bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Lion’s Roar
Authors: Amunugama Sarath
Published: May 2020

In this chapter, the author first debunks a theory of western anthropologists that ‘Sinhala Consciousness’ is merely a modern colonial era construct. It also includes Dharmapala’s critique of the colonial policy and practices that had resulted in the miserable conditions of the peasantry that Dharmapala witnessed first-hand during many of his tours around the country, which were confirmed by official reports. However, the author also mentions some commendable work by British officials, such as the restoration of irrigation works, encouraging the resurrection of ancient literary works, and so on. Another important issue addressed in this chapter is Dharmapala’s ire over the proselytizing work of Christian missionary. The chapter also mentions the growing tension between Dharmapala and the emerging new leadership in Sri Lanka. Lastly, reference is made to Dharmapala’s prolonged house arrest in Calcutta as a consequence of the1915 riots in Sri Lanka.
Last Days
Authors: Amunugama Sarath
Published: May 2020

This chapter talks about the last days of an ailing Dharmapala at Sarnath, India. The author explains his ordinance as a Buddhist monk and assumption of the name ‘Devamitta’. He also discussed the bestowal of a higher ordination, Upasampada, upon him, when the conservative Siyam Nikaya (Siyam fraternity of Sri Lankan Buddhist monks) consented to bend the rules of ordination as a personal favour. The chapter spells out Dharmapala’s anxieties towards the end of his life about the continuation about his work after his death. It also describes refers to his final obsequies in Colombo.
Conclusion
Authors: Prakash Brahma
Published: May 2020

The conclusion reiterates problems and challenges associated with the field of study. It reflects on the themes of cultural labour and its marginalization. I the ongoing problems and new hopes emerging from the field of artistic and cultural production. I conclude the work by suggesting that in coming days the site of cultural labour is going to be the site of cultural struggle. It may create spaces of hope not only in terms of cultural resistance but also for the reconfiguration new arts and creative practices.
Land Acquisition in India
Authors: Chakravorty Sanjoy
Published: May 2020

This chapter examines the contentious issue of land acquisition in India, focusing on the deeply regressive system in operation from independence to the mid-2000s that caused wipeouts for millions of families, the flash of resistance to acquisitions starting around 2006–7, the creation of a new law in 2013 to enhance justice and rights, and an attempt in 2014–15 to amend that new law. The central questions that arise from this process are: why did a regressive system last so long? and, why did it die in the last decade? These are best answered in a political-economy framework in which increasing political competition has challenged the electoral mathematics of ‘majoritarianism’ and increased the viability of ‘wedge issue’ politics.
Locational Politics of Land
Authors: Balakrishnan Sai
Published: May 2020

This chapter focuses on the locational aspect of the new wave of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in post-liberalization India. It argues that unlike the earlier Nehruvian era steel towns which aimed at locating new towns in economically backward regions of the country, the promoters of the new SEZs, and more broadly post-liberalization urban enclaved developments, are attracted to former agrarian regions that benefited from prior pre-liberalization investment. These regions have prior market linkages that are desirable to the new private capital; the agricultural land in these regions is also owned by organized agrarian constituencies belonging to regional dominant castes. As policymakers, search for new decentralized and market-oriented means for the transfer of land from agrarian constituencies to urban promoters and developers, the re-allocation of property control is erupting into volatile land-based social conflicts. By focusing on the case of the Khed SEZ in the Pune district in western Maharashtra, this chapter traces a form of ‘antagonistic cooperation’ where historically adversarial groups—firms and agrarian landowners, agrarian propertied classes and Adivasi labourers—come together briefly for a new experiment in land assembly for an SEZ. As productive agricultural land is transformed into new urban enclaves, the Khed Adivasis experience Janus-faced social change, where the locational politics of the new SEZ both generates a new politics of recognition but also exposes them to the new uncertainties of a market economy.
Land Market Distortions in India
Authors: Krishnan K.P. , Panchapagesan Venkatesh , Venkataraman Madalasa
Published: May 2020

Land remains one of the most sought-after collateral for credit in India despite being afflicted by deep structural, regulatory, and information-driven distortions. These distortions stem from years of fragmented policymaking, poor governance and a lack of political will that cuts across most States in our Union. Rational lenders, in the presence of weak property rights and high information asymmetry, have responded through conservative credit policies. This has constrained significantly the ability to unlock the full value of land, something that is necessary for continued economic growth. We provide an overview of these distortions and how they impact land markets as well as credit creation in this article. We enumerate the various types of distortions and explore interventions—regulatory, structural and technological—that have been used to mitigate them in the past. We examine newer solutions, such as block chains for land registries and paralegal titling that are promising but require selective implementation to be successful.
Ambivalence, Accommodation, Antipathy, and Anxiety
Authors: Li-ann Thio
Published: May 2020

Religion and religiosity have flourished as Singapore has modernized and industrialized, bucking the secularization thesis originating from the particular context of the post-sacred West. While the government is committed to an anti-theocratic rather than anti-theistic model of secularism, which is pragmatic, not doctrinaire, there are hints of a growing form of militant secularism from sectors of society, which is inimical to democracy and human rights such as religious freedom and free speech. The government has had to devise rules of engagement to deal with the role of religious views in public policy making, particularly given the increasingly confrontational stance adopted by those with religiously and secularly influenced views in the ‘culture wars’ over matters implicating public morality. Formerly authoritarian, the government and style of governance based on the Westminster parliamentary system is in a transitional state, with increasing democratization in the promotion of a more participatory and consensualist political culture.
Protecting the Sāsana through Law
Authors: Frydenlund Iselin
Published: May 2020

This chapter is about Myanmar’s rapid political and social change, after decades-long isolation under military rule. It raises questions about the role of religious actors in the democratization processes. In 2015, four laws to ‘protect race and religion’ were passed in Myanmar’s Parliament, during a critical time in Myanmar’s political transition to democracy, and in the same year as the country’s first free elections in 25 years. The laws seek to regulate marriages between Buddhist women and non-Buddhist men, to prevent forceful conversion through state control of conversion from one religion to another, to abolish polygamy, and to promote birth control and family planning in certain regions of the country. Drawing on empirical data from Myanmar, the chapter argues that the rise of Buddhist nationalism during Myanmar’s democratization process primarily needs to be understood as a form of cultural defence in times of transition, cultural change, and societal insecurity.
The Arthur Crawford Scandal
Authors: Metelits Michael D.
Published: May 2020

The Arthur Crawford Scandal explores how nineteenth century Bombay tried a British official for corruption. The presidency government persuaded Indians, government officials, to testify against the very person who controlled their career by offering immunity from legal action and career punishment. A criminal conviction of Crawford’s henchman established the modus operandi of a bribery network. Subsequent efforts to intimidate Indian witnesses led to litigation at the high court level, resulting in a political pressure campaign in London based on biased press reports from India. These reports evoked questions in the House of Commons; questions became demands that Indians witnesses against Crawford be fired from government service. The secretary of state for India and the Bombay government negotiated about the fate of the Indian witnesses. At first, the secretary of state accepted the Bombay government’s proposals. But the press campaign against the Indian witnesses eventually led him to order the Government of India, in consultation with the Government of Bombay, to pass a law ordering those officials who paid Crawford willingly, to be fired. Those whom the Bombay government determined to be extorted were not to be fired. Both groups retained immunity from further actions at law. Thus, Bombay won a victory that almost saved its original guarantee of immunity: those who were fired were to receive their salary (along with periodic step increases) until they reached retirement age, at which time they would receive a pension. However, this ‘solution’ did little to overcome the stigma and suffering of the fired officials.
The Crawford Commission
Authors: Metelits Michael D.
Published: May 2020

Chapter 6 deals with the transactions of the Crawford Commission. Examined here are the juridical investigations that the commission made into the question of the guilt or innocence of Arthur Travers Crawford. The focus here is on possible ways in which the commissioners may have erred. There is no formal analysis of the very long tribunal held in Poona. Nor is there any effort here to uphold or deny the commission’s verdict about Crawford. Rather, the purpose of this chapter is to clarify some issues that the work and outcome of the Crawford Commission may not have addressed adequately.
Mysore’s Pre-colonial Potentialities for Capitalist Development and Industrialization
Authors: Yazdani Kaveh
Published: May 2020

This paper enquires into Mysore’s potentialities for a proto-capitalist development and a sort of industrialization during the reigns of Haidar ‘Ali (r. 1761–82) and Tipu Sultan (r. 1782–99)—the first Muslim rulers of the sultanate of Mysore. During the second half of the eighteenth century, these two autocrats were not only among the most powerful modernizers of South India but also of the subcontinent and Asia as a whole. The threat posed by the growing power of the British East India Company lubricated the wheels of political, fiscal, and military reforms and fuelled profound efforts at centralization. In conjunction with the already existing advances in commerce, artisanry, and incipient capitalist relations of production, the changes that were set in motion suggest that Mysore found itself in an interim stage and historical conjuncture with multiple prospects of socio-economic developments, as well as the potential scope for a transition towards a type of industrial capitalism.
One-Off Capitalism in Song China, 960–1279 CE
Authors: Deng Kent
Published: May 2020

The rise of the industrial and commercial sectors in Song China was a result of historical contingency rather than an organic growth from the pre-Song past, which was marked by the physiocracy-cum-farming that China was famous for. The right amount of external pressure from China’s northern and western borders served as a catalyst while the switch to mercantilism was the key of the Song state-led growth. Without a doubt, by 1100 CE, China was on a track to a quasi-modern structure with profit-making commercialization and proto-industrialization. However, the Song capitalist model did not lead to military supremacy in East Asia. As a result, it lost its northern territory in 1127 to the Jurchens and then its southern territory in 1279 to the Mongols, whereby the capitalist experiment ended by external violence.
External motivations for change in indefinite systems
Authors: Breitbarth Anne , Lucas Christopher , Willis David
Published: May 2020

This chapter turns to external motivations for changes in the licensing conditions of indefinites and in their series formation. It is shown by means of selected examples that language contact is not so much responsible for triggering the quantifier or free-choice cycles, but rather that the distribution of individual indefinites as well as of entire series may be influenced by patterns in contact languages. This may lead for instance to the imposition of negative concord, or the restructuring of an entire indefinite system after the model of a contact language. The chapter furthermore addresses the role of variation within the diasystem of one language for the advancement of changes affecting indefinites in the scope of negation.
Changing Dance Works
Authors: Pakes Anna
Published: May 2020

The chapter discusses how variability and change pose particular issues for an ontology of dance works as structures of action-types, which prompts consideration of some alternative positions. The argument (developed by Guy Rohrbaugh) that dance works are historical individuals or continuants is elaborated and critically discussed. The chapter also considers a perdurantist alternative: that dance works are fusions of their performances or temporal parts. Both endurantism and perdurantism struggle to account for the principles of continuity uniting the various embodiments or parts of works, however. The chapter reexamines the idea of persistence in the context of historical dance practice and explores the significance of processes of oral transmission for the continued existence and variability of dance works, focusing on the different levels of intention at which the action constituting a dance might be described. The relative importance of these levels at different historical moments is considered.
Using informatics to guide public health policy during the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA
Authors: Ronquillo Jay G , Lester William T , Zuckerman Diana M
Published: May 2020

Background

Current and future pandemics will require informatics solutions to assess the risks, resources and policies to guide better public health decision-making.

Methods

Cross-sectional study of all COVID-19 cases and deaths in the USA on a population- and resource-adjusted basis (as of 24 April 2020) by applying biomedical informatics and data visualization tools to several public and federal government datasets, including analysis of the impact of statewide stay-at-home orders.

Results

There were 2753.2 cases and 158.0 deaths per million residents, respectively, in the USA with variable distributions throughout divisions, regions and states. Forty-two states and Washington, DC, (84.3%) had statewide stay-at-home orders, with the remaining states having population-adjusted characteristics in the highest risk quartile.

Conclusions

Effective national preparedness requires clearly understanding states’ ability to predict, manage and balance public health needs through all stages of a pandemic. This will require leveraging data quickly, correctly and responsibly into sound public health policies.
L-Tetrahydropalmatine, a Novel Dopamine Antagonist, Fails to Improve Psychiatric Symptoms as Adjunctive Treatment for Schizophrenia
Authors: Ponomareva Olga Y , Redman Brianne , Sayer MacKenzie A , Wehring Heidi J , Vyas Gopal , Richardson Charles M , Gold James M , Gorelick David A , Cihakova Daniela , Talor Monica V , Hoag Stephen W , Buchanan Robert W , Wang Jingtao , Chen Shuo , Liu Fang , Wang Jia Bei , Kelly Deanna L
Published: May 2020

Schizophrenia is a complex mental illness characterized by positive and negative symptoms. Antipsychotic medications are the main treatment for this condition; however, many patients have only a partial response. All currently available antipsychotics involve modulation of the dopamine system, although the underlying pathophysiology of this illness remains poorly understood. Increasing evidence suggests that inflammation plays a significant role in the development of schizophrenia. Thus, a medication that modulates both dopamine signaling and inflammation may be a promising treatment for schizophrenia. L-tetrahydropalmatine (l-THP) has modest affinity for dopamine receptors, acting as an antagonist at D1, D2, and D3 receptors. L-THP also has anti-inflammatory effects, decreasing levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin 6. We performed a 4-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral l-THP (30 mg twice daily) as an adjunctive treatment in 63 adults with schizophrenia (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria) on stable antipsychotic medication. The primary psychiatric outcome measures were the presence of positive and negative symptoms. Plasma concentrations of 11 cytokines and C-reactive protein (CRP) were also measured. L-THP had no significant effect on any psychiatric measure but was well tolerated and associated with a significant decrease in extrapyramidal symptoms. L-THP significantly increased plasma concentrations, compared with placebo, of two inflammatory markers: soluble intracellular adhesion molecule 1 and CRP. These findings do not support the efficacy of L-THP as an add-on treatment for schizophrenia but suggest that L-THP may have previously unrecognized proinflammatory effects in people with this disease.
Effect of feed supplementation of Dacryodes edulis parts’ powder as prebiotic on the growth traits, ceca microbiota and blood parameters of local chickens
Authors: Tangomo Armel Ngnintedem , Keambou Christian Tiambo , Gicheha Mathew Gitau , Kagira John Maina
Published: May 2020

This study aimed at testing the efficacy and safety of Dacryodes edulis plant parts in diets fed to chicken. The plant has potential for use as a natural prebiotic to substitute the conventionally used antibiotic growth promoters in poultry production. Phytochemical analyses of the plant leaves, stem, and bark combination (stembark) and seed powders from the D. edulis were carried out. The powder from the three D. edulis plant parts were used as supplement in formulating six experimental diets tested in this study. The diets were TL0Ed (0.5% leaves powder), TL1Ed (1.0% leaves powder), TB0Ed (0.5% stembark powder), TB1Ed (1.0% stembark powder), TS0Ed (0.5% seeds powder), and TS1Ed (1.0% seeds powder). Besides, a positive (T+ positive control; 0.5-g oxytetracycline as recommended by the manufacturer) and a negative (T- negative control; having no commercial antibiotic and no plant supplement) diets were prepared for comparison purposes. The diets were fed to a total of 288 dual-purpose chicken for a period of 14 weeks. The chicken growth and body composition characteristics, blood chemistry, and microbiota count were collected and used as indicators of the plant parts efficacy and safety. The analysis of the D. edulis plant parts significantly differed (P ≤ 0.05) in their phytochemical contents. The initial body weight and feed conversion efficiency ratios were not significantly different (P ≥ 0.05) between and among treatment groups. However, significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) were detected in the feed intake and body weight gain at eighth week. Live weight at eighth week was significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) with its values ranging between 503.32 and 614.93 g for treatments TL1Ed and TNeg-, respectively. The dietary treatment of D. edulis leaves, stembark, and seed powder at the two inclusion levels significantly (P ≤ 0.05) decreased the colonies forming unit of Escherichia coli and Salmonella sp. as compared with negative control treatment in the eighth week phase. The level of glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase, and the packed cell volume did not differ significantly (P ≥ 0.05) between and among dietary D. edulis treatments. The findings from this research provide crucial information on the efficacy and safety of D. edulis plant parts. This is an important step in testing the potential of the plant in use as a prebiotic in chicken feeds production.
Replacement of non-conforming goods ‘free of charge’: is there a need to differentiate between B2B and B2C sales contracts?
Authors: Atamer Yeşim M
Published: May 2020

The buyer’s right to request replacement of any non-conforming goods is today a standard remedy in many jurisdictions. This development was also influenced by the widespread effect of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and the Council Directive (EC) 1999/44 on consumer sales, which both grant the buyer a right to replacement. However, some questions related to the requirement that replacement has to be ‘free of charge’ continue to be disputed under both legal systems, as well as under the newly introduced Council Directive (EC) 2019/771 on consumer sales. This article intends to discuss how the term ‘free of charge’ is being interpreted in business-to-business as well as in business-to-consumer sales contracts and whether there is any need to differentiate between the two types of sales contracts.
People Behavior Changes in China during COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Wu Yongzhong , Huang Mianmian , Xie Guie , Chen Xiangying
Published: May 2020

While most countries implemented measures to reduce people activities and gathering to contain the coronavirus, the outcome may vary significantly depending on how and to what extent people behaviors have been changed. We conducted a survey of 1,048 people in five major cities in China to track and quantify the behavior changes in different periods since the outbreak. It is found that there was nearly 80% reduction of out-of-home activities (working, eating, shopping, taking public transportation, and travelling) during the peak period. Such activities are gradually increasing after the easing of containment measures but still significantly below pre-outbreak level. The significant behavior changes have contributed to the rapid control of virus transmission in China. While countries are reopening the economies before the virus disappears, the system and capacity of testing and contact tracing should be carefully designed with the tracking of people behavior changes in the future.
Global Root Traits (GRooT) Database
Authors: Guerrero-Ramirez Nathaly , Mommer Liesje , Freschet Grégoire T. , Iversen Colleen M. , McCormack M. Luke , Kattge Jens , Poorter Hendrik , van der Plas Fons , Bergmann Joana , Kuyper Thom W. , York Larry M. , Bruelheide Helge , Laughlin Daniel C. , Meier Ina C. , Roumet Catherine , Semchenko Marina , Sweeney Christopher J. , van Ruijven Jasper , Valverde-Barrantes Oscar J. , Aubin Isabelle , Catford Jane A. , Manning Peter , Martin Adam , Milla Rubén , Minden Vanessa , Pausas Juli G. , Smith Stuart W. , Soudzilovskaia Nadejda A. , Ammer Christian , Butterfield Bradley , Craine Joseph , Cornelissen Johannes H.C. , de Vries Franciska T. , Isaac Marney E. , Kramer Koen , König Christian , Lamb Eric G. , Onipchenko Vladimir G. , Peñuelas Josep , Reich Peter B. , Rillig Matthias C. , Sack Lawren , Shipley Bill , Tedersoo Leho , Valladares Fernando , van Bodegom Peter , Weigelt Patrick , Wright Justin P. , Weigelt Alexandra
Published: May 2020

Motivation

Trait data are fundamental to quantitatively describe plant form and function. Although root traits capture key dimensions related to plant responses to changing environmental conditions and effects on ecosystem processes, they have rarely been included in large-scale comparative studies and global models. For instance, root traits remain absent from nearly all studies that define the global spectrum of plant form and function. Thus, to overcome conceptual and methodological roadblocks preventing a widespread integration of root trait data into large-scale analyses we created the Global Root Trait (GRooT) Database. GRooT provides ready-to-use data by combining the expertise of root ecologists with data mobilization and curation. Specifically, we (i) determined a set of core root traits relevant to the description of plant form and function based on an assessment by experts, (ii) maximized species coverage through data standardization within and among traits, and (iii) implemented data quality checks.

Main types of variables contained

GRooT contains 114,222 trait records on 38 continuous root traits.

Spatial location and grain

Global coverage with data from arid, continental, polar, temperate, and tropical biomes. Data on root traits derived from experimental studies and field studies.

Time period and grain

Data recorded between 1911 and 2019

Major taxa and level of measurement

GRooT includes root trait data for which taxonomic information is available. Trait records vary in their taxonomic resolution, with sub-species or varieties being the highest and genera the lowest taxonomic resolution available. It contains information for 184 sub-species or varieties, 6,214 species, 1,967 genera and 254 families. Due to variation in data sources, trait records in the database include both individual observations and mean values.

Software format

GRooT includes two csv file. A GitHub repository contains the csv files and a script in R to query the database.
Inversion of pheromone preference optimizes foraging inC. elegans
Authors: Dal Bello M. , Pérez-Escudero A. , Schroeder F. C. , Gore J.
Published: May 2020

Foraging animals have to locate food sources that are usually patchily distributed and subject to competition. Deciding when to leave a food patch is challenging and requires the animal to integrate information about food availability with cues signaling the presence of other individuals (e.g. pheromones). To study how social information transmitted via pheromones can aid foraging decisions, we investigated the behavioral responses of the model nematodeCaenorhabditis elegansto food depletion and pheromone accumulation in food patches. We experimentally show that animals consuming a food patch leave it at different times and that the leaving time affects the animal preference for its pheromones. In particular, worms leaving early are attracted to their pheromones, while worms leaving later are repelled by them. We further demonstrate that the inversion from attraction to repulsion depends on associative learning and, by implementing a simple model, we highlight that it is an adaptive solution to optimize food intake during foraging.
Graph Properties of the AdultDrosophilaCentral Brain
Authors: Scheffer Louis K.
Published: May 2020

The recentDrosophilacentral brain connectome offers the possibility of analyzing the graph properties of the fly brain. Crucially, this connectome is dense, meaning all nodes and links are represented, within the limits of experimental error. We consider the connectome as a directed graph with weighted edges. This enables us to look at a number of graph properties, compare them to human designed logic systems, and speculate on how this may affect function. We look at input and output distributions, randomness of wiring, differences between compartments, path lengths, proximity of strong connections, known computational structures, electrical response as a function of compartment structure, and evidence for efficient packing.
ER-directed TREX1 limits cGAS recognition of micronuclei
Authors: Mohr Lisa , Toufektchan Eléonore , Chu Kevan , Maciejowski John
Published: May 2020

Chromosomal instability in cancer results in the formation of nuclear aberrations termed micronuclei. Spontaneous loss of micronuclear envelope integrity exposes DNA to the cytoplasm, leading to chromosome fragmentation and innate immune activation. Despite connections to cancer genome evolution and anti-tumor immunity, the mechanisms underlying damage and immune sensing of micronuclear DNA are poorly understood. Here, we use a novel method for the purification of micronuclei and live-cell imaging to show that the ER-associated nuclease TREX1 inhibits cGAS sensing of micronuclei by stably associating with and degrading micronuclear DNA upon micronuclear envelope rupture. We identify aTREX1mutation, previously associated with autoimmune disease, that untethers TREX1 from the ER, disrupts TREX1 localization to micronuclei, alleviates micronuclear DNA damage, and enhances cGAS recognition of micronuclei. Together, these results establish ER-directed resection of micronuclear DNA by TREX1 as a critical regulator of cytosolic DNA sensing in chromosomally unstable cells and provide a mechanistic basis for the importance of TREX1 ER-tethering in preventing autoimmunity.
Inflammation is a stronger predictor of psychological trauma exposure than behavior in repeated social defeat
Authors: Elkhatib Safwan K. , Moshfegh Cassandra M. , Watson Gabrielle F. , Case Adam J.
Published: May 2020

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric illness that results in an increased risk for a variety of inflammatory diseases. The exact etiology of this increased risk in unknown, and thus, several animal models have been developed to investigate the neuroimmune interactions of PTSD. Repeated social defeat stress (RSDS) is an established preclinical model of psychological trauma that recapitulates certain behavioral and inflammatory aspects of human PTSD. Furthermore, RSDS has been utilized to subgroup animals into susceptible and resilient populations based on one specific behavioral phenotype (i.e., social interaction). Herein, we conducted an extensive investigation of circulating inflammatory proteins after RSDS, and found significant elevations in various cytokines and chemokines after exposure to psychological trauma. When categorizing animals into either susceptible or resilient populations based on social interaction, we found no inflammatory or other behavioral differences between these subgroups. Furthermore, assessment of associations between all detectable inflammatory proteins and behavioral outputs found no significant correlation between social interaction parameters and inflammation. In contrast, we identified a panel of 5 circulating inflammatory proteins that showed significant associations with elevated zero maze parameters. Strikingly, these 5 circulating inflammatory proteins displayed a stronger predictive ability of psychological trauma exposure compared to any behavioral outcome. These findings provide new insights into inflammatory markers associated with RSDS, and their ability to predict psychological trauma exposure more robustly than commonly utilized behavioral paradigms.

Highlights

Repeated social defeat stress (RSDS) reproducibly produces peripheral inflammation

Peripheral inflammation is not coupled to social interaction testing parameters

Susceptible and resilient categorization does not reflect peripheral inflammation

Anxiety-like behavioral parameters are linked to peripheral inflammation in RSDS

Peripheral inflammation is more predictive of trauma than behavior in RSDS
Montane species track rising temperatures better in the tropics than in the temperate zone
Authors: Freeman Benjamin G. , Song Yiluan , Feeley Kenneth J , Zhu Kai
Published: May 2020

Many species are responding to global warming by shifting their distributions upslope to higher elevations, but the observed rates of shifts vary considerably among studies. Here we test the hypothesis that this variation is in part explained by latitude, with tropical species being generally more responsive to warming temperatures than are temperate species. We find support for this hypothesis in each of two independent empirical datasets—shifts in species’ elevational ranges, and changes in composition of forest inventory tree plots. Tropical species are tracking rising temperatures 2.1–2.4 times (range shift dataset) and 10 times (tree plot dataset) better than their temperate counterparts. Models predict that for a 100 m upslope shift in temperature isotherm, species at the equator have shifted their elevational ranges 93–96 m upslope, while species at 45° latitude have shifted only 37–42 m upslope. For tree plots, models predict that a 1°C increase in temperature leads to an increase in community temperature index (CTI), a metric of the average temperature optima of tree species within a plot, of 0.56 °C at the equator but no change in CTI at 45° latitude (–0.033). This latitudinal gradient in temperature tracking suggests that tropical montane biotas may be on an “escalator to extinction” as global temperatures continue to rise.
The transcription factor Pou3f1 provides a new map to the glutamatergic neurons of the cerebellar nuclei
Authors: Han Wu Joshua Po , Yeung Joanna , Wu Sih-Rong , Zoghbi Huda , Goldowitz Dan
Published: May 2020

Pou3f1 is a transcription factor involved in early neural differentiation. Cap Analysis Gene Expression (5’-CAGE) analysis reveals thatPou3f1transcript is highly enriched in the developing cerebellum. Between embryonic (E) days E10.5 and E12.5, Pou3f1 expression is present prominently along the subpial stream (SS), suggesting that Pou3f1+cells are glutamatergic cerebellar nuclear (CN) neurons. This finding was confirmed by immunofluorescent (IF) co-labeling of Pou3f1 and Atoh1, the master regulator of cells from the rhombic lip (RL) that are destined for neurons of the glutamatergic lineage, as well as inAtoh1-null tissues, in which Pou3f1 expression is absent. Interestingly, the expression of Pax6, another key molecule for CN neuron survival, does not co-localize with that of Pou3f1. In thePax6-null Small Eye (Sey) mutant, which is characterized by a loss of many glutamatergic CN neurons, Pou3f1+CN neurons are still present. Furthermore, Pou3f1-labeled cells do not co-express Tbr1, a well-established marker of glutamatergic CN neurons. These results highlight that Pou3f1+cells are a distinct and previously unrecognized subtype of glutamatergic CN neurons that do not have the “canonical” sequence of Atoh1→Pax6→Tbr1 expressions. Instead, they express Atoh1, Pou3f1, and other markers of CN neurons, Brn2 and Irx3. These findings illustrate that glutamatergic CN neurons that arise from the RL are composed of molecularly heterogeneous subpopulations that are determined by at least two distinct transcriptional programs.

Significance Statement

The present work has identified Pou3f1 as a marker for a previously unidentified subtype of glutamatergic cerebellar nuclear neurons, the principal output neurons of the cerebellum. The classical model of glutamatergic CN neurons development follows the sequential expression of transcription factors Atoh1→Pax6→Tbr1. However, we found that the development of Pou3f1+neurons requires Atoh1 but not Pax6. Moreover, Pou3f1+neurons do not express Tbr1, but instead express two other transcription factors, Brn2 and Irx3. Anatomically, Pou3f1+CN neurons populate the interposed and dentate nuclei, while the Tbr1+CN neurons populate the fastigial nucleus. These findings reveal the heterogeneity of CN neuron populations and the diversity of molecular programming that lead to different CN neuron subtypes.
The Dynamic Changes of Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 during the Infection and Recovery of COVID-19
Authors: Li Kening , Wu Min , Huang Bin , Zhong Aifang , Li Lu , Cai Yun , Wu Lingxiang , Zhu Mengyan , Li Jie , Wang Ziyu , Wu Wei , Li Wanlin , Bosco Bakwatanisa , Gan Zhenhua , Wang Zhihua , Qiao Qinghua , Wu Jian , wang qianghu , Wang Shukui , Xia Xinyi
Published: May 2020

Deciphering the dynamic changes of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 is essential for understanding the immune response in COVID-19 patients. By comprehensively analyzing the laboratory findings of 1,850 patients, we describe the dynamic changes of the total antibody, spike protein (S)-, receptor-binding domain (RBD)-, and nucleoprotein (N)- specific IgM and IgG levels during SARS-CoV-2 infection and recovery. Our results indicate that the S-, RBD-, and N- specific IgG generation of severe/critical COVID-19 patients is one week later than mild/moderate cases, while the levels of these antibodies are 1.5-fold higher in severe/critical patients during hospitalization (P<0.01). The decrease of these IgG levels indicates the poor outcome of severe/critical patients. The RBD- and S-specific IgG levels are 2-fold higher in virus-free patients (P<0.05). Notably, we found that the patients who got re-infected had a low level of protective antibody on discharge. Therefore, our evidence proves that the dynamic changes of antibodies could provide an important reference for diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment, and shed new light on the precise management of COVID-19.
An acceptable method to evaluate the analytical performance of real-time fluorescent RT-PCR targeting SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Ren Xiao-dong , Tang Qi-Mei , Chen Min , Huang Qian , Huang Heng-Liu , Wang Liu , Su Ning , Sun Xian-Ge , Wei Kun , Lu Wei-Ping , Deng Shao-Li , Huang Qing
Published: May 2020

It was necessary to carry out methodologies evaluations of real-time fluorescent reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) targeting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Considering biosafety issues and lack of positive specimens in some special locations in China, the routine specimens from healthy individuals were used to perform methodologies evaluations, in which the indexes were the differences of quantification cycle values (ΔCq) between human derived internal reference control (IRC) genes of a specimen and quality control (QC). Serial experiments were carried out to evaluate various factors that might affect aforementioned methodologies, such as types of virus transport mediums, methods of specimen pretreatment and template preparation, specimen vortex strength, specimen storage temperature and duration. The results showed that using ΔCq values as indexes, among various factors that might affect analytical performance, it was better to store specimens in the normal saline transport mediums, inactivate pathogens using water or metal bath, release more virus particles from swabs by vortex mixing, extract nucleic acids with centrifuge methods, and perform amplification assays timely. Aforementioned opinions and optimum conditions were further confirmed by SRAS-CoV-2 pseudovirus and clinical positive specimens. Altogether, the results of this study indicated that the routine specimens from healthy individuals could be used to evaluate the analytical performance of real-time fluorescent RT-PCR targeting SRAS-CoV-2, of which the indexes were the ΔCq values between IRC genes of a specimen and QC. This acceptable method was extremely valuable in both theoretical and practical significance under current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Development and Validation of Two In-house, Low-Cost SARS-CoV-2 Detection Assays
Authors: Alhamlan Fatimah , Alqahtani Ahmed , Bakheet Dana , Bohol Marie , Althawadi Sahar , Mutabagani Maysoon , Almaghrabi Reem , Obeid Dalia
Published: May 2020

Background One major challenge for detecting the virus that causes COVID19 is commercial SARSCoV2 testing kit or reagent availability. To allow every laboratory or hospital access to an inhouse assay, we developed two low cost SARSCoV2 detection assay protocols using inhouse primers and reagents equipment on hand in most biology or diagnostic laboratories a SYBR Green based RTPCR and PCR assays. RNA extraction has also become a major bottleneck due to limited supplies and the required labor. Thus, we validated alternative RNA extraction protocols.
Methods SARSCoV2 genome sequences deposited into the GISAID database were retrieved to design and synthesize inhouse primers. Forty patient samples were collected by nasopharyngeal swab, coded, and used to develop and validate the assay protocols. Both assays used TRIzol and heat-processing techniques to extract RNA from patient samples and to inactivate the virus; thus, testing was conducted in a conventional biosafety level 2 laboratory.
Results The sensitivity and specificity of the primers were evaluated using samples previously confirmed positive for SARSCoV2. The positive amplicons were sequenced to confirm the results. The assay protocols were developed, and the specificity of each PCR product was confirmed using melting curve analyses. The most accurate heat processing technique for primers with short amplicon lengths was 95C for 15 mins. Of 40 samples, both the SYBR Green based quantitative RTPCR assay and the PCR assay detected SARSCoV2 target genes in 28 samples, with no false positive or false-negative results. These findings were concordant with those of the diagnostic laboratory that tested the same samples using a Rotor Gene PCR cycler with an Altona Diagnostics SARSCoV2 kit (R2=0.889).
Conclusions These approaches are reliable, repeatable, specific, sensitive, simple, and low cost tools for the detection of SARSCoV2 in a conventional biosafety level 2 laboratory, offering alternative approaches when commercial kits are unavailable or cost ineffective.
A spatial model to optimise predictions of COVID-19 incidence risk in Belgium using symptoms as reported in a large-scale online survey
Authors: Neyens Thomas , Faes Christel , Vranckx Maren , Pepermans Koen , Hens Niel , Van Damme Pierre , Molenberghs Geert , Aerts Jan , Beutels Philippe
Published: May 2020

Although COVID-19 has been spreading throughout Belgium since February, 2020, its spatial dynamics in Belgium remain poorly understood, due to the limited testing of suspected cases. We analyse data of COVID-19 symptoms, as self-reported in a weekly online survey, which is open to all Belgian citizens. We predict symptoms' incidence using binomial models for spatially discrete data, and we introduce these as a covariate in the spatial analysis of COVID-19 incidence, as reported by the Belgian government during the days following a survey round. The symptoms' incidence predictions explain a significant proportion of the variation in the relative risks based on the confirmed cases, and exceedance probability maps of the symptoms' incidence and the confirmed cases' relative risks pinpoint the same high-risk region. We conclude that these results can be used to develop public monitoring tools in scenarios with limited lab testing capacity, and to supplement test-based information otherwise.
Genome-wide landscape of RNA-binding protein dysregulation reveals a major impact on psychiatric disorder risk
Authors: Park Christopher Y. , Zhou Jian , Wong Aaron K. , Chen Kathleen M. , Theesfeld Chandra L. , Darnell Robert B. , Troyanskaya Olga G.
Published: May 2020

Despite the strong genetic basis of psychiatric disorders, the molecular origins of these diseases are still largely unmapped. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are responsible for most post-transcriptional regulation, from splicing to translational to localization. RBPs thus act as key gatekeepers of cellular homeostasis, especially in the brain. Here, we leverage a deep learning approach to interrogate variant effects genome-wide, and discover that the dysregulation of RBP target sites is a principal contributor to psychiatric disorder risk. We show that specific modes of RBP regulation are genetically linked to the heritability of psychiatric disorders, and demonstrate that diverse RBP regulatory functions are reflected in distinct genome-wide negative selection signatures. Notably, RBP dysregulation has a stronger impact on psychiatric disorders than common coding region variants and explains heritability not currently captured by large-scale molecular QTL studies (expression QTLs and splicing QTLs). We share genome-wide profiles of RBP target site dysregulation, which we used to identify DDHD2 as a candidate schizophrenia risk gene, in a public web server. This resource provides a novel analytical framework to connect the full range of RNA regulation to complex disease.
Electronic blood vessel
Authors: Cheng Shiyu , Hang Chen , Ding Li , Jia Liujun , Tang Lixue , Mou Lei , Qi Jie , Dong Ruihua , Zheng Wenfu , Zhang Yan , Jiang Xingyu
Published: May 2020

Advances in bioelectronics have great potential to address unsolvable biomedical problems in the cardiovascular system. By using poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLC) that encapsulates the liquid metal to make flexible and bio-degradable electrical circuitry, we develop an electronic blood vessel that can integrate flexible electronics with three layers of blood vessel cells, to mimic and go beyond the natural blood vessel. It can improve the endothelization process through electrical stimulation and can enable controlled gene delivery into specific part of the blood vessel via electroporation. The electronic blood vessel has excellent biocompatibility in the vascular system and shows great patency three months post-implantation in a rabbit model. The electronic blood vessel would be an ideal platform to enable diagnostics and treatments in the cardiovascular system and can greatly empower personalized medicine by creating a direct link of vascular tissue-machine interface.
Host-associated microbe PCR (hamPCR): accessing new biology through convenient measurement of both microbial load and community composition
Authors: Lundberg Derek S. , Ayutthaya Pratchaya Pramoj Na , Strauß Annett , Shirsekar Gautam , Lo Wen-Sui , Lahaye Thomas , Weigel Detlef
Published: May 2020

The ratio of microbial population size relative to the amount of host tissue, or “microbial load”, is a fundamental metric of colonization and infection, but it cannot be directly deduced from microbial amplicon data such as 16S rRNA gene counts. Because conventional methods to determine load, such as serial dilution plating or quantitative PCR, add substantial experimental burden, they are only rarely paired with amplicon sequencing. Alternatively, whole metagenome sequencing of DNA contributed by host and microbes both reveals microbial community composition and enables determination of microbial load, but host DNA typically greatly outweighs microbial DNA, severely limiting the cost-effectiveness and scalability of this approach. We introduce host-associated microbe PCR (hamPCR), a robust amplicon sequencing strategy to quantify microbial load and describe interkingdom microbial community composition in a single, cost-effective library. We demonstrate its accuracy and flexibility across multiple host and microbe systems, including nematodes and major crops. We further present a technique that can be used, prior to sequencing, to optimize the host representation in a batch of libraries without loss of information. Because of its simplicity, and the fact that it provides an experimental solution to the well-known statistical challenges provided by compositional data, hamPCR will become a transformative approach throughout culture-independent microbiology.
Gbx2 identifies two amacrine cell subtypes with distinct molecular, morphological, and physiological properties
Authors: Kerstein Patrick C. , Leffler Joseph , Sivyer Benjamin , Taylor W. Rowland , Wright Kevin M.
Published: May 2020

Our understanding of how the nervous sytem works is limited by our ability to identify the neuronal subtypes that comprise functional circuits. Using a genetic approach, we show that the transcription factorGbx2labels two amacrine cell (AC) subtypes in the mouse retina that have distinct morphological, physiological, and molecular properties. One subtype of Gbx2+ ACs are likely the previously characterized On-type GABAergic CRH-1 AC. The other Gbx2+ AC population is a previously uncharacterized non-GABAergic, non-Glycinergic (nGnG) AC subtype. Gbx2+ nGnG ACs are On-Off type cells with asymmetric dendritic arbors. Gbx2+ nGnG ACs also exhibit tracer coupling to bipolar cells (BCs) through gap junctions that are modulated by dopamine signaling. This study genetically identifies a previously uncharacterized AC subtype and reveals an unusual AC-BC connectivity through gap junctions that may provide a novel model of synaptic communication and visual circuit function.