bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiproxy ecosystem response of abrupt Holocene climatic changes in the northeastern Mediterranean sedimentary archive and hydrologic regime
Authors: Giamali Christina , Koskeridou Efterpi , Antonarakou Assimina , Ioakim Chryssanthi , Kontakiotis George , Karageorgis Aristomenis P. , Roussakis Grigoris , Karakitsios Vassilis
Published: July 2019

Aspects of paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic evolution of the north Aegean Sea through the Holocene are revealed by the study of quantitative variations in planktonic foraminiferal, pteropodal, and palynomorph assemblages; the isotopic composition of planktonic foraminifera; and hydrographic-related indices, extracted from two high-sedimentation rate cores from the North Aegean Trough. Focusing on the last ~10 cal ka BP, the current Holocene subdivision (Greenlandian, Northgrippian, and Meghalayan) confirms the traditional understanding of an evolution from wetter (Greenlandian) to gradually drier (Northgrippian and Meghalayan) climatic conditions and further highlights the role of changing seasonality during this time. The most warm and humid phase corresponds to the time of the sapropel S1 deposition (9.6–6.1 cal ka BP). The Holocene climatic instability of the study area is further supported by six episodes of brief cooling (North Aegean cooling; NAEGC6–NAEGC1) centered at 9.30, 8.05, 7.05, 4.55, 3.55, and 2.05 cal ka BP, reflected by significant faunal changes and oxygen isotope enrichments. These cold/arid events are coeval with equivalent cooling events that have been described in different basins of the Mediterranean Sea, while signal similarities with equivalent changes in the intensity of the Siberian high suggest a climatic link between the studied area and the high-latitude areas.
Ethnographies of emergence: everyday politics and their origins across Africa Introduction
Authors: Rubin Joshua D. , Fioratta Susanna , Paller Jeffrey W.
Published: July 2019

The articles that appear in this part issue focus on disparate topics, from rumours of electoral fraud to the production of art, and span the African continent from Guinea and Ghana in the west to Zimbabwe in the south. Despite their evident differences, the contributors see their pieces as united by a common theme: emergence. Elaborating on Simone's influential exploration of the intertwined concepts of emergence and emergency (2004), as well as prior research in Africa on informal economic practices (the exchange of goods and services unregulated by states) (Hart 1973; Piot 2010; Roitman 2004; Weiss 2009), we consider emergence to be the process by which new social formations become thinkable, repeatable, and even – at times – habitual. Although conditions of crisis or precarity or even revolutionary upheaval might be fertile ground for emergence, insofar as these social conditions represent ‘rupture[s] in the organization of the present’ (Simone 2004: 4), the articles here also show that new social practices do not emerge out of nowhere. Rather, these articles demonstrate that attention to quotidian encounters can illuminate how citizens mobilize previously existing norms and patterns of behaviour in response to social change or economic crisis.
Assembling emergence: making art and selling gas in Bulawayo
Authors: Rubin Joshua D.
Published: July 2019

This article is an ethnographic investigation of the labours of making art and selling liquid petroleum gas (LPG) in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. It locates these activities within a shared social world, centred on one of Bulawayo's major art galleries, and it demonstrates that artists and LPG dealers use similar strategies to respond to the political conditions of life in the city. This article frames these conditions as unpredictable, insofar as they change frequently and crystallize in unexpected forms, and it argues that both groups are attempting to act within these conditions and shape them into emergent assemblages. In adopting this term ‘assemblage’, which has been elaborated theoretically by Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari and their many interlocutors, this article emphasizes both the mutability and the unpredictability of these formations. The artists who work in the gallery, for their part, make their art by assembling their chosen media. The processes by which they choose their media constitute assemblages as well, in that artists have to adapt their artistic visions to the materials that Zimbabwe's market can provide. Street dealers in gas also produce emergent assemblages against the backdrop of unpredictability. If they want to make natural gas available to consumers, dealers must shepherd their medium through an always emergent process of distribution. They participate in transnational networks of trade, but they also theorize innovative strategies of procurement, develop circuits of trust and loyalty, and conjure up visions of a predatory state. Like artists, they use their work to construct dynamic representations of the world around them. Artists may produce images, and dealers circulate gas, but this article shows that conceptualizing these practices in terms of ‘assemblages’ calls their commonalities into view. In doing so, it also demonstrates that these practices complicate easy distinctions between aesthetics, economics and politics.
A multiplex PCR for the identification of Echinococcus multilocularis, E. granulosus sensu stricto and E. canadensis that infect human
Authors: Chen Fan , Liu Lei , He Qili , Huang Yan , Wang Wentao , Zhou Guo , Yu Wenjie , He Wei , Wang Qi , Zhang Guangjia , Liao Sha , Li Ruirui , Yang Liu , Yao Renxin , Wang Qian , Zhong Bo
Published: July 2019

Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.), Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus canadensis are the common causes of human echinococcosis in China. An accurate species identification tool for human echinococcosis is needed as the treatments and prognosis are different among species. The present work demonstrates a method for the simultaneous detection of these three Echinococcus species based on multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR). Specific primers of this mPCR were designed based on the mitochondrial genes and determined by extensive tests. The method can successfully detect either separated or mixed target species, and generate expected amplicons of distinct size for each species. Sensitivity of the method was tested by serially diluted DNA, showing a detection threshold as less as 0.32 pg for both E. granulosus s.s. and E. canadensis, and 1.6 pg for E. multilocularis. Specificity assessed against 18 other parasites was found to be 100% except weakly cross-react with E. shiquicus. The assay was additionally applied to 69 echinococcosis patients and 38 healthy persons, confirming the high reliability of the method. Thus, the mPCR described here has high application potential for clinical identification purposes, and can further provide a useful tool for evaluation of serology and imaging method.
Culturally Responsive Supports for Metis Elders and Metis Family Caregivers
Authors: Cooper Elizabeth J. , Sanguins Julianne , Menec Verena , Chartrand Audrey Frances , Carter Sheila , Driedger S. Michelle
Published: July 2019

Malgré une attention académique considérable au rôle de la famille des soignants avec la population générale, peu de recherches ont été menées avec les familles autochtones. Cette étude qualitative vise à combler cette lacune en se concentrant sur l’expérience des soignants Metis, fournir des soins aux adultes Metis plus âges. Des groupes de discussions et des entrevues ont été menés avec des aidants familiaux Metis (n - 79), aînés Metis (n - 11), et soignants officiels (n - 8). Bien qu’il existe de parallèles considérables dans les expériences des soins identifiés dans cette étude sur les Metis avec celles déjà documentées dans la littérature, il existe néanmoins des différences importantes pour la prestation des soins culturellement adaptés aux aînés Metis.
“Amongst the Most Desirable Reading”: Advertising and the Fetters of the Newspaper Press in Britain, c. 1848–1914
Authors: Rosenberg Anat
Published: July 2019

What is the difference between advertising and news? This essay examines the rise of this dilemma and its precarious resolution in the formative era of modern advertising and press commercialization in Britain, c. 1848–1914, with particular attention to legal powers mobilized in the process. The essay traces a dialectical process, which began with the midcentury campaign to repeal taxes on the press, one of which was the advertisement duty. The campaign framed advertising as a communication of essential information. Its success gave full reign to advertising in the newspaper press, but also triggered a readjustment: Newspaper owners soon faced a threat to their effective control of the medium; their proprietary power to differentiate advertising from their self-proclaimed business - news - was put to the test. Owners' responses established a hierarchic distinction between news and advertising, along an informational metric: advertising was framed as an inferior kind of information, more biased than news. The hierarchy became embedded as a common sense to the point that the process of historical creation has been forgotten; yet, it asserted a difference between news and ads which had little to hang on in theory and practice, giving rise to challenges which still resonate today.
X-ray powder diffraction data for 17-hydroxy-16-methyl-9,11-epoxypregna-1,4,6-triene-3,20-dione, C22H26O4
Authors: Wang Q. , Bian X. , Chen X.
Published: July 2019

X-ray powder diffraction data, unit-cell parameters, and space group for 17- hydroxy-16-methyl-9,11-epoxypregna-1,4,6-triene-3,20-dione, C22H26O4, are reported [ a = 18.435(1) Å, b = 12.269(3) Å, c = 8.251(5) Å, α = 90°, β = 90°, γ = 90°, unit-cell volume V = 1866.43 Å3, Z = 4, ρcal = 1.261 g cm−3 and space group P212121]. All measured lines were indexed and are consistent with the P212121 space group. No detectable impurities were observed.
A NOTE ON PROGRESSIVE TAXATION, NOMINAL-WAGE RIGIDITY, AND BUSINESS CYCLE DESTABILIZATION
Authors: Gabrovski Miroslav , Guo Jang-Ting
Published: July 2019

In the context of a prototypical New Keynesian model, this paper examines the theoretical interrelations between two tractable formulations of progressive taxation on labor income versus (i) the equilibrium degree of nominal-wage rigidity as well as (ii) the resulting volatilities of hours worked and output in response to a monetary shock. In sharp contrast to the traditional stabilization view, we analytically show that linearly progressive taxation always operates like an automatic destabilizer which leads to higher cyclical fluctuations within the macroeconomy. We also obtain the same business cycle destabilization result under continuously progressive taxation if the initial degree of tax progressivity is sufficiently low.
“Not Buried Yet”: Northern Responses to the Death of Jefferson Davis and the Stuttering Progress of Sectional Reconciliation
Authors: Cook Robert J.
Published: July 2019

This article, the first detailed scholarly assessment of northern responses to the death of former Confederate President Jefferson Davis in December 1889, contributes to ongoing academic debates over the troubled process of sectional reconciliation after the Civil War. Southern whites used their leader's funeral obsequies to assert not only their affection for the deceased but also their devotion to the Lost Cause that he had championed and embodied. Based on an analysis of northern newspapers and mass-circulation magazines in the two weeks after Davis's death, the essay demonstrates that many northerners, principally Republican politicians and editors, Union veterans, and African Americans, were outraged by southerners’ flagrant willingness to laud a man whom they regarded as the arch-traitor and that they remained opposed to reconciliation on southern terms. However, despite continuing concerns about public displays of affection for the Confederacy evident at the time of Davis's reinterment in Richmond in May 1893, northern opposition to the Lost Cause waned rapidly in the last decade of the nineteenth century. Full-blown sectional reconciliation occurred after the Republicans gave up on their efforts to enforce black voting rights in the South and President William McKinley's imperialist foreign policy necessitated, and to some degree garnered, support from southern whites. The death of Jefferson Davis, therefore, can be seen as an important event in the difficult transition from a heavily sectionalized postwar polity to a North-South rapprochement based heavily on political pragmatism, sentiment, nationalism, and white supremacism.
FORMAL REPRESENTATIONS OF DEPENDENCE AND GROUNDEDNESS
Authors: RIVELLO EDOARDO
Published: July 2019

We study, in an abstract and general framework, formal representations of dependence and groundedness which occur in semantic theories of truth. Our goals are (a) to relate the different ways in which groundedness is defined according to the way dependence is represented and (b) to represent different notions of dependence as instances of a suitable generalisation of the mathematical notion of functional dependence.
Veränderungsprozesse an Pflegeschulen
Authors: Hamar Christoph , Kuckeland Heidi , Schneider Kordula
Published: July 2019

Zusammenfassung. Am 01. Januar 2020 tritt das Pflegeberufegesetz in Kraft und führt die generalistische Pflegeaus- bildung ein. Es macht Anpassungs- und Veränderungsprozesse an Pflegeschulen sowohl auf inhaltlicher als auch auf organisatorischer Ebene notwendig. In einer Befragung werden der Informa- tionsstand, der Stand der Vorbereitungen sowie die persönlichen Einstellungen zur generalistischen Pflegeausbildung von Schulleitungen und Lehrenden an Pflegeschulen erhoben.
Faktoren schulischer Erneuerung
Authors: Seitz Stefan
Published: July 2019

Zusammenfassung. „Innovieren“ zählt heutzutage zum beruflichen Aufgabenspektrum von Lehrkräften jeglicher Schulart. Die Entstehung der Bedeutung dieses Kompetenzbereichs und welche Modifizierungen sich hieraus für das Handeln der Lehrer_innen ergeben werden thematisiert. Einschlägige Studien zur Innovations- bereitschaft von Lehrkräften, die belegen, dass „Innovieren“ bislang noch auf erhebliche Passungsprobleme bei den Betroffenen stößt und Lösungsmöglichkeiten, die dabei helfen könnten, die Divergenz zwischen Postulaten und Realität zu überwinden, werden vorgestellt.
Weiterbildung für Advance Care Planning
Authors: Stanze Henrikje , Nauck Friedemann
Published: July 2019

Zusammenfassung. Gesundheitliche Versorgungsplanung für die letzte Lebensphase nach § 132 g, oder auch Behandlung im Voraus Planen (BVP) genannt, ist ein systematischer Gesprächsprozess, bei dem mit Bewohnern die Wünsche zu medizinischen, pflegerischen, psychosozialen und seelsorglichen Behandlung besprochen werden. Die Gespräche können speziell ausgebildete Personen aus nicht-ärztlichen Berufsgruppen führen. Die Weiterbildungsmaßnahme folgt einem vorgeschriebenen Kerncurriculum, eine Trainerqualifikation ist nicht vorgeschrieben.
An Investigation Into the Factor Structure of the Attitudes to Suicide Prevention Scale
Authors: Sandford David M. , Kirtley Olivia J. , Lafit Ginette , Thwaites Richard , O'Connor Rory C.
Published: July 2019

Abstract. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the factor structure of the Attitudes to Suicide Prevention Scale (ASPS). Method: The ASPS was distributed to all staff in a UK National Health Service Trust ( N = 957). We conducted an exploratory factor analysis followed by a confirmatory factor analysis by splitting the data 60/40 into training and testing subsets. A multiple regression analysis was carried out to investigate whether the overall scale score varied as a function of professional role, age, and gender and whether respondents had completed suicide prevention training or not. Results: Two items displaying poor item-scale correlation were excluded from the factor analysis and a further item was excluded as it was based on different anchor points. For the remaining 11 items, no adequate factor structure emerged. The scale total demonstrated statistically significant differences in attitudes between staff groups (defined by attendance at suicide awareness or prevention training, by gender, and by level of patient contact), but not between groups defined by age range. Generally, however, there were positive attitudes across all Trust staff. Limitations: This study had a low response rate (24%) and was cross-sectional which limits the conclusions that could be drawn. Furthermore, other areas such as convergent validity and test–retest reliability were not examined. Conclusion: Our findings found no satisfactory factor structure for the ASPS. Further scale development would be beneficial.
Pathways to Suicide Among People With a Diagnosed Mental Illness in Victoria, Australia
Authors: Clapperton Angela , Newstead Stuart , Frew Charlotte , Bugeja Lyndal , Pirkis Jane
Published: July 2019

Abstract. Background: People who have mental illness are at increased risk of suicide. Therefore, identifying "typical" trajectories to suicide in this population has the potential to improve the effectiveness of suicide prevention strategies. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the pathways to suicide among a sample of Victorians with a diagnosed mental illness. Method: Victorian Suicide Register (VSR) data were used to generate life charts and identify typical life trajectories to suicide among 50 Victorians. Results: Two distinct pathways to suicide were identified: (1) where diagnosis of mental illness appeared to follow life events/stressors; and (2) where diagnosis appeared to precede exposure to life events/stressors. Some events acted as distal factors related to suicide, other events were more common as proximal factors, and still others appeared to act as both distal and proximal factors. Limitations: The data source might be biased because of the potential for incomplete information, or alternatively, the importance of some factors in a person's life may have been overstated. Conclusion: Strategies to reduce suicide need to consider the chronology of exposure to stressors in people's lives and clearly need to be different depending on whether proximal or distal risk factors are the target of a given strategy or intervention.
Weather Radar Insights Into the Turbulent Dynamics of a Wildfire‐Triggered Supercell Thunderstorm
Authors: Terrasson Alex , McCarthy Nicholas , Dowdy Andrew , Richter Harald , McGowan Hamish , Guyot Adrien
Published: July 2019

Understanding wildfire‐atmosphere interactions is key to improved accuracy of predictions of wildfire behavior. This is needed for improved preparedness to mitigate loss of life and property during wildfire events, particularly for situations with strong fire‐atmosphere coupling. Here we present observations from the passage of a cold front over the Sir Ivan Dougherty wildfire on February 2017 in eastern Australia. We demonstrate that an increase in near‐surface atmosphere moisture associated with the cold front, when combined with changes in fire behavior at that time, led to reduced thermodynamic stability that helped to trigger a thunderstorm. This fire‐trigged supercell thunderstorm produced lightning, while radar observations identified a mesocyclonic circulation within the pyrocumulonimbus, similar to a supercell thunderstorm. Results highlight the need to monitor the thermodynamic properties of air masses approaching wildfires and the rapid evolution of pyrocumulonimbus, which may develop mesocyclone characteristics. Weather radar offers the most effective capability to achieve such insights.
Total Basin Discharge From GRACE and Water Balance Method for the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin, Southwestern China
Authors: Xie Jingkai , Xu Yue‐Ping , Gao Chao , Xuan Weidong , Bai Zhixu
Published: July 2019

Total basin discharge plays an important role in the hydrological cycle for the regions. Estimation of total basin discharge cannot only help us manage water resources well but also provide a better understanding about water resources variability and hydrologic cycle. In this study, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data combined with precipitation and evapotranspiration (ET) is used to present first estimate of total basin discharge (~60.2 km3/year) based on water balance method over the entire Yarlung Tsangpo River basin during 2003–2014. The estimated basin discharge shows a good correlation with observed runoff (NSE = 0.70; NRMSE = 0.37; BIAS = −6.1%). An artificial neural network (ANN) model is also proposed to build the relationship between terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSAs) with the other hydrological data available (e.g., precipitation, temperature, ET, and soil moisture storage) during 2003–2010 and then applied to hindcasting TWSA before 2003 in order to generate a longer record of TWSA. The results show that ANN‐generated TWSA using soil moisture storage and ET matches best with GRACE‐derived TWSA during 2003–2010, showing a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.89 and a normalized root‐mean‐square error (NRMSE) of 0.40, which indicate that the ANN model is an effective way to generate TWSA beyond the GRACE data record. The comparison between total basin discharge using ANN‐generated TWSA with the observed runoff data during 1998–2010 indicates a significant consistency with NSE = 0.66, NRMSE = 0.41, and BIAS = −4.9%. Our findings illustrate that GRACE data and the ANN model can be jointly and effectively used to assess the total basin discharge in the large‐scale basins with limited hydrological data.
Retrieval of Unknown Number of Source Terms in Dispersion Events Involving Multiple Point Sources
Authors: Singh Sarvesh Kumar , Sharan Maithili
Published: July 2019

In dispersion events involving multiple sources, estimation of correct number of sources is imperative prior to their localization or source term estimation. The study pertains to a dispersion scenario of multiple point releases simultaneously emitting a nonreactive tracer that results into a mixture of concentrations, as measurements, sampled at the receptors. The objective is to estimate correct number of sources along with their release parameters (mainly locations and strengths) using a limited merged set of concentration measurements. A new methodology, based on five criteria coupled with a multiple release identification algorithm, is proposed here. Criterion helps in discriminating the releases and accounts for detection and false‐alarm probability associated with each retrieved source. The number of source terms are estimated based on sum of scores achieved by each predicted source under each criterion. The methodology is evaluated with synthetic, noisy synthetic, and pseudo‐real data prepared from India Institute of Technology Delhi diffusion experiment conducted in 1991 at Delhi, India. With synthetic data, the number of point sources and their parameters are retrieved exactly as their true values. With pseudo‐real data, true number of sources are retrieved. The source locations and strengths are retrieved within 30 m and a factor of 3, respectively. Synthetic simulations with controlled measurement noise shows that the proposed methodology is robust in presence of model uncertainties and can be applicable in real scenarios.
Teams Invited to Test Coastal Hyperspectral Imaging Algorithms
Authors: McManus Margaret , Hochberg Eric
Published: July 2019

Hyperspectral Remote Sensing of Coastal and Inland Waters Webinar; 28 May 2019
A Late Miocene Terrestrial Temperature History for the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau's Period of Tectonic Expansion
Authors: Chen Chihao , Bai Yan , Fang Xiaomin , Guo Haichao , Meng Qingquan , Zhang Weilin , Zhou Pengchao , Murodov Azamdzhon
Published: July 2019

Key Points

The uplift event (~10.5–8 Ma) revealed by glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers temperature records from the Xining Basin is synchronous with regional drying

The cooling amplitude over land is less than that over the ocean during the CO2‐dominated Late Miocene cooling event (~7–5.4 Ma)

Tectonic forcing, rather than pCO2, dominated regional continental climate patterns and ecosystem transitions during the Late Miocene
Consistent Nighttime Atomic Oxygen Concentrations From O2A‐band, O(1S) Green‐Line, and OH Airglow Measurements as Performed by SCIAMACHY
Authors: Zhu Yajun , Kaufmann Martin
Published: July 2019

A new atomic oxygen data set was derived from nighttime SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) O2A‐band measurements. It is compared to atomic oxygen obtained from SCIAMACHY O(1S) green‐line and OH(9‐6)‐band measurements. The three data sets are considered independent of radiometry and, to some extent, methodology. A detailed comparison of atomic oxygen retrieved from these three nightglow measurements is reported for the first time. The agreement of absolute values within 15% supports the current understanding of the photochemistry of the three atomic oxygen proxies involved. As an alternative approach, the O2A‐band model recently proposed by Kalogerakis (2019) is used as well. It is striking that the SCIAMACHY data sets using different atomic oxygen proxies and mostly independent methodology agree much better with each other than with SABER data.
High Climate Sensitivity in the Community Earth System Model Version 2 (CESM2)
Authors: Gettelman A. , Hannay C. , Bacmeister J. T. , Neale R. B. , Pendergrass A. G. , Danabasoglu G. , Lamarque J.‐F. , Fasullo J. T. , Bailey D. A. , Lawrence D. M. , Mills M. J.
Published: July 2019

The Community Earth System Model Version 2 (CESM2) has an equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) of 5.3 K. ECS is an emergent property of both climate feedbacks and aerosol forcing. The increase in ECS over the previous version (CESM1) is the result of cloud feedbacks. Interim versions of CESM2 had a land model that damped ECS. Part of the ECS change results from evolving the model configuration to reproduce the long‐term trend of global and regional surface temperature over the twentieth century in response to climate forcings. Changes made to reduce sensitivity to aerosols also impacted cloud feedbacks, which significantly influence ECS. CESM2 simulations compare very well to observations of present climate. It is critical to understand whether the high ECS, outside the best estimate range of 1.5–4.5 K, is plausible.
Coseismic Ground Rupture of the 15 October 2013 Magnitude (MW) 7.2 Bohol Earthquake, Bohol Island, Central Philippines
Authors: Rimando Jeremy M. , Aurelio Mario A. , Dianala John Dale B. , Taguibao Kristine Joy L. , Agustin Krissen Marie C. , Berador Al Emil G. , Vasquez Adriann A.
Published: July 2019

The 15 October 2013 magnitude (MW) 7.2 Bohol earthquake produced an ~50‐km‐long, ~12‐km‐wide northeast trending zone of uplift with an ~8‐km‐long discontinuous ground rupture indicating predominantly reverse‐slip movement on a southeast dipping fault. Documentation of the nearly continuous northern terminus of the 2013 Bohol earthquake ground rupture revealed its association to preexisting scarps of the previously unmapped, Quaternary‐active North Bohol Fault. Trenching across the rupture at four sites not only reveals the geometry and kinematics of the fault but also shows at least one or two pre‐2013 surface rupturing events. Onshore geologic mapping and offshore seismic reflection profiles demonstrate the presence of an island‐wide, northeast‐southwest trending fold‐and‐thrust belt through which deformation related to the regional shortening across the Visayan Sea Basin in the central Philippines is likely distributed.
Bioluminescence emissions of firefly Luciola praeusta Kiesenwetter 1874 (Coleoptera : Lampyridae : Luciolinae)
Authors: Gohain Barua Anurup , Hazarika Simanta , Saikia Nayanmoni , Baruah Gauranga Dhar
Published: July 2019

In vivo emission and time-resolved spectra of firefly Luciola praeusta Kiesenwetter 1874 (Coleoptera : Lampyridae : Luciolinae) have been recorded. The emission spectrum shows the FWHM value for this particular species to be 55 nm, which is significantly narrower than the in vivo half widths reported till now. The time-resolved spectrum reveals that a flash, of duration about a hundred milliseconds, is in fact composed of a number of microsecond pulses. This result suggests that the speed of the enzyme-catalysed chemiluminescence reaction in the firefly for the emission of light is much faster than is believed to be.
Understanding Hydrogen-Bond Patterns in Proteins using a Novel Statistical Model
Authors: Rahat Ofer , Alon Uri , Levy Yaakov , Schreiber Gideon
Published: July 2019

Proteins are built from basic structural elements and their systematic characterization is of interest. Searching for recurring patterns in protein contact maps, we found several network motifs, patterns that occur more frequently in experimentally determined protein contact maps than in randomized contact maps with the same properties. Some of these network motifs correspond to sub-structures of alpha helices, including topologies not previously recognized in this context. Other motifs characterize beta-sheets, again some of which appear to be novel. This topological characterization of patterns serves as a tool to characterize proteins, and to reveal a high detailed differences map for comparing protein structures solved by X-ray crystallography, NMR and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Both NMR and MD show small but consistent differences from the crystal structures of the same proteins, possibly due to the pair-wise energy functions used. Network motifs analysis can serve as a base for many-body energy statistical energy potential, and suggests a dictionary of basic elements of which protein secondary structure is made.
Establishing a multicellular model by three-dimensional cell-assembly technique for metabolic syndrome
Authors: Xu Mingen , Yan Yongnian , Zhang Renjie , Yao Ri , Liu Haixia , Wang Xiaohong
Published: July 2019

One of the major obstacles in developing multifunctional drugs for the metabolic syndrome (MS) is lack of in vitro models that capture more complex features of the disease. Here we give the first report that establishes an energy metabolic system model using cell-assembly technique which can assemble cells into designated places to form complex three-dimensional structures. Adipose-derived stromal cells were assembled and induced differentiation into adipocytes and endothelial cells; pancreatic islets were then deposited at designated locations and constituted adipoinsular axis with adipocytes. Analysis of the factors involved in energy metabolism showed our system could capture more physiological and pathophysiological features of the in vivo energy metabolism. Drugs known to have effects on MS showed accordant effects in the systems. Construction and study of such multicellular systems could help us better understand pathogenesis of MS, develop new technologies for drug discovery, and foster applications in tissue engineering and metabolomics profiling.
Potential and environmental concerns of ethanol production from sugarcane molasses in Pakistan
Authors: Rashid Tahir , Altaf Zafar
Published: July 2019

Energy security and climate change imperatives require large-scale substitution of petroleum-based fuels as well as improved vehicle efficiency4. Biofuels have become one of the fastest growing markets in the world - at 15% growth a year. In fact, until recently, Pakistan was the second largest exporter of sugarcane ethanol to the European Union - a preferential status we have since lost because of WTO obligations and dumping complaints. Several distilleries have planned to close down in light of this fact. Instead of curbing production of fuel ethanol, however, we should redirect it to the domestic market. Pakistan produces around 2 million tons molasses annually and over 90% is exported earning only $47 million. This quantity of molasses will produce over 500 million liters of ethanol to earn $144 million by export or save $63.5 million by blending with fuel. Blending of ethanol will reduce the transport sector GHG emissions by 3.6 million metric tons.
In Silico Docking Analysis of Peptide Deformylase (PDF) - A Novel Target for Prophylaxis of Leptospirosis
Authors: Bastikar Virupaksha , Fulsundar Shweta , Nair Jagdish
Published: July 2019

Peptide deformylase (PDF) is a metalloproteinase and executes an essential step in the maturation of proteins in eubacteria, by removing the formyl group from the N-terminal methionine residue of ribosome-synthesized polypeptides. This process is crucial for bacterial survival because mature proteins do not retain N-formyl-methionine, and all known N-terminal peptidases cannot utilize formylated peptides as substrate. Thus, inhibition of PDF is essential to obstruct the bacterial protein maturation process. Antibiotics based on PDF inhibition have the potential to provide the much needed antibacterial activity against most of the major drug-resistant pathogens. This study comprises an implementation of in-silico techniques to validate and map the features of the respective active site of PDF from Leptospira interrogans. Our analysis consolidates PDF as a promising target for developing novel alternatives as well as indicates superior affinity of current therapeutic agents towards it. This consequently provides a new insight for leptospirosis treatment.
The potential of Manitoba chokecherry as a source of high natural antioxidants
Authors: Li Wende , Hosseinian Farah , Hydamaka Arnold , Lowry Lynda , Beta Trust
Published: July 2019

Consumption of fruits and vegetables is shown to be beneficial for protecting health and preventing some chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. The positive health effects have been mainly due to the contributions of their natural antioxidant capacity. Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), a unique fruit, is a member of the Rose family and native to North America. Here we demonstrate that chokecherry fruit with strong antioxidant capacity is available in Manitoba, and that its potent antioxidant potential can be developed for health benefits in value-added applications.These findings are useful for developing novel value-added antioxidant products from chokecherry because of its phytochemical profile associated with health protection and prevention of disease. The results provide evidence essential for breeding novel cultivars of fruit plants with strong natural antioxidants.
Global Awakening in Genetic Counseling
Authors: Edwards Janice , Greenberg Jacquie , Sahhar Margaret
Published: July 2019

The article by Ricki Lewis, Nature, Volume 449,October 18, 2007, correctly points out that the genetic counseling profession is on the "verge of being discovered by the rest of the world". The rapid recognition of genes associated with single-gene disorders and complex conditions has deepened our understanding of the role of genetics in health and illness. The impact of genetic conditions on individuals and families, particularly in ethical, legal and psychosocial arenas, requires specially trained professionals to work in this unique and growing dimension of healthcare. The Transnational Alliance for Genetic Counseling (TAGC) represents fifteen countries currently providing genetic counselor education across five continents.
Tuberculosis vaccine strain Mycobacterium bovis BCG Russia is a natural recA mutant
Authors: Keller Peter , Boettger Erik , Sander Peter
Published: July 2019

The current tuberculosis vaccine is a live vaccine derived from Mycobacterium bovis and attenuated by serial in vitro passaging. All vaccine substrains in use stem from one source, strain Bacille Calmette-Guérin. However, they differ in regions of genomic deletions, antigen expression levels, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy. As a RecA phenotype increases genetic stability and may contribute restricting the ongoing evolution of the various BCG substrains, we aimed to inactivate recA by allelic replacement in BCG vaccine strains representing different phylogenetic lineages (Pasteur, Frappier, Denmark, Russia). Homologous gene replacement was successful in three out of four strains. However, only illegitimate recombination was observed in BCG substrain Russia. Sequence analyses of recA revealed that a single nucleotide insertion in the 5' part of recA led to a translational frameshift with an early stop codon making BCG Russia a natural recA mutant. At the protein level BCG Russia failed to express RecA. According to phylogenetic analyses BCG Russia is an ancient vaccine strain most closely related to the parental M. bovis. Our data suggest that recA inactivation in BCG Russia occurred early and is in part responsible for its high degree of genomic stability, resulting in a substrain that has less genetic alterations than other vaccine substrains with respect to M. bovis AF2122/97 wild type.
Chemical Topology of Crystalline Matter
Authors: Bucknum Michael
Published: July 2019

This work is intended as a review and extension of the seminal work in chemical topology developed by the crystallographer A.F. Wells in the 20th century.
Ancient fossil specimens of extinct species are genetically more distant to an outgroup than extant sister species are
Authors: Huang Shi
Published: July 2019

There exists a remarkable correlation between genetic distance and time of species divergence as inferred from fossil records. This observation has provoked the molecular clock hypothesis. However, data inconsistent with the hypothesis have steadily accumulated in recent years from studies on extant organisms. Here the published DNA and protein sequences from ancient fossil specimens were examined to see if they would support the molecular clock hypothesis. The hypothesis predicts that ancient specimens cannot be genetically more distant to an outgroup than extant sister species are. Also, two distinct ancient specimens cannot be genetically more distant than their extant sister species are. The findings here did not support these predictions. Neanderthals are more distant to chimpanzees and gorillas than modern humans are. Dinosaurs are more distant to frogs than extant birds are. Mastodons are more distant to opossums than other placental mammals are. The genetic distance between dinosaurs and mastodons is greater than that between extant birds and mammals. Therefore, while the molecular clock hypothesis is consistent with some data from extant organisms, it has yet to find support from ancient fossils.
Ancient fossil specimens of extinct species are genetically more distant to an outgroup than extant sister species are
Authors: Huang Shi
Published: July 2019

There exists a remarkable correlation between genetic distance as measured by protein or DNA dissimilarity and time of species divergence as inferred from fossil records. This observation has provoked the molecular clock hypothesis. However, data inconsistent with the hypothesis have steadily accumulated in recent years from studies of extant organisms. Here the published DNA and protein sequences from ancient fossil specimens were examined to see if they would support the molecular clock hypothesis. The hypothesis predicts that ancient specimens cannot be genetically more distant to an outgroup than extant sister species are. Also, two distinct ancient specimens cannot be genetically more distant than their extant sister species are. The findings here do not conform to these predictions. Neanderthals are more distant to chimpanzees and gorillas than modern humans are. Dinosaurs are more distant to frogs than extant birds are. Mastodons are more distant to opossums than other placental mammals are. The genetic distance between dinosaurs and mastodons is greater than that between extant birds and mammals. Therefore, while the molecular clock hypothesis is consistent with some data from extant organisms, it has yet to find support from ancient fossils. Far more damaging to the hypothesis than data from extant organisms, which merely question the constancy of mutation rate, the study of ancient fossil organisms here challenges for the first time the fundamental premise of modern evolution theory that genetic distances had always increased with time in the past history of life on Earth.
in vivo photoacoustic molecular imaging with simultaneous multiple selective targeting using antibody-conjugated gold nanorods
Authors: Li Pai-Chi , Shieh Dar-Bin , Wang Churng-Ren , Wei Chen-Wei , Liao Chao-Kang , Ding Ann-Ann , Wu Ya-Na , Poe Carolina , Jhan Suwen
Published: July 2019

The use of gold nanorods for photoacoustic molecular imaging in vivo with simultaneous multiple selective targeting is reported. The extravasation of multiple molecular probes is demonstrated, and used to probe molecular information of cancer cells. This technique allows molecular profiles representing tumor characteristics to be obtained and a heterogeneous population of cancer cells in a lesion to be determined. The results also show that the image contrast can be enhanced by using a mixture of different molecular probes. In this study, HER2, EGFR, and CXCR4 were chosen as the primary target molecules for examining two types of cancer cells, OECM1 and Cal27. OECM1 cells overexpressed HER2 but exhibited a low expression of EGFR, while Cal27 cells showed the opposite expression profile. Single and double targeting resulted in signal enhancements of up to 3 dB and up to 5 dB, respectively, and hence has potential in improving cancer diagnoses.
Pro-social motive promotes early understanding of false belief
Authors: Matsui Tomoko , Miura Yui
Published: July 2019

Ever since Premack & Woodruff's classic article^1^, which introduced the term "theory of mind", researchers have claimed that strategic deception is the most natural behavioural consequence of understanding false belief. Here we challenge that claim, and provide evidence for the first time that the earliest manifestation of false belief understanding in human development is found in young children's emerging pro-social behaviours. In a modified false belief task, children were asked either to choose one protagonist they should help to find the object (the pro-social context), or to choose one they need to deceive so that none of the protagonists can find the object (the competitive context). The results show that the pro-social motive, but not the competitive motive, boosts early false belief understanding. This is most clearly contrasted with findings that apes, our closest living relatives, are capable of intentionally manipulating others by concealing information only under competitive motives, not under cooperative alternatives. Thus, the current findings are the strongest to date that sophisticated understanding of others' belief in humans has its unique origin, separate from the primate origin at some point in recent evolution, when cooperative and communicative motives played an essential role for their survival.
Myth about neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the sarcolemma of skeletal muscles
Authors: Buchwalow Igor , Boecker Werner
Published: July 2019

In skeletal muscles, neuronal NO synthase (nNOS, designated also as NOS1) was reported to be restricted to the sarcolemma. With the advent of modern powerful immunocytochemical techniques this commonly accepted view appears to be a delusion and has to be re-evaluated.
Pancreas islets in metabolic signaling - focus on the &946;-cell
Authors: Suckale Jakob , Solimena Michele
Published: July 2019

Taken together the Islets of Langerhans form a nutrient sensing network spread throughout the pancreas. They are tightly connected to the source organ - the intestine - and the target organs - liver, muscle, and fat cells. The expression of a unique set of proteins enables [beta] cells, the most frequent islet cell type, to detect elevated blood glucose levels and secrete insulin accordingly. Neighbouring [beta]-cells achieve tighter regulation of glucose-induced insulin secretion by coordination through cell surface proteins. They also adjust their secretory pathway capacity and flow to avoid being damaged. The immediate reaction of the [beta] cell to nutrients is regulated by translational mechanisms, while longer term adaptations involve changes in transcription. Glucose increases protein synthesis in the [beta] cell overall and especially that of some secretory proteins including insulin. This effect may be mediated through recognition of RNA motifs in the untranslated regions of those messengers. Failure of essential molecular components of the nutrient sensing system due to mutation or weakness paired with cellular stress can lead to dysfunctions, which on a larger scale manifest as diseases like diabetes mellitus.
Polymorphisms of the ENPP1 gene are not associated with type 2 diabetes or obesity in the Chinese Han population
Authors: Zhao Teng , Zhang Di , Liu Yun , Zhou Daizhan , Chen Zhuo , Li Sheng , Yu Lan , Liu Simin , Zhang Zuofeng , Feng Guoyin , He Lin , Xu He
Published: July 2019

*Objective:*

Type 2 Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia and with a major feature of insulin resistance. Genetic association studies have suggested that ENPP1 might play a potential role in susceptibility to type 2 diabetes and obesity. Our study aimed to examine the association between ENPP1 and type 2 diabetes and obesity.*Design:* Association study between two SNPs, rs1044498 (K121Q) and rs7754561 of ENPP1 and diabetes and obesity in the Chinese Han population.*Subjects:* 1912 unrelated patients (785 male and 1127 female with a mean age 63.8 ± 9 years), 236 IFG/IGT subjects (83 male and 153 female with a mean age 64 ± 9 years) and 2041 controls (635 male and 1406 female with a mean age 58 ± 9 years). *Measurements:* Subjects were genotyped for two SNPs using TaqMan technology on an ABI7900 system and tested by regression analysis.

*Results:*

By logistic regression analysis, rs1044498 (K121Q) and rs7754561 showed no statistical association with type 2 diabetes, obesity under additive, dominant and recessive models either before or after adjusting for sex and age. Haplotype analysis found a marginal association of haplotype C-G (p=0.05) which was reported in the previous study.*Conclusion:* Our investigation did not replicated the positive association found previously and suggested that the polymorphisms of ENPP1 might not play a major role in the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes or obesity in the Chinese Han population.
Coincidence between transcriptome analyses on different microarray platforms using a parametric framework
Authors: Konishi Tomokazu , Konishi Fumikazu , Takasaki Shigeru , Inoue Kohei , Nakayama Kouji , Konagaya Akihiko
Published: July 2019

A parametric framework for the analysis of transcriptome data is demonstrated to yield coincident results when applied to data acquired using two different microarray platforms. Discrepancies among transcriptome studies are frequently reported, casting doubt on the reliability of collected data. The inconsistency among observations can be largely attributed to differences among the analytical frameworks employed for data analysis. The existing frameworks normalizes data against a standard determined from the data to be analyzed. In the present study, a parametric framework based on a strict model for normalization is applied to data acquired using an in-house printed chip and GeneChip. The framework is based on a common statistical characteristic of microarray data, and each data is normalized on the basis of a linear relationship with this model. In the proposed framework, the expressional changes observed and genes selected are coincident between platforms, achieving superior universality of data compared to other methods.