bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can There be a Religion of Reasons? A Response to Leiter's Circular Conception of Religious Belief
Authors: Lipshaw Jeffrey M.
Published: February 2016

This article comments on a definition of religion recently proffered by Brian Leiter. Leiters definition first appeared in a paper arguing that there is no principled reason for the Constitution to single out religion as one of many forms of conscience for special tolerance. Martha Nussbaum then suggested that we owe something more than mere tolerance for religious belief; in our efforts to make sense of the world, we owe “a special respect for the faculty in human beings in which they search for life's ultimate meaning.” In a later paper, Leiter uses the same definition of religion to argue that Nussbaum is wrong. My argument can be expressed positively: if Nussbaum is right, she is also right that the concept of religious belief (as opposed to particular conceptions or instantiations of it) is entitled to as much respect as any other kind of belief, because once we are talking about any kind of belief it is difficult to draw a principled line. Stated negatively, Leiter's attack is ultimately circular: the problem with religion is that it is not science. Exposing the circularity requires identifying the trick, which is that Leiter employs an appeal to common sense to distinguish religion and science under a bright line definition. Nevertheless, the very belief in common sense Leiter employs here is the same as the belief in religion Leiter attacks: it is categorical and insulated from further reasons.
“I am one of the People”: A Survey and Analysis of Legal Arguments on Woman-Led Prayer in Islam
Authors: Elewa Ahmed , Silvers Laury
Published: February 2016

For Muslims, prayer leadership is necessary to fulfill the confirmed sunnah of congregational prayer, as well as the obligatory Friday sermon and prayer. The majority of jurists consider the role of imam to be better than any other duty associated with the prayer including that of the muezzin.

In New York City on March 18, 2005 Dr. Amina Wadud shocked the Muslim world when she led a mixed-gender congregation in the Friday prayer. The Friday congregational prayer is at the center of Muslim religiosity. On Friday mid-day, Muslims come together as a community and turn collectively toward God. The form of the prayer affirms the community's identity; Muslims pray as brothers and sisters equal before God. They stand in straight lines, shoulder to shoulder. No one has a reserved spot. The rich stand next to the poor.
The Religious Perspective of the Judge's Role in Talmudic Law
Authors: Sinai Yuval
Published: February 2016

Unlike modern Western law, which is generally assumed to be the product of human deliberation about the common good, at least in democratic countries, Jewish law is a normative system in which adjudication is subject to religious commandments. The judge bears responsibility not only to the litigants standing before him but also to God, an allegiance which most modern Western judges do not, at least explicitly, recognize.

Because of the systems' assumptions that law is made by humans and thus can be understood by human judges given the appropriate information, modern Western legal systems infer that judges are under obligation to render a decision on any legal question brought before them, even in doubtful cases. Secular-civil law views the resolution of a dispute as preferable to its non-resolution, even if the judge has reservations about his decision. The judge who is hesitant to decide a case is considered to have failed to properly discharge his judicial role, the very essence of which is the regulation of human conduct in one form or other. The obligation of the judge to render a decision on every legal question both implies and requires that a judge exercise creative discretion in at least some cases where the law or its intended application are not clear to ensure the rendering of a clear and unequivocal decision on any legal question brought before him. As a consequence of this unequivocal demand that the judge decide, most judges must make peace with the possibility that their rulings may later be discovered or determined to have been mistaken.
The Freedoms of Religion and Culture under the South African Constitution: Do Traditional African Religions Enjoy Equal Treatment?
Authors: Amoah Jewel , Bennett Tom
Published: February 2016

On Sunday, January 20, 2007, Tony Yengeni, former Chief Whip of South Africa's governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), celebrated his early release from a four-year prison sentence by slaughtering a bull at his father's house in the Cape Town township of Gugulethu. This time-honored African ritual was performed in order to appease the Yengeni family ancestors. Animal rights activists, however, decried the sacrifice as an act of unnecessary cruelty to the bull, and a public outcry ensued. Leading figures in government circles, including the Minister of Arts and Culture, Pallo Jordan, entered the fray, calling for a proper understanding of African cultural practices. Jody Kollapen, the Chair of the Human Rights Commission, said: “the slaughter of animals by cultures in South Africa was an issue that needed to be dealt with in context. Cultural liberty is an important right. …”

That the sacrifice was defended on the ground of African culture was to be expected. More surprising was the way in which everyone involved in the affair ignored what could have been regarded as an event of religious significance. Admittedly, it is far from easy to separate the concepts of religion and culture, and, in certain societies, notably those of pre-colonial Africa, this distinction was unknown. Today in South Africa, however, it is clearly necessary to make such a distinction for human rights litigation, partly because the Constitution specifies religion and culture as two separate rights and partly because it seems that those working under the influence of modern human rights seem to take religion more seriously than culture.
When Religious Practices become Legal Obligations: Extending the Foreign Compulsion Defense
Authors: Helfand Michael A.
Published: February 2016

Can a man excuse his practices to the contrary [of the law] because of his religious belief? To permit this would be to make the professed doctrines of religious belief superior to the law of the land, and in effect to permit every citizen to become alaw unto himself.

In 1990, the Supreme Court faced the Free Exercise claim of Alfred Smith and Galen Black, both of whom were denied unemployment compensation because they had been fired for misconduct. Smith and Black, however, argued that such a denial violated their First Amendment rights because the alleged misconduct—smoking peyote—was part of a Native American Church ceremony. Overturning the Oregon Supreme Court, the Court struck down theSherbertbalancing test, arguing that an individual cannot excuse himself from a law merely because it “contradicts” his “religious convictions.” To do so, the Court continued,

would be to make the professed doctrines of religious belief superior to the law of the land, and in effect to permit every citizen to become a law unto himself.

Such a conclusion would “contradict[] both constitutional tradition and common sense.”

This article explores whether United States law, in actuality, does not allow individuals to become “laws unto themselves.” While legal scholars in exploring this question have typically focused on the Supreme Court's decision inBoy Scouts of America v. Dale, this article will focus on a more obscure and rarely discussed area of United States law: the foreign compulsion defense. I will argue that it is the foreign compulsion defense which demonstrates that the law does allow individuals to raise themselves above facially neutral and generally applicable laws when they are faced with an irreconcilable legal conflict between foreign and domestic law.
Biblical Tax Systems and the Case for Progressive Taxation
Authors: Chodorow Adam S.
Published: February 2016

The political rise of the religious right has brought to the fore the question of whether and to what extent religious values and beliefs should be taken into account when developing public policy. Policymakers have increasingly, or perhaps only more overtly, turned to religion for guidance on important public policy matters, such as abortion, stem cell research, and punishment, including the death penalty. Given the decidedly moral flavor of the debate over distributive justice, it is not surprising that many Americans and a growing number of policymakers have begun to look to religion for guidance on the question of how best to allocate tax burdens.

While tax scholars have long debated questions of equity and distributive justice, with one notable exception, they have largely ignored religious arguments. Given the large number of Americans who identify themselves as religious, to say nothing of most politicians, limiting the inquiry into tax equity to secular arguments runs the risk of relegating academic debate to the sidelines, as decision-makers look to the Bible and other religious texts for guidance and support.
Two Voices of the Morality of Private Property
Authors: Babie Paul
Published: February 2016

Ukraine's “Orange Revolution” in 2004-05 captivated an international audience. Western reporting on this “democratic moment” focused on Victor Yuschenko's eventual hard-fought victory, labeling it an indication of Ukraine's commitment to breaking ties with its Soviet socialist past and to establishing itself fully as a capitalist market economy. In the shrinking global economy, Ukraine, suddenly, was a hot commodity. Yet, in the flurry of rhetoric about a former Soviet state achieving independence and sovereignty, moving from a socialist past to a capitalist future, few seemed directly to address the issue of private property. There seemed to be very little mention, though, at least in the popular media, of the shape of a right to private property in Ukrainian law. This was surprising in view of the fact that this is a basic prerequisite to a market economy. In fact, Ukrainian law does offer some minimal guidance concerning this important concept.
Asking the Right Questions: Harnessing the Insights of Bernard Lonergan for the Rule of Law
Authors: Brennan Patrick McKinley
Published: February 2016

“We cannot endow people with intelligence. Intelligence fundamentally is this capacity to ask questions, and this capacity is entirely from nature.”

My concern here is the rule of law, in all itsoperations. I select the unexpected word “operations” in order to telegraph a difference from much other natural law jurisprudence. The rule of law is notjusta battery of operations; however, failure to appreciate the place of operations in the rule of law leads to a straw-man rule of law—and we know too well the fate of straw men. It is flesh-and-blood men and women whose operations bring about the rule of law, if a rule of law there is to be.
God's Bridle: John Calvin's Application of Natural Law
Authors: Pryor C. Scott
Published: February 2016

Natural law has made a comeback in legal philosophy. The revival of natural law thinking in the legal academy began about thirty years ago and has managed to gain a seat at the table in current jurisprudential discussions. Defining natural law, Brian Bix declares that it “claims that there are fundamental and evaluative connections between the universe, human nature, and morality.” These connections need not have a Christian or even a theistic foundation. A belief in moral realism, that is, the propositions that “(1) there is an objective reality, (2) human beings can know something about it, and (3) there are some things that everyone can, and some things that everyone ought to, do in response to what they know,” ties together theistic and non-theistic versions of natural law. Yet many prominent contemporary natural law theorists—J. Budziszewski, John Finnis, Robert George, and Russell Hittinger —are Roman Catholic. Despite the fact that Finnis and George develop their natural law arguments without reference to any metaphysical states of affairs or transcendent truth claims, natural law continues to be associated with Thomas Aquinas and the subsequent scholastic tradition. Thus, even standards that Finnis and George derive from the internal rationality of law strike some as disguised theology.
Belief and Interpretation: Meditations on Pelikan's “Interpreting the Bible and the Constitution”
Authors: Mootz Francis J.
Published: February 2016

Is belief a prerequisite of interpretation? Can we interpret a document if we do not believe that it has something to say to us, if we do not anticipate that we can learn from the text? Jaroslav Pelikan's assessment of the similarities and differences in constitutional and Biblical hermeneutics does not raise this question expressly, but his eloquent description of how the faithful struggle to remain true to their guiding texts inexorably leads one to question the role of belief. In this essay, I first acknowledge the unavoidable significance of belief in the elaboration of a textual tradition. Then, I argue that rhetorical and hermeneutical principles clarify the distinction between a faithful interpretation rooted in belief and the inauthentic manipulation of a text for strategic goals.

Belief fosters commitment to the text, which legitimizes and authenticates an interpreter's efforts. We readily distinguish the constitutive exegetical rhetoric that girds social life from the “mere” rhetoric employed by sophistic interpreters, characterizing the former as a vital and productive development of a tradition and the latter as a corruption of the tradition. Pelikan claims that his goal is to formulate a general methodology of faithful interpretation, but his reflections confirm that there can be no neat methodological distinction between a legitimate reading rooted in belief on one hand, and a strategic manipulation of a text designed to undermine the cause for belief on the other. Making this distinction requires a judgment that can be rhetorically defended but never methodologically justified; the faithful may prove themselves only in the “dangerous maybe” of debate and persuasion. As Gene Garver has argued, Aristotle's great advance was to show that rhetoric is an art of character and not just a matter of logic. I would add that there can be no methodology of interpretation because there can be no methodology for developing one's character.
Why Law, Why Religion?—A Conversation Between a Lawyer and a Theologian
Authors: Sturm Douglas
Published: February 2016

Categories such as religion and law are social constructs, proposed for some purpose or other, good or ill, but whose use is worthy of serious question. Consider, e.g., Karl Barth's insistence that Christianity is not a religion or Dietrich Bonhoeffer's coinage of “religionless Christianity.” I will later offer a way of delineating how I use these categories of religion and law, but I am mindful in doing so that there are many ways these, and allied terms, are invoked. We should acknowledge, for instance, that there are many Christianities; many forms of Buddhism; and differing kinds of Islam. We should take note of the serious question whether "customary law" is really “law.” How about “natural law”—is it really law or a “brooding omnipresence in the sky”? Are Torah, Shari'a, Dharma, and Tao cognate terms in some sense? Are they simultaneously “religion” and “law”? In what respect are canon law and common law both “lawful”? Should we adopt Wittgenstein's proposal that words, after all, are but tools embracing a “family of meanings”?
China – Countervailing and Anti-Dumping Duties on Grain Oriented Flat-rolled Electrical Steel from the United States, Article 21.5 – US (China–GOES, DS414)
Authors: Carlson Geoffrey
Published: February 2016

This compliance proceeding under Article 21.5 of the DSU concerned measures taken by China to implement the recommendations and rulings of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) in China – GOES. In China – GOES, the DSB found that the imposition by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM) of countervailing and anti-dumping duties on grain-oriented flat-rolled electrical steel (GOES) from the United States violated certain provisions of the Anti-Dumping Agreement and the SCM Agreement. In response, MOFCOM issued a redetermination of the matter, pursuant to which China continued to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imports of GOES from the United States. That redetermination was the focus of this compliance proceeding.
True rhubarb? Trading Eurasian botanical and medical knowledge in the eighteenth century
Authors: Romaniello Matthew P.
Published: February 2016

Early modern Russia sat at the intersection of Eurasian trade networks, which allowed both commodities and information to move from east to west and north to south. Rhubarb exported from China had held a prominent position in Western medical treatments since the classical era, but improved transportation and communication between Europe and Asia through Russia enabled the growth of the medicinal rhubarb trade to unexpected heights after 1760. Earlier studies of rhubarb have focused on European interests in uncovering ‘true’ medicinal rhubarb, but this article will situate the plant as a part of the broader process of scientific exchange across Eurasia. Russia’s unique position in Eurasia ultimately allowed its specialists to contribute to the development of Western science through the importation of information from Asia and its own expeditions in Siberia, Russia’s internal ‘Asian’ territory.
‘A young slip of botany’: botanical networks, the South Atlantic, and Britain’s maritime worlds,c.1790–1810
Authors: McAleer John
Published: February 2016

This article explores the relationship between science and empire, through the prism of British botanical engagement with the South Atlantic in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It investigates the logistics of plant exchanges, as information, expertise, and specimens followed the maritime contours of the British empire. The discussion traces the nascent network-building undertaken by officials, residents, and visitors on St Helena and at the Cape of Good Hope, and the exchange of plant specimens with London and, crucially, with other places around the empire. The article suggests that such activities offer perspectives on wider patterns of interaction with an area located at the crossroads of Britain’s maritime empire. In time, the region forged its own botanical networks and created alternative axes of exchange, association, and movement.
Counter-imperial orientalism: Friedrich Berber and the politics of international law in Germany and India, 1920s–1960s
Authors: Rietzler Katharina
Published: February 2016

The most trenchant critiques of Western international law are framed around the legacy of its historic complicity in the imperial project of governing non-European peoples. International law organized Europe and its ‘others’ into a hierarchy of civilizational difference that was only ever reconfigured but never overturned. But when analysing the complex relationship between international law and imperialism the differences within Europe – as opposed to a dyadic opposition of Europe versus the ‘rest’ – also matter. Within the historical and political constellations of the early and mid twentieth century, German difference produced a set of arguments that challenged dominant discourses of international law by posturing as anti-imperialist critique. This article focuses on the global career of Friedrich Berber (1898–1984), who, as a legal adviser in Nazi Germany and Nehru’s India, was at the forefront of state-led challenges to liberal international law. Berber fused notions of German civilizational superiority with an appropriation of Indian colonial victimhood, and pursued a shared politics of opposition. He embodied a version of German–Indian entanglement which did not abate after the Second World War, emphasizing the long continuities of empire, power differentials, civilizational hierarchies, and developmental logics under the umbrella of international law.
Atlantic Sea Ice Could Grow in the Next Decade
Authors: Strelich Lily
Published: February 2016

Changing ocean circulation in the North Atlantic could lead to winter sea ice coverage remaining steady and even growing in select regions.
Identification of human viral protein‐derived ligands recognized by individual MHCI‐restricted T‐cell receptors
Authors: Szomolay Barbara , Liu Jie , Brown Paul E , Miles John J , Clement Mathew , Llewellyn‐Lacey Sian , Dolton Garry , Ekeruche‐Makinde Julia , Lissina Anya , Schauenburg Andrea J , Sewell Andrew K , Burrows Scott R , Roederer Mario , Price David A , Wooldridge Linda , van den Berg Hugo A
Published: February 2016

Evidence indicates that autoimmunity can be triggered by virus‐specific CD8+ T cells that crossreact with self‐derived peptide epitopes presented on the cell surface by major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI) molecules. Identification of the associated viral pathogens is challenging because individual T‐cell receptors can potentially recognize up to a million different peptides. Here, we generate peptide length‐matched combinatorial peptide library (CPL) scan data for a panel of virus‐specific CD8+ T‐cell clones spanning different restriction elements and a range of epitope lengths. CPL scan data drove a protein database search limited to viruses that infect humans. Peptide sequences were ranked in order of likelihood of recognition. For all anti‐viral CD8+ T‐cell clones examined in this study, the index peptide was either the top‐ranked sequence or ranked as one of the most likely sequences to be recognized. Thus, we demonstrate that anti‐viral CD8+ T‐cell clones are highly focused on their index peptide sequence and that ‘CPL‐driven database searching’ can be used to identify the inciting virus‐derived epitope for a given CD8+ T‐cell clone. Moreover, to augment access to CPL‐driven database searching, we have created a publicly accessible webtool. Application of these methodologies in the clinical setting may clarify the role of viral pathogens in the etiology of autoimmune diseases.
KRAS insertion mutations are oncogenic and exhibit distinct functional properties
Authors: White Yasmine , Bagchi Aditi , Van Ziffle Jessica , Inguva Anagha , Bollag Gideon , Zhang Chao , Carias Heidi , Dickens David , Loh Mignon , Shannon Kevin , Firestone Ari J.
Published: February 2016

Oncogenic KRAS mutations introduce discrete amino acid substitutions that reduce intrinsic Ras GTPase activity and confer resistance to GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Here we discover a partial duplication of the switch 2 domain of K-Ras encoding a tandem repeat of amino acids G60_A66dup in a child with an atypical myeloproliferative neoplasm. K-Ras proteins containing this tandem duplication or a similar five amino acid E62_A66dup mutation identified in lung and colon cancers transform the growth of primary myeloid progenitors and of Ba/F3 cells. Recombinant K-RasG60_A66dup and K-RasE62_A66dup proteins display reduced intrinsic GTP hydrolysis rates, accumulate in the GTP-bound conformation and are resistant to GAP-mediated GTP hydrolysis. Remarkably, K-Ras proteins with switch 2 insertions are impaired for PI3 kinase binding and Akt activation, and are hypersensitive to MEK inhibition. These studies illuminate a new class of oncogenic KRAS mutations and reveal unexpected plasticity in oncogenic Ras proteins that has diagnostic and therapeutic implications.
Antibody acquisition models: A new tool for serological surveillance of malaria transmission intensity
Authors: Yman Victor , White Michael T. , Rono Josea , Arcà Bruno , Osier Faith H. , Troye-Blomberg Marita , Boström Stéphanie , Ronca Raffaele , Rooth Ingegerd , Färnert Anna
Published: February 2016

Serology has become an increasingly important tool for the surveillance of a wide range of infectious diseases. It has been particularly useful to monitor malaria transmission in elimination settings where existing metrics such as parasite prevalence and incidence of clinical cases are less sensitive. Seroconversion rates, based on antibody prevalence to Plasmodium falciparum asexual blood-stage antigens, provide estimates of transmission intensity that correlate with entomological inoculation rates but lack precision in settings where seroprevalence is still high. Here we present a new and widely applicable method, based on cross-sectional data on individual antibody levels. We evaluate its use as a sero-surveillance tool in a Tanzanian setting with declining malaria prevalence. We find that the newly developed mathematical models produce more precise estimates of transmission patterns, are robust in high transmission settings and when sample sizes are small and provide a powerful tool for serological evaluation of malaria transmission intensity.
H19 activates Wnt signaling and promotes osteoblast differentiation by functioning as a competing endogenous RNA
Authors: Liang Wei-Cheng , Fu Wei-Ming , Wang Yu-Bing , Sun Yu-Xin , Xu Liang-Liang , Wong Cheuk-Wa , Chan Kai-Ming , Li Gang , Waye Mary Miu-Yee , Zhang Jin-Fang
Published: February 2016

Bone homeostasis is tightly orchestrated and maintained by the balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Recent studies have greatly expanded our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cellular differentiation. However, the functional roles of non-coding RNAs particularly lncRNAs in remodeling bone architecture remain elusive. In our study, lncRNA H19 was found to be upregulated during osteogenesis in hMSCs. Stable expression of H19 significantly accelerated in vivo and in vitro osteoblast differentiation. Meanwhile, by using bioinformatic investigations and RIP assays combined with luciferase reporter assays, we demonstrated that H19 functioned as an miRNA sponge for miR-141 and miR-22, both of which were negative regulators of osteogenesis and Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Further investigations revealed that H19 antagonized the functions of these two miRNAs and led to de-repression of their shared target gene β-catenin, which eventually activated Wnt/β-catenin pathway and hence potentiated osteogenesis. In addition, we also identified a novel regulatory feedback loop between H19 and its encoded miR-675-5p. And miR-675-5p was found to directly target H19 and counteracted osteoblast differentiation. To sum up, these observations indicate that the lncRNA H19 modulates Wnt/β-catenin pathway by acting as a competing endogenous RNA, which may shed light on the functional role of lncRNAs in coordinating osteogenesis.
Use of metabolomics for the chemotaxonomy of legume-associated Ascochyta and allied genera
Authors: Kim Wonyong , Peever Tobin L. , Park Jeong-Jin , Park Chung-Min , Gang David R. , Xian Ming , Davidson Jenny A. , Infantino Alessandro , Kaiser Walter J. , Chen Weidong
Published: February 2016

Chemotaxonomy and the comparative analysis of metabolic features of fungi have the potential to provide valuable information relating to ecology and evolution, but have not been fully explored in fungal biology. Here, we investigated the chemical diversity of legume-associated Ascochyta and Phoma species and the possible use of a metabolomics approach using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for their classification. The metabolic features of 45 strains including 11 known species isolated from various legumes were extracted and the datasets were analyzed using chemometrics methods such as principal component and hierarchical clustering analyses. We found a high degree of intra-species consistency in metabolic profiles, but inter-species diversity was high. Molecular phylogenies of the legume-associated Ascochyta/Phoma species were estimated using sequence data from three protein-coding genes and the five major chemical groups that were detected in the hierarchical clustering analysis were mapped to the phylogeny. Clusters based on similarity of metabolic features were largely congruent with the species phylogeny. These results indicated that evolutionarily distinct fungal lineages have diversified their metabolic capacities as they have evolved independently. This whole metabolomics approach may be an effective tool for chemotaxonomy of fungal taxa lacking information on their metabolic content.
Role of the Retinoblastoma protein, Rb, during adult neurogenesis in the olfactory bulb
Authors: Naser Rayan , Vandenbosch Renaud , Omais Saad , Hayek Dayana , Jaafar Carine , Al Lafi Sawsan , Saliba Afaf , Baghdadi Maarouf , Skaf Larissa , Ghanem Noël
Published: February 2016

Adult neural stem cells (aNSCs) are relatively quiescent populations that give rise to distinct neuronal subtypes throughout life, yet, at a very low rate and restricted differentiation potential. Thus, identifying the molecular mechanisms that control their cellular expansion is critical for regeneration after brain injury. Loss of the Retinoblastoma protein, Rb, leads to several defects in cell cycle as well as neuronal differentiation and migration during brain development. Here, we investigated the role of Rb during adult neurogenesis in the olfactory bulb (OB) by inducing its temporal deletion in aNSCs and progenitors. Loss of Rb was associated with increased proliferation of adult progenitors in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and the rostral migratory stream (RMS) but did not alter self-renewal of aNSCs or neuroblasts subsequent migration and terminal differentiation. Hence, one month after their birth, Rb-null neuroblasts were able to differentiate into distinct subtypes of GABAergic OB interneurons but were gradually lost after 3 months. Similarly, Rb controlled aNSCs/progenitors proliferation in vitro without affecting their differentiation capacity. This enhanced SVZ/OB neurogenesis associated with loss of Rb was only transient and negatively affected by increased apoptosis indicating a critical requirement for Rb in the long-term survival of adult-born OB interneurons.
Polyhydramnios in Lrp4 knockout mice with bilateral kidney agenesis: Defects in the pathways of amniotic fluid clearance
Authors: Tanahashi Hiroshi , Tian Qing-Bao , Hara Yoshinobu , Sakagami Hiroyuki , Endo Shogo , Suzuki Tatsuo
Published: February 2016

Amniotic fluid volume during mid-to-late gestation depends mainly on the urine excretion from the foetal kidneys and partly on the fluid secretion from the foetal lungs during foetal breathing-like movements. Urine is necessary for foetal breathing-like movements, which is critical for foetal lung development. Bilateral renal agenesis and/or obstruction of the urinary tract lead to oligohydramnios, which causes infant death within a short period after birth due to pulmonary hypoplasia. Lrp4, which functions as an agrin receptor, is essential for the formation of neuromuscular junctions. Herein, we report novel phenotypes of Lrp4 knockout (Lrp4−/−) mice. Most Lrp4−/− foetuses showed unilateral or bilateral kidney agenesis and Lrp4 knockout resulted in polyhydramnios. The loss of Lrp4 compromised foetal swallowing and breathing-like movements and downregulated the expression of aquaporin-9 in the foetal membrane and aquaporin-1 in the placenta, which possibly affected the amniotic fluid clearance. These results suggest that amniotic fluid removal was compromised in Lrp4−/− foetuses, resulting in polyhydramnios despite the impairment of urine production. Our findings indicate that amniotic fluid removal plays an essential role in regulating the amniotic fluid volume.
Moiré superlattices at the topological insulator Bi2Te3
Authors: Schouteden Koen , Li Zhe , Chen Taishi , Song Fengqi , Partoens Bart , Van Haesendonck Chris , Park Kyungwha
Published: February 2016

We report on the observation of complex superlattices at the surface of the topological insulator Bi2Te3. Scanning tunneling microscopy reveals the existence of two different periodic structures in addition to the Bi2Te3 atomic lattice, which is found to strongly affect the local electronic structure. These three different periodicities are interpreted to result from a single small in-plane rotation of the topmost quintuple layer only. Density functional theory calculations support the observed increase in the DOS near the Fermi level and exclude the possibility that strain is at the origin of the observed Moiré pattern. Exploration of Moiré superlattices formed by the quintuple layers of topological insulators holds great potential for further tuning of the properties of topological insulators.
Global mismatch between greenhouse gas emissions and the burden of climate change
Authors: Althor Glenn , Watson James E. M. , Fuller Richard A.
Published: February 2016

Countries export much of the harm created by their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions because the Earth’s atmosphere intermixes globally. Yet, the extent to which this leads to inequity between GHG emitters and those impacted by the resulting climate change depends on the distribution of climate vulnerability. Here, we determine empirically the relationship between countries’ GHG emissions and their vulnerability to negative effects of climate change. In line with the results of other studies, we find an enormous global inequality where 20 of the 36 highest emitting countries are among the least vulnerable to negative impacts of future climate change. Conversely, 11 of the 17 countries with low or moderate GHG emissions, are acutely vulnerable to negative impacts of climate change. In 2010, only 28 (16%) countries had an equitable balance between emissions and vulnerability. Moreover, future emissions scenarios show that this inequality will significantly worsen by 2030. Many countries are manifestly free riders causing others to bear a climate change burden, which acts as a disincentive for them to mitigate their emissions. It is time that this persistent and worsening climate inequity is resolved and for the largest emitting countries to act on their commitment of common but differentiated responsibilities.
From Allergens to Battery Anodes: Nature-Inspired, Pollen Derived Carbon Architectures for Room- and Elevated- Temperature Li-ion Storage
Authors: Tang Jialiang , Etacheri Vinodkumar , Pol Vilas G.
Published: February 2016

The conversion of allergic pollen grains into carbon microstructures was carried out through a facile, one-step, solid-state pyrolysis process in an inert atmosphere. The as-prepared carbonaceous particles were further air activated at 300 °C and then evaluated as lithium ion battery anodes at room (25 °C) and elevated (50 °C) temperatures. The distinct morphologies of bee pollens and cattail pollens are resembled on the final architecture of produced carbons. Scanning Electron Microscopy images shows that activated bee pollen carbon (ABP) is comprised of spiky, brain-like and tiny spheres; while activated cattail pollen carbon (ACP) resembles deflated spheres. Structural analysis through X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy confirmed their amorphous nature. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of ABP and ACP confirmed that both samples contain high levels of oxygen and small amount of nitrogen contents. At C/10 rate, ACP electrode delivered high specific lithium storage reversible capacities (590 mAh/g at 50 °C and 382 mAh/g at 25 °C) and also exhibited excellent high rate capabilities. Through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies, improved performance of ACP is attributed to its lower charge transfer resistance than ABP. Current studies demonstrate that morphologically distinct renewable pollens could produce carbon architectures for anode applications in energy storage devices.
New Flexible Channels for Room Temperature Tunneling Field Effect Transistors
Authors: Hao Boyi , Asthana Anjana , Hazaveh Paniz Khanmohammadi , Bergstrom Paul L. , Banyai Douglas , Savaikar Madhusudan A. , Jaszczak John A. , Yap Yoke Khin
Published: February 2016

Tunneling field effect transistors (TFETs) have been proposed to overcome the fundamental issues of Si based transistors, such as short channel effect, finite leakage current and high contact resistance. Unfortunately, most if not all TFETs are operational only at cryogenic temperatures. Here we report that iron (Fe) quantum dots functionalized boron nitride nanotubes (QDs-BNNTs) can be used as the flexible tunneling channels of TFETs at room temperatures. The electrical insulating BNNTs are used as the one-dimensional (1D) substrates to confine the uniform formation of Fe QDs on their surface as the flexible tunneling channel. Consistent semiconductor-like transport behaviors under various bending conditions are detected by scanning tunneling spectroscopy in a transmission electron microscopy system (in-situ STM-TEM). As suggested by computer simulation, the uniform distribution of Fe QDs enable an averaging effect on the possible electron tunneling pathways, which is responsible for the consistent transport properties that are not sensitive to bending.
First passage time distribution in heterogeneity controlled kinetics: going beyond the mean first passage time
Authors: Godec Aljaž , Metzler Ralf
Published: February 2016

The first passage is a generic concept for quantifying when a random quantity such as the position of a diffusing molecule or the value of a stock crosses a preset threshold (target) for the first time. The last decade saw an enlightening series of new results focusing mostly on the so-called mean and global first passage time (MFPT and GFPT, respectively) of such processes. Here we push the understanding of first passage processes one step further. For a simple heterogeneous system we derive rigorously the complete distribution of first passage times (FPTs). Our results demonstrate that the typical FPT significantly differs from the MFPT, which corresponds to the long time behaviour of the FPT distribution. Conversely, the short time behaviour is shown to correspond to trajectories connecting directly from the initial value to the target. Remarkably, we reveal a previously overlooked third characteristic time scale of the first passage dynamics mirroring brief excursion away from the target.
Longitudinal Prediction of the Infant Gut Microbiome with Dynamic Bayesian Networks
Authors: McGeachie Michael J. , Sordillo Joanne E. , Gibson Travis , Weinstock George M. , Liu Yang-Yu , Gold Diane R. , Weiss Scott T. , Litonjua Augusto
Published: February 2016

Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene allows comprehensive assessment of bacterial community composition from human body sites. Previously published and publicly accessible data on 58 preterm infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit who underwent frequent stool collection was used. We constructed Dynamic Bayesian Networks from the data and analyzed predictive performance and network characteristics. We constructed a DBN model of the infant gut microbial ecosystem, which explicitly captured specific relationships and general trends in the data: increasing amounts of Clostridia, residual amounts of Bacilli and increasing amounts of Gammaproteobacteria that then give way to Clostridia. Prediction performance of DBNs with fewer edges were overall more accurate, although less so on harder-to-predict subjects (p = 0.045). DBNs provided quantitative likelihood estimates for rare abruptions events. Iterative prediction was less accurate (p < 0.001), but showed remarkable insensitivity to initial conditions and predicted convergence to a mix of Clostridia, Gammaproteobacteria and Bacilli. DBNs were able to identify important relationships between microbiome taxa and predict future changes in microbiome composition from measured or synthetic initial conditions. DBNs also provided likelihood estimates for sudden, dramatic shifts in microbiome composition, which may be useful in guiding further analysis of those samples.
Dissolved organic carbon from the upper Rio Negro protects zebrafish (Danio rerio) against ionoregulatory disturbances caused by low pH exposure
Authors: Duarte Rafael M. , Smith D. Scott , Val Adalberto L. , Wood Chris M.
Published: February 2016

The so-called “blackwaters” of the Amazonian Rio Negro are rich in highly coloured dissolved organic carbon (DOC), but ion-poor and very acidic, conditions that would cause fatal ionoregulatory failure in most fish. However these blackwaters support 8% of the world’s ichthyofauna. We tested the hypothesis that native DOC provides protection against ionoregulatory dysfunction in this extreme environment. DOCs were isolated by reverse-osmosis from two Rio Negro sites. Physico-chemical characterization clearly indicated a terrigenous origin, with a high proportion of hydroxyl and phenolic sites, high chemical reactivity to protons and unusual proteinaceous fluorescence. When tested using zebrafish (a model organism), Rio Negro DOC provided almost perfect protection against ionoregulatory disturbances associated with acute exposure to pH 4.0 in ion-poor water. DOC reduced diffusive losses of Na+ and Cl− and promoted a remarkable stimulation of Na+ uptake that otherwise would have been completely inhibited. Additionally, prior acclimation to DOC at neutral pH reduced rates of branchial Na+ turnover and provided similar protection against acid-induced ionoregulatory disturbances, even if the DOC was no longer present. These results reinforce the important roles that DOC molecules can play in the regulation of gill functions in freshwater fish, particularly in ion-poor, acidic blackwaters.
Mortality prediction in patients with severe septic shock: a pilot study using a target metabolomics approach
Authors: Ferrario Manuela , Cambiaghi Alice , Brunelli Laura , Giordano Silvia , Caironi Pietro , Guatteri Luca , Raimondi Ferdinando , Gattinoni Luciano , Latini Roberto , Masson Serge , Ristagno Giuseppe , Pastorelli Roberta
Published: February 2016

Septic shock remains a major problem in Intensive Care Unit, with high lethality and high-risk second lines treatments. In this preliminary retrospective investigation we examined plasma metabolome and clinical features in a subset of 20 patients with severe septic shock (SOFA score >8), enrolled in the multicenter Albumin Italian Outcome Sepsis study (ALBIOS, NCT00707122). Our purpose was to evaluate the changes of circulating metabolites in relation to mortality as a pilot study to be extended in a larger cohort. Patients were analyzed according to their 28-days and 90-days mortality. Metabolites were measured using a targeted mass spectrometry-based quantitative metabolomic approach that included acylcarnitines, aminoacids, biogenic amines, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids and sugars. Data-mining techniques were applied to evaluate the association of metabolites with mortality. Low unsaturated long-chain phosphatidylcholines and lysophosphatidylcholines species were associated with long-term survival (90-days) together with circulating kynurenine. Moreover, a decrease of these glycerophospholipids was associated to the event at 28-days and 90-days in combination with clinical variables such as cardiovascular SOFA score (28-day mortality model) or renal replacement therapy (90-day mortality model). Early changes in the plasma levels of both lipid species and kynurenine associated with mortality have potential implications for early intervention and discovering new target therapy.
Validation of a risk prediction score for proximal neoplasia in colorectal cancer screening: a prospective colonoscopy study
Authors: Wong Martin C.S. , Ching Jessica Y.L. , Chan Victor C.W. , Tang Raymond S.Y. , Luk Arthur K.C. , Lam Thomas Y.T. , Wong Sunny S.H. , Ng Siew C. , Ng Simon S.M. , Wu Justin C.Y. , Chan Francis K.L. , Sung Joseph J.Y.
Published: February 2016

This study developed a clinical scoring system to predict the risks of PN among screening participants for colorectal cancer. We recruited 5,789 Chinese asymptomatic screening participants who received colonoscopy in Hong Kong (2008–2014). From random sampling of 2,000 participants, the independent risk factors were evaluated for PN using binary regression analysis. The odds ratios for significant risk factors were used to develop a scoring system, with scores stratified into ‘average risk’ (AR):0–2 and ‘high risk’ (HR):3–5. The other 3,789 subjects formed an independent validation cohort. Each participant received a score calculated based on their risk factors. The performance of the scoring system was evaluated. The proportion of PN in the derivation and validation cohorts was 12.6% and 12.9%, respectively. Based on age, gender, family history, body mass index and self-reported ischaemic heart disease, 85.0% and 15.0% in the validation cohort were classified as AR and HR, respectively. Their prevalence of PN was 12.0% and 18.1%, respectively. Participants in the HR group had 1.51-fold (95% CI = 1.24–1.84, p < 0.001) higher risk of PN than the AR group. The overall c-statistics of the prediction model was 0.71(0.02). The scoring system is useful in predicting the risk of PN to prioritize patients for colonoscopy.
Role of autophagy in cadmium-induced apoptosis of primary rat osteoblasts
Authors: Liu Wei , Dai Nannan , Wang Yi , Xu Chao , Zhao Hongyan , Xia Pengpeng , Gu Jianhong , Liu Xuezhong , Bian Jianchun , Yuan Yan , Zhu Jiaqiao , Liu Zongping
Published: February 2016

Cadmium (Cd) is a common environmental pollutant that can damage many organs and the fetus. We previously reported that Cd induced apoptosis in primary rat osteoblasts (OBs). OB apoptosis induced by Cd will eventually lead to osteoporosis. In this study, a novel pharmacotherapeutic approach was investigated involving the regulation of autophagy to prevent Cd osteoporosis. The results showed that Cd treatment induced apoptosis in OBs, as demonstrated by the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, activation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and nuclear condensation. In addition, cells treated with Cd were observed to undergo autophagic cell death by monitoring the induction of the beclin 1, autophagy gene 5 (Atg5) and the expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3). The results indicated that promotion of apoptotic cell death by Cd is accompanied by induction of autophagy in OBs. Interestingly, Cd-mediated apoptotic cell death was suppressed by pretreatment with the autophagy activator rapamycin (RAP) and potentiated by the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) or small interfering RNA against beclin 1. These findings suggest that the autophagic response plays a protective role that impedes eventual cell death. Activation of autophagy could therefore be an adjunctive strategy for treatment of Cd-induced osteoporosis.
Targeting arginase-II protects mice from high-fat-diet-induced hepatic steatosis through suppression of macrophage inflammation
Authors: Liu Chang , Rajapakse Angana G. , Riedo Erwin , Fellay Benoit , Bernhard Marie-Claire , Montani Jean-Pierre , Yang Zhihong , Ming Xiu-Fen
Published: February 2016

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) associates with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Hypoactive AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), hyperactive mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling and macrophage-mediated inflammation are mechanistically linked to NAFLD. Studies investigating roles of arginase particularly the extrahepatic isoform arginase-II (Arg-II) in obesity-associated NAFLD showed contradictory results. Here we demonstrate that Arg-II−/− mice reveal decreased hepatic steatosis, macrophage infiltration, TNF-α and IL-6 as compared to the wild type (WT) littermates fed high fat diet (HFD). A higher AMPK activation (no difference in mTOR signaling), lower levels of lipogenic transcription factor SREBP-1c and activity/expression of lipogenic enzymes were observed in the Arg-II−/− mice liver. Moreover, release of TNF-α and IL-6 from bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM) of Arg-II−/− mice is decreased as compared to WT-BMM. Conditioned medium from Arg-II−/−-BMM exhibits weaker activity to facilitate triglyceride synthesis paralleled with lower expression of SREBP-1c and SCD-1 and higher AMPK activation in hepatocytes as compared to that from WT-BMM. These effects of BMM conditioned medium can be neutralized by neutralizing antibodies against TNF-α and IL-6. Thus, Arg-II-expressing macrophages facilitate diet-induced NAFLD through TNF-α and IL-6 in obesity.