Tremblay-Franco Marie , Gautier-Stein Amandine , Burcelin Rémy , Yen Yi-Chun , Je Hyunsoo Shawn , Al-Asmakh Maha , Mithieux Gilles , Arulampalam Velmurugesan , Lagarrigue Sandrine , Guillou Hervé , Pettersson Sven , Wahli Walter
Published: April 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 20127; published online: 16 February 2016; updated: 20 April 2016. The original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the author Maha Al-Asmakh, which was incorrectly given as Al-Asmakh Maha. This has now been corrected in the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Direct Synthesis of Novel and Reactive Sulfide-modified Nano Iron through Nanoparticle Seeding for Improved Cadmium-Contaminated Water Treatment
Authors: Su Yiming , Adeleye Adeyemi S. , Huang Yuxiong , Zhou Xuefei , Keller Arturo A. , Zhang Yalei
Published: April 2016

Magnetic sulfide-modified nanoscale zerovalent iron (S-nZVI) is of great technical and scientific interest because of its promising application in groundwater remediation, although its synthesis is still a challenge. We develop a new nanoparticle seeding method to obtain a novel and reactive nanohybrid, which contains an Fe(0) core covered by a highly sulfidized layer under high extent of sulfidation. Syntheses monitoring experiments show that seeding accelerates the reduction rate from Fe2+ to Fe0 by 19%. X-ray adsorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy and extended X-ray absorption fine structure analyses demonstrate the hexahedral Fe-Fe bond (2.45 and 2.83 Å) formation through breaking down of the 1.99 Å Fe-O bond both in crystalline and amorphous iron oxide. The XANES analysis also shows 24.2% (wt%) of FeS with bond length of 2.4 Å in final nanohybrid. Both X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer analyses further confirm that increased nanoparticle seeding results in formation of more Fe0 crystals. Nano-SiO2 seeding brings down the size of single Fe0 grain from 32.4 nm to 18.7 nm, enhances final Fe0 content from 5.9% to 55.6%, and increases magnetization from 4.7 to 65.5 emu/g. The synthesized nanohybrid has high cadmium removal capacity and holds promising prospects for treatment of metal-contaminated water.
Rapid, controllable growth of silver nanostructured surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates for red blood cell detection
Authors: Zhang Shu , Tian Xueli , Yin Jun , Liu Yu , Dong Zhanmin , Sun Jia-Lin , Ma Wanyun
Published: April 2016

Silver nanostructured films suitable for use as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates are prepared in just 2 hours by the solid-state ionics method. By changing the intensity of the external direct current, we can readily control the surface morphology and growth rate of the silver nanostructured films. A detailed investigation of the surface enhancement of the silver nanostructured films using Rhodamine 6G (R6G) as a molecular probe revealed that the enhancement factor of the films was up to 1011. We used the silver nanostructured films as substrates in SERS detection of human red blood cells (RBCs). The SERS spectra of RBCs on the silver nanostructured film could be clearly detected at a laser power of just 0.05 mW. Comparison of the SERS spectra of RBCs obtained from younger and older donors showed that the SERS spectra depended on donor age. A greater proportion of the haemoglobin in the RBCs of older donors was in the deoxygenated state than that of the younger donors. This implies that haemoglobin of older people has lower oxygen-carrying capacity than that of younger people. Overall, the fabricated silver substrates show promise in biomedical SERS spectral detection.
Twist-mediated Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition Promotes Breast Tumor Cell Invasion via Inhibition of Hippo Pathway
Authors: Wang Yifan , Liu Jingyi , Ying Xuhua , Lin Pengnian Charles , Zhou Binhua P.
Published: April 2016

Twist is a key transcription factor for Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is a cellular de-differentiation program that promotes invasion and metastasis, confers tumor cells with cancer stem cell (CSC)-like characteristics and increases therapeutic resistance. However, the mechanisms that facilitate the functions of Twist remain unclear. Here we report that Twist overexpression increased expression of PAR1, an upstream regulator of the Hippo pathway; PAR1 promotes invasion, migration and CSC-like properties in breast cancer by activating the transcriptional co-activator TAZ. Our study indicates that Hippo pathway inhibition is required for the increased migratory and invasiveness ability of breast cancer cells in Twist-mediated EMT.
Bi1−xLaxCuSeO as New Tunable Full Solar Light Active Photocatalysts
Authors: Wang Huanchun , Li Shun , Liu Yaochun , Ding Jinxuan , Lin Yuan-Hua , Xu Haomin , Xu Ben , Nan Ce-Wen
Published: April 2016

Photocatalysis is attracting enormous interest driven by the great promise of addressing current energy and environmental crises by converting solar light directly into chemical energy. However, efficiently harvesting solar energy for photocatalysis remains a pressing challenge and the charge kinetics and mechanism of the photocatalytic process is far from being well understood. Here we report a new full solar spectrum driven photocatalyst in the system of a layered oxyselenide BiCuSeO with good photocatalytic activity for degradation of organic pollutants and chemical stability under light irradiation and the photocatalytic performance of BiCuSeO can be further improved by band gap engineering with introduction of La. Our measurements and density-functional-theory calculations reveal that the effective mass and mobility of the carriers in BiCuSeO can be tuned by the La-doping, which are responsible for the tunable photocatalytic activity. Our findings may offer new perspectives for understanding the mechanism of photocatalysis through modulating the charge mobility and the effective mass of carriers and provide a guidance for designing efficient photocatalyts.
Voxel-based analysis of grey and white matter degeneration in cervical spondylotic myelopathy
Authors: Grabher Patrick , Mohammadi Siawoosh , Trachsler Aaron , Friedl Susanne , David Gergely , Sutter Reto , Weiskopf Nikolaus , Thompson Alan J. , Curt Armin , Freund Patrick
Published: April 2016

In this prospective study, we made an unbiased voxel-based analysis to investigate above-stenosis spinal degeneration and its relation to impairment in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Twenty patients and 18 controls were assessed with high-resolution MRI protocols above the level of stenosis. Cross-sectional areas of grey matter (GM), white matter (WM) and posterior columns (PC) were measured to determine atrophy. Diffusion indices assessed tract-specific integrity of PC and lateral corticospinal tracts (CST). Regression analysis was used to reveal relationships between MRI measures and clinical impairment. Patients showed mainly sensory impairment. Atrophy was prominent within the cervical WM (13.9%, p = 0.004), GM (7.2%, p = 0.043) and PC (16.1%, p = 0.005). Fractional anisotropy (FA) was reduced in the PC (−11.98%, p = 0.006) and lateral CST (−12.96%, p = 0.014). In addition, radial (+28.47%, p = 0.014), axial (+14.72%, p = 0.005) and mean (+16.50%, p = 0.001) diffusivities were increased in the PC. Light-touch score was associated with atrophy (R2 = 0.3559, p = 0.020) and FA (z score 3.74, p = 0.003) in the PC, as was functional independence and FA in the lateral CST (z score 3.68, p = 0.020). This study demonstrates voxel-based degeneration far above the stenosis at a level not directly affected by the compression and provides unbiased readouts of tract-specific changes that relate to impairment.
Room temperature electrocompetent bacterial cells improve DNA transformation and recombineering efficiency
Authors: Tu Qiang , Yin Jia , Fu Jun , Herrmann Jennifer , Li Yuezhong , Yin Yulong , Stewart A. Francis , Müller Rolf , Zhang Youming
Published: April 2016

Bacterial competent cells are essential for cloning, construction of DNA libraries, and mutagenesis in every molecular biology laboratory. Among various transformation methods, electroporation is found to own the best transformation efficiency. Previous electroporation methods are based on washing and electroporating the bacterial cells in ice-cold condition that make them fragile and prone to death. Here we present simple temperature shift based methods that improve DNA transformation and recombineering efficiency inE. coliand several other gram-negative bacteria thereby economizing time and cost. Increased transformation efficiency of large DNA molecules is a significant advantage that might facilitate the cloning of large fragments from genomic DNA preparations and metagenomics samples.
NLRP3 Localizes to the Tubular Epithelium in Human Kidney and Correlates With Outcome in IgA Nephropathy
Authors: Chun Justin , Chung Hyunjae , Wang Xiangyu , Barry Rebecca , Taheri Zohreh Mohammad , Platnich Jaye M. , Ahmed Sofia B. , Trpkov Kiril , Hemmelgarn Brenda , Benediktsson Hallgrimur , James Matthew T. , Muruve Daniel A.
Published: April 2016

Nod-like receptor pyrin domain-containing-3 (NLRP3) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of experimental renal injury, yet its characterization in human kidney disease remains largely unexplored. NLRP3 expression was evaluated in human kidney biopsies, primary renal tubular cells (HPTC) and correlated to disease outcomes in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). NLRP3 localized to renal tubules in normal human kidney tissue and to mitochondria within HPTC by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence microscopy. Compared to control kidneys, NLRP3 gene expression was increased in biopsies of patients with IgAN. While NLRP3 expression in IgAN was detected in glomeruli, it remained largely confined to the tubular epithelial compartment. In vitro NLRP3 mRNA and protein expression were transiently induced in HPTC by TGF-β1 but subsequently diminished over time as cells lost their epithelial phenotype in a process regulated by transcription and ubiquitin-mediated degradation. Consistent with the in vitro data, low NLRP3 mRNA expression in kidney biopsies was associated with a linear trend of higher risk of composite endpoint of doubling serum creatinine and end stage renal disease in patients with IgAN. Taken together, these data show that NLRP3 is primarily a kidney tubule-expressed protein that decreases in abundance in progressive IgAN.
Transient potassium channels augment degeneracy in hippocampal active dendritic spectral tuning
Authors: Rathour Rahul Kumar , Malik Ruchi , Narayanan Rishikesh
Published: April 2016

Hippocampal pyramidal neurons express an intraneuronal map of spectral tuning mediated by hyperpolarization-activated cyclic-nucleotide-gated nonspecific-cation channels. Modeling studies have predicted a critical regulatory role for A-type potassium (KA) channels towards augmenting functional robustness of this map. To test this, we performed patch-clamp recordings from soma and dendrites of rat hippocampal pyramidal neurons, and measured spectral tuning before and after blocking KA channels using two structurally distinct pharmacological agents. Consistent with computational predictions, we found that blocking KA channels resulted in a significant reduction in resonance frequency and significant increases in input resistance, impedance amplitude and action-potential firing frequency across the somato-apical trunk. Furthermore, across all measured locations, blocking KA channels enhanced temporal summation of postsynaptic potentials and critically altered the impedance phase profile, resulting in a significant reduction in total inductive phase. Finally, pair-wise correlations between intraneuronal percentage changes (after blocking KA channels) in different measurements were mostly weak, suggesting differential regulation of different physiological properties by KA channels. Our results unveil a pivotal role for fast transient channels in regulating theta-frequency spectral tuning and intrinsic phase response, and suggest that degeneracy with reference to several coexisting functional maps is mediated by cross-channel interactions across the active dendritic arbor.
Diarrhoea in the critically ill is common, associated with poor outcome and rarely due to Clostridium difficile
Authors: Tirlapur Nikhil , Puthucheary Zudin A. , Cooper Jackie A. , Sanders Julie , Coen Pietro G. , Moonesinghe S. Ramani , Wilson A. Peter , Mythen Michael G. , Montgomery Hugh E.
Published: April 2016

Diarrhoea is common in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients, with a reported prevalence of 15–38%. Many factors may cause diarrhoea, including Clostridium difficile, drugs (e.g. laxatives, antibiotics) and enteral feeds. Diarrhoea impacts on patient dignity, increases nursing workload and healthcare costs and exacerbates morbidity through dermal injury, impaired enteral uptake and subsequent fluid imbalance. We analysed a cohort of 9331 consecutive patients admitted to a mixed general intensive care unit to establish the prevalence of diarrhoea in intensive care unit patients and its relationship with infective aetiology and clinical outcomes. We provide evidence that diarrhoea is common (12.9% (1207/9331) prevalence) in critically ill patients, independently associated with increased intensive care unit length of stay (mean (standard error) 14.8 (0.26) vs 3.2 (0.09) days, p < 0.001) and mortality (22.0% (265/1207) vs 8.7% (705/8124), p < 0.001; adjusted hazard ratio 1.99 (95% CI 1.70–2.32), p < 0.001) compared to patients without diarrhoea even after adjusting for potential confounding factors and infrequently caused by infective aetiology (112/1207 (9.2%)) such as Clostridium difficile (97/1048 (9.3%) tested) or virological causes (9/172 (5.7%) tested). Our findings suggest non-infective causes of diarrhoea in ICU predominate and pathophysiology of diarrhoea in critically ill patients warrants further investigation.
Genome-wide profiles of methylation, microRNAs, and gene expression in chemoresistant breast cancer
Authors: He Dong-Xu , Gu Feng , Gao Fei , Hao Jun-jun , Gong Desheng , Gu Xiao-Ting , Mao Ai-Qin , Jin Jian , Fu Li , Ma Xin
Published: April 2016

Cancer chemoresistance is regulated by complex genetic and epigenetic networks. In this study, the features of gene expression, methylation, and microRNA (miRNA) expression were investigated with high-throughput sequencing in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells resistant to adriamycin (MCF-7/ADM) and paclitaxel (MCF-7/PTX). We found that: ① both of the chemoresistant cell lines had similar, massive changes in gene expression, methylation, and miRNA expression versus chemosensitive controls. ② Pairwise integration of the data highlighted sets of genes that were regulated by either methylation or miRNAs, and sets of miRNAs whose expression was controlled by DNA methylation in chemoresistant cells. ③ By combining the three sets of high-throughput data, we obtained a list of genes whose expression was regulated by both methylation and miRNAs in chemoresistant cells; ④ Expression of these genes was then validated in clinical breast cancer samples to generate a 17-gene signature that showed good predictive and prognostic power in triple-negative breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline-taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In conclusion, our results have generated a new workflow for the integrated analysis of the effects of miRNAs and methylation on gene expression during the development of chemoresistance.
Breakdown of the Migdal approximation at Lifshitz transitions with giant zero-point motion in the H3S superconductor
Authors: Jarlborg Thomas , Bianconi Antonio
Published: April 2016

While 203 K high temperature superconductivity in H3S has been interpreted by BCS theory in the dirty limit here we focus on the effects of hydrogen zero-point-motion and the multiband electronic structure relevant for multigap superconductivity near Lifshitz transitions. We describe how the topology of the Fermi surfaces evolves with pressure giving different Lifshitz-transitions. A neck-disrupting Lifshitz-transition (type 2) occurs where the van Hove singularity, vHs, crosses the chemical potential at 210 GPa and new small 2D Fermi surface portions appear with slow Fermi velocity where the Migdal-approximation becomes questionable. We show that the neglected hydrogen zero-point motion ZPM, plays a key role at Lifshitz transitions. It induces an energy shift of about 600 meV of the vHs. The other Lifshitz-transition (of type 1) for the appearing of a new Fermi surface occurs at 130 GPa where new Fermi surfaces appear at the Γ point of the Brillouin zone here the Migdal-approximation breaks down and the zero-point-motion induces large fluctuations. The maximum Tc = 203 K occurs at 160 GPa where EF/ω0 = 1 in the small Fermi surface pocket at Γ. A Feshbach-like resonance between a possible BEC-BCS condensate at Γ and the BCS condensate in different k-space spots is proposed.