bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative analysis of the influence of Sgr A* and nearby active galactic nuclei on the mass loss of known exoplanets
Authors: Wisłocka A. M. , Kovačević A. B. , Balbi A.
Published: February 2019

Context. The detailed evolution of exoplanetary atmospheres has been the subject of decade-long studies. Only recently, investigations began on the possible atmospheric mass loss caused by the activity of galactic central engines. This question has so far been explored without using available exoplanet data.

Aims. The goal of this paper is to improve our knowledge of the erosion of exoplanetary atmospheres through radiation from supermassive black holes (SMBHs) undergoing an active galactic nucleus (AGN) phase.

Methods. To this end, we extended the well-known energy-limited mass-loss model to include the case of radiation from AGNs. We set the fraction of incident power ɛ available to heat the atmosphere as either constant (ɛ = 0.1) or flux dependent (ɛ = ɛ(FXUV)). We calculated the possible atmospheric mass loss for 54 known exoplanets (of which 16 are hot Jupiters residing in the Galactic bulge and 38 are Earth-like planets, EPs) due to radiation from the Milky Way’s (MW) central SMBH, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), and from a set of 107 220 AGNs generated using the 33 350 AGNs at z < 0.5 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey database.

Results. We found that planets in the Galactic bulge might have lost up to several Earth atmospheres in mass during the AGN phase of Sgr A*, while the EPs are at a safe distance from Sgr A* (>7 kpc) and have not undergone any atmospheric erosion in their lifetimes. We also found that the MW EPs might experience a mass loss up to ~15 times the Mars atmosphere over a period of 50 Myr as the result of exposure to the cumulative extreme-UV flux FXUV from the AGNs up to z = 0.5. In both cases we found that an incorrect choice of ɛ can lead to significant mass loss overestimates.
MicroRNA Profile and Adaptive Response to Exercise Training: A Review
Authors: Domańska-Senderowska Daria , Laguette Mary-Jessica , Jegier Anna , Cięszczyk Paweł , September Alison , Brzeziańska-Lasota Ewa
Published: February 2019

MicroRNAs are small non-coding regulatory RNAs which may be released into the systemic circulation as a consequence of the body's adaptation to exercise. The expression profile of circulating miRNAs (ci-miRNAs) has been proposed as a potential diagnostic biomarker for adaptive responses of particular systems to physical exertion. Several miRNAs are recognized as regulators of signalling pathways such as the IGF1/PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis, relevant to exercise adaptation. MicroRNA levels may fluctuate depending on training type/exercise regimen in correlation with phenotypic features such as VO2 max. Muscle-specific miRNAs have been proposed as regulators of skeletal muscle/myocardial interactions during physical exertion, thereby facilitating adaptation. Differential expression of miRNAs may relate to molecular patterns of communication triggered during/after exercise as response, recovery and adaptation mechanisms to training load. This review highlights recent findings and the potential significance of specific miRNAs in the process of exercise adaptation. Altered ci-miRNA profiles following exercise suggest that they may be useful biomarkers of health and adaptation to intervention strategies. Identification of the concert of miRNA expression signatures together with their targets is critical towards understanding gene regulation in this context. Understanding how the external environment influences gene expression via miRNAs will provide insight into potential therapeutic target strategies for disease.
Soft Tissue Augmentation Using Free Tissue Transfer for Artificial Bone Infection or Skull Bone Sequestration after Neurosurgery
Authors: Okochi Masayuki , Okochi Hiromi , Sakaba Takao , Ueda Kazuki
Published: February 2019

Background We performed soft tissue augmentation using free flap and secondary cranioplasty combined with soft tissue augmentation for cases with artificial or autologous skull exposure after neurosurgery. We evaluated operative result and the relationship between the cause of infection and the infected site.

Methods Twenty-four patients were included. Data included age, sex, indications for neurosurgery, causes of infection, infection sites, medical comorbidities, time between last neurosurgery and reconstruction, types of reconstruction, and types of secondary cranioplasty.

Results The causes of neurosurgery were subarachnoid hemorrhage (n = 9), trauma (n = 5), brain tumor (n = 5), brain hemorrhage (n = 3), and meningioma (n = 3). The mean size of infected bone was 67.3 cm2. The mean duration between last neurosurgery and reconstruction was 5.2 years. Types of infected bone were artificial bone (n = 19) and autologous skull (n = 6). The soft tissue augmentation was performed using latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap (n = 14) and anterolateral thigh flap (n = 10). The infection sites were the frontal (n = 13), temporal (n = 4), parietal (n = 4), and occipital regions (n = 4). Bone defects included the frontal sinus in all patients who had infections in the frontal region. The patients who had infections in non-frontal region received multiple surgeries (n = 7). Nine patients received secondary cranioplasty using custom-made hydroxyapatite block.

Conclusion To achieve good results during soft tissue augmentation, the cause of infection should be eliminated.
Hypomyelinating Leukodystrophy with Spinal Cord Involvement Caused by a Novel Variant in RARS: Report of Two Unrelated Patients
Authors: Rezaei Zahra , Hosseinpour Sareh , Ashrafi Mahmoud , Mahdieh Nejat , Alizadeh Houman , Mohammadpour Masoud , Khosroshahi Nahideh , Amanat Man , Tavasoli Ali
Published: February 2019

Leukodystrophies are heterogeneous group of genetic white matter disorders with a wide range of neurologic and systemic manifestations. Defects in genes encoding aminoacyl tRNA (transfer ribonucleic acid) synthetase enzymes (aaRSs) are recently identified as the etiology of some leukodystrophies. Herein, we described two unrelated children referred to Children's Medical Center, Tehran, Iran, with developmental delay, nystagmus, seizures, psuedo-bulbar palsy and dystonia. Whole exome sequencing (WES) in both patients identified a homozygous (c.2T > C) variant in exon one of RARS gene, encoding cytoplasmic arginyl-tRNA synthetase. Our finding was confirmed by segregation analysis. In silico analyses of the c.2T > C variant showed its possible pathogenic role due to the absence of the start codon. Severe hypomyelination was the common neuroimaging finding of both cases. Spinal cord involvement was found in one of our patients which was not previously reported in studies. We, therefore, showed that RARS-related hypomyelination might affect spinal cord.
Vibrational state-specific model for dissociation and recombination of the O2(  3Σg−)+O(  3P) system in DSMC
Authors: Pan Tzu-Jung , Wilson Taiyo J. , Stephani Kelly A.
Published: February 2019

A vibrational state-specific model for dissociation and recombination reactions within the direct simulation Monte Carlo method is introduced to study the energy level dynamics of the O2 + O system. The state-resolved cross sections for vibrational relaxation and dissociation reactions are obtained from a rotationally averaged quasi-classical trajectory database based on the Varandas and Pais O2(  3Σg−)+O(  3P) potential energy surface. A two-step binary collision framework is outlined to characterize the vibrational state-resolved recombination probabilities, which are constrained by detailed balance for orbiting pair formation, and microscopic reversibility applied to the dissociation cross sections for orbiting pair stabilization. The vibrational state-to-state (STS) model is compared to the phenomenological total collision energy (TCE) and quantum kinetic (QK) models through a series of 0-d non-equilibrium relaxation calculations. A quasi-steady state (QSS) region is established in the vibrational temperature profiles of the TCE, QK, and STS models under non-equilibrium heating. This QSS region is a result of the competition between vibrational relaxation by vibrational-translational (VT) transitions and O2 dissociation. The duration of QSS predicted by the STS model is approximately ten and four times that of the TCE and QK model predictions, respectively, and the total time to reach equilibrium is approximately 3.5 times that of the TCE model and 1.5 times that of the QK model. A distinct QSS region is not observed in the non-equilibrium cooling case. This is attributed to the relatively rapid VT transitions that work to equilibrate the vibrational energy distribution upon recombination, which is comparatively slow. The total time to reach equilibrium by the STS model in the non-equilibrium cooling case is five times and three times greater than those of the QK and TCE models, respectively.
Restricted basis set coupled-channel calculations on atom-molecule collisions in magnetic fields
Authors: Morita Masato , Tscherbul Timur V.
Published: February 2019

Rigorous coupled-channel quantum scattering calculations on molecular collisions in external fields are computationally demanding due to the need to account for a large number of coupled channels and multiple total angular momenta J of the collision complex. We show that by restricting the total angular momentum basis to include only the states with helicities K ≤ Kmax, it is possible to obtain accurate elastic and inelastic cross sections for low-temperature He + CaH, Li + CaH, and Li + SrOH collisions in the presence of an external magnetic field at a small fraction of the computational cost of the full coupled-channel calculations (where K is the projection of the molecular rotational angular momentum on the atom-diatom axis). The optimal size of the truncated helicity basis set depends on the mechanism of the inelastic process and on the magnitude of the external magnetic field, with the minimal basis set (Kmax = 0) producing quantitatively accurate results for, e.g., ultracold Li + CaH and Li + SrOH scattering at low magnetic fields, leading to nearly 90-fold gain in computational efficiency. Larger basis sets are required to accurately describe the resonance structure in the magnetic field dependence of Li + CaH and Li + SrOH inelastic cross sections in the few partial wave-regime as well as indirect spin relaxation in He + CaH collisions. Our calculations indicate that the resonance structure is due to an interplay of the spin-rotation and Coriolis couplings between the basis states of different K and the couplings between the rotational states of the same K induced by the anisotropy of the interaction potential.
Anisotropic structure and dynamics of water under static electric fields
Authors: Shafiei Mahdi , von Domaros Michael , Bratko Dusan , Luzar Alenka
Published: February 2019

We study the structure and dynamics of water subject to a range of static external electric fields, using molecular dynamics simulations. In particular, we monitor the changes in hydrogen bond kinetics, reorientation dynamics, and translational motions of water molecules. We find that water molecules translate and rotate slower in electric fields because the tendency to reinstate the aligned orientation reduces the probability of finding a new hydrogen bond partner and hence increases the probability of reforming already ruptured bonds. Furthermore, dipolar alignment of water molecules with the field results in structural and dynamic anisotropies even though the angularly averaged metrics indicate only minor structural changes. Through comparison of selected nonpolarizable and polarizable water models, we find that the electric field effects are stronger in polarizable water models, where field-enhanced dipole moments and thus more stable hydrogen bonds lead to slower switching of hydrogen bond partners and reduced translational mobility, compared to a nonpolarizable water model.
Repeatable asymmetric resonant tunneling in AlGaN/GaN double barrier structures grown on sapphire
Authors: Wang D. , Chen Z. Y. , Wang T. , Yang L. Y. , Sheng B. W. , Liu H. P. , Su J. , Wang P. , Rong X. , Cheng J. Y. , Shi X. Y. , Tan W. , Guo S. P. , Zhang J. , Ge W. K. , Shen B. , Wang X. Q.
Published: February 2019

We report repeatable AlGaN/GaN resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) grown on a sapphire substrate by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The RTDs exhibit clear negative differential resistance at low temperature in both bias directions. Peak-to-valley current ratios of 1.4 and 1.08 and peak current densities of 6 kA/cm2 and 0.65 kA/cm2 are extracted at 6.5 K for forward and reverse bias, respectively. The polarization fields in III-nitrides are found to affect the diode electrical behaviors by modulating the symmetry of the two barriers and altering the thickness of the depletion region, which eventually triggers asymmetric resonant tunneling transport.
Ultrathin transmissive metasurfaces for multi-wavelength optics in the visible
Authors: Cai Haogang , Czaplewski David , Ogando Karim , Martinson Alex , Gosztola David , Stan Liliana , López Daniel
Published: February 2019

Metasurface-based optical elements have the ability to shape wavefronts by locally changing the properties of incident illumination. They hold great potential to promote a new generation of wearable devices and thin optical systems for imaging and sensing. However, due to the diffractive nature of these metasurfaces, chromatic aberration represents a critical challenge toward practical implementations, especially for the visible spectrum. Existing solutions for multi-wavelength meta-optics inevitably increase the device thickness and system complexity, similar to the conventional refractive and diffractive counterparts. They are also limited to polarization sensitive lenses with a small size and numerical aperture (NA). In this manuscript, we present the design of single-layer multi-wavelength metasurfaces using ultrathin dielectric resonators (thickness ≪ wavelength) as structural elements. The electromagnetic response of these resonators can be tailored by the in-plane geometrical parameters and used to manipulate the transmitted light. We introduce a digital transmission modulation scheme which enables opportunities to design multi-wavelength optics beyond conventional binary diffractive optics. The design versatility of our approach is demonstrated by polarization-independent achromatic metalenses with a larger lens size and larger NA than existing approaches. The simplicity of the design and fabrication process makes these ultrathin metasurfaces good candidates for building flat optical elements that can be easily integrated onto CMOS electronics and MEMS devices.
Experimental and theoretical investigations on the effect of a single leading-edge protuberance on airfoil performance
Authors: Cai Chang , Liu Shuhong , Zuo Zhigang , Maeda Takao , Kamada Yasunari , Li Qing’an , Sato Ryota
Published: February 2019

Geometrical modification of airfoils by leading-edge protuberances has attracted plenty of attention as a passive separation control method. In this research, the effect of a single leading-edge protuberance with different amplitudes on the performance of a two-dimensional airfoil (NACA 634-021) is investigated through wind tunnel experiment and theoretical analysis. Force measurement experiment shows that all the modified airfoils demonstrate a special two-step stall performance. When the first step of stall occurs, the lift coefficient of the modified airfoils drops to a medium value between the pre-stall and post-stall lift coefficients of the baseline airfoil and keeps nearly constant within a range of AOA (angle of attack). Tuft visualization reveals that during the first step of stall, the flow pattern on different sides of the protuberance is distinctly different, respectively, showing leading-edge separation and trailing-edge separation, which are compartmentalized by the attached flow originated from the peak of the protuberance. The flow control mechanism is contributed to the combined effect of the early occurrence of the leading-edge separation around the protuberance root, the inherent hysteretic performance, and the flow compartmentalization effect. A theoretical model based on the lifting line theory, which takes the amendment of the hysteresis and compartmentalization effects into consideration, is proposed to analyze the performance of the modified airfoils. The sectional and overall performances by theoretical analysis are highly consistent with the tendency of the experiment results. Based on the theoretical model, the spanwise circulation gradient induced by the protuberance is considered to be responsible for the earlier separation around the protuberance roots at pre-stall AOAs. Further investigation on the effect of the geometrical parameters of the protuberance reveals that the amplitude-to-wavelength ratio plays a dominant role on the performance of the modified airfoils. The special flow phenomenon induced by the single leading-edge protuberance discovered in this research and the proposed mechanism provide an essential point of view for fully understanding the combined mechanism of multiple protuberances.
Nonequilibrium vibrational population and donor-acceptor vibrations affecting rates of radiationless transitions
Authors: Matyushov Dmitry V.
Published: February 2019

An analytical theory is developed for radiationless transitions in molecules characterized by nonequilibrium populations of their vibrational modes. Several changes to the standard transition-state framework follow from nonequilibrium conditions: (i) non-Arrhenius kinetics, (ii) the violation of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT), and (iii) the breakdown of the detailed balance. The violation of the FDT is reflected in the breakdown of relations between the first (Stokes shift) and second (inhomogeneous band-width) spectral moments and of similar relations between reorganization parameters for radiationless transitions. The detailed balance between the forward and backward rates is not maintained, requiring a lower effective free energy of the reaction relative to the thermodynamic limit. The model suggests that strong control of radiationless transitions can be achieved if a nonequilibrium population of vibrations modulating the donor-acceptor distance is produced.
Temperature dependence of the effective spin-mixing conductance probed with lateral non-local spin valves
Authors: Das K. S. , Dejene F. K. , van Wees B. J. , Vera-Marun I. J.
Published: February 2019

We report the temperature dependence of the effective spin-mixing conductance between a normal metal (aluminium, Al) and a magnetic insulator (Y3Fe5O12, YIG). Non-local spin valves with an Al spin transport channel were fabricated on top of YIG and SiO2 substrates. From the spin relaxation lengths in the Al channel on two different substrates, we extract the effective spin-mixing conductance (Gs) to be 3.3 × 1012 Ω−1 m−2 at 293 K for the Al/YIG interface. A decrease of up to 84% in Gs is observed when the temperature (T) is decreased from 293 K to 4.2 K, with Gs scaling with T3/2. The real part of the spin-mixing conductance (Gr ≈ 5.7 × 1013 Ω−1 m−2), calculated from the experimentally obtained Gs, is found to be approximately independent of the temperature. We evidence a hitherto unrecognized underestimation of Gr extracted from the modulation of the spin signal by rotating the magnetization direction of YIG with respect to the spin accumulation direction in the Al channel, which is found to be 50 times smaller than the calculated value.
Phylogeographic structuring of the amphidromous shrimp Atya scabra (Crustacea, Decapoda, Atyidae) unveiled by range-wide mitochondrial DNA sampling
Authors: Oliveira Caio M. C. A. , Terossi Mariana , Mantelatto Fernando L.
Published: February 2019

Species with biological traits favourable to long-distance marine larval dispersal might show a phylogeographic structuring over broad regions, even when they are genetically connected within smaller scales. Here, we evaluated this hypothesis by using the widespread amphidromous shrimp Atya scabra, predicting a genetic discontinuity across biogeographical barriers throughout the Western Gulf of Mexico (WGM), Caribbean Sea (CS), south-western Atlantic (SWA) and eastern Atlantic (EA). Using cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and 16S ribosomal unit (16S) gene fragments, we did a phylogeographic assessment and genetic characterisation with Bayesian clustering, AMOVA, haplotype networks and demographic analyses. As predicted, three discrete genetic groups, corresponding to the regions WGM, CS and EA, were uncovered by COI, as well an unpredicted SWA+CS group. The 16S fragment detected a low genetic variation, probably owing to a recent lineage differentiation, which was estimated by the COI molecular clock. We evaluated the role of the biological traits of A. scabra, as well as the consequences of Panama Isthmus closure and Pleistocene glaciation cycles in the lineage isolation of WGM and EA, as well as the genetic connectivity shown within regions and between CS and SWA. Our results highlighted that amphidromous species genetically connected over large scales should be genetically characterised in their wide distribution to provide more comprehensive systematics and to assist decision-making in biological conservation.
Aspects of reproductive biology of the humpback smooth-hound shark (Mustelus whitneyi) off northern Peru
Authors: Gonzalez-Pestana Adriana , Alfaro-Shigueto Joanna , Mangel Jeffrey C.
Published: February 2019

The humpback smooth-hound shark (Mustelus whitneyi) is one of the most captured shark species in the south-east Pacific and is classified as vulnerable, yet its reproductive biology has been poorly studied. The aim of this study was to increase our knowledge of the reproductive biology of the humpback smooth-hound shark. In all, 41 pregnant females, 386 macroscopically visible embryos in utero and 16 neonates were sampled off northern Peru. Pregnant females measured between 73- and 118-cm total length (TL) and the number of embryos per litter ranged from 6 to 18, with a mean of 10. Size at birth ranged between 21 and 22cm TL. Litter size increased with the TL of the mother, yet this relationship was not strong (r2=0.36). The gestation period had a minimum duration of 7 months and a synchronous cycle in which birth occurred in September. The humpback smooth-hound shark is a placental viviparous elasmobranch. This study represents the most comprehensive research of the reproductive biology of the humpback smooth-hound shark, and is the first time the embryonic development is described for this species. These findings could contribute to the design and implementation of local management plans for this species.
Small marsupial, big dispersal? Broad- and fine-scale genetic structure of an endangered marsupial from the Australian arid zone
Authors: McLean Amanda L. , Cooper Steven J. B. , Lancaster Melanie L. , Gaikhorst Glen , Lambert Cathy , Moseby Katherine , Read John , Ward Matthew , Carthew Susan M.
Published: February 2019

The irregular nature of rainfall in the Australian arid and semiarid zones results in a heterogeneous distribution of resources in both time and space. The mammal species that reside in these regions are uniquely adapted to these climatic conditions, often occurring in naturally low densities and increasing significantly in numbers following major rainfall events. We investigated how these adaptations may influence genetic diversity and gene flow across the landscape in an endangered semiarid/arid-zone marsupial, the sandhill dunnart (Sminthopsis psammophila), from three known populations in southern Australia. Analyses of mitochondrial control region (CR) sequences and microsatellite loci revealed that S. psammophila had maintained similar levels of genetic diversity to other sympatric Sminthopsis species despite its endangered status. There was no evidence for significant phylogeographic structure within the species, but each population was genetically differentiated, based on the frequency of microsatellite alleles and CR haplotypes, suggesting that they should be considered as distinct Management Units for conservation. At a fine spatial scale, no significant genetic structure or sex-biased dispersal was detected within a study site of 240km2. These findings suggest that both sexes are highly mobile, which allows individuals to locate localised resource patches when they become available. We detected evidence of a genetic bottleneck within the population, possibly caused by a recent drought. Our study highlights the importance of maintaining connectivity across the landscape for semiarid- and arid-zone species to enable them to track resource pulses and maintain genetic diversity.
NOTCH1 signaling induces pathological vascular permeability in diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Miloudi Khalil , Oubaha Malika , Ménard Catherine , Dejda Agnieszka , Guber Vera , Cagnone Gael , Wilson Ariel M. , Tétreault Nicolas , Mawambo Gaëlle , Binet Francois , Chidiac Rony , Delisle Chantal , Buscarlet Manuel , Cerani Agustin , Crespo-Garcia Sergio , Bentley Katie , Rezende Flavio , Joyal Jean-Sebastien , Mallette Frédérick A. , Gratton Jean-Philippe , Larrivée Bruno , Sapieha Przemyslaw
Published: February 2019

Significance

Diabetic retinopathy is a major cause of blindness in the working population. The most common cause of visual impairment in diabetic patients is diabetic macular edema (DME). Roughly 40% of patients with DME respond poorly to anti-VEGF therapies, which are a standard of care. Here we provide mechanistic insight for the critical role of NOTCH1 signaling in compromising endothelial junction integrity during diabetes. Besides activating canonical transcriptional pathways, we find that NOTCH1 signaling also provokes disruption of endothelial junctions via noncanonical mechanisms, such as production of nitric oxide and activation of Src signaling, leading to vascular endothelial-cadherin and β-catenin dissociation. Our findings have implications for future therapeutic interventions given that we find elevated NOTCH1 ligands in the vitreous of patients with DME and that their neutralization decreases pathologic vascular permeability.
Assembly and cryo-EM structures of RNA-specific measles virus nucleocapsids provide mechanistic insight into paramyxoviral replication
Authors: Desfosses Ambroise , Milles Sigrid , Jensen Malene Ringkjøbing , Guseva Serafima , Colletier Jacques-Philippe , Maurin Damien , Schoehn Guy , Gutsche Irina , Ruigrok Rob W. H. , Blackledge Martin
Published: February 2019

Assembly of paramyxoviral nucleocapsids on the RNA genome is an essential step in the viral cycle. The structural basis of this process has remained obscure due to the inability to control encapsidation. We used a recently developed approach to assemble measles virus nucleocapsid-like particles on specific sequences of RNA hexamers (poly-Adenine and viral genomic 5′) in vitro, and determined their cryoelectron microscopy maps to 3.3-Å resolution. The structures unambiguously determine 5′ and 3′ binding sites and thereby the binding-register of viral genomic RNA within nucleocapsids. This observation reveals that the 3′ end of the genome is largely exposed in fully assembled measles nucleocapsids. In particular, the final three nucleotides of the genome are rendered accessible to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase complex, possibly enabling efficient RNA processing. The structures also reveal local and global conformational changes in the nucleoprotein upon assembly, in particular involving helix α6 and helix α13 that form edges of the RNA binding groove. Disorder is observed in the bound RNA, localized at one of the two backbone conformational switch sites. The high-resolution structure allowed us to identify putative nucleobase interaction sites in the RNA-binding groove, whose impact on assembly kinetics was measured using real-time NMR. Mutation of one of these sites, R195, whose sidechain stabilizes both backbone and base of a bound nucleic acid, is thereby shown to be essential for nucleocapsid-like particle assembly.
Observing a previously hidden structural-phase transition onset through heteroepitaxial cap response
Authors: Lan Fanli , Chen Hongyan , Lin Hanxuan , Bai Yu , Yu Yang , Miao Tian , Zhu Yinyan , Ward T. Z. , Gai Zheng , Wang Wenbin , Yin Lifeng , Plummer E. W. , Shen Jian
Published: February 2019

Significance

We provide an approach to study structural transitions by using appropriate heteroepitaxial caps. Previously unobservable phase transitions that involve small changes in lattice constants, but may have important impact on the physical properties of the material, can now be detected in real space. Using the coherent nanotwinning waves of epitaxial La
0.7
Sr
0.3
MnO
3
/SrTiO
3
thin films as a sensitive detector, we are able to uncover the onset stage of the cubic-to-tetragonal structural-phase transition of SrTiO
3
in real space. Researchers involved in the study of material properties as well as technologists in a variety of industries, such as electronics, will greatly benefit from this approach.
GLP-1 signaling suppresses menin’s transcriptional block by phosphorylation in β cells
Authors: Xing Bowen , Ma Jian , Jiang Zongzhe , Feng Zijie , Ling Sunbin , Szigety Katy , Su Wen , Zhang Longmei , Jia Ruirui , Sun Yanmei , Zhang Lin , Kong Xiangchen , Ma Xiaosong , Hua Xianxin
Published: February 2019

Both menin and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) pathways play central yet opposing role in regulating β cell function, with menin suppressing, and GLP-1 promoting, β cell function. However, little is known as to whether or how GLP-1 pathway represses menin function. Here, we show that GLP-1 signaling–activated protein kinase A (PKA) directly phosphorylates menin at the serine 487 residue, relieving menin-mediated suppression of insulin expression and cell proliferation. Mechanistically, Ser487-phosphorylated menin gains increased binding affinity to nuclear actin/myosin IIa proteins and gets sequestrated from the Ins1 promoter. This event leads to reduced binding of repressive epigenetic histone modifiers suppressor variegation 3–9 homologue protein 1 (SUV39H1) and histone deacetylases 1 (HDAC1) at the locus and subsequently increased Ins1 gene transcription. Ser487 phosphorylation of menin also increases expression of proproliferative cyclin D2 and β cell proliferation. Our results have uncovered a previously unappreciated physiological link in which GLP-1 signaling suppresses menin function through phosphorylation-triggered and actin/myosin cytoskeletal protein–mediated derepression of gene transcription.
Reactive species and pathogen antioxidant networks during phagocytosis
Authors: Piacenza Lucía , Trujillo Madia , Radi Rafael
Published: February 2019

The generation of phagosomal cytotoxic reactive species (i.e., free radicals and oxidants) by activated macrophages and neutrophils is a crucial process for the control of intracellular pathogens. The chemical nature of these species, the reactions they are involved in, and the subsequent effects are multifaceted and depend on several host- and pathogen-derived factors that influence their production rates and catabolism inside the phagosome. Pathogens rely on an intricate and synergistic antioxidant armamentarium that ensures their own survival by detoxifying reactive species. In this review, we discuss the generation, kinetics, and toxicity of reactive species generated in phagocytes, with a focus on the response of macrophages to internalized pathogens and concentrating on Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Trypanosoma cruzi as examples of bacterial and parasitic infection, respectively. The ability of pathogens to deal with host-derived reactive species largely depends on the competence of their antioxidant networks at the onset of invasion, which in turn can tilt the balance toward pathogen survival, proliferation, and virulence over redox-dependent control of infection.
A Dictionary of African Politics
Authors: Cheeseman Nicholas
Published: February 2019

Over 350 entries

This new dictionary provides clear and authoritative definitions of terms within the fast-growing field of African Politics. It includes coverage of elections, parties, judiciaries, popular protest, gender relations, the politics of development, and Africa’s international relations as well as major events and figures within African Politics. Entries range from Afrocentrism and the Bandung Conference to ‘Rhodes must fall’ and Sino–African relations and include key terms of particular relevance to Africa such as neopatrimonialism, queue voting, and post-conflict power-sharing. The dictionary also showcases the remarkably vibrant and insightful political language used in Africa, including a range of vernacular terms that are essential for a deep understanding of local political realities.

Written by a world-leading expert on the political science of Africa, this dictionary is an essential guide for both undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as academics, journalists, and researchers working on African politics.
4. Money, critics, and the art of noir
Authors: Naremore James
Published: February 2019

‘Money, critics, and the art of noir’ explains how the cheapness of B pictures was one reason why sophisticated critics praised them. B-movie noir seemed to fly under the radar of the culture industry, uncontaminated by spectacle and big studio promotion; low economic value sometimes became high artistic value. Until the late 1940s, there was a stable marketplace for low-budget thrillers. By 1955 the B-picture industry that could support a production like Detour had ended, but a few films in the late 1950s prefigured the development of independently produced, low-budget thrillers that would appeal to the emerging market for art-cinema.
2. Identity in logic and the classical law of thought
Authors: Coulmas Florian
Published: February 2019

‘Identity in logic and the classical law of thought’ explains that Leibniz’s law of the identity of indiscernibles conforms to the laws of logic. It defines identity as strict self-sameness, but raises the difficult problem of what counts as the same. By framing identity as a semantic problem and introducing a distinction between the meaning of an expression (sense) and what it stands for (reference), Frege provided a partial solution to it, but vagueness continues to pose a major difficulty for the logic of identity. Non-Western logics that differ from the Aristotelian tradition offer an alternative by viewing every concept as including its own negation as a property, rather than the absence of properties.
4. Adam and Eve, Hijra, LGBTQs, and the shake-up of gender identities
Authors: Coulmas Florian
Published: February 2019

Like race, gender seems to be an immutable element of our identity, while in both cases natural and socio-cultural determinants interact. ‘Adam and Eve, Hijra, LGBTQs, and the shake-up of gender identities’ explains that in Western societies, gender identities are being renegotiated. It exemplifies the fact that gender roles are subject to social norms, political power conditions, and economic exigencies. Inside (we) and outside (they) perceptions of identity are not always congruent. The present transformation of gender identities is not limited to women’s and men’s definitions of femininity and masculinity, but also involves recognition of LGBTQs who do not fit a two-valued logic of human sexuality. Modifications of established gender relations are likely to induce discrimination.
7. Citizenship, legal status, and proof of identity
Authors: Coulmas Florian
Published: February 2019

‘Citizenship, legal status, and proof of identity: identity as a legal concept’ explains that individual identity is the cornerstone of the rule of law and the relation of state and citizen. In law, it has to do with that which makes a person (or thing) distinct from any other person (or thing). It means that a subject is the same as it claims, or is charged, to be. The digital turn has added a new aspect to our legal identity, and protecting us against identity theft is a new obligation of the state, while we have no choice but to learn to protect ourselves against profit-seeking corporations, on the one hand, and a surveillance state, on the other.
France
Authors: Campbell Gordon
Published: February 2019

‘France’ explains how in early French estates the house and garden were usually designed independently. Distinctive features of 16th-century French gardens were the presence of a canal and plantings arranged in the flat ornamental flower gardens known as parterres. The apogee of French garden art is the 17th-century formal garden known as the jardin à la française, characterized by geometry. The greatest and most influential exponent was André Le Nôtre, who was responsible for the gardens at Versailles. The principal innovations of the 18th century were the jardin anglo-chinois, the ferme ornée, the fabrique, and the jardin anglais. French garden design in the 19th and 20th centuries is also discussed.
America, Africa, and Australia
Authors: Campbell Gordon
Published: February 2019

‘America, Africa, and Australia’ provides highlights of garden history in North America, Central America, South America, South Africa, and Australia. North America’s earliest traditional gardens were influenced by the settlers from Spain, France, the Netherlands, and England. After independence, garden design was transformed by designers such as Frederick Law Olmsted, the Colonial Revival movement, the Prairie School, and the California Style. The most important gardens in Central America are in Mexico and, in South America, the move away from European styles was led by the Brazilian plantsman and designer Roberto Burle Marx. Australia’s most important and influential garden designers have been William Guilfoyle and Edna Walling.
Property Tax Incidence on Cropland Cash Rent
Authors: Dinterman Robert , Katchova Ani L
Published: February 2019

We estimate the property tax incidence on rented cropland, defined as the extent to which landowners can increase cash rental rates to shift the tax burden of property tax to renters. Using Ohio's Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) Program, we are able to avoid issues where the market value of farmland determines the property tax as CAUV assesses farmland in Ohio based on a use‐value formula with historical and state‐wide prices, yields, and costs of corn, soybeans, and wheat. Our results indicate that cash rental rates in Ohio from 2008 through 2017 increased between $0.31 to $0.40 for each additional dollar of property tax levied on cropland in the short run. Further specifications taking into account lagged effects of property tax indicates a higher incidence of $0.61 higher cash rent for each additional dollar of property tax, although this is dispersed over a 3‐year time period.
Pharmacokinetics and safety of extended-release divalproex sodium tablets: morning versus evening administration
Authors: Dutta Sandeep , Reed Ronald C. , Cavanaugh John H.
Published: February 2019

Purpose: The pharmacokinetics and safety of 1000-mg extended-release divalproex sodium given once daily either in the morning or evening were compared.

Methods: Healthy volunteers 19-55 years of age were enrolled in this open-label, parallel-design study. Subjects were randomized to receive extended-release divalproex either in the morning or in the evening. Blood samples were taken immediately before and at 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96, 108, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124.5, 126, 127.5, 129, 130.5, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136.5, 138, 139.5, 141, 142.5, and 144 hours after the first dose of each six-day regimen. Plasma samples were assayed for total valproic acid concentrations using gas chromatography. Valproic acid pharmacokinetic values were measured, and the safety of each regimen was evaluated.

Results: Mean steady-state valproic acid exposure, maximum concentration, and minimum concentration were 1771 mg x hr/L, 86.9 mg/L, and 55.5 mg/L for the morning dosing and 1728 mg x hr/L, 84.8 mg/L, and 57.4 mg/L for the evening dosing regimens, respectively. Adverse events reported by two or more subjects were abdominal pain and somnolence for the morning dosing regimen and asthenia, headache, and pain for the evening dosing regimen. All adverse events were mild or moderate; none caused subject withdrawal from the study. There were no significant differences in the pharmacokinetic parameters (p > 0.51) and safety between groups. Diurnal variation in plasma valproic acid concentrations was minimal with once-daily administration of extended-release divalproex.

Conclusion: Evening once-daily administration of extended-release divalproex was not associated with substantial differences in pharmacokinetics or safety compared with morning once-daily administration.
Comparison of mediastinal lymph node metastases from adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction versus lower esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with involvement of the esophagogastric junction
Authors: Mine S , Watanabe M , Kumagai K , Okamura A , Yuda M , Hayami M , Yamashita K , Imamura Y , Ishizuka N
Published: February 2019

The distribution of mediastinal lymph node metastasis in patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) remains unclear. Additionally, the distribution of nodal mediastinal metastasis from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lower esophagus with involvement of the esophagogastric junction remains unclear, given the very limited number of these patients. In this retrospective review, we compared the outcomes of radical lymphadenectomy of the mediastinum, including upper mediastinal lymphadenectomy, between patients with AEG and those with SCC. From 2005 to 2017, 69 consecutive patients underwent esophagectomy via right thoracotomy or minimally invasive esophagectomy for a Siewert type I or II tumor with esophageal invasion ≥3 cm. We analyzed the incidences of mediastinal lymph node metastasis in this group relative to those of 73 patients with SCC with involvement of the esophagogastric junction who consecutively underwent esophagectomy during the same period. Mediastinal lymph node metastasis was seen in 26 of 69 patients with AEG (38%), with upper, middle, lower mediastinal nodal metastasis instances of 20%, 17%, and 23%, respectively. Mediastinal lymph node metastasis was seen in 23 of 73 patients with SCC (32%), with upper, middle, lower mediastinal nodal metastasis instances of 12%, 16%, and 19%, respectively. This mediastinal lymph nodal metastasis distribution did not statistically differ between patients with AEG and those with SCC. The relapse-free survival outcomes were poor for patients with clinical (P < 0.01) or pathological (P < 0.01) nodal metastasis of the mediastinum with AEG. In contrast, patients with clinical or pathological mediastinal nodal metastases of SCC did not have extremely poor survival outcomes, compared to patients with AEG. Despite the limited dataset available for analysis, patients with AEG and those with SCC might exhibit similar incidences and distribution of mediastinal lymph node metastasis. However, the clinical or pathological metastasis of AEG to the mediastinum was associated with poor survival outcomes, even if radical mediastinal lymphadenectomy including the upper mediastinal lymphadenectomy was performed.
Discrepancy in Frailty Identification: Move Beyond Predictive Validity
Authors: Xue Qian-Li , Tian Jing , Walston Jeremy D , Chaves Paulo H M , Newman Anne B , Bandeen-Roche Karen
Published: February 2019

Background

To evaluate the discordance in frailty classification between the frailty index (FI) and the physical frailty phenotype (PFP) and identify factors discriminating those with discordant frailty classification from each other and from those for whom the assessments agree.

Methods

A prospective observational study of older adults aged 65 and older selected from Medicare eligibility lists in four U.S. communities (n = 5,362). The PFP was measured by the Cardiovascular Health Study PFP. Participants meeting three or more of the five criteria were deemed frail. The FI was calculated as the proportion of deficits in an a priori selected set of 48 measures, and participants were classified as frail if FI is greater than 0.35.

Results

The prevalence of frailty was 7.0% by the PFP and 8.3% by the FI. Of the 730 deemed frail by either instrument, only 12% were in agreement, whereas 39% were classified as frail by the PFP, but not the FI, and 48% were classified as frail by the FI, but not the PFP. Participants aged 65–72 years or with greater disease burden were most likely to be characterized as being FI-frail, but not PFP-frail. The associations of frailty with age and mortality were stronger when frailty was measured by the PFP rather than the FI.

Conclusions

Despite comparable frailty prevalence between the PFP and the FI, there was substantial discordance in individual-level classification, with highest agreement existing only in the most vulnerable subset. These findings suggest that there are clinically important contexts in which the PFP and the FI cannot be used interchangeably.
Shift work, DNA methylation and epigenetic age
Authors: White Alexandra J , Kresovich Jacob K , Xu Zongli , Sandler Dale P , Taylor Jack A
Published: February 2019

Background

Shift work has been associated with increased risk of age-related morbidity and mortality. Biological age, estimated using DNA methylation (DNAm), may quantify the biological consequences of shift work on the risk of age-related disease. We examined whether prior employment in shift-working occupations was associated with epigenetic age acceleration.

Methods

In a sample of non-Hispanic White women aged 35–74 (n = 2574), we measured DNAm using the Illumina Infinium Human450 BeadChip and calculated DNAm age using three established epigenetic clocks. Age-acceleration metrics were derived by regressing DNAm age on chronological age and predicting the residuals. Using linear regression, we estimated associations between shift work history and age acceleration. We also conducted an epigenome-wide association study using robust linear-regression models corrected with false discovery rate (FDR) q-values.

Results

Approximately 7% of women reported any shift work. Higher age acceleration was observed for a 1-year increase in overall [β = 0.11, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.02–0.21] and night-specific shift work (β = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.03–0.21). The association was strongest for ≥10 years of night shift work (β = 3.16, 95% CI: 1.17–5.15). From the epigenome-wide association study, years of overall and night shift work were associated with DNAm at 66 and 85 CpG sites (FDR < 0.05), respectively. Years of night shift work was associated with lower methylation of a CpG in the gene body of ZFHX3 (cg04994202, q = 0.04), a gene related to circadian rhythm.

Conclusions

Shift work was associated with differential CpG site methylation and with differential DNAm patterns, measured by epigenetic age acceleration, consistent with long-term negative health effects.