bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Light acclimation involves dynamic re‐organization of the pigment–protein megacomplexes in non‐appressed thylakoid domains
Authors: Suorsa Marjaana , Rantala Marjaana , Mamedov Fikret , Lespinasse Maija , Trotta Andrea , Grieco Michele , Vuorio Eerika , Tikkanen Mikko , Järvi Sari , Aro Eva‐Mari
Published: September 2015

Thylakoid energy metabolism is crucial for plant growth, development and acclimation. Non‐appressed thylakoids harbor several high molecular mass pigment–protein megacomplexes that have flexible compositions depending upon the environmental cues. This composition is important for dynamic energy balancing in photosystems (PS) I and II. We analysed the megacomplexes of Arabidopsis wild type (WT) plants and of several thylakoid regulatory mutants. The stn7 mutant, which is defective in phosphorylation of the light‐harvesting complex (LHC) II, possessed a megacomplex composition that was strikingly different from that of the WT. Of the nine megacomplexes in total for the non‐appressed thylakoids, the largest megacomplex in particular was less abundant in the stn7 mutant under standard growth conditions. This megacomplex contains both PSI and PSII and was recently shown to allow energy spillover between PSII and PSI (Nat. Commun., 6, 2015, 6675). The dynamics of the megacomplex composition was addressed by exposing plants to different light conditions prior to thylakoid isolation. The megacomplex pattern in the WT was highly dynamic. Under darkness or far red light it showed low levels of LHCII phosphorylation and resembled the stn7 pattern; under low light, which triggers LHCII phosphorylation, it resembled that of the tap38/pph1 phosphatase mutant. In contrast, solubilization of the entire thylakoid network with dodecyl maltoside, which efficiently solubilizes pigment–protein complexes from all thylakoid compartments, revealed that the pigment–protein composition remained stable despite the changing light conditions or mutations that affected LHCII (de)phosphorylation. We conclude that the composition of pigment–protein megacomplexes specifically in non‐appressed thylakoids undergoes redox‐dependent changes, thus facilitating maintenance of the excitation balance between the two photosystems upon changes in light conditions.
Changing a conserved amino acid in R2R3‐MYB transcription repressors results in cytoplasmic accumulation and abolishes their repressive activity in Arabidopsis
Authors: Zhou Meiliang , Sun Zhanmin , Wang Chenglong , Zhang Xinquan , Tang Yixiong , Zhu Xuemei , Shao Jirong , Wu Yanmin
Published: September 2015

Sub‐group 4 R2R3‐type MYB transcription factors, including MYB3, MYB4, MYB7 and MYB32, act as repressors in phenylpropanoid metabolism. These proteins contain the conserved MYB domain and the ethylene‐responsive element binding factor‐associated amphiphilic repression (EAR) repression domain. Additionally, MYB4, MYB7 and MYB32 possess a putative zinc‐finger domain and a conserved GY/FDFLGL motif in their C‐termini. The protein ‘sensitive to ABA and drought 2’ (SAD2) recognizes the nuclear pore complex, which then transports the SAD2–MYB4 complex into the nucleus. Here, we show that the conserved GY/FDFLGL motif contributes to the interaction between MYB factors and SAD2. The Asp → Asn mutation in the GY/FDFLGL motif abolishes the interaction between MYB transcription factors and SAD2, and therefore they cannot be transported into the nucleus and cannot repress their target genes. We found that MYB4D261N loses the capacity to repress expression of the cinnamate 4‐hydroxylase (C4H) gene and biosynthesis of sinapoyl malate. Our results indicate conservation among MYB transcription factors in terms of their interaction with SAD2. Therefore, the Asp → Asn mutation may be used to engineer transcription factors.
Non‐invasive, whole‐plant imaging of chloroplast movement and chlorophyll fluorescence reveals photosynthetic phenotypes independent of chloroplast photorelocation defects in chloroplast division mutants
Authors: Dutta Siddhartha , Cruz Jeffrey A. , Jiao Yuhua , Chen Jin , Kramer David M. , Osteryoung Katherine W.
Published: September 2015

Leaf chloroplast movement is thought to optimize light capture and to minimize photodamage. To better understand the impact of chloroplast movement on photosynthesis, we developed a technique based on the imaging of reflectance from leaf surfaces that enables continuous, high‐sensitivity, non‐invasive measurements of chloroplast movement in multiple intact plants under white actinic light. We validated the method by measuring photorelocation responses in Arabidopsis chloroplast division mutants with drastically enlarged chloroplasts, and in phototropin mutants with impaired photorelocation but normal chloroplast morphology, under different light regimes. Additionally, we expanded our platform to permit simultaneous image‐based measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence and chloroplast movement. We show that chloroplast division mutants with enlarged, less‐mobile chloroplasts exhibit greater photosystem II photodamage than is observed in the wild type, particularly under fluctuating high levels of light. Comparison between division mutants and the severe photorelocation mutant phot1‐5 phot2‐1 showed that these effects are not entirely attributable to diminished photorelocation responses, as previously hypothesized, implying that altered chloroplast morphology affects other photosynthetic processes. Our dual‐imaging platform also allowed us to develop a straightforward approach to correct non‐photochemical quenching (NPQ) calculations for interference from chloroplast movement. This correction method should be generally useful when fluorescence and reflectance are measured in the same experiments. The corrected data indicate that the energy‐dependent (qE) and photoinhibitory (qI) components of NPQ contribute differentially to the NPQ phenotypes of the chloroplast division and photorelocation mutants. This imaging technology thus provides a platform for analyzing the contributions of chloroplast movement, chloroplast morphology and other phenotypic attributes to the overall photosynthetic performance of higher plants.
Two cases of maternal alloimmunization against human neutrophil alloantigen‐4b, one causing severe alloimmune neonatal neutropenia
Authors: Curtis Brian R. , Roman Ashley S. , Sullivan Mia J. , Raven Cindy S. , Larison Judy , Weitekamp Lee Ann
Published: September 2015

BACKGROUND

Human neutrophil antigen (HNA)−4a/4bw is encoded by 230G>A in ITGAM, which results in an Arg61His substitution of the αM chain (CD11b) of complement receptor 3 (CR3; CD11b/18 or Mac‐1). HNA‐4a antibodies have been detected in the sera of female blood donors and in maternal sera that caused alloimmune neonatal neutropenia (ANN), in which maternal immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibodies against a paternally inherited HNA cross the placenta and destroy fetal and neonatal neutrophils. However, to date, antibodies specific for HNA‐4b have not been reported. Here, we report the first two examples of HNA‐4b antibodies.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

The two sera studied were both from previously pregnant females, one a multiparous female blood donor implicated in two separate transfusion reactions and the second a mother whose first pregnancy resulted in the birth of a severely neutropenic (0 × 106 neutrophils/L) infant affected with ANN. Serum neutrophil antibody testing was by flow cytometry and CD11b/18 monoclonal antibody immobilization of granulocyte antigens assay, and HNA genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction with sequence‐specific priming and allele‐specific 5′ exonuclease assays.

RESULTS

Sera from both women contained IgG antibodies reactive only with HNA‐4b+ neutrophils and both typed HNA‐4a/a. Both were immunized through pregnancy since their husbands and children all typed HNA‐4a/b.

CONCLUSIONS

The serologic results, together with the genotype results, confirm that these are the first reported cases of neutrophil antibodies specific for HNA‐4b.
Regulation of skeletal muscle blood flow during exercise in ageing humans
Authors: Hearon Christopher M. , Dinenno Frank A.
Published: September 2015

The regulation of skeletal muscle blood flow and oxygen delivery to contracting skeletal muscle is complex and involves the mechanical effects of muscle contraction; local metabolic, red blood cell and endothelium‐derived substances; and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). With advancing age in humans, skeletal muscle blood flow is typically reduced during dynamic exercise and this is due to a lower vascular conductance, which could ultimately contribute to age‐associated reductions in aerobic exercise capacity, a primary predictor of mortality in both healthy and diseased ageing populations. Recent findings have highlighted the contribution of endothelium‐derived substances to blood flow control in contracting muscle of older adults. With advancing age, impaired nitric oxide availability due to scavenging by reactive oxygen species, in conjunction with elevated vasoconstrictor signalling via endothelin‐1, reduces the local vasodilatory response to muscle contraction. Additionally, ageing impairs the ability of contracting skeletal muscle to blunt sympathetic vasoconstriction (i.e. ‘functional sympatholysis’), which is critical for the proper regulation of tissue blood flow distribution and oxygen delivery, and could further reduce skeletal muscle perfusion during high intensity and/or large muscle mass exercise in older adults. We propose that initiation of endothelium‐dependent hyperpolarization is the underlying signalling event necessary to properly modulate sympathetic vasoconstriction in contracting muscle, and that age‐associated impairments in red blood cell adenosine triphosphate release and stimulation of endothelium‐dependent vasodilatation may explain impairments in both local vasodilatation and functional sympatholysis with advancing age in humans.

image
Fatigue Reliability Analysis for Brace–Column Connection Details in a Semisubmersible Hull1
Authors: Schmidt Dilnei , Manuel Lance , Nguyen Hieu H. , Sagrilo Luis V. S. , Prates de Lima Edison C.
Published: September 2015

Semisubmersible floating platforms used in offshore deep or ultradeep water environments have hull structures that are comprised of vertical cylinders (columns) connected by braces, pontoons, etc. Several of the connections between these various members are susceptible to fatigue damage. In fatigue damage assessment or fatigue reliability analysis, a global structural response analysis is typically carried out using a finite element (FE) model where internal forces or stresses in the various members are evaluated for specified sea states measured at the site. Of specific interest in the present study is the fatigue reliability analysis of brace-column connection details in a semisubmersible hull unit for selected Brazilian environmental conditions. Stress concentration factors (SCFs) for the selected critical hot spots are applied to the nominal component stresses due to axial forces and biaxial bending. The hot-spot stress response spectra are used with various spectral methods—referred to as Rayleigh, modified Rayleigh (with bandwidth correction), and Dirlik—to estimate fatigue damage using Miner's rule. Uncertainties in some parameters used in the fatigue life assessment are considered and the probability of fatigue failure in the last operational year of the structure is estimated.
Design, Fabrication, and Experimental Validation of a Warm Hydroforming Test System
Authors: Türköz Mevlüt , Halkacı Hüseyin Selçuk , Halkacı Mehmet , Dilmeç Murat , Avcı Semih , Koç Muammer
Published: September 2015

In this study, a hydroforming system was designed, built, and experimentally validated to perform lab-scale warm hydromechanical deep drawing (WHDD) tests and small-scale industrial production with all necessary heating, cooling, control and sealing systems. This manuscript describes the detailed design and fabrication stages of a warm hydroforming test and production system for the first time. In addition, performance of each subsystem is validated through repeated production and/or test runs as well as through part quality measurements. The sealing at high temperatures, the proper insulation and isolation of the press frame from the tooling and synchronized control had to be overcome. Furthermore, in the designed system, the flange area can be heated up to 400 °C using induction heaters in the die and blank holders (BH), whereas the punch can be cooled down to temperatures of around 10 °C. Validation and performance tests were performed to characterize the capacity and limits of the system. As a result of these tests, the fluid pressure, the blank holder force (BHF), the punch position and speed were fine-tuned independent of each other and the desired temperature distribution on the sheet metal was obtained by the heating and cooling systems. Thus, an expanded optimal process window was obtained to enable all or either of increased production/test speed, reduced energy usage and time. Consequently, this study is expected to provide other researchers and manufacturers with a set of design and process guidelines to develop similar systems.
Biaxial Residual Stress Mapping for a Dissimilar Metal Welded Nozzle
Authors: Hill Michael R. , Olson Mitchell D. , DeWald Adrian T.
Published: September 2015

This paper describes a sequence of residual stress measurements made to determine a two-dimensional map of biaxial residual stress in a nozzle mockup having two welds, one a dissimilar metal (DM) weld and the other a stainless steel (SS) weld. The mockup is cylindrical, designed to represent a pressurizer surge nozzle of a nuclear pressurized water reactor (PWR), and was fabricated as part of a weld residual stress measurement and finite-element (FE) modeling round-robin exercise. The mockup has a nickel alloy DM weld joining an SS safe end to a low-alloy steel cylinder and stiffening ring, as well as an SS weld joining the safe end to a section of SS pipe. The biaxial mapping experiments follow an approach described earlier, in PVP2012-78885 and PVP2013-97246, and comprise a series of experimental steps and a computation to determine a two dimensional map of biaxial (axial and hoop) residual stress near the SS and DM welds. Specifically, the biaxial stresses are a combination of a contour measurement of hoop stress in the cylinder, slitting measurements of axial stress in thin slices removed from the cylinder wall, and a computation that determines the axial stress induced by measured hoop stress. At the DM weld, hoop stress is tensile near the OD (240 MPa) and compressive at the ID (−320 MPa), and axial stress is tensile near the OD (370 MPa) and compressive near the midthickness (−230 MPa) and ID (−250 MPa). At the SS weld, hoop stress is tensile near the OD (330 MPa) and compressive near the ID (−210 MPa), and axial stress is tensile at the OD (220 MPa) and compressive near midthickness (−225 MPa) and ID (−30 MPa). The measured stresses are found to be consistent with earlier work in similar configurations.
Acute Hepatic Necrosis Caused by Salmonella enterica Serotype I 4,5,12:−:1,2 in a Dog
Authors: Giuliano Antonio , Meiring Thelma , Grant Andrew J. , Watson Penny J.
Published: September 2015

Acute hepatic necrosis was diagnosed in a dog. Gram staining and fluorescence
in situ
hybridization identified
Salmonella enterica
in the liver, subsequently confirmed as
S. enterica
serotype I 4,5,12:−:1,2. This is the first report of acute hepatic necrosis with liver failure caused by
Salmonella
in a dog.
A retrospective cross-sectional study on the association between tobacco smoking and incidence of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and cardiovascular risk factors
Authors: Steele Lloyd , Lloyd Amelia , Fotheringham James , Sultan Ayyaz , Iqbal Javaid , Grech Ever D
Published: September 2015

Background

Cigarette smoking is a well-established risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease. However, the relationship between smoking and acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is less well described.

Objective

To determine the relative risk of acute STEMI in smokers and ex-smokers, compared with individuals who had never smoked.

Methods

This observational study studied all patients with STEMI undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in South Yorkshire, UK from 1 January 2009 to 6 April 2012. Additional contemporary demographical data for the South Yorkshire population, supplied by the Office for National Statistics, allowed derivation of the incidence rate of STEMI in South Yorkshire—both overall and stratified by smoking status. Incidence rate ratios and population attributable risk (PAR) were calculated to quantify STEMI risk.

Results

There were 1715 STEMIs in 1680 patients during the study period. Smoking status was obtained in 96.2% patients. The prevalence of smoking was 47.3% in patients with STEMI and 22.0% in the general population. In patients with STEMI, smokers were ∼10 years younger, mean (SD) 57.2 (11.1) years, than never-smokers, 66.4 (12.1) years, and ex-smokers, 67.9 (11.9) years. The age-standardised incident rate ratio of STEMI was 5.2 (4.5–6.1) for current smokers and 1.1 (1.0–1.3) for ex-smokers, with the reference group being never-smokers for both. Almost 50% of STEMIs were attributable to smoking (PAR=48.3%).

Conclusion

Cigarette smoking is associated with a fivefold increased risk of STEMI. Smoking cessation reduced this risk to a level similar to never-smokers.
Analysis of synonymous codon usage in spike protein gene of infectious bronchitis virus
Authors: Makhija Aditi , Kumar Sachin
Published: September 2015

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is responsible for causing respiratory, renal, and urogenital diseases in poultry. IBV infection in poultry leads to high mortality rates in affected flocks and to severe economic losses due to a drop in egg production and a reduced gain in live weight of the broiler birds. IBV-encoded spike protein (S) is the major protective immunogen for the host. Although the functions of the S protein have been well studied, the factors shaping synonymous codon usage bias and nucleotide composition in the S gene have not been reported yet. In the present study, we analyzed the relative synonymous codon usage and effective number of codons (Nc) using the 53 IBV S genes. The major trend in codon usage variation was studied using correspondence analysis. The plot of Nc values against GC3 as well as the correlation between base composition and codon usage bias suggest that mutational pressure rather than natural selection is the main factor that determines the codon usage bias in the S gene. Interestingly, no association of aromaticity, degree of hydrophobicity, and aliphatic index was observed with the codon usage variation in IBV S genes. The study represents a comprehensive analysis of IBV S gene codon usage patterns and provides a basic understanding of the codon usage bias.
FRAGMENTATION AND TRADE OF MACHINERY PARTS AND COMPONENTS IN MEKONG REGION
Authors: TAGUCHI HIROYUKI , LAR NI
Published: September 2015

This paper examines the trade of machinery parts and components between Thailand and the other Mekong countries though gravity model, for the purpose of assessing the existing production networks in Mekong region by applying fragmentation theory. The findings are: First, the evolution of production networks between Thailand and Vietnam was identified in terms of their two-way trade integration. Second, the trade intensity between Thailand and Vietnam was explained by the fragmentation factors, i.e., their gaps in per capita GDP and the relatively lower service-link costs in Vietnam. Third, the trade less-integration of Thailand with Cambodia and Myanmar was explained by their higher service-link costs.
CAN TOTAL DEREGULATION BE A BETTER OPTION THAN PARTIAL DEREGULATION?
Authors: LIN CHI-CHIH
Published: September 2015

This paper examines entry deregulation in an industry where natural monopoly and potential competition are vertically related. We find that the upstream fixed cost plays an important role to affect the overall welfare comparison between total and partial deregulation. When the upstream fixed cost is sufficiently large, the number of downstream firms is limited in both situations; in other words, the duplication of downstream fixed costs is relatively irrelevant so that the double markup effect dominates. Consequently, the regulator can only replicate total deregulation to maximize social welfare in the event of partial deregulation. If it is the case, we suggest that total deregulation is superior to partial deregulation since the latter suffers more regulatory cost than that of the former.
DIFFERENCES IN DECLINE: QUANTILE REGRESSION OF MALE–FEMALE EARNINGS DIFFERENTIAL IN MALAYSIA
Authors: GOY SIEW CHING , JOHNES GERAINT
Published: September 2015

Semiparametric estimation has gained significant attention in the study of wage inequality between men and women in recent years. By extending the wage gap at the mean towards the entire wage distribution using quantile regression, it enables researchers to ascertain the direction and the proportions of differences in characteristics and returns to these characteristics at different parts of the wage distribution. This line of research has been prominent in western society but has not yet been explored in the context of the Malaysian labor market. To fill the gap, this paper examines the gender earnings gap in Malaysia between 1994 and 2004 using Malaysia Population and Family Survey data. The gender earnings differential, as measured by the log percentage point is 53% in 1994. The difference reduces to 45% for a restricted sample and 42% for the unrestricted sample in 2004. However, it was found that the gender wage gap reduces as we move up the wage distribution. This suggests that women suffer from a sticky floor effect, i.e., the gender wage gap is bigger at the bottom of distribution. More importantly, the observed gender wage differentials do not reflect differences in the productive characteristics of the workers. In fact, it accounts for very little, if any, of the gap in Malaysia. However, the extent of the price effect is larger at the bottom end of the distribution than at the top.
INTERNATIONAL EVIDENCE ON REAL INTEREST RATE PERSISTENCE
Authors: OZDEMIR ZEYNEL ABIDIN , EKINCI CAGDAS , GOKMENOGLU KORHAN
Published: September 2015

This paper investigates the persistency in the ex-post real interest rates in the presence of endogenous structural breaks for Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the UK and the USA using seasonally adjusted quarterly data. The procedure used in this study extends the previous research in the respect of investigating degree of persistency of the ex-post real interest rates series by allowing for possible process shifts at endogenously determined more than two structural breaks dates following the principles suggested by Lumsdaine and Papell (1997). The results from the study show that real interest rates are very persistent when such breaks are not taken into account. However, the findings also indicate low persistency in real interest rates for all countries when such breaks are allowed in the data-generating process. We find that endogenously determined structural breaks substantially reduce the degree of persistency of the real interest rate series, which has important theoretical implications as well.
EMPLOYMENT CHOICE AND OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE IN TRANSITIONAL CHINA
Authors: CUI YULING , NAHM DAEHOON , TANI MASSIMILIANO
Published: September 2015

This paper investigates the determinants of employment choice of rural migrant workers across state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and various subtypes of non-state owned enterprises (non-SOEs) by taking into account of the unobservable characteristics that link the choice to migrate with the choice of employer. Using pooled cross-section data for 1995 and 2002, the results indicate that the decisions for migration and the choice of employment are related, suggesting that estimating employment choices without considering migration status leads to biased estimates. We find that both higher paid wages and broader pension benefits are major determinants of employment choice. Of these, pension benefits have a larger impact than high-level wages in increasing the employment probability for either type of enterprise.
Vibrations and instability of double-nanowire-systems as electric current carriers
Authors: Kiani Keivan
Published: September 2015

Current-carrying nanowires are expected to be building blocks of the upcoming micro-nano-electromechanical devices, however, little is known on their dynamic interactions in a bundle. As a pivotal step towards realizing such a crucial mechanism, this work is devoted to vibrations and instability of a double-nanowire-system as an electric current carrier. Using Biot–Savart law, the Lorentz interactional forces between doubly parallel current-carrying nanowires are evaluated. Accounting for the surface elastic energy, equations of motion pertinent to the in-plane and out-of-plane vibrations are established. Using analytical techniques, the explicit expressions of both static and purely dynamic parts of the nanowires’ displacements are obtained. For each component of the transverse displacement field, two major vibration modes are observed: in-phase and out-of-phase modes. The frequencies associated with these vibration modes are analytically calculated. Further, the condition corresponds to the dynamic instability of the system is discovered, and the roles of initial tensile force, electric current, and interwire distance on frequencies and stability of the system are addressed.
Geometric phase and the influence of the Dzyaloshinski–Moriya interaction in the one-dimensional quantum compass model
Authors: Lü J. M. , Li X. P. , Wang L. C.
Published: September 2015

Geometric phase and quantum phase transition (QPT) of the one-dimensional (1D) quantum compass model with the Dzyaloshinski–Moriya (DM) interaction are investigated, and the effect of the DM interaction to the properties of geometric phase and QPTs of the model are discussed in this paper. Our study is an extension of the relation between the geometric phase and QPTs in the 1D spin systems.
Anthropology of Aging and Care
Authors: Buch Elana D.
Published: September 2015

In concert with lengthening life spans, emerging forms of care in later life reflect complex and diverse social changes. Embracing a polysemic understanding of care as simultaneously resource and relational practice, this review works across scales of social life and theoretical approaches to care to highlight connections and fissures between global political-economic transformations and the most intimate aspects of daily life. Arguing for analyses of care that account for the kinds of projects, stakes, and obstacles that emerge as people engage in social reproduction in later life, this review traces the circulation of care across aging bodies, everyday practices, families, and nations. Care in later life never exclusively impacts the lives of the old; it is thus a critical site for understanding the diverse ways that increased longevity is shaping the meanings, experiences, and consequences of life itself.
Urban Heat Island: Mechanisms, Implications, and Possible Remedies
Authors: Phelan Patrick E. , Kaloush Kamil , Miner Mark , Golden Jay , Phelan Bernadette , Silva Humberto , Taylor Robert A.
Published: September 2015

Urban heat island (UHI) manifests as the temperature rise in built-up urban areas relative to the surrounding rural countryside, largely because of the relatively greater proportion of incident solar energy that is absorbed and stored by man-made materials. The direct impact of UHI can be significant on both daytime and night-time temperatures, and the indirect impacts include increased air conditioning loads, deteriorated air and water quality, reduced pavement lifetimes, and exacerbated heat waves. Modifying the thermal properties and emissivity of roofs and paved surfaces and increasing the vegetated area within the city are potential mitigation strategies. A quantitative comparison of their efficacies and costs suggests that so-called cool roofs are likely the most cost-effective UHI mitigation strategy. However, additional research is needed on how to modify surface emissivities and dynamically control surface and material properties, as well as on the health and socioeconomic impacts of UHI.
Global Ocean Integrals and Means, with Trend Implications
Authors: Wunsch Carl
Published: September 2015

Understanding the ocean requires determining and explaining global integrals and equivalent average values of temperature (heat), salinity (freshwater and salt content), sea level, energy, and other properties. Attempts to determine means, integrals, and climatologies have been hindered by thinly and poorly distributed historical observations in a system in which both signals and background noise are spatially very inhomogeneous, leading to potentially large temporal bias errors that must be corrected at the 1% level or better. With the exception of the upper ocean in the current altimetric-Argo era, no clear documentation exists on the best methods for estimating means and their changes for quantities such as heat and freshwater at the levels required for anthropogenic signals. Underestimates of trends are as likely as overestimates; for example, recent inferences that multidecadal oceanic heat uptake has been greatly underestimated are plausible. For new or augmented observing systems, calculating the accuracies and precisions of global, multidecadal sampling densities for the full water column is necessary to avoid the irrecoverable loss of scientifically essential information.
Lytic Cycle of Toxoplasma gondii: 15 Years Later
Authors: Blader Ira J. , Coleman Bradley I. , Chen Chun-Ti , Gubbels Marc-Jan
Published: September 2015

Toxoplasmosis is the clinical and pathological consequence of acute infection with the obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Symptoms result from tissue destruction that accompanies lytic parasite growth. This review updates current understanding of the host cell invasion, parasite replication, and eventual egress that constitute the lytic cycle, as well as the ways T. gondii manipulates host cells to ensure its survival. Since the publication of a previous iteration of this review 15 years ago, important advances have been made in our molecular understanding of parasite growth and mechanisms of host cell egress, and knowledge of the parasite's manipulation of the host has rapidly progressed. Here we cover molecular advances and current conceptual frameworks that include each of these topics, with an eye to what may be known 15 years from now.
Automaticity: Componential, Causal, and Mechanistic Explanations
Authors: Moors Agnes
Published: September 2015

The review first discusses componential explanations of automaticity, which specify non/automaticity features (e.g., un/controlled, un/conscious, non/efficient, fast/slow) and their interrelations. Reframing these features as factors that influence processes (e.g., goals, attention, and time) broadens the range of factors that can be considered (e.g., adding stimulus intensity and representational quality). The evidence reviewed challenges the view of a perfect coherence among goals, attention, and consciousness, and supports the alternative view that (a) these and other factors influence the quality of representations in an additive way (e.g., little time can be compensated by extra attention or extra stimulus intensity) and that (b) a first threshold of this quality is required for unconscious processing and a second threshold for conscious processing. The review closes with a discussion of causal explanations of automaticity, which specify factors involved in automatization such as repetition and complexity, and a discussion of mechanistic explanations, which specify the low-level processes underlying automatization.
Hypersensitivity of vagal pulmonary C-fibers induced by increasing airway temperature in ovalbumin-sensitized rats
Authors: Lin Yu-Jung , Lin Ruei-Lung , Khosravi Mehdi , Lee Lu-Yuan
Published: September 2015

Our recent study has shown that hyperventilation of humidified warm air (HWA) triggered cough and reflex bronchoconstriction in patients with mild asthma. We suggested that a sensitizing effect on bronchopulmonary C-fibers by increasing airway temperature was involved, but direct evidence was lacking. This study was carried out to test the hypothesis that HWA enhances the pulmonary C-fiber sensitivity in Brown-Norway rats sensitized with ovalbumin (Ova). In anesthetized rats, isocapnic hyperventilation of HWA for 3 min rapidly elevated airway temperature to a steady state of 41.7°C. Immediately after the HWA challenge, the baseline fiber activity (FA) of pulmonary C-fibers was markedly elevated in sensitized rats, but not in control rats. Furthermore, the response of pulmonary C-fibers to right atrial injection of capsaicin in sensitized rats was significantly higher than control rats before the HWA challenge, and the response to capsaicin was further amplified after HWA in sensitized rats (ΔFA = 4.51 ± 1.02 imp/s before, and 9.26 ± 1.74 imp/s after the HWA challenge). A similar pattern of the HWA-induced potentiation of the FA response to phenylbiguanide, another chemical stimulant of C-fibers, was also found in sensitized rats. These results clearly demonstrated that increasing airway temperature significantly elevated both the baseline activity and responses to chemical stimuli of pulmonary C-fibers in Ova-sensitized rats. In conclusion, this study supports the hypothesis that the increased excitability of these afferents may have contributed to the cough and reflex bronchoconstriction evoked by hyperventilation of HWA in patients with asthma.
Spike propagation through the dorsal root ganglia in an unmyelinated sensory neuron: a modeling study
Authors: Sundt Danielle , Gamper Nikita , Jaffe David B.
Published: September 2015

Unmyelinated C-fibers are a major type of sensory neurons conveying pain information. Action potential conduction is regulated by the bifurcation (T-junction) of sensory neuron axons within the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Understanding how C-fiber signaling is influenced by the morphology of the T-junction and the local expression of ion channels is important for understanding pain signaling. In this study we used biophysical computer modeling to investigate the influence of axon morphology within the DRG and various membrane conductances on the reliability of spike propagation. As expected, calculated input impedance and the amplitude of propagating action potentials were both lowest at the T-junction. Propagation reliability for single spikes was highly sensitive to the diameter of the stem axon and the density of voltage-gated Na+ channels. A model containing only fast voltage-gated Na+ and delayed-rectifier K+ channels conducted trains of spikes up to frequencies of 110 Hz. The addition of slowly activating KCNQ channels (i.e., KV7 or M-channels) to the model reduced the following frequency to 30 Hz. Hyperpolarization produced by addition of a much slower conductance, such as a Ca2+-dependent K+ current, was needed to reduce the following frequency to 6 Hz. Attenuation of driving force due to ion accumulation or hyperpolarization produced by a Na+-K+ pump had no effect on following frequency but could influence the reliability of spike propagation mutually with the voltage shift generated by a Ca2+-dependent K+ current. These simulations suggest how specific ion channels within the DRG may contribute toward therapeutic treatments for chronic pain.
Molecular Logic Computation with Debugging Method
Authors: Liu Xiangrong , Suo Juan , Liu Juan , Gao Yan , Zeng Xiangxiang
Published: September 2015

Seesaw gate concept, which is based on a reversible DNA strand branch process, has been found to have the potential to be used in the construction of various computing devices. In this study, we consider constructing full adder and serial binary adder, using the new concept of seesaw gate. Our simulation of the full adder preformed properly as designed; however unexpected exception is noted in the simulation of the serial binary adder. To identify and address the exception, we propose a new method for debugging the molecular circuit. The main idea for this method is to add fan‐outs to monitor the circuit in a reverse stepwise manner. These fan‐outs are fluorescent signals that can obtain the real‐time concentration of the target molecule. By analyzing the monitoring result, the exception can be identified and located. In this paper, examples of XOR and serial binary adder circuits are described to prove the practicability and validity of the molecular circuit debugging method.
Low Growth Hormone Levels in Short-Stature Children with Pituitary Hyperplasia Secondary to Primary Hypothyroidism
Authors: Liu Minghua , Hu Yanyan , Li Guimei , Hu Wenwen
Published: September 2015

Objective. The follow-up of GH levels in short-stature children with pituitary hyperplasia secondary to primary hypothyroidism (PPH) is reported in a few cases. We aimed to observe changes in GH secretion in short-stature children with PPH. Methods. A total of 11 short-stature children with PPH accompanied by low GH levels were included. They received levothyroxine therapy after diagnosis. Their thyroid hormones, IGF-1, PRL, and pituitary height were measured at baseline and 3 months after therapy. GH stimulation tests were performed at baseline and after regression of thyroid hormones and pituitary. Results. At baseline, they had decreased GH peak and FT3 and FT4 levels and elevated TSH levels. Decreased IGF-1 levels were found in seven children. Elevated PRL levels and positive thyroid antibodies were found in 10 children. The mean pituitary height was 14.3±3.8 mm. After 3 months, FT3, FT4, and IGF-1 levels were significantly increased (all p<0.01), and values of TSH, PRL, and pituitary height were significantly decreased (all p<0.001). After 6 months, pituitary hyperplasia completely regressed. GH levels returned to normal in nine children and were still low in two children. Conclusion. GH secretion can be resolved in most short-stature children with PPH.
Customers’ Mode Choice Behaviors of Express Service Based on Latent Class Analysis and Logit Model
Authors: Lian Lian , Zhang Shuo , Wang Zhong , Liu Kai , Cao Lihuan
Published: September 2015

As the parcel delivery service is booming in China, the competition among express companies intensifies. This paper employed multinomial logit model (MNL) and latent class model (LCM) to investigate customers’ express service choice behavior, using data from a SP survey. The attributes and attribute levels that matter most to express customers are identified. Meanwhile, the customers are divided into two segments (penny pincher segment and high-end segment) characterized by their taste heterogeneity. The results indicate that the LCM performs statistically better than MNL in our sample. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the taste heterogeneity, especially for further academic and policy research in freight choice behavior.
Biological Events in Periodontal Ligament and Alveolar Bone Associated with Application of Orthodontic Forces
Authors: Feller L. , Khammissa R. A. G. , Schechter I. , Thomadakis G. , Fourie J. , Lemmer J.
Published: September 2015

Orthodontic force‐induced stresses cause dynamic alterations within the extracellular matrix and within the cytoskeleton of cells in the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone, mediating bone remodelling, ultimately enabling orthodontic tooth movement. In the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone, the mechanically induced tensile strains upregulate the expression of osteogenic genes resulting in bone formation, while mechanically induced compressive strains mediate predominantly catabolic tissue changes and bone resorption. In this review article we summarize some of the currently known biological events occurring in the periodontal ligament and in the alveolar bone in response to application of orthodontic forces and how these facilitate tooth movement.
Integral Sliding Mode Control of Lur’e Singularly Perturbed Systems
Authors: Wang Yanyan , Liu Wei
Published: September 2015

This paper investigates the integral sliding mode control problem for Lur’e singularly perturbed systems with sector-constrained nonlinearities. First, we design a proper sliding manifold such that the motion of closed-loop systems with a state feedback controller along the manifold is absolutely stable. To achieve this, we give a matrix inequality-based absolute stability criterion; thus the above problem can be converted into a matrix inequality feasibility problem. In addition, the gain matrix can also be derived by solving the matrix inequality. Then, a discontinuous control law is synthesized to force the system state to reach the sliding manifold and stay there for all subsequent time. Finally, some numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed results.
A Study on Suitability of EAF Oxidizing Slag in Concrete: An Eco‐Friendly and Sustainable Replacement for Natural Coarse Aggregate
Authors: Sekaran Alan , Palaniswamy Murthi , Balaraju Sivagnanaprakash
Published: September 2015

Environmental and economic factors increasingly encourage higher utility of industrial by‐products. The basic objective of this study was to identify alternative source for good quality aggregates which is depleting very fast due to fast pace of construction activities in India. EAF oxidizing slag as a by‐product obtained during the process in steel making industry provides great opportunity to utilize it as an alternative to normally available coarse aggregates. The primary aim of this research was to evaluate the physical, mechanical, and durability properties of concrete made with EAF oxidizing slag in addition to supplementary cementing material fly ash. This study presents the experimental investigations carried out on concrete grades of M20 and M30 with three mixes: (i) Mix A, conventional concrete mix with no material substitution, (ii) Mix B, 30% replacement of cement with fly ash, and (iii) Mix C, 30% replacement of cement with fly ash and 50% replacement of coarse aggregate with EAF oxidizing slag. Tests were conducted to determine mechanical and durability properties up to the age of 90 days. The test results concluded that concrete made with EAF oxidizing slag and fly ash (Mix C) had greater strength and durability characteristics when compared to Mix A and Mix B. Based on the overall observations, it could be recommended that EAF oxidizing slag and fly ash could be effectively utilized as coarse aggregate replacement and cement replacement in all concrete applications.
Targeting a Novel ER/HOXB7 Signaling Loop in Tamoxifen-Resistant Breast Cancer
Authors: Heideman Marinus R. , Frei Anna , Hynes Nancy E.
Published: September 2015

Summary: The majority of patients with breast cancer present with an estrogen receptor–positive (ER+) tumor, and the endocrine agent tamoxifen is a mainstay for their treatment. Unfortunately, however, resistance remains a major problem because most patients who respond eventually have a recurrence. Thus, an enduring challenge in the breast cancer field is to identify mechanisms underlying tamoxifen resistance. Jin and colleagues describe a novel ER/HOXB7 signaling loop in tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer models. Importantly, they reveal that targeting this signaling loop has great promise as an approach to treat patients with tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer. Cancer Discov; 5(9); 909–11. ©2015 AACR.

See related article by Jin et al., p. 944.
A Deletion of More than 800 kb Is the Most Recurrent Mutation in Chilean Patients with SHOX Gene Defects
Authors: Poggi Helena , Vera Alejandra , Avalos Carolina , Lagos Marcela , Mellado Cecilia , Aracena Mariana , Aravena Teresa , Garcia Hernan , Godoy Claudia , Cattani Andreina , Reyes Loreto , Lacourt Patricia , Rumie Hana , Mericq Veronica , Arriaza Marta , Martinez-Aguayo Alejandro
Published: September 2015

Background: Deletions in the SHOX gene are the most frequent genetic cause of Leri-Weill syndrome and Langer mesomelic dysplasia, which are also present in idiopathic short stature. Aim: To describe the molecular and clinical findings observed in 23 of 45 non-consanguineous Chilean patients with different phenotypes related to SHOX deficiency. Methods: Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification was used to detect the deletions; the SHOX coding region and deletion-flanking areas were sequenced to identify point mutations and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Results: The main genetic defects identified in 21 patients consisted of deletions; one of them, a large deletion of >800 kb, was found in 8 patients. Also, a smaller deletion of >350 kb was observed in 4 patients. Although we could not precisely determine the deletion breakpoint, we were able to identify a common haplotype in 7 of the 8 patients with the larger deletion based on 22 informative SNPs. Conclusion: These results suggest that the large deletion-bearing allele has a common ancestor and was either introduced by European immigrants or had originated in our Amerindian population. This study allowed us to identify one recurrent deletion in Chilean patients; also, it contributed to expanding our knowledge about the genetic background of our population.
Human Engineered Heart Muscles Engraft and Survive Long Term in a Rodent Myocardial Infarction Model
Authors: Riegler Johannes , Tiburcy Malte , Ebert Antje , Tzatzalos Evangeline , Raaz Uwe , Abilez Oscar J. , Shen Qi , Kooreman Nigel G. , Neofytou Evgenios , Chen Vincent C. , Wang Mouer , Meyer Tim , Tsao Philip S. , Connolly Andrew J. , Couture Larry A. , Gold Joseph D. , Zimmermann Wolfram H. , Wu Joseph C.
Published: September 2015

Rationale:

Tissue engineering approaches may improve survival and functional benefits from human embryonic stem cell–derived cardiomyocyte transplantation, thereby potentially preventing dilative remodeling and progression to heart failure.

Objective:

Assessment of transport stability, long-term survival, structural organization, functional benefits, and teratoma risk of engineered heart muscle (EHM) in a chronic myocardial infarction model.

Methods and Results:

We constructed EHMs from human embryonic stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes and released them for transatlantic shipping following predefined quality control criteria. Two days of shipment did not lead to adverse effects on cell viability or contractile performance of EHMs (n=3,
P
=0.83,
P
=0.87). One month after ischemia/reperfusion injury, EHMs were implanted onto immunocompromised rat hearts to simulate chronic ischemia. Bioluminescence imaging showed stable engraftment with no significant cell loss between week 2 and 12 (n=6,
P
=0.67), preserving ≤25% of the transplanted cells. Despite high engraftment rates and attenuated disease progression (change in ejection fraction for EHMs, −6.7±1.4% versus control, −10.9±1.5%; n>12;
P
=0.05), we observed no difference between EHMs containing viable and nonviable human cardiomyocytes in this chronic xenotransplantation model (n>12;
P
=0.41). Grafted cardiomyocytes showed enhanced sarcomere alignment and increased connexin 43 expression at 220 days after transplantation. No teratomas or tumors were found in any of the animals (n=14) used for long-term monitoring.

Conclusions:

EHM transplantation led to high engraftment rates, long-term survival, and progressive maturation of human cardiomyocytes. However, cell engraftment was not correlated with functional improvements in this chronic myocardial infarction model. Most importantly, the safety of this approach was demonstrated by the lack of tumor or teratoma formation.