bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Premature failure of an additively manufactured material
Authors: Wang Zhi , Xie Meishen , Li Yuanyuan , Zhang Weiwen , Yang Chao , Kollo Lauri , Eckert Jürgen , Prashanth Konda Gokuldoss
Published: April 2020

Additively manufactured metallic materials exhibit excellent mechanical strength. However, they often fail prematurely owing to external defects (pores and unmelted particles) that act as sites for crack initiation. Cracks then propagate through grain boundaries and/or cellular boundaries that contain continuous brittle second phases. In this work, the premature failure mechanisms in selective laser melted (SLM) materials were studied. A submicron structure was introduced in a SLM Ag–Cu–Ge alloy that showed semicoherent precipitates distributed in a discontinuous but periodic fashion along the cellular boundaries. This structure led to a remarkable strength of 410 ± 3 MPa with 16 ± 0.5% uniform elongation, well surpassing the strength-ductility combination of their cast and annealed counterparts. The hierarchical SLM microstructure with a periodic arrangement of precipitates and a high density of internal defects led to a high strain hardening rate and strong strengthening, as evidenced by the fact that the precipitates were twinned and encircled by a high density of internal defects, such as dislocations, stacking faults and twins. However, the samples fractured before necking owing to the crack acceleration along the external defects. This work provides an approach for additively manufacturing materials with an ultrahigh strength combined with a high ductility provided that premature failure is alleviated.
Long-term isolation of European steppe outposts boosts the biome’s conservation value
Authors: Kirschner Philipp , Záveská Eliška , Gamisch Alexander , Hilpold Andreas , Trucchi Emiliano , Paun Ovidiu , Sanmartín Isabel , Schlick-Steiner Birgit C. , Frajman Božo , Arthofer Wolfgang ,   The STEPPE Consortium, Arthofer Wolfgang , Frajman Božo , Gamisch Alexander , Hilpold Andreas , Kirschner Philipp , Paun Ovidiu , Sanmartín Isabel , Schlick-Steiner Birgit C. , Schönswetter Peter , Steiner Florian M. , Trucchi Emiliano , Záveská Eliška , Steiner Florian M. , Schönswetter Peter
Published: April 2020

The European steppes and their biota have been hypothesized to be either young remnants of the Pleistocene steppe belt or, alternatively, to represent relicts of long-term persisting populations; both scenarios directly bear on nature conservation priorities. Here, we evaluate the conservation value of threatened disjunct steppic grassland habitats in Europe in the context of the Eurasian steppe biome. We use genomic data and ecological niche modelling to assess pre-defined, biome-specific criteria for three plant and three arthropod species. We show that the evolutionary history of Eurasian steppe biota is strikingly congruent across species. The biota of European steppe outposts were long-term isolated from the Asian steppes, and European steppes emerged as disproportionally conservation relevant, harbouring regionally endemic genetic lineages, large genetic diversity, and a mosaic of stable refugia. We emphasize that conserving what is left of Europe’s steppes is crucial for conserving the biological diversity of the entire Eurasian steppe biome.
Single-cell bacterial transcription measurements reveal the importance of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) hotspots in ocean sulfur cycling
Authors: Gao Cherry , Fernandez Vicente I. , Lee Kang Soo , Fenizia Simona , Pohnert Georg , Seymour Justin R. , Raina Jean-Baptiste , Stocker Roman
Published: April 2020

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is a pivotal compound in marine biogeochemical cycles and a key chemical currency in microbial interactions. Marine bacteria transform DMSP via two competing pathways with considerably different biogeochemical implications: demethylation channels sulfur into the microbial food web, whereas cleavage releases sulfur into the atmosphere. Here, we present single-cell measurements of the expression of these two pathways using engineered fluorescent reporter strains of Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3, and find that external DMSP concentration dictates the relative expression of the two pathways. DMSP induces an upregulation of both pathways, but only at high concentrations (>1 μM for demethylation; >35 nM for cleavage), characteristic of microscale hotspots such as the vicinity of phytoplankton cells. Co-incubations between DMSP-producing microalgae and bacteria revealed an increase in cleavage pathway expression close to the microalgae’s surface. These results indicate that bacterial utilization of microscale DMSP hotspots is an important determinant of the fate of sulfur in the ocean.
Protective role of renal proximal tubular alpha-synuclein in the pathogenesis of kidney fibrosis
Authors: Bozic Milica , Caus Maite , Rodrigues-Diez Raul R. , Pedraza Neus , Ruiz-Ortega Marta , Garí Eloi , Gallel Pilar , Panadés Maria José , Martinez Ana , Fernández Elvira , Valdivielso José Manuel
Published: April 2020

Kidney fibrosis is a highly deleterious process and a final manifestation of chronic kidney disease. Alpha-(α)-synuclein (SNCA) is an actin-binding neuronal protein with various functions within the brain; however, its role in other tissues is unknown. Here, we describe the expression of SNCA in renal epithelial cells and demonstrate its decrease in renal tubules of murine and human fibrotic kidneys, as well as its downregulation in renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (RPTECs) after TGF-β1 treatment. shRNA-mediated knockdown of SNCA in RPTECs results in de novo expression of vimentin and α-SMA, while SNCA overexpression represses TGF-β1-induced mesenchymal markers. Conditional gene silencing of SNCA in RPTECs leads to an exacerbated tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) in two unrelated in vivo fibrotic models, which is associated with an increased activation of MAPK-p38 and PI3K-Akt pathways. Our study provides an evidence that disruption of SNCA signaling in RPTECs contributes to the pathogenesis of renal TIF by facilitating partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and extracellular matrix accumulation.
Deletion of Topoisomerase 1 in excitatory neurons causes genomic instability and early onset neurodegeneration
Authors: Fragola Giulia , Mabb Angela M. , Taylor-Blake Bonnie , Niehaus Jesse K. , Chronister William D. , Mao Hanqian , Simon Jeremy M. , Yuan Hong , Li Zibo , McConnell Michael J. , Zylka Mark J.
Published: April 2020

Topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) relieves torsional stress in DNA during transcription and facilitates the expression of long (>100 kb) genes, many of which are important for neuronal functions. To evaluate how loss of Top1 affected neurons in vivo, we conditionally deleted (cKO) Top1 in postmitotic excitatory neurons in the mouse cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Top1 cKO neurons develop properly, but then show biased transcriptional downregulation of long genes, signs of DNA damage, neuroinflammation, increased poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) activity, single-cell somatic mutations, and ultimately degeneration. Supplementation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) with nicotinamide riboside partially blocked neurodegeneration, and increased the lifespan of Top1 cKO mice by 30%. A reduction of p53 also partially rescued cortical neuron loss. While neurodegeneration was partially rescued, behavioral decline was not prevented. These data indicate that reducing neuronal loss is not sufficient to limit behavioral decline when TOP1 function is disrupted.
Dynamic states of population activity in prefrontal cortical networks of freely-moving macaque
Authors: Milton Russell , Shahidi Neda , Dragoi Valentin
Published: April 2020

Neural responses in the cerebral cortex change dramatically between the ‘synchronized’ state during sleep and ‘desynchronized’ state during wakefulness. Our understanding of cortical state emerges largely from experiments performed in sensory areas of head-fixed or tethered rodents due to technical limitations of recording from larger freely-moving animals for several hours. Here, we report a system integrating wireless electrophysiology, wireless eye tracking, and real-time video analysis to examine the dynamics of population activity in a high-level, executive area – dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) of unrestrained monkey. This technology allows us to identify cortical substates during quiet and active wakefulness, and transitions in population activity during rest. We further show that narrow-spiking neurons exhibit stronger synchronized fluctuations in population activity than broad-spiking neurons regardless of state. Our results show that cortical state is controlled by behavioral demands and arousal by asymmetrically modulating the slow response fluctuations of local excitatory and inhibitory cell populations.
Enhanced succinic acid production by Mannheimia employing optimal malate dehydrogenase
Authors: Ahn Jung Ho , Seo Hogyun , Park Woojin , Seok Jihye , Lee Jong An , Kim Won Jun , Kim Gi Bae , Kim Kyung-Jin , Lee Sang Yup
Published: April 2020

Succinic acid (SA), a dicarboxylic acid of industrial importance, can be efficiently produced by metabolically engineered Mannheimia succiniciproducens. Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) is one of the key enzymes for SA production, but has not been well characterized. Here we report biochemical and structural analyses of various MDHs and development of hyper-SA producing M. succiniciproducens by introducing the best MDH. Corynebacterium glutamicum MDH (CgMDH) shows the highest specific activity and least substrate inhibition, whereas M. succiniciproducens MDH (MsMDH) shows low specific activity at physiological pH and strong uncompetitive inhibition toward oxaloacetate (ki of 67.4 and 588.9 μM for MsMDH and CgMDH, respectively). Structural comparison of the two MDHs reveals a key residue influencing the specific activity and susceptibility to substrate inhibition. A high-inoculum fed-batch fermentation of the final strain expressing cgmdh produces 134.25 g L−1 of SA with the maximum productivity of 21.3 g L−1 h−1, demonstrating the importance of enzyme optimization in strain development.
Multiscale variations of the crustal stress field throughout North America
Authors: Lundstern Jens-Erik , Zoback Mark D.
Published: April 2020

The Earth’s crustal stress field controls active deformation and reflects the processes driving plate tectonics. Here we present the first quantitative synthesis of relative principal stress magnitudes throughout North America together with hundreds of new horizontal stress orientations, revealing coherent stress fields at various scales. A continent-scale transition from compression (strike-slip and/or reverse faulting) in eastern North America to strike-slip faulting in the mid-continent to predominantly extension in western intraplate North America is likely due (at least in part) to drag at the base of the lithosphere. Published geodynamic models, incorporating gravitational potential energy and tractions from plate motions or relative mantle flow, successfully predict most large-wavelength stress rotations but not the shorter-wavelength (<~200 km) rotations observed in the western USA. The stresses resulting from glacial isostatic adjustment appear to be much smaller than the magnitude of ambient tectonic stresses in the crust at depth.
Cryo-EM structure of the PlexinC1/A39R complex reveals inter-domain interactions critical for ligand-induced activation
Authors: Kuo Yi-Chun , Chen Hua , Shang Guijun , Uchikawa Emiko , Tian Hui , Bai Xiao-Chen , Zhang Xuewu
Published: April 2020

Plexins are receptors for semaphorins that transduce signals for regulating neuronal development and other processes. Plexins are single-pass transmembrane proteins with multiple domains in both the extracellular and intracellular regions. Semaphorin activates plexin by binding to its extracellular N-terminal Sema domain, inducing the active dimer of the plexin intracellular region. The mechanism underlying this activation process of plexin is incompletely understood. We present cryo-electron microscopic structure of full-length human PlexinC1 in complex with the viral semaphorin mimic A39R. The structure shows that A39R induces a specific dimer of PlexinC1 where the membrane-proximal domains from the two PlexinC1 protomers are placed close to each other, poised to promote the active dimer of the intracellular region. This configuration is imposed by a distinct conformation of the PlexinC1 extracellular region, stabilized by inter-domain interactions among the Sema and membrane-proximal domains. Our mutational analyses support the critical role of this conformation in PlexinC1 activation.
A tailored, electronic textile conformable suit for large-scale spatiotemporal physiological sensing in vivo
Authors: Wicaksono Irmandy , Tucker Carson I. , Sun Tao , Guerrero Cesar A. , Liu Clare , Woo Wesley M. , Pence Eric J. , Dagdeviren Canan
Published: April 2020

The rapid advancement of electronic devices and fabrication technologies has further promoted the field of wearables and smart textiles. However, most of the current efforts in textile electronics focus on a single modality and cover a small area. Here, we have developed a tailored, electronic textile conformable suit (E-TeCS) to perform large-scale, multimodal physiological (temperature, heart rate, and respiration) sensing in vivo. This platform can be customized for various forms, sizes and functions using standard, accessible and high-throughput textile manufacturing and garment patterning techniques. Similar to a compression shirt, the soft and stretchable nature of the tailored E-TeCS allows intimate contact between electronics and the skin with a pressure value of around ~25 mmHg, allowing for physical comfort and improved precision of sensor readings on skin. The E-TeCS can detect skin temperature with an accuracy of 0.1 °C and a precision of 0.01 °C, as well as heart rate and respiration with a precision of 0.0012 m/s2 through mechano-acoustic inertial sensing. The knit textile electronics can be stretched up to 30% under 1000 cycles of stretching without significant degradation in mechanical and electrical performance. Experimental and theoretical investigations are conducted for each sensor modality along with performing the robustness of sensor-interconnects, washability, and breathability of the suit. Collective results suggest that our E-TeCS can simultaneously and wirelessly monitor 30 skin temperature nodes across the human body over an area of 1500 cm2, during seismocardiac events and respiration, as well as physical activity through inertial dynamics.
Admixture and natural selection shaped genomes of an Austronesian-speaking population in the Solomon Islands
Authors: Isshiki Mariko , Naka Izumi , Watanabe Yusuke , Nishida Nao , Kimura Ryosuke , Furusawa Takuro , Natsuhara Kazumi , Yamauchi Taro , Nakazawa Minato , Ishida Takafumi , Eddie Ricky , Ohtsuka Ryutaro , Ohashi Jun
Published: April 2020

People in the Solomon Islands today are considered to have derived from Asian- and Papuan-related ancestors. Papuan-related ancestors colonized Near Oceania about 47,000 years ago, and Asian-related ancestors were Austronesian (AN)-speaking population, called Lapita, who migrated from Southeast Asia about 3,500 years ago. These two ancestral populations admixed in Near Oceania before the expansion of Lapita people into Remote Oceania. To understand the impact of the admixture on the adaptation of AN-speaking Melanesians in Near Oceania, we performed the genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis of 21 individuals from Munda, the main town of the New Georgia Islands in the western Solomon Islands. Population samples from Munda were genetically similar to other Solomon Island population samples. The analysis of genetic contribution from the two different ancestries to the Munda genome revealed significantly higher proportions of Asian- and Papuan-related ancestries in the region containing theannexin A1(ANXA1) gene (Asian component > 82.6%) and in thehuman leukocyte antigen(HLA)class IIregion (Papuan component > 85.4%), respectively. These regions were suspected to have undergone natural selection since the time of admixture. Our results suggest that admixture had affected adaptation of AN-speaking Melanesians in the Solomon Islands.
Manipulating electronic structure of graphene for producing ferromagnetic graphene particles by Leidenfrost effect-based method
Authors: Alimohammadian Mahsa , Sohrabi Beheshteh
Published: April 2020

First isolation of graphene, as a great achievement, opens a new horizon in a broad range of science. Graphene is one of the most promising materials for spintronic fields whose application is limited due to its weak magnetic property. Despite many experimental and theoretical efforts for obtaining ferromagnetic graphene, still, a high degree of magnetization is an unsolved challenge. Even, in most observations, graphene magnetization is reported at extremely low temperatures rather than room temperature. In principle, the magnetic property of graphene is created by manipulation of its electronic structure. Removing or adding bonds of graphene such as creating vacancy defects, doping, adatom, edges, and functionalization can change the electronic structure and the external perturbation, such as external magnetic field, temperature, and strain can either. Recently, single and few-layer graphene have been investigated in the presence of these perturbations, and also the electronic changes have been determined by Raman spectroscopy. Here, we successfully could develop a simple and novel Leidenfrost effect-based method for graphene magnetization at room temperature with the external perturbations which apply simultaneously in the graphene flakes inside the Leidenfrost droplets. Macroscale ferromagnetic graphene particles are produced by this method. Briefly, the graphene is obtained by the liquid-phase exfoliation method in the ethanol solution media and also evaporates on the hot surface as a Leidenfrost droplet in the magnetic fields. Then, the floated graphene flakes circulate inside the droplets. Due to the strain and temperature inside the droplets and external magnetic field (the magnet in heater-stirrer), the electronic structure of graphene is instantly changed. The changes are extremely rapid that the graphene flakes behave as a charged particle and also produce an internal magnetic field during their circulation. The internal magnetic field is measured by sensors. As the main accomplishment of this study, we could develop a simple method for inducing magnetism obtained 0.4 emu/g in the graphene, as magnetization saturation at room temperature, which is higher than the reported values. Another achievement of this work is the detection of the Leidenfrost droplets magnetic field, as an internal one which has obtained for the first time. To investigate magnetic graphene particles, the magnetization process, and the electronic structure of the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), magnetic field sensor, and Raman spectroscopy are used, respectively.
A diagnostic, monitoring, and predictive tool for patients with complex valvular, vascular and ventricular diseases
Authors: Keshavarz-Motamed Zahra
Published: April 2020

Hemodynamics quantification is critically useful for accurate and early diagnosis, but we still lack proper diagnostic methods for many cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, as most interventions intend to recover the healthy condition, the ability to monitor and predict hemodynamics following interventions can have significant impacts on saving lives. Predictive methods are rare, enabling prediction of effects of interventions, allowing timely and personalized interventions and helping critical clinical decision making about life-threatening risks based on quantitative data. In this study, an innovative non-invasive imaged-based patient-specific diagnostic, monitoring and predictive tool (called C3VI-CMF) was developed, enabling quantifying (1) details of physiological flow and pressures through the heart and circulatory system; (2) heart function metrics. C3VI-CMF also predicts the breakdown of the effects of each disease constituents on the heart function. Presently, neither of these can be obtained noninvasively in patients and when invasive procedures are undertaken, the collected metrics cannot be by any means as complete as the ones C3VI-CMF provides. C3VI-CMF purposefully uses a limited number of noninvasive input parameters all of which can be measured using Doppler echocardiography and sphygmomanometer. Validation of C3VI-CMF, against cardiac catheterization in forty-nine patients with complex cardiovascular diseases, showed very good agreement with the measurements.
Usefulness of morphometric image analysis with Sirius Red to assess interstitial fibrosis after renal transplantation from uncontrolled circulatory death donors
Authors: Dao Myriam , Pouliquen Christelle , Duquesne Alyette , Posseme Katia , Mussini Charlotte , Durrbach Antoine , Guettier Catherine , François Hélène , Ferlicot Sophie
Published: April 2020

Early interstitial fibrosis (IF) correlates with long-term renal graft dysfunction, highlighting the need for accurate quantification of IF. However, the currently used Banff classification exhibits some limitations. The aim of our study was to precisely describe the progression of IF after renal transplantation using a new morphometric image analysis method relying of Sirius Red staining. The morphometric analysis we developed showed high inter-observer and intra-observer reproducibility, with ICC [95% IC] of respectively 0.75 [0.67–0.81] (n = 151) and 0.88 [0.72–0.95] (n = 21). We used this method to assess IF (mIF) during the first year after the kidney transplantation from 66 uncontrolled donors after circulatory death (uDCD). Both mIF and interstitial fibrosis (ci) according to the Banff classification significantly increased the first three months after transplantation. From M3 to M12, mIF significantly increased whereas Banff classification failed to highlight increase of ci. Moreover, mIF at M12 (p = 0.005) correlated with mean time to graft function recovery and was significantly associated with increase of creatininemia at M12 and at last follow-up. To conclude, the new morphometric image analysis method we developed, using a routine and cheap staining, may provide valuable tool to assess IF and thus to evaluate new sources of grafts.
Evaluation of micro-dosing fertilizer application on sorghum (Sorghum bicholor L) production at Wag-Lasta Areas of Amhara Region, Ethiopia
Authors: Sebnie Workat , Mengesha Merse , Girmay Gebrehana , Feyisa Tesfaye , Asgedom Belaynesh , Beza Gashaw , Dejene Dereje
Published: April 2020

Soil fertility management through inorganic fertilizer application in areas with moisture shortage needs due care. The fertilizer application fashion should vary from areas with ample moisture so that the plants can easily access and efficiently use it. Therefore, field experiment was conducted in 2014 and 2015 during the main cropping season under rain-fed condition to evaluate the effect of micro-dose application of N and P fertilizers on sorghum yield at Aybra and Shumshiha sites of Wag-Lasta areas in Amhara Region, Ethiopia where moisture shortage is acute. The treatments were comprised of a factorial combination of three levels of NP i.e. 1), 25% of the recommended NP = 10.25 kg N + 11.5 kg P2O5 ha−1, 2), 50% of the recommended NP = 20.5 kg N + 23 kg P2O5 ha−1 and 3), 75% of the recommended NP = 30.75 kg N + 34.75 kg P2O5 ha−1 and three N application times plus control (without fertilizer) and recommended NP (41 kg N ha−1 and 46 kg P2O5 ha−1). The experiment was laid down in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The fertilizers were applied to the spot where the seed was planted except for the recommended NP which was drilled to the planting rows right before planting. Phosphorus was applied at planting while nitrogen was applied in split as per the treatment setup. All soil and agronomic data were collected and analyzed following the standard procedures. The analysis of variance revealed that application of 30.75 kg N ha−1 and 34.5 kg P2O5 ha−1 (N applied 1/3 at sowing, 1/3 at emergence and 1/3 at 45 days after emergence) increased the grain yield by 122% over the control and 28.4% over the recommended NP and saves 25% of the recommended fertilizer at Aybra. While at Shumshiha-Lasta Lalibela, application of 20.5 kg N ha−1 and 23 kg P2O5 ha−1 (N applied 1/3 at sowing, 1/3 at emergence and 1/3 at 45 days after emergence) increased the grain yield by 174% over the control and 15% over the recommended NP and saves 50% of the recommended fertilizer. Therefore, micro-dosing application of 30.75 kg N ha−1 and 34.5 kg P2O5 ha−1 for Aybra-Sekota and of 20.5 kg N ha−1 and 23 kg P2O5 ha−1 for Shumshiha-Lasta Lalibela (N applied in three splits) are recommended for sorghum production.
Clinical Utility of Presacral Neurectomy as an Adjunct to Conservative Endometriosis Surgery: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Studies
Authors: Miller Larry E. , Bhattacharyya Ruemon , Miller Valerie M.
Published: April 2020

The objective of this review was to compare the efficacy and safety of conservative surgery with or without adjunctive presacral neurectomy (PN) for chronic endometriosis-related pelvic pain. In a systematic review with meta-analysis, randomized or nonrandomized controlled studies of conservative endometriosis surgery with or without adjunctive PN were included. Main outcomes were treatment failure (the proportion of women in which surgery failed to adequately resolve midline pain) and the frequency of operative and postoperative complications. A total of 7 studies with 8 group comparisons (3 randomized) representing 503 women (250 PN; 253 Control) were included. Over 34 months median follow-up, crude rates of treatment failure were 15.0% with PN and 40.9% with Controls (risk ratio = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.30 to 0.60, p < 0.001). The risk of postoperative constipation was higher with PN vs. Controls (12.5% vs. 0%, p = 0.024). No treatment group differences were observed for the risk of operative complications (0.6% vs. 0%, p = 0.498), reoperation (4.1% vs. 3.0%, p = 0.758) or urinary incontinence (5.0% vs. 0%, p = 0.195). Overall, in well-selected patients, conservative surgery with adjunctive PN may provide greater relief from midline pain and a similarly low rate of operative complications relative to conservative surgery alone but may increase the risk of constipation postoperatively. However, results were derived from mainly older and lower quality studies. Since then, surgical techniques to treat endometriosis have been improved and the effect of PN observed in prior studies should be confirmed in future studies in women in whom radical excision of deep infiltrating lesions is obtained.
Cell free DNA from respiratory pathogens is detectable in the blood plasma of Cystic Fibrosis patients
Authors: Barrett Sara L. Rassoulian , Holmes Elizabeth A. , Long Dustin R. , Shean Ryan C. , Bautista Gilbert E. , Ravishankar Sumedha , Peddu Vikas , Cookson Brad T. , Singh Pradeep K. , Greninger Alexander L. , Salipante Stephen J.
Published: April 2020

Diagnostically informative microbial cell-free DNA (cfDNA) can be detected from blood plasma during fulminant infections such as sepsis. However, the potential for DNA from airway pathogens to enter the circulation of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients during chronic infective states has not yet been evaluated. We assessed whether patient blood contained measurable quantities of cfDNA from CF respiratory microorganisms by sequencing plasma from 21 individuals with CF recruited from outpatient clinics and 12 healthy controls. To account for possible contamination with exogenous microbial nucleic acids, statistical significance of microbe-derived read counts from CF patients was determined relative to the healthy control population. In aggregate, relative abundance of microbial cfDNA was nearly an order of magnitude higher in CF patients than in healthy subjects (p = 8.0×10−3). 15 of 21 (71%) CF patients demonstrated cfDNA from one or more relevant organisms. In contrast, none of the healthy subjects evidenced significant microbial cfDNA for any of the organisms examined. Concordance of cfDNA with standard microbiological culture of contemporaneously collected patient sputum was variable. Our findings provide evidence that cfDNA from respiratory pathogens are present in the bloodstream of most CF patients, which could potentially be exploited for the purposes of noninvasive clinical diagnosis.
Interplay between Cellular Uptake, Intracellular Localization and the Cell Death Mechanism in Triphenylamine-Mediated Photoinduced Cell Death
Authors: Chennoufi Rahima , Trinh Ngoc-Duong , Simon Françoise , Bordeau Guillaume , Naud-Martin Delphine , Moussaron Albert , Cinquin Bertrand , Bougherara Houcine , Rambaud Béatrice , Tauc Patrick , Frochot Céline , Teulade-Fichou Marie-Paule , Mahuteau-Betzer Florence , Deprez Eric
Published: April 2020

Triphenylamines (TPAs) were previously shown to trigger cell death under prolonged one- or two-photon illumination. Their initial subcellular localization, before prolonged illumination, is exclusively cytoplasmic and they translocate to the nucleus upon photoactivation. However, depending on their structure, they display significant differences in terms of precise initial localization and subsequent photoinduced cell death mechanism. Here, we investigated the structural features of TPAs that influence cell death by studying a series of molecules differing by the number and chemical nature of vinyl branches. All compounds triggered cell death upon one-photon excitation, however to different extents, the nature of the electron acceptor group being determinant for the overall cell death efficiency. Photobleaching susceptibility was also an important parameter for discriminating efficient/inefficient compounds in two-photon experiments. Furthermore, the number of branches, but not their chemical nature, was crucial for determining the cellular uptake mechanism of TPAs and their intracellular fate. The uptake of all TPAs is an active endocytic process but two- and three-branch compounds are taken up via distinct endocytosis pathways, clathrin-dependent or -independent (predominantly caveolae-dependent), respectively. Two-branch TPAs preferentially target mitochondria and photoinduce both apoptosis and a proper necrotic process, whereas three-branch TPAs preferentially target late endosomes and photoinduce apoptosis only.
Bidirectional competitive interactions between motor memory and declarative memory during interleaved learning
Authors: Kim Sungshin
Published: April 2020

Distinct motor and declarative memory systems are widely thought to compete during memory consolidation and retrieval, yet the nature of their interactions during learning is less clear. Recent studies have suggested motor learning not only depend on implicit motor memory system supporting gradual tuning of responses by feedback but also depend on explicit declarative memory system. However, this competition has been identified when both systems are engaged in learning the same material (motor information), and so competition might be emphasized. We tested whether such competition also occurs when learning involved separate motor memory and declarative information presented distinctly but yet in close temporal proximity. We measured behavioral and brain-activity correlates of motor-declarative competition during learning using a novel task with interleaved motor-adaptation and declarative-learning demands. Despite unrelated motor versus declarative information and temporal segregation, motor learning interfered with declarative learning and declarative learning interfered with motor learning. This reciprocal competition was tightly coupled to corresponding reductions of fMRI activity in motor versus declarative learning systems. These findings suggest that distinct motor and declarative learning systems compete even when they are engaged by system-specific demands in close temporal proximity during memory formation.
Publisher Correction: ‘Mainland-island’ population structure of a terrestrial salamander in a forest-bocage landscape with little evidence for in situ ecological speciation
Authors: Arntzen Jan W. , van Belkom Joep
Published: April 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Amorphous Ni–Fe–Se hollow nanospheres electrodeposited on nickel foam as a highly active and bifunctional catalyst for alkaline water splitting
Authors: Yi Xuerui , He Xiaobo , Yin Fengxiang , Chen Biaohua , Li Guoru , Yin Huaqiang
Published: April 2020

The electrodeposition of amorphous Ni–Fe–Se hollow nanospheres as a highly efficient bifunctional catalyst for the sustainable production of hydrogen.
Structural design of cubic Sr,V:CeFeO3 thin films with a strong magneto-optical effect and high compatibility with a Si substrate
Authors: Lin Nanxi , Zhang Shengnan , Chen Haixin , Chen Yunjin , Chen Xin , Zhang Yongfan , Hu Xiaolin , Zhuang Naifeng
Published: April 2020

Orthorhombic CeFeO3 is optimized to be cubic perovskite with high compatibility with Si substrate by introducing Sr, V ions into lattice. Cubic Sr,V:CeFeO3 film exhibit strong magneto-optical effect due to spin-coupling hybrid of Ce 4f with Fe/V 3d.
Improving the Cd2+ detection capability of a new anionic rare earth metal–organic framework based on a [RE6(μ3-OH)8]10+ secondary building unit: an ion-exchange approach towards more efficient sensors
Authors: Panagiotou Nikos , Evangelou Kasiani , Psalti Athanasia , Varnava Nektaria , Angeli Giasemi K. , Trikalitis Pantelis N. , Plakatouras John C. , Lazarides Theodore , Tasiopoulos Anastasios J.
Published: April 2020

A new family of microporous anionic rare earth (RE) MOFs based on a hexanuclear (RE)6 secondary building unit along with a post-synthetic ion-exchange method to enhance the metal ion sensing capability of anionic MOFs are reported.
A dual-functional PDMS-assisted paper-based SERS platform for the reliable detection of thiram residue both on fruit surfaces and in juice
Authors: Lin Shuang , Hasi Wuliji , Han Siqingaowa , Lin Xiang , Wang Li
Published: April 2020

A dual-functional SERS platform was developed via a paper-based substrate assisted by PDMS for measurements of thiram on fruit surfaces and in juice.
Non-oscillatory micromotors “learn” to oscillate on-the-fly from oscillating Ag micromotors
Authors: Zhou Chao , Wang Qizhang , Lv Xianglong , Wang Wei
Published: April 2020

Oscillating Ag-containing micromotors release silver ions that diffuse and deposit on the surface of Au–Rh microrods, which then learn to oscillate individually or collectively as a wave.
Effects of ligand substituents on the single-molecule magnetic behavior of quinonoid-bridged dicobalt compounds
Authors: Zhu Xiao-Quan , Cao Wen-Hai , Su Shao-Dong , Wu Xin-Tao , Sheng Tian-Lu
Published: April 2020

The SMM behavior weakens until its disappearance with the substituent changing from Br, H to OMe in the quinonoid-bridged dicobalt compounds [(N4Co)2LX](ClO4)2, (X = H, Cl, Br, and OMe).
Solid-state 1D → 3D transformation of polynitrile-based coordination polymers by dehydration reaction
Authors: Dmitrienko Artem O. , Buzin Mikhail I. , Setifi Zouaoui , Setifi Fatima , Alexandrov Eugeny V. , Voronova Evgeniia D. , Vologzhanina Anna V.
Published: April 2020

The first topological analysis of solid-state transformations caused by the dehydration reaction and rearrangement of a flexible polytopic ligand is reported.
A hemilabile manganese(i)–phenol complex and its coordination induced O–H bond weakening
Authors: Kadassery Karthika J. , Crawley Matthew R. , MacMillan Samantha N. , Lacy David C.
Published: April 2020

Synthesis and characterization of [(HPO)(PO)Mn(CO)2 (H1), a phenol bound first-row transition metal complex, is reported. Thermochemical analysis of H1 indicated the presence of coordination induced O–H bond weakening.
Retraction: Determination of chemical affinity of graphene oxide nanosheets with radionuclides investigated by macroscopic, spectroscopic and modeling techniques
Authors: Ding Congcong , Cheng Wencai , Sun Yubing , Wang Xiangke
Published: April 2020

Retraction of ‘Determination of chemical affinity of graphene oxide nanosheets with radionuclides investigated by macroscopic, spectroscopic and modeling techniques’ by Congcong Ding et al., Dalton Trans., 2014, 43, 3888–3896.
Retraction: Mutual effect of Cs(i) and Sr(ii) sorption on nano-talc investigated by EXAFS, modeling and theoretical calculations
Authors: Sun Yubing , Song Wencheng , Liu Yang , Hayat Tasawar , Alsaedi Ahmed , Ai Yuejie , Sharma Virender K. , Wang Xiangke
Published: April 2020

Retraction of ‘Mutual effect of Cs(i) and Sr(ii) sorption on nano-talc investigated by EXAFS, modeling and theoretical calculations’ by Yubing Sun et al., Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2019, 6, 672–683.
tert-Butyl-p-benzoquinone induces autophagy by inhibiting the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in RAW 264.7 cells
Authors: Meng Xianghe , Xia Chaosheng , Ye Qin , Nie Xiaohua
Published: April 2020

Autophagy mediate by p53/Akt/mTOR signaling was linked to overproduction of ROS bytert-butyl-p-benzoquinone.
Linc-ROR promotes arsenite-transformed keratinocyte proliferation by inhibiting P53 activity
Authors: Li Xinyang , Zuo Chao , Wu Mei , Zhang Zunzhen
Published: April 2020

Linc-ROR is an oncogenic long non-coding RNA over-expressed in many kinds of cancer that promotes cancer cell proliferation. Arsenite is a determined carcinogen that increases the risk of skin cancer, but the carcinogenic mechanism of arsenite remains unclear. To explore whether and how linc-ROR plays a role in arsenite-induced carcinogenesis of skin cancer, we established arsenite-transformed keratinocyte HaCaT cells by exposing them to 1 μM arsenite for 50 passages. Then we examined the linc-ROR expression during the transformation and explored the effect of linc-ROR on the cell proliferation of arsenite-transformed HaCaT cells. We found that the linc-ROR level in HaCaT cells was gradually increased during arsenite-induced malignant transformation, and the activity of P53 was decreased, but the P53 expression was not significantly altered, indicating that linc-ROR may play a role in arsenite-induced HaCaT cell transformation that is associated with P53 activity but not P53 expression. We further demonstrated that linc-ROR down-regulation by siRNA significantly inhibited the cellular proliferation and restored P53 activity in arsenite-transformed HaCaT cells, suggesting that linc-ROR promotes proliferation of arsenite-transformed HaCaT cells by inhibiting P53 activity. Moreover, linc-ROR siRNA also down-regulated the PI3K/AKT pathway in arsenite-transformed HaCaT cells, and treatment with AKT inhibitor wortmannin restored P53 activity, implying that linc-ROR inhibits P53 activity by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway. Taken together, the present study shows that linc-ROR promotes arsenite-transformed keratinocyte proliferation by inhibiting P53 activity through activating PI3K/AKT, providing a novel carcinogenic mechanism of arsenite-induced skin cancer.
Accelerating solid diffusion and suppressing phase transition in LiV3O8via calcium doping at lithium sites
Authors: Xu Yinsheng , Wang Xiaoxiao , Wang Zhengnan , Wang Shengping , Zhu Xiaoyan , Li Daoyu , Yu Jingxian
Published: April 2020

The phase transition of LiV3O8 from α phase to β phase during discharge/charge process leads to drastic structural change and rapid capacity decay, and consequent sluggish Li+ solid diffusion results in serious concentration polarization.
Correction: Synthetic-biology-based discovery of a fungal macrolide from Macrophomina phaseolina
Authors: Morishita Yohei , Sonohara Terutaka , Taniguchi Tohru , Adachi Kiyohiro , Fujita Makoto , Asai Teigo
Published: April 2020

Correction for ‘Synthetic-biology-based discovery of a fungal macrolide from Macrophomina phaseolina’ by Yohei Morishita et al., Org. Biomol. Chem., 2020, DOI: 10.1039/d0ob00519c.
AIEgen based polymorphs with solvent regulated crystal-to-crystal switch properties
Authors: Lai Liming , Fang Bing , Cheng Wenyu , Li Pengyu , Zhang Yantu , Yin Meizhen
Published: April 2020

An AIEgen with tunable polymorphism-dependent emission and solvent regulated crystal-to-crystal switch properties is reported. Our study has provided insight into the relationship between molecular stacking and emission properties.
Structure elucidation of the redox cofactor mycofactocin reveals oligo-glycosylation by MftF
Authors: Peña-Ortiz Luis , Graça Ana Patrícia , Guo Huijuan , Braga Daniel , Köllner Tobias G. , Regestein Lars , Beemelmanns Christine , Lackner Gerald
Published: April 2020

Metabolomics-driven discovery of the novel cofactor mycofactocin in mycobacteria revealed glycosylation with a cellulose-like sugar chain, regulation in response to ethanol and redox-activity.
Harnessing biomimetic cryptic bonds to form self-reinforcing gels
Authors: Biswas Santidan , Yashin Victor V. , Balazs Anna C.
Published: April 2020

Cryptic sites, which lay hidden in folded biomolecules, become exposed by applied force and form new bonds that reinforce the biomaterial.
Revisiting Reliability: Using Sampling Utterances and Grammatical Analysis Revised (SUGAR) to Compare 25- and 50-Utterance Language Samples
Authors: Pavelko Stacey L. , Price Larry R. , Owens Robert E.
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The goal of this study was to determine whether the results obtained from a 25-utterance conversational language sample were as reliable as those obtained from a 50-utterance sample.

Method

Robust conversational language samples from 220 children with typically developing language (106 boys, 114 girls) ranging in age from 3;2 to 7;10 (years;months) were collected. The language samples were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a 25-utterance condition and a 50-utterance condition. Transcripts were examined for three metrics, including mean length of utterance
SUGAR
, words per sentence, and clauses per sentence.

Results

Data were analyzed using two methods. A linear mixed-model analysis was used to assess absolute and relative reliability, and the Bland–Altman procedure was used to assess absolute reliability and clinical acceptability. Results of the mixed-model analysis indicated that mean length of utterance
SUGAR
and words per sentence demonstrated relative reliability; however, none of the metrics demonstrated absolute reliability. In contrast, results of the Bland–Altman scatter plots indicated that all three metrics demonstrated absolute reliability because 94%–96% of participants' scores fell within the limits of agreement. Taken together, the results suggested that the statistically significant differences indicated by the mixed-model analysis were not clinically significant.

Conclusion

These results highlighted the importance of using different methods of analysis in studies of reliability. The findings indicated that reliable language sample results can be obtained from 25-utterance samples. Furthermore, by including practices already in use (e.g., collecting samples ≤ 50 utterances) and including only minimal changes to current practices, the methods used in this study are feasible for school-based clinicians, could be easily integrated into clinical practice, and could increase the use of evidence-based assessment practices in schools.
Efficient method for the computation of lightning current distributions in wind turbine blades using the Fourier transform and the finite element method
Authors: Laudani Antonio Andrea Maria , Carloni Lisa , Thomsen Ole Thybo , Lewin Paul , Golosnoy Igor O.
Published: April 2020

Rotor blades of large, modern wind turbines are susceptible to lightning strikes. In order to produce a design that resists lightning strikes, it is crucial to simulate lightning current propagation in the blade components. Since the current in the blade is generated by the superposition of potential and induced electric fields, a coupling exists between electric and magnetic fields which need to be calculated by an imposed integral constraint at each time step. Commercial software packages can deal with such constraints, but it results in time‐consuming computations. Therefore, this work aims to develop a numerical methodology able to compute the voltage which drives the lightning current through the structure. In this way, the problem is reformulated as a voltage‐driven one which in turn allows a simple subsequent coupling of electrical and magnetic problems. The computation of the voltage waveform was accomplished using the fast Fourier transform and the finite element method (FEM) to compute the structure impedance in the frequency domain. The developed procedure showed high efficiency for a blade subjected to different lightning impulses. It allows a description of the time‐dependent lightning current to be given, as well as the distribution of current within the blade conductors.
Estimating density and magnetic field turbulence in solar flares using radio zebra observations
Authors: Karlický M. , Yasnov L.
Published: April 2020

Context. In solar flares the presence of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence is highly probable. However, information about this turbulence, especially the magnetic field turbulence, is still very limited.

Aims. In this paper we present a new method for estimating levels of the density and magnetic field turbulence in time and space during solar flares at positions of radio zebra sources.

Methods. First, considering the double-plasma resonance model of zebras, we describe a new method for determining the gyro-harmonic numbers of zebra stripes based on the assumption that the ratio R = Lb/Ln (Ln and Lb are the density and magnetic field scales) is constant in the whole zebra source.

Results. Applying both the method proposed in this work and one from a previous paper for comparison, in the 14 February 1999 zebra event we determined the gyro-harmonic numbers of zebra stripes. Then, using the zebra-stripe frequencies with these gyro-harmonic numbers, we estimated the density and magnetic field in the zebra-stripe sources as n = (2.95−4.35) × 1010 cm−3 and B = 17.2−31.9 G, respectively. Subsequently, assuming that the time variation of the zebra-stripe frequencies is caused by the plasma turbulence, we determined the level of the time varying density and magnetic field turbulence in zebra-stripe sources as |Δn/n|t = 0.0112–0.0149 and |ΔB/B|t = 0.0056–0.0074, respectively. The new method also shows deviations in the observed zebra-stripe frequencies from those in the model. We interpret these deviations as being caused by the spatially varying turbulence among zebra-stripe sources; i.e., they depend on their gyro-harmonic numbers. Comparing the observed and model zebra-stripe frequencies at a given time, we estimated the level of this turbulence in the density and magnetic field as |Δn/n|s = 0.0047 and |ΔB/B|s = 0.0024. We found that the turbulence levels depending on time and space in the 14 February 1999 zebra event are different. This indicates some anisotropy of the turbulence, probably caused by the magnetic field structure in the zebra source.