bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Collective protection against contamination
Authors: Harmata Władysław , Szcześniak Zbigniew , Sobiech Marian
Published: February 2018

The paper describes general rules for the use of collective protection against contamination. There are presented certain recommendations for functional and operational requirements in the case of collective protection measures. The functional and maintenance recommendations are described in the field of the collective protection against modern agents in the concern of the hardened facilities in relation to the ventilation systems and objects themselves. Individual protection is a key element of dealing in the massive destruction weapon (MDW) environment. The protective cloth provides the capability of working in a contaminated area but it makes individuals less operable and effective, also in the lasting. The common collec-tive protection is organized for people (solders or civilians) to be able to operate in a contaminated area. It means, that there are necessary certain facilities which protect personnel against toxics. The point of the collective protection is to keep an environment adequate for defense missions, rest, or decontamination. These facilities give more light feeling in the physical and psychological sense of dealing without the individual protective cloth. There is also a description of the ventilation system’ objects, depending on the type of collective protection systems.
Keywords: construction, chemical toxics, protection of exercising personnel and natural environment
Liquid-crystalline composites for point temperature measurements
Authors: Prusińska-Kurstak Edyta , Garbat Katarzyna , Kołakowska Aleksandra , Kłosowicz Stanisław J.
Published: February 2018

The application of cholesteric liquid crystals and composites containing them for visualization of thermal field and temperature measurement is very well known. Despite all disadvantages as limited precision and adhesion to the studied surface, this method is still of interest. In this work, we present the results of preliminary studies on polymer-dispersed cholesteric liquid crystal (PDCLC) composites designed for visualization and measurement of point temperature changes which can be used in medical diagnostics. Basing on the results of former studies, the perspective PDCLC preparation method as well as high-performance liquid-crystalline chiral nematics were obtained and applied. The microencapsulation in poly(vinyl, alcohol) has been chosen as the method of PDCLC preparation while as liquid-crystalline materials the chiral nematics were adopted. Keywords: material science, liquid-crystalline composites, medical thermography
Simulation of systems with solar collectors in relation to the raw meteorological data
Authors: Olchowik Wiktor
Published: February 2018

The article describes an analysis of energetic efficiency of systems with solar-thermal collec-tors used to heat industrial and domestic water. Innovative approach lies in analysis of the instanta-neous value of the flow of thermal energy in relation to the raw meteorological data. Therefore, it is possible to obtain more precise results. Additionally, new data from time graphs of operating parameters may be acquired. The article explains methodology of analysis, mathematical model, and the algorithm used for calculations. The final part depicts the results of analysis of the data obtained in the years 2013-2015 by a meteorological station situated in the central area of the Masovian Voivodship.
Keywords: renewable energy, solar collectors, energy efficiency
Information with diagnostic technical object used to create experts’ knowledge base
Authors: Duer Radosław , Duer Stanisław
Published: February 2018

The article presents the problem of determining diagnostic information for the purpose of testing a complex technical object. To this end, the essence of the development of the functional-diagnostic model was presented and described on the example of the wind power plant. Based on the developed model of the object, diagnostic information has been determined, which consists of two components: a set of basic elements and a set of diagnostic signals, which are worked out by the designated elements in the functional groups of the object. An important aspect in this paper is the shift in the pro bono definition of a set of diagnostic signals. Knowledge of the set of diagnostic signals and their nominal (master) signals is the basis for determining the range of changes in diagnostic signals that are the basis for the diagnosis of an object using the intelligent diagnostic system (DIAG 2) or using knowledge bases for expert systems. Keywords: technical diagnostics, diagnostic reasoning, multivalent logic, artificial intelligence
The approximate modelling of a “rail vehicle-railway track- substructure” system
Authors: Lewandrowski Tomasz , Muzolf Paweł , Idczak Włodzimierz
Published: February 2018

A system “railway vehicle–railway track–substructure” was analysed. Rails were modelled as the Bernoulii-Euler beams on an elastic foundation. Two load cases were considered a) static load from the train to the railway track, b) dynamic load from the train moving with the constant velocity. As a result, the fourth-order differential equation was obtained. Both, material data and operating parameters were determined by components of the equation.
To solve this equation, the finite difference method was used. This method was described considering such matters as space step, time step, discretization, and moving load modelling.
Evaluation of usefulness of a selected method in modelling a railway infrastructure was the purpose of the authors. The obtained results were compared with results received by analytical way. The presented, simplified model: railway vehicle–infrastructure–substructure after appropriative validation will be used later on to analyse various technical solutions and materials in designing railway constructions.
Keywords: numerical methods, finite difference method, railway infrastructure, dynamic impact factor
LACONIA ORDER” AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ADMIRAL DÖNITZ BEFORE THE NUREMBERG MILITARY TRIBUNAL
Authors: GRACZYK Konrad
Published: February 2018

The article concerns the theme related to the order of 17 September 1942 issued by Admiral Karl Dönitz, Commander-in Chief of the German submarine fleet during the World War II. In the German literature this order is known as the Laconia Befehl. It was issued in connection with the rescue operation after the sinking of the British ship ‘Laconia’, which was commenced by the crew of a German submarine. Not only weighty military and ethical, but also legal nature issues appear against the background, since in connection with the order issued Admiral Dönitz was charged before the Nuremberg Military Tribunal for war crimes.
MANIFESTATIONS OF CLOSER GERMAN-SOVIET POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND MILITARY RELATIONS, IN THE YEARS 1921-1926, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE STATE SECURITY, AS ASSESSED BY THE SECOND DEPARTMENT OF THE GENERAL STAFF OF THE POLISH ARMED FORCES
Authors: LANDMANN Tomasz , BASTKOWSKI Piotr
Published: February 2018

The article attempts to analyse the practical examples of closer political, economic and military relations between Germany and Soviet Russia, and then the Soviet Union, in the years 1921-1926. The paper lays out the thesis that the closer German-Soviet political, economic and military relations, in the years 1921-1926, posed a significant threat to the security of the Second Polish Republic. To justify the above thesis both the literature and source materials were examined, including first of all the materials held in the Central Military Archives (Centralne Archiwum Wojskowe) in Warszawa-Rembertów. The materials gathered in the groups of records of the Second Department of the Polish Army High Command and the Collections of Russian records were found out to be of key importance. The collected archival materials made it possible to identify different planes of cooperation between the Germans and the Soviets in the discussed period and to establish to what extent the Polish military intelligence was aware of the feasibility and effects of such closer relations, resulting in a direct threat to the security of the Polish state. On the basis of the presented information it can be stated that the Polish military intelligence provided an accurate diagnosis of the examples of German-Soviet cooperation, often anti-Polish in its form and character. In the years 1921-1926, this cooperation was particularly intensified, posing a threat to the security of the Second Polish Republic and leading to negotiations regarding both the western and the eastern borders of Poland established after the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Riga.
THE NEW POLICY OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISATION FOR CIVIL-MILITARY COOPERATION (CIMIC)
Authors: ZABOROWSKI Wojciech
Published: February 2018

The paper presents a comparative analysis of two documents forming the political basis for the concept of civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, namely NATO Military Policy on Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) and Civil-Military Interaction (CMI) no. MC 0411/2, approved on 5 May 2014, and its predecessor entitled NATO Military Policy on Civil-Military Co-operation (CIMIC) no. MC 0411/1, published on 6 July 2001. The analysis of the structure of both documents, their substance and thematic scope as well as their origin and background made it possible to identify the principal directions in the transformation of the CIMIC concept since its beginnings and to present its new elements, mainly the issue of civil-military interaction. The article discusses also the further anticipated directions of changes arising from the assumptions of the new NATO policy for CIMIC and CMI and the progress made so far in operationalising the strategic assumptions contained in MC 0411/2, including in particular the works on a new NATO doctrine concerning CIMIC and CMI.
PROBLEMS OF DECISION MAKING BY THE COMPANY COMMANDER ON THE MODERN BATTLEFIELD
Authors: MICHALEWSKI Gustaw
Published: February 2018

This article attempts to analyze the importance of the decision-making process in the context of challenges for leadership under conditions of future operations. It describes possible tasks that the company commander must face in future operations. This paper aims to identify specific environmental factors affecting missions conducted by the com-pany commander on the tactical level. Limitations that might be subject to the company commander during different tasks have been characterized. In addition, the article pre-sents consequences of the decision-making process (the conduct leadership) in the con-text of future operations.
Quality assessment of underwater photogrammetric images for archeology purposes
Authors: Wojtkowska Michalina , Kaczyński Romuald
Published: February 2018

Archaeological data are usually inherently incomplete, heterogeneous, discontinuous and require frequent updates and possible adjustments. It is important to constantly create detailed documentation, which will precisely represent the actual situation. However, even the most precise figure is only an estimated representation of the documented object. Therefore, it is necessary to collect fully metric documentation and its professional archaeological interpretation. Acquiring correct and valuable underwaterdigital images for the archaeology purposes is not easy due to specific shooting conditions. It should be noted a number of limitations are unique to this type of imaging environment — the apparent extension of the focal length, the “disappearance” of colours, as well as a significant reduction in the transparency of the water environment. Therefore, the authors have made attempts to describe changes, in a much broader sense, in the quality of photogrammetric images that had been taken in various shooting conditions. Underwater and aerial images of two test fields were tested. First, the ground sampling distance of the INTOVA IC500 digital camera and the geometric accuracy of the acquired images were examined. Then, the impact of changes to the imaging conditions on the radio-metric resolution and colour projection were designated. In the last stage, the acquired images were used in practice — to assess the progress of the erosion process of an archaeological object, and also to comply its documentation in the form of vector drawing with the accuracy of mxy = ±0.5 mm. Keywords: photogrammetry and remote sensing, archaeology, underwater photogrammetry, resolution, ground resolved distance
Field model of electromechanical phenomena in the linear drive with permanent magnets
Authors: Just Krzysztof , Tarnowski Wojciech
Published: February 2018

The article presents problems of modelling and analysis of a linear permanent magnet electromagnetic drive taking into account basic physical phenomena. The Comsol Multiphysics environment based on the finite element method (FEM) is used in the magnetic field analysis, which allows for a relatively fast modelling of the object’s structure and performs extensive analysis of electromagnetic phenomena to determine the field integration parameters. Based on the analysis of the two-dimensional magnetic field, the static characteristics of the drive were determined, such as electromagnetic force, winding inductance, and magnetic flux.
Keywords: mechatronics, modelling and simulation, electromagnetic drive, finite element method, field analysis, field model
POLAND’S TROOP CONTRIBUTIONS TO US-LED MILITARY OPERATIONS AS A SECURITY POLICYINSTRUMENT
Authors: KUGLER Mikołaj
Published: February 2018

This article addresses the issue of Poland's troop contributions to US-led military operations, which for Poland constituted a salient instrument for attaining its security policy goals. It is argued that the United States of America played a pivotal role in Poland’s security policy, and by providing it with active support for the military operations in which the US exercised political and/or military leadership, Poland hoped to advance its security agenda. This assumption stemmed from America’s leading role in the global system and a conviction that it could influence its development in the way suiting the Polish interest. The article is in four parts. First, it examines the significance of foreign deployments as an instrument for attaining Poland’s security policy goals. Next, it explains the role the United States was assigned in Poland’s security policy. After that, it recounts the operations of Polish military contingents in US-led allied and coalition military operations. Finally, it discusses whether and how the engagement in those operations contributed to enhancing Poland’s security. The article embraces the period from the first military operation to which Poland deployed troops following the collapse of the Communist bloc in 1991 to the termination of the ISAF operation, which has had the largest Polish presence to date, in 2014. Keywords:
INTELLIGENCE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE SECOND REPUBLIC OF POLAND AND THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY. PART II – THE 1930s
Authors: SZYMANOWICZ Adam , YURDATAPAN Arda
Published: February 2018

In the period between the two World Wars, Turkey played quite an important role in the security system of the Second Republic of Poland, especially after the May Coup in 1926. Poland promoted the establishment of the Central European Bloc, which in some variants would also include Turkey. Furthermore, the state played an important role in the Polish Promethean politics because it had borders with the Caucasus, and in addition there was the large Caucasian emigration. As early as in the 1920s Poland initiated intelligence cooperation with Turkey against the USSR, as a result of which Polish intelligence missions operated in the Turkish territory and Turkish intelligence officers underwent specialized training in Poland. The more Turkey approached the Western countries before the outbreak of World War II the more this cooperation intensified.
GENERATING OF ELECTRICITY FROM MAGNETOELECTRIC COMPOSITE WITH USE OF CHANGES IN DIRECTION OF MAGNETIC FIELD VECTOR
Authors: MECH Rafał
Published: February 2018

Paper shows study on the magnetoelectric composite material placed in an external magnetic field with changing magnetic field vecotr. An experimental setup for investigation of magnetoelectric properties of magnetostrictive-piezoelectric material was prepared. The hybrid structure is made of magnetostrictive composite (based on Terfenol-D) and piezoelectric material. Experimental results shown the response of prepared hybrid material to the rate of changes of direction of magnetic field vector. Investigation were mainly focused on possibility of generating of electric power from prepared material. It was found that the prepared hybrid material exhibits magnetoelectric effect in the case of work when direction of magnetic field vector was changing. This effect might be use in Energy Harvesting applications.
Harnessing Terrestrial Laser Scanning for Monitoring of Saturation of Buildings
Authors: Suchocki Czesław , Katzer Jacek , Damięcka-Suchocka Marzena , Kuźmińska Elżbieta , Rapiński Jacek
Published: February 2018

A type of scanned surface (its physico-chemical properties) significantly influences the power of the returning laser signal in terrestrial laser scanner technique. The influence of different colour and rough-ness of a scanned surface on absorption and scattering was proven by multiple researchers. Water is characterized by high absorption coefficient of a laser signal. Keeping this fact in mind authors prepared a research programme focused on the influence of moisture movement in building wall on the value of the intensity in TLS. An impulse TLS scanner ScanStation C10 produced by Leica was used during the research programme in an indoor environment. The measurements were conducted targeting specially formed walls made of cellular concrete and ceramic hollow blocks. Test objects were placed in a special plastic container with water. The level of the water in the container was kept constant using an autonomous hydraulic pressure system. The porous dry wall was sucking water and the level of saturation was rising. The differences in values of intensity point cloud from scan were of special interest. In addition, tests have been carried out to the building object in an outdoors environment. Achieved results have shown that the intensity of the reflected laser beam from the wet building materials is much lower than that of dry materials. This dependency can be used for the measurement of TLS in the geodetic monitoring. Apart from determining the geometry of a building wall, it is possible to determine changes its humidity.
Keywords: terrestrial laser scanner, intensity, humidity, geodetic monitoring
Application of parametric modelling methods for estimating the parameters of damped sinusoidal signals
Authors: Figoń Piotr
Published: February 2018

The paper describes the results of analyses aimed at obtaining information on selected parameters of the deterministic component of a signal being the sum of two waveforms, an exponentially damped sinusoidal waveform and a stochastic waveform.
Keywords: linear prediction, optimisation, analytical signal
AC/DC transfer standards calibration in Central Military Calibration Laboratory
Authors: Piróg Przemysław , Górecki Mariusz
Published: February 2018

The article discusses the method used in the Central Military Calibration Laboratory to calibrate Fluke 5790 AC/DC transfer standard with reference transfer standard Fluke 792A. It presents the measurement equation and the uncertainty budget. The contribution of uncertainty components in the measurement uncertainty has been presented. The metrological traceability has been evaluated by comparing calibration results with the results in the last Fluke certificate of calibration.
Keywords: AC/DC converters, AC/DC difference, thermal voltage converters (TVCs), AC voltage measurement.
The solution to the Lamb’s problem for nonlocal thermo-visco-elastic medium
Authors: Gawinecki Jerzy August , Rafa Józef , Łazuka Jarosław
Published: February 2018

In our work we constructed the solution of the initial-boundary value problem so-called Lamb’s problem for the half space occupied with thermo-visco-elastic
medium. The visco-elastic medium was described by the Biot model, where as interactions were described by the Gurtin and Pipkin model. Using the Cagniard de Hoop
method we obtained the solution of the Lamb’s problem to the considered system of integro-differential equations. Based on the constructed solution of the above mentioned
problem, we described the type of waves which propagate in the thermo-visco-elastic medium and the domain of their influence. The propagation of the Rayleigh’s wave was
investigated. We discovered the new Rayleigh’s wave in thermo-visco-elastic medium (second Rayleigh’s wave) and named it GRL-wave (Gawinecki-Rafa-Lazuka – wave).
Keywords: Lamb’s problem, Danilovskaya’s problem, thermo-visco-elastic medium, Rayleigh’s wave.
Edukacja wielokulturowa w przedszkolu – projekt AIESEC International Kindergarten
Authors: Mińkowska Aleksandra
Published: February 2018

The article discusses the role of multicultural education. The main objective was to outline the
potential for multicultural education in kindergarten. The author focuses on the multicultural
process in the contemporary world and the growing need for its implementation from an
early age.
In the study, the author analyses multicultural workshop events in one of Warsaw’s
kindergartens – the International Kindergarten project organised by AIESEC. The author presents
a workshop observation report and provides information on the organisational aspects of
multicultural workshops. Important for the study were the interviews with the teachers participating
in the International Kindergarten workshops, who expressed their attitudes towards
multicultural education in pre-school education.
Działalność dydaktyczna Zakładu Edukacji Estetycznej i Studiów nad Kulturą
Authors: Kwiatkowska-Tybulewicz Barbara
Published: February 2018

This article is a presentation of the didactic activity of the Aesthetic Education and Cultural Studies Unit. It presents a variety of didactic classes taught currently by the members of the Unit, starting from the study programme of the Art and Media Education specialisation, through obligatory and optional classes addressed to students of the Faculty of Education, to general university courses for students of other faculties and students of foreign universities.
From professors’ barriers to organisational conditions in ICT integration in higher education
Authors: Castro Willy Francisco , Nyvang Tom
Published: February 2018

The responsibility of innovation with ICT in education has mainly been placed on professors as pivotal to adoption. However, professors are part of complex organisations with inherent obstacles related to their cultural and historical conditions. Despite some studies have stablished the complexity of internal and external barriers separately, others highlight on the importance of considering teachers’ beliefs and contextual factors together. In this regard, the article aims to explore the underlying organisational factors affecting professors’ adoption and institutional integration of technology, considering the professor as part of the organization. It contributes to the field of limitations and obstacles of ICT adoption, transcending the teachers’ barriers approach toward organizational multi-dimensional limitations. The article describes the process of adoption of ICT as non-linear process of discovering barriers and proposing strategies to overcome them. Rather, as a process of development in which solving conflicts can generate other that must be contextually and collectively addressed. The findings contribute to the development of policies and strategies of professional development. The theoretical approach draws upon the cultural-historical activity theory as a tool to transcend the predominant study of barriers from teachers’ perceptions and to obtain a comprehensive view of the obstacles restricting the adoption and integration of technology for teaching and learning purposes in higher education.
Lourdes. Processioner og kraft i Zolas roman Valfartsstedet
Authors: Baunvig Katrine Frøkjær
Published: February 2018

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This article outlines the emergence of Lourdes as a shrine. This sketch records how procession practices seem important in the cultural grounding of the site. But the article's real center of attention is a study of how French author-jounalist and intellectual, Republican free-thinker, Émile Zola’s novel Lourdes depicts processions. The novel is driven forth by a critique of contemporary religious life. Nevertheless, this critique is somewhat softened in the description of the ritual performances of the processions. Pertaining in particular to the interest in force-metaphors, Zola in these passages shows a perhaps surprising resemblance to formative figures within the study of religion such as Émile Durkheim.DANSK RESUME: Denne artikel skitserer fremvæksten af Lourdes som helligsted fra midten til slutningen af 1800-tallet. Denne skitse tegner blandt andet konturerne af processionspraksissers betydning for helligtstedets etablering. Men artiklens egentlige tyngdepunkt er undersøgelsen af processionsskildringerne i den franske forfatter-journalist og intellektuelle, republikanske fritænker Émile Zolas roman Valfartsstedet fra 1894. Denne roman er en religions- og samtidskritik; men denne kritik nedtones påfaldende i beskrivelserne af processioners kraft og virkning. I disse passager viser Zola et måske overraskende slægtskab med den formative religionsvidenskabs interesse for ’religiøse kræfter’ som den formuleres fx hos Émile Durkheim.
Bacterial surface charge in “layers”: revealed by wash buffers of different ionic strength
Authors: Ng Wenfa , Ting Yen-Peng
Published: February 2018

Bacterial surface charge derives its meaning from the cell’s environment such as the solution in contact with the cell. Determining the surface charge of bacteria in its native environment requires measuring the proxy variable, zeta potential, using cells obtained from field studies. However, lack of adequate cell mass and concerns over measurement of a mixed species consortia rather than a specific species meant that bacterial surface charge measurement require biomass obtained from pure culture. Often grown in rich medium where myriad proteins and ions nonspecifically adsorbed onto the cell envelope or peptidoglycan layer, standard procedures for preparing the cell mass incorporated repeated steps of washing and centrifugation with various wash buffers, the efficacies of which are poorly understood. This report describes the results of a systematic study on how wash buffers of different composition and ionic strength affect the efficiency of removing nonspecifically adsorbed biomolecules and ions from Escherichia coli DH5α (ATCC 53868) cultured aerobically (shake flask, 37 oC and 230 rpm) in LB Lennox medium with 2 g/L glucose and a formulated medium. Using zeta potential-pH profiles over pH 1 to 12 as readout, the results showed that efficiency of removing nonspecifically adsorbed ions and metabolites positively correlated with wash buffer ionic strength. More importantly, 0.15M ionic strength (i.e., 9 g/L NaCl) seemed to be the minimum below which there was incomplete removal of nonspecifically adsorbed biomolecules. On the other hand, high ionic strength of 0.6M (e.g., 0.1M sodium citrate) significantly changed the point of zero charge (pHzpc), a reference marker for removal of ions intrinsic to the cell envelope. Collectively, results obtained inform wash buffer choice with regards to preserving cell envelope integrity, and avoidance of adsorption of buffer ions such as citrate. But, is there a true cell surface charge? Yes, but how do we define it in number of “layers” of adsorbed biomolecules? Philosophically, cells in culture broth are coated with layers of metabolites, proteins and ions. Hence, desire to reveal the true surface charge is essentially a decoating process, where wash buffers of increasing ionic strength remove each layer via charge screening. However, where is the endpoint? This research offers a different perspective and answer. Imagine a single bacterium suspended in LB medium, where there is constant adsorption and desorption of biomolecules as the cell grows: what is its relevant surface charge? It is the one where the loosely associated ions and metabolites are removed while retaining the nonspecifically adsorbed ions and biomolecules. Thus, deionized water wash provides a good estimate of the bacterial surface charge as grown in specific medium.
Maize domestication and gene interaction
Authors: Stitzer Michelle C , Ross-Ibarra Jeffrey
Published: February 2018

The process of domestication presents a tractable system for following evolutionary change, as selective pressures shift, resulting in adaptation to the new ecological niche of cultivation. Perhaps the most detailed understanding of this process comes from Zea mays, where morphological, genetic, and genomic studies have elucidated the ancestry and selection that transformed a wild plant, the teosinte Zea mays subsp. parviglumis, into the domesticated maize Zea mays subsp. mays. These studies have identified five major morphological differences that distinguish these two subspecies, and careful genetic dissection of these phenotypes has assisted in understanding the underlying molecular genetic changes. But maize domestication was a consequence of more than just five genes, and regions throughout the genome contribute to this change. Their effects are contingent on genetic background, and the interactions between alleles and genes that give rise to phenotypes. This includes dominance relationships, epistatic interactions, and pleiotropic constraint, as well as how these variants are connected in gene networks. Together, we review the role of gene interactions in generating the dramatic phenotypic evolution seen in the transition from teosinte to maize.
Global morphogenetic flow is accurately predicted by the spatial distribution of myosin motors
Authors: Streichan Sebastian J , Lefebvre Matthew F , Noll Nicholas , Wieschaus Eric F , Shraiman Boris I
Published: February 2018

During embryogenesis tissue layers undergo morphogenetic flow rearranging and folding into specific shapes. While developmental biology has identified key genes and local cellular processes, global coordination of tissue remodeling at the organ scale remains unclear. Here, we combine in toto light-sheet microscopy of the Drosophila embryo with quantitative analysis and physical modeling to relate cellular flow with the patterns of force generation during the gastrulation process. We find that the complex spatio-temporal flow pattern can be predicted from the measured meso-scale myosin density and anisotropy using a simple, effective viscous model of the tissue, achieving close to 90% accuracy with one time dependent and two constant parameters. Our analysis uncovers the importance of a) spatial modulation of myosin distribution on the scale of the embryo and b) the non-locality of its effect due to mechanical interaction of cells, demonstrating the need for the global perspective in the study of morphogenetic flow.
Sci-Hub provides access to nearly all scholarly literature
Authors: Himmelstein Daniel S , Romero Ariel Rodriguez , Levernier Jacob G , Munro Thomas Anthony , McLaughlin Stephen Reid , Greshake Tzovaras Bastian , Greene Casey S
Published: February 2018

The website Sci-Hub enables users to download PDF versions of scholarly articles, including many articles that are paywalled at their journal’s site. Sci-Hub has grown rapidly since its creation in 2011, but the extent of its coverage has been unclear. Here we report that, as of March 2017, Sci-Hub’s database contains 68.9% of the 81.6 million scholarly articles registered with Crossref and 85.1% of articles published in toll access journals. We find that coverage varies by discipline and publisher, and that Sci-Hub preferentially covers popular, paywalled content. For toll access articles, we find that Sci-Hub provides greater coverage than the University of Pennsylvania, a major research university in the United States. Green open access to toll access articles via licit services, on the other hand, remains quite limited. Our interactive browser at https://greenelab.github.io/scihub allows users to explore these findings in more detail. For the first time, nearly all scholarly literature is available gratis to anyone with an Internet connection, suggesting the toll access business model may become unsustainable.
Architecture of the human mTORC2 core complex
Authors: Stuttfeld Edward , Aylett Christopher HS , Imseng Stefan , Boehringer Daniel , Scaiola Alain , Sauer Evelyn , Hall Michael N , Maier Timm , Ban Nenad
Published: February 2018

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a key protein kinase controlling cellular metabolism and growth. It is part of the two structurally and functionally distinct multiprotein complexes mTORC1 and mTORC2. Dysregulation of mTOR occurs in diabetes, cancer and neurological disease. We report the architecture of human mTORC2 at intermediate resolution, revealing a conserved binding site for accessory proteins on mTOR and explaining the structural basis for the rapamycin insensitivity of the complex.
A sleep state in Drosophila larvae required for neural stem cell proliferation
Authors: Szuperak Milan , Churgin Matthew A , Borja Austin J , Raizen David M , Fang-Yen Christopher , Kayser Matthew S
Published: February 2018

Sleep during development is involved in refining brain circuitry, but a role for sleep in the earliest periods of nervous system elaboration, when neurons are first being born, has not been explored. Here we identify a sleep state in Drosophila larvae that coincides with a major wave of neurogenesis. Mechanisms controlling larval sleep are partially distinct from adult sleep: octopamine, the Drosophila analog of mammalian norepinephrine, is the major arousal neuromodulator in larvae, but dopamine is not required. Using real-time behavioral monitoring in a closed-loop sleep deprivation system, we find that sleep loss in larvae impairs cell division of neural progenitors. This work establishes a system uniquely suited for studying sleep during nascent periods, and demonstrates that sleep in early life regulates neural stem cell proliferation.
LRRTM1 underlies synaptic convergence in visual thalamus
Authors: Monavarfeshani Aboozar , Stanton Gail , Van Name Jonathan , Su Kaiwen , Mills William A , Swilling Kenya , Kerr Alicia , Huebschman Natalie A , Su Jianmin , Fox Michael A
Published: February 2018

It has long been thought that the mammalian visual system is organized into parallel pathways, with incoming visual signals being parsed in the retina based on feature (e.g. color, contrast and motion) and then transmitted to the brain in unmixed, feature-specific channels. To faithfully convey feature-specific information from retina to cortex, thalamic relay cells must receive inputs from only a small number of functionally similar retinal ganglion cells. However, recent studies challenged this by revealing substantial levels of retinal convergence onto relay cells. Here, we sought to identify mechanisms responsible for the assembly of such convergence. Using an unbiased transcriptomics approach and targeted mutant mice, we discovered a critical role for the synaptic adhesion molecule Leucine Rich Repeat Transmembrane Neuronal 1 (LRRTM1) in the emergence of retinothalamic convergence. Importantly, LRRTM1 mutant mice display impairment in visual behaviors, suggesting a functional role of retinothalamic convergence in vision.
Gene-specific mechanisms direct glucocorticoid-receptor-driven repression of inflammatory response genes in macrophages
Authors: Sacta Maria A , Tharmalingam Bowranigan , Coppo Maddalena , Rollins David A , Deochand Dinesh K , Benjamin Bradley , Yu Li , Zhang Bin , Hu Xiaoyu , Li Rong , Chinenov Yurii , Rogatsky Inez
Published: February 2018

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) potently represses macrophage-elicited inflammation, however, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. Our genome-wide analysis in mouse macrophages reveals that pro-inflammatory paused genes, activated via global negative elongation factor (NELF) dissociation and RNA Polymerase (Pol)2 release from early elongation arrest, and non-paused genes, induced by de novo Pol2 recruitment, are equally susceptible to acute glucocorticoid repression. Moreover, in both cases the dominant mechanism involves rapid GR tethering to p65 at NF-kB-binding sites. Yet, specifically at paused genes, GR activation triggers widespread promoter accumulation of NELF, with myeloid cell-specific NELF deletion conferring glucocorticoid resistance. Conversely, at non-paused genes, GR attenuates the recruitment of p300 and histone acetylation, leading to a failure to assemble BRD4 and Mediator at promoters and enhancers, ultimately blocking Pol2 initiation. Thus, GR displays no preference for a specific pro-inflammatory gene class; however, it effects repression by targeting distinct temporal events and components of transcriptional machinery.
Dynamics of venom composition across a complex life cycle
Authors: Columbus-Shenkar Yaara Y , Sachkova Maria Y , Macrander Jason , Fridrich Arie , Modepalli Vengamanaidu , Reitzel Adam M , Sunagar Kartik , Moran Yehu
Published: February 2018

Little is known about venom in young developmental stages of animals. The appearance of toxins and stinging cells during early embryonic stages in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis suggests that venom is already expressed in eggs and larvae of this species. Here, we harness transcriptomic, biochemical and transgenic tools to study venom production dynamics in Nematostella. We find that venom composition and arsenal of toxin-producing cells change dramatically between developmental stages of this species. These findings can be explained by the vastly different interspecific interactions of each life stage, as individuals develop from a miniature non-feeding mobile planula to a larger sessile polyp that predates on other animals and interact differently with predators. Indeed, behavioral assays involving prey, predators and Nematostella are consistent with this hypothesis. Further, the results of this work suggest a much wider and dynamic venom landscape than initially appreciated in animals with a complex life cycle.
CCR6+ Th cell distribution differentiates systemic lupus erythematosus patients based on anti-dsDNA antibody status
Authors: Zhong Wei , Jiang Zhenyu , Wu Jiang , Jiang Yanfang , Zhao Ling
Published: February 2018

Background

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease has been shown to be associated with the generation of multiple auto-antibodies. Among these, anti-dsDNA antibodies (anti-DNAs) are specific and play a pathogenic role in SLE. Indeed, anti-DNA+ SLE patients display a worse disease course. The generation of these pathogenic anti-DNAs has been attributed to the interaction between aberrant T helper (Th) cells and autoimmune B cells. Thus, in this study we have investigated whether CCR6+Th cells have the ability to differentiate SLE patients based on anti-DNA status, and if their distribution has any correlation with disease activity.

Methods

We recruited 25 anti-DNA+ and 25 anti-DNA− treatment-naive onset SLE patients, matched for various clinical characteristics in our nested matched case-control study. CCR6+ Th cells and their additional subsets were analyzed in each patient by flow cytometry.

Results

Anti-DNA+ SLE patients specifically had a higher percentage of Th cells expressing CCR6 and CXCR3. Further analysis of CCR6+ Th cell subsets showed that anti-DNA+ SLE patients had elevated proportions of Th9, Th17, Th17.1 and CCR4/CXCR3 double-negative (DN) cells. However, the proportions of CCR6− Th subsets, including Th1 and Th2 cells, did not show any association with anti-DNA status. Finally, we identified a correlation between CCR6+ Th subsets and clinical indicators, specifically in anti-DNA+ SLE patients.

Conclusions

Our data indicated that CCR6+ Th cells and their subsets were elevated and correlated with disease activity in anti-DNA+ SLE patients. We speculated that CCR6+ Th cells may contribute to distinct disease severity in anti-DNA+ SLE patients.
A new species of Amazonian snouted treefrog (Hylidae:Scinax) with description of a novel species-habitat association for an aquatic breeding frog
Authors: Ferrão Miquéias , Fraga Rafael de , Moravec Jiří , Kaefer Igor L. , Lima Albertina P.
Published: February 2018

The genusScinaxis one of the most specious genera of treefrogs of the family Hylidae. Despite the high number of potential new species ofScinaxrevealed in recent studies, the rate of species descriptions for Amazonia has been low in the last decade. A potential cause of this low rate may be the existence of morphologically cryptic species. Describing new species may not only impact the taxonomy and systematics of a group of organisms but also benefit other fields of biology. Ecological studies conducted in megadiverse regions, such as Amazonia, often meet challenging questions concerning insufficient knowledge of organismal alpha taxonomy. Due to that, detecting species-habitat associations is dependent on our ability to properly identify species. In this study, we first provide a description of a new species (including its tadpoles) of the genusScinaxdistributed along heterogeneous landscapes in southern Amazonia; and secondly assess the influence of environmental heterogeneity on the new species’ abundance and distribution.Scinax ruberoculatussp. nov. differs from all nominal congeners by its small size (SVL 22.6–25.9 mm in males and 25.4–27.5 mm in females), by having a dark brown spot on the head and scapular region shaped mainly like the mothCopiopteryx semiramis(or a human molar in lateral view, or a triangle), bicolored reddish and grey iris, snout truncate in dorsal view, bilobate vocal sac in males, by its advertisement call consisting of a single pulsed note with duration of 0.134–0.331 s, 10–23 pulses per note, and dominant frequency 1,809–1,895 Hz. Both occurrence and abundance of the new species are significantly influenced by silt content in the soil. This finding brings the first evidence that edaphic factors influence species-habitat association in Amazonian aquatic breeding frogs.
Inter-domain microbial diversity within the coral holobiontSiderastrea sidereafrom two depth habitats
Authors: Bonthond Guido , Merselis Daniel G. , Dougan Katherine E. , Graff Trevor , Todd William , Fourqurean James W. , Rodriguez-Lanetty Mauricio
Published: February 2018

Corals host diverse microbial communities that are involved in acclimatization, pathogen defense, and nutrient cycling. Surveys of coral-associated microbes have been particularly directed towardSymbiodiniumand bacteria. However, a holistic understanding of the total microbiome has been hindered by a lack of analyses bridging taxonomically disparate groups. Using high-throughput amplicon sequencing, we simultaneously characterized theSymbiodinium, bacterial, and fungal communities associated with the Caribbean coralSiderastrea sidereacollected from two depths (17 and 27 m) on Conch reef in the Florida Keys.S. sidereahosted an exceptionally diverseSymbiodiniumcommunity, structured differently between sampled depth habitats. While dominated at 27 m by aSymbiodiniumbelonging to clade C, at 17 mS. sidereaprimarily hosted a mixture of clade B types. Most fungal operational taxonomic units were distantly related to available reference sequences, indicating the presence of a high degree of fungal novelty within theS. sidereaholobiont and a lack of knowledge on the diversity of fungi on coral reefs. Network analysis showed that co-occurrence patterns in theS. sidereaholobiont were prevalent among bacteria, however, also detected between fungi and bacteria. Overall, our data show a drastic shift in the associatedSymbiodiniumcommunity between depths on Conch Reef, which might indicate that alteration in this community is an important mechanism facilitating local physiological adaptation of theS. sidereaholobiont. In contrast, bacterial and fungal communities were not structured differently between depth habitats.
Use and misuse of temperature normalisation in meta-analyses of thermal responses of biological traits
Authors: Kontopoulos Dimitrios - Georgios , García-Carreras Bernardo , Sal Sofía , Smith Thomas P. , Pawar Samraat
Published: February 2018

There is currently unprecedented interest in quantifying variation in thermal physiology among organisms, especially in order to understand and predict the biological impacts of climate change. A key parameter in this quantification of thermal physiology is the performance or value of a rate, across individuals or species, at a common temperature (temperature normalisation). An increasingly popular model for fitting thermal performance curves to data—the Sharpe-Schoolfield equation—can yield strongly inflated estimates of temperature-normalised rate values. These deviations occur whenever a key thermodynamic assumption of the model is violated, i.e., when the enzyme governing the performance of the rate is not fully functional at the chosen reference temperature. Using data on 1,758 thermal performance curves across a wide range of species, we identify the conditions that exacerbate this inflation. We then demonstrate that these biases can compromise tests to detect metabolic cold adaptation, which requires comparison of fitness or rate performance of different species or genotypes at some fixed low temperature. Finally, we suggest alternative methods for obtaining unbiased estimates of temperature-normalised rate values for meta-analyses of thermal performance across species in climate change impact studies.
On the Chaotic Variability of Deep Convection in the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Waldman Robin , Somot Samuel , Herrmann Marine , Sevault Florence , Isachsen Pål Erik
Published: February 2018

Chaotic intrinsic variability is a fundamental driver of the oceanic variability. Its understanding is key to interpret observations, evaluate numerical models, and predict the future ocean and climate. Here we study intrinsic variability of deep convection in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea using an ensemble eddy‐resolving hindcast simulation over the period 1979–2013. We find that the variability of deep convection is mostly forced but also, to a considerable extent, intrinsic. The intrinsic variability can dominate the total convection variability locally and over a single winter. It also makes up a significant fraction of its interannual variability but has only modest impacts on the long‐term mean state. We find that the occurrence of deep convection is random 18% of years at the basin scale, and 29% locally at the LION observational site. Spatially, the intrinsic variability is highest far from the continental shelf. We relate this pattern to baroclinic instability theory that takes bottom stabilization into account.