bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Availability of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-authorised retailers’ voluntary commitments to encourage healthy dietary purchases using marketing-mix and choice-architecture strategies
Authors: Houghtaling Bailey , Serrano Elena , Kraak Vivica I , Harden Samantha M , Davis George C , Misyak Sarah
Published: March 2020

Objective:

To examine public commitments for encouraging United States consumers to make healthy dietary purchases with their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits among of prevalent SNAP-authorised retailers.

Setting:

National SNAP-authorised retail landscape in addition to stores located in California and Virginia, two states targetted for a Partnership for a Healthier America pilot social marketing campaign.

Participants:

SNAP-authorised retailers with the most store locations in selected settings.

Design:

A review of retailers’ publicly available business information was conducted (November 2016–February 2017). Webpages and grey literature sources were accessed to identify corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports and commitments describing strategies to encourage healthy consumer purchases aligned with the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Evidence was organised using a marketing-mix and choice-architecture (MMCA) framework to characterise strategies used among eight possible types (i.e. place, profile, portion, pricing, promotion, priming, prompting and proximity).

Results:

Of the SNAP-authorised retailers (n 38) reviewed, more than half (n 20; 52·6 %) provided no information in the public domain relevant to the research objective. Few retailers (n 8; 21·1 %) had relevant CSR information; grey literature sources (n 52 articles across seventeen retailers) were more commonly identified. SNAP-authorised retailers in majority committed to increasing the number of healthy products available for purchase (profile).

Conclusions:

Substantial improvements are needed to enhance the capacity and commitments of SNAP-authorised retailers to use diverse strategies to promote healthy purchases among SNAP recipients. Future research could explore feasible approaches to improve dietary behaviours through sector changes via public–private partnerships, policy changes, or a combination of government regulatory and voluntary business actions.
The art of aiming at a moving target: A critique of Lechner and Frost’s Practice Theory and International Relations
Authors: STAPPERT NORA
Published: March 2020

How can we account for the normative dimension of international practices? Silviya Lechner and Mervyn Frost’s Practice Theory and International Relations answers this question by proposing, with a considerable degree of epistemological sophistication, what the authors call ‘normative descriptivism’, which they combine with a focus on ‘macro practices’. In this contribution, I start by examining the authors’ engagement with IR’s practice turn, and the insights this engagement may offer on the underlying objective of their approach. I then turn to Lechner and Frost’s decision to eclipse history. The contribution concludes by using the evolution of international law as a cursory illustration of the types of analyses Lechner and Frost’s approach would lead to. It thereby emphasises potential challenges inherent in the authors’ combination of internalism as rooted in individual self-consciousness and a focus on ‘macro practices’, including the possibility that it might limit the potential to critically question the standard that becomes identified as universal.
Stepping out of the social world: A lonely call for more philosophy in the practice turn
Authors: SKONIECZNY AMY
Published: March 2020

Practice Theory and International Relations will challenge all you’ve come to know about the practice turn in international relations. It will ask you to question how you define practices and call for more precision. It will challenge your starting point of ground-up actions in everyday life and look at practices from above. It will push you to rethink your empirical methodology and call out sociological approaches as misconceived. And yes, it will ask you to reread Hegel and bring philosophy back in to your practice theorising. In short, it will make a lonely, and for many, unwanted call for a U-turn in the field. In this review, I’ll take up this call for a U-turn back to philosophical foundations, and ask what is gained and what is lost in rethinking practice theory from a philosophical perspective.
Decomposing Barotropic Transport Variability in a High‐Resolution Model of the North Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Wang Yuan , Greatbatch Richard J. , Claus Martin , Sheng Jinyu
Published: March 2020

A method using a linear shallow water model is presented for decomposing the temporal variability of the barotropic stream function in a high‐resolution ocean model. The method is based on the vertically averaged momentum equations and is applied to the time series of annual mean stream function from the model configuration VIKING20 for the northern North Atlantic. An important result is the role played by the nonlinear advection terms in VIKING20 for driving transport. The method is illustrated by examining how the Gulf Stream transport in the recirculation region responds to the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). While no statistically significant response is found in the year overlapping with the winter NAO index, there is a tendency for the Gulf Stream transport to increase as the NAO becomes more positive. This becomes significant in lead years 1 and 2 when the mean flow advection and eddy momentum flux contributions, associated with nonlinear momentum advection, dominate. Only after 2 years, does the potential energy term, associated with the density field, start to play a role and it is only after 5 years that the transport dependence on the NAO ceases to be significant. It is also shown that the potential energy contribution to the transport stream function has significant memory of up to 5 years in the Labrador and Irminger Seas. However, it is only around the northern rim of these seas that VIKING20 and the transport reconstruction exhibit similar memory. This is due to masking by the mean flow advection and eddy momentum flux contributions.
Phase Changes of Electromagnetic Oceanic Tidal Signals
Authors: Saynisch‐Wagner J. , Petereit J. , Irrgang C. , Thomas M.
Published: March 2020

Over the last years, the number of studies that investigate or utilize the electromagnetic (EM) signals generated by ocean tides is steadily growing. However, the majority of these studies focuses on the amplitudes of EM tidal signals. This study investigates the phases of EM tidal signals and their changes. Twenty‐six years of monthly observation‐based datasets of tidal velocities, geomagnetic field, and oceanic conductivity are fed into an EM induction solver to generate varying EM tidal signals. The sensitivities of the resulting EM signals are analyzed by forbidding or allowing the input datasets to vary in time. We report on the phase's sensitivities with respect to changes in the EM properties, that is, secular variation of the geomagnetic field and changes in oceanic conductivity. Distinct temporal behavior and distinct geographic pattern for the two sensitivities can be reported. In general, apart from global phase shifts of 3–5 degrees, concentrated areas with phase shifts of up to 45 degrees occur all over the globe, over the oceans, for example, Arctic and Atlantic Ocean, as well as on coastal land regions, for example, Southwest Greenland and Japan. Very locally, phase shifts of 90 degree or higher occur.
VDRAS and Polarimetric Radar Investigation of a Bow Echo Formation After a Squall Line Merged With a Preline Convective Cell
Authors: Zhou Ang , Zhao Kun , Lee Wen‐Chau , Huang Hao , Hu Dongming , Fu Peiling
Published: March 2020

This paper is the first to document the development of a type of bow echo, termed merger‐formation bow echo (MFBE), in southeast China evolving from a subtropical squall line (SL) merging with a preline convective cell (CC). Although this MFBE did not produce damaging surface winds, its intense rain rate resulted in local flooding. The evolution of the kinematic, thermodynamic, and microphysical structures is investigated using the variational Doppler radar analysis system (VDRAS) analysis and polarimetric radar observations. Key factors of this MFBE event including the rear‐inflow jet (RIJ) and cold pool exhibited different characteristics from those in classical bow echoes and limited MFBE cases.

As the SL propagated towards the coast, a CC was triggered along a sea breeze front. The SL did possess a RIJ, but a bow‐shaped reflectivity did not appear until the SL‐CC merger. The RIJ weakened and became elevated during the merger, while the leading edge of SL cold pool accompanied by a weak diverging outflow did not advance with the reflectivity field. The updraft was strengthened due to the merger, resulting in enhanced precipitation falling ahead of the original SL. The subcloud evaporation locally cooled the air ahead of the SL and merged with the original SL cold pool. This combined cold pool advanced forward rapidly and caught up with the bowing radar reflectivity to form this MFBE. This study illustrates the processes of a SL‐CC merger leading to the formation of a different type of MFBE that did not produce damaging surface winds.
Joint Stochastic Bedload Transport and Bed Elevation Model: Variance Regulation and Power Law Rests
Authors: Pierce J. Kevin , Hassan Marwan A.
Published: March 2020

We describe the joint dynamics of bedload transport and bed elevation changes with a stochastic population model, and we analyze (1) the dependence of bedload flux statistics on local bed elevations and (2) resting time distributions for sediment undergoing burial in the fluctuating sedimentary bed. The model involves entrainment and deposition in a control volume characterized by elevation‐dependent rates, and it exhibits a statistical regulation effect, whereby bed aggradation suppresses the variance of the bedload flux while degradation enhances it. This variance regulation effect is contingent on collective entrainment, whereby moving grains destabilize stationary grains in a positive feedback. When collective entrainment is turned off,bedload transport fluctuations become independent of the bed elevation. Return times from above in the bed elevation time series provide heavy‐tailed power law distributions of resting times with tail behavior characterized by the mean erosion rate and the active layer depth. These results imply bedload statistics measurements on relatively short timescales can be strongly biased by bed elevation changes when collective entrainment occurs, and they support the growing consensus that sediment burial generates heavy‐tailed sediment resting times that ultimately generate anomalous bedload diffusion.
Impact of Subgrid Variation of Water Vapor on Longwave Radiation in a General Circulation Model
Authors: Kim Siyun , Park Sungsu , Shin Jihoon
Published: March 2020

Most general circulation models compute radiation fluxes by assuming that water vapor is uniform within individual grid layers, which leads to an underestimation of satellite‐observed longwave (LW) cloud radiative forcing (LWCF). To fix this problem, we calculated water vapor content separately for clear and cloudy portions and used them to compute LW radiation. The impacts of this modification were examined by comparing two global simulations with and without the modification (NEW and OLD, respectively). Global‐annual mean LWCF from NEW was 1.8 W m−2 higher than that of OLD, thus remedying a long‐standing negative bias of LWCF. This improvement is a combined result of more clear‐sky and less all‐sky upward LW flux at the top of the atmosphere than OLD. Large increases in LWCF and clear‐sky LW flux occurred in the tropical deep convection and midlatitude storm track regions where upper‐ and middle‐level clouds are abundant. Although only the LW radiation scheme was modified, global‐annual mean shortwave cloud radiative forcing also increased, particularly in the vicinity of the eastern subtropical marine stratocumulus decks through radiative feedback processes. With this improved treatment, it may be possible to tune general circulation models in a more flexible and physical way without introducing compensating errors.
Quantifying the Controls on Evapotranspiration Partitioning in the Highest Alpine Meadow Ecosystem
Authors: Cui Jiangpeng , Tian Lide , Wei Zhongwang , Huntingford Chris , Wang Pei , Cai Zhongyin , Ma Ning , Wang Lixin
Published: March 2020

Quantifying the transpiration fraction of evapotranspiration (T/ET) is crucial for understanding plant functionality in ecosystem water cycles, land‐atmosphere interactions, and the global water budget. However, the controls and mechanisms underlying the temporal change of T/ET remain poorly understood in arid and semiarid areas, especially for remote regions with sparse observations such as the Tibetan Plateau (TP). In this study, we used combined high‐frequency laser spectroscopy and chamber methods to constrain estimates of T/ET for an alpine meadow ecosystem in the central TP. The three isotopic end members in ET (δET), soil evaporation (δE), and plant transpiration (δT) were directly determined by three newly customized chambers. Results showed that the seasonal variations of δET, δE, and δT were strongly affected by the precipitation isotope (R2 = 0.53). The δ18O‐based T/ET agreed with that of δ2H. Isotope‐based T/ET ranged from 0.15 to 0.73 during the periods of observation, with an average of 0.43. This mean result was supported by T/ET derived from a two‐source model and eddy covariance observations. Our overarching finding is that at the seasonal timescale, surface soil water content (θ) dominated the change of T/ET, with leaf area index playing only a secondary role. Our study confirms the critical impact of soil water on the temporal change of T/ET in water‐limited regions such as the TP. This knowledge sheds light on diverse land‐surface processes, global hydrological cycles, and their modeling.
The impact of bacteria-derived ultrafine dust particles on pulmonary diseases
Authors: Yang Jinho , Kim Eun Kyoung , Park Hyeon Ju , McDowell Andrea , Kim Yoon-Keun
Published: March 2020

The relationship between ambient particulate matter exposure and health has been well established. Ultrafine particles (UFP) with a diameter of 100 nm or less are known to increase pulmonary disease risk. Biological factors in dust containing UFP can cause severe inflammatory reactions. Pulmonary diseases develop primarily as a result of chronic inflammation caused by immune dysfunction. Thus, this review focuses on the adverse pulmonary effects of biological UFP, principally lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and bacterial extracellular vesicles (EVs), in indoor dust and the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the development of chronic pulmonary diseases. The impact of LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation is based primarily on the amount of inhaled LPS. When relatively low levels of LPS are inhaled, a cascade of immune responses leads to Th2 cell induction, and IL-5 and IL-13 released by Th2 cells contributes to asthma development. Conversely, exposure to high levels of LPS induces a Th17 cell response, leading to increased production of IL-17, which is associated with asthma, COPD, and lung cancer incidence. Responses to bacterial EV exposure can similarly be broadly divided based on whether one of two mechanisms, either intracellular or extracellular, is activated, which depends on the type of the parent cell. Extracellular bacteria-derived EVs can cause neutrophilic inflammation via Th17 cell induction, which is associated with asthma, emphysema, COPD, and lung cancer. On the other hand, intracellular bacteria-derived EVs lead to mononuclear inflammation via Th1 cell induction, which increases the risk of emphysema. In conclusion, future measures should focus on the overall reduction of LPS sources in addition to the improvement of the balance of inhaled bacterial EVs in the indoor environment to minimize pulmonary disease risk.
Mechanisms of ultrafine particle-induced respiratory health effects
Authors: Leikauf George D. , Kim Sang-Heon , Jang An-Soo
Published: March 2020

Particulate matter (PM) is the principal component of air pollution. PM includes a range of particle sizes, such as coarse, fine, and ultrafine particles. Particles that are <100 nm in diameter are defined as ultrafine particles (UFPs). UFPs are found to a large extent in urban air as both singlet and aggregated particles. UFPs are classified into two major categories based on their source. Typically, UFPs are incidentally generated in the environment, often as byproducts of fossil fuel combustion, condensation of semivolatile substances or industrial emissions, whereas nanoparticles are manufactured through controlled engineering processes. The primary exposure mechanism of PM is inhalation. Inhalation of PM exacerbates respiratory symptoms in patients with chronic airway diseases, but the mechanisms underlying this response remain unclear. This review offers insights into the mechanisms by which particles, including UFPs, influence airway inflammation and discusses several mechanisms that may explain the relationship between particulate air pollutants and human health, particularly respiratory health. Understanding the mechanisms of PM-mediated lung injury will enhance efforts to protect at-risk individuals from the harmful health effects of air pollutants.
Ultrafine particles: unique physicochemical properties relevant to health and disease
Authors: Kwon Hyouk-Soo , Ryu Min Hyung , Carlsten Christopher
Published: March 2020

Ultrafine particles (UFPs) are aerosols with an aerodynamic diameter of 0.1 µm (100 nm) or less. There is a growing concern in the public health community about the contribution of UFPs to human health. Despite their modest mass and size, they dominate in terms of the number of particles in the ambient air. A particular concern about UFPs is their ability to reach the most distal lung regions (alveoli) and circumvent primary airway defenses. Moreover, UFPs have a high surface area and a capacity to adsorb a substantial amount of toxic organic compounds. Harmful systemic health effects of PM10 or PM2.5 are often attributable to the UFP fraction. In this review, we examine the physicochemical characteristics of UFPs to enable a better understanding of the effects of these particles on human health. The characteristics of UFPs from diesel combustion will be discussed in the greatest detail because road vehicles are the primary source of UFP emissions in urban pollution hotspots. Finally, we will elaborate on the role of UFPs on global climate change, since the adverse effects of UFPs on meteorological processes and the hydrological cycle may even be more harmful to human health than their direct toxic effects.
Water-induced MAPbBr3@PbBr(OH) with enhanced luminescence and stability
Authors: Liu Kai-Kai , Liu Qian , Yang Dong-Wen , Liang Ya-Chuan , Sui Lai-Zhi , Wei Jian-Yong , Xue Guo-Wei , Zhao Wen-Bo , Wu Xue-Ying , Dong Lin , Shan Chong-Xin
Published: March 2020

Poor stability has long been one of the key issues that hinder the practical applications of lead-based halide perovskites. In this paper, the photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (QY) of bromide-based perovskites can be increased from 2.5% to 71.54% by introducing water, and the PL QY of a sample in aqueous solution decreases minimally over 1 year. The enhanced stability and PL QY can be attributed to the water-induced methylamino lead bromide perovskite (MAPbBr3)@PbBr(OH). We note that this strategy is universal to MAPbBr3, formamidine lead bromide perovskite (FAPbBr3), inorganic lead bromide perovskite (CsPbBr3), etc. Light-emitting devices (LEDs) are fabricated by using the as-prepared perovskite as phosphors on a 365 nm UV chip. The luminance intensity of the LED is 9549 cd/m2 when the driven current is 200 mA, and blemishes on the surface of glass are clearly observed under the illumination of the LEDs. This work provides a new strategy for highly stable and efficient perovskites.
Neural substrates of smoking and reward cue reactivity in smokers: a meta-analysis of fMRI studies
Authors: Lin Xiao , Deng Jiahui , Shi Le , Wang Qiandong , Li Peng , Li Hui , Liu Jiajia , Que Jianyu , Chang Suhua , Bao Yanping , Shi Jie , Weinberger Daniel R. , Wu Ping , Lu Lin
Published: March 2020

Smoking is partly attributed to alterations of reward processing. However, findings on the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie smoking-related and smoking-unrelated reward processing in smokers have been inconsistent. Neuroimaging experiments that used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and reported brain responses to smoking-related cues and nonsmoking reward-related cues in smokers and healthy controls as coordinates in a standard anatomic reference space were identified by searching the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases up to December 2018. Three meta-analyses were performed using random-effect nonparametric statistics with Seed-based d Mapping software, with brain activity contrast from individual studies as the input. The striatum showed higher activation in response to smoking-related cues compared with neutral cues in 816 smokers from 28 studies and lower activation in response to nonsmoking reward-related cues in 275 smokers compared with 271 healthy control individuals from 13 studies. The relative reactivity of the putamen to smoking-related cues increased in 108 smokers compared with 107 healthy controls from seven studies. Meta-regression showed that smokers with a greater severity of nicotine dependence exhibited less engagement of the striatum in response to both smoking-related cues and nonsmoking reward-related cues. The present results reveal the disruption of reward system function in smokers and provide new insights into diverging theories of addiction. With the escalation of nicotine dependence, nicotine appears to exert dynamic effects on reward processing, based on incentive sensitization theory and reward deficiency syndrome theory.
Further confirmation of netrin 1 receptor (DCC) as a depression risk gene via integrations of multi-omics data
Authors: Li Hui-Juan , Qu Na , Hui Li , Cai Xin , Zhang Chu-Yi , Zhong Bao-Liang , Zhang Shu-Fang , Chen Jing , Xia Bin , Wang Lu , Jia Qiu-Fang , Li Wei , Chang Hong , Xiao Xiao , Li Ming , Li Yi
Published: March 2020

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of major depression and its relevant biological phenotypes have been extensively conducted in large samples, and transcriptome-wide analyses in the tissues of brain regions relevant to pathogenesis of depression, e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), have also been widely performed recently. Integrating these multi-omics data will enable unveiling of depression risk genes and even underlying pathological mechanisms. Here, we employ summary data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) and integrative risk gene selector (iRIGS) approaches to integrate multi-omics data from GWAS, DLPFC expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analyses and enhancer-promoter physical link studies to prioritize high-confidence risk genes for depression, followed by independent replications across distinct populations. These integrative analyses identify multiple high-confidence depression risk genes, and numerous lines of evidence supporting pivotal roles of the netrin 1 receptor (DCC) gene in this illness across different populations. Our subsequent explorative analyses further suggest that DCC significantly predicts neuroticism, well-being spectrum, cognitive function and putamen structure in general populations. Gene expression correlation and pathway analyses in DLPFC further show that DCC potentially participates in the biological processes and pathways underlying synaptic plasticity, axon guidance, circadian entrainment, as well as learning and long-term potentiation. These results are in agreement with the recent findings of this gene in neurodevelopment and psychiatric disorders, and we thus further confirm that DCC is an important susceptibility gene for depression, and might be a potential target for new antidepressants.
A single-centre investigator-blinded randomised parallel-group study protocol to investigate the influence of an acclimatisation appointment on children’s behaviour during N2O/O2 sedation as measured by psychological, behavioural and real-time physiological parameters
Authors: Kowash Mawlood , Al-Halabi Manal , Hussein Iyad , Abdo Mohammad M. , Salami Anas , Hassan Amar , Sverrisdottir Yrsa , Tahmassebi Jinous F.
Published: March 2020

Aims and objectives

To describe a study protocol of a randomised control trial (RCT) assessing the effectiveness, in reducing dental anxiety, of an acclimatising nitrous oxide sedation (N2O) session prior to actual dental treatment with N2O.

Materials and methods

A single-centre investigator-blinded parallel-group RCT conducted in a postgraduate dental hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Anxious children requiring N2O (aged 5–15 years) will be randomly assigned to; a study group: children who will have a preparatory N2O trial experience or; a control group: children who will only have N2O explained to them. Treatment with N2O for both groups will start at the second visit. The following outcomes will be recorded: completion of dental treatment, anxiety scores at baseline and after treatment (using the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale faces), behaviour of the child (using Frankl Rating Behaviour Scale) and the acquisition of real-time physiological anxiety-related parameters (using E4®electronic wrist devices).

Results

The data will be analysed statistically.

Discussion

There is a paucity of research regarding dental N2O acclimatising appointments. This RCT will supplement existing literature.

Conclusions

This RCT will report whether prior acclimatising of a child to N2O sedation is effective, or not, in improving dental treatment behaviour.
Grasp55−/− mice display impaired fat absorption and resistance to high-fat diet-induced obesity
Authors: Kim Jiyoon , Kim Hyeyon , Noh Shin Hye , Jang Dong Geon , Park Shi-Young , Min Dongkook , Kim Hyunki , Kweon Hee-Seok , Kim Hoguen , Aum Sowon , Seo Sookyung , Choi Cheol Soo , Kim Hail , Kim Jae Woo , Moon Seok Jun , Gee Heon Yung , Lee Min Goo
Published: March 2020

The Golgi apparatus plays a central role in the intracellular transport of macromolecules. However, molecular mechanisms of Golgi-mediated lipid transport remain poorly understood. Here, we show that genetic inactivation of the Golgi-resident protein GRASP55 in mice reduces whole-body fat mass via impaired intestinal fat absorption and evokes resistance to high-fat diet induced body weight gain. Mechanistic analyses reveal that GRASP55 participates in the Golgi-mediated lipid droplet (LD) targeting of some LD-associated lipases, such as ATGL and MGL, which is required for sustained lipid supply for chylomicron assembly and secretion. Consequently, GRASP55 deficiency leads to reduced chylomicron secretion and abnormally large LD formation in intestinal epithelial cells upon exogenous lipid challenge. Notably, deletion of dGrasp in Drosophila causes similar defects of lipid accumulation in the midgut. These results highlight the importance of the Golgi complex in cellular lipid regulation, which is evolutionary conserved, and uncover potential therapeutic targets for obesity-associated diseases.
FGF6 and FGF9 regulate UCP1 expression independent of brown adipogenesis
Authors: Shamsi Farnaz , Xue Ruidan , Huang Tian Lian , Lundh Morten , Liu Yang , Leiria Luiz O. , Lynes Matthew D. , Kempf Elena , Wang Chih-Hao , Sugimoto Satoru , Nigro Pasquale , Landgraf Kathrin , Schulz Tim , Li Yiming , Emanuelli Brice , Kothakota Srinivas , Williams Lewis T. , Jessen Niels , Pedersen Steen Bønløkke , Böttcher Yvonne , Blüher Matthias , Körner Antje , Goodyear Laurie J. , Mohammadi Moosa , Kahn C. Ronald , Tseng Yu-Hua
Published: March 2020

Uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) plays a central role in energy dissipation in brown adipose tissue (BAT). Using high-throughput library screening of secreted peptides, we identify two fibroblast growth factors (FGF), FGF6 and FGF9, as potent inducers of UCP1 expression in adipocytes and preadipocytes. Surprisingly, this occurs through a mechanism independent of adipogenesis and involves FGF receptor-3 (FGFR3), prostaglandin-E2 and interaction between estrogen receptor-related alpha, flightless-1 (FLII) and leucine-rich-repeat-(in FLII)-interacting-protein-1 as a regulatory complex for UCP1 transcription. Physiologically, FGF6/9 expression in adipose is upregulated by exercise and cold in mice, and FGF9/FGFR3 expression in human neck fat is significantly associated with UCP1 expression. Loss of FGF9 impairs BAT thermogenesis. In vivo administration of FGF9 increases UCP1 expression and thermogenic capacity. Thus, FGF6 and FGF9 are adipokines that can regulate UCP1 through a transcriptional network that is dissociated from brown adipogenesis, and act to modulate systemic energy metabolism.
A shift in glutamine nitrogen metabolism contributes to the malignant progression of cancer
Authors: Kodama Manabu , Oshikawa Kiyotaka , Shimizu Hideyuki , Yoshioka Susumu , Takahashi Masatomo , Izumi Yoshihiro , Bamba Takeshi , Tateishi Chisa , Tomonaga Takeshi , Matsumoto Masaki , Nakayama Keiichi I.
Published: March 2020

Glucose metabolism is remodeled in cancer, but the global pattern of cancer-specific metabolic changes remains unclear. Here we show, using the comprehensive measurement of metabolic enzymes by large-scale targeted proteomics, that the metabolism both carbon and nitrogen is altered during the malignant progression of cancer. The fate of glutamine nitrogen is shifted from the anaplerotic pathway into the TCA cycle to nucleotide biosynthesis, with this shift being controlled by glutaminase (GLS1) and phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate amidotransferase (PPAT). Interventions to reduce the PPAT/GLS1 ratio suppresses tumor growth of many types of cancer. A meta-analysis reveals that PPAT shows the strongest correlation with malignancy among all metabolic enzymes, in particular in neuroendocrine cancer including small cell lung cancer (SCLC). PPAT depletion suppresses the growth of SCLC lines. A shift in glutamine fate may thus be required for malignant progression of cancer, with modulation of nitrogen metabolism being a potential approach to SCLC treatment.
Quantifying contributions of chlorofluorocarbon banks to emissions and impacts on the ozone layer and climate
Authors: Lickley Megan , Solomon Susan , Fletcher Sarah , Velders Guus J. M. , Daniel John , Rigby Matthew , Montzka Stephen A. , Kuijpers Lambert J. M. , Stone Kane
Published: March 2020

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) banks from uses such as air conditioners or foams can be emitted after global production stops. Recent reports of unexpected emissions of CFC-11 raise the need to better quantify releases from these banks, and associated impacts on ozone depletion and climate change. Here we develop a Bayesian probabilistic model for CFC-11, 12, and 113 banks and their emissions, incorporating the broadest range of constraints to date. We find that bank sizes of CFC-11 and CFC-12 are larger than recent international scientific assessments suggested, and can account for much of current estimated CFC-11 and 12 emissions (with the exception of increased CFC-11 emissions after 2012). Left unrecovered, these CFC banks could delay Antarctic ozone hole recovery by about six years and contribute 9 billion metric tonnes of equivalent CO2 emission. Derived CFC-113 emissions are subject to uncertainty, but are much larger than expected, raising questions about its sources.
Gating mechanism of hyperpolarization-activated HCN pacemaker channels
Authors: Ramentol Rosamary , Perez Marta E. , Larsson H. Peter
Published: March 2020

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels are essential for rhythmic activity in the heart and brain, and mutations in HCN channels are linked to heart arrhythmia and epilepsy. HCN channels belong to the family of voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels. However, why HCN channels are activated by hyperpolarization whereas Kv channels are activated by depolarization is not clear. Here we reverse the voltage dependence of HCN channels by mutating only two residues located at the interface between the voltage sensor and the pore domain such that the channels now open upon depolarization instead of hyperpolarization. Our data indicate that what determines whether HCN channels open by hyperpolarizations or depolarizations are small differences in the energies of the closed and open states, due to different interactions between the voltage sensor and the pore in the different channels.
Structural insights into sequence-dependent Holliday junction resolution by the chloroplast resolvase MOC1
Authors: Yan Junjie , Hong Sixing , Guan Zeyuan , He Wenjing , Zhang Delin , Yin Ping
Published: March 2020

Holliday junctions (HJs) are key DNA intermediates in genetic recombination and are eliminated by nuclease, termed resolvase, to ensure genome stability. HJ resolvases have been identified across all kingdoms of life, members of which exhibit sequence-dependent HJ resolution. However, the molecular basis of sequence selectivity remains largely unknown. Here, we present the chloroplast resolvase MOC1, which cleaves HJ in a cytosine-dependent manner. We determine the crystal structure of MOC1 with and without HJs. MOC1 exhibits an RNase H fold, belonging to the retroviral integrase family. MOC1 functions as a dimer, and the HJ is embedded into the basic cleft of the dimeric enzyme. We characterize a base recognition loop (BR loop) that protrudes into and opens the junction. Residues from the BR loop intercalate into the bases, disrupt the C-G base pairing at the crossover and recognize the cytosine, providing the molecular basis for sequence-dependent HJ resolution by a resolvase.
Genome-wide transcriptome profile of rice hybrids with and without Oryza rufipogon introgression reveals candidate genes for yield
Authors: Guttikonda Haritha , Thummala Shashi Rekha , Agarwal Surekha , Mangrauthia Satendra K , Ramanan Rajeshwari , Neelamraju Sarla
Published: March 2020

In this study, we compared genome-wide transcriptome profile of two rice hybrids, one with (test hybrid IR79156A/IL50-13) and the other without (control hybrid IR79156A/KMR3) O. rufipogon introgressions to identify candidate genes related to grain yield in the test hybrid. IL50-13 (Chinsurah Nona2 IET21943) the male parent (restorer) used in the test hybrid, is an elite BC4F8 introgression line of KMR3 with O. rufipogon introgressions. We identified 2798 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in flag leaf and 3706 DEGs in panicle. Overall, 78 DEGs were within the major yield QTL qyld2.1 and 25 within minor QTL qyld8.2. The DEGs were significantly (p < 0.05) enriched in starch synthesis, phenyl propanoid pathway, ubiquitin degradation and phytohormone related pathways in test hybrid compared to control hybrid. Sequence analysis of 136 DEGs from KMR3 and IL50-13 revealed 19 DEGs with SNP/InDel variations. Of the 19 DEGs only 6 showed both SNP and InDel variations in exon regions. Of these, two DEGs within qyld2.1, Phenylalanine ammonia- lyase (PAL) (Os02t0626400-01, OsPAL2) showed 184 SNPs and 11 InDel variations and Similar to phenylalanine ammonia- lyase (Os02t0627100-01, OsPAL4) showed 205 SNPs and 13 InDel variations. Both PAL genes within qyld2.1 and derived from O. rufipogon are high priority candidate genes for increasing grain yield in rice.
Protection of Permafrost Soils from Thawing by Increasing Herbivore Density
Authors: Beer Christian , Zimov Nikita , Olofsson Johan , Porada Philipp , Zimov Sergey
Published: March 2020

Climate change will cause a substantial future greenhouse gas release from warming and thawing permafrost-affected soils to the atmosphere enabling a positive feedback mechanism. Increasing the population density of big herbivores in northern high-latitude ecosystems will increase snow density and hence decrease the insulation strength of snow during winter. As a consequence, theoretically 80% of current permafrost-affected soils (<10 m) is projected to remain until 2100 even when assuming a strong warming using the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5. Importantly, permafrost temperature is estimated to remain below −4 °C on average after increasing herbivore population density. Such ecosystem management practices would be therefore theoretically an important additional climate change mitigation strategy. Our results also highlight the importance of new field experiments and observations, and the integration of fauna dynamics into complex Earth System models, in order to reliably project future ecosystem functions and climate.
Longitudinal imaging of T cell-based immunotherapy with multi-spectral, multi-scale optoacoustic tomography
Authors: Kimm Melanie A. , Tzoumas Stratis , Glasl Sarah , Omar Murad , Symvoulidis Panagiotis , Olefir Ivan , Rummeny Ernst J. , Meier Reinhard , Ntziachristos Vasilis
Published: March 2020

Most imaging studies of immunotherapy have focused on tracking labeled T cell biodistribution in vivo for understanding trafficking and homing parameters and predicting therapeutic efficacy by the presence of transferred T cells at or in the tumour mass. Conversely, we investigate here a novel concept for longitudinally elucidating anatomical and pathophysiological changes of solid tumours after adoptive T cell transfer in a preclinical set up, using previously unexplored in-tandem macroscopic and mesoscopic optoacoustic (photoacoustic) imaging. We show non-invasive in vivo observations of vessel collapse during tumour rejection across entire tumours and observe for the first time longitudinal tumour rejection in a label-free manner based on optical absorption changes in the tumour mass due to cellular decline. We complement these observations with high resolution episcopic fluorescence imaging of T cell biodistribution using optimized T cell labeling based on two near-infrared dyes targeting the cell membrane and the cytoplasm. We discuss how optoacoustic macroscopy and mesoscopy offer unique contrast and immunotherapy insights, allowing label-free and longitudinal observations of tumour therapy. The results demonstrate optoacoustic imaging as an invaluable tool in understanding and optimizing T cell therapy.
Dynamics for a fractional-order predator-prey model with group defense
Authors: Tang Bingnan
Published: March 2020

In the present article, a new fractional order predator-prey model with group defense is put up. The dynamical properties such as the existence, uniqueness and boundness of solution, the stability of equilibrium point and the existence of Hopf bifurcation of the involved predator-prey model have been discussed. Firstly, we establish the sufficient conditions that guarantee the existence, uniqueness and boundness of solution by applying Lipschitz condition, inequality technique and fractional order differential equation theory. Secondly, we analyze the existence of various equilibrium points by basic mathematical analysis method and obtain some sufficient criteria which guarantee the locally asymptotically stability of various equilibrium points of the involved predator-prey model with the aid of linearization approach. Thirdly, the existence of Hopf bifurcation of the considered predator-prey model is investigated by using the Hopf bifurcation theory of fractional order differential equations. Finally, simulation results are presented to substantiate the theoretical findings.
Bacterial analysis in the early developmental stages of the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon)
Authors: Angthong Pacharaporn , Uengwetwanit Tanaporn , Arayamethakorn Sopacha , Chaitongsakul Panomkorn , Karoonuthaisiri Nitsara , Rungrassamee Wanilada
Published: March 2020

Microbial colonization is an essential process in the early life of animal hosts—a crucial phase that could help influence and determine their health status at the later stages. The establishment of bacterial community in a host has been comprehensively studied in many animal models; however, knowledge on bacterial community associated with the early life stages of Penaeus monodon (the black tiger shrimp) is still limited. Here, we examined the bacterial community structures in four life stages (nauplius, zoea, mysis and postlarva) of two black tiger shrimp families using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing by a next-generation sequencing. Although the bacterial profiles exhibited different patterns in each developmental stage, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Planctomycetes were identified as common bacterial phyla associated with shrimp. Interestingly, the bacterial diversity became relatively stable once shrimp developed to postlarvae (5-day-old and 15-day-old postlarval stages), suggesting an establishment of the bacterial community in matured shrimp. To our knowledge, this is the first report on bacteria establishment and assembly in early developmental stages of P. monodon. Our findings showed that the bacterial compositions could be shaped by different host developmental stages where the interplay of various host-associated factors, such as physiology, immune status and required diets, could have a strong influence.
Visual liver assessment using Gd-EOB-DTPA–enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of patients in the early post-Fontan period
Authors: Nakajima Kimiko , Seki Mitsuru , Hatakeyama Shinitsu , Arai Shuhei , Asami Yuji , Tanaka Kensuke , Ikeda Kentaro , Shimoyama Shinya , Kobayashi Tomio , Miyamoto Takashi , Okada Yasunori , Arakawa Hirokazu , Takizawa Takumi
Published: March 2020

No imaging modality can be used to evaluate Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD). We retrospectively reviewed hepatic gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (EOB-MRI) characteristics of patients within 1 year post-Fontan procedure, and we evaluated the association between hepatic imaging abnormalities and clinical parameters, including follow-up cardiac catheterization and laboratory test findings. The EOB-MR images were graded, based on the extent of the decreased enhancement, as “normal” (Grade 1), “segmental” (Grade 2), “regional” (Grade 3), and “diffuse” (Grade 4). We enrolled 37 patients (mean age, 3.5 ± 1.0 years): 9 patients had Grade 1 or 2; 14 patients, Grade 3; and 14 patients, Grade 4. EOB-MRI revealed characteristic reticular or mosaic patterns of diminished enhancement (i.e. “frog spawn” appearance). Ultrasonography did not detect diminished enhancement or “frog spawn” appearance. A trend existed toward increased grade severity in imaging with increased central venous pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, and gamma-glutamyltransferase levels. Noninvasive EOB-MRI revealed the characteristic pattern of diminished enhancement, which was correlated with certain clinical parameters indicative of Fontan physiology and liver dysfunction. Early-stage FALD may occur soon after the Fontan procedure and is associated with increased pressure in the inferior vena cava and hepatic veins.
Root transcriptome profiling of contrasting wheat genotypes provides an insight to their adaptive strategies to water deficit
Authors: Mia Md. Sultan , Liu Hui , Wang Xingyi , Zhang Chi , Yan Guijun
Published: March 2020

Water deficit limits plant growth and productivity in wheat. The effect of water deficit varies considerably in the contrasting genotypes. This study attempted comparative transcriptome profiling of the tolerant (Abura) and susceptible (AUS12671) genotypes under PEG-simulated water stress via genome-wide RNA-seq technology to understand the dynamics of tolerance mechanism. Morphological and physiological analyses indicated that the tolerant genotype Abura had a higher root growth and net photosynthesis, which accounted for its higher root biomass than AUS12671 under stress. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a total of 924 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were unique in the contrasting genotypes under stress across time points. The susceptible genotype AUS12671 had slightly more abundant DEGs (505) than the tolerant genotype Abura (419). Gene ontology enrichment and pathway analyses of these DEGs suggested that the two genotypes differed significantly in terms of adaptive mechanism. Predominant upregulation of genes involved in various metabolic pathways was the key adaptive feature of the susceptive genotype AUS12671 indicating its energy-consuming approach in adaptation to water deficit. In contrast, downregulation the expression of genes of key pathways, such as global and overview maps, carbohydrate metabolism, and genetic information processing was the main strategy for the tolerant genotype Abura. Besides, significantly higher number of genes encoding transcription factors (TF) families like MYB and NAC, which were reported to be associated with stress defense, were differentially expressed in the tolerant genotype Abura. Gene encoding transcription factors TIFY were only differentially expressed between stressed and non-stressed conditions in the sensitive genotype. The identified DEGs and the suggested differential adaptive strategies of the contrasting genotypes provided an insight for improving water deficit tolerance in wheat.
The expression level of alpha-synuclein in different neuronal populations is the primary determinant of its prion-like seeding
Authors: Courte Josquin , Bousset Luc , Boxberg Ysander Von , Villard Catherine , Melki Ronald , Peyrin Jean-Michel
Published: March 2020

Alpha-synuclein (aSyn)-rich aggregates propagate in neuronal networks and compromise cellular homeostasis leading to synucleinopathies such as Parkinson’s disease. Aggregated aSyn spread follows a conserved spatio-temporal pattern that is not solely dependent on connectivity. Hence, the differential tropism of aSyn-rich aggregates to distinct brain regions, or their ability to amplify within those regions, must contribute to this process. To better understand what underlies aSyn-rich aggregates distribution within the brain, we generated primary neuronal cultures from various brain regions of wild-type mice and mice expressing a reduced level of aSyn, and exposed them to fibrillar aSyn. We then assessed exogenous fibrillar aSyn uptake, endogenous aSyn seeding, and endogenous aSyn physiological expression levels. Despite a similar uptake of exogenous fibrils by neuronal cells from distinct brain regions, the seeded aggregation of endogenous aSyn differed greatly from one neuronal population to another. The different susceptibility of neuronal populations was linked to their aSyn expression level. Our data establish that endogenous aSyn expression level plays a key role in fibrillar aSyn prion-like seeding, supporting that endogenous aSyn expression level participates in selective regional brain vulnerability.