bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Getting the Bad Out: Remediation Technologies and Respect for Others
Authors: Hale Benjamin
Published: September 2017

Ben Hale distinguishes among several kinds of remediation (carbon sequestration, ocean fertilization, pollution clean up, and atmospheric scrubbing) in order to distinguish the question of whether remediation is permissible from the question of which remediations are permissible. First, he constructs a scenario involving a town with three companies and their emissions in order to challenge the intuition about what the wrong of pollution consists in. Second, he argues that any proposed remediation should be evaluated not only in terms of its consequences but also by the motives and antecedent conditions that make a remediation an option in the first place. Third, he constructs scenarios to argue that we are obligated to act only over areas for which we are reasonably responsible. Finally, he argues that a permissible remediation may only use technologies that return the world to how it was before and not to a new state of affairs. The key moral consideration of a remediation is whether it respects the experiences, interests, and ends of others. We should only remove pollutants that we ourselves have directly contributed to but we should not remediate pollutants with technologies that add something new to the environment.
Ecodesign in the Era of Symbolic Consumption
Authors: Wei Zhang
Published: September 2017

Zhang Wei examines the role of design in environmentally sustainable products. Most models of sustainable design focus too much on the environmental impacts of products and too little on their interactions with users. The result can be paradoxical consequences in which undesired effects can offset any environmental impacts, for example, energy saving lights installed (and left on) in places there were no lights before, such as a garden or garage. Or the unintended effects of symbolic consumption, where perfectly functioning goods are discarded when their social use value ends. Current approaches to eco-design do not really help make sense of these unintended consequences because they focus on physical properties of thing at the expense of their psychological impacts. The key, according to Zhang, is to design not only sustainable products but also sustainable behaviors -- a “both/and approach” to eco-design. The goal of both/and eco-design is not just to create green products but also to design sustainable behaviors, particularly lasting attachments that can overcome the pull of symbolic consumption and waste. Successful eco-design creates relations between humans and products for the sake of the environment.
Do We Consume Too Much?
Authors: Sagoff Mark
Published: September 2017

Marc Sagoff examines the relation between sustainability and the production and consumption of consumer products. He takes the optimistic view that economic production will never be seriously constrained by a lack of natural resources. None of the concerns that have occupied the environmental movement since the 1970s – global population, depletion of non-renewable resources, or food shortages – have materialized. He suggests that environmentalists embrace technological solutions instead of denying the power of technological progress or simply decrying consumerism as wasteful. Nevertheless, there are indeed good reasons to question consumerism. Although technology can overcome the physical limits nature sets on the amount we can produce and consume, there are moral, spiritual, and cultural limits to growth. Simply put, we consume too much – not because of the resources we use but because our market-driven consumerist culture undermines “the bonds of community, compassion, culture, and place.” We consume too much when consumption becomes an end in itself and “makes us lose affection and reverence for the natural world.” Sagoff wishes to focus the debate on consumerism on the social lives we seek to preserve rather than the resources we may exhaust. That way we might stop vilifying technology and Romanticizing nature.
Sustainable Technologies for Sustainable Lifestyles
Authors: Brey Philip
Published: September 2017

Philip Brey focuses on the role technologies play in the relationship between sustainable development and consumerism in light of ecological modernization, the development practice that aims at greening production and global economy in ways that leave existing economic and political institutions intact. He agrees with critics who claim that sustainable development is incompatible with modernization’s ideal of unlimited growth. A more fundamental reform of development must also transform patterns of consumption and challenge the values and beliefs that underlie consumerism and materialism. The development of sustainable consumer products should promote sustainable behaviors and lifestyles, as well as reduce or eliminate consumer products that are unsustainable. In addition to these ecologically designed green products are persuasive technologies designed to change the attitudes or behaviors of users. But Brey worries that the redesign of technologies will be not sufficient to engender sustainable systems of consumption. Technological reform will certainly be of great help in the move towards sustainable patterns of consumption but it should be seen as part of a comprehensive strategy that also includes social and economic incentives and public debates about values, lifestyles, and the very future of the planet.
An Introduction to Cannabis
Authors: Parker Linda A.
Published: September 2017

Although cannabis has been used throughout human history, the scientific investigation of its effects only began with the isolation of THC in the 1960’s. Once discovered it was another 20 years before the mechanism by which THC produces its psychoactive effects in the brain, the CB1 receptor, was discovered. Cannabis contains over 80 cannabinoid compounds, but THC is the only intoxicating compound. Recent preclinical research is being directed towards evaluating the therapeutic potential of other cannabinoid compounds found in cannabis, including CBD. The pharmacokinetics of THC, methods of administration, and dosing issues are explored in Chapter 1.
Cannabinoids, Learning, and Memory
Authors: Parker Linda A.
Published: September 2017

Global activation of CB1 receptors produces actions on hippocampal neurons, which results in interference with short tem memory and consolidation of memories that are currently being processed. However, such CB1 receptor activation does not impair recall of previously established memories. Evidence suggests that the acute effects of cannabis on memory depend in part on the type of cannabis that is used. THC acts to impair short-term memory and the consolidation of new memories, but CBD protects against the memory impairing effects of THC. There is conflicting human evidence that chronic exposure to cannabis can produce permanent changes in learning and memory processes and/or can modify the human adolescent and adult brain functioning. This evidence is reviewed.
Cannabinoids, Body Weight, Feeding, and Appetite
Authors: Parker Linda A.
Published: September 2017

The endcoannabinoid system is an important regulator of appetite, food preference and body weight. It not only regulates metabolic feeding related hormones (leptin, ghrelin) in the brain and gut, but also regulates the brain reward circuitry involved in palatability based feeding. One of the primary roles of the endocannabinoid system is in the homeostatic regulation of feeding behaviour. New treatments for obesity are being developed that attempt to harvest the anti-obesity effects of the CB1 antagonist, rimonabant, but that are devoid of the psychiatric side effects that became clearly known only after it was widely prescribed.
Cannabinoids and Pain
Authors: Parker Linda A.
Published: September 2017

The most common medical use of cannabis today and throughout human history is for the treatment of chronic pain, which is usually accompanied by some other disability or mood disorder. Estimates indicate that approximately 20 percent of the world’s population suffers from chronic pain (...
Cannabinoids and Epilepsy
Authors: Parker Linda A.
Published: September 2017

Cannabis has historically been drug of choice in treating epilepsy, particularly in the 1800’s. However, there have been no modern controlled clinical trials on the effectiveness of cannabis or THC in treating seizures in humans. Preclinical research suggests that CB1 agonists reduce seizures in animal models, however, there is also some evidence that THC may be proconvulsant. It is now known epilepsy can substantially modify the endocannabinoid signalling system, by modifying the relative activation of excitatory glutamate and inhibitory GABA transmission. Considerable recent media interest has focussed on the potential of CBD to reduce seizures in a childhood form of epilepsy called Dravet’s syndrome. The evidence for the anti-convulsant potential of CBD and other cannabinoids is reviewed in this chapter.
House of Cards: The Aesthetics of Abstraction
Authors: Finn Ed
Published: September 2017

This chapter explores the rise of algorithmic aesthetics through the lens of Netflix. The company’s rejection of a big-data statistics approach to taste in favor of a hybrid human-computational model has led to the Borges-esque project of taxonomizing all real and potential films into one of 76,897 genres. This massive analytical enterprise shapes the company’s creative investments in original work, particularly its original television series House of Cards. The story of the show’s development, distribution, and aesthetics illuminates algorithmic models of culture that are increasingly influential and inescapable. House of Cards embodies a pillar of the algorithmic age: the seduction of bespoke and intimate content personalization underwritten by monolithic computational enterprises. The chapter closes by arguing that Netflix demonstrates the power and pitfalls of cultural arbitrage by manipulating certain kinds of computational abstraction to achieve cultural and financial success.
Determinants of Effective Problem-Solving
Authors: Young Oran R.
Published: September 2017

Adopting a problem-solving perspective on governance leads to a focus on the determinants of success or failure in efforts to solve specific problems like the thinning of the stratospheric ozone layer or the onset of climate change. In this regard, it is helpful to begin by distinguishing among outputs, outcomes, and impacts. Outputs are the administrative apparatus and compliance mechanisms created to move governance systems from paper to practice. Outcomes are the behavioral changes brought about by the operation of governance systems. Impacts are the effects of such systems on the alleviation of the problems that motivate their creation. While it is easier to establish causal connections in analyzing the outputs of governance systems, interest in the operation of governance systems arises ultimately from the effectiveness of such systems in solving problems. Qualitative and quantitative research on international regimes has led to the conclusion that these arrangements do make a difference with regard to problem solving. But this is a realm of complex causality in which numerous other factors play a role, and there is significant variation in the effectiveness of governance systems both across regimes and across time with regard to specific regimes.
On Thresholds and Trigger Mechanisms
Authors: Young Oran R.
Published: September 2017

Complex systems are subject to changes that are nonlinear, commonly hard to anticipate, often abrupt, and sometimes transformative. In recent years, these phenomena have become a focus of considerable interest among natural scientists who speak about thresholds or boundaries (often characterized as tipping points), trigger mechanisms, and state changes. Similar phenomena occur in social systems involving shifts from peace to war and back, the collapse and replacement of political systems, and fluctuations between periods of economic growth and depression. In this context, it is helpful to differentiate among explosions, cascades, and inflections. The dynamics of such transitions are determined by the fragility of the relevant systems and the intensity of the trigger mechanisms. Building on analyses of tipping points and trigger mechanisms in biophysical systems and socioeconomic systems leads to a consideration of similar phenomena in socioecological systems of the sort that are central to the pursuit of sustainability in the Anthropocene. In considering the role of governance in such settings, it is important to bear in mind that governance systems, too, are complex and dynamic.
The Sustainability Transition
Authors: Young Oran R.
Published: September 2017

There is a growing gap between the complexity of major socioecological systems and the assumptions embedded in mainstream models of the dynamics of biophysical and socioeconomic systems. Whereas the models typically assume that changes will be linear and gradual, real-world systems often feature changes that are nonlinear and abrupt. A particularly striking feature of socioecological systems is that they are reflexive. As the case of self-fulfilling prophecies makes clear, however, reflexivity can turn out to be a problem in efforts to govern complex systems. Achieving sustainability in such settings calls for efforts to harness reflexivity, enhance adaptability, and cope with increased uncertainty. Dealing with reflexivity requires the creation of negative feedback mechanisms that kick in when systems move toward a tipping point or point of no return. Enhancing adaptation involves the development of effective monitoring and early warning procedures that can provide a basis for instituting adaptive changes. Coping with uncertainty encompasses creative uses of scientific assessments, simulations, and scenarios. None of these methods allows policymakers to benefit from accurate predictions regarding the benefits and costs of available options. But they do provide decision support tools that allow policymakers to think systematically about the relative merits of the options available to them.
Conclusion: Science, Policy, and the Governance of Complex Systems
Authors: Young Oran R.
Published: September 2017

Success in efforts to achieve sustainability in the Anthropocene requires overcoming the influence of business as usual in thinking about governance strategies and guarding against path dependence as a barrier to creating and implementing innovative governance systems to deal with the challenges of complex systems. Research opportunities in this setting involve an examination of ways to transcend the regulatory paradigm, to improve understanding of the relationships between institutions and organizations, to devise strategies for combining nimbleness and durability, to think about methods for making choices under uncertainty, and to develop a methodological toolkit including both qualitative and quantitative modes of analysis. Lessons for policymakers center on the need to rethink orthodox preferences regarding governance systems, expand the repertoire of practices, make maximum use of decision support tools, and take advantage of new technologies allowing for dramatic improvements in the ability to monitor complex systems. Some observers have pointed to the need for fundamental changes required to address the challenges of the Anthropocene and stressed the danger that analysts who seek to engage with the policy community will suffer from cooptation. While this is a legitimate concern, there is a strong case for strengthening the science/policy collaboration in building social capital for the Anthropocene. Both the science community and the policy community have comparative advantages that can be harnessed to achieve success in addressing the novel challenges of governing complex systems in the Anthropocene.
Evolution
Authors: Harris Lasana T.
Published: September 2017

The second chapter introduces the evolutionary perspective on social cognition, emphasizing the prioritorizing of survival and reproduction as basic human motives. It then describes an example of the interaction between genes and environment that directs evolution, before considering the universality of emotions as an example of the product of evolutionary pressures shaped by social motives that stem from the basic human motives. It then addresses the how and why questions surrounding humans’ advanced social and intellectual abilities, pinpointing spontaneous social cognition and gesture and language respectively. It then explores modern environmental pressures that continue to guide human beings’ social and intellectual evolution.
The Delayed Sudden Death Virus Outbreak
Authors: Harris Lasana T.
Published: September 2017

The six chapter presents a thought experiment that examines why flexible social cognition may have been evolutionarily preserved. It introduces the human capacity for deception as a possible situational factor that promoted flexible social cognition related to human migratory patterns during the ancestral past. It examines the interplay between the self and social groups, before revisiting the thought experiment set in modern society instead of human’s ancestral past. It then explores deception, intention, and complex mental life as situational factors that would affect the outcome of the thought experiment in this modern context.
Social Contract
Authors: Harris Lasana T.
Published: September 2017

The ninth chapter argues that the law punishes bad minds, not bad people; as a result, social cognition is paramount in legal decision-making. It then reviews the psychological literature on punishment, discussing motives. It then uses the racial history of America as a case study, highlighting how historic dehumanization during and after slavery shaped modern American racial problems. It reviews the literature on racial bias and the brain, then discusses the ‘black ape’ stereotype as a form of continued dehumanization of people of African descent in America. It then explores police shootings of people of African descent as a continuation of a dehumanization tradition in America, highlighting the role of flexible social cognition in facilitating these behaviors. Finally, it ends by recommending that labels like ‘African American’ need to be abandonned if American society is ever to move beyond its racial problems; a superordinate category is required that reduces arbitrary distinctions based on the social construction of race.
Further Societal Implications
Authors: Harris Lasana T.
Published: September 2017

The tenth and concluding chapter revisits the classic equation introduced in the first chapter, and wonders whether the terms in the equation could be further specified. Specifically, it asks whether the social context could be further specified. It argues that the brain is continuously evolving, and modern environmental pressures will continue to shape social cognition. It explores two other contexts where flexible social cognition may be necessary: medical care and non-violent inter-group competition. Finally, it imagines how social cognition might shape human beings over the next hundred years given technological advancements that facilitate and hamper this most important cognitive ability.
An Education in Sustainability
Authors: Curren Randall , Metzger Ellen
Published: September 2017

This chapter concludes the book by arguing that education should equip individuals and societies with understanding, capabilities, and virtues conducive to sustainability. It reviews the current state of sustainability instruction and related educational policy, answers criticisms of UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development(ESD), and goes on to argue that a sound education in sustainability (EiS) is essential to an adequate education. This is grounded in general accounts of justice, human well-being, and education. The first argument is that students are entitled to an education in sustainability that offers them substantial opportunities to live well in a context of increasing ecological and societal risk. A second argument is that the need for global cooperation to advance sustainability makes EiS desirable. The chapter concludes by proposing curricular integration with a focus on the dynamics of interacting systems, problem solving, critical and inventive thinking, and global civic education, all brought together in collaborative project work through which student learning can engage real problems.
The Exponential Nature of Technology
Authors: Oliveira Arlindo
Published: September 2017

This chapter provides a brief review of the history of technology, covering pre-historical technologies, the agricultural revolution, the first two industrial revolutions, and the third industrial revolution, based on information technology. Evidence is provided that technological development tends to follow an exponential curve, leading to technologies that typically were unpredictable just a few years before. An analysis of a number of exponential trends and behaviors is provided, in order to acquaint the reader with the sometimes surprising properties of exponential growth. In general, exponential functions tend to grow slower than expected in the short term, and faster than expected in the long term. It is this property that make technology evolution very hard to predict.
Biology Meets Computation
Authors: Oliveira Arlindo
Published: September 2017

This chapter describes how computers played a decisive role in the sequencing and understanding of the genomes of humans and other organisms. The discovery of the structure of DNA, by Watson and Crick, opened the way to a systematic approach to biology, based on the study of the way DNA encodes the proteins in all living cells. The area that became known as computational biology, or bioinformatics, aims at modelling, simulating, and understanding the behaviour of biological systems, using computer models and algorithms. Such a deep understanding will enable us to create computer models of cells and of entire organisms and even, in the future, open the doors to the creation of entirely new lifeforms, a field known as synthetic biology.
Brains, Minds, and Machines
Authors: Oliveira Arlindo
Published: September 2017

This chapter presents an analysis of the different approaches that may lead to the creation of artificially intelligent and conscious systems, which I call digital minds. In particular, it considers three different avenues that may eventually lead to intelligent systems: synthetic intelligences, neuromorphic intelligent systems, and whole brain emulation, also known as mind uploading. The challenges and potential of each of these approaches are described and analysed. Existing programs that may be the prototypes of future intelligent and even fully conscious systems are presented and examined. The chapter concludes by presenting a brief overview of the complex questions that surround the concept of consciousness, and some of the experiments that have been performed in order to advance our understanding of this phenomenon.
Two-photon calcium imaging of the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus without cortical invasion
Authors: Kondo Masashi , Kobayashi Kenta , Ohkura Masamichi , Nakai Junichi , Matsuzaki Masanori
Published: September 2017

In vivo two-photon calcium imaging currently allows us to observe the activity of multiple neurons up to ~900 µm below the cortical surface without cortical invasion. However, many important brain areas are located deeper than this. Here, we used an 1100 nm laser that underfilled the back aperture of the objective together with red genetically encoded calcium indicators to establish two-photon calcium imaging of the intact mouse brain and detect neural activity up to 1200 μm from the cortical surface. This imaging was obtained from the medial prefrontal cortex (the prelimbic area) and the hippocampal CA1 region. We found that neural activity before water delivery repeated at a constant interval was higher in the prelimbic area than in layer 2/3 of the secondary motor area. Reducing the invasiveness of imaging is an important strategy to reveal the intact brain processes active in cognition and memory.
Essential role for SUN5 in anchoring sperm head to the tail
Authors: Shang Yongliang , Zhu Fuxi , Wang Lina , Ouyang Ying-Chun , Dong Ming-Zhe , Liu Chao , Zhao Haichao , Cui Xiuhong , Ma Dongyuan , Zhang Zhiguo , Yang Xiaoyu , Guo Yueshuai , Liu Feng , Yuan Li , Gao Fei , Guo Xuejiang , Sun Qing-Yuan , Cao Yunxia , Li Wei
Published: September 2017

SUN (Sad1 and UNC84 domain containing)-domain proteins are reported to reside on the nuclear membrane playing distinct roles in nuclear dynamics. SUN5 is a new member of the SUN family, with little knowledge regarding its function. Here, we generated Sun5−/− mice and found that male mice were infertile. Most Sun5-null spermatozoa displayed a globozoospermia-like phenotype but they were actually acephalic spermatozoa. Additional studies revealed that SUN5 was located in the neck of the spermatozoa, anchoring sperm head to the tail, and without functional SUN5 the sperm head to tail coupling apparatus was detached from nucleus during spermatid elongation. Finally, we found that healthy heterozygous offspring could be obtained via intracytoplasmic injection of Sun5-mutated sperm heads for both male mice and patients. Our studies reveal the essential role of SUN5 in anchoring sperm head to the tail and provide a promising way to treat this kind of acephalic spermatozoa-associated male infertility.
Decades of Recorded Music for Children: Norwegian Children’s Phonograms from World War II to the Present
Authors: Dyndahl Petter , Vestad Ingeborg Lunde
Published: September 2017

This article presents a study of Norwegian-recorded music for children from World War II to the present, combining a historical perspective with an ethnographic approach. The underlying research has employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches, producing various data sets. The results of the data analyses indicate that the evolution of children’s phonograms is characterized by some distinct genre- and style-related development features. This article describes and interprets such features in light of concepts and theories of children’s culture and music sociology. It also elaborates on the emergence of a music market aimed at children, with an emphasis on phonograms. The association with the popular music industry enables an apparent contradiction, addressed in this article, between pedagogical and commercial considerations and outcomes.
Pop Music for Kids: Sonic Markers as Narrative Strategies in Children’s Music
Authors: Askerøi Eirik
Published: September 2017

Whilst the creative handling of recording technology has played a major role in the development of popular music, there has been little research into the role of production in music promoted explicitly for a child audience. The term “tween” is most often applied to describe children just before they become teens, referring to children aged 9–12 years. In more recent years, however, the tween category has come to comprise children as young as 4 and up to 15 years of age. Based on the premise that there is a growing tendency for children to be “youthified” at a far younger age than occurred previously, I am keen to investigate the extent to which music plays a part in this process. Through close readings of three songs from different eras in the history of children’s music, I will explore the role of sonic markers as narrative strategies in children’s music. The overall aim is to discuss the extent to which the relationships between lyrical content, vocal performance, and production aesthetics may play a role in the youthification of child performers and audiences.
“This one Grandma knew, too, exactly this one!” Processes of Canonization in Children’s Music
Authors: Vestad Ingeborg Lunde , Dyndahl Petter
Published: September 2017

Processes of musical canonization occur at different levels of culture and society. People have a strong propensity to categorize, differentiate, and evaluate the music that is important to them, and music is ascribed value in action by people in real-life settings. Based in these premises, the article discusses two questions: First, how does the idea of a canon of children’s music influence the daily musical activities and repertoires used in children’s day care facilities and family homes? Second, in what ways is music legitimized in the everyday lives of children? Our data is collected by observation and interviews conducted in two pedagogical day care facilities and nine family homes. Children, day care staff and parents participated in the study. We find that a discussion of canonization in children’s music along the following four paths of legitimation is meaningful: the “good, old stuff,” the need for renewal, the inclusion of other types of music other than that aimed at a child audience, and the need for a wide array of genres and sentiments. Finally, we argue that although the legitimation and canonization in children’s music obviously involve considerations of musical aspects, separating these canonization processes from the prevailing socio-cultural ideas of childhood and children’s best interest is impossible.
Design and Development of Compact Microstrip Patch Antenna for Wireless Applications
Authors: Nagendra R. , Venkateswarulu T.
Published: September 2017

In this paper, a novel dual band microstrip patch antenna based on composite patch antenna and radiating part. By selecting a suitable offset feed position, it is feasible to provide 50Ω characteristic impedance and thus making better impedance matching. The proposed antenna has been improved broader bandwidth by using RT Duroid substrate. The radiating part is plays a important role in creating a lower operating band (2.45 GHz) in addition to achieve miniaturization. The proposed antenna has to be fabricated with RT / Duroid substrate and dimensions of 19 × 22 × 0.8 mm. The measured -10 dB bandwidth of 200 MHz at 2.45 GHz and 990 MHz at 5.45 GHz, which is quite useful for Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) and WLAN applications.
The Gpn3 Q279* cancer‐associated mutant inhibits Gpn1 nuclear export and is deficient in RNA polymerase II nuclear targeting
Authors: Barbosa‐Camacho Angel A. , Méndez‐Hernández Lucía E. , Lara‐Chacón Bárbara , Peña‐Gómez Sonia G. , Romero Violeta , González‐González Rogelio , Guerra‐Moreno José A. , Robledo‐Rivera Angélica Y. , Sánchez‐Olea Roberto , Calera Mónica R.
Published: September 2017

Gpn3 is required for RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) nuclear targeting. Here, we investigated the effect of a cancer‐associated Q279* nonsense mutation in Gpn3 cellular function. Employing RNAi, we replaced endogenous Gpn3 by wt or Q279* RNAi‐resistant Gpn3R in epithelial model cells. RNAPII nuclear accumulation and transcriptional activity were markedly decreased in cells expressing only Gpn3R Q279*. Wild‐type Gpn3R localized to the cytoplasm but a fraction of Gpn3R Q279* entered the cell nucleus and inhibited Gpn1‐EYFP nuclear export. This property and the transcriptional deficit in Gpn3R Q279*‐expressing cells required a PDZ‐binding motif generated by the Q279* mutation. We conclude that an acquired PDZ‐binding motif in Gpn3 Q279* caused Gpn3 nuclear entry, and inhibited Gpn1 nuclear export and Gpn3‐mediated RNAPII nuclear targeting.
A Nontectonic Origin for the Present‐Day Stress Field in the Paris Basin (France)
Authors: Magnenet V. , Cornet F. H. , Fond C.
Published: September 2017

The large‐scale stress patterns observed in intraplate areas are often considered to result from far‐field boundary forces that drive plate tectonics. However, no present‐day deformation has been detected in the French Paris Basin, yet significant deviatoric stresses are measured in limestone formations observed above soft argillite layers encountered in this region. Further, the pore pressure measured in the argillite is larger than that measured in the surrounding permeable zones. These observations suggest a presently active source of stress in this sedimentary system. We propose that this stress field is not related to tectonics but only to gravity acting on the series of viscoelastic orthotropic geomaterials that fill up the basin. This viscoelastic response is linked to pressure solution effects activated by pore pressure transients related to climatic variations. These pressure transients develop in the fracture system that affects some of the geomaterials and imply a time‐dependant deformation field, with time constants related to those of climatic variations. This model outlines the influence of time‐dependent material properties on the present‐day stress and pore pressure fields that prevail at various depths. It may be considered as a possible loading mechanism for the analysis of intraplate seismicity.
Hydrologic Transport of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon and Its Control on Chemical Weathering
Authors: Calabrese Salvatore , Parolari Anthony J. , Porporato Amilcare
Published: September 2017

Chemical weathering is one of the major processes interacting with climate and tectonics to form clays, supply nutrients to soil microorganisms and plants, and sequester atmospheric CO2. Hydrology and dissolution kinetics have been emphasized as factors controlling chemical weathering rates. However, the interaction between hydrology and transport of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in controlling weathering has received less attention. In this paper, we present an analytical model that couples subsurface water and chemical molar balance equations to analyze the roles of hydrology and DIC transport on chemical weathering. The balance equations form a dynamical system that fully determines the dynamics of the weathering zone chemistry as forced by the transport of DIC. The model is formulated specifically for the silicate mineral albite, but it can be extended to other minerals, and is studied as a function of percolation rate and water transit time. Three weathering regimes are elucidated. For very small or large values of transit time, the weathering is limited by reaction kinetics or transport, respectively. For intermediate values, the system is transport controlled and is sensitive to transit time. We apply the model to a series of watersheds for which we estimate transit times and identify the type of weathering regime. The results suggest that hydrologic transport of DIC may be as important as reaction kinetics and dilution in determining chemical weathering rates.
Superalgebraically Converging Galerkin Method for Electromagnetic Scattering by Dielectric Cylinders
Authors: Sever Emrah , Dikmen Fatih , Tuchkin Yury A.
Published: September 2017

The high‐order solutions of the well‐known Green's formulation of the boundary value problems to determine the scattering monochromatic electromagnetic waves by dielectric cylinders are presented. The boundaries are given via infinitely smooth closed contours. That is why the solutions to the transverse electric/transverse magnetic wave scattering problems are obtained by solving the matrix equations, entries of which are Fourier coefficients of the electric field integral equations/magnetic field integral equations kernels obtained via the Fourier transform over the periodic domain on the boundary. This procedure is equivalent to an entire domain Galerkin formulation of the considered problems, with their unknown functions expanded into series with complex exponentials as bases. The algebraic system is solved by truncation, and the superalgebraic convergence of the unknowns is achieved by the suggested algorithm. The numerical results are validated by that of circular cylinders' obtained via a well‐conditioned algorithm based on separation of variables method. Numerical results demonstrate the superalgebraic convergence, owing to the suggested nonsaturated algorithm.
Stereoselective Synthesis of 3,3’‐Bisindolines by Organocatalytic Michael Additions of Fluorooxindole Enolates to Isatylidene Malononitriles in Aqueous Solution
Authors: Balaraman Kaluvu , Ding Ransheng , Wolf Christian
Published: September 2017

A highly diastereoselective organocatalytic reaction for the synthesis of fluorinated 3,3’‐bisindolines exhibiting adjacent tetrasubstituted carbon stereocenters is described. A broad variety of heterochiral bisindolines was prepared in 91–99% yield using 3‐fluorooxindoles and isatylidene malononitriles in the presence of catalytic amounts of triethylamine in water or aqueous solution. The reaction can be upscaled without compromising yield and diastereoselectivity and the general usefulness of this method was demonstrated with various Michael acceptors and extended to aldol and Mannich reactions.

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Enhanced Charge Collection in MOF‐525–PEDOT Nanotube Composites Enable Highly Sensitive Biosensing
Authors: Huang Tzu‐Yen , Kung Chung‐Wei , Liao Yu‐Te , Kao Sheng‐Yuan , Cheng Mingshan , Chang Ting‐Hsiang , Henzie Joel , Alamri Hatem R. , Alothman Zeid A. , Yamauchi Yusuke , Ho Kuo‐Chuan , Wu Kevin C.‐W.
Published: September 2017

With the aim of a reliable biosensing exhibiting enhanced sensitivity and selectivity, this study demonstrates a dopamine (DA) sensor composed of conductive poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) nanotubes (PEDOT NTs) conformally coated with porphyrin‐based metal–organic framework nanocrystals (MOF‐525). The MOF‐525 serves as an electrocatalytic surface, while the PEDOT NTs act as a charge collector to rapidly transport the electron from MOF nanocrystals. Bundles of these particles form a conductive interpenetrating network film that together: (i) improves charge transport pathways between the MOF‐525 regions and (ii) increases the electrochemical active sites of the film. The electrocatalytic response is measured by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry techniques, where the linear concentration range of DA detection is estimated to be 2 × 10−6–270 × 10−6m and the detection limit is estimated to be 0.04 × 10−6m with high selectivity toward DA. Additionally, a real‐time determination of DA released from living rat pheochromocytoma cells is realized. The combination of MOF5‐25 and PEDOT NTs creates a new generation of porous electrodes for highly efficient electrochemical biosensing.
Femoral neck‐shaft angle and climate‐induced body proportions
Authors: Child Stephanie L. , Cowgill Libby W.
Published: September 2017

Objectives

Declination in femoral neck‐shaft angle (NSA) is commonly linked to an increased level of physical activity during life. More recently, however, research suggests that lower NSA might also be explained, in part, as the mechanical consequence of differences in ecogeographic body proportions. This study tests the proposed link between NSA and climatic‐induced body proportions, using relative body mass (RBM), throughout the course of development.

Materials and Methods

NSA and RBM were collected for 445 immature remains from five geographic locations. NSA and RBM were standardized for age‐effects. ANOVA was used to examine when population differences emerged in both NSA and RBM. Regression analyses were used to examine the pattern of relationship between NSA and RBM.

Results

Populations differ significantly in NSA and RBM before skeletal maturity, and these differences occur early in life. While both NSA and RBM change over the course of development, no significant relationship was found between NSA and RBM for any sample, or any age category (p = .244).

Discussion

Individuals who have relatively greater relative body mass do not necessarily have lower NSA. Population differences in NSA were found to be variable, while differences in RBM remained consistent across the developmental span. Taken together, these results suggest that regardless of body proportions, the degree of declination of NSA is presumed to be similar among individuals with similar gait and ambulatory behaviors. Conversely, populations differ in RBM from birth, and these differences are consistent throughout development. These two measures likely are responsive to diffing stimuli, and any potential relationship is likely complex and multifactorial.
External and internal ontogenetic changes in the first rib
Authors: García‐Martínez Daniel , Gil Orosia García , Cambra‐Moo Oscar , Canillas María , Rodríguez Miguel A. , Bastir Markus , Martín Armando González
Published: September 2017

Objectives

First ribs bear information about thorax morphology and are usually well preserved, compared to other ribs, in bone/fossil samples. Several studies have addressed ontogeny of the first rib by studying changes in bone microanatomy and rib morphology separately, but no studies have combined both approaches to study how internal and external changes covary during ontogeny. The aim of this project is to fill this gap in our knowledge.

Materials and methods

We applied 3D geometric morphometrics of sliding semilandmarks to 14 first ribs of Homo sapiens to quantify rib curvature and mid‐shaft cross‐section outline. Ontogenetic variation was addressed throughout a principal component analysis (PCA). Additionally, we made histological sections at the mid‐shaft of the same ribs and studied tissue matrix composition and compartmentalization. Finally, we performed partial least squares (PLS) and regression analyses to study covariation between rib morphology and compartmentalization variables.

Results

PCA shows that first ribs increase their curvature over the course of ontogeny and the rib midshaft becomes less rounded during ontogeny. In addition, the sternal end becomes more medially oriented during ontogeny and the relative head‐tubercle distance becomes longer. Compartmentalization shows a decrease in the area occupied by mineralized tissues and an increase in the area occupied by non‐mineralized tissues over the course of ontogeny, which covaries with mid‐shaft cross‐section shape.

Conclusions

Our results show detailed variation in rib morphology along with histological changes in bone tissue compartmentalization and, for the first time, the correlation between the two. This could be related to muscle attachments on the 1st rib and also to changes in breathing mode, from diaphragmatic in perinatals to pulmonary in adults, which could also have implications for understanding thorax evolution.
Manual function and performance in humans, gorillas, and orangutans during the same tool use task
Authors: Bardo Ameline , Cornette Raphaël , Borel Antony , Pouydebat Emmanuelle
Published: September 2017

Objectives

Humans are known to possess more complex manual abilities than other primates. However, the manual abilities of primates have not been fully explored, and we still do not know if the manipulative abilities we attribute to humans are unique. The aim of this study was to compare the manual function and performance developed by humans, gorillas and orangutans while performing the same experimental tool use task.

Materials and Methods

The study was conducted on 20 humans, 6 gorillas, and 7 orangutans. Each individual had to use a tool to collect food from a maze during six experimental sessions while maintaining the same unconstrained body posture condition. We quantified the different manual techniques used and the manual performance.

Results

Each species used different techniques. Humans used bimanual grip techniques, pad‐to‐pad precision grasping postures, and in‐hand movements involving fingertips. Gorillas used unimanual grip techniques and simple in‐hand movements while orangutans used a variety of strategies (e.g., hand or mouth). With these techniques, humans performed the task better than both gorillas and orangutans (e.g., by being quicker to collect the food).

Discussion

This study highlights other ways in which humans’ manual dexterity differs from that of other species and emphasizes the distinct manipulative function of orangutans. The differences between the species could be due to the differing muscular anatomy and morphology of the hands, with hand proportion possibly placing particular biomechanical constraints on each species. The differences between gorillas and orangutans could result from their different locomotor behaviors, and we hypothesize terrestriality facilitates the development of complex manipulation.
Switchable Hydrolase Based on Reversible Formation of Supramolecular Catalytic Site Using a Self‐Assembling Peptide
Authors: Zhang Chunqiu , Shafi Ramim , Lampel Ayala , MacPherson Douglas , Pappas Charalampos G. , Narang Vishal , Wang Tong , Maldarelli Charles , Ulijn Rein V.
Published: September 2017

The reversible regulation of catalytic activity is a feature found in natural enzymes which is not commonly observed in artificial catalytic systems. Here, we fabricate an artificial hydrolase with pH‐switchable activity, achieved by introducing a catalytic histidine residue at the terminus of a pH‐responsive peptide. The peptide exhibits a conformational transition from random coil to β‐sheet by changing the pH from acidic to alkaline. The β‐sheet self‐assembles to form long fibrils with the hydrophobic edge and histidine residues extending in an ordered array as the catalytic microenvironment, which shows significant esterase activity. Catalytic activity can be reversible switched by pH‐induced assembly/disassembly of the fibrils into random coils. At higher concentrations, the peptide forms a hydrogel which is also catalytically active and maintains its reversible (de‐)activation.
Allosteric Tuning of Caspase‐7: A Fragment‐Based Drug Discovery Approach
Authors: Vance Nicholas R. , Gakhar Lokesh , Spies M. Ashley
Published: September 2017

The caspase family of cysteine proteases are highly sought‐after drug targets owing to their essential roles in apoptosis, proliferation, and inflammation pathways. High‐throughput screening efforts to discover inhibitors have gained little traction. Fragment‐based screening has emerged as a powerful approach for the discovery of innovative drug leads. This method has become a central facet of drug discovery campaigns in the pharmaceutical industry and academia. A fragment‐based drug discovery campaign against human caspase‐7 resulted in the discovery of a novel series of allosteric inhibitors. An X‐ray crystal structure of caspase‐7 bound to a fragment hit and a thorough kinetic characterization of a zymogenic form of the enzyme were used to investigate the allosteric mechanism of inhibition. This work further advances our understanding of the mechanisms of allosteric control of this class of pharmaceutically relevant enzymes, and provides a new path forward for drug discovery efforts.
Photoluminescence Lifetime Imaging of Synthesized Proteins in Living Cells Using an Iridium–Alkyne Probe
Authors: Wang Jinyu , Xue Jie , Yan Zihe , Zhang Sichun , Qiao Juan , Zhang Xinrong
Published: September 2017

Designing probes for real‐time imaging of dynamic processes in living cells is a continuous challenge. Herein, a novel near‐infrared (NIR) photoluminescence probe having a long lifetime was exploited for photoluminescence lifetime imaging (PLIM) using an iridium‐alkyne complex. This probe offers the benefits of deep‐red to NIR emission, a long Stokes shift, excellent cell penetration, low cytotoxicity, and good resistance to photobleaching. This example is the first PLIM probe applicable to the click reaction of copper(I)‐catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) with remarkable lifetime shifts of 414 ns, before and after click reaction. The approach fully eliminates the background interference and distinguishes the reacted probes from the unreacted probes, thus enabling the wash‐free imaging of the newly synthesized proteins within single living cells. Based on the unique properties of the iridium complexes, it is anticipated to have applications for imaging other processes within living cells.
A parametric “parent metric” approach for comparing maximum‐normalized journal ranking metrics
Authors: Haley M. Ryan , McGee M. Kevin
Published: September 2017

This article proposes a parametric approach for facilitating inter‐metric and inter‐field comparisons of citation‐based journal ranking metrics. The mechanism is simple to apply and adjusts for metric magnitude differentials and distributional asymmetries in the rank‐score curves. The method is demonstrated using h‐index, AWCR‐index, g‐index, and e‐index data from journals in Accounting, Economics, and Finance.