bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the efficiency of using a modern hybrid rye cultivar for pig fattening, with emphasis on production costs and carcass quality
Authors: Schwarz Tomasz , Kuleta Wiktor , Turek Artur , Tuz Ryszard , Nowicki Jacek , Rudzki Bartosz , Bartlewski Pawel M.
Published: February 2014

There were two goals of the present experiment, namely (1) to determine and compare the concentrations of basal nutrients and anti-nutrients in the grain of a modern hybrid rye and barley cultivars, and (2) to compare the effectiveness of the rye- and barley-containing diets for pig fattening. Crude protein and starch contents were greater (P < 0.01) in rye (cv. Visello) than in barley (cv. Bryl) but fibre and total lipid concentrations were lower (P < 0.01) in rye grain. Mean concentrations of alkylresorcinols and pentosans, as well as the activity of trypsin inhibitors, were all higher (P < 0.01) in rye grain. In all, 150 PIC gilts were randomly divided into two equinumerous groups; control pigs were fed a diet containing barley as the main cereal ingredient (starter phase (SP), 35% of feed content; grower phase (GP), 40% of feed content; and finisher phase (FP), 65% of feed content), while the experimental group received a diet with rye replacing a proportion of barley (10% during SP, 25% during GP and 50% during FP); the diets for both subsets of animals also contained wheat and soybean meal to obtain a proper level of nutritional value. The average weight gain of the rye-fed gilts (783 ± 183 g/day; mean ± s.d.) was greater (P < 0.05) than that of control animals (747 ± 218 g/day). This difference in weight gain was due mainly to an increase in daily feed intake (2.35 ± 0.21 and 2.15 ± 0.19 kg/day in the experimental and control groups, respectively; P < 0.01) recorded during the grower and finisher phase. Carcasses from both groups exhibited the same lean meat content; however, the percentage of carcasses in the higher classes according to the EUROP quality scale tended to be greater in the experimental group, which resulted in a higher (P < 0.05) carcass value than for barley-fed controls. The present results indicated that a modern rye cv. Visello is a safe and cost-effective feed for growing pigs, and yields significantly better outcomes than commonly used barley-containing diets in terms of carcass quality and price.
Climate change mitigation through livestock system transitions
Authors: Havlík Petr , Valin Hugo , Herrero Mario , Obersteiner Michael , Schmid Erwin , Rufino Mariana C. , Mosnier Aline , Thornton Philip K. , Böttcher Hannes , Conant Richard T. , Frank Stefan , Fritz Steffen , Fuss Sabine , Kraxner Florian , Notenbaert An
Published: February 2014

Significance

The livestock sector contributes significantly to global warming through greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At the same time, livestock is an invaluable source of nutrition and livelihood for millions of poor people. Therefore, climate mitigation policies involving livestock must be designed with extreme care. Here we demonstrate the large mitigation potential inherent in the heterogeneity of livestock production systems. We find that even within existing systems, autonomous transitions from extensive to more productive systems would decrease GHG emissions and improve food availability. Most effective climate policies involving livestock would be those targeting emissions from land-use change. To minimize the economic and social cost, policies should target emissions at their source—on the supply side—rather than on the demand side.
G-protein coupled receptor BAI3 promotes myoblast fusion in vertebrates
Authors: Hamoud Noumeira , Tran Viviane , Croteau Louis-Philippe , Kania Artur , Côté Jean-François
Published: February 2014

Significance

Myoblast fusion is essential for multinucleated muscle fiber formation. Regulators of fusion have been identified in
Drosophila
, but the molecular mechanisms controlling vertebrate myoblast fusion are poorly understood. We describe here previously unidentified in vivo functional evidence that the G-protein coupled receptor brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor (BAI3) is a receptor controlling myoblast fusion in developing vertebrate muscles. We show that BAI3 binds the intracellular effector of myoblast fusion ELMO/DOCK1 and that this binding is obligatory for fusion. Using in vivo manipulations in the chicken embryo, we demonstrate that BAI3 binding to ELMO is essential for myoblast fusion. These experiments identify BAI3 as a long-sought-after receptor controlling vertebrate myoblast fusion.
Radiation dose rates now and in the future for residents neighboring restricted areas of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
Authors: Harada Kouji H. , Niisoe Tamon , Imanaka Mie , Takahashi Tomoyuki , Amako Katsumi , Fujii Yukiko , Kanameishi Masatoshi , Ohse Kenji , Nakai Yasumichi , Nishikawa Tamami , Saito Yuuichi , Sakamoto Hiroko , Ueyama Keiko , Hisaki Kumiko , Ohara Eiji , Inoue Tokiko , Yamamoto Kanako , Matsuoka Yukiyo , Ohata Hitomi , Toshima Kazue , Okada Ayumi , Sato Hitomi , Kuwamori Toyomi , Tani Hiroko , Suzuki Reiko , Kashikura Mai , Nezu Michiko , Miyachi Yoko , Arai Fusako , Kuwamori Masanori , Harada Sumiko , Ohmori Akira , Ishikawa Hirohiko , Koizumi Akio
Published: February 2014

Significance

There is a potential risk of human exposure to radiation owing to the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. In this study, we evaluated radiation dose rates from deposited radiocesium in three areas neighboring the restricted and evacuation areas in Fukushima. The mean annual radiation dose rate in 2012 associated with the accident was 0.89–2.51 mSv/y. The mean dose rate estimates in 2022 are comparable with variations of the average 2 mSv/y background radiation exposure from natural radionuclides in Japan. Furthermore, the extra lifetime integrated dose after 2012 is estimated to elevate lifetime risk of cancer incidence by a factor of 1.03 to 1.05 at most, which is unlikely to be epidemiologically detectable.
Age-dependent changes in prefrontal intrinsic connectivity
Authors: Zhou Xin , Zhu Dantong , Katsuki Fumi , Qi Xue-Lian , Lees Cynthia J. , Bennett Allyson J. , Salinas Emilio , Stanford Terrence R. , Constantinidis Christos
Published: February 2014

Significance

The prefrontal cortex, the brain area associated with higher cognitive operations such as working memory and executive function, undergoes a protracted period of development. How the activity of prefrontal neurons changes during peri- and postpubertal cortical maturation is largely unknown. To address this question, we recorded neuronal activity from the prefrontal cortex of peripubertal and adult monkeys and compared the functional connectivity between pairs of neurons in each group. The magnitude of connectivity measured between neurons was lower overall in the prefrontal cortex of peripubertal monkeys compared with adults, as inhibitory interactions were generally stronger in young animals. Our results identify changes in intrinsic connectivity between prefrontal neurons as a possible substrate for peri- and postpubertal cognitive maturation.
Causal effect of intergroup contact on exclusionary attitudes
Authors: Enos Ryan D.
Published: February 2014

Significance

There is generally conflict when members of different social groups, such as racial, ethnic, or religious groups, come in contact in the same geographic area. This phenomenon is commonly observed across a variety of settings. However, the cause of such conflict is poorly understood: Some theorists have argued that contact between groups is insufficient to cause conflict and that, under certain conditions contact may lead to improved intergroup relations. Although most theories of contact propose that repeated contact between individuals is important to the disposition of intergroup attitudes, experimenting on the effects of repeated contact has proven difficult. Here, I report a randomized controlled trial that assigns repeated intergroup contact between members of different ethnic groups. The contact results in exclusionary attitudes toward the outgroup.
Anatomy of F
1
-ATPase powered rotation
Authors: Martin James L. , Ishmukhametov Robert , Hornung Tassilo , Ahmad Zulfiqar , Frasch Wayne D.
Published: February 2014

Significance

We present a description of the angular velocity of the power stroke as a function of rotational position for the F
1
-ATPase molecular motor. The angular velocity of this motor, which rotates in 120° power strokes separated by catalytic dwells, is part of the F
o
F
1
ATP synthase in oxidative phosphorylation, and has been thought not to vary. This paper reports the unexpected discovery that a series of angular accelerations and decelerations occur, providing direct evidence that angular velocity depends on substrate binding affinity. The data support a model in which rotation is powered by Van der Waals repulsive forces during the final 85° of rotation, consistent with a transition from F
1
structures 2HLD1 and 1H8E (Protein Data Bank).
Trends in structural coverage of the protein universe and the impact of the Protein Structure Initiative
Authors: Khafizov Kamil , Madrid-Aliste Carlos , Almo Steven C. , Fiser Andras
Published: February 2014

Significance

The Protein Structure Initiative and related worldwide efforts are engaged in the large-scale structural annotation of proteins. In this work, we investigated the dynamic changes that have occurred in this complex race, where sequence databases double every 1.5 y but are becoming increasingly redundant and have exhibited profound changes in taxonomic composition over the last 5 y. Meanwhile, the number of known protein structures is approximately 200 times smaller, and the pace of discovery of new folds is slowing. Nevertheless, the overall structural coverage of proteins has increased from 30% to 40% over the last 10 y. Assuming current trends, ∼55% coverage will be achieved within 15 y, a level considered sufficient to fully characterize the metabolic network of an organism.
Human coding RNA editing is generally nonadaptive
Authors: Xu Guixia , Zhang Jianzhi
Published: February 2014

Significance

Recent genomic studies have revealed more than 1,000 coding sites in the human genome that are subject to A-to-I editing at the RNA level, but it is unclear whether these RNA editing events, many of which are nonsynonymous, are generally advantageous. Analyzing the frequencies and levels of RNA editing at groups of coding sites with different functional importance, we provide unequivocal evidence that human coding RNA editing is generally nonadaptive. We propose that the vast majority of the observed coding RNA editing results from tolerable promiscuous targeting by RNA editing enzymes. Our finding has important implications for understanding the physiological consequences of normal and abnormal coding RNA editing.
Estrogen controls the survival of BRCA1-deficient cells via a PI3K–NRF2-regulated pathway
Authors: Gorrini Chiara , Gang Bevan P. , Bassi Christian , Wakeham Andrew , Baniasadi Shakiba Pegah , Hao Zhenyue , Li Wanda Y. , Cescon David W. , Li Yen-Ting , Molyneux Sam , Penrod Nadia , Lupien Mathieu , Schmidt Edward E. , Stambolic Vuk , Gauthier Mona L. , Mak Tak W.
Published: February 2014

Significance

Our establishment of a connection between the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and NRF2 pathways provides the basis for the tissue specificity of BRCA1-related cancers. Because BRCA1 is a vital component of the intracellular machinery maintaining genomic stability, BRCA1 functions as a major tumor suppressor in cells of all types. However, BRCA1-related cancers occur overwhelmingly in breasts and ovaries. Our work demonstrates that estrogen (E2) acts via the PI3K–AKT pathway to regulate NRF2 activation in BRCA1-deficient cells, resulting in the induction of antioxidant genes that protect the cell from reactive oxygen species-induced death. BRCA1-deficient cells are thus allowed to survive and may accumulate mutations, such as loss of PTEN, that perpetuate NRF2 activation. Our work supports the emerging clinical strategy of treating BRCA1-related cancers with PI3K inhibitors.
Toll-like receptor 10 is involved in induction of innate immune responses to influenza virus infection
Authors: Lee Suki M. Y. , Kok Kin-Hang , Jaume Martial , Cheung Timothy K. W. , Yip Tsz-Fung , Lai Jimmy C. C. , Guan Yi , Webster Robert G. , Jin Dong-Yan , Peiris J. S. Malik
Published: February 2014

Significance

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play key roles in innate immune recognition of pathogens leading to the activation of innate host defenses and sometimes to immunopathology. In humans, there are 10 identified TLR members, designated TLRs 1–10. Of those, TLR10 remains the only one without a defined ligand or function. We now provide previously unidentified evidence that TLR10 plays a role in innate immune responses following influenza viral infection. Influenza viruses are subtyped on the hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N) proteins. Compared with seasonal influenza virus H1N1, the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 is a more potent inducer of TLR10 expression. Given the importance of innate immune sensing receptors in host defense and pathogenesis, evidence of a functional role for TLR10 in influenza infection suggests that this receptor probably plays a role in a range of other viral and perhaps other microbial diseases.
Translocation domain mutations affecting cellular toxicity identify the
Clostridium difficile
toxin B pore
Authors: Zhang Zhifen , Park Minyoung , Tam John , Auger Anick , Beilhartz Greg L. , Lacy D. Borden , Melnyk Roman A.
Published: February 2014

Significance

Clostridium difficile
is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated infection in hospitals worldwide. Disease symptoms are caused by toxins A and B, which form membrane-spanning pores that deliver associated cytotoxic enzyme domains into target cells leading to cellular death and tissue damage. Despite a wealth of information for the enzymatic domains that act once inside the cell, very little is known about the translocation pore and its role in disease pathogenesis. Here we describe the structural features of the pore and identify mutants that prevent pore formation and show that they are no longer toxic to host cells. These findings offer a glimpse into the elusive translocation pore and further provide the basis for a unique strategy to target toxins therapeutically.
A propagating ATPase gradient drives transport of surface-confined cellular cargo
Authors: Vecchiarelli Anthony G. , Neuman Keir C. , Mizuuchi Kiyoshi
Published: February 2014

Significance

The process of DNA segregation is of central importance for all organisms. Although the basic mechanism of eukaryotic mitosis is relatively well established, the most common mechanism used for bacterial DNA segregation has been unclear. ParA ATPases form dynamic patterns on the bacterial nucleoid to spatially organize plasmids, chromosomes and other large cellular cargo, but the force-generating mechanism has been a source of controversy and debate. A dominant view proposes that ParA-mediated transport and cargo positioning occurs via a filament-based mechanism that resembles eukaryotic mitosis. Here, we present direct evidence against such models. Our cell-free reconstitution supports a non–filament-based mode of transport that may be as widely found in nature as filament-based mechanisms.
Discovery of two GLP-1/Notch target genes that account for the role of GLP-1/Notch signaling in stem cell maintenance
Authors: Kershner Aaron M. , Shin Heaji , Hansen Tyler J. , Kimble Judith
Published: February 2014

Significance

Stem cells generate tissues, and they can be hijacked in cancer. A fundamental mechanism of stem cell regulation is signaling from their immediate microenvironment, or niche. Although many niches and signaling pathways have been identified, much less is known about how stem cells respond. Here, we report the discovery of two key niche signaling effector genes. These genes are activated in stem cells by Notch signaling, a conserved and clinically significant pathway, and together are essential for the stem cell state. Surprisingly, neither was previously implicated in stem cell regulation and their sequences yield few clues to their functions. We suggest that these newly discovered genes may be pioneers for a new class of stem cell regulators.
Welfare or workfare?
Authors: Nygård Mikael
Published: February 2014

The aim of the article is to analyse changing partisan constructions of unemployment security in Finland during the 1990s. In the article, a corpus of 143 texts comprising partisan statements on un/employment policies is analysed by using Perelman’s (1971/1958) rhetorical design. The focus lies on how the leading parties interpreted state responsibility for labour market failures, the nature of social rights for unemployed persons, and the generosity of unemployment benefits. Were there major reformulations of unemployment security as a reaction to high unemployment, fiscal problems and globalisation? And if so, what kinds of rhetorical argumentation were used in order to legitimate these reformulations? The results show that partisan constructions of unemployment benefits changed in a contractual and reciprocal direction, indicating that elements of so-called workfare rhetoric became rooted in the Finnish political discourse during the Mid-90s. The political elites also moved closer to a narrower interpretation of the concept of social right for unemployed.
Unnatural acts
Authors: Woods Matthew
Published: February 2014

International relations theory overdetermines proliferation but few states possess nuclear arms. This article maintains the linguistic construction of ‘proliferation’ accounts for the international nonnuclear order. Following an overview of its approach, the article begins with a review of earlier works and notes the inability of ‘nuclear language studies’ to account for the order of rejection rather than acquisition of nuclear arms. The article traces that limitation to a practical assumption about the world that animates scholars to attend to how wordsdistortrather than create reality. The article then introduces a version of constructivism that claims speech acts produce constitutive rules that create what ‘is’ and oblige order (as ‘same use’) to suggest how language accounts for the order that turns on rejection of nuclear weapons. Finally, the article illustrates how states, following this constructivist process, often used discursive practices that emphasized the ‘unnatural’ to create ‘proliferation’ between 1958 and 1968.
Investigating language and ideology
Authors: Matu Peter M. , Lubbe Hendrik Johannes
Published: February 2014

This article examines the application of two approaches from discourse analysis, that is, the ideological square from Critical Discourse Analysis and transitivity which is a component of Systemic Functional Grammar in the analysis of data extracted from the Kenyan print media. These two approaches are used to illustrate how different newspapers’ editorials portrayed various political groups in the run — up to the general elections in 1997 in Kenya. Thus attempts are made to show the role of newspapers editorials in articulating conflicting ideological positions in election reporting. In this paper an analysis is provided on how the Kenya print media represented and constructed political parties in the 1997 elections. The aim of this representation and construction is to show how political groups in the sense of us vs them and the representational processes of transitivity construct ideological discourse. The paper further illustrates how the concepts of ideological square and transitivity assist in making overt the mediation processes and practices that are generally, covertly, often unconsciously used in the construction and evaluation of participants in a political process.
MarvelD3 couples tight junctions to the MEKK1–JNK pathway to regulate cell behavior and survival
Authors: Steed Emily , Elbediwy Ahmed , Vacca Barbara , Dupasquier Sébastien , Hemkemeyer Sandra A. , Suddason Tesha , Costa Ana C. , Beaudry Jean-Bernard , Zihni Ceniz , Gallagher Ewen , Pierreux Christophe E. , Balda Maria S. , Matter Karl
Published: February 2014

MarvelD3 is a transmembrane component of tight junctions, but there is little evidence for a direct involvement in the junctional permeability barrier. Tight junctions also regulate signaling mechanisms that guide cell proliferation; however, the transmembrane components that link the junction to such signaling pathways are not well understood. In this paper, we show that MarvelD3 is a dynamic junctional regulator of the MEKK1–c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway. Loss of MarvelD3 expression in differentiating Caco-2 cells resulted in increased cell migration and proliferation, whereas reexpression in a metastatic tumor cell line inhibited migration, proliferation, and in vivo tumor formation. Expression levels of MarvelD3 inversely correlated with JNK activity, as MarvelD3 recruited MEKK1 to junctions, leading to down-regulation of JNK phosphorylation and inhibition of JNK-regulated transcriptional mechanisms. Interplay between MarvelD3 internalization and JNK activation tuned activation of MEKK1 during osmotic stress, leading to junction dissociation and cell death in MarvelD3-depleted cells. MarvelD3 thus couples tight junctions to the MEKK1–JNK pathway to regulate cell behavior and survival.
Trim32 reduces PI3K–Akt–FoxO signaling in muscle atrophy by promoting plakoglobin–PI3K dissociation
Authors: Cohen Shenhav , Lee Donghoon , Zhai Bo , Gygi Steven P. , Goldberg Alfred L.
Published: February 2014

Activation of the PI3K–Akt–FoxO pathway induces cell growth, whereas its inhibition reduces cell survival and, in muscle, causes atrophy. Here, we report a novel mechanism that suppresses PI3K–Akt–FoxO signaling. Although skeletal muscle lacks desmosomes, it contains multiple desmosomal components, including plakoglobin. In normal muscle plakoglobin binds the insulin receptor and PI3K subunit p85 and promotes PI3K–Akt–FoxO signaling. During atrophy, however, its interaction with PI3K–p85 is reduced by the ubiquitin ligase Trim32 (tripartite motif containing protein 32). Inhibition of Trim32 enhanced plakoglobin binding to PI3K–p85 and promoted PI3K–Akt–FoxO signaling. Surprisingly, plakoglobin overexpression alone enhanced PI3K–Akt–FoxO signaling. Furthermore, Trim32 inhibition in normal muscle increased PI3K–Akt–FoxO signaling, enhanced glucose uptake, and induced fiber growth, whereas plakoglobin down-regulation reduced PI3K–Akt–FoxO signaling, decreased glucose uptake, and caused atrophy. Thus, by promoting plakoglobin–PI3K dissociation, Trim32 reduces PI3K–Akt–FoxO signaling in normal and atrophying muscle. This mechanism probably contributes to insulin resistance during fasting and catabolic diseases and perhaps to the myopathies and cardiomyopathies seen with Trim32 and plakoglobin mutations.
New Measures of Judges’ Caseload for the Federal District Courts, 1964–2012
Authors: Habel Philip , Scott Kevin
Published: February 2014

Over the past 30 years many observers of the federal courts have expressed concern over mounting dockets, arguing that the taxing workloads for federal judges could have a variety of negative consequences, including difficulties in judicial recruitment and retention. However, assessing the plausibility of those and similar claims requires the use of appropriate measures of judges’ workload. We introduce scholars and practitioners to new measures of caseload for the district courts available from 1964 through 2012. We detail the methodology for constructing our measures and then assess changes in caseload over time, both within and across courts. We argue that, in most cases, the preferred measure of caseload incorporates weighted filings and accounts for the service of senior status judges and vacancies. We conclude by pointing scholars toward additional research avenues that can be undertaken with our publicly available data.
Rehabilitating the Declaratory Theory of the Common Law
Authors: Zamulinski Brian
Published: February 2014

The declaratory theory is that “judge-made law” is discovered, not created. This article describes a scenario in which there develops a legal system such that the declaratory theory is true and shows that judges in the scenario could literally discover what they could justifiably call law. Positivist objections to the theory are rebutted. If true, the declaratory theory has implications for contemporary systems that combine legislation and judge-made law.
Extension groups of tautological sheaves on Hilbert schemes
Authors: Krug Andreas
Published: February 2014

We give formulas for the extension groups between tautological sheaves and more generally between tautological objects twisted by natural line bundles on the Hilbert scheme of points on a smooth quasi-projective surface. As a consequence we observe that a tautological object can never be a spherical or

P

n

\mathbb {P}^n

-object. We also provide a description of the Yoneda products.
jHeatmap: an interactive heatmap viewer for the web
Authors: Deu-Pons Jordi , Schroeder Michael P. , Lopez-Bigas Nuria
Published: February 2014

Summary: The generation of large volumes of omics data to conduct exploratory studies has become feasible and is now extensively used to gain new insights in life sciences. The effective exploration of the generated data by experts is a crucial step for the successful extraction of knowledge from these datasets. This requires availability of intuitive and interactive visualization tools that can display complex data. Matrix heatmaps are graphical representations frequently used for the description of complex omics data. Here, we present jHeatmap, a web-based tool that allows interactive matrix heatmap visualization and exploration. It is an adaptable javascript library designed to be embedded by means of basic coding skills into web portals to visualize data matrices as interactive and customizable heatmaps.

Availability:  jHeatmap is freely available at the GitHub code repository at https://github.com/jheatmap/jheatmap. Working examples and the documentation may be found at http://jheatmap.github.io/jheatmap.

Contact:  nuria.lopez@upf.edu or jordi.deu@upf.edu
Spectropolarimetric constraints on the nature of interstellar grains
Authors: Li Qi , Liang S. L. , Li Aigen
Published: February 2014

While it is well recognized that interstellar grains are made of amorphous silicates and some form of carbonaceous materials, it remains debated regarding what exact chemical and physical form the carbonaceous component takes. Contemporary grain models assume that the silicate and carbon components are either physically separated or they form a core–mantle structure, or they agglomerate to form porous composites. The core–mantle model posits that the mantle is made of some sort of aliphatic hydrocarbon materials and is responsible for the 3.4 μm absorption feature ubiquitously seen in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) of the Milky Way and external galaxies. This model is challenged by the non-detection of polarization in the 3.4 μm absorption feature as the 9.7 μm silicate feature is observed to be polarized. To alleviate this challenge, we calculate the degree of polarization of the 3.4 μm feature for spheroidal silicate dust coated by a layer of spherical aliphatic hydrocarbon. It is found that the 3.4 μm feature polarization still exceeds the observational upper limit, even though spherical aliphatic hydrocarbon mantles are expected to cause much less polarization than non-spherical (e.g. spheroidal) mantles. We have also shown that the composite grain model which consists of amorphous silicate, aliphatic hydrocarbon and vacuum also predicts the 3.4 μm feature polarization to well exceed what is observed. These results support the earlier arguments that the aliphatic hydrocarbon component is physically separated from the silicate component unless the 3.4 μm absorption feature is just a minor carbon sink in the ISM.
Does Infliximab Prevent Colectomy in Acute and Chronic Active Ulcerative Colitis?
Authors: Dan‐Nielsen Steffen , Wewer Vibeke , Paerregaard Anders , Hansen Lars F. , Nielsen Rasmus G. , Lange Aksel , Jakobsen Christian
Published: February 2014

Objectives:

The aim of the study was to evaluate clinical response, use of colectomy, and adverse events related to infliximab (IFX) treatment in acute and chronic active ulcerative colitis (UC) in children.

Methods:

Children from 3 centers, who had received IFX for UC, were identified, and patient charts were reviewed retrospectively. Data concerning symptoms, biochemistry, concomitant medical treatment, colectomy, and adverse events were registered.

Results:

A total of 45 patients with UC (median age at diagnosis 12 years, interquartile range 10–14) were included, and studied for a median of 15 months (interquartile range 4.5–29) after first IFX infusion. The cumulative 1‐ and 2‐year risks of colectomy were 21% and 26%, respectively. The cumulative 1‐ and 2‐year risks of receiving a new course of systemic corticosteroids were 32% and 48%, respectively. Twenty‐one patients (46%) experienced adverse events. Most common were mild infusion reactions, but 3 (7%) had serious adverse events.

Conclusions:

IFX was efficient in preventing colectomy in children with UC. The risk of receiving systemic corticosteroids was lower than that reported in other studies. Most adverse events were mild to moderate and self‐limiting.
Nanowire systems: technology and design
Authors: Gaillardon Pierre-Emmanuel , Amarù Luca Gaetano , Bobba Shashikanth , De Marchi Michele , Sacchetto Davide , De Micheli Giovanni
Published: February 2014

Nanosystems are large-scale integrated systems exploiting nanoelectronic devices. In this study, we consider
double independent gate, vertically stacked nanowire field effect transistors
(FETs) with gate-all-around structures and typical diameter of 20 nm. These devices, which we have successfully fabricated and evaluated, control the ambipolar behaviour of the nanostructure by selectively enabling one type of carriers. These transistors work as switches with electrically programmable polarity and thus realize an
exclusive or
operation. The intrinsic higher expressive power of these FETs, when compared with standard
complementary metal oxide semiconductor
technology, enables us to realize more efficient logic gates, which we organize as tiles to realize nanowire systems by regular arrays. This article surveys both the technology for double independent gate FETs as well as physical and logic design tools to realize digital systems with this fabrication technology.
Silicon-based silicon–germanium–tin heterostructure photonics
Authors: Soref Richard
Published: February 2014

The wavelength range that extends from 1550 to 5000 nm is a new regime of operation for Si-based photonic and opto-electronic integrated circuits. To actualize the new chips, heterostructure active devices employing the ternary SiGeSn alloy are proposed in this paper. Foundry-based monolithic integration is described. Opportunities and challenges abound in creating laser diodes, optical amplifiers, light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, modulators, switches and a host of high-performance passive infrared waveguided components.
Histone H2B Monoubiquitination Is Involved in Regulating the Dynamics of Microtubules during the Defense Response to Verticillium dahliae Toxins in Arabidopsis
Authors: Hu Min , Pei Bao-Lei , Zhang Li-Fan , Li Ying-Zhang
Published: February 2014

Histone H2B monoubiquitination (H2Bub) is being recognized as a regulatory mechanism that controls a range of cellular processes in plants, but the molecular mechanisms of H2Bub that are involved in responses to biotic stress are largely unknown. In this study, we used wild-type and H2Bub loss-of-function mutations of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) to elucidate which of its mechanisms are involved in the regulation of the plant’s defense response to Verticillium dahliae (Vd) toxins. We demonstrate that the depolymerization of the cortical microtubules (MTs) was different in the wild type and the mutants in the response to Vd toxins. The loss-of-function alleles of HISTONE MONOUBIQUITINATION1 and HISTONE MONOUBIQUITINATION2 mutations present a weaker depolymerization of the MTs, and protein tyrosine phosphorylation plays a critical role in the regulation of the dynamics of MTs. Moreover, H2Bub is a positive regulator of the gene expression of protein tyrosine phosphatases. These findings provide direct evidence for H2Bub as an important modification with regulatory roles in the defense against Vd toxins and demonstrate that H2Bub is involved in modulating the dynamics of MTs, likely through the protein tyrosine phosphatase-mediated signaling pathway.
[2-Benzyl-3-(naphthalen-1-yl)-2,3-dihydro-1,2-oxazole-4,5-diyl]bis(phenylmethanone)
Authors: Sandhya R. , Sithambaresan M. , Kurup M. R. Prathapachandra
Published: February 2014

In the title compound, C34H25NO3, the five-membered heterocyclic ring adopts an envelope conformation with the N atom as the flap. The plane through the four basal atoms of this ring makes dihedral angles of 69.78 (13), 53.15 (12) and 86.42 (13)°, respectively, with the benzene rings of the benzyl group and the two phenylmethanone groups at the 4 and 5 positions, and of 78.60 (11)° with the naphthalenyl system. In the crystal, the molecules are linked through C—H...O and C—H...π contacts into layers parallel to (101).
Methylphosphonic acid, CH3PO(OH)2
Authors: Reuter Hans , Reichelt Martin
Published: February 2014

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, CH5O3P, contains two independent molecules with nearly identical bond lengths and angles. In the crystal, each of the molecules acts as acceptor (P=O) and donor (P—OH) of four hydrogen bonds to three adjacent molecules, resulting in the formation of two different bilayers (one for each molecule) stacked perpendicular to theaaxis in the crystal.
2,2-Dimethyl-N-(4-methylpyridin-2-yl)propanamide
Authors: El-Hiti Gamal A. , Smith Keith , Balakit Asim A. , Hegazy Amany S. , Kariuki Benson M.
Published: February 2014

In the title compound, C11H16N2O, the dihedral angle between the mean plane of the 4-methypyridine group and the plane of the amide link is 16.7 (1)°, and there is a short intramolecular C—H...O contact. Hydrogen bonding (N—H...O) between amide groups forms chains parallel to thebaxis. Pairs of methylpyridine groups from molecules in adjacent chains are parallel but there is minimal π–π interaction.
5-((Methoxyimino){2-[(2-methylphenoxy)methyl]phenyl}methyl)-N-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-amine
Authors: Sharma Devinder K. , Shripanavar Chetan S. , Anthal Sumati , Gupta Vivek K. , Kant Rajni
Published: February 2014

In the title molecule, C24H22N4O3, the plane of the oxadiazole ring forms a dihedral angle of 32.41 (12)° with that of the phenyl ring and dihedral angles of 74.51 (10) and 56.38 (10)° with the planes of the benzene rings. In the crystal, pairs of N—H...N hydrogen bonds link molecules into inversion dimers featuringR22(8) graph-set motifs.
2-Cycloheptylidene-N-phenylhydrazinecarbothioamide
Authors: Akkurt Mehmet , Mohamed Shaaban K. , Mague Joel T. , Hassan Alaa A. , Albayati Mustafa R.
Published: February 2014

In the title compound, C14H19N3S, the seven-membered cycloheptane ring adopts a chair conformation. An intramolecular N—H...N hydrogen bond [graph-set motifS(5)] is present in the N—N—C—N chain between the ring systems. An intramolecular C—H...S contact also occurs. In the crystal, pairs of molecules form centrosymmetric dimers through N—H...S hydrogen bonds [graph-setR22(8)]. These dimers are connected by C—H...S interactions with anR22(14) motif.
Cd4As2Br3
Authors: Kars Mohammed , Roisnel Thierry , Dorcet Vincent , Rebbah Allaoua , Otero-Diáz L. Carlos
Published: February 2014

Single crystals of Cd4As2Br3(tetracadmium biarsenide tribromide) were grown by a chemical transport reaction. The structure is isotypic with the members of the cadmium and mercury pnictidohalides family with general formulaM4A2X3(M= Cd, Hg;A= P, As, Sb;X= Cl, Br, I) and contains two independent As atoms on special positions with site symmetry -3 and two independent Cd atoms, of which one is on a special position with site symmetry -3. The Cd4As2Br3structure consists of AsCd4tetrahedra sharing vertices with isolated As2Cd6octahedra that contain As–As dumbbells in the centre of the octahedron. The Br atoms are located in the voids of this three-dimensional arrangement and bridge the different polyhedra through Cd...Br contacts.
Evergreen shrubs dominate responses to experimental summer warming and fertilization in Canadian mesic low arctic tundra
Authors: Zamin Tara J. , Bret‐Harte M. Syndonia , Grogan Paul
Published: February 2014

Climate change in arctic tundra is projected to increase soil fertility, which may alter plant community composition and ecosystem processes by shifting niche space to favour particular species' life‐history strategies. The rate and magnitude of change in soil fertility may be critical to determining plant community responses, and so effects of slow increases in nutrient availability due to climate warming may differ substantially from those of chronic high‐level fertilizer additions.

We investigated above‐ and below‐ground plant biomass responses to experimental summer warming and above‐ground responses to nutrient additions (low‐level N and factorial N and P) in a mesic birch hummock tundra community in the central Canadian Low Arctic after eight years of experimental treatment.

Plant community biomass responses to experimental warming were fundamentally different from those of high‐level N and/or P additions, mainly due to opposing effects on the evergreen shrubs. Evergreen shrub above‐ground biomass increased 66% with greenhouse warming, but decreased on average 70% with high‐level N and/or P additions, driven by the strong responses of Rhododendron subarcticum. Because of this evergreen response, greenhouse‐warming increased total above‐ground biomass by 32% and total below‐ground biomass by 70%, but did not significantly change the total above‐ground/below‐ground biomass ratio. However, warming increased the shoot/root ratio of Betula glandulosa threefold.

Increased soil fertility created interactions between N and P availability, whereby increased P availability led to a substantial increase in inorganic N availability. Meanwhile, the growth of several species that span a range of different functional groups was stimulated by the separate N and P additions. These factorial fertilization results highlight the importance of understanding climate warming impacts on availability of both of these nutrients in order to predict plant community responses.

Synthesis. Our results strongly suggest that the trajectory of mesic tundra vegetation change with warming depends critically on the rate of increase in soil fertility. The relatively large greenhouse‐induced biomass increase in evergreen compared to deciduous shrubs suggests that carbon balance and albedo feedbacks to warming will be restricted in mesic tundra ecosystems, at least in their early responses to climate change.
‘Stop Being a Tourist!’ New Dynamics of Urban Tourism in Berlin‐Kreuzberg
Authors: Füller Henning , Michel Boris
Published: February 2014

Berlin is witnessing a massive tourism boom, and parts of it can be described as ‘new urban tourism’, which shows a preference for off the beaten track areas and ‘authentic’ experiences of the city. This form of tourism seems especially salient in Kreuzberg. It is here that an openly articulated critique of tourism attracted national attention in 2011 and has not ceased to do so since. This article aims to better understand the conflictive potential of (new urban) tourism in Kreuzberg. We argue that the readily expressed negative attitudes against tourists and the easily accepted link between tourism and gentrification have to be explained against the backdrop of certain housing‐market dynamics. Rising rents and a diminution in the number of flats available for rent are fuelling fears of gentrification in Kreuzberg, while the interest shown in new urban tourism and the comparatively low‐priced real‐estate market in Berlin result in a growing number of holiday flats. Although adding only slightly to the tightening of the housing market, holiday flats render complex processes of neighborhood change visible and further sustain an already prevalent tourism critique.
Economic strain and perceptions of social cohesion inEurope: Does institutional trust matter?
Authors: Andrews Rhys , Jilke Sebastian , Van de Walle Steven
Published: February 2014

The degree to which different social groups get along is a key indicator of the cohesiveness of a society. This study examines perceptions of social cohesion amongEuropeans and explains variations in those perceptions by considering the separate and combined effects of economic strain and institutional trust. Analyses were conducted with the 27 member countries of theEUbased on the Eurobarometer 74.1 on poverty and social exclusion conducted in 2010. Results show that individuals living in households experiencing economic strain perceive social cohesion to be weaker than their less economically hard‐pressed counterparts. By contrast, individuals trusting their political institutions perceived there to be higher levels of cohesion. Furthermore, institutional trust substantially moderates the negative relationship between economic strain and perceptions of cohesion. These results are robust to various model specifications. Moreover, extending the analysis revealed that this moderating effect held when considering social relations between the poor and rich and between different racial and ethnic groups. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.
Hemoglobin A1c in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis: How Should We Interpret It?
Authors: Coelho Silvia , Rodrigues Anabela
Published: February 2014

Almost half the patients on peritoneal dialysis are diabetic and glycemic control is essential to improve both patient and technique survival. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is widely used in the general population for diabetes diagnosis and monitoring as it highly correlates with blood glucose levels and outcomes. Its use has been extrapolated to the peritoneal dialysis population, despite HbA1c being commonly underestimated. In renal failure patients, HbA1c is influenced by variables affecting not only glycemia but also hemoglobin and the time of interaction between the two. Importantly, the impact of these variables differs in peritoneal dialysis compared to non‐dialysis chronic kidney disease and hemodialysis patients.

Although HbA1c in peritoneal dialysis patients is less directly associated with blood glucose levels than in the general population, studies have confirmed its association with patient mortality. In this paper we review the variables that can influence HbA1c value emphasizing their impact in peritoneal dialysis patients. By providing clinicians with a comprehensive understanding of HbA1c results, we provide them with tools for a better patient management care and potential improved outcomes of peritoneal dialysis patients.
Can you pay employees to innovate? Evidence from the Canadian private sector
Authors: Curran Bruce , Walsworth Scott
Published: February 2014

Using 7 years of data representing the Canadian private sector, we estimate the effects of the major components of compensation on a rarely studied form of employee performance: innovation. Although there are some limitations inherent in the data, our results indicate the complex motivation required for consistent innovation success. Surprisingly, we find that fixed pay (salary) and individual performance pay have no effect on innovation, while variable group pay and indirect pay (employee benefits) have a positive effect. In other words, our results suggest that you can pay employees to innovate, provided that you select the right compensation incentives.
Biofilm development during the start‐up period of anaerobic biofilm reactors: the biofilm Archaea community is highly dependent on the support material
Authors: Habouzit Frédéric , Hamelin Jérôme , Santa‐Catalina Gaëlle , Steyer Jean‐P. , Bernet Nicolas
Published: February 2014

To evaluate the impact of the nature of the support material on its colonization by a methanogenic consortium, four substrata made of different materials: polyvinyl chloride, 2 polyethylene and polypropylene were tested during the start‐up of lab‐scale fixed‐film reactors. The reactor performances were evaluated and compared together with the analysis of the biofilms. Biofilm growth was quantified and the structure of bacterial and archaeal communities were characterized by molecular fingerprinting profiles (capillary electrophoresis‐single strand conformation polymorphism). The composition of the inoculum was shown to have a major impact on the bacterial composition of the biofilm, whatever the nature of the support material or the organic loading rate applied to the reactors during the start‐up period. In contrast, the biofilm archaeal populations were independent of the inoculum used but highly dependent on the support material. Supports favouring Archaea colonization, the limiting factor in the overall process, should be preferred.
Conodonts from the Sesong Slate and Hwajeol Formation (Guzhangian to Furongian) in the Taebaeksan Basin, Korea
Authors: Lee Byung‐Su
Published: February 2014

Abundant conodont elements have been recovered from the Hwajeol Formation, to allow five zones to be erected: Proconodontus, Eoconodontus notchpeakensis, Cambrooistodus minutus, Cordylodus proavus, and Fryxellodontus inornatus‐Monocostodus sevierensis‐Semiacontiodus lavadamensis zones, in ascending order. More confident biozones are recognized in the Sesong Slate and lower Hwajeol Formation in the Makgol section, a part of the southern limb of the Baekunsan syncline, Taebaeksan Basin, Korea, especially focusing on the conodont biostratigraphic boundary of two units, and the subdivision potential of the previous “Proconodontus Zone”, lowermost biozone of the Hwajeol Formation. Similarly, only a few conodont elements recovered from upper 14.5 m interval, namely the Furongian portion of the Sesong Slate, in the Makgol section did not allow erection of a biozone. Nevertheless, this part of the unit plus the basal 2.5 m interval of the Hwajeol Formation is characterized by the occurrence of Prooneotodus rotundatus (Druce and Jones), Teridontus nakamurai (Nogami), Phakelodus elongatus (An) and Phakelodus tenuis Müller, This interval marks the early Furongian “Prooneotodus rotundatus Zone”. The rest of the measured section yielded relatively abundant conodonts, so three conodont biozones are proposed, based on the successive appearance of key species: Proconodontus tenuiserratus, Proconodontus posterocostatus, and Proconodontus muelleri zones, in ascending order, and thus allowing subdivision of the previous “Proconodontus Zone”. The four conodont biozones are correlated with the relevant biozones of North and South China, and North America.