bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
P
alerm, Ángel (1917–80)
Authors: García‐Acosta Virginia
Published: September 2018

Ángel Palerm is an emblematic anthropologist for the development of modern social anthropology in Mexico. His career was characterized by his approach to new subjects and work methodologies, his critical and heterodox thinking, and especially for how he always sought a full integration between teaching and research. His influence can still be felt in Latin America, Spain, and the United States through his disciples and the dissemination of his published work.
Political Awakening
Authors: Billaud Julie
Published: September 2018

From Marx onward, social theorists have been preoccupied with the study of social domination and power. Since the 1980s, however, this research agenda has been complemented by resistance studies and the work of feminist anthropologists, which aim to explore social change and the complex ways in which political consciousness is socially, historically, and culturally formed.
Blood
Authors: Copeman Jacob
Published: September 2018

Anthropological consideration of blood had until the 1990s mainly focused on its deployment as an idiom of kinship, nationalism, and race and on descriptions of its use in ritual contexts. By the 2000s, anthropologists had become increasingly interested in social practices centering on blood outside of the body: blood donation and transfusion, blood tests, blood spilled as a form of political protest or for artistic purposes, and so on. But the earlier concerns were not dropped. Rather, it became important to view the ways in which literal excorporations of and practical procedures concerning blood and more metaphorical deployments of it inflected and influenced one other.
Event Ecology
Authors: Walters Bradley B. , Vayda Andrew P.
Published: September 2018

Event ecology is a research methodology put forward to counter the privileging of some types of factors or causes over others in such fields as political ecology. In contrast to approaches in these fields, event ecology seeks to explain environmental changes or events, both singular and recurrent, by first considering multiple possible social and/or biophysical causes or types of causes and then using further inquiry to progressively eliminate some causal possibilities while leaving others to stand. Proceeding from effects to causes rather than vice versa, it is based on a pragmatic view of research methods and explanation, with the goal of research being seen as simply answering “why” questions about concrete environmental changes or “events.” Researchers have already used event ecology to develop causal explanations of events constituting such diverse environmental phenomena as tropical deforestation, afforestation and reforestation, forest fires and peat fires, biological invasions, and fisheries collapse.
Cognitive Historiography
Authors: Martin Luther H.
Published: September 2018

Cognitive historiography—like cognitive anthropology—is the adoption of insights from research over the past half‐century by cognitive scientists into its methodological toolbox. Cognitive science, an interdisciplinary study of human minds, is framed by evolutionary theory, the scientific theory first considered by historians from the late twentieth century. Since everything humans have done, thought, and produced throughout their history has been processed by evolved brains, it is appropriate that historians consider the implications of research in the cognitive sciences for their study of past minds and the role of these minds in understanding historical change.
Liminality and the Liminoid
Authors: Mesaritou Evgenia
Published: September 2018

Beginning with Arnold van Gennep's (1960) analysis of rites of passage, and the ways in which these have been discussed by Edmund Leach (1961), this entry goes on to look at the ways in which the liminality of such rites' middle stage has been elaborated upon and differentiated from modern liminoid phenomena by Victor Turner. The usefulness of the concepts of liminality and the liminoid is illustrated through reference to certain ways in which they have been applied in the study of contemporary activities.
G
onzález,
A
lberto
R
ex (1918–2012)
Authors: De Heredia Beatriz Maria Alasia
Published: September 2018

Alberto Rex González was born in a small city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He taught at the most prestigious universities in Argentina and was a guest professor at Harvard University. His work led to a radical theoretical and methodological change in Argentine archaeology, giving rise to a new school of national archaeology.
Geneticization
Authors: Gibbon Sahra
Published: September 2018

The critique of geneticization was intended originally to raise critical questions about the consequences of genetic knowledge for concepts of health and identity. The diverse significance and scope of the concept has been explored by a range of anthropologists and extended by those interested in questions of health activism. An emerging understanding of genetic function and expression as predicated on environmental interactions raises new questions and challenges for social science engagement with genomics and processes of geneticization.
Abortion
Authors: Gammeltoft Tine M.
Published: September 2018

Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy and may be either spontaneous or induced. Throughout human history, induced abortion has been shrouded in controversy. The ethnographic record shows that, across societies, abortion has involved intense contestations over morally fraught issues such as the organization of human sexuality, the limits to human life, and women's rights to bodily self‐determination. Despite the pervasiveness of this procedure, induced abortion remains illegal and/or morally contentious in many societies and is therefore often performed in secrecy and silence. When illegality pushes abortion underground, the procedure is often done in ways that place pregnant women's health and lives in jeopardy.
Gellner,Ernest (1925–95)
Authors: Hann Chris
Published: September 2018

A controversial figure in the British school, Ernest Gellner forged a unique combination of the social anthropology of the school's founder, Bronisław Malinowski, with Western Enlightenment traditions in philosophy. This approach was out of kilter with intellectual fashions throughout his lifetime. Nonetheless, Gellner produced a classic ethnography of the Atlas Mountains; elegant structural models of Muslim society, the nation‐state, and civil society; and numerous contributions to the history and philosophy of the social sciences. While fully committed to fieldwork methods, Gellner wanted anthropologists to reengage with long‐term historical processes. He was sympathetic to evolutionary theory and to certain Soviet anthropological writings, though not to Marxism. Gellner was a vigorous polemicist who challenged idealist theories of culture, relativist critiques of scientific anthropological knowledge, and above all “postmodernism,” all from the standpoint of a rigorously secular, modernist rationalism.
Goody,Jack (1919–2015)
Authors: Hann Chris
Published: September 2018

Jack Goody was a social anthropologist who preferred to think of his discipline as comparative sociology. He began his career as an Africanist, specializing in kinship, property transmission, and the impact of literacy. From the 1960s onward he focused on contrasts between Eurasia and sub‐Saharan Africa in the technologies and institutions of production, consumption and the domestic domain. Following the archaeologist Gordon Childe, he attributed the intercontinental differences to distinct evolutionary paths since the Bronze Age. Within Eurasia, he argued against narratives privileging Europe and insisted on “alternating leadership” between West and East. Goody has had a considerable impact on historians and his works have been widely translated.
Mechanical and Microwave‐Absorption Properties of Si3N4 Ceramic with SiCNFs Fillers
Authors: Zhou Wei , Long Lan , Bu Guobin , Li Yang
Published: September 2018

Aiming to optimize the mechanical and microwave absorption properties of Si3N4 ceramics, SiC nanofibers (SiCNFs) are introduced into Si3N4 ceramics by gel casting. The results indicate that flexural strength of as‐prepared Si3N4‐based ceramics decreases from 362 to 284.2 MPa, while the fracture toughness increases from 3.4 to 5.2 MPa · m1/2, as the SiCNFs fillers in the Si3N4 matrix increase from 0 to 8 wt%. Moreover, both complex permittivity and dielectric loss are significantly enhanced after introduction of SiCNFs fillers into Si3N4 ceramics. The investigation of microwave absorption demonstrates that much enhanced microwave attenuation abilities is achieved in the Si3N4 ceramics with different content of SiCNFs fillers. Especially, the Si3N4 ceramics with 8 wt% SiCNFs fillers exhibit excellent microwave absorption properties at thin thickness, indicating favorable potential application as high‐performance microwave absorbing materials.
Compact Dielectric Elastomer Linear Actuators
Authors: Zhao Huichan , Hussain Aftab M. , Duduta Mihai , Vogt Daniel M. , Wood Robert J. , Clarke David R.
Published: September 2018

The design and fabrication of a rolled dielectric elastomer actuator is described and the parametric dependence of the displacement and blocked force on the actuator geometry, elastomer layer thickness, voltage, and number of turns is analyzed. Combinations of different elastomers and carbon nanotube electrodes are investigated and optimized to meet performance characteristics appropriate to tactile display applications, namely operation up to 200 Hz with a combination of a 1 N blocked force and free displacement of 1 mm, all within a volume of less than 1 cm3. Lives in excess of 50 000 cycles have been obtained. Key to meeting these objectives is control of the multilayering fabrication process, the carbon nanotube electrode concentration, the selection of a soft elastomer with low viscous losses, and a proof‐testing procedure for enhancing life cycle reliability.
Mass Production of Large‐Sized, Nonlayered 2D Nanosheets: Their Directed Synthesis by a Rapid “Gel‐Blowing” Strategy, and Applications in Li/Na Storage and Catalysis
Authors: Wang Dong , Zhou Weiwei , Zhang Rui , Zeng Jinjue , Du Yu , Qi Shuai , Cong Chunxiao , Ding Chunyan , Huang Xiaoxiao , Wen Guangwu , Yu Ting
Published: September 2018

2D nanomaterials are well suited for energy conversion and storage because of their thickness‐dependent physical and chemical properties. However, current synthetic methods for translating 2D materials from the laboratory to industry cannot integrate both advantages of liquid‐phase method (i.e., solution processibility, homogeneity, and massive production), and gas‐phase method (i.e., high quality and large lateral size). Here, inspired by Chinese Sugar Figure Blowing Art, a rapid “gel‐blowing” strategy is proposed for the mass production of 2D nonlayered nanosheets by thermally expanding the viscous gel precursors within a short time (≈1 min). A wide variety of 2D nanosheets including oxides, carbon, oxides/carbon and metal/carbon composites are synthesized on a large scale and with no impurities. Importantly, this method unifies the merits of both liquid‐phase and gas‐phase syntheses, giving rise to 2D products with high uniformity, nanometer thickness, and large lateral sizes (up to hundreds of micrometers) simultaneously. The success of this strategy highly relies on the speed of “blowing” and control of the amount of reactants. The as‐synthesized nanosheet electrodes manifest excellent electrochemical performance for alkali‐ion batteries and electrocatalysis. This method opens up a new avenue for economical and massive preparation of good‐quality nonlayered 2D nanosheets for energy‐related applications and beyond.
Distal duplication of chromosome 16q22.1q23.1 in a Vietnamese patient with midface hypoplasia and intellectual disability
Authors: Nguyen Huy Hoang , Pham Van Anh , Barcia Giulia , Malan Valérie , Nguyen Kiem Lien Thi , Ngo Diem Ngoc , Nguyen Thu Hien , Landrieu Pierre , Colleaux Laurence , Nong Van Hai , Nguyen Lam Son
Published: September 2018

The clinical presentation of distal duplications of the long arm of chromosome (chr) 16 is currently not well described. Only one case of microduplication of chr16q22.1 and another involving the chr16q22.1q23.1 region have been reported so far. Here, using array comparative genomic hybridization, we identified a second case of chr16q22.1q23.1 duplication in a Vietnamese boy, who shares significant clinical phenotype with the previously described case. Aside from developmental delay, intellectual disability and midface hypoplasia, our patient also displays a forked tongue, visual impairment and external ptosis. Our report further expands the clinical spectrum associated with duplication of this region.
Single‐Electron Transfer Reactions in Frustrated and Conventional Silylium Ion/Phosphane Lewis Pairs
Authors: Merk Anastasia , Großekappenberg Henning , Schmidtmann Marc , Luecke Marcel‐Philip , Lorent Christian , Driess Matthias , Oestreich Martin , Klare Hendrik F. T. , Müller Thomas
Published: September 2018

Silylium ions undergo a single‐electron reduction with phosphanes, leading to transient silyl radicals and the corresponding stable phosphoniumyl radical cations. As supported by DFT calculations, phosphanes with electron‐rich 2,6‐disubstituted aryl groups are sufficiently strong reductants to facilitate this single‐electron transfer (SET). Frustration as found in kinetically stabilized triarylsilylium ion/phosphane Lewis pairs is not essential, and silylphosphonium ions, which are generated by conventional Lewis adduct formation of solvent‐stabilized trialkylsilylium ions and phosphanes, engage in the same radical mechanism. The trityl cation, a Lewis acid with a higher electron affinity, even oxidizes trialkylphosphanes, such as tBu3P, which does not react with either B(C6F5)3 or silylium ions.
Model‐Free Estimation of Energy‐Transfer Timescales in a Closely Emitting CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dot and Rhodamine 6G FRET Couple
Authors: Bharadwaj Kiran , Koley Somnath , Jana Subhra , Ghosh Subhadip
Published: September 2018

Analysis of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) in nanoparticles is often complicated by a number of factors, such as close emission band positions of the donor and acceptor, the presence of simultaneous photoinduced electron transfer, fluorescence blinking, and natural excited‐state decay processes. To address these concerns, mostly from materials chemists and biologists, herein, a state‐of‐the‐art FRET analysis method that utilizes the bright green emission of a CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dot (QD) is proposed. The uniqueness of this model‐free FRET analysis demonstrates the potential of these QDs to be part of an efficient FRET assay in molecular ruler applications. Molecular distance calculations relying on the proposed FRET analysis complement nicely with the expected donor‐to‐acceptor separation distances; the QD, as a photoluminescent marker, is electrostatically attached to a compatible fluorescent dye, rhodamine 6G. The beneficial aspects of the model‐free FRET analysis provide many possibilities, including the use of low cytotoxicity QD‐based FRET assays as a next‐generation molecular ruler for the accurate estimation of distances inside a biological system.
What shapes the probability weighting function? Influence of affect, numeric competencies, and information formats
Authors: Petrova Dafina , Traczyk Jakub , Garcia‐Retamero Rocio
Published: September 2018

Research suggests that people are less sensitive to variations in probability in affect‐rich compared with affect‐poor risky choices. This effect is modeled by a more curved probability weighting function (PWF). We investigated the role of different numeric competencies and the effectiveness of several intervention strategies to decrease this affect‐laden probability distortion. In two experiments, we manipulated the affect‐richness of a risky prospect. In Experiment 1 (N = 467), we measured numeracy and symbolic‐number mapping (i.e., the ability to accurately map numbers onto their underlying magnitudes). The affect‐based manipulations showed the expected effects only in participants with more accurate symbolic‐number mapping, who also reported more differentiated emotional reactions to the various probabilities and displayed more linear PWFs. Instructions to focus on the probability information decreased probability distortion and revealed differences in the use of probability information on the basis of symbolic‐number mapping ability. In Experiment 2 (N = 417), we manipulated the format in which the probability information was presented: using visual aids versus no visual aids and a positive frame (e.g., one person wins) versus combined frame (e.g., one person wins and 99 persons do not win). The affect‐based manipulations had no effect but both the visual aids and combined frame decreased probability distortion. Whereas affect‐richness manipulations require further research, results suggest that probability weighting is at least partially driven by the inability to translate numerical information into meaningful and well‐calibrated affective intuitions. Visual aids and simple framing manipulations designed to calibrate these intuitions can help decision makers extract the gist and increase sensitivity to probabilities.
Von ‚Fehlanpassungen‘ und ‚metabolischen Ghettos‘: Zur Konzeptualisierung globaler Gesundheitsunterschiede im Feld der Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
Authors: Penkler Michael , Müller Ruth
Published: September 2018

On ‘Mismatch’ and ‘Metabolic Ghettos:’ The Conceptualization of Global Health Differences in Research on the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. Epigenetic approaches to human health have received growing attention in the past two decades. They allow to view the development of human organisms as plastic, i.e. as open to influences from the social and material environment such as nutrition, stress, and trauma. This has lent new credence to approaches in biomedicine that aim to draw attention to the importance of development for later life health. Some scholars in the social sciences and humanities have welcomed such approaches as a departure from gene‐centric perspectives and as an opportunity for highlighting the social and political determinants of health and illness. Others have warned that they might lead to new forms of biological reductionisms and determinisms. In this article, we explore how research on developmental plasticity addresses and articulates global health disparities, specifically in the context of postcolonial India. We discuss two prominent approaches from the field of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) that build on epigenetic perspectives on health and illness and view different global rates of disease susceptibility as the result of developmental processes: first, the ‘mismatch paradigm’ by Peter Gluckman and Mark Hanson and second, the ‘metabolic ghetto’ concept by Jonathan Wells. We highlight how both approaches render historical and social factors meaningful for the development of global health disparities, but emphasize how they at the same time remain prone to determinisms and reductionisms reminiscent of a gene‐centric perspective. DOHaD actors themselves are critical of these tendencies, and in conclusion we explore novel opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations enabled by this critical potential.
Where in the Cell Is our Cargo? Methods Currently Used To Study Intracellular Cytosolic Localisation
Authors: Méndez‐Ardoy Alejandro , Lostalé‐Seijo Irene , Montenegro Javier
Published: September 2018

The internalisation and delivery of active substances into cells is a field of growing interest for chemical biology and therapeutics. As we move from small‐molecule‐based drugs towards bigger cargos, such as antibodies, enzymes, nucleases or nucleic acids, the development of efficient delivery systems becomes critical for their practical application. Different strategies and synthetic carriers have been developed; these include cationic lipids, gold nanoparticles, polymers, cell‐penetrating peptides (CPPs), protein surface modification etc. However, all of these methodologies still present limitations relating to the precise targeting of the different intracellular compartments and, in particular, difficulties in access to the cellular cytosol. Additionally, the precise quantification of the cellular uptake of a compound is not enough to demonstrate delivery and/or functional activity. Therefore, methods to determine cellular distributions of cargos and carriers are of critical importance for identifying the barriers that are blocking the activity. Herein we survey the different techniques that can currently be used to track and to monitor the subcellular localisation of the synthetic compounds that we deliver inside cells.
Solid‐Liquid Equilibrium in the System 2‐Keto‐L‐Gulonic Acid + L‐Ascorbic Acid + Water
Authors: Jirasek Fabian , Galeotti Nadia , Burger Jakob , Hasse Hans
Published: September 2018

The solid‐liquid equilibrium (SLE) in the ternary system 2‐keto‐L‐gulonic acid (HKGA) + L‐ascorbic acid (vitamin C) + water was investigated experimentally at temperatures between 276 K and 308 K at ambient pressure, i.e., under conditions that are of particular interest for industrial applications. Phase diagrams with one eutonic point were obtained for all temperatures. The dissociation constant and the solubility constant of vitamin C were determined as a function of temperature. Based on an extended version of the Debye‐Hückel theory, a physicochemical model was developed that describes the SLE in the ternary system. The agreement between experimental data and results from the model is excellent.
Utilizing a Pyrazine‐Containing Aggregation‐Induced Emission Luminogen as an Efficient Photosensitizer for Imaging‐Guided Two‐Photon Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Chen Ming , Xie Weisi , Li Dongyu , Zebibula Abudureheman , Wang Yalun , Qian Jun , Qin Anjun , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: September 2018

The development of novel photosensitizers with aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) characteristics has aroused tremendous interest, because it could combine efficient bioimaging with precise photodynamic therapy, which would thus dramatically promote applications in biomedical treatment. Among various AIE luminogens (AIEgens), heterocycle‐containing molecules are highly promising for this usage because of their high photostability and tunable electronic properties. In this work, a pyrazine‐containing AIEgen with a dicyanopyrazine moiety as an electron acceptor and a triphenylamine unit as an electron donor was chosen for study. The V‐shaped donor‐π‐acceptor‐π‐donor structure of the AIEgen endowed its nanoparticles with excellent nonlinear optical properties for two‐photon cell imaging under near‐infrared laser excitation. Also, under the same excitation, the nanoparticles could produce reactive oxygen species and further kill the cells efficiently and accurately. The present work thus presents a pyrazine‐containing AIEgen as a new photosensitizer for imaging‐guided two‐photon photodynamic therapy and gives more opportunities for deep‐tissue treatment of cancer in future research.
National trends in hospitalizations and outcomes in patients with alcoholic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Ram Pradhum , Lo Kevin B. , Shah Mahek , Patel Brijesh , Rangaswami Janani , Figueredo Vincent M.
Published: September 2018

Background

Numerous studies have shown conflicting results regarding the natural history and outcomes with alcoholic cardiomyopathy (AC).

Hypothesis

Determining the trends in hospitalization among patients with AC and associated outcomes will facilitate a better understanding of this disease.

Methods

We conducted our analysis on discharge data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project‐Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP‐NIS) from 2002 through 2014. We obtained data from patients aged ≥18 years with diagnosis of “Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy.” Death was defined within the NIS as in‐hospital mortality. By using International Classification of Disease‐9th edition‐Clinical Modification (ICD‐9CM) diagnoses and diagnosis‐related groups different comorbidities were identified.

Results

We studied a total of 45 365 admissions among patients with AC. The absolute number of admissions decreased from 2002 to 2014 (3866‐2834 admissions). In‐hospital mortality was variable throughout study duration without a clinically relevant trend (Mean 4.5%, range 3.6%‐5.6%). The patients were mostly male (87%) and Caucasian (50.5%). Commonest age groups involved were 45‐59 years (46.7%) followed by 60‐74 years (29.2%). Trends in associated comorbidities such as smoking, drug abuse, depression, and hypertension increased over the same time period. Among all admissions, almost half were for cardiovascular etiologies (48.9%) and heart failure (≈24%) was the commonest reason for hospital admission.

Conclusion

While the overall admissions among patients with AC decreased over time, the proportion of patients with high‐risk characteristics such as smoking, depression, and drug abuse increased. Patients aged 45 and older were largely affected and cardiovascular etiologies predominated among causes for admission.
Structure‐Based Virtual Screening of LsrK Kinase Inhibitors to Target Quorum Sensing
Authors: Medarametla Prasanthi , Gatta Viviana , Kajander Tommi , Laitinen Tuomo , Tammela Päivi , Poso Antti
Published: September 2018

In the era of increased antibiotic resistance, targeting enzymes involved in bacterial communication (quorum sensing) represents a new strategy to fight bacterial infections. LsrK is a kinase responsible for the phosphorylation of autoinducer‐2, a signaling molecule involved in quorum sensing. Inhibiting LsrK would lead to quorum sensing inactivation and interfere with the pathogenesis. In this study, we built the first LsrK 3D model and performed virtual screening of a locally available database. Selected compounds were tested against LsrK, and the analogue search conducted based on the positive hits led to the identification of low‐micromolar LsrK inhibitors. These results prove the utility of the model and provide the first class of LsrK inhibitors to be further optimized as antivirulence agents.
Chiral Purity of Crystals Using Low‐Frequency Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Nemtsov Irena , Mastai Yitzhak , Tischler Yaakov R. , Aviv Hagit
Published: September 2018

The pharmaceutical industry is in need of new techniques to identify the chirality of solids due to regulatory and safety concerns regarding the biological activity of enantiomers. In this study, we present for the first time the application of low‐frequency Raman spectroscopy as a new and sensitive method for analyzing the chiral purity of crystals. Using this method, we were able to identify small amounts, as low as 1 % w/w, of an enantiomer in racemic crystals. To demonstrate the capabilities of the method, we used a model system based on chiral crystals of enantiopure, racemic crystals and their mixtures in various ratios. We found that the low‐frequency Raman spectra of racemic and enantiopure crystals are significantly different, reflecting the different hydrogen bond networks. Moreover, a comparison of the sensitivity of enantiomeric excess in chiral crystals to that of circular dichroism and X‐ray diffraction measurements showed that low‐frequency Raman attains high sensitivity comparable to chiral optical methods used for solutions. Overall, our proposed approach of using Raman spectroscopy for determining enantiomeric excess in crystals is simple, fast, and offers a high degree of chiral sensitivity.
Limited ecosystem recovery from simulated chronic nitrogen deposition
Authors: Bowman William D. , Ayyad Asma , Bueno de Mesquita Clifton P. , Fierer Noah , Potter Teal S. , Sternagel Stefanie
Published: September 2018

The realization that anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition is causing significant environmental change in many ecosystems has led to lower emissions of reactive N and deposition rates in many regions. However, the impacts of N deposition on terrestrial ecosystems can be long lasting, with significant inertia in the return of the biota and biogeochemical processes to baseline levels. To better understand patterns of recovery and the factors that may contribute to slow or no responses following declines in N deposition, we followed plant species composition, microbial abundance, N cycling rates, soil pH, and pools of NO3− and extractable cations in an impacted alpine ecosystem following cessation of 12‐yr experiment increasing N deposition rates by 0, 20, 40, and 60 kg N·ha−1·yr−1. Simulated N deposition had resulted in a tripling in the cover of the nitrophilic species Carex rupestris, while the dominant sedge Kobresia myosuroides had decreased by more than half at the highest N input level. In addition, nitrification rates were elevated, soil extractable magnesium (Mg2+) and pH decreased, and aluminum (Al3+) and manganese (Mn2+) were elevated at the highest N treatment inputs. Over the nine years following cessation of N additions to the impacted plots, only the cover of the nitrophilic C. rupestris showed any recovery to prior levels. Abundances of both bacteria and fungi were lower with N addition in both treatment and recovery plots. Rates of nitrification and pools of NO3− remained elevated in the recovery plots, likely contributing to the lack of biotic response to the cessation of N inputs. In addition, nutrient base cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+) and soil pH remained depressed, and the toxic metal cations (Al3+ and Mn2+) remained elevated in recovery plots, also potentially influencing biotic recovery. These results emphasize the importance of considering long‐term environmental impacts of N deposition associated with legacy effects, such as elevated N cycling and losses of base cations, in determining environmental standards such as the metrics used for critical loads.
Foliar pathogens are unlikely to stabilize coexistence of competing species in a California grassland
Authors: Spear Erin R. , Mordecai Erin A.
Published: September 2018

Pathogen infection is common in wild plants and animals, and may regulate their populations. If pathogens have narrow host ranges and increase with the density of their favored hosts, they may promote host species diversity by suppressing common species to the benefit of rare species. Yet, because many pathogens infect multiple co‐occurring hosts, they may not strongly respond to the relative abundance of a single host species. Are natural communities dominated by specialized pathogens that respond to the relative abundance of a specific host or by pathogens with broad host ranges and limited responses to the relative abundance of single host? The answer determines the potential for pathogens to promote host coexistence, as often hypothesized, or to have negligible or even negative effects on host coexistence. We lack a systematic understanding of the impacts, identities, and host ranges of pathogens in natural communities. Here we characterize a community of foliar fungal pathogens and evaluate their host specificity and fitness impacts in a California grassland community of native and exotic species. We found that most of the commonly isolated fungal pathogens were multi‐host, with intermediate to low specialization. The amount of pathogen damage each host experienced was independent of host species local relative abundance. Despite pathogen sharing among the host species, fungal communities slightly differed in composition across host species. Plants with high pathogen damage tended to have lower seed production but the relationship was weak, suggesting limited fitness impacts. Moreover, seed production was not dependent on the local relative abundance of each plant species, suggesting that stabilizing coexistence mechanisms may operate at larger spatial scales in this community. Because foliar pathogens in this grassland community are multi‐host and have small fitness impacts, they are unlikely to promote negative frequency dependence or plant species coexistence in this system. Still, given that pathogen community composition differentiates across host species, some more subtle feedbacks between host relative abundance and pathogen community composition, damage, and fitness impacts are possible, which could, in turn, promote either coexistence or competitive exclusion.
Analysis of RAS mutation in thyroid nodular hyperplasia and follicular neoplasm in a Korean population
Authors: Jeong Sun Hye , Hong Hyun Sook , Lee Eun Hye , Kwak Jeong Ja , Lee Ji Ye
Published: September 2018

Background

To investigate the difference in frequency of RAS mutations between nodular hyperplasia (NH), follicular thyroid adenomas (FTAs) and follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTCs) in a Korean population.

Methods

RAS mutations in 50 NH, 57 FTAs and 39 FTCs between January 2002 and May 2015 were analysed by pyrosequencing.

Results

Nine nodules of 50 NHs (18%), 18 nodules of 39 FTCs (46.2%) and 19 nodules of 57 FTAs (33.3%) harboured RAS mutations. Three FTCs and three FTAs showed two point mutations simultaneously. N‐RAS codon 61 (n = 6 of 9, 66.7%) and H‐RAS codon 61 (n = 3 of 9, 33.3%) were found in NHs. K‐RAS codons 12‐13, K‐RAS codon 61, N‐RAS codons 12‐13 and H‐RAS codons 12‐13 were not found in NHs. N‐RAS codon 61 (n = 7 of 21, 33.3%), K‐RAS codons 12‐13 (n = 6 of 21, 28.6%), H‐RAS codon 61 (n = 4 of 21, 19.0%), K‐RAS codon 61 (n = 3 of 21, 14.3%) and N‐RAS codons 12‐13 (n = 1 of 21, 4.7%) were found in FTCs, and N‐RAS codon 61 (n = 10 of 22, 45.5%), K‐RAS codons 12‐13 (n = 5 of 22, 22.7%), H‐RAS codon 61 (n = 5 of 22, 22.7%), K‐RAS codon 61 (n = 1 of 22, 4.5%) and N‐RAS codons 12‐13 (n = 1 of 22, 4.5%) were observed in FTAs.

Conclusions

The frequencies of RAS mutations among our Korean population were 18% in NHs, 46.2% in FTC and 33.3% in FTAs. N‐RAS codon 61 was the most frequent mutation in NHs, FTCs and FTAs, and the frequency was not significantly different among the three groups. K‐RAS codons 12‐13 were the second most commonly involved site in FTCs and FTAs, whereas no mutation was detected at this site in NHs.
Biological activity of oxygenated pinene derivatives on human colon normal and carcinoma cells
Authors: Trytek Mariusz , Paduch Roman , Pięt Mateusz , Kozieł Agnieszka , Kandefer‐Szerszeń Martyna , Szajnecki Łukasz , Gromada Anna
Published: September 2018

The antitumour activity of the oxygenated derivatives of pinene is still poorly understood. We hypothesized that the derivatives of pinene, (−)‐myrtenol, (−)‐myrtanol, and (−)‐myrtenal, would express different effects on human colon tumour cells and normal intestinal cells in vitro. For cytotoxic and nitric oxide (NOx) assays, human colon tumour (HT29) and human normal colon epithelial cells (CCD 841 CoTr) were incubated for 24 h with 0.1–5.0 mM of the terpenoids. The NOx level was determined in cells pre‐incubated or not with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). All three terpenoids decreased the activity of succinate dehydrogenase in tumour and normal cells, with a mixture (1 : 1 : 1) of the pinene derivatives having the strongest effect (with half‐maximal inhibitory concentrations, IC50, of 2.56 and 1.05 mM, respectively). The cytotoxic effect of the terpenes on tumour cells was observed at concentrations higher than 2 mM, with (–)‐myrtenal exerting the strongest activity (IC50 = 5.3 mM). Normal cells were more sensitive to the activity of the terpenes, especially when administered as a mixture (IC50 = 0.08 mM). The terpenoids synergistically stimulated tumour cells for NOx release and acted antagonistically in the case of normal cells. Tumour cells released the highest (1.111 μM) and normal cells released the lowest (0.146 μM) quantities of NOx after incubation with 1 mM terpenoid mixture. LPS‐induced tumour cells produced higher quantities of NOx than the unstimulated culture. An opposite effect was observed for normal intestinal cells. The investigated pinene derivatives inhibit the activity of human colon tumour cells in vitro by affecting mitochondrial enzyme activity, NOx release, and membrane stability. Differences in the bioactivity of the individual compounds can be determined on the basis of their structure and degree of oxidation.
Whole genome sequencing of melanomas in adolescent and young adults reveals distinct mutation landscapes and the potential role of germline variants in disease susceptibility
Authors: Wilmott James S. , Johansson Peter A. , Newell Felicity , Waddell Nicola , Ferguson Peter , Quek Camelia , Patch Ann‐Marie , Nones Katia , Shang Ping , Pritchard Antonia L. , Kazakoff Stephen , Holmes Oliver , Leonard Conrad , Wood Scott , Xu Qinying , Saw Robyn P. M. , Spillane Andrew J. , Stretch Jonathan R. , Shannon Kerwin F. , Kefford Richard F. , Menzies Alexander M. , Long Georgina V. , Thompson John F. , Pearson John V. , Mann Graham J. , Hayward Nicholas K. , Scolyer Richard A.
Published: September 2018

Cutaneous melanoma accounts for at least >10% of all cancers in adolescents and young adults (AYA, 15–30 years of age) in Western countries. To date, little is known about the correlations between germline variants and somatic mutations and mutation signatures in AYA melanoma patients that might explain why they have developed a cancer predominantly affecting those over 65 years of age. We performed genomic analysis of 50 AYA melanoma patients (onset 10–30 years, median 20); 25 underwent whole genome sequencing (WGS) of both tumor and germline DNA, exome data were retrieved from 12 TCGA AYA cases, and targeted DNA sequencing was conducted on 13 cases. The AYA cases were compared with WGS data from 121 adult cutaneous melanomas. Similar to mature adult cutaneous melanomas, AYA melanomas showed a high mutation burden and mutation signatures of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) damage. The frequencies of somatic mutations in BRAF (96%) and PTEN (36%) in the AYA WGS cohort were double the rates observed in adult melanomas (Q < 6.0 × 10−6 and 0.028, respectively). Furthermore, AYA melanomas contained a higher proportion of non‐UVR‐related mutation signatures than mature adult melanomas as a proportion of total mutation burden (p = 2.0 × 10−4). Interestingly, these non‐UVR mutation signatures relate to APOBEC or mismatch repair pathways, and germline variants in related genes were observed in some of these cases. We conclude that AYA melanomas harbor some of the same molecular aberrations and mutagenic insults occurring in older adults, but in different proportions. Germline variants that may have conferred disease susceptibility correlated with somatic mutation signatures in a subset of AYA melanomas.
Iron deficiency as energetic insult to skeletal muscle in chronic diseases
Authors: Dziegala Magdalena , Josiak Krystian , Kasztura Monika , Kobak Kamil , von Haehling Stephan , Banasiak Waldemar , Anker Stefan D. , Ponikowski Piotr , Jankowska Ewa
Published: September 2018

Specific skeletal myopathy constitutes a common feature of heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, where it can be characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle oxidative capacity. There is evidence from in vitro and animal studies that iron deficiency affects skeletal muscle functioning mainly in the context of its energetics by limiting oxidative metabolism in favour of glycolysis and by alterations in both carbohydrate and fat catabolic processing. In this review, we depict the possible molecular pathomechanisms of skeletal muscle energetic impairment and postulate iron deficiency as an important factor causally linked to loss of muscle oxidative capacity that contributes to skeletal myopathy seen in patients with heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Submicron magnetite‐enhanced tribromophenol removal and methanogenesis under microaerobic condition
Authors: Yang Fan , Wang Jing , Gu Chen , Han Ying , Liu Guang‐fei , Lu Hong
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND

To accelerate direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET), magnetite is supplemented in anaerobic activated sludge (AS). However, it is usually reduced by dissimilatory iron reducing bacteria (DIRB). Therefore, an AS system supplemented with submicron magnetite particles (Fe3O4/AS) in an up‐flow microaerobic sludge reactor was established, aiming to remove tribromophenol (TBP) efficiently and alleviate the magnetite dissolution.

RESULTS

Under microaerobic condition (DO, 0.6 mg L−1), the efficiencies of removal of COD, TBP, and methane production in Fe3O4/AS system were, respectively, 14.3%, 16.7%, and 27.2% higher than those of the AS system. Correspondingly, the dehydrogenase (DHA) and Coenzyme F420 (CoF420) activities were separately 1.38‐fold and 1.41‐fold enhanced. The enhanced biodegradation was via potential DIET, as visualized by microbes and magnetite particles, Geobacter enrichment and c‐type cytochromes (c‐Cyts) increasement. Notably, magnetite majorly maintained an intact structure. In effluents, the Fe(II) concentrations were maintained at less than 10 mg L−1 under microaerobic conditions, far less than the amount under anaerobic conditions, which might be due to the in situ redox cycle of Fe(III)‐reduction and Fe(II)‐reoxidation.

CONCLUSION

Significant enhancements in removal efficiencies of TBP and COD and methanogenesis were demonstrated in a Fe3O4/AS system, indicating intrinsically faster electron transfer via electrical conduction. Putative oxidation of dissolved Fe(II) in situ occurred in microaerobic environments, which could protect magnetite in the system without extra magnetite supplementation. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Change it Up: Inactivity and Repetitive Activity Reduce Creative Thinking
Authors: Main Kelley J. , Aghakhani Hamed , Labroo Aparna A. , Greidanus Nathan S.
Published: September 2018

Across three experiments, we show that a change in the levels of physical activity increases creative thinking, whereas inactivity or repetitive activity lowers it. Participants walking forward were more creative the first few minutes of initiating physical activity than those sitting, or those merely watching changing scenery, and these effects dissipated when they continued the forward movement over time (within 8 minutes). Furthermore, merely anticipating a change in physical activity, for example, when participants were aware a task is coming to its conclusion, also increased creative thinking. We hypothesize that a change in physical activity cues the need to navigate new situations, and thus, can increase mental flexibility and creative thinking to deal with new circumstances. But once people habituate to their physical state, either of being at rest or being in motion, their level of creative thinking also returns to baseline levels. We confirm that mood, feelings of achievement, and energy are not responsible for the observed effects.
Effect of a dairy diet on nasopharyngeal mucus secretion
Authors: Frosh Adam , Cruz Carina , Wellsted David , Stephens Joanna
Published: September 2018

Objectives/Hypothesis

To examine the effects of dairy versus nondairy diets on self‐reported levels of nasopharyngeal mucus secretion.

Study Design

Prospective, randomized, double‐blinded controlled study.

Methods

Twenty‐six men and 82 consecutive women over the age of 15 years attending the otolaryngology department at East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust who reported experiencing increased levels of nasopharyngeal mucus secretions were selected for a double‐blinded trial of dairy versus dairy‐free dietary supplementation for the last 4 days of a 6‐day dairy‐free diet. Main outcome measures were comparisons of mean daily reporting of subjective levels of nasopharyngeal secretions by linear scoring (1–100) and by an ordinal scale of 1 to 4. On each day, t tests were used to compare differences.

Results

There was a significant reduction in the reported linear secretion score seen from day 1 to 4 in nondairy (t[53] = 4.39, P < .01) and in dairy (t[53] = 3.94, P < .01) arms. There was a significant increase in secretion score days 4 to 7 in the dairy arm (t[53] = −2.56, P = .01), and a continued but nonsignificant reduction in the nondiary arm (t[53] = 1.54, P = .13, with an overall significant reduction between day 1 and 7 in the nondairy arm (t[53] = 4.79, P < .00). In the ordinal secretion scale, both dairy arm (t[53] = 2.754, P < .01) and nondiary arm (t[53] = 5.52, P < .01) scores decreased significantly from days 1 to 4. There was a significant decrease in scores from days 1 to 7 in the nondairy group (t[53] = 5.12, P < .01).

Conclusions

In this blinded trial, a dairy‐free diet was associated with a significant reduction in self‐reported levels of nasopharyngeal secretions in adults who previously complained of persistent nasopharyngeal mucus hypersecretion.

Level of Evidence

1b Laryngoscope, 129:13–17, 2019
Predation on oysters is inhibited by intense or chronically mild, low salinity events
Authors: Pusack Timothy J. , Kimbro David L. , White J. Wilson , Stallings Christopher D.
Published: September 2018

Environmental stress gradients can affect species distributions and interspecific interactions. Because environmental stress depends on both intensity and duration, understanding the consequences of stress requires experiments that simultaneously manipulate both dimensions. In Apalachicola Bay, Florida (U.S.A.) the southern oyster drill (Stramonita haemastoma) is a major predator of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Drill predation appears to be salinity‐dependent: in a recent field study, predation rates were positively correlated with salinity. Salinity in the bay is typically high (> 20) during the dry summer months, conditions that favor both oysters and the drill. However, periodic freshets can dramatically reduce salinity, which inhibits (or kills) drills, but not oysters. In this study, we used field measurements of salinity and drill densities to inform mesocosm experiments. We investigated the specific combinations of intensity and duration of low‐salinity stress that inhibit drill predation. In these experiments, more intense salinity reductions reduced feeding both during and after the low‐salinity stress event. During the event, longer durations (15 d) were necessary for mild salinity reductions (−5) to reduce the feeding rate by the same amount as a short (5 d) exposure of more intense (−10 or −15) salinity reduction. Both conditions may create a predation refuge for oysters, consistent with field observations. Given that the recent collapse of the Apalachicola Bay oyster population was preceded by several years without low‐salinity events to inhibit predation, our results provide a mechanism by which a predator may have contributed to the loss of a historically productive and sustainable fishery.
Crack‐induced intergranular corrosion behavior of aerial aluminum alloy subjected to severe plastic deformation
Authors: Li Jinghui , Li Fuguo , Li Jiang , Liang Shan
Published: September 2018

The influence of crack‐induced on the intergranular corrosion (IGC) behavior of aerial aluminum alloy subjected to severe plastic deformation (SPD) is investigated in this work. Addressing this problem, a particular SPD technology, namely elliptical cross‐sectioned spiral equal channel extrusion (ECSEE), is employed to prefabricate cracks. The microstructure, induced‐crack observation and IGC behavior of the ECSEE‐ed alloy are observed. ECSEE can significantly refine the grains, while lots of small and deep dimples as well as broken second‐phase particles appear on fracture surface. The formation mechanism of the fracture surface is revealed based on the observation of fracture morphology. A typical stress corrosion cracking characteristic is observed in IGC tested ECSEE‐ed alloy, and the corroded fracture consisted of higher volume fraction of brittle intergranular fractures that are made up of rockcandy‐like brittle and intergranular fracture. The mechanism of intergranular corrosion of dehiscence and cracking is determined considering the factors such as grain refinement, grain boundary precipitations, preexisted crack, and residual stress.