bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
… ETIAM PER PRAEPOSTEROS HOMINES …: A NOTE ON AUGUSTINE, CONFESSIONES 9.18
Authors: Guldentops Guy
Published: June 2019

In Book 9 of his Confessions, Augustine recounts that his mother Monica told him how ‘a weakness for wine gradually got grip upon her’ as a little girl. After some time, so the story goes, God healed her from her bad habit. In this context, Augustine observes: ‘When father and mother and nurses are not there, you are present. You have created us, you call us, you use human authorities set over us to do something for the health of our souls.’ Even though at first sight this passage does not seem to pose any problems, one wonders about the exact meaning of the last part: etiam per praepositos homines boni aliquid agis ad animarum salutem. First, it is to be noted that Henry Chadwick's translation cited here leaves etiam untranslated. Moreover, it is not certain at all that Augustine really wants to say that God heals human souls ‘even by those human beings who are set over us’. As the subsequent lines of this paragraph make clear, God freed Monica from her sin through her servant, who scoffingly called her young mistress ‘a little boozer’ (meribibulam). This renders the phrase etiam per praepositos homines problematic, on the one hand, because the meaning of etiam (which often implies a kind of gradation) is unclear and, on the other, because it is difficult to regard Monica's servant as one of the ‘human authorities’. Nothing in the text compels us to identify this servant with the old famula of Monica's parents who, according to the preceding paragraph (9.17), was ‘vehement with a holy severity in administering correction and soberly prudent in her teaching’. At any rate, the ancilla mentioned here (9.18) is depicted not as an authoritative person but rather as someone who quarrels with her young domina (that is, with Monica), not in order to heal or educate her but merely to irritate her.
Do central vestibular findings predict abnormal findings on magnetic resonance imaging?
Authors: Mankekar G , Jeha G , Erbele I , Klumpp M , Sevy A , Mehta R , Son L , Arriaga M A
Published: June 2019

Objective

To determine whether central findings from vestibular tests predict abnormal findings on magnetic resonance imaging.

Method

This study was a retrospective case series at a tertiary referral centre. The main outcome measure of this diagnostic intervention study was the positive predictive value of central vestibular findings in relation to magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities.

Results

Central vestibular findings had a 50.9 per cent positive predictive value for magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities across all age groups although they varied according to age group. Optokinetic nystagmus (p < 0.05) and abnormal findings on videonystagmography tests (p < 0.05) were the main predictors of magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities. White matter lesions constituted the bulk of the central lesions on magnetic resonance imaging followed by cortical and cerebellar atrophy.

Conclusion

Central vestibular findings had a 50.9 per cent positive predictive value for magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities across all age groups. Magnetic resonance imaging is medically justified to further evaluate patients with central findings on vestibular studies. Therefore, it is reasonable to request magnetic resonance imaging in these patients.
PRODUCT-FORM MARKOVIAN QUEUEING SYSTEMS WITH MULTIPLE RESOURCES
Authors: Naumov Valeriy , Samouylov Konstantin
Published: June 2019

In the paper, we study general Markovian models of loss systems with random resource requirements, in which customers at arrival occupy random quantities of various resources and release them at departure. Customers may request negative quantities of resources, but total amount of resources allocated to customers should be nonnegative and cannot exceed predefined maximum levels. Allocating a negative volume of a resource to a customer leads to a temporary increase in its volume in the system. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the product-form of the stationary probability distribution of the Markov jump process describing the system.
Flying into extinction: Understanding the role of Singapore’s international parrot trade in growing domestic demand
Authors: ALOYSIUS SCOTT LI MENG , YONG DING LI , LEE JESSICA G. , JAIN ANUJ
Published: June 2019

South-East Asia’s bird trade is of global conservation concern as it has massively depleted wild populations of many species. Parrots (Order Psittaciformes) are especially vulnerable because they are the most heavily traded group of birds globally under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) appendices. Singapore’s involvement in the global pet bird trade as a transhipment hub is well documented, particularly for parrots. Yet, much less is known about the links between its domestic and international trade. We attempt to quantify this relationship by comparing bird trade data on the CITES database with past market surveys of pet shops, complemented with semi-structured interviews with 30 parrot owners in Singapore. We report a decline in total imports and exports of CITES-listed birds in Singapore from 2005 to 2016, consistent with global trends after the European Union trade ban on wild bird imports. However, parrots continue to make up the majority of total imports; and there was a yearly increase in the percentage of parrot imports out of total imports. In addition, we report a difference in imports and exports of 54,207 CITES I, II and III listed birds into Singapore i.e. birds imported but not re-exported. A substantial proportion of these birds were possibly channelled into the domestic pet trade or used as breeding stock. Interviews with parrot owners confirmed the growing demand and popularity of parrots and particularly of larger species. We conclude that the domestic demand for parrots may have been previously underestimated, and make recommendations to manage Singapore’s international and domestic pet bird trade such as implementing a licensing and records system to track the movement of birds.
Giant right pulmonary artery aneurysm in a systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt
Authors: Martínez-Quintana Efrén , Medina-Gil Jose M. , Marrero-Brito Jorge
Published: June 2019

Aneurysms of the pulmonary arteries and trunk are rare entities. The Waterston shunt is a palliative procedure for children with cyanotic CHD due to obstruction of the pulmonary outflow. Described complications are distortion of the pulmonary artery and pulmonary arterial hypertension. We report a patient with a giant right pulmonary artery aneurysm in relation to a Waterston shunt.
H. G. Wells's Plant Plot: Horticulture and Ecological Narration inThe Time Machine
Authors: Bowden Mary
Published: June 2019

H. G. Wells'sThe Time Machine(1895) imagines the environmental consequences of two important Victorian horticultural trends: artificial selection and selective breeding. Victorian horticulturalists glorified these techniques as steps toward the subjugation of the natural environment. This horticultural narrative of environmental control seemingly reaches its apex in the novel's future world of 802,701: Wells's Time Traveller believes he has entered an environment perfectly engineered to suit human needs. While critical attention has typically focused on the novel's humans, I use its engagement with contemporary horticulture to describe a plant-centered plotline. Building on critical work that argues for the possibility of nonhuman narrative agency, I read the novel's plants as minor characters. I argue that Wells's novel pits its plant and human characters against one another in competing plotlines, in a narrative refraction of ecological competition. Earlier ecocritical analyses of Victorian works have pointed to the harmonious entanglement of humans with the nonhuman vegetal environment. I argue that ecological competition, as exemplified both in horticultural narratives’ descriptions of environmental subjugation and in Wells's competing plant and human plots, was also a significant source of inspiration for Victorian environmental depictions.
Binge eating disorder revisited: what’s new, what’s different, what’s next
Authors: Citrome Leslie
Published: June 2019

Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common type of eating disorder. According to the most recent data available, the estimated lifetime prevalence of BED among US adults in the general population is 0.85% (men 0.42% and women 1.25%). Among psychiatric treatment populations, prevalence is several-fold higher. Although many people with BED are obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2), roughly half are not. In the DSM-5, BED is defined by recurrent episodes of binge eating (eating in a discrete period of time, an amount of food larger than most people would eat in a similar amount of time under similar circumstancesanda sense of lack of control over eating during the episode), occurring on average at least once a week for 3 months, and associated with marked distress. BED often goes unrecognized and thus untreated; in one study, 344 of 22,387 (1.5%) survey respondents met DSM-5 criteria for BED, but only 11 out of the 344 had ever been diagnosed with BED by a health-care provider. Psychiatric comorbidities are very common, with most adults with BED also experiencing anxiety disorders, mood disorders, impulse control disorders, or substance use disorders, suggesting that clinicians have patients in their practice with unrecognized BED. Multiple neurobiological explanations have been suggested for BED, including dysregulation in reward center and impulse control circuitry. Additionally, there is interplay between genetic influences and environmental stressors. Psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioral interventions have been recommended as first line and are supported by meta-analytic reviews; however, access to such treatments may be limited because of local availability and/or cost, and these treatments generally lead to little to no weight loss, although successfully eliminating binge eating can protect against future weight gain. Routine medication treatments for anxiety and depression do not necessarily ameliorate the symptoms of BED, but there are approved and emerging medication options, lisdexamfetamine and dasotraline, respectively, that specifically address the core drivers behind binge eating, namely obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors regarding food, resulting in marked decreases in binge eating behaviors as well as weight loss.
Twenty-Five and Up (25Up) Study: A New Wave of the Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study
Authors: Mitchell Brittany L. , Campos Adrian I. , Rentería Miguel E. , Parker Richard , Sullivan Lenore , McAloney Kerrie , Couvy-Duchesne Baptiste , Medland Sarah E. , Gillespie Nathan A. , Scott Jan , Zietsch Brendan P. , Lind Penelope A. , Martin Nicholas G. , Hickie Ian B.
Published: June 2019

The aim of the 25 and Up (25Up) study was to assess a wide range of psychological and behavioral risk factors behind mental illness in a large cohort of Australian twins and their non-twin siblings. Participants had already been studied longitudinally from the age of 12 and most recently in the 19Up study (mean age = 26.1 years, SD = 4.1, range = 20–39). This subsequent wave follows up these twins several years later in life (mean age = 29.7 years, SD = 2.2, range =  22–44). The resulting data set enables additional detailed investigations of genetic pathways underlying psychiatric illnesses in the Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study (BLTS). Data were collected between 2016 and 2018 from 2540 twins and their non-twin siblings (59% female, including 341 monozygotic complete twin-pairs, 415 dizygotic complete pairs and 1028 non-twin siblings and singletons). Participants were from South-East Queensland, Australia, and the sample was of predominantly European ancestry. The 25Up study collected information on 20 different mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, substance use, psychosis, bipolar and attention-deficit hyper-activity disorder, as well as general demographic information such as occupation, education level, number of children, self-perceived IQ and household environment. In this article, we describe the prevalence, comorbidities and age of onset for all 20 examined disorders. The 25Up study also assessed general and physical health, including physical activity, sleep patterns, eating behaviors, baldness, acne, migraines and allergies, as well as psychosocial items such as suicidality, perceived stress, loneliness, aggression, sleep–wake cycle, sexual identity and preferences, technology and internet use, traumatic life events, gambling and cyberbullying. In addition, 25Up assessed female health traits such as morning sickness, breastfeeding and endometriosis. Furthermore, given that the 25Up study is an extension of previous BLTS studies, 86% of participants have already been genotyped. This rich resource will enable the assessment of epidemiological risk factors, as well as the heritability and genetic correlations of mental conditions.
Adaptation and Application of the Measuring Early Learning Quality and Outcomes (MELQO) Framework to Early Childhood Education Settings in Colombia
Authors: Ponguta Liliana Angelica , Maldonado-Carreño Carolina , Kagan Sharon Lynn , Yoshikawa Hirokazu , Nieto Ana María , Aragón Carlos Andrés , Mateus Angy , Rodríguez Ana María , Motta Andrés , Varela Lucero Ramirez , Guerrero Paola Andrea , Escallon Eduardo
Published: June 2019

Abstract. In Colombia, the national law De Cero a Siempre (DCAS) provides a framework for holistic and integrated early childhood development and education for all children. Against the backdrop of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the DCAS policy objectives, Colombia set out to apply a comprehensive measure to track the quality of early childhood education programs that would inform pedagogical, programmatic, and policy strategies. Our study describes the process whereby key stakeholders selected, adapted, validated, and applied the Measuring Early Learning Quality and Outcomes (MELQO) framework to characterize the quality of early childhood education at scale in the country. We describe the phases that led to the application of the different instrument modules, and the key enablers and challenges to the process. The paper includes implications for policy, practice, and research in Colombia and discusses lessons learned with relevance to the Latin American and global contexts.
Illuminating the Use of the Specificity Principle to Go Inside the Black Box of Programs
Authors: Tirrell Jonathan M. , Gansert Patricia K. , Dowling Elizabeth M. , Geldhof G. John , Lerner Jacqueline V. , King Pamela Ebstyne , Iraheta Guillermo , Williams Kate , Sim Alistair T. R. , Lerner Richard M.
Published: June 2019

Abstract. The UN 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for disaggregating results of program effectiveness within subgroups. Using the Bornstein (2017) specificity principle, involving within-group assessments regarding what specific youth prosper in what specific ways in what specific programs, we analyzed data from 888 Salvadoran youth (50% female), aged 9–15 years ( M = 11.60 years, SD = 1.7), participating in the Compassion International (CI) Study of Positive Youth Development (PYD). We compared CI-supported youth with non-CI-supported youth on nine variables related to PYD, intentional self-regulation, hopeful future expectations, and spirituality. Whereas tests of group averages indicated no meaningful differences, disaggregated results across 20 program sites indicated that 2 sites showed no group differences, 7 sites showed better CI-supported youth performance, 3 sites showed better non-CI-supported youth performance, and 8 sites showed a mixed pattern. We discuss the use of the specificity principle in future assessments of SDG indicators.
A Multiwavelength Retrieval Approach for Improved OSIRIS Aerosol Extinction Retrievals
Authors: Rieger L. A. , Zawada D. J. , Bourassa A. E. , Degenstein D. A.
Published: June 2019

The Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System (OSIRIS) on board the Odin satellite has been used to provide vertically resolved aerosol extinction since 2001. The OSIRIS version 5.07 aerosol product has been used in numerous studies and now provides a 17‐year record of global stratospheric aerosol. This work presents the new version 7 OSIRIS aerosol extinction retrieval. A multiwavelength aerosol extinction algorithm has been developed to reduce measurement geometry biases and improve extinction retrieval in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. The Chen et al. (2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-1239-2016) cloud detection algorithm has been adapted for the OSIRIS wavelength range for improved cloud screening and polar stratospheric cloud detection, and comparisons after volcanic eruptions and with the CALIPSO‐GOCCP product show promising results. The version 7 product shows comparable agreement with version 5.07 when compared to coincident SAGE II and SAGE III measurements, and improved agreement with CALIPSO time series. The algorithm has been applied to the complete set of OSIRIS measurements, and the new data set is now publicly available.
Calibration and Validation of Environmental Controls on Planktic Foraminifera Mg/Ca Using Global Core‐Top Data
Authors: Saenger Casey P. , Evans Michael N.
Published: June 2019

The Mg/Ca of planktic foraminifera is commonly assumed to be a univariate function of ocean temperature, but recent work suggests that nonthermal variables may have a secondary effect, thereby complicating an inverse approach for paleotemperature reconstructions. However, the significance of secondary variables has not been independently validated, and their inclusion may reflect statistical overfitting. Here we evaluate the significance of seven predictive variables on a global compilation (n = 1,124) of core‐top planktic foraminifera Mg/Ca spanning five species. An additive approach was used to construct models that included only variables with significant validation skill. Optimal models support the use of Mg/Ca as a paleothermometer but also find evidence for nonthermal variables: (a) Mg/Ca (N. pachy+incompta) = 0.186 ± 0.001 · exp(0.095 ± 0.002 · T) + 2.95E‐3 ± 5.4E‐6 · size; (b) Mg/Ca (G. ruber) = 0.685 ± 0.005 · exp(0.058 ± 0.001 · T) + 0.928 ± 0.02 · Omega(deep); (c); Mg/Ca (G. inflata) = 1.737 ± 0.007 · exp(0.065 ± 0.001 · T) · Omega(shallow)^‐0.734 ± 0.003; and (d) Mg/Ca (G. bulloides) = 0.623 ± 0.007 · exp(0.079 ± 0.001 · T) + 0.548 ± 0.007 · Omega(deep). Results highlight the importance of independent validation and suggest that Ω and size dependences may complicate univariate inversions for paleotemperature in some species. This is particularly true over timescales when secondary terms cannot be considered constant. Forward modeling is an attractive alternative, and improved Mg/Ca models may reduce bias in paleoceanographic data assimilation efforts. Salinity is absent from all relationships, suggesting that it may have a smaller influence than previously thought or may not vary sufficiently to be resolved at core‐top sites. The stepwise approach illustrated in this study is widely applicable, and validation exercises should be applied to the calibration of other paleoceanographic proxies.
Fine Structure of the 660‐km Discontinuity Beneath Southeastern China
Authors: Zhang Meng , Sun Daoyuan , Wang Yi , Wu Zhongqing
Published: June 2019

Imaging the structure of the 660‐km discontinuity is crucial to understanding the thermal and compositional states of the mantle transition zone. Here we study triplication data sampling beneath southeastern China and observe strong arrivals with rays turning at top of the lower mantle at an epicentral distance of 10°. Such strong arrivals indicate that the S velocity at the discontinuity increases by ~8.2±0.5% over less than 10 km. This sharp 660‐km discontinuity suggests that harzburgite enrichment exists at the bottom of the 660‐km discontinuity and the temperature near 660 km does not exceed 2000 K. Through comparisons with 1‐D models for other regions, we find that the seismic structure in the mantle transition zone below our study area is similar to that beneath oceanic regions. Thus, we suggest that the mantle near the 660‐km discontinuity beneath southeastern China is locally not affected by slab or plume.
Methane Bubble Escape From Gas Horizon in Muddy Aquatic Sediment Under Periodic Wave Loading
Authors: Katsman Regina
Published: June 2019

Ebullition of greenhouse methane (CH4) from the aquatic sediments is often observed at various hydrostatic pressure drops: at low tides, waves, and even at atmospheric pressure drops. It is especially pronounced at the different vent structures, for example, pockmarks, mud volcanoes, and cold seeps. The modeling conducted in the current study suggests that long timescale (glacial to centennial frequency) sea level drops may induce “stable” bubble ascent and control the position of the gas horizon in muddy aquatic sediment. Bubbles escape in the “dynamic” regime from the shallow gas horizon and subsequently to the water column is more feasible under shorter‐period waves of higher amplitude travelling in shallow water. These findings are illustrated by examples of various vent structures (e.g., pockmarks), pronounced in shallow straits and bays, described in the literature.
Energetic Electrons Below the Inner Radiation Belt
Authors: Selesnick R. S. , Su Yi‐Jiun , Sauvaud J.‐A.
Published: June 2019

Energetic electrons have occasionally been observed with high intensity in the low‐latitude quasi‐trapping region, below the inner radiation belt, where their intensity is normally low. During magnetic storms in November 2004 and July 2006, electrons reached magnetic drift shells with L<1.1. Data from the IDP electron spectrometer on the DEMETER satellite provide high energy resolution, while multiple NOAA/POES satellites provide local time coverage. After accounting for instrumental effects caused by the high intensity, electron kinetic energy is shown to reach at least 200 keV with generally softer spectra than are normally found in the stable trapping region. Electron injection from the inner belt by an enhanced convection electric field ∼5 mV/m may explain the observations. This could provide remote testing for models of global electrodynamics.
Diversity patterns of bacteriophages infecting Aggregatibacter and Haemophilus species across clades and niches
Authors: Szafrański Szymon P , Kilian Mogens , Yang Ines , Bei der Wieden Gesa , Winkel Andreas , Hegermann Jan , Stiesch Meike
Published: June 2019

Aggregatibacter and Haemophilus species are relevant human commensals and opportunistic pathogens. Consequently, their bacteriophages may have significant impact on human microbial ecology and pathologies. Our aim was to reveal the prevalence and diversity of bacteriophages infecting Aggregatibacter and Haemophilus species that colonize the human body. Genome mining with comparative genomics, screening of clinical isolates, and profiling of metagenomes allowed characterization of 346 phages grouped in 52 clusters and 18 superclusters. Less than 10% of the identified phage clusters were represented by previously characterized phages. Prophage diversity patterns varied significantly for different phage types, host clades, and environmental niches. A more diverse phage community lysogenizes Haemophilus influenzae and Haemophilus parainfluenzae strains than Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and “Haemophilus ducreyi”. Co-infections occurred more often in “H. ducreyi”. Phages from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans preferably lysogenized strains of specific serotype. Prophage patterns shared by subspecies clades of different bacterial species suggest similar ecoevolutionary drivers. Changes in frequencies of DNA uptake signal sequences and guanine–cytosine content reflect phage-host long-term coevolution. Aggregatibacter and Haemophilus phages were prevalent at multiple oral sites. Together, these findings should help exploring the ecoevolutionary forces shaping virus-host interactions in the human microbiome. Putative lytic phages, especially phiKZ-like, may provide new therapeutic options.
Regional influences on community structure across the tropical-temperate divide
Authors: White Alexander E. , Dey Kushal K. , Mohan Dhananjai , Stephens Matthew , Price Trevor D.
Published: June 2019

Many models to explain the differences in the flora and fauna of tropical and temperate regions assume that whole clades are restricted to the tropics. We develop methods to assess the extent to which biotas are geographically discrete, and find that transition zones between regions occupied by tropical-associated or temperate-associated biotas are often narrow, suggesting a role for freezing temperatures in partitioning global biotas. Across the steepest tropical-temperate gradient in the world, that of the Himalaya, bird communities below and above the freezing line are largely populated by different tropical and temperate biotas with links to India and Southeast Asia, or to China respectively. The importance of the freezing line is retained when clades rather than species are considered, reflecting confinement of different clades to one or another climate zone. The reality of the sharp tropical-temperate boundary adds credence to the argument that exceptional species richness in the tropics reflects species accumulation over time, with limited transgressions of species and clades into the temperate.
NCP activates chloroplast transcription by controlling phytochrome-dependent dual nuclear and plastidial switches
Authors: Yang Emily J. , Yoo Chan Yul , Liu Jiangxin , Wang He , Cao Jun , Li Fay-Wei , Pryer Kathleen M. , Sun Tai-ping , Weigel Detlef , Zhou Pei , Chen Meng
Published: June 2019

Phytochromes initiate chloroplast biogenesis by activating genes encoding the photosynthetic apparatus, including photosynthesis-associated plastid-encoded genes (PhAPGs). PhAPGs are transcribed by a bacterial-type RNA polymerase (PEP), but how phytochromes in the nucleus activate chloroplast gene expression remains enigmatic. We report here a forward genetic screen in Arabidopsis that identified NUCLEAR CONTROL OF PEP ACTIVITY (NCP) as a necessary component of phytochrome signaling for PhAPG activation. NCP is dual-targeted to plastids and the nucleus. While nuclear NCP mediates the degradation of two repressors of chloroplast biogenesis, PIF1 and PIF3, NCP in plastids promotes the assembly of the PEP complex for PhAPG transcription. NCP and its paralog RCB are non-catalytic thioredoxin-like proteins that diverged in seed plants to adopt nonredundant functions in phytochrome signaling. These results support a model in which phytochromes control PhAPG expression through light-dependent double nuclear and plastidial switches that are linked by evolutionarily conserved and dual-localized regulatory proteins.
Convergent eusocial evolution is based on a shared reproductive groundplan plus lineage-specific plastic genes
Authors: Warner Michael R. , Qiu Lijun , Holmes Michael J. , Mikheyev Alexander S. , Linksvayer Timothy A.
Published: June 2019

Eusociality has convergently evolved multiple times, but the genomic basis of caste-based division of labor and degree to which independent origins of eusociality have utilized common genes remain largely unknown. Here we characterize caste-specific transcriptomic profiles across development and adult body segments from pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis) and honey bees (Apis mellifera), representing two independent origins of eusociality. We identify a substantial shared core of genes upregulated in the abdomens of queen ants and honey bees that also tends to be upregulated in mated female flies, suggesting that these genes are part of a conserved insect reproductive groundplan. Outside of this shared groundplan, few genes are differentially expressed in common. Instead, the majority of the thousands of caste-associated genes are plastically expressed, rapidly evolving, and relatively evolutionarily young. These results emphasize that the recruitment of both highly conserved and lineage-specific genes underlie the convergent evolution of novel traits such as eusociality.
The pore structure of Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin
Authors: Savva Christos G. , Clark Alice R. , Naylor Claire E. , Popoff Michel R. , Moss David S. , Basak Ajit K. , Titball Richard W. , Bokori-Brown Monika
Published: June 2019

Epsilon toxin (Etx), a potent pore forming toxin (PFT) produced by Clostridium perfringens, is responsible for the pathogenesis of enterotoxaemia of ruminants and has been suggested to play a role in multiple sclerosis in humans. Etx is a member of the aerolysin family of β-PFTs (aβ-PFTs). While the Etx soluble monomer structure was solved in 2004, Etx pore structure has remained elusive due to the difficulty of isolating the pore complex. Here we show the cryo-electron microscopy structure of Etx pore assembled on the membrane of susceptible cells. The pore structure explains important mutant phenotypes and suggests that the double β-barrel, a common feature of the aβ-PFTs, may be an important structural element in driving efficient pore formation. These insights provide the framework for the development of novel therapeutics to prevent human and animal infections, and are relevant for nano-biotechnology applications.
A Lévy expansion strategy optimizes early dune building by beach grasses
Authors: Reijers Valérie C. , Siteur Koen , Hoeks Selwyn , van Belzen Jim , Borst Annieke C. W. , Heusinkveld Jannes H. T. , Govers Laura L. , Bouma Tjeerd J. , Lamers Leon P. M. , van de Koppel Johan , van der Heide Tjisse
Published: June 2019

Lifeforms ranging from bacteria to humans employ specialized random movement patterns. Although effective as optimization strategies in many scientific fields, random walk application in biology has remained focused on search optimization by mobile organisms. Here, we report on the discovery that heavy-tailed random walks underlie the ability of clonally expanding plants to self-organize and dictate the formation of biogeomorphic landscapes. Using cross-Atlantic surveys, we show that congeneric beach grasses adopt distinct heavy-tailed clonal expansion strategies. Next, we demonstrate with a spatially explicit model and a field experiment that the Lévy-type strategy of the species building the highest dunes worldwide generates a clonal network with a patchy shoot organization that optimizes sand trapping efficiency. Our findings demonstrate Lévy-like movement in plants, and emphasize the role of species-specific expansion strategies in landscape formation. This mechanistic understanding paves the way for tailor-made planting designs to successfully construct and restore biogeomorphic landscapes and their services.
Nitrifier abundance and diversity peak at deep redox transition zones
Authors: Zhao Rui , Hannisdal Bjarte , Mogollon Josè M. , Jørgensen Steffen L.
Published: June 2019

More than half of the global ocean floor is draped by nutrient-starved sediments characterized by deep oxygen penetration and a prevalence of oxidized nitrogen. Despite low energy availability, this habitat hosts a vast microbial population, and geochemical characteristics suggest that nitrogen compounds are an energy source critical to sustaining this biomass. However, metabolic rates of nitrogen transformation and their link to microbial survival in this global-scale ecosystem remain virtually unknown. Here we provide quantitative constraints on microbial nitrogen cycling in open ocean oligotrophic sediments from seafloor to basement, spanning approximately 8 million years. We find active microbial nitrogen transformation throughout the sediment column but at very low rates. Local peaks in diversity and abundance of nitrifiers and denitrifiers occur at redox transition zones deep within the sediments, strongly indicating that these microbes are revived from their maintenance state and start growing again after millions of years of attrition.
Zebrafish macroH2A variants have distinct embryo localization and function
Authors: Gonzalez-Munoz E. , Arboleda-Estudillo Y. , Chanumolu S. K. , Otu H. H. , Cibelli J. B.
Published: June 2019

Mouse and cell-based studies have shown that macroH2A histone variants predominantly associate with heterochromatin. Functional studies found that macroH2As are involved in gene repression, inhibiting the acquisition of pluripotency and preserving cell differentiation. However, only a few studies have analysed the role of macroH2A during early embryo development. We report the development of transgenic zebrafish lines expressing macroH2A isoforms (mH2A1 and mH2A2) fusion proteins (with GFP) under identified endogenous promoters. We found that mH2A1 and mH2A2 have different spatial and temporal expression patterns during embryonic development. mH2A1 is expressed mostly in the extraembryonic Yolk Syncytial Layer (YSL) starting before shield stage and decreasing once morphogenesis is completed. mH2A2 expression lags behind mH2A1, becoming evident at 24 hpf, within the whole body of the embryo proper. Our ChIP-seq analysis showed that mH2A1 and mH2A2 bind to different DNA regions, changing dramatically after gastrulation. We further analysed RNA-seq data and showed that there is not a general/unspecific repressing function of mH2A1 or mH2A2 associated with heterochromatin but a fine regulation depending on cell types and stage of development. mH2A1 downregulates DNA expression in specific cells and embryo stages and its effect is independent of heterochromatin formation but it is correlated with nucleus quiescence instead. Whereas mH2A2 DNA association correlates with upregulation of differentially expressed genes between 75% epiboly and 24 hpf stages. Our data provide information for underlying molecules that participate in crucial early developmental events, and open new venues to explore mH2A related mechanisms that involve cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and metabolism.
The strength of soil-plant interactions under forest is related to a Critical Soil Depth
Authors: Goebes Philipp , Schmidt Karsten , Seitz Steffen , Both Sabine , Bruelheide Helge , Erfmeier Alexandra , Scholten Thomas , Kühn Peter
Published: June 2019

Soil properties and terrain attributes are of great interest to explain and model plant productivity and community assembly (hereafter P&CA). Many studies only sample surface soils, and may therefore miss important variation of deeper soil levels. We aimed to identify a critical soil depth in which the relationships between soil properties and P&CA were strongest due to an ideal interplay among soil properties and terrain attributes. On 27 plots in a subtropical Chinese forest varying in tree and herb layer species richness and tree productivity, 29 soil properties in six depth columns and four terrain attributes were analyzed. Soil properties varied with soil depth as did their interrelationships. Non-linearity of soil properties led to critical soil depths in which different P&CA characteristics were explained best (using coefficients of determination). The strongest relationship of soil properties and terrain attributes to most of P&CA characteristics (adj. R2~ 0.7) was encountered using a soil column of 0–16 cm. Thus, depending on the biological signal one is interested in, soil depth sampling has to be adapted. Considering P&CA in subtropical broad-leaved secondary forests, we recommend sampling one bulk sample of a column from 0 cm down to a critical soil depth of 16 cm.
Patients’ views of wearable devices and AI in healthcare: findings from the ComPaRe e-cohort
Authors: Tran Viet-Thi , Riveros Carolina , Ravaud Philippe
Published: June 2019

Wearable biometric monitoring devices (BMDs) and artificial intelligence (AI) enable the remote measurement and analysis of patient data in real time. These technologies have generated a lot of “hype,” but their real-world effectiveness will depend on patients’ uptake. Our objective was to describe patients’ perceptions of the use of BMDs and AI in healthcare. We recruited adult patients with chronic conditions in France from the “Community of Patients for Research” (ComPaRe). Participants (1) answered quantitative and open-ended questions about the potential benefits and dangers of using of these new technologies and (2) participated in a case-vignette experiment to assess their readiness for using BMDs and AI in healthcare. Vignettes covered the use of AI to screen for skin cancer, remote monitoring of chronic conditions to predict exacerbations, smart clothes to guide physical therapy, and AI chatbots to answer emergency calls. A total of 1183 patients (51% response rate) were enrolled between May and June 2018. Overall, 20% considered that the benefits of technology (e.g., improving the reactivity in care and reducing the burden of treatment) greatly outweighed the dangers. Only 3% of participants felt that negative aspects (inadequate replacement of human intelligence, risks of hacking and misuse of private patient data) greatly outweighed potential benefits. We found that 35% of patients would refuse to integrate at least one existing or soon-to-be available intervention using BMDs and AI-based tools in their care. Accounting for patients’ perspectives will help make the most of technology without impairing the human aspects of care, generating a burden or intruding on patients’ lives.
Raftophilic rhodopsin-clusters offer stochastic platforms for G protein signalling in retinal discs
Authors: Hayashi Fumio , Saito Natsumi , Tanimoto Yasushi , Okada Keisuke , Morigaki Kenichi , Seno Keiji , Maekawa Shohei
Published: June 2019

Rhodopsin is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that initiates the phototransduction cascade in retinal disc membrane. Recent studies have suggested that rhodopsin forms highly ordered rows of dimers responsible for single-photon detection by rod photoreceptors. Dimerization is also known to confer to rhodopsin a high affinity for ordered lipids (raftophilicity). However, the role of rhodopsin organization and its raftophilicity in phototransduction remains obscure, owing to the lack of direct observation of rhodopsin dynamics and distribution in native discs. Here, we explore the single-molecule and semi-multimolecule behaviour of rhodopsin in native discs. Rhodopsin forms transient meso-scale clusters, even in darkness, which are loosely confined to the disc centre. Cognate G protein transducin co-distributes with rhodopsin, and exhibits lateral translocation to the disc periphery upon activation. We demonstrate that rhodopsin offers inherently distributed and stochastic platforms for G protein signalling by self-organizing raftophilic clusters, which continually repeat generation/extinction in the disc membrane.
Doping effect of Sm on the TiO2/CeSmOx catalyst in the NH3-SCR reaction: structure–activity relationship, reaction mechanism and SO2 tolerance
Authors: Liu Hao , Sun Chuanzhi , Fan Zhongxuan , Jia XuanXuan , Sun Jingfang , Gao Fei , Tang Changjin , Dong Lin
Published: June 2019

A good balance between the redox properties and surface acidity induces the high activity of the Sm doped TiO2/CeO2 catalyst.
Cyano and potassium-rich g-C3N4 hollow tubes for efficient visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution
Authors: Yang Jian , Liang Yujun , Li Kai , Yang Gui , Wang Kun , Xu Rui , Xie Xianjun
Published: June 2019

Novel K+ and cyano group decorated g-C3N4 hollow tubes were constructed via a facile one-step molten salt assisted strategy.
The profiling of bioactives in Akebia trifoliata pericarp and metabolites, bioavailability and in vivo anti-inflammatory activities in DSS-induced colitis mice
Authors: Wang Xiaoya , Yu Ningxiang , Peng Hailong , Hu Zhenying , Sun Yong , Zhu Xuemei , Jiang Li , Xiong Hua
Published: June 2019

The profiling of bioactives in Akebia trifoliata pericarp and metabolites, bioavailability and in vivo anti-inflammatory activities in DSS-induced colitis mice.
Polysaccharides fromNostoc communeVaucher activate macrophagesviaNF-κB and AKT/JNK1/2 pathways to suppress colorectal cancer growthin vivo
Authors: Guo Min , Li Zhuoyu , Huang Yexin , Shi Mengai
Published: June 2019

NVPS activate macrophagesviaNF-κB and AKT/JNK1/2 pathways to suppress colorectal cancer growthin vivo.
Caulerpa lentilliferapolysaccharides enhance the immunostimulatory activity in immunosuppressed mice in correlation with modulating gut microbiota
Authors: Sun Yujiao , Liu Yang , Ai Chunqing , Song Shuang , Chen Xuefeng
Published: June 2019

Caulerpa lentilliferapolysaccharides could serve as novel prebiotics and immunostimulators, since they improve the immune-related factors and modulate the gut microbiota in cytoxan-induced immunosuppressed mice.
Ionic nanocluster-evolved polymers for low-voltage flexible organic nonvolatile memory transistors
Authors: Lee Chulyeon , Jeong Jaehoon , Kim Hwajeong , Kim Youngkyoo
Published: June 2019

The ionic nanocluster-evolved PAMPSA–AN layers enable nonvolatile memory OFETs to be operated at low voltages with outstanding retention characteristics.
Direction-control of anisotropic electronic behaviors via ferroelasticity in two-dimensional α-MPI (M = Zr, Hf)
Authors: Zhang Ting , Ma Yandong , Yu Lin , Huang Baibiao , Dai Ying
Published: June 2019

The direction-control of anisotropic electronic behaviors can be achieved via ferroelastic switching.
Cu nanowire-catalyzed electrochemical reduction of CO or CO2
Authors: Zhang Hongyi , Zhang Yinjia , Li Yuyang , Ahn Stephen , Palmore G. Tayhas R. , Fu Jiaju , Peterson Andrew A. , Sun Shouheng
Published: June 2019

We prepared micrometer long Cu nanowires (NWs) of 25 and 50 nm diameters and studied their electrocatalysis for electrochemical reduction of CO/CO2 in 0.1 M KHCO3 at room temperature.
Yield stress fluids and fundamental particle statistics
Authors: Mezzasalma Stefano A.
Published: June 2019

Yield stress in complex fluids is described by resorting to fundamental statistical mechanics for clusters with different particle occupancy numbers.
Secure analysis of multi‐antenna cooperative networks with residual transceiver HIs and CEEs
Authors: Li Xingwang , Huang Mengyan , Li Jingjing , Yu Qingping , Rabie Khaled , Cavalcante Charles C.
Published: June 2019

This paper investigates the secure performance of multi‐antenna decode‐and‐forward (DF) relaying networks where the Nakagami‐m fading channel is taken into account. In practice, the joint impact of residual transceiver hardware impairments (HIs) and channel estimation errors (CEEs) on the outage probability (OP) and intercept probability (IP) are taken into account. Considering HIs and CEEs, an optimal transmit antenna selection scheme is proposed to enhance the secure performance and then a collaborative eavesdropping scheme is proposed. More specifically, they derive exact closed‐form expressions for the outage and intercept probabilities. To obtain more useful insights the asymptotic behaviours for the OP are examined in the high signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) regime and the diversity orders are obtained and discussed. Simulation results confirm the analytical derivations and demonstrate that: (i) As the power distribution coefficient increases, OP decreases, while IP increases; (ii) There exist error floors for the OP at high SNRs, which is determined by CEEs; (iii) The secure performance can be improved by increasing the number of source antennas and artificial noise quantisation coefficient, while as the number of eavesdropping increases, the security of the system is reduced; (iv) There is a trade‐off between the OP and IP.
Fuzzy predictive functional control of a class of non‐linear systems
Authors: Wang Bin , Yang Lan , Wu Fengjiao , Chen Diyi
Published: June 2019

This study investigates a fuzzy predictive functional control scheme of a class of non‐linear systems. According to the Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy model, a fuzzy prediction model of the presented non‐linear system is given. Also, the fuzzy prediction model is transformed into the transfer function model. Then, a novel fuzzy predictive functional control scheme is proposed for a class of non‐linear systems by combining the multi‐variable centralised control and predictive functional control. The rigorous theoretical derivation is presented to ensure the stabilisation of the non‐linear systems. Two representative cases, including the three‐dimensional brushless DC motor and the 4D Chen system, are implemented to confirm the validity and superiority compared with an existing pure fuzzy control method.
control design for non‐linear distributed parameter systems with mobile actuators and sensors
Authors: Zhang Xiao‐Wei , Wu Huai‐Ning
Published: June 2019

This study deals with the control design problem for a class of non‐linear distributed parameter systems described by parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs) via mobile collocated actuators and sensors. Initially, the spatial domain is decomposed into multiple subdomains according to the number of actuator/sensor pairs and the projection modification algorithm is employed to guarantee each actuator/sensor pair is only capable of moving within the respective subdomain. Subsequently, the well‐posedness of the closed‐loop PDE system is analysed by means of the operator semigroup theory. Then, a control‐plus‐guidance design method for the non‐linear PDE system is developed in the form of bilinear matrix inequalities, such that the resulting closed‐loop system is exponentially stable while satisfying a prescribed performance of disturbance attenuation, and the mobile actuator/sensor guidance can enhance the transient performance of the closed‐loop system. Finally, a numerical example and a practical application example are respectively given to show the effectiveness of the proposed design method.
Dynamic event‐based asynchronous control for T–S fuzzy singular Markov jump systems with redundant channels
Authors: Xu Yihao , Wang Yanqian , Zhuang Guangming , Lu Junwei
Published: June 2019

This study is concerned with the issue of asynchronous control for a class of T–S fuzzy singular Markov jump system with redundant channels under a dynamic event‐triggered scheme. To save the resource of bandwidth limited network, a dynamic event‐triggered scheme is proposed. The technique of redundant channels is adopted to improve the success rate of released data over network, which have been modelled as two mutually independent Bernoulli distributed random variables. The hidden Markov model is utilised to describe asynchronisation phenomena between the system modes and the controller modes. Based on the stochastic Lyapunov functional and the method of free‐weighting matrices, the criterion of regular, impulse free and stochastically stable with a certain performance for the closed‐loop system is obtained. The co‐design of asynchronous controller and the weighting matrices of the dynamic event‐triggered scheme is proposed in terms of a group of feasible linear matrix inequalities. Finally, two examples with dynamic and static event‐triggered schemes are given to illustrate the usefulness and effectiveness of the proposed method.