bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation of mesoporous SBA‐15/polymer‐copper(II) composites in supercritical CO2 and their multiple applications
Authors: Cao Liqin , Chi Hui , Hao Youwei , Wang Jide
Published: January 2018

Novel organic–inorganic mesoporous SBA‐15composites containing nitrogen heterocyclic ring–copper complexes were prepared in supercritical carbon dioxide. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the composites consisted of SBA‐15 and poly(Pya‐co‐AA)–Cu(II). X‐ray diffraction results indicated that the obtained composite possessed a two‐dimensional hexagonal‐ordered mesoporous structure. The specific surface areas of the composites were determined by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method during nitrogen gas adsorption. The morphology of the composite was characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The effects of operating parameters, such as pressure, adsorption time, and monomer concentration, were also investigated. High‐yield, uniform composites with large aspect ratios were obtained at moderate concentration and pressure at a certain time. In addition, the adsorption behaviors of bovine serum albumin and the catalytic oxidation of benzylalcohol by the composites were evaluated. The adsorption capacities and catalytic performance of composites were 442.5 mg L−1 and 54.4%, respectively. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:823–831, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Efficient algorithms for discrepancy minimization in convex sets
Authors: Eldan Ronen , Singh Mohit
Published: January 2018

A result of Spencer states that every collection of n sets over a universe of size n has a coloring of the ground set with of discrepancy . A geometric generalization of this result was given by Gluskin (see also Giannopoulos) who showed that every symmetric convex body with Gaussian measure at least , for a small , contains a point where a constant fraction of coordinates of y are in . This is often called a partial coloring result. While the proofs of both these results were inherently non‐algorithmic, recently Bansal (see also Lovett‐Meka) gave a polynomial time algorithm for Spencer's setting and Rothvoß gave a randomized polynomial time algorithm obtaining the same guarantee as the result of Gluskin and Giannopoulos. This paper contains several related results which combine techniques from convex geometry to analyze simple and efficient algorithms for discrepancy minimization. First, we prove another constructive version of the result of Gluskin and Giannopoulos, in which the coloring is attained via the optimization of a linear function. This implies a linear programming based algorithm for combinatorial discrepancy obtaining the same result as Spencer. Our second result suggests a new approach to obtain partial colorings, which is also valid for the non‐symmetric case. It shows that every (possibly non‐symmetric) convex body , with Gaussian measure at least , for a small , contains a point where a constant fraction of coordinates of y are in . Finally, we give a simple proof that shows that for any there exists a constant c > 0 such that given a body K with , a uniformly random x from is in cK with constant probability. This gives an algorithmic version of a special case of the result of Banaszczyk.
Flexible Transparent and Free‐Standing SiC Nanowires Fabric: Stretchable UV Absorber and Fast‐Response UV‐A Detector
Authors: Sun Bo , Sun Yong , Wang Chengxin
Published: January 2018

Transparent and flexible materials are desired for the construction of photoelectric multifunctional integrated devices and portable electronics. Herein, 2H‐SiC nanowires are assembled into a flexible, transparent, self‐standing nanowire fabric (FTS‐NWsF). The as‐synthesized ultralong nanowires form high‐quality crystals with a few stacking faults. The optical transmission spectra reveal that FTS‐NWsF absorbs most incident 200–400 nm light, but remains transparent to visible light. A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)–SiC fabric–PDMS sandwich film device exhibits stable electrical output even when repeatedly stretched by up to 50%. Unlike previous SiC nanowires in which stacking faults are prevalent, the transparent, stretchable SiC fabric shows considerable photoelectric activity and exhibits a rapid photoresponse (rise and decay time < 30 ms) to 340–400 nm light, covering most of the UV‐A spectral region. These advances represent significant progress in the design of functional optoelectronic SiC nanowires and transparent and stretchable optoelectronic systems.
The Effect of Human‐Immunodeficiency Virus Status on Outcomes in Penetrating Abdominal Trauma: An Interim Analysis
Authors: McPherson Deidre , Neuhaus Valentin , Dhar Rohin , Edu Sorin , Nicol Andrew J. , Navsaria Pradeep H.
Published: January 2018

Background

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the outcomes of hemodynamically stable patients undergoing exploratory laparotomy for penetrating abdominal trauma differed as a result of their HIV status.

Methods

This was an observational, prospective study from February 2016 to May 2017. All hemodynamically stable patients with penetrating abdominal trauma requiring a laparotomy were included. The mechanism of injury, the HIV status, age, the penetrating abdominal trauma index (PATI), and the revised trauma score (RTS) were entered into a binary logistic regression model. Outcome parameters were in‐hospital death, morbidity, admission to intensive care unit (ICU), relaparotomy within 30 days, and length of stay longer than 30 days.

Results

A total of 209 patients, 94% male, with a mean age of 29 ± 10 years were analysed. Twenty‐eight patients (13%) were HIV positive. The two groups were comparable. Ten (4.8%) laparotomies were negative. There were two (0.96%) deaths, both in the HIV negative group. The complication rate was 34% (n = 72). Twenty‐nine patients (14%) were admitted to the ICU. A higher PATI, older age, and a lower RTS were significant risk factors for ICU admission. After 30 days, 12 patients (5.7%) were still in hospital. Twenty‐four patients (11%) underwent a second laparotomy. The PATI score was the single independent predictor for complications, relaparotomy, and hospital stay longer than 30 days.

Conclusions

Preliminary results reveal that HIV status does not influence outcomes in patients with penetrating abdominal trauma.
Stationary solutions to the compressible Navier–Stokes system with general boundary conditions
Authors: Feireisl Eduard , Novotný Antonín
Published: January 2018

We consider the stationary compressible Navier–Stokes system supplemented with general inhomogeneous boundary conditions. Assuming the pressure to be given by the standard hard sphere EOS we show existence of weak solutions for arbitrarily large boundary data.
Hiding in Plain Sight: Contaminated Ice Machines Are a Potential Source for Dissemination of Gram-Negative Bacteria and Candida Species in Healthcare Facilities
Authors: Kanwar Anubhav , Cadnum Jennifer L. , Xu Dongyan , Jencson Annette L. , Donskey Curtis J.
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

Contaminated ice machines have been linked to transmission of pathogens in healthcare facilities.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the frequency and sites of contamination of ice machines in multiple healthcare facilities and to investigate potential mechanisms of microorganism dispersal from contaminated ice machines to patients.

DESIGN

Multicenter culture survey and simulation study.

SETTING

The study took place in 5 hospitals and 2 nursing homes in northeastern Ohio.

METHODS

We cultured multiple sites on ice machines from patient care areas. To investigate potential mechanisms of microbial dispersal from contaminated ice machines, we observed the use of ice machines and conducted simulations using a fluorescent tracer and cultures.

RESULTS

Samples from 64 ice machines in the 5 hospitals and 2 nursing homes (range, 3–16 per facility) were cultured. Gram-negative bacilli and/or Candida spp were recovered from 100% of drain pans, 52% of ice and/or water chutes, and 72% of drain-pan grilles. During the operation of ice machines, ice often fell through the grille, resulting in splattering, with dispersal of contaminated water from the drain pan to the drain-pan grille, cups, and the hands of those using the ice machine. Contamination of the inner surface of the ice chute resulted in contamination of ice cubes exiting the chute.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrate that ice machines in healthcare facilities are often contaminated with gram-negative bacilli and Candida species, and provide a potential mechanism by which these organisms may be dispersed. Effective interventions are needed to reduce the risk of dissemination of pathogenic organisms from ice machines.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:253–258
What Does “Born Digital” Mean?
Authors: Muhanna Elias
Published: January 2018

When asked for a definition of the digital humanities, I often fall back on a crisp formula. Digital humanists use computation to generate, organize, publish, or interpret humanistic data. This covers most of the bases, but it's also a bit abstract. “What sort of computation?” a colleague sometimes asks. “I use a computer at work; why aren't I a digital humanist?” To this, I agree; there isn't much daylight between digital and analogue scholarship. Less interesting than what separates the two domains is the question of what unites them. In my view, the most significant shared ingredient is technology.
The Zaydi Manuscript Tradition: Virtual Repatriation of Cultural Heritage
Authors: Schmidtke Sabine
Published: January 2018

The manuscript tradition of the Zaydi branch of Shiʿism, which since the 9th century has been preserved primarily in Yemen, is nowadays dispersed over countless libraries in Yemen and the Middle East, Turkey, Europe, and the United States, of which only a fraction has been digitized and is available for open access. Its treasures came to the attention of scholars outside Yemen at a relatively late stage. Whereas the bulk of Arabic manuscripts nowadays housed in the libraries of Europe were acquired between the 17th and 19th centuries in centrally located cities and regions such as the Ottoman capital Istanbul, Syria and Palestine, and Egypt—all strongholds of Sunnism—the collections of Zaydi/Yemeni manuscripts were established only at the end of the 19th and first decades of the 20th century. Among the European explorers and merchants who collected manuscripts in South Arabia and later sold them to libraries in Europe was Eduard Glaser, who visited Yemen on four occasions between 1882 and 1894. After Glaser sold the manuscripts purchased during his first and second journey to the Königliche Bibliothek zu Berlin in 1884 and 1887, Wilhelm Ahlwardt made them the last acquisition to be included in hisCatalogue of Arabic Manuscripts, published between 1887 and 1899. The third Glaser collection was purchased in 1889 by the British Museum in London—with the exception of the Lane collection that was purchased in 1891 and 1893, it was the last acquisition to be included in Charles Rieu'sSupplement to the Catalogue of Arabic Manuscriptspublished in 1894. The fourth Glaser collection was sold in 1894 to the Kaiserlich-Königliche Hofbibliothek in Vienna, constituting the most important acquisition of Arabic manuscripts by the library at the time—unlike the Berlin and London Glaser collections, the Vienna Glaser manuscripts were never described in a published catalogue. An even larger collection of Zaydi/Yemeni manuscripts was brought together by the Italian merchant Giuseppe Caprotti during his sojourn in South Arabia from 1885 to 1919. Portions of the Caprotti collection now belong to the Bavarian State Library in Munich and the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, while the majority of the collection is owned by the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan. European libraries and increasingly US libraries have continuously purchased manuscripts of Yemeni provenance during the 20th and 21st centuries.
A Digital Humanities for Premodern Islamic History
Authors: Romanov Maxim
Published: January 2018

Defining digital humanities is tricky. Our scholarship has been intrinsically digital for quite a few decades already, as we rely more and more on electronic storage to save, word processors to write, bibliography managers to organize, databases to consult, digital libraries to search and read. Living in the digital world, however, does not make us all digital humanists—if these digital entities are taken away, we will have their analog prototypes to fall back on, and beyond a certain level of inconvenience, this will not affect the way most of us do our scholarship. The transition to digital humanities must begin somewhere at the point where our humanistic inquiry starts to rely on the machine as the matter of methodological exigency.
Robust adaptive output feedback tracking control for flexible-joint robot manipulators based on singularly perturbed decoupling
Authors: Liu Huashan , Huang Yong
Published: January 2018

This paper presents a robust adaptive output feedback tracking controller for the flexible-joint robot manipulators to deal with the unknown upper bounds of parameter uncertainties and external disturbances. With applying the singular perturbation theory and integral manifold concept, the complex nonlinear coupled system of the flexible-joint robot manipulators is divided into a slow subsystem and a fast subsystem. A robust adaptive control scheme based on an improved linear parameterization expression is designed for the slow subsystem, and a saturation function is applied in the robust control term to make the torque output smooth. In the meantime, different from the previous approaches, the second-order derivative term of elastic torque is avoided by using the proposed computed torque method, which simplifies the implementation of the fast control law. Moreover, to carry out the whole control system with only position measurements, an approximate differential filter is involved to generate pseudo velocity signals for links and joint motors. In addition, an explicit but strict stability proof of the control system based on the theory of singularly perturbed systems is presented. Finally, simulation results verify the superior dynamic performance of the proposed controller.
LOCAL FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION IN THE LATTER HALF OF THE TANG DYNASTY: ON PREFECTURAL FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION, INCLUDING THE METROPOLITAN PREFECTURE
Authors: Shin'ichirō Watanabe
Published: January 2018

This article analyzes the special historical characteristics of prefecture-level regional financial administration during the latter half of the Tang Dynasty, which had as its primary revenue source the twice-a-year tax legally established in 780. Prefectural financial administration during this period consisted of three components: the portion of the twice-a-year tax retained by prefectures (liuzhou), “money for public use” (gongyongqian), and the ever-normal and charity granaries (changping yicang). Each of these elements made its appearance at separate times from the Northern Wei to the Sui. Following the establishment of the twice-a-year tax law, they became consolidated as components of prefectural financial administration at the beginning of the ninth century. At the same time, these components of prefectural financial administration became subject to the control of the central government, especially with regard to the “money for public use,” the section over which prefectures exercised the broadest discretion. In the early Northern Song, at the end of the tenth century, all revenue sources (beyond those used to meet obligatory expenses such as the stipends of bureaucrats) came to be retrieved by the central government, and prefectural financial administration came to be placed directly under central control.
In the weeds: distinguishing organic farmers who want information about ecological weed management from those who need it
Authors: Bessette Doug , Zwickle Sarah , Wilson Robyn
Published: January 2018

The benefits of farming organically in the USA are increasingly known; however, organic farmers also encounter considerable risks, especially from weeds. Without herbicides, organic farmers can rely only on crop rotations, mechanical cultivation, manual weeding, beneficial insects and other cultural practices, termed ecological weed management (EWM), to control weeds. Despite promising results and the many ways in which EWM can be employed, it remains poorly adopted by the organic community. Organic farmers resist research and recommendations from University scientists and Extension, instead preferring to rely on local family and friends and their own experience to guide decisions. Here we investigate factors that may lead organic farmers to recognize that they need additional information about EWM and to seek that information out. Using a national survey of organic farmers (n= 554) and a risk-information seeking and processing model, we show that farmers’ risk and benefit perceptions, worry, social norms encouraging seeking out information, and farmers’ own perceived knowledge gaps, particularly with respect to their most problematic weed, influence information-seeking behavior. Identifying characteristics that may distinguish those organic farmers who need and want additional information, we provide recommendations to Extension and University scientists about how best to communicate, build trust and provide decision support to the organic community with respect to EWM.
The Battle for Language: Opposition to Khrushchev's Education Reform in the Soviet Republics, 1958–59
Authors: Smith Jeremy
Published: January 2018

Nikita Khrushchev's proposal to give parents of non-Russian children the choice of whether to send their children to a school with education in their own tongue, or to a Russian school, was first advanced at the end of 1958. It immediately provoked a furious response from leaders of the non-Russian republics of the multi-national Soviet Union, and was an issue contributing to political purges in Azerbaijan and Latvia in 1959. In this article, Jeremy Smith uses documents from archives in four Soviet republics to analyze the responses from the republics. Smith shows that republic leaders were mostly agreed on an alternative solution to the question of language of instruction, and pursued different strategies both to oppose the introduction of the reform and to obstruct its implementation once it was passed. The episode also underlines the uncertainty involved in center-periphery relations in the USSR.
Direkte orale Antikoagulanzien bei Krebspatienten: Sind wir so weit?
Authors: Sarinayova Svetlana , Heizmann Marc
Published: January 2018

Zusammenfassung. Die direkten oralen Antikoagulanzien (DOAK) gelten als Medikamente der Wahl in der Behandlung der tiefen Beinvenenthrombose und Lungenembolie. Aus der Patientenperspektive wäre es wünschenswert, diese oralen Substanzen auch in der Behandlung der krebsassoziierten Thrombose (Cancer-Associated Thrombosis, CAT) als Alternative zu der Standardtherapie mit niedermolekularen Heparinen (NMH) einzuführen. Da prospektive Daten zur Wirksamkeit und Sicherheit der DOAK im Vergleich zu NMH noch nicht zur Verfügung stehen, sollten DOAK vorerst für Patienten mit CAT reserviert werden, die eine subkutane Therapie mit NMH nicht tolerieren oder nach der initialen Behandlung mit NMH eine Langzeitantikoagulation erfordern. Die Interaktionen, möglich veränderte Bioverfügbarkeit und Organfunktionen müssen auch bei einer späteren breiteren Einführung der DOAK bei Krebspatienten berücksichtigt werden.
Transforming growth factor-β in stem cells and tissue homeostasis
Authors: Xu Xin , Zheng Liwei , Yuan Quan , Zhen Gehua , Crane Janet L. , Zhou Xuedong , Cao Xu
Published: January 2018

TGF-β 1–3 are unique multi-functional growth factors that are only expressed in mammals, and mainly secreted and stored as a latent complex in the extracellular matrix (ECM). The biological functions of TGF-β in adults can only be delivered after ligand activation, mostly in response to environmental perturbations. Although involved in multiple biological and pathological processes of the human body, the exact roles of TGF-β in maintaining stem cells and tissue homeostasis have not been well-documented until recent advances, which delineate their functions in a given context. Our recent findings, along with data reported by others, have clearly shown that temporal and spatial activation of TGF-β is involved in the recruitment of stem/progenitor cell participation in tissue regeneration/remodeling process, whereas sustained abnormalities in TGF-β ligand activation, regardless of genetic or environmental origin, will inevitably disrupt the normal physiology and lead to pathobiology of major diseases. Modulation of TGF-β signaling with different approaches has proven effective pre-clinically in the treatment of multiple pathologies such as sclerosis/fibrosis, tumor metastasis, osteoarthritis, and immune disorders. Thus, further elucidation of the mechanisms by which TGF-β is activated in different tissues/organs and how targeted cells respond in a context-dependent way can likely be translated with clinical benefits in the management of a broad range of diseases with the involvement of TGF-β.
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is critical for suppression of cardiac hypertrophy by H2S
Authors: Chhabra Aastha , Mishra Shalini , Kumar Gaurav , Gupta Asheesh , Keshri Gaurav Kumar , Bharti Brij , Meena Ram Niwas , Prabhakar Amit Kumar , Singh Dinesh Kumar , Bhargava Kalpana , Sharma Manish
Published: January 2018

Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), recently identified as the third endogenously produced gaseous messenger, is a promising therapeutic prospect for multiple cardio-pathological states, including myocardial hypertrophy. The molecular niche of H2S in normal or diseased cardiac cells is, however, sparsely understood. Here, we show that β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) overstimulation, known to produce hypertrophic effects in cardiomyocytes, rapidly decreased endogenous H2S levels. The preservation of intracellular H2S levels under these conditions strongly suppressed hypertrophic responses to adrenergic overstimulation, thus suggesting its intrinsic role in this process. Interestingly, unbiased global transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed an integrated metabolic circuitry, centrally linked by NADPH homeostasis, as the direct target of intracellular H2S augmentation. Within these gene networks, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), the first and rate-limiting enzyme (producing NADPH) in pentose phosphate pathway, emerged as the critical node regulating cellular effects of H2S. Utilizing both cellular and animal model systems, we show that H2S-induced elevated G6PD activity is critical for the suppression of cardiac hypertrophy in response to adrenergic overstimulation. We also describe experimental evidences suggesting multiple processes/pathways involved in regulation of G6PD activity, sustained over extended duration of time, in response to endogenous H2S augmentation. Our data, thus, revealed H2S as a critical endogenous regulator of cardiac metabolic circuitry, and also mechanistic basis for its anti-hypertrophic effects.
Optical imaging of strain in two-dimensional crystals
Authors: Mennel Lukas , Furchi Marco M. , Wachter Stefan , Paur Matthias , Polyushkin Dmitry K. , Mueller Thomas
Published: January 2018

Strain engineering is widely used in material science to tune the (opto-)electronic properties of materials and enhance the performance of devices. Two-dimensional atomic crystals are a versatile playground to study the influence of strain, as they can sustain very large deformations without breaking. Various optical techniques have been employed to probe strain in two-dimensional materials, including micro-Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Here we demonstrate that optical second harmonic generation constitutes an even more powerful technique, as it allows extraction of the full strain tensor with a spatial resolution below the optical diffraction limit. Our method is based on the strain-induced modification of the nonlinear susceptibility tensor due to a photoelastic effect. Using a two-point bending technique, we determine the photoelastic tensor elements of molybdenum disulfide. Once identified, these parameters allow us to spatially image the two-dimensional strain field in an inhomogeneously strained sample.
Chitosan nanoparticles having higher degree of acetylation induce resistance against pearl millet downy mildew through nitric oxide generation
Authors: Siddaiah Chandra Nayaka , Prasanth Keelara Veerappa Harish , Satyanarayana Niranjan Raj , Mudili Venkataramana , Gupta Vijai Kumar , Kalagatur Naveen Kumar , Satyavati Tara , Dai Xiao-Feng , Chen Jie-Yin , Mocan Andrei , Singh Bhim Pratap , Srivastava Rakesh Kumar
Published: January 2018

Downy mildew of pearl millet caused by the biotrophic oomycete Sclerospora graminicola is the most devastating disease which impairs pearl millet production causing huge yield and monetary losses. Chitosan nanoparticles (CNP) were synthesized from low molecular weight chitosan having higher degree of acetylation was evaluated for their efficacy against downy mildew disease of pearl millet caused by Sclerospora graminicola. Laboratory studies showed that CNP seed treatment significantly enhanced pearl millet seed germination percentage and seedling vigor compared to the control. Seed treatment with CNP induced systemic and durable resistance and showed significant downy mildew protection under greenhouse conditions in comparison to the untreated control. Seed treatment with CNP showed changes in gene expression profiles wherein expression of genes of phenylalanine ammonia lyase, peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase were highly upregulated. CNP treatment resulted in earlier and higher expression of the pathogenesis related proteins PR1 and PR5. Downy mildew protective effect offered by CNP was found to be modulated by nitric oxide and treatment with CNP along with NO inhibitors cPTIO completely abolished the gene expression of defense enzymes and PR proteins. Further, comparative analysis of CNP with Chitosan revealed that the very small dosage of CNP performed at par with recommended dose of Chitosan for downy mildew management.
Tunable Open Circuit Voltage by Engineering Inorganic Cesium Lead Bromide/Iodide Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Ng Chi Huey , Ripolles Teresa S. , Hamada Kengo , Teo Siow Hwa , Lim Hong Ngee , Bisquert Juan , Hayase Shuzi
Published: January 2018

Perovskite solar cells based on series of inorganic cesium lead bromide and iodide mixture, CsPbBr3-xI
x
, where x varies between 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 molar ratio were synthesized by two step-sequential deposition at ambient condition to design the variations of wide band gap light absorbers. A device with high overall photoconversion efficiency of 3.98 % was obtained when small amount of iodide (CsPbBr2.9I0.1) was used as the perovskite and spiro-OMeTAD as the hole transport material (HTM). We investigated the origin of variation in open circuit voltage, Voc which was shown to be mainly dependent on two factors, which are the band gap of the perovskite and the work function of the HTM. An increment in Voc was observed for the device with larger perovskite band gap, while keeping the electron and hole extraction contacts the same. Besides, the usage of bilayer P3HT/MoO3 with deeper HOMO level as HTM instead of spiro-OMeTAD, thus increased the Voc from 1.16 V to 1.3 V for CsPbBr3 solar cell, although the photocurrent is lowered due to charge extraction issues. The stability studies confirmed that the addition of small amount of iodide into the CsPbBr3 is necessarily to stabilize the cell performance over time.
Spiroplasma affects host aphid proteomics feeding on two nutritional resources
Authors: Guidolin Aline Sartori , Cataldi Thaís Regiani , Labate Carlos Alberto , Francis Frederic , Cônsoli Fernando Luis
Published: January 2018

Bacterial symbionts are broadly distributed among insects, influencing their bioecology to different degrees. Aphids carry a number of secondary symbionts that can influence aphid physiology and fitness attributes. Spiroplasma is seldom reported as an aphid symbiont, but a high level of infection has been observed in one population of the tropical aphid Aphis citricidus. We used sister isolines of Spiroplasma-infected (Ac-BS) and Spiroplasma-free (Ac-B) aphids reared on sweet orange (optimum host) and orange jasmine (suboptimum host) to demonstrate the effects of Spiroplasma infection in the aphid proteome profile. A higher number of proteins were differently abundant in aphids feeding on orange jasmine, indicating an impact of host plant quality. In both host plants, the majority of proteins affected by Spiroplasma infection were heat shock proteins, proteins linked to cell function and structure, and energy metabolism. Spiroplasma also induced changes in proteins involved in antimicrobial activity, carbohydrate processing and metabolism, amino acid synthesis and metabolism in aphids feeding on orange jasmine. We discuss on how the aphid host proteome is differentially affected by Spiroplasma infection when the host is exploiting host plants with different nutritional values.
Differential Impact of Interference on Internally- and Externally-Directed Attention
Authors: Ziegler David A. , Janowich Jacqueline R. , Gazzaley Adam
Published: January 2018

Attention can be oriented externally to the environment or internally to the mind, and can be derailed by interference from irrelevant information originating from either external or internal sources. However, few studies have explored the nature and underlying mechanisms of the interaction between different attentional orientations and different sources of interference. We investigated how externally- and internally-directed attention was impacted by external distraction, how this modulated internal distraction, and whether these interactions were affected by healthy aging. Healthy younger and older adults performed both an externally-oriented visual detection task and an internally-oriented mental rotation task, performed with and without auditory sound delivered through headphones. We found that the addition of auditory sound induced a significant decrease in task performance in both younger and older adults on the visual discrimination task, and this was accompanied by a shift in the type of distractions reported (from internal to external). On the internally-oriented task, auditory sound only affected performance in older adults. These results suggest that the impact of external distractions differentially impacts performance on tasks with internal, as opposed to external, attentional orientations. Further, internal distractibility is affected by the presence of external sound and increased suppression of internal distraction.
Novel global effector mining from the transcriptome of early life stages of the soybean cyst nematode Heterodera glycines
Authors: Gardner Michael , Dhroso Andi , Johnson Nathan , Davis Eric L. , Baum Thomas J. , Korkin Dmitry , Mitchum Melissa G.
Published: January 2018

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) Heterodera glycines is an obligate parasite that relies on the secretion of effector proteins to manipulate host cellular processes that favor the formation of a feeding site within host roots to ensure its survival. The sequence complexity and co-evolutionary forces acting upon these effectors remain unknown. Here we generated a de novo transcriptome assembly representing the early life stages of SCN in both a compatible and an incompatible host interaction to facilitate global effector mining efforts in the absence of an available annotated SCN genome. We then employed a dual effector prediction strategy coupling a newly developed nematode effector prediction tool, N-Preffector, with a traditional secreted protein prediction pipeline to uncover a suite of novel effector candidates. Our analysis distinguished between effectors that co-evolve with the host genotype and those conserved by the pathogen to maintain a core function in parasitism and demonstrated that alternative splicing is one mechanism used to diversify the effector pool. In addition, we confirmed the presence of viral and microbial inhabitants with molecular sequence information. This transcriptome represents the most comprehensive whole-nematode sequence currently available for SCN and can be used as a tool for annotation of expected genome assemblies.
Efficient communication dynamics on macro-connectome, and the propagation speed
Authors: Shimono Masanori , Hatano Naomichi
Published: January 2018

Global communication dynamics in the brain can be captured using fMRI, MEG, or electrocorticography (ECoG), and the global slow dynamics often represent anatomical constraints. Complementary single-/multi-unit recordings have described local fast temporal dynamics. However, global fast temporal dynamics remain incompletely understood with considering of anatomical constraints. Therefore, we compared temporal aspects of cross-area propagations of single-unit recordings and ECoG, and investigated their anatomical bases. First, we demonstrated how both evoked and spontaneous ECoGs can accurately predict latencies of single-unit recordings. Next, we estimated the propagation velocity (1.0–1.5 m/s) from brain-wide data and found that it was fairly stable among different conscious levels. We also found that the shortest paths in anatomical topology strongly predicted the latencies. Finally, we demonstrated that Communicability, a novel graph-theoretic measure, is able to quantify that more than 90% of paths should use shortest paths and the remaining are non-shortest walks. These results revealed that macro-connectome is efficiently wired for detailed communication dynamics in the brain.
Double blind microarray-based polysaccharide profiling enables parallel identification of uncharacterized polysaccharides and carbohydrate-binding proteins with unknown specificities
Authors: Salmeán Armando A. , Guillouzo Alexia , Duffieux Delphine , Jam Murielle , Matard-Mann Maria , Larocque Robert , Pedersen Henriette L. , Michel Gurvan , Czjzek Mirjam , Willats William G. T. , Hervé Cécile
Published: January 2018

Marine algae are one of the largest sources of carbon on the planet. The microbial degradation of algal polysaccharides to their constitutive sugars is a cornerstone in the global carbon cycle in oceans. Marine polysaccharides are highly complex and heterogeneous, and poorly understood. This is also true for marine microbial proteins that specifically degrade these substrates and when characterized, they are frequently ascribed to new protein families. Marine (meta)genomic datasets contain large numbers of genes with functions putatively assigned to carbohydrate processing, but for which empirical biochemical activity is lacking. There is a paucity of knowledge on both sides of this protein/carbohydrate relationship. Addressing this ‘double blind’ problem requires high throughput strategies that allow large scale screening of protein activities, and polysaccharide occurrence. Glycan microarrays, in particular the Comprehensive Microarray Polymer Profiling (CoMPP) method, are powerful in screening large collections of glycans and we described the integration of this technology to a medium throughput protein expression system focused on marine genes. This methodology (Double Blind CoMPP or DB-CoMPP) enables us to characterize novel polysaccharide-binding proteins and to relate their ligands to algal clades. This data further indicate the potential of the DB-CoMPP technique to accommodate samples of all biological sources.
Structural, microstructural and magnetic evolution in cryo milled carbon doped MnAl
Authors: Fang Hailiang , Cedervall Johan , Hedlund Daniel , Shafeie Samrand , Deledda Stefano , Olsson Fredrik , von Fieandt Linus , Bednarcik Jozef , Svedlindh Peter , Gunnarsson Klas , Sahlberg Martin
Published: January 2018

The low cost, rare earth free τ-phase of MnAl has high potential to partially replace bonded Nd2Fe14B rare earth permanent magnets. However, the τ-phase is metastable and it is experimentally difficult to obtain powders suitable for the permanent magnet alignment process, which requires the fine powders to have an appropriate microstructure and high τ-phase purity. In this work, a new method to make high purity τ-phase fine powders is presented. A high purity τ-phase Mn0.55Al0.45C0.02 alloy was synthesized by the drop synthesis method. The drop synthesized material was subjected to cryo milling and  followed by a flash heating process. The crystal structure and microstructure of the drop synthesized, cryo milled and flash heated samples were studied by X-ray in situ powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. Magnetic properties and magnetic structure of the drop synthesized, cryo milled, flash heated  samples were characterized by magnetometry and neutron powder diffraction, respectively. The results reveal that the 2 and 4 hours cryo milled and flash heated samples both exhibit high τ-phase purity and micron-sized round particle shapes. Moreover, the flash heated samples display high saturation magnetization as well as increased coercivity.
The FDA-approved anti-cancer drugs, streptozotocin and floxuridine, reduce the virulence of Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Yeo Won-Sik , Arya Rekha , Kim Kyeong Kyu , Jeong Hyunyoung , Cho Kyu Hong , Bae Taeok
Published: January 2018

In Staphylococcus aureus, an important Gram-positive human pathogen, the SaeRS two-component system is essential for the virulence and a good target for the development of anti-virulence drugs. In this study, we screened 12,200 small molecules for Sae inhibitors and identified two anti-cancer drugs, streptozotocin (STZ) and floxuridine (FU), as lead candidates for anti-virulence drug development against staphylococcal infections. As compared with STZ, FU was more efficient in repressing Sae-regulated promoters and protecting human neutrophils from S. aureus-mediated killing. FU inhibited S. aureus growth effectively whereas STZ did not. Intriguingly, RNA-seq analysis suggests that both compounds inhibit other virulence-regulatory systems such as Agr, ArlRS, and SarA more efficiently than they inhibit the Sae system. Both compounds induced prophages from S. aureus, indicating that they cause DNA damages. Surprisingly, a single administration of the drugs was sufficient to protect mice from staphylococcal intraperitoneal infection. Both compounds showed in vivo efficacy in a murine model of blood infection too. Finally, at the experimental dosage, neither compound showed any noticeable side effects on blood glucose level or blood cell counts. Based on these results, we concluded that STZ and FU are promising candidates for anti-virulence drug development against S. aureus infection.
Quantitative Magnetization Transfer in Monitoring Glioblastoma (GBM) Response to Therapy
Authors: Mehrabian Hatef , Myrehaug Sten , Soliman Hany , Sahgal Arjun , Stanisz Greg J.
Published: January 2018

Quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) was used as a biomarker to monitor glioblastoma (GBM) response to chemo-radiation and identify the earliest time-point qMT could differentiate progressors from non-progressors. Nineteen GBM patients were recruited and MRI-scanned before (Day0), two weeks (Day14), and four weeks (Day28) into the treatment, and one month after the end of the treatment (Day70). Comprehensive qMT data was acquired, and a two-pool MT model was fit to the data. Response was determined at 3–8 months following the end of chemo-radiation. The amount of magnetization transfer ($${\bf{R}}{{\bf{M}}}_{{\bf{0b}}}/{{\bf{R}}}_{{\bf{a}}}$$
R

M

0b

/

R

a

) was significantly lower in GBM compared to normal appearing white matter (p < 0.001). Statistically significant difference was observed in $${\bf{R}}{{\bf{M}}}_{{\bf{0b}}}/{{\bf{R}}}_{{\bf{a}}}$$

R

M

0b

/

R

a

at Day0 between non-progressors (1.06 ± 0.24) and progressors (1.64 ± 0.48), with p = 0.006. Changes in several qMT parameters between Day14 and Day0 were able to differentiate the two cohorts with $${\bf{R}}{{\bf{M}}}_{{\bf{0b}}}/{{\bf{R}}}_{{\bf{a}}}$$

R

M

0b

/

R

a

providing the best separation (relative $${\bf{R}}{{\bf{M}}}_{{\bf{0b}}}/{{\bf{R}}}_{{\bf{a}},{\bf{Non}}-{\bf{progressor}}}$$

R

M

0b

/

R

a
,
Non
−
progressor

 = 1.34 ± 0.21, relative $${\bf{R}}{{\bf{M}}}_{{\bf{0b}}}/{{\bf{R}}}_{{\bf{a}},{\bf{progressor}}}$$

R

M

0b

/

R

a
,
progressor

 = 1.07 ± 0.08, p = 0.031). Thus, qMT characteristics of GBM are more sensitive to treatment effects compared to clinically used metrics. qMT could assess tumor aggressiveness and identify early progressors even before the treatment. Changes in qMT parameters within the first 14 days of the treatment were capable of separating early progressors from non-progressors, making qMT a promising biomarker to guide adaptive radiotherapy for GBM.
Escaping the Ashby limit for mechanical damping/stiffness trade-off using a constrained high internal friction interfacial layer
Authors: Unwin A. P. , Hine P. J. , Ward I. M. , Fujita M. , Tanaka E. , Gusev A. A.
Published: January 2018

The development of new materials with reduced noise and vibration levels is an active area of research due to concerns in various aspects of environmental noise pollution and its effects on health. Excessive vibrations also reduce the service live of the structures and limit the fields of their utilization. In oscillations, the viscoelastic moduli of a material are complex and it is their loss part – the product of the stiffness part and loss tangent – that is commonly viewed as a figure of merit in noise and vibration damping applications. The stiffness modulus and loss tangent are usually mutually exclusive properties so it is a technological challenge to develop materials that simultaneously combine high stiffness and high loss. Here we achieve this rare balance of properties by filling a solid polymer matrix with rigid inorganic spheres coated by a sub-micron layer of a viscoelastic material with a high level of internal friction. We demonstrate that this combination can be experimentally realised and that the analytically predicted behaviour is closely reproduced, thereby escaping the often termed ‘Ashby’ limit for mechanical stiffness/damping trade-off and offering a new route for manufacturing advanced composite structures with markedly reduced noise and vibration levels.
Realization of a thermal cloak–concentrator using a metamaterial transformer
Authors: Liu Ding-Peng , Chen Po-Jung , Huang Hsin-Haou
Published: January 2018

By combining rotating squares with auxetic properties, we developed a metamaterial transformer capable of realizing metamaterials with tunable functionalities. We investigated the use of a metamaterial transformer-based thermal cloak–concentrator that can change from a cloak to a concentrator when the device configuration is transformed. We established that the proposed dual-functional metamaterial can either thermally protect a region (cloak) or focus heat flux in a small region (concentrator). The dual functionality was verified by finite element simulations and validated by experiments with a specimen composed of copper, epoxy, and rotating squares. This work provides an effective and efficient method for controlling the gradient of heat, in addition to providing a reference for other thermal metamaterials to possess such controllable functionalities by adapting the concept of a metamaterial transformer.
Effect of nanopatterning on mechanical properties of Lithium anode
Authors: Campbell Colin , Lee Yong Min , Cho Kuk Young , Lee Young-Gi , Lee Byeongdu , Phatak Charudatta , Hong Seungbum
Published: January 2018

One of the challenges in developing Lithium anodes for Lithium ion batteries (LIB) is controlling the formation of Li dendrites during cycling of the battery. Nanostructuring and nanopatterning of electrodes shows a promising way to suppress the growth of Li dendrites. However, in order to control this behavior, a fundamental understanding of the effect of nanopatterning on the electro-mechanical properties of Li metal is necessary. In this paper, we have investigated the mechanical and wear properties of Li metal using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) in an airtight cell. By using different load regimes, we determined the mechanical properties of Li metal. We show that as a result of nanopatterning, Li metal surface underwent work hardening due to residual compressive stress. The presence of such stresses can help to improve cycle lifetime of LIBs with Li anodes and obtain very high energy densities. Keywords: Nanopatterning, mechanical properties, Li anode, Lithium ion batteries
Anti-adipogenic effects of KD025 (SLx-2119), a ROCK2-specific inhibitor, in 3T3-L1 cells
Authors: Diep Duy Trong Vien , Hong Kyungki , Khun Triyeng , Zheng Mei , ul-Haq Asad , Jun Hee-Sook , Kim Young-Bum , Chun Kwang-Hoon
Published: January 2018

Adipose tissue is a specialized organ that synthesizes and stores fat. During adipogenesis, Rho and Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) 2 are inactivated, which enhances the expression of pro-adipogenic genes and induces the loss of actin stress fibers. Furthermore, pan ROCK inhibitors enhance adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. Here, we show that KD025 (formerly known as SLx-2119), a ROCK2-specific inhibitor, suppresses adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells partially through a ROCK2-independent mechanism. KD025 downregulated the expression of key adipogenic transcription factors PPARγ and C/EBPα during adipogenesis in addition to lipogenic factors FABP4 and Glut4. Interestingly, adipogenesis was blocked by KD025 during days 1~3 of differentiation; after differentiation terminated, lipid accumulation was unaffected. Clonal expansion occurred normally in KD025-treated cells. These results suggest that KD025 could function during the intermediate stage after clonal expansion. Data from depletion of ROCKs showed that KD025 suppressed cell differentiation partially independent of ROCK’s activity. Furthermore, no further loss of actin stress fibers emerged in KD025-treated cells during and after differentiation compared to control cells. These results indicate that in contrast to the pro-adipogenic effect of pan-inhibitors, KD025 suppresses adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells by regulating key pro-adipogenic factors. This outcome further implies that KD025 could be a potential anti-adipogenic/obesity agent.
Heme interaction of the intrinsically disordered N-terminal peptide segment of human cystathionine-β-synthase
Authors: Kumar Amit , Wißbrock Amelie , Goradia Nishit , Bellstedt Peter , Ramachandran Ramadurai , Imhof Diana , Ohlenschläger Oliver
Published: January 2018

Cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS) belongs to a large family of pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes, responsible for the sulfur metabolism. The heme-dependent protein CBS is part of regulatory pathways also involving the gasotransmitter hydrogen sulfide. Malfunction of CBS can lead to pathologic conditions like cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders. Truncation of residues 1–40, absent in X-ray structures of CBS, reduces but does not abolish the activity of the enzyme. Here we report the NMR resonance assignment and heme interaction studies for the N-terminal peptide stretch of CBS. We present NMR-spectral evidence that residues 1–40 constitute an intrinsically disordered region in CBS and interact with heme via a cysteine-proline based motif.