bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Muscular Strength, Asymmetries and Fatigue on Kicking Performance in Soccer Players
Authors: Maly Tomas , Sugimoto Dai , Izovska Jana , Zahalka Frantisek , Mala Lucia
Published: March 2018

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of muscular strength, strength asymmetries, and fatigue on the speed and accuracy of an instep kick in soccer players. We measured ball velocity (BV) and kicking accuracy (KA) in the preferred (PL) and non-preferred leg (NPL) before (PRE) and after (POST) physical load in the PL. Maximum peak muscle torque of the knee extensors and flexors in the PL and NPL as well as ipsilateral knee flexors and knee extensors ratio (H:Q ratio) for both legs were assessed. BV was significantly decreased in POST physical load (5.82%, BVPRE=30.79±1.70 m·s−1, BVPOST=29.00±1.70 m·s−1, t19=3.67, p=0.00, d=1.05). Instep kick accuracy after the physical load worsened by an average of 10% in the most accurate trials. Results revealed a significant decrease in instep kick accuracy after physical loading (KAPRE=2.74±0.70 m, KAPOST=3.85±1.24 m, t19=–3.31, p=0.00, d=1.10). We found an insignificant correlation between H:Q ratio and KA in PRE test value, whereas a lower ipsilateral ratio (higher degree of strength asymmetry) in the POST physical load significantly correlated with KA in all angular velocities (r=–0.63 up to –0.67, p=0.00).
Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Antipsychotic Drugs for Tic Disorders: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yang Chunsong , Hao Zilong , Zhang Ling-Li , Zhu Cai-Rong , Zhu Ping , Guo Qin
Published: March 2018

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of antipsychotic drugs for tic disorders (TDs) in a network meta-analysis.

Methods PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and 4 Chinese databases were searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of antipsychotic drugs for TDs were included.

Results Sixty RCTs were included. In terms of tic symptom score, compared with placebo, haloperidol, risperidone, aripiprazole, quetiapine, olanzapine, and ziprasidone can significantly improve tic symptom score (standardized mean differences [SMD] ranged from −12.32 to −3.20). Quetiapine was superior to haloperidol, pimozide, risperidone, tiapride, aripiprazole, and penfluridol for improving tic symptom score (SMD ranged from −28.24 to −7.59). Compared with tiapride, aripiprazole could significantly improve tic symptom score (SMD=−4.27). Compared with all other drugs, penfluridol was not effective. Atypical antipsychotics were generally well tolerated.

Conclusions Atypical antipsychotics (risperidone and aripiprazole) appear to be the most robust evidence-based options for the treatment of TDs. Quetiapine may be a promising therapy. Ziprasidone and olanzapine are also effective, but the evidence is lacking. Further high-quality directly comparing different pharmacological treatment studies are justified.
LHCGR Gene Analysis in Girls with Non-Classic Central Precocious Puberty
Authors: Jeong Hwal , Lee Hae , Hwang Jin
Published: March 2018

Background Luteinizing hormone (LH) is a useful parameter in diagnosing precocious puberty. The pubertal response of serum LH to a GnRH stimulation test is varied, and clinical symptoms of precocious puberty are sometimes disproportionate with serum LH concentrations. Many patients present in a state of precocious puberty that advances rapidly, but the post-GnRH peak LH remains prepubertal. LH receptor mutations are suspected of involvement in the non-classic type of central precocious puberty (CPP).

Objective To examine the association between LHCGR polymorphism and non-classic CPP in subjects exhibiting a peak LH<5 IU/L on a GnRH stimulation test. Methods: In total, 102 girls with non-classic CPP and 100 normal adult women were enrolled. All subjects underwent LHCGR gene analysis by the Sanger method, and patients and controls were compared. Auxological data and gonadotropin concentrations were analyzed in the 102 patients. Of these patients, 75 completed GnRH agonist treatment, and the treatment outcomes were analyzed.

Results A total of seven variants were identified, including two missense mutations (g.48698754 G/A and g.48688613 G/A) that were found in the patient group (no patients contained both mutations). In silico analysis of these missense mutations suggested the possibility of damaging the LHCGR. However, no significant association was found between the identified LHCGR variants and non-classic CPP. GnRH agonist treatment decreased bone age advancement and increased predicted adult height.

Conclusions LHCGR gene polymorphisms do not appear to be a major causative factor for the relatively low concentration of LH in patients with non-classic CPP. GnRH agonist treatment improved clinical parameters in these patients.
One-stage wound healing of fingertip injuries induced by treatment of artificial dermis
Authors: Lou Xianghong , Zhu Haijun , Xue Hang , Weng Yuxiong , Chen Jianghai
Published: March 2018

Backround Fingertip injuries are common in both adults and children. Many operative and non-operative management techniques have been
reported to restore the function and cosmetic shape of fingertips after injuries. Although these methods may be used for different
indications in clinical settings, few of them can treat all kinds of fingertip injuries. In addition, there is controversy as to whether the
surgical approach or the conservative approach is the optimal management for fingertip injuries.

Methods Thirty-six fingers of 33 patients with fingertip injuries were included in the study. All wounds were treated with surgical
debridement and artificial dermis coverage without further surgical treatment. Follow-up duration was 24.5 months on average.

Results All injuries were categorised into four types – Allen’s classification of fingertip injury type II, type III, type IV, and
transverse amputations proximal to the lunula and close to the level of the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint – and 28 of them had bone
exposure. The defects of all fingers were restored in one stage within an average of 8 weeks. Although the length and width of the new
fingertips were less than those of the contralateral fingertips, almost all patients were satisfied with the functional and cosmetic
outcomes of their regenerated fingers.

Conclusions One-stage wound healing of fingertip injuries induced by artificial dermis treatment is an easy and effective approach to
restoring defects after injury with excellent functional and cosmetic results. Nearly all kinds of fingertip injuries can be managed with
this method without any further surgical treatment. Therefore, this is a good alternative for the management of fingertip injuries.
Activists, care work, and the ‘cry of the ghetto’ in Nairobi, Kenya
Authors: Kimari Wangui
Published: March 2018

Community activists living and organizing in Nairobi’s harshest geographies are tasked not only with intervening for ‘justice’ but also with (re)establishing care and emotion in landscapes devastated by both colonial and neoliberal divestments and violence. When they act to demand and bridge actions to ensure, for example, water, sanitation and an end to extrajudicial killings, they take on multiple material and affective roles in these neighborhoods. This article argues that as they seek to comfort families, protest the county administration and report violations, amongst other daily interventions, they target not just the reinstatement of basic rights, but also the reinsertion of care and emotion in environments where a normalized (and militarized) precarity has denied the legitimacy of these sentiments. The goal here is not only to ask ‘whatever happened to empathy?’, but, above all, to attend to how it is actively discouraged in particular situations and sites, and how activists are then tasked with incorporating intentional emotional and care labors in their everyday material and discursive practices in order to restore empathy in and for their neighborhoods. This article is informed by over a decade of fieldwork in Mathare ‘slum,’ as well as interviews and participant observation with activists from a cross section of poor urban settlements in the city of Nairobi.
Stochastic mixed-mode oscillations in a three-species predator-prey model
Authors: Sadhu Susmita , Kuehn Christian
Published: March 2018

The effect of demographic stochasticity, in the form of Gaussian white noise, in a predator-prey model with one fast and two slow variables is studied. We derive the stochastic differential equations (SDEs) from a discrete model. For suitable parameter values, the deterministic drift part of the model admits a folded node singularity and exhibits a singular Hopf bifurcation. We focus on the parameter regime near the Hopf bifurcation, where small amplitude oscillations exist as stable dynamics in the absence of noise. In this regime, the stochastic model admits noise-driven mixed-mode oscillations (MMOs), which capture the intermediate dynamics between two cycles of population outbreaks. We perform numerical simulations to calculate the distribution of the random number of small oscillations between successive spikes for varying noise intensities and distance to the Hopf bifurcation. We also study the effect of noise on a suitable Poincaré map. Finally, we prove that the stochastic model can be transformed into a normal form near the folded node, which can be linked to recent results on the interplay between deterministic and stochastic small amplitude oscillations. The normal form can also be used to study the parameter influence on the noise level near folded singularities.
Broadband locally resonant metamaterials with graded hierarchical architecture
Authors: Liu Chenchen , Reina Celia
Published: March 2018

We investigate the effect of hierarchical designs on the bandgap structure of periodic lattice systems with inner resonators. A detailed parameter study reveals various interesting features of structures with two levels of hierarchy as compared with one level systems with identical static mass. In particular: (i) their overall bandwidth is approximately equal, yet bounded above by the bandwidth of the single-resonator system; (ii) the number of bandgaps increases with the level of hierarchy; and (iii) the spectrum of bandgap frequencies is also enlarged. Taking advantage of these features, we propose graded hierarchical structures with ultra-broadband properties. These designs are validated over analogous continuum models via finite element simulations, demonstrating their capability to overcome the bandwidth narrowness that is typical of resonant metamaterials.
Placed in a steady magnetic field, the flux density inside a permalloy-shielded volume decreases over hours and days
Authors: Feinberg Benedict , Gould Harvey
Published: March 2018

Following the application of an external magnetic field to a thin-walled demagnetized Permalloy cylinder, the magnetic flux density at the center of the shielded volume decreases by roughly 20% over periods of hours to days. We measured this effect for applied magnetic fields from 0.48 A/m to 16 A/m, the latter being comparable to the Earths magnetic field at its weakest point. Delayed changes in magnetic flux density are also observed following alternating current demagnetization. We attribute these effects to delayed changes in magnetization, which have previously been observed in thin Permalloy films and small bulk samples of ferromagnetic materials. Phenomenological models of thermal activation are discussed. Some possible effects on experiments that rely on static shielding are noted.
Nano-viscosity of supercooled liquid measured by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy: Pressure and temperature dependence and the density scaling
Authors: Meier G. , Gapinski J. , Ratajczyk M. , Lettinga M. P. , Hirtz K. , Banachowicz E. , Patkowski A.
Published: March 2018

The Stokes-Einstein relation allows us to calculate apparent viscosity experienced by tracers in complex media on the basis of measured self-diffusion coefficients. Such defined nano-viscosity values can be obtained through single particle techniques, like fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and particle tracking (PT). In order to perform such measurements, as functions of pressure and temperature, a new sample cell was designed and is described in this work. We show that this cell in combination with a long working distance objective of the confocal microscope can be used for successful FCS, PT, and confocal imaging experiments in broad pressure (0.1-100 MPa) and temperature ranges. The temperature and pressure dependent nano-viscosity of a van der Waals liquid obtained from the translational diffusion coefficient measured in this cell by means of FCS obeys the same scaling as the rotational relaxation and macro-viscosity of the system.
Hybridization bandgap induced by an electrical resonance in piezoelectric metamaterial plates
Authors: Kherraz N. , Haumesser L. , Levassort F. , Benard P. , Morvan B.
Published: March 2018

We demonstrate numerically and experimentally the opening of a locally resonant bandgap in an active phononic crystal (PC) made of a homogeneous piezoelectric plate covered by a 1D periodic array of thin electrodes connected to inductive shunts. The application of periodic electrical boundary conditions (EBCs) enables an at will tailoring of the dispersion properties of the PC plate, thus leading to a control of the dispersion of the propagating guided elastic waves in the plate. Depending on the nature of the EBCs, several bandgaps open up, the most important being a Hybridization Bandgap (HBG) in the subwavelength regime. The PC behaves as a locally resonant metamaterial. The HBG originates from the interaction of propagating elastic waves (Lamb modes) with an electrical resonant mode whose dispersion can be effectively described through an equivalent transmission line model.
Effect of a core-softened O–O interatomic interaction on the shock compression of fused silica
Authors: Izvekov Sergei , Weingarten N. Scott , Byrd Edward F. C.
Published: March 2018

Isotropic soft-core potentials have attracted considerable attention due to their ability to reproduce thermodynamic, dynamic, and structural anomalies observed in tetrahedral network-forming compounds such as water and silica. The aim of the present work is to assess the relevance of effective core-softening pertinent to the oxygen-oxygen interaction in silica to the thermodynamics and phase change mechanisms that occur in shock compressed fused silica. We utilize the MD simulation method with a recently published numerical interatomic potential derived from an ab initio MD simulation of liquid silica via force-matching. The resulting potential indicates an effective shoulder-like core-softening of the oxygen-oxygen repulsion. To better understand the role of the core-softening we analyze two derivative force-matching potentials in which the soft-core is replaced with a repulsive core either in the three-body potential term or in all the potential terms. Our analysis is further augmented by a comparison with several popular empirical models for silica that lack an explicit core-softening. The first outstanding feature of shock compressed glass reproduced with the soft-core models but not with the other models is that the shock compression values at pressures above 20 GPa are larger than those observed under hydrostatic compression (an anomalous shock Hugoniot densification). Our calculations indicate the occurrence of a phase transformation along the shock Hugoniot that we link to the O–O repulsion core-softening. The phase transformation is associated with a Hugoniot temperature reversal similar to that observed experimentally. With the soft-core models, the phase change is an isostructural transformation between amorphous polymorphs with no associated melting event. We further examine the nature of the structural transformation by comparing it to the Hugoniot calculations for stishovite. For stishovite, the Hugoniot exhibits temperature reversal and associated phase transformation, which is a transition to a disordered phase (liquid or dense amorphous), regardless of whether or not the model accounts for core-softening. The onset pressures of the transformation predicted by different models show a wide scatter within 60-110 GPa; for potentials without core-softening, the onset pressure is much higher than 110 GPa. Our results show that the core-softening of the interaction in the oxygen subsystem of silica is the key mechanism for the structural transformation and thermodynamics in shock compressed silica. These results may provide an important contribution to a unified picture of anomalous response to shock compression observed in other network-forming oxides and single-component systems with core-softening of effective interactions.
Design and performance of an ultra-high vacuum spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscope operating at 30 mK and in a vector magnetic field
Authors: von Allwörden Henning , Eich Andreas , Knol Elze J. , Hermenau Jan , Sonntag Andreas , Gerritsen Jan W. , Wegner Daniel , Khajetoorians Alexander A.
Published: March 2018

We describe the design and performance of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) that operates at a base temperature of 30 mK in a vector magnetic field. The cryogenics is based on an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) top-loading wet dilution refrigerator that contains a vector magnet allowing for fields up to 9 T perpendicular and 4 T parallel to the sample. The STM is placed in a multi-chamber UHV system, which allows in situ preparation and exchange of samples and tips. The entire system rests on a 150-ton concrete block suspended by pneumatic isolators, which is housed in an acoustically isolated and electromagnetically shielded laboratory optimized for extremely low noise scanning probe measurements. We demonstrate the overall performance by illustrating atomic resolution and quasiparticle interference imaging and detail the vibrational noise of both the laboratory and microscope. We also determine the electron temperature via measurement of the superconducting gap of Re(0001) and illustrate magnetic field-dependent measurements of the spin excitations of individual Fe atoms on Pt(111). Finally, we demonstrate spin resolution by imaging the magnetic structure of the Fe double layer on W(110).
Analysis of rotator phase transitions in the linear alkanes hexacosane to triacontane by adiabatic scanning calorimetry and by photopyroelectric calorimetry
Authors: Paoloni S. , Mercuri F. , Zammit U. , Leys J. , Glorieux C. , Thoen J.
Published: March 2018

The study of the nature of various phase transitions between rotator phases in several linear alkanes was performed by analyzing the hysteretic behavior of the specific heat between heating and cooling measurements. The investigations have been carried out by both adiabatic scanning calorimetry and photopyroelectric calorimetry techniques, whose combined use has provided complementary information concerning the changes occurring in the samples’ structure during their temperature change. The study enabled to establish that, unlike what previously reported, the Riii-Riv and the Rii-Riv transitions are of first order, despite them not showing any sharp peak profile in the temperature dependence of the specific heat. The first order of the Rv-Rii transition was confirmed also in the present study and, finally the Rv-Riii transition could be observed by calorimetric detection for the first time and shown to be of second order. The obtained results were discussed in terms of order parameters power terms in the Landau free energy expansion.
Crop yield responses to surface and subsoil applications of poultry litter and inorganic fertiliser in south-eastern Australia
Authors: Celestina Corinne , Midwood Jon , Sherriff Stuart , Trengove Sam , Hunt James , Tang Caixian , Sale Peter , Franks Ashley
Published: March 2018

In the high-rainfall zone of south-eastern Australia, deep incorporation of organic matter has previously been reported to increase crop yields by improving access to subsoil water and nutrients, resulting from the amelioration of subsoil constraints. However, previous experiments did not separate the yield response resulting from nutrients contained in the amendment from yield response due to amelioration of subsoil constraints. In order to separate these effects, eight field experiments were conducted on a range of soil types across the medium- and high-rainfall zones of south-eastern Australia between 2014 and 2016. Grain yield and quality responses of a range of annual crops (canola, wheat, barley and lentil) to surface and deep placement of poultry litter and inorganic fertilisers with matched nutrition were assessed. Over 15 site × year combinations, there was no consistent, significant positive interaction between amendment and incorporation treatments necessary to demonstrate that deep placement of amendment (i.e. subsoil manuring) had advantages over surface application of the same amendment. Differences in crop yield in these experiments are attributed to nutrients (particularly nitrogen) supplied by the amendment, and not to the amelioration of subsoil constraints. Future research, including analysis of subsoil physicochemical properties and plant nutrient concentrations after treatment, is necessary to confirm the role of nitrogen and other nutrients in the crop response to subsoil manuring.
Myeloid ERK5 deficiency suppresses tumor growth by blocking protumor macrophage polarization via STAT3 inhibition
Authors: Giurisato Emanuele , Xu Qiuping , Lonardi Silvia , Telfer Brian , Russo Ilaria , Pearson Adam , Finegan Katherine G. , Wang Wenbin , Wang Jinhua , Gray Nathanael S. , Vermi William , Xia Zhengui , Tournier Cathy
Published: March 2018

Significance

Macrophages can be functionally reprogrammed by the tumor microenvironment to further tumor growth and malignancy. In this study, we have discovered that this pathological process is dependent on the ERK5 MAPK. Accordingly, we demonstrated that inactivation of ERK5 in macrophages blocked the phosphorylation of STAT3, a transcription factor crucial for determining macrophage polarity, and impaired the growth of melanoma and carcinoma grafts. These results raise the possibility that targeting protumor macrophages via anti-ERK5 therapy constitutes a very attractive strategy for cancer treatment. This is important given that the detection of large numbers of macrophages in human tumors often correlates with poor prognosis, but also with a poor response of the tumor to anticancer agents.
Foxp1 controls mature B cell survival and the development of follicular and B-1 B cells
Authors: Patzelt Thomas , Keppler Selina J. , Gorka Oliver , Thoene Silvia , Wartewig Tim , Reth Michael , Förster Irmgard , Lang Roland , Buchner Maike , Ruland Jürgen
Published: March 2018

Significance

Many patients with B cell lymphoma carry alterations in the gene coding for the transcription factor Foxp1. High Foxp1 expression has been linked to poor prognosis in those malignancies; however, the physiological functions of Foxp1 in mature B cells remain unknown. By employing genetic mouse models, we show that Foxp1 deletion results in reduced B cell numbers and impaired antibody production upon T cell-independent immunization. Foxp1-deficient mature B cells are impaired in survival and exhibit an increased proliferation capacity, and transcriptional analysis identified defective expression of the prosurvival Bcl-xl gene. Our results provide insight into the regulation of mature B cell survival by Foxp1 and have implications for understanding the role of Foxp1 in the development of B cell malignancies.
Modulation of intestinal sulfur assimilation metabolism regulates iron homeostasis
Authors: Hudson Benjamin H. , Hale Andrew T. , Irving Ryan P. , Li Shenglan , York John D.
Published: March 2018

Significance

Regulation of iron homeostasis is perturbed in numerous pathologic states. Thus, identifications of mechanisms responsible for iron metabolism have broad implications for disease modification. Here, we link the sulfur assimilation pathway to iron-deficiency anemia. Deletion of bisphosphate 3′-nucleotidase (Bpnt1), a key component of the sulfur assimilation pathway, leads to accumulation of phosphoadenosine phosphate (PAP), causing iron deficiency anemia in part due to inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor 2-α. Reduction of PAP through introduction of a hypomorphic mutation in 3′-phosphoadenosine 5-phosphosulfate synthase 2 gene (Papss2, the enzyme responsible for PAP production) rescues the iron deficiency phenotype.
Matching material and cellular timescales maximizes cell spreading on viscoelastic substrates
Authors: Gong Ze , Szczesny Spencer E. , Caliari Steven R. , Charrier Elisabeth E. , Chaudhuri Ovijit , Cao Xuan , Lin Yuan , Mauck Robert L. , Janmey Paul A. , Burdick Jason A. , Shenoy Vivek B.
Published: March 2018

Significance

It is well known that cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration depend strongly on the mechanical stiffness of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Natural ECMs also exhibit dissipative (i.e., plastic, viscoelastic) properties, which can modulate cellular behavior. However, to fully utilize this information in bioengineering applications, a systematic understanding of the role of substrate viscosity on cell function is needed. Using combined theoretical and experimental approaches, we demonstrated that viscous dissipation can be as important as elasticity in determining cell response. Specifically, we found that intermediate viscosity maximizes cell spreading on soft substrates, while cell spreading is independent of viscosity on stiff substrates. This information can now be used to design dissipative biomaterials for optimal control of cell behavior.
Conformational transitions of the sodium-dependent sugar transporter, vSGLT
Authors: Paz Aviv , Claxton Derek P. , Kumar Jay Prakash , Kazmier Kelli , Bisignano Paola , Sharma Shruti , Nolte Shannon A. , Liwag Terrin M. , Nayak Vinod , Wright Ernest M. , Grabe Michael , Mchaourab Hassane S. , Abramson Jeff
Published: March 2018

Significance

Transporters isomerize between conformations to shuttle cargo across membranes, but the mechanism is not understood. Double electron–electron resonance measurements on the sodium-dependent sugar transporter (vSGLT) were used to explore the conformational state of the transporter under specific ligand conditions. Although sugar transport by vSGLT is driven by sodium gradients, vSGLT adopts an inward-open conformation irrespective of the presence of sodium. In the presence of sodium and galactose, the transporter transitions to an occluded conformation. We propose that the cell’s negative membrane potential aids in driving vSGLT toward the outward-facing state to bind sugar and begin the transport cycle. These findings could be applicable to other transporters whereby the inherent cellular membrane potential is integrated into the transport cycle.
dCas9-targeted locus-specific protein isolation method identifies histone gene regulators
Authors: Tsui Chiahao , Inouye Carla , Levy Michaella , Lu Andrew , Florens Laurence , Washburn Michael P. , Tjian Robert
Published: March 2018

Significance

Identifying proteins selectively associated with a genomic locus provides an important entry point toward understanding how a specific gene is regulated. Over the years, there have been several reports describing targeted chromatin-purification methods. However, none has been widely adopted due to the complexity and investment required for such protocols. Here, we present an adaptable chromatin purification system, CLASP, that capitalizes on the versatility of purified dCas9 RNA/protein complexes. We deployed CLASP to purify and identify proteins associated with telomere sequences in human cells as a proof of concept. Next, we targeted a different genomic locus, theDrosophila melanogasterhistone cluster, and identified several regulators of the essential histone locus and validated their functional association with genes within the locus.
Brief history of US debt limits before 1939
Authors: Hall George J. , Sargent Thomas J.
Published: March 2018

Significance

Since 1939, the US Congress has imposed a limit on aggregate federal debt and left the Treasury free to design its securities and manage its portfolio of debts. Congress has increased the aggregate debt limit whenever it threatened to bind. Before 1939, Congress arranged things differently. Congress designed each security and put limits on the amount that could be issued. We construct an implied limit on aggregate debt before 1939 by summing bond-by-bond limits at each date. Before 1939, this implied aggregate limit often declined and led to Congressional actions that produced net-of-interest surpluses that enabled it to reduce federal debt, outcomes rarely observed after 1939.
Acceleration of tropical cyclogenesis by self-aggregation feedbacks
Authors: Muller Caroline J. , Romps David M.
Published: March 2018

Significance

Although the prediction of tropical cyclone tracks has improved in recent years, understanding the mechanisms responsible for the genesis and intensification of tropical cyclones remains a major scientific challenge. In this work we show that self-aggregation, a phenomenon discovered recently in idealized simulations of the tropical atmosphere, plays a leading-order role in the genesis of tropical cyclones in cloud-resolving simulations. This suggests that self-aggregation, and the framework developed for its study, could help shed more light into the physical processes leading to cyclogenesis and cyclone intensification. This work adds to the growing literature on the importance of this phenomenon for the tropical atmosphere.
Structure-based discovery of glycomimetic FmlH ligands as inhibitors of bacterial adhesion during urinary tract infection
Authors: Kalas Vasilios , Hibbing Michael E. , Maddirala Amarendar Reddy , Chugani Ryan , Pinkner Jerome S. , Mydock-McGrane Laurel K. , Conover Matt S. , Janetka James W. , Hultgren Scott J.
Published: March 2018

Significance

The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, including uropathogenicEscherichia coli(UPEC), makes the development of targeted antivirulence therapeutics a critical focus of research. During urinary tract infections (UTIs), UPEC uses chaperone–usher pathway pili tipped with an array of adhesins that recognize distinct receptors with sterochemical specificity to facilitate persistence in various tissues and habitats. We used an interdisciplinary approach driven by structural biology and synthetic glycoside chemistry to design and optimize glycomimetic inhibitors of the UPEC adhesin FmlH. These inhibitors competitively blocked FmlH in vitro, in in vivo mouse UTI models, and in ex vivo healthy human kidney tissue. This work demonstrates the utility of structure-driven drug design in the effort to develop antivirulence therapeutic compounds.
Genetic signatures of microbial altruism and cheating in social amoebas in the wild
Authors: Noh Suegene , Geist Katherine S. , Tian Xiangjun , Strassmann Joan E. , Queller David C.
Published: March 2018

Significance

Microbes are surprisingly social organisms and are providing model systems for the study of the evolution of cooperation and conflict. Despite their many advantages in the laboratory, such as experimental evolution, it is rarely possible to study them in the field. We therefore know little about whether cooperation and conflict are adaptively important in nature. Here we use approaches from population genetics and molecular evolution to test the adaptive relevance of social behavior in a social amoeba. We find signatures of adaptation for both kin selection and social cheating. This provides evidence that these behaviors have been important in the natural evolution of this species and more generally shows a way to study microbial social adaptation in the wild.
Grammaticalization, host-class expansion and category change
Authors: Coussé Evie
Published: March 2018

It is well-known that grammaticalization involves category change. The development of a lexical element into a grammatical marker more specifically entails a category shift from an open lexical class (e.g. full verbs) to a closed grammatical class (e.g. auxiliary verbs). This article claims that host-class expansion, typically accompanying the process of grammaticalization, can also be considered as category change. Host-class expansion is more specifically category-internal change in the open class of elements that a grammaticalizing element collocates with. This article analyzes the internal structure of these open classes, making use of insights from construction grammar and prototype theory. The theoretical framework is substantiated by means of two case studies of host-class expansion in Dutch and Spanish. The main findings of this study are that (a) the open class of elements associated with a grammaticalizing element is internally organized as a prototype category, and (b) host-class expansion proceeds away from the prototypical core of the open class.
How do others influence our attitudes? Analysis of the primus inter pares effect and mediating variables associated with this process / ¿Cómo influyen los otros en nuestras actitudes? Análisis del efecto primus inter pares y variables mediadoras asociadas a ese proceso
Authors: Chinchilla Juana , López-Sáez Mercedes , Vázquez Alexandra
Published: March 2018

The study examines whether there is a primus inter pares effect in the domain of prejudiced attitudes, where there is hardly any information on this effect. It also explores the relationship between the prejudiced attitudes perceived in others and one’s own and how this relationship influences our general prejudice. To do so, we compared two opposite hypotheses in two studies. The assimilation hypothesis suggests that attitudes perceived in others influence our own attitudes and our general prejudice. The social projection hypothesis claims that our attitudes influence the attitudes we perceive in others, and consequently our prejudice. A total of 243 students in compulsory secondary education participated in the first study, in which the attitudes towards fat 1 people were measured. In the second study, 442 psychology students participated, and we measured their attitudes towards Moroccan immigrants. In both studies, participants considered themselves less prejudiced than others, and their own attitudes mediated the relationship between the attitudes perceived in others and their general prejudice.
Flavonoid metabolism: the interaction of metabolites and gut microbiota
Authors: Murota Kaeko , Nakamura Yoshimasa , Uehara Mariko
Published: March 2018

Several dietary flavonoids exhibit anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-osteoporotic activities relevant to prevention of chronic diseases, including lifestyle-related diseases. Dietary flavonoids (glycoside forms) are enzymatically hydrolyzed and absorbed in the intestine, and are conjugated to their glucuronide/sulfate forms by phase II enzymes in epithelial cells and the liver. The intestinal microbiota plays an important role in the metabolism of flavonoids found in foods. Some specific products of bacterial transformation, such as ring-fission products and reduced metabolites, exhibit enhanced properties. Studies on the metabolism of flavonoids by the intestinal microbiota are crucial for understanding the role of these compounds and their impact on our health. This review focused on the metabolic pathways, bioavailability, and physiological role of flavonoids, especially metabolites of quercetin and isoflavone produced by the intestinal microbiota.
Improving austenitic stainless steel resistance spot weld quality using external magnetic field
Authors: Li Y. B. , Zhang Q. X. , Qi L. , David S. A.
Published: March 2018

A ring-shaped permanent magnet is applied in resistance spot welding to improve the weld quality of austenitic stainless steel. Under the action of an external magnetic field, the profile of the weld nugget became peanut-shaped instead of ellipsoidal. The crystal orientation near the faying surface was less directional, and equiaxed grains were formed in weld nugget centre. Moreover, the shrinkage cavities tendency in traditional resistance spot welds was reduced. The relatively slow cooling speed could cause element segregation and thus change solidification mode and significantly affect weld microstructures. The mechanical performance of the welds was finally improved by the applied external magnetic field in terms of microhardness and lap-shear strength.
Glycosylation of extracellular vesicles: current knowledge, tools and clinical perspectives
Authors: Williams Charles , Royo Felix , Aizpurua‐Olaizola Oier , Pazos Raquel , Boons Geert‐Jan , Reichardt Niels‐Christian , Falcon‐Perez Juan M.
Published: March 2018

It is now acknowledged that extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important effectors in a vast number of biological processes through intercellular transfer of biomolecules. Increasing research efforts in the EV field have yielded an appreciation for the potential role of glycans in EV function. Indeed, recent reports show that the presence of glycoconjugates is involved in EV biogenesis, in cellular recognition and in the efficient uptake of EVs by recipient cells. It is clear that a full understanding of EV biology will require researchers to focus also on EV glycosylation through glycomics approaches. This review outlines the major glycomics techniques that have been applied to EVs in the context of the recent findings. Beyond understanding the mechanisms by which EVs mediate their physiological functions, glycosylation also provides opportunities by which to engineer EVs for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. Studies characterising the glycan composition of EVs have highlighted glycome changes in various disease states, thus indicating potential for EV glycans as diagnostic markers. Meanwhile, glycans have been targeted as molecular handles for affinity‐based isolation in both research and clinical contexts. An overview of current strategies to exploit EV glycosylation and a discussion of the implications of recent findings for the burgeoning EV industry follows the below review of glycomics and its application to EV biology.
IRE1–XBP1 pathway regulates oxidative proinsulin folding in pancreatic β cells
Authors: Tsuchiya Yuichi , Saito Michiko , Kadokura Hiroshi , Miyazaki Jun-ichi , Tashiro Fumi , Imagawa Yusuke , Iwawaki Takao , Kohno Kenji
Published: March 2018

In mammalian pancreatic β cells, the IRE1α–XBP1 pathway is constitutively and highly activated under physiological conditions. To elucidate the precise role of this pathway, we constructed β cell–specific Ire1α conditional knockout (CKO) mice and established insulinoma cell lines in which Ire1α was deleted using the Cre–loxP system. Ire1α CKO mice showed the typical diabetic phenotype including impaired glycemic control and defects in insulin biosynthesis postnatally at 4–20 weeks. Ire1α deletion in pancreatic β cells in mice and insulinoma cells resulted in decreased insulin secretion, decreased insulin and proinsulin contents in cells, and decreased oxidative folding of proinsulin along with decreased expression of five protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs): PDI, PDIR, P5, ERp44, and ERp46. Reconstitution of the IRE1α–XBP1 pathway restored the proinsulin and insulin contents, insulin secretion, and expression of the five PDIs, indicating that IRE1α functions as a key regulator of the induction of catalysts for the oxidative folding of proinsulin in pancreatic β cells.
Evaluating the Profitability of Foliar Fungicide Programs in Mid-Atlantic Soft-Red Winter Wheat Production
Authors: Sylvester Phillip N. , Lana Felipe Dalla , Mehl Hillary L. , Collins Alyssa A. , Paul Pierce A. , Kleczewski Nathan M.
Published: March 2018

In mid-Atlantic soft-red winter wheat (SRWW) production, the standard timing for a fungicide application is between flag leaf emergence (Feekes growth stage [FGS] 8) and heading (FGS 10.5). However, two-pass and anthesis (FGS 10.5.1) applications are becoming common, although these programs have not been thoroughly evaluated for disease control, yield, and profitability. Experiments were conducted in the mid-Atlantic in 2015 and 2016 to evaluate fungicide programs with applications at FGS 8, FGS 10.5.1, and two-pass programs with an early application at green-up (FGS 5) followed by (FB) applications at either FGS 8 or FGS 10.5.1. Fungicide programs that included an application at FGS 10.5.1 resulted in the highest probability of no disease on the flag leaf (0.29 to 0.40). The estimated mean yield increases ([Formula: see text]) relative to the nontreated check ranged from 253.65 to 634.16 kg ha−1. Using a grain price of $0.18 kg−1 ($5 bushel−1), probabilities were similar between applications at FGS 8 (0.49 to 0.56) and FGS 10.5.1 (0.53). The probability of profitability ranged from 0.48 to 0.57 for FGS 5 FB FGS 8 applications and 0.52 to 0.59 for FGS 5 FB FGS 10.5.1 applications, indicating limited benefit to two-pass programs.
Epiretinal stimulation with local returns enhances selectivity at cellular resolution
Authors: Fan Victoria H. , Grosberg Lauren E. , Madugula Sasidhar S. , Hottowy Pawel , Dabrowski Wladyslaw , Sher Alexander , Litke Alan M. , Chichilnisky E.J.
Published: March 2018

Objective

Epiretinal prostheses are designed to restore vision in people blinded by photoreceptor degenerative diseases, by directly activating retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) using an electrode array implanted on the retina. In present-day clinical devices, current spread from the stimulating electrode to a distant return electrode often results in the activation of many cells, potentially limiting the quality of artificial vision. In the laboratory, epiretinal activation of RGCs with cellular resolution has been demonstrated with small electrodes, but distant returns may still cause undesirable current spread. Here, the ability of local return stimulation to improve the selective activation of RGCs at cellular resolution was evaluated.

Approach

A custom multi-electrode array (512 electrodes, 10 μm diameter, 60 μm pitch) was used to simultaneously stimulate and record from RGCs in isolated primate retina. Stimulation near the RGC soma with a single electrode and a distant return was compared to stimulation in which the return was provided by six neighboring electrodes.

Main results

Local return stimulation enhanced the capability to activate cells near the central electrode (<30 μm) while avoiding cells farther away (>30 μm). This resulted in an improved ability to selectively activate ON and OFF cells, including cells encoding immediately adjacent regions in the visual field.

Significance

These results suggest that a device that restricts the electric field through local returns could optimize activation of neurons at cellular resolution, improving the quality of artificial vision.

Novelty & Significance

The effectiveness of local return stimulation for enhancing the electrical activation of retinal neurons was tested using high-density multi-electrode recording and stimulation in isolated macaque retina. The results suggest that local returns may reduce unwanted evoked activity and thus optimize the selectivity of stimulation at cellular resolution. Similar patterns could be implemented in a future high-resolution prosthesis to permit a more faithful replication of normal retinal activity for the treatment of incurable blindness.
Spatial organization of the somatosensory cortex revealed by cyclic smFISH
Authors: Codeluppi Simone , Borm Lars E. , Zeisel Amit , Manno Gioele La , van Lunteren Josina A. , Svensson Camilla I. , Linnarsson Sten
Published: March 2018

The global efforts towards the creation of a molecular census of the brain using single-cell transcriptomics is generating a large catalog of molecularly defined cell types lacking spatial information. Thus, new methods are needed to map a large number of cell-specific markers simultaneously on large tissue areas. Here, we developed a cyclic single molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization methodology and defined the cellular organization of the somatosensory cortex using markers identified by single-cell transcriptomics.
Genetically regulated humanNODALsplice variants are differentially post-transcriptionally processed and functionally distinct
Authors: Findlay Scott D , Bilyk Olena , Lypka Kiefer , Waskiewicz Andrew J , Postovit Lynne-Marie
Published: March 2018

NODALis a morphogen essential for early embryonic development in vertebrates. Since much of our understanding ofNODALcomes from model organisms, we aimed to directly assess post-transcriptional regulation of human NODAL with specific attention to a newly discovered human-specific NODAL splice variant. Selective depletion of the NODAL variant in human embryonic stem cells resulted in increased LIFR levels, while total NODAL knockdown resulted in a decrease of several markers of pluripotency. The NODAL variant did not transmit a canonical NODAL signal in zebrafish embryos, but may share some functional capability with canonical NODAL in cancer cells. At the protein level, disruption of disulfide bond formation dramatically enhanced proteolytic processing of NODAL. Disruption of NODAL N-glycosylation decreased its secretion but not extracellular stability, and a novel N-glycosylation in the NODAL variant contributed to enhanced secretion. Collectively, this work offers a direct and precise account of post-transcriptional regulation of human NODAL.
Type I-F CRISPR-Cas distribution and array dynamics in Legionella pneumophila
Authors: Deecker Shayna R. , Ensminger Alexander W.
Published: March 2018

In bacteria and archaea, several distinct types of CRISPR-Cas systems provide adaptive immunity through broadly similar mechanisms: short nucleic acid sequences derived from foreign DNA, known as spacers, engage in complementary base pairing with invasive genetic elements setting the stage for nucleases to degrade the target DNA. A hallmark of type I CRISPR-Cas systems is their ability to acquire spacers in response to both new and previously encountered invaders (naïve and primed acquisition, respectively). Our phylogenetic analyses of 47 L. pneumophila type I-F CRISPR-Cas systems and their resident genomes suggest that many of these systems have been horizontally acquired. These systems are frequently encoded on plasmids and can co-occur with nearly identical chromosomal loci. We show that two such co-occurring systems are highly protective and undergo efficient primed acquisition in the lab. Furthermore, we observe that targeting by one system’s array can prime spacer acquisition in the other. Lastly, we provide experimental and genomic evidence for a model in which primed acquisition can efficiently replenish a depleted type I CRISPR array following a mass spacer deletion event.
Improving the high-temperature oxidation resistance of ASME-SA213-T11 boiler tube steel by plasma spraying with CNT-reinforced alumina coatings
Authors: Goyal Rakesh , Sidhu Buta Singh , Chawla Vikas
Published: March 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss that a conventional Al2O3, 1.5 Wt.% carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-Al2O3, 2 Wt.% CNTs-Al2O3 and 4 Wt.% CNTs-Al2O3 composite coatings were deposited with the help of Plasma spray process.

Design/methodology/approach

To better understand the effect of CNT reinforcement on oxidation resistance, high-temperature oxidation behaviour of conventional Al2O3, 1.5 Wt.% CNTs-Al2O3, 2 Wt.% CNTs-Al2O3 and 4 Wt.% CNTs-Al2O3 composite coatings at 900°C was compared with the performance of the uncoated ASME-SA213-T11 boiler tube steel substrate.

Findings

The results showed that the CNT-reinforced alumina coatings exhibited better oxidation resistance and thermal stability than uncoated ASME-SA213-T11 boiler tube steel. The coated steel substrates had a lower mass gain rate than the substrate after different oxidation times.

Originality/value

Limited literature is available where the CNT have been reinforced into the composite alloy powders and has been thermally spray-deposited for various surface engineering applications. This research showed that with the increase in the percentage of CNTs into the alloy powder mixture, there is a significant reduction in weight gain and hence higher resistance to oxidation.