bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are noble gas molecules able to exhibit a superhalogen nature?
Authors: Sikorska Celina
Published: October 2016

The NgF6n+1− (Ng = Xe, Rn) anions exhibit much larger vertical detachment energies than the EA of halogen elements, confirming their superhalogen identities.
Grafting tertiary amine groups into the molecular structures of polycarboxylate superplasticizers lowers their clay sensitivity
Authors: Xing Guobing , Wang Wenping , Xu Jie
Published: October 2016

A monomer containing a tertiary amine group was employed to synthesize polycarboxylate superplasticizers (PCEs) preparing from acrylic acid (AA), itaconic acid (IA) and 2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DMAM).
Effects of Li2SO4·H2O amounts on morphologies of hydrothermal synthesized LiMnPO4 cathodes
Authors: Pan Xiaoliang , Zeng Yingying , Gao Zhi , Xie Shikun , Xiao Fen , Liu Lijun
Published: October 2016

The LiMnPO4 samples prepared with different Li2SO4·H2O amounts take on different dispersive characteristics and result in different electrochemical performances.
Control of the release of functional payloads from redox-responsive nanocapsules
Authors: Jiang Shuai , Landfester Katharina , Crespy Daniel
Published: October 2016

Stimuli-responsive nanocontainers allow for storage and controlled release of functional payloads in response to external stimuli.
Bioactivity guided isolation of oxypregnane-oligoglycosides (calotroposides) from the root bark of Calotropis gigantea as potent anticancer agents
Authors: Mahar Rohit , Dixit Shivani , Joshi Trapti , Kanojiya Sanjeev , Mishra Dipak K. , Konwar Rituraj , Shukla Sanjeev K.
Published: October 2016

Bioactivity guided isolation of oxypregnane-oligoglycosides (calotroposides) from the ethanolic extract of root bark ofCalotropis gigantea(L.) Dryand. with purple flowers has been performed and isolated pure compounds has been evaluated for anticancer activity.
Temperature tunable photonic band gap in polyvinylidene fluoride inverse opals
Authors: Yao Jitan , Wang Jin , Ji Muwei , Lan Chuwen , Liu Wenmei , Li Bo
Published: October 2016

Inverse polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) opals with a temperature tunable photonic band gap (PBG) were fabricated by the sol–gel process using SiO2 opal templates.
Ultra-long MWCNTs highly oriented in electrospun PVDF/MWCNT composite nanofibers with enhanced β phase
Authors: Liu Xia , Xu Sixing , Kuang Xuanlin , Wang Xiaohong
Published: October 2016

We report aligned PVDF/MWCNT composite nanofibers, in which micrometer-long MWCNTs are highly oriented within the polymer matrix and thus the β-phase formation is enhanced.
Highly enantioselective metallation–substitution alpha to a chiral nitrile
Authors: Sadhukhan Arghya , Hobbs Melanie C. , Meijer Anthony J. H. M. , Coldham Iain
Published: October 2016

Nitrile anions do not necessarily lack stereochemical integrity and we show good results for stereospecific reaction with a simple magnesium base.
Fullerene-free polymer solar cell based on a polythiophene derivative with an unprecedented energy loss of less than 0.5 eV
Authors: Zhang Hao , Li Sunsun , Xu Bowei , Yao Huifeng , Yang Bei , Hou Jianhui
Published: October 2016

A polymer solar cell was fabricated with a high open-circuit voltage of 1.13 V and a low energy loss of 0.46 eV.
Molecular simulation of pH-dependent diffusion, loading, and release of doxorubicin in graphene and graphene oxide drug delivery systems
Authors: Mahdavi Mina , Rahmani Farzin , Nouranian Sasan
Published: October 2016

We investigated the pH-dependent energetics and mechanisms of doxorubicin (DOX) drug adsorption on graphene oxide nanocarriers using molecular dynamics simulation.
A NIR fluorescent probe: imaging endogenous hydrogen peroxide during an autophagy process induced by rapamycin
Authors: Xu Feng , Li Haidong , Yao Qichao , Fan Jiangli , Wang Jingyun , Peng Xiaojun
Published: October 2016

A new near-infrared probe (Cy-B) was applied to monitor spontaneous hydrogen peroxide in an autophagy process induced by the stimulation of rapamycin.
The Impact of Dysphonic Voices on Healthy Listeners: Listener Reaction Times, Speech Intelligibility, and Listener Comprehension
Authors: Evitts Paul M. , Starmer Heather , Teets Kristine , Montgomery Christen , Calhoun Lauren , Schulze Allison , MacKenzie Jenna , Adams Lauren
Published: October 2016

Purpose

There is currently minimal information on the impact of dysphonia secondary to phonotrauma on listeners. Considering the high incidence of voice disorders with professional voice users, it is important to understand the impact of a dysphonic voice on their audiences.

Methods

Ninety-one healthy listeners (39 men, 52 women; mean age = 23.62 years) were presented with speech stimuli from 5 healthy speakers and 5 speakers diagnosed with dysphonia secondary to phonotrauma. Dependent variables included processing speed (reaction time [RT] ratio), speech intelligibility, and listener comprehension. Voice quality ratings were also obtained for all speakers by 3 expert listeners.

Results

Statistical results showed significant differences between RT ratio and number of speech intelligibility errors between healthy and dysphonic voices. There was not a significant difference in listener comprehension errors. Multiple regression analyses showed that voice quality ratings from the Consensus Assessment Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (Kempster, Gerratt, Verdolini Abbott, Barkmeier-Kraemer, & Hillman, 2009) were able to predict RT ratio and speech intelligibility but not listener comprehension.

Conclusions

Results of the study suggest that although listeners require more time to process and have more intelligibility errors when presented with speech stimuli from speakers with dysphonia secondary to phonotrauma, listener comprehension may not be affected.
A Usability Study of Internet-Based Therapy for Naming Deficits in Aphasia
Authors: Simic Tijana , Leonard Carol , Laird Laura , Cupit Jennifer , Höbler Fiona , Rochon Elizabeth
Published: October 2016

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the usability of delivering the Phonological Components Analysis treatment for anomia (Leonard, Rochon, & Laird, 2008) remotely via the Internet to individuals with chronic poststroke aphasia. A secondary aim was to probe the experiences and satisfaction of clinicians in administering treatment at a distance.

Method

Six individuals with mild–moderate aphasia and 2 trained clinicians participated in this usability study. Participants and clinicians underwent approximately 6 hr of treatment under observation by an independent observer. The usability characteristics of effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction were assessed.

Results

Individuals with aphasia used the Internet-based Phonological Components Analysis therapy successfully, demonstrating independence and very few errors in completing online tasks. Overall, participant satisfaction was high, despite occasional difficulties with technical aspects of the system. Clinicians found the application easy to use but raised concerns about the participant–clinician interaction, perceiving rapport-building and communicating to be more difficult online than face-to-face.

Conclusions

It is important to consider usability and the clinician's perspective in developing telepractice applications in speech-language pathology. Future directions include assessing the efficacy of remote treatment and collecting a larger sample of clinician data.
The Language Exposure Assessment Tool: Quantifying Language Exposure in Infants and Children
Authors: DeAnda Stephanie , Bosch Laura , Poulin-Dubois Diane , Zesiger Pascal , Friend Margaret
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The aim of this study was to develop the Language Exposure Assessment Tool (LEAT) and to examine its cross-linguistic validity, reliability, and utility. The LEAT is a computerized interview-style assessment that requests parents to estimate language exposure. The LEAT yields an automatic calculation of relative language exposure and captures qualitative aspects of early language experience.

Method

Relative language exposure as reported on the LEAT and vocabulary size at 17 months of age were measured in a group of bilingual language learners with varying levels of exposure to French and English or Spanish and English.

Results

The LEAT demonstrates high internal consistency and criterion validity. In addition, the LEAT's calculation of relative language exposure explains variability in vocabulary size above a single overall parent estimate.

Conclusions

The LEAT is a valid and efficient tool for characterizing early language experience across cultural settings and levels of language exposure. The LEAT could be a useful tool in clinical contexts to aid in determining whether assessment and intervention should be conducted in one or more languages.

Supplemental Material

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.14963934
Single VCO chipless RFID near‐field reader
Authors: Buchanan N.B. , Fusco V.
Published: October 2016

An extremely simple, low‐cost, chipless RFID reader is demonstrated. The reader consists of only a single voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) as the detector front end. The information from the chipless RFID tag appears as a low‐frequency variation on the VCO DC bias supply which is readily detected and demodulated. Experimental results are shown for successful detection of a 10‐bit RFID tag, operating over the frequency range 2.4–3.4 GHz. The results when compared with those taken from a vector network analyser (VNA) prove that the VCO detector can provide a similar level of performance to the more sophisticated VNA arrangement. The proposed solution provides a significant simplification of the chipless RFID reader.
Fitting‐based optimisation for image visual salient object detection
Authors: Niu Yuzhen , Lin Wenqi , Ke Xiao , Ke Lingling
Published: October 2016

To overcome some major problems with traditional saliency evaluation metrics, full‐reference image quality assessment (IQA) metrics, which have similar but stricter objectives, are used. Inspired by the root mean absolute error, the authors propose a fitting‐based optimisation method for salient object detection algorithms. Their algorithm analyses the quantitative relationship between saliency and ground truth values, and uses the derived relationship to fit the saliency values to the original saliency maps. This ensures that the resulting images, which are composed of fitted values, are closer to the ground truth. The proposed algorithm first computes the statistics of the ground truth and saliency maps computed by each salient object detection algorithm. These statistics are used to compute the parameters of four fitting models, which generally agree with the characteristics of the statistical data. For a new saliency map, they use the fitting model with the computed parameters to obtain the fitted saliency values, which are confined to the range [0, 255]. Finally, they evaluate their saliency optimisation algorithm using traditional evaluation metrics, IQA metrics, and a content‐based image retrieval application. The results show that the proposed approach improves the quality of the optimised saliency maps.
The Effect of a Surgical Skills Course on Confidence Levels of Rural General Practitioners: An Observational Study
Authors: Byrd Pippa , Ward Olga , Hamdorf Jeffrey
Published: October 2016

Objective To investigate the effect of a short surgical skills course on general practitioners' confidence levels to perform procedural skills.

Design Prospective observational study.

Setting The Clinical Evaluation and Training Centre, a practical skills-based educational facility, at The University of Western Australia.

Participants Medical practitioners who participated in these courses. Nurses, physiotherapists, and medical students were excluded. The response rate was 61% with 61 participants providing 788 responses for pre- and postcourse confidence levels regarding various surgical skills.

Intervention One- to two-day surgical skills courses consisting of presentations, demonstrations, and practical stations, facilitated by specialists.

Main Outcome Measures A two-page precourse and postcourse questionnaire was administered to medical practitioners on the day. Participants rated their confidence levels to perform skills addressed during the course on a 4-point Likert scale.

Results Of the 788 responses regarding confidence levels, 621 were rated as improved postcourse, 163 were rated as no change, and 4 were rated as lower postcourse. Seven of the courses showed a 25% median increase in confidence levels, and one course demonstrated a 50% median increase. All courses showed statistically significant results (p < 0.001).

Conclusion A short surgical skills course resulted in a statistically significant improvement in the confidence levels of rural general practitioners to perform these skills.
Sample environment for in situ synchrotron corrosion studies of materials in extreme environments
Authors: Elbakhshwan Mohamed S. , Gill Simerjeet K. , Motta Arthur T. , Weidner Randy , Anderson Thomas , Ecker Lynne E.
Published: October 2016

A new in situ sample environment has been designed and developed to study the interfacial interactions of nuclear cladding alloys with high temperature steam. The sample environment is particularly optimized for synchrotron X-ray diffraction studies for in situ structural analysis. The sample environment is highly corrosion resistant and can be readily adapted for steam environments. The in situ sample environment design complies with G2 ASTM standards for studying corrosion in zirconium and its alloys and offers remote temperature and pressure monitoring during the in situ data collection. The use of the in situ sample environment is exemplified by monitoring the oxidation of metallic zirconium during exposure to steam at 350 °C. The in situ sample environment provides a powerful tool for fundamental understanding of corrosion mechanisms by elucidating the substoichiometric oxide phases formed during the early stages of corrosion, which can provide a better understanding of the oxidation process.
Enhanced absorption of microwave radiations through flexible polyvinyl alcohol-carbon black/barium hexaferrite composite films
Authors: Kumar Sushil , Datt Gopal , Santhosh Kumar A. , Abhyankar A. C.
Published: October 2016

Flexible microwave absorber composite films of carbon black (CB)/barium hexaferrite nano-discs (BaF) in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix, fabricated by gel casting, exhibit ∼99.5% attenuation of electromagnetic waves in the entire 8–18 GHz (X and Ku-band) range. The X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy studies confirm the formation of CB-BaF-PVA composite films. The electromagnetic absorption properties of composite films are found to be enhanced with CB content due to the synergetic effect of multiple dielectric and magnetic losses. The 25 wt. % CB grafted PVA-BaF flexible composite films with a thickness of ∼ 2 mm exhibit effective electromagnetic shielding of 23.6 dB with a dominant contribution from absorption mechanism (SEA ∼  21 dB). The dielectric properties of composite films are further discussed by using the Debye model. The detailed analysis reveals that major contribution to dielectric losses is from dipolar and interfacial polarizations, whereas magnetic losses are predominantly from domain wall displacement.
Minimum entropy principle-based solar cell operation without a pn-junction and a thin CdS layer to extract the holes from the emitter
Authors: Böer Karl W.
Published: October 2016

The solar cell does not use a pn-junction to separate electrons from holes, but uses an undoped CdS layer that is p-type inverted when attached to a p-type collector and collects the holes while rejecting the backflow of electrons and thereby prevents junction leakage. The operation of the solar cell is determined by the minimum entropy principle of the cell and its external circuit that determines the electrochemical potential, i.e., the Fermi-level of the base electrode to the operating (maximum power point) voltage. It leaves the Fermi level of the metal electrode of the CdS unchanged, since CdS does not participate in the photo-emf. All photoelectric actions are generated by the holes excited from the light that causes the shift of the quasi-Fermi levels in the generator and supports the diffusion current in operating conditions. It is responsible for the measured solar maximum power current. The open circuit voltage (Voc) can approach its theoretical limit of the band gap of the collector at 0 K and the cell increases the efficiency at AM1 to 21% for a thin-film CdS/CdTe that is given as an example here. However, a series resistance of the CdS forces a limitation of its thickness to preferably below 200 Å to avoid unnecessary reduction in efficiency or Voc. The operation of the CdS solar cell does not involve heated carriers. It is initiated by the field at the CdS/CdTe interface that exceeds 20 kV/cm that is sufficient to cause extraction of holes by the CdS that is inverted to become p-type. Here a strong doubly charged intrinsic donor can cause a negative differential conductivity that switches-on a high-field domain that is stabilized by the minimum entropy principle and permits an efficient transport of the holes from the CdTe to the base electrode. Experimental results of the band model of CdS/CdTe solar cells are given and show that the conduction bands are connected in the dark, where the electron current must be continuous, and the valence bands are connected with light where the hole currents are dominant and must be continuous through the junction. The major shifts of the bands in operating conditions are self-adjusting by a change in the junction dipole momentum.
The impact of voltage independent carriers on implied voltage measurements on silicon devices
Authors: Juhl M. K. , Trupke T.
Published: October 2016

The electrical performance a solar cell is determined from direct measurements of the current voltage relationship, while the so-called implied current-voltage measurements are often performed to estimate the performance of partially processed samples. Implied current voltage measurements are commonly obtained from quasi steady state photoconductance and quasi steady state photoluminescence measurements, where the implied voltage is inferred from the average excess carrier density. As will be shown here, this approach can be problematic due to the presence of excess carriers that do not contribute to the terminal voltage. These carriers are referred to as voltage independent carriers, a concept that is not widely known or generally accepted. This paper provides the theoretical background for the distinction of voltage dependent and voltage independent carriers. It is shown that the relative impact of voltage independent carriers on implied voltage data depends strongly on device parameters and on the illumination wavelength. Practical limits are provided for these parameters for which the voltage independent carriers can be neglected and for which an implied voltage thus accurately reflects the junction voltage.
On the use of strain sensor technologies for strain modal analysis: Case studies in aeronautical applications
Authors: Marques dos Santos Fábio Luis , Peeters Bart
Published: October 2016

This paper discusses the use of optical fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and piezo strain sensors for structural dynamic measurements. For certain industrial applications, there is an interest to use strain sensors rather than in combination with accelerometers for experimental modal analysis. Classical electrical strain gauges can be used hereto, but other types of strain sensors are an interesting alternative with some very specific advantages. This work gives an overview of two types of dynamic strain sensors, applied to two industrial applications (a helicopter main rotor blade and an F-16 aircraft), FBG sensors and dynamic piezo strain sensors, discussing their use and benefits. Moreover, the concept of strain modal analysis is introduced and it is shown how it can be beneficial to apply strain measurements to experimental modal analysis. Finally, experimental results for the two applications are shown, with an experimental modal analysis carried out on the helicopter main rotor blade using FBG sensors and a similar experiment is done with the aircraft but using piezo strain sensors instead.
Effects of unrelaxed stress tension on the weakly nonlinear instability of viscoelastic sheets
Authors: Xie Luo , Yang Li-Jun , Fu Qing-Fei , Qin Li-Zi
Published: October 2016

The effects of unrelaxed stress tension on the instability of viscoelastic sheets have been investigated through a weakly nonlinear temporal analysis. The surrounding gas is inviscid, incompressible, and stationary. The Oldroyd-B model is applied to describe the rheologic properties of the viscoelastic fluids, which is appropriate for highly elastic “Boger fluids”; the high elasticity makes rational the assumption of constant unrelaxed tension. The analytical expression of the second-order amplitude and the dispersion relation have been obtained and solved numerically. Results show that increasing residual tension not only significantly suppresses the instability but also affects elasticity (viscosity) from enhancement (stabilization) to inhibition (destabilization). This may provide a qualitative explanation for the complex influences of elasticity observed in experiments. An energy budget has also been performed to explain the trend of the linear temporal growth rate versus the variation of parameters.
Traveling Lamb wave in elastic metamaterial layer
Authors: Shu Haisheng , Xu Lihuan , Shi Xiaona , Zhao Lei , Zhu Jie
Published: October 2016

The propagation of traveling Lamb wave in single layer of elastic metamaterial is investigated in this paper. We first categorized the traveling Lamb wave modes inside an elastic metamaterial layer according to different combinations (positive or negative) of effective medium parameters. Then the impacts of the frequency dependence of effective parameters on dispersion characteristics of traveling Lamb wave were studied. Distinct differences could be observed when comparing the traveling Lamb wave along an elastic metamaterial layer with one inside the traditional elastic layer. We further examined in detail the traveling Lamb wave mode supported in elastic metamaterial layer, when the effective P and S wave velocities were simultaneously imaginary. It was found that the effective modulus ratio is the key factor for the existence of special traveling wave mode, and the main results were verified by FEM simulations from two levels: the level of effective medium and the level of microstructure unit cell.
Type-II recombination dynamics of tensile-strained GaP quantum dots in GaAs grown by droplet epitaxy
Authors: Prongjit Patchareewan , Ratanathammaphan Somchai , Ha Neul , Mano Takaaki , Sakoda Kazuaki , Kuroda Takashi
Published: October 2016

We use droplet epitaxy to create tensile-strained GaP quantum dots in a GaAs matrix. A strong biaxial tensile strain leads to the formation of a type-II band lineup with a transition energy lower than the bulk GaAs band gap. The luminescence transients exhibit highly non-exponential decay behavior with an average time constant of 11 ± 2 μs, which is more than three orders of magnitude longer than the lifetime of standard type-I quantum dots. The prolonged luminescence decay time for the GaP/GaAs dots confirms the formation of the type-II band alignment associated with the tensile strain.
Onset of negative dispersion in one-component-plasma revisited
Authors: Khrapak Sergey A.
Published: October 2016

A simple approach to describe the long-wavelength dispersion of the longitudinal (plasmon) mode of the classical one-component-plasma (OCP), with the main objective to correctly capture the onset of negative dispersion, is discussed. The approach is applicable to both three-dimensional and two-dimensional OCP. The predicted onset of negative dispersion compares well with the available results from numerical simulations and more sophisticated theoretical models.
Opto-electronic characterization of three dimensional topological insulators
Authors: Plank H. , Danilov S. N. , Bel'kov V. V. , Shalygin V. A. , Kampmeier J. , Lanius M. , Mussler G. , Grützmacher D. , Ganichev S. D.
Published: October 2016

We demonstrate that the terahertz/infrared radiation induced photogalvanic effect, which is sensitive to the surface symmetry and scattering details, can be applied to study the high frequency conductivity of the surface states in (Bi1−xSbx)2Te3 based three dimensional (3D) topological insulators (TIs). In particular, measuring the polarization dependence of the photogalvanic current and scanning with a micrometre sized beam spot across the sample, provides access to (i) topographical inhomogeneities in the electronic properties of the surface states and (ii) the local domain orientation. An important advantage of the proposed method is that it can be applied to study TIs at room temperature and even in materials with a high electron density of bulk carriers.
Multilevel data storage in multilayer phase change material
Authors: Lu Yegang , Wang Miao , Song Sannian , Xia Mengjiao , Jia Yu , shen Xiang , Wang Guoxiang , Dai Shixun , Song Zhitang
Published: October 2016

Superlattice-like GaSb/Sb4Te phase change film was proposed for multilevel phase change memory with the feature of three stable resistance states. Two distinct transition temperatures of around 170 and 230 °C were observed in the superlattice-like GaSb/Sb4Te thin film. Under elevated temperature, the precipitated rhombohedral Sb phase was found in the Sb4Te layer, which was followed by the crystallization of rhombohedral Sb2Te3, whereas the GaSb layer remained almost in the amorphous state except the impinged Sb grains. The formation of percolation path for crystallization in the GaSb layer can account for the multilevel resistance states. For the GaSb/Sb4Te-based device, the reversibly electrical switching was realized under the electrical pulse as short as 10 ns, and the endurance was achieved at least 105 cycles among different resistance states.
A self-filling microfluidic device for noninvasive and time-resolved single red blood cell experiments
Authors: Göllner Michael , Toma Adriana C. , Strelnikova Natalja , Deshpande Siddharth , Pfohl Thomas
Published: October 2016

Existing approaches to red blood cell (RBC) experiments on the single-cell level usually rely on chemical or physical manipulations that often cause difficulties with preserving the RBC's integrity in a controlled microenvironment. Here, we introduce a straightforward, self-filling microfluidic device that autonomously separates and isolates single RBCs directly from unprocessed human blood samples and confines them in diffusion-controlled microchambers by solely exploiting their unique intrinsic properties. We were able to study the photo-induced oxygenation cycle of single functional RBCs by Raman microscopy without the limitations typically observed in optical tweezers based methods. Using bright-field microscopy, our noninvasive approach further enabled the time-resolved analysis of RBC flickering during the reversible shape evolution from the discocyte to the echinocyte morphology. Due to its specialized geometry, our device is particularly suited for studying the temporal behavior of single RBCs under precise control of their environment that will provide important insights into the RBC's biomedical and biophysical properties.
Canola, narrow-leafed lupin and wheat differ in growth response to low–moderate sodium on a potassium-deficient sandy soil
Authors: Ma Qifu , Bell Richard
Published: October 2016

Although soil salinity and potassium (K) deficiency are widespread in agricultural lands, there is a paucity of knowledge about the interactive effects of sodium (Na) and K on the growth and yield of major grain crops. In pot experiments, we examined salt tolerance of canola (Brassica napus L.), narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and crop K requirement under Na supply ranging from low to high. Plant growth and seed yield of all three crops were lower at 40 mg K/kg than at 100 mg K/kg soil. Although 100 mg Na/kg (4 dS/m in soil solution) had little effect on canola cv. Boomer and wheat cv. Wyalkatchem, the salt-treated narrow-leafed lupin cv. Mandelup died at 47 days after sowing, regardless of amount of soil K. In low-K soils, canola with 100 mg Na/kg and wheat with 50 mg Na/kg did not show K-deficiency symptoms and produced greater seed yield than plants with nil Na addition. At 100 mg K/kg, Na-induced reduction in growth and yield occurred only to plants with 200 mg Na/kg. However, at 160 mg K/kg, 200 mg Na/kg did not have an adverse effect. In canola and wheat, shoot K concentration increased and shoot Na concentration decreased with increasing amount of soil K; however, high soil K did not reduce shoot Na concentration in narrow-leafed lupin. The study showed that narrow-leafed lupin was very susceptible to salinity, whereas canola and wheat plants were relatively salt-tolerant. The stimulation of growth and yield in canola and wheat by low–moderate Na in low-K soils suggests partial K substitution by Na, and that adaptation of canola and wheat to salt-affected soils can be enhanced by high K supply.
Linking freshwater fishery management to global food security and biodiversity conservation
Authors: McIntyre Peter B. , Reidy Liermann Catherine A. , Revenga Carmen
Published: October 2016

Significance

Freshwaters rarely factor into global prioritization of fishery resources, partly because available spatial data on inland fisheries are coarse. Here, we develop a map of the world’s riverine fisheries and compare catches to fish diversity, ecosystem threats, and nutritional dependence. Fish species richness and ecoregional catches are positively but not causally correlated. Intensive harvests from the most biodiverse rivers raise conservation concerns, and numerous other stressors also threaten high-yield river fisheries. In human terms, poor nations depend far more on freshwater fisheries than aquaculture or marine sources. This intersection of poverty, food insecurity, biodiversity, and ecosystem threats suggests an urgent need to improve fishery management for the benefit of both humans and fishes.
Scaffoldless engineered enzyme assembly for enhanced methanol utilization
Authors: Price J. Vincent , Chen Long , Whitaker W. Brian , Papoutsakis Eleftherios , Chen Wilfred
Published: October 2016

Significance

Methane, the major natural-gas component, can be converted industrially to syngas (a mixture of CO
2
, CO, and H
2
), which is used to produce methanol, an important industrial precursor for producing commodity and specialty chemicals. Unlike methanol’s chemical conversion, which requires high temperature and pressure, its biological conversion, proceeding through its oxidation to formaldehyde, takes place at ambient conditions but suffers from relative low rates. As metabolite biosynthesis by industrial organisms utilizes NADH as an electron donor, methanol oxidation must be carried out by NAD-dependent methanol dehydrogenases, which have poor thermodynamic characteristics at mesophilic conditions. To solve this problem, we developed an engineering strategy for supramolecular enzyme assembly to dramatically enhance the carbon flux from methanol to the key intermediate fructose-6-phosphate.
Perceptual training profoundly alters binocular rivalry through both sensory and attentional enhancements
Authors: Dieter Kevin C. , Melnick Michael D. , Tadin Duje
Published: October 2016

Significance

Attention can exert a strong influence over perception, especially when multiple stimuli compete for processing resources. However, attention has relatively modest effects on binocular rivalry. Competitive interactions between the two eyes/stimuli unfold largely automatically, with observers unable to strongly bias perception toward either stimulus. Here, we demonstrate that this limitation can be overcome following prolonged perceptual training. Trained observers exhibited substantial changes in rivalry dynamics, with individual percepts occasionally stabilizing for tens of seconds. These large changes were mediated through both eye-specific changes in visual processing and enhanced attention to task-relevant features in the trained eye. Evidently, strong modulation of binocular rivalry can be achieved through training-induced plasticity of bottom-up sensory and top-down attentional mechanisms in low-level vision.
Nucleosomal arrangement affects single-molecule transcription dynamics
Authors: Fitz Veronika , Shin Jaeoh , Ehrlich Christoph , Farnung Lucas , Cramer Patrick , Zaburdaev Vasily , Grill Stephan W.
Published: October 2016

Significance

Transcription is the first step toward protein production. During transcription, a polymerase enzyme moves along DNA and copies it to RNA. In the cell, DNA is highly compacted: roughly 150 bp of DNA is wrapped around histone proteins to form a nucleosome. However, little is known about how closely spaced nucleosomes impact polymerase transcription. We performed single-molecule optical tweezers transcription experiments on dinucleosomal DNA templates. We show that the effect of the second nucleosome on polymerase transcription efficiency through the first one depends on the internucleosomal spacing and the rotational arrangement of the nucleosomes on the helical DNA template. Our findings provide insights into how DNA compaction affects transcription in vitro.
RNA-binding profiles of
Drosophila
CPEB proteins Orb and Orb2
Authors: Stepien Barbara Krystyna , Oppitz Cornelia , Gerlach Daniel , Dag Ugur , Novatchkova Maria , Krüttner Sebastian , Stark Alexander , Keleman Krystyna
Published: October 2016

Significance

Local protein synthesis is a highly used mechanism to create functional asymmetries within cells. It underlies diverse biological processes, including the development and function of the nervous and reproductive systems. Cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding (CPEB) proteins regulate local translation in early development, synaptic plasticity, and long-term memory. However, their binding specificity is not fully resolved. We used a transcriptome-wide approach and established that
Drosophila
representatives of two CPEB subfamilies, Orb and Orb2, regulate largely overlapping target mRNAs by binding to CPE-like sequences in their 3′ UTRs, potentially with a shift in specificity for motif variants. Moreover, our data suggest that a subset of these mRNAs is translationally regulated and involved in long-term memory.
Impact of El Niño Southern Oscillation on infectious disease hospitalization risk in the United States
Authors: Fisman David N. , Tuite Ashleigh R. , Brown Kevin A.
Published: October 2016

Although the global climate is changing at an unprecedented rate, links between weather and infectious disease have received little attention in high income countries. The “El Niño Southern Oscillation” (ENSO) occurs irregularly and is associated with changing temperature and precipitation patterns. We studied the impact of ENSO on infectious diseases in four census regions in the United States. We evaluated infectious diseases requiring hospitalization using the US National Hospital Discharge Survey (1970–2010) and five disease groupings that may undergo epidemiological shifts with changing climate: (
i
) vector-borne diseases, (
ii
) pneumonia and influenza, (
iii
) enteric disease, (
iv
) zoonotic bacterial disease, and (v) fungal disease. ENSO exposure was based on the Multivariate ENSO Index. Distributed lag models, with adjustment for seasonal oscillation and long-term trends, were used to evaluate the impact of ENSO on disease incidence over lags of up to 12 mo. ENSO was associated more with vector-borne disease [relative risk (RR) 2.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–8.48] and less with enteric disease (0.73, 95% CI 0.62–0.87) in the Western region; the increase in vector-borne disease was attributable to increased risk of rickettsioses and tick-borne infectious diseases. By contrast, ENSO was associated with more enteric disease in non-Western regions (RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.02–1.15). The periodic nature of ENSO may make it a useful natural experiment for evaluation of the impact of climatic shifts on infectious disease risk. The impact of ENSO suggests that warmer temperatures and extreme variation in precipitation events influence risks of vector-borne and enteric disease in the United States.
Climatic and evolutionary drivers of phase shifts in the plague epidemics of colonial India
Authors: Lewnard Joseph A. , Townsend Jeffrey P.
Published: October 2016

Significance

Whereas pathogens are a well-known selective pressure on host immunity, few empirical examples illustrate the coupled dynamics of transmission and evolution. After the arrival of plague in colonial India, a plague-resistant rat phenotype was reported to have become prevalent in the subcontinent’s hardest hit cities. Capitalizing on archival data from these investigations, we identify the evolution of resistance in rats as a driver of observed shifts of seasonal outbreaks in concert with the flea lifecycle and its climatic determinants. Disentangling climatic and evolutionary forcing, our findings—based on century-old observations and experiments by the Indian Plague Commission—substantiate the rapid emergence of host heterogeneity and show how evolutionary responses can buffer host populations against environmentally forced disease dynamics.
Examples of coupled human and environmental systems from the extractive industry and hydropower sector interfaces
Authors: Castro Marcia C. , Krieger Gary R. , Balge Marci Z. , Tanner Marcel , Utzinger Jürg , Whittaker Maxine , Singer Burton H.
Published: October 2016

Large-scale corporate projects, particularly those in extractive industries or hydropower development, have a history from early in the twentieth century of creating negative environmental, social, and health impacts on communities proximal to their operations. In many instances, especially for hydropower projects, the forced resettlement of entire communities was a feature in which local cultures and core human rights were severely impacted. These projects triggered an activist opposition that progressively expanded and became influential at both the host community level and with multilateral financial institutions. In parallel to, and spurred by, this activism, a shift occurred in 1969 with the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act in the United States, which required Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for certain types of industrial and infrastructure projects. Over the last four decades, there has been a global movement to develop a formal legal/regulatory EIA process for large industrial and infrastructure projects. In addition, social, health, and human rights impact assessments, with associated mitigation plans, were sequentially initiated and have increasingly influenced project design and relations among companies, host governments, and locally impacted communities. Often, beneficial community-level social, economic, and health programs have voluntarily been put in place by companies. These flagship programs can serve as benchmarks for community–corporate–government partnerships in the future. Here, we present examples of such positive phenomena and also focus attention on a myriad of challenges that still lie ahead.
Chromosome-refolding model of mating-type switching in yeast
Authors: Avşaroğlu Barış , Bronk Gabriel , Li Kevin , Haber James E. , Kondev Jane
Published: October 2016

Significance

Although many studies have shown that chromosomes are folded into cells in a nonrandom fashion, the functional significance of this spatial organization remains poorly understood. Combining theory and fluorescence microscopy, we demonstrate that the folded state of yeast chromosome III changes in response to a DNA double-strand break at the
MAT
locus, in agreement with previous studies. Importantly, we show that the change in the folded state of the chromosome after the break quantitatively accounts for the dynamics of homology search during DNA repair. Our study provides an example of a cell changing the folded state of one of its chromosomes in response to an internal chemical cue (DNA break), thereby affecting its function (DNA repair).
Primate-specific miR-515 family members inhibit key genes in human trophoblast differentiation and are upregulated in preeclampsia
Authors: Zhang Ming , Muralimanoharan Sribalasubashini , Wortman Alison C. , Mendelson Carole R.
Published: October 2016

Significance

Preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and leading cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, is associated with defective placental implantation and vascularization. Herein, we characterized regulation and function of miR-515-5p, which belongs to the primate- and placenta-specific chromosome 19 miRNA cluster, one of the largest miRNA clusters in humans. We observed that miR-515-5p was markedly downregulated during human syncytiotrophoblast differentiation and upregulated in placentas from preeclamptic women. miR-515-5p overexpression inhibited syncytiotrophoblast differentiation. Important miR-515-5p targets were identified, including hCYP19A1/aromatase, transcription factor glial cells missing 1 and WNT receptor, frizzled 5, which share critical roles in trophoblast differentiation. Thus, miR-515-5p may serve a key role in human trophoblast differentiation and provide a marker and therapeutic target for preeclampsia.
Fungal DNA virus infects a mycophagous insect and utilizes it as a transmission vector
Authors: Liu Si , Xie Jiatao , Cheng Jiasen , Li Bo , Chen Tao , Fu Yanping , Li Guoqing , Wang Manqun , Jin Huanan , Wan Hu , Jiang Daohong
Published: October 2016

Significance

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
hypovirulence-associated DNA virus 1 (SsHADV-1) was originally isolated from a fungal pathogen; recent research revealed that SsHADV-1–like viruses are widespread in various niches including human tissues. Here, we discovered that SsHADV-1 could infect a mycophagous insect,
Lycoriella ingenua
, when larvae fed on virus-infected fungus; and viruliferous adults could transmit SsHADV-1 transovarially. We further found that SsHADV-1–infected fungus could suppress the production of repellent volatile substances to attract adults to lay eggs on its colony and that virus infection could stimulate female adults to produce more eggs. Our findings may facilitate the exploration of mycoviruses to control fungal diseases and suggest that insects may play an important role in the transmission and distribution of these newly emerging viruses.
FASN regulates cellular response to genotoxic treatments by increasing PARP-1 expression and DNA repair activity via NF-κB and SP1
Authors: Wu Xi , Dong Zizheng , Wang Chao J. , Barlow Lincoln James , Fako Valerie , Serrano Moises A. , Zou Yue , Liu Jing-Yuan , Zhang Jian-Ting
Published: October 2016

Significance

The findings of this study have revealed a potential molecular pathway for how fatty acid synthase (FASN) overexpression causes drug and radiation resistance and contributes to poor clinical prognosis of cancer diseases. FASN is the sole cytosolic enzyme responsible for de novo lipid synthesis, required for cancer cell survival but not for most normal nonadipose tissues. The finding that FASN regulates DNA repair by regulating specificity protein 1 and NF-κB in cancer cell responses to anticancer treatments will have a profound impact on designing future treatment strategies. It will also help establish FASN as a target for therapeutic discovery to sensitize drug and radiation resistance.
Daptomycin inhibits cell envelope synthesis by interfering with fluid membrane microdomains
Authors: Müller Anna , Wenzel Michaela , Strahl Henrik , Grein Fabian , Saaki Terrens N. V. , Kohl Bastian , Siersma Tjalling , Bandow Julia E. , Sahl Hans-Georg , Schneider Tanja , Hamoen Leendert W.
Published: October 2016

Significance

To date, simple membrane pore formation resulting in cytoplasmic leakage is the prevailing model for how membrane-active antibiotics kill bacteria and also is one of the main explanations for the activity of the membrane-binding antibiotic daptomycin. However, such models, typically derived from model membrane studies, often depict membranes as homogenous lipid bilayers. They do not take into account the complex architecture of biological membranes, with their many different membrane proteins, or the presence of microdomains with different fluidity properties. Here we report that daptomycin perturbs fluid microdomains in bacterial cell membranes, thereby interfering with membrane-bound cell wall and lipid synthesis processes. Our results add a different perspective as to how membrane-active antibiotics can kill bacteria.
Calcium transport into the cells of the sea urchin larva in relation to spicule formation
Authors: Vidavsky Netta , Addadi Sefi , Schertel Andreas , Ben-Ezra David , Shpigel Muki , Addadi Lia , Weiner Steve
Published: October 2016

Significance

A major challenge in biomineralization is to determine the pathways by which calcium is transferred from external sources to the mineralization site. Using the membrane-impermeable calcium-binding dye calcein and fluorescent dextran, in conjunction or not with a calcium channel blocker, we show that both molecules readily enter the body cavity of sea urchin larvae and the cells responsible for skeleton formation. The documented existence of vesicles in these cells that form openings to the body cavity supports the notion that a major calcium uptake pathway involves direct incorporation of sea water into the cells by endocytosis. This pathway, if proven to be widespread among organisms of other phyla, would radically change our understanding of calcium transport in biomineralization.
Magnetic phase diagram of underdoped YBa
2
Cu
3
O

y

inferred from torque magnetization and thermal conductivity
Authors: Yu Fan , Hirschberger Max , Loew Toshinao , Li Gang , Lawson Benjamin J. , Asaba Tomoya , Kemper J. B. , Liang Tian , Porras Juan , Boebinger Gregory S. , Singleton John , Keimer Bernhard , Li Lu , Ong N. Phuan
Published: October 2016

Significance

We obtain the magnetic phase diagram in the underdoped cuprate YBa
2
Cu
3
O

y

using torque magnetometry at temperatures 0.3–70 K and magnetic fields up to 45 T. At low fields, vortices (quantized flux tubes) form a vortex solid that is strongly pinned to the lattice. At large fields, melting of the solid to a vortex liquid produces nonzero dissipation. However, the vortex liquid persists to fields above 41 T. We have also mapped out the “transition” fields at which the charge-density–wave state (observed in X-ray diffraction experiments) becomes stable. Our results show that, in intense fields, superconductivity adjusts to coexist with the charge-density wave, but the Cooper pairs, which define the superconducting fluid, survive to fields well above 41 T.
Polymeric nanofiber coating with tunable combinatorial antibiotic delivery prevents biofilm-associated infection in vivo
Authors: Ashbaugh Alyssa G. , Jiang Xuesong , Zheng Jesse , Tsai Andrew S. , Kim Woo-Shin , Thompson John M. , Miller Robert J. , Shahbazian Jonathan H. , Wang Yu , Dillen Carly A. , Ordonez Alvaro A. , Chang Yong S. , Jain Sanjay K. , Jones Lynne C. , Sterling Robert S. , Mao Hai-Quan , Miller Lloyd S.
Published: October 2016

Significance

Biofilm infections are a major complication associated with implantable medical devices and prostheses, which are exceedingly difficult to treat. To date, there has been no effective clinical solution that combines antibacterial efficiency with excellent osseointegration. Here, a nanofiber-based conformal coating capable of controlled and independent local delivery of two or more combinatorial antibiotics was developed to provide optimal antimicrobial activity for the prevention of biofilm-associated infections. In a preclinical animal model of orthopedic-implant infection, this technology demonstrated complete bacterial clearance from the implant and surrounding bone/joint tissue while promoting osseointegration. This tunable nanofiber composite coating could be highly effective in preventing medical device infections in patients.