bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Concussion in Sport: The Unheeded Evidence
Authors: GILLETT GRANT
Published: September 2018

Patients with repeated minor head injury are a challenge to our clinical skills of neurodiagnosis because the relevant evidence objectively demonstrating their impairment was collected in New Zealand (although published in theBMJandLancet) and, at the time, was mired in controversy. The effects of repeated closed diffuse head injury are increasingly recognized worldwide, but now suffer from the relentless advance of imaging technology as the dominant form of neurodiagnosis and the considerable financial interests that underpin the refusal to recognize that acute accelerational injury is the most subtle and insidiously damaging (especially when seen in the light of biopsychosocial medicine), and potentially one of the most financially momentous (given the large incomes impacted and needing compensation) phenomena in modern sports medicine. The vested interests in downplaying this phenomenon are considerable and concentrated in North America where diffuse head injury is a widespread feature of the dominant winter sports code: Gridiron or American Rules football. The relationship of this to shattered lives among the brightest and best of young men and the relatively dated objective evidence are a toxic mix in terms of ethical analysis and, therefore, there is a malignant confluence of social forces that tends toward minimizing the injury.
High national and sub-national coverage of iodised salt in India: evidence from the first National Iodine and Salt Intake Survey (NISI) 2014–2015
Authors: Pandav Chandrakant S , Yadav Kapil , Salve Harshal R , Kumar Rakesh , Goel Akhil D , Chakrabarty Arijit
Published: September 2018

Objective

The National Iodine and Salt Intake Survey (NISI) 2014–2015 was undertaken to estimate household iodised salt coverage at national and sub-national levels in India.

Design

Cross-sectional survey with multistage stratified random sampling.

Setting

India was divided into six geographic zones (South, West, Central, North, East and North-East) and each zone was further stratified into rural and urban areas to yield twelve distinct survey strata.

Subjects

The target respondent from each household was selected as per predefined priority; wife of the household head, followed by women of reproductive age, followed by any adult available during the visit.

Results

Households (n5717) were surveyed and salt samples (n5682) were analysed. Household coverage of iodised salt (iodine≥5 ppm) was 91·7 (95 % CI 91·0, 92·7) %. Adequately iodised salt (iodine≥15 ppm) was consumed in 77·5 (95 % CI 76·4, 78·6) % of households. Significant differences in coverage were seen across six geographic regions, with North and North-East zones on the verge of achieving the universal salt iodisation target of >90 % coverage. Coverage of households with adequately iodised salt (adjusted OR; 95 % CI) was significantly less in rural households (0·55; 0·47, 0·64), lower/backward castes (0·84; 0·72, 0·98), deprived households (0·72; 0·61, 0·85) as assessed by multidimensional poverty index, households with non-diverse diet (0·73; 0·62, 0·86) and households using non-packaged salt (0·48; 0·39, 0·59) and non-refined salt (0·17; 0·15, 0·20).

Conclusions

India is within striking reach of achieving universal salt iodisation. However, significant differentials by rural/urban, zonal and socio-economic indicators exist, warranting accelerated efforts and targeted interventions for high-risk groups.
Short food supply chains for local food: a difficult path
Authors: Rucabado-Palomar Thais , Cuéllar-Padilla Mamen
Published: September 2018

Agri-food globalization is having a serious adverse impact on small- and medium-sized family farms in the province of Málaga (southern Spain), 43% of which have disappeared over the last 10 years. Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are emerging as a potential option for this type of farm, but as a strategy it is apparently not being implemented strongly enough over the region as a whole. The current case study sought to explore the initiatives carried out by local producers to date in implementing SFSCs throughout the province and to examine, from the standpoint of the production sector, the constraints hindering its development and the strategies currently being adopted with a view to addressing them. The analyses carried out under local producers perspective shows us that although SFSCs are interesting for family farms, in terms of prices, economic profit and social recognition, the abilities and capacities these channels require to producers, jointly with technical, flexibility and time demands, make these channels to be not that successful and attractive. Small producers interested in SFSCs must be aware of the special importance of social linkages and the need to take care of them; as well as of the need of establishing synergies and cooperation with other producers and stakeholders, in order to facilitate the tasks associated and that not every food product suit SFSCs.
On the Time Evolution of Climate Sensitivity and Future Warming
Authors: Goodwin Philip
Published: September 2018

The Earth's climate sensitivity to radiative forcing remains a key source of uncertainty in future warming projections. There is a growing realization in recent literature that research must go beyond an equilibrium and CO2‐only viewpoint, toward considering how climate sensitivity will evolve over time in response to anthropogenic and natural radiative forcing from multiple sources. Here the transient behavior of climate sensitivity is explored using a modified energy balance model, in which multiple climate feedbacks evolve independently over time to multiple sources of radiative forcing, combined with constraints from observations and from the Climate Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5). First, a large initial ensemble of 107 simulations is generated, with a distribution of climate feedback strengths from subannual to 102‐year timescales constrained by the CMIP5 ensemble, including the Planck feedback, the combined water vapor lapse rate feedback, snow and sea ice albedo feedback, fast cloud feedbacks, and the cloud response to sea surface temperature adjustment feedback. These 107 simulations are then tested against observational metrics representing decadal trends in warming, heat and carbon uptake, leaving only 4.6 × 103 history‐matched simulations consistent with both the CMIP5 ensemble and historical observations. The results reveal an annual timescale climate sensitivity of 2.1 °C (ranging from 1.6 to 2.8 °C at 95% uncertainty), rising to 2.9 °C (from 1.9 to 4.6 °C) on century timescales. These findings provide a link between lower estimates of climate sensitivity, based on the current transient state of the climate system, and higher estimates based on long‐term behavior of complex models and palaeoclimate evidence.
The Relationship Between Extratropical Cyclone Strength and Atmospheric River Intensity and Position
Authors: Zhang Zhenhai , Ralph F. Martin , Zheng Minghua
Published: September 2018

Extratropical cyclones (ECs) and atmospheric rivers (ARs) impact precipitation over the U.S. West Coast and other analogous regions globally. This study investigates the relationship between ECs and ARs by exploring the connections between EC strength and AR intensity and position using a new AR intensity scale. While 82% of ARs are associated with an EC, only 45% of ECs have a paired AR and the distance between the AR and EC varies greatly. Roughly 20% of ARs (defined by vertically integrated water vapor transport) occur without a nearby EC. These are usually close to a subtropical/tropical moisture source and include an anticyclone. AR intensity is only moderately proportional to EC strength. Neither the location nor intensity of an AR can be simply determined by an EC. Greater EC intensification occurs with stronger ARs, suggesting that ARs enhance EC deepening by providing more water vapor for latent heat release.
The Relationship Between Cloud Radiative Effect and Surface Temperature Variability at El Niño‐Southern Oscillation Frequencies in CMIP5 Models
Authors: Lutsko Nicholas J.
Published: September 2018

The relationship between the tropical cloud radiative effect (CRE) and tropical surface temperature variability on El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) time scales is investigated in preindustrial control simulations from the fifth Climate Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) archive. The tropical CRE is binned according to midtropospheric vertical velocities and then regressed in frequency space versus tropical mean surface temperatures. Low clouds play a leading role in the relationship between clouds and surface temperature variability, amplifying ENSO‐induced surface temperature anomalies through thermodynamically driven changes in the shortwave CRE. Changes in CRE driven by changes in the large‐scale dynamics have a minor influence on surface temperature variability. It is shown that the regression coefficients at ENSO frequencies between the CRE in regions of moderate subsidence and of weak ascent, and tropical mean surface temperatures are well correlated with models' climate sensitivities, constituting a potential emergent constraint on climate sensitivity.
Viscoelastic Tides of Mercury and the Determination of its Inner Core Size
Authors: Steinbrügge G. , Padovan S. , Hussmann H. , Steinke T. , Stark A. , Oberst J.
Published: September 2018

We computed interior structure models of Mercury and analyzed their viscoelastic tidal response. The models are consistent with MErcury Surface, Space Environment, GEochemistry, and Ranging mission inferences of mean density, mean moment of inertia, moment of inertia of mantle and crust, and tidal Love number k2. Based on these constraints we predict the tidal Love number h2 to be in the range from 0.77 to 0.93. Using an Andrade rheology for the mantle the tidal phase‐lag is predicted to be 4° at maximum. The corresponding tidal dissipation in Mercury's silicate mantle induces a surface heat flux smaller than 0.16 mW/m2. We show that, independent of the adopted mantle rheological model, the ratio of the tidal Love numbers h2 and k2 provides a better constraint on the maximum inner core size with respect to other geodetic parameters (e.g., libration amplitude or a single Love number), provided it responds elastically to the solar tide. For inner cores larger than 700 km, and with the expected determination of h2 from the upcoming BepiColombo mission, it may be possible to constrain the size of the inner core. The measurement of the tidal phase‐lag with an accuracy better than ≈0.5° would further allow constraining the temperature at the core‐mantle boundary for a given grain size and therefore improve our understanding of the physical structure of Mercury's core.
Long‐Term Monitoring of Macroinvertebrate Communities Over 2,300 km of the Murray River Reveals Ecological Signs of Salinity Mitigation Against a Backdrop of Climate Variability
Authors: Paul Warren L. , Cook Robert A. , Suter Phillip J. , Clarke K. Robert , Shackleton Michael E. , McInerney Paul J. , Hawking John H.
Published: September 2018

We investigated the ecological effects of salinity mitigation strategies in the Murray‐Darling Basin (MDB) using macroinvertebrate data collected over 2,300 km of the Murray River between 1980 and 2012. The MDB covers 1 × 106km2 and includes both temperate and semiarid climate zones. It was extensively developed to support irrigated agriculture in the early to mid‐1900s, and the secondary salinization that followed has become a major concern. During 1975–1985 daily salinity levels, measured as electrical conductivity above the Murray River off‐take points for South Australia's major urban water supplies, were above 800 μS/cm for 40% of the time, necessitating mitigation strategies that have reduced the average salinity by about 150 μS/cm since monitoring began. The MDB has also experienced several major floods and droughts during this time, and surface temperatures in the MDB have increased by 0.8 °C since 1910, mostly in the last 50 years. We hypothesized that (1) taxa richness would increase in response to floods; (2) community structure would shift toward tolerant, opportunistic taxa in response to warming; and (3) geographical ranges of species would change in response to shifting stream isotherms and reducing salinity. Our hypotheses were supported, although increases in water temperature appeared to be due principally to the 1997–2009 Millennium drought. Importantly, against a backdrop of significant climate variability, we believe we have distinguished a change in community structure along a salinity gradient and that changes over the 33 years can in part be attributed to mitigation strategies.
The Value of Using Multiple Hydrometeorological Variables to Predict Temporal Debris Flow Susceptibility in an Alpine Environment
Authors: Prenner D. , Kaitna R. , Mostbauer K. , Hrachowitz M.
Published: September 2018

Debris flows are typically triggered by rainfall‐related weather conditions—including short‐duration storms and long‐lasting rainfall, in cold climates sometimes in connection with intensive snowmelt. Given the considerable observational uncertainties of rainfall, we tested if other hydrometeorological variables carry enough information content to compensate for these uncertainties and if the combined information of hydrologic catchment state and rainfall can be used to predict the regional temporal susceptibility for debris flow initiation. For this we carried out a probabilistic analysis of variables derived from a conceptual hydrological model for the Montafon region, Austria, where debris flows were recorded on 41 days between 1953 and 2013. Exclusively from hydrological characteristics and, importantly, neglecting precipitation itself, we quantitatively determined different trigger types for historical debris flows. Subsequently, we used four Naive Bayes classifier models, ranging from a simple rainfall‐only model to a multiparameter hydrometeorological model differentiating between trigger types, to predict days susceptible for debris flow occurrence in the region. The results suggest that debris flows were triggered by convective rainstorm events on 23 days, on 12 days due to gradual soil moisture buildup in the course of long‐lasting rainfall events and on six further days snowmelt played an important role. We find that the differences between the trigger types are statistically significant and that a susceptibility prediction differentiating between trigger types and including hydrological information can outperform simple rainfall‐only models. This study thereby contributes to an improved understanding of the hydrometeorological impact on debris flow initiation in a mountain watershed.
Inside or Outside: Quantifying Extrapolation Across River Networks
Authors: Booker Douglas J. , Whitehead Amy L.
Published: September 2018

Regression techniques are often used to predict responses across landscapes or under scenarios describing changes in climate, management, or land cover. The ability of random forests (RFs) and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) to predict flow variability, low flow, Escherichia coli, and a macroinvertebrate community index was compared. Cross validation was applied to test predictive performance across an induced spectrum of interpolation to extrapolation by splitting each data set into two geographical, environmental, and random groups. RF and MARS both represent nonlinear and interacting patterns but showed contrasting ability to interpolate and extrapolate. RF always performed better than MARS when interpolating within environmental space or extrapolating in geographical space. RF models for all four responses were transferable in geographic space but not to environmental conditions outside the training data. Neither technique was successful when extrapolating across environmental gradients, although RF out‐performed MARS, despite RF predictions being constrained by the training data. New methods to quantify interpolation versus extrapolation for predictions are demonstrated. Degree of extrapolation is calculated by transforming both the training data and new predictors in response turnover space. A decline in cross‐validation performance was related to an increase in degree of extrapolation regardless of whether extrapolating in geographical or environmental space. Degree of extrapolation is valuable. It identifies those predictions that are more reliable because they represent interpolation versus those that are more uncertain that represent extrapolation. For example, high degree of extrapolation under climate or land cover change indicates increased risk of producing misleading predictions from both RF and MARS.
RecQL4-Aurora B kinase axis is essential for cellular proliferation, cell cycle progression, and mitotic integrity
Authors: Fang Hongbo , Niu Kaifeng , Mo Dongliang , Zhu Yuqi , Tan Qunsong , Wei Di , Li Yueyang , Chen Zixiang , Yang Shuchen , Balajee Adayabalam S. , Zhao Yongliang
Published: September 2018

Human RecQL4 helicase plays critical roles in the maintenance of genomic stability. Mutations in RecQL4 helicase results in three clinically related autosomal recessive disorders: Rothmund–Thomson syndrome (RTS), RAPADILINO, and Baller–Gerold syndrome. In addition to several premature aging features, RTS patients are characterized by aneuploidy involving either loss or gain of a single chromosome. Chromosome mosaicism and isochromosomes involving chromosomes 2, 7, and 8 have been reported in RecQL4-deficient RTS patients, but the precise role of RecQL4 in chromosome segregation/stability remains to be elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that RecQL4 physically and functionally interacts with Aurora B kinase (AURKB) and stabilizes its expression by inhibiting its ubiquitination process. Our study indicates that the N-terminus of RecQL4 interacts with the catalytic domain of AURKB. Strikingly, RecQL4 suppression reduces the expression of AURKB leading to mitotic irregularities and apoptotic cell death. RecQL4 suppression increases the proportion of cells at the G2/M phase followed by an extensive cell death, presumably owing to the accumulation of mitotic irregularities. Both these defects (accumulation of cells at G2/M phase and an improper mitotic exit to sub-G1) are complemented by the ectopic expression of AURKB. Finally, evidence is provided for the requirement of both human telomerase reverse transcriptase and RecQL4 for stable immortalization and longevity of RTS fibroblasts. Collectively, our study suggests that the RecQL4–AURKB axis is essential for cellular proliferation, cell cycle progression, and mitotic stability in human cells.
Association of schizophrenia polygenic risk score with manic and depressive psychosis in bipolar disorder
Authors: Markota Matej , Coombes Brandon J. , Larrabee Beth R. , McElroy Susan L. , Bond David J. , Veldic Marin , Colby Colin L. , Chauhan Mohit , Cuellar-Barboza Alfredo B. , Fuentes Manuel , Kung Simon , Prieto Miguel L. , Rummans Teresa A. , Bobo William V. , Frye Mark A. , Biernacka Joanna M.
Published: September 2018

Bipolar disorder (BD) is highly heterogeneous in symptomatology. Narrowing the clinical phenotype may increase the power to identify risk genes that contribute to particular BD subtypes. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that genetic overlap between schizophrenia (SZ) and BD is higher for BD with a history of manic psychosis. Analyses were conducted using a Mayo Clinic Bipolar Biobank cohort of 957 bipolar cases (including 333 with history of psychosis during mania, 64 with history of psychosis only during depression, 547 with no history of psychosis, and 13 with unknown history of psychosis) and 778 controls. Polygenic risk score (PRS) analysis was performed by calculating a SZ-PRS for the BD cases and controls, and comparing the calculated SZ risk between different psychosis subgroups and bipolar types. The SZ-PRS was significantly higher for BD-I cases with manic psychosis than BD-I cases with depressive psychosis (Nagelkerke’s R2 = 0.021; p = 0.045), BD-I cases without psychosis (R2 = 0.015; p = 0.007), BD-II cases without psychosis (R2 = 0.014; p = 0.017), and controls (R2 = 0.065; p = 2 × 10−13). No other significant differences were found. Our results show that BD-I with manic psychosis is genetically more similar to SZ than any other tested BD subgroup. Further investigations on genetics of distinct clinical phenotypes composing major psychoses may help refine the current diagnostic classification system.
Abrupt drainage basin reorganization following a Pleistocene river capture
Authors: Fan Niannian , Chu Zhongxin , Jiang Luguang , Hassan Marwan A. , Lamb Michael P. , Liu Xingnian
Published: September 2018

River capture is a dramatic natural process of internal competition through which mountainous landscapes evolve and respond to perturbations in tectonics and climate. River capture may occur when one river network grows at the expense of another, resulting in a victor that steals the neighboring headwaters. While river capture occurs regularly in numerical models, field observations are rare. Here we document a late Pleistocene river capture in the Yimeng Mountains, China that abruptly shifted 25 km2of drainage area from one catchment to another. River terraces and imbricated cobbles indicate that the main channel incised 27 m into granitic bedrock within 80 kyr, following the capture event, and upstream propagating knickpoints and waterfalls reversed the flow direction of a major river. Topographic analysis shows that the capture shifted the river basins far from topographic equilibrium, and active divide migration is propagating the effects of the capture throughout the landscape.
Quantum dot single-photon sources with ultra-low multi-photon probability
Authors: Hanschke Lukas , Fischer Kevin A. , Appel Stefan , Lukin Daniil , Wierzbowski Jakob , Sun Shuo , Trivedi Rahul , Vučković Jelena , Finley Jonathan J. , Müller Kai
Published: September 2018

High-quality sources of single photons are of paramount importance for quantum communication, sensing, and metrology. To these ends, resonantly excited two-level systems based on self-assembled quantum dots have recently generated widespread interest. Nevertheless, we have recently shown that for resonantly excited two-level systems, emission of a photon during the presence of the excitation laser pulse and subsequent re-excitation results in a degradation of the obtainable single-photon purity. Here, we demonstrate that generating single photons from self-assembled quantum dots with a scheme based on two-photon excitation of the biexciton strongly suppresses the re-excitation. Specifically, the pulse-length dependence of the multi-photon error rate reveals a quadratic dependence in contrast to the linear dependence of resonantly excited two-level systems, improving the obtainable multi-photon error rate by several orders of magnitude for short pulses. We support our experiments with a new theoretical framework and simulation methodology to understand few-photon sources.
Combining in silico and in vitro experiments to characterize the role of fascicle twist in the Achilles tendon
Authors: Shim Vickie B. , Handsfield Geoff G. , Fernandez Justin W. , Lloyd David G. , Besier Thor F.
Published: September 2018

The Achilles tendon (AT), the largest tendon in the human body has a unique structural feature, that is the fascicles in the AT display spiral twist. However, their functional and structural roles are still unclear. We used subject-specific computational models and tissue mechanical experiment to quantitatively characterize the role of fascicle twist in the Achilles tendon. Ten subject-specific finite element (FE) models of the Achilles tendon were developed from ultrasound images. Fascicle twist was implemented in these models using the material coordinate system available in our FE framework. Five different angles (0~60°) were implemented and material property optimization was performed for each of them (total 50 sets) using results from uniaxial stretch experiment. We showed that fascicle twist allows for even distribution of stress across the whole tendon, thus improving tissue strength. The predicted rupture load increased up to 40%. A number of connective tissues display similar fascicle twists in their structure. The resulting non-uniform strain distribution has been hypothesized as a primary factor in tissue degeneration and injuries. Therefore, our technique will be used to design biomechanically informed training and rehabilitation protocols for management of connective tissue injuries and degeneration.
Major Depression Impairs the Use of Reward Values for Decision-Making
Authors: Rupprechter Samuel , Stankevicius Aistis , Huys Quentin J. M. , Steele J. Douglas , Seriès Peggy
Published: September 2018

Depression is a debilitating condition with a high prevalence. Depressed patients have been shown to be diminished in their ability to integrate their reinforcement history to adjust future behaviour during instrumental reward learning tasks. Here, we tested whether such impairments could also be observed in a Pavlovian conditioning task. We recruited and analysed 32 subjects, 15 with depression and 17 healthy controls, to study behavioural group differences in learning and decision-making. Participants had to estimate the probability of some fractal stimuli to be associated with a binary reward, based on a few passive observations. They then had to make a choice between one of the observed fractals and another target for which the reward probability was explicitly given. Computational modelling was used to succinctly describe participants’ behaviour. Patients performed worse than controls at the task. Computational modelling revealed that this was caused by behavioural impairments during both learning and decision phases. Depressed subjects showed lower memory of observed rewards and had an impaired ability to use internal value estimations to guide decision-making in our task.
Ear transplantations reveal conservation of inner ear afferent pathfinding cues
Authors: Elliott Karen L. , Fritzsch Bernd
Published: September 2018

Vertebrate inner ear neurons project into the correct brainstem nuclei region before target neurons become postmitotic, or even in their absence. Moreover, afferents from transplanted ears in frogs have been shown to navigate to vestibular nuclei, suggesting that ear afferents use molecular cues to find their target. We performed heterochronic, xenoplastic, and heterotopic transplantations in chickens to investigate whether inner ear afferents are guided by conserved guidance molecules. We show that inner ear afferents can navigate to the vestibular nuclei following a delay in afferent entry and when the ear was from a different species, the mouse. These data suggest that guidance molecules are expressed for some time and are conserved across amniotes. In addition, we show that chicken ears transplanted adjacent to the spinal cord project dorsally like in the hindbrain. These results suggest that inner ear afferents navigate to the correct dorsoventral brainstem column using conserved cues.
Genetic diversity and phylogeny of South African Meloidogyne populations using genotyping by sequencing
Authors: Rashidifard Milad , Fourie Hendrika , Véronneau Pierre-Yves , Marais Mariette , Daneel Mieke Stefanie , Mimee Benjamin
Published: September 2018

Meloidogyne species cause great crop losses worldwide. Although genetic host plant resistance is an effective control strategy to minimize damage caused by Meloidogyne, some resistant genes are ineffective against virulent species such as Meloidogyne enterolobii. Detailed knowledge about the genetic composition of Meloidogyne species is thus essential. This study focused on genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and Pool-Seq to elucidate the genetic relation between South African M. enterolobii, M. incognita and M. javanica populations. Hence, 653 common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified and used to compare these species at genetic level. Allele frequencies of 34 SNPs consistently differed between the three Meloidogyne species studied. Principal component and phylogenetic analyses grouped the M. enterolobii populations in one clade, showing a distant relation to the M. javanica populations. These two species also shared genetic links with the M. incognita populations studied. GBS has been used successfully in this study to identify SNPs that discriminated among the three Meloidogyne species investigated. Alleles, only occurring in the genome of M. enterolobii and located in genes involved in virulence in other animal species (e.g. a serine/threonine phosphatase and zinc finger) have also been identified, accentuating the value of GBS in future studies of this nature.
Rapid Adaptation to the Timbre of Natural Sounds
Authors: Piazza Elise A. , Theunissen Frédéric E. , Wessel David , Whitney David
Published: September 2018

Timbre, the unique quality of a sound that points to its source, allows us to quickly identify a loved one’s voice in a crowd and distinguish a buzzy, bright trumpet from a warm cello. Despite its importance for perceiving the richness of auditory objects, timbre is a relatively poorly understood feature of sounds. Here we demonstrate for the first time that listeners adapt to the timbre of a wide variety of natural sounds. For each of several sound classes, participants were repeatedly exposed to two sounds (e.g., clarinet and oboe, male and female voice) that formed the endpoints of a morphed continuum. Adaptation to timbre resulted in consistent perceptual aftereffects, such that hearing sound A significantly altered perception of a neutral morph between A and B, making it sound more like B. Furthermore, these aftereffects were robust to moderate pitch changes, suggesting that adaptation to timbral features used for object identification drives these effects, analogous to face adaptation in vision.
Superconducting Phases in Lithium Decorated Graphene LiC6
Authors: Gholami Rouhollah , Moradian Rostam , Moradian Sina , Pickett Warren E.
Published: September 2018

A study of possible superconducting phases of graphene has been constructed in detail. A realistic tight binding model, fit to ab initio calculations, accounts for the Li-decoration of graphene with broken lattice symmetry, and includes s and d symmetry Bloch character that influences the gap symmetries that can arise. The resulting seven hybridized Li-C orbitals that support nine possible bond pairing amplitudes. The gap equation is solved for all possible gap symmetries. One band is weakly dispersive near the Fermi energy along Γ → M where its Bloch wave function has linear combination of $${d}_{{x}^{2}-{y}^{2}}$$

d

x

2

−

y

2

and dxy character, and is responsible for $${d}_{{x}^{2}-{y}^{2}}$$

d

x

2

−

y

2

and dxy pairing with lowest pairing energy in our model. These symmetries almost preserve properties from a two band model of pristine graphene. Another part of this band, along K → Γ, is nearly degenerate with upper s band that favors extended s wave pairing which is not found in two band model. Upon electron doping to a critical chemical potential μ1 = 0.22 eV the pairing potential decreases, then increases until a second critical value μ2 = 1.3 eV at which a phase transition to a distorted s-wave occurs. The distortion of d- or s-wave phases are a consequence of decoration which is not appear in two band pristine model. In the pristine graphene these phases convert to usual d-wave or extended s-wave pairing.
Assessment of the impacts of climatic variability and anthropogenic stress on hydrologic resilience to warming shifts in Peninsular India
Authors: Sinha Jhilam , Sharma Ashutosh , Khan Manas , Goyal Manish Kumar
Published: September 2018

Most parts of the world are witnessing climatic warming and the trend is expected to increase in the future. It is important to assess the response of watershed hydrology to this warming. Moreover, human interactions and climatic variability influence the water balance of a catchment. We perform contribution analysis along with resilience study using Budyko framework and two parameters (dynamic deviation and modified elasticity), in-order to comprehend the involvement of anthropogenic stress and climatic variance on partitioning of precipitation and their relation with hydrologic resilience to warming shifts across 55 catchments in peninsular India. Here, 23 catchments have displayed hydrologic resilience (low departure and high elasticity) to climatic warming shifts. Only 37.14% of anthropogenic dominated catchments (higher contribution from human activities in runoff changes) were found to be resilient whereas 58.82% of climate dominated catchments had resilience attributes. Most of the catchments on western and extreme southern part of India were not hydrologic resilient. Extensive human interactions tend to depart the catchment from expected hydrological functioning under critical climatic conditions (Warming in our study) that lead to declining of hydrological resilience.
Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria promote plant size inequality
Authors: Gange Alan C. , Gadhave Kiran R.
Published: September 2018

The uniformity of crop yield is extremely important for consumers and of as much relevance to the grower as overall yield. However, size inequality within a plant population is rarely measured and has never before been considered in relation to the use of beneficial microbes for yield enhancement. For the first time, we show that addition of soil bacteria to calabrese plants significantly increased size inequality. These effects were usually more apparent in above-ground biomass. This was caused by some (but not all) plants growing very large when inoculated with bacteria, while control plants were mostly small. We suggest that the main reason is the incompatibility of the inoculated bacteria with those already present in the rhizosphere. In some cases the inoculum matched the indigenous community, providing a benefit to plant growth, while often it did not and plants remained relatively small. We conclude that analyses of size inequality should be an integral part of experiments using microbial soil amendments. These analyses can help to inform the production of more effective microbial products and to ensure that the integration of beneficial microbes into sustainable production systems does not impair uniformity in yield.
Preparation of quantum information encoded on three-photon decoherence-free states via cross-Kerr nonlinearities
Authors: Heo Jino , Kang Min-Sung , Hong Chang Ho , Hong Jong-Phil , Choi Seong-Gon
Published: September 2018

We present a scheme to encode quantum information (single logical qubit information) into three-photon decoherence-free states, which can conserve quantum information from collective decoherence, via nonlinearly optical gates (using cross-Kerr nonlinearities: XKNLs) and linearly optical devices. For the preparation of the decoherence-free state, the nonlinearly optical gates (multi-photon gates) consist of weak XKNLs, quantum bus (qubus) beams, and photon-number-resolving (PNR) measurement. Then, by using a linearly optical device, quantum information can be encoded on three-photon decoherence-free state prepared. Subsequently, by our analysis, we show that the nonlinearly optical gates using XKNLs, qubus beams, and PNR measurement are robust against the decoherence effect (photon loss and dephasing) in optical fibers. Consequently, our scheme can be experimentally implemented to efficiently generate three-photon decoherence-free state encoded quantum information, in practice.
Deregulation of Notch1 pathway and circulating endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) number in patients with bicuspid aortic valve with and without ascending aorta aneurysm
Authors: Balistreri Carmela R. , Crapanzano Floriana , Schirone Leonardo , Allegra Alberto , Pisano Calogera , Ruvolo Giovanni , Forte Maurizio , Greco Ernesto , Cavarretta Elena , Marullo Antonino G. M. , Sciarretta Sebastiano , Frati Giacomo
Published: September 2018

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is frequently associated with the development of ascending aortic aneurysm, even if the underlying mechanisms remain to be clarified. Here, we investigated if a deregulation of Notch1 signaling pathway and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) number is associated with BAV disease and an early ascending aortic aneurysm (AAA) onset. For this purpose, 70 subjects with BAV (M/F 50/20; mean age: 58.8 ± 14.8 years) and 70 subjects with tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) (M/F 35/35; mean age: 69.1 ± 12.8 years) and AAA complicated or not, were included. Interestingly, patients with AAA showed a significant increase in circulating Notch1 levels and EPC number than subjects without AAA. However, circulating Notch1 levels and EPC number were significantly lower in BAV subjects than TAV patients either in the presence or absence of AAA. Finally, Notch pathway was activated to a greater extent in aortic aneurysmatic portions with respect to healthy aortic fragments in both BAV and TAV patients. However, the expression of genes encoding components and ligands of Notch pathway in aortic tissues was significantly lower in BAV than TAV subjects. Our study demonstrates that BAV subjects are characterized by a significant decrease in both tissue and circulating levels of Notch pathway, and in blood EPC number than TAV patients, either in presence or absence of AAA disease.
Pas Kinase Deficiency Triggers Antioxidant Mechanisms in the Liver
Authors: Dongil P. , Pérez-García A. , Hurtado-Carneiro V. , Herrero-de-Dios C. , Blazquez E. , Alvarez E. , Sanz C.
Published: September 2018

Metabolic dysfunction in the liver is the cause of numerous pathologies, which are associated with an altered redox state. PASK (PAS Domain Kinase) is a nutrient and bioenergetic sensor. We contend that PASK could act as an oxidative stress sensor in liver and/or control the metabolic balance, playing a role in the mitochondrial homeostasis. Using PASK-deficient mice, we observed that PASK deficiency promotes antioxidant response mechanisms: a lower production of ROS/RNS under non-fasting conditions, overexpression of genes coding to ROS-detoxifying enzymes and mitochondrial fusion proteins (MnSod Gpx, Mfn1 and Opa1), coactivator Ppargc1a, transcription factors (Pparg and FoxO3a) and deacetylase Sirt1. Also, under fasting conditions, PASK deficiency induced the overexpression of Ppargc1a, Ppara, Pparg, FoxO3a and Nrf2 leading to the overexpression of genes coding to antioxidant enzymes such as MnSOD, Cu/ZnSOD, GPx, HO1 and GCLm. Additionally, inducing PINK1 involved in cell survival and mitophagy. These changes kept ROS steady levels and improved the regenerative state. We suggest a new role for PASK as a controller of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dynamics in the liver. In fact, antioxidant response is PASK dependent. PASK-targeting could therefore be a good way of reducing the oxidative stress in order to prevent or treat liver diseases.
Kartogenin inhibits pain behavior, chondrocyte inflammation, and attenuates osteoarthritis progression in mice through induction of IL-10
Authors: Kwon Ji Ye , Lee Seung Hoon , Na Hyun-Sik , Jung KyungAh , Choi JeongWon , Cho Keun Hyung , Lee Chang-Yong , Kim Seok Jung , Park Sung-Hwan , Shin Dong-Yun , Cho Mi-La
Published: September 2018

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major degenerative joint condition that causes articular cartilage destruction. It was recently found that enhancement of chondroclasts and suppression in Treg cell differentiation are involved in the pathogenesis of OA. Kartogenin (KGN) is a small drug-like molecule that induces chondrogenesis in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This study aimed to identify whether KGN can enhance severe pain behavior and improve cartilage repair in OA rat model. Induction of OA model was loaded by IA-injection of MIA. In the OA rat model, treatment an intra-articular injection of KGN. Pain levels were evaluated by analyzing PWL and PWT response in animals. Histological analysis and micro-CT images of femurs were used to analyze cartilage destruction. Gene expression was measured by real-time PCR. Immunohistochemistry was analyzed to detect protein expression. KGN injection significantly decreased pain severity and joint destruction in the MIA-induced OA model. KGN also increased mRNA levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in OA patients’ chondrocytes stimulated by IL-1β. Decreased chondroclast expression, and increased Treg cell expression. KGN revealed therapeutic activity with the potential to reduce pain and improve cartilage destruction. Thus, KGN could be a therapeutic molecule for OA that inhibits cartilage damage.
Skeletal muscle metabolomics and blood biochemistry analysis reveal metabolic changes associated with dietary amino acid supplementation in dairy calves
Authors: Yu Kuai , Matzapetakis Manolis , Valent Daniel , Saco Yolanda , De Almeida André M. , Terré Marta , Bassols Anna
Published: September 2018

The effects of different amino acid (AA) supplementations of milk protein-based milk replacers in pre-ruminant calves from 3 days to 7 weeks of age were studied. Animals were divided into 4 groups: Ctrl) Control group fed with milk protein-based milk replacer without supplementation; GP) supplementation with 0.1% glycine and 0.3% proline; FY) supplementation with 0.2% phenylalanine and 0.2% tyrosine; MKT) supplementation with 0.62% lysine, 0.22% methionine and 0.61% threonine. For statistical analysis, t-test was used to compare AA-supplemented animals to the Ctrl group. At week 7, body weight and average daily gain (ADG) were measured and blood samples and skeletal muscle biopsies were taken. Blood biochemistry analytes related to energy metabolism were determined and it was shown that MKT group had higher serum creatinine and higher plasma concentration of three supplemented AAs as well as arginine compared with the Ctrl group. GP group had similar glycine/proline plasma concentration compared with the other groups while in FY group only plasma phenylalanine concentration was higher compared with Control. Although the AA supplementations in the GP and FY groups did not affect average daily gain and metabolic health profile from serum, the metabolome analysis from skeletal muscle biopsy revealed several differences between the GP-FY groups and the Ctrl-MKT groups, suggesting a metabolic adaptation especially in GP and FY groups.
Diminished gray matter density mediates chemotherapy dosage-related cognitive impairment in breast cancer patients
Authors: Li Xiu , Chen Haijun , Lv Yue , Chao Herta H. , Gong Liang , Li Chiang-Shan R. , Cheng Huaidong
Published: September 2018

To investigate chemotherapy dosage-related cognitive impairment and its neural mechanisms in breast cancer (BC) patients. Twenty-eight breast cancer patients after each chemotherapy cycle and matched 29 healthy control subjects underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging. Voxel-based morphometry analysis was performed to compare group differences in the gray matter for the whole brain. Furthermore, mediation analysis was conducted to explore the role of brain structures in chemotherapy dosage-related cognitive impairment. Voxel-based morphometry analysis was performed in gray matter for the whole brain of BC patients after chemotherapy. The results revealed that the gray matter density in the left inferior frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, right fusiform area, and bilateral cerebellum was decreased in the BC patients compared to controls. The number of chemotherapy cycles was negatively associated with general cognitive capacity, verbal fluency and digit span performance in the BC patients. In addition, decreased gray matter density in the right middle frontal gyrus could mediate the chemotherapy dosage effects on verbal fluency performance. These findings indicate that the dose-response relationship between chemotherapy and cognitive impairment may depend on the decreases in gray matter density of the frontal cortical structures.
Nicotine and sleep deprivation: impact on pain sensitivity and immune modulation in rats
Authors: Hirotsu Camila , Pedroni Matheus Negrao , Berro Laís Fernanda , Tufik Sergio , Andersen Monica Levy
Published: September 2018

Repeated nicotine administration has been associated with increased paradoxical sleep in rats and antinociceptive properties, whereas paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD) elicits pronociceptive and inflammatory responses. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the effect of repeated nicotine administration and its withdrawal combined with PSD on pain sensitivity and inflammatory markers. Sixty adult male Wistar rats were subjected to repeated injections of saline (SAL) or nicotine (NIC) for 12 days or 7 days of nicotine followed by acute mecamylamine administration on day 8 to precipitate nicotine abstinence (ABST). On day 9, the animals were submitted to PSD for 72 h or remained in control condition (CTRL); on day 12, thermal pain threshold was assessed by the hot plate test. PSD significantly decreased the latency to paw withdrawal in all groups compared to their respective controls. ABST-PSD animals presented higher levels of interleukin (IL)-6 compared to all groups, except ABST-CTRL. After adjustment for weight loss, IL-6, IL-4 and tumor necrosis factor alpha, ABST-PSD was associated with the lowest pain threshold. Nicotine and IL-4 levels were predictors of higher pain threshold. Hyperalgesia induced by PSD prevailed over the antinociceptive action of nicotine, while the association between PSD and ABST synergistically increased IL-6 concentrations and decreased pain threshold.
Engineered hexavalent Fc proteins with enhanced Fc-gamma receptor avidity provide insights into immune-complex interactions
Authors: Rowley Tania F. , Peters Shirley J. , Aylott Mike , Griffin Robert , Davies Nicola L. , Healy Louise J. , Cutler Rona M. , Eddleston Alison , Pither Thomas L. , Sopp Joshua M. , Zaccheo Oliver , Fossati Gianluca , Cain Katharine , Ventom Andrew M. , Hailu Hanna , Ward Eleanor J. , Sherington John , Brennan Frank R. , Fallah-Arani Farnaz , Humphreys David P.
Published: September 2018

Autoantibody-mediated diseases are currently treated with intravenous immunoglobulin, which is thought to act in part via blockade of Fc gamma receptors, thereby inhibiting autoantibody effector functions and subsequent pathology. We aimed to develop recombinant molecules with enhanced Fc receptor avidity and thus increased potency over intravenous immunoglobulin. Here we describe the molecular engineering of human Fc hexamers and explore their therapeutic and safety profiles. We show Fc hexamers were more potent than IVIG in phagocytosis blockade and disease models. However, in human whole-blood safety assays incubation with IgG1 isotype Fc hexamers resulted in cytokine release, platelet and complement activation, whereas the IgG4 version did not. We used a statistically designed mutagenesis approach to identify the key Fc residues involved in these processes. Cytokine release was found to be dependent on neutrophil FcγRIIIb interactions with L234 and A327 in the Fc. Therefore, Fc hexamers provide unique insights into Fc receptor biology.
Concepts of Photoelectrochemical Energy Conversion and Fuel Generation
Authors: Lewerenz Hans Joachim , Sharp Ian D.
Published: September 2018

This chapter provides an introduction to many of the key concepts that underlie electrochemical, photoelectrochemical, and photovoltaic energy conversion. The aim is to provide a scientific basis for understanding the in-depth chapters that follow in this book. Following a presentation of fundamental aspects of solid–solid and solid–liquid semiconductor junctions in the dark, an overview of the various ways that such junctions are utilized and arranged in integrated solar fuels generators is provided. Key differences between electrochemical processes at metal and semiconductor electrodes, the role of defects in charge transfer across semiconductor–electrolyte interfaces, and the basic processes leading to photovoltage and photocurrent generation of illuminated interfaces are presented. The ongoing challenge of creating integrated solar fuel generators that are simultaneously efficient, stable, and scalable is discussed and the search for new materials that can address outstanding property gaps is highlighted.