bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cherenkov terahertz radiation from graphene surface plasmon polaritons excited by an electron beam
Authors: Zhao Tao , Hu Min , Zhong Renbin , Gong Sen , Zhang Chao , Liu Shenggang
Published: June 2017

We demonstrate a mechanism of efficiently transforming surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) into Cherenkov terahertz (THz) radiation. In a structure where multilayer graphene is deposited on a dielectric substrate with a buffer layer, the energy of the SPPs can be significantly enhanced. The dispersion of SPPs crosses the light line of the substrate if the buffer layer has a low permittivity relative to the substrate. As a result, the SPPs can be readily transformed into radiation without the need of wavevector compensation. Compared to the radiation from structures without graphene, the radiation power density is enhanced by nearly three orders of magnitude due to the field enhancement of SPPs. Our results could provide a promising way for developing room temperature, tunable, coherent, and intense THz radiation sources to cover the entire THz regime.
Ultrafast carrier thermalization and trapping in silicon-germanium alloy probed by extreme ultraviolet transient absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Zürch Michael , Chang Hung-Tzu , Kraus Peter M. , Cushing Scott K. , Borja Lauren J. , Gandman Andrey , Kaplan Christopher J. , Oh Myoung Hwan , Prell James S. , Prendergast David , Pemmaraju Chaitanya D. , Neumark Daniel M. , Leone Stephen R.
Published: June 2017

Semiconductor alloys containing silicon and germanium are of growing importance for compact and highly efficient photonic devices due to their favorable properties for direct integration into silicon platforms and wide tunability of optical parameters. Here, we report the simultaneous direct and energy-resolved probing of ultrafast electron and hole dynamics in a silicon-germanium alloy with the stoichiometry Si0.25Ge0.75 by extreme ultraviolet transient absorption spectroscopy. Probing the photoinduced dynamics of charge carriers at the germanium M4,5-edge (∼30 eV) allows the germanium atoms to be used as reporter atoms for carrier dynamics in the alloy. The photoexcitation of electrons across the direct and indirect band gap into conduction band (CB) valleys and their subsequent hot carrier relaxation are observed and compared to pure germanium, where the Ge direct (ΔEgap,Ge,direct=0.8 eV) and Si0.25Ge0.75 indirect gaps (ΔEgap,Si0.25Ge0.75,indirect=0.95 eV) are comparable in energy. In the alloy, comparable carrier lifetimes are observed for the X, L, and Γ valleys in the conduction band. A midgap feature associated with electrons accumulating in trap states near the CB edge following intraband thermalization is observed in the Si0.25Ge0.75 alloy. The successful implementation of the reporter atom concept for capturing the dynamics of the electronic bands by site-specific probing in solids opens a route to study carrier dynamics in more complex materials with femtosecond and sub-femtosecond temporal resolution.
Ab initio simulation study of defect assisted Zener tunneling in GaAs diode
Authors: Lu Juan , Fan Zhi-Qiang , Gong Jian , Jiang Xiang-Wei
Published: June 2017

The band to band tunneling of defective GaAs nano-junction is studied by using the non-equilibrium Green’s function formalism with density functional theory. Aiming at performance improvement, two types of defect-induced transport behaviors are reported in this work. By examining the partial density of states of the system, we find the substitutional defect OAs that locates in the middle of tunneling region will introduce band-gap states, which can be used as stepping stones to increase the tunneling current nearly 3 times higher at large bias voltage (Vb≥0.3V). Another type of defects SeAs and VGa (Ga vacancy) create donor and acceptor states at the edge of conduction band (CB) and valence band (VB)respectively, which can change the band bending of the junction as well as increase the tunneling field obtaining a 1.5 times higher ON current. This provides an effective defect engineering approach for next generation TFET device design.
Performance of lucerne genotypes for biomass production and nitrogen content differs in monoculture and in mixture with grasses and is partly predicted from traits recorded on isolated plants
Authors: Maamouri Amel , Louarn Gaëtan , Béguier Vincent , Julier Bernadette
Published: June 2017

Grass–legume mixtures are key crops to improve agricultural sustainability. Despite their significant use in mixture, lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) varieties are mostly tested and bred for monocultures. This study was performed to evaluate whether the ranking of lucerne genotypes for biomass components and quality was similar in monoculture and mixture, and whether traits recorded on isolated plants could help to predict performance in monoculture and mixture. For 46 genotypes planted in the three competition conditions, plant biomass, shoot height, shoot number and protein content were recorded. In addition, maximum leaf size, internode length, stem diameter, growth habit, specific leaf area and leaf dry-matter content were measured on isolated plants. A general positive correlation was observed between the performance of genotypes in monoculture and in mixture. However, significant changes in genotype ranking indicated that the species of its neighbours could modify the relative performance of a genotype. The traits that minimised competition intensity also changed according to the neighbour species. In mixture, competition intensity was highest for plants with long internodes, a high shoot number and a non-erect growth habit. In monoculture, plants with long internodes and larges leaves suffered less from competition. The agronomic performance of lucerne varieties differing in their architecture should be compared in monoculture and mixture to finally identify the traits to be phenotyped to improve lucerne variety performance in both cultivation modes.
An inter-dependence of flood and drought: disentangling amphibian beta diversity in seasonal floodplains
Authors: Moreira Leonardo F. B. , Dorado-Rodrigues Tainá F. , Ferreira Vanda L. , Strüssmann Christine
Published: June 2017

Species composition in floodplains is often affected by different structuring factors. Although floods play a key ecological role, habitat selection in the dry periods may blur patterns of biodiversity distribution. Here, we employed a partitioning framework to investigate the contribution of turnover and nestedness to β-diversity patterns in non-arboreal amphibians from southern Pantanal ecoregion. We investigated whether components of β-diversity change by spatial and environmental factors. We sampled grasslands and dense arboreal savannas distributed in 12 sampling sites across rainy and dry seasons, and analysed species dissimilarities using quantitative data. In the savannas, both turnover and nestedness contributed similarly to β diversity. However, we found that β diversity is driven essentially by turnover, in the grasslands. In the rainy season, balanced variation in abundance was more related to altitude and factors that induce spatial patterns, whereas dissimilarities were not related to any explanatory variable during dry season. In the Pantanal ecoregion, amphibian assemblages are influenced by a variety of seasonal constraints on terrestrial movements and biotic interactions. Our findings highlighted the role of guild-specific patterns and indicated that mass effects are important mechanisms creating amphibian community structure in the Pantanal.
Public information seeking, place-based risk messaging and wildfire preparedness in southern California
Authors: Velez Anne-Lise K. , Diaz John M. , Wall Tamara U.
Published: June 2017

Southern California is a challenging environment for managing and adapting to wildland–urban interface fires. Previous research shows risk perception and information seeking are related and that public information dissemination influences locally specific risk perception and preparedness actions. Here, we examine relationships between residents’ wildfire knowledge and experience, readiness actions and media choice to determine how to integrate preparedness information and the recently developed Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index into public information. Based on frequencies, means tests and correlations, we find television most frequently used for both daily news and wildfire information and that most people intend to seek information from the same sources in future fires. Wildfire knowledge, experience and past preparedness actions influence the number of sources from which respondents report seeking information. We note significant geographic differences in information sources used before and during wildfire, with higher percentages of residents in more rural areas relying on television, radio, Reverse 911, and friends and family for information during a wildfire. Findings support previous research results indicating sources considered trustworthy are not always considered the most up-to-date. Our findings support other empirical research recommending a multimedia, two-way communication model for event-based and readiness information supplemented with one-way sources like television.
Limited sex bias in the fine-scale spatial genetic structure of the eastern grey kangaroo and its relationship to habitat
Authors: Neaves Linda E. , Roberts Michael W. , Herbert Catherine A. , Eldridge Mark D. B.
Published: June 2017

Animals exhibit a range of dispersal strategies that impact on the organisation of individuals and can be influenced by both the environment and population demography. We examined the fine-scale spatial genetic structure and patterns of relatedness in 139 adult eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) to test predictions of male-biased dispersal and female philopatry in comparison with previous studies in different environments in the species’ distributions. We found evidence of limited differences between the sexes, with little spatial genetic structure in both males and females. The levels of relatedness among females in close proximity were not indicative of close relatives (e.g. mother–daughter) and there was no evidence of matrilineal structure. Among males, there was little evidence of genetic structure. Although our results are, in general, consistent with those of previous studies, we found study-specific differences in the extent of genetic structure that appear to be related to differences in environmental and demographic conditions across the distribution. This highlights the need for additional research focussing on populations from a range of environmental conditions.
Causes and evolutionary consequences of primordial germ-cell specification mode in metazoans
Authors: Whittle Carrie A. , Extavour Cassandra G.
Published: June 2017

In animals, primordial germ cells (PGCs) give rise to the germ lines, the cell lineages that produce sperm and eggs. PGCs form in embryogenesis, typically by one of two modes: a likely ancestral mode wherein germ cells are induced during embryogenesis by cell–cell signaling (induction) or a derived mechanism whereby germ cells are specified by using germ plasm—that is, maternally specified germ-line determinants (inheritance). The causes of the shift to germ plasm for PGC specification in some animal clades remain largely unknown, but its repeated convergent evolution raises the question of whether it may result from or confer an innate selective advantage. It has been hypothesized that the acquisition of germ plasm confers enhanced evolvability, resulting from the release of selective constraint on somatic gene networks in embryogenesis, thus leading to acceleration of an organism’s protein-sequence evolution, particularly for genes expressed at early developmental stages, and resulting in high speciation rates in germ plasm-containing lineages (denoted herein as the “PGC-specification hypothesis”). Although that hypothesis, if supported, could have major implications for animal evolution, our recent large-scale coding-sequence analyses from vertebrates and invertebrates provided important examples of genera that do not support the hypothesis of liberated constraint under germ plasm. Here, we consider reasons why germ plasm might be neither a direct target of selection nor causally linked to accelerated animal evolution. We explore alternate scenarios that could explain the repeated evolution of germ plasm and propose potential consequences of the inheritance and induction modes to animal evolutionary biology.
Reconstructing blood stem cell regulatory network models from single-cell molecular profiles
Authors: Hamey Fiona K. , Nestorowa Sonia , Kinston Sarah J. , Kent David G. , Wilson Nicola K. , Göttgens Berthold
Published: June 2017

Adult blood contains a mixture of mature cell types, each with specialized functions. Single hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have been functionally shown to generate all mature cell types for the lifetime of the organism. Differentiation of HSCs toward alternative lineages must be balanced at the population level by the fate decisions made by individual cells. Transcription factors play a key role in regulating these decisions and operate within organized regulatory programs that can be modeled as transcriptional regulatory networks. As dysregulation of single HSC fate decisions is linked to fatal malignancies such as leukemia, it is important to understand how these decisions are controlled on a cell-by-cell basis. Here we developed and applied a network inference method, exploiting the ability to infer dynamic information from single-cell snapshot expression data based on expression profiles of 48 genes in 2,167 blood stem and progenitor cells. This approach allowed us to infer transcriptional regulatory network models that recapitulated differentiation of HSCs into progenitor cell types, focusing on trajectories toward megakaryocyte–erythrocyte progenitors and lymphoid-primed multipotent progenitors. By comparing these two models, we identified and subsequently experimentally validated a difference in the regulation of nuclear factor, erythroid 2 (
Nfe2
) and core-binding factor, runt domain, alpha subunit 2, translocated to, 3 homolog (
Cbfa2t3h
) by the transcription factor Gata2. Our approach confirms known aspects of hematopoiesis, provides hypotheses about regulation of HSC differentiation, and is widely applicable to other hierarchical biological systems to uncover regulatory relationships.
Genome-wide use of high- and low-affinity Tbrain transcription factor binding sites during echinoderm development
Authors: Cary Gregory A. , Cheatle Jarvela Alys M. , Francolini Rene D. , Hinman Veronica F.
Published: June 2017

Sea stars and sea urchins are model systems for interrogating the types of deep evolutionary changes that have restructured developmental gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Althoughcis-regulatory DNA evolution is likely the predominant mechanism of change, it was recently shown that Tbrain, a Tbox transcription factor protein, has evolved a changed preference for a low-affinity, secondary binding motif. The primary, high-affinity motif is conserved. To date, however, no genome-wide comparisons have been performed to provide an unbiased assessment of the evolution of GRNs between these taxa, and no study has attempted to determine the interplay between transcription factor binding motif evolution and GRN topology. The study here measures genome-wide binding of Tbrain orthologs by using ChIP-sequencing and associates these orthologs with putative target genes to assess global function. Targets of both factors are enriched for other regulatory genes, although nonoverlapping sets of functional enrichments in the two datasets suggest a much diverged function. The number of low-affinity binding motifs is significantly depressed in sea urchins compared with sea star, but both motif types are associated with genes from a range of functional categories. Only a small fraction (∼10%) of genes are predicted to be orthologous targets. Collectively, these data indicate that Tbr has evolved significantly different developmental roles in these echinoderms and that the targets and the binding motifs in associatedcis-regulatory sequences are dispersed throughout the hierarchy of the GRN, rather than being biased toward terminal process or discrete functional blocks, which suggests extensive evolutionary tinkering.
Assessing regulatory information in developmental gene regulatory networks
Authors: Peter Isabelle S. , Davidson Eric H.
Published: June 2017

Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) provide a transformation function between the static genomic sequence and the primary spatial specification processes operating development. The regulatory information encompassed in developmental GRNs thus goes far beyond the control of individual genes. We here address regulatory information at different levels of network organization, from single node to subcircuit to large-scale GRNs and discuss how regulatory design features such as network architecture, hierarchical organization, and
cis
-regulatory logic contribute to the developmental function of network circuits. Using specific subcircuits from the sea urchin endomesoderm GRN, for which both circuit design and biological function have been described, we evaluate by Boolean modeling and in silico perturbations the import of given circuit features on developmental function. The examples include subcircuits encoding positive feedback, mutual repression, and coherent feedforward, as well as signaling interaction circuitry. Within the hierarchy of the endomesoderm GRN, these subcircuits are organized in an intertwined and overlapping manner. Thus, we begin to see how regulatory information encoded at individual nodes is integrated at all levels of network organization to control developmental process.
Applying gene regulatory network logic to the evolution of social behavior
Authors: Baran Nicole M. , McGrath Patrick T. , Streelman J. Todd
Published: June 2017

Animal behavior is ultimately the product of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) for brain development and neural networks for brain function. The GRN approach has advanced the fields of genomics and development, and we identify organizational similarities between networks of genes that build the brain and networks of neurons that encode brain function. In this perspective, we engage the analogy between developmental networks and neural networks, exploring the advantages of using GRN logic to study behavior. Applying the GRN approach to the brain and behavior provides a quantitative and manipulative framework for discovery. We illustrate features of this framework using the example of social behavior and the neural circuitry of aggression.
Postglacial response of Arctic Ocean gas hydrates to climatic amelioration
Authors: Serov Pavel , Vadakkepuliyambatta Sunil , Mienert Jürgen , Patton Henry , Portnov Alexey , Silyakova Anna , Panieri Giuliana , Carroll Michael L. , Carroll JoLynn , Andreassen Karin , Hubbard Alun
Published: June 2017

Significance

Shallow Arctic Ocean gas hydrate reservoirs experienced distinct episodes of subglacial growth and subsequent dissociation that modulated methane release over millennial timescales.
Consequences of rapid ice sheet melting on the Sahelian population vulnerability
Authors: Defrance Dimitri , Ramstein Gilles , Charbit Sylvie , Vrac Mathieu , Famien Adjoua Moïse , Sultan Benjamin , Swingedouw Didier , Dumas Christophe , Gemenne François , Alvarez-Solas Jorge , Vanderlinden Jean-Paul
Published: June 2017

Significance

A major uncertainty concerning the 21st century climate is the ice sheet response to global warming. Paleodata indicate rapid ice sheet destabilizations during the last deglaciation, which could lead to an underestimation of sea level rise, as suggested in recent publications. Therefore, we explore the impact of different scenarios of Greenland partial melting in the very sensitive Sahel region. We first demonstrate that such a melting induces a drastic decrease of West African monsoon precipitation. Moreover, we quantify the agricultural area losses due to monsoon changes. Consequently, we pinpoint a large potential for migration of millions of people in the coming decades. Thus, the ice sheet destabilization provokes not only coastal damages but also large population migration in monsoon area.
Crystal structures of theBurkholderia multivoranshopanoid transporter HpnN
Authors: Kumar Nitin , Su Chih-Chia , Chou Tsung-Han , Radhakrishnan Abhijith , Delmar Jared A. , Rajashankar Kanagalaghatta R. , Yu Edward W.
Published: June 2017

Significance

Bcc bacteria are intrinsically resistant to multiple antibiotics. They are major pathogens in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and can cause severe necrotizing pneumonia, which is often fatal. Hopanoid biosynthesis is one of the major mechanisms involved in multiple antimicrobial resistance of Bcc pathogens. ThehpnNgene ofB. multivoransencodes an integral membrane protein of the HpnN family of transporters, which is responsible for shuttling hopanoids to the outer membrane. Here, we report crystal structures ofB. multivoransHpnN that indicate a plausible pathway for hopanoid transport. Overall our data suggest a novel mechanism for hopanoid transport involved in cell wall remodeling, which is critical for mediating multidrug resistance inBurkholderia.
IL-2 therapy restores regulatory T-cell dysfunction induced by calcineurin inhibitors
Authors: Whitehouse Gavin , Gray Elizabeth , Mastoridis Sotiris , Merritt Elliot , Kodela Elisavet , Yang Jennie H. M. , Danger Richard , Mairal Marta , Christakoudi Sofia , Lozano Juan J. , Macdougall Iain C. , Tree Timothy I. M. , Sanchez-Fueyo Alberto , Martinez-Llordella Marc
Published: June 2017

Significance

Preservation and/or enhancement of Treg function is becoming a key component of modern immunotherapeutic strategies, but the direct influence of many immunosuppressive drugs on Tregs remains unknown. Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs), which are widely used to treat inflammatory disorders, reduce the size of the Treg pool substantially, and this reduction might hinder their overall beneficial effects. Here we show that the decrease in Treg numbers is caused by increased cell death as a result of the limited availability of the IL-2 growth factor. Hence, the addition of IL-2 restores the survival and suppressive properties of Tregs exposed to CNIs and improves allograft survival. Our data provide a strong rationale for combining CNIs with IL-2 therapy to maximize effective immunosuppression and to promote tolerance acquisition.
Deubiquitinating enzyme VCIP135 dictates the duration of botulinum neurotoxin type A intoxication
Authors: Tsai Yien Che , Kotiya Archana , Kiris Erkan , Yang Mei , Bavari Sina , Tessarollo Lino , Oyler George A. , Weissman Allan M.
Published: June 2017

Significance

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are the most potent biological toxins. These proteases function by cleaving SNARE proteins, leading to paralysis and death from respiratory failure. BoNT serotype A (BoNT/A) has the most prolonged symptoms due to an extraordinarily stable catalytic light chain (LCA). BoNT/A intoxication can occur through ingestion (either sporadically or from a common food source), as a consequence of a clinical mishap, or potentially through bioterrorism, which would require mass mechanical ventilation. We report that LCA persistence is due to a particular deubiquitinating enzyme that binds a specific region of LCA and prevents its ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation. These findings represent an essential step toward developing targeted molecular approaches to reducing morbidity and mortality from this toxin.
Establishment of a vernalization requirement in
Brachypodium distachyon
requires
REPRESSOR OF VERNALIZATION1
Authors: Woods Daniel P. , Ream Thomas S. , Bouché Frédéric , Lee Joohyun , Thrower Nicholas , Wilkerson Curtis , Amasino Richard M.
Published: June 2017

Significance

A key feature in the evolution of all vernalization systems is a cold-regulated component. In pooid grasses, up-regulation of the flowering promoter
VERNALIZATION1
(
VRN1
) by prolonged cold is a key feature of vernalization, although little is known about the genes that repress
VRN1
prior to cold exposure or activate it afterward. Here, we report the identification of
REPRESSOR OF VERNALIZATION1
(
RVR1
), a repressor of
VRN1
that is involved in creating a vernalization requirement in
Brachypodium distachyon
.
RVR1
is present in all sequenced flowering plant genomes but is not found outside the plant kingdom. This report describes a role for the
RVR1
class of genes in plants and an upstream component of the
VRN1
regulatory system.
Dynamic changes in murine forebrain miR-211 expression associate with cholinergic imbalances and epileptiform activity
Authors: Bekenstein Uriya , Mishra Nibha , Milikovsky Dan Z. , Hanin Geula , Zelig Daniel , Sheintuch Liron , Berson Amit , Greenberg David S. , Friedman Alon , Soreq Hermona
Published: June 2017

Significance

Acute traumatic stress increases the sensitivity to develop epileptic seizures in certain people. It is therefore important to discover physiological mechanisms that avoid epilepsy. To test if rapidly inducible microRNAs (miRs) could mediate such protection, we combined mouse engineering, RNA sequencing, electric recording of brain activity, and learning tests. We discovered that miR-211, originating from an epilepsy-related genomic locus, may be involved, and therefore engineered mice produce a drug-suppressible excess of brain miR-211. In these mice, suppressing miR-211 excess to the original expression levels in normal brains led to electrically recorded epilepsy and hypersensitivity to epilepsy-inducing compounds; it also modified acetylcholine receptor composition. The functional impact of miR-211 dynamics on seizure threshold may enable future development of miR-211–directed therapeutics.
High-mobility group box-1 as an autocrine trophic factor in white matter stroke
Authors: Choi Jun Young , Cui Yuexian , Chowdhury Samma Tasneem , Kim Byung Gon
Published: June 2017

Significance

Ischemic stroke in white matter induces degeneration of oligodendrocytes (OLs) and myelin. How ischemia leads to white matter degeneration remains elusive, and there is therefore no specific treatment to prevent ischemic white matter damage. Here we provide evidence that HMGB1 released from ischemic OLs may provide TLR2-dependent autocrine trophic effects on neighboring OLs. Injection of an HMGB1 inhibitor exacerbated the structural and functional outcomes in a focal white matter stroke model, suggesting a function for HMGB1 as an endogenous trophic factor for OLs and myelin sheath under ischemia. Thus, our study identified HMGB1 as a stress-induced signal that maintains structural and functional integrity of the white matter and provides a target for therapeutic development in white matter stroke.
Sensorimotor integration on a rapid time scale
Authors: Luo Jinhong , Kothari Ninad B. , Moss Cynthia F.
Published: June 2017

Significance

Humans and other animals continuously monitor sensory information to inform the selection of motor commands for adaptive behaviors. Acoustic communication, for example, utilizes auditory feedback to fine-tune vocal production parameters. Because most animal species produce vocalizations that last several hundred milliseconds, it is difficult to dissect the temporal dynamics of audio-vocal feedback control. Here we took advantage of the brief echolocation signals of bats and mapped out the time course of vocal adjustments to background noise on a millisecond time scale. The high temporal resolution data provided the foundation for the model of audio-vocal volume control. We discovered that temporal summation, a shared auditory process across the animal kingdom, lies at the core of adaptive vocal volume control.
Chemical probes to potently and selectively inhibit endocannabinoid cellular reuptake
Authors: Chicca Andrea , Nicolussi Simon , Bartholomäus Ruben , Blunder Martina , Aparisi Rey Alejandro , Petrucci Vanessa , Reynoso-Moreno Ines del Carmen , Viveros-Paredes Juan Manuel , Dalghi Gens Marianela , Lutz Beat , Schiöth Helgi B. , Soeberdt Michael , Abels Christoph , Charles Roch-Philippe , Altmann Karl-Heinz , Gertsch Jürg
Published: June 2017

Significance

Suitable chemical tools have been instrumental in the discovery and characterization of the endocannabinoid system. However, the lack of potent and selective inhibitors for endocannabinoid transport has prevented the molecular characterization of this process. Current uptake inhibitors are poorly bioavailable to the central nervous system (CNS) and weakly selective because they also inhibit fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the major anandamide-degrading enzyme. Few studies have addressed the uptake inhibition of 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), which is the major endocannabinoid. Here, we report a highly potent and selective endocannabinoid reuptake inhibitor. Our data indicate that endocannabinoid transport across the membrane can be targeted, leading to general antiinflammatory and anxiolytic effects in mice.
Histamine modulation of the basal ganglia circuitry in the development of pathological grooming
Authors: Rapanelli Maximiliano , Frick Luciana , Bito Haruhiko , Pittenger Christopher
Published: June 2017

Significance

Dysregulation of brain histamine (HA) is a rare cause of Tourette syndrome and related conditions, but the associated pathophysiological mechanisms remain obscure. We show that repetitive behavioral pathology in mice derives from deficiency of neurotransmitter HA (rather than HA from other sources), acting in the dorsal striatum. These data provide a functional dissection of acute HA modulation in the brain and elucidate the anatomical correlates of pathological dysregulation when neuronal HA is disrupted.
The bilingual lexicon
Authors: Kroll Judith F.
Published: June 2017

In some circles in psycholinguistics, there is the view that words are the least interesting aspect of language processing. In others, there is the view that monolingual speakers will tell us all that we need to know about language in the mind and the brain. In the past two decades there has been an upsurge of research on bilingualism and much of it has examined the lexicon. The new research on lexical processing in bilinguals has revealed persistent activation of words in both languages even when comprehending or producing one language alone. The consequences of this discovery have been profound for understanding the architecture of the lexicon and the dynamics of lexical access more generally. Cross-language activation changes both languages and engages domain general cognitive mechanisms that extend beyond language. There is a level of interaction between the bilingual‘s two languages that shapes a dynamic system to enable comprehension and production in each language and that is reflected in both behavior and in the brain. Most critically, research on the bilingual lexicon has become a model for the examination of cross-language interactions at every level of language processing, including the grammar and phonology. It also exposes the dynamics of the lexicon in a way that would not be known if we examined monolingual performance alone. In this chapter we review the most exciting new behavioral and neural evidence on the bilingual lexicon and consider the implications for learning new words, adapting existing ones, and for acquiring cognitive control more generally.
Morphological integration and the bilingual lexicon
Authors: Libben Gary , Goral Mira , Baayen Harald
Published: June 2017

In English, as in most of the world’s languages, the majority of words are multimorphemic. In the psycholinguistic literature on lexical processing in bilinguals, however, multimorphemic words have thus far received relatively little treatment. In this chapter, we discuss the opportunities that the study of multimorphemic words afford. We also consider the consequences that a multimorphemic perspective may have on the conceptualization of the bilingual mental lexicon in general and on the links among lexical reoperations within in. We present a study of compound processing among Hebrew-English bilinguals. These bilinguals performed a lexical decision task with constituent priming in both their languages. We investigated within and between language priming effects as well as differences among compound word types. Results point to a highly integrated lexical organization but also illustrate the complexity of such experimental studies.
Morphological processing in old-age bilinguals
Authors: Clahsen Harald , Reifegerste Jana
Published: June 2017

Language processing in older adults has been the subject of much recent research. While previous research on language processing in bilingual older adults has focused on vocabulary and lexical access, very little is known about potential effects of aging on grammar in bilinguals. The current study investigates morphologically complex words in old-age bilinguals using German past participle formation as a test case, for which grammar-based processes (-t suffixation) can be distinguished from memory-based properties (e.g., stem changes). We will discuss results from two experimental studies with young and old bilinguals as well as with young and old monolinguals relying on lexical priming and speeded production, to determine changes of morphological processing across the lifespan. Our findings indicate that lexically mediated priming effects, which require access of inflected word forms from memory, are affected by aging. The combinatorial aspects of morphological processing (viz. stem+affix decomposition), however, seem to be more stable.
Portfolio assessment of cultural intelligence in intercultural educational settings
Authors: Meyer Ulrike , Schuch Elke
Published: June 2017

The paper will outline a research project based on the analysis of diary entries written by a multinational cohort of German, Polish, Chinese and US-American Master students during a time span of 15 months as part of the course requirements for a module entitled “Applied Intercultural Communication” in the MA “International Management and Intercultural Communication / GlobalMBA”. The diary-writing project, which was started in 2013, is intended to serve two main purposes:

For the students, the diaries will be a tool and personal “learning log” to gain greater awareness of their own cultural values and to critically reflect on the process of cultural adjustment (or lack thereof) and the experience of travelling, living and studying with a multinational cohort in four foreign countries. In this way, the diaries also represent a dynamic scenario of the students’ acculturation process at various points of their studies.

We, as researchers, educators and program developers, want to explore how this experience-based approach allows us to chart a student’s development and attitudinal shifts from the beginning to the end of a 15-month program, both in terms of personal growth and intercultural learning. Consequently, the diaries are intended to serve as a tool to discover and assess which aspects of human experience are globally shared and observable and which areas require the students to undergo processes of cultural localization and adaption in order to function adequately in new cultural environments.

Students are encouraged to observe, monitor and report on any culturally defined and “different” situation without being judgemental. Moreover, students are required to specifically report on the process of team/cohort building and on ways of dealing with criticism, disappointment, conflict and “Otherness”. The findings of our qualitative research will be fed back into the process of further curriculum integration and development.
Attila Hildmann goes international
Authors: Wermuth Cornelia , Meex Birgitta
Published: June 2017

This study examines website localization practices against the background of a rising awareness of food culture and celebrity chef branding in a digitalized and globalized world. As part of a structured media campaign set up in 2014, the localization of Attila Hildmann’s official website substantially contributed to launching the German vegan chef’s brand in the United States, along with the promotion of his two translated cookbooks and frequent appearances in arranged US TV and radio shows. The two language versions of the official website of German vegan food celebrity Attila Hildmann are compared with respect to their form and content. The objective of the study is to determine to what extent and in which way the German website along with the persona-based culinary brand Attila Hildmann is globalized and localized into English to accommodate for the needs of an American target audience. More specifically, we want to investigate which website content has been copied without any change, and which content has been literally translated, adapted to the target locale (i.e. transcreated by adding or omitting elements), or completely recreated. Focusing on the front-end elements of both website versions, we adopt both a macro level and a micro level approach to assess the degree of localization. Eleven parameters encompassing 28 features are analyzed across selected website sections that we assume to be especially sensitive to culturally specific information and localization strategies. The analysis reveals that a hybrid strategy of globalization and localization has been employed, i.e. the website is partially localized for a US target audience.
Semantic prediction in monolingual and bilingual children
Authors: Brouwer Susanne , Özkan Deniz , Küntay Aylin C.
Published: June 2017

One of the mechanisms responsible for the fast recognition of spoken language is prediction. This study examined whether 4–5 year old monolingual children differ from bilingual children in predicting the upcoming noun on the basis of the lexical semantics of the verb. In an eye-tracking task, we presented visual displays with two objects (e.g. cake, tree) while presenting semantically constraining (e.g. The boy eats the big cake) or neutral sentences (e.g. The boy sees the big cake). Results showed that both groups are able to predict but that 4-year-old bilinguals are faster than their monolingual peers. Moreover, sentence prediction ability in bilinguals is associated with performance on the forward digit recall task. These results extend views on bilingual sentence processing.
Cross-lectal influence and gender marking in bilectal Venetan-Italian acquisition
Authors: Kupisch Tanja , Klaschik Ewgenia
Published: June 2017

We study dialectal influence and gender marking in 25 bilectal children and 11 adults speaking Italian and Venetan, based on an elicited production task (EPT) in each of the two varieties. The children are between 5 and 11 years old and vary with respect to their reported use of the dialect at home. The results of the EPT show that the children produce only Italian DPs in the Italian experiment, while producing Italian, Venetan and mixed DPs in the Venetan experiment. However, regardless of the amount of dialect use, children follow the gender assignment rules of Italian and Venetan in both monolingual and mixed DPs.
Otolith Marking of Juvenile Shortnose Gar by Immersion in Oxytetracycline
Authors: Snow Richard A. , Long James M.
Published: June 2017

Oxytetracycline (OTC) has been used to mark a variety of fish species at multiple developmental stages; however, there is little information on batch-marking Lepisosteidae. Juvenile Shortnose Gar Lepisosteus platostomus (53 ± 3 mm TL) were seined from an Oklahoma State University research pond and transported to the Oklahoma Fishery Research Lab. Juvenile Shortnose Gar were exposed to a range of OTC concentrations—0, 500, 600, and 700 mg/L—for 4, 5, or 6 h. Lapillus and sagitta otoliths were examined 14 d postexposure for mark presence and evaluation using fluorescent microscopy. Overall, 93.3% of otoliths exposed to OTC exhibited a mark. Concentration of OTC affected the mean mark quality, whereas duration and otolith type examined did not. However, as concentration increased, so did mortality, suggesting a balance is needed to achieve marking goals. Based on our findings, batch marking of Shortnose Gar can be successful at OTC concentrations from 500 to 700 mg/L for 4–6 h, although mark quality may vary and mortality rates increase at the higher concentrations and longer durations.

Received November 28, 2016; accepted April 4, 2017 Published online June 6, 2017
Recombinant protein expression ofMoringa oleiferalectin in methylotrophic yeast as active coagulant for sustainable high turbid water treatment
Authors: Abd Wahid Muhamad Azhar , Megat Mohd Noor Megat Johari , Goto Masafumi , Sugiura Norio , Othman Nor’azizi , Zakaria Zuriati , Ahmad Mohammed Thamer , Jusoh Ahmad , Hara Hirofumi
Published: June 2017

The natural coagulant Moringa oleifera lectin (MoL) as cationic protein is a promising candidate in coagulation process of water treatment plant. Introducing the gene encoding MoL into a host, Pichia pastoris, to secrete soluble recombinant protein is assessed in this study. Initial screening using PCR confirmed the insertion of MoL gene, and SDS-PAGE analysis detected the MoL protein at 8 kDa. Cultured optimization showed the highest MoL protein at 520 mg/L was observed at 28 °C for 144 h of culturing by induction in 1% methanol. Approximately, 0.40 mg/mL of recombinant MoL protein showed 95 ± 2% turbidity removal of 1% kaolin suspension. In 0.1% kaolin suspension, the concentration of MoL at 10 μg/mL exhibits the highest turbidity reduction at 68 ± 1%. Thus, recombinant MoL protein from P. pastoris is an effective coagulant for water treatment.
Sesquiterpene glucosides from Shenzhou honey peach fruit showed the anti-aging activity in the evaluation system using yeasts
Authors: Wang Yanhui , Lin Yanfei , Xiang Lan , Osada Hiroyuki , Qi Jianhua
Published: June 2017

One new (1, SZMT01) and one known (2) anti-aging substances were isolated from Shenzhou honey peach fruit. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods and chemical derivatization, and the result reveals that these two compounds are sesquiterpene glucosides. SZMT01 possesses a new glycosylation with an ester linkage at one terminal in an acyclic sesquiterpenoid which is the end of a double bond at another terminal. Both compounds extend the replicative lifespan of K6001 yeast strain at doses of 7.5 and 25 μM. Then, to understand the action mechanism involved, we performed an anti-oxidative experiment on SZMT01. The result revealed that treatment with SZMT01 increased the survival rate of yeast under oxidative stress. Moreover, the lifespans of sod1 and sod2 mutant yeast strains with a K6001 background were not affected by SZMT01. These results demonstrate that anti-oxidative stress performs important roles in anti-aging effects of SZMT01.
Chitosan signaling in guard cells requires endogenous salicylic acid
Authors: Prodhan Md Yeasin , Issak Mohammad , Nakamura Toshiyuki , Munemasa Shintaro , Nakamura Yoshimasa , Murata Yoshiyuki
Published: June 2017

An elicitor chitosan (CHT) induces stomatal closure but the mechanism remains to be clarified. A phytohormone salicylic acid (SA) is crucial for elicitor-induced defense signaling in plants. Here we investigated whether endogenous SA is required for CHT signaling in guard cells. In the SA-deficient nahG mutant, treatment of CHT did not induce either apoplastic reactive oxygen species (ROS) production or stomatal closure but co-treatment of CHT and SA induced both apoplastic ROS production and stomatal closure, indicating the involvement of endogenous SA in CHT-induced apoplastic ROS production and CHT-induced stomatal closure. Furthermore, CHT induced transient cytosolic free calcium concentration increments in the nahG mutant in the presence of exogenous SA but not in the absence of exogenous SA. These results provide evidence that endogenous SA is a crucial element in CHT-induced stomatal closure.
Placing Petrarch’s Legacy: The Politics of Petrarch’s Tomb and Boccaccio’s Last Letter
Authors: Lummus David
Published: June 2017

In readings of orations, letters, and poems about Petrarch’s death composed in Paduan and Florentine intellectual circles, this article shows that the well-known praise of Petrarch in these texts is a function of a political competition over Petrarch’s remains and, with them, over the rightful location of his legacy. Boccaccio’s last letter, which stands out for its rhetorical sophistication and cultural sensitivity, intervenes in this largely provincial debate with farsighted theoretical coherence and cosmopolitan political ambition. Animated by a familiar vernacular poetics, Boccaccio theorizes an intellectual entombment of Petrarch in Florence that is consonant with Boccaccio’s ongoing cultural project.
Comparative analyses of studies of childhood leukemia and magnetic
fields, radon and gamma radiation
Authors: Kheifets Leeka , Swanson John , Yuan Yingzhe , Kusters Cynthia , Vergara Ximena
Published: June 2017

In this paper we compare the findings of epidemiologic studies of childhood
leukemia that examined at least two of ELF magnetic fields and/or distance to
power lines, and exposure to radon and gamma radiation or distance to nuclear
plants. Many of the methodologic aspects are common to studies of non-ionising
(i.e. ELF-MF) and ionising radiation. A systematic search and review of studies
with more than one exposure under study identified 33 key and 35 supplementary
papers from ten countries that have been included in this review. Examining
studies that have looked at several radiation exposures, and comparing
similarities and differences for the different types of radiation, through the
use of directed acyclic graphs, we evaluate to what extent bias, confounding and
other methodological issues might be operating in these studies. We found some
indication of bias, although results are not clear cut. There is little evidence
that confounding has had a substantial influence on results. Influence of the
residential mobility on the study conduct and interpretation is complex and can
manifest as a selection bias, confounding, increased measurement error or could
also be a potential risk factor. Other factors associated with distance to power
lines and to nuclear power plants should be investigated. A more complete and
consistent reporting of results in the future studies will allow for a more
informative comparison across studies and integration of results.
No Longer Trapped? Promoting Entrepreneurship Through Cash Transfers to Ultra‐Poor Women in Northern Kenya
Authors: Gobin Vilas J. , Santos Paulo , Toth Russell
Published: June 2017

We examine the short‐to‐medium‐run impacts of the Rural Entrepreneur Access Program, a poverty graduation program that promotes entrepreneurship among ultra‐poor women in arid and semi‐arid northern Kenya, a context prone to poverty traps. The program relies on cash transfers (rather than asset transfers) in addition to business skills training, business mentoring, and savings. Participation in each of the program's three rounds was randomly determined through a public lottery. In the short‐to‐medium‐run, we find that the program has a positive and significant impact on income, savings, and asset accumulation, similar to more traditional poverty graduation programs that rely on asset transfers.
UpSetR: an R package for the visualization of intersecting sets and their properties
Authors: Conway Jake R , Lex Alexander , Gehlenborg Nils
Published: June 2017

Motivation

Venn and Euler diagrams are a popular yet inadequate solution for quantitative visualization of set intersections. A scalable alternative to Venn and Euler diagrams for visualizing intersecting sets and their properties is needed.

Results

We developed UpSetR, an open source R package that employs a scalable matrix-based visualization to show intersections of sets, their size, and other properties.

Availability and implementation

UpSetR is available at https://github.com/hms-dbmi/UpSetR/ and released under the MIT License. A Shiny app is available at https://gehlenborglab.shinyapps.io/upsetr/.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.