bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exercise and prostate cancer: From basic science to clinical applications
Authors: Campos Christian , Sotomayor Paula , Jerez Daniel , González Javier , Schmidt Camila B. , Schmidt Katharina , Banzer Winfried , Godoy Alejandro S.
Published: March 2018

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a disease of increasing medical significance worldwide. In developed countries, PCa is the most common non‐skin cancer in men, and one of the leading causes of cancer‐related deaths. Exercise is one of the environmental factors that have been shown to influence cancer risk. Moreover, systemic reviews and meta‐analysis have suggested that total physical activity is related to a decrease in the risk of developing PCa. In addition, epidemiological studies have shown that exercise, after diagnosis, has benefits regarding PCa development, and positive outcome in patients under treatment. The standard treatment for locally advanced or metastatic PCa is Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). ADT produces diverse side effects, including loss of libido, changes in body composition (increase abdominal fat), and reduced muscle mass, and muscle tone. Analysis of numerous research publications showed that aerobic and/or resistance training improve patient's physical condition, such us, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, physical function, body composition, and fatigue. Therefore, exercise might counteract several ADT treatment‐induced side effects. In addition of the aforementioned benefits, epidemiological, and in vitro studies have shown that exercise might decrease PCa development. Thus, physical activity might attenuate the risk of PCa and supervised exercise intervention might improve deleterious effects of cancer treatment, such as ADT side effects. This review article provides evidence indicating that exercise could complement, and potentiate, the current standard treatments for advanced PCa, probably by creating an unfavorable microenvironment that can negatively affect tumor development, and progression.
Sting jets in extratropical cyclones: a review
Authors: Clark Peter A. , Gray Suzanne L.
Published: March 2018

This article reviews the current state of knowledge of sting jets (SJs) in extratropical cyclones. SJs were formally identified in 2004 by the pioneering work of Keith Browning. Reviewing this and subsequent studies, we define the SJ as a coherent air flow that descends from mid‐levels inside the cloud head into the frontal‐fracture region of a Shapiro–Keyser cyclone over a period of a few hours leading to a distinct region of near‐surface stronger winds. It therefore lies above the cold conveyor belt during some stage of its life, but, at least in some cases, descends to reach the top of boundary layer ahead of the cold conveyor belt. It is not attributed to a specific mechanism in this definition. We conclude that it is likely that a continuum of SJ descent and speed‐up mechanisms exists. At one extreme is balanced descent partly associated with frontolysis in the frontal‐fracture region. More horizontally small‐scale and stronger frontolytic descent may occur associated with weak stability to slantwise convective downdraughts. Instability to slantwise convective downdraughts may occur in some systems, leading to multiple slantwise convective downdraughts associated with the release of conditional symmetric instability and even, possibly, symmetric instability. The global climatology of SJs and the interaction between the atmospheric boundary layer and SJs are revealed as specific areas where more research is needed. Finally, we describe eight myths and misunderstandings that exist in the current literature with the aim of guiding future research into the SJ phenomenon.
A 15‐year hail streak climatology for the Alpine region
Authors: Nisi Luca , Hering Alessandro , Germann Urs , Martius Olivia
Published: March 2018

In this study, we present a unique 15‐year hail streak climatology for Switzerland based on volumetric radar reflectivity. Two radar‐based hail detection products and an automatic thunderstorm‐tracking algorithm were reprocessed for the extended convective season (April–September) between 2002 and 2016. More than 1.1 million convective cells were automatically tracked over the full radar domain, and over 191,000 storms and 31,000 hail streaks in the considered subdomain were selected for analysis following consistency and robustness tests.

The year‐to‐year variability in the number of hailstorms reveals two types of convective seasons: (a) a few seasons with hail frequency far above the average, and (b) all other years with an average number of hailstorms. A high number of hailstorms in a particular year is not correlated with a higher number of convective storms in general, but is related to a greater fraction of severe storms.

Convection initiation, hail initiation, and hail frequency maxima are located along the southern and northern foothills over the pre‐Alpine area and over the Jura mountains. Few hail streaks are present over the Alpine main ridge. Hail streak frequency and location is found to be strongly dependent on the synoptic‐scale weather regimes. This is important for monthly and seasonal outlooks, as well as for climate modelling.

Analysis of storm life cycles shows that: (a) the majority of hail swaths contain only a single hail streak, (b) severe storms follow a more rapid evolution during their initial stages than do less severe storms, and (c) severe storms produce more spatially extended hail streaks.

Finally, significant seasonal and diurnal cycles are present in most of the considered storm characteristics.
Discrepancies with satellite observations in the spatial structure of global precipitation as derived from global climate models
Authors: Tapiador Francisco J. , Navarro Andrés , Jiménez Alfonso , Moreno Raúl , García‐Ortega Eduardo
Published: March 2018

One of the applications of satellite‐derived precipitation datasets, such as Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) or Climate Prediction Centre Merged Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP), is to validate output from numerical models, either numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, Regional Climate Models (RCMs), Global Climate Models (GCMs) or Earth System Models (ESMs). A qualitative comparison of total annual precipitation and climatology is the first step in detecting model deficiencies and thus improving our understanding of the world's climate. However, spatial (or association) analysis of the precipitation fields offers new insights into model performance and their ability to provide realistic predictions of rain and snowfall in both current and future climates. Here we analyse the spatial structure of precipitation according to 40 GCMs for 20 years (January 1980 to December 1999), quantitatively comparing the modelled precipitation against five observational datasets: three land‐only (CRU, PRECL and GPCC) and two global (GPCP and CMAP). We found discrepancies between the GCMs' predictions and the observational datasets and noted that satellite‐derived datasets are essential for pinpointing areas that require attention. The analyses also revealed a consistent trend towards less spatially correlated fields. This trend is not apparent in aggregated, traditional validation exercises but arises when spatial association indices are applied. So long as the trend is not an artefact in the observational datasets, then we suggest the tendency could be attributed to changes in stratiform/convective partitioning or the result of increasingly intense convection.
Prediction of pregnancy after frozen‐thawed embryo transfer via in vivo intrauterine oxidation‐reduction potential measurements: a pilot study
Authors: Nakamura Hitomi , Hosono Takayoshi , Taniguchi Takeshi , Kumasawa Keiichi , Goa Satoko , Ono Masaaki , Kimura Tadashi
Published: March 2018

Purpose

During the implantation period, the uterus goes through many complex, orchestrated changes, including alterations of the glycocalyx that are due to sialylation, sulfation, and fucosylation. A previous mouse study showed that the in vivo intrauterine oxidation‐reduction potential (ORP) aided in determining the alterations in the uterine endometrium that are suitable for implantation and for evaluating prospective uterine receptivity, while the in vivo intrauterine pH did not. It was assessed if the in vivo intrauterine ORP could be a useful parameter to predict pregnancy in women.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted for patients who had received a frozen‐thawed single embryo transfer in a programmed, hormonally controlled cycle. The in vivo intrauterine ORP was measured 3 times during the treatment cycle, at cycle days 9‐10, 1 day before progesterone administration and immediately before the embryo transfer.

Results

The amount of in vivo intrauterine ORP at 9‐10 days after the start of menstrual bleeding was significantly lower in the pregnant group than in the non‐pregnant group. A receiver‐operator characteristic curve analysis of the intrauterine ORP as a predictor of non‐conception showed an area under the curve of 0.80.

Conclusion

The in vivo intrauterine ORP could be a useful parameter to predict pregnancy for the frozen‐thawed embryo transfer treatment cycle.
Robust approximation‐based adaptive control of multiple state delayed nonlinear systems with unmodeled dynamics
Authors: Shi Xiaocheng , Lim Cheng‐Chew , Xu Shengyuan , Shi Peng
Published: March 2018

This paper addresses the problem of tracking control for a class of uncertain nonstrict‐feedback nonlinear systems subject to multiple state time‐varying delays and unmodeled dynamics. To overcome the design difficulty in system dynamical uncertainties, radial basis function neural networks are employed to approximate the black‐box functions. Novel continuous functions that deal with whole states uncertainties are introduced in each step of the adaptive backstepping to make the controller design feasible. The robust problem caused by unmodeled dynamics when constructing a stable controller is solved by employing an auxiliary signal to regulate its boundedness. A novel Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional is developed to compensate for the delayed nonlinearity without requiring the priori knowledge of its upper bound functions. On the basis of the proposed robust adaptive neural controller, all the closed‐loop signals are semiglobal uniformly ultimately bounded with good tracking performance.
Chemical structure and surface morphology evolution of glow discharge polymer films by Ar‐ions intermittent etching
Authors: Zhang Ling , Chen Guo , He Xiaoshan , Ai Xing , Huang Jinglin , Liu Lei , Tang Yongjian , He Zhibing
Published: March 2018

The Ar‐ions intermittent‐etching technique was successfully incorporated during the deposition of glow discharge polymer (GDP) films. The ionic components and ion energy distributions (IEDs) of C4H8/H2 and C4H8/H2/Ar plasma were diagnosed by an energy‐resolved mass spectrometer, respectively. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and white‐light interferometer were used to studying the chemical structure, surface morphology, and roughness of the GDP films, which are deposited with the various time of Ar‐ions intermittent etching. With the introduction of Ar into the chamber, the intensity of the CH absorption peaks becomes weak and the large‐mass CH species were ionized and dissociated from the mass spectrometer results. The surface roughness of GDP films are decreased with Ar‐ions intermittent etching, the lowest surface roughness (Rq) is only 33.6 nm when the intermittent cycle is 60 minutes/15 minutes. The highest sp3CH3 (sym) absorption peaks are attributed to samples also with 60‐minute/15‐minute intermittent cycle, which shortens the length of the carbon chain and reduces the probability of the cluster formations.
Communities of practice as a framework to explain teachers' experiences within the community of science
Authors: Davidson Shannon G. , Hughes Roxanne
Published: March 2018

In this study, we argue that current conceptual frameworks used to understand how novices make sense of science ignore K‐12 teachers' understanding to a detriment. If teachers are supposed to translate the content, context, and culture of science to their students, then it is important for researchers and policymakers to understand how this happens. Communities of science practice (COSP) research identify the ways in which novices make sense of the practices of science within a space where they interact with, observe, and are affected by other members at varying levels of legitimacy. In brief, K‐12 students are rarely exposed to the COSP; therefore, teachers must translate these cultural pieces to their students while simultaneously teaching the content and practices of sciences. We chose to focus on teachers who participated in a Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program. The RET program served as a brief exposure to a COSP for these teachers. The goal for our study was to develop a conceptual framework to study teachers' experiences as spectator novices within a RET program. Spectator novice was the term we used to define teachers' roles as novices moving toward legitimacy within the COSP but with a different goal—that of observing the culture and translating it to their students—from science undergraduate and graduate students who are attempting to become full legitimate participants within the community. Through interviews with teachers, we developed a conceptual framework that can guide future research on the unique experiences of teachers asspectator noviceswithin the COSP.
Immediate effects and outcome of in‐utero pulmonary valvuloplasty in fetuses with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum or critical pulmonary stenosis
Authors: Tulzer A. , Arzt W. , Gitter R. , Prandstetter C. , Grohmann E. , Mair R. , Tulzer G.
Published: March 2018

Objective

To assess the immediate effects of fetal pulmonary valvuloplasty on right ventricular (RV) size and function as well as in‐utero RV growth and postnatal outcome.

Methods

Patients with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PAIVS) or critical pulmonary stenosis (CPS) who underwent fetal pulmonary valvuloplasty at our center between October 2000 and July 2017 were included. Echocardiographic data obtained before and after the procedure were analyzed retrospectively (median interval after intervention, 1 (range, 1–3) days) for ventricular and valvular dimensions and ratios, RV filling time (duration of tricuspid valve (TV) inflow/cardiac cycle length), TV velocity time integral (TV‐VTI) × heart rate (HR) and tricuspid regurgitation (TR) velocity. Longitudinal data were collected from only those fetuses followed up in our center. Outcome was assessed using the scoring system as described by Roman et al. for non‐biventricular outcome.

Results

Thirty‐five pulmonary valvuloplasties were performed in our institution on 23 fetuses with PAIVS (n = 15) or CPS (n = 8). Median gestational age at intervention was 28 + 4 (range, 23 + 6 to 32 + 1) weeks. No fetal death occurred. Immediately after successful intervention, RV/left ventricular length (RV/LV) ratio (P ≤ 0.0001), TV/mitral valve annular diameter (TV/MV) ratio (P ≤ 0.001), RV filling time (P ≤ 0.00001) and TV‐VTI × HR (P ≤ 0.001) increased significantly and TR velocity (P ≤ 0.001) decreased significantly. In fetuses followed longitudinally to delivery (n = 5), RV/LV and TV/MV ratios improved further or remained constant until birth. Fetuses with unsuccessful intervention (n = 2) became univentricular, all others had either a biventricular (n = 15), one‐and‐a‐half ventricular (n = 3) or still undetermined (n = 3) outcome. Five of nine fetuses with a predicted non‐biventricular outcome, in which the procedure was successful, became biventricular, while two of nine had an undetermined circulation.

Conclusion

In selected fetuses with PAIVS or CPS, in‐utero pulmonary valvuloplasty led immediately to larger RV caused by reduced afterload and increased filling, thus improving the likelihood of biventricular outcome even in fetuses with a predicted non‐biventricular circulation. © 2018 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Amyloid β peptides are differentially vulnerable to preanalytical surface exposure, an effect incompletely mitigated by the use of ratios
Authors: Toombs Jamie , Foiani Martha S. , Wellington Henrietta , Paterson Ross W. , Arber Charles , Heslegrave Amanda , Lunn Michael P. , Schott Jonathan M. , Wray Selina , Zetterberg Henrik
Published: March 2018

Introduction

We tested the hypothesis that the amyloid β (Aβ) peptide ratios are more stable than Aβ42 alone when biofluids are exposed to two preanalytical conditions known to modify measurable Aβ concentration.

Methods

Human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and culture media (CM) from human cortical neurons were exposed to a series of volumes and polypropylene surfaces. Aβ42, Aβ40, and Aβ38 peptide concentrations were measured using a multiplexed electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Data were analyzed using mixed models in R.

Results

Decrease of measurable Aβ peptide concentrations was exaggerated in longer peptides, affecting the Aβ42:Aβ40 and Aβ42:Aβ38 ratios. However, the effect size of surface treatment was reduced in Aβ peptide ratios versus Aβ42 alone. For Aβ42:Aβ40, the effect was reduced by approximately 50% (volume) and 75% (transfer) as compared to Aβ42 alone.

Discussion

Use of Aβ ratios, in conjunction with concentrations, may mitigate confounding factors and assist the clinical diagnostic process for Alzheimer's disease.
Thermoconvective instabilities of a non-uniform Joule-heated liquid enclosed in a rectangular cavity
Authors: Pigeonneau Franck , Cornet Alexandre , Lopépé Fredéric
Published: March 2018

Natural convection produced by a non-uniform internal heat source is studied numerically. Our investigation is limited to a two-dimensional enclosure with an aspect ratio equal to two. The energy source is Joule dissipation produced by an electric potential applied through two electrodes corresponding to a fraction of the vertical walls. The system of conservative equations of mass, momentum, energy and electric potential is solved assuming the Boussinesq approximation with a discontinuous Galerkin finite element method integrated over time. Three parameters are involved in the problem: the Rayleigh number $Ra$, the Prandtl number $Pr$ and the electrode length $L_{e}$ normalized by the enclosure height. The numerical method has been validated in a case where electrodes have the same length as the vertical walls, leading to a uniform source term. The threshold of convection is established above a critical Rayleigh number, $Ra_{cr}=1702$. Due to asymmetric boundary conditions on thermal field, the onset of convection is characterized by a transcritical bifurcation. Reduction of the size of the electrodes (from bottom up) leads to disappearance of the convection threshold. As soon as the electrode length is smaller than the cavity height, convection occurs even for small Rayleigh numbers below the critical value determined previously. At moderate Rayleigh number, the flow structure is mainly composed of a left clockwise rotation cell and a right anticlockwise rotation cell symmetrically spreading around the vertical middle axis of the enclosure. Numerical simulations have been performed for a specific $L_{e}=2/3$ with $Ra\in [1;10^{5}]$ and $Pr\in [1;10^{3}]$. Four kinds of flow solutions are established, characterized by a two-cell symmetric steady-state structure with down-flow in the middle of the cavity for the first one. A first instability occurs for which a critical Rayleigh number depends strongly on the Prandtl number when $Pr<3$. The flow structure becomes asymmetric with only one steady-state cell. A second instability occurs above a second critical Rayleigh number that is quasiconstant when $Pr>10$. The flow above the second critical Rayleigh number becomes periodic in time, showing that the onset of unsteadiness is similar to the Hopf bifurcation. When $Pr<3$, a fourth steady-state solution is established when the Rayleigh number is larger than the second critical value, characterized by a steady-state structure with up-flow in the middle of the cavity.
Achebe’s Evil Forest: Space, Violence, and Order inThings Fall Apart
Authors: Edoro-Glines Ainehi
Published: March 2018

This essay argues for reading Chinua Achebe’sThings Fall Apartas an intervention in the political philosophical discourse on the structural relation that links violence and order. This argument is built on the evil forest as the means through which violence is instrumentalized and brought under a system of value and order inThings Fall Apart. In the figure of the Evil Forest as the center of a legal and narrative economy built on the management of violence, Achebe introduces an African paradigm of law and order that rivals Hobbes’s state of nature, challenges Hegel’s notion of African unreason, and, thus, serves as the grounds on which the order inherent to the African world can be made visible.
Gridlocked in the city: kinship and witchcraft among Wayao street vendors in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Authors: Malefakis Alexis
Published: March 2018

For a group of Wayao street vendors in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, kinship relations were simultaneously an advantage and a hindrance. Their migration to the city and entry into the urban economy had occurred along ethnic and kinship lines. But, as they perceived the socially heterogeneous environment of the city that potentially offered them opportunities to cooperate with people from different social or ethnic backgrounds, they experienced their continuing dependency on their relatives as a form of confinement. Against the backdrop of the city, the Wayao perceived their social relations as being burdened with an inescapable sameness that made it impossible to trust one another. Mistrust, contempt and mutual suspicion were the flip side of close social relations and culminated in accusations ofuchawi(Swahili: witchcraft). However, these accusations did not have a disintegrative effect; paradoxically, their impact on social relations among the vendors was integrative. On the one hand,uchawiallegations expressed the claustrophobic feeling of stifling relations; on the other, they compelled the accused to adhere to a shared morality of egalitarian relations and exposed the feeling that the accused individual was worthy of scrutiny, indicating that relationships with him were of particular importance to others.
Reconfiguring the culture of kinship: poor people's tactics during South Africa's transition from apartheid
Authors: Spiegel Andrew D.
Published: March 2018

One product of the vicissitudes of apartheid-era labour migration, of persistent constraints on urban settlement and of continuing post-apartheid oscillating migration between South Africa's cities and countryside has been extensive domestic fluidity for many South African working people. As a consequence, they have repeatedly created new social networks across the urban–rural social field. In making sense of those networks by reconfiguring their notions of kinship and clanship, they have demonstrated the significance of kinship as an identity idiom. Based on research in Cape Town's largest African township during the early 1990s period of transition from apartheid, the article shows how, through people's use of notions of clanship, they have recursively reconstructed their idiom of kinship in a context of systemic instability. This article uses ethnographic data from that time and context to argue that we need to understand kinship as a cultural resource, pragmatically used and reinvented over and over again, each time emerging anew. In doing so, the article shows that kinship is not a fixed, recordable structure and that, like so many aspects of culture, it is repeatedly reinvented and reconstituted in order to address pragmatic circumstances.
Closed circles of mistrust: envy, aspirations and urban sociality in coastal Madagascar
Authors: Desplat Patrick
Published: March 2018

In this article, I examine the fear of others’ envy among young students and graduates in the port city of Mahajanga, Madagascar. Although the city provides a favourable environment in relation to the economy, employment and general well-being, many young people from middle-class milieus worry that their aspirations will remain unfulfilled because of envious peers who resent them for any advantage they might have gained. While malicious envy is most expected within close social relations in which social comparison and competition are prevalent, most social actors respond to this threat with tactical practices of secrecy that arguably help to secure an individual's well-being and shield them from unsocial behaviour. I scrutinize these micro-politics of life projects, social comparison, increasing inequalities and a rising sense of mutual mistrust. Yet, I depart from approaches that frame envy as a human condition that socially produces either a prosocial levelling mechanism or a destructive force that bulldozes social bonds. Instead, I understand envy as an assemblage that points to intertwined and often ambivalent social aspects. For many young individuals, overcoming their fear of envy is part of becoming a complete person, a sign of being successful and a responsible adult.
Energy efficiency of digestible protein, fat and carbohydrate utilisation for growth in rainbow trout and Nile tilapia
Authors: Schrama Johan W. , Haidar Mahmoud N. , Geurden Inge , Heinsbroek Leon T. N. , Kaushik Sachi J.
Published: March 2018

Currently, energy evaluation of fish feeds is performed on a digestible energy basis. In contrast to net energy (NE) evaluation systems, digestible energy evaluation systems do not differentiate between the different types of digested nutrients regarding their potential for growth. The aim was to develop an NE evaluation for fish by estimating the energy efficiency of digestible nutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrates) and to assess whether these efficiencies differed between Nile tilapia and rainbow trout. Two data sets were constructed. The tilapia and rainbow data set contained, respectively, eight and nine experiments in which the digestibility of protein, fat and energy and the complete energy balances for twenty-three and forty-five diets was measured. The digestible protein (dCP), digestible fat (dFat) and digestible carbohydrate intakes (dCarb) were calculated. By multiple regression analysis, retained energy (RE) was related to dCP, dFat and dCarb. In tilapia, all digestible nutrients were linearly related to RE (P<0·001). In trout, RE was quadratically related to dCarb (P<0·01) and linearly to dCP and dFat (P<0·001). The NE formula was NE=11·5×dCP+35·8×dFAT+11·3×dCarb for tilapia and NE=13·5×dCP+33·0×dFAT+34·0×dCarb–3·64×(dCarb)2 for trout (NE in kJ/(kg0·8×d); dCP, dFat and dCarb in g/(kg0·8×d)). In tilapia, the energetic efficiency of dCP, dFat and dCarb was 49, 91 and 66 %, respectively, showing large similarity with pigs. Tilapia and trout had similar energy efficiencies of dCP (49 v. 57 %) and dFat (91 v. 84 %), but differed regarding dCarb.
Postprandial glycaemic and lipaemic responses to chronic coffee consumption may be modulated byCYP1A2polymorphisms
Authors: Robertson Tracey M. , Clifford Michael N. , Penson Simon , Williams Peter , Robertson M. Denise
Published: March 2018

There is much epidemiological evidence suggesting a reduced risk of development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in habitual coffee drinkers, however to date there have been few longer-term interventions, directly examining the effects of coffee intake on glucose and lipid metabolism. Previous studies may be confounded by inter-individual variation in caffeine metabolism. Specifically, the rs762551 SNP in theCYP1A2gene has been demonstrated to influence caffeine metabolism, with carriers of theCallele considered to be of a ‘slow’ metaboliser phenotype. This study investigated the effects of regular coffee intake on markers of glucose and lipid metabolism in coffee-naïve individuals, with novel analysis by rs762551 genotype. Participants were randomised to either a coffee group (n19) who consumed four cups/d instant coffee for 12 weeks or a control group (n8) who remained coffee/caffeine free. Venous blood samples were taken pre- and post-intervention. Primary analysis revealed no significant differences between groups. Analysis of the coffee group by genotype revealed several differences. Before coffee intake, theACgenotype (‘slow’ caffeine metabolisers,n9) displayed higher baseline glucose and NEFA than theAAgenotype (‘fast’ caffeine metabolisers,n10,P<0·05). Post-intervention, reduced postprandial glycaemia and reduced NEFA suppression were observed in theACgenotype, with the opposite result observed in theAAgenotype (P<0·05). These observed differences between genotypes warrant further investigation and indicate there may be no one-size-fits-all recommendation with regard to coffee drinking and T2D risk.
Effect of nutritional supplement on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells from aplastic anaemia
Authors: Luo Shihua , Chen Yinghai , Zhao Lifen , Qi Xia , Miao Xiaoyan , Zhou Huimin , Jia Li
Published: March 2018

Aplastic anaemia (AA) is characterised by pancytopenia resulting from a marked reduction in haemopoietic stem cells (HSC). The regulation of haemopoiesis depends on the interaction between HSC and various cells of the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment, including BM-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSC). The purpose of this study was to analyse the biological effect of nutritional supplement (NS), a dietary supplement consisting of thirty-six compounds: amino acids, nucleotides, vitamins and micronutrients on the BMSC of AA rats. The AA rat model was established by irradiating X-ray (2·5 Gy) and intraperitoneal injections of cyclophosphamide (35 mg/kg; Sigma) and chloramphenicol (35 mg/kg; Sigma). Then AA rats were fed with NS in a dose-dependent manner (2266·95, 1511·3, 1057·91 mg/kg d) by intragastric administration. The effect of NS on the BMSC of AA rats was analysed. As compared with AA rats, NS treatment significantly improved these peripheral blood parameters and stimulated the proliferation of total femoral nucleated cells. NS treatment affected proliferative behaviour of BMSC and suppressed BMSC differentiation to adipocytes. Furthermore, NS treatment of AA rats accelerated osteogenic differentiation of BMSC and enhanced bone mineral density. Co-incubation of HSC with mesenchymal stromal cells and serum from AA rats subjected to high-dose NS markedly improved the yield of CD34+cells. Protein microarray analysis revealed that there were eleven differentially expressed proteins in the NS group compared with the AA rat group. The identified specific NS might be implicated in rehabilitation of BMSC in AA rats, suggesting their potential of nutritional support in AA treatment.
Voiceless nasal sounds in three Tibeto-Burman languages
Authors: Chirkova Katia , Basset Patricia , Amelot Angélique
Published: March 2018

This paper focuses on two types of voiceless nasal sounds in Xumi, a Tibeto-Burman language: (i) the voiceless aspirated nasals // [] and // [], and (ii) the voiceless nasal glottal fricative []. We provide a synchronic description of these two types of sounds, and explore their similarities and differences. Xumi voiceless nasal consonants are described with reference to the voiceless nasal consonants // and // in Burmese and Kham Tibetan because Burmese voiceless nasals are the best described type of voiceless nasals, and are therefore used as a reference point for comparison; voiceless nasals in Kham Tibetan, which is in close contact with Xumi, represent a characteristic regional feature. The synchronic description is based on acoustic and aerodynamic measurements (the total duration of the target phonemes, the duration of the voiced period during the target phonemes, mean nasal and oral flow). Our study (i) contributes to a better understanding of voiceless nasals as a type of sound, (ii) provides a first-ever instrumental description (acoustic and aerodynamic) of the voiceless nasal glottal fricative [], as attested in a number of Tibeto-Burman languages of Southwest China, and (iii) suggests a possible phonetic basis for the observed dialectal and diachronic variation between voiceless nasals and [] in some Tibeto-Burman languages.
Packing Graphs of Bounded Codegree
Authors: CAMES VAN BATENBURG WOUTER , KANG ROSS J.
Published: March 2018

Two graphs G1 and G2 on n vertices are said to pack if there exist injective mappings of their vertex sets into [n] such that the images of their edge sets are disjoint. A longstanding conjecture due to Bollobás and Eldridge and, independently, Catlin, asserts that if (Δ(G1) + 1)(Δ(G2) + 1) ⩽ n + 1, then G1 and G2 pack. We consider the validity of this assertion under the additional assumption that G1 or G2 has bounded codegree. In particular, we prove for all t ⩾ 2 that if G1 contains no copy of the complete bipartite graph K2,t and Δ(G1) > 17t · Δ(G2), then (Δ(G1) + 1)(Δ(G2) + 1) ⩽ n + 1 implies that G1 and G2 pack. We also provide a mild improvement if moreover G2 contains no copy of the complete tripartite graph K1,1,s, s ⩾ 1.
‘Two Young Ladies in Connection with a Certain School:’ The Watson-Ketcheson Affair of 1952–53 and the Remains of Eugene R. Fairweather
Authors: Lofft Jonathan S.
Published: March 2018

Two young teachers posted at an Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan, Canada, sought to act as whistleblowers regarding abuse there in 1952–53. Theologian Eugene R. Fairweather of Trinity College, Toronto, acted as their advocate and spiritual advisor. A significant correspondence, mostly purged from the official record, considered the reports of the whistleblowers, their fate, and the fraught place of the Residential Schools in Canadian Anglicanism in the decades before the era of Truth and Reconciliation. This article examines the relevant correspondence, retained only in the archival remains of Fairweather at Trinity. The correspondence, which adds to existing narratives of Anglican complicity in and responses to abuse at the Schools, suggests that future research must scrutinize official as well as previously overlooked sources of information, particularly the archival repositories of universities and theological schools, in search of the truth.
Ultra-fast polymer optical fibre Bragg grating inscription for medical devices
Authors: Bonefacino Julien , Tam Hwa-Yaw , Glen Tom S , Cheng Xin , Pun Chi-Fung Jeff , Wang Jian , Lee Po-Heng , Tse Ming-Leung Vincent , Boles Steven T
Published: March 2018

We report the extraordinary result of rapid fibre Bragg grating inscription in doped polymer optical fibres based on polymethyl methacrylate in only 7 ms, which is two orders of magnitude faster than the inscription times previously reported. This was achieved using a new dopant material, diphenyl disulphide, which was found to enable a fast, positive refractive index change using a low ultraviolet dose. These changes were investigated and found to arise from photodissociation of the diphenyl disulphide molecule and subsequent molecular reorganization. We demonstrate that gratings inscribed in these fibres can exhibit at least a 15 times higher sensitivity than silica glass fibre, despite their quick inscription times. As a demonstration of the sensitivity, we selected a highly stringent situation, namely, the monitoring of a human heartbeat and respiratory functions. These findings could permit the inscription of fibre Bragg gratings during the fibre drawing process for mass production, allowing cost-effective, single-use, in vivo sensors among other potential uses.
Quantum enhancement of accuracy and precision in optical interferometry
Authors: Kaiser Florian , Vergyris Panagiotis , Aktas Djeylan , Babin Charles , Labonté Laurent , Tanzilli Sébastien
Published: March 2018

White-light interferometry is one of today’s most precise tools for determining the properties of optical materials. Its achievable precision and accuracy are typically limited by systematic errors due to a high number of interdependent data-fitting parameters. Here, we introduce spectrally resolved quantum white-light interferometry as a novel tool for optical property measurements, notably, chromatic dispersion in optical fibres. By exploiting both spectral and photon-number correlations of energy-time entangled photon pairs, the number of fitting parameters is significantly reduced, which eliminates systematic errors and leads to an absolute determination of the material parameter. By comparing the quantum method to state-of-the-art approaches, we demonstrate the quantum advantage of 2.4 times better measurement precision, despite requiring 62 times fewer photons. The improved results are due to conceptual advantages enabled by quantum optics, which are likely to define new standards in experimental methods for characterising optical materials.
Correction: Author Correction: TRPC5 channels participate in pressure-sensing in aortic baroreceptors
Authors: Lau On-Chai , Shen Bing , Wong Ching-On , Tjong Yung-Wui , Lo Chun-Yin , Wang Hui-Chuan , Huang Yu , Yung Wing-Ho , Chen Yang-Chao , Fung Man-Lung , Rudd John Anthony , Yao Xiaoqiang
Published: March 2018

Nature Communications 7: Article number: 11947 (2016); Published online: 14 July 2016; Updated: 23 March 2018 It has come to our attention that errors were made in measurements of resting blood pressure reported in this article, in Fig. 8 and in the ‘Results’ section entitled ‘Deficiency of baroreceptor function in Trpc5 knockout (Trpc5−/−) mice’.
A high-brightness large-diameter graphene coated point cathode field emission electron source
Authors: Shao Xiuyuan , Srinivasan Avinash , Ang Wei Kean , Khursheed Anjam
Published: March 2018

There have been several long-standing problems of cold field emission sources for electron microscopy and lithography that have prevented their widespread use, such as their inherent ultrahigh vacuum condition requirement (<10–9 torr), relatively poor current stability and rapid emission decay. This paper presents a cold field emission electron source which overcomes these problems based upon using a graphene-coated nickel point cathode. Preliminary experiments demonstrate that it provides stable emission for relatively large tip diameters (micron sizes), can operate in high vacuum conditions (>10−8 torr) and has an ultralow work function value of 1.10 ± 0.07 eV. It has an estimated reduced brightness value of 1.46 × 109 A m−2 sr−1 V−1 for cathode tip-radius of 170 nm and the measured energy spread ranges from 0.246 eV to 0.420 eV for a tip radii range of 260 nm to 500 nm, which is comparable to state-of-the-art conventional cold field emission sources.
Correction: Corrigendum: Fault-tolerant quantum computation with a soft-decision decoder for error correction and detection by teleportation
Authors: Goto Hayato , Uchikawa Hironori
Published: March 2018

Scientific Reports 5: Article number: 5771; published online: 20 June 2013; updated: 23 March 2018. The original version of this Article contained a typographical error in the volume number ‘5’ was incorrectly given as ‘4’. This error has now been corrected in the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Nanoemulsions stabilized by non-ionic surfactants: stability and degradation mechanisms
Authors: Koroleva M. , Nagovitsina T. , Yurtov E.
Published: March 2018

Ostwald ripening is the main process leading to O/W nanoemulsion coarsening only in diluted systems; the stability of concentrated nanoemulsions is affected by coalescence and flocculation.
Ratiometric optical nanoprobes enable accurate molecular detection and imaging
Authors: Huang Xiaolin , Song Jibin , Yung Bryant C. , Huang Xiaohua , Xiong Yonghua , Chen Xiaoyuan
Published: March 2018

Conventional optical nanoprobes rely on absolute intensity-dependent signal readout, which can often cause erroneous sensing and imaging results owing to the existence of analyte-independent confounding factors. Ratiometric signal processing provides built-in self-calibration for signal correction, enabling more accurate molecular detection and imaging.
The influence of pseudohalide ligands on the SIM behaviour of four-coordinate benzylimidazole-containing cobalt(ii) complexes
Authors: Świtlicka A. , Machura B. , Kruszynski R. , Cano J. , Toma L. M. , Lloret F. , Julve M.
Published: March 2018

The structural and magnetic properties of three, mononuclear cobalt(ii) complexes were reported.
The pH-dependent elastic properties of nanoscale DNA films and the resultant bending signals for microcantilever biosensors
Authors: Zhou Mei-Hong , Meng Wei-Lie , Zhang Cheng-Yin , Li Xiao-Bin , Wu Jun-Zheng , Zhang Neng-Hui
Published: March 2018

A schematic of the nanoscopic structure of the DNA film (with 16 nucleotides per chain) and the related motion of the microcantilever in a PBS buffer solution (137 mM NaCl, 2.7 mM KCl, 8 mM Na2HPO4, and 2 mM KH2PO4; pH = 7.5).
Graphene nanohybrids: excellent electromagnetic properties for the absorbing and shielding of electromagnetic waves
Authors: Cao Maosheng , Han Chen , Wang Xixi , Zhang Min , Zhang Yanlan , Shu Jincheng , Yang Huijing , Fang Xiaoyong , Yuan Jie
Published: March 2018

The microwave absorption, electromagnetic interference shielding, and microwave response mechanism of graphene hybrids are highlighted, including relaxation, charge transport, magnetic resonance,etc.
Site-specific characterization and quantitation ofN-glycopeptides in PKM2 knockout breast cancer cells using DiLeu isobaric tags enabled by electron-transfer/higher-energy collision dissociation (EThcD)
Authors: Chen Zhengwei , Yu Qing , Hao Ling , Liu Fabao , Johnson Jillian , Tian Zichuan , Kao W. John , Xu Wei , Li Lingjun
Published: March 2018

A multi-faceted site-specific quantitativeN-glycoproteomics workflow was developed to probe PKM2 signaling.
Selective and sensitive determination of the antidote of heparin using Ag-GQDs by optical methods
Authors: Sinduja B. , Gowthaman N. S. K. , John S. Abraham
Published: March 2018

Colorimetric determination of protamine in the presence of heparin using GQD capped silver nanoparticles.
Multiplexed microRNA expression profiling by combined asymmetric PCR and label-free detection using silicon photonic sensor arrays
Authors: Graybill Richard M. , Cardenosa-Rubio Maria C. , Yang Hongwei , Johnson Mark D. , Bailey Ryan C.
Published: March 2018

Analysis methods based upon the quantitative, real-time polymerase chain reaction are extremely powerful; however, they face intrinsic limitations in terms of target multiplexing.
Supramolecular glyco-poly-cyclodextrin functionalized thin-layer manganese dioxide for targeted stimulus-responsive bioimaging
Authors: Wang Huan , Liu Ying , Xu Chao , Wang Xi , Chen Guo-Rong , James Tony D. , Zang Yi , Li Jia , Ma Xiang , He Xiao-Peng
Published: March 2018

A fluorogenic 2D glycoprobe based on poly-cyclodextrin and thin-layer manganese dioxide has been developed for the targeted and stimulus-responsive imaging of cancer cells.
Enhancement of SOD activity in boehmite supported nanoreceptors
Authors: Martínez-Camarena Álvaro , Delgado-Pinar Estefanía , Soriano Concepción , Alarcón Javier , Llinares José M. , Tejero Roberto , García-España Enrique
Published: March 2018

Binuclear Cu2+ complexes of a pyridinophane polyamine ligand grafted to boehmite nanoparticles display a remarkable SOD activity enhancement.
Rapid colorimetric sensing of gadolinium by EGCG-derived AgNPs: the development of a nanohybrid bioimaging probe
Authors: Singh Rohit Kumar , Mishra Sourav , Jena Satyapriya , Panigrahi Bijayananda , Das Bhaskar , Jayabalan Rasu , Parhi Pankaj Kumar , Mandal Dindyal
Published: March 2018

Polyphenol functionalized AgNPs are demonstrated as colorimetric sensors for the selective detection of gadolinium and the generated nanohybrids exhibit bioimaging potential.
Direct Au–C contacts based on biphenylene for single molecule circuits
Authors: Arasu Narendra P. , Vázquez Héctor
Published: March 2018

Stable and highly conducting bonds to the Au substrate based on biphenylene.
Heteropoly acid functionalized fluoroelastomer with outstanding chemical durability and performance for vehicular fuel cells
Authors: Motz Andrew R. , Kuo Mei-Chen , Horan James L. , Yadav Rameshwar , Seifert Soenke , Pandey Tara P. , Galioto Samuel , Yang Yuan , Dale Nilesh V. , Hamrock Steven J. , Herring Andrew M.
Published: March 2018

A membrane using heterpolyacids as the protogenic group can solve the chemical durability issue of polymer electrolyte fuel cells.
MCR-click synthesis, molecular docking and cytotoxicity evaluation of a new series of indole–triazole–coumarin hybrid peptidomimetics
Authors: Pathoor Rajeena , Bahulayan D.
Published: March 2018

The design and synthesis of a new series of indole–triazole-coumarin hybrids as potential CDK2 inhibitors is described.
Photoactivatable fluorescence enhanced behaviour of benzo[c][1,2,5]oxadiazole-dressing tetraphenylethene
Authors: Han Xie , Li Dongyang , Ma Xiaoxie , Liu Sheng Hua , Yin Jun
Published: March 2018

A fluorophore was attached to tetraphenylethene (TPE) to modulate the photoactivatable photophysical behaviour in solution and the film state.
Carbon-ZnO alternating quantum dot chains: electrostatic adsorption assembly and white light-emitting device application
Authors: Liu Kai-Kai , Li Xiao-Ming , Cheng Shao-Bo , Zhou Rui , Liang Ya-Chuan , Dong Lin , Shan Chong-Xin , Zeng Hai-Bo , Shen De-Zhen
Published: March 2018

White luminescent powders consisting of carbon-ZnO alternating quantum dot chains have been demonstrated based on the electrostatic adsorption assembly.
Diels–Alder dynamic crosslinked polyurethane/polydopamine composites with NIR triggered self-healing function
Authors: Yang Li , Lu Xili , Wang Zhanhua , Xia Hesheng
Published: March 2018

A new kind of ultrafast near-infrared light responsive shape memory assisted self-healing polymer composite was prepared by introducing polydopamine particles (PDAPs) into polyurethane containing Diels–Alder bonds.
Functionalization of polyfluorene-wrapped carbon nanotubes via copper-mediated azide–alkyne cycloaddition
Authors: Fong Darryl , Andrews Grace M. , Adronov Alex
Published: March 2018

Copper-mediated azide–alkyne cycloaddition enables quantitative functionalization of polymer-nanotube complexes containing azide moieties in the polymer side chains.
PtO2/PTSA system catalyzed regioselective hydration of internal arylalkynes bearing electron withdrawing groups
Authors: Lin Hsin-Ping , Ibrahim Nada , Provot Olivier , Alami Mouad , Hamze Abdallah
Published: March 2018

A highly efficient PtO2/PTSA catalyst system for the hydration of a wide array of alkynes was developed.
Correction: Anisotropy of CoII transferred to the Cr7Co polymetallic cluster via strong exchange interactions
Authors: Garlatti Elena , Guidi Tatiana , Chiesa Alessandro , Ansbro Simon , Baker Michael L. , Ollivier Jacques , Mutka Hannu , Timco Grigore A. , Vitorica-Yrezabal Inigo , Pavarini Eva , Santini Paolo , Amoretti Giuseppe , Winpenny Richard E. P. , Carretta Stefano
Published: March 2018

Correction for ‘Anisotropy of CoII transferred to the Cr7Co polymetallic cluster via strong exchange interactions’ by Elena Garlatti et al., Chem. Sci., 2018, DOI: 10.1039/c8sc00163d.
Correction: First-principles computational studies on layered Na2Mn3O7 as a high-rate cathode material for sodium ion batteries
Authors: Zhang Zihe , Wu Dihua , Zhang Xu , Zhao Xudong , Zhang Haichang , Ding Fei , Xie Zhaojun , Zhou Zhen
Published: March 2018

Correction for ‘First-principles computational studies on layered Na2Mn3O7 as a high-rate cathode material for sodium ion batteries’ by Zihe Zhang et al., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017, 5, 12752–12756.
Efficient non-doped fluorescent OLEDs with nearly 6% external quantum efficiency and deep-blue emission approaching the blue standard enabled by quaterphenyl-based emitters
Authors: Zeng Weixuan , Zhao Yongbiao , Ning Weimin , Gong Shaolong , Zhu Zece , Zou Yang , Lu Zheng-Hong , Yang Chuluo
Published: March 2018

Two quaterphenyl derivatives are rationally designed and synthesized as deep-blue emitters to simultaneously afford outstanding device performance and excellent color purity approaching the NTSC blue standard.