bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Small Talk und Bildungssprache in der Peer-Kommunikation unter Schülerinnen und Schülern
Authors: Könning Benjamin
Published: February 2020

Peer-Kommunikation in der Schule rein defizitorientiert als belanglosen Small Talk bar jeder sinnvollen Funktion abzutun, verstellt den Blick auf kooperative sprachliche Praktiken, die ihre ganz eigenen Funktionen im institutionellen Spannungsfeld aus Leistungserwartungen und dem Bedürfnis nach Anerkennung in der Peergroup erfüllen. Wie zu diskutieren sein wird, weisen die Gespräche sowohl Aspekte von »Small Talk« als auch von »Konversation« auf. Abseits des Unterrichtsgeschehens in der Schule spiegeln sich zudem auf verschiedene Weise bildungssprachliche Praktiken wider.
Thinking with Digital Images in the Post-Truth Era: A Method in Critical Media Literacy
Authors: Lacković Nataša
Published: February 2020

This article introduces a new method to support critical media literacy, learning and research in higher education. It acts as a response to an unprecedented profusion of visual information across digital media that contributes to the contemporary post-truth era, marked by fake news and uncritical consumption of the media. Whereas much has been written about the reasons behind and the character of the post-truth, less space has been dedicated to how educators could counteract the uncritical consumption of images from the perspective of semiotics. This article adopts a unique semiotic approach to address the stated gap. It discusses in depth the meaning making of pictures, digital photographs and material objects that photographs can embody. It does so by focusing on three aspects of a pictorial sign: (1) the materiality of its representation and representational elements, (2) its object (what the sign refers to) and (3) its descriptive interpretations. These three aspects inform the signification analysis within the proposed production-signification-consumption (PSC) method, exemplified with digital photographs. Understanding and analysing images via the PSC method draw attention to how humans create, interpret, (re)use, consume and respond to online and offline communication signs. The method can contribute to the development of critical media literacy as an engagement with postdigital semiotics, much needed in an age of global ecological and social crises, uncertainty and fast consumption of digital content.
A systematic comparison between infant formula compositions using the Bray-Curtis Similarity Index
Authors: Al-Abdi Sameer , Aljughaiman Abdullah , Alrashidi Jaber , Aldarwish Manar , Zekri Alaa , Alshamari Falah
Published: February 2020

Background:

Making an informed choice between the available infant formulas is challenging, as there is no unbiased tool allowing a systematic comparison between the very long lists of infant formula compositions.

Aim:

The aim is to present the Bray-Curtis Similarity Index (BCSI) as a tool for systematic comparison between standard stage-1 infant formula (SS-1-IF) compositions.

Methods:

We obtained the nutrient levels from the packaging labels of 23 SS-1-IFs available in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, in April 2018. The international legislations that launched infant formula standards endorse targeting the minimum rather than the maximum proposed nutrients levels. Thus, we blindly compared between displayed nutrients levels on each of the 23-studied SS-1-IF and the minimum international proposed nutrient levels via using the BCSI.

Results:

The range of the total displayed components was 38–57. Except for docosahexaenoic acid, all displayed components were within the standard recommended range. The BCSI summarized all displayed nutrients in a single number. The BCSI of the studied SS-1-IF ranged from 0.4141 to 0.79730. We ranked the 23 studied SS-1-IFs based on the higher BCSI is the closer to the minimum proposed nutrient levels. A dendrogram segregated the SS-1-IFs into four clusters based on their BSCI and total numbers of all displayed components.

Conclusions:

We think the BCSI is an appropriate tool for a systematic comparison between SS-1-IFs compositions and may help for choosing a SS-1-IF.
The Use of Computer Vision to Analyze Brand-Related User Generated Image Content
Authors: Nanne Annemarie J. , Antheunis Marjolijn L. , Van Der Lee Chris G. , Postma Eric O. , Wubben Sander , Van Noort Guda
Published: February 2020

With the increasing popularity of visual-oriented social media platforms, the prevalence of visual brand-related User Generated Content (UGC) have increased. Monitoring such content is important as this visual brand-related UGC can have a large influence on a brand's image and hence provides useful opportunities to observe brand performance (e.g., monitoring trends and consumer segments). The current research discusses the application of computer vision for marketing practitioners and researchers and examines the usability of three different pre-trained ready-to-use computer vision models (i.e., YOLOV2, Google Cloud Vision, and Clarifai) to analyze visual brand-related UGC automatically. A 3-step approach was adopted in which 1) a database of 21,738 Instagram pictures related to 24 different brands was constructed, 2) the images were processed by the three different computer vision models, and 3) a label evaluation procedure was conducted with a sample of the labels (object names) outputted by the models. The results of the label evaluation procedure are quantitatively assessed and complemented with four concrete examples of how the output of computer vision can be used to analyze visual brand-related UGC. Results show that computer vision can yield various marketing insights. Moreover, we found that the three tested computer vision models differ in applicability. Google Cloud Vision is more accurate in object detection, whereas Clarifai provides more useful labels to interpret the portrayal of a brand. YOLOV2 did not prove to be useful to analyze visual brand-related UGC. Results and implications of the findings for marketers and marketing scholars will be discussed.
Roxtec sealing technology protects mobile network operator's base stations
Authors: Atkinson Simon
Published: February 2020

This brief article looks at an interesting application of sealing technology developed by Roxtec, a provider of flexible cable and pipe transits. It describes how a modular-based cable transit – developed by the Swedish company – for bonding and grounding armoured and shielded cables – is being employed by a mobile network operator based in Norway.
The automotive industry's reliance on efficient and precise application of sealing materials to vehicle parts
Authors: Atkinson Simon
Published: February 2020

Carmakers rely heavily on a range of automated systems to manufacture vehicles. This is particularly true for the application of seals, adhesives and potting materials to various automotive components, in processes that need to be carried out precisely, safely and efficiently. In this article, sealing specialist Sonderhoff, which has been part of Henkel AG & Co KGaA since July 2017, briefly looks at sealing technology used in the automotive industry by describing some of the materials and technologies it has developed for this sector, together with the way in which these are effectively used.
Mother Nature as Brand Strategy: Gender and Creativity in Tampax Advertising 2007–2009
Authors: RØSTVIK CAMILLA MØRK
Published: February 2020

In 2007, Mother Nature saved Tampax. An advertising campaign, featuring nature personified as a middle-aged woman, played a decisive role in helping the tampon brand overcome a challenging period. Five years earlier, the owners, Procter & Gamble (P&G) had developed their own plastic, as opposed to cardboard, tampon applicator in the form of Tampax Pearl, and were promptly sued for patent infringement by the original plastic applicator inventor Playtex (Hanes Brands), a fight P&G lost. On other fronts, the menstrual product industry was battling against an aging population and menstruation-suppressing hormonal birth control, resulting in an annual 1 percent market share drop for the previously globally best-selling brand. A team of women at the Leo Burnett advertising agency came up with a new Tampax branding strategy in response, and as a result the international Mother Nature campaign ran in Europe and North America from 2007 till 2009. This article surveys the issues facing Tampax in the 2000s, and the campaign that stabilized it at the top of the sector by the 2010s.
Dual hydrocarbon–geothermal energy exploitation: potential synergy between the production of natural gas and warm water from the subsurface
Authors: van der Molen Jeroen , Peters Elisabeth , Jedari-Eyvazi Farid , van Gessel Serge F.
Published: February 2020

The decline of domestic natural gas production, increasing dependency on gas imports and lagging development of renewable energy production may pose serious challenges to the current high standards of secure energy supply in the Netherlands. This paper examines synergy between hydrocarbon- and geothermal exploitation as a means to reinforce energy security. The Roden gas field is used as an example to demonstrate potential delay of water breakthrough in the gas well and a resulting increase of recovered gas (up to 19%), by positioning of a geothermal doublet in the water leg of the gas field. The reservoir simulations show that the total increase of gas production primarily depends on the amount of aquifer support. An optimal configuration of gas- and geothermal wells is key to maximise gas recovery and strongly depends on the distribution of reservoir properties. The study also reveals that this option can still be beneficial for gas fields in a late stage of production.

Net Present Value calculations show that the added value from the geothermal doublet on total gas production could lead to an early repayment of initial investments in the geothermal project, thereby reducing the overall financial risk. If no subsidies are taken into account, the additional profits can also be used to finance the geothermal project up to break-even level within 15 years. However, this comes with a cost as the additional profits from improved gas recovery are significantly reduced.
Climate change contributing to conflicts between livestock farming and guanaco conservation in central Chile: a subjective theories approach
Authors: Vargas Solange P. , Castro-Carrasco Pablo J. , Rust Niki A. , Riveros F. José Luis
Published: February 2020

Negative interactions between guanacosLama guanicoeand ranchers have recently intensified in central Chile because guanacos are perceived to be competing with livestock for pasture resources. We examined this conservation conflict with a novel approach that considers ranchers' subjective theories, to better understand the origins of the conflict and to identify effective conservation measures based on the participants' explanations. Our findings indicate that ranchers see the source of the current problem in a shift towards increasingly arid conditions associated with climate change. We suggest the ranchers’ perceived problems are not only caused by interspecific resource competition arising from this climatic shift, but also by reported difficulties in negotiating with governmental institutions. This study adds to knowledge of human–wildlife interactions by exploring a further dimension of the complex ecological and social interactions taking place on livestock farms. We recommend identifying effective, acceptable solutions by considering and understanding the everyday knowledge of the conflict's protagonists and their potential for change.
Risk and protective factors for psychotic experiences in adolescence: a population-based study
Authors: McMahon Elaine M. , Corcoran Paul , Keeley Helen , Clarke Mary , Coughlan Helen , Wasserman Danuta , Hoven Christina W. , Carli Vladimir , Sarchiapone Marco , Healy Colm , Cannon Mary
Published: February 2020

Background

Psychotic experiences (PEs) are reported by a significant minority of adolescents and are associated with the development of psychiatric disorders. The aims of this study were to examine associations between PEs and a range of factors including psychopathology, adversity and lifestyle, and to investigate mediating effects of coping style and parental support on associations between adversity and PEs in a general population adolescent sample.

Method

Cross-sectional data were drawn from the Irish centre of the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe study. Students completed a self-report questionnaire and 973 adolescents, of whom 522 (53.6%) were boys, participated. PEs were assessed using the 7-item Adolescent Psychotic Symptom Screener.

Results

Of the total sample, 81 (8.7%) of the sample were found to be at risk of PEs. In multivariate analysis, associations were found between PEs and number of adverse events reported (OR 4.48, CI 1.41–14.25; p < 0.011), maladaptive/pathological internet use (OR 2.70, CI 1.30–5.58; p = 0.007), alcohol intoxication (OR 2.12, CI 1.10–4.12; p = 0.025) and anxiety symptoms (OR 4.03, CI 1.57–10.33; p = 0.004). There were small mediating effects of parental supervision, parental support and maladaptive coping on associations between adversity and PEs.

Conclusion

We have identified potential risk factors for PEs from multiple domains including adversity, mental health and lifestyle factors. The mediating effect of parental support on associations between adversity and PEs suggests that poor family relationships may account for some of this mechanism. These findings can inform the development of interventions for adolescents at risk.
Payments for environmental service’s role in landscape connectivity
Authors: Wood Margot A , Gilbert Jessica A , Lacher Thomas E
Published: February 2020

Creating landscapes with connectivity is vital for protecting biodiversity and meeting the environmental targets embedded in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with connectivity specifically mentioned in Target 11 of the Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi Targets. Costa Rica created the National Biological Corridor Program (NBCP) in 2006 to enhance connectivity among protected areas. Targeted investments of payments for environmental services (PES) are the main tools used within the designated biological corridors. We conducted spatially explicit analyses to determine whether Costa Rica’s NBCP, using PES, enhanced landscape connectivity within the Paso de las Nubes Biological Corridor. We conducted landscape modelling in order to determine the connectivity held within PES’s properties by developing connectivity resistance surfaces and electrical current models. The results indicate that PES properties established after the NBCP contributed more to areas with intermediate values of connectivity and less to areas with high connectivity values as compared to properties before the NBCP. Although overall connectivity within the corridor has decreased since NBCP establishment, our results confirm the importance of PES properties for landscape connectivity, but emphasize the need for spatially targeted PES in order to improve viable paths of landscape connectivity among protected areas. Future targeted PES investments could contribute greatly to meeting connectivity goals.
ON A PROBLEM OF TALAGRAND CONCERNING SEPARATELY CONTINUOUS FUNCTIONS
Authors: Mykhaylyuk Volodymyr , Pol Roman
Published: February 2020

We construct a separately continuous function $e:E\times K\rightarrow \{0,1\}$ on the product of a Baire space $E$ and a compact space $K$ such that no restriction of $e$ to any non-meagre Borel set in $E\times K$ is continuous. The function $e$ has no points of joint continuity, and, hence, it provides a negative solution of Talagrand’s problem in Talagrand [Espaces de Baire et espaces de Namioka, Math. Ann.270 (1985), 159–164].
Cocoa and unripe banana flour beverages improve anthropometric and	biochemical markers in overweight women: A randomised double-blind	study
Authors: de Oliveira Lomeu Fernanda Laurides Ribeiro , Vieira Camilla Ribeiro , Lucia Flávia Della , Veiga Sandra Maria Oliveira Moraes , Martino Hércia Stampini Duarte , Silva Roberta Ribeiro
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a functional cocoa and unripe banana flour (UBF) beverage intake on the anthropometric and biochemical markers of overweight women. Methods: This prospective, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial involved 60 female volunteers aged between 20 and 50 years. One group received a cocoa beverage (n = 30) and one group received a cocoa and UBF beverage (n = 30), for 6 weeks. The cocoa beverage showed 3.07 total g dietary fiber/serving and 29.55 mg gallic acid equivalentes/portion (GAE/portion). Cocoa and UBF beverage contained 8.48% resistant starch by weight, 4.37 g dietary fiber/full portion and 69.24 mg GAE/portion. Weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol and fractions were evaluated. Results: The UBF and cocoa beverage reduced waist circumference (−2.03 cm, P < 0.001) and the cocoa beverage reduced total cholesterol (−19.3 mg/dL, P < 0.001) and the LDL/HDL ratio (−0.32, P < 0.001); in addition, both beverages promoted the reduction of body fat percentage (−1.98%, P = 0.001 and −1.15%, P < 0.001 Cocoa/UPF group and Cocoa group respectively). Conclusion: The additional dietary fiber did not further improve health status.
CME: Heparin-induzierte Thrombozytopenie
Authors: Zehnder Tonia , Zeller Andreas
Published: February 2020

Zusammenfassung. Die Heparin-induzierte Thrombozytopenie (HIT) ist eine gefährliche, potenziell tödliche, immunologisch vermittelte Nebenwirkung von Heparin. Typischerweise fünf bis zehn Tage nach Heparin-Exposition kommt es zu einem Abfall der Thrombozytenzahl mit einem Mittelwert von 60 x 109/l. Aufgrund einer Aktivierung der Thrombozyten durch HIT-Antikörper können venöse oder seltener arterielle Thrombosen auftreten. Die Diagnostik der HIT beinhaltet die Berechnung der Wahrscheinlichkeit einer HIT mittels dem 4T-Score, sowie den laborchemischen Nachweis von HIT-Antikörpern. Die Therapie der HIT stellt das sofortige Absetzen der Heparintherapie sowie den Beginn mit einer alternativen therapeutischen Antikoagulation dar.
Assessing the Kinetics and Pore‐Scale Characteristics of Biological Calcium Carbonate Precipitation in Porous Media using a Microfluidic Chip Experiment
Authors: Kim Daehyun , Mahabadi Nariman , Jang Jaewon , van Paassen Leon A.
Published: February 2020

Biomineralization through microbially or enzymatically induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP/EICP) by urea hydrolysis has been widely investigated for various engineering applications. Empirical correlations relating the amount of mineral precipitation to engineering properties like strength, stiffness, or permeability show large variations, which can be partly attributed to the pore‐scale characteristics of the precipitated minerals. This study aimed to gain insight into the precipitation kinetics and pore‐scale characteristics of calcium carbonate minerals through time lapse imaging of a transparent microfluidic chip, which was flushed 10 times with a reactive solution to stimulate EICP. An image processing algorithm was developed to detect the individual precipitated minerals and separate them from the grains and trapped air. Statistical analysis was performed to quantify the number and size distribution of precipitated minerals during each treatment cycle and the cumulative volume, surface area, bulk precipitation rate, nucleation rate, and supersaturation were calculated and compared with a simple numerical model and more complex theory on precipitation kinetics. The analysis showed that results were significantly affected by the assumed particle shape. The supersaturation, which controls the crystal nucleation and growth rates, was shown to be a function of the hydrolysis rate, the kinetic order and growth rate constant, and available surface area for mineral growth. Possible explanations for observed discrepancies between observations and theory, including diffusion limitations, the presence of inhibiting compounds, local pore clogging or observation bias, and limitations of the methodology, are discussed.
Synergistic lethality between PARP-trapping and alantolactone-induced oxidative DNA damage in homologous recombination-proficient cancer cells
Authors: Wang Hongge , Zhang Shan , Song Liyan , Qu Meng , Zou Zhihua
Published: February 2020

PARP1 and PARP2 play critical roles in regulating DNA repair and PARP inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of BRCA1/2-mutated ovarian and breast cancers. It has long been known that PARP inhibition sensitizes cancer cells to DNA-damaging cytotoxic agents independent of BRCA status, however, clinical use of PARP inhibitors in combination with DNA-damaging chemotherapy is limited by the more-than-additive cytotoxicity. The natural compound alantolactone (ATL) inhibits the thioredoxin reductase to induce ROS accumulation and oxidative DNA damage selectively in cancer cells. Here, we showed that nontoxic doses of ATL markedly synergized with the PARP inhibitor olaparib to result in synthetic lethality irrespective of homologous recombination status. Synergistic cytotoxicity was seen in cancer but not noncancerous cells and was reduced by the ROS inhibitor NAC or knockdown of OGG1, demonstrating that the cytotoxicity resulted from the repair of ATL-induced oxidative DNA damage. PARP1 knockdown suppressed the synergistic lethality and olaparib was much more toxic than veliparib when combined with ATL, suggesting PARP-trapping as the primary inducer of cytotoxicity. Consistently, combined use of ATL and olaparib caused intense signs of replication stress and formation of double strand DNA breaks, leading to S and G2 arrest followed by apoptosis. In vivo, the combination effectively induced regression of tumor xenografts, while either agent alone had no effect. Hence, PARP trapping combined with specific pro-oxidative agents may provide safe and effective ways to broaden the therapeutic potential of PARP inhibitors.
Identification of a parasitic symbiosis between respiratory metabolisms in the biogeochemical chlorine cycle
Authors: Barnum Tyler P , Cheng Yiwei , Hill Kaisle A , Lucas Lauren N , Carlson Hans K , Coates John D
Published: February 2020

A key step in the chlorine cycle is the reduction of perchlorate (ClO4−) and chlorate (ClO3−) to chloride by microbial respiratory pathways. Perchlorate-reducing bacteria and chlorate-reducing bacteria differ in that the latter cannot use perchlorate, the most oxidized chlorine compound. However, a recent study identified a bacterium with the chlorate reduction pathway dominating a community provided only perchlorate. Here we confirm a metabolic interaction between perchlorate- and chlorate-reducing bacteria and define its mechanism. Perchlorate-reducing bacteria supported the growth of chlorate-reducing bacteria to up to 90% of total cells in communities and co-cultures. Chlorate-reducing bacteria required the gene for chlorate reductase to grow in co-culture with perchlorate-reducing bacteria, demonstrating that chlorate is responsible for the interaction, not the subsequent intermediates chlorite and oxygen. Modeling of the interaction suggested that cells specialized for chlorate reduction have a competitive advantage for consuming chlorate produced from perchlorate, especially at high concentrations of perchlorate, because perchlorate and chlorate compete for a single enzyme in perchlorate-reducing cells. We conclude that perchlorate-reducing bacteria inadvertently support large populations of chlorate-reducing bacteria in a parasitic relationship through the release of the intermediate chlorate. An implication of these findings is that undetected chlorate-reducing bacteria have likely negatively impacted efforts to bioremediate perchlorate pollution for decades.
Molecular profiling of immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene rearrangements unveils new potential prognostic markers for multiple myeloma patients
Authors: Medina Alejandro , Jiménez Cristina , Sarasquete M. Eugenia , González Marcos , Chillón M. Carmen , Balanzategui Ana , Prieto-Conde Isabel , García-Álvarez María , Puig Noemí , González-Calle Verónica , Alcoceba Miguel , Cuenca Isabel , Barrio Santiago , Escalante Fernando , Gutiérrez Norma C. , Gironella Mercedes , Hernández Miguel T. , Sureda Anna , Oriol Albert , Bladé Joan , Lahuerta Juan-José , San Miguel Jesús F. , Mateos María-Victoria , Martínez-López Joaquín , Calasanz María-José , García-Sanz Ramón
Published: February 2020

Multiple myeloma is a heterogeneous disease whose pathogenesis has not been completely elucidated. Although B-cell receptors play a crucial role in myeloma pathogenesis, the impact of clonal immunoglobulin heavy-chain features in the outcome has not been extensively explored. Here we present the characterization of complete heavy-chain gene rearrangements in 413 myeloma patients treated in Spanish trials, including 113 patients characterized by next-generation sequencing. Compared to the normal B-cell repertoire, gene selection was biased in myeloma, with significant overrepresentation ofIGHV3,IGHD2andIGHD3, as well asIGHJ4gene groups. Hypermutation was high in our patients (median: 8.8%). Interestingly, regarding patients who are not candidates for transplantation, a high hypermutation rate (≥7%) and the use ofIGHD2andIGHD3groups were associated with improved prognostic features and longer survival rates in the univariate analyses. Multivariate analysis revealed prolonged progression-free survival rates for patients usingIGHD2/IGHD3groups (HR: 0.552, 95% CI: 0.361−0.845,p = 0.006), as well as prolonged overall survival rates for patients with hypermutation ≥7% (HR: 0.291, 95% CI: 0.137−0.618,p = 0.001). Our results provide new insights into the molecular characterization of multiple myeloma, highlighting the need to evaluate some of these clonal rearrangement characteristics as new potential prognostic markers.
miR-210-5p promotes epithelial–mesenchymal transition by inhibiting PIK3R5 thereby activating oncogenic autophagy in osteosarcoma cells
Authors: Liu Wei , Jiang Dongdong , Gong Fangyi , Huang Yumin , Luo Yongjun , Rong Yuluo , Wang Jiaxing , Ge Xuhui , Ji Chengyue , Fan Jin , Cai Weihua
Published: February 2020

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a malignant bone tumor which occurs mainly in adolescents with frequent pulmonary metastasis and a high mortality rate. Accumulating evidence has indicated that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a vital role in various tumors by modulating target genes as well as signal pathways, and aberrant expression of miRNAs may contribute to OS progression. This study aimed to determine the association between miR-210-5p expression and OS progression and to investigate its potential underlying mechanism. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), miR-210-5p was found to be upregulated in clinical OS specimens and cell lines. Further functional analysis demonstrated that miR-210-5p promoted epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and induced oncogenic autophagy. Luciferase reporter assay, RNA-ChIP, and western blot analysis confirmed that PIK3R5, an essential regulator in the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, is a target downstream gene of miR-210-5p. Overexpression or knockdown of PIK3R5 reversed the functional role of overexpression or knockdown of miR-210-5p, respectively. Silencing autophagy-related gene 5 (ATG5) abolished the functional effects of miR-210-5p upregulation or PIK3R5 knockdown in OS cells. In vivo, miR-210-5p overexpression promoted OS tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis. Taken together, our results demonstrated that miR-210-5p promoted EMT and oncogenic autophagy by suppressing the expression of PIK3R5 and regulating the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Therefore, inhibition of miR-210-5p may represent a promising treatment for OS.
A cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide suppresses cardiac hypertrophy induced by pressure overload by regulating IGFR1/PI3K/AKT and TLR9/AMPKα
Authors: Wang Xiaofang , Chen Linlin , Zhao Xiaoyan , Xiao Lili , Yi Shanting , Kong Yawei , Jiang Yan , Zhang Jinying
Published: February 2020

Cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide (CRAMP), an antimicrobial peptide, was reported to protect against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, the effect of CRAMP on pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy was unknown. This study explored the role of CRAMP on cardiac hypertrophy. A cardiac hypertrophy mouse model was induced by aortic banding surgery. Seven days after surgery, mice were given mCRAMP by intraperitoneal injection (8 mg/kg/d) for 7 weeks. Cardiac hypertrophy was evaluated by the hypertrophic response and fibrosis level as well as cardiac function. Mice were also injected with AAV9-shCRAMP to knockdown CRAMP in the mouse heart. CRAMP levels first increased and then reduced in the remodeling heart, as well as in angiotensin II-stimulated endothelial cells but not in cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts. mCRAMP protected against the pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling process, while CRAMP knockdown accelerated this process. mCRAMP reduced the inflammatory response and oxidative stress in the hypertrophic heart, while mCRAMP deficiency deteriorated the pressure overload-induced inflammatory response and oxidative stress. mCRAMP inhibited the angiotensin II-stimulated hypertrophic response and oxidative stress in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, but mCRAMP did not help the angiotensin II-induced inflammatory response and oxidative stress in endothelial cells. Mechanistically, we found that mCRAMP suppressed the cardiac hypertrophic response by activating the IGFR1/PI3K/AKT pathway via directly binding to IGFR1. AKT knockout mice completely reversed the anti-hypertrophic effect of mCRAMP but not its anti-oxidative effect. We also found that mCRAMP ameliorated cardiac oxidative stress by activating the TLR9/AMPKa pathway. This was confirmed by a TLR9 knockout mouse experiment, in which a TLR9 knockout partly reversed the anti-hypertrophic effect of mCRAMP and completely counteracted the anti-oxidative effect of mCRAMP. In summary, mCRAMP protected against pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy by activating both the IGFR1/PI3K/AKT and TLR9/AMPKa pathways in cardiomyocytes.
Lipid droplets: platforms with multiple functions in cancer hallmarks
Authors: Cruz André L. S. , Barreto Ester de A. , Fazolini Narayana P. B. , Viola João P. B. , Bozza Patricia T.
Published: February 2020

Lipid droplets (also known as lipid bodies) are lipid-rich, cytoplasmic organelles that play important roles in cell signaling, lipid metabolism, membrane trafficking, and the production of inflammatory mediators. Lipid droplet biogenesis is a regulated process, and accumulation of these organelles within leukocytes, epithelial cells, hepatocytes, and other nonadipocyte cells is a frequently observed phenotype in several physiologic or pathogenic situations and is thoroughly described during inflammatory conditions. Moreover, in recent years, several studies have described an increase in intracellular lipid accumulation in different neoplastic processes, although it is not clear whether lipid droplet accumulation is directly involved in the establishment of these different types of malignancies. This review discusses current evidence related to the biogenesis, composition and functions of lipid droplets related to the hallmarks of cancer: inflammation, cell metabolism, increased proliferation, escape from cell death, and hypoxia. Moreover, the potential of lipid droplets as markers of disease and targets for novel anti-inflammatory and antineoplastic therapies will be discussed.
Recommendations for designing genetic test reports to be understood by patients and non-specialists
Authors: Farmer George D. , Gray Harry , Chandratillake Gemma , Raymond F Lucy , Freeman Alexandra L. J.
Published: February 2020

Patients and non-specialist healthcare professionals are increasingly expected to understand and interpret the results of genetic or genomic testing. These results are currently reported using a variety of templates, containing different amounts, levels, and layouts of information. We set out to establish a set of recommendations for communicating genetic test results to non-expert readers. We employed a qualitative-descriptive study design with user-centred design principles, including a mixture of in-person semi-structured interviews and online questionnaires with patients, healthcare professionals and the general public. The resulting recommendations and example template include providing at-a-glance comprehension of what the test results mean for the patient; suggested next steps; and details of further information and support. Separation and inclusion of technical methodological details enhances non-specialists’ understanding, while retaining important information for specialists and the patients’ records. The recommendations address the high-level needs of patients and their non-specialist clinicians when receiving genetic test results. These recommendations provide a solid foundation for the major content and structure of reports, and we recommend further engagement with patients and clinicians to tailor reports to specific types of test and results.
Modelling floppy iris syndrome and the impact of pupil size and ring devices on iris displacement
Authors: Lockington David , Wang Zhaokun , Qi Nan , Malyugin Boris , Cai Li , Wang Chenglei , Tang Hui , Ramaesh Kanna , Luo Xiaoyu
Published: February 2020

Introduction

The aim of this paper was to further develop a previously described finite element model which equates clinical iris billowing movements with mechanical buckling behaviour, simulating floppy iris syndrome. We wished to evaluate the impact of pupil dilation and mechanical devices on normal iris and floppy iris models.

Methods

Theoretical mathematical modelling and computer simulations were used to assess billowing/buckling patterns of the iris under loading pressures for the undilated and dilated normal iris, the undilated and dilated floppy iris, and additionally with a mechanical ring device.

Results

For the normal iris, billowing/buckling occurred at a critical pressure of 19.92 mmHg for 5 mm pupil size, which increased to 28.00 mmHg (40.56%) with a 7 mm pupil. The Malyugin ring device significantly increased critical initiating buckling pressures in the normal iris scenario, to 34.58 mmHg (73.59%) for 7 mm ring with boundary conditions I (BC I) and 34.51 mmHg (73.24%) with BC II. For the most floppy iris modelling (40% degradation), initiating buckling value was 18.04 mmHg (−9.44%), which increased to 28.39 mmHg (42.52%) with the 7 mm ring. These results were much greater than for normal undilated iris without restrictive mechanical expansion (19.92 mmHg).

Conclusion

This simulation demonstrates that pupil expansion devices inhibit iris billowing even in the setting of floppy iris syndrome. Our work also provides a model to further investigate the impact of pupil size or pharmacological interventions on anterior segment conditions affected by iris position.
Characterizing chromatin landscape from aggregate and single-cell genomic assays using flexible duration modeling
Authors: Gabitto Mariano I. , Rasmussen Anders , Wapinski Orly , Allaway Kathryn , Carriero Nicholas , Fishell Gordon J. , Bonneau Richard
Published: February 2020

ATAC-seq has become a leading technology for probing the chromatin landscape of single and aggregated cells. Distilling functional regions from ATAC-seq presents diverse analysis challenges. Methods commonly used to analyze chromatin accessibility datasets are adapted from algorithms designed to process different experimental technologies, disregarding the statistical and biological differences intrinsic to the ATAC-seq technology. Here, we present a Bayesian statistical approach that uses latent space models to better model accessible regions, termed ChromA. ChromA annotates chromatin landscape by integrating information from replicates, producing a consensus de-noised annotation of chromatin accessibility. ChromA can analyze single cell ATAC-seq data, correcting many biases generated by the sparse sampling inherent in single cell technologies. We validate ChromA on multiple technologies and biological systems, including mouse and human immune cells, establishing ChromA as a top performing general platform for mapping the chromatin landscape in different cellular populations from diverse experimental designs.
Bacillus cereus non-haemolytic enterotoxin activates the NLRP3 inflammasome
Authors: Fox Daniel , Mathur Anukriti , Xue Yansong , Liu Yunqi , Tan Wei Hong , Feng Shouya , Pandey Abhimanu , Ngo Chinh , Hayward Jenni A. , Atmosukarto Ines I. , Price Jason D. , Johnson Matthew D. , Jessberger Nadja , Robertson Avril A. B. , Burgio Gaetan , Tscharke David C. , Fox Edward M. , Leyton Denisse L. , Kaakoush Nadeem O. , Märtlbauer Erwin , Leppla Stephen H. , Man Si Ming
Published: February 2020

Inflammasomes are important for host defence against pathogens and homeostasis with commensal microbes. Here, we show non-haemolytic enterotoxin (NHE) from the neglected human foodborne pathogenBacillus cereusis an activator of the NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis. NHE is a non-redundant toxin to haemolysin BL (HBL) despite having a similar mechanism of action. Via a putative transmembrane region, subunit C of NHE initiates binding to the plasma membrane, leading to the recruitment of subunit B and subunit A, thus forming a tripartite lytic pore that is permissive to efflux of potassium. NHE mediates killing of cells from multiple lineages and hosts, highlighting a versatile functional repertoire in different host species. These data indicate that NHE and HBL operate synergistically to induce inflammation and show that multiple virulence factors from the same pathogen with conserved function and mechanism of action can be exploited for sensing by a single inflammasome.
Plasmonic monolithic lithium niobate directional coupler switches
Authors: Thomaschewski Martin , Zenin Vladimir A. , Wolff Christian , Bozhevolnyi Sergey I.
Published: February 2020

Lithium niobate (LN) has been the material of choice for electro-optic modulators owing to its excellent physical properties. While conventional LN electro-optic modulators continue to be the workhorse of the modern optoelectronics, they are becoming progressively too bulky, expensive, and power-hungry to fully serve the needs of this industry. Here, we demonstrate plasmonic electro-optic directional coupler switches consisting of two closely spaced nm-thin gold nanostripes on LN substrates that guide both coupled electromagnetic modes and electrical signals that control their coupling, thereby enabling ultra-compact switching and modulation functionalities. Extreme confinement and good spatial overlap of both slow-plasmon modes and electrostatic fields created by the nanostripes allow us to achieve a 90% modulation depth with 20-μm-long switches characterized by a broadband electro-optic modulation efficiency of 0.3 V cm. Our monolithic LN plasmonic platform enables a wide range of cost-effective optical communication applications that demand μm-scale footprints, ultrafast operation and high environmental stability.
Bacterial adaptation is constrained in complex communities
Authors: Scheuerl Thomas , Hopkins Meirion , Nowell Reuben W. , Rivett Damian W. , Barraclough Timothy G. , Bell Thomas
Published: February 2020

A major unresolved question is how bacteria living in complex communities respond to environmental changes. In communities, biotic interactions may either facilitate or constrain evolution depending on whether the interactions expand or contract the range of ecological opportunities. A fundamental challenge is to understand how the surrounding biotic community modifies evolutionary trajectories as species adapt to novel environmental conditions. Here we show that community context can dramatically alter evolutionary dynamics using a novel approach that ‘cages’ individual focal strains within complex communities. We find that evolution of focal bacterial strains depends on properties both of the focal strain and of the surrounding community. In particular, there is a stronger evolutionary response in low-diversity communities, and when the focal species have a larger genome and are initially poorly adapted. We see how community context affects resource usage and detect genetic changes involved in carbon metabolism and inter-specific interaction. The findings demonstrate that adaptation to new environmental conditions should be investigated in the context of interspecific interactions.
Weak functional group interactions revealed through metal-free active template rotaxane synthesis
Authors: Tian Chong , Fielden Stephen D. P. , Whitehead George F. S. , Vitorica-Yrezabal Iñigo J. , Leigh David A.
Published: February 2020

Modest functional group interactions can play important roles in molecular recognition, catalysis and self-assembly. However, weakly associated binding motifs are often difficult to characterize. Here, we report on the metal-free active template synthesis of [2]rotaxanes in one step, up to 95% yield and >100:1 rotaxane:axle selectivity, from primary amines, crown ethers and a range of C=O, C=S, S(=O)2 and P=O electrophiles. In addition to being a simple and effective route to a broad range of rotaxanes, the strategy enables 1:1 interactions of crown ethers with various functional groups to be characterized in solution and the solid state, several of which are too weak — or are disfavored compared to other binding modes — to be observed in typical host–guest complexes. The approach may be broadly applicable to the kinetic stabilization and characterization of other weak functional group interactions.
Mitigating coherent noise using Pauli conjugation
Authors: Cai Zhenyu , Xu Xiaosi , Benjamin Simon C.
Published: February 2020

Coherent noise can be much more damaging than incoherent (probabilistic) noise in the context of quantum error correction. One solution is to use twirling to turn coherent noise into incoherent Pauli channels. In this Article, we show that some of the coherence of the noise channel can actually be used to improve its logical fidelity by simply sandwiching the noise with a chosen pair of Pauli gates, which we call Pauli conjugation. Using the optimal Pauli conjugation, we can achieve a higher logical fidelity than using twirling and doing nothing. We devise a way to search for the optimal Pauli conjugation scheme and apply it to Steane code, 9-qubit Shor code and distance-3 surface code under global coherent $$Z$$
Z
noise. The optimal conjugation schemes show improvement in logical fidelity over twirling while the weights of the conjugation gates we need to apply are lower than the average weight of the twirling gates. In our example noise and codes, the concatenated threshold obtained using conjugation is consistently higher than the twirling threshold and can be up to 1.5 times higher than the original threshold where no mitigation is applied. Our simulations show that Pauli conjugation can be robust against gate errors. With the help of logical twirling, the undesirable coherence in the noise channel can be removed and the advantages of conjugation over twirling can persist as we go to multiple rounds of quantum error correction.
Generation of a global synthetic tropical cyclone hazard dataset using STORM
Authors: Bloemendaal Nadia , Haigh Ivan D. , de Moel Hans , Muis Sanne , Haarsma Reindert J. , Aerts Jeroen C. J. H.
Published: February 2020

Over the past few decades, the world has seen substantial tropical cyclone (TC) damages, with the 2017 Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria entering the top-5 costliest Atlantic hurricanes ever. Calculating TC risk at a global scale, however, has proven difficult given the limited temporal and spatial information on TCs across much of the global coastline. Here, we present a novel database on TC characteristics on a global scale using a newly developed synthetic resampling algorithm we call STORM (Synthetic Tropical cyclOne geneRation Model). STORM can be applied to any meteorological dataset to statistically resample and model TC tracks and intensities. We apply STORM to extracted TCs from 38 years of historical data from IBTrACS to statistically extend this dataset to 10,000 years of TC activity. We show that STORM preserves the TC statistics as found in the original dataset. The STORM dataset can be used for TC hazard assessments and risk modeling in TC-prone regions.
A multilayer and spatial description of the Erasmus mobility network
Authors: Gadár László , Kosztyán Zsolt T. , Telcs András , Abonyi János
Published: February 2020

The Erasmus Programme is the biggest collaboration network consisting of European Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The flows of students, teachers and staff form directed and weighted networks that connect institutions, regions and countries. Here, we present a linked and manually verified dataset of this multiplex, multipartite, multi-labelled, spatial network. We enriched the network with institutional socio-economic data from the European Tertiary Education Register (ETER) and the Global Research Identifier Database (GRID). We geocoded the headquarters of institutions and characterised the attractiveness and quality of their environments based on Points of Interest (POI) data. The linked datasets provide relevant information to grasp a more comprehensive understanding of the mobility patterns and attractiveness of the institutions.
Morphological and Hemodynamic Risk Factors for Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysm: a Case-Control Study of 190 Patients
Authors: Kaspera Wojciech , Ćmiel-Smorzyk Karolina , Wolański Wojciech , Kawlewska Edyta , Hebda Anna , Gzik Marek , Ładziński Piotr
Published: February 2020

This study analyzed morphometric and hemodynamic parameters of aneurysmal and non-aneurysmal middle cerebral artery (MCA) bifurcations and their relationship with optimal values derived from the principle of minimum work (PMW). The study included 96 patients with MCA aneurysm and 94 controls. Aneurysm patients presented with significantly higher values of the radius and cross-sectional area of the MCA trunk, angle between the post-bifurcation branches (α angle) and volume flow rate (VFR) and had significantly lower values of junction exponent and pulsatility index than the controls. The Φ1 and Φ2 angles (angles between the MCA trunk axis and the larger and smaller branch, respectively) and α angle in all groups were significantly larger than the optimal PMW-derived angles. The most important independent predictors of MCA aneurysm were junction exponent (odds ratio, OR = 0.42), α angle (OR = 1.07) and VFR (OR = 2.36). Development of cerebral aneurysms might be an independent effect of abnormalities in hemodynamic and morphometric factors. The risk of aneurysm increased proportionally to the deviation of morphometric parameters of the bifurcation from their optimal PMW-derived values. The role of bifurcation angle in aneurysm development needs to be explained in future research as the values of this parameter in both aneurysm patients and non-aneurysmal controls in were scattered considerably around the PMW-derived optimum.