bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overexpression of IGF‐IIRα regulates cardiac remodeling and aggravates high salt induced apoptosis and fibrosis in transgenic rats
Authors: Chang Ruey‐Lin , Nithiyanantham Srinivasan , Kuo Wei‐Wen , Pai Pei‐Ying , Chang Tung‐Ti , Lai Chao‐Hung , Chen Ray‐Jade , Vijaya Padma Viswanadha , Huang Chih‐Yang , Huang Chih‐Yang
Published: November 2018

IGF‐IIR activation regulates cardiac remodeling leading to apoptosis. Here, we identified the novel IGF‐IIRα (150 KDa), a truncated IGF‐IIR transcript enhances cardiac apoptosis under high‐salt uptake in transgenic rat model. Echocardiographic analysis revealed decline in ejection fraction and fractional shortening percentage in IGF‐IIRα (TG) rats. We found that IGF‐IIRα TG rats developed severe apoptosis and fibrosis as identified through TUNEL assay and Masson's trichrome staining. Importantly, the heart functioning, apoptosis, and fibrosis were significantly affected under high‐salt conditions in IGF‐IIRα (TG) rats. Significant upregulation of apoptosis was evident from decreased Bcl‐2, p‐AKT, and p‐PI3K expressions with concomitant increase in Bad, cytochrome C, cleaved caspase 3 levels. We found that, IGF‐IIRα highly induced tissue fibrosis through collagen accumulation (col I, col III) and up regulated various fibrotic markers such as tPA, uPA, TGF‐β, and vimentin expressions. The observed upregulation of fibrosis were significantly regulated under high‐salt conditions and their over regulation under IGF‐IIRα over expressions shows the key role of IGF‐IIRα in promoting high‐salt induced fibrosis. During IGF‐IIRα over expression induced cardiotoxicity, under high salt condition, and it destroys the interaction between CHIP and HSF1, which promotes the degradation of HSF1 and results in upregulation of IGF‐IIR/IGF‐IIRα expressions. Altogether, the study unveils novel IGF‐IIRα in the regulation of cardiac apoptosis and fibrosis under high‐salt diet.
Anomalous dimension of subleading-power N-jet operators. Part II
Authors: Beneke Martin , Garny Mathias , Szafron Robert , Wang Jian
Published: November 2018

Abstract

We continue the investigation of the anomalous dimension of subleading-power N-jet operators. In this paper, we focus on the operators with fermion number one in each collinear direction, corresponding to quark (antiquark) initiated jets in QCD. We investigate the renormalization effects induced by the soft loop and compute the one-loop mixing of time-ordered products involving power-suppressed SCET Lagrangian insertions into N-jet currents through soft loops. We discuss fermion number conservation in collinear directions and provide explicit results for the collinear anomalous dimension matrix of the currents. The Feynman rules for the power-suppressed SCET interactions in the position-space formalism are collected in an appendix.
Correction to: The Met Needs for Pediatric Surgical Conditions in Sierra Leone: Estimating the Gap
Authors: Burgos Carmen Mesas , Bolkan Håkon Angell , Bash‐Taqi Donald , Hagander Lars , von Schreeb Johan
Published: November 2018

In the original article, Johan von Schreeb’s last name was spelled incorrectly. It is correct as reflected here.
The Impact of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights on Anti-Discrimination Law: More a Whimper than a Bang?
Authors: WARD Angela
Published: November 2018

This article explores the influence of Articles 20 and 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in the development of EU equal treatment law, with emphasis on forms of discrimination precluded by Council Directive 2000/43 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin, and Directive 2000/78 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation. The author contends that although Articles 20 and 21 are primary measure of EU law, their impact in the development of case law elaborated pursuant to the Directives is relatively muted. This may have stunted the development of jurisprudence on the relationship between Articles 20 and 21 of the Charter, and rules contained in Title VI of the Charter governing its interpretation and application, such as Article 52(3) on the relationship between the Charter and the European Convention on Human Rights, and Article 52(1) on justified limitations. The author forewarns against the emergence of incoherence in the case law in this context, and with respect to the role of Articles 20 and 21 in disputes over the meaning of Directives 2000/43 and 2000/78 and calls for fuller reflection on Charter rules in disputes based on an allegation of discrimination.
Making Law Effective: Behavioural Insights into Compliance
Authors: RANGONE Nicoletta
Published: November 2018

This paper investigates traditional and new tools for increasing the effectiveness of rules and enforcement strategies. As a preliminary concern, it underlines that there are two sides to effectiveness that cannot be approached separately: effectiveness as perfect compliance with the terms of rules, and effectiveness as a result of rules which incentivise behaviours to meet the “spirit of the law”. In order to achieve this comprehensive approach to effectiveness, rules must be evidence-based, plain, understandable and accepted. Moreover, a clear understanding of compliance drivers is needed. Deterrence and all other possible motivations that go beyond the rational calculus should be assessed by decision-makers, such as internal motivation, procedural fairness, cooperation, social norms, heuristics and bias. Enriching the rationality assumption with other drivers of compliance does not mean dismissing traditional rules or enforcement tools, which conversely remain crucial for the purpose of supporting voluntary compliance and for preventing non-compliance. However, deterrence should be calibrated by a risk-based, responsive and proportional approach to (simplified) rules and enforcement strategies. Trust in public authorities, supportive and cooperative public administrations are also fundamental in order to increase voluntary compliance, and a cognitive-based approach should complement these views.
Mixed-methods analysis of glove use as a barrier to hand hygiene
Authors: Acquarulo Blake A. , Sullivan Linda , Gentile Anthony L. , Boyce John M. , Martinello Richard A.
Published: November 2018

Examination gloves have been previously noted as a possible barrier to hand hygiene. We performed a prospective quantitative and qualitative study to investigate. Glove usage was found to be a potential barrier to hand hygiene; this was driven by desire for personal safety and potentially learned during professional training.
Revision of the Age of Construction Phases of a Mound Dated to the Late Copper–Early Bronze Age in Eastern Hungary Relying on14C-Based Chronologies
Authors: Szilágyi Gábor , Sümegi Pál , Gulyás Sándor , Molnár Dávid
Published: November 2018

Ecse Mound is a burial mound in the Hortobágy region of eastern Hungary. Built by prehistoric nomadic peoples from the east, it now stands on the border between two modern settlements. The construction of the mound was assumed to be related to representatives of the Pit Grave Culture populating the area between the Late Copper and Bronze Ages. This theory considered similarities in shape, orientation, and stratigraphy of this mound with other absolute-dated ones in the Hortobágy region alone. The mound comprises two construction layers as indicated by magnetic susceptibility and on-site stratigraphic observations. According to detailed sedimentological, geochemical analyses of samples taken from the bedrock, artificial stratigraphic horizons, and the overlying topsoil, there is a marked similarity between the soil forming the body of the mound in both artificial horizons and the underlying bedrock soil. In contrast the pedological, geological character of the modern topsoil is utterly different. According to our dating results, the uppermost stratigraphic horizon is coeval with the absolute-dated mounds in the region, assigning it to the period of the Pit Grave Culture. However, the lower anthropological horizon is older and dates to between the Early and Late Copper Ages.
Archaeological Materials of Eneolithic Settlements in Forest-Steppe Zone of the Volga Region: A Source for Diet and Chronology
Authors: Korolev A , Kulkova M M , Platonov V , Roslyakova N , Shalapinin A , Yanish Y E
Published: November 2018

The study the diet of Eneolithic populations is of great interest to archaeologists. However, the studies undertaken in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of Volga region in Russia have left many issues unsolved. Data collected recently through the comprehensive studies of Lebyazhinka VI settlement enable us to change this situation. Of particular importance at this settlement site is good preservation of animal bones, bone fishing tools, and ceramics of the same type with food crusts and connected to a large house pit. For the first time in this geographical area, bones of domestic animals were found in the fill of a dwelling. The aim of this paper is to present the results obtained through comprehensive studies of diet and economy in the Eneolithic based on the materials from Lebyazhinka III and Lebyazhinka VI settlement sites. The main results of the archaeozoological analysis— determinations of species, age and size of the animals—provide the necessary data for studying the diet. We conclude that there are differences between Lebyazhinka III and Lebyazhinka VI settlements. Lebyazhinka III settlement included bones of only wild species, however, Lebyazhinka VI settlement consists of wild and domestic species.
What Is the Carbon Origin of Early-Wood?
Authors: Kudsk Sabrina G K , Olsen Jesper , Nielsen Lasse N , Fogtmann-Schulz Alexandra , Knudsen Mads F , Karoff Christoffer
Published: November 2018

Substantial amounts of annual radiocarbon (14C) data have recently been produced with the purpose of increasing the time resolution of14C records used for constructing the calibration curve and for studying the occurrence of abrupt cosmic-ray events. In this study, we investigate if it is possible to resolve sub-annual scale changes in the atmospheric14C content by measuring radiocarbon in early-wood and late-wood fractions from Danish oak. The tree-ring samples span the period 1954–1970 CE, hereby covering the peak of the bomb pulse. A least squares test comparing the atmospheric14C content and the new sub-annual14C record from Danish tree rings reveals that by measuring early-wood and late-wood fractions, it may be possible to resolve sub-annual variations in past atmospheric14C levels.
Factorizations in Bounded Hereditary Noetherian Prime Rings
Authors: Smertnig Daniel
Published: November 2018

IfHis a monoid anda = u1···uk ∈ Hwith atoms (irreducible elements)u1, … ,uk, thenkis a length ofa, the set of lengths ofais denoted byⅬ(a), and ℒ(H) = {Ⅼ(a) |a ∈ H} is the system of sets of lengths ofH. LetRbe a hereditary Noetherian prime (HNP) ring. Then every element of the monoid of non-zero-divisorsR•can be written as a product of atoms. We show that ifRis bounded and every stably free rightR-ideal is free, then there exists a transfer homomorphism fromR•to the monoidBof zero-sum sequences over a subsetGmax(R) of the ideal class groupG(R). This implies that the systems of sets of lengths, together with further arithmetical invariants, of the monoidsR•andBcoincide. It is well known that commutative Dedekind domains allow transfer homomorphisms to monoids of zero-sum sequences, and the arithmetic of the latter has been the object of much research. Our approach is based on the structure theory of finitely generated projective modules over HNP rings, as established in the recent monograph by Levy and Robson. We complement our results by giving an example of a non-bounded HNP ring in which every stably free rightR-ideal is free but which does not allow a transfer homomorphism to a monoid of zero-sum sequences over any subset of its ideal class group.
Geochemistry and geochronology of OIB-type, Early Jurassic magmatism in the Zhangguangcai range, NE China, as a result of continental back-arc extension
Authors: Feng Guangying , Dilek Yildirim , Niu Xiaolu , Liu Fei , Yang Jingsui
Published: November 2018

The Zhangguangcai Range in the Xing’an Mongolian Orogenic Belt, NE China, contains Early Jurassic (c. 188 Ma) Dabaizigou (DBZG) porphyritic dolerite. Compared with other island-arc mafic rocks, the DBZG dolerite is characterized by high trace-element contents, relatively weak Nb and Ta enrichments, and no Zr, Hf or Ti depletions, similar to OIB-type rocks. Analysed rocks have (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios of 0.7033–0.7044, relatively uniform positive ɛNd(t) values of 2.3–3.2 and positive ɛHf(t) values of 8.5–17.1. Trace-element and isotopic modelling indicates that the DBZG mafic rocks were generated by partial melting of asthenospheric mantle under garnet- to spinel-facies conditions. The occurrence of OIB-like mafic intrusion suggests significant upwelling of the asthenosphere in response to lithospheric attenuation caused by continental rifting. These processes occurred in an incipient continental back-arc environment in the upper plate of a palaeo-Pacific slab subducting W–NW beneath East Asia.
Familism values across the transition to adolescent motherhood: Links to family functioning and Mexican-origin adolescent mothers’ adjustment
Authors: Updegraff Kimberly A. , Umaña-Taylor Adriana J. , Zeiders Katharine H. , Bravo Diamond Y. , Jahromi Laudan B.
Published: November 2018

Familism values are conceptualized as a key source of resilience for Latino adolescents’ psychosocial adjustment. The current study addressed the developmental progression and correlates of familism within the context of the transition to adolescent motherhood. Participants were 191 Mexican-origin pregnant adolescents (15 to 18 years of age at first pregnancy; Mage = 16.76 years; SD = 0.98) who were having their first child. Adolescents completed interviews during their third trimester of pregnancy and annually for 5 years after (Waves 1 through 6). We examined changes in familism values across the transition to adolescent motherhood and the moderating role of age at pregnancy. Moderation analyses revealed differences in familism trajectories for younger versus older adolescents. We also examined whether familism values were related to family relationship dynamics (i.e., adolescents’ relationships with their own mother figures) and adolescents’ psychosocial adjustment, respectively, using multilevel models to test both between-person and within-person associations. Adolescents’ stronger familism values were related to adolescent–mother figure warmth and conflict, coparenting communication, and three dimensions of social support from mother figures, but no associations emerged for coparental conflict, adolescents’ depressive symptoms, or self-esteem. Discussion addresses these findings in the context of culturally grounded models of ethnic–racial minority youth development and psychopathology.
Ethnic–racial identity content and the development of depressive symptoms among Latino adolescents
Authors: Cross Fernanda L. , Hoffman Adam J. , Constante Kevin , Rivas-Drake Deborah
Published: November 2018

The current study examined the concurrent and prospective associations of ethnic–racial identity content (i.e., centrality, private regard, and public regard) and depressive symptomatology among Latino adolescents. Data were drawn from a longitudinal study of Latino adolescents (N = 148, 53.4% girls) who were 13–14 years old at Wave 1. Results indicated that higher ethnic–racial centrality at Waves 1 and 2 predicted fewer depressive symptoms at Waves 2 and 3, respectively. In addition, more positive private regard at Wave 1 predicted fewer depressive symptoms at Wave 2, and more positive public regard at Wave 2 predicted fewer symptoms at Wave 3. Thus, ethnic–racial identity content may serve as a cultural protective factor that is linked to diminished depressive symptomatology among Latino youth.
Implementing international law: An avenue for preventing disappearances, resolving cases of missing persons and addressing the needs of their families
Authors: Londoño Ximena , Ortiz Signoret Alexandra
Published: November 2018

International humanitarian law and international human rights law seek to prevent people from going missing, and to clarify the fate and whereabouts of those who do go missing while upholding the right to know of their relatives. When implementing international law at the domestic level, national authorities should plan carefully before engaging in any policy or legal reform that will address the issue of missing persons and the response to the needs of their families. This article seeks to present a general overview of the provisions of international law that are relevant to understanding the role of national implementation vis-à-vis the clarification of the fate and whereabouts of missing persons and the response to the needs of their relatives. It also presents the role that the ICRC has played in this regard and highlights three challenges that may arise at the national level when working on legal and policy reforms.
Psychopathologie bei Jugendlichen aus sieben Ländern: Welche Bedeutung hat die Kontrolle von Identitätsentwicklung und Familienbeziehungen?
Authors: Seiffge-Krenke Inge , Weitkamp Katharina , Çok Figen , Głogowska Karolina , Pavlopoulos Vassilis , Perchec Cyrille , Rohail Iffat , Saravia Juan Carlos
Published: November 2018

Zusammenfassung. In dieser kulturvergleichenden Studie wurde der Einfluss von Geschlecht und Land auf die Symptombelastung von Jugendlichen untersucht, nachdem identitätsbezogene Faktoren kontrolliert wurden. In einer Stichprobe von 2259 Jugendlichen (M = 15.3 Jahre; 54 % weiblich) aus Frankreich, Deutschland, der Türkei, Griechenland, Peru, Pakistan und Polen wurde die Identitätsentwicklung und der mütterliche Erziehungsstil (Unterstützung, psychologische Kontrolle und ängstliches Monitoring) sowie die internalisierende und externalisierende Symptombelastung ermittelt. In einer Kovarianzanalyse wurde die Variation durch Land, Geschlecht und Alter sowie die Interaktion Land x Geschlecht unter Kontrolle des mütterlichen Erziehungsverhaltens und der Identitätsentwicklung als Kovariaten betrachtet. Es zeigte sich ein ähnliches Ergebnis für internalisierende und externalisierende Symptomatik: Rumination und mütterliche Unterstützung, psychologische Kontrolle und ängstliches Monitoring waren signifikante Kovariaten. Der Effekt von Land, Geschlecht, Alter und die Interaktion Land x Geschlecht waren auch nach der Kontrolle der Kovariaten signifikant. Das Auspartialisieren der Kovariaten führte zu einem klareren Bild von länder- und geschlechtsspezifischen Effekten in der Symptombelastung, ein Ergebnis das hilfreich bei der Entwicklung von Interventionsmethoden ist.
Loss of oocyte Rps26 in mice arrests oocyte growth and causes premature ovarian failure
Authors: Liu Xiao-Man , Yan Ming-Qi , Ji Shu-Yan , Sha Qian-Qian , Huang Tao , Zhao Han , Liu Hong-Bin , Fan Heng-Yu , Chen Zi-Jiang
Published: November 2018

Global transcriptional activity increases as oocytes grow and is silenced in fully grown oocytes. Thus, the chromatin configuration varies during oocyte growth, but the molecular mechanisms regulating these changes remain to be clarified. Here, we studied a susceptibility gene of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), RPS26, which is a ribosomal protein-encoding gene that is highly expressed in the ovary, but the functions of which remain unknown. Specific knockout of Rps26 in mouse oocytes resulted in retarded follicle development from pre-antral follicles to antral follicles, while the chromatin configurations of the oocytes were arrested at the transition from the non-surrounded nucleolus (NSN) to surrounded nucleolus (SN)-type. As a consequence, all oocytes died by postnatal day 84 resulting in premature ovarian failure (POF). Loss of Rps26 in oocytes led to decreased mRNA transcription and low levels of histone trimethylation on H3K4/H3K9 and DNA methylation at 5-cytosine, high levels of which are required for oocytes to transform from NSN to SN-type. Low protein levels of oocyte-derived growth differentiation factor 9, bone morphogenetic protein 15, and the oocyte-granulosa cell gap junction protein connexin 37 inhibited oocyte growth and retarded follicle development. The disruption of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/Forkhead box O-3a pathway contributed to oocyte death and follicle atresia. These results provide genetic clues for the clinical diagnosis of POF, especially in PCOS patients without treatment.
Topoisomerase 3β interacts with RNAi machinery to promote heterochromatin formation and transcriptional silencing in Drosophila
Authors: Lee Seung Kyu , Xue Yutong , Shen Weiping , Zhang Yongqing , Joo Yuyoung , Ahmad Muzammil , Chinen Madoka , Ding Yi , Ku Wai Lim , De Supriyo , Lehrmann Elin , Becker Kevin G. , Lei Elissa P. , Zhao Keji , Zou Sige , Sharov Alexei , Wang Weidong
Published: November 2018

Topoisomerases solve topological problems during DNA metabolism, but whether they participate in RNA metabolism remains unclear. Top3β represents a family of topoisomerases carrying activities for both DNA and RNA. Here we show that in Drosophila, Top3β interacts biochemically and genetically with the RNAi-induced silencing complex (RISC) containing AGO2, p68 RNA helicase, and FMRP. Top3β and RISC mutants are similarly defective in heterochromatin formation and transcriptional silencing by position-effect variegation assay. Moreover, both Top3β and AGO2 mutants exhibit reduced levels of heterochromatin protein HP1 in heterochromatin. Furthermore, expression of several genes and transposable elements in heterochromatin is increased in the Top3β mutant. Notably, Top3β mutants defective in either RNA binding or catalytic activity are deficient in promoting HP1 recruitment and silencing of transposable elements. Our data suggest that Top3β may act as an RNA topoisomerase in siRNA-guided heterochromatin formation and transcriptional silencing.
Deep learning for universal linear embeddings of nonlinear dynamics
Authors: Lusch Bethany , Kutz J. Nathan , Brunton Steven L.
Published: November 2018

Identifying coordinate transformations that make strongly nonlinear dynamics approximately linear has the potential to enable nonlinear prediction, estimation, and control using linear theory. The Koopman operator is a leading data-driven embedding, and its eigenfunctions provide intrinsic coordinates that globally linearize the dynamics. However, identifying and representing these eigenfunctions has proven challenging. This work leverages deep learning to discover representations of Koopman eigenfunctions from data. Our network is parsimonious and interpretable by construction, embedding the dynamics on a low-dimensional manifold. We identify nonlinear coordinates on which the dynamics are globally linear using a modified auto-encoder. We also generalize Koopman representations to include a ubiquitous class of systems with continuous spectra. Our framework parametrizes the continuous frequency using an auxiliary network, enabling a compact and efficient embedding, while connecting our models to decades of asymptotics. Thus, we benefit from the power of deep learning, while retaining the physical interpretability of Koopman embeddings.
Autophagy is a gatekeeper of hepatic differentiation and carcinogenesis by controlling the degradation of Yap
Authors: Lee Youngmin A. , Noon Luke A. , Akat Kemal M. , Ybanez Maria D. , Lee Ting-Fang , Berres Marie-Luise , Fujiwara Naoto , Goossens Nicolas , Chou Hsin-I , Parvin-Nejad Fatemeh P. , Khambu Bilon , Kramer Elisabeth G. M. , Gordon Ronald , Pfleger Cathie , Germain Doris , John Gareth R. , Campbell Kirk N. , Yue Zhenyu , Yin Xiao-Ming , Cuervo Ana Maria , Czaja Mark J. , Fiel M. Isabel , Hoshida Yujin , Friedman Scott L.
Published: November 2018

Activation of the Hippo pathway effector Yap underlies many liver cancers, however no germline or somatic mutations have been identified. Autophagy maintains essential metabolic functions of the liver, and autophagy-deficient murine models develop benign adenomas and hepatomegaly, which have been attributed to activation of the p62/Sqstm1-Nrf2 axis. Here, we show that Yap is an autophagy substrate and mediator of tissue remodeling and hepatocarcinogenesis independent of the p62/Sqstm1-Nrf2 axis. Hepatocyte-specific deletion of Atg7 promotes liver size, fibrosis, progenitor cell expansion, and hepatocarcinogenesis, which is rescued by concurrent deletion of Yap. Our results shed new light on mechanisms of Yap degradation and the sequence of events that follow disruption of autophagy, which is impaired in chronic liver disease.
Entropy production rate is maximized in non-contractile actomyosin
Authors: Seara Daniel S. , Yadav Vikrant , Linsmeier Ian , Tabatabai A. Pasha , Oakes Patrick W. , Tabei S. M. Ali , Banerjee Shiladitya , Murrell Michael P.
Published: November 2018

The actin cytoskeleton is an active semi-flexible polymer network whose non-equilibrium properties coordinate both stable and contractile behaviors to maintain or change cell shape. While myosin motors drive the actin cytoskeleton out-of-equilibrium, the role of myosin-driven active stresses in the accumulation and dissipation of mechanical energy is unclear. To investigate this, we synthesize an actomyosin material in vitro whose active stress content can tune the network from stable to contractile. Each increment in activity determines a characteristic spectrum of actin filament fluctuations which is used to calculate the total mechanical work and the production of entropy in the material. We find that the balance of work and entropy does not increase monotonically and the entropy production rate is maximized in the non-contractile, stable state of actomyosin. Our study provides evidence that the origins of entropy production and activity-dependent dissipation relate to disorder in the molecular interactions between actin and myosin.
Publisher Correction: Cytoplasmic localization of GRHL3 upon epidermal differentiation triggers cell shape change for epithelial morphogenesis
Authors: Kimura-Yoshida Chiharu , Mochida Kyoko , Nakaya Masa-aki , Mizutani Takeomi , Matsuo Isao
Published: November 2018

The original version of this Article contained an error in the labelling of Fig. 4. In panel i, the sixth column was incorrectly labelled as NSC23766 negative, and should have been NSC23766 positive. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Diversity and predictive metabolic pathways of the prokaryotic microbial community along a groundwater salinity gradient of the Pearl River Delta, China
Authors: Sang Shilei , Zhang Xiaoying , Dai Heng , Hu Bill X. , Ou Hao , Sun Liwei
Published: November 2018

Almost half of the groundwater in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) contains salt water originally derived from paleo-seawater due to the Holocene transgression, which then generates intense physicochemical gradients in the mixing zone between freshwater and saltwater. Although some studies have been conducted on the hydrological and geochemical characteristics of groundwater in the PRD to monitor the intrusion of seawater, little attention has been paid to the microbial community of this particular region. In this study, we implemented a high-throughput sequencing analysis to characterize the microbial communities along a salinity gradient in the PRD aquifer, China. Our results indicated that the microbial community composition varied significantly depending on the salinity of the aquifer. The presence of abundant anaerobic microorganisms of the genera Desulfovibrio and Methanococcus in certain saltwater samples may be responsible for the gas generation of H2S and CH4 in the stratum. In saline water samples (TDS > 10 g/L), the linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis found two biomarkers that usually live in marine environments, and the aquifers of the PRD still contained large quantity of saltwater, indicating that the impact of the paleo-seawater has lasted to this day. The predictive metagenomic analysis revealed that the metabolic pathways present in the groundwater samples studied, included the degradation of pesticides and refractory organics (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), atrazine and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), matter cycling (methane, nitrogen and sulfur), and inorganic ion and mineral metabolites. This study can help enhance our understanding of the composition of the microbial assemblages and its implications as an environmental indicator in an aquifer affected by saltwater intrusion.
Whole genome amplification of cell-free DNA enables detection of circulating tumor DNA mutations from fingerstick capillary blood
Authors: Gyanchandani Rekha , Kvam Erik , Heller Ryan , Finehout Erin , Smith Nicholas , Kota Karthik , Nelson John R. , Griffin Weston , Puhalla Shannon , Brufsky Adam M. , Davidson Nancy E. , Lee Adrian V.
Published: November 2018

The ability to measure mutations in plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has the potential to revolutionize cancer surveillance and treatment by enabling longitudinal monitoring not possible with solid tumor biopsies. However, obtaining sufficient quantities of cfDNA remains a challenge for assay development and clinical translation; consequently, large volumes of venous blood are typically required. Here, we test proof-of-concept for using smaller volumes via fingerstick collection. Matched venous and fingerstick blood were obtained from seven patients with metastatic breast cancer. Fingerstick blood was separated at point-of-care using a novel paper-based concept to isolate plasma centrifuge-free. Patient cfDNA was then analyzed with or without a new method for whole genome amplification via rolling-circle amplification (WG-RCA). We identified somatic mutations by targeted sequencing and compared the concordance of mutation detection from venous and amplified capillary samples by droplet-digital PCR. Patient mutations were detected with 100% concordance after WG-RCA, although in some samples, allele frequencies showed greater variation likely due to differential amplification or primer inaccessibility. These pilot findings provide physiological evidence that circulating tumor DNA is accessible by fingerstick and sustains presence/absence of mutation detection after whole-genome amplification. Further refinement may enable simpler and less-invasive methods for longitudinal or theranostic surveillance of metastatic cancer.
Feature Ranking in Predictive Models for Hospital-Acquired Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Wu Lijuan , Hu Yong , Liu Xiaoxiao , Zhang Xiangzhou , Chen Weiqi , Yu Alan S. L. , Kellum John A. , Waitman Lemuel R. , Liu Mei
Published: November 2018

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a common complication encountered among hospitalized patients, imposing significantly increased cost, morbidity, and mortality. Early prediction of AKI has profound clinical implications because currently no treatment exists for AKI once it develops. Feature selection (FS) is an essential process for building accurate and interpretable prediction models, but to our best knowledge no study has investigated the robustness and applicability of such selection process for AKI. In this study, we compared eight widely-applied FS methods for AKI prediction using nine-years of electronic medical records (EMR) and examined heterogeneity in feature rankings produced by the methods. FS methods were compared in terms of stability with respect to data sampling variation, similarity between selection results, and AKI prediction performance. Prediction accuracy did not intrinsically guarantee the feature ranking stability. Across different FS methods, the prediction performance did not change significantly, while the importance rankings of features were quite different. A positive correlation was observed between the complexity of suitable FS method and sample size. This study provides several practical implications, including recognizing the importance of feature stability as it is desirable for model reproducibility, identifying important AKI risk factors for further investigation, and facilitating early prediction of AKI.
Publisher Correction: Improved collective influence of finding most influential nodes based on disjoint-set reinsertion
Authors: Zhu Fengkuangtian
Published: November 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.
Host-specific signatures of the cell wall changes induced by the plant parasitic nematode, Meloidogyne incognita
Authors: Bozbuga Refik , Lilley Catherine J. , Knox J. Paul , Urwin Peter E.
Published: November 2018

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are an important group of plant parasitic nematodes that induce within host plant roots unique feeding site structures, termed giant cells, which supply nutrient flow to the nematode. A comparative in situ analysis of cell wall polysaccharides in the giant cells of three host species (Arabidopsis, maize and aduki bean) infected with Meloidogyne incognita has been carried out. Features common to giant cell walls of all three species include the presence of high-esterified pectic homogalacturonan, xyloglucan and pectic arabinan. The species-specific presence of xylan and mixed-linkage glucan (MLG) epitopes in giant cell walls of maize reflected that host’s taxonomic group. The LM5 galactan and LM21 mannan epitopes were not detected in the giant cell walls of aduki bean but were detected in Arabidopsis and maize giant cell walls. The LM2 arabinogalactan-protein epitope was notable for its apparent global variations in root cell walls as a response to infection across the three host species. Additionally, a set of Arabidopsis cell wall mutants were used to determine any impacts of altered cell wall structures on M. incognita infection. Disruption of the arabinogalactan-protein 8 gene had the greatest impact and resulted in an increased infection rate.
Cytokine and Chemokine Concentrations as Biomarkers of Feline Mycobacteriosis
Authors: O’Halloran C. , McCulloch L. , Rentoul L. , Alexander J. , Hope J. C. , Gunn-Moore D. A.
Published: November 2018

Mycobacteriosis is an emerging zoonotic disease of domestic cats and timely, accurate diagnosis is currently challenging. To identify differential cytokine/chemokine concentrations in serum/plasma of cats, which could be diagnostic biomarkers of infection we analysed plasma/serum from 116 mycobacteria-infected cats, 16 healthy controls and six cats hospitalised for unrelated reasons was analysed using the Milliplex MAP Feline Cytokine Magnetic Bead multiplex assay. Three cytokines; sFAS, IL-13 and IL-4 were reduced while seven; GM-CSF, IL-2, PDGF-BB, IL-8, KC, RANTES and TNF-α were elevated in mycobacteria-infected cats compared to healthy controls. However, IL-8 and KC concentrations were not significantly different from cats hospitalised for other reasons. Elevations in TNF-α and PDGF-BB may have potential to identify M. bovis and M. microti infected cats specifically while GM-CSF, IL-2 and FLT3L were increased in MTBC infected cats. This study demonstrates potential use of feline tuberculosis as a spontaneously occurring model of this significant human disease. Cytokine profiling has clear diagnostic potential for mycobacteriosis of cats and could be used discriminate tuberculous from non-tuberculous disease to rapidly inform on zoonotic risk. Future work should focus on the in-field utility of these findings to establish diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of these markers.
Publisher Correction: Epigenetic changes in myelofibrosis: Distinct methylation changes in the myeloid compartments and in cases with ASXL1 mutations
Authors: Nielsen Helene Myrtue , Andersen Christen Lykkegaard , Westman Maj , Kristensen Lasse Sommer , Asmar Fazila , Kruse Torben Arvid , Thomassen Mads , Larsen Thomas Stauffer , Skov Vibe , Hansen Lise Lotte , Bjerrum Ole Weis , Hasselbalch Hans Carl , Punj Vasu , Grønbæk Kirsten
Published: November 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.
L-Proline functionalized magnetic nanoparticles: A novel magnetically reusable nanocatalyst for one-pot synthesis of 2,4,6-triarylpyridines
Authors: Maleki Ali , Firouzi-Haji Razieh
Published: November 2018

In this work, an efficient method for the immobilization of L-proline on magnetic nanoparticles was offered and evaluated as a recoverable magnetic nanocatalyst for synthesis of 2,4,6-triarylpyridines through one-pot three-component reaction of acetophenone, aryl aldehydes and ammonium acetate. This article is the first report of the catalytic application of L-proline functionalized magnetic nanoparticles in organic reactions as a magnetic nanocatalyst. This novel magnetic nanocatalyst proved to be effective and provided the products in high to excellent yield under solvent-free conditions. The structure of obtained nanoparticles was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry (FT-IR), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). TGA result revealed that it is stable up to 200 °C for using as a catalyst in organic reactions. FE-SEM image of the synthesized nanocatalyst showed that it has nearly core-shell spherical shape and uniform size distribution with an average size about 80 nm. Moreover, the catalyst could be easily recovered by facile separation by magnetic forces and recycled for several times without significant loss of its catalytic activity. The benefits of this study are simplicity, nontoxicity, low cost, simple workup, and an environmentally benign nature.
Plastic in Marine Litter
Authors: Chin Li Wai , Fung Tse Hin
Published: November 2018

Anthropogenic litter is found in marine environments from the beach, beach sediment and surface water to the seafloor. Plastic can persist and accumulate in the marine environment for a long period because of its light weight and degradation-resistant properties. The global production of plastic increased from 230 million tonnes in 2005 to 322 million tonnes in 2015. It has been estimated that plastic production will increase to 330 million tonnes in 2017. Mismanaged plastic waste can enter the marine environment via both land-based sources and oceanic-based sources. Ocean gyres, oceanic convergence zones and even polar regions are regarded as plastic waste accumulation hotspots. Over 690 species including seabirds, turtles, and fish have been reported to ingest plastic debris. Additionally, large plastic debris, especially derelict fishing gear and packing bags, pose a plastic entanglement risk to marine organisms. Plastic debris can act as vectors for the accumulation of hydrophobic organic pollutants and heavy metals or metalloids, and thus potentially cause harmful effects to marine organisms, such as endocrine system disruption, liver and kidney failure, hormone alterations and teratogenicity. This chapter summarizes the sources, distributions and fates of plastic debris in the marine environment, as well as the physical and chemical effects induced by plastic debris. Finally, recommendations including legislation reinforcement, better management of waste collection systems and landfills, raising the awareness of different stakeholders and the application of advanced technology are suggested to reduce the amount of plastics in the marine environment.
Self-assembling peptides cross-linked with genipin: resilient hydrogels and self-standing electrospun scaffolds for tissue engineering applications
Authors: Pugliese Raffaele , Maleki Mahboubeh , Zuckermann Ronald N. , Gelain Fabrizio
Published: November 2018

Molecular cross-linking with genipin enables the production of resilient standard and electro-spun self-standing scaffolds made of self-assembling peptides.
Algal oil rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids suppresses B16F10 melanoma lung metastasis by autophagy induction
Authors: Tan Rong-Hui , Wang Feng , Fan Chuan-Long , Zhang Xiao-Hong , Zhao Jin-Shun , Zhang Jin-Jie , Yang Yong , Xi Yang , Zou Zu-Quan , Bu Shi-Zhong
Published: November 2018

Melanoma is a malignant tumor that arises from epidermal melanocytes with high morbidity and mortality, and currently, there are no effective conventional genotoxic treatments or systematic treatment.
Descriptor study by density functional theory analysis for the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide using palladium–gold and palladium–mercury alloy catalysts
Authors: Nugraha Mawan , Tsai Meng-Che , Su Wei-Nien , Chou Hung-Lung , Hwang Bing Joe
Published: November 2018

New concepts combining thermodynamic and kinetic parameters for designing catalysts with high selectivity.
Ligand-assisted reduction and reprecipitation synthesis of highly luminescent metal nanoclusters
Authors: Wang Yue , Shi Yu-e , Li Tianzi , Wang Henggang , Li Yanxiu , Xiong Yuan , Peng Shan , Wang Zhenguang
Published: November 2018

A ligand-assisted reduction and reprecipitation process was developed to synthesize luminescent Cu NCs on a gram scale.
Boosting the energy storage densities of supercapacitors by incorporating N-doped graphene quantum dots into cubic porous carbon
Authors: Li Zhen , Bu Fan , Wei Junjie , Yao Weiwei , Wang Liang , Chen Zhiwen , Pan Dengyu , Wu Minghong
Published: November 2018

Hierarchical N-doped porous carbon has been prepared by assembling N-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) onto a carbonized metal–organic framework (cMOF-5) and used as an electrode material for supercapacitors.
Predicting archetypal nanoparticle shapes using a combination of thermodynamic theory and machine learning
Authors: Yan Tao , Sun Baichuan , Barnard Amanda S.
Published: November 2018

Machine learning is a useful tool to determine where computational resources should focus, such as choosing representative sizes and shapes of nanoparticles, prior to simulation.
Orientation-dependent optical characterization of atomically thin transition metal ditellurides
Authors: Hoang Anh Tuan , Shinde Sachin M. , Katiyar Ajit K. , Dhakal Krishna P. , Chen Xiang , Kim Hyunmin , Lee Suk Woo , Lee Zonghoon , Ahn Jong-Hyun
Published: November 2018

Molybdenum ditellurides (MoTe2) have recently attracted attention owing to their excellent structurally tunable nature between 1T′(metallic)- and 2H(semiconducting)-phases; thus, the controllable fabrication and critical identification of MoTe2 are highly desired.
Biomimetic macroscopic mesocrystalline films produced by oriented assembly of nanorods under magnetic field
Authors: Takasaki Mihiro , Suzuki Tohru S. , Oaki Yuya , Imai Hiroaki
Published: November 2018

Millimeter-scale mesocrystals and cross-lamellae mimicking the nanostructure of seashells were produced on a substrate through the 3D oriented assembly of calcite nanorods by combining arrangement with evaporation-driven capillary force and alignment under an intense magnetic field.
A novel MnO2/MXene composite prepared by electrostatic self-assembly and its use as an electrode for enhanced supercapacitive performance
Authors: Chen Shu , Xiang Yuanfang , Xu Weijian , Peng Chang
Published: November 2018

A novel MnO2/MXene composite prepared by electrostatic self-assembly and its use as an electrode for enhanced supercapacitive performance.
Controllable fabrication of α-Ag2WO4 nanorod-clusters with superior simulated sunlight photocatalytic performance
Authors: Wang Bing-Yu , Zhang Guo-Ying , Cui Guan-Wei , Xu Yan-Yan , Liu Yue , Xing Chun-Yan
Published: November 2018

This work presents the greatly boosted photoactivity of α-Ag2WO4 nanorod-clusters fabricated by adjusting the molar ratio of raw materials.
Successive near-room-temperature dielectric phase transitions in a lead-free hybrid perovskite-like compound
Authors: Zhang Jing , Han Shiguo , Liu Xitao , Ji Chengmin , Tao Kewen , Asghar Muhammad Adnan , Luo Junhua , Sun Zhihua
Published: November 2018

We have reported a lead-free organic–inorganic hybrid compound, (hexamethyleneimine)2BiBr5 (1), which undergoes three successive phase transitions in the vicinity of room temperature.
Unprecedented thiocarbamidation of nitroarenes: a facile one-pot route to unsymmetrical thioureas
Authors: Dutta Soumya , Mondal Manas , Ghosh Tubai , Saha Amit
Published: November 2018

A one-pot synthesis of unsymmetrical thiourea compounds was achieved by the reaction of nitroarenes with in situ generated dithiocarbamate anions.
A lipopeptide biosurfactant from Bacillus sp. Lv13 and their combined effects on biodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene
Authors: Lyu Yinghai , Zhang Tingting , Dou Baojuan , Li Guijiang , Ma Chengxin , Li Yangyang
Published: November 2018

Complex interactions among DBT, bacteria and biomolecules play a major role in the absence of lipopeptides. After adding lipopeptides, DBT degrades rapidly to HBP through BDS.
Roles of a new drug-delivery healing abutment in the prevention and treatment of peri-implant infections: a preliminary study
Authors: Zhang Shuang , Wang Min , Jiang Tao , Zhou Yi , Wang Yining
Published: November 2018

We modified a normal abutment into a drug delivery abutment and discussed its possible application in the prevention and treatment of peri-implant infections.
Structural heterogeneity in polymeric nitric oxide donor nanoblended coatings for controlled release behaviors
Authors: Jeong Hyejoong , Park Kyungtae , Yoo Jae-Chan , Hong Jinkee
Published: November 2018

Controlled nitric oxide (NO) delivery based on the heterogeneity of polymeric coating structures for local NO treatment.
A promising visible light-driven photocatalytic activity of conjugated polymer nanocrystals
Authors: Pornrungroj Chanon , Ozawa Mamiko , Onodera Tsunenobu , Oikawa Hidetoshi
Published: November 2018

Demonstration of conjugated polymer nanocrystals as highly visible-light-active photocatalysts.
Investigation of electrolytic flocculation for microalga Scenedesmus sp. using aluminum and graphite electrodes
Authors: Liu Shihong , Abu Hajar Husam A. , Riefler Guy , Stuart Ben J.
Published: November 2018

Electrolytic flocculation of microalgae using aluminum and graphite electrodes.
Evolution of microstructure and formation mechanism of Nd-Fe-B nanoparticles prepared by low energy consumption chemical method
Authors: Guo Yaozu , Zhao Dong , You Junhua , Pei Wenli , Qu Yingdong , Wang Xiaoyang , Meng Qingyu
Published: November 2018

The Nd-Fe-B intermediate was successfully prepared by using a low-energy chemical method.
Reductive α-borylation of α,β-unsaturated esters using NHC–BH3 activated by I2 as a metal-free route to α-boryl esters
Authors: Radcliffe James E. , Fasano Valerio , Adams Ralph W. , You Peiran , Ingleson Michael J.
Published: November 2018

The combination of NHC–BH3/I2 represents a simple method for the reductive α-borylation of α,β-unsaturated esters to form useful α-boryl esters.
The influence of roughness on stem cell differentiation using 3D printed polylactic acid scaffolds
Authors: Feng Kuan-Che , Pinkas-Sarafova Adriana , Ricotta Vincent , Cuiffo Michael , Zhang Linxi , Guo Yichen , Chang Chung-Chueh , Halada Gary P. , Simon Marcia , Rafailovich Miriam
Published: November 2018

With the increase in popularity of 3D printing, an important question arises as to the equivalence between devices manufactured by standard methods vs. those presenting with identical bulk specifications, but manufactured via fused deposition modeling (FDM) printing.
Ultrathin CoFe-layered double hydroxide nanosheets embedded in high conductance Cu3N nanowire arrays with a 3D core–shell architecture for ultrahigh capacitance supercapacitors
Authors: Zhou Xing , Li Xiaohui , Chen Dejian , Zhao Danyang , Huang Xintang
Published: November 2018

Ultrathin layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets are a promising candidate as the electrode material for energy storage due to the ultrafast mass diffusion and greater specific surface area.
A donor–acceptor semiconducting polymer with a random configuration for efficient, green-solvent-processable flexible solar cells
Authors: Son Sung Yun , Kim Jae Won , Lee JooHyeon , Kim Guan-Woo , Hong Jisu , Kim Jin Young , Park Taiho
Published: November 2018

Random configuration approach simultaneously enhances charge mobility, solubility in a green solvent, and flexibility of a semiconducting polymer.