bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regulation of metabolism in Escherichia coli during growth on mixtures of the non-glucose sugars: arabinose, lactose, and xylose
Authors: Ammar Ehab M. , Wang Xiaoyi , Rao Christopher V.
Published: January 2018

Catabolite repression refers to the process where the metabolism of one sugar represses the genes involved in metabolizing another sugar. While glucose provides the canonical example, many other sugars are also known to induce catabolite repression. However, less is known about the mechanism for catabolite repression by these non-glucose sugars. In this work, we investigated the mechanism of catabolite repression in the bacteriumEscherichia coliduring growth on lactose, L-arabinose, and D-xylose. The metabolism of these sugars is regulated in a hierarchical manner, where lactose is the preferred sugar, followed by L-arabinose, and then D-xylose. Previously, the preferential utilization of L-arabinose over D-xylose was found to result from transcriptional crosstalk. However, others have proposed that cAMP governs the hierarchical regulation of many non-glucose sugars. We investigated whether lactose-induced repression of L-arabinose and D-xylose gene expression is due to transcriptional crosstalk or cAMP. Our results demonstrate that it is due to cAMP and not transcriptional crosstalk. In addition, we found that repression is reciprocal, where both L-arabinose and D-xylose also repress the lactose gene expression, albeit to a lesser extent and also through a mechanism involving cAMP. Collectively, the results further our understanding of metabolism during growth on multiple sugars.
Evidence for sparse synergies in grasping actions
Authors: Prevete Roberto , Donnarumma Francesco , d’Avella Andrea , Pezzulo Giovanni
Published: January 2018

Converging evidence shows that hand-actions are controlled at the level of synergies and not single muscles. One intriguing aspect of synergy-based action-representation is that it may be intrinsically sparse and the same synergies can be shared across several distinct types of hand-actions. Here, adopting a normative angle, we consider three hypotheses for hand-action optimal-control:sparse-combination hypothesis (SC)– sparsity in the mapping between synergies and actions - i.e., actions implemented using a sparse combination of synergies;sparse-elements hypothesis (SE)– sparsity in synergy representation – i.e., the mapping between degrees-of-freedom (DoF) and synergies is sparse;double-sparsity hypothesis (DS)– a novel view combining both SC and SE – i.e., both the mapping between DoF and synergies and between synergies and actions are sparse, each action implementing a sparse combination of synergies (as in SC), each using a limited set of DoFs (as in SE). We evaluate these hypotheses using hand kinematic data from six human subjects performing nine different types of reach-to-grasp actions. Our results support DS, suggesting that the best action representation is based on a relatively large set of synergies, each involving a reduced number of degrees-of-freedom, and that distinct sets of synergies may be involved in distinct tasks.
T cell immunity to Zika virus targets immunodominant epitopes that show cross-reactivity with other Flaviviruses
Authors: Reynolds C. J. , Suleyman O. M. , Ortega-Prieto A. M. , Skelton J. K. , Bonnesoeur P. , Blohm A. , Carregaro V. , Silva J. S. , James E. A. , Maillère B. , Dorner M. , Boyton R. J. , Altmann D. M.
Published: January 2018

Zika virus (ZIKV) Infection has several outcomes from asymptomatic exposure to rash, conjunctivitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome or congenital Zika syndrome. Analysis of ZIKV immunity is confounded by the fact that several related Flaviviruses infect humans, including Dengue virus 1–4, West Nile virus and Yellow Fever virus. HLA class II restricted T cell cross-reactivity between ZIKV and other Flaviviruses infection(s) or vaccination may contribute to protection or to enhanced immunopathology. We mapped immunodominant, HLA class II restricted, CD4 epitopes from ZIKV Envelope (Env), and Non-structural (NS) NS1, NS3 and NS5 antigens in HLA class II transgenic mice. In several cases, ZIKV primed CD4 cells responded to homologous sequences from other viruses, including DENV1–4, WNV or YFV. However, cross-reactive responses could confer immune deviation - the response to the Env DENV4 p1 epitope in HLA-DR1 resulted in IL-17A immunity, often associated with exacerbated immunopathogenesis. This conservation of recognition across Flaviviruses, may encompass protective and/or pathogenic components and poses challenges to characterization of ZIKV protective immunity.
Labile organic carbon pools and enzyme activities of Pinus massoniana plantation soil as affected by understory vegetation removal and thinning
Authors: Shen Yafei , Cheng Ruimei , Xiao Wenfa , Yang Shao , Guo Yan , Wang Na , Zeng Lixiong , Lei Lei , Wang Xiaorong
Published: January 2018

The effects of forest management on carbon (C) sequestration are poorly understood, particularly in the Three Gorges Reservoir area. We aimed to identify the effects of forest management on C sequestration in Pinus massoniana plantations. An intact control forest (CK), a site undergoing regular shrub cutting with the simultaneous removal of residues (SC), a site under low-intensity thinning (LIT), and a site under high-intensity thinning (HIT) were compared for soil labile organic carbon (LOC), related enzyme activities, and soil characteristics. Soil organic carbon (SOC) significantly decreased in the HIT treatment as compared with that in the CK treatment. Soil EOC, DOC, MBC contents in treated plots were higher than those in the CK treatment; particularly, the HIT treatment significantly increased those values in 0–10 cm layer. Thinning resulted in a decrease in cellulase and amylase activities, but an increase in invertase activity. In addition, the SOC content was significantly correlated with four enzymes activities and LOC components, which suggested that the soil LOC components and enzymes activities were sensitive to the changes of SOC. Our results suggest that high-intensity thinning treatment in Pinus massoniana plantation could significantly decrease the SOC content and lead to an increase of LOC components.
Over-expression of a retinol dehydrogenase (SRP35/DHRS7C) in skeletal muscle activates mTORC2, enhances glucose metabolism and muscle performance
Authors: Ruiz Alexis , Dror Erez , Handschin Christoph , Furrer Regula , Perez-Schindler Joaquin , Bachmann Christoph , Treves Susan , Zorzato Francesco
Published: January 2018

SRP-35 is a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase belonging to the DHRS7C dehydrogenase/ reductase family 7. Here we show that its over-expression in mouse skeletal muscles induces enhanced muscle performance in vivo, which is not related to alterations in excitation-contraction coupling but rather linked to enhanced glucose metabolism. Over-expression of SRP-35 causes increased phosphorylation of AktS473, triggering plasmalemmal targeting of GLUT4 and higher glucose uptake into muscles. SRP-35 signaling involves RARα and RARγ (non-genomic effect), PI3K and mTORC2. We also demonstrate that all-trans retinoic acid, a downstream product of the enzymatic activity of SRP-35, mimics the effect of SRP-35 in skeletal muscle, inducing a synergistic effect with insulin on AKTS473 phosphorylation. These results indicate that SRP-35 affects skeletal muscle metabolism and may represent an important target for the treatment of metabolic diseases.
Framing Continental Shelf Waves in the southern Adriatic Sea, a further flushing factor beyond dense water cascading
Authors: Bonaldo Davide , Orlić Mirko , Carniel Sandro
Published: January 2018

Continental Shelf Waves (CSWs) are oscillatory phenomena migrating along the continental margins, controlled by the interplay of rotation and bathymetric gradients. Here we combine observational data from five moored current meters and high-resolution hydrodynamic model fields for describing the generation and propagation of CSWs along the Southern Adriatic Margin (SAM, eastern Mediterranean Sea), where the possibility of their occurrence has been theoretically hypothesised but not experimentally observed up to now. Results show that in spring 2012 a train of CSWs with 35–87 km wavelength and 2–4 day period was generated on the northern sectors of the SAM and propagated southwards along its western slope. Along their path, CSWs modify their apparent frequency and oscillation mode as an effect of the background current and scattering caused by changes in the continental margin morphology. This signal appears as a persistent feature triggered by the inflow of a dense water vein formed in the northern Adriatic Sea, propagating upwelling and downwelling patterns along broad sectors of the continental slope. CSWs thus appear as an additional remote-controlled mechanism for cross-shelf exchange of water, sediment and nutrients in the SAM, besides the well-acknowledged dense water downflow along preferential pathways driven by local topographic constraints.
Enhanced skeletal muscle ribosome biogenesis, yet attenuated mTORC1 and ribosome biogenesis-related signalling, following short-term concurrent versus single-mode resistance training
Authors: Fyfe Jackson J. , Bishop David J. , Bartlett Jonathan D. , Hanson Erik D. , Anderson Mitchell J. , Garnham Andrew P. , Stepto Nigel K.
Published: January 2018

Combining endurance training with resistance training (RT) may attenuate skeletal muscle hypertrophic adaptation versus RT alone; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We investigated changes in markers of ribosome biogenesis, a process linked with skeletal muscle hypertrophy, following concurrent training versus RT alone. Twenty-three males underwent eight weeks of RT, either performed alone (RT group,n = 8), or combined with either high-intensity interval training (HIT+RT group,n = 8), or moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT+RT group,n = 7). Muscle samples (vastus lateralis)were obtained before training, and immediately before, 1 h and 3 h after the final training session. Training-induced changes in basal expression of the 45S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) precursor (45S pre-rRNA), and 5.8S and 28S mature rRNAs, were greater with concurrent training versus RT. However, during the final training session, RT further increased both mTORC1 (p70S6K1 and rps6 phosphorylation) and 45S pre-rRNA transcription-related signalling (TIF-1A and UBF phosphorylation) versus concurrent training. These data suggest that when performed in a training-accustomed state, RT induces further increases mTORC1 and ribosome biogenesis-related signalling in human skeletal muscle versus concurrent training; however, changes in ribosome biogenesis markers were more favourable following a period of short-term concurrent training versus RT performed alone.
Bio-templated fabrication of three-dimensional network activated carbons derived from mycelium pellets for supercapacitor applications
Authors: Hao Junnan , Huang Yajing , He Chun , Xu Wenjun , Yuan Libei , Shu Dong , Song Xiaona , Meng Tao
Published: January 2018

In this work, a three-dimensional porous mycelium-derived activated carbon (3D-MAC) was fabricated via a facile bio-templating method using mycelium pellets as both the carbon source and the bio-template. After ZnCl2 activation and high-temperature carbonization, the specific thread-like chain structure of mycelium in the pellets can be maintained effectively. The hyphae and junctions of the cross-linking hyphae form nanowires and carbon nanoparticles that link with the neighboring nanoparticles to form a network structure. By adding NH4Cl, foreign nitrogen element doped (N-doped) 3D-MAC was obtained, which has a hierarchical porous structure composed of micropores and macropores. And the multiple pore size distribution benefits from ZnCl2 activation, the specific 3D structure and gas blowing. Meanwhile, the introduction of some hydrophilic groups and abundant N-containing functional groups in extrinsic N-doped 3D-MAC contributes to improving the Faradaic pseudocapacitance, respectively. A specific capacitance of 237.2 F g−1 at 10 mV s−1 was displayed, which is more than 1.5 times that of 3D-MAC. Even at the large scan rate of 500 mV s−1, N-doped 3D-MAC still reveals a nearly symmetric rectangular shape, demonstrating great potential as a high-performance supercapacitor electrode material due to the synergistic effects of its 3D hierarchical porous structure and various functional groups.
The Association of Fit-Fat Index with Incident Diabetes in Japanese Men: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Sloan Robert A. , Sawada Susumu S. , I-Min Lee , Gando Yuko , Kawakami Ryoko , Okamoto Takashi , Tsukamoto Koji , Miyachi Motohiko
Published: January 2018

Type 2 diabetes is increasing globally and in Asia. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of a fit-fat index (FFI) with diabetes incidence among Japanese men. In total 5,014 men aged 18–64 years old, who had an annual health check up with no history of major chronic disease at baseline from 2002 to 2009 were observed. CRF was estimated via cycle ergometry. Overall, 7.6% of the men developed diabetes. The mean follow-up period was 5.3 years. Hazard ratios, 95% confidence intervals and P trend for diabetes incidence were obtained using the Cox proportional hazards model while adjusting for confounding variables. High FFI demonstrated lower risk 0.54 (0.36–0.82) compared to low BMI 0.63 (0.44–0.90), low WHtR 0.64 (0.41–1.02), and High CRF 0.72 (0.51–1.03). FFI showed a marginally stronger dose response relationship across quartiles (P (trend) =0.001) compared to BMI (P (trend) =0.002), WHtR (P (trend) =0.055), and CRF (P (trend) =0.005). Overall, both fitness and fatness play independent roles in determining diabetes incidence in Japanese men. FFI may be a more advantageous physical fitness measure because it can account for changes in fitness and/or fatness.
A Biomarker Characterizing Neurodevelopment with applications in Autism
Authors: Wu Di , José Jorge V. , Nurnberger John I. , Torres Elizabeth B.
Published: January 2018

Despite great advances in neuroscience and genetic studies, our understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders is still quite limited. An important reason is not having objective psychiatric clinical tests. Here we propose a quantitative neurodevelopment assessment by studying natural movement outputs. Movement is central to behaviors: It involves complex coordination, temporal alterations, and precise dynamic controls. We carefully analyzed the continuous movement output data, collected with high definition electromagnetic sensors at millisecond time scales. We unraveled new metrics containing striking physiological information that was unseen neither by using traditional motion assessments nor by naked eye observations. Our putative biomarker leads to precise individualized classifications. It illustrates clear differences between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) subjects from mature typical developing (TD) individuals. It provides an ASD complementary quantitative classification, which closely agrees with the clinicaly assessed functioning levels in the spectrum. It also illustrates TD potential age-related neurodevelopmental trajectories. Applying our movement biomarker to the parents of the ASD individuals studied in the cohort also shows a novel potential familial signature ASD tie. This paper proposes a putative behavioral biomarker to characterize the level of neurodevelopment with high predicting power, as illustrated in ASD subjects as an example.
Integration of GWAS, pathway and network analyses reveals novel mechanistic insights into the synthesis of milk proteins in dairy cows
Authors: Pegolo Sara , Mach Núria , Ramayo-Caldas Yuliaxis , Schiavon Stefano , Bittante Giovanni , Cecchinato Alessio
Published: January 2018

The quantities and proportions of protein fractions have notable effects on the nutritional and technological value of milk. Although much is known about the effects of genetic variants on milk proteins, the complex relationships among the set of genes and pathways regulating the different protein fractions synthesis and secretion into milk in dairy cows are still not completely understood. We conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for milk nitrogen fractions in a cohort of 1,011 Brown Swiss cows, which uncovered 170 significant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs), mostly located on BTA6 and BTA11. Gene-set analysis and the network-based Associated Weight Matrix approach revealed that the milk proteins associated genes were involved in several biological functions, particularly ion and cation transmembrane transporter activity and neuronal and hormone signalling, according to the structure and function of casein micelles. Deeper analysis of the transcription factors and their predicted target genes within the network revealed thatGFI1B,ZNF407andNR5A1might act as master regulators of milk protein synthesis and secretion. The information acquired provides novel insight into the regulatory mechanisms controlling milk protein synthesis and secretion in bovine mammary gland and may be useful in breeding programmes aimed at improving milk nutritional and/or technological properties.
A Metabolomics Pilot Study on Desmoid Tumors and Novel Drug Candidates
Authors: Mercier Kelly A. , Al-Jazrawe Mushriq , Poon Raymond , Acuff Zachery , Alman Benjamin
Published: January 2018

Desmoid tumors (aggressive fibromatosis) are locally invasive soft tissue tumors that lack the ability to metastasize. There are no directed therapies or standard treatment plan, and chemotherapeutics, radiation, and surgery often have temporary effects. The majority of desmoid tumors are related to T41A and S45F mutations of the beta-catenin encoding gene (CTNNB1). Using broad spectrum metabolomics, differences were investigated between paired normal fibroblast and desmoid tumor cells from affected patients. There were differences identified, also, in the metabolomics profiles associated with the two beta-catenin mutations, T41A and S45F. Ongoing drug screening has identified currently available compounds which inhibited desmoid tumor cellular growth by more than 50% but did not affect normal fibroblast proliferation. Two drugs were investigated in this study, and Dasatinib and FAK Inhibitor 14 treatments resulted in unique metabolomics profiles for the normal fibroblast and desmoid tumor cells, in addition to the T41A and S45F. The biochemical pathways that differentiated the cell lines were aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis in mitochondria and cytoplasm and signal transduction amino acid-dependent mTORC1 activation. This study provides preliminary understanding of the metabolic differences of paired normal and desmoid tumors cells, their response to desmoid tumor therapeutics, and new pathways to target for therapy.
Non-estrogenic Xanthohumol Derivatives Mitigate Insulin Resistance and Cognitive Impairment in High-Fat Diet-induced Obese Mice
Authors: Miranda Cristobal L. , Johnson Lance A. , de Montgolfier Oriane , Elias Valerie D. , Ullrich Lea S. , Hay Joshua J. , Paraiso Ines L. , Choi Jaewoo , Reed Ralph L. , Revel Johana S. , Kioussi Chrissa , Bobe Gerd , Iwaniec Urszula T. , Turner Russell T. , Katzenellenbogen Benita S. , Katzenellenbogen John A. , Blakemore Paul R. , Gombart Adrian F. , Maier Claudia S. , Raber Jacob , Stevens Jan F.
Published: January 2018

Xanthohumol (XN), a prenylated flavonoid from hops, improves dysfunctional glucose and lipid metabolism in animal models of metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, its metabolic transformation into the estrogenic metabolite, 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN), poses a potential health concern for its use in humans. To address this concern, we evaluated two hydrogenated derivatives, α,β-dihydro-XN (DXN) and tetrahydro-XN (TXN), which showed negligible affinity for estrogen receptors α and β, and which cannot be metabolically converted into 8-PN. We compared their effects to those of XN by feeding C57BL/6J mice a high-fat diet (HFD) containing XN, DXN, or TXN for 13 weeks. DXN and TXN were present at higher concentrations than XN in plasma, liver and muscle. Mice administered XN, DXN or TXN showed improvements of impaired glucose tolerance compared to the controls. DXN and TXN treatment resulted in a decrease of HOMA-IR and plasma leptin. C2C12 embryonic muscle cells treated with DXN or TXN exhibited higher rates of uncoupled mitochondrial respiration compared to XN and the control. Finally, XN, DXN, or TXN treatment ameliorated HFD-induced deficits in spatial learning and memory. Taken together, DXN and TXN could ameliorate the neurocognitive-metabolic impairments associated with HFD-induced obesity without risk of liver injury and adverse estrogenic effects.
Insulin Resistance is Associated with Cognitive Decline Among Older Koreans with Normal Baseline Cognitive Function: A Prospective Community-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Kong Sung Hye , Park Young Joo , Lee Jun-Young , Cho Nam H. , Moon Min Kyong
Published: January 2018

We evaluated whether metabolic factors were associated with cognitive decline, compared to baseline cognitive function, among geriatric population. The present study evaluated data from an ongoing prospective community-based Korean cohort study. Among 1,387 participants who were >65 years old, 422 participants were evaluated using the Korean mini-mental status examination (K-MMSE) at the baseline and follow-up examinations. The mean age at the baseline was 69.3 ± 2.9 years, and 222 participants (52.6%) were men. The mean duration of education was 7.1 ± 3.6 years. During a mean follow-up of 5.9 ± 0.1 years, the K-MMSE score significantly decreased (−1.1 ± 2.7 scores), although no significant change was observed in the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) value. Participants with more decreased percent changes in K-MMSE scores had a shorter duration of education (p = 0.001), older age (p = 0.022), higher baseline K-MMSE score (p < 0.001), and increased insulin resistance (∆HOMA-IR, p = 0.002). The correlation between the percent changes in K-MMSE and ∆HOMA-IR values remained significant after multivariable adjustment (B = −0.201, p = 0.002). During a 6-year follow-up of older Koreans with normal baseline cognitive function, increased insulin resistance was significantly correlated with decreased cognitive function.
Layer number identification of CVD-grown multilayer graphene using Si peak analysis
Authors: No You-Shin , Choi Hong Kyw , Kim Jin-Soo , Kim Hakseong , Yu Young-Jun , Choi Choon-Gi , Choi Jin Sik
Published: January 2018

Since the successful exfoliation of graphene, various methodologies have been developed to identify the number of layers of exfoliated graphene. The optical contrast, Raman G-peak intensity, and 2D-peak line-shape are currently widely used as the first level of inspection for graphene samples. Although the combination analysis of G- and 2D-peaks is powerful for exfoliated graphene samples, its use is limited in chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown graphene because CVD-grown graphene consists of various domains with randomly rotated crystallographic axes between layers, which makes the G- and 2D-peaks analysis difficult for use in number identification. We report herein that the Raman Si-peak intensity can be a universal measure for the number identification of multilayered graphene. We synthesized a few-layered graphene via the CVD method and performed Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, we measured the Si-peak intensities from various individual graphene domains and correlated them with the corresponding layer numbers. We then compared the normalized Si-peak intensity of the CVD-grown multilayer graphene with the exfoliated multilayer graphene as a reference and successfully identified the layer number of the CVD-grown graphene. We believe that this Si-peak analysis can be further applied to various 2-dimensional (2D) materials prepared by both exfoliation and chemical growth.
Lithium chloride effectively kills the honey bee parasite Varroa destructor by a systemic mode of action
Authors: Ziegelmann Bettina , Abele Elisabeth , Hannus Stefan , Beitzinger Michaela , Berg Stefan , Rosenkranz Peter
Published: January 2018

Honey bees are increasingly important in the pollination of crops and wild plants. Recent reports of the weakening and periodical high losses of managed honey bee colonies have alarmed beekeeper, farmers and scientists. Infestations with the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor in combination with its associated viruses have been identified as a crucial driver of these health problems. Although yearly treatments are required to prevent collapses of honey bee colonies, the number of effective acaricides is small and no new active compounds have been registered in the past 25 years. RNAi-based methods were proposed recently as a promising new tool. However, the application of these methods according to published protocols has led to a surprising discovery. Here, we show that the lithium chloride that was used to precipitate RNA and other lithium compounds is highly effective at killing Varroa mites when fed to host bees at low millimolar concentrations. Experiments with caged bees and brood-free artificial swarms consisting of a queen and several thousand bees clearly demonstrate the potential of lithium as miticidal agent with good tolerability in worker bees providing a promising basis for the development of an effective and easy-to-apply control method for mite treatment.
Correction: Corrigendum: Directionality of substrate translocation of the hemolysin A Type I secretion system
Authors: Lenders Michael H. H. , Weidtkamp-Peters Stefanie , Kleinschrodt Diana , Jaeger Karl-Erich , Smits Sander H. J. , Schmitt Lutz
Published: January 2018

Scientific Reports 5: Article number: 12470; published online: 27 July 2015; updated: 08 January 2018 In this Article, figure 1 contains errors. Errors were made during the preparation of figure 1: the same HylD blot was accidentally used in figures 1 and 2. The correct Figure 1 appears below.
Correction: Corrigendum: Successful treatment of biofilm infections using shock waves combined with antibiotic therapy
Authors: Gnanadhas Divya Prakash , Elango Monalisha , Janardhanraj S. , Srinandan C. S. , Datey Akshay , Strugnell Richard A. , Gopalan Jagadeesh , Chakravortty Dipshikha
Published: January 2018

Scientific Reports 5: Article number: 17440; published online: 10 December 2015; updated: 08 January 2018 Figure S6 in the Supplementary Information contains errors. Due to misfiling of data the figure was prepared incorrectly. The image in figure S6g corresponds to the incorrect experimental group:‘Mice infected with P.
Erratum: A mineralogical study in contrasts: highly mineralized whale rostrum and human enamel
Authors: Li Zhen , Al-Jawad Maisoon , Siddiqui Samera , Pasteris Jill D.
Published: January 2018

Scientific Reports 5: Article number: 16511; published online: 10 November 2015; updated: 08 January 2018 The original version of this Article contained a typographical error in the spelling of the author Maisoon Al-Jawad, which was incorrectly given as Maisoon AI-Jawad. This has now been corrected in the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Mesoporous CoO-supported palladium nanocatalysts with high performance for o-xylene combustion
Authors: Xie Shaohua , Liu Yuxi , Deng Jiguang , Yang Jun , Zhao Xingtian , Han Zhuo , Zhang Kunfeng , Wang Yuan , Arandiyan Hamidreza , Dai Hongxing
Published: January 2018

The adsorbed o-xylene species can immediately react with active oxygen species at the highly active Pd–CoO interface between Pd NPs and meso-CoO, thus resulting in good catalytic performance of Pd/meso-CoO for o-xylene catalytic combustion.
A pillared-layered copper(i) halide-based metal–organic framework exhibiting dual emission, and piezochromic and thermochromic properties with a large temperature-dependent emission red-shift
Authors: Xin Bingjing , Sang Jianwei , Gao Yi , Li Guanghua , Shi Zhan , Feng Shouhua
Published: January 2018

A pillared-layered copper(i) halide-based metal–organic framework [Cu6I6Br2C16H32N4] exhibiting dual emission, and piezochromic and thermochromic properties with a large temperature-dependent emission red-shift is reported.
Casting of a superhydrophobic membrane composed of polysulfone/Cera flava for improved desalination using a membrane distillation process
Authors: Ray Saikat Sinha , Chen Shiao-Shing , Ngoc Dan Cao Thanh , Hsu Hung-Te , Chang Hau-Ming , Nguyen Nguyen Cong , Nguyen Hau-Thi
Published: January 2018

Superhydrophobic membranes for effective MD desalination.
Clear transparent cellulose nanopaper prepared from a concentrated dispersion by high-humidity drying
Authors: Isobe Noriyuki , Kasuga Takaki , Nogi Masaya
Published: January 2018

Optically transparent paper is fabricated from concentrated cellulose nanofiber dispersion by high-humidity drying.
On extreme value theory for group stationary Gaussian processes
Authors: Albin Patrik
Published: January 2018

We study extreme value theory of right stationary Gaussian processes with parameters in open subsets with compact closure of (not necessarily Abelian) locally compact topological groups. Even when specialized to Euclidian space our result extend results on extremes of stationary Gaussian processes and fields in the literature by means of requiring weaker technical conditions as well as by means of the fact that group stationary processes need not be stationary in the usual sense (that is, with respect to addition as group operation).
Cecal Volvulus following a Right Nephrectomy for Wilms' Tumor: Should We Need to Close the Lateral Peritoneum?
Authors: Gonzalez-Urquijo Mauricio , Ovalle-Chao Christian , Flores-Villalba Eduardo , de Jesus Garza-Luna Ulises , Velazco-De La Garza Jose , Garza-Serna Ulises
Published: January 2018

Wilms' tumor (WT) accounts for 90% of all pediatric renal malignant tumors. The most common postoperative complication based on the National Wilms' Tumor Study is small bowel obstruction. We report on a 2-year-old girl with postoperative bowel obstruction following a right nephrectomy for WT. The patient was reintervened 48 hours after surgery and a cecal volvulus was found. Here, we will describe possible causes of this postoperative complication and discuss management.
Direct Oral Anticoagulants for Pulmonary Embolism: Importance of Anatomical Extent
Authors: Brekelmans Marjolein , Büller Harry , Mercuri Michele , Ageno Walter , Chen Cathy , Cohen Alexander , van Es Nick , Grosso Michael , Medina Andria , Raskob Gary , Segers Annelise , Vanassche Thomas , Verhamme Peter , Wells Philip , Zhang George , Weitz Jeffrey
Published: January 2018

Pulmonary embolism (PE) studies used direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) with or without initial heparin. We aimed to (1) evaluate if PE patients benefit from initial heparin; (2) describe patient characteristics in the DOAC studies; and (3) investigate whether the anatomical extent of PE correlates with N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels, cause of PE, and recurrence rate. Our methods were (1) an indirect meta-analysis comparing the recurrence risk in DOAC-treated patients with or without initial heparin to those patients given heparin/vitamin K antagonist (VKA). (2) To compare the PE studies, information was extracted on baseline characteristics including anatomical extent. (3) The Hokusai-VTE study was used to correlate anatomical extent of PE with NT-proBNP levels, causes of PE, and recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE). The meta-analysis included 11,539 PE patients. The relative risk of recurrent VTE with DOACs versus heparin/VKAs was 0.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6–1.1) with heparin lead-in and 1.1 (95% CI: 0.8–1.5) without heparin. In the DOAC studies, the proportion of patients with extensive PE varied from 24 to 47%. In Hokusai-VTE, NT-proBNP was elevated in 4% of patients with limited and in over 60% of patients with extensive disease. Cause of PE and anatomical extent were not related. Recurrence rates increased from 1.6% with limited to 3.2% with extensive disease in heparin/edoxaban-treated patients, and from 2.4 to 3.9% in heparin/warfarin recipients. In conclusion, indirect evidence suggests a heparin lead-in before DOACs may be advantageous in PE. Anatomical extent was related to elevated NT-proBNP and outcome, but not to PE cause.
Association of D-dimer Levels with Clinical Event Rates and the Efficacy of Betrixaban versus Enoxaparin in the APEX Trial
Authors: Gibson C. , Jennings Lisa , Chi Gerald , Yee Megan , Halaby Rim , Nafee Tarek , AlKhalfan Fahad , Kerneis Mathieu , Korjian Serge , Daaboul Yazan , Goldhaber Samuel , Hull Russel , Hernandez Adrian , Cohen Alexander , Harrington Robert
Published: January 2018

Background Elevated D-dimer concentrations are associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, they may also provide prognostic value. The present analysis sought to study the association of D-dimer levels with VTE event rates and the efficacy of betrixaban versus enoxaparin in the APEX trial.

Methods Hospitalized acutely medically ill subjects (n = 7,513) were randomized in a double-dummy double-blind fashion to either extended-duration oral betrixaban (80 mg once daily for 35–42 days) or standard dose subcutaneous enoxaparin (40 mg once daily for 10 ± 4 days) for venous thromboprophylaxis. D-dimer was assessed using a central core laboratory measurement.

Results For every 0.25 µg/mL increase in D-dimer concentration, there was a 2% increase in the relative risk of experiencing the primary efficacy endpoint (asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis [DVT], symptomatic DVT, nonfatal pulmonary embolism, or VTE-related death) in both the betrixaban (p < 0.001) and enoxaparin (p < 0.001) treatment arms. Among D-dimer-positive (≥ 2 × upper limit of normal; corresponding to ≥ 1.00 µg/mL) subjects, extended-duration betrixaban reduced the risk of experiencing the primary efficacy outcome (5.4% [n = 124] vs. 7.6% [n = 170]; odds ratio = 0.69; 95% confidence interval: 0.55–0.88; absolute risk reduction = 2.2%, number needed to treat = 46, p = 0.003). There was no interaction between D-dimer and the treatment effect (p
int = 0.53).

Conclusion Extended-duration betrixaban was superior to standard-duration enoxaparin, irrespective of D-dimer level at baseline. To prevent one VTE event, 46 D-dimer-positive patients would need to be treated with betrixaban.
Nux vomica: Schlafstörungen – Verdacht auf pränatale Genese
Authors: Hadulla Michael
Published: January 2018

Am Beispiel der Einschlafstörungen eines Säuglings sollen die Möglichkeiten einer homöopathischen Therapie veranschaulicht werden. Neben der akuten Symptomatik fällt dabei auch das nicht selten vorkommende „Verwobensein“ von Ätiologie und deren Folgesymptomatik auf. Neben dem kurativen Arzneimittel Nux vomica werden noch weitere bewährte Indikationen für die Behandlung von Beschwerden innerhalb der Neonatalzeit vorgestellt.
Die Homöopathie in der Klinik: Homöopathische Sprechstunde für Frauen mit Krebserkrankung im Hamburger Agaplesion Diakonieklinikum
Authors: Jahn Stefanie
Published: January 2018

Auf dem Bremer Homöopathiekongress im Jahr 2016 wurde die Vernetzung der in Kliniken homöopathisch tätigen Ärztinnen und Ärzte, die im Jahr zuvor von Kolleginnen und Kollegen der geriatrischen Rehabilitations-Klinik in Welzheim initiiert wurde, weiter vorangetrieben. Ziel ist, Homöopathie in der Klinik, auch für den Nachwuchs, zu stärken. Dargestellt wurden die verschiedenen Formen, Homöopathie in Krankenhäusern anzubieten, beispielsweise als Konsiliarärztin/-arzt. In diesem Artikel wird ein zusätzliches und pragmatisches Angebot einer homöopathischen/naturheilkundlichen Begleittherapie für an Krebs erkrankte Frauen im Hamburger Agaplesion Diakonieklinikum aufgezeigt.
Oxide heterostructures for high density 2D electron gases on GaAs
Authors: Kornblum Lior , Faucher Joseph , Morales-Acosta Mayra D. , Lee Minjoo L. , Ahn Charles H. , Walker Frederick J.
Published: January 2018

2D electron gases (2DEGs) that form at oxide interfaces provide a rich testbed of phenomena for condensed matter research, with emerging implementations in devices. Integrating such oxide systems with semiconductors advances these interesting phenomena toward technological applications. This approach further opens prospects of new functionalities arising from the potential to couple the 2DEG carriers with the semiconductor. In this work, we demonstrate the first integration of oxide 2DEGs with a direct bandgap III-V semiconductor. The growth and structural characteristics of (001) GdTiO3-SrTiO3 (GTO–STO) heterostructures on (001) GaAs are described. Analysis of the magnetotransport data yields a high electron density of ∼2 × 1014 cm−2 per GTO–STO interface, and points to the oxide interface as the source of the carriers. The effect of structure and defects on the transport properties is discussed within the context of the growth conditions and their limitations. These results provide a route for integrating oxide 2DEGs and other functional oxides with GaAs toward future device prospects and integration schemes.
Quantum structural fluctuation in para-hydrogen clusters revealed by the variational path integral method
Authors: Miura Shinichi
Published: January 2018

In this paper, the ground state of para-hydrogen clusters for size regime N ≤ 40 has been studied by our variational path integral molecular dynamics method. Long molecular dynamics calculations have been performed to accurately evaluate ground state properties. The chemical potential of the hydrogen molecule is found to have a zigzag size dependence, indicating the magic number stability for the clusters of the size N = 13, 26, 29, 34, and 39. One-body density of the hydrogen molecule is demonstrated to have a structured profile, not a melted one. The observed magic number stability is examined using the inherent structure analysis. We also have developed a novel method combining our variational path integral hybrid Monte Carlo method with the replica exchange technique. We introduce replicas of the original system bridging from the structured to the melted cluster, which is realized by scaling the potential energy of the system. Using the enhanced sampling method, the clusters are demonstrated to have the structured density profile in the ground state.
Explosion symmetry improvement of polyimide-coated tungsten wire in vacuum on negative discharge facility
Authors: Li Mo , Wu Jian , Lu Yihan , Li Xingwen , Li Yang , Qiu Mengtong
Published: January 2018

Tungsten wire explosion is very asymmetric when fast current rate and insulated coatings are both applied on negative discharge facility using a 24-mm-diameter cathode geometry, which is commonly used on mega-ampere facilities. It is inferred, based on an analytical treatment of the guiding center drift and COMSOL simulations, that the large negative radial electric field causes early voltage breakdown and terminates energy deposition into the wire core on the anode side of the wire. After the anode side is short circuited, the radial electric field along the wire surface on the cathode side will change its polarity and thus leading to additional energy deposition into the wire core. This change causes ∼10 times larger energy deposition and ∼14 times faster explosion velocity in the cathode side than the anode side. In order to reduce this asymmetry, a hollow cylindrical cathode geometry was used to reverse the polarity of radial electric field and was optimized to use on multi-MA facilities. In this case, fully vaporized polyimide-coated tungsten wire with great symmetry improvement was achieved with energy deposition of ∼8.8 eV/atom. The atomic and electronic density distributions for the two different load geometries were obtained by the double-wavelength measurement.
Random sequential adsorption of cubes
Authors: Cieśla Michał , Kubala Piotr
Published: January 2018

Random packings built of cubes are studied numerically using a random sequential adsorption algorithm. To compare the obtained results with previous reports, three different models of cube orientation sampling were used. Also, three different cube-cube intersection algorithms were tested to find the most efficient one. The study focuses on the mean saturated packing fraction as well as kinetics of packing growth. Microstructural properties of packings were analyzed using density autocorrelation function.
Femtosecond coherent nuclear dynamics of excited tetraphenylethylene: Ultrafast transient absorption and ultrafast Raman loss spectroscopic studies
Authors: Kayal Surajit , Roy Khokan , Umapathy Siva
Published: January 2018

Ultrafast torsional dynamics plays an important role in the photoinduced excited state dynamics. Tetraphenylethylene (TPE), a model system for the molecular motor, executes interesting torsional dynamics upon photoexcitation. The photoreaction of TPE involves ultrafast internal conversion via a nearly planar intermediate state (relaxed state) that further leads to a twisted zwitterionic state. Here, we report the photoinduced structural dynamics of excited TPE during the course of photoisomerization in the condensed phase by ultrafast Raman loss (URLS) and femtosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy. TA measurements on the S1 state reveal step-wise population relaxation from the Franck-Condon (FC) state → relaxed state → twisted state, while the URLS study provides insights on the vibrational dynamics during the course of the reaction. The TA spectral dynamics and vibrational Raman amplitudes within 1 ps reveal vibrational wave packet propagating from the FC state to the relaxed state. Fourier transformation of this oscillation leads to a ∼130 cm−1 low-frequency phenyl torsional mode. Two vibrational marker bands, Cet=Cet stretching (∼1512 cm−1) and Cph=Cph stretching (∼1584 cm−1) modes, appear immediately after photoexcitation in the URLS spectra. The initial red-shift of the Cph=Cph stretching mode with a time constant of ∼400 fs (in butyronitrile) is assigned to the rate of planarization of excited TPE. In addition, the Cet=Cet stretching mode shows initial blue-shift within 1 ps followed by frequency red-shift, suggesting that on the sub-picosecond time scale, structural relaxation is dominated by phenyl torsion rather than the central Cet=Cet twist. Furthermore, the effect of the solvent on the structural dynamics is discussed in the context of ultrafast nuclear dynamics and solute-solvent coupling.
Theoretical analysis and simulation of pulsed laser heating at interface
Authors: Xu Ying , Wang Ruizhe , Ma Shaojie , Zhou Lei , Shen Y. Ron , Tian Chuanshan
Published: January 2018

Quantitative yet simple analytical solutions of surface temperature under pulsed laser illumination are presented for a quick estimation in optical spectroscopy studies. Dependence of steady state surface temperature as well as its temporal evolution on laser parameters, such as repetition rate and beam radius, together with medium properties is thoroughly investigated using the analytical solution, which is supported by numerical simulation. It is found that when the pulse number is larger than 100 within the heat diffusion time, the steady-state temperature rise reaches more than 85% of the temperature rise induced by CW laser heating of the same power. We provide a summary of the results to allow their use for a quick estimate of surface temperature evolution from pulse laser heating if laser parameters and medium properties are known.
Variation in Pockels constants of silicate glass-ceramics prepared by perfect surface crystallization
Authors: Takano Kazuya , Takahashi Yoshihiro , Miyazaki Takamichi , Terakado Nobuaki , Fujiwara Takumi
Published: January 2018

We investigated the Pockels effect in polycrystalline materials consisting of highly oriented polar fresnoite-type Sr2TiSi2O8 fabricated using perfectly surface-crystallized glass-ceramics (PSC-GCs). The chemical composition of the precursor glass was shown to significantly affect the crystallized texture, e.g., the crystal orientation and appearance of amorphous nanoparasites in the domains, resulting in variations in the Pockels constants. Single crystals exhibiting spontaneous polarization possessed large structural anisotropy, leading to a strong dependence of the nonlinear-optical properties on the direction of polarized light. This study suggests that variations in the Pockels constants (r13 and r33) and tuning of the r13/r33 ratio can be realized in PSC-GC materials.
Classification of rank 5 premodular categories
Authors: Bruillard Paul , Ortiz-Marrero Carlos M.
Published: January 2018

We survey a number of classification tools developed in recent years and employ them to classify pseudo-unitary rank 5 premodular categories up to Grothendieck equivalence.
Population genetics of Melaleuca irbyana (Myrtaceae) the ‘swamp tea tree’ and implications for its conservation and restoration
Authors: Burrough Reuben , Conroy Gabriel , Lamont Robert W. , Shimizu-Kimura Yoko , Shapcott Alison
Published: January 2018

Habitat fragmentation is affecting greater numbers of species as human land use requirements increase. Melaleuca irbyana R.T.Baker (Myrtaceae) is an endangered tea tree which dominates critically endangered, south-east Queensland swamp tea tree forest. It is restricted to isolated populations in south-east Queensland. New disjunct populations have recently been found adjacent to gas pipeline developments in the Brigalow Belt in central Queensland. A population genetics study was undertaken on the species to investigate its diversity to advise conservation and restoration. Primers for microsatellite markers were developed and used to provide the genetic information for the study. M. irbyana was found to possess moderate levels of genetic diversity within populations but this was not correlated with patch size or isolation. However, inbreeding levels were moderately high in all populations, suggesting individuals may be self-fertilised as there was no evidence of clonality detected in this species despite evidence of resprouting. The disjunct populations in central Queensland were genetically distinct, which highlights their importance for conservation of the species. The northern NSW populations are potentially at risk as they are depauperate and genetically distinct. There is differentiation among populations between the geographic regions so care should be taken to consider local provenance in restoration plantings.
Emergence of cooperation and division of labor in the primitively eusocial waspRopalidia marginata
Authors: Brahma Anindita , Mandal Souvik , Gadagkar Raghavendra
Published: January 2018

Significance

Cooperation and division of labor are two important features of eusocial insects such as ants, bees, wasps, and termites. Using the primitively eusocial waspRopalidia marginata, we investigated the minimum requirements for the emergence of cooperation and division of labor, both reproductive and nonreproductive, and their effect on productivity (i.e., total brood of a colony). We show that (i) two wasps are adequate for the emergence of reproductive division of labor and cooperation and that three wasps are both necessary and sufficient for the additional emergence of nonreproductive division of labor and (ii) reproductive division of labor and cooperation are inadequate for increasing productivity, which comes about only with the addition of nonreproductive division of labor.
Faulty neuronal determination and cell polarization are reverted by modulating HD early phenotypes
Authors: Conforti P. , Besusso D. , Bocchi V. D. , Faedo A. , Cesana E. , Rossetti G. , Ranzani V. , Svendsen C. N. , Thompson L. M. , Toselli M. , Biella G. , Pagani M. , Cattaneo E.
Published: January 2018

Significance

We report that huntingtin mutation affects specific aspects of human neurodevelopment at the level of neuronal progenitor specification and its early commitment, leading to an abnormal cell organization and acquisition of mature neuronal identities in cerebral organoids. We also show that down-regulation of mutant huntingtin or pharmacological inhibition of one of its effectors, ADAM10, successfully rescues neuronal differentiation, suggesting that an early intervention may revert neurodegeneration later in life.