bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Salt tolerance evolves more frequently in C4 grass lineages
Authors: Bromham L. , Bennett T. H.
Published: February 2014

Salt tolerance has evolved many times in the grass family, and yet few cereal crops are salt tolerant. Why has it been so difficult to develop crops tolerant of saline soils when salt tolerance has evolved so frequently in nature? One possible explanation is that some grass lineages have traits that predispose them to developing salt tolerance and that without these background traits, salt tolerance is harder to achieve. One candidate background trait is photosynthetic pathway, which has also been remarkably labile in grasses. At least 22 independent origins of the C4 photosynthetic pathway have been suggested to occur within the grass family. It is possible that the evolution of C4 photosynthesis aids exploitation of saline environments, because it reduces transpiration, increases water‐use efficiency and limits the uptake of toxic ions. But the observed link between the evolution of C4 photosynthesis and salt tolerance could simply be due to biases in phylogenetic distribution of halophytes or C4 species. Here, we use a phylogenetic analysis to investigate the association between photosynthetic pathway and salt tolerance in the grass family Poaceae. We find that salt tolerance is significantly more likely to occur in lineages with C4 photosynthesis than in C3 lineages. We discuss the possible links between C4 photosynthesis and salt tolerance and consider the limitations of inferring the direction of causality of this relationship.
Incipient habitat race formation in an amphibian
Authors: Van Buskirk J.
Published: February 2014

Theory defines conditions under which sympatric speciation may occur, and several possible examples of the process in action have been identified. In most cases, organisms specialize onto habitats that fall into discrete categories, such as host species used by herbivores and parasites. Ecological specialization within a continuous habitat gradient is theoretically possible, but becomes less likely with increasing gene flow among clinal habitat types. Here, I show that habitat race formation is underway in a frog,Rana temporaria, along a continuous and spatially mosaic habitat gradient. Tadpoles from 23 populations raised in an outdoor mesocosm experiment showed adaptive phenotypic variation correlated with the predator density in their pond of origin. A survey of microsatellite markers in 48 populations found that neutral genetic divergence was enhanced between ponds with very different densities of predators. This represents a new example of habitat specialization along a continuous habitat gradient with no spatial autocorrelation in habitat.
Heterospecific female mimicry in Ficedula flycatchers
Authors: Calhim S. , Adamik P. , Järvistö P. , Leskinen P. , Török J. , Wakamatsu K. , Laaksonen T.
Published: February 2014

Mimicry is a widespread phenomenon. Vertebrate visual mimicry often operates in an intraspecific sexual context, with some males resembling conspecific females. Pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) dorsal plumage varies from the ancestral black to female‐like brown. Experimental studies have shown that conspecific and heterospecific (collared flycatcher, F. albicollis) individuals of both sexes respond, at least initially, to brown individuals as if they were female. We quantified the perceptual and biochemical differences between brown feathers and found that brown pied flycatcher males are indistinguishable from heterospecific, but not from conspecific, females in both aspects. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of a visual mimetic signalling system in a sexual context where the model is heterospecific to the mimic. By only mimicking heterospecific females, brown pied flycatcher males can establish territories next to the more dominant collared flycatcher in sympatry, suffer less aggression by darker conspecifics in allopatry and preserve within‐species sexual recognition throughout the breeding range. A closer look at the evolutionary history and ecology of these two species illustrates how such a mimetic system can evolve. Although likely rare, this phenomenon might not be unique to Ficedula flycatchers.
Hypoxia‐induced developmental plasticity of the gills and air‐breathing organ of Trichopodus trichopterus
Authors: Blank T. , Burggren W.
Published: February 2014

The air‐breathing blue gourami Trichopodus trichopterus, an anabantid with a suprabranchial labyrinth organ, was used to study morphological development of respiratory systems in response to chronic hypoxia (13% O2, combined aquatic and aerial hypoxia). Overall growth (fork length, wet mass and cutaneous surface area) of T. trichopterus did not differ between control fish and those reared in hypoxia. Both lamellar and labyrinth surface areas of the hypoxic larvae, however, increased more rapidly than controls, producing c. 16% larger lamellar and 30% larger labyrinth mass‐specific surface areas within the first 120 days of development. This is the first study to show developmental respiratory plasticity of a bimodally respiring fish. It reveals that chronic hypoxia stimulates development of the gills and air‐breathing organ, and that labyrinth growth is even more sensitive to hypoxia than branchial growth.
Short and long‐term strategies to facilitate aerial exposure in a galaxiid
Authors: Magellan K. , Pinchuck S. , Swartz E. R.
Published: February 2014

This study investigated two potential strategies to survive short and longer‐term aerial exposure in a galaxiid. This scaleless fish possesses cutaneous pores that dilated in the short‐term (15 min–3 h) but contracted over longer periods (15 h) out of water, suggesting that these organs are used to cope with shorter durations of air exposure. Pores on the abdominal surface showed the greatest variation while those on the operculum surface hardly changed. Conversely, thickening of the epithelial layer of secondary gill lamellae showed a slower increase but persisted in an approximately linear fashion over the duration of this study, indicating that this is a strategy that facilitates longer‐term aerial exposure. Thus, this species has the capacity to accommodate both short and long‐term exposure to air.
Nanoscale distribution of CD20 on B‐cell lymphoma tumour cells and its potential role in the clinical efficacy of rituximab
Authors: LI M. , XIAO X. , ZHANG W. , LIU L. , XI N. , WANG Y.
Published: February 2014

Rituximab is an exciting monoclonal antibody drug approved for treating B‐cell lymphomas and its target is the CD20 antigen which is expressed on the surface of B cells. In recent years, the variable efficacies of rituximab among different lymphoma patients have become an important clinical issue and urgently need to be solved for further development of antibodies with enhanced efficacies. In this work, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to investigate the nanoscale distribution of CD20 on the surface of tumour B cells from lymphoma patients to examine its potential role in the clinical therapeutic effects of rituximab. By performing ROR1 fluorescence labelling (ROR1 is a specific tumour cell surface marker) on the bone marrow cells prepared from B‐cell lymphoma patients, the tumour B cells were recognized, and then AFM tips carrying rituximabs via polyethylene glycol crosslinkers were moved to the tumour cells to probe the specific CD20‐rituximab interactions. By applying AFM single‐molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) at the local areas (500×500 nm2) on the surface of tumour B cells, the nanoscale distributions of CD20 on the surface of tumour B cells were mapped, visually showing that CD20 distributed heterogeneously on the cell surface. Bone marrow cell samples from three clinical B‐cell lymphoma cases were collected to analyze the binding affinity and nanoscale distribution of CD20 on tumour cells. The experimental results showed that CD20 distribution on tumour cells were to some extent related to the clinical therapeutic outcomes while the CD20‐rituximab binding forces did not have distinct effects to the clinical outcomes. These results can provide novel insights in understanding the rituximab's clinical efficacies from the nanoscale distribution of CD20 on the tumour cells at single‐cell and single‐molecule levels.
Stereophotogrammetric Evaluation of Tooth‐Induced Labial Protrusion
Authors: Rosati Riccardo , De Menezes Marcio , Silva Ana Maria Bettoni Rodrigues da , Rossetti Alberto , Lanza Attisano Giuseppe C. , Sforza Chiarella
Published: February 2014

Purpose

To better manage dental treatment outcome, a previsualization of desired appearances can be used to understand patients’ wishes. A deeper comprehension of labial modifications related to hard‐tissue movements is advantageous. The purpose of the study was to evaluate tooth restoration‐induced labial displacements in three dimensions.

Materials and Methods

In a group of 20 healthy Caucasian individuals, simulations of vestibular translations of maxillary anterior crowns were obtained by placing an acrylic resin veneer on the labial surfaces of maxillary incisors and canines. Three‐dimensional stereophotogrammetric acquisitions were made to evaluate soft‐tissue changes induced by the simulations. Linear dislocation of selected landmarks and labial surfaces were quantified using dedicated software.

Results

All paired and two midline labial landmarks had significant displacements, ranging from 13% (Subnasale landmark) to 103% (left Cheilion landmark) of veneer thickness (2 mm thick). A significant positive correlation was obtained between the lower lip displacement and overjet values.

Conclusions

The vestibular shift of maxillary incisors and canines affect both upper and lower vermilion areas, without involving cutaneous perilabial landmarks.
Temperature response of photosynthetic light‐ and carbon‐use characteristics in the red seaweed Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta)
Authors: Zou Dinghui , Gao Kunshan
Published: February 2014

The red seaweed Gracilariopsis is an important crop extensively cultivated in China for high‐quality raw agar. In the cultivation site at Nanao Island, Shantou, China, G. lemaneiformis experiences high variability in environmental conditions like seawater temperature. In this study, G. lemaneiformis was cultured at 12, 19, or 26°C for 3 weeks, to examine its photosynthetic acclimation to changing temperature. Growth rates were highest in G. lemaneiformis thalli grown at 19°C, and were reduced with either decreased or increased temperature. The irradiance‐saturated rate of photosynthesis (Pmax) decreased with decreasing temperature, but increased significantly with prolonged cultivation at lower temperatures, indicating the potential for photosynthesis acclimation to lower temperature. Moreover, Pmax increased with increasing temperature (~30 μmol O2 · g−1FW · h−1 at 12°C to 70 μmol O2 · g−1FW · h−1 at 26°C). The irradiance compensation point for photosynthesis (Ic) decreased significantly with increasing temperature (28 μmol photons · m−2 · s−1 at high temperature vs. 38 μmol photons · m−2 · s−1 at low temperature). Both the photosynthetic light‐ and carbon‐use efficiencies increased with increasing growth or temperatures (from 12°C to 26°C). The results suggested that the thermal acclimation of photosynthetic performance of G. lemaneiformis would have important ecophysiological implications in sea cultivation for improving photosynthesis at low temperature and maintaining high standing biomass during summer. Ongoing climate change (increasing atmospheric CO2 and global warming) may enhance biomass production in G. lemaneiformis mariculture through the improved photosynthetic performances in response to increasing temperature.
Serum and UrineBlastomycesAntigen Concentrations as Markers of Clinical Remission in Dogs Treated for Systemic Blastomycosis
Authors: Foy D.S. , Trepanier L.A. , Kirsch E.J. , Wheat L.J.
Published: February 2014

Background

Serum and urineBlastomycesantigen concentrations can be used to diagnose blastomycosis in dogs.

Objectives

Blastomycesantigen concentrations correlate with clinical remission in dogs during antifungal treatment, and detect disease relapse after treatment discontinuation.

Animals

21 dogs with newly diagnosed blastomycosis monitored until clinical remission (Treatment Phase), and 27 dogs monitored over 1 year from the time of antifungal discontinuation or until clinical relapse (After Treatment Phase).

Methods

Prospective study. Dogs were monitored monthly during treatment and every 3 months after treatment discontinuation, with a complete history, physical exam, chest radiographs, and ocular exam. Urine and serumBlastomycesantigen concentrations were measured at each visit using a quantitative enzyme immunoassay.

Results

At enrollment in the Treatment Phase,Blastomycesantigen was positive in all 21 urine samples (100% sensitivity; 95%CI85–100%), and in 18 of 20 serum samples (90% sensitivity; 95%CI70–97%). At 2–4 months of treatment, urine antigen was more sensitive for clinically detectable disease (82%;CI60–94%) than serum antigen (18%;CI6–41%). The sensitivity of the urine test for clinical relapse was 71% (CI36–92%), with close to 100% specificity (CI84–100%) during after treatment surveillance in this population.

Conclusions

UrineBlastomycesantigen testing has high sensitivity for active disease at the time of diagnosis and during treatment, and moderate sensitivity but high specificity for clinical relapse. Urine testing should be useful at the time of diagnosis, when treatment discontinuation is being considered, and anytime there is poor clinical response or suspicion of relapse.
The bone marrow niche, stem cells, and leukemia: impact of drugs, chemicals, and the environment
Authors: Snyder Robert
Published: February 2014

Detection, treatment, and prevention of bone marrow diseases have long been the aims of experimental and clinical hematologists and mechanistically oriented toxicologists. Among these diseases is aplastic anemia, which manifests as the cessation of normal blood cell production; the leukemias, in contrast, feature the production of excessive hematologic cancer cells. Both diseases are associated with exposure to either industrial chemicals or cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Studies of hematopoietic bone marrow cells in culture have shown that the generation of circulating blood cells requires the interaction of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) with supporting marrow stromal cells; yet, isolation of HSCs from bone destroys the unique morphology of the marrow stroma in which the HSCs reside. Imaging techniques and related studies have made it possible to examine specific niches where HSCs may either initiate differentiation toward mature blood cells or reside in a dormant state awaiting a signal to begin differentiation. HSCs and related cells may be highly vulnerable to the mutagenic or toxic effects of drugs or other chemicals early in these processes. Additional studies are required to determine the mechanisms by which drug or chemical exposure may affect these cells and lead to either depression of bone marrow function or to leukemia.
Recurrent Dermatitis and Dermal Hypersensitivity Following a Jellyfish Sting: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Loredana Asztalos Manuela , Rubin Adam I. , Elenitsas Rosalie , Groft MacFarlane Caroline , Castelo‐Soccio Leslie
Published: February 2014

Jellyfish envenomation often causes an immediate painful vesiculopapular eruption. Less commonly it can cause a type IV allergic hypersensitivity that manifests with delayed or recurrent cutaneous lesions at the primary site or distant from the primary site. These secondary reactivations may be related to high antijellyfish immunoglobulin levels, intracutaneously sequestered antigen, or cross‐reacting venom. Immunomodulators such as pimecrolimus and tacrolimus and topical and intralesional corticosteroid therapy decrease this recurrent dermatitis. We report a case of a 9‐year‐old girl with a recurrent jellyfish dermatitis lasting more than 1 year after the initial envenomation. The dermatitis finally resolved after treatment with tacrolimus and intralesional triamcinolone acetonide therapy.
Bancroftian filariasis: circulating B‐1 cells decreased in microfilaria carriers and correlate with immunoglobulin M levels
Authors: Mishra R. , Sahoo P. K. , Mishra S. , Achary K. G. , Dwibedi B. , Kar S. K. , Satapathy A. K.
Published: February 2014

B‐1 cells play an important role in the outcome of infection in schistosomiasis, pneumonia and experimental filariasis. However, no information exists regarding status of B‐1 cells in clinical manifestations of human filariasis. We investigated the levels of B‐1 cells from the total B cells by flow cytometry. Significantly low levels of B‐1 cells and IgM antibodies were detected against a wide variety of autoantigens in microfilariae carriers as compared to endemic controls and patients with chronic pathology. A positive correlation was found between IgM antibodies to actin and ss‐DNA. Absorption of plasma with soluble actin, myosin and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) resulted in significant removal of antifilarial antibodies. Affinity‐purified anti‐ss‐DNA antibodies were found to be reactive to filarial antigens and various autoantigens. Further, a positive correlation was found between polyreactive antibodies and B‐1 cells in filarial‐infected human subjects. After antifilarial treatment, levels of IgM antibodies to ss‐DNA, actin, LPS and filarial antigen increased significantly indicating a role of polyreactive naturally occurring antibodies in filarial infection. Our findings add to the existing evidence that the B‐cell defect in BALB.Xid mice account for susceptibility to murine filarial infection and indicate an important role for these antibodies in providing host protection against filarial infection.
Getting What You Pay For—Strategic Process Improvement Compensation and Profitability Impact
Authors: Veldman Jasper , Klingenberg Warse , Gaalman Gerard J. C. , Teunter Ruud H.
Published: February 2014

Profit‐maximizing firm owners who incentivize their managers with a bonus for process improvement create an intentional misalignment of their own objective and management attention. From the viewpoint of a single firm, such a local misalignment can never be profitable, but in this study we take a wider strategic perspective by investigating cost‐reducing process improvements of two firms competing in a Cournot market. We find that the use of a process improvement bonus (by firm A) can be profitable, by affecting the competitor's decision making. Informed about the reward structure at firm A, which provides an incentive for process improvement and thereby for increased production at that firm, the manager of the competing firm (B) is inclined to produce less if the owner of firm B only rewards profit. This leads to a higher profit for firm A. However, we also show that firm B's best strategy is to also offer a process improvement bonus, even if that firm is a cost laggard (with higher costs for process improvement), and that this leads to reduced profit for both firms in many situations unless one of them is sufficiently superior in its ability to improve processes. These results are robust for uncertain process improvement outcomes, multidimensional process improvement decisions, and information asymmetry in the owner–manager relationship.
Customers’ Capital Market Information Quality and Suppliers’ Performance
Authors: Radhakrishnan Suresh , Wang Zheng , Zhang Yue
Published: February 2014

We empirically examine the association between downstream firms’, i.e., customers’ capital market information quality, and the operating performance of upstream firms, i.e., suppliers. Customers’ capital market information quality is measured by the customers’ provision of earnings forecasts, the customers’ reported earnings quality, and the customers’ coverage by financial analysts and credit rating agencies. We hypothesize and find a positive association between customers’ capital market information quality and suppliers’ operating performance measured by the DuPont profitability ratios. The association is stronger for suppliers with higher sales volatility, no order backlogs, customers who are less dependent on their input, and shorter business relation with customers. Collectively, the results suggest that the quality of information provided by the customers to the capital market has a spillover effect in the input market, i.e., helps the suppliers improve their performance.
Balancing Revenues and Repair Costs under Partial Information about Product Reliability
Authors: Ding Chao , Rusmevichientong Paat , Topaloglu Huseyin
Published: February 2014

We consider the problem faced by a company selling a product with warranty and under partial information about the product reliability. The product can fail from multiple failure types, each of which is associated with an inherently different repair cost. If the product fails within the warranty duration, then the company is required to pay the repair cost. The company does not know the probabilities associated with different failure types, but it learns the failure probabilities as sales occur and failure information is accumulated. If the failure probabilities turn out to be too high and it becomes costly to fulfill the warranty coverage, then the company may decide to stop selling the product, possibly replacing it with a more reliable alternative. The objective is to decide if and when to stop. By formulating the problem as a dynamic program with Bayesian learning, we establish structural properties of the optimal policy. Since computing the optimal policy is intractable due to the high dimensional state space, we propose two approximation methods. The first method is based on decomposing the problem by failure types and it provides upper bounds on the value functions. The second method provides lower bounds on the value functions and it is based on a deterministic approximation. Computational experiments indicate that the policy from the first method provides noticeable benefits, especially when it is difficult to form good estimates of the failure probabilities quickly.
The Use of Liveweight Change as an Indicator of Oestrus in a Seasonally Calving, Pasture‐Fed Dairy Herd
Authors: Alawneh JI , Stevenson MA , Williamson NB , Lopez‐Villalobos N
Published: February 2014

Contents

This was an observational study of 828 lactations in 542 mixed‐age dairy cows that calved seasonally in a single, pasture‐fed herd in New Zealand in 2008 and 2009. The study objectives were to: (i) document daily liveweight change (∆LW) before and after observed oestrus for cows subsequently diagnosed pregnant or non‐pregnant and (ii) quantify the sensitivity and specificity of ∆LWas a test for oestrus. The sensitivity and specificity of ∆LWwhen combined with other commonly used oestrous detection methods was also evaluated. In cows that conceived as a result of service at detected oestrus, liveweight loss began 1 day before the day of detection and was greatest on the day of detection (−9.6 kg, 95%CI−11.3 kg to −7.8 kg; p < 0.01) compared withLWrecorded 2 days before the day of detection. In cows that did not conceive to a service at a detected oestrus, the lowest liveweights were recorded 1 day before the day oestrus was detected (−4.3 kg, 95%CI−7.7 to −0.8 kg; p = 0.02) compared withLWrecorded 4 days before the day of detection. The sensitivity and specificity of ∆LWas a means of oestrous detection were 0.42 (95%CI0.40–0.45) and 0.96 (95%CI0.95–0.97), respectively. When ∆LWwas combined with tail paint and visual observation, the oestrous detection sensitivity and specificity were 0.86 and 0.94, respectively. MonitoringLWchange holds promise to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of oestrous detection in combination with other oestrous detection methods.
Production of Wild Buffalo (Bubalus arnee) Embryos by Interspecies Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Using Domestic Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Oocytes
Authors: Priya D , Selokar NL , Raja AK , Saini M , Sahare AA , Nala N , Palta P , Chauhan MS , Manik RS , Singla SK
Published: February 2014

Contents

The objective of this study was to explore the possibility of producing wild buffalo embryos by interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) through handmade cloning using wild buffalo somatic cells and domestic buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) oocytes. Somatic cells derived from the ear skin of wild buffalo were found to express vimentin but not keratin and cytokeratin‐18, indicating that they were of fibroblast origin. The population doubling time of skin fibroblasts from wild buffalo was significantly (p < 0.05) higher, and the cell proliferation rate was significantly (p < 0.05) lower compared with that of skin fibroblasts from domestic buffalo. Neither the cleavage (92.6 ± 2.0% vs 92.8 ± 2.0%) nor the blastocyst rate (42.4 ± 2.4% vs 38.7 ± 2.8%) was significantly different between the intraspecies cloned embryos produced using skin fibroblasts from domestic buffalo and interspecies cloned embryos produced using skin fibroblasts from wild buffalo. However, the total cell number (TCN) was significantly (p < 0.05) lower (192.0 ± 25.6 vs 345.7 ± 42.2), and the apoptotic index was significantly (p < 0.05) higher (15.1 ± 3.1 vs 8.0 ± 1.4) for interspecies than that for intraspecies cloned embryos. Following vitrification in open‐pulled straws (OPS) and warming, although the cryosurvival rate of both types of cloned embryos, as indicated by their re‐expansion rate, was not significantly different (34.8 ± 1.5% vs 47.8 ± 7.8), the apoptotic index was significantly (p < 0.05) higher for vitrified–warmed interspecies than that for corresponding intraspecies cloned embryos (48.9 ± 7.2 vs 23.9 ± 2.8). The global level of H3K18ac was significantly (p < 0.05) lower in interspecies cloned embryos than that in intraspecies cloned embryos. The expression level of HDAC1, DNMT3a and CASPASE3 was significantly (p < 0.05) higher, that of P53 was significantly (p < 0.05) lower in interspecies than in intraspecies embryos, whereas that of DNMT1 was similar between the two types of embryos. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that wild buffalo embryos can be produced by iSCNT.
Strengthening Safety Compliance in Nuclear Power Operations: A Role‐Based Approach
Authors: Martínez‐Córcoles Mario , Gracia Francisco J. , Tomás Inés , Peiró José M.
Published: February 2014

Safety compliance is of paramount importance in guaranteeing the safe running of nuclear power plants. However, it depends mostly on procedures that do not always involve the safest outcomes. This article introduces an empirical model based on the organizational role theory to analyze the influence of legitimate sources of expectations (procedures formalization and leadership) on workers’ compliance behaviors. The sample was composed of 495 employees from two Spanish nuclear power plants. Structural equation analysis showed that, in spite of some problematic effects of proceduralization (such as role conflict and role ambiguity), procedure formalization along with an empowering leadership style lead to safety compliance by clarifying a worker's role in safety. Implications of these findings for safety research are outlined, as well as their practical implications.
What Factors Determine Disclosure of Suicide Ideation in Adults 60 and Older to a Treatment Provider?
Authors: Cukrowicz Kelly C. , Duberstein Paul R. , Vannoy Steven D. , Lin Elizabeth H. , Unützer Jürgen
Published: February 2014

Correlates of patient disclosure of suicide ideation to a primary care or mental health provider were identified. Secondary analyses of IMPACT trial data were conducted. Of the 107 patients 60 years of age or older who endorsed thoughts of ending their life at least “a little bit” during the past month, 53 indicated they had disclosed these thoughts to a mental health or primary care provider during this period. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify predictors of disclosure to a provider. Significant predictors included poorer quality of life and prior mental health specialty treatment. Among participants endorsing thoughts of suicide, the likelihood of disclosing these thoughts to a provider was 2.96 times higher if they had a prior history of mental health specialty treatment and 1.56 times higher for every one‐unit decrease in quality of life. Variation in disclosure of thoughts of suicide to a mental health or primary care provider depends, in part, on patient characteristics. Although the provision of evidence‐based suicide risk assessment and guidelines could minimize unwanted variation and enhance disclosure, efforts to routinize the process of suicide risk assessment should also consider effective ways to lessen potential unintended consequences.
Salience‐Based Congruence Between Parties & their Voters: The Swiss Case
Authors: Giger Nathalie , Lefkofridi Zoe
Published: February 2014

Policy congruence between parties and their voters is a prerequisite for the latter's representation. Related research typically focuses on the left‐right dimension. We contribute to this literature by conceiving the alignment between citizens and political elites as congruence on issues that individual citizens consider important (salience‐based congruence). Furthermore, we approach salience from the citizen's perspective and measure it at the individual level. Based on data from the Swiss Election Study (2007), we demonstrate that the assessment of party representation changes once we take salience into account. Policy congruence on salient issues is high and niche parties perform better than mainstream parties. Our arguments and findings about the role personal issue salience plays at the individual and party levels have important repercussions for contemporary debates on representation and policy congruence.
Haplotype determination of the upstream regulatory region and the second exon of the BoLA‐DRB3 gene in Holstein cattle
Authors: Goszczynski D. E. , Ripoli M. V. , Takeshima S.‐N. , Baltian L. , Aida Y. , Giovambattista G.
Published: February 2014

Polymorphisms of the BoLA‐DRB3 gene are located primarily in the second exon [antigen binding site (ABS)] and, to a lesser extent, in the upstream regulatory region (URR). It can be hypothesised that exon 2 and the URR are under different types of natural selection. The aim of this work was to determine the URR‐exon 2 haplotypes; 34 Holstein samples were genotyped by direct sequencing. A total of 7 URR alleles and 23 exon 2 alleles were detected, and 3 of the URR alleles were novel. Our results may suggest that no relationship exists between the URR and exon 2 of the BoLA‐DRB3 gene (linkage disequilibrium P value > 0.05), most likely due to recombination over time. Our results also suggest that both regions of class II genes may be included in the development of new genotyping methods based on next‐generation DNA sequencing technologies.
The KIR3DS1*0130105 allele identified using high‐resolution sequence‐based typing
Authors: Yindom L.‐M. , Wang L. , Dong T. , Rowland‐Jones S. L. , Zhang Y.
Published: February 2014

KIR3DS1*0130105 allele differs from KIR3DS1*0130101 with a single mutation at position 6739G>T of intron 5.
An innovative application of the Kinect in Earth sciences: quantifying deformation in analogue modelling of volcanoes
Authors: Tortini Riccardo , Bonali Fabio L. , Corazzato Claudia , Carn Simon A. , Tibaldi Alessandro
Published: February 2014

Measuring surface deformation is critical in analogue modelling of Earth science phenomena. Here, we present a novel application of the Microsoft Kinect sensor to measure vertical deformation in a scaled analogue model of Nisyros volcano (Greece), simulating two magmatic sources and related surface deformation. The Kinect permits capture of real time, 640 × 480 pixel, true‐colour images (RGB) and a grid of distances to the modelled surface with a horizontal and vertical resolution of ±1 mm. Using recorded distances permits quantification of vertical deformation in terms of maximum and average down‐ and uplift during deflation and inflation phases respectively, which is of crucial importance for defining the kinematics of faults formed during the modelling, determined from interpretation of the RGB images. Although other techniques have demonstrated similar or higher accuracy, our study demonstrates the cost‐effectiveness of the Kinect in analogue modelling of volcanoes.
The Gravity Model and Trade Efficiency: A Stochastic Frontier Analysis of Eastern European Countries' Potential Trade
Authors: Ravishankar Geetha , Stack Marie M.
Published: February 2014

The opening up process of the eastern European countries is characterised by an increasing degree of trade integration with their Western neighbouring countries. Typically, the degree of East–West trade integration is assessed by comparing actual trade volumes with potential trade volumes projected from the gravity model parameters estimated for a group of countries that best represent normal trade relations. This approach, however, does not compare trade levels against a maximum level of trade feasible for the group of eastern European countries. This paper using a stochastic frontier specification of the gravity model is able to identify the efficiency of trade integration relative to maximum potential levels. The findings, based on a panel data set of bilateral exports from 17 Western European countries to the 10 new member states over the 1994–2007 period, indicate a high degree of East–West trade integration close to two‐thirds of frontier estimates, suggesting a low degree of trade resistances.
Precision Pinch Performance in Patients With Sensory Deficits of the Median Nerve at the Carpal Tunnel
Authors: Yen Wei-Jang , Kuo Yao-Lung , Kuo Li-Chieh , Chen Shu-Min , Kuan Ta-Shen , Hsu Hsiu-Yun
Published: February 2014

To investigate how sensory symptoms impact the motor control of hands, in this study we examined the differences in conventional sensibility assessments and pinch force control in the pinch-holding-up activity (PHUA) test between carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) patients and healthy controls. CTS patients (n = 82) with 122 affected hands and an equal number of control subjects were recruited to participate in the threshold, discrimination, and PHUA tests. The patients showed significantly poorer hand sensibility and lower efficiency of force adjustment in the PHUA test as compared with the control subjects. Baseline pinch strength and the percentage of maximal pinch strength for the PHUA were significantly higher for the subgroup of sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) of <16 μV than for the subgroup of SNAP of3 16 μV. Using a PHUA perspective to analyze the efficiency of force-adjustment could assist the clinical detection of sensory nerve dysfunction.
Making Sense from Sequences
Life Out of Sequence
A Data-Driven History of Bioinformatics

by Hallam Stevens

University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2013. 302 pp. $90, £63. ISBN 9780226080178. Paper, $30, £21. ISBN 9780226080208.
Authors: Fortun Michael
Published: February 2014

Combining historical and ethnographic perspectives, Stevens explores the development of bioinformatics.
There Can Be Only One
Authors: Kovach Jeffery D. , Lamb Rebecca S.
Published: February 2014

How can a single-copy transcription factor evolve new DNA binding specificities without loss of function?

[Also see Report by

Sayou
et al.

]
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome in a 65-Year-Old Male Linked to a Very Unusual Type of
stx
2e
- and
eae
-Harboring O51:H49 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli
Authors: Fasel Dominique , Mellmann Alexander , Cernela Nicole , Hächler Herbert , Fruth Angelika , Khanna Nina , Egli Adrian , Beckmann Christiane , Hirsch Hans H. , Goldenberger Daniel , Stephan Roger
Published: February 2014

We report on a 65-year-old male patient with a Shiga toxin-producing
Escherichia coli
O51:H49 gastrointestinal infection and sepsis associated with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) with a fatal outcome. The strains isolated harbored
stx
2e
and
eae
, a very unusual and new virulence profile for an HUS-associated enterohemorrhagic
E. coli
.
A Murine Retrovirus Co-Opts YB-1, a Translational Regulator and Stress Granule-Associated Protein, To Facilitate Virus Assembly
Authors: Bann Darrin V. , Beyer Andrea R. , Parent Leslie J.
Published: February 2014

The Gag protein of the murine retrovirus mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) orchestrates the assembly of immature virus particles in the cytoplasm which are subsequently transported to the plasma membrane for release from the cell. The morphogenetic pathway of MMTV assembly is similar to that of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
retrotransposons Ty1 and Ty3, which assemble virus-like particles (VLPs) in intracytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. Assembly of Ty1 and Ty3 VLPs depends upon cellular mRNA processing factors, prompting us to examine whether MMTV utilizes a similar set of host proteins to facilitate viral capsid assembly. Our data revealed that MMTV Gag colocalized with YB-1, a translational regulator found in stress granules and P bodies, in intracytoplasmic foci. The association of MMTV Gag and YB-1 in cytoplasmic granules was not disrupted by cycloheximide treatment, suggesting that these sites were not typical stress granules. However, the association of MMTV Gag and YB-1 was RNA dependent, and an MMTV RNA reporter construct colocalized with Gag and YB-1 in cytoplasmic RNP complexes. Knockdown of YB-1 resulted in a significant decrease in MMTV particle production, indicating that YB-1 plays a role in MMTV capsid formation. Analysis by live-cell imaging with fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) revealed that the population of Gag proteins localized within YB-1 complexes was relatively immobile, suggesting that Gag forms stable complexes in association with YB-1. Together, our data imply that the formation of intracytoplasmic Gag-RNA complexes is facilitated by YB-1, which promotes MMTV virus assembly.

IMPORTANCE
Cellular mRNA processing factors regulate the posttranscriptional fates of mRNAs, affecting localization and utilization of mRNAs under normal conditions and in response to stress. RNA viruses such as retroviruses interact with cellular mRNA processing factors that accumulate in ribonucleoprotein complexes known as P bodies and stress granules. This report shows for the first time that mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV), a mammalian retrovirus that assembles intracytoplasmic virus particles, commandeers the cellular factor YB-1, a key regulator of translation involved in the cellular stress response. YB-1 is essential for the efficient production of MMTV particles, a process directed by the viral Gag protein. We found that Gag and YB-1 localize together in cytoplasmic granules. Functional studies of Gag/YB-1 granules suggest that they may be sites where virus particles assemble. These studies provide significant insights into the interplay between mRNA processing factors and retroviruses.
Dynamics of the Emergence and Establishment of a Newly Dominant Genotype of Japanese Encephalitis Virus throughout Asia
Authors: Schuh Amy J. , Ward Melissa J. , Leigh Brown Andrew J. , Barrett Alan D. T.
Published: February 2014

In recent years, genotype I (GI) of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) has displaced genotype III (GIII) as the dominant virus genotype throughout Asia. In this study, the largest collection of GIII and GI envelope gene-derived viral sequences assembled to date was used to reconstruct the spatiotemporal chronology of genotype displacement throughout Asia and to determine the evolutionary and epidemiological dynamics underlying this significant event. GI consists of two clades, GI-a and GI-b, with the latter being associated with displacement of GIII as the dominant JEV genotype throughout Asia in the 1990s. Phylogeographic analysis indicated that GI-a diverged in Thailand or Cambodia and has remained confined to tropical Asia, whereas GI-b diverged in Vietnam and then dispersed northwards to China, where it was subsequently dispersed to Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Molecular adaptation was detected by more than one method at one site (residue 15), and coevolution was detected at two pairs of sites (residues 89 to 360 and 129 to 141) within the GI E gene protein alignment. Viral multiplication and temperature sensitivity analyses in avian and mosquito cells revealed that the GI-b isolate JE-91 had significantly higher infectivity titers in mosquito cells from 24 to 48 h postinfection than did the GI-a and GIII isolates. If the JE-91 isolate is indeed representative of GI-b, an increased multiplicative ability of GI-b viruses compared to that of GIII viruses early in mosquito infection may have resulted in a shortened extrinsic incubation period that led to an increased number of GI enzootic transmission cycles and the subsequent displacement of GIII.

IMPORTANCE
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, represents the most significant etiology of childhood viral neurological infection in Asia. Despite the existence of effective vaccines, JEV is responsible for an estimated 68,000 human cases and a reported 10,000 to 15,000 deaths annually. Phylogenetic studies divided JEV into five geographically and epidemiologically distinct genotypes (GI to GV). GIII has been the source of numerous JEV epidemics throughout history and was the most frequently isolated genotype throughout most of Asia from 1935 until the 1990s. In recent years, GI has displaced GIII as the most frequently isolated virus genotype. To date, the mechanism of this genotype replacement has remained unknown. In this study, we have identified genetic determinants underlying the genotype displacement as it unfolded across Asia. JEV provides a paradigm for other flaviviruses, including West Nile, yellow fever, and dengue viruses, and the critical role of the selective advantages in the mosquito vector.
Low recruitment not mortality limits growth of peripheral populations of Silene spaldingii
Authors: Lesica Peter
Published: February 2014

Populations at the periphery of a species range are thought to be less viable than those in the center because they are at the limit of their ecological tolerances. Plant population viability is determined primarily by mortality and recruitment, thus knowing differences in vital rates between central and peripheral populations is key to understanding range limits. Silene spaldingii S. Watson is a long-lived iteroparous plant that occurs throughout the eastern Columbia Plateau region of eastern Washington and adjacent Idaho and Oregon and is disjunct in northwest Montana. I recorded the fate of mapped S. spaldingii plants annually for 10 years in four populations, two from eastern Washington and two from Montana. Recruitment averaged three times higher and relatively constant at two central populations in Washington compared with two peripheral sites in Montana. Mortality was three times higher at one of the central populations compared with the remaining three sites due to vole predation. Vole activity was observed at the second central population but came too late in the study to be certain that it resulted in mortality. Vole predation was not observed in the peripheral populations. My results suggest that peripheral populations of S. spaldingii may only be able to persist as long as predation or other sources of mortality remain low and that intrinsic low and variable recruitment rates coupled with predation may help define the eastern range margin of this species.
DECISION ANALYSIS FOR SUPPLIER IN TWO-ECHELON SUPPLY CHAIN WITH DISCRETE DEMAND VIA DYNAMIC GAME
Authors: XU JIAN-TENG , QU SHAO-JIAN
Published: February 2014

This paper analyzes noncooperative dynamic game behavior in a two-echelon supply chain composed of one supplier and one retailer. The aim is to give supplier reasonable suggestions on decision making of marketing strategy. The challenge of dealing with this problem is the discreteness of demand. The main contributions of this paper are twofold: one is to address the necessary conditions in which supplier can choose quantity discount policy as marketing strategy; the second is to provide the solving methods of the equilibrium strategy and discount rate under quantity discount policy. Two types of quantity discount marketing strategies are considered. It is concluded that the strategy sets of production and procurement are independent of discount rate via analyzing the optimality properties. Numerical tests illustrate that incremental quantity discount policy is more widely considered than all-unit quantity discount policy, and whether the quantity discount policy can be chosen as the marketing strategy not only relates to supplier's own cost structure but also retailer's cost structure.
Twenty years of searching for the Higgs boson: Exclusion at LEP, discovery at LHC
Authors: Horváth Dezső
Published: February 2014

The 40 years old Standard Model, the theory of particle physics, seems to describe all experimental data very well. All of its elementary particles were identified and studied apart from the Higgs boson until 2012. For decades, many experiments were built and operated searching for it, and finally, the two main experiments of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, CMS and ATLAS, in 2012 observed a new particle with properties close to those predicted for the Higgs boson. In this paper, we outline the search story: the exclusion of the Higgs boson at the Large Electron Positron (LEP) collider, and its observation at LHC.
THE CAPABILITY MAP: A TOOL TO ANALYZE ROBOT ARM WORKSPACES
Authors: ZACHARIAS FRANZISKA , BORST CHRISTOPH , WOLF SEBASTIAN , HIRZINGER GERD
Published: February 2014

More and more systems are developed that include several robot arms, like humanoid robots or industrial robot systems. These systems are designed for complex tasks to be solved in cooperation by the robot arms. However, the capabilities of the individual robot arms to perform given tasks or the suitability of a multi-robot system for cooperative tasks cannot be intuitively comprehended. For planning complex tasks or designing robot systems, a representation of a robot arm's workspace is needed that allows to determine from which directions objects in the workspace can be reached. In this paper, the capability map is presented. It is a representation of a robot arm's kinematic capabilities in its workspace. The capability map is used to compare existing robot arms, to support the design phase of an anthropomorphic robot arm and to enable robot workcell planning.
A Matrix Construction of Cellular Algebras
Authors: Xiang Dajing
Published: February 2014

In this paper, we give a concrete method to construct cellular algebras from matrix algebras by specifying certain fixed matrices for the data of inflations. In particular, orthogonal matrices can be chosen for such data.
Finite Presentation of a Linear-Fractional Group
Authors: Ashiq M. , Mushtaq Q.
Published: February 2014

In this paper, we show that the coset diagram for the action of a linear-fractional group generated by [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] on the rational projective line is transitive and the coset diagram for the action is connected. Using the coset diagram, we show that [Formula: see text] are defining relations for the group.
Theta Series of Unimodular Lattices, Combinatorial Identities and Weighted Symmetric Polynomials
Authors: Xu Xiaoping
Published: February 2014

Hecke proved that the theta series of a positive definite even unimodular lattice is a polynomial of the well-known Essenstein series E4(z) and the Ramanujan series Δ24(z). A natural question is what kind of polynomials in E4(z) and Δ24(z) could be the theta series of positive definite even unimodular lattices. In this paper, we find two combinatorial identities on the theta series of the root lattices of the finite-dimensional simple Lie algebras of type D4n and the cosets in their integral duals, in terms of E4(z) and Δ24(z). Using these two identities, we prove that three families of weighted symmetric polynomials of two fixed families of polynomials of E4(z) and Δ24(z) are the theta series of certain positive definite even unimodular lattices, obtained by gluing finitely many copies of the root lattices of the finite-dimensional simple Lie algebras of type D2n. The results also show that the full permutation groups are the hidden symmetry of the theta series of certain unimodular lattices.