bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
What Is Nuisance Flooding? Defining and Monitoring an Emerging Challenge
Authors: Moftakhari Hamed R. , AghaKouchak Amir , Sanders Brett F. , Allaire Maura , Matthew Richard A. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractNuisance flooding (NF) refers to low levels of inundation that do not pose significant threats to public safety or cause major property damage, but can disrupt routine day‐to‐day activities, put added strain on infrastructure systems such as roadways and sewers, and cause minor property damage. NF has received some attention in the context of low‐lying coastal cities exposed to increasingly higher high tides, a consequence of sea level rise, which exceeds the heights of coastal topography. However, low levels of flooding are widespread and deserve greater attention. Here a simple, quantitative definition of NF is proposed based on established flood intensity thresholds for flood consequences (e.g., pedestrian safety, property damage, and health risks). Based on a wide range of literature including hydrology, transportation, public health risk, and safety impacts, we define NF based on depth >3 cm and <10 cm, regardless of the source. This definition of NF is not limited to high tide flooding but rather is inclusive of all possible flood drivers including pluvial, fluvial, and oceanic and can capture trends in NF resulting from trends in, and compounding effects of, flood drivers. Furthermore, we also distinguish between NF as a process and NF as an event, which is important for linking NF to societal impacts and developing effective policy interventions and mitigation strategies. Potential applications and implications of NF monitoring are also presented.
Betulinic acid chemosensitizes breast cancer by triggering ER stress-mediated apoptosis by directly targeting GRP78
Authors: Cai Youli , Zheng Yifeng , Gu Jiangyong , Wang Shengqi , Wang Neng , Yang Bowen , Zhang Fengxue , Wang Dongmei , Fu Wenjun , Wang Zhiyu 
Published: May 2018

AbstractStress-induced cellular defense machinery has a critical role in mediating cancer drug resistance, and targeting stress-related signaling has become a novel strategy to improve chemosensitivity. Betulinic acid (BA) is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenoid with potent anticancer bioactivities in multiple malignancies, whereas its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here in, we found that BA has synergistic effects with taxol to induce breast cancer cells G2/M checkpoint arrest and apoptosis induction, but had little cytotoxicity effects on normal mammary epithelial cells. Drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) strategy further identified glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) as the direct interacting target of BA. BA administration significantly elevated GRP78-mediated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and resulted in the activation of protein kinase R-like ER kinase (PERK)/eukaryotic initiation factor 2a/CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein apoptotic pathway. GRP78 silencing or ER stress inhibitor salubrinal administration was revealed to abolish the anticancer effects of BA, indicating the critical role of GRP78 in mediating the bioactivity of BA. Molecular docking and coimmunoprecipitation assay further demonstrated that BA might competitively bind with ATPase domain of GRP78 to interrupt its interaction with ER stress sensor PERK, thereby initiating the downstream apoptosis cascade. In vivo breast cancer xenografts finally validated the chemosensitizing effects of BA and its biofunction in activating GRP78 to trigger ER stress-mediated apoptosis. Taken together, our study not only uncovers GRP78 as a novel target underlying the chemosensitizing effects of BA, but also highlights GRP78-based targeting strategy as a promising approach to improve breast cancer prognosis.
Variability in the location of high frequency oscillations during prolonged intracranial EEG recordings
Authors: Gliske Stephen V. , Irwin Zachary T. , Chestek Cynthia , Hegeman Garnett L. , Brinkmann Benjamin , Sagher Oren , Garton Hugh J. L. , Worrell Greg A. , Stacey William C. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe rate of interictal high frequency oscillations (HFOs) is a promising biomarker of the seizure onset zone, though little is known about its consistency over hours to days. Here we test whether the highest HFO-rate channels are consistent across different 10-min segments of EEG during sleep. An automated HFO detector and blind source separation are applied to nearly 3000 total hours of data from 121 subjects, including 12 control subjects without epilepsy. Although interictal HFOs are significantly correlated with the seizure onset zone, the precise localization is consistent in only 22% of patients. The remaining patients either have one intermittent source (16%), different sources varying over time (45%), or insufficient HFOs (17%). Multiple HFO networks are found in patients with both one and multiple seizure foci. These results indicate that robust HFO interpretation requires prolonged analysis in context with other clinical data, rather than isolated review of short data segments.
Gondwana’s Apparent Polar Wander Path during the Permian-new insights from South America
Authors: Tomezzoli Renata N. , Tickyj Hugo , Rapalini Augusto E. , Gallo Leandro C. , Cristallini Ernesto O. , Arzadún Guadalupe , Chemale Farid 
Published: May 2018

AbstractA long-standing debate regarding the configuration of Pangea during the Late Paleozoic has been going on among the paleomagnetic community concerning the validity of one of two significantly different Pangea reconstructions (Pangea A vs Pangea B) since the proposal of Pangea B. Although, Pangea B avoids any continental overlap marring classical Pangea A configuration (Wegener’s type), it requires a Carboniferous-Permian megashear of up to 1500 km to achieve the pre-Jurassic configuration. The existence of this megashear is controversial and has led to a wide range of hypotheses, in order to avoid Pangea A continental overlaps and consequently the need for major intra-Pangea movements and to accommodate the paleomagnetic database within a Pangea A reconstruction. We present paleomagnetic results from Permian volcanic rocks of the El Centinela, La Pampa, Argentina. Undeformed volcanic rocks are not affected by any inclination bias and are, therefore, ideal to test different paleogeographic models. The presence of two different paleopole positions, at the base and the top of the same stratigraphic sequence, makes this location optimal to constrain the track of the Gondwana’s path during the Late Paleozoic, which shows the transition from Pangea B during the Carboniferous-Permian, to Pangea A at the Permian – Triassic boundary.
Rainfall seasonality on the Indian subcontinent during the Cretaceous greenhouse
Authors: Ghosh Prosenjit , Prasanna K. , Banerjee Yogaraj , Williams Ian S. , Gagan Michael K. , Chaudhuri Atanu , Suwas Satyam 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe Cretaceous greenhouse climate was accompanied by major changes in Earth’s hydrological cycle, but seasonally resolved hydroclimatic reconstructions for this anomalously warm period are rare. We measured the δ18O and CO2 clumped isotope Δ47 of the seasonal growth bands in carbonate shells of the mollusc Villorita cyprinoides (Black Clam) growing in the Cochin estuary, in southern India. These tandem records accurately reconstruct seasonal changes in sea surface temperature (SST) and seawater δ18O, allowing us to document freshwater discharge into the estuary, and make inferences about rainfall amount. The same analytical approach was applied to well-preserved fossil remains of the Cretaceous (Early Maastrichtian) mollusc Phygraea (Phygraea) vesicularis from the nearby Kallankuruchchi Formation in the Cauvery Basin of southern India. The palaeoenvironmental record shows that, unlike present-day India, where summer rainfall predominates, most rainfall in Cretaceous India occurred in winter. During the Early Maastrichtian, the Indian plate was positioned at ~30°S latitude, where present-day rainfall and storm activity is also concentrated in winter. The good match of the Cretaceous climate and present-day climate at ~30°S suggests that the large-scale atmospheric circulation and seasonal hydroclimate patterns were similar to, although probably more intense than, those at present.
Expression and Regulation of Deubiquitinase-Resistant, Unanchored Ubiquitin Chains in Drosophila
Authors: Blount Jessica R. , Libohova Kozeta , Marsh Gregory B. , Sutton Joanna R. , Todi Sokol V. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe modifier protein, ubiquitin (Ub) regulates various cellular pathways by controlling the fate of substrates to which it is conjugated. Ub moieties are also conjugated to each other, forming chains of various topologies. In cells, poly-Ub is attached to proteins and also exists in unanchored form. Accumulation of unanchored poly-Ub is thought to be harmful and quickly dispersed through dismantling by deubiquitinases (DUBs). We wondered whether disassembly by DUBs is necessary to control unanchored Ub chains in vivo. We generated Drosophila melanogaster lines that express Ub chains non-cleavable into mono-Ub by DUBs. These chains are rapidly modified with different linkages and represent various types of unanchored species. We found that unanchored poly-Ub is not devastating in Drosophila, under normal conditions or during stress. The DUB-resistant, free Ub chains are degraded by the proteasome, at least in part through the assistance of VCP and its cofactor, p47. Also, unanchored poly-Ub that cannot be cleaved by DUBs can be conjugated en bloc, in vivo. Our results indicate that unanchored poly-Ub species need not be intrinsically toxic; they can be controlled independently of DUB-based disassembly by being degraded, or through conjugation onto other proteins.
Ground-based measurements of column-averaged carbon dioxide molar mixing ratios in a peatland fire-prone area of Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
Authors: Iriana Windy , Tonokura Kenichi , Inoue Gen , Kawasaki Masahiro , Kozan Osamu , Fujimoto Kazuki , Ohashi Masafumi , Morino Isamu , Someya Yu , Imasu Ryuichi , Rahman Muhammad Arif , Gunawan Dodo 
Published: May 2018

AbstractTropical peatlands in Indonesia have been disturbed over decades and are a source of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere by peat respiration and peatland fire. With a portable solar spectrometer, we have performed measurements of column-averaged CO2 dry-air molar mixing ratios, XCO2, in Palangka Raya, Indonesia, and quantify the emission dynamics of the peatland with use of the data for weather, fire hotspot, ground water table, local airport operation visibility and weather radar images. Total emission of CO2 from surface and underground peat fires as well as from peatland ecosystem is evaluated by day-to-day variability of XCO2. We found that the peatland fire and the net ecosystem CO2 exchange contributed with the same order of magnitude to the CO2 emission during the non-El Niño Southern Oscillation year of July 2014-August 2015.
Pleasantness and trigeminal sensations as salient dimensions in organizing the semantic and physiological spaces of odors
Authors: Licon C. C. , Manesse C. , Dantec M. , Fournel A. , Bensafi M. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractA major issue in human olfaction research is to characterize the main dimensions that organize the space of odors. The present study examines this question and shows that, beside pleasantness, trigeminal sensations, and particularly irritation, play an important role. These results were consistent along two different spaces constructed using semantic description and physiological responses to 105 odorants, smelled and described by human participants. Taken together, these findings suggest that salient trigeminal features, in conjunction with pleasantness, are involved in detecting relevant emotional stimuli, and modify the way organisms categorize smells. These results shed light on the importance of trigeminal sensitivity in the well-established defensive function of olfaction.
Thermal hysteresis measurement of the VO2 emissivity and its application in thermal rectification
Authors: Gomez-Heredia C. L. , Ramirez-Rincon J. A. , Ordonez-Miranda J. , Ares O. , Alvarado-Gil J. J. , Champeaux C. , Dumas-Bouchiat F. , Ezzahri Y. , Joulain K. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractHysteresis loops in the emissivity of VO2 thin films grown on sapphire and silicon substrates by a pulsed laser deposition process are experimentally measured through the thermal-wave resonant cavity technique. Remarkable variations of about 43% are observed in the emissivity of both VO2 films, within their insulator-to-metal and metal-to-insulator transitions. It is shown that: i) The principal hysteresis width (maximum slope) in the VO2 emissivity of the VO2 + silicon sample is around 3 times higher (lower) than the corresponding one of the VO2 + sapphire sample. VO2 synthesized on silicon thus exhibits a wider principal hysteresis loop with slower MIT than VO2 on sapphire, as a result of the significant differences on the VO2 film microstructures induced by the silicon or sapphire substrates. ii) The hysteresis width along with the rate of change of the VO2 emissivity in a VO2 + substrate sample can be tuned with its secondary hysteresis loop. iii) VO2 samples can be used to build a radiative thermal diode able to operate with a rectification factor as high as 87%, when the temperature difference of its two terminals is around 17 °C. This record-breaking rectification constitutes the highest one reported in literature, for a relatively small temperature change of diode terminals.
Carbapenem Nonsusceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae in Taiwan: Dissemination and Increasing Resistance of Carbapenemase Producers During 2012–2015
Authors: Chiu Sheng-Kang , Ma Ling , Chan Ming-Chin , Lin Yi-Tsung , Fung Chang-Phone , Wu Tsu-Lan , Chuang Yin-Ching , Lu Po-Liang , Wang Jann-Tay , Lin Jung-Chung , Yeh Kuo-Ming 
Published: May 2018

AbstractBefore 2011, the prevalence rates of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (CPKP) among carbapenem nonsusceptible K. pneumoniae (CnSKP) isolates were below 10% in Taiwan. The study presents the dissemination and increased antimicrobial resistance of CPKP from January 2012 to August 2015, as shown by Taiwanese multicenter surveillance. Isolates with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of >1 μg/mL for imipenem or meropenem were collected, screened for various carbapenemase genes by PCR, and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. Among 1,457 CnSKP isolates, 1,250 were collected from medical centers. The CnSKP prevalence in medical centers increased by 1.7-fold during the study. Among all CnSKP isolates, 457 were CPKP. The CPKP rate among CnSKP increased by 1.5-fold and reached 36.8% in 2015. The CPKP nonsusceptibility rate to aztreonam, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides increased yearly. Six CPKP isolates carried dual carbapenemase genes. Three Ambler classes were identified in 451 isolates with a single carbapenemase: classes A (315 blaKPC-2, 2 blaKPC-3, 28 blaKPC-17, 2 blaKPC-34), B (26 blaIMP-8, 2 blaNDM-1, 36 blaVIM-1), and D (40 blaOXA-48). The blaOXA-48 rate among CPKP increased by 6-fold over three years. Most KPC and OXA-48 producers were ST11. CnSKP was increasingly prevalent, owing to CPKP dissemination. Additionally, CPKP became more resistant during the study period.
Electric-field-controlled interface dipole modulation for Si-based memory devices
Authors: Miyata Noriyuki 
Published: May 2018

AbstractVarious nonvolatile memory devices have been investigated to replace Si-based flash memories or emulate synaptic plasticity for next-generation neuromorphic computing. A crucial criterion to achieve low-cost high-density memory chips is material compatibility with conventional Si technologies. In this paper, we propose and demonstrate a new memory concept, interface dipole modulation (IDM) memory. IDM can be integrated as a Si field-effect transistor (FET) based memory device. The first demonstration of this concept employed a HfO2/Si MOS capacitor where the interface monolayer (ML) TiO2 functions as a dipole modulator. However, this configuration is unsuitable for Si-FET-based devices due to its large interface state density (D
it
). Consequently, we propose, a multi-stacked amorphous HfO2/1-ML TiO2/SiO2 IDM structure to realize a low D
it
and a wide memory window. Herein we describe the quasi-static and pulse response characteristics of multi-stacked IDM MOS capacitors and demonstrate flash-type and analog memory operations of an IDM FET device.
Relationship between KCNQ1 (LQT1) and KCNH2 (LQT2) gene mutations and sudden death during illegal drug use
Authors: Nagasawa Sayaka , Saitoh Hisako , Kasahara Shiori , Chiba Fumiko , Torimitsu Suguru , Abe Hiroko , Yajima Daisuke , Iwase Hirotaro 
Published: May 2018

AbstractLong QT syndrome (LQTS), a congenital genetic disorder, can cause torsades de pointes (TdP), and lethal cardiac arrhythmia may result from ingestion of cardiotoxic drugs. Methamphetamine (MP) and new psychoactive substances (NPSs) can trigger TdP due to QT prolongation, leading to sudden death. We therefore analysed variations in the LQTS-associated genes KCNQ1 (LQT1) and KCNH2 (LQT2) using cardiac blood and myocardial tissue from subjects having died suddenly during MP or NPS use to investigate the relationship between congenital genetic abnormalities and sudden death during illegal drug use. We amplified and sequenced all exons of these genes using samples from 20 subjects, half of whom had died taking MP and half after using NPSs. G643S, a KCNQ1 missense polymorphism, was significantly more common among sudden deaths involving NPSs (6 subjects) than those involving MP (1 subject) and healthy Japanese subjects (P = 0.001). Notably, synthetic cathinones were detected in 2 of 3 cases involving G643S carriers. Previous functional analyses have indicated that the G643S polymorphism in the KCNQ1 potassium channel gene causes mild IKs channel dysfunction. Our data suggest that use of NPSs, particularly synthetic cathinones, is associated with elevated risk of serious cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death for subjects carrying KCNQ1 G643S.
Exceptional preservation of a Cretaceous intestine provides a glimpse of the early ecological diversity of spiny-rayed fishes (Acanthomorpha, Teleostei)
Authors: Davesne Donald , Gueriau Pierre , Dutheil Didier B. , Bertrand Loïc 
Published: May 2018

AbstractAcanthomorph teleosts (spiny-rayed fishes) account for approximately a third of extant vertebrate species. They appeared during the Late Cretaceous and have been a major component of aquatic biodiversity since the early Cenozoic. They occupy today most trophic levels and ecological niches in aquatic environments, however very little is known about those that were adopted by the earliest representatives of the group. Here, we report on an exceptional glimpse into the ecological diversity of early spiny-rayed fishes provided by the unusual preservation of a newly discovered specimen of the freshwater acanthomorphSpinocaudichthysfrom the Upper Cretaceous of Morocco. A combination of major-to-trace elemental mapping methods reveals that the gross morphology of the specimen’s intestine has been remarkably preserved owing to the rapid mineralization of iron hydroxides around it. Differing with the typically short and straight intestinal tract of carnivorous teleosts, the intestine inSpinocaudichthysis long and highly convoluted, indicating a probable herbivorous diet. Acanthomorphs would therefore have conquered various ecological niches in their early evolutionary history, prior to their subsequent phylogenetic diversification in both marine and freshwater environments that followed the K-Pg extinction event.
Targeted Delivery of Cell Penetrating Peptide Virus-like Nanoparticles to Skin Cancer Cells
Authors: Gan Bee Koon , Yong Chean Yeah , Ho Kok Lian , Omar Abdul Rahman , Alitheen Noorjahan Banu , Tan Wen Siang 
Published: May 2018

AbstractSkin cancer or cutaneous carcinoma, is a pre-eminent global public health problem with no signs of plateauing in its incidence. As the most common treatments for skin cancer, surgical resection inevitably damages a patient’s appearance, and chemotherapy has many side effects. Thus, the main aim of this study was to screen for a cell penetrating peptide (CPP) for the development of a targeting vector for skin cancer. In this study, we identified a CPP with the sequence NRPDSAQFWLHH from a phage displayed peptide library. This CPP targeted the human squamous carcinoma A431 cells through an interaction with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr). Methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) and chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CPZ) inhibited the internalisation of the CPP into the A431 cells, suggesting the peptide entered the cells via clathrin-dependent endocytosis. The CPP displayed on hepatitis B virus-like nanoparticles (VLNPs) via the nanoglue successfully delivered the nanoparticles into A431 cells. The present study demonstrated that the novel CPP can serve as a ligand to target and deliver VLNPs into skin cancer cells.
Understanding Trap Effects on Electrical Treeing Phenomena in EPDM/POSS Composites
Authors: Du Boxue , Su Jingang , Tian Meng , Han Tao , Li Jin 
Published: May 2018

AbstractPOSS (polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane) provides an interesting alternative nano-silica and has the potential of superior dielectric properties to restrain electrical degradation. By incorporating POSS into EPDM to suppress electrical tree, one of precursors to dielectric failure, is promising to improve the lifetime of insulation materials. This paper focuses on the electrical treeing phenomena in EPDM/OVPOSS (ethylene propylene diene monomer/octavinyl-POSS) composites based on their physicochemical properties and trap distributions. ATR-IR and SEM characteristics are investigated to observe the chemical structure and physical dispersion of EPDM/OVPOSS composites. Electrical treeing characteristics are studied by the needle-plane electrode, and the trap level distributions are characterized by surface potential decay (SPD) tests. The results show that the 3 wt% EPDM/OVPOSS is more effective to restrain the electrical tree growth than the neat EPDM in this paper. It is indicated that the EPDM/OVPOSS with a filler content of 3 wt% introduces the largest energy level and trap density of deep trapped charges, which suppress the transportation of charge carriers injected from the needle tip and further prevent the degradation of polymer molecules. The polarity effects are obvious during the electrical treeing process, which is dependent on the trap level differences between positive and negative voltage.