bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Systematic Review for the Design of In Vitro Flow Studies of the Carotid Artery Bifurcation
Authors: Hoving A. M. , de Vries E. E. , Mikhal J. , de Borst G. J. , Slump C. H.
Published: December 2019

Purpose

In vitro blood flow studies in carotid artery bifurcation models may contribute to understanding the influence of hemodynamics on carotid artery disease. However, the design of in vitro blood flow studies involves many steps and selection of imaging techniques, model materials, model design, and flow visualization parameters. Therefore, an overview of the possibilities and guidance for the design process is beneficial for researchers with less experience in flow studies.

Methods

A systematic search to in vitro flow studies in carotid artery bifurcation models aiming at quantification and detailed flow visualization of blood flow dynamics results in inclusion of 42 articles.

Results

Four categories of imaging techniques are distinguished: MRI, optical particle image velocimetry (PIV), ultrasound and miscellaneous techniques. Parameters for flow visualization are categorized into velocity, flow, shear-related, turbulent/disordered flow and other parameters. Model materials and design characteristics vary between study type.

Conclusions

A simplified three-step design process is proposed for better fitting and adequate match with the pertinent research question at hand and as guidance for less experienced flow study researchers. The three consecutive selection steps are: flow parameters, image modality, and model materials and designs. Model materials depend on the chosen imaging technique, whereas choice of flow parameters is independent from imaging technique and is therefore only determined by the goal of the study.
Mass Education, International Travel, and Ideal Ages at Marriage
Authors: Compernolle Ellen L. , Axinn William G.
Published: December 2019

Opportunities to document associations between macro-level changes in social organization and the spread of new individual attitudes are relatively rare. Moreover, of the factors generally understood to be influential, little is known about the potential mechanisms that make them so powerful. Here we use longitudinal measures from the Chitwan Valley Family Study (CVFS) to describe the processes of ideational change across 12 years among a representative sample from a rural agrarian setting in South Asia. Findings from lagged dependent variable models show that (1) two key dimensions of social organization—education and international travel—are strongly associated with change in attitudes, net of prior attitudes; (2) reorganization of education and travel are associated with attitudes toward ideal age at marriage; and (3) this association varies by gender. Using the study’s prospective design, we document not only these important associations but also potential mechanisms of education and travel—exposure to the English language and friends’ international travel experience—as potentially powerful social influences on individuals’ attitudes, independent of their own experiences.
FINE DELIGNE–LUSZTIG VARIETIES AND ARITHMETIC FUNDAMENTAL LEMMAS
Authors: HE XUHUA , LI CHAO , ZHU YIHANG
Published: December 2019

We prove a character formula for some closed fine Deligne–Lusztig varieties. We apply it to compute fixed points for fine Deligne–Lusztig varieties arising from the basic loci of Shimura varieties of Coxeter type. As an application, we prove an arithmetic intersection formula for certain diagonal cycles on unitary and GSpin Rapoport–Zink spaces arising from the arithmetic Gan–Gross–Prasad conjectures. In particular, we prove the arithmetic fundamental lemma in the minuscule case, without assumptions on the residual characteristic.
ASSIGNING AN ISOMORPHISM TYPE TO A HYPERDEGREE
Authors: BECKER HOWARD
Published: December 2019

Let L be a computable vocabulary, let XL be the space of L-structures with universe ω and let $f:{2^\omega } \to {X_L}$ be a hyperarithmetic function such that for all $x,y \in {2^\omega }$, if $x{ \equiv _h}y$ then $f\left( x \right) \cong f\left( y \right)$. One of the following two properties must hold. (1) The Scott rank of f (0) is $\omega _1^{CK} + 1$. (2) For all $x \in {2^\omega },f\left( x \right) \cong f\left( 0 \right)$.
ON THE EXISTENCE OF LARGE ANTICHAINS FOR DEFINABLE QUASI-ORDERS
Authors: MILLER BENJAMIN D. , VIDNYÁNSZKY ZOLTÁN
Published: December 2019

We simultaneously generalize Silver’s perfect set theorem for co-analytic equivalence relations and Harrington-Marker-Shelah’s Dilworth-style perfect set theorem for Borel quasi-orders, establish the analogous theorem at the next definable cardinal, and give further generalizations under weaker definability conditions.
Adrienne Herndon's Homeplaces: Shakespeare and Black Resistance in Atlanta, c.1906
Authors: CAHILL PATRICIA A.
Published: December 2019

This essay examines the political significance of the career of Atlanta-based Shakespearean Adrienne McNeil Herndon in the early twentieth century. It contextualizes Herndon's writing in the activist journal Voice of the Negro and elucidates the radicalism of Herndon's Shakespeare work at Atlanta University and beyond. More broadly, the essay shows how Herndon's performances and pedagogy – especially her focus on elocution work, bodily expressivity, domestic spaces, and visual culture – repeatedly challenged the white supremacist culture of the Jim Crow South, offering black Americans a way to resist racial terrorism and endure racial trauma.
Chinatowns and the Rise of China
Authors: ANG IEN
Published: December 2019

In the early twentieth century, Chinatowns in the West were ghettoes for Chinese immigrants who were marginalized and considered ‘other’ by the dominant society. In Western eyes, these areas were the no-go zones of the Oriental ‘other’. Now, more than a hundred years later, traditional Chinatowns still exist in some cities but their meaning and role has been transformed, while in other cities entirely new Chinatowns have emerged. This article discusses how Chinatowns today are increasingly contested sites where older diasporic understandings of Chineseness are unsettled by newer, neoliberal interpretations, dominated by the pull of China's new-found economic might. In particular, the so-called ‘rise of China’ has spawned a globalization of the idea of ‘Chinatown’ itself, with its actual uptake in urban development projects the world over, or a backlash against it, determined by varying perceptions of China's global ascendancy as an amalgam of threat and opportunity.
China Normal: Patterns of urbanization, industrialization, and trade on a Eurasian discursive base
Authors: CROSSLEY PAMELA KYLE
Published: December 2019

Comparative historians have illuminated the weaknesses in the Europe-derived and Europe-centred historical paradigms of the preceding century-and-a-half, while questioning the factual foundations and depth of Europe's development towards capitalism, imperialism, and industrialism. But a continental perspective on China's early modern development suggests the possibilities of a vicinage—or integrated environment—approach to China's development and its relevance to more widespread changes of the early modern period.
Kinematic Synthesis and Design of the Robust Closed Loop Articulated Minimally actuated (CLAM) Hand
Authors: Robson Nina , Ghosh Shramana , Soh Gim Song
Published: December 2019

The paper presents a comprehensive design process for the development of the minimally actuated Closed Loop Articulated Mechanical (CLAM) hand. Each of the fingers is designed as a planar one degree of freedom eight-bar linkage with an anthropomorphic backbone chain. The fingers movement is based on experimentally obtained physiological precision grasping task, with incorporated second-order task specifications, related to maintaining fingertip–body contact with a minimum number of fingers. Instead of actuating individual joints in each finger, the mechanism generates the desired anthropomorphic grasping trajectory using a single actuator in each finger. The paper offers not only details on multi-loop articulated hands design based on anthropometric data and physiological task with second-order effects for maintaining the object–fingertip contact, but also shows how this class of hands that have been considered mostly for adaptive grasping can be successfully utilized for precision grasping. The minimal number of fingers and actuators can simplify the control, resulting in a robust, lightweight, and cost-effective solution for the precision grasping of a variety of objects with different shapes and geometries.
INTEREST RATES, MONEY, AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
Authors: Dery Cosmas , Serletis Apostolos
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we are motivated by the fact that little is known about the relative performance of broad and narrow Divisia monetary aggregates, and by recent work that tests and rejects the appropriateness of the aggregation assumptions that underlie the various monetary aggregates published by the Federal Reserve as well as a large number of monetary asset groupings suggested by earlier studies. We present a comprehensive comparison of narrow versus broad Divisia monetary aggregates within three classes of empirical models. We compute correlations between the cyclical components of Divisia monetary aggregates at different levels of aggregation and the cyclical component of industrial production. We test for Granger causality running from the Divisia aggregates to industrial production and various other measures of real economic activity. We also reestimate a structural vector autoregression based on earlier work by Leeper and Roush [(2003) Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking 35, 1217–1256] and Belongia and Ireland [(2015) Journal of Business and Economic Statistics 33, 255–269; (2016) Journal of Money, Credit and Banking 48, 1223–1266], modifying that earlier work using monthly rather than quarterly data and extending it, both using broad as well as narrower Divisia monetary aggregates and by allowing for Generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) behavior in the structural shocks.
ASYMPTOTICS OF A GAUSS HYPERGEOMETRIC FUNCTION WITH TWO LARGE PARAMETERS: A NEW CASE
Authors: HARPER J. F.
Published: December 2019

Asymptotic expansions of the Gauss hypergeometric function with large parameters, $F(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}+\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}_{1}\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F},\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}+\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}_{2}\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F};\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FE}+\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}_{3}\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F};z)$ as $|\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}|\rightarrow \infty$, are known for many special cases, but not for one that the author encountered in recent work on fluid mechanics: $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}_{2}=0$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}_{3}=\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}_{1}z$. This paper gives the leading term for that case if $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ is not a negative integer and $z$ is not on the branch cut $[1,\infty )$, and it shows how subsequent terms can be found.
Is the Relation Between Ionospheric Parameters and Solar Proxies Stable?
Authors: Lastovicka Jan
Published: December 2019

The relationship between ionospheric parameters and solar activity proxies is important for long‐term studies as ionospheric climatology or long‐term trends and for modeling. It has been broadly assumed that this relationship is stable with time. Using foF2 and foE of four European stations with long (1976–2014) data series, Juliusruh, Pruhonice, Rome, and Slough/Chilton, we show that it is not quite correct assumption. The dependence of yearly average values of ionospheric parameters on solar activity proxies appears to be steeper in 1996–2014 than in 1976–1995 for foF2 and steeper after 2000 for foE. Also, the relationships among solar activity proxies seem to change. Yearly values of foF2 and foE are very predominantly controlled by solar activity represented by proxies.
Biomass Burning Unlikely to Account for Missing Source of Carbonyl Sulfide
Authors: Stinecipher J.R. , Cameron‐Smith P.J. , Blake N.J. , Kuai L. , Lejeune B. , Mahieu E. , Simpson I.J. , Campbell J.E.
Published: December 2019

Carbonyl sulfide (OCS) provides a proxy for measuring photosynthesis and is the primary background source of stratospheric aerosols. OCS emissions due to biomass burning are a variable and substantial (over 10%) part of the current OCS budget. OCS emission ratios from open burning fires, coupled with 1997–2016 data from the Global Fire Emissions Database (GFED4), yield OCS biomass burning emissions with a global average annual flux of 60 ± 37 Gg(S) year−1. A global box model suggests these emissions are more consistent with observations from global atmospheric composition monitoring networks than fluxes derived from previous synthesis papers. Even after considering the uncertainty in emission factor observations for each category of emissions and the interannual variation in total burned dry matter, the total OCS emissions from open burning are insufficient to account for the large imbalance between current estimates of global OCS sources and sinks.
Temporal and Spatial Scales of Correlation in Marine Phytoplankton Communities
Authors: Kuhn A. M. , Dutkiewicz S. , Jahn O. , Clayton S. , Rynearson T. A. , Mazloff M. R. , Barton A. D.
Published: December 2019

Ocean circulation shapes marine phytoplankton communities by setting environmental conditions and dispersing organisms. In addition, processes acting on the water column (e.g., heat fluxes and mixing) affect the community structure by modulating environmental variables that determine in situ growth and loss rates. Understanding the scales over which phytoplankton communities vary in time and space is key to elucidate the relative contributions of local processes and ocean circulation on phytoplankton distributions. Using a global ocean ecosystem model, we quantify temporal and spatial correlation scales for phytoplankton phenotypes with diverse functional traits and cell sizes. Through this analysis, we address these questions: (1) Over what timescales do perturbations in phytoplankton populations persist? and (2) over what distances are variations in phytoplankton populations synchronous? We find that correlation timescales are short in regions of strong currents, such as the Gulf Stream and Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Conversely, in the subtropical gyres, phytoplankton population anomalies persist for relatively long periods. Spatial correlation length scales are elongated near ocean fronts and narrow boundary currents, reflecting flow paths and frontal patterns. In contrast, we find nearly isotropic spatial correlation fields where current speeds are small, or where mixing acts roughly equally in all directions. Phytoplankton timescales and length scales also vary coherently with phytoplankton body size. In addition to aiding understanding of phytoplankton population dynamics, our results provide global insights to guide the design of biological ocean observing networks and to better interpret data collected at long‐term monitoring stations.
Stuck at the Bar: Larger‐Than‐Average Grain Lag Deposits and the Spectrum of Particle Mobility
Authors: Williams R. D. , Reid H. E. , Brierley G. J.
Published: December 2019

Larger‐than‐average grain deposits in gravel bed rivers potentially exert a distinctive influence upon fluvial morphodynamics and flow resistance. They are products of historical contingency, sourced from rare events that supply atypically coarse material. Larger‐than‐average grain lag deposits are emblematic attributes of the Tongariro River, New Zealand. They are deposited on bar edges and heads. Derived from lahar valley floor deposits that subsequently became terraces, these materials are less likely to be reworked across a range of flows compared to other bar material. Conceptual models that consider channel configuration and incorporate distributions of particle mobility and flood flows are necessary to assess the role of larger‐than‐average grain deposits on river morphodynamics.
LncRNA MACC1-AS1 sponges multiple miRNAs and RNA-binding protein PTBP1
Authors: Zhang Xiaona , Zhou Yanchun , Chen Shaoying , Li Wei , Chen Weibing , Gu Wei
Published: December 2019

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) represents a class of endogenous RNAs that regulate gene expression in eukaryotes. To date, the function and underlying mechanism of the majority of mammalian lncRNAs remain unknown. Here, we report that MACC1-AS1, a cognate antisense lncRNA of the sixth intron of the MACC1 gene, functions as a cell growth modulator and enhances breast tumor progress. RNA pulldown and luciferase assays showed that MACC1-AS1 contained binding sites for multiple miRNAs, including well-known tumor suppressors miR-384 and miR-145-3p that repress the expression of pleiotrophin (PTN) and c-Myc mRNAs. Binding of miR-384 and miR-145-3p miRNAs to MACC1-AS1 alters the cell growth phenotype through increased expression of PTN and c-Myc mRNAs. MACC1-AS1 also competitively interacted with PTBP1, an RNA-binding protein, via a conserved pyrimidine rich motif within this lncRNA. Binding of PTBP1to MACC1-AS1 not only stabilized MACC1-AS1 and enhanced the sponge effect of MACC1-AS1 on miRNAs, but also decreased PTBP1 availability for binding to target mRNAs. Our results define a new dimension into how a lncRNA is able to regulate cell growth by sponging multiple miRNAs and an RNA-binding protein.
Exploration of the propagation of transpovirons within Mimiviridae reveals a unique example of commensalism in the viral world
Authors: Jeudy Sandra , Bertaux Lionel , Alempic Jean-Marie , Lartigue Audrey , Legendre Matthieu , Belmudes Lucid , Santini Sébastien , Philippe Nadège , Beucher Laure , Biondi Emanuele G , Juul Sissel , Turner Daniel J , Couté Yohann , Claverie Jean-Michel , Abergel Chantal
Published: December 2019

Acanthamoeba-infecting Mimiviridae are giant viruses with dsDNA genome up to 1.5 Mb. They build viral factories in the host cytoplasm in which the nuclear-like virus-encoded functions take place. They are themselves the target of infections by 20-kb-dsDNA virophages, replicating in the giant virus factories and can also be found associated with 7-kb-DNA episomes, dubbed transpovirons. Here we isolated a virophage (Zamilon vitis) and two transpovirons respectively associated to B- and C-clade mimiviruses. We found that the virophage could transfer each transpoviron provided the host viruses were devoid of a resident transpoviron (permissive effect). If not, only the resident transpoviron originally isolated from the corresponding virus was replicated and propagated within the virophage progeny (dominance effect). Although B- and C-clade viruses devoid of transpoviron could replicate each transpoviron, they did it with a lower efficiency across clades, suggesting an ongoing process of adaptive co-evolution. We analysed the proteomes of host viruses and virophage particles in search of proteins involved in this adaptation process. This study also highlights a unique example of intricate commensalism in the viral world, where the transpoviron uses the virophage to propagate and where the Zamilon virophage and the transpoviron depend on the giant virus to replicate, without affecting its infectious cycle.
Protein kinase D1 regulates metabolic switch in pancreatic cancer via modulation of mTORC1
Authors: Kumari Sonam , Khan Sheema , Sekhri Radhika , Mandil Hassan , Behrman Stephen , Yallapu Murali M. , Chauhan Subhash C. , Jaggi Meena
Published: December 2019

Background

Protein kinase D1 (PKD1) is a serine–threonine kinase that regulates various functions within the cell. Herein, we report the significance of PKD1 expression in glucose metabolism resulting in pancreatic cancer (PanCa) progression and chemo-resistance.

Methods

PKD1 expression in PanCa was investigated by using immunohistochemistry. Functional and metabolic assays were utilised to analyse the effect of PKD1 expression/knockdown on associated cellular/molecular changes.

Results

PKD1 expression was detected in human pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia lesions (MCS = 12.9; P < 0.0001) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma samples (MCS = 15, P < 0.0001) as compared with faint or no expression in normal pancreatic tissues (MCS = 1.54; P < 0.0001). Our results determine that PKD1 enhances glucose metabolism in PanCa cells, by triggering enhanced tumorigenesis and chemo-resistance. We demonstrate that mTORC1 activation by PKD1 regulates metabolic alterations in PanCa cells. siRNA knockdown of Raptor or treatment with rapamycin inhibited PKD1-accelerated lactate production as well as glucose consumption in cells, which confirms the association of mTORC1 with PKD1-induced metabolic alterations.

Conclusion

This study suggests a novel role of PKD1 as a key modulator of the glucose metabolism in PanCa cells accelerating tumorigenesis and chemo-resistance. The remodelling of PKD1-dysregulated glucose metabolism can be achieved by regulation of mTORC1 for development of novel therapeutic strategies.
Carbonic anhydrase IX and acid transport in cancer
Authors: Becker Holger M.
Published: December 2019

Alterations in tumour metabolism and acid/base regulation result in the formation of a hostile environment, which fosters tumour growth and metastasis. Acid/base homoeostasis in cancer cells is governed by the concerted interplay between carbonic anhydrases (CAs) and various transport proteins, which either mediate proton extrusion or the shuttling of acid/base equivalents, such as bicarbonate and lactate, across the cell membrane. Accumulating evidence suggests that some of these transporters interact both directly and functionally with CAIX to form a protein complex coined the ‘transport metabolon’. Transport metabolons formed between bicarbonate transporters and CAIX require CA catalytic activity and have a function in cancer cell migration and invasion. Another type of transport metabolon is formed by CAIX and monocarboxylate transporters. In this complex, CAIX functions as a proton antenna for the transporter, which drives the export of lactate and protons from the cell. Since CAIX is almost exclusively expressed in cancer cells, these transport metabolons might serve as promising targets to interfere with tumour pH regulation and energy metabolism. This review provides an overview of the current state of research on the function of CAIX in tumour acid/base transport and discusses how CAIX transport metabolons could be exploited in modern cancer therapy.
Energy metabolism manipulates the fate and function of tumour myeloid-derived suppressor cells
Authors: Hu Cong , Pang Bo , Lin Guangzhu , Zhen Yu , Yi Huanfa
Published: December 2019

In recent years, a large number of studies have been carried out in the field of immune metabolism, highlighting the role of metabolic energy reprogramming in altering the function of immune cells. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous population of cells generated during a large array of pathological conditions, such as cancer, inflammation, and infection, and show remarkable ability to suppress T-cell responses. These cells can also change their metabolic pathways in response to various pathogen-derived or inflammatory signals. In this review, we focus on the roles of glucose, fatty acid (FA), and amino acid (AA) metabolism in the differentiation and function of MDSCs in the tumour microenvironment, highlighting their potential as targets to inhibit tumour growth and enhance tumour immune surveillance by the host. We further highlight the remaining gaps in knowledge concerning the mechanisms determining the plasticity of MDSCs in different environments and their specific responses in the tumour environment. Therefore, this review should motivate further research in the field of metabolomics to identify the metabolic pathways driving the enhancement of MDSCs in order to effectively target their ability to promote tumour development and progression.
Reprogramming of fatty acid metabolism in cancer
Authors: Koundouros Nikos , Poulogiannis George
Published: December 2019

A common feature of cancer cells is their ability to rewire their metabolism to sustain the production of ATP and macromolecules needed for cell growth, division and survival. In particular, the importance of altered fatty acid metabolism in cancer has received renewed interest as, aside their principal role as structural components of the membrane matrix, they are important secondary messengers, and can also serve as fuel sources for energy production. In this review, we will examine the mechanisms through which cancer cells rewire their fatty acid metabolism with a focus on four main areas of research. (1) The role of de novo synthesis and exogenous uptake in the cellular pool of fatty acids. (2) The mechanisms through which molecular heterogeneity and oncogenic signal transduction pathways, such as PI3K–AKT–mTOR signalling, regulate fatty acid metabolism. (3) The role of fatty acids as essential mediators of cancer progression and metastasis, through remodelling of the tumour microenvironment. (4) Therapeutic strategies and considerations for successfully targeting fatty acid metabolism in cancer. Further research focusing on the complex interplay between oncogenic signalling and dysregulated fatty acid metabolism holds great promise to uncover novel metabolic vulnerabilities and improve the efficacy of targeted therapies.
Oncogenic pathways and the electron transport chain: a dangeROS liaison
Authors: Raimondi Vittoria , Ciccarese Francesco , Ciminale Vincenzo
Published: December 2019

Driver mutations in oncogenic pathways, rewiring of cellular metabolism and altered ROS homoeostasis are intimately connected hallmarks of cancer. Electrons derived from different metabolic processes are channelled into the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) to fuel the oxidative phosphorylation process. Electrons leaking from the ETC can prematurely react with oxygen, resulting in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Several signalling pathways are affected by ROS, which act as second messengers controlling cell proliferation and survival. On the other hand, oncogenic pathways hijack the ETC, enhancing its ROS-producing capacity by increasing electron flow or by impinging on the structure and organisation of the ETC. In this review, we focus on the ETC as a source of ROS and its modulation by oncogenic pathways, which generates a vicious cycle that resets ROS levels to a higher homoeostatic set point, sustaining the cancer cell phenotype.
Defining a metabolic landscape of tumours: genome meets metabolism
Authors: Seth Nanda Chandan , Venkateswaran Sharavan Vishaan , Patani Neill , Yuneva Mariia
Published: December 2019

Cancer is a complex disease of multiple alterations occuring at the epigenomic, genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and/or metabolic levels. The contribution of genetic mutations in cancer initiation, progression and evolution is well understood. However, although metabolic changes in cancer have long been acknowledged and considered a plausible therapeutic target, the crosstalk between genetic and metabolic alterations throughout cancer types is not clearly defined. In this review, we summarise the present understanding of the interactions between genetic drivers of cellular transformation and cancer-associated metabolic changes, and how these interactions contribute to metabolic heterogeneity of tumours. We discuss the essential question of whether changes in metabolism are a cause or a consequence in the formation of cancer. We highlight two modes of how metabolism contributes to tumour formation. One is when metabolic reprogramming occurs downstream of oncogenic mutations in signalling pathways and supports tumorigenesis. The other is where metabolic reprogramming initiates transformation being either downstream of mutations in oncometabolite genes or induced by chronic wounding, inflammation, oxygen stress or metabolic diseases. Finally, we focus on the factors that can contribute to metabolic heterogeneity in tumours, including genetic heterogeneity, immunomodulatory factors and tissue architecture. We believe that an in-depth understanding of cancer metabolic reprogramming, and the role of metabolic dysregulation in tumour initiation and progression, can help identify cellular vulnerabilities that can be exploited for therapeutic use.
Enhancing the dipolar coupling of a S-T0 qubit with a transverse sweet spot
Authors: Abadillo-Uriel J. C. , Eriksson M. A. , Coppersmith S. N. , Friesen Mark
Published: December 2019

A fundamental challenge for quantum dot spin qubits is to extend the strength and range of qubit interactions while suppressing their coupling to the environment, since both effects have electrical origins. Key tools include the ability to take advantage of physical resources in different regimes, and to access optimal working points, sweet spots, where dephasing is minimized. Here, we explore an important resource for singlet-triplet qubits: a transverse sweet spot (TSS) that enables transitions between qubit states, a strong dipolar coupling, and leading-order protection from electrical fluctuations. Of particular interest is the possibility of transitioning between the TSS and symmetric operating points while remaining continuously protected. This arrangement is ideal for coupling qubits to a microwave cavity, because it combines tunability of the coupling with noise insensitivity. We perform simulations with $$1/f$$
1
∕
f
-type electrical noise, demonstrating that two-qubit gates mediated by a resonator can achieve fidelities >99% under realistic conditions.
TRPML1 links lysosomal calcium to autophagosome biogenesis through the activation of the CaMKKβ/VPS34 pathway
Authors: Scotto Rosato A. , Montefusco S. , Soldati C. , Di Paola S. , Capuozzo A. , Monfregola J. , Polishchuk E. , Amabile A. , Grimm C. , Lombardo A. , De Matteis M. A. , Ballabio A. , Medina D. L.
Published: December 2019

The lysosomal calcium channel TRPML1, whose mutations cause the lysosomal storage disorder (LSD) mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV), contributes to upregulate autophagic genes by inducing the nuclear translocation of the transcription factor EB (TFEB). Here we show that TRPML1 activation also induces autophagic vesicle (AV) biogenesis through the generation of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI3P) and the recruitment of essential PI3P-binding proteins to the nascent phagophore in a TFEB-independent manner. Thus, TRPML1 activation of phagophore formation requires the calcium-dependent kinase CaMKKβ and AMPK, which increase the activation of ULK1 and VPS34 autophagic protein complexes. Consistently, cells from MLIV patients show a reduced recruitment of PI3P-binding proteins to the phagophore during autophagy induction, suggesting that altered AV biogenesis is part of the pathological features of this disease. Together, we show that TRPML1 is a multistep regulator of autophagy that may be targeted for therapeutic purposes to treat LSDs and other autophagic disorders.
The main pulse of the Siberian Traps expanded in size and composition
Authors: Augland L. E. , Ryabov V. V. , Vernikovsky V. A. , Planke S. , Polozov A. G. , Callegaro S. , Jerram D. A. , Svensen H. H.
Published: December 2019

Emplacement of large volumes of (sub)volcanic rocks during the main pulse of the Siberian Traps occurred within <1 m.y., coinciding with the end-Permian mass extinction. Volcanics from outside the main Siberian Traps, e.g. Taimyr and West Siberia, have since long been correlated, but existing geochronological data cannot resolve at a precision better than ~5 m.y. whether (sub)volcanic activity in these areas actually occurred during the main pulse or later. We report the first high precision U-Pb zircon geochronology from two alkaline ultramafic-felsic layered intrusive complexes from Taimyr, showing synchronicity between these and the main Siberian Traps (sub)volcanic pulse, and the presence of a second Dinerian-Smithian pulse. This is the first documentation of felsic intrusive magmatism occurring during the main pulse, testifying to the Siberian Trap’s compositional diversity. Furthermore, the intrusions cut basal basalts of the Taimyr lava stratigraphy hence providing a minimum age of these basalts of 251.64 ± 0.11 Ma. Synchronicity of (sub)volcanic activity between Taimyr and the Siberian Traps imply that the total area of the Siberian Traps main pulse should include a ~300 000 km2 area north of Norilsk. The vast aerial extent of the (sub)volcanic activity during the Siberian Traps main pulse may explain the severe environmental consequences.
Physiological Basis of Heterosis for Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Maize
Authors: Wang Zhigang , Ma Bao-Luo , Yu Xiaofang , Gao Julin , Sun Jiying , Su Zhijun , Yu Shaobo
Published: December 2019

Efficient use of nitrogen inputs for concurrent improvements in grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) has been recognized as a viable strategy for sustainable agriculture development. Yet, there is little research on the possible physiological basis of maize hybrid heterosis for NUE and measurable traits that are corresponding to the NUE heterosis. A field study was conducted for two years to evaluate the heterosis for NUE and determine the relationship between NUE and its physiological components. Two commercial hybrids, ‘Xianyu335’ and ‘Zhengdan958’, and their parental inbred lines, were grown at 0 (0 N) and 150 kg N ha−1 (150 N), in a randomized complete block design with four replications each year. Compared to their parental lines, both hybrids displayed a significant heterosis, up to 466%, for NUE. N internal efficiency (NIE) accounted for 52% of the variation in heterosis for NUE, while there was generally negligible heterosis for nitrogen recovery efficiency (NRE). Heterosis for NIE and thereby for NUE in maize was ascribed to (i) an earlier establishment of pre-anthesis source for N accumulation, which phenotypically exhibited as a faster leaf appearance rate with higher maximum LAI and photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency; (ii) a larger amount of N being remobilized from the vegetative tissues, especially from leaves, during the grain filling. Phenotypically, there was notably a rapid reduction in post-anthesis specific weights of leaf and stalk, but with maintained functionally stay-green ear leaves; and (iii) a higher productive efficiency per unit grain N, which was characterized by a reduced grain N concentration and enhanced sink strength.
Advanced microscopy analysis of the micro-nanoscale architecture of human menisci
Authors: Vetri V. , Dragnevski K. , Tkaczyk M. , Zingales M. , Marchiori G. , Lopomo N. F. , Zaffagnini S. , Bondi A. , Kennedy J. A. , Murray D. W. , Barrera O.
Published: December 2019

The complex inhomogeneous architecture of the human meniscal tissue at the micro and nano scale in the absence of artefacts introduced by sample treatments has not yet been fully revealed. The knowledge of the internal structure organization is essential to understand the mechanical functionality of the meniscus and its relationship with the tissue’s complex structure. In this work, we investigated human meniscal tissue structure using up-to-date non-invasive imaging techniques, based on multiphoton fluorescence and quantitative second harmonic generation microscopy complemented with Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy measurements. Observations on 50 meniscal samples extracted from 6 human menisci (3 lateral and 3 medial) revealed fundamental features of structural morphology and allowed us to quantitatively describe the 3D organisation of elastin and collagen fibres bundles. 3D regular waves of collagen bundles are arranged in “honeycomb-like” cells that are comprised of pores surrounded by the collagen and elastin network at the micro-scale. This type of arrangement propagates from macro to the nanoscale.
Oral administration of N-acetyl cysteine prevents osteoarthritis development and progression in a rat model
Authors: Kaneko Yosuke , Tanigawa Nobuharu , Sato Yuiko , Kobayashi Tami , Nakamura Satoshi , Ito Eri , Soma Tomoya , Miyamoto Kana , Kobayashi Shu , Harato Kengo , Matsumoto Morio , Nakamura Masaya , Niki Yasuo , Miyamoto Takeshi
Published: December 2019

The number of osteoarthritis patients is increasing with the rise in the number of elderly people in developed countries. Osteoarthritis, which causes joint pain and deformity leading to loss of activities of daily living, is often treated surgically. Here we show that mechanical stress promotes accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in chondrocytes in vivo, resulting in chondrocyte apoptosis and leading to osteoarthritis development in a rat model. We demonstrate that mechanical stress induces ROS accumulation and inflammatory cytokine expression in cultured chondrocytes in vitro and that both are inhibited by treatment with the anti-oxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). In vivo, osteoarthritis development in a rat osteoarthritis model was also significantly inhibited by oral administration of NAC. MMP13 expression and down-regulation of type II collagen in chondrocytes, both of which indicate osteoarthritis, as well as chondrocyte apoptosis in osteoarthritis rats were inhibited by NAC. Interestingly, osteoarthritis development in sham-operated control sides, likely due to disruption of normal weight-bearing activity on the control side, was also significantly inhibited by NAC. We conclude that osteoarthritis development in rats is significantly antagonized by oral NAC administration. Currently, no oral medication is available to prevent osteoarthritis development. Our work suggests that NAC may represent such a reagent and serve as osteoarthritis treatment.
A graphene oxide coated gold nanostar based sensing platform for ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of circulating tumor DNA
Authors: Rahman Mahbubur , Cui Daxiang , Zhou Shukui , Zhang Amin , Chen Di
Published: December 2019

A high-performance electrochemical sensing platform inspired by a functional ‘green’ electrochemical reduction pathway was developed to identify and detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) of gastric carcinoma in peripheral blood.
Assessment of paper tip angular position, carryover, matrix effects and dried blood spot storage effect on paper spray mass spectrometry
Authors: Takyi-Williams John , Jian Wenying , Wang Yang , Tang Kai , Gong Haiqing , Liu Chuan-Fa
Published: December 2019

Experimental and validation parameters of paper spray mass spectrometry.
Exploring new hydrated delta type vanadium oxides for lithium intercalation
Authors: Orive Joseba , Fernández de Luis Roberto , Larrea Edurne S. , Martínez-Amesti Ana , Altomare Angela , Rizzi Rosanna , Lezama Luis , Arriortua María I. , Gómez-Cámer Juan Luis , Jauregui María , Casas-Cabanas Montse , Lisoni Judit
Published: December 2019

The interlayer spacing of novel double layered vanadium oxides is modulated by the difference in water contents and alkali pillars. The capacity retention of the active phases is strongly dependent on the vacuum-drying treatment of the electrodes.
Addition reactions and diazomethane capture by the intramolecular P–O–B FLP: tBu2POBcat
Authors: Zhu Diya , Qu Zheng-Wang , Stephan Douglas W.
Published: December 2019

FLPs, R2POBcat (R = tBu 1, Mes 2), are shown to react with a variety of substrates including diazomethanes.
A highly efficient method for the construction of cyclopropane-containing dihydroindole derivatives from indolemethylenecyclopropanes with DIAD and DEAD
Authors: Chen Mintao , Zang Wenqing , Wei Yin , Shi Min
Published: December 2019

A strain-promoted highly efficient method for the synthesis of cyclopropane-containing dihydroindole derivatives has been developed.
Functionalization of NaGdF4 nanoparticles with a dibromomaleimide-terminated polymer for MR/optical imaging of thrombosis
Authors: Li Yuhuan , Xin Fangyun , Hu Jinming , Jagdale Shweta , Davis Thomas P. , Hagemeyer Christoph E. , Qiao Ruirui
Published: December 2019

A thrombosis-targeted molecular imaging probe with magnetic resonance (MR) and optical dual-modality capacity using dibromomaleimide (DBM)-bearing polymer-grafted NaGdF4 nanoparticles.
Single molecule observation of hard–soft-acid–base (HSAB) interaction in engineeredMycobacterium smegmatisporin A (MspA) nanopores
Authors: Wang Sha , Cao Jiao , Jia Wendong , Guo Weiming , Yan Shuanghong , Wang Yuqin , Zhang Panke , Chen Hong-Yuan , Huang Shuo
Published: December 2019

The principle of hard–soft-acid–base (HSAB) theory was first validated in single molecule by measurements with engineeredMycobacterium smegmatisporin A (MspA) nanopore reactors.
Simple and scalable synthesis of hierarchical porous carbon derived from cornstalk without pith for high capacitance and energy density
Authors: Li Jiaming , Jiang Qimeng , Wei Lansheng , Zhong Linxin , Wang Xiaoying
Published: December 2019

A sustainable one-pot route for the synthesis of hierarchical porous carbons (HPCs) from cornstalk without pith is developed.
Comprehensive analysis of protein acetyltransferases of human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Xie Longxiang , Yang Wenmin , Fan Xiangyu , Xie Jianping
Published: December 2019

Tuberculosis (TB), a leading infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain, takes four human lives every minute globally. Paucity of knowledge on M. tuberculosis virulence and antibiotic resistance is the major challenge for tuberculosis control. We have identified 47 acetyltransferases in the M. tuberculosis, which use diverse substrates including antibiotic, amino acids, and other chemical molecules. Through comparative analysis of the protein file of the virulent M. tuberculosis H37Rv strain and the avirulent M. tuberculosis H37Ra strain, we identified one acetyltransferase that shows significant variations with N-terminal deletion, possibly influencing its physicochemical properties. We also found that one acetyltransferase has three types of post-translation modifications (lysine acetylation, succinylation, and glutarylation). The genome context analysis showed that many acetyltransferases with their neighboring genes belong to one operon. By data mining from published transcriptional profiles of M. tuberculosis exposed to diverse treatments, we revealed that several acetyltransferases may be functional during M. tuberculosis infection. Insights obtained from the present study can potentially provide clues for developing novel TB therapeutic interventions.
TRIM proteins in neuroblastoma
Authors: Xu Yonghu , Zhang Zihan , Xu Guofeng
Published: December 2019

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid tumor in childhood. Outcome for children with high-risk NB remains unsatisfactory. Accumulating evidence suggests that tripartite motif (TRIM) family proteins express diversely in various human cancers and act as regulators of oncoproteins or tumor suppressor proteins. This review summarizes the TRIM proteins involving in NB and the underlying molecular mechanisms. We expect these new insights will provide important implications for the treatment of NB by targeting TRIM proteins.
UV and NIR size of the low-mass field galaxies: the UV compact galaxies
Authors: Cheng Cheng , Xu Cong Kevin , Xie Lizhi , Pan Zhizheng , Du Wei , Orellana-González Gustavo , Shao Xu , Wu Shumei , Leiton Roger , Huang Jia-Sheng , Dai Sophia Yu , Assmann Paulina , Araneda Nicole
Published: December 2019

Context. Most of the massive star-forming galaxies are found to have “inside-out” stellar mass growth modes, which means the inner parts of the galaxies mainly consist of the older stellar population, while the star forming in the outskirt of the galaxy is still ongoing.

Aims. The high-resolution HST images from Hubble Deep UV Legacy Survey and Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey projects with the unprecedented depth in both F275W and F160W bands are the perfect data sets to study the forming and formed stellar distribution directly.

Methods. We selected the low redshift (0.05 <  zspec <  0.3) galaxy sample from the GOODS-North field where the HST F275W and F160W images are available. Then we measured the half light radius in F275W and F160W bands, which are the indicators of the star formation and stellar mass.

Results. By comparing the F275W and F160W half light radius, we find the massive galaxies are mainly follow the “inside-out” growth mode, which is consistent with the previous results. Moreover, the HST F275W and F160W images reveal that some of the low-mass galaxies (< 108 M⊙) have the “outside-in” growth mode: their images show a compact UV morphology, implying an ongoing star formation in the galaxy centre, while the stars in the outskirts of the galaxies are already formed. The two modes transit smoothly at stellar mass range about 108 − 9 M⊙ with a large scatter. We also try to identify the possible neighbour massive galaxies from the SDSS data, which represent the massive galaxy sample. We find that all of the spec-z selected galaxies have no massive galaxy nearby. Thus the “outside-in” mode we find in the low-mass galaxies are not likely originated from the environment.
RefPlanets: Search for reflected light from extrasolar planets with SPHERE/ZIMPOL
Authors: Hunziker S. , Schmid H. M. , Mouillet D. , Milli J. , Zurlo A. , Delorme P. , Abe L. , Avenhaus H. , Baruffolo A. , Bazzon A. , Boccaletti A. , Baudoz P. , Beuzit J. L. , Carbillet M. , Chauvin G. , Claudi R. , Costille A. , Daban J.-B. , Desidera S. , Dohlen K. , Dominik C. , Downing M. , Engler N. , Feldt M. , Fusco T. , Ginski C. , Gisler D. , Girard J. H. , Gratton R. , Henning Th. , Hubin N. , Kasper M. , Keller C. U. , Langlois M. , Lagadec E. , Martinez P. , Maire A. L. , Menard F. , Meyer M. R. , Pavlov A. , Pragt J. , Puget P. , Quanz S. P. , Rickman E. , Roelfsema R. , Salasnich B. , Sauvage J.-F. , Siebenmorgen R. , Sissa E. , Snik F. , Suarez M. , Szulágyi J. , Thalmann Ch. , Turatto M. , Udry S. , van Holstein R. G. , Vigan A. , Wildi F.
Published: December 2019

Aims. RefPlanets is a guaranteed time observation programme that uses the Zurich IMaging POLarimeter (ZIMPOL) of Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch instrument at the Very Large Telescope to perform a blind search for exoplanets in wavelengths from 600 to 900 nm. The goals of this study are the characterisation of the unprecedented high polarimetic contrast and polarimetric precision capabilities of ZIMPOL for bright targets, the search for polarised reflected light around some of the closest bright stars to the Sun, and potentially the direct detection of an evolved cold exoplanet for the first time.

Methods. For our observations of α Cen A and B, Sirius A, Altair, ɛ Eri and τ Ceti we used the polarimetricdifferential imaging (PDI) mode of ZIMPOL which removes the speckle noise down to the photon noise limit for angular separations ≿0.6′′. We describe some of the instrumental effects that dominate the noise for smaller separations and explain how to remove these additional noise effects in post-processing. We then combine PDI with angular differential imaging as a final layer of post-processing to further improve the contrast limits of our data at these separations.

Results. For good observing conditions we achieve polarimetric contrast limits of 15.0–16.3 mag at the effective inner working angle of ~0.13′′, 16.3–18.3 mag at 0.5′′, and 18.8–20.4 mag at 1.5′′. The contrast limits closer in (≾0.6′′) display a significant dependence on observing conditions, while in the photon-noise-dominated regime (≿0.6′′) the limits mainly depend on the brightness of the star and the total integration time. We compare our results with contrast limits from other surveys and review the exoplanet detection limits obtained with different detection methods. For all our targets we achieve unprecedented contrast limits. Despite the high polarimetric contrasts we are not able to find any additional companions or extended polarised light sources in the data obtained so far.