bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of Tongue Base Reduction and Lingual Tonsillectomy for Residual Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea after Adenotonsillectomy
Authors: Ulualp Seckin
Published: May 2019

Introduction Upper airway obstruction at multiple sites, including the velum, the oropharynx, the tongue base, the lingual tonsils, or the supraglottis, has been resulting in residual obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (TA). The role of combined lingual tonsillectomy and tongue base volume reduction for treatment of OSA has not been studied in nonsyndromic children with residual OSA after TA.

Objective To evaluate the outcomes of tongue base volume reduction and lingual tonsillectomy in children with residual OSA after TA.

Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted to obtain information on history and physical examination, past medical history, findings of drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE), of polysomnography (PSG), and surgical management. Pre- and postoperative PSGs were evaluated to assess the resolution of OSA and to determine the improvement in the obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (oAHI) before and after the surgery.

Results A total of 10 children (5 male, 5 female, age range: 10–17 years old, mean age: 14.5 ± 2.6 years old) underwent tongue base reduction and lingual tonsillectomy. Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) revealed airway obstruction due to posterior displacement of the tongue and to the hypertrophy of the lingual tonsils. All of the patients reported subjective improvement in the OSA symptoms. All of the patients had improvement in the oAHI. The postoperative oAHI was lower than the preoperative oAHI (p < 0.002). The postoperative apnea-hypopnea index during rapid eye movement sleep (REM-AHI) was lower than the preoperative REM-AHI (p = 0.004). Obstructive sleep apnea was resolved in children with normal weight. Overweight and obese children had residual OSA. Nonsyndromic children had resolution of OSA or mild OSA after the surgery.

Conclusions Tongue base reduction and lingual tonsillectomy resulted in subjective and objective improvement of OSA in children with airway obstruction due to posterior displacement of the tongue and to hypertrophy of the lingual tonsils.
Utility of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Acute Acoustic Trauma: 20 years' Experience at the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Undersea Medical Center
Authors: Oya Morihiko , Tadano Yutaka , Takihata Yasuhiro , Ikomi Fumitaka , Tokunaga Tetsuji
Published: May 2019

Introduction Acute acoustic trauma, which is a kind of sensorineural hearing loss, is caused by acoustic overstimulation. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is reported to be effective against acute acoustic trauma.

Objective We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of HBOT against acoustic hearing loss based on our 20 years of experience with such cases.

Methods Patients who were treated with HBOT for acute acoustic trauma between April 1997 and August 2017 were evaluated in this study. Thirty-five patients with a mean age of 25.7 ± 9.2 (range: 16–48) years were included. Thirty-nine out of 70 ears (35 patients) were damaged. We investigated the initial level of hearing loss; the extent to which hearing recovered; subjective symptoms, such as tinnitus and aural fullness; and the treatment administered.

Results The planned HBOT was completed in 37 of 39 ears. Twenty-six of the 37 ears (70.2%) displayed improved hearing, and 31 of the 37 ears (83.9%) exhibited symptom improvement. Twenty-three (76.7%) and 26 (86.7%) of the 30 ears treated with steroids demonstrated improvements in hearing and subjective symptoms, respectively.

Conclusion A combination of HBOT and steroids should be considered as a treatment for acute acoustic trauma in cases involving symptoms such as tinnitus and aural fullness.
Study of Sigmoid Sinus Variations in the Temporal Bone by Micro Dissection and its Classification – A Cadaveric Study
Authors: Singh Anup , Irugu David Victor Kumar , Sikka Kapil , Verma Hitesh , Thakar Alok
Published: May 2019

Introduction Sigmoid sinus (SS) variations have been classified variously in the literature. These classifications suffer from some form of shortcoming from a clinical point of view for their application.

Objective We propose a clinically relevant classification of the SS in relation to the posterior semicircular canal (PSCC) and to the exposure of the presigmoid dural plate. The positioning of the SS was analyzed with reference to the volume of the mastoid and to the level of mastoid pneumatization.

Methods A total of 94 formalin-preserved human cadaveric temporal bones were microdissected to carry out a complete mastoidectomy. The SS, the presigmoid dural plate, and the PSCC were exposed, and the position of the former was analyzed in relation to the latter two in order to classify the position of the SS into three grades.

Results Grade I had the best exposure of the presigmoid dura and of the PSCC, while grade III had the poorest exposure of the presigmoid dura and of the PSCC. Grade I SS was associated with good pneumatization and higher mastoid volumes compared with grades II and III.

Conclusions The SS exhibits considerable anatomic variability. A favorable positioning of the SS is associated with a large mastoid volume and pneumatization. A careful preoperative study of the imaging may help in understanding the positioning of the SS and the safety of various transmastoid approaches.
Treatment of Laryngeal Granulomas
Authors: Martins Regina Helena Garcia , Dias Norimar Hernandes , Soares Carlos Segundo Paiva , Gramuglia Andrea Cristina Joia
Published: May 2019

Introduction Laryngeal granulomas are benign, recurrent lesions of many causes (reflux, voice abuse, intubation, and idiopathic), which renders its treatment difficult.

Objective To describe our experience in the treatment of laryngeal granulomas.

Methods From 16 medical records of the patients with laryngeal granulomas seen between 2010 and 2017 in a university hospital, the following data were analyzed: age, gender, vocal and gastroesophageal symptoms, vocal overuse, intubation, treatments, videolaryngoscopy before and after the treatment.

Results Gender: female, 10; male, 6. Age: between 20 and 60 years old (11). Etiology of the granulomas: intubation (9), reflux (4), idiopathic (3). The initial treatments adopted in all cases were: inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate 100 µg 12/12 hours (1 month), proton pump inhibitor, omeprazole 40 mg/day (2 months), and dietary and voice education. After this period, 10 patients (7 postintubation, 3 idiopathic) were submitted to surgery, since no improvements in the symptoms or in the lesions were seen. Of these, two recurred, requiring a second surgery, one of which recurred six times and received botulinum toxin A. Only one patient with granulomas due to laryngopharyngeal reflux presented no improvement in the symptoms nor in the lesion after the pharmacological treatment and had been submitted to microsurgery. All of the other patients with reflux granulomas were successfully treated with the drug treatment, and the longest treatment time for complete remission of the symptoms and of the lesions was 9 months.

Conclusions In laryngeal granulomas caused by reflux, treatment with inhaled steroids and proton pump inhibitors proved to be effective, although prolonged. In postintubation and idiopathic granulomas, surgery was the best treatment.
Laryngeal and Vocal Characterization of Asymptomatic Adults With Sulcus Vocalis
Authors: Soares Alex Bruno , Moares Bruno Teixeira de , Araújo Ana Nery Barbosa de , de Biase Noemi Grigoletto , Lucena Jonia Alves
Published: May 2019

Introduction Sulcus vocalis is defined as a longitudinal depression on the vocal cord, parallel to its free border. Its most marked characteristic is breathlessness, caused by incomplete glottal closure, in addition to roughness, due to the decrease in mucosal wave amplitude of the vocal cords. Vocal acoustic aspects, such as fundamental voice frequency, jitter, and shimmer, may also be altered in individuals with this type of laryngeal disorder. To assess the voice of individuals with sulcus vocalis, studies generally include a sample of subjects with vocal symptoms, excluding asymptomatic persons. To better characterize the vocal characteristics of individuals with sulcus vocalis, their asymptomatic counterparts must also be included.

Objective Characterize the larynx and voice of asymptomatic adults with sulcus vocalis.

Method A total of 26 adults, 13 with sulcus vocalis (experimental group) and 13 without (control group) were assessed. All the participants were submitted to suspension microlaryngoscopy, voice self-assessment, auditory perception and acoustic evaluation of the voice.

Results Among the individuals with sulcus vocalis, 78% of the sulci were type I and 22% type II. Auditory perception assessment obtained statistically significant lower scores in individuals with sulcus vocalis compared with the control group, and a slight difference in the overall degree of hoarseness and roughness. No statistically significant intergroup diferences were found in self-reported voice or acoustic assessment.

Conclusion Type I was the predominant sulcus vocalis observed in individuals without voice complaints, who may also exhibit slight changes in vocal quality and roughness.
Influence of Masticatory Behavior on Muscle Compensations During the Oral Phase of Swallowing of Smokers
Authors: Silva Gabriela Rodrigues da , Rech Rafaela Soares , Vidor Deisi Cristina Gollo Marques , Santos Karoline Weber dos
Published: May 2019

Introduction Chewing and swallowing are physiologically interconnected functions, which share motor structures and supranuclear regions of the central nervous system (CNS), involving a sensorimotor synchrony.

Objective To analyze the influence of masticatory behavior on muscular compensations in the oral phase of swallowing in smokers compared with nonsmokers.

Methods A cross-sectional study comparing smokers and nonsmokers composed of 24 participants in each group. The aspects of food crunching, masticatory pattern, masticatory speed, atypical muscular contractions, and lip closure were analyzed during mastication. In swallowing, aspects of contraction of the orbicular and mental muscles, head movement and presence of deglutition, mastication, smoking, and of stomatognathic system of residues after swallowing were characterized.

Results Statistically significant differences were identified between the study groups related to food grinding pattern, masticatory velocity, and mental contraction during swallowing. There was no significant association between masticatory function and compensations during swallowing.

Conclusion Differences were observed in the pattern of chewing and swallowing in smokers compared with nonsmokers, but no influence of masticatory performance was observed in the presence of muscle compensations during the oral phase of swallowing.
Reconciling material cultures in archaeology with genetic data requires robust cultural evolutionary taxonomies
Authors: Riede Felix , Hoggard Christian , Shennan Stephen
Published: May 2019

The analysis of ancient genomes is having a major impact on archaeological interpretations. Yet, the methodological divide between these disciplines is substantial. Fundamentally, there is an urgent need to reconcile archaeological and genetic taxonomies. However, traditional archaeological taxonomies are problematic because they are epistemologically weak and often laden with undue assumptions about past ethnicity and demography—they are a hindrance rather than a help in such a reconciliation. Eisenmann and colleagues have recently tackled this issue, offering a palette of potential solutions that circumvents traditional archaeological culture labels. We welcome renewed attention to nomenclature but take issue with such recent work that favours systems of taxonomic assignment for genomic groups that either do not include archaeological information at all or retain traditional cultural taxonomic categories. While superficially pragmatic, these administrative solutions do not address the substantive issues that the topic raises. We here present the argument that the only analytically viable solution to aligning genetic and cultural nomenclature is to conceptualise material culture as underwritten by a system of information transmission across generations that has similar structural properties to the genetic system of information transmission. This alignment facilitates the use of similar analytical protocols and hence allows for a true parallel analysis. Once culture change is also understood as an evolutionary process, a wealth of analytical methods for reconciling archaeological and genetic clusters becomes available.
An online beam profiler for laser-accelerated protons
Authors: Schwind K. M. , Aktan E. , Prasad R. , Cerchez M. , Eversheim D. , Willi O. , Aurand B.
Published: May 2019

The design and operation of an online energy and spatially resolving detector based on three different scintillators for laser-driven protons are described. The device can be used for a multi-Hertz recording rate. The spatial resolution is <0.5 mm, allowing to retrieve details of the proton beam which is of interest, e.g., for radiographic applications. At the same time, the particle energy is divided into three energy bands between 1 MeV and 5 MeV to retrieve the proton energy spectrum. The absolute response of the detector was calibrated at a conventional proton accelerator.
Frequency-switchable polarity-inverted BAW resonators based on PZT/PTO epitaxial films using difference in coercive field
Authors: Shimidzu Takahiro , Mori Takeshi , Yanagitani Takahiko
Published: May 2019

Electrical frequency switching in bulk acoustic wave resonators based on lead zirconate titanate (PZT)/PbTiO3 epitaxial bilayer films is demonstrated and analyzed. In general, the coercive field of PbTiO3 is higher than that of PZT. Independent polarity inversion of the PZT layers is achieved by applying an intermediate electric field between the coercive fields of PZT and PbTiO3 to the bilayer films. The resonant frequency is switched between the fundamental mode resonance (0.56 GHz) and second mode resonance (1.58 GHz) by applying a negative or a positive electric field to the resonators. The second mode operation can be achieved in the absence of an external electric field. A theoretical model simulated by Mason's equivalent circuit model including the effect of the polarity-inverted structure agreed well with the experimental results. The electromechanical coupling coefficients kt2 of both the PZT layer and the PbTiO3 layer of the polarity-inverted bilayer were estimated to be 17.6% (kt = 0.42) by comparing the experimental results with the theoretical simulations.
Principal component analysis of nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Post Matthias , Wolf Steffen , Stock Gerhard
Published: May 2019

Principal component analysis (PCA) represents a standard approach to identify collective variables {xi} = x, which can be used to construct the free energy landscape ΔG(x) of a molecular system. While PCA is routinely applied to equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, it is less obvious as to how to extend the approach to nonequilibrium simulation techniques. This includes, e.g., the definition of the statistical averages employed in PCA as well as the relation between the equilibrium free energy landscape ΔG(x) and the energy landscapes ΔG(x) obtained from nonequilibrium MD. As an example for a nonequilibrium method, “targeted MD” is considered which employs a moving distance constraint to enforce rare transitions along some biasing coordinate s. The introduced bias can be described by a weighting function P(s), which provides a direct relation between equilibrium and nonequilibrium data, and thus establishes a well-defined way to perform PCA on nonequilibrium data. While the resulting distribution P(x) and energy ΔG∝lnP will not reflect the equilibrium state of the system, the nonequilibrium energy landscape ΔG(x) may directly reveal the molecular reaction mechanism. Applied to targeted MD simulations of the unfolding of decaalanine, for example, a PCA performed on backbone dihedral angles is shown to discriminate several unfolding pathways. Although the formulation is in principle exact, its practical use depends critically on the choice of the biasing coordinate s, which should account for a naturally occurring motion between two well-defined end-states of the system.
Efficient geometric integrators for nonadiabatic quantum dynamics. I. The adiabatic representation
Authors: Choi Seonghoon , Vaníček Jiří
Published: May 2019

Geometric integrators of the Schrödinger equation conserve exactly many invariants of the exact solution. Among these integrators, the split-operator algorithm is explicit and easy to implement but, unfortunately, is restricted to systems whose Hamiltonian is separable into kinetic and potential terms. Here, we describe several implicit geometric integrators applicable to both separable and nonseparable Hamiltonians and, in particular, to the nonadiabatic molecular Hamiltonian in the adiabatic representation. These integrators combine the dynamic Fourier method with the recursive symmetric composition of the trapezoidal rule or implicit midpoint method, which results in an arbitrary order of accuracy in the time step. Moreover, these integrators are exactly unitary, symplectic, symmetric, time-reversible, and stable and, in contrast to the split-operator algorithm, conserve energy exactly, regardless of the accuracy of the solution. The order of convergence and conservation of geometric properties are proven analytically and demonstrated numerically on a two-surface NaI model in the adiabatic representation. Although each step of the higher order integrators is more costly, these algorithms become the most efficient ones if higher accuracy is desired; a thousand-fold speedup compared to the second-order trapezoidal rule (the Crank-Nicolson method) was observed for a wavefunction convergence error of 10−10. In a companion paper [J. Roulet, S. Choi, and J. Vaníček, J. Chem. Phys. 150, 204113 (2019)], we discuss analogous, arbitrary-order compositions of the split-operator algorithm and apply both types of geometric integrators to a higher-dimensional system in the diabatic representation.
High performance dual-mode operation asymmetric superlattice infrared photodetector using leaky electronic states
Authors: Pereira Pedro Henrique , Penello Germano Maioli , Pires Mauricio Pamplona , Sivco Deborah , Gmachl Claire , Souza Patricia Lustoza
Published: May 2019

We use the leaky electronic state in the continuum concept to create a photovoltaic and photoconductive dual-mode operation superlattice infrared photodetector working at a temperature as high as room temperature. An asymmetric superlattice InGaAs/InAlAs is designed to virtually increase the material band offset and to create a localized state in the continuum with a preferential direction for electron extraction. These two characteristics are responsible for low dark current and high operating temperature of the device. At λp=4.1μm response peak, the highest specific detectivity is 5.7×1010 Jones for +5.0V at 80 K, and at room temperature, it is 1.3×105 Jones for null bias.
Dynamic mode decomposition with exogenous input for data-driven modeling of unsteady flows
Authors: Kou Jiaqing , Zhang Weiwei
Published: May 2019

This work proposes a data-driven reduced-order modeling algorithm for complex, high-dimensional, and unsteady fluid systems with exogenous input and control. This algorithm is a variant of dynamic mode decomposition (DMD), which is an equation-free method for identifying coherent structures and modeling complex flow dynamics. Compared with existing methods, the proposed method improves the capability of predicting the flow evolution near the unstable equilibrium state. The method is achieved by two steps. First, the system matrix without input is identified by standard DMD to represent the intrinsic flow dynamics. Second, the input term, represented by a state space equation, is identified through existing methods for DMD with control effects. The whole system with input is described by the superposition of both the system matrix and the input term. The proposed method is validated by one simple two-dimensional dynamic system and two test cases of unsteady flow, including flow past a circular cylinder at Reynolds number 45 and flow past a NACA0012 airfoil at an angle of attack 25°. Results indicate that the proposed method gives more accurate description on the flow evolution with or without external forcing.
Azimuthal organization of large-scale motions in a turbulent minimal pipe flow
Authors: Han Juhyung , Hwang Jinyul , Yoon Min , Ahn Junsun , Sung Hyung Jin
Published: May 2019

Direct numerical simulation data for turbulent minimal pipe flows with Reτ = 927, 1990, and 2916 are examined to explore the azimuthal (or spanwise) organization of their large-scale structures. We chose a streamwise-minimal unit with a streamwise domain length of Lx+≈1000, which is the characteristic streamwise length of near-wall streaks. The spanwise scales of most of the energetic motions and their contributions to the total energy are comparable with those of the streamwise long-domain simulation. In the azimuthal energy spectra of the streamwise velocity fluctuations (u), the large-scale energy increases with Reτ and three outer peaks (λθ = 0.7–0.8, π/2 and π) become evident when Reτ = 2916. The presence of the outer peaks at λθ = 0.7–0.8 and π/2 is consistent with the results of the long-domain simulation. The peak at λθ = 0.7–0.8 is associated with large-scale motions and the other two peaks are associated with very-large-scale motions (VLSMs). The maximum spanwise wavelength increases linearly with the wall-normal distance from the wall. A kz−1 region is evident in the range 0.3R < λz (=rλθ) < R, which indicates the presence of self-similar motions. The conditional two-point correlation with a cut-off wavelength of λz = 0.9R shows that there is a strong correlation between the enhanced energy in the outer region and the wall-attached structures, which were extracted from the time evolution of the streamwise-averaged u field (u2D). The spanwise sizes (lz) of the attached u2D structures scale with their height (ly) in the log region and their time scales (lt) follow ltuτ/lz = 2, which is consistent with the bursting time scale. Their spanwise sizes lie in the range R < lz < 3R, for which lt increases significantly, which indicates that these structures are associated with VLSMs and make the dominant contributions to the enhanced energy in the outer region. These structures penetrate to the wall region as a manifestation of the footprint and modulate the small-scale energy. The negative-u2D structures induce congregative motions in the near-wall region.
An alternative derivation of orbital-free density functional theory
Authors: Thompson Russell B.
Published: May 2019

Polymer self-consistent field theory techniques are used to derive quantum density functional theory without the use of the theorems of density functional theory. Instead, a free energy is obtained from a partition function that is constructed directly from a Hamiltonian so that the results are, in principle, valid at finite temperatures. The main governing equations are found to be a set of modified diffusion equations, and the set of self-consistent equations are essentially identical to those of a ring polymer system. The equations are shown to be equivalent to Kohn-Sham density functional theory and to reduce to classical density functional theory, each under appropriate conditions. The obtained noninteracting kinetic energy functional is, in principle, exact but suffers from the usual orbital-free approximation of the Pauli exclusion principle in addition to the exchange-correlation approximation. The equations are solved using the spectral method of polymer self-consistent field theory, which allows the set of modified diffusion equations to be evaluated for the same computational cost as solving a single diffusion equation. A simple exchange-correlation functional is chosen, together with a shell-structure-based Pauli potential, in order to compare the ensemble average electron densities of several isolated atom systems to known literature results. The agreement is excellent, justifying the alternative formalism and numerical method. Some speculation is provided on considering the timelike parameter in the diffusion equations, which is related to temperature, as having dimensional significance, and thus picturing pointlike quantum particles instead as nonlocal, polymerlike, threads in a higher dimensional thermal-space. A consideration of the double-slit experiment from this point of view is speculated to provide results equivalent to the Copenhagen interpretation. Thus, the present formalism may be considered as a type of “pilot-wave,” realist, perspective on density functional theory.
A single feature for human activity recognition using two-dimensional acoustic array
Authors: Guo Xinhua , Su Rongcheng , Hu Chaoyue , Ye Xiaodong , Wu Huachun , Nakamura Kentaro
Published: May 2019

Human activity recognition is widely used in many fields, such as the monitoring of smart homes, fire detecting and rescuing, hospital patient management, etc. Acoustic waves are an effective method for human activity recognition. In traditional ways, one or a few ultrasonic sensors are used to receive signals, which require many feature quantities of extraction from the received data to improve recognition accuracy. In this study, we propose an approach for human activity recognition based on a two-dimensional acoustic array and convolutional neural networks. A single feature quantity is utilized to characterize the sound of human activities and identify those activities. The results show that the total accuracy of the activities is 97.5% for time-domain data and 100% for frequency-domain data. The influence of the array size on recognition accuracy is discussed, and the accuracy of the proposed approach is compared with traditional recognition approaches such as k-nearest neighbor and support vector machines where it outperformed them.
Ab-initio theory of photoionization via resonances
Authors: Pick Adi , Kaprálová-Žďánská Petra Ruth , Moiseyev Nimrod
Published: May 2019

We present an ab initio approach for computing the photoionization spectrum near autoionization resonances in multi-electron systems. While traditional (Hermitian) theories typically require computing the continuum states, which are difficult to obtain with high accuracy, our non-Hermitian approach requires only discrete bound and metastable states, which can be accurately computed with available quantum chemistry tools. We derive a simple formula for the absorption line shape near Fano resonances, which relates the asymmetry of the spectral peaks to the phase of the complex transition dipole moment. Additionally, we present a formula for the ionization spectrum of laser-driven targets and relate the “Autler-Townes” splitting of spectral lines to the existence of exceptional points in the Hamiltonian. We apply our formulas to compute the autoionization spectrum of helium, but our theory is also applicable for nontrivial multi-electron atoms and molecules.
Flora of the Hunter Region
Authors: Bell Stephen , Rockley Christine , Llewellyn Anne
Published: May 2019

The Hunter Region, between the Hawkesbury and Manning rivers in eastern New South Wales, hosts a rich diversity of vegetation, with many species found nowhere else. Spanning an area from the coast to the tablelands and slopes, its rainforests, wet and dry sclerophyll forests, woodlands, heathlands, grasslands and swamps are known for their beauty and ecological significance.
Flora of the Hunter Region describes 54 endemic trees and large shrubs, combining art and science in a manner rarely seen in botanical identification guides. Species accounts provide information on distribution, habitat, flowering, key diagnostic features and conservation status, along with complete taxonomic descriptions. Each account includes stunning botanical illustrations produced by graduates of the University of Newcastle's Bachelor of Natural History Illustration program. The illustrations depict key diagnostic features and allow complete identification of each species.
This publication will be a valuable resource for those interested in the plants of the region, including researchers, environmental consultants, horticulturalists and gardeners, bush walkers, herbaria, and others involved in land management.
Effect of phosphate solubilising bacteria (Enterobacter cloacae) on phosphorus uptake efficiency in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.)
Authors: Safirzadeh Saeed , Chorom Mostafa , Enayatizamir Naeimeh
Published: May 2019

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient in sustainable production of sugarcane. Due to low labile P in soil under sugarcane cultivation, evaluation of the efficiency of P uptake and the application of phosphate solubilising bacteria (PSB) play important roles in management of P fertiliser. To investigate the effect of using PSB on P uptake in sugarcane (variety CP57–614), a pot experiment was conducted with three replications in greenhouse conditions. The treatments were a combination of three P rates (0 (P0), 50 and 100% (~40 mg kg−1) as triple superphosphate, and two PSB strains (Enterobacter cloacae R13 (R13) and R33 (R33)) which were applied independently and simultaneously. Morphological characteristics of sugarcane and some biochemical parameters were evaluated in the rhizosphere at three harvesting times: 60, 95 and 140 days after planting (DAP). Whereas in low available P (P0), bacterial strain R33 improved P uptake along with sugarcane ageing, P uptake was diminished in non-inoculated treatment over time. Activity of PSBs in the rhizosphere (especially strain R33) prevented the sharp fall of P influx after 95 DAP in low available P condition. Indeed, activity of R33 in the rhizosphere decreased the dependence of P uptake on root development via improving P uptake. Therefore, influx was the main mechanism of P uptake in sugarcane. Sugarcane inoculated by PSBs acquired 76 and 81% of total P uptake from non-Olsen-P fraction in P0R13 and P0R33 respectively at 95 DAP. However, this amount was lower (70.4%) in P0R0. Furthermore, strain R33 improved P uptake efficiency in sugarcane by changing root morphology (e.g. specific root length and root length) and reducing soil limitations (e.g. enhancement of P compound solubility and P influx).
Morphogenesis and quantification of the pore space in a tephra-palaeosol sequence in Tlaxcala, central Mexico
Authors: Pogosyan L. , Gastelum A. , Prado B. , Marquez J. , Abrosimov K. , Romanenko K. , Sedov S.
Published: May 2019

Tepetates are indurated subsoil horizons developed in tephra-derived materials in various parts of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The term ‘tepetate’ includes fragipans, duripans, pedosediments and saprolites, derived from vitric rhyolitic tuff, Pleistocene volcanic ashes or pyroclastic flows. All soils with tepetates are at high risk of erosion and so they have been intensively studied for decades. The tepetates are common in Tlaxcala State of central Mexico, being formed under Ustic Isomesic soil climate. The aim of this investigation was to characterise the pore space of fragipan-type tepetates and the role of clay components in their formation. We studied porosity of tepetate from a tephra-palaeosol sequence in the north of Tlaxcala State, in undisturbed soil samples. Observations of pore space were made in 2D and 3D by analysing microscope images of thin sections and cross-sectional images from a computed tomography scanner. In the thin sections we also identified and described clay illuvial pedofeatures. Micromorphological observations showed two main pore types. Small rounded pores had a homogeneous distribution and were probably formed before the clay illuviation process that took place in a palaeosol formed on the tepetate material. The distribution pattern of the small pores in the studied tepetate was similar to that in the fragic horizon, which was probably formed by a hydro-consolidation process. Large crack-pores were formed during the palaeosol formation. Later these large pores were filled by illuvial clay coatings and so we conclude that each tepetate was part of the set of Bt horizons in the palaeosols of Luvisol type.
The long noncoding RNA
Morrbid
regulates CD8 T cells in response to viral infection
Authors: Kotzin Jonathan J. , Iseka Fany , Wright Jasmine , Basavappa Megha G. , Clark Megan L. , Ali Mohammed-Alkhatim , Abdel-Hakeem Mohamed S. , Robertson Tanner F. , Mowel Walter K. , Joannas Leonel , Neal Vanessa D. , Spencer Sean P. , Syrett Camille M. , Anguera Montserrat C. , Williams Adam , Wherry E. John , Henao-Mejia Jorge
Published: May 2019

The transcriptional programs that regulate CD8 T-cell differentiation and function in the context of viral infections or tumor immune surveillance have been extensively studied; yet how long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and the loci that transcribe them contribute to the regulation of CD8 T cells during viral infections remains largely unexplored. Here, we report that transcription of the lncRNA
Morrbid
is specifically induced by T-cell receptor (TCR) and type I IFN stimulation during the early stages of acute and chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection. In response to type I IFN, the
Morrbid
RNA and its locus control CD8 T cell expansion, survival, and effector function by regulating the expression of the proapoptotic factor,
Bcl2l11
, and by modulating the strength of the PI3K–AKT signaling pathway. Thus, our results demonstrate that inflammatory cue-responsive lncRNA loci represent fundamental mechanisms by which CD8 T cells are regulated in response to pathogens and potentially cancer.
Gene-edited stem cells enable CD33-directed immune therapy for myeloid malignancies
Authors: Borot Florence , Wang Hui , Ma Yan , Jafarov Toghrul , Raza Azra , Ali Abdullah Mahmood , Mukherjee Siddhartha
Published: May 2019

Significance

Acute myeloid leukemia is a disease that lacks effective therapies, especially in postremission patients. Immunotherapies directed against a lineage-specific antigen (LSA), such as CD33 has demonstrated on-target effects on AML cells but is limited by toxicities because normal myeloid cells and hematopoietic progenitors also express CD33. Here we show that genetically ablating CD33 in human stem/progenitor cells, using Cas9/guide RNA mediated strategies, enables immunotherapy against leukemias using anti-CD33 CAR-T or antibody therapy. We model a postremission human marrow with minimal residual leukemic disease in mice and show effective clearance of acute myeloid leukemia and the reconstitution of the CD33-deleted human graft, enabling future clinical studies. This study presents an approach to treat myeloid leukemias and could be extended to other cancers and other antigens.
Conformational plasticity of the intracellular cavity of GPCR−G-protein complexes leads to G-protein promiscuity and selectivity
Authors: Sandhu Manbir , Touma Anja M. , Dysthe Matthew , Sadler Fredrik , Sivaramakrishnan Sivaraj , Vaidehi Nagarajan
Published: May 2019

Significance

Structures of GPCR–G-protein complexes show how cognate G proteins interact with GPCRs. However, noncognate GPCR–G-protein interactions are poorly understood, despite their relevance in cells. The conceptual advancements in our study show 1) the C terminus of Gα
s
, Gα
i
, and Gα
q
proteins assume a small dynamic ensemble of unique orientations when coupled to their cognate GPCRs, explaining the variations observed in the X-ray and cryo-EM structures of GPCR–G-protein complexes; and 2) the noncognate G proteins interact dynamically with latent, previously uncharacterized cavities within the GPCR cytosolic cavity. Engineering these latent cavities with hotspots to the noncognate G proteins tunes promiscuity in the GPCR. This study provides a framework for understanding how GPCR dynamics subtly modulate signaling in different pathways.
Mechanisms by which sialylated milk oligosaccharides impact bone biology in a gnotobiotic mouse model of infant undernutrition
Authors: Cowardin Carrie A. , Ahern Philip P. , Kung Vanderlene L. , Hibberd Matthew C. , Cheng Jiye , Guruge Janaki L. , Sundaresan Vinaik , Head Richard D. , Barile Daniela , Mills David A. , Barratt Michael J. , Huq Sayeeda , Ahmed Tahmeed , Gordon Jeffrey I.
Published: May 2019

Undernutrition in children is a pressing global health problem, manifested in part by impaired linear growth (stunting). Current nutritional interventions have been largely ineffective in overcoming stunting, emphasizing the need to obtain better understanding of its underlying causes. Treating Bangladeshi children with severe acute malnutrition with therapeutic foods reduced plasma levels of a biomarker of osteoclastic activity without affecting biomarkers of osteoblastic activity or improving their severe stunting. To characterize interactions among the gut microbiota, human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), and osteoclast and osteoblast biology, young germ-free mice were colonized with cultured bacterial strains from a 6-mo-old stunted infant and fed a diet mimicking that consumed by the donor population. Adding purified bovine sialylated milk oligosaccharides (S-BMO) with structures similar to those in human milk to this diet increased femoral trabecular bone volume and cortical thickness, reduced osteoclasts and their bone marrow progenitors, and altered regulators of osteoclastogenesis and mediators of Th2 responses. Comparisons of germ-free and colonized mice revealed S-BMO-dependent and microbiota-dependent increases in cecal levels of succinate, increased numbers of small intestinal tuft cells, and evidence for activation of a succinate-induced tuft cell signaling pathway linked to Th2 immune responses. A prominent fucosylated HMO, 2′-fucosyllactose, failed to elicit these changes in bone biology, highlighting the structural specificity of the S-BMO effects. These results underscore the need to further characterize the balance between, and determinants of, osteoclastic and osteoblastic activity in stunted infants/children, and suggest that certain milk oligosaccharides may have therapeutic utility in this setting.
PSD-95 binding dynamically regulates NLGN1 trafficking and function
Authors: Jeong Jaehoon , Pandey Saurabh , Li Yan , Badger John D. , Lu Wei , Roche Katherine W.
Published: May 2019

Significance

PSD-95 is a key scaffolding protein that is localized to the postsynaptic density of excitatory synapses where it regulates a wide variety of receptors, channels, and signaling molecules. However, the role of PSD-95 binding to the cell adhesion molecules, neuroligins, has been less clear. We now report that PSD-95 specifically regulates NLGN1 among the various neuroligin isoforms. In addition, we characterize a dynamic interaction between NLGN1 and PSD-95 that is regulated by the phosphorylation of NLGN1 by PKA. Phosphorylation on S839 of NLGN1 blocks PSD-95 binding, reduces surface and synaptic expression of NLGN1, and inhibits NLGN1-mediated enhancement of excitatory synaptic transmission.
Decadal trends in the ocean carbon sink
Authors: DeVries Tim , Le Quéré Corinne , Andrews Oliver , Berthet Sarah , Hauck Judith , Ilyina Tatiana , Landschützer Peter , Lenton Andrew , Lima Ivan D. , Nowicki Michael , Schwinger Jörg , Séférian Roland
Published: May 2019

Measurements show large decadal variability in the rate of

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accumulation in the atmosphere that is not driven by

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emissions. The decade of the 1990s experienced enhanced carbon accumulation in the atmosphere relative to emissions, while in the 2000s, the atmospheric growth rate slowed, even though emissions grew rapidly. These variations are driven by natural sources and sinks of

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due to the ocean and the terrestrial biosphere. In this study, we compare three independent methods for estimating oceanic

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uptake and find that the ocean carbon sink could be responsible for up to 40% of the observed decadal variability in atmospheric

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accumulation. Data-based estimates of the ocean carbon sink from

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mapping methods and decadal ocean inverse models generally agree on the magnitude and sign of decadal variability in the ocean

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sink at both global and regional scales. Simulations with ocean biogeochemical models confirm that climate variability drove the observed decadal trends in ocean

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uptake, but also demonstrate that the sensitivity of ocean

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uptake to climate variability may be too weak in models. Furthermore, all estimates point toward coherent decadal variability in the oceanic and terrestrial

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sinks, and this variability is not well-matched by current global vegetation models. Reconciling these differences will help to constrain the sensitivity of oceanic and terrestrial

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uptake to climate variability and lead to improved climate projections and decadal climate predictions.
Adverse organogenesis and predisposed long-term metabolic syndrome from prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter
Authors: Wu Guoyao , Brown Jacob , Zamora Misti L. , Miller Alyssa , Satterfield M. Carey , Meininger Cynthia J. , Steinhauser Chelsie B. , Johnson Gregory A. , Burghardt Robert C. , Bazer Fuller W. , Li Yixin , Johnson Natalie M. , Molina Mario J. , Zhang Renyi
Published: May 2019

Significance

Although exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) during pregnancy is linked to high risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes and long-term postnatal health, limited mechanistic data exist to assess these impacts under controlled exposure conditions. Here we show that maternal exposure to ultrafine ammonium sulfate aerosols impacts prenatal and postnatal organogenesis in offspring and predisposes metabolic syndrome in adult life. Our animal model reveals increased stillbirths; reduced gestation length and birth weight; increased concentrations of glucose and free fatty acids in plasma; enhanced lipid accumulation in the liver; and decreased endothelium-dependent relaxation of aorta. Understanding the impacts and elucidating the underlying mechanisms for maternal PM exposure are essential in developing strategies to reduce adverse health effects on conceptus/postnatal growth and development.
Analysis of phototoxin taste closely correlates nucleophilicity to type 1 phototoxicity
Authors: Du Eun Jo , Ahn Tae Jung , Sung Hwajin , Jo HyunJi , Kim Hyung-Wook , Kim Seong-Tae , Kang KyeongJin
Published: May 2019

Significance

Light-absorbing pigments undergo chemical changes via excitation of electrons. The electron excitation may generate reactive chemicals such as free radicals, and eventually reactive oxygen species, causing tissue damage like sunburn. Such pigments able to exert toxic effects on light illumination are regarded as phototoxins. Despite advances of our chemical knowledge on phototoxicity, the prediction of intrinsic pigment phototoxicity has been limited. Our study shows that the insect chemical receptor called Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is able to discern intrinsic phototoxins among pigments, for which TRPA1 needs the capability of sensing nucleophiles, chemical compounds with strong electron-donating tendency. Accordingly, understanding insect chemical receptor TRPA1 leads to the discovery of nucleophilicity as a chemical signature of intrinsic phototoxicity.
“You keep telling us different things, what do we believe?”
Authors: Musolff Andreas
Published: May 2019

Quotation and reflective interpretation of previous statements are common features in police interviews. Of particular importance is the uncovering of apparent contradictions between earlier and current responses in interviews of suspects. Conflicting statements can be used by officers as triggers to elicit new responses that explain inconsistencies. In linguistic pragmatics, such reflective commenting on utterances is categorised as metacommunication, i.e. ‘communication about communication’, which includes metarepresentation, i.e. second-order representation of another representation through some form of quotation. Such instances of metacommunication are key instances of negotiating the communicative interests of its chief participants, which in suspect interviews consist on the one hand in the interviewers’ purpose of establishing grounds for a potential criminal charge and, on the other hand, the interviewee’s interest in avoiding such a charge. This article analyses exemplary cases of metacommunication in multilingual police interviews from the perspective of quotation pragmatics. The results suggest that police interview training should pay special attention to this area in order to optimise cognitive results.
“Would it be fair to say that you actively sought out material?”
Authors: Pablos-Ortega Carlos de
Published: May 2019

The aim of investigative interviews is to gather comprehensive and reliable information from suspects, offenders, victims and witnesses through questioning. Research on questioning during police interviews has mainly explored question types and question approaches when interviewing adults and children. This paper is concerned with so far unexplored aspects of police interviewing, that is the employment of mitigating and aggravating linguistic devices in questions and statements and their pragmatic effects. The corpus consists of six police interviews with suspects of crime. Mitigation and aggravation strategies were extracted and a total of eighty-two instances were found, analysed and classified into a categorisation taxonomy which was designed to ascertain the types and functions of mitigation and aggravation devices. The findings reveal that more mitigation than aggravation strategies were used in police questioning and statements during the interviews. Mitigation was found to be used not only as a device for alleviating or attenuating, but also as a strategy to build rapport between suspects and police officers.
Rapport-building in suspects’ police interviews
Authors: Pounds Gabrina
Published: May 2019

Both research and police guidelines acknowledge the value of rapport-building in police interview with suspects (ISs) and provide some insight into how ‘rapport’ may be defined and built in this context. Rapport is, however, difficult to operationalise and assess in practice, other than for the routine legal clarification offered to suspects at the beginning of the interview. This paper takes an original discourse-pragmatic and ethnographic approach to investigating the forms that rapport takes in a sample of authentic ISs, with particular reference to two dimensions, empathy and face. The article discusses the value and suitability of the identified empathic and ‘face’-relevant expressions with respect to current interview aims and practice. The discussion highlights the underlying bi-functionality of rapport in ISs, demonstrating how the two functions may be reconciled in police interview training and practice.
A novel process for heavy plate: Gradient temperature rolling, fast cooling, tempering
Authors: Xie Bao-sheng , Cai Qing-wu , Chen Xu
Published: May 2019

In order to develop ultra-heavy plates with high strength, a novel short process without quenching was proposed in this paper based on gradient temperature rolling (GTR), fast cooling and tempering. The results show that, from plate surface to centre, yield strength of uniform temper rolling specimens exhibits a gradual decrease, and yield strength at quarter thickness is 30 MPa higher than in the centre in tempered sample. However, the yield strength of as-rolled GTR plates represents a small increase, indicating a new strength distribution of heavy plate. The optimal process-steps were GTR, fast cooling and 650°C tempering, which satisfies the requirement of Q890E heavy plates standard.