bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Sustainable Water Resources Management (SWRM) in Agriculture
Authors: Ommani Ahmad Reza , Chizari Mohammad
Published: July 2019

The purpose of this research was analysis Sustainable Water Resources Management (SWRM) in agriculture of Khouzestan Province of Iran. The research method was quantitative research. Total population of experts in the study included all agricultural extension experts (N=96) of Agricultural-Jihad Organization of Khuzestan Province, Iran. Based on frequency of respondents about importance rate of supportive policies regarding SWRM in agriculture, 70.8% of respondents stated that encouraging farmers for using sustainable methods had very high importance. In reference to the frequency of respondents about extension system roles on realization of SWRM dimensions in agriculture, 52.8% of respondents stated conservation of water resources had very high importance for supporting SWRM in agriculture.
Optimal Population Coding, Revisited
Authors: Berens Philipp , Ecker Alexander , Gerwinn Sebastian , Tolias Andreas , Bethge Matthias
Published: July 2019

Cortical circuits perform the computations underlying rapid perceptual decisions within a few dozen milliseconds with each neuron emitting only a few spikes. Under these conditions, the theoretical analysis of neural population codes is challenging, as the most commonly used theoretical tool – Fisher information – can lead to erroneous conclusions about the optimality of different coding schemes. Here we revisit the effect of tuning function width and correlation structure on neural population codes based on ideal observer analysis in both a discrimination and reconstruction task. We show that the optimal tuning function width and the optimal correlation structure in both paradigms strongly depend on the available decoding time in a very similar way. In contrast, population codes optimized for Fisher information do not depend on decoding time and are severely suboptimal when only few spikes are available. In addition, we use the neurometric functions of the ideal observer in the classification task to investigate the differential coding properties of these Fisher-optimal codes for fine and coarse discrimination. We find that the discrimination error for these codes does not decrease to zero with increasing population size, even in simple coarse discrimination tasks. Our results suggest that quite different population codes may be optimal for rapid decoding in cortical computations than those inferred from the optimization of Fisher information.
A Lateralized Brain Network for Visuo-Spatial Attention
Authors: Thiebaut de Schotten Michel , Dell’Acqua Flavio , Forkel Stephanie , Simmons Andrew , Vergani Francesco , Murphy Declan G.M. , Catani Marco
Published: July 2019

Looking for a friend in the crowd, avoiding a sudden danger or contemplating a work of art are some examples of actions based on the efficiency of our visuo-spatial attention system. The specialization of the right brain hemisphere for visuo-spatial attention is a characteristic of most humans, but its anatomical basis remains largely unknown. Our study is the first to report in humans the existence of a bilateral parieto-frontal network whose hemispheric lateralization predicts the degree of specialization of the right hemisphere for visuo-spatial attention. Our results also suggest that this specialization is associated with an unbalanced speed of visuo-spatial processing between the two hemispheres. This lateralization may be predictive of visuo-spatial recovery in patients with lesions of parieto-frontal networks.
Non-specific binding of antibodies in immunohistochemistry: Fakes and facts
Authors: Buchwalow Igor , Samoilova Vera , Boecker Werner , Tiemann Markus
Published: July 2019

Protocols for blocking non-specific antibody (Ab) binding in immunohistochemistry are based on rather contradictory and outdated reports. This prompted us to prove, whether non-specific Ab binding may really lead to unwanted background staining in routinely processed cell and tissue probes. In this study, the probes were fixed and processed according to routine protocols with and without a blocking step (goat serum or BSA). Surprisingly, all Ab in probes processed without a blocking step did not show any propensity towards non-specific binding that might lead to background staining, thus implying that endogenous Fc receptors do not retain their ability to bind Fc portion of Ab after standard fixation. Likewise in routinely fixed probes, we did not find any non-specific Ab binding ascribed to a combination of ionic and hydrophobic interactions. The traditionally used protein blocking step is useless in immunostaining of routinely fixed tissues.
Alzheimer's disease is TH17 related autoimmune disease against misfolded beta amyloid
Authors: Hu Wan-Jiung
Published: July 2019

Alzheimer's disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder. However, its exact etiology is still unknown. There were several mechanisms proposed such as the tau hypothesis and amyloid hypothesis. However, there is evidence challenging the above two hypotheses. Here, I propose the immune-amyloid hypothesis as a mechanism for Alzheimer's disease. Th17 related autoimmunity contributes to the disease pathogenesis. Accumulation of misfolded beta amyloid can trigger heat shock protein which in turn induces TH17 immunity. By microarray analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, there is up-regulation of many TH17 related molecules after Alzheimer's disease. After knowing the exact disease pathogenesis, we can develop new therapeutic strategies to prevent or treat the detrimental disorder.
Topological Characterization of Protein-Protein Interaction Networks in Human and Mouse
Authors: Singh Bipin
Published: July 2019

The elucidation of the cell's large-scale organization is a primary challenge for post-genomic biology, and understanding the structure and topological properties of protein-protein interaction networks offers an important starting point for such studies. We compare the protein-protein interaction network of the human and mouse, aiming to uncover the network's generic large-scale properties and the impact of the protein's function and cellular localization on the network topology. We show that both human and mouse protein-protein interaction supports a scale-free, topology with hierarchical modularity, indicating that these features represent a robust and generic property of the protein interactions network. We also find strong correlations between the network's structure and the functional role and sub cellular localization of its protein constituents, concluding that most functional and/or localization classes appear as relatively segregated sub networks of the full protein interaction network.
Biomimetic assemblage of nucleobase 5-fluorouracil into nano-size three-dimensional particles
Authors: Chauhan Arun , Zubair Swaleha , Zia Qamar , Tufail Saba , Sherwani Asif , Sajid Mohammad , Owais Mohammad
Published: July 2019

Biomimetic nano-assembly formation offers a convenient and bio friendly approach to fabricate complex structures from simple components with sub-nanometer precision. Recently, extract from cells of microorganism/plant origin have emerged as a simple and viable route for the synthesis of metal and inorganic material nano-particles. In the present study, we have extended biological synthesis of nano-particles to organic molecules, namely the anticancer agent, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) using Aloe vera leaf extract. The formation of 5-FU nano- particles was assessed by UV, FT-IR and fluorescence spectroscopic techniques. Transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopic techniques confirmed nano-size of the synthesized particles. Importantly, the nano-assembled 5-FU retained its anticancer action against various cancer cell lines. Finally, the anti-tumor potential of 5-FU nano-particles was established against DMBA induced fibrosarcoma in Balb/c mice.
Partial Dissociation and Hydration Quantitatively Explain the Properties of Aqueous Electrolyte Solutions and hence Empirical Activity Concepts are Unnecessary
Authors: Heyrovska Raji
Published: July 2019

The author shows that Arrhenius's theory of partial electrolytic dissociation was immaturely displaced about eight decades ago by the empirical concept of ionic activities and the assumption of complete dissociation of electrolytes at all concentrations. The latter brought the theory of electrolytes over the next decades into a complicated state without any physical significance. Therefore, the author started a systematic investigation of the available data and could completely restore the original theory of partial dissociation. Now solution properties can be easily understood and quantitatively explained in terms of absolute concentrations and volumes of ions and ion pairs and hydration.
Applications Of Microspectroscopy, Hyperspectral Chemical Imaging And Fluorescence Microscopy In Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Molecular And Cell Biology
Authors: Baianu I.
Published: July 2019

Chemical imaging is a technique for the simultaneous measurement of spectra (chemical information) and images or pictures (spatial information)^1,2^. The technique is most often applied to either solid or gel samples, and has applications in chemistry, biology^3-8^, medicine^9,10^, pharmacy^11^ (see also for example: Chemical Imaging Without Dyeing), food science, Food Physical Chemistry, Biotechnology^12,13^, Agriculture and industry. NIR, IR and Raman chemical imaging is also referred to as hyperspectral, spectroscopic, spectral or multi-spectral imaging (also see micro-spectroscopy). However, other ultra-sensitive and selective, chemical imaging techniques are also in use that involve either UV-visible or fluorescence microspectroscopy.
A New General Allometric Biomass Model
Authors: Zeng Wei Sheng , Tang Shou Zheng
Published: July 2019

To implement monitoring and assessment of national forest biomass, it is becoming the trend to develop generalized single-tree biomass models suitable for large scale forest biomass estimation. Considering that the theoretical biomass allometric model developed by West et al. [1,2] was statistically different from the empirical one, the two parameters in the most commonly used biomass equation M=aDb were analyzed in this paper. Firstly, based on the knowledge of geometry, the theoretical value of parameter b was deduced, i.e., b=7/3(&x2248;2.33), and the comparison with many empirical studies conducted throughout the globe indicated that the theoretical parameter could describe soundly the average allometric relationship between aboveground biomass M and D (diameter on breast height). Secondly, using five datasets of aboveground biomass which consisted of 1441 M-D pairs of sample trees, the new general biomass allometric model was validated. Finally, the relationship between parameter a and wood density p was analyzed, and the linear regression was developed. The new model, which is not only simple but also species-specific, offers a feasible approach on establishment of generalized biomass models for regional and national forest biomass estimation.
Optogenetics in primates: monkey see monkey look
Authors: Jazayeri Mehrdad , Lindbloom-Brown Zachary , Horwitz Gregory
Published: July 2019

Optogenetics has emerged as a powerful tool for studying the neural basis of simple behaviors in rodents and small animals. In the primate model, however, optogenetics has had limited utility because optical methods have not been able to drive behavior. Here, we report that monkeys reliably shift their gaze toward the receptive field of optically driven channelrhodopsin-2-expressing V1 neurons. This result establishes optogenetics as a viable means for the causal analysis of behavior in the primate model.
CRED: A Deep Residual Network of Convolutional and Recurrent Units for Earthquake Signal Detection
Authors: Mousavi S. Mostafa , Zhu Weiqiang , Sheng Yixiao , Beroza Gregory C.
Published: July 2019

Earthquake signal detection is at the core of observational seismology. A good detection algorithm should be sensitive to small and weak events with a variety of waveform shapes, robust to background noise and non-earthquake signals, and efficient for processing large data volumes. Here, we introduce the Cnn-Rnn Earthquake Detector (CRED), a detector based on deep neural networks. CRED uses a combination of convolutional layers and bi-directional long-short-term memory units in a residual structure. It learns the time-frequency characteristics of the dominant phases in an earthquake signal from three component data recorded on individual stations. We train the network using 500,000 seismograms (250k associated with tectonic earthquakes and 250k identified as noise) recorded in Northern California. The robustness of the trained model with respect to the noise level and non-earthquake signals is shown by applying it to a set of semi-synthetic signals. We also apply the model to one month of continuous data recorded at Central Arkansas to demonstrate its efficiency, generalization, and sensitivity. Our model is able to detect more than 800 microearthquakes as small as −1.3 ML induced during hydraulic fracturing far away than the training region. We compare the performance of the model with the STA/LTA, template matching, and FAST algorithms. Our results indicate an efficient and reliable performance of CRED. This framework holds great promise for lowering the detection threshold while minimizing false positive detection rates.
Insight into Fluorocarbon Adsorption in Metal-Organic Frameworks via Experiments and Molecular Simulations
Authors: Barpaga Dushyant , Nguyen Van T. , Medasani Bharat K. , Chatterjee Sayandev , McGrail B. Peter , Motkuri Radha Kishan , Dang Liem X.
Published: July 2019

The improvement in adsorption/desorption of hydrofluorocarbons has implications for many heat transformation applications such as cooling, refrigeration, heat pumps, power generation, etc. The lack of chlorine in hydrofluorocarbons minimizes the lasting environmental damage to the ozone, with R134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane) being used as the primary industrial alternative to commonly used Freon-12. The efficacy of novel adsorbents used in conjunction with R134a requires a deeper understanding of the host-guest chemical interaction. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) represent a newer class of adsorbent materials with significant industrial potential given their high surface area, porosity, stability, and tunability. In this work, we studied two benchmark MOFs, a microporous Ni-MOF-74 and mesoporous Cr-MIL-101. We employed a combined experimental and simulation approach to study the adsorption of R134a to better understand host-guest interactions using equilibrium isotherms, enthalpy of adsorption, Henry’s coefficients, and radial distribution functions. The overall uptake was shown to be exceptionally high for Cr-MIL-101, >140 wt% near saturation while >50 wt% at very low partial pressures. For both MOFs, simulation data suggest that metal sites provide preferable adsorption sites for fluorocarbon based on favorable C-F ··· M+ interactions between negatively charged fluorine atoms of R134a and positively charged metal atoms of the MOF framework.
Global impact of diet and temperature over aquaculture of Octopus vulgaris paralarvae from a transcriptomic approach
Authors: García-Fernández P. , Prado-Alvarez M. , Nande M. , Garcia de la serrana D. , Perales-Raya C. , Almansa E. , Varó I. , Gestal C.
Published: July 2019

Common octopus, Octopus vulgaris, is an economically important cephalopod species. However, its rearing under captivity is currently challenged by massive mortalities previous to their juvenile stage due to nutritional and environmental factors. Dissecting the genetic basis and regulatory mechanism behind this mortality requires genomic background knowledge. A transcriptomic sequencing of 10 dph octopus paralarvae from different experimental conditions was constructed via RNA-seq. A total of 613,767,530 raw reads were filtered and de novo assembled into 363,527 contigs of which 82,513 were annotated in UniProt carrying also their GO and KEGG information. Differential gene expression analysis was carried out on paralarvae reared under different diet regimes and temperatures, also including wild paralarvae. Genes related to lipid metabolism exhibited higher transcriptional levels in individuals whose diet includes crustacean zoeas, which had an impact over their development and immune response capability. High temperature induces acclimation processes at the time that increase metabolic demands and oxidative stress. Wild individuals show an expression profile unexpectedly similar to Artemia fed individuals. Proteomic results support the hypothesis revealed by transcriptional analysis. The comparative study of the O. vulgaris transcriptomic profiles allowed the identification of genes that deserve to be further studied as candidates for biomarkers of development and health. The results obtained here on the transcriptional variations of genes caused by diet and temperature will provide new perspectives in understanding the molecular mechanisms behind nutritional and temperature requirements of common octopus that will open new opportunities to deepen in paralarvae rearing requirements.
Label-free time- and space-resolved exometabolite sampling of growing plant roots through nanoporous interfaces
Authors: Patabadige Damith E. W. , Millet Larry J. , Aufrecht Jayde A. , Shankles Peter G. , Standaert Robert F. , Retterer Scott T. , Doktycz Mitchel J.
Published: July 2019

Spatial and temporal profiling of metabolites within and between living systems is vital to understanding how chemical signaling shapes the composition and function of these complex systems. Measurement of metabolites is challenging because they are often not amenable to extrinsic tags, are diverse in nature, and are present with a broad range of concentrations. Moreover, direct imaging by chemically informative tools can significantly compromise viability of the system of interest or lack adequate resolution. Here, we present a nano-enabled and label-free imaging technology using a microfluidic sampling network to track production and distribution of chemical information in the microenvironment of a living organism. We describe the integration of a polyester track-etched (PETE) nanofluidic interface to physically confine the biological sample within the model environment, while allowing fluidic access via an underlying microfluidic network. The nanoporous interface enables sampling of the microenvironment above in a time-dependent and spatially-resolved manner. For demonstration, the diffusional flux through the PETE membrane was characterized to understand membrane performance, and exometabolites from a growing plant root were successfully profiled in a space- and time-resolved manner. This method and device provide a frame-by-frame description of the chemical environment that maps to the physical and biological characteristics of the sample.
Palaeo-tsunami inundation distances deduced from roundness of gravel particles in tsunami deposits
Authors: Ishimura Daisuke , Yamada Keitaro
Published: July 2019

Information on palaeo-tsunami magnitude is scientifically and socially essential to mitigate tsunami risk. However, estimating palaeo-tsunami parameters (e.g., inundation distance) from sediments is not simple because tsunami deposits reflect complex transport processes. Here, we show a new approach to estimate tsunami inundation distance based on the mixture ratio of gravels from several sources in tsunami deposits. We measured the roundness of source gravels in modern beach and fluvial deposits in a coastal valley in Japan through image analysis and then calculated the mixture ratio of both sediment types in tsunami deposits. Normalising the mixture ratios by inundation distances revealed an abrupt change in the mixture ratio at a constant percentile, regardless of tsunami magnitude. This relation allowed estimation of the inundation distance of palaeo-tsunamis during the last 4000 years.
Genomic non-redundancy of the mir-183/96/182 cluster and its requirement for hair cell maintenance
Authors: Fogerty Joseph , Stepanyan Ruben , Cianciolo Lauren T. , Tooke Benjamin P. , Perkins Brian D.
Published: July 2019

microRNAs are important regulators of gene expression. In the retina, the mir-183/96/182 cluster is of particular interest due to its robust expression and studies in which loss of the cluster caused photoreceptor degeneration. However, it is unclear which of the three miRNAs in the cluster are ultimately required in photoreceptors, whether each may have independent, contributory roles, or whether a single miRNA from the cluster compensates for the loss of another. These are important questions that will not only help us to understand the role of these particular miRNAs in the retina, but will deepen our understanding of how clustered microRNAs evolve and operate. To that end, we have developed a complete panel of single, double, and triple mir-183/96/182 mutant zebrafish. While the retinas of all mutant animals were normal, the triple mutants exhibited acute hair cell degeneration which corresponded with impaired swimming and death at a young age. By measuring the penetrance of this phenotype in each mutant line, we determine which of the three miRNAs in the cluster are necessary and/or sufficient to ensure normal hair cell development and function.
Relationship of reduced glomerular filtration rate with alterations in plasma free amino acids and uric acid evaluated in healthy control and hypertensive subjects
Authors: Mahbub M. H. , Yamaguchi Natsu , Takahashi Hidekazu , Hase Ryosuke , Yamamoto Hiroshi , Kikuchi Shinya , Tanabe Tsuyoshi
Published: July 2019

The potential association between altered levels of plasma free amino acids (PFAAs) and uric acid (UA) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) remains unknown among patients with hypertension. A total of 2804 healthy controls and 2455 hypertensive patients were included in the current analysis. eGFR was defined as reduced when it was <60 ml/min/1.73 m2. The associations between reduced eGFR and individual PFAAs and UA in the healthy control and hypertension groups were explored by logistic regression analyses adjusted for potential confounding variables. Results show that UA had a significant positive association with reduced eGFR in both healthy control and hypertension groups (P < 0.001). Among the PFAAs, citrulline, glycine and phenylalanine showed significant positive associations with reduced eGFR in both healthy control (P < 0.01 to 0.001) and hypertension (P < 0.001) groups. Moreover, alanine, asparagine and methionine achieved significant positive associations with reduced eGFR only in the hypertension group (P < 0.01 to 0.001). Conversely, serine showed significant inverse associations with reduced eGFR in the hypertension group only (P < 0.001). Our findings provide first evidence for a strong relationship between distinct patterns of PFAAs and elevated UA with reduced eGFR in hypertension. The findings may appear useful in developing effective strategies for the prevention or early detection and treatment of declined kidney function in hypertension.
Deep-dose: a voxel dose estimation method using deep convolutional neural network for personalized internal dosimetry
Authors: Lee Min Sun , Hwang Donghwi , Kim Joong Hyun , Lee Jae Sung
Published: July 2019

Personalized dosimetry with high accuracy is crucial owing to the growing interests in personalized medicine. The direct Monte Carlo simulation is considered as a state-of-art voxel-based dosimetry technique; however, it incurs an excessive computational cost and time. To overcome the limitations of the direct Monte Carlo approach, we propose using a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) for the voxel dose prediction. PET and CT image patches were used as inputs for the CNN with the given ground truth from direct Monte Carlo. The predicted voxel dose rate maps from the CNN were compared with the ground truth and dose rate maps generated voxel S-value (VSV) kernel convolution method, which is one of the common voxel-based dosimetry techniques. The CNN-based dose rate map agreed well with the ground truth with voxel dose rate errors of 2.54% ± 2.09%. The VSV kernel approach showed a voxel error of 9.97% ± 1.79%. In the whole-body dosimetry study, the average organ absorbed dose errors were 1.07%, 9.43%, and 34.22% for the CNN, VSV, and OLINDA/EXM dosimetry software, respectively. The proposed CNN-based dosimetry method showed improvements compared to the conventional dosimetry approaches and showed results comparable with that of the direct Monte Carlo simulation with significantly lower calculation time.
Bioactive Thymosin Alpha-1 Does Not Influence F508del-CFTR Maturation and Activity
Authors: Armirotti Andrea , Tomati Valeria , Matthes Elizabeth , Veit Guido , Cholon Deborah M. , Phuan Puay-Wah , Braccia Clarissa , Guidone Daniela , Gentzsch Martina , Lukacs Gergely L. , Verkman Alan S. , Galietta Luis J. V. , Hanrahan John W. , Pedemonte Nicoletta
Published: July 2019

Deletion of phenylalanine 508 (F508del) in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) anion channel is the most frequent mutation causing cystic fibrosis (CF). F508del-CFTR is misfolded and prematurely degraded. Recently thymosin a-1 (Tα-1) was proposed as a single molecule-based therapy for CF, improving both F508del-CFTR maturation and function by restoring defective autophagy. However, three independent laboratories failed to reproduce these results. Lack of reproducibility has been ascribed by the authors of the original paper to the use of DMSO and to improper handling. Here, we address these potential issues by demonstrating that Tα-1 changes induced by DMSO are fully reversible and that Tα-1 peptides prepared from different stock solutions have equivalent biological activity. Considering the negative results here reported, six independent laboratories failed to demonstrate F508del-CFTR correction by Tα-1. This study also calls into question the autophagy modulator cysteamine, since no rescue of mutant CFTR function was detected following treatment with cysteamine, while deleterious effects were observed when bronchial epithelia were exposed to cysteamine plus the antioxidant food supplement EGCG. Although these studies do not exclude the possibility of beneficial immunomodulatory effects of thymosin α-1, they do not support its utility as a corrector of F508del-CFTR.
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy-based Metabolomic Biomarkers for Typing, Staging, and Survival Estimation of Early-Stage Human Lung Cancer
Authors: Berker Yannick , Vandergrift Lindsey A. , Wagner Isabel , Su Li , Kurth Johannes , Schuler Andreas , Dinges Sarah S. , Habbel Piet , Nowak Johannes , Mark Eugene , Aryee Martin J. , Christiani David C. , Cheng Leo L.
Published: July 2019

Low-dose CT has shown promise in detecting early stage lung cancer. However, concerns about the adverse health effects of radiation and high cost prevent its use as a population-wide screening tool. Effective and feasible screening methods to triage suspicious patients to CT are needed. We investigated human lung cancer metabolomics from 93 paired tissue-serum samples with magnetic resonance spectroscopy and identified tissue and serum metabolomic markers that can differentiate cancer types and stages. Most interestingly, we identified serum metabolomic profiles that can predict patient overall survival for all cases (p = 0.0076), and more importantly for Stage I cases alone (n = 58, p = 0.0100), a prediction which is significant for treatment strategies but currently cannot be achieved by any clinical method. Prolonged survival is associated with relative overexpression of glutamine, valine, and glycine, and relative suppression of glutamate and lipids in serum.
Olfactory response of Mahanarva spectabilis (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) to volatile organic compounds from forage grasses
Authors: Silva Sandra E. B. , Auad Alexander M. , Moraes Jair C. , Alvarenga Roberta , Fonseca Marcy G. , Marques Francisco A. , Santos Nayana C. S. , Nagata Noemi
Published: July 2019

Several herbivorous insects utilize plant chemical cues to identify hosts for feeding. The role of smell in host plant detection by Mahanarva spectabilis (Distant) remains largely unknown. In this study, assays were applied to assess M. spectabilis olfactory responses to forage grasses (Pennisetum purpureum cvs. Roxo Botucatu and Pioneiro; Panicum maximum cvs. Makueni and Tanzânia; Hyparrhenia rufa cv. Jaraguá; Melinis minutiflora; Cynodon dactylon cv. Tifton; Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandú; and Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk). Bioassays were performed using a Y-olfactometer to evaluate the behavior of adult M. spectabilis to forage damaged and undamaged by insects. M. spectabilis preferred volatiles of undamaged Basilisk and Pioneiro. Repellent behavior by M. spectabilis to cospecifics was recorded for plant volatiles from damaged Marandú. The mixture of volatiles from undamaged forage grasses differed from that of forage grasses damaged by insects. Forage grasses showed a greater diversity of compounds after damage, including menthone, eucalyptol and camphor, which are compounds likely to cause loss of attractiveness or repellence. Our results demonstrate that M. spectabilis employs plant chemical cues in its choice of hosts. This fact may contribute to strategies of integrated management against this pest.
A role for ABCB1 in prognosis, invasion and drug resistance in ependymoma
Authors: Sabnis Durgagauri H. , Storer Lisa C. D. , Liu Jo-Fen , Jackson Hannah K. , Kilday J. P. , Grundy Richard G. , Kerr Ian D. , Coyle Beth
Published: July 2019

Three of the hallmarks of poor prognosis in paediatric ependymoma are drug resistance, local invasion and recurrence. We hypothesised that these hallmarks were due to the presence of a sub-population of cancer stem cells expressing the multi-drug efflux transporter ABCB1. ABCB1 gene expression was observed in 4 out of 5 paediatric ependymoma cell lines and increased in stem cell enriched neurospheres. Functional inhibition of ABCB1 using vardenafil or verapamil significantly (p ≤ 0.05–0.001) potentiated the response to three chemotherapeutic drugs (vincristine, etoposide and methotrexate). Both inhibitors were also able to significantly reduce migration (p ≤ 0.001) and invasion (p ≤ 0.001). We demonstrate that ABCB1 positive patients from an infant chemotherapy-led trial (CNS9204) had a shorter mean event free survival (EFS) (2.7 versus 8.6 years; p = 0.007 log-rank analysis) and overall survival (OS) (5.4 versus 12 years; p = 0.009 log-rank analysis). ABCB1 positivity also correlated with reduced event free survival in patients with incompletely resected tumours who received chemotherapy across CNS9204 and CNS9904 (a radiotherapy-led SIOP 1999-04 trial cohort; p = 0.03). ABCB1 is a predictive marker of chemotherapy response in ependymoma patients and vardenafil, currently used to treat paediatric pulmonary hypertension in children, could be repurposed to reduce chemoresistance, migration and invasion in paediatric ependymoma patients at non-toxic concentrations.
Elevated aerosol layer over South Asia worsens the Indian droughts
Authors: Fadnavis Suvarna , Sabin T. P. , Roy Chaitri , Rowlinson Matthew , Rap Alexandru , Vernier Jean-Paul , Sioris Christopher E.
Published: July 2019

Droughts have become more severe and recurrent over the Indian sub-continent during the second half of the twentieth century, leading to more severe hydro-climatic and socio-economic impacts over one of the most densely populated parts of the world. So far, droughts have mostly been connected to circulation changes concomitant with the abnormal warming over the Pacific Ocean, prevalently known as “El Niño”. Here, exploiting observational data sets and a series of dedicated sensitivity experiments, we show that the severity of droughts during El Niño is amplified (17%) by changes in aerosols. The model experiments simulate the transport of boundary layer aerosols from South Asian countries to higher altitudes (12–18 km) where they form the Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer (ATAL) (~ 60–120°E, 20–40°N). During El Niño, the anomalous overturning circulation from the East Asian region further enriches the thickness of aerosol layers in the ATAL over the northern part of South Asia. The anomalous aerosol loading in the ATAL reduces insolation over the monsoon region, thereby exacerbating the severity of drought by further weakening the monsoon circulation. Future increases in industrial emissions from both East and South Asia will lead to a wider and thicker elevated aerosol layer in the upper troposphere, potentially amplifying the severity of droughts.
Enhancing nutrient recycling from excreta to meet crop nutrient needs in Sweden – a spatial analysis
Authors: Akram Usman , Quttineh Nils-Hassan , Wennergren Uno , Tonderski Karin , Metson Geneviève S.
Published: July 2019

Increased recycling of nutrient-rich organic waste to meet crop nutrient needs is an essential component of a more sustainable food system. However, agricultural specialization continues to pose a significant challenge to balancing crop nutrient needs and the nutrient supply from animal manure and human excreta locally. For Sweden, this study found that recycling all excreta (in 2007) could meet up to 75% of crop nitrogen and 81% of phosphorus needs, but that this would exceed crop potassium needs by 67%. Recycling excreta within municipalities could meet 63% of crop P nutrient needs, but large regional differences and imbalances need to be corrected to avoid over or under fertilizing. Over 50% of the total nitrogen and phosphorus in excreta is contained in just 40% of municipalities, and those have a surplus of excreta nutrients compared to crop needs. Reallocation of surpluses (nationally optimized for phosphorus) towards deficit municipalities, would cost 192 million USD (for 24 079 km of truck travel). This is 3.7 times more than the total NPK fertilizer value being transported. These results indicate that Sweden could reduce its dependence on synthetic fertilizers through investments in excreta recycling, but this would likely require valuing also other recycling benefits.
Recent spatial aggregation tendency of rainfall extremes over India
Authors: Nikumbh Akshaya C. , Chakraborty Arindam , Bhat G. S.
Published: July 2019

Significant increase in the frequency of occurrences of rainfall extremes has been reported over several parts of the world. These extreme events were defined at individual grids without considering their spatial extent. Here, using ground-based observations over India during boreal summer, we show that the average size of spatially collocated rainfall extremes has been significantly increasing since 1980. However, the frequency of occurrences of such collocated extreme events remains unchanged. Around 90% of the total number of large-sized events (area ≥ 70 × 103 km2) of our study period (1951 to 2015) have occurred after 1980. Some of the major floods in recent decades over India are attributed to these large events. These events have distinctive precursory planetary-scale conditions, unlike their smaller counterparts. As the underlying physical mechanisms of extremes rainfall events are size-dependent, their changing spatial extent needs to be considered to understand the observed trends correctly and obtain realistic future projections.
Cholesterol and 27-hydroxycholesterol promote thyroid carcinoma aggressiveness
Authors: Revilla Giovanna , Pons Monica de Pablo , Baila-Rueda Lucía , García-León Annabel , Santos David , Cenarro Ana , Magalhaes Marcelo , Blanco R. M. , Moral Antonio , Ignacio Pérez José , Sabé Gerard , González Cintia , Fuste Victoria , Lerma Enrique , Faria Manuel dos Santos , de Leiva Alberto , Corcoy Rosa , Carles Escolà-Gil Joan , Mato Eugenia
Published: July 2019

Cholesterol mediates its proliferative and metastatic effects via the metabolite 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-HC), at least in breast and endometrial cancer. We determined the serum lipoprotein profile, intratumoral cholesterol and 27-HC levels in a cohort of patients with well-differentiated papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC; low/intermediate and high risk), advanced thyroid cancers (poorly differentiated, PDTC and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, ATC) and benign thyroid tumors, as well as the expression of genes involved in cholesterol metabolism. We investigated the gene expression profile, cellular proliferation, and migration in Nthy-ori 3.1 and CAL-62 cell lines loaded with human low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Patients with more aggressive tumors (high-risk PTC and PDTC/ATC) showed a decrease in blood LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B. These changes were associated with an increase in the expression of the thyroid’s LDL receptor, whereas 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase and 25-hydroxycholesterol 7-alpha-hydroxylase were downregulated, with an intratumoral increase of the 27-HC metabolite. Furthermore, LDL promoted proliferation in both the Nthy-ori 3.1 and CAL-62 thyroid cellular models, but only in ATC cells was its cellular migration increased significantly. We conclude that cholesterol and intratumoral accumulation of 27-HC promote the aggressive behavior process of PTC. Targeting cholesterol metabolism could be a new therapeutic strategy in thyroid tumors with poor prognosis.
Quantum annealing for systems of polynomial equations
Authors: Chang Chia Cheng , Gambhir Arjun , Humble Travis S. , Sota Shigetoshi
Published: July 2019

Numerous scientific and engineering applications require numerically solving systems of equations. Classically solving a general set of polynomial equations requires iterative solvers, while linear equations may be solved either by direct matrix inversion or iteratively with judicious preconditioning. However, the convergence of iterative algorithms is highly variable and depends, in part, on the condition number. We present a direct method for solving general systems of polynomial equations based on quantum annealing, and we validate this method using a system of second-order polynomial equations solved on a commercially available quantum annealer. We then demonstrate applications for linear regression, and discuss in more detail the scaling behavior for general systems of linear equations with respect to problem size, condition number, and search precision. Finally, we define an iterative annealing process and demonstrate its efficacy in solving a linear system to a tolerance of 10−8.
Mechanism of catalysis and inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis SapM, implications for the development of novel antivirulence drugs
Authors: Fernandez-Soto Paulina , Bruce Alexander J. E. , Fielding Alistair J. , Cavet Jennifer S. , Tabernero Lydia
Published: July 2019

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) SapM is a secreted virulence factor critical for intracellular survival of the pathogen. The role of SapM in phagosome maturation arrest in host macrophages suggests its potential as a drug target to assist in the clearance of tuberculosis infection. However, the mechanism of action of SapM at the molecular level remains unknown. In this study, we provide new insights into the mechanism of catalysis, substrate specificity and inhibition of SapM, and we identify the critical residues for catalysis and substrate binding. Our findings demonstrate that SapM is an atypical monoester alkaline phosphatase, with a serine-based mechanism of catalysis probably metal-dependent. Particularly relevant to SapM function and pathogenesis, is its activity towards PI(4,5)P2 and PI3P, two phosphoinositides that function at the early stages of microbial phagocytosis and phagosome formation. This suggests that SapM may have a pleiotropic role with a wider importance on Mtb infection than initially thought. Finally, we have identified two inhibitors of SapM, L-ascorbic acid and 2-phospho-L-ascorbic, which define two different mechanisms by which the catalytic activity of this phosphatase could be regulated. Critically, we demonstrate that 2-phospho-L-ascorbic reduces mycobacterial survival in macrophage infections, hence confirming the potential of SapM as a therapeutic drug target.
Better Quality of Life of Peritoneal Dialysis compared to Hemodialysis over a Two-year Period after Dialysis Initiation
Authors: Jung Hee-Yeon , Jeon Yena , Park Yeongwoo , Kim Yon Su , Kang Shin-Wook , Yang Chul Woo , Kim Nam-Ho , Choi Ji-Young , Cho Jang-Hee , Park Sun-Hee , Kim Chan-Duck , Kim Yong-Lim
Published: July 2019

This study aimed to compare health-related quality of life (HRQOL) over time in patients initiating hemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD). A total of 989 incident patients starting HD or PD were included from a prospective nationwide cohort study. HRQOL was assessed 3, 12, and 24 months after the start of dialysis. The scores of questionnaires were adjusted for clinical and socioeconomic parameters. The adjusted three months scores of patients on PD showed better HRQOL in eight end-stage renal disease (ESRD), three physical component summary and one mental component summary domains compared with patients on HD. Both patients on HD and PD experienced significant decreases in different HRQOL domains over two years and the degree of changes in HRQOL over time was not different between dialysis modality. However, the scores of three (effects of kidney disease, burden of kidney disease, and dialysis staff encouragement, all P < 0.05) and two (sexual function and dialysis staff encouragement, all P < 0.05) ESRD domains were still higher in patients on PD compared with patients on HD at one and two years after initiation of dialysis, respectively. PD shows better HRQOL during the initial period after dialysis even after adjusting for clinical and socioeconomic characteristics, and the effect lasts up to two years. It was similar in terms of changes in HRQOL over time between HD and PD.
Bisphenol A Regulates Sodium Ramp Currents in Mouse Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons and Increases Nociception
Authors: Soriano Sergi , Gil-Rivera Minerva , Marroqui Laura , Alonso-Magdalena Paloma , Fuentes Esther , Gustafsson Jan-Ake , Nadal Angel , Martinez-Pinna Juan
Published: July 2019

17β-Estradiol mediates the sensitivity to pain and is involved in sex differences in nociception. The widespread environmental disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) has estrogenic activity, but its implications in pain are mostly unknown. Here we show that treatment of male mice with BPA (50 µg/kg/day) during 8 days, decreases the latency to pain behavior in response to heat, suggesting increased pain sensitivity. We demonstrate that incubation of dissociated dorsal root ganglia (DRG) nociceptors with 1 nM BPA increases the frequency of action potential firing. SCN9A encodes the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7, which is present in DRG nociceptors and is essential in pain signaling. Nav1.7 and other voltage-gated sodium channels in mouse DRG are considered threshold channels because they produce ramp currents, amplifying small depolarizations and enhancing electrical activity. BPA increased Nav-mediated ramp currents elicited with slow depolarizations. Experiments using pharmacological tools as well as DRG from ERβ−/− mice indicate that this BPA effect involves ERα and phosphoinositide 3-kinase. The mRNA expression and biophysical properties other than ramp currents of Nav channels, were unchanged by BPA. Our data suggest that BPA at environmentally relevant doses affects the ability to detect noxious stimuli and therefore should be considered when studying the etiology of pain conditions.
Structural and Functional Insights into GluK3-kainate Receptor Desensitization and Recovery
Authors: Kumari Jyoti , Vinnakota Rajesh , Kumar Janesh
Published: July 2019

GluK3-kainate receptors are atypical members of the iGluR family that reside at both the pre- and postsynapse and play a vital role in the regulation of synaptic transmission. For a better understanding of structural changes that underlie receptor functions, GluK3 receptors were trapped in desensitized and resting/closed states and structures analyzed using single particle cryo-electron microscopy. While the desensitized GluK3 has domain organization as seen earlier for another kainate receptor-GluK2, antagonist bound GluK3 trapped a resting state with only two LBD domains in dimeric arrangement necessary for receptor activation. Using structures as a guide, we show that the N-linked glycans at the interface of GluK3 ATD and LBD likely mediate inter-domain interactions and attune receptor-gating properties. The mutational analysis also identified putative N-glycan interacting residues. Our results provide a molecular framework for understanding gating properties unique to GluK3 and exploring the role of N-linked glycosylation in their modulation.
Publisher Correction: Tidal and diel orchestration of behaviour and gene expression in an intertidal mollusc
Authors: Schnytzer Y. , Simon-Blecher N. , Li J. , Waldman Ben-Asher H. , Salmon-Divon M. , Achituv Y. , Hughes M. E. , Levy O.
Published: July 2019

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.
Single nanoparticles as versatile phototheranostics for tri-modal imaging-guided photothermal therapy
Authors: Lu Xiaomei , Chen Jiaqi , Li Jie , Xia Bing , Xu Jingzeng , Wang Qi , Xie Chen , Fan Quli , Huang Wei
Published: July 2019

Novel versatile phototheranostics have been successfully developed for tri-modal (NIR-II fluorescence/photoacoustic/thermal) imaging-guided photothermal therapy, which was triggered by a single-wavelength laser.
Construction, mechanism, and antibacterial resistance insight into polypeptide-based nanoparticles
Authors: Zhen Jian-Bin , Zhao Mu-Han , Ge Ying , Liu Ya , Xu Li-Wei , Chen Cheng , Gong Yong-Kuan , Yang Ke-Wu
Published: July 2019

Demonstration of the bactericidal mechanism of self-assembled nanoparticles.
A dual-mode nanoprobe for evaluation of the autophagy level affected by photothermal therapy
Authors: Liu Jia , Qu Yining , Zheng Tingting , Tian Yang
Published: July 2019

A novel nanoprobe (Apt@MNPS) was created for the detection of autophagy-related miRNAs to monitor the autophagic level and study the effect of PTT on autophagy.
A supersensitive biosensor based on MoS2 nanosheet arrays for the real-time detection of H2O2 secreted from living cells
Authors: Du Huitong , Zhang Xinyue , Liu Zhe , Qu Fengli
Published: July 2019

A self-supported MoS2 nanosheet biosensor for highly sensitive detection of H2O2 secreted from live cells.
Negative phototactic behaviour of crystals on a glass surface
Authors: Saito Koichiro , Ohnuma Mio , Norikane Yasuo
Published: July 2019

We demonstrate that visible light irradiation can drive negative phototactic behavior of azobenzene crystals, which have an amoeba-like crawling motion.
A first-principles roadmap and limits to design efficient supercapacitor electrode materials
Authors: Ali Basant A. , Allam Nageh K.
Published: July 2019

A road map to guide researchers to predict the desired properties is presented based on the DFT calculations to allow researchers decide which property of the material they wish to predict or develop and how to choose the proper DFT route to do so.
Terephthalic acid induced binder-free NiCoP–carbon nanocomposite for highly efficient electrocatalysis of hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Sirisomboonchai Suchada , Li Shasha , Yoshida Akihiro , Kongparakul Suwadee , Samart Chanatip , Kansha Yasuki , Hao Xiaogang , Abudula Abuliti , Guan Guoqing
Published: July 2019

NiCoP–carbon nanocomposite based electrocatalyst (NiCoP–C(TPA)/NF) for highly efficient hydrogen production in the water electrolysis process was developed for the first time by a terephthalic acid induced binder-free method.
[Cr(pincer2−)]2 as an electron shuttle for reductively promoted hydrazine disproportionation
Authors: Labrum Nicholas S. , Caulton Kenneth G.
Published: July 2019

Overcoming net single-electron transfer with [CrL]2, a dimeric reagent that packages two one-electron reductants, for PhHNNH2 disproportionation.