bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
North Korea and the World: A Bibliography of Books and URLs in English, 1997–2007
Authors: Clemens Walter C.
Published: March 2016

This survey of books in English on North Korea, 1997–2007, identifies nearly 240 titles—mostly by US authors but also by authors in Australia, Europe, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Russia. The books fall into eleven categories: history and culture; the Korean War revisited; the DPRK regime and its leaders; human rights and humanitarian issues; the economy: Juche, Songun, collapse, or reform; DPRK military assets and programs; relations with the United States; arms control negotiations and outcomes; regional and world security; prospects for North-South unification; and North Korea's future. A final section includes useful websites. This survey points to a wide interest in North Korea and underscores the serious and ongoing efforts of many scholars and policy analysts to understand developments there.
The Adaptive Developmental State in East Asia
Authors: Wong Joseph
Published: March 2016

In 1997, several of Asia's economies collapsed and the international community was called in to help mend the ailing region. The crisis attracted a great deal of attention among both the scholarly and policy communities. At that time, it seemed that the Asian miracle had come to an abrupt end. Places such as South Korea enjoyed a prosperous run though suffered a dubious demise. Later developers in Southeast Asia and China, having just emerged from out of the starting gate, quickly stalled in their attempts to ride the wave of Asia's postwar economic dynamism. Fortunately, things would not remain dour for too long. Some countries, such as Taiwan and Japan, made it through the crisis relatively unscathed. Both China and South Korea quickly rebounded. Southeast Asian countries, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, adapted and have consequently begun new growth trajectories. In the end, it seemed that the most severe and lasting casualty of the 1997 crisis was the East Asian developmental state model itself. To be sure, the more recent literatures on East Asian political economy have taken a sharp turn, wherein terms like “booty capitalism” and “crony capitalism” have quickly come to replace more laudatory titles such as the “East Asian Miracle.”
Dealing by a Truculent Ally: A Comparative Perspective on China's Handling of North Korea
Authors: Chambers Michael R.
Published: March 2016

Fearing war on the Korean peninsula as a result of the current nuclear crisis, China has attempted to restrain its risk-taking ally in North Korea and push it toward a negotiated solution. In the process, Beijing has reneged on security commitments made in its bilateral alliance with Pyongyang. We should not be surprised by this behavior because China has acted similarly in other alliances with Asian neighbors. In particular, the PRC has demonstrated a wariness of being dragged into unwanted conflicts, has (since the economic reforms began in 1978) placed its own strategic economic development interests over fulfilling security pledges to allies, and has taught unruly allies a lesson for defying Chinese interests and advice by allowing them to be bloodied in combat. China's refusal to honor its security commitments in order to restrain North Korea and avoid entrapment in an undesired war raises the issue of the future of this alliance.
The New Face of Chinese Industrial Policy: Making Sense of Antidumping Cases in the Petrochemical and Steel Industries
Authors: Zheng Yu , Abrami Regina
Published: March 2016

Why have China's petrochemical and steel industries behaved so differently in seeking trade protection through antidumping measures, especially given that both industries face the full force of the global economy? We argue that the patterning of antidumping actions is best explained in terms of industrial structures, inclusive of degrees of horizontal concentration and vertical integration. These structures determine a firm's motivation to seek protection as well as its capacity to overcome collective action problems within its industry. In the petrochemical industry, the shift toward greater horizontal consolidation and vertical integration reduces the collective action problems associated with antidumping petitions among upstream companies. It also weakens downstream companies lobbying in favor of the general protection of highly integrated conglomerates. In the steel industry, by contrast, national industrial policy fails to weaken local state interests sufficiently. Fragmented upstream and downstream channels instead persist, with strong odds against upstream suppliers waging a successful defense of material interests. Such distinctive industrial structures, we show, were a direct result of whether the central government could restructure these designated priority industries in its preferred direction. We find that exogenous price shocks proved particularly helpful in this regard.
Climate Converts: Institutional Redeployment, Industrial Policy, and Public Investment in Energy in Japan
Authors: Hughes Llewelyn
Published: March 2016

A large literature in political economy argues that governments in the advanced industrialized states retrenched from the application of industrial policy while resisting pressure to reform in a limited number of sectors. In this article, I argue that retrenchment and resistance do not fully describe the range of choices made by governments. Through an analysis of investment in energy policy in Japan, I show that in addition to retrenching from industrial policies and resisting pressure to reduce industrial targeting, domestic actors have retained and redeployed state functions in public policy areas unaffected by the causes of liberalization.
Electoral Consequences of Municipal Mergers
Authors: Shimizu Kay
Published: March 2016

The dominance of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was long buttressed by the existence of a strong political support base in the rural areas led by local politicians who worked on behalf of national LDP politicians seeking reelection. In recent years, municipal mergers have drastically weakened the LDP's support base by reducing the number of local politicians and redrawing electoral district boundaries. Surprisingly, the main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), could not take full advantage of these new institutional arrangements. Instead, local politicians have become more independent of both major parties. As a result, at a time of increasing numbers of floating voters, neither of Japan's two major parties has a reliable local base across the country. To succeed, both parties must pay attention to the changing needs of the increasingly independent—and very often still rural—localities.
Japan's High-Technology Trade with China and Its Export Control
Authors: Marukawa Tomoo
Published: March 2016

While Japanese business interests support the export of high-technology items and the transfer of technology from Japan to China, these economically motivated actions may have direct and indirect impacts on Japan's national security. First, the transfer of dual-use technology to China may directly help China's military buildup. Second, high-tech exports and technology transfers may have an indirect effect by eroding Japan's technological advantages vis-à-vis China. In this article I place these concerns into a historical context and analyze the current challenges to Japan's export control policies. I offer an overview of the Japan-China trade relationship, with a special focus on high-tech trade. I then discuss changes in Japan's export controls regarding China, based on heightened security concerns. Evidence indicates that the Japanese government is ill equipped to deal with “technology leakage,” which is accelerating the erosion of Japan's technological supremacy and is not covered by its current export control regime.
The Patterns of Party Polarization in East Asia
Authors: Dalton Russell J. , Tanaka Aiji
Published: March 2016

The alignment of parties within a party system shapes the nature of electoral competition, the process of representation, and potentially the legitimacy of the system. This article describes the distribution of parties and the levels of party polarization in the party systems of East Asian democracies. We examine the public's perceptions of party positions on a left-right scale to map the pattern of party competition. The evidence is based on two waves of surveys from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems. We describe considerable variation in the polarization of Asian party systems, which has direct implications for the clarity of party choice and the behavior of voters. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our findings.
Social Structure and Party Support in the East Asian Democracies
Authors: McAllister Ian
Published: March 2016

A stable and effective party system depends on consistent and enduring support from social groups. Using the Lipset-Rokkan paradigm as a point of departure, this article tests the relationship between social structure and party support in four East Asian democracies (Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan) and two Western democracies (Australia and New Zealand) using the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems. Using Australia and New Zealand as a reference point, the results show that the four Lipset-Rokkan social cleavages are only loosely related to party support in the four East Asian nations, mainly through center-periphery and urban-rural divisions. The absence of an owner-worker cleavage is explained by the suppression of labor-based parties in these countries. More generally, the results suggest the importance of the socializing experiences associated with the democratic transitions in each of the four newer democracies.
Value Cleavages, Issues, and Partisanship in East Asia
Authors: Lee Aie-Rie
Published: March 2016

This article examines how the social transformation in many East Asian democracies is altering the value priorities of their publics, and how these values are affecting party choice. Our analyses are based on the newest wave of the World Values Survey. We find that the emergence of an authoritarian-libertarian value cleavage is clearly associated with level of development, but these values emerge well before what prior research indicated. In addition, we show that party loyalty among the East Asian citizenry is shaped by a mix of social values, economic issues, left-right ideology, distrust in governmental institutions, and proclivities to engage in protest activities.
Partisanship and Democratization
Authors: Shin Doh Chull , Tusalem Rollin F.
Published: March 2016

How do attachments to political parties among the mass publics of East Asia affect the process of democratization in the region? Analyses of the East Asia Barometer surveys reveal that partisanship motivates East Asians to endorse the democratic performance of their political system and embrace democracy as the best possible system of government. These findings accord, by and large, with the socialization, cognitive dissonance, and rational choice theories of partisanship.
Party System Fragmentation in Indonesia: The Subnational Dimension
Authors: Tomsa Dirk
Published: March 2016

In this article I analyze the extent and causes of party system fragmentation in Indonesia's provincial and district parliaments. Focusing on the results of the first three post-Suharto elections in 1999, 2004, and 2009, I first highlight that local-level fragmentation is not only generally higher than national-level fragmentation but also that it has consistently increased over the three elections and that fragmentation has been particularly high in Eastern Indonesia. I then explain these three trends as a result of three main factors: First, electoral institutions applied between 1999 and 2009 facilitated fragmentation and poor party system institutionalization, mainly due to the introduction of an open list system in 2009 and the absence of a parliamentary threshold at the local level. Second, low levels of party institutionalization progressively individualized local party politics and made it normal for candidates to switch to smaller parties if it suited their interests, thereby exacerbating fragmentation. Third, electoral campaigning for local parliaments has been dominated by traditional methods based on personal relationships and networks rather than lavish public relations campaigns with expensive TV ads, further reinforcing the effects of the first two factors.
Korean Bilateral Official Development Assistance to Africa Under Korea's Initiative for Africa's Development
Authors: Yoon Mi Yung , Moon Chungshik
Published: March 2016

In the past several years, the Republic of Korea—a former least developed country (LDC) and aid recipient that became a donor—joined the “club of emerging donors” to Africa. In March 2006, President Roh Moohyun declared Korea's Initiative for Africa's Development. The initiative puts poverty reduction and socioeconomic development of African countries in the forefront. Using pooled cross-sectional time series data, in this study we examine the determinants of Korean bilateral official development assistance (ODA) to Africa for the period 1991–2011. The findings of the study suggest that the approach of Korean ODA does not differ significantly from that of many conventional donors whose ODA disbursement has had a dual purpose: to improve the welfare of developing countries and to serve self-interests.
Complementary Institutions in Authoritarian Regimes: The Everyday Politics of Constituency Service in Singapore
Authors: Ong Elvin
Published: March 2016

Recent political science research has suggested that autocrats adopt a variety of institutions such as nominally democratic elections and ruling parties to buttress authoritarian durability. In this article I investigate the role of constituency service in an authoritarian regime. I argue that Singapore's Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) is a complementary institution that can serve to mitigate the weaknesses of other authoritarian institutions, thereby entrenching authoritarianism, rather than serve as a form of democratic representation. First, it is a mechanism to gain valuable everyday information about grievances within the population, thereby allowing the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) to formulate policies and effectively target its response. Second, it is a convenient venue to recruit and socialize ordinary party members, thus helping the PAP forestall potential party decay. Symbolically, conducting MPS is a material performance of the hegemonic ideology of elitism between PAP politicians and ordinary Singaporeans.
The 2013 Malaysian Elections: Ethnic Politics or Urban Wave?
Authors: Ng Jason Wei Jian , Rangel Gary John , Vaithilingam Santha , Pillay Subramaniam S.
Published: March 2016

In this article we examine the electoral impact of urbanization vis-à-vis ethnicity in Malaysia. We employ a robust econometric technique, the fractional response logit model, on data from the recently concluded thirteenth general election. The findings show that there are both an ethnic effect and an urban effect in determining the distribution of parliamentary seats among the political groups. Strong support for the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, was evident in urban constituencies, while the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, continued to enjoy success in rural constituencies. Although Barisan Nasional is still dependent on Bumiputera support, its success is also dependent on non-Bumiputera support from rural constituencies. However, with declining birthrates among the Chinese electorates, this support may not be forthcoming in future elections. We also provide insights for both coalitions to consider in developing strategies for the next election.
National Interest or Transnational Alliances? Japanese Policy on the Comfort Women Issue
Authors: Ku Yangmo
Published: March 2016

When and why does a perpetrator state take a contrite stance on its past wrongs? More specifically, why do Japanese behaviors differ over time in addressing apology and compensation with regard to the comfort women issue? In this article I address these questions by testing two hypotheses, utilizing an instrumentalist approach and a transnational-political activism model. The former posits a perpetrator state is more likely to take a contrite stance on its past misdeeds when it calculates such action is in its security and/or economic interests. The latter hypothesizes that when transnational activism is powerful and a perpetrator state is led by a progressive ruling coalition, the state is more likely to adopt conciliatory policies toward historical issues. I find that the transnational-political activism model possesses more explanatory power than instrumentalism for within-case variations in Japanese behavior toward the comfort women issue. The two approaches are not, however, mutually exclusive and are complementary in some regards. The effect of transnational activism is heightened when the target state is faced with other geopolitical incentives and/or when the target state is led by a progressive ruling coalition and has weak conservative reaction.
Developmental biology and demographic parameters of antestia bug Antestiopsis thunbergii (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), on Coffea arabica (Rubiaceae) at different constant temperatures
Authors: Ahmed Abdelmutalab Gesmalla , Murungi Lucy Kananu , Babin Régis
Published: March 2016

The antestia bugAntestiopsis thunbergii(Gmelin 1790) is a major coffee pest in East Africa. Nymphs and adults feed on all vegetative and fruiting parts of the coffee tree leading to yield reduction and poor quality of coffee beans. Our study aimed to characterize the developmental biology and provide life table parameters forA. thunbergiireared in the laboratory. The biology ofA. thunbergiiwas studied at four constant temperatures of 20, 25, 30 and 35°C with 80±5% RH and a photoperiod of L:D 12:12. Complete development ofA. thunbergiifrom egg to adult occurred between 20 and 30°C, while eggs did not hatch at 35°C. Immature stage development time decreased significantly with an increase in temperature, with the exception of fifth nymphal stage, duration of which was similar for all temperatures. The fecundity was maximal at 20°C with an average of 132.8 eggs per female and 1.7 egg per female per day. The gross reproductive rate (GRR) was the highest at 20°C with 75.79 daughters per female compared to 19.56 and 2.69 daughters per female at 25 and 30°C, respectively. The intrinsic rate of increaserwas maximal at 20°C with 0.013 and negative at 30°C. The time required for the reared population to double (doubling timeTd) was shorter at 20°C with 53.31 days compared to 115.52 days at 25°C. Our study provides basic information onA. thunbergiibiology that will contribute to a better understanding of the pest distribution and dynamics on arabica coffee in East Africa.
Choking under Pressure und Ego Depletion
Authors: Englert Chris
Published: March 2016

Zusammenfassung. In Leistungssituationen sind Athletinnen und Athleten nicht immer dazu in der Lage, ihr Leistungsoptimum abzurufen. Auch wenn die Befundlage zum Angst-Leistungszusammenhang äußerst heterogen ist, so geht höheres Angsterleben häufig mit Leistungsbeeinträchtigungen einher. In dem vorliegenden Manuskript wird ein Überblick über verschiedene theoretische Modelle zur Erklärung des Angst-Leistungszusammenhangs gegeben. Der Fokus wird dabei auf die Attentional Control Theory gelegt, die besagt, dass unter Druck die Aufmerksamkeitsregulation weniger effizient ausfällt und folglich erhöhte Ablenkbarkeit die Leistung negativ beeinflusst. Es wird weiterhin argumentiert, dass die Selbstkontrollkraft den Angst-Leistungszusammenhang moderiert, so dass nur bei Personen mit temporär erschöpfter Selbstkontrollkraft ein negativer Angst-Leistungszusammenhang erwartet wird, wohingegen Personen mit momentan verfügbarer Selbstkontrollkraft trotz erhöhten Angsterlebens Höchstleistung erbringen können. Abschließend werden offene Fragestellungen thematisiert, alternative Erklärungsansätze vorgestellt sowie praktische Implikationen für die Sportpsychologie abgeleitet.
Structural insight in the toppling mechanism of an energy-coupling factor transporter
Authors: Swier Lotteke J. Y. M. , Guskov Albert , Slotboom Dirk J.
Published: March 2016

Energy-coupling factor (ECF) transporters mediate uptake of micronutrients in prokaryotes. The transporters consist of an S-component that binds the transported substrate and an ECF module (EcfAA′T) that binds and hydrolyses ATP. The mechanism of transport is poorly understood but presumably involves an unusual step in which the membrane-embedded S-component topples over to carry the substrate across the membrane. In many ECF transporters, the S-component dissociates from the ECF module after transport. Subsequently, substrate-bound S-components out-compete the empty proteins for re-binding to the ECF module in a new round of transport. Here we present crystal structures of the folate-specific transporter ECF–FolT from Lactobacillus delbrueckii. Interaction of the ECF module with FolT stabilizes the toppled state, and simultaneously destroys the high-affinity folate-binding site, allowing substrate release into the cytosol. We hypothesize that differences in the kinetics of toppling can explain how substrate-loaded FolT out-competes apo-FolT for association with the ECF module.
The ictal wavefront is the spatiotemporal source of discharges during spontaneous human seizures
Authors: Smith Elliot H. , Liou Jyun-you , Davis Tyler S. , Merricks Edward M. , Kellis Spencer S. , Weiss Shennan A. , Greger Bradley , House Paul A. , McKhann II Guy M. , Goodman Robert R. , Emerson Ronald G. , Bateman Lisa M. , Trevelyan Andrew J. , Schevon Catherine A.
Published: March 2016

The extensive distribution and simultaneous termination of seizures across cortical areas has led to the hypothesis that seizures are caused by large-scale coordinated networks spanning these areas. This view, however, is difficult to reconcile with most proposed mechanisms of seizure spread and termination, which operate on a cellular scale. We hypothesize that seizures evolve into self-organized structures wherein a small seizing territory projects high-intensity electrical signals over a broad cortical area. Here we investigate human seizures on both small and large electrophysiological scales. We show that the migrating edge of the seizing territory is the source of travelling waves of synaptic activity into adjacent cortical areas. As the seizure progresses, slow dynamics in induced activity from these waves indicate a weakening and eventual failure of their source. These observations support a parsimonious theory for how large-scale evolution and termination of seizures are driven from a small, migrating cortical area.
Prevalent mutator genotype identified in fungal pathogen Candida glabrata promotes multi-drug resistance
Authors: Healey Kelley R. , Zhao Yanan , Perez Winder B. , Lockhart Shawn R. , Sobel Jack D. , Farmakiotis Dimitrios , Kontoyiannis Dimitrios P. , Sanglard Dominique , Taj-Aldeen Saad J. , Alexander Barbara D. , Jimenez-Ortigosa Cristina , Shor Erika , Perlin David S.
Published: March 2016

The fungal pathogen Candida glabrata has emerged as a major health threat since it readily acquires resistance to multiple drug classes, including triazoles and/or echinocandins. Thus far, cellular mechanisms promoting the emergence of resistance to multiple drug classes have not been described in this organism. Here we demonstrate that a mutator phenotype caused by a mismatch repair defect is prevalent in C. glabrata clinical isolates. Strains carrying alterations in mismatch repair gene MSH2 exhibit a higher propensity to breakthrough antifungal treatment in vitro and in mouse models of colonization, and are recovered at a high rate (55% of all C. glabrata recovered) from patients. This genetic mechanism promotes the acquisition of resistance to multiple antifungals, at least partially explaining the elevated rates of triazole and multi-drug resistance associated with C. glabrata. We anticipate that identifying MSH2 defects in infecting strains may influence the management of patients on antifungal drug therapy.
Mouse model of chromosome mosaicism reveals lineage-specific depletion of aneuploid cells and normal developmental potential
Authors: Bolton Helen , Graham Sarah J. L. , Van der Aa Niels , Kumar Parveen , Theunis Koen , Fernandez Gallardo Elia , Voet Thierry , Zernicka-Goetz Magdalena
Published: March 2016

Most human pre-implantation embryos are mosaics of euploid and aneuploid cells. To determine the fate of aneuploid cells and the developmental potential of mosaic embryos, here we generate a mouse model of chromosome mosaicism. By treating embryos with a spindle assembly checkpoint inhibitor during the four- to eight-cell division, we efficiently generate aneuploid cells, resulting in embryo death during peri-implantation development. Live-embryo imaging and single-cell tracking in chimeric embryos, containing aneuploid and euploid cells, reveal that the fate of aneuploid cells depends on lineage: aneuploid cells in the fetal lineage are eliminated by apoptosis, whereas those in the placental lineage show severe proliferative defects. Overall, the proportion of aneuploid cells is progressively depleted from the blastocyst stage onwards. Finally, we show that mosaic embryos have full developmental potential, provided they contain sufficient euploid cells, a finding of significance for the assessment of embryo vitality in the clinic.
Improving Automated Annotation of Benthic Survey Images Using Wide-band Fluorescence
Authors: Beijbom Oscar , Treibitz Tali , Kline David I. , Eyal Gal , Khen Adi , Neal Benjamin , Loya Yossi , Mitchell B. Greg , Kriegman David
Published: March 2016

Large-scale imaging techniques are used increasingly for ecological surveys. However, manual analysis can be prohibitively expensive, creating a bottleneck between collected images and desired data-products. This bottleneck is particularly severe for benthic surveys, where millions of images are obtained each year. Recent automated annotation methods may provide a solution, but reflectance images do not always contain sufficient information for adequate classification accuracy. In this work, the FluorIS, a low-cost modified consumer camera, was used to capture wide-band wide-field-of-view fluorescence images during a field deployment in Eilat, Israel. The fluorescence images were registered with standard reflectance images, and an automated annotation method based on convolutional neural networks was developed. Our results demonstrate a 22% reduction of classification error-rate when using both images types compared to only using reflectance images. The improvements were large, in particular, for coral reef genera Platygyra, Acropora and Millepora, where classification recall improved by 38%, 33%, and 41%, respectively. We conclude that convolutional neural networks can be used to combine reflectance and fluorescence imagery in order to significantly improve automated annotation accuracy and reduce the manual annotation bottleneck.
An Essential Role for the Transcription Factor Runx1 in T Cell Maturation
Authors: Hsu Fan-Chi , Shapiro Michael J. , Dash Barsha , Chen Chien-Chang , Constans Megan M. , Chung Ji Young , Romero Arocha Sinibaldo R. , Belmonte Paul J. , Chen Meibo W. , McWilliams Douglas C. , Shapiro Virginia Smith
Published: March 2016

The transcription factor Runx1 has essential roles throughout hematopoiesis. Here, we demonstrate that Runx1 is critical for T cell maturation. Peripheral naïve CD4+ T cells from CD4-cre Runx1 cKO mice are phenotypically and functionally immature as shown by decreased production of TNF-α upon TCR stimulation. The loss of peripheral CD4+ T cells in CD4-cre Runx1 cKO mice is not due to defects in homeostasis or decreased expression of IL-7Rα, as transgenic expression of IL-7Rα does not rescue the loss of CD4+ T cells. Rather, immature Runx1-deficient CD4+ T cells are eliminated in the periphery by the activation and fixation of the classical complement pathway. In the thymus, there is a severe block in all aspects of intrathymic T cell maturation, although both positive and negative selection are unaltered. Thus, loss of Runx1 leads to the earliest characterized block in post-positive selection intrathymic maturation of CD4 T cells.
Identification of a new hominin bone from Denisova Cave, Siberia using collagen fingerprinting and mitochondrial DNA analysis
Authors: Brown Samantha , Higham Thomas , Slon Viviane , Pääbo Svante , Meyer Matthias , Douka Katerina , Brock Fiona , Comeskey Daniel , Procopio Noemi , Shunkov Michael , Derevianko Anatoly , Buckley Michael
Published: March 2016

DNA sequencing has revolutionised our understanding of archaic humans during the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. Unfortunately, while many Palaeolithic sites contain large numbers of bones, the majority of these lack the diagnostic features necessary for traditional morphological identification. As a result the recovery of Pleistocene-age human remains is extremely rare. To circumvent this problem we have applied a method of collagen fingerprinting to more than 2000 fragmented bones from the site of Denisova Cave, Russia, in order to facilitate the discovery of human remains. As a result of our analysis a single hominin bone (Denisova 11) was identified, supported through in-depth peptide sequencing analysis and found to carry mitochondrial DNA of the Neandertal type. Subsequent radiocarbon dating revealed the bone to be >50,000 years old. Here we demonstrate the huge potential collagen fingerprinting has for identifying hominin remains in highly fragmentary archaeological assemblages, improving the resources available for wider studies into human evolution.
Dissecting Stages of Human Kidney Development and Tumorigenesis with Surface Markers Affords Simple Prospective Purification of Nephron Stem Cells
Authors: Pode-Shakked Naomi , Pleniceanu Oren , Gershon Rotem , Shukrun Rachel , Kanter Itamar , Bucris Efrat , Pode-Shakked Ben , Tam Gal , Tam Hadar , Caspi Revital , Pri-Chen Sara , Vax Einav , Katz Guy , Omer Dorit , Harari-Steinberg Orit , Kalisky Tomer , Dekel Benjamin
Published: March 2016

When assembling a nephron during development a multipotent stem cell pool becomes restricted as differentiation ensues. A faulty differentiation arrest in this process leads to transformation and initiation of a Wilms’ tumor. Mapping these transitions with respective surface markers affords accessibility to specific cell subpopulations. NCAM1 and CD133 have been previously suggested to mark human renal progenitor populations. Herein, using cell sorting, RNA sequencing, in vitro studies with serum-free media and in vivo xenotransplantation we demonstrate a sequential map that links human kidney development and tumorigenesis; In nephrogenesis, NCAM1+CD133− marks SIX2+ multipotent renal stem cells transiting to NCAM1+CD133+ differentiating segment-specific SIX2− epithelial progenitors and NCAM1−CD133+ differentiated nephron cells. In tumorigenesis, NCAM1+CD133− marks SIX2+ blastema that includes the ALDH1+ WT cancer stem/initiating cells, while NCAM1+CD133+ and NCAM1−CD133+ specifying early and late epithelial differentiation, are severely restricted in tumor initiation capacity and tumor self-renewal. Thus, negative selection for CD133 is required for defining NCAM1+ nephron stem cells in normal and malignant nephrogenesis.
A proteomic analysis of mushroom polysaccharide-treated HepG2 cells
Authors: Chai Yangyang , Wang Guibin , Fan Lili , Zhao Min
Published: March 2016

The anti-tumor properties of fungal polysaccharides have gained significant recognition in Asia and tropical America. In this study, the differential expression of proteins in normal HepG2 cells and those treated with polysaccharides that had been isolated from Phellinus linteus (PL), Ganoderma lucidum (GL) and Auricularia auricula (AA) was investigated. Using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE), a total of 104 protein spots were determined to be overexpressed in these cells compared with noncancerous regions. A total of 59 differentially expressed proteins were identified through MALDI-TOF-MS. In addition, 400 biological processes (BP), 133 cell components (CC) and 146 molecular functions (MF) were enriched by Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and 78 KEGG pathways were enriched by pathway enrichment. Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) analysis demonstrated the interaction networks affected by polysaccharides in HepG2 cells. Then, DJ-1 and 14-3-3 were identified as the key proteins in the networks and the expression of the mRNA and proteins were evaluated using Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB), respectively. The results were in agreement with the 2DE. These results provided information on significant proteins of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and form an important basis for the future development of valuable medicinal mushroom resources.
Re-induction of the cell cycle in the Arabidopsis post-embryonic root meristem is ABA-insensitive, GA-dependent and repressed by KRP6
Authors: Nieuwland Jeroen , Stamm Petra , Wen Bo , Randall Ricardo S. , Murray James A. H. , Bassel George W.
Published: March 2016

Seeding establishment following seed germination requires activation of the root meristem for primary root growth. We investigated the hormonal and genetic regulation of root meristem activation during Arabidopsis seed germination. In optimal conditions, radicle cell divisions occur only after the completion of germination and require de novo GA synthesis. When the completion of germination is blocked by ABA, radicle elongation and cell divisions occurred in these non-germinating seeds. Conversely under GA-limiting conditions, ABA-insensitive mutants complete germination in the absence of radicle meristem activation and growth. Radicle meristem activation and extension can therefore occur independently of completion of the developmental transition of germination. The cell cycle regulator KRP6 partially represses GA-dependent activation of the cell cycle. Germination of krp6 mutant seeds occurs more rapidly, is slightly insensitive to ABA in dose-response assays, but also hypersensitive to the GA synthesis inhibitor PAC. These conflicting phenotypes suggest the cell cycle uncouples GA and ABA responses in germinating Arabidopsis seeds, and that KRP6 acts downstream of GA to inhibit mitotic cell cycle activation during germination.
Impact of Adsorption on Gas Transport in Nanopores
Authors: Wu Tianhao , Zhang Dongxiao
Published: March 2016

Given the complex nature of the interaction between gas and solid atoms, the development of nanoscale science and technology has engendered a need for further understanding of gas transport behavior through nanopores and more tractable models for large-scale simulations. In the present paper, we utilize molecular dynamic simulations to demonstrate the behavior of gas flow under the influence of adsorption in nano-channels consisting of illite and graphene, respectively. The results indicate that velocity oscillation exists along the cross-section of the nano-channel and the total mass flow could be either enhanced or reduced depending on variations in adsorption under different conditions. The mechanisms can be explained by the extra average perturbation stress arising from density oscillation via the novel perturbation model for micro-scale simulation and approximated via the novel dual-region model for macro-scale simulation, which leads to a more accurate permeability correction model for industrial applications than is currently available.
Suppressive effect of exogenous carbon monoxide on endotoxin-stimulated platelet over-activation via the glycoprotein-mediated PI3K-Akt-GSK3β pathway
Authors: Liu Dadong , Wang Xu , Qin Weiting , Chen Jingjia , Wang Yawei , Zhuang Mingfeng , Sun Bingwei
Published: March 2016

Platelet activation is an important event involved in the pathophysiological processes of the coagulation system. Clinical evidence has shown that platelets undergo distinctive pathological processes during sepsis. Unfortunately, how platelets physiologically respond to inflammation or sepsis is not well understood. In this study, we used a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated platelet model to systemically investigate alterations in membrane glycoprotein expression, molecular signaling, morphology and critical functions of platelets. We found that platelet adhesion, aggregation, secretion and spreading on immobilized fibrinogen and the expression of platelet membrane glycoproteins were significantly increased by LPS stimulation and these changes were accompanied by a significant decrease in cGMP levels and an abnormal distribution of platelet α-granules. Exogenous CO reversed these alterations. Profound morphological changes in LPS-stimulated platelets were observed using atomic force microscopy and phase microscopy. Furthermore, the elevated activities of PI3Ks, AKt and GSK-3β were effectively suppressed by exogenous CO, leading to the improvement of platelet function. Together, these results provide evidence that platelet over-activation persists under LPS-stimulation and that exogenous CO plays an important role in suppressing platelet activation via the glycoprotein-mediated PI3K-Akt-GSK3β pathway.
Pitfalls in assessing microvascular endothelial barrier function: impedance-based devices versus the classic macromolecular tracer assay
Authors: Bischoff Iris , Hornburger Michael C. , Mayer Bettina A. , Beyerle Andrea , Wegener Joachim , Fürst Robert
Published: March 2016

The most frequently used parameters to describe the barrier properties of endothelial cells (ECs) in vitro are (i) the macromolecular permeability, indicating the flux of a macromolecular tracer across the endothelium and (ii) electrical impedance of ECs grown on gold-film electrodes reporting on the cell layer’s tightness for ion flow. Due to the experimental differences between these approaches, inconsistent observations have been described. Here, we present the first direct comparison of these assays applied to one single cell type (human microvascular ECs) under the same experimental conditions. The impact of different pharmacological tools (histamine, forskolin, Y-27632, blebbistatin, TRAP) on endothelial barrier function was analyzed by Transwell® tracer assays and two commercial impedance devices (xCELLigence®, ECIS®). The two impedance techniques provided very similar results for all compounds, whereas macromolecular permeability readings were found to be partly inconsistent with impedance. Possible reasons for these discrepancies are discussed. We conclude that the complementary combination of both approaches is highly recommended to overcome the restrictions of each assay. Since the nature of the growth support may contribute to the observed differences, structure-function relationships should be based on cells that are consistently grown on either permeable or impermeable growth supports in all experiments.
Electronic origins of photocatalytic activity in d0 metal organic frameworks
Authors: Nasalevich Maxim A. , Hendon Christopher H. , Santaclara Jara G. , Svane Katrine , van der Linden Bart , Veber Sergey L. , Fedin Matvey V. , Houtepen Arjan J. , van der Veen Monique A. , Kapteijn Freek , Walsh Aron , Gascon Jorge
Published: March 2016

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) containing d0 metals such as NH2-MIL-125(Ti), NH2-UiO-66(Zr) and NH2-UiO-66(Hf) are among the most studied MOFs for photocatalytic applications. Despite structural similarities, we demonstrate that the electronic properties of these MOFs are markedly different. As revealed by quantum chemistry, EPR measurements and transient absorption spectroscopy, the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied orbitals of NH2-MIL-125(Ti) promote a long lived ligand-to-metal charge transfer upon photoexcitation, making this material suitable for photocatalytic applications. In contrast, in case of UiO materials, the d-orbitals of Zr and Hf, are too low in binding energy and thus cannot overlap with the π* orbital of the ligand, making both frontier orbitals localized at the organic linker. This electronic reconfiguration results in short exciton lifetimes and diminishes photocatalytic performance. These results highlight the importance of orbital contributions at the band edges and delineate future directions in the development of photo-active hybrid solids.
P-Channel InGaN/GaN heterostructure metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor based on polarization-induced two-dimensional hole gas
Authors: Zhang Kexiong , Sumiya Masatomo , Liao Meiyong , Koide Yasuo , Sang Liwen
Published: March 2016

The concept of p-channel InGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistor (FET) using a two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG) induced by polarization effect is demonstrated. The existence of 2DHG near the lower interface of InGaN/GaN heterostructure is verified by theoretical simulation and capacitance-voltage profiling. The metal-oxide-semiconductor FET (MOSFET) with Al2O3 gate dielectric shows a drain-source current density of 0.51 mA/mm at the gate voltage of −2 V and drain bias of −15 V, an ON/OFF ratio of two orders of magnitude and effective hole mobility of 10 cm2/Vs at room temperature. The normal operation of MOSFET without freeze-out at 8 K further proves that the p-channel behavior is originated from the polarization-induced 2DHG.
An Exploratory Study on the Pathways of Cr (VI) Reduction in Sulfate-reducing Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Bed (UASB) Reactor
Authors: Qian Jin , Wei Li , Liu Rulong , Jiang Feng , Hao Xiaodi , Chen Guang-Hao
Published: March 2016

Electroplating wastewater contains both Cr (VI) and sulfate. So Cr (VI) removal under sulfate-rich condition is quite complicated. This study mainly investigates the pathways for Cr (VI) removal under biological sulfate-reducing condition in the up-flow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactor. Two potential pathways are found for the removal of Cr (VI). The first one is the sulfidogenesis-induced Cr (VI) reduction pathway (for 90% Cr (VI) removal), in which Cr (VI) is reduced by sulfide generated from biological reduction of sulfate. The second one leads to direct reduction of Cr (VI) which is utilized by bacteria as the electron acceptor (for 10% Cr (VI) removal). Batch test results confirmed that sulfide was oxidized to elemental sulfur instead of sulfate during Cr (VI) reduction. The produced extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) provided protection to the microbes, resulting in effective removal of Cr (VI). Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) genera accounted for 11.1% of the total bacterial community; thus they could be the major organisms mediating the sulfidogenesis-induced reduction of Cr (VI). In addition, chromate-utilizing genera (e.g. Microbacterium) were also detected, which were possibly responsible for the direct reduction of Cr (VI) using organics as the electron donor and Cr (VI) as the electron acceptor.
Utilizing yeast chemogenomic profiles for the prediction of pharmacogenomic associations in humans
Authors: Silberberg Yael , Kupiec Martin , Sharan Roded
Published: March 2016

Understanding the genetic basis underlying individual responses to drug treatment is a fundamental task with implications to drug development and administration. Pharmacogenomics is the study of the genes that affect drug response. The study of pharmacogenomic associations between a drug and a gene that influences the interindividual drug response, which is only beginning, holds much promise and potential. Although relatively few pharmacogenomic associations between drugs and specific genes were mapped in humans, large systematic screens have been carried out in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, motivating the constructing of a projection method. We devised a novel approach for the prediction of pharmacogenomic associations in humans using genome-scale chemogenomic data from yeast. We validated our method using both cross-validation and comparison to known drug-gene associations extracted from multiple data sources, attaining high AUC scores. We show that our method outperforms a previous technique, as well as a similar method based on known human associations. Last, we analyze the predictions and demonstrate their biological relevance to understanding drug response.
Genome of Leptomonas pyrrhocoris: a high-quality reference for monoxenous trypanosomatids and new insights into evolution of Leishmania
Authors: Flegontov Pavel , Butenko Anzhelika , Firsov Sergei , Kraeva Natalya , Eliáš Marek , Field Mark C. , Filatov Dmitry , Flegontova Olga , Gerasimov Evgeny S. , Hlaváčová Jana , Ishemgulova Aygul , Jackson Andrew P. , Kelly Steve , Kostygov Alexei Y. , Logacheva Maria D. , Maslov Dmitri A. , Opperdoes Fred R. , O’Reilly Amanda , Sádlová Jovana , Ševčíková Tereza , Venkatesh Divya , Vlček Čestmír , Volf Petr , Jan Votýpka  , Záhonová Kristína , Yurchenko Vyacheslav , Lukeš Julius
Published: March 2016

Many high-quality genomes are available for dixenous (two hosts) trypanosomatid species of the genera Trypanosoma, Leishmania, and Phytomonas, but only fragmentary information is available for monoxenous (single-host) trypanosomatids. In trypanosomatids, monoxeny is ancestral to dixeny, thus it is anticipated that the genome sequences of the key monoxenous parasites will be instrumental for both understanding the origin of parasitism and the evolution of dixeny. Here, we present a high-quality genome for Leptomonas pyrrhocoris, which is closely related to the dixenous genus Leishmania. The L. pyrrhocoris genome (30.4 Mbp in 60 scaffolds) encodes 10,148 genes. Using the L. pyrrhocoris genome, we pinpointed genes gained in Leishmania. Among those genes, 20 genes with unknown function had expression patterns in the Leishmania mexicana life cycle suggesting their involvement in virulence. By combining differential expression data for L. mexicana, L. major and Leptomonas seymouri, we have identified several additional proteins potentially involved in virulence, including SpoU methylase and U3 small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein IMP3. The population genetics of L. pyrrhocoris was also addressed by sequencing thirteen strains of different geographic origin, allowing the identification of 1,318 genes under positive selection. This set of genes was significantly enriched in components of the cytoskeleton and the flagellum.
Characteristics and Kinetic Analysis of AQS Transformation and Microbial Goethite Reduction:Insight into “Redox mediator-Microbe-Iron oxide” Interaction Process
Authors: Zhu Weihuang , Shi Mengran , Yu Dan , Liu Chongxuan , Huang Tinglin , Wu Fengchang
Published: March 2016

The characteristics and kinetics of redox transformation of a redox mediator, anthraquinone-2-sulfonate (AQS), during microbial goethite reduction by Shewanella decolorationis S12, a dissimilatory iron reduction bacterium (DIRB), were investigated to provide insights into “redox mediator-iron oxide” interaction in the presence of DIRB. Two pre-incubation reaction systems of the “strain S12- goethite” and the “strain S12-AQS” were used to investigate the dynamics of goethite reduction and AQS redox transformation. Results show that the concentrations of goethite and redox mediator and the inoculation cell density all affect the characteristics of microbial goethite reduction, kinetic transformation between oxidized and reduced species of the redox mediator. Both abiotic and biotic reactions and their coupling regulate the kinetic process for “Quinone-Iron” interaction in the presence of DIRB. Our results provide some new insights into the characteristics and mechanisms of interaction among “quinone-DIRB- goethite” under biotic/abiotic driven.