bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CCN1 Regulates Chondrocyte Maturation and Cartilage Development
Authors: Zhang Yongchun , Sheu Tzong-jen , Hoak Donna , Shen Jie , Hilton Matthew J , Zuscik Michael J , Jonason Jennifer H , O'Keefe Regis J
Published: September 2015

WNT/β-CATENIN signaling is involved in multiple aspects of skeletal development, including chondrocyte differentiation and maturation. Although the functions of β-CATENIN in chondrocytes have been extensively investigated through gain-of-function and loss-of-function mouse models, the precise downstream effectors through which β-CATENIN regulates these processes are not well defined. Here, we report that the matricellular protein, CCN1, is induced by WNT/β-CATENIN signaling in chondrocytes. Specifically, we found that β-CATENIN signaling promotes CCN1 expression in isolated primary sternal chondrocytes and both embryonic and postnatal cartilage. Additionally, we show that, in vitro, CCN1 overexpression promotes chondrocyte maturation, whereas inhibition of endogenous CCN1 function inhibits maturation. To explore the role of CCN1 on cartilage development and homeostasis in vivo, we generated a novel transgenic mouse model for conditional Ccn1 overexpression and show that cartilage-specific CCN1 overexpression leads to chondrodysplasia during development and cartilage degeneration in adult mice. Finally, we demonstrate that CCN1 expression increases in mouse knee joint tissues after meniscal/ligamentous injury (MLI) and in human cartilage after meniscal tear. Collectively, our data suggest that CCN1 is an important regulator of chondrocyte maturation during cartilage development and homeostasis. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
IMPERCEPTIBLE SIGNS: REMNANTS OF MAGNÉTISME IN SCIENTIFIC DISCOURSES ON HYPNOTISM IN LATE NINETEENTH‐CENTURY FRANCE*
Authors: HAJEK KIM M.
Published: September 2015

In 1880s France, hypnotism enjoyed unique medico‐scientific legitimacy. This was in striking contrast to preceding decades when its precursor, magnétisme animal, was rejected by the medical/academic establishment as a disreputable, supernaturally tinged practice. Did the legitimation of hypnotism result from researchers repudiating any reference to the wondrous? Or did strands of magnetic thinking persist? This article interrogates the relations among hypnotism, magnétisme, and the domain of the wondrous through close analysis of scientific texts on hypnotism. In question is the notion that somnambulist subjects possessed hyperacute senses, enabling them to perceive usually imperceptible signs, and thus inadvertently to denature researchers’ experiments (a phenomenon known as unconscious suggestion). The article explores researchers’ uncritical and unanimous acceptance of these ideas, arguing that they originate in a holdover from magnétisme. This complicates our understanding of the continuities and discontinuities between science and a precursor “pseudo‐science,” and, more narrowly, of the notorious Salpêtrière‐Nancy “battle” over hypnotism.
Barranc de la Boella (Catalonia, Spain): an Acheulean elephant butchering site from the European late Early Pleistocene
Authors: Mosquera M. , Saladié P. , Ollé A. , Cáceres I. , Huguet R. , Villalaín J. J. , Carrancho A. , Bourlès D. , Braucher R. , Vallverdú J.
Published: September 2015

Evidence of late Early Pleistocene elephant butchery activity has been excavated in the Pit 1 locality at Barranc de la Boella (Catalonia, Spain). The fossil assemblage mainly comprises the remains of one prime adult individual ofMammuthus meridionalis, together with 125 lithic artefacts, among which several refitting groups of chert have been identified. The lithic assemblage from the Pit 1 locality is composed of cobbles, cores, simple and retouched flakes, together with a large, well‐fashioned pick of hard‐wearing schist. Spatial, zooarchaeological, taphonomic, technical and use‐wear analyses confirm that the occupation was devoted to butchery of the mammoth carcass. The activity zone is in a fluvio‐deltaic area that incises the terrace T+60 of the lower Francolí river basin, 50 m a.s.l. Palaeomagnetic and cosmogenic analyses, as well as microfaunal (Mimomys savini,Victoriamys chalinei) and macrofaunal biostratigraphy (Mammuthus meridionalis), support the timing of the occupation to the late Matuyama chron. These various lines of evidence point to Barranc de la Boella being the oldest Early Acheulean butchering site in Europe. Ongoing excavations at several localities at Barranc de la Boella are yielding new data on the palaeoenvironmental, geochronological and technological framework of these occupations. Finally, the evidence is integrated into current understanding of the subsistence strategies practised by Early Pleistocene hominins.
Data‐driven optimized flip angle selection for T1 estimation from spoiled gradient echo acquisitions
Authors: Lewis Christina M. , Hurley Samuel A. , Meyerand M. Elizabeth , Koay Cheng Guan
Published: September 2015

Purpose

Define criteria for selection of optimal flip angle sets for T1 estimation and evaluate effects on T1 mapping.

Theory and Methods

Flip angle sets for spoiled gradient echo‐based T1 mapping were selected by minimizing T1 estimate variance weighted by the joint density of M0 and T1 in an initial acquisition. The effect of optimized flip angle selection on T1 estimate error was measured using simulations and experimental data in the human and rat brain.

Results

For two‐point acquisitions, optimized angle sets were similar to those proposed by other groups and, therefore, performed similarly. For multipoint acquisitions, optimal angle sets for T1 mapping in the brain consisted of a repetition of two angles. Implementation of optimal angles reduced T1 estimate variance by 30–40% compared with a multipoint acquisition using a range of angles. Performance of the optimal angle set was equivalent to that of a repetition of the two‐angle set selected using criteria proposed by other researchers.

Conclusion

Repetition of two carefully selected flip angles notably improves the precision of resulting T1 estimates compared with acquisitions using a range of flip angles. This work provides a flexible and widely applicable optimization method of particular use for those who repeatedly perform T1 estimation. Magn Reson Med 76:792–802, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Development of Indirect Measures of Conscientiousness: Combining a Facets Approach and Network Analysis
Authors: Costantini Giulio , Richetin Juliette , Borsboom Denny , Fried Eiko I. , Rhemtulla Mijke , Perugini Marco
Published: September 2015

Because indirect measures of personality self–concepts such as the Implicit Association Test (IAT) allow tapping into automatic processes, they can offer advantages over self–report measures. However, prior investigations have led to mixed results regarding the validity of indirect measures of conscientiousness. We suggest that these results might be due to a failure to consider the different facets of conscientiousness. These facets are of crucial importance because they are associated differentially with other psychobiological constructs and they are also characterized by different mechanisms. Therefore, focusing on facets while developing indirect measures of conscientiousness may improve the validity of such measures. In Study 1, we conducted a psycholexical investigation to develop one IAT for each conscientiousness facet. In Study 2, we examined the convergent and discriminant validities of each facet IAT in relation to self–report measures, peer–report measures and self–report behavioural indicators, and we investigated differential associations of the conscientiousness facets with working memory capacity and self–control. We employed network analysis as a novel approach to elucidate differential relationships involving personality facets. The results corroborated the convergent and discriminant validity of the conscientiousness facet IATs with self–reports and showed that the conscientiousness facets were differentially associated with working memory capacity and with self–control. Copyright © 2015 European Association of Personality Psychology
Genetic manipulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis for improved production in Streptomyces and other actinomycetes
Authors: Baltz Richard H
Published: September 2015

Actinomycetes continue to be important sources for the discovery of secondary metabolites for applications in human medicine, animal health, and crop protection. With the maturation of actinomycete genome mining as a robust approach to identify new and novel cryptic secondary metabolite gene clusters, it is critical to continue developing methods to activate and enhance secondary metabolite biosynthesis for discovery, development, and large-scale manufacturing. This review covers recent reports on promising new approaches and further validations or technical improvements of existing approaches to strain improvement applicable to a wide range of Streptomyces species and other actinomycetes.
MicroRNAs Regulating Signaling Pathways: Potential Biomarkers in Systemic Sclerosis
Authors: Li Yisha , Huang Jing , Guo Muyao , Zuo Xiaoxia
Published: September 2015

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem fibrotic and autoimmune disease. Both genetic and epigenetic elements mediate SSc pathophysiology. This review summarizes the role of one epigenetic element, known as microRNAs (miRNAs), involved in different signaling pathways of SSc pathogenesis. The expression of key components in transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway has been found to be regulated by miRNAs both upstream and downstream of TGF-β. We are specifically interested in the pathway components upstream of TGF-β, while miRNAs in other signaling pathways have not been extensively studied. The emerging role of miRNAs in vasculopathy of SSc suggests a promising new direction for future investigation. Elucidation of the regulatory role of miRNAs in the expression of signaling factors may facilitate the discovery of novel biomarkers in SSc and improve the understanding and treatment of this disease.
The influence of GAP‐43 on orientation of cell division through G proteins
Authors: Huang Rui , Zhao Junpeng , Ju Lili , Wen Yujun , Xu Qunyuan
Published: September 2015

Recent studies have shown that GAP‐43 is highly expressed in horizontally dividing neural progenitor cells, and G protein complex are required for proper mitotic‐spindle orientation of those progenitors in the mammalian developing cortex. In order to verify the hypothesis that GAP‐43 may influence the orientation of cell division through interacting with G proteins during neurogenesis, the GAP‐43 RNA from adult C57 mouse was cloned into the pEGFP‐N1 vector, which was then transfected into Madin–Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells cultured in a three‐dimensional (3D) cell culture system. The interaction of GAP‐43 with Gαi was detected by co‐immunoprecipitation (co‐IP), while cystogenesis of 3D morphogenesis of MDCK cells and expression of GAP‐43 and Gαi were determined by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. The results showed are as follows: After being transfected by pEGFP‐N1‐GAP‐43, GAP‐43 was localized on the cell membrane and co‐localized with Gαi, and this dramatically induced a defective cystogenesis in 3D morphogenesis of MDCK cells. The functional interaction between GAP‐43 and Gαi proteins was proven by the co‐IP assay. It can be considered from the results that the GAP‐43 is involved in the orientation of cell division by interacting with Gαi and this should be an important mechanism for neurogenesis in the mammalian brain.
Wayang potehi: Glove puppets in the expression of Sino-Indonesian identity
Authors: Stenberg Josh
Published: September 2015

This article examines wayang potehi, a cloth glove puppet theatre of southern Fujian origin performed on Java. It outlines the genre's emergence in Fujian, its arrival in the archipelago, and historical and contemporary practice. This article seeks to respect potehi's Hokkien roots, Indonesian practice, and the place of its genre in a dynamic regional history as it traces the development, practice and uses of the genre. Contemporary potehi patronage often exhibits the strategies of the mixed-culture non-Chinese-speaking communities of East and Central Java to perform a streamlined, integrationist, and loyal Sino-Indonesian identity.
Ending the Use of Animals in Toxicity Testing and Risk Evaluation
Authors: ROWAN ANDREW N.
Published: September 2015

This article discusses the use of animals for the safety testing of chemicals, including pharmaceuticals, household products, pesticides, and industrial chemicals. It reviews changes in safety testing technology and what those changes mean from the perspective of industrial innovation, public policy and public health, economics, and ethics. It concludes that the continuing use of animals for chemical safety testing should end within the decade as cheaper, quicker, and more predictive technologies are developed and applied.
Mitochondrial dynamics and their intracellular traffic in porcine oocytes
Authors: Yamochi T. , Hashimoto S. , Amo A. , Goto H. , Yamanaka M. , Inoue M. , Nakaoka Y. , Morimoto Y.
Published: September 2015

Meiotic maturation of oocytes requires a variety of ATP-dependent reactions, such as germinal vesicle breakdown, spindle formation, and rearrangement of plasma membrane structure, which is required for fertilization. Mitochondria are accordingly expected be localized to subcellular sites of energy utilization. Although microtubule-dependent cellular traffic for mitochondria has been studied extensively in cultured neuronal (and some other somatic) cells, the molecular mechanism of their dynamics in mammalian oocytes at different stages of maturation remains obscure. The present work describes dynamic aspects of mitochondria in porcine oocytes at the germinal vesicle stage. After incubation of oocytes with MitoTracker Orange followed by centrifugation, mitochondria-enriched ooplasm was obtained using a glass needle and transferred into a recipient oocyte. The intracellular distribution of the fluorescent mitochondria was then observed over time using a laser scanning confocal microscopy equipped with an incubator. Kinetic analysis revealed that fluorescent mitochondria moved from central to subcortical areas of oocytes and were dispersed along plasma membranes. Such movement of mitochondria was inhibited by either cytochalasin B or cytochalasin D but not by colcemid, suggesting the involvement of microfilaments. This method of visualizing mitochondrial dynamics in live cells permits study of the pathophysiology of cytoskeleton-dependent intracellular traffic of mitochondria and associated energy metabolism during meiotic maturation of oocytes.
The wall-top of the Late-Roman defences at Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges: interim report
Authors: Wood Jason
Published: September 2015

Between 1993 and 2001 a British team led by S. Esmonde Geary, M. J. Jones and the author examined the Late-Roman defences of the ‘ville haute’ of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges (SW France). The project fell within the overall theme of studying the transition from the classical to the late antique/early mediaeval town, a principal objective of the international Trojet Collectif de Recherches’ at Saint-Bertrand. The primary aim of the British investigation was to document and analyse the construction of the Late-Roman defences and their subsequent development through a combination of architectural survey and excavation. During the nine seasons of fieldwork, the architectural remains of the entire wall circuit were analysed and 11 separate trenches excavated. The evidence obtained from these excavations dates the wall's construction to the early years of the 5th c.

The architectural survey included collating old photographs and unpublished excavation records; preparing a plan showing the surviving original and rebuilt stretches of the walls; making a general survey of the principal external and internal elevations, and recording the outline of all visible Roman facing and corework, vertical and horizontal breaks, offsets, tile courses, drains, re-used masonry and later building and repairs; making stone-by-stone drawings of the best surviving elevations and features; making a detailed analysis of the wall fabric, interpreting its building periods and phases of construction, and identifying changes in alignment of the defences, the presence of external towers, work-gang divisions, and so on. For ease of reference, the circuit was divided into 26 sectors on the basis of criteria such as change of alignment and state of preservation.
AN ARGUMENT AGAINST ETHICAL SUBJECTIVISM
Authors: Tan Mark M.H.
Published: September 2015

This article provides an argument against ethical subjectivism as a normative theory. It highlights how ethical subjectivism does not correspond with the phenomena of how we argue. Ethical subjectivism suggests that ethics is a matter of subjective preferences, but we do not usually enter into a serious debate on such matters. On the contrary, when we argue we believe that what we argue for is objectively true. This may pose a serious problem to an ethical subjectivist who holds that ethical conceptions are neither superior nor inferior to each other. The article also outlines the implications of the position of an ethical subjectivist and how they go against our deepest moral intuition that ‘might is not right’.
Psychometric Properties of the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale in Severely Obese Patients
Authors: Paiva-Medeiros Paula Francielle , Duarte-Guerra Leorides Severo , Santo Marco Aurélio , Lotufo-Neto Francisco , Wang Yuan-Pang
Published: September 2015

Obesity is a chronic condition worldwide and has frequent association with major depression. The Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was applied to obese patients in order to detect briefly and systematically depressive symptoms. The objectives were: to estimate the reliability of the MADRS and to investigate the criterion validity of MADRS. The best cut-off point to detect depressive symptoms was determined in comparison with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Diagnosis (SCID-I). The sample was recruited consecutively from the waiting list of a bariatric surgery service of the university clinic. Trained clinical psychologists applied the assessment instruments. The final sample was comprised of 374 class III obese adults (women 79.9 %, mean age 43.3 years [SD 11.6], mean body mass index 47.0 kg/m2 [SD 7.1]). The mean total score of the MADRS was 7.73 (SD 11.33) for the total sample, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of .93. Women presented higher mean score than men (8.08 versus 6.33; p = .23). The best cut-off point was 13/14 in accordance with the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis, yielding a sensitivity of .81 and specificity of .85. The overall ability to discriminate depression according to area under the curve was .87. The results showed that the MADRS is a reliable and valid scale to detect depressive symptoms among patients seeking treatment in preoperative period, displaying adequate psychometric properties.
Kapnick Receives 2015 Cryosphere Early Career Award
Authors:   AGU
Published: September 2015

Sarah Kapnick will receive the 2015 Cryosphere Early Career Award at the 2015 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, to be held 14–18 December in San Francisco, Calif. The award is for "a significant contribution to cryospheric science and technology."
Roads and cities of 18th century France
Authors: Perret Julien , Gribaudi Maurizio , Barthelemy Marc
Published: September 2015

The evolution of infrastructure networks such as roads and streets are of utmost importance to understand the evolution of urban systems. However, datasets describing these spatial objects are rare and sparse. The database presented here represents the road network at the french national level described in the historical map of Cassini in the 18th century. The digitization of this historical map is based on a collaborative methodology that we describe in detail. This dataset can be used for a variety of interdisciplinary studies, covering multiple spatial resolutions and ranging from history, geography, urban economics to network science.
Electro-magnetic field promotes osteogenic differentiation of BM-hMSCs through a selective action on Ca2+-related mechanisms
Authors: Petecchia Loredana , Sbrana Francesca , Utzeri Roberto , Vercellino Marco , Usai Cesare , Visai Livia , Vassalli Massimo , Gavazzo Paola
Published: September 2015

Exposure to Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) has been shown to affect proliferation and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow stroma (BM-hMSC). These cells offer considerable promise in the field of regenerative medicine, but their clinical application is hampered by major limitations such as poor availability and the time required to differentiate up to a stage suitable for implantation. For this reason, several research efforts are focusing on identifying strategies to speed up the differentiation process. In this work we investigated thein vitroeffect of PEMF on Ca2+-related mechanisms promoting the osteogenic differentiation of BM-hMSC. Cells were daily exposed to PEMF while subjected to osteogenic differentiation and various Ca2+-related mechanisms were monitored using multiple approaches for identifying functional and structural modifications related to this process. The results indicate that PEMF exposure promotes chemically induced osteogenesis by mechanisms that mainly interfere with some of the calcium-related osteogenic pathways, such as permeation and regulation of cytosolic concentration, leaving others, such as extracellular deposition, unaffected. The PEMF effect is primarily associated to early enhancement of intracellular calcium concentration, which is proposed here as a reliable hallmark of the osteogenic developmental stage.
Redox activity and chemical interactions of metal oxide nano- and micro-particles with dithiothreitol (DTT)
Authors: Nicolas Johny , Jaafar Malek , Sepetdjian Elizabeth , Saad Walid , Sioutas Constantinos , Shihadeh Alan , Saliba Najat A.
Published: September 2015

The wide application of nanotechnology has increased the interest in studying the toxicity of nano- and micro-sized particles escaping into air from various aspects of the production process.
Effect of intra-membrane C60 fullerenes on the modulus of elasticity and the mechanical resistance of gel and fluid lipid bilayers
Authors: Zhou Jihan , Liang Dehai , Contera Sonia
Published: September 2015

AFM imaging and nanoindentation complemented by FTIR and light scattering revealed the effect of intramembrane fullerene C60 on fluid and gel phase lipid bilayers.
Dye-sensitized solar cells based on a 1D/3D double-layered ZnO photoanode with improved photovoltaic performance
Authors: Wang Yu-Fen , Wang Xin , Li Xi-Fei , Li De-Jun
Published: September 2015

The ZnO ellipsoids and spheres are fabricated via a facile sonochemical process. Dye-sensitized solar cells based on 1D/3D double layered ZnO photoanode are designed. The ZnO ellipsoids and spheres show superior light scattering ability in DSSCs.
Ceria nanoparticles with rhodamine B as a powerful theranostic agent against intracellular oxidative stress
Authors: Apostolova Nadezda , Rovira-Llopis Susana , Baldoví Herme G. , Navalon Sergio , Asiri Abdullah M. , Victor Victor M. , Garcia Hermenegildo , Herance Jose Raul
Published: September 2015

Ceria nanoparticles with rhodamine B (RhB-CeNPs) are a new class of biocompatible nanomaterial with antioxidant activity and sensor capacity against oxidant species both in solution and in human cells.
A cobalt nanoparticle ion-implantation-modified indium tin oxide electrode for direct electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol in alkaline media
Authors: Su Wen , Fu Yingyi , Wang Tong , Yu Yanan , Hu Jingbo
Published: September 2015

SEM images of the CoNPs/ITO electrode (A), and the CoNPs/ITO electrode exhibits a good electrocatalytic ability and stability towards direct methanol oxidation in alkaline medium (B, C and D).
Facile and cost-effective synthesis of CNT@MCo2O4 (M = Ni, Mn, Cu, Zn) core–shell hybrid nanostructures for organic dye removal
Authors: Li Haizhen , Sun Zebin , Tian Yaxi , Cui Guijia , Yan Shiqiang
Published: September 2015

This study presents four hybrid materials of CNT@MCo2O4 (M = Ni, Mn, Cu, Zn) which were prepared via a simple chemical bath deposition method at room temperature followed by a post-annealing treatment.
Acid-amplifying polymers: synthesis, characterization, and application to environmentally stable chemical amplification positive (ESCAP) resists
Authors: Arimitsu K. , Yonekura M. , Furutani M.
Published: September 2015

Polymers bearing acid-amplifying units were designed to suppress the excess diffusion of acid species, evaluated for their photosensitivity with photoacid generators, and applied for positive-working ESCAP resists.
Understanding the high reactivity of carbonyl compounds towards nucleophilic carbenoid intermediates generated from carbene isocyanides
Authors: Ríos-Gutiérrez Mar , Domingo Luis R. , Pérez Patricia
Published: September 2015

The high nucleophilic character of the carbenoid intermediate cis-IN together with the specific approach mode of acetone make the formation of the C–C single bond with a very low activation free energy, possible.
Phosphinite-functionalized silica and hexagonal mesoporous silica containing palladium nanoparticles in Heck coupling reaction: synthesis, characterization, and catalytic activity
Authors: Farjadian Fatemeh , Hosseini Majid , Ghasemi Soheila , Tamami Bahman
Published: September 2015

The preparation of phosphinite-functionalized silica and hexagonal mesoporous silica containing palladium nanoparticles is described. These catalysts were explored as heterogeneous catalytic systems in HCR with different substrates.
The first chiral diene-based metal–organic frameworks for highly enantioselective carbon–carbon bond formation reactions
Authors: Sawano Takahiro , Ji Pengfei , McIsaac Alexandra R. , Lin Zekai , Abney Carter W. , Lin Wenbin
Published: September 2015

The first chiral rhodium-diene-based metal–organic frameworks are highly active and enantioselective catalysts for C–C bond formation reactions.
Peripheral mechanism of a carbonyl hydrosilylation catalysed by an SiNSi iron pincer complex
Authors: Metsänen Toni T. , Gallego Daniel , Szilvási Tibor , Driess Matthias , Oestreich Martin
Published: September 2015

The metal centre remains a spectator through the peripheral mechanism investigated by a combined spectroscopic, crystallographic, and computational analysis.
Tuning the electronic band structure of microporous titanates with the hollandite structure
Authors: Moetakef Pouya , Wang Limin , Maughan Annalise E. , Gaskell Karen J. , Larson Amber M. , Hodges Brenna C. , Rodriguez Efrain E.
Published: September 2015

We present the electronic band structures of microporous titanates with the hollandite-type structure.
Micelle-like luminescent nanoparticles as a visible gene delivery system with reduced toxicity
Authors: Yang Keni , Li Shengliang , Jin Shubin , Xue Xiangdong , Zhang Tingbin , Zhang Chunqiu , Xu Jing , Liang Xing-Jie
Published: September 2015

Luminescent nanoparticles (TPEI) were synthesized to tackle the undesired cytotoxicity of cationic polymers and were also used for visible gene transfection.
The Effect of Advancing Age on Auditory Middle- and Long-Latency Evoked Potentials Using a Steady-State-Response Approach
Authors: Tlumak Abreena I. , Durrant John D. , Delgado Rafael E.
Published: September 2015

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to objectively detect age-specific changes that occur in equivalent auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs), corresponding to transient middle- and long-latency auditory evoked potentials as a function of repetition rate and advancing age.

Method

The study included 48 healthy hearing adults who were equally divided into 3 groups by age: 20–39, 40–59, and 60–79 years. ASSRs were recorded at 7 repetition rates from 40 down to 0.75 Hz, elicited by trains of repeated tone burst stimuli.

Results

Temporal analysis of middle- and long-latency equivalent ASSRs revealed no appreciable changes in the magnitudes of the response across the age groups. Likewise, the spectral analysis revealed that advancing age did not substantially affect the spectral content of the response at each repetition rate. Furthermore, the harmonic sum was not significantly different across the 3 age groups, between the younger adults versus the combined Older Group Sample 1 and Sample 2, and between the two extreme age groups (i.e., 20–39 vs. 60–79) for the middle- and long-latency equivalent ASSRs.

Conclusion

Advancing age has no effect on the long-latency equivalent ASSRs; however, aging does affect the middle-latency equivalent ASSRs when the mean age difference is ≥ 40 years.
Genetic algorithm based optimal compass alignment
Authors: He Hongyang , Jiangning Xu , Feng Li , Miao Wu
Published: September 2015

Compass alignment is an important solution for the initial alignment of strap‐down inertial navigation system (SINS). Values of parameters in compass alignment circuit have a direct influence on the performance of alignment. The optimal parameters of alignment circuit differ from one SINS to another. Traditionally, these alignment parameters are mainly determined by experience and experiments that involves a lot of trial‐and‐error. It is hard to acquire optimal parameters or achieve an optimal alignment. To solve this problem, and taking advantages of genetic algorithm (GA) of global searching, parallel computing and robustness, a GA based compass alignment approach is proposed. According to the characteristics of the compass alignment, reasonable fitness function of GA is established. Then, compass alignment parameters are optimised by GA to achieve an optimal alignment. The experimental results show that the proposed method can search out the optimal alignment parameters rapidly and improve the performance of compass alignment.
Gradual regime shifts in fairy circles
Authors: Zelnik Yuval R. , Meron Ehud , Bel Golan
Published: September 2015

Significance

Combining model and empirical data analyses, we show that transitions between alternative stable states (regime shifts) in spatially extended ecosystems are not necessarily abrupt; cascades of local shifts between a multitude of stable states, composed of patterned and uniform domains, can result in global regime shifts that proceed gradually. In the Namibian fairy circle ecosystem (barren circular gaps in grasslands), such local shifts appear as fairy circle birth or death processes. This mechanism of regime shifts has never been demonstrated in a specific natural context. In addition, the results reported here further support the view of fairy circles as a self-organization phenomenon by providing a new type of evidence based on dynamical processes.
Proteomic mapping in live
Drosophila
tissues using an engineered ascorbate peroxidase
Authors: Chen Chiao-Lin , Hu Yanhui , Udeshi Namrata D. , Lau Thomas Y. , Wirtz-Peitz Frederik , He Li , Ting Alice Y. , Carr Steven A. , Perrimon Norbert
Published: September 2015

Significance

We use a protein labeling technique based on an engineered ascorbate peroxidase (APEX) to map the proteome of the mitochondrial matrix in live tissues. The approach allows us to establish MitoMax, a comprehensive database providing a high-quality inventory of
Drosophila
mitochondrial proteins with subcompartmental annotation. We demonstrate that APEX labeling is effective in vivo and provides an opportunity to characterize subcellular proteomes in specific cell types and in different physiological conditions. Given the interest in defining the mitochondrial proteome in different physiological conditions and tissues, our analysis provides a resource for systematic functional analyses of mitochondria that will in particular facilitate investigation of mitochondrial diseases.
Meaning as a nonlinear effect
Authors: Blommaert Jan
Published: September 2015

Saussurean and Chomskyan “conduit” views of meaning in communication, dominant in much of expert and lay linguistic semantics, presuppose a simple, closed and linear system in which outcomes can be predicted and explained in terms of finite sets of rules. Summarizing critical traditions of scholarship, notably those driven by Bateson’s view of systems infused with more recent linguistic-anthropological insights into the ideologically mediated and indexically organized “total linguistic fact”, this paper argues for a view of meaning in terms of complex open systems in which complex units of analysis invite more precise distinctions within “meaning”. Using online viral memes and the metapragmatic qualifier of “cool” as cases in point, we see that the meaning of such memes is better described as a range of “effects”, most of them nonlinear and not predictable on the basis of the features of the sign itself. Such effects suggest a revised and broader notion of nonlinear “perlocution”.
Sorting out endosome form and function
Authors: Short Ben
Published: September 2015

In the early 2000s, researchers redefined the organization and function of the endosomal system.
An algorithm for automated layout of process description maps drawn in SBGN
Authors: Genc Begum , Dogrusoz Ugur
Published: September 2015

Motivation: Evolving technology has increased the focus on genomics. The combination of today’s advanced techniques with decades of molecular biology research has yielded huge amounts of pathway data. A standard, named the Systems Biology Graphical Notation (SBGN), was recently introduced to allow scientists to represent biological pathways in an unambiguous, easy-to-understand and efficient manner. Although there are a number of automated layout algorithms for various types of biological networks, currently none specialize on process description (PD) maps as defined by SBGN.

Results: We propose a new automated layout algorithm for PD maps drawn in SBGN. Our algorithm is based on a force-directed automated layout algorithm called Compound Spring Embedder (CoSE). On top of the existing force scheme, additional heuristics employing new types of forces and movement rules are defined to address SBGN-specific rules. Our algorithm is the only automatic layout algorithm that properly addresses all SBGN rules for drawing PD maps, including placement of substrates and products of process nodes on opposite sides, compact tiling of members of molecular complexes and extensively making use of nested structures (compound nodes) to properly draw cellular locations and molecular complex structures. As demonstrated experimentally, the algorithm results in significant improvements over use of a generic layout algorithm such as CoSE in addressing SBGN rules on top of commonly accepted graph drawing criteria.

Availability and implementation: An implementation of our algorithm in Java is available within ChiLay library (https://github.com/iVis-at-Bilkent/chilay).

Contact:  ugur@cs.bilkent.edu.tr or dogrusoz@cbio.mskcc.org

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Keynes, Liberalism, and ‘The Emancipation of the Mind’
Authors: Toye Richard
Published: September 2015

This article offers a more systematic assessment of John Maynard Keynes’s attitude to Liberalism, and his engagement with the Liberal Party, than has previously been attempted. It does so as a means of exploring how the study of ideologies should be approached. To Keynes, ideologies were not simply constellations of fixed principles; in his view, policies were always contingent on circumstances, and thus what was appropriate now would become outdated in the future. The Liberal, therefore, needed a flexible and experimental psychological attitude, in order to devise solutions that were appropriate to changing conditions. Using his 1925 lecture ‘Am I a Liberal?’ as a starting point, it is argued here that Keynes saw Liberalism primarily as a discursive practice in the public sphere, that is to say as a technique for ‘doing politics’. We need not take Keynes’s evaluation of his own Liberal mind-set at face value, but it nonetheless casts light on the nature of Liberalism in this period. In spite of the Liberal party’s electoral decline, the political conditions of the 1920s were particularly well suited to Keynes’s vision. For him, Liberalism depended upon, but would also help to facilitate, what he referred to as ‘the emancipation of the mind.’
Comparing Percutaneous Physeal Epiphysiodesis and Eight-Plate Epiphysiodesis for the Treatment of Limb Length Discrepancy
Authors: Bayhan Ilhan A. , Karatas Ali F. , Rogers Kenneth J. , Bowen J. Richard , Thacker Mihir M.
Published: September 2015

Background:

Either percutaneous or eight-plate epiphysiodesis have been shown to be effective growth modulation techniques for the treatment of limb length discrepancies (LLD). However, few studies compared the outcomes of both techniques with some confounding results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of the both techniques in the treatment of the LLD.

Methods:

Between 2004 and 2012, medical records of all cases that underwent either eight-plate or percutaneous epiphysiodesis (PE) were reviewed. Age at surgery, sex, diagnosis, surgical site (proximal tibia/distal femur), time of follow-up, complications, and additional procedures were noted. Correction of the LLD was evaluated to calculate the rate of correction and the percentage of improvement from the long-leg standing x-rays or scanograms, collected at each visit.

Results:

There were 24 patients in the eight-plate (10 girls and 14 boys) and 48 patients in the PE group (28 girls and 20 boys). No statistically significant difference was found in the age, sex, preoperative LLD, or follow-up between groups. Both groups reached to an average LLD below 2 cm. The percentage of improvement was significantly higher in the PE group (P=0.031). The rate of individual femoral and tibial correction did not differ between the groups.

Conclusions:

Both methods are shown to be effective for LLD correction. However, PE led to greater improvement during the same follow-up time with fewer complications and less need for additional surgical procedures.
Low Back Pain in Adolescents: A 1-Year Analysis of Eventual Diagnoses
Authors: Yang Scott , Werner Brian C. , Singla Anuj , Abel Mark F.
Published: September 2015

Background:

Back pain in adolescents is very common and often seen in the office for evaluation of potential spinal pathology. Pediatric back pain has often thought to be from serious identifiable causes such as spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, tumor, or infection. A follow-up analysis of adolescents initially presenting with back pain to their eventual subsequent diagnosis within 1 year has not been reported on a large scale with a national sample.

Methods:

A national insurance database (PearlDiver Patient Records Database) was queried for ICD-9 codes to identify patients aged 10 to 19 years with back pain from 2007 to 2010. These patients were tracked for imaging obtained, and eventual development of subsequent associated spinal pathology diagnoses using CPT and ICD-9 codes for up to 1 year after initial presentation.

Results:

A total of 215,592 adolescents were identified presenting with low back pain (LBP) from 2007 to 2010. Over 80% of adolescents with LBP had no identifiable diagnosis within 1 year. The most common associated subsequent diagnoses were lumbar strain/spasm (8.9%), followed by scoliosis (4.7%), lumbar degenerative disk disease (1.7%), and lumbar disk herniation (1.3%). The rates of all other diagnoses including spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, infection, tumor, and fracture had <1% association with LBP.

Conclusions:

In conclusion, adolescent LBP is a common diagnosis for which underlying serious pathology is rare. The most common diagnosis aside from strain or muscle spasm associated with LBP are scoliosis and degenerative disk disease. Pediatric orthopaedists often are consulted on patients with LBP and should always have high suspicion for potential serious spinal pathology, but should recognize the most common etiologies of back pain in adolescence.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV—case series.
Starmera pilosocereana sp. nov., a yeast isolated from necrotic tissue of cacti in a sandy coastal dune ecosystem
Authors: Freitas Larissa F. D. , Barbosa Raquel , Sampaio José Paulo , Lachance Marc-André , Rosa Carlos A.
Published: September 2015

Two strains of a novel cactophilic yeast species were isolated from the columnar cactus Pilosocereus arrabidae in a sand dune ecosystem in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Phylogenetic analysis of sequences of the large subunit rRNA gene D1/D2 domains showed that the strains represent a sister species to Starmera caribaea, from which it differs by 21 nt substitutions and two indels. The novel species is heterothallic and the asci are deliquescent with the formation of two to four hat-shaped ascospores. The name Starmera pilosocereana sp. nov. is proposed for the species. The type strain is UFMG-CM-Y316T ( = CBS 13266T) and the allotype is UFMG-CM-Y346a ( = CBS 13265). The Mycobank number is MB 810683. In addition, Candida stellimalicola belonging to the Starmera clade, is reassigned to Starmera as a new combination.
Yamadazyma riverae sp. nov., a yeast species isolated from plant materials
Authors: Lopes Mariana R. , Ferreira Mariana C. , Carvalho Tatiana F. C. , Pagnocca Fernando C. , Chagas Rafaella A. , Morais Paula B. , Rosa Luiz H. , Lachance Marc-André , Rosa Carlos A.
Published: September 2015

Nine strains of a novel yeast species were isolated from rotting wood, tree bark, ant nests or living as endophytes in leaves ofVellozia gigantea. Analysis of the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene showed that this species was related toCandida insectorumin theYamadazymaclade. The novel species differed from closely related species by 10 and 11 substitutions in the ITS region and the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit of the rRNA gene, respectively. The species is heterothallic and forms asci with one to two hat-shaped ascospores. The nameYamadazyma riveraesp. nov. is proposed for the novel species. The type strain is UFMG-CM-Y444T( = CBS 14121T) and the allotype strain is TT12 ( = CBS 14098 = UFMG-CM-Y577). The Mycobank number is MB 813221.
Description of Acinetobacter populi sp. nov. isolated from symptomatic bark of Populus × euramericana canker
Authors: Li Yong , Chang Jupu , Guo Li-min , Wang Hai-Ming , Xie Shou-jiang , Piao Chun-gen , He Wei
Published: September 2015

Five Gram-negative, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterial strains were isolated from cankers of Populus × euramericana collected from different locations in Puyang city, Henan Province, China. The five strains were characterized by nutritional and physiological testing and DNA sequence analysis. Haemolysis was not observed on agar media supplemented with sheep erythrocytes. The strains could be distinguished from members of most species of the genus Acinetobacter by their inability to assimilate l-arginine and benzoate. The five strains formed a single branch in phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA, gyrB and rpoB individual gene sequence analysis, indicating that they all belonged to a single taxon within the genus Acinetobacter. DNA–DNA hybridization results indicated that the five isolates represented to a single species that was separate from Acinetobacter puyangensis. On the basis of the phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic characteristics, the five strains are considered to represent a novel species of the genus Acinetobacter, for which the name Acinetobacter populi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of A. populi sp. nov. is PBJ7T (CFCC 11170T = KCTC 42272T).
Sphingomonas fonticola sp. nov., isolated from spring water
Authors: Sheu Shih-Yi , Chen Yi-Ling , Chen Wen-Ming
Published: September 2015

A bacterial strain designated TNR-2T was isolated from spring water in Taiwan and characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Cells of strain TNR-2T were aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, straight rods, motile by a single polar flagellum and containing poly-β-hydroxybutyrate. The cells were covered by large capsules and formed yellow colonies. Growth occurred at 15–37 °C (optimum, 20–30 °C), with 0–1.0 % NaCl (optimum, 0–0.1 %) and at pH 5.0–8.0 (optimum, pH 6.0). According to a phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain TNR-2T belonged to the genus Sphingomonas and clustered with Sphingomonas alpina S8-3T, with which it shared the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (95.6 %). The major fatty acids (>10 %) of strain TNR-2T were C18 : 1ω7c, C17 : 1ω6c and C16 : 0. The DNA G+C content was 62.8 mol%. The major isoprenoid quinone was Q-10. The major polyamine was homospermidine. The polar lipid profile consisted of sphingoglycolipid, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, diphosphatidylglycerol, two uncharacterized glycolipids and an uncharacterized phospholipid. Phenotypic characteristics of the novel strain differed from those of the closest related species of the genus Sphingomonas. On the basis of the genotypic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic data, strain TNR-2T represents a novel species in the genus Sphingomonas, for which the name Sphingomonas fonticola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TNR-2T ( = BCRC 80539T = LMG 27384T = KCTC 32258T).
The effects of both recent and long-term selection and genetic drift are readily evident in North American barley breeding populations
Authors: Poets Ana M. , Mohammadi Mohsen , Seth Kiran , Wang Hongyun , Kono Thomas J.Y. , Fang Zhou , Muehlbauer Gary J. , Smith Kevin P. , Morrell Peter L.
Published: September 2015

Barley was introduced to North America ∼400 years ago but adaptation to modern production environments is more recent. Comparisons of allele frequencies among different growth habits and inflorescence types in North America indicate significant genetic differentiation has accumulated in a relatively short evolutionary time span. Allele frequency differentiation is greatest among barley with two-row versus six-row inflorescences, and then by spring versus winter growth habit. Large changes in allele frequency among breeding programs suggest a major contribution of genetic drift and linked selection on genetic variation. Despite this, comparisons of 3,613 modern North American cultivated breeding lines that differ for row type and growth habit permit the discovery of 183 SNP outliers putatively linked to targets of selection. For example, SNPs within theCbf4, Ppd-H1, andVrn-H1loci which have previously been associated with agronomically-adaptive phenotypes, are identified as outliers. Analysis of extended haplotype-sharing identifies genomic regions shared within and among breeding programs, suggestive of a number of genomic regions subject to recent selection. Finally, we are able to identify recent bouts of gene flow between breeding programs that could point to the sharing of agronomically-adaptive variation. These results are supported by pedigrees and breeders understanding of germplasm sharing.