bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyzing Collective Violence in Indonesia: An Overview
Authors: Varshney Ashutosh
Published: March 2016

In 2001, using violent junctures in the life of a seventy-year-old Indonesian as a metaphor for the whole nation, Benedict Anderson summarized the history of violence in Indonesia in a poignant manner:

A seventy year old Indonesian woman or man today will have observed and/or directly experienced the following: as a primary school age child, the police-state authoritarianism of … Dutch colonial rule …; as a young teenager, the wartime Japanese military regime, which regularly practiced torture in private and executions in public …; on the eve of adulthood, four years (1945–49) of popular struggle for national liberation … at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives; as a young mother or father … the cataclysm of 1965–66, when at least 600,000 and perhaps as many as two million people … were slaughtered by the military; in the middle age, the New Order police-state, and its bloody attempt to annex East Timor, which cost over 200,000 East Timorese lives …; in old age, the spread of armed resistance in … Aceh and West Papua, the savage riots of May 1998 … and … the outbreak of ruthless internecine confessional warfare in the long peaceful Moluccas. (Anderson 2001, 9–10)
Roundtable Discussion of Jennifer Lind'SSorry States: Apologies in International Politics
Authors: Glaser Charles L. , Berger Thomas U. , Mochizuki Mike M. , Lind Jennifer
Published: March 2016

How can Japan put its past behind? Scholars, journalists, and activists frequently argue that Japan cannot solve its “history problem” unless it follows West Germany's lead in offering contrition for World War II violence. Into this debate, Jennifer Lind'sSorry States: Apologies in International Politicsoffers an original and provocative contribution. Lind argues that while countries should acknowledge past atrocities, frequent public apologies can be domestically polarizing and diplomatically counterproductive.Sorry Statesoutlines a theory of remembrance and threat perception and tests it in a comparative study of Japanese-South Korean and Franco-German relations after World War II. Its methods, data, and findings will interest not only East Asianists, but also scholars of international reconciliation and security studies more broadly. This roundtable presents three critical essays in addition to a response by the author. They discuss the mechanisms through which historical memory influences perceptions of threat, the relative weight of ideational versus material factors in threat perception, and whether changes in international norms and economic interdependence may increasingly pressure countries to confront past violence.
Transferring Production Systems: An Institutionalist Account of Hyundai Motor Company in the United States
Authors: Jo Hyung Je , You Jong-Sung
Published: March 2016

Our goal in this article is to explain how South Korea's Hyundai Motor Company successfully transferred its production system to the United States. When a production system is transferred to another country, it is modified under the influences of different institutional environments. The key to the success of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Hyundai's transplant in Montgomery, Alabama, is found in Hyundai's relatively low dependence on skill formation and high reliance on numerical flexibility of its production system relative to its Japanese counterparts. While Japanese automakers had difficulties transferring their production system to their US transplants, Hyundai did not because its production system did not require highly skilled labor. Alabama's flexible labor market and the absence of labor unions enabled Hyundai to more efficiently utilize the numerical flexibility of production workers than was possible at its original plant in Korea, which suffered from adversarial labor relations. This case study casts doubt on the convergence model of technology and globalization, because it shows varieties of production systems developing under different institutional environments.
Decentralization and Economic Performance in Indonesia
Authors: Pepinsky Thomas B. , Wihardja Maria M.
Published: March 2016

Indonesia's 1999 decentralization law gave local governments in Indonesia an unprecedented opportunity to adopt prodevelopment policies. In this article, we study whether decentralization has in fact generated improved economic performance in Indonesia. Using a synthetic case control methodology, we argue that Indonesian decentralization has had no discernable effect on the country's national-level economic performance. To explain why not, we use subnational data to probe two political economy mechanisms—interjurisdictional competition and democratic accountability—that underlie all theories linking decentralization to better economic outcomes. Our findings suggest that extreme heterogeneity in endowments, factor immobility, and the endogenous deterioration of local governance institutions can each undermine the supposed development-enhancing promises of decentralized government in emerging economies such as Indonesia.
“Goldilocks” Liberalization: The Uneven Path Toward Interest Rate Reform in China
Authors: Shih Victor
Published: March 2016

Nearly two decades after central bankers began to call for interest rate liberalization, the central bank continues to impose stringent rules on the fluctuation of deposit interest rates. This seems an unlikely outcome given widespread endorsement of liberalization by technocrats and experts both in and out of the government, China's accession to the World Trade Organization, and the technocrats' insulation from popular pressure. To be sure, local interests and central bank lobbying have driven gradual liberalization of interest rates. However, senior Chinese technocrats held on to control over interest rates because of their need to maintain state banks' dominance and to mobilize bank funds in times of economic downturns. As such, progress toward interest rate liberalization only took place during “Goldilocks” phases when the economy enjoyed healthy growth without high inflation.
Reciprocal Trade Agreements in Asia: Credible Commitment to Trade Liberalization or Paper Tigers?
Authors: Hicks Raymond , Kim Soo Yeon
Published: March 2016

Reciprocal trade agreements (RTAs) have proliferated rapidly in Asia in recent years, an unprecedented phenomenon in a region in which state-led institution-building efforts were largely unsuccessful during the Cold War years. In this article, we investigate the qualitative provisions of RTAs in Asia, focusing on agreements that are professedly geared toward trade liberalization through reciprocal exchanges of trade concessions. We build on the concept of credible commitment—that states “tie their hands” through international agreements and thus signal strong commitment to trade liberalization. We argue that a broad range of agreement provisions will affect an RTA's ability to achieve its primary objective: trade liberalization. We present a coding scheme that measures the strength of a wide variety of provisions in the legal texts of RTAs. Using quantitative analysis, we analyze the impact of various components of Asia's RTAs on participants' trade flows.
Rethinking Japan's China Policy: Japan as an Accommodator in the Rise of China, 1978–2011
Authors: Jerdén Björn , Hagström Linus
Published: March 2016

For the last four decades Sino-Japanese relations have been characterized by steadily growing economic and sociocultural interactions. Yet, greater interdependence has developed in tandem with bilateral tensions. Many analysts have attempted to explain the latter as a result of Japan trying to balance or contain the burgeoning growth of Chinese capabilities. In this article, we question and qualify this widespread understanding of Japan's response to China's rise by examining how Japan has handled China's rise between 1978 and 2011. More precisely, how has Japan dealt with China's long-term core strategic interests, which are embodied in the post-1978 Chinese “grand strategy” that is believed to have been instrumental to China's rise? Our main finding is that to a significant degree Japan has accommodated the rise of China rather than balanced against it.
Determinants of Foreign Aid: The Case of South Korea
Authors: Kim Eun Mee , Oh Jinhwan
Published: March 2016

South Korea, the newest member to join the OECD's Development Assistance Committee, has signaled that it will become a major donor of official development assistance (ODA). Having had its own history of being a large recipient of ODA, South Korea claimed that it will provide aid from the recipient's perspective. Using panel data covering twenty-three years (1987–2009) and 154 recipient countries, we examine whether South Korea's ODA reflects the recipient nation's humanitarian needs more than the donor's interests. We ask three questions: (1) What are the major determinants of South Korea's ODA allocation? (2) Has South Korea's ODA policies changed over different time horizons—that is, years, political regimes? (3) Does South Korea exhibit different standards of allocating ODA for different groups of recipient countries? We find that South Korea provides more aid to higher-income developing countries with higher growth rates, which shows the tendency to serve the donor's economic interests. When we examine the data by time periods, we do not find significant differences over decades or political regimes. However, when we reexamine the data based on recipients' income levels, we find that the relationship between per capita income of the recipient country and ODA allocation is negative only for the middle-income or lower-middle-income group recipients and positive for the rest. This finding suggests the possibility that South Korea's ODA policy may have a dual-track structure.
The Nationalization of Japanese Elections
Authors: McElwain Kenneth Mori
Published: March 2016

The postwar electoral dominance of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was founded on (1) strong incumbency advantage, which insulated its legislators from declining party popularity, and (2) the malapportionment of districts, which overvalued the electoral clout of the party's rural base. The LDP's demise in 2009 was due to the reversal of both factors, each of which was related to electoral reforms in the 1990s. First, I demonstrate that elections are becoming more “nationalized,” due to the growing weight that voters attach to the attractiveness of party leaders. Past performance has become a poorer predictor of incumbent reelection, giving way to large partisan swings that are increasingly correlated across districts. Second, malapportionment was reduced by almost half in 1994, meaning that rural votes are now worth fewer seats. As a result, parties that can attract swing voters nationally are better positioned for victory than those with a narrow regional base.
The Electoral System and Japan's Partial Transformation: Party System Consolidation Without Policy Realignment
Authors: Scheiner Ethan
Published: March 2016

Japan's electoral system, which emphasizes first-past-the-post, single-member district rules, has led the country's party system to become consolidated around the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). At the same time, Japan's electoral rules also made it likely that the two parties would not differ markedly in their policy positions, as well as hinder the emergence of new partisan alignments that could offer more clearly distinct policy options. Put differently, Japan's electoral rules have encouraged the development of what is essentially a two-party system, but one in which party alternation in power need not produce sharp policy change.
The DPJ and Women: The Limited Impact of the 2009 Alternation of Power on Policy and Governance
Authors: Gaunder Alisa
Published: March 2016

The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) saw forty of its forty-six female candidates elected in the 2009 lower house election; twenty-six were first-time candidates. Recently, both the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the DPJ have supported more women as “change” candidates in response to changing electoral incentives that favor broad appeals. The DPJ's victory, however, has not had a large impact on women in terms of governance or policy. An exploration of child allowance, day care provision, and dual surname legislation under the DPJ reveals that low seniority and the lack of a critical mass have prevented DPJ women from overcoming significant veto points. The electoral incentives of the emerging two-party system have resulted in a larger number of women in office, but the volatility of the system has sustained a weak voice for women in policymaking.
Beyond the Arms Embargo: EU Transfers of Defense and Dual-Use Technologies to China
Authors: Bräuner Oliver
Published: March 2016

China has largely been cut off from direct transfers of military systems and technologies since the announcement of the EU arms embargo in 1989. Nevertheless, the EU and its member states remain a major source of high technologies for China, namely, by means of trade, investment, and scientific cooperation. This is mainly because the EU-China relationship continues to be dominated by the economic interests of individual member states, both in trade and increasingly in investments. Furthermore, due to a lack of direct security interests in the Asia-Pacific, Europeans do not generally see China as a security threat or a strategic competitor. Therefore, the EU has so far failed to develop a strategic approach toward the potential security implications of transfers of European militarily sensitive technologies that goes beyond the existing arms embargo and currently lacks effective mechanisms to control the flow of such technologies to China.
Between Beijing and Washington: Israel's Technology Transfers to China
Authors: Evron Yoram
Published: March 2016

Technological ties between Israel and China have always been a central and constant element of their relationship. Defense contracts played a leading role here but were also responsible for the severe crisis that erupted between the countries in the early 2000s after Israel, capitulating to US pressure, backed off from its commitment to provide China with military technologies. This not only forced Israel to sever its defense relations with China but also made US-Israel relations a principal factor in the Sino-Israeli connection and imposed tight constraints on Israel's technology transfers to China generally. For Israel, this placed the dilemma of commercial versus political and national security interests at the forefront, since technology connections allowed it to promote its economic, political, and strategic causes through China. Indeed, while technology ties between the states have not stopped entirely—they have shifted to the civilian sphere—technology transfers to China are subject to heavy limitations, and Israel's export control mechanism faces greater challenges to screen them. As China's economic and political influence is ever increasing, Israel's cautious approach to technology transfers to China may be expected to come under mounting pressure.
Delinking National and Local Party Systems: New Parties in Japanese Local Elections
Authors: Hijino Ken Victor Leonard
Published: March 2016

Broader structural developments in Japan in the past two decades—decline of clientelist practices, partisan de-alignment, and decentralization—have dissolved traditionally close ties between national and local party systems, creating an environment conducive to the emergence of local parties. In this context, popular chief executives in four regions launched new parties. I trace how these parties emerged and how national parties reacted to them, from the appearance of the new-party leaders to the 2011 local elections. In comparing the four cases, two factors appear to shape their trajectories: the urbanness of their electoral environments and the responses of the two national parties at the local and the national level. In dealing with the new challengers, both the Liberal Democratic Party and Democratic Party of Japan experienced considerable intraparty conflict and defections, indicating a process of delinking between national and local party systems.
Introduction: Parties, Party Choice, and Partisanship in East Asia
Authors: Dalton Russell J. , Chu Yun-han , Shin Doh Chull
Published: March 2016

Political parties are widely seen as “a sine qua non for the organization of the modern democratic polity and for the expression of political pluralism.” The manner in which parties articulate political interests largely defines the nature of electoral competition, the representation of citizen interests, the policy consequences of elections—and ultimately the functioning of the democratic process.
Partisanship in East Asia
Authors: Sheng Emile C. J.
Published: March 2016

This article compares partisanship across East Asian nations, with four indicators reflecting different dimensions of the concept. Across these indicators, partisanship in East Asian nations was found to be relatively weak compared with most Western democracies, reflecting the less institutionalized nature of their party systems. This could be caused by insufficient time to develop partisanship through mechanisms such as electoral experience and parental socialization. Further breakdowns of income, gender, age groups, and educational levels of partisans showed that more advanced democracies share a relatively uniform pattern across demographics, while young democracies in East Asia showed a more skewed distribution of partisan identifiers, unevenly distributed across income and gender groups. This pattern suggests partisanship is likely to start its development from certain segments of the population and then spread into other segments of the society as a party system becomes more institutionalized.
Interpreting Ethnicity and Urbanization in Malaysia's 2013 General Election
Authors: Pepinsky Thomas B.
Published: March 2016

In this article I reinterpret Ng, Rangel, Vaithilingam, and Pillay's analysis in this issue of pro-BN voting in Peninsular Malaysia in Malaysia's 2013 general election. I show that the authors' statistical methods are inappropriate for testing whether district ethnicity predicts district-level BN vote share, and that their modeling choices result in tests of hypotheses that do not exist and cannot be derived from standard theoretical approaches to ethnic voting in Malaysia. I then provide a range of statistical evidence that supports three main conclusions: (1) ethnicity and district area (a proxy for urbanization) both predict BN vote shares at the district level, (2) neither the effect of ethnicity nor of district area can be reduced to the other, and (3) there is no interactive effect between ethnicity and urbanization. These results are in direct contradiction with the authors' results, and apply equally in Peninsular Malaysia and the entire country. I also discuss the broader issues that emerge when testing competing theories of BN vote share.
The Impact of the 2008 Labor Contract Law on Labor Disputes in China
Authors: Remington Thomas F. , Cui Xiao Wen
Published: March 2016

China's Labor Contract Law came into force on January 1, 2008. One of several important legislative acts aimed at improving the processing of labor grievances through mediation, arbitration, and litigation, and averting collective labor protest, it provides that all employed persons must work under written individual employment contracts. We evaluate the legislation's impact nationally and by province for the years before and after the law's adoption. Observing that the law's effect varied substantially across provinces, we estimate the effects of the law, controlling for time, development level, export intensity, and migrant labor share, on the volume of disputes by province using a cross-sectional time series design. We also examine the law's impact on the incidence of collective disputes and the grounds for disputes. We find that the law significantly increased the volume of labor disputes, raising questions about the relative costliness of the government's strategy for managing employment relations.
Organizational Clientelism: An Analysis of Private Entrepreneurs in Chinese Local Legislatures
Authors: Sun Xin , Zhu Jiangnan , Wu Yiping
Published: March 2016

Extant literature on authoritarian legislatures argues that dictators set up quasi-democratic institutions to co-opt opposition and attract investors. We argue that dictators also nurture clientelistic ties with social groups useful to their rule, a previously overlooked function of authoritarian legislatures. Drawing on the case of Chinese local legislatures—namely, the local People's Congress and the local People's Political Consultative Conference—we find that Chinese local governments use these institutions to channel patronage to and gain political support from the private sector. Field interviews and an analysis of a nationwide firm-level survey show that private firms owned by local legislative members, while obtaining more bank loans, provide more support to the local government in various forms than those owned by nonmembers. This finding suggests that authoritarian legislatures, even those with weak policymaking efficacy, can help authoritarian states build stable alliances with social groups, thereby contributing to regime resilience.
Ethno-political Organizations in the Middle East: When Do They Opt for Violence?
Authors: Karakaya Süveyda
Published: March 2016

Why do some ethno-political organizations resort to violence while others abstain? Are ethno-political organizations with a religious/Islamist ideology more violence-prone compared to non-religious ones? In addition to commonly cited factors such as grievances, political opportunities/constraints, resources, and organizational characteristics, I argue that the existence of youth bulges in a society also increases the probability of adopting violent strategies by ethno-political organizations. Frustrated young males under repressive and authoritarian regimes tend to be likely recruits for violent organizations. I use the Minorities at Risk Organizational Behavior dataset, which includes 118 organizations in 16 countries of the Middle East and North Africa to test my hypotheses. The findings suggest that youth bulges, economic grievances, group fractionalization, external support, and state repression increase the probability of use of violent strategies by ethno-political organizations whereas religious ideology is insignificant. Youth bulges foster violence especially in autocratic countries.
Identifying the determinants of electoral integrity and administration in advanced democracies: the case of Britain
Authors: Clark Alistair
Published: March 2016

Much discussion of electoral integrity focusses on new democracies. This paper explores the determinants of electoral integrity in a major established democracy in order to begin to identify drivers of electoral integrity for comparative scholars to exploit further. It does so through a novel measure of electoral administration in Britain which is brought together with comprehensive data on spending on electoral administration, whether concurrent elections were being held, size of electorate, number of constituencies administered, type of administration overseeing local electoral administration, and various socio-economic measures. The results establish a range of relationships to electoral integrity which will inform subsequent debates on election quality in other democracies, whether advanced or otherwise. In particular, the findings point to the importance of administrative resources in delivering electoral integrity in advanced democracies.
Aerobic capacity as a mediator of the influence of birth weight and school performance
Authors: García-Hermoso A.
Published: March 2016

Low birth weight is associated with cognitive impairments persisting into adolescence and early adulthood. The purposes of this study was two-fold: to analyse the association between birth weight (BW) and school performance, and to determine the influence of adolescent aerobic capacity and muscular strength on the association between BW and school performance in children at 12–13 years. The study included 395 children (50.4% boys, aged 12–13 years). Self-reported BW was evaluated. We measured school performance (mean of the grades obtained in language and mathematics) and two physical fitness tests (aerobic capacity and muscular strength). Analysis of variance was used to analyse the differences in school performance according to BW categories (⩽2500, 2500–3500 and ⩾3500 g). Linear regression models fitted for mediation analyses examined whether the association between BW and school performance was mediated by aerobic capacity and/or muscular strength. Higher BW was associated with better school performance independent of current body mass index. These differences disappeared after controlling for aerobic capacity, which also mediated the association between BW and school performance (13.4%). The relationship between BW and school performance seems to be dependent on aerobic capacity fitness. Our results are of importance because the consequences of BW tend to continue into childhood, and current physical fitness of the children may potentially be modified to improve school performance.
Joint Polar Satellite System Algorithm Team Reviews Past, Future
Authors: Zhou Lihang , Divakarla Murty , Atkins Tom
Published: March 2016

Center for Satellite Applications and Research Joint Polar Satellite System Annual Science Team Meeting; College Park, Maryland, 24–28 August 2015
Investigations of Shallow Slow Slip Offshore of New Zealand
Authors: Harris Robert , Wallace Laura , Webb Spahr , Ito Yoshihiro , Mochizuki Kimihiro , Ichihara Hiroshi , Henrys Stuart , Tréhu Anne , Schwartz Susan , Sheehan Anne , Saffer Demian , Lauer Rachel
Published: March 2016

Recent and upcoming studies of the Hikurangi margin east of New Zealand shed light on previously undetectable tectonic movements.
Connectivity to the surface determines diversity patterns in subsurface aquifers of the Fennoscandian shield
Authors: Hubalek Valerie , Wu Xiaofen , Eiler Alexander , Buck Moritz , Heim Christine , Dopson Mark , Bertilsson Stefan , Ionescu Danny
Published: March 2016

Little research has been conducted on microbial diversity deep under the Earth’s surface. In this study, the microbial communities of three deep terrestrial subsurface aquifers were investigated. Temporal community data over 6 years revealed that the phylogenetic structure and community dynamics were highly dependent on the degree of isolation from the earth surface biomes. The microbial community at the shallow site was the most dynamic and was dominated by the sulfur-oxidizing genera Sulfurovum or Sulfurimonas at all-time points. The microbial community in the meteoric water filled intermediate aquifer (water turnover approximately every 5 years) was less variable and was dominated by candidate phylum OD1. Metagenomic analysis of this water demonstrated the occurrence of key genes for nitrogen and carbon fixation, sulfate reduction, sulfide oxidation and fermentation. The deepest water mass (5000 year old waters) had the lowest taxon richness and surprisingly contained Cyanobacteria. The high relative abundance of phylogenetic groups associated with nitrogen and sulfur cycling, as well as fermentation implied that these processes were important in these systems. We conclude that the microbial community patterns appear to be shaped by the availability of energy and nutrient sources via connectivity to the surface or from deep geological processes.
Challenges in microbial ecology: building predictive understanding of community function and dynamics
Authors: Widder Stefanie , Allen Rosalind J , Pfeiffer Thomas , Curtis Thomas P , Wiuf Carsten , Sloan William T , Cordero Otto X , Brown Sam P , Momeni Babak , Shou Wenying , Kettle Helen , Flint Harry J , Haas Andreas F , Laroche Béatrice , Kreft Jan-Ulrich , Rainey Paul B , Freilich Shiri , Schuster Stefan , Milferstedt Kim , van der Meer Jan R , Groβkopf Tobias , Huisman Jef , Free Andrew , Picioreanu Cristian , Quince Christopher , Klapper Isaac , Labarthe Simon , Smets Barth F , Wang Harris ,   Isaac Newton Institute Fellows, Soyer Orkun S
Published: March 2016

The importance of microbial communities (MCs) cannot be overstated. MCs underpin the biogeochemical cycles of the earth’s soil, oceans and the atmosphere, and perform ecosystem functions that impact plants, animals and humans. Yet our ability to predict and manage the function of these highly complex, dynamically changing communities is limited. Building predictive models that link MC composition to function is a key emerging challenge in microbial ecology. Here, we argue that addressing this challenge requires close coordination of experimental data collection and method development with mathematical model building. We discuss specific examples where model–experiment integration has already resulted in important insights into MC function and structure. We also highlight key research questions that still demand better integration of experiments and models. We argue that such integration is needed to achieve significant progress in our understanding of MC dynamics and function, and we make specific practical suggestions as to how this could be achieved.
Microelectromechanical reprogrammable logic device
Authors: Hafiz M. A. A. , Kosuru L. , Younis M. I.
Published: March 2016

In modern computing, the Boolean logic operations are set by interconnect schemes between the transistors. As the miniaturization in the component level to enhance the computational power is rapidly approaching physical limits, alternative computing methods are vigorously pursued. One of the desired aspects in the future computing approaches is the provision for hardware reconfigurability at run time to allow enhanced functionality. Here we demonstrate a reprogrammable logic device based on the electrothermal frequency modulation scheme of a single microelectromechanical resonator, capable of performing all the fundamental 2-bit logic functions as well as n-bit logic operations. Logic functions are performed by actively tuning the linear resonance frequency of the resonator operated at room temperature and under modest vacuum conditions, reprogrammable by the a.c.-driving frequency. The device is fabricated using complementary metal oxide semiconductor compatible mass fabrication process, suitable for on-chip integration, and promises an alternative electromechanical computing scheme.
Correction: Corrigendum: Isolation of exosomes by differential centrifugation: Theoretical analysis of a commonly used protocol
Authors: Livshits Mikhail A. , Khomyakova Elena , Evtushenko Evgeniy G. , Lazarev Vassili N. , Kulemin Nikolay A. , Semina Svetlana E. , Generozov Edward V. , Govorun Vadim M.
Published: March 2016

Scientific Reports 5: Article number: 17319; published online: 30 November 2015; updated: 29 March 2016 The original version of this Article contained a typographical error in the spelling of the author Mikhail A. Livshits, which was incorrectly given as Mikhail A. Livshts. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Fast antibody fragment motion: flexible linkers act as entropic spring
Authors: Stingaciu Laura R. , Ivanova Oxana , Ohl Michael , Biehl Ralf , Richter Dieter
Published: March 2016

A flexible linker region between three fragments allows antibodies to adjust their binding sites to an antigen or receptor. Using Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy we observed fragment motion on a timescale of 7 ns with motional amplitudes of about 1 nm relative to each other. The mechanistic complexity of the linker region can be described by a spring model with Brownian motion of the fragments in a harmonic potential. Displacements, timescale, friction and force constant of the underlying dynamics are accessed. The force constant exhibits a similar strength to an entropic spring, with friction of the fragment matching the unbound state. The observed fast motions are fluctuations in pre-existing equilibrium configurations. The Brownian motion of domains in a harmonic potential is the appropriate model to examine functional hinge motions dependent on the structural topology and highlights the role of internal forces and friction to function.
Correction: Corrigendum: Giant barocaloric effect in hexagonal Ni2In-type Mn-Co-Ge-In compounds around room temperature
Authors: Wu Rong-Rong , Bao Li-Fu , Hu Feng-Xia , Wu Hui , Huang Qing-Zhen , Wang Jing , Dong Xiao-Li , Li Guan-Nan , Sun Ji-Rong , Shen Fei-Ran , Zhao Tong-Yun , Zheng Xin-Qi , Wang Li-Chen , Liu Yao , Zuo Wen-Liang , Zhao Ying-Ying , Zhang Ming , Wang Xian-Cheng , Jin Chang-Qing , Rao Guang-Hui , Han Xiu-Feng , Shen Bao-Gen
Published: March 2016

Scientific Reports 5: Article number: 18027; published online: 17 December 2015; updated: 29 March 2016 This Article contains errors. In the legend of Figure 3. "(a) Temperature dependence of heat flow (blue, endothermic curve) and entropy (black) Effect of epitaxial strain on small-polaron hopping conduction in Pr0.
On the estimation of brain signal entropy from sparse neuroimaging data
Authors: Grandy Thomas H. , Garrett Douglas D. , Schmiedek Florian , Werkle-Bergner Markus
Published: March 2016

Multi-scale entropy (MSE) has been recently established as a promising tool for the analysis of the moment-to-moment variability of neural signals. Appealingly, MSE provides a measure of the predictability of neural operations across the multiple time scales on which the brain operates. An important limitation in the application of the MSE to some classes of neural signals is MSE’s apparent reliance on long time series. However, this sparse-data limitation in MSE computation could potentially be overcome via MSE estimation across shorter time series that are not necessarily acquired continuously (e.g., in fMRI block-designs). In the present study, using simulated, EEG, and fMRI data, we examined the dependence of the accuracy and precision of MSE estimates on the number of data points per segment and the total number of data segments. As hypothesized, MSE estimation across discontinuous segments was comparably accurate and precise, despite segment length. A key advance of our approach is that it allows the calculation of MSE scales not previously accessible from the native segment lengths. Consequently, our results may permit a far broader range of applications of MSE when gauging moment-to-moment dynamics in sparse and/or discontinuous neurophysiological data typical of many modern cognitive neuroscience study designs.
Correction: Corrigendum: Climate induces seasonality in pneumococcal transmission
Authors: Numminen Elina , Chewapreecha Claire , Turner Claudia , Goldblatt David , Nosten Francois , Bentley Stephen D. , Turner Paul , Corander Jukka
Published: March 2016

Scientific Reports 5: Article number: 11344; published online: 12 June 2015; updated: 29 March 2016 The Acknowledgements section in this Article is incomplete. “We thank Ben Cooper for helpful discussions, Ritva Syrjänen for pointing out useful references on the seasonality of colonization, Marc Lipsitch for advice in parametrizing the effects of previous exposures in the model and Dan Weinberger on sharing the point estimates on the Navajo colonization study, visualized in Fig.
Correction: Corrigendum: MAZ mediates the cross-talk between CT-1 and NOTCH1 signaling during gliogenesis
Authors: Liu Bin , Ma Anyun , Zhang Feng , Wang Yumeng , Li Zengmin , Li Qingyu , Xu Zhiheng , Zheng Yufang
Published: March 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 21534; published online: 12 February 2016; updated: 29 March 2016 In this Article, the legend of Figure 1 contains a typographical error. “Two downstream effectors of NOTCH1 pathway, Hes1 & Hes5 were examined by qRT-PCR after CT-1 stimulation for 24 hrs in NIH3T3 cells (E) or 48 hrs in NPCs (F).
The Ec-NhaA antiporter switches from antagonistic to synergistic antiport upon a single point mutation
Authors: Dwivedi Manish , Sukenik Shahar , Friedler Assaf , Padan Etana
Published: March 2016

The Na+, Li+/H+ antiporter of Escherichia coli (Ec-NhaA) maintains pH, Na+ homeostasis in enterobacteria. We used isothermal titration calorimetry to perform a detailed thermodynamic analysis of Li+ binding to Ec-NhaA and several of its mutants. We found that, in line with the canonical alternative access mechanistic model of secondary transporters, Li+/H+ binding to the antiporter is antagonistically coupled. Binding of Li+ displaces 2 H+ from the binding site. The process is enthalpically driven, the enthalpic gain just compensating for an entropic loss and the buffer-associated enthalpic changes dominate the overall free-energy change. Li+ binding, H+ release and antiporter activity were all affected to the same extent by mutations in the Li+ binding site (D163E, D163N, D164N, D164E), while D133C changed the H+/Li+ stoichiometry to 4. Most striking, however, was the mutation, A167P, which converted the Ec-NhaA antagonistic binding into synergistic binding which is only known to occur in Cl−/H+ antiporter.
Signatures of chaos in animal search patterns
Authors: Reynolds Andy M , Bartumeus Frederic , Kölzsch Andrea , van de Koppel Johan
Published: March 2016

One key objective of the emerging discipline of movement ecology is to link animal movement patterns to underlying biological processes, including those operating at the neurobiological level. Nonetheless, little is known about the physiological basis of animal movement patterns, and the underlying search behaviour. Here we demonstrate the hallmarks of chaotic dynamics in the movement patterns of mud snails (Hydrobia ulvae) moving in controlled experimental conditions, observed in the temporal dynamics of turning behaviour. Chaotic temporal dynamics are known to occur in pacemaker neurons in molluscs, but there have been no studies reporting on whether chaotic properties are manifest in the movement patterns of molluscs. Our results suggest that complex search patterns, like the Lévy walks made by mud snails, can have their mechanistic origins in chaotic neuronal processes. This possibility calls for new research on the coupling between neurobiology and motor properties.
Abiotic carbonate dissolution traps carbon in a semiarid desert
Authors: Fa Keyu , Liu Zhen , Zhang Yuqing , Qin Shugao , Wu Bin , Liu Jiabin
Published: March 2016

It is generally considered that desert ecosystems release CO2 to the atmosphere, but recent studies in drylands have shown that the soil can absorb CO2 abiotically. However, the mechanisms and exact location of abiotic carbon absorption remain unclear. Here, we used soil sterilization, 13CO2 addition, and detection methods to trace 13C in the soil of the Mu Us Desert, northern China. After 13CO2 addition, a large amount of 13CO2 was absorbed by the sterilised soil, and 13C was found enriched both in the soil gaseous phase and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Further analysis indicated that about 79.45% of the total 13C absorbed by the soil was trapped in DIC, while the amount of 13C in the soil gaseous phase accounted for only 0.22% of the total absorbed 13C. However, about 20.33% of the total absorbed 13C remained undetected. Our results suggest that carbonate dissolution might occur predominately, and the soil liquid phase might trap the majority of abiotically absorbed carbon. It is possible that the trapped carbon in the soil liquid phase leaches into the groundwater; however, further studies are required to support this hypothesis.
The NAC transcription factor ANAC046 is a positive regulator of chlorophyll degradation and senescence in Arabidopsis leaves
Authors: Oda-Yamamizo Chihiro , Mitsuda Nobutaka , Sakamoto Shingo , Ogawa Daisuke , Ohme-Takagi Masaru , Ohmiya Akemi
Published: March 2016

Chlorophyll (Chl) degradation occurs during leaf senescence, embryo degreening, bud breaking, and fruit ripening. The Chl catabolic pathway has been intensively studied and nearly all the enzymes involved are identified and characterized; however, the molecular regulatory mechanisms of this pathway are largely unknown. In this study, we performed yeast one-hybrid screening using a transcription factor cDNA library to search for factors controlling the expression of Chl catabolic genes. We identified ANAC046 as a common regulator that directly binds to the promoter regions of NON-YELLOW COLORING1, STAY-GREEN1 (SGR1), SGR2, and PHEOPHORBIDE a OXYGENASE. Transgenic plants overexpressing ANAC046 exhibited an early-senescence phenotype and a lower Chl content in comparison with the wild-type plants, whereas loss-of-function mutants exhibited a delayed-senescence phenotype and a higher Chl content. Microarray analysis of ANAC046 transgenic plants showed that not only Chl catabolic genes but also senescence-associated genes were positively regulated by ANAC046. We conclude that ANAC046 is a positive regulator of Arabidopsis leaf senescence and exerts its effect by controlling the expression of Chl catabolic genes and senescence-associated genes.
Trojan-Like Internalization of Anatase Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles by Human Osteoblast Cells
Authors: Ribeiro A. R. , Gemini-Piperni S. , Travassos R. , Lemgruber L. , C. Silva R. , Rossi A. L. , Farina M. , Anselme K. , Shokuhfar T. , Shahbazian-Yassar R. , Borojevic R. , Rocha L. A. , Werckmann J. , Granjeiro J. M.
Published: March 2016

Dentistry and orthopedics are undergoing a revolution in order to provide more reliable, comfortable and long-lasting implants to patients. Titanium (Ti) and titanium alloys have been used in dental implants and total hip arthroplasty due to their excellent biocompatibility. However, Ti-based implants in human body suffer surface degradation (corrosion and wear) resulting in the release of metallic ions and solid wear debris (mainly titanium dioxide) leading to peri-implant inflammatory reactions. Unfortunately, our current understanding of the biological interactions with titanium dioxide nanoparticles is still very limited. Taking this into consideration, this study focuses on the internalization of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on primary bone cells, exploring the events occurring at the nano-bio interface. For the first time, we report the selective binding of calcium (Ca), phosphorous (P) and proteins from cell culture medium to anatase nanoparticles that are extremely important for nanoparticle internalization and bone cells survival. In the intricate biological environment, anatase nanoparticles form bio-complexes (mixture of proteins and ions) which act as a kind of ‘Trojan-horse’ internalization by cells. Furthermore, anatase nanoparticles-induced modifications on cell behavior (viability and internalization) could be understand in detail. The results presented in this report can inspire new strategies for the use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in several regeneration therapies.
NiO-PTA supported on ZIF-8 as a highly effective catalyst for hydrocracking of Jatropha oil
Authors: Liu Jing , He Jing , Wang Luying , Li Rong , Chen Pan , Rao Xin , Deng Lihong , Rong Long , Lei Jiandu
Published: March 2016

Nickel oxide (NiO) and phosphotungstic acid (PTA) supported on a ZIF-8 (NiO-PTA/ZIF-8) catalyst was first synthesized and it showed high activity and good selectivity for the hydrocracking of Jatropha oil. The catalyst was characterized by SEM, SEM-EDS, TEM, N2 adsorption, FT-IR, XRD and XPS. Compared with the NiO-PTA/Al2O3 catalyst, the selectivity of C15-C18 hydrocarbon increased over 36%, and catalytic efficiency increased 10 times over the NiO-PTA/ZIF-8 catalyst. The prepared NiO-PTA/ZIF-8 catalyst was stable for a reaction time of 104 h and the kinetic behavior was also analyzed. This catalyst was found to bypass the presulfurization process, showing promise as an alternative to sulfided catalysts for green diesel production.
Conductive resins improve charging and resolution of acquired images in electron microscopic volume imaging
Authors: Nguyen Huy Bang , Thai Truc Quynh , Saitoh Sei , Wu Bao , Saitoh Yurika , Shimo Satoshi , Fujitani Hiroshi , Otobe Hirohide , Ohno Nobuhiko
Published: March 2016

Recent advances in serial block-face imaging using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have enabled the rapid and efficient acquisition of 3-dimensional (3D) ultrastructural information from a large volume of biological specimens including brain tissues. However, volume imaging under SEM is often hampered by sample charging and typically requires specific sample preparation to reduce charging and increase image contrast. In the present study, we introduced carbon-based conductive resins for 3D analyses of subcellular ultrastructures, using serial block-face SEM (SBF-SEM) to image samples. Conductive resins were produced by adding the carbon black filler, Ketjen black, to resins commonly used for electron microscopic observations of biological specimens. Carbon black mostly localized around tissues and did not penetrate cells, whereas the conductive resins significantly reduced the charging of samples during SBF-SEM imaging. When serial images were acquired, embedding into the conductive resins improved the resolution of images by facilitating the successful cutting of samples in SBF-SEM. These results suggest that improving the conductivities of resins with a carbon black filler is a simple and useful option for reducing charging and enhancing the resolution of images obtained for volume imaging with SEM.
Maintained larval growth in mussel larvae exposed to acidified under-saturated seawater
Authors: Ventura Alexander , Schulz Sabrina , Dupont Sam
Published: March 2016

Ocean acidification (OA) is known to affect bivalve early life-stages. We tested responses of blue mussel larvae to a wide range of pH in order to identify their tolerance threshold. Our results confirmed that decreasing seawater pH and decreasing saturation state increases larval mortality rate and the percentage of abnormally developing larvae. Virtually no larvae reared at average pHT7.16 were able to feed or reach the D-shell stage and their development appeared to be arrested at the trochophore stage. However larvae were capable of reaching the D-shell stage under milder acidification (pHT ≈ 7.35, 7.6, 7.85) including in under-saturated seawater with Ωaas low as 0.54 ± 0.01 (mean ± s. e. m.), with a tipping point for normal development identified at pHT7.765. Additionally growth rate of normally developing larvae was not affected by lower pHTdespite potential increased energy costs associated with compensatory calcification in response to increased shell dissolution. Overall, our results on OA impacts on mussel larvae suggest an average pHTof 7.16 is beyond their physiological tolerance threshold and indicate a shift in energy allocation towards growth in some individuals revealing potential OA resilience.
Surface degeneration of W crystal irradiated with low-energy hydrogen ions
Authors: Fan Hongyu , You Yuwei , Ni Weiyuan , Yang Qi , Liu Lu , Benstetter Günther , Liu Dongping , Liu Changsong
Published: March 2016

The damage layer of a W (100) crystal irradiated with 120 eV hydrogen ions at a fluence of up to 1.5 × 1025/m2 was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM). The periodic surface degeneration of the W crystal at a surface temperature of 373 K was formed at increasing hydrogen fluence. Observations by CCD camera and CAFM indicate the existence of ultrathin surface layers due to low-energy H irradiation. The W surface layer can contain a high density of nanometer-sized defects, resulting in the thermal instability of W atoms in the surface layer. Our findings suggest that the periodic surface degeneration of the W crystal can be ascribed to the lateral erosion of W surface layers falling off during the low-energy hydrogen irradiation. Our density functional theory calculations confirm the thermal instability of W atoms in the top layer, especially if H atoms are adsorbed on the surface.