bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modelling the impact of pulsed CAMP volcanism onpCO2and δ13C across the Triassic–Jurassic transition
Authors: BACHAN AVIV , PAYNE JONATHAN L.
Published: June 2015

A sharp negative δ13C excursion coincides with the end-Triassic mass extinction. This is followed by a protracted interval of13C enrichment. These isotopic events occurred simultaneously with the emplacement of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP). Here we use a carbon cycle box model to explore the effects of episodic carbon release – constrained by recently developed high-resolution chronology – on atmosphericpCO2, ocean chemistry and the δ13C of the ocean–atmosphere carbon pool. Our results are consistent with previous modelling efforts in suggesting that the sharp negative δ13C excursion and acidification event associated with the extinction are best explained by the rapid release (<20 ka) of highly13C-depleted carbon (−70‰). However, our model also indicates that the likely short duration of the excursion requires organic carbon burial to have closely followed carbon injection. The age within the Hettangian of the large positive δ13C excursion which follows is currently uncertain. If early Hettangian in age, then our modelling indicates that the interval of13C enrichment was closely associated with the volcanic CO2pulses andpCO2peaks. If late Hettangian in age, then the13C enrichment must have lagged the carbon input substantially (by hundreds of thousands of years) and was associated with CO2drawdown and over-cooling. Our modelling highlights the need for improved age constraints on Hettangian stratigraphic sections in order to test between two distinct and contrasting possibilities: continuing carbon cycle instability due to recurrent perturbations from CAMP activity or a delayed recovery arising from internal biosphere dynamics.
Once Burned, Twice Shy: Money Market Fund Responses to a Systemic Liquidity Shock
Authors: Strahan Philip E. , Tanyeri Başak
Published: June 2015

After Lehman’s collapse in 2008, investors ran from risky money market funds. In 27 funds, outflows overwhelmed cash inflows, thus forcing asset sales. These funds sold their safest and most liquid holdings. Funds were thus left with riskier and longer maturity assets. Over the subsequent quarter, however, the hard-hit funds reduced risk more than other funds. In contrast, money funds hit by idiosyncratic liquidity shocks before Lehman did not alter portfolio risk. The result suggests that moral hazard concerns with the Treasury Guarantee of investor claims did not increase risk taking. Funds that benefited most from the government bailout reduced risk.
Levels of infection and seasonal occurrence ofGyrodactylus alviga(Monogenea: Gyrodactylidae) on the whitingMerlangius merlangusoff the Turkish and Russian coasts of the Black Sea
Authors: Özer A. , Kornyychuk Y. , Öztürk T. , Yurakhno V.
Published: June 2015

Gyrodactylus alvigais a generalist species reported in many Black Sea fish species, but whiting is known to be its main host. It is the only monogenean parasite that has been reported so far on the skin, fins and gills of whitingMerlangius merlangusin the Black Sea. A total of 690 fish from Turkey and 423 fish from Russia were examined to detect parasites. Infection indices of prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance values were calculated for length classes and sex of fish, as well as for the seasons. There is a gradual increase in infection indices in relation with increasing host length classes and there are higher infection indices on female fish. Furthermore, despite lower prevalence indices in spring and winter, higher parasite intensity values were determined in these seasons. It is concluded that larger fish provided more space and food forG. alviga, and female fish were more parasitized as they were more active in searching for food, which enables the parasite to switch between hosts. In addition, winter and spring were more appropriate for reproduction ofG. alviga.
Spatial variability of larval parasites harboured by two crab species in an estuarine environment in Argentina
Authors: Mendez Casariego Agustina , Merlo Matias , Etchegoin Jorge
Published: June 2015

Soft bottom intertidals of the Atlantic SW are dominated by the semi-terrestrial crabNeohelice granulataand the grapsid crabCyrtograpsus angulatus. They are similar in size butC. angulatusis mainly a subtidal species, whileN. granulatainhabits the intertidal zones, thus the two species overlap only during high tides in this area. Since these distribution differences between crab species across the Mar Chiquita Coastal lagoon may affect digenean infection success, the objective of this work is to describe the spatial differences in parasite infection levels and their selectivity on the host. To determine possible spatial differences in parasitism levels between sites and crab species across the lagoon, three areas dominated byN. granulatawere selected and adult crabs ofN. granulataandC. angulatuswere collected. Both crab species harboured metacercariae of the digeneansMicrophallus szidatiandMaritrema bonaerensis(Microphallidae), and cystacanths of the acanthocephalanProfilicollis chasmagnathi(Profilicollidae). Digenean species showed preferences between the two crabs.Maritrema bonaerensismean intensity was higher inN. granulatathan inC. angulatus, while the opposite trend was found forM. szidatiand could indicate some level of specificity. These results, nevertheless, depended on the study site. ForP. chasmagnathithe highest values of mean intensity depended more on the site than on the crab species. The values found here, compared with previous works from both crab species, suggest that besides the spatial heterogeneity, interspecific competition between parasites could explain the differences observed.
Distribution of short-finned squid Illex argentinus (Cephalopoda: Ommastrephidae) inferred from the diets of Southern Ocean albatrosses using stable isotope analyses
Authors: Seco José , Daneri Gustavo A. , Ceia Filipe R. , Vieira Rui Pedro , Hill Simeon L. , Xavier José Carlos
Published: June 2015

The diets of marine predators are a potential source of information about range shifts in their prey. For example, the short-finned squid Illex argentinus, a commercially fished species on the Patagonian Shelf in the South Atlantic, has been reported in the diet of grey-headed, Thalassarche chrysostoma; black-browed, T. melanophris; and wandering, Diomedea exulans, albatrosses breeding at Bird Island, South Georgia (54°S 28°W) in the Southern Ocean. Tracking data suggest that these birds may feed on I. argentinus while foraging in Southern Ocean waters during their breeding season. This led to the hypothesis that I. argentinus may occur south of the Antarctic Polar Front. To test this hypothesis, we used stable isotope analyses to assess the origin of I. argentinus. We compared I. argentinus beaks from the diets of the three albatross species with beaks of cephalopod species endemic to the Patagonian Shelf and others from the Southern Ocean. Our results show that I. argentinus from the diet of albatrosses at Bird Island have δ13C values in the range −18.77 to −15.28‰. This is consistent with δ13C values for Octopus tehuelchus, a typical species from the Patagonian Shelf. In contrast, Alluroteuthis antarcticus, a Southern Ocean squid, has typically Antarctic δ13C in the range −25.46 to −18.61‰. This suggests that I. argentinus originated from warmer waters of the Patagonian Shelf region. It is more likely that the albatross species obtained I. argentinus by foraging in the Patagonian Shelf region than that I. argentinus naturally occurs south of the Antarctic Polar Front.
A longitudinal twin study of borderline and antisocial personality disorder traits in early to middle adulthood
Authors: Reichborn-Kjennerud T. , Czajkowski N. , Ystrøm E. , Ørstavik R. , Aggen S. H. , Tambs K. , Torgersen S. , Neale M. C. , Røysamb E. , Krueger R. F. , Knudsen G. P. , Kendler K. S.
Published: June 2015

Background.

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) share genetic and environmental risk factors. Little is known about the temporal stability of these etiological factors in adulthood.

Method.

DSM-IV criteria for ASPD and BPD were assessed using structured interviews in 2282 Norwegian twins in early adulthood and again approximately 10 years later. Longitudinal biometric models were used to analyze the number of endorsed criteria.

Results.

The mean criterion count for ASPD and BPD decreased 40% and 28%, respectively, from early to middle adulthood. Rank-order stability was 0.58 for ASPD and 0.45 for BPD. The best-fitting longitudinal twin model included only genetic and individual-specific environmental factors. Genetic effects, both those shared by ASPD and BPD, and those specific to each disorder remained completely stable. The unique environmental effects, however, changed substantially, with a correlation across time of 0.19 for the shared effects, and 0.39 and 0.15, respectively, for those specific to ASPD and BPD. Genetic effects accounted for 71% and 72% of the stability over time for ASPD and BPD, respectively. The genetic and environmental correlations between ASPD and BPD were 0.73, and 0.43, respectively, at both time points.

Conclusion.

ASPD and BPD traits were moderately stable from early to middle adulthood, mostly due to genetic risk factors which did not change over the 10-year assessment period. Environmental risk factors were mostly transient, and appear to be the main source of phenotypic change. Genetic liability factors were, to a large extent, shared by ASPD and BPD.
Psychopathology arises from intertemporal bargaining as well as from emotional trauma
Authors: Ainslie George
Published: June 2015

The role of emotional trauma in psychopathology is limited. One additional mechanism is predictable from hyperbolic discounting: When a person uses willpower to control urges each success or failure takes on extra significance through recursive self-prediction, potentially motivating several constricting defense mechanisms. The need for eliciting emotion in psychotherapy is as the authors say it is, but their hypothesis about reconsolidation of memories adds no explanatory power.
Minding the findings: Let's not miss the message of memory reconsolidation research for psychotherapy
Authors: Ecker Bruce , Hulley Laurel , Ticic Robin
Published: June 2015

That memory reconsolidation is the process underlying decisive, lasting therapeutic change has long been our proposal, and the recognition of its critical role by Lane et al. is a welcome development. However, in our view their account has significant errors due to neglect of research findings and neglect of previous work on the clinical application of those findings.
A clinician's perspective on memory reconsolidation as the primary basis for psychotherapeutic change in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Authors: Kimbrel Nathan A. , Meyer Eric C. , Beckham Jean C.
Published: June 2015

Lane et al.'s proposal that psychotherapeutic change comes about through memory reconsolidation is compelling; however, the model would be strengthened by the inclusion of predictions regarding additional factors that might influence treatment response, predictions for improving outcomes for non-responsive patients, and a discussion of how the proposed model might explain individual differences in vulnerability for mental health problems.
The nature of the semantic/episodic memory distinction: A missing piece of the “working through” process
Authors: Klein Stanley B. , Markowitsch Hans J.
Published: June 2015

The relations between the semantic and episodic-autobiographical memory systems are more complex than described in the target article. We argue that understanding the noetic/autonoetic distinction provides critical insights into the foundation of the delineation between the two memory systems. Clarity with respect to the criteria for classification of these two systems, and the evolving conceptualization of episodic memory, can further neuroscientifically informed therapeutic approaches.
Memory reconsolidation, repeating, and working through: Science and culture in psychotherapeutic research and practice
Authors: Levin Charles
Published: June 2015

Hypothesizing that an effective common feature in divergent forms of psychotherapy is a process of memory reconsolidation integrating new emotional experiences, Lane et al. usefully shift the focus away from established and/or specialized techniques to deeper questions about the underlying principles of psychotherapeutic change. More research attention to cultural factors influencing the definition and treatment of psychopathology is also needed.
Reconsolidation or re-association?
Authors: Llewellyn Sue
Published: June 2015

The target article argues memory reconsolidation demonstrates how therapeutic change occurs, grounding psychotherapy in brain science. However, consolidation has become an ambiguous term, a disadvantage applying also to its derivative – reconsolidation. The concept of re-association (involving active association between memories during rapid eye movement [REM] dreams followed by indexation and network junction instantiation during non-rapid eye movement [NREM] periods) brings greater specificity and explanatory power to the possible brain correlates of therapeutic change.
Top-down versus bottom-up perspectives on clinically significant memory reconsolidation
Authors: Marks-Tarlow Terry , Panksepp Jaak
Published: June 2015

Lane et al. are right: Troublesome memories can be therapeutically recontextualized. Reconsolidation of negative/traumatic memories within the context of positive/prosocial affects can facilitate diverse psychotherapies. Although neural mechanisms remain poorly understood, we discuss how nonlinear dynamics of various positive affects, heavily controlled by primal subcortical networks, may be critical for optimal benefits.
Reconsolidation: Turning consciousness into memory
Authors: Solms Mark
Published: June 2015

The purpose of learning is not to maintain records but to generate predictions. Successful predictions remain implicit; only prediction errors (“surprises”) attract consciousness. This is what Freud had in mind when he declared that “consciousness arises instead of a memory-trace.” The aim of reconsolidation, and of psychotherapy, is to improve predictions about how to meet our needs in the world.
Clinical applications of counterfactual thinking during memory reactivation
Authors: De Brigard Felipe , Hanna Eleanor
Published: June 2015

The Integrative Memory Model offers a strong foundation upon which to build successful strategies for clinical intervention. The next challenge is to figure out which cognitive strategies are more likely to bring about successful and beneficial modifications of reactivated memories during therapy. In this commentary we suggest that exercising emotional regulation during episodic counterfactual thinking is likely to be a successful therapeutic strategy to bring about beneficial memory modifications.
The relevance of maintaining and worsening processes in psychopathology
Authors: Mancini Francesco , Gangemi Amelia
Published: June 2015

The states called “psychopathology” are very diverse, but Lane et al.'s single-process explanation does little to account for this diversity. Moreover, some other crucial phenomena of psychopathology do not fit this theory: the role of negative evaluations of conscious emotions, and the role of emotions without physiological correlates. And it does not consider the processes maintaining disorders.
Memory reconsolidation keeps track of emotional changes, but what will explain the actual “processing”?
Authors: Pascual-Leone Antonio , Pascual-Leone Juan
Published: June 2015

We question memory reconsolidation and emotional arousal as sufficient determinants of therapeutic change. Generating new feelings and meanings must be contrasted with activating and stabilizing the evolving memories that reflect those novel experiences. Some therapeutic changes are not attributable to a memory model alone. “Emotional processing” is also needed and is often an undeclared form of complex executive problem solving.
The trans-riverine genetic structure of 28 Amazonian frog species is dependent on life history
Authors: Fouquet Antoine , Courtois Elodie A. , Baudain Daniel , Lima Jucivaldo Dias , Souza Sergio Marques , Noonan Brice P. , Rodrigues Miguel T.
Published: June 2015

Among the hypotheses formulated to explain the origin of Amazonian biodiversity, two (the riverine-barrier and the river-refuge hypotheses) focus on the role that rivers play as biotic barriers promoting speciation. However, empirical results have both supported and refuted these hypotheses. This is likely due, at least in part, to river-specific hydrologic characteristics and the biology of the focal species. The rivers of the Guiana Shield represent a model system because they have had more stable courses over time than those of the western Amazon Basin, where most tests of riverine barrier effects have taken place. We tested whether life-history traits (body size, habitat and larval development), expected to be important in determining dispersal ability, of 28 frog species are associated with genetic structure and genetic distances of individuals sampled from both banks of the Oyapock River. Thirteen of these species displayed genetic structure consistent with the river acting as a barrier to dispersal. Surprisingly, body size was not correlated with trans-riverine population structure. However, leaf-litter dwellers and species lacking free-living tadpoles were found to exhibit higher river-associated structure than open habitat/arboreal species and those with exotrophic tadpoles. These results demonstrate that rivers play an important role in structuring the genetic diversity of many frog species though the permeability of such riverine barriers is highly dependent on species-specific traits.
Fruit colour conceals endocarp dimorphism from avian seed dispersers in a tropical beach plant,Scaevola taccada(Goodeniaceae), found in Okinawa
Authors: Tanaka Keita D. , Denda Tetsuo , Ueda Keisuke , Emura Naoko
Published: June 2015

Theory predicts that honest signalling strategies will not always be evolutionarily stable in interspecific communication, yet to demonstrate such a transition of signalling modality between honesty and dishonesty in the wild would be difficult. An endocarp dimorphism has been found inScaevola taccadafruits: a morph with a cork substrate that facilitates ocean current seed dispersal and a morph without the cork. Both types of fruit are covered with sugar-containing flesh, and are similar in size and colour to one another (at least from a human perspective). The apparent lack of external differences between morphotypes could potentially degrade mutualistic relations between the plant and seed-dispersing birds because the presence of a cork could lower the fruit's nutritional value. Thus, unless seed dispersers can discriminate between the different types of fruit, this system may provide an example of a transition between honest and dishonest signalling. We examinedS. taccadafruit and leaf colours from an avian visual perspective. Even though the fruits and leaves were different in colour from one another to birds, there was no perceivable difference in the colours between fruit morphotypes. Therefore, fruit colour is not an honest indicator of reward to seed dispersers. Further, we propose an adoption of a statistical method in avian visual modelling studies that avoids the common statistical errors, such as violation of the congruence principle.
The Impact of External Change on Civil Service Values in Post-Colonial Hong Kong
Authors: Burns John P. , Wei Li
Published: June 2015

Scholarly work in the 1990s indicated that the values of civil servants in late colonial Hong Kong were evolving from those of classical bureaucrats to those of more political bureaucrats as the political and social environment changed. Based on in-depth interviews with 58 politicians and senior civil servants carried out between 2009 and 2012, we argue that Hong Kong civil service values have adapted owing in part to external shocks such as regime change and governance reform. Still, traditional civil service values such as fiscal prudence and balancing various community interests continue to be prominent. We illustrate the influence of civil service values in two policymaking cases: small-class teaching and minimum-wage legislation.
The Political Geography of Nationalist Protest in China: Cities and the 2012 Anti-Japanese Protests
Authors: Wallace Jeremy L. , Weiss Jessica Chen
Published: June 2015

Why do some Chinese cities take part in waves of nationalist protest but not others? Nationalist protest remains an important but understudied topic within the study of contentious politics in China, particularly at the subnational level. Relative to other protests, nationalist mobilization is more clustered in time and geographically widespread, uniting citizens in different cities against a common target. Although the literature has debated the degree of state-led and grassroots influence on Chinese nationalism, we argue that it is important to consider both the propensity of citizens to mobilize and local government fears of instability. Analysing an original dataset of 377 anti-Japanese protests across 208 of 287 Chinese prefectural cities, we find that both state-led patriotism and the availability of collective action resources were positively associated with nationalist protest, particularly “biographically available” populations of students and migrants. In addition, the government's role was not monolithically facilitative. Fears of social unrest shaped the local political opportunity structure, with anti-Japanese protests less likely in cities with larger populations of unemployed college graduates and ethnic minorities and more likely in cities with established leaders.
Solving Rule-Consequentialism's Acceptance Rate Problem
Authors: MILLER TIMOTHY D.
Published: June 2015

Recent formulations of rule-consequentialism (RC) have attempted to select the ideal moral code based on realistic assumptions of imperfect acceptance. But this introduces further problems. What assumptions about acceptance would be realistic? And what criterion should we use to identify the ideal code? The solutions suggested in the recent literature – Fixed Rate RC, Variable Rate RC, Optimum Rate RC and Maximizing Expectation Rate RC – all calculate a code's value using formulas that stipulate some uniform rate(s) of acceptance. After pointing out a number of difficulties with these approaches, I introduce a formulation of RC on which non-uniform acceptance rates are calculated rather than stipulated. In addition to making more realistic assumptions about acceptance rates, Calculated Rates RC has several other advantages: it gives equal consideration to both acceptance and compliance rates and it brings RC more in line with our intuitive ways of thinking about rules and their consequences.
The making of the central markets of Dakar and Kinshasa: from colonial origins to the post-colonial period
Authors: BEECKMANS LUCE , BIGON LIORA
Published: June 2015

This article traces the planning history of two central marketplaces in sub-Saharan Africa, in Dakar and Kinshasa, from their French and Belgian colonial origins until the post-colonial period. In the (post-)colonial city, the marketplace has always been at the centre of contemporary debates on urban identity and spatial production. Using a rich variety of sources, this article makes a contribution to a neglected area of scholarship, as comparative studies on planning histories in sub-Saharan African cities are still rare. It also touches upon some key issues such as the multiple and often intricate processes of urban agency between local and foreign actors, sanitation and segregation, the different (post-)colonial planning cultures and their limits and the role of indigenous/intermediary groups in spatial contestation and reappropriation.
Introduction: markets in modernization: transformations in urban market space and practice,c. 1800 –c. 1970
Authors: STOBART JON , VAN DAMME ILJA
Published: June 2015

This special issue addresses the changing role and later history of physical, face-to-face markets for goods, which in modern cities all over the world are mainly or wholly used by individuals and families for consumption purposes. Our focus is on the urban market as a specific urban place and its shifting relationship with important alterations in the governance, society and economy of modern, industrial cities (untilc. 1970). The main intention of this collection is to move beyond traditional (western) views of the so-called ‘decline’ of these urban marketplaces. In the history and theorization of the type of cities that came into being all over the world in the wake of economic and political transformations in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, ‘markets’ are usually thought of in terms of their institutional meaning. They are referred to as abstract notions of commerce and exchange, be it in commodities, labour, cash or shares. Seldom are they studied as real, physical marketplaces within cities; as entities that take up space; function in changing production and distribution chains and evolve as a result of changes in wholesaling, retailing, consumption and the political regulation of urban space, society and economy. Indeed, it is often argued that ‘marketplaces’ in this spatially delimited and concrete sense ceased to be of importance once modernization took hold of urban landscapes all over the world. That this is not the case is amply demonstrated by the articles gathered here: markets continued to be vibrant parts of a wide variety of towns and cities across the globe.
Barcelona food retailing and public markets, 1876–1936
Authors: FAVA NADIA , GUÀRDIA MANEL , OYÓN JOSÉ LUIS
Published: June 2015

This article is a contribution to comparative research between specific urban markets trajectories in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and it aims to juxtapose southern European food market experiences, particularly the Barcelona case, with west European ones. Like other big cities in southern and central Europe, Barcelona consolidated a sturdy polycentric system of district markets between 1876 and 1936, just when such markets were beginning to decline in ‘first comers’ cities of Britain and France. In the inter-war period, the market halls of southern European cities played a prominent role in the everyday food trade and as functional and socializing centres in neighbourhoods. They were poles of dense residential and kinship relations for stall vendors, especially women vendors, and foci of a large part of the food retailing business in many neighbourhoods. Barcelona's particular historical circumstances made the public covered market system a fundamental element of neighbourhood commerce and a long-term urban asset.
HoBi-like viruses – the typical ‘atypical bovine pestivirus’
Authors: Bauermann Fernando V. , Ridpath Julia F.
Published: June 2015

HoBi-like viruses, also referred to as bovine viral diarrhea virus 3 (BVDV-3) and atypical pestivirus, have been proposed as a new putative bovine pestivirus species. These viruses were first identified in the last decade and are currently distributed in at least three continents. Published findings suggest that these viruses may be endemic at least in parts of South America and Asia. The clinical presentations in cattle, described in field outbreaks and controlled studies, are similar to those associated with BVDV and range from subclinical to mild clinical signs, sporadically associated with reproductive losses, respiratory illness and hemorrhagic syndrome. The complete host range of HoBi-like virus is unknown, but data suggest higher adaptation of HoBi-like viruses to ruminants than swine. Acute infections, characterized by mild clinical signs, such as low-grade pyrexia and leukopenia, have been observed in both cattle and sheep. Virus has been isolated from nasal swabs indicating that virus was being shed. While seroconversion has been observed in pigs, no clinical presentation or viral shedding was evident following inoculation. While some commercial BVDV diagnostic tests may detect HoBi-like viruses, these tests do not differentiate between BVDV and HoBi-like viruses. The differentiation of BVDV and HoBi-like viruses is critical to the design of surveillance programs for these viruses.
Pestivirus control programs: how far have we come and where are we going?
Authors: Moennig Volker , Becher Paul
Published: June 2015

Classical swine fever (CSF) is endemic in large parts of the world and it is a major threat to the pig industry in general. Vaccination and stamping out have been the most successful tools for the control and elimination of the disease. The systematic use of modified live vaccines (MLV), which are very efficacious and safe, has often preceded the elimination of CSF from regions or countries. Oral vaccination using MLV is a powerful tool for the elimination of CSF from wild boar populations. Bovine virus diarrhea (BVD) is endemic in bovine populations worldwide and programs for its control are only slowly gaining ground. With two genotypes BVD virus (BVDV) is genetically more diverse than CSF virus (CSFV). BVDV crosses the placenta of pregnant cattle resulting in the birth of persistently infected (PI) calves. PI animals shed enormous amounts of virus for the rest of their lives and they are the reservoir for the spread of BVDV in cattle populations. They are the main reason for the failure of conventional control strategies based on vaccination only. In Europe two different approaches for the successful control of BVD are being used: Elimination of PI animals without or with the optional use of vaccines, respectively.
Pestiviruses: old enemies and new challenges
Authors: Ridpath Julia F. , Neill John D.
Published: June 2015

The genesis for this special issue on pestiviruses was a joint meeting on pestiviruses organized by the US BVDV Symposia Committee and the European Society for Veterinary Virology that was held October 14 and 15, 2014 in Kansas City, MO. The theme of the meeting was “Pestiviruses: Old enemies and new challenges”. The impetus for this joint effort was the recognition that regional approaches to disease control are at odds with the worldwide traffic in animal products and biologics. Further, the control of newly recognized pestiviruses, such as HoBi-like viruses, is more effective when approached as a global challenge rather than any one nation's problem. The joint meeting featured talks by researchers from North America, South America, Australia and Europe. The papers in this issue arose from keynote talks presented at the joint meeting and are organized around the following themes; pestiviruses and the immune system, genetic variability, the emergence of new pestiviruses and pestivirus control programs.
Two alien venerid bivalves from the Eastern Mediterranean
Authors: van Aartsen J.J. , Galil B. , Bogi C.
Published: June 2015

We report the first record in the Mediterranean Sea of the minute Indo-Pacific venerid bivalveCostellipitar chordatum. The species has recently established a small population off the central coast of Israel. Numerous live specimens ofGouldiopa consternans, at several locations off the Israeli coast, confirm the presence of a fast growing population. This is the first record of the species from Israel, following a recent report from Turkey.
Chirality- and sequence-selective successive self-sorting via specific homo- and complementary-duplex formations
Authors: Makiguchi Wataru , Tanabe Junki , Yamada Hidekazu , Iida Hiroki , Taura Daisuke , Ousaka Naoki , Yashima Eiji
Published: June 2015

Self-recognition and self-discrimination within complex mixtures are of fundamental importance in biological systems, which entirely rely on the preprogrammed monomer sequences and homochirality of biological macromolecules. Here we report artificial chirality- and sequence-selective successive self-sorting of chiral dimeric strands bearing carboxylic acid or amidine groups joined by chiral amide linkers with different sequences through homo- and complementary-duplex formations. A mixture of carboxylic acid dimers linked by racemic-1,2-cyclohexane bis-amides with different amide sequences (NHCO or CONH) self-associate to form homoduplexes in a completely sequence-selective way, the structures of which are different from each other depending on the linker amide sequences. The further addition of an enantiopure amide-linked amidine dimer to a mixture of the racemic carboxylic acid dimers resulted in the formation of a single optically pure complementary duplex with a 100% diastereoselectivity and complete sequence specificity stabilized by the amidinium–carboxylate salt bridges, leading to the perfect chirality- and sequence-selective duplex formation.
Loss of microRNA-27b contributes to breast cancer stem cell generation by activating ENPP1
Authors: Takahashi Ryou-u , Miyazaki Hiroaki , Takeshita Fumitaka , Yamamoto Yusuke , Minoura Kaho , Ono Makiko , Kodaira Makoto , Tamura Kenji , Mori Masaki , Ochiya Takahiro
Published: June 2015

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been identified in various types of cancer; however, the mechanisms by which cells acquire CSC properties such as drug resistance and tumour seeding ability are not fully understood. Here, we identified microRNA-27b (miR-27b) as a key regulator for the generation of a side-population in breast cancer cells that showed CSC properties, and also found that the anti-type II diabetes (T2D) drug metformin reduced this side-population via miR-27b-mediated repression of ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase family member 1 (ENPP1), which is involved in T2D development. ENPP1 induced the generation of the side-population via upregulation of the ABCG2 transporter. ENPP1 was also identified as a substrate of the 26S proteasome, the activity of which is downregulated in CSCs. Overall, these results demonstrate that a T2D-associated gene plays an important role in tumour development and that its expression is strictly controlled at the mRNA and protein levels.
Effective heritable gene knockdown in zebrafish using synthetic microRNAs
Authors: Giacomotto Jean , Rinkwitz Silke , Becker Thomas S.
Published: June 2015

Although zebrafish is used to model human diseases through mutational and morpholino-based knockdown approaches, there are currently no robust transgenic knockdown tools. Here we investigate the knockdown efficiency of three synthetic miRNA-expressing backbones and show that these constructs can downregulate a sensor transgene with different degrees of potency. Using this approach, we reproduce spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in zebrafish by targeting the smn1 gene. We also generate different transgenic lines, with severity and age of onset correlated to the level of smn1 inhibition, recapitulating for the first time the different forms of SMA in zebrafish. These lines are proof-of-concept that miRNA-based approaches can be used to generate potent heritable gene knockdown in zebrafish.
Kruppel-like factor 4 signals through microRNA-206 to promote tumor initiation and cell survival
Authors: Lin C-C , Sharma S B , Farrugia M K , McLaughlin S L , Ice R J , Loskutov Y V , Pugacheva E N , Brundage K M , Chen D , Ruppert J M
Published: June 2015

Tumor cell heterogeneity poses a major hurdle in the treatment of cancer. Mammary cancer stem-like cells (MaCSCs), or tumor-initiating cells, are highly tumorigenic sub-populations that have the potential to self-renew and to differentiate. These cells are clinically important, as they display therapeutic resistance and may contribute to treatment failure and recurrence, but the signaling axes relevant to the tumorigenic phenotype are poorly defined. The zinc-finger transcription factor Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is a pluripotency mediator that is enriched in MaCSCs. KLF4 promotes RAS-extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway activity and tumor cell survival in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. In this study, we found that both KLF4 and a downstream effector, microRNA-206 (miR-206), are selectively enriched in the MaCSC fractions of cultured human TNBC cell lines, as well as in the aldehyde dehydrogenase-high MaCSC sub-population of cells derived from xenografted human mammary carcinomas. The suppression of endogenous KLF4 or miR-206 activities abrogated cell survival and in vivo tumor initiation, despite having only subtle effects on MaCSC abundance. Using a combinatorial approach that included in silico as well as loss- and gain-of-function in vitro assays, we identified miR-206-mediated repression of the pro-apoptotic molecules programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) and connexin 43 (CX43/GJA1). Depletion of either of these two miR-206-regulated transcripts promoted resistance to anoikis, a prominent feature of CSCs, but did not consistently alter MaCSC abundance. Consistent with increased levels of miR-206 in MaCSCs, the expression of both PDCD4 and CX43 was suppressed in these cells relative to control cells. These results identify miR-206 as an effector of KLF4-mediated prosurvival signaling in MaCSCs through repression of PDCD4 and CX43. Consequently, our study suggests that a pluripotency factor exerts prosurvival signaling in MaCSCs, and that antagonism of KLF4-miR-206 signaling may selectively target the MaCSC niche in TNBC.
Global database of paleocurrent trends through the Phanerozoic and Precambrian
Authors: Brand Leonard , Wang Mingmin , Chadwick Arthur
Published: June 2015

Paleocurrents are sedimentological features contained in all sedimentary deposits, enabling the direction of movement of the sediment and the containing fluid at the time of deposition to be determined. This database contains paleocurrent directions and other relevant associated data from published sources and theses and dissertations for the entire Phanerozoic and Precambrian for all continents. Such information may be of general interest to sedimentologists and will be of specific interest in sedimentary basin analysis, and to petroleum geologists and mineralogists seeking source areas. Paleocurrents may also be useful in plate reconstructions and in testing the timing of global tectonic events.
Snapshot Serengeti, high-frequency annotated camera trap images of 40 mammalian species in an African savanna
Authors: Swanson Alexandra , Kosmala Margaret , Lintott Chris , Simpson Robert , Smith Arfon , Packer Craig
Published: June 2015

Camera traps can be used to address large-scale questions in community ecology by providing systematic data on an array of wide-ranging species. We deployed 225 camera traps across 1,125 km2 in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, to evaluate spatial and temporal inter-species dynamics. The cameras have operated continuously since 2010 and had accumulated 99,241 camera-trap days and produced 1.2 million sets of pictures by 2013. Members of the general public classified the images via the citizen-science website www.snapshotserengeti.org. Multiple users viewed each image and recorded the species, number of individuals, associated behaviours, and presence of young. Over 28,000 registered users contributed 10.8 million classifications. We applied a simple algorithm to aggregate these individual classifications into a final ‘consensus’ dataset, yielding a final classification for each image and a measure of agreement among individual answers. The consensus classifications and raw imagery provide an unparalleled opportunity to investigate multi-species dynamics in an intact ecosystem and a valuable resource for machine-learning and computer-vision research.
A daily global mesoscale ocean eddy dataset from satellite altimetry
Authors: Faghmous James H. , Frenger Ivy , Yao Yuanshun , Warmka Robert , Lindell Aron , Kumar Vipin
Published: June 2015

Mesoscale ocean eddies are ubiquitous coherent rotating structures of water with radial scales on the order of 100 kilometers. Eddies play a key role in the transport and mixing of momentum and tracers across the World Ocean. We present a global daily mesoscale ocean eddy dataset that contains ~45 million mesoscale features and 3.3 million eddy trajectories that persist at least two days as identified in the AVISO dataset over a period of 1993–2014. This dataset, along with the open-source eddy identification software, extract eddies with any parameters (minimum size, lifetime, etc.), to study global eddy properties and dynamics, and to empirically estimate the impact eddies have on mass or heat transport. Furthermore, our open-source software may be used to identify mesoscale features in model simulations and compare them to observed features. Finally, this dataset can be used to study the interaction between mesoscale ocean eddies and other components of the Earth System.
Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Progenitors Assist Functional Sensory Axon Regeneration after Dorsal Root Avulsion Injury
Authors: Hoeber Jan , Trolle Carl , Konig Niclas , Du Zhongwei , Gallo Alessandro , Hermans Emmanuel , Aldskogius Hakan , Shortland Peter , Zhang Su-Chun , Deumens Ronald , Kozlova Elena N.
Published: June 2015

Dorsal root avulsion results in permanent impairment of sensory functions due to disconnection between the peripheral and central nervous system. Improved strategies are therefore needed to reconnect injured sensory neurons with their spinal cord targets in order to achieve functional repair after brachial and lumbosacral plexus avulsion injuries. Here, we show that sensory functions can be restored in the adult mouse if avulsed sensory fibers are bridged with the spinal cord by human neural progenitor (hNP) transplants. Responses to peripheral mechanical sensory stimulation were significantly improved in transplanted animals. Transganglionic tracing showed host sensory axons only in the spinal cord dorsal horn of treated animals. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that sensory fibers had grown through the bridge and showed robust survival and differentiation of the transplants. Section of the repaired dorsal roots distal to the transplant completely abolished the behavioral improvement. This demonstrates that hNP transplants promote recovery of sensorimotor functions after dorsal root avulsion and that these effects are mediated by spinal ingrowth of host sensory axons. These results provide a rationale for the development of novel stem cell-based strategies for functionally useful bridging of the peripheral and central nervous system.
Nodulation Characterization and Proteomic Profiling of Bradyrhizobium liaoningense CCBAU05525 in Response to Water-Soluble Humic Materials
Authors: Guo Gao Tong , Yuan Xu Yuan , Jiang Feng , Zhen Li Bao , Shui Yang Jin , Tao Wang En , Li Yuan Hong
Published: June 2015

The lignite biodegradation procedure to produce water-soluble humic materials (WSHM) with a Penicillium stain was established by previous studies in our laboratory. This study researched the effects of WSHM on the growth of Bradyrhizobium liaoningense CCBAU05525 and its nodulation on soybean. Results showed that WSHM enhanced the cell density of CCBAU05525 in culture and increased the nodule number, nodule fresh weight and nitrogenase activity of the inoculated soybean plants. Then the chemical compounds of WSHM were analyzed and flavonoid analogues were identified in WSHM through tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH)-py-GC/MS analysis. Protein expression profiles and nod gene expression of CCBAU05525 in response to WSHM or genistein were compared to illustrate the working mechanism of WSHM. The differently expressed proteins in response to WSHM were involved in nitrogen and carbon metabolism, nucleic acid metabolism, signaling, energy production and some transmembrane transports. WSHM was found more effective than genistein in inducing the nod gene expression. These results demonstrated that WSHM stimulated cell metabolism and nutrient transport, which resulted in increased cell density of CCBAU05525 and prepared the bacteria for better bacteroid development. Furthermore, WSHM had similar but superior functions to flavone in inducing nod gene and nitrogen fixation related proteins expression in CCBAU05525.
Mitochondrial Genomes of Giant Deers Suggest their Late Survival in Central Europe
Authors: Immel Alexander , Drucker Dorothée G. , Bonazzi Marion , Jahnke Tina K. , Münzel Susanne C. , Schuenemann Verena J. , Herbig Alexander , Kind Claus-Joachim , Krause Johannes
Published: June 2015

The giant deerMegaloceros giganteusis among the most fascinating Late Pleistocene Eurasian megafauna that became extinct at the end of the last ice age. Important questions persist regarding its phylogenetic relationship to contemporary taxa and the reasons for its extinction. We analyzed two large ancient cervid bone fragments recovered from cave sites in the Swabian Jura (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) dated to 12,000 years ago. Using hybridization capture in combination with next generation sequencing, we were able to reconstruct nearly complete mitochondrial genomes from both specimens. Both mtDNAs cluster phylogenetically with fallow deer and show high similarity to previously studied partialMegaloceros giganteusDNA from Kamyshlov in western Siberia and Killavullen in Ireland. The unexpected presence ofMegaloceros giganteusin Southern Germany after the Ice Age suggests a later survival in Central Europe than previously proposed. The complete mtDNAs provide strong phylogenetic support for aDama-Megalocerosclade. Furthermore, isotope analyses support an increasing competition between giant deer, red deer and reindeer after the Last Glacial Maximum, which might have contributed to the extinction ofMegalocerosin Central Europe.
A novel capsule-based self-recovery system with a chloride ion trigger
Authors: Xiong Wei , Tang Jiaoning , Zhu Guangming , Han Ningxu , Schlangen Erik , Dong Biqin , Wang Xianfeng , Xing Feng
Published: June 2015

Steel is prone to corrosion induced by chloride ions, which is a serious threat to reinforced concrete structures, especially in marine environments. In this work, we report a novel capsule-based self-recovery system that utilizes chloride ions as a trigger. These capsules, which are functionalized via a smart response to chloride ions, are fabricated using a silver alginate hydrogel that disintegrates upon contact with chloride ions and thereby releases the activated core materials. The experimental results show that the smart capsules respond to a very low concentration of chloride ions (0.1 wt%). Therefore, we believe that this novel capsule-based self-recovery system will exhibit a promising prospect for self-healing or corrosion inhibition applications.
High performance of Mn-Co-Ni-O spinel nanofilms sputtered from acetate precursors
Authors: Huang Zhiming , Zhou Wei , Ouyang Cheng , Wu Jing , Zhang Fei , Huang Jingguo , Gao Yanqing , Chu Junhao
Published: June 2015

Mn-Co-Ni-O (MCN) spinel oxide material, a very important transition metal oxide (TMO) with the best application prospects in information and energy fields, was discovered over five decades ago, but its applications have been impeded by the quality of its films due to the magnitude of deposition challenge. Here we report that high quality of MCN nanofilms can be achieved by sputtering deposition via acetate precursors whose decomposition temperatures are matched to the initial synthesis temperature of the MCN thin films. Excellent performance of MCN nanofilms is demonstrated, combining for the first time preferred orientation, high temperature coefficient of resistance and moderate resistivity. The film devices show an intrinsic recombination with a much faster rate of the order of a microsecond for the laser-pumped carriers, which is ~3 orders of magnitude larger compared with that of the ceramic material. The electronic structure of the thin films confirms that it is indeed of n-type nature, exhibiting appropriate electronic states consistent with the levels of metal electrodes and semiconductors. The results offer a vital avenue for depositing high performance TMO thin films for advanced oxide devices and will have great significance for exploiting new applications in modern oxide electronics and optoelectronics.