bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Merging of unequal mass binary black holes in non-axisymmetric galactic nuclei
Authors: Berczik Peter , Wang Long , Nitadori Keigo , Spurzem Rainer
Published: March 2016

In this work we study the stellar-dynamical hardening of unequal mass massive black hole (MBH) binaries in the central regions of galactic nuclei. We present a comprehensive set of direct N-body simulations of the problem, varying both the total mass and the mass ratio of the MBH binary. Our initial model starts as an axisymmetric, rotating galactic nucleus, to describe the situation right after the galaxies have merged, but the black holes are still unbound to each other. We confirm that results presented in earlier works (Berczik et al. 2006; Khan et al. 2013; Wang et al. 2014) about the solution of the “last parsec problem” (sufficiently fast black hole coalescence for black hole growth in cosmological context) are robust for both for the case of unequal black hole masses and large particle numbers. The MBH binary hardening rate depends on the reduced mass ratio through a single parameter function, which quantitatively quite well agrees with standard 3 body scattering theory (see e.g., Hills 1983). Based on our results we conclude that MBH binaries at high redshifts are expected to merge with a factor of ~ 2 more efficiently, which is important to determine the possible overall gravitational wave signals. However, we have not yet fully covered all the possible parameter space, in particular with respect to the preceding of the galaxy mergers, which may lead to a wider variety of initial models, such as initially more oblate and / or even significantly triaxial galactic nuclei. Our N-body simulations were carried out on a new special supercomputers using the hardware acceleration with graphic processing units (GPUs).
The effect of binary stars on photometric redshift for galaxies at z ~ 2.0
Authors: Zhang Yu , Liu Jinzhong
Published: March 2016

Evolutionary population synthesis (EPS) models play an important role in many studies on the formation and evolution of galaxy. The poorly calibration for some stellar evolution stages in EPS models can lead to uncertainty of the parameter determinations for galaxies. By means of the HyperZ code and a set of theoretical galaxy template, which are built on the EPS models with and without binary interactions, we present photometric redshift (photo-z) estimates for passive galaxy sample at redshift z ~ 2.0. The passive galaxy sample is selected from Fang et al., and they also provide the redshift for these passive galaxies. By comparing the photo-z determined from EPS models with and without binary interactions, we find that the binary interactions have little effect in the photo-z determinations.
Evolution of binary supermassive black holes and the final-parsec problem
Authors: Vasiliev Eugene
Published: March 2016

I review the evolution of binary supermassive black holes and focus on the stellar-dynamical mechanisms that may help to overcome the final-parsec problem – the possible stalling of the binary at a separation much larger than is required for an efficient gravitational wave emission. RecentN-body simulations have suggested that a departure from spherical symmetry in the nucleus of the galaxy may keep the rate of interaction of stars with the binary at a high enough level so that the binary continues to shrink rather rapidly. However, a major problem of all these simulations is that they do not probe the regime where collisionless effects are dominant – in other words, the number of particles in the simulation is still not sufficient to reach the asymptotic behavior of the system. I present a novel Monte Carlo method for simulating both collisional and collisionless evolution of non-spherical stellar systems, and apply it for the problem of binary supermassive black hole evolution. I show that in triaxial galaxies the final-parsec problem is largely non-existent, while in the axisymmetric case it seems to still exist in the limit of purely collisionless regime relevant for real galaxies, but disappears in theN-body simulations where the feasible values ofNare still too low to get rid of collisional effects.
The interaction between supermassive black holes and globular clusters
Authors: Spera Mario , Arca-Sedda Manuel , Capuzzo-Dolcetta Roberto
Published: March 2016

Almost all galaxies along the Hubble sequence host a compact massive object (CMO) in their center. The CMO can be either a supermassive black hole (SMBH) or a very dense stellar cluster, also known as nuclear star cluster (NSC). Generally, heavier galaxies (mass ≳ 1011 M⊙) host a central SMBH while lighter show a central NSC. Intermediate mass hosts, instead, contain both a NSC and a SMBH. One possible formation mechanisms of a NSC relies on the dry-merger (migratory) scenario, in which globular clusters (GCs) decay toward the center of the host galaxy and merge. In this framework, the absence of NSCs in high-mass galaxies can be imputed to destruction of the infalling GCs by the intense tidal field of the central SMBH. In this work, we report preliminary results of N-body simulations performed using our high-resolution, direct, code HiGPUs, to investigate the effects of a central SMBH on a single GC orbiting around it. By varying either the mass of the SMBH and the mass of the host galaxy, we derived an upper limit to the mass of the central SMBH, and thus to the mass of the host, above which the formation of a NSC is suppressed.
Sculpting the central parsec of our Galaxy
Authors: Chen Xian
Published: March 2016

Recent observations have revealed various structures within the gravitational influence of Sgr A* – the massive black hole in the Galactic center. These structures apparently defy the fundamental principles of star formation and stellar dynamics. On one hand, the red giants display a flat density profile, contrary to the cuspy one predicted by conventional stellar relaxation. On the other, Wolf-Rayet and OB stars are observed where in-situ star formation should have been prohibited by the strong tidal force from Sgr A*, and their spatial and phase-space distributions also contradict our understanding of stellar dynamics. To explain each of these inconsistencies, many scenarios have been proposed, which render the model increasingly complicated. Here, we suggest that the sub-parsec stellar disk surrounding Sgr A*, which was recently discovered, can reconcile all the above inconsistencies. We show that during the fragmenting past of this disk, the star-forming clumps could efficiently deplete red giants by repeatedly colliding with them. We also show that because of the torque exerted by the disk, stars within the central arcsec from Sgr A* would quickly mix in the angular-momentum space, which naturally explains the observed distributions of Wolf-Rayet and OB stars. Our results imply that Sgr A* was fueled by gas and stars several millions years ago and could have been an energetic AGN. We discuss future observations that can further testify our model.
Orientation of galactic bulge planetary nebulae toward the Galactic center
Authors: Danehkar Ashkbiz , Parker Quentin A.
Published: March 2016

We have used the Wide Field Spectrograph on the Australian National University 2.3-m telescope to perform the integral field spectroscopy for a sample of the Galactic planetary nebulae. The spatially resolved velocity distributions of the Hα emission line were used to determine the kinematic features and nebular orientations. Our findings show that some bulge planetary nebulae toward the Galactic center have a particular orientation.
Radiative efficiency of hot accretion flow and the radio/X-ray correlation in X-ray binaries
Authors: Xie Fu-Guo
Published: March 2016

Significant progresses have been made since the discovery of hot accretion flow, a theory successfully applied to the low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs) and black hole (BH) X-ray binaries (BHBs) in their hard states. Motivated by these updates, we re-investigate the radiative efficiency of hot accretion flow. We find that, the brightest regime of hot accretion flow shows a distinctive property, i.e. it has a constant efficiency independent of accretion rates, similar to the standard thin disk. For less bright regime, the efficiency has a steep positive correlation with the accretion rate, while for faint regime typical of advection-dominated accretion flow, the correlation is shadower. This result can naturally explain the observed two distinctive correlations between radio and X-ray luminosities in black hole X-ray binaries. The key difference in systems with distinctive correlations could be the viscous parameter, which determines the critical luminosity of different accretion modes.
Exotic populations in globular clusters: blue stragglers as tracers of the internal dynamical evolution of stellar systems
Authors: Ferraro Francesco R.
Published: March 2016

In this paper I present an overview of the main observational properties of a special class of exotic objects (the so-called Blue Straggler Stars, BSSs) in Galactic Globular Clusters (GCs). The BSS specific frequency and their radial distribution are discussed in the framework of using this stellar population as probe of GC internal dynamics. In particular, the shape of the BSS radial distribution has been found to be a powerful tracer of the dynamical evolution of stellar systems, thus allowing the definition of an empirical “clock”able to measure the dynamical age of stellar aggregates from pure observational properties.
Searching for IMBHs in Galactic globular clusters through radial velocities of individual stars
Authors: Lanzoni Barbara
Published: March 2016

I present an overview of our ongoing project aimed at building a new generation of velocity dispersion profiles ad rotation curves for a representative sample of Galactic globular clusters, from the the radial velocity of hundreds of individual stars distributed at different distances from the cluster center. The innermost portion of the profiles will be used to constrain the possible presence of intermediate-mass black holes. The adopted methodology consists of combining spectroscopic observations acquired with three different instruments at the ESO-VLT: the adaptive-optics assisted, integral field unit (IFU) spectrograph SINFONI for the innermost and highly crowded cluster cores, the multi-IFU spectrograph KMOS for the intermediate regions, and the multi-fiber instrument FLAMES/GIRAFFE-MEDUSA for the outskirts. The case of NGC 6388, representing the pilot project that motivated the entire program, is described in some details.
Monte Carlo modeling of globular star clusters: many primordial binaries and IMBH formation
Authors: Giersz Mirek , Leigh Nathan , Marks Michael , Hypki Arkadiusz , Askar Abbas
Published: March 2016

We will discuss the evolution of star clusters with a large initial binary fraction, up to 95%. The initial binary population is chosen to follow the invariant orbital-parameter distributions suggested by Kroupa (1995). The Monte Carlo MOCCA simulations of star cluster evolution are compared to the observations of Milone et al. (2012) for photometric binaries. It is demonstrated that the observed dependence on cluster mass of both the binary fraction and the ratio of the binary fractions inside and outside of the half mass radius are well recovered by the MOCCA simulations. This is due to a rapid decrease in the initial binary fraction due to the strong density-dependent destruction of wide binaries described by Marks, Kroupa & Oh (2011). We also discuss a new scenario for the formation of intermediate mass black holes in dense star clusters. In this scenario, intermediate mass black holes are formed as a result of dynamical interactions of hard binaries containing a stellar mass black hole, with other stars and binaries. We will discuss the necessary conditions to initiate the process of intermediate mass black hole formation and the dependence of its mass accretion rate on the global cluster properties.
Expansion techniques for collisionless stellar dynamical simulations
Authors: Meiron Yohai
Published: March 2016

We present ETICS, a collisionless N-body code based on two kinds of series expansions of the Poisson equation, implemented for graphics processing units (GPUs). The code is publicly available and can be used as a standalone program or as a library (an AMUSE plugin is included). One of the two expansion methods available is the self-consistent field (SCF) method, which is a Fourier-like expansion of the density field in some basis set; the other is the multipole expansion (MEX) method, which is a Taylor-like expansion of the Green's function. MEX, which has been advocated in the past, has not gained as much popularity as SCF. Both are particle-field methods and optimized for collisionless galactic dynamics, but while SCF is a “pure” expansion, MEX is an expansion in just the angular part; thus, MEX is capable of capturing radial structure easily, while SCF needs a large number of radial terms.
The role of three-body stability in tidally interacting globular clusters
Authors: Kennedy Gareth F.
Published: March 2016

The role of stability in the general three-body problem is investigated with regard to the tidal radius of a globular cluster (GC) in a galactic potential. This proceedings is a summary of two papers which outline the stability method (Kennedy 2014a) and compare the predicted stability boundary radius to observations of velocity dispersion profiles in Milky Way GCs (Kennedy 2014b).
Evolution of a globular cluster with a two-component BH mass spectrum
Authors: Park Dawoo , Kim Chunglee , Lee Hyung Mok , Bae Yeong-Bok
Published: March 2016

Globular clusters (GCs) is dominated by behaviors of high-mass components such as neutron stars (NSs) and black holes (BHs). In this work, we perform direct N-body simulations of a GC assuming two BH masses. We used the BH masses of 10 and 20 M⊙ with total math ratio between those two populations is assumed to be 2:1 and 5:1. Our results show that the heavier BHs (20 M⊙) are depleted in the early stage of cluster evolution. The existence of heavier BH components increase the retention rate of lighter BHs during the cluster evolution. About 30% of ejected BHs are in binaries.
The X-ray spectral evolution and radio–X-ray correlation in radiatively efficient black-hole sources
Authors: Dong Ai-Jun , Wu Qingwen , Cao Xiao-Feng
Published: March 2016

We explore X-ray spectral evolution and radio–X-ray correlation simultaneously for four X-ray binaries (XRBs). We find that hard X-ray photon indices, Γ, are anti- and positively correlated to X-ray fluxes when the X-ray flux, F3–9keV, is below and above a critical flux, FX,crit, which may be regulated by ADAF and disk-corona respectively. We find that the data points with anti-correlation of Γ-F3–9keV follow the universal radio–X-ray correlation of FR ∝ FXb (b ~ 0.5-0.7), while the data points with positive X-ray spectral evolution follow a steeper radio–X-ray correlation (b ~ 1.4, the so-called ‘outliers track’). The bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs) share similar X-ray spectral evolution and radio–X-ray correlation as XRBs in ‘outliers’ track, and we present a new fundamental plane of log LR=1.59+0.28−0.22 log LX−0.22+0.19−0.20 log MBH−28.97+0.45−0.45 for these radiatively efficient BH sources.
GraviDy: a modular, GPU-based, direct-summation N-body code
Authors: Maureira-Fredes Cristián , Amaro-Seoane Pau
Published: March 2016

The direct-summation of N gravitational forces is a complex problem for which there is no analytical solution. Dense stellar systems such as galactic nuclei and stellar clusters are the loci of different interesting problems. In this work we present a new GPU, direct-summation N-body integrator written from scratch and based on the Hermite scheme. The first release of the code consists of the Hermite integrator for a system of N bodies with softening. We find an acceleration factor of about ≈ 90 of the GPU version in a single node as compared to the Serial-Single-CPU one. We additionally investigate the impact of using softening in the dynamics of a dense cluster. We study how it affects the two body relaxation, as compared with another code, NBODY6, which uses KS regularization, so as to understand the role of softening in the evolution of the system. This initial release is the first step towards more and more realistic scenarios, starting for a proper treatment for binary evolution, close encounters and the role of a massive black hole.
GalevNB: GALEV for N-body simulations
Authors: Pang Xiaoying , Olczak Christoph , Spurzem Rainer
Published: March 2016

We report on GalevNB (Galev for N-body simulations), an integrated software solution that provides N-body users direct access to the software package GALEV (GALaxy EVolutionary synthesis models). GalevNB is developed for the purpose of a direct comparison between N-body simulations and observations. It converts the fundamental stellar properties of N-body simulations, i.e., stellar mass, temperature, stellar luminosity and metallicity, into observational magnitudes for a variety of filters of widely used instruments/telescopes (HST, ESO, SDSS, 2MASS), and into spectra that span from far-UV (90 Å) to near-IR (160 μm).
MOCCA code for star cluster simulation: comparison with optical observations using COCOA
Authors: Askar Abbas , Giersz Mirek , Pych Wojciech , Olech Arkadiusz , Hypki Arkadiusz
Published: March 2016

We introduce and present preliminary results from COCOA (Cluster simulatiOn Comparison with ObservAtions) code for a star cluster after 12 Gyr of evolution simulated using the MOCCA code. The COCOA code is being developed to quickly compare results of numerical simulations of star clusters with observational data. We use COCOA to obtain parameters of the projected cluster model. For comparison, a FITS file of the projected cluster was provided to observers so that they could use their observational methods and techniques to obtain cluster parameters. The results show that the similarity of cluster parameters obtained through numerical simulations and observations depends significantly on the quality of observational data and photometric accuracy.
Origin of ultra-compact dwarfs: a dynamical perspective
Authors: Zhang Hong-Xin , Peng Eric W. , Côté Patrick , Liu Chengze , Ferrarese Laura , Cuillandre Jean-Charles , Caldwell Nelson , Gwyn Stephen D. J. , Jordán Andrés , Lançon Ariane , Li Biao , Muñoz Roberto P. , Puzia Thomas H. , Bekki Kenji , Blakeslee John , Boselli Alessandro , Drinkwater Michael J. , Duc Pierre-Alain , Durrell Patrick , Emsellem Eric , Firth Peter , Sánchez-Janssen Ruben
Published: March 2016

Discovery of ultra-compact dwarfs (UCDs) in the past 15 years blurs the once thought clear division between classic globular clusters (GCs) and early-type galaxies. The intermediate nature of UCDs, which are larger and more massive than typical GCs but more compact than typical dwarf galaxies, has triggered hot debate on whether UCDs should be considered galactic in origin or merely the most extreme GCs. Previous studies of various scaling relations, stellar populations and internal dynamics did not give an unambiguous answer to the primary origin of UCDs. In this contribution, we present the first ever detailed study of global dynamics of 97 UCDs (rh ≳ 10 pc) associated with the central cD galaxy of the Virgo cluster, M87. We found that UCDs follow a different radial number density profile and different rotational properties from GCs. The orbital anisotropies of UCDs are tangentially-biased within ~ 40 kpc of M87 and become radially-biased with radius further out. In contrast, the blue GCs, which have similar median colors to our sample of UCDs, become more tangentially-biased at larger radii beyond ~ 40 kpc. Our analysis suggests that most UCDs in M87 are not consistent with being merely the most luminous and extended examples of otherwise normal GCs. The radially-biased orbital structure of UCDs at large radii is in general agreement with the scenario that most UCDs originated from the tidally threshed dwarf galaxies.
The HMGB1 protein induces a metabolic type of tumour cell death by blocking aerobic respiration
Authors: Gdynia Georg , Sauer Sven W. , Kopitz Jürgen , Fuchs Dominik , Duglova Katarina , Ruppert Thorsten , Miller Matthias , Pahl Jens , Cerwenka Adelheid , Enders Markus , Mairbäurl Heimo , Kamiński Marcin M. , Penzel Roland , Zhang Christine , Fuller Jonathan C. , Wade Rebecca C. , Benner Axel , Chang-Claude Jenny , Brenner Hermann , Hoffmeister Michael , Zentgraf Hanswalter , Schirmacher Peter , Roth Wilfried
Published: March 2016

The high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein has a central role in immunological antitumour defense. Here we show that natural killer cell-derived HMGB1 directly eliminates cancer cells by triggering metabolic cell death. HMGB1 allosterically inhibits the tetrameric pyruvate kinase isoform M2, thus blocking glucose-driven aerobic respiration. This results in a rapid metabolic shift forcing cells to rely solely on glycolysis for the maintenance of energy production. Cancer cells can acquire resistance to HMGB1 by increasing glycolysis using the dimeric form of PKM2, and employing glutaminolysis. Consistently, we observe an increase in the expression of a key enzyme of glutaminolysis, malic enzyme 1, in advanced colon cancer. Moreover, pharmaceutical inhibition of glutaminolysis sensitizes tumour cells to HMGB1 providing a basis for a therapeutic strategy for treating cancer.
Rule learning enhances structural plasticity of long-range axons in frontal cortex
Authors: Johnson Carolyn M. , Peckler Hannah , Tai Lung-Hao , Wilbrecht Linda
Published: March 2016

Rules encompass cue-action-outcome associations used to guide decisions and strategies in a specific context. Subregions of the frontal cortex including the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) are implicated in rule learning, although changes in structural connectivity underlying rule learning are poorly understood. We imaged OFC axonal projections to dmPFC during training in a multiple choice foraging task and used a reinforcement learning model to quantify explore–exploit strategy use and prediction error magnitude. Here we show that rule training, but not experience of reward alone, enhances OFC bouton plasticity. Baseline bouton density and gains during training correlate with rule exploitation, while bouton loss correlates with exploration and scales with the magnitude of experienced prediction errors. We conclude that rule learning sculpts frontal cortex interconnectivity and adjusts a thermostat for the explore–exploit balance.
Increased amyloidogenic APP processing in APOE ɛ4-negative individuals with cerebral β-amyloidosis
Authors: Mattsson Niklas , Insel Philip S. , Palmqvist Sebastian , Stomrud Erik , van Westen Danielle , Minthon Lennart , Zetterberg Henrik , Blennow Kaj , Hansson Oskar
Published: March 2016

Increased APP (amyloid precursor protein) processing causes β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation in autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease (AD), but it is unclear if it also affects sporadic Aβ accumulation. We tested healthy controls and patients with mild cognitive symptoms (N=331) in the BioFINDER study, using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ40 as a surrogate for amyloidogenic APP processing. We find that levels of brain Aβ fibrils (measured by 18F-flutemetamol PET) are independently associated with high CSF Aβ40 (P<0.001) and APOE ɛ4 (P<0.001). The association between CSF Aβ40 and brain Aβ is stronger in APOE ɛ4-negative than in positive people (P=0.0080). The results are similar for CSF Aβ38 and for a combination of CSF Aβ38 and CSF Aβ40. In conclusion, sporadic Aβ accumulation may be partly associated with increased amyloidogenic APP production, especially in APOE ɛ4-negative subjects. The risk for sporadic AD may consequently depend on increased Aβ production, in addition to decreased Aβ clearance.
Summer rainfall over the southwestern Tibetan Plateau controlled by deep convection over the Indian subcontinent
Authors: Dong Wenhao , Lin Yanluan , Wright Jonathon S. , Ming Yi , Xie Yuanyu , Wang Bin , Luo Yong , Huang Wenyu , Huang Jianbin , Wang Lei , Tian Lide , Peng Yiran , Xu Fanghua
Published: March 2016

Despite the importance of precipitation and moisture transport over the Tibetan Plateau for glacier mass balance, river runoff and local ecology, changes in these quantities remain highly uncertain and poorly understood. Here we use observational data and model simulations to explore the close relationship between summer rainfall variability over the southwestern Tibetan Plateau (SWTP) and that over central-eastern India (CEI), which exists despite the separation of these two regions by the Himalayas. We show that this relationship is maintained primarily by ‘up-and-over’ moisture transport, in which hydrometeors and moisture are lifted by convective storms over CEI and the Himalayan foothills and then swept over the SWTP by the mid-tropospheric circulation, rather than by upslope flow over the Himalayas. Sensitivity simulations confirm the importance of up-and-over transport at event scales, and an objective storm classification indicates that this pathway accounts for approximately half of total summer rainfall over the SWTP.
Predicting future weight status from measurements made in early childhood: a novel longitudinal approach applied to Millennium Cohort Study data
Authors: Mead E , Batterham A M , Atkinson G , Ells L J
Published: March 2016

Background/Objective:

There are reports that childhood obesity tracks into later life. Nevertheless, some tracking statistics such as correlations do not quantify individual agreement, whereas others such as diagnostic test statistics can be difficult to translate into practice. We aimed to employ a novel analytic approach, based on ordinal logistic regression, to predict weight status of 11-year-old children from measurements at age 5 years.

Subjects/Methods:

The UK 1990 growth references were used to generate clinical weight status categories of 12 076 children enrolled in the Millennium Cohort Study. Using ordinal regression, we derived the predicted probability (percent chances) of 11-year-old children becoming underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese and severely obese from their weight status category at age 5 years.

Results:

The chances of becoming obese (including severely obese) at age 11 years were 5.7% (95% confidence interval: 5.2 to 6.2%) for a normal-weight 5-year-old child and 32.3% (29.8 to 34.8%) for an overweight 5-year-old child. An obese 5-year-old child had a 68.1% (63.8 to 72.5%) chance of remaining obese at 11 years. Severely obese 5-year-old children had a 50.3% (43.1 to 57.4%) chance of remaining severely obese. There were no substantial differences between sexes. Nondeprived obese 5-year-old boys had a lower probability of remaining obese than deprived obese boys: −21.8% (−40.4 to −3.2%). This association was not observed in obese 5-year-old girls, in whom the nondeprived group had a probability of remaining obese 7% higher (−15.2 to 29.2%). The sex difference in this interaction of deprivation and baseline weight status was therefore −28.8% (−59.3 to 1.6%).

Conclusions:

We have demonstrated that ordinal logistic regression can be an informative approach to predict the chances of a child changing to, or from, an unhealthy weight status. This approach is easy to interpret and could be applied to any longitudinal data set with an ordinal outcome.
Influence of cyclosporine A on glomerular growth and the effect of mizoribine and losartan on cyclosporine nephrotoxicity in young rats
Authors: Kim Ji Hong , Lee Yeon Hee , Lim Beom Jin , Jeong Hyeon Joo , Kim Pyung Kil , Shin Jae Il
Published: March 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of cyclosporine A (CsA) on glomerular growth and the effect of mizoribine (MZR) and losartan (LSAR) on CsA-induced nephropathy in young rats. Six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats maintained on a low salt diet were given CsA (15 mg/kg), CsA and LSRT (30 mg/kg/day), CsA and MZR (5 mg/kg), or a combination of CsA, LSRT, and MZR for 4 and 7 weeks (two experiments) and compared with control group (olive oil-treated). Histopathology and glomerular size, inflammatory and fibrotic factors were studied. The score of acute CsA toxicity significantly decreased in the CsA + MZR group compared to the CsA group (p < 0.01). MZR and MZR + LSRT reduced tubulointerstitial fibrosis and TGF-β1 mRNA expression at 7 weeks. Osteopontin (OPN) mRNA expression was decreased at 7 weeks in MZR + LSRT (p < 0.01). Glomerular area decreased CsA group and recovered in MZR (p < 0.01) and MZR + LSRT (p < 0.01) at 7weeks. This study demonstrated that MZR and LSRT had suppressive effects on inflammatory process in chronic CsA nephropathy and led to improvement of tubular damage, tubulointerstitial fibrosis and arteriolopathy by down regulation of OPN and TGF-β1 and glomerular size contraction.
Sharing self-related information is associated with intrinsic functional connectivity of cortical midline brain regions
Authors: Meshi Dar , Mamerow Loreen , Kirilina Evgeniya , Morawetz Carmen , Margulies Daniel S. , Heekeren Hauke R.
Published: March 2016

Human beings are social animals and they vary in the degree to which they share information about themselves with others. Although brain networks involved in self-related cognition have been identified, especially via the use of resting-state experiments, the neural circuitry underlying individual differences in the sharing of self-related information is currently unknown. Therefore, we investigated the intrinsic functional organization of the brain with respect to participants’ degree of self-related information sharing using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging and self-reported social media use. We conducted seed-based correlation analyses in cortical midline regions previously shown in meta-analyses to be involved in self-referential cognition: the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), central precuneus (CP) and caudal anterior cingulate cortex (CACC). We examined whether and how functional connectivity between these regions and the rest of the brain was associated with participants’ degree of self-related information sharing. Analyses revealed associations between the MPFC and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), as well as the CP with the right DLPFC, the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex and left anterior temporal pole. These findings extend our present knowledge of functional brain connectivity, specifically demonstrating how the brain’s intrinsic functional organization relates to individual differences in the sharing of self-related information.
Stalking influenza by vaccination with pre-fusion headless HA mini-stem
Authors: Valkenburg Sophie A. , Mallajosyula V. Vamsee Aditya , Li Olive T. W. , Chin Alex W. H. , Carnell George , Temperton Nigel , Varadarajan Raghavan , Poon Leo L. M.
Published: March 2016

Inaccuracies in prediction of circulating viral strain genotypes and the possibility of novel reassortants causing a pandemic outbreak necessitate the development of an anti-influenza vaccine with increased breadth of protection and potential for rapid production and deployment. The hemagglutinin (HA) stem is a promising target for universal influenza vaccine as stem-specific antibodies have the potential to be broadly cross-reactive towards different HA subtypes. Here, we report the design of a bacterially expressed polypeptide that mimics a H5 HA stem by protein minimization to focus the antibody response towards the HA stem. The HA mini-stem folds as a trimer mimicking the HA prefusion conformation. It is resistant to thermal/chemical stress and it binds to conformation-specific, HA stem-directed broadly neutralizing antibodies with high affinity. Mice vaccinated with the group 1 HA mini-stems are protected from morbidity and mortality against lethal challenge by both group 1 (H5 and H1) and group 2 (H3) influenza viruses, the first report of cross-group protection. Passive transfer of immune serum demonstrates the protection is mediated by stem-specific antibodies. Furthermore, antibodies indudced by these HA stems have broad HA reactivity, yet they do not have antibody-dependent enhancement activity.
Evidence for Tautomerisation of Glutamine in BLUF Blue Light Receptors by Vibrational Spectroscopy and Computational Chemistry
Authors: Domratcheva Tatiana , Hartmann Elisabeth , Schlichting Ilme , Kottke Tilman
Published: March 2016

BLUF (blue light sensor using flavin) domains regulate the activity of various enzymatic effector domains in bacteria and euglenids. BLUF features a unique photoactivation through restructuring of the hydrogen-bonding network as opposed to a redox reaction or an isomerization of the chromophore. A conserved glutamine residue close to the flavin chromophore plays a central role in the light response, but the underlying modification is still unclear. We labelled this glutamine with 15N in two representative BLUF domains and performed time-resolved infrared double difference spectroscopy. The assignment of the signals was conducted by extensive quantum chemical calculations on large models with 187 atoms reproducing the UV-vis and infrared signatures of BLUF photoactivation. In the dark state, the comparatively low frequency of 1,667 cm−1 is assigned to the glutamine C=O accepting a hydrogen bond from tyrosine. In the light state, the signature of a tautomerised glutamine was extracted with the C=N stretch at ~1,691 cm−1 exhibiting the characteristic strong downshift by 15N labelling. Moreover, an indirect isotope effect on the flavin C4=O stretch was found. We conclude that photoactivation of the BLUF receptor does not only involve a rearrangement of hydrogen bonds but includes a change in covalent bonds of the protein.
Structure of Main Protease from Human Coronavirus NL63: Insights for Wide Spectrum Anti-Coronavirus Drug Design
Authors: Wang Fenghua , Chen Cheng , Tan Wenjie , Yang Kailin , Yang Haitao
Published: March 2016

First identified in The Netherlands in 2004, human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) was found to cause worldwide infections. Patients infected by HCoV-NL63 are typically young children with upper and lower respiratory tract infection, presenting with symptoms including croup, bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Unfortunately, there are currently no effective antiviral therapy to contain HCoV-NL63 infection. CoV genomes encode an integral viral component, main protease (Mpro), which is essential for viral replication through proteolytic processing of RNA replicase machinery. Due to the sequence and structural conservation among all CoVs, Mpro has been recognized as an attractive molecular target for rational anti-CoV drug design. Here we present the crystal structure of HCoV-NL63 Mpro in complex with a Michael acceptor inhibitor N3. Structural analysis, consistent with biochemical inhibition results, reveals the molecular mechanism of enzyme inhibition at the highly conservative substrate-recognition pocket. We show such molecular target remains unchanged across 30 clinical isolates of HCoV-NL63 strains. Through comparative study with Mpros from other human CoVs (including the deadly SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV) and their related zoonotic CoVs, our structure of HCoV-NL63 Mpro provides critical insight into rational development of wide spectrum antiviral therapeutics to treat infections caused by human CoVs.
A sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor based on the biotin- streptavidin-biotin structure for detection of human immunoglobulin G
Authors: Li Yueyun , Zhang Yihe , Jiang Liping , Chu Paul K. , Dong Yunhui , Wei Qin
Published: March 2016

A sandwich-type immunosensor is designed and fabricated to detect the human immunoglobulin G (HIgG) using polyaniline and tin dioxide functionalized graphene (GS-SnO2-PAN) as the platform and biotin-functionalized amination magnetic nanoparticles composite (B-Fe3O4@APTES) as the label. GS-SnO2-PAN is used as the sensing agent to capture the primary anti-HIgG (Ab1) and SnO2 reduces the stack of GS. The B-Fe3O4@APTES with a large surface area and excellent biocompatibility captures second antibody (Ab2) efficiently based on the highly selective recognition of streptavidin to biotinylated antibody. The B-Fe3O4@APTES has better electro-catalytic activity in the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and the “biotin-streptavidin-biotin” (B-SA-B) strategy leads to signal amplification. Under optimal conditions, the immunosensor has a wide sensitivity range from 1 pg/L to 10 ng/L and low detection limit of 0.33 pg/L (S/N = 3) for HIgG. The immunosensor has high sensitivity, fast assay rate, as well as good reproducibility, specificity, and stability especially in the quantitative detection of biomolecules in serum samples.
Design of a polarization-insensitive superconducting nanowire single photon detector with high detection efficiency
Authors: Zheng Fan , Xu Ruiying , Zhu Guanghao , Jin Biaobing , Kang Lin , Xu Weiwei , Chen Jian , Wu Peiheng
Published: March 2016

Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) deliver superior performance over their competitors in the near-infrared regime. However, these detectors have an intrinsic polarization dependence on the incident wave because of their one-dimensional meander structure. In this paper, we propose an approach to eliminate the polarization sensitivity of SNSPDs by using near-field optics to increase the absorption of SNSPDs under transverse magnetic (TM) illumination. In addition, an optical cavity is added to our SNSPD to obtain nearly perfect absorption of the incident wave. Numerical simulations show that the maximum absorption of a designed SNSPD can reach 96% at 1550 nm and indicate that the absorption difference between transverse electric (TE) and TM polarization is less than 0.5% across a wavelength window of 300 nm. Our work provides the first demonstration of the possibility of designing a polarization-insensitive and highly efficient SNSPD without performing device symmetry improvements.
Photo-induced transformation process at gold clusters-semiconductor interface: Implications for the complexity of gold clusters-based photocatalysis
Authors: Liu Siqi , Xu Yi-Jun
Published: March 2016

The recent thrust in utilizing atomically precise organic ligands protected gold clusters (Au clusters) as photosensitizer coupled with semiconductors for nano-catalysts has led to the claims of improved efficiency in photocatalysis. Nonetheless, the influence of photo-stability of organic ligands protected-Au clusters at the Au/semiconductor interface on the photocatalytic properties remains rather elusive. Taking Au clusters–TiO2 composites as a prototype, we for the first time demonstrate the photo-induced transformation of small molecular-like Au clusters to larger metallic Au nanoparticles under different illumination conditions, which leads to the diverse photocatalytic reaction mechanism. This transformation process undergoes a diffusion/aggregation mechanism accompanied with the onslaught of Au clusters by active oxygen species and holes resulting from photo-excited TiO2 and Au clusters. However, such Au clusters aggregation can be efficiently inhibited by tuning reaction conditions. This work would trigger rational structural design and fine condition control of organic ligands protected-metal clusters-semiconductor composites for diverse photocatalytic applications with long-term photo-stability.
Aldo-keto Reductase Family 1 Member B 10 Mediates Liver Cancer Cell Proliferation through Sphingosine-1-Phosphate
Authors: Jin Junfei , Liao Weijia , Yao Wenmin , Zhu Rongping , Li Yulan , He Songqing
Published: March 2016

AKR1B10 is involved in hepatocarcinogenesis via modulation of fatty acid and lipid synthesis. AKR1B10 inhibition results in apoptosis of tumor cells whose lipids, especially phospholipids, were decreased by over 50%, suggesting involvement of phospholipids like sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) in AKR1B10’s oncogenic function. Using a co-culture system, we found that co-culture of QSG-7701 (human hepatocyte) with HepG2 (hepatoma cell line) increases QSG-7701’s proliferation, in which AKR1B10-S1P signaling plays a pivotal role. Consistent with previous findings, AKR1B10 mRNA and protein levels were higher in primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) tissues than in peri-tumor tissues. Interestingly, the level of S1P was also higher in PHC tissues than in peri-tumor tissues. After analyzing the correlation between AKR1B10 mRNA expression in PHC tissues and the clinical data, we found that AKR1B10 mRNA expression was associated with serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and lymph node metastasis, but not with other clinicopathologic variables. A higher AKR1B10 mRNA expression level is related to a shorter DFS (disease free survival) and OS (overall survival), serving as an independent predictor of DFS and OS in PHC patients with surgical resection.
Characterizing microscale aluminum composite layer properties on silicon solar cells with hybrid 3D scanning force measurements
Authors: Bae Sung-Kuk , Choi Beomjoon , Chung Haseung , Shin Seungwon , Song Hee-eun , Seo Jung Hwan
Published: March 2016

This article presents a novel technique to estimate the mechanical properties of the aluminum composite layer on silicon solar cells by using a hybrid 3-dimensional laser scanning force measurement (3-D LSFM) system. The 3-D LSFM system measures the material properties of sub-layers constituting a solar cell. This measurement is critical for realizing high-efficient ultra-thin solar cells. The screen-printed aluminum layer, which significantly affects the bowing phenomenon, is separated from the complete solar cell by removing the silicon (Si) layer with deep reactive ion etching. An elastic modulus of ~15.1 GPa and a yield strength of ~35.0 MPa for the aluminum (Al) composite layer were obtained by the 3-D LSFM system. In experiments performed for 6-inch Si solar cells, the bowing distances decreased from 12.02 to 1.18 mm while the Si layer thicknesses increased from 90 to 190 μm. These results are in excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions for ultra-thin Si thickness (90 μm) based on the obtained Al composite layer properties.
Identifying the Assembly Configuration and Fluorescence Spectra of Nanoscale Zinc-Tetraphenylporphyrin Aggregates with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Lei , Jiang Jian-Wei , Liu Yi-Ting , Lou Shi-Tao , Gao Chun-Lei , Jin Qing-Yuan
Published: March 2016

ZnTPP (Zinc-Tetraphenylporphyrin) is one of the most common nanostructured materials, having high stability and excellent optoelectronic properties. In this paper, the fluorescence features of self-assembled ZnTPP monomers and aggregates on Au(111) surface are investigated in detail on the nanometer scale with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The formation of ZnTPP dimers is found in thick layers of a layer-by-layer molecular assembly on Au substrate with its specific molecular arrangement well characterized. Tip-induced luminescence shows a red shift from tilted dimers comparing with the behavior from monomers, which can be attributed to the change of vibrational states due to the intermolecular interaction and the increasing dielectric effect. The nanoscale configuration dependence of electroluminescence is demonstrated to provide a powerful tool aiding the design of functional molecular photoelectric devices.
Investigation of the cause of geographic disparities in IDEXX ELISA sensitivity in serum samples from Mycobacterium bovis-infected cattle
Authors: Trost Brett , Stuber Tod , Surujballi Om , Nelson Jeffrey , Robbe-Austerman Suelee , Smith Noel H. , Desautels Louis , Tikoo Suresh K. , Griebel Philip
Published: March 2016

Accurately identifying Mycobacterium bovis-infected cattle is critical for bovine tuberculosis prevention and control. One method for identifying infected cattle is an ELISA developed by IDEXX laboratories, which detects antibodies to two M. bovis proteins, MPB70 and MPB83. The assay’s sensitivity varies by geographic region, with sensitivities of 77%, 45% and 9% in bovine serum samples from the United Kingdom (n = 126), the United States (n = 146) and Mexico (n = 128), respectively. We hypothesized that geographically-biased sequence variation in mpb70 and mpb83, or in the genes that regulate their expression (sigK and rskA), may explain these differing sensitivities. This hypothesis was tested by comparing the sequences of these four genes in 455 M. bovis strains isolated from cattle in the aforementioned countries. For each gene, a single, common sequence was identified in most genomes of the M. bovis strains collected in all three countries. Twelve of the 455 strains were isolated from infected cattle for which the IDEXX ELISA was also performed. Five of the seven ELISA-positive genomes and three of the five ELISA-negative genomes contained the most common sequence of all four genes. Thus, sequence variation in mpb70, mpb83, sigK and rskA does not explain the geographic disparities in IDEXX ELISA sensitivity.
Visual tuning and metrical perception of realistic point-light dance movements
Authors: Su Yi-Huang
Published: March 2016

Humans move to music spontaneously, and this sensorimotor coupling underlies musical rhythm perception. The present research proposed that, based on common action representation, different metrical levels as in auditory rhythms could emergevisuallywhen observing structured dance movements. Participants watched a point-light figure performing basic steps of Swing dance cyclically in different tempi, whereby the trunk bounced vertically at every beat and the limbs moved laterally at every second beat, yielding two possible metrical periodicities. In Experiment 1, participants freely identified a tempo of the movement and tapped along. While some observers only tuned to the bounce and some only to the limbs, the majority tuned to one level or the other depending on the movement tempo, which was also associated with individuals’ preferred tempo. In Experiment 2, participants reproduced the tempo of leg movements by four regular taps, and showed a slower perceived leg tempo with than without the trunk bouncing simultaneously in the stimuli. This mirrors previous findings of an auditory ‘subdivision effect’, suggesting the leg movements were perceived as beat while the bounce as subdivisions. Together these results support visual metrical perception of dance movements, which may employ similar action-based mechanisms to those underpinning auditory rhythm perception.
Increasing TRPV4 expression restores flow-induced dilation impaired in mesenteric arteries with aging
Authors: Du Juan , Wang Xia , Li Jie , Guo Jizheng , Liu Limei , Yan Dejun , Yang Yunyun , Li Zhongwen , Zhu Jinhang , Shen Bing
Published: March 2016

The flow-stimulated intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) rise in endothelial cells is an important early event leading to flow-induced blood vessel dilation. Transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 4 (TRPV4), a Ca2+-permeable cation channel, facilitates the flow-stimulated [Ca2+]i rise. To determine whether TRPV4 is involved in age-related flow-induced blood vessel dilation impairment, we measured blood vessel diameter and nitric oxide (NO) levels and performed Ca2+ imaging, immunoblotting and immunostaining assays in rats. We found that the flow-induced and TRPV4 activator 4α-PDD-induced dilation of mesenteric arteries from aged rats were significantly decreased compared with those from young rats. The flow- or 4α-PDD-induced [Ca2+]i rise was also markedly reduced in primary cultured mesenteric artery endothelial cells (MAECs) from aged rats. Immunoblotting and immunostaining results showed an age-related decrease of TRPV4 expression levels in MAECs. Additionally, the 4α-PDD-induced NO production was significantly reduced in aged MAECs. Compared with lentiviral GFP-treated aged rats, lentiviral vector delivery of TRPV4 increased TRPV4 expression level in aged MAECs and restored the flow- and 4α-PDD-induced vessel dilation in aged mesenteric arteries. We concluded that impaired TRPV4-mediated Ca2+ signaling causes endothelial dysfunction and that TRPV4 is a potential target for clinical treatment of age-related vascular system diseases.