bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sporicidal effect of amorolfine and other antimycotics used in the therapy of fungal nail infections
Authors: Seidl Hans P. , Jäckel Andreas , Müller Julia , Schaller Martin , Borelli Claudia , Polak Annemarie
Published: September 2015

Although topical antifungal therapies for treating onychomycosis are available, the cure rate is unsatisfactorily low with a simultaneously high risk of recurrence. One reason might be the formation of dormant fungal cells by the pathogen, known as spores, which can survive in the affected nail keratin, thereby evading the effect of antifungal drugs. In this in vitro study, the ability of amorolfine and four other antimycotics (ciclopirox, bifonazole, terbinafine and fluconazole) to kill microconidia of the dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum, chlamydospores of the dermatophyte Epidermophyton floccosum and blastospores of the yeast Candida albicans was extensively studied as these fungi occur predominantly in onychomycosis. The effectiveness of all five antimycotics depended on the drug concentration and the incubation time: a concentration of 10–1000 times the minimum inhibitory concentration against growing hyphae cells is needed to exert a sporicidal action. Amorolfine and ciclopirox showed the same sporicidal efficacy and kinetics for all three varieties of spores. Both were more effective than fluconazole and bifonazole against microconidia and chlamydospores as well as slightly more potent against chlamydospores and blastospores than terbinafine after 4 days of incubation and at concentrations of ≥10 μg ml−1. Finally, sporicidal activity on the tested strains was demonstrated for all five different antimycotics used for onychomycosis treatment.
More of the same?In situleaf and root decomposition rates do not vary between 80 native and nonnative deciduous forest species
Authors: Jo Insu , Fridley Jason D. , Frank Douglas A.
Published: September 2015

Invaders often have greater rates of production and produce more labile litter than natives. The increased litter quantity and quality of invaders should increase nutrient cycling through faster litter decomposition. However, the limited number of invasive species that have been included in decomposition studies has hindered the ability to generalize their impacts on decomposition rates. Further, previous decomposition studies have neglected roots.

We measured litter traits and decomposition rates of leaves for 42 native and 36 nonnative woody species, and those of fine roots for 23 native and 25 nonnative species that occur in temperate deciduous forests throughout the Eastern USA.

Among the leaf and root traits that differed between native and invasive species, only leaf nitrogen was significantly associated with decomposition rate. However, native and nonnative species did not differ systematically in leaf and root decomposition rates. We found that among the parameters measured, litter decomposer activity was driven by litter chemical quality rather than tissue density and structure.

Our results indicate that litter decomposition rateper seis not a pathway by which forest woody invasive species affect North American temperate forest soil carbon and nutrient processes.
A poststructural rethinking of the ethics of technology in relation to the provision of palliative home care by district nurses
Authors: Nagington Maurice , Walshe Catherine , Luker Karen A.
Published: September 2015

Technology and its interfaces with nursing care, patients and carers, and the home are many and varied. To date, healthcare services research has generally focussed on pragmatic issues such access to and the optimization of technology, while philosophical inquiry has tended to focus on the ethics of how technology makes the home more hospital like. However, the ethical implications of the ways in which technology shapes the subjectivities of patients and carers have not been explored. In order to explore this, poststructural theory, in particular the work of Butler, Foucault, and Deleuze, is used to theorize the relationship between subjectivity and materiality as ethically mandated on producing rather than precluding the development of subjectivities in novel ways. This theoretical understanding is then utilized through a process of ‘plugged in’ as described by Jackson and Massie that aims to link empirical data, research, and philosophical inquiry. Through this process, it is suggested that power, which the empirical data demonstrate, is frequently exercised through medical discourses and restricts patients' and carers' ability to shape the material environment of the home as a place to live and be cared for in palliative stages of illness. Alternative discourses are suggested both from the empirical data as well as other research, which may offer patients and carers the possibility of reclaiming power over the home and their subjectivities. Finally, the dichotomy between the home and hospital, mediated via technology, is posited as being problematic. It is argued the dichotomy is false and should be moved away from in order to allow an ethical embrace of technology in palliative care.
Metabolic imaging in obesity: underlying mechanisms and consequences in the whole body
Authors: Iozzo Patricia
Published: September 2015

Obesity is a phenotype resulting from a series of causative factors with a variable risk of complications. Etiologic diversity requires personalized prevention and treatment. Imaging procedures offer the potential to investigate the interplay between organs and pathways underlying energy intake and consumption in an integrated manner, and may open the perspective to classify and treat obesity according to causative mechanisms. This review illustrates the contribution provided by imaging studies to the understanding of human obesity, starting with the regulation of food intake and intestinal metabolism, followed by the role of adipose tissue in storing, releasing, and utilizing substrates, including the interconversion of white and brown fat, and concluding with the examination of imaging risk indicators related to complications, including type 2 diabetes, liver pathologies, cardiac and kidney diseases, and sleep disorders. The imaging modalities include (1) positron emission tomography to quantify organ‐specific perfusion and substrate metabolism; (2) computed tomography to assess tissue density as an indicator of fat content and browning/ whitening; (3) ultrasounds to examine liver steatosis, stiffness, and inflammation; and (4) magnetic resonance techniques to assess blood oxygenation levels in the brain, liver stiffness, and metabolite contents (triglycerides, fatty acids, glucose, phosphocreatine, ATP, and acetylcarnitine) in a variety of organs.
Post‐dispersal seed recovery by animals: is it a plant‐ or an animal‐driven process?
Authors: Perea Ramón , Dirzo Rodolfo , San Miguel Alfonso , Gil Luis
Published: September 2015

The ability of animals to find and consume hoarded seeds (i.e. seed recovery) is a key stage within the seed dispersal process. However, the ecology of seed recovery is still poorly understood. Here, we analyze the factors controlling seed recovery by scatter‐hoarding rodents in an oak‐dominated temperate forest. We examined the relative importance of intrinsic seed traits (i.e. plant‐driven) and extrinsic seed factors (i.e. animal‐driven) on the probability of seed recovery. We found that seed recovery is mainly driven by extrinsic seed factors, mostly related to animal behavior (pilfering frequency, microsite preference, predation risk, burial depth and cache size). Important intrinsic traits such as seed size, seed quality and seed‐drop timing were, on average, of lower significance in the probability of seed recovery (2.8‐times less important than extrinsic factors); only seed quality was an important intrinsic trait. On the other hand, larger and nutritionally more valuable seeds showed a removal–recovery tradeoff as they enhance seed removal and hoarding (increasing dispersal quality) but also favour seed recovery (increasing predation). We find that other mechanisms beyond seed traits (e.g. masting) are needed to decrease seed recovery and, thus, increase seed survival. We conclude that, as seed recovery is mostly driven by animal behavioural factors, it substantially differs from other previous stages of the seed dispersal process that are more dependent on seed traits. We argue that seed recovery needs further attention to advance our understanding of the ecology of seed dispersal and the role of secondary dispersers as a selective force for seeds.
ANALYSING PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT IN PUBLIC SERVICES: HOW USEFUL IS THE CONCEPT OF A PERFORMANCE REGIME?
Authors: MARTIN STEVE , NUTLEY SANDRA , DOWNE JAMES , GRACE CLIVE
Published: September 2015

Approaches to performance assessment have been described as ‘performance regimes’, but there has been little analysis of what is meant by this concept and whether it has any real value. We draw on four perspectives on regimes – ‘institutions and instruments’, ‘risk regulation regimes’, ‘internal logics and effects’ and ‘analytics of government’ – to explore how the concept of a multi‐dimensional regime can be applied to performance assessment in public services. We conclude that the concept is valuable. It helps to frame comparative and longitudinal analyses of approaches to performance assessment and draws attention to the ways in which public service performance regimes operate at different levels, how they change over time and what drives their development. Areas for future research include analysis of the impacts of performance regimes and interactions between their visible features (such as inspections, performance indicators and star ratings) and the veiled rationalities which underpin them.
Mechanisms and effective control of physiological browning phenomena in plant cell cultures
Authors: Dong Yan‐shan , Fu Chun‐hua , Su Peng , Xu Xiang‐ping , Yuan Jie , Wang Sheng , Zhang Meng , Zhao Chun‐fang , Yu Long‐jiang
Published: September 2015

Browning phenomena are ubiquitous in plant cell cultures that severely hamper scientific research and widespread application of plant cell cultures. Up to now, this problem still has not been well controlled due to the unclear browning mechanisms in plant cell cultures. In this paper, the mechanisms were investigated using two typical materials with severe browning phenomena, Taxus chinensis and Glycyrrhiza inflata cells. Our results illustrated that the browning is attributed to a physiological enzymatic reaction, and phenolic biosynthesis regulated by sugar plays a decisive role in the browning. Furthermore, to confirm the specific compounds which participate in the enzymatic browning reaction, transcriptional profile and metabolites of T. chinensis cells, and UV scanning and high‐performance liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (HPLC‐MS) profile of the browning compounds extracted from the brown‐turned medium were analyzed, flavonoids derived from phenylpropanoid pathway were found to be the main compounds, and myricetin and quercetin were deduced to be the main substrates of the browning reaction. Inhibition of flavonoid biosynthesis can prevent the browning occurrence, and the browning is effectively controlled via blocking flavonoid biosynthesis by gibberellic acid (GA3) as an inhibitor, which further confirms that flavonoids mainly contribute to the browning. On the basis above, a model elucidating enzymatic browning mechanisms in plant cell cultures was put forward, and effective control approaches were presented.
Buzz Kill: State Adoption of DUI Interlock Laws, 2005–11
Authors: Sylvester Steven M. , Haider‐Markel Donald P.
Published: September 2015

Most states have adopted significant measures to reduce the incidence of driving under the influence (DUI) but a DUI death occurs about every 53 minutes; a significant portion of these accidents are the result of recidivist DUI drivers. A relatively new and novel way states can reduce DUI deaths from repeat offenders is to require offenders to install an interlock device on their vehicle, but not all states have adopted this measure. We explore whether the Policy Typology and Policy Diffusion Frameworks can help us understand the politics behind why some states have adopted interlock policies while others have not. Employing over‐time data from the American states our results suggest that the adoption of interlock laws is best explained by internal factors to the state and the adoption of interlock laws by neighboring states. In addition, the adoption of interlock laws is a form of incremental policymaking—states with existing DUI laws are more likely to adopt interlock policies. We conclude that interlock policies diffuse in a manner similar to other regulatory policies and that interlock policies should be categorized as protective regulatory policies rather than social regulatory policies.
Characterization of skin Port‐Wine Stain and Hemangioma vascular lesions using Doppler OCT
Authors: Latrive A. , Teixeira L. R. C. , Gomes A. S. L. , Zezell D. M.
Published: September 2015

Background

Port‐Wine Stains (PWS) are vascular malformations of the dermis, whereas hemangiomas are vascular tumors usually present at birth. Early non‐invasive diagnosis of the vascular lesion would greatly increase treatment efficiency. We propose to use optical coherence tomography (OCT), a morphological imaging technique, coupled with functional blood‐flow Doppler modality.

Methods

We imaged lesions from five patients: one with PWS, four with hemangiomas, using a Thorlabs Swept‐Source OCT system at 1325 nm. Additional Doppler images allow for distinguishing blood vessels from empty cavities that appear similar on conventional OCT images.

Results

We are able to distinguish between normal skin and vascular lesions. The PWS lesion presents blood vessels of mean diameter 114 μm with a standard deviation of 92 μm, and mean depth 304 μm with a standard deviation of 99 μm. The hemangiomas present blood vessels of mean diameter 39 μm with a standard deviation of 19 μm, and mean depth 298 μm with a standard deviation of 133 μm.

Conclusion

We show a significant difference between the vascular characteristics of the studied PWS and hemangiomas lesions. We believe that OCT complemented by Doppler OCT could be a promising method for future non‐invasive diagnosis and monitoring of some vascular lesions.
A comprehensive strategy for identifying long‐distance mobile peptides in xylem sap
Authors: Okamoto Satoru , Suzuki Takamasa , Kawaguchi Masayoshi , Higashiyama Tetsuya , Matsubayashi Yoshikatsu
Published: September 2015

There is a growing awareness that secreted pemediate organ‐to‐organ communication in higher plants. Xylem sap peptidomics is an effective but challenging approach for identifying long‐distance mobile peptides. In this study we developed a simple, gel‐free purification system that combines o‐chlorophenol extraction with HPLC separation. Using this system, we successfully identified seven oligopeptides from soybean xylem sap exudate that had one or more post‐transcriptional modifications: glycosylation, sulfation and/or hydroxylation. RNA sequencing and quantitative PCR analyses showed that the peptide‐encoding genes are expressed in multiple tissues. We further analyzed the long‐distance translocation of four of the seven peptides using gene‐encoding peptides with single amino acid substitutions, and identified these four peptides as potential root‐to‐shoot mobile oligopeptides. Promoter–GUS analysis showed that all four peptide‐encoding genes were expressed in the inner tissues of the root endodermis. Moreover, we found that some of these peptide‐encoding genes responded to biotic and/or abiotic factors. These results indicate that our purification system provides a comprehensive approach for effectively identifying endogenous small peptides and reinforce the concept that higher plants employ various peptides in root‐to‐shoot signaling.
Insight Into the Heel–Toe Effect of a Long Horizontal Wellbore Based on a Hybrid Numerical Method
Authors: Jha Pranab N. , Smith Chuck , Metcalfe Ralph W.
Published: September 2015

Numerical simulation of flow inside a horizontal wellbore with multiple completion stages is presented. Using a hybrid method combining computational fluid dynamics and a lumped parameter model, blocking effect on the toe-end stages observed in long horizontal wells (heel–toe effect) under simplified conditions is explained. A two-dimensional channel geometry was used to model the wellbore, with side inlets representing completion stages. First, using a five-stage well with steady state flow conditions, the existence of three basic flow regimes—trickle flow, partially blocked flow and fully blocked flow—was established. Using these results, the phenomenon of blocking of upstream inlets near the toe by the downstream ones near the heel is explained. The existence of these flow regimes is consistent with well-log data obtained from a horizontal shale gas well with 31 completion stages at two different times during production. Further, to study the dynamic behavior of the completion stages when reservoir fluid flows into the wellbore, a basic reservoir depletion model was created using a pressure boundary condition at the side inlets, varying in time. A lumped-parameter model was used to account for the pressure drop between two inlets separated by large axial distance. Different characteristic time scales, related to the depletion of the reservoirs, were identified. By varying initial conditions, the dynamic behavior of the system with multiple inlets was observed and analyzed. The transition of flow regimes with depletion of reservoirs is consistent with the observed behavior of the horizontal shale gas well.
In Situ Experimental Validation of therm Finite Element Analysis for a High R-Value Wall Using Vacuum Insulation Panels
Authors: Schiedel Matthew J. , Cruickshank Cynthia A. , Baldwin Christopher M.
Published: September 2015

This paper details the method used for a theoretical evaluation of Team Ontario's, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013 entrant, high R-value wall using vacuum insulation panels (VIPs). The purpose is to determine a theoretical whole-wall thermal resistance to be used for energy modeling. Theoretical simulations are performed in therm, a two-dimensional finite element heat transfer modeling program, and an in situ experimental validation is conducted in Carleton University's Vacuum Insulation Test Facility located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The theoretical model is refined based on the experimental study, and a whole-wall thermal resistance of Team Ontario's wall design is determined to be 9.4 m2·K/W (53 h·ft2·°F/Btu) at an exterior design temperature of −18 °C (0 °F).
Practical Experience With a Mobile Methanol Synthesis Device
Authors: Morgan Eric R. , Acker Thomas L.
Published: September 2015

A methanol synthesis unit (MSU) that directly converts carbon dioxide and hydrogen into methanol and water was developed and tested. The MSU consists of: a high-pressure side that includes a compressor, a reactor, and a throttling valve; and a low-pressure side that includes a knockout drum, and a mixer where fresh gas enters the system. Methanol and water are produced at high pressure in the reactor and then exit the system under low pressure and temperature in the knockout drum. The remaining, unreacted recycle gas that leaves the knockout drum is mixed with fresh synthesis gas before being sent back through the synthesis loop. The unit operates entirely on electricity and includes a high-pressure electrolyzer to obtain gaseous hydrogen and oxygen directly from purified water. Thus, the sole inputs to the trailer are water, carbon dioxide, and electricity, while the sole outputs are methanol, oxygen, and water. A distillation unit separates the methanol and water mixture on site so that the synthesized water can be reused in the electrolyzer. Here, we describe and characterize the operation of the MSU and offer some possible design improvements for future iterations of the device, based on experience.
Algebraic Equations for the Pile-Up Geometry in Debris Particle Indentation of Rolling Elastohydrodynamic Contacts
Authors: Nikas George K.
Published: September 2015

Metallic microparticles of 5–100 μm in size often contaminate elastohydrodynamic (EHD) contacts and indent surfaces. The geometrical characteristics of dents by such solid particles are linked to the way surface damage may evolve and how it may affect the life of the damaged contacts. In many cases, debris dents appear with shoulders raised above the original surface. Material piling-up this way causes high-pressure spikes when dents are over-rolled by an element such as a ball in a rolling bearing. This study introduces an approximate analytical method based on the so-called expanding cavity model (ECM) to calculate pile-up geometry with simple algebraic equations in thermoviscoplastic indentation of rolling EHD contacts by ductile spherical microparticles. Based on an experimentally validated debris indentation model published by the author, the pile-up model is shown to give realistic predictions in a wide range of operating parameters. Upon experimental validation, the new model is used to study the effects of particle size and hardness, Coulomb friction coefficient (CFC), strain hardening, and rolling velocity of EHD contacts on pile-up geometrical parameters including length, height, volume, and curvature.
Switch Triggers for Optimal Vibration Reduction Via Resonance Frequency Detuning
Authors: Lopp Garrett K. , Kauffman Jeffrey L.
Published: September 2015

Resonance frequency detuning (RFD) reduces vibration of systems subjected to frequency sweep excitation by altering the structural stiffness state as the excitation frequency passes through resonance. This vibration reduction technique applies to turbomachinery experiencing changes in rotation speed, for example, on spool-up and spool-down, and can be achieved through the inclusion of piezoelectric material and manipulation of its electrical boundary conditions. Key system parameters—the excitation sweep rate, modal damping ratio, electromechanical coupling coefficient, and, most importantly, the switch trigger that initiates the stiffness state switch (represented here in terms of excitation frequency)—determine the peak response dynamics. This paper exploits an analytical solution to a nondimensional single degree-of-freedom equation of motion to provide this blade response and recasts the equation in scaled form to include the altered system dynamics following the stiffness state switch. An extensive study over a range of sweep rates, damping ratios, and electromechanical coupling coefficients reveals the optimal frequency switch trigger that minimizes the peak of the blade response envelope. This switch trigger is primarily a function of the electromechanical coupling coefficient and the phase of vibration at which the switch occurs. As the coupling coefficient increases, the frequency-based switch trigger decreases, approximately linearly with the square of the coupling coefficient. Furthermore, as with other state-switching techniques, the optimal stiffness switch occurs on peak strain energy; however, the degradation in vibration reduction performance associated with a switch occurring at a nonoptimal phase is negligible for slow sweep rates and low modal damping.
Wide Band-Gaps in Flexural Periodic Beams With Separated Force and Moment Resonators
Authors: Wang Michael Yu , Choy Yan Ting , Wan Choi Wah , Zhao Allen Song
Published: September 2015

As a locally resonant (LR) elastic system, a uniform Euler–Bernoulli beam suspended with force and moment resonators has complicated band-gap mechanisms and richer dispersive characteristics. In this paper, we consider the use of the force and moment resonators in a noncollocated manner. On the LR beam, the force-type vibrators and the moment-type vibrators are alternatingly arranged, with a separation distance. We present an analytical study of the dispersion characteristics of the LR system, especially the effects of the separation distance on further widening the frequency stop bands. In addition, the complex dispersion properties on the frequency axis are described using a formulation different from the common approach.
Resonant Gas Oscillations in a Linear Area Variation Cavity: Rectangular Versus Circular Cross Section
Authors: Thomas Sonu K. , Muruganandam T. M.
Published: September 2015

Resonant gas oscillations in a linear area variation closed cavity are investigated, for two duct cross sections: rectangular and circular. The resonance frequencies were similar for both the ducts. Increased drive amplitude produced higher distortions in the waveform. It was found that both resonators exhibited commensurate behavior. This is opposed to noncommensurate behavior observed in nonuniform circular cross section resonators. The rectangular section duct had higher energy than circular section duct, in second harmonic for the same drive amplitude. The results reveal that in order to achieve shockless high amplitude pressure oscillations in a duct, both nonuniform area variation and circular cross section are required.
Effect of Freestream Motion on Heat Transfer Characteristics of Turbulent Offset Jet
Authors: Kumar Rathore Sushil , Kumar Das Manab
Published: September 2015

The numerical simulation of turbulent offset jet flow has been carried out using k–ω shear stress transport (SST) model. The simulations have been done for the offset jet flow in the quiescent medium and also in the presence of an external stream. The effect of freestream velocity on the flow and heat transfer characteristics of turbulent offset jet has been reported. The offset ratio and Reynolds number of flow considered are 5.7 and 16,000, respectively. The presence of coflow stream has been found to reduce the entrainment of surrounding fluid into the jet which in turn reduces the heat transfer from the jet to the surrounding medium. The effect of freestream velocity on the important parameters like decay of the local maximum streamwise velocity, jet spread, reattachment length, velocity logarithmic profile, velocity defect law profile, decay of the local maximum streamwise temperature, variation of wall temperature, temperature similarity profile, and Nusselt number distribution has been discussed.
Diameter dependent thermal sensitivity variation trend in Ni/4H-SiC Schottky diode temperature sensors
Authors: Kumar Vibhor , Pawar Shuvam , Maan Anup S. , Akhtar Jamil
Published: September 2015

This report is on the diameter dependent thermal sensitivity variation trend of Ni/4H-nSiC Schottky barrier diode (SBD) temperature sensors. Scaled SBDs of 2, 1.6, and 1.2 mm in diameter were fabricated using standard photolithography process comprising a field plate and a guard ring as edge terminations on the same epitaxial wafer. Taking into consideration the heat loss and power consumption, the thermal sensitivities of the fabricated SBDs were measured in the current range from 1 μA to 50 pA. The temperature was varied from 273 to 473 K in step of 25 K. An authoritative consequence of the present study is the observed increase in thermal sensitivity with the diameter of the fabricated SBDs. An exhaustive investigation confirms that in all diodes, there exist nanosized patches, which assumed to have different barrier heights and hence ascertained to be the main cause of anomalies in thermal sensitivity variation with diode size. Taking into account the effective area of these patches, theoretically fitted I–V curves to experimental data show that the numbers of patches were higher in diode with least size and decrease with the increase in the size of the diode. The corresponding barrier heights of these patches were found to be distributed in a Gaussian like manner at the fabricated Ni/4H-nSiC interface with least standard deviation (σ0) in the diode of maximum size.
Amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O thin-film transistors fabricated by microcontact printing
Authors: Du Xiaosong , Frederick Ryan T. , Li Yajuan , Zhou Zheng , Stickle William F. , Herman Gregory S.
Published: September 2015

The authors present a facile, low-cost methodology to fabricate high-performance In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO) bottom contact, bottom gate thin-film transistors (TFTs) by soft lithography. The IGZO channel and indium tin oxide (ITO) source and drain were patterned using microcontact printing of an octadecylphosphonic acid self-assembled monolayer (SAM). A polymer stamp was used for the pattern transfer of the SAMs, which were then used as a chemical protection layer during wet etching. Excellent pattern transfer was obtained with good resolution and sharp step profiles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that the microcontact printed SAMs can be effectively removed from the ITO source/drain surfaces, allowing a high-quality interface to the IGZO channel for good device performance. Scanning electron microscopy cross-sections of the devices indicate a smooth and defect-free transition regions between the source/drain and semiconductor regions. The fabricated TFTs have negligible gate-leakage currents, high average electron mobilities of 10.2 cm2/Vs, and excellent on-off ratios of 2.1 × 108. These results may provide new methodologies for low-cost and large-area integration of IGZO-TFTs for a range of applications including flexible and transparent displays.
The acoustic structure of male giant panda bleats varies according to intersexual context
Authors: Charlton Benjamin D. , Keating Jennifer L. , Rengui Li , Huang Yan , Swaisgood Ronald R.
Published: September 2015

Although the acoustic structure of mammal vocal signals often varies according to the social context of emission, relatively few mammal studies have examined acoustic variation during intersexual advertisement. In the current study male giant panda bleats were recorded during the breeding season in three behavioural contexts: vocalising alone, during vocal interactions with females outside of peak oestrus, and during vocal interactions with peak-oestrous females. Male bleats produced during vocal interactions with peak-oestrous females were longer in duration and had higher mean fundamental frequency than those produced when males were either involved in a vocal interaction with a female outside of peak oestrus or vocalising alone. In addition, males produced bleats with higher rates of fundamental frequency modulation when they were vocalising alone than when they were interacting with females. These results show that acoustic features of male giant panda bleats have the potential to signal the caller's motivational state, and suggest that males increase the rate of fundamental frequency modulation in bleats when they are alone to maximally broadcast their quality and promote close-range contact with receptive females during the breeding season.
Broadband sound blocking in phononic crystals with rotationally symmetric inclusions
Authors: Lee Joong Seok , Yoo Sungmin , Ahn Young Kwan , Kim Yoon Young
Published: September 2015

This paper investigates the feasibility of broadband sound blocking with rotationally symmetric extensible inclusions introduced in phononic crystals. By varying the size of four equally shaped inclusions gradually, the phononic crystal experiences remarkable changes in its band-stop properties, such as shifting/widening of multiple Bragg bandgaps and evolution to resonance gaps. Necessary extensions of the inclusions to block sound effectively can be determined for given incident frequencies by evaluating power transmission characteristics. By arraying finite dissimilar unit cells, the resulting phononic crystal exhibits broadband sound blocking from combinational effects of multiple Bragg scattering and local resonances even with small-numbered cells.
Mantle plumes seen rising from Earth's core
Authors: Hand Eric
Published: September 2015

Fat tubes of hot rock could alter views of how the planet cools.
Ocean robots listen for earthquake echoes
Authors: Hand Eric
Published: September 2015

Submersibles could fill gap in seismic data across Earth's oceans.
How farm life prevents asthma
Authors: Kaiser Jocelyn
Published: September 2015

Lung reaction to bacteria may explain protection for farm children, bolstering hygiene hypothesis.
Trachea surgeon cleared of misconduct
Authors: Vogel Gretchen
Published: September 2015

Independent investigator had incomplete information, Karolinksa Institute says.
Fragile ecosystems under pressure
Authors: Stone Richard
Published: September 2015

Four vignettes on environmental crises in Iran.
Comment on “Glacial cycles drive variations in the production of oceanic crust”
Authors: Goff John A.
Published: September 2015

Crowley
et al
. (Reports, 13 March 2015, p. 1237) propose that abyssal hill topography can be generated by variations in volcanism at mid-ocean ridges modulated by Milankovitch cycle–driven changes in sea level. Published values for abyssal hill characteristic widths versus spreading rate do not generally support this hypothesis. I argue that abyssal hills are primarily fault-generated rather than volcanically generated features.
Linear complexions: Confined chemical and structural states at dislocations
Authors: Kuzmina M. , Herbig M. , Ponge D. , Sandlöbes S. , Raabe D.
Published: September 2015

Welcoming steel's new complexion

Metals have a number of famous properties, including good strength and ductility. Controlling these properties frequently requires modifying the number and type of structural defects in a metal alloy. Kuzmina
et al.
produced a new type of defect, called a linear complexion, in magnesium-rich steel (see the Perspective by Kaplan). These complexions are chemically and structurally distinct regions located inside a linear defect and are isolated from the bulk by a layer of dislocations. The discovery suggests a new path for targeting defects and improving alloy development.

Science
, this issue p.
1080
; see also p.
1059
Banking on nature
Natural Capital Valuing the Planet
Dieter Helm
Yale University Press, 2015. 289 pp.
Authors: Capistrano Doris
Published: September 2015

A framework for valuing and protecting natural resources
Response to Comment on “Glacial cycles drive variations in the production of oceanic crust”
Authors: Crowley John W. , Katz Richard F. , Huybers Peter , Langmuir Charles H. , Park Sung-Hyun
Published: September 2015

Goff comments that faulting is important for creation of abyssal hills and is the dominant process at slow-spreading ridges. We respond that faulting is indeed important but cannot alone explain the bathymetric signal predicted by our models and observed at the Australian-Antarctic Ridge. We show that for intermediate- to fast-spreading ridges, abyssal hill spacing is consistent with the periodicity of the obliquity cycle.
Farm dust and endotoxin protect against allergy through A20 induction in lung epithelial cells
Authors: Schuijs Martijn J. , Willart Monique A. , Vergote Karl , Gras Delphine , Deswarte Kim , Ege Markus J. , Madeira Filipe Branco , Beyaert Rudi , van Loo Geert , Bracher Franz , von Mutius Erika , Chanez Pascal , Lambrecht Bart N. , Hammad Hamida
Published: September 2015

How farming protects against allergies

People who grow up on dairy farms only rarely develop asthma or allergies. This is probably because as children, they breathe air containing bacterial components, which reduce the overall reactivity of the immune system. Schuijs
et al.
chronically exposed mice to bacterial endotoxin before they received an allergic stimulus. The protocol indeed protected them from developing an allergic response. Protection relied on a particular enzyme: A20. In humans, a variant of A20 correlates with increased susceptibility to asthma and allergy in children growing up on farms.

Science
, this issue p.
1106
The mechanism of crystal deformation
Authors: Kaplan Wayne D.
Published: September 2015

Microscopy provides an atomistic view of how crystalline materials deform

[Also see Report by

Kuzmina
et al.

]
Energy flows in ecosystems
Authors: Cebrian Just
Published: September 2015

Relationships between predator and prey biomass are remarkably similar in different ecosystems

[Also see Research Article by

Hatton
et al.

]
Iran, science, and collaboration
Authors: Farhadi Mohammad
Published: September 2015

More than 35 years since its revolution, Iran is embarking on a new era of international interaction and cooperation. On the road to becoming a nation with scientific clout, Iran takes the role of science for peace, progress, and dialogue very seriously.
Molecular Epidemiological Interpretation of the Epidemic of Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in South Africa
Authors: Streicher E. M. , Sampson S. L. , Dheda K. , Dolby T. , Simpson J. A. , Victor T. C. , Gey van Pittius N. C. , van Helden P. D. , Warren R. M.
Published: September 2015

We show that the interpretation of molecular epidemiological data for extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) is dependent on the number of different markers used to define transmission. Using spoligotyping, IS6
110
DNA fingerprinting, and DNA sequence data, we show that XDR-TB in South Africa (2006 to 2008) was predominantly driven by the acquisition of second-line drug resistance.
Emergence of Macrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae in Hong Kong Is Linked to Increasing Macrolide Resistance in Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis Type 4-5-7-2
Authors: Ho Pak-Leung , Law Pierra Y. , Chan Betsy W. K. , Wong Chun-Wai , To Kelvin K. W. , Chiu Susan S. , Cheng Vincent C. C. , Yam Wing-Cheong
Published: September 2015

Macrolide-resistant
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
(MRMP) is rapidly emerging in Asia, but information on the temporal relationship between the increase in macrolide resistance and changes in strain types is scarce. Between 2011 and 2014,
M. pneumoniae
infection was diagnosed by PCR as part of routine care in a health care region in Hong Kong. Testing was initiated by clinicians, mainly in patients with suspected
M. pneumoniae
pneumonia. Specimens positive for
M. pneumoniae
were retrospectively investigated by macrolide resistance genotyping and a four-locus (Mpn13 to -16) multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) scheme. The overall percentage of
M. pneumoniae
-positive specimens was 17.9%, with annual rates ranging from 9.8% to 27.2%. The prevalence of MRMP had rapidly increased from 13.6% in 2011 to 30.7% in 2012, 36.6% in 2013, and 47.1% in 2014 (
P
= 0.038). Two major MLVA types, 4-5-7-2 and 3-5-6-2, accounted for 75% to 85% of the infections each year. MLVA types 4-5-7-2 and 3-5-6-2 predominated among macrolide-resistant and macrolide-sensitive groups, respectively. The increase in MRMP was mainly caused by increasing macrolide resistance in the prevalent MLVA type 4-5-7-2, changing from 25.0% in 2011 to 59.1% in 2012, to 89.7% in 2013, and to 100% in 2014 (
P
< 0.001). In conclusion, increasing MRMP in Hong Kong was linked to a single MLVA type, which was both prevalent and increasingly resistant to macrolides.
Th1/17 Polarization of CD4 T Cells Supports HIV-1 Persistence during Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Sun Hong , Kim Dhohyung , Li Xiaodong , Kiselinova Maja , Ouyang Zhengyu , Vandekerckhove Linos , Shang Hong , Rosenberg Eric S. , Yu Xu G. , Lichterfeld Mathias
Published: September 2015

The ability to persist long term in latently infected CD4 T cells represents a characteristic feature of HIV-1 infection and the predominant barrier to efforts aiming at viral eradication and cure. Yet, increasing evidence suggests that only small subsets of CD4 T cells with specific developmental and maturational profiles are able to effectively support HIV-1 long-term persistence. Here, we analyzed how the functional polarization of CD4 T cells shapes and structures the reservoirs of HIV-1-infected cells. We found that CD4 T cells enriched for a Th1/17 polarization had elevated susceptibilities to HIV-1 infection in
ex vivo
assays, harbored high levels of HIV-1 DNA in persons treated with antiretroviral therapy, and made a disproportionately increased contribution to the viral reservoir relative to their contribution to the CD4 T memory cell pool. Moreover, HIV-1 DNA levels in Th1/17 cells remained stable over many years of antiretroviral therapy, resulting in a progressively increasing contribution of these cells to the viral reservoir, and phylogenetic studies suggested preferential long-term persistence of identical viral sequences during prolonged antiretroviral treatment in this cell compartment. Together, these data suggest that Th1/17 CD4 T cells represent a preferred site for HIV-1 DNA long-term persistence in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy.

IMPORTANCE
Current antiretroviral therapy is very effective in suppressing active HIV-1 replication but does not fully eliminate virally infected cells. The ability of HIV-1 to persist long term despite suppressive antiretroviral combination therapy represents a perplexing aspect of HIV-1 disease pathogenesis, since most HIV-1 target cells are activated, short-lived CD4 T cells. This study suggests that CD4 T helper cells with Th1/17 polarization have a preferential role as a long-term reservoir for HIV-1 infection during antiretroviral therapy, possibly because these cells may imitate some of the functional properties traditionally attributed to stem cells, such as the ability to persist for extremely long periods of time and to repopulate their own pool size through homeostatic self-renewal. These observations support the hypothesis that HIV-1 persistence is driven by small subsets of long-lasting stem cell-like CD4 T cells that may represent particularly promising targets for clinical strategies aiming at HIV-1 eradication and cure.
HuR Displaces Polypyrimidine Tract Binding Protein To Facilitate La Binding to the 3′ Untranslated Region and Enhances Hepatitis C Virus Replication
Authors: Shwetha Shivaprasad , Kumar Anuj , Mullick Ranajoy , Vasudevan Deeptha , Mukherjee Nilanjan , Das Saumitra
Published: September 2015

HuR is a ubiquitous, RNA binding protein that influences the stability and translation of several cellular mRNAs. Here, we report a novel role for HuR, as a regulator of proteins assembling at the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of viral RNA in the context of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. HuR relocalizes from the nucleus to the cytoplasm upon HCV infection, interacts with the viral polymerase (NS5B), and gets redistributed into compartments of viral RNA synthesis. Depletion in HuR levels leads to a significant reduction in viral RNA synthesis. We further demonstrate that the interaction of HuR with the 3′ UTR of the viral RNA affects the interaction of two host proteins, La and polypyrimidine tract binding protein (PTB), at this site. HuR interacts with La and facilitates La binding to the 3′ UTR, enhancing La-mediated circularization of the HCV genome and thus viral replication. In addition, it competes with PTB for association with the 3′ UTR, which might stimulate viral replication. Results suggest that HuR influences the formation of a cellular/viral ribonucleoprotein complex, which is important for efficient initiation of viral RNA replication. Our study unravels a novel strategy of regulation of HCV replication through an interplay of host and viral proteins, orchestrated by HuR.

IMPORTANCE
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is highly dependent on various host factors for efficient replication of the viral RNA. Here, we have shown how a host factor (HuR) migrates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and gets recruited in the protein complex assembling at the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of HCV RNA. At the 3′ UTR, it facilitates circularization of the viral genome through interaction with another host factor, La, which is critical for replication. Also, it competes with the host protein PTB, which is a negative regulator of viral replication. Results demonstrate a unique strategy of regulation of HCV replication by a host protein through alteration of its subcellular localization and interacting partners. The study has advanced our knowledge of the molecular mechanism of HCV replication and unraveled the complex interplay between the host factors and viral RNA that could be targeted for therapeutic interventions.
Long-Term Effect of Serial Infections with H13 and H16 Low-Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses in Black-Headed Gulls
Authors: Verhagen Josanne H. , Höfle Ursula , van Amerongen Geert , van de Bildt Marco , Majoor Frank , Fouchier Ron A. M. , Kuiken Thijs
Published: September 2015

Infections of domestic and wild birds with low-pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) have been associated with protective immunity to subsequent infection. However, the degree and duration of immunity in wild birds from previous LPAIV infection, by the same or a different subtype, are poorly understood. Therefore, we inoculated H13N2 (A/black-headed gull/Netherlands/7/2009) and H16N3 (A/black-headed gull/Netherlands/26/2009) LPAIVs into black-headed gulls (
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
), their natural host species, and measured the long-term immune response and protection against one or two reinfections over a period of >1 year. This is the typical interval between LPAIV epizootics in wild birds. Reinfection with the same virus resulted in progressively less virus excretion, with complete abrogation of virus excretion after two infections for H13 but not H16. However, reinfection with the other virus affected neither the level nor duration of virus excretion. Virus excretion by immunologically naive birds did not differ in total levels of excreted H13 or H16 virus between first- and second-year birds, but the duration of H13 excretion was shorter for second-year birds. Furthermore, serum antibody levels did not correlate with protection against LPAIV infection. LPAIV-infected gulls showed no clinical signs of disease. These results imply that the epidemiological cycles of H13 and H16 in black-headed gulls are relatively independent from each other and depend mainly on infection of first-year birds.

IMPORTANCE
Low-pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) circulate mainly in wild water birds but are occasionally transmitted to other species, including humans, where they cause subclinical to fatal disease. To date, the effect of LPAIV-specific immunity on the epidemiology of LPAIV in wild birds is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of H13 and H16 LPAIV infection in black-headed gulls on susceptibility and virus excretion of subsequent infection with the same or the other virus within the same breeding season and between breeding seasons. These are the only two LPAIV hemagglutinin subtypes predominating in this species. The findings suggest that H13 and H16 LPAIV cycles in black-headed gull populations are independent of each other, indicate the importance of first-year birds in LPAIV epidemiology, and emphasize the need for alternatives to avian influenza virus (AIV)-specific serum antibodies as evidence of past LPAIV infection and correlates of protection against LPAIV infection in wild birds.