bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Between ‘forced marriage’ and ‘free choice’: social transformations and perceptions of gender and sexuality among the Balanta in Guinea-Bissau
Authors: Temudo Marina Padrão
Published: March 2019

African women are frequently portrayed as a subaltern group in need of external support, used as property in forging social relations, producing wealth in people and doing most of the agricultural work to feed household members in societies where ‘modernization’ does not always seem to change their unfortunate predicament. This article destabilizes such narratives by showing the complexities of marriage practices and the difficult dialectics between freedom and subjugation in one West African agrarian society – the Brasa-speaking people of Guinea-Bissau. Among this patrilineal and virilocal group, marriage was usually arranged at birth or when girls were still small children. However, after marriage, women enjoyed great freedom of movement to have distant sexual partners and to pursue private profit-making activities. Paradoxically, while at present most young women are allowed to marry a young husband of their choice, having lost the support of their descent groups they are becoming more subjected to their husbands’ power and control.
Categorizing colonial patients: segregated medical care, space and decolonization in a Congolese city, 1931–62
Authors: Geenen Kristien
Published: March 2019

This article deals with the Belgian colonial authorities’ obsession with classification and categorization, and explores how this obsession affected medical care in the city of Coquilhatville. Whereas the authorities aspired to medical care that was strictly segregated along ‘racial’ lines, providing separate hospitals for Europeans and Africans, in reality such rigorous segregation was unsustainable. I argue that it was the authorities’ inclination to categorize patients that eventually blurred the lines. Indeed, this article shows how the administrators became thoroughly enmeshed in their taxonomic zeal when members of the African upper class, the so-calledévolués, demanded different treatment from other Congolese, to reflect their status. Furthermore, these upper-class patients insisted on being differentiated among themselves too. Responding to more and more claims to be discerned from yet another ‘lower’évolué, and in an attempt to translate social space into physical space and thus provide the applicant with a more sophisticated hospital room, the authorities gradually ran out of options. As a consequence, they – albeit unwillingly – opened the doors toévoluésof a hospital that was initially reserved exclusively for Europeans.
‘Films that don't seem Cameroonian’: professional video making and self-styling among Douala youth
Authors: Santanera Giovanna
Published: March 2019

This article discusses youth cultural production in contemporary Africa, analysing the videos of Douala, which are often called ‘films that don't seem Cameroonian’. Most contemporary African videos dramatize everyday life, telling didactic stories that are very close to ordinary people's experiences. As such, they have been interpreted as forms of African popular art. Films that don't seem Cameroonian, however, break with this dominant trend. Directors and actors openly quote international hits and are more interested in transcending the local context than in dramatizing (and moralizing) it. Inserting this production into Douala society, this article deals with the youths’ desire to escape their everyday situations and connect with the global arena. It also considers the failures of this ambition, as their poor finances and infrastructural challenges bind them to a much more restricted horizon of possibilities. Video filmmaking in Cameroon is both a source of empowerment and prestige and a sign of marginality and powerlessness. The article concludes with an account of the cultural work at the core of videos that are syncretic and urban, but only partially ascribable to other experiences of African popular art.
The Permanent Refugee Crisis in the Federal Republic of Germany, 1949—
Authors: Stokes Lauren
Published: March 2019

This article puts forced migration at the center of the Federal Republic's history. Forced migration to Germany has often been understood as an unprecedented crisis, but, far from being an aberration, such migration has been a necessary component of the classic legitimating narratives of the Federal Republic and a crucial support for its postwar “economic miracle.” The official reception of forced migrants has been structured by a categorical distinction between genuine refugees and ersatz “economic refugees.” The former are lauded for their economic contributions to Germany, whereas those alleged to have migrated mainly for economic reasons are condemned as fraudulent opportunists. These categories have been continually transposed onto new groups of forced migrants, whose arrival is invariably grasped as a crisis. The unfolding of refugee “crises” and their resolutions have continually shown the artificiality of the distinction between genuine and economic refugees—while simultaneously redrawing it.
Public Health in a Radioactive Age: Environmental Pollution, Popular Therapies, and Narratives of Danger in the Federal Republic of Germany, 1949–1970
Authors: Murdock Caitlin E.
Published: March 2019

In the 1950s and 1960s, West German citizens found themselves living in a “radioactive age.” The public learned that radiation exposure pervaded postwar society, not only from atomic testing but also from medical treatment, workplace exposures, and radium consumer goods. By 1970, West Germans—ranging from farmers and housewives, to physicians, scientists, and bureaucrats—had recast nuclear radiation from a technological wonder or health aid into a public health hazard. This article illustrates that anxieties about uncontrollable technology, ineffective institutions, disingenuous political leaders, and volatile citizens persisted from the 1950s to the 1970s, coexisting with optimism and progress, without truly subsiding in the 1960s, as historians often suggest. Further, it advocates taking those fears seriously, showing that they played a critical—and lasting—role in shaping public policy and state-society relations in the early Federal Republic.
Writing Women's Agency into the History of the Federal Republic: “1968,” Historians, and Gender
Authors: von Hodenberg Christina
Published: March 2019

To a large extent, master surveys of the Federal Republic's history have failed to weave into their narratives the rise of female emancipation or challenges to male domination. This article addresses the reasons for this failure, as well as the implications of its reversal. It analyzes the role of women activists during West Germany's “1968,” underlining the gender bias of common narratives of the West German Sixties. The addition of feminist agency to West German history necessarily changes the definition of “success” in the Westernization narrative of the Federal Republic, and also the way in which we define generations and engage in public forms of commemoration.

Die Emanzipation der Frauen und die Infragestellung männlicher Dominanz spielen in den Überblickswerken zur Geschichte der Bundesrepublik nur eine untergeordnete Rolle. Warum dies so ist, und welche Folgen eine Umkehr dieser Tendenz hätte, ist Thema dieses Aufsatzes. Am Beispiel feministischer Aktivistinnen des westdeutschen “1968” wird aufgezeigt, wie geschlechtsspezifisch verzerrt die gängigen Narrative der Protestbewegung und des Wertewandels in den 1960er Jahren sind. Sobald wir die Narrative der westdeutschen Geschichte mit feministischer “agency” zusammendenken, verändert sich notwendigerweise die Definition von “Erfolg” in der “Erfolgsgeschichte” der Bundesrepublik. Zudem werden die Kategorien des “Westens” und der “Verwestlichung”, der “politischen Generation” und des “Generationskonflikts” als geschlechtsspezifische Konstrukte erkennbar, die bislang eine männliche Perspektive in der Geschichtsschreibung wie in der öffentlichen Erinnerungskultur privilegiert haben.
Cohesive Difference: Germans and Italians in a Postwar Europe
Authors: Hanshew Karrin
Published: March 2019

This article makes a case for rupturing the national framework used in traditional narratives of the Federal Republic, and it does so by revisiting the Italo-German relationship in particular. The state of Europe—and of Germans’ place in it—are in flux in the wake of the recent Eurozone crisis and “Brexit.” A study of German-Italian entanglements cannot offer definite answers about whether Germans or Italians feel “European,” but it does demonstrate, on the one hand, that perceptions of national difference do not preclude collaboration and closer relations, and, on the other, that the construction and deployment of difference can actually help create and maintain bonds between populations. Making a case for the importance of a history of German-Italian entanglements, the article offers evidence for how perceived national differences have brought Germans and Italians together, from the beginning of the Federal Republic to roughly the present, with a focus on Germans’ (and Italians’) recent turn to an apolitical or even anti-political lifestyle politics, and on the uncertain consequences that this has for the European project as a whole.
VESPASIAN'S APOTHEOSIS
Authors: Gallia Andrew B.
Published: March 2019

In the study of the divinization of Roman emperors, a great deal depends upon the sequence of events. According to the model of consecratio proposed by Bickermann, apotheosis was supposed to be accomplished during the deceased emperor's public funeral, after which the Senate acknowledged what had transpired by decreeing appropriate honours for the new diuus. Contradictory evidence has turned up in the Fasti Ostienses, however, which seem to indicate that both Marciana and Faustina were declared diuae before their funerals took place. This suggests a shift away from the Augustan precedent, whereby the testimony of a (well-compensated) witness had been required to establish divinity (Suet. Aug. 100.4, Dio Cass. 56.46.2, 59.11.4; cf. Sen. Apocol. 1.2–3), to a procedure in which the senators were able to jump ahead to the politically foreordained conclusion and bestow the honour at once. Careful re-examination of the evidence in Tacitus (Ann. 12.69.3, 13.2.3) and Suetonius (Ner. 9) has made it possible to assign this development to the year 54, with the consecration of Claudius.
THE MEMORY OF THE GREAT WAR AND MORALE DURING BRITAIN'S PHONEY WAR
Authors: MORLEY JOEL
Published: March 2019

This article examines the memory of the Great War and the underexplored topic of morale during the Phoney War, and contributes to, and connects, their historiographies. Analysis of previously unexamined Mass Observation (MO) material confirms and qualifies some of the concerns about morale that MO expressed at the time. It also reveals that many Britons looked backwards to the Great War during the Phoney War, whether they had lived through the Great War or not, and their memories and understandings of the Great War informed their attitudes to the Second World War. Memories of wartime trauma were just one facet of the varied legacy of the Great War that Britons drew upon. Importantly, Britons of different ages drew upon post-war representations and personal and vicarious experiences to different extents, but those who were able to typically ascribed influence to personal rather than cultural memories of the Great War. This complicates the assumption that the latter determined Britons’ responses to the outbreak of the Second World War and contributes to understandings of both the reception and influence of cultural representations of the Great War, and the place of the Great War in the subjective worlds of Britons during the Second World War.
POSTREVOLUTIONARY IRAN AND SHIءI LEBANON: CONTESTED HISTORIES OF SHIءI TRANSNATIONALISM
Authors: Shaery-Eisenlohr Roschanack
Published: March 2019

In this article I address the transnational dimensions of memory production. In particular, I analyze
how interpretations of past events define Shiءi relations across borders in the Middle East. Focusing
on how the Lebanese Shiءi political party of Amal and the current Iranian government remember
the figure of Mustafa Chamran—an Iranian Shiءi anti-Shah activist based in Lebanon from 1970
to 1979—I discuss the debates that inform the creation of such contested memories and reasons
for and consequences of their divergence. Participants' ideas about the history and characteristics
of this transnational network cannot be understood separately from their claims to political and
religious authority in the Shiءi world. Thus, transnational Shiءi networks do not self-evidently
reproduce themselves based on a shared sense of religious identity and history. It takes ideological
work both to construct differences and to create solidarities across borders among Shiءa. This
ideological work must be situated within larger political, religious, and socioeconomic contexts.
Multisets in type theory
Authors: GYLTERUD HÅKON ROBBESTAD
Published: March 2019

A multiset consists of elements, but the notion of a multiset is distinguished from that of a set by carrying information of how many times each element occurs in a given multiset. In this work we will investigate the notion of iterative multisets, where multisets are iteratively built up from other multisets, in the context Martin–Löf Type Theory, in the presence of Voevodsky’s Univalence Axiom.

In his 1978 paper, “the type theoretic interpretation of constructive set theory” Aczel introduced a model of constructive set theory in type theory, using a W-type quantifying over a universe, and an inductively defined equivalence relation on it. Our investigation takes this W-type and instead considers the identity type on it, which can be computed from the univalence axiom. Our thesis is that this gives a model of multisets. In order to demonstrate this, we adapt axioms of constructive set theory to multisets, and show that they hold for our model.
Probabilities in a Gaussian Cocked Hat
Authors: Stuart Robin G.
Published: March 2019

A round of three celestial sights yields three lines of position along which the observer's true position could lie. Due to measurement errors, the lines of position do not intersect at a point but rather form a triangle called the “cocked hat”. The probability that this encloses the observer's true position is well known to be 25% which is the average over all possible cocked hats that could arise when the sights are made. It does not apply to any specific set of sights and in that case the probabilities depend on the statistical distribution of the measurement errors. With fixed azimuths for the observed celestial bodies and assuming a normal distribution for the errors in their measured altitudes, a closed form analytic expression is derived for the probability of the observer's position falling inside the cocked hat and this is related back to the global average. Probabilities for exterior regions bounded by the lines of position are also obtained. General results are given that apply for any number of lines of position.
Switching Method for Long-Term Inertial Navigation System Based on Switched Control
Authors: Deng Zhihong , Shi Lei , Liu Tong , Wang Bo
Published: March 2019

The switching between a damped and an undamped Inertial Navigation System (INS) is an important technical method to ensure its long-term accuracy. The stability of switching is of great importance. This paper studies the switching stability problem between a damped and an undamped INS. A model of an inertial navigation switching system is established by introducing switched control. The average dwell time method is used to analyse stability and a sufficient condition of exponential stability is given. The condition is also extended to the switched system containing constant disturbance and the sufficient condition of exponential stability. The effect of introducing switched control for the smooth operation of the system is verified and the accuracy of a long-term INS is improved effectively.
Early seizures after ischemic stroke: focus on thrombolysis
Authors: Feher Gergely , Gurdan Zsuzsanna , Gombos Katalin , Koltai Katalin , Pusch Gabriella , Tibold Antal , Szapary Laszlo
Published: March 2019

Introduction.

Stroke is a significant underlying cause of epilepsy. Seizures due to ischemic stroke (IS) are generally categorized into early seizures (ESs) and late seizures (LSs). Seizures in thrombolysis situations may raise the possibility of other etiology than IS.

Aim.

We overtook a systematic review focusing on the pathogenesis, prevalence, risk factors, detection, management, and clinical outcome of ESs in IS and in stroke/thrombolysis situations. We also collected articles focusing on the association of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) treatment and epileptic seizures.

Results.

We have identified 37 studies with 36,775 participants. ES rate was 3.8% overall in patients with IS with geographical differences. Cortical involvement, severe stroke, hemorrhagic transformation, age (<65 years), large lesion, and atrial fibrillation were the most important risk factors. Sixty-one percent of ESs were partial and 39% were general. Status epilepticus (SE) occurred in 16.3%. 73.6% had an onset within 24 h and 40% may present at the onset of stroke syndrome. Based on EEG findings seizure-like activity could be detected only in approximately 18% of ES patients. MRI diffusion-weighted imaging and multimodal brain imaging may help in the differentiation of ischemia vs. seizure. There are no specific recommendations with regard to the treatment of ES.

Conclusion.

ESs are rare complications of acute stroke with substantial burden. A significant proportion can be presented at the onset of stroke requiring an extensive diagnostic workup.
Affective forecasting accuracy in obsessive compulsive disorder
Authors: Hezel Dianne M. , Stewart S. Evelyn , Riemann Bradley C. , McNally Richard J.
Published: March 2019

Background:

Research indicates that people suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) possess several cognitive biases, including a tendency to over-estimate threat and avoid risk. Studies have suggested that people with OCD not only over-estimate the severity of negative events, but also under-estimate their ability to cope with such occurrences. What is less clear is if they also miscalculate the extent to which they will be emotionally impacted by a given experience.

Aims:

The aim of the current study was twofold. First, we examined if people with OCD are especially poor at predicting their emotional responses to future events (i.e.affective forecasting). Second, we analysed the relationship between affective forecasting accuracy and risk assessment across a broad domain of behaviours.

Method:

Forty-one OCD, 42 non-anxious, and 40 socially anxious subjects completed an affective forecasting task and a self-report measure of risk-taking.

Results:

Findings revealed that affective forecasting accuracy did not differ among the groups. In addition, there was little evidence that affective forecasting errors are related to how people assess risk in a variety of situations.

Conclusions:

The results of our study suggest that affective forecasting is unlikely to contribute to the phenomenology of OCD or social anxiety disorder. However, that people over-estimate the hedonic impact of negative events might have interesting implications for the treatment of OCD and other disorders treated with exposure therapy.
LABOR SHARE AND GROWTH IN THE LONG RUN
Authors: Charpe Matthieu , Bridji Slim , Mcadam Peter
Published: March 2019

This paper establishes some stylized facts of the long-run relationship between growth and labor shares using historical data for the USA (1898–2010), the United Kingdom (1856–2010), and France (1896–2010). Performing individual country time–frequency analysis, we demonstrate the existence of long-term cycles in labor share of 30–50 years explaining a major part of the variance in the data. Further, the impact of labor share on growth changes sign with the frequency considered from negative at high frequencies to positive at low frequencies. Finally, the positive coefficient associated with the labor share at low frequencies increases over time.
QUANTILE-BASED ASYMMETRIC DYNAMICS OF REAL GDP GROWTH
Authors: Liu Xiaochun
Published: March 2019

This paper studies asymmetric dynamics of real GDP growth by estimating linear and nonlinear quantile persistence over different parts of the conditional distribution for six major developed economies. Several novel quantile-based hypotheses are motivated in this paper and tested for the steepness asymmetry of real GDP growth that hypothesizes that contractions are steeper than expansions. The empirical results show that quantile persistence is generally high at far lower tails, thus requiring much longer half-lives to reverting negative deviations to the mean of real GDP growth and hence leading to gradual economic recoveries. By contrast, less persistence in far upper tails tends to generate sharp and short economic downturns that adjust positive deviations towards the mean of real GDP growth so as to cause abrupt economic recessions. In particular, this asymmetry in quantile persistence strongly supports the steepness asymmetry conjecture, robust to the presence of structural breaks and potential nonlinearities in real GDP growth.
Role of stellar physics in regulating the critical steps for life
Authors: Lingam Manasvi , Loeb Abraham
Published: March 2019

We use the critical step model to study the major transitions in evolution on Earth. We find that a total of five steps represents the most plausible estimate, in agreement with previous studies, and use the fossil record to identify the potential candidates. We apply the model to Earth-analogs around stars of different masses by incorporating the constraints on habitability set by stellar physics including the habitable zone lifetime, availability of ultraviolet radiation for prebiotic chemistry, and atmospheric escape. The critical step model suggests that the habitability of Earth-analogs around M-dwarfs is significantly suppressed. The total number of stars with planets containing detectable biosignatures of microbial life is expected to be highest for K-dwarfs. In contrast, we find that the corresponding value for intelligent life (technosignatures) should be highest for solar-mass stars. Thus, our work may assist in the identification of suitable targets in the search for biosignatures and technosignatures.
On the logical properties of Keynes’s theorising, and different approaches to the Keynes–institutionalism nexus
Authors: O'Donnell Rod
Published: March 2019

This paper replies to Hodgson (2019), which responds to my analysis and critique in O'Donnell (2018). My present aim is clarification of our respective positions, our agreements and disagreements, and their underlying causes. To this end, I elaborate further on the logic underpinning my initial paper, comment on several (not all) key points in Hodgson's response, and conclude with the matter of our different agendas. Space limitations preclude fuller discussion and encourage concise expression.
Examining Alaska’s Earthquakes on Land and Sea
Authors: Abers G. , Adams A. , Haeussler Peter , Roland Emily , Shore P. , Wiens Douglas , Schwartz Susan , Sheehan Anne , Shillington D. , Webb Spahr , Worthington Lindsay
Published: March 2019

The Alaska Amphibious Community Seismic Experiment is taking a close look at seismic activity along the Alaska Peninsula to understand earthquakes in this little-studied region.
Atomic switches of metallic point contacts by plasmonic heating
Authors: Zhang Weiqiang , Liu Hongshuang , Lu Jinsheng , Ni Lifa , Liu Haitao , Li Qiang , Qiu Min , Xu Bingqian , Lee Takhee , Zhao Zhikai , Wang Xianghui , Wang Maoning , Wang Tao , Offenhäusser Andreas , Mayer Dirk , Hwang Wang-Taek , Xiang Dong
Published: March 2019

Electronic switches with nanoscale dimensions satisfy an urgent demand for further device miniaturization. A recent heavily investigated approach for nanoswitches is the use of molecular junctions that employ photochromic molecules that toggle between two distinct isoforms. In contrast to the reports on this approach, we demonstrate that the conductance switch behavior can be realized with only a bare metallic contact without any molecules under light illumination. We demonstrate that the conductance of bare metallic quantum contacts can be reversibly switched over eight orders of magnitude, which substantially exceeds the performance of molecular switches. After the switch process, the gap size between two electrodes can be precisely adjusted with subangstrom accuracy by controlling the light intensity or polarization. Supported by simulations, we reveal a more general and straightforward mechanism for nanoswitching behavior, i.e., atomic switches can be realized by the expansion of nanoelectrodes due to plasmonic heating.
Author Correction: Na+/Ca2+ exchanger 1 on nuclear envelope controls PTEN/Akt pathway via nucleoplasmic Ca2+ regulation during neuronal differentiation
Authors: Secondo Agnese , Esposito Alba , Petrozziello Tiziana , Boscia Francesca , Molinaro Pasquale , Tedeschi Valentina , Pannaccione Anna , Ciccone Roselia , Guida Natascia , Di Renzo Gianfranco , Annunziato Lucio
Published: March 2019

Following publication of the original article [1], it was brought to the attention of the Editors that there had been an error in the author affiliations We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused readers. The correct affiliations are as follows:
Tuning infrared plasmon resonances in doped metal-oxide nanocrystals through cation-exchange reactions
Authors: Liu Zeke , Zhong Yaxu , Shafei Ibrahim , Borman Ryan , Jeong Soojin , Chen Jun , Losovyj Yaroslav , Gao Xinfeng , Li Na , Du Yaping , Sarnello Erik , Li Tao , Su Dong , Ma Wanli , Ye Xingchen
Published: March 2019

Metal-oxide nanocrystals doped with aliovalent atoms can exhibit tunable infrared localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs). Yet, the range of dopant types and concentrations remains limited for many metal-oxide hosts, largely because of the difficulty in establishing reaction kinetics that favors dopant incorporation by using the co-thermolysis method. Here we develop cation-exchange reactions to introduce p-type dopants (Cu+, Ag+, etc.) into n-type metal-oxide nanocrystals, producing programmable LSPR redshifts due to dopant compensation. We further demonstrate that enhanced n-type doping can be realized via sequential cation-exchange reactions mediated by the Cu+ ions. Cation-exchange transformations add a new dimension to the design of plasmonic nanocrystals, allowing preformed nanocrystals to be used as templates to create compositionally diverse nanocrystals with well-defined LSPR characteristics. The ability to tailor the doping profile postsynthetically opens the door to a multitude of opportunities to deepen our understanding of the relationship between local structure and LSPR properties.
Nonlinear XUV signal generation probed by transient grating spectroscopy with attosecond pulses
Authors: Fidler Ashley P. , Camp Seth J. , Warrick Erika R. , Bloch Etienne , Marroux Hugo J. B. , Neumark Daniel M. , Schafer Kenneth J. , Gaarde Mette B. , Leone Stephen R.
Published: March 2019

Nonlinear spectroscopies are utilized extensively for selective measurements of chemical dynamics in the optical, infrared, and radio-frequency regimes. The development of these techniques for extreme ultraviolet (XUV) light sources facilitates measurements of electronic dynamics on attosecond timescales. Here, we elucidate the temporal dynamics of nonlinear signal generation by utilizing a transient grating scheme with a subfemtosecond XUV pulse train and two few-cycle near-infrared pulses in atomic helium. Simultaneous detection of multiple diffraction orders reveals delays of ≥1.5 fs in higher-order XUV signal generation, which are reproduced theoretically by solving the coupled Maxwell–Schrödinger equations and with a phase grating model. The delays result in measurable order-dependent differences in the energies of transient light induced states. As nonlinear methods are extended into the attosecond regime, the observed higher-order signal generation delays will significantly impact and aid temporal and spectral measurements of dynamic processes.
X-ray structures of the high-affinity copper transporter Ctr1
Authors: Ren Feifei , Logeman Brandon L. , Zhang Xiaohui , Liu Yongjian , Thiele Dennis J. , Yuan Peng
Published: March 2019

Copper (Cu) is an essential trace element for growth and development and abnormal Cu levels are associated with anemia, metabolic disease and cancer. Evolutionarily conserved from fungi to humans, the high-affinity Cu+ transporter Ctr1 is crucial for both dietary Cu uptake and peripheral distribution, yet the mechanisms for selective permeation of potentially toxic Cu+ ions across cell membranes are unknown. Here we present X-ray crystal structures of Ctr1 from Salmo salar in both Cu+-free and Cu+-bound states, revealing a homo-trimeric Cu+-selective ion channel-like architecture. Two layers of methionine triads form a selectivity filter, coordinating two bound Cu+ ions close to the extracellular entrance. These structures, together with Ctr1 functional characterization, provide a high resolution picture to understand Cu+ import across cellular membranes and suggest therapeutic opportunities for intervention in diseases characterized by inappropriate Cu accumulation.
Improving eDNA yield and inhibitor reduction through increased water volumes and multi-filter isolation techniques
Authors: Hunter Margaret E. , Ferrante Jason A. , Meigs-Friend Gaia , Ulmer Amelia
Published: March 2019

To inform management and conservation decisions, environmental DNA (eDNA) methods are used to detect genetic material shed into the water by imperiled and invasive species. Methodological enhancements are needed to reduce filter clogging, PCR inhibition, and false-negative detections when eDNA is at low concentrations. In the first of three simple experiments, we sought to ameliorate filter clogging from particulates and organic material through a scaled-up, multi-filter protocol. We combined four filters in a 5 mL Phenol-Chloroform-Isoamyl (PCI) procedure to allow for larger volumes of water (~1 L) to be filtered rapidly. Increasing the filtered water volume by four times resulted in 4.4X the yield of target DNA. Next, inhibition from organic material can reduce or block eDNA detections in PCR-based assays. To remove inhibitory compounds retained during eDNA isolation, we tested three methods to chemically strip inhibitors from eDNA molecules. The use of CTAB as a short-term (5–8 day) storage buffer, followed by a PCI isolation, resulted in the highest eDNA yields. Finally, as opposed to a linear relationship among increasing concentrations of filtered genomic eDNA, we observed a sharp change between the lower (70–280 ng) and higher (420–560 ng) amounts. This may be important for effectively precipitating eDNA during protocol testing.
An Optogenetic Kindling Model of Neocortical Epilepsy
Authors: Cela Elvis , McFarlan Amanda R. , Chung Andrew J. , Wang Taiji , Chierzi Sabrina , Murai Keith K. , Sjöström P. Jesper
Published: March 2019

Epileptogenesis is the gradual process by which the healthy brain develops epilepsy. However, the neuronal circuit changes that underlie epileptogenesis are not well understood. Unfortunately, current chemically or electrically induced epilepsy models suffer from lack of cell specificity, so it is seldom known which cells were activated during epileptogenesis. We therefore sought to develop an optogenetic variant of the classical kindling model of epilepsy in which activatable cells are both genetically defined and fluorescently tagged. We briefly optogenetically activated pyramidal cells (PCs) in awake behaving mice every two days and conducted a series of experiments to validate the effectiveness of the model. Although initially inert, brief optogenetic stimuli eventually elicited seizures that increased in number and severity with additional stimulation sessions. Seizures were associated with long-lasting plasticity, but not with tissue damage or astrocyte reactivity. Once optokindled, mice retained an elevated seizure susceptibility for several weeks in the absence of additional stimulation, indicating a form of long-term sensitization. We conclude that optokindling shares many features with classical kindling, with the added benefit that the role of specific neuronal populations in epileptogenesis can be studied. Links between long-term plasticity and epilepsy can thus be elucidated.
Laser-driven high-quality positron sources as possible injectors for plasma-based accelerators
Authors: Alejo Aaron , Walczak Roman , Sarri Gianluca
Published: March 2019

The intrinsic constraints in the amplitude of the accelerating fields sustainable by radio-frequency accelerators demand for the pursuit of alternative and more compact acceleration schemes. Among these, plasma-based accelerators are arguably the most promising, thanks to the high-accelerating fields they can sustain, greatly exceeding the GeV/m. While plasma-based acceleration of electrons is now sufficiently mature for systematic studies in this direction, positron acceleration is still at its infancy, with limited projects currently undergoing to provide a viable test facility for further experiments. In this article, we study the feasibility of using a recently demonstrated laser-driven configuration as a relatively compact and inexpensive source of high-quality ultra-relativistic positrons for laser-driven and particle-driven plasma wakefield acceleration studies. Monte-Carlo simulations show that near-term high-intensity laser facilities can produce positron beams with high-current, femtosecond-scale duration, and sufficiently low normalised emittance at energies in the GeV range to be injected in further acceleration stages.
Glacier ablation and temperature indexed melt models in the Nepalese Himalaya
Authors: Litt Maxime , Shea Joseph , Wagnon Patrick , Steiner Jakob , Koch Inka , Stigter Emmy , Immerzeel Walter
Published: March 2019

Temperature index (TI) models are convenient for modelling glacier ablation since they require only a few input variables and rely on simple empirical relations. The approach is generally assumed to be reliable at lower elevations (below 3500 m above sea level, a.s.l) where air temperature (Ta) relates well to the energy inputs driving melt. We question this approach in High Mountain Asia (HMA). We study in-situ meteorological drivers of glacial ablation at two sites in central Nepal, between 2013 and 2017, using data from six automatic weather stations (AWS). During the monsoon, surface melt dominates ablation processes at lower elevations (between 4950 and 5380 m a.s.l.). As net shortwave radiation (SWnet) is the main energy input at the glacier surface, albedo (α) and cloudiness play key roles while being highly variable in space and time. For these cases only, ablation can be calculated with a TI model, or with an Enhanced TI (ETI) model that includes a shortwave radiation (SW) scheme and site specific ablation factors. In the ablation zone during other seasons and during all seasons in the accumulation zone, sublimation and other wind-driven ablation processes also contribute to mass loss, and remain unresolved with TI or ETI methods.
RNA-seq reveals the involvement of key genes for aerobic adaptation in rice
Authors: Phule Amol S. , Barbadikar Kalyani M. , Maganti Sheshu Madhav , Seguttuvel P. , Subrahmanyam D. , Babu M. B. B. Prasad , Kumar Polumetla A.
Published: March 2019

Adaptation of rice to the aerobic condition is needed to cope with the water scarcity as well as to ensure sustainable yield in future. To understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for aerobic adaptation in rice, we performed RNA-seq analysis of root and shoot i.e. developing panicle tissues at panicle initiation stage in two cultivars adapted to aerobic (CR Dhan 202) and traditional transplanted anaerobic (BPT 5204) conditions. The RNA-seq data emanated from 1.65 billion clean reads with approximately 37 million reads per sample. The number of differentially expressed transcripts was higher in the root than that in the shoot under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The transcription factors viz. MADS4, MADS5, MADS6, MADS7, MADS15 and transporters involved in sugar (SWEET3A) and nutrient uptake (PHT1;6, MDR-like ABC and vacuolar iron transporter homolog 2) were highly and uniquely expressed in the aerobic adapted cultivar (AAC) CR Dhan 202 under aerobic condition indicating their role in adaptation. The hormones such as ethylene and abscisic acid might be significantly involved in imparting aerobic adaptation. The higher expression of root related genes in the AAC under aerobic conditions suggests the involvement and sensitivity of roots to the water limiting condition. The metabolic activities are also more pronounced in the roots which impart rigorous plant establishment under the aerobic condition. The presence of alternative splice variants in the transcripts viz. Tetratrico peptide repeat (TPR) domain containing protein and GOLDEN2-LIKE1 (GLK1) additionally confirms that post transcriptional regulation is also crucial for aerobic adaptation. The QTLs related to root traits and stress tolerance harboring the uniquely expressed genes, which were identified in the present study can be deployed in molecular breeding programs to develop elite, high yielding aerobic rice cultivars.
Determining the extent of maternal-foetal chimerism in cord blood
Authors: Opstelten Rianne , Slot Manon C. , Lardy Neubury M. , Lankester Arjan C. , Mulder Arend , Claas Frans H. J. , van Rood Jon J. , Amsen Derk
Published: March 2019

During pregnancy, maternal T cells can enter the foetus, leading to maternal-foetal chimerism. This phenomenon may affect how leukaemia patients respond to transplantation therapy using stem cells from cord blood (CB). It has been proposed that maternal T cells, primed to inherited paternal HLAs, are present in CB transplants and help to suppress leukaemic relapse. Several studies have reported evidence for the presence of maternal T cells in most CBs at sufficiently high numbers to lend credence to this idea. We here aimed to functionally characterise maternal T cells from CB. To our surprise, we could not isolate viable maternal cells from CB even after using state-of-the-art enrichment techniques that allow detection of viable cells in heterologous populations at frequencies that were several orders of magnitude lower than reported frequencies of maternal T cells in CB. In support of these results, we could only detect maternal DNA in a minority of samples and at insufficient amounts for reliable quantification through a sensitive PCR-based assay to measure In/Del polymorphisms. We conclude that maternal microchimerism is far less prominent than reported, at least in our cohort of CBs, and discuss possible explanations and implications.
Human Bone Marrow Endothelial Progenitor Cell Transplantation into Symptomatic ALS Mice Delays Disease Progression and Increases Motor Neuron Survival by Repairing Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier
Authors: Garbuzova-Davis Svitlana , Kurien Crupa , Haller Edward , Eve David J. , Navarro Stephanie , Steiner George , Mahendrasah Ajay , Hailu Surafuale , Khatib Mohammed , Boccio Kayla J. , Borlongan Cesario V. , Van Loveren Harry R. , Appel Stanley H. , Sanberg Paul R.
Published: March 2019

Convincing evidence demonstrated impairment of the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), mainly by endothelial cell (EC) alterations. Replacing damaged ECs by cell transplantation is a potential barrier repair strategy. Recently, we showed that intravenous (iv) administration of human bone marrow CD34+ (hBM34+) cells into symptomatic ALS mice benefits BSCB restoration and postpones disease progression. However, delayed effect on motor function and some severely damaged capillaries were noted. We hypothesized that hematopoietic cells from a restricted lineage would be more effective. This study aimed to establish the effects of human bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (hBMEPCs) systemically transplanted into G93A mice at symptomatic disease stage. Results showed that transplanted hBMEPCs significantly improved behavioral disease outcomes, engrafted widely into capillaries of the gray/white matter spinal cord and brain motor cortex/brainstem, substantially restored capillary ultrastructure, significantly decreased EB extravasation into spinal cord parenchyma, meaningfully re-established perivascular astrocyte end-feet, and enhanced spinal cord motor neuron survival. These results provide novel evidence that transplantation of hBMEPCs effectively repairs the BSCB, potentially preventing entry of detrimental peripheral factors, including immune/inflammatory cells, which contribute to motor neuron dysfunction. Transplanting EC progenitor cells may be a promising strategy for barrier repair therapy in this disease.
Effect of energy per atom (E/n) on the Ar gas cluster ion beam (Ar-GCIB) and O2+ cosputter process
Authors: Wang Shin-Kung , Chang Hsun-Yun , Chu Yi-Hsuan , Kao Wei-Lun , Wu Chen-Yi , Lee Yi-Wei , You Yun-Wen , Chu Kuo-Jui , Hung Shu-Hang , Shyue Jing-Jong
Published: March 2019

With optimization, GCIB-O2+ cosputter is a promising technique for preserving molecular structures during ion sputtering and successfully profiled soft materials.
Rapid detection of metal impurities on the surfaces of intact objects with irregular shapes using electrochemical mass spectrometry
Authors: Song Lili , Xu Jiaquan , Zhong Dacai , Chingin Konstantin , Qu Ying , Chen Huanwen
Published: March 2019

An electrochemical mass spectrometry method was developed for the rapid and non-destructive detection of metal impurities on irregular intact objects.
Polymer microchamber arrays for geometry-controlled drug release: a functional study in human cells of neuronal phenotype
Authors: Kopach Olga , Zheng Kayiu , Sindeeva Olga A. , Gai Meiyu , Sukhorukov Gleb B. , Rusakov Dmitri A.
Published: March 2019

Polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) microchambers can provide a versatile cargo delivery system enabling rapid, site-specific drug release on demand.
Control of post-growth processes for the selection of metallo-tetraphenylporphyrin nanowires
Authors: Raimondo Luisa , Trabattoni Silvia , Sassella Adele
Published: March 2019

Uniaxially-aligned crystalline nanowires of meso-tetraphenyl porphyrin–Zn(ii) are selected, among several nano-sized phases, by means of sample aging via quasi-Ostwald ripening.
ReCirc: prediction of circRNA expression and function through probe reannotation of non-circRNA microarrays
Authors: Zhao Jianmei , Li Xuecang , Guo Jincheng , Li Meng , Zhang Jian , Ding Jiyu , Li Shang , Tang Zhidong , Qian Fengcui , Li Yanyu , Wang Qiuyu , Li Chunquan , Li Enmin , Xu Liyan
Published: March 2019

We developed a probe reannotating program named ReCirc, which is based on sequence alignment between microarray probes and circRNAs, to reannotate circRNAs from non-circRNA microarrays.
Target exploration of rhein as a small-molecule necrosis avid agent by post-treatment click modification
Authors: Jin Qiaomei , Jiang Cuihua , Gao Meng , Zhang Dongjian , Yao Nan , Feng Yuanbo , Wu Tianze , Zhang Jian
Published: March 2019

Post-labeling of compound 3 indicated that binding to exposed DNA may be an important mechanism of targeting of rhein compounds to necrotic cells.
Shikimoyl-ligand decorated gold nanoparticles for use in ex vivo engineered dendritic cell based DNA vaccination
Authors: Meka Rakeshchandra R. , Mukherjee Sudip , Patra Chitta Ranjan , Chaudhuri Arabinda
Published: March 2019

Shikimoyl-ligand decorated AuNPs for ex vivo engineered DC based DNA vaccination.
Experimental and numerical evaluation of a genetically engineered M13 bacteriophage with high sensitivity and selectivity for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene
Authors: Kim Won-Geun , Zueger Chris , Kim Chuntae , Wong Winnie , Devaraj Vasanthan , Yoo Hae-Wook , Hwang Sungu , Oh Jin-Woo , Lee Seung-Wuk
Published: March 2019

This study includes the experimental results of a sensitive M13 bacteriophage-based sensor system that are well matched with the quantum mechanics calculation.
The effect of ZnCl2 activation on microwave absorbing performance in walnut shell-derived nano-porous carbon
Authors: Wang Lixi , Zhou Panpan , Guo Yu , Zhang Jing , Qiu Xu , Guan Yongkang , Yu Mingxun , Zhu Hongli , Zhang Qitu
Published: March 2019

Porous carbon has been expected to be a potential candidate as a lightweight and efficient microwave absorber.
Synthesis and gas transport properties of polyamide membranes containing PDMS groups
Authors: Ren Liexiang , Liu Jin
Published: March 2019

PA-PDMS membranes were synthesized by polycondensation reaction and the gas permeability was found to increase with an increase of PPG content, with the gas permeability of PA-PDMS-20 membrane reaching 29.29 at 35 °C and 3.0 atm.
Nuclear fuel cycle, with a liquid ore and fuel: toward renewable energy
Authors: Degueldre Claude A. , Dawson Richard J. , Najdanovic-Visak Vesna
Published: March 2019

To fulfill the conditions required for a nuclear renewable energy concept, one has to explore a combination of processes going from the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle to the fuel production and the energy conversion using specific fluid fuels and reactors.
Selective host–guest interactions in metal–organic frameworks via multiple hydrogen bond donor–acceptor recognition sites
Authors: Wittmann T. , Tschense C. B. L. , Zappe L. , Koschnick C. , Siegel R. , Stäglich R. , Lotsch B. V. , Senker J.
Published: March 2019

Targeted recognition of medium sized molecules with mixed hydrogen bond units is essential for using porous materials for molecular separation, sensing and drug delivery.
A core–shell heterostructured CuFe@NiFe Prussian blue analogue as a novel electrode material for high-capacity and stable capacitive deionization
Authors: Zhao Yubo , Liang Bolong , Wei Xujie , Li Kexun , Lv Cuicui , Zhao Yong
Published: March 2019

A core–shell heterostructured CuFe@NiFe PBA was designed for capacitive deionization with high desalination performance and long recyclability.
Rechargeable metal batteries based on selenium cathodes: progress, challenges and perspectives
Authors: Gu Xingxing , Tang Tianyu , Liu Xiaoteng , Hou Yanglong
Published: March 2019

Rechargeable metal batteries using selenium or selenide as the cathodes have attracted considerable attention during the past few years owing to selenium/selenide possessing a high volumetric energy density that is comparable to that of sulfur, a moderate output voltage and characteristics of environmental benignity.
Construction of cellulose nanofibers/quaternized chitin/organic rectorite composites and their application as wound dressing materials
Authors: Gao Huimin , Zhong Zibiao , Xia Haoyang , Hu Qianchao , Ye Qifa , Wang Yanfeng , Chen Lingyun , Du Yumin , Shi Xiaowen , Zhang Lina
Published: March 2019

The sponge constructed of cellulose nanofibers, quaternized chitin and organic rectorite can effectively promote wound healing.
Sub-3 nm Rh nanoclusters confined within a metal–organic framework for enhanced hydrogen generation
Authors: Zhang Hui , Huang Maolin , Wen Jie , Li Yanping , Li Airong , Zhang Lianhong , Ali Arshid Mahmood , Li Yadong
Published: March 2019

Rh@UIO-66, prepared by using the double-solvent host–guest strategy and excess reduction methods, exhibited a higher catalytic activity in AB hydrolysis compared with Rh/UIO-66 because the ultrafine Rh nanoparticles were confined to UIO-66 channels. This confinement effect played a key role in enhancing the catalytic activity for AB hydrolysis.
Cytosolic delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoproteins for genome editing using chitosan-coated red fluorescent protein
Authors: Qiao Jie , Sun Wenli , Lin Siyu , Jin Rong , Ma Lixin , Liu Yi
Published: March 2019

We report chitosan-coated red fluorescent protein nanoparticles that can simultaneously deliver Cas9 RNPs and DNA donors to the cells for efficient genome editing via the HDR or NHEJ pathway with high efficacy and non-cytotoxicity.