bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Animating Genre in the Yorùbá Photoplay Series
Authors: Gbadegesin Olubukola A.
Published: July 2017

In a continent remarkable for its receptivity to “creative potentiality,” a glimpse at its thriving universe of popular arts quickly reveals the limits of dogmatic, discipline-centered devotion to “genre” (Barber, 2000). And while the “open and incorporative” nature of West African popular production is certainly animated by the basic elements of genre, framing the concept as a finite product of ordered literary laws seems incongruous with practical and popular articulations on the continent. At the intersection of print and visual culture—another synthesis of genres—the Yorùbá Photoplay Series are borne from an array of literary and nonliterary sources, processes and contexts that resonated strongly with pseudo-literate, yet deeply engaged, co-creative audiences at the dawn of colonial independence.
The Materiality of Genre: Analog and Digital Ghosts in Video Movies from Ghana
Authors: Garritano Carmela
Published: July 2017

This article discusses three representative examples of one particular genre, the Ghanaian ghost movie, to look closely at the creation and evolution of the figure of the ghost in analog and digital video environments. The larger aim is to expand our understanding of African movie genres by accounting for their technological and material dimensions. In Ghana, the earliest ghost movies, here represented byGhost Tears(Socrate Safo, 1992) andSuzzy(Veronica Cudjoe, 1993), relied on analog visual effects to render the ghost as a visual trace of violence. Appearing almost a decade later,The Chase(Jon Gil, 2011) is noteworthy because it stretches the boundaries of the genre considerably. Jon Gil, the director and producer of the film, exploits digital tools to transform the ghost into a horrifying, multisensory experience; the ghost is felt as a disembodied, affective shock. In both cases, the ghost reflects back on its technological context in unanticipated ways.
Teaching Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable: Colonial Context, Nationalism, Caste
Authors: Shankar S.
Published: July 2017

Mulk Raj Anand’s novel Untouchable (1935) offers opportunities to introduce and explore a variety of theoretical, historical, and ethical issues in the classroom. A canonical text of Indian writing in English, the novel presents a day in the fictionalized life of a Dalit (“untouchable”) boy in colonial India. As such, it is situated aesthetically in the triangular tension between colonial modernity, Gandhian nationalism, and Ambedkarite anti-caste radicalism. Untouchable enables rich discussions in relationship to these aspects through contextualization and comparison. Especially fruitful is re-evaluating the novel in the light of new work in relationship to caste.
Africa, Post-Global: A Reaffirmation
Authors: Olaniyan Tejumola
Published: July 2017

A response to my interlocutors and a reaffirmation, through a consideration of the place of Africa in the modern world, of the post-global as a productive reading frame.
Re-Narrating the Post-Global
Authors: George Olakunle
Published: July 2017

This essay is a brief response to Tejumola Olaniyan’s article titled “African Literature in the Post-Global Age: Provocations on Field Commonsense.” Taking up the concept of the “post-global” advanced in Olaniyan’s article, this essay argues for the continued relevance of the concept ofpostcolonialityas it emerged in literary and cultural criticism in the 1990s.
The Changing Standard of Accountability and the Positive Relationship between Human Rights Treaty Ratification and Compliance
Authors: Fariss Christopher J.
Published: July 2017

Researchers have puzzled over the finding that countries that ratify UN human rights treaties such as the Convention Against Torture are more likely to abuse human rights than non-ratifiers over time. This article presents evidence that the changing standard of accountability – the set of expectations that monitoring agencies use to hold states responsible for repressive actions – conceals real improvements to the level of respect for human rights in data derived from monitoring reports. Using a novel dataset that accounts for systematic changes to human rights reports, it is demonstrated that the ratification of human rights treaties is associated with higher levels of respect for human rights. This positive relationship is robust to a variety of measurement strategies and model specifications.
TOUR DIARIES AND ITINERANT GOVERNANCE IN THE EASTERN HIMALAYAS, 1909–1962
Authors: GUYOT-RÉCHARD BÉRÉNICE
Published: July 2017

Between the early twentieth century and the 1960s, the Indian state began to incorporate the easternmost Himalayas. This article illuminates this state-making process by examining its material and communicative culture, embodied in tour diaries. These diaries were not private reflections written during one's spare time but the compulsory output of administrative tours. Often followed by more reflective notes, their perceived insights were used to determine local or general policy changes. Drawing on a literature that sees paperwork as constitutive of bureaucracy, this article argues that tour diaries exemplified and buttressed a certain form of frontier governance, marked by itinerancy and personalization well into independence. In their historical development, their language and materiality, their administrative usage, tour diaries embodied more than anything else the contingent, spatially uneven, and fractured nature of Indian state-making in the Himalayas, revealing the importance of process geographies anchored in paperwork circulation for its sustenance. Transmitted whole or extracted into policy files, diaries tied wandering officers together in a distinctive community of practice, policies, and ideas – preserving the fiction of the frontier state as a coherent whole in uncertain circumstances. As much as through maps, regulations, and routes, the frontier was made through writing.
Naxalbari at its Golden Jubilee: Fifty recent books on the Maoist movement in India
Authors: SHAH ALPA , JAIN DHRUV
Published: July 2017

There are not many other issues in South Asia that have attracted as much scholarly attention in the last decade as India's Naxalite or Maoist movement. At least 50 scholarly or political books, several novels, and numerous essays have been published since 2007. What we hope to do in this article is to ask why this movement has generated such attention at this moment in time, to analyse the commentaries that have emerged and the questions that have been asked, and also to identify some of the shortfalls in the existing literature and propose some lines of research to be pursued by future scholars.
Do amphibian conservation breeding programmes target species of immediate and future conservation concern?
Authors: Biega Alannah , Martin Thomas E.
Published: July 2017

With amphibians declining globally, conservation breeding and reintroduction programmes are increasingly important management tools. Here we examine whether these conservation initiatives are targeting species at the greatest risk of extinction. We compared conservation needs of species involved in conservation breeding programmes to those of their closest relatives not involved in such programmes, using eight variables related to immediate and future extinction risk. We found that species in breeding programmes were more likely to be threatened and were equally range-restricted and specialized as their closest relatives not being bred for conservation purposes. This suggests that in contrast to patterns reported for zoo holdings more generally, these conservation initiatives target species of conservation priority in the short and medium term.
Factors Associated with Residential Long-Term Care Wait-List Placement in North West Ontario
Authors: Laporte Audrey , Rohit Dass Adrian , Kuluski Kerry , Peckham Allie , Berta Whitney , Lum Janet , Williams A. Paul
Published: July 2017

Cet article examine les facteurs associés à l’inscription sur une liste d’attente pour une place en établissements de soins de longue durée en Ontario (Canada). L’analyse a été réalisée à partir de données collectées avec l’Instrument d’évaluation des résidents - Services à domicile (RAI-HC) dans le Réseau local d’intégration des services de santé du Nord-Ouest (RLISS) en 2014. Notre analyse quantifie l’influence de facteurs associés aux bénéficiaires de soins, aux aidants naturels et aux établissements de soins sur la probabilité d’inscription sur une liste d’attente. Nous observons que ces trois facteurs sont significativement reliés à l’inscription sur une telle liste. Les résultats de cette analyse pourraient avoir une incidence sur les politiques visant à réduire le nombre d’individus vivant dans la communauté qui sont inscrits sur une liste d’attente pour des établissements de soins de longue durée.
Philosophy and data in astrobiology
Authors: Mix Lucas John
Published: July 2017

Creating a unified model of life in the universe – history, extent and future – requires both scientific and humanities research. One way that humanities can contribute is by investigating the relationship between philosophical commitments and data. Making those commitments transparent allows scientists to use the data more fully. Insights in four areas – history, ethics, religion and probability – demonstrate the value of careful, astrobiology-specific humanities research for improving how we talk and think about astrobiology as a whole. First, astrobiology has a long and influential history. Second, astrobiology does not decentre humanity, either physically or ethically. Third, astrobiology is broadly compatible with major world religions. Finally, claims about the probability of life arising or existing elsewhere rest heavily on philosophical priors. In all four cases, identifying philosophical commitments clarifies the ways in which data can tell us about life.
Recognising the Skills and Competencies of Non-EU Foreign Nationals: A Case Study of the Healthcare Sector in the Netherlands
Authors: Muller Jose , Beckers Pascal , Pijpers Roos
Published: July 2017

This article examines the institutional arrangements, practices and outcomes related to the recognition of skills, knowledge and competencies (SKC) of non-EU foreign nationals in the Netherlands (commonly referred to as Third Country Nationals (TCNs)) with specific reference to the Dutch healthcare sector. Although the national infrastructure for foreign recognition of educational and professional qualifications is well-developed by international standards, the system has a number of flaws as interviews with TCNs and experts in the field reveal. TCNs often discover that their qualifications are not considered equivalent to the relevant Dutch qualifications. Given the limitations of formally recognising the educational qualifications or work experience of TCNs, Dutch policies have supported other measures, including the accreditation and recognition of prior learning (RPL). However, expert interviews show that it remains a challenge to commit education providers and employers actually to validate these learning experiences. We consider various implications for policy-making and theory from this research.
Naval mines: Legal considerations in armed conflict and peacetime
Authors: Letts David
Published: July 2017

The purpose of this article is to examine the key elements of the legal framework in which naval mines are used both across the spectrum of conflict and during peacetime. The article will also consider the legal issues associated with the use of mines by States in international armed conflict, and address the distinct legal issues which arise in non-international armed conflict, where the emergence of an increasing presence of non-State armed groups has been a hallmark of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The obligations placed upon States in peacetime, and under the law of neutrality, when the use and presence of naval mines is a relevant factor will also be analyzed.
High Modernism in Theory and Practice: Karel Teige and Tomáš Bat'a
Authors: Merrill Jessica E.
Published: July 2017

This article compares Tomáš Bata's development of Zlín as a company town with the architectural theory of Karel Teige. Despite political differences— Bat’a was a champion of “American” capitalism, Teige a leader of the leftist avant-garde—they had unexpectedly similar ideas about architectural design and city planning. The article uses James C. Scott's definition of high modernism as a starting point to explain these commonalities, historically contextualizing the two men's thinking as a specific iteration of this ideology. Both, for instance, paradoxically sought to incorporate liberal, democratic values (typical of the rhetoric of state building in interwar Czechoslovakia) into their authoritarian plans. This analysis helps explain subsequent, socialist architectural developments, in which Teige's theory and Bat’a's practices were combined. In this, the article contributes to an understanding of Czechoslovakia's post-1948 cultural history not in terms of impositions from Moscow, but as building on native institutions.
Ethik – Quo vadis? Anmerkungen zur Debatte um die Sterbehilfe
Authors: Wils Jean-Pierre
Published: July 2017

Zusammenfassung. Die Ethik kann auf eine eindrucksvolle Renaissance zurückblicken. Nachdem die grossen politischen Emanzipationsprojekte ihren Glanz in den siebziger Jahren des letzten Jahrhunderts verloren hatten und sich am Horizont neue biomedizinische Entwicklungen abzeichneten (Stichwort „Gentechnologie“), war die Ethik gefragt. In einigen Fällen hatte sie vor allem eine begrenzende, also limitierende Funktion, in anderen Fällen eine erlaubende, also eine lizenzierende Funktion. Aber seit einiger Zeit wächst das Gefühl einer gewissen Ohnmacht. Die Wandlungen im Autonomie-Begriff und die Entwicklungen in der Diskussion um die Sterbehilfe können das verdeutlichen. Ein neues Menschenbild hat sich durchgesetzt, dessen Dynamik ethisch kaum mehr zu steuern ist.
Das Kind im Zentrum: Kindeswohl, Kinderrechte, Shared Decision-Making in der Behandlung von Kindern im Akutspital
Authors: Streuli Jürg C. , Pfändler Marlis , Staubli Georg
Published: July 2017

Zusammenfassung. Kinder unterscheiden sich nicht nur durch spezifische physiologische Merkmale, sondern auch durch ethische und moralische Aspekte. Entscheidungen in der Pädiatrie und Kinderchirurgie brauchen deshalb nicht einfach eine angepasste Erwachsenenethik, sondern eine besondere Kind- und Familien-zentrierte Ethik. Eine Entscheidung für und mit Kindern ist deshalb oftmals das Resultat eines komplexen Prozesses mit zahlreichen Gesprächen im therapeutischen Dreieck zwischen Kind, Eltern und Behandlungsteam. Anhand von Beispielen aus der Klinik zeigen wir die Bedeutung und die praktische Bedeutung von praxisrelevanten Begriffen und Konzepten wie Kindeswohl, Kinderrechten und Shared Decision-Making.
Akutmedizin und Rehabilitation für Menschen mit einer Querschnittlähmung – Herausforderungen aus ethischer Perspektive
Authors: Scheel-Sailer Anke , Felleiter Peter
Published: July 2017

Zusammenfassung. Menschen mit einer Querschnittlähmung haben in der akutmedizinischen Versorgung, der Rehabilitation und während der anschliessenden lebenslangen Betreuung spezifische Bedürfnisse. Dementsprechend ergeben sich besondere Herausforderungen für eine Klinik, die sich vor allem auf die Betreuung von Menschen mit einer Querschnittlähmung spezialisiert hat. Bereits direkt nach Eintritt einer Querschnittlähmung, während der Anpassung an die neue Situation und in zahlreichen belastenden Lebenssituationen ist, unter anderem durch die körperliche Abhängigkeit oder therapieresistente Schmerzen, eine medizinisch und ethisch umsichtige Begleitung erforderlich. Im Schweizer Paraplegiker-Zentrum Nottwil hat sich für eine strukturierte Unterstützung in diesen schwierigen Situationen die Gründung eines Ethikforums bewährt, aus welchem zahlreiche Hilfen zu ethisch brisanten Themen (z. B. Sterben und Suizid, Umgang mit Patientenverfügungen, Kommunikation im medizinischen Alltag) erarbeitet wurden. Parallel wurden Schlüsselpersonen in der Methodik ethischer Entscheidungsfindung ausgebildet, um dieses Verfahren beim Auftreten ethischer Dilemmata flächendeckend anbieten zu können. Diese Massnahmen haben dazu beigetragen, emotional belastende Momente durch nachvollziehbare Entscheidungswege zu entschärfen. In diesem Übersichtsartikel werden beispielhaft ausgewählte gesetzliche und politische Hintergründe, Situationen in der Begleitung von Menschen mit einer Querschnittlähmung und die Anpassungen auf institutioneller Ebene aus ethischer Sicht dargestellt.
Was kann ein Ethik-Forum an die aktuellen und zukünftigen Herausforderungen in einem Akutspital beitragen?
Authors: Schubiger Gregor
Published: July 2017

Zusammenfassung. Ethik-Foren nach dem Modell der Stiftung Dialog Ethik haben zum Ziel, in einem Spital eine Kultur bewusster ethischer Reflexion über die aktuellen und zukünftigen Herausforderungen im Zusammenhang mit der Betreuung von Patientinnen und Patienten aufzubauen und zu unterstützen. Ethik-Foren sind nur nützlich, wenn die gesetzten Ziele auch effizient erreicht werden können. Voraussetzungen: a) Sie müssen von der Leitung einer Institution des Gesundheitswesens mandatiert und getragen werden. b) Das Unterstützungsangebot muss in den Behandlungsteams bekannt sein und niederschwellig in Anspruch genommen werden können. Ethik-Foren müssen interprofessionell und interdisziplinär zusammengesetzt sein. Dies erlaubt, Herausforderungen mit ethischer Dimension praxisnah zu erkennen und aufzugreifen. Dabei gilt es, gesellschaftspolitische Themen wie z. B. Ressourcenverteilung von denjenigen, die sich auf Institutionsebene stellen, zu unterscheiden. Primär geht es dabei darum, Unterstützung in konkreten Alltagsproblemen anzubieten, Denkanstösse zu liefern und Handlungsoptionen vorzuschlagen. Die Bereiche Therapiebeschränkungen am Lebensende, Beurteilung von Urteilsfähigkeit und Dissens über Behandlungsziele bieten sich zur Reflexion an.
„Ethik ist eine gute Denkschulung“
Authors: Battaglia Denise
Published: July 2017

Zusammenfassung. Ethik lehre einen nicht nur kritisch über sein Handeln und die wesentlichen Werte nachzudenken, sondern auch das systematische und schlüssige Denken, sagt Christoph A. Meier, ärztlicher Direktor des Universitätsspitals Basel. Am besten lehre man ethisches Denken an Beispielen aus der Praxis, „dann packt es die Ärzte“, weiss Christoph A. Meier aus Erfahrung. Er hat am Zürcher Stadtspital Triemli fast 10 Jahre lang ein Ethik-Kolloquium für internistische Assistenz- und Kaderärzte geleitet.
Eos Receives Two Publication Awards
Authors: Richman Barbara
Published: July 2017

Two articles in Eos magazine were recognized for outstanding design and content.
Contrary Temperature Trend Stalls Upgraded Climate Model’s Debut
Authors: Joel Lucas
Published: July 2017

Model builders investigate a puzzling malfunction in what’s expected to be the improved next version of the popular Community Earth System Model.
The role of the 5f valence orbitals of early actinides in chemical bonding
Authors: Vitova T. , Pidchenko I. , Fellhauer D. , Bagus P. S. , Joly Y. , Pruessmann T. , Bahl S. , Gonzalez-Robles E. , Rothe J. , Altmaier M. , Denecke M. A. , Geckeis H.
Published: July 2017

One of the long standing debates in actinide chemistry is the level of localization and participation of the actinide 5f valence orbitals in covalent bonds across the actinide series. Here we illuminate the role of the 5f valence orbitals of uranium, neptunium and plutonium in chemical bonding using advanced spectroscopies: actinide M4,5 HR-XANES and 3d4f RIXS. Results reveal that the 5f orbitals are active in the chemical bonding for uranium and neptunium, shown by significant variations in the level of their localization evidenced in the spectra. In contrast, the 5f orbitals of plutonium appear localized and surprisingly insensitive to different bonding environments. We envisage that this report of using relative energy differences between the 5fδ/φ and 5fπ*/5fσ* orbitals as a qualitative measure of overlap-driven actinyl bond covalency will spark activity, and extend to numerous applications of RIXS and HR-XANES to gain new insights into the electronic structures of the actinide elements.
El Niño-like teleconnection increases California precipitation in response to warming
Authors: Allen Robert J. , Luptowitz Rainer
Published: July 2017

Future California (CA) precipitation projections, including those from the most recent Climate Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), remain uncertain. This uncertainty is related to several factors, including relatively large internal climate variability, model shortcomings, and because CA lies within a transition zone, where mid-latitude regions are expected to become wetter and subtropical regions drier. Here, we use a multitude of models to show CA may receive more precipitation in the future under a business-as-usual scenario. The boreal winter season-when most of the CA precipitation increase occurs-is associated with robust changes in the mean circulation reminiscent of an El Niño teleconnection. Using idealized simulations with two different models, we further show that warming of tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures accounts for these changes. Models that better simulate the observed El Niño-CA precipitation teleconnection yield larger, and more consistent increases in CA precipitation through the twenty-first century.
Erratum: Parvalbumin-expressing interneurons coordinate hippocampal network dynamics required for memory consolidation
Authors: Ognjanovski Nicolette , Schaeffer Samantha , Wu Jiaxing , Mofakham Sima , Maruyama Daniel , Zochowski Michal , Aton Sara J.
Published: July 2017

Nature Communications 8: Article number: 15039 (2017); Published: 6 April 2017; Updated: 6 July 2017 The original version of the Supplementary Information attached to this Article did not contain Supplementary Figures 11–16 and Supplementary References. The HTML has now been updated to include a corrected version of the Supplementary Information file.
Tunable graphene-based hybrid plasmonic modulators for subwavelength confinement
Authors: Qu Sheng , Ma Congcong , Liu Hongxia
Published: July 2017

Electro-optical modulators which work at the near-infrared range are significant for a variety of applications such as communication and sensing. However, currently available approaches result in rather bulky devices which suffer from low integration and can hardly operate at low power consumption levels. Graphene, an emerging advanced material, has been widely utilized due to its tunability by gating which allows one to realize active optical devices. Plasmonic waveguides, one of the most promising candidates for subwavelength optical confinement, provide a way to manipulate light on scales much smaller than the wavelength. In this paper, we combine the advantages of graphene and plasmonic waveguides and propose a tunable graphene-based hybrid plasmonic modulator (GHPM). Considering several parameters of the GHPM, the modulation depth can reach approximately 0.3 dB·μm−1at low gating voltages. Moreover, we combine GHPM with metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure to propose another symmetrical GHPM with a modulation depth of 0.6 dB·μm−1. Our modulators which utilize the light-matter interaction tuned by electro-doped graphene are of great potential for many applications in nanophotonics.
Dynamics of snap-off and pore-filling events during two-phase fluid flow in permeable media
Authors: Singh Kamaljit , Menke Hannah , Andrew Matthew , Lin Qingyang , Rau Christoph , Blunt Martin J. , Bijeljic Branko
Published: July 2017

Understanding the pore-scale dynamics of two-phase fluid flow in permeable media is important in many processes such as water infiltration in soils, oil recovery, and geo-sequestration of CO2. The two most important processes that compete during the displacement of a non-wetting fluid by a wetting fluid are pore-filling or piston-like displacement and snap-off; this latter process can lead to trapping of the non-wetting phase. We present a three-dimensional dynamic visualization study using fast synchrotron X-ray micro-tomography to provide new insights into these processes by conducting a time-resolved pore-by-pore analysis of the local curvature and capillary pressure. We show that the time-scales of interface movement and brine layer swelling leading to snap-off are several minutes, orders of magnitude slower than observed for Haines jumps in drainage. The local capillary pressure increases rapidly after snap-off as the trapped phase finds a position that is a new local energy minimum. However, the pressure change is less dramatic than that observed during drainage. We also show that the brine-oil interface jumps from pore-to-pore during imbibition at an approximately constant local capillary pressure, with an event size of the order of an average pore size, again much smaller than the large bursts seen during drainage.
Structural and Biochemical Characterization of Apicomplexan Inorganic Pyrophosphatases
Authors: Jamwal Abhishek , Yogavel Manickam , Abdin Malik. Z. , Jain Swatantra. K. , Sharma Amit
Published: July 2017

Inorganic pyrophosphatases (PPase) participate in energy cycling and they are essential for growth and survival of organisms. Here we report extensive structural and functional characterization of soluble PPases from the human parasites Plasmodium falciparum (PfPPase) and Toxoplasma gondii (TgPPase). Our results show that PfPPase is a cytosolic enzyme whose gene expression is upregulated during parasite asexual stages. Cambialistic PfPPase actively hydrolyzes linear short chain polyphosphates like PPi, polyP3 and ATP in the presence of Zn2+. A remarkable new feature of PfPPase is the low complexity asparagine-rich N-terminal region that mediates its dimerization. Deletion of N-region has an unexpected and substantial effect on the stability of PfPPase domain, resulting in aggregation and significant loss of enzyme activity. Significantly, the crystal structures of PfPPase and TgPPase reveal unusual and unprecedented dimeric organizations and provide new fundamental insights into the variety of oligomeric assemblies possible in eukaryotic inorganic PPases.
Dynamic microtubule association of Doublecortin X (DCX) is regulated by its C-terminus
Authors: Moslehi Maryam , Ng Dominic C. H. , Bogoyevitch Marie A.
Published: July 2017

Doublecortin X (DCX), known to be essential for neuronal migration and cortical layering in the developing brain, is a 40 kDa microtubule (MT)-associated protein. DCX directly interacts with MTs via its two structured doublecortin (DC) domains, but the dynamics of this association and the possible regulatory roles played by the flanking unstructured regions remain poorly defined. Here, we employ quantitative fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) protocols in living cells to reveal that DCX shows remarkably rapid and complete exchange within the MT network but that the removal of the C-terminal region significantly slows this exchange. We further probed how MT organization or external stimuli could additionally modulate DCX exchange dynamics. MT depolymerisation (nocodazole treatment) or stabilization (taxol treatment) further enhanced DCX exchange rates, however the exchange rates for the C-terminal truncated DCX protein were resistant to the impact of taxol-induced stabilization. Furthermore, in response to a hyperosmotic stress stimulus, DCX exchange dynamics were slowed, and again the C-terminal truncated DCX protein was resistant to the stimulus. Thus, the DCX dynamically associates with MTs in living cells and its C-terminal region plays important roles in the MT-DCX association.
Gold Nanoparticles dotted Reduction Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Based Electrochemical Aptasensor for Selective, Rapid, Sensitive and Congener-Specific PCB77 Detection
Authors: Wu Lidong , Lu Xianbo , Fu Xiaochen , Wu Lingxia , Liu Huan
Published: July 2017

Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) dotted reduction graphene oxide (RGO-AuNP) is used as a platform for an aptamer biosensor to selectively detect 3,3′4,4′-polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB77). By anchoring aptamers onto the binding sites of RGO-AuNP and making use of the synergy effect of RGO and AuNP, the RGO-AuNP based biosensor exhibits superior analytical performances to AuNP based biosensor in terms of sensitivity and repeatability. The sensitivity of RGO-AuNP based aptamers (RGO-AuNP-Ap) biosensor (226.8 μA cm−2) is nearly two times higher than that of Au based biosensors (AuNP-Ap/Au electrode, 147.2 μA cm−2). The RGO-AuNP-Ap/Au biosensor demonstrated a linear response for PCB77 concentrations between 1 pg L−1 and 10 μg L−1, with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 pg L−1. The superb LOD satisfies the exposure thresholds (uncontaminated water < 0.1 ng L−1) set out by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The proposed biosensor can be a powerful tool for rapid, sensitive and selective detection of PCBs on site.
Epigenetics of the preferential silencing of Brachypodium stacei-originated 35S rDNA loci in the allotetraploid grass Brachypodium hybridum
Authors: Borowska-Zuchowska Natalia , Hasterok Robert
Published: July 2017

Nucleolar dominance (ND), initially described as ‘differential amphiplasty’, is a phenomenon observed in some plant and animal allopolyploids and hybrids in which the selective suppression of the activity of 35S rRNA gene loci that have been inherited from one of the two or more ancestral genomes occurs. Although more than 80 years have passed since the discovery of ND, there is still a significant lack in our understanding of the mechanisms that determine this phenomenon. Here, we aimed to investigate the epigenetic status of 35S rRNA gene loci in the monocotyledonous Brachypodium hybridum, which is an allotetraploid that has resulted from a cross between B. distachyon and B. stacei. We revealed that the repressed B. stacei-inherited rDNA loci are characterised by a high level of DNA methylation. The global hypomethylation of B. hybridum nuclear DNA induced by 5-azacytidine, however, seems to be insufficient for the transcriptional reactivation of these loci, which indicates that factors other than DNA methylation are behind the suppression of B. stacei-originated loci. We also showed that the transcriptionally active and silenced fractions of rRNA genes that had been inherited from B. distachyon occupy different domains within the chromocentres adjacent to the nucleolus, depending on their epigenetic status.
Design, transform and control of optical field in discrete optical system: an example
Authors: Deng Hongchang , Yuan Yonggui , Yuan Libo
Published: July 2017

A discrete optical system can broaden the spatial distribution of the input light through optical coupling in array waveguides, just like diffraction in continuous media. Here, we theoretically demonstrate several kinds of control methods of optical field propagation in a discrete optical system, which is composed of an Airy fiber with two perpendicular arrayed cores. A brief transform mechanism between Gaussian and Airy beam propagation in such a fiber is presented. The wavefront of the output beam from the Airy fiber is actually dependent on the phased arrayed modulation of coupling array cores. Except the optical wavelength changing, we propose two new methods, including fiber length and bending-induced refractive-index changing, to accomplish that modulation. The calculation results show that these new methods are very effective for the Airy phase modulation. By combining these methods and controlling the corresponding parameters, the Gaussian beam, the one-dimension Airy beam, and the two-dimension Airy beam can be obtained by one same Airy fiber. These methods are also generally applicable to the other discrete optical system and can be extended to generate any other types of optical beams, such as Bessel beams and Mathieu beams.
Haeme oxygenase protects against UV light DNA damages in the retina in clock-dependent manner
Authors: Damulewicz Milena , Loboda Agnieszka , Jozkowicz Alicja , Dulak Jozef , Pyza Elzbieta
Published: July 2017

In the present study, we showed that in the retina of Drosophila, the expression of the ho gene, encoding haeme oxygenase (HO), is regulated by light but only at the beginning of the day. This timing must be set by the circadian clock as light pulses applied at other time points during the day do not increase the ho mRNA level. Moreover, light-induced activation of HO does not depend on the canonical phototransduction pathway but instead involves cryptochrome and is enhanced by ultraviolet (UV) light. Interestingly, the level of DNA damage in the retina after UV exposure was inversely related to the circadian oscillation of the ho mRNA level during the night, being the highest when the HO level was low and reversed during the day. Accordingly, induction of HO by hemin was associated with low DNA damage, while inhibition of HO activity by SnPPIX aggravated the damage. Our data suggest that HO acts in the retina to decrease oxidative DNA damage in photoreceptors caused by UV-rich light in the morning.
Beyond the Debye length in high ionic strength solution: direct protein detection with field-effect transistors (FETs) in human serum
Authors: Chu Chia-Ho , Sarangadharan Indu , Regmi Abiral , Chen Yen-Wen , Hsu Chen-Pin , Chang Wen-Hsin , Lee Geng-Yen , Chyi Jen-Inn , Chen Chih-Chen , Shiesh Shu-Chu , Lee Gwo-Bin , Wang Yu-Lin
Published: July 2017

In this study, a new type of field-effect transistor (FET)-based biosensor is demonstrated to be able to overcome the problem of severe charge-screening effect caused by high ionic strength in solution and detect proteins in physiological environment. Antibody or aptamer-immobilized AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are used to directly detect proteins, including HIV-1 RT, CEA, NT-proBNP and CRP, in 1X PBS (with 1%BSA) or human sera. The samples do not need any dilution or washing process to reduce the ionic strength. The sensor shows high sensitivity and the detection takes only 5 minutes. The designs of the sensor, the methodology of the measurement, and the working mechanism of the sensor are discussed and investigated. A theoretical model is proposed based on the finding of the experiments. This sensor is promising for point-of-care, home healthcare, and mobile diagnostic device.
Actomyosin and vimentin cytoskeletal networks regulate nuclear shape, mechanics and chromatin organization
Authors: Keeling Michael C. , Flores Luis R. , Dodhy Asad H. , Murray Elizabeth R. , Gavara Núria
Published: July 2017

The regulation of nuclear state by the cytoskeleton is an important part of cellular function. Actomyosin stress fibres, microtubules and intermediate filaments have distinct and complementary roles in integrating the nucleus into its environment and influencing its mechanical state. However, the interconnectedness of cytoskeletal networks makes it difficult to dissect their individual effects on the nucleus. We use simple image analysis approaches to characterize nuclear state, estimating nuclear volume, Poisson’s ratio, apparent elastic modulus and chromatin condensation. By combining them with cytoskeletal quantification, we assess how cytoskeletal organization regulates nuclear state. We report for a number of cell types that nuclei display auxetic properties. Furthermore, stress fibres and intermediate filaments modulate the mechanical properties of the nucleus and also chromatin condensation. Conversely, nuclear volume and its gross morphology are regulated by intracellular outward pulling forces exerted by myosin. The modulation exerted by the cytoskeleton onto the nucleus results in changes that are of similar magnitude to those observed when the nucleus is altered intrinsically, inducing chromatin decondensation or cell differentiation. Our approach allows pinpointing the contribution of distinct cytoskeletal proteins to nuclear mechanical state in physio- and pathological conditions, furthering our understanding of a key aspect of cellular behaviour.
Free immunoglobulin light chain (FLC) promotes murine colitis and colitis-associated colon carcinogenesis by activating the inflammasome
Authors: Ma Junfan , Jiang Dongyang , Gong Xiaoting , Shao Wenwei , Zhu Zhu , Xu Weiyan , Qiu Xiaoyan
Published: July 2017

Numerous studies have demonstrated that free Ig light chain (FLC), a novel inflammation mediator, participates in many inflammatory diseases by activating mast cells and extending the survival of neutrophils. However, it remains unclear whether FLC is involved in colitis and colitis-associated colon carcinogenesis (CAC). In this study, we found a significant increase in FLC in murine models of DSS (Dextran Sulfate Sodium Salt)-induced colitis and CAC compared to controls. Peptide F991, a functional blocker of FLC, significantly attenuated colitis progression, which included abrogating the development of diarrhea and tumor burden, elevating survival rate, greatly reducing the infiltration of inflammatory cells (such as ROS+active neutrophils), especially reducing tumorigenesis in CAC. Furthermore, we demonstrated that F991 inhibited the activation of the inflammasome by reducing the expression of cleaved caspase-1 and the maturation of IL-1β and IL-18. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that FLC can promote the pathogenesis of colitis and CAC and may be used as novel biomarker for the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease. Additionally, F991 may become a potential therapeutic option for colitis or colorectal cancer.
PSMA expression by microvasculature of thyroid tumors – Potential implications for PSMA theranostics
Authors: Bychkov Andrey , Vutrapongwatana Usanee , Tepmongkol Supatporn , Keelawat Somboon
Published: July 2017

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is overexpressed in prostate cancer epithelium, making it a promising target for molecular imaging and therapy. Recently, several studies found unexpected PSMA radiotracer uptake by thyroid tumors, including radioiodine-refractory (RAIR) cancers. PSMA expression was reported in tumor-associated endothelium of various malignancies, however it has not been systematically addressed in thyroid tumors. We found that PSMA was frequently expressed in microvessels of thyroid tumors (120/267), but not in benign thyroid tissue. PSMA expression in neovasculature was highly irregular ranging from 19% in benign tumors to over 50% in thyroid cancer. Such heterogeneity was not directly attributed to endothelial cell proliferation as confirmed by immunostaining with proliferation-associated endothelial marker CD105. PSMA expression was associated with tumor size (p = 0.02) and vascular invasion in follicular carcinoma (p = 0.03), but not with other baseline histological, and clinical parameters. Significant translational implication is that RAIR tumors and high-grade cancers maintain high level of PSMA expression, and can be targeted by PSMA ligand radiopharmaceuticals. Our study predicts several pitfalls potentially associated with PSMA imaging of the thyroid, such as low expression in oncocytic tumors, absence of organ specificity, and PSMA-positivity in dendritic cells of chronic thyroiditis, which is described for the first time.
TRIM21 is critical for survival of Toxoplasma gondii infection and localises to GBP-positive parasite vacuoles
Authors: Foltz Clémence , Napolitano Anna , Khan Rabia , Clough Barbara , Hirst Elizabeth M. , Frickel Eva-Maria
Published: July 2017

Interferon gamma (IFNγ) is the major proinflammatory cytokine conferring resistance to the intracellular vacuolar pathogenToxoplasma gondiiby inducing the destruction of the parasitophorous vacuole (PV). We previously identified TRIM21 as an IFNγ-driven E3 ubiquitin ligase mediating the deposition of ubiquitin around pathogen inclusions. Here, we show that TRIM21 knockout mice were highly susceptible toToxoplasmainfection, exhibiting decreased levels of serum inflammatory cytokines and higher parasite burden in the peritoneum and brain. We demonstrate that IFNγ drives recruitment of TRIM21 to GBP1-positiveToxoplasmavacuoles, leading to Lys63-linked ubiquitination of the vacuole and restriction of parasite early replication without interfering with vacuolar disruption. As seenin vivo, TRIM21 impacted the secretion of inflammatory cytokines. This study identifies TRIM21 as a previously unknown modulator ofToxoplasma gondiiresistancein vivothereby extending host innate immune recognition of eukaryotic pathogens to include E3 ubiquitin ligases.
Temporal profiles for measuring threshold of random lasers pumped by ns pulses
Authors: Shi Xiaoyu , Chang Qing , Tong Junhua , Feng Yunjie , Wang Zhaona , Liu Dahe
Published: July 2017

The working threshold is an important parameter to assess the performance of cavity-free random lasers. Here, the temporal profile measurement is proposed as an alternative method to determine the thresholds of the surface plasmon based random lasers pumped by ns pulses based on analyzing the delay time (tDelay) and rising time (tR) of the emission signal. The obvious and slight inflection points of the curves of tDelay and tR varying with the pump power density are observed as indicators for the thresholds of random lasing and for the transition of lasing mode, respectively. The proposed method supplies consistent values to those supplied by traditional methods in frequency-domain for the random systems with different gain length. The demonstrated temporal profile approaches are free from the spectrometers and may be as a candidate for measuring the threshold of random lasers in ultrafast optics, nonlinear optics and bio-compatible optoelectronic probes.
Multi-photon absorption enhancement by dual-wavelength double-pulse laser irradiation for efficient dicing of sapphire wafers
Authors: Gedvilas Mindaugas , Mikšys Justinas , Berzinš Jonas , Stankevič Valdemar , Račiukaitis Gediminas
Published: July 2017

The evidence of multi-photon absorption enhancement by the dual-wavelength double-pulse laser irradiation in transparent sapphire was demonstrated experimentally and explained theoretically for the first time. Two collinearly combined laser beams with the wavelengths of 1064 nm and 355 nm, inter-pulse delay of 0.1 ns, and pulse duration of 10 ps were used to induce intra-volume modifications in sapphire. The theoretical prediction of using a particular orientation angle of 15 degrees of the half-wave plate for the most efficient absorption of laser irradiation is in good agreement with the experimental data. The new innovative effect of multi-photon absorption enhancement by dual-wavelength double-pulse irradiation allowed utilisation of the laser energy up to four times more efficiently for initiation of internal modifications in sapphire. The new absorption enhancement effect has been used for efficient intra-volume dicing and singulation of transparent sapphire wafers. The dicing speed of 150 mm/s was achieved for the 430 μm thick sapphire wafer by using the laser power of 6.8 W at the repetition rate of 100 kHz. This method opens new opportunities for the manufacturers of the GaN-based light-emitting diodes by fast and precise separation of sapphire substrates.
Asxl1 deficiency in embryonic fibroblasts leads to cellular senescence via impairment of the AKT-E2F pathway and Ezh2 inactivation
Authors: Youn Hye Sook , Kim Tae-Yoon , Park Ui-Hyun , Moon Seung-Tae , An So-Jung , Lee Yong-Kyu , Hwang Jin-Taek , Kim Eun-Joo , Um Soo-Jong
Published: July 2017

Although ASXL1 mutations are frequently found in human diseases, including myeloid leukemia, the cell proliferation–associated function of ASXL1 is largely unknown. Here, we explored the molecular mechanism underlying the growth defect found in Asxl1-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). We found that Asxl1, through amino acids 371 to 655, interacts with the kinase domain of AKT1. In Asxl1-null MEFs, IGF-1 was unable to induce AKT1 phosphorylation and activation; p27Kip1, which forms a ternary complex with ASXL1 and AKT1, therefore remained unphosphorylated. Hypophosphorylated p27Kip1 is able to enter the nucleus, where it prevents the phosphorylation of Rb; this ultimately leads to the down-regulation of E2F target genes as confirmed by microarray analysis. We also found that senescence-associated (SA) genes were upregulated and that SA β-gal staining was increased in Asxl1−/− MEFs. Further, the treatment of an AKT inhibitor not only stimulated nuclear accumulation of p27Kip1 leading to E2F inactivation, but also promoted senescence. Finally, Asxl1 disruption augmented the expression of p16Ink4a as result of the defect in Asxl1-Ezh2 cooperation. Overall, our study provides the first evidence that Asxl1 both activates the AKT-E2F pathway and cooperates with Ezh2 through direct interactions at early embryonic stages, reflecting that Asxl1 disruption causes cellular senescence.
Clostridium perfringens α-toxin impairs erythropoiesis by inhibition of erythroid differentiation
Authors: Takagishi Teruhisa , Takehara Masaya , Seike Soshi , Miyamoto Kazuaki , Kobayashi Keiko , Nagahama Masahiro
Published: July 2017

Clostridium perfringens α-toxin induces hemolysis of erythrocytes from various species, but it has not been elucidated whether the toxin affects erythropoiesis. In this study, we treated bone marrow cells (BMCs) from mice with purified α-toxin and found that TER119+ erythroblasts were greatly decreased by the treatment. A variant α-toxin defective in enzymatic activities, phospholipase C and sphingomyelinase, had no effect on the population of erythroblasts, demonstrating that the decrease in erythroblasts was dependent of its enzymatic activities. α-Toxin reduced the CD71+TER119+ and CD71–TER119+ cell populations but not the CD71+TER119− cell population. In addition, α-toxin decreased the number of colony-forming unit erythroid colonies but not burst-forming unit erythroid colonies, indicating that α-toxin preferentially reduced mature erythroid cells compared with immature cells. α-Toxin slightly increased annexinV+ cells in TER119+ cells. Additionally, simultaneous treatment of BMCs with α-toxin and erythropoietin greatly attenuated the reduction of TER119+ erythroblasts by α-toxin. Furthermore, hemin-induced differentiation of human K562 erythroleukemia cells was impaired by α-toxin, whereas the treatment exhibited no apparent cytotoxicity. These results suggested that α-toxin mainly inhibited erythroid differentiation. Together, our results provide new insights into the biological activities of α-toxin, which might be important to understand the pathogenesis of C. perfringens infection.
Alpha Power Predicts Persistence of Bistable Perception
Authors: Piantoni Giovanni , Romeijn Nico , Gomez-Herrero German , Van Der Werf Ysbrand D. , Van Someren Eus J. W.
Published: July 2017

Perception is strongly affected by the intrinsic state of the brain, which controls the propensity to either maintain a particular perceptual interpretation or switch to another. To understand the mechanisms underlying the spontaneous drive of the brain to explore alternative interpretations of unchanging stimuli, we repeatedly recorded high-density EEG after normal sleep and after sleep deprivation while participants observed a Necker cube image and reported the durations of the alternating representations of their bistable perception. We found that local alpha power around the parieto-occipital sulcus within the first second after the emergence of a perceptual representation predicted the fate of its duration. An experimentally induced increase in alpha power by means of sleep deprivation increased the average duration of individual representations. Taken together, these findings show that high alpha power promotes the stability of a perceptual representation and suppresses switching to the alternative. The observations support the hypothesis that synchronization of alpha oscillations across a wide neuronal network promotes the maintenance and stabilization of its current perceptual representation. Elevated alpha power could also be key to the poorly understood cognitive deficits, that typically accompany sleep deprivation, such as the loss of mental flexibility and lapses of responsiveness.