bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The emergence of Montevideo as an Atlantic port: the political economy of a trans-imperial hub
Authors: Prado Fabricio
Published: June 2020

In the late eighteenth century, Montevideo evolved from a small colonial town dependent on Buenos Aires into the main Atlantic port in the region. Networks connecting Montevideo to Luso-Brazilian merchants turned Montevideo into a hub for trans-imperial trade. Between 1778 and 1810, thousands of Spanish and foreign ships entered the port of Montevideo. As a result, although economically dependent on Buenos Aires’ commercial community, Montevideo merchants and authorities managed to use their privileged port, newly created institutions and trans-imperial networks to advance the city's commercial and political role within the estuary. The emergence of Montevideo as an Atlantic port city with global connections was not an isolated event, but a part of a broader process of growing global trade and political transformation.
THE SCOPE OF RELIGIOUS GROUP AUTONOMY: VARIETIES OF JUDICIAL EXAMINATION OF CHURCH EMPLOYMENT DECISIONS
Authors: Billingham Paul
Published: June 2020

The idea of “church autonomy” has risen to prominence in law and religion discourse in recent years. Defenders argue that church autonomy is essential to protecting religious freedom, while critics argue that it permits great harm. This heated dispute often obscures the fact that religious group autonomy is not all-or-nothing. Religious organizations can enjoy some autonomy without being free from all legal oversight. This article thus seeks to make progress in the debate by providing a taxonomy of kinds of judicial examination of religious organizations’ decisions—focusing on employment decisions—and normatively assessing each kind. I argue that religious groups should enjoy protection from certain kinds of examination, but other kinds are justifiable, and even required. My argument supports an approach similar to that seen in some recent European Court of Human Rights decisions, rather than the less discriminating approach of U.S. courts.
Genealogy, authority and Muslim political representation in British India
Authors: TIGNOL EVE
Published: June 2020

This article reflects on the significance of genealogy for Sayyids and other Muslim elites in British North India by exploring some literary productions and political endeavours of the Aligarh movement. At the end of the nineteenth century, poems recalling the extra-Indian origins of Muslim elites became increasingly popular, as Altaf Husain Hali's Musaddas best exemplified. Translating an anxiety of seeing their power and influence reduced in the colonial world, such nostalgic discourse, intertwining representations of lineage and authority, promptly entered the political realm. The genealogy rhetoric deployed in Urdu poetry played a significant role in sustaining the claims of the leaders of the Aligarh movement as they strove to bolster a cohesive sharīf community identity and secure political leadership during the anti-Congress propaganda of 1888 as well as to obtain advantages from British officials according to their so-called political importance. In this context, this article emphasises that in Aligarh's nostalgic poetry, the greatest political weight was put on belonging to the ashrāf category rather than to the Sayyids, who only occasionally feature in the sources.
Narrating Political Imprisonment in Tsarist Russia: Bakunin, Goethe, Hegel
Authors: Bujalski Nicholas
Published: June 2020

How have modern cultures of dissent learnt to narrate the experience of political imprisonment? From 1851 to 1853, M. A. Bakunin was incarcerated in St Petersburg's Peter and Paul Fortress. Here, the “father of Russian anarchism” wrote what has become known as hisConfession: an account of his personal and political development, penned in the most notorious prison of the Russian autocracy at the behest of the tsar. Previous scholarship has focused entirely on the content of this peculiar text. The present article is the first to mobilize extensive archival research—on its carceral conditions of production and intellectual conditions of possibility—in order to understand the form of Bakunin'sConfession. Doing so reveals the text as one of the first RussianBildungsromane: the birth of a genre whereby the imprisoned self became legible through a new epistemology of self and history between Goethe and Hegel. Excavating the nature and afterlives of this novel political aesthetics provides original insights into the “politicization” of state incarceration in European history, the origins of modern Russian autobiographics, and the construction of the radical self.
Into the bazaar: Indian Ocean vernaculars in the age of global capitalism
Authors: Bishara Fahad , Wint Hollian
Published: June 2020

Drawing on a far-flung, multilingual archive of contracts and financial instruments from around the western Indian Ocean, this article highlights how cross-cultural trade depended on the ability of groups to translate between one system and another, rendering one commercial lexicon legible to another so as to produce commensurability and allow for conversions to take place. Law constituted a foundational building block of this process: Indian Ocean merchants drew on a deep well of legal concepts and forms as they attempted to make their worlds legible to one another, mobilizing the grammars of law to bridge commercial systems. We situate these dynamics within the context of the Indian Ocean ‘bazaar’, establishing it as a site for thinking about the place of cross-cultural trade in world history, and the histories of global capitalism more broadly. We suggest that Euro-American capitalism’s very agents had to adapt their commerce to the idioms, logics, and contracts of their business partners around the Indian Ocean – a vernacular world of the bazaar that was itself already in motion.
On the use of Archimedean copulas for insurance modelling
Authors: Kularatne Thilini Dulanjali , Li Jackie , Pitt David
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we explore the use of an extensive list of Archimedean copulas in general and life insurance modelling. We consider not only the usual choices like the Clayton, Gumbel–Hougaard, and Frank copulas but also several others which have not drawn much attention in previous applications. First, we apply different copula functions to two general insurance data sets, co-modelling losses and allocated loss adjustment expenses, and also losses to building and contents. Second, we adopt these copulas for modelling the mortality trends of two neighbouring countries and calculate the market price of a mortality bond. Our results clearly show that the diversity of Archimedean copula structures gives much flexibility for modelling different kinds of data sets and that the copula and tail dependence assumption can have a significant impact on pricing and valuation. Moreover, we conduct a large simulation exercise to investigate further the caveats in copula selection. Finally, we examine a number of other estimation methods which have not been tested in previous insurance applications.
The Adaptability Scale
Authors: van Dam Karen , Meulders Michel
Published: June 2020

Abstract. Although dynamics within and outside organizations emphasize the importance of employee adaptability, a validated scale that assesses employee adaptability as an individual difference construct is still lacking. Five studies were conducted to develop (Study 1, N = 235) and validate a 10-item scale for employee adaptability and investigate its factor structure and measurement invariance (Study 2, N = 331; Study 3, N = 375), convergent validity and discriminant validity (Study 4, N = 117), and concurrent validity, predictive validity, and measurement stability (Study 5, N = 263 T1, N = 113 T2). Overall, the findings revealed good internal consistency, convergent, discriminant, concurrent and predictive validity, and adequate measurement invariance. Potential applications for the adaptability scale are discussed.
The efficacy and safety of omega-3 fatty acids on depressive symptoms in perinatal women: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials
Authors: Zhang Mi-Mi , Zou Yan , Li Su-Min , Wang Li , Sun Yu-Hui , Shi Le , Lu Lin , Bao Yan-Ping , Li Su-Xia
Published: June 2020

Omega-3 fatty acids (FA), as a nutrient, has been proven effective in major depressive disorder (MDD), however, the results of monotherapy in perinatal depression (PND) remain unclear. To examine the efficacy and safety of omega-3 fatty acids (FA) monotherapy for perinatal depression (PND) compared with placebo. PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL were searched from inception up to November 2019. The reference lists of relevant review articles and included studies were also reviewed. Randomized placebo-controlled trials examining the efficacy and safety of omega-3 FA monotherapy in perinatal women with depressive symptoms were included. Pooled standard mean differences (SMD) were calculated and random-effects models were adopted for all analyses. Subgroups analyses and meta-regression were performed to quantify characteristics of the subjects and trials influencing the omega-3 response. In addition, meta-regression was conducted to identify the source of heterogeneity. The study protocol was registered at PROSPERO, CRD42020159542. Eight eligible randomized placebo-controlled trials were included involving 638 participants. There was a significant effect of omega-3 FA on perinatal depression. Omega-3 with higher ratio of EPA/DHA (≥1.5) had significant efficacy both in mild-to-moderate pregnant and postpartum depression with low incidence of side effects. Among the included trials reporting adverse effects, there was no significant difference in incidence of gastrointestinal and neurologic events between the omega-3 and placebo groups. There was no evidence of publication bias. Our findings suggested that omega-3 FA significantly improved depressive symptoms in perinatal women regardless of pregnant or postpartum and well-tolerated. Furthermore, the omega-3 response was linked to higher EPA proportion in omega-3 formula and mild- to-moderate depression.
A strong and ductile medium-entropy alloy resists hydrogen embrittlement and corrosion
Authors: Luo Hong , Sohn Seok Su , Lu Wenjun , Li Linlin , Li Xiaogang , Soundararajan Chandrahaasan K. , Krieger Waldemar , Li Zhiming , Raabe Dierk
Published: June 2020

Strong and ductile materials that have high resistance to corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement are rare and yet essential for realizing safety-critical energy infrastructures, hydrogen-based industries, and transportation solutions. Here we report how we reconcile these constraints in the form of a strong and ductile CoNiV medium-entropy alloy with face-centered cubic structure. It shows high resistance to hydrogen embrittlement at ambient temperature at a strain rate of 10−4 s−1, due to its low hydrogen diffusivity and the deformation twinning that impedes crack propagation. Moreover, a dense oxide film formed on the alloy’s surface reduces the hydrogen uptake rate, and provides high corrosion resistance in dilute sulfuric acid with a corrosion current density below 7 μA cm−2. The combination of load carrying capacity and resistance to harsh environmental conditions may qualify this multi-component alloy as a potential candidate material for sustainable and safe infrastructures and devices.
Hybrid integrated photonics using bulk acoustic resonators
Authors: Tian Hao , Liu Junqiu , Dong Bin , Skehan J. Connor , Zervas Michael , Kippenberg Tobias J. , Bhave Sunil A.
Published: June 2020

Integrated photonic devices based on Si3N4 waveguides allow for the exploitation of nonlinear frequency conversion, exhibit low propagation loss, and have led to advances in compact atomic clocks, ultrafast ranging, and spectroscopy. Yet, the lack of Pockels effect presents a major challenge to achieve high-speed modulation of Si3N4. Here, microwave-frequency acousto-optic modulation is realized by exciting high-overtone bulk acoustic wave resonances (HBAR) in the photonic stack. Although HBAR is ubiquitously used in modern communication and superconducting circuits, this is the first time it has been incorporated on a photonic integrated chip. The tight vertical acoustic confinement releases the lateral design of freedom, and enables negligible cross-talk and preserving low optical loss. This hybrid HBAR nanophotonic platform can find immediate applications in topological photonics with synthetic dimensions, compact opto-electronic oscillators, and microwave-to-optical converters. As an application, a Si3N4-based optical isolator is demonstrated by spatiotemporal modulation, with over 17 dB isolation achieved.
Human stereoEEG recordings reveal network dynamics of decision-making in a rule-switching task
Authors: ter Wal Marije , Platonov Artem , Cardellicchio Pasquale , Pelliccia Veronica , LoRusso Giorgio , Sartori Ivana , Avanzini Pietro , Orban Guy A. , Tiesinga Paul H. E.
Published: June 2020

The processing steps that lead up to a decision, i.e., the transformation of sensory evidence into motor output, are not fully understood. Here, we combine stereoEEG recordings from the human cortex, with single-lead and time-resolved decoding, using a wide range of temporal frequencies, to characterize decision processing during a rule-switching task. Our data reveal the contribution of rostral inferior parietal lobule (IPL) regions, in particular PFt, and the parietal opercular regions in decision processing and demonstrate that the network representing the decision is common to both task rules. We reconstruct the sequence in which regions engage in decision processing on single trials, thereby providing a detailed picture of the network dynamics involved in decision-making. The reconstructed timeline suggests that the supramarginal gyrus in IPL links decision regions in prefrontal cortex with premotor regions, where the motor plan for the response is elaborated.
Meta-analysis of the impacts of global change factors on soil microbial diversity and functionality
Authors: Zhou Zhenghu , Wang Chuankuan , Luo Yiqi
Published: June 2020

Biodiversity on the Earth is changing at an unprecedented rate due to a variety of global change factors (GCFs). However, the effects of GCFs on microbial diversity is unclear despite that soil microorganisms play a critical role in biogeochemical cycling. Here, we synthesize 1235 GCF observations worldwide and show that microbial rare species are more sensitive to GCFs than common species, while GCFs do not always lead to a reduction in microbial diversity. GCFs-induced shifts in microbial alpha diversity can be predominately explained by the changed soil pH. In addition, GCF impacts on soil functionality are explained by microbial community structure and biomass rather than the alpha diversity. Altogether, our findings of GCF impacts on microbial diversity are fundamentally different from previous knowledge for well-studied plant and animal communities, and are crucial to policy-making for the conservation of microbial diversity hotspots under global changes.
Circadian regulation of hedonic appetite in mice by clocks in dopaminergic neurons of the VTA
Authors: Koch C. E. , Begemann K. , Kiehn J. T. , Griewahn L. , Mauer J. , M. E. Hess  , Moser A. , Schmid S. M. , Brüning J. C. , Oster H.
Published: June 2020

Unlimited access to calorie-dense, palatable food is a hallmark of Western societies and substantially contributes to the worldwide rise of metabolic disorders. In addition to promoting overconsumption, palatable diets dampen daily intake patterns, further augmenting metabolic disruption. We developed a paradigm to reveal differential timing in the regulation of food intake behavior in mice. While homeostatic intake peaks in the active phase, conditioned place preference and choice experiments show an increased sensitivity to overeating on palatable food during the rest phase. This hedonic appetite rhythm is driven by endogenous circadian clocks in dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Mice with disrupted clock function in the VTA lose their hedonic overconsumption rhythms without affecting homeostatic intake. These findings assign a functional role of VTA clocks in modulating palatable feeding behaviors and identify a potential therapeutic route to counteract hyperphagy in an obesogenic environment.
Sex- and age-specific effects of energy intake and physical activity on sarcopenia
Authors: Cho Yu Jin , Lim Youn-Hee , Yun Jae Moon , Yoon Hyung-Jin , Park Minseon
Published: June 2020

Sarcopenia is a common health issue that is not limited to only elderly patients. However, many studies have reported factors to prevent sarcopenia only in susceptible groups. This study evaluates the relationship of the total energy intake to basal metabolic rate ratio (EI/BMR) and physical activity (PA) with sarcopenia. A second aim was to analyze the interaction between EI/BMR and PA by sex and age. We analyzed 16,313 subjects aged ≥ 19 years who had dual‒energy X-ray absorptiometry data. Sarcopenia was defined as appendicular lean mass/weight (%) that was 1 standard deviation below the sex-specific mean value for a young reference group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the interaction between EI/BMR and PA. In this study, as EI/BMR increased, the risk of sarcopenia decreased, particularly in the older groups. Both high PA and high EI/BMR were independently related to the reduced risk of sarcopenia and showed additive effects on reducing the risk in young male and older groups. However, high PA was associated with an increased risk of sarcopenia in the young female group with low energy intake. Our findings suggest that an adequate balance between energy intake and PA is related to a low risk of sarcopenia, especially in young females.
An understanding of third-party friendships in a tolerant macaque
Authors: Whitehouse Jamie , Meunier Hélène
Published: June 2020

Complex societies are shaped by social relationships between multiple individuals. The pressure to track these relationships has driven the evolution of social cognition in primates. Importantly, it can be adaptive to track not only personal relationships, but also those established between third-parties. Primates have knowledge about others’ dominance hierarchies and kinship, but we do not know to what extent they also understand friendships. In a playback experiment, Tonkean macaques were presented with simulated conflicts involving third-party female dyads who were established friends or non-friends. Hearing a conflict between friends elicited a stronger behavioural response in listeners (i.e. an increase in looking time) compared to hearing a conflict between non-friends. Conflicts between friends are likely to represent a greater disruption of the social group and structure of the network, and therefore this difference in response may represent an adaptive strategy employed by the macaques to selectively monitor important social interactions in the group. These findings provide evidence that Tonkean macaques (and potentially other primates) can classify the relationships of others based on their degree of friendship and additionally, confirms the important role friendships have within the societies of social primates.
Sex differences in high-level appreciation of automobile design-evoked gamma broadband synchronization
Authors: Wang Regina W. Y. , Ke Tsai-Miau , Chuang Shang-Wen , Liu I-Ning
Published: June 2020

The present study was conducted to provide neuroimaging correlates for neurodesign of automobile for marketing aesthetics, using event-related spectral perturbations (ERSPs) and participant reports. Thirty men and women aged 22–27 years were presented with various 3-dimensional automobile modelling shapes (rectangular, streamlined, and round), which were cross-matched with various interior colour tones (pure hue/vivid, light, and dark tones) in the experimental conditions, i.e., rectangular exterior with a vivid tone interior. The stimuli pairs were to be rated by participants to facilitate our understanding of the emotional dimensions of automotive design qualities. Significant differences were observed in the high gamma band of 80–100 Hz in the left temporal area between the two sexes. Men elicited a stronger high gamma band signals for dark colour tone interiors and rectangular or round automobile modelling designs because of the meaningful and comprehensible signals associated with the mechanisms of working memory. In contrast, women had fewer reactions than men, and elicited higher beta-band dynamics in the anterior cingulate cortex for rectangular automobile modelling design, and higher gamma-band dynamics for light colour tone interiors, which might relate to their higher self-awareness of positive emotional reward.
WNT and inflammatory signaling distinguish human Fallopian tube epithelial cell populations
Authors: Rose Ian M. , Bidarimath Mallikarjun , Webster Alex , Godwin Andrew K. , Flesken-Nikitin Andrea , Nikitin Alexander Yu.
Published: June 2020

Many high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSCs) likely originate in the distal region of the Fallopian tube’s epithelium (TE) before metastasizing to the ovary. Unfortunately, molecular mechanisms promoting malignancy in the distal TE are obfuscated, largely due to limited primary human TE gene expression data. Here we report an in depth bioinformatic characterization of 34 primary TE mRNA-seq samples. These samples were prepared from proximal and distal TE regions of 12 normal Fallopian tubes. Samples were segregated based on their aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity. Distal cells form organoids with higher frequency and larger size during serial organoid formation assays when compared to proximal cells. Consistent with enrichment for stem/progenitor cells, ALDH+ cells have greater WNT signaling. Comparative evaluation of proximal and distal TE cell population’s shows heightened inflammatory signaling in distal differentiated (ALDH−) TE. Furthermore, comparisons of proximal and distal TE cell populations finds that the distal ALDH+ TE cells exhibit pronounced expression of gene sets characteristic of HGSC sub-types. Overall, our study indicates increased organoid forming capacity, WNT/inflammatory signaling, and HGSC signatures underlie differences between distal and proximal regions of the human TE. These findings provide the basis for further mechanistic studies of distal TE susceptibility to the malignant transformation.
An integrated Asian human SNV and indel benchmark established using multiple sequencing methods
Authors: Huang Chuanfeng , Shao Libin , Qu Shoufang , Rao Junhua , Cheng Tao , Cao Zhisheng , Liu Sanyang , Hu Jie , Liang Xinming , Shang Ling , Chen Yangyi , Liang Zhikun , Zhang Jiezhong , Chen Peipei , Luo Donghong , Zhu Anna , Yu Ting , Zhang Wenxin , Fan Guangyi , Chen Fang , Huang Jie
Published: June 2020

Sequencing technologies have been rapidly developed recently, leading to the breakthrough of sequencing-based clinical diagnosis, but accurate and complete genome variation benchmark would be required for further assessment of precision medicine applications. Despite the human cell line of NA12878 has been successfully developed to be a variation benchmark, population-specific variation benchmark is still lacking. Here, we established an Asian human variation benchmark by constructing and sequencing a stabilized cell line of a Chinese Han volunteer. By using seven different sequencing strategies, we obtained ~3.88 Tb clean data from different laboratories, hoping to reach the point of high sequencing depth and accurate variation detection. Through the combination of variations identified from different sequencing strategies and different analysis pipelines, we identified 3.35 million SNVs and 348.65 thousand indels, which were well supported by our sequencing data and passed our strict quality control, thus should be high confidence variation benchmark. Besides, we also detected 5,913 high-quality SNVs which had 969 sites were novel and  located in the high homologous regions supported by long-range information in both the co-barcoding single tube Long Fragment Read (stLFR) data and PacBio HiFi CCS data. Furthermore, by using the long reads data (stLFR and HiFi CCS), we were able to phase more than 99% heterozygous SNVs, which helps to improve the benchmark to be haplotype level. Our study provided comprehensive sequencing data as well as the integrated variation benchmark of an Asian derived cell line, which would be valuable for future sequencing-based clinical development.
Fibronectin extra domain A (FN-EDA) elevates intraocular pressure through Toll-like receptor 4 signaling
Authors: Roberts Amanda L. , Mavlyutov Timur A. , Perlmutter Tanisha E. , Curry Stacy M. , Harris Sherri L. , Chauhan Anil K. , McDowell Colleen M.
Published: June 2020

Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a major risk factor for the development and progression of primary open angle glaucoma and is due to trabecular meshwork (TM) damage, which leads to impaired aqueous humor outflow. Here, we explore a novel molecular mechanism involved in glaucomatous TM damage. We investigated the role of an endogenous Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) ligand, fibronectin-EDA (FN-EDA), in TGFβ2-induced ocular hypertension in mice. We utilized transgenic mouse strains that either constitutively express only FN containing the EDA isoform or contain an EDA-null allele and express only FN lacking EDA, with or without a mutation in Tlr4, in our inducible mouse model of ocular hypertension by injection of Ad5.TGFβ2. IOP was measured over time and eyes accessed by immunohistochemistry for total FN and FN-EDA expression. Constitutively active EDA caused elevated IOP starting at 14 weeks of age. Ad5.TGFβ2 induced ocular hypertension in wildtype C57BL/6J mice and further amplified the IOP in constitutively active EDA mice. TLR4 null and EDA null mice blocked Ad5.TGFβ-induced ocular hypertension. Total FN and FN-EDA isoform expression increased in response to Ad5.TGFβ2. These data suggest that both TLR4 and FN-EDA contribute to TGFβ2 induced ocular hypertension.
Author Correction: High throughput single cell counting in droplet-based microfluidics
Authors: Lu Heng , Caen Ouriel , Vrignon Jeremy , Zonta Eleonora , El Harrak Zakaria , Nizard Philippe , Baret Jean-Christophe , Taly Valérie
Published: June 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Cognitive flexibility and N2/P3 event-related brain potentials
Authors: Kopp Bruno , Steinke Alexander , Visalli Antonino
Published: June 2020

Task switching is often considered for evaluating limitations of cognitive flexibility. Switch costs are behavioural indices of limited cognitive flexibility, and switch costs may be decomposable into stimulus- and response-related fractions, as conjectured by the domain hypothesis of cognitive flexibility. According to the domain hypothesis, there exist separable stimulus- and response-related neural networks for cognitive flexibility, which should be discernible as distinct event-related potentials (ERPs). The present card-matching study allowed isolating stimulus- and response-related switch costs, while measuring ERPs evoked by task cues and target stimuli with a focus on the target-locked N2/P3 complex. Behavioural data revealed that both stimulus-task and response-task bindings contribute to switch costs. Cue-locked ERPs yielded larger anterior negativity/posterior positivity in response to switch cues compared to repeat cues. Target-locked ERPs revealed separable ERP correlates of stimulus- and response-related switch costs. P3 waveforms with fronto-central scalp distributions emerged as a corollary of stimulus-related switch costs. Fronto-centrally distributed N2 waveforms occurred when stimulus-task and response-task bindings contributed jointly to switch costs. The reported N2/P3 ERP data are commensurate with the domain hypothesis according to which there exist separable stimulus- and response-related neural networks for cognitive flexibility.
Simulating the human colorectal cancer microenvironment in 3D tumor-stroma co-cultures in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Devarasetty Mahesh , Dominijanni Anthony , Herberg Samuel , Shelkey Ethan , Skardal Aleksander , Soker Shay
Published: June 2020

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a significant role in cancer progression and thus modeling it will advance our understanding of cancer growth dynamics and response to therapies. Most in vitro models are not exposed to intact body physiology, and at the same time, fail to recapitulate the extensive features of the tumor stroma. Conversely, animal models do not accurately capture the human tumor architecture. We address these deficiencies with biofabricated colorectal cancer (CRC) tissue equivalents, which are built to replicate architectural features of biopsied CRC tissue. Our data shows that tumor-stroma co-cultures consisting of aligned extracellular matrix (ECM) fibers and ordered micro-architecture induced an epithelial phenotype in CRC cells while disordered ECM drove a mesenchymal phenotype, similar to well and poorly differentiated tumors, respectively. Importantly, co-cultures studied in vitro, and upon implantation in mice, revealed similar tumor growth dynamics and retention of architectural features for 28 days. Altogether, these results are the first demonstration of replicating human tumor ECM architecture in ex vivo and in vivo cultures.
PKA and Ube3a regulate SK2 channel trafficking to promote synaptic plasticity in hippocampus: Implications for Angelman Syndrome
Authors: Sun Jiandong , Liu Yan , Zhu Guoqi , Cato Caleb , Hao Xiaoning , Qian Li , Lin Weiju , Adhikari Rachana , Luo Yun , Baudry Michel , Bi Xiaoning
Published: June 2020

The ubiquitin ligase, Ube3a, plays important roles in brain development and functions, since its deficiency results in Angelman Syndrome (AS) while its over-expression increases the risk for autism. We previously showed that the lack of Ube3a-mediated ubiquitination of the Ca2+-activated small conductance potassium channel, SK2, contributes to impairment of synaptic plasticity and learning in AS mice. Synaptic SK2 levels are also regulated by protein kinase A (PKA), which phosphorylates SK2 in its C-terminal domain, facilitating its endocytosis. Here, we report that PKA activation restores theta burst stimulation (TBS)-induced long-term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampal slices from AS mice by enhancing SK2 internalization. While TBS-induced SK2 endocytosis is facilitated by PKA activation, SK2 recycling to synaptic membranes after TBS is inhibited by Ube3a. Molecular and cellular studies confirmed that phosphorylation of SK2 in the C-terminal domain increases its ubiquitination and endocytosis. Finally, PKA activation increases SK2 phosphorylation and ubiquitination in Ube3a-overexpressing mice. Our results indicate that, although both Ube3a-mediated ubiquitination and PKA-induced phosphorylation reduce synaptic SK2 levels, phosphorylation is mainly involved in TBS-induced endocytosis, while ubiquitination predominantly inhibits SK2 recycling. Understanding the complex interactions between PKA and Ube3a in the regulation of SK2 synaptic levels might provide new platforms for developing treatments for AS and various forms of autism.
Alternative catalytic residues in the active site of Esco acetyltransferases
Authors: Ajam Tahereh , De Inessa , Petkau Nikolai , Whelan Gabriela , Pena Vladimir , Eichele Gregor
Published: June 2020

Cohesin is a protein complex whose core subunits, Smc1, Smc3, Scc1, and SA1/SA2 form a ring-like structure encircling the DNA. Cohesins play a key role in the expression, repair, and segregation of eukaryotic genomes. Following a catalytic mechanism that is insufficiently understood, Esco1 and Esco2 acetyltransferases acetylate the cohesin subunit Smc3, thereby inducing stabilization of cohesin on DNA. As a prerequisite for structure-guided investigation of enzymatic activity, we determine here the crystal structure of the mouse Esco2/CoA complex at 1.8 Å resolution. We reconstitute cohesin as tri- or tetrameric assemblies and use those as physiologically-relevant substrates for enzymatic assays in vitro. Furthermore, we employ cell-based complementation studies in mouse embryonic fibroblast deficient for Esco1 and Esco2, as a means to identify catalytically-important residues in vivo. These analyses demonstrate that D567/S566 and E491/S527, located on opposite sides of the murine Esco2 active site cleft, are critical for catalysis. Our experiments support a catalytic mechanism of acetylation where residues D567 and E491 are general bases that deprotonate the ε-amino group of lysine substrate, also involving two nearby serine residues - S566 and S527- that possess a proton relay function.
Self-organization and multi-line transport of human spermatozoa in rectangular microchannels due to cell-cell interactions
Authors: Bukatin A. , Denissenko P. , Kantsler V.
Published: June 2020

The journey of sperm navigation towards ovum is one of the most important questions in mammalian fertilisation and reproduction. However, we know very little about spermatozoa propagation in a complex fluidic, chemical and topographic environment of a fertility tract. Using microfluidics techniques, we investigate the influence of cell-cell interactions on spermatozoa swimming behavior in constrained environment at different concentrations. Our study shows that at high enough cell concentration the interaction between boundary-following cells leads to formation of areas with preferential direction of cell swimming. In the microchannel of a rectangular cross-section, this leads to formation of a “four-lane” swimming pattern with the asymmetry of the cell distribution of up to 40%. We propose that this is caused by the combination of cell-cell collisions in the corners of the microchannel and the existence of morphologically different spermatozoa: slightly asymmetric cells with trajectories curved left and the symmetric ones, with trajectories curved right. Our findings suggest that cell-cell interactions in highly folded environment of mammalian reproductive tract are important for spermatozoa swimming behavior and play role in selection of highly motile cells.
Alkaline phosphatase affects renal function in never-treated hypertensive patients: effect modification by age
Authors: Sciacqua Angela , Tripepi Giovanni , Perticone Maria , Cassano Velia , Fiorentino Teresa V. , Pititto Gerardo N. , Maio Raffaele , Miceli Sofia , Andreozzi Francesco , Sesti Giorgio , Perticone Francesco
Published: June 2020

Several studies in patients with chronic kidney disease or normal renal function have shown that high levels of tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (ALP) are associated with an increased risk of all cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality. Considering the independent prognostic role of renal function, we investigated the possible association between ALP levels and estimated glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR) in a large cohort of hypertensive subjects. We enrolled 2157 never-treated uncomplicated hypertensive patients with ALP levels within normal range. In the whole population, e-GFR was strongly related to ALP (r = −0.43, P < 0.0001) with similar magnitude in females and in males, resulting ALP the second independent predictor of renal function. In a multiple linear regression model, both on crude (P < 0.001) and adjusted (P = 0.01) analyses age significantly modified the effect of a fixed increase in ALP (20 UI/L) on renal function so that the reduction in e-GFR associated to a 20 UI/L increase in ALP was of lower magnitude in younger patients and progressively of higher extent from 20 years of age onwards. In conclusion, present data indicate a significant relationship between ALP levels and e-GFR in uncomplicated hypertensive patients that is modulated by age and that persisted after adjusting for several confounders.
Analysis of risk factors for post-bacillus Calmette–Guerin-induced prostatitis in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer
Authors: Kim Tae Jin , Yu Young Dong , Hwang Sung Il , Lee Hak Jong , Hong Sung Kyu , Lee Sang Eun , Oh Jong Jin
Published: June 2020

The objective of this study was to evaluate risk factors for bacillus Calmette–Guerin-induced prostatitis in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer following bacillus Calmette–Guerin therapy. Clinical findings from patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer who underwent multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging before transurethral resection of bladder tumor and post-bacillus Calmette–Guerin therapy from March 2004 to August 2018 were evaluated. The population was grouped into patients with or without newly developed lesions on multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging performed 3 months after bacillus Calmette–Guerin instillation. Patients with prostate-specific antigen levels ≥ 4 ng/mL or prostate cancer were excluded. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to determine the predictors of prostate lesions in patients with prior bacillus Calmette–Guerin exposure. Post bacillus Calmette–Guerin-induced prostatitis was found in 50 of the 194 patients (25.8%). No significant differences were observed between the groups except for prostate volumes (33.8 mL vs. 30.8 mL, P = 0.012) and body mass index (25.2 kg/m2 vs. 24.1 kg/m2, P = 0.044). After bacillus Calmette–Guerin exposure, no significant differences in prostate-specific antigen levels, international prostate symptom scores, or post-voiding residual volume were noted. Multivariable regression analysis showed that body mass index (odds ratio, OR = 1.115, P = 0.038) and prostate volume (OR = 3.080, P = 0.012) were significant predictors of post-bacillus Calmette–Guerin prostate lesions. Body mass index and prostate volume may be clinical predictors of prostate lesions after bacillus Calmette–Guerin exposure. Awareness of potential risk factors for this entity should contribute to the clinical decision-making process for patients following bacillus Calmette–Guerin therapy.
Fatigue-induced Fos immunoreactivity within the lumbar cord and amygdala decreases after С60 fullerene pretreatment
Authors: Maznychenko Andriy V. , Bulgakova Nataliya V. , Sokolowska Inna V. , Butowska Kamila , Borowik Agnieszka , Mankivska Olena P. , Piosik Jacek , Tomiak Tomasz , Gonchar Olga O. , Maisky Volodymyr O. , Kostyukov Alexander I.
Published: June 2020

The fundamental aspects related to the mechanisms of action of C60 fullerene nanoparticles on the level of the central nervous system in different experimental conditions are still unclear. Electrophysiological investigation and immunohistochemical techniques of c-fos expression were combined to determine which neural elements within the lumbar segments and in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) are activated under skeletal muscle fatigue development with prior application of C60 fullerenes (dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide and in distilled water, FDS). After high-frequency electrical stimulation of the triceps surae muscle, the main fatigue-related increases in the c-Fos expression level were registered ipsilaterally within lamina 1 and 5 of the lumbar segments and within the contralateral capsular part of the CeA. C60 fullerene pretreatment in animals with subsequent electrical stimulation induced a distinct (2–4 times) decrease in the level of Fos immunoreactivity in the observed structures in comparison with only fatigue-induced rats. It can be supposed that FDS, as antioxidant compound, can decrease the concentration of free radicals in fatigued tissue and reduce the transmission intensity of nociceptive information from muscles to the spinal cord and amygdala, thereby changing the level of c-Fos expression within the lumbar segments and CeA.
Perylene diimides: will they flourish as reaction-based probes?
Authors: Singh Prabhpreet , Sharma Poonam , Kaur Navdeep , Mittal Lalit Singh , Kumar Kapil
Published: June 2020

In this review, examples of perylene diimide-based probes containing reactive groups at N-imide or/and bay-positions are discussed with emphasis on the design strategies and the sensing mechanism.
Design, development, testing at ISO standards and in vivo feasibility study of a novel polymeric heart valve prosthesis
Authors: Stasiak Joanna R. , Serrani Marta , Biral Eugenia , Taylor James V. , Zaman Azfar G. , Jones Samantha , Ness Thomas , De Gaetano Francesco , Costantino Maria Laura , Bruno Vito D. , Suleiman Saadeh , Ascione Raimondo , Moggridge Geoff D.
Published: June 2020

A novel polymeric heart valve shows durability equivalent to 25 years in accelerated bench testing, in vitro hydrodynamics equivalent to existing bioprosthetic valves; and good performance in a small acute feasibility study in sheep.
Cyclohexene epoxidation with H2O2 in the vapor and liquid phases over a vanadium-based metal–organic framework
Authors: Yoon Tae-Ung , Ahn Sol , Kim Ah-Reum , Notestein Justin M. , Farha Omar K. , Bae Youn-Sang
Published: June 2020

A V-containing metal–organic framework exhibits significantly different catalytic mechanisms between liquid-phase and gas-phase cyclohexene oxidations.
Climbing the oxygen reduction reaction volcano plot with laser ablation synthesis of PtxY nanoalloys
Authors: Brandiele Riccardo , Guadagnini Andrea , Girardi Leonardo , Dražić Goran , Dalconi Maria Chiara , Rizzi Gian Andrea , Amendola Vincenzo , Durante Christian
Published: June 2020

PtxY nanoparticles were synthesized by laser ablation in ethanol and proved to efficiently catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction in acid electrolyte.
Suppressive effects of Streptococcus thermophilus KLDS 3.1003 on some foodborne pathogens revealed through in vitro, in vivo and genomic insights
Authors: Evivie Smith Etareri , Ogwu Matthew Chidozie , Abdelazez Amro , Bian Xin , Liu Fei , Li Bailiang , Huo Guicheng
Published: June 2020

Foodborne diseases (FBDs) remain a persistent global challenge and recent research efforts suggest that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains can contribute towards their prevention and treatment.
Configuring hierarchical Ni/NiO 3D-network assisted with bamboo cellulose nanofibers for high-performance Ni–Zn aqueous batteries
Authors: Jiang Lili , Li Lei , Luo Sha , Xu Han , Xia Liaoyuan , Wang Hankun , Liu Xinge , Wu Yiqiang , Qing Yan
Published: June 2020

A hierarchically nanostructured nickel-based composite electrode constructed by configuring nickel and nickel oxide nanoparticles onto bamboo nanofiber networks is used as the enhanced cathode for high-performance Ni–Zn batteries.
Preclinical evaluation of platinum-loaded hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in an embryonic zebrafish xenograft model
Authors: Nadar Robin A. , Asokan Nandini , Degli Esposti Lorenzo , Curci Alessandra , Barbanente Alessandra , Schlatt Lukas , Karst Uwe , Iafisco Michele , Margiotta Nicola , Brand Michael , van den Beucken Jeroen J. J. P. , Bornhäuser Martin , Leeuwenburgh Sander C. G.
Published: June 2020

Kiteplatin-pyrophosphate (PtPP) loaded hydroxyapatite nanoparticles effectively reduce breast cancer cell in vivo, which opens up new opportunities for controlled local treatment of bone metastases.
Uncontrolled polymerization that occurred during photoinitiated RAFT dispersion polymerization of acrylic monomers promotes the formation of uniform raspberry-like polymer particles
Authors: Zeng Ruiming , Chen Ying , Zhang Li , Tan Jianbo
Published: June 2020

Uniform raspberry-like polymer particles are prepared by a different type of photoinitiated RAFT dispersion polymerization.
An optical-magnetic Material as a toxic gas filter and sensing device
Authors: Almeida Moraes Thuanny , Farrôco Maria Julia , Pontes Ketly , Fontes Bittencourt Magda , Guenter Soares Bluma , Gomes Souza Fernando
Published: June 2020

The objective of this work is the development of a toxic gas detector/filter based on the production of porous polyaniline composites filled with magnetic nanoparticles.
Thermochemical CO2 splitting performance of perovskite coated porous ceramics
Authors: Parvanian Amir Masoud , Salimijazi Hamidreza , Shabaninejad Mehdi , Troitzsch Ulrike , Kreider Peter , Lipiński Wojciech , Saadatfar Mohammad
Published: June 2020

A representative volume of LCMA coated porous SiC showing a maximum of 23% shrinkage when subject to high-temperature CO2 conversion redox reactions. This results in significant structural changes including a reduction in specific surface area.
Arginine–glycine–aspartate (RGD)-targeted positron-labeled dendritic polylysine nanoprobe for tumor PET imaging
Authors: Fang Qi , Xiao Yongcheng , Zhang Rongqin , Yin Jilin , Xie Deming , Wang Xinlu
Published: June 2020

This work investigated the optimization of the 68Ga radiolabeling of the dendritic polylysine-1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid conjugate (DGL-NOTA).
Nanohybrids of reduced graphene oxide and cobalt hydroxide (Co(OH)2|rGO) for the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate
Authors: Abarca Gabriel , Ríos Paulina L. , Povea Paula , Cerda-Cavieres Christopher , Morales-Verdejo Cesar , Arroyo Juan L. , Camarada María B.
Published: June 2020

Cobalt hydroxide nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide increased the energy release and lowered the decomposition temperature of ammonium perchlorate.
Connecting concrete technology and machine learning: proposal for application of ANNs and CNT/concrete composites in structural health monitoring
Authors: Kekez Sofija , Kubica Jan
Published: June 2020

Carbon nanotube/concrete composite possesses piezoresistivityi.e.self-sensing capability of concrete structures even in large scale.
Effect of heterocycle content on metal binding isostere coordination
Authors: Dick Benjamin L. , Patel Ashay , Cohen Seth M.
Published: June 2020

Bioisostere replacement is a core concept in modern medicinal chemistry and in this work new metal-binding isosteres (MBIs) are synthesized and evaluated for use in metalloenzyme inhibitors.
Polymeric carbon nitride with frustrated Lewis pair sites for enhanced photofixation of nitrogen
Authors: Ran Yue , Yu Xuelian , Liu Jianqiao , Cui Jiayi , Wang Jiangpeng , Wang Lin , Zhang Yihe , Xiang Xu , Ye Jinhua
Published: June 2020

The combination of frustrated Lewis pair sites and the MoO2 cocatalyst on C3N4 can facilitate N2 activation for enhanced photocatalytic N2 fixation activity.
Supercritical CO2-constructed intralayer [Bi2O2]2+ structural distortion for enhanced CO2 electroreduction
Authors: Zhou Yannan , Yan Pengfei , Jia Jun , Zhang Suoying , Zheng Xiaoli , Zhang Li , Zhang Bin , Chen Jun , Hao Weichang , Chen Gongji , Xu Qun , Han Buxing
Published: June 2020

Thick BiOCl nanoplates exhibit excellent activity for formate formation compared to ultrathin nanosheets due to intralayer structural distortion constructed using supercritical CO2.
Ligand engineering in Cu(ii) paddle wheel metal–organic frameworks for enhanced semiconductivity
Authors: Golomb Matthias J. , Calbo Joaquín , Bristow Jessica K. , Walsh Aron
Published: June 2020

We report the electronic structure of two metal–organic frameworks with copper paddle wheel nodes connected by a ligand with accessible nitrogen lone pairs. Our study highlights DMOF-1 as a potential semiconductor.
Modified reactive power allocation strategy for large‐scale offshore wind turbine considering subsystem configuration
Authors: Yoo Yeuntae , Jung Seungmin , Lee Jae‐Hyeong , Song Sungyoon , Jang Gilsoo
Published: June 2020

Recent research on wind‐farm control methods has focused until now on maximising the efficiency and durability of farm operations, as verified for a normalised electrical layout. However, with the increase of turbine size and capacity, it is necessary to develop modifications of the farm management plan that can support the increasing demands of the wind‐turbine industry. Here the authors propose a modification that focuses on a proportional reactive power‐dispatch method that is applied to radial offshore farm networks. They improve a previously developed method of proportionally distributing reactive power commands by considering the actual configuration of an offshore platform. To confirm the applicability of this method in transient state, they examine case studies using a time‐varying signal for a reactive power reference under fluctuating wind. Electromagnetic transients using DC software tools are used to estimate the electrical loss and verify the efficiency of this strategy.