bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification and characterisation of common glow-worm RNA viruses
Authors: Viljakainen Lumi , Borshagovski Anna-Maria , Saarenpää Sami , Kaitala Arja , Jurvansuu Jaana
Published: January 2020

The common glow-worms (Lampyris noctiluca) are best known for emission of green light by their larvae and sexually active adult females. However, both their DNA and RNA viruses remain unknown. Glow-worms are virologically interesting, as they are non-social and do not feed as adults, and hence their viral transmission may be limited. We identified viral sequences from 11 different virus taxa by the RNA-sequencing of two Finnish populations of adult glow-worms. The viruses represent nine different virus families and have negative, positive, or double-stranded RNA genomes. We also found a complete retroviral genome. Similar viral sequences were found from the sequencing data of common eastern firefly of North America, a species belonging to the same family (Lampyridae) as that of the common glow-worm. On average, an individual glow-worm had seven different RNA virus types and most of them appeared to establish a stable infection since they were found from glow-worms during two consecutive years. Here we present the characterization of load, prevalence, and interactions for each virus. Most of the glow-worm RNA viruses seem to be transmitted vertically, which may reflect the biology of glow-worms as non-social capital breeders, i.e., they invest stored resources in reproduction.
Goldilocks, the Three Bears and Intensive Care Unit Utilization: Delivering Enough Intensive Care But Not Too Much. A Narrative Review
Authors: Myers Laura C. , Escobar Gabriel , Liu Vincent X.
Published: January 2020

Professional societies have developed recommendations for patient triage protocols, but wide variations in triage patterns for many acute conditions exist among hospitals in the United States. Differences in hospitals’ triage patterns can be attributed to factors such as physician behavior, hospital policy and real-time conditions such as intensive care unit capacity. The patient safety concern is that patients evaluated for admission to the intensive care unit during times of high intensive care unit capacity may have adverse outcomes related to delays in care. Because standardization of a national triage policy is not feasible due to differing resources available at each hospital, local guidelines should prevail that take into account hospitals’ local resources. The goal would be to better match intensive care unit bed supply with demand.
What face familiarity feelings say about the lateralization of specific entities within the core system
Authors: Gainotti Guido
Published: January 2020

The target article carefully describes the memory system, centered on the temporal lobe that builds specific memory traces. It does not, however, mention the laterality effects that exist within this system. This commentary briefly surveys evidence showing that clear asymmetries exist within the temporal lobe structures subserving the core system and that the right temporal structures mainly underpin face familiarity feelings.
Fluency: A trigger of familiarity for relational representations?
Authors: Sadeh Talya
Published: January 2020

According to Bastin et al.’s integrative memory model, familiarity may be attributed to both entity representations and relational representations. However, the model does not specify what triggers familiarity for relational representations. I argue that fluency is a key player in the attribution of familiarity regardless of the type of representation. Two lines of evidence are reviewed in support of my claim.
Temple, machine, caravan
Authors: López Fernando Quesada
Published: January 2020

Between 1965 and 1975 there was an intense debate in Italy about theatrical culture, which encompassed theatre building and the urban, social, and political roles of theatre. It was articulated around three terms that imply three ways of relating the theatrical building and the city: the temple, the machine, and the caravan. This unusually rich debate has been largely ignored in the historiography of Italian and European architecture, despite its intensity and the importance of its protagonists for the architectural culture of the twentieth century.
From engl-isc to whatever-ish: a corpus-based investigation of -ish derivation in the history of English
Authors: EITELMANN MATTHIAS , HAUGLAND KARI E. , HAUMANN DAGMAR
Published: January 2020

Drawing on a wide array of historical and contemporary corpora, this article provides one of the first empirical analyses of the intricately related functional changes that -ish underwent in the course of English language history. By investigating the distribution of -ish formations, the analysis sheds light on the productivity of the suffix, which does not only become evident in the numerous hapax legomena, but also in the trajectory of change itself in which -ish occurs with ever new base categories and new functions. Moreover, the article revisits theoretical claims made in the literature about the diachronic development and synchronic properties of -ish and reassesses them in the light of the corpus-based observations.
Morphological Features of Ionospheric Scintillations During High Solar Activity Using GPS Observations Over the South American Sector
Authors: de Jesus R. , Batista I. S. , Takahashi H. , de Paula E. R. , Barros D. , Figueiredo C. A. O. B. , de Abreu A. J. , Jonah O. F. , Fagundes P. R. , Venkatesh K.
Published: January 2020

The main objective of this study is to investigate the ionospheric irregularities observed by Global Positioning System‐total electron content (GPS‐TEC) receivers during the high solar activity years of 2013 and 2014 at different stations in the equatorial and low‐latitude regions in the South American sector. The ionospheric parameters used in this investigation are the TEC, the rate of change of the TEC index (ROTI), and the amplitude scintillation index (S4). In the South American sector, the ROTI and S4 indices showed that the ionospheric irregularities have an annual variation with maximum occurrence from September to April, between 20:00 LT and 02:00 LT, and no occurrence from May to August. Also, strong phase fluctuations (ROTI >1) are observed over South America at 19 LT in October and November. Morlet wavelet analysis of ROTI and S4 showed that planetary wave‐scale periods ranging from 2 to 8 days are predominant during September–March at 20–02 LT in South America. In addition, using a keogram it was possible to evaluate the distance between adjacent ionospheric plasma depletions, and this result is presented and discussed. The longitudinal distances between adjacent bubbles vary around ~600–1000 km, which is larger than values reported in most previous studies.
Numerical Study on Earthquake Energy Partitioning: Relationships Among Radiated Energy, Seismic Moment, and Stress Drop
Authors: Khademian Z. , Nakagawa M. , Ozbay U.
Published: January 2020

This paper aims at mechanistically studying some aspects of earthquake energy partitioning with a focus on the radiated energy (Es) and seismic moment (Mo) relationships for investigating differences between estimates of average dynamic stress drop (
) and static stress drop (
). We evaluate to what extent a relatively simple but analytically verified faulting simulation can explain such differences. We adopt a numerical methodology developed in the 2‐D Universal Distinct Element Code to simulate fault slip with slip‐weakening responses. A method is introduced for recording the ground reaction to slip and from which we discuss the energy partitioning in ideal cases of rupture. We examine a shallow strike‐slip fault model where a locally peaked stress is gradually developed on the fault by applying tectonic stresses away from the fault surface until a rupture is initiated locally and propagated outward. The rupture is terminated when the available energy is exhausted by the fracture energy and friction work especially as the rupture is followed by a creep. With investigating roles of the available energy for rupture and the fracture energy, we display limited cases where Mo does not, at least proportionately, scale with Es. Results show this is because Mo, compared to Es, does not fully represent the energy available for initiating a rupture and the fracture energy consumed during its propagation. That is why 2μEs/Mo and 2μEs/ηRMo estimates, with the radiation ratio ηR and rigidity μ, may significantly differ from
and
.
A Block Model of Present‐Day Kinematics of Alaska and Western Canada
Authors: Elliott Julie , Freymueller Jeffrey T.
Published: January 2020

We present an updated GPS velocity field for Alaska and western Canada and use it to develop the first regionally comprehensive tectonic block model for the area based on modern geodetic data. The greatest tectonic influences along the southern margin are the translation, collision, and flat slab subduction of the Yakutat block and subduction of the Pacific plate. Northward directed velocities surrounding the Yakutat collisional front are consistent with indenter‐related deformation while southcentral Alaska is undergoing a counterclockwise rotation. Westerly velocities in western Alaska and along the Aleutian forearc suggest that crustal material is escaping into the Bering Sea region. The majority of relative plate motion is taken up along major boundary faults, but right‐lateral strike‐slip faults in interior and western Alaska accommodate part of the motion. Escape tectonics in western Alaska extends as far north as the Kaltag fault. We observe significant motion relative to North America in every part of Alaska, including the North Slope. Evidence of localized right‐lateral shear between the Totschunda and Fairweather faults suggests that strain transfer into interior Alaska has moved away from the eastern Denali‐Chatham Strait system to a more direct corridor. Observed deformation in southcentral Alaska indicates that locked portions of the Yakutat flat slab extend further east and north than previously estimated.
Data Assimilation for Climate Research: Model Parameter Estimation of Large‐Scale Condensation Scheme
Authors: Kotsuki Shunji , Sato Yousuke , Miyoshi Takemasa
Published: January 2020

This study proposes using data assimilation (DA) for climate research as a tool for optimizing model parameters objectively. Mitigating radiation bias is very important for climate change assessments with general circulation models. With the Nonhydrostatic ICosahedral Atmospheric Model (NICAM), this study estimated an autoconversion parameter in a large‐scale condensation scheme. We investigated two approaches to reducing radiation bias: examining useful satellite observations for parameter estimation and exploring the advantages of estimating spatially varying parameters. The parameter estimation accelerated autoconversion speed when we used liquid water path, outgoing longwave radiation, or outgoing shortwave radiation (OSR). Accelerated autoconversion reduced clouds and mitigated overestimated OSR bias of the NICAM. An ensemble‐based DA with horizontal localization can estimate spatially varying parameters. When liquid water path was used, the local parameter estimation resulted in better cloud representations and improved OSR bias in regions where shallow clouds are dominant.
Practical and Intrinsic Predictability of a Warm‐Sector Torrential Rainfall Event in the South China Monsoon Region
Authors: Wu Naigeng , Zhuang Xiaoran , Min Jinzhong , Meng Zhiyong
Published: January 2020

Warm‐sector torrential rainfall (WR) in the South China monsoon region has long been a forecasting challenge because of the limited capability of numerical models in heavy rainfall without strong synoptic forcing. Through convection‐allowing ensemble forecasts, this study explores both the intrinsic and practical predictability of a coastal WR event on 19–20 May 2015 during SCMREX (the Southern China Monsoon Rainfall Experiment). The results show a large variability in forecast performance among different members, indicating the practical limit of predictability. In general, GOOD members tend to have a stronger low‐level southerly wind over the sea (monsoon flow) and a considerable surface cooling over the northern mountains (associated with land/mountain breeze). Further investigation via ensemble‐based sensitivity analysis shows that the occurrence of WR is closely related to the nighttime strengthened (cooling) southerly wind (temperatures) over the sea (mountains), 1–3 hr prior to the convection initiation. In contrast, spatial scaling of the initial perturbations has little impact on the forecast after 3 hr and the meso‐γ‐scale rainfall is fully decorrelated after 12 hr, suggesting an intrinsic predictability limit for lead times as short as 6–12 hr. Sensitivity experiments are conducted with the initial‐condition differences reduced by almost an order of magnitude smaller than typical ensemble perturbations, with the results demonstrating that the rainstorm might be near the point of bifurcation, where predictability is intrinsically limited. The limits of both intrinsic and practical predictability highlight the need for rapidly updated and probabilistic convection‐allowing ensemble forecasts for events of this type.
Ionospheric Tilt Measurements: Application to Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances Climatology Study
Authors: Paznukhov Vadym , Altadill David , Juan José Miguel , Blanch Estefania
Published: January 2020

Ionospheric tilt is a concept used to characterize local horizontal electron density gradients in the ionosphere using a mirror reflection model. Experimental results are presented that illustrate the validity and accuracy of such approach. Analysis of the tilt measurements collected in 2012–2014 with a digisonde at Ebro observatory (40.8°N, 0.5°E) is presented. Digisonde systems allow measuring angles of arrival of ionospherically reflected radio signals, from which the ionospheric tilts are derived. The tilts are represented in terms of North‐South and East‐West components. Using several years of observations, a climatological distribution of wavelike variations in the tilt records presumed to be associated with traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) is established. Most of the observed TIDs have their main periods of 30 min to 1.5 hr which is rather typical for medium‐scale TIDs. Summertime appears to have the most frequent occurrence of TIDs. There is a good agreement between the presence of TIDs and sporadic E layer occurrence, suggesting that some TIDs can be driven by instability in the electric field which is initiated via an interhemispheric link between the E and F regions of the ionosphere. Direction of disturbance propagation is also analyzed and compared to the modeled neutral wind. There are indications that during the daytime TIDs tend to propagate in the direction opposite to the background neutral wind. This suggests that daytime TIDs are produced by atmospheric gravity waves originating in the lower atmosphere and experiencing background wind filtering effect on their upward propagation.
Can Continental Models Convey Useful Seasonal Hydrologic Information at the Catchment Scale?
Authors: Crochemore L. , Ramos M.‐H. , Pechlivanidis I. G.
Published: January 2020

The development and availability of climate forecasting systems have allowed the implementation of seasonal hydroclimatic services at the continental scale. User guidance and quality of the forecast information are key components to ensure user engagement and service uptake, yet forecast quality depends on the hydrologic model setup. Here, we address how seasonal forecasts from continental services can be used to address user needs at the catchment scale. We compare a continentally calibrated process‐based model (E‐HYPE) and a catchment‐specific parsimonious model (GR6J) to forecast streamflow in a set of French catchments. Results show that despite expected high performance from the catchment setup against observed streamflow, the continental setup can, in some catchments, match or even outperform the catchment‐specific setup for 3‐month aggregations and threshold exceedance. Forecast systems can become comparable when looking at statistics relative to model climatology, such as anomalies, and adequate initial conditions are the main source of skill in both systems. We highlight the need for consistency in data used in modeling chains and in tailoring service outputs for use at the catchment scale. Finally, we show that the spread in internal model states varies largely between the two systems, reflecting the differences in their setups and calibration strategies, and highlighting that caution is needed before extracting hydrologic variables other than streamflow. We overall argue that continental hydroclimatic services show potential on addressing needs at the catchment scale, yet guidance is needed to extract, tailor and use the information provided.
Mutant P53 induces MELK expression by release of wild-type P53-dependent suppression of FOXM1
Authors: Bollu Lakshmi Reddy , Shepherd Jonathan , Zhao Dekuang , Ma Yanxia , Tahaney William , Speers Corey , Mazumdar Abhijit , Mills Gordon B. , Brown Powel H.
Published: January 2020

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive form of breast cancer, and is associated with a poor prognosis due to frequent distant metastasis and lack of effective targeted therapies. Previously, we identified maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) to be highly expressed in TNBCs as compared with ER-positive breast cancers. Here we determined the molecular mechanism by which MELK is overexpressed in TNBCs. Analysis of publicly available data sets revealed that MELK mRNA is elevated in p53-mutant breast cancers. Consistent with this observation, MELK protein levels are higher in p53-mutant vs. p53 wild-type breast cancer cells. Furthermore, inactivation of wild-type p53, by loss or mutation of the p53 gene, increases MELK expression, whereas overexpression of wild-type p53 in p53-null cells reduces MELK promoter activity and MELK expression. We further analyzed MELK expression in breast cancer data sets and compared that with known wild-type p53 target genes. This analysis revealed that MELK expression strongly correlates with genes known to be suppressed by wild-type p53. Promoter deletion studies identified a p53-responsive region within the MELK promoter that did not map to the p53 consensus response elements, but to a region containing a FOXM1-binding site. Consistent with this result, knockdown of FOXM1 reduced MELK expression in p53-mutant TNBC cells and expression of wild-type p53 reduced FOXM1 expression. ChIP assays demonstrated that expression of wild-type p53 reduces binding of E2F1 (a critical transcription factor controlling FOXM1 expression) to the FOXM1 promoter, thereby, reducing FOXM1 expression. These results show that wild-type p53 suppresses FOXM1 expression, and thus MELK expression, through indirect mechanisms. Overall, these studies demonstrate that wild-type p53 represses MELK expression by inhibiting E2F1A-dependent transcription of FOXM1 and that mutation-driven loss of wild-type p53, which frequently occurs in TNBCs, induces MELK expression by suppressing FOXM1 expression and activity in p53-mutant breast cancers.
A simple method for detecting chaos in nature
Authors: Toker Daniel , Sommer Friedrich T. , D’Esposito Mark
Published: January 2020

Chaos, or exponential sensitivity to small perturbations, appears everywhere in nature. Moreover, chaos is predicted to play diverse functional roles in living systems. A method for detecting chaos from empirical measurements should therefore be a key component of the biologist’s toolkit. But, classic chaos-detection tools are highly sensitive to measurement noise and break down for common edge cases, making it difficult to detect chaos in domains, like biology, where measurements are noisy. However, newer tools promise to overcome these limitations. Here, we combine several such tools into an automated processing pipeline, and show that our pipeline can detect the presence (or absence) of chaos in noisy recordings, even for difficult edge cases. As a first-pass application of our pipeline, we show that heart rate variability is not chaotic as some have proposed, and instead reflects a stochastic process in both health and disease. Our tool is easy-to-use and freely available.
Attenuation of NAD[P]H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 aggravates prostate cancer and tumor cell plasticity through enhanced TGFβ signaling
Authors: Thapa Dinesh , Huang Shih-Bo , Muñoz Amanda R. , Yang Xiaoyu , Bedolla Roble G. , Hung Chia-Nung , Chen Chun-Liang , Huang Tim H.-M. , Liss Michael A. , Reddick Robert L. , Miyamoto Hiroshi , Kumar Addanki P. , Ghosh Rita
Published: January 2020

NAD[P]H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) regulates cell fate decisions in response to stress. Oxidative stress supports cancer maintenance and progression. Previously we showed that knockdown of NQO1 (NQO1low) prostate cancer cells upregulate pro-inflammatory cytokines and survival under hormone-deprived conditions. Here, we tested the ability of NQO1low cells to form tumors. We found NQO1low cells form aggressive tumors compared with NQO1high cells. Biopsy specimens and circulating tumor cells showed biochemical recurrent prostate cancer was associated with low NQO1. NQO1 silencing was sufficient to induce SMAD-mediated TGFβ signaling and mesenchymal markers. TGFβ treatment decreased NQO1 levels and induced molecular changes similar to NQO1 knockdown cells. Functionally, NQO1 depletion increased migration and sensitivity to oxidative stress. Collectively, this work reveals a possible new gatekeeper role for NQO1 in counteracting cellular plasticity in prostate cancer cells. Further, combining NQO1 with TGFβ signaling molecules may serve as a better signature to predict biochemical recurrence.
Growing a backbone – functional biomaterials and structures for intervertebral disc (IVD) repair and regeneration: challenges, innovations, and future directions
Authors: Harmon Matthew D. , Ramos Daisy M. , Nithyadevi D. , Bordett Rosalie , Rudraiah Swetha , Nukavarapu Syam P. , Moss Isaac L. , Kumbar Sangamesh G.
Published: January 2020

IVD, consists of three main parts; (i) the cartilage endplate, (ii) annulus fibrosus, and (iii) nucleus pulposus. These integral components allow spine flexibility and locomotion.
Single crystal structure and opto-electronic properties of oxidized Spiro-OMeTAD
Authors: Zhang Wei , Wang Linqin , Guo Yu , Zhang Biaobiao , Leandri Valentina , Xu Bo , Li Zhuofeng , Gardner James M. , Sun Licheng , Kloo Lars
Published: January 2020

Single crystals of Spiro(TFSI)2 were grown and structurally determined. The optical and electronic properties were investigated and compared with neutral Spiro-OMeTAD.
Functional group induced structural diversities and photocatalytic, magnetic and luminescence sensing properties of four cobalt(ii) coordination polymers based on 1,3,5-tris(2-methylimidazol-1-yl)benzene
Authors: Wang Jun , Chen Ning-Ning , Zhang Chen , Jia Li-Yong , Fan Liming
Published: January 2020

Based on the designed tripodal linker timb, four cobalt(ii) coordination polymers, {[Co4(timb)2(Br–IPA)4]·5H2O}n (1), {[Co(timb)0.5(NH2–IPA)]·4H2O}n (2), {[Co5(timb)4(OH–IPA)4]·2NO3·2DMA·2H2O}n (3), and {[Co3(timb)2(SO3–IPA)2(H2O)2]·8H2O}n (4), have been obtained.
Understanding 125Te NMR chemical shifts in disymmetric organo-telluride compounds from natural chemical shift analysis
Authors: Pietrasiak Ewa , Gordon Christopher P. , Copéret Christophe , Togni Antonio
Published: January 2020

Magnetic coupling of the lone pair: theoretical investigations reveal the origin of 125Te chemical shift in disymmetric organotellurides
Synthesis and characterisation of Pd(ii) and Au(i) complexes with mesoionic carbene ligands bearing phosphinoferrocene substituents and isomeric carbene moieites
Authors: Škoch Karel , Vosáhlo Petr , Císařová Ivana , Štěpnička Petr
Published: January 2020

Triazolium salts obtained from phosphinoferrocene alkyne and azide were used to prepare Au–carbene complexes, and P,C-chelating Pd or P,C-bridged Au–Pd phosphinocarbene complexes.
Electroactivated alkylation of amines with alcohols via both direct and indirect borrowing hydrogen mechanisms
Authors: Appiagyei Benjamin , Bhatia Souful , Keeney Gabriela L. , Dolmetsch Troy , Jackson James E.
Published: January 2020

Aqueous electrocatalytic alkylation of amines with alcohol; water is the only byproduct.
Highly dispersed Ni2P nanoparticles on N,P-codoped carbon for efficient cross-dehydrogenative coupling to access alkynyl thioethers
Authors: Song Tao , Ren Peng , Xiao Jianliang , Yuan Youzhu , Yang Yong
Published: January 2020

A Ni2P nanoparticle dispersed on N,P-codoped carbon material was developed for efficient synthesis of alkynyl thioethers via a cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) strategy under base- and ligand-free conditions using air as the oxidant.
Palladium–salen-bridged ionic networks immobilized on magnetic dendritic silica fibers for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates by oxidative carboxylation
Authors: Qiu Jianping , Yu Lan , Ni Jianguo , Fei Zhengxin , Li Weidong , Sadeghzadeh Seyed Mohsen
Published: January 2020

We developed a novel stable and low-cost catalytic system for the synthesis of cyclic carbonate via the production of FeNi3/DFNS/salen/Pd(ii).
A cellulose substance derived nanofibrous CoS–nanoparticle/carbon composite as a high-performance anodic material for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Yuan Hang , Wang Fan , Li Shun , Lin Zehao , Huang Jianguo
Published: January 2020

Nanofibrous CoS–nanoparticle/carbon composite derived from a cellulose substance was fabricated, showing enhanced electrochemical performances as an anodic material for lithium-ion batteries.
Synthesis of 2-arylamino-3-cyanoquinolines via a cascade reaction through a nitrilium intermediate
Authors: Ramanathan Mani , Wan Jing , Liu Yi-Hung , Peng Shie-Ming , Liu Shiuh-Tzung
Published: January 2020

A one-pot synthesis of 2-arylamino-3-cyanoquinolines was achieved by a cascade reaction of aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborate, 2-aminoarylketones and malononitrile.
Graphene and silicene quantum dots for nanomedical diagnostics
Authors: Drissi L. B. , Ouarrad H. , Ramadan F. Z. , Fritzsche W.
Published: January 2020

In the present work, the prominent effects of edge functionalization, size variation and base material on the structural, electronic and optical properties of diamond shaped graphene and silicene quantum dots are investigated.
Ab initio prediction of two-dimensional Si3C enabling high specific capacity as an anode material for Li/Na/K-ion batteries
Authors: Wang Yanning , Li Yinshi
Published: January 2020

A two-dimensional Si3C monolayer possessing excellent theoretical specific capacities and conductivities guarantees great potential for anode application in Li/Na/K-ion batteries.
A new dual-ion hybrid energy storage system with energy density comparable to that of ternary lithium ion batteries
Authors: He Shenggong , Wang Shaofeng , Chen Hedong , Hou Xianhua , Shao Zongping
Published: January 2020

A new dual-ion hybrid device is successfully fabricated with a silicon carbon anode and an expanded graphite cathode and exhibits an excellent energy density.
A mesoporous carbon derived from 4,4′-dipyridyl iron as an efficient catalyst for oxygen reduction
Authors: Gao Xiaohong , Li Xiaobao , Wang Qingqing , You Chenghang , Tian Xinlong , Wang Chongtai , Hua Yingjie , Liao Shijun
Published: January 2020

An ultra-high performance ORR catalysts derived from 4,4′-dipyridyl.
Prevotella intermedia produces two proteins homologous to Porphyromonas gingivalis HmuY but with different heme coordination mode
Authors: Bielecki Marcin , Antonyuk Svetlana , Strange Richard W. , Siemińska Klaudia , Smalley John W. , Mackiewicz Paweł , Śmiga Michał , Cowan Megan , Capper Michael J. , Ślęzak Paulina , Olczak Mariusz , Olczak Teresa
Published: January 2020

As part of the infective process, Porphyromonas gingivalis must acquire heme which is indispensable for life and enables the microorganism to survive and multiply at the infection site. This oral pathogenic bacterium uses a newly discovered novel hmu heme uptake system with a leading role played by the HmuY hemophore-like protein, responsible for acquiring heme and increasing virulence of this periodontopathogen. We demonstrated that Prevotella intermedia produces two HmuY homologs, termed PinO and PinA. Both proteins were produced at higher mRNA and protein levels when the bacterium grew under low-iron/heme conditions. PinO and PinA bound heme, but preferentially under reducing conditions, and in a manner different from that of the P. gingivalis HmuY. The analysis of the three-dimensional structures confirmed differences between apo-PinO and apo-HmuY, mainly in the fold forming the heme-binding pocket. Instead of two histidine residues coordinating heme iron in P. gingivalis HmuY, PinO and PinA could use one methionine residue to fulfill this function, with potential support of additional methionine residue/s. The P. intermedia proteins sequestered heme only from the host albumin–heme complex under reducing conditions. Our findings suggest that HmuY-like family might comprise proteins subjected during evolution to significant diversification, resulting in different heme coordination modes. The newer data presented in this manuscript on HmuY homologs produced by P. intermedia sheds more light on the novel mechanism of heme uptake, could be helpful in discovering their biological function, and in developing novel therapeutic approaches.
A distinct concerted mechanism of structural dynamism defines activity of human serine protease HtrA3
Authors: Acharya Saujanya , Dutta Shubhankar , Bose Kakoli
Published: January 2020

Human HtrA3 (high-temperature requirement protease A3) is a trimeric multitasking propapoptotic serine protease associated with critical cellular functions and pathogenicity. Implicated in diseases including cancer and pre-eclampsia, its role as a tumor suppressor and potential therapeutic target cannot be ignored. Therefore, elucidating its mode of activation and regulatory switch becomes indispensable towards modulating its functions with desired effects for disease intervention. Using computational, biochemical and biophysical tools, we delineated the role of all domains, their combinations and the critical phenylalanine residues in regulating HtrA3 activity, oligomerization and specificity. Our findings underline the crucial roles of the N-terminus as well as the PDZ domain in oligomerization and formation of a catalytically competent enzyme, thus providing new insights into its structure–function coordination. Our study also reports an intricate ligand-induced allosteric switch, which redefines the existing hypothesis of HtrA3 activation besides opening up avenues for modulating protease activity favorably through suitable effector molecules.
Cooperation of SRPK2, Numb and p53 in the malignant biology and chemosensitivity of colorectal cancer
Authors: Wang Guosen , Sheng Weiwei , Tang Jingtong , Li Xin , Zhou Jianping , Dong Ming
Published: January 2020

Serine-arginine protein kinase 2 (SRPK2) is aberrantly expressed in human malignancies including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms, and the role of SRPK2 in chemosensitivity remains unexplored in CRC. We recently showed that SRPK2 promotes pancreatic cancer progression by down-regulating Numb and p53. Therefore, we investigated the cooperation between SRPK2, Numb and p53 in the cell migration, invasion and chemosensitivity of CRC in vitro. Here, we showed that SRPK2 expression was higher in CRC tumors than in nontumor tissues. SRPK2 expression was positively associated with clinicopathological characteristics of CRC patients, including tumor differentiation, T stage, N stage and UICC stage. Additionally, SRPK2 had no association with mutant p53 (mtp53) in SW480 and SW620 cells, but negatively regulated Numb and wild-type p53 (wtp53) in response to 5-fluorouracil or cisplatin treatment in HCT116 cells. Moreover, SRPK2, Numb and p53 coimmunoprecipitated into a triple complex with or without the treatment of 5-fluorouracil in HCT116 cells, and p53 knockdown reversed the up-regulation of wtp53 induced by SRPK2 silencing with chemical agent treatment. Furthermore, overexpression of SRPK2 increased cell migration and invasion and decreased chemosensitivity to 5-fluorouracil or cisplatin in HCT116 cells. Conversely, SRPK2 silencing decreased cell migration and invasion and increased chemosensitivity to 5-fluorouracil or cisplatin, yet these effects could be reversed by p53 knockdown under chemical agent treatment. These results thus reveal a novel role of SRPK2-Numb-p53 signaling in the progression of CRC and demonstrate that SRPK2 is a potential therapeutic target for CRC clinical therapy.
Two-scale homogenization of a stationary mean-field game
Authors: Ferreira Rita , Gomes Diogo , Yang Xianjin
Published: January 2020

In this paper, we characterize the asymptotic behavior of a first-order stationary mean-field game (MFG) with a logarithm coupling, a quadratic Hamiltonian, and a periodically oscillating potential. This study falls into the realm of the homogenization theory, and our main tool is the two-scale convergence. Using this convergence, we rigorously derive the two-scale homogenized and the homogenized MFG problems, which encode the so-called macroscopic or effective behavior of the original oscillating MFG. Moreover, we prove existence and uniqueness of the solution to these limit problems.
Möglichkeiten und Chancen – Ergotherapie für Pferde
Authors: Katzenberger Yvonne , Katzenberger-Schmelcher Ruth
Published: January 2020

Ergotherapie für Pferde? Was soll das denn sein? Ein neuer Hype, der völlig unnütz ist? Keineswegs. Andere Fachdisziplinen, die auf Tiere und insbesondere Pferde übertragen wurden (wie die Pferdephysiotherapie), sind mittlerweile anerkannt. Ebenso sollte es mit der Ergotherapie sein.
Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Miscia Maria Enrica , Lauriti Giuseppe , Lisi Gabriele , Riccio Angela , Lelli Chiesa Pierluigi
Published: January 2020

Introduction Management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is mainly based on adults. Data are controversial with regards to its management in children. We aimed to assess: (1) the length of hospital stay (LOS) between conservative management (i.e., observation with O2 administration), aspiration/chest drain, and surgical management; (2) the risk of recurrence after nonsurgical treatment versus surgery; (3) the risk of recurrence in the presence of bullae.

Materials and Methods Using a defined search strategy, three independent investigators identified all the studies on the management of PSP in children. Case reports, opinion articles, and gray literature publications were excluded. The study was conducted according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. A meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3. Data are expressed as mean ± SD.

Results Of 3,089 abstracts screened, 95 full-text were analyzed, 23 were included in the quantitative analysis, and 16 were included in the meta-analysis (1,633 patients). LOS was similar between conservative and surgical management (6.2 ± 0.8 days vs. 5.9 ± 1.4 days; p = ns). Recurrence of PSP was significantly higher among children with a nonsurgical management (32%) versus those surgically treated (18%; p = 0.002). The incidence of recurrence was slightly higher in patients managed by aspiration/chest drain (34%) compared with those with a conservative management (27%; p = 0.05). Risk of recurrence in patients with or without documented bullae was not significantly different (26 vs. 38%, respectively; p = ns).

Conclusion Given the lack of a standardized management of pediatric PSP, the present study seems to demonstrate a better outcome in children treated with surgery as first-line of management.

Level of Evidence This is a Level III study.
Does Hydroxychloroquine Protect against Preeclampsia and Preterm Delivery in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Pregnancies?
Authors: Do Samantha C. , Rizk Nada M. , Druzin Maurice L. , Simard Julia F.
Published: January 2020

Objective Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) increases the risk of complications in pregnancy. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) decreases flares and neonatal lupus syndrome. Limited evidence suggests that HCQ also reduces preeclampsia and preterm birth in SLE pregnancies. We studied whether HCQ was associated with lower odds of preeclampsia and preterm delivery in SLE pregnancies.

Study Design We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 129 deliveries of 110 patients with SLE delivered at a single institution (2000–2017). HCQ exposure and preeclampsia, along with other clinical data, were extracted from chart review. Crude and multivariable-adjusted logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results A total of 41% were exposed to HCQ, of whom 13.5% were complicated by preeclampsia versus 26.3% unexposed to HCQ (adjusted OR = 0.5; 95% CI: 0.2–1.4). The difference was pronounced for first pregnancies (7 vs. 44%), but power was limited. The difference in preterm deliveries was less pronounced comparing HCQ-exposed pregnancies with HCQ-unexposed pregnancies (34 vs. 40.8%; OR = 0.3; 95% CI: 0.3–1.5).

Conclusion Pregnant SLE patients trended toward less preeclampsia and preterm delivery when treated with HCQ. Future larger studies are needed to increase the statistical power, account for additional potential confounders, and more fully account for parity.
Hybrid image segmentation method based on anisotropic Gaussian kernels and adjacent graph region merging
Authors: Zhao Zhuo , Li Bing , Kang Xiaoqin , Chen Lei , Wei Xiang , Xin Meitin
Published: January 2020

Image segmentation is a key technique in image analysis for object identification. In this paper, a hybrid segmentation method is proposed, which is based on the Anisotropic Gaussian Kernel (ANGK) edge detector and region adjacent graph (RAG) merging algorithm. An anisotropic directional derivative filter is constructed by angled ANGK to detect the edge contour of original images. Based on the gradient magnitude pattern of the edge contour from ANGK processing, watershed transform is adopted to produce initial partition (coarse segmentation result). Finally, combined with the RAG region merging algorithm, the proposed method performs fine segmentation by merging similar fragmented regions (initial partition) iteratively. Additionally, statistic similarity measure and shape cost function in merging cost are also introduced. They provide quantitative criteria for region merging, which have critical influences on the detection result. A series of experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of this method, and a preferable localization accuracy as well as noise robustness is proved. Compared with conventional edge and region based methods, the proposed one has a superior segmentation effect. Another advantage is that the problem of oversegmentation can be solved effectively.
Device for experimental characterization of the 4D flow inside an evaporating sessile water droplet
Authors: Bribiesca A. , Montoya F. , Hernández P. , Ramos E. , Corkidi G.
Published: January 2020

We describe an experimental system based on optical microscopy, permitting the analysis of the four dimensional structure of the flow inside evaporating sessile droplets by monitoring the motion of tracers in horizontal planes localized at different heights. Inter-plane particle identification is accomplished via 3D tracking algorithms. The multiple plane observation is achieved using a piezoelectric device to make the microscope objective oscillate vertically, while a high-speed camera captures images. The droplet evaporation process lasts several minutes and greatly accelerates as the fluid advances toward complete evaporation. In order to capture the dynamics of the whole process, two cameras with the same optical output but different temporal resolution are used sequentially. Using image processing algorithms, we obtain the full trajectories of multiple tracers, velocities of particles on the free surface of the droplets, and velocity fields. The information available may be used to understand the geometry of the sedimentation pattern.
Temperature profile and transient response of thermally tunable ridge waveguides with laterally supported suspension
Authors: Duan Fei , Chen Kai , Wang Siyi , Wei Lan , Yu Yonglin , Ban Dayan
Published: January 2020

Using the thermoreflectance imaging method, the temperature profile and transient response of thermally tunable ridge waveguides with laterally supported suspension are investigated. This method has a high accuracy in the temperature measurement. The experimental data convincingly confirm a uniform temperature distribution along the waveguide except the initial 30 μm long sections near the two longitudinal edges. The 10%–90% rising time and 90%–10% falling time of the device transient thermal response are also measured to be ∼48 μs and ∼44 μs, respectively, regardless of different waveguide lengths and at different heating powers. In addition, the delay time of the waveguide transient thermal response is revealed to be 1.3 μs by comparison between experiment and simulation.
Development of a probe-type optical absorption spectroscopic system for spatially resolved CF2 density measurement in inductively coupled C4F8/Ar plasmas
Authors: Han Jonggu , Cho Deog Gyun , Mauchauffé Rodolphe , Moon Se Youn
Published: January 2020

A spatially resolvable optical probe is developed for the measurement of absolute CF2 radical density in inductively coupled plasmas using the broadband ultraviolet absorption spectroscopic method. The probe-type system is implemented inside a low-pressure inductively coupled plasma chamber and is built using a series of optical fibers, feedthroughs, collimators, and an ultraviolet light emitting diode. Using the CF2 A(0, v2′, 0) ← X(0, 0, 0) absorption spectra, the spatial profile of CF2 density in the remote region of an inductively coupled C4F8/Ar plasma is investigated. The CF2 density is found to decrease from 4.06 × 1013 cm−3, around the chamber center, to 2.66 × 1013 cm−3, near the chamber wall. The spatial profile of the measured CF2 density, layer thickness, and composition of deposited films are compared. Plasma properties such as electron temperature and ion density are also discussed.
Measurement and interpretation of Mueller matrices of barley leaves
Authors: Savenkov S.N. , Muttiah R.S. , Oberemok E.A. , Priezzhev A.V. , Kolomiets I.S. , Klimov A.S.
Published: January 2020

We report the results of measuring Mueller matrices for three groups of leaf samples of common barley (Hordeum vulgare): Chlorina mutant, Chlorina etiolated mutant and Cesaer varieties. The repeatability of the measurement results of Mueller matrices of such a complex and highly depolarising object as a plant leaf is demonstrated. It is shown that the barley leaves of these three groups can be reliably identified both at forward scattering and backward scattering modes; the best results are obtained in the case of forward scattering. In both cases, the most informative matrix elements are identified. It is also shown that at backward scattering mode linear dichroism comes out, the magnitude of which increases with decreasing observation angle.
Utilisation of spatial derivative measurements in circular diffuse optical tomographic imaging to improve image resolution and contrast
Authors: Lighter D. , Jiang S. , Dehghani H.
Published: January 2020

The resolution of images recovered using diffuse optical tomography without spatial prior information is inherently limited due to the diffusive nature of light transport in scattering dominated biological tissue. Several studies have previously reported an improvement in depth sensitivity in near infrared spectroscopy by considering the subtraction of two neighbouring measurements. A nearest neighbour, spatial derivative based algorithm is presented, in which the difference between neighbouring source-sharing source – detector pairs is considered for tomographic reconstruction. Using a circular, inward-facing optode geometry, it is shown that deeper abnormalities in oxyhaemoglobin, deoxyhaemoglobin and water can be recovered with better localisation and contrast as compared to reconstructing using absolute values of multi-wavelength data. Relative improvements of up to 25 % in quantitative accuracy of recovered physiological values are demonstrated at better resolution for cancerous tissue in a heterogeneous breast model, when using this proposed spatial derivative based parameter reconstruction.
Optical fields in porous polylactide matrices
Authors: Sviridov A.P. , Zhigarkov V.S. , Shubnyi A.G. , Yusupov V.I.
Published: January 2020

Optical fields induced by laser light inside porous polymer matrices (scaffolds) under stimulating effect on cells are investigated. The spectra of light scattering coefficients and anisotropy factors of porous polylactide scaffolds in the visible and near-IR ranges are determined by numerical simulation based on experimental data obtained using a double integrating sphere. Studies are conducted for dry and wet scaffolds fabricated by supercritical fluid foaming and surface-selective laser sintering. The Monte Carlo method is used to calculate the fluence rate distribution under the assumptions of the Henyey – Greenstein phase scattering function and the model phase function of scattering on spherical cavities. It is shown that th e fluence rate distribution mainly depends on the scattering coefficient and the mean cosine of the deflection angle (g-factor). The results obtained are of great practical importance for tissue engineering based on the use of polymeric porous scaffolds with cells to replace tissue defects; they can be used to determine the dose range for laser stimulation of cells.
Bile acids and ceramide overcome the entry restriction for GII.3 human norovirus replication in human intestinal enteroids
Authors: Murakami Kosuke , Tenge Victoria R. , Karandikar Umesh C. , Lin Shih-Ching , Ramani Sasirekha , Ettayebi Khalil , Crawford Sue E. , Zeng Xi-Lei , Neill Frederick H. , Ayyar B. Vijayalakshmi , Katayama Kazuhiko , Graham David Y. , Bieberich Erhard , Atmar Robert L. , Estes Mary K.
Published: January 2020

Significance

Many viral pathogens replicate in the human small intestine where they must invade the epithelial barrier that has evolved to protect the host against microbial assaults. Using a human norovirus strain that requires bile to replicate in stem cell-derived human small intestinal enteroid cultures, we found that conjugated hydrophobic bile acids and ceramide are critical to allow virus entry and subsequent replication in jejunal enteroids. Glycochenodeoxycholic acid treatment of enteroids below the critical micellar concentration leads to multiple cellular responses, including rapid changes in endocytosis and exocytosis dynamics that the bile-requiring human norovirus deftly exploits to overcome the epithelial barrier. Our findings shed light on the role of bile acids and ceramide in human jejunal enterocytes that stimulate viral infection.
A de novo peroxidase is also a promiscuous yet stereoselective carbene transferase
Authors: Stenner Richard , Steventon Jack W. , Seddon Annela , Anderson J. L. Ross
Published: January 2020

Significance

While the bottom-up design of enzymes appears to be an intractably complex problem, a minimal approach that combines elementary, de novo-designed proteins with intrinsically reactive cofactors offers a simple means to rapidly access sophisticated catalytic mechanisms. Not only is this method proven in the reproduction of powerful oxidative chemistry of the natural peroxidase enzymes, but we show here that it extends to the efficient, abiological—and often asymmetric—formation of strained cyclopropane rings, nitrogen–carbon and carbon–carbon bonds, and the ring expansion of a simple cyclic molecule to form a precursor for NAD+, a fundamentally important biological cofactor. That the enzyme also functions in vivo paves the way for its incorporation into engineered biosynthetic pathways within living organisms.