bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Downstream migration and mechanisms of dispersal of young fish in rivers
Authors: Pavlov Dmitrii S. , Mikheev Victor N.
Published: January 2017

Downstream migration (DSM) of young fish has traditionally been considered a passive process. A review of studies of the patterns and mechanisms of DSM showed that it met the main criterion for migration: that animals move between well-defined habitats according to a predictable schedule. During DSM, fish often leave the habitat in which they reside (inshore zone) and enter a migratory habitat (main channel). DSM is manifested at a seasonal or diel scale and in species-specific spatial distribution patterns. According to our “dispersal with low dilution” hypothesis, the supposed adaptive value of DSM is due not only to dispersal but also to maintenance of aggregations and synchronization of migratory activity. Temporal and spatial peaks of migration promote efficient intraspecific interactions, such as shoaling, and the integrity of populations. We conclude that migratory behaviour is most successful in habitats with optimum complexity and that the influence of behaviour on DSM is most important at key periods and sites (twilight windows and interfaces between habitats).
Forecasting the magnitude and composition of phytoplankton blooms in a eutrophic lowland river (Rivière Yamaska, Que., Canada)
Authors: Remmal Y. , Hudon C. , Hamilton P.B. , Rondeau M. , Gagnon P.
Published: January 2017

The mechanisms controlling phytoplankton biomass and composition in the lower reach of the eutrophic (total phosphorus > 100 μg P·L−1) Rivière Yamaska were studied over six consecutive summers characterized by high (2008–2009) and low (2012–2013) discharge conditions. In the lower river reach, periods of low river discharge favoured planktonic blooms (>20 μg Chl-a·L−1) dominated by centric diatoms, in sharp contrast with numerous public reports of simultaneous occurrence of cyanobacterial proliferation in the upstream lakes and reservoirs. Daily cycles of hourly dissolved oxygen production were disrupted by floods but resumed in the days following flow abatement and persisted under low discharge conditions, suggesting that booms in the lower river reach resulted from local production rather than advection from upstream reservoirs. Motile, flagellate chlorophytes and cryptophytes were more important under extreme high and low discharge conditions, whereas cyanobacteria co-occurred with centric diatoms under intermediate discharge and highly illuminated conditions. Although the Rivière Yamaska’s flow remained sufficient to avoid cyanobacterial proliferation even under lowest discharge conditions, our results suggest that increasing water residence time, either through severe drought or river damming, will amplify the risk of toxic algal blooms in the free-flowing reaches of the lower Rivière Yamaska.
Comparing compound-specific and bulk stable nitrogen isotope trophic discrimination factors across multiple freshwater fish species and diets
Authors: Blanke Chelsey M. , Chikaraishi Yoshito , Takizawa Yuko , Steffan Shawn A. , Dharampal Prarthana S. , Vander Zanden M. Jake
Published: January 2017

Compound-specific nitrogen stable isotope analysis provides an approach for estimating animal trophic position that may overcome key issues associated with stable isotope analysis of bulk tissue. Yet compound-specific trophic discrimination factors have not been estimated for a broad range of habitats, taxa, and diets. We conducted a controlled-feeding experiment to characterize the variation in compound-specific (TDFAA) and bulk (TDFBulk) trophic discrimination factors of four freshwater fish species fed on three distinct diets. We also compared TDFAA of fish muscle and scale to evaluate the viability of scales for making food web inferences. Mean ± 1 SD TDFBulk was 2.2‰ ± 0.9‰, and there were significant effects of species and diet trophic position on TDFBulk. Mean ± 1 SD TDFAA was 6.9‰ ± 0.8‰. Although there was no effect of species on TDFAA, there were significant differences in TDFAA across the three diets. TDFAA from fish scales were not significantly different from those of muscle. Our study illustrates the advantages of estimating trophic position using compound-specific stable isotopes and the need for continued investigation of factors resulting in variation in TDF values.
Determination of LIII subshell photoelectric parameters of iridium
Authors: Cengiz Erhan
Published: January 2017

The LIII subshell photoelectric cross section, jump ratio, jump factor, and Davisson–Kirchner ratio of iridium have been determined by mass attenuation coefficients. The measurements have been performed using the X-ray attenuation method in narrow beam geometry. The obtained results have been compared with the tabulated values of XCOM (Berger et al. XCOM: Photon cross section database (version 1.3). NIST. Available at http://physics.nist.gov/xcom . 2005) and FFAST (Chantler et al. X-ray form factor, attenuation and scattering tables (version 2.1). NIST. Available at http://physics.nist.gov/ffast . 2005).
Elemental concentration in the hair taken from healthy people for the past 20 years — 2. Sex-specific differences and changes with age
Authors: Sera K. , Goto S. , Hosokawa T. , Takahashi C. , Itoh J. , Saitoh Y. , Futatsugawa S.
Published: January 2017

A standard-free method for untreated hairs has been applied to quantitative analysis of the hairs taken from 1256 healthy people living in the Iwate prefecture, Japan. It was found that there are clear sex-specific differences in the concentration of some elements. Concentrations of many essential elements, such as calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc and bromine, are clearly higher for female. In particular, calcium concentration is 2.6 times higher for female in comparison with that for male. Contrarily, concentrations of some toxic elements such as chromium, arsenic and mercury are higher for male. On the other hand, concentrations of many elements vary with age. Those of calcium, magnesium and zinc start to increase in the middle of teens and reach maximum in the middle of twenties for female. Mercury concentration increases as the ages advance, while those of chromium, arsenic and lead show no clear changes with age.
Direct observation of dose distribution around a syringe-needle type proton-induced X-ray source using liquid scintillator and a CCD camera
Authors: Hu Y. , Kondo K. , Mizushiro Y. , Oguri Y. , Fukuda H.
Published: January 2017

This paper discusses a method to directly observe the dose distribution around a syringe-needle-type proton-induced monochromatic X-ray source proposed to avoid the risk that could exist in conventional brachytherapy. Images taken by using liquid scintillator and a high sensitivity CCD camera are presented and the dose distribution is qualitatively evaluated by comparing it with a Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation result.
The shapes of nuclei
Authors: Bertsch G. F.
Published: January 2017

Gerry Brown initiated some early studies on the coexistence of different nuclear shapes. The subject has continued to be of interest and is crucial for understanding nuclear fission. We now have a very good picture of the potential energy surface with respect to shape degrees of freedom in heavy nuclei, but the dynamics remain problematic. In contrast, the early studies on light nuclei were quite successful in describing the mixing between shapes. Perhaps a new approach in the spirit of the old calculations could better elucidate the character of the fission dynamics and explain phenomena that current theory does not model well.
Compact star matter: EoS with new scaling law
Authors: Kim Kyungmin , Lee Hyun Kyu , Lee Jaehyun
Published: January 2017

In this paper, we present a simple discussion on the properties of compact stars using an EoS obtained in effective field theory anchored on scale and hidden-local symmetric Lagrangian endowed with topology change and a unequivocal prediction on the deformation of the compact star, that could be measured in gravitational waves. The objective is not to offer a superior or improved EoS for compact stars but to confront with a forthcoming astrophysical observable, the given model formulated in what is considered to be consistent with the premise of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). The model so obtained is found to satisfactorily describe the observation of a two-solar mass neutron star [P. B. Demorest et al., Nature 467 (2010) 1081, J. Antoniadis et al., Science 340 (2013) 1233232] with a minimum number of parameters. Specifically, the observable we are considering in this paper is the tidal deformability parameter [Formula: see text] (equivalently the Love number [Formula: see text]), which affects gravitational wave forms at the late period of inspiral stage. The forthcoming aLIGO and aVirgo observations of gravitational waves from binary neutron star system will provide a valuable guidance for arriving at a better understanding of highly compressed baryonic matter.
Permanent electric dipole moments of single-, two- and three-nucleon systems
Authors: Wirzba Andreas , Bsaisou Jan , Nogga Andreas
Published: January 2017

A nonzero electric dipole moment (EDM) of the neutron, proton, deuteron or helion, in fact, of any finite system necessarily involves the breaking of a symmetry, either by the presence of external fields (i.e., electric fields leading to the case of induced EDMs) or explicitly by the breaking of the discrete parity and time-reflection symmetries in the case of permanent EDMs. We discuss two theorems describing these phenomena and report about the cosmological motivation for an existence of [Formula: see text] breaking beyond what is generated by the Kobayashi–Maskawa mechanism in the Standard Model and what this might imply for the permanent EDMs of the nucleon and light nuclei by estimating a window of opportunity for physics beyond what is currently known. Recent — and in the case of the deuteron even unpublished — results for the relevant matrix elements of nuclear EDM operators are presented and the relevance for disentangling underlying New Physics sources is discussed.
Analysis and Forecast of Tracking Performance of Hong Kong Exchange-Traded Funds: Evidence from Tracker Fund and X iShares A50
Authors: Chu Patrick Kuok-Kun
Published: January 2017

This study examines the tracking performance of two Hong Kong exchange-traded funds (ETFs): Tracker Fund and X iShares A50. The turnover of these two ETFs was more than half the total turnover of the 141 ETFs in the Hong Kong market during 2005–2013. Tracking performance is assessed using pricing deviation, which is found to be nonzero and predictable. This indicates that the premium paid by investors is of considerable economic interest. The significant differences in the tracking performance of physical ETFs and synthetic ETFs highlight the relative inability of synthetic ETF to track the market. Additionally, we document the existence of co-integration between the ETF prices and stock market prices. An econometric model is estimated to forecast the pricing deviation, which shows different price dynamics between the two ETFs, but an absence of arbitrage opportunities. The time series regression model of pricing deviation is significantly influenced by market value, dividend yield, trading volume, bid-ask spread, and market risk. The size of the regression coefficients indicates that synthetic ETFs have relatively poor ability to track the market during market fluctuations.
Plant Biodiversity Change Across Scales During the Anthropocene
Authors: Vellend Mark , Baeten Lander , Becker-Scarpitta Antoine , Boucher-Lalonde Véronique , McCune Jenny L. , Messier Julie , Myers-Smith Isla H. , Sax Dov F.
Published: January 2017

Plant communities have undergone dramatic changes in recent centuries, although not all such changes fit with the dominant biodiversity-crisis narrative used to describe them. At the global scale, future declines in plant species diversity are highly likely given habitat conversion in the tropics, although few extinctions have been documented for the Anthropocene to date (<0.1%). Nonnative species introductions have greatly increased plant species richness in many regions of the world at the same time that they have led to the creation of new hybrid polyploid species by bringing previously isolated congeners into close contact. At the local scale, conversion of primary vegetation to agriculture has decreased plant diversity, whereas other drivers of change—e.g., climate warming, habitat fragmentation, and nitrogen deposition—have highly context-dependent effects, resulting in a distribution of temporal trends with a mean close to zero. These results prompt a reassessment of how conservation goals are defined and justified.
The Structural Basis of Ligand Perception and Signal Activation by Receptor Kinases
Authors: Hohmann Ulrich , Lau Kelvin , Hothorn Michael
Published: January 2017

Plants have evolved a family of unique membrane receptor kinases to orchestrate the growth and development of their cells, tissues, and organs. Receptor kinases also form the first line of defense of the plant immune system and allow plants to engage in symbiotic interactions. Here, we discuss recent advances in understanding, at the molecular level, how receptor kinases with lysin-motif or leucine-rich-repeat ectodomains have evolved to sense a broad spectrum of ligands. We summarize and compare the established receptor activation mechanisms for plant receptor kinases and dissect how ligand binding at the cell surface leads to activation of cytoplasmic signaling cascades. Our review highlights that one family of plant membrane receptors has diversified structurally to fulfill very different signaling tasks.
Structural Studies of Amyloid Proteins at the Molecular Level
Authors: Eisenberg David S. , Sawaya Michael R.
Published: January 2017

Dozens of proteins are known to convert to the aggregated amyloid state. These include fibrils associated with systemic and neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, functional amyloid fibrils in microorganisms and animals, and many denatured proteins. Amyloid fibrils can be much more stable than other protein assemblies. In contrast to globular proteins, a single protein sequence can aggregate into several distinctly different amyloid structures, termed polymorphs, and a given polymorph can reproduce itself by seeding. Amyloid polymorphs may be the molecular basis of prion strains. Whereas the Protein Data Bank contains some 100,000 globular protein and 3,000 membrane protein structures, only a few dozen amyloid protein structures have been determined, and most of these are short segments of full amyloid-forming proteins. Regardless, these amyloid structures illuminate the architecture of the amyloid state, including its stability and its capacity for formation of polymorphs.
Extreme Mechanics: Self-Folding Origami
Authors: Santangelo Christian D.
Published: January 2017

Origami has emerged as a tool for designing three-dimensional structures from flat films. Because they can be fabricated by lithographic or roll-to-roll processing techniques, they have great potential for the manufacture of complicated geometries and devices. This article discusses the mechanics of origami and kirigami with a view toward understanding how to design self-folding origami structures. Whether an origami structure can be made to fold autonomously depends strongly on the geometry and kinematics of the origami fold pattern. This article collects some of the results on origami rigidity into a single framework, and discusses how these aspects affect the foldability of origami. Despite recent progress, most problems in origami and origami design remain completely open.
Glass and Jamming Transitions: From Exact Results to Finite-Dimensional Descriptions
Authors: Charbonneau Patrick , Kurchan Jorge , Parisi Giorgio , Urbani Pierfrancesco , Zamponi Francesco
Published: January 2017

Despite decades of work, gaining a first-principles understanding of amorphous materials remains an extremely challenging problem. However, recent theoretical breakthroughs have led to the formulation of an exact solution of a microscopic glass-forming model in the mean-field limit of infinite spatial dimension. Numerical simulations have remarkably confirmed the dimensional robustness of some of the predictions. This review describes these latest advances. More specifically, we consider the dynamical and thermodynamic descriptions of hard spheres around the dynamical, Gardner, and jamming transitions. Comparing mean-field predictions with the finite-dimensional simulations, we identify robust aspects of the theory and uncover its more sensitive features. We conclude with a brief overview of ongoing research.
Topological Materials: Weyl Semimetals
Authors: Yan Binghai , Felser Claudia
Published: January 2017

Topological insulators and topological semimetals are both new classes of quantum materials, which are characterized by surface states induced by the topology of the bulk band structure. Topological Dirac or Weyl semimetals show linear dispersion around nodes, termed the Dirac or Weyl points, as the three-dimensional analog of graphene. We review the basic concepts and compare these topological states of matter from the materials perspective with a special focus on Weyl semimetals. The TaAs family is the ideal materials class to introduce the signatures of Weyl points in a pedagogical way, from Fermi arcs to the chiral magnetotransport properties, followed by hunting for the type-II Weyl semimetals in WTe2, MoTe2, and related compounds. Many materials are members of big families, and topological properties can be tuned. As one example, we introduce the multifunctional topological materials, Heusler compounds, in which both topological insulators and magnetic Weyl semimetals can be found. Instead of a comprehensive review, this article is expected to serve as a helpful introduction and summary by taking a snapshot of the quickly expanding field.
Edible Nanoemulsions as Carriers of Active Ingredients: A Review
Authors: Salvia-Trujillo Laura , Soliva-Fortuny Robert , Rojas-Graü M. Alejandra , McClements D. Julian , Martín-Belloso Olga
Published: January 2017

There has been growing interest in the use of edible nanoemulsions as delivery systems for lipophilic active substances, such as oil-soluble vitamins, antimicrobials, flavors, and nutraceuticals, because of their unique physicochemical properties. Oil-in-water nanoemulsions consist of oil droplets with diameters typically between approximately 30 and 200 nm that are dispersed within an aqueous medium. The small droplet size usually leads to an improvement in stability, gravitational separation, and aggregation. Moreover, the high droplet surface area associated with the small droplet size often leads to a high reactivity with biological cells and macromolecules. As a result, lipid digestibility and bioactive bioavailability are usually higher in nanoemulsions than conventional emulsions, which is an advantage for the development of bioactive delivery systems. In this review, the most important factors affecting nanoemulsion formation and stability are highlighted, and a critical analysis of the potential benefits of using nanoemulsions in food systems is presented.
Natural Colorants: Food Colorants from Natural Sources
Authors: Sigurdson Gregory T. , Tang Peipei , Giusti M. Mónica
Published: January 2017

The color of food is often associated with the flavor, safety, and nutritional value of the product. Synthetic food colorants have been used because of their high stability and low cost. However, consumer perception and demand have driven the replacement of synthetic colorants with naturally derived alternatives. Natural pigment applications can be limited by lower stability, weaker tinctorial strength, interactions with food ingredients, and inability to match desired hues. Therefore, no single naturally derived colorant can serve as a universal alternative for a specified synthetic colorant in all applications. This review summarizes major environmental and biological sources for natural colorants as well as nature-identical counterparts. Chemical characteristics of prevalent pigments, including anthocyanins, carotenoids, betalains, and chlorophylls, are described. The possible applications and hues (warm, cool, and achromatic) of currently used natural pigments, such as anthocyanins as red and blue colorants, and possible future alternatives, such as purple violacein and red pyranoanthocyanins, are also discussed.
The Challenges of Eliminating or Substituting Antimicrobial Preservatives in Foods
Authors: Erickson Marilyn C. , Doyle Michael P.
Published: January 2017

Consumers’ criteria for evaluating food safety have evolved recently from considering the food's potential to cause immediate physical harm to considering the potential long-term effects that consumption of artificial ingredients, including antimicrobial preservatives, would have on health. As bacteriostatic and bactericidal agents to prevent microbial spoilage, antimicrobials not only extend shelf life, but they also enhance the product's safety. Antimicrobials and their levels that may be used in foods are specified by regulatory agencies. This review addresses the safety of antimicrobials and the potential consequences of removing those that are chemically synthesized or replacing them with antimicrobials from so-called natural sources. Such changes can affect the microbiological safety and spoilage of food as well as reduce shelf life, increase wastage, and increase the occurrence of foodborne illnesses.
Recent Advances in the Utilization of Natural Emulsifiers to Form and Stabilize Emulsions
Authors: McClements David Julian , Bai Long , Chung Cheryl
Published: January 2017

Consumer concern about human and environmental health is encouraging food manufacturers to use more natural and sustainable food ingredients. In particular, there is interest in replacing synthetic ingredients with natural ones, and in replacing animal-based ingredients with plant-based ones. This article provides a review of the various types of natural emulsifiers with potential application in the food industry, including phospholipids, biosurfactants, proteins, polysaccharides, and natural colloidal particles. Increased utilization of natural emulsifiers in food products may lead to a healthier and more sustainable food supply. However, more research is needed to identify, isolate, and characterize new sources of commercially viable natural emulsifiers suitable for food use.
Recruitment and Retention Across Cultures
Authors: Allen David G. , Vardaman James M.
Published: January 2017

The flow of human capital into and out of organizations is a crucial aspect of organizational functioning. Recruitment is the primary mechanism for attracting human capital to the organization, whereas retention involves keeping desired employees in the fold once they are employed. Although extensive research explores and informs recruitment and retention, the bulk of the theory and research in major organizational psychology and organizational behavior journals adopts a US-centric perspective. This narrow perspective may be misleading, particularly in an increasingly globalized work context. We systematically analyze studies on the flow of people into and out of organizations in a variety of cultural contexts and especially in organizations managing talent across national borders. In so doing, we seek to create a coherent platform for future research by identifying key themes in the literature and using these themes to summarize what we know and indicate where we need to go in studying recruitment and retention across cultures.
Trust Repair
Authors: Lewicki Roy J. , Brinsfield Chad
Published: January 2017

Trust is critical for building and maintaining relationships and for effectively working together. When trust is broken, it has serious consequences for both individuals and organizations. In this review we examine the research on how to repair broken trust. We begin by defining trust, how it is broken, how the actor's violation is attributed, and what it means to repair it. We then discuss two dominant trust repair strategies: short-term and long-term. Short-term strategies include verbal statements such as excuses, apologies, and denials, and compensatory arrangements such as repayment for a loss. Longer-term strategies include structural rearrangements of the relationship (e.g., contracts, monitoring), reframing the violation (e.g., attempts to shift blame, mitigate perceptions of harm), granting forgiveness, and remaining silent. Lastly, we discuss concerns for the future of trust research such as construct clarity, measurement, and contextual considerations.
Retaking Employment Tests: What We Know and What We Still Need to Know
Authors: Van Iddekinge Chad H. , Arnold John D.
Published: January 2017

The extent to which test scores change upon retesting has important implications for both organizations and individuals who apply to those organizations. We review research on retesting and score changes that dates back nearly 100 years. Our findings suggest that compared to initial test scores, retest scores tend to be higher, more varied, and more reliable and tend to demonstrate somewhat stronger relations with criteria such as academic and job performance. There also is some evidence that retesting can change the constructs test scores reflect. However, empirical research has yet to clearly delineate factors that underlie such differences between initial and retest scores. We discuss implications of these findings for organizations and applicants. We also identify key unanswered questions about retesting that future research should address.
Just War Theory: Revisionists Versus Traditionalists
Authors: Lazar Seth
Published: January 2017

Contemporary just war theory is divided into two broad camps: revisionists and traditionalists. Traditionalists seek to provide moral foundations for something close to current international law, and in particular the laws of armed conflict. Although they propose improvements, they do so cautiously. Revisionists argue that international law is at best a pragmatic fiction—it lacks deeper moral foundations. In this article, I present the contemporary history of analytical just war theory, from the origins of contemporary traditionalist just war theory in Michael Walzer's work to the revisionist critique of Walzer and the subsequent revival of traditionalism. I discuss central questions of methodology, as well as consider the morality of resorting to war and the morality of conduct in war. I show that although the revisionists exposed philosophical shortcomings in Walzer's arguments, their radical conclusions should prompt us not to reject the broad contemporary consensus, but instead to seek better arguments to underpin it.
Climate Change and Collective Violence
Authors: Levy Barry S. , Sidel Victor W. , Patz Jonathan A.
Published: January 2017

Climate change is causing increases in temperature, changes in precipitation and extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and other environmental impacts. It is also causing or contributing to heat-related disorders, respiratory and allergic disorders, infectious diseases, malnutrition due to food insecurity, and mental health disorders. In addition, increasing evidence indicates that climate change is causally associated with collective violence, generally in combination with other causal factors. Increased temperatures and extremes of precipitation with their associated consequences, including resultant scarcity of cropland and other key environmental resources, are major pathways by which climate change leads to collective violence. Public health professionals can help prevent collective violence due to climate change (a) by supporting mitigation measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, (b) by promoting adaptation measures to address the consequences of climate change and to improve community resilience, and (c) by addressing underlying risk factors for collective violence, such as poverty and socioeconomic disparities.
Engagement of Sectors Other than Health in Integrated Health Governance, Policy, and Action
Authors: de Leeuw Evelyne
Published: January 2017

Health is created largely outside the health sector. Engagement in health governance, policy, and intervention development and implementation by sectors other than health is therefore important. Recent calls for building and implementing Health in All Policies, and continued arguments for intersectoral action, may strengthen the potential that other sectors have for health. This review clarifies the conceptual foundations for integral health governance, policy, and action, delineates the different sectors and their possible engagement, and provides an overview of a continuum of methods of engagement with other sectors to secure integration. This continuum ranges from institutional (re)design to value-based narratives. Depending on the lens applied, different elements can be identified within the continuum. This review is built on insights from political science, leadership studies, public health, empirical Health in All Policy research, knowledge and evidence nexus approaches, and community perspectives. Successful integration of health governance, policy, and action depends on integration of the elements on the continuum.
Complete Sequence and Organization of pFR260, the Bacillus thuringiensis INTA Fr7-4 Plasmid Harboring Insecticidal Genes
Authors: Navas Laura E. , Amadio Ariel F. , Ortiz Elio M. , Sauka Diego H. , Benintende Graciela B. , Berretta Marcelo F. , Zandomeni Rubén O.
Published: January 2017

We report the complete sequence and analysis of pFR260, a novel megaplasmid of 260,595 bp from the Bacillus thuringiensis strain INTA Fr7-4 isolated in Argentina. It carries 7 insecticidal genes: 3 cry8 copies previously reported, 2 vip1, and 2 vip2. Also, it carries a gene encoding a putative atypical Cry protein. These genes are arranged in a region of approximately 105 kbp in size with characteristics of a pathogenicity island with a potential coleopteran-specific insecticide profile. DNA strand composition asymmetry, as determined by GC skew analysis, and the presence of a Rep protein involved in the initiation of replication suggest a bidirectional theta mechanism of replication. In addition, many genes involved in conjugation and a CRISPR-Cas system were detected. The pFR260 sequence was deposited in GenBank under accession number KX258624.
Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration Associated with Pelvic Liposarcoma: A Rare Case Report
Authors: Zhou Liang , Wei Xin , Wu Nian-Wei , Zhang Han-Mei , Liao Bang-Hua , Chen Shu-Lian , Li Hong , Zhu Yu-Chun , Wang Kun-Jie
Published: January 2017

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is one of the most common paraneoplastic neurological syndromes characterized by the rapid development of severe cerebellar ataxia. In this report, a 23-year-old female with noticeable dizziness and gait instability was described. The enhanced CT scanning suggested the presence of a pelvic tumor. Then, PCD was established. Postoperative pathological result defined it as a liposarcoma (LS) with dedifferentiation. Interestingly, clinical symptoms disappeared after the surgical removal of the pelvic tumor. To our knowledge, this was the first case report with PCD due to LS.
Production and Rheological Properties of Welan Gum Produced by Sphingomonas sp. ATCC 31555 with Different Nitrogen Sources
Authors: Xu Xiaopeng , Nie Zuoming , Zheng Zhiyong , Zhu Li , Zhan Xiaobei
Published: January 2017

This study aimed to investigate the effect of nitrogen sources on the production and rheological properties of welan gum produced by Sphingomonas sp. ATCC 31555. Six different nitrogen sources were used for ATCC 31555 fermentation, and 2 of these were further analyzed due to their more positive influence on welan gum production and bacterial biomass. Bacterial biomass, welan gum yield, welan viscosity, molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, acyl content, and welan structure were analyzed. Welan gum production and the biomass concentration of ATCC 31555 were higher in media containing NaNO3 and beef extract. Welan viscosity decreased at higher temperatures of 30-90°C, and it increased with a higher welan concentration. In the media containing NaNO3 (3 g·L-1), welan viscosity was higher at 30-70°C and a welan solution concentration of 6-10 g·L-1. With a reduced NaNO3 concentration, the molecular weight of welan gum and the molar ratio of mannose decreased, but the molar ratio of glucuronic acid increased. With different nitrogen sources, the acetyl content of welan gum differed but its structure was similar. NaNO3 and beef extract facilitated welan production. A reduced NaNO3 concentration promoted welan viscosity.
Immune-Mediated Neuropathies following Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Multiple Myeloma: Case Series and Review of the Literature
Authors: Mohyuddin Ghulam Rehman , Uy Jacqueline , Medhavi Honhar , Faisal Muhammad Salman , Qazilbash Muzaffar H.
Published: January 2017

Neuropathy is a common finding in patients with multiple myeloma. Several different factors can cause neuropathy in these patients, such as the underlying disease itself, medications used for treatment, or immune-mediated processes. Immune-mediated neuropathies (IMN) consist of a heterogeneous spectrum of peripheral nerve disorders. Although IMN is associated with several hematological disorders, it remains a very rare complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). We describe our experiences of 3 patients with multiple myeloma who experienced IMN following autologous HCT (auto-HCT). These 3 patients were felt to have IMN clearly attributable to auto-HCT because of a clear temporal association with auto-HCT and absence of any other obvious causative factor. The variety in their clinical presentations, diagnostic approach, and approaches to management are explained. The pathophysiology of how HCT may predispose to IMN remains poorly understood. Our report helps highlight several potential causes of this phenomenon, such as a paraneoplastic syndrome, immune reconstitution syndrome, or drug toxicity. We emphasize that a comprehensive approach is needed to address this rare entity, and that there should be a low threshold to initiate immune-specific therapy, such as plasmapheresis, if symptoms do not resolve spontaneously.
Familial 5q12.3 Microdeletion: Evidence for a Locus Associated with Epilepsy
Authors: Gnan Chiara , Franzoni Alessandra , Baldan Federica , Passon Nadia , Damante Giuseppe , Dello Russo Patrizia
Published: January 2017

The clinical use of array comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) has allowed the identification of very rare deletion and duplication disorders, such as 5q12 deletion syndrome (OMIM 615668) described as a contiguous gene deletion syndrome of chromosome 5q12. Chromosome microdeletions including band 5q12 have rarely been reported and have been associated with different phenotypes showing postnatal growth restriction, intellectual disability, epileptic seizures, hyperactivity, and ocular abnormalities. In this study, we describe a family in which array-CGH analysis revealed the presence of an interstitial microdeletion spanning approximately 2.9 Mb in the 5q12 region. The microdeletion is associated with epilepsy in the father and 2 siblings (a boy and a girl). So far, this is the first report in which a familial microdeletion 5q12 manifests in epilepsy. We suggest that this familial microdeletion could delineate a locus for susceptibility to epilepsy.
A Case Report of Metastatic Breast Cancer Treated with Korean Medicine Therapy as a Substitute for Chemotherapy
Authors: Lee Dong-hyun , Kim Sung-su , Seong Shin
Published: January 2017

The purpose of this case report is to show the potential benefit of Korean medicine therapy for treating multiple metastatic breast cancer. A 45-year-old Korean woman was diagnosed with right breast invasive ductal carcinoma in August 2012 but did not receive any treatment until October 2015 when she was diagnosed with stage 4 right breast cancer with multiple liver, bone, mesentery, retroperitoneum, and axillary lymph node metastases. After chemo-port insertion, she was treated with palliative chemotherapy and the first line of trastuzumab and paclitaxel, and the port was removed due to port infection. To treat sepsis, vancomycin and tazoperan were administered, before the third line of trastuzumab and paclitaxel was carried out. However, the patient gave up chemotherapy due to vancomycin-resistant enterococci and general weakness. Later, she received Korean medicine therapy with wild ginseng pharmacopuncture, distilled Soramdan S, Hae, and Jeobgoldan for 8 months, which led to a significant decrease of the multiple metastases. The patient was able to start walking again with the help of a walking stick. However, a new metastatic lesion was found on the right adrenal gland. This case suggests that the combination of chemotherapy and Korean medicine therapy may be valuable. Further research is indicated.
Phylogenetic relationships and a new classification of the family Cyclopteridae (Perciformes: Cottoidei)
Authors: OKU KANAMI , IMAMURA HISASHI , YABE MAMORU
Published: January 2017

Phylogenetic relationships of the family Cyclopteridae were reconstructed based on osteological and external characters.  The monophyly of the family was strongly supported by 47 commonly recognized synapomorphies, including six autapomorphies (plus one additional autapomorphy, presence of a dorsal process on the pelvis, recognized after the phylogenetic analysis) among the suborder Cottoidei.  As a result of the cladistic analysis, a single most parsimonious phylogeny was obtained, based on characters in 32 transformation series.  A new classification of Cyclopteridae based on reconstructed relationships, including three subfamilies [Liparopsinae, Cyclopterinae and Eumicrotreminae (newly established)] and four genera (Aptocyclus, Cyclopsis, Cyclopterus and Eumicrotremus), is proposed.
Brentidae of Peru (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea)
Authors: MANTILLERI ANTOINE , BARTOLOZZI LUCA , SFORZI ALESSANDRA
Published: January 2017

Eighty-four species of Brentidae (not including Apioninae) are listed from Peru, 13 presently only known from this country. Stereodermus platycornis Mantilleri, sp. nov. and Teramocerus spathulifer Mantilleri, sp. nov., are described from Tambopata Province. A micropterous species, Stereodermus micropterus Mantilleri, sp. nov., is described from Alto Madre de Dios River. Stereodermus barbirostris Sharp, 1895, S. breviceps Sharp, 1895, S. nigriceps Sharp, 1895, Pertusius errabundus (Kleine, 1927), Rugosacratus punctirostris (Boheman, 1840), Teramocerus appendiculatus (Soares & Scivittaro, 1972), T. eletus Kleine, 1927, and T. suturalis (Lund, 1800), are newly recorded from Peru.
A new species of poison-dart frog (Anura: Dendrobatidae) from Manu province, Amazon region of southeastern Peru, with notes on its natural history, bioacoustics, phylogenetics, and recommended conservation status
Authors: SERRANO-ROJAS SHIRLEY J. , WHITWORTH ANDREW , VILLACAMPA JAIME , MAY RUDOLF VON , GUTIÉRREZ ROBERTO C. , PADIAL JOSÉ M. , CHAPARRO JUAN C.
Published: January 2017

We describe and name a new species of poison-dart frog from the Amazonian slopes of the Andes in Manu Province, Madre de Dios Department, Peru; specifically within the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve and the buffer zone of Manu National Park. Ameerega shihuemoy sp. nov. is supported by a unique combination of characters: black dorsum with cream to light orange dorsolateral lines, blue belly reticulated with black, and the lack of axillary, thigh and calf flash marks. Within Ameerega, it shares the general appearance of A. altamazonica, A. boliviana, A. hahneli, A. ignipedis, A. petersi, A. picta, A. pongoensis, A. pulchripecta, A. simulans, A. smaragdina, and A. yungicola; each possessing a granular black to brown dorsum, a light labial bar, a conspicuous dorsolateral line running from the snout to the groin, and a metallic blue belly and underside of arms and hind limbs. From most of these species it can be distinguished by lacking flash marks on the axillae, thighs, and calves (absent in only A. boliviana and A. smaragdina, most A. petersi, and some A. pongoensis), by having bright cream to orange dorsolateral stripes (white, intense yellow, or green in all other species, with the exception of A. picta), and by its blue belly reticulated with black (bluish white and black in A. boliviana, green and blue with black marbling in A. petersi, and green and blue lacking black marbling in A. smaragdina). Its mating call also shows clear differences to morphologically similar species, with a lower note repetition rate, longer space between calls, and higher fundamental and dominant frequencies. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S mitochondrial rRNA fragment also support the distinctiveness of the new species and suggest that A. shihuemoy is most closely related to Ameerega macero, A. altamazonica, A. rubriventris, and two undescribed species (Ameerega sp. from Porto Walter, Acre, Brazil, and Ameerega sp. from Ivochote, Cusco, Peru). Genetically, the new species is most similar to the sympatric A. macero, from which it clearly differs in characteristics of its advertisement call and coloration. The new species is found near rocky streams during the dry season and near temporary water bodies during the rainy season. Tadpoles are found in lentic water along streams, or in shallow, slow-moving streams. Given its small geographic range, we recommend that A. shihuemoy should be considered 'Near threatened' (NT) according to IUCN Red List criteria.
Taxonomy and ecology of a new species of Corynura (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Augochlorini) from Chile and Argentina
Authors: GONZÁLEZ-VAQUERO ROCÍO ANA , POLIDORI CARLO , NIEVES-ALDREY JOSÉ LUIS
Published: January 2017

We describe a new species of Corynura Spinola, a socially polymorphic genus within the bee tribe Augochlorini (Halictidae). We present a detailed description of both sexes of Corynura (Corynura) moscosensis n. sp. González-Vaquero, images of diagnostic morphological structures and antennal sensilla, floral associations, distributional data and notes on its nesting biology. Corynura moscosensis n. sp. is similar in appearance to C. (C.) chloromelas (Alfken), but it can be distinguished by the sculpturing of the mesoscutum and the hair types on the propodeum in the female, and by the genitalia and extent of the area exclusively covered by sensilla placoidea on the antennal flagellum of the male. A lectotype is designated for C. chloromelas. A Chilean Patagonian population of C. moscosensis n. sp. was observed to dig spatially clumped nests in an earth bank with a moderately hard and humid soil. The presence of multiple females within single nest tunnels is unusual and may preliminary suggest nest-sharing, but more data are necessary to define the social organization of this species. The species appears to be polylectic. Bee nests were attacked by satellite flies and possibly velvet ants.
Two new marine flatworms (Polycladida: Pseudocerotidae) from Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India
Authors: DIXIT SUDHANSHU , RAGHUNATHAN C. , CHANDRA KAILASH
Published: January 2017

The genus Pseudoceros is one of the most flamboyant among polyclads and is represented by 87 species worldwide. Pseudoceros galatheensis sp. nov. and P. nigropunctatus sp. nov., based on morphological and histological characters, have been described in the present paper. Both species had been photographed in the past from other parts of the world but lacked formal description. These are an addition to the polyclad fauna of the world described from India.
Exploring the Sensitivity of Photosynthesis and Stomatal Resistance Parameters in a Land Surface Model
Authors: Jefferson Jennifer L. , Maxwell Reed M. , Constantine Paul G.
Published: January 2017

Land surface models, like the Common Land Model component of the ParFlow integrated hydrologic model (PF-CLM), are used to estimate transpiration from vegetated surfaces. Transpiration rates quantify how much water moves from the subsurface through the plant and into the atmosphere. This rate is controlled by the stomatal resistance term in land surface models. The Ball–Berry stomatal resistance parameterization relies, in part, on the rate of photosynthesis, and together these equations require the specification of 20 input parameters. Here, the active subspace method is applied to 2100 year-long PF-CLM simulations, forced by atmospheric data from California, Colorado, and Oklahoma, to identify which input parameters are important and how they relate to three quantities of interest: transpiration, stomatal resistance from the sunlit portion of the canopy, and stomatal resistance from the shaded portion. The slope (mp) and intercept (bp) parameters associated with the Ball–Berry parameterization are consistently important for all locations, along with five parameters associated with ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO)- and light-limited rates of photosynthesis [CO2 Michaelis–Menten constant at 25°C (kc25), maximum ratio of oxygenation to carboxylation (ocr), quantum efficiency at 25°C (qe25), maximum rate of carboxylation at 25°C (vcmx25), and multiplier in the denominator of the equation used to compute the light-limited rate of photosynthesis (wj1)]. The importance of these input parameters, quantified by the active variable weight, and the relationship between the input parameters and quantities of interest vary seasonally and diurnally. Input parameter values influence transpiration rates most during midday, summertime hours when fluxes are large. This research informs model users about which photosynthesis and stomatal resistance parameters should be more carefully selected. Quantifying sensitivities associated with the stomatal resistance term is necessary to better understand transpiration estimates from land surface models.
Evaluating Stochastic Precipitation Generators for Climate Change Impact Studies of New York City’s Primary Water Supply
Authors: Acharya Nachiketa , Frei Allan , Chen Jie , DeCristofaro Leslie , Owens Emmet M.
Published: January 2017

Watersheds located in the Catskill Mountains of southeastern New York State contribute about 90% of the water to the New York City water supply system. Recent studies show that this region is experiencing increasing trends in total precipitation and extreme precipitation events. To assess the impact of this and other possible climatic changes on the water supply, there is a need to develop future climate scenarios that can be used as input to hydrological and reservoir models. Recently, stochastic weather generators (SWGs) have been used in climate change adaptation studies because of their ability to produce synthetic weather time series. This study examines the performance of a set of SWGs with varying levels of complexity to simulate daily precipitation characteristics, with a focus on extreme events. To generate precipitation occurrence, three Markov chain models (first, second, and third orders) were evaluated in terms of simulating average and extreme wet days and dry/wet spell lengths. For precipitation magnitude, seven models were investigated, including five parametric distributions, one resampling technique, and a polynomial-based curve fitting technique. The methodology applied here to evaluate SWGs combines several different types of metrics that are not typically combined in a single analysis. It is found that the first-order Markov chain performs as well as higher orders for simulating precipitation occurrence, and two parametric distribution models (skewed normal and mixed exponential) are deemed best for simulating precipitation magnitudes. The specific models that were found to be most applicable to the region may be valuable in bottom-up vulnerability studies for the watershed, as well as for other nearby basins.