bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Response of the annual biomass production of a typical steppe plant community to precipitation fluctuations
Authors: Wang Zhen , Zhang Qing , Xin Xiaoping , Ding Yong , Hou Xiangyang , Sarula  , Li Xiliang , Chen Haijun , Yin Yanting , Hu Jing , Liu Zhongling
Published: November 2014

Understanding the relationship between the aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and annual precipitation in arid and semiarid grasslands is crucial for assessing the effects of climate change on grassland ecosystems. The temporal pattern of ANPP, based on long-term data on a semiarid ecosystem in Inner Mongolia, was investigated. The biomass of perennial grasses, perennial forbs and Stipa grandis P. Smirn., showed a positive relationship with annual precipitation. The amount of annual precipitation also changed the annual biomass of 13 other dominant species and consequently the ANPP. The coefficient of variation of the ANPP of the plant community was lower than the coefficient of variation of annual precipitation. Irrespective of the strong inter-annual variation in annual precipitation, the positive relationship found between ANPP and annual precipitation suggests the dependence of ANPP upon hydrological variations in typical steppe. Our findings highlight the importance of dominant perennial species and functional groups in mediating the responses of ANPP to annual precipitation in the typical steppe in northern China.
Predictors of south-eastern Australian householders' strengths of intentions to self-evacuate if a wildfire threatens: two theoretical models
Authors: McLennan Jim , Cowlishaw Sean , Paton Douglas , Beatson Ruth , Elliott Glenn
Published: November 2014

Householder evacuation in the face of a wildfire threat is the survival option advocated by fire agencies. However, late evacuation is common and has resulted in loss of life. The primary aim of this study was to investigate potential predictors of householders’ strength of intention to leave early in response to a bushfire threat warning. A survey of 584 residents of bushfire-prone locations in south-eastern Australia was conducted. Theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and protection motivation theory (PMT) were used to explore predictors of strength of householders’ intentions to leave, or to stay and defend following a bushfire warning. TPB was a useful predictor of strength of intention to leave, but PMT was not such a useful predictor of strength of intention to leave. Householder efficacy and self-characterisation were important contributors, whereas perceptions of severity and susceptibility to threat were not found to be significant contributors. Neither model performed well in predicting strength of intention to stay and defend. The findings are discussed in relation to community wildfire safety research and practice.
XerD-mediated FtsK-independent integration of TLCϕ into the
Vibrio cholerae
genome
Authors: Midonet Caroline , Das Bhabatosh , Paly Evelyne , Barre Francois-Xavier
Published: November 2014

Significance

Our results indicate that integration and excision of the toxin-linked cryptic satellite phage TLCϕ depend on a Xer recombination pathway different from the pathways so far described for other integrative mobile elements exploiting Xer (IMEXs) and for plasmid and chromosome dimer resolution. They also provide the most likely mechanism for the complete elimination of IMEX arrays that occurred in some
Vibrio cholerae
strains of the second wave of the current cholera pandemic.
Differential impairment of aspirin-dependent platelet cyclooxygenase acetylation by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs
Authors: Li Xuanwen , Fries Susanne , Li Ruizhi , Lawson John A. , Propert Kathleen J. , Diamond Scott L. , Blair Ian A. , FitzGerald Garret A. , Grosser Tilo
Published: November 2014

Significance

Painkillers classified as nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most commonly consumed drugs. Although they ameliorate pain effectively by inhibiting the enzyme cyclooxygenase, they can cause serious cardiovascular complications, including heart attack and stroke. Additionally, NSAIDs have the potential to render low-dose aspirin taken to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke ineffective through a drug–drug interaction, and there is great uncertainty in how to manage pain in patients with cardiovascular disease. We developed a MS assay to quantitate precisely the interaction of aspirin with NSAIDs. Exposure of volunteers to aspirin revealed a potent drug–drug interaction with ibuprofen and naproxen but not celecoxib. This observation has relevance to the interpretability of ongoing randomized clinical trials comparing the safety of NSAIDs.
DNA methylation of BDNF as a biomarker of early-life adversity
Authors: Kundakovic Marija , Gudsnuk Kathryn , Herbstman Julie B. , Tang Deliang , Perera Frederica P. , Champagne Frances A.
Published: November 2014

Early-life adversity increases the risk for psychopathology in later life. The underlying mechanism(s) is unknown, but epigenetic variation represents a plausible candidate. Early-life exposures can disrupt epigenetic programming in the brain, with lasting consequences for gene expression and behavior. This evidence is primarily derived from animal studies, with limited study in humans due to inaccessibility of the target brain tissue. In humans, although there is evidence for DNA methylation changes in the peripheral blood of psychiatric patients, a fundamental question remains as to whether epigenetic markers in the blood can predict epigenetic changes occurring in the brain. We used in utero bisphenol A (BPA) exposure as a model environmental exposure shown to disrupt neurodevelopment and exert long-term effects on behavior in animals and humans. We show that prenatal BPA induces lasting DNA methylation changes in the transcriptionally relevant region of the
Bdnf
gene in the hippocampus and blood of BALB/c mice and that these changes are consistent with
BDNF
changes in the cord blood of humans exposed to high maternal BPA levels in utero. Our data suggest that
BDNF
DNA methylation in the blood may be used as a predictor of brain
BDNF
DNA methylation and gene expression as well as behavioral vulnerability induced by early-life environmental exposure. Because
BDNF
expression and DNA methylation are altered in several psychiatric disorders that are associated with early-life adversity, including depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism,
BDNF
DNA methylation in the blood may represent a novel biomarker for the early detection of psychopathology.
Comparative analysis of the domestic cat genome reveals genetic signatures underlying feline biology and domestication
Authors: Montague Michael J. , Li Gang , Gandolfi Barbara , Khan Razib , Aken Bronwen L. , Searle Steven M. J. , Minx Patrick , Hillier LaDeana W. , Koboldt Daniel C. , Davis Brian W. , Driscoll Carlos A. , Barr Christina S. , Blackistone Kevin , Quilez Javier , Lorente-Galdos Belen , Marques-Bonet Tomas , Alkan Can , Thomas Gregg W. C. , Hahn Matthew W. , Menotti-Raymond Marilyn , O’Brien Stephen J. , Wilson Richard K. , Lyons Leslie A. , Murphy William J. , Warren Wesley C.
Published: November 2014

Significance

We present highlights of the first complete domestic cat reference genome, to our knowledge. We provide evolutionary assessments of the feline protein-coding genome, population genetic discoveries surrounding domestication, and a resource of domestic cat genetic variants. These analyses span broadly, from carnivore adaptations for hunting behavior to comparative odorant and chemical detection abilities between cats and dogs. We describe how segregating genetic variation in pigmentation phenotypes has reached fixation within a single breed, and also highlight the genomic differences between domestic cats and wildcats. Specifically, the signatures of selection in the domestic cat genome are linked to genes associated with gene knockout models affecting memory, fear-conditioning behavior, and stimulus-reward learning, and potentially point to the processes by which cats became domesticated.
Spaced training rescues memory and ERK1/2 signaling in fragile X syndrome model mice
Authors: Seese Ronald R. , Wang Kathleen , Yao Yue Qin , Lynch Gary , Gall Christine M.
Published: November 2014

Significance

There are no treatments for congenital intellectual disabilities. Here we show that newly discovered timing rules for maximizing hippocampal long-term potentiation predict training regimens that offset defects in synaptic chemistry and memory in thefragile X mental retardation 1(Fmr1) KO model of fragile X syndrome. Wild-type mice required far less training to form stable memories when given three training trials separated by 1 hour as opposed to one extended session; shorter or longer intervals were ineffective. The same spaced training protocol rescued memory inFmr1KO mice and restored activation of synaptic ERK1/2, a kinase critical for both LTP and learning. These results suggest a readily implementable, neurobiologically based therapeutic strategy for a prevalent form of intellectual disability.
Interacting cytoplasmic loops of subunits
a
and
c
of
Escherichia coli
F
1
F
0
ATP synthase gate H
+
transport to the cytoplasm
Authors: Steed P. Ryan , Kraft Kaitlin A. , Fillingame Robert H.
Published: November 2014

Significance

H
+
transport through the membrane-traversing F
1
F
0
ATP synthase mechanically drives bond formation between ATP and P
i
. For the enzyme in the inner membrane of
Escherichia coli
, we show here that the H
+
transport pathway extends beyond the lipid bilayer into cytoplasmic loops connecting transmembrane helices in both subunits
a
and
c
of the transmembrane F
0
sector. On the basis of chemical cross-linking, we postulate that the multiple loop regions functioning in H
+
transport pack into a single domain, which then interacts with the cytoplasmic surface of the H
+
channel within F
0
. The interaction of the loop regions with the H
+
channel is proposed to specifically gate H
+
release to the cytoplasmic side of the membrane during ATP synthesis.
Cross-species genetic exchange between visceral and cutaneous strains of
Leishmania
in the sand fly vector
Authors: Romano Audrey , Inbar Ehud , Debrabant Alain , Charmoy Melanie , Lawyer Phillip , Ribeiro-Gomes Flavia , Barhoumi Mourad , Grigg Michael , Shaik Jahangheer , Dobson Deborah , Beverley Stephen M. , Sacks David L.
Published: November 2014

Significance

Protozoan parasites of the genus
Leishmania
are transmitted by sand flies and produce diseases in humans ranging from localized cutaneous lesions to fatal visceral infection. Although these clinical outcomes have clear parasite species associations, the genes controlling these differences are not known. We provide, to our knowledge, the first experimental demonstration of genetic exchange in the sand fly vector between different
Leishmania
species: a cutaneous strain of
Leishmania major
and a visceral strain of
Leishmania infantum.
Eleven full genomic hybrids were generated that displayed differences in their ability to grow in the skin or viscera of mice, indicating that the genes controlling these traits may be polymorphic within the parental species and are potentially amenable to identification by classical linkage analysis.
Surface attachment inducesPseudomonas aeruginosavirulence
Authors: Siryaporn Albert , Kuchma Sherry L. , O’Toole George A. , Gitai Zemer
Published: November 2014

Significance

Pseudomonas aeruginosais a pathogen that kills a remarkably wide range of hosts. The environmental cues that regulateP. aeruginosavirulence have remained unclear. Here, we develop a rapid imaging-based virulence assay to quantify virulence. We find that association with rigid surfaces induces virulence toward multiple hosts. Virulence induction depends on the mechanical, but not chemical, properties of the surfaces and requires the surface-exposed protein PilY1, which has homology to the mechanosensitive von Willebrand factor A domain. Specific mutation of this mechanosensitive domain is sufficient to constitutively activate virulence independent of surface attachment. Mechanosensitive virulence induction can explain howP. aeruginosainfects a broad range of hosts while tightly regulating virulence. Consistently, association with one host induces virulence toward other hosts.
TSG-6 as a biomarker to predict efficacy of human mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (hMSCs) in modulating sterile inflammation in vivo
Authors: Lee Ryang Hwa , Yu Ji Min , Foskett Andrea M. , Peltier Grant , Reneau John C. , Bazhanov Nikolay , Oh Joo Youn , Prockop Darwin J.
Published: November 2014

Significance

The clinical trials with human mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (hMSCs) from bone marrow and other tissues are proceeding even though cultures of the cells are heterogeneous and there is large variability among preparations of hMSCs due to differences among donors, culture conditions, and inconsistent tissue sampling. However, there is currently no in vitro bioassay for the evaluation of hMSC efficacy in vivo. Therefore, the value of the data obtained from current clinical trials may well be compromised by variations in the quality of the hMSCs used. This study provides, to our knowledge, the first biomarker that can predict the efficacy of hMSCs in suppressing sterile inflammation in vivo.
Sparse sign-consistent Johnson–Lindenstrauss matrices: Compression with neuroscience-based constraints
Authors: Allen-Zhu Zeyuan , Gelashvili Rati , Micali Silvio , Shavit Nir
Published: November 2014

Significance

Significant biological evidence indicates that the brain may perform some form of compression. To be meaningful, such compression should preserve pairwise correlation of the input data. It is mathematically well known that multiplying the input vectors by a sparse and fixed random matrixAachieves the desired compression. But, to implement such an approach in the brain via a synaptic-connectivity matrix,Ashould also to be sign consistent: that is, all entries in a single column must be either all nonnegative or all nonpositive. This is so because most neurons are either excitatory or inhibitory. We prove that sparse sign-consistent matrices can deliver the desired compression, lending credibility to the hypothesis that correlation-preserving compression occurs in the brain via synaptic-connectivity matrices.
Mapping of long-range
INS
promoter interactions reveals a role for calcium-activated chloride channel ANO1 in insulin secretion
Authors: Xu Zhixiong , Lefevre Gaelle M. , Gavrilova Oksana , Foster St. Claire Mark B. , Riddick Gregory , Felsenfeld Gary
Published: November 2014

Significance

Within the cell nucleus, the genetic material is organized into loop domains that transiently bring together genes separated by various distances along linear DNA. We asked whether the insulin (
INS
) gene in human pancreatic beta cells, which secrete the insulin protein, makes contact with other genes that play some role in insulin function. We show that the INS promoter contacts the anoctamin 1
(ANO1)
gene, located far away on the same chromosome, stimulating its expression, and that ANO1, a chloride ion channel protein, plays a role in insulin secretion. Measurements of long-range interactions detect regulatory pathways not evident from other kinds of studies. In this case, such experiments reveal previously unrecognized mechanisms that could affect susceptibility to human diabetes.
Polyspecific pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetases from directed evolution
Authors: Guo Li-Tao , Wang Yane-Shih , Nakamura Akiyoshi , Eiler Daniel , Kavran Jennifer M. , Wong Margaret , Kiessling Laura L. , Steitz Thomas A. , O’Donoghue Patrick , Söll Dieter
Published: November 2014

Significance

Pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) and its cognate tRNA
Pyl
have emerged as ideal translation components for genetic code innovation. We found that a series of PylRS variants that were initially selected to be specific for the posttranslational modification
N

ε

-acetyl-
l
-Lys displayed polyspecificity [i.e., activity with a broad range of noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) substrates]. Our structural and biochemical data indicate that the engineered tRNA synthetases can accommodate ncAA substrates in multiple binding modes. The data further suggest that in vivo selections do not produce optimally specific tRNA synthetases and that translation fidelity will become an increasingly dominant factor in expanding the genetic code far beyond 20 amino acids.
Intravital imaging reveals distinct responses of depleting dynamic tumor-associated macrophage and dendritic cell subpopulations
Authors: Lohela Marja , Casbon Amy-Jo , Olow Aleksandra , Bonham Lynn , Branstetter Daniel , Weng Ning , Smith Jeffrey , Werb Zena
Published: November 2014

Significance

Tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells fail to support antitumor immunity, and instead contribute to increased malignancy and poor prognosis in breast cancer. We used intravital microscopy in a model of breast cancer to provide unique insight into cellular composition and real-time dynamics of the stromal microenvironment. We characterized the effects of targeted therapy against CSF-1R, an important myeloid cell mitogen receptor. We demonstrate that by blocking accumulation and compromising survival, anti–CSF-1R treatment depletes a cell population sharing characteristics of tumor-associated macrophages and dendritic cells, which further comprises subgroups with different endocytic and matrix metalloproteinase activities. However, the resulting relatively modest delay in tumor growth and metastasis suggests that other cells, such as neutrophils or fibroblasts, may maintain the tumor trophic microenvironment.
Parenthesis and presupposition in discourse
Authors: Griffiths James , de Vries Mark
Published: November 2014

Parentheses do not affect the semantic truth conditions of the host clause, but they do affect the discourse structure. We propose a maximally simple update system for the conversational context. Presuppositions are treated as past requests for the interlocutor’s consent. Parentheticals act like overt presuppositions unless they are linearly last in the utterance, in which case they can be taken as a current update request. This has consequences for the interlocutor’s ability to target a parenthetical message. We predict that sentence-final parentheses, and in particular attributive appositives, can be generically addressed, but medial ones only by a specific response. We also discuss why certain non-clausal parentheses, including identifying appositions, behave differently.
As well as I can / As I best can / As best as I can — Some properties of potentiality equatives
Authors: Hoekstra Jarich
Published: November 2014

This article discusses a special type of equative comparison constructions: Potentiality equatives, i.e. equatives with a standard clause containing a predicate of physical or cognitive ability, or epistemic possibility. The focus in this article is on potentiality equatives involving a (negative) comparative or a superlative in the standard clause, as these seem to give a particularly clear insight into the properties of this construction type. It is argued that the broad syntactic variation in potentiality equatives is caused by their specific semantics, by their expressive force and by their idiomatic nature.
Gender agreement in interface contexts in the oral production of heritage speakers of Spanish in the Netherlands
Authors: Osch Brechje van , Hulk Aafke , Sleeman Petra , Irizarri van Suchtelen Pablo
Published: November 2014

In this paper we present an analysis of Spanish heritage speakers’ oral production of gender agreement outside the DP as an innovative source of support for the Interface Hypothesis (Sorace & Filiaci 2006). We demonstrate that, besides commonly known factors such as the gender, animacy and morphology of the antecedent, the interface domain in which gender agreement takes place also seems to play a role in how accurately heritage speakers apply gender agreement. Pronominal reference, located at the external syntax-discourse interface, turns out to be more problematic than adjectival predication, which pertains to the internal morpho-syntax interface. Furthermore, we discuss the possibility that, besides the amount of input heritage speakers receive, the quality of this input may also play a role in their gender agreement accuracy, given that the heritage speakers’ error pattern with respect to linguistic factors is very similar to that of first generation immigrants.
Article choice in children with High Functioning Autism (HFA) and in children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI)
Authors: Schaeffer Jeannette C. , Witteloostuijn Merel van , Haan Doatske de
Published: November 2014

This study reports on the choice between a definite and an indefinite article by children with High Functioning Autism (HFA) and children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). We carried out an elicited production task with 16 Dutch-speaking non-grammatically impaired children with HFA aged 6–13, 16 age-matched Dutch-speaking children with SLI, and 16 typically developing (TD) age controls. The results in the indefinite conditions reveal virtually no errors across groups. However, in the definite condition the HFA group, but NOT the SLI group, incorrectly produces indefinite articles significantly more often than the TD group. A more detailed analysis shows that 38% (6/16) of the children with HFA vs. 13% (2/16) of the children with SLI regularly produce indefinite articles in definite contexts. We propose that these children do not always calculate the additional (pragmatic) meaning of indefinites derived by scalar implicature (Horn 2006). Furthermore, development by age in the SLI group, but NOT in the HFA group, suggests that the failure to draw a scalar implicature is more persistent in children with HFA than in children with SLI. Concluding, our results show that non-grammatically impaired children with HFA are more prone to pragmatic impairments than children with SLI, suggesting a dissociation between grammar and pragmatics.
Improving word prediction for augmentative communication by using idiolects and sociolects
Authors: Stoop Wessel , van den Bosch Antal
Published: November 2014

Word prediction, or predictive editing, has a long history as a tool for augmentative and assistive communication. Improvements in the state-of-the-art can still be achieved, for instance by training personalized statistical language models. We developed the word prediction system Soothsayer. The main innovation of Soothsayer is that it not only uses idiolects, the language of one individual person, as training data, but also sociolects, the language of the social circle around that person. We use Twitter for data collection and experimentation. The idiolect models are based on individual Twitter feeds, the sociolect models are based on the tweets of a particular person and the tweets of the people he often communicates with. The sociolect approach achieved the best results. For a number of users, more than 50% of the keystrokes could have been saved if they had used Soothsayer.
The Making of the First Chinese-English Dictionary
Authors: Yang Huiling
Published: November 2014

The first printed Chinese–English dictionary was the Dictionary of the Chinese Language in Three Parts compiled by Robert Morrison (1782–1834) published between 1815 and 1823. Two hundred years later it is still in use. This paper traces the tradition of missionary bilingual lexicography in China from its origins down to Morrison. While early manuscript bilingual dictionaries solved the problems of transliteration, alphabetical arrangement of Chinese entries, definition and grammatical information, Morrison improved the transliteration system which he had inherited, invented a new index system matching alphabetically arranged transliterations with Chinese characters, and provided a large number of citations from Chinese classics and popular contemporary Chinese books. Morrison’s lexicographical legacy is reflected in the fact that his transliteration was adopted as the basis for the Wade-Giles system and that the macrostructure and microstructure of his dictionary became a model for Samuel Wells Williams’ (1812–1884) Syllabic Dictionary of the Chinese Language 漢英韻府 (1874, re-edited until 1909) and Henry Allen Giles’ (1845–1935) Chinese-English Dictionary (1892, last ed., 1972.)
Contrastive relations, evaluation, and generic structure in science news
Authors: Haupt Jaromír
Published: November 2014

Assuming a close relation between generic structure and coherence structure,

this paper attempts to classify the meanings linked by contrastive relations in

the genre of science news. The analysis reveals five typical configurations recurrent

in the genre which are characterized predominantly by linguistic evaluation

and the entities or situations evaluated. The units observed are discussed

from three different perspectives: first, from a narrowly semantic point of view;

second, with regard to their strategic role in fulfilling the texts’ genre-specific

purpose; and finally, with regard to their role in the evaluative coherence in the

texts, using both a focus-based and a relational approach to coherence.
Resolving connective ambiguity
Authors: Stede Manfred
Published: November 2014

Automatic discourse parsing refers to the identification of coherence relations

and deriving a structural description for a text. Such parsers can derive much

information from the presence of surface cues, especially connectives. These

lexical signals, however, are ambiguous: Many have additional, non-connective

readings; also, many connectives can signal more than one coherence relation.

In this paper, we discuss the first problem, focusing on English and German:

How many connectives are ambiguous, and how frequent are these in the two

languages? Then we examine computational approaches for resolving such

ambiguities. For English, we provide an overview of relevant work by other

researchers, while for German we largely present our own studies on the utility

of part-of-speech tagging for connective disambiguation.
Prehistoric colour semantics
Authors: Biggam Carole P.
Published: November 2014

Although prehistory is, by definition, a time before written records, or from which no written records survive, and is also, of course, a time for which no native speakers are available, it is the contention of this chapter that a certain amount of information can, nevertheless, be gleaned about colour semantics. The chapter is primarily concerned with the earliest basic colour categories (BCCs) of the Indo-European languages, and the approach taken is to combine various techniques from more than one discipline and to see whether the results corroborate or contradict each other. Linguistic approaches include etymology, core concepts, the UE model, cognates and prototypes while supporting evidence is brought to bear from archaeology, anthropology, art history and the earliest Indo-European texts in Hittite and Vedic Sanskrit.
Exploring the metaphorical use of colour with the Historical Thesaurus of English
Authors: Hamilton Rachael
Published: November 2014

Previous research into metaphors containing colour terms has focused on the primary basic colour terms, yet examples can also be found with the secondary basic and non-basic colour terms. A case study of the colour terms purple and lavender is presented here. Situated within the Mapping Metaphor project, this analysis utilizes the unique data source, the Historical Thesaurus. In addition to thesaurus data, dictionaries were consulted to establish the etymologies of metaphorical phrases. Finally, corpus evidence was used to establish current usage of such phrases.
The case for infant colour categories
Authors: Franklin Anna , Skelton Alice , Catchpole Gemma
Published: November 2014

Over the last four decades, evidence has accumulated to suggest that infants parse the continuum of colour into discrete categories. For example, multiple studies suggest that infants’ recognition memory treats discriminably different colours from the same category as if they are equivalent (e.g. Bornstein, Kessen and Weiskopf, 1976; Franklin and Davies, 2004). Despite the converging evidence, the existence of infant colour categories remains controversial. Here, we examine the evidence for and against the case for infant colour categories and consider alternative non-categorical explanations for prior findings. We also discuss a series of challenging theoretical questions on how infant colour categories relate to those in language, and on how infants could categorize colour in the absence of language.
Referential meaning in basic and non-basic color terms
Authors: Anishchanka Alena V. , Speelman Dirk , Geeraerts Dirk
Published: November 2014

The chapter presents a linguistic analysis of the referential meanings in the semasiological structure of basic and non-basic color terms in a specific usage situation such as marketing. Although most linguistic studies share the assumption about the central role of the reference-related aspects in understanding the semantic structure of color words, the methods for accessing and operationalizing this type of meaning remain rather limited. We propose that a usage-based bottom-up analysis of referentially-enriched multimodal data can provide additional possibilities for modeling the semantics of basic and non-basic color terms. The analysis focuses on the referential range of individual color terms as a basis for identifying different types of color terms used in online marketing and discusses the implications for the semantic relations between color terms based on their referential overlap.
Glucose uptake in brown fat cells is dependent on mTOR complex 2–promoted GLUT1 translocation
Authors: Olsen Jessica M. , Sato Masaaki , Dallner Olof S. , Sandström Anna L. , Pisani Didier F. , Chambard Jean-Claude , Amri Ez-Zoubir , Hutchinson Dana S. , Bengtsson Tore
Published: November 2014

Brown adipose tissue is the primary site for thermogenesis and can consume, in addition to free fatty acids, a very high amount of glucose from the blood, which can both acutely and chronically affect glucose homeostasis. Here, we show that mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 2 has a novel role in β3-adrenoceptor–stimulated glucose uptake in brown adipose tissue. We show that β3-adrenoceptors stimulate glucose uptake in brown adipose tissue via a signaling pathway that is comprised of two different parts: one part dependent on cAMP-mediated increases in GLUT1 transcription and de novo synthesis of GLUT1 and another part dependent on mTOR complex 2–stimulated translocation of newly synthesized GLUT1 to the plasma membrane, leading to increased glucose uptake. Both parts are essential for β3-adrenoceptor–stimulated glucose uptake. Importantly, the effect of β3-adrenoceptor on mTOR complex 2 is independent of the classical insulin–phosphoinositide 3-kinase–Akt pathway, highlighting a novel mechanism of mTOR complex 2 activation.
Dan Fletcher: A recipe for cooking up cellular machines
Authors: Powell Kendall
Published: November 2014

Fletcher specializes in reconstituting subcellular structures to test their behavior.
Identification of Cdca7 as a novel Notch transcriptional target involved in hematopoietic stem cell emergence
Authors: Guiu Jordi , Bergen Dylan J.M. , De Pater Emma , Islam Abul B.M.M.K. , Ayllón Verónica , Gama-Norton Leonor , Ruiz-Herguido Cristina , González Jessica , López-Bigas Nuria , Menendez Pablo , Dzierzak Elaine , Espinosa Lluis , Bigas Anna
Published: November 2014

Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) specification occurs in the embryonic aorta and requires Notch activation; however, most of the Notch-regulated elements controlling de novo HSC generation are still unknown. Here, we identify putative direct Notch targets in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) embryonic tissue by chromatin precipitation using antibodies against the Notch partner RBPj. By ChIP-on-chip analysis of the precipitated DNA, we identified 701 promoter regions that were candidates to be regulated by Notch in the AGM. One of the most enriched regions corresponded to the Cdca7 gene, which was subsequently confirmed to recruit the RBPj factor but also Notch1 in AGM cells. We found that during embryonic hematopoietic development, expression of Cdca7 is restricted to the hematopoietic clusters of the aorta, and it is strongly up-regulated in the hemogenic population during human embryonic stem cell hematopoietic differentiation in a Notch-dependent manner. Down-regulation of Cdca7 mRNA in cultured AGM cells significantly induces hematopoietic differentiation and loss of the progenitor population. Finally, using loss-of-function experiments in zebrafish, we demonstrate that CDCA7 contributes to HSC emergence in vivo during embryonic development. Thus, our study identifies Cdca7 as an evolutionary conserved Notch target involved in HSC emergence.
Limitation of immune tolerance–inducing thymic epithelial cell development by Spi-B–mediated negative feedback regulation
Authors: Akiyama Nobuko , Shinzawa Miho , Miyauchi Maki , Yanai Hiromi , Tateishi Ryosuke , Shimo Yusuke , Ohshima Daisuke , Matsuo Koichi , Sasaki Izumi , Hoshino Katsuaki , Wu Guoying , Yagi Shintaro , Inoue Jun-ichiro , Kaisho Tsuneyasu , Akiyama Taishin
Published: November 2014

Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) expressing the autoimmune regulator AIRE and various tissue-specific antigens (TSAs) are critical for preventing the onset of autoimmunity and may attenuate tumor immunity. However, molecular mechanisms controlling mTEC development remain elusive. Here, we describe the roles of the transcription factor Spi-B in mTEC development. Spi-B is rapidly up-regulated by receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) cytokine signaling, which triggers mTEC differentiation, and in turn up-regulates CD80, CD86, some TSAs, and the natural inhibitor of RANKL signaling, osteoprotegerin (OPG). Spi-B–mediated OPG expression limits mTEC development in neonates but not in embryos, suggesting developmental stage–specific negative feedback regulation. OPG-mediated negative regulation attenuates cellularity of thymic regulatory T cells and tumor development in vivo. Hence, these data suggest that this negative RANKL–Spi-B–OPG feedback mechanism finely tunes mTEC development and function and may optimize the trade-off between prevention of autoimmunity and induction of antitumor immunity.
Frequency of Contamination of Single-Patient-Use Nebulizers Over Time
Authors: Weber David J. , Gergen Maria F. , Sickbert-Bennett Emily E. , Short Kathleen A. , Lanza-Kaduce Kendra E. , Rutala William A.
Published: November 2014

Adult hospitalized patients with cystic fibrosis commonly receive nebulized medications. For single-patient-use nebulizers that are cleaned after each use, there is infrequent nebulizer contamination (0%–11%) with only low numbers of epidemiologically important pathogens (less than 100 colony-forming units), and this contamination is similar after 24, 48, and 72 hours of use.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2014;35(12):1553–1546
Common Names of Insects Approved by the Entomological Society of America
Authors: Sailer Reece I.
Published: November 2014

This list, sponsored by the Entomological Society of America, contains all common names approved by the Society for insects and other invertebrate animals commonly included in the field of entomology. It supersedes the last of four earlier lists sponsored by the American Association of Economic Entomologists.
A simplified view of blazars: the very high energy γ-ray vision
Authors: Padovani P. , Giommi P.
Published: November 2014

We have recently proposed a simplified scenario for blazars in which these sources are classified as flat-spectrum radio quasars or BL Lacs according to the prescriptions of unified schemes, and to a varying combination of Doppler-boosted radiation from the jet, emission from the accretion disc, the broad-line region, and light from the host galaxy. This scenario has been thoroughly tested through detailed Monte Carlo simulations and reproduces all the main features of existing radio, X-ray, and γ-ray surveys. In this paper, we consider the case of very high energy emission (E > 100 GeV) extrapolating from the expectations for the GeV band, which are in full accordance with the Fermi-LAT survey results, and make detailed predictions for current and future Cherenkov facilities, including the Cherenkov Telescope Array. Our results imply that ≳ 100 new blazars can be detected now at very high energy and up to z ∼ 1, consistently with the very recent MAGIC detection of S4 0218+35 at z = 0.944.
Speech rhythm: a metaphor?
Authors: Nolan Francis , Jeon Hae-Sung
Published: November 2014

Is speech rhythmic? In the absence of evidence for a traditional view that languages strive to coordinate either syllables or stress-feet with regular time intervals, we consider the alternative that languages exhibitcontrastive rhythmsubsisting merely in the alternation of stronger and weaker elements. This is initially plausible, particularly for languages with a steep ‘prominence gradient’, i.e. a large disparity between stronger and weaker elements; but we point out that alternation is poorly achieved even by a ‘stress-timed’ language such as English, and, historically, languages have conspicuously failed to adopt simple phonological remedies that would ensure alternation. Languages seem more concerned to allow ‘syntagmatic contrast’ between successive units and to use durational effects to support linguistic functions than to facilitate rhythm. Furthermore, some languages (e.g. Tamil, Korean) lack the lexical prominence which would most straightforwardly underpin prominence of alternation. We conclude that speech is not incontestibly rhythmic, and may even be antirhythmic. However, its linguistic structure and patterning allow the metaphorical extension of rhythm in varying degrees and in different ways depending on the language, and it is this analogical process which allows speech to be matched to external rhythms.
Gestural coordination at prosodic boundaries and its role for prosodic structure and speech planning processes
Authors: Krivokapić Jelena
Published: November 2014

Prosodic structure is a grammatical component that serves multiple functions in the production, comprehension and acquisition of language. Prosodic boundaries are critical for the understanding of the nature of the prosodic structure of language, and important progress has been made in the past decades in illuminating their properties. We first review recent prosodic boundary research from the point of view of gestural coordination. We then go on to tie in this work to questions of speech planning and manual and head movement. We conclude with an outline of a new direction of research which is needed for a full understanding of prosodic boundaries and their role in the speech production process.
Quantification of rhythm problems in disordered speech: a re-evaluation
Authors: Lowit Anja
Published: November 2014

Disordered speech can present with rhythmic problems, impacting on an individual's ability to communicate. Effective treatment relies on the availability of sensitive methods to characterize the problem. Rhythm metrics based on segmental durations originally designed for cross-linguistic research have the potential to provide such information. However, these measures may be associated with problems that impact on their clinical usefulness. This paper aims to address the perceptual validity of cross-linguistic metrics as indicators of rhythmic disorder. Speakers with dysarthria and matched healthy participants performed a range of tasks, including syllable and sentence repetition and a spontaneous monologue. A range of rhythm metrics as well as clinical measures were applied. Results showed that none of the metrics could differentiate disordered from healthy speakers, despite clear perceptual differences, suggesting that factors beyond segment duration impacted on rhythm perception. The investigation also highlighted a number of areas where caution needs to be exercised in the application of rhythm metrics to disordered speech. The paper concludes that the underlying speech impairment leading to the perceptual and acoustic characterization of rhythmic problems needs to be established through detailed analysis of speech characteristics in order to construct effective treatment plans for individuals with speech disorders.
Losing the beat: deficits in temporal coordination
Authors: Palmer Caroline , Lidji Pascale , Peretz Isabelle
Published: November 2014

Tapping or clapping to an auditory beat, an easy task for most individuals, reveals precise temporal synchronization with auditory patterns such as music, even in the presence of temporal fluctuations. Most models of beat-tracking rely on the theoretical concept of pulse: a perceived regular beat generated by an internal oscillation that forms the foundation of entrainment abilities. Although tapping to the beat is a natural sensorimotor activity for most individuals, not everyone can track an auditory beat. Recently, the case of Mathieu was documented (Phillips-Silver
et al.
2011
Neuropsychologia
49
, 961–969. (
doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.02.002
)). Mathieu presented himself as having difficulty following a beat and exhibited synchronization failures. We examined beat-tracking in normal control participants, Mathieu, and a second beat-deaf individual, who tapped with an auditory metronome in which unpredictable perturbations were introduced to disrupt entrainment. Both beat-deaf cases exhibited failures in error correction in response to the perturbation task while exhibiting normal spontaneous motor tempi (in the absence of an auditory stimulus), supporting a deficit specific to perception–action coupling. A damped harmonic oscillator model was applied to the temporal adaptation responses; the model's parameters of relaxation time and endogenous frequency accounted for differences between the beat-deaf cases as well as the control group individuals.
Proposal of Thorsellia kenyensis sp. nov. and Thorsellia kandunguensis sp. nov., isolated from larvae of Anopheles arabiensis, as members of the family Thorselliaceae fam. nov.
Authors: Kämpfer Peter , Glaeser Stefanie P. , Nilsson Louise K. J. , Eberhard Thomas , Håkansson Sebastian , Guy Lionel , Roos Stefan , Busse Hans-Jürgen , Terenius Olle
Published: November 2014

Two Gram-negative, rod-shaped strains, T2.1T and W5.1.1T, isolated from larvae of the mosquito Anopheles arabiensis, were investigated using a polyphasic approach. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity studies, strains T2.1T and W5.1.1T were shown to belong to the genus

Thorsellia

, both showing 97.8 % similarity to the type strain of

Thorsellia anophelis

, with 98.1 % similarity to each other. Chemotaxonomic data supported the allocation of the strains to the genus

Thorsellia

: their major fatty acids were C18 : 1ω7c, C16 : 0 and C14 : 0 and they harboured a ubiquinone Q-8 quinone system and a polyamine pattern with the major compound 1,3-diaminopropane. Qualitative and quantitative differences in their polar lipid profiles distinguished strains T2.1T and W5.1.1T from each other and from

T. anophelis

. Average nucleotide identity (ANI), DNA–DNA hybridization, multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) as well as physiological and biochemical tests allowed T2.1T and W5.1.1T to be distinguished both genotypically and phenotypically from each other and from the type strain of

T. anophelis

. Thus, we propose that these isolates represent two novel species of the genus

Thorsellia

, named Thorsellia kenyensis sp. nov. (type strain T2.1T = CCM 8545T = LMG 28483T = CIP 110829T) and Thorsellia kandunguensis sp. nov. (type strain W5.1.1T = LMG 28213T = CIP 110794T). Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis based on nearly full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the genus

Thorsellia

forms a separate branch, distinct from the families

Enterobacteriaceae

,

Pasteurellaceae

and

Orbaceae

. As a consequence, a new family Thorselliaceae fam. nov. is proposed. An emended description of

Thorsellia anophelis

is also provided.
Description of Kribbella italica sp. nov., isolated from a Roman catacomb
Authors: Everest Gareth J. , Curtis Sarah M. , De Leo Filomena , Urzì Clara , Meyers Paul R.
Published: November 2014

A novel actinobacterium, strain BC637T, was isolated from a biodeteriogenic biofilm sample collected in 2009 in the Saint Callixstus Roman catacomb. The strain was found to belong to the genus

Kribbella

by analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. Phylogenetic analysis using the 16S rRNA gene and the gyrB, rpoB, relA, recA and atpD concatenated gene sequences showed that strain BC637T was most closely related to the type strains of

Kribbella lupini

and

Kribbella endophytica

. DNA–DNA hybridization experiments confirmed that strain BC637T is a genomic species that is distinct from its closest phylogenetic relatives,

K. endophytica

DSM 23718T (63 % DNA relatedness) and

K. lupini

LU14T (63 % DNA relatedness). Physiological comparisons showed that strain BC637T is phenotypically distinct from the type strains of

K. endophytica

and

K. lupini

. Thus, strain BC637T represents the type strain of a novel species, for which the name Kribella italica sp. nov. is proposed ( = DSM 28967T = NRRL B-59155T).
Crystal structure of tin(IV) chloride octahydrate
Authors: Hennings Erik , Schmidt Horst , Voigt Wolfgang
Published: November 2014

The title compound, [SnCl4(H2O)2]·6H2O, was crystallized according to the solid–liquid phase diagram at lower temperatures. It is built-up of SnCl4(H2O)2octahedral units (point group symmetry 2) and lattice water molecules. An intricate three-dimensional network of O—H...O and O—H...Cl hydrogen bonds between the complex molecules and the lattice water molecules is formed in the crystal structure.
Crystal structure of tin(II) perchlorate trihydrate
Authors: Hennings Erik , Schmidt Horst , Köhler Martin , Voigt Wolfgang
Published: November 2014

The title compound, [Sn(H2O)3](ClO4)2, was synthesized by the redox reaction of copper(II) perchlorate hexahydrate and metallic tin in perchloric acid. Both the trigonal–pyramidal [Sn(H2O)3]2+cations and tetrahedral perchlorate anions lie on crystallographic threefold axes. In the crystal, the cations are linked to the anions by O—H...O hydrogen bonds, generating (001) sheets.
Crystal structure of 1-(2,4-dimethylphenyl)-2-(4-trimethylsilyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)ethanone
Authors: Venkatesh G. B. , Nagarajaiah H. , Prasad N. L. , HariPrasad S. , Begum Noor Shahina
Published: November 2014

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C15H21N3OSi, contains two molecules with similar conformations (r.m.s. overlay fit for the 20 non-H atoms = 0.163 Å). The dihedral angles between the planes of the 1,2,3-triazole and 2,4-dimethylbenzene rings are 27.0 (3) and 19.5 (3)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked by very weak C—H...O and C—H...N hydrogen bonds to generate [100] chains. The chains are cross-linked by C—H...π interactions.
Crystal structure of 2-nitro-N-(5-nitro-1,3-thiazol-2-yl)benzamide
Authors: Moreno-Fuquen Rodolfo , Sánchez Diego F. , Ellena Javier
Published: November 2014

In the title compound, C10H6N4O5S, the mean plane of the non-H atoms of the central amide fragment C—N—C(=O)—C [r.m.s. deviation = 0.0294 Å] forms dihedral angles of 12.48 (7) and 46.66 (9)° with the planes of the thiazole and benzene rings, respectively. In the crystal, molecules are linked by N—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming chains along [001]. In addition, weak C—H...O hydrogen bonds link these chains, forming a two-dimensional network, containingR44(28) ring motifs parallel to (100).