bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Atomic force microscopic study of the structure of high‐density polyethylene deformed in liquid medium by crazing mechanism
Authors: BAGROV D.V. , YARYSHEVA A.Y. , RUKHLYA E.G. , YARYSHEVA L.M. , VOLYNSKII A.L. , BAKEEV N.F.
Published: November 2013

A procedure has been developed for the direct atomic force microscopic (AFM) examination of the native structure of high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) deformed in an adsorption‐active liquid medium (AALM) by the crazing mechanism. The AFM investigation has been carried out in the presence of a liquid medium under conditions preventing deformed films from shrinkage. Deformation of HDPE in AALM has been shown to proceed through the delocalized crazing mechanism and result in the development of a fibrillar‐porous structure. The structural parameters of the crazed polymer have been determined. The obtained AFM images demonstrate a nanosized nonuniformity of the deformation and enable one to observe the structural rearrangements that take place in the deformed polymer after removal of the liquid medium and stress relaxation. A structural similarity has been revealed between HDPE deformed in the AALM and hard elastic polymers.
Zinc‐finger BED domain‐containing 3 (Zbed3) is a novel secreted protein associated with insulin resistance in humans
Authors: Jia Y. , Yuan L. , Hu W. , Luo Y. , Suo L. , Yang M. , Chen S. , Wang Y. , Liu H. , Yang G. , Li L.
Published: November 2013

Objectives

Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have shown that Zbed3 is associated with T2DM. To date, no report has demonstrated a relationship between Zbed3 and insulin resistance in humans, however. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Zbed3 protein is secreted and identify any associations between Zbed3 and insulin resistance in cross‐sectional and interventional studies.

Methods

We found that Zbed3 protein was secreted in an in vitro secretion study. Plasma Zbed3 levels were determined in an ELISA and were compared with various parameters related to insulin resistance in subjects with NGT, IGT and nT2DM. EHC was performed in healthy subjects. Real‐time PCR and Western blotting were used to assess the mRNA and protein expression of Zbed3.

Results

Zbed3 was detected in an analysis of in vitro secretion in both conditioned medium and lysates of HEK‐293T cells transfected with an overexpressed vector. In a clinical study, there were significantly higher levels of circulating Zbed3 in IGT and nT2DM relative to NGT. Zbed3 levels were positively correlated with BMI, WHR, FAT%, blood pressure, FBG, TG, HbA1c, FIns and HOMA‐IR and inversely correlated with HDL‐C. Increasing levels of Zbed3 were independently associated with IGT and T2DM. Zbed3 mRNA and protein in muscle and fat were significantly elevated in both db/db mice and T2DM patients. Moreover, there was a concentration‐dependent effect of glucose on Zbed3 release, whereas insulin exhibited an inhibitory effect on Zbed3 levels. Zbed3 suppressed insulin‐induced IR and Akt phosphorylation.

Conclusions

These results suggest that the Zbed3 protein may be a cytokine associated with insulin resistance in humans that is influenced by glucose and insulin levels.
Using Intuition in Fuzzy Front‐End Decision‐Making: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: Eling Katrin , Griffin Abbie , Langerak Fred
Published: November 2013

The goal of decision‐making during the execution of the fuzzy front end (FFE) is to develop a creative new product concept. Although intuitive decision‐making has been found to increase new product creativity, the theoretical knowledge base as to why and under which conditions intuition use during the process of generating a creative outcome is beneficial, is rather limited. Therefore, this study develops a conceptual framework theorizing why and under which conditions using intuition in FFE execution decision‐making may or may not be (as) beneficial for new product concept creativity. To develop this framework, the authors combine a creativity perspective of the FFE and a dual‐processing perspective of intuition. Interviews with eight FFE practitioners are used to support and illustrate the framework development. The theorizing leads the authors to postulate that intuition use may be beneficial to making generation and evaluation decisions during FFE execution because of the capabilities of the unconscious mind from which intuition results. However, the framework acknowledges that, due to the shortcomings of the unconscious mind, intuition may not be as beneficial to FFE decision‐making in some situations. The authors believe that this framework offers researchers a fertile area for further research and practitioners better insight into when intuition might be effective in FFE execution decision‐making.
Stock Market Returns to Financial Innovations Before and During the Financial Crisis in the United States and Europe
Authors: Schöler Lisa , Skiera Bernd , Tellis Gerard J.
Published: November 2013

Prior studies have focused on innovations in various contexts but largely excluded financial innovations, despite their notable importance. Not surprisingly, financial innovations account for a substantial portion of world economies and the huge market capitalization of banks. Therefore, the authors focus on studying the type, success, and causes of success of financial innovations. Using an event study and financial expert ratings, this study analyzes the types of and payoffs to 428 financial innovations by 39 major banks in North America and Western Europe between 2001 and 2010. The results indicate that security and credit instruments constitute the most common and insurance innovations the least common financial innovations, which vary substantially by economic cycles and location. The average cumulative abnormal stock market returns to a financial innovation are $146 million. They are twice as high in the United States as in Western Europe. Thus, the market considers financial innovations profitable, not harmful, despite their apparent responsibility for the financial crisis. Surprisingly, the cumulative abnormal stock market returns to financial innovations are higher in recessions than in expansions. The authors find that riskiness and radicalness of the innovation increases abnormal returns, while complexity decreases cumulative abnormal stock market returns. Two interaction effects stand out: Riskiness of financial innovations has higher cumulative abnormal stock market returns in the United States than in Western Europe. Radicalness has lower cumulative abnormal stock market returns in recessions than in expansions. The authors discuss important implications of the findings.
“SqueezingR&D”: A Study of Organizational Slack and Knowledge Creation inNPD, Using theSECIModel
Authors: Richtnér Anders , Åhlström Pär , Goffin Keith
Published: November 2013

During new product development (NPD), functional areas such as marketing,R&D, and manufacturing work together to understand customer needs, create product concepts, and solve technical issues.NPDis dependent on the creation of new knowledge and the interplay between tacit knowledge (knowledge that is difficult to articulate and codify) and explicit knowledge (knowledge that can be codified and documented). Knowledge creation requires time and resources, and the dichotomy facing senior management is how much spare capacity inNPDteams—so‐called organizational slack—is appropriate. Too much organizational slack and precious development resources will be wasted; but when slack is eliminated, there is a danger that knowledge creation will be severely hindered.

There have been very few studies of organizational slack at the project level, and so the aim of our research was to examine the impact of changes in organizational slack on knowledge creation inNPDprojects. Six projects were studied at two companies, over a two‐year period. Multiple sources of data were used to determine how changes in organizational slack impacted knowledge creation, which was operationalized usingNonaka's socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization (SECI) model.

It was found that the creation of knowledge inNPDprojects is susceptible to changes in organizational slack. A significant finding was that every time there were changes in organizational slack, there was always some impact on knowledge creation. Increased slack enabled knowledge creation; but, importantly, the impacts of decreasing organizational slack were often very negative and disrupted the work ofNPDteams, particularly at the end of projects. Managers who feel that “squeezingR&D” is important should think again—their action might disrupt knowledge creation and compromise innovation.
Adaptive responses of calcium and phosphate homeostasis in goats to low nitrogen intake: renal aspects
Authors: Starke S. , Huber K.
Published: November 2013

In a previous study, in goats, we showed that apart from variations in dietary calcium (Ca) and phosphorus intake, also low dietary nitrogen (N) intake altered plasma concentrations of hormones, which regulate Ca and phosphate (Pi) homeostasis. These hormonal responses in goats were in accordance with findings in monogastric animals and humans with low protein intake. In the aforementioned studies, alterations of electrolyte transport in the kidneys were also observed. However, whether renal electrolyte transport in goats is also involved in the adaptation of Ca and Pi homeostasis to low N intake remains unknown. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether in addition to the hormonal changes, as observed in our former study, renal Ca transport and renal Pi transport were also altered by low N intake in goats. Therefore, in kidney samples from the goats used in our former study, the protein expression of Ca and Pi transporters and of related regulatory proteins was examined. Furthermore, the uptake of Pi into isolated brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) was detected. The results showed that the protein amount of the renal sodium‐dependent Pi transporter NaPi IIa was elevated, and concomitantly, protein expression of its upstream regulators, the parathyroid hormone receptor and the extracellular signal‐regulated kinases 1 and 2 was decreased. However, Pi uptake into renal BBMV was not enhanced. Furthermore, protein expression of the renal Ca channel, the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 5 (TRPV5) and of the vitamin D receptor was not influenced by dietary N reduction. We conclude that regulation of renal Pi transporter expression in goats is involved in the adaptation of electrolyte homeostasis to low N intake.
Parasagittal cranial fasciitis following infratemporal fossa rhabdomyosarcoma
Authors: Hattab Eyas M. , Dvorscak Lauren E. , Boaz Joel C. , Douglas Annette C. , Ulbright Thomas M.
Published: November 2013

Cranial fasciitis is a rare lesion of young children characterized by proliferation of fibroblastic spindle cells. Most are scalp masses and are only rarely intracranial, where an association with radiation therapy is exceptional. We report a 32‐month‐old toddler with a facial rhabdomyosarcoma, diagnosed at 3 months of age, and treated with surgery, chemotherapy and brachytherapy. Brain MRI at 28 months revealed a large, left parasagittal, dural‐based, T2 hyperintense and T1 hypointense enhancing mass with superior sagittal sinus compression and bony hyperostosis. The mass was completely resected during an open craniotomy. Histologically, the lesion was comprised of loosely and haphazardly arranged bland spindle cells embedded in a myxoid background. Thick hyalinized collagen bundles were especially prominent. The spindle cells reacted for vimentin but not SMA, myogenin, MyoD1 or EMA. A diagnosis of cranial fasciitis was rendered. The role of radiation therapy in the pathogenesis of intracranial cranial fasciitis is discussed.
ABA control of plant macroelement membrane transport systems in response to water deficit and high salinity
Authors: Osakabe Yuriko , Yamaguchi‐Shinozaki Kazuko , Shinozaki Kazuo , Tran Lam‐Son Phan
Published: November 2013

Plant growth and productivity are adversely affected by various abiotic stressors and plants develop a wide range of adaptive mechanisms to cope with these adverse conditions, including adjustment of growth and development brought about by changes in stomatal activity. Membrane ion transport systems are involved in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis during exposure to stress and ion transport activity is regulated by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation networks that respond to stress conditions. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA), which is produced rapidly in response to drought and salinity stress, plays a critical role in the regulation of stress responses and induces a series of signaling cascades. ABA signaling involves an ABA receptor complex, consisting of an ABA receptor family, phosphatases and kinases: these proteins play a central role in regulating a variety of diverse responses to drought stress, including the activities of membrane‐localized factors, such as ion transporters. In this review, recent research on signal transduction networks that regulate the function ofmembrane transport systems in response to stress, especially water deficit and high salinity, is summarized and discussed. The signal transduction networks covered in this review have central roles in mitigating the effect of stress by maintaining plant homeostasis through the control of membrane transport systems.

Contents

Summary
35

I.
Introduction
35

II.
Water deficit stress stimulates ABA biosynthesis and transport
36

III.
ABA signal transductions control ion transport for modulating stomatal aperture
39

IV.
The involvement of ion transport systems in the maintenance of ion homeostasis during abiotic stress
42

V.
Conclusion
44

Acknowledgements
44

References
45
Highly rearranged and size‐variable chloroplast genomes in conifers II clade (cupressophytes): evolution towards shorter intergenic spacers
Authors: Wu Chung‐Shien , Chaw Shu‐Miaw
Published: November 2013

Although conifers are of immense ecological and economic value, bioengineering of their chloroplasts remains undeveloped. Understanding the chloroplast genomic organization of conifers can facilitate their bioengineering. Members of the conifer II clade (or cupressophytes) are highly diverse in both morphologic features and chloroplast genomic organization. We compared six cupressophyte chloroplast genomes (cpDNAs) that represent four of the five cupressophyte families, including three genomes that are first reported here (Agathis dammara, Calocedrus formosana and Nageia nagi). The six cupressophyte cpDNAs have lost a pair of large inverted repeats (IRs) and vary greatly in size, organization and tRNA copies. We demonstrate that cupressophyte cpDNAs have evolved towards reduced size, largely due to shrunken intergenic spacers. In cupressophytes, cpDNA rearrangements are capable of extending intergenic spacers, and synonymous mutations are negatively associated with the size and frequency of rearrangements. The variable cpDNA sizes of cupressophytes may have been shaped by mutational burden and genomic rearrangements. On the basis of cpDNA organization, our analyses revealed that in gymnosperms, cpDNA rearrangements are phylogenetically informative, which supports the ‘gnepines’ clade. In addition, removal of a specific IR influences the minimal rearrangements required for the gnepines and cupressophyte clades, whereby Pinaceae favours the removal of IRB but cupressophytes exclusion of IRA. This result strongly suggests that different IR copies have been lost from conifers I and II. Our data help understand the complexity and evolution of cupressophyte cpDNAs.
High‐throughput deep sequencing shows that microRNAs play important roles in switchgrass responses to drought and salinity stress
Authors: Xie Fuliang , Stewart Charles Neal , Taki Faten A. , He Qiuling , Liu Huawei , Zhang Baohong
Published: November 2013

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an important class of small regulatory RNAs. The goal of this study was to analyse stress‐responsive miRNAs in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), the emerging biofuel crop, to facilitate choosing gene targets for improving biomass and biofuel yield. After sequencing three small RNA libraries constructed from control, salt‐ and drought‐treated switchgrass using Illumina sequencing technology, we identified 670 known miRNA families from a total of more than 50 million short reads. A total of 273 miRNAs were identified with precursors: 126 conserved miRNAs and 147 novel miRNAs. Of them, 265 miRNAs were found to have their opposite sequences (miRNA*) with 2‐nt overhang on the 3′ end. Of them, 194 were detected in switchgrass transcriptome sequences generated from 31 high‐throughput RNA sequencing (RNA‐Seq) data sets in NCBI. Many miRNAs were differentially or uniquely expressed during salinity or drought stress treatment. We also discovered 11 miRNA clusters containing 29 miRNAs. These identified miRNAs potentially targeted 28 549 genes with a various function, including transcription factors, stress‐response proteins and cellulose biosynthesis‐related proteins. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that the identified miRNAs and their targets were classified to 3779 GO terms including 1534 molecular functions, 1851 biological processes and 394 cellular components and were enriched to 147 KEGG pathways. Interestingly, 195 miRNA families and 450 targets were involved in the biosynthesis pathways of carbon, glucose, starch, fatty acid and lignin and in xylem formation, which could aid in designing next‐generation switchgrass for biomass and biofuel.
Teaching and Learning Guide for Cognitive Phenomenology
Authors: Smithies Declan
Published: November 2013

Cognitive phenomenology can be defined as the experience that is associated with cognitive activities, such as thinking, reasoning, and understanding. What is at issue in contemporary debates is not the existence of cognitive phenomenology, so defined, but rather its nature and theoretical significance. Debated questions about the nature of cognitive phenomenology include the following: What is the relationship between the phenomenology of cognition and the intentionality of cognition? And what is the relationship between the phenomenology of cognition and the phenomenology of perception? Debated questions about the significance of cognitive phenomenology concern its role in theories of intentionality, introspective self‐knowledge, and knowledge of the external world.
Imagining and Fiction: Some Issues
Authors: Stock Kathleen
Published: November 2013

In this paper, I survey in some depth three issues arising from the connection between imagination and fiction: (i) whether fiction can be defined as such in terms of its prescribing imagining; (ii) whether imagining in response to fiction isde se, orde re, or both; (iii) the phenomenon of ‘imaginative resistance’ and various explanations for it. Along the way I survey, more briefly, several other prominent issues in this area too.
Russell on Incomplete Symbols
Authors: Pickel Bryan
Published: November 2013

Russell's notion of an incomplete symbol has become a standard against which philosophers compare their views on the relationship between language and the world. But Russell's exact characterization of incomplete symbols and the role they play in his philosophy are still disputed. In this paper, I trace the development of the notion of an incomplete symbol in Russell's philosophy. I suggest – against Kaplan, Evans, and others – that Russell's many characterizations of the notion of an incomplete symbol are compatible. To this end, I examine and reject arguments for the purported incompatibility between declaring an expression to be incomplete and incorporating that symbol into a compositional semantic theory. I then examine how Russell puts the notion of an incomplete symbol to use in metaphysics.
Luck Egalitarianism
Authors: Knight Carl
Published: November 2013

Luck egalitarianism is a family of egalitarian theories of distributive justice that aim to counteract the distributive effects of luck. This article explains luck egalitarianism's main ideas, and the debates that have accompanied its rise to prominence. There are two main parts to the discussion. The first part sets out three key moves in the influential early statements of Dworkin, Arneson, and Cohen: the brute luck/option luck distinction, the specification of brute luck in everyday or theoretical terms and the specification of advantage as resources, welfare, or some combination of these. The second part covers three later developments: the democratic egalitarian critique of luck egalitarianism, the luck egalitarian acceptance of pluralism, and luck egalitarian doubts about the significance of the brute luck/option luck distinction.
Prevention of polymorphic light eruption by oral administration of a nutritional supplement containing lycopene, β‐carotene, and Lactobacillus johnsonii: results from a randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blinded study
Authors: Marini Alessandra , Jaenicke Thomas , Grether‐Beck Susanne , Le Floc'h Caroline , Cheniti Ahsène , Piccardi Nathalie , Krutmann Jean
Published: November 2013

Background

Polymorphic light eruption (PLE) is the most common photodermatosis. Little is known about the efficacy of systemic photoprotection provided by nutritional supplements in PLE patients.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to assess efficacy of nutritional supplement containing lycopene, β‐carotene, and Lactobacillus johnsonii to diminish skin lesions induced by ‘photoprovocation’ testing in PLE patients.

Methods

In this randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blinded study, 60 PLE patients were supplemented with the nutritional supplement or placebo. For inducing skin lesions, patient skin was exposed to single daily doses of 100 J/cm2 ultraviolet A1 (UVA1) for two consecutive days. Skin lesions were evaluated using a PLE score. Skin biopsies were taken before and after supplementation from unexposed and exposed skin, and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM‐1) mRNA expression was assessed by real‐time polymerase chain reaction.

Results

Prior to supplementation, skin lesions were induced in all patients with comparable PLE scores. After 12 weeks, intake of the supplement significantly reduced the PLE score after one exposure as compared with patients taking placebo (P < 0.001). After two exposures, these differences were no longer significant. At a molecular level, the development of skin lesions was associated with an increased expression of ICAM‐1 mRNA, which was significantly reduced after supplementation (P = 0.022), but not with placebo.

Conclusion

The nutritional supplement provides protection against the development of UVA‐induced PLE lesions at clinical and molecular levels.
Altered sensitivity to ethylene in ‘Tardivo’, a late‐ripening mutant of Clementine mandarin
Authors: Alós Enriqueta , Distefano Gaetano , Rodrigo María Jesús , Gentile Alessandra , Zacarías Lorenzo
Published: November 2013

‘Tardivo’ mandarin is a mutant of ‘Comune’ Clementine with a delay in peel degreening and coloration, allowing late harvesting. In this work, we have explored if the late‐harvesting phenotype of ‘Tardivo’ mandarin is related to altered perception and sensitivity to ethylene. The peel degreening rate was examined after a single ethephon treatment or during a continuous ethylene application in fruits at two maturation stages. In general, ethylene‐induced peel degreening was considerably delayed and reduced in fruits of ‘Tardivo’, as well as the concomitant reduction of chlorophyll (Chl) and chloroplastic carotenoids, and the accumulation of chromoplastic carotenoids. Analysis of the expression of genes involved in Chl degradation, carotenoids, ABA, phenylpropanoids and ethylene biosynthesis revealed an impairment in the stimulation of most genes by ethylene in the peel of ‘Tardivo’ fruits with respect to ‘Comune’, especially after 5 days of ethylene application. Moreover, ethylene‐induced expression of two ethylene receptor genes, ETR1 and ETR2, was also reduced in mutant fruits. Expression levels of two ethylene‐responsive factors, ERF1 and ERF2, which were repressed by ethylene, were also impaired to a different extent, in fruits of both genotypes. Collectively, results suggested an altered sensitivity of the peel of ‘Tardivo’ to ethylene‐induced physiological and molecular responses, including fruit degreening and coloration processes, which may be time‐dependent since an early moderated reduction in the responses was followed by the latter inability to sustain ethylene action. These results support the involvement of ethylene in the regulation of at least some aspects of peel maturation in the non‐climacteric citrus fruit.
Auxin gradients across wood – instructive or incidental?
Authors: Bhalerao Rishikesh P. , Fischer Urs
Published: November 2013

Various aspects of wood formation have been linked to the action of auxin, e.g. cambial activity, dormancy, secondary cell wall deposition and tension wood formation. The presence of a radial auxin concentration gradient across wood‐forming tissue has been suggested to regulate cambial activity and differentiation of cambial derivatives by providing positional information to cells within the tissue. Similar patterning mechanisms that depend on the interpretation of auxin thresholds have subsequently been proposed for shoot and root apical meristems. However, direct evidence for the existence of auxin gradients has only been obtained for the cambium of various tree species. While the auxin gradient theory is based on a plethora of descriptive and pharmacological experiments, in recent years, auxin function on wood formation has been underpinned by molecular and functional data. Here, we review the latest progress in understanding the role of auxin in wood formation and discuss how auxin concentration gradients could be established and interpreted in wood‐forming tissues.
Risk of Norovirus Gastroenteritis from Consumption of Vegetables Irrigated with Highly Treated Municipal Wastewater—Evaluation of Methods to Estimate Sewage Quality
Authors: Barker S. Fiona
Published: November 2013

Quantitative microbial risk assessment was used to assess the risk of norovirus gastroenteritis associated with consumption of raw vegetables irrigated with highly treated municipal wastewater, using Melbourne, Australia as an example. In the absence of local norovirus concentrations, three methods were developed: (1) published concentrations of norovirus in raw sewage, (2) an epidemiological method using Melbourne prevalence of norovirus, and (3) an adjustment of method 1 to account for prevalence of norovirus. The methods produced highly variable results with estimates of norovirus concentrations in raw sewage ranging from 104 per milliliter to 107 per milliliter and treated effluent from 1 × 10−3 per milliliter to 3 per milliliter (95th percentiles). Annual disease burden was very low using method 1, from 4 to 5 log10 disability adjusted life years (DALYs) below the 10−6 threshold (0.005–0.1 illnesses per year). Results of method 2 were higher, with some scenarios exceeding the threshold by up to 2 log10 DALYs (up to 95,000 illnesses per year). Method 3, thought to be most representative of Melbourne conditions, predicted annual disease burdens >2 log10 DALYs lower than the threshold (∼4 additional cases per year). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that input parameters used to estimate norovirus concentration accounted for much of the model output variability. This model, while constrained by a lack of knowledge of sewage concentrations, used the best available information and sound logic. Results suggest that current wastewater reuse behaviors in Melbourne are unlikely to cause norovirus risks in excess of the annual DALY health target.
The prospective relationship between role stressors and new cases of self‐reported workplace bullying
Authors: Reknes Iselin , Einarsen Ståle , Knardahl Stein , Lau Bjørn
Published: November 2013

In line with the “Work environment hypothesis,” role stressors have been proposed as important antecedents of bullying in the workplace. Only a few longitudinal studies on the relationship between role stressors and bullying exist, however, and earlier studies have largely been cross‐sectional. The aim of the present prospective study was to determine whether role stressors at baseline predict new cases of workplace bullying at follow‐up. A total of 2,835 Norwegian employees participated at both baseline and follow‐up, with an interval of two years between the measurements. The study supports the hypotheses that role ambiguity and role conflict, independently, contribute to subsequent new reports of workplace bullying. However, there was a weak reverse effect: reporting being bullied at work at baseline predicted reporting increased levels of role ambiguity and role conflict at follow‐up. Even though the results may indicate a circular relationship between the variables at hand, the weak reverse relationship seems to have little practical impact compared to the stronger relationship from role stressors to bullying. Hence, the results mainly support the hypotheses stating that role ambiguity and role conflict, independently, predict subsequent exposure to workplace bullying.
Strategic Planning for Support Services for Children with a Parent or Close Relative in Prison
Authors: Leeson Caroline , Morgan Julia
Published: November 2013

It has long been recognized that children with a parent or close relative in prison are more likely to experience educational difficulties, emotional distress, family breakdown and a substantial reduction in family income (Boswell 2002; Smith et al. 2007; Morgan et al. 2013b; Morgan and Gill 2013). Consequently, children with a parent in prison are more likely to require support from statutory services, especially education and social care. However, statutory support for this group of children is sparse, and children of prisoners tend not to be identified as a priority group. The demand on local authorities to spend their limited budgets wisely means tough decisions have to be made. These decisions are not taken in a vacuum: they are taken in a context of local need, consumer representation, central and local politics; underpinned by the values and attitudes of individual members as well as by the ethos or culture of the local authority itself. In this article we apply Axford's typology (2009) of the different cultures which underpin local authority service provision to data from a research study carried out in 2011 in one local authority which explored support provision in schools for children of prisoners. We examine the contradictions and gaps within the local authority's attempts to synergize the different modules of service delivery into a coherent pattern of provision, and we explore how changes in strategic culture might lead to improvements being made in terms of service delivery to this group of ‘vulnerable’ children.
A new HLA‐A*01 allele – A*01:139
Authors: Street J. , Johnson J. , Pepperall J. , Darke C.
Published: November 2013

HLA‐A*01:139 differs from A*01:01:01:01 by one nucleotide (383G>C) resulting in an amino acid change of glycine104alanine.
Full‐length genomic sequence of a new KIR3DL1*0150203 allele
Authors: Yindom L.‐M. , Wang L. , Dong T. , Rowland‐Jones S. L.
Published: November 2013

KIR3DL1*0150203 allele differs from KIR3DL1*0150201 at 3037G>A, 4115A>G, 6053G>C, 8034A>G, 10723C>A, and 10747C>G.
Identification of a novel HLA‐B allele, B*56:43, by sequence‐based typing in a Lithuanian bone marrow donor
Authors: Jakubauskas A. , Valatkaite B. , Griskevicius L.
Published: November 2013

A novel class I human leukocyte antigen allele HLA‐B*56:43 is described.
Breast density quantification using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with bias field correction: A postmortem study
Authors: Ding Huanjun , Johnson Travis , Lin Muqing , Le Huy Q. , Ducote Justin L. , Su Min‐Ying , Molloi Sabee
Published: November 2013

Purpose:

Quantification of breast density based on three‐dimensional breast MRI may provide useful information for the early detection of breast cancer. However, the field inhomogeneity can severely challenge the computerized image segmentation process. In this work, the effect of the bias field in breast density quantification has been investigated with a postmortem study.

Methods:

T1‐weighted images of 20 pairs of postmortem breasts were acquired on a 1.5 T breast MRI scanner. Two computer‐assisted algorithms were used to quantify the volumetric breast density. First, standard fuzzy c‐means (FCM) clustering was used on raw images with the bias field present. Then, the coherent local intensity clustering (CLIC) method estimated and corrected the bias field during the iterative tissue segmentation process. Finally, FCM clustering was performed on the bias‐field‐corrected images produced by CLIC method. The left–right correlation for breasts in the same pair was studied for both segmentation algorithms to evaluate the precision of the tissue classification. Finally, the breast densities measured with the three methods were compared to the gold standard tissue compositions obtained from chemical analysis. The linear correlation coefficient, Pearsonˈsr, was used to evaluate the two image segmentation algorithms and the effect of bias field.

Results:

The CLIC method successfully corrected the intensity inhomogeneity induced by the bias field. In left–right comparisons, the CLIC method significantly improved the slope and the correlation coefficient of the linear fitting for the glandular volume estimation. The left–right breast density correlation was also increased from 0.93 to 0.98. When compared with the percent fibroglandular volume (%FGV) from chemical analysis, results after bias field correction from both the CLIC the FCM algorithms showed improved linear correlation. As a result, the Pearsonˈsr increased from 0.86 to 0.92 with the bias field correction.

Conclusions:

The investigated CLIC method significantly increased the precision and accuracy of breast density quantification using breast MRI images by effectively correcting the bias field. It is expected that a fully automated computerized algorithm for breast density quantification may have great potential in clinical MRI applications.
Exploring the Evolution of Human Mate Preference
Authors: Foster Valerie
Published: November 2013

The Evolution of Human Mate Preference, an IBI prize–winning module, uses inquiry to elucidate strategies used by males and females to maximize reproductive fitness.
The Innate Growth Bistability and Fitness Landscapes of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Authors: Deris J. Barrett , Kim Minsu , Zhang Zhongge , Okano Hiroyuki , Hermsen Rutger , Groisman Alexander , Hwa Terence
Published: November 2013

Introduction

Understanding how bacteria harboring antibiotic resistance grow in the presence of antibiotics is critical for predicting the spread and evolution of drug resistance. Because drugs inhibit cell growth and a cell’s growth state globally influences its gene expression, the expression of drug resistance is subject to an innate, growth-mediated feedback, leading to complex behaviors that affect both the characterization and the prevention of antibiotic resistance. We characterized the consequences of this feedback for the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Methods

We studied the growth of
Escherichia coli
strains expressing resistance to translation-inhibiting antibiotics, by using both bulk and single-cell techniques. The growth of each strain was quantified in a broad range of drug concentrations by using time-lapse microscopy (to track the responses of individual cells to antibiotics inside a microfluidic chemostat) and by the enrichment of batch cultures for nongrowing cells. We formulated a quantitative phenomenological model to predict the growth rates of drug-resistant strains in the presence of drugs, based on the well-characterized biochemistry of drug and drug-resistance interactions and on bacterial growth laws that dictate relations between cell growth and gene expression. We tested the model predictions for various drugs and resistance mechanisms by constructing strains that constitutively express varying degrees of drug resistance.

Results

In strains expressing a moderate degree of drug resistance, growth rates dropped abruptly above a critical drug concentration, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), whose value increased linearly with the basal level of resistance expression (see figure below, panel A). Cells exhibited growth bistability over a broad range of drug concentrations below the MIC: Isogenic cells expressing drug resistance coexisted in growing and nongrowing states in a homogeneous environment (panel B). Our model accurately predicted the range of drug concentrations in which growth bistability occurred, as well as the growth rates of the growing subpopulation, without any ad hoc fitting parameters. These findings reveal a plateau-like fitness landscape (panel A), which can be used to study the evolution of drug resistance in environments with varying drug concentrations.

Discussion

The broad occurrence of growth bistability in drug-resistant bacteria challenges the common notions and measures of drug efficacy and resistance. And because growth bistability can arise without complex regulation when gene expression is coupled to the state of cell growth, similar physiological links may underlie the growth bistability implicated in causing bacterial persistence. The availability of quantitative, predictive models will facilitate the formulation of strategies to limit the efficacy and evolvability of drug resistance.
Though They May Be Unaware, Newlyweds Implicitly Know Whether Their Marriage Will Be Satisfying
Authors: McNulty James K. , Olson Michael A. , Meltzer Andrea L. , Shaffer Matthew J.
Published: November 2013

Newlywed Game?

The extent to which our “gut” feelings influence our social interactions has been a matter of debate. Social psychologists have sometimes been criticized for their reliance on short-term analyses of undergraduates as test subjects.

McNulty
et al.

(p.
1119
) measured explicit and implicit attitudes of newlywed couples toward one another twice a year for 4 years. Over time, the implicit or unaware evaluations of the relationship predicted changes of marital satisfaction, whereas the explicit or conscious evaluations did not.
International Cooperation on Human Lunar Heritage
Authors: Hertzfeld Henry R. , Pace Scott N.
Published: November 2013

Protecting Apollo sites is laudable. Making them U.S. National Parks is not.
Abundant Metals Give Precious Hydrogenation Performance
Authors: Bullock R. Morris
Published: November 2013

Iron- or cobalt-based catalysts have outperformed traditional precious metal catalysts in several hydrogenation reactions.

[Also see Reports by

Jagadeesh
et al.

,

Friedfeld
et al.

, and

Zuo
et al.

]
Fred Sherman (1932–2013)
Authors: Liebman Susan W. , Haber James E.
Published: November 2013

A geneticist championed baker's yeast as a model system and inspired and trained many scientists in the field.
The Life Force
Authors: Service Robert F.
Published: November 2013

Step by grueling step, Jack Szostak is pushing through the barriers that keep him from his goal: making living cells from scratch in the lab.
Oral Immunization with Recombinant Lactobacillus acidophilus Expressing the Adhesin Hp0410 of Helicobacter pylori Induces Mucosal and Systemic Immune Responses
Authors: Hongying Fan , Xianbo Wu , Fang Yu , Yang Bai , Beiguo Long
Published: November 2013

Helicobacter pyloriinfection is relatively common worldwide and is closely related to gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, chronic gastritis, and stomach ulcers. Therefore, a safe and effective method for preventingH. pyloriinfection is urgently needed. Given that developing an effective vaccine againstH. pyloriis one of the best alternatives,H. pyloriadhesin Hp0410 was expressed in the food-grade bacteriumLactobacillus acidophilus. The recombinant live bacterial vaccine was then used to orally vaccinate mice, and the immunoprotective effects of Hp0410-producing strains were investigated.H. pyloricolonization in the stomach of mice immunized with the recombinantL. acidophiluswas significantly reduced, in comparison with that in control groups. Furthermore, mucosal secretory IgA antibodies were elicited in the mucosal tissue of mice immunized with the recombinant bacteria, and specific anti-Hp0410 IgG responses were also detected in mouse serum. There was a significant increase in the level of protection against gastricHelicobacterinfection following a challenge withH. pyloriSydney strain 1 (SS1). Our results collectively indicate that adhesin Hp0410 is a promising candidate vaccine antigen, and recombinantL. acidophilusexpressing Hp0410 is likely to constitute an effective, low-cost, live bacterial vaccine againstH. pylori.
Identification of Immunological Biomarkers Which May Differentiate Latent Tuberculosis from Exposure to Environmental Nontuberculous Mycobacteria in Children
Authors: Hur Yun-Gyoung , Crampin Amelia C. , Chisambo Christina , Kanyika James , Houben Rein , Ndhlovu Richard , Mzembe Themba , Lalor Maeve K. , Saul Jacky , Branson Keith , Stanley Carolynne , Ngwira Bagrey , French Neil , Ottenhoff Tom H. , Dockrell Hazel M. , Gorak-Stolinska Patricia
Published: November 2013

A positive gamma interferon (IFN-γ) response to
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
early secretory antigenic target-6 (ESAT-6)/culture filtrate protein-10 (CFP-10) has been taken to indicate latent tuberculosis (TB) infection, but it may also be due to exposure to environmental nontuberculous mycobacteria in which ESAT-6 homologues are present. We assessed the immune responses to
M. tuberculosis
ESAT-6 and cross-reactive responses to ESAT-6 homologues of
Mycobacterium avium
and
Mycobacterium kansasii
. Archived culture supernatant samples from children at 3 years post-BCG vaccination were tested for cytokine/chemokine responses to
M. tuberculosis
antigens. Furthermore, the IFN-γ responses to
M. tuberculosis
antigens were followed up for 40 children at 8 years post-BCG vaccination, and 15 TB patients were recruited as a control group for the
M. tuberculosis
ESAT-6 response in Malawi. IFN-γ enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) on supernatants from diluted whole-blood assays, IFN-γ enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISpot) assays, QuantiFERON TB Gold-In Tube tests, and multiplex bead assays were performed. More than 45% of the responders to
M. tuberculosis
ESAT-6 showed IFN-γ responses to
M. avium
and
M. kansasii
ESAT-6. In response to
M. tuberculosis
ESAT-6/CFP-10, interleukin 5 (IL-5), IL-9, IL-13, and IL-17 differentiated the stronger IFN-γ responders to
M. tuberculosis
ESAT-6 from those who preferentially responded to
M. kansasii
and
M. avium
ESAT-6. A cytokine/chemokine signature of IL-5, IL-9, IL-13, and IL-17 was identified as a putative immunological biosignature to differentiate latent TB infection from exposure to
M. avium
and
M. kansasii
in Malawian children, indicating that this signature might be particularly informative in areas where both TB and exposure to environmental nontuberculous mycobacteria are endemic.
Complete Genome Sequences of 63 Mycobacteriophages
Authors: Hatfull Graham F. ,   Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) Program,   KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV (K-RITH) Mycobacterial Genetics Course,   University of California—Los Angeles Research Immersion Laboratory in Virology,   Phage Hunters Integrating Research and Education (PHIRE) Program
Published: November 2013

Mycobacteriophages are viruses that infect mycobacterial hosts. The current collection of sequenced mycobacteriophages—all isolated on a single host strain,
Mycobacterium smegmatis
mc
2
155, reveals substantial genetic diversity. The complete genome sequences of 63 newly isolated mycobacteriophages expand the resolution of our understanding of phage diversity.
Complete Genome Sequence of pAP13, a Large Linear Plasmid of a
Brevibacterium
Strain Isolated from a Saline Lake at 4,200 Meters above Sea Level in Argentina
Authors: Dib Julian Rafael , Schuldes Jörg , Thürmer Andrea , Farias María E. , Daniel Rolf , Meinhardt Friedhelm
Published: November 2013

pAP13 is an 89-kb linear plasmid hosted by
Brevibacterium
sp. strain Ap13, an actinobacterium isolated from the feces of a flamingo from an extremely high-altitude lake in Argentina. Because of the ecological importance of the genus
Brevibacterium
, the absolute lack of information concerning
Brevibacterium
linear plasmids, and the possible ecological significance of this unusual plasmid, pAP13 was completely sequenced, including the inversely oriented termini.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Mesoplasma florum W37 Strain
Authors: Baby Vincent , Matteau Dominick , Knight Thomas F. , Rodrigue Sébastien
Published: November 2013

Mesoplasma florum
is a small-genome fast-growing mollicute that is an attractive model for systems and synthetic genomics studies. We report the complete 825,824-bp genome sequence of a second representative of this species,
M. florum
strain W37, which contains 733 predicted open reading frames and 35 stable RNAs.
Draft Genome Sequence of Mycobacterium bovis 04-303, a Highly Virulent Strain from Argentina
Authors: Nishibe Christiane , Canevari Castelão Ana Beatriz , Dalla Costa Ricardo , Pinto Beatriz Jeronimo , Varuzza Leonardo , Cataldi Angel Adrian , Bernardelli Amelia , Bigi Fabiana , Blanco Federico Carlos , Zumárraga Martín José , Almeida Nalvo Franco , Araújo Flábio Ribeiro
Published: November 2013

Mycobacterium bovis
strain 04-303 was isolated from a wild boar living in a free-ranging field in Argentina. This work reports the draft genome sequence of this highly virulent strain and the genomic comparison of its major virulence-related genes with those of
M. bovis
strain AF2122/97 and
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
strain H37Rv.
Whole-Genome Analysis of Influenza B Viruses of Multiple Genotypes Cocirculating in India
Authors: Patil Kunal N. , Bhise Atul B. , Dakhave Minal R. , Kadam Archana A. , Chadha Mandeep S. , Potdar Varsha A.
Published: November 2013

Systematic influenza virus surveillance has been carried out in India since 2004 and has revealed the cocirculation of type B lineages. The genetic diversity of influenza B viruses was observed when full-genome analysis was performed. In 2010, the cocirculation of multiple genotypes was observed.
Complete Genome Sequence of Lactococcus lactis subsp.
lactis
KLDS4.0325
Authors: Yang Xiaochun , Wang Yutang , Huo Guicheng
Published: November 2013

We report the complete genome sequence of
Lactococcus lactis
subsp.
lactis
KLDS4.0325, a probiotic bacterium isolated from homemade koumiss in Xinjiang, China. We have determined the complete genome sequence of strain KLDS4.0325, which consists of a chromosome and three plasmids and reveals genes that are likely to be involved in dairy fermentation and that have probiotic qualities.
Genome Sequences of Five B1 Subcluster Mycobacteriophages
Authors: Breakwell Donald P. , Barrus E. Zane , Benedict Alex B. , Brighton Alicia K. , Fisher Joshua N. B. , Gardner Adam V. , Kartchner Brittany J. , Ladle Kara C. , Lunt Bryce L. , Merrill Bryan D. , Morrell John D. , Burnett Sandra H. , Grose Julianne H.
Published: November 2013

Mycobacteriophages infect members of the
Mycobacterium
genus in the phylum
Actinobacteria
and exhibit remarkable diversity. Genome analysis groups the thousands of known mycobacteriophages into clusters, of which the B1 subcluster is currently the third most populous. We report the complete genome sequences of five additional members of the B1 subcluster.
Complete Genome Sequence of
Carnobacterium gilichinskyi
Strain WN1359
T
(DSM 27470
T
)
Authors: Leonard Michael T. , Panayotova Nedka , Farmerie William G. , Triplett Eric W. , Nicholson Wayne L.
Published: November 2013

We report the complete genome sequence of
Carnobacterium gilichinskyi
strain WN1359, previously isolated from Siberian permafrost and capable of growth under cold (0°C), anoxic, CO
2
-dominated, low-pressure (0.7-kPa) conditions in a simulation of the Mars atmosphere.