bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suppression of phenotype of Escherichia coli mutant defective in farnesyl diphosphate synthase by overexpression of gene for octaprenyl diphosphate synthase
Authors: Takahashi Hiroshi , Aihara Yuta , Ogawa Yukihiro , Murata Yoshimitsu , Nakajima Ken-ichi , Iida Maiko , Shirai Miyako , Fujisaki Shingo
Published: December 2017

We investigated suppression of the slow growth of an Escherichia coli ispA null mutant lacking farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthase (i.e. IspA) by plasmids carrying prenyl diphosphate synthase genes. The growth rates of ispA mutant-transformants harboring a medium-copy number plasmid that carries ispA or ispB were almost the same as that of the wild-type strain. Although the level of FPP in the transformant with the ispA plasmid was almost the same as that in the wild-type strain, the level in the transformant with the ispB plasmid was as low as that in the ispA mutant. Purified octaprenyl diphosphate synthase (IspB) could condense isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) with dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) to form octaprenyl diphosphate and nonaprenyl diphosphate. It is possible that suppression of the slow growth of the ispA mutant by ispB was due to condensation of IPP not only with FPP but also with DMAPP by octaprenyl diphosphate synthase.
Schizosaccharomyces japonicus has low levels of CoQ10 synthesis, respiration deficiency, and efficient ethanol production
Authors: Kaino Tomohiro , Tonoko Kai , Mochizuki Shiomi , Takashima Yuriko , Kawamukai Makoto
Published: December 2017

Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is essential for mitochondrial respiration and as a cofactor for sulfide quinone reductase. Schizosaccharomyces pombe produces a human-type CoQ10. Here, we analyzed CoQ in other fission yeast species. S. cryophilus and S. octosporus produce CoQ9. S. japonicus produces low levels of CoQ10, although all necessary genes for CoQ synthesis have been identified in its genome. We expressed three genes (dps1, dlp1, and ppt1) for CoQ synthesis from S. japonicus in the corresponding S. pombe mutants, and confirmed that they were functional. S. japonicus had very low levels of oxygen consumption and was essentially respiration defective, probably due to mitochondrial dysfunction. S. japonicus grows well on minimal medium during anaerobic culture, indicating that it acquires sufficient energy by fermentation. S. japonicus produces comparable levels of ethanol under both normal and elevated temperature (42 °C) conditions, at which S. pombe is not able to grow.
A modern purification method for volatile sesquiterpenes produced by recombinant Escherichia coli carrying terpene synthase genes
Authors: Shindo Kazutoshi
Published: December 2017

Most volatile sesquiterpenes had been purified from plants using distillation and preparative gas chromatography, which is not applicable to many laboratories that do not possess a needed facility. Thus, this review focuses on a modern purification method for volatile sesquiterpenes using Escherichia coli cells that functionally express terpene synthase (Tps) genes. It was recently developed that recombinant E. coli cells carrying Tps genes were cultured in two-layer media (n-octane/TB medium) without harming the cells, and the volatile hydrophobic compounds trapped in the n-octane were purified by two-phase partition (alkane/alkaline 50% MeOH), silica gel column chromatography, and reversed-phase preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (if necessary). Consequently, it was found that the volatile sesquiterpenes are easily purified, the structures of which can then be determined by nuclear magnetic resonance, [α]D and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analyses. The antioxidant activities of several volatile sesquiterpenes are also presented in this review.
The delaying effect of alpha-glycerophosphocholine on senescence, transthyretin deposition, and osteoarthritis in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 mice
Authors: Matsubara Kiminori , Okuda Mayumi , Shibata Sachi , Miyaki Shigeru , Ohkubo Takeshi , Izu Hanae , Fujii Tsutomu
Published: December 2017

Administration of alpha-glycerophosphocholine (GPC), a choline compound in food, is expected to contribute to human health. In this study, we evaluated its effect on aging in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice. Male SAMP8 mice had free access to a commercial stock diet and drinking water with or without GPC (0.07 mg/ml). Mice in the GPC group had significantly lower total senescence grading score than that of the control group at 36 weeks of age. Administration of GPC decreased the deposition of transthyretin (TTR), an amyloidogenic protein, in the brain. Aggregated TTR activated microglia and led to neuroinflammation. Thus, GPC would protect the brain by reducing TTR deposition and preventing neuroinflammation. In a histological study of knee joints, it was found that SAMP8 mice administered GPC showed decreased joint degeneration. These results suggest that GPC delays the aging process and may be a useful compound in anti-aging functional food development.
miRNA suppression of a Notch repressor directs non-neuronal fate in Drosophila mechanosensory organs
Authors: Kavaler Joshua , Duan Hong , Aradhya Rajaguru , de Navas Luis F. , Joseph Brian , Shklyar Boris , Lai Eric C.
Published: December 2017

Although there is abundant evidence that individual microRNA (miRNA) loci repress large cohorts of targets, large-scale knockout studies suggest that most miRNAs are phenotypically dispensable. Here, we identify a rare case of developmental cell specification that is highly dependent on miRNA control of an individual target. We observe that binary cell fate choice in the Drosophila melanogaster peripheral sensory organ lineage is controlled by the non-neuronally expressed mir-279/996 cluster, with a majority of notum sensory organs exhibiting transformation of sheath cells into ectopic neurons. The mir-279/996 defect phenocopies Notch loss of function during the sheath–neuron cell fate decision, suggesting the miRNAs facilitate Notch signaling. Consistent with this, mir-279/996 knockouts are strongly enhanced by Notch heterozygosity, and activated nuclear Notch is impaired in the miRNA mutant. Although Hairless (H) is the canonical nuclear Notch pathway inhibitor, and H heterozygotes exhibit bristle cell fate phenotypes reflecting gain-of-Notch signaling, H/+ does not rescue mir-279/996 mutants. Instead, we identify Insensible (Insb), another neural nuclear Notch pathway inhibitor, as a critical direct miR-279/996 target. Insb is posttranscriptionally restricted to neurons by these miRNAs, and its heterozygosity strongly suppresses ectopic peripheral nervous system neurons in mir-279/996 mutants. Thus, proper assembly of multicellular mechanosensory organs requires a double-negative circuit involving miRNA-mediated suppression of a Notch repressor to assign non-neuronal cell fate.
A radio spectral index map and catalogue at 147–1400 MHz covering 80 per cent of the sky
Authors: de Gasperin F , Intema H T , Frail D A
Published: December 2017

The radio spectral index is a powerful probe for classifying cosmic radio sources and understanding the origin of the radio emission. Combining data at 147 MHz and 1.4 GHz from the TIFR GMRT Sky Survey (TGSS) and the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS), we produced a large-area radio spectral index map of ∼80 per cent of the sky (Dec. > − 40 deg), as well as a radio spectral index catalogue containing 1396 515 sources, of which 503 647 are not upper or lower limits. Almost every TGSS source has a detected counterpart, while this is true only for 36 per cent of NVSS sources. We released both the map and the catalogue to the astronomical community. The catalogue is analysed to discover systematic behaviours in the cosmic radio population. We find a differential spectral behaviour between faint and bright sources as well as between compact and extended sources. These trends are explained in terms of radio galaxy evolution. We also confirm earlier reports of an excess of steep-spectrum sources along the galactic plane. This corresponds to 86 compact and steep-spectrum source in excess compared to expectations. The properties of this excess are consistent with normal non-recycled pulsars, which may have been missed by pulsation searches due to larger than average scattering along the line of sight.
PD-1 Inhibitor-associated Myopathies: Emerging Immune-mediated Myopathies
Authors: Liewluck Teerin , Kao Justin C. , Mauermann Michelle L.
Published: December 2017

Programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors are increasingly used in cancer immunotherapy. Various immune-related adverse events are reported, including infrequent individual case reports of myositis or rhabdomyolysis. The frequency and diagnostic spectrum of immune-related adverse events affecting skeletal muscle in PD-1 inhibitor-treated patients are unknown. We searched the Mayo Clinic Pharmacy database (2014–2016) to identify patients who developed myopathies during or after PD-1 inhibitor therapy. Among 654 cancer patients received PD-1 inhibitors (pembrolizumab=389; nivolumab=264; both=1), we identified 5 patients (pembrolizumab=5) with biopsy-proven myopathies (2 necrotizing myopathy, 1 early dermatomyositis, and 2 nonspecific myopathy). Four patients developed concomitant autoimmune disorders. Weakness occurred after a median of 2 treatments (range, 1–4). All patients had proximal or axial weakness. Four patients had either bulbar or extraocular weakness, but only 1 patient had acetylcholine receptor antibodies. Creatine kinase levels were elevated in 3 patients (necrotizing myopathy=2; nonspecific myopathy=1). Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed abnormal T2 signal and enhancement of extraocular muscles in 1 patient with ophthalmoparesis. Pembrolizumab was discontinued in all patients. All patients received immunosuppressive therapy, with fatal outcome in 2 necrotizing myopathy patients and favorable outcome in others. We conclude that myopathy is a rare, but unique complication of PD-1 inhibitors with frequent involvement of extraocular or bulbar muscles, mimicking myasthenia gravis. Muscle biopsy is an important test for PD-1 inhibitor-treated patients who develop oculobulbar weakness and hyperCKemia, to distinguish patients with necrotizing myopathy from myasthenia gravis. Necrotizing myopathy patients may require more aggressive immunotherapy due to their grave prognosis.
Pneumonitis in Irradiated Lungs After Nivolumab: A Brief Communication and Review of the Literature
Authors: Manapov Farkhad , Roengvoraphoj Olarn , Dantes Maurice , Marschner Sebastian , Li Minglun , Eze Chukwuka
Published: December 2017

Nivolumab is a feasible therapy option in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who progress on first-line treatment. However, there is limited information about an overlapping toxicity of PD-1 inhibitors when administered following thoracic radiotherapy (TRT). Three of 25 patients with advanced NSCLC were treated with palliative or curative intent. Nivolumab was initiated as second or third-line therapy after TRT for recurrent or progressive disease. All 3 patients developed grade 3 pneumonitis at some point during nivolumab therapy. Herein, we describe 3 cases of pneumonitis in patients with NSCLC started on nivolumab following TRT. Imaging analysis was strongly consistent with heterogenous lung parenchyma changes in the irradiated lung volume receiving a total dose of 15–20 Gy. Pulmonary toxicity was manageable; however, interruption of immunotherapy was necessary.
Impact of sustained virologic response on short-term clinical outcomes in hepatitis C-related cirrhosis
Authors: Bashir Muhammad H. , Fazili Javid , Madhoun Mohammad F. , Kanagala Rajesh , Chen Sixia , Nusrat Salman
Published: December 2017

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a common cause of cirrhosis, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Treatment of the underlying etiology has been shown to improve fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Aim

We sought to evaluate the impact of a sustained virologic response on liver chemistries, model for end stage liver disease (MELD) score, Child–Pugh–Turcotte score (CPT), and fibrosis 4 score (FIB4) in patients with liver cirrhosis secondary to HCV with portal hypertension, with or without decompensation.

Methods

Patients with HCV seen in our transplant clinic between June 2013 and September 2015 were identified using ICD-9 code 573.3. Charts were reviewed retrospectively.

Results

We collected data from 92 patients with a mean pretreatment MELD score of 9.16±2.98. The most common genotype was Ia, n=79 (86%). The mean duration of follow-up was 7.52±2.25 months. Transaminitis improved significantly at follow-up versus pretreatment [mean aspartate transaminase from 81.2±62.9 to 32.4±12.0 (P<0.0001); alanine transaminase 74.7±77.8 to 27.7±19.4 (P<0.0001)]. Albumin, bilirubin, and α-fetoprotein improved significantly. MELD scores improved in patients with pretreatment scores greater than 10 (P<0.0003), but not in patients with pretreatment scores less than 10 (P=0.501). The CPT score decreased from 6.1±0.9 to 5.8±0.9 (P<0.0024). The FIB4 score improved significantly in patients with baseline FIB4 more than 3.24, but not with higher baseline FIB4.

Conclusion

Use of direct antivirals in patients with decompensated cirrhosis because of HCV leads to improved MELD, FIB4, and CPT scores.
Macrothrombocytopenia With Congenital Bilateral Cataracts: A Phenotype of MYH9 Disorder With Exon 24 Indel Mutations
Authors: Aoki Takahiro , Kunishima Shinji , Yamashita Yoshiharu , Minamitani Kanshi , Ota Setsuo
Published: December 2017

MYH9 disorder is characterized by large platelets and granulocyte inclusion bodies, and can be complicated with young-adult onsets of nephropathy, sensorineural hearing loss, and cataracts. Congenital cataracts in patients with MYH9 disorder is rare, and their etiology has not been elucidated. We report a 3-year-old patient with MYH9 disorder who had a p.E1066_A1072del mutation and developed cataracts congenitally. A review of the literature reveals that patients with an MYH9 exon 24 indel mutation, including p.E1066_A1072del, are susceptible to developing congenital cataracts and should be followed closely for other nonhematological complications.
Clinical Challenges: Identification of Patients With Novel Primary Immunodeficiency Syndromes
Authors: Buchbinder David , Seppanen Mikko , Rao V. Koneti , Uzel Gulbu , Nugent Diane
Published: December 2017

Novel primary immunodeficiency disorders are being identified with next generation sequencing technologies. We describe 1 patient with cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) haploinsufficiency who had recurrent enhancing brain lesions, nodular pulmonary infiltrates, hepatosplenomegaly, immune cytopenias, as well as progressive hypogammaglobulinemia and lymphopenia. We describe a second patient with activated p110δ syndrome (APDS)/p110δ activating mutation causing senescent T cells, lymphadenopathy, and immunodeficiency (PASLI) in association with recurrent respiratory tract infections, Epstein-Barr virus infection, lymphadenopathy, elevated serum IgM, and progressive lymphopenia. These presentations highlight the need for astute clinical judgment in the evaluation of patients with potential primary immunodeficiency disorders.
Rhinocerebral Mucormycosis With Temporal Artery Thrombosis in an Adolescent Following HLA-haploidentical Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Kawahara Yuta , Wada Shoya , Nijima Hitomi , Hayase Tomomi , Furukawa Rieko , Ashizawa Kentaro , Morimoto Akira
Published: December 2017

Rhinocerebral mucormycosis (RCM) can lead to internal carotid artery thrombosis. Here, we report the first case of RCM with temporal artery thrombosis following HLA-haploidentical stem cell transplantation in an adolescent presenting with low-grade fever, right mandibular pain, and right jaw claudication. This case suggests that RCM can cause temporal artery thrombosis and should be considered as a differential diagnosis in severely immunocompromised patients with maxillary sinusitis presenting with jaw claudication.
A genome-wide resource for high-throughput genomic tagging of yeast ORFs
Authors: Meurer Matthias , Duan Yuanqiang , Sass Ehud , Kats Ilia , Herbst Konrad , Buchmuller Benjamin C , Dederer Verena , Huber Florian , Kirrmaier Daniel , Štefl Martin , Van Laer Koen , Dick Tobias P , Lemberg Marius K , Khmelinskii Anton , Levy Emmanuel D , Knop Michael
Published: December 2017

Here we describe a C-SWAT library for high-throughput tagging of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ORFs. It consists of 5661 strains with an acceptor module inserted after each ORF, which can be efficiently replaced with tags or regulatory elements. We validate the library with targeted sequencing and demonstrate its use by tagging the yeast proteome with bright fluorescent proteins, determining how sequences downstream of ORFs influence protein expression and localizing previously undetected proteins.
In Vitro Induction ofXenopusEmbryonic Organs Using Animal Cap Cells
Authors: Ariizumi Takashi , Michiue Tatsuo , Asashima Makoto
Published: December 2017

The animal cap—the presumptive ectoderm of the blastula embryo—can differentiate into a variety of tissues belonging to the three germ layers following exposure to specific inducers. The “animal cap assay” was devised based on the pluripotency of presumptive ectodermal cells and enabled many important discoveries in the field of embryonic induction and cell differentiation. Using this system, investigators can test multiple factors in solution simultaneously to determine their inducing activities qualitatively, quantitatively, and synergistically. Furthermore, after dissociation and induction, reaggregated animal cap cells can be induced to form higher-order organs. This protocol details preoperative preparations, followed by the basic animal cap assay. Advanced protocols for the induction of kidney, pancreas, and heart are also described.
Collaborative voice: Examining the role of voice in interdisciplinary collaboration
Authors: Cosley Brandon J. , McCoy Shannon K. , Gardner Susan K.
Published: December 2017

The present study examined the role of voice in facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration. According to the group-value model of procedural justice, voice relates to interpersonal relationships among coworkers because it facilitates a greater interest in helping the group (e.g. group-serving behavior). We argue that because of the relationship between voice and one type of group-serving behavior--advice sharing--that greater perceptions of voice would also predict more collaboration. In a field study examining collaborative social networks among university researchers, we found that greater perceptions of voice positively related to both degree of advice sharing and collaboration. Moreover, the extent to which individuals shared advice fully mediated the relationship between perceived voice and collaboration. Implications for voice and collaboration are discussed.
Public service in popular culture: the administrative discretion of commissioner gordon and harvey dent
Authors: Mastracci Sharon
Published: December 2017

To examine how public servants are depicted in film, I discuss the changes over time of Batmanʼs Commissioner Gordon, particularly his character arc in the contemporary The Dark Knight trilogy. An important aspect of Gordonʼs evolution is in contrast to the filmsʼ other prominent public servant, District Attorney Harvey Dent. The Gordon-Dent contrast illustrates aspects of the Friedrich-Finer debate over administrative discretion, a classic debate in public administration. The trilogyʼs verdict on public service is mixed: the flawed, rule-bending, expedient public servant survives while the fabricated hero is a sham. Commissioner Gordon is far more interesting than he had been for decades, but is he just an expedient bureaucrat ultimately pursuing self preservation? In contrast, the (pre-villain) Harvey Dent, who refuses to compromise his principles, is ultimately undone by his absolutism. For the complexity of his character and its centrality to the plot, I judge the depiction of Commissioner Gordon-warts and all-to be better than simplistic caricatures of bureaucrats and promising for future public servants in film.
Employee job satisfaction and organizational performance: The role of conflict management
Authors: Coggburn Jerrell D. , Battaglio R. Paul , Bradbury Mark D.
Published: December 2017

Organizational conflict is often thought of as a malady to be avoided or quickly resolved. Such views neglect the potential value of conflict—that is, the constructive management of conflict—to organizational outcomes. Managerial practices resulting in too little conflict may shape and reflect an organization hypersensitive to discord, dissent, and innovation. But management practices promoting excessive conflict may overload an organization with information, rendering it incapable of reaching timely decisions, generating animosity, or creating other unproductive outcomes. This paper examines constructive conflict management, which gives employees voice and encourages authentic participation in decision-making. We hypothesize that such an approach is positively related to employee job satisfaction and organizational performance. However, given the potential for “too much of a good thing” when it encouraging conflict, we also test for a curvilinear relationships between conflict management and organizational outcomes.

“To work in an organization is to be in conflict. To take advantage of joint work requires conflict management” (Tjosvold, 2008, p. 19).
Fiscally driven compensation reform and threats to human capital capacity in the public sector
Authors: Llorens Jared J.
Published: December 2017

Compensation systems serve a critical role in strategic human resources management, and over the past twenty-five years, there have been an increasing number of public sector reform efforts aimed at better aligning compensation practices with institutional workforce needs. While many past reforms have been performance driven, the nationʼs most recent economic downturn has served as potent catalyst for a renewed focus on public sector compensation, particularly reforms to public sector retirement benefits. However, given the traditional importance of public sector retirement benefits within broader bureaucratic structures, these new reforms hold the potential to substantially alter human capital capacity in the public sector. Using wage and retirement benefit data from the U.S. Census Bureauʼs Current Population Survey and National Compensation Survey, this paper finds that state and local governments face significant threats to their long-term human capital capacity in light of potential benefit reforms that place a disproportionate emphasis upon competitive wage rates.
Heroes, superheroes, and policy outcomes: An alternative view of leadership of public organizations
Authors: Schneider Robert A.
Published: December 2017

Public managers often have a different perspective in comparison to the elected officials with whom they serve. Yet, they are tasked with working side-by-side with these elected leaders on behalf of the public good to govern and lead state and local governments, public authorities and other bodies. This article accepts these two realities as a priori assumptions and examines how elected and appointed officials interact and the varying perspectives and expectations of these groups. Rather than spend excessive energy on a compare-and-contrast exercise of administrative and elected perspectives, this study uses ʼThe Super Friends,“ a childrenʼs cartoon from the 1970s that takes into consideration the varying powers of super heroes as a lens to view and then understand this unique administrator/elected relationship and its challenges.
Political management and economic policy reform: an exploration of structural adjustment experience
Authors: Chudy John Paul
Published: December 2017

This article analyzes the economic policy reform experience of three less developed countries (LDCs) during the 1980s -- Costa Rica, Ghana and Jamaica -- in three policy areas, exchange rate, trade, and agriculture. A political management model that shows how strong but skillful political leadership is as critical to policy reform success as is economic content is used for the analysis. The model proposes that government officials have to make policy reforms politically feasible if the reforms are to succeed. The assumption is that successful decision makers will take three kinds of political initiatives: (1) appeal to national sentiments, (2) seek the collaboration of affected interest groups, and (3) manage external actors. The article provides evidence that the economic perfomance of three countries correlated with the degree of political initiative taken. Costa Rican policy elites demonstrated the highest level of 1initiative. Ghana ranked second in political management, and Jamaica ranked third. The success of some LDCs also provides instructive experience for the Clinton Administration as it moves forward with a variety of policy reforms.
Performance measurement: a local government response
Authors: Rivenbark William C. , Kelly Janet M.
Published: December 2017

Previous research has indicated that municipalities regularly collect performance data. A survey of medium-to-large southeastern cities supports that conclusion, but cautions that limited emphasis is placed on performance during budget construction. Prior-year expenditures drive the budget at the preparation phase. Performance information is added at the presentation phase for explication and to conform norms promulgated by professional budgeting organizations.
A denitrifying community associated with a major, marine nitrogen fixer
Authors: Coates Christopher J. , Wyman Michael
Published: December 2017

The diazotrophic cyanobacterium, Trichodesmium, is an integral component of the marine nitrogen cycle and contributes significant amounts of new nitrogen to oligotrophic, tropical/subtropical ocean surface waters. Trichodesmium forms macroscopic, fusiform (tufts), spherical (puffs) and raft‐like colonies that provide a pseudobenthic habitat for a host of other organisms including marine invertebrates, microeukaryotes and numerous other microbes. The diversity and activity of denitrifying bacteria found in association with the colonies was interrogated using a series of molecular‐based methodologies targeting the gene encoding the terminal step in the denitrification pathway, nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ). Trichodesmium spp. sampled from geographically isolated ocean provinces (the Atlantic Ocean, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean) were shown to harbor highly similar, taxonomically related communities of denitrifiers whose members are affiliated with the Roseobacter clade within the Rhodobacteraceae (Alphaproteobacteria). These organisms were actively expressing nosZ in samples taken from the mid‐Atlantic Ocean and Red Sea implying that Trichodesmium colonies are potential sites of nitrous oxide consumption and perhaps earlier steps in the denitrification pathway also. It is proposed that coupled nitrification of newly fixed N is the most likely source of nitrogen oxides supporting nitrous oxide cycling within Trichodesmium colonies.
Tracking active groundwater microbes with D2O labelling to understand their ecosystem function
Authors: Taubert Martin , Stöckel Stephan , Geesink Patricia , Girnus Sophie , Jehmlich Nico , von Bergen Martin , Rösch Petra , Popp Jürgen , Küsel Kirsten
Published: December 2017

Microbial activity is key in understanding the contribution of microbial communities to ecosystem functions. Metabolic labelling with heavy water (D2O) leads to the formation of carbon–deuterium bonds in active microorganisms. We illustrated how D2O labelling allows monitoring of metabolic activity combined with a functional characterization of active populations in complex microbial communities. First, we demonstrated by single cell Raman microspectroscopy that all measured bacterial cells from groundwater isolates growing in complex medium with D2O were labelled. Next, we conducted a labelling approach with the total groundwater microbiome in D2O amended microcosms. Deuterium was incorporated in most measured cells, indicating metabolic activity in the oligotrophic groundwater. Moreover, we spiked the groundwater microbiome with organic model compounds. We discovered that heterotrophs assimilating veratric acid, a lignin derivative, showed higher labelling than heterotrophs assimilating methylamine, a degradation product of biomass. This difference can be explained by dilution of the deuterium through hydrogen from the organic compounds. Metaproteomics identified Sphingomonadaceae and Microbacteriaceae as key players in veratric acid degradation, and the metabolic pathways employed. Methylamine, in contrast, stimulated various proteobacterial genera. We propose this combined approach of Raman microspectroscopy and metaproteomics for elucidating the complex metabolic response of microbial populations to different stimuli.
An illustrated prehistory of the Jubbah oasis: Reconstructing Holocene occupation patterns in north‐western Saudi Arabia from rock art and inscriptions
Authors: Guagnin Maria , Shipton Ceri , al‐Rashid Moudhy , Moussa Fares , El‐Dossary Sarah , Sleimah Mona Bin , Alsharekh Abdullah , Petraglia Michael
Published: December 2017

A systematic survey of rock art and associated archaeological features in the Jubbah oasis provides evidence of Holocene occupation from the early Holocene to the present. In total 1249 panels with rock art and inscriptions, and 159 archaeological sites, were recorded on twelve different jebels. Analyses of rock art content and engraving stratigraphy indicate that the iconic Jubbah style had a long tradition among pre‐pastoral hunters and continued to be used by early herders. We also identify a distinct body of rock art that pre‐dates the Jubbah style and may be associated with a nearby Epipalaeolithic site. Our systematic dataset identifies a body of Bronze Age rock art that is further supported by the material culture and radiocarbon dates obtained from the remains of disturbed cairns. The rock art in Jubbah appears to have been created throughout the Holocene occupation of the oasis and similarities in the representation of animals, choice of location and content of rock art scenes are evident from the Bronze Age to the early modern period, and perhaps into the twentieth century. Moreover, rock art and epigraphy suggest that occupation phases in Jubbah were sustained long enough for the repeated development of unique local characteristics throughout the Holocene.
Oman and late Sasanian imperialism
Authors: Munt Harry
Published: December 2017

Arguments about the nature of late Sasanian imperial involvement in Oman have become quite polarised over the past few decades. Historians and archaeologists have used their different caches of evidence to suggest quite variant conclusions concerning the extent of the Sasanians’ imperial involvement in south‐east Arabia and the impact that this involvement may have had on the prosperity of Omani local agriculture and the economy there. This article, however, seeks to demonstrate that the evidence of literary sources for the late pre‐Islamic history of south‐east Arabia, written primarily in Arabic by Muslims several centuries after the events being described, can be placed alongside other written evidence for the late Sasanian empire to suggest a picture of late Sasanian imperial involvement in Oman that is not all that far removed from the conclusions reached by many archaeologists working in the region. The article demonstrates that late Sasanian imperial interest in Oman may not have led to the intense settlement and agricultural development of the coastal plain sometimes suggested, but that there was nonetheless a significant place for Oman within Ērānšahr, the territory of the king of kings.
Retracted: Is immunosuppression, induced by neonatal thymectomy, compatible with poor reproductive performance in adult male rats?
Authors: Ommati M. M. , Tanideh N. , Rezakhaniha B. , Wang J. , Sabouri S. , Vahedi M. , Dormanesh B. , Koohi Hosseinabadi O. , Rahmanifar F. , Moosapour S. , Akhlaghi A. , Heidari R. , Zamiri M. J.
Published: December 2017

With increasing knowledge that the immune system has a major impact on reproductive ‎health, the potential for cells arising in organs such as the thymus to alleviate oxidative stress ‎has been revealed. This study addresses the impact of neonatal thymectomy on male ‎reproductive function in pubertal and adult animals. Neonatal Sprague Dawley rats were allotted to four treatments consisting of fully thymectomized, partially thymectomized, intact, and sham‐operated rats. Half of the rats in each treatment were sacrificed at 40 and the other half at 80 days of age. Testicular volume, ventral prostate and spleen weight, several sperm attributes (concentration, motility, livability, membrane integrity, sperm penetration into mucus, total antioxidant capacity, mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity), plasma superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and testosterone level as well as fertility decreased in thymectomized rats. Adrenal gland weight, sperm malondialdehyde level, indices of oxidative stress, sperm abnormality, testicular and sperm lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, and sperm reactive oxygen species generation increased in thymectomized rats. In thymectomized rats, the testes contained high levels of malondialdehyde but low levels of glutathione and ferric‐reducing antioxidant power. Epididymal sperm reactive oxygen species, blood lipid peroxidation, and oxidative stress indices ‎‎in blood and spermatozoa were highest in fully thymectomized, intermediate ‎in partially thymectomized, and lowest in both pubertal and mature control rats. Blood levels of superoxide dismutase, lipid peroxidation indices, and ‎testosterone, and mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate and ‎dehydrogenase activities in epididymal spermatozoa were lowest in fully thymectomized, ‎intermediate in partially thymectomized, and highest in both pubertal and mature control rats.‎ The data indicated that increased oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction might play a role in the mechanism of immunosuppression‐induced testicular and sperm abnormalities.
Initial steps in defining the environment of the prepuce of the bull by measuring pH and temperature
Authors: Koziol JH , Fraser NS , Passler T , Wolfe DF
Published: December 2017

Objective

To determine the baseline pH and temperature of the preputial cavity of bulls.

Methods

We enrolled 55 bulls ranging in age from 15 to 84 months. The preputial temperature and pH were measured by insertion of temperature and pH probes, respectively, into the preputial orifice prior to routine breeding soundness examinations. Information was obtained from owners regarding the diet of each bull and categorised as one of three categories: forage only, grain supplemented or silage supplemented.

Results

The average temperature of the prepuce was 37.81°C ± 1.76 and the median pH of the prepuce was 8.45 (6.35–9.46). Preputial temperatures of the bull weakly correlated with ambient temperatures (rs = −0.29, P = 0.028). The preputial pH of silage‐fed bulls was significantly lower than that of bulls fed forage only (P = 0.025) or grain‐supplemented diets (P = 0.002). The median preputial pH of bulls fed a silage‐based diet was 7.6 (6.3–8.9) compared with a median pH 8.7 (7.8–9.1) for bulls fed forage‐based diets or a median of 8.5 (7.7–9.4) for those given grain‐supplemented diets.

Conclusion

Diet and ambient temperature can, respectively, affect pH and the temperature in the prepuce. Further studies to describe and understand the microbiota of the prepuce and penis may assist in developing treatments for diseases of the genital tract in bulls.
Isolation of [Actinobacillus] rossii from an aborted piglet
Authors: Holyoake PK , Thompson A
Published: December 2017

Case report

This report describes an investigation into the cause of abortions on a commercial pig farm in Victoria in October 2015 in which six sows aborted over a 2‐month period. Four of the abortions occurred in the 3 weeks prior to the sows’ anticipated farrowing dates and the other two occurred in the second trimester of pregnancy. An analysis of farm data showed that the abortion rate in the previous 12 months (2014–15) was more than twice that of the previous 2 years (1.2% vs 0.5%). Parity appeared not to be a risk factor for abortions. There were no other indicators of reproductive failure on the farm and there were no obvious clinical signs of disease in affected sows. Placenta and aborted fetuses for postmortem analysis were collected while one of the sows was aborting. The only gross abnormality detected in piglets was reddening over the skin. On gross examination the surfaces of the placentas appeared diffusely thickened and ‘furry’. Histological examination of fixed placenta from one of two piglets showed a severe, acute, multifocal, necrosuppurative placentitis. Gram staining of a histological section of the placenta revealed abundant Gram‐negative short bacilli, consistent with Pasteurella–Actinobacillus spp. A sample of stomach contents from one piglet yielded a profuse predominant growth of bacteria described as Pseudomonas‐like. This organism was subsequently identified using 16sRNA sequencing to have 98% homology with [Actinobacillus] rossii.

Conclusion

This is the first reported case of [A.] rossii isolated from an aborted pig’s stomach in Australia.
Synthesis, adenosine receptor binding and molecular modelling studies of novel thieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidine derivatives
Authors: Deb Pran Kishore , Mailavaram Raghuprasad , Chandrasekaran Balakumar , Kaki Venkata Rao , Kaur Rajwinder , Kachler Sonja , Klotz Karl‐Norbert , Akkinepally Raghuram Rao
Published: December 2017

A series of new molecules containing a thieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidine scaffold was synthesized and characterized by adopting an efficient synthetic scheme. The effect of a free or substituted amino group at 2‐position as well as an oxo‐group, imidazole or 1,2,4‐triazole ring at 4‐position of the scaffold on the affinity and selectivity towards adenosine receptors (ARs) was evaluated. Compounds 17–19 with a free amino group at 2‐position along with the presence of an imidazole/1,2,4‐triazole ring at 4‐position of the scaffold showed selective binding affinities for hA2A AR, whereas carbamoylation of the amino group at 2‐position (in the presence of an oxo‐group at 4‐position of the scaffold) increased the affinity and selectivity of certain compounds (7–10) for hA3 AR. Molecular dynamic simulation study of one of the most active compound 8 (Ki hA1 > 30 μm, hA2A = 0.65 μm, and hA3 = 0.124 μm) revealed the role of important amino acid residues for imparting good affinity towards hA3 and hA2A ARs. Molecular docking studies were carried out for other compounds using the crystal structure of hA2A AR and a homology model of hA3 AR to rationalize their structure–activity relationships. The molecular docking results were in agreement with the experimental binding affinity data of ARs.
Computer guided sinus floor elevation through lateral window approach with simultaneous implant placement
Authors: Osman Ahmed H. , Mansour Hesham , Atef Mohammed , Hakam Maha
Published: December 2017

Background

The introduction of CAD/CAM technology in implant dentistry has marked a new era, allowing various procedures to be carried out with a level of great precision and accuracy.

Purpose

The aim of the present study is to compare the efficacy of a CAD/CAM generated surgical cutting guide in the reduction of incidence of membrane perforation during maxillary sinus floor elevation in relation to the standard lateral window approach technique.

Materials and Methods

Twenty cases of maxillary sinus elevation were randomly divided into 2 groups. The first group received computer guided sinus floor elevation through lateral window approach and simultaneous implant placement while the second group received standard sinus elevation procedure through lateral window approach with simultaneous implant placement.

Results

In the computer guided group, 3 out of 10 cases presented with sinus septa, only 1 case suffered from membrane perforation during the elevation process. In the non‐guided group, 3 cases suffered from membrane perforation, 2 of which were complicated by sinus septa.

Conclusion

Within the limits of this study, computer guided sinus floor elevation showed promising results in accurately modifying the lateral window osteotomy and presents as a safe alternative to the standard technique.
Relationship between implant stability measurements obtained by insertion torque and resonance frequency analysis: A systematic review
Authors: Lages Frederico Santos , Douglas‐de Oliveira Dhelfeson Willya , Costa Fernando Oliveira
Published: December 2017

Background

The primary stability of dental implants can be evaluated by insertion torque (IT) and resonance frequency analysis (RFA).

Objective

Assess the supposed relationship between the IT and RFA.

Materials and methods

A systematic review was performed based on the PRISMA. The electronic search was performed in the PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library electronic, OVID, and Scielo databases. Manual searches were also performed. There was no restrictions regarding year of publication or language. The articles identified were assessed independently by 3 trained researchers. Clinical trials reporting the RFA values by means of implant stability quotient (ISQ) and IT were included.

Results

The electronic and manual searches yielded 2017 studies. Twelve studies were included in the systematic review. There was no statistically significant correlation between ISQ and IT (rs = .366; P = .079). The quality of the evidence was downgraded by risk of bias and indirectness; and the certainty of the evidence was low.

Conclusion

IT and RFA are independent and incomparable methods of measuring primary stability. Is important for clinicians to define only one method of evaluation for each implant.
Combining point‐process and landscape vegetation models to predict large herbivore distributions in space and time—A case study of Rupicapra rupicapra
Authors: Thuiller Wilfried , Guéguen Maya , Bison Marjorie , Duparc Antoine , Garel Mathieu , Loison Anne , Renaud Julien , Poggiato Giovanni
Published: December 2017

Aim

When modelling the distribution of animals under current and future conditions, both their response to environmental constraints and their resources’ response to these environmental constraints need to be taken into account. Here, we develop a framework to predict the distribution of large herbivores under global change, while accounting for changes in their main resources. We applied it to Rupicapra rupicapra, the chamois of the European Alps.

Location

The Bauges Regional Park (French Alps).

Methods

We built sixteen plant functional groups (PFGs) that account for the chamois’ diet (estimated from sequenced environmental DNA found in the faeces), climatic requirements, dispersal limitations, successional stage and interaction for light. These PFGs were then simulated using a dynamic vegetation model, under current and future climatic conditions up to 2100. Finally, we modelled the spatial distribution of the chamois under both current and future conditions using a point‐process model applied to either climate‐only variables or climate and simulated vegetation structure variables.

Results

Both the climate‐only and the climate and vegetation models successfully predicted the current distribution of the chamois species. However, when applied into the future, the predictions differed widely. While the climate‐only models predicted an 80% decrease in total species occupancy, including vegetation structure and plant resources for chamois in the model provided more optimistic predictions because they account for the transient dynamics of the vegetation (−20% in species occupancy).

Main conclusions

Applying our framework to the chamois shows that the inclusion of ecological mechanisms (i.e., plant resources) produces more realistic predictions under current conditions and should prove useful for anticipating future impacts. We have shown that discounting the pure effects of vegetation on chamois might lead to overpessimistic predictions under climate change. Our approach paves the way for improved synergies between different fields to produce biodiversity scenarios.
Using connectivity to identify climatic drivers of local adaptation
Authors: Macdonald Stewart L. , Llewelyn John , Phillips Ben L.
Published: December 2017

Understanding the climatic drivers of local adaptation is vital. Such knowledge is not only of theoretical interest but is critical to inform management actions under climate change, such as assisted translocation and targeted gene flow. Unfortunately, there are a vast number of potential trait–environment combinations, and simple relationships between trait and environment are ambiguous: representing either plastic or evolved variation. Here, we show that by incorporating connectivity as an index of gene flow, we can differentiate trait–environment relationships reflecting genetic variation vs. phenotypic plasticity. In this way, we rapidly shorten the list of trait–environment combinations that are of significance. Our analysis of an existing data set on geographic variation in a tropical lizard shows that we can effectively rank climatic variables by the strength of their role in local adaptation. The promise of our method is a rapid and general approach to identifying the environmental drivers of local adaptation.
The current crisis of Europe: Refugees, colonialism, and the limits of cosmopolitanism
Authors: Bhambra Gurminder K.
Published: December 2017

‘Cosmopolitan Europe’, the normative commitment that is widely understood to undergird the project of the European Union, is under threat as never before. This is manifest perhaps most prominently in Europe's collective failure to respond to the refugee crisis. As people flee war and destruction, we, in Europe, debate whether now is the time to give up on our human rights commitments. France is under a state of emergency and the UK in the process of withdrawing from the European Union and its associated institutions (including the European Convention on Human Rights). Voices have been raised against the burdens, financial and social, placed upon us by those we see as Other, with few public voices calling for Europe to remember its traditions of hospitality and stated commitments to human rights. In this article, I discuss the growing distance between the claims and practices of European cosmopolitanism, its roots in our shared colonial past, and the implications for the future.