bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Seasonal Factor in Human Culture Illustrated from the Life of a Contemporary Nomadic Group
Authors: Thomson Donald F.
Published: February 2015

In the interpretation of the evidence provided by archaeological investigation it is important to realise its limitations, and to appreciate the complexity of the factors involved. From this point of view it is hoped that a demonstration of the influence of the seasonal factor in the life of a contemporary nomadic hunting group, living under ‘stone age’ conditions in Northern Australia, showing the close relationship in which these people stand to their environment, and demonstrating the influence of the seasonal cycle, and even of seasonal fluctuations, upon their local movements and occupations, may be of interest. It will be apparent that an onlooker, seeing these people at different seasons of the year, would find them engaged in occupations so diverse, and with weapons and utensils differing so much in character, that if he were unaware of the seasonal influence on food supply, and consequently upon occupation, he would be led to conclude that they were different groups.
The Socketed Bronze Sickles of the British Isles; with special reference to an unpublished specimen from Norwich
Authors: Fox Cyril
Published: February 2015

In 1934 a schoolboy found ‘under a rubbish heap, but practically on the surface’ within the boundaries of the city of Norwich a socketed sickle (fig. 1, and pl. xxv, 14). The type is familiar to students of the Bronze Age since Wilde published an Irish example in his Catalogue of Antiquities in the National Museum at Dublin.

The present handsome and perfect specimen, which I publish by courtesy of the Corporation of Norwich, and of the Curator of the Norwich Museum, Miss G. V. Barnard, measures 5.9 inches in greatest length, and 3.0 inches in height. The blade is double-edged: its bold curved outline is emphasized by raised beads defining a central rounded rib which expands towards the socket. On the socket, above a moulded necking from which the lower edge of the blade springs, is a decorative pattern in the form of an M, the upper angles of which extend to form outward-curving scrolls on which the headings of the blade are aligned more or less tangentially. The outer scroll, which is more complete than the inner, forms a moulded rim to a large circular hole. The hole was probably a loop for a thong; the sickle then may have dangled from the owner's waist.
Excavations at Woodbury, near Salisbury, Wiltshire (1938)
Authors: Bersu Gerhard
Published: February 2015

The existence of two prehistoric sites close on the south-west side of Salisbury was first demonstrated by Mr O. G. S. Crawford, F.S.A., from a chance air-photograph taken by Pilot-Officer Jonas, R.A.F. (Antiquity, III, 452). They are now called Woodbury I and II from a field name. The smaller of the two sites, Woodbury II, was selected for excavation by the Prehistoric Society because its size (diameter 150 m.) made its complete examination financially feasible and its clear markings promised good results. The site lies in the parish of Britford on high ground overlooking the Avon valley from the south-west, one mile west-south-west of Britford parish church. The ground is flat about 280 feet above sea level, and the site is set well back from the edge of the descent into the water meadows of the valley.

It was tested in March 1938 by Mr C. W. Phillips, F.S.A., who proved that the dark band of the enclosure revealed by the air-photograph (pl. LVII) was a ditch of V-shaped section. His discovery of Iron Age ‘A’ pottery in the silting suggested that the site belonged to this culture.

The aim of the Prehistoric Society in undertaking the investigation of this site has been to excavate it in its entirety. Such a work might be expected to fulfil two objects:

(a) by excavating the site completely many problems raised by the numerous partial excavations of analogous sites might be solved. In particular, profiting by previous experience in Germany, it was hoped to reveal something of the nature of such settlements and of the social organisation which they imply.

(b) the investigation might be expected to throw some fresh light on the interpretation of markings on air-photographs.

The restricted area of the site and the shallowness of the surface soil revealed by Mr Phillips's test made it particularly favourable for this kind of work, while the strong probability of building development in the near future lent urgency to the task.
The Early Development of Agriculture in Britain
Authors: Curwen E. Cecil
Published: February 2015

The discovery of agriculture marks the greatest advance in the history of mankind— comparable only to that which has followed the discovery of electricity and the invention of steam and internal combustion engines. It is now well recognised that without agriculture man was a food-gatherer, dependent on nature's supplies in hunting, fishing and gathering wild plants, whereas with agriculture he has become a food -producer, able to augment nature's fitful supply in both animal and vegetable kingdoms.

In modern speech the term ‘agriculture’ is often used to cover stock-raising as well as corn-growing; in the present paper, however, it will be used in its literal sense of the tilling of fields, and more particularly the cultivation of corn. This art appears to have been developed before that of stock-raising, and though both the cultivation of corn and the domestication of certain animals are among the elements that led to the first rise of civilization in the Near East, yet there may have existed at first a certain antipathy between the nomad herdsman and the settled farmer. This line of cleavage is well exemplified in the story of Cain and Abel, and the continuation of the story shows very well how it was the settled farmers, represented by Cain's descendants, who built the first cities and developed the working of metal and the arts of music, while the herdsman remained nomadic.
A Barrow on Breach Farm, Llanbleddian, Glamorgan
Authors: Grimes W. F.
Published: February 2015

The Vale of Glamorgan (fig. 1, 1) is the middle part of the coastal plain of South Wales. An undulating belt of country much dissected by river systems, its highest parts consisting of knolls and ridges which rarely achieve a height of more than 400 ft. above sea-level, it was occupied fairly intensively throughout prehistoric times. Round barrows are found scattered throughout its length. But they are particularly concentrated in one area in the middle portion of the Vale, where, between the ancient towns of Llantwit Major on the coast, and Cowbridge, about six miles inland, between 20 and 30 have been recognised. None of these barrows has hitherto been scientifically examined, nor do they appear to have suffered damage apart from ploughing. The excavation here described was undertaken by the Archaeological Section of the Cardiff Naturalists' Society in the hope that from it might be derived definite information bearing upon the intensive Bronze Age occupation of this part of the coastal plain which the barrows clearly attest.
An Early Iron Age Site at Crayford, Kent
Authors: Perkins J. B. Ward
Published: February 2015

The Iron Age Site at Crayford, Kent, was discovered in 1936 during the development of the Glebe Building Estate. This Estate lies to the west of St. Paulinus' Church, between Watling Street Old Road and Manor Road, and Nos. 103, 105, 107 and 109 Watling Street Old Road now mark the site. The circumstances of the discovery did not permit of scientific excavation, but the finds were reported to Mr S. Priest, F.G.S., curator of the Dartford Public Museum, and thanks to him and to the facilities most generously afforded by Mr Roys ton Phillips, the owner of the Glebe Estate, a large quantity of pottery and other objects was preserved and is now in the possession of the Dartford Public Museum. To Mr Priest the writer is particularly indebted for the opportunity to examine and report upon the discoveries, and for help in the preparation of that report. It was Mr G. C. Dunning, F.s.A., who first drew attention to the largely unpublished comparative material, and a number of his drawings are here used. The writer is also indebted to Dr R. E. M. Wheeler, V.P.S.A., for much help and criticism.
A Middle Bronze Age Barrow and Deverel-Rimbury Urnfield, at Latch Farm, Christchurch, Hampshire
Authors: Piggott C. M.
Published: February 2015

Latch farm is situated on the gravel in the fork of the rivers Stour and Avon, and within a mile of their outlet into the sea at Christchurch.

The barrow under discussion was suspected to be such by Mr J. H. Taylor, the owner of the land, in about 1934. It appeared then as a low flat mound, not more than 18 inches or so in elevation, and with no signs of a surrounding ditch. In 1936 gravel digging was started in a large quarry near the barrow, and when its destruction became imminent, Mr J. B. Calkin asked me to excavate the site and save as much material as possible from loss. Accordingly in July and again in September, 1937, with the very ready co-operation of the owner, this was undertaken. Although the contractor was extremely considerate and helped us in many ways it was not possible to keep back the work for many weeks; so in just over three weeks, with two paid men and three voluntary helpers the barrow was excavated as fully as circumstances demanded and time allowed.
The Excavation of a Long Barrow in Holdenhurst Parish, near Christchurch, Hants (No. 183 of Neolithic Wessex Map)
Authors: Piggott Stuart
Published: February 2015

It is hardly necessary to point out the archaeological importance of the Christchurch region. As Mr Crawford showed in 1912, here was the great port of prehistoric Wessex, with the Avon and the Stour joining to flow into the sea by Hengistbury Head and providing natural waterways to Salisbury Plain and Cranborne Chase respectively. The results of Mr Bushe-Fox's excavations at Hengistbury in 1912, the contents of the well-known Druitt Collection, and above all the admirable work of preservation and publication carried out by Mr J. B. Calkin show that throughout the prehistoric periods the valley gravels above the Stour and the plateau gravels and sands now occupied by the town of Bournemouth constituted an area of optimum settlement. Most remarkable however is the presence of a long barrow, the subject of this report, on the gravel terrace above the Stour in Holdenhurst parish, and only 35 feet O.D.
Acheulian Flake Tools
Authors: Kelley Harper
Published: February 2015

During the last few years the importance of the flake cultures of the lower Palaeolithic has been recognised by prehistorians, and great advances have been made towards the correlation of these industries with the various biface cultures, and in the working out of their stratigraphical sequence.

The position of the Clactonian has been firmly established, and the long neglected Levalloisian industry is now assuming its proper place of importance. Much confusion has been caused in the past by the misleading nomenclature of these two industries. The Clactonian was often called Abbevillian (Chellian), or Acheulian, and the evolved Clactonian, Mousterian. The Levalloisian was believed to be a part of the Acheulian, and was also frequently miscalled Mousterian. These two flake cultures, sometimes dovetailing with, and sometimes running parallel to the biface industries, culminate in the Mousterian, when they join, via the Tayacian, with the Acheulian biface technique to form a polymorphic culture; the local variations of this usually combine at least two of the techniques. These variations are in a great respect governed by the quality and size of the blocks of material available for making artifacts.
The Multiple-Cist Cairn at Mount Stewart, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
Authors: Evans E. Estyn , Megaw Basil R. S.
Published: February 2015

The cairn at Mount Stewart has attracted wide attention as the alleged find-site of one of the very small group of Irish beakers. Since the ‘beaker’ and another bowl-shaped food-vessel from the cairn have now been rediscovered in the Belfast Municipal Museum—and the last relic of the cairn recently removed—we feel the time has come for a review of the available data.
New Aspects and Problems in Irish Prehistory Presidential Address for 1937
Authors: Mahr Adolf
Published: February 2015

If our Society has for the current year, chosen a President representing Irish Archaeology, I hope it will not be misunderstood if I interpret it as a compliment to recent progress of work and research in Irish Archaeology rather than as a personal tribute.

This is not rhetoric. Most Curators of large Museums are constantly facing the danger of becoming nothing else but glorified stamp-collectors; and, whilst they gradually acquire an ever-increasing first-hand knowledge of the actual material, it is the very material itself, with its continuous additions, which absorbs all too frequently their best energies.

Hence, with notable exceptions, the Museum career does not make for fertility in literary output; and it is principally occasions like the present one which almost compel a museum Curator to open, as it were, his drawers of new material and to bring some of their contents to the knowledge of fellow-workers in his own and in allied fields of learning.
Notes on Excavations in England, the Irish Free State, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, during 1937
Authors: Clark J. G. D. , Leask H. G. , Evans E. Estyn , Childe V. Gordon , Grimes W. F.
Published: February 2015

The authors of these notes acknowledge the ready collaboration of the numerous excavators who have contributed information or notes concerning work carried out during the present year.
The Megalithic Monuments of Wales
Authors: Grimes W. F.
Published: February 2015

This paper summarises the results of the first attempt at systematic study of the megalithic monuments of Wales. Time after time, in the pages of Archaeologia Cambrensis and other journals will be found scattered papers in which the same familiar tombs present themselves; they have formed very inadequate foundations upon which to build, and none of their writers has attempted to place matters upon the only really sound basis, which is that of the study of each and every individual site in the field.

This omission is the more unfortunate because so much destruction has taken place in the last fifty years, and inevitably it has been the less well-known sites which have suffered most. No less inevitably the feeling of gratitude to earlier workers for what they have recorded—frequently under some difficulty—is tempered with one of regret for their failure to cover a wider field, and to replace passing references with plans, sketches, or even a few lines of more detailed description, which would have enabled us to obtain a better picture of the monuments as a whole than is now the case.
Problems of the Borderland of Archaeology and Geology in Britain: Presidential Address for 1936
Authors: Boswell P. G. H.
Published: February 2015

To be the President of the Prehistoric Society is an honour that has a particular personal appeal to me. When the Society was founded in 1908, with a title that identified it with East Anglia, I was resident in Ipswich, the very place that was to become the Mecca of students of the Old Stone Age. My pride in being an early adherent of the Society is tinged with regret that I was not one of the small group of founder-members. Only one circumstance prevented me from so participating, and that was my impression that my close attachment to geology was not an appropriate qualification for membership. This is in itself a significant sidelight on the gap that then lay between the study of later geological history—the Pliocene and Pleistocene (in which I was especially interested)—and investigations relating to the traces of Early Man.

In the quarter of a century that has elapsed since the founding of the Society, the gap between the two lines of approach has closed in a remarkable manner: geologists and archæologists now work side by side, and the effects of even the warmest arguments are merely transitory. The story of this interweaving of the sciences is now familiar to us all, and reference to some of the earlier phases of the rapprochement need only be incidental.
The Farnham Terraces and their Sequence
Authors: Bury Henry
Published: February 2015

In 1913 the gravel beds on the right bank of the Wey at Farnham were described as occurring on four terraces (A, B, C, D,) though admittedly the highest terrace (A) was only part of the much-dissected plateau of Alice Holt. All authorities were until recently agreed that these beds consisted of river gravel, but now Mr R. A. Smith and Major Wade, without giving any clear reasons for their dissent, assure us that there are only two river terraces, one at 50 feet above the river (Terrace D) and the other at 100 feet (Terrace C); and that all the Pleistocene deposits above the latter are ‘contorted drift.’ It does not appear, however, that these words are used in their ordinary sense, to denote the product of a glacier, but Mr Reginald Smith tells us that the gravel is ‘clearly not of river origin; hence some other geological reason for the deposit must be sought.’

In the following pages these assertions will be challenged, and an attempt will be made to show that river-gravels extend right up on to the plateau. The old names of the terraces, however, will be maintained throughout, as it seems undesirable to employ the terms ‘50 feet terrace,’ and ‘100 feet terrace’ until their relation to those of the Thames Valley is more fully established.
Three Combe-Capelle Hand-Axes from Norfolk
Authors: Sainty J. E.
Published: February 2015

Although a number of specimens of Combe-Capelle type are recorded for the Gipping Valley above Ipswich few have so far been recognised in Norfolk. Fig. 1 shows the various aspects of a beautiful specimen found by Mr J. H. Capon in a shallow working for gravel on Mousehold Heath, on the northern border of Norwich. Dr. J. D. Solomon examined the section and reports:— ‘The deposit in which Mr Capon found the implement is a portion of the upper gravel of Mousehold Heath, which contains outwash from the Chalky Boulder Clay and is clearly of Great Eastern date. But the actual portion, in which the implement was found, has clearly been disturbed and re-arranged by solifluxion, perhaps of Little Eastern date. The implement is therefore, not to be considered as in situ in the main mass of the gravel.’

It is of fine quality flint. The flatter face (fig. 1 c) is white and porcellanous, highly lustred, and showing two small patches of cortex. The flaking is flat in the extreme, only two of the scars showing resolved flaking. The upper face (fig. 1A) shows grey flint with distinct bluish patina, particularly towards the edges, fine white lines meandering over the whole surface, giving a typical criss-cross effect; some of the flaking is heavily resolved whilst the edges show a rather nibbling re-touch.
A Re-examination of the Therfield Heath Long Barrow, Royston, Hertfordshire
Authors: Phillips C. W.
Published: February 2015

Therfield heath, the expanse of chalk downland on the west side of Royston, has long enjoyed a local fame for the number of barrows and other antiquities which diversify its surface. On the north side it is bounded by the Icknield Way and so is well placed on the corridor between Wessex and East Anglia.

By far the most important monument on the Heath is a small long barrow notable as the only example known in East Anglia, its nearest neighbours being the destroyed Dunstable barrow 25 miles to the west, and, further still, the Churn barrow west of the Thames near the Goring Gap.

The outward form of the barrow is well-preserved (fig. 1, plan 1), exhibiting the typical club-shaped plan, the broader and higher end to the east. It is 110 feet long, 56 feet wide and 6 feet high at the east end, and 25 feet wide and 2 feet wide at the west. The Ordnance Survey references are Herts 6 inch 4 NE and 25 inch 4, 8. The latitude is 52°2′35″ and the longitude 0° 2′ 40″ w. The height above sea level is 385 feet.

It is unfortunate that the late E. B. Nunn of Royston, who opened most of the barrows on the Heath, completely gutted the interior of this long barrow. By the courtesy of Dr W. M. Palmer, M.A., M.D., F.S.A. I am able to publish the following extract from Nunn's manuscript describing his operations here eighty years ago. Fig. 2 is a reproduction of the sketch which illustrates his account.
British Iron Age Diet: Stable Isotopes and Other Evidence
Authors: Jay Mandy , Richards Michael P.
Published: February 2015

This paper presents the results of new research into British Iron Age diet. Specifically, it summarises the existing evidence and compares this with new evidence obtained from stable isotope analysis. The isotope data come from both humans and animals from ten British middle Iron Age sites, from four locations in East Yorkshire, East Lothian, Hampshire, and Cornwall. These represent the only significant data-set of comparative humans (n = 138) and animals (n = 212) for this period currently available for the UK. They are discussed here alongside other evidence for diet during the middle Iron Age in Britain. In particular, the question of whether fish, or other aquatic foods, were a major dietary resource during this period is examined.

The isotopic data suggest similar dietary protein consumption patterns across the groups, both within local populations and between them, although outliers do exist which may indicate mobile individuals moving into the sites. The diet generally includes a high level of animal protein, with little indication of the use of marine resources at any isotopically distinguishable level, even when the sites are situated directly on the coast. The nitrogen isotopic values also indicate absolute variation across these locations which is indicative of environmental background differences rather than differential consumption patterns and this is discussed in the context of the difficulty of interpreting isotopic data without a complete understanding of the ‘baseline’ values for any particular time and place. This reinforces the need for significant numbers of contemporaneous animals to be analysed from the same locations when interpreting human data-sets.
Editorial
Authors: FAUTLEY MARTIN , MURPHY REGINA
Published: February 2015

It might be presumed that a journal which contains the words music education in its title, might have a coherent view as to what its main topic of interest ought to be! But as we have often said in these pages, BJME is a ‘broad church’, and all sorts of interpretations of the terminology are welcomed. But sometimes, especially for students embarking on academic study of the domain, definitions can be helpful. With this in mind, let us think about what the terminology might mean nowadays.
Analysis of preferential orientation in zirconium samples deformed by uniaxial tension using neutron and X-ray diffraction
Authors: Kučeráková M. , Vratislav S. , Kalvoda L. , Trojanová Z.
Published: February 2015

Two series of zirconium samples were investigated by neutron and X-ray diffraction. First series of the samples was deformed at room temperature (RT), whereas the second series was deformed at 300 °C. Both series were deformed on uniaxial tensile machine INSTRON 5882 from strain 0 to 30% (strain step was 5%). The neutronographic texture measurements were performed on the KSN-2 neutron diffractometer located at the research reactor LVR-15 in the Nuclear Research Institute, plc. Rez, Czech Republic. The X-ray measurements were performed at the theta/theta X'Pert PRO diffractometer with the Cr X-ray tube. Observed data were processed by the software packages GSAS and X'Pert Texture. Preferential orientation of the $\left({10\bar 10} \right)$ and $\left({11\bar 20} \right)$ plane poles is found to be parallel to the rolling direction for both tested deformation series. Poles of the $\lpar 10\bar 12\rpar $ and $\lpar 10\bar 13\rpar $ planes tend to be parallel to the normal direction (Tables II and III). Orientation of the basal poles is tilted by 45° from the normal direction toward the transverse direction. Sharpness of the resulting texture increases with extends of the applied deformation as well as with rise of the tensile test temperature from the RT level to 300 °C.
ON MENELAUS' SPHERICS III.5 IN ARABIC MATHEMATICS, II: NAṢĪR AL-DĪN AL-ṬŪSĪ AND IBN ABĪ JARRĀDA
Authors: Rashed Roshdi , Papadopoulos Athanase
Published: February 2015

In his Sphaerica, Menelaus did not prove Proposition III.5 which is particularly important. He only gave an outline of a proof. Once the Sphaerica were translated into Arabic, mathematicians, starting from the end of the 9th century on, took up this proof. That was made possible to Ibn ʿIrāq thanks to the development of spherical geometry. A first paper contained the history of his contribution. Two other mathematicians, from the 13th century – Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī and Ibn Abī Jarrāda – worked out again the proof of the proposition with the help of Menelaus' book and of the new acquisitions of Ibn ʿIrāq. This is the subject of this second paper.
ING2 (inhibitor of growth protein-2) plays a crucial role in preimplantation development
Authors: Zhou Lin , Wang Pei , Zhang Juanjuan , Heng Boon Chin , Tong Guo Qing
Published: February 2015

ING2 (inhibitor of growth protein-2) is a member of the ING-gene family and participates in diverse cellular processes involving tumor suppression, DNA repair, cell cycle regulation, and cellular senescence. As a subunit of the Sin3 histone deacetylase complex co-repressor complex, ING2 binds to H3K4me3 to regulate chromatin modification and gene expression. Additionally, ING2 recruits histone methyltransferase (HMT) activity for gene repression, which is independent of the HDAC class I or II pathway. However, the physiological function of ING2 in mouse preimplantation embryo development has not yet been characterized previously. The expression, localization and function of ING2 during preimplantation development were investigated in this study. We showed increasing expression of ING2 within the nucleus from the 4-cell embryo stage onwards; and that down-regulation of ING2 expression by endoribonuclease-prepared small interfering RNA (esiRNA) microinjection results in developmental arrest during the morula to blastocyst transition. Embryonic cells microinjected with ING2-specific esiRNA exhibited decreased blastulation rate compared to the negative control. Further investigation of the underlying mechanism indicated that down-regulation of ING2 significantly increased expression ofp21, whilst decreasing expression ofHDAC1.These results suggest that ING2 may play a crucial role in the process of preimplantation embryo development through chromatin regulation.
Induction of eosinophil apoptosis by hydrogen peroxide promotes the resolution of allergic inflammation
Authors: Reis A C , Alessandri A L , Athayde R M , Perez D A , Vago J P , Ávila T V , Ferreira T P T , de Arantes A CS , de Sá Coutinho D , Rachid M A , Sousa L P , Martins M A , Menezes G B , Rossi A G , Teixeira M M , Pinho V
Published: February 2015

Eosinophils are effector cells that have an important role in the pathogenesis of allergic disease. Defective removal of these cells likely leads to chronic inflammatory diseases such as asthma. Thus, there is great interest in understanding the mechanisms responsible for the elimination of eosinophils from inflammatory sites. Previous studies have demonstrated a role for certain mediators and molecular pathways responsible for the survival and death of leukocytes at sites of inflammation. Reactive oxygen species have been described as proinflammatory mediators but their role in the resolution phase of inflammation is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of reactive oxygen species in the resolution of allergic inflammatory responses. An eosinophilic cell line (Eol-1) was treated with hydrogen peroxide and apoptosis was measured. Allergic inflammation was induced in ovalbumin sensitized and challenged mouse models and reactive oxygen species were administered at the peak of inflammatory cell infiltrate. Inflammatory cell numbers, cytokine and chemokine levels, mucus production, inflammatory cell apoptosis and peribronchiolar matrix deposition was quantified in the lungs. Resistance and elastance were measured at baseline and after aerosolized methacholine. Hydrogen peroxide accelerates resolution of airway inflammation by induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis of eosinophils and decrease remodeling, mucus deposition, inflammatory cytokine production and airway hyperreactivity. Moreover, the inhibition of reactive oxygen species production by apocynin or in gp91phox−/− mice prolonged the inflammatory response. Hydrogen peroxide induces Eol-1 apoptosis in vitro and enhances the resolution of inflammation and improves lung function in vivo by inducing caspase-dependent apoptosis of eosinophils.
Prolyl hydroxylase regulates axonal rewiring and motor recovery after traumatic brain injury
Authors: Miyake S , Muramatsu R , Hamaguchi M , Yamashita T
Published: February 2015

Prolyl 4-hydroxylases (PHDs; PHD1, PHD2, and PHD3) are a component of cellular oxygen sensors that regulate the adaptive response depending on the oxygen concentration stabilized by hypoxia/stress-regulated genes transcription. In normoxic condition, PHD2 is required to stabilize hypoxia inducible factors. Silencing of PHD2 leads to the activation of intracellular signaling including RhoA and Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK), which are key regulators of neurite growth. In this study, we determined that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of PHD2 in cultured cortical neurons prevents neurite elongation through a ROCK-dependent mechanism. We then explored the role of PHDs in axonal reorganization following a traumatic brain injury in adult mice. Unilateral destruction of motor cortex resulted in behavioral deficits due to disruption of the corticospinal tract (CST), a part of the descending motor pathway. In the spinal cord, sprouting of fibers from the intact side of the CST into the denervated side is thought to contribute to the recovery process following an injury. Intracortical infusion of PHD inhibitors into the intact side of the motor cortex abrogated spontaneous formation of CST collaterals and functional recovery after damage to the sensorimotor cortex. These findings suggest PHDs have an important role in the formation of compensatory axonal networks following an injury and may represent a new molecular target for the central nervous system disorders.
Mechanistic insight into the functional transition of the enzyme guanylate kinase induced by a single mutation
Authors: Zhang Yuebin , Niu Huiyan , Li Yan , Chu Huiying , Shen Hujun , Zhang Dinglin , Li Guohui
Published: February 2015

Dramatic functional changes of enzyme usually require scores of alterations in amino acid sequence. However, in the case of guanylate kinase (GK), the functional novelty is induced by a single (S→P) mutation, leading to the functional transition of the enzyme from a phosphoryl transfer kinase into a phosphorprotein interaction domain. Here, by using molecular dynamic (MD) and metadynamics simulations, we provide a comprehensive description of the conformational transitions of the enzyme after mutating serine to proline. Our results suggest that the serine plays a crucial role in maintaining the closed conformation of wild-type GK and the GMP recognition. On the contrary, the S→P mutant exhibits a stable open conformation and loses the ability of ligand binding, which explains its functional transition from the GK enzyme to the GK domain. Furthermore, the free energy profiles (FEPs) obtained by metadymanics clearly demonstrate that the open-closed conformational transition in WT GK is positive correlated with the process of GMP binding, indicating the GMP-induced closing motion of GK enzyme, which is not observed in the mutant. In addition, the FEPs show that the S→P mutation can also leads to the mis-recognition of GMP, explaining the vanishing of catalytic activity of the mutant.
Hierarchical multicolor nano-pixel matrices formed by coordinating luminescent metal ions to a conjugated poly(4′-octyl-2′,6′-bispyrazoyl pyridine) film via contact printing
Authors: Basak Supratim , Mohiddon Md Ahamad , Baumgarten Martin , Müllen Klaus , Chandrasekar Rajadurai
Published: February 2015

We introduce a cost-effective, yet feasible reactive printing approach namely, “coordination chemistry at the conjugated ligand polymer surface”. By using a contact printing technique we selectively fabricated high resolution nano-pixel configurations consisting of red, blue and green (R,G,B) colors arranged in a hierarchical three-dimensional fashion. For this, we have synthesized a novel blue emitting conjugated ligand polymer, [poly(4′-octyl-2′,6′-bispyrazoyl pyridine)] ("Equation missing" ~ 7–8 KDa) having a tridentate ligand in its repeating unit which forms a thin film prone of binding metal ions. On top of this ligand polymer film, a layer of high-resolution cross-stripes (width ca. 800 nm) was printed comprised of Eu and Tb ions over a large area ~ 100 × 100 μm2. The final woodpile-like assembly produced a new pixel group consisting of B; BG; BR; and BGR (White) colors. The area of the white emitting square is ca. 0.64 μm2. The patterned layers that make up the pixels are very thin and thus this new technique might find applications in flexible light emitting devices.
Differential regulation of the hmsCDE operon in Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis by the Rcs phosphorelay system
Authors: Guo Xiao-Peng , Ren Gai-Xian , Zhu Hui , Mao Xu-Jian , Sun Yi-Cheng
Published: February 2015

Yersinia pestis, the agent of plague, forms a biofilm in its flea vector to enhance transmission. Y. pestis biofilm development is positively regulated by hmsT and hmsD, encoding diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) involved in synthesis of the bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP. rcsA, encoding an auxiliary protein in Rcs phosphorelay, is nonfunctional in Y. pestis, while in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, rcsA is functional and represses biofilms. Previously we showed that Rcs phosphorelay negatively regulates transcription of hmsT in Y. pestis and its ancestor Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. In this study, we show that Rcs positively regulates hmsCDE operon (encoding HmsD) in Y. pestis; while in the presence of functional rcsA, Rcs represses hmsCDE operon in Y. pseudotuberculosis. Loss of rcsA's function in Y. pestis not only causes derepression of hmsT but also causes activation of hmsD, which may account for the increased biofilm formation in Y. pestis. In addition, differential regulation of the two DGCs, HmsT and HmsD by Rcs may help Y. pestis to adapt to different environment.
Counterfactual quantum-information transfer without transmitting any physical particles
Authors: Guo Qi , Cheng Liu-Yong , Chen Li , Wang Hong-Fu , Zhang Shou
Published: February 2015

We demonstrate quantum information can be transferred between two distant participants without any physical particles traveling between them. The key procedure of the counterfactual scheme is to entangle two nonlocal qubits with each other without interaction, so the scheme can also be used to generate nonlocal entanglement counterfactually. We here illustrate the scheme by using flying photon qubits and Rydberg atom qubits assisted by a mesoscopic atomic ensemble. Unlike the typical teleportation, the present scheme can transport an unknown qubit in a nondeterministic manner without prior entanglement sharing or classical communication between the two distant participants.
Estimation of the parameters of ETAS models by Simulated Annealing
Authors: Lombardi Anna Maria
Published: February 2015

This paper proposes a new algorithm to estimate the maximum likelihood parameters of an Epidemic Type Aftershock Sequences (ETAS) model. It is based on Simulated Annealing, a versatile method that solves problems of global optimization and ensures convergence to a global optimum. The procedure is tested on both simulated and real catalogs. The main conclusion is that the method performs poorly as the size of the catalog decreases because the effect of the correlation of the ETAS parameters is more significant. These results give new insights into the ETAS model and the efficiency of the maximum-likelihood method within this context.
Intrinsic dynamics induce global symmetry in network controllability
Authors: Zhao Chen , Wang Wen-Xu , Liu Yang-Yu , Slotine Jean-Jacques
Published: February 2015

Controlling complex networked systems to desired states is a key research goal in contemporary science. Despite recent advances in studying the impact of network topology on controllability, a comprehensive understanding of the synergistic effect of network topology and individual dynamics on controllability is still lacking. Here we offer a theoretical study with particular interest in the diversity of dynamic units characterized by different types of individual dynamics. Interestingly, we find a global symmetry accounting for the invariance of controllability with respect to exchanging the densities of any two different types of dynamic units, irrespective of the network topology. The highest controllability arises at the global symmetry point, at which different types of dynamic units are of the same density. The lowest controllability occurs when all self-loops are either completely absent or present with identical weights. These findings further improve our understanding of network controllability and have implications for devising the optimal control of complex networked systems in a wide range of fields.
Energetics and Structural Characterization of the large-scale Functional Motion of Adenylate Kinase
Authors: Formoso Elena , Limongelli Vittorio , Parrinello Michele
Published: February 2015

Adenylate Kinase (AK) is a signal transducing protein that regulates cellular energy homeostasis balancing between different conformations. An alteration of its activity can lead to severe pathologies such as heart failure, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. A comprehensive elucidation of the large-scale conformational motions that rule the functional mechanism of this enzyme is of great value to guide rationally the development of new medications. Here using a metadynamics-based computational protocol we elucidate the thermodynamics and structural properties underlying the AK functional transitions. The free energy estimation of the conformational motions of the enzyme allows characterizing the sequence of events that regulate its action. We reveal the atomistic details of the most relevant enzyme states, identifying residues such as Arg119 and Lys13, which play a key role during the conformational transitions and represent druggable spots to design enzyme inhibitors. Our study offers tools that open new areas of investigation on large-scale motion in proteins.
The miR-199a/Brm/EGR1 axis is a determinant of anchorage-independent growth in epithelial tumor cell lines
Authors: Kobayashi Kazuyoshi , Sakurai Kouhei , Hiramatsu Hiroaki , Inada Ken-ichi , Shiogama Kazuya , Nakamura Shinya , Suemasa Fumiko , Kobayashi Kyosuke , Imoto Seiya , Haraguchi Takeshi , Ito Hiroaki , Ishizaka Aya , Tsutsumi Yutaka , Iba Hideo
Published: February 2015

In epithelial cells, miRNA-199a-5p/-3p and Brm, a catalytic subunit of the SWI/SNF complex were previously shown to form a double-negative feedback loop through EGR1, by which human cancer cell lines tend to fall into either of the steady states, types 1 [miR-199a(−)/Brm(+)/EGR1(−)] and 2 [miR-199a(+)/Brm (−)/EGR1(+)]. We show here, that type 2 cells, unlike type 1, failed to form colonies in soft agar and that CD44, MET, CAV1 and CAV2 (miR-199a targets), all of which function as plasma membrane sensors and can co-localize in caveolae, are expressed specifically in type 1 cells. Single knockdown of any of them suppressed anchorage-independent growth of type 1 cells, indicating that the miR-199a/Brm/EGR1 axis is a determinant of anchorage-independent growth. Importantly, two coherent feedforward loops are integrated into this axis, supporting the robustness of type 1-specific gene expression and exemplifying how the miRNA-target gene relationship can be stably sustained in a variety of epithelial tumors.
Dispersion management of anisotropic metamirror for super-octave bandwidth polarization conversion
Authors: Guo Yinghui , Wang Yanqin , Pu Mingbo , Zhao Zeyu , Wu Xiaoyu , Ma Xiaoliang , Wang Changtao , Yan Lianshan , Luo Xiangang
Published: February 2015

Dispersion engineering of metamaterials is critical yet not fully released in applications where broadband and multispectral responses are desirable. Here we propose a strategy to circumvent the bandwidth limitation of metamaterials by implementing two-dimensional dispersion engineering in the meta-atoms. Lorentzian resonances are exploited as building blocks in both dimensions of the dedicatedly designed meta-atoms to construct the expected dispersion. We validated this strategy by designing and fabricating an anisotropic metamirror, which can accomplish achromatic polarization transformation in 4-octave bandwidth (two times of previous broadband converters). This work not only paves the way for broadband metamaterials design but also inspire potential applications of dispersion management in nano-photonics.
Superoscillations without Sidebands: Power-Efficient Sub-Diffraction Imaging with Propagating Waves
Authors: Wong Alex M. H. , Eleftheriades George V.
Published: February 2015

A superoscillation wave is a special superposition of propagating electromagnetic (EM) waves which varies with sub-diffraction resolution inside a fixed region. This special property allows superoscillation waves to carry sub-diffraction details of an object into the far-field and makes it an attractive candidate technology for super-resolution devices. However, the Shannon limit seemingly requires that superoscillations must exist alongside high-energy sidebands, which can impede its widespread application. In this work we show that, contrary to prior understanding, one can selectively synthesize a portion of a superoscillation wave and thereby remove its high-energy region. Moreover, we show that by removing the high-energy region of a superoscillation wave-based imaging device, one can increase its power efficiency by two orders of magnitude. We describe the concept behind this development, elucidate conditions under which this phenomenon occurs, then report fullwave simulations which demonstrate the successful, power-efficient generation of sub-wavelength focal spots from propagating waves.
An ESCRT module is required for neuron pruning
Authors: Loncle Nicolas , Agromayor Monica , Martin-Serrano Juan , Williams Darren W.
Published: February 2015

Neural circuits are refined by both functional and structural changes. Structural remodeling by large-scale pruning occurs where relatively long neuronal branches are cut away from their parent neuron and removed by local degeneration. Until now, the molecular mechanisms executing such branch severing events have remained poorly understood. Here, we reveal a role for the Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT) machinery during neuronal remodeling. Our data show that a specific ESCRT pruning module, including members of the ESCRT-I and ESCRT-III complexes, but not ESCRT-0 or ESCRT-II, are required for the neurite scission event during pruning. Furthermore we show that this ESCRT module requires a direct, in vivo, interaction between Shrub/CHMP4B and the accessory protein Myopic/HD-PTP.
Porous Carbonaceous Materials in Catalytic Applications
Authors: Arancon Rick A. D. , Macquarrie Duncan , Luque Rafael
Published: February 2015

Porous carbons constitute one of the most widely utilised type of materials in various fields including electroanalytical chemistry, adsorbency, chromatography, sensors and catalysis due to their diverse and favourable properties that include high surface areas, the presence of functional groups in their structure/surface as well as textural and structural characteristics. The utilisation of various types of porous carbonaceous materials as supports in catalysis has been extensively investigated in recent years. In this contribution, we aim to provide a short overview on the possibilities of developing heterogeneous catalysts based on different porous (ordered) carbonaceous materials for various chemistries including acid-catalysed processes, C–C couplings, redox reactions and photocatalytic degradation of pollutants in aqueous solutions. Various families of porous carbonaceous materials including biomass-derived mesostructured carbons (Starbons) and ordered porous carbons will be described in line with their modification/functionalisation for applications in heterogeneous catalysis.
Application of Carbonaceous Materials in Separation Science
Authors: Marriott Andrew S. , António Carla , Thomas-Oates Jane
Published: February 2015

Porous carbons in the separation sciences occupy an important niche owing to their unique retention characteristics, chemical stability and the ability to control pore structure through template strategies. However, these same synthetic processes utilise oil-based carbonising resins and high temperature, energy-intensive pyrolysis steps to ensure the carbon product has pore-size regularity, minimal micropore content and homogeneous surface chemistry. This chapter will primarily focus on the development of porous carbons for application as chromatographic stationary phases. Discussion will cover the unique characteristics of the porous carbon retention mechanism and its application in separating a broad range of analyte classes. The chapter then moves on to describe the current disadvantages in the manufacture of commercially available carbon phase and then highlight recent efforts aimed at the development of alternative porous carbon stationary phases derived from sustainable carbon precursors.
Porous Hydrothermal Carbon Materials, Nanoparticles, Hybrids and Composites
Authors: Brun Nicolas , Yu Shu-Hong , White Robin J.
Published: February 2015

The conventional hydrothermal conversion of saccharide-based precursors typically leads to the preparation of regularly sized carbonaceous microspheres. However, these materials typically present very low surface areas and limited porosity. Therefore, if these sustainable carbons are to find use in applications where surface area, porosity, mass transfer and diffusion are critical to function then innovative routes are required to introduce high surface area and (e.g. micro-, meso- and macro-) porosity as well as allow material morphology control. In this chapter the use of the hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) approach in the synthesis of porous carbonaceous materials will be discussed based on sustainable precursors. The use of hard (e.g. silica-based) and soft (e.g. micellar) templating techniques to dictate porosity and morphology will be discussed transiting through a variety of approaches including the use of inorganic nanoparticles/wires, block copolymers, and latex nanoparticles through to increasingly more sustainable and efficient approaches involving oil-in-water emulsions, low-density aerogels and ultimately the use of naturally forming structures (e.g. crustacean exoskeletons) to render these functional, sustainable carbonaceous materials with high surface areas and flexible porosity features coupled with the ability to dictate material morphology, in a fashion akin to classical sol-gel chemistry.