bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Envy, Poison, and Death
Authors: Eidinow Esther
Published: March 2016

At the heart of this book are some trials conducted in Athens in the fourth century bce. In each case, the charges involved a combination of supernatural activities, including potion-brewing and cult activity; the defendants were all women. Because of the brevity of the ancient sources, and their lack of agreement, the precise charges are unclear; the reasons for taking these women to court, even condemning some of them to die, remain mysterious. This book takes the complexity and confusion of the evidence not as a riddle to be solved, but as revealing multiple social dynamics. It explores the changing factors—material, ideological, and psychological—that may have provoked these events. It focuses in particular on the dual role of envy (phthonos) and gossip as processes by which communities identified people and activities that were dangerous, and examines how and why those local, even individual, dynamics may have come to shape official civic decisions during a time of perceived hardship. At first sight so puzzling, these trials come to provide a vivid glimpse of the sociopolitical environment of Athens during the early to mid-fourth century bce, including responses to changes in women’s status and behaviour, and attitudes to particular supernatural/religious activities within the city. This study reveals some of the characters, events, and local social processes that shaped an emergent concept of magic: it suggests that the legal boundary of acceptable behaviour was shifting, not only within the legal arena, but also with the active involvement of society beyond the courts.
Introduction: Overview and Approach
Authors: Eidinow Esther
Published: March 2016

This chapter establishes the focus of the book: that is, the trials of three women (Theoris, Ninon, and Phryne) in fourth-century Athens on charges relating to ritual activities. The evidence for these events seems muddled and is confusing; the trials have not received much attention from contemporary scholars. This chapter argues that these trials may provide us with insights into society in fourth-century Athens. The variety of information given about the trials offers a starting point for a historical investigation into the role of, and attitudes towards, women and magic at this time. The chapter then provides an overview of the structure of the book, describing what will be discussed in each of its four parts.
Introduction: ‘A Relish for the Envious’
Authors: Eidinow Esther
Published: March 2016

This chapter asks how phthonos acquired its social force, and focuses on speech—of various different kinds and genres. Starting again with the figure of Socrates as an example, it analyses the powerful role of speech as a form of potion or spell for bewitching others. This power was not unique to Socrates: across a range of writers we see rhetoric and the associated skills of sophistry linked with supernatural power. But the idea that words could have supernatural power did not apply only to the polished formulations of professional speakers, but also to less formal forms of speech. It is to these casual, everyday forms of verbal ‘poison’ that this chapter of the book turns; in particular, to the gossip that itself concerned the creation, possession, and employment of pharmaka, natural and supernatural.
Gossip…In Private
Authors: Eidinow Esther
Published: March 2016

This chapter continues the examination of different genres of gossip, and the role and pathways of gossip in and through ancient society. This case study looks at ‘private’ forms of gossip, that is, the expression of individual suspicions in funerary epitaphs, curse and confession inscriptions. It examines the theories, first, that these texts provided some kind of experience of justice for situations where there was no other form of legal redress, and, second, that they achieved a form of social containment through the release of negative emotions. It argues that rather containing anxieties, we can imagine these texts doing precisely the opposite: as well as expressing the anguished state of the individuals who set up these texts, it seems likely that these vivid, public expressions of desperation would also heighten the anxiety of other members of the community.
Semi-Formalism
Authors: Nanay Bence
Published: March 2016

According to aesthetic formalism, only formal properties are relevant to aesthetic evaluation—all aesthetically relevant properties are formal properties. The chapter argues that although formalism is not tenable, we can give an account of the properties relevant to aesthetic evaluation that captures the formalist intuitions without falling prey to the influential objections against formalism. It calls this account semi-formalism. According to the semi-formalist, the properties relevant to aesthetic evaluation are semi-formal properties—aesthetically relevant properties are semi-formal properties. And semi-formal properties are very different from and more inclusive than formal ones: they are properties that depend constitutively on formal properties.
Uniqueness
Authors: Nanay Bence
Published: March 2016

The concept of uniqueness has played a very important role in the history of aesthetics, but it is not clear in what sense uniqueness is an important feature of the aesthetic domain. This chapter argues that uniqueness does play an important role in the aesthetic domain, but not in the way it has generally been understood: what is unique is not the artwork itself or the application of aesthetic concepts, but it has to do with a feature of some of our aesthetic experiences: distributed attention. Distributed attention is an important feature of both some of our aesthetic experiences and of perceptually treating something as unique: our eye is unprompted in both cases. Finally, it is pointed out that this way of thinking about the unprompted eye as a feature of some aesthetic experiences is not to be confused with the much criticized concept of ‘innocent eye’.
Introduction
Authors: Schmidt-Rhaesa Andreas , Harzsch Steffen , Purschke Günter
Published: March 2016

One of the most important characters of metazoans is the presence of a nervous system and the ability to react and act to external stimuli. Therefore, the nervous system has always received special attention by biologists. As there have been significant advances in methods and strucural knowledge since the important books by Hanström in 1928 and by Bullock and Horridge in 1965, it seems appropriate to summarize the current information on the nervous system of invertebrates. Since these last reviews methodological advances have been made mainly through the use of immunohistochemistry and confocal laser scanning microscopy, transmission electron microscopy as well as serial sectioning tomography, however, further methods are currently being explored. This contribution sets out to provide a systematic overview over the organization of the nervous systems in invertebrates integrating the latest findings. In a phylogenetic context, these new data provide new insights into the evolution of metazoan nervous systems. The general overview is supplemented by seletced chapters that explore the function of the nervous system.
Porifera
Authors: Leys Sally P. , Farrar Nathan
Published: March 2016

Poriphera sponges are benthic animals that filter vast volumes of water to extract bacteria and other pico-plankton. While sponges have tissues and some regionalization of the body is present, complex tissues such as conventional muscle and nerves are absent, which in part explains their slow movements. Sponge effectors are smooth muscle-like epithelial cells, which contract to reduce the size of water canals or the size of the whole sponge; and flagella, which arrest beating, stopping the suction of water through the body. Sensory systems include larval light-sensitive cells that direct swimming orientation, and primary cilia that are presumed to allow responses to change in flow. Signalling conduits are epithelia with junctions that are simple, allowing mechanical stretching between and along cells, and also presumably the passage of slow signals via metabotropic receptors. Molecular infrastructure includes the majority of scaffolding proteins for post-synaptic densities. Glutamatergic signalling has been demonstrated, as has responsiveness to a suite of other small molecules. Portions of the pathways for manufacturing signalling molecules (e.g. epinephrine, dopamine, serotonin) are present, and receptors exist that bind several of them loosely, but without clear identity with 5HT or adrenergic receptors. Electrical signalling involving calcium-potassium action potentials that travel along unique syncytial tissues, is found only in glass sponges, where it controls the arrest of feeding current and prevents uptake of unwanted particles. The sponge sensory and coordination system—in both cellular and syncytial forms—is well adapted to controlling the movement of water through the body.
Platyhelminthes (Excluding Neodermata)
Authors: Hartenstein Volker
Published: March 2016

The platyhelminthes represent a large and diverse group of free-living and parasitic worms. Morphologically, flatworms can be characterized by the absence of a coelom and a vascular system, by the absence of mitosis among all differentiated cells, and by the existence of totipotent stem cells (neoblasts) that continuously replace somatic tissues. Free-living flatworms (‘Turbellaria’) have a gut with a single opening and a simple or muscular pharynx, and an epidermal layer of multiciliated cells that form the main organ of locomotion. Among the free living plathelminths, several major groups have been distinguished. In spite of their diversity in form and habitats, flatworms have a nervous system that shares a number of architectural characters. All flatworm possess a more or less compact anterior brain resembling a typical invertebrate ganglion. Nerve cell bodies are arranged as an external cell layer (‘cortex’) around a central neuropil. The central nervous system of the trunk consists of several paired nerve cords, which represent medullary cords. In many species, a ventral, lateral, and dorsal pairs of nerve cords can be distinguished. Typically, the ventral cord is more strongly developed, and is called the ‘main cord’. Interconnected by more or less regularly distributed transverse commissures, cords and commissures together form the so-called ‘orthogon’. A glial sheath, as found in other invertebrates such as annelids, molluscs, or arthropods, is absent in flatworms. Nervous system development, as opposed to regeneration, has been investigated in several descriptive studies, using markers that label differentiating neurons and their processes.
Gnathostomulida
Authors: Schmidt-Rhaesa Andreas
Published: March 2016

Gnathostomulida is a taxon with about 100 described species to date. Species live in the marine interstitial system and have a worldwide distribution. The general appearance is more or less flatworm-like, but it is their conspicuous jaw apparatus that gives the taxon its name. There is a brain in the anterior body region, it has a central neuropil and a covering of peripheral somata. Up to six longitudinal neurite bundles run into the body, while in some species they all appear equal, in other species they are of different length and thickness, with the ventrolateral pair being dominant. Fine transverse neurites may be present, connecting the longitudinal bundles. One further element is a buccal ganglion that is positioned posterior of the jaw apparatus. Gnathostomulids contain a number of different sensory structures, in particular in the epidermis. These range from sensory ‘bristles’ to intraepidermal spiral ciliary receptors. Only two types of neurotransmitters have been successfully identified in gnathostomulids, using immunohistochemistry: the peptide family FMRFamides and the monoamine 5-HT (serotonin).
Perspective—Nervous System Development in Bilaterian Larvae: Testing the Concept of ‘Primary Larvae’
Authors: Richter Stefan , Stach Thomas , Wanninger Andreas
Published: March 2016

Since the dawn of evolutionary theory, ‘larvae’ have played a prominent role in the interpretation of animal evolution. Jägersten suggested in 1972 that the ‘pelagic larval type has persisted in ontogeny without interruption since its first appearance’ and he termed those larvae which can be traced back directly to this ancient larva, ‘primary larvae’. This chapter reviews the development of the nervous system in the various types of larvae, where our knowledge has increased tremendously over the past decade, based on new immunohistochemical techniques in combination with confocal laser-scanning microscopy. The chapter focuses especially on correspondence and non-correspondence between the different larval types, thereby testing the ‘primary larva’ concept of Jägersten (1972) with reference to the protostome-deuterostome ancestor (PDA). The data currently available support the hypothesis of a PDA with a pelago-benthic life cycle, including a pelagic larva with an apical organ and a larval nervous system that at least partially disappeared during metamorphosis. This also supports Jägersten’s ‘primary larva’ concept. The crustacean nauplius is unlikely to constitute a ‘primary larva’. The major problems are that structures comparable to an ‘apical organ’ are absent and that the entire larval nervous system persists during metamorphosis and into the adult stage.
Cycliophora
Authors: Neves Ricardo C.
Published: March 2016

Cycliophora is a group of minute, acoelomate animals that live on the mouthparts of nephropid lobsters. The cycliophoran life cycle alternates between asexual and sexual reproduction, and involves a succession of adult and larval stages. All life cycle stages are bilaterally symmetric. Knowledge on the neuroanatomy of Cycliophora resulted initially from light and transmission electron microscopy studies. More recently, a number of immunocytochemical and confocal microscopy studies have contributed new data on the nervous system of several life cycle stages of Cycliophora. All larval stages—namely the Pandora larva, the Prometheus larva, and the chordoid larva—possess a dorsal brain constituted by a pair of lateral clusters of perikarya and a median neuropile. However, the presence of a brain in the feeding stage is still controversial. Moreover, the chordoid larva has four distinct ventral longitudinal neurites, while the other larval forms have only two. Since all larval types of Cycliophora lack a serotonergic apical organ with flask-shaped cells, the overall neuroanatomical condition of cycliophoran larvae resembles much more the situation found in adult rather than larval Spiralia.
Perspective—Brain Atlases For Studying Neuronal Circuitry In Arthropods
Authors: Rybak Jürgen
Published: March 2016

The study of neuronal circuits that mediate an animal’s behaviour requires a multidisciplinary approach. The brains of arthropods, such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the honey bee Apis mellifera, can be investigated at the level of single cells or small networks. These important model systems allow us to unravel neural correlates and the neuroanatomical specifications underlying sensory processing, associative and non-associative learning, and motor control. A structural correlate for functional studies is the basic element of all nervous systems, the neuron. Neuronal networks that make up the brain are currently analysed at different levels ranging from macro scales (brain-wide connectivity) to synaptic microcircuitry (connectome). Comparative neuroanatomy also quantifies morphological characteristics, and, in recent years, digital brain atlases have emerged as important tools at the interface of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, behaviour, and neuroinformatics. Initially, digital brain atlases were used as a platform to exchange data across different laboratories and experiments. Furthermore, they served as a basis for acquiring morphological data at different levels of resolution; using diverse imaging modalities (e.g. classical histology, confocal microscopy), these data were registered into a 3D reference system. Insect brain atlases already exist for several species (e.g. Drosophila melanogaster, Manduca sexta, Schistocerca gregaria, Bombyx mori, Heliothis virescens, and Apis mellifera) and are used to study brain development and neuromorphological plasticity. Here, the chapter discusses the versatility of imaging registration techniques, using examples from the olfactory system of the honeybee, Apis mellifera, and the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and show why physiological, molecular, and in vivo data obtained across neurobiological disciplines should be integrated into future databases to create dynamic computational models of brain function.
Myriapoda
Authors: Sombke Andy , Rosenberg Jörg
Published: March 2016

Myriapoda, comprising Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Symphyla, and Pauropoda, are multi-legged obligate terrestrial arthropods. Although they have a worldwide distribution and can occur in large quantities, many aspects of their biology including, e.g. morphology, physiology, and behaviour, are understudied. Moreover, in comparison with hexapods and crustaceans, little is known about the architecture and organization of the nervous system or neurogenesis in myriapods. The present review provides a brief overview on historical investigations in neuroanatomy, introduces the general layout of the myriapod nervous system, and introduces relevant brain components that are described in comparison to other arthropods using a contemporary, unified, neuroanatomical nomenclature. In general, the most prominent part of the nervous system, the brain, is a syncerebrum, which is composed of the three neuromeres, proto-, deuto-, and tritocerebrum. The protocerebrum features major neuropils such as, e.g. the mushroom bodies, two optic neuropils, and a central body, whereas olfactory and mechanosensory neuropils are, most prominently, located within the deutocerebrum. The tritocerebrum innervates the preoral head region and connects to the suboesophageal ganglion and ventral nerve cord. Morphological characteristics of certain neuropils are so far best investigated in representatives of Chilopoda, although often restricted to individual species. The chapter discusses evolutionary aspects of the brain architecture in myriapods in comparison to that of other Mandibulata.
Tunicata
Authors: Manni Lucia , Pennati Roberta
Published: March 2016

Tunicata comprise approximately 3000 species of marine animals. They have evolved different reproductive strategies and life cycles, also comprising asexual reproduction. Their larva has a typical chordate body plan, with a dorsal hollow neural tube. At metamorphosis, the larval nervous system undergoes deep rearrangements and in the adult the central nervous system consists of a brain located between the two siphons. Studies on the tunicate nervous system began at the end of the nineteenth century and saw a renewal of interest from the early 1980s with the advent of molecular biology technologies. The central nervous system of the ascidian larva is considered a miniaturized model of the vertebrate nervous system. For this reason, it is the focus of research aimed at investigating the organization and evolution of the vertebrate nervous system. Alternatively, the ascidian adult nervous system has been generally considered to be uninteresting, even if it shows peculiarities, such as the ability to regenerate, the interconnection with excitable epithelia, and alternative developmental pathways in colonial species. This chapter integrates knowledge from classical morphological studies with recent findings from molecular investigations, mainly focusing on ascidians, the most studied tunicate taxon. An overview of the neuro-anatomy of adults and larvae is reported, with particular emphasis on the sensory organs and neurotransmitter localization.
CUSTOM-SEQ: a prototype for oncology rapid learning in a comprehensive EHR environment
Authors: Warner Jeremy L , Wang Lucy , Pao William , Sosman Jeffrey A , Atreya Ravi V , Carney Pam , Levy Mia A
Published: March 2016

Background: As targeted cancer therapies and molecular profiling become widespread, the era of “precision oncology” is at hand. However, cancer genomes are complex, making mutation-specific outcomes difficult to track. We created a proof-of-principle, CUSTOM-SEQ: Continuously Updating System for Tracking Outcome by Mutation, to Support Evidence-based Querying, to automatically calculate and display mutation-specific survival statistics from electronic health record data.

Methods: Patients with cancer genotyping were included, and clinical data was extracted through a variety of algorithms. Results were refreshed regularly and injected into a standard reporting platform. Significant results were highlighted for visual cueing. A subset was additionally stratified by stage, smoking status, and treatment exposure.

Results: By August 2015, 4310 patients with a median follow-up of 17 months had sufficient data for survival calculation. As expected, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in lung cancer were associated with superior overall survival, hazard ratio (HR) = 0.53 (P < .001), validating the approach. Guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein), q polypeptide (GNAQ) mutations in melanoma were associated with inferior overall survival, a novel finding (HR = 3.42, P < .001). Smoking status was not prognostic for epidermal growth factor receptor–mutated lung cancer patients, who also lived significantly longer than their counterparts, even with advanced disease (HR = 0.54, P = .001).

Interpretation: CUSTOM-SEQ represents a novel rapid learning system for a precision oncology environment. Retrospective studies are often limited by study of specific time periods and can lead to incomplete conclusions. Because data is continuously updated in CUSTOM-SEQ, the evidence base is constantly growing. Future work will allow users to interactively explore populations by demographics and treatment exposure, in order to further investigate significant mutation-specific signals.
Finding Planet Nine: a Monte Carlo approach
Authors: de la Fuente Marcos C. , de la Fuente Marcos R.
Published: March 2016

Planet Nine is a hypothetical planet located well beyond Pluto that has been proposed in an attempt to explain the observed clustering in physical space of the perihelia of six extreme trans-Neptunian objects or ETNOs. The predicted approximate values of its orbital elements include a semimajor axis of 700 au, an eccentricity of 0.6, an inclination of 30°, and an argument of perihelion of 150°. Searching for this putative planet is already under way. Here, we use a Monte Carlo approach to create a synthetic population of Planet Nine orbits and study its visibility statistically in terms of various parameters and focusing on the aphelion configuration. Our analysis shows that, if Planet Nine exists and is at aphelion, it might be found projected against one out of the four specific areas in the sky. Each area is linked to a particular value of the longitude of the ascending node and two of them are compatible with an apsidal anti-alignment scenario. In addition and after studying the current statistics of ETNOs, a cautionary note on the robustness of the perihelia clustering is presented.
Discovery of a very weak magnetic field on the Am star Alhena
Authors: Blazère A. , Neiner C. , Petit P.
Published: March 2016

Alhena (γ Gem) was observed in the frame of the BRIght Target Explorer spectropolarimetric survey, which gathers high resolution, high signal-to-noise, high sensitivity, spectropolarimetric observations of all stars brighter than V = 4 to combine seismic and spectropolarimetric studies of bright stars. We present here the discovery of a very weak magnetic field on the Am star Alhena, thanks to very high signal-to-noise spectropolarimetric data obtained with Narval at Télescope Bernard Lyot. All previously studied Am stars show the presence of ultraweak (sub-Gauss) fields with Zeeman signatures with an unexpected prominent positive lobe. However, Alhena presents a slightly stronger (but still very weak, only a few Gauss) field with normal Zeeman signatures with a positive and negative lobe, as found in stronger field (hundreds or thousands of Gauss) stars. It is the first detection of a normal magnetic signature in an Am star. Alhena is thus a very interesting object, which might provide the clue to understanding the peculiar shapes of the magnetic signatures of the other Am stars.
Newly Emerged Populations of Plasmopara halstedii Infecting Rudbeckia Exhibit Unique Genotypic Profiles and Are Distinct from Sunflower-Infecting Strains
Authors: Rivera Yazmín , Salgado-Salazar Catalina , Gulya Thomas J. , Crouch Jo Anne
Published: March 2016

The oomycete Plasmopara halstedii emerged at the onset of the 21st century as a destructive new pathogen causing downy mildew disease of ornamental Rudbeckia fulgida (rudbeckia) in the United States. The pathogen is also a significant global problem of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and is widely regarded as the cause of downy mildew affecting 35 Asteraceae genera. To determine whether rudbeckia and sunflower downy mildew are caused by the same genotypes, population genetic and phylogenetic analyses were performed. A draft genome assembly of a P. halstedii isolate from sunflower was generated and used to design 15 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. SSRs and two sequenced phylogenetic markers measured differentiation between 232 P. halstedii samples collected from 1883 to 2014. Samples clustered into two main groups, corresponding to host origin. Sunflower-derived samples separated into eight admixed subclusters, and rudbeckia-derived samples further separated into three subclusters. Pre-epidemic rudbeckia samples clustered separately from modern strains. Despite the observed genetic distinction based on host origin, P. halstedii from rudbeckia could infect sunflower, and exhibited the virulence phenotype of race 734. These data indicate that the newly emergent pathogen populations infecting commercial rudbeckia are a different species from sunflower-infecting strains, notwithstanding cross-infectivity, and genetically distinct from pre-epidemic populations infecting native rudbeckia hosts.
Pomegranate Juice Polyphenols Induce Macrophage Death via Apoptosis as Opposed to Necrosis Induced by Free Radical Generation: A Central Role for Oxidative Stress
Authors: Rom Oren , Volkova Nina , Nandi Sukhendu , Jelinek Raz , Aviram Michael
Published: March 2016

At high concentrations, polyphenols induce cell death, and the polyphenols-rich pomegranate juice (PJ), known for its antioxidative/antiatherogenic properties, can possibly affect cell death, including macrophage death involved in atherogenesis. In the present study, apoptotic/necrotic macrophage death was analyzed in J774A.1 macrophages and in peritoneal macrophages isolated from atherosclerotic apoE−/− mice treated with PJ. The effects of PJ were compared with those of the free radical generator 2, 2′-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH). Both PJ and AAPH significantly increased J774A.1 macrophage death; however, flow cytometric and microscopic analyses using annexin V/propidium iodide revealed that PJ increased the early apoptosis of the macrophage dose dependently (up to 2.5-fold, P < 0.01), whereas AAPH caused dose-dependent increases in late apoptosis/necrosis (up to 12-fold, P < 0.001). Unlike PJ, AAPH-induced macrophage death was associated with increased intracellular oxidative stress (up to 7-fold, P < 0.001) and with lipid stress demonstrated by triglyceride accumulation (up to 3-fold, P < 0.01) and greater chromatic vesicle response to culture medium (up to 5-fold, P < 0.001). Accordingly, recombinant paraoxonase 1, which hydrolyzes oxidized lipids, attenuated macrophage death induced by AAPH, but not by PJ. Similar apoptotic and oxidative effects were found in macrophages from apoE−/− mice treated with PJ or AAPH. As macrophage apoptotic/necrotic death has considerable impact on atherosclerosis progression, these findings may provide novel mechanisms for the antiatherogenicity of PJ.
Bayesian codon substitution modelling to identify sources of pathogen evolutionary rate variation
Authors: Baele Guy , Suchard Marc A. , Bielejec Filip , Lemey Philippe
Published: March 2016

Phylodynamic reconstructions rely on a measurable molecular footprint of epidemic processes in pathogen genomes. Identifying the factors that govern the tempo and mode by which these processes leave a footprint in pathogen genomes represents an important goal towards understanding infectious disease evolution. Discriminating between synonymous and non-synonymous substitution rates is crucial for testing hypotheses about the sources of evolutionary rate variation. Here, we implement a codon substitution model in a Bayesian statistical framework to estimate absolute rates of synonymous and non-synonymous substitution in unknown evolutionary histories. To demonstrate how this model can provide critical insights into pathogen evolutionary dynamics, we adopt hierarchical phylogenetic modelling with fixed effects and apply it to two viral examples. Using within-host HIV-1 data from patients with different host genetic background and different disease progression rates, we show that viral populations undergo faster absolute synonymous substitution rates in patients with faster disease progression, probably reflecting faster replication rates. We also re-analyse rabies data from different bat species in the Americas to demonstrate that climate predicts absolute synonymous substitution rates, which can be attributed to climate-associated bat activity and viral transmission dynamics. In conclusion, our model to estimate absolute rates of synonymous and non-synonymous substitution can provide a powerful approach to investigate how host ecology can shape the tempo of pathogen evolution.
Speciation by Symbiosis: The Microbiome and Behavior
Authors: Shropshire J. Dylan , Bordenstein Seth R.
Published: March 2016

Species are fundamental units of comparison in biology. The newly discovered importance and ubiquity of host-associated microorganisms is now stimulating work on the roles that microbes can play in animal speciation. We previously synthesized the literature and advanced concepts of speciation by symbiosis with notable attention to hybrid sterility and lethality. Here, we review recent studies and relevant data on microbes as players in host behavior and behavioral isolation, emphasizing the patterns seen in these analyses and highlighting areas worthy of additional exploration. We conclude that the role of microbial symbionts in behavior and speciation is gaining exciting traction, and the holobiont and hologenome concepts afford an evolving intellectual framework to promote research and intellectual exchange between disciplines such as behavior, microbiology, genetics, symbiosis and speciation. Given the increasing centrality of microbiology in macroscopic life, microbial symbiosis is arguably the most neglected aspect of animal and plant speciation, and studying it should yield a better understanding of the origin of species.
Investigation of the Antimicrobial Activity of Soy Peptides by Developing a High Throughput Drug Screening Assay
Authors: Dhayakaran Rekha , Neethirajan Suresh , Weng Xuan
Published: March 2016

Background

Antimicrobial resistance is a great concern in the medical community, as well as food industry. Soy peptides were tested against bacterial biofilms for their antimicrobial activity. A high throughput drug screening assay was developed using microfluidic technology, RAMAN spectroscopy, and optical microscopy for rapid screening of antimicrobials and rapid identification of pathogens.

Methods

Synthesized PGTAVFK and IKAFKEATKVDKVVVLWTA soy peptides were tested againstPseudomonas aeruginosaandListeria monocytogenesusing a microdilution assay. Microfluidic technology in combination with Surface Enhanced RAMAN Spectroscopy (SERS) and optical microscopy was used for rapid screening of soy peptides, pathogen identification, and to visualize the impact of selected peptides.

Results

The PGTAVFK peptide did not significantly affectP. aeruginosa, although it had an inhibitory effect onL. monocytogenesabove a concentration of 625 µM. IKAFKEATKVDKVVVLWTA was effective against bothP. aeruginosaandL. monocytogenesabove a concentration of 37.2 µM. High throughput drug screening assays were able to reduce the screening and bacterial detection time to 4 h. SERS spectra was used to distinguish the two bacterial species.

Conclusions

PGTAVFK and IKAFKEATKVDKVVVLWTA soy peptides showed antimicrobial activity againstP. aeruginosaandL. monocytogenes. Development of high throughput assays could streamline the drug screening and bacterial detection process.General significance:The results of this study show that the antimicrobial properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability of soy peptides could possibly make them an alternative to the ineffective antimicrobials and antibiotics currently used in the food and medical fields. High throughput drug screening assays could help hasten pre-clinical trials in the medical field.
Population heterogeneity in mutation rate increases mean fitness and the frequency of higher order mutants
Authors: Alexander Helen K. , Mayer Stephanie I. , Bonhoeffer Sebastian
Published: March 2016

Mutation rate is a crucial evolutionary parameter that has typically been treated as a constant in population genetic analyses. However, mutation rate is likely to vary among co-existing individuals within a population, due to genetic polymorphisms, heterogeneous environmental influences, and random physiological fluctuations. We explore the consequences of such mutation rate heterogeneity in a model allowing an arbitrary distribution of mutation rate among individuals, either with or without inheritance. We find that variation of mutation rate about the mean results in a higher probability of producing zero or many simultaneous mutations on a genome. Moreover, it increases the frequency of higher order mutants even under ongoing mutation and selection. We gain a quantitative understanding of how this frequency depends on moments of the mutation rate distribution and selection coefficients. In particular, in a two-locus model, heterogeneity leads to a relative increase in double mutant frequency proportional to the squared coefficient of variation of the mutation rate. Relative effect sizes increase with the number of loci. Finally, this clustering of deleterious mutations into fewer individuals results in a higher population mean fitness. Our results imply that mutation rate heterogeneity allows a population to maintain a higher level of adaptedness to its current environment, while simultaneously harboring greater genetic diversity in the standing variation, which could be crucial for future adaptation to a new environment. Our results also have implications for interpreting mutation rate estimates and mutant frequencies in data.
Recent Cis-Trans Coevolution Driven by the Emergence of A Novel Gene in Drosophila
Authors: Krinsky Benjamin H , Arthur Robert K. , White Kevin P. , Long Manyuan
Published: March 2016

Young, or newly evolved, genes arise ubiquitously across the tree of life, and can rapidly acquire novel functions that influence a diverse array of biological processes1. Previous work identified a young regulatory gene inDrosophila,Zeus, which diverged rapidly from its parentCaf40and took on roles in the male reproductive system. This neofunctionalization was accompanied by differential binding of the Zeus protein to loci throughout theDrosophila melanogastergenome2. However, the way in which new DNA-binding proteins acquire and coevolve with their targets in the genome is not understood. Here, by comparing Zeus ChIP-seq data fromD. melanogasterandD. simulansto the ancestral Caf40 binding events fromD. yakuba, a species that diverged before the duplication event, we find a dynamic pattern in which Zeus binding rapidly co-evolved with a previously unknown DNA motif under the influence of positive selection. Interestingly, while both copies of Zeus acquired targets at male-biased and testis-specific genes,D. melanogasterandD. simulansproteins have specialized binding on different chromosomes, a pattern echoed in the evolution of the associated motif. Our results suggest that evolution of young regulatory genes can be coupled to substantial rewiring of the transcriptional networks into which they integrate, even over short evolutionary timescales. Our results thus uncover dynamic, genome-wide evolutionary processes associated with new genes.
Response toErrors in Crystal structure of HINT from Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Tarique K. F. , Devi S. , Abdul Rehman S. A. , Gourinath S.
Published: March 2016

A response is published to a Letter to the Editor by Maize [(2016),Acta Cryst.F72, 336-337].
Crystal structure of CotA laccase complexed with 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) at a novel binding site
Authors: Liu Zhongchuan , Xie Tian , Zhong Qiuping , Wang Ganggang
Published: March 2016

The CotA laccase fromBacillus subtilisis an abundant component of the spore outer coat and has been characterized as a typical laccase. The crystal structure of CotA complexed with 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS) in a hole motif has been solved. The novel binding site was about 26 Å away from the T1 binding pocket. Comparison with known structures of other laccases revealed that the hole is a specific feature of CotA. The key residues Arg476 and Ser360 were directly bound to ABTS. Site-directed mutagenesis studies revealed that the residues Arg146, Arg429 and Arg476, which are located at the bottom of the novel binding site, are essential for the oxidation of ABTS and syringaldazine. Specially, a Thr480Phe variant was identified to be almost 3.5 times more specific for ABTS than for syringaldazine compared with the wild type. These results suggest this novel binding site for ABTS could be a potential target for protein engineering of CotA laccases.
Direct-methods structure determination of a trypanosome RNA-editing substrate fragment with translational pseudosymmetry
Authors: Mooers Blaine H. M.
Published: March 2016

Using direct methods starting from random phases, the crystal structure of a 32-base-pair RNA (675 non-H RNA atoms in the asymmetric unit) was determined using only the native diffraction data (resolution limit 1.05 Å) and the computer programSIR2014. The almost three helical turns of the RNA in the asymmetric unit introduced partial or imperfect translational pseudosymmetry (TPS) that modulated the intensities when averaged by thelMiller indices but still escaped automated detection. Almost six times as many random phase sets had to be tested on average to reach a correct structure compared with a similar-sized RNA hairpin (27 nucleotides, 580 non-H RNA atoms) without TPS. More sensitive methods are needed for the automated detection of partial TPS.
Tris(pyrrolidin-1-yl)carbenium tri-μ-iodido-bis[triiodidobismuthate(III)]
Authors: Tiritiris Ioannis , Knobloch Georg , Saur Stefan , Kantlehner Willi
Published: March 2016

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, 3(C13H24N3)+[Bi2I9]3−, comprises two cations and one half of a [Bi2I9]3−ion. The C—N bond lengths of the CN3units in both cations range from 1.336 (3) to 1.364 (5) Å, indicating partial double-bond character pointing towards charge delocalization within the NCN planes. All five-membered rings adopt an envelope conformation with the C atoms as the flap. One of the pyrrolidine rings (cation I) is disordered over two alternative envelope conformations. Two sets of positions were found for two of the methylene groups with an occupancy ratio of 0.757 (10):0.243 (10). The second disordered pyrrolidine moiety (cation II) is disordered around a twofold rotation axis and exhibits two half-occupied symmetry equivalent counterparts. The two BiIIIions are coordinated by six iodide ions in a distorted octahedral manner, with the Bi–I bond lengths ranging from 2.9544 (2) to 3.2414 (2) Å. Two [BiI6]3−octahedra are fused together through face-sharing, forming a dinuclear [Bi2I9]3−unit. The bond lengths of bismuth to the terminal iodides [2.9544 (2)–2.9889 (2) Å] are shorter than the bridging ones [3.1450 (2)–3.2414 (2) Å].
1-[(7E)-7-(2-Chlorobenzylidene)-3-(2-chlorophenyl)-3,3a,4,5,6,7-hexahydro-2H-indazol-2-yl]ethanone
Authors: Adam Farook , Ameram Nadiah , Samshuddin Seranthimata , Akhilesh Bairy Kurady , Shivashankarappa Sunil Madhugiri
Published: March 2016

In the title compound, C22H20Cl2N2O, the diazole ring adopts a shallow envelope conformation with the methine C atom bonded to the adjacent chlorobenzene ring as the flap. The dihedral angles between the heterocyclic ring and the pendant chlorobenzene rings are 61.4 (2) and 80.3 (2)°. In the crystal, weak C—H...Cl interactions connect the molecules into [001] chains.
Early warning of risks of copyright infringement in digital library based on extension theory
Authors: Li Chan , Zhang Wen-De , Lan Yi-Xin
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential risks of copyright infringement in digital library based on the extension theory.

Design/methodology/approach

– At first, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to determine the weights of the existing indicator system for early warning. Second, a model is built to evaluate the potential risks of copyright infringement based on the extension theory in digital library. Finally, a real-world application is presented to show the effectiveness and usefulness of this approach.

Findings

– The main findings of this paper are as follows: the early warning extension theory model is effective in distinguishing the degree of the potential risks of copyright infringement in digital library; the ranges of the value and the values of the indicators can directly affect the results while using this approach, so the accuracy of these two aspects is a crucial question.

Social implications

– The social impact is that copyright infringement risks of digital library is reduced; the lawsuit rate and economic loss due to copyright infringement are thereby decreased as well.

Originality/value

– This paper introduces the evaluation of the potential risks of copyright infringement based on the extension theory in digital library. The results provide support for the decision-makers in handling the potential risks of copyright infringement in digital library.
Comparing collaborative annotations on books between libraries and social community sites
Authors: Wu Dan , Xu Xiaomei , Yu Wenting
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– Based on the study of overall situation of the tagging function in the provincial public libraries and library of major colleges and universities, this paper aims to examine the difference of tagging behaviour of its users in library and social community sites. The authors also want to understand the causes of a variety of annotation behavior in social community sites and libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors collected all system log data of tags, comments and ratings users added in Wuhan University library, and then found the tags, comments and rating of corresponding books in Douban. Then, the authors did questionnaire survey to the Wuhan University students.

Findings

– The authors found that the annotation service in the library is not perfect as that in social community site. Enthusiasm of users annotating books in the library is far less high than that on the social community sites. Lack of understanding of the annotation service is the main reason why users are not concerned or do not use the tagging service. But users have the needs of the organization of personal information in the library using tags.

Originality/value

– This paper investigated the library users’ behavior in the using library OPAC course and compared the difference of annotation behavior between library and social community site.
The Internet of Things and convenience
Authors: Nolin Jan , Olson Nasrine
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore and engage with connections between the evolving technology of the Internet of Things (IoT) and notions of convenience. In particular, the concept of alpha convenience is introduced in order to articulate the broad scope of Internet “any-everything” connectivity, here called “alpha convenience.”

Design/methodology/approach

– The recommendations of Constructive Technology Assessment are followed in order to evaluate technology before implementation. The seven value drivers articulated by Fleisch (2010) are utilized in order to envision-specific aspects.

Findings

– Three critical aspects relating to alpha convenience are identified and discussed: gossiping technology, personalization and the disempowered smartphone user. It is argued that extreme forms of convenience shift traditional areas of human agency onto technology. It is also noted that alpha convenience tends to develop as ubiquitous feature of future society, making it difficult, if not impossible, to opt out.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper focusses on one powerful concept, although the IoT is merely one of several terms used to deliberate the role of next-generation information technology and society. Notable competitors include semantic web, ubiquitous computing, pervasive computing and ambient intelligence.

Social implications

– The IoT is predicted to be an intrusive feature into everyday life and the paper identifies important aspects.

Originality/value

– This is the first critical discussion of the IoT and convenience. The paper aims at conceptual innovation. Overall, there is a substantial lack of critical scrutiny of the emerging ideas of the IoT.
Exploring the influence of social media on employee work performance
Authors: Cao Xiongfei , Guo Xitong , Vogel Douglas , Zhang Xi
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of social media on employees’ work performance, as well as the underlying mechanism for how they create value at work.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on media synchronicity and social capital theories, the authors propose that social media can foster employees’ social capital and subsequently facilitate knowledge transfer. Both social capital and knowledge transfer help promote work performance. Specifically, the authors adopt shared vision, network ties and trust to represent, respectively, the cognitive, structural and relational dimensions of social capital. The research model is tested using data collected from 379 Chinese working professionals.

Findings

– The empirical results reveal that social media can promote the formation of employees’ social capital indicated by network ties, shared vision and trust, which, in turn, can facilitate knowledge transfer. Shared vision and knowledge transfer positively influence work performance. Although network ties and trust do not have a direct impact on work performance, the influence is partially mediated by knowledge transfer.

Practical implications

– For organizations that wish to build knowledge networks in the workplace, connecting experts with various social media can effectively complement other knowledge management technology. Further, managers should encourage employees to consciously exploit the byproducts created via social media, e.g., social capital, to promote knowledge exchange.

Originality/value

– The integration of media synchronicity and social capital theories offers a new theoretical lens and reasonable explanations for investigating communication performance. The research offers empirical evidence regarding how the influence of social media on work performance is transmitted through social capital and knowledge transfer. The authors quantify social media’s benefits for organizations, providing managers an impetus to deploy them in the workplace with optimistic expectation.