bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SACRIFICE VS. SUSTENANCE: FOOD AS A BURIAL GOOD IN LATE PRE-IMPERIAL AND EARLY IMPERIAL CHINESE TOMBS AND ITS RELATION FUNERARY RITES
Authors: Selbitschka Armin
Published: November 2018

One of the medical manuscripts recovered from Tomb No. 3 at Mawangdui (dated 186 b.c.e.) states that, “When a person is born there are two things that need not to be learned: the first is to breathe and the second is to eat.” Of course it is true that all healthy newborn human beings possess the reflexes to breathe and eat. Yet, the implications of death should have been just as obvious to the ancient Chinese. Once the human brain ceases to function, there is no longer a biological need for oxygen and nourishment. Nevertheless, a large number of people in late pre-imperial and early imperial China insisted on burying food and drink with the dead. Most modern commentators take the deposition of food and drink as burial goods to be a rather trite phenomenon that warrants little reflection. To their minds both kinds of deposits were either intended to sustain the spirit of the deceased in the hereafter or simply a sacrifice to the spirit of the deceased. Yet, a closer look at the archaeological evidence suggests otherwise. By tracking the exact location of food and drink containers in late pre-imperial and early imperial tombs and by comprehensively analyzing inscriptions on such vessels in addition to finds of actual food, the article demonstrates that reality was more complicated than this simple either/or dichotomy. Some tombs indicate that the idea of continued sustenance coincided with occasional sacrifices. Moreover, this article will introduce evidence of a third kind of sacrifice that, so far, has gone unnoticed by scholarship. Such data confirms that sacrifices to spirits other than the one of the deceased sometimes were also part of funerary rituals. By paying close attention to food and drink as burial goods the article will put forth a more nuanced understanding of early Chinese burial practices and associated notions of the afterlife.
Soil moisture, wind speed and depth hoar formation in the Arctic snowpack
Authors: DOMINE FLORENT , BELKE-BREA MARIA , SARRAZIN DENIS , ARNAUD LAURENT , BARRERE MATHIEU , POIRIER MATHILDE
Published: November 2018

Basal depth hoar that forms in Arctic snowpacks often has a low thermal conductivity, strongly contributing to the snowpack thermal insulance and impacting the permafrost thermal regime. At Ward Hunt Island (Canadian high Arctic, 83°05′N, 74°07′W) almost no depth hoar was observed in spring 2016 despite favorable thermal conditions. We hypothesize that depth hoar formation was impeded by the combination of two factors (1) strong winds in fall that formed hard dense wind slabs where water vapor transport was slow and (2) low soil moisture that led to rapid ground cooling with no zero-curtain period, which reduced soil temperature and the temperature gradient in the snowpack. Comparisons with detailed data from the subsequent winter at Ward Hunt and from Bylot Island (73°09′N, 80°00′W) and with data from Barrow and Alert indicate that both high wind speeds after snow onset and low soil moisture are necessary to prevent Arctic depth hoar formation. The role of convection to form depth hoar is discussed. A simple preliminary strategy to parameterize depth hoar thermal conductivity in snow schemes is proposed based on wind speed and soil moisture. Finally, warming-induced vegetation growth and soil moisture increase should reduce depth hoar thermal conductivity, potentially affecting permafrost temperature.
MULTIPLICITIES OF EIGENVALUES OF THE DIFFUSION OPERATOR WITH RANDOM JUMPS FROM THE BOUNDARY
Authors: YAN JUN , SHI GUOLIANG
Published: November 2018

This paper deals with a non-self-adjoint differential operator which is associated with a diffusion process with random jumps from the boundary. Our main result is that the algebraic multiplicity of an eigenvalue is equal to its order as a zero of the characteristic function $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E5}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D706})$. This is a new criterion for determining the multiplicities of eigenvalues for concrete operators.
CONGRUENCES FOR THE TH APÉRY NUMBER
Authors: LIU JI-CAI , WANG CHEN
Published: November 2018

We prove two conjectural congruences on the
$(p-1)$
th Apéry number, which were recently proposed by Z.-H. Sun.
POP CULTURE ROUNDUP
Authors: Gordon Joel
Published: November 2018

Two decades ago I published an article in this journal about Egyptian biographical films. It was the first study published inIJMESabout Arab/Middle East film and the first to feature photographic illustrations. The editor sent it to four reviewers, some presumably to check my history, others my cultural scope. Three approved wholeheartedly, but one protested thatIJMESshould not publish a piece that was not based upon “Arabic sources.” Admittedly, there was little critical literature in Arabic on this topic; my primary theorization came from a recent study of Hollywood “biopics.” But Stephen Humphreys, the forward-thinking editor, recognized that my “Arabic sources” were the films analyzed and disregarded the negative review.
A PREHISTORY OF THE MODERN LEGAL PROFESSION IN EGYPT, 1840S–1870S
Authors: Cheta Omar Youssef
Published: November 2018

This article examines the emergence of a new corps of legal practitioners in Egypt during the 1860s and early 1870s. The proceedings of hundreds of merchant court cases in mid-19th-century Cairo are replete with references to deputies and agents (wukalā; sing.wakīl) who represented merchant-litigants in a wide range of commercial disputes. Examining how these historical actors understood Egyptian, Ottoman, and French laws, and how they strategically deployed their knowledge in the merchant courts, this article revises the commonly accepted historical account of the founding of the legal profession in Egypt. Specifically, it argues that norms of legal practice hitherto linked to the establishment of the Mixed Courts in 1876 were already being formed and refined within the realm of commercial law as part of a more comprehensive program of legal reforms underway during the middle decades of the 19th century. In uncovering this genealogy of practice, the article reevaluates the extent to which the khedival state shared a legal culture with the Ottoman center, and, simultaneously, created the space for a new form of legal representation that became ubiquitous under British, and, subsequently, postcolonial rule.
Patrocles of Athens and Patrocles of Thurii
Authors: Cropp Martin , Storey Ian
Published: November 2018

The Patrocles mocked as an unwashed miser in Aristophanes Wealth 83–85 has been wrongly identified as a tragic poet (TrGF no. 57). This note explains the error and discusses some possible identifications of Aristophanes’ Patrocles.
Geryon the Hero, Herakles the God
Authors: Eisenfeld Hanne
Published: November 2018

This paper re-evaluates the narrative roles occupied by Geryon and Herakles in Stesichoros’ Geryoneis in the light of contemporary thinking about Herakles’ apotheosis. It proposes that Stesichoros activates his audience's awareness of Herakles’ fated divinity in order to reframe the hero versus monster encounter not as a duel between two mortal heroes – the usual interpretation – but as a showdown between a hero and a god. This reorientation destabilizes an audience's sympathies and self-identification, forcing a re-evaluation of the nature of both heroism and humanity. Following a discussion of the potential narrative roles in play, the prominence of Herakles’ apotheosis in the sixth century and its salience for Stesichoros’ audience is established. The apotheosis is then applied as a complementary lens to the long-recognized Iliadic intertexts in a reinterpretation of the encounter between Geryon and Herakles on Erytheia. Finally, the use of the apotheosis as a lens for interpreting two fragments beyond Erytheia is considered.
The Public Charge for Hubris Against Slaves: The Honour of the Victim and the Honour of the Hubristēs
Authors: Canevaro Mirko
Published: November 2018

This article discusses the rationale and the implications of the inclusion of slaves as victims of punishable hubris in the law about the graphē hubreōs. It argues that hubris against slaves was a punishable offence in Athens not because slaves had institutionally and legally recognized rights or a modicum of honour, but rather because it was hubris, as a disposition to overstep and overestimate one's claims to honour (although manifested in concrete acts), that was deemed unacceptable. The article also investigates the implications of the law for our understanding of the connectedness of ‘legal’ and allegedly ‘extra-legal’ spaces, as well as advocating an understanding of honour that is not necessarily competitive and zero-sum, but also cooperative and aimed at securing smooth social interaction in all spheres of social life.
Sicily and Roman Republican History in Chariton’s Chaereas and Callirhoe
Authors: Jolowicz Daniel
Published: November 2018

Chariton's Chaereas and Callirhoe is a Greek novel that is extremely rich in historical and historiographical allusions. Virtually all of those so far detected derive from Greek texts and events in Greek history. In this article I shift the focus to Roman history, and suggest that Rome is not as absent as it is usually supposed to be in the Greek novels. In support of this claim, I propose that Chariton's choice of Sicily as a topographical setting can be related to three episodes from the Republican period that all involve Roman interventions in Sicily. Section I: the removal of Callirhoe (described at the beginning of the novel as an ἄγαλμα) from Syracuse recalls Verres’ provincial mismanagement of Sicily (73–71 BC), specifically his removal from Syracuse of Sappho's statue. Section II: the character of the pirate Theron is freighted with markers that point to the ‘pirate’ Sextus Pompey and his conflict with Octavian from 42–36 BC. Section III: Chaereas’ triumphant return to Syracuse at the end of the novel, loaded with spoils from the Persian king, symbolically reverses and redresses Marcellus’ sack of Syracuse in 211 BC. These all have significant ramifications for how readers (ancient and modern) approach the Greek novels.
Emotional and Thematic Meanings in a Repeating Homeric Motif: A Case Study
Authors: Beck Deborah
Published: November 2018

The regularly occurring Homeric motif τρὶς μέν … τρὶς δέ shares key characteristics with both formulas and type scenes. Like a formula, it is a group of metrically localized words that refers regularly to the same idea. Like a type scene, it describes a series of discrete events that feature ‘repeated attempts to do something, often by two different characters’. This motif evokes the same basic theme in the narratives of both Homeric poems: a vigorous hero gains the sympathy of the audience in the course of repeated attempts, usually in vain, to surmount a powerful opposing force. As with many forms of narrative repetition in Homeric epic, most of the instances of the τρὶς μέν … τρὶς δέ motif display regular narrative patterns, and then a few key scenes elaborate on those patterns in order to create moments of outstanding poetic and emotional force. Highly developed examples of this motif make significant contributions to the aristeia of Patroclus in Iliad 16, the death of Hector in Iliad 22 and Telemachus’ attempt to string Odysseus’ bow in Odyssey 21.
Philodemus’ On Rhetoric was in 20 Books
Authors: Ranocchia Graziano
Published: November 2018

PHerc 1669, formerly identified with book 5, book 7 and book 10 of Philodemus’ On Rhetoric, actually transmits book 20. The book number – a clear Κ – is still legible in the final title of the papyrus. This means that On Rhetoric was in precisely or at least 20 books, depending on whether or not PHerc 1669 is to be considered the final book of the work.
Automatic Ship Routing with High Reliability and Efficiency between Two Arbitrary Points at Sea
Authors: Jia Shuaidong , Dai Zeyuan , Zhang Lihua
Published: November 2018

Due to the limitations of the existing methods (for example, the route binary tree method) that can only automatically generate routes based on a single chart, a method for automatically generating the shortest distance route based on an obstacle spatial database is proposed. Using this proposed method, the route between two arbitrary points at sea can be automatically generated. First, the differences in accuracy and updating time of charts are quantitatively analysed. Next, the mechanism for updating obstacles is designed, an obstacle spatial database is constructed, and the obstacle data extracted from multiple charts are fused. Finally, considering the effect of efficiency on the amount of obstacle data, a route window and an improved R-tree index are designed for quickly extracting and querying the obstacle database. The experimental results demonstrate that compared with existing methods, the proposed method can generate the shortest distance between two arbitrary points at sea and eliminates the limitation of the area of the chart. In addition, with data from multiple charts, the route generated by the proposed method is more reliable than that of the existing methods, and it is more efficient.
Trump in Transnational Perspective: Insights from Global LGBT Politics
Authors: Moreau Julie
Published: November 2018

Despite campaign promises to be the most “gay-friendly” Republican president, since assuming office, Donald Trump has been proactive in what many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) advocates call a “rollback” of gains made during the Barack Obama administration, shocking many observers and bringing sexual and gender politics to the fore. How can we make sense of the contradictions and consequences of Trump's sexual and gender politics? I argue that examining the transnational processes of democratization, political homophobia, and homonationalism illuminates the significance of the administration's actions. A democratization approach reveals how Trump's reversal of Obama-era policies and appointment of conservative judges signifies a greater effort at de-democratization through the contraction of citizenship rights and weakening of the judiciary; political homophobia clarifies how the administration legitimizes its governance through opposition to LGBT people and issues with the appointment of openly homophobic and transphobic individuals to prominent positions; and homonationalism, or the entry of certain queer subjects into the nation at the expense of racialized “others,” aptly characterizes forms of queer inclusion still taking place under Trump. For these reasons, putting Trump's sexual and gender politics in transnational perspective can help us better understand this moment in U.S. politics.
Familiäre Hypercholesterinämie – Diagnose und Therapie
Authors: Schöb Manuela , Müller Pascal , Gerth Yannick , Korte Wolfgang , Rickli Hans , Brändle Michael , Bärlocher Andreas , Bilz Stefan
Published: November 2018

Zusammenfassung. Bei der Familiären Hypercholesterinämie (FH) führen heterozygote Mutationen des LDL-Rezeptor-, Apolipoprotein B- oder PCSK9-Gens zu einer zwei- bis dreifachen Erhöhung des LDL-Cholesterins und in der Folge einer frühzeitigen Atherosklerose. Der klinische Phänotyp der FH kann auch entstehen, wenn eine Person Träger mehrerer Genpolymorphismen ist, die in der Summe zu einer ausgeprägten Cholesterinerhöhung führen (polygene FH). Durch eine primärpräventive Therapie mit Statinen wird das kardiovaskuläre Risiko erheblich gesenkt. Allerdings sind in der Schweiz <10 % der von dieser häufigen Erkrankung (Prävalenz 1:250) Betroffenen diagnostiziert und behandelt, sodass ein kardiovaskuläres Ereignis oft die Erstmanifestation darstellt. Eine korrekte Diagnosestellung und nachfolgende Familienuntersuchung sind die Voraussetzung, um möglichst viele Erkrankte zu identifizieren und präventiv mit Statinen zu behandeln. Falls die FH bereits zu einem kardiovaskulären Ereignis geführt hat, kann durch eine lipidsenkende Kombinationstherapie mit Statinen, Ezetimibe und PCSK9-Hemmern eine effiziente LDL-Cholesterinsenkung erreicht und die Prognose verbessert werden.
An Image Mapping Approach to U‐Pb LA‐ICP‐MS Carbonate Dating and Applications to Direct Dating of Carbonate Sedimentation
Authors: Drost Kerstin , Chew David , Petrus Joseph A. , Scholze Frank , Woodhead Jon D. , Schneider Joerg W. , Harper David A. T.
Published: November 2018

We present a new approach to laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) U‐Pb dating of carbonates based on selection and pooling of pixels from 2‐D elemental and isotopic ratio maps. This image mapping technique is particularly useful for targeting subdomains in samples with complex geological histories. Key major and trace elements that are sensitive to detrital components, postformational fluid ingress, mineralogical changes, or diagenetic overprinting are measured along with the Pb and U isotopic data. Laser sampling is undertaken along successive linear rasters that are compiled into maps using the Monocle add‐on for Iolite, with one pixel in the map corresponding to one time slice of the time‐resolved signal. These element, element ratio, and isotope ratio maps can be overlain over photomicrographs or scanning electron microscopy images to spatially link compositional data to textural and structural features. The pixels corresponding to likely homogeneous age domains can be isolated by applying appropriate selection criteria (e.g., Th < 0.3 ppm, Mg/Ca < 0.004) and pooled into pseudo‐analyses using a proxy for the parent/daughter ratio (e.g., 207Pb/235U, 238U/208Pb) to retrieve the largest possible spread of the data points on isochron diagrams. The approach is best suited for analytical setups capable of rapidly or simultaneously scanning over a large mass range and can yield a precision of ±1% or better on quadrupole instruments depending on U concentration, 238U/204Pb, and age of the sample. The sample‐specific filtering criteria for selection and rejection of data and their rationale can be reported, resulting in more transparency with regard to data processing.
Key Role of Internal Ocean Dynamics in Atlantic Multidecadal Variability During the Last Half Century
Authors: Kim Who M. , Yeager Stephen G. , Danabasoglu Gokhan
Published: November 2018

This study presents multiple lines of evidence from observations and model simulations that support a key role for ocean dynamics, rather than external forcings, in Atlantic multidecadal variability (AMV) during the last half century. Observed AMV fingerprints considered here include the low‐frequency spatiotemporal evolution of sea surface temperature, surface heat fluxes, and deep ocean hydrography. While largely absent in the forced response of a large ensemble historical simulations (LENSs), these fingerprints are clearly discernible in a long control simulation where the variability is purely internal. Further evidence derives from initialized decadal prediction simulations, which exhibit much higher skill at predicting the observed AMV of the past 50 years than LENS. The high correlation between the observed AMV and the externally forced version derived from LENS, which has been invoked as evidence for externally driven AMV, is shown to be largely an artifact of concurrent warming since the 1990s.
Detecting the Onset of Strain Localization Using Two‐Dimensional Wavelet Analysis on Sandstone Deformed at Different Effective Pressures
Authors: Rizzo Roberto E. , Healy David , Heap Michael J. , Farrell Natalie J.
Published: November 2018

Laboratory brittle deformation experiments have shown that a rapid transition exists in the behavior of porous materials under stress: At a certain point, early formed and spatially distributed tensile cracks interact and coalesce forming a shear plane. In this work, we present and apply a novel image processing tool that is able to quantify this transition between distributed (“stable”) damage accumulation and localized (“unstable”) deformation, in terms of the size, density, and orientation of cracks at the point of strain localization. Our technique, based on a two‐dimensional Morlet wavelet analysis, can recognize, extract, and visually separate the multiscale changes occurring in the crack network during the deformation process. We first performed a series of triaxial experiments (σ1>σ2=σ3) on core plugs of Hopeman Sandstone (Scotland, UK) at different effective pressures (from 5 to 30 MPa). We then processed high‐resolution backscattered electron microscope images of thin sections of these core plugs and found differences in the strain localization process as effective pressure was increased. The critical length of tensile cracks required before the onset of strain localization was reduced from 0.24 to 0.15 mm as the effective pressure was increased to 30 MPa, resulting in a narrow fracture zone. Critically, by comparing patterns of fractures in these deformed sandstone samples, we can quantitatively explore the relationship between the observed geometry of the cracks and the inferred mechanical processes. This will eventually help us to better understand the physics underlying the initiation of catastrophic events, such as earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions.
Absence of Stress‐Induced Anisotropy During Brittle Deformation in Antigorite Serpentinite
Authors: David Emmanuel C. , Brantut Nicolas , Hansen Lars N. , Mitchell Thomas M.
Published: November 2018

Knowledge of the seismological signature of serpentinites during deformation is fundamental for interpreting seismic observations in subduction zones, but this has yet to be experimentally constrained. We measured compressional and shear wave velocities during brittle deformation in polycrystalline antigorite, at room temperature and varying confining pressures up to 150 MPa. Ultrasonic velocity measurements, at varying directions to the compression axis, were combined with mechanical measurements of axial and volumetric strain, during direct loading and cyclic loading triaxial deformation tests. An additional deformation experiment was conducted on a specimen of Westerly granite for comparison. At all confining pressures, brittle deformation in antigorite is associated with a spectacular absence of stress‐induced anisotropy and with no noticeable dependence of wave velocities on axial compressive stress, prior to rock failure. The strength of antigorite samples is comparable to that of granite, but the mechanical behavior is elastic up to high stress (
of rock strength) and nondilatant. Microcracking is only observed in antigorite specimens taken to failure and not in those loaded even at 90–95% of their compressive strength. Microcrack damage is extremely localized near the fault and consists of shear microcracks that form exclusively along the cleavage plane of antigorite crystals. Our observations demonstrate that brittle deformation in antigorite occurs entirely by “mode II” shear microcracking. This is all the more remarkable than the preexisting microcrack population in antigorite, is comparable to that in granite. The mechanical behavior and seismic signature of antigorite brittle deformation thus appears to be unique within crystalline rocks.
Earthquakes Induced by Hydraulic Fracturing Are Pervasive in Oklahoma
Authors: Skoumal Robert J. , Ries Rosamiel , Brudzinski Michael R. , Barbour Andrew J. , Currie Brian S.
Published: November 2018

Wastewater disposal is generally accepted to be the primary cause of the increased seismicity rate in Oklahoma within the past decade, but no statewide analysis has investigated the contribution of hydraulic fracturing (HF) to the observed seismicity or the seismic hazard. Utilizing an enhanced seismicity catalog generated with multistation template matching from 2010 to 2016 and all available hydraulic fracturing information, we identified 274 HF wells that are spatiotemporally correlated with bursts of seismicity. The majority of HF‐induced seismicity cases occurred in the SCOOP/STACK plays, but we also identified prominent cases in the Arkoma Basin and some more complex potential cases along the edge of the Anadarko Platform. For HF treatments where we have access to injection parameters, modeling suggests that poroelastic stresses are likely responsible for seismicity, but we cannot rule out direct pore pressure effects as a contributing factor. In all of the 16 regions we identified, ≥75% of the seismicity correlated with reported HF wells. In some regions, >95% of seismicity correlated with HF wells and >50% of the HF wells correlated with seismicity. Overall, we found ~700 HF‐induced earthquakes with M ≥ 2.0, including 12 events with M 3.0–3.5. These findings suggest state regulations implemented in 2018 that require operators in the SCOOP/STACK plays to take action if a M > 2 earthquake could have a significant impact on future operations.
Probing the upper band gap of atomic rhenium disulfide layers
Authors: Dhakal Krishna P. , Kim Hyunmin , Lee Seonwoo , Kim Youngjae , Lee JaeDong , Ahn Jong-Hyun
Published: November 2018

Here, we investigate the ultrafast carrier dynamics and electronic states of exfoliated ReS2 films using time-resolved second harmonic generation (TSHG) microscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The second harmonic generation (SHG) of layers with various thicknesses is probed using a 1.19-eV beam. Up to ~13 nm, a gradual increment is observed, followed by a decrease caused by bulk interferometric light absorption. The addition of a pump pulse tuned to the exciton band gap (1.57 eV) creates a decay-to-rise TSHG profile as a function of the probe delay. The power and thickness dependencies indicate that the electron–hole recombination is mediated by defects and surfaces. The two photon absorptions of 2.38 eV in the excited state that are induced by pumping from 1.57 to 1.72 eV are restricted because these transitions highly correlate with the forbidden d–d intrasubshell orbital transitions. However, the combined usage of a frequency-doubled pump (2.38 eV) with wavelength-variant SHG probes (2.60–2.82 eV) allows us to vividly monitor the variations in TSHG profiles from decay-to-rise to rise-to-decay, which imply the existence of an additional electron absorption state (s-orbital) at an approximate distance of 5.05 eV from the highest occupied molecular orbital states. This observation was critically examined by considering the allowance of each electronic transition and a small upper band gap (~0.5 eV) using modified DFT calculations.
Glucocorticoid receptor signaling in astrocytes is required for aversive memory formation
Authors: Tertil Magdalena , Skupio Urszula , Barut Justyna , Dubovyk Valentyna , Wawrzczak-Bargiela Agnieszka , Soltys Zbigniew , Golda Slawomir , Kudla Lucja , Wiktorowska Lucja , Szklarczyk Klaudia , Korostynski Michal , Przewlocki Ryszard , Slezak Michal
Published: November 2018

Stress elicits the release of glucocorticoids (GCs) that regulate energy metabolism and play a role in emotional memory. Astrocytes express glucocorticoid receptors (GR), but their contribution to cognitive effects of GC’s action in the brain is unknown. To address this question, we studied how astrocyte-specific elimination of GR affects animal behavior known to be regulated by stress. Mice with astrocyte-specific ablation of GR presented impaired aversive memory expression in two different paradigms of Pavlovian learning: contextual fear conditioning and conditioned place aversion. These mice also displayed compromised regulation of genes encoding key elements of the glucose metabolism pathway upon GR stimulation. In particular, we identified that the glial, but not the neuronal isoform of a crucial stress-response molecule, Sgk1, undergoes GR-dependent regulation in vivo and demonstrated the involvement of SGK1 in regulation of glucose uptake in astrocytes. Together, our results reveal astrocytes as a central element in GC-dependent formation of aversive memory and suggest their relevance for stress-induced alteration of brain glucose metabolism. Consequently, astrocytes should be considered as a cellular target of therapies of stress-induced brain diseases.
Abnormal asymmetries in subcortical brain volume in early adolescents with subclinical psychotic experiences
Authors: Okada Naohiro , Yahata Noriaki , Koshiyama Daisuke , Morita Kentaro , Sawada Kingo , Kanata Sho , Fujikawa Shinya , Sugimoto Noriko , Toriyama Rie , Masaoka Mio , Koike Shinsuke , Araki Tsuyoshi , Kano Yukiko , Endo Kaori , Yamasaki Syudo , Ando Shuntaro , Nishida Atsushi , Hiraiwa-Hasegawa Mariko , Kasai Kiyoto
Published: November 2018

Subcortical structures may have an important role in the pathophysiology of psychosis. Our recent mega-analysis of structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data has reported subcortical volumetric and lateralization alterations in chronic schizophrenia, including leftward asymmetric increases in pallidal volume. The question remains, however, whether these characteristics may represent vulnerability to the development of psychosis or whether they are epiphenomena caused by exposure to medication or illness chronicity. Subclinical psychotic experiences (SPEs) occur in some adolescents in the general population and increase the odds of developing psychosis in young adulthood. Investigations into the association between SPEs and MRI-measured volumes of subcortical structures in the general adolescent population would clarify the issue. Here, we collected structural MRI data in a subsample (10.5–13.3 years old) of a large-scale population-based cohort and explored subcortical volume and lateralization alterations related to SPEs (N = 203). Adolescents with SPEs demonstrated significant volumetric increases in the left hippocampus, right caudate, and right lateral ventricle, as well as a marginally significant increase in the left pallidum. Furthermore, adolescents with SPEs showed significantly more leftward laterality of pallidal volume than individuals without SPEs, which replicates our mega-analysis findings in chronic schizophrenia. We suggest that leftward asymmetries in pallidal volume already present in early adolescence may underlie the premorbid predisposition for developing psychosis in later life.
High-performance reconstruction of microscopic force fields from Brownian trajectories
Authors: Pérez García Laura , Donlucas Pérez Jaime , Volpe Giorgio , V. Arzola Alejandro , Volpe Giovanni
Published: November 2018

The accurate measurement of microscopic force fields is crucial in many branches of science and technology, from biophotonics and mechanobiology to microscopy and optomechanics. These forces are often probed by analysing their influence on the motion of Brownian particles. Here we introduce a powerful algorithm for microscopic force reconstruction via maximum-likelihood-estimator analysis (FORMA) to retrieve the force field acting on a Brownian particle from the analysis of its displacements. FORMA estimates accurately the conservative and non-conservative components of the force field with important advantages over established techniques, being parameter-free, requiring ten-fold less data and executing orders-of-magnitude faster. We demonstrate FORMA performance using optical tweezers, showing how, outperforming other available techniques, it can identify and characterise stable and unstable equilibrium points in generic force fields. Thanks to its high performance, FORMA can accelerate the development of microscopic and nanoscopic force transducers for physics, biology and engineering.
Predicting eye movement patterns from fMRI responses to natural scenes
Authors: O’Connell Thomas P. , Chun Marvin M.
Published: November 2018

Eye tracking has long been used to measure overt spatial attention, and computational models of spatial attention reliably predict eye movements to natural images. However, researchers lack techniques to noninvasively access spatial representations in the human brain that guide eye movements. Here, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to predict eye movement patterns from reconstructed spatial representations evoked by natural scenes. First, we reconstruct fixation maps to directly predict eye movement patterns from fMRI activity. Next, we use a model-based decoding pipeline that aligns fMRI activity to deep convolutional neural network activity to reconstruct spatial priority maps and predict eye movements in a zero-shot fashion. We predict human eye movement patterns from fMRI responses to natural scenes, provide evidence that visual representations of scenes and objects map onto neural representations that predict eye movements, and find a novel three-way link between brain activity, deep neural network models, and behavior.
Degrading permafrost puts Arctic infrastructure at risk by mid-century
Authors: Hjort Jan , Karjalainen Olli , Aalto Juha , Westermann Sebastian , Romanovsky Vladimir E. , Nelson Frederick E. , Etzelmüller Bernd , Luoto Miska
Published: November 2018

Degradation of near-surface permafrost can pose a serious threat to the utilization of natural resources, and to the sustainable development of Arctic communities. Here we identify at unprecedentedly high spatial resolution infrastructure hazard areas in the Northern Hemisphere’s permafrost regions under projected climatic changes and quantify fundamental engineering structures at risk by 2050. We show that nearly four million people and 70% of current infrastructure in the permafrost domain are in areas with high potential for thaw of near-surface permafrost. Our results demonstrate that one-third of pan-Arctic infrastructure and 45% of the hydrocarbon extraction fields in the Russian Arctic are in regions where thaw-related ground instability can cause severe damage to the built environment. Alarmingly, these figures are not reduced substantially even if the climate change targets of the Paris Agreement are reached.
Inertial delay of self-propelled particles
Authors: Scholz Christian , Jahanshahi Soudeh , Ldov Anton , Löwen Hartmut
Published: November 2018

The motion of self-propelled massive particles through a gaseous medium is dominated by inertial effects. Examples include vibrated granulates, activated complex plasmas and flying insects. However, inertia is usually neglected in standard models. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the significance of inertia on macroscopic self-propelled particles. We observe a distinct inertial delay between orientation and velocity of particles, originating from the finite relaxation times in the system. This effect is fully explained by an underdamped generalisation of the Langevin model of active Brownian motion. In stark contrast to passive systems, the inertial delay profoundly influences the long-time dynamics and enables new fundamental strategies for controlling self-propulsion in active matter.
Author Correction: Host-associated niche metabolism controls enteric infection through fine-tuning the regulation of type 3 secretion
Authors: Connolly James P. R. , Slater Sabrina L. , O’Boyle Nicky , Goldstone Robert J. , Crepin Valerie F. , Ruano-Gallego David , Herzyk Pawel , Smith David G. E. , Douce Gillian R. , Frankel Gad , Roe Andrew J.
Published: November 2018

The original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the author David Ruano-Gallego, which was incorrectly given as David R. Gallego. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
The preeminence of ethnic diversity in scientific collaboration
Authors: AlShebli Bedoor K. , Rahwan Talal , Woon Wei Lee
Published: November 2018

Inspired by the social and economic benefits of diversity, we analyze over 9 million papers and 6 million scientists to study the relationship between research impact and five classes of diversity: ethnicity, discipline, gender, affiliation, and academic age. Using randomized baseline models, we establish the presence of homophily in ethnicity, gender and affiliation. We then study the effect of diversity on scientific impact, as reflected in citations. Remarkably, of the classes considered, ethnic diversity had the strongest correlation with scientific impact. To further isolate the effects of ethnic diversity, we used randomized baseline models and again found a clear link between diversity and impact. To further support these findings, we use coarsened exact matching to compare the scientific impact of ethnically diverse papers and scientists with closely-matched control groups. Here, we find that ethnic diversity resulted in an impact gain of 10.63% for papers, and 47.67% for scientists.
Neurohormonal signaling via a sulfotransferase antagonizes insulin-like signaling to regulate a Caenorhabditis elegans stress response
Authors: Burton Nicholas O. , Dwivedi Vivek K. , Burkhart Kirk B. , Kaplan Rebecca E. W. , Baugh L. Ryan , Horvitz H. Robert
Published: November 2018

Insulin and insulin-like signaling regulates a broad spectrum of growth and metabolic responses to a variety of internal and environmental stimuli. For example, the inhibition of insulin-like signaling in C. elegans mediates its response to both osmotic stress and starvation. We report that in response to osmotic stress the cytosolic sulfotransferase SSU-1 antagonizes insulin-like signaling and promotes developmental arrest. Both SSU-1 and the DAF-16 FOXO transcription factor, which is activated when insulin signaling is low, are needed to drive specific responses to reduced insulin-like signaling. We demonstrate that SSU-1 functions in a single pair of sensory neurons to control intercellular signaling via the nuclear hormone receptor NHR-1 and promote both the specific transcriptional response to osmotic stress and altered lysophosphatidylcholine metabolism. Our results show the requirement of a sulfotransferase–nuclear hormone receptor neurohormonal signaling pathway for some but not all consequences of reduced insulin-like signaling.
GSK3 suppression upregulates β-catenin and c-Myc to abrogate KRas-dependent tumors
Authors: Kazi Aslamuzzaman , Xiang Shengyan , Yang Hua , Delitto Daniel , Trevino José , Jiang Rays H. Y. , Ayaz Muhammad , Lawrence Harshani R. , Kennedy Perry , Sebti Saïd M.
Published: November 2018

Mutant KRas is a significant driver of human oncogenesis and confers resistance to therapy, underscoring the need to develop approaches that disable mutant KRas-driven tumors. Because targeting KRas directly has proven difficult, identifying vulnerabilities specific for mutant KRas tumors is an important alternative approach. Here we show that glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) is required for the in vitro and in vivo growth and survival of human mutant KRas-dependent tumors but is dispensable for mutant KRas-independent tumors. Further, inhibiting phosphorylation of GSK3 substrates c-Myc on T58 and β-catenin on S33/S37/T41 and their subsequent upregulation contribute to the antitumor activity of GSK3 inhibition. Importantly, GSK3 blockade inhibits the in vivo growth of G12D, G12V, and G12C mutant KRas primary and metastatic patient-derived xenografts from pancreatic cancer patients who progressed on chemo- and radiation therapies. This discovery opens new avenues to target mutant KRas-dependent cancers.
The genome of the jellyfish Aurelia and the evolution of animal complexity
Authors: Gold David A. , Katsuki Takeo , Li Yang , Yan Xifeng , Regulski Michael , Ibberson David , Holstein Thomas , Steele Robert E. , Jacobs David K. , Greenspan Ralph J.
Published: November 2018

We present the genome of the moon jellyfish Aurelia, a genome from a cnidarian with a medusa life stage. Our analyses suggest that gene gain and loss in Aurelia is comparable to what has been found in its morphologically simpler relatives—the anthozoan corals and sea anemones. RNA sequencing analysis does not support the hypothesis that taxonomically restricted (orphan) genes play an oversized role in the development of the medusa stage. Instead, genes broadly conserved across animals and eukaryotes play comparable roles throughout the life cycle. All life stages of Aurelia are significantly enriched in the expression of genes that are hypothesized to interact in protein networks found in bilaterian animals. Collectively, our results suggest that increased life cycle complexity in Aurelia does not correlate with an increased number of genes. This leads to two possible evolutionary scenarios: either medusozoans evolved their complex medusa life stage (with concomitant shifts into new ecological niches) primarily by re-working genetic pathways already present in the last common ancestor of cnidarians, or the earliest cnidarians had a medusa life stage, which was subsequently lost in the anthozoans. While we favour the earlier hypothesis, the latter is consistent with growing evidence that many of the earliest animals were more physically complex than previously hypothesized.
Interactome determination of a Long Noncoding RNA implicated in Embryonic Stem Cell Self-Renewal
Authors: Smith Keriayn N. , Starmer Joshua , Magnuson Terry
Published: November 2018

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) constitute a significant fraction of mammalian transcriptomes and they have emerged as intricate regulators of many biological processes. Their broad capacity to adopt diverse structures facilitates their involvement in the transcriptional, translational and signaling processes that are central to embryonic stem (ES) cell self-renewal and pluripotency. While lncRNAs have been implicated in ES cell maintenance, detailed analyses of those that show significant expression in ES cells is largely absent. Moreover, cooperative molecular relationships that facilitate lncRNA action are poorly understood. Cyrano is a developmentally important lncRNA, and in ES cells, it supports gene expression network maintenance, cell adhesion and cell survival. We have interrogated the interactome of Cyrano to identify protein partners and find that Cyrano is involved in multiple protein networks. We identify a developmentally important cell-signaling hub and find STAT3 as a candidate through which Cyrano can function to reinforce self-renewal of ES cells. Based on commonalities between ES cells and cancer cells, we postulate such functional interactions may support cell proliferation, cell identity and adhesion characteristics in rapidly proliferating cell types. The interactome data will therefore provide a resource for further investigations into interactions that regulate Cyrano or mediate its function.
Antifungal and anti-biofilm activity of the first cryptic antimicrobial peptide from an archaeal protein against Candida spp. clinical isolates
Authors: Roscetto Emanuela , Contursi Patrizia , Vollaro Adriana , Fusco Salvatore , Notomista Eugenio , Catania Maria Rosaria
Published: November 2018

Candida species cause cutaneous and systemic infections with a high mortality rate, especially in immunocompromised patients. The emergence of resistance to the most common antifungal drugs, also due to biofilm formation, requires the development of alternative antifungal agents. The antimicrobial peptide VLL-28, isolated from an archaeal transcription factor, shows comparable antifungal activity against 10 clinical isolates of Candida spp. Using a fluoresceinated derivative of this peptide, we found that VLL-28 binds to the surface of planktonic cells. This observation suggested that it could exert its antifungal activity by damaging the cell wall. In addition, analyses performed on biofilms via confocal microscopy revealed that VLL-28 is differentially active on all the strains tested, with C. albicans and C. parapsilosis being the most sensitive ones. Notably, VLL-28 is the first example of an archaeal antimicrobial peptide that is active towards Candida spp. Thus, this points to archaeal microorganisms as a possible reservoir of novel antifungal agents.
Microbial diversity and biosignatures of amorphous silica deposits in orthoquartzite caves
Authors: Sauro Francesco , Cappelletti Martina , Ghezzi Daniele , Columbu Andrea , Hong Pei-Ying , Zowawi Hosam Mamoon , Carbone Cristina , Piccini Leonardo , Vergara Freddy , Zannoni Davide , De Waele Jo
Published: November 2018

Chemical mobility of crystalline and amorphous SiO2 plays a fundamental role in several geochemical and biological processes, with silicate minerals being the most abundant components of the Earth’s crust. Although the oldest evidences of life on Earth are fossilized in microcrystalline silica deposits, little is known about the functional role that bacteria can exert on silica mobility at non-thermal and neutral pH conditions. Here, a microbial influence on silica mobilization event occurring in the Earth’s largest orthoquartzite cave is described. Transition from the pristine orthoquartzite to amorphous silica opaline precipitates in the form of stromatolite-like structures is documented through mineralogical, microscopic and geochemical analyses showing an increase of metals and other bioessential elements accompanied by permineralized bacterial cells and ultrastructures. Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene describes the bacterial diversity characterizing the consecutive amorphization steps to provide clues on the biogeochemical factors playing a role in the silica solubilization and precipitation processes. These results show that both quartz weathering and silica mobility are affected by chemotrophic bacterial communities, providing insights for the understanding of the silica cycle in the subsurface.
Sorption of ammonium and nitrate to biochars is electrostatic and pH-dependent
Authors: Fidel Rivka B. , Laird David A. , Spokas Kurt A.
Published: November 2018

Biochars are potentially effective sorbents for NH4+ and NO3− in water treatment and soil applications. Here we compare NH4+ and NO3− sorption rates to acid-washed biochars produced from red oak (Quercus rubra) and corn stover (Zea mays) at three pyrolysis temperatures (400, 500 and 600 °C) and a range of solution pHs (3.5–7.5). Additionally, we examined sorption mechanisms by quantification of NH4+ and NO3− sorption, as well as Ca2+ and Cl− displacement for corn stover biochars. Solution pH curves showed that NH4+ sorption was maximized (0.7–0.8 mg N g−1) with low pyrolysis temperature (400 °C) biochar at near neutral pH (7.0–7.5), whereas NO3− sorption was maximized (1.4–1.5 mg N g−1) with high pyrolysis temperatures (600 °C) and low pH (3.5–4). The Langmuir (r2 = 0.90–1.00) and Freundlich (r2 = 0.81–0.97) models were good predictors for both NH4+ (pH 7) and NO3− (pH 3.7) sorption isotherms. Lastly, NH4+ and NO3− displaced Ca2+ and Cl−, respectively, from previously CaCl2-saturated corn stover biochars. Results from the pH curves, Langmuir isotherms, and cation displacement curves all support the predominance of ion exchange mechanisms. Our results demonstrate the importance of solution pH and chemical composition in influencing NH4+ and NO3− sorption capacities of biochar.