bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparisons of bin and bulk microphysics schemes in simulations of topographic winter precipitation with radar and radiometer measurements
Authors: Han Mei , Braun Scott A. , Matsui Toshihisa , Iguchi Takamichi
Published: August 2018

The Hebrew University Cloud Model (HUCM) bin scheme and the Thompson bulk scheme in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model are compared to assess biases often found in simulated brightness temperature and radar reflectivity. Compared to our preceding study that evaluated several bulk schemes in the WRF model, the current study obtains a reduction of the bias from excessive microwave scattering by precipitation ice for both HUCM bin and the Thompson bulk microphysics schemes for a topographic winter precipitation event associated with an atmospheric river. The Thompson particle size distributions (PSDs) and snow particle density assumption are implemented into the Goddard Satellite Data Simulator Unit (G‐SDSU) and have produced improvements. Despite the greater sophistication of the bin scheme in representing cloud and precipitation processes, the simulation with the Thompson bulk scheme is generally in better agreement with observations for this winter event.

The explicitly resolved hydrometeor PSDs in HUCM enable analysis of mass spectra variations in response to changes in microphysics assumptions. Two HUCM sensitivity runs tested the enhancement of snow particle breakup and the influence of ice nuclei (IN) concentration. Higher IN concentration resulted in increased snow mass and broadened the spectrum toward small‐size particles. Modified snow mass spectra and resultant changes in graupel contributed to modifications in scattering and reflectivity simulations. The article demonstrates the bin scheme's capability to provide a new means to improve our understanding of uncertainties in mesoscale weather models and radiative transfer models.
Highly Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalyst Using Structurally Architectured N‐doped Cobalt Oxide
Authors: Mers Sathianesan Vimala Sheen , Maruthapandian Viruthasalam , Ganesh Venkatachalam
Published: August 2018

In this work, N‐doped cobalt oxide (Co3O4) is prepared in the forms of cubes and spheres using dopamine as a nitrogen source and its application as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) associated with alkaline water electrolysis is demonstrated. Initially dopamine incorporated two dimensional Co3O4 aggregates are prepared using wet chemical method and subsequently annealed at two different temperatures namely 200°C and 400°C. Depending upon the annealing temperature, resultant materials showed varied structural morphology which influences their electrocatalytic behaviour. Electrocatalytic activities of two important reactions associated with water splitting reaction namely OER and HER are systematically investigated by grafting such materials onto Ni foam. Among the two, CoDA‐400 sample exhibited higher bifunctional activity for OER and HER applications when compared to CoDA‐200. Interestingly, CoDA‐400 displays a lower overpotential of 378 mV for obtaining 100 mA/cm2 current density towards OER and shows a lower overpotential of 147 mV for obtaining 10 mA/cm2 current density towards HER enabling its potential use as a promising bifunctional electrocatalyst. Moreover, this particular material exhibits appreciable long‐term stability for both these electrocatalytic processes. The difference in catalytic activity is assigned to the presence of oxygen vacancies, doped graphene like structures and Co−N bonds present in the resultant product.
From Exceptional Properties to Stability Challenges of Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Gholipour Somayeh , Saliba Michael
Published: August 2018

The discovery and development of organic–inorganic halide perovskites with exceptional properties has become an active research area in the field of photovoltaics. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted much attention in recent years due to various attractive advantages, such as simple solution processing, low manufacturing cost, and high performances with power conversion efficiencies now reaching certified values close to 23% within a very short time frame of five years. Despite this rapid progress, the inferior device stability remains a great challenge. This review focuses on the factors limiting the stability of PSCs, such as humidity, heat, and irradiation, summarizing recent strategies to overcome stability and fabrication obstacles in order to open new perspectives to achieve highly durable perovskite devices toward future industrialization.
Lean and agile software process improvement in traditional and agile environments
Authors: Poth Alexander , Sasabe Susumu , Mas Antònia , Mesquida Antoni‐Lluís
Published: August 2018

The culture of traditional organizations favors firmly established processes and standardization. Therefore, the adoption of Agile and Lean approaches in these organizations is a challenging issue. This paper presents an overview and outlook of the most well‐known Agile and Lean approaches in order to identify which kind of continuous software process improvement (SPI) is inherent in these approaches. The main objective of this research is to show that Lean and Agile SPI approaches can be pursued depending on the target environment, both in traditional and in agile organizations.
A new radiodont (stem Euarthropoda) frontal appendage with a mosaic of characters from the Cambrian (Series 2 Stage 3) Chengjiang biota
Authors: Guo Jin , Pates Stephen , Cong Peiyun , Daley Allison C. , Edgecombe Gregory D. , Chen Taimin , Hou Xianguang
Published: August 2018

The classification of Radiodonta is primarily based on the morphology of their frontal appendages, a main feeding structure of this iconic group of mostly Cambrian stem‐group euarthropods. However, recent progress in the description and revision of radiodont taxa, particularly drawing on their frontal appendages, has exposed morphological variation that challenges reliable identification of higher‐level groupings. Here we describe a new taxon of Radiodonta, Laminacaris chimera gen. et sp. nov., from the Cambrian Series 2, Stage 3, Chengjiang biota of China, based on its unique frontal appendage morphology. Laminacaris is distinctive for its combination of characters shared by hurdiids and other early Cambrian radiodont families. Elongated, possibly unpaired endites on two proximal podomeres that bear small distally‐directed auxiliary spines oriented perpendicular to the long axis of the endite, are comparable with the elongated endites and their auxiliary spines of all known Cambrian members of Hurdiidae. In contrast, endites on more distal podomeres are similar to some species of Anomalocaris, and the dorsal spines at the distal end resemble those of Amplectobelua. The mosaic characters in the frontal appendage of Laminacaris chimera may capture morphology close to the divergence between the major radiodont groups.
The intelligent solution: automation, the skills shortage and cyber-security
Authors: Smith Graham
Published: August 2018

A Las Vegas hacking event in 2016, the Cyber Grand Challenge, was the ultimate – and only – all-machine hacking competition. 1 Each machine identified software vulnerabilities, exploited them and patched their own systems to protect against threats – all without the intervention of a human programmer. Could this be the future of information security? And in particular, could it address the infamous skills shortage?

The lack of security skills in the IT industry is in part because professionals in this field work long hours and require patience, resources, knowledge and experience

Unfortunately, the cyber-security talent pool simply isn't wide enough to meet these needs. Graham Smith of Curo Talent discusses how AI and automation might relieve some of the pressure, automating the longwinded and repetitive tasks that are currently filling the workflows of IT teams, such as testing, basis threat analysis and data deception tactics.
Get the full e-signature picture to avoid falling foul of the law
Authors: Crook Sam
Published: August 2018

Companies initiate e-signature projects for a variety of reasons. For some it is to improve document security, for others it is about speeding up the contract signing process, improving efficiency or cutting costs. These are tangible, easy-to-quantify benefits that resonate strongly with business leaders.

Companies initiate e-signature projects for a variety of reasons. For some it is to improve document security, for others it is about speeding up the contract-signing process, improving efficiency or cutting costs for the business.

These are tangible, easy-to-quantify benefits that resonate strongly with business leaders. Against a background of regulatory change, however, it is the part that e-signatures play in the management of data governance strategies, meeting compliance and reducing risk that makes them an essential tool in the corporate armoury, argues Sam Crook of Ascertia.
Reynolds and dispersive shear stress contributions above highly skewed roughness
Authors: Jelly Thomas O. , Busse Angela
Published: August 2018

The roughness functions induced by irregular peak- and/or pit-dominated surfaces in a fully developed turbulent channel flow are studied by direct numerical simulation. A surface generation algorithm is used to synthesise an irregular Gaussian height map with periodic boundaries. The Gaussian height map is decomposed into ‘pits-only’ and ‘peaks-only’ components, which produces two additional surfaces with similar statistical properties, with the exception of skewness, which are equal and opposite $({\mathcal{S}}=\pm 1.6)$. While the peaks-only surface yields a roughness function comparable to that of the Gaussian surface, the pits-only surface exhibits a far weaker roughness effect. Analysis of results is aided by deriving an equation for the roughness function that quantitatively identifies the mechanisms of momentum loss and/or gain. The statistical contributions of ‘form-induced’ and stochastic fluid motions to the roughness function are examined in further detail using quadrant analyses. Above the Gaussian and peaks-only surfaces, the contributions of dispersive and Reynolds shear stresses show a compensating effect, whereas above the pits-only surface, an additive effect is observed. Overall, the results emphasise the sensitivity of the near-wall flow with respect to higher-order topographical parameters, which can, in turn, induce significant differences in the roughness function above a peak- and/or pit-dominated surface.
Is vaccinating monkeys against yellow fever the ultimate solution for the Brazilian recurrent epizootics?
Authors: Massad Eduardo , Miguel Mônica Manir , Coutinho Francisco Antonio Bezerra
Published: August 2018

Vaccinating monkeys against yellow fever (YF) has been a common practice in the beginning of the 17D vaccine development. Although it may seem strange at first sight, vaccinating monkeys as a public health strategy is, we think, feasible and theoretically could eliminate the infection among non-human primates, interrupting the virus circulation (or significantly reducing it) and therefore reducing the risk of spilling over to the human population. We propose a series of studies that could demonstrate (or not) the efficacy and feasibility of vaccinating non-human primates YF reservoirs living in green areas of urban centres to cut off or curb the virus circulation that recurrently spill over to the human population. Therefore, vaccinating monkeys in relatively small green areas of the urban centres is perhaps the ultimate solution for the Brazilian recurrent YF epizootics.
U‐Shaped Spectrograms Registered by the DEMETER Satellite: Observational Features and Formation Mechanism
Authors: Shklyar D. R. , Parrot M. , Titova E. E.
Published: August 2018

U‐shaped spectrograms observed by the DEMETER satellite in the equatorial region of the upper ionosphere are presented and explained for the first time. These spectra are characterized by the latitude‐dependent upper cutoff frequency that increases with the latitude during nighttime. The observations suggest that this very low frequency wave phenomenon is closely connected with the anomalous increase in cold plasma density at and below the satellite. We show that restricting the analysis to propagation effects is insufficient to explain U‐shaped spectra, and other effects, in particular, the collisional wave damping should be taken into consideration. To calculate the wave damping, we use the method of successive approximations. In the first approximation, we calculate the ray trajectory and the wave normal vector along it, using the equations of geometrical optics neglecting collisions. In the second approximation we calculate the collisional wave damping along the precalculated trajectory. We show that the effects of very low frequency wave propagation and attenuation in the equatorial region of the upper ionosphere explain the main features of the phenomenon under discussion.
Determining Plasmaspheric Densities from Observations of Plasmaspheric Hiss
Authors: Hartley D. P. , Kletzing C. A. , De Pascuale S. , Kurth W. S. , Santolík O.
Published: August 2018

A new method of inferring electron plasma densities inside of the plasmasphere is presented. Utilizing observations of the electric and magnetic field wave power associated with plasmaspheric hiss, coupled with the cold plasma dispersion relation, permits calculation of the plasma density. This methodology yields a density estimate for each frequency channel and time interval where plasmaspheric hiss is observed and is shown to yield results that are generally in agreement with densities determined via other methods. A statistical calibration is performed against the density from the upper hybrid line, accounting for both systematic offsets and distribution scatter in the hiss‐inferred densities. This calculation and calibration methodology provides accurate density estimates, both statistically and for individual events. These calibrated calculated densities are not subject to the same upper limit as densities inferred via other methodologies, thus permitting density estimates to be extended to lower L shells. This is of particular interest given that fpe/fce ratios indicate favorable conditions for efficient pitch‐angle and energy diffusion in this region. Since hiss is almost always observable inside of the plasmasphere, the hiss‐inferred densities are available for the majority of time periods, with 79% data coverage for L < 4. This compares to 33–37% data coverage for other methods of inferring plasma densities. Due to the high‐accuracy of these hiss‐inferred densities and their plentiful availability, this methodology provides a viable alternative of calculating event‐specific densities, and therefore diffusion coefficients, as opposed to relying on empirical models for periods when densities from other sources are not available.
Seismic Dispersion and Attenuation in Saturated Porous Rock With Aligned Slit Cracks
Authors: Fu Bo‐Ye , Guo Junxin , Fu Li‐Yun , Glubokovskikh Stanislav , Galvin Robert J. , Gurevich Boris
Published: August 2018

We estimate the seismic attenuation and velocity dispersion induced by fluid pressure diffusion in a saturated porous medium containing a sparse distribution of aligned slit fractures. This is done by solving the scattering problem for a single crack and using Waterman‐Truell scattering approximation for a distribution of cracks. This approach gives a numerical solution for the entire frequency range and analytical solutions for the low‐ and high‐frequency limits. Analysis of the results shows that the characteristics of the seismic dispersion and attenuation for the slit cracks are similar to known results for penny‐shaped crack. At high frequencies, the attenuation and dispersion are controlled by the crack density regardless of the crack geometry. At low frequencies, due to the different geometries of the slit and penny‐shaped cracks, the characteristics of seismic dispersion and attenuation are different. For both the slit and penny‐shaped crack case, the slope of the frequency dependence attenuation of factor (inverse quality factor) Q−1 tends to be 1. Yet the low‐frequency asymptotic solutions for these two cases are somewhat different. For penny‐shaped cracks, the Q−1(ω) on the bilogarithmic scale has a straight line asymptote with slope 1, so that the attenuation factor at low frequencies is proportional to the frequency ω. However, for slit cracks, the asymptotic low‐frequency solution contains a logarithmic function of ω, and no such asymptote exists. At the same time, similarly to the penny‐shaped crack case, the solution for compressional velocity in the low‐frequency limit is consistent with the anisotropic Gassmann theory.
Ice Loss From the Interior of Small Airless Bodies According to an Idealized Model
Authors: Schörghofer Norbert , Hsieh Henry H.
Published: August 2018

Ice in main belt asteroids and near‐Earth objects is of scientific and resource exploration interest, but small airless bodies gradually lose their ice to space by outward diffusion. Here we quantitatively estimate the time it takes a porous airless body to lose all of its interior ice, based on an analytic solution for the interior temperature field of bodies in stable orbits. Without latent heat, the average surface temperature, which is lower than the classic effective temperature, is representative of the body interior and hence an appropriate temperature to evaluate desiccation timescales. In a spherically averaged model, an explicit analytic solution is obtained for the depth to ice as a function of time and the time to complete desiccation. Half of the ice volume is lost after 11% of this time. A bilobate structure emerges from the strong latitude dependence of desiccation rates. Cold polar regions can harbor subsurface ice, even when the body center does not. Latent heat retards ice loss, and we obtain a succinct expression for the temperature difference between the surface and the ice. In the outer main belt, nearly all bodies 10 km in size or larger should have been able to retain ice in their interiors over the age of the solar system. Each of the following factors favors the presence of ice inside near‐Earth objects: a semimajor axis in the outer belt or beyond, a mantle of very low thermal inertia, a young age, or a small and stable axis tilt.
Wnt pathway is involved in 5-FU drug resistance of colorectal cancer cells
Authors: He Lingfeng , Zhu Hong , Zhou Shiying , Wu Ting , Wu Huan , Yang Huan , Mao Huiwen , SekharKathera Chandra , Janardhan Avilala , Edick Ashlin M. , Zhang Anna , Hu Zhigang , Pan Feiyan , Guo Zhigang
Published: August 2018

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is widely used in the treatment of cancers, but its antineoplastic activity is limited in drug-resistant cancer cells. To investigate the detailed mechanism of 5-FU resistance, we developed a model of 5-FU-resistant cells from HCT-8 cells, a well-established colorectal cancer cell line. We found that the drug-resistant cells demonstrated high expression of TCF4 and β-catenin, indicating an upregulated Wnt pathway. A microarray analysis revealed that the suppression of the checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) pathway explained the resistance to 5-FU, especially in p53 wild-type cancer cells such as HCT-8. Our data also demonstrated that the CHK1 pathway is suppressed by the Wnt pathway in 5-FU-resistant cells. In summary, we have discovered a novel mechanism for 5-FU resistance mediated by histone deacetylation, which also revealed the crosstalk between the Wnt pathway and CHK1 pathway.
Efficient non-Markovian quantum dynamics using time-evolving matrix product operators
Authors: Strathearn A. , Kirton P. , Kilda D. , Keeling J. , Lovett B. W.
Published: August 2018

In order to model realistic quantum devices it is necessary to simulate quantum systems strongly coupled to their environment. To date, most understanding of open quantum systems is restricted either to weak system–bath couplings or to special cases where specific numerical techniques become effective. Here we present a general and yet exact numerical approach that efficiently describes the time evolution of a quantum system coupled to a non-Markovian harmonic environment. Our method relies on expressing the system state and its propagator as a matrix product state and operator, respectively, and using a singular value decomposition to compress the description of the state as time evolves. We demonstrate the power and flexibility of our approach by numerically identifying the localisation transition of the Ohmic spin-boson model, and considering a model with widely separated environmental timescales arising for a pair of spins embedded in a common environment.
Parasitoid biology preserved in mineralized fossils
Authors: van de Kamp Thomas , Schwermann Achim H. , dos Santos Rolo Tomy , Lösel Philipp D. , Engler Thomas , Etter Walter , Faragó Tomáš , Göttlicher Jörg , Heuveline Vincent , Kopmann Andreas , Mähler Bastian , Mörs Thomas , Odar Janes , Rust Jes , Tan Jerome Nicholas , Vogelgesang Matthias , Baumbach Tilo , Krogmann Lars
Published: August 2018

About 50% of all animal species are considered parasites. The linkage of species diversity to a parasitic lifestyle is especially evident in the insect order Hymenoptera. However, fossil evidence for host–parasitoid interactions is extremely rare, rendering hypotheses on the evolution of parasitism assumptive. Here, using high-throughput synchrotron X-ray microtomography, we examine 1510 phosphatized fly pupae from the Paleogene of France and identify 55 parasitation events by four wasp species, providing morphological and ecological data. All species developed as solitary endoparasitoids inside their hosts and exhibit different morphological adaptations for exploiting the same hosts in one habitat. Our results allow systematic and ecological placement of four distinct endoparasitoids in the Paleogene and highlight the need to investigate ecological data preserved in the fossil record.
Sequences of purchases in credit card data reveal lifestyles in urban populations
Authors: Di Clemente Riccardo , Luengo-Oroz Miguel , Travizano Matias , Xu Sharon , Vaitla Bapu , González Marta C.
Published: August 2018

Zipf-like distributions characterize a wide set of phenomena in physics, biology, economics, and social sciences. In human activities, Zipf's law describes, for example, the frequency of appearance of words in a text or the purchase types in shopping patterns. In the latter, the uneven distribution of transaction types is bound with the temporal sequences of purchases of individual choices. In this work, we define a framework using a text compression technique on the sequences of credit card purchases to detect ubiquitous patterns of collective behavior. Clustering the consumers by their similarity in purchase sequences, we detect five consumer groups. Remarkably, post checking, individuals in each group are also similar in their age, total expenditure, gender, and the diversity of their social and mobility networks extracted from their mobile phone records. By properly deconstructing transaction data with Zipf-like distributions, this method uncovers sets of significant sequences that reveal insights on collective human behavior.
A proline switch explains kinetic heterogeneity in a coupled folding and binding reaction
Authors: Zosel Franziska , Mercadante Davide , Nettels Daniel , Schuler Benjamin
Published: August 2018

The interactions of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) with their molecular targets are essential for the regulation of many cellular processes. IDPs can perform their functions while disordered, and they may fold to structured conformations on binding. Here we show that the cis/trans isomerization of peptidyl−prolyl bonds can have a pronounced effect on the interactions of IDPs. By single-molecule spectroscopy, we identify a conserved proline residue in NCBD (the nuclear-coactivator binding domain of CBP) whose cis/trans isomerization in the unbound state modulates the association and dissociation rates with its binding partner, ACTR. As a result, NCBD switches on a time scale of tens of seconds between two populations that differ in their affinities to ACTR by about an order of magnitude. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate as a cause reduced packing of the complex for the cis isomer. Peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerization may be an important previously unidentified mechanism for regulating IDP interactions.
The structure of the ubiquitin-like modifier FAT10 reveals an alternative targeting mechanism for proteasomal degradation
Authors: Aichem Annette , Anders Samira , Catone Nicola , Rößler Philip , Stotz Sophie , Berg Andrej , Schwab Ricarda , Scheuermann Sophia , Bialas Johanna , Schütz-Stoffregen Mira C. , Schmidtke Gunter , Peter Christine , Groettrup Marcus , Wiesner Silke
Published: August 2018

FAT10 is a ubiquitin-like modifier that directly targets proteins for proteasomal degradation. Here, we report the high-resolution structures of the two individual ubiquitin-like domains (UBD) of FAT10 that are joined by a flexible linker. While the UBDs of FAT10 show the typical ubiquitin-fold, their surfaces are entirely different from each other and from ubiquitin explaining their unique binding specificities. Deletion of the linker abrogates FAT10-conjugation while its mutation blocks auto-FAT10ylation of the FAT10-conjugating enzyme USE1 but not bulk conjugate formation. FAT10- but not ubiquitin-mediated degradation is independent of the segregase VCP/p97 in the presence but not the absence of FAT10’s unstructured N-terminal heptapeptide. Stabilization of the FAT10 UBDs strongly decelerates degradation suggesting that the intrinsic instability of FAT10 together with its disordered N-terminus enables the rapid, joint degradation of FAT10 and its substrates without the need for FAT10 de-conjugation and partial substrate unfolding.
Evolution of the Kondo lattice and non-Fermi liquid excitations in a heavy-fermion metal
Authors: Seiro S. , Jiao L. , Kirchner S. , Hartmann S. , Friedemann S. , Krellner C. , Geibel C. , Si Q. , Steglich F. , Wirth S.
Published: August 2018

Strong electron correlations can give rise to extraordinary properties of metals with renormalized Landau quasiparticles. Near a quantum critical point, these quasiparticles can be destroyed and non-Fermi liquid behavior ensues. YbRh2Si2 is a prototypical correlated metal exhibiting the formation of quasiparticle and Kondo lattice coherence, as well as quasiparticle destruction at a field-induced quantum critical point. Here we show how, upon lowering the temperature, Kondo lattice coherence develops at zero field and finally gives way to non-Fermi liquid electronic excitations. By measuring the single-particle excitations through scanning tunneling spectroscopy, we find the Kondo lattice peak displays a non-trivial temperature dependence with a strong increase around 3.3 K. At 0.3 K and with applied magnetic field, the width of this peak is minimized in the quantum critical regime. Our results demonstrate that the lattice Kondo correlations have to be sufficiently developed before quantum criticality can set in.
Author Correction: Repeat dose NRPT (nicotinamide riboside and pterostilbene) increases NAD+ levels in humans safely and sustainably: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
Authors: Dellinger Ryan W. , Santos Santiago Roel , Morris Mark , Evans Mal , Alminana Dan , Guarente Leonard , Marcotulli Eric
Published: August 2018

The original version of the published Article contained an incorrect citation for reference 20 “Hubbard, B. P. & Sinclair, D. A. Measurement of sirtuin enzyme activity using a substrate-agnostic fluorometric nicotinamide assay. Methods Mol. Biol. 1077, 167–177 (2013).” The citation for reference 20 has been changed to “Cheng, Y. et al. SIRT1 activation by pterostilbene attenuates the skeletal muscle oxidative stress injury and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by ischemia reperfusion injury. Apoptosis 21 (8), 905-916 (2016)”. The original version of the published Article did not list a source for the placebo pills or the investigational product NRPT in the Intervention section of Methods. The last sentence of the Intervention section of Methods now lists the source for the placebo pills and the investigational product NRPT as follows: “The matched placebo pills and the investigational product (NRPT) were provided by Elysium Health (New York, NY)”. This has now been corrected in the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Direct writing of anodic oxides for plastic electronics
Authors: Siket Christian Michael , Tillner Nadine , Mardare Andrei Ionut , Reuveny Amir , Grill Carina Daniela , Hartmann Florian , Kettlgruber Gerald , Moser Richard , Kollender Jan Philipp , Someya Takao , Hassel Achim Walter , Kaltenbrunner Martin , Bauer Siegfried
Published: August 2018

Metal oxide thin films for soft and flexible electronics require low cost, room temperature fabrication, and structuring processes. We here introduce an anodic printing process to realize the essential building blocks of electronic circuitry, including resistors, capacitors, field-effect transistors, diodes, rectifiers, and memristors directly on imperceptible plastic substrates. Largely independent on surface properties, we achieve high-quality, few nanometer thin dielectric and semiconducting films even on rough substrates via localized anodisation of valve metals using a scanning droplet cell microscope. We demonstrate printing-like fabrication of 3D multilayer solid-state capacitors with a record-high areal capacity of 4 µF cm−2. Applicable to the whole class of valve metals and their alloys, our method provides a versatile fabrication technique for the circuits that empower the flexible and stretchable electronics of tomorrow.
Searching for topological Fermi arcs via quasiparticle interference on a type-II Weyl semimetal MoTe2
Authors: Iaia Davide , Chang Guoqing , Chang Tay-Rong , Hu Jin , Mao Zhiqiang , Lin Hsin , Yan Shichao , Madhavan Vidya
Published: August 2018

Weyl semimetals display a novel topological phase of matter where the Weyl nodes emerge in pairs of opposite chirality and can be seen as either a source or a sink of Berry curvature. The exotic effects in Weyl semimetals, such as surface Fermi arcs and the chiral anomaly, make them a new playground for exploring novel functionalities. Further exploiting their potential applications requires clear understanding of their topological electronic properties. Here we report a Fourier transform scanning tunneling spectroscopy (FT-STS) study on a type-II Weyl semimetal candidate MoTe2 whose Weyl points are predicated to be located above Fermi level. Although its electronic structure below the Fermi level has been identified by angle resolved photo emission spectroscopy, by comparing our experimental data with first-principles calculations, we are able to identify the origins of multiple scattering channels both below and above Fermi level. Our calculations also show the existence of both trivial and topological arc-like states above the Fermi energy. In the FT-STS experiments, we have observed strong signals from intra-arc scatterings as well as from the scattering between the arc-like surface states and the projected bulk states. A detailed comparison between our experimental observations and calculated results reveals the trivial and non-trivial scattering channels are difficult to distinguish in this compound. Interestingly, we find that the broken inversion symmetry changes the terminating states on the two inequivalent surfaces, which in turn changes the relative strength of the scattering channels observed in the FT-STS images on the two surfaces.
Multi-scale, whole-system models of liver metabolic adaptation to fat and sugar in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Maldonado Elaina M. , Fisher Ciarán P. , Mazzatti Dawn J. , Barber Amy L. , Tindall Marcus J. , Plant Nicholas J. , Kierzek Andrzej M. , Moore J. Bernadette
Published: August 2018

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a serious public health issue associated with high fat, high sugar diets. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating NAFLD pathogenesis are only partially understood. Here we adopt an iterative multi-scale, systems biology approach coupled to in vitro experimentation to investigate the roles of sugar and fat metabolism in NAFLD pathogenesis. The use of fructose as a sweetening agent is controversial; to explore this, we developed a predictive model of human monosaccharide transport, signalling and metabolism. The resulting quantitative model comprising a kinetic model describing monosaccharide transport and insulin signalling integrated with a hepatocyte-specific genome-scale metabolic network (GSMN). Differential kinetics for the utilisation of glucose and fructose were predicted, but the resultant triacylglycerol production was predicted to be similar for monosaccharides; these predictions were verified by in vitro data. The role of physiological adaptation to lipid overload was explored through the comprehensive reconstruction of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARα) regulome integrated with a hepatocyte-specific GSMN. The resulting qualitative model reproduced metabolic responses to increased fatty acid levels and mimicked lipid loading in vitro. The model predicted that activation of PPARα by lipids produces a biphasic response, which initially exacerbates steatosis. Our data support the evidence that it is the quantity of sugar rather than the type that is critical in driving the steatotic response. Furthermore, we predict PPARα-mediated adaptations to hepatic lipid overload, shedding light on potential challenges for the use of PPARα agonists to treat NAFLD.
The rubber hand illusion induced by visual-thermal stimulation
Authors: Trojan Jörg , Fuchs Xaver , Speth Sophie-Louise , Diers Martin
Published: August 2018

In the rubber hand illusion (RHI), synchronous touch of a real hand and an artificial hand leads to the feeling of the artificial hand belonging to one’s own body. This study examined whether the RHI can be induced using visual–thermal instead of visual–tactile stimulus patterns and to which extent the congruency between temperature and colour of the visual stimulus influences the RHI. In a within-subject design, we presented cold vs. warm thermal stimuli to the participants’ hidden hand combined with red vs. blue visual stimuli presented synchronously vs. asynchronously at a fake hand. The RHI could be induced using visual–thermal stimuli, yielding RHI vividness ratings comparable to the visual-tactile variant. Congruent (warm–red, cold–blue) synchronous stimulus patterns led to higher RHI vividness than incongruent (warm–blue, cold–red) synchronous combinations; in the asynchronous conditions, an inverse effect was present. Temperature ratings mainly depended on the actual stimulus temperature and were higher with synchronous vs. asynchronous patterns; they were also slightly higher with red vs. blue light, but there were no interactions with temperature or synchrony. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the RHI can be induced via visual-thermal stimuli, opening new perspectives in research on multi-sensory integration and body representations.
EPO does not promote interaction between the erythropoietin and beta-common receptors
Authors: Cheung Tung Shing Karen S. , Broughton Sophie E. , Nero Tracy L. , Gillinder Kevin , Ilsley Melissa D. , Ramshaw Hayley , Lopez Angel F. , Griffin Michael D. W. , Parker Michael W. , Perkins Andrew C. , Dhagat Urmi
Published: August 2018

A direct interaction between the erythropoietin (EPOR) and the beta-common (βc) receptors to form an Innate Repair Receptor (IRR) is controversial. On one hand, studies have shown a functional link between EPOR and βc receptor in tissue protection while others have shown no involvement of the βc receptor in tissue repair. To date there is no biophysical evidence to confirm a direct association of the two receptors either in vitro or in vivo. We investigated the existence of an interaction between the extracellular regions of EPOR and the βc receptor in silico and in vitro (either in the presence or absence of EPO or EPO-derived peptide ARA290). Although a possible interaction between EPOR and βc was suggested by our computational and genomic studies, our in vitro biophysical analysis demonstrates that the extracellular regions of the two receptors do not specifically associate. We also explored the involvement of the βc receptor gene (Csf2rb) under anaemic stress conditions and found no requirement for the βc receptor in mice. In light of these studies, we conclude that the extracellular regions of the EPOR and the βc receptor do not directly interact and that the IRR is not involved in anaemic stress.
Scenario planning with linked land-sea models inform where forest conservation actions will promote coral reef resilience
Authors: Delevaux J. M. S. , Jupiter S. D. , Stamoulis K. A. , Bremer L. L. , Wenger A. S. , Dacks R. , Garrod P. , Falinski K. A. , Ticktin T.
Published: August 2018

We developed a linked land-sea modeling framework based on remote sensing and empirical data, which couples sediment export and coral reef models at fine spatial resolution. This spatially-explicit (60 × 60 m) framework simultaneously tracks changes in multiple benthic and fish indicators as a function of land-use and climate change scenarios. We applied this framework in Kubulau District, Fiji, to investigate the effects of logging, agriculture expansion, and restoration on coral reef resilience. Under the deforestation scenario, models projected a 4.5-fold sediment increase (>7,000 t. yr−1) coupled with a significant decrease in benthic habitat quality across 1,940 ha and a reef fish biomass loss of 60.6 t. Under the restoration scenario, models projected a small (<30 t. yr−1) decrease in exported sediments, resulting in a significant increase in benthic habitat quality across 577 ha and a fish biomass gain of 5.7 t. The decrease in benthic habitat quality and loss of fish biomass were greater when combining climate change and deforestation scenarios. We evaluated where land-use change and bleaching scenarios would impact sediment runoff and downstream coral reefs to identify priority areas on land, where conservation or restoration could promote coral reef resilience in the face of climate change.
Cognitive effects of transcranial direct current stimulation combined with working memory training in fibromyalgia: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Santos Vinicius Souza dos Souza dos , Zortea Maxciel , Alves Rael Lopes , Naziazeno Cátia Cilene dos Santos , Saldanha Júlia Schirmer , Carvalho Sandra da Conceição Ribeiro de , Leite António Jorge da Costa , Torres Iraci Lucena da Silva , Souza Andressa de , Calvetti Prisla Ücker , Fregni Felipe , Caumo Wolnei
Published: August 2018

Cognitive dysfunction in fibromyalgia has been reported, especially memory. Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been effective in enhancing this function. We tested the effects of eight sessions of tDCS and cognitive training on immediate and delayed memory, verbal fluency and working memory and its association with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Forty females with fibromyalgia were randomized to receive eight sessions of active or sham tDCS. Anodal stimulation (2 mA) was applied over the DLPFC and online combined with a working memory training (WMT) for 20 minutes. Pre and post-treatment neurocognitive tests were administered. Data analysis on deltas considering years of education and BDNF as covariates, indicated active-tDCS + WMT significantly increased immediate memory indexed by Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test score when compared to sham. This effect was dependent on basal BDNF levels. In addition, the model showed active stimulation increased orthographic and semantic verbal fluency scores (Controlled Oral Word Association Test) and short-term memory (Forward Digit Span). The combination of both techniques seemed to produce effects on specific cognitive functions related to short-term and long-term episodic memory and executive functions, which has clinical relevance for top-down treatment approaches in FM.
Metabolic profiles of cysteine, methionine, glutamate, glutamine, arginine, aspartate, asparagine, alanine and glutathione in Streptococcus thermophilus during pH-controlled batch fermentations
Authors: Qiao Yali , Liu Gefei , Leng Cong , Zhang Yanjiao , Lv Xuepeng , Chen Hongyu , Sun Jiahui , Feng Zhen
Published: August 2018

Elucidating the amino acid (AA) metabolism patterns of Streptococcus thermophilus has important effects on the precise design of nitrogen sources for high-cell-density culture. Transcriptomics and metabolomics were combined to reveal the cysteine, methionine, glutamate, glutamine, arginine, aspartate, asparagine and alanine metabolic pathways in S. thermophilus MN-ZLW-002, including glutathione. The changes in the synthesis, consumption and concentration of AAs and their metabolites, as well as regulatory genes with time were revealed. The metabolism of L-cysteine, L-glutamate, L-aspartate and L-alanine generated some potential functional metabolites. The metabolism of methionine and glutamate generated potential harmful metabolites. S. thermophilus MN-ZLW-002 can synthesize glutathione. Some potential functional metabolites have similar biological functions, indicating that S. thermophilus can resist environmental stresses through multiple mechanisms. The expression of some key genes in synthesis pathway of AA indicated that cysteine, methionine, asparagine, aspartate, arginine and lysine were insufficient or imbalance between nutrient components. The accumulation of large amounts of AA metabolites might be the primary cause of the overconsumption of AAs and influence the growth of S. thermophilus. The present study revealed the metabolic profiles of abovementioned AAs as well as those of regulatory genes and metabolites. These results were beneficial to the precise design of nitrogen sources and regulation of functional metabolites for the high-cell-density culture of S. thermophilus.
Contribution of BH3-domain and Transmembrane-domain to the Activity and Interaction of the Pore-forming Bcl-2 Proteins Bok, Bak, and Bax
Authors: Stehle Daniel , Grimm Melanie , Einsele-Scholz Stephanie , Ladwig Friederike , Johänning Janina , Fischer Gerd , Gillissen Bernhard , Schulze-Osthoff Klaus , Essmann Frank
Published: August 2018

Central to intrinsic apoptosis signaling is the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, which depends on the pro-apoptotic effector proteins Bax, Bak or Bok. These pore-forming effector proteins share four Bcl-2 homology (BH) domains, a functionally essential and conserved sequence of hydrophobic amino acids in their BH3-domain and a C-terminal transmembrane-domain whose specific function remains rather unknown. To elucidate the molecular basis of Bok-mediated apoptosis we analyzed apoptosis induction by transmembrane-domain deficient BokΔTM compared to the respective Bax and Bak proteins and proteins in which the first leucine in the BH3-stretch was mutated to glutamic acid. We show that deletion of the C-terminal transmembrane-domain reduces the pro-apoptotic function of each protein. Mutation of the first leucine in the BH3-domain (L78E) blocks activity of Bak, while mutation of the homologue residues in Bax or Bok (L63E and L70E respectively) does not affect apoptosis induction. Unexpectedly, combined mutation of the BH3-domain and deletion of the transmembrane-domain enhances the pro-apoptotic activity of Bok(L70E)ΔTM by abolishing the interaction with anti-apoptotic proteins, especially the primary Bok-inhibitory protein Mcl-1. These results therefore suggest a specific contribution of the transmembrane-domain to the pro-apoptotic function and interaction of Bok.
SERCA is critical to control the Bowditch effect in the heart
Authors: Balcazar Darío , Regge Victoria , Santalla Manuela , Meyer Heiko , Paululat Achim , Mattiazzi Alicia , Ferrero Paola
Published: August 2018

The Bowditch effect or staircase phenomenon is the increment or reduction of contractile force when heart rate increases, defined as either a positive or negative staircase. The healthy and failing human heart both show positive or negative staircase, respectively, but the causes of these distinct cardiac responses are unclear. Different experimental approaches indicate that while the level of Ca2+ in the sarcoplasmic reticulum is critical, the molecular mechanisms are unclear. Here, we demonstrate that Drosophila melanogaster shows a negative staircase which is associated to a slight but significant frequency-dependent acceleration of relaxation (FDAR) at the highest stimulation frequencies tested. We further showed that the type of staircase is oppositely modified by two distinct SERCA mutations. The dominant conditional mutation SERCAA617T induced positive staircase and arrhythmia, while SERCAE442K accentuated the negative staircase of wild type. At the stimulation frequencies tested, no significant FDAR could be appreciated in mutant flies. The present results provide evidence that two individual mutations directly modify the type of staircase occurring within the heart and suggest an important role of SERCA in regulating the Bowditch effect.
Super Water-Repellent Cellulose Acetate Mats
Authors: Mikaeili Fateh , Gouma Pelagia I.
Published: August 2018

A single-step synthesis of super-water-repellent oil sorbents based on cellulose acetate (CA) mats is reported in this paper. Key phenomenological mechanisms involving roughness and changes in chemistry are used to describe the change in hydrophobic behavior of the CA mats. Contact angle calculations followed by Cassie’s model apparent contact angle prediction have shown roughness alone is not capable of producing the super-hydrophobicity exhibited by as-spun mats. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of spin coated and electrospun mats shows a significant difference in the stretching of the hydroxyl bonds of the two materials. As it is this hydroxyl group which adds to the overall polarity of surface thus hydrophilicity of the material, we propose that the electrospinning process not only creates a rougher surface but also alters the chemistry of the electrospun cellulose acetate mats which ultimately gives rise to the reported hydrophobicity. Finally, due to their water repellent nature, and oleophilicity of the as-spun mats were tested as oil sorbent mats. The as-spun mats were capable of absorbing thirty times their weight in oil demonstrating their application for oil-water remediation.
Predators Show Seasonal Predilections for Model Clay Spiders in an Urban Environment
Authors: Mason L. D. , Wardell-Johnson G. , Luxton S. J. , Bateman P. W.
Published: August 2018

Predator-prey interactions may be altered under human-induced rapid environmental change, such as urbanisation. Extensive clearing in urban areas may leave short-range endemic species, such as mygalomorph spiders, more vulnerable to local extinction through predation in remaining remnants. Predation rates on Australian mygalomorph spiders were assessed using clay models of two size classes (5 cm, 3 cm), during two time periods in 2016 (January–February, July–August). Size and phenology of models resembled the mygalomorph genera Aname and Teyl occurring in these local urban remnants. Local predator guilds were significantly influenced by leaf-litter cover (%) and proportion of surrounding parkland. Preference for spider vs. control models was consistent across all predator types (bird, rodent, lizard and wasp), but specialist spider wasps (Pompilidae) only attacked spider models. Generalist predators (birds, lizards and rodents) were more opportunistic. Lizards and rodents exhibit similar predation behaviour, indicating there may be some inter-specific competition. Invasive generalists (e. g. rodents) or urban adapters (e. g. corvids) are more likely to represent an increased threat to spiders than are co-evolved specialists (e.g. spider wasps).