bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Interaction of Skutterudites with Contact Materials: A Metallurgical Analysis
Authors: Grytsiv Andriy , Rogl Gerda , Bauer Ernst , Rogl Peter 
Published: April 2020

AbstractMore than hundred diffusion couples between p- and n-type skutterudites and various materials were prepared and interaction zones were investigated after heat treatment at 600 °C for 1100 h. The constitution of reaction/diffusion zones was discussed in terms of: (a) atom site preference in the skutterudite lattice, (b) phase equilibria in multicomponent systems and (c) particularities of the crystal structure of intermediate phases. It could be shown that phase composition and thermo-mechanical properties of bonding can be engineered by chemical substitution. The results obtained allowed the determination of several necessary criteria for the development of chemically and mechanically stable diffusion barriers/couples for skutterudite based thermoelectric (TE) modules.
BMAL1 regulates mitochondrial fission and mitophagy through mitochondrial protein BNIP3 and is critical in the development of dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Li Ermin , Li Xiuya , Huang Jie , Xu Chen , Liang Qianqian , Ren Kehan , Bai Aobing , Lu Chao , Qian Ruizhe , Sun Ning 
Published: April 2020

AbstractDysregulation of circadian rhythms associates with cardiovascular disorders. It is known that deletion of the core circadian gene Bmal1 in mice causes dilated cardiomyopathy. However, the biological rhythm regulation system in mouse is very different from that of humans. Whether BMAL1 plays a role in regulating human heart function remains unclear. Here we generated a BMAL1 knockout human embryonic stem cell (hESC) model and further derived human BMAL1 deficient cardiomyocytes. We show that BMAL1 deficient hESC-derived cardiomyocytes exhibited typical phenotypes of dilated cardiomyopathy including attenuated contractility, calcium dysregulation, and disorganized myofilaments. In addition, mitochondrial fission and mitophagy were suppressed in BMAL1 deficient hESC-cardiomyocytes, which resulted in significantly attenuated mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and compromised cardiomyocyte function. We also found that BMAL1 binds to the E-box element in the promoter region of BNIP3 gene and specifically controls BNIP3 protein expression. BMAL1 knockout directly reduced BNIP3 protein level, causing compromised mitophagy and mitochondria dysfunction and thereby leading to compromised cardiomyocyte function. Our data indicated that the core circadian gene BMAL1 is critical for normal mitochondria activities and cardiac function. Circadian rhythm disruption may directly link to compromised heart function and dilated cardiomyopathy in humans.
Conjugations in $$L^2$$ and their invariants
Authors: Câmara M. Cristina , Kliś–Garlicka Kamila , Łanucha Bartosz , Ptak Marek 
Published: April 2020

AbstractConjugations in space $$L^2$$

L
2

of the unit circle commuting with multiplication by z or intertwining multiplications by z and $${{\bar{z}}}$$

z

¯

are characterized. We also study their behaviour with respect to the Hardy space, subspaces invariant for the unilateral shift and model spaces.
Progress of research on dyslipidemia accompanied by nephrotic syndrome
Authors: Tao Min , Wang Hai‐Ping , Sun Jing , Tian Jing 
Published: April 2020

AbstractNephrotic syndrome is a relatively common clinical disease. Associated dyslipidemia is a risk factor for the occurrence and development of cardiovascular and renal diseases that might gradually develop into atherosclerosis, glomerulosclerosis or tubulointerstitial injury. It also confers an elevated risk of complications such as thromboembolism. If not properly controlled over the long term, dyslipidemia will become a key factor in a poor prognosis. Furthermore, dyslipidemia correlates with an increase in hepatic compensatory synthetic lipoprotein levels and a decrease in lipoprotein clearance, which can be sourced to the downregulation of hepatic and lipoprotein lipase activities in endothelial cells, muscle, and adipose tissue, and clinically characterized as hypertriglyceridemia or hypercholesterolemia. However, further investigations into the mechanism(s) of dyslipidemia are needed, with the resultant detailed perspectives and analyses substantially aiding the further development of treatment guidelines. Currently, statins represent the most popular type of pharmaceutical intervention because they lower hepatic cholesterol production and promote the absorption of low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol from the bloodstream, followed by second‐line and other potential therapies to regulate the expression of specific receptors.
Dysphagia after chemo‐radiation for nasopharyngeal cancer: A scoping review
Authors: Fong Raymond , Ward Elizabeth C. , Rumbach Anna F. 
Published: April 2020

ObjectiveNasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) has distinct characteristics regarding its global prevalence, initial presentation, management and patient outcomes compared to other subtypes of head and neck cancer (HNC). The mainstay of NPC treatment is chemo‐radiation (C/RT) and while dysphagia is a known early and late toxicity of C/RT treatment, the nature of dysphagia post NPC treatment has had limited investigation. The objective of this review is to summarise the existing evidence regarding dysphagia following NPC to inform the future research agenda for this population. Dysphagia incidence, characteristic deficits observed across the phases of swallowing, efficacy of current dysphagia interventions, and effect on quality of life will be explored.Data sourcesDatabases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science were included.MethodsA scoping review was conducted according to PRISMA‐ScR guidelines. Two independent reviewers screened selected full text articles.ResultsOf the initial 2495 articles found, 28 articles were included. Reports of penetration and aspiration varied widely (0%–91.6%), with high rates of silent aspiration identified in 2 studies (42%, 66%). Oral, pharyngeal and upper esophageal phase impairments were reported. Of these, upper esophageal stasis and multiple pharyngeal stage deficits were most prevalent. The pharyngeal constrictors were found to have a significant dose–effect relationship and shielding to the anterior neck field was effective to preserve swallowing function. Six treatment studies were identified with limited evidence supporting the use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation, dilatation and swallowing exercises. Quality of life was adversely affected.ConclusionsDysphagia is a prevalent early and late problem post NPC treatment, with impairments across all phases of the swallow. Studies on preventing dysphagia and treatment efficacy remain limited. More systematic study of the nature of dysphagia and the efficacy of treatment in this population is warranted.
Volumetric Characterization of the South Atlantic Subtropical Mode Water Types
Authors: Bernardo Piero S. , Sato Olga T. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractTime series (2002–2018) of a global monthly objectively analyzed fields of temperature and salinity were used to investigate the South Atlantic subtropical mode water (SASTMW). It is characterized as homogeneous layers in the temperature range of 13 to 16 °C and with low potential vorticity. Three different types of SASTMW were distinguished allowing us to evaluate their temporal volumetric variation. Each type has its distinct spatial and temporal distribution patterns and consequently dissimilar volumetric variation. This variability is seen in the volume anomaly and turnover time of each type. To examine these differences we compared two rates: the water formation in a given temperature range due to heat flux and the mode water formation. The first (13.1±2.4 Sv) is higher than the second (10.2±2.0 Sv), showing that although heat flux is essential for the formation of SASTMW, there are other factors that influence each type differently.
Greenland Ice Sheet Contribution to 21st Century Sea Level Rise as Simulated by the Coupled CESM2.1‐CISM2.1
Authors: Muntjewerf Laura , Petrini Michele , Vizcaino Miren , Ernani da Silva Carolina , Sellevold Raymond , Scherrenberg Meike D. W. , Thayer‐Calder Katherine , Bradley Sarah L. , Lenaerts Jan T. M. , Lipscomb William H. , Lofverstrom Marcus 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) mass balance is examined with an Earth system/ice sheet model that interactively couples the GrIS to the broader Earth system. The simulation runs from 1850 to 2100, with historical and SSP5‐8.5 forcing. By the mid‐21st century, the cumulative GrIS contribution to global mean sea level rise (SLR) is 23 mm. During the second half of the 21st century, the surface mass balance becomes negative in all drainage basins, with an additional SLR contribution of 86 mm. The annual mean GrIS mass loss in the last two decades is 2.7‐mm sea level equivalent (SLE) year−1. The increased SLR contribution from the surface mass balance (3.1 mm SLE year−1) is partly offset by reduced ice discharge from thinning and retreat of outlet glaciers. The southern GrIS drainage basins contribute 73% of the mass loss in mid‐century but 55% by 2100, as surface runoff increases in the northern basins.
Antarctic Glacial Melt as a Driver of Recent Southern Ocean Climate Trends
Authors: Rye Craig D. , Marshall John , Kelley Maxwell , Russell Gary , Nazarenko Larissa S. , Kostov Yavor , Schmidt Gavin A. , Hansen James 
Published: April 2020

AbstractRecent trends in Southern Ocean (SO) climate—of surface cooling, freshening, and sea ice expansion—are not captured in historical climate simulations. Here we demonstrate that the addition of a plausible increase in Antarctic meltwater to a coupled climate model can produce a closer match to a wide range of climate trends. We use an ensemble of simulations of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies Earth system model to compute “climate response functions” (CRFs) for the addition of meltwater. These imply a cooling and freshening of the SO, an expansion of sea ice, and an increase in steric height, all consistent with observations since 1992. The CRF framework allows one to compare the efficacy of Antarctic meltwater as a driver of SO climate trends, relative to greenhouse gas and surface wind forcing. The meltwater CRFs presented here strongly suggest that interactive Antarctic ice melt should be included in climate models.
Turbulence and Bed Load Transport in Channels With Randomly Distributed Emergent Patches of Model Vegetation
Authors: Shan Yuqi , Zhao Tian , Liu Chao , Nepf Heidi 
Published: April 2020

AbstractLaboratory experiments explored the impact of vegetation patchiness on channel‐averaged turbulence and sediment transport. Stems were clustered into 16 randomly distributed circular patches of decreasing diameter. For the same channel velocity, the sediment transport increased with total stem number but decreased as stems were clustered into smaller patch diameters, occupying a smaller fraction of the bed area. The channel‐averaged turbulence, which also declined with increased clustering, was shown to be a good predictor for sediment transport at the channel scale. Previous models for uniform vegetation were adapted to predict both the channel‐averaged turbulence and sediment transport as a function of the total number of stems and degree of clustering, represented by the fraction of bed covered by patches. This provides a way for numerical modelers to represent the impact of subgrid‐scale vegetation patchiness on sediment transport.
Imbricated Aseismic Slip and Fluid Diffusion Drive a Seismic Swarm in the Corinth Gulf, Greece
Authors: De Barros Louis , Cappa Frédéric , Deschamps Anne , Dublanchet Pierre 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe primary processes driving seismic swarms are still under debate. Here, we study the temporal evolution of a seismic swarm that occurred over a 10‐day period in October 2015 in the extensional rift of the Corinth Gulf (Greece) using high‐resolution earthquakes relocations. The seismicity radially migrates on a normal fault at a fluid diffusion velocity (~125 m/day). However, this migration occurs intermittently, with periods of fast expansion (2 to 10 km/day) during short seismic bursts alternating with quiescent periods. Moreover, the growing phases of the swarm illuminate a high number of repeaters. The swarm migration is likely the results of a combination of multiple driving processes. Fluid upflow in the fault may induce aseismic slip episodes, separated by phases of fluid pressure build‐up. The stress perturbation due to aseismic slip may activate small asperities that produce bursts of seismicity during the most intense phases of the swarm.
Inverted‐V Electron Acceleration Events Concurring With Localized Auroral Observations at Mars by MAVEN
Authors: Xu Shaosui , Mitchell David L. , McFadden James P. , Fillingim Matthew O. , Andersson Laila , Brain David A. , Weber Tristan , Schneider Nicholas M. , Jain Sonal , Fowler Christopher M. , Lillis Robert , Mazelle Christian , Espley Jared 
Published: April 2020

AbstractFrom February to March 2019, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft repeatedly observed aurora near periapsis over Mars' southern strong crustal fields. During these orbits, the Solar Wind Electron Analyzer observed accelerated electrons at similar locations to where the auroras were observed, resembling the inverted‐V structure observed near Earth's auroral region. In this study, we present a case study of such an acceleration event, where we estimate a field‐aligned electrostatic potential drop of ∼440 V. We determine the field‐aligned current from the observed magnetic perturbation reaches 1.1 μA/m2, agreeing reasonably well with the estimated net electron current carried by acceleration electrons with a maximum of 2.5 μA/m2. Similar to Earth, the potential drop develops when the ambient plasma cannot sustain the imposed field‐aligned current. We also estimate the potential layer to be located above 750‐ to 850‐km altitude and the associated electric field to be ∼0.6 V/m.
Progressive Dissolution of Titanomagnetite in High‐Temperature Hydrothermal Vents Dramatically Reduces Magnetization of Basaltic Ocean Crust
Authors: Wang Shishun , Chang Liao , Wu Tao , Tao Chunhui 
Published: April 2020

AbstractHydrothermal alteration at high‐temperature vents near mid‐ocean ridge is thought to produce pervasive magnetization lows on basaltic ocean crust, but the detailed alteration process is insufficiently documented. Here, we performed microscopic and magnetic analyses on a large set of hydrothermal‐related basaltic samples from the Southwest Indian Ridge. Fresh basalts were chloritized and brecciated during hydrothermal alteration, where titanomagnetite nanoparticle clusters hosted in interstitial glasses were dissolved in the first order, followed by large micron‐scale dendritic particles. Natural remanent magnetization was reduced from 100–101 A/m for fresh basalts to 10−3 A/m for fully altered basalts. Hydrothermal deposits acquired a chemical remanent magnetization of 10−2 A/m. Our results link direct magneto‐mineralogical observations to geophysical interpretations, which is important in understanding seafloor hydrothermal circulation and mid‐ocean ridge geodynamics.
A multi-batch design to deliver robust estimates of efficacy and reduce animal use – a syngeneic tumour case study
Authors: Karp Natasha A. , Wilson Zena , Stalker Eve , Mooney Lorraine , Lazic Stanley E. , Zhang Bairu , Hardaker Elizabeth 
Published: April 2020

AbstractPhenotypic plasticity, the ability of a living organism to respond to the environment, can lead to conclusions from experiments that are idiosyncratic to a particular environment. The level of environmental responsiveness can result in difficulties in reproducing studies from the same institute with the same standardised environment. Here we present a multi-batch approach to in-vivo studies to improve replicability of the results for a defined environment. These multi-batch experiments consist of small independent mini-experiments where the data are combined in an integrated data analysis to appropriately assess the treatment effect after accounting for the structure in the data. We demonstrate the method on two case studies with syngeneic tumour models which are challenging due to high variability both within and between studies. Through simulations and discussions, we explore several data analysis options and the optimum design that balances practical constraints of working with animals versus sensitivity and replicability. Through the increased confidence from the multi-batch design, we reduce the need to replicate the experiment, which can reduce the total number of animals used.
A novel flow cytometry assay based on bacteriophage-derived proteins for Staphylococcus detection in blood
Authors: Costa Susana P. , Dias Nicolina M. , Melo Luís D. R. , Azeredo Joana , Santos Sílvio B. , Carvalho Carla M. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBloodstream infections (BSIs) are considered a major cause of death worldwide. Staphylococcus spp. are one of the most BSIs prevalent bacteria, classified as high priority due to the increasing multidrug resistant strains. Thus, a fast, specific and sensitive method for detection of these pathogens is of extreme importance. In this study, we have designed a novel assay for detection of Staphylococcus in blood culture samples, which combines the advantages of a phage endolysin cell wall binding domain (CBD) as a specific probe with the accuracy and high-throughput of flow cytometry techniques. In order to select the biorecognition molecule, three different truncations of the C-terminus of Staphylococcus phage endolysin E-LM12, namely the amidase (AMI), SH3 and amidase+SH3 (AMI_SH3) were cloned fused with a green fluorescent protein. From these, a higher binding efficiency to Staphylococcus cells was observed for AMI_SH3, indicating that the amidase domain possibly contributes to a more efficient binding of the SH3 domain. The novel phage endolysin-based flow cytometry assay provided highly reliable and specific detection of 1–5 CFU of Staphylococcus in 10 mL of spiked blood, after 16 hours of enrichment culture. Overall, the method developed herein presents advantages over the standard BSIs diagnostic methods, potentially contributing to an early and effective treatment of BSIs.
Non-random sampling leads to biased estimates of transcriptome association
Authors: Foulkes A. S. , Balasubramanian R. , Qian J. , Reilly M. P. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractIntegration of independent data resources across -omics platforms offers transformative opportunity for novel clinical and biological discoveries. However, application of emerging analytic methods in the context of selection bias represents a noteworthy and pervasive challenge. We hypothesize that combining differentially selected samples for integrated transcriptome analysis will lead to bias in the estimated association between predicted expression and the trait. Our results are based on in silico investigations and a case example focused on body mass index across four well-described cohorts apparently derived from markedly different populations. Our findings suggest that integrative analysis can lead to substantial relative bias in the estimate of association between predicted expression and the trait. The average estimate of association ranged from 51.3% less than to 96.7% greater than the true value for the biased sampling scenarios considered, while the average error was − 2.7% for the unbiased scenario. The corresponding 95% confidence interval coverage rate ranged from 46.4% to 69.5% under biased sampling, and was equal to 75% for the unbiased scenario. Inverse probability weighting with observed and estimated weights is applied as one corrective measure and appears to reduce the bias and improve coverage. These results highlight a critical need to address selection bias in integrative analysis and to use caution in interpreting findings in the presence of different sampling mechanisms between groups.
Differential impact on motility and biofilm dispersal of closely related phosphodiesterases in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Cai Yu-ming , Hutchin Andrew , Craddock Jack , Walsh Martin A. , Webb Jeremy S. , Tews Ivo 
Published: April 2020

AbstractIn Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the transition between planktonic and biofilm lifestyles is modulated by the intracellular secondary messenger cyclic dimeric-GMP (c-di-GMP) in response to environmental conditions. Here, we used gene deletions to investigate how the environmental stimulus nitric oxide (NO) is linked to biofilm dispersal, focusing on biofilm dispersal phenotype from proteins containing putative c-di-GMP turnover and Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) sensory domains. We document opposed physiological roles for the genes ΔrbdA and Δpa2072 that encode proteins with identical domain structure: while ΔrbdA showed elevated c-di-GMP levels, restricted motility and promoted biofilm formation, c-di-GMP levels were decreased in Δpa2072, and biofilm formation was inhibited, compared to wild type. A second pair of genes, ΔfimX and ΔdipA, were selected on the basis of predicted impaired c-di-GMP turnover function: ΔfimX showed increased, ΔdipA decreased NO induced biofilm dispersal, and the genes effected different types of motility, with reduced twitching for ΔfimX and reduced swimming for ΔdipA. For all four deletion mutants we find that NO-induced biomass reduction correlates with increased NO-driven swarming, underlining a significant role for this motility in biofilm dispersal. Hence P. aeruginosa is able to differentiate c-di-GMP output using structurally highly related proteins that can contain degenerate c-di-GMP turnover domains.
Pre-harvest climate and post-harvest acclimation to cold prevent from superficial scald development in Granny Smith apples
Authors: Marc Mathieu , Cournol Maryline , Hanteville Sylvain , Poisson Anne-Sophie , Guillou Marie-Charlotte , Pelletier Sandra , Laurens François , Tessier Christine , Coureau Claude , Renou Jean-Pierre , Delaire Mickaël , Orsel Mathilde 
Published: April 2020

AbstractSuperficial scald is one of the most serious postharvest physiological disorders that can affect apples after a prolonged cold storage period. This study investigated the impact of pre- and post-harvest climatic variations on superficial scald in a susceptible apple cultivar. Fruit batches with contrasting phenotypes for superficial scald incidence were identified among several years of “Granny Smith” fruit production. The “low scald” year pre-harvest climate was characterised by a warm period followed by a sudden decrease in temperature, playing the part of an in vivo acclimation to cold storage. This was associated with many abiotic stress responsive genes which were induced in fruit peel. In particular 48 Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs) and 5 Heat Shock transcription Factors (HSFs) were strongly induced at harvest when scald incidence was low. For “high scald” year, a post-harvest acclimation of 1 week was efficient in reducing scald incidence. Expression profiles of stress related genes were affected by the acclimation treatment and indicate fruit physiological adaptations to cold storage. The identified stress-responsive genes, and in particular HSPs, could be useful indicators of the fruit physiological status to predict the risk of scald occurrence as early as harvest.