bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
When Is a Thing? Transduction and Immediacy in Afro-Cuban Ritual; or, ANT in Matanzas, Cuba, Summer of 1948
Authors: Palmié Stephan
Published: October 2018

Revisiting William R. Bascom's 1948 ethnography of Afro-Cuban religious practices in Jovellanos (a semi-urban site in Cuba's Province of Matanzas) in light of current theoretical concerns in our discipline, this essay constitutes a thought experiment. As such it seeks to re-describe some of Bascom's data in terms of Actor-Network Theory, to see if his patent puzzlement over his interlocutors’ statements concerning the liveliness and even personhood of mineral objects—stones that embody, rather than represent deities—can be resolved that way. At the same time, I offer a critique of current attempts to redefine our discipline's mission under the sign of an “ontological turn” that recurs to notions of radical alterity that strike me as potentially essentialist, and certainly profoundly ahistorical. Drawing on Karen Barad's theories of “agential realism,” I suggest that contemporary concerns with post-humanist anti-representationalism need to be tempered by a view of our epistemic pursuits, including those of anthropology, as embedded in thoroughly historical—and so fundamentally emergent—ontologies. In light of such considerations, the essay concludes with a vision of anthropology as a form of knowledge that cannot afford to evade the historical transformations of the social worlds it aims to illuminate, nor those of the concurrent transformations in its own epistemic orientations. Instead, it must reframe its goals in terms of conjunctures of ontologies and epistemologies of mutually relational and, most importantly, historical scope.
From Idiophylaxis to Inner Armor: Imagining the Self-Armoring Soldier in the United States Military from the 1960s to Today
Authors: Bickford Andrew
Published: October 2018

All militaries try to develop a “winning edge” in warfare. More often than not these attempts focus on new weapons systems and weapons platforms, on new ways of maximizing the offensive capabilities of a military through firepower. These attempts can also involve the training and development of soldiers, including performance enhancements to make them fight better, longer, and smarter than the enemy and to counter human frailty on the battlefield. These concerns and problems have long held the interest of the U.S. military. This article traces the development, rationale, and legacy of one such attempt to deal with human frailty and the “body problem,” a kind of military futurism devised at the peak of the Cold War. Dr. Marion Sulzberger envisioned creating soldiers who had their own kind of special “biological armor,” or what he termed “idiophylaxis.” In 1962, he presented a paper at the Army Science Conference at West Point titled “Progress and Prospects in Idiophylaxis (Built-In Individual Self-Protection of the Combat Soldier).” Sulzberger's call was for a radical rethinking of the combat soldier and the ways in which soldiers were imagined, designed, and developed. His goal was to “armor” the individual soldier both internally and psychologically through new forms of biomedicine and biotechnology. The interventions he detailed in 1962 live on today in the U.S. military's soldier performance enhancement research programs, including DARPA's recent “Inner Armor” program and desire to make “kill-proof” soldiers.
Building Scotland, Building Solidarity: A Scottish Architect's Knowledge of Nation
Authors: Coleman Leo
Published: October 2018

This article examines the work of Robert Hurd (1905–1963), a Scottish nationalist architect, planner, and admirer of Scottish civic traditions, in order to query and enrich current anthropological approaches to “material politics” with their focus on material assemblies, infrastructures, and interactions that operate across scales and beyond discourse. Hurd was both an expert and planner and also an “artisan of nationalism” who sought to restore Scotland's built environment as at once a civic heritage and a material resource for a future of independence and self-determination. Hurd's attention to distinctively Scottish architectural forms and to historic centers and their development over time is significant as an idiom of nationalist thought, while his architectural work highlights the formal manipulation of scale and centrality to express political aspirations. He was an expert not only of infrastructure, plans, or populations and their needs, but also of the mediation of such material facts into architectural form and, in a broader sense, forms of life. Finally, Hurd's writing on “burgh” civic and architectural traditions, and his work as a conservation architect, together allow a better understanding of the role played by a conservative, tradition-minded modernism, and of narratives of tradition and national evolution, in the twentieth-century history and present development of Scotland's national and constitutional politics.
The Fabric of Transnational Political Activism: “Révolution Afrique” and West African Radical Militants in France in the 1970s
Authors: Dedieu Jean-Philippe , Mbodj-Pouye Aïssatou
Published: October 2018

This article locates itself at the intersection of the social history of postcolonial migrations and the intellectual history of leftism and Third-Worldism in the aftermath of May ’68. It is the first study of the radical political group Révolution Afrique. From 1972 until its ban by the French government in 1977, this organization forged by African and French activists mobilized against neocolonial ideologies and policies on both sides of the Mediterranean. By tracing the organization's rise and fall through extensive archival research and in-depth interviews, the article explores the changing meanings of transnational activism by weaving together the biographical paths of the activists, the institutional and political constraints they faced, and the ideological framework within which they operated. During this short time frame, the transnational agenda that made sense among African workers and students in the early 1970s became irrelevant. The increasing repression of political dissent in Africa and France, the suspension of migratory flows, and the French government's implementation of return policies in the late 1970s forced the group's African activists to adopt a more national approach to their actions, or simply withdraw from high-risk activism. Despite the dissolution of Révolution Afrique, this collective endeavor appears to have been a unique experience of political education for African activists, transcending distinct social and national boundaries that until now have been left unexamined by social scientists specialized in the complex history of the relationships between France and Africa.
Malaria pigment accelerates MTT – formazan exocytosis in human endothelial cells
Authors: D'Alessandro Sarah , Corbett Yolanda , Parapini Silvia , Perego Federica , Cavicchini Loredana , Signorini Lucia , Delbue Serena , Perego Carla , Ferrante Pasquale , Taramelli Donatella , Basilico Nicoletta
Published: October 2018

Haemozoin is a by-product of haemoglobin digestion by intraerythrocytic malaria parasites, which induces immunologic responses on different tissues, including endothelial cells. In the present paper, the incubation of human microvascular endothelial cells with haemozoin significantly inhibited MTT reduction, a measure of cytotoxicity, without increasing the release of cytoplasmic lactate dehydrogenase. Moreover, haemozoin did not induce apoptosis or cell cycle arrest nor decreased the number of live cells, suggesting that cells viability itself was not affected and that the inhibition of MTT reduction was only apparent and probably due to accelerated MTT-formazan exocytosis. After 30 min of MTT addition, a significant increase in the % of cells exocytosing MTT formazan crystals was observed in haemozoin-treated cells compared with control cells. Such an effect was partially reversed by the addition of genistein, an inhibitor of MTT-formazan exocytosis. The rapid release of CXCL-8, a preformed chemokine contained in Weibel–Palade bodies, confirmed that haemozoin induces a perturbation of the intracellular endothelial trafficking, including the exocytosis of MTT-formazan containing vesicles. The haem moiety of haemozoin is responsible for the observed effect. Moreover, this work underlines that MTT assay should not be used to measure cytotoxicity induced by haemozoin and other methods should be preferred.
Accurate identification of Australian mosquitoes using protein profiling
Authors: Lawrence Andrea L. , Batovska Jana , Webb Cameron E. , Lynch Stacey E. , Blacket Mark J. , Šlapeta Jan , Parola Philippe , Laroche Maureen
Published: October 2018

Australian mosquito species significantly impact human health through nuisance biting and the transmission of endemic and exotic pathogens. Surveillance programmes designed to provide an early warning of mosquito-borne disease risk require reliable identification of mosquitoes. This study aimed to investigate the viability of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization–Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) as a rapid and inexpensive approach to the identification of Australian mosquitoes and was validated using a three-step taxonomic approach. A total of 300 mosquitoes representing 21 species were collected from south-eastern New South Wales and morphologically identified. The legs from the mosquitoes were removed and subjected to MALDI-TOF MS analysis. Fifty-eight mosquitoes were sequenced at the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) gene region and genetic relationships were analysed. We create the first MALDI-TOF MS spectra database of Australian mosquito species including 19 species. We clearly demonstrate the accuracy of MALDI-TOF MS for identification of Australian mosquitoes. It is especially useful for assessing gaps in the effectiveness of DNA barcoding by differentiating closely related taxa. Indeed, cox1 DNA barcoding was not able to differentiate members of the Culex pipiens group, Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. pipiens molestus, but these specimens were correctly identified using MALDI-TOF MS.
Meaning-centered psychotherapy integrated with elements of compassion: A pilot study to assess feasibility and utility
Authors: Gil Francisco , Fraguell Clara , Benito Llúcia , Casellas-Grau Anna , Limonero Joaquin T.
Published: October 2018

Objective

The main objective of this study is to establish emotional benefits of promoting and maintaining meaning in palliative care patients in the final weeks of life and to assess the benefits of including the compassion and self-compassion constructs in the Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy Model (MCP).

Method

Fifty-one cancer inpatients were randomly assigned to one of the three brief interventions for cancer patients in the end of life: the MCP-palliative care version, the MCP-compassionate palliative care (MCP-CPC), or standard counseling. Feasibility, acceptability, and utility were assessed in each condition. Likewise, patients’ opinions about the effectiveness of interventions’ elements were also collected.

Result

Of the 51 patients that began one of the three interventions, 30 completed the three-session interventional program, as well as the pre- and posttreatment questionnaires. No significant differences were found between therapies in terms of the positive feedback of patients regarding the structure, focus, and length of the all three psychotherapeutic interventions. The most helpful elements or constructs reported by patients were meaning, self-compassion, compassion, legacy, and courage and commitment.

Significance of results

An abbreviated version of MCP-CPC tailored to the needs of palliative care patients appears to be feasible, acceptable, and helps patients cope with the process of dying. Further research in bigger samples is needed to establish evidence for the feasibility, acceptability, and utility of a brief MCP-CPC for palliative care patients in their last weeks of life. More proposals of further elements are also needed to improve the results. Such research can create or refine previous treatment approaches which improve the quality of life and psychological distress in patients with advanced cancer.
Hard to Resist?
Authors: Johannes Niklas , Veling Harm , Verwijmeren Thijs , Buijzen Moniek
Published: October 2018

Abstract. Because more and more young people are constantly presented with the opportunity to access information and connect to others via their smartphones, they report to be in a state of permanent alertness. In the current study, we define such a state as smartphone vigilance, an awareness that one can always get connected to others in combination with a permanent readiness to respond to incoming smartphone notifications. We hypothesized that constantly resisting the urge to interact with their phones draws on response inhibition, and hence interferes with students’ ability to inhibit prepotent responses in a concurrent task. To test this, we conducted a preregistered experiment, employing a Bayesian sequential sampling design, where we manipulated smartphone visibility and smartphone notifications during a stop-signal task that measures the ability to inhibit prepotent responses. The task was constructed such that we could disentangle response inhibition from action selection. Results show that the mere visibility of a smartphone is sufficient to experience vigilance and distraction, and that this is enhanced when students receive notifications. Curiously enough, these strong experiences were unrelated to stop-signal task performance. These findings raise new questions about when and how smartphones can impact performance.
Leaf Trait Acclimation Amplifies Simulated Climate Warming in Response to Elevated Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Kovenock Marlies , Swann Abigail L. S.
Published: October 2018

Vegetation modifies Earth's climate by controlling the fluxes of energy, carbon, and water. Of critical importance is a better understanding of how vegetation responses to climate change will feedback on climate. Observations show that plant traits respond to elevated carbon dioxide concentrations. These plant trait acclimations can alter leaf area and, thus, productivity and surface energy fluxes. Yet the climate impacts of plant structural trait acclimations remain to be tested and quantified. Here we show that one leaf trait acclimation in response to elevated carbon dioxide—a one‐third increase in leaf mass per area—significantly impacts climate and carbon cycling in Earth system model experiments. Global net primary productivity decreases (−5.8 PgC/year, 95% confidence interval [CI95%] −5.5 to −6.0), representing a decreased carbon dioxide sink of similar magnitude to current annual fossil fuel emissions (8 PgC/year). Additional anomalous terrestrial warming (+0.3 °C globally, CI95% 0.2 to 0.4), especially of the northern extratropics (+0.4 °C, CI95% 0.2 to 0.5), results from reduced evapotranspiration and enhanced absorption of solar radiation at the surface. Leaf trait acclimation drives declines in productivity and evapotranspiration by reducing leaf area growth in response to elevated carbon dioxide, as a one‐third increase in leaf mass per area raises the cost of building leaf area and productivity fails to fully compensate. Our results suggest that plant trait acclimations, such as changing leaf mass per area, should be considered in climate projections and provide additional motivation for ecological and physiological experiments that determine plant responses to environment.
On the Mechanical Effects of Poroelastic Crystal Mush in Classical Magma Chamber Models
Authors: Liao Yang , Soule S. Adam , Jones Max
Published: October 2018

Improved constraints on the mechanical behavior of magma chambers is essential for understanding volcanic processes; however, the role of crystal mush on the mechanical evolution of magma chambers has not yet been systematically studied. Existing magma chamber models typically consider magma chambers to be isolated melt bodies surrounded by elastic crust. In this study, we develop a physical model to account for the presence and properties of crystal mush in magma chambers and investigate its impact on the mechanical processes during and after injection of new magma. Our model assumes the magma chamber to be a spherical body consisting of a liquid core of fluid magma within a shell of crystal mush that behaves primarily as a poroelastic material. We investigate the characteristics of time‐dependent evolution in the magma chamber, both during and after the injection, and find that quantities such as overpressure and tensile stress continue to evolve after the injection has stopped, a feature that is absent in elastic (mushless) models. The time scales relevant to the postinjection evolution vary from hours to thousands of years, depending on the micromechanical properties of the mush, the viscosity of magma, and chamber size. We compare our poroelastic results to the behavior of a magma chamber with an effectively viscoelastic shell and find that only the poroelastic model displays a time scale dependence on the size of the chamber for any fixed mush volume fraction. This study demonstrates that crystal mush can significantly influence the mechanical behaviors of crustal magmatic reservoirs.
Effect of Fault Roughness on Aftershock Distribution: Elastic Off‐Fault Material Properties
Authors: Aslam Khurram S. , Daub Eric G.
Published: October 2018

We perform physics‐based simulations of earthquake rupture propagation on geometrically complex strike‐slip faults to examine the off‐fault stress changes resulting from dynamic fault slip. We consider many different realizations of the fault profile and use the output of our simulations to calculate the Coulomb failure function (CFF) for each realization. We analyze the effects of fault maturity as well as the self‐affine character of the fault surface on the stress field. To quantify our results, we calculate the probability density function for the CFF as a function of distance and observe that the CFF values show a greater variability in the near‐fault region (distance <3 km away from fault), and this spread squeezes into a narrow negative range in the far‐field region. In the near‐fault region, we see many zones of positive CFF change, which are not observed in the far‐fault region. We consider these zones of CFF increase as locations of potential aftershocks and compare their size with rupture areas of aftershocks from relocated earthquake catalogs of Northern and Southern California. Our model results and observational data show a relatively high probability of occurrence of smaller potential aftershock areas compared to larger ones in the near‐fault region. Additionally, based on our comparison with aftershock and preshock data, we conclude that the stresses in the near‐fault region are dominated by fault roughness effects. Our results suggest that tectonic stresses are highly spatially heterogeneous, and this complexity persists throughout seismic cycle.
Attenuation artifacts in light sheet fluorescence microscopy corrected by OPTiSPIM
Authors: Mayer Jürgen , Robert-Moreno Alexandre , Sharpe James , Swoger Jim
Published: October 2018

Light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) is rapidly becoming an essential technology for mesoscopic imaging of samples such as embryos and adult mouse organs. However, LSFM can suffer from optical artifacts for which there is no intrinsic solution. The attenuation of light due to absorbing material causes “shadow” artifacts along both the illumination and detection paths. Several approaches have been introduced to reduce this problem, including scanning illumination and multi-view imaging. However, neither of these approaches completely eliminates the problem. If the distribution of the absorbing material is complex, shadows cannot be avoided. We introduce a new approach that relies on multi-modal integration of two very different mesoscopic techniques. Unlike LSFM, optical projection tomography (OPT) can operate in transmission mode to create a voxel map of the 3D distribution of the sample’s optical attenuation. Here, we demonstrate a hybrid instrument (OPTiSPIM) that can quantify this attenuation and use the information to correct the shadow artifacts of LSFM.
Multimode optical fiber transmission with a deep learning network
Authors: Rahmani Babak , Loterie Damien , Konstantinou Georgia , Psaltis Demetri , Moser Christophe
Published: October 2018

Multimode fibers (MMFs) are an example of a highly scattering medium, which scramble the coherent light propagating within them to produce seemingly random patterns. Thus, for applications such as imaging and image projection through an MMF, careful measurements of the relationship between the inputs and outputs of the fiber are required. We show, as a proof of concept, that a deep neural network can learn the input-output relationship in a 0.75 m long MMF. Specifically, we demonstrate that a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) can learn the nonlinear relationships between the amplitude of the speckle pattern (phase information lost) obtained at the output of the fiber and the phase or the amplitude at the input of the fiber. Effectively, the network performs a nonlinear inversion task. We obtained image fidelities (correlations) as high as ~98% for reconstruction and ~94% for image projection in the MMF compared with the image recovered using the full knowledge of the system transmission characterized with the complex measured matrix. We further show that the network can be trained for transfer learning, i.e., it can transmit images through the MMF, which belongs to another class not used for training/testing.
Genome mining of cyclodipeptide synthases unravels unusual tRNA-dependent diketopiperazine-terpene biosynthetic machinery
Authors: Yao Tingting , Liu Jing , Liu Zengzhi , Li Tong , Li Huayue , Che Qian , Zhu Tianjiao , Li Dehai , Gu Qianqun , Li Wenli
Published: October 2018

Cyclodipeptide synthases (CDPSs) can catalyze the formation of two successive peptide bonds by hijacking aminoacyl-tRNAs from the ribosomal machinery resulting in diketopiperazines (DKPs). Here, three CDPS-containing loci (dmt1–3) are discovered by genome mining and comparative genome analysis of Streptomyces strains. Among them, CDPS DmtB1, encoded by the gene of dmt1 locus, can synthesize cyclo(L-Trp-L-Xaa) (with Xaa being Val, Pro, Leu, Ile, or Ala). Systematic mutagenesis experiments demonstrate the importance of the residues constituting substrate-binding pocket P1 for the incorporation of the second aa-tRNA in DmtB1. Characterization of dmt1–3 unravels that CDPS-dependent machinery is involved in CDPS-synthesized DKP formation followed by tailoring steps of prenylation and cyclization to afford terpenylated DKP compounds drimentines. A phytoene-synthase-like family prenyltransferase (DmtC1) and a membrane terpene cyclase (DmtA1) are required for drimentines biosynthesis. These results set the foundation for further increasing the natural diversity of complex DKP derivatives.
A rapid rate of sex-chromosome turnover and non-random transitions in true frogs
Authors: Jeffries Daniel L. , Lavanchy Guillaume , Sermier Roberto , Sredl Michael J. , Miura Ikuo , Borzée Amaël , Barrow Lisa N. , Canestrelli Daniele , Crochet Pierre-André , Dufresnes Christophe , Fu Jinzhong , Ma Wen-Juan , Garcia Constantino Macías , Ghali Karim , Nicieza Alfredo G. , O’Donnell Ryan P. , Rodrigues Nicolas , Romano Antonio , Martínez-Solano Íñigo , Stepanyan Ilona , Zumbach Silvia , Brelsford Alan , Perrin Nicolas
Published: October 2018

The canonical model of sex-chromosome evolution predicts that, as recombination is suppressed along sex chromosomes, gametologs will progressively differentiate, eventually becoming heteromorphic. However, there are numerous examples of homomorphic sex chromosomes across the tree of life. This homomorphy has been suggested to result from frequent sex-chromosome turnovers, yet we know little about which forces drive them. Here, we describe an extremely fast rate of turnover among 28 species of Ranidae. Transitions are not random, but converge on several chromosomes, potentially due to genes they harbour. Transitions also preserve the ancestral pattern of male heterogamety, in line with the ‘hot-potato’ model of sex-chromosome transitions, suggesting a key role for mutation-load accumulation in non-recombining genomic regions. The importance of mutation-load selection in frogs might result from the extreme heterochiasmy they exhibit, making frog sex chromosomes differentiate immediately from emergence and across their entire length.
Electrophysiological mechanisms of human memory consolidation
Authors: Zhang Hui , Fell Juergen , Axmacher Nikolai
Published: October 2018

Consolidation stabilizes memory traces after initial encoding. Rodent studies suggest that memory consolidation depends on replay of stimulus-specific activity patterns during fast hippocampal “ripple” oscillations. Here, we measured replay in intracranial electroencephalography recordings in human epilepsy patients, and related replay to ripples. Stimulus-specific activity was identified using representational similarity analysis and then tracked during waking rest and sleep after encoding. Stimulus-specific gamma (30–90 Hz) activity during early (100–500 ms) and late (500–1200 ms) encoding is spontaneously reactivated during waking state and sleep, independent of later memory. Ripples during nREM sleep, but not during waking state, trigger replay of activity from the late time window specifically for remembered items. Ripple-triggered replay of activity from the early time window during nREM sleep is enhanced for forgotten items. These results provide the first electrophysiological evidence for replay related to memory consolidation in humans, and point to a prominent role of nREM ripple-triggered replay in consolidation processes.
Suppressor mutations in Rpf2–Rrs1 or Rpl5 bypass the Cgr1 function for pre-ribosomal 5S RNP-rotation
Authors: Thoms Matthias , Mitterer Valentin , Kater Lukas , Falquet Laurent , Beckmann Roland , Kressler Dieter , Hurt Ed
Published: October 2018

During eukaryotic 60S biogenesis, the 5S RNP requires a large rotational movement to achieve its mature position. Cryo-EM of the Rix1-Rea1 pre-60S particle has revealed the post-rotation stage, in which a gently undulating α-helix corresponding to Cgr1 becomes wedged between Rsa4 and the relocated 5S RNP, but the purpose of this insertion was unknown. Here, we show that cgr1 deletion in yeast causes a slow-growth phenotype and reversion of the pre-60S particle to the pre-rotation stage. However, spontaneous extragenic suppressors could be isolated, which restore growth and pre-60S biogenesis in the absence of Cgr1. Whole-genome sequencing reveals that the suppressor mutations map in the Rpf2–Rrs1 module and Rpl5, which together stabilize the unrotated stage of the 5S RNP. Thus, mutations in factors stabilizing the pre-rotation stage facilitate 5S RNP relocation upon deletion of Cgr1, but Cgr1 itself could stabilize the post-rotation stage.
2D organic molecular metallic soft material derived from BEDO-TTF with electrochromic and rectifying properties
Authors: Suarez Daniel , Steven Eden , Laukhina Elena , Gomez Andres , Crespi Anna , Mestres Narcis , Rovira Concepció , Choi Eun Sang , Veciana Jaume
Published: October 2018

In this article we demonstrate that a migration of iodine species and chemical transformation in a moist environment induced by a voltage-biased Pt electrode is able to alter the color and degree of charge transfer in a layer of the 2D organic molecular metal (BEDO-TTF)2.4I3 [BEDO = bis(ethylenedioxy)tetrathiafulvalene] self-assembled at the surface of a polycarbonate film. These effects produce a reversible electrochromic behavior of the layer with low operating voltages and fast operation times. Adjuvant with electrochromism, this flexible material exhibits rectifying behavior whose I-V curves are dependent on the voltage sweep directions. These results open new possibilities for the design and fabrication of organic flexible materials for soft electrochromic and rectifying components. The easy working principle ensures reliability, low power consumption, and versatility through its implementation into simple devices. Such working principle has been confirmed by temperature dependent resistance measurements, X-Ray, EDX-SEM, and conducting-AFM studies.
Mathematical Modeling and Analyses of Interspike-Intervals of Spontaneous Activity in Afferent Neurons of the Zebrafish Lateral Line
Authors: Song Sangmin , Lee Ji Ah , Kiselev Ilya , Iyengar Varun , Trapani Josef G. , Tania Nessy
Published: October 2018

Without stimuli, hair cells spontaneously release neurotransmitter leading to spontaneous generation of action potentials (spikes) in innervating afferent neurons. We analyzed spontaneous spike patterns recorded from the lateral line of zebrafish and found that distributions of interspike intervals (ISIs) either have an exponential shape or an “L” shape that is characterized by a sharp decay but wide tail. ISI data were fitted to renewal-process models that accounted for the neuron refractory periods and hair-cell synaptic release. Modeling the timing of synaptic release using a mixture of two exponential distributions yielded the best fit for our ISI data. Additionally, lateral line ISIs displayed positive serial correlation and appeared to exhibit switching between faster and slower modes of spike generation. This pattern contrasts with previous findings from the auditory system where ISIs tended to have negative serial correlation due to synaptic depletion. We propose that afferent neuron innervation with multiple and heterogenous hair-cells synapses, each influenced by changes in calcium domains, can serve as a mechanism for the random switching behavior. Overall, our analyses provide evidence of how physiological similarities and differences between synapses and innervation patterns in the auditory, vestibular, and lateral line systems can lead to variations in spontaneous activity.
Enhancement of PCR Sensitivity and Yield Using Thiol-modified Primers
Authors: Bai Yalong , Xiao Yi , Suo Yujuan , Shen Yuanyuan , Shao Yi , Zhang Donglai , Zhou Changyan
Published: October 2018

Various additives can enhance the quality of PCR amplification, but these generally require considerable optimization to achieve peak performance. Here, we demonstrate that the use of thiol-modified primers can enhance both PCR sensitivity and yield. In experiments with V. parahaemolyticus genomic DNA, this primer modification enhances PCR sensitivity by more than 100-fold, with accompanying improvements in amplicon yield. Then, an artificial plasmid with the same primer binding regions and different internal amplification sequence was designed. The result showed that the amplification also be improved by using the same thiol-modified primers. It indicated the enhancement was not caused by the effect of the thiol-modified primers on the second structure of amplification sequence. Subsequent experiments demonstrate that the effects of this modification are potentially due to altered interaction between the primers and proteins in the reaction mixture. Amplification with thiol-modified primers was strongly inhibited by the presence of extraneous proteins relative to standard DNA primers, which indicates that thiol-modified primers may be inhibited due to interaction with these proteins. In contaminant-free reactions, however, the thiol-modified primers might interact more strongly with DNA polymerase, which could in turn improve PCR amplification.
Phylogenetics of Mycoplasma hominis clinical strains associated with gynecological infections or infertility as disclosed by an expanded multilocus sequence typing scheme
Authors: Boujemaa Safa , Ben Allaya Amina , Mlik Béhija , Mardassi Helmi , Ben Abdelmoumen Mardassi Boutheina
Published: October 2018

To our knowledge, the phylodistribution of M. hominis clinical strains associated with various pathological conditions of the urogenital tract has not been explored hitherto. Here we analyzed the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among 59 M. hominis Tunisian clinical isolates, categorized as gynecological infections- or infertility-associated pathotypes. For this purpose, we developed an expanded multilocus sequence typing (eMLST) scheme, combining the previously reported multilocus sequence typing (MLST) loci (gyrB, tuf, ftsY, uvrA, gap) with a new selected set of putative virulence genes (p120’, vaa, lmp1, lmp3, p60), referred herein to as multi-virulence-locus sequence typing (MVLST) loci. In doing so, M. hominis population was segregated into two distinct genetic lineages, which were differentially associated with each pathotype. Such a clear dichotomy was supported by several phylogenetic and population genetic analysis tools. Recombination was found to take place, but not sufficient enough to break down the overall clonal population structure of M. hominis, most likely as a result of purifying selection, which accommodated the most fit clones. In sum, and owing to the eMLST scheme described herein, we provide insightful data on the phylogenetics of M. hominis, arguing for the existence of genetically differentiable urogenital pathotypes.
Interaction study of cancer cells and fibroblasts on a spatially confined oxygen gradient microfluidic chip to investigate the tumor microenvironment
Authors: Sun Wei , Chen Yuqing , Wang Yuerong , Luo Pei , Zhang Min , Zhang Hongyang , Hu Ping
Published: October 2018

This paper reports a single-layered microfluidic device for studying the interaction of cancer cells and fibroblasts in an oxygen gradient.
A continuous droplet electroporation system for high throughput processing
Authors: Yoo Byeong Sun , Im Do Jin , Ahn Myung Mo , Park Sung Jin , Kim Yeong Hun , Um Tae Woong , Kang In Seok
Published: October 2018

A continuous droplet electroporation (EP) system capable of handling a billion cells has been proposed and demonstrated using a proof-of-concept prototype design.
Direct monitoring of the conformational equilibria of the activation loop in the mitogen-activated protein kinase p38α
Authors: Roser Patrick , Weisner Jörn , Simard Jeffrey R. , Rauh Daniel , Drescher Malte
Published: October 2018

Roser et al. characterize and assess conformational equilibria of the activation loop and the effect of small molecule inhibitors in the MAP kinase p38α. Their work experimentally revealed the existence of a two-state equilibrium while the addition of inhibitors shifts the equilibrium between these two states.
Reviving old protecting group chemistry for site-selective peptide–protein conjugation
Authors: Gunnoo Smita B. , Iyer Abhishek , Vannecke Willem , Decoene Klaas W. , Hebbrecht Tim , Gettemans Jan , Laga Mathias , Loverix Stefan , Lasters Ignace , Madder Annemieke
Published: October 2018

Unprotected peptides equipped with property enhancing moieties and a Cys(Scm) residue can be site-selectively conjugated to proteinsviacrossed-disulfide formation.
Cyclic Pt3Ag33 and Pt3Au12Ag21 nanoclusters with M13 icosahedra as building-blocks
Authors: Yang Sha , Chai Jinsong , Lv Ying , Chen Tao , Wang Shuxin , Yu Haizhu , Zhu Manzhou
Published: October 2018

In this study, we obtained two new nanoclusters: Pt3Ag33 and Pt3Au12Ag21, and explored the structure–activity relationship of their optical properties.
Molecular iodine-mediated formal [2+1+1+1] cycloaddition access to pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines with DMSO as the methylene source
Authors: Zheng Kailu , Zhuang Shiyi , Shu Wenming , Wu Yandong , Yang Chuluo , Wu Anxin
Published: October 2018

A molecular iodine-mediated formal [2+1+1+1] cycloaddition for the efficient synthesis of pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines from acetophenones, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) and DMSO has been developed.
Heavy interstitial hydrogen doping into SrTiO3
Authors: Nakayama Ryo , Maesato Mitsuhiko , Yamamoto Takafumi , Kageyama Hiroshi , Terashima Takahito , Kitagawa Hiroshi
Published: October 2018

We first report the heavy interstitial hydrogen doping and metallization of otherwise highly insulating SrTiO3by hydrogen ion beam irradiation.
Rational design of time-resolved turn-on fluorescence sensors: exploiting delayed fluorescence for hydrogen peroxide sensing
Authors: Lee Young Hoon , Jana Saibal , Lee Heechai , Lee Sang Uck , Lee Min Hyung
Published: October 2018

A novel approach to the design of time-resolved turn-on fluorescence sensors was proposed and utilized in hydrogen peroxide sensing.
Polycomb repressive complex 2 binds RNA irrespective of stereochemistry
Authors: Deckard Charles E. , Sczepanski Jonathan T.
Published: October 2018

The Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) interacts promiscuously with G-quadruplex (G4) RNA structures.
Different photochromic properties induced by lone pair–π interactions with varying strengths in two stereocontrolled self-assembly isomeric coordination polymers
Authors: Fu Chen , Zhang Guo-Shuai , Wang Hai-Yu , Li Li , Fu Jia-Wei , Sun Ya-Nan , Zhang Hong
Published: October 2018

The different photochromic properties of two naphthalenediimide-based isometric compounds are derived from two lone pair–π interactions with varying strengths.
Surface functionalization in combination with confinement for crystallization from undersaturated solutions
Authors: Vartak Shankul , Dwyer Leia M. , Myerson Allan S.
Published: October 2018

Functionalized nanoporous silica can induce crystallization from undersaturated solutions due to the combined effects of antisolvent functionalization and confinement.
Density-functional description of alkalides: introducing the alkalide state
Authors: Dale Stephen G. , Becke Axel D. , Johnson Erin R.
Published: October 2018

Alkalides are crystalline salts in which the anion is a negatively charged alkali metal.
Ethanol, O, and CO adsorption on Pt nanoparticles: effects of nanoparticle size and graphene support
Authors: G. Verga L. , Russell A. E. , Skylaris C.-K.
Published: October 2018

DFT calculations reveal aspects of size and support effects for Pt nanoparticles on graphene interacting with O, CO and ethanol.
Nanoscopic structures and molecular interactions leading to a dystectic and two eutectic points in [EMIm][Cl]/urea mixtures
Authors: Cerajewski Ulrike , Träger Jennica , Henkel Selgar , Roos Andreas H. , Brehm Martin , Hinderberger Dariush
Published: October 2018

Deep eutectic solvents (DES) are a novel class of ionic liquid-based solvents, combining an organic salt and a hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) at specific molar ratios.
Oxygen-defect-dependent ferromagnetism and strain modulation in free-standing two-dimensional TiO2 monolayers
Authors: Wang Lifen , Zhou Gang , Shan Yun , Huang Zhichun , Liu Lizhe
Published: October 2018

In TiO2 monolayers, magnetic behavior can be generated by oxygen defects and can be regulated by external strain.
An efficient cluster model to describe the oxygen reduction reaction activity of metal catalysts: a combined theoretical and experimental study
Authors: Cui Liting , Wang Haining , Chen Sian , Zhang Jin , Xiang Yan , Lu Shanfu
Published: October 2018

An efficient model containing only 7 metal atoms was proposed to describe the ORR activity of metal catalysts by DFT calculation.
Thousand-atom ab initio calculations of excited states at organic/organic interfaces: toward first-principles investigations of charge photogeneration
Authors: Fujita Takatoshi , Alam Md. Khorshed , Hoshi Takeo
Published: October 2018

Electron and hole wave functions of low-lying and hybridized interfacial charge-transfer states across the pentacene/C60 interface.
Nitric oxide oxidation of a Ta encapsulating Si cage nanocluster superatom (Ta@Si16) deposited on an organic substrate; a Si cage collapse indicator
Authors: Shibuta Masahiro , Niikura Toshiki , Kamoshida Toshiaki , Tsunoyama Hironori , Nakajima Atsushi
Published: October 2018

Stepwise oxidative reaction of a Ta-encapsulating Si16 caged nanocluster superatom upon exposure to nitric oxide is investigated by monitoring N 1s core level signals.
Z-Scheme MoS2/g-C3N4heterojunction for efficient visible light photocatalytic CO2reduction
Authors: Qin Hao , Guo Rui-Tang , Liu Xing-Yu , Pan Wei-Guo , Wang Zhong-Yi , Shi Xu , Tang Jun-Ying , Huang Chun-Ying
Published: October 2018

Z-Scheme MoS2/g-C3N4heterojunction photocatalysts were fabricated using a hydrothermal deposition procedure together with a calcination route, and then applied for CO2photoreduction.
Novel metal–organic frameworks with high stability for selectively sensing nitroaromatics
Authors: Liu Yi , Zhao Yue , Liu Xiao-Hui , Kang Yan-Shang , Wang Peng , Sun Wei-Yin
Published: October 2018

A Zn(ii) framework with high stability was found to sensitively detect TNP with high selectivity and recyclability.
Occurrence and ecological risk assessment of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in Taihu Lake, China: a review
Authors: Nkoom Matthew , Lu Guanghua , Liu Jianchao
Published: October 2018

The rationale behind this paper was to review the available data regarding the current knowledge on the levels and trends of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in Taihu Lake.
Design of naturally derived lead phytate as an electrocatalyst for highly efficient CO2 reduction to formic acid
Authors: Wu Haoran , Song Jinliang , Xie Chao , Hu Yue , Ma Jun , Qian Qingli , Han Buxing
Published: October 2018

Lead phytate (Pb-PhyA) derived from naturally occurring phytic acid showed highly efficient activity in the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to formic acid.
Determination of coal properties using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy combined with kernel extreme learning machine and variable selection
Authors: Yan Chunhua , Qi Juan , Liang Jing , Zhang Tianlong , Li Hua
Published: October 2018

Determination of coal properties using LIBS combined with K-ELM and variable selection.
Colorimetric sensing strategy for heparin assay based on PDDA-induced aggregation of gold nanoparticles
Authors: Ma Xiaoyi , Kou Xinyue , Xu Yuanyuan , Yang Dawei , Miao Peng
Published: October 2018

We have developed a highly sensitive colorimetric sensor for the detection of heparin based on its anti-aggregation effect of the PDDA–gold nanoparticle colloidal system.
Resorcylic acid lactones (RALs) and their structural congeners: recent advances in their biosynthesis, chemical synthesis and biology
Authors: Jana Nandan , Nanda Samik
Published: October 2018

Resorcylic acid lactones (RALs) are naturally occurring 14-membered macrolactones that constitute a class of polyketides derived from fungal metabolites and that possess significant and promising biological activity.
Multi-dimensional architecture materials of amino acids and metal ions
Authors: Wei Guangcheng , Wang Chunhua , Ma Liying , Li Feng , Gao Zonghua , Yan Miaomiao
Published: October 2018

A simple self-assembly method for the preparation of functional multi-dimensional architecture materials.
Development and application of a routine robust graphite/poly(lactic acid) composite electrode for the fast simultaneous determination of Pb2+ and Cd2+ in jewelry by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry
Authors: Silva Ana Luísa , Corrêa Matheus Millen , de Oliveira Grasielli Correa , Michel Ricardo Cunha , Semaan Felipe Silva , Ponzio Eduardo Ariel
Published: October 2018

A handcrafted, low cost sustainable electrochemical sensor based on graphite/PLA was developed and applied for the simultaneous quantification of Pb2+ and Cd2+ in jewelry.
Multifunctional BBF monolayer with high mechanical flexibility and strong SHG response
Authors: Rouzhahong Yilimiranmu , Mamat Mamatrishat , Mu Baoxia , Wang Qian
Published: October 2018

A newly designed Be2BO3F2 (BBF) monolayer's phonon dispersion and elastic constant reveal that the BBF monolayer is dynamically and mechanically stable. The BBF monolayer is a more flexible and ductile material, with a large band gap, and an exceptional second harmonic generation (SHG) response.
BaCu(OH)3Cl: a new one-dimensional Mott insulator with a CuO2 chessboard layer
Authors: Wang Ming-Qing , Huang Ya-Xi , Pan Yuanming , Mi Jin-Xiao
Published: October 2018

A 1D spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain compound, BaCu(OH)3Cl, is a Mott insulator featuring a 2D chessboard layer of CuO2.
Gold doping induced strong enhancement of carbon quantum dots fluorescence and oxygen evolution reaction catalytic activity of amorphous cobalt hydroxide
Authors: Muthukumar Pandi , Anthony Savarimuthu Philip
Published: October 2018

Au doping leads to tunable and strong enhancement of SCQDs fluorescence and OER activity of amorphous Co(OH)2.
Sonication-enabled rapid production of stable liquid metal nanoparticles grafted with poly(1-octadecene-alt-maleic anhydride) in aqueous solutions
Authors: Lin Yiliang , Genzer Jan , Li Weihua , Qiao Ruirui , Dickey Michael D. , Tang Shi-Yang
Published: October 2018

We demonstrate sonication-enabled production of liquid metal nanoparticles grafted with poly(1-octadecene-alt-maleic anhydride) in water that remain stable in biological buffers.
The catalytic Mitsunobu reaction: a critical analysis of the current state-of-the-art
Authors: Beddoe Rhydian H. , Sneddon Helen F. , Denton Ross M.
Published: October 2018

This Review article provides a summary and critical metrics-based analysis of recently developed catalytic Mitsunobu reactions.
C-Glycosylation in platinum-based agents: a viable strategy to improve cytotoxicity and selectivity
Authors: Cucciolito Maria Elena , De Luca Bossa Ferdinando , Esposito Roberto , Ferraro Giarita , Iadonisi Alfonso , Petruk Ganna , D'Elia Luigi , Romanetti Claudia , Traboni Serena , Tuzi Angela , Monti Daria Maria , Merlino Antonello , Ruffo Francesco
Published: October 2018

The glycosylation of five-coordinate Pt(ii) compounds through a Pt–C linkage can be a very effective strategy for attacking cancer cells, while preserving the survival of the healthy ones.
An excellent cryogenic magnetic cooler: magnetic and magnetocaloric study of an inorganic frame material
Authors: Han Yue , Han Song-De , Pan Jie , Ma Yu-Juan , Wang Guo-Ming
Published: October 2018

We report the crystal structure, magnetic susceptibility and isothermal magnetization of inorganic frame material Gd(OH)SO4 (1). The maximum entropy changes for 1 at high field (7 T) and low fields (smaller than 3 T) were comparable to commercial gadolinium gallium garnet Gd3Ga5O12.
Arylhydrazines: novel and versatile electrophilic partners in cross-coupling reactions
Authors: Hosseinian Akram , Mohammadi Robab , Ahmadi Sheida , Monfared Aazam , Rahmani Zahra
Published: October 2018

Arylhydrazines are extremely valuable compounds in organic chemistry that are widely used for the synthesis of a variety of biologically active molecules such as indoles, indazoles, pyrazoles, aryltriazoles, β-lactams and quinazolines.
Sensitive detection of the IS6110 sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex based on PCR-magnetic bead ELISA
Authors: Kyaw Soe Paing , Hanthamrongwit Jariya , Jangpatarapongsa Kulachart , Khaenam Prasong , Leepiyasakulchai Chaniya
Published: October 2018

Tuberculosis (TB) is ranked as the top killer among infectious diseases worldwide.
Facile synthesis of novel porous self-assembling hydrogen-bonding covalent organic polymers and their applications towards fluoroquinolone antibiotics adsorption
Authors: Li Zhuoran , Xu Feifan , Liu Zhi , Qin Chuanyu , Ren Hao , Li Yangxue
Published: October 2018

A series of porous hydrogen-bonding covalent organic polymers (HCOPs) have been synthesized based on three-composite building blocks through a quick and succinct method for fluoroquinolone antibiotics adsorption from aqueous solutions.
A long-lived peptide-conjugated iridium(iii) complex as a luminescent probe and inhibitor of the cell migration mediator, formyl peptide receptor 2
Authors: Vellaisamy Kasipandi , Li Guodong , Wang Wanhe , Leung Chung-Hang , Ma Dik-Lung
Published: October 2018

Formyl peptide receptors play important biological and therapeutic roles in wound repair and inflammatory diseases.
Enhanced annihilation electrochemiluminescence by nanofluidic confinement
Authors: Al-Kutubi Hanan , Voci Silvia , Rassaei Liza , Sojic Neso , Mathwig Klaus
Published: October 2018

The generation of stable enhanced light emission by electrochemiluminescence in microfabricated nanofluidic electrochemical devices is demonstrated for the first time by exploiting nanogap amplification.