bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tryptophan metabolism is differently regulated between large and small dogs
Authors: Hoffman Jessica M. , Kiklevich J. Veronika , Austad Marika , Tran ViLinh , Jones Dean P. , Royal Angela , Henry Carolyn , Austad Steven N.
Published: November 2019

Companion dogs have recently been promoted as an animal model for the study of aging due to their similar disease profile to humans, the sophistication of health assessment and disease diagnosis, and the shared environments with their owners. In addition, dogs show an interesting life history trait pattern where smaller individuals are up to two-fold longer lived than their larger counterparts. While some of the mechanisms underlying this size and longevity trade-off are strongly suspected (i.e., growth hormone/IGF-I), there are likely a number of undiscovered mechanisms as well. Accordingly, we have completed a large-scale global metabolomic profiling of dogs encompassing a range of sizes and ages from three cities across the USA. We found a surprisingly strong location signal in the metabolome, stronger in fact than any signal related to age, breed, or sex. However, after controlling for the effects of location, tryptophan metabolism emerged as significantly associated with weight of the dogs, with small dogs having significantly higher levels of tryptophan pathway metabolites. Overall, our results point toward novel, testable hypotheses about the underlying physiological mechanisms that influence size and longevity in the companion dog and suggest that dogs may be useful in sorting out the complexities of the tryptophan metabolic network.
Toward a Reasons-First View of Normative Background Conditions
Authors: Garcia Andrés G. , Green Werkmäster Jakob
Published: November 2019

Background conditions are thought to explain how objects can have value in virtue of certain features and how reasons can consist in certain facts. The following paper provides an account of what background conditions are and what effect they have on normative features. It defends the idea that if values depend on reasons, then there is nothing really surprising or mysterious about the presence of background conditions in normative explanations. Background conditions turn out to be a natural and predictable result of normative hierarchies that treat reasons as metaphysically fundamental relative to other normative features. The account is also shown to have advantages over competing accounts in that it is able to capture the functional criteria that characterize background conditions while remaining theoretically parsimonious.
Bias Adjustment of Satellite Precipitation Estimation Using Ground-Based Observation: Mei-Yu Front Case Studies in Taiwan
Authors: Yeh Nan-Ching , Chuang Yao-Chung , Peng Hsin-Shuo , Hsu Kuo-Lin
Published: November 2019

The Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) was used to estimate the accumulated rainfall in May from the Mei-Yu front in Taiwan. Rainfall estimation from GSMaP during 2002–2017 were evaluated using more than 400 local gauge observations, collected from the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau (CWB). Studies have demonstrated that the GSMaP rainfall estimation estimates can be biased, depending on the target region, elevation, and season. In this experiment, we have evaluated GSMaP over three elevation ranges. The GSMaP systemic errors for each elevation range were identified and corrected using regression analysis. The results indicated that GSMaP estimation can be improved significantly through adjustment over three elevation ranges (elevation less than 50 m, elevation of 50–100 m, and elevation higher than 100 m). For these three elevation ranges, the correlation coefficient between the GSMaP estimations and CWB rainfall data was 0.76, 0.78, and 0.59, respectively. This indicated that the GSMaP estimation was more accurate for low-elevation regions than high-elevation regions. After the proposed approaches were employed to correct the errors, the bias errors were respectively improved by 5.64(13.7%), 7.33(38.4%) and 10.52(31.2%) mm for low-, mid- and high-elevation regions. This study demonstrated that the local correction approaches can be used to improve GSMaP estimation of Mei-Yu rainfall in Taiwan.
Research on Telescope TTL Coupling Noise in Intersatellite Laser Interferometry
Authors: Wang Zhi , Yu Tao , Zhao Ya , Luo Ziren , Sha Wei , Fang Chao , Wang Yukun , Wang Shaoxin , Qi Keqi , Wang Yongxian , Xu Xuanwen
Published: November 2019

The detection mission of gravitational waves in space is that the accuracy of the long-baseline intersatellite laser interferometry on the million-kilometer order needs to reach the order of $$8 \rm{pm}/\sqrt{\rm{Hz}}$$8pm/Hz. Among all noise sources that affect the interferometry accuracy, tilt-to-length (TTL) coupling noise is the second largest source of noise after shot noise. This paper focuses on studying the contribution of TTL coupling noise of the telescope system in the intersatellite scientific interferometer. By referring to the laser interferometer space antenna (LISA)’s noise budget, TTL coupling noise is required to be within ±25μm/rad (±300μrad). Therefore, this paper focuses on studying both the mechanism of TTL coupling noise due to the noise sources of the telescope and the method of suppressing the TTL noise, which can lay a foundation for noise distribution and the development of engineering prototypes in subsequent tasks.
Correction to: Effect of three types of liquid compost combined with Avicennia marina leaves on growth and survival of tiger prawns (Penaeus monodon)
Authors: Ariyati Restiana Wisnu , Rejeki Sri , Widowati Lestari L. , Elfitasari Tita , Bosma Roel H.
Published: November 2019

Due to the author’s omission to check the corrections by the journal’ imposed reviewer of English style.
Foetal Venous Anomalies: Experience in a Primary Referral Unit
Authors: Chaudhary Yogeshkumar S. , Patil Sachin Shridhar
Published: November 2019

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common congenital anomalies reported. Incidence of CHD is 8 to 9 per 1000 live births in published data worldwide (Chaudhary and Patil in J Fetal Med 5:221, 2018; Hoffman and Kaplan in J Am Coll Cardiol 39(12):1890–1900, 2002; Khalil et al. in Indian Pediatr 31(5):519–527, 1994; Wanni et al. in Heart India 2(3):76–95, 2014). Association of venous anomalies is known and has a significant impact on the perinatal and postnatal outcome. There is no published data about the incidence and spectrum of foetal venous anomalies in India. We tried to find out the incidence and spectrum of foetal venous anomalies in second and third trimester low risk population during routine ultrasound examination in our primary referral unit. 61 foetuses out of 19,929 were found to have venous anomalies with an incidence of 3 per 1000 s and third trimester pregnancies. Persistent left superior vena cava was the most common anomaly seen followed by umbilical vein varyx and absent ductus venosus. 46% of cases showed associated cardiac and extracardiac anomalies.
Effect of flow rates of gases flowing through a coal bed during coal heating and cooling on concentrations of gases emitted and fire hazard assessment
Authors: Więckowski Marek , Howaniec Natalia , Smoliński Adam
Published: November 2019

The flow velocity of gases in gobs directly influences the kinetics and intensity of gaseous components release during heating and cooling of coal. The assessment of fire hazard is performed on the basis of concentrations of particular gases in a mine air. These concentrations differ in coal heating and cooling phase which was proven in the study. This paper presented the results of the experimental study on temperature distribution in a simulated coal bed in heating (50–250 °C) and cooling (250–35 °C) phases as well as its correlation to variations in concentration of gases released in these phases and flow rates of gases flowing through the coal bed. The research was performed on twenty-two samples of bituminous coals acquired from various coal beds of Polish coal mines. Considerable differences were observed between heating and cooling phases in terms of the concentrations of gases taken into account in calculations of self-combustion index. In the heating phase temperature increase resulted in the decrease of concentrations ratios of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene and acetylene, while in the cooling phase these ratios increased systemically. The effect of air (in heating phase) and nitrogen (in cooling phase) flow rate on the self-ignition index CO/CO2 was also determined.
From Bore–Soliton–Splash to a New Wave-to-Wire Wave-Energy Model
Authors: Bokhove O. , Kalogirou A. , Zweers W.
Published: November 2019

We explore extreme nonlinear water-wave amplification in a contraction or, analogously, wave amplification in crossing seas. The latter case can lead to extreme or rogue-wave formation at sea. First, amplification of a solitary-water-wave compound running into a contraction is disseminated experimentally in a wave tank. Maximum amplification in our bore–soliton–splash observed is circa tenfold. Subsequently, we summarise some nonlinear and numerical modelling approaches, validated for amplifying, contracting waves. These amplification phenomena observed have led us to develop a novel wave-energy device with wave amplification in a contraction used to enhance wave-activated buoy motion and magnetically induced energy generation. An experimental proof-of-principle shows that our wave-energy device works. Most importantly, we develop a novel wave-to-wire mathematical model of the combined wave hydrodynamics, wave-activated buoy motion and electric power generation by magnetic induction, from first principles, satisfying one grand variational principle in its conservative limit. Wave and buoy dynamics are coupled via a Lagrange multiplier, which boundary value at the waterline is in a subtle way solved explicitly by imposing incompressibility in a weak sense. Dissipative features, such as electrical wire resistance and nonlinear LED loads, are added a posteriori. New is also the intricate and compatible finite-element space–time discretisation of the linearised dynamics, guaranteeing numerical stability and the correct energy transfer between the three subsystems. Preliminary simulations of our simplified and linearised wave-energy model are encouraging and involve a first study of the resonant behaviour and parameter dependence of the device.
The evolution of the urinary bladder as a storage organ: scent trails and selective pressure of the first land animals in a computational simulation
Authors: McCarthy Maxine , McCarthy Liam
Published: November 2019

The function of waste control in all living organisms is one of the vital importance. Almost universally, terrestrial tetrapods have a urinary bladder with a storage function. It is well documented that many marine and aerial species do not have an organ of such a function, or have one with very depressed storage functionality. Bladder morphology indicates it has evolved from a thin-walled structure used for osmoregulatory purposes, as it is currently used in many marine animals. It is hypothesised that the storage function of the urinary bladder allows for an evolutionary selective advantage in reducing the likelihood of successful predation. Random walks simulating predator and prey movements with simplified scent trails were utilised to represent various stages of the hunt: Detection and pursuit. A final evolutionary model is proposed in order to display the advantages over inter-generational time scales and illustrates how a bladder may evolve from an osmoregulatory organ to one of the storage. Data sets were generated for each case and analysed indicating the viability of such advantages. From the highly consistent results, three distinct characteristics of having a storage function in the urinary bladder are suggested: reduced scent trail detection rate; increased prey–predator separation (upon scent trail detection); and a reduced probability of successful capture upon scent detection by the predator. Furthered by the evolutionary model indicating such characteristics are conserved and augmented over many generations, it is concluded that prey–predator interactions provide a large selective pressure in the evolution of the urinary bladder and its storage function.
Mitigating Metaphors: A Comprehensible Guide to Recent Nature-Inspired Algorithms
Authors: Lones Michael A.
Published: November 2019

In recent years, a plethora of new metaheuristic algorithms have explored different sources of inspiration within the biological and natural worlds. This nature-inspired approach to algorithm design has been widely criticised. A notable issue is the tendency for authors to use terminology that is derived from the domain of inspiration, rather than the broader domains of metaheuristics and optimisation. This makes it difficult to both comprehend how these algorithms work and understand their relationships to other metaheuristics. This paper attempts to address this issue, at least to some extent, by providing accessible descriptions of the most cited nature-inspired algorithms published in the last 20 years. It also discusses commonalities between these algorithms and more classical nature-inspired metaheuristics such as evolutionary algorithms and particle swarm optimisation, and finishes with a discussion of future directions for the field.
Private sector development and the persistence of fragility in Sierra Leone
Authors: Ganson Brian , M’cleod Herbert
Published: November 2019

Rhetoric from both domestic and international policy actors equated foreign direct investment and robust business growth in Sierra Leone with an exit from fragility. To the contrary, the trajectory of private sector development experienced from 2002 to 2014 contributed to Sierra Leone's socio-political challenges, replicating in the contemporary period dynamics of grievance and exclusion that were root causes of the country's endemic instability and then civil war. This study challenges the practices and refines the ideas underlying the prevailing vision for business-led development in Sierra Leone and other fragile states. It links extensive documentation of the role of business in Sierra Leone with peacebuilding and statebuilding frameworks to present a novel perspective on the mechanisms of action of private sector development in contexts of persistent fragility. In doing so, it provides a foundation on which further theoretical propositions for the ordering of business-state relations in support of transitions from fragility to peaceful development can be developed and tested.
Relationship Between Use of Media and Radiation Anxiety Among the Residents of Fukushima 5.5 Years After the Nuclear Power Plant Accident
Authors: Fukasawa Maiko , Kawakami Norito , Nakayama Chihiro , Yasumura Seiji
Published: November 2019

Objective:

We aimed to investigate the relationships between use of media to obtain information on radiation and radiation anxiety among community residents in Fukushima, 5.5 years after the nuclear power plant accident.

Methods:

A questionnaire survey was administered between August and October 2016 to 2000 randomly sampled residents in Fukushima prefecture. Radiation anxiety toward health and regarding discrimination and prejudice were assessed with 4- and 3-item scales, respectively. Participants nominated their most-used media for acquiring information on radiation by choosing up to 3 sources from 12 information sources listed (eg, local newspaper, TV news, websites, social networking sites [SNS], local government newsletter, word of mouth). We investigated associations of most-used media types and radiation anxiety, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and anxiety regarding radiation’s health effects immediately after the accident, using multivariate linear regression analyses.

Results:

Valid responses were obtained from 790 (39.5%) residents. Acquiring information about radiation by word of mouth was related to higher radiation anxiety toward health. Regarding radiation anxiety concerning discrimination and prejudice, SNS use was related to higher anxiety, whereas acquiring information through Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK) TV news was related to lower anxiety.

Conclusions:

Interpersonal interactions rather than gaining information from media – characterized by unidirectional information exchange – may increase radiation anxiety.
THE POLITICS OF SOCIALIST EDUCATION IN GHANA: THE KWAME NKRUMAH IDEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, 1961–6
Authors: SERRA GERARDO , GERITS FRANK
Published: November 2019

This article reconstructs the trajectory of the Kwame Nkrumah Ideological Institute (KNII) to shed light on the politics of socialist education in 1960s Ghana. On the basis of archival evidence, it explores the changing role of the institute in the making of Nkrumahism as public discourse and documents the evolving relationship between the universalism of Marxism-Leninism and the quest for more local political iconographies centred on Nkrumah's life and work. Secondly, the article analyses the individual motivations and experiences of a sample of foreign lecturers. The article suggests that ideological institutes offer insights into the processes by which official ideologies were created and disseminated, a foil through which to interrogate the usages and appropriation of social sciences education, and a window onto the multiple ways in which local and foreign agents negotiated their identities and political participation in African socialist experiments.
Upgrading the smallholder dairy value chain: a system dynamics ex-ante impact assessment in Tanzania's Kilosa district
Authors: Dizyee Kanar , Baker Derek , Omore Amos
Published: November 2019

This paper examines ex-ante impacts of two policy interventions that improve productivity of local-breed cows through artificial insemination (AI) and producers’ access to distant markets through a dairy market hub. The majority of cattle in Kilosa district in Tanzania are local low productivity breeds kept by smallholders and agro-pastoralists. Milk production is seasonal, which constrains producers’ access to distant urban markets, constrains producers’ incomes and restricts profitability in dairy processing. We developed and evaluated an integrated system dynamics (SD) simulation model that captures many relevant feedbacks between the biological dynamics of dairy cattle production, the economics of milk market access, and the impacts of rainfall as an environmental factor. Our analysis indicated that in the short (1 year) and medium (5-year) term, policy interventions have a negative effect on producers’ income due to high AI costs. However, in the long term (5+ years), producers’ income from dairy cattle activities markedly increases (by, on average, 7% per year). The results show the potential for upgrading the smallholder dairy value chain in Kilosa, but achievement of this result may require financial support to producers in the initial stages (first 5 years) of the interventions, particularly to offset AI costs, as well as additional consideration of post-farm value chain costs. Furthermore, institutional aspects of dairy market hub have substantial effects on trade-offs amongst performance measures (e.g. higher profit vs. milk consumption at producer's household) with gain in cumulative profit coming at the expense of a proportional and substantial reduction in home milk consumption.
A PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN SIEGE OF BOTROMAGNO/SILVIUM: THE EVIDENCE OF SLINGSHOTS FROM GRAVINA IN PUGLIA (PROVINCIA DI BARI, PUGLIA)
Authors: Schinco Giuseppe , Small Alastair M.
Published: November 2019

This article is in two parts. The first part, in Italian, by Giuseppe Schinco, is a study of the typology and technical characteristics of a group of 225 lead slingshots found rather more than twenty years ago by a private metal detectorist on the hill of Botromagno near Gravina in Puglia. The second part, in English, by Alastair Small, is a review of the archaeological evidence for a possible siege of the site within the time frame suggested by the typological study of the slingshots. Since the site, which can be identified with the ancient Silvium, can be shown to have been abandoned around the end of the first quarter of the first century BC within that time frame, we conclude that the siege most probably took place during the slave war of 73–70 BC associated with Spartacus.
Domestic Workers and Foreign Occupation: Haitian Servants, US Marines, and Conflicts over Labor and Empire in Haiti, 1915–1934
Authors: Casey Matthew
Published: November 2019

During the US military occupation of Haiti, domestic workers performed the crucial labor that allowed Marine households, the city of Port-au-Prince, and the entire country to function. In this sense, they represented a human infrastructure for the entire occupation. Their experiences show that the debates over labor, race, and sovereignty that defined the high politics of the occupation actually reached into private spaces where face-to-face interactions between occupier and occupied occurred. Domestic work, like other types of labor in the occupation, ran the gamut from highly coerced forms of unpaid child labor and convict work to various configurations of wage labor. Domestic sites influenced mutual processes of race-making, including the US exoticist obsession with Haitian Vodou. Servants’ conflicts with their Marine employers included—but ultimately went beyond—daily struggles over labor. Their proximity to marines influenced domestics’ participation in acts of anti-imperial activism, such as the Caco rebellion, and explains why servants were invoked by radical journalists and cultural nationalist writers who opposed US rule. Domestics’ activities also highlight under-explored areas of Haitian activism, such as their use of formal state institutions to seek redress and their participation in emerging forms of urban protest that included other members of the urban working class. Although novel and relatively small during the occupation, such urban protests have become a staple of Haitian politics in the present day.
Introduction
Authors: Barchiesi Franco , Jackson Shona N.
Published: November 2019

Labor historiography in the contexts of modern racial slavery and emancipation has long placed changes in the status of work at the core of the very meaning of captivity and freedom, their epochal watersheds, and institutionalized or unintended overlaps. Reviewing, in this journal's pages, recent scholarship on the relations between slavery and capitalism, James Oakes summarized that the “crucial differences between the political economy of slave and free labor … ultimately led to a catastrophic Civil War and one of the most violent emancipations in the hemisphere.” The literature Oakes critically discussed exemplifies the growing academic interest in the multifarious functionality of coerced production for the development of global capitalism. The resulting picture reaches much further than mere questions of economic causality, or whether chattel slavery did kick-start the profitability of capitalism, rather than the other way around. At stake are explanations of how racial captivity—which liberal economic, political, and moral discourse deems an anachronism—shapes the very productive, financial, social, institutional, and philosophical foundations of the global present. Historic and contemporary activist resistance to recurring and ubiquitous waves of antiblack violence, as well as the increasingly self-confident affirmation of white supremacy across Western states and civil societies has rendered such dilemmas in starker terms, asking whether persistent echoes of racial slavery are symptoms that the system is “built this way” rather than being just “broken.”
Estimation of the real burden of invasive meningococcal disease in Argentina
Authors: Gómez J. A. , Wetzler Malbrán P. , Vidal G. , Seoane M. , Giglio N. D.
Published: November 2019

Among the different existing types of bacterial meningitis, the one caused by Neisseria meningitidis is the main presentation of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD). IMD is a significant public health concern and has a reported incidence rate in Argentina of 0.44 cases per 100 000 inhabitants in 2015. However, the actual incidence is thought to be higher as passive surveillance systems neither report nor identify 100% of all cases. The aim of this study is to develop an estimation of the burden of IMD in Argentina closer to reality by adjusting/correcting several limitations observed in the surveillance data available. A retrospective observational study has been performed using four Argentinean national databases recording the number of IMD cases and deaths, serogroups of N. meningitidis and ages, between 2007 to 2016. The reported data were adjusted to account for underreporting and to also integrate the cases missed due to well-known limitations associated with the diagnosis of N. meningitidis detection methods. Data were further analysed by serogroups of N. meningitidis and by age groups. After these adjustments, the potential numbers of IMD cases and IMD-related deaths are estimated to be 3.1 and 1.9 higher than reported, respectively. The study corrects the previous underestimation of the disease burden and provides expectedly more robust estimates aligned with international evidence and highlights the importance of active surveillance, with high-quality methods, for a better definition of preventive strategies against IMD in Argentina.
Homotopy type-theoretic interpretations of constructive set theories
Authors: Gallozzi Cesare
Published: November 2019

We introduce a family of (k, h)-interpretations for 2 ≤ k ≤ ∞ and 1 ≤ h ≤ ∞ of constructive set theory into type theory, in which sets and formulas are interpreted as types of homotopy level k and h, respectively. Depending on the values of the parameters k and h, we are able to interpret different theories, like Aczel’s CZF and Myhill’s CST. We also define a proposition-as-hproposition interpretation in the context of logic-enriched type theories. The rest of the paper is devoted to characterising and analysing the interpretations considered. The formulas valid in the prop-as-hprop interpretation are characterised in terms of the axiom of unique choice. We also analyse the interpretations of CST into homotopy type theory, providing a comparative analysis with Aczel’s interpretation. This is done by formulating in a logic-enriched type theory the key principles used in the proofs of the two interpretations. Finally, we characterise a class of sentences valid in the (k, ∞)-interpretations in terms of the ΠΣ axiom of choice.
Feet of Clay? How to Review Political Science Papers that Make Use of the Work of Historians
Authors: Møller Jørgen
Published: November 2019

Political scientists increasingly enlist the work of historians but they often treat this work in a nonchalant or superficial way, which makes their evidentiary record questionable. It follows that we need to check the validity of the interpretation of historians’ work in review processes. This article argues that enlisting historians as reviewers is not the answer. Instead, it proposes four simple criteria that can be used to flag situations in which the use of historians’ work as empirical evidence is unconvincing. The general purpose of the article is to increase awareness about what is at stake when political scientists base empirical analysis on evidence gathered by historians.
Analysis of Text-Analysis Syllabi: Building a Text-Analysis Syllabus Using Scaling
Authors: Fréchet Nadjim , Savoie Justin , Dufresne Yannick
Published: November 2019

In the last decade, text-analytic methods have become a fundamental element of a political researcher’s toolkit. Today, text analysis is taught in most major universities; many have entire courses dedicated to the topic. This article offers a systematic review of 45 syllabi of text-analysis courses around the world. From these syllabi, we extracted data that allowed us to rank canonical sources and discuss the variety of software used in teaching. Furthermore, we argue that our empirical method for building a text-analysis syllabus could easily be extended to syllabi for other courses. For instance, scholars can use our technique to introduce their graduate students to the field of systematic reviews while improving the quality of their syllabi.
Grasping the Intimate Immensity: Acousmatic compositional techniques in sound art as ‘something to hold on to’
Authors: Batchelor Peter
Published: November 2019

This article explores the accessibility of acousmatic compositional approaches to sound and installation art. Principally of concern is the consideration of intimacy to create a means of ‘connecting’ with an audience. Installations might be said to explore ideas of intimacy in two ways which increase accessibility for the installation visitor: through cultivating installation–visitor relationships, and through encouraging visitor–visitor relationships. A variety of ways in which various acousmatic compositional techniques relating to intimacy might be brought to bear on and operate as a way of drawing a listener into a work are explored, in particular as they relate to the consideration of space and spatial relationships. These include recording techniques, types of sound materials chosen, and the creation of particular spatial environments and listening conditions. Along with a number of instances of sound art provided by way of examples, my ongoing GRIDs series of sound sculptures will provide a case study of works related to an acousmatic aesthetic where these concerns find an outlet.
Quizalofop-p-ethyl application in water-seeded coenzyme A carboxylase–inhibiting herbicide-resistant rice with different flood systems
Authors: Webster Eric P. , Teló Gustavo M. , Rustom Samer Y. , McKnight Benjamin M. , Blouin David C.
Published: November 2019

A field study was conducted during the 2016 and 2017 crop seasons at the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station to evaluate weed control and rice yield after quizalofop-p-ethyl applications in water-seeded coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase)–resistant ‘PVLO1’ long-grain rice production utilizing different flood systems, application timings, and quizalofop rates. The initial application of quizalofop was applied at five timings beginning when ‘PVLO1’ rice was at the coleoptile stage (PEG) through the one- to two-tiller stage. A total quizalofop rate of 240 g ai ha–1 was split into two applications: 97 followed by 143 g ha–1 or 120 followed by 120 g ai ha–1 in both pinpoint and delayed flood water-seeded management systems. A second quizalofop application was applied 14 d after initial treatment (DAIT). At 14 DAIT, a reduction in control of barnyardgrass and red rice was observed by delaying the initial quizalofop application to the two- to four-tiller stage compared with rice treated at earlier growth stages. At 42 DAIT, control of barnyardgrass was 94% to 96%, and red rice was 98% following the second application of quizalofop, regardless of initial application timing. Rice treated with quizalofop at the PEG and two- and three-leaf stage resulted in a rice height of 104 cm at harvest compared with 96 to 100 cm when the initial application of quizalofop was delayed to later growth stages. Applying the initial application of quizalofop to rice at the PEG timing in the pinpoint or the delayed flood system resulted in a total gross value per hectare of $450 and $590, respectively. Within each flood system, delaying the initial application of quizalofop to the one- to two-tiller stage resulted in a gross per-hectare value reduction of $100 ha-1 in the pinpoint flood and $110 ha-1 in the delayed flood.
Regional variation in endovascular treatment rate and in-hospital	mortality of abdominal aortic aneurysms in Germany
Authors: Trenner Matthias , Salvermoser Michael , Reutersberg Benedikt , Busch Albert , Schmid Volker , Eckstein Hans-Henning , Kuehnl Andreas
Published: November 2019

Summary: Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) can be treated by either open surgery (OAR) or endovascular aortic repair (EVAR). The aim of this study was to analyze regional variations in application of (EVAR) and in-hospital mortality after intact AAA (iAAA) repair. Methods: Using data provided by the German Federal Statistical Office, a nationwide analysis for 2012 to 2014 was conducted. Patients with a diagnosis of iAAA (I71.4) and corresponding procedure codes for OAR (5-384.5/7) or EVAR (5-38a.1) were included. Odds ratios (ORs) for use of EVAR (proportion of EVAR among total EVAR + OAR cases) and mortality were calculated for all regions in Germany. ORs for EVAR use were adjusted for age, sex, and risk (Elixhauser score). ORs for mortality were additionally adjusted for type of procedure (OAR/EVAR). Results: Finally, 31,757 procedures for iAAA were included. Median age of all patients was 73 years (interquartile range 67–78 years) and 87.1 % were male. The mean proportion of EVAR procedures was 72.6 %; however, the application of EVAR for repair of iAAA varied widely depending on region. The lowest unadjusted regional rate of EVAR use was 48.8 %, while the highest was 92.5 %. After adjustment, the lowest regional OR for EVAR use (compared to the nationwide mean) was 0.23 (95 % confidence interval [0.15–0.36]), the highest 5.93 [1.79–19.65]. Overall in-hospital mortality was 2.9 % (OAR 6.2 %; EVAR 1.7 %). The adjusted regional OR for mortality ranged from 0.31 [0.07–1.42] to 4.98 [2.08–11.93]. Conclusions: This study reveals variations in use of EVAR and in-hospital mortality for iAAA treatment in Germany. This may imply that selection of treatment might not only be influenced by patient characteristics, but also by regional location. These results need to be taken into account when discussing centralization of AAA treatment in Germany.
Seryl tRNA synthetase cooperates with POT1 to regulate telomere length and cellular senescence
Authors: Li Yingxi , Li Xiyang , Cao Mei , Jiang Yuke , Yan Jie , Liu Ze , Yang Rongcun , Chen Xu , Sun Peiqing , Xiang Rong , Wang Longlong , Shi Yi
Published: November 2019

Deregulated telomere length is a causative factor in many physiological and pathological processes, including aging and cancer. Many studies focusing on telomeres have revealed important roles for cooperation between the Shelterin protein complex and telomerase in maintaining telomere length. However, it remains largely unknown whether and how aging-related stresses, such as deregulated protein homeostasis, impact telomere length. Here, we explored the possible roles of aminoacyl tRNA synthetases (AARSs), key enzymes catalyzing the first reactions in protein synthesis, in regulating telomere length and aging. We selected seryl tRNA synthetase (SerRS) since our previous studies discovered expanded functions of SerRS in the nucleus in addition to its canonical cytoplasmic role in protein synthesis. In this study, we revealed that overexpression of SerRS promoted cellular senescence and inhibited the growth of cervical tumor xenografts in mice by triggering the senescence of tumor cells. In the nucleus, SerRS directly bound to telomeric DNA repeats and tethered more POT1 proteins to telomeres through a direct interaction between the UNE-S domain of SerRS and the OB1 domain of POT1. We further demonstrated that SerRS-induced enrichment of POT1 prevented the recruitment of telomerase to telomeres, resulting in progressive telomere shortening. Our data suggested a possible molecular link between protein synthesis and telomere length control, the deregulation of which may be associated with aging and cancer.
Tumor-suppressive function and mechanism of HOXB13 in right-sided colon cancer
Authors: Xie Binbin , Bai Bingjun , Xu Yuzi , Liu Yunlong , Lv Yiming , Gao Xing , Wu Fei , Fang Zhipeng , Lou Ying , Pan Hongming , Han Weidong
Published: November 2019

Right-sided colon cancer (RCC) and left-sided colon cancer (LCC) differ in their clinical and molecular features. An investigation of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between RCC and LCC could contribute to targeted therapy for colon cancer, especially RCC, which has a poor prognosis. Here, we identified HOXB13, which was significantly less expressed in RCC than in LCC and associated with prognosis in RCC, by using 5 datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Tissue sample analysis showed that HOXB13 was differentially expressed between normal and only RCC tumor tissues. HOXB13 inhibited colon cancer cell proliferation and induced apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we found that HOXB13 might be regulated by DNMT3B and suppress C-myc expression to exert antitumor effects via β-catenin/TCF4 signals in RCC. In conclusion, the current study is the first to demonstrate that HOXB13 has a tumor-suppressive effect in RCC. High expression levels of HOXB13 are associated with prolonged overall survival in patients with RCC. The DNMT3B-HOXB13-C-myc signaling axis might be a molecular target for the treatment of RCC.
Origin of Ising magnetism in Ca3Co2O6 unveiled by orbital imaging
Authors: Leedahl Brett , Sundermann Martin , Amorese Andrea , Severing Andrea , Gretarsson Hlynur , Zhang Lunyong , Komarek Alexander C. , Maignan Antoine , Haverkort Maurits W. , Tjeng Liu Hao
Published: November 2019

The one-dimensional cobaltate Ca$${}_{3}$$3Co$${}_{2}$$2O$${}_{6}$$6 is an intriguing material having an unconventional magnetic structure, displaying quantum tunneling phenomena in its magnetization. Using a newly developed experimental method, $$s$$s-core-level non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering ($$s$$s-NIXS), we were able to image the atomic Co $$3d$$3d orbital that is responsible for the Ising magnetism in this system. We can directly observe that corrections to the commonly accepted ideal prismatic trigonal crystal field scheme occur in Ca$${}_{3}$$3Co$${}_{2}$$2O$${}_{6}$$6, and it is the complex $${d}_{2}$$d2 orbital occupied by the sixth electron at the high-spin Co$${}_{\,\text{trig}\,}^{3+}$$trig3+ ($${d}^{6}$$d6) sites that generates the Ising-like behavior. The ability to directly relate the orbital occupation with the local crystal structure is essential to model the magnetic properties of this system.
A high-throughput screen identifies that CDK7 activates glucose consumption in lung cancer cells
Authors: Ghezzi Chiara , Wong Alicia , Chen Bao Ying , Ribalet Bernard , Damoiseaux Robert , Clark Peter M.
Published: November 2019

Elevated glucose consumption is fundamental to cancer, but selectively targeting this pathway is challenging. We develop a high-throughput assay for measuring glucose consumption and use it to screen non-small-cell lung cancer cell lines against bioactive small molecules. We identify Milciclib that blocks glucose consumption in H460 and H1975, but not in HCC827 or A549 cells, by decreasing SLC2A1 (GLUT1) mRNA and protein levels and by inhibiting glucose transport. Milciclib blocks glucose consumption by targeting cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) similar to other CDK7 inhibitors including THZ1 and LDC4297. Enhanced PIK3CA signaling leads to CDK7 phosphorylation, which promotes RNA Polymerase II phosphorylation and transcription. Milciclib, THZ1, and LDC4297 lead to a reduction in RNA Polymerase II phosphorylation on the SLC2A1 promoter. These data indicate that our high-throughput assay can identify compounds that regulate glucose consumption and that CDK7 is a key regulator of glucose consumption in cells with an activated PI3K pathway.
Single cell census of human kidney organoids shows reproducibility and diminished off-target cells after transplantation
Authors: Subramanian Ayshwarya , Sidhom Eriene-Heidi , Emani Maheswarareddy , Vernon Katherine , Sahakian Nareh , Zhou Yiming , Kost-Alimova Maria , Slyper Michal , Waldman Julia , Dionne Danielle , Nguyen Lan T. , Weins Astrid , Marshall Jamie L. , Rosenblatt-Rosen Orit , Regev Aviv , Greka Anna
Published: November 2019

Human iPSC-derived kidney organoids have the potential to revolutionize discovery, but assessing their consistency and reproducibility across iPSC lines, and reducing the generation of off-target cells remain an open challenge. Here, we profile four human iPSC lines for a total of 450,118 single cells to show how organoid composition and development are comparable to human fetal and adult kidneys. Although cell classes are largely reproducible across time points, protocols, and replicates, we detect variability in cell proportions between different iPSC lines, largely due to off-target cells. To address this, we analyze organoids transplanted under the mouse kidney capsule and find diminished off-target cells. Our work shows how single cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) can score organoids for reproducibility, faithfulness and quality, that kidney organoids derived from different iPSC lines are comparable surrogates for human kidney, and that transplantation enhances their formation by diminishing off-target cells.
Alkyladenine DNA glycosylase associates with transcription elongation to coordinate DNA repair with gene expression
Authors: Montaldo Nicola P. , Bordin Diana L. , Brambilla Alessandro , Rösinger Marcel , Fordyce Martin Sarah L. , Bjørås Karine Øian , Bradamante Stefano , Aas Per Arne , Furrer Antonia , Olsen Lene C. , Kunath Nicolas , Otterlei Marit , Sætrom Pål , Bjørås Magnar , Samson Leona D. , van Loon Barbara
Published: November 2019

Base excision repair (BER) initiated by alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) is essential for removal of aberrantly methylated DNA bases. Genome instability and accumulation of aberrant bases accompany multiple diseases, including cancer and neurological disorders. While BER is well studied on naked DNA, it remains unclear how BER efficiently operates on chromatin. Here, we show that AAG binds to chromatin and forms complex with RNA polymerase (pol) II. This occurs through direct interaction with Elongator and results in transcriptional co-regulation. Importantly, at co-regulated genes, aberrantly methylated bases accumulate towards the 3′end in regions enriched for BER enzymes AAG and APE1, Elongator and active RNA pol II. Active transcription and functional Elongator are further crucial to ensure efficient BER, by promoting AAG and APE1 chromatin recruitment. Our findings provide insights into genome stability maintenance in actively transcribing chromatin and reveal roles of aberrantly methylated bases in regulation of gene expression.
A psychophysical measurement on subjective well-being and air pollution
Authors: Li Yuan , Guan Dabo , Yu Yanni , Westland Stephen , Wang Daoping , Meng Jing , Wang Xuejun , He Kebin , Tao Shu
Published: November 2019

Although the physical effects of air pollution on humans are well documented, there may be even greater impacts on the emotional state and health. Surveys have traditionally been used to explore the impact of air pollution on people’s subjective well-being (SWB). However, the survey techniques usually take long periods to properly match the air pollution characteristics from monitoring stations to each respondent’s SWB at both disaggregated spatial and temporal levels. Here, we used air pollution data to simulate fixed-scene images and psychophysical process to examine the impact from only air pollution on SWB. Findings suggest that under the atmospheric conditions in Beijing, negative emotions occur when PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 µm) increases to approximately 150 AQI (air quality index). The British observers have a stronger negative response under severe air pollution compared with Chinese observers. People from different social groups appear to have different sensitivities to SWB when air quality index exceeds approximately 200 AQI.
Suppression of FOXM1 activities and breast cancer growth in vitro and in vivo by a new class of compounds
Authors: Ziegler Yvonne , Laws Mary J. , Sanabria Guillen Valeria , Kim Sung Hoon , Dey Parama , Smith Brandi P. , Gong Ping , Bindman Noah , Zhao Yuechao , Carlson Kathryn , Yasuda Mayuri A. , Singh Divya , Li Zhong , El-Ashry Dorraya , Madak-Erdogan Zeynep , Katzenellenbogen John A. , Katzenellenbogen Benita S.
Published: November 2019

The transcription factor FOXM1 is upregulated and overexpressed in aggressive, therapy-resistant forms of hormone receptor-positive and triple negative breast cancers, and is associated with less good patient survival. FOXM1 signaling is also a key driver in many other cancers. Here, we identify a new class of compounds effective in suppressing FOXM1 activity in breast cancers, and displaying good potency for antitumor efficacy. The compounds bind directly to FOXM1 and alter its proteolytic sensitivity, reduce the cellular level of FOXM1 protein by a proteasome- dependent process, and suppress breast cancer cell proliferation and cell cycle progression and increase apoptosis. RNA-seq and gene set enrichment analyses indicate that the compounds decrease expression of FOXM1-regulated genes and suppress gene ontologies under FOXM1 regulation. Several compounds have favorable pharmacokinetic properties and show good tumor suppression in preclinical breast tumor models. These compounds may be suitable for further clinical evaluation in targeting aggressive breast cancers driven by FOXM1.
Angle-dependent magnetoresistance and its implications for Lifshitz transition in W2As3
Authors: Wang Jialu , Yang Haiyang , Ding Linchao , You Wei , Xi Chuanying , Cheng Jie , Shi Zhixiang , Cao Chao , Luo Yongkang , Zhu Zengwei , Dai Jianhui , Tian Mingliang , Li Yuke
Published: November 2019

Lifshitz transition represents a sudden reconstruction of Fermi surface structure, giving rise to anomalies in electronic properties of materials. Such a transition does not necessarily rely on symmetry-breaking and thus is topological. It holds a key to understand the origin of many exotic quantum phenomena, for example, the mechanism of extremely large magnetoresistance (MR) in topological Dirac/Weyl semimetals. Here, we report studies of the angle-dependent MR (ADMR) and the thermoelectric effect in W2As3 single crystal. The compound shows a large unsaturated MR (of about 7000% at 4.2 K and 53 T). The most striking finding is that the ADMR significantly deforms from the horizontal dumbbell-like shape above 40 K to the vertical lotus-like pattern below 30 K. The window of 30–40 K also corresponds substantial changes in Hall effect, thermopower and Nernst coefficient, implying an abrupt change of Fermi surface topology. Such a temperature-induced Lifshitz transition results in a compensation of electron-hole transport and the large MR as well. We thus suggest that the similar method can be applicable in detecting a Fermi-surface change of a variety of quantum states when a direct Fermi-surface measurement is not possible.