bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Film in an Isolated Traditionally Oriented Aboriginal Community
Authors: Thompson D.H.
Published: November 2015

The influence that television exerts on audiences, especially children, is a matter for much debate. Films have been given less consideration as a matter for concern, no doubt because they are less ubiquitous and less accessible than television. However, in an isolated traditionally oriented Aboriginal community, films, in both the large screen and the newer video format, provide the single major source of entertainment and information on the larger European society. It is possible, in the absence of other forms of sustained contact with European society, that its influence can provide children with inappropriate and culturally dysfunctional models for behaviour.

From observations at a particular isolated community, films appear to influence people’s ideas about the outside world and their attitudes and behaviours in certain situations. This influence is particularly noticeable in the attitudes, language and behaviours evidenced by children. It is often possible to tell what film has lately been shown in camp simply by observing the children at play. The greater the impact a film has made in terms of ‘action’ and excitement, the greater the length of time will aspects of that film be incorporated into play situations. Children are excellent imitators and it is common for specific phrases from films to be used in children’s games long after the film has been shown.

The imitation of language, situations and attitudes portrayed in films is, however, not confined to play situations. For example, in the isolated community with which I am most familiar, a month ago two young men ‘bailed up’ a visiting European contractor and stole his motor vehicle. The circumstances of the theft, bag over the head to disguise identity, flashlight directed into the eyes to dazzle – as well as the language and attitude of the two men, paralleled an episode witnessed in a film three nights previously. The relation between film and incident was so well recognised at camp that the incident itself became a popular piay-scene for children : “Give me the keys or I’ll blow your head off.”
Outstation Schools at Oenpelli
Authors: Mangiru Moses
Published: November 2015

I’m Moses Mangiru and I’m called Liaison Teacher at Oenpelli. I visit five Home Land Centre Schools. There are about five outstation schools operating.

I need to explain that there are two kinds of staff working for outstation schools. The first kind are Aboriginal assistant teachers who live there and teach every day. The other kind are teachers like myself who live in the central community and visit the outstations about once a fortnight. During the first semester I could hardly visit any of the schools either by road or air. During the first period of the wet season it was very hard because all the roads were closed. The only flight we could use was to share the store and cheque flight to make it a lot cheaper for the Department of Education.

The outstations schools need two or three outstation teachers. Two to go out and visit and one to stay back at the central school to print booklets and make other aids that the teachers need at their schools.

I believe that in the first semester there have not been enough visits. I feel that one of the outstation schools will collapse because they feel that there was not enough visiting from Oenpelli. One of the Oenpelli assistant teacher positions has been moved to Jabiru. This position was at Manmoyi, which is one of our biggest outstations. Children from Manmoyi have moved to the central school at Oenpelli. If there was enough help from visiting teachers for Manmoyi the parents would rather keep their children at Manmoyi than send them to Oenpelli. They only sent them to Oenpelli because there was not enough help for Manmoyi.
School at Maningrida and Its Outstations
Authors: Djitmu Rita
Published: November 2015

Maningrida is in coastal Amhemland, and it is two hundred miles east of Darwin. Maningrida is an Aboriginal settlement. There are two hundred people living at the settlement now, because some Aboriginal people have moved into outstations.

There are one hundred children going to school at the settlement now. In school we have eight classes, and each class has one balanda teacher and one Aboriginal teacher. We have two pre-schools. One is a Kunividji class, the other one is for Aboriginal children who don’t speak Kunividji, and the white children go there too.

Well, we have three Kunividji classes altogether. Pre-school, transition and year one. There are four Aboriginal teachers teaching in Aboriginal languages. One class is where Nancy Gununwanga, an Aboriginal teacher and Brett Westblade, a balanda teacher, both teach in Kunividji. Laurie Magaldagi and Mellanie Mamariyi and myself, we three Aboriginal teachers, teach with little children from preschool and infants. We three Aboriginal girls are working together with Peter Jones. He is a balanda teacher. Nancy Gununwanga takes her own class, 11 or 12 year olds.

We also have two other Aboriginal girls working with the linguist, Kim Djibama and Lena Djabiba. They take a tape and record the children’s stories about what they had been doing during the holidays and weekends. After each class has been recorded, they listen to the tape and then write the story down. Later they print it in a book, and it is used for children to read, or sometimes they go around the camp and sit with old people and get a story from them about olden times of their life.
Determinants of School Success: Part 2
Authors: Muir D.M.
Published: November 2015

In the first issue of The Aboriginal Child at School last year, we described the theoretical framework for considering factors contributing to the school success of Aboriginal children as presented in Aboriginal Futures : Review of Research and developments and Related Policies in the Education of Aborigines (Watts, 1981).

The philosophical basis for this consideration is well worth stating again:

Throughout this exploration of the education of Aborigines the view is taken that school success means success in achieving the full range of goals envisaged in the establishment of schools and the determination of their programs:
A Language Policy for Australia
Authors: Ozolins Uldis
Published: November 2015

Questions of language policy in Australia have rarely been addressed in a comprehensive manner. Migrant communities have long been concerned with an array of issues covering maintenance of their own languages, and access to suitable English teaching and to services through translating and interpreting, but policy in these areas has developed in a haphazard manner, with often little sustained interest shown by Australian institutions.

A good deal of interest therefore has been created by the deliberations of the Senate Standing Committee on Education and the Arts, which has since May 1982 been considering the “development and implementation of a co-ordinated language policy for Australia”. The establishment of such an inquiry was pressed both by ethnic representative bodies (migrant and Aboriginal) and by organizations of language professionals – linguists, applied linguists, language teachers and academics. Indeed the language issues that have often troubled migrant communities have also in various ways animated language professionals, who have had to cope for example with a decline in foreign language studies in schools, difficulties in establishing and maintaining community language programs, disorganization of translator/interpreter services, serious underresourcing of English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, and above all a severe lack of data and information which could be used as a basis for planning.

The Commonwealth Department of Education has been a prime mover for such an inquiry since the mid-1970s, and through its contacts, especially with language professionals, has had a chance to develop a coherent outlook on language – at least those aspects related to education. Also, the Department has assisted or itself conducted most of the important investigations into language teaching in Australia over the last decade: no fewer than 22 reports or submissions are documented by the Department since 1975, attesting to the quiet but persistent growth of interest in this area. The work of a small group within the Department resulted in an important document that appeared just after the announcement of the Senate inquiry – Towards a National Language Policy. Written to encourage interest in language policy and to test community reactions, it set out an extensive agenda of issues that are closely reflected in the actual terms of reference of the Senate inquiry [see pp. 45-46 Terms of Reference].
The Role of Tutors in The Aboriginal Secondary Grants Scheme
Authors: McDonald Helen
Published: November 2015

In considering the role of tutors of Aboriginal and Islander students at secondary school, the fundamental question is, “What can tutors do to help students that isn’t being done by teachers in schools?” Of course, working with students on a one-to-one basis or in small groups will be seen as an obvious advantage of the tutoring system. However, it alone is not enough, and tutors need to develop specific skills and expertise if they are to help Aboriginal and Islander students to negotiate, and achieve in, an imperfect system that is, I believe, inappropriate and even alien to many Aborigines and Islanders.
Today’s Special Guest Star : Aboriginal Studies!
Authors: Sisley M.
Published: November 2015

It is a western New South Wales High School with strong winter sunshine filling the classroom. The teacher moves nervously in from the brick corridor with its interchangeable Education Department prints, and stands just inside the door.

“Right, pay attention please,” the Social Sciences and History teacher says. The group gives the teacher their concentration because they have come to expect interesting and controversial work in these sessions. Even though a few of them are tired and full of canteen lunch, they turn in their seats and begin to chew on the ends of biros.

“This afternoon we have a visitor to the school who I am sure most of you know. She is here to help you…understand and come to grips with the Aboriginal Studies segment of your work…and she’ll probably straighten me out on a few points where I might have gone wrong, too, so I’ll ask you to pay attention to Mrs Copago and save your questions up for a minute or two.”

Mrs Copago is a little bit nervous, too, being in the formal atmosphere of the brick blocks, but she has known most of the students since they were drooling, so she quickly relaxes and settles into the task of talking about her culture and her people.

There is no shortage of questions from the students, and from the teacher, and they are all anxious to learn. Mrs Copago does not mind the questions that the students have heard at home, and she explains about unemployment and drinking in the light of the area’s history and racism in Australia. She talks about the skills and values Aborigines have that most Australians do not have and she ends on a positive note with hope for the Aboriginal community of the area and for Australia generally. The students and the teacher are well pleased by the session and Mrs Copago challenges them to change their own values and their family’s by thinking about different, equal cultures, land rights and the history of Australia.
Measuring adolescents' exposure to victimization: The Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study
Authors: Fisher Helen L. , Caspi Avshalom , Moffitt Terrie E. , Wertz Jasmin , Gray Rebecca , Newbury Joanne , Ambler Antony , Zavos Helena , Danese Andrea , Mill Jonathan , Odgers Candice L. , Pariante Carmine , Wong Chloe C. Y. , Arseneault Louise
Published: November 2015

This paper presents multilevel findings on adolescents' victimization exposure from a large longitudinal cohort of twins. Data were obtained from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, an epidemiological study of 2,232 children (1,116 twin pairs) followed to 18 years of age (with 93% retention). To assess adolescent victimization, we combined best practices in survey research on victimization with optimal approaches to measuring life stress and traumatic experiences, and introduce a reliable system for coding severity of victimization. One in three children experienced at least one type of severe victimization during adolescence (crime victimization, peer/sibling victimization, Internet/mobile phone victimization, sexual victimization, family violence, maltreatment, or neglect), and most types of victimization were more prevalent among children from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Exposure to multiple victimization types was common, as was revictimization; over half of those physically maltreated in childhood were also exposed to severe physical violence in adolescence. Biometric twin analyses revealed that environmental factors had the greatest influence on most types of victimization, while severe physical maltreatment from caregivers during adolescence was predominantly influenced by heritable factors. The findings from this study showcase how distinct levels of victimization measurement can be harmonized in large-scale studies of health and development.
Developmental pathways from child maltreatment to adolescent marijuana dependence: Examining moderation by FK506 binding protein 5 gene (FKBP5)
Authors: Handley Elizabeth D. , Rogosch Fred A. , Cicchetti Dante
Published: November 2015

The current study examined the prospective association between child maltreatment and the development of substance use disorder in adolescence with the aim of investigating pathways underlying this relation, as well as genetic moderation of these developmental mechanisms. Specifically, we tested whether youth who experienced maltreatment prior to age 8 were at risk for the development of marijuana dependence in adolescence by way of a childhood externalizing pathway and a childhood internalizing pathway. Moreover, we tested whether variation in FK506 binding protein 5 gene (FKBP5) CATT haplotype moderated these pathways. The participants were 326 children (n=179 maltreated;n= 147 nonmaltreated) assessed across two waves of data collection (childhood: ages 7–9 and adolescence: ages 15–18). Results indicated that higher levels of child externalizing symptoms significantly mediated the effect of child maltreatment on adolescent marijuana dependence symptoms for individuals with one or two copies of theFKBP5CATT haplotype only. We did not find support for an internalizing pathway from child maltreatment to adolescent marijuana dependence, nor did we find evidence of moderation of the internalizing pathway byFKBP5haplotype variation. Findings extend previous research by demonstrating that whether a maltreated child will traverse an externalizing pathway toward substance use disorder in adolescence is dependent onFKBP5genetic variation.
Long-term consequences of childhood maltreatment: Altered amygdala functional connectivity
Authors: Jedd Kelly , Hunt Ruskin H. , Cicchetti Dante , Hunt Emily , Cowell Raquel A. , Rogosch Fred A. , Toth Sheree L. , Thomas Kathleen M.
Published: November 2015

Childhood maltreatment is a serious individual, familial, and societal threat that compromises healthy development and is associated with lasting alterations to emotion perception, processing, and regulation (Cicchetti & Curtis, 2005; Pollak, Cicchetti, Hornung, & Reed, 2000; Pollak & Tolley-Schell, 2003). Individuals with a history of maltreatment show altered structural and functional brain development in both frontal and limbic structures (Hart & Rubia, 2012). In particular, previous research has identified hyperactive amygdala responsivity associated with childhood maltreatment (e.g., Dannlowski et al., 2012). However, less is known about the impact of maltreatment on the relationship between the amygdala and other brain regions. The present study employed an emotion processing functional magnetic resonance imaging task to examine task-based activation and functional connectivity in adults who experienced maltreatment as children. The sample included adults with a history of substantiated childhood maltreatment (n = 33) and comparison adults (n = 38) who were well matched on demographic variables, all of whom have been studied prospectively since childhood. The maltreated group exhibited greater activation than comparison participants in the prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia. In addition, maltreated adults showed increased amygdala connectivity with the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. The results suggest that the intense early stress of childhood maltreatment is associated with lasting alterations to frontolimbic circuitry.
A transactional approach to preventing early childhood neglect: The Family Check-Up as a public health strategy
Authors: Dishion Thomas J. , Mun Chung Jung , Drake Emily C. , Tein Jenn-Yun , Shaw Daniel S. , Wilson Melvin
Published: November 2015

This study examined the hypothesis that a brief, strengths-based home visiting strategy can promote positive engagement between caregiver and child and thereby reduce various forms of early childhood neglect. A total of 731 low-income families receiving services through the Women, Infants, and Children nutritional supplement program were randomized to the Women, Infants, and Children as usual or the Family Check-Up intervention. Assessments and intervention services were delivered in the home environment at ages 2, 3, 4, and 5. During the assessments, staff videotaped caregiver–child interactions and rated various features of the home environment, including the physical appropriateness of the home setting for children. Trained observers later coded the videotapes, unaware of the family's intervention condition. Specific caregiver–child interaction patterns were coded and macroratings were made of the caregiver's affection, monitoring, and involvement with the child. An intention to treat design revealed that randomization to the Family Check-Up increased duration of positive engagement between caregivers and children by age 3, which in turn was prognostic of less neglect of the child at age 4, controlling for family adversity. It was also found that family adversity moderated the impact of the intervention, such that the families with the most adverse circumstances were highly responsive to the intervention. Families with the highest levels of adversity exhibited the strongest mediation between positive engagement and reduction of neglect. Findings are discussed with respect to developmental theory and their potential implications for a public health approach to the prevention of early childhood maltreatment.
Neurobiological features of binge eating disorder
Authors: Balodis Iris M. , Grilo Carlos M. , Potenza Marc N.
Published: November 2015

Biobehavioral features associated with binge-eating disorder (BED) have been investigated; however, few systematic reviews to date have described neuroimaging findings from studies of BED. Emerging functional and structural studies support BED as having unique and overlapping neural features as compared with other disorders. Neuroimaging studies provide evidence linking heightened responses to palatable food cues with prefrontal areas, particularly the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), with specific relationships to hunger and reward-sensitivity measures. While few studies to date have investigated non-food-cue responses; these suggest a generalized hypofunctioning in frontostriatal areas during reward and inhibitory control processes. Early studies applying neuroimaging to treatment efforts suggest that targeting neural function underlying motivational processes may prove important in the treatment of BED.
Yuendumu School Post Primary Project
Authors: Odling-Smee David
Published: November 2015

Education outside the four walls of the classroom has long been an integral part of the program of social change at Yuendumu School.

In mid October, while 80 children from the middle part of the school went on a trip to Alice Springs, the Post Primary School undertook an educational experiment which lasted for three days. There were 35 young men, 20 young women, 4 Teaching Assistants and 5 teachers involved. We chose one of the most dilapidated empty houses in the village, and undertook to renovate it. It stood empty and bare in a line of houses. Not a window or door or chimney adorned any of the 6 houses in the line; the water tanks were broken, the gardens arid, and the walls and floor, both inside and outside, were covered with unsubtle graffiti and an occasional graphic display.

The school strongly feels that it must be a servant of the community. Its service must be conspicuous, and its actions undoubtedly speak more persuasively than words. So we undertook the venture in the belief that education will bring tangible results,

Our specific aims were two fold:

a. to repair the house, then give it to a young married man who applied for it and promised to look after it.

b. to show that anybody can repair a house, so long as he is prepared to work. In other words, we hoped that others would follow suit.
Comments on the Bilingual Education Program
Authors: Manydjarri C.
Published: November 2015

The following comments on the working out of the Bilingual Program were made by Manydjarri during discussion with the Headmaster. Questions were asked several times and in a variety of ways where necessary in order to elicit Manydjarri ‘s own feelings.

1. WORKING WITH EUROPEANS

“I have been very happy working with Michael Christie. I have been comfortable. He has given me a lot of help. We have been happy working together. The other Aboriginal teacher has been happy too. She wants some training though.”

2. THE CHILDREN

Interest level? “Very interested in learning in Gupapuygu but they are restless. But this is just their way of life”.

How fast are they progressing? “Children are learning faster in the second term than in the first term. They are progressing in all areas of their work.”

What about their English? “Not sure, ask Michael.”
Feeling Superior Without Really Trying
Authors: Spalding Ian
Published: November 2015

In the first article in this series on learning about Aborignals, Mr. Spalding suggested that racist modes of thought were embedded deeply in Australia#x2019;s settler community – “much of our progess and comfort has been gained at the price of Aboriginal distress …” A second article pointed to inadequacies in references to Aboriginal people in various Social Studies books dating from the beginning of the century to recent times.

In this third article attention is focussed upon the processes of indoctrination.
This is Weipa
Authors: Farnham John
Published: November 2015

Mr. Farnham describes the setting of one of Queensland’s schools for Aboriginal pupils. Would other teachers like to write in descriptions of their settings? As well as being of interest to teachers, such descriptions would, I am sure, stimulate Aboriginal pupils.
The Papunya School Program
Authors: Petering Val
Published: November 2015

I visited Papunya School in March and found the staff enthusiastic and excited. They are working out a school program so that they can utilize fully, for the children’s benefit, the diverse skill and talents of the teachers.
Institutions and attribution of responsibility outside the electoral context: a look at French semi-presidentialism
Authors: Turgeon Mathieu , Bélanger Éric
Published: November 2015

Some institutional arrangements may be undesirable for democracy by obscuring which political actors are to be held responsible for failed or successful policies and bad or good macroeconomic performances. Much of the work in the area has focused on whether institutions affect the ‘clarity of political responsibility’ and the ability of voters to punish or reward, in turn, governments and elected officials. Not much has been said, however, about the assignment of responsibility outside the electoral context, for a broad range of policy areas. This paper explores these questions in the context of French semi-presidentialism. It demonstrates that the French public is surprisingly quite responsive to the demands imposed by their political system by adjusting reasonably well their evaluations of both actors of the executive in light of major political events and changes in the economic conditions when the circumstances clearly indicate which of the two is ‘in charge’. At other times, however, this particular institutional arrangement obscures instead political responsibility.
North America Does the Wave (Slowly)
Authors: McGuire Nancy
Published: November 2015

Data-driven modeling helps explain how convection currents in Earth's mantle influence the rise and fall of surface features, but these models are in an early stage.
Geometric stability of topological lattice phases
Authors: Jackson T. S. , Möller Gunnar , Roy Rahul
Published: November 2015

The fractional quantum Hall (FQH) effect illustrates the range of novel phenomena which can arise in a topologically ordered state in the presence of strong interactions. The possibility of realizing FQH-like phases in models with strong lattice effects has attracted intense interest as a more experimentally accessible venue for FQH phenomena which calls for more theoretical attention. Here we investigate the physical relevance of previously derived geometric conditions which quantify deviations from the Landau level physics of the FQHE. We conduct extensive numerical many-body simulations on several lattice models, obtaining new theoretical results in the process, and find remarkable correlation between these conditions and the many-body gap. These results indicate which physical factors are most relevant for the stability of FQH-like phases, a paradigm we refer to as the geometric stability hypothesis, and provide easily implementable guidelines for obtaining robust FQH-like phases in numerical or real-world experiments.
A dual-isotope approach to allow conclusive partitioning between three sources
Authors: Whitman Thea , Lehmann Johannes
Published: November 2015

Stable isotopes have proved to be a transformative tool; their application to distinguish between two sources in a mixture has been a cornerstone of biogeochemical research. However, quantitatively partitioning systems using two stable isotopes (for example, 13C and 12C) has been largely limited to only two sources, and systems of interest often have more than two components, with interactive effects. Here we introduce a dual-isotope approach to allow conclusive partitioning between three sources, using only two stable isotopes. We demonstrate this approach by partitioning soil CO2 emissions derived from microbial mineralization of soil organic carbon (SOC), added pyrogenic organic matter (PyOM) and root respiration. We find that SOC mineralization in the presence of roots is 23% higher (P<0.05) when PyOM is also present. Being able to discern three sources with two isotopes will be of great value not only in biogeochemical research, but may also expand hitherto untapped methodologies in diverse fields.
Multifocal clonal evolution characterized using circulating tumour DNA in a case of metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Murtaza Muhammed , Dawson Sarah-Jane , Pogrebniak Katherine , Rueda Oscar M. , Provenzano Elena , Grant John , Chin Suet-Feung , Tsui Dana W. Y. , Marass Francesco , Gale Davina , Ali H. Raza , Shah Pankti , Contente-Cuomo Tania , Farahani Hossein , Shumansky Karey , Kingsbury Zoya , Humphray Sean , Bentley David , Shah Sohrab P. , Wallis Matthew , Rosenfeld Nitzan , Caldas Carlos
Published: November 2015

Circulating tumour DNA analysis can be used to track tumour burden and analyse cancer genomes non-invasively but the extent to which it represents metastatic heterogeneity is unknown. Here we follow a patient with metastatic ER-positive and HER2-positive breast cancer receiving two lines of targeted therapy over 3 years. We characterize genomic architecture and infer clonal evolution in eight tumour biopsies and nine plasma samples collected over 1,193 days of clinical follow-up using exome and targeted amplicon sequencing. Mutation levels in the plasma samples reflect the clonal hierarchy inferred from sequencing of tumour biopsies. Serial changes in circulating levels of sub-clonal private mutations correlate with different treatment responses between metastatic sites. This comparison of biopsy and plasma samples in a single patient with metastatic breast cancer shows that circulating tumour DNA can allow real-time sampling of multifocal clonal evolution.
ESRP2 controls an adult splicing programme in hepatocytes to support postnatal liver maturation
Authors: Bhate Amruta , Parker Darren J. , Bebee Thomas W. , Ahn Jaegyoon , Arif Waqar , Rashan Edrees H. , Chorghade Sandip , Chau Anthony , Lee Jae-Hyung , Anakk Sayeepriyadarshini , Carstens Russ P. , Xiao Xinshu , Kalsotra Auinash
Published: November 2015

Although major genetic networks controlling early liver specification and morphogenesis are known, the mechanisms responsible for postnatal hepatic maturation are poorly understood. Here we employ global analyses of the mouse liver transcriptome to demonstrate that postnatal remodelling of the liver is accompanied by large-scale transcriptional and post-transcriptional transitions that are cell-type-specific and temporally coordinated. Combining detailed expression analyses with gain- and loss-of-function studies, we identify epithelial splicing regulatory protein 2 (ESRP2) as a conserved regulatory factor that controls the neonatal-to-adult switch of ∼20% of splice isoforms in mouse and human hepatocytes. The normal shift in splicing coincides tightly with dramatic postnatal induction of ESRP2 in hepatocytes. We further demonstrate that forced expression of ESRP2 in immature mouse and human hepatocytes is sufficient to drive a reciprocal shift in splicing and causes various physiological abnormalities. These findings define a direct role for ESRP2 in the generation of conserved repertoires of adult splice isoforms that facilitate terminal differentiation and maturation of hepatocytes.
Asparagine requirement in Plasmodium berghei as a target to prevent malaria transmission and liver infections
Authors: Nagaraj Viswanathan A. , Mukhi Dhanunjay , Sathishkumar Vinayagam , Subramani Pradeep A. , Ghosh Susanta K. , Pandey Rajeev R. , Shetty Manjunatha C. , Padmanaban Govindarajan
Published: November 2015

The proteins of Plasmodium, the malaria parasite, are strikingly rich in asparagine. Plasmodium depends primarily on host haemoglobin degradation for amino acids and has a rudimentary pathway for amino acid biosynthesis, but retains a gene encoding asparagine synthetase (AS). Here we show that deletion of AS in Plasmodium berghei (Pb) delays the asexual- and liver-stage development with substantial reduction in the formation of ookinetes, oocysts and sporozoites in mosquitoes. In the absence of asparagine synthesis, extracellular asparagine supports suboptimal survival of PbAS knockout (KO) parasites. Depletion of blood asparagine levels by treating PbASKO-infected mice with asparaginase completely prevents the development of liver stages, exflagellation of male gametocytes and the subsequent formation of sexual stages. In vivo supplementation of asparagine in mice restores the exflagellation of PbASKO parasites. Thus, the parasite life cycle has an absolute requirement for asparagine, which we propose could be targeted to prevent malaria transmission and liver infections.
Forest soil carbon is threatened by intensive biomass harvesting
Authors: Achat David L. , Fortin Mathieu , Landmann Guy , Ringeval Bruno , Augusto Laurent
Published: November 2015

Forests play a key role in the carbon cycle as they store huge quantities of organic carbon, most of which is stored in soils, with a smaller part being held in vegetation. While the carbon storage capacity of forests is influenced by forestry, the long-term impacts of forest managers’ decisions on soil organic carbon (SOC) remain unclear. Using a meta-analysis approach, we showed that conventional biomass harvests preserved the SOC of forests, unlike intensive harvests where logging residues were harvested to produce fuelwood. Conventional harvests caused a decrease in carbon storage in the forest floor, but when the whole soil profile was taken into account, we found that this loss in the forest floor was compensated by an accumulation of SOC in deeper soil layers. Conversely, we found that intensive harvests led to SOC losses in all layers of forest soils. We assessed the potential impact of intensive harvests on the carbon budget, focusing on managed European forests. Estimated carbon losses from forest soils suggested that intensive biomass harvests could constitute an important source of carbon transfer from forests to the atmosphere (142–497 Tg-C), partly neutralizing the role of a carbon sink played by forest soils.
Assessing Connectivity Between an Overlying Aquifer and a Coal Seam Gas Resource Using Methane Isotopes, Dissolved Organic Carbon and Tritium
Authors: Iverach Charlotte P. , Cendón Dioni I. , Hankin Stuart I. , Lowry David , Fisher Rebecca E. , France James L. , Nisbet Euan G. , Baker Andy , Kelly Bryce F. J.
Published: November 2015

Coal seam gas (CSG) production can have an impact on groundwater quality and quantity in adjacent or overlying aquifers. To assess this impact we need to determine the background groundwater chemistry and to map geological pathways of hydraulic connectivity between aquifers. In south-east Queensland (Qld), Australia, a globally important CSG exploration and production province, we mapped hydraulic connectivity between the Walloon Coal Measures (WCM, the target formation for gas production) and the overlying Condamine River Alluvial Aquifer (CRAA), using groundwater methane (CH4) concentration and isotopic composition (δ13C-CH4), groundwater tritium (3H) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration. A continuous mobile CH4 survey adjacent to CSG developments was used to determine the source signature of CH4 derived from the WCM. Trends in groundwater δ13C-CH4 versus CH4 concentration, in association with DOC concentration and 3H analysis, identify locations where CH4 in the groundwater of the CRAA most likely originates from the WCM. The methodology is widely applicable in unconventional gas development regions worldwide for providing an early indicator of geological pathways of hydraulic connectivity.
VO2/TiO2 Nanosponges as Binder-Free Electrodes for High-Performance Supercapacitors
Authors: Hu Chenchen , Xu Henghui , Liu Xiaoxiao , Zou Feng , Qie Long , Huang Yunhui , Hu Xianluo
Published: November 2015

VO2/TiO2 nanosponges with easily tailored nanoarchitectures and composition were synthesized by electrostatic spray deposition as binder-free electrodes for supercapacitors. Benefiting from the unique interconnected pore network of the VO2/TiO2 electrodes and the synergistic effect of high-capacity VO2 and stable TiO2, the as-formed binder-free VO2/TiO2 electrode exhibits a high capacity of 86.2 mF cm−2 (~548 F g−1) and satisfactory cyclability with 84.3% retention after 1000 cycles. This work offers an effective and facile strategy for fabricating additive-free composites as high-performance electrodes for supercapacitors.
Probing Nanoscale Thermal Transport in Surfactant Solutions
Authors: Cao Fangyu , Liu Ying , Xu Jiajun , He Yadong , Hammouda B. , Qiao Rui , Yang Bao
Published: November 2015

Surfactant solutions typically feature tunable nanoscale, internal structures. Although rarely utilized, they can be a powerful platform for probing thermal transport in nanoscale domains and across interfaces with nanometer-size radius. Here, we examine the structure and thermal transport in solution of AOT (Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate) in n-octane liquids using small-angle neutron scattering, thermal conductivity measurements and molecular dynamics simulations. We report the first experimental observation of a minimum thermal conductivity occurring at the critical micelle concentration (CMC): the thermal conductivity of the surfactant solution decreases as AOT is added till the onset of micellization but increases as more AOT is added. The decrease of thermal conductivity with AOT loading in solutions in which AOT molecules are dispersed as monomers suggests that even the interfaces between individual oleophobic headgroup of AOT molecules and their surrounding non-polar octane molecules can hinder heat transfer. The increase of thermal conductivity with AOT loading after the onset of micellization indicates that the thermal transport in the core of AOT micelles and across the surfactant-oil interfaces, both of which span only a few nanometers, are efficient.
Mitofilin and CHCHD6 physically interact with Sam50 to sustain cristae structure
Authors: Ding Chengli , Wu Zhifei , Huang Lei , Wang Yajie , Xue Jie , Chen Si , Deng Zixin , Wang Lianrong , Song Zhiyin , Chen Shi
Published: November 2015

The inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) invaginates to form cristae and the maintenance of cristae depends on the mitochondrial contact site (MICOS) complex. Mitofilin and CHCHD6, which physically interact, are two components of the MICOS. In this study, we performed immunoprecipitation experiments with Mitofilin and CHCHD6 antibodies and identified a complex containing Mitofilin, Sam50 and CHCHD 3 and 6. Using transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), we generated knockdown/knockout clones of Mitofilin and CHCHD6. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that vesicle-like cristae morphology appeared in cell lines lacking Mitofilin and mitochondria exhibited lower cristae density in CHCHD6-knockout cells. Immunoblot analysis showed that knockdown of Mitofilin, but not knockout of CHCHD6, affected their binding partners that control cristae morphology. We also demonstrated that Mitofilin and CHCHD6 directly interacted with Sam50. Additionally, we observed that Mitofilin-knockdown cells showed decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and intracellular ATP content, which were minimally affected in CHCHD6-knockout cells. Taken together, we conclude that the integrity of MICOS and its efficient interaction with Sam50 are indispensable for cristae organization, which is relevant to mitochondrial function.
CUG-BP1 regulates RyR1 ASI alternative splicing in skeletal muscle atrophy
Authors: Tang Yinglong , Wang Huiwen , Wei Bin , Guo Yuting , Gu Lei , Yang Zhiguang , Zhang Qing , Wu Yanyun , Yuan Qi , Zhao Gang , Ji Guangju
Published: November 2015

RNA binding protein is identified as an important mediator of aberrant alternative splicing in muscle atrophy. The altered splicing of calcium channels, such as ryanodine receptors (RyRs), plays an important role in impaired excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling in muscle atrophy; however, the regulatory mechanisms of ryanodine receptor 1 (RyR1) alternative splicing leading to skeletal muscle atrophy remains to be investigated. In this study we demonstrated that CUG binding protein 1 (CUG-BP1) was up-regulated and the alternative splicing of RyR1 ASI (exon70) was aberrant during the process of neurogenic muscle atrophy both in human patients and mouse models. The gain and loss of function experiments in vivo demonstrated that altered splicing pattern of RyR1 ASI was directly mediated by an up-regulated CUG-BP1 function. Furthermore, we found that CUG-BP1 affected the calcium release activity in single myofibers and the extent of atrophy was significantly reduced upon gene silencing of CUG-BP1 in atrophic muscle. These findings improve our understanding of calcium signaling related biological function of CUG-BP1 in muscle atrophy. Thus, we provide an intriguing perspective of involvement of mis-regulated RyR1 splicing in muscular disease.
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra gene MRA_1916 causes growth defects upon down-regulation
Authors: Singh Kumar Sachin , Singh Sudheer Kumar
Published: November 2015

D-amino acid oxidases play an important role in converting D-amino acids to their corresponding α-keto acids. MRA_1916 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (Mtb-Ra) is annotated to be a D-amino acid oxidase (DAO). However, not much information is available about its physiological role during Mtb-Ra growth and survival. The present study was taken-up to understand the role of DAO during different stages of growth and effect of its down-regulation on growth. Recombinant Mtb-Ra strains with DAO and GlcB (malate synthase: MRA_1848) gene knockdown were developed and their growth was studied using Microtiter Alamar Blue Assay (MABA) with glycerol, acetate and glycine as a carbon source. Ethyl bromopyruvate (BrP) was used as an inhibitor of GlcB. MABA study showed inhibition of wild-type (WT) and knockdowns in the presence of BrP (2.5mM). However, growth inhibition of WT was less noticeable at lower concentrations of BrP. Mtb-Ra with DAO knockdown showed poor utilization of glycine in the presence of BrP. The DAO localization study showed its prominent distribution in cytosolic fraction and to some extent in cell wall and membrane fractions. Growth profile of WT under oxygen and nutritional stress showed changes in expression of DAO, GlcB, PckA (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase: MRA_0219) and GlyA1 (serine hydroxymethyltransferase: MRA_1104).
Integrated analysis of microRNA and mRNA expression profiles in abdominal adipose tissues in chickens
Authors: Huang H. Y. , Liu R. R. , Zhao G. P. , Li Q.H. , Zheng M. Q. , Zhang J. J. , Li S. F. , Liang Z. , Wen J.
Published: November 2015

Excessive fat accretion is a crucial problem during broiler production. Abdominal fat weight (AbFW) and abdominal fat percentage (AbFP) are major phenotypic indices of fat traits. The present study used F2 females derived from a cross between Beijing-You and Cobb-Vantress chickens. Cohorts with extreme AbFP and AbFW phenotypes were chosen to construct high- and low-abdominal fat libraries (HAbF and LAbF, respectively) to investigate the expression profiles by RNA-sequencing and microRNA (miRNA)-sequencing. Compared with the LAbF library, 62 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and 303 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the HAbF birds. Integrated analysis of DEMs and DEGs showed that a total of 106 DEGs were identified as target genes for the 62 DEMs. These genes were designated as intersection genes and 11 of these genes are involved in lipid metabolism pathways. The miRNA gga-miR-19b-3p accelerated the proliferation of preadipocytes, as well as adipocyte differentiation, by down- regulating ACSL1. These findings suggest that some strong candidate miRNAs and genes, important in relation to abdominal adipose deposition, were identified by the integrated analysis of DEMs and DEGs. These findings add to our current understanding of the molecular genetic controls underlying abdominal adipose accumulation in chickens.
A novel 2,5-diaminopyrimidine-based affinity probe for Bruton’s tyrosine kinase
Authors: Zuo Yingying , Shi Yanxia , Li Xitao , Teng Yingqi , Pan Zhengying
Published: November 2015

As a critical regulator of the B-cell receptor signaling pathway, Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (Btk) has attracted intensive drug discovery efforts for treating B-cell lineage cancers and autoimmune disorders. In particular, covalent inhibitors targeting Cys481 in Btk have demonstrated impressive clinical benefits and their companion affinity probes have been crucial in the drug development process. Recently, we have discovered a novel series of 2,5-diaminopyrimidine-based covalent irreversible inhibitors of Btk. Here, we present the discovery of a novel affinity Btk probe based on the aforementioned scaffold and demonstrate its usage in evaluating the target engagement of Btk inhibitors in live cells.
Experimental Demonstration of Anomalous Field Enhancement in All-Dielectric Transition Magnetic Metamaterials
Authors: Sun Jingbo , Liu Xiaoming , Zhou Ji , Kudyshev Zhaxylyk , Litchinitser Natalia M.
Published: November 2015

Anomalous field enhancement accompanied by resonant absorption phenomenon was originally discussed in the context of plasma physics and in applications related to radio-communications between the ground and spacecraft returning to Earth. Indeed, there is a critical period of time when all communications are lost due to the reflection/absorption of electromagnetic waves by the sheath of plasma created by a high speed vehicle re-entering the atmosphere. While detailed experimental studies of these phenomena in space are challenging, the emergence of electromagnetic metamaterials enables researchers exceptional flexibility to study them in the laboratory environment. Here, we experimentally demonstrated the strong localized field enhancement of magnetic field for an electromagnetic wave propagating in Mie-resonance-based inhomogeneous metamaterials with magnetic permeability gradually changing from positive to negative values. Although these experiments were performed in the microwave frequency range, the proposed all-dielectric approach to transition metamaterials can be extended to terahertz, infrared and visible frequencies. We anticipate that these results, besides most basic science aspects, hold the potential for numerous applications, including low-intensity nonlinear transformation optics, topological photonics and the broader area of surface and interface science.
Nonlinear restoration of pulse and high noisy images via stochastic resonance
Authors: Sun Qibing , Liu Hongjun , Huang Nan , Wang Zhaolu , Han Jing , Li Shaopeng
Published: November 2015

We propose a novel scheme for restoring pulse and high noisy images using stochastic resonance, which is based on the modulation instability and provides a cross-correlation gain higher than 8. As opposed to previously reported designs, this unique approach employs a continuous noise and pulse signal for the generation of modulation instability. The visibility and quality of output images can be improved by appropriately adjusting the system parameters. This provides a simple and feasible method for detecting low-level or hidden pulse images in various imaging applications.
Correction: Hydrophobic pillared square grids for selective removal of CO2 from simulated flue gas
Authors: Elsaidi Sameh K. , Mohamed Mona H. , Schaef Herbert T. , Kumar Amrit , Lusi Matteo , Pham Tony , Forrest Katherine A. , Space Brian , Xu Wenqian , Halder Gregory J. , Liu Jun , Zaworotko Michael J. , Thallapally Praveen K.
Published: November 2015

Correction for ‘Hydrophobic pillared square grids for selective removal of CO2 from simulated flue gas’ by Sameh K. Elsaidi et al., Chem. Commun., 2015, 51, 15530–15533.
Polyphenylsilole multilayers – an insight from X-ray electron spectroscopy and density functional theory
Authors: Diller Katharina , Ma Yong , Luo Yi , Allegretti Francesco , Liu Jianzhao , Tang Ben Zhong , Lin Nian , Barth Johannes V. , Klappenberger Florian
Published: November 2015

Two polyphenylsilole compounds are characterised using X-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory. In both compounds the positive silicon atom is flanked by two negatively charged carbon atoms.
Iron(iii) carboxylate/aminoalcohol coordination clusters with propeller-shaped Fe8 cores: approaching reasonable exchange energies
Authors: Botezat Olga , van Leusen Jan , Ch. Kravtsov Victor , Ellern Arkady , Kögerler Paul , Baca Svetlana G.
Published: November 2015

A new approach has been used to determine reasonable exchange energies in a series of new octanuclear propeller-shaped Fe(iii) clusters that feature distorted hexagonal-bipyramidal Fe8 polytopes of isotropic spin-5/2 centers.
Chiral modification of copper exchanged zeolite-Y with cinchonidine and its application in the asymmetric Henry reaction
Authors: Deka Jogesh , Satyanarayana L. , Karunakar G. V. , Bhattacharyya Pradip Kr. , Bania Kusum K.
Published: November 2015

(−)-Cinchonidine is being encapsulated inside copper exchanged zeolite-Y and used as heterogeneous catalyst for the asymmetric Henry reaction.