bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Future of the European Welfare States: The Intriguing Role of Demography?
Authors: Vartiainen Juhana
Published: May 2017

Many European countries are currently facing serious challenges related to weak public finances and political populism. This article suggests that the ageing phenomenon has been a major contributory factor to both of these problems. The European welfare states were created in a period of favourable demography, and it has now become politically much more difficult to keep them fiscally sustainable because of the ageing population and the associated deterioration of the dependency ratio. The rational policy response to ageing is to increase the labour supply by trimming unemployment benefits, increasing retirement ages and encouraging employment-based immigration. It is precisely such policies, however, that have eroded the support for traditional political parties and created a fertile ground for nativist populism. Thus, the European welfare arrangements may turn out to be politically unsustainable, even if it were theoretically possible to ‘rescue’ them with stringent and fiscally conservative economic management.
Associations of lower vitamin D concentrations with cognitive decline and long‐term risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in older adults
Authors: Feart Catherine , Helmer Catherine , Merle Bénédicte , Herrmann François R. , Annweiler Cédric , Dartigues Jean‐François , Delcourt Cécile , Samieri Cécilia
Published: May 2017

Introduction

Hypovitaminosis D has been associated with several chronic conditions; yet, its association with cognitive decline and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been inconsistent.

Methods

The study population consisted of 916 participants from the Three‐City Bordeaux cohort aged 65+, nondemented at baseline, with assessment of vitamin D status and who were followed for up to 12 years.

Results

In multivariate analysis, compared with individuals with 25(OH)D sufficiency (n = 151), participants with 25(OH)D deficiency (n = 218) exhibited a faster cognitive decline. A total of 177 dementia cases (124 AD) occurred: 25(OH)D deficiency was associated with a nearly three‐fold increased risk of AD (hazard ratio = 2.85, 95% confidence interval 1.37–5.97).

Discussion

This large prospective study of French older adults suggests that maintaining adequate vitamin D status in older age could contribute to slow down cognitive decline and to delay or prevent the onset of dementia, especially of AD etiology.
Simulation of nonisothermal metasomatism of peridotite from mantle wedge beneath the Avacha group of volcanoes (Kamchatka)
Authors: Sharapov V.N. , Kuznetsov G.V. , Timina T.Yu. , Tomilenko A.A. , Chudnenko K.V.
Published: May 2017

Comprehensive studies of mineralogy, fluid and melt inclusions, and gas phase in minerals from a representative collection of peridotite xenoliths that underwent metasomatism and convective partial melting in the mantle wedge beneath Avacha Volcano were used to simulate interactions between mantle wedge material and magmatic fluids of constant and variable compositions at different depths, as well as metasomatic effects of fluids derived from subduction slabs. The obtained virtual dynamic patterns of metasomatic zoning across the mantle wedge show how composition variations of fluids and PT conditions at their sources influence the facies of metasomatized mantle wedge harzburgite. The compositions of the Avacha xenoliths and crustal rodingite from Kamchatka compared with results of physicochemical modeling suggest that eruptions of Avacha Volcano brought metasomatized material of the upper mantle wedge to the surface. The rocks underwent multistage metasomatism along cracks in a relatively narrow temperature range. Such processes are apparently common to seismically deformed permeable lithosphere above magma reservoirs. However, the mineralogical zoning of the Kamchatka crustal rhodingites differs from that in cracked metasomatic peridotite above the sources of magmatic fluids in the mantle wedge beneath the Kamchatka arc.
Migration of fluids and melts in subduction zones and general aspects of thermophysical modeling in geology
Authors: Dobretsov N.L. , Simonov V.A. , Koulakov I.Yu. , Kotlyarov A.V.
Published: May 2017

Modeling of fluid-magmatic systems in a suprasubduction mantle wedge is considered for the case of Kamchatka with reference to data on peridotites from other known subduction and oceanic rock complexes. This modeling has to take account of magma storage in several intermediate reservoirs at different depths, up to six such reservoirs, as in the case of Avacha Volcano. Comparison of available data on melt inclusions in spinels indicates crystallization of the Avacha peridotites in magmatic systems progressively decreasing in temperature (>1200 °C → 1100 °C → 900 °C) and pressure (from 13.8 to 4.5 kbar) in intermediate reservoirs at depths of 30–40 and 15–20 km. The Avacha harzburgites do not belong to primary oceanic mantle as they lack both signatures of high-temperature plastic flow and effects of mantle melts known for sheared mantle peridotites from ophiolite suites. The vP/vS ratio estimated from jointly analyzed P- and S-wave velocities (vP and vs, respectively), an important indicator for seismic tomographic reconstructions of subduction zones, allows discriminating between regions saturated mainly with liquid (melts) and gas phases beneath volcanoes. Only specially tested tomographic data can provide reliable reference for modeling of mantle wedge processes.
Spatial-temporal collocation and genetic relationship among uranium, coal, and hydrocarbons and its significance for uranium prospecting: A case from the Mesozoic–Cenozoic uraniferous basins, North China
Authors: Feng Zhibing , Nie Fengjun , Deng Juzhi , Zhang Hujun , Liu Baohua
Published: May 2017

The fact that uranium, coal, oil, and other ores occur in the same sedimentary basin has been extensively recognized. By comparing the spatial and temporal relationships among uranium, coal, and hydrocarbons, we found that the ore-bearing uranium and coal layers within the same basin are commonly interbedded or adjacent to each other. In general, however, uranium deposits are spatially distant from oilfields. We analyzed the genetic relationship among oil, coal, and uranium by compiling numerous geological surveys, test analyses, and previous studies of the Ili, Songliao, and other basins in North China. It is considered that the mild and humid paleoclimate should be an important factor affecting the formation of coal reservoir, mudstone as the upper and lower aquifuges, and the host rocks with rich organic matters. Thus, these coal-mining areas occurring at the edges of basins deserve to be studied in detail for uranium exploration. In addition, the metallogenic epochs are roughly similar to the epochs of hydrocarbon migration and tectonic events. These existing data of oil exploration can be used to unravel the regional and local tectonic evolutions of the basin related to uranium mineralization. Finally, a rough relationship between uranium mineralization and hydrocarbons was presented. Note that hydrocarbon is not just beneficial for the formation of uranium deposits but may also inhibit the transportation and mineralization of uranium-bearing materials. Regions with shallow hydrocarbon fields or large quantities of hydrocarbon dissipation are not the ideal exploration locations for uranium.
Inversion of magnetotelluric data in fault zones of Gorny Altai based on a three-dimensional model
Authors: Plotkin V.V. , Pospeeva E.V. , Gubin D.I.
Published: May 2017

Results of magnetotelluric sounding (MTS) in Gornyi Altai are interpreted on the basis of a numerical model of MTS curve distortions in a 3D earth. The distortions are modeled using the Trefftz method permitting the application of models of different degrees of similarity to the test medium (depending on available computational resources). The main advantages of this approach are demonstrated. There is no need to choose between different MTS curves (transverse and longitudinal, minimum and maximum, undistorted and distorted). Procedures of normalizing these curves become unnecessary. All recorded curves are fully used as input data for their inversion. Optimization of the model of the medium taking into account the distortions of MTS curves caused by surface and depth inhomogeneities improves the reliability of geoelectric sections.
Improving the aerodynamic performance of a cycloidal rotor through active compliant morphing
Authors: Ferrier L. , Vezza M. , Zare-Behtash H.
Published: May 2017

Cycloidal rotors are a novel form of propulsion system that can be adapted to various forms of transport such as air and marine vehicles, with a geometrical design differing significantly from the conventional screw propeller. Research on cycloidal rotor design began in the early 1930s and has developed throughout the years to the point where such devices now operate as propulsion systems for various aerospace applications such as micro air vehicles, unmanned air vehicles and compound helicopters. The majority of research conducted on the cycloidal rotor’s aerodynamic performance have not assessed mitigating the dynamic stall effect, which can have a negative impact on the rotor performance when the blades operate in the rotor retreating side. A solution has been proposed to mitigate the dynamic stall effect through employment of active, compliant leading-edge morphing. A review of the current state of the art in this area is presented. A two-dimensional, implicit unsteady numerical analysis was conducted using the commercial computational fluid dynamics software package STAR CCM+, on a two-bladed cycloidal rotor. An overset mesh technique, otherwise known as a chimera mesh, was used to apply complex transient motions to the simulations. Active, compliant leading-edge morphing is applied to an oscillating NACA 0015 aerofoil to attempt to mitigate the dynamic stall whilst maintaining the positive dynamic lift coefficient (Cl) contributions. It was verified that by applying a pulsed input leading-edge rotational morphing schedule, the leading-edge vortex does not fully form and the large flow separation is prevented. Further work in this investigation will focus on coupling the active, leading-edge motion to the cycloidal rotor model with the aim to maximise aerodynamic performance.
Speculation, Dialectic and Critique: Hegel and Critical Theory in Germany after 1945
Authors: Moir Cat
Published: May 2017

This article challenges the restrictive association of critical theory with the Frankfurt School by exploring the differential reception of Hegel by German critical thinkers on both sides of the Iron Curtain after 1945. In the West, Theodor Adorno held Hegelian ‘identity thinking’ partly responsible for the atrocities of National Socialism. Meanwhile in the East, Ernst Bloch turned Hegel into a weapon against the communist regime. The difference between Adorno and Bloch’s positions is shown to turn on the relationship between speculation, dialectics and critique. Whereas for Adorno Hegelian speculation was the root of dangerous identity thinking, Bloch saw the repression of speculative thought as a cornerstone of totalitarianism. However, it is argued that ultimately Bloch and Adorno were united in their reception of Hegel by a shared understanding that the goal of critical theory, namely the transformation of the social totality, could not be achieved without utopian speculation.
Chinese Entrepreneurs, Social Networks, andGuanxi
Authors: Burt Ronald S. , Burzynska Katarzyna
Published: May 2017

Intending to clear space for rigorous integrative research bridging theory and research across East and West, we highlight four conclusions from exceptional data on the networks around Chinese entrepreneurs: (1) The broker networks associated with business success in the West are also associated with success in China; (2) The trust correlates of closed networks in the West are similarly correlated in China; (3) History and trust proven in events emerge as especially important to the Chinese entrepreneurs; (4) High-quality network data on Chinese business leaders are a practical reality. We use the results to define a network perspective onguanxities that can be common ground for integrating results across East and West, and guide future research on the role networks play in Chinese business.
Evaluation of diet pattern and weight gain in postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study
Authors: Ford Christopher , Chang Shine , Vitolins Mara Z. , Fenton Jenifer I. , Howard Barbara V. , Rhee Jinnie J. , Stefanick Marcia , Chen Bertha , Snetselaar Linda , Urrutia Rachel , Frazier-Wood Alexis C.
Published: May 2017

It is unclear which of four popular contemporary diet patterns is best for weight maintenance among postmenopausal women. Four dietary patterns were characterised among postmenopausal women aged 49–81 years (mean 63·6 (sd7·4) years) from the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study: (1) a low-fat diet; (2) a reduced-carbohydrate diet; (3) a Mediterranean-style (Med) diet; and (4) a diet consistent with the US Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). Discrete-time hazards models were used to compare the risk of weight gain (≥10 %) among high adherers of each diet pattern. In adjusted models, the reduced-carbohydrate diet was inversely related to weight gain (OR 0·71; 95 % CI 0·66, 0·76), whereas the low-fat (OR 1·43; 95 % CI 1·33, 1·54) and DGA (OR 1·24; 95 % CI 1·15, 1·33) diets were associated with increased risk of weight gain. By baseline weight status, the reduced-carbohydrate diet was inversely related to weight gain among women who were normal weight (OR 0·72; 95 % CI 0·63, 0·81), overweight (OR 0·67; 95 % CI 0·59, 0·76) or obese class I (OR 0·63; 95 % CI 0·53, 0·76) at baseline. The low-fat diet was associated with increased risk of weight gain in women who were normal weight (OR 1·28; 95 % CI 1·13, 1·46), overweight (OR 1·60; 95 % CI 1·40, 1·83), obese class I (OR 1·73; 95 % CI 1·43, 2·09) or obese class II (OR 1·44; 95 % CI 1·08, 1·92) at baseline. These findings suggest that a low-fat diet may promote weight gain, whereas a reduced-carbohydrate diet may decrease risk of postmenopausal weight gain.
Is Self-determination Contagious? A Spatial Analysis of the Spread of Self-Determination Claims
Authors: Cunningham Kathleen Gallagher , Sawyer Katherine
Published: May 2017

Self-determination claims have abounded in the international system since the end of World War II. But these claims have not emerged everywhere. About half of the states in the international system face some challenge related to self-determination today. Why do some states face these demands while others do not? We argue that ethno-national self-determination is one of many identities with which individuals can find affinity. While an international norm related to self-determination has developed globally, its use as a basis for political claims has diffused regionally. Diffusion of self-determination occurs through observation of others using self-determination as a basis of organization, generating a sense of legitimacy, sensitivity to related grievance, and perceptions of tangible benefits related to self-determination identification. We test this empirically on global data on self-determination claims from 1960 to 2005 and find evidence of spatial diffusion, suggesting that self-determination is, to some extent, contagious.
More than just climate: Income inequality and sex ratio are better predictors of cross-cultural variations in aggression
Authors: Krems Jaimie Arona , Varnum Michael E. W.
Published: May 2017

Van Lange et al. argue that variations in climate explain cross-societal variations in violence. We suggest that any approach seeking to understand cross-cultural variation in human behavior via an ecological framework must consider a wider array of ecological variables, and we find that income inequality and sex ratio are better predictors than climate of cross-societal variations in violence.
The role of adolescence in geographic variation in violent aggression
Authors: Marsh Abigail A.
Published: May 2017

In explaining variation in violent aggression across populations, the age structures of those populations must be considered. Adolescents between the ages of 15 and 25 are disproportionately responsible for violent aggression in every society, and increases in violence tend to follow population “youth bulges.” Large numbers of adolescents in equatorial regions may account for observed relationships between geography and violence.
The paradoxical effect of climate on time perspective considering resource accumulation
Authors: Orosz Gábor , Zimbardo Philip G. , Boőthe Beáta , Tóth-Király István
Published: May 2017

Considering purely climate, southern countries are less harsh and more predictable than northern countries. From a historical perspective, freezing winters resulting in fewer available resources contribute to the development of strong future orientation. The paradox is that future orientation contributes to accumulation of resources in the long run, making individuals' immediate living conditions less harsh, leading to slower life strategies.
Postcolonial geography confounds latitudinal trends in observed aggression and violence
Authors: Roscoe Paul
Published: May 2017

To support their hypothesis, the authors point to an inverse correlation between latitude and the incidence of civil conflict and crime. This observation cannot be accepted as evidence for the hypothesis, because of a weighty confounding variable: the historical geography of colonialism and its effects on the fragility of nations.
An alternative interpretation of climate data: Intelligence
Authors: Sternberg Robert J.
Published: May 2017

The CLASH model proposed in the target article is plausible but less than parsimonious. I suggest that statistical analysis probably would find slower life history strategy, greater focus on the future, and greater self-control to be highly correlated and perhaps unifactorial, because they are all manifestations of a single underlying variable, namely, intelligence. I suggest how intelligence as a state variable plausibly could explain the differences observed by the authors.
Reply to Van Lange et al.: Proximate and ultimate distinctions must be made to the CLASH model
Authors: Cabeza de Baca Tomás , Hertler Steve C. , Dunkel Curtis S.
Published: May 2017

Transcending reviewed proximate theories, Van Lange et al.'s CLASH model attempts to ultimately explain the poleward declension of aggression and violence. Seasonal cold is causal, but, we contend, principally as an ecologically relevant evolutionary pressure. We further argue that futurity and restraint are life history variables, and that Life History Theory evolutionarily explains the biogeography of aggression and violence as strategic adaptation.
The importance of being explicit
Authors: Daly Martin , Krupp D. B.
Published: May 2017

Van Lange et al. propose that climate affects violence via its effects on life history. That much is reasonable (and not novel), but their theory lacks causal specificity. Their foundational claim of an association between heat and violence is not well documented, and several findings that the authors themselves cite seem inconsistent with their model, rather than supportive.
Epidemiological foundations for the insurance hypothesis: Methodological considerations
Authors: Boden Joseph M. , McLeod Geraldine F. H.
Published: May 2017

Nettle et al. evaluate evidence for the insurance hypothesis, which links obesity with the perception of food scarcity. Epidemiological findings in this area have generally been weak and inconsistent. The present commentary examines three key methodological issues arising from the literature on the association between obesity and the perception of food scarcity in humans, with suggestions for future epidemiological research.
Glucocorticoids for treating paediatric pulmonary hypertension: a novel use for a common medication
Authors: Aggarwal Manish , Grady Ronald Mark
Published: May 2017

Laboratory investigations have shown the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension and improvement after anti-inflammatory drugs. Despite these observations, reports on the use of steroids to treat pulmonary hypertension in humans are absent from the literature. In this article, we report the use of glucocorticoids in the treatment of two children with pulmonary hypertension, demonstrating its potential utility.
Transcatheter closure of a membranous ventricular septal defect in a 1.8-kg infant using Amplatzer Duct Occluder II additional size device
Authors: Champaneri Bhavik , Kappanayil Mahesh , Kumar Raman K.
Published: May 2017

Catheter closure of membranous ventricular septal defects is generally not considered feasible in small infants. We report the successful closure of a membranous ventricular septal defect in a 1.8-kg infant with bilateral femoral artery occlusion using Amplatzer Duct Occluder II additional size device. The ventricular septal defect was crossed from the right ventricle, and the device was deployed using transthoracic echocardiographic guidance.
Transcatheter correction of Scimitar syndrome: occlusion of abnormal pulmonary venous drainage and vascular supply in an infant
Authors: Saltik Levent , Ugan Atik Sezen , Bornaun Helen
Published: May 2017

Treatment of Scimitar syndrome is usually surgical; however, if there is “dual drainage” – that is, one to the inferior caval vein and the other to the left atrium – it is possible to successfully treat this anomaly via a less-invasive transcatheter approach. We report a case of Scimitar syndrome in a 21-month-old, male infant successfully treated with transcatheter embolisation.
@Home eTherapy Service for People with Common Mental Health Problems: an Evaluation
Authors: Gellatly Judith , Chisnall Leanne , Seccombe Nic , Ragan Kathryn , Lidbetter Nicola , Cavanagh Kate
Published: May 2017

Background: Ensuring rapid access to psychological interventions is a priority of mental health services. The involvement of peer workers to support the delivery of more accessible treatment options such as computerized cognitive behaviour therapy (CCBT) is recognized. Aims: To evaluate the implementation of a third sector remote CCBT @Home eTherapy service for people experiencing common mental health problems supported by individuals with lived experience. Method: Supported CCBT packages with telephone support were delivered over a 30-month period. Self-complete measures identifying levels of depression, anxiety and functioning were administered at each treatment appointment. Results: Over 2000 people were referred to the @Home eTherapy service; two-thirds attended an initial assessment and 53.4% of referrals assigned to CCBT completed treatment. Statistically significant improvements in anxiety, depression and functioning were found, with 61.6% of treated clients meeting recovery criteria. Conclusions: The service meets Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) key performance targets, and is comparable to other IAPT services using CCBT. Evidence for the successful implementation of such a service by a third sector organization is provided.
The Representation of Action
Authors: Ford Anton
Published: May 2017

From its inception, the philosophy of action has sought to account for action in terms of an associated kind of explanation. The alternative to this approach was noticed, but not adopted, by G.E.M. Anscombe. Anscombe observed that a series of answers to the reason-requesting question ‘Why?’ may be read in reverse order as a series of answers to the question ‘How?’ Unlike answers to the question ‘Why?’, answers to the question ‘How?’ are not explanatory of what they are about: they reveal, not reasons for doing something, but ways of doing something, and they have the form of what Aristotle called a practical syllogism. The alternative to theorizing action in terms of explanation, is, thus, to theorize it in terms calculation. In exploring this alternative, I argue for three main theses: first, that (pace Anscombe) it is not a matter of indifference whether we theorize action in terms of the question ‘Why?’ or in terms of the question ‘How?’; second, that the question ‘Why?’ is a question for an observer of action, whereas the question ‘How?’ is a question for the agent; and finally, that the standpoint of the agent, revealed by the question ‘How?’, is prior to that of an observer, revealed by the question ‘Why?’.
Knowledge How in Philosophy of Action
Authors: Hornsby Jennifer
Published: May 2017

I maintain that an account of knowledge how to do something – an account which might be supposed to uncover ‘the nature’ of such knowledge – can't be got by considering what linguists tell us is expressed in ascriptions of knowing how. Attention must be paid to the knowledge that is actually being exercised when someone is doing something. I criticize some claims about ascriptions of knowledge-how which derive from contemporary syntactic and semantic theory. I argue that these claims can no more provide an understanding of what it is to intend to do something than of what it is to know how to do something. Philosophy, not linguistics, must be the source of such understanding.
Forms of Rational Agency
Authors: Lavin Douglas
Published: May 2017

A measure of good and bad isinternalto something falling under it when that thing falls under the measure in virtue ofwhat it is. The concept of an internal standard has broad application. Compare the external breed standards arbitrarily imposed at a dog show with the internal standards of health at work in the veterinarian's office. This paper is about practical standards, measures of acting well and badly, and so measures deployed in deliberation and choice. More specifically, it is about the attempt to explain the unconditional validity of certain norms (say, of justice and prudence) by showing them to be internal to our agency and the causality it involves. This isconstitutivism. Its most prominent incarnations share a set of assumptions about the nature of agency and our knowledge of it:conceptualism,formalismandabsolutism. This essay investigates the merits and viability of rejectingallof them while still seeking the ground of practical normativity in what we are, in our fundamental activity.
Actions as Prime
Authors: O'Brien Lucy
Published: May 2017

In this paper I am going to argue that we should take actions to be prime. This will involve clarifying what it means to claim that actions are prime. I will consider Williamson's construal of actions as prime in a way that parallels his treatment of knowledge. I will argue that we need to be careful about treating our actions in the way suggested because of an internal relation between the success condition of an action and the action itself; a parallel relation does not hold for most cases of knowledge.
The Doing and the Deed: Action in Normative Ethics
Authors: Sandis Constantine
Published: May 2017

This essay is motivated by the thought that the things we do are to be distinguished from our acts of doing them. I defend a particular way of drawing this distinction before proceeding to demonstrate its relevance for normative ethics. Central to my argument is the conviction that certain ongoing debates in ethical theory begin to dissolve once we disambiguate the two concepts of action in question. If this is right, then the study of action should be accorded a far more prominent place within moral philosophy than previously supposed. I end by considering an extension of the above to aesthetic evaluation and,mutatis mutandis, that of our lives in general.
APPROXIMATE CONTROLLABILITY OF POPULATION DYNAMICS WITH SIZE DEPENDENCE AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
Authors: WANG S. P. , HE Z. R.
Published: May 2017

We investigate the approximate controllability of a size- and space-structured population model, for which the control function acts on a subdomain and corresponds to the migration of individuals. We establish the main result via the unique continuation property of the adjoint system. The desired controller is the minimizer of an infinite-dimensional optimization problem.
A proposed analytic framework for determining the impact of an antimicrobial resistance intervention
Authors: Grohn Yrjo T. , Carson Carolee , Lanzas Cristina , Pullum Laura , Stanhope Michael , Volkova Victoriya
Published: May 2017

Antimicrobial use (AMU) is increasingly threatened by antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The FDA is implementing risk mitigation measures promoting prudent AMU in food animals. Their evaluation is crucial: the AMU/AMR relationship is complex; a suitable framework to analyze interventions is unavailable. Systems science analysis, depicting variables and their associations, would help integrate mathematics/epidemiology to evaluate the relationship. This would identify informative data and models to evaluate interventions. This National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis AMR Working Group's report proposes a system framework to address the methodological gap linking livestock AMU and AMR in foodborne bacteria. It could evaluate how AMU (and interventions) impact AMR. We will evaluate pharmacokinetic/dynamic modeling techniques for projecting AMR selection pressure on enteric bacteria. We study two methods to model phenotypic AMR changes in bacteria in the food supply and evolutionary genotypic analyses determining molecular changes in phenotypic AMR. Systems science analysis integrates the methods, showing how resistance in the food supply is explained by AMU and concurrent factors influencing the whole system. This process is updated with data and techniques to improve prediction and inform improvements for AMU/AMR surveillance. Our proposed framework reflects both the AMR system's complexity, and desire for simple, reliable conclusions.
Staging Overcoming: Narratives of Disability and Meritocracy in Reality Singing Competitions
Authors: CHENG WILLIAM
Published: May 2017

With the American Dream seizing center stage, reality television competitions often feature disabled auditionees and their moving tales of overcoming adversity. Musical—and frequently singing—abilities potentially normalize and envoice contestants while silencing vital conversations about the exploitation, stigmatization, and corporate politics at work in these seductive narratives. How do chronicles of overcoming overcome consumers? And how might inspiration porn about disability disable beholders’ emotional, intellectual, and rhetorical faculties? As fans and scholars resist or succumb to the tearfulness induced by sentimental stories, they must chart tricky routes through the heady skepticism of Scylla and the naïve waterworks of Charybdis.
Convergence of gut microbiotas in the adaptive radiations of African cichlid fishes
Authors: Baldo Laura , Pretus Joan Lluís , Riera Joan Lluís , Musilova Zuzana , Bitja Nyom Arnold Roger , Salzburger Walter
Published: May 2017

Ecoevolutionary dynamics of the gut microbiota at the macroscale level, that is, in across-species comparisons, are largely driven by ecological variables and host genotype. The repeated explosive radiations of African cichlid fishes in distinct lakes, following a dietary diversification in a context of reduced genetic diversity, provide a natural setup to explore convergence, divergence and repeatability in patterns of microbiota dynamics as a function of the host diet, phylogeny and environment. Here we characterized by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing the gut microbiota of 29 cichlid species from two distinct lakes/radiations (Tanganyika and Barombi Mbo) and across a broad dietary and phylogenetic range. Within each lake, a significant deviation between a carnivorous and herbivorous lifestyle was found. Herbivore species were characterized by an increased bacterial taxonomic and functional diversity and converged in key compositional and functional community aspects. Despite a significant lake effect on the microbiota structure, this process has occurred with remarkable parallels in the two lakes. A metabolic signature most likely explains this trend, as indicated by a significant enrichment in herbivores/omnivores of bacterial taxa and functions associated with fiber degradation and detoxification of plant chemical compounds. Overall, compositional and functional aspects of the gut microbiota individually and altogether validate and predict main cichlid dietary habits, suggesting a fundamental role of gut bacteria in cichlid niche expansion and adaptation.
Experimental evolution and the dynamics of adaptation and genome evolution in microbial populations
Authors: Lenski Richard E
Published: May 2017

Evolution is an on-going process, and it can be studied experimentally in organisms with rapid generations. My team has maintained 12 populations of Escherichia coli in a simple laboratory environment for >25 years and 60 000 generations. We have quantified the dynamics of adaptation by natural selection, seen some of the populations diverge into stably coexisting ecotypes, described changes in the bacteria’s mutation rate, observed the new ability to exploit a previously untapped carbon source, characterized the dynamics of genome evolution and used parallel evolution to identify the genetic targets of selection. I discuss what the future might hold for this particular experiment, briefly highlight some other microbial evolution experiments and suggest how the fields of experimental evolution and microbial ecology might intersect going forward.
Mutant KRAS promotes malignant pleural effusion formation
Authors: Agalioti Theodora , Giannou Anastasios D. , Krontira Anthi C. , Kanellakis Nikolaos I. , Kati Danai , Vreka Malamati , Pepe Mario , Spella Magda , Lilis Ioannis , Zazara Dimitra E. , Nikolouli Eirini , Spiropoulou Nikolitsa , Papadakis Andreas , Papadia Konstantina , Voulgaridis Apostolos , Harokopos Vaggelis , Stamou Panagiota , Meiners Silke , Eickelberg Oliver , Snyder Linda A. , Antimisiaris Sophia G. , Kardamakis Dimitrios , Psallidas Ioannis , Marazioti Antonia , Stathopoulos Georgios T.
Published: May 2017

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is the lethal consequence of various human cancers metastatic to the pleural cavity. However, the mechanisms responsible for the development of MPE are still obscure. Here we show that mutant KRAS is important for MPE induction in mice. Pleural disseminated, mutant KRAS bearing tumour cells upregulate and systemically release chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) into the bloodstream to mobilize myeloid cells from the host bone marrow to the pleural space via the spleen. These cells promote MPE formation, as indicated by splenectomy and splenocyte restoration experiments. In addition, KRAS mutations are frequently detected in human MPE and cell lines isolated thereof, but are often lost during automated analyses, as indicated by manual versus automated examination of Sanger sequencing traces. Finally, the novel KRAS inhibitor deltarasin and a monoclonal antibody directed against CCL2 are equally effective against an experimental mouse model of MPE, a result that holds promise for future efficient therapies against the human condition.
Voltage-controlled interlayer coupling in perpendicularly magnetized magnetic tunnel junctions
Authors: Newhouse-Illige T. , Liu Yaohua , Xu M. , Reifsnyder Hickey D. , Kundu A. , Almasi H. , Bi Chong , Wang X. , Freeland J. W. , Keavney D. J. , Sun C. J. , Xu Y. H. , Rosales M. , Cheng X. M. , Zhang Shufeng , Mkhoyan K. A. , Wang W. G.
Published: May 2017

Magnetic interlayer coupling is one of the central phenomena in spintronics. It has been predicted that the sign of interlayer coupling can be manipulated by electric fields, instead of electric currents, thereby offering a promising low energy magnetization switching mechanism. Here we present the experimental demonstration of voltage-controlled interlayer coupling in a new perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction system with a GdOx tunnel barrier, where a large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and a sizable tunnelling magnetoresistance have been achieved at room temperature. Owing to the interfacial nature of the magnetism, the ability to move oxygen vacancies within the barrier, and a large proximity-induced magnetization of GdOx, both the magnitude and the sign of the interlayer coupling in these junctions can be directly controlled by voltage. These results pave a new path towards achieving energy-efficient magnetization switching by controlling interlayer coupling.
Actin stress fiber organization promotes cell stiffening and proliferation of pre-invasive breast cancer cells
Authors: Tavares Sandra , Vieira André Filipe , Taubenberger Anna Verena , Araújo Margarida , Martins Nuno Pimpao , Brás-Pereira Catarina , Polónia António , Herbig Maik , Barreto Clara , Otto Oliver , Cardoso Joana , Pereira-Leal José B. , Guck Jochen , Paredes Joana , Janody Florence
Published: May 2017

Studies of the role of actin in tumour progression have highlighted its key contribution in cell softening associated with cell invasion. Here, using a human breast cell line with conditional Src induction, we demonstrate that cells undergo a stiffening state prior to acquiring malignant features. This state is characterized by the transient accumulation of stress fibres and upregulation of Ena/VASP-like (EVL). EVL, in turn, organizes stress fibres leading to transient cell stiffening, ERK-dependent cell proliferation, as well as enhancement of Src activation and progression towards a fully transformed state. Accordingly, EVL accumulates predominantly in premalignant breast lesions and is required for Src-induced epithelial overgrowth in Drosophila. While cell softening allows for cancer cell invasion, our work reveals that stress fibre-mediated cell stiffening could drive tumour growth during premalignant stages. A careful consideration of the mechanical properties of tumour cells could therefore offer new avenues of exploration when designing cancer-targeting therapies.
Controlling photophysical properties of ultrasmall conjugated polymer nanoparticles through polymer chain packing
Authors: Piwoński Hubert , Michinobu Tsuyoshi , Habuchi Satoshi
Published: May 2017

Applications of conjugated polymer nanoparticles (Pdots) for imaging and sensing depend on their size, fluorescence brightness and intraparticle energy transfer. The molecular design of conjugated polymers (CPs) has been the main focus of the development of Pdots. Here we demonstrate that proper control of the physical interactions between the chains is as critical as the molecular design. The unique design of twisted CPs and fine-tuning of the reprecipitation conditions allow us to fabricate ultrasmall (3.0–4.5 nm) Pdots with excellent photostability. Extensive photophysical and structural characterization reveals the essential role played by the packing of the polymer chains in the particles in the intraparticle spatial alignment of the emitting sites, which regulate the fluorescence brightness and the intraparticle energy migration efficiency. Our findings enhance understanding of the relationship between chain interactions and the photophysical properties of CP nanomaterials, providing a framework for designing and fabricating functional Pdots for imaging applications.
An allosteric site in the T-cell receptor Cβ domain plays a critical signalling role
Authors: Natarajan Kannan , McShan Andrew C. , Jiang Jiansheng , Kumirov Vlad K , Wang Rui , Zhao Huaying , Schuck Peter , Tilahun Mulualem E. , Boyd Lisa F. , Ying Jinfa , Bax Ad , Margulies David H. , Sgourakis Nikolaos G.
Published: May 2017

The molecular mechanism through which the interaction of a clonotypic αβ T-cell receptor (TCR) with a peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complex (p/MHC) leads to T-cell activation is not yet fully understood. Here we exploit a high-affinity TCR (B4.2.3) to examine the structural changes that accompany binding to its p/MHC ligand (P18-I10/H2-Dd). In addition to conformational changes in complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) of the TCR seen in comparison of unliganded and bound X-ray structures, NMR characterization of the TCR β-chain dynamics reveals significant chemical shift effects in sites removed from the MHC-binding site. Remodelling of electrostatic interactions near the Cβ H3 helix at the membrane-proximal face of the TCR, a region implicated in interactions with the CD3 co-receptor, suggests a possible role for an allosteric mechanism in TCR signalling. The contribution of these TCR residues to signal transduction is supported by mutagenesis and T-cell functional assays.
Exosomes maintain cellular homeostasis by excreting harmful DNA from cells
Authors: Takahashi Akiko , Okada Ryo , Nagao Koji , Kawamata Yuka , Hanyu Aki , Yoshimoto Shin , Takasugi Masaki , Watanabe Sugiko , Kanemaki Masato T , Obuse Chikashi , Hara Eiji
Published: May 2017

Emerging evidence is revealing that exosomes contribute to many aspects of physiology and disease through intercellular communication. However, the biological roles of exosome secretion in exosome-secreting cells have remained largely unexplored. Here we show that exosome secretion plays a crucial role in maintaining cellular homeostasis in exosome-secreting cells. The inhibition of exosome secretion results in the accumulation of nuclear DNA in the cytoplasm, thereby causing the activation of cytoplasmic DNA sensing machinery. This event provokes the innate immune response, leading to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent DNA damage response and thus induce senescence-like cell-cycle arrest or apoptosis in normal human cells. These results, in conjunction with observations that exosomes contain various lengths of chromosomal DNA fragments, indicate that exosome secretion maintains cellular homeostasis by removing harmful cytoplasmic DNA from cells. Together, these findings enhance our understanding of exosome biology, and provide valuable new insights into the control of cellular homeostasis.
Power generator driven by Maxwell’s demon
Authors: Chida Kensaku , Desai Samarth , Nishiguchi Katsuhiko , Fujiwara Akira
Published: May 2017

Maxwell’s demon is an imaginary entity that reduces the entropy of a system and generates free energy in the system. About 150 years after its proposal, theoretical studies explained the physical validity of Maxwell’s demon in the context of information thermodynamics, and there have been successful experimental demonstrations of energy generation by the demon. The demon’s next task is to convert the generated free energy to work that acts on the surroundings. Here, we demonstrate that Maxwell’s demon can generate and output electric current and power with individual randomly moving electrons in small transistors. Real-time monitoring of electron motion shows that two transistors functioning as gates that control an electron’s trajectory so that an electron moves directionally. A numerical calculation reveals that power generation is increased by miniaturizing the room in which the electrons are partitioned. These results suggest that evolving transistor-miniaturization technology can increase the demon’s power output.
Onset of meso-scale turbulence in active nematics
Authors: Doostmohammadi Amin , Shendruk Tyler N. , Thijssen Kristian , Yeomans Julia M.
Published: May 2017

Meso-scale turbulence is an innate phenomenon, distinct from inertial turbulence, that spontaneously occurs at low Reynolds number in fluidized biological systems. This spatiotemporal disordered flow radically changes nutrient and molecular transport in living fluids and can strongly affect the collective behaviour in prominent biological processes, including biofilm formation, morphogenesis and cancer invasion. Despite its crucial role in such physiological processes, understanding meso-scale turbulence and any relation to classical inertial turbulence remains obscure. Here we show how the motion of active matter along a micro-channel transitions to meso-scale turbulence through the evolution of locally disordered patches (active puffs) from an ordered vortex-lattice flow state. We demonstrate that the stationary critical exponents of this transition to meso-scale turbulence in a channel coincide with the directed percolation universality class. This finding bridges our understanding of the onset of low-Reynolds-number meso-scale turbulence and traditional scale-invariant turbulence in confinement.
Whole genome analysis of a schistosomiasis-transmitting freshwater snail
Authors: Adema Coen M. , Hillier LaDeana W. , Jones Catherine S. , Loker Eric S. , Knight Matty , Minx Patrick , Oliveira Guilherme , Raghavan Nithya , Shedlock Andrew , do Amaral Laurence Rodrigues , Arican-Goktas Halime D. , Assis Juliana G. , Baba Elio Hideo , Baron Olga L. , Bayne Christopher J. , Bickham-Wright Utibe , Biggar Kyle K. , Blouin Michael , Bonning Bryony C. , Botka Chris , Bridger Joanna M. , Buckley Katherine M. , Buddenborg Sarah K. , Lima Caldeira Roberta , Carleton Julia , Carvalho Omar S. , Castillo Maria G. , Chalmers Iain W. , Christensens Mikkel , Clifton Sandra , Cosseau Celine , Coustau Christine , Cripps Richard M. , Cuesta-Astroz Yesid , Cummins Scott F. , di Stefano Leon , Dinguirard Nathalie , Duval David , Emrich Scott , Feschotte Cédric , Feyereisen Rene , FitzGerald Peter , Fronick Catrina , Fulton Lucinda , Galinier Richard , Gava Sandra G. , Geusz Michael , Geyer Kathrin K. , Giraldo-Calderón Gloria I. , de Souza Gomes Matheus , Gordy Michelle A. , Gourbal Benjamin , Grunau Christoph , Hanington Patrick C. , Hoffmann Karl F. , Hughes Daniel , Humphries Judith , Jackson Daniel J. , Jannotti-Passos Liana K. , de Jesus Jeremias Wander , Jobling Susan , Kamel Bishoy , Kapusta Aurélie , Kaur Satwant , Koene Joris M. , Kohn Andrea B. , Lawson Dan , Lawton Scott P , Liang Di , Limpanont Yanin , Liu Sijun , Lockyer Anne E. , Lovato TyAnna L. , Ludolf Fernanda , Magrini Vince , McManus Donald P. , Medina Monica , Misra Milind , Mitta Guillaume , Mkoji Gerald M. , Montague Michael J. , Montelongo Cesar , Moroz Leonid L. , Munoz-Torres Monica C. , Niazi Umar , Noble Leslie R. , Oliveira Francislon S. , Pais Fabiano S. , Papenfuss Anthony T. , Peace Rob , Pena Janeth J. , Pila Emmanuel A. , Quelais Titouan , Raney Brian J. , Rast Jonathan P. , Rollinson David , Rosse Izinara C. , Rotgans Bronwyn , Routledge Edwin J. , Ryan Kathryn M. , Scholte Larissa L. S. , Storey Kenneth B. , Swain Martin , Tennessen Jacob A. , Tomlinson Chad , Trujillo Damian L. , Volpi Emanuela V. , Walker Anthony J. , Wang Tianfang , Wannaporn Ittiprasert , Warren Wesley C. , Wu Xiao-Jun , Yoshino Timothy P. , Yusuf Mohammed , Zhang Si-Ming , Zhao Min , Wilson Richard K.
Published: May 2017

Biomphalaria snails are instrumental in transmission of the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni. With the World Health Organization's goal to eliminate schistosomiasis as a global health problem by 2025, there is now renewed emphasis on snail control. Here, we characterize the genome of Biomphalaria glabrata, a lophotrochozoan protostome, and provide timely and important information on snail biology. We describe aspects of phero-perception, stress responses, immune function and regulation of gene expression that support the persistence of B. glabrata in the field and may define this species as a suitable snail host for S. mansoni. We identify several potential targets for developing novel control measures aimed at reducing snail-mediated transmission of schistosomiasis.