bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The consumption pattern of 28 species of carabid beetles (Carabidae) to a weed seed,Viola arvensis
Authors: Deroulers P. , Bretagnolle V.
Published: July 2018

Seedbank control has been the cornerstone of agricultural management practices. Regulating weeds by using their predators, as a weed control strategy, may be a prerequisite of decreasing herbicide use, and has thus attracted much research investigating the possible contribution of both vertebrates and invertebrates as weed seed predators. Carabid beetles are considered as one of the most important invertebrate seed predators in agroecosystems. We aimed at investigating carabid beetle preferences to a single prey type, seeds ofViola arvensis. We measured the consumption of seeds in 28 species of carabid beetles, under controlled experimental conditions. Two main tribes are identified in tested species,Harpaliniwith 12 species andPterostichiniwith ten species. We found no relationships between species body mass andViola’s seed consumption, nor with the ratio between mandible length and labrum width (ML/LW). However, trends became significant with the ratio ML/LW when restricting these analyses to species that ate at least five seeds. In addition, we detected a positive and significant relationship between consumption rate and occurrence in trapping sessions over the last 3 years. These results are in favor of weed seeds control by carabids. Clear limits of this study are the use of a single seed species and under control conditions. This experimentation calls for additional studies to check for consistencies in consumption against seed species.
Natural factors regulating mustard aphid dynamics in cabbage
Authors: Fidelis E.G. , Farias E.S. , Silva R.S. , Lopes M.C. , Silva N.R. , Picanço M.C.
Published: July 2018

Lipaphis erysimi (L.) Kaltenbach (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is one of the most important pests of brassica crops, mainly causing losses due to sap sucking, toxin injection and viral transmission. Knowledge about the main natural factors that regulate populations of this pest, as well as its critical mortality stage, is crucial for the development of integrated pest management of L. erysimi. Here, we determined the critical stage and key mortality factors for L. erysimi in cabbage using an ecological life table. Causes of mortality at each stage of L. erysimi development were monitored daily in the field for seven seasons. From the experimental data, we determined the key factor and critical stage of mortality through correlation and regression analyses. The nymphal stage, especially first instar nymphs, was critical for L. erysimi mortality. The key mortality factors were, in descending order of importance, physiological disturbances and predation by Syrphidae, Coccinellidae and Solenopsis ants. Therefore, control measures should target early stages of L. erysimi and the use of cabbage cultivars that have negative effects against L. erysimi may be a promising strategy for its management. Our results may be useful for plant geneticists who could develop new cabbage cultivars based on these findings. In addition, conservation measures of the main predators of L. erysimi may contribute to the natural control of this pest.
Murder on the Kansas City Special? Pullman Porters, Emotions, and the Strange Case of J. H. Wilkins
Authors: PEARCE ROSEMARY
Published: July 2018

J. H. Wilkins, an African American railroad porter for the Pullman Company, was killed while on duty in April 1930. How he met his death has never been fully determined, but the Pullman Company's investigation file exposes the dangerous and racialized emotional terrain that porters navigated daily on their journeys across the US. By examining Wilkins's death, and the work of Pullman porters more broadly, this article makes the case that white control of black emotions in occupational and public spaces was a significant characteristic of the Jim Crow era, and demands further scholarly attention.
The Social History of Early Roman Coinage
Authors: Bernard Seth
Published: July 2018

Fiscal explanations often given for Rome's first coins fail to account for the shape of monetary development. Nothing in the mid-republican budget matches the small scale and sporadic production of Roman coins during the early third century, or coinage's rapid expansion in the lead-up to the Second Punic War. Instead, I locate early Roman coinage within a broader reconfiguration of wealth and political power during the early phases of imperial expansion. Coins facilitated the exchange of wealth in the absence of strong social ties; conquest opened up Roman society to vast wealth of this order while also sparking debate about wealth's integration into the political community. Archaeological and textual evidence permits us to trace the contested and uneven development of elite accommodation to impersonal wealth during the third century. This context, I argue, offers the best explanation for Rome's initial coins.
Transfer and Interference in Amygdaloid Kindling in Cats
Authors: Wake Akira , Wada Juhn A.
Published: July 2018

Examination of the effects of primary site kindling upon the development
of secondary site amygdaloid kindling in cats showed that the former exerts powerful positive as well as negative after effects upon the latter. The
positive after effect appears to be directed towards establishing a linkage
between the secondary site and the Stage 6 generalized convulsive mechanism. The negative after effects were strikingly similar to those observed in animals with forebrain bisection subjected to amygdaloid kindling, suggesting that it is primarily directed towards functional accessibility of the cerebral structures interconnected by the forebrain commissure. The similarity of the findings in animals with anterior neocortical lesions supports such an assumption. The transient nature of the negative after effects was indicated by the development of a ‘normal’ clinical ictal pattern from the secondary site when it occurred spontaneously. Secondary site kindling exerted similar but less prominent negative after effects when the primary site was re-tested. Stage 6 seizure was elicited upon the first trial, however.
Myopathy Associateci with Amyloid Angiopathy
Authors: Bruni Joseph , Bilbao Juan M. , Pritzker Kenneth P. H.
Published: July 2018

A 38-year-old patient with the clinical picture of a progressive myopathy resembling limb girdle muscular dystrophy is presented. Muscle biopsy showed amyloid deposits in the walls of small endomysial blood vessels. There was no clinical or physiological evidence of peripheral nerve involvement, no plasma cell dyscrasia and no generalized amyloidosis. There was no muscle fiber hypertrophy, inflammation or neurogenic change. There was no response to steroid therapy.

The etiopathogenesis of this amyloid angiopathy is undetermined. The extensive vessel involvement with amyloid deposition and the absence of changes indicative of muscular dystrophy or inflammatory myopathy leads us to favor an ischemic basis for this patient’s myopathy.
Through the Looking Glass: A Psychologist's Experience of Depression
Authors: Manning Martha
Published: July 2018

Driving to the symposium, the vague anxiety and discomfort I had heen experiencing for the past few days finally culminated in the realization that 7 years ago that day, I awoke from my first night as an inpatient at a psychiatric unit.

Since then and because of that, I've learned a great deal about depressive and manic-depressive illness. I've learned about stigma and shame. I've learned about the devastation that the violence we benignly call “mood disorder” wreaks on families. I have been awed by the array of treatments we've found to ease the suffering, and humbled by the fact that we still have a long way to go. I have become painfully aware of how unenlightened the world still is about psychiatric illness, and saddened by the cruel irony that the only thing more stigmatizing than suffering from a psychiatric illness is seeking treatment for it.
Entwicklung schriftsprachlicher und mathematischer Kompetenzen im Förderschwerpunkt geistige Entwicklung
Authors: Siegemund Steffen
Published: July 2018

Zusammenfassung. Bei einer mindestens mittelgradigen Intelligenzminderung wird der „Förderschwerpunkt geistige Entwicklung“ (FgE) an Schülerinnen und Schüler (SuS) vergeben. Eine domainübergreifende, stark ausgeprägte Lernstörung sowie Schwierigkeiten im sozial-adaptiven Verhalten bilden die auffälligsten Symptome. Diese Gruppe findet in der fachdidaktischen und lerntherapeutischen Forschung bisher wenig Aufmerksamkeit. Der Artikel bietet zunächst eine Zusammenfassung der kognitiven Lernvoraussetzungen von SuS mit Intelligenzminderung. Berichtet werden insbesondere Übereinstimmungen zur Normalentwicklung bei einer insgesamt starken Entwicklungsverzögerung. Qualitative Entwicklungsbesonderheiten sind ergänzend für umschriebene genetische Syndrome zu verzeichnen. Die Orientierung an gängigen Entwicklungsmodellen und etablierten Förder- bzw. Therapiekonzepten für den schriftsprachlichen und mathematischen Bereich kann nach aktuellem Forschungsstand auch für Kinder und Jugendliche mit Intelligenzminderung empfohlen werden. Der vorliegende Artikel fasst den internationalen Forschungsstand zu den benannten Themengebieten zusammen, benennt vielfältige vorliegende Forschungsdesiderate und diskutiert fachdidaktische und evidenzbasierte Forschungsergebnisse in Bezug auf die Förderung in den schulischen Lernbereichen Mathematik und Schriftsprache für SuS mit dem FgE.
Geomechanical Sensitivities of Injection‐Induced Earthquakes
Authors: Levandowski Will , Weingarten Matthew , Walsh Rall
Published: July 2018

Wastewater reinjection increases pore fluid pressure and can make faults frictionally unstable, triggering earthquakes. Little is known, however, about how regional geomechanical properties influence the likelihood that disposal will induce seismicity. We investigate the impact of preinjection conditions on the proportion of possible fault orientations destabilized by a specified pore pressure increase. Stress state is the most important factor, with 7 times as many planes unstable in extension than contraction—indeed, normal or strike‐slip faulting environments characterize most injection‐induced seismicity—and additional fivefold increases in transitional stress states. Geomechanical susceptibility depends inversely on overburden density and depth, consistent with the shallow hypocenters of most induced events. The coefficient of friction and initial pore pressure have little impact: Faults initially below hydrostatic pressure can slip during gravity‐fed injection. Combining these factors, site‐specific geomechanical analyses could determine 300‐fold variations in the likelihood of induced seismicity before disposal, offering a proactive way to manage hazard.
Mapping Saturn's Nightside Plasma Sheet Using Cassini's Proximal Orbits
Authors: Sergis N. , Achilleos N. , Guio P. , Arridge C. S. , Sorba A. M. , Roussos E. , Krimigis S. M. , Paranicas C. , Hamilton D. C. , Krupp N. , Mitchell D. G. , Dougherty M. K. , Balasis G. , Giannakis O.
Published: July 2018

Between April and the end of its mission on 15 September, Cassini executed a series of 22 very similar 6.5‐day‐period proximal orbits, covering the mid‐latitude region of the nightside magnetosphere. These passes provided us with the opportunity to examine the variability of the nightside plasma sheet within this time scale for the first time. We use Cassini particle and magnetic field data to quantify the magnetospheric dynamics along these orbits, as reflected in the variability of certain relevant plasma parameters, including the energetic ion pressure and partial (hot) plasma beta. We use the University College London/Achilleos‐Guio‐Arridge magnetodisk model to map these quantities to the conjugate magnetospheric equator, thus providing an equivalent equatorial radial profile for these parameters. By quantifying the variation in the plasma parameters, we further identify the different states of the nightside ring current (quiescent and disturbed) in order to confirm and add to the context previously established by analogous studies based on long‐term, near‐equatorial measurements.
Inferring Compressible Fluid Dynamics From Vent Discharges During Volcanic Eruptions
Authors: Méndez Harper J. S. , Cimarelli C. , Dufek J. , Gaudin D. , Thomas R. J.
Published: July 2018

Observations at numerous volcanoes reveal that eruptions are often accompanied by continual radio frequency (CRF) emissions. The source of this radiation, however, has remained elusive until now. Through experiments and the analysis of field data, we show that CRF originates from proximal discharges driven by the compressible fluid dynamics associated with individual volcanic explosions. Blasts produce flows that expand supersonically, generating regions of weakened dielectric strength in close proximity to the vent. As erupted material—charged through fragmentation, friction, or other electrification process—transits through such a region, pyroclasts remove charge from their surfaces in the form of small interparticle spark discharges or corona discharge. Discharge is maintained as long as overpressured conditions at the vent remain. Beyond describing the mechanism underlying CRF, we demonstrate that the magnitude of the overpressure at the vent as well as the structure of the supersonic jet can be inferred in real time by detecting and locating CRF sources.
In Situ Permeability and Scale Dependence of an Active Accretionary Prism Determined From Cross‐Borehole Experiments
Authors: Kinoshita C. , Saffer D. M.
Published: July 2018

Permeability controls fluid flow in the Earth's crust and affects a wide range of processes including advective transport and pore pressure generation. However, in situ measurements of permeability are few, especially in active tectonic settings or at scales relevant to regional flow. We analyze formation fluid pressure records from oceanic boreholes in the Nankai accretionary prism offshore southwest Japan, focusing on unexpected responses to drilling operations conducted at boreholes ~100 m to the northeast. We develop a 2‐D numerical model of transient fluid flow and conduct a parametric grid search to define hydraulic diffusivity. A value of 0.19–0.46 m2/s (corresponding to a permeability of 9.8 × 10−13 to 2.4 × 10−12 m2) yields the best fit to observed pressure responses. Together with laboratory measurements on core samples and drillstrem tests reported in previous studies, our analysis indicates a strong scale dependence of permeability, likely reflecting the presence of permeable faults and fractures.
Bilinearity in the Gutenberg‐Richter Relation Based on ML for Magnitudes Above and Below 2, From Systematic Magnitude Assessments in Parkfield (California)
Authors: Staudenmaier Nadine , Tormann Thessa , Edwards Benjamin , Deichmann Nicholas , Wiemer Stefan
Published: July 2018

Several studies have shown that local magnitude, ML, and moment magnitude, M, scale differently for small earthquakes (M < ~2) than for moderate to large earthquakes. Consequently, frequency‐magnitude relations based on one or the other magnitude type cannot obey a power law with a single exponent over the entire magnitude range. Since this has serious consequences for seismic hazard assessments, it is important to establish for which magnitude type the assumption of a constant exponent is valid and for which it is not. Based on independently determined M, ML and duration magnitude, Md, estimates for 5,304 events near Parkfield, we confirm the theoretically expected difference in scaling between the magnitude types, and we show that the frequency‐magnitude distribution based on M and Md follows a Gutenberg‐Richter relation with a constant slope, whereas for ML it is bilinear. Thus, seismic hazard estimates based on ML of small earthquakes are likely to overestimate the occurrence probability of large earthquakes.
Using Earthquakes, T Waves, and Infrasound to Investigate the Eruption of Bogoslof Volcano, Alaska
Authors: Wech Aaron , Tepp Gabrielle , Lyons John , Haney Matt
Published: July 2018

The 2016–2017 eruption of Bogoslof volcano, a submarine stratovolcano in the Bering Sea, produced 70 discrete explosive eruptions over 8 months. With no local monitoring data, activity was seismically recorded on nearby islands 50–100 km away, limiting the detection and resolution of seismic observations. We construct a matched filter catalog of 3,199 events from 49 earthquake families, many of which occurred with hydroacoustic T waves of varying strength. We then use a 2‐D finite difference model to show that hydroacoustic amplitudes should decrease with increased source depth beneath the edifice and leverage each family's seismically recorded T wave amplitude as a proxy for source depth, which we compare to regional infrasound data. This unique combination of using P and S waves to detect events, T waves as a proxy for depth, and infrasound for precise timing of emissions allows us to interpret the dynamics and evolution of the Bogoslof eruption.
A TFEB nuclear export signal integrates amino acid supply and glucose availability
Authors: Li Linxin , Friedrichsen Hans J. , Andrews Sarah , Picaud Sarah , Volpon Laurent , Ngeow Kaochin , Berridge Georgina , Fischer Roman , Borden Katherine L. B. , Filippakopoulos Panagis , Goding Colin R.
Published: July 2018

How cells coordinate the response to fluctuating carbon and nitrogen availability required to maintain effective homeostasis is a key issue. Amino acid limitation that inactivates mTORC1 promotes de-phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of Transcription Factor EB (TFEB), a key transcriptional regulator of lysosome biogenesis and autophagy that is deregulated in cancer and neurodegeneration. Beyond its cytoplasmic sequestration, how TFEB phosphorylation regulates its nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling, and whether TFEB can coordinate amino acid supply with glucose availability is poorly understood. Here we show that TFEB phosphorylation on S142 primes for GSK3β phosphorylation on S138, and that phosphorylation of both sites but not either alone activates a previously unrecognized nuclear export signal (NES). Importantly, GSK3β is inactivated by AKT in response to mTORC2 signaling triggered by glucose limitation. Remarkably therefore, the TFEB NES integrates carbon (glucose) and nitrogen (amino acid) availability by controlling TFEB flux through a nuclear import-export cycle.
The short-term impact of probiotic consumption on the oral cavity microbiome
Authors: Dassi Erik , Ferretti Pamela , Covello Giuseppina ,   HTM-CMB-2015, Speccher Alessandra , Migazzi Alice , Bosco Bartolomeo , Rajashekar Bodike , Zarbo Calogero , Ballabio Claudio , Rossetto Daniele , Maino Eleonora , Corradi Eloina , Costa Federica , Precazzini Francesca , Rashid Harun Or , Nicolussi Manuel , Bolzan Mattia , Demozzi Michele , Olivieri Michele , Zordan Nicole , Pedron Renato , Manara Serena , Rezvan Setareh , Naik Sindhu Narasimha , Khaghani Solmaz , Masella Stefania , Perli Thomas , Pierini Virginia , Bertorelli Roberto , Denti Michela A. , De Sanctis Veronica , Tett Adrian , Segata Nicola
Published: July 2018

The dysbiosis of the oral microbiome is associated with both localized and systemic diseases. Modulating the resident microbial communities by the dietary consumption of probiotics has become an appealing means to promote host health by either restoring host-microbe balance or preventing dysbiosis. Most probiotics strategies target the intestinal microbiome, but little is known about their impact on the oral microbiome. We analyzed here the saliva microbiome from 21 volunteers, longitudinally collected before, during, and after consumption of a commercial probiotic and a standard yoghurt using 16S amplicon sequencing. The alpha diversity of the saliva microbiome had a statistically significant increase (P-value = 0.0011) in one of the groups that consumed the probiotic. The overall structure of the microbiome was however not significantly impacted by the probiotic, although oligotyping analysis revealed that both Streptococci and Lactobacilli present in the probiotic product persisted in the saliva microbiome. In contrast, non-probiotic yoghurt consumption had a lesser impact on the overall diversity and Lactobacillus and Streptococcus persistence. Our results suggest that consumption of commercial probiotics in healthy subjects increase the overall diversity of the oral cavity microbiome in the short term, but such dietary interventions are not able to substantially modify the structure of the microbiome.
MiR-494-3p promotes PI3K/AKT pathway hyperactivation and human hepatocellular carcinoma progression by targeting PTEN
Authors: Lin Hui , Huang Zhi-Ping , Liu Jiao , Qiu Yun , Tao Yuan-ping , Wang Meng-chao , Yao Hui , Hou Ke-zhu , Gu Fang-ming , Xu Xuan-fu
Published: July 2018

Recent studies have shown that miR-494-3p is oncogene and has a central role in many solid tumors; however, the role of miR-494-3p in the progression and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. In this study, it was found that miR-494-3p was up-regulated in HCC tissues. The high level of miR-494-3p in HCC tumors was correlated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics and predicted poor prognosis in HCC patients. Functional study demonstrated that miR-494-3p significantly promoted HCC cell metastasis in vitro and vivo. Since phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase-B (PI3K/AKT) signaling is a basic oncogenic driver in HCC, a potential role of miR-494-3p was explored as well as its target genes in PI3K/AKT activation. Of all the predicted target genes of miR-494-3p, the tumor-suppressor phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) were identified. In conclusion, the data we collected could define an original mechanism of PI3K/AKT hyperactivation and sketch the regulatory role of miR-494-3p in suppressing the expression of PTEN. Therefore, targeting miR-494-3p could provide an effective therapeutic method for the treatment of the disease.
Pre-clinical pharmacology and mechanism of action of SG3199, the pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) dimer warhead component of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payload tesirine
Authors: Hartley John A. , Flynn Michael J. , Bingham John P. , Corbett Simon , Reinert Halla , Tiberghien Arnaud , Masterson Luke A. , Antonow Dyeison , Adams Lauren , Chowdhury Sajidah , Williams David G. , Mao Shenlan , Harper Jay , Havenith Carin E. G. , Zammarchi Francesca , Chivers Simon , van Berkel Patrick H. , Howard Philip W.
Published: July 2018

Synthetic pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) dimers, where two PBD monomers are linked through their aromatic A-ring phenolic C8-positions via a flexible propyldioxy tether, are highly efficient DNA minor groove cross-linking agents with potent cytotoxicity. PBD dimer SG3199 is the released warhead component of the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payload tesirine (SG3249), currently being evaluated in several ADC clinical trials. SG3199 was potently cytotoxic against a panel of human solid tumour and haematological cancer cell lines with a mean GI50 of 151.5 pM. Cells defective in DNA repair protein ERCC1 or homologous recombination repair showed increased sensitivity to SG3199 and the drug was only moderately susceptible to multidrug resistance mechanisms. SG3199 was highly efficient at producing DNA interstrand cross-links in naked linear plasmid DNA and dose-dependent cross-linking was observed in cells. Cross-links formed rapidly in cells and persisted over 36 hours. Following intravenous (iv) administration to rats SG3199 showed a very rapid clearance with a half life as short as 8 minutes. These combined properties of cytotoxic potency, rapid formation and persistence of DNA interstrand cross-links and very short half-life contribute to the emerging success of SG3199 as a warhead in clinical stage ADCs.
Estimation of Cardiovascular Risk Predictors from Non-Invasively Measured Diametric Pulse Volume Waveforms via Multiple Measurement Information Fusion
Authors: Ghasemi Zahra , Lee Jong Chan , Kim Chang-Sei , Cheng Hao-Min , Sung Shih-Hsien , Chen Chen-Huan , Mukkamala Ramakrishna , Hahn Jin-Oh
Published: July 2018

This paper presents a novel multiple measurement information fusion approach to the estimation of cardiovascular risk predictors from non-invasive pulse volume waveforms measured at the body’s diametric (arm and ankle) locations. Leveraging the fact that diametric pulse volume waveforms originate from the common central pulse waveform, the approach estimates cardiovascular risk predictors in three steps by: (1) deriving lumped-parameter models of the central-diametric arterial lines from diametric pulse volume waveforms, (2) estimating central blood pressure waveform by analyzing the diametric pulse volume waveforms using the derived arterial line models, and (3) estimating cardiovascular risk predictors (including central systolic and pulse pressures, pulse pressure amplification, and pulse transit time) from the arterial line models and central blood pressure waveform in conjunction with the diametric pulse volume waveforms. Experimental results obtained from 164 human subjects with a wide blood pressure range (systolic 144 mmHg and diastolic 103 mmHg) showed that the approach could estimate cardiovascular risk predictors accurately (r ≥ 0.78). Further analysis showed that the approach outperformed a generalized transfer function regardless of the degree of pulse pressure amplification. The approach may be integrated with already available medical devices to enable convenient out-of-clinic cardiovascular risk prediction.
Leptomeningeal metastasis from solid tumors: clinical features and its diagnostic implication
Authors: Pan Zhenyu , Yang Guozi , He Hua , Yuan Tingting , Wang Yongxiang , Li Yu , Shi Weiyan , Gao Pengxiang , Dong Lihua , Zhao Gang
Published: July 2018

In this study, we examined the characteristics and aimed to increase the knowledge of clinical features of leptomeningeal metastasis (LM). The clinical data, including initial diagnosis and treatment of primary tumor, clinical manifestations, neuroimaging findings, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination, were analyzed. For the patients with adenocarcinoma/breast cancer, the incidence of cranial lesions and cranial nerve paralysis was obviously higher than patients with small cell lung cancer. Whereas, the incidence of involvement of intravertebral canal was obviously lower than that of small cell lung cancer. Patients with adenocarcinoma/breast cancer showed more incidence of leptomeningeal enhancement compared to those with small cell lung cancer. Persistent severe headache was noticed in those with squamous carcinoma, and usually showed absence of abnormally LM-related neuroimaging and CSF cytological findings, which resulted in a challenge in the diagnosis of LM from squamous carcinoma. Patients with different primary tumors showed differential clinical features. Significant differences were observed in clinical features between patients with adenocarcinoma/breast cancer and small cell lung cancer. Our study contributes to the understanding of clinical characteristics of LM, and contributes to improvement of LM diagnosis in clinical practice.
The composition of the perinatal intestinal microbiota in cattle
Authors: Alipour Mohammad Jaber , Jalanka Jonna , Pessa-Morikawa Tiina , Kokkonen Tuomo , Satokari Reetta , Hynönen Ulla , Iivanainen Antti , Niku Mikael
Published: July 2018

Recent research suggests that the microbial colonization of the mammalian intestine may begin before birth, but the observations are controversial due to challenges in the reliable sampling and analysis of low-abundance microbiota. We studied the perinatal microbiota of calves by sampling them immediately at birth and during the first postnatal week. The large size of the bovine newborns allows sampling directly from rectum using contamination-shielded swabs. Our 16S rDNA data, purged of potential contaminant sequences shared with negative controls, indicates the existence of a diverse low-abundance microbiota in the newborn rectal meconium and mucosa. The newborn rectal microbiota was composed of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. The microbial profile resembled dam oral rather than fecal or vaginal vestibular microbiota, but included typical intestinal taxa. During the first postnatal day, the rectum was invaded byEscherichia/ShigellaandClostridia, and the diversity collapsed. By 7 days, diversity was again increasing. In terms of relative abundance, Proteobacteria were replaced by Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria, includingFaecalibacterium,Bacteroides,Lactobacillus,ButyricicoccusandBifidobacterium. Our observations suggest that mammals are seeded before birth with a diverse microbiota, but the microbiota changes rapidly in the early postnatal life.
Providing reducing power by microalgal photosynthesis: a novel perspective towards sustainable biocatalytic production of bulk chemicals exemplified for aliphatic amines
Authors: Löwe Jana , Siewert Arthur , Scholpp Anna-Catharina , Wobbe Lutz , Gröger Harald
Published: July 2018

A biotechnological process is reported, which enables an enzymatic reduction without the need for addition of an organic co-substrate for in situ-cofactor recycling. The process is based on merging the fields of enzymatic reductive amination with formate dehydrogenase-based in situ-cofactor recycling and algae biotechnology by means of the photoautotrophic microorganism Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, providing the needed formate in situ by formation from carbon dioxide, water and light. This biotransformation has been exemplified for the synthesis of various aliphatic amines known as bulk chemicals.
Tool Use and Generalized Motor Programs: We All Are Natural Born Poly-Dexters
Authors: Osiurak François , Lesourd Mathieu , Delporte Ludovic , Rossetti Yves
Published: July 2018

For most people, human tool use is inextricably entwined with manual dexterity. This folk belief is widespread among scientists too. In this line, human tool use is based on motor programs about how the hand interacts with tools, implying that the use of end-effectors other than the hand should generate motor control difficulties (e.g., inability to reproduce a specific tool-use action over time), because these so-called programs characterize the spatiotemporal parameters of hand movements, but not of other end-effectors. To test this, we asked participants to perform three tool-use actions (e.g., pounding a nail) with four end-effectors (i.e., right foot, right elbow, left hand, right hand). We show that participants not only spontaneously performed the tool-use actions effectively, but also crucially kept tools’ spatiotemporal parameters constant among the end-effectors. This phenomenon, which we call poly-dexterity, is at odds with the view that the human brain stores hand-centered motor programs for tool use. Poly-dexterity is instead consistent with the idea that, once the tool-use action is formed mentally, general motor programs can be applied to a variety of end-effectors. Reversing the usual evolutionary perspective, our findings support that, in the course of evolution, manual dexterity has come after tool-use skills.
Silver oxide decomposition mediated direct bonding of silicon-based materials
Authors: Matsuda Tomoki , Inami Kota , Motoyama Keita , Sano Tomokazu , Hirose Akio
Published: July 2018

Silicon-based materials are widely promising electronic components by the combination with metals in power electronics field. However, bonding metal and silicon-based materials generally requires specific surface modification due to their different chemical bonds. Here, we demonstrate a process for directly bonding metals to silicon-based materials that does not require surface treatment, based on the in situ decomposition of Ag2O paste, forming Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs). We demonstrate sound joints of Ag/silicon-based materials at 300–500 °C with the formation of a silicon oxide interlayer containing AgNPs. We propose that Ag in the interlayer attracted other Ag particles to the interface, playing a unique role in this direct bonding process. This process is suitable for various bonding applications in electronics, as well the fabrication of conducting paths for photovoltaic and other applications.
Reversibility of a Point Mutation Induced Domain Shift: Expanding the Conformational Space of a Sucrose Phosphorylase
Authors: Kraus Michael , Grimm Clemens , Seibel Jürgen
Published: July 2018

Despite their popularity as enzyme engineering targets structural information about Sucrose Phosphorylases remains scarce. We recently clarified that the Q345F variant of Bifidobacterium adolescentis Sucrose Phosphorylase is able to accept large polyphenolic substrates like resveratrol via a domain shift. Here we present a crystal structure of this variant in a conformation suitable for the accommodation of the donor substrate sucrose in excellent agreement with the wild type structure. Remarkably, this conformation does not feature the previously observed domain shift which is therefore reversible and part of a dynamic process rather than a static phenomenon. This crystallographic snapshot completes our understanding of the catalytic cycle of this useful variant and will allow for a more rational design of further generations of Sucrose Phosphorylase variants.
Marine forests of the Mediterranean-Atlantic Cystoseira tamariscifolia complex show a southern Iberian genetic hotspot and no reproductive isolation in parapatry
Authors: Bermejo Ricardo , Chefaoui Rosa M. , Engelen Aschwin H. , Buonomo Roberto , Neiva João , Ferreira-Costa Joana , Pearson Gareth A. , Marbà Núria , Duarte Carlos M. , Airoldi Laura , Hernández Ignacio , Guiry Michael D. , Serrão Ester A.
Published: July 2018

Climate-driven range-shifts create evolutionary opportunities for allopatric divergence and subsequent contact, leading to genetic structuration and hybrid zones. We investigate how these processes influenced the evolution of a complex of three closely related Cystoseira spp., which are a key component of the Mediterranean-Atlantic seaweed forests that are undergoing population declines. The C. tamariscifolia complex, composed of C. tamariscifolia s.s., C. amentacea and C. mediterranea, have indistinct boundaries and natural hybridization is suspected. Our aims are to (1) infer the genetic structure and diversity of these species throughout their distribution ranges using microsatellite markers to identify ancient versus recent geographical populations, contact zones and reproductive barriers, and (2) hindcast past distributions using niche models to investigate the influence of past range shifts on genetic divergence at multiple spatial scales. Results supported a single, morphologically plastic species the genetic structure of which was incongruent with a priori species assignments. The low diversity and low singularity in northern European populations suggest recent colonization after the LGM. The southern Iberian genetic hotspot most likely results from the role of this area as a climatic refugium or a secondary contact zone between differentiated populations or both. We hypothesize that life-history traits (selfing, low dispersal) and prior colonization effects, rather than reproductive barriers, might explain the observed genetic discontinuities.
Improving porcine in vitro fertilization output by simulating the oviductal environment
Authors: Soriano-Úbeda Cristina , García-Vázquez Francisco A. , Romero-Aguirregomezcorta Jon , Matás Carmen
Published: July 2018

Differences between the in vitro and in vivo environment in which fertilization occurs seem to play a key role in the low efficiency of porcine in vitro fertilization (IVF). This work proposes an IVF system based on the in vivo oviductal periovulatory environment. The combined use of an IVF medium at the pH found in the oviduct in the periovulatory stage (pHe 8.0), a mixture of oviductal components (cumulus-oocyte complex secretions, follicular fluid and oviductal periovulatory fluid, OFCM) and a device that interposes a physical barrier between gametes (an inverted screw cap of a Falcon tube, S) was compared with the classical system at pHe 7.4, in a 4-well multidish (W) lacking oviduct biological components. The results showed that the new IVF system reduced polyspermy and increased the final efficiency by more than 48%. This higher efficiency seems to be a direct consequence of a reduced sperm motility and lower capacitating status and it could be related to the action of OFCM components over gametes and to the increase in the sperm intracellular pH (pHi) caused by the higher pHe used. In conclusion, a medium at pH 8.0 supplemented with OFCM reduces polyspermy and improves porcine IVF output.
Investigating Cortical Inhibition in First-Degree Relatives and Probands in Schizophrenia
Authors: Radhu Natasha , Dominguez Luis Garcia , Greenwood Tiffany A. , Farzan Faranak , Semeralul Mawahib O. , Richter Margaret A. , Kennedy James L. , Blumberger Daniel M. , Chen Robert , Fitzgerald Paul B. , Daskalakis Zafiris J.
Published: July 2018

Deficits in GABAergic inhibitory neurotransmission are a reliable finding in schizophrenia (SCZ) patients. Previous studies have reported that unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with SCZ demonstrate neurophysiological abnormalities that are intermediate between probands and healthy controls. In this study, first-degree relatives of patients with SCZ and their related probands were investigated to assess frontal cortical inhibition. Long-interval cortical inhibition (LICI) was measured from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) using combined transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG). The study presents an extended sample of 129 subjects (66 subjects have been previously reported): 19 patients with SCZ or schizoaffective disorder, 30 unaffected first-degree relatives of these SCZ patients, 13 obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients, 18 unaffected first-degree relatives of these OCD patients and 49 healthy subjects. In the DLPFC, cortical inhibition was significantly decreased in patients with SCZ compared to healthy subjects. First-degree relatives of patients with SCZ showed significantly more cortical inhibition than their SCZ probands. No differences were demonstrated between first-degree relatives of SCZ patients and healthy subjects. Taken together, these findings show that more studies are needed to establish an objective biological marker for potential diagnostic usage in severe psychiatric disorders.
Quantum synchronization in disordered superconducting metamaterials
Authors: Fistul M. V.
Published: July 2018

I report a theoretical study of collective coherent quantum-mechanical oscillations in disordered superconducting quantum metamaterials (SQMs), i.e. artificial arrays of interacting qubits (two-levels system). An unavoidable disorder in qubits parameters results in a substantial spread of qubits frequencies, and in the absence of electromagnetic interaction between qubits these individual quantum-mechanical oscillations of single qubits manifest themselves by a large number of small resonant dips in the frequency dependent transmission of electromagnetic waves, |S21(ω)|2. We show that even a weak electromagnetic interaction between adjacent qubits can overcome the disorder and establish completely or partially synchronized quantum-mechanical dynamic state in the disordered SQM. In such a state a large amount of qubits displays the collective quantum mechanical oscillations, and this collective behavior manifests itself by a few giant resonant dips in the |S21(ω)|2 dependence. The size of a system r0 showing the collective (synchronized) quantum-mechanical behavior is determined in the one-dimensional SQMs as r0 ≃ a [K/δΔ]2, where K, δΔ, a are the effective energy of nearest-neighbor interaction, the spread of qubits energy splitting, and the distance between qubits, accordingly. We show that this phenomenon is mapped to the Anderson localization of spinon-type excitations arising in the SQM.
Selective one- and two-electron reductions of a haloborane enabled by a π-withdrawing carbene ligand
Authors: Roy Dipak Kumar , Krummenacher Ivo , Stennett Tom E. , Lenczyk Carsten , Thiess Torsten , Welz Eileen , Engels Bernd , Braunschweig Holger
Published: July 2018

Judicious selection of reducing agent allows the selective synthesis of either a boryl radical or a boryl anion from a dihaloborane adduct bearing an electron-withdrawing carbene donor.
ALKBH5-induced demethylation of mono- and dimethylated adenosine
Authors: Ensfelder Timm T. , Kurz Matthias Q. , Iwan Katharina , Geiger Simon , Matheisl Sarah , Müller Markus , Beckmann Roland , Carell Thomas
Published: July 2018

ALKBH5 is able to accept m62A as a substrate and demethylates it to m6A and A.
Organic co-crystals of 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)azulene with a series of hydrogen-bond donors
Authors: Ion Adrian E. , Dogaru Andreea , Shova Sergiu , Madalan Augustin M. , Akintola Oluseun , Ionescu Sorana , Voicescu Mariana , Nica Simona , Buchholz Axel , Plass Winfried , Andruh Marius
Published: July 2018

1,3-Bis(4-pyridyl)azulene has been employed as a hydrogen bond acceptor to construct two-component organic cocrystals.
Atomic structure of defects and dopants in 2D layered transition metal dichalcogenides
Authors: Wang Shanshan , Robertson Alex , Warner Jamie H.
Published: July 2018

Transmission electron microscopy can directly image the detailed atomic structure of layered transition metal dichalcogenides, revealing defects and dopants.
Pt⋯Pt interaction triggered tuning of circularly polarized luminescence activity in chiral dinuclear platinum(ii) complexes
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Peng , Wang Li-Li , Qi Xiao-Wei , Zhang Da-Shuai , Yang Qian-Ying , Shi Zai-Feng , Lin Qiang , Wu Tao
Published: July 2018

Two couples of chiral binuclear Pt(ii) complexes are capable of displaying distinct CPL activities in the green to red region through tuning Pt⋯Pt interactions.
From channel proteins to industrial biomimetic membrane technology
Authors: Pedersen Per Amstrup , Bjørkskov Frederik Bühring , Alvisse Simon , Hélix-Nielsen Claus
Published: July 2018

Here we discuss how highly selective aquaporin proteins can be used to enhance the performance of the classical thin film composite membrane, and how this can be used in relevant membrane elements and module form factors.
Effects of dietary tryptophan supplementation in the acetic acid-induced colitis mouse model
Authors: Chen Shuai , Wang Meiwei , Yin Lanmei , Ren Wenkai , Bin Peng , Xia Yaoyao , Liu Gang , Yang Huansheng , Tan Bie , Yin Yulong
Published: July 2018

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and is strongly associated with intestinal immunity and the microbiome.
Mercury determination in soil and sludge samples by HR CS GFAAS: comparison of sample preparation procedures and chemical modifiers
Authors: Rosa Souza Lilian Rodrigues , Teixeira Zanatta Melina Borges , Amoroso da Silva Inara , Mesquita Silva da Veiga Márcia Andreia
Published: July 2018

Accurate determination of Hg in soil/sludge samples by HR-CS GFAAS achieved using AuNPs as a chemical modifier and leaching/slurry as sample preparation.
First-generation antipsychotic haloperidol: optical absorption measurement and structural, electronic, and optical properties of its anhydrous monoclinic crystal by first-principle approaches
Authors: Zanatta Geancarlo , da Silva Mauricélio Bezerra , A. da Silva José J. , dos Santos Regina C. R. , Sales Francisco A. M. , Gottfried Carmem , S. Caetano Ewerton W. , Freire Valder N.
Published: July 2018

Application of the Density Functional Theory for the structural, electronic and optical properties of haloperidol crystal.
Efficient bluish green electroluminescence of iridium complexes with good electron mobility
Authors: Han Hua-Bo , Wu Zheng-Guang , Zheng You-Xuan
Published: July 2018

Two efficient bluish green iridium complexes with good electron mobility were applied in efficient OLEDs, showing a maximum current efficiency of 71.18 cd A−1 and a maximum external quantum efficiency of 27.7%.
Ag–Au nanoparticles encapsulated inside porous hollow carbon nanospheres: a molecular dynamics study
Authors: Akbarzadeh Hamed , Abbaspour Mohsen , Mehrjouei Esmat , Ramezanzadeh Samira
Published: July 2018

We have simulated bare Ag/Au nanoclusters and Ag/Au nanoclusters encapsulated into hollow carbon spheres (AgAu@C) with various structures (core–shell, hollow core–shell, rattle core–shell, and alloy nanoclusters) from 300 to 700 K.
Electrochemical sensor based on palladium loaded laser scribed graphitic carbon nanosheets for ultrasensitive detection of hydrazine
Authors: Zhang Yuxin , Ye Jianshan
Published: July 2018

Schematic of the synthesis of Pd/LSGCNs/GCE and its electrochemical response to a series of hydrazine concentrations.
The peroxidase-like catalytic activity of ferrocene and its application in the biomimetic synthesis of microsphere polyaniline
Authors: Wang Qiangwei , Ma Kefeng , Yu Zhuojun , Ding Junting , Hu Qiong , Liu Qianrui , Sun Haobo , Wen Dongxiao , Liu Qingyun , Kong Jinming
Published: July 2018

Ferrocene can be used as a peroxidase mimic to catalyze 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine or aniline oxidation in the presence of H2O2.
Introduction of newly synthesized Schiff base molecules as efficient corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in 1 M HCl medium: an experimental, density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulation study
Authors: Saha Sourav Kr. , Banerjee Priyabrata
Published: July 2018

The purposeful incorporation of aliphatic, branched chain and substituted aromatic moieties in the molecular skeleton of organic Schiff bases, in line with corrosion inhibition performance, has been conducted.
A highly significant association between Cathepsin S gene polymorphisms rs12068264 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease susceptibility in Han Chinese population
Authors: Gao Sheng-lan , Wang Ya-hong , Li Chun-yan , Yang La-wei , Zou Bao-an , Chen Zu-guang , Yao Wei-min , Song Ze-qing , Cheng Jun-fen , Lin Zi-ying , Liu Gang
Published: July 2018

Cathepsin S (CTSS) and Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) played crucial roles in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the associations between the polymorphisms of CTSS as well as SIRT1 and COPD in Asian population remain elusive. In the present study, one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in rs12068264 was discovered (in 385 individuals) to be associated with the susceptibility of COPD in a Chinese Han population. The genotyping was performed using improved multiplex ligase detection reaction (iMLDR) technique. Subjects with T allele of rs12068264 in CTSS gene had an increased risk of COPD (T compared with C: odds ratio (OR) = 1.351, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.008–1.811, P=0.044) compared with C allele. Subjects with TT genotype at rs12068264 had a higher risk of COPD in a recessive model (TT compared with TC + CC: OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.06–4.989, P=0.035). Compared with the C variant of rs12068264, the homozygous carriers of the TT genotype had higher procalcitonin (PCT) levels. Finally, haplotype analysis demonstrated that the SNPs in the CTSS and SIRT1 gene had no statistical differences between patients with COPD and the controls. In conclusion, the genetic polymorphisms of CTSS were associated with the susceptibility of COPD in a Chinese Han population, which may be helpful in understanding genetic mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of COPD.