bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extraintestinal nematodes of the red foxVulpes vulpesin north-west Italy
Authors: Magi M. , Guardone L. , Prati M.C. , Mignone W. , Macchioni F.
Published: April 2014

Extraintestinal nematodes of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) are a wide group of parasites that infect wild and domestic carnivores and occasionally humans. Nematodes in the cardiopulmonary system, stomach, urinary apparatus and muscle tissue of 165 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from north-west Italy (Liguria and Piedmont) were investigated between 2009 and 2012. Of the cardiopulmonary nematodes, a high prevalence ofAngiostrongylus vasorumandEucoleus aerophilus(syn.Capillaria aerophila) was found, 78.2% and 41.8% respectively;Crenosoma vulpis(15.8%) andFilaroidesspp. (4.8%) were also found.Spirocerca lupi(23.5%),Aonchotheca putorii(syn.Capillaria putorii) (8.6%) andPhysalopteraspp. (2.5%) were detected in the stomach andPearsonema plica(syn.Capillaria plica) (56.8%) in the bladder.Eucoleus boehmi(syn.Capillaria boehmi)was also detected in the nasal cavities of one of the two foxes examined. A coprological examination revealed eggs ofE. aerophilus,A. putorii,S. lupi,Physalopteraspp. and eggs of intestinal parasites. Filarial worms were absent in all the 165 animals examined, nor was there evidence ofTrichinellaspp. in any of the foxes. The foxes were found to host a high prevalence of many species of extraintestinal nematodes. The prevalence ofA. vasorumin foxes found in the present study is among the highest in Europe. In addition, to the best of our knowledge,E. boehmiandFilaroidesspp. have never been reported before in this host in Italy.
Even as We Keep Trying: An Ethics of Interculturalism in Jérôme Bel's Pichet Klunchun and Myself
Authors: Kwan SanSan
Published: April 2014

In 2004, Singaporean presenter Tang Fu Kuen commissioned French avant-garde choreographer Jérôme Bel to create a work in collaboration with classical Thai dancer-choreographer Pichet Klunchun. The resulting piece is unlike most intercultural collaborations. In the world of concert dance, East–West interculturalism takes place in a variety of ways: in costuming or set design, in theme or subject matter, in choreographic structure, in stylings of the body, in energetic impetus, in spatial composition, in philosophical attitude toward art making. Bel's work, titled Pichet Klunchun and Myself, does not combine aesthetics in any of these ways. In fact, the piece may more accurately be described not as a dance but as two verbal interviews (first by Bel of Klunchun and then vice versa) performed for an audience and separated by an intermission. There is no actual intermingling of forms—Thai classical dance with European contemporary choreography—in this performance. The intercultural “choreography” here comprises a staged conversation between the artists and some isolated physical demonstrations by each.
A Social Gospel for India
Authors: Phoenix Karen
Published: April 2014

This article discusses the ways that secretaries in the U.S. Young Women's Christian Association (USYWCA) used the Social Gospel to create a type of imagined community, which I call Y-space, in India. In the United States, USYWCA secretaries emphasized Social Gospel ideals such as the personal embodiment of Christ-like behavior, inclusivity, and working for the progress of society. In India, USYWCA secretaries used these same ideas to try to make Y-space an alternative to both the exclusive, traditional, British imperial “clubland” and the growing Hindu and Muslim nationalist movement. Instead, they promoted an idealized Americanized Anglo Indian/Christian woman who would engage in civic matters and embody Christian values, and serve as an alternative to the Britishmemsahib, and the Hindu nationalist woman. Despite the USYWCA's efforts to distinguish itself from British imperialists, the secretaries' attempts to create these Americanized Indian women reveals that that the USYWCA supported transforming Indian society according to imposed Western models, in much the same way as the British.
“A Perilous Venture for Democracy”: Soldiers, Sexual Purity, and American Citizenship in the First World War
Authors: Reilly Kimberley A.
Published: April 2014

This essay examines the influence of the social purity movement on the U.S. government's campaign to protect servicemen from the temptations of drink and illicit sex during World War I. This influence had been forged in the context of U.S. imperialism in the two decades prior to American entry into the war, as purity reformers linked the sexual morality and temperance of soldiers serving in occupied territories overseas to racial purity and national character at home. War Department policymakers who were allied with the purity movement likewise understood male moral restraint and sexual self-control to underpin democratic self-governance. This linkage between civic virtue and moral virtue was especially problematic at the outset of the war, as many native-born Americans (progressive policymakers included) questioned whether all members of the ethnically and racially diverse nation had the capacity for self-government. The goals of social purity and wartime policymakers were thus aligned as the War Department launched its crusade against liquor and sexual vice within the military. Government officials required moral sobriety of servicemen in order to remake the body politic. But even as they demanded virtuous conduct from the man in uniform, they simultaneously infantilized the “soldier lad” in their effort to safeguard him.
China, the Crime of Aggression, and the International Criminal Court
Authors: ZHU Dan
Published: April 2014

At the Kampala Review Conference in 2010, the adoption of the amendments to the Rome Statute laid the groundwork for the eventual prosecution of the crime of aggression. China, a non-State Party to the International Criminal Court, has articulated its concerns regarding the Court's jurisdiction over the crime of aggression in legal terms. This paper examines the Chinese concerns regarding the role of the Security Council in the determination of an act of aggression and the definition of aggression primarily from a legal perspective. It argues that China has hovered back and forth between two conflicting legal positions on these issues during different periods in history according to its policy preference. This paper also considers the concerns of China from a policy perspective before concluding that the crime of aggression should not be regarded as an insurmountable barrier preventing China's accession to the ICC in years to come.
Subtypen-spezifisches Training bei Dyslexie
Authors: Brinkhaus Moti , van Ermingen-Marbach Muna , Grande Marion , Reimers Julia , Pape-Neumann Julia , Sturm Walter , Heim Stefan
Published: April 2014

Kognitive Subtypen von Entwicklungsdyslexie können Defizite vor allem in der Phonologie oder der visuell-räumlichen Aufmerksamkeit haben, die mit hirnfunktionellen Unterschieden zu Normallesern einhergehen. Die subtypenspezifische Aktivierungsänderung durch ein visuelles Aufmerksamkeitstraining wurde bisher noch nicht untersucht.

Die vorliegende fMRT-Studie untersucht den Einfluss von defizitspezifischen Trainings vs. Lesetrainings auf die neuronalen Korrelate dyslektischer Subtypen verglichen wiederum mit Normallesern. Dritt- und Viertklässler wurden psychometrischen Tests unterzogen, u. a. zu phonologischen und Aufmerksamkeitsfähigkeiten. Alle Dyslektiker erhielten ein vierwöchiges Training: Dyslektiker mit primär phonologischem Defizit ein rein phonologisches Training, Kinder mit primärem Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit ein Aufmerksamkeitstraining. Ein reines Lesetraining erhielt eine dritte Dyslexiegruppe: Dyslektiker unabhängig von ihrem kognitiven Defizit. Mittels fMRT wurde vor und nach dem Training das Posner Paradigma zur visuell-räumlichen Aufmerksamkeitsausrichtung mit den drei Trainingsgruppen und einer vierten Gruppe, den Normallesern, durchgeführt, um zu untersuchen, wie sich das Training auf die neurofunktionelle Verarbeitung der drei Dyslexiegruppen auswirkt. Die fMRT-Daten ergaben für alle Trainingsgruppen eine signifikante Veränderung im linken inferioren Frontalcortex. Das Maximum dieser Aktivierungsveränderung lag jedoch jeweils an verschiedenen Stellen innerhalb dieser Region: für die Trainingsgruppe Phonologie auf dem GFI in der Broca-Region, für die Trainingsgruppen Aufmerksamkeit und Lesen jeweils im Sulcus frontalis inferior. Die drei Gruppen verarbeiten möglicherweise verschiedene Funktionen in dieser sehr heterogenen Region. Das linkshemisphärische Aktivierungsmuster könnte somit auf unterschiedliche Kompensation nach den verschiedenen Dyslexie-Trainings hinweisen, die nicht in klassischen rechts-hemisphärischen Aufmerksamkeitsarealen, sondern im linkshemispärischen Sprachnetzwerk lokalisiert sind.
ADHS – an der Nahtstelle von Medizin und Pädagogik
Authors: Romanos Marcel , Jans Thomas
Published: April 2014

Die Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-Hyperaktivitätsstörung (ADHS) ist eine der häufigsten kinder- und jugendpsychiatrischen Diagnosen. Die Kernsymptome Hyperaktivität, Impulsivität und Konzentrationsstörung führen zu schulischem Leistungsversagen, sozialer Ausgrenzung und familiären Konflikten. Der Verlauf der ADHS ist gekennzeichnet durch eine hohe Persistenz ins Erwachsenenalter, aber auch durch eine zunehmende Entwicklung komorbider Störungen wie Depression, Sozialverhaltensstörungen und Suchterkrankungen. Die Ursachen der ADHS sind in erster Linie genetisch. Umweltfaktoren wie Alkohol oder Nikotin in der Schwangerschaft nehmen eine untergeordnete Rolle ein. Die Therapie besteht aus Psychoedukation, Verhaltenstherapie und Pharmakotherapie. Um eine optimale Versorgung der Betroffenen zu gewährleisten ist eine intensive Zusammenarbeit der Familien, den Therapeuten und der Schule notwendig. Angesichts kontroverser öffentlicher Debatten um ADHS ist es notwendig, die wissenschaftlichen Fakten und Hintergründe zu kennen, um bagatellisierenden und für die Betroffenen schädlichen Berichterstattungen entgegentreten zu können.
Soziale Unterstützung als Wegbereiter für Planungsprozesse
Authors: Paech Juliane , Fleig Lena , Pomp Sarah , Lippke Sonia
Published: April 2014

Nach einer medizinischen Rehabilitation sind Patienten meist hoch motiviert, körperlich aktiver zu werden, doch gelingt es ihnen oftmals nicht, dies auch im Alltag umzusetzen. Neben individuellen, selbstregulativen Strategien, wie z. B. Planung, nehmen soziale Ressourcen eine wichtige Rolle bei einem körperlich aktiven Lebensstil ein. Basierend auf dem sozial-kognitiven Prozessmodell gesundheitlichen Handelns untersuchte diese Studie das Zusammenspiel von Intention, Planung, sozialer Unterstützung und körperlicher Aktivität in einer Stichprobe von kardiologischen und orthopädischen Rehabilitanden. Zu Beginn sowie am Ende der Rehabilitation füllten n = 521 Teilnehmer einen computergestützten Fragebogen aus. Sechs Wochen nach der Rehabilitation fand die Follow-up Befragung mittels computergestützter Telefoninterviews statt. Eine Pfadanalyse mit längsschnittlichem Design wurde durchgeführt, um körperliche Aktivität nach der Rehabilitation durch Intention und erhaltene soziale Unterstützung vor der Rehabilitation sowie Planung am Ende der Rehabilitation vorherzusagen. Alle drei Variablen sagten körperliche Aktivität bei kardiologischen und orthopädischen Rehabilitanden vorher. Die indirekten Effekte von Intention und von erhaltener sozialer Unterstützung auf körperliche Aktivität wurden durch Planung signifikant mediiert. Eine Moderation des indirekten Effekts von erhaltener sozialer Unterstützung auf körperliche Aktivität durch erhaltene soziale Unterstützung lag nicht vor. Planung erwies sich als bedeutsamer Mediator zwischen Intention bzw. sozialer Unterstützung und körperlicher Aktivität und sollte daher in Interventionen zur Veränderung des Gesundheitsverhaltens Berücksichtigung finden. Zusätzlich dazu kann es hilfreich sein, soziale Unterstützung in rehabilitationsbezogenen Interventionen gezielt anzusprechen.
Belastet, aber hochzufrieden?
Authors: Schult Johannes , Münzer-Schrobildgen Manuela , Sparfeldt Jörn R.
Published: April 2014

Der Lehrerberuf wird mit viel Freizeit, aber auch mit einer hohen Stressbelastung assoziiert. Bisherige Befunde zu Belastungen im Lehrerberuf sind widersprüchlich und weisen Interpretationsgrenzen auf. Basierend auf den repräsentativen Daten des Sozio-Ökonomischen Panels (SOEP) kontrastierten wir Arbeitszufriedenheit und -belastung von 425 Lehrkräften mit Vergleichsgruppen anderer Berufe (u. a. Erzieher, Ärzte) im Querschnitt (2006) und Längsschnitt (bis 2011). Querschnittlich war die Arbeitszufriedenheit in keiner Gruppe höher als bei den Lehrkräften; ihre berufliche Anerkennung differierte kaum von den Vergleichsgruppen. Über die Hälfte der Lehrkräfte bekundete Belastung durch Zeitdruck. Arbeitszufriedenheit, fehlende Anerkennung und empfundener Zeitdruck der Lehrkräfte veränderten sich im Längsschnitt nicht signifikant. Die längsschnittliche Veränderung dieser Variablen korrelierte nicht bedeutsam mit Persönlichkeitseigenschaften (Big Five), Geschlecht, Alter und Berufserfahrung. Die hohe Arbeitszufriedenheit spricht zusammen mit der überwiegend ausreichenden Anerkennung gegen eine massive Gratifikationskrise im Lehrerberuf.
Bringing Environmental Psychology Into Action
Authors: Ernst Andreas , Wenzel Urs
Published: April 2014

Environmental psychology is by definition one of the main disciplines for individual behavioral change with regard to sustainability issues. However, it has not been as visible or successful as one could wish. We present a four-step process that describes the passage of knowledge from science to policy: Basic research generates pieces of reliable knowledge; transdisciplinary research includes the views and knowledge of the stakeholders that are concerned, and tests results in the field; dissemination brings results, tools, and techniques to the attention of the public; finally, policy creates structures that provide guiding behavioral contexts. The various frames of understanding in the sectors of basic and transdisciplinary science, the media, and policy making are discussed, as well as ways of addressing them. Some attention is brought to the embedding contexts that foster the generation of compatible and useful scientific results. We conclude with a discussion of the relation between scientists and societal actors with a focus on trustworthiness.
The Critical Challenge of Climate Change for Psychology
Authors: Otto Siegmar , Kaiser Florian G. , Arnold Oliver
Published: April 2014

For many societies, the prime political strategy for mitigating climate change has been to improve the efficiency of technology (e.g., cars, light bulbs, and refrigerators). However, World Bank data suggest that the per-capita energy consumption of societies is leveling off rather than falling. Thus, all efficiency gains are apparently eaten up by rebound. In our psychological account of this ubiquitous rebound phenomenon, we argue that individual consumption is genuinely rational (i.e., benefit-oriented) and grounded in an unlimited number of personal ends (i.e., goals and desires). Behavior and technology – the latter as an amplifier of individual behavior – are means for satisfying personal ends. Predictably, any gains in efficiency as evidenced by savings of time and/or money will be reinvested in further as-yet-unmet personal ends of individuals. Consequently, rebound is the norm and not the exception. The challenge to psychologists is thus, as we argue in this article, to motivate individuals to act comparatively more irrationally (by generally forgoing personal benefits), and by doing so, to eventually reduce the overall energy consumption of societies. Only when people are intrinsically motivated to forgo commodities, convenience, and other personal benefits can rebound be avoided.
Novel skin phenotypes revealed by a genome-wide mouse reverse genetic screen
Authors: Liakath-Ali Kifayathullah , Vancollie Valerie E. , Heath Emma , Smedley Damian P. , Estabel Jeanne , Sunter David , DiTommaso Tia , White Jacqueline K. , Ramirez-Solis Ramiro , Smyth Ian , Steel Karen P. , Watt Fiona M.
Published: April 2014

Permanent stop-and-shop large-scale mouse mutant resources provide an excellent platform to decipher tissue phenogenomics. Here we analyse skin from 538 knockout mouse mutants generated by the Sanger Institute Mouse Genetics Project. We optimize immunolabelling of tail epidermal wholemounts to allow systematic annotation of hair follicle, sebaceous gland and interfollicular epidermal abnormalities using ontology terms from the Mammalian Phenotype Ontology. Of the 50 mutants with an epidermal phenotype, 9 map to human genetic conditions with skin abnormalities. Some mutant genes are expressed in the skin, whereas others are not, indicating systemic effects. One phenotype is affected by diet and several are incompletely penetrant. In-depth analysis of three mutants, Krt76, Myo5a (a model of human Griscelli syndrome) and Mysm1, provides validation of the screen. Our study is the first large-scale genome-wide tissue phenotype screen from the International Knockout Mouse Consortium and provides an open access resource for the scientific community.
Enhanced Antibacterial Activity of Silver Nanoparticles/Halloysite Nanotubes/Graphene Nanocomposites with Sandwich-Like Structure
Authors: Yu Liang , Zhang Yatao , Zhang Bing , Liu Jindun
Published: April 2014

A sandwich-like antibacterial reagent (Ag/HNTs/rGO) was constructed through the direct growth of silver nanoparticles on the surface graphene-based HNTs nanosheets. Herein, various nanomaterials were combined by adhesion effect of DOPA after self-polymerization. Ag/HNTs/rGO posses enhanced antibacterial ability against E. coli and S. aureus compared with individual silver nanoparticles, rGO nanosheets or their nanocomposites.
TP53 supports basal-like differentiation of mammary epithelial cells by preventing translocation of deltaNp63 into nucleoli
Authors: Munne Pauliina M. , Gu Yuexi , Tumiati Manuela , Gao Ping , Koopal Sonja , Uusivirta Sanna , Sawicki Janet , Wei Gong-Hong , Kuznetsov Sergey G.
Published: April 2014

Multiple observations suggest a cell type-specific role forTP53in mammary epithelia. We developed anin vitroassay, in which primary mouse mammary epithelial cells (mMECs) progressed from lumenal to basal-like phenotypes based on expression of Krt18 or ΔNp63, respectively. Such transition was markedly delayed inTrp53−/−mMECs suggesting that Trp53 is required for specification of the basal, but not lumenal cells. Evidence from human basal-like cell lines suggests that TP53 may support the activity of ΔNp63 by preventing its translocation from nucleoplasm into nucleoli. In human lumenal cells, activation of TP53 by inhibiting MDM2 or BRCA1 restored the nucleoplasmic expression of ΔNp63.Trp53−/−mMECs eventually lost epithelial features resulting in upregulation of MDM2 and translocation of ΔNp63 into nucleoli. We propose thatTP63may contribute toTP53-mediated oncogenic transformation of epithelial cells and shed light on tissue- and cell type-specific biases observed for TP53-related cancers.
Determination of chondroitin sulfate in tablets by Raman spectroscopy and near-infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometric methods
Authors: Liu Xiumei , Li Lian , Zhao Ting , Dong Haiping
Published: April 2014

NIR can obtain high accuracy within a wider concentration range. Raman can obtain relatively high accuracy only within a narrower concentration range.
Determination of methylamine, dimethylamine, and trimethylamine in air by high-performance liquid chromatography with derivatization using 9-fluorenylmethylchloroformate
Authors: Asif Iqbal Mohammad , Szulejko Jan E. , Kim Ki-Hyun
Published: April 2014

An FMOC-based derivatization approach was developed to analyze gaseous amines by HPLC/UV. An impinger-based headspace collection and amine-derivatization system is also described.
On the importance of non covalent interactions in the structure of coordination Cu(ii) and Co(ii) complexes of pyrazine- and pyridine-dicarboxylic acid derivatives: experimental and theoretical views
Authors: Mirzaei Masoud , Eshtiagh-Hosseini Hossein , Bauzá Antonio , Zarghami Sara , Ballester Pablo , Mague Joel T. , Frontera Antonio
Published: April 2014

We synthesized and X-ray characterized four complexes based on pyrazine- and pyridine-dicarboxylic acid ligands. One of them exhibited a relevant lp–π-hole interaction.
Crystal structures, CO2 adsorption, and dielectric properties of [Cu(ii)2(R-benzoate)4(pyrazine)]∞ polymers (R = m-F, 2,3-F2, m-Cl, and m-CH3)
Authors: Takahashi Kiyonori , Hoshino Norihisa , Takeda Takashi , Noro Shin-ichiro , Nakamura Takayoshi , Takeda Sadamu , Akutagawa Tomoyuki
Published: April 2014

The relationship between the interchain interactions and CO2 gas adsorption–desorption properties, and dielectric responses under CO2 desorbed conditions.
A DFT study of ruthenium pincer carboxylate complexes as potential catalysts for the direct carboxylation of arenes with CO2 – meridional versus facial coordination
Authors: Stoychev S. D. , Conifer C. M. , Uhe A. , Hölscher M. , Leitner Walter
Published: April 2014

The potential catalytic activity of ruthenium pincer benzoate complexes as [Ru(PNP)(PhCOO)2] I depends crucially on the fac/mer-isomerism of such complexes.
Heptanuclear lanthanide [Ln7] clusters: from blue-emitting solution-stable complexes to hybrid clusters
Authors: Canaj Angelos B. , Tsikalas George K. , Philippidis Aggelos , Spyros Apostolos , Milios Constantinos J.
Published: April 2014

A family of heptanuclear lanthanide [Ln7] complexes was isolated and fully characterized by magnetic measurements, NMR and absorption–emission spectroscopy.
Dopamine polymerization-induced surface colouration of various materials
Authors: He Liang , Lai So Vicky Lai , Xin John H.
Published: April 2014

Surfaces resistant to colouration could be successful dyed via dopamine polymerization, and thus show absolutely different surface properties.
Chemical vapor deposition of diamond on an adamantane-coated sapphire substrate
Authors: Chen Yi-Chun , Chang Li
Published: April 2014

Continuous diamond thin films can be grown on sapphire substrates by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition utilizing a pretreatment of adamantane dip coating on the substrate for enhanced nucleation.
Bent-core liquid crystal phases promoted by azo-containing molecules: from monomers to side-chain polymers
Authors: Gimeno Nélida , Pintre Inmaculada , Martínez-Abadía Marta , Serrano José Luis , Ros M. Blanca
Published: April 2014

In situ photopolymerization or ATRP in solution provide azo-containing polymers showing room temperature SmCPg arrangements and broad ranges of SmCP mesophase.
Ionic effects in self-propelled Pt-coated Janus swimmers
Authors: Brown Aidan , Poon Wilson
Published: April 2014

Ionic effects on the behaviour of platinum Janus particles swimming in hydrogen peroxide solution suggest novel electrophoretic propulsion mechanism.
Directional synthesis of tin oxide@graphene nanocomposites via a one-step up-scalable wet-mechanochemical route for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Li Sheng , Wang Yazhou , Lai Chao , Qiu Jingxia , Ling Min , Martens Wayde , Zhao Huijun , Zhang Shanqing
Published: April 2014

SnO2@graphene nanocomposites with excellent lithium ion battery performance are successfully prepared by a one-step simple and up-scalable wet-mechanochemical method.
Characterization of carbon-coated magnetic nanoparticles using clinical blood coagulation assays: effect of PEG-functionalization and comparison to silica nanoparticles
Authors: Bircher Lukas , Theusinger Oliver M. , Locher Silvan , Eugster Philipp , Roth-Z'graggen Birgit , Schumacher Christoph M. , Studt Jan-Dirk , Stark Wendelin J. , Beck-Schimmer Beatrice , Herrmann Inge K.
Published: April 2014

We use point-of-care-assays to study blood coagulation in human blood samples exposed to nanomagnets.
Pseudo-double network hydrogels with unique properties as supports for cell manipulation
Authors: Aranaz Inmaculada , Martínez-Campos Enrique , Nash Maria E. , Tardajos Myriam G. , Reinecke Helmut , Elvira Carlos , Ramos Viviana , López-Lacomba Jose Luis , Gallardo Alberto
Published: April 2014

Introducing new hydrogels for the support of confluent cell growth and from which cell sheets can be easily detached or transplanted.
Genomics for drought resistance – getting down to earth
Authors: Blum Abraham
Published: April 2014

A meta-analysis of 520 reports published during the last 20 years on transgenic and mutant plants generated towards drought resistance revealed a total of at least 487 tested transgenic plants involving at least 100 genes claimed to be functional towards drought resistance. During this period, the rate of reported new experimental transgenic model or crop plants for drought resistance has been increasing exponentially. Despite these numbers, qualified sources of information indicate a very limited impact on global dryland agriculture, whereas the genetically modified (GM) market hardly recognises drought-resistant GM cultivars. This paper discusses possible reasons for the limited impact of genomics on the delivery of drought-resistant cultivars, which are beyond issues of regulation, propriety or commercialisation. These reasons are mainly tied to scientific and methodological problems in drought stress gene expression work and the functional genomics protocols used to identify drought resistance. Insufficient phenotyping of experimental transgenic plants for drought resistance often does not allow true conclusions about the real function of the discovered genes towards drought resistance. The discussion is concluded by proposing an outline of a minimal set of tests that might help us resolve the real function of discovered genes, thus bringing the research results down to earth.
RNA–RNA interactions and pre-mRNA mislocalization as drivers of group II intron loss from nuclear genomes
Authors: Qu Guosheng , Dong Xiaolong , Piazza Carol Lyn , Chalamcharla Venkata R. , Lutz Sheila , Curcio M. Joan , Belfort Marlene
Published: April 2014

Significance

For over three decades, group II introns have been conjectured to be the ancestors of splicesomal introns, but there are no group II introns in extant nuclear genomes. Might these introns have been expunged as spliceosomal introns proliferated? We showed previously that nuclear expression of a group II intron in yeast resulted specifically in down-regulation of its host gene. Here, we report on the discovery that pre-mRNA mislocalization and a consequent interaction between the pre-mRNA or intron and spliced mRNA together account for the mechanism of gene silencing. Our data support the hypothesis that such roadblocks to gene expression resulted in purging of group II introns from nuclear genomes while promoting the evolution of spliceosomal introns.
Chapter 2. ‘Stability overwhelms everything’
Authors: Sandby-Thomas Peter
Published: April 2014

This chapter examines how the Chinese Communist Party has employed the discourse of stability to legitimate its authority since 1989. At the theoretical level, the Weberian understanding of legitimation is situated within the strategic-relational approach in order to better conceptualize the role played by discourse in legitimating regimes. At the methodical level, the stability discourse is analyzed using the discourse-historical method and particular attention is paid to the presentation of actors and the argumentation strategies employed to legitimate and delegitimate these actors. The People’s Daily newspaper is the site of analysis and three exceptional instances are selected for analysis: the 1989 ‘Beijing Spring’; 1999 ‘anti-Falun Gong’ campaign; and the 2005 ‘anti-Japan’ demonstrations. The main finding is that stability is ‘discursively flexible’, with its positive value consistently working to legitimate the Party-State’s authority and the negative value delegitimating the assigned ‘other’. Keywords: Legitimation; strategic-relational approach; discourse-historical method; critical discourse analysis; media; Chinese Communist Party; Falun Gong; Tiananmen Square; Sino-Japanese relations
Chapter 4. It’s a small world after all?
Authors: Schneider Florian
Published: April 2014

This chapter asks what visions of the world came together at the Shanghai Expo, how they were formed, and what role the Chinese authorities played in framing the event. Based on qualitative interviews and multi-media data collected at the Expo site in July 2010, the chapter analyzes the Expo site and compares the contents and communication strategies of two key pavilions: the China Pavilion and the US Pavilion. It shows how the institutional constraints at the Expo collapse much of the political discourse into a narrative that to some extent re-enforces the political ideals of the Chinese authorities, but that the various actors nevertheless present different visions of the world’s future and of world politics that at times challenge the worldview that the Chinese government is trying to foster. Keywords: Shanghai World Expo; political discourse; China Pavilion; worldview
Chapter 8. Issues in discourse approach to social transformations in China
Authors: Tian Hailong , Chilton Paul
Published: April 2014

This chapter discusses theoretical and methodological issues concerning doing critical discourse analysis in China. The authors believe that China’s unique social, cultural and political context justifies an assumption that the Western originated paradigm of critical discourse analysis needs tailoring and appropriating when being applied in China. Starting from this assumption, the chapter discusses four issues relevant to discourse approach to the socio-political transformations in China: a ‘wider’ angle critical perspective, a research focus on the functionality of discourse, the emergent public sphere, and qualitative research method. It is argued that, while the first two issues are basically important for an appropriation of CDA in China, the second two issues needs to be given more attention, for the new media has become a new tool for discourse struggles, and the qualitative research methodology needs to be given more weight in CDA-related social research in China. Keywords: Western originated CDA; appropriation of CDA in China; four issues
The development of orthographic processing skills in children in early French immersion programs
Authors: Commissaire Eva , Pasquarella Adrian , Chen Becky Xi , Deacon S. Hélène
Published: April 2014

Children learning to read in two languages are faced with orthographic features from both languages, either unique to a language or similar across languages. In the present study, we examined how children develop orthographic processing skills over time (from grade 1 to grade 2) with a sample of Canadian children attending a French immersion program and we investigated the underlying factor structure of orthographic skills across English and French. Two orthographic processing tasks were administered in both languages: lexical orthographic processing (e.g. choose the correct spelling from people–peeple) and sub-lexical orthographic processing (e.g. which is the more word-like vaid–vayd?), which included both language-specific and language-shared orthographic regularities. Children’s performances in sub-lexical tasks increased with grade but were comparable across languages. Further, evidence for a one factor model including all measures suggested that there is a common underlying orthographic processing skill that cuts across measurement and language variables. Keywords: orthographic processing; reading; French immersion; bilinguals; second language learners
Bidirectional cross-linguistic relations of first and second language skills in reading comprehension of Spanish-speaking English learners
Authors: Gottardo Alexandra , Javier Christine , Farnia Fataneh , Mak Lorinda , Geva Esther
Published: April 2014

This study examines the bidirectional, cross-linguistic associations between language and word-level reading skills and reading comprehension for 51 students in grades 4 to 6 who speak Spanish as first language (L1) and English as second language (L2). Within-language predictors of reading comprehension were consistent with thesimple view of reading. We found unidirectional cross-linguistic associations between Spanish word reading and English reading comprehension. However, the results do not support a cross-linguistic association between English word reading and Spanish reading comprehension. Specifically, results indicate that although L1 and L2 language and reading constructs correlate, L2 skills do not strongly contribute to L1 reading comprehension. Findings are discussed in terms of possible factors that might influence potential cross-language relations among Spanish and English measures. Keywords: reading comprehension; bilingualism; cross-linguistic relations
The role of L1 and L2 reading on L1 preservation and positive cross-linguistic transfer among sequential bilinguals
Authors: Zaretsky Elena
Published: April 2014

Previous research shows strong evidence of positive cross-linguistic transfer as a factor of L1 literacy. Moreover, research shows that L1 literacy supports the preservation of L1 language skills while learning L2, as oral and written languages are highly interdependent. Two theoretical frameworks can be instrumental in accounting for cross-linguistic transfer: The constructive analysis hypothesis suggests that the closer L1 and L2 are typologically, the more cross-linguistic transfer should be observed. The interdependence hypothesis postulates that bilingual transfer is also supported by L1 proficiency. These hypotheses were tested in oral language experiment, comparing typologically different languages (L1 Russian and L2 English) with different orthographic depth and language-specific characteristics. The study examines the use of morphosyntactic and lexical structures through story retelling in L1 and L2 by 13 Russian-English bilingual children (Mage = 8;2) who were readers in their L1 as well as in their L2. The results indicate a strong effect of L1 reading skills on children’s ability to use appropriate lexical and syntactic processes in their L1 and L2 narratives as well as on the reduction of L1 grammatical errors, one of the most sensitive aspects of Russian inflectional morphology. These results support the interdependence hypothesis of cross-linguistic transfer. Keywords: bilingual transfer; literacy; morphosyntax; lexicon; language-specific structures
Ultrasonic Characterization of Unyeasted Bread Dough of Different Sodium Chloride Concentrations
Authors: Koksel Filiz , Strybulevych Anatoliy , Page John H. , Scanlon Martin G.
Published: April 2014

Altering the properties of dough by reducing sodium chloride (NaCl) content affects aeration processes during mixing. The effect of NaCl concentration on the bubble size distribution (BSD) in unyeasted doughs was investigated by an ultrasonic transmission technique through analysis of frequency‐dependent ultrasonic phase velocity and attenuation coefficient. As NaCl concentration was decreased, the volume fraction of gas in the dough increased, resulting in a larger attenuation coefficient for the dough. From the peak in attenuation coefficient, estimates of the median radius and the width of the lognormal BSD in the dough were extracted, both of which were sensitive to the dough's NaCl concentration. As NaCl concentration was reduced, the bubble radius decreased and the width of the distribution increased, in accordance with expectations arising from changes in the dough's consistency. Over the course of 150 min, the radius increased (40–50%) and the width decreased (4–8%) for all dough formulations, consistent with changes in the BSD arising from disproportionation. These dynamic changes demonstrate that dough is an interesting soft material whose formulation can be manipulated to enable it to possess different BSDs; the diffusively driven evolution in these bubble sizes can be investigated noninvasively with ultrasound.
Characterization and In Vivo Hydrolysis of Amylose–Stearic Acid Complex
Authors: Ai Yongfeng , Zhao Yinsheng , Nelson Bridget , Birt Diane F. , Wang Tong , Jane Jay‐lin
Published: April 2014

Objectives of this study were to compare thermal properties, swelling power, and enzymatic hydrolysis of a type 5 resistant starch (RS5) with that of normal corn starch (NCS) and high‐amylose corn starch (HA7). The RS5 was prepared by complexing debranched HA7 with stearic acid (SA). Because of amylose‐helical‐complex formation with SA, the RS5 starch granules showed restricted swelling at 95°C. The RS5 displayed a larger RS content (67.8%) than the HA7 (33.5%) and NCS (0.8%), analyzed following AOAC method 991.43 (AACC International Approved Method 32‐07.01). When the cooked RS5, HA7, and NCS were used to prepare diets for rats with 55% (w/w) starch content, RS contents of the diets were 33.7, 15.8, and 2.6%, respectively. After the diet was fed to the rats in week 1, ≈16% of the starch in the RS5 diet was found in the feces, substantially greater than that of the HA7 diet (≈6%) and NCS diet (0.1%). The percentage of starch not being utilized in the RS5 diet decreased to ≈5% in week 9, which could be partially attributed to fermentation of RS5 by gut microflora. Large proportions (68–99%) of the SA in the RS5 diet were unabsorbed and discharged in the rat feces. The results suggest that the interactions between starch and SA can be used to enhance resistance of starch to in vitro and in vivo digestion.
First Report of Iris yellow spot virus Infecting Allium tuberosum in India
Authors: Gawande S. J. , Gurav V. S. , Ingle A. A. , Gopal J.
Published: April 2014

Allium tuberosum L., commonly known as garlic chives, is an important spice in northeastern India as well as in many other parts of the world. Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV; genus Tospovirus, family Bunyaviridae) is an important pathogen of onion (4) and other related Alliums such as garlic (3) and leek (2). During April 2013, symptoms potentially induced by IYSV such as chlorotic and straw-colored spindle-like lesions were observed on leaves of A. tuberosum accession Hanzong Winter (CGN 20779) plants in the wild species garden at the Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research (DOGR), Rajgurunagar, Pune, Maharashtra, India. Ten plant samples of A. tuberosum were randomly collected from the wild species garden and the upper, middle, and lower portions of the leaves were pooled and tested by double-antibody sandwich (DAS)-ELISA using a commercially available kit (Agdia Inc., Elkhart, IN) for IYSV. All of them showed positive results for IYSV incidence. Total RNA from the ELISA positive leaf samples of A. tuberosum was extracted using the RNeasy Plant Mini kit (Qiagen GmbH, Hilden, Germany). The primer pair IYSV-F (5′-TCAGAAATCGAGAAACTT-3′) and IYSV-R (5′-TAATTATATCTATCTTTCTTGG-3′) (1) was used for RT-PCR. The primer pair was specific to amplify 797 bp of the nucleocapsid (N) gene of IYSV. The amplified product derived from A. tuberosum isolate was purified by QIAquick PCR Purification Kit (Qiagen) and cloned using the vector pDrive (Qiagen). The recombinant clone was sequenced (Accession No. KF624624). Sequence analysis performed on CLC Main Workbench Version 6.8.4 confirmed that the fragment was of IYSV. Nucleotide sequence comparison of our virus with other IYSV isolates revealed that the highest nucleotide identity (99%) was with the IYSV garlic isolate (HM173691) from India. Further, maximum 96% protein identity was with IYSV onion isolate (ACA09432) and garlic isolate (ADK56108) from India. To our knowledge, this is the first report of IYSV naturally occurring on A. tuberosum in India. It is evident from previous studies that IYSV causes significant losses in onions (1) and from this study, that its symptoms have direct impact on quality of garlic chives. Further detailed studies are required to assess the magnitude of the impact of IYSV infection on yield and quality of A. tuberosum.

References: (1) A. Bulajic et al. Plant Dis. 93:976, 2009. (2) M. C. Córdoba-Sellés et al. Plant Dis. 91:1365, 2007. (3) S. J. Gawande et al. Plant Dis. 94:1066, 2010. (4) B. Mandal et al. Plant Dis. 96:468, 2012.
First Report of Sweet potato golden vein associated virus Infecting Sweet Potato in Korea
Authors: Kil E.-J. , Kim J. , Byun H.-S. , Kwak H.-R. , Kim M.-K. , Choi H.-S. , Chung M.-N. , Lee S.
Published: April 2014

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is one of the most important crops in eastern Asia, including Korea. Consumption of sweet potato is increasing gradually because of its growing reputation as a health food. Recently, outbreaks of viruses infecting sweet potatoes have increased all over the world, probably because sweet potatoes are produced via vegetative propagation (1,2). In Korea, most sweet potatoes in fields have been infected by a begomovirus, Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV), and other viruses such as Sweet potato feathery mottle virus, Sweet potato virus G, and Sweet potato latent virus (3). Many countries have monitored sweet potato virus infections in fields as well as in germplasm collections to select virus-free stocks. In 2013, 20 sweet potato plants showing leaf roll symptoms in Muan, South Korea, were collected and analyzed. Total DNA was isolated from sweet potato leaves (Viral Gene-spin Viral DNA/RNA Extraction Kit, iNtRON Biotechnology, Seongnam, Korea) and viral DNA was amplified by rolling circle amplification (RCA, TempliPhi Amplification Kit, GE Healthcare Life Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden) following the manufacturer's instructions. Amplicons were digested by restriction enzyme SacI (TaKaRa Bio, Shiga, Japan) and products were run on a 1.5% agarose gel. A 2.8-kb DNA fragment was purified from a gel, ligated into a pGEM-T easy vector (Promega, Madison, WI), and sequenced (Macrogen, Seoul, Korea). Based on a BLAST search, most of the sequences (36/38) were identified as SPLCV, but two independent clones 2,824 nt in length from sweet potato cv. Sincheonmi were similar to Sweet potato golden vein associated virus (SPGVaV) isolate US:MS:1B-3 (94.38%, GenBank Accession No. HQ333143). The complete genome sequence of the SPGVaV-Korea isolate contained six ORFs, as expected for a typical monopartite begomovirus. The sequence was deposited in GenBank under accession number KF803170. SPGVaV is a whitefly (Bemisia tabaci)-transmitted virus (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae). A phylogenetic analysis that included other begomoviruses that infect sweet potato showed SPGVaV-Korea to segregate with other SPGVaV isolates. SPGVaV has previously only been reported in Brazil and the United States (1). This is the first report of SPGVaV in sweet potato outside of the Americas.

References: (1) L. C. Albuquerque et al. Virol. J. 9:241, 2012. (2) E. Choi et al. Acta Virol. 56:187, 2012. (3) H. R. Kwak et al. Plant Pathol. J. 22:239, 2006.
First Report of Rust of Plumeria rubra Caused by Coleosporium plumeriae in Guangdong Province, China
Authors: Yang Q. Y. , Lin B. R. , Zhang J. X. , Shen H. F. , Pu X. M. , Wang Z. W. , Zeng D. Q.
Published: April 2014

Plumeria spp. are ornamental trees commonly planted in parks and gardens, and Plumeria rubra cultivars (Frangipani) is most common in Guangdong Province, China. A rust disease of P. rubra was observed on leaves of susceptible plants from August to December 2013. Ten nurseries were surveyed in September 2013, and 91% (220 of 240) of the plumeria plants were infected with rust. Symptoms first appeared as chlorotic spots (about 1 mm in diameter) appearing on adaxial leaf surfaces and then spread to whole leaf, and infection further resulted in leaf necrosis and abscission. Therefore, the ornamental value of diseased trees was greatly diminished. Bright yellow or yellow-orange uredinia were hypophyllous and produced under the epidermis. Urediniospores were catenulate, globose, ovoid or ellipsoid, and sometimes angular in appearance, ranging from 20.0 to 42.0 μm in length by 14.1 to 25.6 μm in width. Their walls were verrucose and 1.3 to 3.2 μm thick. No teliospores were observed. The rust was identified as Coleosporium plumeriae Pat. based on urediniospore morphology (2). Species identity was confirmed with a 1,551-bp sequence (GenBank Accession No. KF879087) of ITS rDNA amplified with rust-specific primers Rust2inv and LR6 (1). The amplicon had a 100% similarity to C. plumeriae (GU145555). Pathogenicity was confirmed by spraying a urediniospores suspension (15,000 spores ml−1) on five plants of P. rubra cultivar. Five leaves of each plant were inoculated and sealed in plastic bags, while five control plants were applied with sterile water. Plants were held at 28°C for 36 h in a dew chamber. All inoculated leaves developed typical rust symptoms with the uredinia appearing after 9 days, no symptoms developed on any control plants. Urediniospores were produced on infected leaves and pathogen identity was confirmed by morphology and re-sequencing of the ITS rDNA. Plumeria rust was first found in Hong Kong (4) and then in Hainan and Yunnan Provinces, China (3). However, this is the first report of plumeria rust in Guangdong Province, China. Frangipani has large, colorful flowers in the summer, and this rapidly spreading disease causes severe damage and affects their aesthetic value in the second half of the year.

References: (1) M. C. Aime. Mycoscience 47:112, 2006. (2) N. Patouillard. Bull. Soc. Mycol. Fr. 18:171, 1902. (3) Q. Wang et al. New Dis. Rep. 23, doi:10.5197/j.2044-0588.2011.023.010, 2011. (4) J. Yan et al. Mycosystema 25:327, 2006 (in Chinese).
A novel Omp25-binding peptide screened by phage display can inhibit Brucella abortus 2308 infection in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Zhang Junbo , Guo Fei , Huang Xiaoqiang , Chen Chuangfu , Liu Ruitian , Zhang Hui , Wang Yuanzhi , Yin Shuanghong , Li Zhiqiang
Published: April 2014

Brucellosis is a globally distributed zoonotic disease affecting animals and humans, and current antibiotic and vaccine strategies are not optimal. The surface-exposed protein Omp25 is involved in Brucella virulence and plays an important role in Brucella pathogenesis during infection, suggesting that Omp25 could be a useful target for selecting potential therapeutic molecules to inhibit Brucella pathogenesis. In this study, we identified, we believe for the first time, peptides that bind specifically to the Omp25 protein of pathogens, using a phage panning technique, After four rounds of panning, 42 plaques of eluted phages were subjected to pyrosequencing. Four phage clones that bound better than the other clones were selected following confirmation by ELISA and affinity constant determination. The peptides selected could significantly inhibit Brucella abortus 2308 (S2308) internalization and intracellular growth in RAW264.7 macrophages, and significantly induce secretion of TNF-α and IL-12 in peptide- and S2308-treated cells. Any observed peptide (OP11, OP27, OP35 or OP40) could significantly inhibit S2308 infection in BALB/c mice. Moreover, the peptide OP11 was the best candidate peptide for inhibiting S2308 infection in vitro and in vivo. These results suggest that peptide OP11 has potential for exploitation as a peptide drug in resisting S2308 infection.