bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Murine pluripotent stem cells that escape differentiation inside teratomas maintain pluripotency
Authors: Pei Yangli , Yue Liang , Zhang Wei , Xiang Jinzhu , Ma Zhu , Han Jianyong
Published: January 2018

Background

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) offer immense potential as a source for regenerative therapies. The teratoma assay is widely used in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, but the cell composition of teratoma is still elusive.

Methods

We utilized PSCs expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the control of the Pou5f1 promoter to study the persistence of potential pluripotent cells during teratoma formation in vivo. OCT4-MES (mouse embryonic stem cells) were isolated from the blastocysts of 3.5-day OCT4-EGFP mice (transgenic mice express EGFP cDNA under the control of the Pou5f1 promoter) embryos, and TG iPS 1-7 (induced pluripotent stem cells) were generated from mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) from 13.5-day OCT4-EGFP mice embryos by infecting them with a virus carrying OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and c-MYC. These pluripotent cells were characterized according to their morphology and expression of pluripotency markers. Their differentiation ability was studied with in vivo teratoma formation assays. Further differences between pluripotent cells were examined by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR).

Results

The results showed that several OCT4-expressing PSCs escaped differentiation inside of teratomas, and these escaped cells (MES-FT, GFP-positive cells separated from OCT4-MES-derived teratomas; and iPS-FT, GFP-positive cells obtained from teratomas formed by TG iPS 1-7) retained their pluripotency. Interestingly, a small number of GFP-positive cells in teratomas formed by MES-FT and iPS-FT (MES-ST, GFP-positive cells isolated from MES-FT-derived teratomas; iPS-ST, GFP-positive cells obtained from teratomas formed by iPS-FT) were still pluripotent, as shown by alkaline phosphatase (AP) staining, immunofluorescent staining and PCR. MES-FT, iPS-FT, MES-ST and iPS-ST cells also expressed several markers associated with germ cell formation, such as Dazl, Stella and Stra8.

Conclusions

In summary, a small number of PSCs escaped differentiation inside of teratomas, and these cells maintained pluripotency and partially developed towards germ cells. Both escaped PSCs and germ cells present a risk of tumor formation. Therefore, medical workers must be careful in preventing tumor formation when stem cells are used to treat specific diseases.
Small-scale screening of anticancer drugs acting specifically on neural stem/progenitor cells derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells using a time-course cytotoxicity test
Authors: Fukusumi Hayato , Handa Yukako , Shofuda Tomoko , Kanemura Yonehiro
Published: January 2018

Since the development of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), various types of hiPSC-derived cells have been established for regenerative medicine and drug development. Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) derived from hiPSCs (hiPSC-NSPCs) have shown benefits for regenerative therapy of the central nervous system. However, owing to their intrinsic proliferative potential, therapies using transplanted hiPSC-NSPCs carry an inherent risk of undesired growth in vivo. Therefore, it is important to find cytotoxic drugs that can specifically target overproliferative transplanted hiPSC-NSPCs without damaging the intrinsic in vivo stem-cell system. Here, we examined the chemosensitivity of hiPSC-NSPCs and human neural tissue—derived NSPCs (hN-NSPCs) to the general anticancer drugs cisplatin, etoposide, mercaptopurine, and methotrexate. A time-course analysis of neurospheres in a microsphere array identified cisplatin and etoposide as fast-acting drugs, and mercaptopurine and methotrexate as slow-acting drugs. Notably, the slow-acting drugs were eventually cytotoxic to hiPSC-NSPCs but not to hN-NSPCs, a phenomenon not evident in the conventional endpoint assay on day 2 of treatment. Our results indicate that slow-acting drugs can distinguish hiPSC-NSPCs from hN-NSPCs and may provide an effective backup safety measure in stem-cell transplant therapies.
Geo-referencing bird-window collisions for targeted mitigation
Authors: Winton R. Scott , Ocampo-Peñuela Natalia , Cagle Nicolette
Published: January 2018

Bird collisions with windows are an important conservation concern. Efficient mitigation efforts should prioritize retrofitting sections of glass exhibiting the highest mortality of birds. Most collision studies, however, record location meta-data at a spatial scale too coarse (i.e., compass direction of facing façade) to be useful for large buildings with complex geometries. Through spatial analysis of three seasons of survey data at a large building at a university campus, we found that GPS data were able to identify collision hotspots while compass directions could not. To demonstrate the broad applicability and utility of this georeferencing approach, we identified collision hotspots at two additional urban areas in North America. The data for this latter exercise were collected via the citizen science database, iNaturalist, which we review for its potential to generate the georeferenced data necessary for directing building retrofits and mitigating a major source of anthropogenic bird mortality.
Evaluation of provider response to positive depression screenings and physician attitudes on integrating psychiatric pharmacist services in primary care settings
Authors: Denson Brittany H. , Kim Rory E.
Published: January 2018

Introduction:

The aim of this study was to identify potential gaps in the management of depression and assess the perceptions of primary care providers (PCPs) toward integrating psychiatric pharmacists into primary care settings.

Method:

This was a retrospective chart review of patients ≥18 years of age seen in primary care clinics in Los Angeles County with a documented annual health screening (AHS) between January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2015. Primary outcomes were number and percentage of patients screened for depression with patient health questionnaire (PHQ) assessments, positive depression screenings, and interventions made for positive depression screenings. Secondary outcomes were PCPs' perceptions on management of depression, use of AHS, and roles for psychiatric pharmacists through evaluation of provider survey.

Results:

Of the patients who received an AHS (n = 6797), 63% received PHQ assessments. Of 145 individuals with a positive PHQ-2, 69% had a positive PHQ-9. Greater than 50% of individuals with a positive PHQ-9 had no preexisting depression diagnosis. Seventy-six percent of individuals with a positive PHQ-9 and 78% with reported suicide ideation had no documented intervention. The majority of providers reported there is a role for psychiatric pharmacists in primary care.

Discussion:

Gaps in the management of depression were identified. Although depression screenings were performed for the majority of individuals receiving an AHS, no documented interventions were made for most of those individuals who screened positive for depression. Primary care clinics could benefit from psychiatric pharmacist involvement in depression screening and follow-up processes.
Insights Into the Biogeochemical Cycling of Iron, Nitrate, and Phosphate Across a 5,300 km South Pacific Zonal Section (153°E–150°W)
Authors: Ellwood Michael J. , Bowie Andrew R. , Baker Alex , Gault‐Ringold Melanie , Hassler Christel , Law Cliff S. , Maher William A. , Marriner Andrew , Nodder Scott , Sander Sylvia , Stevens Craig , Townsend Ashley , van der Merwe Pier , Woodward E. Malcolm S. , Wuttig Kathrin , Boyd Philip W.
Published: January 2018

Iron, phosphate, and nitrate are essential nutrients for phytoplankton growth, and hence, their supply into the surface ocean controls oceanic primary production. Here we present a GEOTRACES zonal section (GP13; 30–33°S, 153°E–150°W) extending eastward from Australia to the oligotrophic South Pacific Ocean gyre outlining the concentrations of these key nutrients. Surface dissolved iron concentrations are elevated at >0.4 nmol L−1 near continental Australia (west of 165°E) and decreased eastward to ≤0.2 nmol L−1 (170°W–150°W). The supply of dissolved iron into the upper ocean (<100 m) from the atmosphere and vertical diffusivity averaged 11 ± 10 nmol m−2 d−1. In the remote South Pacific Ocean (170°W–150°W), atmospherically sourced iron is a significant contributor to the surface dissolved iron pool with average supply contribution of 23 ± 17% (range 3% to 55%). Surface water nitrate concentrations averaged 5 ± 4 nmol L−1 between 170°W and 150°W, while surface water phosphate concentrations averaged 58 ± 30 nmol L−1. The supply of nitrogen into the upper ocean is primarily from deeper waters (24–1647 μmol m−2 d−1) with atmospheric deposition and nitrogen fixation contributing <1% to the overall flux along the eastern part of the transect. The deep water N:P ratio averaged 14.5 ± 0.5 but declined to <1 above the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) indicating a high N:P assimilation ratio by phytoplankton leading to almost quantitative removal of nitrate. The supply stoichiometry for iron and nitrogen relative to phosphate at and above the DCM declines eastward leading to two biogeographical provinces: one with diazotroph production and the other without diazotroph production.
Domain‐size and top‐height dependence in regional predictions for the Northeast Asia in spring
Authors: Song In‐Sun , Byun Ui‐Yong , Hong Jinkyu , Park Sang‐Hun
Published: January 2018

For regional weather forecasts and climate predictions, it is important to determine the optimal domain size, location, and top height. A wide model domain can be chosen to avoid noises from lateral boundaries but this can include the Tibetan Plateau and areas of northern Manchuria to the Kamchatka Peninsula in Northeast Asia. This study shows that topographic regions around the Tibetan Plateau and warm pool areas over the Manchuria in an extended model domain may have harmful effects on the accuracy of short‐ to medium‐range regional predictions on the downwind side in spring. The inaccuracy is related to model errors due to steep terrain regions in the Tibetan Plateau and cold bias in the lower stratosphere north of Manchuria. Well‐designed spectral nudging over the eastern flank of the Tibetan Plateau and the use of a higher model top are found to improve regional predictions for Northeast Asia in spring by effectively eliminating errors associated with steep topography and temperature biases in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, respectively. Our findings suggest possible ways to mitigate biases due to steep mountains and upper‐level processes in regional modeling. We discuss the role of our method in terms of uncertainties in regional weather forecasts and climate predictions.
Assembly of 809 whole mitochondrial genomes with clinical, imaging, and fluid biomarker phenotyping
Authors: Ridge Perry G. , Wadsworth Mark E. , Miller Justin B. , Saykin Andrew J. , Green Robert C. ,   the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Kauwe John S.K.
Published: January 2018

Introduction

Mitochondrial genetics are an important but largely neglected area of research in Alzheimer's disease. A major impediment is the lack of data sets.

Methods

We used an innovative, rigorous approach, combining several existing tools with our own, to accurately assemble and call variants in 809 whole mitochondrial genomes.

Results

To help address this impediment, we prepared a data set that consists of 809 complete and annotated mitochondrial genomes with samples from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. These whole mitochondrial genomes include rich phenotyping, such as clinical, fluid biomarker, and imaging data, all of which is available through the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative website. Genomes are cleaned, annotated, and prepared for analysis.

Discussion

These data provide an important resource for investigating the impact of mitochondrial genetic variation on risk for Alzheimer's disease and other phenotypes that have been measured in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative samples.
First Principles: Gabriele Stornaloco and Milan Cathedral
Authors: Sebregondi Giulia Ceriani , Schofield Richard
Published: January 2018

The construction from 1386 of Milan Cathedral, the largest Gothic church ever constructed in Italy, was one of the most important episodes in the history of Italian and European architecture. The documentation of the lateTrecentoand earlyQuattrocentodiscussions over how to build the Cathedral is extraordinarily rich and extensive, and permits a consideration of the project from many points of view including the relationship between medieval architectural theory and an actual project. At the same time, any enquiry has to contend with the copious modern literature and the conclusions that have been reached hitherto – often erroneously in our view – about many of the most salient points. We thus re-examine published and unpublished documentation and the existing literature, analysing especially the format of the building's elevation, the proposals by Gabriele Stornaloco and Jean Mignot, and the drawings attributed to Antonio di Vincenzo. We also reconsider the notions ofarsandscientiawhich have previously been misinterpreted in discussions of the cathedral documentation.
Late Georgian Churches: ‘Absolutely Wretched’ or the Triumph of Rational Pragmatism?
Authors: Webster Christopher
Published: January 2018

This article considers the late Georgian church and argues that this huge group of buildings, involving almost all the country's major architects, has never been properly assessed by historians. This is principally a result of the opprobrium heaped on these churches by the Ecclesiologists who needed them to be marginalised in order to promote their own agenda of church design and worship, and the view that they are largely worthless lives on in places, even today. The article proposes their re-evaluation, suggesting that judging them by the standards the Ecclesiologists applied retrospectively is both illogical and inevitably destined to produce verdicts of failure. Instead, it seeks to place these buildings within the context of late Georgian society, religious attitudes and especially the period's building world. It argues that the best of them, especially the big ‘town’ churches, display a high degree of intelligent, functional planning and a fascinating exploitation of new materials and structural innovations that do great credit to their designers.
Architecture in the Aftermath of Union: Building the Viceregal Chapel in Dublin Castle, 1801–15
Authors: Hill Judith
Published: January 2018

The chapel in Dublin Castle, built between 1807 and 1815, was one of the most impressive ecclesiastical Gothic buildings of the pre-Pugin revival in the British Isles. It was commissioned by the viceregal establishment following the Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland in 1801, and was closely associated with Church of Ireland objectives for post-Union Protestantism in Ireland. This essay investigates the patrons’ ambitions for the chapel, and discusses its design and execution by Francis Johnston, successor to James Gandon as the foremost architect of public buildings in Ireland. Reviewing the chapel within the context of the Union, the essay argues that the viceregal administration and the Church of Ireland were concerned to assert their authority and define their values, and that these were expressed in Gothic revival architecture which grafted progressive appreciation for medieval models onto Georgian taste, and in a comprehensive and unprecedented scheme of ecclesiastical sculpture. Ireland's political position within the Union was ambiguous, but it is argued here that the rebuilt chapel projected both unionist and imperialist gestures, and that, culturally, it was an expression of Britishness.
Wavelet-based adaptive unsteady Reynolds-averaged turbulence modelling of external flows
Authors: De Stefano Giuliano , Vasilyev Oleg V. , Brown-Dymkoski Eric
Published: January 2018

The recent development of the adaptive-anisotropic wavelet-collocation method, which incorporates the use of coordinate transforms, opens new horizons for wavelet-based simulations of wall-bounded turbulent flows. The new wavelet-based adaptive unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes approach for computational modelling of turbulent flows is presented. The proposed methodology that is integrated with anisotropic wavelet-based mesh refinement is demonstrated for a two-equation eddy-viscosity turbulence model. The performance of the method is assessed by conducting numerical simulations of the turbulent flow past a circular cylinder at subcritical Reynolds number. The present study demonstrates both the feasibility and the effectiveness of the new wavelet-based adaptive unsteady Reynolds-averaged turbulence modelling procedure for external flows.
Evaporation with the formation of chains of liquid bridges
Authors: Chen C. , Joseph P. , Geoffroy S. , Prat M. , Duru P.
Published: January 2018

The objective of the present work is to study the drying of a quasi-two-dimensional model porous medium, hereafter called the micromodel, initially filled with a pure liquid. The micromodel consists of cylinders measuring $50~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$ in both height and diameter, radially arranged as a set of neighbouring spirals and sandwiched between two horizontal flat plates. As drying proceeds, air invades the pore space and elongated liquid films trapped by capillary forces form along the spirals. These films consist of ‘chains’ of liquid bridges connecting neighbouring cylinders. They provide hydraulic connectivity between the central bulk liquid cluster and the external rim of the cylinder pattern, where evaporation takes place during a first constant-evaporation-rate drying stage. The first goal of the present paper is to describe experimentally the phase distribution during drying, notably the evolution of liquid films, which controls the evaporation kinetics (e.g. the depinning of the films from the external rim signals the end of the constant-evaporation-rate period). Then, a viscocapillary model for the drying process is presented. It is based on numerical simulations of a liquid film capillary shape and viscous flow within a film. The model shows a reasonably good agreement with the experimental data. Thus, the present study is a step towards direct modelling of the effect of films on the drying of more complex porous media (e.g. packing of beads) and should be of interest for multiphase flow applications in porous media, involving transport within liquid films.
The dynamics of miscible viscous fingering from onset to shutdown
Authors: Nijjer Japinder S. , Hewitt Duncan R. , Neufeld Jerome A.
Published: January 2018

We examine the full ‘life cycle’ of miscible viscous fingering from onset to shutdown with the aid of high-resolution numerical simulations. We study the injection of one fluid into a planar two-dimensional porous medium containing another, more viscous fluid. We find that the dynamics are distinguished by three regimes: an early-time linearly unstable regime, an intermediate-time nonlinear regime and a late-time single-finger exchange-flow regime. In the first regime, the flow can be linearly unstable to perturbations that grow exponentially. We identify, using linear stability theory and numerical simulations, a critical Péclet number below which the flow remains stable for all times. In the second regime, the flow is dominated by the nonlinear coalescence of fingers which form a mixing zone in which we observe that the convective mixing rate, characterized by a convective Nusselt number, exhibits power-law growth. In this second regime we derive a model for the transversely averaged concentration which shows good agreement with our numerical experiments and extends previous empirical models. Finally, we identify a new final exchange-flow regime in which a pair of counter-propagating diffusive fingers slow exponentially. We derive an analytic solution for this single-finger state which agrees well with numerical simulations. We demonstrate that the flow always evolves to this regime, irrespective of the viscosity ratio and Péclet number, in contrast to previous suggestions.
Laminar vortex rings impinging onto porous walls with a constant porosity
Authors: Xu Yang , Wang Jin-Jun , Feng Li-Hao , He Guo-Sheng , Wang Zhong-Yi
Published: January 2018

For the first time, an experiment has been conducted to investigate synthetic jet laminar vortex rings impinging onto porous walls with different geometries by time-resolved particle image velocimetry. The geometry of the porous wall is changed by varying the hole diameter on the wall (from 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm) when surface porosity is kept constant ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}=75\,\%$). The finite-time Lyapunov exponent and phase-averaged vorticity field derived from particle image velocimetry data are presented to reveal the evolution of the vortical structures. A mechanism associated with vorticity cancellation is proposed to explain the formation of downstream transmitted vortex rings; and both the vortex ring trajectory and the time-mean flow feature are compared between different cases. It is found that the hole diameter significantly influences the evolution of the flow structures on both the upstream and downstream sides of the porous wall. In particular, for a porous wall with a small hole diameter ($d_{h}^{\ast }=0.067$, 0.10 and 0.133), the transmitted finger-type jets will reorganize into a well-formed transmitted vortex ring in the downstream flow. However, for the case of a large hole diameter of $d_{h}^{\ast }=0.20$, the transmitted vortex ring is not well formed because of insufficient vorticity cancellation. Additionally, the residual vorticity gradually evolves into discrete jet-like structures downstream, which further weaken the intensity of the transmitted vortex ring. Consequently, the transmitted flow structures for the $d_{h}^{\ast }=0.20$ case would lose coherence more easily (or probably even transition to turbulence), resulting in a faster decay of the axial velocity and stronger entrainment of the transmitted jet. For all porous wall cases, the velocity profile of the transmitted jet exhibits self-similar behaviour in the far field ($z/D_{0}\geqslant 6.03$), which agrees well with the velocity distribution of free synthetic jets. With the help of the control-volume approach, the time-mean drag of the porous wall is evaluated experimentally for the first time. It is shown that the porous wall drag increases with the decrease in the hole diameter. Moreover, for a porous wall with a small hole diameter ($d_{h}^{\ast }=0.067$, 0.10 and 0.133), it appears that the porous wall drag mainly derives from the viscous effect. However, as $d_{h}^{\ast }$ increases to 0.20, the form drag associated with the porous wall geometry becomes significant.
Flow past finite cylinders of constant curvature
Authors: Shang Jessica K. , Stone H. A. , Smits A. J.
Published: January 2018

Wake visualization experiments were conducted on a finite curved cylinder whose plane of curvature is aligned with the free stream. The stagnation face of the cylinder is oriented concave or convex to the flow at $230\leqslant Re_{D}\leqslant 916$, where $Re_{D}$ is the cylinder Reynolds number and the curvature is constant and ranges from a straight cylinder to a quarter-ring. While the magnitude of the local angle of incidence to the flow is the same for both orientations, the contrast in their wakes demonstrates a violation of a common approximation known as the ‘independence principle’ for curved cylinders. Vortex shedding always occurred for the convex-oriented cylinder for the Reynolds-number range investigated, along most of the cylinder span, at a constant vortex shedding angle. In contrast, a concave-oriented cylinder could exhibit multiple concurrent wake regimes along its span: two shedding regimes (oblique, normal) and two non-shedding regimes. The occurrence of these wake regimes depended on the curvature, aspect ratio and Reynolds number. In some cases, vortex shedding was entirely suppressed, particularly at higher curvatures. In the laminar wake regime, increasing the curvature or decreasing the aspect ratio restricts vortex shedding to smaller regions along the span of the cylinder. Furthermore, the local angle of incidence where vortex shedding occurs is self-similar across cylinders of the same aspect ratio and varying curvature. After the wake transitions to turbulence, the vortex shedding extends along most of the cylinder span. The difference in the wakes between the concave and convex orientations is attributed to the spanwise flow induced by the finite end conditions, which reduces the generation of spanwise vorticity and increases the incidence of non-shedding and obliquely shedding wakes for the concave cylinder.
Longitudinal development of flow-separation lines on slender bodies in translation
Authors: Lee S.-K.
Published: January 2018

This paper examines flow-separation lines on axisymmetric bodies with tapered tails, where the separating flow takes into account the effect of local body radius $r(x)$, incidence angle $\unicode[STIX]{x1D713}$ and the body-length Reynolds number $\mathit{Re}_{L}$. The flow is interpreted as a transient problem which relates the longitudinal distance $x$ to time $t^{\ast }=x\,\text{tan}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D713})/r(x)$, similar to the approach of Jeans & Holloway (J. Aircraft, vol. 47 (6), 2010, pp. 2177–2183) on scaling separation lines. The windward and leeward sides correspond to the body azimuth angles $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E9}=0$ and $180^{\circ }$, respectively. From China-clay flow visualisation on axisymmetric bodies and from a literature review of slender-body flows, the present study shows three findings. (i) The time scale $t^{\ast }$ provides a collapse of the separation-line data, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E9}$, for incidence angles between $6$ and $35^{\circ }$, where the data fall on a power law $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E9}\sim (t^{\ast })^{k}$. (ii) The data suggest that the separation rate $k$ is independent of the Reynolds number over the range $2.1\times 10^{6}\leqslant \mathit{Re}_{L}\leqslant 23\times 10^{6}$; for a primary separation $k_{1}\simeq -0.190$, and for a secondary separation $k_{2}\simeq 0.045$. (iii) The power-law curve fits trace the primary and secondary lines to a characteristic start time $t_{s}^{\ast }\simeq 1.5$.
Effects of Fall Burning of Chaparral Woodland on Soil Residues of Picloram
Authors: Johnsen Thomas N. , Warskow William L.
Published: January 2018

Residue of picloram (4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid) aerially sprayed onto a central Arizona chaparral stand was markedly reduced in the surface 7.6 cm of soil from a fall burn conducted 5 weeks later. Brush control was also reduced.
Absorption and Translocation of Buthidazole
Authors: Haderlie Lloyd C.
Published: January 2018

Absorption and translocation of buthidazole [3-[5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl]-4-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-imidazolidinone] was determined in several plant tissues. Buthidazole caused slight effects on seed germination. Germination of soybean (Glycine max L.Merr. ‘Williams’) seeds was inhibited up to 15% and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrastiMedic.) was stimulated up to 13%. Buthidazole was absorbed by germinating soybeans, velvetleaf, and corn (Zea maysL.) with rate of absorption increasing when roots were capable of absorption. Buthidazole concentrations of 0.5 μM or greater inhibited growth of soybean in the early second-trifoliolate growth stage when supplied to the roots in nutrient solution. Within 96 h, 29% of the buthidazole available to soybeans was absorbed from nutrient solution and 89% of that absorbed was found in the shoots. The expanded leaves of soybean accumulated the majority of the radioactivity. Radioactivity in roots of soybean approached a steady state condition within 96 h, whereas14C continued to increase in shoots. Foliar absorption of buthidazole in soybean greatly increased when any one of several surfactants were used. Soybean dry weight reduction nearly doubled by adding surfactants. Over 60% of the14C-buthidazole applied to soybean leaves was absorbed within 1.5 h, and increased to 73% by 96 h when the nonionic surfactant, AL-411-F3[Phytobland Spray Oil (83%) plus ATPLUS 300F (17%)] was used compared to only 7% in 96 h without the surfactant. There was little or no movement of buthidazole from the treated leaves. Translocation was typical of apoplastic movement.
Foliar Absorption and Translocation of Isoproturon, and its Action on Photosynthesis in Wheat (Triticum aestivum) and Slender Foxtail (Alopecurus myosuroides)
Authors: Achhireddy Nagi R. , Kirkwood Ralph C. , Fletcher William W.
Published: January 2018

Investigations were made under controlled environmental conditions of isoproturon [N-(4-isopropylphenyl)-N’,N′-dimethylurea] absorption and translocation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (tolerant) and slender foxtail (Alopecurus myosuroides Huds. ♯ ALOMY) (sensitive). Effects of isoproturon on 14CO2 fixation and 14C-assimilate translocation were also examined in the test species. The amount of 14C-isoproturon translocated by slender foxtail was about four times greater than by wheat. Foliar application of isoproturon resulted in greater inhibition of photosynthetic 14CO2 fixation in slender foxtail than in wheat. The reduction in 14C-assimilate translocation was also significantly greater in slender foxtail than in wheat.
Triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) Response to Herbicides
Authors: York Alan C. , Turner Stewart M. , Jarrett Ronald E.
Published: January 2018

The response of ‘Florico,’ ‘Victoria,’ and 'Stan II’ triticale to 2,4-D, dicamba, 2,4-D plus dicamba, diclofop, and thifensulfuron plus tribenuron applied POST during the tillering stage was examined. At rates twice those recommended for application to wheat, Victoria and Stan II were not injured, and injury to Florico was less than 10%. None of the herbicides or combinations adversely affected plant height at maturity, tiller or spike production, grain weight/spike, kernel weight, kernels/spike, yield, or test weight of any cultivar. Cultivars varied in tiller production, height, yield, test weight, kernel weight, and kernels/spike.
Zur Methodologie von Replikationsstudien
Authors: Erdfelder Edgar , Ulrich Rolf
Published: January 2018

Zusammenfassung. Replikationsstudien sind in den empirischen Wissenschaften mit unterschiedlichen Zielen verbunden, abhängig davon, ob wir uns im Kontext der Theorieentwicklung oder im Kontext der Theorieüberprüfung bewegen (Entdeckungs- vs. Begründungszusammenhang sensu Reichenbach, 1938 ). Konzeptuelle Replikationsstudien zielen auf Generalisierung ab und können im Entdeckungszusammenhang nützlich sein. Direkte Replikationsstudien zielen demgegenüber auf den Nachweis der Replizierbarkeit eines bestimmten Forschungsergebnisses unter unabhängigen Bedingungen ab und sind im Begründungszusammenhang unverzichtbar. Ohne die Annahme der direkten Replizierbarkeit wird man sich kaum auf allgemein akzeptierte empirische Tatbestände einigen können, die eine notwendige Voraussetzung für Theorieüberprüfungen in den empirischen Wissenschaften sind. Vor diesem Hintergrund werden Standards für Replikationsstudien vorgeschlagen und begründet. Eine Besonderheit in der Psychologie besteht darin, dass das Replikandum in aller Regel eine statistische Hypothese ist, über die lediglich probabilistisch entschieden werden kann. Dies wirft Folgeprobleme in Bezug auf die Formulierung der Replizierbarkeitshypothese, die Kontrolle statistischer Fehlerwahrscheinlichkeiten bei der Entscheidung über die Replizierbarkeitshypothese, die Bestimmung der zu entdeckenden Effektgröße bei Verzerrung vorliegender Ergebnisse durch Publication Bias, die Festlegung des Stichprobenumfangs und die korrekte Interpretation der Replikationsquote auf, für die Lösungsvorschläge unterbreitet und diskutiert werden.
Using Radar to Understand How Volcanic Eruptions Evolve
Authors: Cook Terri
Published: January 2018

Radar satellite imagery can be used to measure constructional changes in the topography of long-lived volcanoes, according to a new study of Ecuador’s El Reventador volcano.
Hook Hua Receives 2017 Charles S. Falkenberg Award
Authors:   AGU
Published: January 2018

Hook Hua was awarded the 2017 Charles S. Falkenberg Award at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 13 December 2017 in New Orleans, La. The award is for “an early- to middle-career scientist who has contributed to the quality of life, economic opportunities and stewardship of the planet through the use of Earth science information and to the public awareness of the importance of understanding our planet.”
Testing a New Tool That Illuminates Tiny Fractures in Coal
Authors: Stanley Sarah
Published: January 2018

A computational model outperforms a widely used microcomputed tomography imaging method in characterizing coal fractures.
Read Them Again: Eos’s Most Viewed Stories of 2017
Authors: Wendel JoAnna
Published: January 2018

From mesmerizing maps to glacial floods and massive earthquakes, here’s a look back on last year’s most popular stories.
In vivo effect of opticin deficiency in cartilage in a surgically induced mouse model of osteoarthritis
Authors: Farrán Aina , Valverde-Franco Gladys , Tío Laura , Lussier Bertrand , Fahmi Hassan , Pelletier Jean-Pierre , Bishop Paul N. , Monfort Jordi , Martel-Pelletier Johanne
Published: January 2018

The SLRP opticin (OPTC) has been demonstrated to be produced and degraded in osteoarthritic (OA) human cartilage. Here, we investigated the in vivo effect of OPTC deficiency in OA cartilage. OA was induced in 10-week-old Optc−/− and Optc+/+ mice. Ten weeks post-surgery, cartilage was processed for histology and immunohistochemistry. SLRP expression was determined in non-operated mouse cartilage. OA Optc−/− demonstrated significant protection against cartilage degradation. Data revealed that in non-operated Optc−/− cartilage, expression of SLRPs lumican and epiphycan was up-regulated at day 3 and in 10-week-olds (p ≤ 0.039), and fibromodulin down-regulated in 10-week-olds (p = 0.001). Immunohistochemistry of OA mice showed a similar pattern. In OA Optc−/− cartilage, markers of degradation and complement factors were all down-regulated (p ≤ 0.038). In OA Optc−/− cartilage, collagen fibers were thinner and better organized (p = 0.038) than in OA Optc+/+ cartilage. The protective effect of OPTC deficiency during OA results from an overexpression of lumican and epiphycan, known to bind and protect collagen fibers, and a decrease in fibromodulin, contributing to a reduction in the complement activation/inflammatory process. This work suggests that the evaluation of the composition of the different SLRPs in OA cartilage could be applied as a new tool for OA prognosis classification.
Sample handling of gastric tissue and O-glycan alterations in paired gastric cancer and non-tumorigenic tissues
Authors: Adamczyk Barbara , Jin Chunsheng , Polom Karol , Muñoz Pedro , Rojas- Macias Miguel A. , Zeeberg David , Borén Mats , Roviello Franco , Karlsson Niclas G.
Published: January 2018

Sample collection, handling and storage are the most critical steps for ensuring the highest preservation of specimens. Pre-analytical variability can influence the results as protein signatures alter rapidly after tissue excision or during long-term storage. Hence, we evaluated current state-of-the-art biobank preservation methods from a glycomics perspective and analyzed O-glycan alterations occurring in the gastric cancer tissues. Paired tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples were obtained from six patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery. Collected samples (n = 24) were either snap-frozen or heat stabilized and then homogenized. Glycans were released from extracted glycoproteins and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. In total, the relative abundance of 83 O-glycans and 17 derived structural features were used for comparison. There was no statistically significant difference found in variables between snap frozen and heat-stabilized samples, which indicated the two preservation methods were comparable. The data also showed significant changes between normal and cancerous tissue. In addition to a shift from high sialylation in the cancer area towards blood group ABO in the normal area, we also detected that the LacdiNAc epitope (N,N’-diacetyllactosamine) was significantly decreased in cancer samples. The O-glycan alterations that are presented here may provide predictive power for the detection and prognosis of gastric cancer.
Downregulation of Heat Shock Protein 70 Impairs Osteogenic and Chondrogenic Differentiation in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Li Chenghai , Sunderic Kristifor , Nicoll Steven B. , Wang Sihong
Published: January 2018

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) show promise for bone and cartilage regeneration. Our previous studies demonstrated that hMSCs with periodic mild heating had enhanced osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation with significantly upregulated heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). However, the role of HSP70 in adult tissue regeneration is not well studied. Here, we revealed an essential regulatory mechanism of HSP70 in osteogenesis and chondrogenesis using adult hMSCs stably transfected with specific shRNAs to knockdown HSP70. Periodic heating at 39 °C was applied to hMSCs for up to 26 days. HSP70 knockdown resulted in significant reductions of alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium deposition, and gene expression of Runx2 and Osterix during osteogenesis. In addition, knockdown of HSP70 led to significant decreases of collagens II and X during chondrogenesis. Thus, downregulation of HSP70 impaired hMSC osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation as well as the enhancement of these processes by thermal treatment. Taken together, these findings suggest a putative mechanism of thermal-enhanced bone and cartilage formation and underscore the importance of HSP70 in adult bone and cartilage differentiation.
Loss of A20 in BM-MSCs regulates the Th17/Treg balance in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Feng Zhuan , Zhai Yue , Zheng Zhaohui , Yang Lijie , Luo Xing , Dong Xiwen , Han Qing , Jin Jin , Chen Zhi-Nan , Zhu Ping
Published: January 2018

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multi-potent cells that are self-renewable and possess the potential to differentiate into multiple lineages. Several studies demonstrated that MSCs could regulate a Th17/Treg balance and could be a potential therapeutic target for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). A20 is highly expressed in many cell types after the stimulation of TNF-α, where it may inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. However, the expression of A20 in BM-MSCs in RA is not fully understood. In our study, we found that A20 was decreased in RA patients’ bone marrow MSCs (BM-MSCs), and with more IL-6 secretion, the balance of Th17/Treg was broken. In CIA mice, we found a moderate A20 decrease in mice MSCs as compared with those of control group in mRNA and protein levels. However, the IL-6 expression was increased. After umbilical cord MSCs treatment, A20 and IL-6 expressions were equal to the control group. Thus, our study indicates that loss of A20 in MSCs regulates the Th17/Treg balance in RA and the regulatory role of A20 in pro-inflammatory IL-6 production could be a potential target for the transfer of MSCs in RA adoptive therapy.
Integrated sequencing of exome and mRNA of large-sized single cells
Authors: Wang Lily Yan , Guo Jiajie , Cao Wei , Zhang Meng , He Jiankui , Li Zhoufang
Published: January 2018

Current approaches of single cell DNA-RNA integrated sequencing are difficult to call SNPs, because a large amount of DNA and RNA is lost during DNA-RNA separation. Here, we performed simultaneous single-cell exome and transcriptome sequencing on individual mouse oocytes. Using microinjection, we kept the nuclei intact to avoid DNA loss, while retaining the cytoplasm inside the cell membrane, to maximize the amount of DNA and RNA captured from the single cell. We then conducted exome-sequencing on the isolated nuclei and mRNA-sequencing on the enucleated cytoplasm. For single oocytes, exome-seq can cover up to 92% of exome region with an average sequencing depth of 10+, while mRNA-sequencing reveals more than 10,000 expressed genes in enucleated cytoplasm, with similar performance for intact oocytes. This approach provides unprecedented opportunities to study DNA-RNA regulation, such as RNA editing at single nucleotide level in oocytes. In future, this method can also be applied to other large cells, including neurons, large dendritic cells and large tumour cells for integrated exome and transcriptome sequencing.
Effects of metformin on colorectal cancer stem cells depend on alterations in glutamine metabolism
Authors: Kim Jae Hyun , Lee Kyoung Jin , Seo Yoojeong , Kwon Ji-Hee , Yoon Jae Pil , Kang Jo Yeon , Lee Hyun Jung , Park Soo Jung , Hong Sung Pil , Cheon Jae Hee , Kim Won Ho , Il Kim Tae
Published: January 2018

Metformin has been known to suppress cancer stem cells (CSCs) in some cancers. However, the differential effects of metformin on CSCs and their mechanisms have not been reported. Herein, metformin induced pAMPK activation and pS6 suppression in metformin-sensitive (HT29) cells, but not in metformin-resistant (SW620) cells. The oxygen consumption rate was higher in HT29 cells than in SW620 cells and showed a prominent decrease after metformin treatment in HT29 cells. In glutamine-depleted medium, but not in low-glucose medium, SW620 cells became sensitive to the CSC-suppressing effect of metformin. A combination of metformin and glutaminase C inhibitor (compound 968) suppressed CSCs in SW620 cells and enhanced that effect in HT29 cells. SW620 cells showed higher expression of glutaminase 1 and glutamine transporter (ASCT2) than HT29 cells, especially ASCT2 in CSCs. Knockdown of glutaminase 1, ASCT2, and c-Myc induced significant CSC-suppression and enhanced CSC-suppressing effect of metformin and compound 968. In xenografts and human cancer organoids, combined treatment with metformin and compound 968 showed the same results as those shown in vitro. In conclusion, the effect of metformin on CSCs varies depending on the AMPK-mTOR and glutamine metabolism. The inhibition of glutamine pathway could enhance the CSC-suppressing effect of metformin, overcoming metformin resistance.
Unravelling the effects of mechanical physiological conditioning on cardiac adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells in vitro and in silico
Authors: Llucià-Valldeperas Aida , Bragós Ramon , Soler-Botija Carolina , Roura Santiago , Gálvez-Montón Carolina , Prat-Vidal Cristina , Perea-Gil Isaac , Bayes-Genis Antoni
Published: January 2018

Mechanical conditioning is incompletely characterized for stimulating therapeutic cells within the physiological range. We sought to unravel the mechanism of action underlying mechanical conditioning of adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells (ATDPCs), both in vitro and in silico. Cardiac ATDPCs, grown on 3 different patterned surfaces, were mechanically stretched for 7 days at 1 Hz. A custom-designed, magnet-based, mechanical stimulator device was developed to apply ~10% mechanical stretching to monolayer cell cultures. Gene and protein analyses were performed for each cell type and condition. Cell supernatants were also collected to analyze secreted proteins and construct an artificial neural network. Gene and protein modulations were different for each surface pattern. After mechanostimulation, cardiac ATDPCs increased the expression of structural genes and there was a rising trend on cardiac transcription factors. Finally, secretome analyses revealed upregulation of proteins associated with both myocardial infarction and cardiac regeneration, such as regulators of the immune response, angiogenesis or cell adhesion. To conclude, mechanical conditioning of cardiac ATDPCs enhanced the expression of early and late cardiac genes in vitro. Additionally, in silico analyses of secreted proteins showed that mechanical stimulation of cardiac ATDPCs was highly associated with myocardial infarction and repair.
Mice deficient in the Shmt2 gene have mitochondrial respiration defects and are embryonic lethal
Authors: Tani Haruna , Ohnishi Sakiko , Shitara Hiroshi , Mito Takayuki , Yamaguchi Midori , Yonekawa Hiromichi , Hashizume Osamu , Ishikawa Kaori , Nakada Kazuto , Hayashi Jun-Ichi
Published: January 2018

Accumulation of somatic mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been proposed to be responsible for human aging and age-associated mitochondrial respiration defects. However, our previous findings suggested an alternative hypothesis of human aging—that epigenetic changes but not mutations regulate age-associated mitochondrial respiration defects, and that epigenetic downregulation of nuclear-coded genes responsible for mitochondrial translation [e.g., glycine C-acetyltransferase (GCAT), serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2)] is related to age-associated respiration defects. To examine our hypothesis, here we generated mice deficient in Gcat or Shmt2 and investigated whether they have respiration defects and premature aging phenotypes. Gcat-deficient mice showed no macroscopic abnormalities including premature aging phenotypes for up to 9 months after birth. In contrast, Shmt2-deficient mice showed embryonic lethality after 13.5 days post coitum (dpc), and fibroblasts obtained from 12.5-dpc Shmt2-deficient embryos had respiration defects and retardation of cell growth. Because Shmt2 substantially controls production of N-formylmethionine-tRNA (fMet-tRNA) in mitochondria, its suppression would reduce mitochondrial translation, resulting in expression of the respiration defects in fibroblasts from Shmt2-deficient embryos. These findings support our hypothesis that age-associated respiration defects in fibroblasts of elderly humans are caused not by mtDNA mutations but by epigenetic regulation of nuclear genes including SHMT2.
Thickness Control of the Spin-Polarized Two-Dimensional Electron Gas in LaAlO3/BaTiO3 Superlattices
Authors: Chen Chen , Fang Le , Zhang Jihua , Zhao Guodong , Ren Wei
Published: January 2018

We explored the possibility of increasing the interfacial carrier quantum confinement, mobility and conductivity in the (LaAlO3)n/(BaTiO3)n superlattices by thickness regulation using the first-principles electronic structure calculations. Through constructing two different interfacial types of LaAlO3/BaTiO3 superlattices, we discovered that the LaO/TiO2 interface is preferred from cleavage energy consideration. We then studied the electronic characteristics of two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) produced at the LaO/TiO2 interface in the LaAlO3/BaTiO3 superlattices via spin-polarized density functional theory calculations. The charge carrier density of 2DEG has a magnitude of 1014 cm−2 (larger than the traditional system LaAlO3/SrTiO3), which is mainly provided by the interfacial Ti 3dxy orbitals when the thicknesses of LaAlO3 and BaTiO3 layers are over 4.5 unit cells. We have also revealed the interfacial electronic characteristics of the LaAlO3/BaTiO3 system, by showing the completely spin-polarized 2DEG mostly confined at the superlattice interface. The interfacial charge carrier mobility and conductivity are found to be converged beyond the critical thickness. Therefore, we can regulate the interfacial confinement for the spin-polarized 2DEG and quantum transport properties in LaAlO3/BaTiO3 superlattice via controlling the thicknesses of the LaAlO3 and BaTiO3 layers.