bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Thou Shalt Meet Thy Sexual Needs in Marriage”: Southern Baptists and Marital Sex in the Postwar Era
Authors: Potter Sarah
Published: May 2020

This article traces the changing sexual politics of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) from the 1950s through the 1980s. It argues that the moderates who led the denomination in the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s joined other supporters of “sexual containment” during the early Cold War to develop a theology about the salvific power of marital sex—and the personal, social, and national harm created by extramarital sex—which undergirded the sexual conservatism of the denomination's fundamentalist leadership who rose to power during the 1970s and 1980s. This analysis reframes our understanding of Southern Baptists within the broader religious right coalition as it reveals how the SBC's commitment to marital sexuality, which was forged during the early Cold War, informed its approach to later hot-button issues like abortion and homosexuality. Rather than simply reacting against the loosening sexual mores of the 1970s and 1980s or in favor of the rising visibility of other politically engaged Christians on issues of sexual morality, the SBC instead drew on longer traditions within the denomination to engage with a changing political and sexual landscape.
Prospective predictors of decline v. stability in mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies or Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Hamilton Calum A. , Matthews Fiona E. , Donaghy Paul C. , Taylor John-Paul , O'Brien John T. , Barnett Nicola , Olsen Kirsty , McKeith Ian G. , Thomas Alan J.
Published: May 2020

Background

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may gradually worsen to dementia, but often remains stable for extended periods of time. Little is known about the predictors of decline to help explain this variation. We aimed to explore whether this heterogeneous course of MCI may be predicted by the presence of Lewy body (LB) symptoms in a prospectively-recruited longitudinal cohort of MCI with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB) and Alzheimer's disease (MCI-AD).

Methods

A prospective cohort (n = 76) aged ⩾60 years underwent detailed assessment after recent MCI diagnosis, and were followed up annually with repeated neuropsychological testing and clinical review of cognitive status and LB symptoms. Latent class mixture modelling identified data-driven sub-groups with distinct trajectories of global cognitive function.

Results

Three distinct trajectories were identified in the full cohort: slow/stable progression (46%), intermediate progressive decline (41%) and a small group with a much faster decline (13%). The presence of LB symptomology, and visual hallucinations in particular, predicted decline v. a stable cognitive trajectory. With time zeroed on study end (death, dementia or withdrawal) where available (n = 39), the same subgroups were identified. Adjustment for baseline functioning obscured the presence of any latent classes, suggesting that baseline function is an important parameter in prospective decline.

Conclusions

These results highlight some potential signals for impending decline in MCI; poorer baseline function and the presence of probable LB symptoms – particularly visual hallucinations. Identifying people with a rapid decline is important but our findings are preliminary given the modest cohort size.
John Webster on the task of a properly theological theologia
Authors: Wittman Tyler
Published: May 2020

The late John Webster advocated both for a theological theology and a robust recovery of God's intrinsic perfection. This article examines how both occupations are related in Webster's thought by setting forth six statements summarising his doctrine of God and his theological approach to it. According to Webster, the doctrine of God is theological to the extent it upholds the principle of solus Deus in theology's formal and material consideration of God's perfection. Only thus does theology articulate the crucial distinction between and yet correspondence of God's antecedent perfection and God's intimate presence with us.
At the bedside: A theological consideration of the role of silence and touch in the accompaniment of the dying
Authors: Khalid Hina
Published: May 2020

This essay situates two embodied practices of palliative care, namely, the act of sitting with another in silence, and the act of gentle touch, within the broader conceptual framework ofcreatio ex nihilo. Centring on themes of particularity, creatureliness, and relationality, I argue that these practices, understood theologically, can be reframed as active participations in the self-giving love of God – thus setting forth a mode of loving relation with the dying person, rooted in a deep, attentive presence.
The Bonhoeffer dilemma: Sanctification as the increasing awareness of moral chaos
Authors: Powers Brian S.
Published: May 2020

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's pursuit of a sanctified life took a significant detour from the way in which he thought it would proceed. In seeking ‘good’ moral choices in the crucible of Nazi Germany, Bonhoeffer experienced a profound sense of what we now would recognise as moral injury, which proves to be a powerful and reflexive lens with which to examine his understanding of sanctification. Initially embracing pacifism as a fundamental pillar of Christian life, Bonhoeffer eventually became convinced that there are no pure or ‘right’ moral choices, only competing ‘wrong’ ones. He later wrote from prison that to be like Christ, and to come closer to holiness, was not to seek to avoid guilt, but to take on guilt for the sake of others. This recontextualisation of the idea of sanctification through the lens of Christ's substitutionary guilt suggests that for the responsible actor moral injury may be inevitable.
Control Policies for a Large Region of Attraction for Dynamically Balancing Legged Robots: A Sampling-Based Approach
Authors: Bhounsule Pranav A. , Zamani Ali , Krause Jeremy , Farra Steven , Pusey Jason
Published: May 2020

The popular approach of assuming a control policy and then finding the largest region of attraction (ROA) (e.g., sum-of-squares optimization) may lead to conservative estimates of the ROA, especially for highly nonlinear systems. We present a sampling-based approach that starts by assuming an ROA and then finds the necessary control policy by performing trajectory optimization on sampled initial conditions. Our method works with black-box models, produces a relatively large ROA, and ensures exponential convergence of the initial conditions to the periodic motion. We demonstrate the approach on a model of hopping and include extensive verification and robustness checks.
Autonomous Social Robot Navigation using a Behavioral Finite State Social Machine
Authors: Malviya Vaibhav , Reddy Arun Kumar , Kala Rahul
Published: May 2020

We present a robot navigation system based on Behavioral Finite State Social Machine. The paper makes a robot operate as a social tour guide that adapts its navigation based on the behavior of the visitors. The problem of a robot leading a human group with a limited field-of-view vision is relatively untouched in the literature. Uncertainties arise when the visitors are not visible, wherein the behavior of the robot is adapted as a social response. Artificial potential field is used for local planning, and a velocity manager sets the speed disproportional to time duration of missing visitors.
Illicit trades and smuggling activities on the island of Stromboli, 1808–1816: gender roles during a commercial crisis
Authors: Fazio Ida
Published: May 2020

This article examines the impact of the Continental Blockade upon a local fishing and agricultural economy in the Mediterranean by focusing on the illicit trades that flourished on Stromboli. The island became a strategic location for smuggling between the warring kingdoms of British allied Naples and French ruled Sicily. This paper argues that the Blockade allowed Stromboli to join the network of maritime traffic that had been dominated by the two biggest islands in the archipelago. Although equally integrated into agriculture and fishing, women participated in the fraudulent sale of prize goods but were excluded from large-scale smuggling operations.
THE EFFECTS OF L1–L2 PHONOLOGICAL MAPPINGS ON L2 PHONOLOGICAL SENSITIVITY
Authors: Kim Jeong-eun , Cho Yejin , Cho Youngsun , Hong Yeonjung , Kim Seohyun , Nam Hosung
Published: May 2020

This study examines the effects of asymmetrical mappings of L2 sounds to L1 sounds on real-time processing of L2 phonology. L1-Korean participants completed a self-paced listening (SPL) task paired with a picture verification (PV) task, in which an English sentence was presented word by word along with a picture that matched or mismatched the sentence. In the critical region, an L2 vowel was deliberately replaced with the wrong vowel for two types of English vowel pairs: Type 1: English vowel pairs showing a one-to-one mapping to Korean counterparts (e.g., English: /i/ and /æ/ to Korean /i/ and /æ/, respectively); and Type 2: English vowel pairs showing a two-to-one mapping to a Korean counterpart (e.g., English /i/ and /ɪ/ to Korean /i/). We analyzed response times (RTs) and PV accuracy. Longer RTs were observed for Type 1 errors than Type 2 errors, indicating lower sensitivity to L2 vowels with two-to-one mapping to an L1 vowel. Also, PV accuracy was lower for the sentences containing Type 2 errors. These results suggest that asymmetrical L2-L1 sound mapping can affect learners’ processing of L2 phonological knowledge, which in turn can negatively affect their comprehension.
Charting the trajectories of adopted children's emotional and behavioral problems: The impact of early adversity and postadoptive parental warmth
Authors: Paine Amy L. , Perra Oliver , Anthony Rebecca , Shelton Katherine H.
Published: May 2020

Children who are adopted from care are more likely to experience enduring emotional and behavioral problems across development; however, adoptees’ trajectories of mental health problems and factors that impact their trajectories are poorly understood. Therefore, we used multilevel growth analyses to chart adoptees’ internalizing and externalizing problems across childhood, and examined the associations between preadoptive risk and postadoptive protective factors on their trajectories. This was investigated in a prospective longitudinal study of case file records (N = 374) and questionnaire-based follow-ups (N = 96) at approximately 5, 21, and 36 months postadoptive placement. Preadoptive adversity (indexed by age at placement, days in care, and number of adverse childhood experiences) was associated with higher internalizing and externalizing scores; the decrease in internalizing scores over childhood was accelerated for those exposed to lower levels of preadoptive risk. Warm adoptive parenting was associated with a marked reduction in children's internalizing and externalizing problems over time. Although potentially limited by shared methods variance and lack of variability in parental warmth scores, these findings demonstrate the deleterious impact of preadoptive risk and the positive role of exceptionally warm adoptive parenting on children's trajectories of mental health problems and have relevance for prevention and intervention strategies.
Nationalism in Europe: Trends and Cross-national Differences in Public Opinion
Authors: Coenders Marcel , Lubbers Marcel , Scheepers Peer
Published: May 2020

In this contribution the focus is on nationalism, i.e. the view that one’s own country and people are unique and superior, implying a negative comparison with regard to other national groups and countries. The research questions we set out to answer are: (1) what are the cross-national differences and trends in nationalism across Europe? (2) Which individual and national characteristics can explain these differences and changes in nationalism in European countries? We use high-quality cross-national data from 20 countries from the ‘National Identity’ modules of the International Social Survey Programme, collected in 1995, 2003 and 2013. Considerable differences between countries were found; however, within countries the level of nationalism remained rather stable over the period from 1995 to 2013.
Mapping Local Surface Plasmon Modes in a Nanoplasmonic Trimer Using Cathodoluminescence in the Scanning Electron Microscope
Authors: Liu Amelia C. Y. , Lloyd Julian , Coenen Toon , Gómez Daniel E.
Published: May 2020

The excitability of local surface plasmon modes in radial trimers composed of gold nanorods was mapped using hyperspectral cathodoluminescence (CL) in the scanning electron microscope. In symmetric trimers, the local plasmon resonances could be excited most effectively at the ends of individual rods. Introducing asymmetry into the structure breaks the degeneracy of the dipole modes and changes the excitability of transverse dipole modes in different directions. CL in the scanning electron microscope has great potential to interrogate individual nanophotonic structures and is a complement to electron energy loss spectroscopy and optical microscopy.
Tramadol Promotes Oxidative Stress, Fibrosis, Apoptosis, Ultrastructural and Biochemical alterations in the Adrenal Cortex of Adult Male Rat with Possible Reversibility after Withdrawal
Authors: Shalaby Amany Mohamed , Aboregela Adel Mohamed , Alabiad Mohamed Ali , El Shaer Dina Fouad
Published: May 2020

Tramadol is a centrally acting analgesic drug, used for the management of moderate to severe pain in a variety of diseases. The long-term use of tramadol can induce endocrinopathy. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of tramadol dependence on the adrenal cortex and the effect of its withdrawal. Thirty adult male rats were divided into three experimental groups: the control group, the tramadol-dependent group that received increasing therapeutic doses of tramadol orally for 1 month, and the recovery group that received tramadol in a dose and duration similar to the previous group followed by a withdrawal period for another month. Specimens from the adrenal cortex were processed for histological, immunohistochemical, enzyme assay, and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) studies. Tramadol induced a significant increase in malondialdehyde level and a significant decrease in the levels of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. A significant decrease in the levels of adrenocorticotrophic hormones, aldosterone, cortisol, corticosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate was also detected. Severe histopathological changes in the adrenal cortex were demonstrated in the form of disturbed architecture, swollen cells, and shrunken cells with pyknotic nuclei. Inflammatory cellular infiltration and variable-sized homogenized areas were also detected. A significant increase inP53andBaximmunoreaction was detected and confirmed by RT-qPCR. The ultrastructural examination showed irregular, shrunken adrenocorticocytes with dense nuclei. Dilated smooth endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria with disrupted cristae, and numerous coalesced lipid droplets were also demonstrated. All these changes started to return to normal after the withdrawal of tramadol. Thus, it was confirmed that the long-term use of tramadol can induce severe adrenal changes with subsequent insufficiency.
An investigation into the impact of deprivation on demographic inequalities in adults
Authors: Mayhew Les , Harper Gillian , Villegas Andrés M.
Published: May 2020

This research investigates the impact of deprivation on demographic inequalities in England and Wales among adults. Using demographic measures including the modal age at death, life expectancy, lifespan variation and mortality, it shows a negative correlation with deprivation as measured by the 2015 Index of Multiple Deprivation. Although it finds that life expectancy is increasing overall and the gap between men and women is lessening, improvements are slower paced in more deprived areas such that the gap between rich and poor is slowly worsening over time. Men are more adversely impacted by deprivation than women with the gap in period life expectancy at age 30 in 2015 between the top and bottom 1% of deprived neighbourhoods at 10.9 years for men and 8.4 years for women. Between 2001 and 2015 inequalities in male mortality rates at age 44 were 4.4 times greater in the most deprived 10% of neighbourhoods than those in the 10% least deprived and were much higher than in intervening deciles. The worst deprivation is concentrated in specific areas. For example, in 22 out of 326 English districts, 25% or more of neighbourhoods are in the most deprived 10% and in 5 districts it is 40% or above.
Asymmetry in mortality volatility and its implications on index-based longevity hedging
Authors: Zhou Kenneth Q. , Li Johnny Siu-Hang
Published: May 2020

Mortality volatility is crucially important to many aspects of index-based longevity hedging, including instrument pricing, hedge calibration and hedge performance evaluation. This paper sets out to develop a deeper understanding of mortality volatility and its implications on index-based longevity hedging. First, we study the potential asymmetry in mortality volatility by considering a wide range of generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH)-type models that permit the volatility of mortality improvement to respond differently to positive and negative mortality shocks. We then investigate how the asymmetry of mortality volatility may impact index-based longevity hedging solutions by developing an extended longevity Greeks framework, which encompasses longevity Greeks for a wider range of GARCH-type models, an improved version of longevity vega, and a new longevity Greek known as “dynamic Delta”. Our theoretical work is complemented by two real-data illustrations, the results of which suggest that the effectiveness of an index-based longevity hedge could be significantly impaired if the asymmetry in mortality volatility is not taken into account when the hedge is calibrated.
Studying Earth’s Double Electrical Heartbeat
Authors: Benningfield Damond
Published: May 2020

Charged by thunderstorms and other weather phenomena, the global electrical circuit connects the entire planet.
Loss of HAT1 expression confers BRAFV600E inhibitor resistance to melanoma cells by activating MAPK signaling via IGF1R
Authors: Bugide Suresh , Parajuli Keshab Raj , Chava Suresh , Pattanayak Rudradip , Manna Deborah L. Della , Shrestha Deepmala , Yang Eddy S. , Cai Guoping , Johnson Douglas B. , Gupta Romi
Published: May 2020

BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi) have been approved for the clinical treatment of BRAF-mutant metastatic melanoma. Although initial responses to BRAFi are generally favorable, acquired BRAFi resistance emerges rapidly, resulting in treatment failure. Only some of the underlying mechanisms responsible for BRAFi resistance are currently understood. Here, we showed that the genetic inhibition of histone acetyltransferase 1 (HAT1) in BRAF-mutant melanoma cells resulted in BRAFi resistance. Using quantitative immunofluorescence analysis of patient sample pairs, consisting of pre-treatment along with matched progressed BRAFi + MEKi-treated melanoma samples, HAT1 downregulation was observed in 7/11 progressed samples (~63%) in comparison with pre-treated samples. Employing NanoString-based nCounter PanCancer Pathway Panel-based gene expression analysis, we identified increased MAPK, Ras, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, and Wnt pathway activation in HAT1 expression inhibited cells. We further found that MAPK pathway activation following the loss of HAT1 expression was partially driven by increased insulin growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) signaling. We showed that both MAPK and IGF1R pathway inhibition, using the ERK inhibitor SCH772984 and the IGF1R inhibitor BMS-754807, respectively, restored BRAFi sensitivity in melanoma cells lacking HAT1. Collectively, we show that the loss of HAT1 expression confers acquired BRAFi resistance by activating the MAPK signaling pathway via IGF1R.
MCU-induced mitochondrial calcium uptake promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and colorectal cancer growth
Authors: Liu Yang , Jin Mingpeng , Wang Yaya , Zhu Jianjun , Tan Rui , Zhao Jing , Ji Xiaoying , Jin Chao , Jia Yongfeng , Ren Tingting , Xing Jinliang
Published: May 2020

Mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) has an important role in regulating mitochondrial calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis. Dysregulation of mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis has been implicated in various cancers. However, it remains unclear whether MCU regulates mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake to promote cell growth in colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, in the present study the expression of MCU in CRC tissues and its clinical significance were examined. Following which, the biological function of MCU-mediated mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in CRC cell growth and the underlying mechanisms were systematically evaluated using in in vitro and in vivo assays, which included western blotting, cell viability and apoptosis assays, as well as xenograft nude mice models. Our results demonstrated that MCU was markedly upregulated in CRC tissues at both the mRNA and protein levels. Upregulated MCU was associated with poor prognosis in patients with CRC. Our data reported that upregulation of MCU enhanced the mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake to promote mitochondrial biogenesis, which in turn facilitated CRC cell growth in vitro and in vivo. In terms of the underlying mechanism, it was identified that MCU-mediated mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake inhibited the phosphorylation of transcription factor A, mitochondrial (TFAM), and thus enhanced its stability to promote mitochondrial biogenesis. Furthermore, our data indicated that increased mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake led to increased mitochondrial production of ROS via the upregulation of mitochondrial biogenesis, which subsequently activated NF-κB signaling to accelerate CRC growth. In conclusion, the results indicated that MCU-induced mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake promotes mitochondrial biogenesis by suppressing phosphorylation of TFAM, thus contributing to CRC cell growth. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism underlying mitochondrial Ca2+-mediated CRC cell growth and may provide a potential pharmacological target for CRC treatment.
The novel miR-1269b-regulated protein SVEP1 induces hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation and metastasis likely through the PI3K/Akt pathway
Authors: Chen Lu , Liu Dongming , Yi Xianfu , Qi Lisha , Tian Xiangdong , Sun Bo , Dong Qiuping , Han Zhiqiang , Li Qiang , Song Tianqiang , Guo Mingxi , Zhang Wei , Guo Hua , Zhang Ti
Published: May 2020

Decreased intercellular adhesion is a key step in the metastasis and recurrence of many cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). SVEP1 is an important cell adhesion molecule that plays a key role in regulating intercellular adhesion and embryonic lymphatic development. However, the expression patterns and roles of SVEP1 in HCC are still largely unknown. We identified SVEP1 expression by analyzing 220 HCC samples from our cancer center. TCGA and GEO online-databases were used for data calibration and validation. SVEP1 was differentially expressed in two groups of HCCs with different risks of recurrence and was deemed as an independent risk factor for the prognosis of HCC. The expression of SVEP1 is negatively related to the proliferation and metastasis of HCC. Downregulation of SVEP1 expression promoted in vitro HCC cell migration, chemotaxis, invasion and proliferation, as well as in vivo tumor growth, local invasion and metastasis in a mouse model. Bioinformatic analysis and RT-PCR results showed that miR-1269b expression is negatively correlated with the SVEP1 expression and the prognosis of HCC patients. Further experiments showed that miR-1269b directly targets and downregulates the expression of SVEP1, which further induces the phosphorylation of Akt at thr308. These regulatory effects ultimately mediate the proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells. SVEP1 could serve as a promising prognostic marker of HCC. MiR-1269b downregulates SVEP1 expression and promotes HCC proliferation and metastasis likely through the PI3k/Akt signaling pathway.
Sustained fluvial deposition recorded in Mars’ Noachian stratigraphic record
Authors: Salese Francesco , McMahon William J. , Balme Matthew R. , Ansan Veronique , Davis Joel M. , Kleinhans Maarten G.
Published: May 2020

Orbital observation has revealed a rich record of fluvial landforms on Mars, with much of this record dating 3.6–3.0 Ga. Despite widespread geomorphic evidence, few analyses of Mars’ alluvial sedimentary-stratigraphic record exist, with detailed studies of alluvium largely limited to smaller sand-bodies amenable to study in-situ by rovers. These typically metre-scale outcrop dimensions have prevented interpretation of larger scale channel-morphology and long-term basin evolution, vital for understanding the past Martian climate. Here we give an interpretation of a large sedimentary succession at Izola mensa within the NW Hellas Basin rim. The succession comprises channel and barform packages which together demonstrate that river deposition was already well established >3.7 Ga. The deposits mirror terrestrial analogues subject to low-peak discharge variation, implying that river deposition at Izola was subject to sustained, potentially perennial, fluvial flow. Such conditions would require an environment capable of maintaining large volumes of water for extensive time-periods, necessitating a precipitation-driven hydrological cycle.
N-GSDMD trafficking to neutrophil organelles facilitates IL-1β release independently of plasma membrane pores and pyroptosis
Authors: Karmakar Mausita , Minns Martin , Greenberg Elyse N. , Diaz-Aponte Jose , Pestonjamasp Kersi , Johnson Jennifer L. , Rathkey Joseph K. , Abbott Derek W. , Wang Kun , Shao Feng , Catz Sergio D. , Dubyak George R. , Pearlman Eric
Published: May 2020

Gasdermin-D (GSDMD) in inflammasome-activated macrophages is cleaved by caspase-1 to generate N-GSDMD fragments. N-GSDMD then oligomerizes in the plasma membrane (PM) to form pores that increase membrane permeability, leading to pyroptosis and IL-1β release. In contrast, we report that although N-GSDMD is required for IL-1β secretion in NLRP3-activated human and murine neutrophils, N-GSDMD does not localize to the PM or increase PM permeability or pyroptosis. Instead, biochemical and microscopy studies reveal that N-GSDMD in neutrophils predominantly associates with azurophilic granules and LC3+ autophagosomes. N-GSDMD trafficking to azurophilic granules causes leakage of neutrophil elastase into the cytosol, resulting in secondary cleavage of GSDMD to an alternatively cleaved N-GSDMD product. Genetic analyses using ATG7-deficient cells indicate that neutrophils secrete IL-1β via an autophagy-dependent mechanism. These findings reveal fundamental differences in GSDMD trafficking between neutrophils and macrophages that underlie neutrophil-specific functions during inflammasome activation.
Comprehensive germline genomic profiles of children, adolescents and young adults with solid tumors
Authors: Akhavanfard Sara , Padmanabhan Roshan , Yehia Lamis , Cheng Feixiong , Eng Charis
Published: May 2020

Compared to adult carcinomas, there is a paucity of targeted treatments for solid tumors in children, adolescents, and young adults (C-AYA). The impact of germline genomic signatures has implications for heritability, but its impact on targeted therapies has not been fully appreciated. Performing variant-prioritization analysis on germline DNA of 1,507 C-AYA patients with solid tumors, we show 12% of these patients carrying germline pathogenic and/or likely pathogenic variants (P/LP) in known cancer-predisposing genes (KCPG). An additional 61% have germline pathogenic variants in non-KCPG genes, including PRKN, SMARCAL1, SMAD7, which we refer to as candidate genes. Despite germline variants in a broad gene spectrum, pathway analysis leads to top networks centering around p53. Our drug-target analysis shows 1/3 of patients with germline P/LP variants have at least one druggable alteration, while more than half of them are from our candidate gene group, which would otherwise go unidentified in routine clinical care.
Benign ferroelastic twin boundaries in halide perovskites for charge carrier transport and recombination
Authors: Xiao Xun , Li Wenhao , Fang Yanjun , Liu Ye , Shao Yuchuan , Yang Shuang , Zhao Jingjing , Dai Xuezeng , Zia Rashid , Huang Jinsong
Published: May 2020

Grain boundaries have been established to impact charge transport, recombination and thus the power conversion efficiency of metal halide perovskite thin film solar cells. As a special category of grain boundaries, ferroelastic twin boundaries have been recently discovered to exist in both CH3NH3PbI3 thin films and single crystals. However, their impact on the carrier transport and recombination in perovskites remains unexplored. Here, using the scanning photocurrent microscopy, we find that twin boundaries have negligible influence on the carrier transport across them. Photoluminescence (PL) imaging and the spatial-resolved PL intensity and lifetime scanning confirm the electronically benign nature of the twin boundaries, in striking contrast to regular grain boundaries which block the carrier transport and behave as the non-radiative recombination centers. Finally, the twin-boundary areas are found still easier to degrade than grain interior.
Iterative consensus spectral clustering improves detection of subject and group level brain functional modules
Authors: Gupta Sukrit , Rajapakse Jagath C.
Published: May 2020

Specialized processing in the brain is performed by multiple groups of brain regions organized as functional modules. Although, in vivo studies of brain functional modules involve multiple functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans, the methods used to derive functional modules from functional networks of the brain ignore individual differences in the functional architecture and use incomplete functional connectivity information. To correct this, we propose an Iterative Consensus Spectral Clustering (ICSC) algorithm that detects the most representative modules from individual dense weighted connectivity matrices derived from multiple scans. The ICSC algorithm derives group-level modules from modules of multiple individuals by iteratively minimizing the consensus-cost between the two. We demonstrate that the ICSC algorithm can be used to derive biologically plausible group-level (for multiple subjects) and subject-level (for multiple subject scans) brain modules, using resting-state fMRI scans of 589 subjects from the Human Connectome Project. We employed a multipronged strategy to show the validity of the modularizations obtained from the ICSC algorithm. We show a heterogeneous variability in the modular structure across subjects where modules involved in visual and motor processing were highly stable across subjects. Conversely, we found a lower variability across scans of the same subject. The performance of our algorithm was compared with existing functional brain modularization methods and we show that our method detects group-level modules that are more representative of the modules of multiple individuals. Finally, the experiments on synthetic images quantitatively demonstrate that the ICSC algorithm detects group-level and subject-level modules accurately under varied conditions. Therefore, besides identifying functional modules for a population of subjects, the proposed method can be used for applications in personalized neuroscience. The ICSC implementation is available at https://github.com/SCSE-Biomedical-Computing-Group/ICSC.
Physical presence of spouse enhances brain-to-brain synchrony in co-parenting couples
Authors: Azhari Atiqah , Lim Mengyu , Bizzego Andrea , Gabrieli Giulio , Bornstein Marc H. , Esposito Gianluca
Published: May 2020

Co-parenting spouses who live together remain in close physical proximity to each other and regularly engage in reciprocal social interactions in joint endeavors to coordinate their caregiving. Although bi-parental rearing is a common occurrence in humans, the influence of the physical presence of a co-parenting spouse on parental brain responses remains largely unknown. Synchrony is conceptualized as the matching of behavioral and physiological signals between two individuals. In this study, we examined how the presence of a co-parenting spouse influences brain-to-brain synchrony when attending to salient infant and adult vocalizations. We hypothesized that brain-to-brain synchrony would be greater in the presence of a spousal partner. Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used on 24 mother-father dyads (N = 48) to measure prefrontal cortical (PFC) activities while they listened to infant and adult vocalizations in two conditions, together (in the same room at the same time) and separately (in different rooms at different times). Couples showed greater synchrony in the together condition; when comparing fNIRS data between true couples and randomly matched controls, this synchronous effect was only seen in true couples, indicating a unique effect of spousal co-regulation toward salient stimuli. Our results indicate that the physical presence of the spouse might establish synchrony in attentional regulation mechanisms toward socially relevant stimuli. This finding holds implications for the role of the co-parenting spouse in influencing social and parental brain mechanisms.
Nitrogen supply enhances the physiological resistance of Chinese fir plantlets under polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced drought stress
Authors: Li Shubin , Zhou Lili , Addo-Danso Shalom Daniel , Ding Guochang , Sun Min , Wu Sipan , Lin Sizu
Published: May 2020

Water and nitrogen stresses are major constraints for agricultural and forest productivity. Although the effects of water scarcity or nitrogen stress on plant growth, physiology, and yield have been widely studied, few studies have assessed the combined effects of both stresses. In the present study, we investigated the effects of different nitrogen forms (NO3−N, NH4+-N, and a combination of NO3−N + NH4+-N) on antioxidant enzyme activity, osmotic regulatory substances, and nitrogen assimilation in Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantlets under drought stress (induced by 10% polyethylene glycol). We found that different N ionic forms had different effects on drought-stressed plantlets. Nitrogen supply greatly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) when plantlets were exposed to water stress. The malondialdehyde (MDA) contents significantly decreased under the NH4+ + water stress treatment. The proline (Pr) contents significantly increased in both the NO3−N and NH4+-N + water stress treatment. The nitrate reductase (NR) increased by 7.1% in the NO3− + water stress treatment, and the glutamine synthetase (GS), and the glutamate synthase (GOGAT) activity increased in all the nitrogen + water stress treatments. These results suggested that nitrogen supply could alleviate the adverse effects of drought stress on plants by enhancing antioxidant defense and improving nitrogen assimilation, while the effects on plant tolerance to drought stress varied with nitrogen ionic forms.
Discovery and characterisation of a new leaf rust resistance gene introgressed in wheat from wild wheat Aegilops peregrina
Authors: Narang Deepika , Kaur Satinder , Steuernagel Burkhard , Ghosh Sreya , Bansal Urmil , Li Jianbo , Zhang Peng , Bhardwaj Subhash , Uauy Cristobal , Wulff Brande B. H. , Chhuneja Parveen
Published: May 2020

Wild wheat species Aegilops peregrina (UpUpSpSp), harbours resistance to various diseases including leaf rust and stripe rust. Inheritance studies in a recombinant inbred line population of wheat-Ae. peregrina introgression line IL pau16061 revealed the transfer of a single major dominant gene conditioning all stage resistance, herein temporarily designated as LrAp. Genomic in situ hybridisation of IL pau16061, resistant and susceptible RILs with U- and S-genome DNA probes confirmed that the introgression with leaf rust resistance is from the Up genome of Ae. peregrina. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation using chromosome specific probes identified Up genome introgression to be on the long arm of wheat chromosome 6B. To genetically map LrAp, bulked segregant analysis was combined with resistance gene enrichment sequencing (MapRenSeq). Five nucleotide binding leucine-rich repeat contigs distinguished resistant and susceptible bulks and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers from these contigs co-segregated with LrAp. All five RenSeq NB_ARC contigs showed identity with the long arm of wheat chromosome 6B confirming the introgression on 6BL which we propose is a compensating translocation from Ae. peregrina chromosome 6UpL due to homoeology between the alien and wheat chromosomes. The SNP markers developed in this study will aid in cloning and marker assisted gene pyramiding of LrAp.
Development of a defined compost system for the study of plant-microbe interactions
Authors: Masters-Clark E. , Shone E. , Paradelo M. , Hirsch P. R. , Clark I. M. , Otten W. , Brennan F. , Mauchline T. H.
Published: May 2020

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria can improve plant health by providing enhanced nutrition, disease suppression and abiotic stress resistance, and have potential to contribute to sustainable agriculture. We have developed a sphagnum peat-based compost platform for investigating plant-microbe interactions. The chemical, physical and biological status of the system can be manipulated to understand the relative importance of these factors for plant health, demonstrated using three case studies: 1. Nutrient depleted compost retained its structure, but plants grown in this medium were severely stunted in growth due to removal of essential soluble nutrients - particularly, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Compost nutrient status was replenished with the addition of selected soluble nutrients, validated by plant biomass; 2. When comparing milled and unmilled compost, we found nutrient status to be more important than matrix structure for plant growth; 3. In compost deficient in soluble P, supplemented with an insoluble inorganic form of P (Ca3(PO4)2), application of a phosphate solubilising Pseudomonas strain to plant roots provides a significant growth boost when compared with a Pseudomonas strain incapable of solubilising Ca3(PO4)2. Our findings show that the compost system can be manipulated to impose biotic and abiotic stresses for testing how microbial inoculants influence plant growth.
The mechanism of loop C-neonicotinoid interactions at insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α1 subunit predicts resistance emergence in pests
Authors: Shimada Shota , Kamiya Masaki , Shigetou Sho , Tomiyama Kakeru , Komori Yuma , Magara Leo , Ihara Makoto , Matsuda Kazuhiko
Published: May 2020

Neonicotinoids selectively modulate insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (insect nAChRs). Studies have shown that serine with ability to form a hydrogen bond in loop C of some insect nAChR α subunits and glutamate with a negative charge at the corresponding position in vertebrate nAChRs may contribute to enhancing and reducing the neonicotinoid actions, respectively. However, there is no clear evidence what loop C properties underpin the target site actions of neonicotinoids. Thus, we have investigated the effects of S221A and S221Q mutations in loop C of the Drosophila melanogaster Dα1 subunit on the agonist activity of imidacloprid and thiacloprid for Dα1/chicken β2 nAChRs expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. The S221A mutation hardly affected either the affinity or efficacy for ACh and imidacloprid, whereas it only slightly reduced the efficacy for thiacloprid on the nAChRs with a higher composition ratio of β2 to Dα1 subunits. The S221Q mutation markedly reduced the efficacy of the neonicotinoids for the nAChRs with a higher composition of the β2 subunit lacking basic residues critical for binding neonicotinoids. Hence, we predict the possibility of enhanced neonicotinoid resistance in pest insect species by a mutation of the serine when it occurs in the R81T resistant populations lacking the basic residue in loop D of the β1 subunit.
Determination of Cloud-top Height through Three-dimensional Cloud Reconstruction using DIWATA-1 Data
Authors: Castro Ellison , Ishida Tetsuro , Takahashi Yukihiro , Kubota Hisayuki , Perez Gay Jane , Marciano Joel S.
Published: May 2020

Cloud-top height is a useful parameter with which to elucidate cloud vertical growth, which often indicates severe weather such as torrential rainfall and thunderstorms; it is widely used in meteorological research. However, general cloud-top height estimation methods are hindered by observational and analytical constraints. This study used data from DIWATA-1, the Philippines’ first microsatellite, to overcome these limitations and successfully produce sophisticated three-dimensional cloud models via stereo-photogrammetry. High-temporal snapshot 200-ms-interval imaging of clouds over Iloilo, Philippines, is performed. Two types of telescopes were used to capture 30 stereoscopic cloud images at ~60- and ~3-m ground sampling resolutions; these were used to construct three-dimensional cloud models with 40- and 2-m vertical resolutions, respectively. The imaged clouds have heights of 2.0 to 4.8 km, which is below freezing level for the Philippines and typical of stratocumulus and cumulus clouds. The results are validated using cloud-edge heights determined by measuring the distance from the clouds to their ground shadows. An RMSE of 0.32 km and a maximum difference of 0.03 km are found for the low- and high-resolution telescopes, respectively. For further validation, the results are compared with cloud-top heights estimated from HIMAWARI-8 images captured on the same day, yielding an average vertical difference of 0.15 km and a maximum difference of 1.7 km.
Small molecule inhibition of human cGAS reduces total cGAMP output and cytokine expression in cells
Authors: Wiser Caroline , Kim Byungil , Vincent Jessica , Ascano Manuel
Published: May 2020

The cGAS-STING pathway is a major mechanism that mammalian cells utilize to detect cytoplasmic dsDNA from incoming viruses, bacteria, or self. CYCLIC GMP-AMP SYNTHASE (cGAS) is the sensor protein that directly binds dsDNAs. cGAS synthesizes cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP), which binds to the adaptor STIMULATOR OF INTERFERON GENES (STING), activating an INTERFERON REGULATORY FACTOR 3 (IRF3)-mediated immune response. Constitutive activation can result in interferonopathies such as Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome (AGS) or other lupus-like autoimmune disorders. While inhibitors targeting mouse or human cGAS have been reported, the identification of a small molecule that targets both homologs of cGAS has been challenging. Here, we show that RU.521 is capable of potently and selectively inhibiting mouse and human cGAS in cell lines and human primary cells. This inhibitory activity requires the presence of cGAS, but it cannot suppress an immune response in cells activated by RNA, Toll-like receptor ligands, cGAMP, or recombinant interferon. Importantly, when RU.521 is applied to cells, the production of dsDNA-induced intracellular cGAMP is suppressed in a dose-dependent manner. Our work validates the use of RU.521 for probing DNA-induced innate immune responses and underscores its potential as an ideal scaffold towards pre-clinical development, given its potency against human and mouse cGAS.
Vitamin D deficiency, cardiothoracic ratio, and long-term mortality in hemodialysis patients
Authors: Hsu Heng-Jung , Wu I-Wen , Hsu Kuang-Hung , Sun Chiao-Yin , Chen Chun-Yu , Lee Chin-Chan
Published: May 2020

Hemodialysis patients are a special group of patients with higher mortality rates. Hemodialysis patients with vitamin D deficiency {plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] below 20 ng/mL} are associated with even higher mortality rates. The prognostic importance of vitamin D deficiency in hemodialysis patients with different cardiothoracic ratios (CTRs) is still unclear. This prospective study was performed in a single hemodialysis center, and 186 patients were included. This study analyzed the prognostic importance of vitamin D deficiency in hemodialysis patients with different CTRs. Vitamin D deficiency patients had a significantly higher prevalence of stroke and diabetic mellitus than those without vitamin D deficiency. In addition, the CTR was higher in patients with vitamin D deficiency than in those without vitamin D deficiency. After multivariate logistic regression, we found that CTR was the solitary factor that was independently significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency [odds ratio: 1.07, 95% confidence internal (CI): 1.01–1.13, p = 0.02]. Additionally, vitamin D deficiency was associated with all-cause mortality in patients with higher CTR after adjustment in hierarchical regression models. In conclusion, we reported that vitamin D deficiency was independently significantly associated with a higher CTR. We additionally revealed that vitamin D deficiency was an independent predicator for all-cause mortality in higher CTR hemodialysis patients.
In-vitro safety and off-target profile of the anti-parasitic arylmethylaminosteroid 1o
Authors: Blum Leonard , Gul Sheraz , Ulshöfer Thomas , Henke Marina , Krieg Reimar , Berneburg Isabell , Thomas Dominique , Trautmann Sandra , Kurz Jennifer , Geyer Joachim , Geisslinger Gerd , Becker Katja , Parnham Michael J. , Schiffmann Susanne
Published: May 2020

Parasite-mediated diseases like malaria and schistosomiasis are growing health problems worldwide and novel drug candidates are urgently needed. In this study, the in-vitro safety profile of steroid compound 1o (sc1o), effective against the parasites Plasmodium falciparum and Schistosoma mansoni with an IC50 value of 5 nM, was characterized. We assessed viability/proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle tests to determine the cytotoxic profile of sc1o in cancer cells. The mutagenic potential was determined with the AMES test. To identify off-target effects we investigated whether sc1o interacts with safety-relevant molecules such as cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, phosphodiesterases (PDE), histone deacteylases (HDAC) and human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG). Furthermore, to predict the potential bioavailability of sc1o, its effect on Caco-2 cell barrier integrity, by measurement of the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), was determined. Sc1o at 25 µM reduced cell viability, probably through cell-cycle arrest, but did not induce apoptosis in cancer cells. No adverse off-target effects nor mutagenic potential of sc1o were observed. Furthermore, sc1o did not disturb the integrity of the cell barrier, but exhibited low membrane permeability, apparently due to cell adherence. In conclusion, sc1o up to 10 µM showed a good in-vitro safety profile.
Insight into the structural, elastic and electronic properties of a new orthorhombic 6O-SiC polytype
Authors: El Mendili Yassine , Orberger Beate , Chateigner Daniel , Bardeau Jean-François , Gascoin Stéphanie , Petit Sébastien , Perez Olivier , Khadraoui Fouzia
Published: May 2020

Different polytypes of SiC are described and predicted in literature. Here, we report the first occurrence of an orthorhombic 6O-SiC polytype as rock-forming mineral in the nickel laterite mine of Tiebaghi (New Caledonia). This new class of SiC crystallizes in the space group Cmc21 with 12 atoms per unit cell [a = 3.0778(6) Å, b = 5.335(2) Å, c = 15.1219(6) Å, α = 90°, β = 90°, γ = 120°]. The density of 6O-SiC is about 3.22 g/cm3 and the calculated indirect bandgap at room temperature of 3.56 eV is identical to 6H-SiC. Our results suggest that 6O-SiC is the intermediate state in the wurtzite to rocksalt transformation of 6H-SiC.