bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethical Considerations in Fertility Preservation for Transgender Youth: A Case Illustration
Authors: Chen Diane , Simons Lisa
Published: March 2018

Increasing numbers of transgender adolescents are presenting for transition-related medical care, including gender-affirming estrogen and testosterone. The decision to transition with hormones has long-term implications, including possible irreversible impairment of future reproductive functioning. The commentary by Hudson, Nahata, Dietz, and Quinn (2018) outlines the importance of fertility counseling for transgender adolescents and young adults as ethical, interdisciplinary practice. Key considerations raised include implementing shared decision-making strategies that account for youths’ maturity and individual decisional capacity, evaluating co-occurring psychiatric conditions that could interfere with future-oriented decision-making, and considering benefits and harms of fertility preservation (FP) in the context of a youth’s values, identity, and comfort. This report includes two case illustrations of transmasculine youth which highlight how ethical considerations emerge in clinical practice and underscore the nuance and complexity of fertility-related decision-making among transgender adolescents.
α-catenin SUMOylation increases IκBα stability and inhibits breast cancer progression
Authors: Chen Huan , Xu Zhaowei , Li Xiahui , Yang Yangyang , Li Bowen , Li Yanan , Xia Kangkai , Wang Jian , Li Shujing , Wang Miao , Wu Huijian
Published: March 2018

Abstracts

α-catenin has been demonstrated to suppress several different types of cancers. Here we demonstrate that α-catenin is modified by SUMO protein, which covalently binds α-catenin at the carboxy terminus at lysine 870. Substitution of lysine 870 with arginine completely abolishes α-catenin SUMOylation. This modification can be removed by SENP1. However, α-catenin SUMOylation does not affect its stability and subcellular localization. In addition, we observed that the SUMOylation-deficient α-catenin mutant has a reduced interaction with IκBα which prevents subsequent ubiquitination of IκBα, and therefore a reduced suppression of expression of the NF-κB target genes TNF-α, IL-8, VEGF, and uPA. In addition, the α-catenin SUMOylation mutant shows impaired suppression of tumor growth. These results demonstrate that SUMOylation at lysine 870 of α-catenin plays a key role in the suppression of the NF-κB pathway, which inhibits breast cancer tumor growth and migration.
LASP1 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression through negatively regulation of the tumor suppressor PTEN
Authors: Gao Qingzu , Tang Lihua , Wu Ling , Li Kaitao , Wang Hui , Li Weidong , Wu Juan , Li Mingyi , Wang Shuang , Zhao Liang
Published: March 2018

LIM and SH3 protein 1 (LASP1) enhances tumor growth and metastasis in various cancers, but its role in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear. Herein, we investigated the role of LASP1 in NPC and explored the underlying mechanisms in NPC. Clinically, overexpression of LASP1 is associated with tumor metastasis and poor prognosis of NPC patients. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function assays showed that LASP1 promoted NPC cell proliferation, metastasis, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we observed clear co-localization between LASP1 and PTEN in NPC cells. LASP1 interacted with PTEN and decreased the expression of PTEN in NPC. The ubiquitination assay indicated that LASP1 overexpression increased PTEN ubiquitination. PTEN was known as a tumor suppressor by negatively regulating phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT signaling pathway. Rescue experiments showed that PTEN weakened LASP1-mediated cell proliferation, migration, and invasive abilities and decreased the phosphorylation of AKT in NPC cells. Our findings suggest that LASP1 has a crucial role in NPC progression via LASP1/PTEN/AKT axis, highlighting LASP1 as a therapeutic target for NPC.
Beyond a phenomenological description of magnetostriction
Authors: Reid A. H. , Shen X. , Maldonado P. , Chase T. , Jal E. , Granitzka P. W. , Carva K. , Li R. K. , Li J. , Wu L. , Vecchione T. , Liu T. , Chen Z. , Higley D. J. , Hartmann N. , Coffee R. , Wu J. , Dakovski G. L. , Schlotter W. F. , Ohldag H. , Takahashi Y. K. , Mehta V. , Hellwig O. , Fry A. , Zhu Y. , Cao J. , Fullerton E. E. , Stöhr J. , Oppeneer P. M. , Wang X. J. , Dürr H. A.
Published: March 2018

Magnetostriction, the strain induced by a change in magnetization, is a universal effect in magnetic materials. Owing to the difficulty in unraveling its microscopic origin, it has been largely treated phenomenologically. Here, we show how the source of magnetostriction—the underlying magnetoelastic stress—can be separated in the time domain, opening the door for an atomistic understanding. X-ray and electron diffraction are used to separate the sub-picosecond spin and lattice responses of FePt nanoparticles. Following excitation with a 50-fs laser pulse, time-resolved X-ray diffraction demonstrates that magnetic order is lost within the nanoparticles with a time constant of 146 fs. Ultrafast electron diffraction reveals that this demagnetization is followed by an anisotropic, three-dimensional lattice motion. Analysis of the size, speed, and symmetry of the lattice motion, together with ab initio calculations accounting for the stresses due to electrons and phonons, allow us to reveal the magnetoelastic stress generated by demagnetization.
Thalamocortical dysrhythmia detected by machine learning
Authors: Vanneste Sven , Song Jae-Jin , De Ridder Dirk
Published: March 2018

Thalamocortical dysrhythmia (TCD) is a model proposed to explain divergent neurological disorders. It is characterized by a common oscillatory pattern in which resting-state alpha activity is replaced by cross-frequency coupling of low- and high-frequency oscillations. We undertook a data-driven approach using support vector machine learning for analyzing resting-state electroencephalography oscillatory patterns in patients with Parkinson’s disease, neuropathic pain, tinnitus, and depression. We show a spectrally equivalent but spatially distinct form of TCD that depends on the specific disorder. However, we also identify brain areas that are common to the pathology of Parkinson’s disease, pain, tinnitus, and depression. This study therefore supports the validity of TCD as an oscillatory mechanism underlying diverse neurological disorders.
Functional architecture of reward learning in mushroom body extrinsic neurons of larval Drosophila
Authors: Saumweber Timo , Rohwedder Astrid , Schleyer Michael , Eichler Katharina , Chen Yi-chun , Aso Yoshinori , Cardona Albert , Eschbach Claire , Kobler Oliver , Voigt Anne , Durairaja Archana , Mancini Nino , Zlatic Marta , Truman James W. , Thum Andreas S. , Gerber Bertram
Published: March 2018

The brain adaptively integrates present sensory input, past experience, and options for future action. The insect mushroom body exemplifies how a central brain structure brings about such integration. Here we use a combination of systematic single-cell labeling, connectomics, transgenic silencing, and activation experiments to study the mushroom body at single-cell resolution, focusing on the behavioral architecture of its input and output neurons (MBINs and MBONs), and of the mushroom body intrinsic APL neuron. Our results reveal the identity and morphology of almost all of these 44 neurons in stage 3 Drosophila larvae. Upon an initial screen, functional analyses focusing on the mushroom body medial lobe uncover sparse and specific functions of its dopaminergic MBINs, its MBONs, and of the GABAergic APL neuron across three behavioral tasks, namely odor preference, taste preference, and associative learning between odor and taste. Our results thus provide a cellular-resolution study case of how brains organize behavior.
Publisher Correction: Statistical modeling of RNA structure profiling experiments enables parsimonious reconstruction of structure landscapes
Authors: Li Hua , Aviran Sharon
Published: March 2018

The originally published version of this Article contained an error in Figure 2, due to a typesetting error. Panels d and e were positioned such that the locations of the mutations in panel d did not align correctly with the corresponding nucleotides in the reactivity profile in panel e. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Estrogen receptor α drives pro-resilient transcription in mouse models of depression
Authors: Lorsch Zachary S. , Loh Yong-Hwee Eddie , Purushothaman Immanuel , Walker Deena M. , Parise Eric M. , Salery Marine , Cahill Michael E. , Hodes Georgia E. , Pfau Madeline L. , Kronman Hope , Hamilton Peter J. , Issler Orna , Labonté Benoit , Symonds Ann E. , Zucker Matthew , Zhang Tie Yuan , Meaney Michael J. , Russo Scott J. , Shen Li , Bagot Rosemary C. , Nestler Eric J.
Published: March 2018

Most people exposed to stress do not develop depression. Animal models have shown that stress resilience is an active state that requires broad transcriptional adaptations, but how this homeostatic process is regulated remains poorly understood. In this study, we analyze upstream regulators of genes differentially expressed after chronic social defeat stress. We identify estrogen receptor α (ERα) as the top regulator of pro-resilient transcriptional changes in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain reward region implicated in depression. In accordance with these findings, nuclear ERα protein levels are altered by stress in male and female mice. Further, overexpression of ERα in the NAc promotes stress resilience in both sexes. Subsequent RNA-sequencing reveals that ERα overexpression in NAc reproduces the transcriptional signature of resilience in male, but not female, mice. These results indicate that NAc ERα is an important regulator of pro-resilient transcriptional changes, but with sex-specific downstream targets.
Insight into point defects and impurities in titanium from first principles
Authors: Nayak Sanjeev K. , Hung Cain J. , Sharma Vinit , Alpay S. Pamir , Dongare Avinash M. , Brindley William J. , Hebert Rainer J.
Published: March 2018

Titanium alloys find extensive use in the aerospace and biomedical industries due to a unique combination of strength, density, and corrosion resistance. Decades of mostly experimental research has led to a large body of knowledge of the processing-microstructure-properties linkages. But much of the existing understanding of point defects that play a significant role in the mechanical properties of titanium is based on semi-empirical rules. In this work, we present the results of a detailed self-consistent first-principles study that was developed to determine formation energies of intrinsic point defects including vacancies, self-interstitials, and extrinsic point defects, such as, interstitial and substitutional impurities/dopants. We find that most elements, regardless of size, prefer substitutional positions, but highly electronegative elements, such as C, N, O, F, S, and Cl, some of which are common impurities in Ti, occupy interstitial positions.
Prevalence of malocclusion in primary dentition in mainland China, 1988–2017: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Shen Lu , He Fang , Zhang Cai , Jiang Haofeng , Wang Jinhua
Published: March 2018

Malocclusion is a common oral disease affecting children with various reported prevalence rates. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the epidemiological characteristics of malocclusion among pre-schoolers in mainland China from 1988 to 2017. A total of 31 qualified papers describing 51,100 Chinese children aged 2–7 years were selected. The pooled malocclusion prevalence was 45.50% (95% confidence interval (CI): 38.08–52.81%) with 26.50% Class I (CI: 19.96–33.12%), 7.97% Class II (CI: 6.06–9.87%) and 12.60% Class III (CI: 9.45–15.68%) cases. The most common type of malocclusion was overbite (33.66%, CI: 27.66–39.67%), and the flush terminal type (47.10%, CI: 28.76–65.44%) was the most common in the terminal plane relationship. An increasing trend and wide variations across the country were observed. Additionally, there was no significant difference in malocclusion by gender (relative risk (RR) = 1.01, [0.96–1.06]) or urban/rural area (RR = 0.99, [0.82–1.20]). Although this study represents a narrow view of deciduous-dentition malocclusion in mainland China, the results provide sample evidence that can aid clinicians and policy makers towards early prevention and timely treatment.
Shared and differential cortical functional abnormalities associated with inhibitory control in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
Authors: Tsujii Noa , Mikawa Wakako , Adachi Toru , Hirose Tomoyuki , Shirakawa Osamu
Published: March 2018

Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar I disorder (BD-I) share genetic risk factors and cognitive impairments, but these conditions may exhibit differences in cortical functioning associated with inhibitory control. We measured hemodynamic responses during a stop-signal task using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in 20 patients with SZ, 21 patients with BD-I and 18 healthy controls (HCs). We used stop-signal reaction time (SSRT) to estimate behavioural inhibition. Compared with HCs, patients with either SZ or BD-I exhibited significantly reduced activation in the bilateral inferior, middle and superior frontal gyri. Furthermore, patients with BD-I showed inactivation of the right superior temporal gyri compared with patients with SZ or HCs. Patients with SZ or BD-I demonstrated significant negative correlations between SSRT and hemodynamic responses of the right inferior frontal gyrus. Moreover, patients with SZ exhibited correlations in the middle and superior frontal gyri. Our findings suggest that right inferior frontal abnormalities mediate behavioural inhibition impairments in individuals with SZ or BD-I. Differential patterns of orbitofrontal or superior temporal functional abnormalities may reflect important differences in psychopathological features between these disorders.
Gene expression analysis of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells during the initial steps of in vitro osteogenesis
Authors: Robert Anny Waloski , Angulski Addeli Bez Batti , Spangenberg Lucia , Shigunov Patrícia , Pereira Isabela Tiemy , Bettes Paulo Sergio Loiacono , Naya Hugo , Correa Alejandro , Dallagiovanna Bruno , Stimamiglio Marco Augusto
Published: March 2018

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely studied with regard to their potential use in cell therapy protocols and regenerative medicine. However, a better comprehension about the factors and molecular mechanisms driving cell differentiation is now mandatory to improve our chance to manipulate MSC behavior and to benefit future applications. In this work, we aimed to study gene regulatory networks at an early step of osteogenic differentiation. Therefore, we analyzed both the total mRNA and the mRNA fraction associated with polysomes on human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hASCs) at 24 h of osteogenesis induction. The RNA-seq results evidenced that hASC fate is not compromised with osteogenesis at this time and that 21 days of continuous cell culture stimuli are necessary for full osteogenic differentiation of hASCs. Furthermore, early stages of osteogenesis induction involved gene regulation that was linked to the management of cell behavior in culture, such as the control of cell adhesion and proliferation. In conclusion, although discrete initial gene regulation related to osteogenesis occur, the first 24 h of induction is not sufficient to trigger and drive in vitro osteogenic differentiation of hASCs.
Perfusion Characteristics of Hepatocellular Carcinoma at Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound: Influence of the Cellular differentiation, the Tumor Size and the Underlying Hepatic Condition
Authors: Yang Dan , Li Rui , Zhang Xiao-Hang , Tang Chun-Lin , Ma Kuan-Sheng , Guo De-Yu , Yan Xiao-Chu
Published: March 2018

This study aimed to analyze the influence of the cellular differentiation, the tumor size and the underlying hepatic condition on the enhancement pattern of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). 276 patients with single lesion ≤ 5 cm who underwent CEUS exam and were pathologically confirmed as HCC were retrospectively enrolled. Enhancement patterns, washout patterns, wash-in time and washout time were observed and recorded. During the arterial phase, more poorly differentiated HCCs (42.5%) and lesions > 3 cm (35.2%) performed inhomogeneous enhancement (p < 0.05). More well differentiated HCCs (63.4%) performed late washout or no washout while compared with moderately (37.8%) or poorly (24.1%) differentiated HCCs (p < 0.05). Poorly differentiated HCCs showed the shortest washout time (83.0 ± 39.8 s), moderately differentiated HCCs showed the moderate washout time (100.4 ± 52.1 s), and well differentiated HCCs showed the longest washout time (132.3 ± 54.2 s) (p < 0.05). Lesions > 3 cm (97.2 ± 51.3 s) washed out more rapidly than lesions ≤ 3 cm (113.9 ± 53.5 s) (p < 0.05). The dynamic enhancement procedure of HCC was influenced by the cellular differentiation and the tumor size. While, hepatic background showed no influence on the dynamic enhancement of HCC.
Femtosecond Mode-locked Fiber Laser at 1 μm Via Optical Microfiber Dispersion Management
Authors: Wang Lizhen , Xu Peizhen , Li Yuhang , Han Jize , Guo Xin , Cui Yudong , Liu Xueming , Tong Limin
Published: March 2018

Mode-locked Yb-doped fiber lasers around 1 μm are attractive for high power applications and low noise pulse train generation. Mode-locked fiber lasers working in soliton and stretched-pulse regime outperform others in terms of the laser noise characteristics, mechanical stability and easy maintenance. However, conventional optical fibers always show a normal group velocity dispersion around 1 μm, leading to the inconvenience for necessary dispersion management. Here we show that optical microfibers having a large anomalous dispersion around 1 μm can be integrated into mode-locked Yb-doped fiber lasers with ultralow insertion loss down to −0.06 dB, enabling convenient dispersion management of the laser cavity. Besides, optical microfibers could also be adopted to spectrally broaden and to dechirp the ultrashort pulses outside the laser cavity, giving rise to a pulse duration of about 110 fs. We believe that this demonstration may facilitate all-fiber format high-performance ultrashort pulse generation at 1 μm and may find applications in precision measurements, large-scale facility synchronization and evanescent-field-based optical sensing.
FYVE domain-containing protein ZFYVE28 regulates EGFR-signaling in podocytes but is not critical for the function of filtration barrier in mice
Authors: Zambrano Sonia , Rodriguez Patricia Q. , Guo Jing , Möller-Hackbarth Katja , Schwarz Angelina , Patrakka Jaakko
Published: March 2018

The kidney ultrafiltration barrier is formed of endothelial cells, the glomerular basement membrane and podocytes. Podocytes have a central role in normal physiology and disease pathogenesis of the glomerulus. Signaling through epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in podocytes mediates development of many glomerular disease processes. In this work, we have identified zinc finger FYVE-type containing 28 (ZFYVE28) as a novel highly podocyte-enriched gene. We localize ZFYVE28 in podocyte foot processes in adult kidney. During glomerulogenesis, Zfyve28 is first expressed at the early capillary loop glomerulus. In cultured podocytes, we show that overexpression of ZFYVE28 promotes EGF-signaling, possibly by up-regulating EGFR expression and by modulating its localization. To study the role of ZFYVE28 in vivo, we generated both conventional and podocyte-specific knockout mouse lines. Kidneys developed normally in ZFYVE28-deficient mice. In adult mice, the absence of ZFYVE28 did not affect the maintenance of the filtration barrier. Moreover, ZFYVE28-deficiency did not affect the outcome of glomerular damage induced by injection of nephrotoxic serum. Taken together, we have identified Zfyve28 as a new molecular component of podocyte foot processes and show that it mediates EGF-signaling in podocytes. However, ZFYVE28 is not essential for the development or maintenance of the glomerulus filtration barrier.
Random networks of core-shell-like Cu-Cu2O/CuO nanowires as surface plasmon resonance-enhanced sensors
Authors: Hajimammadov Rashad , Bykov Alexander , Popov Alexey , Juhasz Koppany L. , Lorite Gabriela S. , Mohl Melinda , Kukovecz Akos , Huuhtanen Mika , Kordas Krisztian
Published: March 2018

The rapid oxide formation on pristine unprotected copper surfaces limits the direct application of Cu nanomaterials in electronics and sensor assemblies with physical contacts. However, it is not clear whether the growing cuprous (Cu2O) and cupric oxides (CuO) and the formation of core-shell-like Cu-Cu2O/CuO nanowires would cause any compromise for non-contact optical measurements, where light absorption and subsequent charge oscillation and separation take place such as those in surface plasmon-assisted and photocatalytic processes, respectively. Therefore, we analyze how the surface potential of hydrothermally synthetized copper nanowires changes as a function of time in ambient conditions using Kelvin probe force microscopy in dark and under light illumination to reveal charge accumulation on the nanowires and on the supporting gold substrate. Further, we perform finite element modeling of the optical absorption to predict plasmonic behavior of the nanostructures. The results suggest that the core-shell-like Cu-Cu2O/CuO nanowires may be useful both in photocatalytic and in surface plasmon-enhanced processes. Here, by exploiting the latter, we show that regardless of the native surface oxide formation, random networks of the nanowires on gold substrates work as excellent amplification media for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy as demonstrated in sensing of Rhodamine 6G dye molecules.
The role of dipole interactions in hyperthermia heating colloidal clusters of densely-packed superparamagnetic nanoparticles
Authors: Fu Rong , Yan Yuying , Roberts Clive , Liu Zeyu , Chen Yiyi
Published: March 2018

This work aims to investigate the influence of inter-particle dipole interactions on hyperthermia heating colloidal clusters of densely-packed Fe3O4 nanoparticles at low field intensity. Emulsion droplet solvent evaporation method was used to assemble oleic acid modified Fe3O4 particles into compact clusters which were stabilized by surfactant in water. Both experimental and simulation works were conducted to study their heating performance at different cluster’s sizes. The dipole interactions improve the heating only when the clusters are small enough to bring an enhancement in clusters’ shape anisotropy. The shape anisotropy is reduced at greater clusters’ sizes, since the shapes of the clusters become more and more spherical. Consequently, the dipole interactions change to impair the heating efficiency at larger sizes. When the clusters are totally isotropic in shape, the heating efficiency is lower than that of non-interacting particles despite the cluster’s size, although the efficiency increases by a little bit at a particular size most likely due to the dipole couplings. In these situations, one has to use particles with higher magnetic anisotropy and/or saturation magnetization to improve the heating.
Carbon nanotubes and manganese oxide hybrid nanostructures as high performance fiber supercapacitors
Authors: Gong Wei , Fugetsu Bunshi , Wang Zhipeng , Sakata Ichiro , Su Lei , Zhang Xueji , Ogata Hironori , Li Mingda , Wang Chao , Li Ju , Ortiz-Medina Josue , Terrones Mauricio , Endo Morinobu
Published: March 2018

Manganese oxide (MnO2) has long been investigated as a pseudo-capacitive material for fabricating fiber-shaped supercapacitors but its poor electrical conductivity and its brittleness are clear drawbacks. Here we electrochemically insert nanostructured MnO2domains into continuously interconnected carbon nanotube (CNT) networks, thus imparting both electrical conductivity and mechanical durability to MnO2. In particular, we synthesize a fiber-shaped coaxial electrode with a nickel fiber as the current collector (Ni/CNT/MnO2); the thickness of the CNT/MnO2hybrid nanostructured shell is approximately 150 μm and the electrode displays specific capacitances of 231 mF cm−1. When assembling symmetric devices featuring Ni/CNT/MnO2coaxial electrodes as cathode and anode together with a 1.0 M Na2SO4aqueous solution as electrolyte, we find energy densities of 10.97 μWh cm−1. These values indicate that our hybrid systems have clear potential as wearable energy storage and harvesting devices.
Room temperature control of spin states in a thin film of a photochromic iron(ii) complex
Authors: Poggini Lorenzo , Milek Magdalena , Londi Giacomo , Naim Ahmad , Poneti Giordano , Squillantini Lorenzo , Magnani Agnese , Totti Federico , Rosa Patrick , Khusniyarov Marat M. , Mannini Matteo
Published: March 2018

Thin films of a molecular spin crossover iron(ii) complex featuring a photochromic diarylethene-based ligand have been grown by sublimation in ultra-high vacuum on Au(111) and investigated by photoelectron spectroscopies.
Identifying key descriptors in surface binding: interplay of surface anchoring and intermolecular interactions for carboxylates on Au(110)
Authors: O'Connor Christopher R. , Hiebel Fanny , Chen Wei , Kaxiras Efthimios , Madix Robert J. , Friend Cynthia M.
Published: March 2018

The relative stability of carboxylates on Au(110) was investigated as part of a comprehensive study of adsorbate binding on Group IB metals that can be used to predict and understand how to control reactivity in heterogeneous catalysis.
Crystal structure resolution of an insulator due to the cooperative Jahn–Teller effect through Bader's theory: the challenging case of cobaltite oxide Y114
Authors: Tantardini Christian , Benassi Enrico
Published: March 2018

Cobaltite YBaCo4O7, abbreviated as Y114, is one of the most thoroughly investigated perovskites, owing largely to its interesting magnetic properties.
Pushing the limit of layered transition metal oxide cathodes for high-energy density rechargeable Li ion batteries
Authors: Kim U.-H. , Jun D.-W. , Park K.-J. , Zhang Q. , Kaghazchi P. , Aurbach D. , Major D. T. , Goobes G. , Dixit M. , Leifer N. , Wang C. M. , Yan P. , Ahn D. , Kim K.-H. , Yoon C. S. , Sun Y.-K.
Published: March 2018

W-doping produced the two-phase (Fm3̄m and R3̄m) structure which improved the cycling and thermal stability of the Ni-rich layered cathodes.
Self-polymerized hollow Mo-dopamine complex-induced functional MoSe2/N-doped carbon electrodes with enhanced lithium/sodium storage properties
Authors: Zhao Chaochao , Song He , Zhuang Qianyu , Ma Quanning , Liang Jun , Peng Hongrui , Mao Changming , Zhang Zhonghua , Li Guicun
Published: March 2018

3D hierarchical MoSe2/N-doped carbon microsphere composites exhibit excellent rate capacities as anode materials in lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries.
Signature of non-isotropic distribution of stellar rotation inclination angles in the Praesepe cluster
Authors: Kovacs Geza
Published: March 2018

The distribution of the stellar rotation axes of 113 main sequence stars in the open cluster Praesepe are examined by using current photometric rotation periods, spectroscopic rotation velocities, and estimated stellar radii. Three different samples of stellar rotation data on spotted stars from the Galactic field and two independent samples of planetary hosts are used as control samples to support the consistency of the analysis. Considering the high completeness of the Praesepe sample and the behavior of the control samples, we find that the main sequence F − K stars in this cluster are susceptible to rotational axis alignment. Using a cone model, the most likely inclination angle is 76° ± 14° with a half opening angle of 47° ± 24°. Non-isotropic distribution of the inclination angles is preferred over the isotropic distribution, except if the rotation velocities used in this work are systematically overestimated. We found no indication of this being the case on the basis of the currently available data.
Kepler Object of Interest Network
Authors: von Essen C. , Ofir A. , Dreizler S. , Agol E. , Freudenthal J. , Hernández J. , Wedemeyer S. , Parkash V. , Deeg H. J. , Hoyer S. , Morris B. M. , Becker A. C. , Sun L. , Gu S. H. , Herrero E. , Tal-Or L. , Poppenhaeger K. , Mallonn M. , Albrecht S. , Khalafinejad S. , Boumis P. , Delgado-Correal C. , Fabrycky D. C. , Janulis R. , Lalitha S. , Liakos A. , Mikolaitis Š. , Moyano D’Angelo M. L. , Sokov E. , Pakštienė E. , Popov A. , Krushinsky V. , Ribas I. , Rodríguez S. M. M. , Rusov S. , Sokova I. , Tautvaišienė G. , Wang X.
Published: March 2018

During its four years of photometric observations, the Kepler space telescope detected thousands of exoplanets and exoplanet candidates. One of Kepler’s greatest heritages has been the confirmation and characterization of hundreds of multi-planet systems via transit timing variations (TTVs). However, there are many interesting candidate systems displaying TTVs on such long timescales that the existing Kepler observations are of insufficient length to confirm and characterize them by means of this technique. To continue with Kepler’s unique work, we have organized the “Kepler Object of Interest Network” (KOINet), a multi-site network formed of several telescopes located throughout America, Europe, and Asia. The goals of KOINet are to complete the TTV curves of systems where Kepler did not cover the interaction timescales well, to dynamically prove that some candidates are true planets (or not), to dynamically measure the masses and bulk densities of some planets, to find evidence for non-transiting planets in some of the systems, to extend Kepler’s baseline adding new data with the main purpose of improving current models of TTVs, and to build a platform that can observe almost anywhere on the northern hemisphere, at almost any time. KOINet has been operational since March 2014. Here we show some promising first results obtained from analyzing seven primary transits of KOI-0410.01, KOI-0525.01, KOI-0760.01, and KOI-0902.01, in addition to the Kepler data acquired during the first and second observing seasons of KOINet. While carefully choosing the targets we set demanding constraints on timing precision (at least 1 min) and photometric precision (as good as one part per thousand) that were achieved by means of our observing strategies and data analysis techniques. For KOI-0410.01, new transit data revealed a turnover of its TTVs. We carried out an in-depth study of the system, which is identified in the NASA Data Validation Report as a false positive. Among others, we investigated a gravitationally bound hierarchical triple star system and a planet–star system. While the simultaneous transit fitting of ground- andspace-based data allowed for a planet solution, we could not fully reject the three-star scenario. New data, already scheduled in the upcoming 2018 observing season, will set tighter constraints on the nature of the system.
Les lois de Wolff. Conséquences cliniques 2e partie
Authors: BERT Marc
Published: March 2018

L’anatomie osseuse n’est pas une structure figée,
mais évolue selon les charges subies par l’os.
Énoncées en 1892 par Julius Wolff, un chirurgien,
et se basant sur l’observation clinique, ces lois
vont permettre non plus d’apprendre l’anatomie
des os maxillaires, comme habituellement,
mais de la comprendre et d’anticiper leur
évolution en réaction aux traitements qu’ils
subissent : perte des dents, mise en place
d’implants. Les mécanismes de perception
des contraintes et de leur transmission
aux centres supérieurs sont évoqués, mettant
en avant le rôle particulièrement important
des ostéocytes, cellules que l’on a cru longtemps
être quiescentes.
Error analysis of a finite element approximation of a degenerate Cahn-Hilliard equation
Authors: Agosti A.
Published: March 2018

This work considers a Cahn-Hilliard type equation with degenerate mobility and single-well potential of Lennard-Jones type, motivated by increasing interest in diffuse interface modelling of solid tumors. The degeneracy set of the mobility and the singularity set of the potential do not coincide, and the zero of the potential is an unstable equilibrium configuration. This feature introduces a nontrivial difference with respect to the Cahn-Hilliard equation analyzed in the literature. In particular, the singularities of the potential do not compensate the degeneracy of the mobility by constraining the solution to be strictly separated from the degeneracy values. The error analysis of a well posed continuous finite element approximation of the problem, where the positivity of the solution is enforced through a discrete variational inequality, is developed. Whilst in previous works the error analysis of suitable finite element approximations has been studied for second order degenerate and fourth order non degenerate parabolic equations, in this work the a priori estimates of the error between the discrete solution and the weak solution to which it converges are obtained for a degenerate fourth order parabolic equation. The theoretical error estimates obtained in the present case state that the norms of the approximation errors, calculated on the support of the solution in the proper functional spaces, are bounded by power laws of the discretization parameters with exponent 1/2, while in the case of the classical Cahn-Hilliard equation with constant mobility the exponent is 1. The estimates are finally succesfully validated by simulation results in one and two space dimensions.
La mécanique des biofilms à la surface de liquides
Authors: Douarche Carine , Bailleux Virginie , Even Catherine , Allain Jean-Marc , Regeard Christophe , Raspaud Éric
Published: March 2018

Les micro-organismes peuvent coloniser les surfaces environnantes et s’organiser en un film de plusieurs centaines de microns d’épaisseur, appelé « biofilm ». Ils sécrètent une matrice extracellulaire polymérique qui assure une véritable cohésion et protection physique de la colonie, avec des effets qui peuvent être aussi bien bénéfiques que mortels pour son environnement.

Nous nous sommes intéressés aux forces mécaniques structurant cette matière vivante solide et contribuant à maintenir son intégrité. Nous avons travaillé sur des biofilms de bactéries flottant à la surface d’un liquide. Nous montrons que ces systèmes ont des propriétés mécaniques originales et remarquables, du fait de leur capacité à croître et proliférer.
La Gravitation - Journée de la division Champs et Particules de la SFP
Authors: Petropoulos Marios
Published: March 2018

La division Champs et Particules de la Société Française de Physique organise chaque année une journée thématique. La gravitation était à l’honneur le 22 novembre 2017 à l’université Paris-Diderot. Sous le regard croisé d’expérimentateurs et de théoriciens, cette rencontre a remarquablement mis en valeur la richesse et la diversité du sujet.
Do Postpartum Levels of Apolipoproteins Prospectively Predict the Development of Type 2 Diabetes in Women with Previous Gestational Diabetes Mellitus?
Authors: Lappas Martha , Georgiou Harry M , Velagic Anida , Willcox Jane C , Permezel Michael , Shub Alexis
Published: March 2018

Aims The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is greater in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Apolipoprotein (Apo) species have been associated with the development of type 2 diabetes in the general population. The aim of this study was to determine if circulating levels of Apo species can predict development of type 2 diabetes in women with previous GDM.

Methods Apo AI, Apo AII, Apo B, Apo CII, Apo CIII and Apo E levels were measured in 95 women with normal glucose tolerance, 12 weeks following an index GDM pregnancy. Women were assessed for up to 10 years for the development of type 2 diabetes.

Results Postpartum Apo CIII levels, and Apo CIII/Apo AI, Apo CIII/Apo AII, Apo CIII/Apo CII, Apo CIII/Apo E and Apo E/Apo CIII ratios were significantly and positively associated with the development of type 2 diabetes. After controlling for age and BMI, these associations, except for the Apo E/Apo CIII ratio, remained significant. In a clinical model of prediction of type 2 diabetes that included age, BMI, and pregnancy and postnatal fasting glucose, the addition of Apo CIII levels, Apo CIII/Apo AI, Apo CIII/Apo AII, Apo CIII/Apo CII, and Apo CIII/Apo E resulted in a net reclassification improvement of 16.2%.

Conclusions High Apo CIII levels and the Apo CIII/Apo AI, Apo CIII/Apo AII, Apo CIII/Apo CII, and Apo CIII/Apo E ratios are all significant risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes in women with a previous GDM pregnancy.
Fluorescein Staining of Intraocular Lenses
Authors: Gerding Heinrich
Published: March 2018

Background Recent case reports have indicated that intraocular lenses may be discoloured by systemically or locally applied fluorescein. Since very few data are available on the susceptibility of intraocular lenses to fluorescein, an experimental survey on lens discolouration was performed.

Material and Methods Intraocular lenses fabricated from polmethylmethacrylate (PMMA), silicone, hydrophobic acrylic copolymers, and hydrophilic acrylic copolymers were exposed to 10% fluorescein. Staining effects were determined by standardised quantification of light transmission.

Results Intraocular lenses fabricated from PMMA, silicone, or hydrophobic acrylic copolymer did not exhibit any measurable dye uptake after exposure to fluorescein. Intensive and rapid discolouration occurred in hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses. The transmission of blue light was reduced by 22% after 1 second and by 74% after 10 minutes of dye exposure.

Conclusions The results indicate that hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses develop rapid and intensive discolouration and reduced light transmission after exposure to fluorescein. Lenses fabricated from other materials (PMMA, silicone, hydrophobic acrylic copolymers) were not discoloured by fluorescein staining.
Ökonomische Auswirkungen von präoperativer Wartezeit im
Krankenhaus
Authors: von Dercks Nikolaus , Glößner Peter , Tsertsvadze Georgi
Published: March 2018

Zielsetzung Die Wartezeit auf eine Operation nach der Klinikaufnahme kann
je nach Abteilung, Krankheitsbild und Operation zu einem überproportionalen
Anstieg der Verweildauer (VWD) in der Klinik führen. Für einen effizienten
Ressourceneinsatz und für die Verbesserung der finanziellen Situation der
Kliniken ist es sinnvoll, diesen Zusammenhang zu analysieren.

Methodik Verwendet wurden die § 21-Daten für Operationen an den
Bewegungsorganen aus dem Universitätsklinikum Leipzig für die Jahre 2014–2015.
Nach Herausrechnung der Fallschweren als Haupttreiber der VWD wird der
Zusammenhang zwischen Wartezeit und Verweildauer und das damit verbundene
Kosten-Erlös-Verhältnis analysiert.

Ergebnisse Es wurden 7448 Fälle analysiert. Bei 74,1 % erfolgte die erste
Operation am Aufnahmetag oder dem ersten darauffolgenden Tag. Bei 20,9 %
erfolgte die erste Operation zwischen dem 2. und dem 7. Tag. Es zeigte sich für
alle Patienten des Untersuchungskollektivs eine durchschnittliche VWD von 10
Tagen, bei Patienten mit 10 und mehr präoperativen Wartetagen lag die
durchschnittliche VWD bei 34 Tagen. Bei Kostenbetrachtung auf Basis der
InEK-Matrix zeigt sich anhand der Schenkelhalsfrakturen ab 4 Tagen präoperativer
VWD eine Unterdeckung der Krankenhauskosten aus dem DRG-Erlös.

Schlussfolgerung Längere präoperative Wartezeiten können die Verweildauern
überproportional verlängern und Kostenprobleme verursachen. In Fällen, bei denen
Patienten eine bestimmte Anzahl von Tagen auf ihre Operation gewartet haben,
können die Kosten für den Fall letztendlich die DRG-Erlöse übersteigen. Die
Identifikation und Beseitigung der wartezeitinduzierten Verweildauern kann also
positive finanzielle Auswirkungen für Kliniken entfalten. Voraussetzung dafür
ist ein Vorgehen, welches die vom DRG-System vorgegebene Verweildauergrenzen und
die Fallschweren methodisch korrekt berücksichtigt.
Unlocking Land Markets and Infrastructure Provision
Authors: Bah El-hadj M. , Faye Issa , Geh Zekebweliwai F.
Published: March 2018

This chapter focuses on the challenges and opportunities related to the provision of land and infrastructure for affordable housing. It drills down on three key challenges impeding the supply of affordable housing in Africa: poor land governance and weak management systems; the multiplicity of conflicting land tenure regimes; and the rapid growth of low-density, informal residential developments, leading to urban sprawl in peri-urban areas. The chapter also argues that the provision of basic infrastructure, especially transport infrastructure, not only shapes cities, but is also an important determinant of housing affordability, particularly for low-income families.
Mechanical response of CH3NH3PbI3 nanowires
Authors: Ćirić L. , Ashby K. , Abadie T. , Spina M. , Duchamp M. , Náfrádi B. , Kollár M. , Forró L. , Horváth E.
Published: March 2018

We report a systematic study of the mechanical response of methylammonium lead triiodide CH3NH3PbI3 nanowires by employing bending measurements using atomic force microscope on suspended wires over photo-lithographically patterned channels. Force-deflection curves measured at room temperature give a Young's modulus between 2 and 14 GPa. This broad range of values is attributed to the variations in the microcrystalline texture of halide perovskite nanowires. The mechanical response of a highly crystalline nanowire is linear with force and has a brittle character. The braking modulus of 48 ± 20 MPa corresponds to 100 μm of radius of curvature of the nanowires, rendering them much better structures for flexible devices than spin coated films. The measured moduli decrease rapidly if the NW is exposed to water vapor.
Ecological responses of Stipa steppe in Inner Mongolia to experimentally increased temperature and precipitation 1: Background and experimental design
Authors: Wan Zhiqiang , Hu Guozheng , Chen Yali , Chao Colmvn , Gao Qingzhu
Published: March 2018

Both temperature and precipitation are predicted to increase in the region of the Stipa steppe of Inner Mongolia. We conducted an experiment to simulate both the individual and combined effects of warming and increased precipitation on community structure (biomass and diversity) and ecological processes (soil respiration and ecosystem carbon exchange). Open-topped chambers were used to simulate climatic warming, and irrigation was applied to simulate a 20% increase in precipitation. Open-topped chambers were effective in producing significant increases in mean air temperature in each year of the experiment (2011–2015), with the average increase ranging from 2.5°C to 3°C in the final 3 years of the study. Mean soil temperature was significantly increased in 2 of the 5 years of observation. Irrigation significantly increased soil moisture. The experimental treatments thus produced environmental changes consistent with those expected in the region by mid-century and provide a basis for examining the likely effects of climate change on the grassland ecosystem as reported in companion papers.
Crisis or self-correction: Rethinking media narratives about the well-being of science
Authors: Jamieson Kathleen Hall
Published: March 2018

After documenting the existence and exploring some implications of three alternative news narratives about science and its challenges, this essay outlines ways in which those who communicate science can more accurately convey its investigatory process, self-correcting norms, and remedial actions, without in the process legitimizing an unwarranted “science is broken/in crisis” narrative. The three storylines are: (i) quest discovery, which features scientists producing knowledge through an honorable journey; (ii) counterfeit quest discovery, which centers on an individual or group of scientists producing a spurious finding through a dishonorable one; and (iii) a systemic problem structure, which suggests that some of the practices that protect science are broken, or worse, that science is no longer self-correcting or in crisis.
Detection of amyloid fibrils in Parkinson’s disease using plasmonic chirality
Authors: Kumar Jatish , Eraña Hasier , López-Martínez Elena , Claes Nathalie , Martín Víctor F. , Solís Diego M. , Bals Sara , Cortajarena Aitziber L. , Castilla Joaquín , Liz-Marzán Luis M.
Published: March 2018

Significance

This contribution reports on the application of gold nanorods to the detection of amyloids in Parkinson’s and prion diseases. We found that gold nanorods show no interaction with monomeric proteins but adsorb onto helical protein fibrils. Chiral amyloid templates induce helical arrangement of nanorods, giving rise to intense optical activity at the plasmon resonance wavelengths. This report shows the use of protein fibrils as templates for chiral nanoparticle assembly and development of a biodetection technique. We show this effect on a model recombinant protein, α-synuclein (involved in Parkinson’s disease), using CD, cryogenic transmission EM tomography, and theoretical simulations supporting the experimental findings. We additionally show application to identify patients with Parkinson’s disease from human brain homogenates.
Hydrogen-free nitriding of ZrTiAlV by double glow plasma discharge improving the wear resistance
Authors: Ai X. Y. , Lin H. L. , Zhang B. , Lv J. W. , Jing Q. , Liu R. P.
Published: March 2018

A hydrogen-free nitriding method through double glow plasma metallurgy is exploited and a nitrided layer was formed on ZrTiAlV alloy. The nitrided layer was characterised through X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy techniques, as well as through Vickers hardness and friction and wear tests. Results showed that the nitrided layer is 580 µm thick, homogeneous and dense. It mainly consists of TiN, Ti2N and ZrN phases. The hardness of the nitrided layer on the surface of the ZrTiAlV alloy is nearly 2.5 times higher than that of the ZrTiAlV substrate. The friction coefficient and wear resistance of the alloy considerably improved after nitriding.
A new method for the high-precision assessment of tumor changes in response to treatment
Authors: Tar P D , Thacker N A , Babur M , Watson Y , Cheung S , Little R A , Gieling R G , Williams K J , O’Connor J P B
Published: March 2018

Motivation

Imaging demonstrates that preclinical and human tumors are heterogeneous, i.e. a single tumor can exhibit multiple regions that behave differently during both development and also in response to treatment. The large variations observed in control group, tumors can obscure detection of significant therapeutic effects due to the ambiguity in attributing causes of change. This can hinder development of effective therapies due to limitations in experimental design rather than due to therapeutic failure. An improved method to model biological variation and heterogeneity in imaging signals is described. Specifically, linear Poisson modeling (LPM) evaluates changes in apparent diffusion co-efficient between baseline and 72 h after radiotherapy, in two xenograft models of colorectal cancer. The statistical significance of measured changes is compared to those attainable using a conventional t-test analysis on basic apparent diffusion co-efficient distribution parameters.

Results

When LPMs were applied to treated tumors, the LPMs detected highly significant changes. The analyses were significant for all tumors, equating to a gain in power of 4-fold (i.e. equivalent to having a sample size 16 times larger), compared with the conventional approach. In contrast, highly significant changes are only detected at a cohort level using t-tests, restricting their potential use within personalized medicine and increasing the number of animals required during testing. Furthermore, LPM enabled the relative volumes of responding and non-responding tissue to be estimated for each xenograft model. Leave-one-out analysis of the treated xenografts provided quality control and identified potential outliers, raising confidence in LPM data at clinically relevant sample sizes.

Availability and implementation

TINA Vision open source software is available from www.tina-vision.net.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.