bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Un compromiso con la memoria, un compromiso con la vida. Entrevista a Nora Strejilevich.
Authors: Strejilevich Nora , Simón (en.) Paula
Published: April 2016

Una sola muerte numerosa llegó a mis manos hace ya algunos años, cuando comencé a explorar el mundo de la literatura testimonial de los supervivientes argentinos de la última dictadura militar. Desde entonces hasta ahora volví a él muchas veces en busca de respuestas que han provocado siempre más interrogantes y han motivado cada vez más reflexiones. Por eso me prometí conocer algún día a su autora sin que mediaran entre ella y yo las páginas de sus libros. Así fue, la contacté vía correo electrónico y su respuesta no tardó ni un día en llegar. Los correos fueron y vinieron un buen puñado de veces con explicaciones, correcciones y agregados. Su desvelo por contestar las preguntas de mi entrevista de la forma más completa y aclaratoria posible, debo confesar, no me impresionaron, más bien diría que me causaron emoción. Ese compromiso con la memoria, ese colocarse a sí misma en el nudo de los problemas del pasado, esa forma de habitar el dolor y transmutarlo en acción, en buena energía, en vida, me conmovieron tanto como ya lo habían hecho sus textos.
En 1977 Nora Strejilevich fue secuestrada y recluida en el centro de detención clandestino denominado Club Atlético, en plena Capital Federal. Cuando logró ser liberada, se exilió en Israel, primero, y más tarde llegó, luego de algunas escalas, a Estados Unidos, previo doctorarse en Canadá con una tesis sobre el género testimonial. En 1997 publicó en Miami Una sola muerte numerosa, su propio testimonio sobre el secuestro y la tortura perpetrada por los militares durante la última dictadura, uno de los que mayores repercusiones internacionales ha tenido hasta la fecha. La primera edición en español recién apareció en Argentina en 2006, bajo el sello de la editorial Alción, que la ha reeditado varias veces. También fue traducido recientemente al alemán, en 2014. En 2006 la editorial argentina Catálogos publicó el ensayo El arte de no olvidar. Literatura testimonial en Chile, Argentina y Uruguay entre los 80 y los 90, dedicado pura y exclusivamente al análisis del testimonio concentracionario post-dictatorial en el Cono Sur. Ahora mismo se encuentra a punto de finalizar un nuevo volumen, posible continuación de ese primer ensayo, en el que profundiza muchas de las consideraciones que desde hace años viene realizando desde el ámbito académico y también desde la creación literaria. Sus palabras son indispensables porque tienen un doble valor, como testigo protagonista y también como observadora y crítica, como lo demuestran no solo sus ensayos sino sus múltiples artículos dispersos en diversos volúmenes y revistas. Cada uno de sus textos significan un aporte sustancial y necesario para un proceso de elaboración del pasado que sigue demandando una reflexión profunda y transformadora en todos los espacios sociales, ya que, como ella misma apunta, todos nosotros conformamos una “sociedad superviviente”.
El subalterno excepcional. Testimonio latinoamericano y representación
Authors: Gardner Nathanial
Published: April 2016

Resumen:En este artículo se discute el carácter representacional de los sujetos subalternos que protagonizan algunos de los textos clave del testimonio latinoamericano. Se afirma, por el contrario, que la mayoría de ellos, como Juan Pérez Jolote, Jesús Sánchez, Esteban Montejo, Jesusa Palancares o Rigoberta Menchú, constituyen sujetos excepcionales en sus comunidades subalternas. Se pretende, con esa investigación, complejizar el debate sobre la posible representación del subalterno en la literatura testimonial latinoamericana.
Palabras clave: Testimonio, Subalternidad.
Abstract:This article discuses the representativity of subaltern subjects who are the main characters in some of the most important testimonios in contemporary Latin America. These main characters (such as Juan Pérez Jolote, Jesús Sánchez, Esteban Montejo, Jesusa Palancares or Rigoberta Menchú) have been selected because of their exceptional characteristics, rather than because of their being typical members of their community constituyen s u j e t o s  e x c e p c i o n a l e s  e n  s u s  c o m u n i d a d e s subalternas.
Key words: Testimonio, Subalternity.
El testimonio y su dimensión filosófica. Producciones de sentido sobre las dictaduras militares del Cono Sur latinoamericano
Authors: Avila Mariela Cecilia
Published: April 2016

Resumen:
Este trabajo busca analizar el testimonio desde su dimensión filosófica a fin de vislumbrar los efectos de sentido que esta narración puede abrir en el ámbito de la comunidad. Este análisis mostrará el lugar del testigo, y el modo en que la narración testimonial puede dar paso a complejos procesos de subjetivación. En este contexto se reflexiona sobre la escritura testimonial surgida a partir de la experiencia concentracionaria en Latinoamérica y las posibilidades críticas y políticas que estas narraciones abren en el presente.
Palabras clave: Testimonio, Filosofía, Dictadura Militar, Latinoamérica, Subjetividad.
 
Abstract:
This paper analyzes the testimony and its philosophical dimension to show the effects of meaning that these stories can develop in community. This analysis shows the location of the witness, and the way that testimonial narrative can lead to complex processes of subjectivation. In this context we examine the testimonial writing arisen from the concentration experience in Latin America and the critical and political possibilities that these narratives provides to the present.
Key words: Testimony, Philosophy, Military Dictatorship, Latin America, Subjectivity.
Ernesto Guevara: soldado y soldador del mundo
Authors: Gilman Claudia
Published: April 2016

Resumen: El artículo analiza la figura del Che Guevara como icono de un tiempo y de una época que resuena en el presente. ¿Qué enseña la vigencia del Che? ¿Qué lo deja en estado de apertura?¿En qué agenciamientos o memorias se funda la obcecada durabilidad de la querida presencia?
Palabras clave: Che Guevara, Revolución Cubana,secularización irrealizada.
Abstract: The article analyzes Che Guevara as an icon of a time and an epoch which still echoes in our present. What does reveal its actuality? What does keep its image in a state of openness? The article shows the continuity between some religious paradigms and the political images of Che Guevara.
Key words: Che Guevara, Cuban Revolution,Secularization.
Nunca digas nunca. Usos del testimonio en la producción cultural de la post-dictadura argentina
Authors: Simón Paula
Published: April 2016

Resumen: Este artículo se propone analizar algunos textos actuales en los que el testigo y su palabra constituyen la columna vertebral del discurso. El objetivo principal es reflexionar en torno a los usos del testimonio de los supervivientes de los años setenta efectuado desde diversos sectores sociales (movimientos sociales, organizaciones de Derechos Humanos) que participan del debate sobre cómo el terrorismo de Estado instrumentalizó los mecanismos de represión y de qué manera las consecuencias de esos mecanismos se proyectan hasta la actualidad. Centraré el análisis en dos obras: Las Viejas. Madres de Plaza de Mayo Línea Fundadora cuentan una historia (2014), editado por Marea, que recupera la historia de la Asociación a través del testimonio de sus protagonistas; y el documental Nunca digas nunca, producido por la Coordinadora contra la Represión Policial e Institucional (CORREPI) en 2014.
Palabras clave: testimonio, producción cultural, represión, usos del testimonio, memoria.
Abstract: This essay aims to analyze some texts in which witnesses and their words are the spine of the speech. The main objective is to reflect on the uses of the testimony of survivors from various social sectors (social movements, Human Rights organizations) involved in the debate on how state terrorism implemented different mechanisms of repression and how the consequences of these mechanisms still continue today. I will focus the analysis on two works: Las Viejas. Madres de Plaza de Mayo Línea Fundadora cuentan una historia (2014), edited by Marea, which traces the history of the Association through the testimony of the protagonists; and the documentary Nunca digas nunca, produced by Coordinadora contra la Represión Policial e Institucional (CORREPI) in 2014.
Key words: Testimony, Cultural Production, Repression, Uses of Testimony, Memory.
Memoria, testimonio, autoficción. Narrativas de infancia en dictadura
Authors: Arfuch Leonor
Published: April 2016

Resumen: El presente artículo enfrenta vida y ficción como formas de pensar la subjetividad contem-poránea. Para ello, la autora consagra un corpus de voces femeninas marcadas por una infancia atravesada por la dictadura. Todas estas narrativas concentran re-veladoras reflexiones sobre la memoria, el testimonio y autoficción como formas de problematizar lo político y social desde el filtro de lo personal.
Palabras clave: Memoria, autoficción, testimonio, dictadura, subjetvidad, infancia, mujeres.
Abstract: The present article face life and fiction as kinds of thinking the contemporanean subjectivity. For that reason, the author establish a corpus of female voices troubled by a childhood blocking by the dictatorship. All these prose fiction focus revealing reflections about memory,  testimony and autofiction, as ways to problematize the political and social matters screened by the personal view.
Key Words: Memory, Autofiction, Testimony, Dictatorship, Subjectivity, Childhood, Women.
En torno a las Brigadas Culturales. Entrevista a Vidaluz Meneses
Authors: Meneses Vidaluz , Palazón Sáez (en.) Gema
Published: April 2016

Poeta, articulista, promotora cultural. Nació en Managua, en 1944. Licenciada en Humanidades con mención en Bibliotecología de la Universidad Centroamericana (UCA), Managua. Fue Decana de la  Facultad de Artes y Letras de esa universidad. Cofundadora de la Asociación Nic. de Escritoras (ANIDE)y su primera Presidenta; integró su  Junta Directiva en distintos períodos siendo el último 2007-2009. También cofundadora y ex Coordinadora de la Red Nic. de Escritoras y Escritores (Renies). Es Propietaria por Nicaragua ante la Asociación Centroamericana de Escritoras/es (ADECA), miembro de la Junta Directiva del Pen Internacional, capítulo Nicaragua y actual Presidenta del Centro Nicaragüense de Escritores (CNE)en el 2012. Además de los libros publicados detallados a continuación, también ha publicado "Guía temática y analítica de los escritos a máquina de Pablo Antonio Cuadra" (1974-1978) y es autora de varios ensayos y artículos en diarios y revistas.Su obra poética ha sido publicada en suplementos culturales y revistas literarias nacionales y de otros países. Ha sido traducida al inglés, alemán, italiano, francés, portugués y noruego y ha merecido numerosas distinciones por su obra y su amplio trabajo cultural
"DET DUKKET OP EN FREMMED I BYEN": KNUT HAMSUNS MYSTERIER OG GURAM GEGESHIDZES EN SYNDER
Authors: Loria Kakhaber
Published: April 2016

Knut Hamsun has always been regarded as an important prose writer in Georgia, admired for his unique literary gifts.  His novel Mysteries and its enigmatic protagonist, Nagel, have especially fascinated Georgian readers.  Guram Gegeshidze (1934 –) is one of the best-known novelists in post-Stalinist Georgia. His novel, A Sinner was written in 1966. That there is «something Scandinavian» in A Sinner and that the novel even bears a resemblance to Hamsun’s Mysteries was pointed out almost as soon as the novel was published.  In spite of this, A Sinner is quite clearly an independent work with an intrinsic value of its own and its own characteristic inner logic.  When A Sinner was written, there was a renewed interest in the modernist tendencies that had arisen in the years before the Soviet occupation of 1921.  When we bear in mind that Hamsun’s writings of the 1890s have always been particularly popular in Georgia, it is not so surprising that one of the best Georgian novels from a period that may be characterized as a new wave of Georgian modernism has such a creative and interesting relationship with Hamsun’s masterpiece.
Efficiency enhancement of Sb2Se3 thin-film solar cells by the co-evaporation of Se and Sb2Se3
Authors: Li Zhiqiang , Zhu Hongbing , Guo Yuting , Niu Xiaona , Chen Xu , Zhang Chong , Zhang Wen , Liang Xiaoyang , Zhou Dong , Chen Jingwei , Mai Yaohua
Published: April 2016

In this work, we present an alternative route to supply excessive selenium (Se) for the deposition of Sb2Se3 thin films by the co-evaporation of Se and Sb2Se3. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that additional Se modified the growth process and surface morphology of Sb2Se3 thin films. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed that this co-evaporation process enhanced the beneficiary preferred orientations, and capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurement showed that the carrier concentration of the Sb2Se3 absorber increased with the additional evaporation of Se. Accordingly, the efficiency of the devices employing co-evaporated Sb2Se3 absorber layers increased significantly from 2.1 to 3.47% with a open-circuit voltage (V
OC) of 364 mV, a short-circuit current density (J
SC) of 23.14 mA/cm2, and a fill factor (FF) of 41.26%.
Unique haplotypes of cacao trees as revealed bytrnH-psbAchloroplast DNA
Authors: Gutiérrez-López Nidia , Ovando-Medina Isidro , Salvador-Figueroa Miguel , Molina-Freaner Francisco , Avendaño-Arrazate Carlos H. , Vázquez-Ovando Alfredo
Published: April 2016

Cacao trees have been cultivated in Mesoamerica for at least 4,000 years. In this study, we analyzed sequence variation in the chloroplast DNAtrnH-psbAintergenic spacer from 28 cacao trees from different farms in the Soconusco region in southern Mexico. Genetic relationships were established by two analysis approaches based on geographic origin (five populations) and genetic origin (based on a previous study). We identified six polymorphic sites, including five insertion/deletion (indels) types and one transversion. The overall nucleotide diversity was low for both approaches (geographic = 0.0032 and genetic = 0.0038). Conversely, we obtained moderate to high haplotype diversity (0.66 and 0.80) with 10 and 12 haplotypes, respectively. The common haplotype (H1) for both networks included cacao trees from all geographic locations (geographic approach) and four genetic groups (genetic approach). This common haplotype (ancient) derived a set of intermediate haplotypes and singletons interconnected by one or two mutational steps, which suggested directional selection and event purification from the expansion of narrow populations. Cacao trees from Soconusco region were grouped into one cluster without any evidence of subclustering based on AMOVA (FST= 0) and SAMOVA (FST= 0.04393) results. One population (Mazatán) showed a high haplotype frequency; thus, this population could be considered an important reservoir of genetic material. The indels located in thetrnH-psbAintergenic spacer of cacao trees could be useful as markers for the development of DNA barcoding.
Autonomous Agent Behaviour Modelled in PRISM – A Case Study
Authors: Hoffmann Ruth , Ireland Murray , Miller Alice , Norman Gethin , Veres Sandor
Published: April 2016

Formal verification of agents representing robot behaviour is a growing area due to the demand that autonomous systems have to be proven safe. In this paper we present an abstract definition of autonomy which can be used to model autonomous scenarios and propose the use of small-scale simulation models representing abstract actions to infer quantitative data. To demonstrate the applicability of the approach we build and verify a model of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in an exemplary autonomous scenario, utilising this approach.
Beyond standard checklist assessment: Question sequence may impact student performance
Authors: LaRochelle Jeff , Durning Steven J. , Boulet John R. , Van der Vleuten Cees , Van Merrienboer Jeroen , Donkers Jeroen
Published: April 2016

Introduction Clinical encounters are often assessed using a checklist. However, without direct faculty observation, the timing and sequence of questions are not captured. We theorized that the sequence of questions can be captured and measured using coherence scores that may distinguish between low and high performing candidates.

Methods A logical sequence of key features was determined using the standard case checklist for an observed structured clinical exam (OSCE). An independent clinician educator reviewed each encounter to provide a global rating. Coherence scores were calculated based on question sequence. These scores were compared with global ratings and checklist scores.

Results Coherence scores were positively correlated to checklist scores and to global ratings, and these correlations increased as global ratings improved. Coherence scores explained more of the variance in student performance as global ratings improved.

Discussion Logically structured question sequences may indicate a higher performing student, and this information is often lost when using only overall checklist scores.

Conclusions The sequence test takers ask questions can be accurately recorded, and is correlated to checklist scores and to global ratings. The sequence of questions during a clinical encounter is not captured by traditional checklist scoring, and may represent an important dimension of performance.
Can Employment Reduce Lawlessness and Rebellion? A Field Experiment with High-Risk Men in a Fragile State
Authors: BLATTMAN CHRISTOPHER , ANNAN JEANNIE
Published: April 2016

States and aid agencies use employment programs to rehabilitate high-risk men in the belief that peaceful work opportunities will deter them from crime and violence. Rigorous evidence is rare. We experimentally evaluate a program of agricultural training, capital inputs, and counseling for Liberian ex-fighters who were illegally mining or occupying rubber plantations. Fourteen months after the program ended, men who accepted the program offer increased their farm employment and profits, and shifted work hours away from illicit activities. Men also reduced interest in mercenary work in a nearby war. Finally, some men did not receive their capital inputs but expected a future cash transfer instead, and they reduced illicit and mercenary activities most of all. The evidence suggests that illicit and mercenary labor supply responds to small changes in returns to peaceful work, especially future and ongoing incentives. But the impacts of training alone, without capital, appear to be low.
Humanitarianism, Development, and Security in the 21st Century: Lessons from the Syrian Refugee Crisis
Authors: Gabiam Nell
Published: April 2016

The term humanitarianism finds its roots in 19th-century Europe and is generally defined as the “impartial, neutral, and independent provision of relief to victims of conflict and natural disasters.” Behind this definition lies a dynamic history. According to political scientists Michael Barnett and Thomas G. Weiss, this history can be divided into three phases. From the 19th century to World War II, humanitarianism was a reaction to the perceived breakdown of society and the emergence of moral ills caused by rapid industrialization within Europe. The era between World War II and the 1990s saw the emergence of many of today's nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations. These organizations sought to address the suffering caused by World War I and World War II, but also turned their gaze toward the non-Western world, which was in the process of decolonization. The third phase began in the 1990s, after the end of the Cold War, and witnessed an expansion of humanitarianism. One characteristic of this expansion is the increasing prominence of states, regional organizations, and the United Nations in the field of humanitarian action. Their increased prominence has been paralleled by a growing linkage between humanitarian concerns and the issue of state, regional, and global security. Is it possible that, in the 21st century, humanitarianism is entering a new (fourth) phase? And, if so, what role have events in the Middle East played in ushering it in? I seek to answer these questions by focusing on regional consultations that took place between June 2014 and July 2015 in preparation for the first ever World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), scheduled to take place in Istanbul in May 2016.
CENTRAL CEILING AND ROOF SUPPORTS IN EARLY MINOAN II ARCHITECTURE
Authors: Shaw J.W.
Published: April 2016

This article focuses on some central supporting walls one can see in certain buildings at Early Minoan Hagia Triadha, Fournou Korifi (Myrtos) and Vasiliki. The walls, which have Π-, C-, and L- shapes, have been viewed as central ceiling/roof supports. But that interpretation is only a partial one, for it doesnotexplain the walls' ‘enclosing’ shapes. The solution I argue for here is that a ladder was set in each, providing access to the roof in single-storeyed buildings, as at Hagia Triadha, or to a second floor, as at Vasiliki. My investigation attempts to clarify one of the unique characteristics of Early Minoan architecture as well as how that form may have been adapted to provide access in buildings with more than a single storey.
A Judicial Perspective on The Sacred in Society
Authors: Laws John
Published: April 2016

The primary virtue of establishment is the Church's duty under law to minister to anyone at all who may turn to it, including the ungodliest. Establishment does not imply a religious State, that is a State whose law requires subservience by the citizens to the State religion; if it did, it would be barbarous (but contrast the Black Rubric in the Book of Common Prayer). Establishment does not entail State control of the Church. The legal characteristics of establishment are as follows. (1) The law of the Church of England is part of the law of the land. (2) Bishops and some other office-holders are appointed by the Queen on ministerial advice. (3) 26 diocesan bishops sit as legislators in the House of Lords. (4) The Queen as Supreme Governor acts as monarch for the Church as she acts as monarch for the State. The Church of England is not a “congregational” church: its forms of worship are prescribed by law, and are not at the liberty of the community worshipping in any particular church. The bishops' resolution which authorised the use of the 1928 revision of the Book of Common Prayer in face of the will of Parliament (which was the lawful authority in the matter) was a lamentable disobedience to the law which it was their duty to uphold. Such a legal transgression might possibly nowadays be subject to correction by the High Court on judicial review, though that would require departure from earlier high authority. However that may be, it has to be recognised that there is no room, in the practice of an established Church, for the notion that conscience might justify disobedience to the law. The conscience of the believer is worth no more than the conscience of an unbeliever. The established Church possesses two immeasurable virtues: first, that religion is no tyrant: belief is not compulsory; second, that the Church's ministration is available to everyone. Their unified effect is a great force for good.
Famous English Canon Lawyers II
Authors: Baker J. H.
Published: April 2016

The subject of our second essay provides an interesting contrast with Bishop Bateman: equally learned in the law, he chose the humble life of a parish priest rather than the authority of judicial or episcopal office or the bustle of Avignon. Despite the distinction of his writing, none of his larger works have ever been printed in full, and he was widely forgotten in the age of the printing press. His position as a major canonist is largely the consequence of a modern rediscovery by Fr Boyle, O.P., on whose work this essay is based.
Joint Attention and the First Person
Authors: Campbell John
Published: April 2016

It is sometimes said that ordinary linguistic exchange, in ordinary conversation, is a matter of securing and sustaining joint attention. The minimal condition for the success of the conversation is that the participants should be attending to the same things. So the psychologist Michael Tomasello writes, ‘I take it as axiomatic that when humans use language to communicate referentially they are attempting to manipulate the attention of another person or persons.’ I think that this is an extremely fertile approach to philosophical problems about meaning and reference, and in this paper I want to apply it to the case of the first person. So I want to look at the case in which you tell me something about yourself, using the first person, and we achieve joint attention to the same object. But I begin with some remarks about how this approach applies to proper names and to perceptual demonstratives.
Massive Ancient Tectonic Slab Found Below the Indian Ocean
Authors: Sullivan Cody
Published: April 2016

Scientists discover a surprisingly positioned tectonic plate, buried below the southern Indian Ocean, that spans the entire mantle.
Earthquakes May Prevent Underwater Landslides
Authors: Shultz David
Published: April 2016

Smaller quakes around the active edge of continental plates may contribute to increased stability by promoting compaction and solidifying the top 100 meters of seafloor sediment.
Exploring New Knowledge on Magnetospheric Interactions
Authors: Kan J. , Burch J.
Published: April 2016

AGU Chapman Conference on Magnetospheric Dynamics; Fairbanks, Alaska, 27 September to 2 October 2015
Learning About Teaching: Geoscience Educators Share Insights
Authors: Manduca Cathryn , Macdonald R , Goodell Laurel
Published: April 2016

Earth Educators' Rendezvous; Boulder, Colorado, 13–17 July 2015
Effects of Morphology Constraint on Electrophysiological Properties of Cortical Neurons
Authors: Zhu Geng , Du Liping , Jin Lei , Offenhäusser Andreas
Published: April 2016

There is growing interest in engineering nerve cells in vitro to control architecture and connectivity of cultured neuronal networks or to build neuronal networks with predictable computational function. Pattern technologies, such as micro-contact printing, have been developed to design ordered neuronal networks. However, electrophysiological characteristics of the single patterned neuron haven’t been reported. Here, micro-contact printing, using polyolefine polymer (POP) stamps with high resolution, was employed to grow cortical neurons in a designed structure. The results demonstrated that the morphology of patterned neurons was well constrained and the number of dendrites was decreased to be about 2. Our electrophysiological results showed that alterations of dendritic morphology affected firing patterns of neurons and neural excitability. When stimulated by current, though both patterned and un-patterned neurons presented regular spiking, the dynamics and strength of the response were different. The un-patterned neurons exhibited a monotonically increasing firing frequency in response to injected current, while the patterned neurons first exhibited frequency increase and then a slow decrease. Our findings indicate that the decrease in dendritic complexity of cortical neurons will influence their electrophysiological characteristics and alter their information processing activity, which could be considered when designing neuronal circuitries.
The role of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase A in regulating emotional behavior and amygdala function
Authors: Chung Sooyoung , Kim Il Hwan , Lee Dongmin , Park Kyungjoon , Kim Joo Yeon , Lee Yeon Kyung , Kim Eun Joo , Lee Hyun Woo , Choi June-seek , Son Gi Hoon , Sun Woong , Shin Ki Soon , Kim Hyun
Published: April 2016

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase A (IP3K-A) is a molecule enriched in the brain and neurons that regulates intracellular calcium levels via signaling through the inositol trisphosphate receptor. In the present study, we found that IP3K-A expression is highly enriched in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), which plays a pivotal role in the processing and expression of emotional phenotypes in mammals. Genetic abrogation of IP3K-A altered amygdala gene expression, particularly in genes involved in key intracellular signaling pathways and genes mediating fear- and anxiety-related behaviors. In agreement with the changes in amygdala gene expression profiles, IP3K-A knockout (KO) mice displayed more robust responses to aversive stimuli and spent less time in the open arms of the elevated plus maze, indicating high levels of innate fear and anxiety. In addition to behavioral phenotypes, decreased excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic current and reduced c-Fos immunoreactivity in the CeA of IP3K-A KO mice suggest that IP3K-A has a profound influence on the basal activities of fear- and anxiety-mediating amygdala circuitry. In conclusion, our findings collectively demonstrate that IP3K-A plays an important role in regulating affective states by modulating metabotropic receptor signaling pathways and neural activity in the amygdala.
Optogenetic activation of axon guidance receptors controls direction of neurite outgrowth
Authors: Endo M. , Hattori M. , Toriyabe H. , Ohno H. , Kamiguchi H. , Iino Y. , Ozawa T.
Published: April 2016

Growth cones of extending axons navigate to correct targets by sensing a guidance cue gradient via membrane protein receptors. Although most signaling mechanisms have been clarified using an in vitro approach, it is still difficult to investigate the growth cone behavior in complicated extracellular environment of living animals due to the lack of tools. We develop a system for the light-dependent activation of a guidance receptor, Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC), using Arabidopsis thaliana Cryptochrome 2, which oligomerizes upon blue-light absorption. Blue-light illumination transiently activates DCC via its oligomerization, which initiates downstream signaling in the illuminated subcellular region. The extending axons are attracted by illumination in cultured chick dorsal root ganglion neurons. Moreover, light-mediated navigation of the growth cones is achieved in living Caenorhabditis elegans. The photo-manipulation system is applicable to investigate the relationship between the growth cone behavior and its surrounding environment in living tissue.
Enoyl-CoA hydratase mediates polyhydroxyalkanoate mobilization in Haloferax mediterranei
Authors: Liu Guiming , Cai Shuangfeng , Hou Jing , Zhao Dahe , Han Jing , Zhou Jian , Xiang Hua
Published: April 2016

Although polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) accumulation and mobilization are one of the most general mechanisms for haloarchaea to adapt to the hypersaline environments with changeable carbon sources, the PHA mobilization pathways are still not clear for any haloarchaea. In this study, the functions of five putative (R)-specific enoyl-CoA hydratases (R-ECHs) in Haloferax mediterranei, named PhaJ1 to PhaJ5, respectively, were thoroughly investigated. Through gene deletion and complementation, we demonstrated that only certain of these ECHs had a slight contribution to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) biosynthesis. But significantly, PhaJ1, the only R-ECH that is associated with PHA granules, was shown to be involved in PHA mobilization in this haloarchaeon. PhaJ1 catalyzes the dehydration of (R)-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA, the common product of PHA degradation, to enoyl-CoA, the intermediate of the β-oxidation cycle, thus could link PHA mobilization to β-oxidation pathway in H. mediterranei. This linkage was further indicated from the up-regulation of the key genes of β-oxidation under the PHA mobilization condition, as well as the obvious inhibition of PHA degradation upon inhibition of the β-oxidation pathway. Interestingly, 96% of phaJ-containing haloarchaeal species possess both phaC (encoding PHA synthase) and the full set genes of β-oxidation, implying that the mobilization of carbon storage in PHA through the β-oxidation cycle would be general in haloarchaea.
Vegetation and Cold Trapping Modulating Elevation-dependent Distribution of Trace Metals in Soils of a High Mountain in Eastern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Bing Haijian , Wu Yanhong , Zhou Jun , Li Rui , Luo Ji , Yu Dong
Published: April 2016

Trace metals adsorbed onto fine particles can be transported long distances and ultimately deposited in Polar Regions via the cold condensation effect. This study indicated the possible sources of silver (Ag), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb) and zinc (Zn) in soils on the eastern slope of Mt. Gongga, eastern Tibetan Plateau and deciphered the effects of vegetation and mountain cold condensation on their distributions with elevation. The metal concentrations in the soils were comparable to other mountains worldwide except the remarkably high concentrations of Cd. Trace metals with high enrichment in the soils were influenced from anthropogenic contributions. Spatially, the concentrations of Cu and Zn in the surface horizons decreased from 2000 to 3700 m a.s.l. and then increased with elevation, whereas other metals were notably enriched in the mid-elevation area (approximately 3000 m a.s.l.). After normalization for soil organic carbon, high concentrations of Cd, Pb, Sb and Zn were observed above the timberline. Our results indicated the importance of vegetation in trace metal accumulation in an alpine ecosystem and highlighted the mountain cold trapping effect on trace metal deposition sourced from long-range atmospheric transport.
A novel approach for modelling vegetation distributions and analysing vegetation sensitivity through trait-climate relationships in China
Authors: Yang Yanzheng , Zhu Qiuan , Peng Changhui , Wang Han , Xue Wei , Lin Guanghui , Wen Zhongming , Chang Jie , Wang Meng , Liu Guobin , Li Shiqing
Published: April 2016

Increasing evidence indicates that current dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) have suffered from insufficient realism and are difficult to improve, particularly because they are built on plant functional type (PFT) schemes. Therefore, new approaches, such as plant trait-based methods, are urgently needed to replace PFT schemes when predicting the distribution of vegetation and investigating vegetation sensitivity. As an important direction towards constructing next-generation DGVMs based on plant functional traits, we propose a novel approach for modelling vegetation distributions and analysing vegetation sensitivity through trait-climate relationships in China. The results demonstrated that a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) trained with a LMA-Nmass-LAI data combination yielded an accuracy of 72.82% in simulating vegetation distribution, providing more detailed parameter information regarding community structures and ecosystem functions. The new approach also performed well in analyses of vegetation sensitivity to different climatic scenarios. Although the trait-climate relationship is not the only candidate useful for predicting vegetation distributions and analysing climatic sensitivity, it sheds new light on the development of next-generation trait-based DGVMs.
Knots cascade detected by a monotonically decreasing sequence of values
Authors: Liu Xin , Ricca Renzo L.
Published: April 2016

Due to reconnection or recombination of neighboring strands superfluid vortex knots and DNA plasmid torus knots and links are found to undergo an almost identical cascade process, that tend to reduce topological complexity by stepwise unlinking. Here, by using the HOMFLYPT polynomial recently introduced for fluid knots, we prove that under the assumption that topological complexity decreases by stepwise unlinking this cascade process follows a path detected by a unique, monotonically decreasing sequence of numerical values. This result holds true for any sequence of standardly embedded torus knots T(2, 2n + 1) and torus links T(2, 2n). By this result we demonstrate that the computation of this adapted HOMFLYPT polynomial provides a powerful tool to measure topological complexity of various physical systems.
Potential use of bacterial community succession for estimating post-mortem interval as revealed by high-throughput sequencing
Authors: Guo Juanjuan , Fu Xiaoliang , Liao Huidan , Hu Zhenyu , Long Lingling , Yan Weitao , Ding Yanjun , Zha Lagabaiyila , Guo Yadong , Yan Jie , Chang Yunfeng , Cai Jifeng
Published: April 2016

Decomposition is a complex process involving the interaction of both biotic and abiotic factors. Microbes play a critical role in the process of carrion decomposition. In this study, we analysed bacterial communities from live rats and rat remains decomposed under natural conditions, or excluding sarcosaphagous insect interference, in China using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. A total of 1,394,842 high-quality sequences and 1,938 singleton operational taxonomic units were obtained. Bacterial communities showed notable variation in relative abundance and became more similar to each other across body sites during the decomposition process. As decomposition progressed, Proteobacteria (mostly Gammaproteobacteria) became the predominant phylum in both the buccal cavity and rectum, while Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in the mouth and rectum, respectively, gradually decreased. In particular, the arrival and oviposition of sarcosaphagous insects had no obvious influence on bacterial taxa composition, but accelerated the loss of biomass. In contrast to the rectum, the microbial community structure in the buccal cavity of live rats differed considerably from that of rats immediately after death. Although this research indicates that bacterial communities can be used as a “microbial clock” for the estimation of post-mortem interval, further work is required to better understand this concept.
Supramolecular Chemistry at Surfaces
Authors: Amabilino David B
Published: April 2016

Supramolecular chemistry provides a versatile approach for modifying the structure and function of surfaces, including the formation of clusters, monolayers and films. This can be used in a variety of applications from porous surface systems, to modifiers of interface energy and sensor-based systems.

Supramolecular Chemistry at Surfaces covers different methods of preparing and studying self-assembled structures at surfaces and interfaces. The book starts with a general introduction concerning the nature of surfaces followed by specific sections discussing different techniques to characterise surface-based supramolecular systems. Each chapter then goes on to address different surface systems including the surface of water; physisorbed layers at interfaces; chemisorbed layers at interfaces; polyelectrolyte systems; thin films; dynamic systems; and patterning.

Written by a leading expert in the field, this is the first book to give a multidisciplinary view of the supramolecular aspects of interfaces providing the reader with an objective summary of all the deposition methods and their characterisation. The book will appeal to students and researchers in supramolecular chemistry, nanoscience, polymer chemistry and physics, surface science and materials science.
The salts of chloronium ions R–Cl+–R (R = CH3 or CH2Cl): formation, thermal stability, and interaction with chloromethanes
Authors: Stoyanov Evgenii S.
Published: April 2016

Reactivity of chloronium cations: the interaction with CH2Cl2 or CHCl3 under ambient conditions with the formation of the final products, CH3–Cl+–CH3 and CCl4.
Comprehensive evaluation of ten docking programs on a diverse set of protein–ligand complexes: the prediction accuracy of sampling power and scoring power
Authors: Wang Zhe , Sun Huiyong , Yao Xiaojun , Li Dan , Xu Lei , Li Youyong , Tian Sheng , Hou Tingjun
Published: April 2016

We evaluated the capabilities of ten molecular docking programs to predict the ligand binding poses (sampling power) and rank the binding affinities (scoring power).
4-Perfluoroalkylbutoxybenzene derivatives as liquid crystalline organogelators based on phase-selective gelators
Authors: Cao Banpeng , Kaneshige Yuta , Matsue Yuya , Morita Yuki , Okamoto Hiroaki
Published: April 2016

4-Perfluoroalkylbutoxybenzene derivatives as a smart soft material show efficient and rapid phase-selective gelation ability from water at extremes of pH.
Nanoparticles and mesenchymal stem cells: a win-win alliance for anticancer drug delivery
Authors: Li Min , Zhang Fangrong , Chen Kerong , Wang Cheng , Su Yujie , Liu Yuan , Zhou Jianping , Wang Wei
Published: April 2016

Schematic illustration of the combination of NPs and MSCs drug delivery systems for cancer therapy.
Facile hydrothermal method to prepare graphene quantum dots from graphene oxide with different photoluminescences
Authors: Tian Renbing , Zhong Suting , Wu Juan , Jiang Wei , Wang Tianhe
Published: April 2016

GQDs exhibiting multi-colour photoluminescence were prepared by reacting GO with H2O2 and a novel purifying method was proposed.
Photophysical, G-quadruplex DNA binding and cytotoxic properties of terpyridine complexes with a naphthalimide ligand
Authors: Ou Zhize , Qian Yimeng , Gao Yunyan , Wang Yunqing , Yang Guoqiang , Li Yi , Jiang Kaiyue , Wang Xin
Published: April 2016

The complex3inhibits A549 cells selectively over non-cancerous NIH3T3 cells, which may correlate with its selective G-quadruplex binding and nuclear location.
A novel heterojunction photocatalyst, Bi2SiO5/g-C3N4: synthesis, characterization, photocatalytic activity, and mechanism
Authors: Yang Chin-Tsung , Lee Wenlian William , Lin Ho-Pan , Dai Yong-Ming , Chi Han-Ting , Chen Chiing-Chang
Published: April 2016

A new type of heterojunction photocatalyst, Bi2SiO5/g-C3N4, was prepared using a controlled hydrothermal method.
SrCe0.95Y0.05O3−δ–ZnO dual-phase membranes for hydrogen permeation
Authors: Wang Tongtong , Zhang Hongyu , Meng Bo , Wang Xiaobin , Sunarso Jaka , Tan Xiaoyao , Liu Shaomin
Published: April 2016

A hydrogen permeation membrane plays a key role in membrane reactor applications for hydrogen production.
Correlations between thixotropic and structural properties of molecular gels with crystalline networks
Authors: Ajay Mallia V. , Weiss Richard G.
Published: April 2016

This review focuses on correlations between the thixotropic and structural properties of molecular gels having crystalline fibrillar networks.
On charged impurity structures in liquid helium
Authors: Pelmenev A. A. , Krushinskaya I. N. , Bykhalo I. B. , Boltnev R. E.
Published: April 2016

The thermoluminescence spectra of impurity-helium condensates (IHC) submerged in superfluid helium have been observed for the first time. Thermoluminescence of impurity-helium condensates submerged in superfluid helium is explained by neutralization reactions occurring in impurity nanoclusters. Optical spectra of excited products of neutralization reactions between nitrogen cations and thermoactivated electrons were rather different from the spectra observed at higher temperatures, when the luminescence due to nitrogen atom recombination dominates. New results on current detection during the IHC destruction are presented. Two different mechanisms of nanocluster charging are proposed to describe the phenomena observed during preparation and warm-up of IHC samples in bulk superfluid helium, and destruction of IHC samples out of liquid helium.
NLRP3 inflammasome plays a redundant role with caspase 8 to promote IL-1β–mediated osteomyelitis
Authors: Gurung Prajwal , Burton Amanda , Kanneganti Thirumala-Devi
Published: April 2016

Significance

IL-1 is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in a myriad of autoinflammatory disorders. In proline-serine-threonine phosphatase-interacting protein 2 (Pstpip2cmo) mice, IL-1β provokes autoinflammatory osteomyelitis. Here, we demonstrated the redundant roles of Nod like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome with caspase 8 in the processing of IL-1β inPstpip2cmomice. Identification of redundancy between NLRP3 inflammasome and caspase 8 is fundamental in our understanding of the inflammasomes and alternative modes of IL-1β regulation in osteomyelitic disease. Moreover, IL-1β signaling connects distinct compartments in promoting the disease, identifying previously unidentified checkpoints that could be targeted for therapeutic purposes in similar disease settings. Thus, our studies have unraveled the complex IL-1β regulatory network in vivo in a mouse model of osteomyelitis that will be useful for autoinflammatory diseases in general.
Combined changes in Wnt signaling response and contact inhibition induce altered proliferation in radiation-treated intestinal crypts
Authors: Dunn S.-J. , Osborne J. M. , Appleton P. L. , Näthke I.
Published: April 2016

Curative intervention is possible if colorectal cancer is identified early, underscoring the need to detect the earliest stages of malignant transformation. A candidate biomarker is the expanded proliferative zone observed in crypts before adenoma formation, also found in irradiated crypts. However, the underlying driving mechanism for this is not known. Wnt signaling is a key regulator of proliferation, and elevated Wnt signaling is implicated in cancer. Nonetheless, how cells differentiate Wnt signals of varying strengths is not understood. We use computational modeling to compare alternative hypotheses about how Wnt signaling and contact inhibition affect proliferation. Direct comparison of simulations with published experimental data revealed that the model that best reproduces proliferation patterns in normal crypts stipulates that proliferative fate and cell cycle duration are set by the Wnt stimulus experienced at birth. The model also showed that the broadened proliferation zone induced by tumorigenic radiation can be attributed to cells responding to lower Wnt concentrations and dividing at smaller volumes. Application of the model to data from irradiated crypts after an extended recovery period permitted deductions about the extent of the initial insult. Application of computational modeling to experimental data revealed how mechanisms that control cell dynamics are altered at the earliest stages of carcinogenesis.
Effects of the Antihypertensive Fixed-Dose Combinations on an Early Marker of
Hypertensive Cardiac Damage in Subjects at Low Cardiovascular Risk
Authors: Mazza A. , Schiavon L. , Zuin M. , Lenti S. , Ramazzina E. , Rubello D. , Casiglia E.
Published: April 2016

BACKGROUND

In hypertensive subjects (HTs), isolated left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is an early marker of cardiac damage and is associated with poor prognosis. However, few intervention trials investigated the effects of antihypertensive therapy on isolated LVDD regression. This study investigates the blood pressure (BP)-lowering efficacy and the effect on LVDD of antihypertensive drugs administered as fixed-dose combinations in untreated HTs with isolated LVDD.

METHODS

A total of 168 HTs (23% of them having impaired fasting glucose (IFG)) aged 48±4.2 years were randomized to receive open-label once-daily oral treatment of beta-blocker + diuretic, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) + diuretic, angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) + diuretic, ARB + calcium channel blocker (CCB), or ACEI + CCB. Clinic and 24-hour ambulatory BP values were measured before randomization and at the follow-up. Regression of LVDD was defined as normalization of both the E/A (ratio of early-to-late ventricular filling wave velocity) and E/E’ (mitral velocity to early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus) ratios. Comparisons were made between categorical variables using the χ 2 test and between continuous variables by gender using analysis of variance for repeated measures.

RESULTS

BP reduction did not differ between groups. LVDD regression was significantly more prevalent in the ARB + CCB or ACEI + CCB groups than with other combinations; in HTs with IFG, it was most prevalent (46%) with ACEI + CCB.

CONCLUSIONS

Independently of BP reduction, the fixed-dose combinations ARB + CCB and ACEI + CCB led to regression of isolated LVDD. In those with an IFG, ACEI + CCB was most effective.