bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Langston Hughes: Fringe Modernism, Identity and Defying the Interrogator Witch-Hunter
Authors: SABER YOMNA
Published: January 2015

Langston Hughes (1902–67), the wondering wandering poet, has left behind a rich legacy of books that never grow dusty on the shelves. There seems to be no path that Hughes left untrodden; he wrote drama, novels, short stories, two autobiographies, poetry, journalistic prose, an opera libretto, history, children's stories, and even lyrics for songs, in addition to his translations. Hughes was the first African American author to earn his living from writing and his career spans a long time, from the 1920s until the 1960s – he never stopped writing during this period. The Harlem Renaissance introduced prominent black writers who engraved their names in the American canon, such as Countee Cullen, Claude McKay, Jean Toomer and Zora Neale Hurston, but Hughes markedly stands out for his artistic achievements and longer career. Hughes had been identified by many as the spokesperson for his race since his works dug deep into black life, and his innovative techniques embraced black dialect and the rhythms of black music. He captured the essence of black life with conspicuous sensitivity and polished his voice throughout four decades. His name also had long been tied to the politics of identity in America. Brooding over his position, Hughes chose to take pride in being black in a racist nation. In his case, the dialectics of identity are more complicated, as they encompass debates involving Africa, black nationalism and competing constructions surrounding a seeming authentic blackness, in addition to Du Bois's double consciousness. Critics still endeavour to decipher the many enigmas Hughes left unresolved, having been a private person and a controversial writer. His career continues to broach speculative questions concerning his closeted sexual orientation and his true political position. The beginning of the new millennium coincided with the centennial of his birth and heralded the advent of new well-researched scholarship on his life and works, including Emily Bernard's Remember Me to Harlem: The Letters of Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten, 1925–1964 (2001), Kate A. Baldwin's Beyond the Color Line and the Iron Curtain: Reading Encounters between Black and Red, 1922–1963 (2002), Anthony Dawahare's Nationalism, Marxism, and African American Literature between the Wars: A New Pandora's Box (2002), Bruce R. Schwartz's Langston Hughes: Working toward Salvation (2003), and John Edgar Tidwell and Cheryl R. Ragar's edited collection Montage of a Dream: The Art and Life of Langston Hughes (2007), among others.
“Forever Perverse, Queer, Askew”: Notes on Slavery and Resistance in African American Studies
Authors: MANN REGIS
Published: January 2015

At a recent meeting of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), a host of plenaries and concurrent sessions theorized the politics of Emancipation as nonevent and the practice of historiography in the wake of the fiftieth anniversary of the March on Washington. Held in October 2013 in Jacksonville, Florida, the 98th Annual Meeting of ASALH attracted a record number of attendees, despite obstacles associated with the shutdown of the federal government, closures at a local airport, and increased mobilization in opposition to the state's controversial “Stand Your Ground” statutes. Indeed, rushing into one conference room a few minutes late, having just presented earlier that day myself, I was struck by the sheer number of scholars in the room, the palpable enthusiasm to get things under way. Then again, perhaps I shouldn't have been too surprised. Taking as its subject Shonda Rhimes's hit television show Scandal – the Season 3 premiere of which had aired only the night before – the panel stoked a range of interests: race and popular culture, matters of sexuality and desire, even the impeccable style of protagonist and professional “fixer” Olivia Pope (played by actress Kerry Washington). Titled “Crashing the Ol’ Boys Club: Interrogating Power and Representation in ABC's Scandal,” the discussion sutured fans and critics alike into a collective accounting for the effects of a nation's apparent seduction by the labyrinthine exploits of Pope, head of the foremost crisis-management firm in Washington, DC, and her paramour, white, married, Republican US President Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III (played by Tony Goldwyn).
Blockade of P2X7 Receptors or Pannexin-1 Channels Similarly Attenuates Postischemic Damage
Authors: Cisneros-Mejorado Abraham , Gottlieb Miroslav , Cavaliere Fabio , Magnus Tim , Koch-Nolte Friederich , Scemes Eliana , Pérez-Samartín Alberto , Matute Carlos
Published: January 2015

The role of P2X7 receptors and pannexin-1 channels in ischemic damage remains controversial. Here, we analyzed their contribution to postanoxic depolarization after ischemia in cultured neurons and in brain slices. We observed that pharmacological blockade of P2X7 receptors or pannexin-1 channels delayed the onset of postanoxic currents and reduced their slope, and that simultaneous inhibition did not further enhance the effects of blocking either one. These results were confirmed in acute cortical slices from P2X7 and pannexin-1 knockout mice. Oxygen-glucose deprivation in cortical organotypic cultures caused neuronal death that was reduced with P2X7 and pannexin-1 blockers as well as in organotypic cultures derived from mice lacking P2X7 and pannexin 1. Subsequently, we used transient middle cerebral artery occlusion to monitor the neuroprotective effect of those drugs in vivo. We found that P2X7 and pannexin-1 antagonists, and their ablation in knockout mice, substantially attenuated the motor symptoms and reduced the infarct volume to ~50% of that in vehicle-treated or wild-type animals. These results show that P2X7 receptors and pannexin-1 channels are major mediators of postanoxic depolarization in neurons and of brain damage after ischemia, and that they operate in the same deleterious signaling cascade leading to neuronal and tissue demise.
An iron-based green approach to 1-h production of single-layer graphene oxide
Authors: Peng Li , Xu Zhen , Liu Zheng , Wei Yangyang , Sun Haiyan , Li Zheng , Zhao Xiaoli , Gao Chao
Published: January 2015

As a reliable and scalable precursor of graphene, graphene oxide (GO) is of great importance. However, the environmentally hazardous heavy metals and poisonous gases, explosion risk and long reaction times involved in the current synthesis methods of GO increase the production costs and hinder its real applications. Here we report an iron-based green strategy for the production of single-layer GO in 1 h. Using the strong oxidant K2FeO4, our approach not only avoids the introduction of polluting heavy metals and toxic gases in preparation and products but also enables the recycling of sulphuric acid, eliminating pollution. Our dried GO powder is highly soluble in water, in which it forms liquid crystals capable of being processed into macroscopic graphene fibres, films and aerogels. This green, safe, highly efficient and ultralow-cost approach paves the way to large-scale commercial applications of graphene.
Upward electrical discharges observed above Tropical Depression Dorian
Authors: Liu Ningyu , Spiva Nicholas , Dwyer Joseph R. , Rassoul Hamid K. , Free Dwayne , Cummer Steven A.
Published: January 2015

Observation of upward electrical discharges from thunderstorms has been sporadically reported in the scientific literature. According to their terminal altitudes, they are classified as starters (20–30 km), jets (40–50 km) and gigantic jets (70–90 km). They not only have a significant impact on the occupied atmospheric volumes but also electrically couple different atmospheric regions. However, as they are rare and unpredictable, our knowledge of them has been built on observations that typically record only one type of such discharges. Here we report a close-distance observation of seven upward discharges including one starter, two jets and four gigantic jets above Tropical Depression Dorian. Our optical and electromagnetic data indicate that all events are of negative polarity, suggesting they are initiated in the same thundercloud charge region. The data also indicate that the lightning-like discharge channel can extend above thunderclouds by about 30 km, but the discharge does not emit low-frequency electromagnetic radiation as normal lightning.
Striatal dopamine release in a schizophrenia mouse model measured by electrochemical amperometry in vivo
Authors: Xu Huadong , Zuo Panli , Wang Shirong , Zhou Li , Sun Xiaoxuan , Hu Meiqin , Liu Bin , Wu Qihui , Dou Haiqiang , Liu Bing , Zhu Feipeng , Teng Sasa , Zhang Xiaoyu , Wang Li , Li Qing , Jin Mu , Kang Xinjiang , Xiong Wei , Wang Changhe , Zhou Zhuan
Published: January 2015

This study demonstrated the unaltered dopamine release in the striatum in a schizophrenia model dysbindin−/− mice.
Voltammetric profiling of redox-active metabolites expressed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa for diagnostic purposes
Authors: Seviour T. , Doyle L. E. , Lauw S. J. L. , Hinks J. , Rice S. A. , Nesatyy V. J. , Webster R. D. , Kjelleberg S. , Marsili E.
Published: January 2015

Voltammetric analysis ofPseudomonas aeruginosagrowth cultures unveils the interplay between PQS and phenazines under a potential bias.
Modification of 1,2,4,5-tetrazine with cationic rhenium(i) polypyridine units to afford phosphorogenic bioorthogonal probes with enhanced reaction kinetics
Authors: Choi Alex Wing-Tat , Tso Karson Ka-Shun , Yim Vicki Man-Wai , Liu Hua-Wei , Lo Kenneth Kam-Wing
Published: January 2015

New phosphorogenic bioorthogonal probes derived from rhenium(i) polypyridine tetrazine complexes have been designed.
A three-valued photoelectrochemical logic device realising accept anything and consensus operations
Authors: Warzecha M. , Oszajca M. , Pilarczyk K. , Szaciłowski K.
Published: January 2015

A new application of a hybrid material exhibiting the photoelectrochemical photocurrent switching (peps) effect in a three-valued logic device is reported.
Molecular design of cage iron(ii) and cobalt(ii,iii) complexes with a second fluorine-enriched superhydrophobic shell
Authors: Belov Alexander S. , Zelinskii Genrikh E. , Varzatskii Oleg A. , Belaya Irina G. , Vologzhanina Anna V. , Dolganov Alexander V. , Novikov Valentin V. , Voloshin Yan Z.
Published: January 2015

Pentafluorophenylboron-capped iron and cobalt(ii) hexachloroclathrochelate precursors undergo nucleophilic substitution giving the fluorine-enriched cage complexes.
Exploring controls on the fate of PVP-capped silver nanoparticles in primary wastewater treatment
Authors: King Stephen M. , Jarvie Helen P. , Bowes Michael J. , Gozzard Emma , Lawlor Alan J. , Lawrence M. Jayne
Published: January 2015

What controls the fate of silver nanoparticles in primary wastewater treatment?
Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as long wavelength photoinitiators for free radical polymerization
Authors: Dadashi-Silab Sajjad , Yar Yasemin , Yagci Acar Havva , Yagci Yusuf
Published: January 2015

Iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) capped with lauric acid agents were synthesized and their photocatalytic activity was investigated in free radical photopolymerization of vinyl monomers.
Semi-metallic, strong and stretchable wet-spun conjugated polymer microfibers
Authors: Zhou Jian , Li Er Qiang , Li Ruipeng , Xu Xuezhu , Ventura Isaac Aguilar , Moussawi Ali , Anjum Dalaver H. , Hedhili Mohamed Nejib , Smilgies Detlef-M. , Lubineau Gilles , Thoroddsen Sigurdur T.
Published: January 2015

High-performance conjugated polymer microfibers were fabricated via wet-spinning followed by hot-drawing. With a combination of solvent doping and de-doping, we achieved a record electrical conductivity of 2804 S cm−1.
Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived vascular smooth muscle cells: methods and application
Authors: Dash Biraja C. , Jiang Zhengxin , Suh Carol , Qyang Yibing
Published: January 2015

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play a major role in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases. The advent of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology and the capability of differentiating into virtually every cell type in the human body make this field a ray of hope for vascular regenerative therapy and understanding of the disease mechanism. In the present review, we first discuss the recent iPSC technology and vascular smooth muscle development from an embryo and then examine different methodologies to derive VSMCs from iPSCs, and their applications in regenerative therapy and disease modelling.
Low‐leakage 4H‐SiC junction barrier Schottky rectifier with sandwich P‐type well
Authors: Wang Ying , Yu Cheng‐hao , Miao Zhi‐kun , Shan Ming‐guang
Published: January 2015

4H‐SiC junction barrier Schottky (JBS) rectifier with sandwich P‐type well (SPW JBS) is investigated by simulation. For this structure, the top and bottom of P+ grids are replaced by low‐doped P (LDP) region based on the common JBS rectifier. The forward and reverse characteristics of SPW JBS rectifier have been compared with those of common JBS rectifier at different temperatures. The reverse current density of SPW JBS rectifier is about 2.4 × 10−5 times of common JBS rectifier at −800 V bias voltage. The upper LDP of SPW JBS is helpful to give a reduction in forward voltage drop. The spreading current and tunnelling current of SPW JBS rectifier are lower, because the depletion layer width in lower LDP is larger than that in P+ grid region at the same reverse voltage. As a result, the breakdown voltage of SPW JBS rectifier increases by 83.5% compared with that of common JBS rectifier. The on/off (1 V/ −500 V) current ratios of SPW JBS and common JBS rectifiers are 3.8 × 107 and 1.2 × 103, respectively. In addition, the figure of merit of SPW JBS rectifier is 347, which is two times larger than that of common JBS rectifier.
Wetting of prototypical one- and two-dimensional systems: Thermodynamics and density functional theory
Authors: Yatsyshin Petr , Savva Nikos , Kalliadasis Serafim
Published: January 2015

Consider a two-dimensional capped capillary pore formed by capping two parallel planar walls with a third wall orthogonal to the two planar walls. This system reduces to a slit pore sufficiently far from the capping wall and to a single planar wall when the side walls are far apart. Not surprisingly, wetting of capped capillaries is related to wetting of slit pores and planar walls. For example, the wetting temperature of the capped capillary provides the boundary between first-order and continuous transitions to condensation. We present a numerical investigation of adsorption in capped capillaries of mesoscopic widths based on density functional theory. The fluid-fluid and fluid-substrate interactions are given by the pairwise Lennard-Jones potential. We also perform a parametric study of wetting in capped capillaries by a liquid phase by varying the applied chemical potential, temperature, and pore width. This allows us to construct surface phase diagrams and investigate the complicated interplay of wetting mechanisms specific to each system, in particular, the dependence of capillary wetting temperature on the pore width.
Optical absorption spectra of palladium doped gold cluster cations
Authors: Kaydashev Vladimir E. , Janssens Ewald , Lievens Peter
Published: January 2015

Photoabsorption spectra of gas phase Aun+ and Aun−1Pd+ (13 ≤ n ≤ 20) clusters were measured using mass spectrometric recording of wavelength dependent Xe messenger atom photodetachment in the 1.9–3.4 eV photon energy range. Pure cationic gold clusters consisting of 15, 17, and 20 atoms have a higher integrated optical absorption cross section than the neighboring sizes. It is shown that the total optical absorption cross section increases with size and that palladium doping strongly reduces this cross section for all investigated sizes and in particular for n = 14–17 and 20. The largest reduction of optical absorption upon Pd doping is observed for n = 15.
Hybrid yttrium iron garnet-ferromagnet structures for spin-wave devices
Authors: Papp A. , Porod W. , Csaba G.
Published: January 2015

We study coupled ferromagnetic layers, which could facilitate low loss, sub 100 nm wavelength spin-wave propagation and manipulation. One of the layers is a low-loss garnet film (such as yttrium iron garnet (YIG)) that enables long-distance, coherent spin-wave propagation. The other layer is made of metal-based (Permalloy, Co, and CoFe) magnetoelectronic structures that can be used to generate, manipulate, and detect the spin waves. Using micromagnetic simulations, we analyze the interactions between the spin waves in the YIG and the metallic nanomagnet structures and demonstrate the components of a scalable spin-wave based signal processing device. We argue that such hybrid-metallic ferromagnet structures can be the basis of potentially high-performance, ultra low-power computing devices.
Magnetic properties of nearly stoichiometric CeAuBi2 heavy fermion compound
Authors: Adriano C. , Rosa P. F. S. , Jesus C. B. R. , Grant T. , Fisk Z. , Garcia D. J. , Pagliuso P. G.
Published: January 2015

Motivated by the interesting magnetic anisotropy found in the heavy fermion family CeTX2 (T = transition metal and X = pnictogen), here, we study the novel parent compound CeAu1−xBi2−y by combining magnetization, pressure dependent electrical resistivity, and heat-capacity measurements. The magnetic properties of our nearly stoichiometric single crystal sample of CeAu1−xBi2−y (x = 0.92 and y = 1.6) revealed an antiferromagnetic ordering at TN = 12 K with an easy axis along the c-direction. The field dependent magnetization data at low temperatures reveal the existence of a spin-flop transition when the field is applied along the c-axis (Hc ∼ 7.5 T and T = 5 K). The heat capacity and pressure dependent resistivity data suggest that CeAu0.92Bi1.6 exhibits a weak heavy fermion behavior with strongly localized Ce3+ 4f electrons. Furthermore, the systematic analysis using a mean field model including anisotropic nearest-neighbors interactions and the tetragonal crystalline electric field (CEF) Hamiltonian allows us to extract a CEF scheme and two different values for the anisotropic JRKKY exchange parameters between the Ce3+ ions in this compound. Thus, we discuss a scenario, considering both the anisotropic magnetic interactions and the tetragonal CEF effects, in the CeAu1−xBi2−y compounds, and we compare our results with the isostructural compound CeCuBi2.
Investigation on high-temperature magnetic permeability of Si-rich nanocrystalline (Fe0.9Co0.1)74.5Nb2Si17.5B5Cu1 alloy
Authors: Wen Li-Xia , Wang Zhi , Wang Jia , Yue Ming
Published: January 2015

The temperature dependence of initial permeability (μi-T curve) for as-quenched and annealed Si-rich (Fe0.9Co0.1)74.5Nb2Si17.5B5Cu1 alloy was investigated. The results showed that fewer Co doping into Fe74.5Cu1Nb2Si17.5B5 can reduce the onset primary crystallization temperature Tx1, enhance the Curie temperature of amorphous phase  Tcam, and improve the high-temperature soft magnetic properties. After annealing at 480–650 °C, the common feature of μi-T curve is that the μi increases with T from room temperature and reaches a peak value at a certain temperature, which depends on the annealing temperature Ta, then μi decreases with T. This kind of μi-T curves is different from that of the common Co-contained Finemet-type alloys ever reported. The optimal high-temperature magnetic softness was obtained by annealing at 540 °C, the higher μi of 6500 at 10 kHz can be kept up to 500 °C. Such a magnetic softness at elevated temperature is superior to that of Fe74.5Nb2Si17.5B5Cu1 alloy and other Co-contained Finemet-type nanocrystalline alloys with higher Co content.
Local order origin of thermal stability enhancement in amorphous Ag doping GeTe
Authors: Xu L. , Li Y. , Yu N. N. , Zhong Y. P. , Miao X. S.
Published: January 2015

We demonstrate the impacts of Ag doping on the local atomic structure of amorphous GeTe phase-change material. The variations of phonon vibrational modes, boding nature, and atomic structure are shown by Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and ab initio calculation. Combining the experiments and simulations, we observe that the number of Ge atoms in octahedral site decreases and that in tetrahedral site increases. This modification in local order of GeTe originating from the low valence element will affect the crystallization behavior of amorphous GeTe, which is verified by differential scanning calorimetry and transmission electron microscope results. This work not only gives the analysis on the structural change of GeTe with Ag dopants but also provides a method to enhance the thermal stability of amorphous phase-change materials for memory and brain-inspired computing applications.
Non-spectroscopic surface plasmon sensor with a tunable sensitivity
Authors: Wen Qiuling , Han Xu , Hu Chuang , Zhang Jiasen
Published: January 2015

We demonstrate a non-spectroscopic surface plasmon sensor with a tunable sensitivity which is based on the relationship between the wave number of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) on metal film and the refractive index of the specimen in contact with the metal film. A change in the wave number of the SPPs results in a variation in the propagation angle of the leakage radiation of the SPPs. A reference light is used to interfere with the leakage radiation, and the refractive index of the specimen can be obtained by measuring the period of the interference fringes. The sensitivity of the sensor can be tuned by changing the incident direction of the reference light and this cannot be realized by conventional surface plasmon sensors. For a reference angle of 1.007°, the sensitivity and resolution of the sensor are 4629 μm/RIU (RIU stands for refractive index unit) and 3.6 × 10−4 RIU, respectively. In addition, the sensor only needs a monochromatic light source, which simplifies the measurement setup and reduces the cost.
Thinking differently: working together for better care
Authors: Bolton Patrick , Crilly Hilary , Rivas Ketty
Published: January 2015

This paper describes the development and outcomes from ‘joint working’ between Prince of Wales Hospital and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) in Australia. ‘Joint working’ is a term used within the English National Health Service to describe health system and industry partners working together to create novel service models which benefit patients. The joint working process broadened the perspective of both parties through learning from each other and so enhanced the range of tools they each bring to their work.

What is known about the topic?
Collaboration between industry – specifically the pharmaceutical industry – and English National Health Service providers under the rubric “joint working” has been used successfully to pool skills, experience and/or resources for the joint development and implementation of patient centred projects. This process has required identification of the common interest of both parties and care to ensure the public interest is maintained.

What does this paper add?
Descriptions of collaboration between public hospital and private industry to deliver improved health outcomes have not been widely published. Joint working has not previously been described in the Australian context. This paper describes an experiment which addresses both of the gaps.

What are the implications for practitioners?
Opportunities may exist to improve patient outcomes through collaboration between public health providers and industry.
Hierarchical cultural values predict success and mortality in high-stakes teams
Authors: Anicich Eric M. , Swaab Roderick I. , Galinsky Adam D.
Published: January 2015

Significance

Functional accounts of hierarchy propose that hierarchy increases group coordination whereas dysfunctional accounts claim that hierarchy impairs performance by preventing low-ranking team members from voicing their perspectives. This research presents evidence for both accounts within the same dataset. Analysis of archival data from 30,625 Himalayan mountain climbers from 56 countries on 5,104 expeditions demonstrate that expeditions from countries with hierarchical cultural values had more climbers reach the summit, but also more climbers die along the way. Importantly, we established the role of group processes (i.e., coordination, psychological safety, information sharing) by showing that these effects occurred only for group, but not solo, expeditions. These results establish that endorsing cultural values related to hierarchy can simultaneously improve and undermine group performance.
Synergistic and antagonistic interactions between bednets and vaccines in the control of malaria
Authors: Artzy-Randrup Yael , Dobson Andrew P. , Pascual Mercedes
Published: January 2015

Significance

Conventional wisdom assumes that integrating different malaria intervention approaches will always act synergistically for malaria control. The complex and transient nature of malaria immunity significantly underlies this optimistic assumption. Here we use a fully parameterized mathematical model to investigate the interaction of treated bednets with vaccination in the population dynamics of malaria. We demonstrate that mixed interventions create nonlinear responses that modify the way in which humans acquire clinical protection from malaria infection. Our results indicate that vaccines will not necessarily provide a straightforward solution to malaria control, and that future programs need to consider both synergistic and antagonistic interactions between vaccines and other control measures.
Twentieth-century shifts in forest structure in California: Denser forests, smaller trees, and increased dominance of oaks
Authors: McIntyre Patrick J. , Thorne James H. , Dolanc Christopher R. , Flint Alan L. , Flint Lorraine E. , Kelly Maggi , Ackerly David D.
Published: January 2015

Significance

Declines in the number of large trees in temperate and tropical forests have attracted attention, given their disproportionate importance to forest structure, function, and carbon storage. Yet, factors responsible for these declines are unclear. By comparing historic (1930s) and contemporary (2000s) surveys of California forests, we document that across 120,000 km
2
, large trees have declined by up to 50%, corresponding to a 19% decline in average basal area and associated biomass, despite large increases in small tree density. Contemporary forests also exhibit increased dominance by oaks over pines. Both large tree declines and increased oak dominance were associated with increases in climatic water deficit, suggesting that water stress may be contributing to changes in forest structure and function across large areas.
Probabilistic evaluation of integrating resource recovery into wastewater treatment to improve environmental sustainability
Authors: Wang Xu , McCarty Perry L. , Liu Junxin , Ren Nan-Qi , Lee Duu-Jong , Yu Han-Qing , Qian Yi , Qu Jiuhui
Published: January 2015

Significance

Conventional methods used in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) emphasizing removal of detrimental substances from wastewater are essential for protection of the aquatic environment and public health. However, they are associated with costs in terms of environmental problem shifting, such as energy consumption, solid waste production, and greenhouse gas emissions. An improved approach involving wastewater-derived resource recovery in WWTPs is recognized as one potential solution. However, the environmental impacts and benefits of such a substantial change remain uncertain. We conducted an integrated assessment of the net environmental benefits of this transition in WWTPs for more than 50 individual countries to determine how best to update current methods of wastewater treatment and facilitate sustainable WWTPs in various parts of the world.
Biomechanical basis of wing and haltere coordination in flies
Authors: Deora Tanvi , Singh Amit Kumar , Sane Sanjay P.
Published: January 2015

Significance

Insect wing movements must be both precise and fast. This requirement is especially challenging in smaller insects whose flapping frequencies exceed 100 Hz, because the nervous system cannot exercise stroke-by-stroke control at such rates. In flies, the hind wings have evolved into halteres, gyroscopic sense organs that oscillate exactly antiphase to wings. We show that wing–wing and wing–haltere coordination at high frequencies is mediated by passive biomechanical linkages in thorax. This system requires a clutch mechanism in the wing hinge to independently engage each wing with the vibrating thorax. Once the wings are engaged, the gearbox modulates the amplitude of each wing. Thus, the force transmission mechanism from thorax to wings in flies bears remarkable similarity to automobile transmission systems.
Structure, variation, and assembly of the root-associated microbiomes of rice
Authors: Edwards Joseph , Johnson Cameron , Santos-Medellín Christian , Lurie Eugene , Podishetty Natraj Kumar , Bhatnagar Srijak , Eisen Jonathan A. , Sundaresan Venkatesan
Published: January 2015

Significance

Land plants continuously contact beneficial, commensal, and pathogenic microbes in soil via their roots. There is limited knowledge as to how the totality of root-associated microbes (i.e., the microbiome) is shaped by various factors or its pattern of acquisition in the root. Using rice as a model, we show that there exist three different root niches hosting different microbial communities of eubacteria and methanogenic archaea. These microbial communities are affected by geographical location, soil source, host genotype, and cultivation practice. Dynamics of the colonization pattern for the root-associated microbiome across the three root niches provide evidence for rapid acquisition of root-associated microbiomes from soil, and support a multistep model wherein each root niche plays a selective role in microbiome assembly.
Endo-β-
N
-acetylglucosaminidase forms
N
-GlcNAc protein aggregates during ER-associated degradation in Ngly1-defective cells
Authors: Huang Chengcheng , Harada Yoichiro , Hosomi Akira , Masahara-Negishi Yuki , Seino Junichi , Fujihira Haruhiko , Funakoshi Yoko , Suzuki Takehiro , Dohmae Naoshi , Suzuki Tadashi
Published: January 2015

Significance

In the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), N-glycans on glycoproteins play important roles in dictating the folding status of proteins by a sophisticated N-glycan–dependent protein quality control machinery. In this study we identified the dysregulation of ER-associated degradation (ERAD) in cells that were defective in the cytosolic deglycosylating enzyme, Ngly1. ERAD dysregulation was caused by an unexpected deglycosylating activity of endo-β-
N
-acetylglucosaminidase, another cytosolic deglycosylation enzyme, and this action resulted in the intracellular formation of protein aggregates. Our results clearly point to the critical role of N-glycans even in cytosolic events of the ERAD process by controlling the conformation/solubility of proteins. This study may also provide a potential mechanism for explaining the pathology of a human genetic disorder caused by mutations in the
NGLY1
gene.
Social discounting involves modulation of neural value signals by temporoparietal junction
Authors: Strombach Tina , Weber Bernd , Hangebrauk Zsofia , Kenning Peter , Karipidis Iliana I. , Tobler Philippe N. , Kalenscher Tobias
Published: January 2015

Significance

People often consider the well-being of others. However, they are more likely to be generous toward individuals they feel close to than to those they only meet sporadically. Using neuroimaging tools, we show that the decline in generosity across social distance is realized by the interplay of two brain structures—the ventromedial prefrontal cortex coding the relative appeal of a selfish or a generous option, and the temporoparietal junction modulating appeal signals of the generous outcome, depending on social distance between participant and beneficiary. Based on these findings, we developed a biologically plausible model explaining social discounting in particular, and prosocial behavior in general. Our study opens up new avenues to understand and tackle frictions arising in social networks.
Mechanism of RNA polymerase II bypass of oxidative cyclopurine DNA lesions
Authors: Walmacq Celine , Wang Lanfeng , Chong Jenny , Scibelli Kathleen , Lubkowska Lucyna , Gnatt Averell , Brooks Philip J. , Wang Dong , Kashlev Mikhail
Published: January 2015

Significance

Cyclopurines are bulky oxidative DNA lesions that strongly block RNA polymerase II (Pol II) to interfere with gene transcription and replication in mammalian cells. Cells developed a mechanism enabling slow transcriptional bypass of the cyclopurines. Similar to translesion synthesis by DNA polymerases, lesion bypass by Pol II can be highly mutagenic, leading to transcription errors that are reminiscent of the A rule. We elucidated the mechanism and determined the domain in Pol II responsible for error-free and error-prone lesion bypass. We also identified a positive role of mammalian factor TFIIF in lesion-bypass stimulation. Strikingly, Pol II uses a similar strategy for negotiation with different DNA lesions, such as cyclopurines, pyrimidine dimers, cisplatin, and abasic sites, to reduce the burden of DNA damage on genome stability.
Microbial denitrification dominates nitrate losses from forest ecosystems
Authors: Fang Yunting , Koba Keisuke , Makabe Akiko , Takahashi Chieko , Zhu Weixing , Hayashi Takahiro , Hokari Azusa A. , Urakawa Rieko , Bai Edith , Houlton Benjamin Z. , Xi Dan , Zhang Shasha , Matsushita Kayo , Tu Ying , Liu Dongwei , Zhu Feifei , Wang Zhenyu , Zhou Guoyi , Chen Dexiang , Makita Tomoko , Toda Hiroto , Liu Xueyan , Chen Quansheng , Zhang Deqiang , Li Yide , Yoh Muneoki
Published: January 2015

Significance

Nitrogen (N) losses from terrestrial ecosystems can occur as inert forms or heat-trapping greenhouse gases, and via nitrate (NO
3
−
) leaching to drainage waters, which can contribute to eutrophication and anoxia in downstream ecosystems. Here, we use natural isotopes to demonstrate that microbial gaseous N production via denitrification is the dominant pathway of NO
3
−
removal from forest ecosystems, with gaseous N losses that are up to ∼60-fold higher than those based on traditional techniques. Denitrification becomes less efficient compared with NO
3
−
leaching in more N-polluted ecosystems, which has important implications for assessing the connections between terrestrial soils and downstream ecosystems under rising anthropogenic N deposition.
Endostatin: A novel inhibitor of androgen receptor function in prostate cancer
Authors: Lee Joo Hyoung , Isayeva Tatyana , Larson Matthew R. , Sawant Anandi , Cha Ha-Ram , Chanda Diptiman , Chesnokov Igor N. , Ponnazhagan Selvarangan
Published: January 2015

Significance

Despite the development of second-generation androgen receptor (AR)-targeted therapies for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), the effects are only modest, compelling the need for novel therapy combinations that can maximize the antitumor effects of new-generation chemotherapies with minimal acquired resistance, attributed to AR modifications. The present study identified that endostatin (ES), known for its antiangiogenic properties on tumor vasculature, exerts a profound antiproliferative effect on AR-positive human PCa cells. By a systematic approach involving a combination of in situ, cell-free, yeast-two hybrid, structural modeling, and mutagenesis studies, we determined that intracellular trafficking of ES in AR-positive PCa cells leads to a direct interaction with AR in the cytosol, affecting the transcriptional activation of AR target genes.
Galactose metabolic genes in yeast respond to a ratio of galactose and glucose
Authors: Escalante-Chong Renan , Savir Yonatan , Carroll Sean M. , Ingraham John B. , Wang Jue , Marx Christopher J. , Springer Michael
Published: January 2015

Significance

Almost all biological systems need to respond to multiple simultaneous inputs. In yeast catabolite repression, a textbook model for signaling integration, the preferred carbohydrate glucose is thought to inhibit the induction of galactose genes when above a threshold concentration. Instead, we show that galactose metabolic genes induction depends on the ratio of galactose and glucose. Surprisingly, a critical portion of the information processing that determines the ratio response occurs upstream of the canonical signaling pathway. The use of modern combinatorial approaches has thus revealed a new signal processing paradigm that may be common throughout biology.
Direct laser manipulation reveals the mechanics of cell contacts in vivo
Authors: Bambardekar Kapil , Clément Raphaël , Blanc Olivier , Chardès Claire , Lenne Pierre-François
Published: January 2015

Significance

The shaping of tissues and organs relies on the ability of cells to adhere together and deform in a coordinated manner. It is, therefore, key to understand how cell-generated forces produce cell shape changes and how such forces transmit through a group of adhesive cells in vivo. In this context, we have developed an approach using laser manipulation to impose local forces on cell contacts in the early
Drosophila
embryo. Quantification of local and global shape changes using our approach can both provide direct measurements of the forces acting at cell contacts and delineate the time-dependent viscoelastic properties of the tissue. The latter provides an explicit relationship, the so-called constitutive law, between forces and deformations.
Real-time resolution of point mutations that cause phenovariance in mice
Authors: Wang Tao , Zhan Xiaowei , Bu Chun-Hui , Lyon Stephen , Pratt David , Hildebrand Sara , Choi Jin Huk , Zhang Zhao , Zeng Ming , Wang Kuan-wen , Turer Emre , Chen Zhe , Zhang Duanwu , Yue Tao , Wang Ying , Shi Hexin , Wang Jianhui , Sun Lei , SoRelle Jeff , McAlpine William , Hutchins Noelle , Zhan Xiaoming , Fina Maggy , Gobert Rochelle , Quan Jiexia , Kreutzer McKensie , Arnett Stephanie , Hawkins Kimberly , Leach Ashley , Tate Christopher , Daniel Chad , Reyna Carlos , Prince Lauren , Davis Sheila , Purrington Joel , Bearden Rick , Weatherly Jennifer , White Danielle , Russell Jamie , Sun Qihua , Tang Miao , Li Xiaohong , Scott Lindsay , Moresco Eva Marie Y. , McInerney Gerald M. , Karlsson Hedestam Gunilla B. , Xie Yang , Beutler Bruce
Published: January 2015

Significance

In forward genetics, a mutagen is used to randomly induce germline mutations that cause variant phenotypes. Forward genetics permits discovery of genes necessary for biological phenomena, but identifying the mutations that cause variant phenotypes is time-consuming and in the past usually occurred long after the phenotype was first recognized. Here we introduce a method and software tool, Linkage Analyzer, for identifying causative mutations present in the germline of mutant mice concurrent with recognition of variant phenotypes. It requires knowledge of genotype at all mutation sites in members of a pedigree prior to phenotypic assessment. Using this method and software, forward genetic studies in mice are limited only by the rates of mutant production and screening.
The guanine nucleotide exchange factor Ric-8A induces domain separation and Ras domain plasticity in Gαi1
Authors: Van Eps Ned , Thomas Celestine J. , Hubbell Wayne L. , Sprang Stephen R.
Published: January 2015

Significance

Heterotrimeric G proteins are activated by exchange of a bound GDP for GTP at the active site of the alpha subunit (Gα), typically mediated by a transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). Resistance to inhibitors of cholinesterase 8A (Ric-8A), a soluble intracellular protein that is essential for embryonic development, can also catalyze nucleotide exchange and activate G proteins. Here, in a mechanistic study of a nonreceptor exchange factor, site-directed spin labeling and dipolar EPR spectroscopy are used to show that Ric-8A triggers the separation of the Ras-like and helical domains, also observed in GPCR-G protein complexes. This separation and induction of structural plasticity around the nucleotide-binding cavity of Gα promote nucleotide release. Ric-8A and GPCRs, although structurally unrelated, exhibit distinct but related mechanisms of action.
Suppression of cancer relapse and metastasis by inhibiting cancer stemness
Authors: Li Youzhi , Rogoff Harry A. , Keates Sarah , Gao Yuan , Murikipudi Sylaja , Mikule Keith , Leggett David , Li Wei , Pardee Arthur B. , Li Chiang J.
Published: January 2015

Significance

Current cancer treatments ultimately fail owing to metastasis and relapse. The discovery of therapeutic approaches that counteract relapse and metastasis is, therefore, extremely important for advancing cancer medicine. Hypermalignant cancer cells, termed cancer stem cells or stemness-high cancer cells, have been isolated from patients with a variety of tumor types and found to be highly malignant, tumorigenic, and resistant to chemotherapies. Our data that BBI608, a cancer stemness inhibitor in clinical development, effectively blocks cancer relapse and metastasis in xenografted human cancers, suggest targeting cancer stemness as a novel approach to develop the next generation of cancer therapeutics to suppress cancer relapse and metastasis.
Imaging Dirac-mass disorder from magnetic dopant atoms in the ferromagnetic topological insulator Cr
x
(Bi
0.1
Sb
0.9
)
2-x
Te
3
Authors: Lee Inhee , Kim Chung Koo , Lee Jinho , Billinge Simon J. L. , Zhong Ruidan , Schneeloch John A. , Liu Tiansheng , Valla Tonica , Tranquada John M. , Gu Genda , Davis J. C. Séamus
Published: January 2015

Significance

Surface states of topological insulators (TIs) should exhibit extraordinary electronic phenomena when a ‘Dirac-mass gap’ is opened in their spectrum, typically by creating a ferromagnetic state. However, our direct visualization of the Dirac-mass gap

Δ

(
r
)

in a ferromagnetic TI reveals its intense disorder at the nanoscale. This is correlated with the density of magnetic dopant atoms

n
(
r
)

, such that

Δ

(
r
)

∝
n

(
r
)

as anticipated for surface-state–mediated ferromagnetism. Consequent new perspectives on ferromagnetic TI physics include that the quantum anomalous Hall effect occurs in this environment of extreme Dirac-mass disorder and that paths of associated chiral edge states must be tortuous. To achieve all the exotic physics expected of ferromagnetic TIs, greatly improved control of dopant-induced Dirac-mass gap disorder is therefore required.
Genetic engineering of hematopoietic stem cells to generate invariant natural killer T cells
Authors: Smith Drake J. , Liu Siyuan , Ji Sunjong , Li Bo , McLaughlin Jami , Cheng Donghui , Witte Owen N. , Yang Lili
Published: January 2015

Significance

This article describes a new method for generating large numbers of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells in mice through genetic engineering of blood stem cells. iNKT cells are potent immune cells that regulate many human diseases, including cancer, infections, allergies, and autoimmunity. However, both the study of iNKT cell biology and the clinical application of iNKT cells have been greatly hindered by their small numbers (∼0.01–1% in mouse and human blood). The method reported here provides a powerful new tool to study iNKT cell biology in a mouse model. It can also be applied to humans, opening a new avenue for iNKT cell-based immunotherapy that has the potential to provide patients with therapeutic levels of iNKT cells throughout life.
Autonoetic consciousness: Reconsidering the role of episodic memory in future-oriented self-projection
Authors: Klein Stanley B.
Published: January 2015

Following the seminal work of Ingvar (1985. “Memory for the future”: An essay on the temporal organization of conscious awareness. Human Neurobiology, 4, 127–136), Suddendorf (1994. The discovery of the fourth dimension: Mental time travel and human evolution. Master's thesis. University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand), and Tulving (1985. Memory and consciousness. Canadian Psychology/PsychologieCanadienne, 26, 1–12), exploration of the ability to anticipate and prepare for future contingencies that cannot be known with certainty has grown into a thriving research enterprise. A fundamental tenet of this line of inquiry is that future-oriented mental time travel, in most of its presentations, is underwritten by a property or an extension of episodic recollection. However, a careful conceptual analysis of exactly how episodic memory functions in this capacity has yet to be undertaken. In this paper I conduct such an analysis. Based on conceptual, phenomenological, and empirical considerations, I conclude that the autonoetic component of episodic memory, not episodic memory per se, is the causally determinative factor enabling an individual to project him or herself into a personal future.
Getting connected: Both associative and semantic links structure semantic memory for newly learned persons
Authors: Wiese Holger , Schweinberger Stefan R.
Published: January 2015

The present study examined whether semantic memory for newly learned people is structured by visual co-occurrence, shared semantics, or both. Participants were trained with pairs of simultaneously presented (i.e., co-occurring) preexperimentally unfamiliar faces, which either did or did not share additionally provided semantic information (occupation, place of living, etc.). Semantic information could also be shared between faces that did not co-occur. A subsequent priming experiment revealed faster responses for both co-occurrence/no shared semantics and no co-occurrence/shared semantics conditions, than for an unrelated condition. Strikingly, priming was strongest in the co-occurrence/shared semantics condition, suggesting additive effects of these factors. Additional analysis of event-related brain potentials yielded priming in the N400 component only for combined effects of visual co-occurrence and shared semantics, with more positive amplitudes in this than in the unrelated condition. Overall, these findings suggest that both semantic relatedness and visual co-occurrence are important when novel information is integrated into person-related semantic memory.
Empathy, but not Mimicry Restriction, Influences the Recognition of Change in Emotional Facial Expressions
Authors: Kosonogov Vladimir , Titova Alisa , Vorobyeva Elena
Published: January 2015

The current study addressed the hypothesis that empathy and the restriction of facial muscles of observers can influence recognition of emotional facial expressions. A sample of 74 participants recognized the subjective onset of emotional facial expressions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise, and neutral) in a series of morphed face photographs showing a gradual change (frame by frame) from one expression to another. The high-empathy (as measured by the Empathy Quotient) participants recognized emotional facial expressions at earlier photographs from the series than did low-empathy ones, but there was no difference in the exploration time. Restriction of facial muscles of observers (with plasters and a stick in mouth) did not influence the responses. We discuss these findings in the context of the embodied simulation theory and previous data on empathy.