bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fatal primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in a Norwegian tourist returning from Thailand
Authors: Stubhaug Tore Taksdal , Reiakvam Olaug Marie , Stensvold Christen Rune , Hermansen Nils Olav , Holberg-Petersen Mona , Antal Ellen-Ann , Gaustad Knut , Førde Ingrid Schage , Heger Bernt
Published: April 2016

Introduction:

Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare disease caused by the free-living amoeba Naegleria fowleri. Infection occurs by insufflation of water containing amoebae into the nasal cavity, and is usually associated with bathing in freshwater. Nasal irrigation is a more rarely reported route of infection.

Case presentation:

A fatal case of PAM in a previously healthy Norwegian woman, acquired during a holiday trip to Thailand, is described. Clinical findings were consistent with rapidly progressing meningoencephalitis. The cause of infection was discovered by chance, owing to the unexpected detection of N. fowleri DNA by a PCR assay targeting fungi. A conclusive diagnosis was established based on sequencing of N. fowleri DNA from brain biopsies, supported by histopathological findings. Nasal irrigation using contaminated tap water is suspected as the source of infection.

Conclusion:

The clinical presentation of PAM is very similar to severe bacterial meningitis. This case is a reminder that when standard investigations fail to identify a cause of infection in severe meningoencephalitis, it is of crucial importance to continue a broad search for a conclusive diagnosis. PAM should be considered as a diagnosis in patients with symptoms of severe meningoencephalitis returning from endemic areas.
Developmental delay in a Streptomyces venezuelae glgE null mutant is associated with the accumulation of α-maltose 1-phosphate
Authors: Miah Farzana , Bibb Maureen J. , Barclay J. Elaine , Findlay Kim C. , Bornemann Stephen
Published: April 2016

The GlgE pathway is thought to be responsible for the conversion of trehalose into a glycogen-like α-glucan polymer in bacteria. Trehalose is first converted to maltose, which is phosphorylated by maltose kinase Pep2 to give α-maltose 1-phosphate. This is the donor substrate of the maltosyl transferase GlgE that is known to extend α-1,4-linked maltooligosaccharides, which are thought to be branched with α-1,6 linkages. The genome of Streptomyces venezuelae contains all the genes coding for the GlgE pathway enzymes but none of those of related pathways, including glgC and glgA of the glycogen pathway. This provides an opportunity to study the GlgE pathway in isolation. The genes of the GlgE pathway were upregulated at the onset of sporulation, consistent with the known timing of α-glucan deposition. A constructed ΔglgE null mutant strain was viable but showed a delayed developmental phenotype when grown on maltose, giving less cell mass and delayed sporulation. Pre-spore cells and spores of the mutant were frequently double the length of those of the wild-type, implying impaired cross-wall formation, and spores showed reduced tolerance to stress. The mutant accumulated α-maltose 1-phosphate and maltose but no α-glucan. Therefore, the GlgE pathway is necessary and sufficient for polymer biosynthesis. Growth of the ΔglgE mutant on galactose and that of a Δpep2 mutant on maltose were analysed. In both cases, neither accumulation of α-maltose 1-phosphate/α-glucan nor a developmental delay was observed. Thus, high levels of α-maltose 1-phosphate are responsible for the developmental phenotype of the ΔglgE mutant, rather than the lack of α-glucan.
Automated structure refinement of macromolecular assemblies from cryo-EM maps using Rosetta
Authors: Wang Ray Yu-Ruei , Song Yifan , Barad Benjamin A , Cheng Yifan , Fraser James S , DiMaio Frank
Published: April 2016

Cryo-EM has revealed many challenging yet exciting macromolecular assemblies at near-atomic resolution (3-4.5Å), providing biological phenomena with molecular descriptions. However, at these resolutions accurately positioning individual atoms remains challenging and may be error-prone. Manually refining thousands of amino acids – typical in a macromolecular assembly – is tedious and time-consuming. We present an automated method that can improve the atomic details in models manually built in near-atomic-resolution cryo-EM maps. Applying the method to three systems recently solved by cryo-EM, we are able to improve model geometry while maintaining or improving the fit-to-density. Backbone placement errors are automatically detected and corrected, and the refinement shows a large radius of convergence. The results demonstrate the method is amenable to structures with symmetry, of very large size, and containing RNA as well as covalently bound ligands. The method should streamline the cryo-EM structure determination process, providing accurate and unbiased atomic structure interpretation of such maps.
Persistent vulnerability to relapse despite complete extinction of cocaine craving
Authors: Girardeau Paul , Navailles Sylvia , Durand Audrey , Vouillac-Mendoza Caroline , Guillem Karine , Ahmed Serge H
Published: April 2016

Craving often precedes relapse into cocaine addiction. This explains why considerable research effort is being expended to try to develop anti-craving strategies for relapse prevention. Recently, we discovered using the classic reinstatement model of cocaine craving that the reinstating or priming effect of cocaine can be extinguished with repeated priming in rats - a phenomenon dubbed extinction of cocaine priming. Here we sought to measure the potential beneficial effect of this novel extinction strategy on subsequent relapse (i.e., return to the pre-extinction pattern of cocaine self-administration once the drug is made again available after extinction). Overall and contrary to our initial hope, extensive and complete extinction of cocaine priming had no major impact on relapse. This lack of effect occurred despite evidence for post-extinction loss of neuronal responses to cocaine priming in brain regions critically involved in cocaine-induced reinstatement (i.e., the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and the core of the nucleus accumbens). An effect of extinction of cocaine priming on relapse was only observed when cocaine was available for self-administration under more demanding conditions. However, this effect was modest and short-lived. Finally, we succeeded to trace the origin of our failure to prevent relapse to a persistent, extinction-resistant form of operant behavior that is not directly induced by cocaine. This extinction-resistant behavior is commonly reported, though generally ignored as causally irrelevant, in many other reinstatement studies. We propose that this behavior should become both a novel marker for long-term vulnerability to relapse and a novel target for preclinical development of potential relapse prevention interventions.
Arabidopsis cobra protein binds to glucan chains with higher affinity than to cellulose
Authors: Sorek Nadav , Somerville Chris
Published: April 2016

Because of several anomalies in a publication that we coauthored, concerning the interaction of the Arabidopsis cobra protein with crystalline cellulose (Avicel) and individual glucan chains (cellohexaose) we reexamined the data and had an independent laboratory redo a key experiment. The results show that COBRA binds to cellohexaose preferably over binding to Avicel, confirming our previous report.
Charting Improvements in US Registry HLA Typing Ambiguity Using a Typing Resolution Score
Authors: Paunić Vanja , Gragert Loren , Schneider Joel , Müller Carlheinz , Maiers Martin
Published: April 2016

Unrelated stem cell registries have been collecting HLA typing of volunteer bone marrow donors for over 25 years. Donor selection for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is based primarily on matching the alleles of donors and patients at five polymorphic HLA loci. As HLA typing technologies have continually advanced since the beginnings of stem cell transplantation, registries have accrued typings of varied HLA typing ambiguity. We present a newtyping resolution score, based on the likelihood of self-match, that allows the systematic comparison of HLA typings across different methods, data sets and populations. We apply the typing resolution score to chart improvement in HLA typing within the Be The Match Registry of the United States from the initiation of DNA-based HLA typing to the current state of high-resolution typing using next-generation sequencing technologies. In addition, we present a publicly available online tool for evaluation of any given HLA typing. Thistyping resolution scoreobjectively evaluates HLA typing methods and can help define standards for acceptable recruitment HLA typing.
Computational model for predicting the effect of process parameters on surface characteristics of mass finished components
Authors: Vijayaraghavan Venkatesh , Castagne Sylvie
Published: April 2016

Purpose

Mass finishing is a commonly employed surface finishing process for improving surface characteristics of aerospace engineering components. Optimization of surface characteristics of such critical components require an explicit computational model that can describe the surface characteristics of the finished component. This paper aims to develop an explicit computational model that can describe the surface roughness as a function of various process parameters which influence the mass finishing process.

Design/methodology/approach

In the present work, the authors propose to study the roughness characteristics using a combined evolutionary computing approach based on Multi-Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) and Genetic Programming (GP) techniques.

Findings

The authors conducted sensitivity and parametric analysis to capture the dynamics of surface characteristics by unveiling dominant input variables and hidden non-linear relationships. It is found that by regulating the process time and media size, a greatest variation in surface finish reduction can be achieved in mass finishing process.

Originality/value

To the best of authors knowledge, for the first time a hybrid evolutionary computational technique has been proposed in this work. The authors combined two powerful evolutionary techniques, namely Multi-variate Adaptive Regressive Splines and Genetic Programming approach. The proposed approach was able to capture the dynamics of surface roughness with higher accuracy as comparable to that of the experiments.
Healthcare quality maturity assessment model based on quality drivers
Authors: Ramadan Nadia , Arafeh Mazen
Published: April 2016

Purpose

Healthcare providers differ in their readiness and maturity levels regarding quality and quality management systems applications. The proposed model serves as a useful quantitative quality maturity level assessment tool for healthcare organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The model proposes five quality maturity levels (chaotic, primitive, structured, mature and proficient) based on six quality drivers: top management, people, operations, culture, quality focus and accreditation.

Findings

Healthcare managers can apply the model to identify the status quo, quality shortcomings and evaluating ongoing progress.

Practical implications

The model has been incorporated in an interactive Excel worksheet that visually displays the quality maturity level risk meter. The tool has been applied successfully to local hospitals.

Originality/value

The proposed six quality driver scales appear to measure healthcare provider maturity levels on a single quality meter.
Contextualizing poverty and culture; towards a social economy of community centered knowledge based development
Authors: Raza Ahmad , Murad Hasan Sohaib , Zakar Muhammad Zakria
Published: April 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the critical interrelationships between poverty, culture and knowledge-based community development.

Design/methodology/approach

– The traditional approaches to the management of poverty such as infrastructure, literacy and economic aid have failed to deliver and ameliorate the lot of common people. The current paper engages in critical constructivist discourse on poverty as unfolding in the era of knowledge economy and seeks to propose a community focussed knowledge-based development model of human economic and social uplift. This model has three dimensions: community knowledge focus, interactions of local, regional and global knowledge shaping and influencing poverty management and finally collective responsibility (collective commitment) of groups to rid them of poverty trap.

Findings

– First, this paper looks at the social interconnections of poverty, culture and knowledge-based development in a critical discourse context. Second, it discusses the alternative worldviews of economic development. Third, it questions current epistemological and sociological assumptions of development paradigm.

Originality/value

– The paper looks at the issues of poverty, culture and economic development from a critical pluralistic epistemological standpoint. It also questions some of the prescriptive methods of development by poverty experts. It also proposes to effectively explore and integrate different cognitive styles in development discourse and their usefulness and relevance to global development discourse.
Management practices in Australian healthcare: can NSW public hospitals do better?
Authors: Agarwal Renu , Green Roy , Agarwal Neeru , Randhawa Krithika
Published: April 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants of best management practices in an Australian state-run healthcare system, namely New South Wales (NSW), and studies the impact of a range of hospital factors in driving best management practices as a means of enhancing healthcare delivery.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study adapts a unique survey instrument globally tested to quantify the multi-dimensional nature of hospital management practices in 42 acute care public hospitals of NSW. The authors then analysed the role of hospital-specific characteristics in driving best management practices, namely hospital size (measured by the number of hospital beds, employees and doctors), level of skill and education, degree of hospital manager autonomy and organisational hierarchy.

Findings

– The findings of this study show the areas of strength and potential areas of improvement in NSW hospitals. The authors find a positive association between the adoption of better management practices and hospital size (measured by the number of hospital beds and employees), level of skills and education, degree of hospital manager autonomy and organisational hierarchy. However, hospital size as measured by the number of doctors did not have a statistically significant relationship.

Practical implications

– This paper is of interest to both hospital administrators, clinical doctors and healthcare policy-makers who want to improve and develop strategies for better management in the healthcare sector.

Originality/value

– This study provides an internationally comparable robust measure of management capability in public hospitals, and contributes to the evidence-base of management practices and performance in hospitals.
From Ludlow to Chattanooga and beyond
Authors: Hogler Raymond
Published: April 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of employee representation systems in the USA from the Ludlow Massacre of 1914 up to the events in 2015 at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The study begins with the strike at the Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation which led to the deaths of several women and children. In the aftermath of Ludlow, John D. Rockefeller, Jr, visited the mines in 1915 and persuaded workers that an internal employee representation plan would serve their interests better than an outside trade union. Rockefeller’s influence shaped American industrial relations until the passage of the National Labor Relations (Wagner) Act in 1935, when company unions were outlawed. The ongoing decline of unions and collective bargaining has prompted academic speculation that a return to internal workplace committees might lead to a rejuvenated labor movement in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses both archival materials and secondary sources to construct a narrative of one important element of industrial relations. It explains Wagner’s ban on company unions as a component of his economic agenda. Company unions provided a voice for a firm’s workers, but Wagner believed they were powerless to redistribute corporate wealth. The decline of American unions is so profound that they no longer serve an economic role in our capitalist system, but workers’ voice in the workplace remains an important consideration.

Findings

The key finding of this paper is that employee representation plans are not merely an industrial relations anachronism but continue to be relevant to today’s workplace. The paper compares an influential representation plan developed in 1914 by John D. Rockefeller, Jr, to current schemes of representation and argues that labor law should be modified to permit modern versions of the older “company unions”.

Researchlimitations/implications

Works councils play a crucial role in European labor relations, and they could do so in America if labor laws were modified to permit it. An exposition of the deep historical context of representation helps to legitimate the concept. Future research into specific cases, including an international perspective, would add to an understanding of the benefits and costs of representation.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper is its combination of a historical event and a contemporary case study that brings together a theme present in managerial history for over a century. By emphasizing the aims of Rockefeller, Jr. in 1914 and the objectives of the Volkswagen Company in 2014 in establishing a participatory workplace, we gain a long-term framework through which to evaluate a particular managerial technique. The paper also suggests ways to bring our labor laws into conformance with the idea of employee representation.
Exports and outward FDI: are they complements or substitutes? Evidence from Asia
Authors: Bhasin Niti , Paul Justin
Published: April 2016

Purpose

Outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) and its relationship with exports of home country is an important aspect of internationalization having implications for both policymakers and multinational enterprises (MNEs). This paper aims to examine this relationship by using panel data for ten major emerging countries from Asia over the period 1991-2012.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use panel vector auto regression, panel cointegration and causality tests in this study.

Findings

The authors find evidence of long-run causality from exports to OFDI. Further, exports and OFDI are found to be substitutes. There is no long-run causality from OFDI to exports, implying that MNEs are not “connecting” with home country firms through backward and forward linkages in the production process.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to deal with the relationship of OFDI with exports of the home country, for a group of developing/emerging countries.
Acquisitions and the value versus growth phenomenon
Authors: Badenhorst Wessel M.
Published: April 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether investors value the future growth from acquisitions and the subsequent realisations thereof accurately.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper calculates conventional and adjusted market-to-book ratios and investigates abnormal cumulative returns over 20 quarters after portfolio formation for a sample of Standard & Poor’s 500 firms using a hedge portfolio and regression approach.

Findings

Hedge portfolios formed using adjusted market-to-book ratios underperform conventional hedge portfolios over a five-year period. Dividing the hedge into its comprising elements reveals that the underperformance of the adjusted hedge is mainly caused by weaker returns from value firms.

Research Limitations/implications

Findings are specific to large firms in a specific setting, and future research is needed to determine if findings are equally applicable to other situations. Findings imply that investors underrate the growth from new acquisitions and overrate the extent to which this has materialised.

Practical Implications

The paper highlights that the extrapolation of future growth rates should be carefully considered in any equity valuation of a firm with current or past acquisitions.

Originality/value

This paper shows that inaccurate valuation of the growth of new acquisitions and the realisation thereof is at least partially responsible for the value versus growth phenomenon. It shows that the accounting information could be improved and highlights the importance of extrapolating past growth rates with care.
The nature of voluntary greenhouse gas disclosure – an explanation of the changing rationale
Authors: Borghei Zahra , Leung Philomena , Guthrie James
Published: April 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the nature of voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) disclosure by non-GHG-registered companies among industry sectors over a period after the introduction of theNational Greenhouse and Energy Reporting(NGER)Act 2007and before the introduction of the Australian ETS.

Design/methodology/approach

A GHG disclosure index is used to evaluate the levels of GHG disclosure in 2009 and 2011 annual reports.

Findings

This paper highlights that non-GHG-registered companies seem to improve their disclosure by incorporating more “behavioural management” actions rather than “symbolic” actions. The changing rationale of GHG disclosure is towards more serious GHG reduction strategies. Consistent with voluntary disclosure and signalling theories, companies having good news to tell disclose their superior GHG information to promote their superior environmental performance.

Research limitations/implications

The findings should be useful for stakeholders who are interested in GHG disclosure strategies. Also, the content analysis of the annual reports provides some clarity in respect of the most common aspects of GHG disclosure by non-GHG-registered companies which is helpful in the evaluation of correspondence between carbon disclosure strategies and the objectives of carbon abatement.

Originality/value

Previous studies mostly investigate the differences in the type of GHG disclosure among companies subject to mandatory GHG regulations. However, this paper is the first study to examine the changing rationale in the nature of GHG disclosure of non-GHG-registered companies. While much of the prior research uses GHG-registered companies as the sample, no empirical study to date has considered non-GHG-registered companies that encompass 96 per cent of ASX listed companies.
The struggle to fabricate accounting narrative obfuscation
Authors: Rutherford Brian A.
Published: April 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the accounting research project concerned with accounting narrative obfuscation, focusing on the translation of the concept of readability from educational psychology via an earlier literature concerned with the readability of accounting narratives per se.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses actor-network theory and examines, in particular, the need for a network to accommodate the interests of its actors and the consequent risk of failure.

Findings

The analysis shows that the project is failing because the network seeking to support it is failing, and failing because of its inability to adapt sufficiently to accommodate the interests of its constituents. This failure is contrasted with the earlier concern with readability per se, which did see a successful reconfiguration of actors’ interests.

Research limitations/implications

The puzzle of the maladjustment of the network concerned with obfuscation is examined and it is suggested that it is a consequence of interests prevailing in the wider academic research network within which the relevant human actors are embedded.

Social implications

The reasons for the failure of the project are bound up in the wider circumstances of the contemporary accounting research community and may affect scholars’ capacity to pursue knowledge effectively.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to a modest stream of actor–network analysis directed at accounting research itself.
Experimental evidence for fundamental, and not realized, niche partitioning in a plant–herbivore community interaction network
Authors: Augustyn Willem J. , Anderson Bruce , Ellis Allan G.
Published: April 2016

Patterns of niche partitioning can result from local ecological interactions (e.g. interspecific competition) occurring within a contemporary time frame (realized niche partitioning). Alternatively, they may represent the end product of historical processes acting over long time frames (fundamental niche partitioning).

Niche partitioning is often detected by analysing patterns of resource use within communities, but experiments are rarely conducted to test whether patterns of non‐overlapping resource use reflect realized or fundamental niche partitioning.

We studied a community of restio leafhoppers from the genus Cephalelus and their host plants, the Restionaceae (restios). We used network and experimental approaches to determine whether network modularity (a measure of niche partitioning within local communities) reflects fundamental or realized niche partitioning. Using a weighted modularity index for two party networks (e.g. insect–plant), we determined whether the network of this community is modular (i.e. consists of groups of species interacting strongly, with weak interactions between groups). We also aimed to identify specific Cephalelus – restio modules (groups). Using knowledge of module membership to design experiments, we tested whether Cephalelus species from two different modules, Cephalelus uncinatus and Cephalelus pickeri, prefer and perform better on restios from their own modules vs. restios from other modules. These experiments were performed under controlled conditions, eliminating the influences of competition and predation on host choices.

The Cephalelus – restio community was modular, implying niche partitioning. Cephalelus also preferred and performed better on restios from their own modules in the absence of local contemporary factors. Most niche partitioning in the investigated Cephalelus community is not caused by local interactions, and thus, host use patterns represent fundamental niches. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding local community structure in the light of processes extrinsic to the local community context.
Coexistence facilitates interspecific biofilm formation in complex microbial communities
Authors: Madsen Jonas S. , Røder Henriette L. , Russel Jakob , Sørensen Helle , Burmølle Mette , Sørensen Søren J.
Published: April 2016

Social interactions in which bacteria respond to one another by modifying their phenotype are central determinants of microbial communities. It is known that interspecific interactions influence the biofilm phenotype of bacteria; a phenotype that is central to the fitness of bacteria. However, the underlying role of fundamental ecological factors, specifically coexistence and phylogenetic history, in biofilm formation remains unclear. This study examines how social interactions affect biofilm formation in multi‐species co‐cultures from five diverse environments. We found prevalence of increased biofilm formation among co‐cultured bacteria that have coexisted in their original environment. Conversely, when randomly co‐culturing bacteria across these five consortia, we found less biofilm induction and a prevalence of biofilm reduction. Reduction in biofilm formation was even more predominant when co‐culturing bacteria from environments where long‐term coexistence was unlikely to have occurred. Phylogenetic diversity was not found to be a strong underlying factor but a relation between biofilm induction and phylogenetic history was found. The data indicates that biofilm reduction is typically correlated with an increase in planktonic cell numbers, thus implying a behavioral response rather than mere growth competition. Our findings suggest that an increase in biofilm formation is a common adaptive response to long‐term coexistence.
A multiplayer game: species of Clostridium, Acinetobacter, and Pseudomonas are responsible for the persistence of antibiotic resistance genes in manure‐treated soils
Authors: Leclercq Sebastien Olivier , Wang Chao , Sui Zhihai , Wu Hai , Zhu Baoli , Deng Ye , Feng Jie
Published: April 2016

Antibiotics are routinely used in modern livestock farming. The manure from medicated animals is used for the fertilization of arable crops, which in turn leads to the accumulation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment. This is a potentially serious public health issue, yet the identities of the bacterial taxa involved in ARG persistence are as yet undetermined. Using soil–manure microcosm experiments, we investigated the relationship between (i) the persistence of diverse ARGs and (ii) the dynamics of bacterial community members. We were able to identify, for the first time, the bacterial taxa involved in ARG enrichment in manured soils. They were gut‐associated Clostridium species, and environmental species of Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas genera, all of them closely related to important nosocomial pathogens. Our data provide new clues on the routes by which ARGs may spread from farms to medical clinics.
Hydroxylations of trichothecene rings in the biosynthesis of Fusarium trichothecenes: evolution of alternative pathways in the nivalenol chemotype
Authors: Maeda Kazuyuki , Tanaka Akira , Sugiura Ryosuke , Koshino Hiroyuki , Tokai Takeshi , Sato Masayuki , Nakajima Yuichi , Tanahashi Yoshikazu , Kanamaru Kyoko , Kobayashi Tetsuo , Nishiuchi Takumi , Fujimura Makoto , Takahashi‐Ando Naoko , Kimura Makoto
Published: April 2016

Fusarium sporotrichioides genes FsTri11, FsTri13, and FsTri1 encode cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs) responsible for hydroxylations at C‐15, C‐4, and C‐8 of the trichothecene skeleton, respectively. However, the corresponding genes of nivalenol (NIV)‐chemotype Fusarium graminearum remain to be functionally elucidated. In this study, we characterized the roles of these CYPs in NIV biosynthesis. Analyses of the metabolites of the F. graminearum Fgtri11− mutant, a disruptant of FgTri11 encoding isotrichodermin (ITD) C‐15 hydroxylase, revealed a small amount of NIV‐type trichothecenes suggesting that an alternative C‐15 hydroxylase partially complemented FgTRI11p. In contrast, the C‐7/C‐8 hydroxylations depended solely on FgTRI1p, as suggested by the metabolite profiles of the Fgtri11−Fgtri1− double gene disruptant. Disruption of FgTri1 in both the wild‐type and Fgtri13− mutant backgrounds revealed that FgTRI13p exhibits marginal activity toward calonectrin (CAL) and that it was the only C‐4 hydroxylase. In addition, feeding experiments demonstrated that the C‐4 hydroxylation of a 7‐hydroxytrichothecene lacking C‐8 ketone was extremely limited. The marginal activity of FgTRI13p toward CAL was advantageous for the C‐7/C‐8 hydroxylation steps in NIV biosynthesis, as transformation of a C‐4 oxygenated trichothecene lacking C‐7/C‐8 modifications into NIV‐type trichothecenes was quite inefficient. The significance of hydroxylation steps in the evolution of Fusarium trichothecenes is discussed.
Functional analysis of Agaricus bisporus serine proteinase 1 reveals roles in utilization of humic rich substrates and adaptation to the leaf‐litter ecological niche
Authors: Heneghan Mary N. , Burns Claire , Costa Ana M. S. B. , Burton Kerry S. , Challen Michael P. , Bailey Andy M. , Foster Gary D.
Published: April 2016

Agaricus bisporus is a secondary decomposer fungus and an excellent model for the adaptation, persistence and growth of fungi in humic‐rich environments such as soils of temperate woodland and pastures. The A. bisporus serine proteinase SPR1 is induced by humic acids and is highly expressed during growth on compost. Three Spr1 gene silencing cassettes were constructed around sense, antisense and non‐translatable‐stop strategies (pGRsensehph, pGRantihph and pGRstophph). Transformation of A. bisporus with these cassettes generated cultures showing a reduction in extracellular proteinase activity as demonstrated by the reduction, or abolition, of a clearing zone on plate‐based bioassays. These lines were then assessed by detailed enzyme assay, RT‐qPCR and fruiting. Serine proteinase activity in liquid cultures was reduced in 83% of transformants. RT‐qPCR showed reduced Spr1 mRNA levels in all transformants analysed, and these correlated with reduced enzyme activity. When fruiting was induced, highly‐silenced transformant AS5 failed to colonize the compost, whilst for those that did colonize the compost, 60% gave a reduction in mushroom yield. Transcriptional, biochemical and developmental observations, demonstrate that SPR1 has an important role in nutrient acquisition in compost and that SPR1 is a key enzyme in the adaptation of Agaricus to the humic‐rich ecological niche formed during biomass degradation.
Codivergence of the primary bacterial endosymbiont of psyllids versus host switches and replacement of their secondary bacterial endosymbionts
Authors: Hall Aidan A. G. , Morrow Jennifer L. , Fromont Caroline , Steinbauer Martin J. , Taylor Gary S. , Johnson Scott N. , Cook James M. , Riegler Markus
Published: April 2016

Coevolution between insects and bacterial endosymbionts contributes to the success of many insect lineages. For the first time, we tested for phylogenetic codivergence across multiple taxonomic scales, from within genera to superfamily between 36 psyllid species of seven recognised families (Hemiptera: Psylloidea), their exclusive primary endosymbiont Carsonella and more diverse secondary endosymbionts (S‐endosymbionts). Within Aphalaridae, we found that Carsonella and S‐endosymbionts were fixed in one Glycaspis and 12 Cardiaspina populations. The dominant S‐endosymbiont was Arsenophonus, while Sodalis was detected in one Cardiaspina species. We demonstrated vertical transmission for Carsonella and Arsenophonus in three Cardiaspina species. We found strong support for strict cospeciation and validated the informative content of Carsonella as extended host genome for inference of psyllid relationships. However, S‐endosymbiont and host phylogenies were incongruent, and displayed signs of host switching and endosymbiont replacement. The high incidence of Arsenophonus in psyllids and other plant sap‐feeding Hemiptera may be due to repeated host switching within this group. In two psyllid lineages, Arsenophonus and Sodalis genes exhibited accelerated evolutionary rates and AT‐biases characteristic of long‐term host associations. Together with strict vertical transmission and 100% prevalence within host populations, our results suggest an obligate, and not facultative, symbiosis between psyllids and some S‐endosymbionts.
A mechanism for bacterial transformation of dimethylsulfide to dimethylsulfoxide: a missing link in the marine organic sulfur cycle
Authors: Lidbury Ian , Kröber Eileen , Zhang Zhidong , Zhu Yijun , Murrell J. Colin , Chen Yin , Schäfer Hendrik
Published: April 2016

The volatile organosulfur compound, dimethylsulfide (DMS), plays an important role in climate regulation and global sulfur biogeochemical cycles. Microbial oxidation of DMS to dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) represents a major sink of DMS in surface seawater, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms and key microbial taxa involved are not known. Here, we reveal thatRuegeria pomeroyi, a model marine heterotrophic bacterium, can oxidize DMS to DMSO using trimethylamine monooxygenase (Tmm). Purified Tmm oxidizes DMS to DMSO at a 1:1 ratio. Mutagenesis of thetmmgene inR. pomeroyicompletely abolished DMS oxidation and subsequent DMSO formation. Expression of Tmm and DMS oxidation inR. pomeroyiis methylamine‐dependent and regulated at the post‐transcriptional level. Considering that Tmm is present in approximately 20% of bacterial cells inhabiting marine surface waters, particularly the marineRoseobacterclade and the SAR11 clade, our observations contribute to a mechanistic understanding of biological DMSO production in surface seawater.
Anchoring under Currency Substitution: A Ratchet Price Mechanism in the Housing Market
Authors: Ben‐Shahar Danny , Golan Roni
Published: April 2016

The currency substitution experienced by the Israeli real estate market in the past decades serves as a unique case for studying the effect of the anchoring heuristic on prices. We hypothesize that players utilize current and past exchange rates between the old and new currency to affect the closing price in their favor. Results of micro‐ and macro‐level estimations indicate that exchange rate fluctuations associate with an upward ratchet price effect. Furthermore, we find that the ratchet price mechanism disappears once the currency substitution is completed. These findings provide new evidence of the effect of anchoring on a market whose transactions involve substantial, long‐term economic consequences.
Nematopsis temporariae (Gregarinasina, Apicomplexa, Alveolata) is an intracellular infectious agent of tadpole livers
Authors: Chambouvet Aurélie , Valigurová Andrea , Pinheiro Lara M. , Richards Thomas A. , Jirků Miloslav
Published: April 2016

Amphibians are in decline as a result of habitat destruction, climate change and infectious diseases. Tadpoles are thought susceptible to infections because they are dependent on only an innate immune system (e.g. macrophages). This is because the frog adaptive immune system does not function until later stages of their life cycle. In 1920, Nöller described a putative infectious agent of tadpoles named Nematopsis temporariae, which he putatively assigned to gregarine protists (Apicomplexa). Here, we identify a gregarine infection of tadpoles using both microscopy and ribosomal DNA sequencing of three different frog species (Rana temporaria, R. dalmatina, and Hyla arborea). We show that this protist lineage belongs to the subclass Gregarinasina Dufour 1828 and is regularly present in macrophages located in liver sinusoids of tadpoles, confirming the only known case of a gregarine infection of a vertebrate.
“They Don't Know Anything!”: Latinx Immigrant Students Appropriating the Oppressor's Voice
Authors: Monzó Lilia D.
Published: April 2016

This article discusses internalized oppression among Latinx1 communities through a revolutionary critical pedagogy. Data from a two‐year ethnography of Latinx immigrant families show that students were developing deficit perspectives toward their parents, claiming that “they don't know anything,” based on their positioning as powerless and generationally and culturally out of touch. The article discusses that within‐group conflicts support the interests of a transnational capitalist class by severing opportunities for class [and race] consciousness.
Modeling Manhood: Reimagining Black Male Identities in School
Authors: Givens Jarvis R. , Nasir Na'ilah , ross kihana , de Royston Maxine McKinney
Published: April 2016

This paper examines the process by which stereotypical mainstream representations of black males (as hard, as anti‐school, and as disconnected from the domestic sphere) were reimagined in all‐black, all‐male manhood development classes for 9th graders in urban public high schools. Findings show that instructors debunked stereotypes and created new definitions of black manhood through the practice of modeling manhood, critiquing existing notions of black manhood, establishing a caring community, and role modeling new ways of being.
Exploring Literate Lives: Returning to the Field
Authors: Henderson Robyn , Woods Annette
Published: April 2016

The challenges of conducting lengthy fieldwork in today's busy academic world have impacted the types of research that are able to be carried out. In particular, traditional educational ethnography has become problematic for research beyond initial doctoral research programs. This article analyzes data collected during a return to the field of a study about literate lives, 11 years after the initial data collection. It considers the implications of exploring people's lives over time.
Serologic microbial associated markers can predict Crohn's disease behaviour years before disease diagnosis
Authors: Choung R. S. , Princen F. , Stockfisch T. P. , Torres J. , Maue A. C. , Porter C. K. , Leon F. , De Vroey B. , Singh S. , Riddle M. S. , Murray J. A. , Colombel J. F. ,   the PREDICTS Study Team
Published: April 2016

Background

Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) have serologic responses to various microbial antigens. Serologic markers are associated with aggressive forms of disease and can be detected before onset of symptoms. Their utility in pre‐clinical disease or prediction of complicated disease course before diagnosis is unclear.

Aim

To evaluate the pattern of serologic anti‐microbial antibodies long prior to diagnosis and the subsequent risk of complicated Crohn's disease at diagnosis.

Methods

Sera from 100 US military personnel with Crohn's disease were obtained from the Department of Defense Serum Repository. For each patient, four samples were obtained at different time points before and around diagnosis, and were tested for 6 microbiota‐directed antibodies (ASCA‐IgA, ASCA‐IgG, anti‐OmpC, anti‐CBir1, anti‐A4‐Fla2 and anti‐FlaX). Associations between the presence and accumulation of Crohn's disease anti‐microbial antibodies before diagnosis and with the later development of complications were evaluated.

Results

Overall, 65 patients were positive for at least one Crohn's disease associated anti‐microbial antibody in the earliest available sample, at a median of 6 years before Crohn's disease diagnosis (interquartile range, 5.6–8.2). The number of positive anti‐microbial antibodies increased up to the time of Crohn's disease diagnosis. Complicated disease developed around the time of diagnosis in 24 patients. The proportion of positive antimicrobial antibodies before diagnosis was higher in patients with complicated vs. noncomplicated Crohn's disease. There was an inverse relationship between the time to first complication and the magnitude of serologic response before diagnosis.

Conclusion

The presence and accumulation of circulating anti‐microbial antibodies years before Crohn's disease diagnosis was associated with complicated Crohn's disease at or shortly after diagnosis.
Textural Changes in Speleothem Inclusions during Firing: A Useful Tool to Estimate Temperature in Speleothem‐Bearing Pottery
Authors: Tenconi M. , Maritan L. , Mazzoli C.
Published: April 2016

Speleothem inclusions have been identified in a ceramic class, ‘flared rim and flat lip’ pottery, that is widespread in the Friuli  – Venetia Giulia and Veneto regions (north‐eastern Italy) between the Final Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. Textural analysis of speleothem inclusions revealed small rounded pores occurring along annual growth laminae, interpreted as the result of partial calcite decomposition during firing. Their size, number and diffusion at increasing temperatures were monitored during a set of firing experiments following heating and cooling rates, soaking times and redox conditions typical of open‐firing kilns. The textural features of the speleothem inclusions turned out to represent a powerful thermometric tool to precisely determine firing temperature which, in the case of the ‘flared rim and flat lip’ pottery studied here, reduced the thermal interval to a greater extent than that obtained from mineralogical associations.
Stomach arteriovenous malformation resected by laparoscopy‐assisted surgery: A case report
Authors: Hotta Masahiro , Yamamoto Kazuhito , Cho Kazumitsu , Takao Yoshimune , Fukuoka Takeshi , Uchida Eiji
Published: April 2016

Arteriovenous malformations of the stomach are an uncommon cause of upper GI bleeding. We report a case of stomach arteriovenous malformation in an 85‐year‐old Asian man who presented with massive hematemesis. Initial esophagogastroduodenoscopy did not detect this lesion, but contrast multi‐detector CT confirmed GI bleeding. Multi‐detector CT revealed a mass of blood vessels underlying the submucosa that arose from the right gastroepiploic artery. Repeat esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed that the lesion was a submucosal tumor with erosion and without active bleeding in the lower body of the stomach on the greater curvature. We performed partial gastrectomy via laparoscopy‐assisted surgery. The histopathological diagnosis was arteriovenous malformation.
Combined laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection and robotic‐assisted prostatectomy for synchronous double cancer of the rectum and the prostate
Authors: Kamiyama Hirohiko , Sakamoto Kazuhiro , China Toshiyuki , Aoki Jun , Niwa Koichiro , Ishiyama Shun , Takahashi Makoto , Kojima Yutaka , Goto Michitoshi , Tomiki Yuichi , Horie Shigeo
Published: April 2016

Here we report a combined laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection and robotic‐assisted prostatectomy. A 74‐year‐old man was diagnosed with T4b low rectal and prostate cancer. The operation was performed after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for the rectal cancer. The procedure used eight ports in total, five for laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection and six for robotic‐assisted prostatectomy. First, laparoscopic total mesorectal excision including division of the inferior mesenteric artery was performed, and then, robotic dissection of the prostate was performed. The en bloc specimen was removed through the perineal wound. Then, robotic urethrovesical anastomosis was performed. An extraperitoneal end colostomy was created to finish the operation. The operating time was 545 min, and blood loss was 170 mL. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient discharged on postoperative day 17. The combined laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection and robotic‐assisted prostatectomy were performed safely without any additional technical difficulty, as both procedures shared port settings and patient positions.
The First Decade with the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register – A Systematic Review of the Output in the Scientific Literature
Authors: Wallerstedt Susanna M. , Wettermark Björn , Hoffmann Mikael
Published: April 2016

The aim of this study was to quantify and characterize the scientific output from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register (SPDR) the first decade after its establishment. A systematic literature search was performed in Medline, EMBASE and PubMed (2005–2014). Additional publications were identified by personal knowledge, reference lists, contact with active authors and a citation search in Web of Sciences. Publications using SPDR data were included in the analysis and characterized regarding study type, presence of patient‐level record linkage, target population and topic. A total of 719 publications were identified in the literature search and an additional 148 by other strategies. Three hundred and thirty‐eight studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The majority were analytic (n = 166; 49.1%) or descriptive (n = 100; 29.5%). The remaining studies focused on validation (n = 20; 5.9%), health economics (n = 16; 4.7%) or miscellaneous (n = 36; 10.7%). The analytic studies investigating effects of drug exposure focused mainly on safety (n = 46) and/or effectiveness (n = 24). The first publications appeared in 2007 (n = 6), and in 2014, 90 articles using SPDR were published. Over the years, linkage with other registers using the personal identity number increased (0–88.9% of the publications). The population was often selected by age (49.7%), condition (45.0%) and/or drug (22.8%) and concerned predominantly psychiatric (29.0%) and cardiovascular (20.4%) diseases. In conclusion, this study illustrates that the establishment of a nationwide individual‐based register on dispensed prescription drugs facilitates an encouraging development of pharmacoepidemiological research, both regarding the number of publications and the scientific level of the analyses.