bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ECONOMIC TORTS IN THE CONFLICT OF LAWS
Authors: Rogerson Pippa
Published: July 2017

IN AMT Futures Ltd. v Marzillier [2017] UKSC 13; [2017] 2 W.L.R. 853, the Supreme Court had to decide where a “harmful event” occurred in order to determine whether the English court had jurisdiction over the defendant, Marzillier, a German lawyer. AMT brought an action in England against Marzillier for inducing breaches of contracts made between AMT and their European clients. Although the client contracts contained an exclusive jurisdiction clause in favour of the English courts, Marzillier had encouraged the clients to bring actions against AMT in Germany. The claims were made under German law of delict alleging that AMT were accessory to the bad investment advice given by the clients’ brokers. The brokers were insolvent. The German claims were brought directly against AMT and AMT settled. It had lost on the jurisdiction question in Germany because the exclusive jurisdiction clause did not bind the clients. They were consumers. Additionally, the actions were in tort and therefore did not fall within the scope of the clause. AMT brought this action in England after paying over £2m in settlement and costs in Germany. AMT argued that Marzillier had deprived AMT of the benefit of the contractual exclusive jurisdiction agreement by inducing the clients to sue in Germany. Marzillier, a defendant domiciled in Germany, could only be sued in England if the harmful event occurred here. Lord Hodge J.S.C., giving a beautifully clear judgment, held that the case could not be heard in England. England was not the place where the harm occurred, despite payment out of an account in England and the alleged breach of the exclusive English jurisdiction agreement. He held that Germany was the place where the harm occurred under what is now Article 7(2) (ex Article 5(3)) of the Brussels I Regulation Recast (Regulation EC No 1215/2012).
THE CJEU CONFUSED OVER RELIGION
Authors: Butlin Sarah Fraser
Published: July 2017

CASE C-157/15 Achbita v G4S Secure Solutions NV ECLI:EU:C:2017:203 and Case C-188/15, Bougnaoui v Micropole SA ECLI:EU:C:2017:204 concerned Muslim women who wanted to wear a headscarf at work. In both cases the women were ultimately dismissed from their employment. In Achbita the employer, G4S, initially had an unwritten rule, which was converted into a written rule, prohibiting the wearing of visible signs of political, philosophical and religious beliefs. Ms Achbita refused to comply and was dismissed. In Bougnaoui it was not wholly clear whether the employer, Micropole, had a general rule requiring visually neutral clothing. Nevertheless Ms Bougnaoui was asked not to wear her headscarf while working at a customer's site and was dismissed for misconduct when she refused.
Camera Men: Techno-orientalism in Two Acts
Authors: MCKAY DANIEL
Published: July 2017

During the years of Japan's “bubble” economy, writers and artists in the United States became increasingly susceptible to “Japan-bashing,” a discourse that objectified Japanese for their trade practices, overseas purchases, and tourist presence. In the following article, I draw upon a range of cultural texts, from Truman Capote's novellaBreakfast at Tiffany'sto Michael Crichton's novelRising Sun, in order to investigate how the trope of the camera-toting Japanese expatriate encapsulated the fears of the era. I then move to explore the ways in which Japanese Americans negotiated these tropes in their writings, paying particular attention to Ruth Ozeki's novelMy Year of Meats. I hypothesize that Japanese Americans remained aware of the phenomenon of “Japan-bashing” throughout the era, yet did not confront it in a sustained fashion. Instead, tropes were either dismissed out of hand or, as in Ozeki's case, incorporated into a narrative before undergoing a process of gradual dismantlement.
Acoustic development of vowel production in native Mandarin-speaking children
Authors: Yang Jing , Fox Robert A.
Published: July 2017

The present study aims to document the developmental profile of static and dynamic acoustic features of vowel productions in monolingual Mandarin-speaking children aged between three and six years in comparison to adults. Twenty-nine monolingual Mandarin children and 12 native Mandarin adults were recorded producing ten Mandarin disyllabic words containing five monophthongal vowel phonemes /a i u yɤ/. F1 and F2 values were measured at five equidistant temporal locations (the 20–35–50–65–80% points of the vowel's duration) and normalized. Scatter plots showed clear separations between vowel categories although the size of individual vowel categories exhibited a decreasing trend as the age increased. This indicates that speakers as young as three years old could separate these five Mandarin vowels in the acoustic space but they were still refining the acoustic properties of their vowel production as they matured. Although the tested vowels were monophthongs, they were still characterized by distinctive formant movement patterns. Mandarin children generally demonstrated formant movement patterns comparable to those of adult speakers. However, children still showed positional variation and differed from adults in the magnitudes of spectral change for certain vowels. This indicates that vowel development is a long-term process which extends beyond three years of age.
The first detection ofToxoplasma gondiiDNA in environmental air samples using gelatine filters, real-time PCR and loop-mediated isothermal (LAMP) assays: qualitative and quantitative analysis
Authors: LASS ANNA , SZOSTAKOWSKA BEATA , KORZENIEWSKI KRZYSZTOF , KARANIS PANAGIOTIS
Published: July 2017

Toxoplasma gondiiinfections are acquired through the ingestion of oocysts present in the environment. However, there is no data about their occurrence in the air or about airborne transmission of these infections. In the present paper, we report on the identification ofT. gondiiusing rapid molecular detection methods, supported by microscopic analysis, in environmental air samples. A total of 71 samples were collected, using gelatine filters, from kitchen gardens, recreational areas and sandpits located in northern and north-eastern Poland. Material recovered from the filters was analysed using real-time PCR and loop-mediated isothermal assays targeting theT. gondiiB1 gene.Toxoplasma gondiiDNA was found in two samples, as confirmed by both molecular assays. Genotyping at the SAG2 locus showedToxoplasmaSAG2 type I. Moreover, the presence ofT. gondiioocysts was confirmed in one of the positive samples with the use of microscopy. The results showed thatT. gondiimay be present in environmental air samples and that respiratory tract infections may play a role in the high prevalence of toxoplasmosis in humans and animals. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first epidemiological evidence that oro-fecal and foodborne toxoplasmosis may be traceable to an airborne respiratory origin and that this may represent a new, previously unknown transmission route for this disease.
Antiprotozoal effects of metal nanoparticles againstIchthyophthirius multifiliis
Authors: SALEH MONA , ABDEL-BAKI ABDEL-AZEEM , DKHIL MOHAMED A. , EL-MATBOULI MANSOUR , AL-QURAISHY SALEH
Published: July 2017

Ichthyophthirius multifiliisis a widespread, ciliated protozoan ectoparasite of fish. In the present study, we investigated the effects of metal nanoparticles on the reproduction and infectivity of free-living stages ofI. multifiliis. We determined that ~50% of theronts could be killed within 30 min of exposure to either 20 ng mL−1gold, 10 ng mL−1silver or 5 ng mL−1zinc oxide nanoparticles. Silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles at concentration of 10 and 5 ng mL−1killed 100 and 97% of theronts, respectively and inhibited reproduction of tomonts after 2 h exposure. Gold nanoparticles at 20 ng mL killed 80 and 78% of tomonts and theronts 2 h post exposure, respectively.In vivoexposure studies using rainbow trout (Oncoryhnchus mykiss) demonstrated that theronts, which survived zinc oxide nanoparticles exposure, showed reduced infectivity compared with control theronts. No mortalities were recorded in the fish groups cohabited with theronts exposed to either nanoparticles compared with 100% mortality in the control group. On the basis of the results obtained from this study, metal nanoparticles particularly silver nanoparticles hold the best promise for the development of effective antiprotozoal agents useful in the management of ichthyophthiriosis in aquaculture.
LIFE-GIVER: THE PRE-HISPANIC NAHUA CONCEPT OF “FATHER” THROUGH COLONIAL WRITTEN SOURCES
Authors: Madajczak Julia
Published: July 2017

This paper explores the ancient Nahua concept of “father,” employing early Colonial sources written in both Nahuatl and Spanish. A careful contextual analysis of the occurrences of various Nahuatl terms for “father” or “parent” leads to the conclusion that the principal criterion for creating their metaphorical extensions differed considerably from parallel Spanish criterion. While the latter referred to the power relationship (“father” is the one who governs), the former was based on the concept of exchange (“father” is the one who gives). This principle has implications for studying many aspects of Nahua culture in which the terms for “father” appear: gender and social roles, political hierarchy, pre-Hispanic religion, or evangelization. The difference in the construction of such basic concepts in Nahuatl and Spanish leads to methodological considerations about studying sources that have arisen from the context of cultural contact.
PRINCIPLES OF POLICING AND PRINCIPLES OF PUNISHMENT
Authors: Nathan Christopher
Published: July 2017

Although the debate on the basic norms of punishment is well established, the basic norms of policing have received relatively little attention. This paper connects the two subjects, defending two claims. First, it argues that some police action that is not obviously illegitimate falls under the moral standards applicable to punishment. This may strike some as surprising. The explicit job of the police does not include punishment. Such a position is customarily defended by appeal to intention, form of treatment, or expression of censure. Such appeals prove ineffective against cases that involve a discretionary decision not to prosecute, such as in the recruitment of informants or in standard public order management tactics. Second, the paper urges that this first point presents a dilemma: either police routinely act in an illegitimately extrajudicial fashion, or the stringency of the standards to which we hold criminal court procedures is, if it is grounded, not grounded directly in the fact that the courts administer punishment. Neither option is attractive.
The Forgotten History of Repetitive Audio Technologies
Authors: Levaux Christophe
Published: July 2017

In the literature dedicated to twentieth-century music, the early history of electronic music is regularly presented hand in hand with the development of technical repetitive devices such as closed grooves and magnetic tape loops. Consequently, the idea that such devices were ‘invented’ in the studios of the first great representatives of electronic music tends to appear as an implicit consequence. However, re-examination of the long history of musical technology, from the ninth-century Banu Musa automatic flute to the Hammond organ of the 1930s, reveals that repetitive devices not only go right back to the earliest days of musical automation, but also evolved in a wide variety of contexts wholly unconnected from any form of musical institution. This article aims to shed light on this other, forgotten, history of repetitive audio technologies.
A Day in Algonquin Park: William W. H. Gunn and the circadian audio portrait
Authors: Cameron Laura , Rogalsky Matt
Published: July 2017

This article considers the place of William W. H. ‘Bill’ Gunn in the history of electroacoustic music with a focus on one of his earliest creative forays, the 1955 production ofA Day in Algonquin Park, a composition in the genre of what the authors have dubbed thecircadian audio portrait. In exploring Gunn’s compositional decisions and the political and creative contexts which surrounded them, we detail his sonic practice and make the argument that Gunn was a soundscape composer before the term was coined, a forerunner of the genre indebted to composers connected with the World Soundscape Project. In doing so, we must acknowledge the ways in which the album’s creation and reception play out paradoxical aspects of the wilderness myth, while feeding into the construction of a popular and idealised Canadian identity. We also find his modernist ecological sensibility struggling to articulate a place for human visitorswithinnature: in this, Gunn’s outlook and concerns were not very different from some contemporary soundscape composers. However, this study goes beyond acknowledging a previously ‘unknown father’ of familiar sounds and debates; in contextualising his work with environmental sound as a contribution to the genre of thecircadian audio portrait, we highlight an alternative genealogy for contemporary soundscape composition.
Canonisation and Documentation of Interdisciplinary Electroacoustic Music, Exemplified by Three Cases from the Netherlands: Dick Raaijmakers, Michel Waisvisz and Huba de Graaff
Authors: Bosma Hannah
Published: July 2017

Relations between histories, sources and preservation problematics are explored by evaluating how Dutch electroacoustic musical life is discussed in international histories of electronic music. Some Dutch cases consisting of different generations of interdisciplinary, live, performance-based electroacoustic work are discussed: the work of Dick Raaijmakers, Michel Waisvisz and Huba de Graaff. These cases point to some important aspects of preservation and the formation of histories. An emphasis in electronic music histories on technology and on technological innovation comes at the expense of information on the musical and artistic aspects. For greater interest in musical aspects, it is crucial to have more access to the music itself. The works and practices of Dick Raaijmakers, Michel Waisvisz and Huba de Graaff seem to resist documentation, ontologically and practically but, on the other hand, there is a desire for its documentation and dissemination. For their work, preservation means: making something new while being faithful to the past. It is therefore that I propose to regard preservation as performance. This music only remains alive when we are not solely interested in linear innovation, but in a profound relation with the past, in reworking the past.
HISTORIES OF MODERN MIGRATION IN EAST ASIA: STUDIES OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Authors: Hoshino Noriaki , Zhu Qian
Published: July 2017

In recent historical studies of modern East Asia, the issue of migration has received increased scholarly attention. This article traces recent historiographical and methodological trends by analyzing influential English-language works on modern East Asian migrations in the first half of the twentieth century. Modern East Asian migrations during this period present dynamic and heterogeneous features as results of modern social transformations, such as the development of global capitalism, national and global economic integration, the emergence of new transportation and communication technology, and the expansion and collapse of the Japanese empire. Accordingly, the historical works on modern East Asian migrations we examine display a variety of historiographical and theoretical approaches. Specifically, this article underscores important trends or comparable emphases in these studies, including the growing scholarly interest in transnational/regional border crossing movements, migrants’ subject formations in the new environments, and the methodological interest in the role of culture, political economy, and the environment. Thus this article offers a reflective overview of the ongoing development of migration studies centering on modern East Asia.
TIMBER TRADE ORGANIZATIONS IN SHANGHAI: INSTITUTIONS, ENFORCEMENT, AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION, 1880–1930
Authors: Zhang Meng
Published: July 2017

This study focuses on the mechanisms of contract enforcement and dispute resolution in the trade of timber in Shanghai from the 1880s to the 1930s. It shows that merchant guilds, chambers of commerce, and the court system constituted complementary institutions of contract enforcement. Timber trade guilds relied on reputation mechanisms and information sharing to maintain intra-group solidarity and monitor outside trading partners. Horizontal communications among timber guilds in different localities further enhanced their capability to respond promptly to cross-regional cases. When disputes escalated beyond the scope of a single merchant guild, chambers of commerce (after 1904) and the court system became involved. Vertical communications among these organizations strengthened the continuity from informal norms of business practices to guild regulations, and thence to adjudications in court. Whereas the typical story, drawn from European history, was one of transition toward more formal institutions, this case study shows that formal and informal institutions could complement each other and that they existed along a continuum rather than in separated spheres. The convergence of the expected outcomes as a result of resorting to different platforms of dispute resolution reinforced the consistency and credibility of the cost of defaulting.
Nano-palladium is a cellular catalyst for in vivo chemistry
Authors: Miller Miles A. , Askevold Bjorn , Mikula Hannes , Kohler Rainer H. , Pirovich David , Weissleder Ralph
Published: July 2017

Palladium catalysts have been widely adopted for organic synthesis and diverse industrial applications given their efficacy and safety, yet their biological in vivo use has been limited to date. Here we show that nanoencapsulated palladium is an effective means to target and treat disease through in vivo catalysis. Palladium nanoparticles (Pd-NPs) were created by screening different Pd compounds and then encapsulating bis[tri(2-furyl)phosphine]palladium(II) dichloride in a biocompatible poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-b-polyethyleneglycol platform. Using mouse models of cancer, the NPs efficiently accumulated in tumours, where the Pd-NP activated different model prodrugs. Longitudinal studies confirmed that prodrug activation by Pd-NP inhibits tumour growth, extends survival in tumour-bearing mice and mitigates toxicity compared to standard doxorubicin formulations. Thus, here we demonstrate safe and efficacious in vivo catalytic activity of a Pd compound in mammals.
Anion-capped metallohost allows extremely slow guest uptake and on-demand acceleration of guest exchange
Authors: Sakata Yoko , Murata Chiho , Akine Shigehisa
Published: July 2017

The switching of molecular recognition selectivity is important for tuning molecular functions based on host–guest binding. While the switching processes in artificial functional molecules are usually driven by changes of the thermodynamic stabilities, non-equilibrium phenomena also play an important role in biological systems. Thus, here we designed a host–guest system utilizing a non-equilibrium kinetically trapped state for on-demand and time-programmable control of molecular functions. We synthesized a bis(saloph) macrocyclic cobalt(III) metallohost 1(OTf)2, which has anion caps at both sides of the cation-binding site. The anion caps effectively retard the guest uptake/release so that we can easily make a non-equilibrium kinetically trapped state. Indeed, we can obtain a long-lived kinetically trapped state {[1·K]3++La3+} prior to the formation of the thermodynamically more stable state {[1·La]5++K+}. The guest exchange to the more stable state from this kinetically trapped state is significantly accelerated by exchange of TfO− anion caps by AcO− in an on-demand manner.
Idiosyncratic Mòjiāng virus attachment glycoprotein directs a host-cell entry pathway distinct from genetically related henipaviruses
Authors: Rissanen Ilona , Ahmed Asim A. , Azarm Kristopher , Beaty Shannon , Hong Patrick , Nambulli Sham , Duprex W. Paul , Lee Benhur , Bowden Thomas A.
Published: July 2017

In 2012, cases of lethal pneumonia among Chinese miners prompted the isolation of a rat-borne henipavirus (HNV), Mòjiāng virus (MojV). Although MojV is genetically related to highly pathogenic bat-borne henipaviruses, the absence of a conserved ephrin receptor-binding motif in the MojV attachment glycoprotein (MojV-G) indicates a differing host-cell recognition mechanism. Here we find that MojV-G displays a six-bladed β-propeller fold bearing limited similarity to known paramyxoviral attachment glycoproteins, in particular at host receptor-binding surfaces. We confirm the inability of MojV-G to interact with known paramyxoviral receptors in vitro, indicating an independence from well-characterized ephrinB2/B3, sialic acid and CD150-mediated entry pathways. Furthermore, we find that MojV-G is antigenically distinct, indicating that MojV would less likely be detected in existing large-scale serological screening studies focused on well-established HNVs. Altogether, these data indicate a unique host-cell entry pathway for this emerging and potentially pathogenic HNV.
Local magnetic moments in iron and nickel at ambient and Earth’s core conditions
Authors: Hausoel A. , Karolak M. , Şaşιoğlu E. , Lichtenstein A. , Held K. , Katanin A. , Toschi A. , Sangiovanni G.
Published: July 2017

Some Bravais lattices have a particular geometry that can slow down the motion of Bloch electrons by pre-localization due to the band-structure properties. Another known source of electronic localization in solids is the Coulomb repulsion in partially filled d or f orbitals, which leads to the formation of local magnetic moments. The combination of these two effects is usually considered of little relevance to strongly correlated materials. Here we show that it represents, instead, the underlying physical mechanism in two of the most important ferromagnets: nickel and iron. In nickel, the van Hove singularity has an unexpected impact on the magnetism. As a result, the electron–electron scattering rate is linear in temperature, in violation of the conventional Landau theory of metals. This is true even at Earth’s core pressures, at which iron is instead a good Fermi liquid. The importance of nickel in models of geomagnetism may have therefore to be reconsidered.
Comparison of DNA-, PMA-, and RNA-based 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing for detection of live bacteria in water
Authors: Li Ru , Tun Hein Min , Jahan Musarrat , Zhang Zhengxiao , Kumar Ayush , Dilantha Fernando W. G. , Farenhorst Annemieke , Khafipour Ehsan
Published: July 2017

The limitation of 16S rRNA gene sequencing (DNA-based) for microbial community analyses in water is the inability to differentiate live (dormant cells as well as growing or non-growing metabolically active cells) and dead cells, which can lead to false positive results in the absence of live microbes. Propidium-monoazide (PMA) has been used to selectively remove DNA from dead cells during downstream sequencing process. In comparison, 16S rRNA sequencing (RNA-based) can target live microbial cells in water as both dormant and metabolically active cells produce rRNA. The objective of this study was to compare the efficiency and sensitivity﻿ of﻿ DNA-based, PMA-based and RNA-based 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing methodologies for live bacteria detection in water samples experimentally spiked with different combination of bacteria (2 gram-negative and 2 gram-positive/acid fast species either all live, all dead, or combinations of live and dead species) or obtained from different sources (First Nation community drinking water; city of Winnipeg tap water; water from Red River, Manitoba, Canada). The RNA-based method, while was superior for detection of live bacterial cells still identified a number of 16S rRNA targets in samples spiked with dead cells. In environmental water samples, the DNA- and PMA-based approaches perhaps overestimated the richness of microbial community compared to RNA-based method. Our results suggest that the RNA-based sequencing was superior to DNA- and PMA-based methods in detecting live bacterial cells in water.
Parylene C topographic micropattern as a template for patterning PDMS and Polyacrylamide hydrogel
Authors: Sanzari Ilaria , Callisti Mauro , Grazia Antonio De , Evans Daniel J. , Polcar Tomas , Prodromakis Themistoklis
Published: July 2017

Parylene C is a well-known polymer and it has been mainly employed as a protective layer for implantable electronics. In this paper, we propose a new approach to use Parylene C as a versatile template for patterning soft materials potentially applicable as scaffolds in cardiac tissue engineering (TE). Parylene C substrates were anisotropically patterned through standard lithographic process with hydrophilic channels separating raised hydrophobic strips. Ridges and grooves of the template are 10 µm width and depth ranging from 1 to 17 µm. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Polyacrylamide (PAm) hydrogel have been chosen as soft polymers to be moulded. Thanks to their chemical and physical properties PDMS and PAm hydrogel mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM). PDMS was spin coated on micropatterned Parylene C obtaining composite substrates with 460 nm and 1.15 µm high grooves. The Young’s modulus of the composite Parylene C/PDMS was evaluated and it was found to be almost half when compared to PDMS. PAm hydrogel was also printed using collagen coated micro-grooved Parylene C. Optical micrographs and fluorescence analysis show the successful topographic and protein pattern transfer on the hydrogel.
Pulsation of electrified jet in capillary microfluidics
Authors: Li Xiong , Wei Shanshan , Chen Liucheng , Qu Gang , Zhang Huisheng , Liu Zhou , Wang Liqiu , Kong Tiantian , Wang Tianfu
Published: July 2017

In this work, we investigate the pulsation of an electrically charged jet surrounded by an immiscible dielectric liquid in flow-focusing capillary microfluidics. We have characterized a low-frequency large-amplitude pulsation and a high-frequency small-amplitude pulsation, respectively. The former, due to the unbalanced charge and fluid transportation is responsible for generating droplets with a broad size distribution. The latter is intrinsic and produces droplets with a relatively narrow size distribution. Moreover, the average size of the final droplets can be tuned via the intrinsic pulsating frequency through changing the diameter of the emitted liquid jet. Our results provide degree of control over the emulsion droplets with submicron sizes generated in microfluidic-electrospray platform.
Patients with Orthostatic Intolerance: Relationship to Autonomic Function Tests results and Reproducibility of Symptoms on Tilt
Authors: Lee Hyung , Low Phillip A. , Kim Hyun Ah
Published: July 2017

This study was designed to investigate the frequency and pattern of orthostatic symptoms during head-up tilt (HUT) in patients with orthostatic intolerance during daily life, and to identify the relationship between the orthostatic symptoms during HUT and autonomic parameters. We prospectively collected autonomic data from 464 patients with orthostatic symptoms. Adrenergic and cardiovagal function tests including HUT were performed. Based on HUT results, we divided patients into orthostatic hypotension (OH), postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS), or normal HUT groups. We also investigated orthostatic symptoms during HUT. Only 25% of the patients reported orthostatic symptoms during HUT and 75% were asymptomatic. Typical orthostatic symptoms such as orthostatic dizziness and blurred vision, and atypical symptoms like chest tightness and headache occurred in 86% and 66%, respectively. Patients with POTS had symptoms more frequently than patients with OH during HUT. There were no differences in degrees of BP or HR changes between symptomatic and asymptomatic groups within the OH and POTS groups. HUT fails to reproduce symptoms of orthostatic intolerance in the majority of patients. Clinicians need to be aware that most patients with OH are asymptomatic during HUT and patients with POTS are more likely to be symptomatic than patients with OH.
Generation of spin waves by a train of fs-laser pulses: a novel approach for tuning magnon wavelength
Authors: Savochkin I. V. , Jäckl M. , Belotelov V. I. , Akimov I. A. , Kozhaev M. A. , Sylgacheva D. A. , Chernov A. I. , Shaposhnikov A. N. , Prokopov A. R. , Berzhansky V. N. , Yakovlev D. R. , Zvezdin A. K. , Bayer M.
Published: July 2017

Currently spin waves are considered for computation and data processing as an alternative to charge currents. Generation of spin waves by ultrashort laser pulses provides several important advances with respect to conventional approaches using microwaves. In particular, focused laser spot works as a point source for spin waves and allows for directional control of spin waves and switching between their different types. For further progress in this direction it is important to manipulate with the spectrum of the optically generated spin waves. Here we tackle this problem by launching spin waves by a sequence of femtosecond laser pulses with pulse interval much shorter than the relaxation time of the magnetization oscillations. This leads to the cumulative phenomenon and allows us to generate magnons in a specific narrow range of wavenumbers. The wavelength of spin waves can be tuned from 15 μm to hundreds of microns by sweeping the external magnetic field by only 10 Oe or by slight variation of the pulse repetition rate. Our findings expand the capabilities of the optical spin pump-probe technique and provide a new method for the spin wave generation and control.
Some coral diseases track climate oscillations in the Caribbean
Authors: Randall C. J. , van Woesik R.
Published: July 2017

Disease outbreaks continue to reduce coral populations worldwide. Understanding coral diseases and their relationships with environmental drivers is necessary to forecast disease outbreaks, and to predict future changes in coral populations. Yet, the temporal dynamics of coral diseases are rarely reported. Here we evaluate trends and periodicities in the records of three common coral diseases (white-band disease, yellow-band disease, and dark-spot syndrome) that were surveyed between 1997 and 2014 at 2082 sites throughout the Caribbean. The relationship between the periodicities of disease prevalence and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycles was examined using cross-wavelet analyses and convergent cross mapping (CCM). The prevalence of the diseases peaked every two to four years, and matched periodicities in ENSO conditions. CCM models suggested that environmental conditions associated with recent ENSO cycles may have influenced the patterns in disease prevalence. We also found no increasing trends in disease prevalence through time. Instead, our work suggests that the prevalence of coral diseases is dynamic and complex. The gradual increase in sea-surface temperature, a consequence of increasing greenhouse gas emissions, progressively raises the modal temperature threshold of each ENSO cycle. These dynamic cycles and the increasing modal temperatures appear to influence the dynamics of coral diseases.
Ferromagnetic Resonance Revised – Electrodynamic Approach
Authors: Krupka Jerzy , Aleshkevych Pavlo , Salski Bartlomiej , Kopyt Pawel , Pacewicz Adam
Published: July 2017

Resonance in a ferromagnetic sphere, known in the body of literature as the mode of uniform precession, has recently been proven to be magnetic plasmon resonance (MPR). This finding has prompted research which is presented in this paper on the relation between the Q-factor at the MPR and the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) linewidth ΔH, which is a parameter of magnetized gyromagnetic materials. It is proven in this paper that ΔH can be unequivocally determined from the Q-factor measured at the MPR, if all losses in the resonance system are properly accounted for. It can be undertaken through a rigorous but simple electrodynamic study involving the transcendental equation, as proposed in this paper. The present study also reveals that electric losses have a substantially reduced impact on ΔH due to the large magnetic to electric energy storage ratio at the MPR. Theoretical results are supported by measurements of the Q-factors on a monocrystalline yttrium iron garnet (YIG) sphere.
Cell-type specific differences in promoter activity of the ALS-linked C9orf72 mouse ortholog
Authors: Langseth Abraham J. , Kim Juhyun , Ugolino Janet E. , Shah Yajas , Hwang Ho-Yon , Wang Jiou , Bergles Dwight E. , Brown Solange P.
Published: July 2017

A hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene is the most common cause of inherited forms of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Both loss-of-function and gain-of-function mechanisms have been proposed to underlie this disease, but the pathogenic pathways are not fully understood. To better understand the involvement of different cell types in the pathogenesis of ALS, we systematically analyzed the distribution of promoter activity of the mouse ortholog of C9orf72 in the central nervous system. We demonstrate that C9orf72 promoter activity is widespread in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons as well as in oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocyte precursor cells. In contrast, few microglia and astrocytes exhibit detectable C9orf72 promoter activity. Although at a gross level, the distribution of C9orf72 promoter activity largely follows overall cellular density, we found that it is selectively enriched in subsets of neurons and glial cells that degenerate in ALS. Specifically, we show that C9orf72 promoter activity is enriched in corticospinal and spinal motor neurons as well as in oligodendrocytes in brain regions that are affected in ALS. These results suggest that cell autonomous changes in both neurons and glia may contribute to C9orf72-mediated disease, as has been shown for mutations in superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1).
Analysis of the Conduction Mechanism and Copper Vacancy Density in p-type Cu2O Thin Films
Authors: Han Sanggil , Flewitt Andrew J.
Published: July 2017

A quantitative and analytical investigation on the conduction mechanism in p-type cuprous oxide (Cu2O) thin films is performed based on analysis of the relative dominance of trap-limited and grain-boundary-limited conduction. It is found that carrier transport in as-deposited Cu2O is governed by grain-boundary-limited conduction (GLC), while after high-temperature annealing, GLC becomes insignificant and trap-limited conduction (TLC) dominates. This suggests that the very low Hall mobility of as-deposited Cu2O is due to significant GLC, and the Hall mobility enhancement by high-temperature annealing is determined by TLC. Evaluation of the grain size and the energy barrier height at the grain boundary shows an increase in the grain size and a considerable decrease in the energy barrier height after high-temperature annealing, which is considered to be the cause of the significant reduction in the GLC effect. Additionally, the density of copper vacancies was extracted; this quantitatively shows that an increase in annealing temperature leads to a reduction in copper vacancies.
Positioning of the SCRAMBLED receptor requires UDP-Glc:sterol glucosyltransferase 80B1 in Arabidopsis roots
Authors: Pook Victoria G. , Nair Meera , Ryu KookHui , Arpin James C. , Schiefelbein John , Schrick Kathrin , DeBolt Seth
Published: July 2017

The biological function of sterol glucosides (SGs), the most abundant sterol derivatives in higher plants, remains uncertain. In an effort to improve our understanding of these membrane lipids we examined phenotypes exhibited by the roots of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) lines carrying insertions in the UDP-Glc:sterol glucosyltransferase genes, UGT80A2 and UGT80B1. We show that although ugt80A2 mutants exhibit significantly lower levels of total SGs they are morphologically indistinguishable from wild-type plants. In contrast, the roots of ugt80B1 mutants are only deficient in stigmasteryl glucosides but exhibit a significant reduction in root hairs. Sub-cellular investigations reveal that the plasma membrane cell fate regulator, SCRAMBLED (SCM), is mislocalized in ugt80B1 mutants, underscoring the aberrant root epidermal cell patterning. Live imaging of roots indicates that SCM:GFP is localized to the cytoplasm in a non cell type dependent manner instead of the hair (H) cell plasma membrane in these mutants. In addition, we provide evidence for the localization of the UGT80B1 enzyme in the plasma membrane. These data lend further support to the notion that deficiencies in specific SGs are sufficient to disrupt normal cell function and point to a possible role for SGs in cargo transport and/or protein targeting to the plasma membrane.
Symmetry of learning rate in synaptic plasticity modulates formation of flexible and stable memories
Authors: Park Youngjin , Choi Woochul , Paik Se-Bum
Published: July 2017

Spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) is considered critical to learning and memory functions in the human brain. Across various types of synapse, STDP is observed as different profiles of Hebbian and anti-Hebbian learning rules. However, the specific roles of diverse STDP profiles in memory formation still remain elusive. Here, we show that the symmetry of the learning rate profile in STDP is crucial to determining the character of stored memory. Using computer simulations, we found that an asymmetric learning rate generates flexible memory that is volatile and easily overwritten by newly appended information. Moreover, a symmetric learning rate generates stable memory that can coexist with newly appended information. In addition, by combining these two conditions, we could realize a hybrid memory type that operates in a way intermediate between stable and flexible memory. Our results demonstrate that various attributes of memory functions may originate from differences in the synaptic stability.
Functional divergence and origin of the DAG-like gene family in plants
Authors: Luo Meijie , Cai Manjun , Zhang Jianhua , Li Yurong , Zhang Ruyang , Song Wei , Zhang Ke , Xiao Hailin , Yue Bing , Zheng Yonglian , Zhao Yanxin , Zhao Jiuran , Qiu Fazhan
Published: July 2017

The nuclear-encoded DAG-like (DAL) gene family plays critical roles in organelle C-to-U RNA editing in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, the origin, diversification and functional divergence of DAL genes remain unclear. Here, we analyzed the genomes of diverse plant species and found that: DAL genes are specific to spermatophytes, all DAL genes share a conserved gene structure and protein similarity with the inhibitor I9 domain of subtilisin genes found in ferns and mosses, suggesting that DAL genes likely arose from I9-containing proproteases via exon shuffling. Based on phylogenetic inference, DAL genes can be divided into five subfamilies, each composed of putatively orthologous and paralogous genes from different species, suggesting that all DAL genes originated from a common ancestor in early seed plants. Significant type I functional divergence was observed in 6 of 10 pairwise comparisons, indicating that shifting functional constraints have contributed to the evolution of DAL genes. This inference is supported by the finding that functionally divergent amino acids between subfamilies are predominantly located in the DAL domain, a critical part of the RNA editosome. Overall, these findings shed light on the origin of DAL genes in spermatophytes and outline functionally important residues involved in the complexity of the RNA editosome.
Functional variants of the melanocortin-4 receptor associated with the Odontoceti and Mysticeti suborders of cetaceans
Authors: Zhao Liyuan , Zhou Xiaofan , Rokas Antonis , Cone Roger D.
Published: July 2017

Cetaceans, a group of mammals adapted to the aquatic environment that descended from terrestrial artiodactyls, exhibit tremendous interspecific differences in a number of phenotypes, including feeding behavior, such as filter feeding in the Mysticeti vs prey-hunting Odontoceti, and size, with the smallest cetacean, the vaquita, at 1.4 meters and the largest, the blue whale, reaching 33 meters. The Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) regulates food intake, energy balance, and somatic growth in both mammals and teleosts. In this study, we examined allelic variants of the MC4R in cetaceans. We sequenced the MC4R from 20 cetaceans, and pharmacologically characterized 17 of these protein products. Results identified a single variation at amino acid 156 in the MC4R from representative species of major cetacean lineages uniquely associated with the toothed whales or Odontoceti (arginine at 156) and baleen whales or Mysticeti (glutamine at 156). The Q156 receptor variant found in the larger baleen whales was functionally less responsive to its endogenous anorexigenic ligand, α-MSH. Furthermore, the R156 receptor variant showed greater constitutive activity and a higher affinity for ligand. These data suggest that the MC4R may be one gene involved in the evolution of feeding ecology, energy balance, and body size in cetaceans.
A Simple, Robust and Efficient Computational Method for n-Octanol/Water Partition Coefficients of Substituted Aromatic Drugs
Authors: Bahmani Asrin , Saaidpour Saadi , Rostami Amin
Published: July 2017

In this paper, multiple linear regression (MLR) was used to build quantitative structure property relationship (QSPR) of n-octanol-water partition coefficient (logPo/w) of 195 substituted aromatic drugs. The molecular descriptors were calculated for each compound by the VLifeMDS. By applying genetic algorithm/multiple linear regressions (GA/MLR) the most relevant descriptors were selected to build a QSPR model. The robustness of the model was characterized by the statistical validation and applicability domain (AD). The prediction results from MLR are in good agreement with the experimental values. The R2and Q2LOOfor MLR are 0.9433, 0.9341. The AD of the model was analyzed based on the Williams plot. The effects of different selected descriptors are described.
Gilgamesh is required for the maintenance of germline stem cells in Drosophila testis
Authors: Chen Dongsheng , Zhu Xiangxiang , Zhou Lijuan , Wang Jian , Tao Xiaoqian , Wang Shuang , Sun Fuling , Kan Xianzhao , Han Zhengqi , Gu Yuelin
Published: July 2017

Emerging evidence supports that stem cells are regulated by both intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms. However, factors that determine the fate of stem cells remain incompletely understood. The Drosophila testis provides an exclusive powerful model in searching for potential important regulatory factors and their underlying mechanisms for controlling the fate of germline stem cells (GSCs). In this study, we have found that Drosophila gilgamesh (gish), which encodes a homologue of human CK1-γ (casein kinase 1-gamma), is required intrinsically for GSC maintenance. Our genetic analyses indicate gish is not required for Dpp/Gbb signaling silencing of bam and is dispensable for Dpp/Gbb signaling-dependent Dad expression. Finally, we show that overexpression of gish fail to dramatically increase the number of GSCs. These findings demonstrate that gish controls the fate of GSCs in Drosophila testis by a novel Dpp/Gbb signaling-independent pathway.
Surges in trematode prevalence linked to centennial-scale flooding events in the Adriatic
Authors: Scarponi Daniele , Azzarone Michele , Kowalewski Michał , Huntley John Warren
Published: July 2017

The forecasts of increasing global temperature and sea level rise have led to concern about the response of parasites to anthropogenic climate change. Whereas ecological studies of parasite response to environmental shifts are necessarily limited to short time scales, the fossil record can potentially provide a quantitative archive of long-term ecological responses to past climate transitions. Here, we document multi-centennial scale changes in prevalence of trematodes infesting the bivalve host Abra segmentum through multiple sea-level fluctuations preserved in brackish Holocene deposits of the Po Plain, Italy. Prevalence values were significantly elevated (p < 0.01) in samples associated with flooding surfaces, yet the temporal trends of parasite prevalence and host shell length, cannot be explained by Waltherian facies change, host availability, salinity, diversity, turnover, or community structure. The observed surges in parasite prevalence during past flooding events indicate that the ongoing global warming and sea-level rise will lead to significant intensification of trematode parasitism, suppressed fecundity of common benthic organisms, and negative impacts on marine ecosystems, ecosystem services, and, eventually, to human well-being.
Recent Warming and Cooling in the Antarctic Peninsula Region has Rapid and Large Effects on Lichen Vegetation
Authors: Sancho Leopoldo G. , Pintado Ana , Navarro Francisco , Ramos Miguel , De Pablo Miguel Angel , Blanquer Jose Manuel , Raggio Jose , Valladares Fernando , Green Thomas George Allan
Published: July 2017

The Antarctic Peninsula has had a globally large increase in mean annual temperature from the 1951 to 1998 followed by a decline that still continues. The challenge is now to unveil whether these recent, complex and somewhat unexpected climatic changes are biologically relevant. We were able to do this by determining the growth of six lichen species on recently deglaciated surfaces over the last 24 years. Between 1991 and 2002, when mean summer temperature (MST) rose by 0.42 °C, five of the six species responded with increased growth. MST declined by 0.58 °C between 2002 and 2015 with most species showing a fall in growth rate and two of which showed a collapse with the loss of large individuals due to a combination of increased snow fall and longer snow cover duration. Increased precipitation can, counter-intuitively, have major negative effects when it falls as snow at cooler temperatures. The recent Antarctic cooling is having easily detectable and deleterious impacts on slow growing and highly stress-tolerant crustose lichens, which are comparable in extent and dynamics, and reverses the gains observed over the previous decades of exceptional warming.
Evolutionarily conserved BIL4 suppresses the degradation of brassinosteroid receptor BRI1 and regulates cell elongation
Authors: Yamagami Ayumi , Saito Chieko , Nakazawa Miki , Fujioka Shozo , Uemura Tomohiro , Matsui Minami , Sakuta Masaaki , Shinozaki Kazuo , Osada Hiroyuki , Nakano Akihiko , Asami Tadao , Nakano Takeshi
Published: July 2017

Brassinosteroids (BRs), plant steroid hormones, play important roles in plant cell elongation and differentiation. To investigate the mechanisms of BR signaling, we previously used the BR biosynthesis inhibitor Brz as a chemical biology tool and identified the Brz-insensitive-long hypocotyl4 mutant (bil4). Although the BIL4 gene encodes a seven-transmembrane-domain protein that is evolutionarily conserved in plants and animals, the molecular function of BIL4 in BR signaling has not been elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that BIL4 is expressed in early elongating cells and regulates cell elongation in Arabidopsis. BIL4 also activates BR signaling and interacts with the BR receptor brassinosteroid insensitive 1 (BRI1) in endosomes. BIL4 deficiency increases the localization of BRI1 in the vacuoles. Our results demonstrate that BIL4 regulates cell elongation and BR signaling via the regulation of BRI1 localization.