bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and evaluation of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) diagnostic test for detection of whipworm, Trichuris trichiura, in faecal samples
Authors: Ngari M.G. , Mwangi I.N. , Njoroge M.P. , Kinyua J. , Osuna F.A. , Kimeu B.M. , Okanya P.W. , Agola E.L.
Published: April 2020

Whipworm infection or trichuriasis caused by Trichuris trichiura is of major public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly among pre-school and school-going children. It is among the neglected tropical diseases targeted for elimination through mass drug administration (MDA). One of the outcomes of MDA is a rapid decline in levels of infection intensity, making it difficult to monitor effectiveness of control measures using the conventional Kato–Katz procedure, which relies on the microscopic detection of parasite ova in faecal samples. In the present study, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) test was developed for the detection of T. trichiura infection in faecal samples. LAMP technology offers greater sensitivity and specificity than the microscopy-based tests. A set of four specific primers targeting the internal transcribed spacer 2 region of the ribosomal DNA were designed using Primer Explorer software. DNA was extracted from faecal samples using the alkaline lysis method (HotSHOT) and the LAMP reaction performed at 63°C for 1 h. The amplicons were visualized by both gel electrophoresis and with the naked eye following staining with SYBR green dye. Sensitivity and specificity tests were determined using the standard Kato–Katz diagnostic procedure as a reference test. The developed LAMP assay reliably detected T. trichiura DNA in faecal samples, with a specificity and sensitivity of 88% and 77%, respectively. No cross-reactivity was observed with several common helminth parasites. The developed LAMP assay is an appropriate diagnostic method for the detection of T. trichiura DNA in human faecal samples due to its simplicity, low cost, high sensitivity and specificity.
The Indian Panchayat, Access to Knowledge and Criminal Prosecutions in Colonial Bombay, 1827–61
Authors: Jaffe James
Published: April 2020

Throughout the mofussil of the Bombay Presidency British judges and magistrates called upon panchayats, that is, caste or village councils, to help them administer justice. By the mid-nineteenth century, panchayats were being deployed by British justices not only to offer their advice to judges attempting to decide a case, but much more frequently to investigate crimes, including murder, assault, robbery, arson, forgery, rape, and property disputes. Moreover, the active participation of the panchayat in the administration of criminal law varied as much in form as in function. In different scenarios, the panchayat functioned as a coroner's court, a criminal investigation team, and a general witnessing agent for the courts. With very few exceptions, they almost always appear in a supporting role on the prosecution side of any case offering their opinions on the crime in question in written form. Judges, for their part, appear to have relied quite heavily upon these recommendations and there are very few instances in which the panchayat's opinions were either ignored or rejected. There thus developed a hybrid system of justice whereby judges and magistrates adapted, transformed, and incorporated the expertise and knowledge of the ‘customary’ panchayat to suit the needs of British governance and legal administration.
Withholding Consent to Conjugal Relations within Child Marriages in Colonial India: Rukhmabai's Fight
Authors: Sharma Kanika
Published: April 2020

Married at the age of eleven, Rukhmabai refused to go and live with her husband who had filed a suit for restitution of conjugal rights against her in 1884. This paper analyses the transplantation of the notion of restitution of conjugal rights into Hindu personal law in India at a time when child marriage was rife and there was no minimum age of marriage. Within this context Rukhmabai's case symbolises an important interjection in its attempt to posit lack of consent to an infant marriage as a defence against suits for restitution of conjugal rights. This marked a shift from female consent being understood as a question of physical maturity alone, to a claim of intelligent consent and the capacity to withhold such consent within an unconsummated marriage arranged in the girl's infancy. While analysing these notions of consent within colonial law the paper also closely scrutinises Rukhmabai's public writings to recover one of the earliest published Indian female views on the need for marital consent.
Cultures of Sex, Laws of Difference: Age of Consent Law and the Forging of a Fraternal Contract on the Margins of the Nineteenth-Century British Empire
Authors: Essop Sheik Nafisa
Published: April 2020

In the British colony of Natal, laws governing sex for settlers were concerned with reproduction and sexual respectability, which were the grounds for imagining difference amongst imperial populations only recently assembled under colonial jurisdiction. Age of consent laws arose out of these contingencies rather than out of any concern with a liberal politics of social reform. Consequently, colonial age of consent laws governing white settlers bore only superficial resemblance to metropolitan legislative reforms such as age of consent laws. Instead, the Natal state's practices of law-making recognized three discrete and divergent moral economies of sex in the colonial laws governing white settler citizens, Native law which governed the lives of Africans and the consolidated body of laws governing Indian immigrants. In this young colony, not only did ‘age of consent’ laws have to be newly made, but they were conceived separately and contained by ‘colonial law’, ‘Native custom’ and ‘Indian custom’. The sexuality of young white woman was coded in colonial rape laws and used to draw lines of civilizational difference between settler citizens and their Others. For these others, relating sex to exceptional marriage customs excluded from legal codes of civilized common practice was how the state worked to assert difference.
An Alternative to ‘Celtic from the East’ and ‘Celtic from the West’
Authors: Sims-Williams Patrick
Published: April 2020

This article discusses a problem in integrating archaeology and philology. For most of the twentieth century, archaeologists associated the spread of the Celtic languages with the supposed westward spread of the ‘eastern Hallstatt culture’ in the first millenniumbc. More recently, some have discarded ‘Celtic from the East’ in favour of ‘Celtic from the West’, according to which Celtic was a much olderlingua francawhich evolved from a hypothetical Neolithic Proto-Indo-European language in the Atlantic zone and then spread eastwards in the third millenniumbc. This article (1) criticizes the assumptions and misinterpretations of classical texts and onomastics that led to ‘Celtic from the East’ in the first place; (2) notes the unreliability of the linguistic evidence for ‘Celtic from the West’, namely (i) ‘glottochronology’ (which assumes that languages change at a steady rate), (ii) misunderstood place-name distribution maps and (iii) the undeciphered inscriptions in southwest Iberia; and (3) proposes that Celtic radiating from France during the first millenniumbcwould be a more economical explanation of the known facts.
Global Characteristics of Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Poison Use in Terrorist Attacks
Authors: Aydin Burc
Published: April 2020

Background:

Chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) terrorism continues to be a global threat. Studies examining global and historical toxicological characteristics of CBR terrorism are lacking.

Methods:

Global Terrorism Database (GTD) and RAND Database of Worldwide Terrorism Incidents (RDWTI) were searched for CBR terrorist attacks from 1970 through 2017. Events fulfilling terrorism and poisoning definitions were included. Variables of event date and location, event realization, poisonous agent type, poisoning agent, exposure route, targets, connected events, additional means of harm, disguise methods, poisonings, and casualties were analyzed along with time trends and data gaps.

Results:

A total of 446 events of CBR terrorism were included from all world regions. A trend for increased number of events over time was observed (R2 = 0.727; coefficient = 0.511). In these attacks, 4,093 people lost their lives and 31,903 were injured. Chemicals were the most commonly used type of poison (63.5%). The most commonly used poisonous agents were acids (12.3%), chlorine or chlorine compounds (11.2%), riot control agents (10.8%), cyanides (5.8%), and Bacillus anthracis (4.9%). Occurrence of poisoning was confirmed in 208 events (46.6%). Most common exposure routes were skin, mucosa, or eye (57.2%) and inhalation (47.5%). Poison was delivered with additional means of harm in 151 events (33.9%) and in a disguised way in 214 events (48.0%), respectively.

Conclusions:

This study showed that CBR terrorism is an on-going and increasingly recorded global threat involving diverse groups of poisons with additional harmful mechanisms and disguise. Industrial chemicals were used in chemical attacks. Vigilance and preparedness are needed for future CBR threats.
Exploring the association between food insecurity and food skills among school-aged children
Authors: Blanchet Rosanne , Loewen Olivia K , Godrich Stephanie L , Willows Noreen , Veugelers Paul
Published: April 2020

Objective:

To examine the relationship between household food insecurity (FI) and children’s involvement in family meal choices and food preparation, used as proxies for children’s food skills, and to explore gender differences within these associations.

Design:

Households were classified as food-secure or food-insecure using the six-item, short-form Household Food Security Survey Module. Children’s involvement in family meal choices and food preparation were treated as proxies for children’s food skills. Mixed-effects multinomial logistic regression models were used.

Setting:

Public schools in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Participants:

5244 children in the fifth grade (10–11 years old) participating in the Children’s Lifestyle and School Performance Study (CLASS).

Results:

Most children reported being involved in family meal choices or food preparation at least weekly (74 and 68 %). The likelihood of helping choose family meals once a week was 33 % lower among girls from food-insecure households compared to girls from food-secure households. No differences in boys’ involvement in family meal choices were observed according to household FI status. Boys from food-insecure households were 65 % more likely than boys from food-secure households to assist with food preparation/cooking four times per week. No differences in girls’ involvement in food preparation were observed according to household FI status.

Conclusions:

Findings support that household FI is not due to a lack of food skills but most likely due to inadequate access to resources. This supports the call for upstream policies targeting the structural issues underpinning household FI such as low income.
AN UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE FOR SOLUTIONS OF THE SCHRÖDINGER EQUATION ON -TYPE GROUPS
Authors: FERNÁNDEZ-BERTOLIN AINGERU , JAMING PHILIPPE , PÉREZ-ESTEVA SALVADOR
Published: April 2020

In this paper we consider uncertainty principles for solutions of certain partial differential equations on$H$-type groups. We first prove that, on$H$-type groups, the heat kernel is an average of Gaussians in the central variable, so that it does not satisfy a certain reformulation of Hardy’s uncertainty principle. We then prove the analogue of Hardy’s uncertainty principle for solutions of the Schrödinger equation with potential on$H$-type groups. This extends the free case considered by Ben Saïdet al. [‘Uniqueness of solutions to Schrödinger equations on H-type groups’,J. Aust. Math. Soc. (3)95(2013), 297–314] and by Ludwig and Müller [‘Uniqueness of solutions to Schrödinger equations on 2-step nilpotent Lie groups’,Proc. Amer. Math. Soc.142(2014), 2101–2118].
Assessment of the Sociodemographic Profile, Pattern, and Outcomes of Intentional Poisoning Cases in an Emergency Department of a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital
Authors: Parashar Abhimanyu , Ramesh Madhan
Published: April 2020

Abstract. Background: Intentional self-poisoning has become a major health problem in low- and middle-income countries. Aims: We aimed to assess the sociodemographic profile, pattern, and outcomes of intentional poisoning cases in the emergency department of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Method: A prospective observational study was conducted at the department of emergency medicine of a South Indian tertiary care hospital for 1 year to study the sociodemographic profile, pattern, and outcomes of intentional poisoning cases. Results: The majority of poisonings were observed in the male population (64.5%) and among the age group of 19–40 years (65.2%). Poisoning was prevalent in rural/semi-urban populations (77.5%) and in people engaged in agriculture (28.4%) for their livelihood. Pesticides were the most common agents implicated (65.9%) in poisonings. Based on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Poison Severity Scale (PSS), the majority of people with poisoning presented with mild (53.9%) and minor symptoms (36.3%). In 78.5% of the cases, patients recovered while mortality was observed in 5.4% of cases. Conclusion: There was a strong association between outcomes of poisoning and age. Organophosphate pesticides were the most commonly implicated substances in poisonings. Regulation policies should be made by the government to regulate the transport, distribution, and use of insecticides and pesticides.
The Police Officer’s Dilemma
Authors: Greitemeyer Tobias
Published: April 2020

Abstract. Correll and colleagues ( Correll, Park, Judd, & Wittenbrink, 2002 ) developed a first-person shooter task that simulates the police officer’s dilemma of whether to shoot or not a target that may present lethal danger. The present study examined the relationship between habitual violent video game play and responses in this shooting paradigm. Habitual violent video game play has been shown to increase the accessibility of aggressive thoughts. Previous research also demonstrated that action video game play has a positive impact on perceptual skills. Hence, it was hypothesized that players of violent video games would be more likely to mistakenly shoot a target and exhibit shorter reaction times in the shooting task. Results revealed that reaction times, but not error rates, were significantly associated with habitual violent video game play. These findings suggest that habitual violent video game play may have a positive impact on overall processing skills without limiting accuracy.
Efficient generation of relativistic near-single-cycle mid-infrared pulses in plasmas
Authors: Zhu Xing-Long , Weng Su-Ming , Chen Min , Sheng Zheng-Ming , Zhang Jie
Published: April 2020

Ultrashort intense optical pulses in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) region are very important for broad applications ranging from super-resolution spectroscopy to attosecond X-ray pulse generation and particle acceleration. However, currently, it is still difficult to produce few-cycle mid-IR pulses of relativistic intensities using standard optical techniques. Here, we propose and numerically demonstrate a novel scheme to produce these mid-IR pulses based on laser-driven plasma optical modulation. In this scheme, a plasma wake is first excited by an intense drive laser pulse in an underdense plasma, and a signal laser pulse initially at the same wavelength (1 micron) as that of the drive laser is subsequently injected into the plasma wake. The signal pulse is converted to a relativistic multi-millijoule near-single-cycle mid-IR pulse with a central wavelength of ~5 microns via frequency-downshifting, where the energy conversion efficiency is as high as approximately 30% when the drive and signal laser pulses are both at a few tens of millijoules at the beginning. Our scheme can be realized with terawatt-class kHz laser systems, which may bring new opportunities in high-field physics and ultrafast science.
Chemotherapy exacerbates ovarian cancer cell migration and cancer stem cell-like characteristics through GLI1
Authors: Zhao Yawei , He Meihui , Cui Lianzhi , Gao Mohan , Zhang Min , Yue Fengli , Shi Tongfei , Yang Xuehan , Pan Yue , Zheng Xiao , Jia Yong , Shao Dan , Li Jing , He Kan , Chen Li
Published: April 2020

Background

Despite the great clinical response to the first-line chemotherapeutics, metastasis still happens among most of the ovarian cancer patients within 2 years.

Methods

Using multiple human ovarian cancer cell lines, a transwell co-culture system of the carboplatin or VP-16-challenged feeder and receptor cells was established to demonstrate the chemotherapy-exacerbated migration. The migration and cancer stem cell (CSC)-like characteristics were determined by wound healing, transwell migration, flow cytometry and sphere formation. mRNA and protein expression were identified by qPCR and western blot. Bioinformatics analysis was used to investigate the differentially expressed genes. GLI1 expression in tissue samples was analysed by immunohistochemistry.

Results

Chemotherapy was found to not only kill tumour cells, but also trigger the induction of CSC-like traits and the migration of ovarian cancer cells. EMT markers Vimentin and Snail in receptor cells were upregulated in the microenvironment of chemotherapy-challenged feeder cells. The transcription factor GLI1 was upregulated by chemotherapy in both clinical samples and cell lines. Follow-up functional experiments illustrated that inhibiting GLI1 reversed the chemotherapy-exacerbated CSC-like traits, including CD44 and CD133, as well as prevented the migration of ovarian cancer cells.

Conclusions

Targeting GLI1 may improve clinical benefits in the chemotherapy-exacerbated metastasis in ovarian cancer treatment.
Binder- and conductive additive-free laser-induced graphene/LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 for advanced hybrid supercapacitors
Authors: Lee Seung-Hwan , Kim Ki-Yong , Yoon Jung-Rag
Published: April 2020

Hybrid supercapacitors have recently emerged as next-generation energy storage devices that bridge the gap between supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries. However, developing high energy cathodes that maintain long-term cycle stability and a high rate capability for real applications remains a significantly challenging issue. Herein, we report a facile synthesis method for a laser-scribed graphene/LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 (LSG/NMC) composite for high energy cathode materials for use in hybrid supercapacitors. LSG/NMC composites exhibit not only a high capacitance of up to 141.5 F/g but also an excellent capacitance retention of 98.1% after 1000 cycles at a high current density of 5.0 A/g. The introduction of an NMC spacer between the LSG layers provides an enlarged interspace that can act as an efficient channel for additional storage sites and rapid access. In addition, we further confirmed that hybrid supercapacitors using LSG/NMC cathodes and H2T12O25 anodes with an AlPO4/carbon hybrid coating layer (H-HTO) deliver a remarkable energy density of ~123.5 Wh/kg, power density of ~14074.8 W/kg, and a long-term cycle stability of 94.6% after 20,000 cycles. This work demonstrates that our proposed material can be considered a strong cathode candidate for next-generation hybrid supercapacitors.
Spider-silk inspired polymeric networks by harnessing the mechanical potential of β-sheets through network guided assembly
Authors: Chan Nicholas Jun-An , Gu Dunyin , Tan Shereen , Fu Qiang , Pattison Thomas Geoffrey , O’Connor Andrea J. , Qiao Greg G.
Published: April 2020

The high toughness of natural spider-silk is attributed to their unique β-sheet secondary structures. However, the preparation of mechanically strong β-sheet rich materials remains a significant challenge due to challenges involved in processing the polymers/proteins, and managing the assembly of the hydrophobic residues. Inspired by spider-silk, our approach effectively utilizes the superior mechanical toughness and stability afforded by localised β-sheet domains within an amorphous network. Using a grafting-from polymerisation approach within an amorphous hydrophilic network allows for spatially controlled growth of poly(valine) and poly(valine-r-glycine) as β-sheet forming polypeptides via N-carboxyanhydride ring opening polymerisation. The resulting continuous β-sheet nanocrystal network exhibits improved compressive strength and stiffness over the initial network lacking β-sheets of up to 30 MPa (300 times greater than the initial network) and 6 MPa (100 times greater than the initial network) respectively. The network demonstrates improved resistance to strong acid, base and protein denaturants over 28 days.
Social media usage reveals recovery of small businesses after natural hazard events
Authors: Eyre Robert , De Luca Flavia , Simini Filippo
Published: April 2020

The challenge of nowcasting the effect of natural hazard events (e.g., earthquakes, floods, hurricanes) on assets, people and society is of primary importance for assessing the ability of such systems to recover from extreme events. Traditional recovery estimates, such as surveys and interviews, are usually costly, time consuming and do not scale. Here we present a methodology to indirectly estimate the post-emergency recovery status (downtime) of small businesses in urban areas looking at their online posting activity on social media. Analysing the time series of posts before and after an event, we quantify the downtime of small businesses for three natural hazard events occurred in Nepal, Puerto Rico and Mexico. A convenient and reliable method for nowcasting the post-emergency recovery status of economic activities could help local governments and decision makers to better target their interventions and distribute the available resources more effectively.
TNIK signaling imprints CD8+ T cell memory formation early after priming
Authors: Jaeger-Ruckstuhl Carla A. , Hinterbrandner Magdalena , Höpner Sabine , Correnti Colin E. , Lüthi Ursina , Friedli Olivier , Freigang Stefan , Al Sayed Mohamad F. , Bührer Elias D. , Amrein Michael A. , Schürch Christian M. , Radpour Ramin , Riether Carsten , Ochsenbein Adrian F.
Published: April 2020

Co-stimulatory signals, cytokines and transcription factors regulate the balance between effector and memory cell differentiation during T cell activation. Here, we analyse the role of the TRAF2-/NCK-interacting kinase (TNIK), a signaling molecule downstream of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily receptors such as CD27, in the regulation of CD8+T cell fate during acute infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Priming of CD8+T cells induces a TNIK-dependent nuclear translocation of β-catenin with consecutive Wnt pathway activation. TNIK-deficiency during T cell activation results in enhanced differentiation towards effector cells, glycolysis and apoptosis. TNIK signaling enriches for memory precursors by favouring symmetric over asymmetric cell division. This enlarges the pool of memory CD8+T cells and increases their capacity to expand after re-infection in serial re-transplantation experiments. These findings reveal that TNIK is an important regulator of effector and memory T cell differentiation and induces a population of stem cell-like memory T cells.
A solution-processable and ultra-permeable conjugated microporous thermoset for selective hydrogen separation
Authors: Liu Wei , Jiang Shu-Dong , Yan Youguo , Wang Wensen , Li Jing , Leng Kai , Japip Susilo , Liu Jiangtao , Xu Hai , Liu Yanpeng , Park In-Hyeok , Bao Yang , Yu Wei , Guiver Michael D. , Zhang Sui , Loh Kian Ping
Published: April 2020

The synthesis of a polymer that combines the processability of plastics with the extreme rigidity of cross-linked organic networks is highly attractive for molecular sieving applications. However, cross-linked networks are typically insoluble or infusible, preventing them from being processed as plastics. Here, we report a solution-processable conjugated microporous thermoset with permanent pores of ~0.4 nm, prepared by a simple heating process. When employed as a two-dimensional molecular sieving membrane for hydrogen separation, the membrane exhibits ultrahigh permeability with good selectivity for H2 over CO2, O2, N2, CH4, C3H6 and C3H8. The combined processability, structural rigidity and easy feasibility make this polymeric membrane promising for large-scale hydrogen separations of commercial and environmental relevance.
Publisher Correction: Genetic interaction networks mediate individual statin drug response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Busby Bede P. , Niktab Eliatan , Roberts Christina A. , Sheridan Jeffrey P. , Coorey Namal V. , Senanayake Dinindu S. , Connor Lisa M. , Munkacsi Andrew B. , Atkinson Paul H.
Published: April 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Functional identity enhances aboveground productivity of a coastal saline meadow mediated by Tamarix chinensis in Laizhou Bay, China
Authors: Yi Shijie , Wu Pan , Peng Xiqiang , Bai Fenghua , Gao Yanan , Zhang Wenxin , Du Ning , Guo Weihua
Published: April 2020

Research in recent decades has confirmed that biodiversity influences ecosystem productivity; however, the potential mechanisms regulating this process remain subject to controversy, due to variation across ecosystems. Here, the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem productivity were evaluated using three variables of biodiversity (taxonomic diversity, functional identity, and functional diversity) and surrounding environmental conditions in a coastal saline meadow located on the south coast of Laizhou Bay, China. At this site, the shrub and field layers were primarily dominated by Tamarix chinensis and natural mesic grasses, respectively. Our results showed that functional identity, which is quantified as the community weighted mean of trait values, had greater explanatory ability than taxonomic and functional diversity. Thus, ecosystem productivity was determined disproportionately by the specific traits of dominant species. T. chinensis coverage was a biotic environmental factor that indirectly affected ecosystem productivity by increasing the community weighted mean of plant maximum height, which simultaneously declined with species richness. The present study advances our understanding of the mechanisms driving variation in the productivity of temperate coastal saline meadows, providing evidence supporting the “mass ratio” hypothesis.
Development of a conductive biocomposite combining graphene and amniotic membrane for replacement of the neuronal network of tissue-engineered urinary bladder
Authors: Adamowicz J. , Pasternak I. , Kloskowski T. , Gniadek M. , Van Breda S. V. , Buhl M. , Balcerczyk D. , Gagat M. , Grzanka D. , Strupinski W. , Pokrywczynska M. , Drewa T.
Published: April 2020

Tissue engineering allows to combine biomaterials and seeded cells to experimentally replace urinary bladder wall. The normal bladder wall however, includes branched neuronal network propagating signals which regulate urine storage and voiding. In this study we introduced a novel biocomposite built from amniotic membrane (Am) and graphene which created interface between cells and external stimuli replacing neuronal network. Graphene layers were transferred without modifying Am surface. Applied method allowed to preserve the unique bioactive characteristic of Am. Tissue engineered constructs composed from biocomposite seeded with smooth muscle cells (SMC) derived from porcine detrusor and porcine urothelial cells (UC) were used to evaluate properties of developed biomaterial. The presence of graphene layer significantly increased electrical conductivity of biocomposite. UCs and SMCs showed an organized growth pattern on graphene covered surfaces. Electrical filed stimulation (EFS) applied in vitro led additionally to increased SMCs growth and linear arrangement. 3D printed chamber equipped with 3D printed graphene based electrodes was fabricated to deliver EFS and record pressure changes caused by contracting SMCs seeded biocomposite. Observed contractile response indicated on effective SMCs stimulation mediated by graphene layer which constituted efficient cell to biomaterial interface.
Publisher Correction: Analysis of Copy-Number Variations and Feline Mammary Carcinoma Survival
Authors: Granados-Soler José Luis , Bornemann-Kolatzki Kirsten , Beck Julia , Brenig Bertram , Schütz Ekkehard , Betz Daniela , Junginger Johannes , Hewicker-Trautwein Marion , Murua Escobar Hugo , Nolte Ingo
Published: April 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Amber from the Triassic to Paleogene of Australia and New Zealand as exceptional preservation of poorly known terrestrial ecosystems
Authors: Stilwell Jeffrey D. , Langendam Andrew , Mays Chris , Sutherland Lachlan J. M. , Arillo Antonio , Bickel Daniel J. , De Silva William T. , Pentland Adele H. , Roghi Guido , Price Gregory D. , Cantrill David J. , Quinney Annie , Peñalver Enrique
Published: April 2020

The Northern Hemisphere dominates our knowledge of Mesozoic and Cenozoic fossilized tree resin (amber) with few findings from the high southern paleolatitudes of Southern Pangea and Southern Gondwana. Here we report new Pangean and Gondwana amber occurrences dating from ~230 to 40 Ma from Australia (Late Triassic and Paleogene of Tasmania; Late Cretaceous Gippsland Basin in Victoria; Paleocene and late middle Eocene of Victoria) and New Zealand (Late Cretaceous Chatham Islands). The Paleogene, richly fossiliferous deposits contain significant and diverse inclusions of arthropods, plants and fungi. These austral discoveries open six new windows to different but crucial intervals of the Mesozoic and early Cenozoic, providing the earliest occurrence(s) of some taxa in the modern fauna and flora giving new insights into the ecology and evolution of polar and subpolar terrestrial ecosystems.
Rapid Identification of Candida Species in Candidemia Directly from Blood Samples Using Imperfect Match Probes
Authors: Higashi Yoshitsugu , Niimi Hideki , Sakamaki Ippei , Yamamoto Yoshihiro , Kitajima Isao
Published: April 2020

Candidemia is associated with a high mortality rate, and initial adequate antifungal therapy results in a significant decrease in the crude mortality. We herein report a rapid method that can identify eight Candida species in candidemia using imperfect match quenching probes (IM Q-probes) within three and a half hours of whole blood sample collection. Furthermore, employing the D value, which reflects the difference between the Tm signature from a clinical isolate and that registered in the database, it is possible to quickly identify samples suitable for IM Q-probe identification. We first evaluated the method using 34 Candida colonies collected from different patients, and 100% (34/34) of the identification results matched the preidentified Candida species. We then performed blind tests using eight whole blood samples artificially mixed with eight different Candida species respectively, and all identification results correctly matched the preidentified Candida species. Finally, using 16 whole blood samples collected from candidemia patients, we compared the IM Q-probe method with the culture/sequencing method. Of a total of 16 patient samples, 100% (16/16) matched the culture and sequencing results. The IM Q-probe method is expected to contribute not only to the life expectancy of candidemia patients but also to antifungal stewardship.
Therapeutic effects of Low intensity extracorporeal low energy shock wave therapy (LiESWT) on stress urinary incontinence
Authors: Long Cheng-Yu , Lin Kun-Ling , Lee Yung-Chin , Chuang Shu-Mien , Lu Jian-He , Wu Bin-Nan , Chueh Kuang-Shun , Ker Chin-Ru , Shen Mei-Chen , Juan Yung-Shun
Published: April 2020

This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of Low intensity extracorporeal low energy shock wave therapy (LiESWT) on stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The investigation was a single-arm, open-label, multicentre study conducted in Taiwan. 50 female patients with SUI received LiESWT-treated with 0.25 mJ/mm2 intensity, 3000 pulses, and 3 pulses/second, once weekly for 4-weeks (W4) and 8-weeks (W8). The pad test, uroflowmetry, life quality questionnaires, and 3-day urinary diary measurement were performed before and after LiESWT intervention. The results revealed that 8-week of LiESWT treatment meaningfully improved urine leakage (pad test), maximum flow rate, post-voided residual urine, average urine volume, functional bladder capacity, urinary frequency, urgency symptom, and nocturia, which also persisted to show significant improvements at 1-month follow up (F1). Moreover, bothersome questionnaires scores were significantly improved at W4, W8, and F1 as compared to the baseline (W0). These results indicated that 8 weeks of LiESWT attenuated SUI symptoms on physical activity, reduced bladder leaks and overactive bladder (OAB), implying that LiESWT brought significant improvement in the quality of life. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04059133).
Chronology of cellular events related to mitochondrial burnout leading to cell death in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy
Authors: Méthot Sébastien J. , Proulx Stéphanie , Brunette Isabelle , Rochette Patrick J.
Published: April 2020

Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is a degenerative eye disease characterized by corneal endothelial cell (CEC) death and the formation of guttae, an abnormal thickening of CEC’s basement membrane. At the tissue level, an oxidative stress causing mitochondrial damage and CEC death have been described to explain FECD pathogenesis. At the cellular level, our group has previously observed significant variability in the mitochondrial mass of FECD CECs. This led us to hypothesize that mitochondrial mass variability might play a key role in the chronology of events eventually leading to CEC death in FECD. We thus used different fluorescent markers to assess mitochondrial health and functionality as a function of mitochondrial mass in FECD corneal endothelial explants, namely, intra-mitochondrial calcium, mitochondrial membrane potential, oxidation level and apoptosis. This has led us to describe for the first time a sequence of events leading to what we referred to as a mitochondrial burnout, and which goes as follow. FECD CECs initially compensate for endothelial cell losses by incorporating mitochondrial calcium to help generating more ATP, but this leads to increased oxidation. CECs then resist the sustained need for more ATP by increasing their mitochondrial mass, mitochondrial calcium and mitochondrial membrane potential. At this stage, CECs reach their maximum capacity and start to cope with irreversible oxidative damage, which leads to mitochondrial burnout. This burnout is accompanied by a dissipation of the membrane potential and a release of mitochondrial calcium, which in turn leads to cell death by apoptosis.
MONOPOL - A traveling-wave magnetic neutron spin resonator for tailoring polarized neutron beams
Authors: Jericha Erwin , Gösselsberger Christoph , Abele Hartmut , Baumgartner Stefan , Berger Bernhard Maximilian , Geltenbort Peter , Hino Masahiro , Oda Tatsuro , Raab Robert , Badurek Gerald
Published: April 2020

We report on first experimental tests of a neutron magnetic spin resonator at a very cold neutron beam port of the high flux reactor at the ILL Grenoble. When placed between two supermirror neutron polarizers and operated in a pulsed traveling-wave mode it allows to decouple its time- and wavelength-resolution and can therefore be used simultaneously as electronically tunable monochromator and fast beam chopper. As a first ‘real’ scientific application we intend its implementation in the PERC (p roton and e lectron r adiation c hannel) project related to high-precision experiments in neutron beta decay.
Cell cycle–dependent localization of the proteasome to chromatin
Authors: Kito Yuki , Matsumoto Masaki , Hatano Atsushi , Takami Tomoyo , Oshikawa Kiyotaka , Matsumoto Akinobu , Nakayama Keiichi I.
Published: April 2020

An integrative understanding of nuclear events including transcription in normal and cancer cells requires comprehensive and quantitative measurement of protein dynamics that underlie such events. However, the low abundance of most nuclear proteins hampers their detailed functional characterization. We have now comprehensively quantified the abundance of nuclear proteins with the use of proteomics approaches in both normal and transformed human diploid fibroblasts. We found that subunits of the 26S proteasome complex were markedly down-regulated in the nuclear fraction of the transformed cells compared with that of the wild-type cells. The intranuclear proteasome abundance appeared to be inversely related to the rate of cell cycle progression, with restraint of the cell cycle being associated with an increase in the amount of proteasome subunits in the nucleus, suggesting that the nuclear proteasome content is dependent on the cell cycle. Furthermore, chromatin enrichment for proteomics (ChEP) analysis revealed enrichment of the proteasome in the chromatin fraction of quiescent cells and its apparent dissociation from chromatin in transformed cells. Our results thus suggest that translocation of the nuclear proteasome to chromatin may play an important role in control of the cell cycle and oncogenesis through regulation of chromatin-associated transcription factors.
Conditional down-regulation of GreA impacts expression of rRNA and transcription factors, affecting Mycobacterium smegmatis survival
Authors: Jha Rajiv Kumar , Udupa Shubha , Rai Ashutosh Kumar , Rani Phoolwanti , Singh Prakruti R. , Govind Shamitha , Nagaraja Valakunja
Published: April 2020

Gre, one of the conserved transcription factors in bacteria, modulates RNA polymerase (RNAP) activity to ensure processivity and fidelity of RNA synthesis. Gre factors regulate transcription by inducing the intrinsic-endonucleolytic activity of RNAP, allowing the enzyme to resume transcription from the paused and arrested sites. While Escherichia coli and a number of eubacteria harbor GreA and GreB, genus mycobacteria has a single Gre (GreA). To address the importance of the GreA in growth, physiology and gene expression of Mycobacterium smegmatis, we have constructed a conditional knock-down strain of GreA. The GreA depleted strain exhibited slow growth, drastic changes in cell surface phenotype, cell death, and increased susceptibility to front-line anti-tubercular drugs. Transcripts and 2D-gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) analysis of the GreA conditional knock-down strain showed altered expression of the genes involved in transcription regulation. Among the genes analysed, expression of RNAP subunits (β, β’ and ω), carD, hupB, lsr2, and nusA were affected to a large extent. Severe reduction in the expression of genes of rRNA operon in the knock-down strain reveal a role for GreA in regulating the core components of the translation process.
Prior Experience Alters the Appearance of Blurry Object Borders
Authors: Perez Diana C. , Cook Sarah M. , Peterson Mary A.
Published: April 2020

Object memories activated by borders serve as priors for figure assignment: figures are more likely to be perceived on the side of a border where a well-known object is sketched. Do object memories also affect the appearance of object borders? Memories represent past experience with objects; memories of well-known objects include many with sharp borders because they are often fixated. We investigated whether object memories affect appearance by testing whether blurry borders appear sharper when they are contours of well-known objects versus matched novel objects. Participants viewed blurry versions of one familiar and one novel stimulus simultaneously for 180 ms; then made comparative (Exp. 1) or equality judgments regarding perceived blur (Exps. 2–4). For equivalent levels of blur, the borders of well-known objects appeared sharper than those of novel objects. These results extend evidence for the influence of past experience to object appearance, consistent with dynamic interactive models of perception.
TAS2R38 is a novel modifier gene in patients with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Castaldo Alice , Cernera Gustavo , Iacotucci Paola , Cimbalo Chiara , Gelzo Monica , Comegna Marika , Di Lullo Antonella Miriam , Tosco Antonella , Carnovale Vincenzo , Raia Valeria , Amato Felice
Published: April 2020

The clinical manifestation of cystic fibrosis (CF) is heterogeneous also in patients with the same cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) genotype and in affected sibling pairs. Other genes, inherited independently of CFTR, may modulate the clinical manifestation and complications of patients with CF, including the severity of chronic sinonasal disease and the occurrence of chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization. The T2R38 gene encodes a taste receptor and recently its functionality was related to the occurrence of sinonasal diseases and upper respiratory infections. We assessed the T2R38 genotype in 210 patients with CF and in 95 controls, relating the genotype to the severity of sinonasal disease and to the occurrence of P. aeruginosa pulmonary colonization. The frequency of the PAV allele i.e., the allele associated with the high functionality of the T2R38 protein, was significantly lower in i) CF patients with nasal polyposis requiring surgery, especially in patients who developed the complication before 14 years of age; and ii) in CF patients with chronic pulmonary colonization by P. aeruginosa, especially in patients who were colonized before 14 years of age, than in control subjects. These data suggest a role for T2R38 as a novel modifier gene of sinonasal disease severity and of pulmonary P. aeruginosa colonization in patients with CF.
Dynamic input-dependent encoding of individual basal ganglia neurons
Authors: Matzner Ayala , Gorodetski Lilach , Korngreen Alon , Bar-Gad Izhar
Published: April 2020

Computational models are crucial to studying the encoding of individual neurons. Static models are composed of a fixed set of parameters, thus resulting in static encoding properties that do not change under different inputs. Here, we challenge this basic concept which underlies these models. Using generalized linear models, we quantify the encoding and information processing properties of basal ganglia neurons recorded in-vitro. These properties are highly sensitive to the internal state of the neuron due to factors such as dependency on the baseline firing rate. Verification of these experimental results with simulations provides insights into the mechanisms underlying this input-dependent encoding. Thus, static models, which are not context dependent, represent only part of the neuronal encoding capabilities, and are not sufficient to represent the dynamics of a neuron over varying inputs. Input-dependent encoding is crucial for expanding our understanding of neuronal behavior in health and disease and underscores the need for a new generation of dynamic neuronal models.
The coupling of Phanerozoic continental weathering and marine phosphorus cycle
Authors: Wang Ruimin , Lang Xianguo , Ding Weiming , Liu Yarong , Huang Tianzheng , Tang Wenbo , Shen Bing
Published: April 2020

Organic matter production and decomposition primarily modulate the atmospheric O2 and CO2 levels. The long term marine primary productivity is controlled by the terrestrial input of phosphorus (P), while the marine P cycle would also affect organic matter production. In the past 540 million years, the evolution of terrestrial system, e.g. colonization of continents by vascular land plants in late Paleozoic, would certainly affect terrestrial P input into the ocean, which in turn might have impacted the marine primary productivity and organic carbon burial. However, it remains unclear how the marine P cycle would respond to the change of terrestrial system. Here we reconstruct the secular variations of terrestrial P input and biological utilization of seawater P in Phanerozoic. Our study indicates that riverine dissolved P input and marine P biological utilization (i.e. the fraction of P being buried as organophosphorus) are inversely correlated, suggesting the coupling of continental P input and marine P cycle. We propose an increase of P input would elevate surface ocean productivity, which in turn enhances marine iron redox cycle. Active Fe redox cycle favors the scavenging of seawater P through FeOOH absorption and authigenic phosphate formation in sediments, and accordingly reduces the bioavailability of seawater P. The negative feedback of marine P cycle to terrestrial P input would keep a relatively constant organic carbon burial, limiting the variations of surface Earth temperature and atmospheric O2 level.
Author Correction: Process optimization for biosynthesis of mono and bimetallic alloy nanoparticle catalysts for degradation of dyes in individual and ternary mixture
Authors: Ghosh Sabyasachi , Roy Swarup , Naskar Jishu , Kole Ramen Kumar
Published: April 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Electron-polaron dichotomy of charge carriers in perovskite oxides
Authors: Husanu M.-A. , Vistoli L. , Verdi C. , Sander A. , Garcia V. , Rault J. , Bisti F. , Lev L. L. , Schmitt T. , Giustino F. , Mishchenko A. S. , Bibes M. , Strocov V. N.
Published: April 2020

Many transition metal oxides (TMOs) are Mott insulators due to strong Coulomb repulsion between electrons, and exhibit metal-insulator transitions (MITs) whose mechanisms are not always fully understood. Unlike most TMOs, minute doping in CaMnO3 induces a metallic state without any structural transformations. This material is thus an ideal platform to explore band formation through the MIT. Here, we use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to visualize how electrons delocalize and couple to phonons in CaMnO3. We show the development of a Fermi surface where mobile electrons coexist with heavier carriers, strongly coupled polarons. The latter originate from a boost of the electron-phonon interaction (EPI). This finding brings to light the role that the EPI can play in MITs even caused by purely electronic mechanisms. Our discovery of the EPI-induced dichotomy of the charge carriers explains the transport response of Ce-doped CaMnO3 and suggests strategies to engineer quantum matter from TMOs.
Tuning ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism in BiFeO3/BiMnO3 superlattices
Authors: Jin Cai , Geng Wanrong , Wang Linjing , Han Wenqiao , Zheng Dongfeng , Hu Songbai , Ye Mao , Xu Zedong , Ji Yanjiang , Zhao Jiali , Chen Zuhuang , Wang Gan , Tang Yunlong , Zhu Yinlian , Ma Xiuliang , Chen Lang
Published: April 2020

Superlattice structure provides an effective path for integrating multifunctional properties. The interfacial coupling in the ferromagnetic/ferroelectric superlattices is a possible route to achieve multiferroicity.
Valley-dependent topologically protected elastic waves using continuous graphene membranes on patterned substrates
Authors: Hong Jaehyung , Oh Joo Hwan , Park Harold S. , Kim Sung Youb
Published: April 2020

We present a novel structure for topologically protected propagation of mechanical waves in a continuous, elastic membrane using an analog of the quantum valley Hall effect.
LC-MS in combination with DMBA derivatization for sialic acid speciation and distribution analysis in fish tissues
Authors: Du Junjie , Zhang Qiwei , Li Jianjun , Zheng Qi
Published: April 2020

For sialic acid speciation analysis, DMBA provides superior chromatographic separation efficiency and comparable MS/MS spectra with DMB.
Insulin-induced conformational transition of fluorescent copolymers: a perspective of self-assembly between protein and micellar solutions of smart copolymers
Authors: Kumar Krishan , Mogha Navin Kumar , Yadav Ritu , Venkatesu Pannuru
Published: April 2020

Synthesizing and understanding phase transition behavior of novel block copolymers is very crucial for fabricating next generation of smart materials with foreseeable applications.