bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coparental Affect, Children's Emotion Dysregulation, and Parent and Child Depressive Symptoms
Authors: Thomassin Kristel , Suveg Cynthia , Davis Molly , Lavner Justin A. , Beach Steven R. H.
Published: September 2015

Children's emotion dysregulation and depressive symptoms are known to be affected by a range of individual (parent, child) and systemic (parent–child, marital, and family) characteristics. The current study builds on this literature by examining the unique role of coparental affect in children's emotion dysregulation, and whether this association mediates the link between parent and child depressive symptoms. Participants were 51 mother–father–child triads with children aged 7 to 12 (M age = 9.24 years). Triads discussed a time when the child felt sad and a time when the child felt happy. Maternal and paternal displays of positive affect were coded, and sequential analyses examined the extent to which parents were congruent in their displays of positive affect during the emotion discussions. Results indicated that interparental positive affect congruity (IPAC) during the sadness discussion, but not the happiness discussion, uniquely predicted parent‐reported child emotion dysregulation, above and beyond the contributions of child negative affect and parental punitive reactions. The degree of IPAC during the sadness discussion and child emotion dysregulation mediated the association between maternal, but not paternal, depressive symptoms and child depressive symptoms. Findings highlight the unique role of coparental affect in the socialization of sadness in youth and offer initial support for low levels of IPAC as a risk factor for the transmission of depressive symptoms in youth.
Warmer, deeper, and greener mixed layers in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre over the last 50 years
Authors: Martinez Elodie , Raitsos Dionysios E. , Antoine David
Published: September 2015

Shifts in global climate resonate in plankton dynamics, biogeochemical cycles, and marine food webs. We studied these linkages in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre (NASG), which hosts extensive phytoplankton blooms. We show that phytoplankton abundance increased since the 1960s in parallel to a deepening of the mixed layer and a strengthening of winds and heat losses from the ocean, as driven by the low frequency of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). In parallel to these bottom‐up processes, the top‐down control of phytoplankton by copepods decreased over the same time period in the western NASG, following sea surface temperature changes typical of the Atlantic Multi‐decadal Oscillation (AMO). While previous studies have hypothesized that climate‐driven warming would facilitate seasonal stratification of surface waters and long‐term phytoplankton increase in subpolar regions, here we show that deeper mixed layers in the NASG can be warmer and host a higher phytoplankton biomass. These results emphasize that different modes of climate variability regulate bottom‐up (NAO control) and top‐down (AMO control) forcing on phytoplankton at decadal timescales. As a consequence, different relationships between phytoplankton, zooplankton, and their physical environment appear subject to the disparate temporal scale of the observations (seasonal, interannual, or decadal). The prediction of phytoplankton response to climate change should be built upon what is learnt from observations at the longest timescales.
‘ES WARD MEIN HERZ ZUR EISENBAHN’: UMSCHRIFTEN DES WUNDERBAREN IN LUDWIG TIECKS SPÄTEN NOVELLEN
Authors: Weidner Daniel
Published: September 2015

Ludwig Tieck's last Novellen mark the threshold between romantic and realistic literature. Focusing on Waldeinsamkeit, the essay analyses how motifs and narrative strategies of the Romantic Kunstmärchen are reformulated, pointing towards a new form of novellistic narration that hovers ambivalently between Romanticisation and disillusionment. This transformation reacts both to the experience of modernisation and to the new status of literature following the age of Goethe. It displaces features of the fairytale, such as the emphasis on the miraculous, as well as the poetological reflexivity of early Romantic literature, into realistic narration and thus contributes to the historical specificity of the German Novelle.

Ludwig Tiecks letzte Novellen stehen an der Schwelle zwischen romantischem und realistischem Erzählen. Insbesondere an Waldeinsamkeit wird untersucht, wie Motive und Erzählverfahren des romantischen Kunstmärchens reformuliert werden in einer neuen Form novellistischen Erzählens, die ambivalent zwischen Romantisierung und Desillusionierung schwankt. Diese Transformation, die auf Erfahrungen der Modernisierung ebenso reagiert wie auf den neuen Status der Literatur nach der Goethezeit, verschiebt Momente des Märchenhaften und Wunderbaren ebenso wie Elemente poetologischer Reflexivität in das realistische Erzählen und trägt so wesentlich zur besonderen Ausprägung der deutschen Novelle in der Literaturgeschichte bei.
Cholesterol ester storage disease with a novel LIPA mutation (L264P) that presented massive hepatomegaly: A case report
Authors: Kuranobu Naomi , Murakami Jun , Okamoto Ken , Nishimura Rei , Murayama Kei , Takamura Ayumi , Umeda Toshiko , Eto Yoshikatsu , Kanzaki Susumu
Published: September 2015

Cholesterol ester storage disease (CESD) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by deficient lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) activity, resulting in cholesteryl ester (CE) accumulation. CESD patients have liver disease associated with mixed dyslipidemia leading to liver failure. We here report the case of an 11‐year‐old male CESD patient with a novel mutation who had the chief complaint of massive hepatomegaly. The patient's liver reached to his pelvis, and his spleen was 2 cm below the costal margin. The patient had elevated serum liver enzymes and mixed dyslipidemia. The liver biopsy tissue showed characteristic CESD pathology, which included microvesicular steatosis, mild fibrosis and foamy macrophages. Electron microscopy showed a remnant cleft of CE crystals, and dried blood spot testing showed reduced LAL activity. We identified compound heterozygous mutations in the LIPA gene in this patient, namely, c.607G>C and c.791T>C. The former mutation was previously reported only in a Japanese patient, whereas the latter mutation is novel. The findings of this study suggest that LIPA gene mutations in Japanese CESD patients are different from those in Western patients. Although CESD is rare, it is likely that many patients are unrecognized or misdiagnosed, and thus the possibility of CESD should be considered in patients with hepatosplenomegaly and dyslipidemia.
Internal structural changes in keratin fibres resulting from combined hair waving and stress relaxation treatments: a Raman spectroscopic investigation
Authors: Kuzuhara A.
Published: September 2015

Objective

The objective of our research was to investigate the influence of chemical treatments (reduction, stress relaxation and oxidation) on hair keratin fibres.

Methods

The structure of cross‐sections at various depths of virgin white human hair resulting from permanent waving treatments with stress relaxation process was directly analysed at a molecular level using Raman spectroscopy. In particular, the three disulphide (–SS–) conformations in human hair were compared by S–S band analysis.

Results

The gauche‐gauche‐gauche (GGG) and gauche‐gauche‐trans (GGT) contents of –SS– groups remarkably decreased, while the trans‐gauche‐trans (TGT) content was not changed by performing the reduction process with thioglycolic acid. In addition, the high‐temperature stress relaxation process after reduction accelerated the disconnection of –SS– (GGG and GGT) groups in the human hair, while the low‐temperature stress relaxation process after reduction accelerated the reconnection of –SS– (GGG and GGT) groups. Moreover, the S–O band intensity at 1042 cm−1, assigned to cysteic acid, existing in the cuticle region and the surface of the cortex region increased, while the GGG content significantly decreased by performing the oxidation process after the reduction and the high‐temperature stress relaxation processes.

Conclusion

The author concluded that the high‐temperature relaxation process after reduction accelerated the disconnection of –SS– (GGG and GGT) groups, thereby leading to the remarkable local molecular disorganization (an increase in the cysteic acid content and a decrease in the GGG content) on the cuticle and cortex cells during the oxidation process.
A proposal for using contralateral teeth to provide well‐balanced experimental groups for endodontic studies
Authors: Xu J. , Shao M. Y. , Pan H. Y. , Lei L. , Liu T. , Cheng L. , Hu T. , Dummer P. M. H.
Published: September 2015

Aim

To develop a suitable protocol for screening extracted teeth so as to create anatomically well‐balanced experimental groups for endodontic studies.

Methodology

Sixty pairs (120 teeth) of contralateral premolars (CLPs) were collected. The evaluation of samples for anatomical features was performed in the following ways. First, the 120 teeth were divided into right and left sides (N = 60, each side), and the teeth of each side were screened individually according to regular inclusion criteria (parameters included mature apical foramen, canal type, canal curvature and tooth length). The similarity of the specimens was then evaluated. The second screening process evaluated the 60 pairs of CLPs using the same criteria. Finally, CBCT was used to establish a strict screening protocol to create well‐balanced groups of CLPs.

Results

In the first screening process, 80% (24/30) of the left and 61% (19/31) of the right side were selected out of teeth with mature foramina; but the included teeth had asymmetrical canal curvatures. In the second screening process, 28 pairs were selected after the exclusion of those with an immature foramen in one pair. Seventeen pairs in which the tooth length and canal curvature were symmetrical were selected from the 28 CLPs. In the third screening, only 21% (6/28) of CLPs passed the rigorous screening procedure and were identical for creating balanced experimental groups.

Conclusions

Relatively, few pairs of contralateral teeth had anatomical symmetry. For endodontic studies, a strict and detailed scientific screening protocol is necessary to achieve well‐balanced experimental groups.
Nevus sebaceus: a clinicopathological study of 168 cases and review of the literature
Authors: Kamyab‐Hesari Kambiz , Seirafi Hassan , Jahan Shahin , Aghazadeh Nessa , Hejazi Pardis , Azizpour Arghavan , Goodarzi Azadeh
Published: September 2015

Background

Nevus sebaceus is a hamartoma composed of abnormal epidermal and dermal components with clinical and histopathological features that change with aging. Prophylactic excision of the lesion was advised historically considering its potential for giving rise to malignant tumors. However, whether early prophylactic excision should be performed has been questioned recently as most of the tumors have been found to be benign in origin.

Methods

The histopathologic features of 168 patients with nevus sebaceus were reviewed to determine the frequency of different histologic features as well as associated neoplastic growths.

Results

Acanthosis, papillomatosis, and basal layer pigmentation were the most frequent findings. Hyperplastic changes of the sebaceous glands became obvious during the second decade and were present in 60% of the specimens from individuals older than 20. Inflammatory infiltrate was almost invariably present. Skin adnexal changes were frequently noted, including sebaceous gland hyperplasia (93.5%) and primitive hair follicles (76.8%). In 88.5% of scalp lesions, markedly decreased terminal hair was observed. Ectopic apocrine glands were present in 55.4% of specimens, while 24.4% showed anomalous ductal sweat gland structures resembling eccrine hyperplasia. Neoplastic changes were detected in nine cases, including four trichoblastomas, three tricholemmomas, and two syringocystadenoma papilliferums.

Conclusion

Development of malignancies in sebaceus nevi is a rare phenomenon, and decision for excision of the lesion should be made after thorough evaluation of the pros and cons.
Infants' Understanding of Information Transmission in the Context of Communication Involving Multiple Agents
Authors: He Jie , Jin Xinyi , Li Zhuyun , Zheng Lei , Sun Zhongqiang , Zhang Meng , Shen Mowei
Published: September 2015

This study explored whether infants understand information transmission in a third‐party communication context involving multiple agents. Infants aged 12 and 15 months were habituated to two agents pursuing two different objects and then tested with one agent (the communicator) interacting with a new agent (the recipient), whereas the other agent (the noncommunicator) did not interact with anyone. Results showed that 15‐month‐olds looked for longer when the recipient reached toward the preferred object of the noncommunicator in contrast to that of the communicator, suggesting that they recognized information transmitted from the communicator (versus the noncommunicator) to the recipient. Furthermore, the information was perceived as being specifically transmitted between agents, and this inference was not driven by the low‐level perceptual factors of the communicator or the communication itself. However, 12‐month‐old infants did not show an understanding of transmission between the agents. The selective understanding of information transmitted among multiple agents, and the critical role of agency in such understanding are discussed.
A novel phylogenetic regionalization of phytogeographical zones of southern Africa reveals their hidden evolutionary affinities
Authors: Daru Barnabas H. , van der Bank Michelle , Maurin Olivier , Yessoufou Kowiyou , Schaefer Hanno , Slingsby Jasper A. , Davies T. Jonathan
Published: September 2015

Aim

Although existing bioregional classification schemes often consider the compositional affinities within regional biotas, they do not typically incorporate phylogenetic information explicitly. Because phylogeny captures information on the evolutionary history of taxa, it provides a powerful tool for delineating biogeographical boundaries and for establishing relationships among them. Here, we present the first vegetation delineation of the woody flora of southern Africa based upon evolutionary relationships.

Location

Southern Africa.

Methods

We used a published time‐calibrated phylogenetic tree for 1400 woody plant species along with their geographical distributions and a metric of phylogenetic beta diversity to generate a phylogenetic delineation of the woody vegetation of southern Africa. We then explored environmental correlates of phylogenetic turnover between them, and the evolutionary distinctiveness of the taxa within them.

Results

We identified 15 phylogenetically distinct biogeographical units, here referred to as phyloregions. The largest phyloregion broadly overlaps with Savanna vegetation, while the phyloregion overlapping with the south‐western portion of the Fynbos biome is the most evolutionarily distinct. Potential evapotranspiration and mean annual temperature differ significantly among phyloregions and correlate with patterns of phylogenetic beta diversity between them. Our phylogeny‐based delimitation of southern Africa's woody vegetation broadly matches currently recognized phytogeographical classifications, but also highlights parts of the Namib Karoo and Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park as distinct, but previously under‐recognized biogeographical units.

Main conclusions

Our analysis provides new insights into the structure and phylogenetic relationships among the woody flora of southern Africa. We show that evolutionary affinities differentiate phyloregions closely resembling existing vegetation classifications, yet also identify ‘cryptic’ phyloregions that are as evolutionarily distinct as some of the recognized African vegetation types.
Maternal depression in childhood and aggression in young adulthood: evidence for mediation by offspring amygdala–hippocampal volume ratio
Authors: Gilliam Mary , Forbes Erika E. , Gianaros Peter J. , Erickson Kirk I. , Brennan Lauretta M. , Shaw Daniel S.
Published: September 2015

Background

There is abundant evidence that offspring of depressed mothers are at increased risk for persistent behavior problems related to emotion regulation, but the mechanisms by which offspring incur this risk are not entirely clear. Early adverse caregiving experiences have been associated with structural alterations in the amygdala and hippocampus, which parallel findings of cortical regions altered in adults with behavior problems related to emotion regulation. This study examined whether exposure to maternal depression during childhood might predict increased aggression and/or depression in early adulthood, and whether offspring amygdala:hippocampal volume ratio might mediate this relationship.

Methods

Participants were 258 mothers and sons at socioeconomic risk for behavior problems. Sons' trajectories of exposure to maternal depression were generated from eight reports collected prospectively from offspring ages 18 months to 10 years. Offspring brain structure, aggression, and depression were assessed at age 20 (n = 170).

Results

Persistent, moderately high trajectories of maternal depression during childhood predicted increased aggression in adult offspring. In contrast, stable and very elevated trajectories of maternal depression during childhood predicted depression in adult offspring. Increased amygdala: hippocampal volume ratios at age 20 were significantly associated with concurrently increased aggression, but not depression, in adult offspring. Offspring amygdala: hippocampal volume ratio mediated the relationship found between trajectories of moderately elevated maternal depression during childhood and aggression in adult offspring.

Conclusions

Alterations in the relative size of brain structures implicated in emotion regulation may be one mechanism by which offspring of depressed mothers incur increased risk for the development of aggression.
Combination therapy of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists and insulin for patients who developed diabetes after partial pancreatectomy
Authors: Kitazawa Toru , Yokoyama Kazuhito , Kubota Ken
Published: September 2015

Aims/Introduction

It is known that after pancreatectomy, patients experience hyposecretion of endogenous insulin and frequently develop diabetes. However, it has been unclear whether combination therapy with glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists and basal insulin is effective for such patients. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with long‐acting insulin glargine and the glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist lixisenatide in patients who developed diabetes after pancreatectomy.

Materials and Methods

Japanese patients who developed diabetes after pancreatectomy were eligible for this study. Participants were treated with combination therapy of glargine and lixisenatide for 12 weeks. Fasting and postprandial plasma glucose, C‐peptide immunoreactivity, glycated hemoglobin, bodyweight, visceral fat and subcutaneous fat were measured.

Results

At 12 weeks after initiation of lixisenatide, glycated hemoglobin levels decreased from 8.46 ± 1.64% to 6.81 ± 1.15%. In addition, 1‐h postprandial plasma glucose and 2‐h postprandial plasma glucose levels significantly decreased from 222.9 ± 56.2 mg/dL to 125.1 ± 37.5 mg/dL (P < 0.001) and from 247.5 ± 56.8 mg/dL to 115.1 ± 29.0 mg/dL (P < 0.001), respectively. Neither hypoglycemia nor clinically relevant adverse events occurred during this study.

Conclusions

The present study shows that combination therapy with basal insulin and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists after partial pancreatectomy can be a useful therapeutic option for providing effective glycemic control with a reduced risk of hypoglycemia.
Growth and survival of blowfly Lucilia sericata larvae under simulated wound conditions: implications for maggot debridement therapy
Authors: ČIČKOVÁ H. , KOZÁNEK M. , TAKÁČ P.
Published: September 2015

Maggot debridement therapy has become a well‐established method of wound debridement. Despite its success, little information is available about the optimum duration of the treatment cycle and larval growth in wounds. This study examines the development of Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae under two containment conditions (bagged and free range) under simulated wound conditions and assesses the impact of transport and further storage of larvae on their survival and growth. There was no significant difference in size between bagged and free‐range larvae over the 72‐h experimental period. Larvae grew fastest 8–24 h after inoculation and completed their growth at 40–48 h. Mortality rates were similar (0.12–0.23% per hour) in both containment conditions and did not differ significantly (P = 0.3212). Survival of free‐range larvae was on average 16% lower than survival of bagged larvae. Refrigeration of larvae upon simulated delivery for > 1 day reduced their survival to < 50% and caused a reduction in growth of up to 30% at 12 h, but not at 48 h, of incubation. Therefore, it is recommended that free‐range larvae are left in the wound for a maximum of 40–48 h, and bagged larvae for 48–72 h. Larvae should be used within 24 h of delivery to avoid high mortality caused by prolonged refrigeration.
Systematic analysis of rice (Oryza sativa) metabolic responses to herbivory
Authors: Alamgir Kabir Md , Hojo Yuko , Christeller John T. , Fukumoto Kaori , Isshiki Ryutaro , Shinya Tomonori , Baldwin Ian T. , Galis Ivan
Published: September 2015

Plants defend against attack from herbivores by direct and indirect defence mechanisms mediated by the accumulation of phytoalexins and release of volatile signals, respectively. While the defensive arsenals of some plants, such as tobacco and Arabidopsis are well known, most of rice's (Oryza sativa) defence metabolites and their effectiveness against herbivores remain uncharacterized. Here, we used a non‐biassed metabolomics approach to identify many novel herbivory‐regulated metabolic signatures in rice. Most were up‐regulated by herbivore attack while only a few were suppressed. Two of the most prominent up‐regulated signatures were characterized as phenolamides (PAs), p‐coumaroylputrescine and feruloylputrescine. PAs accumulated in response to attack by both chewing insects, i.e. feeding of the lawn armyworm (Spodoptera mauritia) and the rice skipper (Parnara guttata) larvae, and the attack of the sucking insect, the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens, BPH). In bioassays, BPH insects feeding on 15% sugar solution containing p‐coumaroylputrescine or feruloylputrescine, at concentrations similar to those elicited by heavy BPH attack in rice, had a higher mortality compared to those feeding on sugar diet alone. Our results highlight PAs as a rapidly expanding new group of plant defence metabolites that are elicited by herbivore attack, and deter herbivores in rice and other plants.
Aquaporin plays an important role in mediating chloroplastic CO2 concentration under high‐N supply in rice (Oryza sativa) plants
Authors: Ding Lei , Gao Limin , Liu Wei , Wang Min , Gu Mian , Ren Binbin , Xu Guohua , Shen Qirong , Guo Shiwei
Published: September 2015

Our previous studies demonstrated that chloroplastic CO2 concentration (Cc) is not sufficient under high‐nitrogen (N) supply in rice plants. In this research, we studied how aquaporins‐ (AQPs) mediated Cc under different N‐supply levels. A hydroponic experiment was conducted in a greenhouse with three different N levels (low N, 0.71 mM; intermediate N, 2.86 mM; and high N, 7.14 mM) in a rice cultivar (Oryza sativa cv. Shanyou 63) and with an ospip1;1 mutant (Oryza sativa cv. Nipponbare). The photosynthetic nitrogen‐use efficiency (PNUE) decreased with increasing leaf‐N content. Under high‐N supply, the estimated Cc was significantly lower than the theoretical Cc and the specific Rubisco activity (carboxylation efficiency/Rubisco content, CE/Rubisco) decreased, because of a decrease of relative CO2 diffusion conductance (total CO2 diffusion conductance/leaf‐N content, gt/N) in mesophyll cells. Real Time Quantitative PCR (Q‐RT‐PCR) showed that most OsPIP1s and OsPIP2s expression were downregulated under the high‐N supply. Furthermore, Cc and gm decreased in the ospip1;1 mutant line compared with that of the wild‐type plant. It was concluded that under high‐N supply, the decreased PNUE was associated with non‐sufficient Cc, mediated by AQP in mesophyll conductance.
Transport, Distribution and Elimination of Mammalian Sperm Following Natural Mating and Insemination
Authors: Kölle S
Published: September 2015

Contents

The integrity of transport, distribution and elimination of sperm in the female genital tract plays a pivotal role for successful reproduction in mammals. At coitus, millions or billions of sperm are deposited either into the anterior vagina (human, primates), the cervix (most mammalian species) or the uterus (pig). In most species, the first anatomical barrier is the cervix, where spermatozoa with poor morphology and motility are filtered out by sticking to the cervical mucus. The second anatomical barrier is the uterotubal junction (UTJ) with its tortuous and narrow lumen. Finally, only a few thousand sperm enter the oviduct and less than 100 sperm reach the site of fertilization. As soon as the sperm enter the oviduct, they form a sperm reservoir enabling them to stay vital and maintain fertilizing capacity for 3–4 days (cow, horse) up to several months (bats). After ovulation, mammalian sperm show hyperactivation which allows them to detach from the tubal epithelium and migrate to the site of fertilization. This review will focus on recent insights of sperm transport, sperm storage and sperm–oviduct interaction in mammals which have been gained by live cell imaging in cows and mice under nearin vivoconditions. Detailed knowledge of the biology of spermatozoa within the female genital tract creates the basis for new therapeutic concepts for male subfertility and infertility – an essential prerequisite to increase success rates in assisted reproduction.
Gender analysis of fear and mobility in the context of ethnic conflict in Kayah State, Myanmar
Authors: Ma Agatha , Kusakabe Kyoko
Published: September 2015

Kayah State has faced prolonged conflict for the past six decades. The conflict has affected all the people of Kayah, though the nature and extent of the impact varies by age, gender and class. Caught between the ethnic armed groups and military and brutalized by both, the people of Kayah have struggled to survive. The conflict has further restricted the mobility of an already isolated people. This lack of mobility has affected every aspect of their lives including livelihood, access to education and markets, and religious and social networks. Women's mobility is more restricted than that of men, and the different levels of mobility have in turn led to different strategies to survive the conflict. While men can leave the area for work and education, women cannot. Staying in the conflict zone increases both their vulnerability and isolation. The increased isolation affects their position within the family and community, as they have less confidence, voice and decision‐making power. Women use silence and submissiveness to escape from both the military and the ethnic armed groups. However, such strategies, in the long term, continue to perpetuate women's subordinate position in society. They also reinforce women's powerlessness and maintain the current power structures and hierarchies.
Assessing the effect of crop residue removal on soil organic carbon storage and microbial activity in a no‐till cropping system
Authors: Chowdhury S. , Farrell M. , Butler G. , Bolan N.
Published: September 2015

Changes in agricultural management strategies have received much attention in recent years with a view to increasing or maintaining the amount of carbon (C) sequestered as soil organic C (SOC). In many parts of the world, minimum or no‐till management has been promoted as a means of improving soil quality, reducing losses of erosion and potentially increasing SOC stocks. However, no‐till systems can become problematic and potentially disease‐prone, especially due to high crop residue loadings. Consequently, residue removal either by harvesting or burning off may be employed to reduce these pressures. Here, we examined the effect of crop residue removal on C storage in soil that had been under no‐till management for 20 yr. We predicted improved physical properties (i.e. lower bulk density) and greater microbial activity under the residue retention soils due to greater readily available C and nutrients derived from crop residues. In contrast, we predicted relative reductions in SOC in the no residue soils due to a lack of available residue‐derived C for microbial use. Residue removal caused a relative C loss from the soil, which was related to C input, amount of nutrient availability and microbial activity. We demonstrate the importance of maintaining crop residue cover in no‐till cropping systems for soil function and highlight the potentially deleterious effects of changing management strategy to increased residue harvesting or removal by burning.
The immunological barriers to xenotransplantation
Authors: Vadori M. , Cozzi E.
Published: September 2015

The availability of cells, tissues and organs from a non‐human species such as the pig could, at least in theory, meet the demand of organs necessary for clinical transplantation. At this stage, the important goal of getting over the first year of survival has been reported for both cellular and solid organ xenotransplantation in relevant preclinical primate models. In addition, xenotransplantation is already in the clinic as shown by the broad use of animal‐derived medical devices, such as bioprosthetic heart valves and biological materials used for surgical tissue repair. At this stage, however, prior to starting a wide‐scale clinical application of xenotransplantation of viable cells and organs, the important obstacle represented by the humoral immune response will need to be overcome. Likewise, the barriers posed by the activation of the innate immune system and coagulative pathway will have to be controlled. As far as xenogeneic nonviable xenografts, increasing evidence suggests that considerable immune reactions, mediated by both innate and adaptive immunity, take place and influence the long‐term outcome of xenogeneic materials in patients, possibly precluding the use of bioprosthetic heart valves in young individuals. In this context, the present article provides an overview of current knowledge on the immune processes following xenotransplantation and on the possible therapeutic interventions to overcome the immunological drawbacks involved in xenotransplantation.
Cytokine profile of autologous platelet‐derived eye drops in patients with ocular chronic graft‐versus‐host disease
Authors: Valentini C. G. , Nuzzolo E. R. , Orlando N. , Metafuni E. , Bianchi M. , Chiusolo P. , Zini G. , Teofili L.
Published: September 2015

Ocular chronic GVHD is efficaciously treated with autologous platelet‐derived eye drops. We investigated the cytokine content of eye drops produced using a non‐gelified lysate obtained from autologous platelet‐rich plasma in six patients with ocular GVHD. In both the responding (n = 4) and the resistant (n = 2) patients, the eye drops were significantly enriched with various growth factors, in amounts proportional with the platelet counts. In contrast, chemokine ligand and interleukin levels were similar to those of plasma. The non‐responding patients showed the highest levels of chemokine (C‐X‐C motif) ligand (CXCL)10. These findings provide possible explanations for beneficial or detrimental effects of eye drops.
Forward scattering detection of a submerged moving target based on adaptive filtering technique
Authors: He Chuanlin , Yang Kunde , Lei Bo , Ma Yuanliang
Published: September 2015

Forward scattered waves are always overwhelmed by severely intense direct blasts when a submerged target crosses the source-receiver line. A processing scheme called direct blast suppression based on adaptive filtering (DBS-AF) is proposed to suppress such blasts. A verification experiment was conducted in a lake with a vertical hydrophone array and 10 kHz CW impulses. Processing results show that the direct blast is suppressed in a single channel, and an intruding target is identified by the lobes in the detection curve. The detection performance is improved by adopting a time-delay beam-former on the array as a pre-processing technique.
Adaptive evolutionary paths from UV reception to sensing violet light by epistatic interactions
Authors: Yokoyama Shozo , Altun Ahmet , Jia Huiyong , Yang Hui , Koyama Takashi , Faggionato Davide , Liu Yang , Starmer William T.
Published: September 2015

The evolution of violet reception by conspicuous and hidden epistasis.
RNA-Seq of single prostate CTCs implicates noncanonical Wnt signaling in antiandrogen resistance
Authors: Miyamoto David T. , Zheng Yu , Wittner Ben S. , Lee Richard J. , Zhu Huili , Broderick Katherine T. , Desai Rushil , Fox Douglas B. , Brannigan Brian W. , Trautwein Julie , Arora Kshitij S. , Desai Niyati , Dahl Douglas M. , Sequist Lecia V. , Smith Matthew R. , Kapur Ravi , Wu Chin-Lee , Shioda Toshi , Ramaswamy Sridhar , Ting David T. , Toner Mehmet , Maheswaran Shyamala , Haber Daniel A.
Published: September 2015

Circulating signals of drug resistance

Cancer drugs often lose their effectiveness because tumors acquire genetic changes that confer drug resistance. Ideally, patients would be switched to a different drug before tumor growth resumes, but this requires early knowledge of how resistance arose. Miyamoto
et al.
have developed a non-invasive method to spot resistance by sequencing RNA transcripts in single circulating tumor cells (CTCs) (see the Perspective by Nanus and Giannakakou). For example, in prostate cancer patients, drug resistance was triggered by activation of the Wnt signaling pathway. But CTCs are rare and fragile, and the technology needs further development before it is used in clinical practice.

Science
, this issue p.
1351
; see also p.
1283
Assessment of the Toxicity of CuO Nanoparticles by Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mutants with Multiple Genes Deleted
Authors: Bao Shaopan , Lu Qicong , Fang Tao , Dai Heping , Zhang Chao
Published: September 2015

To develop applicable and susceptible models to evaluate the toxicity of nanoparticles, the antimicrobial effects of CuO nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) on various
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
(
S. cerevisiae
) strains (wild type, single-gene-deleted mutants, and multiple-gene-deleted mutants) were determined and compared. Further experiments were also conducted to analyze the mechanisms associated with toxicity using copper salt, bulk CuO (bCuO), carbon-shelled copper nanoparticles (C/Cu-NPs), and carbon nanoparticles (C-NPs) for comparisons. The results indicated that the growth inhibition rates of CuO-NPs for the wild-type and the single-gene-deleted strains were comparable, while for the multiple-gene deletion mutant, significantly higher toxicity was observed (
P
< 0.05). When the toxicity of the CuO-NPs to yeast cells was compared with the toxicities of copper salt and bCuO, we concluded that the toxicity of CuO-NPs should be attributed to soluble copper rather than to the nanoparticles. The striking difference in adverse effects of C-NPs and C/Cu-NPs with equivalent surface areas also proved this. A toxicity assay revealed that the multiple-gene-deleted mutant was significantly more sensitive to CuO-NPs than the wild type. Specifically, compared with the wild-type strain, copper was readily taken up by mutant strains when cell permeability genes were knocked out, and the mutants with deletions of genes regulated under oxidative stress (OS) were likely producing more reactive oxygen species (ROS). Hence, as mechanism-based gene inactivation could increase the susceptibility of yeast, the multiple-gene-deleted mutants should be improved model organisms to investigate the toxicity of nanoparticles.
Using UVC Light-Emitting Diodes at Wavelengths of 266 to 279 Nanometers To Inactivate Foodborne Pathogens and Pasteurize Sliced Cheese
Authors: Kim Soo-Ji , Kim Do-Kyun , Kang Dong-Hyun
Published: September 2015

UVC light is a widely used sterilization technology. However, UV lamps have several limitations, including low activity at refrigeration temperatures, a long warm-up time, and risk of mercury exposure. UV-type lamps only emit light at 254 nm, so as an alternative, UV light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) which can produce the desired wavelengths have been developed. In this study, we validated the inactivation efficacy of UV-LEDs by wavelength and compared the results to those of conventional UV lamps. Selective media inoculated with
Escherichia coli
O157:H7,
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium, and
Listeria monocytogenes
were irradiated using UV-LEDs at 266, 270, 275, and 279 nm in the UVC spectrum at 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, and 0.7 mJ/cm
2
, respectively. The radiation intensity of the UV-LEDs was about 4 μW/cm
2
, and UV lamps were covered with polypropylene films to adjust the light intensity similar to those of UV-LEDs. In addition, we applied UV-LED to sliced cheese at doses of 1, 2, and 3 mJ/cm
2
. Our results showed that inactivation rates after UV-LED treatment were significantly different (
P
< 0.05) from those of UV lamps at a similar intensity. On microbiological media, UV-LED treatments at 266 and 270 nm showed significantly different (
P
< 0.05) inactivation effects than other wavelength modules. For sliced cheeses, 4- to 5-log reductions occurred after treatment at 3 mJ/cm
2
for all three pathogens, with negligible generation of injured cells.
Contribution of the Distal Pocket Residue to the Acyl-Chain-Length Specificity of (
R
)-Specific Enoyl-Coenzyme A Hydratases from Pseudomonas spp
Authors: Tsuge Takeharu , Sato Shun , Hiroe Ayaka , Ishizuka Koya , Kanazawa Hiromi , Shiro Yoshitsugu , Hisano Tamao
Published: September 2015

(
R
)-Specific enoyl-coenzyme A (enoyl-CoA) hydratases (PhaJs) are capable of supplying monomers from fatty acid β-oxidation to polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis. PhaJ1
Pp
from
Pseudomonas putida
showed broader substrate specificity than did PhaJ1
Pa
from
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
, despite sharing 67% amino acid sequence identity. In this study, the substrate specificity characteristics of two
Pseudomonas
PhaJ1 enzymes were investigated by site-directed mutagenesis, chimeragenesis, X-ray crystallographic analysis, and homology modeling. In PhaJ1
Pp
, the replacement of valine with isoleucine at position 72 resulted in an increased preference for enoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) elements with shorter chain lengths. Conversely, at the same position in PhaJ1
Pa
, the replacement of isoleucine with valine resulted in an increased preference for enoyl-CoAs with longer chain lengths. These changes suggest a narrowing and broadening in the substrate specificity range of the PhaJ1
Pp
and PhaJ1
Pa
mutants, respectively. However, the substrate specificity remains broader in PhaJ1
Pp
than in PhaJ1
Pa
. Additionally, three chimeric PhaJ1 enzymes, composed from PhaJ1
Pp
and PhaJ1
Pa
, all showed significant hydratase activity, and their substrate preferences were within the range exhibited by the parental PhaJ1 enzymes. The crystal structure of PhaJ1
Pa
was determined at a resolution of 1.7 Å, and subsequent homology modeling of PhaJ1
Pp
revealed that in the acyl-chain binding pocket, the amino acid at position 72 was the only difference between the two structures. These results indicate that the chain-length specificity of PhaJ1 is determined mainly by the bulkiness of the amino acid residue at position 72, but that other factors, such as structural fluctuations, also affect specificity.
Iron Response Regulator Protein IrrB in Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense MSR-1 Helps Control the Iron/Oxygen Balance, Oxidative Stress Tolerance, and Magnetosome Formation
Authors: Wang Qing , Wang Meiwen , Wang Xu , Guan Guohua , Li Ying , Peng Youliang , Li Jilun
Published: September 2015

Magnetotactic bacteria are capable of forming nanosized, membrane-enclosed magnetosomes under iron-rich and oxygen-limited conditions. The complete genomic sequence of
Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense
strain MSR-1 has been analyzed and found to contain five
fur
homologue genes whose protein products are predicted to be involved in iron homeostasis and the response to oxidative stress. Of these, only the MGMSRv2_3149 gene (
irrB
) was significantly downregulated under high-iron and low-oxygen conditions, during the transition of cell growth from the logarithmic to the stationary phase. The encoded protein, IrrB, containing the conserved HHH motif, was identified as an iron response regulator (Irr) protein belonging to the Fur superfamily. To investigate the function of IrrB, we constructed an
irrB
deletion mutant (Δ
irrB
). The levels of cell growth and magnetosome formation were lower in the Δ
irrB
strain than in the wild type (WT) under both high-iron and low-iron conditions. The Δ
irrB
strain also showed lower levels of iron uptake and H
2
O
2
tolerance than the WT. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR analysis indicated that the
irrB
mutation reduced the expression of numerous genes involved in iron transport, iron storage, heme biosynthesis, and Fe-S cluster assembly. Transcription studies of the other
fur
homologue genes in the Δ
irrB
strain indicated complementary functions of the Fur proteins in MSR-1. IrrB appears to be directly responsible for iron metabolism and homeostasis and to be indirectly involved in magnetosome formation. We propose two IrrB-regulated networks (under high- and low-iron conditions) in MSR-1 cells that control the balance of iron and oxygen metabolism and account for the coexistence of five Fur homologues.
Application of Metagenomic Sequencing to Food Safety: Detection of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli on Fresh Bagged Spinach
Authors: Leonard Susan R. , Mammel Mark K. , Lacher David W. , Elkins Christopher A.
Published: September 2015

Culture-independent diagnostics reduce the reliance on traditional (and slower) culture-based methodologies. Here we capitalize on advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) to apply this approach to food pathogen detection utilizing NGS as an analytical tool. In this study, spiking spinach with Shiga toxin-producing
Escherichia coli
(STEC) following an established FDA culture-based protocol was used in conjunction with shotgun metagenomic sequencing to determine the limits of detection, sensitivity, and specificity levels and to obtain information on the microbiology of the protocol. We show that an expected level of contamination (∼10 CFU/100 g) could be adequately detected (including key virulence determinants and strain-level specificity) within 8 h of enrichment at a sequencing depth of 10,000,000 reads. We also rationalize the relative benefit of static versus shaking culture conditions and the addition of selected antimicrobial agents, thereby validating the long-standing culture-based parameters behind such protocols. Moreover, the shotgun metagenomic approach was informative regarding the dynamics of microbial communities during the enrichment process, including initial surveys of the microbial loads associated with bagged spinach; the microbes found included key genera such as
Pseudomonas
,
Pantoea
, and
Exiguobacterium
. Collectively, our metagenomic study highlights and considers various parameters required for transitioning to such sequencing-based diagnostics for food safety and the potential to develop better enrichment processes in a high-throughput manner not previously possible. Future studies will investigate new species-specific DNA signature target regimens, rational design of medium components in concert with judicious use of additives, such as antibiotics, and alterations in the sample processing protocol to enhance detection.
Genome Sequence of Rhizobium ecuadorense Strain CNPSo 671
T
, an Indigenous N
2
-Fixing Symbiont of the Ecuadorian Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Genetic Pool
Authors: Ribeiro Renan Augusto , Delamuta Jakeline Renata Marçon , Gomes Douglas Fabiano , Souza Renata Carolina , Chueire Ligia Maria Oliveira , Hungria Mariangela
Published: September 2015

Rhizobium ecuadorense
CNPSo 671
T
was isolated from a common bean nodule in Ecuador. The draft genome brings novelty about indigenous rhizobial species in centers of genetic diversity of the legume.
Genome Sequence of Rough and Smooth Variants of Pleomorphic Strain Lactobacillus farciminis CNCM-I-3699
Authors: Tareb R. , Bernardeau M. , Vernoux J. P.
Published: September 2015

The probiotic
Lactobacillus farciminis
CNCM-I-3699 is a pleomorphic strain exhibiting smooth and rough variants. We report their complete genomes consisting of a chromosome of 2, 4 Mb and a plasmid of 6,417 bp. The smooth variant differs by the presence of an additional plasmid of 35,418 bp.
Draft Genome Sequence of Turicella otitidis TD1, Isolated from a Patient with Bacteremia
Authors: Greninger Alexander L. , Kozyreva Varvara , Truong Chau-Linda , Graves Margot , Chaturvedi Vishnu
Published: September 2015

We report the draft genome sequence of
Turicella otitidis
strain TD1, isolated from a central line catheter sample from a patient with a history of bowel obstruction. It contained several genetic determinants of multidrug-resistant phenotypes such as a cfrA 50S methyltransferase, two major facilitator superfamily–type drug resistance transporters, and a putative beta-lactamase.
The syphilis care cascade: tracking the course of care after screening positive among men and transgender women who have sex with men in Lima, Peru
Authors: Tang Eric C , Segura Eddy R , Clark Jesse L , Sanchez Jorge , Lama Javier R
Published: September 2015

Objectives

Syphilis is endemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women in Latin America. The objective of this study was to assess if those who screen positive for syphilis are receiving appropriate care and treatment.

Methods

We use data from the 2011 Peruvian National HIV Sentinel Surveillance to describe the syphilis care cascade among high-risk MSM and transgender women. Medical records from participants who had a positive syphilis screening test at two of the enrolment sites in Lima were reviewed to determine their subsequent course of care.

Results

We identified a cohort of 314 syphilis seropositive participants (median age: 30, 33.7% self-identified as transgender). Only 284/314 (90.4%) participants saw a physician for evaluation within 28 days of their positive test. Of these, 72/284 (25.4%) were asked to return for confirmatory results before deciding whether or not to start treatment; however, 45/72 (62.5%) of these participants did not follow up within 28 days. Of the people prescribed three weekly doses of penicillin, 34/63 (54%) received all three doses on time.

Conclusions

Many MSM and transgender women with a positive syphilis screening test are lost at various steps along the syphilis care cascade and may have persistent infection. Interventions in this population are needed to increase testing, link seropositive patients into care and ensure that they receive appropriate and timely treatment.